“There’s always a case for not going somewhere but I think actually we will get further by going and having conversations with the Sri Lankans about what needs to happen and shining a light on some of the issues and problems that are there.”
Kamalesh Sharma, the Commonwealth’s Secretary General, denied suggestions the organisation had been ineffective in dealing with allegations against the summit hosts.
Asked whether Sri Lanka’s alleged right abuses made a mockery of the Commonwealth’s charter of shared values, the former Indian diplomat said the organisation had made progress by engaging with Rajapakse’s regime.
“It (alleged rights abuses) is not making a mockery. It is showing the Commonwealth in action,” he said.
At the last summit in 2011 in Perth, Commonwealth leaders drew up a charter of common values which committed members to respecting human rights.
Rights groups said the relevance of the organisation was now on the line.
“The Commonwealth risks its credibility as an international forum if it doesn’t publicly press Sri Lanka on its rights record and the lack of accountability for wartime atrocities,” said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch’s Asia director.
A report by Brussels based think tank, the International Crisis Group, said Colombo’s “attempts to mask its growing authoritarianism appear increasingly flimsy”, accusing it of undermining judicial independence after the impeachment of the chief justice earlier this year.
Commonwealth leaders “should press the government to address human rights abuses, prevent attacks on religious minorities and restore judicial independence”, said the ICG report.
Despite the allegations of abuses against Tamil civilians, who account for some 12 percent of the 20 million population, Rajapakse said he was determined to heal the island’s pain.
“My policy is to win over even the terrorists,” he said.
“We are ready to talk to them, but we will not allow anyone to divide this country.”
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