Horror videos from Lanka - India Times Editorial

The airing of videos by a television channel in the United Kingdom, which show members of the Sri Lankan armed forces executing Tamils , shown to be stripped and shot, during the last phase of the offensive against the LTTE, is threatening to rock President Rajapaksa’s visit to the UK.

While it is reported that the videos are not verified, and as the Sri Lankan government claims the video is merely an elongated version of the clip shown last year (and which Colombo called unsubstantiated), the videos posit the need to have an institutionalised arrangement that not only looks into alleged human rights violations by the Lankan Army, but also aids and abets the wider devolution of powers that must be part of the post-offensive measures in Sri Lanka.

Indeed, there is much worry about on that count. The defeat of the LTTE must not be translated into a defeat of the legitimate political aspirations and needs of the Tamil minority.

It has been globally acknowledged that a process of political devolution, which ensures a greater role for minorities, is the only long-term solution to the ethnic strife that ravaged the island-nation for years.

On his part, President Rajapaksa has recognised the need to share power. But the hard reality is that precious little by way of progress towards that goal can be evinced.

On the contrary, there is a growing feeling that there is a concerted attempt to delay and stymie the process of that devolution and political reform. The problem also is that, riding on the success of the army and a certain Sinhala consolidation — which has definite traces of chauvinism — the Rajapaksa regime, comprising a surprisingly large number of Rajapaksas, is tightening its stranglehold on power and the institutions of the state.

This has also meant a certain amount of authoritarianism against political opponents and critics, including sections of the media and individual journalists. The videos may yet be unverified, but there is no way for Colombo to shake off allegations of wrongdoing other than setting up mechanisms to both probe rights violations and work on political devolution.