“Those who supported the war efforts unconditionally do have the moral responsibility towards the Tamil community. US and UN failed to act decisively to prevent civilian causalities.”
05 May 2011,
Mano Ganesan, the leader of the Democratic Peoples Front (DPF), who was once named by then US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, in a statement issued on Wednesday, reminded the Tamils that the visiting US Asst Secretary Robert Blake was instrumental in providing US government’s unconditional support to the war waged by the Sri Lankan state against Tamils.
The “US government wanted put out a savior impression. But in real it did not bother about the Tamil civilian causalities,” Mr. Mano Ganesan said. “International community should act decisively with the GoSL. It is time that US assistant state secretary for central and south Asia affaires Robert O Blake lives upto his earlier ambassadorial preaching. He should not mislead the Tamils again.”
“Those who supported the war efforts unconditionally do have the moral responsibility towards the Tamil community. US and UN failed to act decisively to prevent civilian causalities.”
“The aftermath conditions of the UNSG’s panel report today is based on two fundamentals. One is the accountability issue. The other is the opening for political solution. The war has been won but it has further polarized Sri Lankans on ethnic lines. It can be cured only by a sincere political solution,” the statement by Mr. Mano Ganesan said.
Full text of the statement follows:
Government was all set for the complete implementation of the 13th amendment immediately after war was the key notion propagated by US assistant state secretary Robert O Blake. Mr. Blake, then US ambassador in Sri Lanka misled Tamils of this country with this notion says DPF leader Mano Ganesan in the brief statement issued by DPF media office. Ganesan who was once named by then US state secretary Condoleezza Rice as Freedom Defender with a human rights award said further in the statement,
Throughout the war ambassador Blake was preaching on 13th amendment and further follow up through the All party conference. He even went to Chennai to lecture Sri Lanka activists there on 13th amendment and political solution. He was assuring us a new era with 13 plus. It was technically the justification for the US support to the war efforts. Now even after the war and it’s devastation, Tamils in this country are nowhere near 13th amendment.
Throughout the war years, we were campaigning for the safety and security of the civilians. We of the Civil Monitoring Commission stood against the extra judicial killings and abductions to the best of our ability amidst personal threats to our lives. The freedom defender award of the US came to me then. Ambassador Blake was instrumental for this.
But the award did not change anything but made me more vulnerable. We had to cancel a public presentation event and Blake was forced to present me the award in his office room with his personal staff. We later realized that the award was a propaganda blitz. US government wanted put out a savior impression. But in real it did not bother about the Tamil civilian causalities. Their support to the war was unconditional.
Had the last minute attempts to halt the war by US led sections of international community succeeded, it would not have saved the people in the Wanni but would have protected some of the remaining LTTE leaders. It was too late for the civilians. By then the war had reached the point of no return. So again it was another propaganda blitz to appease the protesting Diaspora Tamils.
The aftermath conditions of the UNSG’s panel report today is based on two fundamentals. One is the accountability issue. The other is the opening for political solution. The war has been won but it has further polarized Sri Lankans on ethnic lines. It can be cured only by a sincere political solution.
Those who supported the war efforts unconditionally do have the moral responsibility towards the Tamil community. US and UN failed to act decisively to prevent civilian causalities. They can never bring back the lost lives. There is only a conciliatory path available. It is the political solution.
International community should act decisively with the GoSL. It is time that US assistant state secretary for central and south Asia affaires Robert O Blake lives upto his earlier ambassadorial preaching. He should not mislead the Tamils again.
TN