United States Assistant Secretary Robert O Blake was on a twitter Q&A session on Tuesday. He invited those who were following him to ask questions.
The session lasted 30 minutes and Mr. Blake was highly pleased with the way the Q&A went on and pledged to have similar Q&As in the future.
Among those who fielded questions was a the Sunday Times deputy editor and head of the newspaper's International Desk, Ameen Izzadeen. Some pointed questions were raised, among which were;
Question: MRT @ameenizzadeen Is the presence of China in Sri Lanka unsettling the US? Is it a factor that led to the Geneva resolution on Lanka?
Answer:.@ameenizzadeen China can play helpful development role; have good dialogue with China; China not reason for Geneva resolution
Question: MRT @beccaposey: Can u share how ur working to make trafficking in persons/forced labor a policy priority in regions you work with?
Answer. Pls'd with progress in India, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, & Sri Lanka. We all must cooperate to end TIP!
Question: MRT @srilanka: Why no one cares to explain what is this resolution and why it is important or not to #srilanka citizenry? cits have no clue
Answer: .@srilanka - the res. is under discussion; great opportunity for #SriLanka to describe what it intends to do to implement the LLRC's recs
Q: MRT @innercitypress: What does US say to Asia Group mulling backing Gen Shavendra Silva as #UN adviser, & #BanKiMoon being silent?
Answer: .@innercitypress Appointment was inappropriate given lack of independent investigation into end of war circumstances
Question: MRT @mhmhisham: political Qs aside, I'd love to hear from @State_SCA what he misses the most of #lka
Answer: .@mhmhisham I miss the friendliness and hospitality of the Sri Lanka people. Greetings to all my friends at SYLP! Hope u r prospering!...
Question: MRT @bav3: Obama said 'world should not be idle when #genocide happens'. Why no action to save #Tamils not only n 2009 but 4 60 yrs?
Answer: @Bav3 US has been very active to encourage reconciliation and accountability. See http://ow.ly/9kWBt
Here are Mr. Blake's answer to some other questions:
Question: Don't you think that India is undermining the sanctions regime against Iran by ramping up trade engagement?
Answer:.@roops78 We continue to have a good dialogue with many countries, including India, on the Iran sanctions. India valued partner.
Question: RT @swatisave: #AskSCA What does public service mean to you?
Answer: @SwatiSave A chance to serve my country and to make a positive difference in the lives and welfare of others
On Maldives: Also back from #Maldives. Encouraged parties are talking; hope they can agree on date for early elections.
On Education: Have over 100,000 students in the US from India alone! Welcome students from all countries.
Sirisena's new book - I swear
it is true
Politicians play many roles apart from their career. Not so long ago, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake, wrote his autobiography. He gave copies to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and even had a book launch in Tokyo.
It's now the turn of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena. Addressing a farewell meeting for a Health Ministry official, Sirisena said he has begun writing a book titled Saththai Atha (I swear, it is True).
Earlier, he had written a book titled Aththa Saththai (The Truth, I swear). That was about his childhood and how to take the correct path.
First family school loses six metres
It was Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa who became the trouble shooter.
The Road Development Authority was widening the road between Tangalle and Beliatta.
The project required demolishing a section of the Carlton Pre-School, part of the property owned by the first family. The RDA came under President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is the Minister of Highways.
RDA officials discussed the matter with the young Rajapaksa. Soon, a six metre stretch of the property was demolished with their consent.
CM recalls
how he got a
thundering slap
Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath told some of his well-wishers that he held a unique record - the most punished person in school.
He was there at a ceremony to open a new building for the Puwakdeniya Maha Vidyalaya in Kegalle. After the event, he was chatting with a group of well-wishers. He said once he lost his hearing for four days. A teacher had slapped him. He was frightened to tell his parents. He feared they would slap him on the other ear.
President's cricket shot injures photographer
President Mahinda Rajapaksa never misses a moment to show how much he values the many old schools he went to. It was from Nalanda Vidyalaya that he went to Thurstan College under special circumstances, but never mind all that.
He took part in ceremonies at Nalanda this week. One was the opening of a new cricket pitch. Told to bat, Rajapaksa noted that if he knew he had to do this, he would have come in a track suit.
When the first ball was bowled by the school's cricket captain, the left hander missed it. The ball delivered could have been called a wide, though. But he hit the second ball, and quite a Sangakkara- like shot it was. The ball hit the leg of a photo journalist who was covering the event.
The next day, the photo journalist turned up to cover the 25th anniversary of the Ravaya newspaper at the BMICH where the President was also present.
He whispered to a colleague "Jandhipathithuma bolen gahala kakula amarui" ( My leg is hurting after the President hit the ball on me). The colleague asked him to note down the event in a diary, because it was historic. (Oka diary eke liyala thiyapan.Wedagath siddiyak ne).The photographer angrily said, "Meya me magulak katha karanwa, mata me kakula ussaganna beriwa innawa" (What nonsense are you talking? I cannot even move my leg).
