Wednesday, 1 February 2012, 3:37

Kana Peram

USA has always played a game of double standards.
Why this double standards?
The minutes taken in the Jaffna citizens group’s meeting with the US officials, sent by a participant, follow:
Position of the US state Department on the possibilities of passing resolution against Sri Lanka during March, 2012 at UN Human Rights Council was categorically clarified by officials of the US States Department on 22.01.2012. View points and the advise given by them follow:
There is no possibility of a resolution against Sri Lanka at the next HRC meeting in March 2012
There is no sufficient pressure or request from the affected people for resolutions on war crime investigation.
No reference will be made to UN Panel report, War Crime or International Inquiry at any discussion at this session.
There may be only a small step on SL conflict at the next meeting.
At the maximum, they may refer to the positive side of the LLRC report and request Sri Lanka to take measures to implement the recommendations therein.
There is a big gap in the required pressure given to State Dept. to push for any resolution.
The position of the State Department is that the LLRC report is fine, except for the war crime aspects.
State Dept. will be satisfied if GOSL initiate action to implement the recommendations in the LLRC report.
In any case, finally, the solution has to be an internal one. Categorically there will not be any outside intervention of any sort.
If at all any external intervention, it will be only in the form of any support to the internal mechanism to implement the recommendations.
State Dept. is not interested in instituting accountability mechanism.
State Dept. feels and advises that why can’t the Tamil community forge partnership with southern progressive elements and pressurize the government?
They also feel and advise that why can’t the TNA reach out to the South and initiate a process which will pave for the majority to present the case of the minority to the Govt.
Last time even the 17 countries that had signed the petition for a resolution withdrew at the final stage.
The New Democracies are not in favor of such resolutions and forget about Russia and China.
US States Dept. will approach slowly, only step by step, and it will be of long term in nature.
Officials of the State Department are advised to not to antagonize the GOSL
Officials of the State Dept. were not interested in listening about War Crime and International inquiry.