After constantly mounting pressure and criticism from international community, Sri Lanka has decided to launch an inquiry about alleged human rights violations in war against LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
Sri Lanka army took back the sprawling Vanni region located in the Northern part of Sri Lanka, earlier this year. This part of country had become de facto state of LTTE since many years and government had no writ or control over that part of the country.

As there is no definitions of terrorism, freedom struggles and insurgency are in existence in United Nations (UN) or with any other international forum, consequently it becomes very difficult to demand investigation about these activities, the groups involved in there and strategies used against these threats by various states around the world.

Most brutal battles between Sri Lankan army and LTTE took place around March- May 2009, when army had run over many strongholds of LTTE and latter was fighting intensive war for its survival. This phase of war has been criticized mostly by international community and Tamil diaspora for alleged human right violations by national army against Tamils, who were left behind after insurgents were pushed out of Vanni during last phase.

According to report submitted in US congress, major allegations against Sri Lankan army include abduction of Tamil civilians, Killing innocent Tamil populations and aerial bombing in non-war zones. Though report was submitted but State Department says its report does not constitute official allegations of war crimes and it urges a full investigation.

Another report was published by European Union about same matter according to which unlawful killings are a major problem in Sri Lanka, perpetrated by soldiers, police, paramilitary groups or others. EU has issued a dead line of 6th November 2009 for Sri Lankan government to allow or conduct an inquiry about alleged human right violations otherwise EU will end $100 million GSP Plus concession to Sri Lanka in trade.

Thought after so much criticism, Sri Lankan government has made its commitment for conducting a high level inquiry for the allegations by Western media and international organizations. Critics in the country and abroad are skeptical about possible findings of any inquiry conducted by government of Sri Lanka as country`s armed forces were involved in the alleged human right violations. It is feared that government will whitewash all the findings against army personnel involved in atrocities against Tamil civilians in the last phase of war against LTTE.

The Sri Lankan government denies it was responsible for the death of even one of the 7,000 civilians the UN estimates were killed in the first four months of the year.

Only time will tell how much human right violations were committed by each party in this thirty years long war if an independent, impartial and objective inquiry ever conducted against both sides, but there are some questions about merits of such demands.

However Sri Lanka seems to be the winner in this battle of allegations and counter allegations of human rights violation, when on 27th October the UN human rights council praised its victory over the Tamil Tigers and refused calls to investigate allegations of war crimes by both sides in the final chapter of a bloody 25-year conflict. Sri Lanka`s human rights minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe, said: `This is a strong endorsement of our President`s efforts to rout terrorism, and the successful handling of the world`s biggest hostage crisis.

`This is a clear message that the international community is behind Sri Lanka.`

Some Questions

Although it is clear from media reports that demand for inquiry has been accepted by Sri Lankan government and it has guaranteed to fulfill its obligations. At the same time it is legitimate to ask why human right activists started criticism against counter insurgency effort of a country which was being indulged in an existential threat since last three decades, where all human right vocalists were earlier LTTE was committing atrocities against civilian population of Sri Lanka?

It is a known fact that LTTE insurgency was supported by international players in the region but why no voice was ever raised in this regard?

Local Tamil population is just 18 percent of the country and a very small portion of them was involved in insurgency and majority was held hostage by these culprits. Will human right activists call for an inquiry for who was helping LTTE which kept country restive for three decades?

And most importantly, What about the future counter insurgency operations? Will there be any standard operating procedure for armies around the world to conduct such operation.

Otherwise there will always demands for international impartial inquires afterwards.

Counter insurgency operation are most difficult one to conduct and recent history tells that countries like India, UK and US failed to eliminate this threat on same calculus as Sri Lanka did.

World must also notice the sacrifices of Sri Lankan army in these operation along with a demand of inquiries about alleged human right violations and must help in rehabilitation of insurgency effected areas through various coordinated programs in civil sector to eliminate threat of reemergence of LTTE or other insurgency again. Meanwhile international community must wait for Sri Lankan version of these allegations before putting any ban or sanctions on an already troubled nation.

As there is no definitions of terrorism, freedom struggles and insurgency are in existence in United Nations (UN) or with any other international forum, consequently it becomes very difficult to demand investigation about these activities, the groups involved in there and strategies used against these threats by various states around the world.

All these are existential threats to many countries around the world and planners and strategists always vows for finishing these activities as soon as possible with minimum collateral damage. But as nations go for a swift action there comes more issues of human rights and its violations by both sides against civil populations who usually want to be neutral in order to survive in these insurgency and counter insurgency operations particularly when insurgents use local population as human shield for their advantage.

This will continue until and unless global consensus emerged for a global definition of all above mentioned activities. Good and bad in a Coin, operation can only be separated once there is a global definition of terrorism and insurgency. It is time world leaders should heed to the need of the hour and give some incentive to the world in this regard for common good of humanity.