Toothless UNHRC Resolution Stays Rajapaksa Spring Against US

by Upul Joseph Fernando !ar"h #$% $&#'% Colo(bo% Sri )anka *uardian+ The anti"ipation o, a strong UN Hu(an Rights Coun"il UNHRC+ resolution in *ene-a% .hi"h "aused i((ense angst a(ong the ruling "abal o, the Rajapaksa regi(e% by all indi"ations% is going to end up a da(p s/uib0 1-en though the ,inal dra,t o, the resolution is yet to appear at UNHRC% it is al(ost "ertain no. that (u"h talked about international in-estigation .ill not be in it0

2n all probability% !ahinda .ill opt ,or a 3residential 1le"tion a,ter No-e(ber this year0 1-en i, the "urrent resolution% in .hate-er ,inal ,or( it is presented to the UNHRC% re"ei-es its appro-al% .hat .ill be (ost "ru"ial and de"isi-e ,or !ahinda .ill be the UNHRC sessions ne4t Septe(ber and also !ar"h ne4t year0 2t is no. e(erging that the Rajapaksa ruling "oterie had planned a series o, protest rallies% (ar"hes and de(onstrations against the US and its "ohorts .ho are pushing ,or an international in/uiry% i, they s"ored a -i"tory at the UNHRC0 5hat the go-ern(ent had planned .as so(ething on the lines o, Arab Spring .ith a di,,eren"e0 The original Arab Spring .as unleashed to depose unshakable di"tators in a (ajority o, !iddle61astern "ountries0 7ut the Rajapaksa Spring .as (eant to prote"t their go-ern(ent0

A "o(prehensi-e plan o, a"tion ,or the "a(paign had also been (eti"ulously prepared0 3lan en-isaged large "ro.ds o, people to be brought to Colo(bo ,ro( all "orners o, the "ountry and set up a hu(an .all in and around the "ity blo"king the roads% de(anding .ithdra.al o, the US resolution "alling ,or alleged .ar "ri(es in-estigation0 A leading ad-ertising agen"y had been "hosen to handle the (edia "a(paign and the sa(ples o, ad-ertising (aterials de-eloped by the ,ir( had been .at"hed and passed by the Rajapaksa po.er "oterie0 Unlike on pre-ious o""asions .hen protests against UNHRC resolutions .ere li(ited only to one day% this ti(e protests .ere planned ,or a prolonged period o, se-eral days% dra.ing the attention o, the entire "ountry to it0 The plan The plan en-isaged !ahinda to address the "ountry on the last day o, protest and de"lare a 3residential 1le"tion and e4hort the "ro.ds to go ba"k to their respe"ti-e -illages and "an-ass peoples support to ele"t hi( 3resident again% to de,eat 5estern "onspira"ies against the (otherland0 The ad-ertising ,ir( "harged .ith the propaganda "a(paign .as .ell prepared ,or the role% ha-ing done their ho(e.ork on e-ery aspe"t o, Arab Spring0 Ca(paign .as to be laun"hed stri"tly along the lines o, Arab Spring% noting its singular su""ess0 The Rajapaksa regi(es obje"ti-e in this strategy .as t.o6,old0 Firstly% they .anted to (obili8e "ountry.ide peoples support ,or a snap 3residential 1le"tion and .in it .ith the biggest (ajority o, -otes any "andidate has so ,ar "o((anded in a 3residential 1le"tion0 2n other .ords% to .in the 3residential 1le"tion e4"eeding 9:; (ajority that Chandrika obtained at her 3residential 1le"tion0 Se"ondly% !ahinda .anted to deli-er a (essage to the .orld that they ha-e turned the logi" o, Arab Spring upside do.n by using it to (ake their hold on po.er stronger0 That (essage% though upli,ting to the(% "ould be hu(iliating to the US and the 5est0 Ho.e-er% the resolution% though not in its ,inal ,or(% looks to be heading ,or an anti"li(a40 !o-ers and shakers o, go-ern(ental po.er no. hold the -ie. that the intended resolution no. does not "arry too (u"h o, sting as it does not in"lude a re"o((endation ,or an international in-estigation0 Rajapaksa Spring should .ait until su"h ti(e it be"o(es rele-ant again% i, at all% they say0 <b-iously% 2ndias hand .as at .ork in the preparation o, the .atered6do.n -ersion o, the resolution0 2n $&#$ and $&#: 2ndia did not play any proa"ti-e role in the initial stage o, the resolutions% .hi"h "a(e be,ore the UNHRC0 2t only inter-ened during the latter stages to dilute the resolutions harsher "onditions0 7ut this ti(e% 2ndia has got itsel, in-ol-ed in the ,ra(ing o, the resolution itsel,0 2t is patently ob-ious ,ro( the "ontents gi-en pro(inen"e in the latest resolution0 2t in"ludes the re"o((endation that the #:th A(end(ent to the Sri )ankan Constitution should be ,ully i(ple(ented

