By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D.(Michigan State University)

When Dr Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Presidency of Sri Lanka in 2005, the terrorists, the LTTE power was at its zenith, having aggrandized its position through the nefarious CFA peace agreement done by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, which was in favour of the terrorists. The armed forces were confined to barracks and it has now come to light thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  during RanilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s CFA the terrorists had obtained ample replenishments for their deadly arsenal- an arsenal that could have brought the entire Indian sub-continent under its control. The terrorists entrenched themselves and even encircled the town and the naval base of Trincomalee with military bases, which made the President Kumaranatunge take over the Ministry of Defence. Every patriot was eagerly waiting for the PresidentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to order the armed forces to oust the rebels from the military bases they had just set up, but sad to say not a soldier was moved. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

That was the true situation when Dr Rajapaksa became President. The terrorists ruled not only the North, except for Jaffna and the Eastern Provinces, except for the town of Trincomalee but even in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts a corridor of at least twenty miles including Horowpotana, Kebitigollewa and Minneriya were within their grasp. Having worked for long in the Anuradhapura District and having covered Trincomalee I was sad that all was lost and regretted that we did not have a leader who could stand up to the terrorists and regain our lost sovereignty. That was the cradle of Sinhala civilization, with epigraphical records dating back to the third century B.C. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Then cameƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  November 2005 and the rest is history today. We have seenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the legendary Mahawamsa and Thupawamsa stories of King Dutugemunu and his ten giant warriors in action and within three years the terrorists have been totallyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  routed, an achievement unparalled in the annals of history. When I was in Sri Lanka in JulyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  2009, I was told that certain families in the South lit a lamp for the saviour who liberated Sri lanka from the terrorists. In any other country the saviour would have been hailed and venerated,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  but not in Sri lanka where from day one the saviour has been criticized.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Superpowers are now engaged in a clandestine process trying their level best to discredit the Government of Sri Lanka, because they cannot bear up the very fact that a poor Third World country did achieveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  what they have tried in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Somalia and miserably failed. The Sri Lankan GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the United States wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  rapidly making a case of war crimes against Sri Lanka on the basis on the conduct of her armed forces, police as well as the political leadership during the recently concluded war(The Island,13/9/2009)does not appear unfounded. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Attempt of the Superpowers to stop Sri Lanka defeating the terrorists

The International Community of Superpowers led by the British and the United States again and again tried to stop the Sri Lankan armed forces from defeating the terrorists in the last stages. There was Robert Blake, the US Ambassador,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Senators of the USA, Millband the Foreign SecretaryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of Britain, BoucherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and even leaders of the United NationsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  appealing to President Rajapaksa to stop the assault.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At times it was a veiled threat. But our leaderƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  stood undettered.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What we re their motives is anyoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s guess. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now one by one the powers who did not want to see the terrorists being routed and defeated areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  coming up with various pleas- various stories

The Superpowers supporting Terrorism

Perhaps the major Superpowers wanted to destalibize Sri Lanka and allow the terrorists to get a foothold because then they could expect the cancer to inevitably and automatically spread into the homeland of the Tamils- Tamilnadu and India would eventually be balkanized! India is a budding superpower and India and China stand to either join the superpowers or to even obliterate them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In 1494 when the Pope decided in the Treaty of Tordesillas that Portugal should take charge of the East and Spain should control the West, the two superpowers were Spain and Portugal. In World War I, Britain was the superpower. World war II saw the USA in the prime place.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What beats me is as to why all these Superpowers are worried about Sri Lanka defeating the terrorists. On paper and for everyone to see, the Superpowers are against terrorists and that is why both the United States and Britain attacked Iraq- to search and annihilate the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-weapons of mass destructionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, but they really found no weapons of mass destruction. In fact David Kelley, the weapons inspector from Britain who was of the opinion that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destructionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had to be silenced because when he spoke the truthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  he was talking out of turn.( Reference. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The SuperPower BulliesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka, 6/4/2009 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Japan played a dubious role. On September 4, 2009 The Island laid bare the story that Japanese expertsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  who were given access to LTTE areas after the Tsunami in 2004, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-had helped terrorists build a channel to launch underwater craftƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦a 360 foot long 25 foot wide tunnel and a 300 ft long and 30 ft. deep dockƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ while they were really expected to attend to humanitarian tasks. And all this while Yakushi Akashi, the special representative from the Japanese Government for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-peace building , rehabilitation and reconstructionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ offers assistance and offers to facilitateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  talks.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This exposes the credibility of the Japanese. The magnitude of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  work done for the terroristsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  could not have been unknown to Akashi. This is proof that the Japanese connived to support the LTTE.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If Japan is to regain its name it should hand over the Japanese Tsunami experts for prosecution in the Sri Lankan Courts for supporting terrorism. Journalist TissanayagamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was sentenced for writing in support of the terrorists. In this case the Japanese actively constructed subterranean facilities forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the terrorists. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Norway has again and again played a dubious role, pretending to facilitate talks for peace, even donating powerful communication equipment with the connivance of the Ranil WickremasingheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Government. Norway once even tried to settle Tamils from the upcountry to the Wanni to create a people supportive of the terrorists. This was the RedBaana Settlements. Take anywhere in the worldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s tentacles can be found. In ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Norway has some explaining to do in KisanganiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚,(Lanka Web,12/9/2009) Ajit Randeniya mentions: Two Norwegian passport holders traveling under the names Joshua French and Tjostlov Moland were sentenced to death after being convicted of espionage, arms smuggling and murderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ Later it was foundƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that the two menƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  were members of an Norwegian Armed ForcesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ elite unit known as Telemark Batallion. This was in the Congo. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Human Rights

