Obama Must Prosecute Bush-Era Crimes: United Nations

By Colombo Telegraph -March 7, 2013

The United Nations says the United States has failed to prosecute cases of criminal acts among Bush-era officials, while insisting on the release of a report on its terrorism program.

Bush and Mahinda

Ben Emmerson, U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism called on the United States on Monday to publish its findings on the CIA’s Bush-era program of rendition and secret detention of terrorism suspects.

“Despite this clear repudiation of the unlawful actions carried out by the Bush-era CIA, many of the facts remain classified, and no public official has so far been brought to justice in the United States,” Emmerson said in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

He said that Bush’s “war on terror” waged after 9/11 led to “gross or systematic” violations involving secret prisons for Islamic militant suspects, clandestine transfers and torture.

Emmerson went on to criticize US President Barack Obama’s administration for failing to prosecute criminal acts committed under the Bush administration, while allowing “impunity for the public officials implicated in these crimes” by citing the “superior orders defense” and secrecy based on national security grounds.

Source agency reports.

Related posts;

WikiLeaks: Bush Personally Had Encouraged Rajapaksa To Pursue Defeat Of The LTTE

Exclusive Guardian Report: Pentagon’s Link To Iraqi Torture Centres

WikiLeaks: We Can’t Take Our Troops To Court For Firing On Civilians’ In The Course Of Battle – Fonseka To Blake

WikiLeaks: ‘Fonseka Would Be Able To Get The Status Of The Bushmaster Weapons From Washington’ – Blake To Gota

CIA Rendition: British And 24 European Countries Could Face Human Rights Court

Expose: Sri Lanka’s Covert Support To CIA Secret Detention And Extraordinary Rendition

SL can teach human rights to US and EU says CJ

Chief Justice Mohan Peiris has said that Sri Lanka could teach lessons on human rights to the US and  the EU although they are trying to teach human rights to Sri Lanka now in Geneva.

“Today at the Geneva conference, the European commission and the US have joined hands to dictate terms to us on human rights. They started to talk about human rights after the second world war, but as a nation we have a 2500-year-old tradition of  human rights protection. In fact, we can teach them some lessons in human rights. Today we have the opportunity to enjoy freedom but it would be a reality only if we uphold the rule of law. Any matter that could not be solved through the officials could be brought to my notice by sending a postcard to my address at Colombo 12,” the Chief Justice said.

Chief Justice Mohan Peiris also asked the public to send him a postcard stating their grievances if they cannot solve them through the officials and authorities in the areas, he would provide relief on the part of the judiciary.

Addressing a public meeting at Bakamuna following the opening of the Bakamuna circuit court building he stressed that the services of the judiciary were now available to the people at their doorstep.

“I as the Chief Justice would carry out my duties in a humble manner. I am a person who respects and believes in religion. Sometimes I have a fear about my responsibilities as well. But when I came here and saw I gained confidence. There is nothing to fear. If there is a problem you cannot solve through the officials in the area take a postcard, write it and send to the Chief Justice, Colombo 12. You will get relief,” he said.  

“All those concerned including the justice ministry, judges and the lawyers have a major role in this process. It is their responsibility to respond to the grievances of the people’s sensitively. If the judiciary is not sensitive, the law will serve no purpose. However, it is the duty of the people to respect the judiciary that protects their rights.(Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa )

Sri Lanka 'intimidating' India: Jayalalithaa to Manmohan

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

IANS | Mar 7, 2013CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday alleged that Sri Lanka is attempting to "intimidate" India into not raising its voice against the atrocities on Tamils in that country by arresting Indian fishermen. 
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said: "The incidents of arrests of fishermen and the recent firing should be viewed as an indirect attempt to intimidate the government of India and browbeat it into not raising its voice against Sri Lankan atrocities on innocent Sri Lankan Tamilians in the international fora." 

The text of the letter was released to the media here. Jayalalithaa was referring to the firing by the Lankan navy at Indian fishermen on Wednesday and said it was "highly unacceptable". 

Urging that the Indian government not remain a silent spectator, Jayalalithaa said: "The Sri Lankan government should be advised to desist from using force against our innocent Indian fishermen who have been fishing in their traditional fishing areas for centuries." 

According to her, 14 Indian fishermen — 10 from Puducherry and four from Tamil Nadu — were shot at by the Lankan navy Wednesday night, injuring a fisherman. 

