Sri Lankan Rights Abuses Obstruct Trade Efforts with Canada

By: Fawzia Sheikh
TORONTO, Oct 29 (IPS)Despite the crossfire of Canadian accusations of human rights violations by Sri  Lanka at the end of its civil war and Colombo's corresponding counter-claims, the economically battered South Asian country aims to bolster its trading relationship with Canada and increase foreign direct investment.

A Sri Lankan trade delegation met with importers and exporters this week in Toronto and Montreal in
the first trade-related push regarding Canada since 2009, which saw the end of nearly three decades of
war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan army.

"We have to work hard to promote trade between Canada and Sri Lanka," said Buddhadasa Herath, the Sri Lankan deputy consul general and trade commissioner based in Toronto.

With the conflict now over, Herath anticipates a "bright future" between the two countries, which share more than a half-century of trade. He told IPS that he has received approximately 100 enquiries from Canadian importers and exporters over the last 14 months.

Still, two elements have overshadowed Sri Lanka's upbeat economic predictions.

One is the Canadian government's insistence that Sri Lanka advance its reconciliation process. The other is Ottawa's concern over the lack of accountability for human rights violations by both parties to the conflict; when the civil war wound down two years ago, allegations surfaced of abuses taking place during the last few months of fighting.

As a result, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been uneasy about Sri Lanka's hosting the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013 and has repeatedly called for an international
investigation. The current Commonwealth summit is taking place Oct. 28 to 30 in Australia.

Harper was pushed into action in part by a U.N. report issued in April that found "credible reports" of
war crimes by government forces and the LTTE during the war's dying days. The panel found valid
allegations of serious infringements by the government, including the killing of civilians through
widespread shelling and by denying humanitarian assistance.

Moreover, the documentary "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields", about a U.N. investigation into the country's
alleged war crimes, showed images of murdered and tortured bodies and semi-clad women thought to
be sexually abused prior to death.

Last year, Sri Lanka established the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission, but its lack of
independence has been criticised.

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Now, Sri Lanka's human rights record would appear to be a higher priority in Canada's overall foreign
policy, he added.
Certain governments, such as Canada's and the United Kingdom's, have argued they would refrain from participating in the 2013 Commonwealth meeting in Sri Lanka if that government fails to meaningfully address the allegations made in past reports, Anandasangaree told IPS.

He applauded the message but added that it must be clearer, such as a categorical objection to Sri
Lanka as host.

Herath, the Sri Lankan trade commissioner, was reluctant to discuss the economic impact of the current human rights controversy, instead referring queries to the Sri Lankan high commissioner.

The office of High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara told IPS that it could not respond to
questions at this time, but in Canadian news reports earlier this month, Wagiswara accused Canada of
being swayed by terrorist "propaganda" as Ottawa pressed for an international inquiry.

Diversifying exports, with some difficulty
Samy doubted current contention between Canada and Sri Lanka would breed negative economic
fallout, as the two are not strong trading partners. In 2010, Sri Lankan exports to Canada totalled 124
million dollars, while Canadian exports to the country averaged 339 million dollars, Herath noted.

2009, however, had seen an 18 percent decline in export and import growth, according to the trade
commissioner, and total trade activities in 2010 rose by 17.2 percent from the previous year.

Sri Lanka's main export market is currently the United States, Herath told IPS. However, the South Asian nation is keen to expand trade and diversify its "export basket" with Canada, to which it mainly sells high-quality garments, tea, rubber gloves and tires, he said.
For the first time, this week's trade delegation featured a Sri Lankan company promoting jewellery such  as semi-precious stones and another firm selling power cables for the electricity and
telecommunications industries, he said.


The recent series of claims and counter-claims documented in the media, however, may have an impact from the collective Commonwealth perspective, Samy noted. The accusations have "already damaged the reputation" of Sri Lanka, he added.

The widening spotlight on the war-wracked country, some argue, has also affected tourism policies.
Next year, Colombo plans to impose a fee of 50 dollars for an electronic entry permit to visitors from all countries other than Maldives and Singapore.

The Canadian Tamil Congress's Anandasangaree argued that this move will allow the Sri Lankan
government, which feels "genuinely threatened", to scrutinise Tamil diaspora members and human
rights activists entering the country.

The Congress predicts that the world's perception of Sri Lanka as a "little pet" will eventually change.
The international community has offered the government there a "great deal of deference and leeway
with respect to how they handle the post-war situation", Anandasangaree argued, but the accumulating
accusations will force Sri Lanka to act "more genuinely" on peace matters.

SOURCE: http://www.international.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3049:sri-lankan-rights-abuses-obstruct-trade-efforts-with-canada&catid=80:politics&Itemid=120