Moral dilemma: to boycott or not?

[chacharar786]

Moral dilemma: to boycott or not?
11/11/2013
I DON`T often agree with William Hague, the British foreign secretary. However, when he wrote recently in The Telegraph setting out his reasons for the UK`s participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo this week, I did see his point.

Basically, Hague argued that by boycotting the meeting as Canada has done Britain would be unable to engage the Sri Lankan government, and press its agenda of human rights with President Rajapakse. While Canada may have taken the moral high ground over the allegations of indiscriminate killings of Tamil civilians at the end of the civil war four years ago, practical diplomacy requires interaction and regular high-level contacts. By boycotting a high-profile conference in which Sri Lanka has invested much of its pride and prestige, Britain would have forfeited its place on the high table.

Just days before the inaugural session, India is reported to have decided that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would not attend. Defence Minister A. K. Antony and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, both Congress Party heavyweights, have opposed Mr Singh`s participation, while the trade and investment minister favours it.

The reason for this intense debate lies in domestic Indian politics. With close parliamentary elections due next year, Congress cannot afford to alienate its allies in Tamil Nadu.

Here, most of the population has been deeply angered by the alleged atrocities their fellow Tamils were subjected to duringthe last days of the civil war. They have forgotten that it was the separatist terror group, the Tamil Tigers, who used thousands of unarmed men, women and children as human shields in the final, apocalyptic battle of the civil war.

In that bloody endgame, the Tigers were squeezed into a tiny enclave, with their backs to the sea. In a desperate bid to delay the inevitable, the Tigers retreated with thousands of civilians between them and the Sri Lankan army. Many noncombatants trying to flee were shot in the back. Finally, when they could retreat no further, the Tigers dug in while their human shields were subjected to artillery shelling and aerial bombardment. Some 40,000 are thought to have died in the last few days of the war.

Thus far, despite pressure from international human rights organisations, the UN and various governments, the Sri Lankan government has refused to permit foreign observers to conduct an investigation. Tamils in the north of the country remain marginalised, and complain of a massive military presence.

In the recent provincial election, the Tamil National Alliance won a landslide victory despite allegations of official interference in the process. However, the newly elected government has few powers, and does not control even the police force. Nevertheless, I doubt the elections would have even taken place had it not been for the pressure of the upcoming CHOGM.

By virtue of hosting the meeting, Sri Lanka will chair theCommonwealth for the next two years, a prospect that appals many human rights activists. They argue that in the past few years, the Sri Lankan government has violated human rights in a manner inconsistent with the values promoted by the Commonwealth. But as Chair of the Commonwealth, Sri Lanka will face a degree of pressure from some of the member states to conform to democratic norms.

This may not result in an overnight easing of pressure on the press, the opposition and the judiciary, but then nor would the boycott that has been proposed by many human rights activists and organisations, as well as journalists. Another factor that might bring about greater openness is the country`s urgent need for foreign investment. The government has taken billions in loans for major development projects. Not all of them are economically viable. But private investors are reluctant to put up projects in a country where the entire system is controlled by the ruling family.

So far, external criticism over human rights has not helped as the government and its supporters have retreated into a shell of denial and conspiracy theories. Local NGOs and the tiny civil society are routinely attacked as foreign agents acting against the national interest. Sri Lanka does not have a tradition of street protest. Press freedom has been severely constrained after years of intimidation. The chief justice was summarily dismissed when she stepped out of line.

Opposition members of parliament have been bribed and bullied to break ranks and join the government.From being a vibrant parliamentary democracy with a free press, the country has steadily moved in an authoritarian direction over the last decade or so. This is one reason so many voices have called for a boycott of CHOGM 2013.

But in my experience, it is better to use whatever space is available to expand the public discourse, rather than cut off communications through boycotts. These serve only to isolate the subject, and while they may make us feel more virtuous, they make little difference to the situation on the ground.

Parallel to CHOGM in Colombo, the coastal town of Hikkadua will host the People`s Forum. Here, various sessions will air matters ranging from culture to politics. I have little doubt that some delegates will voice views unwelcome to the Forum`s Sri Lankan hosts. The fact is that such critical views can only be expressed under the protection of a major international conference.

Most people dismiss the Commonwealth as a mere talking shop with no real global clout. And it is true that when Bhutto pulled us out of the Commonwealth because it had admitted Bangladesh soon after it became independent, Pakistan was not materially damaged. Nevertheless, it became a little harder to get a visa to the UK; students were no longer eligible for Commonwealth scholarships; and most importantly, we lost a voice at a forum comprising 54 states from around the world.

And while we can expect nothing earthshaking to emerge from the deliberations in Colombo this week, the internal debate just might alter Sri Lanka`s path.