By Gibson Bateman –
The US recently tabled a draft resolution against Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council’s 19th session in Geneva. No one should be too surprised by this; everyone knew it was coming. However, the draft resolution is so incredibly weak that President Mahinda Rajapaksa must be breathing a sigh of relief. It is no wonder that the US feels confident that it has the votes in needs. Besides, it is likely that the resolution will be watered down even more in the coming days—making this exercise seem that much more formulaic and pointless.
The resolution requests that the government of Sri Lanka implement the recommendations from the Final Report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). In order to achieve this objective, it asks the government to present an outline or roadmap as “expeditiously as possible” so that everyone will know how much progress Sri Lanka is making towards genuine national reconciliation and to addressing purported violations of international law.
The resolution mentions that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) could help the Sri Lankan government with this. Lastly, the resolution asks for OHCHR to report back to the Council so that its members can be aware of all of the collaboration that has taken place between the Sri Lankan government and OHCHR; OHCHR should present a report about this at the Council’s 22nd session, which is well over a year away.
Do people honestly believe that the government of Sri Lanka is going to voluntarily cooperate with OHCHR?
As expected, there is no reference to an independent international mechanism to probe alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law during the war’s final phases. Getting something that strong passed through the Human Rights Council would have been an epic achievement. Alas, epic achievements and substantial resolutions continue to elude the Council.
The US’s draft resolution looks more like an abbreviated version of something that should come out of a session of the UN’s (perennially disappointing) Universal Periodic Review, rather than the Human Rights Council.
Again, the draft resolution is even weak when it comes to the recommendations of Sri Lanka’s own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. This resolution is so toothless that it is almost embarrassing that a country like the US has tabled it. Sure, a resolution this light will almost certainly pass later this month, although it will have little effect on human rights and national reconciliation within Sri Lanka.
According to the draft resolution, Sri Lanka would not have to make any meaningful commitments that are binding. Nor would Sri Lanka be forced to move too quickly. Rather, this is a resolution that puts the pressure back on an already fragmented opposition.
Coming out of Geneva, nobody wants to look like a “loser.” Everyone wants to emerge victorious. What is really going on here? Was the Obama Administration trying to show a more muscular foreign policy on East Asia’s doorstep in the name of the extraordinarily malleable term “human rights?”
It now looks like everyone—including the US, the government of Sri Lanka, and the Council itself—will leave Geneva blemished. The US will be claiming victory because they said they would pass a resolution and it looks like they will do that.
Although, how much will this resolution really hurt the Rajapaksa government?
Sure, having a resolution passed against it is a clear criticism of the Sri Lankan government’s approach towards human rights and national reconciliation. But does it do much else? If it is passed, will this resolution really change policy in Colombo?
As an absolute minimum, Sri Lanka must be on the formal agenda for the 20th session of the Human Rights Council this June. If that does not happen, the US will emerge as the “biggest” loser. Right now, the Council’s 19thsession looks like another example of the US government ineffectively using “human rights” as a foreign policy tool. Given all of the diplomatic resources it dumped into this initiative, the US looks rather weak right now. In order for that to change, a lot needs to happen between now and March 21st.
*This article first appeared in The Morningside Post.
muththu / March 19, 2012
“It now looks like everyone—including the US, the government of Sri Lanka, and the Council itself—will leave Geneva blemished. The US will be claiming victory because they said they would pass a resolution and it looks like they will do that.”
yes, you are right. But your report missing an important point who was the of this move? Is it sri lanka? No, sri lanka is the food placed on a rat trap. So who is tht fat rat to be caught? INDIA. wether supports the resolution or not, india will be the LOOSER.
/
muththu / March 19, 2012
“It now looks like everyone—including the US, the government of Sri Lanka, and the Council itself—will leave Geneva blemished. The US will be claiming victory because they said they would pass a resolution and it looks like they will do that.”
yes, you are right. But your report is missing an important point that who was the target of this move? Is it sri lanka? No, sri lanka is the food placed on a rat trap. So who is the fat rat to be caught? INDIA. wether it supports the resolution or not, india will be the LOOSER.
/
Rohan / March 20, 2012
Indian PM has indicated that India will support the US resolution and they have succumbed to the pressures exerted by Eelamites. Sri Lanka the friendliest neighbour India has should reciprocate now by inviting China to have a defence agreement in Kachchativu, imposing a law where all Tamilians coming to Sri Lanka should register with Police as happening to Sri Lankans in TN, Strictly follow the international maritime demarcation and arrest everyone who violate this in the sea boundary, inform TN politicians that they are not welcome in Sri Lanka.
