Hello Friends,
Moves initiated by the USA to present a resolution on Sri Lanka at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva has aroused much controversy.
U.S Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Ms.Patricia Butenis welcomes the gathering at The Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative Exhibition in Colombo, Feb 2010-Pic By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
Against this backdrop the US ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ms.Patricia Butenis was interviewed exclusively by Dharisha Bastians for the “Ceylon Today” newspaper
Ms. Butenis was candid in answering the probing questions posed by Ms.Bastians.
Many of my doubts were cleared and impressions confirmed by reading this extremely revelatory interview about the professed intentions and motives of the US in undertaking this move
In a bid to enlighten our readers about this crucial issue I am posting the interview on my blog in full with due acknowledgement to both Ms. Dharisha Bastians and “Ceylon Today”.
Here it is Friends-DBS Jeyaraj
US Plan is to get Sri Lanka commit publicly in an international forum – US Envoy Patricia Butenis
By Dharisha Bastians
The US is not the enemy of Sri Lanka and come what may in Geneva, the two countries will continue to have good bilateral relations, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Patricia Butenis exclusively told Ceylon Today last morning.
“No doubt we are going through a tough time now, but I hope to continue the good working relationship I have with key people in the Sri Lankan Government,” Ambassador Butenis said.
The US envoy said that her government views the proposed US backed resolution to be presented at the 19th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva as an effort to move the Sri Lankan Government towards implementing some very good recommendations born of a Sri Lankan Government commission. “The LLRC is the Sri Lankan Government’s own commission, with some excellent recommendations. I have to say that on accountability we find that it is disappointing and really fell short of things we think and some people in this country think need to be addressed. But by and large it’s a good report. What we would like to know is – where is the government’s action plan? Which of these recommendations has the government embraced and which do they feel they can’t?” the Ambassador told this newspaper in a candid interview.
Addressing concerns raised by thousands of government-backed protestors on Monday, Ambassador Butenis dismissed claims that the resolution the US hopes to move in Geneva is in any way a conspiracy.
“This is by no means a conspiracy … the government has made some progress, but not on all the issues. I think now is the time to ask the government to commit publicly in an international forum – ‘this is our plan and we commit to doing it’ – that is what we’re asking for,” the US Ambassador explained.
Asked what the take home message was from the government-backed protests on Monday, Ambassador Butenis responded that they certainly reflected the anger of the government over what was going on in Geneva. “I did not take it frankly as repudiation by the population of Sri Lanka against human rights issues,” she said.
Ambassador Butenis hailed the LLRC report and the commissioners, saying they ‘delivered’ except in the accountability area. “Up to a point I think some in the government felt that these were foreign issues. That we were meddling, that we were the only ones that cared about certain issues. And yet, the LLRC disproved that. These are Sri Lankan issues; people who had suffered from all communities,” the US Ambassador said.
She said that the US Government would not threaten or throw down ultimatums at Sri Lanka, but believes that attention to the country’s post-conflict issues in an international setting will apply pressure on the government to meet their obligations. “I think there is considerable sentiment in Sri Lanka for progress on these issues. It’s a little frustrating that the government does not share that sense of urgency,” the Ambassador said.
“I understand that the government had huge challenges. They had 280,000 IDPs for whom they were responsible and we were working with them to get those folks resettled. But at the same time there were these other issues I am sorry they didn’t begin to address,” the US Envoy revealed.
In a week when anti-American protests in Colombo and scathing statements by the Sri Lanka Delegation in Geneva dominated the headlines, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis spoke out exclusively to Ceylon Today about the timing and rationale of the US backed resolution at the council and why the US continues to be a true friend of Sri Lanka
The Government and protestors are calling this international pressure, a western conspiracy for regime change. Is it?
The protest that was coming towards our embassy was very orderly, very disciplined and we took the petition and I read it. And of course, peaceful protest is a key element of American political culture so I felt that people have a right to express their views that way. In terms of the objective of the protest, there is no Western conspiracy – and of course I can only speak for my country but from a bilateral perspective, we see this resolution as an effort to move the Sri Lankan Government towards implementing what are some very good recommendations coming out of a Government of Sri Lanka commission. It’s the Sri Lankan Governments own commission, with some excellent recommendations. I have to say that on accountability we find that it is disappointing, and really fell short of things we think need to be addressed. But by and large it’s a good report. So what we would like to know is – where is the Government’s action plan? Which of these recommendations has the Government embraced and which do they feel they can’t? That information is not publicly available. This was the substance of our discussions with the Government on these issues. We really are not an enemy of Sri Lanka. And once whatever happens in Geneva happens, the bilateral relationship will still be here. I hope to continue the good working relationship I have with key people in the Government. No doubt about it, we are going through a tough time now, but by no means is this any sort of conspiracy.
