The long road to reconciliation

The inevitable has happened. Sri Lanka has had the second resolution passed on it at the 22nd United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with little changed from the format in 2012. The largely-expected move was taken placidly by the Government, but several points of concern still remain for it to overcome.

At worst the Government can take comfort in the fact that Washington’s final draft of the resolution on Sri Lanka avoided mention of an international investigation. It also welcomed the announcement of northern provincial elections in September 2013 and acknowledged Sri Lanka’s progress in rebuilding infrastructure, resettlement of internally displaced and demining, but noted that much work lies ahead.

Forty-one countries including Britain, Canada and Italy have co-sponsored the resolution in support of the US. Key ally India, under pressure from the emotional south, voted for the resolution, while Japan abstained from voting.

However, Sri Lanka will remain on the UNHRC radar at least till 2014 since the US resolution requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to present an oral update to the Human Rights Council at its 24th session, and a comprehensive report followed by a discussion at the 25th fifth session next year, on the implementation of the present resolution.

Two challenges are looming for the Government, with New Delhi beginning discussions on the possibility of introducing a resolution on Sri Lanka to the Indian Parliament to appease South Indian political party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which on Tuesday dropped out of the Government, leaving it vulnerable ahead of polls early next year.

Prominent Tamil Nadu politician and DMK Leader M. Karunanidhi withdrew his support, insisting that the Indian Central Government was not being tough enough on its Sri Lankan counterpart in promoting minority rights and pushing ahead with credible investigations into war crimes allegations.

Sri Lankan Government Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella appeared unconcerned about an Indian resolution, telling media that since India has not called for an international investigation they would not protest, acknowledging the political constraints placed on India.

If a resolution is indeed put together, it is unlikely that it will be punitive given the strong ties between the two countries and New Delhi’s aversion to setting a troublesome precedent that could result in a similar probe on its activities in Kashmir. Self-interest, it would seem, is the best source of protection.

Nonetheless, India sent a strong message out to the Sri Lankan Government during its address at the UNHRC ahead of the resolution vote, stressing on the implementation of the LLRC recommendations pushing forward power devolution in accordance with the 13th Amendment.  The second and more tenuous situation is the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which could decide to put Sri Lanka on its agenda. According to reports Colombo has been working hard to lobby support within the CMAG group, but the issue is by no means settled. The extreme result would be Sri Lanka losing the chance to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November, but even getting close to that possibility means that more aspirations are cast on the island’s international reputation. Stronger action by the international community is probable in the future if the Sri Lankan Government continues to stall key reconciliation measures that could finally bring sustainable peace to this much-troubled but beautiful island.