While world powers look apparently condemning Colombo for its culture of impunity allowing armed forces and other elements to commit human rights violations, some among the very powers are engaged covertly in ensuring international impunity to Colombo's war crimes by dodging discussion on Sri Lanka in the apex international security system.
During the closed-door meetings of the UN Security Council this week, when Mexico moved for briefing on Sri Lankan situation, Russia reportedly blocked it saying it was not in the agenda.
Indian interests being looked after in the UN Security council by Russia is a long convention.
Even as official reports put the daily civilian death count at 40 a day in the conflict zone, at UN, Russia's Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said "we believe the Security Council must stick to items on its agenda." and added there are "other fora" for information about the fighting in Sri Lanka.
When the British Representative to the UN was asked why Sri Lanka was not in the deliberations, while Sudan was in, the answer was that the situation was entirely different in Sri Lanka where "proscribed" Tamil Tigers were long "blighting" the government and that has to be brought to an end.
“What the UN-UK position is on that? Why hasn’t it been raised in the Security Council”, asked an Inner City Press reporter.
“What the UN-UK position is on that? Why hasn’t it been raised in the Security Council”, asked an Inner City Press reporter.
“Well, the situation in Sri Lanka is entirely different. We do have concerns about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. We have urged the government of Sri Lanka to have everything in count to bring an end to the hostilities so that humanitarian relief can be extended to the civilians.. (a word not audible).”
“The Tamil Tigers are a proscribed organisation and the government of Sri Lanka has long been blighted by the activities of the Tamil Tigers. We want these to be brought to an end. And we want the people of the affected areas in Sri Lanka to be able to have full access to the humanitarian relief”, replied the British ambassador to the UN.
The British position of sidelining the gravity of current genocidal situation faced by Tamil civilians as an internal affair, not needed to be brought to the attention of UN has caused serious concerns in Tamil circles.
“In fact, barring the tone, mannerism and choice of words, the British ambassador to UN says exactly the same thing what Colombo’s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse said to BBC on Tuesday that the war in Sri Lanka is only between ‘terrorists’ and the people who fight against terrorists”, he added.
The Colombo government’s open contempt and ridicule to international concerns about the human rights situation in the island as demonstrated in the Tuesday’s interview of Rajapakse to BBC is widely seen as arising from the international impunity enjoyed by it, thanks to the British government and many others.
The British position of sidelining the gravity of current genocidal situation faced by Tamil civilians as an internal affair, not needed to be brought to the attention of UN has caused serious concerns in Tamil circles.
“In fact, barring the tone, mannerism and choice of words, the British ambassador to UN says exactly the same thing what Colombo’s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse said to BBC on Tuesday that the war in Sri Lanka is only between ‘terrorists’ and the people who fight against terrorists”, he added.
The Colombo government’s open contempt and ridicule to international concerns about the human rights situation in the island as demonstrated in the Tuesday’s interview of Rajapakse to BBC is widely seen as arising from the international impunity enjoyed by it, thanks to the British government and many others.