As a DPL mission how do you react to a host Government mobilizing forces of people against you?
That was clear, they did. At the same time, I have to say I reached out to security officials and thanked them for the excellent protection we have always received. We were ready – we took precautions. We remembered the UN situation where one of the Ministers blockaded the building for a while. But by and large I knew we could count on the Government to fulfill its diplomatic obligations.
Thousands have rallied in Colombo against this resolution. What message does the US take from the protests?
I am not sure how aware the Sinhalese community – the rural community – not the Colombo folks are of these issues frankly. I think that people have day-to-day issues – bread and butter issues. So I don’t know how villagers in Hambantota for instance feel about the LLRC recommendations. I do know that all over, people are concerned about particular issues raised in the LLRC. Rule of law issues — people are disappearing, they are being picked up or they go to a police station and are not charged and their families can’t find them. These are recommendations I thought that would serve and benefit everybody in Sri Lanka even though they are in the context of aftermath of the war and addressing largely the needs of the Tamil population. When I looked at the recommendations, I think they would make this society, stronger. I don’t think the majority community pays much attention to it at this point. I think that the people who were demonstrating were organized by the Government – and that’s fine – those were politically aware supporters out there. But I do think that it did reflect the anger and the reaction of the Government against what was happening in Geneva. I did not take it as repudiation by the population of Sri Lanka against human rights issues.
Secretary of State Clinton in a letter to Minister GL Peiris mentioned that the US Government was disappointed that you s were not given a preview of the report. Did you expect this?
This goes back to this long conversation that we have had with the Sri Lankan Government. And my approach to managing the relationship here, is to try not to surprise the Government with anything. If something’s coming I do my best to communicate it to the Government. They may not like what’s coming, they may disagree with it, but they know it’s coming. So we have had this dialogue for a long time – with the Ministry of External Affairs, with Temple Trees, in Washington with the Sri Lankan Embassy there. So these are all familiar issues and because Secretary Clinton had decided that we would not prejudge the situation and gave the Government the “time and space” to address it, we wanted to know ahead of time, what the action plan was going to be, so that we could be prepared ourselves. The report comes out, it has recommendations and what is our response? We were looking for a little bit of a head’s up. And we did get it. I was given a bit of a preview – and then early that week Minister Peiris briefed the entire diplomatic corps which he does from time to time. So that way I do feel we were allowed to share in this as the secretary had asked.
Were you provided a road map about how Sri Lanka would proceed?
No, and again these were diplomatic conversations. I was given just a sense of what the Government’s plan would be, some of the recommendations that they thought were going to be accepted immediately. And it reflected the statement that Minister NimalSiripala De Silva made in parliament when he presented the LLRC report. So I am not claiming I got any insider information – it was more like courtesy. And then the minister followed up by briefing the diplomatic corps.
It has been just two months since the LLRC report was released. After the US gave Sri Lanka this much time why a resolution now?
From my point of view, the clock did not start ticking in December 2011. It started in May 2009. When the fighting ended, there was tremendous relief. I think everyone would agree to that. But in the way of human events, when one issue is over, other things crop up. There are all these issues being raised immediately after the end of the fighting – particularly very human issues like the missing or people not knowing where their family members are. People wanting death certificates for family members they knew were dead, people wanting to go back to their villages. I understand that the Government had huge challenges. They had 280,000 IDPs for whom they were responsible and we were working with them to get those folks resettled. But at the same time, there were these other issues I am sorry they didn’t begin to address. And those issues began to fester with really not much being done. From our perspective, yes, the report came out but everyone knew what it was going to contain because the LLRC was very open, it took testimony. So there was not much surprise about what it was that people cared about. So it’s not really accurate to just view this as a two month time frame – the Government has known for a long time what some of the key problems were. The LLRC articulated them and put them into one document and the Government has started working on some of these things. They started trying to resolve the land claims issue and another area where I think the Government has done well is the rehabilitation of ex-combatants – I think everybody even Tamil political parties here recognize that was a very good programme. So there has been this progress but not on all the issues. I think now is the time to ask the Government to commit publicly in an international forum – ‘this is our plan and we commit to doing it’ – and that is what we’re asking for.
Assistant Secretary Blake just made a statement that the resolution was being discussed. Is that to be interpreted as the resolution may not be tabled in Geneva after all?
I think for the record we would say that it is still under discussion, we are still consulting with members of the human rights council. I know Sri Lanka continues to consult and lobby. We were pretty clear about what we think needed to be done but until we actually get to the point where the resolution is introduced, I would not want to commit to it. Neither do we want to give anyone the expectation that there is still a chance.
