By Asoka S. Seneviratne –

Prof. Asoka.S. Seneviratne

Reconciliation is part and parcel of economic development efforts in Sri Lanka. However, apart from NPP/ANURA, other political parties (i.e., SLFP/SLPP and UNP/SJB) hardly discuss reconciliation in depth. It is clear that despite the LLRC (2011) and other subsequent efforts for reconciliation, there is a grave need to generate the expected results for well-understood reasons. Reconciliation is a complex and complicated endeavor for which Vision and Political Will are profound. Given the above, reconciliation efforts must be personified with a committed leader. It requires an anchor. Given the various convincing and conclusive reasons, NPP/ANURA is well-equipped to provide the anchor for reconciliation.

Introduction

As this year’s elections are nearing, political parties and their leaders are bustling to discuss various topics, such as economic policies, the country’s massive debt burden/trap, working with the IMF/WB, the increasing cost of living and the poor, staging political debates, stolen public assets, unabated corruption, massive particularly in North and East to show the strength, status, and power of political parties and labor movements or token strikes —no doubt that all are above-important and relevant for the political parties and their leaders.

However, according to my understanding, an equally important subject for all of us at this juncture is well-cemented harmony and unity among the Sinhalese Tamils, Muslims, and others while respecting and accepting diversity among communities. We can name it ‘reconciliation’ because the nation needed productive and constructive transformation from various complications following the 1983 “Black July.” This led to a civil war for 26 years until 2009. An array of the grievances of the Tamil community were the root cause of the ethnic conflict or the civil war. In 2010, the government established a commission to look into the reasons for the civil war and recommend ways and means for harmony and unity among the people while celebrating diversity. The Report of this initiative and subsequent efforts until today have not generated the expected outcomes for reconciliation. Unfortunately, except for NPP/ANURA, other political parties hardly focus on and talk publicly about harmony and reconciliation among the communities.

When NPP/ANURA comes to power, reconciliation will be a priority and a beacon of hope for Sri Lanka’s economic, social, and political development. NPP/ANURA is well-equipped and deeply committed to generating reconciliation outcomes that inspire optimism in a landscape where SLFP/SLPP and UNP/SJB have struggled to achieve social cohesion even 15 years after ending the war in 2009. The unwavering commitment of NPP/ANURA to achieve reconciliation is not just a political agenda but an integral part of its economic policy, aiming for steady economic growth and development based on the principles of sustainable development outlined by the UN in 2015.  Given all the above, achieving reconciliation needs a right-based or thematic approach. The purpose of this paper is to explain the above.

Please note that this article is well placed along my previous articles, NPP: The Unrivalled Choice In Sri Lanka Politics, and NPP – A Reformed & Mature Political Movement in Two Parts.

Given the above, the purpose of this paper is to:

1. To present our experience regarding the failure than the success of the reconciliation efforts since 2011; according to the Report of the Commission of Enquiry on “The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission”  (LLRC-2011)

2. To indicate the primary reasons for the failure of the reconciliation

3. Understanding the essential five thematic principles and 40 sub-components required to generate the expected outcome of reconciliation

4. Based on the above, how NPP/ANURA is well equipped for reconciliation and

5. The role of NPP/ANURA in dealing with the past and building the future together

This article has two parts. Part I explains the historical development and efforts for reconciliation to show its failure. Part II presents how and why NPP/ANURA can generate the expected reconciliation outcomes, or NPP/ANURA is the anchor of reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Part I. Failure of Reconciliation efforts since 2011

Winning the war in 2009 and after 15 years and success/failure of reconciliation based on LLRC Report

After winning the war in 2009, reconciliation has been discussed nationally and internationally. As a result, the Report of the Commission of Enquiry on “The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission”  (LLRC)  2011 marked a significant milestone, serving as the first committed attempt for the purpose and providing a solid foundation for future reconciliation efforts. This initiative aimed to discover and reveal past wrongdoings by the government and other non-state actors in the hope of resolving conflicts left over from the past. This is similar to the Truth Commission established by South Africa after the apartheid regime in 1990.

