Commonwealth's Sharma defends Sri Lanka summit - video

06 NOVEMBE !0"# $he %eneral-se&retar' of the Commonwealth defends the heads of %overnment meetin% that (e%ins in Sri Lanka ne)t week* des+ite alle%ations of a++allin% human ri%hts violations,

Object 1

$he Sri Lankan %overnment stands a&&used of un&onstitutionall' firin% its &hief -usti&e* of %rave human ri%hts violations a%ainst $amil &iti.ens at the end of its &ivil war in !00/ in&ludin% the killin% of &ivilians* and of on%oin% disa++earan&es and torture, Nevertheless* ne)t week the &ountr''s +resident* Mahindra a-a+aksa himself a&&used of war &rimes - will shake hands with Commonwealth leaders as his &ountr' is %iven a %lo(al +latform, 0amalesh Sharma* the se&retar'-%eneral of the Commonwealth* was %rilled (' 1on Snow 2see video a(ove* or full interview (elow3 on the de&ision to allow the heads of %overnment meetin% 2C4O5M3 to %o ahead in Colom(o* des+ite le%al advi&e to the &ontrar' and des+ite eviden&e of ma-or human ri%hts violations &ommitted at the end of Sri Lanka6s &ivil war* as revealed

(' Channel 7 News, Charter &ontravention $he summit is the first to (e held sin&e the si%nin% of the Commonwealth &harter* whi&h enshrined in it values su&h as the u+holdin% of demo&ra&'* and the +rote&tion of human ri%hts, 89nd 'et Sri Lanka is in &ontravention of -ust a(out ever' sin%le one of those statements*8 1on Snow +ut to Mr Sharma, Mr Sharma defended the Colom(o summit* sa'in% the de&ision was one made (' various heads of %overnment* not (' the se&retar' %eneral, :n the time to &ome* : trust that +eo+le will see; that indeed ver' si%nifi&ant advan&es have (een made in the interests of the +eo+le of Sri Lanka,0amalesh Sharma 8:t is not reall' the de&ision of the se&retar'-%eneral*8 he said, 8Over the last si) 'ears* on three o&&asions the heads of met to dis&uss this re<uest* from Sri Lanka* to hold the summit,8 :t was +ut to Mr Sharma that he knew that Sri Lanka =resident Mahindra a-a+aksa had fired his &hief -usti&e - and that Mr Sharma had re&eived le%al advi&e that said that this was a &ontravention of the Commonwealth &harter, 4owever this information was not made availa(le to a %rou+ of ei%ht Commonwealth ministers who verif' if &ountries are o(e'in% the Commonwealth &harter, 9sked wh' this le%al o+inion had not (een +assed on* Mr Sharma said it was somethin% that had (een %ained 8in &onfiden&e8,

Mr Sharma insisted that the Commonwealth has been making progress to address human rights issues for the people of Sri Lanka, including addressing torture and reconciliation of the two sides in Sri Lanka's bloody civil war. 4owever* he said addressin% whether or not the militar' &ommitted %rave human ri%hts atro&ities in the &losin% sta%es of the war* in&ludin% alle%ations over the killin% of &ivilians and summar' e)e&utions* was a matter for the >nited Nations, ead more from 1on Snow? 9 diml' lit Sri lankan affair* in a side street (eneath the >N 8:n the time to &ome* : trust that +eo+le will see; that indeed ver' si%nifi&ant advan&es have (een made in the interests of the +eo+le of Sri Lanka*8 he said, C4O5M (e%ins on the "0 Novem(er in Sri Lanka's &a+ital Colom(o

Object 2