Let’s protect the President and war heroes

by Ayurveda Dr. Visharada Pandith Mahaelagamuwe Lankananda Thera (Kuswala Vedahimi)

It was May 18, 2009, Sri Lankans as a nation did not even dream that a day of such great significance in the annals of the country would ever dawn. But, the unexpected happened. Nobody imagined that day would be a reality in a country caught in the vicious grip of terrorism for 30 long years.

The world was jolted by the news which spread fast. It travelled far and wide and reached all corners of the globe. Irrespective of caste, creed and race, jubilant Sri Lankans stood united under one banner to hail the momentous occasion. In the true sense of the word, it was a historic achievement.

LTTE terrorism which plagued the nation for three decades was decimated. Darkness was dispelled and there was light. Under the political leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, valiant security forces wiped out the LTTE and freed the nation from the reign of terror.

The end of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s brutality which saw thousands of innocents being massacred in a three-decade long reign of terror and violence came on the banks of the Wellamulliwaikkal lagoon.

When the news of Prabhakaran’s killing by the army reached the people, there were celebrations. Sri Lankans were joyous not because a human life had been lost but for the reason that they no longer need to live in morbid fear because the terrorist leader responsible for killing thousands of people in cold blood had been wiped out.

Amidst the sound of fire crackers, overjoyed Sri Lankans rallied round the President waving the national flags in towns and villages. There was a carnival atmosphere as people poured on to the streets to celebrate. Groups went about in vehicles waving the national flag. Milk rice was served by groups of youth who gathered at various points in streets across the country. Without any differences and sans any prior notice or an auspicious time, the nation celebrated the great victory in unison.

End of terrorism

As Sri Lankans joined hands and stood united to celebrate the end of LTTE terrorism, there were certain countries and leaders in the world who were saddened and very disappointed by the news that terrorism in Sri Lanka has been rooted out. The war was like a beggar’s wound for the USA and a few European countries subservient to it. The countries believed in adding fuel to fire by covertly nourishing conflicts in other nations and using such wars to expand their superiority and fortify their interests in the world. The USA has already spread its tentacles to subjugate many other nations.

The countries which were promoting wars and conflicts in other countries to serve their own interests were perturbed by Sri Lanka’s spectacular victory against a vicious terrorist outfit. They could not stand to see our nation reach the apex as a prosperous country which had defeated the brutish LTTE.

The USA which behaves like the global policeman faced a devastating attack from Osama Bin Laden on its home soil and for years struggled to track down the terrorist leader deploying its mighty modern security apparatus. (Later Bin Laden was tracked down and killed in Pakistan). The US and other countries backing it could not bear to see tiny Sri Lanka emerge victorious by wiping out the world’s most powerful terrorist outfit and its leader.

During the height of the battle with the LTTE, the USA in collaboration with its coterie of supportive countries and organisations exerted enormous pressure in a bid to stop the war and save the LTTE, but President Rajapaksa ignored the noises made by powerful countries and saw to the conclusion of the war within a short time. Sri Lanka is indeed fortunate to have a patriotic leader of the calibre of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to guide the nation to prosperity after ending terrorism.

As the President refused to be a puppet and dance to the tune of powerful countries with vested interests, the USA and its lackeys harbour a grudge and resentment towards him and the country.

The developments marked the ‘battle’ against Sri Lanka. The only weapon they have at their disposal to accuse us is the issue of human rights. They accuse Sri Lanka of violating human rights during its battle with the LTTE and not satisfied with that, they insist that we even transgressed international war rules during the final phase of the battle.

Tamil diaspora

The Tamil diaspora has also joined hands in an attempt to put Sri Lanka in the dock. It was the Tamil diaspora which misled Tamil people and held them virtual hostage to plunder huge amounts of money to lead comfortable lives overseas.

The Tamil diaspora used the dollars of the innocent Tamils to ensure their comforts and live in luxury in capitals of the world. With the end of the war the lucrative source of funding stopped and as their stomach needs and comforts were badly hit they have teamed up with the USA and other nations to sow the seeds of dissent in Sri Lanka again.

This sleazy group fired their first salvo no sooner the war ended. They were behind the resolution moved in the UNHRC accusing Sri Lanka of violating human rights during the conflict.

They sought drastic action against the country, but with Sri Lanka placing the factual position before the international community, our friends in the world rallied around us to defeat the move.

Not stopping at that, the group next attempted to move the United Nations against Sri Lanka. Using a so-called Darusman Report, Ban Ki-moon, a puppet of the USA, tried to interfere with the nation’s sovereignty by claiming that there had been grave lapses and violations during the humanitarian operation undertaken by the government during the final stage of the war. But, the attempt to use the UN to exert pressure and twist the arm of Sri Lanka failed to succeed.

Not prepared to give up, the slimy group then accused the Sri Lankan military of torturing and killing captured LTTE members. They fabricated videos and publicised them all over the world in a bid to prove their point. But, Sri Lanka countered the canard effectively and proved to the world that it was nothing but a total fabrication.

