Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem has told journalists in Colombo that the UN report into human rights abuses in the closing days of the country’s civil war is “singularly counterproductive.”
The report was leaked to the Sri Lankan media several weeks ago and contains allegations that the army shelled hospitals, UN facilities and aid workers with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the final days of the civil war between the army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The report also accuses the Sri Lankan government of intimidating and in some cases abducting journalists “in white vans”. The LTTE was criticised for allegedly using civilians as human shields.
A former UN spokesperson based in Sri Lanka told media after the report was leaked that it “damns the government of Sri Lanka’s so-called war on terror, which incidentally killed many thousands of civilians. The Tamil Tigers were equally rotten in their disdain for life.”
“The focus should now be on how the country can move forward,” Naseem said, during a press conference at the Galle Face Hotel.
“As a responsible member of the Human Rights Council, the Maldives believes it is imperative that the international community closely examine all aspects of the report before taking any further action.”
The UK’s television network Channel 4 has meanwhile said it will air what it claims is “probably the most horrific” footage the station has ever shown, after obtaining “trophy” videos of what it claims are Sri Lankan war crimes.
According to the network, footage obtained by the station includes “extrajudicial executions filmed by Sri Lankan soldiers as war trophies on their phones; the aftermath of shelling in civilian camps and hospitals alleged to have been deliberately targeted by Sri Lankan government forces; dead female Tamil fighters who appear to have been systematically raped; and pictures which document Tamil fighters alive in the custody of Sri Lankan government forces and then later dead, apparently having been executed.”
The Sri Lankan media has overwhelming supported the government against the UN report, contrasting war crime accusations from the West with the triumphalism displayed following the death of Osama Bin Laden.
“We suffered 30 years of ruthless terror, our innocent villagers were massacred, our security officers, innocent men, women and children were killed by suicide bomb blasts and snipers, our ministers, parliamentarians and presidents were killed or disabled for life, our children were massacred in trains, innocent travelers in buses were bombed, a bus load of our Buddhist priests were butchered,, our airports were bombed and terrorism restricted our daily existence,” wrote one commentator on the Lankaweb social media website.
Under the UN’s own regulations a formal war crimes investigation can only be launched on the invitation of the host country, or through a mandate voted by a body such as the UN Human Rights Council.
The Maldives has been a vocal member of the latter, and was quick to sever diplomatic ties with the Libyan government following “clear evidence that the Gaddafi regime is guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes.”
“I’m concerned the UN report is a bit belated. Why say it now? Why not when the war was going on?” asked President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair, speaking to Minivan News recently.
“My point is that this report only appeared after the war was over. We support the Sri Lankan government’s desire for peace and harmony, and any government that brought about that peace should be held in high honour,” Zuhair said.
If an investigation was to take place, Zuhair suggested, “it should happen in an independent manner, with reconciliation on both sides.”
Read the full UN report (English)
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what rubbish, are they talking about..
These are very serious crimes against people, 50,000 lives lost is not simple matter, it can not be hidden way under the rug.
What the minister should have done is to call for independent investigation.. to uncover the truth. rather trying tell what he things is truth.
Its obvious Maldives have fallen under the influence of Chinese. Thats why they want to save Sri Lanka from these investigation. Its mater of time before chinese navey establishes its base in sri lanka.
If a group of people kills 40000 (upto 130000) civilians in the name of peace for majority, should they be free of international laws? Note that rapes and murders still continue within SL military bases in the north, and the minority is still governed by the same military that murdered 40000. For any one who is human, the answer will be NO and these people should be brought to justice under international laws, even though the murderers are celeberities under Sri Lankan laws.
The minister was correct in asking why war crimes was not talked about during the massacre. Well, tamils fasted, self-immolated, demonstrated outside embassies, (all peacefully though); but the world shut their eyes for the major part and i dont know what this minister was doing then?
WHY ALL THESE TAMIL PEOPLE INCLUDING UN HUMAN RIGHTS SCAM ARTIST NAVALI PILAY AGAINS SRILANKA.
WE ALL KNOW NOW WAR IS OVER NOW LTTE SCAMMERS CANNOT EXTEND THIR REFUGE VISAS.
NGOS AND INGOS AGAINST SRILANKA BECAUSE LAST 30 YEARS ALL THSES INGOS AND NGOS SCAM ARTIST MAKE MILLIONS OF $ THANKS TO WAR. NOW NO WAR THOSE SCAM ARTIST HAVE TO GO TO FIND A JOB WHAT QUALIFICATION THEY HAVE MOST OF THEM HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RED NECKS WHATS THE JOB THEY CAN DO FLIPPING BURGERS IN MCCDONALDS FOR $6. MMMM SO SAD NO THEY ARE SO MAD WITH SRILANKAN GOVERNMENT.
