Let's unite to face the challenge

Next Saturday's elections would not be a mere poll to elect members to the Western and Southern Provincial Councils but an indirect referendum at which the international community could gauge the Government's popularity.

There is no doubt, whatsoever, that the ruling UPFA would romp home at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. At a time the international community is going hammer and tongs against Sri Lanka and those with vested interests are attempting to exploit the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to put the LTTE rump's agenda in motion, the masses should wholeheartedly support the Government.

The best response the masses could give these sinister forces, which are attempting to take Sri Lanka to task, is to ensure a resounding victory for the UPFA at the polls. Another landslide victory for the UPFA at the Provincial Council elections would silence all critics, both here and abroad. More importantly, it would send a strong signal to the international community that the masses continue to repose implicit faith in President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UPFA Government.

With the masses unflinching support to the Head of State and the Government, the international community would need to ponder seriously before taking any high-handed action against Sri Lanka. Unlike some influential Western countries, which could bring about regime changes that would dance to their tune, no force on earth could do anything to Sri Lanka as long as the masses support the national leadership.

Had it not been for the overwhelming support the President and the Government had received, the UPFA's resounding election victories from 2005, certain Western elements would have meddled in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka to a greater extent. Thanks to the President's ever-increasing popularity and his fearless foreign policy, Sri Lanka has won new friends. As a result those Western countries which are trying to intimidate Sri Lanka, are somewhat reluctant to take any drastic action against the country.

President Rajapaksa's illustrious leadership has won him new global friends and they had strongly supported Sri Lanka during the 2006-2009 battle against terrorism. As long as the masses continue to repose faith in the President and these friendly countries support his leadership, no force on earth could harm Sri Lanka. It is needless to state that the emerging threat of the regrouping of the LTTE terrorists, is pampered by the ongoing UNHRC sessions. The irresponsible and sweeping statements at the UNHRC by certain quarters would invariably renew fresh hopes in the LTTE rump which is making every endeavour to make a comeback after the May 2009 military defeat of the world's most ruthless terrorist outfit.

The UNHRC or Western countries, for that matter, should not get their priorities mixed up and intimidate Sri Lanka, paying scant regard to its national security in the guise of human rights. While the US is going that extra mile in the guise of national security and trying to take whatever action it deems fit, the West expects Sri Lanka to ignore the grave security concerns and permit terrorist suspects to go scot free. The US must bear in mind that Sri Lanka too has an inalienable right when it comes to the country's national security.

Sri Lanka had duly informed the UNHRC in Geneva last week that the country's law enforcement authorities need to take national security into consideration as a prominent LTTE operative now in Sri Lanka was actively involved in trying to revive the LTTE by regrouping LTTE cadres.

Investigations had revealed that K.P. Selvanayagam who had returned to Sri Lanka recently, was actively involved in reviving the LTTE by regrouping ex-Tiger cadres and recruiting unemployed local youth in the hope of using them for terrorism.

Hence, the Western countries and the so-called godfathers of human rights, who were in the land of nod when Sri Lanka was at the receiving end of brutal LTTE terror, should desist from issuing verbose statements when a legal arrest is being made following intelligence reports.

The recent arrest of Balendran Jeyakumari, the detention of Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen had been apparently misinterpreted by the LTTE rump. The arrest of these LTTE operatives headed by Gobi was purely to recover the arms cachés hidden by the LTTE prior to its defeat.

Gobi, the key person directing the operations, had been evading arrest. Following investigations, the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) had recovered an arms caché including mortar and RPG type live ammunition, three hand grenades, 2.5 kg claymore bomb and ammunition for T-56 weapons.

Following the recovery, and a lead on the whereabouts of Gobi, a team of police officers visited the residence of Jeyakumari in Kilinochchi. During the ensuing search operation Gobi had fired at the police, injuring a sub-Inspector and decamped.

The landlady Jeyakumari and her daughter Vibooshika had been with Gobi at the time when he escaped. A Menelab F-3 type mine detector was also recovered. Hence, the authorities had no option but to arrest Jeyakumari for aiding and abetting Gobi. Since Jeyakumari had been unable to get a caregiver or relative to keep her 13-year-old daughter, she was produced before the Kilinochchi Magistrate. On the Magistrate's order, Vibooshika was placed under the care of the Probation and Child Care Services. Fernando and Fr. Maheshan were subsequently released by the Fort Magistrate in the early hours of Wednesday.

It was most unbecoming that Ananthi Sasitharan, an elected member of the Northern Provincial Council, had misrepresented the case at the UNHRC sessions and tried to show it as an arrest of a child who had participated in protests. Sasitharan, despite being a member of a provincial administration, made irresponsible statements in the Council using the time allocated to two NGOs.

It is unpardonable that Sasitharan, in her statements to the UNHRC, referred to 'Tamil Eelam' had failed to adhere to the language of the United Nations, and moreover, in violation of the Constitution she has pledged to uphold as a member of the Provincial Council.

The detention of Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen under the PTA was purely in connection with the investigations on attempts to revive the LTTE by operatives, which included the recovery of the arms caché at Vishwamadu and the shooting incident in Dharmapuram involving Gobi. Investigations had also revealed that Fernando and Father Praveen had been in Kilinochchi engaging with persons linked to Gobi. They were questioned to ascertain Gobi's whereabouts. The course of action taken by the law enforcement authorities, is well within the country's legal framework. The new development underscores the need to be vigilant over the activities of the remnants of the terrorist group, in view of its bearing on national security. It is a pity that the UNHRC had provided a platform to pamper terrorists in the guise of protecting human rights.

The UNHRC was set up with a good intention and sincere goal of protecting human rights across the globe. But the time is now opportune to see whether it is still working towards that goal. Of late, the UNHRC seems to be dictated by a few Western countries which uses the world's human rights watchdog as an effective tool to intimidate countries which do not fall in line with their thinking. This abominable practice should be stopped forthwith.

Sri Lanka had quite rightly pointed out that the revised US draft resolution on Sri Lanka attempts to initiate an international inquiry mechanism on Sri Lanka and that such a move violates the UNHRC's founding principles.

The UNHRC's attempt in the latest resolution on Sri Lanka, seeks to hold an inquiry under the guise of an 'investigation' by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and is no less than an effort to initiate an international inquiry mechanism. Sri Lanka is committed to move forward with the domestic process it had put in place to address issues after the defeat of terrorism. Sri Lanka has shown its commitment in no uncertain terms in its comprehensive reconciliation through the significant advances on many fronts. This includes the process set in place to address accountability issues.

The best way to convince the international community is by demonstrating the nation's unbridled support to the President and the Government.