Friday, 20 June 2014 00:00
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THE die has been cast. As predicted, the ruling party’s two-thirds majority carried the day as overwhelming numbers voted against the United Nations investigation into the last seven years of Sri Lanka’s conflict. The United National Party (UNP) abstained from the vote and there were minor tremors from other quarters as well.
With the 33 members of the United National Party abstaining, the Government received 144 votes in favour, while the 10 members representing the TNA voted against. JVP members left the House before the vote began. Notable absentees at the time of voting were Minister Rauff Hakeem and all seven other SLMC members and Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.
The overwhelming events of Aluthgama and Beruwala dominated the tumultuous proceedings with Opposition parties taking a tough stance on the Government’s inaction during the worst of the communal clashes that left four dead and at least 80 others injured. Over 2,000 people have been displaced and refuse to leave the shelter of mosques and schools. Some have no homes left. Their livelihoods destroyed.
This shocking and deeply shameful situation is yet to sink into the minds of most Government politicians. The tone was set by President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself when he visited Beruwala and had discussions with Buddhist and Muslim clergy in Beruwala. Having been absent from the country during the worst three days of communal violence to take place in the country in decades, a grand gesture was expected from the leader to reassure minorities and provide a strong push against racism.
While promises of compensation and adherence to law and order make for great front page stories, it fell short of the confidence building measures looked to by the Muslim community. Even though the Government and the Police have repeatedly insisted perpetrators will be brought to book, the Muslim people have little confidence in such promises. Partially because they accuse the Police of standing by and doing nothing when shops and houses were being torched.
As if to sum up the belittling of the Aluthgama and Beruwala incidents, the President, who is usually keen to make the most of an event, simply tweeted “We can’t let anyone harm any person or property and we will conduct an impartial inquiry”. There was no pledge of tackling hate speech and dealing with the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), which has been at the heart of the pleas by Muslims for many months. His choice of travelling partner in Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva is also regrettable.
In such a void of concern, Opposition parties attempted to bring severity to Parliament but with limited success. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe made a special statement in Parliament on Tuesday where he called for an impartial investigation and to clarify why the BBS had been allowed to hold a rally in an area where religions tensions had been simmering for months.
JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake also made a customary rousing speech where he severely criticised the Government for making an already-tenuous international situation worse by allowing Muslim communal riots and activities of extremist elements to add to Sri Lanka’s existing burden of alleged war crimes. The questions are many, but they are unlikely to be answered.
The UNHRC has already stated it can conduct the investigation without stepping on Sri Lankan soil. So the Parliament motion has as many internal political connotations as international ones. Clearly, the Government’s muddled actions over the last three days will have repercussions on Sri Lanka’s international reputation that may never be rubbed away.
