{"id":217636,"date":"2021-03-29T14:50:08","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T09:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=217636"},"modified":"2021-04-01T15:59:26","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T10:29:26","slug":"amnesty-internationals-questionable-approach-to-human-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/amnesty-internationals-questionable-approach-to-human-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Amnesty International\u2019s Questionable Approach To Human Rights? \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laksiri Fernando<\/a> –<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Laksiri Fernando<\/p><\/div>\n

Amnesty International (AI<\/a><\/span>) was the first to express its jubilation, among the international NGOs, when the UNHRC resolution was passed against Sri Lanka on 23 March. That is no surprise as from its inception the Amnesty has characterized their main approach as \u2018naming and shaming.\u2019 This is like \u2018stoning and caning\u2019 the perceived enemies. Who has unashamedly unleashed this approach this time against Sri Lanka is Hilary Power, Amnesty\u2019s representative to the UN in Geneva (\u2018Sri Lanka: Landmark UN Resolution<\/a><\/span>,\u2019 Colombo Telegraph, 23 March 2021).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Naming and Shaming?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Amnesty may be unaware or just ignoring the studies conducted by independent scholars about the counterproductive nature of these approaches particularly to culturally and religiously different countries, without employing a balanced and a constructive way of engagement. The latter is called human rights diplomacy. Jack Snyder was one among the critics on \u2018naming and shaming.\u2019 As he said in a study on \u2018Backlash Against Naming and Shaming,\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeither activists nor the scholars who study them have paid much attention to the emotional dynamics of the targeted group, and in particular to the emotions of shame and shaming, nor to the sociological mechanisms that underpin the politics of status and status competition.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Snyder drew his conclusions based on political sociology\/psychology. However, this is not only about psychology, but against the whole spirit of human rights. This is exactly what happened in Myanmar even after the military opted to hold elections and form coalition governments with Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD (National League for Democracy) since 2008. The naming and shaming went on even against Suu Kyi and the result was a terrible backlash today even against her. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is possible that these Western advocates are trying their best, knowingly, or unknowingly, to turn Sri Lanka into another Myanmar. But I hope that Sri Lanka\u2019s democratic and state institutions are resilient and firmer, the leaders are sensible, and the people in Sri Lanka would not get caught up in this trap the Western governments and NGOs are placing on them. I am talking based on my research and experience. What Sri Lanka should do is to campaign firmly within the UNHRC and the UN against these approaches, exposing the motives and deception of the Western countries and western dominated NGOs. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Vindictiveness <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Hilary Power of Amnesty has talked as a colonial madam declaring the following. <\/span>\u201cThis is\u00a0a\u00a0significant\u00a0move by the Human Rights Council, which signals a shift in approach by the international community.\u00a0Years\u00a0of support and encouragement\u00a0to Sri Lanka to pursue justice at\u00a0the\u00a0national level\u00a0achieved\u00a0nothing.\u00a0This resolution\u00a0should send a clear message to perpetrators of past and current crimes that they cannot continue to act with impunity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What is this shift in approach that Power is talking about? It is very clear that it is about the \u2018interference in internal affairs.\u2019 It is an absolute lie to talk about \u2018years of support and encouragement.\u2019 On the contrary, it was maximalist demands year after year that discouraged accountability and national reconciliation. Why then the same policy of \u2018support and encouragement\u2019 allegedly continued if nothing achieved at the national level during the last 12 years? <\/span><\/p>\n

What are the \u2018current crimes\u2019 that she is talking about? She should listen to Lord Nasby if she cannot believe the colored people. As an independent academic, I believe that her attitudes are conditioned by \u2018white racism\u2019 believing that Sri Lankan people cannot understand human rights. These are the same people or her predecessors that supported and encouraged LTTE terrorism in the name of human rights. <\/span><\/p>\n

Exaggerations and Misinterpretations\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In the first sentence of the statement, it was completely wrong to characterize the war as a \u201830-year civil conflict.\u2019 It was a terrorist war against a legitimate government and people in the country. The LTTE killed not only the Sinhalese or the government soldiers but also the Tamil innocents and their intellectuals. I lost some of the close friends and relatives. They were not killed by the soldiers or the police. Then elected governments had every legitimate right to fight against terrorism and this was required by the constitution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One major defect in the international human rights system today is that it does not have a clear definition or understanding of terrorism. They are clueless or complicit.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Has Amnesty ever written against terrorism in Sri Lanka or elsewhere? Hilary Power should show us any evidence. Why cannot the Amnesty characterize terrorism as a human rights violation? Perhaps they were funded by some terrorist organizations worldwide. They claim they have seven million members who fund their activities. To my information Amnesty is significantly funded by the British government discretely. I have been to the Amnesty international office in London in late 1980s. They had their own regional scabbles with Africans that time. <\/span><\/p>\n

I have also been to the Amnesty meetings in Sydney in early 1990s when I was doing my PhD research on human rights. From one meeting to the other people were changing while few were running an office on a paid basis. I also wrote to the Amnesty office in London asking whether they had made any statement on the Burmese coup in 1962. Because one of my concerned countries was Burma. They wrote back saying \u2018No\u2019 they were working only on death penalty! From amnesty to capital punishment, now they are working on amnesty to terrorists it seems. Because Amnesty type human rights advocacy is a big business today. <\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to the statement on \u201cSri Lanka: Landmark UN Resolution\u201d there were two reports issued by the Amnesty International. One was dated 14 January 2021on \u201cThe UN Human Rights Council Must Step Up Efforts\u201d in Sri Lanka and the other lengthy Report was in February, without a clear date, titled \u201cOld Ghosts in New Garb: Sri Lanka\u2019s Return to Fear.\u201d When you go through these two reports and the Report by the so-called office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the contents, the language, recommendations, and even paragraphs are, more or less, the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrogance and Nonsense<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the Amnesty or Hilary Power does not know what they are talking about as follows. <\/span>\u201cWe urge Sri Lanka to engage constructively with the OHCHR, to implement the recommendations of the report and to allow full and unfettered access to the country.\u00a0Failing this, the Human Rights Council may\u00a0take more robust action, including\u00a0the establishment of an independent accountability mechanism,\u00a0said\u00a0Hilary Power.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the British colonial arrogance is behind her. Who is she to \u2018urge\u2019 Sri Lanka to engage with the OHCHR? She also \u2018urge\u2019 Sri Lanka to \u2018allow full and unfettered access to the country.\u201d To do what? She should know the colonial history of the country before talking about human rights today. She is also trying to blackmail the country by saying \u201cFailing this, the Human Rights Council may take more robust action.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Recommendations<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I recommend the Sri Lanka government to completely prohibit anyone from the OHCHR to step into the country. <\/span><\/p>\n

To campaign within the members of the UNHRC and the UN member countries in general to change the lopsided human rights approaches of the West and to promote human rights with human duties worldwide. To prohibit or limit the dubious organizations like Amnesty International influencing the activities of the UNHRC.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To strengthen the national security without allowing anyone to undermine, challenge or subvert the country\u2019s independence, sovereignty and integrity as guaranteed in the UN Charter. <\/span><\/p>\n

To promote human rights and human duties among the citizens of Sri Lanka through education based on the international conventions and covenants, and the traditions and customs of the country. <\/span><\/p>\n

To complain to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly regarding the illegal nature of the UNHRC resolution and allow the country to carry forward its own processes of promoting accountability, reconciliation and human rights and report to the UNHRC only on a periodic basis.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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