Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, G.L. Peiris, has recently given one additional reason for the passage of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva: “collective commitments.”
Evidently, Mr. Peiris had been informed by one of his European counterparts that certain members of the European Union (EU) were unsupportive of the resolution, but were compelled to vote in favor of it, since a group decision had been taken by the EU.
Mr. Peiris went on to say that even some US Congressman did not view the HRC in a positive light, due to the fact that the body is “politicized.” (It is unclear to this writer how a United Nations forum where nation states meet to discuss human rights could be apolitical, but I will not belabor that point).
In addition, Mr. Peiris also announced in Parliament that the government would not tolerate foreign intervention of any kind.
If this is post-Geneva government policy, what does all of this mean?
The Sri Lankan government mismanaged its time and resources in Geneva. Besides, it was never really clear who was leading the delegation anyway. Was it G.L Peiris or was it Plantation Minister and Special Human Rights Envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe?
It will be interesting to see how Rajapaksa’s administration handles questions related to the resolution, national reconciliation and international diplomacy moving forward. Having just been embarrassed in Geneva, now would be an appropriate time to show more political maturity and to craft a practicable strategy that the government can act upon over the next twelve months.
What Next?
The recent remarks made by G.L. Peiris miss the point: irrespective of “collective commitments,” the flaws of the HRC and the seemingly contradictory stance of some Western nations on this matter, the resolution on Sri Lanka has been passed. The Rajapaksa administration should spend more time talking about how it is going to comply with the resolution and less time making excuses for its feckless diplomacy and failed policies, both domestic and foreign. Instead, President Rajapaksa is busy talking about how his country has been “victimized” as a result of biased media coverage.
The president forgot to mention that, when it comes to media, Sri Lanka is one of the least free places in the world. And, particularly when it comes to print media, there are virtually no strident critics of government policy.
Unfortunately, these are all early indications that Rajapaksa’s insecure government is still unable to face reality. The merits of the resolution on Sri Lanka can be debated endlessly, but the fact that 40 nations signed on as co-sponsors is telling. It appears that Sri Lanka’s shoddy human rights record will continue to garner attention, at least until March 2013. At that time, the HRC will reconvene for its 22nd session and the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will present a report as to how it has worked with the Sri Lankan government to implement the LLRC recommendations.
Now, according to the resolution, OHCHR can only “assist” the government with the regime’s consent. But, just a few days after the passage of this resolution, the government is still talking about Western conspiracies, lamenting the faults of the HRC and making it clear that it wants and needs no foreign assistance.
It is unfortunate that the appetite for a stronger resolution in Geneva did not materialize this time around. However, what will happen if the government continues to prevaricate when it comes to implementing the LLRC recommendations and responds tepidly to offers of international support?
The Endgame
If the Rajapaksa administration does not take this resolution seriously, it is obviously making the following political calculation: Nothing will happen (except inertia and empty rhetoric) at the 22nd session of the HRC.
Relatedly, political grandstanding and intransigence on this issue, while concurrently extolling the virtues of Sinhala nationalism, will continue to resonate with the masses in Sri Lanka; so the Rajapaksa administration will keep those exhortations alive.
If the government is right about the HRC, President Rajapaksa will have played his hand brilliantly and would further consolidate his power. Yet, if he is wrong, Sri Lanka will again be embarrassed at a United Nations multilateral forum and may face consequences (like another (tougher) resolution or perhaps economic sanctions) at that time.
And, most distressingly for the Rajapaksa administration, that dreaded “A” word, accountability, will be the elephant in the room. The continued deterioration of the rule of law, the lack of respect for minority rights and, most importantly, the government’s refusal to act upon the recommendations outlined in its own presidentially-appointed commission are what (hopefully) give the words “independent investigation” meaning nearly three years after the end of the civil war.
This article first appeared in International Policy Digest.
The filmed scenes of the massacre in Libya,starting to be seen, offend for their total absence of humanism and the crasslies that served as an excuse for invading and taking over the naturalresources of that country.
With more than 25,000 combat missions, NATOair forces backed up the monstrous crime.
They stated that the Libyan government hadfunds abroad exceeding 200 billion dollars. At this time, nobody knows wherethe money is nor what has been done with it.
Pinochet didn’t kill, Hiroshaima ,Ngasaki ,Vietnam, Afganistan, Iraq .
take a look in the mirror.
Mothership boy.
Exactly, well said and that is the truth. These NGO boys should be given mirrors to look at them selves for writing reports like this. where is the justice and the gross human rights violations by big brother and the smaller one. In Libya they operated as there was a hell of a war, with full scale NATO operations. Think Navi Pillai and the stooges will have the courage to bring them up. That is where it is politicized, writer should know that.
China is planning to invest $50b in sri Lanka which is 83% of GDP, just ignore the yankees.
