Suganthie Kadirgamar accommodated in newly-constituted outfit; Mujibur slams govt.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The SLPP government has reconstituted the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) in the run-up to the 46th session of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The ONUR, established in line with the prrevious Yahapalana goverment post-war reconciliation strategy, was headed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

The former President quit ONUR immediately after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s victory at the Nov 2019 presidential poll.

The Justice Ministry over the weekend announced the appointment of President’s Counsel Kushan de Alwis as the new Chairperson. Former District Secretary Sunil Kannagara received appointment as ONUR’s Director General.

The ONUR formed in terms of an agreement between the then President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe played a significant role in the post-war reconciliation process in the wake of their decision to co-sponsor an accountability resolution against the country in Geneva on Oct 1, 2015.

Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, last Friday (5), addressed the newly appointed ONUR members at the Justice Ministry; he explained the pivotal importance of post-war reconciliation process in achieving development. The minister said that achieving growth wouldn’t be possible without reconciliation.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa included senior lawyer Suganthie Kadirgamar, the wife of assassinated Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in ONUR. The LTTE assassinated Kadirgamar in August 2005 as he was engaged in deliberations with local and foreign parties in a bid to bring the warring parties back to the negotiating table.

The other members of the outfit are A.L. Susarith Mendis, Prof. Rizvie Hassen, Prof. M.M.A.D.S.A. Niriella, Samantha Ratwatte PC, attorney-at-law Janaka Ranatunga, Mano Sekaram, attorney-at-law Geethanjali Sumithraarachchi Dissanayake, Apsal Marrikkar and Senthil Thondaman.

Attorney-at-law Thushari Sooriyaarachchi has been named the Additional DG, ONUR. ONUR is expected to meet at its new office at Rajagiriya this week.

Political sources said that the ONUR would have to adopt an agenda suitable to the SLPP government’s policy especially against the backdrop of Sri Lanka quitting an accountability resolution 30/1 co-sponsored by the yahapalana government in 2015. The original ONUR was actually meant to ensure the successful implementation of the Geneva resolution. It played a significant role in the process leading to consensus among the Western powers, the then government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as regards a hybrid war crimes investigating mechanism. In fact, the proposal for hybrid mechanism was received by Mrs. Kumaratunga, in her capacity as Chairperson, ONUR, on behalf of Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government.

Asked what would be the newly constituted ONUR’s agenda against the backdrop of the government quitting the Geneva process, Justice Minister Sabry said: “Nothing to do with the Geneva process. The new ONUR is meant to promote unity, social cohesion and understanding among communities at the grass-root level. The government is committed for sustainable and long lasting and dignified coexistence among the people.”

Minister Sabry emphasized that the ONUR would carry out the mission not to impress the world but to achieve genuine reconciliation. The minister emphasized urgent need to address the reconciliation issues.

Samagi Jana Balavegaya lawmaker Mujibur Rahman told The Island that the government had caused irreparable damage to overall reconciliation process. Colombo District MP Rahman questioned the rationale in constituting ONUR after having quit the Geneva process. The former UNP MP alleged that the SLPP administration had turned the reconciliation process upside down.

Enactment of the 20th Amendment at the expense of the 19th introduced in 2015 ruined everything, MP Rahman said, urging the government not to cause further trouble. The MP pointed out in addition to wartime accountability issues, the new Rajapaksa administration’s handling of the controversy over cremation of all Covid-19 victims regardless of religious concerns proved it didn’t care about minorities.

Lawmaker Rahman pointed out the Tamils and Muslims launching a protest march from Pottuvil to Jaffna demanding justice for war victims and to highlight other burning issues such as the cremation of Muslims. The MP pointed out that some sections of the international community had taken up the issue at hand with the government.

PIC SAVED AS KUSHAN AND Suganthie Kadirgamar