War criminal Rajapaksa to visit Perth

October 21, 2011
Issue 
Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Several prominent Australian human rights advocates have called for protests when Sri Lanka’s “war criminal” president, Mahinda Rajapaksa comes to Perth in late October to attend the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The Rajapaksa government is guilty of committing “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity,” said Professor Damien Kingsbury, the director of the Centre for Citizenship, Development and Human Rights at Deakin University. Kingsbury spoke at an international conference on “Accountability In Sri Lanka: Common Justice In The Commonwealth” in Sydney on October 20.

There is “widely accepted evidence” that about 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in 2009, largely through “systematic shelling of populated areas” in the closing weeks of the Sri Lankan governments war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). The LTTE had previously controlled parts of the north and east of the country.

Kingsbury said there is also credible evidence of thousands of killings and disappearances. He said this was enough evidence for a case to be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by a signatory state of the ICC convention.

Kingsbury also said there was also a precedent for CHOGM to suspend Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth until it was brought to account for these crimes.

He joined several other speakers at the conference in a call for protests to be held against Rajapakse when he comes to CHOGM.



These speakers included former Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bruce Haigh, the Catholic Bishop of Canberra Pat Power, the Uniting Church’s Reverend John Barr, the Director of the Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies Jake Lynch and Australian president of the International Commission of Jurists and former NSW Attorney-General John Dowd.

Several international guest speakers also added their voice to the protest call, among them two Malaysian opposition MPs, Dato Johari Abdul and M. Manogaram.

Haigh and Dowd said current Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, former admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, should be sent back because there was enough evidence of his responsibility for war crimes.

The International Commission of Jurists had sent its evidence of Samarasinghe’s human rights abuses to the Australian Federal Police.

The conference was organised by the Australian Tamil Congress and the Global Tamil Forum. Conference spokesperson Sam Pari said: “Despite mounting evidence of war crimes in Sri Lanka and increasing calls for an international independent investigation into such crimes, Sri Lanka continues to be defiant.

“Sri Lankan leaders are due to attend CHOGM to campaign for CHOGM 2013 to be held in their country. However, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already stated that he is likely to boycott CHOGM 2013 if Sri Lanka was to host the event, given the country’s appalling human rights record.

“Sri Lanka is also competing with Australia to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” she added.

