CHOGM will convince international community

It is common knowledge how LTTE terrorists and their supporters the world over had exploited international summits to mislead the world community during the 2006-2009 humanitarian operation.

They targeted international fora such as the United Nations General Assembly, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and UN Human Rights Council sessions to fortify their campaign against Sri Lanka and woo international sympathy.

Even after the world's most ruthless terrorist outfit was crushed militarily in May 2009, the LTTE henchmen and a section of the Tamil Diaspora have continued to make use of such international assemblies to sully Sri Lanka's image.

There is no exception this time around as Sri Lanka readies itself to host the 2013 CHOGM in November. The LTTE cohorts did their damnedest to pressurise Commonwealth countries and deny Sri Lanka the opportunity of hosting the 2013 summit. Having failed miserably in their attempts to take CHOGM 2013 away from Sri Lanka, these diabolical elements are now operating in a clandestine manner to discredit the country and exert international pressure against the democratically elected Government of Sri Lanka.

The screening of Flying Fish, the controversial film, under the patronage of the French Embassy in Colombo and subsequent plans to show it at the French Film Festival, the malicious statement by Callum Macrae and the role played by the controversial Channel 4 are by no means mere isolated incidents, but a well-orchestrated campaign by LTTE cohorts, targeting the 2013 CHOGM. Simultaneously, certain so-called media personalities such as Macrae are working overtime to project a dismal picture by making a hue and cry on media accreditation for the 2013 CHOGM.

Macrae who directed the notorious 'No Fire Zone' video for Channel 4 has openly said that he could sleep only when Mahinda Rajapaksa and other "war criminals" are brought before a War Crimes Tribunal. His ulterior motive came to light when Macrae addressed a Tamil Cultural Meeting in Canada recently, organised by the Canadian Tamil Centre, an LTTE front organisation.

TNA's S. Sridharan who had "represented" Sri Lanka was quick to respond to Macrae, saying that "the day that happens is not far off". A large number of LTTE activists from the far-flung corners of the world participated in the event in Canada, where the LTTE Diaspora honoured Macrae with a special award.

It is crystal clear how Macrae had manoeuvred his so-called independent media to discredit Sri Lanka in the eyes of the world on several occasions. Understandably, he has a score to settle to appease the LTTE cohorts who are evidently funding his malicious anti-Sri Lanka campaign. Everybody knows that Macrae was taken into custody in Malaysia recently when he attempted to launch his documentary film, No Fire Zone.

He later arrived in Canada for the event at which the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) Chief Rev. S.T. Emmanuel, an LTTE leader domiciled in the UK, was a special guest. It was reported that Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa too had been taken to task.

The self-styled independent media activist Macrae's true colours became self-evident from his lectures and films tainted with the LTTE trademark.

Meanwhile, Mangala Samaraweera, who is languishing in the political wilderness since abandoning the SLFP, has sent a lengthy missive to the Commonwealth representatives, raising war crime charges against Sri Lanka's leaders who had given fearless leadership to the country's battle against terrorism.

People such as Sridharan and Samaraweera who played the roles of traitors, should make an unconditional apology to the nation for instigating Macrae to suggest that the President and the Defence Secretary, who ushered in peace and freedom in the country after overcoming the greatest challenge of defeating terrorism, should be hauled before a war crimes tribunal.

Had it not been for the far-sightedness of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, liberating Sri Lanka from three decades of brutal terrorism unleashed by Velupillai Prabhakaran would have been only a pipe-dream. The President's unmatched political leadership and the right military strategies of the Defence Secretary helped Sri Lanka to defeat all overwhelming odds and become the first country to eradicate terrorism, thereby ensuring a bright future for all communities to live in peace in Sri Lanka.

The role played by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara, the director of the controversial Sinhala movie Igilena Maluwo (Flying Fish) is akin or perhaps even worse than that of Macrae. This bears out Pushpakumara's greed for Western recognition and foreign funding. His controversial film tries to bring the Government and the Security Forces into disrepute.

The film has been banned in Sri Lanka and steps have been taken to institute legal action against the producer who had failed to obtain permission to use military uniforms in the movie. The role enacted by the French Embassy in Sri Lanka in producing the film is also questionable.

It has now come to light that the French Embassy in Sri Lanka, which produced and screened the defamatory film, had even permitted children to view it, despite several explicit and 'nothing left to the imagination' sex scenes of long duration. Adults in the audience had said that some scenes of the film are tantamount to pornography.

French Embassy sources claimed that they had obtained a limited showing certificate for the film. However, a limited engagement embassy showing as a so-called private screening could not extend an open invitation to all and sundry in the Western Province. Foreign missions in Sri Lanka should know their boundaries, follow diplomatic protocol and desist from playing any role in producing or screening a film that brings the Security Forces of a sovereign State into disrepute.

Any type of film cannot be produced under the guise of arts for arts sake isolation as it has to take into account the social realities and the social context.

Had Pushpakumara's Igilena Maluwo been shown to local audiences, the masses would have responded sharply to the local goons who directed it and those who had funded such crap. Pushpakumara has proved to be the local Macrae in supporting the Tiger cohorts to discredit Sri Lanka and its valiant Security Forces who sacrificed their life and limb to liberate over half a million people from the clutches of LTTE terror.

It wouldn't be surprising if the LTTE cohorts and Tiger sympathisers among the Tamil Diaspora resort to even worse things in the coming months. They are working round-the-clock to put their plans in motion and use the forthcoming CHOGM to tarnish the host nation's image.

As President Rajapaksa had pointed out, the honour, responsibility and privilege of hosting the 2013 CHOGM in Sri Lanka should ignite feelings of national pride. He has instructed all officials to ensure that there is full participation as leaders of all 53 Commonwealth countries will participate in the principal policy and decision-making forum.

The 2013 CHOGM will enhance the country's stature internationally and enable Sri Lanka to showcase its steady progress after vanquishing LTTE terrorist leaders over four years ago. It would give Sri Lanka a golden opportunity to showcase its political stability and tranquillity to counter the misinformation that has been spread by disgruntled elements to achieve their narrow partisan objectives.

Sri Lanka is at an advantage in terms of political stability and tranquillity in the subcontinent, without which there will be no investments.

The Commonwealth Business Forum which will be held on the sidelines of the 2013 CHOGM would help the nation to project itself as a major shipping and aviation hub in the region.

The international community could no longer be taken for a ride by Tiger cohorts' false campaigns or concocted stories to woo international sympathy. All those visiting Sri Lanka for CHOGM would get the correct picture on the true ground situation in Sri Lanka, which is just opposite of what the LTTE cohorts have been projecting in the West.

No force on earth could rob Sri Lanka's hard-earned peace and Sri Lanka must make the optimum use of CHOGM to enlighten the international community on Sri Lanka's landmark achievements under President Rajapaksa's dynamic leadership.