Secret deals at UNHRC: Govt. has let down armed forces, country – Kiriella

….Grow up and stop foolishly blaming UNP

By Zacki Jabbar-March 1, 2014

The government had entered into secret deals with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and let down the armed forces and the country, the UNP alleged yesterday.

Vice Chairman of the UNP Lakshman Kirielle, MP, told the "Sunday Island" that some Ministers were behaving like a bunch of jokers by making stupid statements on accountability issues while covert pledges had been given to the UNHRC. 

The Rajapaksa regime which claimed to be the most patriotic in Sri Lanka’s history has in private communications to the UNHRC assured that some security forces personnel would be prosecuted for violations of international humanitarian law during the last stages of the war with the LTTE which ended on May 19, 2009, he alleged.He added the undertaking included that: "……. members of the armed forces or other officials involved in such mala fide conduct or omissions would be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure set out in the Army, Navy and Air Force Acts and in the case of Police Officers under the Establishment Code. Criminal charges would also be filed against such officers."

  The MP pointed out that though President Mahinda Rajapaksa had publicly rejected the Darusman Report on accountability issues, his administration had forsaken the security forces and the people by its secret pledges to the UNHRC."

``It is because of this and many other assurances that the United Nations was demanding a credible and independent Sri Lankan inquiry be held into alleged violations of international humanitarian law and not because, as foolishly claimed by a minister, that it was due to the UNP moving a no confidence motion against the government for its failure to rein-in cabinet ministers who have been accused of being involved in narcotic drug dealings. It is high time the current crop of leaders grew up and stopped blaming the UNP for their idiotic actions." 

The Rajapaksa regime’s duplicity in publicly claiming that civilian casualties were zero while privately admitting to violations of international humanitarian law had placed the country in the dock, he observed.

  "If Sri Lanka rejects an internal investigation, then it would lead to an international probe which would be held ex parte and innocent people could be prosecuted. But if the government implements its private pledge to the UNHRC for an internal inquiry, then it could cross-examine the witnesses", Kiriella noted, recalling that in the Lockerbie trial a suspect tried in absentia was found guilty on scanty evidence. 

He urged Ministers G.L.Peiris and Mahinda Samarasinghe to take up his invitation for a friendly debate so that some sense could be driven into to the powers that be to abandon their suicidal approach which, if pursued at the 25th UNHRC annual session which begins tomorrow in Geneva, would be detrimental to the country’s image and integrity.