DR. SAWRAJ SINGHINTERNATIONALAFFAIRS / EDITORIAL
Peaceful and unarmed demonstrators inLibya were just indiscriminately shot at inTripoli by a militia from Misrata. Morethan 40 demonstrators were killed andmany times more were injured.While this was happening in Libya, theCommonwealth summit was being heldin Sri Lanka. The western countries, particularlyEngland and Canada, were busycriticizing Sri Lanka for violating humanrights of the Tamils. Stephen Harperboycotted the summit because of thisissue and David Cameron went to Jaffnato highlight the issue.Let us see how genuine and sincereHarper and Cameron are about humanrights. Stephen Harper is an admirer andfollower of Bush, who massacred600,000 innocent Iraqis and almost completelydestroyed Iraq. However, Harperhas never criticized Bush. Harper boycottedthe Beijing Olympics because ofalleged human rights violations by China.However, when Harper needed Chinesemoney for the economic crisis, then hetook probably the largest Canadian delegationto beg China’s forgiveness.Moreover, Harper has never said a wordabout his forefathers massacring andalmost entirely wiping out the indigenousNative American (First Nations) population.David Cameron and his like are sheddingcrocodile tears for human rights. Theyare responsible for the most barbarianand cruel attack on Libya and for pushingthat country into complete anarchy andchaos.David Cameron should also look at thehuman rights record of his forefathers.We Punjabis have also had a very bittertaste of their respect for human rights.Maharani Jindan was humiliated and torturedby the British Resident in Lahore.Maharaja Dalip Singh, when he was asmall child of about five years in age, wasforcibly converted to Christianity. He wasaccused of inciting a mutiny against theBritish, and as a punishment for this, hiskingdom and property was taken awayfrom him. They did not even stop violatinghis human rights after his death.Maharaja Dalip Singh became a baptizedSikh before his death.He took Khande da Amrit from ThakurSingh Sandhawalia. However, the Britishburied him according to Christian riteswhereas he should have been cremated asa Sikh. Many Punjabis were massacred bythe British at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsarwhen they were holding a peaceful andnon-violent rally.The western media presented the barbarianimperialist attacks on Libya as a strugglefor liberation. Gaddafi was brutallymurdered. I called this the height of brutalityand barbarianism rather than anact of promoting human rights of theLibyans. One Canadian radio talk-showhost had called me and said that he readmy article and it was different than theothers. He wanted his listeners to haveanother perspective on the Libyan situation.Therefore, he invited me to be aguest on his live talk-show. Not one ofhis listeners (who called-in) contradictedwhat I had to say.Today, 2 years later, the bitter reality ofthis barbarian imperialist attack on Libyais before everyone. A formerly very disciplinedand prosperous country has beenpushed to the almost complete collapseof its economic foundation and there iscomplete lawlessness, anarchy, anduncontrolled rampant violence.Libya is a clear example of so-calledwestern human rights. The people areheld hostage and victimized by uncontrolledand unbridled militias. No one issafe from the anarchy and violence.Ironically,the American Embassy was burnt downand J. Christopher Stevens, theAmerican Ambassador, was murderedand burned alive. The Libyan PrimeMinister was kidnapped. I feel that DavidCameron and Stephen Harperwill agree with me that the Tamils in SriLanka are much better offthan the people of Libya today.Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is theChairman of the Washington State Networkfor Human Rights and Chairman of theCentral Washington Coalition for Social Justice.He can be reached [email protected].
