Hijacked Justice Truth and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka

8/13/2019 Hijacked Justice Truth and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka

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Hijacked justice? Truth and reconciliationin Sri Lanka

NIRAN ANKETELL3 December !"3After decades of civil war, Sri Lanka is looking to South Africa'sTruth and Reconciliation Commission to provide a model for post-conflict justice !ut will this work in Sri Lanka, or will it lead toimpunit" for war criminals#As the dust settles on the #ommon$ealth Heads o% &o'ernment meetin( in#olombo) the *ress has re*orted that Sri Lanka ma+ be considerin( theestablishment o% a South A%rica st+le Truth and Reconciliation #ommission

$ith the assistance o% the #ommon$ealth and South A%rican (o'ernment,

The South A%rican TR# -SA TR#. continues to *ossess an endurin( a**eal%or #olombo/based) as o**osed to North and East based) ci'il societ+ N&0s,1er+ %e$) i% an+) con'ersations on reconciliation and transitional justice$ithin #olombo ci'il societ+ net$orks conclude $ithout re%erences to the SA

TR# as the *aradi(matic case o% the ideal transitional justice model, The SriLankan (o'ernment has also sou(ht to dra$ *arallels bet$een its o$nattitude to *ost/con%lict justice) re%lected in the Lessons Learnt andReconciliation #ommission) and the SA TR#,

As a *reliminar+ obser'ation) ho$e'er) it is use%ul to note thatcontem*orar+ Sri Lanka and *ost/a*artheid South A%rica are 'astl+ di%%erent*olitical and social conte2ts, The SA TR# model and amnesties $ere $orkedout a%ter a %ormal trans%er o% *o$er %rom the re(ime res*onsible %or the 'astmajorit+ o% crimes under a*artheid to the leaders o% the liberation stru((le,oreo'er) the dominant reli(ious belie% s+stem in South A%rica4$here#hristian rituals o% re*entance and %or(i'eness ha'e si(ni%icant theolo(icalresonance4is %undamentall+ di%%erent to the reli(ious belie%s o% the majorit+o% Tamil) Sinhala and uslim 'ictims,

The SA TR# is $idel+ kno$n as *ro'idin( amnest+ %rom *rosecution to*er*etrators $ho came be%ore the SA TR# and made %ull disclosure o% allthe rele'ant %acts relatin( to their crimes, As such) it is *ercei'ed in SriLanka4$ron(l+4as the trium*h o% a s*irit o% reconciliation and restorati'e

justice and a rejection o% criminal accountabilit+, Thus) the $a+ in $hich theSA TR# e2*erience has been understood in Sri Lanka is dee*l+ %la$ed, Insu**ortin( m+ claim) I hi(hli(ht the absence in Sri Lanka o% three s*eci%icconditions %or the %unctionin( o% the SA TR#) that $ould ine'itabl+ render
http://www.opendemocracy.net/niran-anketell/hijacked-justice-truth-and-reconciliation-in-sri-lankahttp://www.opendemocracy.net/niran-anketell/hijacked-justice-truth-and-reconciliation-in-sri-lankahttp://www.opendemocracy.net/author/niran-anketellhttp://www.colombopage.com/archive_13B/Nov16_1384581358CH.phphttp://www.justice.gov.za/trc/http://www.llrcaction.gov.lk/http://www.llrcaction.gov.lk/http://dy1m18dp41gup.cloudfront.net/cdn/farfuture/kwNxziUEa_WC5IvdIQiFf3Ug5OkTWUJUQ8YpJcE1Ycc/mtime:1332250346/sites/all/themes/od960/logo.pnghttp://www.opendemocracy.net/author/niran-anketellhttp://www.colombopage.com/archive_13B/Nov16_1384581358CH.phphttp://www.justice.gov.za/trc/http://www.llrcaction.gov.lk/http://www.llrcaction.gov.lk/http://www.opendemocracy.net/niran-anketell/hijacked-justice-truth-and-reconciliation-in-sri-lankahttp://www.opendemocracy.net/niran-anketell/hijacked-justice-truth-and-reconciliation-in-sri-lanka


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an+ attem*t to trans*lant that *rocess in contem*orar+ Sri Lanka harm%ulin the e2treme,

5irst) contrar+ to the $a+ in $hich the SA TR# has been understood in SriLanka) the model as en'isa(ed b+ its %ramers $as not desi(ned to e2clude*rosecutions, Instead) the conduct o% *rosecutions in res*ect o%

*er*etrators $ho did not a**l+ or did not 6uali%+ %or amnest+ $as central tothe $orkin( o% the SA TR#s desi(n, Institutionall+) the success o% the SA

