LLRC Pussyfoots Around Iniya Bharathi- TNA

Saturday, January 28, 2012
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says there is clear evidence of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) member Iniya Bharathi being involved in human rights violations.

In its 70 page response to the report of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), the TNA had said that many witnesses in fact identify Iniya Bharathi as responsible for human rights abuses.
The Sunday Leader in December 2011, carried an exposé on Iniya Bharathi.  The article highlighted the fact that he is a man who has been accused of war crimes by the United Nations for giving forced arms training to children.

Furthermore that he is a man who is accused by the public for playing a key role in the abductions and disappearances of several people in Poththuvil, Akkaraippattu, Thirukkovil and Vinaayakapuram in the Ampara district of the Eastern Province.
Iniya Bharathi is a lead operative of the paramilitary group led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan alias Karuna who currently holds a Deputy Minister’s post in the Rajapaksa government. Iniya Bharathi is at present the Ampara District Coordinator for President Rajapaksa.
According to past news reports about ninety percent of affected families that gave evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) at its sittings in Ampara on March 26, 2011 alleged that Iniya Bharathi was responsible for the abductions and disappearances of their husbands, wives and children.
Iniya Bharathi is also accused of intimidating voters, issuing death threats and of election fraud during the last presidential election, parliamentary election and during the recently held local government elections. The Kalmunai court had sentenced Iniya Bharathi to a ten year suspended jail term, when he was found guilty in some criminal cases.
However, the TNA says the alleged involvement of Iniya Bharathi in a number of human rights violations is not mentioned in the section on human rights in the LLRC’s report. Instead of mentioning the involvement of this individual in the disappearances that took place in the Eastern Province, the LLRC only makes vague references to him in the chapter on ‘reconciliation’. The Commission makes no attempt to examine in any detail the evidence against this individual, nor to highlight his alleged connections to the TMVP and the SLF, the TNA said.

Govt. To Brief Of Progress In HR And Reconciliation

 Saturday, January 28, 2012

Mahinda Samarasinghe

The government is to brief the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about the progress made with regard to the human rights concerns and the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva.
The sessions are to commence on February 27 and are to continue till March 23.
Plantation Industries Minister and the President’s Special Envoy for Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, who would represent the country at the sessions, said that Sri Lanka would address the UNHRC sessions and report on the progress made in the human rights and reconciliation fronts.
He told The Sunday Leader that the Sri Lankan delegation would also separately engage in a dialogue with members of the foreign diplomatic community who would be in Geneva during the period of the sessions.
When asked if the government would present the final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to the UNHRC as part of the progress made in the reconciliation process in the country, Samarasinghe said the report would not be presented to the Council.
“There is no necessity to hand over the LLRC report to the UNHRC as it not part of its agenda,” he noted.
However, he added that the Sri Lankan government was ready to respond to questions raised on the matter.
“If reference is made to the report during the sessions, Sri Lanka will take the floor and address the matter,” Samarasinghe observed.
The Minister said the Sri Lankan government was prepared to engage and brief the UNHRC comprehensively about the situation in the country.

Balance US$ 800 ml. IMF loan poses problem for Govt.

Sunday January 29, 2012

The Central Bank and a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation are discussing whether Sri Lanka should or not draw US$ 800 million, the final balance of the IMF’s US$ 2.6 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA).

If the balance is drawn, the entire loan will be converted into a higher interest rate facility. Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said though every country was entitled to 300% of its quota in the IMF, which is $1.8 billion – and has been already drawn -- Sri Lanka was approved a loan in July 2009 of US$ 2.6 billion which is 400% of its quota.

According to IMF guidelines, the 300% quota loan comes at 1.1% interest whereas anything above that is at 3.1% interest. “The issue here is that if we take the balance US$ 800 million, the entire loan — US$ 2.6 billion — then gets converted to a 3.1% interest facility whereas we pay 1.1% only on US$ 1.8 billion and not draw any more,” he said. Mr. Cabraal said the decision to draw this balance or not would be made this week before the delegation left.

However United National Party parliamentarian and economist Harsha de Silva raised the question that if the CB had raised funds earlier at 6-7% interest in the commercial market, how could 3% interest be too much?

