Until New Delhi actively participates in multilateral efforts to ensure Sri Lanka’s compliance on the accountability issue, its strongest messages to the Rajapaksa government will go unheeded
With a vote due soon on a U.S.-sponsored resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC), the Indian government has a chance to strongly encourage sustainable peace and political reform in Sri Lanka. Policy-makers in Delhi are clearly disturbed by the Sri Lankan government’s backsliding on promises of devolution of power to Tamil-speaking areas, its politically motivated impeachment of the Chief Justice there and its refusal to comply with last year’s HRC resolution on “Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka.” To maximise its ability to influence Sri Lanka towards a lasting resolution of its ethnic conflicts and a restoration of its democratic institutions, India should take the lead in developing a forceful, international strategy, first at the HRC, then through other multilateral bodies, to be able to hold Colombo to its promises.
Risks of instability
Some argue that India should avoid supporting the HRC resolution in order not to lose leverage with the Sri Lankan government. Unfortunately, the limits of India’s bilateral influence have long since been reached. Despite India’s unprecedented financial assistance to Sri Lanka over the past four years, the Rajapaksa government has made no genuine effort to treat Tamils as equal citizens, or to recognise their right to autonomy in the north and east. At the same time, as the International Crisis Group detailed in our February report on “Sri Lanka’s Authoritarian Turn,” there has been a sharp deterioration in democracy and the rule of law and no accountability for human rights violations at the end of the civil war. The risks of eventual political instability and a return to violence are growing.
The Indian government finds itself in a challenging position. India has wisely tried to remain engaged in Sri Lanka and avoid inflaming Sinhala nationalist sentiments. Sinhalese fears about the role of India’s 70 million Tamils are being stirred by increasingly bellicose, at times irresponsible, rhetoric from politicians in Tamil Nadu, as well as violent attacks on visiting Sri Lankans. The active and emotional support of politicians and activists in Tamil Nadu for the HRC resolution, including the current intense pressure from the ruling United Progressive Alliance’s coalition partner, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, for the central government to support a resolution denouncing “genocide” in Sri Lanka, and the apparent effect this pressure has had on policy-makers in Delhi has led some analysts to argue that India risks having its foreign policy “hijacked” by “regional interests.”
Such arguments are exaggerated. Action on Sri Lanka’s human rights and governance crisis isn’t only in the interest of Tamils and Tamil Nadu. The Indian nation as a whole has every reason to prevent the further entrenchment of authoritarian rule in Sri Lanka, where Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims are being increasingly marginalised politically and the rights of all Sri Lankans are being undermined.
Consensus and persuasion
Beginning at the HRC, Delhi should lead in forging a strong international coalition to pressure the Rajapaksa government into reversing its most dangerous policies. This will require India modifying its long-standing reluctance to support country-specific resolutions at the U.N. and its preference for working through bilateral engagement.
India’s endorsement of a forceful HRC resolution, especially if it includes a call for an international war crimes inquiry, will send an important message to the Sri Lankan government that it cannot break promises, to India and its own people, and violate its international obligations without consequences.
Strong Indian action would also encourage other governments to toughen their own policies towards Sri Lanka. U.S. and European diplomats make it clear that they look to India as the key part of an effective international coalition, and India wields great influence among nations of the global south.
In addition to voting for a strong U.N. resolution, India should actively seek to bring others, particularly fellow Asian governments, on board. This includes supporting efforts of other Commonwealth members to ensure that its next heads of government meeting, currently scheduled for Colombo in November, is hosted by a government that respects Commonwealth values of democracy and the rule of law.
India should also work to persuade Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to use their considerable collective financial leverage to reverse Sri Lanka's dangerously militarised development policies in the northern and eastern provinces. All major donors should press for a return to civil administration and for fair elections to the northern provincial council. Without these minimal conditions in place, development assistance risks supporting an unjust, and eventually unstable, political order in traditionally Tamil areas and an unreliable authoritarian regime in Colombo.
Until India begins actively helping set the agenda for multilateral action on Sri Lanka, even its strongest messages to the Rajapaksa government will continue to be ignored. Voting for a strong U.N. resolution, including an international investigation, will be an important step in India assuming a real leadership role in international policy on Sri Lanka.
(Alan Keenan is senior analyst and Sri Lanka Project Director, International Crisis Group.)
Keywords: All- party meeting, UPA Government, Sri Lanka Tamils issue, Parliament resolution, human rights violation
I agree with Vipul's view in total. The Tamils in Sri Lanka were either coerced or joined voluntarily with LTTE in the civil war, which took thousands of innocent lives. The protests by tamils across tamil nadu stands exposed, if seen the kind of mass hysteria and double standards adopted by people and politicians.
