Sri Lanka Perspectives - August 2011

By Col R Hariharan

Overview

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s announcement that the state of emergency in force in the island nation since 2005 would be allowed to lapse in September 2011 was the key development during the month of August. Sri Lanka government showed its mounting concern over erosion of its international image due to unrelenting international focus on its lack of accountability over human rights violations and alleged war crimes in the last stages of war.

In particular, the increasingly vocal expression of concerns by India and the U.S. showed that Sri Lanka would have to come up with concrete measures to convince the international community of its sincerity on tackling the subject. A strategy for doing this appears to be eluding Sri Lanka still. At the same time, Indian government is under tremendous pressure for proactive action on Tamil issues including the alleged Sri Lankan war crimes which were discussed in Indian parliament. This could further increase the international momentum building against Sri Lanka as the issue might figure in the meeting of the High Commission for Human Rights at Geneva in September 2011.

On the economic front heavy power shortage continued to dog the country. However, the country’s exports appear to be on the upbeat achieving 56 percent of the annual target in the first six months of year. Inflation rate has continued to hover around 7 percent, although high food and fuel prices continue to be cause of concern for the common man.

Internal situation

There had been a spate of reports of Grease Yaka (Grease Devils) appearing in rural areas and terrorising villagers in eight districts populated by Tamils and Muslim minorities. Traditionally a grease yakka is a prowler in the dark who attacks women; he is said to wear only a loin cloth and cover his body with oil to escape capture. Five people including a traffic policeman have been in more than 30 incidents of vigilantism against grease yakas by paranoid villagers. In one incident naval sailors and the public got into a fracas over grease yakka attack.

While many villagers have accused the armed forces and police personnel of shielding these culprits, the administration has called them as imaginary. These attacks are probably a manifestation of feeling of insecurity triggered by increasing lawless in North and East. However, two battalions under the newly formed 224th Brigade have been moved to Kinniya in Eastern Province in order to assist the police to ease the tense situation after several clashes took   place in the area recently. Similarly the elite paramilitary force Special Task Force (STF) has been moved to control the situation at Puttalam, another ‘Grease Yaka’ trouble spot, North of Colombo.

Ending the Emergency

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced that the Emergency which had been in force since 2005 will be allowed to lapse on September 8, 2011. Sri Lanka had come under strong criticism for continuing state of emergency even after two years of ending the war. It is perhaps the first concrete move towards ensuring normalcy in the country although the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), draconian powers to the security forces, continues to be in force. In fact, immediately after the President’s announcement Attorney General Mohan Peiris clarified that President Rajapaksa had invoked regulations under the PTA to ensure that the authorities continue to hold suspects detained under emergency laws. There are at present nearly 10,000 suspects awaiting clearance. 

The announcement is likely to strengthen Sri Lanka’s recently launched multi-pronged international campaign to tackle criticism of its human rights record and rehabilitation effort of war affected Tamil population. Though External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatileka Amunugama,  described the international campaign against Sri Lanka as “a bigger challenge than winning the 30 year war as the government had to deal with millions of people, billions of resources, big governments and large international media organisations” it was largely self inflicted due to showing total indifference and insensitivity to international criticism.

The Sri Lankan campaign started with the release of a Ministry of Defence report titled “Humanitarian operation factual analysis – July 2006-May 2009” on the entire military campaign and a video cassette “Lies Agreed Upon” focusing on the Channel 4 videos on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. A collection of a series of articles critically analysing the UN Secretary General’s advisory panel report (Darusman Report) by President’s advisor Prof Rajiv Wijesinha has also been published in a book form.  Presumably as a part of this campaign, External affairs minister Prof GL Peiris addressed the diplomatic community in Colombo and explained action taken by the government to provide relief to those affected by the conflict. He also briefed them on the government efforts to resume talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on devolution issues even as the Parliamentary Select Committee deliberated on the subject at the same time.

The Emergency imposed after the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2005 has a long history in Sri Lanka. Its imposition for long periods had eroded public accountability of law enforcing agencies and stifled media freedom.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and India, USA and Australia have welcomed the move and expressed the hope further measures would be taken to bring ease the situation. However, President Rajapaksa’s announcement on easing of emergency is sure to evoke further expectations. Unless the lifting of emergency shows visible results in people exercising their freedom without fear and intimidation the credibility of the government could be affected.

