A newspaper item appeared yesterday in the Daily Mirror (December 21, 2006) reporting that a press release from your office stated:
“…that the Human Rights Organization based in Hong Kong, is a small organization representing the LTTE as a habit and that the charges against her appointment, were made by it (sic).”
Since it is well publicised that the initial complaint to UNESCO was made by the Asian Human Rights Commission we must assume that the comments in the press release refers to us. Therefore we are writing to ask you to justify the following phrase:
“…representing the LTTE as a habit
.”
We call for you to cite even a single instance in which the Asian Human Rights Commission has made representation of any sort on behalf of the LTTE or, for that matter on behalf of any political organisation or any shade.
In order to assist you kindly refer to all the representations we have made to United Nations bodies, the government of Sri Lanka and other forums which are made available in the following websites: http://www.alrc.net/doc/ which gives all the representations we have been making to the UN Human Rights Commission by way of written and oral submissions for several years. Also you may look at www.ahrchk.net which gives Urgent Appeals, reports and all our other publications.
We challenge you to cite even a single instance to support the claim made in the press release.
If the claim so made is blatantly false would it be wrong to infer that by making such a false claim you are trying to give political colourings to the allegations made against you, which are about gross violations of human rights of many persons, gross abuse of power for your personal benefit, and gross abuse of media freedom.
Did not the United Nations Human Rights Committee examining a similar allegation made by you regarding another citizen express in their findings in Communication No. 916/2000 on 22nd July, 2002 hold that:
The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts as found by the Committee reveal a violation by Sri Lanka of article 9, paragraph 1, of the Covenant.
and requested Sri Lanka as the state party to provide an adequate remedy for the violation done by you (as the then) head of state.
What norms and standards do you reflect when making such wild allegations, which are wholly fabricated and which put the lives and the reputation of others at risk?
Is it wrong for us to conclude in the light of the completely fabricated allegations you have made regarding our organisation, in the light of the views expressed by the Human Rights Committee as referred to above and in the light of well published accusations by others including Victor Ivan in his book Choura Raegina, which have not been addressed by you, about such wild allegations made in TV broadcasts and other statements against others perceived as your opponents, whose lives were put to risk by similar statements, like for example, the burning of the house of the internationally respected film actress, Anoja Weerasinghe, that you in fact, have a habit of engaging in such practices. If so, how do you justify your right as a politician and a person to hold a senior consultancy post with a globally respected organisation such UNESCO?
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission
For our earlier statement on this issue please refer to: http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/796/
