President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed a gathering at the opening of the Courts complex in Welimada yesterday (03). He drew attention to the contrasting approaches of the international community when addressing the human rights concerns in Sri Lanka and Gaza.
The Head of State emphasised that both nations are facing severe human rights challenges, however, the responses from the West appears significantly disparate. Wickremesinghe referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, stating that every country must adhere to this document.
He pointed out that the Sri Lankan government’s condemnation of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 07, reaffirming support for Palestinian statehood while denouncing terrorism. However, he noted that this condemnation allowed for Israel’s right of retaliation within the framework of international laws and rules.
The president expressed concerns, stating that the principles did not seem to apply universally. It was noted that the killing of over 10,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according to UN agencies raised questions about the justifiability of warfare within one’s own nation, as well as the response of the international community.
The leader further pointed out that the West, including the USA, had passed resolutions against Sri Lanka for its human rights record. He questioned the differences in approach taken by these nations towards Sri Lanka and Gaza, where similar issues were prevalent. It was stressed that some rules should apply to both regions.
President Wickremesinghe highlighted that international law states that measures taken to combat terrorism must fully comply with states’ obligations
under international human rights law. This includes the protection of fundamental freedoms. The inconsistency in the application of these principles were questioned by him.
He further expressed concerns over the human rights impact of the economic impact in Gaza, with food insecurity, fuel shortages, lack of essential medicines and reductions in household incomes being more severe than what Sri Lanka faced last year.
The president concluded by underlining the importance of addressing the grievances and demands of the Tamil and Muslim populations. He called for measures to mitigate marginalisation and discrimination. Wickremesinghe also questioned the separate standards applied by the West to Sri Lanka and Gaza, suggesting that clean hands should be a universal requirement in international matters.
The President’s address marks the pressing issue of the need for fairness in the international approach to human rights issues, regardless of the nation in question.
