UN probe

The United Nations Special Rapporteur has sent a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa demanding an explanation with regards to an allegation made by former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff and Presidential Candidate General Sarath Fonseka that Defence Secretary has ordered the 58th Brigade Commander to shoot those surrendering on May 17, 2009. This is the beginning of a UN probe into the conduct of the war. How the probe would develop in the coming days is anybody’s guess.

The Government has said it would respond to the letter after giving it serious consideration. We, on our part, wish to make certain observations on this development.

The allegations by the UN are based on an interview given by Fonseka to the Sunday Leader newspaper on December 13, 2009. It has said so in the letter. Besides, the UN says the allegation was confirmed by a journalist embedded to the 58 Brigade. It has not disclosed the name of the journalist. Fonseka is also reported to have said he heard the story from a journalist. He too has so far not identified him.

It could be safely argued that Fonseka knew the gravity of his statement and the reperecussions that would follow. We have to credit him with that much intelligence. That means he had consciously made that statement.

His sayings at election meetings and press conferences too take us to the same conclusion. One would recall that he had repeatedly said those living in air-conditoned rooms in Colombo do not desereve credit for the war. His acrimony with the Defence Secretary is public knowledge now. The statement on which the UN has started the probe accuses the Defence Secretary.

We do not wish to comment on the haste with which the UN has acted on a newspaper report. Nor do we wish to prejudge the intentions of the Special Rapporteur. We, however, wish to point out certain discrepancies in the world body’s conduct with reference to certain major incidents in the past.

In fact, the United Nations, by imposing sanctions on Iraq during the Saddam Hussein regime is responsible for genocide. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children were killed by hunger and lack of medicine due to the sanctions imposed on that unfortunate country.

In another instance, a United Nations team itself concluded that Israel had commited war crimes and genocide in Palestine. So far the UN has not acted against Iraq. It has not even called for an explanation.

Not one isolated newspaper but the entire world media went to town on the torture and inhuman treatment accorded to inmates of the Abu Ghraib detention centre in Iraq maintained by the United States military. The UN has so far not even raised a finger, leave alone probing war crimes.

However, in the case of Sri Lanka it has rushed to initiate a probe.

Normally, the accuser should show proof to substantiate his allegation. The UN, on the other hand, asked the accused, the Sri Lanka Government to show proof why the allegation is inaccurate. A strange logic, indeed.

What is at stake is the country’s good name, its sovereignty and its future. Whatever the political and other divisons, it is time to unite to defend them. One should look beyond elections and electoral politics in meeting this fresh challenge, an unprecedented one.

Masters of deception

Sri Lankans are good at acting. Of all the acts in which they excel the most frequent seems to be impersonation and deception. In fact deception starts even before birth for birth certificates of some do not indicate the real parental address. To overcome the two mile (non-existent) barrier, many a child is born next door to a popular school. In fact, if one peruses the householder lists of houses near popular schools one could come across ones with several dozen children from diverse parents registered there.

Yesterday there was a media report that a girl from a village in the Central Province had pretended to be a disabled and obtained Government disabled stipend. She has even managed to get the pension of her deceased public servant brother pretending to be disabled. The Government is giving many more charity grants. The enterprising lady could apply for some more.

Perhaps she could pretend to be dead from an accident and claim accident benefits too!