Pillay repeats call for probe

Thursday, 04 March 2010 17:48

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay, today, once again repeated her call for an independent investigation into war crimes allegations in Sri Lanka stating that human rights abuses in the country were damaging prospects of reconciliation after 25 years of the civil war.

“I am convinced that Sri Lanka should undertake a full reckoning of the grave violations committed by all sides during the war, and that the international community can be helpful in this regard,” she said in a speech presenting her annual report at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.

Last May, the council held a special session on Sri Lanka just after the end of the war against the LTTE, but the Sri Lankan government deflected criticism by introducing its own resolution praising its defeat of the Tigers, which was then passed, boosting the Colombo stock exchange.

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-26+68 # Guest 2010-03-04 17:58

Every action has reaction.

-82+94 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:04

Thank you Ms Pillay.
Despite repeated warnings by several international organizations of impending mass killings of civilians and despite strong statements of concern by several other world leaders, more than 20,000 civilians are reported to have been killed. The Times of London and Le Monde have published investigations, based on reliable data, and suggested that most of the civilian deaths were caused as a result of shelling by the Sri Lankan government. Thousands more were injured and the International Committee of the Red Cross was prevented by the Sri Lankan government for providing medical assistance resulting in many more civilian deaths.

-104+79 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:37

Mr. Vani Kumar, "Based on reliable data"?? ABSOLUTE RUBBISH! Everybody were complaining that "independent" journalists were not allowed to visit the war zones. So the only data available was BLATANT LTTE PROPAGANDA. For example, remember the forged letters published by TamilNet and how they got completely muddled up trying to correct the Sinhalese words they forged??

-98+63 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:44

Please do not quote Times of London which has now damaged its credibility of its by partisan and one sided story. I am not aware of what the Le Monde is about.

-43+82 # Guest 2010-03-04 19:21

A culture of accountability doesn't exist in this country. Indeed, I have the horrid suspicion that the majority may prefer to overlook any massacres and human rights violations as long as it's the Tamils who are affected.

-82+95 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:05

Maybe an investigation on the US troops in Afghanistan would also be nice? Just a suggestion..

-80+81 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:15

All sides? where is LTTE now? who is representing LTTE? is that you?

-70+92 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:15

This Pillai is bankcrupt so long as she does not ask for simmilar in Iraq,Afghanista n.
Expect more from her and other terrorist lovers as we get closer to 19 May.
Expect more noise from GTF as they continue to oil the west.

-37+35 # Guest 2010-03-05 03:05

Ms. Pillai, you are doing the right thing. Why can't the GOSL agree to this, and clear their name. If MR is not involved & GR is not involved, then why should we be scared?

-56+68 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:17

Wasn't the call for a probe last June was soundly defeated at the Apex body of the HRC at the UN? Isn't this lady the head of that body. Where do in World bodies such as the UN re-visit a motion again and again? Only in her dreams.

-40+50 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:46

Well Said.

-47+57 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:17

Complete the ones you started and go down the list before coming to Sri lanka. This women should go do her dishes rather than meddling in matters beyond her intelligence.But again money talks so she must be belonging to the oldest profession funded and operated by the so called non violent tamil diaspora.

-55+68 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:21

WHY CANT PILLAY DO SOMETHING TO PUNISH THE TIGERS WHO KILLED THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FOR DECADES AND NOW LIVING IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND IN THE USA RIGHT UNDER HER NOSE? I DONT REALLY CARE PILLAY. WHAT I CARE IS NOW MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE LIVING IN KANDY PEACEFULLY KNOWING VERY WELL NO TIGER TERRORIST CAN HARM ME. SORRY PILLAY. YOU CANT PLAY WITH US. LONG LIVE SRI LANKA. LONG LIVE THE ARMED FORCES WHO LIBERATED OUR MOTHERLAND FROM THE BLOODTHIRSTY TIGERS.

-23+24 # Guest 2010-03-05 00:51

Hey Asfar, if you say "LONG LIVE THE ARMED FORCES WHO LIBERATED OUR MOTHERLAND FROM THE BLOODTHIRSTY TIGERS," then, what about SF, who is in government custody?

