By Shamindra Ferdinando

Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, who is also Chairman of the ruling SLPP, has questioned the rationale in UN human rights Chief Michelle Bachelet’s latest report that dealt with Sri Lanka accountability issues during the war and post-conflict period in the run-up to the 46th session of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Bachelet served as the Chilean President for nine years beginning 2006.

 Acknowledging that Sri Lanka was again on the Geneva agenda, Prof. Peiris told a media briefing at the SLPP office at Battaramulla that Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena would state the government’s stand. Prof. Peiris, who served as the External Affairs Minister during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term (2010-2015) emphasized the government would take the following factors into consideration. Prof. Peiris asked how the UNHRC as regards Sri Lanka pursued a controversial agenda not compatible with its mandate. The top academic emphasized therefore forceful intervention in domestic matters was contrary to its mandate.

The UNHRC consists of 47 countries divided into five groups.

Referring to Bachelet’s latest report Prof. Peiris pointed out the absurdity in the UN human rights chief raising the enactment of an Amendment to the Constitution, appointments given to retired armed forces officers and interference in parliamentary matters. The Education Minister said the UN rights chief and the UNHRC had no business to intervene in such domestic matters.

 Minister Peiris said that the UNHRC actions should be fair by all member states of the UN. Recollecting his recent three-day visit to Kilinochchi and the Jaffna peninsula, Prof. Peiris alleged that Bachelet conveniently ignored substantial development achieved in the Northern and Eastern Provinces since the eradication of the LTTE.

 Sri Lanka brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009.

 The former Chief Negotiator for the government in talks with the LTTE, Prof. Peiris faulted Bachelet for not giving sufficient attention to two key post-war factors namely rehabilitation of the LTTE cadre and vacation of public and private land and property occupied by the military.

 Prof. Peiris said Sri Lanka had rehabilitated as many as 12,000 LTTE cadres after fighting ‘the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisation’, in an efficient manner that received the appreciation of some sections of the international community. The UN human rights chief however had chosen to ignore Sri Lanka’s unique rehabilitation project, the minister said, urging the Geneva body to give up its offensive directed at post-war Sri Lanka.

 Prof. Peiris explained the orderly vacation of public and private property in the Northern and Eastern provinces by the security forces would never have been possible without the eradication of the LTTE. Those who always inquire about the continuing military presence in the predominantly Tamil speaking areas were conspicuously silent about significant reduction of in military presence over the years, Prof Peiris said. Would that be possible until the armed forces crushed the LTTE, Prof. Peiris asked.

 Prof. Peiris said that the Office of the Missing Persons (OMP), too, was continuing its work. The SLPP Chairman also pointed out Bachelet’s failure to recognize improvement in education, agriculture, fisheries and industrial sectors over the past decade.

 Prof. Peiris said that the Geneva body lost its credibility as it dealt with countries differently. “We are a case in point,” Minister Peiris said, underscoring Sri Lanka was definitely not the first country investigated over accountability issues. 

The former foreign minister alleged that the UNHRC targeted some countries while some received protection. The minister said that the Geneva body was being used by those with vested interests to suit their agendas. The minister described Sri Lanka as a victim of that despicable strategy.

 The former Foreign Minister said that the Geneva body should give due recognition to local mechanisms set up by Sri Lanka to address accountability issues. Unfortunately, Geneva had ignored the LLRC, Paranagama Commission as well as its Second Mandate thereby deprived Sri Lanka of an opportunity to set the record straight.

 The Minister said that the international community should recognize the political environment too. Having won two national elections overwhelmingly, in 2019 and 2020, the ruling party commanded the respect of the people, the minister said, urging Geneva to be mindful of the circumstances leading to the rejection of yahapalana administration, twice within 12 months.

 Responding to a query by The Island, Prof. Peiris pointed out that the Geneva rights chief had been in such a hurry to pressure Sri Lanka she blamed the Mannar mass graves on the Sri Lanka Army before US lab revealed the bones found therein were several centuries old and belonged to the colonial period. They never bothered to verify facts, the minister said, calling for examination of disclosure made  by Lord Naseby in Oct 2017, US defence attaché Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith’s statement in June 2011,  Wikileaks cables and dispatches from the UN office during Eelam War IV to establish the truth.