What we can learn from the day the US burned to death 100,000 women and children

America's needless firebombing of Tokyo in 1945 is one of the 'good war' myths used to justify the endless war policies of today.

Rory Fanning 11 March 2015

March 9, 2015 marked the seventieth anniversary of the American firebombing of Tokyo, World War II’s deadliest day.

More people died that night from napalm bombs than in the atomic strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But few in the United States are aware that the attack even took place.
What We Can Learn From the Day the US Burned to Death 100,000 Women and Children by Thavam

U.K.’s shrinking military clout worries U.S.

Washington’s wing-man in Europe is losing clout on the world stage as its military forces shrink. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

By Griff Witte-March 12 at 8:59 PM
LONDON — With Europe facing its shakiest security environment in a generation, Britain has slipped into a familiar role: Washington’s tough-talking wingman.

U.K.’s shrinking military clout worries U.S..odt by David Ramsey

Cranks, Trolls, and Useful Idiots

Russia’s information warriors set their sights on Central Europe. 

BY DALIBOR ROHAC-MARCH 12, 2015

Following the Feb. 27 murder of liberal Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, a number of Central European websites were quick to provide an explanation. “Whoever gains control of the Russian opposition will be on the receiving end of all the finances and subsidies given to the Russian opposition by the West,” wrote an anonymous author on the Czech site Aeronet. Several other sites published translations of a text blaming the murder on a Western conspiracy aiming to discredit Vladimir Putin. The article was written by the Russian commentator and politician Nikolai Starikov, a vocal Putin supporter.

Cranks, Trolls, And Useful Idiots by Thavam

HSBC's Swiss private bank: French prosecutor formally requests trial

France’s financial state prosecutor recommends that Swiss bank be sent to criminal trial over tax allegations 

 People walk past an HSBC sign. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Sean Farrell in London-Friday 13 March 2015

The French financial state prosecutor has requested that HSBC’s Swiss private bank be sent to criminal trial over a suspected tax-dodging scheme for wealthy customers.

The recommendation follows a lengthy investigation by local magistrates into alleged tax fraud involving 3,000 French taxpayers and is a procedural step that brings the Swiss banking arm one step closer to a possible trial in France.

The parent company HSBC, which faces a separate ongoing French investigation, said: “This is a normal step in the judicial procedure and the outcome of the matter is not determined as of today.”

The bank has one month to respond after which French magistrates will take the final decision on whether to hold a trial. 

Le Monde reported that HSBC refused a plea deal that would have avoided a trial. It said HSBC would have had to pay a €1.4bn fine as part of that deal.

HSBC has admitted failings in compliance and controls in its Swiss bank and faces investigation by US authorities and an inquiry by British MPs after reports that it helped customers conceal millions of dollars of assets in a period up to 2007.

Cases against specific clients of the Swiss bank are already in progress in France.

The scandal at HSBC’s Swiss bank came to light when the Guardian and other media organisations around the world published revelations from leaked files. The files showed that the Swiss operation enabled clients to evade and aggressively avoid taxes and withdraw “bricks” of cash without question.

HSBC faces 10 separate inquiries around the world into the scandal. The US Department of Justice is considering criminal charges against the bank and its clients and the bank is under investigation in Brazil, India, Belgium and other jurisdictions.

HSBC’s chief executive, Stuart Gulliver, has admitted that the revelations are a source of shame and the chairman, Douglas Flint, has said they are “deeply humbling”. The two have pledged to clean up the bank but say they cannot be held responsible for the Swiss bank’s actions.

The Guardian reported that Gulliver had an account at the Swiss private bank and that he also used a Panamanian company to channel his earnings. He admitted the arrangement, which he ended in 2009, looked strange but said it was to protect his privacy and was not related to tax.

Margaret Hodge, chair of the UK’s public accounts committee, has called on Rona Fairhead, who is a non-executive HSBC director, to resign as chair of the BBC Trust over the scandal.

Pressure also increased on Flint this week when Robert Jenkins, a former Bank of England policymaker, called on him to quit as HSBC chairman to preserve his own reputation and that of the bank.

The Swiss revelations came on top of a $1.9bn (£1.3bn) fine imposed on HSBC in the US for flouting sanctions and allowing its Mexican arm to launder money for drug gangs.

