LTTE fronts in Geneva akin to...:

Inviting the 'Devil' to talk about HR

By Manjula Fernando

With the news of LTTE lobby groups masquerading as Human Rights champions conniving in Geneva to drag a negative veil over Sri Lanka and bulldoze its ongoing efforts to rise from the ashes of a brutal 30-year-long battle with terrorism, the Sunday Observer contacted Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, an international terrorism Expert based in Singapore to ask how Sri Lanka could tackle this elusive threat.

Prof. Gunaratna says, "A review of LTTE financial records show that its leaders dedicated a significant budget to an account called 'Geneva'."

'The LTTE recognised that the new religion of the West is human rights'.

'Although a few leaders have been prosecuted in the US and elsewhere, there are a dozen financiers of terrorism living in Canada, Australia, UK and continental Europe'. He opines that international laws must be used to bring these dangerous men to book.

Excerpts of the interview:

It is alleged that in Geneva, key LTTE sympathisers and LTTE fronts have ganged up with anti Sri Lanka movements to paint a distorted picture of on-going efforts to achieve complete reconciliation after the victory over terrorism at the Universal Periodic at THE Universal Periodic Review (UPR) sessions in Geneva

Q: How detrimental are these actions to Sri Lanka's progress?

A: The UPR is a State-driven exercise, but Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have many opportunities to influence the UPR process. Sri Lanka dismantled one of the world's worst terrorist groups in May 2009, and since then Sri Lanka is at peace.

The freedom from terrorism and tranquillity has enabled Sri Lanka to make immense progress.

However, terrorist front, cover and sympathetic groups keen to disrupt the peace again tried to infiltrate and influence the UPR process.

Seeking to revive its campaign of communal extremism and separatism, the LTTE remnants operate through three front organisations - the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) led by Visvanathan Rudrakumaran, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) led by Father S.J. Emmanuel, and Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO)/Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC) led by Perimpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyawan.

These leaders of the LTTE were involved in participating, advocating and supporting some of the worst terrorist crimes the world has witnessed. Some of these fronts and their affiliates made submissions to the UPR!

Q: Going by the past UN HRC sessions, especially after the defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka, we have noticed a disturbing pattern in their activities in international forums, against Sri Lanka. Should Sri Lanka initiate legal action against them?

A: A review of LTTE financial records show that its leaders dedicated a significant budget to an account called "Geneva." The LTTE recognised that the new religion of the West is human rights. That is the very reason Prabhakaran attempted to engineer a humanitarian catastrophe in the terminal phase of the fight in 2009. The LTTE has always sent their representatives dressed in three piece suits to Geneva to hobnob with politicians looking for minority votes and campaign contributions as well as human rights groups that can be influenced with little effort.

The Sri Lankan government should use domestic and international laws to fight attempts by the LTTE remnants to revive it. For example, the LTTE leaders and activists operating overseas as well as the front, cover and sympathetic groups that funded terrorism should be charged for financing terrorism. Although a few leaders have been prosecuted in the US and elsewhere, there are a dozen financiers of terrorism living in Canada, Australia, UK and continental Europe. Those who are still active should be brought to justice.

As the LTTE is keen to regroup in Tamil Nadu, the Attorney General's Department of Sri Lanka should develop a list of proscribed organisations. This is standard strategy. Any entity seeking to revive communal extremism and terrorism should be criminalized and appropriate action taken to dismantle those groups and seize their assets. Rather than supporting reconciliation, LTTE front, cover and sympathetic groups as well as one faction of the TNA has been advocating extremism, the precursor to terrorism. The Government should investigate the sources of support for these groups.

Q: Will these efforts at UPR be successful in misleading the international community to an alarming extent, where the countries would call for tough action against SL such as economic sanctions at the subsequent HRC sessions in March 2013?

A: Terrorists are the worst human rights violators. If they succeed in their attempts to influence the UPR process by masquerading as champions of peace in Geneva, no one will take the UPR process seriously. It is like inviting the devil to talk about human rights. As the UPR process is essential for global peace and security, it should not be abused or misused especially in the early years. Governments must identify and take action against any NGO or individual with links to terrorism or extremism seeking to infiltrate human rights institutions. Sri Lanka should never be deterred by threats by any government or organisation. Sri Lanka should continue to invest in its efforts to reconcile the hearts and minds of those who were affected during the last thirty years of terrorism. Traditionally, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims have enjoyed harmony. To strengthen social cohesion, Sri Lanka should continue to invest in creating a Sri Lankan identity.

The Government should build bridges between communities and not permit any political party or politicians to divide Sri Lanka along ethnic lines. Communal overtones to disrupt Sri Lanka's tranquility by some parochial parties and power hungry politicians, whether they are Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim should be firmly dealt with. The Sri Lankan government should closely watch attempts by the LTTE elements within the TNA to reintroduce the LTTE ideology. Similarly, the government should ban any JHU activities against Muslims. Sri Lanka should once again be hailed as a model in Asia for communal harmony, a status the country lost after 1956.

The greatest contribution Sri Lanka can make to human rights in the future is to pass two acts: A Harmony Act that promotes harmony and a Sedition Act that empowers government against anyone that insults another person's religion or community.

Q: Do you think Sri Lanka has genuine concerns on the HR front which should have been addressed without further delay?

