The European Parliament, which represents 27 countries, is to debate on Thursday what it calls violations of human rights and humanitarian laws in Sri Lanka.
The “emergency debate” has been sought by 50 members of the Green Party after the release of the report of the three-member UN Advisory Panel to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The Panel comprised Marzuki Darusman (Indonesia), Yasmin Sooka (South Africa) and Steven Ratner (United States).
Ravinatha Ariyasinha, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Brussels, confirmed the emergency debate on May 12. “We are already lobbying parties to ensure that the final resolution has the correct balance,” he told the Sunday Times on the telephone from Brussels yesterday.
This emergency debate has caused concern in the External Affairs Ministry in Colombo. Officials fear it would harden the positions of EU members against Sri Lanka on the UN Panel report. There is concern that the powerful European lobby would endorse the report for further investigation at an international level and thereby isolate Sri Lanka, leading to possible trade sanctions.
Also listed for debate on the same day are issues related to two other countries – Belarus and Azerbaijan. Diplomatic sources said yesterday that the debate would generate greater consciousness among the 27 members of the European Union on the findings of the UN Panel.
This emergency debate has become the major issue with the European Union since Sri Lanka lost the GSP plus trade preferences from the European Union in May last year [courtesy: sunday times.lk]
When can you find good decent diplomats not only to brussels other countries too in EU . you can do wonders if you can find good ones. start with sweden and france etc etc. you are already too late but ……….
EU has to view the content of the UN report like they did when GSP + was taken into consideration. They were critical regarding Human rights violatins in the country and hence we had to lose the GSP + consession given to us. Our loud mouthed Ministers and MPs who are clueless regarding what goes with the International community, as some of they even cannot read the UN panel report, in english, leaving aside critisism of it.
The truth must prevail at any cost . We are a Buddihist country and according to Kharma the people who did wrong things must suffer the consequences in the Sambudhajayanthi year of 2600.The EU is going to subtentiate its position by reffering to Visual evidence, as well which were shown on channel 4.
Mr. Ariyasinghe, and Samarasinghe, or toung twister GL will we have a leg to stand on?
If Ravinath Ariyasinghe says there is going to be an emergency debate on the UN panel issue, on Srilanka on the 12th May, it could be serious. There is no point our shouting in Sri-lanka,answer the International community because the repercussions are going to be serious if sanctions are imposed on us, by the EU countries
EU HAS NOTHING TO DO,, DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON INNOCENT SRILANKA, WE LOOK AFTER OUR INTERNAL ISSUE, WHILE THE EU SUPPORTING THE TAMIL TERRORIST ESPECIALLY NORWAY,SWEDEN.
THEY STOP THE GSP, WHAT HAPPEN, NOTHING,
EU is an entity more recognised than America, who speaks in double tongue.
No use shouting by our men, many of whom do not understand a word from the Report.
let stay .sri lanka free .hey can soul there problam ,and talk about osama also too.
Sooner or later we have to stand our own. As long as we depend on bloody EU/UN Aid(s) & consessions we will have no future at all. So let’s face it now and kick all of them out from SL and let’s get more closer to our real friends. Cut bloody imports from EU and get those from our friends. Promote our exports more to all countries in ASIA and Build a economic force amoung the Asian countries/friends who already helped us in need. Let’s launch the campaign to eliminate various global terrorists. We are a mighty force my friends.
Clean ,your Bloody head ,We need good Diplomats to fight this type of issues ,NOT LIKE COMODIANS MERVIN DE SILVA OR WIMAL,These are crooks they make this adventures for their own survival
loss of GSP is over 150M $, so something has happened, simple mathes.
This report is not a U.N. report – it was an advisory report to the Secretary General that was called for to satisfy the western powers, the same powers who tried their best – your David Milliband who admitted that he spent 60% of his time to woo the Tamil vote in the U.K. was one of them, to save the leadership of the Tamil terrorists. These countries were pushing for a report, again to pander to the LTTE Tamils in the U.K., U.S., Canada etc. To be an U.N. report it needed to be called for by either the Security Council or the General Assembly. It was not. That is why Ban ki Moon said that he has no power to act.
It was not an investigative report as clearly stated many times by the authors. For example on page 6 of the main report, they say “the panel and United Nations officials repeatedly made clear to the government the scope of its mandate as an advisory panel to the secretary general including that it was not engaged in any investigation. Again on page 14 it stressed “the panel’s mandate precludes fact finding or investigation.”