Arlette Ricci, the millionaire heiress to the Nina Ricci fashion and perfume house, went on trial last month in Paris accused of hiding more than $22m from French tax authorities via a bank account at HSBC’s Swiss arm.

The trial, held in a special new Paris court to deal with tax fraud, was seen as a test case – Ricci was among the first clients to go on trial over money held via HSBC’s Swiss private bank. More than 60 wealthy French people have been formally investigated since a list of thousands of clients alleged to have evaded taxes through HSBC’s Swiss private bank became public.

Ricci, 73, a French psychoanalyst and writer, was on trial alongside her daughter and accountant. All denied charges of tax fraud and money-laundering.

The French state prosecutor recommended Ricci be sentenced to two years in prison, plus two years’ suspended sentence and a €3m fine. The judges will return their verdict on 13 April.

UK support for China-backed Asia bank prompts US concern

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank agreement was signed in October by 21 countries, including China

*Joining the AIIB would help the UK and Asia invest and grow together, UK Chancellor George Osborne said

*Speaking in Beijing last year, Mr Abbott said Australia would only sign up to "a genuinely multilateral body"

13 March 2015

The US has expressed concern over Britain's effort to become a founding member of a Chinese-backed bank that could rival the likes of the World Bank.

The UK is the first big Western economy to apply for membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The AIIB will fund Asian energy, transport and infrastructure projects.

However, the US has raised questions over the bank's commitment to international standards on governance.

UK Support for China-backed Asia Bank Prompts US Concern by Thavam

NASA confirms ocean on Jupiter moon, raising prospects for life

The planet Jupiter is shown with one of its moons, Ganymede (bottom), in this NASA handout taken April 9, 2007 and obtained by Reuters March 12, 2015.

BY IRENE KLOTZ-Fri Mar 13, 2015

(Reuters) - Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed that the Jupiter-orbiting moon Ganymede has an ocean beneath its icy surface, raising the prospects for life, NASA said on Thursday.

The finding resolves a mystery about the largest moon in the solar system after NASA’s now-defunct Galileo spacecraft provided hints that Ganymede has a subsurface ocean during exploration of Jupiter and its moons from 1995 to 2003.

Scientists told reporters on a conference call that it took some detective work to confirm the discovery.

Like Earth, Ganymede has a liquid iron core that generates a magnetic field, though Ganymede’s field is embedded within Jupiter’s magnetic field. That sets up an interesting dynamic with telltale visuals – twin bands of glowing aurora around Ganymede’s northern and southern polar regions.

As Jupiter rotates, its magnetic field shifts, causing Ganymede’s aurora to rock. Scientists measured the motion and found it fell short. Using computer models, they realized that a salty, electrically conductive ocean beneath the moon’s surface was counteracting Jupiter’s magnetic pull.

“Jupiter is like a lighthouse whose magnetic field changes with the rotation of the lighthouse. It influences the aurora,” said geophysicist Joachim Saur, with the University of Cologne in Germany. “With the ocean, the rocking is significantly reduced.”

Scientists ran more than 100 computer models to see if anything else could be having an impact on Ganymede’s aurora. They also repeated the seven-hour, ultraviolet Hubble observations and analyzed data for both belts of aurora.

"This gives us confidence in the measurement," Saur said.

NASA Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green called the finding "an astounding demonstration."

“They developed new approach to look inside a planetary body with a telescope,” Green said.

Ganymede joins a growing list of moons in the outer solar system with subsurface water. On Wednesday, scientists reported that Saturn’s moon Enceladus has hot springs beneath its icy crust. Other water-rich worlds include Jupiter moons Europa and Callisto.

Scientists estimate the ocean is 60 miles (100 km) thick, 10 times deeper than Earth's oceans, and is buried under a 95-mile (150-km) crust of mostly ice.

“It is one step further toward finding that habitable, water-rich environment in our solar system,” said astronomer Heidi Hammel with the Washington-based Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.

(Editing by Grant McCool)

Solar plane pilots urge India to support clean energy drive

Swiss pilots and founders of Solar Impulse 2 Bertrand Piccard, left, and Andre Boschberg acknowledge the media after landing at an airport in Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Ajit Solanki, The Associated Press - Wednesday, March 11, 2015

AHMADABAD, India -- The Swiss pilots of a solar-powered airplane on a historic round-the-world journey said Wednesday that they want the people of India to support their campaign for clean energy, a day after the aircraft landed in the country.

Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg spoke to reporters in the western Indian city of Ahmadabad after Piccard flew the single-seat Swiss-made plane there from Muscat, Oman, on the second leg of the 35,000-kilometer (21,700-mile) journey.

Piccard said their goal was to spread the message of adopting clean technologies and improving the quality of life of India's 1.2 billion people. He said they chose to demonstrate this with the world's first aircraft powered by solar energy "because this is what captures the imagination of people."

The fuel-free aircraft, called the Solar Impulse 2, is powered by more than 17,000 solar cells on its wings that recharge the plane's batteries, enabling it to fly.

The round-the-world trip began Monday in Abu Dhabi, with Borschberg piloting the first leg of the trip.

"It was an incredible experience," Borschberg told reporters at a temporary hangar at Ahmadabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport, where the plane remains parked.

Borschberg said he practiced yoga to prepare himself for the rigors of flying solo for long hours during the trip.

For the second leg, Piccard was at the controls of the aircraft. The 1,465-kilometer (910-mile) flight from Muscat to Ahmadabad took nearly 16 hours, and took the plane over the Arabian Sea in its first sea crossing.

Piccard said flying to India was a long-cherished dream. "Sixteen years ago, I flew around the world nonstop in a balloon and I flew over India. Today, I am very happy to be back," he said.

He said they chose to land in Ahmadabad because some of the material used in the plane was sourced from companies near the city.

During their stay in Ahmadabad, Borschberg and Piccard are scheduled to meet with Indian government officials, environmental groups and students to speak to them about sustainable energy.

On Saturday, if weather conditions are suitable, the plane will fly to the northern Indian city of Varanasi to lend support to efforts to clean up the heavily polluted Ganges River.

The Solar Impulse 2 is slated to make 12 stops during its 35,000-kilometer (21,700-mile) journey, including in China and Myanmar, before it crosses over the Pacific Ocean. It will then land in Hawaii and the U.S. Midwest and East Coast before flying over the Atlantic Ocean. It may also stop in southern Europe or North Africa, depending on weather conditions.

Some legs of the trip, such as over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, will mean five days and five nights of flying solo.

The fuel-free aircraft's flight has excited people across the world who see solar power as the fuel of the future, providing a source of clean, renewable energy.

One drawback of using the sun's energy was the high cost of solar electric panels. But in recent years, solar panels have become 70 percent less expensive and are expected to become cheaper still as newer, more energy-efficient materials are developed.

However, not many solar-powered planes will be whizzing around any time soon, Piccard said.

"Not everybody will be able fly in a plane like this," he said. "But everyone can use the technologies to have electrical cars, solar heating and lighting in their homes. People can choose new cleaner technologies instead of the old polluting ones."

Stalling Justice in Sri Lanka

Reversing course on corruption, Tamil persecution, and Sinhala ethnic triumphalism might finally be happening with a new government in Colombo. But a disturbing dark reality remains: the absence of justice for the massacre of thousands of Tamil civilians in "No Fire Zones" at the civil war's end in 2009 

Callum Macrae is a writer, filmmaker, and journalist based in London.
BY CALLUM MACRAE-MARCH 12, 2015
The timetable may be slipping, but still Sri Lanka’s new government has been hailed for arresting the country’s rapid descent into the quagmire of corruption, repression and Sinhala ethnic triumphalism that characterized the preceding regime of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Under the new President, Maithripala Sirisena, there have been significant moves towards restoring the rule of law, freedom of the press and ending nepotism and corruption. There has also been a significant shift away from Rajapaksa’s mercenary accommodation with China to a pivot back toward India and the West. 
Stalling Justice in Sri Lanka by Thavam Ratna

Tamils Should Keep Silent – To Reconcile

By V. Kanthaiya -March 12, 2015 

“When being raped, she shouldn’t fight back. She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they’d have dropped her off after ‘doing her’.” - Mukesh Singh, one of the convicts in Nirbhaya’s gang rape and murder case

Much research has been done and is being done on the concept of “Multiverse” by physicists all over the world. While the physicists were busy trying to find out the hypothetical parallel universe beyond the galaxies, our computer scientists created several parallel universes within our universe.

