Ukraine crisis: Russia to hold talks with US after Putin and Obama trade accusations - live updates

Haroon Siddique and Aisha Gani0-Wednesday 5 March 2014

LIVE

• Kerry and Lavrov to meet in Paris
• Russia spurns meeting with Ukraine
• Russia due to hold discussions with Nato
• EU approves €11bn package for Ukraine
• International Observers heading to Crimea
• Share your images and stories, but stay safe
• Pro-Russian protesters clash with police as they attempt to storm a regional state administration building in Donetsk. Photograph: Alexander Khudoteply/AFP/Getty Images
• On the basis of a leaked conversation between the EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and Estonia’s Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, state-funded Russia Today is reporting that: “The snipers who shot at protesters and police in Kiev were allegedly hired by Maidan leaders.”

  In, the leaked call, Paet repeats some allegations made to him by a woman called Olga and bemoans the fact that they are not being investigated. The Estonian foreign ministry says he was not making any allegations himself about who was responsible for the shots that were fired during the protests against Viktor Yanukovych.

  In the conversation, the authenticity of which has been confirmed by the foreign ministry, and which took place on 26 February after Paet had returned from a visit to Ukraine, he says:

  What was quite disturbing, the same Olga told [me] as well, all the evidence shows that people who were killed by snipers from both sides, among policeman and people from the streets [is] they were the same snipers killing people from both sides …she also showed me some photos, she said as medical doctor she can say it’s the same handwriting, they’re the same type of bullets and it’s really disturbing that now, the new coalition, they don’t want to investigate exactly what happened so that there is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers it was not Yanukovych but it was somebody from the new coalition.

  Ashton replies:

  I think they do want to investigate. I mean I didn’t pick that up, that’s interesting. Gosh.

  The Estonian foreign ministry said in a statement:

  Foreign minister Paet was giving an overview of what he had heard the previous day in Kiev and expressed concern over the situation on the ground. We reject the claim that Paet was giving an assessment of the opposition’s involvement in the violence.

  A spokeswoman for Ashton’s office said:

  We can’t comment on leaks but our position on violence is very clear - that it should be investigated.

  Here is the recording of the phone call. The discussion re the snipers starts 8mins 20 seconds in.

  
  

British EU chief hears Ukraine shooting claim in bugged call

WEDNESDAY 05 MARCH 2014
In a leaked phone call, believed to be between EU foreign policy chief Cathy Ashton and Estonia's foreign minister, it is claimed Ukraine protesters were shot on the orders of their own leaders.

 

Above: YouTube video posted by Russia Today purportedly reveals a recent discussion between Cathy Ashton and Urmas Paet

British EU Chief Hears Ukraine Shooting Claim in Bugged Call by nelvely

සිරකාර මරණය ගැන ජගත් විමසුමක් ඉල්ලයි

අවසාන යාවත්කාලීන කිරීම :  2014 මාර්තු 2 ඉරිදා -Windows player යොදාගෙන වාදනය කරන්න

අත් අඩංගුවේ දී බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය පුරවැසි දෙමළ ජාතිකයකු පසුගිය සතියේ මරු මුවට පත් වීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් ජාත්‍යන්තර පරීක්ෂණයක් පවත්වන ලෙස දේශපාලන පක්ෂ සහ මානව හිමිකම් සංවිධාන ද ඉල්ලා සිටිති.

එල්ටීටීඊ සංවිධානයට ආධාර කිරීමේ චෝදනාවට සිරගත කොට සිටිය දී මැගසින් බන්ධනාගාරයේ දී මියගිය විශ්වලිංගම් ගෝපිදාස් ගේ අවසන් කටයුතු පේදුරු තුඩුවේ ඉරිදා සිදු කරනු ලැබුයේ සිය ගණනක් සහභාගි වූ විරෝධතාවක් මධ්‍යයේ බවයි දිනසේන රතුගමගේ වාර්තා කළේ.

ආණ්ඩුවේ පරීක්ෂණ වලින් සෑහීමකට පත් විය නො හැකි බව කී මානව හිමිකම් ක්‍රියාධරයන් මරණය හැඳින්වුයේ දේශපාලන ඝාතනයක් ලෙසින්.

