WikiLeaks: Human Rights Minister Vows Not To Take Part In “White Wash”

June 8, 2015

“Ambassador met with Minister of Disaster Relief and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe January 30 to share with him a list of suggested actions the Government could take to address the human rights situation. The deeply frustrated Minister (strictly protect throughout) expressed concern that the President and his two brothers have rendered his human rights and humanitarian access efforts ineffective and that he would not sacrifice his political career to become ‘part of a white wash’ for the Government of Sri Lanka’s (GSL) recent human rights violations. Ambassador invited the Minister to participate in a press conference with several other heads of mission to express support for the good work that NGOs do for the citizens of Sri Lanka and counter the recent negative publicity international NGOs have been subject to. Minister Samarasinghe agreed, and asked that Ambassador also take his humanitarian message directly to President Rajapaksa.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Mahinda Samarasinghe

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaksdatabase dated January 30, 2007. The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and written by the US Ambassador to Colombo Robert O. Blake.

Under the subheading “Sidelined By Rajapaksa Brothers”, the ambassador wrote; “Ambassador met with Minister of Disaster Relief and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe January 30 to share with him a list of requests from non-governmental organizations regarding access and the ability to work in Sri Lanka. Ambassador explained that the list grew out of a meeting the Ambassador chaired with all of Sri Lanka’s major human rights organizations. The Ambassador had asked for their advice of
what steps the Government should take to address the deteriorating human rights situation. The Ambassador presented Samarasinghe the following list, noting that they were not in any priority order:
Human rights organizations ask that the GSL:
— Implement or amend the 17th Amendment in order to activate the independent commissions. Due to their inactivity, there is little or no accountability by power holders.
— Allow the Constitutional Council to appoint suitable persons with good track records to the National Human Rights Commission. The persons who were appointed to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate into Serious Violations of Human Rights are good examples of suitable persons.
— Activate the MOU with the UNP to cooperate both on good governance and peace process.
— Reactivate the peace process by honoring the Ceasefire Agreement, and getting the Norwegian facilitators and the SLMM back into action.
— Give humanitarian access to NGOs to conflict areas in the east and in Jaffna.
— Stop anti-NGO propaganda by state media.
— Compensate civilian victims of violence equitably. The compensation packages extended to the victims of the bus bombings in the south should be extended to victims of air and mortar bombing and collateral damage in the north east.
— Permit freedom of expression to the media, and freedom of meeting to political and civic activists to peacefully canvass their causes without harassment.
— Implement a Media Freedom Act.
— Take seriously Ambassador Rock’s report of complicity between GOSL security forces and the Karuna Faction and address this concern within the military. Monitor the actions of the Karuna Faction and provide redress to families and communities who have had their children abducted.
— Investigate immediately human rights abuses, specifically abductions and extrajudicial killings and take appropriate measures to prosecute and punish those responsibly. Ensure transparency so the public is aware of actions taken to punish human rights violators.
— Implement a fair Freedom of Information Act to reduce corruption.
— Provide safe havens and protection to conflict-affected populations. Physically separate disputants to prevent further violence.

Read the cable below for further details;