APC on Geneva an eyewash – GL

‘Has TNA been tasked to secure foreign judges for war crimes court?’

By Shamindra Ferdinando-November 15, 2015

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday alleged that the recently established All Party Conference (APC) to discuss the unanimously adopted Geneva resolution wouldn’t serve any useful purpose.

Prof. Peiris claimed that it was nothing but an attempt to deceive the people. "It is very difficult to understand what purpose is to be served by seeking the views of political parties at this point."

Sri Lanka co-sponsored the resolution against the country adopted on Sept. 30.

The APC first met on Oct. 22 with the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena. A second meeting is scheduled to take place shortly.

The APC process would have been a useful and productive exercise had the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government sought the views of other political parties and groups before crucial decisions were made. Having made vital decisions unilaterally, the government was now in the process of implementing them, Prof. Peiris said.

The former minister strongly criticised the decision to co-sponsor the resolution. The government co-sponsored the resolution making it Sri Lanka’s own and requesting other countries to throw their weight behind the US move, Prof. Peiris said.

"This has hugely detrimental consequences for our country. Were any political party consulted before this crucial decision was made? Did President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe at least consult their parliamentary groups before the decision was made?"

Prof. Peiris said that the government had gone to the extent of agreeing to a judicial mechanism including Common-wealth and other foreign judges to try Sri Lankan military for war crimes allegedly committed during the eelam war IV.

"This again was done without seeking the views of any political party."

Commenting on Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M. A. Sumanthiran making representations to Australia regarding proposed war crimes probe, Prof. Peiris said that the TNA member had discussed with Australian Foreign Minister the Australian participation in the judicial process here. He urged the government to clarify the TNA’s role in the process. Recollecting the TNA’s relationship with the LTTE during the war, when the grouping recognised the terrorist group as the sole representatives of Tamil speaking people, Prof. Peiris asked whether the TNA had been entrusted with the task of securing the participation of foreign judges.

Sumanthiran and Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) representatives including Reginald Jeganathan, Chairman of the ATC met Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Canberra last week. The Member of Parliament for Reid Craig Laundy MP also participated.

They also had detailed discussions with senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials including the First Secretary for South and West Asia Kathy Klugman (former Australian High Commissioner).

The most influential Diaspora grouping Global Tamil Forum (GTF) is also involved in the process.

Prof. Peiris said that having taken a dangerous path, the government was now trying to get other political parties to place their seal of approval on decisions which the new administration had made on its own.

The coalition should take the full responsibility for horrendously harmful decision to co-sponsor Geneva resolution without involving other political parties, Prof. Peiris said. One-time chief negotiator for Sri Lanka, Prof Peiris alleged that the government was giving false impression that it was a collective decision.

"It is a great pity that the APC process was not embarked upon in a spirit of sincerity at a time when it could have served a constructive purpose," the ex-Minster said

Prof. Peiris pointed out that the report on the Second Mandate of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Into Complaints of Abductions and Disappearances, too, had been submitted for the government perusal.