Confusion prevails among pro-Establishment lobbyists in Geneva

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 March 2013, 16:30 GMT]
While the students of Tamil Nadu and the grassroots among the global Tamil diaspora exposed the danger of the US-proposed, LLRC-based, empty resolution from its very inception in the 22nd UNHRC session, a section of the Establishment-centric lobbyists were pinning hopes on the resolution. However, they were taken aback Tuesday, when they were shown the latest amendments that had been made to the draft, informed sources at Geneva told TamilNet.

While a section of the pro-West lobbyists sought to pass the blame on New Delhi, there were still some arguing that they were happy to have Sri Lanka retained on the agenda of the UNHRC, by seeing the resolution passed.

Some of the lobbyists who have been conditioned so far are now considering to denounce the resolution, citing the amendment in clause (PP2) which unambiguously and explicitly limits the investigation of alleged crimes to the Sri Lankan state itself and citing the significance given to the LLRC process.

Regardless of the dilution of the resolution, the Sri Lankan State has been denouncing it from the very start, an act which in itself explains why the UNHRC is not the right forum to address the issue anymore. “The issue has to be brought to the Security Council and the veto powers have to be pressed by the ground reality of peoples' power to agree within themselves through negotiation,” Tamil activists who have not aligned themselves with any of the Establishments told TamilNet.

“There is no point in continuing the process or harping on dealing with it in inferior forums such as the CHOGM,” they further said.

The latest draft (draft #3) with further dilutions is given below:

• UNHRC Draft Resolution (Amendments version 3)

Chronology:

19.03.13  Confusion prevails among pro-Establishment lobbyis..

19.03.13  Karunanidhi pulls out from New Delhi Establishment

18.03.13  Jayalalithaa urging international investigation cu..

17.03.13  TN readies biers for US resolution, demands genoci..

16.03.13  Karunanidhi indicates quitting GOI if internationa..

16.03.13  US resolution burnt in front of US Embassy in Lond..

15.03.13  Gajendrakumar at UN calls for transitional adminis..

15.03.13  USA continues to harp on implementing Sri Lanka's ..

15.03.13  Colombo executing structural genocide, not reconci..

15.03.13  Tamil Nadu student upsurge gains momentum overcomi..

14.03.13  Kurdish leadership accuses imperialist powers for ..

14.03.13  UNHRC, CHOGM, Regime Change: people’s power has no..

14.03.13  Protest in Australia rejects LLRC-based US resolut..

13.03.13  Tamil Nadu students burn US draft resolution

11.03.13  Student protests across Tamil Nadu intensify again..

11.03.13  Fasting Loyola students arrested by police, protes..

08.03.13  Chennai college students on indefinite hunger-stri..

07.03.13  Learn Lesson and Respond Concretely: ‘LLRC’ for Ta..

07.03.13  USA releases draft resolution for discussion in Ge..

07.03.13  ‘US resolution will not give Tamils justice’: Vaik..

07.03.13  Colombo reaches ‘understanding’ with USA, claims S..

26.02.13  UNHRC heads for structural genocide if Tamil natio..

25.02.13  NZ Tamils raise question on applying SA model to E..

20.02.13  NZ Tamils accuse Obama for doing nothing to check ..

20.02.13  Host CHOGM in New Zealand: Tamil Action Front

05.02.13  TESO urges New Delhi to move for referendum at Gen..

04.02.13  Tamils will lose land forever by failing to addres..

03.02.13  Canadian minister fails to address genocide, annih..

02.02.13  Vanni visit ‘pleases’ British Under Secretary

01.02.13  ‘Slap on the face reception’ to UK Under Secretary..

28.01.13  Visiting US team continues ‘counting trees’ in Jaf..

27.01.13  TESO misrepresents Tamil cause by harping on UNHRC..

25.01.13  Soul searching in India, Obama wipes out tears

06.11.12  UNHRC resolution has failed to exert pressure on C..

14.09.12  ‘UN approach counts trees, conceals sight of fores..

24.04.12  The court of international public opinion

30.03.12  Post-UNHRC needs show of Fourth World solidarity

28.03.12  Norway plays with words on investigation, sees fai..

27.03.12  Eezham Tamil youth in Canada challenge connivance ..

26.03.12  LLRC centered resolution, an albatross around Tami..

25.03.12  Indian ‘cooperation’ stalls OHCHR acting on UNHRC ..

25.03.12  India placates Sri Lanka, claims it had ‘balanced’..

24.03.12  ICG acknowledges crisis but turns out cock-eyed on..

23.03.12  TNPF cautions ‘first step’ myth of UN resolution

22.03.12  Watered-down resolution passes in UNHRC, stops sho..

21.03.12  US-led World Bank loans to Rajapaksa, fortifies Co..

21.03.12  China card misleads Indian public

20.03.12  Centre for Peace and Reconciliation attacked in Ja..

19.03.12  Jayalalithaa blasts New Delhi supporting US-bailou..

19.03.12  India inclined to vote in favour of US resolution:..

19.03.12  Begin next stage of struggle by burning Sri Lankan..

18.03.12  Tamil civil society warned US officials on LLRC da..

18.03.12  ‘LLRC hollow, India must use pressure to secure ju..

