Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 21 Sept  2015

Rama Honoring the little Squirrel (project) that helped  build the Bridge to Reach True Love
anustoriesforchildren

 http://krishna.org/nasa-images-discover-ancient-bridge-between-india-and-sri-lanka/

Space images taken by NASA reveal a mysterious ancient bridge in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. The recently discovered bridge currently named as Adam’s Bridge is made of chain of shoals, c.18 mi (30 km) long.

The first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka date back to the Stone Age, about 1.750.000 million years ago. These people are said to have come from the South of India and reached the Island through a land bridge connecting the Indian subcontinent to Sri Lanka named Adam’s Bridge. This is related so in the epic Hindu book of Ramayana.

Capital Punishment & War Crimes

As per latest reports – Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has declared that  the Death Penalty would be introduced from next year with the approval of Parliament. My immediate thought was the agony over the death of Bali 9 leaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. Myuran was Australian of Sri Lankan Tamil origin.

During the time we were fighting against the Death Penalty for Australians in the custody of Indonesian authorities – an Australian Sinhalese asked me why I was asking more for Myuran instead of fighting in common for both Andrew and Myuran.  I responded that it was because Myuran was family and part of the Tamil Community. This may seem Discriminatory to some – for example – the above Sinhalese. But I was being True to myself. I was also beyond the reach of the legal system that failed to uphold my investment in Equal Opportunity laws. Instead I am now a facility from which other victims draw strength.  

I needed to access my own Truth – not only to do my best to prevent death through an unjust process but more to uphold the dignity of the Sovereignty of a fellow being. I believe that by using Truth – I was purifying that process so the souls would merge with their Origin more quickly. Some of us who believe in rebirth would see it as the soul achieving a higher status of Independence,  in its next life/manifestation.

It is true that it would be good to work for the whole in common but I felt that I could access my own powers of Truth – more quickly and effectively through the pathway along which the victim and I traveled together. As per my own experience, this usually invokes Natural Powers to come to my support. I use it as a last resort – AFTER exhausting the legitimate official pathway in that environment. This means I become a facility from then on.

We work for Money, People and Ownership. Those in Governance positions need to be able to work more for Ownership than for money and status to act as facilities. If I had therefore ‘thought’ first – instead of feeling first – there would have been a component of Money and Status in the Cause of my actions. To that extent I had the obligations to use the official system. That is largely the ‘Institutional’ approach – including by the Human Rights Commission here in Australia.

Once we are in ownership mode – feelings happen first. The power of feelings is Universal and as per my observations – Andrew also shared in my feelings for Myuran through his own feelings for Myuran and v.v. That is how the network of Faith works.

As per published reports in relation to the stand taken by the President of Sri Lanka:

[Human Rights Activist and Attorney-at-Law Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa told The Sunday Leader that even though Sri Lanka has not ratified the ICCP second optional protocol, the country has ratified the Optional Protocol of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and we recognises the right to life. “Despite the capital punishment is there in the country’s Constitution, the Supreme Court has recognised the right to life. In 2010, when the proposal was tabled in Sri Lankan parliament to implement the capital punishment and consent was given by all the 225 Members of Parliament to implement it, the then government was hesitant to implement the death penalty,” he pointed out.

Dr. Mahanamahewa added that at a point where the country is given focus by the international community, even Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera had told the international community that death sentence will not be implemented with reference to the recent incident of rape and murder of the five-year-old girl. He further added that at present there are 638 convicted prisoners who are ‘on the death floor’ under the capital punishment, and he questioned from where the punishment will begin if the capital punishment is implemented in the next year. He added that it is the State’s obligation to recognise the right to life.]

The UNHCR report is officially valuable to all Sri Lankans only to the extent we have had access to global resources. Otherwise it is valid only to the Government as per its agreement. Beyond that the value is personal to each individual as per their own true investment in global values. There ought to be no trade-offs between the UN and the Sri Lankan Government in areas where Sri Lanka lacks official structures and systems through which to relate to global standards.

When we are driven to work for  money and/or status – we have to go in search of them – ideally through a structured pathway. When we are driven by ownership we would limit ourselves to the money and status that come naturally to us. Whether it be the UN or any other Human Rights Commission – or the Courts – including the proposed Hybrid Court – to hear Human Rights violations – the resources must happen voluntarily – for the activity to qualify as Service. Whenever I was approached by Tiger supporters for funds – my response was that I was happy to prepare project reports that would lead them to good governance but that I was not ready to give them money. To the extent  the Tamil Tigers limited themselves to the resources that came their way – they are heroes – contributing to the Independence of Sri Lanka from its own base desire for money. Both sides to the war failed in the mission of Independence because they were driven by money in its various forms.

As per The Island article of 20 September under the heading ‘Govt. asks UN, US to allow it to conduct domestic probe sans hybrid court’ by  Jayasuriya Udukumbura and Percy Kuruneru:

[The UN Human Rights Council report recommended involving international experts in probing the alleged war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE.]

