M & S Chief Executive Hails Sri Lanka’s “Ethical Standards”

M & S Chief Executive Hails Sri Lanka’s “Ethical Standards”

By Ehalaivan

Marks & Spencer’s Chief Executive Officer, Sir Stuart Rose, has hailed Sri Lanka’s “ethical standards” and has assured government’s parliamentarians that he will he everything possible to support Sri Lanka’s application for the GSP+ concessions. M&S is the largest clothing operator in the United Kingdom.

According to the news report filed by Sri Lanka’s Island news paper on Sunday, April 27, 2008, he is reported to said, “I understand how important the GSP+ scheme is for Sri Lanka. I will do everything possible to support your application for these concessions”.

While commending on Sri Lanka’s achievements, he is also reportedly have said, “There are others who merely talk, but Sri Lanka is a doer”, he underscored. “That’s what makes the difference”.

One couldn’t agree more with Sir Stuart Rose. Yes, Sri Lanka is a doer. One just needs to look at what Sri Lanka has been doing the past thirty years and it becomes apparent how impeccable their standards are when it comes to Human Rights. Sri Lanka has been receiving worldwide condemnation for its horrendous Human Rights records.

It has been in the top 3 countries from around the world in Government sponsored disappearances consistently for more than 15 years. Over the past 5 years more than 120 media personnel have been killed. More than 6000 Tamils have been killed over the same period by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, however, continues to receive large amount of money from foreign countries to stream roll its ethnic cleansing of the Tamil community. Annually, it receives about $900 million from Japan, about $600 million from China, and $250 million from India amongst others. China has recently increased its aid to more than one billion dollars. Iran has also joined the fray and has pledged more than a billion dollars for the GoSL’s war chest.

It is time M & S realizes that by supporting the Government Sri Lanka, even if it is by speaking in support of extending the GSP+ status, it is contributing to the Sri Lankan war-economy and that may make one, like M & S an accessory to the continuing genocide of the Tamils.

One would only hope Sir Stuart Rose, will pay heed to a call by a Toronto-based Human Rights campaign, “Blood Money is Not Cool”. They said in a recent PR, “Opening a factory when the whole world is calling for tougher sanctions against Sri Lanka is much worse than making money from the deplorable sweat shops being operated (in) India, Mexico and other such developing countries. Marks & Spencer may be cool but blood money is certainly not cool”.

Please keep in mind that the GoSL has been involved in numerous massacres, assassinations, and other human rights abuses for more than 30 years. Thus is not a comprehensive listing of all the abuses – only a few samples.

April 20, 08 – Fr. Karunaratnam, Chair Northeast Secretariat on Human Rights assassinated by GoSL – NESOHR – After presiding over Sunday Mass, Rev. Fr. Karunaratnam was travelling to attend the 45th day Remembrance event of the late Mr. Sivanesan MP (TNA), who too was assassinated by the Sri Lanka Army’s Deep Penetration Unit recently.

March 6, 08 – TamilNet - The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), headed by P N Bhagwati, former Indian Chief Justice, has decided to terminate its operations in Sri Lanka, according to a statement issued by the IIGEP on Thursday. “The IIGEP is of the opinion that there has not been the minimum level of trust necessary for the success of the work of the commission and the IIGEP”.  

March 6, 08 – Mr. Kiddnan Sivanesan, MP was assassinated by Sri Lanka Armed Forces – Mr. K. Sivanesan, a Tamil Member of Parliament, returning to his family, in the Vanni mainland, after attending the Parliamentary sessions in Colombo was killed in a claymore mine attack of the Sri Lanka Army’s Deep Penetration Unit on March 6, 08. He joins a long list of Tamil parliamentarians who have been killed by the Government of Sri Lanka.   

Tamil Guardian carried the following article detailing his death:

http://www.tamilguardian.com/article.asp?articleid=1622

Norway condemns the assassination of K. Sivanesan MP – http://www.norway.lk/press/

Jan 01, 2008 - T. Maheswaran, MP, Colombo District  assassinated by Sri Lanka Militia men in a Temple – Earlier this year, on new year’s day, Colombo district Tamil parliamentarian of the opposition United National Party, T. Maheswaran, was shot at Ponnambala Va’neasvarar temple in Colombo. A detailed account of that assassination was published by the TamilNet.

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=24140

10 November 2006. – Mr. Raviraj, MP for Jaffna District was shot dead in broad day light in Colombo, Sri Lanka – Tamil National Alliancemember of Parliament Mr.Nadarajah Raviraj was shot dead by an unidentified group of gunmen in broad-day light in the capital city of Colombo, Sri Lanka on 10 November 2006.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article632933.ece

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=20229

March 06, 08 – Human Rights Watch Urgent Request -  “The Sri Lankan government is responsible for widespread abductions and “disappearances” that are a national crisis, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Human Rights Watch urged the government to reveal the whereabouts of the “disappeared,” immediately end the practice, and hold the perpetrators accountable.”

August 4, 2006 – Trincomalee massacre of NGO workers – Trincomalee massacre of NGO workers, also known as the Muttur massacre, took place on August 4 or 5, 2006, when 17 employees of the French INGO Action Against Hunger (known internationally as Action Contre la Faim, or ACF) were shot at close range in the city of Muttur, close to Trincomalee by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The victims included sixteen minority Sri Lankan Tamils and one Sri Lankan Muslim.

25 December 2005 – Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, MP, Batticaloa District assassinated in a Church during Christmas mass  -  Joseph Pararajasingham,  a Tamil nationalist and Batticaloa district Member of Parliament (MP) of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and a committed political activist in the struggle for Tamil Eelam, was shot dead at St. Mary’s cathedral church in Batticaloa, Tamil Eelam  while attending Christmas prayers early morning at 1.20 a.m Sunday 25 December 2005.

For more information: http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/pararajasingham.htm

http://www.redorbit.com/news/international/343241/slain_mp_buried_in_slanka_as_war_fears_mount/