Sustaining change in Myanmar

By Col R Hariharan

Strategic context of change

Myanmar is in the throes of change since 2010 after the first-ever multi-party election was held after two decades. President Thein Sein has surprised all the stakeholders by the speed with which he is  transforming the government from an insensitive military dictatorship to a democratic rule of sorts, despite the limitations imposed by the Constitution 2008. As a result Myanmar has become the focus of international attention and even approval.  

Sri Lanka: UNHRC resolution and after

By Col R Hariharan

The UNHRC passed the U.S. sponsored resolution (A/HRC/22/L.1/Rev.1) on Sri Lanka at its 22^nd session at Geneva on March 21, 2013. The text of the resolution is at Annexure. The resolution was passed by 25 votes to 13. Eight nations abstained. Gabon was absent.  

The result was not unexpected. However, the content and wording of the resolution was stronger than the UNHRC’s 2012 resolution on Sri Lanka. It makes accountability in observing international human rights laws as its primary focus and has called for a “credible and impartial investigation” into such violations. This is important as it reflects the lack of faith in what Sri Lanka has done so far. Equally important is the reference to the continuing fundamental rights violations in the country. 

Sri Lanka Perspectives - February 2013

Col R Hariharan

Highlights

Rajapaksa’s no to devolution: President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Independence Day speech on February 5 made it clear that it would not be practical for Sri Lanka to have different administration based on ethnicity, going back on his promise to implement 13^th amendment in full to devolve powers to Tamil minority. This provoked yet another wave of protest when Rajapaksa made a two-day “pilgrimage” trip to Gaya and Tirupathi in India.

Human rights abuses and war crimes: There is a lot of interest in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session started in Geneva in the last week of the month as Sri Lanka figures on top of its agenda. It was preceded by unprecedented orchestration of protests by Tamil Diaspora organistions, Channel 4 videos and INGOs on Sri Lanka’s alleged gross human rights violations and war crimes. As before India has come under increasing pressure from Tamil Nadu politicians to vote for the U.S. draft that seeks follow up action from Sri Lanka on its March 2012 resolution at UNHRC.

Sri Lanka: Comments on India and the resolution in UNHRC

Col R Hariharan

[This summary contains comments made by Col Hariharan to different print and TV media from 5 to 7 March 2013 on specific issues raised by them on India’s response to the U.S. draft resolution on Sri Lanka’s accountability now under consideration at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.]

Information update

The Congress-led coalition came under intense pressure in parliament to back the U.S. sponsored resolution at the UNHRC, when almost all parties condemned the alleged atrocities against Sri Lanka Tamils and wanted the government to act. Though the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid did not make a commitment, he informed that the government would keep the concerns of the MPs in mind while taking a call on voting on the resolution when it comes up on March 21, 2013.

Sri Lanka: U.S. ‘Procedural’ resolution at UNHRC

By R. Hariharan

A U.S. draft resolution on Sri Lanka’s accountability for alleged war crimes being brought before the 24^th meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) now in circulation (received from an Indian TV news channel) is at Annexure. While it is not an official version, in this article I have analysed its contents in the belief it is probably the real one.

There is a feeling of déjà vu about the US draft. So far the reaction of the important players both for the U.S. move to bring a “procedural” resolution as a follow up to the UNHRC in March 2012 is almost the same as before. However, the protests were less shrill in Colombo (or is it too early for protests?) perhaps due to the realisation of the inevitability of karma catching up with inaction; or as we say in army “if it is inevitable better to grin and bear it.”

Quick take: Hyderabad blasts

Col R Hariharan

[This background paper was used for a TV discussion by Col Hariharan on February 22, 2013. It was based on open source information]

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Two improvised explosive devices (IED) kept in tiffin boxes strapped to bicycles had exploded minutes apart, in Dilsukh Nagar, a congested Hyderabad suburb, around 7 pm on February 22. So far 17 people are reported to have died. Over 100 people were injured – some of them seriously – in the explosions. The area, which was also the scene of an earlier terrorist strike, has two cinema theatres. The explosions occurred 200 yards from a popular Sai Baba temple which is located in the area where devotees throng on Thursdays.

Scams and system paralysis

Col R Hariharan

The latest scandal in the purchase of a dozen August Westland helicopters, dubbed by TV talk show honchos as Bofors-2 the vexing question why there are so many scams in our defence purchases? The biggest reason is globally there is a lot of money in it. According to a 2009 estimate, the world spent annually $1.6 trillion - 2.6 percent of world GDP – on things military including arms, equipment and services. A third of this amount was probably spent on buying arms and munitions. And India is the biggest buyer of them all; according to SIPRI statistics for the years 2007-11, India with a ten percent share tops world’s top 20 importers. But that is no consolation to the tax payer who is expected to pay 40 percent of this year’s budgeted Rs 193,000 crores defence expenditure on imports.