What we have is a really good dialogue now – a back and forth with the Government – and that was what we were lacking before. That was part of our frustration.
If the resolution goes through – and Sri Lanka does not stick to the time frame, what next?
I don’t know whether there is a time frame. This is part of a process. We have been talking with the Government since before May 2009 about these issues. Up to a point I think some in the Government felt that these were foreign issues. Or that we were meddling, that we were the only ones that cared about certain issues. And yet the LLRC disproved that. These are Sri Lankan issues. Every day people who had suffered from all communities – and they made these points. I have a lot of respect for those folks on the LLRC. I think that they had a tough job and they never expected to have to serve for so long – they gave up everything to serve. They travelled, they took a lot of verbal abuse in the press, a lot of questioning of their patriotism and yet, they delivered. And again I have to make the exception for accountability but it’s a very good report. I don’t think anybody intends to make a threat to Sri Lanka, but we feel that the more attention that is paid to these issues in an international setting, the more pressure they will feel to meet their obligations and deliver. But at this point I don’t think anybody is talking about a year from now, what do we do. We are waiting to see how this develops. I think there is considerable sentiment in Sri Lanka for progress on these issues. It’s a little frustrating that the Government does not share that sense of urgency.
Has the US Government run out of patience?
I wouldn’t say that. I would say that we expect to see certain progress within a reasonable period of time and I think that Secretary Clinton and the US Government has been very patient and given the LLRC process time to work. It had to be extended a couple of times but these are complicated issues. So I think that we would continue to expect to see progress. If we don’t see it we will comment on it, we will call attention to it. But I think we are in this for the long haul. I don’t see us walking away and throwing up our hands and saying ‘you’re on your own, we’re going to take whatever action we feel is necessary.’ That’s not how you make progress. I think even this run up to the session in Geneva seems to have generated activity on the part of the Government. It seems to have stimulated them to take new steps and maybe facilitate ongoing ones. I know they don’t talk about everything they are doing – they probably feel they don’t have to answer to people. But the thing is with so much international attention on the LLRC report and the good things in it, I think we will maintain our focus and always be ready to work with the Government. I don’t see us throwing down an ultimatum.
The draft resolution calls for an independent credible investigative mechanism. Does the military court of inquiry satisfy?
I don’t want to prejudge any court of inquiry. I think though that the burden of proof would be on the Government to explain how a military court of inquiry would be seen as independent. I think that would be a tough one. I think these are good steps that any military takes – they have their own internal processes, but the point is ‘independent’ and ‘objective’ and I think that it would be a hard sell for the Government to convince people, that this was an independent one.
The US Government expects something different?
We are waiting for Sri Lanka on that. They did not produce that mechanism in the LLRC report. It doesn’t mean that still can’t come up with another mechanism. I think we and the rest of the international community have offered technical support, advice, expertise on how to do this. Other countries have done it – and are willing to provide advice and support. The Government has not so far chosen to take advantage of those offers. Those offers will be there. I can’t say that we have a particular model in mind, but we will be looking to the Government here for the next step. You feel you can do something that’s credible and internationally accepted, okay, if not, then we are looking at some sort of international mechanism. But all along, the whole purpose is to partner with the Government here and I hope that message gets through.
The US State Department calls SarathFonseka a political prisoner. How does that reflect on the judicial system in Sri Lanka?
We do consider SarathFonseka a political prisoner and it is in our annual human rights report. That is not a comment on any charges pending against him, but just the manner in which he was chosen and prosecuted. All in all, that does not reflect well on the judicial process here. I do think rule of law institutions are under stress in this country – that is by no means categorizing all the courts or all the judges. But I think there is a lot of pressure brought on civil society and the judiciary. Political influence sometimes plays a large role. And any accountability mechanism that the Sri Lankan Government chooses to set up, even outside the military court, to address these issues would have to make a persuasive case that it will be independent and will follow procedures. It’s a tough case to make – I am not saying I don’t think they can, but we would be waiting to see what they offer.
Secretary Clinton invited Minister Peiris to Washington DC in March. Was that aimed at getting some assurances from Sri Lanka that could lead to a dilution of the resolution? Is he going?
Again it’s all part of the dialogue. The US Government had already made its decision that it would support a resolution at this session of the UNHRC. But we are still reaching out to the Government, to Prof.Peiris, come and talk to the Secretary. Tell her what your plans are. What’s the way forward even beyond Geneva? That is what a partnership is. You can’t pick a country that doesn’t have an issue we’re working on. So the idea is to continue the dialogue, we hope he still will come to Washington — dates to be determined. We still have a robust relationship with Sri Lanka and the only way you maintain that is to talk. Sometimes i think it is good to go to Washington because if they just listen to me here, they think I am out of touch or I have been here too long. But you go to Washington and you hear from our political bosses that this is what the US Government considers a concern and that can be a sobering experience, but also an opportunity for clarity. That is what this invitation is and we hope he will accept.
