File #2719: "2019_Book_SriLankaHumanRightsAndTheUnite.pdf"
Text
1|Foreword|7
1|Acknowledgements|9
1|Contents|14
1|About the Author|18
1|1 Introduction|19
2|1.1 The Sri Lankan Human Rights Infrastructure and International Human Rights Engagement|19
2|1.2 The United Nations Human Rights Machinery|24
2|1.3 Sri Lanka’s Independence and the Introduction of Human Rights Law|26
2|1.4 Aims and Overview|28
3|1.4.1 Overarching Question and Aim of the Book|28
3|1.4.2 Overview|29
2|References|33
1|2 Sri Lanka’s History: Colonialism, Independence and Conflict|35
2|2.1 Introducing to Sri Lanka’s History|35
3|2.1.1 The History of the Island Before Its Independence in 1948|36
3|2.1.2 Migration and Indigenous Rule of the Island|37
3|2.1.3 A Myth Becoming an Essential Part of History and A Justification for Political Violence|42
3|2.1.4 The Actual History|44
3|2.1.5 Preparing Independence: The Constitutional Development of Sri Lanka|50
2|2.2 Post-colonial Sri Lanka, the Rise of Majoritarian Nationalism and the Creation of the “Other”|56
3|2.2.1 General Elections 1947—The Creation of Aristocratic Democracy and the Rise of Political Buddhism|56
3|2.2.2 General Elections 1956—The Rise of Linguistic Nationalism and Identity Formation|58
3|2.2.3 Inter-ethnic Riots 1956 and 1958|59
3|2.2.4 The Marxist Uprisings and the Violent Clampdown|62
3|2.2.5 The Presidential Elections 1982|64
3|2.2.6 Black July 1983 and the Beginning of the Civil War|67
3|2.2.7 The Absence of United Nations Peacekeeping Mission to Sri Lanka—A Planned Failure?|70
2|2.3 The Colonial Legacy and Imprint on the Contemporary Human Rights Infrastructure|72
3|2.3.1 Education Policy|74
3|2.3.2 Construction of Identities, Communal Representation and Unitary State|75
3|2.3.3 Creation of Dynastic Democracy|76
3|2.3.4 The Soulbury Constitution|77
2|2.4 Concluding Comments|78
2|References|82
1|3 Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Infrastructure|86
2|3.1 Introduction|86
2|3.2 Legal Instruments for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights|88
3|3.2.1 First Republican Constitution|88
3|3.2.2 Second Republican Constitution 1978|93
3|3.2.3 Human Rights Legislation|98
3|3.2.4 The Third Republican Constitution|111
2|3.3 Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights|113
3|3.3.1 Human Rights Commission|113
3|3.3.2 Supreme Court|116
3|3.3.3 National Police Commission|120
3|3.3.4 Presidential Commission of Inquiries|121
3|3.3.5 Office on Missing Persons|122
3|3.3.6 Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission|123
2|3.4 Institutional Impediments to the Development of a Human Rights Infrastructure|127
3|3.4.1 Executive Presidency|128
3|3.4.2 Public Security Ordinance Act 1947|129
3|3.4.3 Prevention of Terrorism Act 1979|131
2|3.5 Concluding Comments|133
2|References|137
1|4 The United Nations Treaty-Based Bodies and Their Engagement with Sri Lanka|140
2|4.1 Introduction|140
2|4.2 The Role of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies|141
2|4.3 Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Treaties Ratification and Implementation Record|150
2|4.4 Enabling an Open and Free Society: An Examination of Sri Lanka’s Interaction with the United Nations Human Rights Committee|153
2|4.5 Human Rights for All Without Racial Distinction: An Exploration into Sri Lanka’s Reporting to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination|162
2|4.6 Torture and Decades of State of Emergency: Sri Lanka’s Engagement with the Committee Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment|167
2|4.7 Concluding Comments|174
2|References|177
1|5 The United Nations Charter-Based Bodies and Their Engagement with Sri Lanka|180
2|5.1 Introduction|180
2|5.2 From the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to the United Nations Human Rights Council|181
2|5.3 Sri Lanka and the United Nations Human Rights Commission|189
3|5.3.1 Sri Lanka’s Interaction with the United Nations Human Rights Commission During the Ethnic Clashes of 1983|190