and the ne"essary po.ers should be de-ol-ed to the Northern 3ro-in"ial Coun"il0 2ndias hidden hand has been at .ork0 Ta(il Nadu ,a"tor The Ta(il Nadu *o-ern(ent strongly "riti"i8ed the Congress6led Central *o-ern(ent a,ter *ene-a resolutions in $&#$ and $&#: as they "onsidered 2ndia had used its in,luen"e .ith the US to tone do.n the se-erity o, the respe"ti-e resolutions0 This ti(e% 2ndia has inter-ened at the preparatory stage o, the resolution% thereby a-oiding any "riti"is( ,ro( the Ta(il Nadu *o-ern(ent0 1-en (ore i(portant ,or 2ndia .as to pre6e(pt the use o, the allegation in the resolution about .ar "ri(es0 2ndias position had al.ays been that .ar "ri(es tag is irrele-ant here as it "ould apply only in the "ase o, a .ar bet.een t.o "ountries0 7ut% Sri )ankas .ar .as bet.een a "ountry and a terrorist group and as su"h a re,eren"e to .ar "ri(es does not arise0 Current resolution be,ore the UNHRC in"ludes the .ords in its body% =alleged -iolations and abuses o, hu(an rights and related "ri(es by both parties in Sri )anka0> 2t "learly points to 2ndias hidden hand behind the "urrent resolution0 7e that as it (ay% 2ndian inter-ention in the preparation o, the *ene-a resolution has pa-ed the .ay ,or Rajapaksa Spring to be postponed probably ,or the ti(e being0 Cognos"enti in diplo(ati" a,,airs has gi-en a ne. t.ist to the purported re,eren"e in the resolution about an in-estigation by the <,,i"e o, the Hu(an Rights Co((issioner? they say it is tanta(ount to an international in-estigation and i, the Sri )ankan *o-ern(ent re,uses a""ess to a rapporteur appointed by the UNHRC% it "ould ,a"e e"ono(i" san"tions ,ro( 1uropean "ountries0 @iplo(ati" analysts "all it a -irtual trap0 7ut% 2ndia has sho.n the .ay out ,ro( that proble( too? i(ple(ent the #:A in ,ull and de-ol-e ne"essary po.ers to the N3C0 2, the Rajapaksa *o-ern(ent uses this .indo. o, opportunity .isely% it "an a-oid har(,ul "onse/uen"es o, the *ene-a resolution0 Not.ithstanding the ,a"t that the ,inal dra,t o, the UN resolution is not out yet% the Rajapaksas ha-e put their spring on hold0 2n all probability% !ahinda .ill opt ,or a 3residential 1le"tion a,ter No-e(ber this year0 1-en i, the "urrent resolution% in .hate-er ,inal ,or( it is presented to the UNHRC% re"ei-es its appro-al% .hat .ill be (ost "ru"ial and de"isi-e ,or !ahinda .ill be the UNHRC sessions ne4t Septe(ber and also !ar"h ne4t year0 Until then% "ontenders in the arena% the US% 2ndia and Sri )anka .ill be si8ing up ea"h other% in preparation ,or a ,inal sho.do.n0 3osted by Tha-a(