High Commissioner in Australia :

Lanka can handle its own affairs

Sri Lanka has dismissed calls for its suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth and complained to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs about the latest demand by a group of Australian academics, politicians and human rights campaigners that unless Sri Lanka cooperates with an independent investigation into alleged war crimes, it be suspended from the Council.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Australia, former Navy Commander, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, argued that the group is acting on “unsubstantiated evidence” and campaigning for the wrong reasons.

In an interview with Radio Australia recently, High Commissioner Samarasinghe said, there is no prospect of Sri Lanka agreeing to an international investigation because no war crimes were committed by the Government. The radio interview was conducted by Cameron Wilson.

SAMARASINGHE: I wish to very categorically emphasise that the call for suspension of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth is unfounded. They (the Australian group) are acting on unsubstantiated evidence or front organisations trying to campaign against Sri Lanka, not for the right reasons.

They are seeing Sri Lanka flourishing, reconciliation is taking place, economic indicators are encouraging and the reconciliation that is taking place in Sri Lanka is not witnessed by the organisations which are propagating these things. So, it is not to their liking, the progress that Sri Lanka is making after defeating the most ruthless terrorist organisation. It appears that to these people, the terrorists being defeated is not the right thing that should have happened.

Q: But that does not really seem to be in line with the claims that are being made here, because the group wants an investigation on the actions of both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE. If that’s the case, how can you say they’re acting on behalf of a front group?

A: That is up to them to say whatever they wish to claim, but Sri Lanka as an independent country, independent nation, had an uprising of terrorists with air, sea and land capability and Sri Lanka internally, within its resources, fought this terrorism. There was a military approach to save the civil population from being tormented by terrorists. There was systematic and deliberate targeting of civilians by the terrorists, so this campaign against the terrorists was successful militarily. Having done that, reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction is taking place, so there need not be.... there were no war crimes committed in Sri Lanka.

Unsubstantiated

Q: But if the Sri Lankan Government is comfortable with its actions during this period, why not agree to an independent war crimes tribunal to appease some of these criticisms that you’re now seeing around the world?

A: The criticism around the world is not substantiated. There are mechanisms within the Sri Lankan Government, a democratic government, a judiciary which is tested and tried. There are systems we have adopted to look into any allegations within our systems, and if such allegations or any complaints are received, they will be looked into.

The system is capable, as a democratic country, judicially to handle it. There need not be, in my opinion, an international investigation and therefore these front organisations’ claims, made for no reason, are unfounded and we will not permit our country’s image to be tarnished by these front organisations using foreign soil.

Q: So can you see no prospect of Sri Lanka agreeing to this demand for an international independent war crimes tribunal?

A: Of course, no.

Q: Would it be beneficial to Sri Lankan society to some extent for the Government to acknowledge that during times of strife, both sides to a conflict commit acts that they are probably not proud of in hindsight, but that is part of a conflict. Why not acknowledge that and try and aid the reconciliation in your country?

A: In my opinion, it was a conflict, but it was not a war internally, so we have set up mechanisms to address these issues within Sri Lanka. It is to our benefit that we go through this Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission so that such a situation would never arise in my country. So, it is up to the Sri Lankan Government with the help of friendly countries to see that, so that it would not happen again.

It is towards that end that the Sri Lankan Government has set out a strategic plan for reconciliation and reconstruction and the people are being engaged, elections are being held. The President, Gallop Polls say, retains a popularity of over 91 percent. Elections were held, economic indicators are showing growth of over eight percent and unemployment has come down to 4.9 percent. It is such a country that we are dealing with.

We have a democracy which is tried and tested. Our democratically elected leadership has, in almost all instances, served the full term. The leadership has changed through a ballot. So we have handled a difficult situation and it is up to the Government to see that the population is given the opportunity to air their views, the mechanisms are available. The Sri Lankan Government can easily handle this issue internally and solve other problems internally like we defeated the most ruthless terrorist organisation with an internal conflict management system, militarily defeating the terrorists and bringing the population into freedom, after 30 long years and we need to now look after those grass-roots level civilians. North and East development is taking place; the growth is over 14 to 15 percent, the gaps are narrowing.

Australia -Lanka relations

Q: But High Commissioner, if I can just bring you back to the question of this call for Sri Lanka’s ban from the Councils of the Commonwealth. This is the call that’s been made by a group of academics, Greens politicians and the like. How damaging would it be to Australian-Sri Lankan relations if Julia Gillard (Australian Prime Minister) actually backs these calls, supports these calls?

A: I’m confident that our friendship is deeply rooted, we have had diplomatic relations with this great country since 1949; we are one of the few countries who established such relations among the rest of the world. I do not see the government of Australia even considering such suggestions, of Sri Lanka being suspended from the Commonwealth.

Our country’s progress is too obvious and our efforts are transparent and I do not see any such situation. We just (in a lighter vein), had your great cricket team playing very friendly games in Sri Lanka and there were plenty of Australians enjoying Sri Lankan hospitality and tourism is booming. We are reaching two million tourist arrivals, that will be in a couple of years, so such a country cannot be dismissed in that sense.

Q: Can I bring you back to my initial question, which I’m still not sure that we have an answer to. Did you express any unhappiness to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) about the fact that this meeting has taken place in Canberra and there is this campaign being pushed by some people?

A: I made my concerns known to my channels of communication with the Australian government through the DFAT. We are not happy with such groups getting together when we consider the type of participants who are biased and who are seeking the separation of my country are still taking part. So I have made our concerns known to the government through the Department, DFAT, and it is my duty and obligation to keep our concerns known to the government of Australia.

Q: Can you confirm for us, looking ahead to next month, that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be attending the planned CHOGM meeting in Perth?

A: Yes, of course, he’s been invited by the honourable Prime Minister (Australia) and from the Commonwealth to attend the meeting and President Rajapaksa has accepted in writing. The letter was delivered by me to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so the President is attending.

Public reaction

Q: Are you concerned at all about the type of public reaction there will be in Australia to President Rajapaksa’s visit?

A: I’m aware through various sources that there will be a public response. I’m sure there’ll be positive as well as negative responses. But these facts, in a free and fair country, a democratic country is always possible, so we are aware of it and we will take the appropriate measures to see that there are no unwanted situations. We have discussed, shared what other information with the relevant authorities and CHOGM and we look forward to it.

Q: What would you be trying to stop protests or gatherings from taking place?

A: I don’t think you should know whether I could stop it. I will try to convince the people concerned. I have already engaged in a dialogue with all the communities, not only in Western Australia, but in other parts of Australia as a part of my reconciliation strategy to bring all communities together and move forward in supporting the people in the North and East and the rest of Sri Lanka.

So, it is my effort to see that such negative protests would not be there, but the system of security is in the hands of the Australian government and we will be depending on the mechanism in place that unwanted situations would not take place.

Q: What about the reaction from other leaders attending the meeting? Are you expecting any hostility from other leaders there to the President’s visit?

A: There can’t be any hostilities for a leader with over 40 years of democratic experience in politics. That leader has been elected twice as the Head of State and has been a Member of Parliament, Minister in various governments, Opposition Leader, and with an overwhelming majority was selected for the second term and enjoys a 91 percent popularity rate in the country that he leads. So other leaders will know President Rajapaksa’s background and what he has delivered to the people of his country.