Opinion:

UNHCR action impedes reconciliation in Lanka

by K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's recent remarks on Sri Lanka, especially on the progress of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC), should be an eye-opener for the West.

The Australian leader, in a recent meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, has commended Sri Lanka for its successful implementation of the LLRC recommendations and the country's ability to maintain a 7.8 percent GDP growth.

LLRC

"The fact that the LLRC is going so well is a credit to you," Prime Minister Abbott was quoted as telling President Rajapaksa when the two leaders met in New York. Abbot has said that it was a remarkable achievement of Sri Lanka to maintain a 7.8 per cent GDP growth with the potential of it increasing further before the end of the year.

At a cordial discussion, the two leaders caught up on a range of matters of bilateral interests. President Rajapaksa has briefed the Australian Prime Minister on recent developments in Sri Lanka in the economic and development sectors as well as ongoing reconciliation work. The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Australia has thanked Sri Lanka for its assistance to curb people smuggling issues.

The Australian Prime Minister has said the credit for the smooth functioning of the LLRC to strengthen national reconciliation should go to the Lankan leader.

When certain Western leaders continue to harp on the human rights of the LTTE terrorists killed during the Security Forces relentless battle against terrorism to save 21 million Sri Lankans, the views expressed by the Australian Prime Minister are food for thought. Especially the countries which use the UNHRC as a platform to use human rights as a tool to meddle in internal matters of Sri Lanka should open their eyes and have a closer look at what Abort says.

Wild allegations

Ever since the LTTE leadership was vanquished at the Nandikadal lagoon little over five years ago, the LTTE rum and a section of the Tamil Diaspora said that some LTTE leters who came to surrender waving white flags had been shot dead by the Security Forces. This was a large-scale lie masterminded by the LTTE rump to discredit the Security Forces which had conducted themselves in an exemplary manner.

But all those wild allegations should now come to an end after what a widow of the senior most LTTE leader had disclosed.

Even Shashirekha, the widow of former LTTE Political Wing leader S. P. Thamilselvam, has said that the white flag drama was a total fabrication. Paris-based Shsashirekha has said that none of the LTTE leaders came to surrender to the Security Forces waving white flags and those claims are far from the truth.

Shashirekha had further said that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, under no circumstances, had given permission to any of the sectional leaders to surrender to the advancing Security Forces by waving white flags. Her stunning disclosure has greatly perturbed the LTTE rump and the Tamil Diaspora in the West.

White flags

Thamilselvam's wife's bold statement is an eye-opener to the West and all those who try to level war crimes allegation against Sri Lanka's valiant Security Forces. The white flag incident is a concocted story initiated by the LTTE rump with a clear motive of levelling war crimes charges against the Security Forces. But the then Army Commander Sarath Fonseka has constantly denied such allegations, claiming that none of the LTTE leaders came to surrender waving white flags during the final phase of the humanitarian operation at Nandikadal lagoon.

The UN and the UNHRC has been used more often than not to discredit Sri Lanka and exert undue pressure for the 'sin' of becoming the first and the only country to eradicate terrorism. If the godfathers of the world peace are since with what they preach, they should grab Sri Lanka's expertise and the first-hand experience to crush international terrorism.

Instead, certain Western countries continue to make a big hue and cry over the so-called human rights violations. They do not utter a word on the numerous instances of human rights violations committed by the LTTE, especially showing no mercy whatsoever to the lives of 21 million people.

Crucial

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has once again opened the eyes of the international community with a bold speech at last week's United Nations General Assembly.

Although the role of the UN in advancing international peace, security and prosperity is crucial in the contemporary world, in order to gain the confidence and goodwill of the international community as a whole, one of the essential requirements is consistency of standards across the board without any perception of selectivity or discrimination.

He has further stated that in this context, the current functioning of the system needs fresh examination in order to enhance its credibility.

To be successful, this process must involve de-politicisation of the UN systems and mechanisms and they must stop being hostage to different forms of funding.

Human rights are being used as a tool to implement motivated agendas with no understanding or appreciation of the complexity of issues in the countries concerned. Human rights should be recognised by all as a moral and ethical concept rather than as a political tool.

External intervention without adequate consideration of the structures in a society and cultural traditions of the countries where such intervention takes place, inevitably results in destabilisation, which is very much in evidence today, in most parts of the world, as the President has quite rightly pointed out.

Terrorists

Sri Lanka has also become an unfortunate victim of ill-conceived agendas of some in the UNHRC, who pay scant regard to the substantial progress achieved by Sri Lanka, in reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation within a short span of five years.

No other country has bounced back so quickly after such a bitter battlefield experience and the advancement made by Sri Lanka on the areas of development of the battle-hit areas and national reconciliation has set new world standards.

However, it is sad to not that certain Western countries conveniently ignore all these and only talk of the human rights of the LTTE terrorists killed in action.

There is an obvious lack of balance and proportion in the manner in which Sri Lanka is being targeted today, disregarding these significant achievements. This approach is in sharp contrast with the approach to deeply disturbing situations involving humanitarian emergencies elsewhere.

There are multiple challenges that still remain to be addressed - the moral and practical importance of creating an equitable world and a sustainable planet for this purpose cannot be ignored.

The Commonwealth, of which Sri Lanka is the current Chair in Office, accounts for over one quarter of the UN membership.

Pressure

They have endorsed the central focus on the eradication of extreme poverty and re-affirmed commitment to sustainable development. Reducing inequality within and among countries is one of the most transformative goals that have been proposed by the Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

We earnestly hope that this goal will serve to enhance the voice and representation of developing countries in decision making. When there are critical world issues should be addressed on a priority basis, a section of the international community only talk about human rights to exert pressure on the countries which do not dance to their melody.

Sri Lanka does not wish to help legitimize a flawed process and have a detrimental precedents established. Hence, it has to respectfully refuse those who urge that Sri Lanka cooperate with the OHCHR investigation.

The Government has taken this position after much consideration and represents not only the will of the Sri Lankan people as reflected in the motion recently adopted in the Parliament with an overwhelming majority, but also the majority within the Human Rights Council, who refused to support Operational Paragraph 10 of HRC resolution 25/1 which created an OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka in March this year.

Urgent attention

The international community has a greater responsibility to look into urgent world issues, rather than poking their fingers in Sri Lanka. With all the calamities and afflictions around us today, Sri Lanka is clearly not in a situation that needs the urgent and immediate attention of the UNHRC.

Obviously, there are greater issues and grave conditions that need the urgent attention of the UNHRC.

Sri Lanka is continuing on a transformative journey in the interest of all the people of Sri Lanka.

What Sri Lanka needs at this juncture is to be encouraged, and not impeded. Sri Lanka does not need self-appointed arbitrators or judges but sincere partners in its reconciliation drive.

The Government's principled opposition to the OHCHR investigation stems from several well founded concerns - it's politically motivated agenda, it challenges the sovereignty and independence of a member state of the UN, it violates a fundamental principle of international law, which requires that national remedies have to be exhausted before resorting to international mechanisms.

Moreover, though the UNHRC has pretended that it is helping Sri Lanka, its actions have in effect impeded the reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

The UNHRC, even at this every late stage and under the leadership of a new High Commissioner, should prove its transparency. We will never allow the UNHRC to meddle in internal matters of our country or take action against the country's sovereignty in the guise of investigating human rights violations.