How Can Sri Lanka Demonstrate its Commitment to Peace?
Recently, senior figures in the Obama administration have championed another “democratic success story”; this time we’re talking about Sri Lanka. This small, strategically important island nation is recovering from a brutal civil war that according to U.N. estimates, left up to 100,000 dead. The defeat of two-term President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January, and the parliamentary election in August, curbed the country’s slide towards heightened authoritarianism. Still, Sri Lanka’s path to lasting reform, reconciliation, and genuine accountability is only beginning. Moreover Colombo can take certain measures to ensure that this journey starts off with the momentum it needs.
As the international community tries to help Sri Lanka deal with its violent past, the country’s parliament recently debated the findings of a controversial U.N. report. The report focused on alleged wartime abuses committed by both government forces and the separatist Tamil Tigers — the principal actors in a war that spanned nearly three decades. The report itself was recently presented at the 30th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, where another U.S.-led resolution, dealing broadly with justice, human rights, and reconciliation was passed.