"You are already aware that 16 fishermen of Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) who were fishing in the Gulf of Mannar area were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy and are presently in judicial custody in Sri Lanka," the chief minister said in the letter. 

"Over and above that, this latest incident of firing by the Sri Lankan navy clearly indicates that the Sri Lankan navy wants to create an atmosphere of panic, fear and tension amidst the fishermen of Tamil Nadu," Jayalaltihaa said.

India prods Sri Lanka to ‘engage’ U.S. on rights issue in U.N.

NEW DELHI, March 6, 2013

Against the backdrop of demands by Tamil parties that India should vote against Sri Lanka at the UN on human rights issue, government on Wednesday remained evasive on the stand it will take even as it asked Sri Lanka to treat it as a humanitarian issue rather than “a matter of ego”.

With a resolution set to be moved on Sri Lankan Tamils at the UN, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he has asked his Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris to work with the US and report progress if any made on the issue to arrive at a draft which is “acceptable to everybody”.

“Government will take a stand. As of now I have told my colleague Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka to engage the US. If you have moved forward (on human rights issue), you should bring that to the knowledge of the US to arrive at a consensual draft which is acceptable to everybody,” Mr. Khurshid told reporters outside Parliament.

“It is a humanitarian issue. It is not an issue on which anybody should stand on ceremony or ego. If it is possible, speak to them directly and find a suitable and acceptable draft,” he said.

His comments came against the backdrop of mounting demands by Tamil parties that India should take a tough stand against Sri Lanka and vote in favour of resolution to be moved against it.

The US is set to move a new resolution against Sri Lanka at the current session of the UN Human Rights Council for its alleged war crimes, asking the country to promote reconciliation and accountability.

The resolution will ask the government of Sri Lanka to follow through on its own commitments to its people, including implementing the constructive recommendations from the report by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

Hugo Chávez: A Leader Who Challenged Neo-Liberalism And Washington

By Sumanasiri Liyanage -March 7, 2013 

Sumanasiri Liyanage

Although his death did not come as a surprise, it generated a feeling of innumerable loss, a loss not for only for the poor, marginalized and progressive people in Venezuela but also for the toiling masses all over the world. In the heyday of neo-liberalism, he attacked it and went against it. When people were scared of the US and its aggression against people in Iraq and Afghanistan, he singlehandedly challenged Washington. He was not afraid of defeat and when he felt the warning sign, he became offensive and fought back. He was determined that he would not allow the US imperialists to redo Chile in Venezuela in the 21^st Century. In spite of the allegations made by organizations like Human Rights Watch financed by corrupt financiers, he created a new kind of democracy and gave democracy a new meaning. His Bolivarian experiment has generated a glimmer of hope to the poor people in the world. As Tariq Ali correctly characterized him, ‘he was one of the political giants of the post-communist era’.

As soon as the death of the president was known, people began to gather in the Bolivar squares in the centre of cities and towns across the country. They marched towards the Miraflores presidential palace, shouting slogans of defiance, “the people united will never be defeated”, “they shall not be back” and “the struggle continues”. Bolivarian experiment that Hugo Chavez began in 1999 has changed significantly the social, economic and political landscape in Venezuela. The neoliberal policies that Pinochet brutally pioneered in Chile in the 1970s after killing duly elected President Salvador Allende were rolled out across the Latin American continent and in many third world countries from the early 1980s onwards. Venezuelan President Carlos Andrez Perez introduced the WB-IMF backed ‘Great Turn’ based on Washington Consensus at the end of the 1980s. Between 1981 and 1997 the richest 10% of Venezuelans saw their share of national income grow from 22 to 33%. Poverty, inequality and unemployment had increased. The Venezuelan poor responded to the neo-liberal turn with occupations, mass protests and riots popularly known as the Caracazo. It was in this context that Charvez was for the first time democratically elected in 1998. In 2002 he was thrown out by a coup orchestrated by the generals, church leaders and big business and backed by the US. However, Venezuelan people, unlike the Chilean people in 1971, surrounded Miraflores presidential palace and forced the coup leaders to step down once again paying the way for Chavez to come to power. Democracy in the street as well in the polling booth showed that people wanted a change, social transformation, and power to the people. Chavez thus won all the elections he faced despite the fact that many opinion polls manipulated by media conglomerates showed that his opponents had a better chance to defeat him at the elections.

