Beyond The Political Spinning Of The Geneva Resolution
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
The UNHRC Resolution is certainly providing political spin doctors with plenty of material. Largely, the spin has taken on predictably partisan directions. Pro-government groups are portraying this as a major foreign relations coup while anti-government groups are describing the UNHRC resolution as one of the greatest betrayals of the country. While the anti-government spin is predictable and to be expected, the pro-government spin is actually far more worrying.
Signs of the directions in which government groups were going to spin this were evident at the welcome planned for the President when he returned from New York. He was lavishly welcomed back as a ‘hero’ who had not simply rebuilt the image of the country internationally, but had also ‘saved’ the armed forces. Meanwhile, it was reported that Minister Champika Ranawaka was charged with explaining the UNHRC resolution to the armed forces. Armed forces personnel were informed that government would defend military personnel who may face charges. Last weekend’s papers also reported the Foreign Minister as stating that accused military personnel would be able to confess to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Compassionate Council (made up of eminent religious leaders) would recommend a pardon to those who confess (Sunday Times, 11th October 2015).
All this indicates that the government is bending over backwards to reassure the majority Sinhala community and the military that the post-war narrative of triumphalism, impunity and heroism would not suffer in anyway. It is extremely telling that the government has not considered it necessary that the victims of human rights abuses documented in the UNHRC report (most of whom are minority Tamils) be reassured in any way, that justice will be served to them. This then begs the question, what is this entire process about?