In the past, the leverage that the Commonwealth used when countries headed in this direction was to begin a process of staged disengagement and sanctions, of which expulsion is the last step. But there is a series of interim steps: suspension, a committee of inquiry, and the creation of a sanctions committee. For example, there was a sanctions committee of which the Honourable Roy McMurtry, our High Commissioner, was the chair during the period of apartheid. So this is not about an in, out, black, or white decision. There is a series of stages that should be taken.
Sadly, the present Commonwealth Secretariat, aside from a few symposia and hollow statements of concern, have really not been prepared to engage on that side. I would argue that our failure to do so as a Commonwealth is, in fact, contributing to the sense of excess and the sense of being able to do whatever one wants. In my view, if the Commonwealth is going to be a force for good, it has to array some consequences.
You know when Musharraf and his administration had been suspended from the Commonwealth for trying to fire the entire supreme court and really operate a junta, the Pakistanis were very interested in getting back in. They engaged in a series of constructive discussions. Distinguished experts from Canada were sent to help with constitutional and federalism discussions to assist the Pakistanis because they did want to be back in the family, back in the club.
I think that's the only sanction we have, and our failure to use it leaves the United Nations Human Rights Council as the only body that really has some capacity to engage.
Sadly, this is beyond my remit, but I would say the Chinese role is to reassure the Sri Lankan government that if there is any lack of investment from abroad or any sanctions imposed by our friends in the Commonwealth, the Chinese will be there to soften the blow. Whatever one can say that is constructive about the Chinese, democracy, diversity, and pluralism are not among their strong points as a society and that, of course, is not helpful.
I think part of what drove the British Prime Minister to attend was the notion that, if there's a withdrawal of Commonwealth presence, the Chinese will occupy all the space. Well, the Chinese are in the business of occupying all the space they can. The issue is that they're going to be a countervail presence about democracy, rule of law, judicial independence, and human rights that is a competitor force in that process in that part of the world. I would hope the Commonwealth continues to embrace at some point that mission.
I doubt it for the next two years, but after Mr. Rajapaksa steps down as chair and we have a new secretary-general in Malta, a new chair in office, hopefully, the Commonwealth can re-engage in the way that it should.