“The Governor, who is an accountant, should know better that 3% is cheaper than 6-7%. Furthermore the CB is planning to raise more funds this year (from the commercial market),” he told the Sunday Times.
Dr. de Silva, however, refused to comment on discussions a UNP team led by Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and including MPs Ravi Karunanayake, Dr de Silva and Eran Wickramaratne had with the visiting IMF team.

According to official sources, privy to the discussions but speaking strictly on condition of anonymity, contrasting views emerged when the team met Government and Opposition officials.

While the visiting mission expressed concern to the opposition over the use of the fund’s entire US$1.8 billion bail-out package by the Central Bank (CB) to defend the rupee, it had a more positive approach in meetings with the CB.

‘These were contrasting views, at least from the tenor and tone of the discussions,” one official said.
The official, close to the IMF discussions, said the flawed exchange rate management process was the biggest source of concern to the IMF. “They (IMF officials) were at a loss to understand why the rupee was being defended (so vigorously) with these foreign reserves,” he said.

However, in meetings with Senior Minister Sarath Amunugama, Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera and Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the general tone was that the economy was on a sound footing.

Asked to comment on the discussions and the Fund’s concern over exchange rate management, CB Governor Cabraal said the use of reserves (to defend the rupee) was no more a priority issue.
“We needed 3.5 months worth of reserves (around US$ 4-5 billion) and then went on to raise US$ 8 billion. Granted, this has dropped to around US$ 6 billion but even at the time when it was at US$ 8 billion, we repeatedly said in statements (issued at that time) that this was in excess (of our needs). So this is not an issue,” he said.

On the discussions, the CB Governor said it went off well giving a chance to the two sides to examine the entirety of the 36-month, US$ 2.6 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) and do a complete evaluation.
“The IMF gave us good ideas to go forward based on the (CB) roadmap,” he said.

The Business Times (the Sunday Times’ business section) last week exclusively reported that the CB was considering a fee-based, commitment programme where Sri Lanka could draw the US$ 800 million at a later stage, only if the necessity arose.

The decision to enter into a contract for a surveillance monitoring programme, a standard practice in any country that has completed a SBA facility, was also reported last week. While the monitoring facility is what both sides are in agreement, Mr. Cabraal said a decision on whether to draw the balance US$ 800 million or not would be made next week in the final round of discussions with the visiting team.

Referring to concerns of a rising trade deficit, he said the CB had paved the way for non-trade foreign exchange inflows to bridge the gap and even have a trade surplus by the middle of this year. (A trade deficit occurs when imports cost more than revenue earned from exports.) These ways are commercial banks and the private sector being able to access foreign funds, foreign direct investment inflows, remittances, portfolio investments in the stock market and negotiating a special US$1 billion facility for oil imports, he said.

“I can’t give details on the special oil facility as it is under negotiation but this will reduce our oil bill which was about US$ 4.5 billion last year against US$ 3 billion in 2010,” Mr. Cabraal said.

Other avenues of raising foreign funds, as stated earlier, would considerably ease pressure on the trade deficit and minimize the need for the CB to intervene and sell dollars in the money market, he said.

Rajapaksa Dilemma: KP or the 13th Amendment

Saturday 28 of January 2012

By: Upasiri de Silva

(Lanka-e-News-29.Jan.2012,1.30AM) “Thanhaya jayati soko – thanhaya jayati bhayam, Thanhaya vippamuttassa – natthi soka kuto bhayam”“From greed arises grief, from greed arises fear, for him who is free of greed, there is no grief and no fear (Dhammapada)Lord Buddha’s point of view, Thanha is the strongest bond which binds us to pleasurable sensations in the hope of making them permanent. If not corrected quickly this bond of desire steadily is able to completely take over your life – both your thoughts and your actions become irresponsible and unrealistic, leading eventually to a very demented state of mind that stops all progress towards any spiritual fulfillment. In a majority Sinhala Buddhist country, where Buddhism is the religion of the majority of Sri Lankans, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who publically announced that his house hold is run by his wife according to the Christian religious guidelines at a meeting with then Bishop Malcolm Ranjith (now Cardinal) in 2005 while apologizing for criticizing the Christian religion at a election rally, has discarded this Buddhist point of view and selling the country to the highest bidder and now the North and the East as well to keep the illegally earned money and the two LTTE ships handed over to Rajapaksa’s by KP and the LTTE remnants, (now called the World Tamil Federation-WTF).

