CHOGM takes Australia- Sri Lanka ties to greater heights

By Ranil Wijayapala

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) concluded last Sunday on a positive note and has indicated a sea of change in the attitude of world leaders on the Sri Lanka situation despite the campaign carried out by vested interests calling for international investigations on incident that they were not even sure if it had taken place in Sri Lanka in the final days of the humanitarian operation.

Tony Abott, Australian premier stood firm praising the Sri Lanka government for the achievements made in the post -conflict period saying that Sri Lanka had waded past many troubles and today enjoyed more freedom and prosperity. "Obviously there is more to be done, but much progress has been made, and the fact that Sri Lanka is prepared to showcase itself in this way to the wider Commonwealth shows the goodwill and the good intentions of the Sri Lankan government", Australian Premier Tony Abott told the media on board the Sri Lanka Navy vessel 'Sayura'.

Not only did he praise the achievements Sri Lanka had made, the Australian Premier also promised to donate two large Bay Class patrol vessels to the Sri Lanka Navy to increase patrolling of the Sri Lankan territorial waters in combating illegal migrants to Australia.

According to Thisara Samarasinghe, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia the goodwill gesture of the Australian premier did not come as a surprise but as a result of the stock taking by the Australian Government over the Sri Lankan situation based on their own observations and also based on the briefings by the Sri Lankan government.

Commenting on the Australian government's decision to participate in CHOGM despite pressure from certain countries, Admiral Samarasinghe said even before the change of Government, Australia was firmly decided to participate in the event and then Foreign Minister Bob Carr had made an announcement to this effect.

"Therefore their participation was not in doubt in spite of pressure brought on the Australian Government both to the former Government and the current Government to deviate from their decision", he said.

"They took such a stance not because they had to participate in this but because they were convinced that the Sri Lankan situation is far better than what it was and that their foreign policy is to engage with such a country", High Commissioner Admiral Samarasinghe said.

Australia acknowledges, that Sri Lanka has faced 30 years of brutal, savage terrorism and according to Prime Minister Tony Abott and Senator Bob Carr, Sri Lanka had to defeat such a fierce onslaught by terrorists with conventional weapons and aircraft.

"Therefore, they understand the ferocity and magnitude of the terrorism we had to face and they gave the due credit to Sri Lanka for defeating terrorism.

They do not label terrorists other than being brutal", he said.

The visit of Senator Bob Carr to Sri Lanka last December as well as the visit of the current Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and t Minister of Immigration, Scott Morrison to Sri Lanka in January facilitated them to see the reality on the ground.

To convince the Australian Government, the Sri Lankan High Commission in Australia educated both sides of Parliament and the senators of the Australian parliament about the truth of the final stages of the conflict and the entire 30 years of conflict.

"We convinced them how the LTTE collected funds and how they kept money in other parts of the world and how this money turned into military hardware and reached the shores of Sri Lanka. That message was sent to the Australian parliament in no uncertain terms by way of television interviews through personal meeting with parliamentarians, human rights action groups and engaging nd challenging them", he said. On the Australian side also they researched and the Lonely Planet a very old travel research agency put Sri Lanka as number one destination for 2013.

Apart form that there were members of the diaspora who loved the country and educated their own politicians on the ground situation while the Sri Lankan Mission in Canbera, Sydney and Melbourn did their own part. Sri Lanka was transparent in its statements and I think we convinced them when we answered every question without shying away from the truth. "That helped to change their negative mindset," Admiral Samarasinghe said.

"When I was sent to Australia, the one thing that President Mahinda Rajapaksa told me was to bring the existing Australia- Sri Lanka relations to a higher level, to change the negative mindset and bring more investors and improve our exports to Australia.

The positive results of these efforts were seen at the Business Forum with the oversubscribed participation of businessmen and Australia taking a pride of place among other countries", Samarasinghe said.

