Wednesday, 8 October 2014 00:01
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka is the centre of focus at the United Nations Human Rights Council again. It will present its fifth periodic report to the Human Rights Committee and the 18-member committee will review the country’s human right record this week under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
During the session, the Committee will hear, in closed meetings, from United Nations organisations, specialised agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and national human rights institutions on the situation in Sri Lanka. Several NGOs have submitted reports on Sri Lanka’s human rights situation and the committee will discuss these reports including a 40-page report from Amnesty International that is expectedly critical of Sri Lanka.
Ahead of the UN review, Amnesty International said Sri Lanka must stop making empty promises to the international community and the Sri Lankan people on improving the country’s still desperate human rights situation. Amnesty International’s submission to the UN committee highlights a number of human rights concerns in Sri Lanka, including failure to provide truth, justice and reparation to victims of human rights violations and ongoing abuses perpetrated under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
This evaluation that comes after a decade will be the first since new Human Rights Chief Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein took over and would provide crucial hints to President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Government of whether they can reasonably expect a more tolerant approach.
Yet, the review comes alongside disturbing local developments such as the Bodu Bala Sena opening joining forces with Myanmar’s much-maligned 969 movement. The hardline organisation has also presented a 12-point ‘policy framework’ for the Government that includes demands to remove symbols of minorities from the national flag and recognise Sri Lanka as a Buddhist-only country. Such developments, no matter how downplayed by the Government, will further dim the lustre the island is desperately trying to maintain before the UNHRC.
Better relations with the UNHRC would only be the first step. The recent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) talks with Modi has also shown the Indian Government’s continued commitment to the 13th Amendment and other sticky issues rather ignored by Colombo. Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has already insisted that even though talks between the Government and TNA could resume, any questions on the 13th Amendment, particularly pertaining to police and land powers, would be put to a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), thus setting the stage for another battle of wills.
Another crucial reason for Colombo to brush up its dwindling relations with minorities is upcoming presidential elections. The Uva Provincial Council polls clearly demonstrated the negative results of the Government’s continued sidestepping of the issue. While it is hard to predict how this would play out in a national election spearheaded by President Rajapaksa’s star power and impressive State resources at play, there is little doubt it would dent the ruling party’s chances at a general election. Therefore, the outcome of UNHRC involvement would make all the difference between achieving the Government’s agenda at home and risking international involvement in the reconciliation process. The evaluation will be the first real signal to Colombo about which way the wind is blowing but it is unlikely to smell sweet.
