Sri Lanka is not the only country opposing human rights violations reports prepared by the United Nations Secretary General or any agency which had UN blessings. And Sri Lanka is not the only country which has resisted the visit of those in charge of preparing such reports.
There appear to be many parallels as well as contrasts in the manner in which both Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka have reacted.
This was how a Bishkek-datelined Reuter story reported Kyrgyzstan's opposition to a report prepared by an independent group following an initiative by Nordic countries:
"Kyrgyzstan's parliament on Thursday voted to ban the Finnish author of an independent report on last year's ethnic bloodshed from entering the country, saying his findings were a threat to national security.
"Parliamentary deputies declared Kimmo Kiljunen, a former Finnish member of parliament, persona non grata in the volatile Central Asian state after his report implicated Kyrgyz security forces in the ethnic clashes that killed 470 people last June.
"Parliament said in a statement it did not recognise the May 3 report by the Kyrgyz Inquiry Commission, an independent initiative by Nordic countries chaired by Kiljunen and mandated by the government of Kyrgyzstan to investigate the violence.
"Ninety-five of Kyrgyzstan's 120 MPs voted in favour of banning Kiljunen and one abstained. "The government, which agreed with many of the report's final recommendations about future action, must now decide whether to implement parliament's decision. "Kiljunen told Reuters by telephone, 'My primary feeling is pity'. 'We aimed to make an objective analysis of the situation and make recommendations for reconciliation.'
"The June 2010 violence in Kyrgyzstan, which hosts both U.S. and Russian military air bases, was the worst unrest in years to hit the volatile and strategic region of ex-Soviet Central Asia. "Ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks clashed over several days in the south of the country. Many victims were shot or burned inside their homes and 400,000 people fled at the height of the violence.
"The independent, seven-member commission said in its report that certain attacks on Uzbek neighbourhoods in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, if proven beyond doubt in a court of law, would amount to 'crimes against humanity'. It also said political rivalries and fragile state institutions had contributed to 'ethno-nationalism' in the south of Kyrgyzstan. The country's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev had been overthrown in a popular revolt just two months before the clashes.
The commission's findings prompted an outraged, 29-page response from the government, which said at the time the report displayed 'an overwhelming tendency that only one ethnic group has committed crimes'.
"Parliament said in its statement on Thursday that deputies believed the report to be biased and inflammatory. "Kiljunen, who lost his seat in the Finnish parliament in this year's general election, said he was surprised at the response since the government had approved his recommendations, including the need to take a public stand against nationalism.
"They are critical of our analysis, but they agree with our recommendations," he said, adding he had received strong backing for his report from the international community, including the United Nations, European Union, United States and Russia."
Kyrgyzstan's firm 'no' to the visit by Kiljunen figured at Thursday's news conference at the UN headquarters.
When asked about the Kyrgyz move, UN Secretary General's spokesman Martin Nesirky said though the UN extended logistic support, Kiljunen's was not a UN report. He then said the report could be useful.
He also refused to be drawn into any comment when Inner City Press journalist Mathew Lee asked why Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had not reacted to the visit being stopped.
However, Lee in his report posted on his website said Ban's inaction was similar to his reaction to the Sri Lanka war crimes report which, under pressure, he commissioned from a Panel of Experts. "While a recommendation was that Ban initiate an investigative mechanism, Ban immediately said that he cannot or will not do this without a vote by the General Assembly, Security Council or Human Rights Council," Lee points out.
Paradise regained
Western nations issuing advisories to warn their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka is a thing of the past. Sri Lanka today is one of the most sought after destinations by westerners.
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| How the magazine reported Lanka’s gain |
And the future looks bright for Sri Lanka with Tourism Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene revealing that the country's tourism industry has grown by 43 percent while the tourism sector in the rest of Asia saw only a five percent growth.
Now the news from London is sure to add kithul treacle to the minister's cup of buffalo curd.
The news item which said Sri Lanka was named best-value country by the London Sunday Times Travel Magazine under the Value for Money Award category went unreported in the Sri Lanka media.
The magazine says Sri Lanka "has that elusive mix we all crave: high-style heritage hotels, paradise beaches and a low-cost price tag."
Now this should not give any idea to local hoteliers to raise the room rates and kill the golden goose.
Jaffna out of victory parade
Rehearsals for the Victory Day parade held on Friday began two weeks ago. Among those rehearsing were a group of 23 newly-recruited policemen from Jaffna, six of whom were women constables.
On the eve of the parade they were told, that due to security reasons, they had been dropped from the parade, but if they wished they could witness the parade.
UNP concerned about Fonseka's health
As the big Victory Day parade was being held at the Galle Face Green, UNP's Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, Chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera and the party's National Organiser Ravi Karunanayake visited former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka in jail.
The man who had led the troops to victory in 2009 and hailed as the best commander was in his jumper and having meals.
"We felt sorry for Mr. Fonseka and were concerned about his health condition. He complained about breathing problems," Mr. Jayasuriya said.
Fishy case
for court
Ornamental fish, including imported gold fish and carps, which were introduced by two lawyers with their own funds to a pond at the Court Complex in Kandy have gone missing, though the complex is under 24-hour guard throughout the 365 days.
They had provided the imported ornamental fish when they noticed that the pond contained only local varieties of fish.
The gold fish and the carp were of an expensive variety. The carp is valued at Rs. 5,000 each.
Mervyn's Milan mission misfires
Minister Mervyn Silva went to Milan in Italy recently with the intention of joining a group of Sri Lankans who had organized a protest against the report by the UN Panel of Experts.
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| The deputy minister
holds up the garland |
By that time the news of Minister Silva's announcement that he had 25 suicide cadres to safeguard President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been given wide publicity there.
Alerted by this, Italian security officials had started trailing him and kept watch outside his hotel in Milan.
On the day of the protests, the organizers, aware of the Police watch, had decided to abandon him and carry on their protests.
The Minister who was waiting to be picked up and taken to join the protest was left kicking his heels. Later he returned to Sri Lanka a disappointed man.
Prawn garland for deputy minister
State Resources and Enterprises Development Deputy Minister Sarath Gunaratne recieved a rare and tasty honour recently -- political prawns.
It came after he intervened on behalf of his hometown fishermen in Negombo to get a ban on lagoon fishing lifted.
The fisherfolk were not only grateful but also creative. They made a garland of prawns for the minister when they greeted him.
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