Sajith defies Ranil, attacks US resolution
March 12, 2012, 10:21 pm

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In the wake of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to remain noncommittal on the current United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva, where the government is battling a US-led resolution, UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa says that there is absolutely no basis for Western efforts to confront Sri Lanka over alleged accountability issues.

Responding to a query by The Island, MP Premadasa yesterday said that those pursuing Sri Lanka on the human rights front had conveniently forgotten that they could intervene in affairs of a member state only when international peace and security were threatened. In fact Sri Lanka had eradicated a terrorist group, which posed a grave danger to global security, particularly international shipping routes, the Hambantota District MP said. Had the situation in Sri Lanka got out of hand, the international community would have faced a situation similar to the crisis in Somali waters, where several powerful navies were struggling to contain pirates, he said. The global community should appreciate Sri Lanka’s efforts against terrorism, particularly in the wake of 9/11, he said.

The UNP reformist group would take a strong pro-Sri Lanka position in the face of what he called unsubstantiated allegations made by interested parties.

Political sources said that the UNP was sharply divided over the Geneva issue, with the Reformists wanting to oppose Western interference.

Premadasa said: “We are a sovereign country. Our territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence cannot be undermined on the pretext of protecting human rights.”

Asked whether he was speaking on behalf of the party, MP Premadasa said that he couldn’t keep quiet when an obvious attempt was being made to destabilise the country and cause chaos. Due to negligence, waste and corruption, those struggling to make ends meet hadn’t received any tangible assistance, though the war had ended almost three years back, he said.

MP Premadasa said that the Rajapaksa administration had failed to alleviate the sufferings of the poor.

Referring to the US-resolution, the UNP Deputy Leader said that there couldn’t be any moral or legal justification for any country or a group of countries to intervene in Sri Lanka.

The MP said that Sri Lanka’s war against terrorism shouldn’t be a political issue, whatever the differences they had with the government. The country had no option but to defeat the LTTE through military means as it rejected efforts made by successive governments to settle the national issue, he said. “Don’t forget the LTTE quit the negotiating table in April 2003 after six rounds of talks at various overseas venues. Only the LTTE could have avoided war. The majority of those upset about Sri Lanka’s success did nothing to avert war. None of them at least bothered to issue press statements condemning the LTTE for withdrawing from the Norwegian-led peace process in April 2003 or opposed the use of children as cannon fodder.”

Wasn’t it Tiger and Lamb, Buddhika?

Ha! Ha!!

Thanks!

Each and every Government which held office from 1948 till the present bear culpability for the failure to achieve good governance, national unity and a framework of peace, stability and economic development in which all ethnic, religious and other groups could live in security and equality. We need to rectify this bad governance. We have already missed several opportunities in the past. We need to have State reform; we need to have rule of law established; we need to ensure non-discrimination amongst our citizens; we need to have devolution of power and a tolerance of dissent and a strengthening of democratic institutions.

Dear Neville Perera;

“It looks as though only a miracle will change the mindset of the South.”

It will never change with the present hostile attitude you all are having, and with the endeavour you all are having with that particular mind set. Indirectly, you don’t want to change what you all are crying for.

Unless your attitudes are changed, the attitude you are hoping to change also will not change.

You cannot change everything according to your will alone by threatening or manipulating along with foreign elements hostile towards the country. You cannot expect to run races with rabbits while hunting with hounds.

Thanks!

Dear Buddhika;

“There has been increase in oppression of ethnic minorities in the last 64 yrs and………..”

This just a one party opinion. Why not listen to the opinion of the other party? They allege that the “terrorist or terrorist like activities of one of the minorities had been rising even before that period.

On the other hand, if oppression has been increasing, did you make any effort to find why it is so, rather than just forming arbitrary one party opinions? You think that particular minority has been a innocent pussy cat in the past 64 years you referred to?

I would be grateful if you can be a bit realistic.

Thanks!

”Any intention of misguiding it as the present one to make a confusion?”??
Who is confusing whom?
There has been increase in oppression of ethnic minorities in the last 64 yrs and in parallel there has been damage control at the UN in the form of ”appointing commissions” for decades. How many commissions has this President appointed in the last 6+ yrs?
APRC, CoI,APcDR, LLRC, PSC, …. without any shame.

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/programme-information/sri-lankas-killing-fields-war-crimes-unpunished
Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished
Wednesday 14th March, 10:55pm, Channel 4

Yapa

It’s to show that the trend has been consistently damage-controlling, with no political will to be fair to ALL the citizens.

The call for war crimes investigation would not have arisen at all if the world could see that there is a change in the way the ethnic minorities are treated by the government.

It looks as though only a miracle will change the mindset of the South.

Don’t be naive to quote selected opinions from here and there. Form your own opinions back them with facts and evidence and argue.

That is what is known as fair play.

Thanks!