How do you respond to Minister Samarasinghe’s statement in Geneva that the loudest human rights advocates also contribute least to Sri Lanka’s recovery effort?
MahindaSamarasinghe claimed that countries who are complaining aren’t helping – and that is not true. He didn’t mention us specifically but we have given a lot of assistance to the people of Sri Lanka – the IDPs and now to the people who have been resettled. We have been a real supporter of Sri Lanka here, for a long time. So I think that really was unfair. He did not mention the US but if he meant us, it was an unfair and inaccurate comment.
What does the US Government see as the way forward for Sri Lanka?
I think Sri Lanka has a democratically elected Government, and it ended a nasty war. Everyone was relieved it was over, ourselves included. But there’s the aftermath that they need to deal with and I think that if they keep their focus and at least accept international assistance and support, they can work through this. Because one of the things we recognize is that President Rajapaksa is very popular. He has a lot of support and we understand that. Therefore that has been our focus – that he has the support and the leadership that could implement changes. He could deploy his considerable leadership skills and popularity and majority in parliament to implement the LLRC recommendations and make the case to the Sri Lankan population. We respect his position and we have been encouraging the Government to use it, to make some of the hard decisions that the LLRC is recommending.
Dear Madam Butenis,
If MR implements devolution to provinces with police powers he will become a Gaddafi among the sinhala people overnight. I would not be surprised if the people in the country drag him alongthe streets like they did to Gaddafi. That is the sad reality. Unreasonableness of the Tamil demands makes it even harder for MR to do anything
Reflecting the stand of the USA and India, by internalizing war-crimes accountability and political solution, Washington allegedly backs proposals at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva that will give international legitimacy to the LLRC and whatever the differences with New Delhi backing Colombo that could only be related to binding Colombo with a time frame for the implementation of the LLRC recommendations. Meanwhile, the stands of both the Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and the DMK Chief Karunanidhi are also just confined to urging New Delhi to back the US proposal in Geneva that is ‘perceived’ to be against Sri Lanka.
Mr. Sumanthiran circulated emails that he was only telling what was in the agenda of the powers and not his opinion.
Mr.SUMANTHIRAN EMERGING AS A “POWER” OUT OF POWERS?.
India’s much neutrality and not being a playground for super power games was by large a geostrategic default due to the fact that inspite of India’s size and potential, for all practical purposes the backwaters of the international politics and, didn’t matter to most powers that had stakes in the global power struggle.
That’s is no longer the case today, now practically everyone who matters has a stake in India, not to mention the fact that they themselves count among stakeholders of the international power grid. One of Iran’s biggest oil market, one of Israels, Russia and now France’s biggest arms market, one of the potential biggest nuclear market for US.. etc, all this makes India exactly the kind of place where other power will want to make statement or two for the rest of the world.
The conflict is no more confined to Tamils and Sinhalese in the island. At the end of a 30 years old problem, it has acquired a new perspective of international dimensions- as said by Richard Armitage- Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State in NORWAY.
attagirl!
SL government’s LLRC report is just a report to show the world that they want to do something. That’s all.
But in reality they don’t want to do anything. They think the ONLY issue was LTTE and it is gone now.
So for Tamils there is no issue. If we give food and water that is enough. If they cry little bit more, we could give
some shelters and swimming pool ?
I am not saying this. This is said by our Hon.Defence minister Gotta and supported by our guardians Dougless and Karruna.
Stupid world does not know our this. They are very fools.
Don’t worry Srilankans. We will easily win UN Resolution.
Our big friends India, Russia and China are all with us.
THIS RAMINDS ME A TAMIL PRO-VERB AS FOLLOWS.
SOLLU PALLAKU TAMBI KALLNADAI
PLIILAYAUM KILLI THODILAYM AADAL
THIS IS WHAT AMERICA IS DOING AS THIS INTERVIEW.
Only under International pressure will the Sri Lankan govts will ever settle this issue politically. I am happy that US is doing it.
Fools ( GOVT of Sri Lanka)
who cares even 25 million people in Lanka ask not to intervene
who cares?
You fellows killed thousands and thousands and thousands of innocent mothers fathers old men women
World begged you not to kill innocent people. Obama was on the TV asking srilankan govt not to kill innocent Tamils
Premier Bob Rae of Canada came to Srilanka . Lankan Govt kicked him out
Sweeden External affairs Minister wanted to visit Lanka to witness the suffereings of Thamils
He was not given permission to enter SriLanka
again Sri Lanka s
you killed these Lankan Thamilians like a cokroach .People all around the world who were not thamils begging your Govt of Lanka to be compassionate to Thamils
You did not care at all
Now you are begging the international community not to intefere
are you kidding me ?? Dirty monsters in the planet
World body should and must interfere to punish each and every criminal who killed, tortured , raped innocent Thamilans
PERIOD
The ciminals of Rwanda and Serbia are waiting for criminals of Lanka in Hague
I do agree with her answer in the last para except that MR has to make some hard decisions that LRRC is recommneding.
