Perhaps 20,000 Dead in Sri Lankan Offensive: But UN Says OK!
According to some estimates perhaps 20,000 people died in the recent Sri Lankan offensive to root out the LTTE. In the 26-year insurgency, both the government and LTTE should be condemned for the sustained violence against civil populations, including LTTE suicide bombings, shelling of civilian population centres, and the forcible use of human shields by both sides.
The UN Human Rights Commission has once again made a mockery of itself by refusing to open a war crimes investigation into the Sri Lankan government's latest offensive and the large number of Tamil civilians killed:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6382331.ece
Now such a war crimes commission should examine the conduct of both the Sri Lankan government and LTTE. This same UN body ritualistically criticizes Israel, making it appear the most heinous regime on the planet. A large bloc of Asian and Muslim countries, as well as Russia, China, Pakistan, and India all supported Sri Lanka's position rejecting a war crimes investigation. They are obviously afraid of similar investigations against their own repressive, autocratic regimes. Yet, when Israel defends itself from armed attacks by Iranian-backed thugs Hezbollah and Hamas in a manner consistent with Article 51 in the UN Charter(while also inflicting civilian casualties), they are routinely condemned.
My conclusion: There is no morality in politics. Politics is often about the will to power, irrespective of moral considerations. Morality is used when we think it will advance our political cause and jettisoned when we think it will hurt it. This is the sad truth. In the process, it is innocent blood that is shed. When the Old Testament injunction of Thou Shall Not Kill was invoked, it applied to all peoples for all times. All of our favoured political movements and regimes, whether on the left or right, do humanity a disservice when they play political games with human lives.
Tamir Bar-On
No comments:
Post a Comment