Global support for Lanka’s anti-LTTE drive - Minister Bogollagama

Minister Rohitha Bogollagama |
In the aftermath of the dramatic arrest of
the self proclaimed new LTTE leader, Selvarasa Padmanathan alias KP last
week, many predictions, locally and internationally, are surfacing while
the government categorically stated that its close friendship with
friendly countries around the world had helped nab the notorious arms
dealer of the outfit.
According to Foreign Affairs Minister
Rohitha Bogollagama, the government’s crusade against the LTTE would
never see an end though KP is in the net but would continue until it
hunts down all remaining LTTEers.
In an interview with the Sunday Observer he
said that KP is now in Sri Lanka. Most of the countries helped take him
into custody.
Following are excerpts from the interview:
by Shanika SRIYANANDA
Q: How do you see the arrest of KP?
* The arrest of KP is meant to weaken the LTTEs international network
* No matter where he was ar rested but now he is in Sri Lanka.
* Sought the assistance of the Malaysian government to arrest him.
* KP will be dealt with according to law first in Sri Lanka.
* No requests from the international investigators to the Foreign
Ministry to interrogate KP.
* Investigations to nab other LTTEers are going on.
* The government will go after KP’s `wealth’.
* Sri Lanka needs more de-mining experts.
* India will soon send 500 de-miners.
* The Opposition Leader is far from reality.
* The picture the Opposition Leader gives about IDPs is totally
misleading.
* High powered delegations praised the commitment of the government
to provide better facilities for the IDPs.
* Foreign Service is not politicized and out of 160 officials in the
diplomatic service only 21 were recruited during my tenure.
* Will bring back the underworld king pins who escaped overseas.
* We are well off to have our own parties.
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A: It is the developed stage of the counter terrorism campaign and
also an action to eliminate the LTTE’s international network. Our good
relations with the world and the commitment to eradicate terrorism have
borne fruits.
Q: His arrest has created a confusion with Thailand and Malaysian
authorities denying he was arrested on their soil. Where was he really
arrested?
A: As far as Sri Lanka is concerned what matters is where he is now.
And the answer for that is that he is now in Sri Lanka. That is all.
Q: It is reported that KP has some involvement with a group called
Tamils for Obama to infiltrate the US State Department. Will the Obama
administration influence our investigations into KP’s role?
A: No, I believe that the alleged group will not be able to influence
the President of America.
Q: Did you seek assistance from the Malaysian Government to arrest KP
during your visit to attend a conference last July 22?
A: Yes, I did make several requests to get him for us and Malaysia is
one of those countries.
Q: India has requested that KP be handed over to them for trial in
connection with the assassination of the former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi. Will the government consider their request?
A: Every now and then, there had been similar requests coming through
even for Prabhakaran when he was alive. What we are looking at is that
KP is a person wanted by Sri Lanka where he will be dealt with according
to the law of the land. Other developments will be considered later.
Q: It is also reported that international investigators are seeking
permission to question him. Will they get access to do so?
A: As far as Foreign Ministry is concerned, we have not received any
request from international bodies or delegations to interrogate KP so
far.
Q: Is there any estimation about the wealth amassed by KP and what
will happen to the massive international assets that were handled by
him?
A: We are now pursuing these aspects. As I told three months ago, the
government would go after not only KP, as a fugitive wanted by the
INTERPOL and one wanted for crimes committed in Sri Lanka, but also all
the LTTE’s funds and assets as well. We know that all he got are
terrorist funds.
Q: Has the government already identified other LTTE accomplices who
have links with KP?
A: It is a process that is currently going on.
Q: Some of these prominent LTTEers like US-based lawyer Rudrakumar
still openly handles LTTE affairs while the US and many Western
countries, have banned the LTTE in their countries. Why do you think
they have failed to bring them to book?
A: These are matters we are currently pursuing. Details about the
criminals who are associating with this person should not be discussed
openly as we cannot divulge the information in the public domain.
Q: How important was the support of our international friends to net
KP?
A: Our goal had been to seek the support of our friends overseas
inner counter terrorist efforts both in Sri Lanka and internationally.
Now we have shown that we are capable of having tangible results in
our counter terrorist initiatives. I think we cannot discuss these in
detail in the public domain as the investigations are still going on.
Some more investigations are being pursued. I think the best thing to
give surprises like how KP was dealt with.
Q: KP in his statement announced his plans to persuade the LTTE onto
the path of non-violence. If he still tries to enter into politics will
the LTTE be given an opportunity to do so?
A: He is being dealt for not what he intends to do in future but what
he has done in the past. Therefore, we have to first deal with the
criminals for their commission of crimes.
Q: Do you think that your crusade against the LTTE abroad is over
with the arrest of KP?
A: Not at all. So many links will be established and so many steps
will be taken in our counter terrorist activities.
We have been most rigorous in our pursuits in crushing the LTTE. But
we undertook a very silent mission to achieve these targets.
We are very much committed to good and cordial foreign relations.
Today we see a much expanded goal in it. Visits from overseas, number of
international summits and conferences that are taking place today in Sri
Lanka at the level of Foreign Ministers and Heads of States show how
much the foreign relations have become a major part of Sri Lanka’s
program.
