In the Sri Lankan context however, the head in question, perhaps, is more thick than heavy. Likewise, the Democles's sword hanging above the uncrowned but heavy heads of the Rajapakse tyranny has come in the form of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting - CHOGM- scheduled to be held in Colombo this November.
For many years, the Rajapakse regime continued to fool a gullible public and a blue eyed international community with lies and duplicity.
As Tisaranee Gunaskere, a courageous columnist wrote in her blog this week "Lies and dissembling, false promises and mendacious declarations, illusions and delusions form the bedrock of Rajapaksa governance. The Siblings are master-illusionists; they excel at using words to create a totally unreal counter-reality.' They did that when they called the Fourth Eelam War a ‘humanitarian operation with zero-civilian casualties’ and open prison camps ‘welfare centres’; they did it when they called the 18th Amendment a democratic measure, the Impeachment travesty a legal recourse and the arrest of Gen. Fonseka a patriotic act.'
However, the Sri Lankan public who were walking around in a somnambulist stupor for while after the defeat of the tigers four years ago are now waking up rapidly to the reality of this evil regime. Like a delinquent child put on probation to gauge whether he deserves a gift for Christmas , the Rajapakse regime is also now under probation in view of the pending meeting in November and the Human Rights review in March next year.
The fact that the Sri Lankan government has been subject to intense international scrutiny is confirmed by the statement made by the deputy PM, Nick Clegg in the British House of Commons on 15th May: "...............I assure that the government condemn those violations,the way in which political trials, regular assaults on legal professionals and suppression of press freedom continue and that too many recommendations of the lessons learnt and reconciliation commission have not been implemented. If such violations continue to ignore their international commitments in the lead up to CHOGM, of course there will be consequences. "
Bob Carr, speaking on behalf of the Australian government says at the CMAG Press conference held at Malborough House in London on 26th April 2013 says that the Sri Lankan governments progress will be monitored.
"I think it is a view that many of us hold that in the lead up to CHOGM, this Commonwealth with its adherence to democratic values is in a good position to engage with the government of Sri Lanka and monitor progress."
The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Kamelsh Sharma, in his enthusiasm to hold CHOGM in Sri Lanka at any cost , seems to be very blue eyed about the prospects of making the Rajapakse regime to adhere to the Commonwealth Values and principles , " that are so dear to us".
At the CMAG press conference on 26th April, asked by a journalist when he would feel appropriate to stop using his good offices to engage Sri Lanka, Sharma replies and says: " ...............I do not anticipate that point is likely to be reached because of all the cooperation which I am getting..."
SG also says that he is sure that it will yield good results in all the areas of human rights, of the rule of law, of media freedom, of governance and institution building and strengthening. He will be picking up items from their own report: the LLRC Report.
Mr. Speaker,
I wish I could share blue eyed Secretary Generals optimism of yielding good results as we have first hand experience of the duplicitous nature of this regime but I sincerely hope that we are proven wrong and that the Secretary General is able to stop this drift towards dictatorship in Asia oldest democracy.
The UNP has consistently supported the holding of CHOGM in Colombo provided that the outstanding issues relating to the Commonwealth Charter, UNHRC resolution regarding Sri Lanka and the Presidents own LLRC report are resolved before CHOGM 2013 commences. This was emphasised by Hon. Ranil Wickramesinghe when he met the Secretary General in September 2012 and February 2013.
In fact, with less than six months away, the UNP wish to bring to the notice of the Secretary General and the Commonwealth, that no broad engagement has taken place at ground level and the deteriorating ground situation belies the statements by the SG and Dr. Moni at the press briefing after the CMAG meeting.
Mr. Speaker,
The Commonwealth Charter was adopted and launched by all Commonwealth member States during Commonwealth week in March 2013.
The full text of the charter was discussed and agreed by all Commonwealth heads of Government (including President Mahinda Rajapakse) at the last CHOGM meeting. This is a milestone for the Commonwealth and for the first time in its 64 year history, the Commonwealth has a single document setting out the core values of the organisation and the aspiration of its members.
However, the crisis the SG has to overcome is the discrepancy between the core values of the Commonwealth and the aspirations of the incoming Chairperson of the Commonwealth. In the pursuit of absolute political power, the Rajapakse regime has bee systematically dismantling and weakening democratic institutions for the last few years and despite the secretary Generals optimism, there is nothing , absolutely nothing to show that the regime is willing to change its autocratic agenda. In fact the regime continues to violate all 16 core values set out in the charter at varying degrees with impunity.