දේශපාලන සිරකරුවන්ට 'නිදහස'

සියලුම දේශපාලන සිරකරුවන් නිදහස් කරන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටි උද්ඝෝෂකයන්, දෙමළ රැඳවියන් අත් අඩංගුවේ දී මියයාම සහ වධ බන්ධනයට ලක්වීම ට එරෙහිව විරෝධය පා තිබේ.

හත් වසකට ආසන්න කාලයක් බන්ධනාගාර ගත කොට සිටි විශ්වලිංගම් ගෝපිදාස් කොළඹ මැගසින් බන්ධනාගාරය තුල ඉකුත් සඳුදා උදෑසන මිය ගොස් ඇත්තේ හෘදයාබාධයකින් බවයි බන්ධනාගාර කොමසාරිස් ජනරාල් වරයා මාධ්‍යවේදීන් අමතා කියා තිබුනේ.

දෙමළ ජාතික ජනතා පෙරමුණ විසින් කැඳවා තිබු විරෝධතාවට දෙමළ ජාතික සන්ධානය, ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී ජනතා පෙරමුණ හා නව සම සමාජ පක්ෂය සමග අතුරුදහන් වුවන් සහ දේශපාලන සිරකරුවන්ගේ අයිතිවාසිකම් වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටින සංවිධාන ද එක් වී සිටියහ.

 25th Regular Session Human Rights Council

(Part 1) Turning Inspiration into Action: Next Steps for the Private Sector to Empower Women Globally

JOINT CIVIL SOCIETY MEMORANDUM TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Download the following statement as a PDF here or read it online here.

by CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES on Mar 4, 2014

We recognize the framework agreed upon in resolutions 21/1 HRC (2012) and 22/1 HRC 2013 supporting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka and efforts made by member states calling on the Sri Lankan government to address grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed before, during and after the war which ended in May 2009. We recognize too the efforts of member states calling on the Sri Lankan government to address continuing violation of human rights and democratic norms in Sri Lanka.

Joint Civil Society Memorandum to the Human Rights Council and the International Community by nelvely

Download the following statement as a PDF here or read it online here.

Joint Civil Society Memorandum to the Human Rights Council and the -04!02!2014 by nelvely

Our new report points to ongoing crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka's north

04/03/2014

We have today released a report that presents credible allegations pointing to the commission of crimes against humanity by Sri Lankan security forces during the five years since the civil war ended. These crimes include rape, sexual violence, torture, murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, other inhumane acts, and land grabs against Tamil civilians in the Northern Province.

Our New Report Points to Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity in Sri Lanka's North by nelvely

You can download the report here. 

Crimes Against Humanity in Sri Lanka s Northern Province by nelvely

Video: Last Phase To Counter Channel 4 Documentaries

March 4, 2014

In answer to documentaries made by UK’s Channel 4 citing evidence of major crimes of war in Sri Lanka during the conflict’s final phase, the Government of Sri Lanka has unveiled a documentary of its own that counters the narrative.

The Last Phase, which tells the story of one woman’s journey in the No Fire Zone, was screened at the British Parliament and the EU parliament.

The two part documentary seeks to spotlight the exemplary conduct of the security forces of Sri Lanka in the last phase of the war.

A food crisis waiting to happen

Mon, Mar 3, 2014, 08:49 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Mar 03 (Hindu With the monsoon failing, the fisheries sector not showing much promise, and disputes over water sharing, northern Sri Lanka seems to be heading toward a food crisis Ketheeswaran's crops have never failed this way.

A Food Crisis Waiting to Happen by nelvely

BBS Gnanasara Received His Birthday Present From ‘Bin Laden Of Buddhism’

March 4, 2014

Bodu Bala Sena secretary Buddhist monk Galagoda Atte Gnanasara currently in Burma received a birthday present from the monk called Burma’s ‘Bin Laden Of Buddhism’, Ashin Wirathu. Monk Ganasara was born on March 4, 1975. Meanwhile President Mahinda Rajapaksa also visited Burma to attend the third Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Bhikku Wirathu’s Birthday gift to Gnanasara Thera!

 Tuesday, 04 March 2014

Bhikku Wirathu, branded by the western media as the ‘Buddhist Bin Laden’ or the symbol of Buddhist terrorism for his leading violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, gave a gift to secretary general of Bodu Bala Sena, Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera, on account of the latter’s 39th birthday today (04).