Full story >>

Culprit holding arm in arm with former IGP Mahinda Balasooriya commits Multi million rupee credit card scam

Saturday 28 of January 2012

(Lanka-e-News-28.Jan.2012,7.30PM) After an individual was taken into custody some time ago based on his links to a multi million credit card scam , it has come to light that he is closely associated with the police hierarchy . Consequently, desperate attempts are now being made to cover up this whole scenario of mass scale swindling.Following the discovery by the investigating officers of a photograph depicting this criminal of criminals with Dr. Mahinda Balasooriya former IGP and present Ambassador to Brazil arm in arm , the police is trying to suppress this investigation.

By now it has become very clear that the former IGP Dr. Balasooriya is less a honorary Dr. and much more a dishonorable ‘criminal Dr.’ . Going by the doctorates conferred on politicos like Mervyn the vermin and lately Balasooriya , it is being widely questioned among the intellectual circles whether to obtain a doctorate, the aspirant in SL must prove he is more dishonorable and less honorable ? It is reported that the individuals who went to secure a ‘doctorate’ for him for money were of the same infamous group which led Ven. Soma Thero on the journey to confer a ‘doctorate’ on the latter . This ‘criminal Dr.’ had spent Rs. 18 lakhs to ‘buy’ this doctorate , and the worst part of it is , the disbursement towards this has been made by even a more notorious criminal ‘kudu Duminda’, reports say. Of course , there is nothing to prohibit an IGP from putting the arms round a criminal , but the most perplexing and vexatious issue is, why is this ‘criminal Dr.’ not interrogated despite glaring evidence of close links between this ‘criminal Dr’. and the criminal of criminals who has cheated in billions.

Moreover , a group of the CID police officers who are involved in this massive fraud has also surfaced. One sergeant who had been implicated directly has been taken into custody while an OIC of the CID had been interdicted. Four more CID police officers are being questioned after detention orders having been obtained on them. The Sergeant who had teamed up with this credit card fraudster had built a palatial mansion out of these illegal earnings.
This crooked sergeant had been recruited into service by former Director Vaidyalanakara. Latter is a bosom pal of Gotabaya , and by appointing a subordinate of his as Airport chief he had amassed inordinate wealth – the Director’s history reveals.

Meanwhile the CID is plunged in a grave internal confusion and chaos .So far 19 of its officers have been transferred immediately out to ordinary police divisions.

There are about 800 very affluent Sri Lankans implicated in this colossal credit card racket.
What is most noteworthy is this culprit who perpetrated this credit card scam has done this for the second time . When he was caught on the first occasion , he had paid out of the monies fraudulently collected and freed himself. A three year bound over sentence was delivered on him. He had utilized his knowledge gained when he was abroad to print forged credit cards using the secret numbers of the original card holders to commit this massive fraud. Of course he has fully exploited the present SL climate of ‘those at the top are the worst crooks’ to the full . He has therefore streamlined his racket with the IGP and the CID officers who as law enforcers of this regime have instead of enforcing the law had colluded with the hard core racketeer to transgress the law most flagrantly holding hand in hand and arm in arm.

The officers of the CID themselves are of the opinion that a satisfactory investigation cannot be anticipated in the circumstances. Their main doubt is based on the non interrogation of the former IGP who is truly the central link in this gigantic credit card scam. It is also their view that owing to Gotabaya appointing henchmen and hangers on of his to the police force , the entire prestige and integrity , if any ,the Force had been totally destroyed most disgracefully.

Sri Lanka: The NewJVP- Is shaping up to be actually New

Guest Column: Dr Kumar David

The Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) or People’s Liberation Front evolved into the largest left party in Lanka after the collapse of the old left (LSSP and CP) in the mid-1970s. Its founding ideology in 1965 was a variant of then popular Maoism but its founder Rohana Wijeweera was captured and shot by the UNP’s Premadasa government in November 1989. The JVP is best remembered for two uprisings, the 1971 Insurrection, a youth rebellion intended to overthrow Mrs Bandaranaike’s government that was crushed with the loss of about 10,000 lives, and the much more costly 1987-1989 full-scale uprising aimed at capturing state power.

