It is craven for Australian Premier Tony Abbott to attend CHOGM without raising Sri Lanka's rights abuses, Emily Howie, Director of advocacy and research at the Human Rights Law Centre, said Wednesday.

In a statement, the Human Rights Law Centre, said:

"Australia must publicly acknowledge and condemn the human rights and rule of law crisis in Sri Lanka particularly given the escalation of international condemnation of Sri Lanka’s human rights record ahead of the Commonwealth [summit this week]."

“Australia’s weak position on human rights in Sri Lanka is at odds with positions taken by our international allies and flies in the face of a large body of evidence of the serious and ongoing human rights issues in Sri Lanka,” the statement quoted Ms. Howie as saying.

"Our one-eyed approach to foreign policy with Sri Lanka that focuses only on stopping boats leaves us vulnerable to the demands of an authoritarian regime and there is price to pay for that. Our craven approach to diplomacy at CHOGM puts us at odds with our allies and diminishes Australia’s reputation on the world stage.” 

Australia’s declared policy of not criticising Sri Lanka’s human rights abuses at CHOGM was this week also criticised this week by Elaine Peason, Deputy Director of HRW’s Asia Division.

Extracts follow from an opinion by Ms. Howie published Wednesday in The Age newspaper:

“As other nations intensify their condemnation of Sri Lanka's recent human rights record ahead of CHOGM, Australia has oscillated between silent acquiescence and express approval of Sri Lanka's government.

 

“The rationale given for the Australian position is that engagement with Sri Lanka is the best model. The real reason, unashamedly acknowledged by Prime Minister Tony Abbott himself, is that Sri Lanka co-operates in taking back people arriving by boat and Australia needs to maintain 'the best possible relations' there.

 

“The Australian government asserts a false choice between boycotting CHOGM and engaging with Sri Lanka. In fact Australia could engage by sending a downgraded delegation, as Canada and India are doing, while denying Sri Lanka the prestige of standing as equals with all Commonwealth leaders.

 

“Cameron has said that “diplomacy is not about ducking difficult discussions” and that the right thing to do is engage at CHOGM and “shine the international spotlight on the lack of progress in the country”.

“For Abbott to attend and not raise human rights concerns would be craven. His justification for not speaking up – that he doesn't want to “trash” the Commonwealth – is insulting to Britain, India and Canada, which have recognised that engagement with Sri Lanka and principled defence of human rights are not mutually exclusive.

 

“It's time for our Prime Minister to accept that Australia's identity is formed by our actions and statements abroad. By failing to defend human rights and the rule of law in Sri Lanka, it is Abbott who trashes Commonwealth values and Australia's reputation as a fair, free, principled nation that upholds the rule of law and human rights.

 

“If we don't stand against war crimes and crimes against humanity resulting in the death of 40,000 people, what do we stand for?”