TURKISH PROF. ACCUSES UNHRC OF DOUBLE STANDARDS
Leading Human Rights activist Prof. Dr. Mehmut Guzel accused the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of having double standards by not listing the LTTE as a terrorist organization, Sri Lanka Global Forum said.
Our intention is to emphasize that there is no genocide taking place in Sri Lanka as claimed by the Tamil diaspora in Geneva. I screened a video of the farewell accorded to Col. Rathnapriya Bandu by ex-ltteers, and the residents of Kilinochchi
He is a Turkish national, who is a prominent human rights activist, a researcher and an author of a number of academic papers
Sri Lanka Global Forum President Sunil Chandrakumara briefed the UNHRC recently in this regard and referred to how Prof. Guzel was critical of the UNHRC.
“With 32 countries listing the LTTE as a terrorist organization it is only right that stern action is taken against those who financed and assisted it with logistic services for terrorist activities,” he said.
Mr. Chandrakumara said Prof. Guzel had urged the Sri Lankan government to proceed with this argument which could be developed towards an unanimous withdrawal from the HRC resolution 30/1 without any binding to the UN Charter. “Our intention is to emphasize that there is no genocide taking place in Sri Lanka as claimed by the Tamil diaspora in Geneva. I screened a video of the farewell accorded to Col. Rathnapriya Bandu by ex-ltteers, who are now attached to the civil defence force, together with the residents of Kilinochchi at the time of his transfer to Colombo. My full speech is attached for your reference. The Sri Lankan scenario was a fight against terrorism and not a systematic killing of Tamils targeting them as a ethnic group and as such cannot be described as genocide,” Mr. Chandrakumara said at the UNHRC.
Palippody Jeyatheswaran, a Swiss resident, hailing from Eastern Sri Lanka while seeking justice for his father’s assassination by the LTTE became a victim of the LTTE.
He survived an assassination attempt which has confined him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He elaborated the injustice being done by the current Northern Provincial Council headed by the CM Wigneswaran and said the welfare projects proposed by members of the council were turned down to give a wrong impression to the people about the central government. “So the Chief minister controlled by the LTTE diaspora can plant seeds of separatism,” Mr. Jeyatheswaran said.
Tenny Fernando, an Attorney at law and International Criminal Law Panelist explained the application of International Law with regard to Genocide and explained its attributes to prove that no such systematic elimination of Tamil people is taking place in Sri Lanka.
Pathmanaban Manivannan, a minister of the so-called transitional government of Tamil eelam, raised his voice at the time of questions and answers.
Sri Lanka Global Forum attended another event organized by the “International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP)” which was moderated by Yasmin Sooka, a former member of the United Nations Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka.