Sri Lanka caves in and abandons defiant stance at UNHRC - D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Facing defeat in Geneva Sri Lanka caves in and abandons defiant stance at UNHRC

21 March 2012, 10:40 pm
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
In a dramatic reversal, Sri Lanka has abandoned its earlier strategy of adopting a principled
position and has now compromised its stance towards the draft resolution tabled by the United
States of America regarding the Island nation at the 19th session of the United Nations Human
Rights Council (UNHRC)in Geneva.

Sri Lanka under the leadership and direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been refusing to
compromise in any way with the USA on this matter and has instead been lobbying strenuously on
the basis of important principles among the 47 member states of the UNHRC.

President Rajapaksa has given clear instructions to senior officials at Sri Lankas ministry of
External Affairs that the Country should adopt a principled position and resist the US action
rather than cave into American diktat by compromising.

“It does not matter even if we lose but we must go down fighting” the President has reportedly
stated.

President Rajapaksa had maintained this stance even after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
announced in the Indian Parliament that India was “inclined to vote in favour of A resolution on
Sri Lanka”.

There was consternation among official circles in Sri Lanka that the Indian change of position
would seriously damage prospects of the US sponsored resolution being defeated at the UNHRC

Nevertheless President Rajapaksa remained defiant and had told the minister of External Affairs
Prof.Gamini Lakshman Peiris that the resolution should be opposed vehemently even “if we get
only one vote at the UNHRC”.

In what amounted to a sharp “U’Turn the President has changed his stance overnight and is now
prepared to compromise on the resolution

This apparently is at the behest of Giant neighbour India that has offered a Compromise to Sri
Lanka by way of amending the text of the US resolution.

Senior Indian cabinet ministers who communicated with President Rajapaksa have impressed upon
him the fact that it would be better to seek a compromise with the US rather than confront it at
a vote in the UNHRC and face defeat

India had “gently” pointed out that if Sri Lanka did not heed the advice of New Delhi and
proceeded to defy the US at the UNHRC, India would be compelled to canvass against Colombo and
in association with the USA ensure the safe passage of the resolution at the UNHRC.

Faced with such a dismal prospect President Rajapaksa had capitulated to the dictates of Delhi
and agreed to a compromise by which the draft US resolution would be amended.

India is currently engaged in negotiations with the US as an “honest broker” representing Sri
Lanka. The objective is amending the resolution in a manner less stringent on Sri Lanka.

The proposed amendments would also allow Sri Lanka room to “save its face” in Geneva.

Although the final details are not known it is learnt that clauses of the draft resolution would
be changed to one in which it would be stipulated that Sri Lanka would be “Consulted” on related
issues and that steps would be taken in “concurrence” with Sri Lanka.

If the provisions of an amended resolution are acceptable to Sri Lanka it may then abandon its
principled position of opposing the resolution and instead express its “willingness” to comply.

In such a situation there is speculation that the resolution may be deferred and not be put to
the vote in this 19th UNHRC session.

Although the resolution was to be taken up for discussion and vote in the morning of Thursday
March 22nd it may now be taken up in the Evening or on Friday March 23rd.

If India is able to forge a consensus on the amended resolution it is very likely that only a
debate would take place and a vote may not be taken.

This reversal of stance by President Rajapaksa is likely to receive a mixed response . The
President’s image as a leader who would not cave into International pressure is likely to be
dented.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has revealed that the government was negotiating on the
US resolution at the UNHRC calling for accountability and reconciliation issues in Sri Lanka and
it might not be put to vote this week.

The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the UNP parliamentary group meeting in Colombo this ,
according to party sources.

Wickremesinghe said that the resolution was to be deferred on the strict condition that the
Mahinda Rajapaksa regime undertook to speedily implement the LLRCs recommendations which inter
alia call for the re-establishment of the independent police, election, public and judicial
service commissions required to enforce the rule of law and safeguard human rights.

The government had placed the country and its people in the present predicament, Wickremesinghe
said, adding that it was good to hear of a change in attitude even at this late stage.
 It is against this backdrop that the UNHRC in Geneva will determine the fate of the US
sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka that has been amended by India.
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