Allegations and Explanations: Can Sri Lanka haul Peace to People’s Mind-set?
(Madan Menon Thottasseri)
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The United Nations had sought an explanation from Sri Lanka on the death of three top Tamil Tiger leaders after former army chief Sarath Fonseka alleged that surrendering Tamil rebels were killed in cold blood.
The UN special reporter on extra-judicial arbitrary executions Philip Alston had sought an explanation of what had happened to three rebel leaders who wanted to surrender. The three LTTE leaders Balasingham Nadesan, political head of the organisation, Seevaratnam Pulidevan, heading its peace secretariat and senior LTTE commander Ramesh and their families were killed in the last phase of the war on May 18, 2009 as they came out to surrender.
The former Chief Of Army had an explosive interview to the 'Sunday Leader' wherein he alleged that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defense Secretary and brother of President Rajapaksa had instructed that "all LTTE leaders must be killed."
The U.N letter to Kshenuka Senewiratna, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN Office in Geneva queried that if the allegations put forth are not accurate, share informations and documents proving its inaccuracy. The explanation sought in the said letter, asked “ What information does your Government have on the family members of Nadesan, Pulidevan and Ramesh”.
Gen.Sarath Fonseka came out with allegations of war crimes mainly because of the fact that he is the opposition presidential candidate against President Rajapakse. His credentials were already at stake even prior to his elevation as a consensus Presidential candidate. It is to be noted that Gen.Fonseka was notorious for the annihilation of Tamil regions and his ruthless war-tactics especially when the military crushed LTTE in the last phase of the war.
There were atrocities at both ends in Sri Lanka; the prolonged internal war witnessed all sorts of war tactics, political diplomacies, war-crimes etc. wherein lives of innocent Tamil people were totally disintegrated though the majority of them wanted to have a peaceful contented life in the midst of multi-cultural civilizations without any hostility to one another, what ever be the race or religion.
Unfortunately the people of the beautiful island nation didn’t get a great leader with statesmanship and a towering personality who can emerge out into the mainstream political democracy and integrate people with differences in language, religion or race falling prey to linguistic- nationalistic –religious divisive forces.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to be appreciated to begin a CBM when showed a positive deviation for accepting the ‘Indian Conern’ in the Sri Lankan issues and paved the way for the visit of a delegation comprising Indian Parliamentarians from the state of Tamil Nadu, to refugee camps in the island nation.The Rajapaksa government gracefully came forward to hear opinions from the most responsible political front in India who have empathy to the victims of war. The octogenarian Chief Minister Dr.M. Karunanidhi raised to the level of a statesman by interacting with the Sri Lankan regime and enabling a delegation to visit there. In fact the Sri Lankan government and its President was in the lime-light for the past few months. People of India, particularly from the state of Tamil Nadu praised President Rajapaksa when he prevailed on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for steering a fresh relationship with the regime at Colombo and the rehabilitation of war-displaced people of Tamil origin.
Also, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister refined his vision for peace in Sri Lanka and the life of Tamil speaking people belonging to the island nation for generations. If President Rajapaksa was not sarcastic then ,when he had asserted to the visiting Indian delegation that for the political solution to be arrived at towards the ethnic issues of Sri Lanka, he would expect the fulfillment of two conditions viz. the solution is to be acceptable to all communities and it should also be acceptable to the neighbor (India) as well! Now he may be entangled into the Presidential poll to held in January, 2010. He can seek the help of India, particularly Tamil Nadu in the ongoing rehabilitation tasks. The Octogenarian Dr.Karunanidhi, the high profile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu can take the mantle and facilitate for a peaceful atmosphere in Sri Lanka wherein the refugees are to be accommodated back to their normal life in their own villages.
Every common man in India or Sri Lanka will wish to find a political solution to ethnicity in the war ravaged Sri Lanka. The Opposition front in Tamil Nadu too can interact with refugees in various locations in Sri Lanka and India and come forward with constructive opinions enabling to propose a political solution package. There should not be any slightest element of Political advantage to target the sensitive linguistic-vote bank in Tamil Nadu while taking a stand in the issue of refugees, by the ruling or opposition fronts. They will be appreciated by the people for their constructive participation and valuable opinions for prompting the regime in Sri Lanka to be more proactive and moderate in designing the road map for a political solution to the ethnicity in the homeland of both Tamils and Sinhalese of all religions.
