Did Canada Give A Rap On The Knuckle To Both Mahinda And Sharma?

| by Upul Joseph Fernando ( April 23, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lan a !uardian" #n$erna$ional poli$i%al %ommen$a$ors ha&e %ome up 'i$h a hi(hly probable reason )or Canada*s 'i$hdra'al o) Common'eal$h )unds ra$her abrup$ly+ ,hey %on$end $ha$ i$ 'as a palpable snub $o bo$h -ahinda .a/apa sa and 0amalesh Sharma 'ho are %urren$ Chairperson and Se%re$ary !eneral respe%$i&ely o) $he Common'eal$h 1eads o) S$a$es Asso%ia$ion+ .a$her more pre%isely, Canada has sho'n 2ui$e openly i$s displeasure 'i$h Sharma 'here his ob&ious )a&ourable $rea$men$ o) Sri Lan a and i$s 3residen$ .a/apa sa are %on%erned a$ di))eren$ $imes durin( $he pas$ )e' years+

Sharma, a senior #ndian diploma$ be%ame Se%re$ary !eneral o) Common'eal$h in 2004 in $he )irs$ ins$an%e+ 5n an earlier o%%asion, $he #ndian !o&ernmen$ had made an unsu%%ess)ul a$$emp$ a$ (e$$in( an #ndian diploma$ appoin$ed as U6 Se%re$ary !eneral+ As $he ne%essary numbers $o suppor$ $he mo&e %ould no$ be mus$ered i$ )ell $hrou(h+ ,herea)$er, #ndia dili(en$ly )ollo'ed an in$ensi&e pro(ramme o) a%$ion $o )i$ in an #ndian diploma$ in$o Common'eal$h Se%re$ary !eneral slo$+ #$ 'as in $his ins$an%e $ha$ Sri Lan a 'on #ndia*s uns$in$ed (ood'ill as i$ 'hole7 hear$edly suppor$ed #ndia*s bid $o 'in $he Common'eal$h pos$, despi$e Sri Lan a i$sel) %o&e$in( $he same pos$ pre&iously+ ,his 'ish $o 'in $he pos$ )or oursel&es )irs$ sur)a%ed durin( 3residen$ 3remadasa*s $enure8 in )a%$ he 'an$ed his Se%re$ary 0+1+J+ 9i/edasa appoin$ed as Se%re$ary !eneral o) Common'eal$h+ 1o'e&er, by $he $ime $he pos$ 'as up )or sele%$ion 3remadasa 'as no$ amon( $he li&in( and Chandri a 'ho 'as in po'er re)used $o endorse his