The history of the past heads of GOSL has a set pattern, when ever they had 2/ 3 rd majority or popular support they never implemented any political solution that concerns the Tamils.Instead they took decisions that consolidated the power of the majority at the expense of the Tamils.
For example in July 1983 still many were able to run to NE provinces or to India or other Western Countries.
Now the NE is under the Sinhalese armed forces the Tamils can not run there, Western countries will not allow people to land if there is a riot breaks out in Colombo or rest of the South, not sure of India and other Asian countries.
I think MR wants to avoid another situation like 1958, 1977 and 1983 and wants to stop UN sending peace keeping force this time. So GOSL wants to borrow time with the support of other nations which are anti West and anti India.
There is still hope that the resolution that SL fears to be adverse will not see the daylight if Prof. GLP meets US higher-ups and have a favourable discussion.
To an incredulous question from ‘Ceylon Today’,”why a resolution just two months after the LLRC report”, the US Ambassador’s cogent reply was “the clock didn’t start ticking in December 2011, but May 2009″. Slimy enough to slither out of any situation, is the self assessment of Sri Lanka. The US Ambassador has been too smart for this tactic.
The very appointment of the LLRC was to deflect an International Commission of Inquiry into War Crimes. The Commission was aware of the purpose and lived up to it’s mission. As an alibi for non implementation, 8 months are less credible than 2, is not unknown to the Commission. It’s greater achievement was to have dismissed the report of the UN Experts Panel. The LLRC narrowed it’s focus to a limited area and a domestic mechanism will handle it. According to the government, implementation has already begun. In the Vietnam war how many were killed, how many American soldiers were prosecuted and how many were convicted are known to the world. SL will break that record and trumpet aloud.
The Ambassador has certainly made statements worthy of note. On accountability, the recommendations are disappointing, where is the action plan?,which they embrace and which they can’t. There is a strong assertion, “now is the time to ask the government to commit publicly in an international forum”. A stronger query is,”what’s the way even beyond Geneva”? Tamils appreciate the Ambassador’s forthrightness and are thankful to America for having gone this far.
Pat.A.But sounds so sweet and innocent. Innocent than mother theresa!
As US welcome the implementation of LLRC report’s recommendation , there are still questions regarding the authenticity of the report and the investigations! US want to implement a totally threatening free independent group and should protect the people who willing speak infront of the group and should consist not SriLankan members purely independent elected groups represented by different countries. In addition US should visit the war ruined Wanni to investigate every single portion of the land for further war crimes, doesn’t matter committed by LTTE or SriLankan arm forces, question is SriLanka ready for that inquiry, the answer is unless US ” threaten” them they won’t, so Patricia here the time to tight the noose of Rajapakshe’s government!
Your Excellency,
I take it that if you want to know you would know who I am.
I am not politically backed or a cats paw for any political or other group. I speak for myself as an ordinary citizen.
If you think that only the Government is against the Resolution then you are wrong.
Every sane moderate citizen of this country who is aware of the resolution is against the move.
You did not assist Sri Lanka to stop the terrorism,You did not allow any equipment of US origin tobe exported to Sri Lanka for anti terrorist activities.You did not even allow Night Vision binoculras for us to See the terrorist at night.
Your double standards of using every means available to kill civilians in countries the US has destroyed is known to us.let me remind you – Afghanistan,and where did you find Bin Ladin – with your ally Pakistan. Sowill you have a resolution for US forray into Afghanistan? Your destruction of Iraq in the search for Weopons of mass destruction was only a cover for ridding of Saddam Hussein.But is Iraq better now? You have destroyed cleverly the whole of the Arab nation recently.
So dont put wool over our eyes. You dont like Mahinda Rajapakse because he treated your country’s representatives and the british like dirt during the last days of the war. We applaud him for shutting your western idealogy out.
We dont want your resolution now BECAUSE YOU DIDNT MOVE A RESOLUTION AGAINST TERRORISM FOR 30 YEARS!!!
We will gladly take a resolution from China, India and the other countries that helped Srilanka overcome terror.
China doesnt have a full democracy but since China owns half of the US dollar you keep your mouth shut and accept China for what it is today. A global powerhouse.
Go back and keep silent the way you were for 30 years. There is no need for west to wake up now.