I used to partly exist in one such universe called Facebook, but not now. Recently I had two shocking experiences with Facebook. I happened to scroll through some of the photos of a lady friend of mine posted by her on Facebook, with about twenty comments like, “Lovely”, “So Sweet”, “Awesome”,” Gorgeous ”etc. Apart from the photos themselves, the shocking aspect of the post was when I realised this lady friend of mine is maintaining about twenty fake Facebook accounts, just to comment on her photos in the above manner, which no sane human being in this universe would dare to do.

The other post was by one of my close friends, which simply said “Kamal Ranjan is feeling very sad with Rajini Ranjan and 20 others – Our Grandma has passed away this morning”, with my friend’s selfie at the parlour with his grandma inside a coffin in the background. Below that post were 94 likes. I was confused why so many people are happy about the death of this old lady and why they are showing their hatred for her in public.

With these ‘shocking’ experiences, I decided to cease my existence in the parallel universe called Facebook and moved to the other parallel universe called “Twitter”, where I bumped into the hashtag #banBBCinIndia.

The #banBBC is all about the documentary “India’s Daughter” directed by Leslee Udwin, for BBC. The content is an analysis of the sexual assault on women which is prevalent in Indian Society, with significant focus given to the case of “Nirbhaya”- a physiotherapy student, gang raped and murdered in Delhi, in 2012.Read More

‘Time to replace 13th Amendment with a more dynamic system’

Sri Lanka’s Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

MEERA SRINIVASAN-March 12, 2015

It is time the 13th Amendment was replaced with a more dynamic system of devolution of powers, according to Sri Lanka’s Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

Speaking to The Hindu days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka, the former Supreme Court judge said: “[The] 13th Amendment can never be the final solution. Be that as it may, we welcome him [Mr. Modi]. We know we have a friend in him. We appreciate his concerns for us, in wanting to come to the North.”

“We would recommend to him that it is time to reconsider the 13th Amendment which was a fallout from the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 and to replace it with a more dynamic system that would ensure maximum power sharing for the North and East,” he said responding to The Hindu’s questions via email.

Mr. Modi will be in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit beginning Friday. He will travel to the island’s war-torn Northern Province where Mr. Wigneswaran won a historic provincial election in September 2013.

Ever since the Chief Minister and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) — the main party representing the Northern Tamils — have been pointing to hurdles in governance due to the limited powers.

As “a proponent and an advocate of devolution,” Mr. Modi would appreciate the situation in Sri Lanka, the Chief Minister said. “Especially the inadequacies of the 13th Amendment would no doubt be understood by him. His visit and understanding would be very vital in the ultimate finalisation of our constitutional problems.” From the time Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict ended in May 2009, New Delhi has been pushing Colombo for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, following up on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s earlier assurance.

Read the full interview here

Pointing to the Indian model of power sharing between the Centre and the States, Mr. Wigneswaran said it was the quantum of devolution prevalent under the Indian Constitution that made possible Mr. Modi’s “excellent leadership” and “people-centred approach that transformed Gujarat.” In comparison, under Sri Lanka’s unitary Constitution, there was “no chance of our performing the way Hon. Modi performed.”

On the changes after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was unseated, he said President Maithripala Sirisena was “refreshingly different” but certain sections of the new government were acting irresponsibly “following the age-old political tactics of the past which had led to the worsening of the ethnic issue,” adding that the regime change was not an end in itself.

The Chief Minister suggested that the Indian Government, Sri Lankan Government and the Northern Provincial Council engage in talks, “without taking refuge under protocols” to find ways of resolving the central problem of the Tamil speaking people. India could play a positive role in bringing about such a change in political culture, he said.

“Let us not forget when [the] Indo-Lanka Accord was negotiated as a solution to Tamil Question, India whilst addressing Indian security and strategic concerns, stood as a guarantor on behalf of the Tamils of North-East”

Asked to comment on Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s recent remarks that it was legitimate “to shoot” Indian fishermen found poaching in Sri Lankan waters, Mr. Wigneswaran said they were "inappropriate statements by a Prime Minister of a friendly country of India, a country which has very close socio cultural and religious ties.”

Bonds, bids and blindfolded governance!