/
Max Silva / March 19, 2012
It seems that the high expectations of the leftover Tamil Tiger terrorists have come to nothing.What did they expect?For the Americans to do the dirty work of the Tiger terrorists.But i hope that the Tigers will be patient till next year.Next year,it will be next year….But still they can get on with their pipe dream Ealam for decades to come.Patience!patience!patience!Hope!Hope!Hope!Dream!Dream!Dream!After all it seems that Rudrakumaran will have to be satisfied of being an imaginary Prime Minister!
/
Chandrani / March 19, 2012
Gibson Bateman is wrong. Muththu is right. “A lot needs to be done…..etc. etc.” Yes. On the part of US. Hello! This is US tabling a Resolution on Sri Lanka about Human Rights of all things. Your analysis is lacking. Yes, no one will leave unscathed. Whether it is passed or not passed – India is the loser, USA is already the biggest loser, Sri Lanka cannot lose either way, if it can, on it’s way down, unmask the hypocracy of the US, UN and India the unholy trio to the rest of South Asia and the world.
/
Gamini / March 19, 2012
The obvious will happen where the US will never do anything drastic for the MR regime to be unseated. Afterall from the time MR was elected as President in 2005 where the LTTE was used by the US as they did when they dispensed with Rajiv Ghandi and blamed it on them, so the US could deal with a weak Indian leadership as Manmohan Singh a Harward graduate, today they have led not only the LTTE and the Tamil Diaspora up the garden path but also the Indians. The US have even been successful in harnessing the corrupt Chinese leadership and have got their monies invested in the US notwithstanding a trillion dollar debt. The land in and out of Colombo had been parceled to Chinese and Indian investment where China and India are sitting side by side very comfortably as they will have access to explore the natural reserves in the reigion. Sri Lankans will have to be satisfied with only the spinoffs, like employment of the investment to come, where the US will have a 3.5 billion market in both India and China to do business for the next decade or two.
/
Max Silva / March 19, 2012
Listen!Listen!here comes the modern version of Sherlock Holmes in the form of one GAMINI.Detective first grade Gamini’s latest finding is that the US had murdered Rajiv Ghandi and blamed it on the innocent lily white Tamil Tiger terrorists.Hope that the severely wounded half a dozen or remaining Tigers would not have any grand ideas of bumping off Obama this time around.Ungrateful bastards murdered Rajiv Ghandi. Not many hours ago these defeated terrorists were singing hosannas for the US.But now had done a right U turn and singing a different tune.You idiotic wasted Tigers,didn’t you know that all along you had been set up to be taken for a very smooth ride?NGO vultures in the form of Paki,Jehan,Sunanda,Sunila,Nimalka will be laughing all the way to the bank.These stupid tigers will never learn.Next year also these foreign countries along with the NGO consortium will come out with make believe stories and take the poor Tigers for a right royal ride.There is a sucker born every minute!Hey,you tigers with fallen teeth,get ready for election duty to do all the dirty campaigning for David Miliband.Why couldn’t the idiotic Tigers realize that after all it was only a lot of hot air coming out of Uncle Sam?Instead of Uncle Sam doing your dirty work,ironically it will have to be the tigers job to clean Uncle Sams dirty boots.The defeated Tigers should be grateful to Rajapakse for giving them the LLRC toffee to chew as long as they like.I have news that Rajapakse had agreed to lease out a few small islands off the coast of Mulativu to Uncle Sam.We couldn’t care less even if Uncle Sam open up a few topless bars!
/
Gamini / March 20, 2012
As it was revealed by Robert Willard head of Pacific Command from the Pentagon to the US Congress that US forces are stationed in Sri Lanka, it was first flatly denied by the US High Commission and the Sri Lanka’s Army Commander. Next meekly accept there are a few stationed in the Embassy premises and now revealed they are involved in the construction of Hospitals in the North. There were photos of the American Pacific Command in the East in 2008 directing operations after the Govt. boasted the East was liberated. As for the US assasinating Rajiv Ghandi is good for muts like Max Silva. Rajiv Ghandi before coming to sign the ’87 Peace Accord had invited VP to his residence and after a meal had presented his own Bullet proof armour. VP is not a fool to have committed such a blunder to have Rajiv Ghandi bumped off to have earn the wrath of India and lose it’s succor. How people like Max Silva trying to defend the Yankees now?
