WikiLeaks: History Of The Beginning Of UNHRC Resolutions On Sri Lanka
By Colombo Telegraph -March 21, 2013
“According to a source close to President Rajapaksa’s inner circle, the GSL has counted votes within the Human Rights Council and is confident it can defeat any country resolution on Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan media are reporting that Sri Lankan PermRep in Geneva Dayan Jayatilleke, who is known for his hardline Sinhalese views, will be reinforced by Attorney General C.R. De Silva (another hawk) and a three-man team of Deputy Solicitors General. This would indicate that the delegation will treat any debate about Sri Lanka in the HRC as an adversarial proceeding.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
Robert O. Blake
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “Confidential” and written on September 06, 2007 by the US Ambassador to Colombo Robert O. Blake.
The ambassador wrote; “The period April-June 2007 showed a decline relative to the beginning of the year in Colombo and some other parts of Sri Lanka in certain categories of human rights abuses, such as abductions. However, the overall level of human rights violations compared to 2002-2005 remains elevated. Since human rights violations are conflict-driven, the improvement may largely be due to an abatement in fighting after government forces reasserted control over the Eastern Province. The continuing role of paramilitary groups such as the Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP) in Jaffna and the Karuna group (TMVP) in the East raises important questions about the durability of the improvement. There are some indications that the frequency of abuses began to climb again recently, but reliable statistics for August are not yet available. The situation in Jaffna remains grave, with abductions continuing and extrajudicial killings on the rise. There has been negligible progress on punishing those responsible for serious human rights violations. Further developments in a few high-profile cases, including some of those within the mandate of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, will provide a useful indicator of the government’s commitment to improve on accountability. The overall number of child soldiers serving in the Tamil Tigers and the Karuna group is falling, but child recruitment has not stopped. Pressure on the English-language media in Colombo has eased somewhat, although one prominent defense journalist left the country on September 3 to seek temporary refuge abroad. Attacks on Tamil journalists have continued unabated. Embassy is encouraged by the progress so far, but believes that consistent pressure from the U.S. and other friends of Sri Lanka will be needed to sustain the positive trend. The government’s control of the East carries with it the responsibility to ensure a political, security and human rights environment that will reassure Tamils and other minorities. We must make clear to the government that the situation is Jaffna is unacceptable, and to find ways ease the pressure on Tamil media. Please see Embassy conclusions and recommendation in paragraphs 33 to 34.”
Under the subheading ‘GENEVA HRC SEPTEMBER SESSION’ Blake wrote; “Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Ambassador on August 24 that the GSL will take the position that the HRC’s decision to move forward beginning in 2008 with the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, a peer group process with observers, would render any country-specific resolution on Sri Lanka unnecessary.”
“July and August have seen a reduction in the number of abductions reported, particularly in the Colombo area. — It is not true that abductions have “gone to zero,” as some have alleged. — The overall incidence of human rights violations appears to have abated in the second quarter of CY 2007 compared to the first quarter. — The frequency of human rights violations has returned to its approximate level in autumn 2006, and remains far above the levels seen before the election of President Rajapaksa in November 2005. — Disappearances have continued at a high rate in the East. The human rights situation has shown little improvement there, although the potential exists for an improvement if stability returns. — As reported elsewhere, the outcome of the government’s plan for the recovery and development of the East will be crucial. Any future role of the Karuna group as a paramilitary will have serious consequences for human rights abuses. — The GSL will resist any Sri Lanka-specific resolution in Geneva because it believes it has the votes to defeat a resolution. Efforts similar to last year’s to negotiate a more mildly worded resolution will probably be futile.” the ambassador wrote as his conclusions.
Under the subheading “RECOMMENDATIONS” Blake wrote; “Sustained U.S. and international pressure will be needed to keep the GSL on track for improving its human rights record.– The U.S., as an influential non-member of the HRC, may want to consider supporting a reasonably worded EU resolution on Sri Lanka (that acknowledges some progress), even if the votes do not appear to be there to pass it. — If decisions are made not to receive Sri Lanka officials at the highest levels in Washington, we should use available opportunities for less senior Washington-based officials to deliver tough messages on the need for a concerted, genuine effort to improve Sri Lanka’s human rights record and hold those guilty of abuses accountable. — We should link a sustained improvement on human rights to U.S. ability to provide certain types of assistance, including a possible Millennium Challenge Compact and more robust forms of security cooperation. — U.S. assistance to help Sri Lanka improve its forensic capability (ref p) will not only help address the GSL’s poor record of investigation and conviction, it will give the Embassy important access. We should also provide whatever assistance we can to human rights defenders in Sri Lanka, who remain under duress (see September 5 Embassy email to SCA/INS).”