Ask you intelligence to eavesdrop on ordinary conversation and really determine where the people of Sri Lanka stand common on the resolution.
But you wont do it will you? With elections coming up in your country….
Dont worry when there is election time in Srilanka the people will vote politically. For now they WILL stand up fro Sri Lanka.
THANK YOU DBSJ FOR POSTING THIS EXCITING AND REVEALING INTERVIEW ON YOUR BLOG TO BRING AWARENESS TO PUBLIC ON USA’s PLAN.
THANK YOU Ambassador Butien and Government of USA for making such bold statement on the accountability and Srilankan government to understand their responsibility on the crimes committed against its citizens.
Ms. Butien said:
“I think now is the time to ask the government to commit publicly in an international forum – ‘this is our plan and we commit to doing it’ – that is what we’re asking for US Ambassador explained.”
Even though I don’t agree with USA’s handling on many international issues, I agree with them on Srilankan issue. Finally, IC admits that Srilankan Government won’t act as a responsible government on its own unless there is a commitment from it publicly in an international forum, which brings more pressure on the government to act genuinely on such commitment.
Every Srilankan should understand that there is “no free lunch” in western world or in present global economy. International Community extended all kinds of military, financial, political support to Srilankan Government to weaken LTTE militarily on the guarantee that SL Government will address the concerns of all minorities in the island. After three years of patience, IC is tightening their grip on the government to implement the measures to address minorities’ concerns.
Ms. Butien said:
“I think that the people who were demonstrating were organized by the Government – and that’s fine – those were politically aware supporters out there. But I do think that it did reflect the anger and the reaction of the Government against what was happening in Geneva. I did not take it as repudiation by the population of Sri Lanka against human rights issues.”
Srilankans also should understand that by obeying to government’s pressure to participate in any protests against IC will bring no good for them as individuals or to the country unless public participation in any meaningful protests for the well being of ordinary citizens. IC very well understands the motive and hidden agenda behind all such internal or external public protests against them. Protesters are wasting their time, money and resources, which could have been effectively utilized for the benefit of the people. It is up to the Srilankan people to make it or break it as Thamils started protesting Sinhala governments in those early days after the so called independence in 1948.
Finally the time is arrived for present Srilankan Government to make some serious commitment on the good governance, which previous successful governments were able to ignore for decades.
Whatever the agenda of the US is I don’t care. I only care about the fact that there was an LLRC report in Sri Lanka. The LLRC would not have been even constituted and given a mandate if it was not for the pressure from the West. If anyone were to tell me otherwise they are probably from another planet.
The Sri Lanka Govt. quite categorically told all those asking for accountability to wait for the LLRC report before they start to press for action.
The LLRC did not delve too much on accountability as that was too much of a political hot potato and despite that fact that a vast amount of evidence given at the LLRC sessions pointed to unmistakable HR violations from both sides, it decided not to go back and ask for details of who, how many, what form of the violations.
It must also be remembered that the urgent interim recommendations were to try and disband the paramilitaries, and I do not believe there has been ANY measure of reduction in these threatening acts by paramilitaries.
So I agree with Ms Butenis in that it takes some kind of international fora to put pressure on the Govt. to implement. After all does anyone believe the LLRC recommendations would have begun to be even considered had not the international community got involved.
I fail to understand how patriotic Sri Lankans fail to understand that this is merely an attempt to do justice to people who have been harmed within Sri Lanka. It has nothing to do with Diaspora or any other country. We are attempting to give our citizens basic Fundamental Rights, enshrined in our constitution and no more or no less. So unless someone wants to agitate for the change in the Constitution to get rid of them it is merely the duty of the Government in power to carry out their responsibilities thereby enshrined.
I dont know what all the fuss is. We have ended the hostilities in May of 2009 and we are yet to see a substantive change in the FR of our people. In fact I would go so far as to argue and kind provide proof with evidence of White van abductions, and threats against journalists, and also disappearances as well as the use of force to prevent demonstrations that the Govt. is continuing to violate the protection in the Constitution that all citizens enjoy.
So let us stop looking out overseas and look in to Sri Lanka and give all our citizens what are their just rights.
Any person reaps a harvest of what he or she sows. Evil deeds will always bring about evil consequences and good deeds will always bear good fruit.
Any group of people with good moral values and character will often think of being fair, just and good to other fellow human beings and will refrain from selfish, greedy and egoistic deeds.
No person is perfect. But any person intending do good and does wrong, should accept the fault and decide to change for the better, instead of mindlessly doing again and again to the detriment of others.
If a person is unable to change to be good, fair and just, because he is bound to evil doings, he must be bold enough to accept his evil and seek help to change his life to have good and moral character.
