Double-edged reconciliation

Monday, 21 May 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Victory Day celebrations at Galle Face provided more food for thought as they came during the visit of External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris to the US and his meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his address to the nation on Saturday morning took a tough stance against separatism, which would be applauded by many. He reiterated the sacrifices made by the three forces and the Police while commending their dedication to ridding Sri Lanka of terrorism. This was all timely as it was selfless perseverance together with the people’s taxes that decided the end of the war.

However, the President also remarked that the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) would not be used “as a tool to support separatism”. He insisted that the removal of Army camps in the north, which is suggested in the report, would not happen as the Tamil Diaspora and other factions were still active. Sadly, if recommendations are not implemented, that would provide a foundation for extremist elements to return to the forefront, resulting in more bloodshed. It would seem that Sri Lanka is caught between a rock and a hard place where some recommendations of the LLRC are concerned.

Interestingly, according to the statement released by the External Affairs Ministry and the US Embassy, Prof. Peiris rode out his entire visit as well as his meeting with Clinton on the promise of the LLRC recommendations being implemented. The statements also show that Prof. Peiris at no point told Clinton or any of the other officials that he met during the tour that the Government would pick what they saw fit from the LLRC recommendations and leave the rest out.

Such a double-sided game could place Sri Lanka in a dangerous situation given the US-backed resolution that was adopted at the last UN Human Rights Council meeting, where the policy was to implement all LLRC recommendations. Since Sri Lanka also has to present its progress on implementation at the UN review meeting in October, it would be interesting to see the international community’s reaction to certain points of the LLRC being brushed over.

No doubt the Government will use the “not enough time” tactic to fend off criticism. Yet, after three years of peace and almost a year since the LLRC report was handed over, that reasoning is becoming frayed and increasingly unbelievable. What would be interesting to see is whether the Government’s cultivating new trade and political partners will pay off in October and in subsequent meetings.

Therefore, the third anniversary celebrations have taken on an important hue in relation to connections with the moderate Tamil population. As elections in the east loom closer and Tamil parties scramble to form a comprehensive opposition, the Government is under ever-increasing pressure to meet deeds with words.

Implementing the LLRC recommendations was one way in which the Government could convey its sincerity to forge reconciliation, not only between the Sinhalese and Tamils but also north with south. How the Government proceeds with the rest of the recommendations and how fast they are implemented will decide the fate of ethnic relations within the country and Sri Lanka’s reputation among the rest of the world.