A genuine read of the Report – driven by belief in the UN Values – would confirm that the UNHCR discoveries of breaches by the Sri Lankan Armed forces  were far greater than its discoveries of LTTE  breaches. To my mind, this is due to the recognition of the genuine reason that caused the Tamil Community to rebel in various forms – of which the armed struggle was only one. Had the LTTE actions  been merely to defend the attacks on Tamils – such would have been non-violent. But then – it is highly unlikely that Sri Lankan Government would have had the ear of the UN nor access to the International purse – which eventually resulted in money-swollen Government in Sri Lanka.  

The UNHCR report is the confirmation that the Twin of the International money – International status – came with it. The latter  took a long time to manifest not only because of Sri Lankan Government’s weaknesses but also the UN’s weaknesses in relation to its own mandate.

As per the above article:

[The government had requested the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and US State Department to allow it to conduct a domestic war crimes probe instead of setting up a hybrid court with international judges, Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday

The government had handed over copies of the written request to the high commissions and embassies in Colombo to be sent to the heads of state of the 47-member states of the UNHRC, the Minister told The Island………………………………..

The SLFP CC has decided that it will stand for the unitary status and sovereignty of the country and protect everyone who dedicated themselves to liberate the country from terrorism.

National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa has made a request to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to allocate a date next week to debate the report.

The NFF leader handed over a letter to the Speaker saying that the UNHRC in a report released on Sept 16 had condemned the Lankan security forces by levelling number of accusations against them. Weerawansa has said: "The UNHRC has also proposed to set up a hybrid court, a branch of the International Criminal Court to conduct investigations. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his address to the 30th Session of the UNHRC has favoured the establishment of such a mechanism. This indicated that there is already a consensus within the government ranks to set up a war crime tribunal. This is a serious issue. Such a court comprising international judges could be established in only colonies ruled by another nation. We propose that a branch of International Criminal Court should not be set up in Sri Lanka under the name of Hybrid court," the motion seeking for the approval for the parliamentary debate."]

The way Sinhalese Parliamentarians interpret the Global report and the way Leaders in Global Governance interpret that report are different. Where there is belief in the local system the two would merge Naturally – as genuine believers in God through various religions do merge. It is understandable that Sinhalese Political parties would express their One-Way thoughts in Parliament – as both SLFP and NFF mentioned above have done. But before it leaves the Parliament – if needs to have the parallel ‘free expression of emotions’ by the Tamil National Alliance – the only party that has the mandate to represent the LTTE, its families and the Community that LTTE was part of. If there is even One Independent Tamil – the TNA has the DUTY to require the Parliament/Government – to include its feelings in this. Without such balancing force – the statement is emotional expression at its best. They come into the Parliament as emotions. When they leave Parliament – they need to be consolidated knowledge for them to form the basis of Common Administration.

If the Death Penalty for Drugs is to be presented to Parliament – there is greater need for this decision regarding establishment of Hybrid Court to be first presented to Parliament. In addition – it needs to go through the local parallel of the UNHRC in Sri Lanka – the Human Rights Commission, Sri Lanka. Going by my experience with Australian Human Rights Commission, and nothing else to override my assessment of these Commissions -  I conclude that the Sri Lankan parallel exists more for Employment than for genuine Service – Independent of the Government.

Humanitarian Service through official structures is for  protecting the Fundamental Rights of those who do not have the protection of the Laws applicable to their area of the world. The Service must go voluntarily to those who need such protection and no more. Individuals do not need such official structures nor the authority of the law. They need their conscience awareness which would Naturally connect them and guide them. If the laws were just and the service providers were genuine – their work would naturally merge with all those who provide ‘Good Governance’ at various levels.

Often quid pro quos result in blocking this passage between the two. In terms of the Sri Lankan proposal of Compassionate Council - I suggested that places of worship be established at local levels to hear the needy in this regard. The Sri Lankan Government needs to go to them. It should not be a trade-off for  eliminating  the proposal for a Hybrid Court.

The Death Penalty if activated, dilutes the Government’s investment in Democracy – due to top-down application as if the Head of the Government is god and the Judiciary are saints. It is now public knowledge that the Sri Lankan Judiciary failed to protect itself  from the Executive government and therefore lacked the Independence to uphold and protect Human Rights. A Judiciary is capable of protecting the Sovereignty of its people only to the extent it protects its own Sovereignty. Until then – the Sri Lankan Judiciary would lack the moral authority to hear Human Rights matters – especially those that involve the death penalty. Local Inquiry is NOT an alternative to the Hybrid Court for this reason.

Like in the case of Indonesia –Death Penalty is a dangerous weapon in the hands of Governments with disorderly armed forces.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is confirmed to be serious about Zero Base Budgeting, Transparency and Project Based local governance – by engaging with Indian Government in relation to Roads and Bridges that would seriously reduce Sinhalese fears of Indian ‘takeover’ through Tamils. Where there are quid pro quos there needs to be Transparency. Where there is ownership there needs to be confidential sharing and no showing.