Social Change

After 2002 coup attempt against his regime, Chavez introduced a radical program of economic change. The rise of oil price contributed him in implementing this program that delivered big improvements to the Venezuelan poor. Housing schemes, subsidized food programs, new medical centers and a literacy program, all organized through popular ‘missions’, made a huge impact on the life of millions of people. Nearly half of the population has regularly received cheap food supplies from the state. As a result poverty has reduced significantly in the last 14 years of Chavez’s rule. Living standard of poor and marginalized people has increased. Popular control has improved through setting up of neighborhood committees and popular control. Austerity and belt-tightening for poor were not in Chavez’s agenda.

All these gains notwithstanding, Chavez refused to use over-inflated phrases to depict his social program. His position, viewpoint and perspective is portrayed best in the following words of Tariq Ali recalling his meeting with Chavez:

‘The following year in Caracas I questioned him further on the Bolívarian project. What could be accomplished? He was very clear; much more so than some of his over-enthusiastic supporters: ”I don’t believe in the dogmatic postulates of Marxist revolution. I don’t accept that we are living in a period of proletarian revolutions. All that must be revised. Reality is telling us that every day. Are we aiming in Venezuela today for the abolition of private property or a classless society? I don’t think so. But if I’m told that because of that reality you can’t do anything to help the poor, the people who have made this country rich through their labor – and never forget that some of it was slave labor – then I say: ‘We part company.’ I will never accept that there can be no redistribution of wealth in society. Our upper classes don’t even like paying taxes. That’s one reason they hate me. We said: ‘You must pay your taxes.’ I believe it’s better to die in battle, rather than hold aloft a very revolutionary and very pure banner, and do nothing … That position often strikes me as very convenient, a good excuse … Try and make your revolution, go into combat, advance a little, even if it’s only a millimeter, in the right direction, instead of dreaming about utopias.”

Foreign Policy

It is interesting to note that Chavez’s foreign policy was consistent with his domestic policies and was based on the same principles. He knew very well that the local big business, media giants and his political opponents were not working in isolation. He observed that they were backed and discreetly supported by theUS imperialism. In my view, there were two principal pillars in his foreign policy, namely (1) unconditional opposition to US imperialism and aggression; (2) the formation and strengthening of the united front of Latin American countries. He characterized the US as No 1 enemy of the poor and marginalized people in the world. It was secret for him that the so-called campaigns for democracy and human rights had been now reduced into techniques of governmentality deployed by the US imperialists and their lackeys. This perspective led to understand the complexity of the new situation in the Arab World. Hence Chavez opposed the US intervention in toto wherever and whenever it was in action. When Obama responding to Chavez’s death informed that the US can now have new kind of engagement with Venezuela, he tried to single out Chavez from the movement he built since 1994. The US imperialists might have thought that the main obstacle for their aggressive policy in Latin and Central America was now removed.

The great women and men cannot be easily replaced. Hugo Chavez was one of the greatest leaders of the 21^st Century. The process he initiated in unleashing in Venezuela may not be easy o be turned back. His demise may create a vacuum and ebb in the process. However, his movement brought people into continuous and constant action and intervention. So the specter Chavez will be alive in future. As Tariq Ali wrote Chavez was an admirable leader. “At a time when the world had fallen silent, when centre-left and centre-right had to struggle hard to find some differences and their politicians had become desiccated machine men obsessed with making money, Chávez lit up the political landscape.”

*Photo courtesy the Guardian

*The writer is a co-coordinator of Marx School, Colombo, Kandy and negombo- E-mail: sumane_l@yahoo.com

Take Action to Prevent Unlawful Drone Killings

Thursday, 07 March 2013 

Yesterday(06), the Senate Intelligence Committee endorsed a new director of the CIA -- John Brennan. He is a controversial figure, and as you read this Senator Rand Paul may still be attempting to filibuster the final Senate vote on his nomination.

What's the controversy? John Brennan is one of the chief architects of the administration's drone killing policy, which has reportedly resulted in 4,700 people killed so far, according to Senator Lindsey Graham.

Read that number again. 4,700 human beings killed. Call us crazy, but don't you think the world -- including the thousands of people and families directly affected by drone attacks worldwide – deserves to know on what basis the Obama administration claims the right to kill people?

