Opinion:

West continues to shed crocodile tears over Sri Lanka

by K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

The manner in which some Western leaders show extraordinary concern about Sri Lanka and its people gives an impression that their roots would have been in Sri Lanka. They continue to shed crocodile tears over people of Sri Lanka and pretend that they are more concerned about Sri Lankans than their own countrymen.

Especially, the UK and US have shown extreme concerned about Sri Lanka. The sentiments expressed and care shown by them gives an impressive that even our parents and relatives had never been worried about as than these British leaders.

As President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated before, no foreigner could have a greater pain and concern about Sri Lankans than our own leaders. Hence, we would never be carried away by the usual and extraordinary concern shown by some Western leaders, mainly British.

As we had stated before, certain British leaders continue to show an unbelievable concern about Sri Lanka and its people, much greater than the concern and care they show for the burning issues of British people. What baffles is that extraordinary care shown by certain British leaders. There is something fishy behind those unbelievable tears of the British.

Implementation patchy

British Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said last week that his country has “real concern” in Sri Lanka. “Let us take values first. The Commonwealth Charter, agreed in 2012, is historic: the first ever declaration of our common values in a single document. But, frankly, implementation is patchy. We have real concerns in Sri Lanka, the Commonwealth’s Chair in Office, where there has been very little progress in investigating the terrible atrocities in the civil war that ended five years ago,” Swire had said.

Issuing a statement ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year Swire also stated that, “The Prime Minister has shown great leadership in securing an international inquiry into this through the UN Human Rights Council.” Britain said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will now begin the process of establishing an investigation and assessing the evidence regarding Sri Lanka.

If British Prime Minister David Cameron has a real concern about Sri Lanka and its people, he should have helped the Government in its reconciliation and development efforts rather than joining the US and its allies to exert undue pressure through an UNHRC Resolution.

It is a joke that Swire is trying to teach us values. It is needless to state that Sri Lanka has a rich culture second to none and we are a nation better known for upholding values and even has a track record of treating even an unknown visitor with our traditional hospitality. Hence, no foreigner has a right to pontificate us on values.

British Foreign Minister William Hague told in UK Parliament last week that, it is expected that the investigation will draw on expertise from a range of fields and examine a broad range of information and evidence. The high commissioner will provide an oral update to the UNHRC in September, and will provide a comprehensive report to the UNHRC in March 2015.

Positive approach

“The British Government fully supports the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We will continue to work with them and international partners, and continue to encourage the Sri Lankan Government to ensure proper implementation of the resolution,” he said.

Hague need not “encourage” the Government in such a manner at a time Sri Lanka has already implementing its own reconciliation process and is making headway. At a time the people in the North are making a new lease of live with better living conditions, livelihood activities, infrastructure facilities and enhanced purchasing power, the West should adopt more positive approach rather than harping on the human rights of the Tiger terrorists killed in action.

British MP Sharon Hodgson has said that she decided to cancel her visit on hearing the country was refusing to co-operate with the UN inquiry. The representative for Washington and Sunderland West was due to travel to the country on an all-costs-covered visit, supported by the Foundation of Goodness, another INGO.

It entirely up to the Government to decide whether it would support an obviously partial investigation by Navi Pillai, who was notorious for giving the last drop of oxygen to moribund LTTE terrorists, or not. Hodgson has no business to tell Sri Lanka the course of action it should take.

William Hague had said that there are no current plans for the Minister of State Hugo Swire, to visit Sri Lanka. In response to a questioned raised by a Labour MP, Hague told UK Parliament last week that the British government continues to engage regularly with the Sri Lankan Government at ministerial and official level on a wide range of issues. We are least concerned whether Hague tours here or not, unless he comes here with an open mind.

Britain has also issued two controversial travel advisories to project a gloomy picture about Sri Lanka. Since Colombo is much safer than London as far as terrorist attacks are concerned, the UK has little or nothing to warn on terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka in their travel advisories. Hence, they use various other fathers to project unfavourable travel advisories to Sri Lanka.

Isolated incident

The UK last week advised its citizens travelling to Sri Lanka, mainly in the southern beach resorts, to be vigilant as there have been reports of drinks being spiked with drugs. Issuing an updated travel advisory, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said, “There have been reports of drinks being spiked with drugs in bars and restaurants in southern beach resorts. Be careful about taking drinks from strangers at bars and restaurants, and don’t leave drinks unattended” it said.

One isolated incident would have prompted the British authorities to do so. But have they issued plethora of travel advisories against other countries for the simplest reason and based on an isolated incident?

Britain issued another updated its travel advisory after the Government designated 16 organisations and 424 individuals for purported links to terrorism. In its latest advisory, updated on April 17, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated, “On 21 March 2014, the Sri Lankan Government designated 16 organisations and 424 individuals, including the British Tamils Forum and Global Tamil Forum, for purported links to terrorism.”

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State John Kerry, despite all his other important business, issued a Sinhala and Tamil New Year’s message, saying that the 2014 New Year brings a new opportunity for all Sri Lankans to join together in the spirit of tolerance, reconciliation, and peace.

“On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I offer warmest greetings to the people of Sri Lanka and the vibrant global Sri Lankan diaspora. This New Year brings a new opportunity for all Sri Lankans to join together in the spirit of tolerance, reconciliation, and peace. As Sri Lankans gather to mark the potential of the New Year, we join in celebrating with you,” the message said.

If the US is sincere with its thoughts and genuinely concern about the well-being about the people in Sri Lanka, especially those who have begun a new lease of life after resettlement in the North, should prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

They should realise that successive resolutions at the UNHRC would in no way contribute to the national reconciliation or to secure the future of the Tamils liberated during the humanitarian operation. Instead, the US-led resolution would dig the old wounds and pamper the LTTE rump.

But the US said on Thursday that it was looking forward to the resumption of a more comprehensive military relationship no sooner the Government makes progress towards reconciliation and accountability.

In a speech at the Harvard University in Boston on ‘U.S. Foreign Policy in South Asia: A Vision for Prosperity and Security’, South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal said the US continued to call for credible efforts to ensure accountability and justice in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka has fortunately ended its battle, though reconciliation has proved challenging. Following the March UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, we continue to call for credible efforts to ensure accountability and justice,” she was quoted as saying. But all of these British and American officials must prove their statements though conduct, without exerting undue and unethical pressure on a sovereign state such as Sri Lanka. They have no right whatsoever to talk on internal matters of the country which are entirely a business of the democratically elected President and the Government.

Blind

Reconciliation cannot be achieved overnight. Biswal had claimed that the US is looking forward to a resumption of a more comprehensive military relationship once the Government make a “better progress towards reconciliation and accountability.

The US seems to be blind to all reconstruction efforts that the Government has made since the dawn of the peace. The threat of terrorism is still not over and the recent killing of Gopi proves that the LTTE is making a desperate attempt to regroup. Under such circumstances, the US and the UK should not pressure Sri Lanka to compromise on its national security under the guise of reconciliation.

The Police has sought the assistance of Interpol to arrest Perinbanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan and Segarampillai Vinayagamoorthy alias Vinayagam, both who are virtually handling almost all LTTE overseas network. Nediyavan was handling most of the LTTE overseas network from Norway while Vinayagama was handling intelligence related activities from France.

The request has been sought from Interpol after three LTTE operatives, who were killed in Nedunkerni on Wednesday in a shootout with the military, were believed to be handled and funded by both LTTE overseas leaders.

Hence, the Government has every right to local its military camps in any strategic location of the country. That right could not be compromised by intimidating Sri Lanka though undue pressure or UNHRC resolutions.