Human rights: Solving two major HR issues with UNHRC assistance

The balance three stages of the Moragahkanda project need to be completed simultaneously along with the Upper Elahera Canal tunnel in four years. The countries such as UK, USA, Germany and Canada who sponsored the UNHRC motion in support of the Tamil community could be requested to fund the project

Last Tuesday, United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) accepted allegations of human rights violations against Sri Lanka, brought by a group of Western countries. Under the resolution, Sri Lanka is expected to submit proposals to address the human rights issues, to be monitored by the Council.

The real reason for the allegations was the jealousy over Gotabaya who defeated LTTE, while mighty America failed to win the war with Vietnam. Japan, India and Muslim countries stayed neutral from the vote. Japan a longstanding friend was hurt by the abrupt cancellation of the Light Rail Transit Project under progress. Also, East Container Terminal in Colombo Port promised to India and Japan by the previous Government under an MOU, was cancelled. The compulsory cremation of corona-infected dead bodies violated Muslim religious beliefs and the proposed ban on burka created serious concerns among Middle-East countries.

Above was the result of poor handling of international relations, sensitive issues, relationships, project evaluation and the failure to maintain good and balanced relations keeping with claimed non-aligned policy. But poor knowledge of politicians, foreign office officials and senior government staff, the result of poor education system.

How did this happen?

History of education

Locals were fortunate to enjoy free education while under British rule, presented by the Minister for Education C.W.W. Kannangara and passed by the State Council in 1944.

The bill recommended that:

The mother tongue be used as the medium of instruction in primary schools.

Education be free from kindergarten to university.

English should be taught in all schools from Standard III.

He emphasised that everyone should learn English in order to operate in the modern world. When the country received independence in 1948, the administration and education were of extremely high standard. But British established proportionately more schools in the north ensuring a better education, allowing Tamils higher quantum in government service.

Human rights violations

Unknown or neglected by the UNHRC, most serious and longstanding human rights violations in the country, also neglected by the local politicians, resulting the present economic mess are:

First: Our education system ensures that children are separated on community basis, without allowing personal contact between communities. Also, higher education is extremely poor, depriving children of advancement in future life. The pathetic situation, the result of transfer of education to mother tongue, violates basic human rights and the situation continues irrespective of government changes.

Second: The country’s development is concentrated in the south, implemented with taxes collected from every citizen irrespective of location. The major project proposed to support northern citizens, Moragahakanda was deliberately modified, scope reduced and delayed by the southern politicians.

Above policies resulted in the 30-year-long war, it forced the poor towards low-level employment abroad, leading to a bankrupt country, forced to control imports and printing money for day-to-day survival.

Bandaranaike policies

S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike promised a Sinhala-based government to become the Prime Minister in 1956. He converted the administration and medium of instruction in schools to Swabasha from 1957. Although the transformation of administration helped the masses, the education system got disrupted, standards crashed, university degrees were no longer recognised abroad and the educated left the country.

Communal riots in 1983

With Sinhala-based administration, Tamil employees lost opportunities of advancement, new recruitments got curtailed. Opening of imports under JRJ government disrupted agricultural production in the north, resulting in the creation of LTTE.

On 23 July 1983, an attack by LTTE cadres in Jaffna caused the death of 13 Sri Lankan Army soldiers, led to massive riots in Colombo and spread to other parts as well, where mobs attacked, burned, looted and killed unarmed Tamils estimated over a thousand. Thereafter, communal issues escalated over the years, forcing large numbers of Tamils to leave the country. The reports from foreign embassy staff who witnessed the massacre, resulted in those who left the country being welcomed by Western countries.

Propaganda against Sri Lanka

The hardworking Tamil community, faithful to their superiors, saved their income, were able to gain stability and advance in their adopted countries. They educated their children on killings and loss of their property (exaggerated) in the hands of Sinhala rioters, but not the autocracies of Tamil militants. The Tamil diaspora fighting against Sri Lanka are members of this second generation.

International schools

International schools were in the country prior to 1980s, catering mostly to children of expatriate families. JVP riots in late 1980s resulted in long closure of government schools; parents found solace in private schools.

Today, private schools have multiplied throughout the country, resulting in two streams of education, government schools in Sinhala/Tamil and private schools in English. Students from private schools do not expect government employment, but of those who leave for further education abroad some fail to return.

Problems of Muslims

Earlier problems were between Sinhala and Tamils, now Muslims too have entered the problem scene. The separation of communities enabled extreme organisations from the Middle-East to enter the Muslim community claiming to educate religion; they are spreading a modified Islamic ideology aiming destruction; results were clearly seen with the Easter Sunday attack.

