NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND SRI LANKA Part 1
Posted on June 7th, 2019

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The term Non-governmental organization” (NGO) came into existence in 1945 when the United Nations was set up. The UN granted ‘observer status’ to approved ‘International non-state agencies’ (INGOs) and permitted them to   attend UN assemblies and meetings. In July 2018, there were 5,081 NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC. These consisted of 134 organizations in general consultative status, 3,974 in special consultative status and 973 on a third list known as Roster.

There are several categories of NGOs. Some NGOs are funded by foreign governments   and act like extensions of government (GONGOs). It is alleged that they are   used for hidden political agendas. USA’s National Endowment for Democracy is said to be a CIA front.  Some NGOs, such Berghof Foundation are quasi–government (QUANGOs).   They receive state subsidies.

NGOs such as ‘Human Rights Watch’, ‘Transparency International’ and ‘Amnesty International’, are international NGOs, with branches worldwide ((INGOs).  These NGOs are funded by private financiers having strong links to the US government, such as Soros, Rockefeller, and Ford Foundation. These funding agencies are considered warmongering agencies and the grants carry political agendas.

‘International Crisis group’, ‘Human Rights Watch’, and the ‘Open Society ‘  have been  described as ‘shady INGOs’  funded by George Soros.George Soros started Human Rights Watch with specific instructions to develop field offices staffed by local operatives. He gave a   fresh grant of 10 million to ‘Human Rights Watch’ in 2010. 

There are other NGOs, registered as private, but they too are set up and funded from outside the country they work in. Some NGOs have misleading names. ‘Asian Human Rights Commission’ suggests a dignified supra government organization set up by sovereign states. Instead it is a   Hong Kong based, private NGO. Rajiva Wijesinha referred to it as the ‘bizarrely named’ Asian Human Rights Commission.

Today, practically every sovereign state has a huge number of GONGOS, QUANGOS and INGOS

working inside it. They have been introduced into these countries by the west. This sudden rise of NGOs is a part of the western policy of world dominance, say analysts, which starts with interference in the internal politics of countries.  NGOs intervene in domestic politics and help to install puppet governments. NGOs are used to brainwash people, to make them revolt against democratically elected governments, to cause regime changes.

They encourage citizens to challenge elected government, usually under the guise of ‘protesting’ against something.   They clamor for foreign intervention and work toward changing public opinion. They charge governments with corruption and human rights violations on flimsy grounds.They draw media and political attention onto selected countries, which are fighting to maintain their territorial integrity. They find HR abuses in these countries and clamor for western government intervention through the UN.

They are also used for intelligence gathering, to obtain data against national governments. NGOs are also used to support terrorism against legitimately elected democratic regimes. Some dubious NGOs have been front groups for weapons purchases.  Many countries have found that the NGOs create difficulties for the government, by their conduct, their mission, methods of work and sometimes through their connections to government. 

NGOs funded by the west have been used to topple governments and destabilize countries. Critics say NGOs helped to split Sudan and create South Sudan in 2011. Foreign funded NGOs were thought to be fomenting revolution in Russia and many believe they did so successfully in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Kyrgyzstan. .  NGOs in Mozambique are accused of ruining the local health system.

The media reported in 2016 that more than 100 countries, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, have started to register and monitor NGOs. These countries accuse the US and European countries of using NGOs to support political unrest in the guise of supporting democracy, rule of law and Human Rights. 

Armenia, India, Egypt, Cambodia, Russia, China, Israel and Uganda in the past year have enforced draconian laws to regulate NGO activities, the media said in2016. Mostly on suspicion that they are agents of foreign governments interfering in their internal affairs.

In 2012, UAE shut down the local office of the National Democratic Institute, a US based NGO, whose mission is to promote democracy around the globe. It also shut down Conrad Adenaur Stiftung office.

Egypt, in 2012, arrested members of a number of NGOs promoting democracy saying they were meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs.  Egypt said that three US NGOs, ‘National Democratic Institute’, ‘Freedom House’ and ‘International Republican Institute’ had received USD 65 million to influence Egypt’s politics.

The ALBA bloc in Latin America issued a statement in 2012 to say that USAID (US Agency for International Development) openly meddles in sovereign countries domestic affairs, sponsors NGOs and supports activities intended to destabilize legitimate governments. The statement was signed by Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Cambodia has some 5000 NGOs, many providing key services to the country. In 2015 Cambodia passed a controversial NGO law, which said all domestic and international NGOs must report their activities and finance to government. NGOs can be disbanded if they jeopardize peace, stability, public order or harm national security, unity culture and traditions of Cambodian society. The law was passed, despite boycott by opposition and protests by NGOs.

In July 2017, Hungary passed a law where NGOs that receive more than 23,000 euros ($24,000) annually from a foreign source had to register as a “foreign-supported organization.” The law, first mooted in January, had been delayed after widespread criticism, including opposition by the European Commission and United Nations experts who urged its withdrawal.

Russia said that the west is using NGOs to destabilize Russia.  USAID was ordered out of Russia In 2012 on charge of distributing grants to anti-Putin political groups in order to influence politics. UNICEF was also asked to leave.

In 2015 Russia passed the Undesirable NGOs Law which gave Russia the power to declare any NGO as undesirable, if it acted against Russians interests. NGOs receiving finances from abroad would now be known as, ‘Foreign government organizations” (FGO). All monies beyond a certain sum must be reported to Russian authorities.  If they engaged in political activities they would be treated as spies. Russia blacklisted seven US based NGOs as ‘Undesirable’ in 2016. ( continued)

One Response to “NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND SRI LANKA Part 1”

  1. Christie Says:

    NGO is a misleading title.

    These organizations are in fact not subject to taxes and other government imposts in their own countries and most of the time receive huge contributions form governments and any contributions are tax free.

    So financially they are better off than the government agencies.

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