INTRODUCTION
The decision to host the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (2013) in
the island of Sri Lanka has caused much consternation in the international community
due to concerns about Sri Lanka’s suitability as a venue for such a prestigious event.
Sri Lanka has in recent years been regularly in the news for the massive human rights
violations committed by state sponsored institutions, primarily the State’s security
forces. The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, the genocidal war by the State against the
Tamils and its bloody end, and the State’s continued persecution of Tamils and
democracy activists all serve to prove that Sri Lanka is hardly a democracy abiding by
the Rule of Law. And yet, the Commonwealth Secretariat continues to ignore urgent
requests for a change of venue and foolhardily proceeds with its promotion of Sri
Lanka as a peaceful State. In such a context this booklet examines the decision to hold
CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka in light of the Commonwealth’s core principles, its past
precedents and Sri Lanka’s human rights record, and considers the impact that such an
event taking place in Sri Lanka would have on member states of the Commonwealth.
THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
MEETING
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) is held every two years for the leaders of the 54 Commonwealth Member
States to meet and discuss issues that commonly concern them and to decide
collectively on new policies and initiatives. CHOGM 2013 is to be held in Sri Lanka
in mid-November, the first time in 24 years t ][?\?X[? ?[?YH\??Y[????[?????[[??X[ XY\??]?H?Y[?YY][?? ?Y?[\? H ?[??H NMK?] HYXH??]?[??H??[[??X[ XY ????\??Y[?YY][?? ?\??\??Y? Y[???[??\?H[? NM?K????H\???[? H??[?^?Y?H H??[[??X[ ?X?]\?X]?[? H???]K?HX?\?[?? H??[[??X[ ?X?]\?X] ?[??Y?H ??X?]?[ H \? ??[? ?] H?H[??[???\??Y[? Y??[?? ?\? ?? [X[? ?Y? ?[?][??[? HY?Y][?? H ?[H?]?\??Y[? H??[???]X?\?H[???X?[?[? ?\? ?\?\?X?X[ H???Y? ?Y? ?[??[?]? Y??Y?[ ??[?Yx?&\?[???H ? H??[[??X[ X?X? H ?]Y ] H??[[??X[ ??X?]\?X] ?\?X?[??\?H8?& ?[8?&H?? H?H[??[???\??Y[? ?????H?SQT??H??SS??PS?]?[? ?Y? H??[[??X[ \?[? [???Y?YY???] ][?]XZ[?Z[?? ??YB???H ?[ Y\? ?X?]???Y\?? ?X?Y ?\?\?\?X?X[ H ?[]?[????Y\?[?? H ?\?B?]?\??H?] \?H? HY[X?\??\? H\????X][? ?X?[?? Y\? ?\?H ?X[ H ?^ ?[Y[ H ????[? ?Y\?\? ?[\? [?H???H[?Z] ?[?]?X?]Y\?B?\????X][??&\?Y[X?\??\?H [?]Y ??Y? Z\? ?[ Y\??[[??X?K??YY?K XX?K???