UNHCR sessions in Geneva:

Genuine HR concerns not addressed - D E W Gunasekara

by P.Krishmaswamy

Senior Minister of Human Resources and Acting Minister of External Affairs D. E. W. Gunasekara told the Sunday Observer in an interview that the US resolution on the alleged HR issues in Sri Lanka to be moved at the UNHCR sessions in Geneva next week is apparently part of the US's "regime change" agenda and does not represent genuine HR concerns. Imperialist countries always resort to such intrigues, manoeuvres, and machinations whenever a progressive or centre left government is in power.

Commenting on the Channel 4 video footage, he said that the BBC and the Channel 4, like all other electronic media stations, are instruments or vehicles used for a similar destabilisation process and the clipping, released four years after the end of the war, is clearly a fiction and a 'manufactured' document. As Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) he will table his second report in parliament by the end of April, 2013, and many achievements of the COPE will be brought to limelight, he said. He also spoke on other important current issues. The US and other Western nations kept mum about the July 1983 holocaust caused under the administration of the then UNP government, he said.  

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Next week, at the UNHCR sessions in Geneva, the US is moving its second resolution against Sri Lanka on alleged human rights issues and non-implementation of the LLRC recommendations. Will the resolution have any serious implications for us in the future?

A: Looking at everything that happened during the decades-long terrorist activities and the desperate efforts of the government to wipe out terrorism from the face of the country, it is apparent that the US has been working on its own agenda of regime change. From our past experience, we know that the Imperialist countries always resorted to such intrigues, manoeuvres, and machinations whenever a progressive or centre left government comes to power. That has been their policy not only in respect of Sri Lanka but towards all developing countries. Under the uni-polarity of the world order the U.S., in particular, adopts the policy of unilateralism in foreign policy and pre-emption in defence policy. President George W. Bush applied this rigidly. Barack Obama administration also continues with the same policy, but in a different style and a little more flexibly. It is guided by their global strategic, geo-political, geo-economic and geo-strategic interests. They work on pre-determined agenda. In that context, I think that the US resolution this time will be strongly-worded, with special emphasis on HR issues and the purported non-implementation of the LLRC recommendations. I do not anticipate that we will encounter any serious implications, right now.

Q: Many Western powers, including the US, UK and Norway, have always taken a pro-LTTE and pro-Tamil stand conveniently forgetting the facts that it was the LTTE that was primarily instrumental and responsible for the deaths of thousands of Tamils, ethnic tension, destruction of their properties, and their displacement. In your view, what is the background that prompts them to adopt such a partial attitude towards a sovereign, democratic nation?

A: I do not believe that they are genuinely and sincerely concerned over the plight of Tamils or the human right issues. The fact is that they deliberately magnify and play such issues out of proportion to use them to their advantage in pursuance of their political objectives. During the three-decade long conflicts, atrocities were committed also by successive governments. The bloody holocaust of July 1983 was during the administration of the UNP. But these Western nations were keeping mum and their silence was conspicuous. As if they suddenly awoke from a deep slumber on the defeat of the LTTE and conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, they have vehemently raising their protests over HR issues to which they remained blind for over three decades. The Government did not give them an opportunity either to intervene. They did not want and never anticipated the defeat of the LTTE and the annihilation of terrorism from the face of this country, so soon and so fast. It was astounding to them. Their calculations did go wrong. It is possible that they are now raising all these issues to give vent to their anger, over their humiliation because they are big powers and wanted everything to happen the way they wanted. We never succumbed to their pressures. The UNHRC never raised human rights issues in the case of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Why this double-standards? It is hypocrisy of the highest order.  

Q: The agitations of the political leaders of Tamil Nadu on behalf of the Tamils of Sri Lanka have always been counter-productive causing suspicions and fear among the majority community over their future and leading to suspicions. These agitations are now at their peak, even students joining the protests and staging fast-unto-death campaigns. Do you think that they are genuinely interested in the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils?

A: Tamil Nadu politics has its own striking features with queer peculiarities. We have seen this since 1967, when Tamil Nadu began to be governed by regional parties. The political rivalry between the DMK and the AIADMK is more personality-oriented than ideologically or policy-wise. Both Parties want political mileage out of all issue on earth. Now it is over Sri Lanka, over India's relations with Sri Lanka and the problems relating to Sri Lankan Tamils. This rivalry suddenly erupted to a peak level at the conclusion of the conflict. They now adopt an extreme pro-LTTE stand, a more pro-Tamil Diaspora stand or rather a more pro-Sri Lankan Tamils stand, simply to gain a political mileage. In the next Lok Sabha Elections in 2014, they will use it as their main slogan in an effort to rouse communal sentiments to win the elections. During the 30 year war, only communal hardliners like Vaiko, the leader of the MDMK, were consistent and sincere to their cause of chauvinism. The DMK and ADMK are political key points. This situation compels the Indian Central Government to tread cautiously. One reason why I very much appreciate the recent statement of the Indian Foreign Minister, Salman Kurshid, is for this reason. I have repeated cautioned that we must be conscious of the ground realities of Tamil Nadu instead of over-reacting. I am sad to say that since independence we have failed in our diplomacy with regard to Tamil Nadu. History will find fault with us for that failure.  

