Extremism Might Hinder The Process Of Justice In Sri Lanka
Dr. Laksiri Fernando
There have been two disturbing developments this month in respect of the accountability issues and the process of justice in Sri Lanka. The first came from the self-made ‘Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam’ (TGTE) on 8 December 2013, during an assembly held in New Jersey, calling for an international inquiry against the Government of Sri Lanka on the alleged ‘genocide and crimes against humanity’ in respect of the Eelam Tamils and not on ‘human rights violations or war crimes.’ The accusation of genocide is farfetched.
Of course the call was made to the UN Security Council and not to a people’s tribunal or any such thing. But within two days, in Bremen, Germany, on 10 December 2013, an outfit called the ‘Permanent Peoples Tribunal on Sri Lanka’ (PPTSL) delivered a verdict declaring that the government of Sri Lanka was found guilty without any reasonable doubt for ‘systematic acts of genocide and crimes against humanity’ in addition to many other human rights violations. It is possible that the two events were coincidental and not connected. But they signify what kind of extremist or ‘ultra-left’ agitations or claims that could derail the genuine claims and pursuits in respect of accountability and investigation of alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.
PPTSL ‘Verdict’
According to its own website, the PPTSL or its harbinger, International Human Rights Association, Bremen, had been in existence since June 2009. It explained how it started. “It was an emotional meeting. The members of the initiatives from Germany and Ireland consisted mainly of European and exile-Sinhalese activists.” It further explained the ideological genesis of the organization as follows.
“As we had worked strenuously for the peace process in Sri Lanka to yield results, we were all devastated. Having failed dismally to convince the powers that be in Europe to maintain their original position of promoting peace in Sri Lanka, we all felt that we had failed in our responsibility to the Tamil people.”
It is one thing to feel ‘guilty’ or ‘responsible’ for the Tamil people. But it is completely another matter to come to rash conclusions about the ‘failed peace process’ or the position of the ‘powers that be in Europe’ about the situation in Sri Lanka under the activities of the LTTE. It is grossly irresponsible and grotesque if one’s ideological positions are to be put forward as a ‘verdict of a people’s tribunal.’
As far as I am aware, the full text of the so-called people’s tribunal or an explanation of the procedure through which that tribunal has arrived at decisions is not yet published. When it is revealed, the ‘procedure’ may remind us some of the ‘kangaroo courts’ conducted by some of the insurrectionists in 1971 in Sri Lanka. I am just predicting. The procedure or due process is important in a backdrop where we strenuously discuss the ‘due process’ and the ‘kangaroo procedure’ that was followed by the government in impeaching the former and the legitimate Chief Justice in Sri Lanka.
However, the key conclusion that had been arrived at as quoted by Tisaranee Gunasekara in her “From Mutur to Geneva” (CT, 12 December 2013) is “Colombo is guilty of ‘crimes of genocide’ against the Tamils and that ‘both the United States of America and United Kingdom were complicit in the genocide while the involvement of India warranted further investigation.” Read More
