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Good news on HR complaints
The news that
complaints on Human Rights issues made to the LLRC are being
investigated by the state is highly encouraging and uplifting
for those right-thinking sections that are desirous of seeing
progressive change in Sri Lanka. We have it on the authority of
former Attorney General and member of the Sri Lankan delegation
to UNHRC Mohan Peiris that such probes are being attached
priority by the state and its agencies.
This piece of information should be food for thought for
those sections which have been and are calumniating the state of
Sri Lanka on what is made out to be foot-dragging on
implementing the recommendations of the LLRC report. Whereas the
position of the government is that those recommendations which
could be implemented would be gone ahead with and put into
practice, the state's critics, both here and abroad, have been
recklessly claiming that nothing is being done on the LLRC
recommendations.
The government is not obliged to pander to the demands of its
critics on this score, but the fact is that those LLRC
recommendations which are practicable are being implemented by
the state and its numerous agencies. In doing so they would be
taking into consideration only the national interest. The state
is not in any way prepared to hasten its stride on these
questions merely to defer to its critics.
That said, there certainly ought to be concrete evidence that
the core of the LLRC's recommendations is being implemented and
the news is most welcome that some progress is being made in
addressing Human Rights issues; a most sensitive area in current
public affairs. It is to the extent to which Human Rights issues
are resolved that the democratic system of this country could be
said to be progressively enriched and our hope is that the state
would be steady on this course.
Our front page lead story of last Saturday also quoted the
former Attorney General on the measures which could be adopted
by the critics of the Lankan state, such as some sections of the
NGO sector, on Human Rights questions, if they are not satisfied
with the formal systems which are already in place to address
these issues and we hope adequate attention has been paid to
them. In fact, all available avenues of redressing Human Rights
questions should be thoroughly exhausted before criticisms are
leveled against the state.
We hope those sections which are mindlessly and destructively
critical of the state on questions deriving from the issues
facing our communities would see the futility of such exercises.
Some of these sections are paid fabulously for what they are up
to and it would be wishful thinking to expect them to arrive at
a more balanced view of the matters currently at the centre of
national discourse.
But the NGO sector could not be described as a monolith, in
terms of outlook on public issues, and the time is ripe for
those NGOs and civil society organizations which are more
balanced in their perceptions to engage the state in making
progress on some of our outstanding issues. They should shun
what could be described as a 'daggers drawn' stance on the state
and on matters of the moment. That is, they should not be on a
needlessly confrontational course with the government because
nothing good ever comes out of these wasteful exercises. On the
other hand, the national good would be served better through a
cooperative policy stance.
On its part, the state should seek to increasingly engage
those sections which are balanced in policy outlook and are
strongly inclined to work cooperatively with it. It should be
obvious by now that not all actors on the public stage are
'traitors.' We know for a fact that the state is not irrational
when it comes to dealing with those sections which are seeking
to engage with it cooperatively, but there needs to be a change
in the nature of public discourse. Needless, confrontations and
polarizations should be avoided.
However, there is no denying the value of progressively
developing and strengthening local mechanisms that help in
fostering and consolidating Human Rights. Arrangements need to
be in place to inculcate a Human Rights awareness over the
length and breadth of the polity. The state's Human Rights
Action Plan is likely to prove an important catalyst in this
process. |
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SL on remarkable recovery track - Part II:
LLRC critics and ‘goal post-shifting’
The multitude of voices that earlier questioned
the credibility of the LLRC and expressed doubts as to whether the
report would ever see the light of day, who are ironically now
asking that the LLRC report be implemented, are only exposing their
previous poor judgement and re-affirming their practice of
constantly shifting goal posts.
Full Story
US shores up ties in Asia push
The United States is embarking on two weeks of
intense diplomacy on Asia as it seeks to rekindle friendly ties with
Japan and India while managing an often fractious relationship with
China. President Barack Obama's administration has repeatedly said
it has no strategy to contain China but it has been shoring up
relations with neighboring countries, many of which are nervous
about Beijing's rapid growth.
Full Story
The Groundview’s use of Cluster Bombs
I have just been sent a typical distortion by
Groundviews of what I said three years ago with regard to an Amnesty
claim about cluster bombs. Groundviews declares that ‘Prof. Rajiva
Wijesinha, in February 2009, called those in Amnesty International
'lunatics' and their concern over the use of cluster bombs by the
Sri Lankan army ‘rank idiocy’....... What new levels of spin,
deception, counter-claims, propaganda and hate speech through
spokesmen, ambassadors, advisors and other assorted apologists will
the government employ to counter this damning new evidence of what
can constitute war crimes by the armed forces?’
Full Story
Former Speaker K B Ratnayake - sportsman cum honest politician
A great son of Sri Lanka, an honest politician,
one of the leading lights of North Central Province, the highly
respected former Minister of Sports and the Speaker of Parliament, K
B Ratnayake, passed away eight years ago, on April 30, 2004, at the
age of 80. He was a fine gentleman, a man of honesty and integrity,
a fine cricketer, soccerite, athlete, tennis player - a versatile
sportsman and a thorough gentleman. Like his 'political guru', that
fine son of Rajarata, great leader, Maithripala Senanayake, this son
of 'Wevu Bandi Rata' - K B Ratnayake, served the innocent people.
Full Story
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