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Sri Lanka Core Group leader admits Gash reports not submitted to UNHRC
UK hindered war crimes investigation – Naseby tells Bachelet
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Leader of Sri Lanka Core Group, the UK, has suppressed official documents that could have helped the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to establish the truth pertaining to war crimes allegations, including the number of deaths on the Vanni east front in 2009, Lord Naseby has said in a letter addressed to Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Lord Naseby has raised the issue in his capacity as the President of the All Party British-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group. The Conservative politician was responding to the controversial ‘Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka’ that recommended punitive measures against Sri Lanka, ahead of the 46th sessions of the UNHRC due to commence today (22).
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena is scheduled to address Geneva on Tuesday (23).
Lord Naseby, in his Feb 13, 2021, dated letter to Bachelet, has dealt with how the UK, a current member of the UNHRC, in addition to being member of the Sri Lanka Core Group, withheld from the UN body vital wartime dispatches sent to London by the British High Commission in Colombo in 2009.
Other Core Group members are Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, Malawi and Montenegro. The shocking suppression of High Commission dispatches came to light on Feb 16, 2021 when Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, told Parliament that the UK Government had not received any request from the UN Human Rights Council for copies of dispatches written by the former defence attaché at the British High Commission in Sri Lanka, Lieutenant Colonel Gash about events in Sri Lanka related to the civil war, and had not provided any.
Lord Ahmad was responding to Lord Naseby’s query whether the UK government provided to UNHRC any (1) censored, and (2) uncensored, copies of dispatches from Lieutenant Colonel Gash, the former defence attaché of the British High Commission in Sri Lanka about events in that country between 1 January and 18 May 2009 relating to the civil war.
Lord Naseby has tabled the question on Feb 4, 2021.
Lord Naseby told The Island that he had to invoke the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to secure ‘Gash reports’ to secure documents though the UK held back some while even the released documents were censored. Gash reports disputed UN Panel of Experts (PoE) primary claim that the Vanni offensive claimed the lives of 40,000 civilians. Gash reports estimated the number of dead, both civilians and LTTE combatants at 7,000.
The UNHRC consists of 47 countries divided into five categories : African States( 13 seats),Asia-Pacific States( 13 seats), Latin American and Caribbean States( 8 seats), Western European and other States( 7 seats) and Eastern European States( 6 seats).
The following is the relevant section from Lord Naseby’s assessment of Bachelet’s report: “The UK government has the evidence of the UK Defence Attaché Lt. Col. Gash during his period of service in Sri Lanka. Following a Freedom of Information Request from me which took nearly 3 years, Col. Gash’s dispatches from the war front are now, in heavily redacted copies, in the public domain. There is ample evidence in these dispatches that Sri Lanka’s government at the time and its armed forces did not have a policy to kill Tamil civilians, indeed they went out of their way to rescue them with considerable success despite danger and losses to themselves. Removal of the redactions might well make it even clearer. By not providing these dispatches in un-redacted form, the British Government is hindering the process of establishing the truth of what really happened at the end of the Sri Lanka conflict.”
Lord Naseby’s Office told The Island that Lord Naseby prepared his own independent analysis of Bachelet’s report and sent it directly to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UNHRC in Geneva. In addition, as the UK was the lead member of the core group on UNHRC Resolution 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1 on Sri Lanka, copies had also been sent to Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab MP and Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Lord Naseby’s Office said that the Lord had personally written to the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, to give due consideration for the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and the UK, especially as both countries were founding members of the Commonwealth. Lord Naseby had mentioned that it was more important than ever, especially in the midst of a pandemic that the UK continued to engage positively with Sri Lanka at every level and to support and strengthen peace and reconciliation amongst all communities.
Lord Naseby disclosed Gash’s reports on Oct 12, 2017. Sources said that Sri Lanka, too, refrained from requesting the UK to submit Gash reports though a section of the media repeatedly underscored the importance of them.
The suppression of vital documents came to light in the wake of Sri Lanka Core Group declaring its intention to present a unilateral resolution to promote ‘reconciliation, accountability and human rights’ in Sri Lanka.
The following is the text of the statement issued by the British HC in Colombo over the weekend: “The Core Group pays tribute to the people of Sri Lanka and wishes to highlight our ongoing commitment to accountability, reconciliation, and inclusive peace in Sri Lanka.
We recognize and welcome the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka in rebuilding infrastructure, demining, land return and resettling internally displaced persons. However, it is clear that more needs to be done to address the harmful legacies of war and build a sustainable peace in the country.
This month, the United Nations Human Rights Council will consider an important report recently published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on human rights, reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka.
It has been important for the Core Group to work collaboratively and constructively with the Government of Sri Lanka over the last five years. Consequently, we have engaged with the Government of Sri Lanka in preparation for the Council.
The Core Group restates the ongoing importance of addressing Sri Lanka in the Human Rights Council. Informed by the report, the Core Group intends to present a resolution to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