/
Max Silva / March 20, 2012
IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL OUR ESTEEMED CONTRIBUTORS AT CT.A character going by the name GAMINI says that Rajiv Ghandi was murdered by the US.If my memory serves right even Dr Anton Bala apologized on behalf of the Tigers.These Americans are trying to help the Tigers in the form of a resolution in Geneva.In return the sobbing Tigers are blaming Uncle Sam for Rajiv’s murder.Is this Gamini character a reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes?Hey,Doc Brian,whom i assume to be the official Doc of the toothless tigers pl help Gamini.Needs to check whether his nuts are properly tightened.
/
Gamini / March 20, 2012
As much as LTTE is a terrorist out fit, the US have had a hand in many an assasination of political leaders the world over and have helped and financed such including the LTTE. The whole world was taken up by the Wikileaks scandal by Julian Assangee. Let it be known that this is another ploy of the US to cover up their deeds of involvement which will come to light. The latest is that Julian Assangee is running for a post in the Senate in Australia. Yes there are enough succors living even they are not born one a minute.
/
NAK / March 20, 2012
Gamini,How about Tigers being US’s cats paw.
/
NAK / March 20, 2012
The writer is trying to make us believe that this resolution is a weak,toothless,harm less resolution even if the US gets it passed they will be the losers. So was the resolution against Libiya. It was to enforce only a no fly zone!and ended up being a -not even a fly left-zone!
Like the scorpian, the sting in this resolution is in its tail. After Indian PM declared suicide, Eileen Donahue rejoiced on WSJ saying”now the path is clear for an international investigation”
/
Jamal / March 20, 2012
In our modern history, most powerful politician is former president JRJ. One of JRJ’s outburst ruined our country for three decades, by insulting Indira Gandhi. Now we are going to fight again with other Indian politicians. America has long before decided to Install Jayalalitha as Indian PM. JRJ had west with him, but our present politician has only Iran Cuba and may be 5% of China. Our next 25 to 30 years going to another war or big disaster?. It is a lost cause fighting with India and US. These are two Super powers now
/
Gamini / March 20, 2012
Max, Anton Balasingham’s apology is good as Julian Assangee’s wikileaks to cover up the US involvement. Afterall Anton Balasingham in his sick bed, what else could he have done? Presently see Tamara Kunanayagam’s stand in the UN, in return for her recognition, position and perks attached?
/
Anti-Boru / March 20, 2012
Shouldn’t there be some kind of international law that makes it a felony to publish the puerile puke that Max Silva (“Mad Max from Serendipity?”)keeps regurgitating?
/
Max Silva / March 21, 2012
Hey Borukaraya,
There is a great demand for Borukarayas like you at Tamil Net.Borukaraya can’t digest what mad Max is giving out?In that case pl consult the official Doc of the defeated Tamil Tigers,Doc Brian,who should be able to help you.That is if Doc Brian has not already been bundled into a nut house by Aussies.
/
Gamini / March 21, 2012
Max you seem paranoid, about the whole saga. Your vituperative attitudes towards others who present a different perspective on issues, you people are unable to stomach. Are you paid by the Rajapakses or the British Firm hired by the Rajapaksas for wading off all anti publicity. Carefull you might end up with something drastic, like a heart attack or a ruptured blood vessel.
/
Max Silva / March 21, 2012
Gamini/Borukaraya,
What nonsense you are uttering?Paranoid?Why should i be when we beat the living daylights out of the bloody coward set of hooligans,the Tamil tiger terrorists.Better change it to “The Tamil Hyenas of pipe dream Ealam” Oh!by the way i am in the process of organizing a sightseeing tour of Nandikadal.You are welcome to join.But NO DRUGS please!
/
Roshan / March 21, 2012
I wonder why Russia, China or even Sri lanka is not tabling a resolution at the UNHRS calling on Nato to account for war crimes in Libya when they bombed civilian centres to faciliate regime change,and for Americans to account for hundreds of thousands killed by their bombs in Iraq (since 1991) and those women and children killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by American drone aircrafts? Lets face it, Americans (and the Brits and Norway) are smarting from the fact that Mahinda Rajapakse government ignored their advice to call a ceasfire and went on to destroy the world’s most ruthless terror group LTTE (which is what FBI described them as) with help from China, India, Pakistan and Russia. This is a new world order American is desparately trying to stop becoming a reality – with some propaganda help from the remnants of the LTTE terrorists who manged to escape to the West.
/
Roshan / March 21, 2012
Why is Channel 4 unable to use its “investigative” reporting expertise (sic) to find video clipping from Gaddafi supporters there of NATO bombing of civilian targets and women and children lying dying on the ground in Misrate and other places? Or are they becoming the Al Jazeera of the West giving air time to Terrorist propaganda?
/