The USA, the UK, France, the European Community, Canada and ma ny other Superpowers are now gunning against Sri Lanka for its record onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  human rights. They do not hail Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s routing the terrorists which indicates that the eradication of terrorism was no longer their aim.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Take Iraq, it was not to get rid of a dictator, because all Arab States are ruled by dictators and if so why single out Sadaam Hussein? In Iraq it can be argued that one motive was to defeat an Arab ruler who was becoming a threat to Israel and more to control the oil wealth of the Middle East. Oil is a necessity to keep modern civilization moving .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What of the Palestinians in East Jerusalem, who are being ousted at gunpoint by Netanyahu in Jerusalem today and new Israeli settlements being built and the ousted PalestiniansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  are left homeless and penniless, though they do hold valid deeds to every inch of land that Netanyahu has taken over. Why are the Superpowers silent about what is happening in Palestine today? Israel continues as the bullyboy because of the support given by the USA. The US is providing Israel with at=2 0least $ 7 million each day ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦in 2009ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. Total direct US Aid to IsraelƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  amounts to well over $ 140 billion in 2003. Israel receives about $ 3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year(Mearsheimer & Walt, The Israel Lobby & US Foreign Policy)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The USA is supportive of Human Rights abuses by Israel!.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Take Afghanistan, a British Commander recently stated that Britain will have to be in Afghanistan for at least another forty years! In Afghanistan it was the mineral wealth. In the words of Christopher Bollyn, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Afghanistan has an extraordinary abundance of rare and strategic minerals-now all within easy reach of global planners who installed a puppet government that they both control and protectƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦Beryllium and Uranium are of the greatest strategic value.(ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mineral Rich Afghanistan a Valuable Corporate Property, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- by Christopher Bollyn, in American Free Press, 30/5/2003)

