by Hela Puwath

US Embassy in Colombo in a press release states that it has launched a new program to help LTTE combatants reintegrate in to society.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It says that The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will implement the project by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan [former LTTE commander], alias Pillaiyan, has already participated in an event in Batticaloa.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A noble gesture no doubt, but not without a good dose of suspicion, given the recent (and not so recent) hostilities, of the US embassy in Colombo and the US State Department in Washington, against Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In addition, consider the US Secretary of State Hillary ClintonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s speech in Pakistan just yesterday (October 29th).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Hillary Clinton blasted the Pakistan government for not doing enough to eradicate ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-AmericaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s terroristsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in return for the $4 billion ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-assistanceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the US is giving Pakistan. On Al Jazeera one Pakistani said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-we are fighting your warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  As many political analysts believe, AmericaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s aid is never without strings attached.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  While not denying that American people are a generous lot, it must be acknowledged that the American Foreign Policy dictates that it puts its money only where ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-American interestsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ are.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Back in Sri Lanka, now comes another US aid project directly to the East, bypassing the government of Sri Lanka by way of its agents, the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION for MIGRATION (IOM)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The IOM, by the way, is not without critics; according to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-No Borders NetworkƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(NBN), IOM is an anti-migration organization.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-They pride themselves to have been involved in the movement of 11 million people (sic), in 2000 they facilitated the movement of about 450.000 people, mostly ‘return’, ‘repatriation’ or ‘resettlement’ cases.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-When the IOM was founded in 1951 it has been intended to create a counter-agency to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦Under the leadership of the USA, the IOM, other than the UNHCR has not been based on humanitarian principles but on economical considerations. Their basic policy is not concerned with the well being of people but the well being of economies.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ [No Border Network] http://www.noborder.org/iom/index.php

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So, if we go by NBNƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s definition, International Organization for Migration (IOM) is here to make sure that Tamils of the North wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t end up as illegal boat people to burden the Western economies.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Now, this is not being ungrateful, or saying that the US embassyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s IOM aid project will not help the people in the North.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It sure will.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But our concern is about behind-the-scene activities of foreign agencies with the former terrorist combatants – the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-aid that bypasses the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is a known fact now that, in Sri Lanka most international & local NGOs, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Think-TanksƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (including the prestigious SARVODAYA), whom we shall collectively call ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-clientsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, are funded directly or indirectly by rich western countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-clientsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ activities, therefore, must serve the interests of their foreign paymasters (as evidenced by Hillary ClintonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s demand from Pakistan) -ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-paymasters, whoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s basic policy may not concern the well being of people but the well being of their own economiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ [paraphrasing NBN].

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ AID THAT BYPASSED THE GOVERNMENT

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka must not forget what happened to the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-aid that bypassed the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. We now know what happened to all that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-aidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ including some of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-tsunami aidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Wickremasinghe/Prabakaran aidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, that bypassed the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s oversight.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Most Western governments and international Aid Agencies demand that their aid be distributed through Western-paid-NGOs and Agents bypassing the legitimate democratically elected government of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We now know where the aid ended up!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Judging from the massive hauls of arms and other enormous machinery that are being discovered daily, even now, it is inconceivable that these International Agencies and those foreign embassies – through whose agents they funneled their aid ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” did not knowƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  where their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-aidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ was going.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, now Sri Lanka must ensure that this IOM project and others like it, coming from some foreign governments and aid agencies are not more of those ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Trojan HorsesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by other ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Peace FacilitatorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Paranoid, cynic?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Yes – given the Sri Lanka assault by the American Ambassador Robert Blake, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and given the pairƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s close association with the likes of financier Raj Rajaratnam, and lobbyist/ lawyer Visuvanadan Rudrakumaran!