Bankruptcy, relief and UNHRC

It never rains, but it pours. Since March this year, our country has been going through a period of turmoil. Miles-long queues of vehicles wound their way past petrol sheds. Fathers and mothers accompanied by children could be seen running hither and thither in search of cooking gas. Basic foods were scarce and medicines in short supply. 

The urban poor and middle class fixed income earners were probably the worst hit. Many others lost their avenues of income when the pandemic hit the country. Included among these were, large numbers of temporary workers (over 500,000) involved in the construction industry, and the workers on the tea and rubber estates who receive wages of less than Rs. 1,000/- per day. 

Tourism which is probably still the largest foreign exchange earner, shrivelled and dried, as the industry was brought to a standstill with people prohibited from travelling. 

Foolish administrative decisions like the ban on the use of agro-chemicals without an alternative substitute, all but killed off earnings from the tea and rubber industries, which brought in the next largest slice of foreign exchange. The ban on imported agro-chemicals also resulted in reduced production of agricultural crops such as rice and vegetables.

Not surprisingly the country ran out of funds to pay for imports. It also created a chronic food shortage. In turn, the costs of these products rose astronomically, putting them beyond the reach of the common man. Especially badly affected were the urban poor who live in the inner cities and tea and rubber estate workers. 

Many of them use kerosene for lighting as well as for fuel for cooking. Of a sudden, they were left in darkness and without a means to cook what little food they could scrape together.

Thanks to India’s goodwill, stocks of fuel and basic foods are once again available - albeit at a higher price. The queues at fuel sheds are gone as are the demonstrators who crowded the streets.

Today, Indian intervention and the signing of a staff-level agreement with IMF has brought a semblance of stability back to the country. But... just as hope was building, we find ourselves once again faced with our old nemesis -- the UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka -- for alleged crimes committed during the ‘War on Terror’.

Let’s face it, tens of thousands of civilians (mainly Tamils) were killed by the forces in the battle to crush the terror group. Frivolous claims that not a single civilian died during military operations, holds no water. Hundreds of young Tamil men and women were also disappeared during the era. It is time to admit civilians did perish in the conflict. It is time the governments of this country of whatever hue or colour, they may face this fact and apologize to the victims of the families and to the country at large.

This is one of the means available to bring conclusion and healing to the families of the victims, as well as for the country to come to terms with itself, thereby helping ensure such horrific events are never repeated. At this time, let us remember the large number of young Sinhala youth who also died at the hands of the security forces during the 1971 and 1989 uprisings. Though their cause has not been taken up by the UNHRC, large numbers of young people were killed. Sadly, the governments have not brought closure to the pain of the families of this group of people either.Bombs and bullets do not have names of targets on them. In any armed conflict civilians and truth are the first casualties. 

The Americans killed hundreds of thousands of civilians in numerous wars in Asia. The British killed thousands of German civilians during the carpet bombing of Dresdan during World War II. The French killed thousands of Algerian civilians. And... even as this piece is being written, civilians in Ukraine are dying under Russian missile attacks. But this does not absolve Lanka’s killing of Tamil civilians during its war on Terror. Both the Tamil people and political parties in the north and east are demanding justice for those civilians killed during the period 
Our benefactor India, demands the government implement the Indo- Lanka Agreement, signed by then Indian Prime Minister Gandhi and President JR Jayawardene. Admission of wrongdoing is the first step toward reconciliation. 

It is time, as a nation, we take responsibility for the ‘mistakes’ of a few and rebuild damaged relations between communities. The wheels of the UN, though slow, grind on and there is no stopping it. Facing up to facts could lead to reconciliation between local communities and take the wind out of the sails of our international detractors.