Asada M Erpini

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The small island nation of Sri Lanka can point out two of its aspects that no other country can even dream of having.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The large majority in the US never knew where Sri Lanka was on a world map ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it was just a speck somewhere in the East, in the vast oceans, like so many South Pacific islands that many of us would find difficult to pin point. Yet, since the annihilation of the armed wing of the LTTE by the Sri Lankan armed forces, every loquacious politician in the US seems to be having sleepless nights over the plight of the Tamils living in Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka has managed to achieve a miracle that no other country has done so far. The LTTE, which has been categorised by many as the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world, also received over US $ 300 million annually for its arms purchases. Yet, the island nation vanquished the LTTE leader and his top lieutenants with no help from the US, EU Canada ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” nay, in spite of the road blocks that the so-called world powers erected. A few of the rich nations of the world that have grouped themselves under a convenient ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-International CommunityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ label obviously are annoyed with Sri Lanka for getting rid of the LTTE menace within its shores: the LTTE was an effective catƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s paw to these former colonials to continue with their ulterior motives, while the demands of human rights, the independence of the judiciary and the all-pervading democracy are a mere convenient faƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚§ade. Sri Lanka has had a peaceful period since May 2009, and the arms manufacturers obviously are sad that a lucrative market is drying up. Additionally, the former colonials have reduced chance of descending on Trincomalee to have a foothold or grabbing the other natural assets of Sri Lanka, now that the LTTE within Sri Lanka is largely defunct.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The uniqueness of Sri Lanka as regards the vanquishing of the terrorists in the country by its armed forces pales into insignificance when one looks at the antics of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” MPs of the Sri Lanka Parliament, paid by and given enviable perks at the tax payerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s expense. The media on 24 February report that a TNA delegation, comprising Suresh Premachandran, M.A. Sumanthiran, Mavai Senathirajah and S. Sridharan are leaving to Geneva to attend the UNHRC sessions. And, what do these worthies intend to do? Not defend the country of their birth and which has given them prestigious positions, but to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-garner their (UNHRC member countriesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢) support for the resolution to be presented by the United States on Sri Lanka. What, may I ask, is this resolution? The US has made it clear for quite some time that it is going to sponsor a procedural resolution at the UN Human Rights Council against Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” for violations of human rights and war crimes by its troops. The statement attributed to a top US diplomat in Colombo (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1250841/1/.html) is hilarious: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ the fresh resolution to be moved in March was a reflection of US commitmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the people of Sri Lanka”. All that Sri Lanka is asking for is to be left alone to rebuild the nation after it managed to come out of a scourge that destroyed it for three long decades, when all these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”well-intentionedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ people never bothered to intervene to stop the criminals from massacring the innocents of all ethnic groups and destroying the infrastructure.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka probably is the only country that has its own citizens, and that too, its MPs, going round the world denigrating the motherland. It is worth asking the so-called Tamil peoplesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ representatives what they have done to uplift the living conditions of the people in the North.

All that one hears and reads about incessantly is their jaunts to every possible place abroad to talk of the sufferings of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, while the government of Sri Lanka is spending vast and disproportionate amounts of its budget to provide roads, electricity, health services, etc. to a group many of whom are yet to openly admit that they are better off today than when their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SupremoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ held sway.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The TNA and the LTTE backers in Sri Lanka have had a field day all these many years to do whatever they wanted, at the behest of the western powers that do not want Sri Lanka to have peace and move towards development.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka should, without any further delay, institute laws to punish its citizens who undermine the country. If TNA has identified problems of the Tamils, the correct authority to report them to is the President of Sri Lanka, and not some dubious organisation whose intentions are clearly open to question and, today, far from what was intended at the time it was conceived.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When it comes to invading Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan or any other country of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”primitivesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, the two main parties in the US say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Yay, YayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in one voice!. All Sri Lankan citizens should have the same love to their country.