The people of Tamil Nadu never voiced their concern to their brethren across India, who were either victims of terrorism and natural calamities. What is the need of extending solidarity to tamils who live in other country? Will this concept be accepted by tamils if applied to other religions?
Seven million civilians are rendered homeless and remain refugees in war torn Afghanistan and we didnt see a single tear shed from tamils. If successive governments in India dance to the people and politicians of tamil nadu, this will be a great insult to IPKF and our security forces, who lend their great support only to be back stabbed by LTTE and tamils in total.
UNHRC RESOLUTION
Sir,
India is justified in demanding 'an independent and credible investigation' into allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka.Since the resolution has been backed by the USA and 24 other countries,it will move Sri Lanka to make earnest efforts to honour its commitments and hold 'inclusive' elections in the near future.Though Pakistan has utilized its right to vote against the resolution,it has apparently missed out an opportunity to keep aside its animosity with India and to play a decisive role in resolving this knotty regional issue.
We should appreciate Keenan for a well put article. While trying to
protect the interests of one regional party and politicians we should
not forget the fate of our own northern unstable state, Kashmir. By
supporting country specific voting India has invited a trouble from
hostile neighbors such as Pakistan and China since they may exploit the
militarized Kashmir issue in future at UN platform in future taking up
human right violations.
It is high time for India to come out of its reticence.The UPA must
already have framed a foreign policy on this issue,so why should they
delay on delivering it publicly. Of course LTTE had made ample
destruction & debris in Lanka.So for the Lankan governments reaction
to the 25 yrs insurgency,we cannot blame them to the core.For them
their peoples interests & life is more important than the Tamils.They
have violated all laws of war,utter havoc.Like America/Israel,India
will never ever act spontaneously or haste fully.Above all India fears
China's intervention-diplomatically speaking.So why then Mr M.
Karunanidhi,veteran wait for?Why cant he ask his people return before
further losses & rehabilitate them. ADMK & DMK if any one party
decides the least a maximum of the issue can get solved.Now b/w
UN,GOSL & LTTE the actual victims are the innocent civilians.
The author seems to forget that there was a war going on and the Tamil civilians were caught in the crossfire. The Tamil civilians should not have moved with the Tigers, they should have stayed in the towns and cities instead of joing the Tiger caravan when they were fleeing the Sri Lankan army. India needs to have Sri Lanka as a close ally, otherwise China will take all the opportunities that India should be taking vis-avis economic and military contracts with SL.
India should not interfere in the internal matters of another country. It should be a very consistent by GOI. Article is talking about one side of the story, what about the killings by LTTE in srilanka and india.
Why did not our country people raise a concern during the LTTE time. They could have forced LTTE to come to the negotiating table and solved this problem. India need to only force the srilankan political establishment by bilateral talk to push for resolving srilankan tamil speaking citizen issues.
As we can see the developments across the country with reference to
the possible vote on the resolution against the Sri Lanka, it would be
prudent to support the resolution and support the cause for the
reconciliation of Tamils and minorities in Sri Lanka. We have
witnessed the gruesome incidents and sheer breach and infringement of
human right violation in Lanka which has been further confirmed by
some leading NGOs and international agencies . India must lead and
spearhead the cause in order to bring peace and stability in the
region and advocate for the highest standards of human right laws.
Talking politically it would be reasonable for the UPA to keep it
allies intact in the wake of elections but any foreign policy must not
be guided or directed by the regional parties, hence its testing time
for the government ahead......
Thanks so much Hindu for this excellent article on the SL issue, hope the government reads it and does what needs to be done, the nation should never get blood on its hand by supporting a dictator's regime when it itself is the worlds largest democracy, India should only promote peace and democracy to the other nations and never make a mistake of support someone who wants to kill democracy and leads a selfish self centric government crushing the minority. Else the nation once famous for raising strong voice against racism would be better known for supporting the same.
While Sinhalese and tamils are enjoying a good relationship in their own country, we indians are dividing ourselves for a problem in another country.
Dear Mr. Mukundagiri Sadagoban,
GOI has already given its reasons many times for not readily willing to support the resolution. It is the policy of GOI not to intervene in other countries internal affairs, ( would one like if his / her neighbour intervenes in the internal family affairs of the others) unless and until very unavoidable circumstances like Bangladesh or official intervention sought by the country like Fiji islands, Maldives.
One of the major actual reasons is : there are good chances for same weapon (a resolution to be brought against India for human rights excesses caused by Indian forces in Kashmir and North East - it is alleged that more than 90,000 people are missing in these areas in the last 5 years) to be used by other countries especially Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan tried for almost similar thing couple of years back. THIS IS THE MAIN WORRY OF GOI!