Will troops monitor austerity measures?
Government Departments have been asked by the Ministry of Finance to adopt austerity measures.
A circular says that Departments should limit the use of air conditioners from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expenses on fuel and electricity, the circular says, should be kept to limits that existed in January this year.
State sector staffers should travel in groups for official purposes and also cut down on telephone bills, the Treasury has said. Among the other measures - cut down on spending for printing cards, diaries and even purchase of newspapers.
An opposition leader was to wryly remark, the thousands of soldiers still mobilised can do the supervision of all these austerity measures, when they are not doing gardening in the city.
Obama effigy burnt
During last Monday’s countrywide demonstrations over the US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva, an effigy of US President Barack Obama was taken in a pick-up truck and later burnt in Chilaw. Among those present at the demonstrations was Acting Foreign Minister Neomal Perera.
Darusman trio's op-ed attack on Lanka
The trio who formed the UN Secretary General's Panel of Experts - Indonesia's Marzuki Darusman, South Africa's Yasmin Sooka and the United States' Steven Ratner - have written an op-ed piece for the New York Times this week.
Their signed article comes, neatly timed as a US-backed resolution at the UN Human Rights Council is in the air. Clearly, the trio have now transformed themselves from inquirers to prosecutors. They also make a pitch for their report vis-à-vis the Sri Lankan LLRC report, which they, in bad taste, foul-mouth.
Here are extracts:
"…… even as the government's military campaign was under way, it became clear that the cost in civilian lives from its attacks on the Tigers was enormous."
" ……. In our report, we found credible evidence that both sides had systematically flouted the laws of war, leading to as many as 40,000 deaths - many multiples more than caused by the strife in Libya or Syria."
Here, it seems the trio are maintaining that 40,000 civilians died though they do not say how they came to that figure.
Then, they go on to say; "The bulk of that total was attributable to deliberate, indiscriminate, or disproportionate governmental attacks on civilians, through massive shelling and aerial bombardment, including on clearly marked hospitals."
After which, they take on the LLRC report, which even foreign governments, including the US have not dismissed.
"Rather than tackling these allegations head-on through a truth commission or criminal investigations, Sri Lanka created a 'Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,' whose mandate, composition and methods all cast serious doubt on its willingness to uncover what really happened in those fateful months.
"When the commission issued its final report last November, it ignored or played down our report's conclusions and characterized civilian deaths as stemming from the army's response to Tamil Tiger shelling or cross-fire - as sporadic, exceptional and mostly inevitable in the heat of battle."
Not satisfied with running down their 'competitor', the LLRC, the trio say; "When it came to proposing next steps for the government, it called for investigations by the same entities - the army and the attorney general - who have a track record of ignoring governmental abuses for decades."
Finally, they ride on the favourable (to them) side of the LLRC report and have this to say; "The report had some welcome elements, too. It recognized some of the root causes of the war, as well as the responsibility of both the government and Tigers for civilian casualties. And it endorsed our view that Sri Lanka had a duty to provide truth, justice and reparations to victims; release detainees; and protect the state's besieged journalists. Yet the fact is that numerous recommendations of prior commissions of inquiry have not been implemented by the government".
The Darusman trio have also praised the US for initiating a move to have a resolution at the UNHRC, just about letting the cat out of the bag as for their impartiality.
Now, for the New York Times to ask the LLRC members to send a signed piece for its op-ed page in the name of balanced reporting, what say?
Shopping spree in Geneva for
Sri Lankans
Last Tuesday, it was shopping time for most members of the Sri Lanka delegation to the UNHRC in Geneva. That was because Syria was slated for discussion at the high level segment on this day.
Some of the 52 members of the delegation were seen carrying gift wrapped and other packages to their rooms at the upmarket Intercontinental Hotel.
One Sri Lankan onlooker said the scene in the public area of the hotel resembled goings on at a five star Colombo hotel. "There were so many Sri Lankans," he said.
Minister Douglas Devananda was seen entertaining the Government Agent of Jaffna to a cup of tea at the lobby lounge. Two well-built white security guards stood close by providing personal protection. He was among those allotted a Mercedes Benz for his travel.
No entry for ministry guards at Diyatalawa
Among the many reasons why Cabinet ministers and government Parliamentarians chose to have their annual business meeting within the confines of the Diyatalawa Military Academy is the protection it affords. The other is confidentiality, said a government source.
However, in the process, it appears that whoever arranged for the event forgot about the personal protection groups of the ministers. No arrangements have been made for their stay. Some ministers were looking for alternative accommodation on Thursday and Friday.
|
E-mail