Countering terrorism is an important item in our agenda. We have
links, engagements and connections with all those engaged in counter
terrorist activities. Then only we can have a better counter terrorist
strategy.
If you are not known abroad well or if I cannot speak enough and more
with other Foreign Ministers personally through the phone, we cannot
engage in counter terrorism. But, today I am in a position to talk to
them at any time.
This is possible because Sri Lanka is well connected to the world.
Other priorities of the Foreign Ministry are political engagement and
economic diplomacy.
Q: Several high profile delegations visited Sri Lanka to get a first
hand account of the situation in the IDP camps. What are their
responses?
A: Their impressions are improving daily. The last visit was made by
the Canadian Minister of International Co-operation, Beverley J. Oda.
When she met me she said that her own assessment with regard to IDPs
was that things in the camps have improved and commended the government
for taking steps to ensure the welfare of the displaced in the North
within a short period of time under challenging circumstances.
She said she never expected things to improve to that extent before
she visited there. Now she has a different picture about the existing
situation in camps.
The Canadian government would now increase its humanitarian
assistance to Sri Lanka. This is the best example of how the
international commendations are coming in for the government and its
efforts to provide maximum for the IDPs.
Q: How important is the international assistance to speed up the
activities to resettle the IDPs?
A: I think what is really needed is the assistance to clear land
mines in the North. No doubt we need international support to clear land
mines. We need the support to improve infrastructure the way the Indian
government is doing now. They are giving us shelter, lots of interim
support, assistance to develop infrastructure and so on. This is the
support we are getting right now. Some of the countries are directly
supporting us. We need more bi-lateral support for resettlement.
Q: India has pledged to send 500 de-miners to help Sri Lanka to
expedite de-mining in the North. Why is there a delay in sending them
here?
A: There is no delay in sending them and they are currently making
arrangements to send them soon. De-mining is a specialized area. We need
more de-miners to expedite the work in the North, where lots of mines
were said to be buried.
Q: However, the Opposition Leader has accused that the government is
deliberately keeping the IDPs and exploiting them to get financial
assistance. What is your comment?
A: One problem with the Leader of the Opposition is that he is far
from reality. The picture that he is painting does not represent the
real situation.
I believe that he will soon understand the reality when the IDPs
speak for themselves after they return to their homes.
They know how much the government is committed to provide facilities
for them, to get them back to their villages and to usher democracy in
Sri Lanka.
Q: So, what is the real situation in these camps where it is alleged
that the health and living conditions are poor?
A: I repeat what the Canadian Minister said. She said the things have
improved and there are improving further. There can be small issues but
on the whole things are going smoothly.
Q: There is an allegation that most of the diplomatic postings are
done politically. What do you have to say about this?
A: I don’t think it is true because all the 160 diplomatic personnel
have been given the opportunities and when they have completed their
three years period, they come back to the country for a period of one or
two years until they get another posting.
So, this rotation is working very well. We had created so many
missions now. Sometimes we do not have enough people to support all
these missions.
And that is why we want more and more people into the Foreign
Service. Since I became the Foreign Minister, we have been taking in a
batch every year.
This year we took 11 and previous year we took 10. Out of 160 who are
in the service we have taken only 21 during my tenure of two and half
years.Therefore, we are committed to expand the Foreign Service which is
doing well.
Q: Recently, the government has started appointing military high
rankers as diplomats. How effective is this to crack down the LTTE
internationally?
A: We need experts in intelligence, economic affairs and political
affairs.
That is what Foreign Service is all about. We will not confine only
to one segment and I am very happy that we have a mix of these personnel
in our diplomatic service who can ultimately hold responsibilities of
representing the country in all aspects.
Certainly by appointing military officials we hope to get the best in
from those countries.
Q: Is it true that the former Ambassador Dayan Jayatilake was asked
to return before his term was over?
A: No. Normally they have their term of office and when the term is
over they have to return. When his original term is over he has to come.
Q: The government has pledged to destroy the underworld but the
notorious underworld king pin Kudu Lal has escaped to London.
How did he have a visa to London and does the Foreign Ministry help
bring down these criminals wanted by the Police?
A: People find various ways of going out of Sri Lanka. But, the
moment they are overseas, we will work with the INTERPOL and will seek
the extradition following the Common Wealth Extradition treaty between
UK and Sri Lanka.
Q: You are known to be a Minister who has spent lots of public money
on foreign trips and on your personal agendas like your daughter’s
birthday party. What do you have to say?
A: It is totally untrue and my daughter is better off to have her own
birthday party. No one said its was my daughter’s birthday party. Those
who want to be misled can cast allegations but there is no substance in
those. We can have enough and more birthday parties of our own!
Q: It is reported that you are opposing the erecting of former
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s statue?
A: These are all wrong and false rumours. In fact, we have already
started the construction. I have gone all out to design and given the
approval to construct the statue at the entrance of the Kadirgamar
Centre.
But not in the Ministry. If we are going to have statues in the
Ministry, then how many statues will come up, and we have to start it
from D.S. Senanayake himself.
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