( February 28, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), Navanethem Pillay, and Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs of the US, Dr. Esther Brimmer, have both focused the spotlight on the Sri Lanka's human rights situation in the opening session of the 22nd UNHRC sessions that got underway in Geneva early this week.
Pillay in her inaugural speech on Monday and Brimmer in her address on Tuesday regretted the fact that there had been hardly any improvement in Sri Lanka's human rights situation, with the former going to the extent of lumping Sri Lanka with Iraq. However, it's the latter's explanation as to why the US is going ahead with a new resolution that calls for attention. For couched in the innocuous words of 'to make sure the international community monitors progress and to again offer assistance on outstanding reconciliation and accountability issues in Sri Lanka,' lies an ominous portent of actions that the government may not find to its liking.
The US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka adopted at the 2012 sessions, emphasized not only the need to implement the home grown LLRC recommendations, but also to expedite the process of resolving long-standing issues that led to the 30-year war.
However, apart from the Sri Lanka Army presenting a report on its findings on the last phase of the war, which was more a whitewash job than any real serious investigation, there has been no progress in implementing even a fraction of the LLRC recommendations.
On the contrary, since the resolution was passed, human rights in the country has been on a downward spiral, with numerous violations, most notably the deaths of two Tamil political detainees following the brutal attack on them by prison officials and the killing of an unknown number of inmates in the Welikada Prison riots.
Another contentious issue is the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North. Contrary to government claims, thousands staged a protest fast in Jaffna two weeks ago demanding they be given the right to resettle in their own lands, which are now occupied by the security forces. Efforts to disperse the fasting IDPs also showcased the increasing suppression of democratic rights by the government using the might of the security forces.
According to Dr. Brimmer, apart from evaluating the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations made by the LLRC, the US resolution this year is also expected to focus on the widespread allegations of extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, demilitarizing the North, implementing impartial land dispute resolution mechanism and on promoting and protecting the right of freedom of expression for all.
Reports from Geneva indicate that lobbying against the atrocities allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan Government has already started. But what's noteworthy is that the anti-government campaigns are being made not only by aggrieved Tamil groups, but also those from the South who feel victimized by the Rajapaksa regime.
A five-member parliamentary delegation of the Tamil National Alliance has also left for Geneva for sideline events to apprise international delegates on the human rights situation and the current state of the political process in reaching a solution to the Tamil question.
The government, for its part, opting for a more prudent approach, has chosen to send a small delegation led by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe to defend the country, as opposed to the jumbo delegation sent last year, which proved disastrous, earning additional black marks for the country, purely due to the uncouth behaviour of some of the delegates.
No doubt things will be handled with a better sense of dignity this year. But this will not be enough to prevent a déjà vu moment towards the end of March when the resolution is taken up for voting. Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has already announced in the Indian Parliament that his country would stand by the US resolution that would be brought against Sri Lanka. Others are certain to follow suit.
- Ceylon Today Editorial
 Head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), Navanethem Pillay, and As...){kind=link}