The gift was given during a study visit by a BBS delegation in Myanmar. Chief executive of the organization Dilanthe Withanage said the aim of the tour is to seek consensus among Buddhist countries on the role, other than religious, that should be played by the Buddhist monk in society.

After Gota Assures No Closure, Court Orders Shutdown Of Dehiwala Mosque

March 4, 2014 

Five days after Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa assured Muslim representatives he would not permit the closure of registered mosques, a court has ordered the shutdown of a mosque inDehiwala that has come under heavy pressure during the past few months.

Gotabaya

The Gangodawila Magistrate ordered the mosque to cease all religious activity today after the Kohuwela police filed a public nuisance case against the mosque.

The police claim the mosque exists illegally and is not registered and say they are acting on the instructions of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs. On 25 February Gotabaya Rajapaksa who met with Muslim businessmen and representatives at an event organised by Colombo Mayor AJM Muzammil took the issue up with a DIG and pledged the mosque would not be shut down, Latheef Farook wrote recently.

The US draft resolution on Sri Lanka that was circulated in Geneva on Monday (3) expressed alarm at the rapid rise in violence and discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, particularly against members of religious minority groups in Sri Lanka, including Hindus, Muslims and Christians. The draft resolution calls upon the Sri Lankan Government to investigate all attacks, by individuals and groups, on temples, mosques, and churches and to take steps to prevent future attacks; and calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate and hold accountable perpetrators of attacks on places of worship, journalists, human rights defenders, members of religious minority groups, and other members of civil society.

It’s OK if there are drugs beyond A’pura – Gota

 Tuesday, 04 March 2014 

“Think nothing about the heroin racket beyond Anuradhapura, in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Jaffna. That is a strategy. Raids are not needed in those areas. Let it remain there. Then, there will be less problems,” said defence secretary Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the security council meeting recently. Other members of the council were very much surprised to hear his statement.

The council met, chaired by the defence secretary, to discuss measures to curb the narcotic drugs which are spreading in unprecedented proportions country wide. The meeting came in the light of severe international pressure to Sri Lanka take preventive measures.

Due to reasons best known to him only, the defence secretary is adopting a lackadaisical approach with regard to the drugs menace. He had chaired the meeting ex officio, and made no suggestion on how to curb the drugs. Instead, what he had done was to block the ongoing investigations and raids against the racketeers.

International anti-narcotic quarters believe Sri Lanka to have become the operational hub for drug racketeers in the South Asian and Southeast Asian regions. The lackadaisical approach of the government is due to its belief that the Sri Lankan economy will lose a massive amount of black money if the menace is curbed.

New Resolution on Sri Lanka Falls Short: 

Time for UNHRC to Take Decisive Action

For Immediate Release

March 3rd, 2014

New Resolution on Sri Lanka Falls Short: Time for UNHRC to Take Decisive Action

GENEVA, Switzerland – The Twenty Fifth Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council commenced today in Geneva with mounting calls for an international, independent investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the parties to the conflict during the last stage of the war in Sri Lanka.

In her report on Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay criticizes Sri Lanka’s, “increasingly authoritarian direction,” and condemns the government’s failure to investigate credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. She concludes that domestic investigative mechanisms have consistently failed, and that an international, independent mechanism is required in Sri Lanka.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in his opening address to Council today, welcomed the High Commissioner’s report. In her high level address to the Council, Canadian Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular Services) the Honorable Lynne Yelich expressed Canada’s concern that in Sri Lanka, “previous internal mechanisms have regrettably remained secret, partial or unfulfilled.” She concluded by reaffirming Canada’s support for an international inquiry mechanism.

Despite these repeated calls, a proposed draft of a new resolution on Sri Lanka, revealed on Monday, fails to offer any meaningful progress towards accountability, let alone reconciliation. The proposed resolution effectively mutes the chorus of calls for an International Commission of Inquiry, and instead continues to give Sri Lanka time and space. The proposal appears to seek the High Commissioner’s assistance in undertaking an investigation, however, it does not give her the mandate, resources, or direction to investigate and make a legal finding of fact.

In 2011, the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts report concluded that there exists sufficient evidence that could prove allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Any resolution with the purpose of ascertaining accountability and reconciliation on the island needs to be a continuum of the process that began with the Panel of Experts report. It is incumbent upon Council members to ensure that a final resolution captures the dire need for meaningful accountability.