Q: The Indian fishermen are continuing to poach for decades poising a grave threat to the aquatic resources and to the livelihood of thousands of fisher families of the North. But the Tamil Nadu leaders claiming to represent the interests of the Northern Tamils are mum on that issue. Does it imply ambivalence?

A: The question of fishermen from both sides - India and Sri Lanka - is a very sensitive question which we should tackle with extreme care and caution. We must deal with the Indian Central Government. The poaching, of course, is a common problem the world over, faced by littoral states. But this issue could be used as an instrument to stir and escalate feelings of the people on both sides, and also to strain relations between the two States.  

Q: Will the strong presence of China in the region, especially in Sri Lanka, lead to conflicts of interests between the two super powers and, consequently, have adverse repercussions on our country in the future?

A: Both China and India are rising giants in the world economy and, in particular, in the Asian region. We should realise that under the conditions of growing multi-polarity, the Western economic giants tend to use their global strategy and geo-political designs in order to escalate rivalry between the emerging economic giants. We must maintain equi-distance relations with the two Asian economic giants and should not allow Western powers to use our territory for their strategic designs. We must be aware of our strategic location.  

Q: The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has, in the recent months, targeted the Muslim community and this has posed the threat of leading to communal tensions. How do you think should this issue be handled?

A: It is a very unfortunate and a much disturbing development. We suffered enough in the 30 year-long conflict countering and defeating four Eelam Wars. Are we going to push the Muslims towards a demand for an Eelam in the Eastern Province? We must defuse this situation. I am happy that certain positive steps have been taken to defuse the situation. I do not want to make any comments just at this juncture because we are committed to find a solution to this sensitive question.  

Q: On the impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake your party had taken a stand quite opposed to that of other UPFA constituents. Do you still maintain the same stand on that matter?

A: It was my Party’s position. My party took that position even in the case of the impeachment of Chief Justice Neville Samarakoon.

Q: India's Janatha Party leader Subramanian Swamy, an internationally renowned political analyst and academic, who always stood by the Sri Lankan government with regard to the terrorist issue, has recently remarked that the US resolution will lead to the revival of the LTTE. Your comments on that please?

A: To me, it is an unrealistic assessment based on an over-estimate of the LTTE and an under-estimate of the US’s hidden agenda.  

Q: Citing flaws in our labour laws, presumably the best in the region, the GSP + facility was discontinued causing unemployment to thousands of garment workers and telling on our economy. Your views on that?

A: I do not want to underestimate effects of the world economic recession on our Exports though I agree that the withdrawal of GSP+ facility had its own adverse impact.  

Q: You have talked to daily about mismanagement of several billions of rupees by the National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF. But according to recent reports, a crop insurance levy of 1 percent from banks, insurance companies/corporations and finance companies is to be deposited with the NITF. As Chairman of the COPE will you ensure that these funds will be managed properly?

A: It was factually incorrect to say that there was a mismanagement of several billions of rupees. It is a fund whose earnings amount to several billions. We discussed many shortcomings, weaknesses, administrative and financial management problems. We advised them to put the house in order. We warned the Ministry officials too. Things are sometimes exaggerated in the media to make it more sensational.

Q: Can you please briefly tell what recommendations were made by the COPE to avert mismanagement of funds by public enterprises?

A: My COPE Report presented to the Parliament on December 1, 2011 contained a lot of general recommendations and also recommendations specific to each enterprise. There is a vast improvement since we undertook this oversight exercise. When I table the second report by the end of April, 2013, you will come to know those achievements. In the next report, we will also make far-reaching recommendations aimed at enhancing the financial discipline of the Public Enterprises. It is for the first time in the history of our legislature that we completed all the state institutions, numbering 235 in all, assigned to us within a calendar year  

Q: The BBC has always been anti-Sri Lankan Government. Following in that tradition, Channel 4 is hell bent on bringing discredit to our government and country in the international arena. Presumably the video clipping in question is a manoeuvre made by of unscrupulous elements looking for quick money. Do you think this document is authentic?

A: Again I should say that the BBC does not behave so, when a right-wing or a conservative Party is in power in Sri Lanka. After all, the BBC, like all other electronic media has its own political role and agenda. Whenever progressive regimes are in power, a destabilisation role is assigned to the media stations.

The Channel 4 episodes are all instruments or vehicles used for the destabilisation process. It has taken them four long years after the war on terrorism ended to show the world the dying Balachandran, son of Prabhakaran. This is fiction and not a fact cleverly manufactured.