The 1987-89 phenomenon is the closest a Lankan government came to being overthrown (the LTTE could never have taken Colombo and the Sinhalese south); the state put it down in an orgy of blood that, according to the most reliable estimates, cost the lives of about 60,000 young people, mostly in revenge killings by the police and the forces after the rebellion had been defeated. In view of these two events, the name JVP has been synonymous with armed struggle, just as the LTTE is associated with separatist war.

The participation of the LSSP and CP in coalition government (1970-75) with Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranaike, and subsequently her daughter President Chandrika Kumaratunga from the mid 1990s, created a vacuum on the left and opened the way for the JVP to capture the imagination of young radicals. Although first generation left leaders (NM Perera, Colvin R de Silva, Pieter Keuneman etc) entered coalitions for the purpose – however belied by the outcome – of achieving socialist transformations, the next (current) set are seen as opportunists seeking cabinet posts, sinecures and perks. Full Story

Human Rights

     Westminster Hall 

Thursday 26 January 2012

Human Rights

[Andrew Rosindell in the Chair]

[Relevant documents: Eighth Report of the For eign Affairs Committee, The FCO’ s Human Rights Work 2010-11, HC 964, and the Government ’ s Response, Cm 8169 .]

4 pm

Richard Ottaway (Croydon South) (Con): It is a pleasure to speak for the first time with you in the Chair, Mr Rosindell. As you are a distinguished member of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs in your own right, I can think of no one more appropriate to chair this debate.

The Committee has published its report on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2010-11 human rights report. I am delighted that we have the chance to debate it today. Human rights are under the spotlight around the globe, so nothing else could be more important to debate. I welcome the Minister to the Front Bench, having seen him in other incarnations today; he is obviously having a busy day. I pat the Foreign Office on the back for its decision to honour its election pledge to continue publishing its annual report on human rights, albeit in a more cost-effective form.

Full StorY>>>>Westminster Hall Thursday 26 January 2012 [Philip Davies in the Chair] International Development (In

Tamil MP doubts LLRC implementation

Where do we go from here?

by Nimalka Fernando

(June 06, Zurich, Sri Lanka Guardian) Thank you for inviting me to say few words during this Sivaram memorial meeting. One of main features of the meetings organized by the Platform Freedom soon after the assassination of Lasantha campaigning for Rights to Life and Freedom of Speech in which I am a convenor is the performance of Jayathilake Bandara a well known people’s vocalist to sing songs from his collection of People’s Echo.

Full Story>>>

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Tamil MP doubts LLRC implementation

27 January, 2012   By Saroj Pathirana 

The panel concluded the military gave the "highest priority" to protecting civilians, however, recommended a special investigation into certain incidents

Sri Lanka government has no intention to implement the recommendations of the presidential war panel, says a young Tamil government MP.

Journalist turned politician Sri Ranga told BBC Sandeshaya that the government should implement panel's all recommendations including a special investigation into alleged war crimes by certain elements of the military.

The panel concluded the military gave the "highest priority" to protecting civilians and said Tamil Tiger rebels had had "no respect for human life".

The Tigers, in contrast, used people as human shields, shot them, conscripted them and placed weapons in civilian centres, the LLRC report said.

"The commission was appointed by the president and it's chairman, CR de Silva, is a highly respected legal authority with a vast experience in the field," Sri Ranga, MP, told BBC Sinhala service.

War crimes

"Such a commission will not make recommendations for the sake of it without a proper investigation," he added.

Considering the response by certain ministers and the plight of previously signed agreements including Bandaranayaka-Chalvanayagam Pact and Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, I doubt these recommendations will ever be implemented Sri Ranga, government MP

Mr Ranga who crossed over to the government having being elected as a candidate of the main opposition UNP, is highly critical of the activities of Minister Douglas Devananda and Deputy Minister Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan (Karuna).

The report also accused the government of failing to disarm illegal armed groups, most of which are pro-government. It said a Tamil party within the government was still recruiting children to a militia.

