This visit gave Ms Markwalder the opportunity to obtain an idea of the current situation in the country that experienced nearly 30 years of civil war (1983-2009). The armed conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils resulted in the deaths of 80,000 to 100,000 people with thousands more missing, in addition to the 30,000 victims of the 2004 tsunami. During the civil war, hundreds of thousands of people fled the country. Nearly 50,000 people from Sri Lanka now live in Switzerland, half of whom are Swiss citizens. The Sri Lankan community is one of the largest groups of migrants in Switzerland.
Ms Markwalder’s visit coincided with the centenary of the opening of the first Swiss consulate on the island and with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Sri Lanka.
In Colombo, Ms Markwalder met with the speaker of the parliament of Sri Lanka, Karu Jayasuriya; the leader of the opposition in parliament, Rajavarothiam Sampanthan; Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe; and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva. Ms Markwalder also met with the human rights commissioner, Ambika Satkunanathan, and other representatives of civil society; and with the CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Dhara Wijayatilake.
Discussions mainly focused on the constitutional review process that was launched by the new president, elected in 2015. The government’s goal is to move away from the presidential system to a parliamentary system that gives more power to the parliament and ensures a better representation of the ethnic minorities in the country’s institutions. The new constitution will address several other topics, including the organisation of the country, the electoral system and the division of powers between the central state and the provinces, with the objective of greater decentralisation.
The reform process offers the country hope of reconciliation. In this context, the discussions addressed the issue of missing persons and the return of land to its rightful owners. The implementation of Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1, aimed at fostering reconciliation and promoting human rights in Sri Lanka, was also discussed. The resolution recommends the rapid establishment of an independent transitional justice mechanism to investigate Sri Lanka’s violent history during the civil war.
In Kandy, a religious town in the central region of the country, Ms Markwalder met with Ms Niluka Ekanayake, the governor of Sri Lanka’s Central Province. The discussions provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on the respective roles played by the Sri Lankan provinces and the Swiss cantons. Ms Markwalder was also granted audiences with two high Buddhist prelates; the topics discussed at these meetings included intercultural dialogue and the role clergy can play in ensuring successful national reconciliation and in halting inter-ethnic violence.
On the economic front, the end of the civil war has led to strong economic growth, with high growth rates (7.4% in 2014 and 6.5% in 2015, IMF) and a per capital GDP of USD 3,768 (estimate for 2015, IMF). Sri Lanka has the highest human development index in South Asia and a literacy rate above 90%. Government debt is huge (76.7% of GDP, 2015, IMF). The importance of expatriate remittances and the dynamism of tourism, however, temper the situation.
The business climate, however, remains challenging. According to the Doing business indicator of the World Bank, Sri Lanka ranks 110th of the 190 countries examined. The government is committed to improving framework conditions to encourage investment. Due to its advantageous geographic location in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka acts as a hub for relations between Africa, India and South-East Asia, which are the future areas of global growth. Sri Lanka also has the ambition to become a leading service platform in South Asia, particularly in the area of financial services and the digital economy.