Objectivity is Sri Lanka’s expectation from the West
External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris in address to leading
Think Tank in France
Sri Lanka, a proud and accomplished nation, has the courage of its
convictions, and is prepared to engage with the world in respect of all
aspects of its current experience, External Affairs Minister Professor
G. L. Peiris, said in Paris just before his meeting with Alain Juppe,
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the French Republic.
External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris |
He said that he would be forthright in his presentation which would
be characterized by readiness to explain the complexity of issues. Given
the value of the French contribution to humanism, modernity and
universalism, the Sri Lankan experience is bound to strike a chord in
the collective consciousness of the French, he observed.
Prof. Peiris was addressing members of the French political
establishment, the media, diplomats, scholars and representatives of
civil society at the prestigious Academie Diplomatique Internationale in
Paris.
Government policy
One of the pillars of current government policy in Sri Lanka is
emphasis on reconciliation, he said. Prof. Peiris referred to the moving
ceremony two weeks ago in Colombo, where President Mahinda Rajapaksa
presided over the reintegration into society of 1,800 ex-combatants who
returned to their villages after exposure to vocational training which
assured them of access to livelihoods and incomes.
Prof. Peiris said that, as a former Vice Chancellor of one of the
largest universities in Sri Lanka, he was proud of the success achieved
in efforts to bring youth who had been misguided into espousing
violence, back into the democratic mainstream. Some of them have secured
admission to universities, while others are gainfully employed in the
public or private sectors, or in self-employment projects.
The President, in his address to the youth who were beginning a new
life, had stressed the themes of inclusivity and solidarity, and
exhorted them to leave the past behind them and to identify unreservedly
with the destiny of the nation to which they belong. Members of the
diplomatic corps in Colombo had joined the President in awarding
certificates to the rehabilitated youth.
International community
The Minister underscored the importance of the international
community rejoicing wholeheartedly in these salutary developments
without any preconceived judgments or partisan attitudes.
He explained to his audience the crucial role of the Lessons Learnt
and Reconciliation Commission in addressing in a constructive spirit the
pain and anguish of the past and in building the foundations of a future
typified by promise and expectation. As a mechanism sensitive to local
context and aspiration, it is entitled to respect; and any adverse
presumption is a reflection of prejudice which will inflict harm on a
delicate reconciliation process, Prof. Peiris continued.
Reconciliation, in Sri Lanka’s view, has significant economic
dimension. This is amply demonstrated by the fact that the economy of
the Northern Province is growing by 22 percent.
The Minister gave an account of infrastructure development in that
region, with particular reference to highways and railroad systems, the
large volumes of capital made available by the banking system to
entrepreneurs, with resulting generation of employment, the success of
private sector-public sector partnerships and the revival of
agricultural activity and fisheries.
Electoral process
Important as the economic component is, it does not by any means over
the entire spectrum of reconciliation, Minister Peiris observed. He
referred to political empowerment symbolized by resuscitation of the
electoral process in the form of the holding of elections - universally
acknowledged to be free and fair - to local government institutions in
the Northern Province, and the government’s resolve to hold Provincial
Council elections in the early months of next year.
He made mention of the dialogue which the government had initiated
with Tamil political parties with a view to addressing issues in respect
of constitutional reform. He also indicated the steps which the
government had taken to reach out to the diaspora so as to secure their
involvement and participation.
On the issue of accountability, Prof. Peiris asked his audience to
bear in mind the factual situation which existed during the concluding
phase of the war. While the exclusive focus in a 30 year war seems to be
on the last ten days, the situation at that time was that the terrorist
group, restricted to a narrow strip of land, was holding the civilian
population - numbering about 300,000 - hostage at gun point.
Contemporaneous reports by the United Nations acknowledge that the
terrorists deliberately placed heavy weaponry amidst the civilian
population, and used such artillery to fire at government troops. High
ranking diplomats in Colombo, including Western envoys, were members of
a Co-ordinated Committee for Humanitarian Action and, in that capacity,
had personal knowledge of sustained efforts by the government to send
food and medicine to the North, despite repeated action by the terrorist
group to sink ships, obstruct highways and in other ways to disrupt
supply lines, Minister Peiris continued.
Policy makers
He expressed confidence that a French audience of thinkers and policy
makers would place a premium on fairness and equity. Unjust
value-judgments about Sri Lanka had arisen from the report of the Panel
of Experts appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Assessed by any objective criteria, the report is deeply flawed, the
Minister asserted. Among its most indefensible features are the opaque
modalities of gathering evidence, involving recognition of anonymity for
those providing vital information for a period of 30 years, arriving at
the conclusion that there is ‘credible’ evidence of grave wrongdoing by
the Sri Lankan State when the Panel itself admits that it had no
authority to investigate, and in fact did not investigate, and the
presentation of unfounded allegations in the form of a narrative, the
accuracy of which the Panel declares itself unable to vouch for.
Professional organizations
In light of the vibrancy of civil society in France, it is
appropriate to point out that the major Chambers of Commerce and
Industry in Sri Lanka, premier professional organizations like the Bar
Association and the organization of Professional Association, and other
leading non-governmental organizations have all denounced the report of
the Panel as being tainted by bias and fundamental error.
Nevertheless, the Minister continued, Sri Lanka-which has been a
member of the world body since 1952 -is firmly resolved to work with the
United Nations in a spirit of amity and candour. However, it is
important to insist that pivotal organs of the United Nations system
must not only function with total impartiality and objectivity, but that
they must be seen manifestly to be doing so. This is the essential
condition for retaining unqualified confidence on the part of the
international community as a whole, Prof. Peiris said. This
consideration highlights the importance of a sharper focus on balanced
representation for the different geographical regions in structures of
the UN, the Minister added.
Challenging time
It is vital to ensure that the wellbeing of a country like Sri Lanka,
emerging from conflict and entering an era of stability and prosperity,
should not be put in peril by domestic political interests in other
countries. It is well known that the diaspora has substantial political
clout in many Western countries, not only in terms of voting strength
but also with regard to financial and organizational capability. It is
quite apparent that the attitudes and postures of some Western countries
in multilateral fora are determined, to a large extent, by assessment of
domestic electoral fortunes, Minister Peiris said.
He was confident that France, with its political culture shaped
strongly by nationalist sentiment and commitment to social equity in
international relations, will have empathy with Sri Lanka’s cause at
this challenging time.
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