Tuesday, 9 September 2014 00:39
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Interesting times are ahead for the Sri Lankan government as they test the changing waters of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which will hold its twenty-seventh regular session this month in Geneva.
The Sri Lankan Government over the last few years has held back no punches on what it sees as biased actions by the outgoing Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay. In no uncertain terms the Government has lambasted her time and again for what they see as an attempt to present a lopsided picture of the country’s human rights situation and even gone so far as to accuse her of attempting to derail domestic reconciliation.
Just weeks before her exit, Pillay, in an interview, insisted the panel appointed to probe the Government’s track record would be able to competently perform their duties without being allowed into the country, earning a severe rebuke from the External Affairs Ministry. Colombo has always maintained they would have better relations with pretty much anyone else.
Understandably, the Government is now brushing up its manners. In the same statement that so severely condemned Pillay’s comments, the Government went out of their way to assure the new Human Rights Chief Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein of willingness to cooperate. Barely hours after officially assuming duties, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a joint statement released in the aftermath of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s arrival in Sri Lanka, assured cooperation and swiftly extended an invitation to Al-Hussein to visit the island and gauge the situation in person.
As with the appointment of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the change of guard at the UNHRC has given the Government hope of staving off an international investigation and salvaging its global reputation.
Better relations with the UNHRC would only be the first step. Abe’s visit to Colombo, soon to be followed by an even more landmark visit by the Chinese President, will also make the Government evaluate its international engagement. While China is unlikely to take a public stance, Japan has already encouraged cooperation with UNHRC and a concentrated push towards reconciliation.
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 last week 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.
Yet 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.
During the three-week sessions the Council will hear the first address from al-Hussein. While Syria, Ukraine, Iraq and ISIS are expected to steal the limelight there will still be plenty of focus leftover for Sri Lanka.
On 24 September an oral update will be heard from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation in Sri Lanka as a follow up to its resolution adopted in March establishing a commission of inquiry. This will be the first real signal to Colombo about which way the wind is blowing.
