Referring to the claims in the October 29 editorial entitled “Taking a stand on Sri Lanka”, she states that The Star has once again issued an editorial to discredit Sri Lanka. “Why harp on the final days of the war, conveniently ignoring the terrorist activities carried out in Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) for nearly 30 years?”, she questions. The FBI designated this group the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world. The Tamil Tigers remain a proscribed group by the US, EU, India and Canada, she says.

The Star quotes the report issued by the Panel of Experts appointed by the United Nations Secretary General. Many questions have been raised on the report as, while making these allegations on human rights violations, the panel admitted that “this account should not be taken as proven facts, and any effort to determine specific liabilities would require a higher threshold”, the High Commissioner stresses.

She says, The Star’s conclusion that the Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation appointed by the Sri Lankan Government is “flawed” even before their report is issued, indicates a lack of responsibility. The LLRC Report is to be submitted to the President by Nov. 15.

She notes that all these claims or counter claims put forward by the Star only contribute to disturbing the peace loving Sri Lankan communities irrespective of their ethnicity. Sri Lankans have eventually regained the long-awaited peace. “Please give peace a chance!”, she requests in her response to The Star.