“The overwhelming calls for an independent, international investigation in Sri Lanka can no longer be ignored. Incremental pressure on Sri Lanka has clearly failed, and it is time for the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an International Commission of Inquiry that will bring the victims justice. The UNHRC cannot continue to evade its duties and responsibilities under international law,” stated Gary Anandasangaree, Legal Counsel, Canadian Tamil Congress.

For media inquiries: Canadian Tamil Congress Head Office: 416-240-0078

Published on: 03/03/14 14:37

Strong calls for international investigation on first day of HRC session
Opening of Human Rights Council 25th Session (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

03 March 2014
Calls for an independent investigation into crimes in Sri Lanka featured strongly on the first day of the 25th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.

The UK demanded action by the UNHRC into the crimes that occurred in Sri Lanka, in a robust statement to the Council, following on from Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge to support an international investigation in November last year.

Strong Calls for International Investigation on First Day of HRC Session by nelvely

Cross-party demands for international investigation at UK Commons debate

Today's House of Commons debates - Tuesday 04 March 2014-Sri Lanka

Sir Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD):

What progress has been made on the establishment of an international investigation into alleged war crimes during the Sri Lankan civil war.[902790]

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague):

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that Sri Lanka has failed to ensure independent and credible investigations into past violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. She recommends establishing an independent international inquiry, and as the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) made clear yesterday at the Human Rights Council, the UK fully supports that view.

Sir Andrew Stunell:

I thank the Foreign Secretary for that answer. I am sure he understands the deep concern on both sides of the House and elsewhere about the continuing violations. Will he assure the House that the Government will work with other Commonwealth countries to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to desist from their harassment of those who dissent, and to ensure that the international inquiry takes place?

Mr Hague:

Yes, those are points that the Prime Minister and I, and the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), made forcefully when we were in Sri Lanka at the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting last November. We are pursuing the issue actively at the Human Rights Council to secure an international inquiry of the type recommended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. I expect there will be vigorous debates at the Human Rights Council over the next few weeks, but we will certainly stick up for the view that my right hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Sir Andrew Stunell) has put forward.

Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab):

Given the intimidation and harassment being experienced by many human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers in Sri Lanka, what more can the UK and its international partners do to ensure that those who give evidence at any international inquiry are protected?

Mr Hague:

This is an important issue indeed, given the intimidation and sometimes the unexplained murder of journalists and human rights defenders in Sri Lanka. That strengthens the case for an international investigation. Of course, we are unable to provide directly protection within another country, including within Sri Lanka, but that strengthens the case for that international investigation. We will use that argument in the call for such an investigation.

Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire) (Con):

I am more than well aware of the efforts the UK has made over the years to give Sri Lanka every opportunity to make good the President’s responses on seeking reconciliation and justice through a reasonable examination of the war crimes issue. I welcome the fact that there is a sense that time has run out for those efforts, but how can my right hon. Friend convey to Sri Lanka that it is in its interests to comply with an international inquiry and provide the evidence? If it chooses not to do so, it will make an international inquiry very difficult.

Mr Hague:

My right hon. Friend has often done a very good job of presenting that case to Sri Lanka. We continue to make that case. As he knows, Sri Lanka has made progress on de-mining and resettlement, but that is not sufficient to address accountability and human rights concerns, or to ensure that there is stability and democracy in future in Sri Lanka. We continue to ask the Sri Lankans to mount their own domestic investigation and inquiry, but in the absence of that, it is important that we press for the international inquiry to which hon. Members have referred.

Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab):

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that Sri Lanka’s failure to address the allegations was fundamentally a question of political will. Was it not incredibly naive of the Prime Minister at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to believe that President Rajapaksa had any intention of conducting his own inquiry? Given the time that has been wasted by setting a March deadline, what has the Prime Minister done to use the UK’s position on the Human Rights Council to push for an international investigation, which he should have pushed for many months ago?

Mr Hague:

I think there was a lot of unity in the House on Sri Lanka, but the hon. Lady chooses to try to make it a party political issue. Having witnessed the bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister and President Rajapaksa, I assure her that there was nothing naive about it. The Prime Minister forcefully put the case for Sri Lanka to mount its own inquiry and forcefully made it clear that he would press for an international inquiry if it did not do so. That is what he is doing in his contacts with other Heads of Government around the world. I and the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon, are doing the same with other Foreign Ministers. I hope the Opposition concentrate on supporting that rather than trying to snipe about it.