Sinahlaese Sri Lankans will never learn. After all they have survived deceiveing the world for the last sixty five yaers regards to the just rights of the Tamils. The SLG will run for help for the west but will not accept anything granting Tamils thier right place in society. They ( Sinhalese ) balst the west but I dont unedrstand why they are comning in hords to Australia, Canada, US and UK. Shoould stay in thier mother lanka !!!
I guess they are just like the EELAM Economic refugee tamils? and the rich Tamil doctors and engineers all of whom were products of SL’s FREE education system and came over here in the 1970s and became RICH and funded Eelam terrorists but party and holiday in “ceylon” and stay at Hotels in Colombo and party and travel all across SL on their US, Canadian and British passports and then fund EElam? You know if they loved Eelam so much they should have gone and fought for it instead of milking the dole, welfare and freebies in the west either. So Tamil or Sinhala, they all come to the West in Droves along with Chinese, Indians, Mexicans etc. for the same reasons: TO MAKE MONEY. I bet not a single Tamil in Scarborough living on the dole, and welfare in Canada will go back to fight for Eelam.. Same story..
Well said Sir !
Y can happily live after at countries you mention.
Last time when a foreign country came to ‘assist’ us to establish peace in Sri Lanka, they brought no peace to Tamils or Sinhalese but pandemonium to all.
Remember, India used gun diplomacy to ram Indu-Lanka accord in 1987! Self appointed Indian Viceroy, J.N Dixit assured the world that 13A would bring peace and prosperity to everyone in Sri Lanka. But LTTE and Tamils as well as most Sinhala parties rejected 13A outright. Trying to enforce 13A unilaterally, IPKF not just set fire to the ‘North and East’ where Tamils were dominant but to the entire island as well. And no government dare implemented 13A in full since. Let’s face it taht’s the reality. Why?
Because solutions that foreigners think is good for us does not work in Sri Lanka. Just see the panderminium 13A bought to Sri Lanka.
I remember very well that LTTE had accused IPKF javans had raped thousands of Tamil women, and maimed and murdered thousands of Tamil men, women and children while they disarm LTTE and try to force 13A. To take revenge from India, LTTE said; they blasted Rajiv Ghandi to pieces. nd tht is only in the North and East. I need several pages to write about the mayhem in the south for it killed more than 60,000 as a result.
But India has learned no lesson. Together with neo-colonialists, India now demand Rajapakse enforce 13A ‘plus’ against the election manifesto he was elected.
Imagine the political predicament and the kind of mayhem Rajapakse has to face if the US sponsored resolution were to force upon Sri Lankan: We will end up as another Libya. That may be what the US, its lapdogs and its paid stooges wants. But is it what Sri Lankans want?
Leela
God, Leela, you really do sound stupid. The 13th Amendment has been a part of the country’s constitution for 2.5 decades, why is it that you don’t believe in devolution of power?
Also, do you really think that India has only recently pushing for the implementation of the 13 Amendment starting “now”? Have you been living under a rock for the past 20 years!!!
As I said before 13A had become a part of our constitution through Indian gunboat diplomacy. Leave out the fact that LTTE and its proxy, TNA hadn’t accepted 13A, for more than two decades, majority Sinhalese doesn’t want it because; for one we didn’t ask for it, and for another it’s white elephant. Hence, this should have been repealed long ago, just like the North and the East have been separated.
We are not averse to devolution. We are all for villages and towns manage their own affairs. Land, police, and such security mtters cannot be considered local affairs for they affect all citizens of a small country. Also, we cannot afford to let disputes like the one that Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had for Cauvery river water develop between our PCs.
Leela
Wow, the case against Sri Lanka has merit. Period. Some of the people above who are bitching that the writer has worked for NGOs sound stupid and should write their own articles.
Of course, it’s a lot easier to “comment” on people’s articles, use words like Hiroshima, Afghanistan (misspelled by one of the geniuses above), Iraq, among others and feel that you’ve posted an intelligent comment. It’s interesting that the two of the three “negative” people above didn’t even write anything about Sri Lanka.Which begs the obvious question: Do they have any idea what they are talking about? (Before racing to Wikipedia, which they are going to do after reading this post).
Yakshadeva and the idiot who wrote below him look as stupid as they probably are, which is scary.
But, wait a second, Sri Lanka is a developing country, so why should we care that 40,000+ people were slaughtered at the end of the war?! Better to just bitch about the US and pretend that you are sophisticated. Smart thinking…
We know what NGOs and western observers were doing in many countries including Srilanka. They never want to see an end to wars they have created in other countries. No war means no selling of weapons.
No selling of weapons means no survival for many western countries including USA and Norway.Can any one name a western country which does not arms to
terrorists and rebel groups.
Western ideology is utterly racist,anti islamic anti Asean.
Among themselves(hellish nations) they are divine and holy.