No more secrets with human lives at stake. Tell the Obama administration to disclose the secret drone killing memos to the public and follow the "rule book" for the use of lethal force that already exists -- international law.

Earlier today, Attorney General Holder again defended the U.S. drone killing program and said President Obama will soon do the same. The Obama administration claims its use of drones to kill is "legal", "ethical", and "wise". But we're not buying it.

International law permits the use of lethal force in very restricted circumstances. But from the little information made available to the public, U.S. drone strike policy appears to allow extrajudicial executions in violation of the right to life, virtually anywhere in the world.

Public outcry over the killer drone program is growing. And with Brennan's nomination and drones back in the headlines, Congress may finally be starting to listen.

The Senate Judiciary Committee this morning asked Attorney General Holder tough questions about drones and lethal force. But so far, survivors of drone strikes and experts in international human rights law have been missing from Washington's drone conversation.

Despite all the talk that new laws, rules or a "kill court" are needed, the fact is that the "rule book" for the use of lethal force with drones already exists -- international human rights law and, in the exceptional circumstances where it applies, international humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict) as well.The Obama administration must follow the law. Congress and the courts must hold them to it.

Drones may be here to stay. But now is our best chance to make sure U.S. drone policy follows the rule book that protects all of us.

-Amnesty International - USA - 

British MP disappointed THURSDAY, 07 MARCH 2013 British MP  Simon Danczuk who is in Sri Lanka now to push for the case regarding the murder of a British national in Tangalle in 2011, expressed disappointment over the refusal by ‘senior government ministers ‘ to meet him. The British national was shot dead at a resort in Tangalle on the eve of the 2011 Christmas. Mr. Danczuk has arrived in the country along with the victim’s brother Nasser Shaik. In a brief interview with the Daily Mirror in the parliamentary complex, Mr. Danczuk said he sought meetings with the senior government ministers on this issue, but they refused. “It is disappointing. They should have met with us,” he said.  He said the slain victim was from his constituency in Britain, and therefore, he had a duty and responsibility to get the investigations into this case expedited.   Emphasizing that cases of this nature should be fast tracked, he said the rule of law had not been applied regarding this incident in Sri Lanka. “Both Sri Lanka and Britain follow commonwealth principles. But, the rule of law had not applied in this case. We are concerned.  Fifteen months have lapsed after the incident,” he said.  Howerer, he said he interacted with MPs of Sri Lanka Parliament, who assured him to push for the case. The visiting MP also thanked the Sri Lankan media for keeping this issue alive in the minds of people of the country. “We especially thank the Daily Mirror for the excellent job in pursuing justice,” he said. .Nasser Shaikh , the brother of the victim, told the Daily Mirror that there was no warm welcome for their visit from Sri Lanka.(Kelum Bandara)

Rajapaksa Should Address The Nation Denouncing The Anti-Muslim Campaign And Its Sponsors

By Jayantha Dhanapala and Professor Savitri Goonesekere -March 7, 2013 

President  Mahinda Rajapaksa,

President of Sri Lanka,

Presidential Secretariat,

Janadhipathi Mawatha,

Colombo 1.

7^th March 2013.

Anti-Muslim Hate Campaign: The Government Must Act Decisively

Dear President Rajapaksa,

The Friday Forum urges you to act immediately and decisively to counter the increasingly venomous and strident anti-Muslim hate campaign launched by a few extremist groups claiming to represent the majority Sinhala community. As you are aware, this campaign has intensified over the past several months. The country has witnessed attacks against mosques, and the circulation, on social media, public posters and web-sites, of obscene and vituperative messages that are offensive to religious beliefs. It has witnessed anti-Muslim public rallies and processions, including a call to boycott Muslim business establishments.

Mahara mosque - vandalised

In any situation in which there are efforts to incite communal tensions, the primary responsibility of removing such threats and reassuring the community under attack is with the government. The people elect the President and other representatives in the expectation that they will ensure an environment in which all citizens can live assured of their human rights including equality, personal security, dignity and religious freedom. Failure of a government to provide this is a serious breach of its responsibilities and has, in the past, had tragic consequences for our country and our people.