There is no “credible evidence” in the report. It is based on unsubstantiated allegations gathered from public presentations and what was in the U.N. system. Further what is curious is that these presentations were classified as strictly confidential and can not be examined by anybody for twenty years! If they are making accusations, for them to be credible and have any semblance of legality, those they accuse should have access to the information they have relied on. To ask for another international investigation is just a fishing expedition which which will continue not for the benefit of Sri Lanka or it’s citizens but to satisfy the countries who want to punish Sri Lanka to satisfy their own citizens of Tamil origin. The panel collected information from people and no one knows who they are or the content of the material collected. On page 15 they state “this account should not be taken as proven facts” which means that they are not prepared to guarantee the accuracy of the what is in the report but expect Sri Lanka to take them at their word. Given the bias of the three panellists based on their prior statements on Sri Lanka, may I say that their report is a waste of public money. It was meant to be broadcast to the world so that reporters and publications such as yours could continue to pass judgements against Sri Lanka based on innuendo and hearsay.
You state Sri Lanka “did not even allow the three UN panel members into the country to carry out an investigation”. Sri Lanka said they could come to the country but they could not carry out any “investigations” – they had no mandate to investigate.
You state “western liberal democracies want greater respect for human rights”. Sounds good but is it not a fact that these same western liberal democracies are violating the human rights of millions in Iraq and Afghanistan? Not only violating human rights they have and are causing hundreds of thousands of deaths which they consider the “price of war” and pass off as collateral damage, displacing millions, using torture, rendition, water boarding and other abuse. For a fact, Sri Lanka can not be compared to these liberal democracies and has merely defeated terrorists in their own country and saved the population from frequent terrorist attacks which it had endured for over twenty five years. That is the duty of any government. The liberal democracies are invading and killing countless thousands in other countries supposedly to protect their own citizens.
You state “authoritarian governments have carte blanche to deal with internal security issues as they see fit, without regard to the laws of war or international humanitarian rules. If 40,000 – or 400,000 – civilians die in the process, then so be it. That would be a terrible message indeed”. It is not “authoritarian governments” that are conducting wars without regard to the laws of war or international humanitarian rules even though they supposedly do not have carte blanche – it is the same liberal democracies that you seem to believe want greater respect for human rights. It is countries such as yours and the U.S. who have the attitude that if 40,000 – or 400,000 – civilians die in the process, then so be it. That is what has been done in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is the terrible message that they are sending to the world, not Sri Lanka or any country you brand as having an “authoritarian government”.
It is not Sri Lanka’s dirty war that must be investigated but wars that are being waged by your liberal democracies. There is sufficient documented evidence of the crimes that have been committed – why do you not call for an immediate investigation by the U.N.
Reading above comments shows how ignorant are some of Sri lankans. The way you all commenting want help the resolve this issue. We have to change our thinking like global citizen, not as Sinhalese or Tamils. Unless we select right people for not our diplomatic missions (by merits not by contacts) will help little. Until we allow all the people in SL to feel like it is their home by having justice for all (not by lecturing ) may be we all have to suffer with economic sanctions and etc.
Great confidence…keep it up and follow the model of your friendly nations who physically eliminate their ethnic minorities.
Ranjana,
I am afraid your concept of Theravada Buddhism’s concept of Kharma is seriously flawed. Theravada Buddhism does not contend that ‘the people who did wrong things must suffer the consequences in the Sambudhajayanthi year 2600′ as per your quote. You are attributing the Christian concept of sin by the clause ‘who did wrong things’. Moreover Buddhism does not attribute a time limit to Kharma as you have supposed in your quote of ‘Sambudhajayanthi year 2600′. I would humbly advise you that before your quote Buddhist concepts please ensure you understand it and quote it correctly. By incorrectly quoting Theravada Buddhist concepts I am afraid your slip is showing as a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ i.e. a Christian concept being attributed to Buddhism – a Christian pretending to be a Buddhist. Good day to you.
The loss of GSP though not inconsequential does not effect the prosperity of the nation. With a growth rate of 8 percent and a buoyant stock market Sri Lanka economically is on the right track. Unfortunately too much is made of the GSP as this is a blessing in disguise as any good economist will tell you that subsidies are the death knell of innovation and progress.