%andida%y+ 9hen she 'an$ed $o nomina$e La shman 0adira(amar $o $he pos$, he be%ame a $ra(i% &i%$im o) a L,,: (unman and los$ his li)e+ 9hen $he Se%re$ary !eneral pos$ had be%ome &a%an$ ne;$ and #ndia 'an$ed i$s man $o be %hosen, -ahinda*s help 'as sou(h$ and ob$ained )or %lin%hin( i$ $o #ndia+ 3residen$ .a/apa sa 'on udos )rom #ndia and an abidin( and s$ron( )riendship )rom Sharma on a more personal le&el+ Spiri$ o) (ra$i$ude #$ 'as in $his spiri$ o) (ra$i$ude $ha$ #ndia and Sharma de%ided $o in&i$e -ahinda as a (ues$ o) honour $o $he Closin( Ceremony on $he las$ day o) $he Common'eal$h !ames held in #ndia in 2011+ ,his in&i$a$ion $urned ou$ $o be %on$ro&ersial in $ha$ se&eral in$erna$ional 1uman .i(h$s 5r(ani<a$ions hea&ily %ri$i%i<ed Sharma )or in&i$in( -ahinda 'ho 'as under a %loud o) alle(ed 1uman .i(h$s &iola$ions a$ $ha$ $ime+ ,he !uardian in London repor$ed $he e&en$ $hus+ =1is presen%e ne;$ $o 3rin%e :d'ard, 'ho 'ill %lose $he (ames on behal) o) $he >ueen, 'ill spar an(er )rom %ampai(ners 'ho ha&e a%%used .a/apa sa o) )ailin( $o pro$e%$ many $housands o) %i&ilians 'ho died in ba$$les 'hi%h ended $he lon( %i&il 'ar a(ains$ ,amil separa$is$s las$ year, and o) )lou$in( in$erna$ional human ri(h$s la'+ =#n January, $he ?47year7old poli$i%ian 'on a se%ond si;7year $erm in a landslide &i%$ory and re%en$ly pushed $hrou(h a %ons$i$u$ional amendmen$ $ha$ 'ill allo' him $o s$and an unlimi$ed number o) $imes+ Choi%e o) (ues$s =Aslam 0han, 1ead o) 3ro$o%ol )or $he (ames, %on)irmed $ha$ $he %hoi%e o) (ues$s )or $he %losin( %eremony in $he Ja'aharlal 6ehru S$adium in @elhi 'as a A/oin$ &en$ure be$'een $he #ndian !o&ernmen$ and $he 5r(ani<in( Commi$$ee+* .a/apa sa is no$ e;pe%$ed $o spea a$ $he e&en$, 0han said+ =,he presen%e o) .a/apa sa amon( $he senior di(ni$aries in )ron$ o) ?B,000 spe%$a$ors and hundreds o) millions o) $ele&ision &ie'ers 'ill rene' %ri$i%ism o) $he Common'eal$h )or a&oidin( $a% lin( $ou(h issues+ =Las$ 'ee , $he !uardian re&ealed $ha$ $he %urren$ Se%re$ary !eneral, 0amalesh Sharma, had $old his s$a)) $ha$ i$ 'as no$ $he or(ani<a$ion*s role $o Aspea ou$* a(ains$ abuses by $he B47 member S$a$es+ @a&id Cameron and $he Forei(n Se%re$ary, 9illiam 1a(ue, ha&e bo$h said $hey 'ill pu$ ne' emphasis on $he Common'eal$h in Cri$ain* )orei(n poli%y+ =#ndia*s in&i$a$ion is par$ o) a %harm o))ensi&e aimed a$ %oun$erin( diploma$i% inroads made by China in Sri Lan a in re%en$ years+ ,he $'o Asian po'ers are bo$h in&es$in( mu%h e))or$ in 'ooin( .a/apa sa, 'ho remains popular 'i$h $he Sinhalese ma/ori$y in $he island S$a$e, 'i$h e%onomi% aid pa% a(es, $e%hni%al help 'i$h in)ras$ru%$ure pro/e%$s and o$her ini$ia$i&es+= #n&i$a$ion $o -ahinda $o $a e par$ in $he %losin( %eremonies o) $he (ames 'as more or less an ini$ia$ion %eremony )or -ahinda $o prepare )or hos$in( $he C15!-+ ,his de%ision 'as $a en a$ $he 0ampala Common'eal$h Con)eren%e in 2004 $he same year 'hen Sharma 'as appoin$ed