Indian intervention

When Indian Air Force dropped dhal to Jaffna, followed by signing the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord in 1987, training and arming LTTE, escalating ethnic war, made the Sinhala population look at India as an enemy. But when Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a woman LTTE cadre, the Indian government’s help to LTTE stopped. During the final years of war, India gave military and diplomatic support to defeat LTTE.

After the war, India assisted Sri Lanka with the rehabilitation of railway, housing for war victims, ambulances countrywide and educational scholarships. But for majority Sri Lankans, the forced 13th Amendment now disabled due to legal issues, continues to be a thorn in the flesh, with wounds opening up with occasional reminders from India.

Economic crash

When the British left, the country was economically healthy, with a positive foreign currency balance. But the rising population, increase in oil prices in the world market brought economic problems. With educated higher officials having left the country, the politicians were interested only in meeting day-to-day issues, and were unable to suggest alternate development models.

Meanwhile, Singapore received independence in 1959 with a population of Malay, Chinese and Tamil; Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew declared that parents were free to educate their children in their mother tongue, at home, but school education would be in English, leading to current status. The advancement was supported by educated politicians.

Moragahakanda waters to north

Maithreepala Senanayake born in Medavachchiya, studied in Jaffna and married to a Tamil girl was well-aware of problems of northerners. In 1971, he proposed Moragahakanda water be diverted and delivered to north of Medavachchiya. J.R. Jayawardana government implemented the Accelerated Mahaveli Project in 1977; generating power and delivering water to farmers all within six years. Moragahakanda project was expected immediately afterwards, having funding negotiated with Japanese; but communal violence in 1983 resulted in the project being postponed.

Moragahakanda project

The project was based on a dam on Amban Ganga, a major tributary of Mahaveli collecting water from Matale and Kurunegala (part) districts. Moragahakanda waters were expected to be delivered to the north, carried over a nearly 200 km long trans-basin canal terminating at Iranamadu Tank near Kilinochchi. The waters were to satisfy farmer needs of the driest region of the country.

Feeding Polonnaruwa reservoirs

After decades of delays Moragahakanda dam foundation was laid in 2007, construction commenced in 2011, water filling in 2016 and releasing stored water in January 2017, with President Sirisena in power.

Many centuries ago, Amban ganga had been diverted at Elahera, located 2 km downstream of Moragahakanda dam, conveying water to Minnerlya, Giritale and Kantale reservoirs. Angamedilla anicut also on Amban Ganga midway between Elahera and Manampitiya feeds Parakrama Samudraya with a 24-mile-long canal.

In addition, 50-mile-long Minipe Yoda Ela, carries Mahaveli waters for irrigation and finally merges with Amban Ganga downstream of Angamedilla anicut. Thus, Polonnaruwa paddies are fed with the most comprehensive irrigation system in the country. But President Sirisena was only concerned about supplying water to Polonnaruwa farmers and neglected Moragahakanda.

Moragahakanda waters to north

The project carrying Moragahakanda waters to north is expected completion under 3 Phases.

Phase 1

The Upper Elahera Canal, 65.5 km canal conveying 974 MCM (million cubic meters) of water annually northwards from Moragahakanda reservoir terminating at Yakalla (south of Anuradhapura) and trifurcate delivering water to existing Huruluwewa on Yan Oya (128 MCM), Manankattiya/Mahakanadarawa Reservoirs (159 MCM) and NCP canal (640 MCM).

Phase 2

The first section of North Central Province Canal (NCPC) Project, commencing from Yakalla, extending 30 km northwards to Kahatagasdigiliya.

Also, pumping of 240 MCM of Mahaveli water at Kalinga Nuwara to Angamedilla. The water will supplement irrigation needs of Minneriya, Giritale, Kaudulla tanks terminating at Kantale tank.

Phase 3

Water supply to north, the canal from Kahatagasdigiliya extended to Chemmadukulum via Kabitigollawa; the 92 km long canal would flow into Kanakaran Aru delivering water to Iranamadu tank.

The NCP canal will also issue irrigation water to Pavatkulam located south of Vauniya with 30 MCM, Parangi Aru passing through Omanthi and to Pali Aru both in Vauniya district and flow westward into Kilinochchi district.

Modifications to project

The Rajapaksa government having won the war, was not supportive of delivering water to the north and water distribution plans were changed. The original Moragahakanda proposals were modified to accommodate requests from local politicians; including feeding nearly 1,000 minor tanks in the North Central Province.

Phase 1 

A major modification is the inclusion of ‘North Western Province Canal’ diverting water from Dambulu Oya to new irrigation systems in the NWP. But water from Dambulu Oya really is Mahaveli waters diverted through Bowatenna tunnel on the way to Kalawewa. The NWPC has no relevance to the main project, would be the first sub-project completed.