TR# de*ended on *er*etrators con%essin( to their crimes, The threat o%*rosecution $as *recisel+ the tool necessar+ to *ush *er*etrators to make%ull disclosure,

In %act) em*irical studies on SA TR# data demonstrate that a**lications %oramnest+ $ere lo$ amon( state securit+ (rou*s $hose members $ere notsubject to in'esti(ation and *rosecution, #on'ersel+) (rou*s that hadmembers *rosecuted or $ere under in'esti(ation4such as the 7elite8 *olice

task %orces4had (reater numbers o% amnest+ a**licants, Thus) the threatand conduct o% *rosecutions enhanced the *ros*ects o% truth seekin()because in%ormation such as the location and nature o% death o% 'ictims)$hich onl+ *er*etrators had access to) $as made a'ailable to the SA TR# ina**lications b+ *er*etrators %or amnest+, This em*hasi9es thecom*lementar+ nature o% truth and justice and is an im*ortant reminderthat the Sri Lankan (o'ernment8s attem*ted dichotomi9ation o% 7*uniti'e

justice8 and 7restorati'e justice8 is %la$ed in *ractice,

The SA TR# Re*ort itsel% ackno$led(ed that the a**eal to the sel%/interest

o% *ros*ecti'e a**lications $as $ell concei'ed, oreo'er) the SA TR#8s %inalre*ort recommended :a bold *rosecution *olic+; in res*ect o% those $hodid not a**l+ or did not 6uali%+ %or amnest+) :in order to a'oid an+su((estion o% im*unit+ or o% contra'enin( its obli(ations in terms o%international la$,; In %act) the South A%rican (o'ernment8s %ailure to %ollo$u* on the recommendations o% its o$n commission b+ institutin( ameanin(%ul *olic+ o% *rosecutions has been shar*l+ critici9ed b+ man+South A%ricans) includin(


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throu(h $itness testimon+ and in'esti(ation) includin( throu(h the use o%%orensic science, Ho$e'er) i% the (o'ernment o*ts to take the in'esti(ati'eroute) it $ill ha'e to demonstrate a chan(e o% heart and a $illin(ness toin'esti(ate alle(ed crimes b+ its o$n leaders, Another sham commission ina lon( line o% co'er/u*s $ill onl+ ser'e to hi(hli(ht im*unit+ in Sri Lanka,

Second) the SA TR# re*resented a *olitical com*romise o% interestsbet$een the AN# and the National =art+4the t$o main *olitical *artiesre*resentin( the hile the *art+ remaineddo((edl+ o**osed to blanket amnest+) the+ made critical concessions anda**eared $illin( to consider conditional amnesties *redicated on %ulldisclosure, Indeed) the AN#8s *osition $as dri'en b+ a dee* realism, 5orone) the N= (o'ernment be(an e2ertin( tremendous *ressure on the AN#to concede to its demand %or amnest+ b+ threatenin( to *rosecute theAN#8s leadershi* %or human ri(hts abuses committed b+ the AN# in re%u(ee

cam*s o'erseas, ore criticall+) as Louise allinder notes) :the AN#became con'inced that *eace%ul elections $ould be im*ossible $ithout thesu**ort o% the securit+ %orces and the securit+ ser'ices made it clear thatthe *rice o% their lo+alt+ $as an amnest+,; As Dullah 0mar4then AN#ne(otiator and later Bustice inister4ackno$led(edC :$ithout an amnest+a(reement there $ould ha'e been no elections,;

In Sri Lanka) the contrast could not be starker, Ne(otiations bet$een the


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(o'ernment and the TNA ha'e been stalled $ith little indication %rom the(o'ernment that it has an+ interest in *ursuin( a ne(otiated and*ermanent settlement o% Sri Lanka8s lin(erin( ethnic *roblem throu(h directne(otiations $ith the TNA, Thus) unlike in South A%rica) $here the SA TR#model re*resented and $as a ke+ %eature o% a *ermanent *olitical bar(ainbet$een the t$o major *olitical %orces on either side o% the ethnic di'ide) a

Sri Lankan e%%ort to mimic the SA TR# *rocess $ill merel+ re*resent the(o'ernment8s unilateral attem*t to mana(e its international *ressures, As aresult) a Sri Lankan TR# $ill not *ersuade the Tamil communit+ that it is a(enuine mechanism) and $ill alienate 'ictims %rom the ince*tion, In %act) it$ill likel+ e2acerbate the tension and lack o% trust bet$een the Tamil andSinhala communities and im*ede (enuine reconciliation,