Let me recall that it was heartening to us when the same Gotabhaya Rajapaksa while speaking in a function at Colombo on Sunday 15th November, 2009 appreciated India’s co-operation and Support to Sri Lanka which appeared as head-lines in media. He confidently remarked that Sri Lanka’s commitment for rehabilitation of the displaced Tamils, surrendered or detained LTTE cadres which will empower them to know that the propaganda they were enticed by rebels all these years were false. The rehabilitation would allow them to re-enter the society as productive citizens in the long term. He said “we need to make sure that the unsafe areas in the north are cleared swiftly and the former victims of LTTE’s are resettled in their villages as soon as possible”. Now the news that the same Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is allegedly responsible for the merciless assassination of surrendered Tamil leaders at the close of the war, will be haunting to one and all.
Now the U.N had sought an explanation from Sri Lanka on the death of three top Tamil Tiger leaders after Gene. Sarath Fonseka’s allegation on the cold blooded killing of Tamil rebels when they surrendered. The UN's action follows comments by the former Army Chief that Sri Lankan forces eliminated surrendering Tiger leaders on the orders of the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The explanation on this subject must be given by the present Rajapakse government, but Gen. Fonseka too will be morally responsible to give explanations including his role in the said war-crimes. He should not have prevented himself to disclose on these war crimes at least immediately after his resignation. Instead he waited until becomes a presidential candidate for allegations against Rajapaksas.
I have read news on the special envoy of the U.N Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict- Maj.Gen.Patrick Cammaert who was sent to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Lankan government. The retired Dutch General would have surveyed on the recommendations of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict on Lanka within the framework of Security Council Resolution 1612 (2005) and woul have reported to the Security Council Working Group on return to New York. I didn’t see any news afterwards on this- whether he ascertained the situation of children adversely affected by the conflict in respect of ensuring child protection rules? What was his proposal for those displaced children who could not be integrated with families or civilian life? Could he identify any NGOs which can participate with the governmental agencies for the reintegration of children?
U.S too sent an Envoy - Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State to assess on the rehabilitation of the war displaced people at a time when U.N declared to send Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert as Special Envoy .Trust that these envoys have delivered what they are expected to with a humanitarian approach to the real problems of the war displaced innocent people of Tamil origin who should be given the right support to live with pride while preserving their own esteemed culture.
At this time , let me remind on a news report, which was read three-four months back; there was some indifferent and abnormal response to the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights Ms.Navaneetham Pillay’s request for international investigations into the alleged killing of civilians during the final phase of the war 2006-09 against rebels. She had declared that a similar request was made by the U.N.Secretary General then. As per reports released to press she had revealed that the Sri Lankan government would not let her visit in the nation. Why? Later on there was no news on this matter. Could she come down or not?
I had high-lighted the above mentioned news report in one of my comments, in a web site (newspaper), to get a factual information. I could not see any formal news on the same, except a comment in reply to mine, which may be a public hear-say appeared on the said site –“ This Navaneetham Pillay already tarnished her image by reading LTTE propaganda materials as theirs. She is from S/Africa of Tamil origin. Sri Lankan Navy destroyed three ships from S/Africa carrying ordnance to LTTE. I hope she may be partner in any GUN business in S/Africa”. Still I have no opinion or counter-comments on the subject.
My contention is that if the issue of indifference to United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights Ms.Navaneetham Pillay’s request for investigations are not resolved or not permitted her to visit Sri Lanka, will it not affect as a disgrace for Sri Lanka, for being non-transparent? Why a chance is given to anyone to suspect the Sri Lankan regime if there is of a concerted positive approach to the rehabilitation programme under the current changed scenario? It will be fine, if a responsible Official from the Sri Lankan High-Commission reading this come forward and brief on this matter. Please do the needful.
Being a person with keen sense of news, I strongly feel that island nation’s majority people are silently weeping for all carnages which seeded the feeling of abhorrence at the bottom of their minds. Of course, they can relinquish malevolence ideas over a period of time provided there are sincere efforts to put forth CBMs from all quarters.
Each and every citizen of Sri Lanka should contribute their individual might for Peace in their nation while rehabilitating the war displaced Tamil people and implementing a political solution for the Tamil ethnicity in the island nation. Both Presidential and Parliamentary polls will be a critical factor for the same.
Can Sri Lanka haul Peace to people’s mind-set?
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