Role of UN and EU deplored
The European Union (EU)'s
decision to terminate the GSP Plus trade concessions for over 700 export
products from Sri Lanka and the appointment of a three-member panel to
advise United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on alleged war
crimes by Sri Lanka's Security Forces were the talking point during the
past few weeks.
The Opposition is attempting to take undue political advantage of
these negative developments which could possibly be a result of a
well-orchestrated conspiracy against Sri Lanka.
Before elaborating on a possible international mafia behind these
moves, masterminded by the few remaining LTTE sympathisers abroad and a
section of the Tamil diaspora, it would be interesting to ascertain the
root causes for the UN and EU decisions against Sri Lanka.
Exploiting human rights as an effective tool to settle petty
political differences, many UNP politicians, including the Opposition
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, gallivanted in European countries and
lobbied to stop the GSP Plus trade facility.
On their return to the country, they alleged that Sri Lanka would
lose the GSP Plus facility due to the country's poor human rights
record. This was done to gain cheap political mileage and slow down the
battle against terrorism. In so doing, the Opposition made a desperate
attempt to pump the last drop of oxygen to the remaining LTTE
terrorists.
No doubt the Opposition's actions helped influence the EU to
terminate the GSP Plus facility. Wickremesinghe and the opportunistic
Opposition politicians should now feel happy that they have achieved
their goals.
They could now go before the masses and 'proudly' proclaim that Sri
Lanka has lost the GSP Plus facility and the garment industry would be
badly hit as a result. The Opposition, true to form, is shedding
crocodile tears and lamenting that thousands of garment sector employees
would lose their jobs and this would not have happened had the UNP been
in power.
Similarly, our opportunistic politicians should get the 'honour' of
influencing the UN to appoint an advisory panel on Sri Lanka.
Having lost disastrously at successive elections, these politicians
turned to the international community to exert pressure on the
Government and looked for shortcuts to regain power. But the masses
dealt with these power-hungry politicians whose lust for power
superseded the interests of their motherland.
Sarath Fonseka, in an interview with the Sunday Leader , allegedly
claimed that it was Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who ordered the
Security Forces to fire at certain Tiger leaders who attempted to
surrender. It is not our intention to comment on Fonseka's infamous
'white flag' issue since the matter is now before the Courts.
It is baffling that countries which are attempting to take Sri Lanka
before a war crimes tribunal for reasons best known to them are blind to
the manner how the world's largest human rescue mission was carried out
by Sri Lanka's brave Security Forces.
In keeping with all accepted international conventions and treaties,
Sri Lanka's Security Forces rescued over half a million people from the
clutches of LTTE terror. Apparently, even Ban Ki-moon who seems to be
highly perturbed over the alleged human rights violations during the
height of the battle against terror, has not uttered a word of comfort
on behalf of those innocent civilians who had been forcibly held by the
LTTE as a human shield.
Surprisingly, not a single INGO or UN official bothered about the
flagrant violation of human rights of those hapless civilians who
suffered immensely due to the barbaric acts of the LTTE leaders.
At a time when the UN and the entire international community should
be wholeheartedly supporting Sri Lanka in the reconciliation and
development process in the North and the East, the UN Secretary General
and the EU are attempting to take Sri Lanka to task. Is this because
they are reluctant to concede the fact that the US-led NATO Forces are
still struggling in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Even certain countries, which project themselves as the godfathers of
the global battle against terrorism, seem diffident to acknowledge Sri
Lanka's resounding success in eradicating terrorism. Why don't they make
a genuine effort to take a cue from Sri Lanka's victorious formula?
If those countries, which preach to high heavens on the need to
eliminate global terrorism, are sincere, they must take Sri Lanka as a
role-model and support those countries which are affected by terrorism
to overcome the problems caused by extremist groups.
Unfortunately, it has been the other way round and Sri Lanka has been
at the receiving end as a result of a well-organised campaign by its
pusillanimous Opposition politicians and Tiger proxies.
The UN Secretary General and the EU should not for a moment forget
the fact that it has only been a year since Sri Lanka emerged victorious
in vanquishing the LTTE which had been threatening Sri Lanka for over
three decades. The losses Sri Lanka had suffered during that period, in
terms of lives, property and opportunities for growth are incalculable.
Terrorism spelt doom to domestic and foreign investments while the
measures imposed to maintain security also ran counter to attract
tourists.
With the dawn of peace and people getting about their day-to-day
activities, special emphasis has been placed on the development of
transport infrastructure such as road and rail networks. This is one key
area where the international community could lend a helping hand.
Those in the West should see the timely action taken by the
Government on regional development initiatives under the Uthuru
Wasanthaya (Northern Spring) and Nagenahira Navodaya (Eastern Revival)
programs.
At a time when many countries are suffering the after-effects of a
recession, post-conflict Sri Lanka is growing by leaps and bounds. When
our resplendent isle is poised to be the miracle of Asia with an
ambitious program set in motion under the leadership of President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, all countries which reject terrorism should rally
round the Pearl of the Indian Ocean to take Sri Lanka to greater
heights. |