By a Special Correspondent- March 12, 2015

Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran seems to have got embroiled in another controversy quite soon into his new job. There was controversy about his appointment itself on two fronts; firstly, he was not a Sri Lankan citizen and secondly, due to his son-in-law’s alleged involvement in an irregular share transaction involving the EPF which was supposedly pending an investigation.
The firs

t issue
The first issue was not particularly important but Mahendran and or his promoter to that office is supposed to have made statements justifying his appointment. The first point that is supposed to have made is that there have been past instances when foreigners held the office of Governor. That is technically correct in that the first Governor John Exter was a foreigner. However, this was when Sri Lanka had no experience whatsoever in central banking. Ever since then the Governors have been Sri Lankans. The second justification was that the present Governor of the Bank of England is also a foreigner.
However, Carney took up British citizenship when he was made Governor. To put matters into perspective, based on his distinguished track record as the Governor of the Bank of Canada, the Chancellor when announcing Carney’s appointment said: “Mark Carney is a quality governor. He is quite simply the best, most experienced and most qualified person in the world to be the next Governor of the Bank of England.”
Notwithstanding his notable background and achievements, I don’t think those who promoted his appointment or even Mahendran himself will attempt to make such a comparison. The third point that was made was that Mahendran will obtain dual citizenship for which he qualifies. However, Singapore, the country that he is said to be a citizen of, does not permit its nationals to have any other nationality.
In reality, citizenship is not a big issue but in this era of supposed transparency it will be good if the Governor were to clearly state whether he is now a Sri Lankan citizen and whether he also holds the citizenship of another country.
The second issue
The second issue that was raised at the time of his appointment does pose a problem since the EPF is managed by the Central Bank which he now heads and any investigation will have to meet the test of independence and comprehensiveness.
The latest controversy which is much more worrying relates to the recent 30-year bond issue. The allegation is that his son-in-law through a group of companies in which he was employed or directly or indirectly owned, had unfairly benefited from advance privileged information. There has been a lot of news (some of which may be untrue) circulating on this matter. There seems to be a reasonable agreement on what really happened but what is more important is to ascertain why whatever happened did happen and who made it happen.
The statement made by the Ministry of Policy Planning, Economic Affairs (and many other disparate things) on this matter raised more questions than it answered. Investigators have been appointed and it is hoped that they will know what to look for and where to look.
Questions to be answered
Apart from specific matters to be checked, it will be good if the investigation seek answers to the following by way of background information.
(a) If there was a need for the Government to have Rs. 15 billion in funding, why was it necessary for Rs. 10 billion to be raised in 30-year money? What was the basis of the decision as opposed to raising the extra amount in shorter-term debt, when was the decision made and who were involved in the decision?

(b) If the decision to increase the issue 10 times was made before the subscription closed, why was it not communicated to the market and participants requested to rebid?
(c) What was the makeup of the bids received? How many participants made bids for the whole issue or more either directly or acting through third parties (Bank of Ceylon has been mentioned) and are there any connections between these parties?
(d) What were the bid prices and is there any pattern relating to bidders and bid prices?
(e) In previous debt issues over the last six months, what was the level of increase in the accepted bids from the offered amounts and what was the highest yield given to investors after the offered amount was filled? (For example, assume an issue was offered at Rs. 3 billion and the bids were received for Rs. 10 billion and Rs. 5 billion was accepted. If the highest yield for the Rs. 3 billion was x, what was the highest yield offered for the top up balance of Rs. 2 billion?) What is the comparable information for the bond issue in question?
(f) How was the decision to determine the cut off rate for acceptance made? Who were the people involved and were aware of the decision?
(g) Did the Government’s captive sources who were previously submitting open bids that were awarded at the average weighted yield submit bids? If not, was there an indication given to them that they should not? If there had been a change in the practice in this regard, was it communicated to the market?
(h) How was the funding arranged for those who submitted bids through Bank of Ceylon or third parties? Did they arrange credit lines in advance, who applied and who approved?
(i) Have there been any unusual increase in the amounts bid by parties directly or indirectly when compared with other debt issues in the previous six months?
(j) It has been alleged that a bidding group who bid several times the amount on offer had sold down their shorter term bonds in the previous two weeks. Was this an unusual activity when compared with their past trading pattern prior to the issue of 10 year+ bonds in the last six months?
The answers to the matters set out above will establish the background to this controversial transaction. It is very difficult in this type of inquiry to be able to find evidence that would justify a conviction in court. What needs to be established is whether there is reasonable circumstantial evidence to ascertain whether the Governor or any other officer of the Central Bank or any other public officer by commission or omission was a party or had knowledge of this unusual transaction and about the involvement of any connected parties. If the answer in relation to the Governor is in the affirmative, he will lose the high level of credibility required to function in that office.

