Opinion:

Western nations don't practise what they preach

By K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

The dawn of the New Year in a couple of days time will open another crucial chapter for Sri Lanka as the countdown to the next United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) sessions would begin.

In two successive years at UNHRC Sessions in Geneva, India supported the back to back proposals brought by the United States against Sri Lanka. Will India make it a hat trick is yet to be known.

Sri Lanka has always maintained cordial relations with its neighbouring countries. Indo-Lanka relations have always been a top priority in Sri Lanka's foreign policy.

But much to the disappointment of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, India voted in support of the US-led Resolution brought against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC Sessions almost two years ago. India did the identical when US brought another Resolution against Sri Lanka last year.

Indian diplomat

But it seems that US has taught a different lesson on human rights to India after the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade.

She was arrested on the street while she was dropping her daughter to school and was later released on a USD 250,000 bail.

She was later strip-searched in custody and made to stand with common criminals, drug addicts and sex workers by the New York Police.

The 39-year-old Indian female diplomat was granted personal exemption in the alleged visa fraud case in the United States on Monday.

Meanwhile, the US has asked for more time to file the information related to visa and other relevant details of people who have been employed by them and their officers in India.

The new Indian Ambassador to US, S. Jaishankar, is due to be in Washington on Tuesday amid a standoff between the two countries over the arrest of a high ranking Indian diplomat on charges of alleged visa fraud.

The arrest of Khobragade created a furor with India demanding an apology from the US over the mistreatment meted out to the Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate in New York.

While US continues to maintain its stand, India has withdrawn several privileges that were being given to US diplomats and has asked the American diplomats and consulate staff to submit their identity cards. They will be issued with fresh identity cards which will entitle them to benefits similar to the ones given to Indian diplomats in the US.

Sweeping statements

Though the US talks big on human rights, that was how they have treated a senior diplomat of another country. Yet, they continue to pontificate to us on human rights.

Then comes another story from a country which boasts of five-star democracy. British Prime Minister David Cameron made sweeping statements during his visit here for the CHOGM 2013 and even went to the extent of setting deadlines to Sri Lanka.

Western countries such as the UK project themselves as the godfathers of human rights and the champions of media freedom. But when it comes to practicing those, it is a different story altogether.

The Head of the BBC Sinhala Service - Sandeshaya, Priyath Liyanage who aired a news bulletin unfavourable to the controversial BBC World Service documentary "Sri Lanka's Unfinished War" by Frances Harrison, has been suspended with immediate effect.

Liyanage who had authorised a three-minute voice cut with defensive comments from Military Spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya in response to the Harrison's documentary on abuses and human rights violations in the North during the last stages of the war is believed to have triggered the removal of the former from his position.

Liyanage suspended

The BBC has even gone to the extent of removing the said news bulletin from its list of archives of the Sinhala Service. It was broadcast following Harrison's documentary was screened for the first time on BBC World Service on November 9.

Reports said that the BBC had suspended Liyanage who himself conducted the bulletin filled with the interview of Military Spokesman had allegedly intended to attack Harrison's documentary on Sri Lanka.

Interestingly, a non-Sinhala supervisor, Dejan Radojevic, (BBC World Service Europe Editor) has been appointed to head an all- Sinhala staff of Sinhala Service - for the first time in the BBC history. The staff of experienced media workers attached to the Sinhala Service office in London are only being used to translate news items gathered from other Sri Lankan news portals and publications.

These are mere two instances which the countries of the West have demonstrated their true nature. Though they often preach us on human rights democracy, these are they way they conduct themselves. But certain Western countries are still making a bug hue and cry over human rights of the LTTE terrorists killed in action. They seem to be believing concocted stories and doctored videos telecast by controversial television channels such as Channel 4.

Chairman of the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Professor P. W. Epasinghe has said that experts who have extensively studied the videos produced by Channel 4 have clearly stated that these videos are forgeries.

Prof Epasinghe recently decried the misuse of technology and reminded the audience that the country had witnessed the negative impact of the controversial video 'Channel 4'. "We all know how technology could be used against humanity and the stability of an emerging nation like Sri Lanka.

Video forgery

Some media organizations sometimes misuse technology to fulfill their own agendas. Some misuse technology, especially communication technology to achieve their individual objectives. As the citizens of this country, we all witnessed the negative impact of the controversial video, 'Channel 4' attempting to disseminate falsehood about the last days of the humanitarian operation in the North. According to the subject specialists, Video Forgery is a technique for generating fake video by altering, combining, or creating new video contents," he was quoted as saying.

The videos produced by Channel 4 have been extensively studied by experts who have stated in no uncertain terms that they are forgeries.

At a time all other countries have failed in their anti-terrorism operations, the achievements of Sri Lanka's Security Forces against the deadliest terrorist outfit are indeed commendable. Instead of hailing those herculean efforts and saving the future of over 21 million people here, these Western countries continue to shed crocodile tears on human rights of the LTTE terrorists killed in action.

Even the world's most advanced armies have failed in their battles against terror. The US-led NATO Forces have painted a dismal picture in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

As External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has pointed out, Sri Lanka is fully able to undertake the tasks set out by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and to guarantee the rights of its citizens.

Complex situation

Sri Lanka has the institutions, the resources and the will to take forward the rebuilding of our country, continue strengthening our economy, and ensuring a decent life for all, no matter their religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. It has been a little more than four years since the battle against LTTE terror was vanquished and signs of progress are visible everywhere you go in our nation.

Amidst the complex situation left by a conflict of almost 30 years, the Government, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has had to establish priorities among the almost 300 tasks fixed by the Reconciliation Commission.

Mine clearing in the north of the country is complete and more than 11,000 former LTTE members have been rehabilitated and reinserted in society, with equal rights, Peiris said.

By virtue of an intense investment program and the recovery of productive activities such as fishing and agriculture, the economy of the northern province (where the population is mostly Tamil) grew by 22 percent in recent years, compared to a national rate of seven percent.

The reconstruction of homes, highways, schools, hospitals and other social projects and the reinsertion of more than 400,000 people displaced by the LTTE terror, along with the search for thousands of missing people are other tasks requiring more time but showing progress.

International pressure

In March 2012 and March 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved two resolutions that urged Sri Lanka to speed up the application of the Reconciliation Commission's recommendations. In March next year, the UNHRC will review the topic and many Western countries will probably propose that Sri Lanka submit to an independent international investigation to observe the rights of ethnic minorities.

But the threatening and the international pressure are not the path for us to go forward. The international community should give Sri Lanka a vote of trust, because the Sri Lankan government has the greatest will to do things right and is dedicating great resources to reconciliation and reconstruction. We have the institutions to solve our problems.

As Minister Peiris has pointed out, it is a mistake to apply selective and subjective standards to Sri Lanka. The UNHRC must consider the facts, by their own merits. Certain Western governments are against the independent path taken by Sri Lanka, and together to former LTTE members who went abroad with a lot of financial resources, have started a campaign of discredit.

The international community should not be mislead by the sinister campaigns of the LTTE rump and Tiger sympathisers.

It will be a decisive period ahead for Sri Lanka as certain countries appear to be either misled by the false campaigns of the LTTE rump or ill-informed.

What matters is for all communities here to be united to face the threat posed by the LTTE rump and certain Western politicians who thrive on Tamil Diaspora funding. Sri Lanka has nothing to hide. Sri Lanka needs friends to have a greater reconciliation and development and not arbitrators whose conduct would disrupt the hard-earned peace.