US draft stops at Navi Pillai inquiry into HR crimes of ‘both parties’

 

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2014, 23:39 GMT]
A draft resolution on Sri Lanka that is to be tabled at the UNHRC later this month by the USA, UK, Montenegro, FYR of Macedonia and Mauritius was put to circulation on Monday. Contrary to the trumpeting by sections among Tamils expecting US-UK justice through international investigation on war crimes, the draft just harps on OHCHR investigation into “alleged violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka.” On the other hand, the draft that fails in recognising Tamils even by name not only provides more space and time for the completion of their structural genocide but also binds the UNHRC with supporting the “unified land” of the genocidal State. 

• Draft resolution on Sri Lanka circulated at Geneva

The extent of the open insult by the US-UK draft to the national question of the genocide-facing nation of Eezham Tamils could be seen by the draft’s call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate the Weliweriya incident being treated on a par or even preceding the draft’s ‘encouragement’ to the government to provide the NPC and its chief minister “with resources and authority necessary to govern, as required by the 13 Amendment of Sri Lanka’s constitution.

The East is not only abandoned totally to its genocidal plight politically, but also militarily, as the draft reminds the demilitarisation of only the North.

Counting the trees, and allowing the crux of the matter to continue, the US resolution as usual was harping on the implementation of Sri Lanka’s LLRC farce and cosmetic changes for the whole of the island.

The ‘transitional justice’ the draft is envisaging in the form of only accountability and reparations, seems to offer a range of escape routes to the Sinhala State and its international genocidal partners to escape by hoodwink, while materialising the ultimate agenda, i.e., completion of genocide that is agreed upon between the partners for their mutual benefit. 

Any international resolution that is not acknowledging the genocide as genocide and is not coming out with an international transitional mechanism to stop it, is explicit complicity with the genocide. 

The resolution, without any mention of Tamils even by name, was reducing the national question of genocidal magnitude into petty issues of ‘minorities’ or ‘religious minorities’. The solution it was envisaging was ‘devolution of power to the provinces’, treating the historical issue in the island as something administrative, common to all in the island.

The draft at its maximum engages the OHCHR into another investigation as a camouflage and provides one more year for the Sinhala State to continue with the genocide and annihilation of the nation of Eezham Tamils in the island.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillai, who will be conducting the investigation in the event of the resolution getting through,denied of even hearing about genocide when she visited the island last [See video evidence below]. 

In the dictionary of the US Administration, applied in the context of Eezham Tamils, ‘reconciliation’ means subserviently accepting genocide.

The draft further confirms that the USA and UK, the main architects of the genocidal war against Eezham Tamils in the island, are determined to see the completion of the structural genocide too, with irreversible effect.

The inclusion of Mauritius in tabling the resolution is seen as New Delhi’s partnership by proxy with the US-UK designs. 

No Chances Of Escape; Rajapaksa Surely Missed The Final Call

By Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah -March 4, 2014 

Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

Sri Lanka War Crimes Investigation - Part 1

As we wait with bated breath as to the outcome of this very crucial UNHRC session, I can’t but help think that we may have finally turned the corner in our quest for an international inquiry. Rajapaksa has surely missed the final call for the establishment of any domestic inquiry mechanism, through lost opportunities and the culture of impunity.

On this the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) one thing is obvious; the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has done nothing; naught; zero; practically zilch to fulfill the expectations arising from UNHRC resolution at the 22nd session, the most important of which was “to conduct an independent and credible investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.”

This is confirmed in no uncertain terms by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay in her advance written report prior to the sessions where she categorically states that, “the Government of Sri Lanka has yet to satisfy the call for such a domestic investigative mechanism:

“… the Government of Sri Lanka has yet to satisfy the call made by the Human Rights Council for a credible and independent investigation into the allegations of serious human rights violations that persist or to take the necessary steps to fulfil its legal obligations to ensure justice and redress.”

As a consequence, Pillay makes a well reasoned call for an international inquiry:

“The High Commissioner recommends that the Human Rights Council establish an international inquiry mechanism to further investigate the alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and monitor any domestic accountability processes. OHCHR stands ready to assist in such a process.”                                                    Read More