-41+48 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:22

Tamils are busy contesting first free elections in 30 plus years and Pillai is still at it.Some diaspora tamils dont like to know that life is getting back to normal in N & E.
President asked a IT engineer to contest north and he is doing so under UPFA (Ankajan Ramanathan)
Tamils want development and Lanka tamils dont see eye to eye with their overseas cousins-unlike before.

-32+27 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:28

may be what hpnd. in aigeria around 50 s or indo chine in after, why you are not talking about uganda a. you are schame.

-60+24 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:30

Vani UK, I'm coming for you !!

-25+49 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:31

people who incharge for genocide should be brought to justice.

-23+19 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:49

First it sounds like kith and Kin and money matters always. If international community need to achieve peace thru UN, there has to a solution to figure heads of this nature who talk with hidden agenda and bought over by blood money.

Whole world knows who did what and host aging 600K innocent Tamils one a single person's protection.

-12+36 # Guest 2010-03-04 18:58

This good woman is calling for an 'independent investigation' into alleged war crimes - from where are you going to get independent ingestigators? - committed by 'all sides' Who are these 'all sides' The LTTE us certainly no more, so, that means the investigation will have to be directed only at the GOSL. Clever, eh?

-27+50 # Guest 2010-03-04 19:08

Thanks madam pull all culprits to court and punish them we counting that day ..

-22+50 # Guest 2010-03-04 19:08

Chris Silva, madam pillai is not a person like you who is plucking coconut and jack fruit (pol saha kos) to become bankrupt.

Think twice before uttering a word from your mouth or in writing. Communalism and colourism should not exists in this world anymore since more and more educated sri lankans are living abroad.

-58+43 # Guest 2010-03-04 19:21

Ms. Pillay, why don't you first call for prob against Israel for HR violations in West Bank Gaza and the leatest incident of killing a Hamas leader in Dubai? and why not recent civilian deaths in Mahja by NATO air strikes.

-43+30 # Guest 2010-03-04 19:22

With so many powerful individuals & powerful nations such as the US, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Norway, etc., who are highly influenced by the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora, how in the world can we ever expect an independent
investigation that Ms Pillay is calling for? It is a typical scenario wherein the drug cartel is appointed to police the drug dealer.

-8+15 # Guest 2010-03-05 00:58

Surely, it would be more impartial than the government's proceeding with such an investigation ...

-13+22 # Guest 2010-03-05 00:41

If the Sri Lankan governemnt did not do anything wrong, during the last stages of the war, then they should allow the UN to investigate! Why is the Sri Lankan governemnt so 'scared'?

-25+23 # Guest 2010-03-05 00:50

Mrs. Pillay, well said!

-7+18 # Guest 2010-03-05 01:59

Ms. Pillay, could you please define "independent"? It appears that whatever investigations by the EU, US or UK, should be "independent, credible & reliable"!

-20+17 # Guest 2010-03-05 02:08

Pillay ... you want a problem?

-28+28 # Guest 2010-03-05 05:28

Pillai is an ethnic Tamilian and is biased in her assessment. She should be removed from her post. Hope the Sri Lankan government and other friendly countries, take-up this matter with the UN.

-5+5 # Guest 2010-03-05 14:21

Until 1994, Mrs Pillay, a South African of Tamil origin, was denied the vote (whic Sri Lankans take for granted) under the apartheid laws. She is from a seriously disadvantaged background, and here you have people questioning her credentials and credibility. She is the first woman Nelson Mandela appointed to the bench in South Africa in 1994.

-1+0 # Guest 2010-03-05 22:05

Thanks!

-0+3 # Guest 2010-03-05 22:33

Persons who talk about the Human Rights of Terrorists are .....?

-1+0 # Guest 2010-03-06 00:59

Let us resolve to bring-out everything, into the open, and ensure that it does not ever happen again! If we cannot do it ourseelves, then, we should have someone else do it for us. If we don't, then we allow someone else to prosecute our citizens in other countries - just one person may face charges in no less than 10 different countries.

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