‘Sri Lanka has much to offer world’

Continued from yesterday

Text of the speech delivered by Minister of Plantation Industries and Special Envoy of the President on Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe at the eighth annual Sujata Jayawadena memorial oration titled ‘Human Rights: International Challenges for Sri Lanka’ held at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo on December 2

The NHRAP – presented by me and recently approved by Cabinet – will enable us to put in place a structured, strategic and prioritized list of measures that will gradually enhance our already significant achievements in securing all human rights. It will help consolidate the reconciliation and peace building efforts.

I was also enthused by the recent pronouncement of the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, at the inaugural National Reconciliation Conference, relating to a census of deaths and their causes that occurred during the humanitarian operation. Given that, out of a captive population of just over 300,000 based on Government Agent’s statistics, approximately 294,000 civilians were rescued at the end of the conflict, from among these approximately 11,000 former combatants were identified and rehabilitated, over 4,500 LTTE cadres were killed in battle and an unknown number of persons fled the theatre of operations by boat, the gross exaggeration of “tens of thousands” of civilian deaths must be finally and definitely put to rest.

Humanitarian assistance

As a person intimately involved with the provision of humanitarian assistance to the conflict affected areas, as Chair on the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance for over two years during the conflict, I know the level of commitment shown by the government to care for the civilians caught up in the conflict. We evolved a mechanism that brought together the government at central and district levels, UN and other relief agencies and the co-chairs to the peace process, in a collaborative effort to provide humanitarian assistance.

Military operations

To even assume that our government could callously stand by while civilians were dying in their supposed ‘tens of thousands’ is unimaginable. Moreover, the intensity of the government’s efforts to resettle over 95 percent of the displaced within a little under 2 ½ years from the end of the conflict, amply demonstrates the concern of President Rajapaksa to care for his people’s welfare.

My comments thus far have been based on defending our position and standing, in the face of alleged human rights violations. However, we have the ability to promote human rights globally by sharing our experience with others. Much is said in the world’s media about modern methods of fighting terrorism and minimizing unintended casualties and destruction; ‘collateral damage’ as it is called. Sri Lanka can share its experience and expertise in the conduct of military operations against an entrenched, resourceful and ruthless terrorist outfit. Our achievement in rescuing over 290,000 people is unique. The model for provision of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in a combat situation is also worth studying.

This contribution is not limited to military matters alone. President Rajapaksa is a leader who is dedicated to the uplift of the rural poor, the under privileged and the marginalized. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the seminal UN Declaration on the Right to Development. It stresses that development should be centered on the person. It calls for a host of measures both domestically and on the international level. Just as our national development goals are aimed at reducing disparities in income and wealth and aimed at creating more egalitarian societies, globally, the rich nations are obliged to contribute to creating a more just economic order. The recent facts and figures however show a movement in the opposite direction.

There has been an unprecedented rise in inequality and a spectacular growth in the gap between the developed and developing nations. Between 1998 and 2002, 25 percent of the world’s poorest saw their share of global revenue decline from 1.16 percent to below 1 percent. In this period, 10 percent of the world’s wealthiest increased their share from 64.7 percent to 71.1 percent. The top 20 percent of the richest countries account for 86 percent of the world’s overall gross domestic product, whereas the bottom 20 percent - the poorest - are left with only 1 percent. This is unconscionable. Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to make an impact on the debate with our assumption of the Chair of the Working Group on the Right to Development.

Economic growth

As UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon said: “A quarter of a century ago, the Declaration of the Right to Development gave hope to millions of people around the world. It brought all human rights together. And it centred development around people. After the Declaration was adopted, it was re-affirmed over and over. At the Rio Conference on the Environment and Development. At the World Conference on Human Rights and in the Millennium Development Goals. On paper, the Declaration lived. In practice, it languished. Economic growth and material wealth were mistaken for true development. Visible, accountable hands in government ceded too much to the invisible, unreliable hands of the market. Human rights were too often subverted for financial gain. Our environment was sacrificed for the economy. Lavish luxury fed off of deplorable want.”

These are burning issues that must be resolved. Those countries that urge others to secure improvements in human rights must make a contribution to global welfare and economic well being without which the enjoyment of all other rights are meaningless. Human rights are, at their broadest, the right to a better quality of life. I believe with its experience of decades of investment in building its human resource base, Sri Lanka can make a substantial contribution to this process.

In conclusion, may I remind you that eight days from now the nations of the world will mark the 63rd anniversary of adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The theme for this year ‘social media and human rights’ is both relevant and interesting.

Human rights

The focus is on the recent phenomenon of political activism aided by information and communications technologies. The so-called ‘Facebook Revolutions’ that shook the foundations of several nations caught up in the ‘Arab Spring’ and the ‘Occupy’ movements that have sprung up in developed countries, have all been influenced to some degree by social media. However, some of these ‘Revolutions’ have ended up causing instability and exacerbated threats to human rights.

The reaction of some countries to this activism has been surprising in its intensity. It is said that in this era of social networking and social media, those who survive are the loudest and the most opinionated in expressing their ideas. They are necessarily neither the best nor the most well-thought through ideas. As with all aspects of social policy, great care must be taken in addressing these questions and a careful balance must be struck between the competing interests.

Human rights do not confer the freedom to create situations of chaos and anarchy that infringe and violate the rights of others.

In the final analysis, democratic forms of non-violent dissent, dialogue and negotiation are the best guarantee of improved lives. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urges people to become human rights activists and to connect with one other using these technologies.

As with all technology, it has the power for good. As an emerging economy which encourages its people, especially young people, to use these tools for their education and career advancement, we must also be conscious of the risks.

Lastly my thanks are due to the Alumni Association, your Past President and the Executive Committee for the privilege of addressing you on this occasion.

Concluded