In Sri Lanka, at the last stages the terrorists were holdingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  innocent Tamils as human shields and it is to the credit of the Sri Lankan armed forces that they managed to defeat the terrorists without harming and killing the civilian human population that were held as a human shield. In the process the people who were caught alive have to be kept in camps tillƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  they are resettled after their lands are de-mined. But the Superpowers want everything done at once. Perhaps they are forcing Sri Lanka to send the innocent Tamils to their homes before the lands are de mined because then when the people are killed with the mines exploding they can hold Sri Lanka responsible for genocide- for willingly killing unarmed Tamils.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Comparatively the USA has failed to re settle the people who survived the Katrina diasaster which took place as far back as 2005. Many people are still in make shift homes, in trailer pa rks. In the case of Katarina there was no rebellion and no forces that had to be defeated. Katrina was a natural disaster and it is well known that the USA authorities had neglected maintaining the levees(bunds) that were put in place to save New Orleans. The death toll in Katrina was as much as 1460 innocent people! In the case of Sri Lanka the terrorists are hiding within the civilian people and they have to be identified before the people are resettled. This is truly a forbidding task and if the people ousted in Katrina could not be fully resettled even after four years what right has the United States to demand that a country like Sri Lanka which does not have all the resources that the USA holds, should complete such a task any sooner.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Sri Lankan terrorist war is unique in that the Government of Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  provided food and other essential requisites to the terrorist areas and provided the total administrative infrastructure.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Not a cent was charged. It was totally free and it is a well known fact that the terrorists sold the goods to the people and found an income. This is the only war I have heard of where th e Government has been feeding the terrorists. In all other wars depriving food and other supplies is a strategy used to make the terrorists surrender. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lankan Armed Forces could haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  defeated the terrorists earlier if they used a fraction of the measures used by the USA in Vietnam. It is an established fact that the United StatesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  sprayed 20.3 million gallonsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of chemicals on Vietnam in the period 1962 to 1971. Agent Orange was mostly used and this resulted in 400,000 deaths, half a million children born with deformities and four million suffering from health disorders.(GM Watch: 6/8/2009)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The cost of comprehensive clean up of bases is estimated at $ 60 million while the US Congress pledged $ 3 million. Deformities in births have continued to a third generation!(ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Agent Orange Deforming a Third Generation in VietnamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ from AlterNet www.alternet.org 13/2/2008) ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The United States r ecord of Human Rights in Vietnam is stained to the core. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country where the people are religious and followƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  non violence and ulterior inhuman strategies used by the United States are totally ruled out. The Sri Lankan Government is doing its best to sort out the plight of the detained people. It is sad that the United States, easily the richest country in the world todayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is yet not offering full compensation and clean up expenses to the suffering peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of Vietnam. Do they have to suffer in silence for generations?.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  AmericaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Defence SecretaryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the Vietnam days was Robert McNamara who presided over the disastrous escalationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the Vietnam War which killed 58,000 AmericansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and 3.5 Vietnamese and which he now(at age 87) admitsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-wrong, terribly wrongƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. It is of inter est to note that seven companies that manufactured Agent Orange in 1984 paid $ 180 million as compensation to a Fund for US Veterans.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The US Government could not be sued becauseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it claimed Sovereign Immunity! ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Take the human rights of the people arrested in Afghanistan. The USA incarcerated some as far as Cuba, in Guantanoma Bay.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  By an Executive OrderƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Bush stipulated that the United States could indefinitely detainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  any non citizen whom he believed was involved in international terrorism.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Why were they taken to Guantanoma Bay is a good question.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was because Guantanoma Bay was outside the legal jurisdiction of the United States and therefore the detainees were not entitled to any of the protectionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the Geneva Convention.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  A total of 680 detainees were held in Guantanomo Bay. It is on record that Finally, over a hundred individualsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have been reported as dying in US custody, with approximately 26 deaths being investigated as homicide. According to Senator Warner,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  more than 400 criminal investigationsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have been conducted, 95 military personnel have been charged with misconduct and/or criminal offenses and 75 of these individuals have been convicted of misconduct charges. In June 2006 three detainees were able to commit suicide in their cells at Guantanamo Bay. (FromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  James Beckman, Comparative Legal Approaches to Homeland Security and Anti Terrorism, 2007 What an unblemished record of the Superpower that is trying to pose as a saviour! ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  BritainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Human Rights recordƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  stand tarnished over the shooting of Charles de Menezes on 22/7/2005 by the London Metropolitan Police.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Investigation, Stockwell I findings, initially kept secret, concludedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that there was insufficient evidence20to prosecute any of the officers concerned.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  However the Independent Police Complaints Commission found that a police officer admittedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that he had altered evidence submitted to the inquest. The officer had deleted one of his own computer notes which quoted deputy assistant commissioner Cressida Dick as concluding that de Menezes was not a security threat.(Wickipedia).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The sentencing of Journalist Tissanayagam by the Courts in Sri Lanka for a twenty year term has come in for criticism from the Superpowers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The European union stated that the verdict and the disproprotionate sentence against Tissanayagam give rise to concern with respect to freedom of expression and freedom of the PressƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Tissanayagam was sentenced after a judicial inquiry where he was given the right to be defended by legal counsel,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a right that was denied by the US Administration to the Guantanamo detainees. Tissanayagam has a right of appeal to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is not a Kangaroo Court that would order the stoppage of counting votes cast at a P residential Election. Professor Dershovitz states thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the decision of the five partisan justices in the 2000 US Presidential Election was the partisan quest for immediate political victory. The US Supreme Court decision denied the Human Right of every US citizenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to elect their President.(From: The Administrative Bungling that Hijacked the 2000 US Presidential Election, by Garvin Karunaratne, The University Press of America, 2004).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Police excesses are highlighted for the lack of Human Rights in Sri Lanka. One can be dead certain that the police personnel who are found guilty are adequately dealt with. It will never be a repeat of the Rodney King episode that happened in Los Angeles in March 1991, when Rodney King was stopped when driving,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  beaten up and kicked- a victim of police brutality commited by Los Angeles police officers.. Unknown to the policemen who were on the rampage a video camera man was videoingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the incident.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What happened is history now: The officers were tried in a State Court but later acquitted. This acquittal sparked the 1992 Lo s Angeles riots that caused 53 deaths and 2383 injuries. A later federal trial endedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  with two of four officers found guilty and sent to prison for 30 months. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

