Human rights: Whose responsibility?

The year 2008 marks the diamond jubilee of both Sri Lanka’s independence and that of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which falls on December 10.

Coincidence apart, this is a year for soul searching on how far the rulers and the ruled and most importantly the officials who implement and enforce the laws, have striven to uphold human rights.

Currently, the Seventh Session of the UN Human Rights Council is in progress in Geneva and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe announced that his Ministry was discussing with UNDP and a top UN human rights advisor on future cooperation.

“The main thrust of this initiative is to formulate a national plan of action on the promotion and protection of human rights as envisaged in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,” the Minister announced.

There is a section of people, within and outside the country, who would be keen on betraying the country’s sovereignty and make it a vassal state. There is yet another group that is supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LLTE) to divide this tiny island and establish a separate state.

No doubt, the military must be saluted for its role in safeguarding the territory by fighting a separatist war. All fair-minded citizens must support such action. But, this is no excuse for crass violation of human rights, in the name of quelling an uprising that particularly has its roots in racial discrimination and minority rights deprivation.

It is just a miniscule minority of the security forces that violate the human rights, undermining the laws of the land. The entire security establishment must not be painted with the same tar-daubed brush.

What makes it abominable is that such action is most often condoned and rarely condemned by prominent politicos and officials in the incumbent administration.

It is not enough for the Minister handling the subject of human rights and those officials tasked with defending the country’s human rights record, be conversant with the subject, making enlightened statements from time to time.

Human rights must be respected first by those charged with handling defence, security and policing of the country. This should trickle down to the junior-most soldier in the battlefield or on the street, the Police constable on the beat or the security guard on duty.

Recently, at the Colombo University, out of a class of over 30 post-graduate students, one Tamil girl who wore a pottu was singled out by the security forces and harassed, despite her producing a duly-signed letter stating that she was a student. A security guard was sent to follow her right up to her class. The security establishment at the university was already given a list of post-graduate students.

What is worse still, her handbag and its contents were checked by male security officers, while the female security guards did not realise it was a violation of her rights.

This message has to trickle down to the very bottom, lest we have ministers and officials making pompous statements, while those in contact with the people violate human rights, without even knowing that they are doing so.

Take, for instance, the Police notice in Sinhala that a particular road has been suddenly shut down for security reasons. Motorists are directed to take alternative roads prescribed again in Sinhala. Does everyone have to know Sinhala to be a citizen of Sri Lanka? Do Tamils not have a right to have the same Police notice in their own language, if they are part of the Sri Lankan state?

You might have legislation to do away with discrimination, but unless there is commitment to be inclusive and accept diversity in unity, the law will remain a dead letter.