In a plural society hate campaigns against a specific community must be taken very seriously by the government and the people and viewed in the wider context of our historical, sociological, economic and foreign policy realities. The possibility of violence against a particular community, and the dangers of ethnic cleansing are very real. The horrors of the 1983 ethnic riots constantly remind us how human life and personal security mean nothing, when there is incitement to communal violence and hatred. Hate campaigns inevitably result in a deep sense of fear and vulnerability among members of the targeted community, giving rise to a fear psychosis. Such a situation not only deeply harms that community, but also imbues a whole society with suspicion and propensity to communal violence.

We welcome that you clearly spoke against those who incite communal intolerance at the recent Independence Day celebrations held in Trincomalee. Yet, the government headed by you has not up to now taken decisive and concrete measures to stem the current hate campaign or to reassure the Muslim community of its rightful place in our society. This is difficult to understand in light of your own assurances and that of the government on the urgent need to forge a lasting peace after ending the destruction and suffering of thirty years of fratricidal war.

The silence of the government, and a mute response in the face of the hate campaign  against the Muslim community, particularly though the misuse of media is a violation of both national and international law, Such misuse sometimes justified as respect for freedom of speech and expression only encourages those who incite communal disharmony and violence.  The government has recently decided to prohibit sterilization programmes for consenting adults undermining family planning and reproductive health policies that conform to national public health and treaty commitments. This decision, while unacceptable in itself, can also be perceived by the public as concession to the anti-Muslim lobbies.

The aggressive assertion of identity by any community creates tensions in a pluralistic society. If there are problems over issues related to any religious group, for instance, the recent “halal” certification issue, these need to be looked into dispassionately and responsibly after careful verification of the facts. The public must also be provided with accurate information with a view to defusing and not exacerbating tensions.

We urgently call on you as elected Head of State to address the nation denouncing the current anti-Muslim campaign and its sponsors and detailing the measures the government will take to deal with the hate campaign against Muslims.  Only such steadfast and resolute action, rising above narrow identity politics, can safeguard the peace and further an environment of communal harmony and security in our country.

Jayantha Dhanapala                                                          Professor Savitri Goonesekere

On behalf of Friday Forum, the Group of Concerned Citizens

Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Professor Savitri Goonesekere, Rt. Reverend Duleep de Chickera, Dr. Deepika Udagama,  Professor Arjuna Aluwihare, Ms. Shanthi Dias, Ms. Anne Abayasekara,  Mr. Lanka Nesiah,  Mr. Faiz-ur.Rahman, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne,   Mr. Ahilan Kadirgamar,  Mr. J.C. Weliamuna,  Mr. Javid Yusuf, Mr. Danesh Casie Chetty, Ms.Damaris Wickremesekera,      Rev. Dr. Jayasiri Peiris, Dr. A. C. Visvalingam, Professor Camena Guneratne,   Professor Ranjini Obeyesekere,  Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda, Dr. Devanesan Nesiah,   Mr. Chandra Jayaratne,

cc. Secretary to the President,

Secretary Defence & Urban Development,

Inspector General of Police,

Attorney General,

Chairman, Human Rights Commission,

Gotabhaya to open Buddhist Leadership Academy

www.mirror.lk

Tuesday, 05 March 2013

(Mirror) - Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa will open the new Buddhist Leadership Academy on March 09.

The Academy will be located in the picturesque premises of ‘Meth Sewana’ premises in Ranchawala, Galle.

According to Bodu Bala Sena the intention of establishing the particular academy is to improve the leadership qualities in Buddhist clergy, other Buddhist leaders and Buddhist youth activists.

The academy will be under the supervision of the Buddhist Cultural Center in Nedimale and Bodu Bala Sena.

Bodu Bala Sena further says that the academy will be further developed into a university.

SRI LANKA: Still Drenched With the Blood of Ethnic Cleansing and War Crimes.

Tim King Salem-News.com-Mar-06-2013 

Ranking member of US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Congressman Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, does not know true definition of 'Human Rights'.

Ranking member of US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Congressman Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, approves of this crime and wants to give Sri Lanka yet another free pass for Genocide.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) - Salem-News.com is the only U.S. news agency that regularly covers the ongoing human and political tragedy in Sri Lanka. Up to 160,000 Sri Lankan Tamils were massacred in a Sinhala Buddhist led Genocide that culminated in May 2009, during the end of the country's long-running civil war.

