Los Angeles Lankans protest UN interference

Hassina Leelarathna

Sri Lankans angered over the Darusman report took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles Sunday adding their voices to the thousands marching in the traditional May Day parade.

Displaying a colourful giant banner that said "UN's Ban Ki Moon, Imperialist Puppet, Hands Off Sri Lanka" and carrying posters that called on the UN Chief to stop harassing Sri Lanka, the contingent joined dozens of other groups, including trade unions, immigration advocates, and anti-war organizations, at the corner of the Olympic and Broadway, in the heart of the city's commercial district.

Rohan Gunasekera said he was proud to be able to stand up for his native country and that what the UN Secretary General was doing to Sri Lanka by trying to implicate it in war crimes will ultimately impact workers. Sri Lankans were not alone in their condemnation of the United Nations chief.

Michael Prysner, a member of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), the umbrella group responsible for organizing the May Day march, said the UN has failed in its obligations and is a 'mouth piece' of the western powers.

"The United Nations is nothing but the rubber stamp for the leading super powers to bomb and invade the countries they deem necessary to conquer," said the former US soldier.

He said that in Libya a small armed resistance group had tried to start a civil war and it was a matter for the people of that country to resolve.

"There was instant involvement by the UN which escalated the situation and killed scores of more people... and you can see in every other case that this idea of humanitarian intervention targeted countries that were independent and that are now in the sphere of global imperialism."

Prysner, an Iraq war veteran, is well-known in the anti-war movement for the testimony he provided charging human rights violations and atrocities by the US military during the Iraq invasion.

Union organizer Beatriz Paez was equally vocal about the UN's complicity in approving a war agenda: "It is totally shocking how the UN has simply allowed the imperialists to bomb Libya and start another war killing innocent civilians," She called on Sri Lankans in Los Angeles to become more involved in organizations such as ANSWER and have their voices heard.

The Sri Lankan contingent caught the attention of members of other participating groups who wanted to learn more about the UN's meddling in Sri Lanka.