Saturday, 16 November 2013 00:00
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is well known for taking a defiant stance at international fora. Just a few months ago at the United Nations General Assembly he insisted that the world did not need policing by a few states and the message had changed little when it was delivered at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
With his customary velvet glove approach Rajapaksa made sure that the 53 members understood the stance of the Government regarding the Commonwealth’s concerns on the country’s sketchy human rights record. The President clearly articulated that the Commonwealth should concentrate on its collective problems, of which there are many, rather than focusing solely on the shortcomings of one country.
While praising the countries that supported Sri Lanka during its volatile CHOGM journey, Rajapaksa made it clear that other countries with their “bilateral agendas” would not be welcomed by Sri Lanka during its tenure as head of the Commonwealth. The comments, which come after India, Canada and Mauritius Prime Ministers bowed out of attending CHOGM, will not come as a surprise to anyone long used to Rajapaksa’s opinions on the world stage.
In predictable fashion, deference was given to ending 30 years of war, which while undoubtedly deserving much applause and accolades, does little to adequately stem international criticism on allegations of civilian deaths and failure to carry out credible investigations on a host of rights abuses.
This is not to imply that the Sri Lankan Government should completely give way to its critics but rather prove its commitments to democracy and good governance by implementing systems that deliver tangible accountability. As Sri Lanka nears five years since the end of the war, it is increasingly clear that the Government needs to move away from its repetitive disparaging of its critics and provide reasons for its supporters to continue the journey of development together.
Rajapaksa’s suggestions to the Commonwealth come at an important point. With slow global economic recovery and unprecedented population growth, equitable development undoubtedly remains the greatest challenge of the time. Calling on the Commonwealth to come together to provide answers to these issues, separating the economic from the political, is giving much-needed clarity to the organisation’s goals.
Yet, many Sri Lankans would agree that political inclusivity is a major part of development and has to partner economic development. Without access to rights, any minority would find their road to development difficult, if not futile, to tread. If minorities are left behind in this race, then Rajapaksa’s advocacy for equitable development would be hollow.
Blocking Channel 4 from having access to the north, preventing families of disappeared people from presenting their grievances at CHOGM and an attack on Sirikotha resulting in the UNP pulling out of the CHOGM opening ceremony make for a poor show that does not prove Rajapaksa’s words.
Elsewhere, corruption, mismanagement and unethical and secret deals colour Sri Lanka’s post-war development. These too do not augur well for dealing with “common poverty” as it widens income disparity and economic opportunity to vulnerable groups. Such aspects also need to be effectively dealt with before Sri Lanka’s proposed CHOGM theme of equitable development can be achieved.
As the President rightly said when wrapping up his speech, rather than seeing others’ faults, one should concentrate on what one has done and left undone. It is time for Sri Lanka to address what it has left undone.