It accused the EPDP led by Minister Devananda of abductions and disappearances in Jaffna and also recommended a special investigation into the incident in which hundreds of policemen were killed in Batticaloa by the Tamil Tiger while Karuna was the regional LTTE commander.

Minister Devananda has threatened to take legal actions against the LLRC.

Paramilitary groups

"Neither the cabinet of ministers nor the government did object when Minister Devananda threatened LLRC with legal action," said Mr Ranga.

	Many parents and relatives were seeking LLRC help to find missing relatives

"We can't deny the fact those abductions in Jaffna or killing of 600 policemen while in LTTE custody. These events have even reported internationally and documented even within UN reports."

Meanwhile, the government said it will not submit the panel report for consideration at the forthcoming Geneva session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The report addresses issues including political disappearances and the collapse of the rule of law in much of the country, but it has been criticised internationally for largely backing the government's account of the end of the war.

"Considering the response by certain ministers and the plight of previously signed agreements including Bandaranayaka-Chalvanayagam Pact and Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, I doubt these recommendations will ever be implemented," added Sri Ranga, MP.

Sri Lanka pressed on Tamil devolution plan

Tuesday Jan 24 | Posted by: roboblogger

Sri Lanka pressed on Tamil devolution plan By Munza Mushtaq COLOMBO - A pledge by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa that sweeping powers will be granted to Tamil communities in the North and East provinces has raised hopes that Colombo is finally getting serious in addressing the country's long-running ethnic divisions.

Rajapaksa told visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna of his plan on January 17, with the declaration coming just four months before third anniversary of the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE had fought for an independent Tamil homeland since 1983, with thousands dying in the conflict. 

Rajapaksa told Krishna that his government was committed to pursuing the 13th amendment plus approach, which will devolve significant powers to Tamil-dominated provinces that currently

Full story: Asia Times

TNA welcomes international mediation for future negotiations

SATURDAY, 28 JANUARY 2012
In the backdrop of a deadlock in talks between the government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the TNA said yesterday that they would welcome an international mediation at this time to facilitate future negotiations.

At a recent meeting with Dr. Alyssa Ayres, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs, TNA MP Selvam Adaikkalanathan and P. Sritharan called for a facilitator role by the US in this respect.

Asked for a comment, TNA Media Spokesman MP Suresh Premachandran said that his party welcomes such international facilitation if possible. Mr. Premachandran said that it could be the United National, the Commonwealth Association, the SAARC or the European Union.

“There is no favoured choice in this case. However, we are for an external facilitator if the government is willing,” he said. Yet, he said that the TNA had not officially called for such intervention at the moment.

There is a stalemate in talks at the moment after the government insisted that the TNA should nominate its members to the Parliamentary Select Committee for the evolution of a political party in consensus with all the parties in Parliament. The TNA has made reservations over its participation in this case.

In late 1990s, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga invited Norway to play of the role of facilitator for talks between the government and the LTTE. The UNP that came to power in 2001 also accepted the Norwegian role and initiated peace talks with the LTTE after signing a peace accord. The accord was abrogated after President Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power in 2005. The government was critical of the role played by Norway. (Kelum Bandara)

Police and the pro Govt. media that claim prisoners are violence prone after consuming ‘mental drugs’ are most lunatic !

(Lanka-e-News-27.Jan.2012,11.30PM) The police, Government and the pro Govt. media are moving heaven and earth to cover up the recent ruthless shooting at and brutalities committed on the unarmed prisoners in the Magazine prison violating even the international laws flagrantly. In the process all three parties are concocting all kinds of bogus theories and stories. The factual story is , the newly appointed Prison administrator Emil Ranjan who is as well noted for his bestiality as he is historically notorious for smuggling ganja (cannabis) into the prison when he was a jailor , had stopped the meals that are being brought to the prisoners from their homes . The prisoners have then staged a protest against this action , whereupon these unarmed prisoners have been shot at most brutally. The prisoners were naturally provoked following the terror unleashed on them .