Comments

He should not be allowed in to australia if he makes it we should be shame.He killed somany innocent tamils in sri lanka it is called genocide australia should arrest him.
The world leaders and the International community have failed to understand the Tamils' freedom struggle and their sufferings under the successive Sinhala regimes since independence. Without an independent investigation of war crimes and crimes against huamnity, no truth will come out. The Rajapakse regime is involved in a malicious propaganda against the Tamils and to cover up their state forces war crimes and crimes against humanity. Only human rights organizations and true human rights activists are demanding for an independent international war crimes investigation in Sri Lanka. Certain leaders are supporting Sri Lanka due to their cozy relationship despite gross human rights violations are committed against Tamil. Prof. Craig Scott's artile "Taking Tea with Torturers" provides details cozy relations are more important than human rights and war crimes.
Despot rajapakse goverment should be brought to international criminal court and punished. rajapakse government is practicing dictatorship in the name of democracy rajapakse government is keeping on blatantly denying the aligations and accusations. srilanka should be kicked out from commonwealth, it is shame to have srilanka in commonwealth.
srilankan rajapakse government say they are commited to resolve minority tamil's issues. is this how do they do it democraticaly? a) to kill and rape the minorities? b) have no respect for human beings? c) burn your opponents alive? d) white van abduction? e) grease man assaulting the innocent tamil women? f) have no accountablities g) have no responsiblities h) keep on denying the the fact and truths I) have no respect to people who follow other religions J)kill the minorities in the name of war against rebels? k)abduct and remove kidneys ,liver other vital organs from innocent tamils including todlers L)malign innocent minority tamils as terrorist. M)practice dictatorship in the name of democracy
As someone who considers myself to be firmly liberal and on the left, I believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. In that regard, I find it a farce that article refers to the president of Sri Lanka as a war criminal. Allegations are just that - allegations, they do not presume guilt on anyone. This publication has turned into a mouthpiece for the Tamil Tigers and similar extremists.
every day, tamils lands are grabbed and given to sinhalese, how they do it??? becuase the international community turns a blind eye to atricities on tamils and other minorities in sri lanka. the buddhists in sri lanka (a special variety of budhists) believe the land is thiers all others must leave or die r subject to supremacy and slavery. the world is full of hypocricy, LTTE was a result of these mockeries, they had no choice to fight terror by terror and went to extreames as well, now they are gone, these sinhala budhist terrors are striking tamils every day in every sphere of life: - fishing permit for tamils in the north, - oil plundering of the north, - cement manufacturing taken lime from the peninsula, - taking the sand from jaffna for other areas, - take lands for miltary families and other sinhala settle ments, - put a wedge between the north and south continuity land wise with sinhala new village, - building budha statues and temples all over the north and east. - still abusing women and childrne in the north and treat them like prisoners in a big jail. - 100000 army and 400000 people.....big military occupation tamil race ever have to face in ther racial history. keeo meeting and talking and have sandwiches too pathetic situation....
Canada responsible for Tamils becoming refugees: NDP parliamentarian http://openparliament.ca/politicians/irene-mathyssen/?page=31 Petitions April 22nd, 2009 Madam Speaker, I have three petitions today. The first petition is from the Tamil community of London, Ontario who petition the Parliament of Canada as residents of Canada. The Government of Canada must recognize the humanitarian crisis arising from the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, facilitate emergency visas for family members, and lead the international community in initiating a peace process. These community members have asked their government as Canadians to stand with them to end this humanitarian crisis.
Canadians of Tamil descent came by the thousands to Ottawa to beg their country, to beg their Prime Minister to do something, to say something in the desperate hope that the slaughter of their families would end. The Prime Minister did nothing.
The war is over-be happy for it. Fight back in a democracy, much better way to get what you want. Google the LTTE logo and tell me that they were fighting for human rights!
He brought peace to Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan President is War Crime and he should not be allowed into our country - Australia
To Mr Peter Boyle, The president has not been convicted in any court so he is entitled to presumption of innocence just like any other person. Ignorance is one thing but stupidity is another. To all the other HR advocates, where were you when LTTE was committing atrocities using suicide bombers and child soldiers? Not only you did not make such cries then but you happily funded them to commit more crimes, didn't you. Now, you are angry because your so called 'thalaivar' is no more.
an independent voice committed to human rights that may be the what this paper is proclaiming to be. But i am outraged that you can claim to label a world leader as guilty without the full facts. The president has not gone through a court of law and been found guilty of any of the actions that are claimed in this so called unbiased report. What a shame that the media doesn't keep its neutrality and ensure that the news is reported by facts, rather then being swayed by the authors personal emotion. I am truly disappointed in this article.
If America and such other nations can kill and rape so many innocent people in muslims countries for no reason:-P, why cant president Rajapaksha kill the (LTTE) for the sake of his own nation to bring peace to his country? Nobody can question against srilankan president. Coz no one is perfect in this world to investigate. Let them wipe their own sins before they go and find on others:-P. Peace and War cannot lie together.
either it be them or srilanka its a war crime what if same sin happen to your mother and your sister raped and killed before your eyes for the sake of peace will you accept it . Srilanka isnt it shame full for a country were Buddhism is preached and followed can your heart acccept these sins i don't know weather you had good sleep after seeing those videos..Brother its one world pls pls accept the fact ...
Its a country like srilanka were Buddhism is preached..were its own country men rapes and kills girls.. kills humans ruthlessly makes him nude for the last journey..its not really sad to see those videos BROTHER. . doesnt it haunt you in your sleep...pls wake up its time to answer..

You need Green Left, and we need you!

Green Left is funded by contributions from readers and supporters. Help us reach our funding target.

Make a One-off Donation or choose from one of our Monthly Donation options.

Become a supporter to get the digital edition for $5 per month or the print edition for $10 per month. One-time payment options are available.

You can also call 1800 634 206 to make a donation or to become a supporter. Thank you.