Why Obma administration eager to embrace Colombo
by Taylor Dibbert
Tom Malinowski, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy,
Human Rights and Labor (DRL), recently travelled to Sri Lanka.
From the looks of it, he had productive, busy visit. Malinowski even
managed to visit the place in Mullaitivu District, where Sri Lanka’s
civil war ended and alleged violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law (on a massive scale), took place in 2009.
Based on some of the quotes he provided to journalists during his
trip, Malinowski is extremely upbeat about how things have been going.
To be fair, the op-ed he placed in a leading Sri Lankan newspaper was
still optimistic, though perhaps less exuberant than some of his public
comments. The Obama administration is undoubtedly delighted that the
increasingly authoritarian Mahinda Rajapaksa was thrown out of office in
early January. And, since US-Sri Lanka relations had turned quite sour
under Rajapaksa’s watch, Washington clearly wants things to be different
this time.
Malinowski’s recent statements are in line with what other senior
American officials have said about Sri Lanka’s recent transfer of power.
As Malinowski suggested, it appears that the Obama administration still
has not decided precisely how much the bilateral relationship will
evolve, particularly on controversial issues like human rights and
‘accountability’ for alleged wartime abuses.
Patience
A degree of patience may be warranted, although the reform program of
newly-elected Maithripala Sirisena has not been going that well. On the
other hand, parliament’s passage of the 19th Amendment to the
Constitution (which trims presidential powers and establishes various
independent commissions) is a significant accomplishment and has opened
the door to even greater optimism regarding a reform program that had
been floundering. Reform process Indeed, it’s likely that the Obama
administration will stay upbeat for at least the next several months and
continue to decrease diplomatic pressure on the new government. Sirisena
is expected to dissolve parliament soon and parliamentary elections
could come as early as June. Once the official electoral campaign
begins, Washington would seek to avoid any perceptions of interference,
aside from encouraging the government to hold peaceful, transparent
elections.
Accountability
Having ended a brutal civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka has come under
intense pressure over the past several years over accountability for
alleged war crimes and ongoing human rights violations post-war. For
better or worse, the Obama administration has taken the lead in ensuring
that Sri Lanka’s human rights and accountability issues stay on the
international community’s radar. Just because there’s been a changing of
the guard does not necessarily mean that should change.
Yet now, with less than two years left in office, would Obama really
be interested in keeping the pressure on Sri Lanka? Secretary of State
John Kerry visited the island nation yesterday (2). Another high-profile
visit of this nature could be viewed principally as an endorsement of
Rajapaksa’s electoral defeat and an embrace of the new government.
Let’s keep in mind that the passage of the 19th Amendment
(undoubtedly the new government’s most significant accomplishment to
date), was never a foregone conclusion and that Kerry had confirmed his
visit before that had happened. Aside from the readouts, observers are
likely to pay particular attention to the optics of Kerry’s visit,
especially since early indications suggest that he will not travel to
the war-torn Northern Province.Malinowski just visited. And now Kerry.
Is another high-profile visit really warranted at this time?
While one could argue that the legislation does not go far enough,
passing the 19th Amendment was a big win for Sirisena and Sri Lanka’s
democracy; this development could augur more positive change in the
coming months. Yet, if backsliding does occur, that may not matter much
to the Obama administration. For now, it looks like regime change in
Colombo means that Washington’s overzealous approach is the new normal
in US-Sri Lanka relations.
(The Diplomat)
About the author:
Taylor Dibbert is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. and
the author of Fiesta of Sunset: The Peace Corps, Guatemala and a Search
for Truth. Follow him on Twitter @taylordibbert. (IPS)
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