Opinion:

Peaceful New Year due to sacrifices of soldiers:

Let's salute our heroes

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

The United Kingdom continues to harp on Sri Lanka's internal matters on a regular basis, as if they don't have any other problems to attend.

The UK experience numerous problems, including drug abuse, violent crime, teenage delinquency, family breakdown, welfare dependency, poor urban environments, educational failure, poverty, the loss of traditional values, teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, binge drinking, children who kill - all have been cited as proof that they have a broken society.

There are undoubtedly some serious social problems in Britain and while some things have got worse, many have improved. Moreover, perceptions of some problems are increasingly wide off the mark. Despite all these problems, British leaders waste a greater volume of their precious time to poke their fingers into Sri Lanka's internal matters.

Meanwhile, the interest shown by a British diplomat in Colombo, in what seems to be a high-profile case of drug trafficking involving suspects from at least three countries, has raised eyebrows in India, according to The Hindu newspaper.

On April 3, the Deputy High Commissioner at the British mission in Colombo sought an appointment with the Inspector General of Police N.K. Illangakoon to discuss a recent heroin heist. The diplomat had said a suspect arrested in connection with the case was an informant to one of Britain's officers in India. But the British High Commission has declined to comment to the media on the matter.

Three arrests

Confirming that the British mission sought a meeting with him, the IGP had said that he would prefer to meet them once the investigation is over. On March 6, Customs officials confiscated 35 kg of heroin at the Colombo harbour.

Soon after, they handed over the case to the narcotics wing for further investigation. Less than two weeks into the probe, police arrested three persons in connection with the case - a Pakistani national visiting Sri Lanka, a Canadian citizen of Sri Lankan origin, and a Sri Lankan national.

On March 18, police arrested the Pakistani national in Kandy, on charges of drug peddling. The drug consignment seized, was in the suspect's name. The following day, the Police arrested the Canadian citizen on charges of aiding the Pakistani national escape to Kandy.

The two were frequent visitors to Sri Lanka, according to the senior police official. While links between the British mission here, one of the suspects - the one said to be the informant to an officer in India - and the prime suspect remain unclear, the Inspector General maintained they had “sufficient evidence” to question the suspect in connection with this case.

Is this the good governance and the law of the land which the UK has been preaching? While pontificating to us on good governance and importance of the independence of the judiciary, British diplomats had sought an appointment with a hidden agenda. Was he expecting Sri Lanka to release the suspect? Is that what they practice back home?

Report

In contrast, the UK continues to issue report after report on Sri Lanka, passing their own judgements to suit the Western agenda. The 2013 Human Rights and Democracy Report, released by the Foreign Commonwealth Office said that the human rights situation in Sri Lanka has not improved during the past three months and placing Sri Lanka as country of concern.

“The human rights situation in Sri Lanka has not improved during the past three months. Reports from the north of detention and harassment of activists continued,” the report, officially released by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, said on Thursday.

None should take these reports seriously as they have been made to suit their hidden agenda. Why can't the West think more positively on Sri Lanka's praise-worthy achievements since the terrorism was eradicate in 2009. The country's economy galloped to a 7.3 percent growth in 2013 as against 6.7 percent posted in 2012 amidst challenging global and domestic challenges such as adverse weather, sanctions on Iranian oil imports and the global economic down turn.

According to the 2013 Central Bank's Annual report released last week, the continued infrastructure development program of the government contributed to the expansion of this economic activity.

The Per Capita Income has risen to USD 3,280 and is expected to go beyond the projected USD 4,000 mark in 2016, the report added. The report says that the service sector has made the largest contribution to the growth of the economy while the contribution from the manufacturing sector increased from 5.2 percent in 2012 to 7.5 percent by 2013.

The report said the service sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants and transport and communication sectors have shown a drastic growth. The foreign exchange reserves have also risen to a record level of US $ 7.5 billion and are sufficient for five months of import payments.

Control

Those who point an accusing finger against Sri Lanka should make a serious note on these commending achievements.