The Govt. which is equally noted as Emil Ranjan for brutality began profusely lying to cover up the atrocious and unlawful actions of the prison officials . It began circulating the story that the principal reason for this action taken by the prison officials was : kudu (Heroin) Mudalalis are supplying to the prisoners drugs that are meant for mentally deranged persons; and these prisoners after consuming them are turning violent . After swallowing full doses of them , the prisoners are indulging in violent actions, they alleged.

Lanka e news, in attempt to determine the veracity of these claims inquired about this from two famous neuro surgeons.

According to them , these are absolutely bogus explanations . They categorically stated that if drugs meant for mentally deranged patients are taken in large quantities by normal persons , the latter do not become violent prone . The effects of such consumption are vomiting, somnolence , shivering of limbs and loss of appetite . Under no circumstance does the individual become violent.

On the contrary , what the Govt., the police and the pro Govt. media claim is , since under the new administration smuggling kudu into the prison has become difficult , the kudu Mudalalis by supplying these ‘mental drugs’ to the prisoners are using the latter to rebel within the prison. What a stupid explanation is this. How did the kudu Mudalalis who could not smuggle kudu into the prison succeed in smuggling these ‘mental drugs’ and pills into the prison ? How did the Mudalali who could not smuggle in just a pinch of kudu manage to smuggle bag loads of mental drugs . Alright , say these were smuggled in , then who is responsible and accountable for this lapse . Is it not the Prison administrators?
May be these fairy tales are being weaved and spread assuming that the people are as stupid as they are.

Sadly , it is a shame to point out that the Govt., police and the pro Govt. media which must stand by truth , uphold the laws and take action against culprits and criminals are stooping this low just to cover up the monumental lawlessness in the country and the atrocities committed on the unarmed prisoners and paint a different picture to the world. Presumably , it is the Police who make these wild allegations and the pro Govt. media which are degradingly stooping to reporting in the most unethical and unprofessional manner have consumed these ‘mental drugs’ . In their case the manifestations produced by the effects of these drugs on them are scabies and rabies – more dangerous and infectious than violence.

Human Rights Groups Condemn Proposed Appointment of Alleged War Criminal Silva to U.N. Peacekeeping Group

WikiLeaks: Rajapaksas use a group called the “Lion Cubs” to abductions and dispose bodies at sea

1*LLRC ignored rape victims in its report

2*Shavendra accused of abusing Keheliya’s daughter

3*Shavendra ordered to apologize to Chandula

4*Shavendra accused of abusing Keheliya’s daughter

Exclusive: New Sri Lanka 'war crimes' evidence

Human Rights Groups Condemn Proposed Appointment of Alleged War Criminal Silva to U.N. Peacekeeping Group

Saturday, 28 January 2012 

Sri Lankan and international news outlets have reported that Shavendra Silva—a former military general in the Sri Lankan army who stands accused of war crimes and torture—has been selected for a position in U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

This appointment is outrageous on many levels, according to a coalition of human rights groups including SPEAK Human Rights and Environmental Initiative, the UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic at American University Washington College of Law, the Center for Justice and Accountability and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Silva played a central role in the Sri Lankan Army’s brutal military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which caused up to 40,000 civilian deaths and incalculable suffering, and violated fundamental principles of international humanitarian and human rights law. While the Sri Lankan government has proclaimed its success in carrying out a “humanitarian operation” during the armed conflict, a U.N. Panel of Experts appointed by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon concluded that there are credible allegations that the Sri Lankan Army committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Panel of Experts report, submitted to the Secretary General on April 12, 2011, discusses the responsibility of the battalion that Silva commanded – the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan Army – in these allegations.

Silva’s appointment is also inappropriate in light of Sri Lanka’s record in U.N. peacekeeping operations. In 2007, Sri Lankan peacekeeping troops were deported from Haiti for allegedly committing crimes of sexual violence against Haitians, including underage girls.

An individual considered for the Special Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations should be capable of demonstrating leadership on peace, unblemished by the allegations made against Silva. If confirmed, Silva’s appointment to the Special Advisory Group would send an appalling message to the world: accused war criminals are legitimate authorities on peace. Therefore, it is imperative that the world call on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to reject or rescind any proposal to appoint Silva to the Special Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations in the interest of human rights, justice, and accountability.