3|5.3.2 Sri Lanka and the Special Procedures Under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights|195
2|5.4 Sri Lanka and the United Nations Human Rights Council|203
3|5.4.1 Tackling Impunity and Achieving Accountability. Resolutions in the United Nations Human Rights Council: 2009–2016|205
3|5.4.2 Sri Lanka and the Special Procedures Under the United Nations Human Rights Council|216
2|5.5 Universal Periodic Reports of Sri Lanka 2008–2012: Words and Actual Actions Reviewed|224
2|5.6 Concluding Comments|228
2|References|233
1|6 Conclusion|235
2|6.1 Introduction|235
2|6.2 Reasons for the Contemporary State of Human Rights in Sri Lanka|236
3|6.2.1 Majoritarian Insularity Dominating Public Discourse|236
3|6.2.2 Perpetuating Majoritarianism Through the Executive Presidency and the State of Exception: The Marginalisation of Human Rights|240
3|6.2.3 An Island of Violence|243
2|6.3 Assessment of the United Nations Human Rights Involvement in Sri Lanka|246
3|6.3.1 The United Nations and International Law as a Trojan Horse of Post-colonialism|246
3|6.3.2 The Impact of International Scrutiny on the Ground of Human Rights Violators|248
3|6.3.3 Sri Lanka Is United Nations’ Nemesis|249
2|6.4 Final Remarks and Lessons from Sri Lanka|252
3|6.4.1 International Human Rights Law as the Law of Open States|252
3|6.4.2 The Necessity of International Human Rights Engagement in Situations of Poor or Non-existing Domestic and Regional Human Rights Infrastructures|253
3|6.4.3 International Legitimacy Through Human Rights Engagement|254
3|6.4.4 Human Rights Engagement as a Mobilizing Basis for Civil Society Actors and Development of Human Rights Infrastructure|256
3|6.4.5 Ireland and Sri Lanka: Two Islands of Violence|261
3|6.4.6 Pearl or Tear of the Indian Ocean—The Third World Approaches to International Law. Critique of International Human Rights Engagement From the Global South|262
2|References|267
1|Bibliography|271
1|Books|271
1|Journal Articles|275
1|Index|280
1|Acknowledgements|9
1|Contents|14
1|About the Author|18
1|1 Introduction|19
2|1.1 The Sri Lankan Human Rights Infrastructure and International Human Rights Engagement|19
2|1.2 The United Nations Human Rights Machinery|24
2|1.3 Sri Lanka’s Independence and the Introduction of Human Rights Law|26
2|1.4 Aims and Overview|28
3|1.4.1 Overarching Question and Aim of the Book|28
3|1.4.2 Overview|29
2|References|33
1|2 Sri Lanka’s History: Colonialism, Independence and Conflict|35
2|2.1 Introducing to Sri Lanka’s History|35
3|2.1.1 The History of the Island Before Its Independence in 1948|36
3|2.1.2 Migration and Indigenous Rule of the Island|37
3|2.1.3 A Myth Becoming an Essential Part of History and A Justification for Political Violence|42
3|2.1.4 The Actual History|44
3|2.1.5 Preparing Independence: The Constitutional Development of Sri Lanka|50
2|2.2 Post-colonial Sri Lanka, the Rise of Majoritarian Nationalism and the Creation of the “Other”|56
3|2.2.1 General Elections 1947—The Creation of Aristocratic Democracy and the Rise of Political Buddhism|56
3|2.2.2 General Elections 1956—The Rise of Linguistic Nationalism and Identity Formation|58
3|2.2.3 Inter-ethnic Riots 1956 and 1958|59
3|2.2.4 The Marxist Uprisings and the Violent Clampdown|62
3|2.2.5 The Presidential Elections 1982|64
3|2.2.6 Black July 1983 and the Beginning of the Civil War|67
3|2.2.7 The Absence of United Nations Peacekeeping Mission to Sri Lanka—A Planned Failure?|70
2|2.3 The Colonial Legacy and Imprint on the Contemporary Human Rights Infrastructure|72
3|2.3.1 Education Policy|74
3|2.3.2 Construction of Identities, Communal Representation and Unitary State|75
3|2.3.3 Creation of Dynastic Democracy|76
3|2.3.4 The Soulbury Constitution|77
2|2.4 Concluding Comments|78
2|References|82
1|3 Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Infrastructure|86
2|3.1 Introduction|86
2|3.2 Legal Instruments for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights|88