For a prosperous and chaos free life for the people of SL to dawn, the GOSL must humbly accept they did and do to the Tamils; which the government says it does not do but continues to do, and ask the UNHRC to help SL to change for the better.
I support US in here. Nothing wrong in asking to commit to own commission by GOSL. Why to do a commission in the first place otherwise? GOSL is doing dirty politics.
The way the USa is pushing the issue at the UNHRC is not going to make the Rajapaksa regime do anything other than nothing. The history proves that. There is no will on the part of the regime to resolve the tamil issue. That has been made patently clear by the way the regime has acted so far, especially how it fooled the Indians and the world community promising a lot and delivering nothing since the war ended three years ago.
The US has the evidence of war crimes committed by the Rajapaksa brothers and the military but they are not going to use it for politrical and strategic reasons. The Indians have the evidence too but they are also implicated in the war crimes and so will never push the Rajapksa regime to comply with their promises. I have a feeling that the Rajapaksa regime will go scot free again not having to answer for war crimes and human rights abuses. The tamil diaspora has a tough job on their hands to make the war criminals pay for their dastardly deeds.
It seems the US has put its much publicized threat to condemn Sri Lanka at the UNHRC for defeating terrorist LTTE to the back burner. It also seems that no member of the coterie of the so-called International Community had the guts to propose the resolution at the UNHRC they talked and threatened for so long.
Never mind her praising the LLRC report, her shedding crocodile tears for uninformed Sinhalese and their economic plight and her effort to educate them and civilize them with her verbose sermon, Butenis should just tell us why the entire club have chicken up at Geneva?
For one thing, we know very well that Butenis and her colonialist clique will never leave Sri Lanka alone to get on with its own affairs but will interfere with their ‘economic hit men’ that they have planted as NGOs, evangelists and etc to change the popularly elected government by deceit. Colombians are a minority. The more such puppets of Butenis and co try to change the government the more Sinhalese would get agitated and vote for Rajapakse. Got it!
This is a real tonge in cheek statement akin to US politicians and diplomats. Simply running with the hare and hunting with the hound. Creating chaos in an emerging country and then aiming at regime change is the sinister motive. Show us a country that had a full scale terrorism and war for 30 years, then looked after 300,000 refugees in the best possible way, improve the economy and infrastructure amid the dwindling world economy. All this happens against the backdrop of vested foreign interests to create chaos in the country. US, please look at the way you have treated the Black community for centuries…you took years to help the victims of Katrina.
you killed thousands of innocent people, women and children in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries. Please allow Sri Lanka to have time, space and fortitude to solve their problems in the right way once and for all.
Very good interview.
Gives the unknown the grasp of reality.
I wish Sri Lankan diplomats are as professional as Ms. Butenis.
If politicizing of public service ends, there will be a good future for our country.
Has LLRC missed that recommendation?
The UN was established to restore the dignity of people and contribute to justice. Conflict resolution and preventive diplomacy had been the justification for the existence of the UN since its inception.
Reacting to the traumatic experience of genocide and other forms of mass violence in Rwanda, Kosovo, Bosnia and Somalia, the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty(ICISS), enunciated the policy of Responsibility to Protect(RtoP), in the year 2001.
The report by ICISS stressed human security, including Human Rights and Human dignity as fundamental essentials in all international institutions.
Subsequently, in 2009, the UN General Assembly, by an overwhelming majority, accepted the principle of RtoP as defined by ICISS.
It was also accepted by the UN that if the UN does not act somewhere it does not mean that it must not act everywhere.
In matters of global concern, the principles of state sovereignty became altered. A permanent shift from non-interference to non-indifference became firmly accepted.
Rto P accepts that sovereignty is not a licence to kill. Empathy with suffering people justifies interference and obligates protection. It took forms such as sanctions and selective boycots.
Obviously, the world did not do enough in response to the butchering of Tamil population by the GOSL and its repression to the people of Tamil Eelam(TE). There was indifference.
Dag Hemmerskjold, the Secretary General of the UN in 1960′s said ” the UN was not created to bring heaven on earth but to save us from hell”.
The people of TE need to be saved from hell created by SL.
[“The LLRC is the Sri Lankan Government’s own commission, with some excellent recommendations. I have to say that on accountability we find that it is disappointing and really fell short of things we think and some people in this country think need to be addressed. But by and large it’s a good report. What we would like to know is – where is the government’s action plan? Which of these recommendations has the government embraced and which do they feel they can’t?” the Ambassador told this newspaper in a candid interview.]
