Forging new futures

Thursday, 11 February 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The last few days have been eventful ones for Sri Lanka as it faced scrutiny before the international community on its pledges to move forward on reconciliation. The resolution made last September has created deep divisions within the country as one faction used it to limit the conversation on healing and politicise the needs of justice.

An inordinate amount of attention was focused on the possibility of a “hybrid court,” the term itself raising many questions on sovereignty and legitimacy. While the Sri Lankan people in general are supportive of institutional and monetary support to rebuild the north and east, bring economic development and even improve political rights, the path towards deeper reconciliation has been hampered by charges of international interference, and fears of investigations into the military.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein rightly pointed out this bias during his address to media ahead of wrapping up his tour to Sri Lanka. He urged the public to read and understand the full gamut of the resolution, rather than cherry picking, to absorb the need for truth-telling, accountability, reparations and institutional reform to form the four pillars of reconciliation. If even one of these elements is missing, mishandled or unresolved, new strains of division will emerge. Sri Lanka has already seen evidence of this time and again.

Nationalism, as the High Commissioner pointed out, was at the heart of creating the war, and if left unchecked will continue to keep Sri Lanka divided. The disgraceful marriage of nationalism and politics has given these narrow-minded and bigoted people an admirable platform from which to spew their venom. Every effort to foster reconciliation, whether they are symbolic such as singing the national anthem in Tamil or tangible, such as releasing military held land, has been opposed simply for the sake of political grandstanding. Unfortunately, these very same people are listened to because they are shouting louder than the moderates but they should not be mistaken as the majority.

It does not take the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to see that if these forces are allowed to hold sway, it will be at the cost of Sri Lanka’s future. The politicians who are spearheading the nationalist charge is clearly spearheaded by those loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and hold their narrow interests at heart for personal gain. A united and prosperous Sri Lanka would not given them neither such a ready platform nor such a large number of acolytes, so they must grind out a message one part insecurity, bigotry and many parts selfish.

Ethnic divisions usually lead only to death and destruction. This means many more innocent Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims will have to pay the price for a failed reconciliation process. The politicians that divide them and block every effort at peace building will lose nothing. The victims will remain denied of justice and it is for this reason that the National Government has to take courageous decisions to hold true to their promises before the UNHRC. This is not a time to become weak but a chance to forge a new future.