Hussein’s bombshell

June 29, 2016, 8:09 pm 

‘Caressing one’s face before slapping it’ is a popular saying here. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al-Hussein has done just that to the Sri Lankan government. In his report to the current session of the UNHRC, the other day, he paid some compliments to the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration and even described its engagement with his outfit as ‘positive and constructive’ before delivering a slap.

Diplomats are said to be those who can tell someone to go to hell in such a way that the latter really looks forward to the trip. Zeid has amply demonstrated his diplomatic skills unlike his predecessor who was given to acting like a bull in a china shop.

Having said some nice things about the Sri Lankan government, Hussein played his message track loud and clear. Referring to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement at a meeting with the military top brass last May that there wouldn’t be international participation in a domestic Sri Lankan justice mechanism, the UN Human Rights Chief declared he was convinced otherwise. He said: "… international participation in the accountability mechanisms would be a necessary guarantee for the independence and impartiality of the process in the eyes of victims, as Sri Lanka’s judicial institutions currently lack the credibility needed to gain their trust. It is also important to keep in mind the magnitude and complexity of the international crimes alleged, which the OHCHR investigation found could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

So, Hussein is already talking about ‘crimes against humanity’. He sounds just like Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran, who moved and secured the passage of a resolution last year in his council calling upon the UN to conduct a genocide probe. The UNHRC is craftily scaling up the proposed mechanism to handle the so-called accountability issues. It will be interesting to know what those who claimed that the UNHRC would soften its stand on Sri Lanka following last year’s regime change have got to say to this development.

Zeid has said nothing new. His position has been consistent right along. He and the countries whose interests the UNHRC helps further on the pretext of championing human rights want an international war crimes tribunal here. They have also renewed their call for a vetting process to deal with military personnel in respect of accountability issues.

Intriguingly, Zeid has not highlighted the instances where President Maithripala Sirisena ruled out the participation of foreign judges. The President has said more than once in no uncertain terms that he is against the involvement of foreign judges in a war crimes probe. Is it that the UNHRC considers what he says inconsequential?

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government either under duress or in a bid to curry favour with the western bloc chose to co-sponsor the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka last year, calling for, among other things, the participation of international judges, prosecutors et al in the war crimes probe to be launched here. Having made such an irrevocable commitment, how can it now say it won’t allow foreign judges? Hussein is demanding his pound of flesh. This turn of screw in Geneva may be considered an attempt to make the government of Sri Lanka more pliable in the hands of the western powers.

Government spin doctors are doing their damnedest to make Hussein’s statement out to be something favourable to Sri Lanka. They have a remarkable ability to see something positive even in anything disastrous. While smarting from the stinging slap they have received from Hussein they may say they are delighted that Prince used a ‘gloveless’ hand to deliver it!