It was a bloodbath of tears and raw flesh and human limbs hacked away from their owners; children screaming over the bodies of their dead mothers and fathers, endless damage to a population carried out purely in the name of injustice.

The campaign against the Tamil people carried out by the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is worse that any nightmare could replicate.

The U.S. government under George W. Bush knew about it and let it all happen.

Our articles have revealed the carnage, torture, rape and sex abuse that accompanied the government's campaign against the Tamil resistance known as the Tamil Tigers or LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).

Their 'crimes' began with resistance to the GoSL's attempt to ban their ancient language and culture.

After 30 years of non-violent Gandhi style non-resistance that began in 1948, the Tamils finally were forced to take up arms in their own defense.

The Tamil Tigers were problematic in many respects, their use of child soldiers at the end of the war is highly criticized, but their manifestation was forced by the hand of this government so intent on eradicating them by any means possible.

When we began reporting these findings about war crimes, largely backed by photos and video clips recorded first by the besieged Tamils, and then by the victorious Sri Lankan Army, we learned one reason that the news remained contained inside this island nation, that is the mass elimination of journalists that Sri Lanka conducted.

Name after name of reporters and media employees filled our pages. As fellow journalists, we take this very seriously, and as a result have published several hundred articles as well as those I authored, (more 70 reports so far).

The coverage from our group has been so unique, that I was invited to be the Keynote Speaker last May in Baltimore for the largest national gathering of Tamils in North America, FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, for the group's special 25th Anniversary Jubilee Event.

This tremendous honor should have gone to one of the numerous members of the major U.S. networks which have resources to conduct this type of reporting, or to somebody with the LA Times which has an eye for fairness and racism and religious persecution, certainly they all should have been fuming over the murdered journos, but instead it went to me. (Significant Honor With Tamils from Around the Globe for Sri Lanka War Crime Reports (VIDEO))

The waters surrounding Sri Lanka began getting hot one year ago this month, after a visit from Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Maria Otero and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. More pressure came from Stephen Rapp, the US President’s Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes.

Due to the shear number of civilian killings by the Sri Lankan Security forces, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on accountability for these crimes and is about to review it in March 2013.

So what does the U.S. have to say about it?

Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert Blake said in 2011, that Sri Lanka could be hauled before an international war crimes tribunal if Sri Lanka’s own internal investigation did not meet international standards.

Their investigation is a joke to say the least, there was never any serious intention of coming to terms with its own deeds, Sri Lanka will not admit anything without practically having a knife at its throat. Other Americans literally snuggle up to the war criminals. It is a rotten smell that follows anyone who stands for Sri Lanka when the record so perfectly shows the ethnic cleansing that has come to define this place.

Ranking member of US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Congressman Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, recently visited with the leader of Sri Lanka, President Majinda Rajapaksa, who is most responsible of all with the GoSL for allowing the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, all in the name of creating an ideal Sinhala Buddhist nation. Men of his ilk love to use the word terrorism, because the LTTE used unconventional warfare as it had no choice, but the terrorism in this story is the worst possible form of State Terrorism.

Faleomavaega had the audacity to say that:

"The U.S. fails to mention not even one positive development for Sri Lanka. Such failures suggest that the United States is not being even handed in dealing with sensitive human rights issues across the globe."

Wikileaks cables revealed that the United States was keenly aware of the slaughter of Tamils in 2009. The Sri Lankan Army even bombarded the United Nations compound in the Vanni, where so many were mercilessly killed. Faleomavaega is concerned with all of the wrong things and his statement about human rights is nothing short of outwardly perverse.

I am so overly familiar with the images of little children hacked to pieces and heartbroken Tamil refugees and the stories of the white flag surrender/murders, the terrible rape and daily sex abuse of Tamil people, women, children and men, and the sickening terror campaigns carried out by the GoSL.

Today he "expressed his deep concerns over the double standards applied in the US foreign policy toward Sri Lanka."

Speaking at the committee hearing on "The Rebalance to Asia: Why South Asia Matters", the congressman underscored that US should find a better way forward than using UN resolutions to improve its relationships with a strategically important country such as Sri Lanka.

He simply does not care about what happened to the people of Sri Lanka at the hand of their own government, I feel great sympathy for his constituents because with his representation, they don't stand a ghost's chance in hell of receiving any real advocacy, that is unless they represent big business interests.

