Sri Lanka succumbs to global pressure on Int'l war crimes probe

Daya Gamage, Asian Tribune

High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein image from article

Excerpt:

"The High Commissioner remains convinced that international participation in the accountability mechanisms would be a necessary guarantee for the independence and impartiality of the process in the eyes of victims, as Sri Lanka’s judicial institutions currently lack the credibility needed to gain their trust. It is also important to keep in mind the magnitude and complexity of the international crimes alleged, which the OHCHR investigation found could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity".

That was the key paragraph of the June 28-released interim report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UNHRC. ...

Since the domestic defeat of the Tamil Tigers, it was very clear that the 'self-rule', 'self-determination' (or bifurcation) campaign moved to the professional operatives within the Tamil Diaspora who were once sustaining the LTTE terror campaign.

The nationwide triumphalism since the defeat of the Tigers of the Rajapaksa administration instead of embracing the Tamils in the Northern Region who were under the despotic and terror rule of the LTTE made easier for the operatives within the Tamil Diaspora to become their voice and convince the West that they were the sole representatives of the Sri Lanka Tamil people.

The political-public diplomacy campaign launched by the operatives within the Tamil Diaspora to subject Sri Lanka to an international probe for war crimes and genocide has brought dividends when the UNHCHR in his interim report says he was convinced "international participation in the accountability mechanisms would be a necessary guarantee for the independence and impartiality of the process in the eyes of victims". ...

The American Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka has gone on record refusing visas to some military personnel who - in the view of the embassy - were involved in human rights violation during the Eelam War IV. In fact, the State Department has notified the UN not to include such military personnel in its Peacekeeping Operations. Washington has advocated a 'thorough screening'. ...

Since the United States Department of State is one of the ' active participants' to bring Sri Lanka toward a war crimes - genocide probe, it is vital to record here the United States position on the use of cluster munitions. Both the United States and Sri Lanka refused to be signatories to the global cluster munitions treaty when it came up in 2008. ...

These developments - which is spelled out in the UNHCHR interim report of June 28 - give a clear indication the influence the operatives within the Tamil Diaspora exercise in global forums to subject Sri Lanka to a global probe on war crimes and genocide: A strategic move to de-legitimize Sri Lanka, get the United Nations intervention for a referendum in the north-east region of the country.