The Foreign Ministry’s response to former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and human rights lawyer and advocate Ambika Satkunanathan’s testimony to the European Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights has attracted widespread criticism from multiple parties including human rights defenders, and raised a question as to how open the Government is to criticism.
Satkunanathan, in her submission at the hearing of the European Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights on 27 January, made a critical assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and its international and national obligations to its citizens, and provided recommendations to the EU member states.
In a press release issued last Friday (4), the Foreign Ministry responded by saying that Satkunanathan’s “testimony is reminiscent of Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE) propaganda that once stoked hatred among communities”.
When looking at the Ministry’s response, one thing that is clear is that the Government emphasises several ongoing initiatives, such as proposing amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) as amended, which are aimed at addressing certain issues raised by Satkunanathan. However, there is a question as to whether the Government’s response sent the proper message about what it wants to say to the people and to the international community.
First and foremost, it needs to be stated that it is sad to see the Government taking a defensive approach, instead of opting for constructive, genuine, and fact-based discourses as any democratic country should do. However, at some point, the Government will have to come to terms with the truth that shooting the messenger is not the solution, but is in fact an act that worsens the relationship between the Government and the activists. More importantly, it sends a negative message to the international community about how the Government responds to dissent and allegations, which in turn adds to the tarnished image of the country.
One thing that needs to be asserted is that no one is saying that the Government does not have a right to respond to allegations. It has every right, and also an obligation as the main administrative body of the country, to question, assess, respond to, and clarify, allegations, especially those of international-level concern. However, that response must not be done harshly and blindly, with the sole intention of saving the Government’s name and countering what is said against the Government. What a truly responsible Government ought to do is look into the veracity of the allegations, and take measures to address the situation, in the event any of those claims are found to be true.
This is where the importance of the most basic method of addressing issues, i.e. holding discussions, comes up. The Government ought to hold talks with those who have concerns about the country’s human rights situation. In fact, the Government failing to pay due attention to discussions is one of the reasons that compelled activists to take national-level, domestic issues to the international community in the first place.
A good example for different perspectives not receiving adequate attention is the indefinite postponement of discussions between the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the President. When looking at how the TNA sought India’s support to resolve their issues in this context, it is evident that the more the Government delays and/or refuses meaningful engagement with leaders that represent various communities, the more difficult it is going to be to restore inter=ethnic harmony and development that the war destroyed.
The coming few months are going to be extremely challenging for Sri Lanka at the international level as well. On the one hand, matters such as human rights are becoming an exceedingly common topic in the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions-related discussions, while on the other hand, Sri Lanka’s human rights record is to be evaluated at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session commencing this month. In this context, activists being reprimanded for talking about national-level issues without thorough, genuine, and fact-based consideration into their claims will certainly look bad on Sri Lanka, and therefore, if the Government is genuinely concerned about how Sri Lanka is treated in these international contexts, it needs to be more humble.
The Government has a lot of steps to take in order to change this situation. It can start with being self-evaluative and attentive. Also, the Government needs to be receptive. Most importantly, the Government needs to understand that resolving the country’s issues within the country, a concept of which the Government is an ardent supporter, will only be possible if the Government heeds the voices emerging from within the country.Discrediting and dismissing the critic
08 Feb 2022
Discrediting and dismissing the critic
08 Feb 2022
The Foreign Ministry’s response to former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and human rights lawyer and advocate Ambika Satkunanathan’s testimony to the European Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights has attracted widespread criticism from multiple parties including human rights defenders, and raised a question as to how open the Government is to criticism.
Satkunanathan, in her submission at the hearing of the European Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights on 27 January, made a critical assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and its international and national obligations to its citizens, and provided recommendations to the EU member states.
In a press release issued last Friday (4), the Foreign Ministry responded by saying that Satkunanathan’s “testimony is reminiscent of Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE) propaganda that once stoked hatred among communities”.
When looking at the Ministry’s response, one thing that is clear is that the Government emphasises several ongoing initiatives, such as proposing amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) as amended, which are aimed at addressing certain issues raised by Satkunanathan. However, there is a question as to whether the Government’s response sent the proper message about what it wants to say to the people and to the international community.
First and foremost, it needs to be stated that it is sad to see the Government taking a defensive approach, instead of opting for constructive, genuine, and fact-based discourses as any democratic country should do. However, at some point, the Government will have to come to terms with the truth that shooting the messenger is not the solution, but is in fact an act that worsens the relationship between the Government and the activists. More importantly, it sends a negative message to the international community about how the Government responds to dissent and allegations, which in turn adds to the tarnished image of the country.
One thing that needs to be asserted is that no one is saying that the Government does not have a right to respond to allegations. It has every right, and also an obligation as the main administrative body of the country, to question, assess, respond to, and clarify, allegations, especially those of international-level concern. However, that response must not be done harshly and blindly, with the sole intention of saving the Government’s name and countering what is said against the Government. What a truly responsible Government ought to do is look into the veracity of the allegations, and take measures to address the situation, in the event any of those claims are found to be true.
This is where the importance of the most basic method of addressing issues, i.e. holding discussions, comes up. The Government ought to hold talks with those who have concerns about the country’s human rights situation. In fact, the Government failing to pay due attention to discussions is one of the reasons that compelled activists to take national-level, domestic issues to the international community in the first place.
A good example for different perspectives not receiving adequate attention is the indefinite postponement of discussions between the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the President. When looking at how the TNA sought India’s support to resolve their issues in this context, it is evident that the more the Government delays and/or refuses meaningful engagement with leaders that represent various communities, the more difficult it is going to be to restore inter=ethnic harmony and development that the war destroyed.
The coming few months are going to be extremely challenging for Sri Lanka at the international level as well. On the one hand, matters such as human rights are becoming an exceedingly common topic in the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions-related discussions, while on the other hand, Sri Lanka’s human rights record is to be evaluated at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session commencing this month. In this context, activists being reprimanded for talking about national-level issues without thorough, genuine, and fact-based consideration into their claims will certainly look bad on Sri Lanka, and therefore, if the Government is genuinely concerned about how Sri Lanka is treated in these international contexts, it needs to be more humble.
The Government has a lot of steps to take in order to change this situation. It can start with being self-evaluative and attentive. Also, the Government needs to be receptive. Most importantly, the Government needs to understand that resolving the country’s issues within the country, a concept of which the Government is an ardent supporter, will only be possible if the Government heeds the voices emerging from within the country.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!