16.03.12  Eezham Tamils demonstrate outside US Embassy in Lo..

15.03.12  US resolution offers bailout to Rajapaksa: Brian S..

14.03.12  New Delhi’s ‘historical’ Lanka relations outweigh ..

14.03.12  Onus focuses on India

13.03.12  Boyle warns Tamil diaspora against "Stall and Dela..

12.03.12  LLRC will only legitimise Sinhala occupation of Ta..

12.03.12  Win TV discussion sets Tamil perspective straight ..

11.03.12  Without international investigation accused will b..

11.03.12  We always requested international investigation: T..

11.03.12  LLRC-based resolution extremely disappointing: Gaj..

10.03.12  Tamil Nadu activists caution diaspora of the US-re..

09.03.12  US-resolution inadequate, India should seize oppor..

08.03.12  US-resolution binds Tamils to less than the 13th A..

07.03.12  World socialists reject both US-backed resolution ..

06.03.12  Thousands gather in Geneva denouncing deceptive de..

06.03.12  Tamil Nadu demands India to declare Rajapaksa guil..

06.03.12  Sumanthiran, Sritharan contradict reasoning Geneva..

05.03.12  West has to concede to Tamils its failure of ‘war ..

02.03.12  US demand on Sri Lanka is not enough: UNSG Panel o..

01.03.12  US, Sri Lanka squabble whether hang or slaughter E..

29.02.12  Enragement over US-India stand results in Sumanthi..

27.02.12  SL colonial governor coordinates anti-UN demonstra..

26.02.12  Peace academic denounces US-LLRC formula, urges al..

25.02.12  TNA plans boycotting UNHRC, requests people to rem..

25.02.12  US ‘tables’ Rajapaksa formula while pretending pre..

24.02.12  UNHRC sessions open on Monday amidst US–Sri Lanka ..

18.02.12  TNA tries to sell Indo-US pre-emption to Eezham Ta..

16.02.12  Sumanthiran comes forward to save Rajapaksa from i..

22.01.12  TNA should use its Tamil national mandate: Bishop ..

01.01.12  Majority ITAK members welcome civil society report..

13.12.11  TNA leadership faces admonition from civil society..

Weak UN resolution caused Colombo to sustain lack of political will: Christian clergy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 February 2013, 20:46 GMT]
“What we have seen since the rather weak resolution adopted at the 19th session of the Council is a total lack of political will on the part of the government to implement recommendations therein, such as the call for investigations into allegations of international law during the final stages of the conflict and cooperation with the UN Special Procedures,” said 133 priests of various Christian denominations in the North and East in an appeal to UN Human Rights Council on Monday. They urged the Council not to interpret the problem as ‘lack of capacity’ by the SL State. Despite the deviatory tone in using the terms such as ‘internal self-determination’ and the orchestrated deception of the so-called ‘stronger resolution’, the priests from the gagged country of Eezham Tamils didn't fail in establishing what was taking place on the ground as protracted genocide against the Tamil people.

• Christian clergy call for a strong and action oriented resolution on Sri Lanka at 22nd session of th

“We feel that the killing and disappearance of tens of thousands of Tamil people and actions that are suppressing the Tamil people and community, our culture, religions, language, land in a systematic way before, during and after the war, appears to be done with an intent to destroy us in whole or part, and thus, it is imperative that the international community addresses this seriously even at this late stage,” said the statement signed by the Eezham Tamil Chirstian clergy, which has been addressed to the UNHRC.

“We are convinced that the root cause of these problems is a lack of political will, than the capacity. Hence, it is our firm conviction that technical assistance from the UN in the form of training, advice, financial and material support will not suffice, and may even serve as red herring if not accompanied by more substantive investigative, monitoring and reporting role,” said the appeal addressed to the President and the members of the UN Human Rights Council.

“As a group of concerned Christian clergy living and serving in North and East of Sri Lanka, we are writing to appeal for a strong and action oriented resolution in relation to accountability, reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka, which will go beyond the resolution adopted at the 19th session of the Council.”