A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
(Full Story)
Search This Blog
Back to 500BC.
==========================
Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Monday, February 24, 2014
Women’s group decries US project meant to debase armed forces-…calls for effective campaign to counter Ambassador Sison’s campaign
A women’s organisation affiliated to the breakway JVP faction, the
National Freedom Front (NFF) has accused some Jaffna based women groups
of propagating lies to support US led project to move a resolution
against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Geneva-based United Nations Human
Rights Council (UNHRC) session.
Priyanga Kotelawela, the national organiser of Lakmawa Diyaniyo alleged
that several representatives, including two women lecturers had told US
Ambassador-at-large for Women’s issues Catherine Russell during a video
conference at the American Centre on February 10 that women in Jaffna
were being systematically abused by the military.
The former JVP local government member said that those invited by the US
embassy for the video conference had gone to the extent of alleging
that the military wanted Tamil women to adopt birth control measures to
prevent unwanted pregnancies. They had also accused the government of
failing to provide even the basic medical facilities for women,
particularly the pregnant.
The US embassy accused Sri Lanka of refusing to issue a visa to Ambassador Russell.
The US official told the gathering that over the past five years alone
the US had provided USD 40 mn to organisations here to complete
programmes for the welfare of women. She mentioned some of the recent
projects, including the establishment of crisis intervention services
and awareness raising campaigns on domestic violence – both carried out
with the partnership of local Women’s Rights Group, Women in Need (WIN).
Kotelawela expressed concern over a section of women groups
collaborating with the US to bring a resolution over accountability
issues in Sri Lanka. She accused the US of pursuing an extremely hostile
campaign targeting Sri Lanka in the run-up to the 25th session of the
UNHRC. The project was meant to paint a bleak picture of Sri Lanka in a
bid to get the member states of the UNHRC to approve a resolution
against the country, she said, while urging the government to counter US
led campaign.
The JVPer emphasized that it was the responsibility of the government to
take tangible measures to counter the despicable propaganda project
undertaken by the US Ambassador in Colombo Michele J. Sison.
Kotelawela pointed out that those who had been singing for their supper
were conveniently silent when the LTTE used women and children as cannon
fodder. Although recipients of foreign funding propagated lies in
support of projects undertaken by their sponsors, the people of Northern
and Eastern Provinces realised they were rescued by the armed forces,
Lakmawa Diyaniyo chief said.
She said that it was a mistake to recognize well paid agents of Western
powers as representatives of Northern women. Kotelawela queried whether
those now cooperating with the US had at least issued a statement
condemning forcible recruitment of women and children.
Responding to a query by ‘The Island’, Kotelawela said that Catherine
Russell should explain the circumstances under which the US stripped
searched top Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade arrested on a charge of
underpaying her Indian maid. That incident revealed the way those who
had been inquiring about the wellbeing of women in other countries
treated women in their judicial custody, Kotelawela said. If a foreign
diplomat could have been stripped searched, including being subject to
cavity searches for such an offence what would have they done for
someone arrested on terrorism charge, she queried.
Lakmawa Diyaniya plans to call a special media briefing soon to expose
those who had been cooperating with a section of the international
community to haul Sri Lanka up before an international war crimes
tribunal.
Kotelawela alleged that the US and its local agents were working
overtime to make a case against the Sri Lankan military. She recalled
former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton alleging that the Sri
Lankan military had used rape as a weapon during the conflict, a charge
strongly denied by the army.