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Sri Lanka at the UN Rights Council
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- SL at UNHRC: At the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Sri Lanka faces another resolution on human rights violations and war crimes.
- Why significant: Sri Lanka abruptly withdrew in 2020 from an earlier UNHRC resolution (Resolution 30/1) on war crimes. Under the resolution, it had committed, 5 years previously, to a time-bound investigation of war crimes that took place during the military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In this backdrop, the country faces another UNHRC resolution now.
- Do not interfere: Sri Lanka has described the resolution as “unwanted interference by powerful countries”. It has officially sought India’s help to gather support against the resolution. Whichever way it goes, the resolution is likely to resonate in India-Sri Lanka relations. For India internally, it will reflect in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
- What does the resolution say: The draft resolution is based on a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights). The report warned Sri Lanka on the failure to address human rights violations and war crimes committed in the past. It said that this had put the country on a “dangerous path” that could lead to a “recurrence” of policies and practices that gave rise to the earlier situation. The report flagged the “warning signs”: accelerating militarisation of civilian governmental functions, reversal of important constitutional safeguards, political obstruction of accountability, exclusionary rhetoric, intimidation of civil society, use of anti-terrorism laws, etc.
- Changing scenario in Sri Lanka: The report pointed to the appointment of at least 28 serving or former military and intelligence personnel to “key administrative posts.” It also mentioned the appointments of two senior military officials implicated in UN reports on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the final years of the conflict. The report expressed concerns at these appointments. Also, the government had created parallel military task forces and commissions that encroach on civilian functions. It has reversed important institutional checks and balances, threatening democratic gains, the independence of the judiciary and other key institutions. The shrinking space for independent media and civil society, and human rights organisations are also themes in the report.
- What did the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights say: Michelle Bachelet has said that the government in Sri Lanka was “proactively” obstructing investigations into past crimes to prevent accountability. This had a “devastating effect” on families seeking truth, justice and reparations. UN member states “should heed the early warning signs of more violations to come.”
- She also called for “international action” including targeted sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans against “credibly alleged” perpetrators of grave human rights violations and abuses.
- States should also pursue investigations and prosecution in their national courts of international crimes committed by all parties in Sri Lanka.
- She has also asked the UNHRC to support “a dedicated capacity” by countries to collect and preserve evidence for future accountability processes.
- Knowledge centre:
- Rajapaksa brothers - The Rajapaksas are a rural land-owning family from the village Giruwapattuwa in the southern district of Hambantota. The Rajapaksa family is a Sri Lankan political family, that became extremely powerful during Mahinda Rajapaksa's Presidency, where many members of the family occupied their senior positions in the Sri Lankan state. Then came the unexpected defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 Presidential Election, they have been accused of authoritarianism, corruption, nepotism and bad governance. In the 2019 Presidential election Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa contested and won. The Rajapaksas enjoy great popularity among majority of Sinhala population because of the victory over the Tamil Tigers in 2009.
- LTTE - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were a militant separatist group fighting for an independent homeland for Hindu Tamils in Northeastern Sri Lanka. It was founded in the early 1970s by Velupillai Prabhakaran, who led the group until his death by Sri Lankan armed forces in May 2009. During the 1980s, the LTTE defeated a number of different Tamil militant groups, emerging as the dominant group by the end of the decade. The LTTE successfully carried out a number of high-profile attacks, including the assassination of two heads of state. The LTTE were also notorious for their use of suicide terrorism, perpetrated by their elite suicide bombing unit known as the Black Tigers. Starting in 1985, the LTTE began negotiations with the Sri Lankan government; however, multiple rounds of negotiations failed and were interrupted by bouts of violence and clashes between both sides. In March 2004, a large faction of the LTTE led by Colonel Karuna defected, significantly weakening the organization. In 2006, after another failed round of negotiations, the Sri Lankan government declared all-out war on the LTTE and the group was militarily defeated in May 2009.
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