A tense stand

The time has come. Sri Lanka will have to face the international community at the UN Human Rights Council and the possible fallout remains significant. Will the Government and its allies prevail yet again?

The Government has been preparing for months, sending envoys out to drum up support from friendly countries, promoting relations to make new friends and consolidate old ones, appointing a ministerial sub-committee to implement a human rights action plan that was thought out by the Government, displaying the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Report and in a last ditch effort an admission that civilians did in fact die during the last phase of the war. But will this be enough?

On the international front, early in the month a top US Government official stated that the United States would support a resolution at next month’s UN Human Rights Council session to pressure the Sri Lankan Government to address alleged war crimes.

Addressing a media briefing, US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Maria Otero confirmed that the US would support a resolution that provides an opportunity for the Government of Sri Lanka to describe what it intends to do to implement the LLRC’s recommendations and advance reconciliation, as well as address accountability, human rights and democracy concerns.

Former Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert O. Blake who was also present at the briefing added that the US was insistent on a clear policy to address accountability of alleged war crimes and expected the Government to have a clear and fast route to resolve political power sharing issues. He also insisted that any attempt to put forward a power sharing mechanism should be based on discussions between the Tamil National Alliance and the Government, lessening the emphasis on the Parliamentary Select Committee currently being promoted by the Government.

On the positive side, they commended the LLRC report, urging the Government to implement it as soon as possible. It is likely that strong measures to reduce militarisation of society and release names of detainees together with other specific recommendations in the report will go a long way in lessening the pressure on Sri Lanka.

The UN also drummed out Major General Shavendra Silva from a top committee, making it clear that many of the members are not too tolerant of the allegations that have stagnated since the end of the war.

It will be interesting to see how the international community responds to the latest card that has been played by the Government, admitting that 8,000 civilians were killed during the last months of the war. The report, which was completed late last year, was only released by the Census and Statistics Department over the weekend.

This latest hand that significantly changes its previous stance could work for the Government if it is able to reassure the international community of a comprehensive and impartial inquiry that deals squarely with the issue of accountability. However, this would mean expanding beyond the LLRC mandate and dealing with issues that so far have remained in the shadows.

Overall, it would be in the country’s best interest if the Government increased the independence of the judiciary, promoted democracy and battled corruption more effectively. It would have the double efficiency of promoting human rights and obtaining a better response from the UN Human Rights Council.