as i$s Se%re$ary !eneral+ Cu$ due $o %har(es o) 'ar %rimes alle(ed $o ha&e $a en pla%e durin( $he re%en$ly %on%luded 'ar a %a%ophony o) pro$es$s 'ere raised a(ains$ holdin( $he mee$in( here in 2011+ #ns$ead i$ 'as held in Aus$ralia in $ha$ year and a$ $ha$ mee$in( i$ 'as de%ided $o hold 2013 mee$in( in Sri Lan a 'i$h #ndia s$ron(ly roo$in( )or i$+ A$ $he )inal Common'eal$h -inis$erial a%$ion (roup mee$in( 'here $he sele%$ion o) $he &enue )or 2013 C15!- 'as de%ided, #ndia hea&ily pulled )or Sri Lan a $o be $he hos$, 'i$h Sharma doin( $he ne%essary (round 'or , e))i%ien$ly+ #roni%ally Canada raised i$s s$ron( ob/e%$ion $o $he proposal a$ $he &ery same mee$in( 'here $he proposal 'as mo&ed by #ndia+ An opinion paper Sharma 'en$ ou$ on a limb 'hen his a%$ions in re(ard $o an opinion paper submi$$ed by a Sou$h A)ri%an and Cri$ish panel o) eminen$ la'yers 'as alle(ed $o ha&e been purposely pi(eonholed by him so as $o pre&en$ o$her s$a e holders in $he -inis$erial A%$ion !roup dis%ussin( $he issue o) Sri Lan an Chie) Jus$i%e*s unla')ul remo&al )rom her pos$+ ,his in%iden$ had been hi(hli(h$ed in a le$$er addressed by Cri$ish 1i(h Commissioner !ordon Campbell $o Sharma a$ $ha$ $ime+ =As $hese le(al opinions 'ould be (ermane $o $he delibera$ions o) $he Common'eal$h -inis$erial A%$ion !roup 'i$h respe%$ $o Sri Lan a, # re2ues$ $ha$ $hese do%umen$s be pro&ided $o 1i(h Commissioners 'hose minis$ers si$ on C-A! so $ha$ $hey may %onsider $heir )indin(s+ # 'ould appre%ia$e re%ei&in( $he opinions $oday,= Cambell said in his le$$er in -ay+ ,he Canadian en&oy said $ha$ $he Se%re$ary !eneral Ari(h$ly sou(h$* independen$ le(al opinions )rom eminen$ Common'eal$h Juris$s, 3ius 6 on<o Lan(a o) Sou$h A)ri%a and Sir Je))ery Jo'ell >C o) $he U0, as $o $he %ons$i$u$ionali$y o) $he dismissal o) $he Sri Lan an Chie) Jus$i%e+ #n his le$$er Campbell no$es a s$a$emen$ by Sharma on 13 January, $'o days a)$er Candaranaya e*s impea%hmen$ in 'hi%h he %laimedD E,he dismissal o) $he Chie) Jus$i%e 'ill be 'idely seen, a(ains$ $he ba% (round o) $he di&er(en%e be$'een $he Judi%iary and $he Le(isla$ure, as runnin( %oun$er $o $he #ndependen%e o) $he Judi%iary, 'hi%h is a %ore Common'eal$h &alueF 9hen $he remo&al o) $he %oun$ry*s Chie) Jus$i%e 'as e))e%$ed $hrou(h an improper me$hod o) impea%hmen$, $he mos$ &o%i)erous %ri$i% o) $he (o&ernmen$ a%$ion 'as Canada, 'ho e&erybody $hou(h$ appeared )or only separa$is$ %auses due $o $he in)luen%es o) $he ,amil @iaspora+ Cu$, Canada sho'ed unmis$a ably $ha$ 'he$her in $he %oun$ry*s 6or$h or Sou$h $hey appear 'i$h e2ual %ommi$men$ )or $he preser&a$ion o) $he .ule o) La', and #ndependen%e o) $he Judi%iary+ From $he $ime o) ini$ia$ion o) $he impea%hmen$ pro%ess a(ains$ $he Chie) Jus$i%e, Canada did i$s bes$ $o dire%$ &erbal broadsides a$ -ahinda $o dissuade him or snub him )or $he 'ron()ul deed+ Canada*s une2ui&o%al messa(e $o -ahinda is $ha$ $he 'orld %ommuni$y is no$ ready $o $olera$e s$ron(man leaders o) any %oun$ry $a in( liber$ies 'i$h $he %oun$ry*s Judi%iary and $ha$ $hey are liable )or punishmen$ one 'ay or $he o$her+ #n$erna$ional 1uman .i(h$s (roups ho'e&er subs%ribed $o $he &ie' $ha$ Sharma 'as only %arryin( ou$ $he biddin( o) #ndia+ ,hey poin$ $o a %o(en$ )a%$or 'hi%h 'ould help %on)irm $heir %on$en$ion8 $ha$ is #ndia 'i$h Sri Lan a in $o' &o$ed a(ains$ a mo$ion $abled a$ 2011 C15!-

in Aus$ralia by an eminen$ persons (roup %allin( )or $he appoin$men$ o) a Commissioner o) @emo%ra%y+ #n $he li(h$ o) Canada*s %on$inuin( en(a(emen$ 'i$h 1uman .i(h$s issues, i$ is no 'onder $ha$ )or all in$en$s and purposes Canada has deli&ered a simmerin( snub $o bo$h -ahinda and Sharma+