Phase 2

The Upper Elahera Canal trifurcates at Yakalla, will deliver water to Manankattiya/Mahakanadarawa reservoirs; this water is expected to replenish water in Anuradhapura tanks due to transfer of water to NWPC.

Phase 3 

The 60-km-long canal from Kabitigollawa and Chemmadukulum will fall into Kanakanarayan Aru feeding Iranamadu tank. The canal in addition will issue irrigation water to Pavatkulam located south of Vauniya. Due to various diversions of the 251 MCM of diverted water only 100 MCM will reach Iranamadu.

The canal proposed under Phase 1 had to be modified as a tunnel due to environmental concerns and President Gotabaya inaugurated the construction of a 28-km-long irrigation tunnel in early February 2021, funded by ADB, completion expected in four years. Delivering Moragahakanda waters to north would require completion of all three phases.

Conversion to English language

The 80-year-old philosophy of C.W.W. Kannangara, ‘The mother tongue be used as the medium of instruction in primary schools’, could still be valid for rural primary schools, employing elderly teachers near retirement. But converting teaching to English medium would require retraining majority of teachers.

First, current lecturers in teachers’ colleges need be converted into English medium. Meanwhile, 49% of current teachers are graduates who studied in Sinhala/Tamil, ignorant of teaching methods. Clearly, capacity of current teachers’ colleges is insufficient, needing expanding manyfold, at least till the backlog is cleared.

But some teachers with their family involvements may not avail themselves to full-time retraining, and could be given the option of part-time, weekend, school vacations, etc., also private sector participation with state assistance. Thus, implementation would require a detailed program.

Use Indian assistance

For implementation, if the President requests the Indian PM for the required lecturers for teachers’ colleges, India would certainly oblige. India could also help Sri Lanka by setting up 1. Improving school curricula to international standards. 2. A facility to train lecturers in teachers’ colleges in English and IT, 3. Provide additional lecturers to teachers’ colleges until current school teachers become proficient and confident. While the backlog of converting school teachers into English is achieved, existing teachers in teachers’ colleges could continue on their own.

Schoolchildren were the most affected group from the corona pandemic, with schools closed for a whole year. The education system had to be modified, and was delivered online. The children of well-to-do parents had computers, laptops and internet connections and joined happily. Others had to purchase, but some were unable with financial difficulties. Others in far-away locations were unable to connect, had to search for signals on hills tops, etc.

With the change, children and parents were forced to realise the importance of IT and English. Thus, transferring education to English medium would be welcomed by students also parents, except by the foolish politicians and the JVP.

With English-based education, admission to schools will not be based on ethnicity and children of all communities would mix. Also, school leavers would find enormous opportunities ahead and finding employment would not be an issue. Thus, having to recruit graduates to heavily over-staffed institutions will end.

Discussion

Human rights restrictions placed on the country by the UN Council was the result of poor handling of the situation by immature foreign ministry officials, without respecting protocol, who studied Arts subjects in Sinhala/Tamil medium, but topped the university batch.

Under the UNHRC resolution Sri Lanka is expected to submit proposals to address the existing human rights issues, to be monitored by the Council. The Council has been empowered by the resolution to establish an office in Colombo and be watchful of the country’s developments and report to UN, and Sri Lanka would be answerable.

The country’s biggest human rights issues are the separation of students under community basis, brought in by education based on the mother tongue, leading to distrust and infighting among communities, dividing the country; also, long delay in completion of the Moragahakanda project. Comparatively, all other issues raised by the Human Rights Council are minor. Thus, conversion of education to English medium as pre-1957 and acceleration of the Moragahakanda project would settle major issues, and can be implemented within five years.

Thus, reports of two projects could be submitted to UN Council and request UN assistance for implementation. For upgrading of curriculum and English education Indian assistance would be helpful. In addition, printing of new textbooks in English would be expensive and UN assistance could be sought.

The balance three stages of the Moragahkanda project need to be completed simultaneously along with the Upper Elahera Canal tunnel in four years. The countries such as UK, USA, Germany and Canada who sponsored the UNHRC motion in support of the Tamil community could be requested to fund the project. Both projects would be under the supervision and monitoring by the UNHRC.

The human rights allegations against Sri Lanka were unfair, but was accepted by the UNHRC at the insistence of Tamil diaspora. Addressing the basic issues that created the situation, would enable SL citizens to bond together and move forward understanding each other. Delivering water from south to north will address water issues of northerners, making the country independent of imported agricultural products.

With respect to Indian demand of the 13th amendment, a year after the implementation of both projects, a referendum could be called from northerners whether they still require Provincial Councils. But the north becoming dependant on water from the south, would never demand separatism.  

In addition, rich Tamil diaspora could be requested to support the war-affected families in the north, under the eyes of UNHRC for the disabled, physically handicapped, who lost family members, houses damaged, but without means of reconstruction.