Saturday, 30 November 2013 00:00
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A FEW days after China was re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), it publicly reiterated support for the Sri Lankan Government, which has been issued an ultimatum by British Prime Minister David Cameron to clean house or face the possibility of a UNHRC probe come March 2014. China’s move surely sent sighs of relief rippling along Government ranks since the staunch ally’s involvement is likely to stave off any challenge from the UNHRC. But will it really improve Sri Lanka’s international reputation?
The United Nations elected 14 members to the Humans Rights Council earlier this month, but some of the picks are seen as controversial. Among them are Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, which Peggy Hicks, Global Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch, says do not reach the high standards that council members should have. She pointed out that Beijing and Moscow have yet to respond to 13 requests for visits by human rights inspectors, some dating back to 2006.
China and Russia are accused of not allowing the very council they sit on to do its job effectively, using their considerable powers to influence other UNHRC members, as well as make it very hard to engage on issues that they don’t want reviewed. Some activists even pointed out that their appointments were akin to “handing the henhouse to the foxes”.
Given Russia’s anti-gay legislation and China arresting human rights activists and dissidents, it is surprising such countries were able to run unopposed for the council. Essentially activists say they “waltzed” into their seats, raising questions about how relevant the UNHRC is on the global stage.
UN Humans Rights Council members can serve for six years before standing for reelection. China, Russia and Saudi Arabia have all served for the past six years, and they ran unopposed to retain their seats, which are organised by region.
Similar to when Sri Lanka was handed the chairmanship of the Commonwealth, more moderate parties see China’s re-entry to the UNHRC as a chance for the international community to highlight its own human rights excesses and push for redress. Some have even gone so far as to applaud the move as an effort by the Chinese Government to “embrace” human rights.
As far as China is concerned, the re-election seems more of an opportunity to boast, with Government officials including envoys seeing it as an acknowledgement of “China’s huge achievements in upholding human rights”.
All these exchanges have great significance for Sri Lanka. The new members start serving 1 January next year and will be in full flow by the time the dreaded March rolls around. The new appointments also mean that it will be that much more difficult for Cameron to carry out his threat, especially since new efforts such as the Commission on Disappearances have been appointed by the Sri Lankan Government to shore up its oft-repeated case.
Yet calls for credible investigations will continue unabated with Sri Lanka’s reputation still largely under shadow. But for a Government concerned more with cosmetic appearances and safeguarding its position at the helm of the Commonwealth rather than value-based genuine reconciliation, such slurs will matter little.
