A former member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group from 2010 to 2011, Sir Ronald Sanders, argues "it is time for the Commonwealth of Nations to suspend Sri Lanka from its councils", in an op-ed published in the Huntington News on Thursday.
See here for his full piece. Extracts published below:
"The Sri Lanka government has now seriously and persistently violated the principles to which every Commonwealth country has declared itself to be committed, and, according to the Commonwealth’s rules this is ground for suspension from its councils as a first step."
"Sri Lanka is an even bigger problem for the Commonwealth because it is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.No time can now be wasted in deciding to shift the venue to another Commonwealth country."
"If Commonwealth Heads of Government turn-up in Sri Lanka, they would be sending an unacceptable signal to the world community that governments that violate human rights and the rule of law can do so without fear of censure. If Heads go to Sri Lanka, the Commonwealth can discard its brand as a ‘values based association” and start looking for something else to justify its existence. But, whoever remains in it, it would cease to be respected by the people of its own countries and the international community."
"In this connection, the government of Canada should be complemented for trying for over a year to restrain the government of Sri Lanka from its excesses and to hold it to account for human rights abuses arising from a war with the Tamil Tigers that ended in 2009. The Sri Lanka government has refused to allow an independent inquiry into the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians during the conflict between government forces and the Tamil Tigers as well as a worsening human rights situation."
"Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has now indicated that his government wants Sri Lanka to be discussed at the next meeting of CMAG [Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group]. Both opposition parties in Canada have gone further calling on Harper to declare that he would boycott the CHOGM if it is held in Sri Lanka."
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