Some thoughts on Geneva

I  was  saddened  by  the  events  in  Geneva having thought we were  a  popular  country  and  our  people  well  thought  of internationally.To  think  that  only  11  countries    supported  us in Geneva  was  indeed  a   cause  for  alarm  and  distress. Maybe the  want  us  to  take  a  step  back  and  think of how to make Sri Lanka a  better    place.

Reams have been written about  this  resolution by erudite  men  and  women. There  is  a  common  theme  running through all  of this: the  UNHCR  is  against  us; the  western  countries  have  ganged  up  against  us. I beg to disagree.

Let us look  at  this  resolution  dispassionately. The high commisioner  has     made  note  of  the  very  things    we    ourselves don’t  like about recent happenings in our country. Did we  want  all  Muslim  Covid  dead  to  be  cremated?  No. Once  the  WHO  okay was  given,   we  all agreed that religious customs may be followed.

Did  we want  our  civil  administration to  be  invaded  by  the  military? No. Our   civil  adminitrtion  is  not  the  world’s  best  but  we  have  no  great  issues over that.   A  military  presence  has  not  resulted in a  marked  improvement  either. The public service meanders lazily as  of  yore.

As  for  killing  of  prisoners, what happened in Mahara is unfortunate. Surely there must  be  other  ways  of  dealing  with  rioting  prisoners than  killing them? There are other pitfalls we could have  avoided  had  we  been  less  arrogant  and  a  little  more  submissive. After all we are  in  UNHCR  on our  own volition 

Our political leaders  are  very  visible  in  the  Buddhist  scene, frequenting  temples, prostrating themselves before Bodhi  trees and participating  in  Buddhist rituals. All that is well  and  good. At  the  same  time  I  wish  they  would  embrace the Dasa Raja Dharma edict on governance of  King  Asoka. We  will then have  fewer problems    with  the  likes  of  UNHRC.  

Padmini Nanayakkara,

Colombo-3.