Due to the constraints of time, I will not list all the continuing violations of the 16 core values of the charter but I will highlight some urgent areas of concern.
1. Independent and accountable institutions are the cornerstones of any democracy but the government has not taken any action to repeal the 18th Amendment which was a power grab by the executive undermining the independent police, judicial, elections commissions. This bill was rushed through Parliament as an urgent bill in 24 hours. If the Government is sincere about the assurances given to Sharma, they could now display the same sense of urgency they showed in doing away with the commissions on September 18th 2010 . In fact the restoration of the independent commissions prior to the Northern PC elections should be a sine qua non for CHOGM to be held in Colombo as well as the restoration of civilian rule in the North and the East. I repeat: the repeal of the 18th amendment prior to the Northern Elections must be a sine qua non for CHOGM. The government must not be allowed to water down the 13th amendment.
2. Under human rights, the charter says, 'we are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds. While the human rights of all those who oppose the regime is outed with impunity - even the human rights of match referees are violated by members of the Rajapakse brood; last week referee of a rugger match was brutally assaulted by a Rajapakse brat when his team lost at a Rugger match between the Navy and Police.
The Tamil people continue to be humiliated by triumphalist policies of the government and Hon. Sampantban, the mover of this debate has made a detailed statement about the trials and tribulations the Tamils are facing today. The Muslim and Christian communities have been at the receiving end of brutal attacks by various extremist so called Buddhist groups working with the blessings of the defence Secretary. In fact , one of the Muslim leaders, Azzath Sally who wrote to the UN SG regarding the intimidation of Muslims was recently arrested and harassed for nearly a week.
Letter tabled.
In fact, the escalation of religious intolerance and attacks against places of worship was first brought to the attention of the President by the UN Special Rapporteur of Religion or belief on 7th May 2012.
Letter tabled.
However, no action has been taken so far, and reports of religious violence is on the rise. Instead of Tolerance, Respect and Understanding , the 4th core value of the Commonwealth Charter, intolerance has become the order of the day in Sri Lanka today.
The fifth core value of the charter reiterates its commitment to peaceful and open dialogue and the free ow of information. The free media continues to be intimidated and battered, with our best journalists been either dead or living in exile.
As a means of survival most media subject themselves to self censorship while others who show some degree of independence continue to be attacked or intimidated.
The New York based Committee to protect journalist in its impunity index listed Sri Lanka as the fourth most dangerous place for journalists to live in and attacks against the media continues with impunity.
Just last week, the office of 'Janarala', a left leaning tabloid was raided by the police and the staff questioned about a story relating to LTTE Gold laundering, the lead story on 12th May 2013. Some web sites which published this story have also been banned.
Four attacks have been made on Uthyan newspapers in Jaffna, this year alone. The last being on13th April 2013 when armed men entered the premises situated in a high security area, burnt the printing press and the newspapers about to be dispatched for sale.
The US State Departments acting deputy spokesperson, Patrick Ventrell, referring to the Uthyan on 30 April said, "Uthyan has seen its personnel beaten, it's newspaper shipments burnt, it's equipment destroyed and its offices set ablaze in this last month alone."
Mr. Ventrell also says that the assault on the free press extends beyond Uthyan. The BBC Tamil language programme about Sri Lanka and the Human Rights Council censored. Reporters have been physically assaulted and murdered in the years past and a prominent political cartoonist has been missing for three years.
Core value 16 of the Commonwealth charter talks about the role of civil society and says that 'we recognise the important role civil society plays in our communities'. In Sri Lanka today, prominent members of civil society are continuously harassed and intimidated and the state media continue to portray these people as terrorist sympathisers and traitors. In fact, as I speak now, Sagarica Delgoda of the Fredrica Neuman Stiftung has been taken to the notorious 4th oor of the CID for questioning.
As my time allocation is already over, I would like to say in conclusion that this is a moment of reckoning not only for the Rajapakse regime but also for the Commonwealth.
The Rajapakse regime , even at this late stage, must be made to put the interests of the country first over and above its own narrow and selfish agenda.
As for the Commonwealth, the Secretary General Sharma must ensure that the Rajapakse regime meets the values and principles of the Commonwealth charter not only in word but in deed as well. If not, he will merely be giving the Commonwealth seal of approval for the propaganda interests of an emerging dictatorship. Then the Commonwealth Charter will not be worth the paper it's written on.
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