Among the LLRC’s findings are that Sinhalese and Tamil politicians caused the civil war and failed to offer a solution to the governance of the Tamil community. At the same time, the SLFP and UNP divisions helped this conflict.  Now, the situation is such that most Tamil politicians and the Tamil people hardly want to rely on SLFP/SLPP or UNP for reconciliation due to unmet expectations.

It should be noted that the international community has criticized the Commission, given its limited mandate and failure to meet the minimum standards, including the protection of witnesses. The above concerns may indicate the effectiveness of the commission towards reconciliation. In short, as the report noted, (a) the reconciliation process requires a full acknowledgment of the tragedy of the conflict and (b) a collective act of remorse or regret by the political leaders and civil society of all Tamil, Sinhalese, and other communities. The conflict could have been avoided had the southern political leaders of the two main political parties, namely the SLFP and UNP, acted in the national interest and forged a consensus between them to offer an acceptable solution to the Tamil people. This expression is vitally important to the author because the power and status of SLFP/SLPP and UNP/SJB are no longer significant today compared to the conflict period and NPP/ANURA. In other words, NPP/ANURA has emerged as the country’s only force committed to complete and comprehensive reconciliation.

Following LLRC in 2011 and after five years, the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) conducted a study in 2014, “Commentary on the Progress Achieved in Implementing the National Plan of Action to Implement the Recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,” concluded the lethargic prosecution of accountability issues and the importance of implementing the recommendations of the LLRC as a first step toward reconciliation and sustainable peace is a significant concern. CPA called on the government of Sri Lanka to implement the LLRC recommendations without delay and with sincerity and commitment while noting that the LLRC report constituted the initiation of a reconciliation process and not the end of it.

Furthermore, we are well aware of the resolutions on Sri Lanka in the UNHRC regarding human rights protection and accountability issues, democratic governance, durable peace, and unity in Sri Lanka, which require reinforcement towards reconciliation, a matter of great concern. Given all the above, it is crystal clear that the LLRC has yet to generate the expected outcome of reconciliation. In short, the primary reasons for the failure of LLRC are clear.

Bill On “Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation -2024” and beyond. Will it work? 

This section deals with the current status of reconciliation. There are many (a) Commissions of inquiry, (b) Consultation Task Forces, (c) the Office of Mission Persons, and (d) the Office for Reconciliation. These were committed to recompilation after 2011. The latest is a New Bill to establish the “Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation”, this year (2024).   

This Bill aims to establish the truth regarding the post-conflict grievances of Sri Lankan citizens, (a) facilitating reconciliation, (b) reparation, and (c) sustainable peace. The proposed Commission acknowledges every Sri Lankan’s inalienable or absolute right to ascertain the truth, a pivotal aspect of healing from past conflicts. After being enacted, it safeguards national unity through truth and transitional justice, reconciliation, reparation, and social cohesion. In short, the Commission continues the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC, 2011) efforts related to Sri Lanka’s post-conflict reconciliation efforts.

However, the proposed Bill has been criticized by ICJ (International Commission of Jurists – Advocates for Justice and Human Rights). The ICJ considers the government’s proposed bill to establish a commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation unlikely to advance accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims and survivors of the 26-year-long armed conflict that ended in 2009 and involved widespread atrocities. The ICJ is concerned that the lack of consultation with victim communities and the continued neglect of their demands deprive the Bill of legitimacy.

Along with the above concerns, it is pertinent to quote the following to place the proposed Bill in the proper context based on the thematic approach mentioned, which generates the expected outcome.

ICJ’s Asia Director remarks, “Considering the repressive political climate in Sri Lanka and the absence of the conditions that are necessary to ensure the success of the proposed Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation, the Bill appears to be more of a legislative maneuver aimed at deflecting the attention of the Human Rights Council and removing Sri Lanka from further scrutiny rather than a genuine accountability measure. The Bill suffers from a lack of transparency regarding the consultation process and non-acceptance by victim communities”. This conclusion reveals a massive vacuum in the new Bill toward reconciliation. Therefore, it will not generate the expected outcome in the right direction.

To be continued in Part II…

*The author worked as the Special Advisor to the Office of the President of Namibia and was a Senior Consultant with UNDP for 16 years. He worked as a Senior Economist with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (1972-1993) before he migrated to New Zealand. The writer can be contacted at asoka.seneviratne@gmail.com)