Lanka web: Sri Lanka: Friday, August 17, 2018.
Foreign
Ministry has refrained from responding to a query whether it would brief the
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) as regards wartime British High
Commission dispatches that cleared the Sri Lankan military of alleged massacre
of 40,000 civilians on the Vanni east front.
Sri Lanka
brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009.
The Island
recently sought clarification in this regard from C.A.H.M. Wijeratne, Senior
Director General (Legal) in accordance with the Right to Information (RTI) Law
enacted early last year. Wijeratne recently received approval from the
parliamentary High Posts Committee to take up appointment as Sri Lanka’s
Ambassador to Poland.
British High
Commission dispatches from its Defence Attache Lt. Colonel Anthony Gash’s
Office during January-May 2009, placed the number of maximum killed at 8,000
with one fourth of them being LTTE cadres. They were placed before the House of
Lords in Oct last year.
The Island
submitted the following query to the Foreign Ministry: The HRCSL is in the
process of vetting SLA personnel assigned for UN missions in various parts of
the world. One hundred and one SLA personnel are awaiting clearance since early
March this year to join UN mission in Lebanon. The Island learns that the HRCSL
has not been officially informed of British military dispatches therefore still
goes by unsubstantiated original accusations. May I ask whether the Foreign
Ministry intends to brief the HRCSL in this regard?
The Foreign
Ministry has sent us the following response: “The HRCSL was requested to carry
out the local civilian screening process required for the deployment of
personnel as required by UN Secretary General’s decision No 2012/18. The
Foreign Ministry made available a copy UN document that dealt with human rights
screening process of UN personnel.
However, the
Foreign Ministry desisted from responding to the specific query regarding its
duty to brief the HRCSL in respect of fresh information.
Meanwhile, a
senior military official yesterday told The Island that the armed forces were
awaiting the finalization of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) meant to
govern the deployment of officers and men under UN command. Speaking on
condition of anonymity, the official said that they (the military) along with
HRCSL recently had a video conference with Geneva and New York based officials
to discuss the available draft. “We are concerned about some aspects of the
original draft and,therefore, certain amendments were suggested. We are
confident an agreement can be reached soon to enable the HRCSL to begin the
vetting process.”
A major
section of the 150-man 12th Force Protection Company (FPC) assigned for United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) is awaiting the completion of the
clearance process. The group comprising 101 personnel was originally scheduled
to leave on March 6, 2018.
The UNFIL
mission consists of troops from Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR), Sri Lanka
Engineers (SLE), Sri Lanka Signal Corps (SLSC), Mechanized Infantry Regiment
(MIR), Commando Regiment (CR), Special Forces (SF), Corps of Engineer Services
(CES), Sri Lanka Army Service Corps (SLASC), Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
(SLAMC), Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME), Sri Lanka Army
Ordnance Corps (SLAOC), Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP) and Sri
Lanka Army General Service Corps (SLAGSC).
SLA joined
UNFIL mission in 2010, a year after the conclusion of the conflict. Since then,
11 contingents has served there.
Responding to
The Island query the official said that the military appreciated the HRSCL was
in charge of the vetting process. Pointing out that previously contingents had
been vetted by the UN, the official said that once consensus could be reached
on SOP vetting process could be accelerated.