Posts Categorized: International

America’s Effusive Praise for Sri Lanka Continues

Richard E. Hoagland, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, recently spoke at the Washington International Business Council. He began by speaking about Nepal and then moved on to address improved U.S. — India ties. He also spoke about Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Central Asia, U.S. business… Read more »

Sri Lanka Enters a Complex New Era

by Francesco Mancini and Gianluca Rubagotti, International Peace Institute Global Observatory, New York, May 29, 2015 http://theglobalobservatory.org/2015/05/sri-lanka-sirisena-tamil-tigers/?utm_source=IPI+Publications+%26+Events&utm_campaign=681605453d-Webcast1_7_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6f1f2e59e4-681605453d-19102553 Six years after Sri Lanka’s bloody civil conflict ended and a few months into the presidency of Maithripala Sirisena, this small island state in the Indian Ocean has entered a complex, transformative era. In four months, Sirisena has… Read more »

US Statement at 2014 Panel on Role of Prevention

by Sarah Pierson, US Mission to the UNHRC, Geneva, September 18, 2014 US Intervention at UNHRC side event panel Sept. 18 2014 A most troubling aspect of recent atrocities is the concern that they could have been prevented if the international community had acted earlier and more appropriately. Tens of thousands of lives could have been… Read more »

Start of a US-Sri Lanka ‘Reset’?

By Taylor Dibbert, ‘The Diplomat,’ May 04, 2015 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently visited Sri Lanka. He was accompanied by Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. Kerry and company were welcomed with open arms by the Sirisena administration and this high-level visit is the latest (and most prominent)… Read more »

Sec. Kerry’s Remarks on Partnership for Human Rights & Peace

And that is why it is so critical for your government to work with the ICRC and the UN in order to investigate missing person cases and try wherever you can – I can’t guarantee it; nobody can that you’ll find the answer for sure – but try to find wherever the truth may lead. No matter how painful that truth is. It’s the right and the humane thing to do – and it is, believe it or not, an essential part of the healing process.

Now, reconciliation obviously doesn’t happen all at once; it requires time and concrete actions. And those have to replace the suspicion with mutual trust and mutual fears have to be replaced with mutual confidence. I want you to know that the United States stands ready to be a partner with you in that effort.

We’ll do all we can to support the government as it makes progress in such areas as returning land, limiting the role of the military in civilian life, and trying to provide the answers on disappeared people. None of us wants to live in a country where the military is stopping its own citizens at checkpoints. And Sri Lanka’s military has so much more to contribute in defending this country, protecting vital sea lanes, and taking part in UN peacekeeping missions all over the world. And as your armed forces make that transition, we’re going to be very eager to work with you and to work with them and to help…

And that is why we hope your government will continue to cooperate with the United Nations as it explores the best way to mount a credible domestic investigation into allegations of human rights abuses – an investigation that meets international standards and at the same time, and most importantly, is legitimate in your eyes, in the eyes of the people here.

Kerry: U.S. will Deepen Ties with Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Saturday said the United States will send a wide range of advisers to help the island nation emerge from a devastating civil war and years of autocratic rule. Kerry, the first secretary of state to visit Sri Lanka in a decade, said U.S. advisers… Read more »

US Secretary of State’s Visit to Sri Lanka, May 2-3, 2015

SECRETARY KERRY TRAVEL TO COLOMBO, NAIROBI AND DJIBOUTI Press Statement Marie HarfActing Department Spokesperson,Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCApril 27, 2015Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 2 for his first trip to the country and the first visit by a Secretary of State since 2004.In Colombo, he will meet… Read more »

Armenian Groups Are Increasingly Focused on Reparations for Genocide

Behind the Turkish government’s denials of the century-old Armenian genocide lurks the possibility that survivors and their descendants could be deemed legally entitled someday to financial reparations, perhaps worth tens of billions of dollars or more. The Turkish authorities take the position that there is nothing that needs to be repaid. Moreover, no judicial mechanism… Read more »

