Police begin "investigation" into National Peace Council funding
Statement of the Governing Council of the National Peace Council in regard to investigation being carried on it
Last week, the Executive Director of the National Peace Council was called to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sri Lanka Police. He was informed that the CID wished to carry out an investigation regarding the organization's sources of funding, its partners and the activities it was carrying out.
CID officers asked questions about the work of the National Peace Council and asked for further information. This investigation was preceded by adverse media commentary in both the state media and sections of the private media that NPC together with other non -governmental organizations continue to be funded by foreign donors despite the end of the war and claiming that they are serving the interests of their funding partners.
The Governing Council is perturbed that the organization is being investigated by the CID instead of by the normal civil administration although there is no prima facie evidence or specific allegation that it is engaging in any criminal activities. Most of the information that the CID has requested the organization to furnish has already been provided to the NGO Secretariat of the Government which is under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. These include work plans, sources of funding, financial and audit reports, salaries of staff and annual reports. So we fail to understand why the CID should investigate the organization. NPC staff has always cooperated fully with the NGO Secretariat which is the appropriate government regulatory and monitoring agency.
The National Peace Council was established in 1995 to support a citizens’ movement for peace in a time of escalating war. We believed, and continue to believe, in a non-violent and negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict within a united Sri Lanka. Although the war has ended in an outright victory for the government forces we believe that the minority communities must be reconciled with the government and the majority community. Such reconciliation needs to be based on a just solution to the grievances of the ethnic minorities with devolution of power to enable them to carry out their administration of public affairs in the Tamil language also. Therefore, NPC continues to affirm the need for a political solution to the ethnic conflict and for a reconciliation process between the communities and the government of the day.
The National Peace Council is primarily an advocacy and education organisation. What we advocate is the protection of human rights and fundamental democratic freedoms of all the people of our land. This is a long term objective which will convince the majority of the people the need for a just solution to the minority problems be they ethnic or religion based minorities. Our advocacy is related to the values and principles enunciated in the several United Nations declarations and connected declarations which are the basis of our Constitution. We do not in any way seek to engage in any political activity. All the work that we do is transparent and in the public sphere. Throughout its years of existence, NPC has also been politically non-partisan, and its policy making bodies and staff are of diverse ethnicities, religions and political convictions.
The Governing Council is distressed that the current CID investigation would intimidate our staff members and their families, and also gives a negative message to the wider society of official intolerance towards liberal and democratic values. The UN Human Rights Day theme this year was the obligation of the member states to protect human rights workers in accordance with the UN Resolution. NPC's financial statements are available in our annual reports which are public documents in accordance with the Companies Law under which the organization is registered. All projects and donor funding are audited on an annual basis by Price Waterhouse and Coopers. The audited accounts are filed with the Registrar of Companies and are accessible to members of the public. Our advocacy and education programs are also public and reported in the annual reports. We hope that the CID investigation will be concluded speedily and the results conveyed to us.
5 Comments
Why not carry out an investigation into source of funding of Govt Politicians as well. Millions being spent on posters, campaigns, luxury vehicles, properties etc. All unaudited, unaccounted public funds. Why the blind spot?
Why does the Governing Council need to bother or be distressed as NPC is a clean operation run by Intellectuals.
There are no Sunandas within the NPC. Furthermore the GOSL is doing a favour by the Donour who would be quite happy. Afterall, its is someones taxed money.
Afterall, NPC primarily indulge in the work related to Advocasy and Education. Hence, what the big fuss.
All that the NPC will have to show are their Donor Agencies, the amount of funds received and how the funds have been utilised? This is no big deal and Donors themselves would required NPC to account for their monies.
There are alleged organisation & advocasy groups such as AHRC who allegedly account to their donors, monies spent upto $100,000. Any alleged payments over and above, be it by way of salary or any other payment best known to them appear to be not transparent.
It is not envisaged that NPC does not follow such practice.
If it does, then its better they have sufficient transparency to such payments.
Further, the employees being honourable people, it is my belief, they voluntarily declare Income Tax to the Inland Revenue as it is a common trend and keep account of their expediture by way of a Income/Expenditure Sheet. This is simple accounting.
As widely speculated, Jehan's trying to be conformist in the past few years not to ruffle feathers in ruling circles as a strategy for his own safety has not helped. His mistaken thought such an acqueicing attitude will keep the wolves away from his door has ricocheted. He lost many serious readers to his well written articles as a result of this capitulation. Now his list of friends are clearly dwindling inspite of efforts to crown fellow writers with different types of awards recently.
From what one can see, the regime is gung ho to cripple the NGOs in that planned Orwellian State where the citizen is for the State and certainly not the other way around. Will the NPC become a little more constructively critical of the State's undoings until the Day of the Guillotine?
ISS
NPC and other such organisations (like CPA) have been constantly posing a question to the govt arguing that if the govt has nothing to hide it should submit itself to an international investigation of war crimes and crimes agaist humanity.
On the same principle, it can be argued that NPC and others don't need to get panicked or worried as they are as clean and harmless as white doves!
Jehan Perera is chief of 'The National Peace Council'.
Pakyasothi Sarawanamuttu is the chief of ‘The Centre for Policy Alternatives’.
J.C.Weliamuna was the chief of Transparency International at one time.
All these three organizations had been urging the government to be transparent; which is a good thing. The problem is; if you dig deep in to their affairs you will see that none of these organizations are transparent.
All three NGOs have received very large sums of money. For instant; during the so-called ‘peace period’ of RanilW, Norway had given them Rs.1800 million but what they did with that money, nobody knows.
Between 2008 and 2010, the US had given them 618 million. During the 2010 Presidential elections, CMEV which the CPA manages received 20 million from the US. In addition to that, CPA received 22 million from Germany to monitor elections of the East. Britain had given them 3 million. How they spend that money, no one knows.
What I have given above is only a tip of the iceberg. More will come out after police investigations. If and when this lot are proved to be cheaters and fraudsters all them should be sent to jail.
Leela