Mahinda better put these words of ambassedor butenis on a plaque and have it on his desk to constantly remind him,unless he wants to take on the the US and end up like prabha who took on india.Another important fact of keeping those words on a plaque is to remind the US in a couple of years or so if they decide to change their tune,as to what their official policy was in 2012,because the words of butenis is the words of a carefully formulated official government policy,not an ambassedors personal one.These words will come back to haunt and embarass the US if in the future srilanka brings it up in a future UNHRC session,if after it successfully implements the LLRC recommendations the US decides to play hardball with it.
There is no need for the sinhalese to get upset over implementing the LLRC report because it is a very reasonable request made by the USA.They in fact have pointed out that it lacks accountabilty,but unlike the TNA have not rejected it because of that,as they feel by and large it is a good report.
Anyway by the time srilanka and US hold hands and run round and round the LLRC report,singing “here we go gathering recommendations in may ,recommendations in may,recommendations in may…….” it will be time for another superpower china to emerge with a comparable military might to the USA,which could change the whole geopolitical situation in the world.Also the rajapakshes who are in their sixties could have a natural death due to illness etc.
So since the good ambassoder wants a action plan on the report,probably srilanka should have it ready by the next UNHCR session probably next year.Of course the action plan will not encompass all the recommendations,as ambassoder butenis has thrown a life line by saying she only wants to know which ones are they can implement and which they can’t.So in 2013 UNHRC sesssions a resolution can be put up asking srilanka to incorporate in its action plans the balance recommendations.In the 2014 UNHRC sessions srilanka can show the recommendations it has inplemented and the balance it is working on.In the 2015 UNHRC sessions it can show how it has implemented even more and now has only a few left and the delay was due to the president having to go to hospital often due to ill health.
also just before the UNHRC sessions in 2018 mahinda can greet a visiting foreign dignitary in a wheelchair and oxygen gas mask.After the visitor has left he can throw them away.The international community will feel pity on him and think why hound a man who is dying anyway.Also gota can make a beeline to china which will be a superpower and come back, in fact talking nothing of substance with the chinese,but the message will go out loud and clear to the US and india that if you push us we will become chingalese.
[Because one of the things we recognize is that President Rajapaksa is very popular. He has a lot of support and we understand that. Therefore that has been our focus – that he has the support and the leadership that could implement changes. He could deploy his considerable leadership skills and popularity and majority in parliament to implement the LLRC recommendations and make the case to the Sri Lankan population.]
Phew! That did surprise me.So we have now got it from the horses mouth that mahinda is popular in the country.So those who say he isn’t will have to now swallow their words.
She also says he has considerable leadership skills.That coming from a country that considers itself a world leader and emphasises leadership skills as one of the prerequisites for progress is indeed quite flattering to srilanka.
The rest is upto mahinda.Srilanka seems to have been blessed at last with great leader,but it remains to be seen whether he can deliver the goods.Results is what ultimately counts.One result we have had is he has ended this war.The next result is he has to clean up this mess that was created due to the war,which he seems to be doing,albeit slow but steady.The third result is to unite the country and forge a srilankan identity and he seems to be dismally failing in this regard,listening to the chauvinistic elements in his government.It is better he ditches them because they and their type are the cause of all the disunity we faced since independence.The tamils also better ditch those carbon copy of the sinhala hardliners among them, who are still trying to cling on to their eelam bandwagon.It requires two hands to clap.
The last and most important result that mahinda must achieve if he has real leadership skills as the US seems to think,is to make srilanka a part of the developed world.Even if it is not fully developed,but close to it like something like malaysia,srilankans would regard him as the greatest leader in 2500 years of its history.To achieve this a proper foundation should be laid where sinhalese,tamils,muslims,malays and burgers consider themselves first and foremost srilankans before all else.Sadly the policies of sinhala leaders such as SWRD,Sirima and JRJ sent the country in the opposite direction,dividing it based on ethnic,linguistic and religious lines.Now mahinda has to clean up this mess too if he indeed is a great leader.
Yes, we can point fingers at the US, demonize it, and accuse of it of being worse than us, but do two wrongs make a right?
It is easy to whip the nation into a patriotic frenzy, and act like mean “western forces” are out to get little Sri Lanka, but no one is noticing that the Rajapaksa regime has brilliantly taken the focus away from their alleged war crimes by making the US look like the bad guy. Is it that hard for the Rajapaksa’s to cooperate with the international community, show a willingness to go along with rehabilitation, and an investigation? Especially if they are innocent as charged? Every single official whether Millibrand, Holmes, Ban Ki Moon, Hillary Clinton, and many others have been attacked, even in a personal manner, for daring to speak out, and question. The people of Sri Lanka should realize that if one of those helpless civilians were one of their own, they would want answers too. Any evidence is called doctored, a fake, or that no sources are named. Who would want to have their names out there? Everyone fears those white vans, and will remain quiet. Sad state of affairs, Sri Lanka.