The author feels that "India should actively seek to bring others, particularly fellow Asian governments,on board". Which Asian countries?China? China will never support the resolution and any move against SL; it may even veto the resolution.Vietnam,Myanmar and many other countries have alread spoken against the resolution. Singapore and Malaysia will never support the resolution more for the selfish reason that they would not like external intervention in their affairs. Then author says that India to pursuade Japan,WB and ADB.I feel India has neither the required leverage with these countries or the organisations nor its External Affairs officials are qualified to do it". The track record of people who handle our foreign policis is absymal, to say the least - Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.
What the author wants from India is a very very long shot, almost impossible to be achieved by our politicians and officials.
I agree with Mr.Keenan's views. Tamil's situation in Sri Lanka is not just a Tamil or Tamil Nadu issue. Every human being should be concerned about the erosion of human rights in that country.Sri Lanka is a good example to show that elections do not constitute democracy. By establishing a Buddhist theocracy and making Sinhalese the sole official language, Sri Lanka repudiated its position as a democracy long ago. Tamil militancy started when civilian Tamil politicians could not get equal treatment from Colombo. After the defeat of the LTTE, nothing much is happening to make Sri Lanka a true democracy with equal rights to all its diverse population. Without accountability and justice for mass killing of Tamil civilians caught between the Sri Lankan foces and the LTTE, there will be no reconciliation. If India backtracks and drags its feet, Colombo will continue its merry way of suppression and slaughter of Tamils. Is India prepared to let the island be doomed?
To begin with, the US is hypocritical in sponsoring this resolution
given its track record:The US, keep in mind, is doing exactly what Sri
Lanks did, and of course with US-type of accountability, with its
drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan and what it has done in Iraq to
kill civilians in the name of fight against terrorism and war had lots
of accountability!!. It also has passed laws so that no other country
can bring their soldiers to justice in the countries where the US
soldiers commit their atrocities.
Furthermore, how can India support this resolution when it is killing
its own farmers and tribal people when they protest for their rights.
If Lankan war is genocide then what is happening in India and
Afghanistan and Pakistan is also genocide.
DMK is full of it and selfish.Let them get out of UPA-2. Jayalaitha
knows it. If the Tamil students really understand Nirupama's article,
they should think hard and decide betwen DMK and SriLanka Tamils.
Support SriLanka Tamils other ways.
While this article presents the Tamils point of view that should help
make India its mind on supporting the UNHRC resolution against Sri
Lanka, it fails to see the other side of the argument. The present
article sounds pretty biased in its views. Yes human rights violation
in any country needs to denounced and condemned in the strongest
manner but it should not be forgotten that a nations foreign policy
must consider national interest first. The plight of tamils in Sri
Lanka is a matter of concern and the Sri Lankan government needs to be
pressurised in acting to devolve power to Tamils in north and to
respect their human rights and treat them equally,but insisting that a
UNHRC resolution is the only way forward is not the way. We must not
forget that it talks of infringing on rights of a Sovereign nation a
its democratically elected government. Diplomatic pressure and
economic leverage could be good way to make Sri Lanka mend its
behaviour towards the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Why is India’s central Government not in favor of passing UN resolution condemning Sri Lanka on its treatment of the Tamil minority in that country? The GOI has not explained its position nor provided the reasons thereof. The public as well as the political leaders in Tamil Nadu are pretty much guessing as to the motives of GOI. Is it possible that they are afraid any pressure from India on an international arena would push Sri Lanka into the waiting arms of China? If it is the China factor, they may not like to be public about it for diplomatic reasons. Is it the cruel calculation of GOI that no economical gains are to be had by alienating the Sri Lanka government by standing up for the rights of the powerless, oppressed Tamils? Why don’t they come out and say it? GOI’s reticence – more than inaction – appears as insulting to the people of TN.
The author has a good sense of grasp of this long standing south asian problem
involving Tamils and Sinhala nation. I hope the politicians in northern India will give
it a serious consideration and support their southern counter parts in order to bring
about reconciliation and peace in the island nation..
All this moves will push Sri Lanka further away from India and India will lose the minute influence it has. Interests of other Asian countries differ from that of Tamil Nadu and India. Collapse of faith in India among Sri Lankans will lead to unpleasant consequences of stronger defence ties with Pakistan, China, Burma and Indonesia.
Happy to see these kinds of articles about Sri Lankan tamils in "The
Hindu"
India must take a bold initiative in resolving the Sri Lankan Tamil
issue and stamp its authority in the UN referendum. Sri Lanka has
already begun to act against the interests of India. It is evident in
its tie up with China and the problem it creates to innocent Indian
fishermen down South.
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