We could never have achieved these goals if the Security Forces had not crushed the LTTE terrorists in 2009. Certain countries in the West would like to see countries such as Sri Lanka struggling with never-ending problems so that they could take control by labelling the as 'failed states'. They could not do that to Sri Lanka as the true sons of our soil beat all overwhelming odds to usher in peace.

Certain LTTE quarters are making a desperate attempt to make a comeback with the help of the Tiger rump. Around 65 persons had been arrested for allegedly assisting in attempts to revive the now essentially defunct LTTE with the support of the overseas based pro-Tiger Tamil diaspora.

Officers of the Terrorist Investigation Department and Intelligence Units arrested the persons on suspicion of trying to rebuild the Tiger terrorist outfit. These people were apprehended within a period of two months following details unearthed during investigations into the activities of LTTE activists Gopi and a few others.

Desperate attempt

The suspects are mostly from Northern and Eastern provinces with a few from Colombo. Following interrogation, five of the arrested have been released. The suspects were arrested in accordance with laws under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and they have not been mistreated in any manner.

As per the law, a magistrate visits the detainees once every month and medical teams have been made available to the prisoners when necessary. The Government has granted permission to officials of the ICRC and other humanitarian organisations to visit the prisoners.

The LTTE rump is making a desperate attempt to woo international sympathy by claiming that the prisoners are being abused. These allegations as false and are hypothetical.

The Police continue to interrogate the suspects and so far they have unearthed valuable information regarding the activities of these LTTE supporters, their funding sources and those who back them. Nobody should be allowed to rob Sri Lanka's hard-earned peace.

Ponniah Selvanayagam Kajeeban alias Gobi, a former LTTE intelligence cadre, was among the three LTTE leaders who were shot dead by the Army during a clash at Vedivachchikallu in Nedunkerni, Welioya on Friday. The shoot-out occurred when a group of soldiers encircled a house in Nadunkerni on a tip off that the suspects were staying there. The three suspects had been identified as Gobi, Appan, and Thevian. The detectives had recovered arms, ammunition, explosives and other material from the hideout.

This is a clear indication that the LTTE terrorism is trying to raise its ugly head again. We should not leave any room for that. The threat could come in different forms, ranging from the UNHRC inquiry to the reconciliation.

No third party should be allowed to take part in mediation in whatever form as we have experience on how countries such as Norway exploited the roles entrusted on them. Certain countries in the West are attempting to ruin our hard-earned peace in the guise of reconciliation and 'helping' Sri Lanka. We do not need such help from any foreigner.

All what Sri Lanka needs are good and sincere friends who would support the country's ambitious forward match. Sri Lanka's economy grew at a rate of 7.2 per cent over the past financial year, making the island one of Asia's fastest-growing markets after China.

The successful issuance of a sovereign bond suggests that no extraneous factors deterred investors against a backdrop of heightened appetite for the emerging market and frontier debt. Sri Lanka sold US $ 500 million of five-year debt last week with a coupon of 5.125 per cent - its lowest to date - and attracted more than US $ four billion.

Terrorism

Interest was particularly strong from US investors, who took up almost half the deal. All these achievements have been made possible because the scourge of terrorism has been eliminated due to the supreme sacrifices by the Security Forces.

It is still fresh in our memories how we had spent Sinhala and Tamil New Year in mortal fear, not knowing when the LTTE would explode its next mass-scale bomb targeting the public. We feared to visit our relatives in the villages due to LTTE bomb scare.

That dark era ended almost five years ago with the vanquishing of the LTTE leadership. The peace and harmony we enjoy today and the peaceful New Year the one and all enjoy are due to the devotion, dedication and sacrifices of the Security Forces.

As we prepare to celebrate the New Year, let us remember those heroes with profound gratitude.

Some of them have paid the supreme sacrifice while many have lost their arms and limbs. They are our true New Year heroes. Let's salute them and show our gratitude for providing us a safer and peaceful New Year.