NAVALI PILAY UN HUMANRIGHT SCAMM ARIST LTTE SPEND MILLIONS OF $ FO HER LOBBYING SHE HAS TO CRY FOR LTTE OTHERWISE LTTE WILL TELL ABOUT HER.
This is an expected vision of Maldives 'challenged' foreign policy for each and every country.
i see that propagandists for tamil tiger murderers are here is numbers .
they repeat the same unsubstantiated slanders against sri lanka again and again as if repeating will make lies true.
few questions that must be asked about this report are ,
why is sri lanka and sri lanka only, is targeted by racist west and tools? where is similar panel for usa etc in iraq etc.?
why was there no such inquiry when ltte was in existence and we and our children were being killed by the thousands for 30 years ? why were we told by west, to appease the tigers with our blood, then?
why was untested un cross examined allegations called evidence ? why this panel which had no legel authority and did not have proper examination procedures(and seem to have been shoddy and amateurish) presuming to judge events and ppl?
etc etc
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btw channel 4 videos already aired was proved to be fake may be the reporter should have mentioned that .
the so called un spokesman quoted is a racist who aims to profit from our childrens deaths . when he was here he helped kill our children by aiding the ltte by sending food ration packs to them .
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let see whether tamil tiger supporters can address these .
more questions that must be addressed here
http://llibertarian.blogspot.com/2011/05/questions-that-must-be-addressed-by.html
IF NAVI PILLAI NOT SIDING TO LTTE THEN SHE IS NOT A TAMIL. HER BLOOD IS NOT TAMIL BLOOD. ITS OBVIOUS BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER.
Mr Dr Shaheed Naseem,,, is this the kind of example you are supposed to show the world after securing UN Human Rights council seat?? what a shame?? are u saying mass massacres, war crimes can be forgotten?? talk little bit sensible being a Maldivian representing us. You are paid not to be under the influence, but to serve Maldives and promote its values with dignity.
Hey!Mendis ,Badula, Who has given you the figure 40,000 were killed by SL Gov. forces -- this is bloody propargand shit balooned by Tamil diaspora in West and coinfirmed by their paid henchmen in UN and other world bodies - It is unfortunate that donkeies like you all beleive these stories and wants the very people who saved us (Tamils and Sinhalese) from the giprs of LTTE Goons - to be labeled as war criminals - Ali Hassan you are clueless about the reality in SriLanka - so keep your mouth shut - majority in SrlLanka do not care a two cents about UN report - but care more about the freedom we gain -- So BAN KI MOON and UN can make a kite out of 196 pages of their report and fly it from the top floor of their HQ building -- Mr Foreign Minister thank you for your comments - you saw the truth and were courages enough to talk about it - you are a true friend of us
President Nasheed and even the foreign minister had President Rajapaksas' and his administrations' help while they were in exile. MDP and President Nasheed owe a big part of their political success to President Rajapaksa.
Whatever the truth maybe, the current MDP led Maldivian govt cannot objectively vote on this issue, they must abstain and exempt themselves.
Hypocrisy is what this is. Libya conflict is a clear human rights violation and when it comes to condemning Nasheed's buddy Rajapakse, justice to the most horrendous war crimes becomes an exercise of counter productivity?
And if we are to consider this report to be counterproductive, are we to believe that dwelling on Maumoon is counterproductive too?
sri lanka is quite now, let it be quitter, let there be peace. nearly 30 years they burns, tens of thousand of Innocent lives lost, dark days are over now, let them handle their own problems, they can live together, let them find their own mechanism for their problem. they need help to regain their lost beauty. without politics the UN must help them. the world most help them. well done sri lanka.
Srilankans are peaceful people then now and always,it was only those tamil terrorist,who brought terror to all the nationalities in Srilanka including the tamils. UN panels report is bias and also its members,specially NAVALI PILAY who is a tamil herself.It is not surprising that she is highly active on this matter. I cannot blame the moon for this report because he is a puppet on the strings of US,Uk and some EU countries,please mr moon try to dig into us atrocities and human wright violations,in other countries,Afghanistan ,IRAK, PAKISTAN,EGYPT and killing of the OSAMA BINLaHDEN ,where is the justice sirs,leave Srilanka along it needs help right now,not division after three decades of suffering under terrorist hand,now its over give them a chance to breath,appreciate their achievements.
Mahinda Rajapakse is a budding Dictator . He has changed Lankan Constitution .
He is a war criminal and mass murderer. He has put Gen.Fonseka in jail as a war criminal !