Information has emerged that they are now trying to enact the second drama in the series. Again, noises are being made about Sri Lanka violating human rights. At the ongoing 2012 UNHCR Sessions in Geneva, they are trying to move a resolution against Sri Lanka. This time also, the USA is playing the lead role and it is evident that there is a lot of eagerness and haste on the part of the US to push through the action.

Geneva sessions

Forty-seven countries are participating in the 2012 UNHRC sessions in Geneva. The sessions commenced on February 27 and towards the end of the deliberations a resolution against Sri Lanka is expected to be moved by the USA and some countries.

The USA is trying to secure the support of other nations to push through the resolution. It is even resorting to deception by briefing foreign participants that the action also has the concurrence of Sri Lanka! This is the way they are trying to mislead other countries.

Did Sri Lanka violate human rights as claimed by the USA? If so, rather than appointing international committees to look into the allegation, inquiries can be made from hardcore LTTE members who were either captured or surrendered to the security forces.

There are LTTE activists who are still under rehabilitation and also those who are under detention as their court cases are pending. The LTTE members definitely know whether the army violated human rights or not.

Daya Master who was the LTTE media spokesman during the war also surrendered to the army. He was subsequently released and now serves as a director of a media outlet in Jaffna.

He had recently made a statement to a newspaper about the circumstances of his surrender and how he was humanely treated by the army.

As soon as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected, he didn’t opt for a military solution.

He opened fresh talks with the LTTE but as history has it, the LTTE let down the Government as well the way it had done during the talks with previous administrations. But, this was where Prabhakaran blundered. President Rajapaksa took a firm decision and gave leadership to the thrust to wipe out the LTTE and save the Tamil people through the humanitarian mission.

LTTE proxy

Tamil MP Raviraj who was at one time a LTTE proxy later informed the USA about the suffering and agony the people had to endure under Prabhakaran’s reign of terror.

He had stressed the importance of crushing any move to revive the LTTE because the people had suffered enormously during that time. What more evidence is necessary of LTTE atrocities when a one-time proxy had himself said this?

Is rescuing thousands of trapped Tamil civilians including women and children and restoring their freedom a violation of human rights?

We saw on television how the LTTE shot dead innocent Tamils who tried to flee to army held areas during the final phase of the war.

They were held hostage and at the first opportunity thousands were seen crossing the lagoon carrying children and their meagre belongings into the army controlled areas. They fled the LTTE and sought refuge with the army.Karuna Amman and Pillaiyan who were senior LTTE leaders at one time are now active mainstream politicians. Karuna is a deputy minister in the Government while Pillaiyan is the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province. They have been absorbed into the political firmament.

Today, Sri Lanka has been reunited under one banner. After a span of 30 years, people in the South visit friends and relatives in the North and vice versa. School children from the North come to Colombo on trips. Northern women marry soldiers from the South.

The dark era when the gun was the determining factor has been brought to an end. With the restoration of civil administration, there is enormous development in the North.

New super highways are being built and a luxury bus service from Colombo to Jaffna has been launched. New houses are coming up.

The re-linking of the South to the North has paved the way for new businesses creating enormous employment opportunities. All the key factors have impacted positively on economic development. The USA and its cronies cannot bear to see this upsurge in economic activity.

Today, the people in the North are enjoying freedom in the true sense of the word. This is why Sri Lankans and the world at large are questioning the USA how all the positive developments constitute a “violation of human rights”.

Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and integrity should not be meddled with under the guise of “human rights violations”.

Russian Ambassador Vladimir P. Mikhaylov had recently said Sri Lanka’s internal affairs should not be taken to the world.

He has pledged Russia’s full support to Sri Lanka. China has also adopted this supportive stand. Neighbouring India, the most powerful country in the region, is also supportive of Sri Lanka.

Many countries in the world are in ruins because of US action. With lakhs of civilians killed, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt and Libya are still burning because of arbitrary US intervention. Nobody is raising concerns over human rights violations despite the widespread death and destruction caused to the countries.

Bin Laden was unarmed and watching television when the US forces killed him by forcibly entering a sovereign state. When Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva asked about Bin Laden’s human rights, Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay was dumbfounded.The Maha Sangha and the people of Sri Lanka are with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. We will support the President to the hilt to defeat insidious moves by the US and its cronies to interfere in our country’s internal affairs and install a puppet regime in Sri Lanka.At the Geneva Summit, the countries in favour of Sri Lanka have decided to question the US President’s right to order the assassination of terrorists.

The ambassadors of participating countries have received a statement of the Attorney-General Eric Nolter saying that the American President has the right to order such assassinations. The American ambassador of Geneva will be questioned at the debate against Sri Lanka.

The Cuban ambassador of Geneva has also challenged America to bring a resolution on Guantanamo Bay detainees. In addition China also has planned to bring a resolution against the American claim about Sri Lanka.