Economy and business

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has welcomed the government move to resume stalled negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with India. The CEPA encompasses closer links between the two countries in trade in services and investments apart from trade in goods. The Department of Commerce informed the chamber with India. The CCC said in its annual report “improved market access to the growing Indian economy is essential for Sri Lanka to become an economic centre in the world."

Sri Lanka President had proposed the CEPA with India for the first time in 2008. However, lobbying by some industrialists and professionals opposed the move as they feared Indian goods and professionals would flood the market. They apprehended under CEPA local industries would suffer and the complicated bureaucracy of each Indian state would make life difficult for Sri Lankan exporters. To certain extent the latter fear is correct as state bureaucracies in India had not allowed the unfettered growth of trade under Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. However, according to media draft CEPA documents indicate India had responded to the concerns and proposed creation of more access to Sri Lanka, while Sri Lanka indicated specific areas open to India, in terms of sector and number of professionals allowed matched by investment.

Sri Lanka's port authority has asked China for $40 million loan to demolish a massive seabed rock obstructing the entrance of its new $1.4 billion Hambantota port.  Sri Lanka launched the port in August 2010 with an initial target of handling 2,500 ships annually. It was due to start commercial operations this year. However large ships are yet to call upon due to the obstructing entry. This is likely to delay the exploitation of full potential of the port. The fuel bunkering terminal is to start operations next month, four months behind schedule. 

India-Sri Lanka relations under strain

Dr Manmohan Singh’s government already beleaguered by the massive campaign against corruption spearheaded by social activist Anna Hazare had a difficult time in handling the strong criticism of its handling of Sri Lanka Tamils issues in both houses of parliament. All major opposition political parties and  representatives from Tamil Nadu demanded specific action by India on Sri Lanka’s human rights violations, war crimes and devolution of powers  Responding to concerns raised by members on human rights violations during the armed conflict with LTTE and after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, Krishna said New Delhi would like Sri Lanka to make "transparent" investigations into such allegations and that the probe should not be a "make believe" one.

However, he added that India would not like to "endanger" its relations with Sri Lanka and work with it for relief and resettlement of internally displaced people. He said since India has always championed the cause of human rights, it has taken up "in strongest possible terms" to address the issue of human rights.

On the issue of the UN panel report and concerns expressed by members about atrocities against Tamils, the External affairs minister said India was “just waiting for this to come up in any one of the Intergovernmental Bodies before the United Nations, so that India can take a position to express its views on that.”

Regarding the harassment of Indian fishermen "allegedly" by the Sri Lankan Navy, Krishna said Colombo has denied the role of its navy in such incidents and promised to investigate "some of the incidents". The minister said the incidents of Indian fishermen either being killed or missing have come down in the past three years and this year only six Indian fishermen have died. 

With such pressures and political sensitivity, Indian government is likely to exercise extreme caution in handling issues relating to Sri Lanka.

On the sidelines of Sri Lanka issue, Indian government is facing piquant situation the President of India turned down the mercy petition of three men (including two Sri Lankans) facing death sentence for their role in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case. The mercy petition had been pending for 11 years and after it was turned down a date for their hanging was fixed. The pro-LTTE fringe parties in Tamil Nadu under Vaiko, leader of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (MDMK), successfully orchestrated a widespread public campaign demanding clemency to the three persons facing death. And Tamil Nadu assembly passed a unanimous resolution recommending the commutation of their death sentences.

For the time being some reprieve has come as Madras High Court has stayed the hanging for two months, pending the disposal of a fresh petition to the President by the affected parties. The government is on the horns of dilemma as it faces two problems: its response on this case could set a precedent in 11 other cases where mercy petitions were pending; and the risk of any sympathetic action to the prisoners being twisted into a major victory by sections of Tamil Diaspora. That could help them to revive LTTE activity. 

Miscellaneous

• Nearly 2500 personnel from Sri Lanka’s three services including 1600 army commandos and special forces participated in a six day-long exercise ‘Comoran Strike’ in the Trincomalee area. According to military spokesman, the exercise involved amphibious landing and carrying out special task involving mainly army and naval forces. 

• Sri Lanka and Pakistan secretaries of commerce met at Colombo to discuss ways of improving the operation of Pakistan Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (PSFTA) and to overcome difficulties faced by Pakistani traders in exporting to Sri Lanka.

Written on August 31, 2012

Courtesy: South Asia Security Trends, Vol 5 No 8 

URL: www.security-risks.com