|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 4 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Armitage and American Standard - symbols of US policy on Sri Lanka by Lucien Rajakarunanayake
For those who have been following the ups and downs of what is referred to as the impasse in Sri Lanka's peace process or the political tug-of-war over the control of the island's defence, it's time to be on the alert. The self-appointed international policeman in the form of the US of A has said it is fast losing patience over the issue. It is said by no less a person than Mr. Richard Armitage, the Deputy Secretary of State, of what many see as an emerging police state, where visiting journalists are handcuffed and paraded at airports over visa issues in the land of the First Amendment that ensures Freedom of Speech and the Press. Human Rights activists, journalists and media organizations have lodged strong protests about this treatment of foreign journalists, but the International Policeman does not care, as long as the increasingly truncated American Freedom and way of life, as George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice see it, is protected. Policeman We must all take note that it is not very healthy to test the patience of this policeman. It is playing its role as Milinda Moragoda wanted it to, and went even further to say that countries such as Sri Lanka should accept the hegemony of the US of A. What's more we had our Prime Minister go one better and praise George Bush for the invasion of Iraq at the UN General Assembly, and also stressed the need for someone (who else but Bush & Co.) to police the world. As we see the latest statements from Washington, it appears they realize it's time now for the US to show its gratitude for such self-humiliating support. As the spokesman for the US State Department has said, after a meeting Mr. Armitage had with the same Minister Moragoda, the US Deputy Secretary of State had said "that the current domestic political crisis, precipitated in Colombo during the Prime Minister's Washington visit, will have a negative impact on the peace process until a clarification of responsibilities that would allow the Prime Minister to resume peace negotiations can be found." The Deputy Secretary also said "the current political impasse in Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to continue", and added that he will consult with the other donor co-chairs - Norway, Japan, and the European Union - to define a way forward after taking stock of the situation. There are key words in this statement worth taking note of. It refers to the "current domestic political crisis, precipitated in Colombo during the Prime Minister's Washington visit". There lies the cause for US impatience. If there is a crisis, it was precipitated during the Prime Minister's visit to the Holy of Holies of today's power equation, Washington. How can such sacrilege go unpunished? No matter that in a country, which speaks so much of the Rule of Law and its courts are sticklers for constitutional propriety that this precipitated crisis, is entirely due to the President upholding her constitutional rights, and that too with the sanction of this country's Supreme Court. Such matters are of little importance to an angered international policeman, who is so eager to help his friend. Therefore, says the all powerful US State Department, this crisis "will have a negative impact on the peace process until a clarification of responsibilities that would allow the Prime Minister to resume peace negotiations can be found." When so many offers have been made to give a wide range of powers over defence to the Prime Minister, the US State Department needs further clarification of such responsibilities for the Prime Minister to get his own green light. In other words what Mr. Armitage says is to give unto the Prime Minister what he keeps demanding, total control over Defence, which somehow is a violation of our Constitution. It's like saying give unto Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, power to declare war in the name of the US of A, instead of it being an act done by the President with the approval of Congress, as required by the US Constitution. Then comes the real warning Armitage (replace USA) believes, "the current political impasse in Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to continue ....." Ominous words indeed to come from such quarters. The catch is in the aid package of US $ 4.5 billion pledged at Tokyo, linked to the progress of the peace process. Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe wants the aid package desperately, and so does the LTTE. With the turns and twists of US Foreign Policy, such as working together with Saddam Hussein and helping him use Weapons of Mass Destruction against Iran and the Kurds, and later turning against him because of unconfirmed reports that he had any more of such weapons, the US that has listed the LTTE as an international terrorist organization, can always find a sanitized way, or even a crude and unconcealed way of sending part of those dollars direct to the LTTE for reconstruction in areas under its own control. In fact it effectively controls both the World Bank and IMF, and its current proxy Japan, controls the ADB. In a situation where the LTTE has submitted proposals for an Internal Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for the North & East, which the same State Department has described as far beyond any federal solution, and its oft repeated condemnation of the LTTE's child recruitment, violent opposition to political pluralism among Tamils and the abduction and extortion being regularly carried out by the LTTE, it is all very easy for the US of A to do an about turn, and find the Tigers to be cuddly toys in the arms of a Prime Minister whining for all powers over defence. There are other options too for the US that are readily available. One is the simple process of regime change, with Tony Blair, Poland, Bulgaria, Italy and of course Japan too, ready to cheer. If current trends continue it may not even be the US that will be directly involved in regime change here. There are today the very real fears of the re-emergence of Japan as a military power, readily backed by the US to do its bidding. Today Japan can easily combine guns with all its aid to revive its once horrendous dream of a Region of Co-prosperity, with Sri Lanka among its first "beneficiaries" with the blessings of the USA. We now realize that all of the Prime Minister's talk of an international safety net to prevent the LTTE from resuming war was in fact a safety net to keep him in office, and prevent a great fall if the talks do fail. There have been many occasions when the US, in reference to Sri Lankan political developments stated it did not wish to be involved in the internal politics of this country. What it is doing with this unconcealed expression of impatience over political developments here is its direct involvement in our internal affairs. The US has now made clear that it wants the Prime Minister to lead the "peace process" and none other, and with all the powers that he wants for himself. With the bait of the US$ 4.5 billion offer to further peace, the US and others who will possibly fall in line with this thinking to bring pressure on the Sri Lankan State, must be exposed for what they are. If they persist with this approach they will be co-conspirators with the UNP and LTTE to barter away the sovereignty of this country and its territorial integrity. With the electoral calculations of the LTTE, it will be easy for the US and its other allies in Ranil's safety net, to say the LTTE has obtained a popular, democratic mandate from the North & East for separation. So to hell with the Sri Lankan Constitution, just as Ranil says today, and Armitage now clearly endorses, in his demand to control all of defence, without giving any valid reason as to why it should be so. LTTE and UNP No one seems to care a damn about what the Prime Minister, if given all of defence (unconstitutionally) will discuss with the LTTE about its proposals for an ISGA. What is holding back a statement of the UNF administration's basic response to some very significant matters in these proposals? If that is done, this so-called impasse in the peace process brought about in actuality by the well-engineered plans of the LTTE and UNP, could well be broken. Or is it that Ranil knows well that he cannot deliver on his pledge of peace and the so-called mandate he received for peace, with the LTTE calling trumps in this round? My association with the name Armitage goes to many years back, when it was a well known brand of sanitary ware, said to be made of the best vitreous china. That was before American Standard made its own name. My suggestion is that while taking note of the warnings of Richard Armitage, who has now come out with the true intent of the American Standard on today's developments in Sri Lanka, it is time we did what both Armitage and American Standard are meant for. Just flush it all down the drain, even if Moragoda too goes down with glee to be in such company. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
