Sri Lanka Perspectives: May 2012

By Col R Hariharan

     Highlighs

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Victory Day speech defends the role and deployment of army in Northern Province and emphasises it would not be withdrawn as Tamil Diaspora and the LTTE remnants abroad were trying to revive armed struggle for Tamil Eelam

Release of former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, from prison after the President granted a remission of his three-year sentence, has introduced a new element in opposition politics.

Miscellaneous: The World Bank is doubling its preferential credit to Sri Lanka to $ 500 million this year. Price of cooking gas, milk and cement which were consumed in retail have been hiked in response to falling rate of Sri Lanka rupee. Seventeen Chinese money launderers were arrested for deportation. The chances of reconciliation process resuming appear dim as the government has ignored the UNP’s plea in parliament to create suitable environment for the Parliamentary Select Committee to take up the issue.

Victory Day celebrations

Sri Lanka celebrated third year of its decisive victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)   on May 19, 2012 with an impressive military parade in which over 13,000 troops participated. President Mahinda Rajapaksa speaking on the occasion focused on the contribution made by armed forces in freeing the people from the clutches of the LTTE. He justified their continued presence in the Northern Province in the interest of national security as Tamil Diaspora and LTTE separatists were trying to revive the armed struggle for Tamil Eelam. The President made it clear that the army camps would not be withdrawn from the North.

The President’s remarks were in response to increasing demand from Tamil politicians supported by the U.S. and the UK for reducing the overwhelming presence of army in Northern Province, which they alleged was interfering in the normal life of the people. The Indian parliamentary delegation that visited Sri Lanka recently had also supported the demand. At present nine of the 13 divisions of army are deployed in Northern Province and this works out to one soldier for every six people!

Five days after the President’s speech the U.S. Country Report on Human Rights in Sri Lanka 2011 released on May 24 strongly indicted the Sri Lanka army for its conduct. It said “There were instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control. The major human rights problems were unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups, often in predominantly Tamil areas, which led many to regard them as politically motivated, and attacks on and harassment of civil society activists, persons viewed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sympathizers, and journalists by persons allegedly tied to the government, which created an environment of fear and self-censorship. 

“Other serious human rights problems included disappearances, as well as a lack of accountability for thousands who disappeared in previous years. Security forces tortured and abused detainees, poor prison conditions remained a problem, and authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained citizens. A number of suspects detained by police or other security forces died under questionable circumstances.” 

Sri Lanka army categorically rejected the allegations made by the United States report on human rights, describing it as yet another attempt to tarnish the image of the security forces. The army spokesman said: “There are no unlawful killings taking place in Sri Lanka and also no paramilitary groups operating as mentioned in the report.” He said if anyone was able to prove allegations of unlawful killings and disappearances, they could forward them to the military at any time. However, many international observers and civil society representatives in Sri Lanka consider these allegations as the manifestation of increasing use of army as an instrument of power politics.

Release of Sarath Fonseka

The release of General Sarath Fonseka, former Army Commander who successfully led the army to victory against the LTTE, on May 21^st after President Rajapaksa granted a remission of his prison sentence has introduced a new element in opposition politics in Sri Lanka. Though Fonseka was elevated as the Chief of Defence Staff after the war ended, he fell out with the President. He became the bête noir of the President when he defied the President and questioned him on a number of issues. The General turned a rallying point for the opposition parties which fielded him against President Rajapaksa in the last presidential poll. Though he was defeated, many consider him a national hero who commands his own following. 

After the presidential poll, he was stripped of his military rank and retirement privileges and charged with a number of “military offences.” He was sentenced to undergo three years imprisonment for corrupt military deals. At the time of his release he had completed over two years of his jail term. One more case against Fonseka is pending in the court for harbouring army deserters. According to the Attorney General the former Army Commander was on a conditional release as he had received a remission of his three-year sentence. She clarified that while he was eligible to vote, he could not contest an election for seven years.

The former army chief does not appear to have made up on his immediate priorities although the opposition United National Party has invited him to join them in its struggle against Rajapaksa. In his interviews after release Fonseka has said that he was firm in opposing the Rajapaksa regime although he had not decided upon his on future course of action. With the UNP involved in factional fight among its leadership and the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) losing much of its influence, it is doubtful whether Fonseka would be able to regain his former glory of the days of presidential poll.

Miscellaneous

World Bank lending: The World Bank has said it would be lending to Sri Lanka $500 million this year under a newly endorsed country partnership strategy and $527 million for the year ending June 2014 to encourage investment and spur growth. This will be double the nation’s current borrowing of $200 million annually from World Bank at concessionary terms. The World Bank was probably encouraged by recent measures taken by Sri Lanka to overhaul its economic policy, to dampen import demand, narrow the trade gap and protect foreign reserves aimed at 7.2 percent growth. 

Price hikes: In the first week of May Sri Lanka raised the prices of cooking gas, milk powder and cement in response to the falling exchange rate of Sri Lanka rupee as these items were imported. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) price was hiked by SL Rs 350 to SL Rs 2396 while milk powder price of 400 gm and 1 Kilo packs were hiked by SL Rs 61 and SL Rs 165 respectively. These price rises are likely to intensify agitation among many sections of white and blue collar workers already demanding hefty pay hikes to meet the high costs.  

Chinese money launderers nabbed: The Emigration and Immigration Department is expelling 17 Chinese nationals arrested for their alleged involvement in a series of money laundering and extortion frauds. The Criminal Investigations Department in coordination with Chinese police investigators carried out the arrests.

Reconciliation process stalled: The move to resume the ethnic reconciliation process seems to have been stalled. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement in parliament asked the government to create an environment for the opposition parties to take part in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for resuming the process. He said implementation of the LLRC Report recommendations including a devolution package and the 13^th Amendment would help create such an environment.  However, the government totally ignored his conditions and it would appear the PSC might not be constituted and the reconciliation process would continue to make no progress.