ALI SUKHANVER
Now the United Nations has at once started realizing that whatever the Sri Lankan government did to crush the menace of terrorism in Sri Lanka, involved human rights violation. It is very strange that the same UNO which seems in a state of pain and agony at the human rights violations in Sri Lanka could never feel any pain over the Israel’s atrocities against the innocent people of Palestine; it never raised any note of resentment on the whole sale massacre of Muslims in Indian Gujrat and it never takes serious the brutal bloodshed of the helpless Kashmiris at the hands of the Indian forces. A few weeks back Mr.Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights formulated a committee to investigate war crimes committed in Sri Lanka. This committee shall assist a UN team constituted to probe into the matter. According to the details this committee would comprise of three members including Mr. Martti Ahtisaari, Ms. Silvia Cartwright and Ms. Asma Jahangir. The investigation is expected to take ten months after its official commencement. However the Sri Lankan government has rejected the investigative panel.
Talking to the Reuters, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris said the government had not accepted the UN investigations due to concerns over its legality, fairness, and some conflict of interest issues. He further emphasized that Sri Lanka will not cooperate with United Nations’ inquiry into alleged war crimes by government forces and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in the final phase of their 26-year war. According to the Reuters, the UN through a United States-led resolution, last month set an international inquiry into the alleged war crimes and human rights abuses after the island nation’s government had failed to investigate them properly. Sri Lankan government has rejected the allegations. In short the government of Sri Lanka is not happy over this investigation because it is taking this investigation as UN’s interference in Sri Lanka’s internal matters. Unfortunately a very well- reputed, highly skilled and renowned lawyer of Pakistan Ms. Asma Jahangir has also been dragged into the investigation committee as a member. Her presence in the committee would simply damage the cordial relationship between Pakistan and Sri Lanka because the government of Sri Lanka is not delighted at the situation.Pakistan holds Sri Lanka in high esteem as a trust worthy friend under all seasons, so a Pakistani lawyer must not be the member of a committee which is supposed to work in Sri Lanka against the will of the Sri Lankan government.