THE SUNDAY LEADER
Secret Cable From US Embassy In Colombo-
United States Ambassador Patricia Butenis
Cablegate continues to grip the interest of the world with the releases continuing daily. On December 2 a cable originating from the United States Embassy in Colombo was released. The document, a brief written by U.S. Ambassador Patricia Butenis, focuses on the alleged war crimes carried out during the latter stages of the Sri Lankan civil war and the lack of action taken on the part of the Rajapaksa government in investigating these allegations.
The cable notes that the ‘State Department Report to Congress on Incidents during the Conflict and the widely read report by the University Teachers for Human Rights also detailed many of the alleged war crimes perpetrated by the LTTE.’ Patricia Butenis explained that due to the majority of the LTTE leadership having been killed during the conclusion of the way, it leaves ‘few to be held responsible’ on the part of the rebels.
Ambassador Butenis draws attention to the lack of accountability on the part of the regime for accusations of war crimes levelled against ‘government forces and civilian officials’ during the war against the LTTE. She explains that despite Mahinda Rajapaksa naming a committee to make recommendations to him regarding the U.S. incidents report, there has been little progress made in the way of establishing accountability. Butenis stated this indicates that the alleged war crimes are not a high profile issue for the Government of Sri Lanka. She explained that the Rajapaksa campaign was built around the idea that an international conspiracy exists against Sri Lanka.
Butenis said that the lack of action taken by the Sri Lankan Government is due to the ‘country’s senior civilian and military leadership’ being responsible for these incidents. She claims that there have been no cases of a ruling regime looking into war crime allegations levelled against them. However, the Ambassador asserts that the alleged war crimes have been carried out by both the Rajapaksa government and former army commander Sarath Fonseka, and such a scenario further complicates the situation. She goes on to explain that the Rajapaksa government is focussed on protecting the country’s ‘war heroes’ from war crime tribunals.
Ambassador Patricia Butenis stated that the significance of the allegations levelled against the regime has divided the Tamil Diaspora and the Tamils living in Sri Lanka. She further elaborates that the Tamils in Sri Lanka ‘have been pragmatic in what they can expect and have focussed instead on securing greater rights and freedoms’. They believe that if they were to continue to push this issue it would make them ‘vulnerable’. The Tamil Diaspora however, would like to see the issue as ‘an immediate top-priority issue’.
The Ambassador concludes by explaining ‘accountability is clearly an issue of importance for the ultimate political and moral health of the Sri Lankan society.’
