In Retrospect By Sarath Kumara

June 12th 2012

In what sounds somewhat incredible, Peter Kellner, Chairman of the RoyalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ CommonwealthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Society,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has said last week thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ‘ Srii Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa should not have been invited to the QueenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Diamond Jubilee celebrations,” which sounds like an instigated response in conjunction with the now infamous Channel 4 which is also suspected of being in collaboration with the so called LTTE rump and its supportives globally and the furore it has caused in recent times in a concerted and organised attempt to discredit the Government of Sri Lanka seemsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ totally out of whack!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

When in a discussion with Channel 4 News which is British based, he hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ said thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the “mistake” of inviting Rajapaksa was not done by the Queen or Buckingham Palace, but by theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Commonwealth. “Action against Sri Lanka should have beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ taken at the last Commonwealth Summit in Perth, Australia”. he seems to be displayingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ignorance, apathy or bothƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ when there has been to all intents and purposes an official invitation from the Queen to President Rajapaksa to attend her 60th Anniversary and Diamond Jubilee celebrations according to the evidence related thereto and very reliable official sources.

This goes for the Commonwealth Summit too where as seems to be the caseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in many Commonwealth related mattersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ there are totally biased and misled sources spurred on by the Tamil Tiger supportive Tamil diaspora who continue their attempts to discredit the GOSL albeit with no real success where Kellner seems to be quick to jump to conclusions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The source that mattered most, the Australian Government in that instance has extendedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  full cordiality and a warm welcome to Sri Lanka and a case in point needing to be noted by Mr Kellner with a reproach perhaps for beingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  feeble minded towards attempting to make itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ an example of derision against Sri Lanka which simplty was not true!

Kellner like some others seem to be expressing his frustration over issues that appear not only to be way above his head but beyond hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  misguidedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ comprehension and the transparencies about why and where his sympathies lie need no rocket science towards interpretation!

It seems an affront to all the protocols related to the cordial relations between Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and all Commonwealth countries as a respected Commonwealth Member when Kellner says that “ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s human rights record does not improve, the next Commonwealth Summit to be held in Colombo will be a disasterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ” where he seems to be overly officiousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and authoritative whileƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ merely expressing a personal opinion augmented by andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in agreement with the lies and innuendo concocted by Channel 4, with financing in all probabilities by the Tamil Tiger (ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE ) sympathetic Tamil diaspora, which have been discredited and proven inaccurateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by much expert analysis although the apathetic hue and cry over what has become a non issue continues!

Perhaps it would be a waste of time to ask Kellner to look around the globe and educate himself about where the real human rights violations are being perpetrated on innocent victims and relent his rhetoric about Sri Lanka which now seems to have been aped by an American diplomat designate who seems to be in danger of a reprimandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ifƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not governed by what constitutes diplomacy!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A clear cut case of the blind leading the blind with a coincidental ring to it perhaps in a dispensation of similar buffoonery??

Mr.KellnerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the best interests of the RCS “probably needs an official warning from the British authoritiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for making unqualified statements about Sri Lanka’s Presiden” according to many who now believe he has become a Tamil Tiger sympathetic pro -Tamil Diaspora propaganda stooge. This should be done on the basis that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He has no right to speak on behalf of the Queen who has as always, being nobility and the epitome of graciousness andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has not made any comments in response and neither does she have to!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

It seemsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a lack of decorumƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on Kellner’s partƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  attempt to engage a prestigious Head of State in a confrontative as well as controversial exchange which has been one sided as the President has not responded in all wisdom. Being an assertive and prudentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ leaderƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who has liberated his nation in an unprecedented manner from the clutches of a three decade long internal armed terrorist conflict there seems hardly any need to respond to the Kellner rhetoricƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ no tangible evidence nor a shred of real proof towards the bold allegations he seems to be insinuating about. He seems to be bringing the noble and age old organization he represents to disrepute in the process!

And here’s the icing on the cake!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as quoted from the Sun Newspaper~

“Ironically, Kellner, who has adopted an anti-Sri Lanka stance, is the Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society of which incumbent Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London, Dr. Chris Nonis is the Vice Chairman.

A section of Sri Lankans in the UK are not happyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aboutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nonis organizing the speech for the President at the CommonwealthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ BusinessƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Council during his visit to attend the QueenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s DiamondƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ JubileeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ celebrations and it is now history that this speech has been abandoned as was the case of the Oxfprd Union Speech in the not too distant past where in all probabilitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it could have been on the instigations of the likes of Kellner although there is no real proof of this.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Moral of Story~

One wonders whether the veiled bigotry ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kellner apparent to the more discerningƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has done enough in the manner of Cardinal Newman of yore to fall from grace and find himself dumped ignomniously on his British posterior?