5inall+) the SA TR# $as concei'ed and de'ised in the "@@!8s) be%ore thecr+stalli9ation o% the international le(al *rinci*le deemin( im*unit+ la$sille(al, The la$) as it stands toda+) re6uires the *ursuit o% in'esti(ations and

*rosecutions %or (ra'e 'iolations o% IHLand IHRL amountin( to internationalcrimes, A number o% multi/lateral treaties) resolutions o% nited Nations-N. bodies) codi%ications o% customar+ international la$) best *racticesreco(ni9ed b+ the N and decisions o% international courts ha'e allune6ui'ocall+ reco(ni9ed that there is a le(al dut+ to *rosecute seriousinternational crimes, Thus) domestic and international judicial decisionmakers alike ha'e retros*ecti'el+ declared amnest+ *ro'isions ille(al,In =rosecutor 's, &bao) the A**eals #hamber o% the S*ecial #ourt %or SierraLeone o% $hich Sri Lankan Bud(e Raja 5ernando $as a member held thatthere is su**ort %or the claim that there is a :cr+stalli9ed international norm

to the e%%ect that a (o'ernment cannot (rant amnest+ %or serious crimesunder international la$,;

&i'en the ille(alit+ and the shi%t a$a+ %rom (rantin( amnest+ %or seriousinternational crimes) it is unlikel+ that the international demand %oraccountabilit+ in Sri Lanka $ill recede e'en in the e'ent the Sri Lankan(o'ernment attem*ts to deal $ith the issue o% accountabilit+ issues throu(hthe *ro'ision o% amnest+, 5urther) an+ amnesties (ranted in domestic courts$ill not bind %orei(n or international courts %rom *rosecutin( thebene%iciaries o% local amnest+ la$s, ore criticall+) the *ro'ision o% ille(al

amnesties b+ Sri Lankan la$ $ill onl+ con%irm the *re'alence o% im*unit+ inSri Lanka) and $ill result in redoubled e%%orts %or the internationali9ation o%in'esti(ations and *rosecutions, Thus) an+ unilateral attem*t b+ the SriLankan (o'ernment to (rant amnesties to its o$n in an e%%ort to sta'e o%%accountabilit+ is 'er+ likel+ to be counter*roducti'e,

5or these reasons) an+ attem*t to mimic a SA TR# *rocess in Sri Lanka $illnot succeed, The Sri Lankan (o'ernment8s un$illin(ness to consider4
http://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/http://www.sc-sl.org/CASES/ProsecutorvsSesayKallonandGbaoRUFCase/tabid/105/Default.aspxhttp://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/http://www.sc-sl.org/CASES/ProsecutorvsSesayKallonandGbaoRUFCase/tabid/105/Default.aspx


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indeed the re(ime8s o$n sel%/interest to *re'ent4criminal in'esti(ation and*rosecutions o% those res*onsible %or atrocities committed durin( and a%terthe $ar %orecloses the *ros*ect o% hidden truths bein( unearthed throu(h a

TR#, 5urther) in the absence o% a *ermanent *olitical deal on constitutionalissues) a TR# that o%%ers an+ amnest+4conditional or other$ise4to*er*etrators $ill be *ercei'ed as ille(itimate b+ Tamils and $ill e2acerbate

di'isions bet$een the state and the Tamil minorit+,

5inall+) e'en 'ie$ed %rom a narro$ strate(ic lens) an+ attem*t b+ the(o'ernment8s leaders to clothe themsel'es $ith the *rotecti'e shield o% alocal amnest+ *ro'ision $ill likel+ be counter*roducti'e and ins*ire (reaterinternationali9ation o% the *ursuit o% justice in res*ect o% serious crimes, 5orthese reasons) Sri Lankan ci'il societ+ (rou*s) Tamil *olitical %ormations andthe international communit+ must une6ui'ocall+ reject an+ attem*t b+ the(o'ernment to constitute a SL TR#) and communicate this messa(e clearl+to the (o'ernment and to the #ommon$ealth,

-This *iece contains material e2tracted %rom a lon(er article b+ the authortitled :Sellin( Bustice ShortC Sri Lankan #i'il Societ+ and Indi'idual #riminalLiabilit+ %or Atrocit+ #rimes; *resented at :Ethical 5uturesC Dialo(ues onState) Societ+ and Ethical E2istence;) a con%erence hosted b+the International #entre %or Ethnic Studiesin a+ !"3, 5inal *ublication%orthcomin(.
http://www.ices.lk/http://www.ices.lk/

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Hijacked Justice Truth and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka