Doyen of Sri Lanka’s civil society intellectuals sharply criticizes the Darusman Report

Truth and Accountability: The Last Stages of the War in Sri Lanka

Godfrey Gunatilleke, one of Sri Lanka’s and South Asia’s most respected intellectuals, a distinguished former civil servant, and founder of the country’s oldest independent think-tank, the MARGA Institute, made a sharply critical evaluation of the UNSG’s advisory Panel Report in an extended analysis entitled “Truth and Accountability: the Last Stages of the War in Sri Lanka”. He concludes that:

“A wise judge knows that in the imperfect domain of human knowledge there are many versions of the truth and steers himself conscientiously through all these versions, seeking the truth. The outcome of the Panels’ report falls far short of such wisdom.

The root of the problems in the report lie in their outrageous interpretation of the government’s military strategy as designed at the extermination of Tamils without any humanitarian intention or effort at rescuing hostages. With this interpretation the panel puts on the blinkers that distort all their perceptions of the government’s actions. The report also gives a deliberately truncated view of the government’s action by excluding what would have provided a different and more positive explanation of these actions. This deficiency is seen in every part of the report that deals with government actions.” (Conclusion - pp.28-29)

Dr Godfrey Gunatilleke is the Chairman Emeritus and founder member of the Marga Institute (Centre of Development Studies, Sri Lanka). He served as Minister of Planning from 1965 to 1972 and was the Director of Plan Implementation and Project Evaluation, the Additional Secretary and thereafter Special Adviser.

At present, he is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington and member of the WHO Task Force on Health in Development. He served as Member of Boards of several government bodies and Commissions including the Institute of Policy Studies, The Human Resources Development Council, and the National Resources, Energy and Science Authority.

The author of several books, articles and publications on development issues, and an outstanding literary critic, his involvement in the literary field includes short stories such as “The Garden”, “Thief in the Night” and literary critical articles “Language without Metaphor”. Dr. Gunatilleke is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Gratiaen Trust.

Dr. Gunatilleke was conferred several national and international awards including the “Deshmanaya” for distinguished public service.

Please click here to read the working paper prepared by Godfrey Gunatilleke

Delegation from Gazprom meets the Minister of External Affairs Prof. Peiris

Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs met with an 8-member delegation led by the Managing Director of Gazprom International Mr. Gulev Veleriy at the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo.  Associated with the meeting was the Ambassador for the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka, Vladimir P. Mikhaylov.

Channel-4 : Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
in New York meets Amnesty International

The Head of Amnesty International, United Nations Office, Jose Luis Diaz, met with the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Dr. Palitha Kohona, to initiate a dialogue on issues relating to Sri Lanka, particularly those arising from the screening of the Channel-4 video.  This contact followed the comments made by Permanent Representative, Ambassador Palitha Kohona and Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Shavendra Silva, at the screening of the Channel-4 video  at the UN Church Centre last month.

Statement by H.E. Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona, Ambassador and Permanent
Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

UN Security Council Open Debate
12th July, 2011, New York

Children and Armed Conflict

To deprive a child of his smiles and dreams and compact it
with gore and machine guns is an appalling indictment of the values of
certain groups and individuals.  Children are an asset and Sri Lanka
will invest heavily in their future as it had done in the past.

Mr. President,

Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship on the Law of the Sea

Lunch time Side Event
Conference Room 6 (NLB) (13:30 0-14:45) (21 June 2011)
(United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea)

Statement by H.E. Mr. Palitha T.B. Kohona
Ambassador & Permanent Representative of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United Nations