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En
route to and from Geneva to attend the Universal Periodic Review
of Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the
Secretary-General of the Peace Secretariat took the opportunity
to engage with individuals and institutions in Britain, Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, to explain recent progress
in the peace process.
Immediately following the election of Boris Johnson as the new
Mayor of London, Prof Wijesinha, accompanied by Maxwell Keegel
of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, met the new Deputy
Mayor for Government Relations, Ian Clement. Prof Wijesinha
explained the difficulties Sri Lanka faced in view of what
seemed support extended to the LTTE and its front organizations
by the former Mayor of London.
It was known that the LTTE, by whipping up votes for the
previous Mayor amongst the Tamil community in London, thought to
receive continuing support. It was hoped that the change in
incumbency would lead to an approach more in conformity with the
actions the British government was now taking to control
terrorist funding.
In response to questions about Karuna, Prof Wijesinha explained
that he had always assumed charges would not be brought in
Britain, since those who had raised the issue for political gain
were well aware that charges, if any were appropriate, related
to the period in which Karuna had been part of the LTTE.
The apprehensions of the interviewer that Karuna might want to
become Chief Minister of the Eastern Province if he were sent
back to Sri Lanka were laid at rest, with Prof Wijesinha
pointing out that Karuna, who had been brutalized in his time
with the LTTE but was trying to escape from that experience,
probably preferred to stay on in England. He noted that Britain
could contribute to the peace process by also offering a safe
haven to Prabhakaran.
Following the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, Prof
Wijesinha proceeded to Belfast where he presented a paper on
child soldiers to a meeting of the Human Rights Committee of
Liberal International. The Sri Lankan delegation also ensured an
appropriate amendment to the reference to Sri Lanka in the main
resolution passed by the Congress, to draw attention to civilian
casualties all over the country.
After the Congress concluded, Prof Wijesinha proceeded to Dublin
where he met Isolde Moylan of the South Asia desk of the Irish
Foreign Ministry, along with representatives of the Human Rights
and the Conflict Resolution divisions. He explained matters
relating to the national Human Rights Commission, and that a
favourable report on the efforts it was making and how these
could be assisted had been suppressed within the UN system.
It was agreed that building up the Commission, which the UN in
Sri Lanka was finally engaging in, was desirable, as was
enhanced training with regard to human rights as well as
professional skills for the police.
The Irish experience of ensuring integration in the police in
Northern Ireland was also discussed, and it was noted that the
innovation introduced by the Sri Lankan government, of
recruiting Tamil policemen, was a healthy step forward.
Prof Wijesinha explained the importance of ongoing political
developments, and the appointment of a Tamil Chief Minister for
the East, which should serve to make clear that the road to
empowerment lay through politics rather than terrorism. In
response to the claim that extremists also had to be
accommodated, Prof Wijesinha noted that the Government was
always ready to engage, but this would not be at the expense of
moderates. He pointed out how intransigent the LTTE had been,
and also how Western elements in the international community, in
citing Irish precedents, failed to note that the IRA had
actively entered the political process only after their
fundraising had been curtailed and operations had been weakened
by British infiltration. It was also noted that confidence had
arisen because they had decommissioned arms, but this was not
insisted on as far as the LTTE was concerned.
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