James Elder of the Unesco being expelled

Officials from various organizations and Ambassadors from various countries have been regularly foundƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  making utterances critical of the Government of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  RecentlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  James Elder, the media spokesman from the UNICEF has been expelled from Sri Lanka becauseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  he, according to Palita Kohona, the Foreign Secretary of SriƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Lanka, had made a series of unfounded statements that echoed TamilNet, a Tamil News website said to be supportive of the LTTE. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-How can a UN Official do this?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  A UN Official should have an absolute commitment to impartiality. He was expressing his views in a very unprofessional mannerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even the Secretary General of the UN has strongly regretted the decision of the Sri Lankan Government to expel James Elder.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It looks as if the United Nations AdministrationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is ignorant of the professional standards that their personnel should uphold which is referred to by Palita Kohona, the Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Relating to my own experience, as the Government Agent at Matara, Sri Lanka,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I had heated arguments with the Secretary of the Ministry of Plan Implementation when he refused to approve employment projects submitted by me. I had the occasion to haul before the coals the entire policy of the Ministry in not approvingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  simple employment proposals like the boatyard for Matara, where we were to use our own timber and make sea worthy inboard motor boats for fishing. All the arguments running into heated debate criticizing the Ministry and the Fisheries Department were held within closed doors and none appeared in the news media.. Again, as a foreign consultant in Bangladesh I had to argue a case for the Youth Division of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower to undertake se lf employment guidance as a part of technical and vocational training. I had to point out that there was absolutely no pointƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in training endlessly and dropping the trained to fend for themselves within a market economy which they were all illequipped to face. I strongly recommended that we should develop a self employment programme where the youths will be provided training in basic economics, guided to draft their own employment projects and advise them intensively till they became commercially viable. It was total constructive criticism of development programmes running into over two hours, all held within closed doors which concluded with Hon. Minister Aminul Islam, the Minister for Labour and Manpower deciding that the Youth Development DivisionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of his MinistryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  would be allowed to proceed to establish a self employment creation programme and looked forward to see for himselfƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a successful employment creation programmeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ especially within the contextƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the massive defeat sufferedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by the ILO in theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  self employment programme in the three preceeding years.(From:How the IMF Ruined Sri Lanka and Alternate Programs of Success, by Garvin Karunaratne, Godages, Colombo, 2006) The rest is history, with easily the largest self employment programme that has=2 0upto 2005 created employment for over a million and today guides as much as 160,000 a year to become commercially viable self employed. It was total constructive criticism of existing programmes held within closed doors and not statements made in a partisan manner to the media to gain political mileage. It is sad that even the Secretary General of an august body like the United Nations cannot understand what professionalism is and officials like Foreign Secretary, Palita Kohona and I have to teach the United Nations basic administrative procedures.. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It would be good for diplomats and workers of UN and other institutions to understand for once that Sri Lanka is a sovereign country that follows Human Rights procedures and has so far not resorted to act against Human Rights as has been done by many Superpowers. The war done against the terrorists in Sri Lanka could have been sorted out in months without causing the deaths of as many as 30,000 soldiers if only Sri Lanka had used a fraction of the inhuman measures used by the USA in Vietnam and are currently being used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is upto the Superpowers to be supportive of the stance taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to suppress the terrorists and to be helpful to sort out the problems that have been created by the terrorists in having taken with them a human shield. As explained it is due to the painstaking care taken by the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka that as much asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a 280,000 human shield could be saved.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is this not a record of achievement. The Superpowers- all of them have skeletons in their own cupboards- back in the past and even today. It is up to them to be reasonable and to understand the reality of the situation in Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It has not been a happy task to research and write of the wrongs of the Superpowers and to expose their double standards. It is time that we- everyoneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  including the Superpowers, all concentrate on eradicating poverty and destitutionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  an d bringing about development, instead of being belligerent and fighting amongst ourselves. Have we not got lost in the wood for the trees.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Garvin Karunaratne Former member of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service,September 12, 2009ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