Robert Blake's words have given Americans hope, Faleomavaega's words steal it. He actually wants a resolution pressing Sri Lanka toward responsibility in the United Nations to be killed. He deflects any responsibility for Sri Lanka in "the last months of the war"

He also defends Sri Lanka's borrowing of money from China. Faleomavaega is part of the problem, he is an unapologetic defender of ruthless war criminals, and he didn't have any regrets.

Blake spoke at the event also, but before he achieved his tiny amount of time to talk after the long boring time taken by Faleomavaega, he was interrupted by Rajapaksa's friend Faleomavaega again, who said to Blake:

"This is not in any way a personal attack on you in any way but I do want to follow up on the Chairman's questions and concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka. I mentioned the double standard we're applying in a sense of human rights. My question is, why is the most powerful country in the world picking on a small little country like Sri Lanka, the size of West Virginia?"

Audacity is the first word that comes to mind when listening to this man talk. When Blake finally was allowed to speak he said:

"At the very end of the war, what happened to those 10,000 to 40,000 civilians who were killed? I think everybody in Sri Lanka believes there needs to be closure on that question. And closure needs to be achieved by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission process. It's a domestic process so it should have the support of the government and we hope that will continue, and that's the purpose of this resolution, but there needs to be justice Mr. Chairman for there to be closure. And there needs to be reconciliation between these communities and that's what we are trying to achieve."

Faleomavaega did everything possible to excuse the actions of a government that raped and hacked and bombed a civilian population into a total tragedy.

The primary agency that reported the attacks directed at civilians was the United Nations itself. In order to arrive at his conclusions, this so-called political leader has to dismiss a tragedy only rivaled in modern time by the Genocide against the Europeans during WWII, the Cambodians at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, and Rwanda.

Oh, there are more, but due to men like Faleomavaega, Americans don't know very much about it, they are like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed shit instead of real information, real news.

They will not recover any time soon, in fact thousands will never recover from such a brutal government orchestrated massacre.

The GoSL called the civilians 'human shields' and that is complete fantasy, the LTTE may have crossed lines and used suicide bombs, but they existed to protect the Tamil population and did not use them as human shields.

Blake backsteps with the statement, "10,000 to 40,000 civilians" - as anyone who has studied the matter knows the number is far in excess of that, and well over a million Tamils are forever scarred by the event that robbed their dignity and families and friends and leaders and media personalities.

The Tamil civilians were actually routed into so-called "safe zones" and then bombed to smithereens, as revealed by the Channel 4 documentary series "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields".

Tamil Problems Continue Daily

Bishop Joseph Rayappu

According to the August 2011 article, Non-Aligned Movement Should Sanction War Criminals like Sri Lankan President, Sri Lankan Bishop Joseph Rayappu noted that 146,679 people were still not accounted for in the region. This is the basis for our use of the 160,000 figure.

So many Tamils were literally decimated along with their vital records, that no true accounting exists, the number in reality is probably far more than 160,000, when governments banter the 40,000 figure, they are giving the GoSL the ultimate reach around.

The Sri Lankan Government also restricted food and medicine for Tamils, resulting in large numbers of people dying from starvation and many of the injured bleeding to death. Then there is the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that swallows and envelopes this society.

In addition to the killings, thousands of Tamils have disappeared, Tamil women are continually sexually assaulted and raped, particularly if they or their families had any connection to the Tamil Tigers.

Large numbers of Tamils are imprisoned without trial and abductions are continuing to this day. Tamils are singled out to face these abuses simply and solely on account of their Tamil nationality.

The Sri Lankan Security forces, exempt from their crimes against Tamils, are almost exclusively from the Sinhalese community and the victims, other than the handful of Sinhalese who refused to endorse or participate in the war, are all from the Tamil Nation. That is not to say that Tamils don't work with the GoSL, plenty do, but those who stood united fell together.

Faleomavaega is a puppet for the Sri Lankan government, he hails from American Samoa, a place that has escaped similar tragedies. Consorting with Rajapaksa and breathing in his toxic lies is an unforgivable act and this man is dangerous to the future of peace and should answer for this bout of promotion for Sri Lanka's President.

I hope he sees the images in this article, or the ones listed below that are like a journey to hell for some who read them. You can also read the comments from loyal Sinhala Buddhists who make fun of the rape and murder victims like it is all some kind of joke.

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