Rajapaksa Govt. faces
Vital need to review country's foreign policy, top professionals must be called in to avoid more debacles
Aweek that will be a milestone in Sri Lanka's contemporary history begins tomorrow. On Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council will take for voting a United States-backed resolution, described as "non-condemnatory," on Sri Lanka. Among its co-sponsors are France, Norway, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Since the UNHRC sessions began on February 23 in Geneva, government ministers, officials, politicians and their supporters have been engaged in a campaign in Geneva. Even if their approach was contradictory and multipronged, the goals remained one - to either defeat or seek the withdrawal of the resolution. Both seemed a formidable task. The prognosis came just three days ago from the man who conducts Sri Lanka's foreign policy, External Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris. He literally toured the world, churning out one statement after another, and holding out great hope. He bitterly criticised the west and called for a change in the United Nations system. It seems his campaign has not worked.
Last Wednesday evening, he told the weekly cabinet meeting that there was only a "50-50 chance" of Sri Lanka thwarting the resolution. His remarks came during a briefing which President Mahinda Rajapaksa asked Peiris to give ministers when they had finished the day's official business. The Minister explained why he was pessimistic and expected a 'photo finish' outcome. In his view, the United States, which had diplomatic representation in all capitals of member nations of the Human Rights Council, had carried out a vigorous campaign. Whether Peiris was unaware of the worldwide reach of US diplomatic missions or their vigorous campaign is indeed a critical question.
After all, he is Sri Lanka's Minister of External Affairs. However, when he ended his briefing, Rajapaksa was in a defiant mood.