Radhika Coomaraswamy’s ‘Beyond Genocide’

By Charles Sarvan -March 12, 2015

Charles Sarvan

“Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building.” – Philip Gourevitch, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, 1998.

The following arises out of Ms Coomaraswamy‘s forceful article of 8 March 2015. I don’t know where her contribution appeared but understand it has been widely read: those who haven’t encountered it, should be able to piece together the gist of the case presented by her from the following. The essence seems to me that to spend much time and energy trying to establish that the Sri Lankan state is guilty of genocide is futile because, among other reasons, genocide “is one of the most difficult international crimes to prove” (Coomaraswamy). One should go beyond genocide.

Perhaps, at this point, one must pause to briefly examine the term ‘genocide’. The Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1948. Resolution 260, Article 2 lists acts committed with the intention of destroying in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. The intention to destroy is crucial, nor need it be total extermination: for example, the Srebrenica massacre of 7,000 Muslim males was accepted as genocide by an international criminal court. (At the age of 93, Stephane Hessel, 1917-2013, published a widely successful essay, translated into English from the original French as Time for Outrage. Hessel, secretary to the UN committee which drafted the declaration of human rights, states that the term “international” was rejected in favour of “universal” in order to “forestall the argument for full sovereignty that a state likes to make when it is carrying out crimes against humanity on its soil.”)

If genocide is proved, it does not mean that a case for separation has been established, as some mistakenly think, observes Ms Coomaraswamy. Separation (unlike divorce?) needs the consent of both sides and, in the writer’s words, such a scenario is very unlikely in Sri Lanka. Further, the pursuit of the impossible is not only a futile expenditure, and therefore a waste, but counter-productive in that it leads to a worsening of inter-ethnic relations. It is the here and now that cries out for attention. Radhika Commaraswamy’s list is grave and grievous: war widows, the disabled, “high rates of violence against women, drugs and alcoholism”. The last three are indicative of a defeated, defenceless and demoralised folk who see no grounds to believe in the future. Demoralisation and despair often lead to destructive behaviour. Unable to retaliate, victims tend to take it out on other members of their own group, on their families and / or on themselves. Among the practical measures Coomaraswamy suggests are “the release of land [and the] release of detainees”.

But there can be other perspectives on the pursuit of the charge of genocide. Charles Dickens in his novelGreat Expectations writes that children perceive nothing more keenly; react more fiercely to nothing than to injustice. Adults may come to accept that there is no justice, at least, not in this world. (This leaves those who don’t believe in an afterlife with permanent injury and un-righted wrongs.) Still, in some the goal of justice remains; the flame refuses to be extinguished. John Rawls in his famous work, A Theory of Justice,suggests it is a sense of fairness that leads humanity to justice. An acquaintance of mine who urges a genocide inquiry told me her motive was not separation; not even revenge: she feels it would be an affront to those who died a horrible and unnecessary death to leave it unexamined. (It reminded me of ancient beliefs that the souls of the dead cannot rest in peace until and unless there is some form of justice.) The nightmare scenario of those last days and nights; the horrifying death of thousands – children, women, the aged and the sick – must at least have the posthumous atonement of acknowledgement. Only then can closure and the healing of wounds really begin. One contrasts German contrition and attempted reparation with, for example, the Japanese denial of war-time savagery, and Turkey’s stance on the Armenian genocide.

We cannot claim to repent while continuing to hold on to what we have unjustly gained. One recalls the conflicted state of King Claudius in Hamlet, desperately needing but unable to ask God for forgiveness (Act 3, Scene 3): Forgive me? That cannot be because I still possess and enjoy those things for which I committed the crimes. On similar lines, to speak of reconciliation while injustice continues is either to be naïve, ingenuous or downright cynical. Equally, since it is the Sri Lankan state that is accused (rightly or wrongly) of genocide, for it to appoint a Sri Lankan commission to investigate its actions (rather than an external, impartial, body like the UN) may not be convincing. Indeed, it may be seen as farcical, a charade.

