“Accountability for alleged crimes committed by GSL troops and officials during the war is the most difficult issue on our bilateral agenda. (NOTE: Both the State Department Report to Congress on Incidents during the Conflict and the widely read report by the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) also detailed many incidents of alleged crimes perpetrated by the LTTE. Most of the LTTE leadership was killed at the end of the war, leaving few to be held responsible for those crimes. The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) is holding thousands of mid- and lower-level ex-LTTE combatants for future rehabilitation and/or criminal prosecution. It is unclear whether any such prosecutions will meet international standards. END NOTE.)” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Butenis

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “SECRET” and analysed the issues relates to accountability. The cable was written on January 15, 2010 by the US Ambassador to Colombo, Patricia A. Butenis.

Butenis wrote; “There have been some tentative steps on accountability on the GSL side. Soon after the appearance of the State Department report, President Rajapaksa announced the formation of an experts’ committee to examine the report and to provide him with recommendations on dealing with the allegations. At the end of the year, the president extended the deadline for the committee’s recommendations from December 31 until April. For his part, General Fonseka has spoken publicly of the need for a new deal with the Tamils and other minorities. Privately, his campaign manager told the Ambassador that Fonseka had ordered the opposition campaign to begin work planning a “truth and reconciliation” commission (ref B).”

“These tentative steps notwithstanding,accountability has not been a high-profile issue in the presidential election — other than President Rajapaksa’s promises personally to stand up to any international power or body that would try to prosecute Sri Lankan war heroes. While regrettable, the lack of attention to accountability is not surprising. There are no examples we know of a regime undertaking wholesale investigations of its own troops or senior officials for war crimes while that regime or government remained in power. In Sri Lanka this is further complicated by the fact that responsibility for many of the alleged crimes rests with the country’s senior civilian and military leadership, including President Rajapaksa and his brothers and opposition candidate General Fonseka.” the ambassador further wrote.

We give below the relevant part of the cable;

Related posts to this cable;

WikiLeaks: Sampanthan Doesn’t Discuss ‘War Crimes’ Out Of Fear

VZCZCXRO9281

OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL

DE RUEHLM #0032/01 0151223

ZNY SSSSS ZZH

O 151223Z JAN 10

FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1120

INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2264

RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 9286

RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7541

RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5373

RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3699

RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5298

RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0159

RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0824

RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4420

RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9847

RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 7136

RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0154

RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0001

RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000032

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2020

TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE

SUBJECT: SRI LANKA WAR-CRIMES ACCOUNTABILITY: THE TAMIL

PERSPECTIVE

REF: A. 09 COLOMBO 1180

¶B. COLOMBO 8

COLOMBO 00000032 001.2 OF 003

Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA A. BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)

ACCOUNTABILITY AS A POLITICAL ISSUE

-----------------------------------

¶2. (S) Accountability for alleged crimes committed by GSL

troops and officials during the war is the most difficult

issue on our bilateral agenda. (NOTE: Both the State

Department Report to Congress on Incidents during the

Conflict and the widely read report by the University

Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) also detailed many

incidents of alleged crimes perpetrated by the LTTE. Most of

the LTTE leadership was killed at the end of the war, leaving

few to be held responsible for those crimes. The Government

of Sri Lanka (GSL) is holding thousands of mid- and

lower-level ex-LTTE combatants for future rehabilitation

and/or criminal prosecution. It is unclear whether any such

prosecutions will meet international standards. END NOTE.)

There have been some tentative steps on accountability on the

GSL side. Soon after the appearance of the State Department

report, President Rajapaksa announced the formation of an

experts' committee to examine the report and to provide him

with recommendations on dealing with the allegations. At the

end of the year, the president extended the deadline for the

committee's recommendations from December 31 until April.

For his part, General Fonseka has spoken publicly of the need

for a new deal with the Tamils and other minorities.

Privately, his campaign manager told the Ambassador that

Fonseka had ordered the opposition campaign to begin work

planning a "truth and reconciliation" commission (ref B).

¶3. (S) These tentative steps notwithstanding, accountability

has not been a high-profile issue in the presidential

election -- other than President Rajapaksa's promises

personally to stand up to any international power or body

that would try to prosecute Sri Lankan war heroes. While

regrettable, the lack of attention to accountability is not

surprising. There are no examples we know of a regime

undertaking wholesale investigations of its own troops or

senior officials for war crimes while that regime or

government remained in power. In Sri Lanka this is further

complicated by the fact that responsibility for many of the

alleged crimes rests with the country's senior civilian and

military leadership, including President Rajapaksa and his

brothers and opposition candidate General Fonseka.

Colombo telegraph

இதை எழுதி மூன்று வருடங்கள் கழிந்த நிலையில் இன்றும் போர்குற்றம் இருநாட்டு உறவுகளுக்கும் இடையில் முட்டுக்கட்டையாக இருக்க கூடும்.

 

ஆனால் அதைவிட சரிந்துவரும் சனநாயக விழுமியங்கள், அதிகரித்துவரும் சீன உறவுகள் நிச்சயம் அமெரிக்காவிற்கு அதிகரித்த கவலையை தரும்.