UNCOHR Ms.N. Pillay unmasks her true identity

By Malin Abeyatunge

(March 21, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) When I first read the news that one Ms Navenetham Pillay from South Africa has been appointed as UN Commissioner for Human Rights, I was sceptical thinking another LTTE supporter in the UN to back LTTE appeasing Ms Radhika Coomarswamy who is the special representative for children and armed conflict. I was sceptical because name Pillay sounded Tamilish (I am not a racist in any way but anti LTTE) and she hails from South Africa a haven which has a strong support base for LTTE activities from the Sri Lankan and Indian Tamil habitants. However, I thought I should not pre-judge and put her in the same boat of Radhika Coomaraswamy who always had and has a soft corner for LTTE despite LTTE’s continuation of abduction and recruitment underage children for its baby brigade. We have not forgotten her sending one of her stooges Alan Rock to Sri Lanka to look into child conscription and made a mess out of it by blaming the GoSL and not LTTE.

Alas…! My scepticism on Ms N. Pillay has now been proved right beyond any doubt when one peruses and analyzes her recent comments on the current situation in the North. In her recent statement, she had come out with unsubstantiated facts and figures presumably obtained from LTTE propaganda websites and other unreliable sources to blame the Sri Lankan Government and the armed forces for the sufferings of Tamil civilians. Much has been said, written and challenged by many journalists including Prof Rajiv Wijesinghe of the Peace Secretariat and Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohana on her totally irresponsible and unprofessional statement.

She had subtly exposed her true sisterly feelings towards LTTE by collating randomly picked unsubstantiated facts and figures to undermine the Sri Lankan Government who are fighting the most brutal and deadliest terrorist outfit in the world. By her action, Ms Pillay has created big doubt in the minds of majority Sri Lankans of her integrity as an impartial authority. Can such a person with doubtful integrity hold a responsible position as Commissioner of Human Rights?

When a person of such authority and status issues a statement, LTTE propaganda network taking advantage instantly carries them in their propaganda websites to blame the GoSL and the armed forces. It is no surprise that her totally unprofessional statement with borrowed data from Tamil websites and LTTE appeasing humanitarian organizations like HRW and AI against the Sri Lankan Government coincided with LTTE petitioning the UN to take action against Sri Lankan Government for war crimes. Even if she says sorry now, it’s too late as the damage is done as LTTE has already used her comments to terrorists’ advantage.

Ms N. Pillay had unmasked her true identity with her recent statement and the question is whether a person biased towards a terrorist organization should hold such a prestigious position in the UN. UN secretary General Mr. Banki Moon should give a serious thought to her unprofessional behavior and reprimand her. Suffice to mention in a nutshell that “Blood is thicker than water’.

-Sri Lanka Guardian