The End of the Rainbow Nation Myth

If you ask South Africans of my generation to name the most important political event of their lives, many will cite the assassination of Chris Hani. Mr. Hani was revered for his bravery in fighting against the apartheid government and for his internal dissent within the liberation movement. In 1990, after Nelson Mandela was released… Read more »

US A/S DRL in Sri Lanka

Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: Forum on Women’s Role in Post-War Reconciliation 04/02/2015 11:35 AM EDT Forum on Women’s Role in Post-War Reconciliation Remarks Tom MalinowskiAssistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Colombo, Sri Lanka April 2, 2015 As prepared for delivery Thank you all for having me here today. Thanks particularly to Ms…. Read more »

UN Panel Will Share Syria Suspects’ Names With Prosecutors

BERLIN — The head of a U.N. panel investigating human rights violations in the war in Syria said Tuesday the panel is willing to give names from its secret list of alleged war criminals to any prosecutors pursuing cases. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that the group will “share… Read more »

International Judicial Mechanism Needed to Serve Justice for All in Sri Lanka

by ‘Tamil Guardian,’ London, March 15, 2015 Mcrae press release The United Nations Human Rights Council will have to act on the investigation into Sri Lanka’s atrocities (OISL), moving to establish an international judicial mechanism in order to ensure justice is served to all communities, said the director of the documentary, No Fire Zone, Callum… Read more »

Panel Discussion: NPC’s Resolution on Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka

 Vidéo Northern Provincial Council’s Resolution on Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka and the International Community’s Responsibility to Protect Mardi, 17 mar 2015 – 01:30 « La Pastorale » Route de Ferney 106, Genève (Bus 5 – Direction : Aéroport – Arrêt : Intercontinental) http://2013.pressclub.ch/fr/conference/northern-provincial-councils-resolution-tamil-genocide-sri-lanka-and-international Vidéo With Dr. Maung Zarni Burmese democracy advocate, human rights campaigner,… Read more »

Letter to PM Rajiv Gandhi from TULF on 13th Amendment

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20080217/issues.htm Our Disappointment With Proposals Contained In The Two Bills 28th Oct 1987 Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, New Delhi. Dear Prime Minister, We thank you once again for all your efforts on behalf of the Tamil people. We repeat our deep anguish at the tragic turn of events in Jaffna. We feel it is… Read more »

Can an Evil Man Change?

Unlike many other white people — perpetrators and bystanders — who have benefited since 1994 from the reconciliatory attitude of black South Africans, Mr. de Kock actually began to engage with fellow South Africans in restorative ways. Slowly, over the years, he transformed himself from a highly effective killer to somebody who genuinely engaged with those looking for answers…

The underlying goal of the T.R.C. was to build a new ethical society through change: The truth about our past should transform all of us from a people apart into a people who care for one another.

Modi Visits Tamils’ Cultural Heart in Tour of Sri Lanka

“We stand with you in your efforts to build a future that accommodates the aspiration of all sections of society, including the Sri Lankan Tamil community for a life of equality, justice and dignity in a united Sri Lanka,”

Hope for Colombia’s Peace Process

Still, an agreement is the best alternative to ending the fighting, which has ebbed as the talks have progressed, and giving Colombians in war-torn districts hope for a brighter future. The Obama administration recently signaled its strong support for the process by naming Bernard Aronson, a former senior diplomat with expertise in the region, as an envoy to the peace process.

Sri Lanka Grants Bail to Tamil Rights Activist

“But the true test will be whether her release marks the beginning of a broader reversal in a pattern of harassment by the security forces against families of the disappeared and other Tamil activists” …

Sri Lanka Must Seize This Window of Opportunity

by David Cameron, ‘Tamil Guardian,’ London, March 10, 2015 Writing in the Tamil Guardian today, British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his commitment to ensuring those responsible for war crimes in Sri Lanka are held accountable and said he would press the country’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena, to deliver on his commitments, during a bilateral… Read more »