The reality of the situation is that accountability must be a facet of public policy. No need to go off on a tangent on other issues. True that the 13th amendment was forced down our throats and that the N.E merger was forced on SL by India, but underlying political issues need to be dealt with urgently even while N and E remains de-merged. Otherwise SL will be back at war soon and this time the Tigers will have international backing.
Rajiv forced Sri Lanka 13A to stop liberation of Tamil Eelam because India want to control whole of Sri Lanka for his security purpose.Now GoSL use China to force India to give up independance of Tamil Eelam.
Tamils are not all terrorists. Obviously that’s a pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa’s point of view to think that tamils are all tigers (LTTE)! Since UN have opened their eyes, we might see changes! Not them, Tigers, but them, Tamils will be heard and hope they will be protected from these people who mix up politics and religion by using the name of Buddha, they kill innocent people. As Martin Luther King said ‘Oppressed People Cannot Remain Oppressed Forever’! It’s time for Tamils to be heard, to be well-understood and even if they don’t have a separate land, i just wish that they live, not survive, but live in the country which is theirs as well!
Whatever the religion is, Whatever the language they talk could be, Whatever the culture they have, Sri Lanka is one country with 2 ethnics: Tamils and Sinhalese! A whole family should not rule there giving advantages to those who do not know the basic knowledge of law, politic and altruism.
Stop giving an unecessery speech about how the past was and see what is going on presently! You will see that people from all over the world, tamil people and sinhalese journalists are abused.
http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-4621-news-detail-breathing-space-for-asylum-seekers.html
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2012/4/75813_space.html#Sri Lanka News
Please, wish you people, Srilankans open your eyes and just see what is going on now! We might miss the basic obvious things that can save many lives.
No matter how you will interpret this, I am Sri Lankan, Tamil and Sinhalese! All, I want is that Sri Lankans live in a *live and let live* policy. Please change the people who govern Sri Lanka.
Thank you,
Next war will happen with India and US creating a situation where international intervention will be justified. Just lashing out at the west will not help. We might think China will give aid, but please note the trade balance is totally in China’s favour. We stil SELL most of our goods to the US and EU. China has no room to buy our clothing or tea or other low cost items because they compete for the same markets. Our trade balance is hugely in our favour with the US and it is the exact opposite with China. If US and EU puts embargoes on our exports we will have a JVP revolution again as people become unemployed. That is the REALITY of global trade dependent market economies who depend on their exports. China will never buy the stuff we sell to the US and EU. China gives aid(loans at high interest through their private banks now) and sells us a lot more than they buy from us.
What is wrong with some peaceful autonomous regions? As long as police and land powers are at the centre why not let the North run itself? afterall the East is run by a Tamil Chief Minister and his cronies have proven to be as corrupt as all other politicians and that is what democracy will bring. Corrupt overbloated bloviating politicians Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala but at least they will have political power.
The next war in SL will happen with India and US creating a situation where international intervention will be justified. Just lashing out at the west will not help. We might think China will give aid, but please note the trade balance is totally in China’s favour. We stil SELL most of our goods to the US and EU. China has no room to buy our clothing or tea or other low cost items because they compete for the same markets. Our trade balance is hugely in our favour with the US and it is the exact opposite with China. If US and EU puts embargoes on our exports we will have a JVP revolution again as people become unemployed. That is the REALITY of global trade dependent market economies who depend on their exports. China will never buy the stuff we sell to the US and EU. China gives aid(loans at high interest through their private banks now) and sells us a lot more than they buy from us.
What is wrong with some peaceful autonomous regions? As long as police and land powers are at the centre why not let the North run itself? afterall the East is run by a Tamil Chief Minister and his cronies have proven to be as corrupt as all other politicians and that is what democracy will bring. Corrupt overbloated bloviating politicians Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala but at least they will have political power.
Gomez,
Have you read that now famous man, John Perkins said what he did on behalf of the US to many a leaders of South American countries in his book named ‘The confessions of an economic hit man’. Perhaps you will see why we consider the US dictates as sting operations against Sri Lanka.
As for your question; “Why not let the North run itself?” I’ll tell you why: For one its not just North as you say, Waddukkodai resolution item (a.) says, that “the State of TAMIL EELAM shall consist of the people of the Northern and Eastern provinces” for another this provincial marking was imposed by British for ethnic separations to help their divide and rule tactic.
I say; Tamil dilemma is they are 60 million yet they have no country. The fact that you tried it in your true home land ‘part of Madras presidency’ but were curtailed shouldn’t be shifted to be a problem to Sinhalese.
Leela
The most disgusting human trait for me is hypocrisy, which also happens to be the national trait of the Whites. The Whites are the most murderous, despicable group of killers on this planet. They have historically killed others for power. They continue to do so. But they are getting more sophisticated in their ways and are trying to hide their killings through media propaganda – with the help of the so called free press, in reality a mouth piece. On top, they are using Human Rights as a convenient tool to subjugate others. I have said this before. When feces starts setting hygiene standards, there is something very wrong.