UNHRC HAS TO CHANGE IT’S
ATTITUDE NOW.
Report on the UPR of Sri Lanka successfully adopted in Geneva.
Noor Nizam. Sri Lanka
Peace Activist. Canada.
The Sri Lankan delegation at the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka
of the United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday (June 13) in the
Office of the United Nations in Geneva has made a daring attempt to
highlight the facts of the HR situation in Sri Lanka to the world forum.
Whether it is commendable or not, does not befit my ability as a Sri
Lankan domiciled aboard. As one who has been engaged in the political
and regional administration concerns of governance and humanitarian
assistance in Sri Lankan since 1969 to 2000, with a focus on Human Rights,
I can state that – it was a good job done by the Sri Lankan delegation
to bring much awareness and insight to the unsound allegations that
has been levied against the government in recent times. Prof Rajiva
Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human
Rights and Mr. Mohan Peiris, P.C (President’s Counsel) Legal Advisor
to the Ministry of Defence have attempted to clear the “incorrect
metaphors’ created by NGO’s, INGO’s and some of the local
and International Media about the realities of the ground situation
in Sri Lanka. One has to carefully read the statements to grasp and
understand what the statements really drive at.
While respecting the genuine concerns of the International Communities
and INGO’s/NGO’s, both located in the jurisdiction of Sri
Lanka and engaged in Humanitarian engagements, the attempt made by the
Sri Lankan delegation at the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka
of the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 13th., is “what
was done at the right time at the right place” to clear the smoke
screen of deceptive and discriminate representative advocacy and journalism
that has been used to build a cocoon around the “realities”
of the issues and concerns that were deliberated at this June forum
in Geneva. It is now for the International Community and the member
states of the UN body to make their conclusions and act accordingly.
Politics is seen as a “dirty game”. Yet politics when involved
with the academia makes a difference. Politics in history and politics
in the developed nations have respected the learned, educated and the
academia. Thought provoking politicians engaging the learned/academia
have guided and navigated their countries to great success. It is because
of such involvements that strides of nation building and innovative
developments have contributed to the emergence of economically and socially
developed nation – the so-called “rich nations” in the
world, that we have been destined to receive aid and financial assistance
from, as it is.
Deception had to be countered by sincerity, false by truth, ignorance
by awareness and allegations by information and facts and that is what
the Sri Lankan delegation has accomplished at the Universal Periodic
Review of Sri Lanka of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
This, because Sri Lanka has taken a new turn of public administration
and foreign policy administration engaging the “learned and academia”
in it’s march forward towards finding a peaceful resolution to
the political and economical issues faced by a small nation of outstanding
and long heritage, culture and traditions that cannot be matched by
the West.
The times are gone when politics was the success of slogan shouting,
May Day rallies, calling names, street fighting, thuggery, blaring on
public speaking systems and winning votes with alcohol and a few rupees
or a parcel of rice. Time has changed citizens and the advent into the
modern era had changed the nations, that were presumed “primitive’
and called the “3rd world nations” an identity given to economically
and development wise retarded nations like CEYLON. But Sri Lanka is
now different, except that the political sincerity of the majority community,
the Sinhalese has not been natured to face the realities of the present
and the democratic options of political engagements of equality and
fundamental rights. On the other hand, the dominance and participation
of the Tamil selfish “high cast” or “vellaala cast”
that belonged to the elite Tamils in all political activities and the
denial of the aspirations and inspirations of the Tamil people in the
hierarchy and decision making process of governance and the disunity,
selfishness, regionalism, the Colombo and Eastern divide and the manipulative
politics for convenience by the Muslim community has led to the plight
of the nation today, as Sri Lankan stands before International Forums
to tell it’s sad story.
The untold story in these FORUMS is the story of the Muslim Factor.
Yet, should Sri Lanka still belong to the 3rd., world group as defined
by the late Canadian PM Hon. Lester Pearson, just over 30 years ago.
Hon. Pearson was not discriminative then, but in terms of HR, that was
the greatest violation of HR ever to be committed to the underprivileged
and economically retarded nations of the world, which violation has
been lost in the annuals of time and period in the UN.
Changes are needed to face new challenges and realities and the world
has to accept changes as it moves forward. A change in the Industrial
revolution and consumerization is needed to make good the issues of
climate change and H2O emissions. Changes in Foreign Policy and diplomacy
are needed to respect nationhood and sovereignty. Changes in the practice
of bad Ethical and moral responsibilities with regards to media and
press freedom to tell the truth to the people and to politically refrain
from corruption should be the highest level of ethics and morals to
be practiced.
Priority then has to be given by he UN, UNHRC, UPR, EU and the International
Community to change there stand in respect of the HR allegations concerning
Sri Lanka and to assist and help Sri Lankan to make a difference, when
Sri Lanka cries out saying – “let me assure them (all) that
every effort is being made to bring to book perpetrators of offenses
or violators of human rights. It is not the case that the Government
has no will, and I refute the allegation that there is no will to deal
with these issues. We have set up the structures necessary and, as we
have persistently asked from the Council, we need technical assistance
in capacity building to deal with matters being raised in this august
assembly from time to time. It might be well to remember that we have
a long history of a highly developed legal system. We have a common
law which is Roman-Dutch and we have also a very strong influence of
the English law. And between these two legal systems we have developed,
we have in place a very complex system of laws.
The question is,will this change take place now? This is a very good
opportunity for the UN to give priority when the UN itself is soul searching
for changes within the UN itself of it’s policy and administrative
weaknesses and to make the UNO what it was created for, 63 years ago
on October 24, 1945.
Noor Nizam.
Sri Lanka Peace Activist.
Canada.
|