So perhaps one should distinguish those who clamour “Genocide!” on delusional grounds (Coomaraswamy) from those who seek acknowledgement at the least, if not atonement. Motive matters. But is posthumous atonement possible? Perhaps (a) by acknowledgement and (b) by the way one treats present generations. Regarding the latter, it is impossible to “regain our self-respect and our self-confidence” (Coomaraswamy) in the absence of freedom and equality; in short, without justice.

Does going beyond genocide, be it in blessed Sri Lanka or elsewhere, mean one ignores an abyss of human cruelty and resulting suffering, large in scale and extreme in nature? Does one pretend that the awful human-made chasm doesn’t exist? As it has been said, it is important not only that justice be done but that it is clearly seen to be done: the world needs that warning and reassurance, however “unimportant” (sic) the victims of a particular (alleged) genocide. Impunity is tantamount to encouragement, if not incitement. In this context, one recalls the words of the Fuhrer, 22 August 1939:

I have issued the command. Our war aim consists in the physical destruction of the enemy. Accordingly, I have placed my death-head formations in readiness with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians? (Hitler. Emphasis added).

Radhika Coomaraswamy is to be thanked for the thought and discussion her intervention will, no doubt, stimulate. Mine is but a modest attempt to make a contribution to that discussion.

Mr. Modi; Time to Seize the Opportunity – GTF

Premier Modi, Unveiled the Plaque and Operationalisation of Radar for the CSRS India-Seychelles Cooperation Project.

Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Sri Lanka can induce speedy resolution of the humanitarian and political concerns of the Tamil people – Global Tamil Forum

( March 12, 2015, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka this week, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in over 25 years, is undoubtedly an event of enormous significance.   The expected visit by the Indian Prime Minister to Jaffna in the Tamil-majority North is historic first. The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) wholeheartedly welcomes these developments,” pointed in a statement issued by the GTF, UK based lobby group on Sri Lanka.

The statement further reads as follows;

‘The recent changes of governments in India and Sri Lanka have significantly altered the geopolitical dynamics of the region. These developments have also created opportunities for the successful resolution of the Tamil national issue, a feat if accomplished, will usher the Indo-Lanka economic and political relations into a different era. Prime Minister Modi’s visit at such a crucial time is potentially transformational.

‘India’s steadfast commitment towards the dignity, equality and well-being of the Tamil people has been a source of immense strength for Tamils in Sri Lanka and in Diaspora. We are grateful for India’s active involvement in the resettlement of the displaced Tamils, typified by the 50,000 houses being built with Indian assistance. GTF is also fully appreciative of India’s role in relation to achieving a political settlement.

‘The new coalition government in Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Sirisena is unique in that it has the support of all the major political parties representing all communities, and the government is presently undertaking an ambitious democratic transition process. In our opinion, there is no better time to arrive at a permanent solution to the Tamil national question, and no country other than India can play the crucial role in making this a reality. However, time is of essence, and any delay in addressing the Tamil concerns, whether humanitarian or political, can only give scope for hard-line attitudes from all sides to re-emerge, and this will make the task of achieving meaningful progress more difficult in the future.

‘In this context, it is important that the Sri Lankan government immediately takes meaningful steps to address a few pressing issues that includes reducing the excessive military presence in the North and East, transferring the land back to the rightful owners from whom the land was expropriated, and releasing Tamil political detainees who have been incarcerated for years without ever being charged. It is also important that Sri Lanka makes public commitment to comprehensively addressing the war crimes, accountability and reconciliation issues in active collaboration with the UNHRC and other international organisations, and reveal its blueprint to achieve a political solution by negotiating with the elected Tamil representatives. Humanitarian, social and economic needs of people in the war affected North and East and by the Up country Tamils have to be addressed in a systematic and effective way.

‘We humbly request Prime Minister Modi to impress upon Sri Lanka to act on the issues highlighted here, as that will help foster a positive environment and build confidence among Tamils, both in Sri Lanka and in Diaspora. Global Tamil Forum, for its part, is fully committed to play a constructive role, in collaboration with all stakeholders, including the governments of Sri Lanka and India, in making all these a reality.