- UN RAPPORTUER SAYS
Sunday 26 June 2011
The UN chief on extra judicial killings has warned that Sri Lankan leaders and officials with dual nationalities could be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes.
In an exclusive interview with LAKBIMAnEWS, Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions said: “Over the last few years the doctrine of universal jurisdiction has been used in new and, in some cases, extended ways. People with dual nationalities may be under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.”
Prof. Heyns also said there is enough reason to investigate Sri Lanka’s last phase of war in full where there was systematic targeting of civilians.
He however added that despite the evidence to the contrary, the official response continues to be a blanket denial of any wrongdoings, which is ‘difficult to accept in view of the evidence.’
He said the stronger involvement by the international community in Libya has demanded a greater international involvement in Sri Lanka.
When asked about the legality of the killing of Osama bin Laden by the US Navy Seals, the UN rapporteur replied that there is considerable controversy about fact and applicable legal principles.
However, he was quick to add: “There is no controversy about shooting blindfolded, naked prisoners with their hands tied behind their backs in the head; it cannot be justified under any conceivable circumstances.”
He said he has asked to visit Sri Lanka, but his request has so far been denied. But, Sri Lankan officials whom he met in Geneva, explained to him the “agony” due to the allegations that are being made.
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Websites banned to protect children and culture - Minister
| Sunday 26 June 2011 |
Websites may be publishing lies, yet Lanka violates signed treaties!
By Jayashika Padmasiri
The United Nations (UN) recently released a report declaring that disconnecting the internet from the public is a human rights violation. Sri Lanka is a country that has seen the banning of several media websites in the recent past. The two websites: Tamil Net, and LankaeNews are good examples. LAKBIMAnEWS conducted an investigation to ascertain the truth in this regard:
As the first step LAKBIMAnEWS contacted Minister of Technology and Research Pavithra Wanniarachchi --- and while discussing the UN report questioned her about the banned news websites in Sri Lanka. To our amazement the minister made the following statement: “By stating that violations of human rights are taking place, I don’t believe that we should let the people in this country, especially the children, access everything through the internet and be exposed to harmful information. Other countries might be different. But Sri Lanka is a country that has a rich culture and a heritage. We should help to protect this. So I don’t think that everything that takes place in the world should take place in our country.”
Speaking further about the banned websites Wanniarachchi concluded, “too much freedom is unnecessary.”
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