3|3.2.1 First Republican Constitution|88
3|3.2.2 Second Republican Constitution 1978|93
3|3.2.3 Human Rights Legislation|98
3|3.2.4 The Third Republican Constitution|111
2|3.3 Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights|113
3|3.3.1 Human Rights Commission|113
3|3.3.2 Supreme Court|116
3|3.3.3 National Police Commission|120
3|3.3.4 Presidential Commission of Inquiries|121
3|3.3.5 Office on Missing Persons|122
3|3.3.6 Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission|123
2|3.4 Institutional Impediments to the Development of a Human Rights Infrastructure|127
3|3.4.1 Executive Presidency|128
3|3.4.2 Public Security Ordinance Act 1947|129
3|3.4.3 Prevention of Terrorism Act 1979|131
2|3.5 Concluding Comments|133
2|References|137
1|4 The United Nations Treaty-Based Bodies and Their Engagement with Sri Lanka|140
2|4.1 Introduction|140
2|4.2 The Role of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies|141
2|4.3 Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Treaties Ratification and Implementation Record|150
2|4.4 Enabling an Open and Free Society: An Examination of Sri Lanka’s Interaction with the United Nations Human Rights Committee|153
2|4.5 Human Rights for All Without Racial Distinction: An Exploration into Sri Lanka’s Reporting to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination|162
2|4.6 Torture and Decades of State of Emergency: Sri Lanka’s Engagement with the Committee Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment|167
2|4.7 Concluding Comments|174
2|References|177
1|5 The United Nations Charter-Based Bodies and Their Engagement with Sri Lanka|180
2|5.1 Introduction|180
2|5.2 From the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to the United Nations Human Rights Council|181
2|5.3 Sri Lanka and the United Nations Human Rights Commission|189
3|5.3.1 Sri Lanka’s Interaction with the United Nations Human Rights Commission During the Ethnic Clashes of 1983|190
3|5.3.2 Sri Lanka and the Special Procedures Under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights|195
2|5.4 Sri Lanka and the United Nations Human Rights Council|203
3|5.4.1 Tackling Impunity and Achieving Accountability. Resolutions in the United Nations Human Rights Council: 2009–2016|205
3|5.4.2 Sri Lanka and the Special Procedures Under the United Nations Human Rights Council|216
2|5.5 Universal Periodic Reports of Sri Lanka 2008–2012: Words and Actual Actions Reviewed|224
2|5.6 Concluding Comments|228
2|References|233
1|6 Conclusion|235
2|6.1 Introduction|235
2|6.2 Reasons for the Contemporary State of Human Rights in Sri Lanka|236
3|6.2.1 Majoritarian Insularity Dominating Public Discourse|236
3|6.2.2 Perpetuating Majoritarianism Through the Executive Presidency and the State of Exception: The Marginalisation of Human Rights|240
3|6.2.3 An Island of Violence|243
2|6.3 Assessment of the United Nations Human Rights Involvement in Sri Lanka|246
3|6.3.1 The United Nations and International Law as a Trojan Horse of Post-colonialism|246
3|6.3.2 The Impact of International Scrutiny on the Ground of Human Rights Violators|248
3|6.3.3 Sri Lanka Is United Nations’ Nemesis|249
2|6.4 Final Remarks and Lessons from Sri Lanka|252
3|6.4.1 International Human Rights Law as the Law of Open States|252
3|6.4.2 The Necessity of International Human Rights Engagement in Situations of Poor or Non-existing Domestic and Regional Human Rights Infrastructures|253
3|6.4.3 International Legitimacy Through Human Rights Engagement|254
3|6.4.4 Human Rights Engagement as a Mobilizing Basis for Civil Society Actors and Development of Human Rights Infrastructure|256
3|6.4.5 Ireland and Sri Lanka: Two Islands of Violence|261
3|6.4.6 Pearl or Tear of the Indian Ocean—The Third World Approaches to International Law. Critique of International Human Rights Engagement From the Global South|262
2|References|267
1|Bibliography|271
1|Books|271
1|Journal Articles|275
1|Index|280