A: The progress Sri Lanka has made in the human rights realm within the last three years is amazing. No country in the world has resettled 283,000 displaced civilians and rehabilitated 11,500 of 12,000 terrorists and successfully reintegrated them back to society. Any other country would have prosecuted the LTTE leaders, members and helpers for the terrorist crimes they have committed, supported or advocated.

While Sri Lanka needs to continue to support the reintegrated LTTE cadres and supporters to remain good citizens, its rehabilitation program today serves as a model for other countries still suffering from communalism and its vicious by product terrorism. Furthermore, Sri Lanka should continue to support the 283,000 reintegrated displaced persons with livelihood programs.

The greatest contribution to human rights made by Sri Lanka was to dismantle the LTTE. The world leader in suicide terrorism, the LTTE killed not only two world leaders but two foreign ministers (Ranjan Wijeratne and Lakshman Kadirgamar), one of whom was a Tamil. In addition to massacring civilians and bombing civilian targets in the capital, the LTTE also held and tortured several hundred services personnel and civilians including Tamils in their detention centres. Furthermore, the LTTE recruited several thousands of Tamils by force including children depriving their education.

The LTTE also extorted funds and property especially from Tamils. Several tens of thousands of Tamils suffered at the hands of the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government should ensure that there is no revival of the LTTE.

Q: The allegations that the Government Forces deliberately targeted civilians during the end stage of the humanitarian operation is still haunting Sri Lanka. This is despite the fact the LLRC in their final report which was hailed by the international community including the US, concluded it as untrue. In your opinion, what is there to be done by the state to redeem its good name?

A: Sri Lanka has done exceptionally well during the past three years. Last week, the world's most renowned and largest travel guide book and digital media publisher - "Lonely Planet" named Sri Lanka as number one destination in the world to visit in year 2013. Although there is much more to be accomplished, anyone visiting Sri Lanka will realise the progress it has made. However, the LTTE remnants active overseas are painting a distorted picture of Sri Lanka. After its defeat in May 2009, the LTTE has transformed from a terrorist group to a propaganda and a criminal organisation. With Tamil votes and funds raised through criminal means, the LTTE is lobbying Western politicians and human rights NGOs. The Sri Lankan Government strategy should be for the Ministry of External Affairs to create a public diplomacy capability with three divisions headed by an Additional Secretary. First, Diaspora Engagement Division, second, NGO Engagement Division, and third, Strategic Communications Division.

The Diaspora Engagement Division should reach out to misguided Sri Lankan expatriates who still lead and support communal and extremist activity. Even Rudrakumaran, Emmanuel and Nediyawan should be invited to pay a role in Sri Lankan politics on condition that they reject violence and embrace peace. Rather than spending their lives indoctrinating and instigating hatred and violence, they must be given an opportunity to invest the remaining years of their lives rebuilding the lives of a community that suffered from communalism.

The NGO Engagement Division should work with NGOs to support the socio-economic development especially of the North and the East, a region that still needs much support. As NGOs have been used in the past to disrupt peace and stability in Sri Lanka, the NGOs invited must be carefully screened for terrorist links and also closely monitored.

The NGO Engagement Division should work closely with Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and International Crisis Group. These three influential NGOs have been neglected by the government and they have at times published reports that are inaccurate and misleading. Furthermore, at least one of these NGOs accepted money from a LTTE front. NGOs are becoming increasingly important worldwide.

Rather than shun them, it is paramount for government to consider them as partners in development. In parallel to the NGO Engagement Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights should engage the human rights NGOs both in Sri Lanka and overseas, present an accurate picture and address their genuine concerns.

The Strategic Communications Division should counter the misinformation and disinformation disseminated by the LTTE and their affiliates as well as publicize Sri Lanka's achievements. For example, the remarkable story of providing humanitarian assistance and socio-economic development to the Sri Lankan Tamils held by the LTTE as a human shield has been inadequately publicized in the Tamil language. As a result the LTTE remnants and their agents were able to convince and misguide not only a segment of a poorly educated Tamils in the diaspora but also a tiny segment of the Tamil Nadu Tamils that civilians were deliberately targeted in the terminal phase of the conflict.

The Sri Lankan Government has done a poor job in promoting its achievements. In parallel to the Strategic Communications Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, the Mass Media and Information Minister should build a capability in Tamil language to communicate the unprecedented developments in the North and the East.

Q: HRW in a statement issued from Geneva has called for action against Sri Lanka, citing that there is a deteriorating HR situation in Sri Lanka. Your comments?

A: Like most countries that suffered from terrorist campaigns, Sri Lanka's record of human rights is not perfect. However, great strides have been made since May 2009. Every year prior to May 2009, Sri Lankans buried several thousand Sri Lankan men, women and children to a useless war created by communal politicians. As the security conditions improve, it is inevitable that Sri Lanka's human rights record will improve.

Human rights NGOs like Human Rights Watch are still driven by propaganda and not reality. The government should take a bold step to invite them to visit Sri Lanka especially the North and the East.

At this point, HRW, AI, ICG and several other NGOS working on the human rights front are lobbied heavily by the LTTE front, cover and sympathetic organisations. The government has a responsibility to guide NGOs influenced either by extremist or terrorist groups or by governments that are driven by geo-politics and strategic alignments.