| by Suren Surendiran
( November
17, 2012, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) I wrote in the UK Guardian on 30 May
2009, eleven days after the tragic end of the war titled ‘The ÚN has failed theTamils’
where I referred to and identified many of the failings and weaknesses now
being acknowledged after an internal inquiry within the UN, three and half
years later. If I had known all of these then and during the war, it begs the
question why an international body which was formed fundamentally to protect
humanity didn’t know or did it know and failed to act?
 |
Beyond the UN, some of the other human rights and humanitarian institutions must also take responsibility as they could have been more vociferous than they were as they all knew what was happening at that time was nearer a genocide.
This
is not the first time the UN had failed in such catastrophic proportions. Even
in my piece back in 2009, I stated that UN inaction in Rwanda, Bosnia, Gaza and
Darfur has led to many thousands of innocent lives being lost and many more
displaced. Yet lessons were not learnt. If after so many repeated failings,
this institution hasn’t learnt its lessons, what gives us any confidence that
it will learn any lessons after this report?
“Never
again” said the UN after acknowledging its own failings in the Rwandan genocide
in 1994. Fifteen years later and after many more failings which cost more
innocent lives, in Sri Lanka, the UN repeated the same errors of inaction and
failings at the highest levels of authority.
It is
acknowledged in the UN Panel of experts’ report that over forty thousand
innocent civilians could have been killed. However other credible estimates
place a much larger number of deaths ranging from 75,000 to 146,000. The latter
being the estimate by a distinguished local Bishop who lived through the war.
The UN
Secretary General reacted late, nevertheless reacted in setting up a panel of
experts to advise him on accountability and what measures he could take to
address accountability for what happened during the final stages of the war.
The experts came up with their findings and made a set of recommendations. The
Secretary General left that report to hold dust since it was published on 31
March 2011 to date. I am sure he blames the lack of political will on part of
the member states, particularly the powerful five Security Council members.
A
local Tamil politician was quoted as saying that “We all know that the international
law is only on paper but, in practice it is international politics.”
Beyond
the UN, some of the other human rights and humanitarian institutions must also
take responsibility as they could have been more vociferous than they were as
they all knew what was happening at that time was nearer a genocide.
Ambassadors
and High Commissioners of countries who claim to uphold the highest values of
human rights, who failed to address and inform their respective country foreign
ministries the real story must feel ashamed and will have to live the rest of
their lives with guilt.
Even
today, President Rajapaksa and his brothers who were all implicated as alleged
war criminals in the UN Panel of Expert’s report carry on with their
criminality with impunity. After three and a half years after the end of the
war, there is no political solution for the Tamil National Question, instead
even the Indian sponsored 13th amendment to the constitution, which
was never accepted by the Tamils has been put under threat by an executive
president and his war mongering brothers. The constitutional protections that
maintained independence of certain key institutions such as the Election
Commission, the Supreme Court appointments, the Police Commission, the Human
Rights Commission, Appointment of Election Commissioner etc. have all been
removed by the introduction of the eighteenth amendment to the constitution.
Disappearances are on the rise to historic proportions. Threats to the lives of
journalists who dare to challenge the regime are on the increase. Chief Justice
has been threatened with a process of impeachment as a direct result of her
challenge to stop unconstitutional actions of the regime.
Believe
it or not this is the same Sri Lanka that has been promoted as a dream
destination by many firms including the Lonely Planet, the British Airways etc.
It is
beyond belief that even Her Majesty the Queen may be considering attending the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is due to take place in
Sri Lanka during the fourth quarter of 2013. One would hope the Buckingham
Palace would have learnt its lessons after the debacle of Her Majesty who
hosted the late dictator of Romania Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu in 1978 who
were executed by their own people for their crimes against humanity in 1989.
We
certainly hope common sense will prevail and learning from history, Her Majesty
will avoid giving yet another alleged war criminal undue publicity which will
help him to remain in power.
Suren
Surendiran is the spokesperson for the Tamil Diaspora organisation Global Tamil
Forum (GTF)
 I wrote in the UK Guardian on 30 May 2009, eleven days after...){kind=link}