"Tourist arrivals have improved. Our exports to Australia have improved. That is because Sri Lanka is peaceful", he said. The issue of illegal migration also helped to flourish the relationship between the Sri Lanka and Australia as Sri Lanka stepped up measures to stop boats carrying illegal immigrants. "Sri Lanka took steps to stop the boats because they were bringing discredit to our country and it was not good for the dignity of our country when our people go in boats to Australia. On top of that when they come to Australia they lie they lie through their teeth so that the Australian Government will give them visas", he said.

"There is a drawing factor for people to go to Australia. A better quality of life is ensured and due to LTTE front organisations which are active in Australia and support them", he said.

However, Sri Lanka took a very firm stance and the Secretary of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa took a timely decision to somehow stop these boats. "We partnered with Australian Maritime Security Agencies and Border Protection and exchanged information and drastically brought down the number of boats leaving Sri Lanka. We have prevented about 4,000 people leaving from Sri Lanka", he said.

As a result of these efforts of the Secretary Defence, Sri Lanka Navy , Police and other institutions with the help of the Australian government, the number of boat people moving to Australia from Sri Lanka has drastically reduced fom 40 percent in April 2012 to a mere one percent at present. "That is a huge achievement. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked us to bring it down to zero.

Australia appreciates this effort and also the fact that we accept the people being returned while some countries don't accept them in their country", he said.

"In that context Australia is grateful to Sri Lanka and will help to strengthen their capacity to do the right job because we have limited resources", he said. It was not only Australia, the Pacific nations also participated.

"They have made the correct judgement according to the information available. Si Lankan Foreign Policy adopted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, guided by External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and the Foreign Ministry Secretary to convince the Australian government", Admiral Samarasinghe said.Therefore, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Soloman Islands and Fiji islands in the Pacific, Samoa, Tunga, Tuvalu , Nauruu, Kiribati were convinced that their visit was important and there was no need to succumb to pressure from other countries.

"These countries decided independently and this resulted in every Head of Government coming for CHOGM. Although Papua New Guinea was the first to state that it would attend, a sudden change in the domestic-political environment prevented the Head of State leaving the country. He was represented by the Vice Premier", he said.

"I respect their judgement and they were given the real picture of Sri Lanka before coming for CHOGM.

Through meetings and books published by the Secretary Defence and Economic Development Ministry factually analysing issues such as high security zones, disappearance issues, re-emergence of the LTTE in the rest of the world, became important in presenting the situation of Sri Lanka to them", he said.

Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe said LTTE front organizations in Australia were strong but they could not get their false message across. "I will speak to any terrorist front organisation as long as they accept sovereign Sri Lanka and non separation. The LTTE has tremendous amount of money collected and they are lavishly spending it on false propaganda

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam has to be challenged because of their false propaganda against Sri Lanka" Samarasinghe said.

"We will have to continue to build on this foundation we earned with hard work and with the recognition of the Australian government", he said.

High Commissioner Samarasinghe said Australian premier Tony Abott's gesture to visit a Sri Lanka Navy ship to thank the Navy is a courageous, bold and genuine decision.

"He chose CHOGM to do that and also chose the backdrop of a Sri Lankan Navy ship to address the foreign media.

This gesture speaks volumes. His commitment is good for the nation and organisational achievement that CHOGM came in for absolute praise from almost all heads of state", he said.

Admiral Samarasinghe said the Business Forum, People's Forum and Youth Forum was a tremendous success.

"We have raised the bar and now we are not second to any country in the world in organisational level", Samarasinghe said.

" All the people will not give credit to the Government as it deserves but this credit will come to Sri Lankan in the generations to come. It will not be seen tomorrow but in another 50 years down the road. The benefits of CHOGM will be seen on the democratic aspect and the development aspect", he said.

"The biggest achievement is that relations between Sri Lanka and Australia have reached new heights. It is a new government in Australia and they are sure to be there for three years. If not for another second term.

It is good start to progress on the hard earned relationship in a positive direction while taking New Zealand and other countries alongside us on board and moving together", Samarasinghe said.