by Charles.S.Perera

Sri Lanka Guardian with its doubtful connections has ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-sponsoredƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Robert Blake the former Ambassador to Sri Lanka, while the Asian Tribune carried a series of very interesting article by Daya Gamge US Natonal Corrspondent to the Asia Tribune. These series of articles of Daya Gamage will certainly not find their place in any of our National Journals including the Island the Editorial of which at least is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- objective and progressive ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ,while you find inside the likes of Jehan Perera, Kath Noble, or Lynn Okersz with his ethnic problem.

The Sunday Times of the 13 December, carried several articles on the present political situation. One of them by its political Editor in the centre page carried a prominently large photo of Robert Blake.

The Sunday Times is blatantly against the President Mahinda Rajapakse, and praises the change of heart of America towards Sri Lanka , and emphasizes his reference to the freedom of the press. Robert Blake is the Sunday TimeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s man of the day.

The Sunday Times also some how or other seems to show its desire to implicate the Defence Secretary , referring to him as the Lt.Col (Rtd) Gotabhaya Rajapakse, with the murder of the journalist late Lasantha Wickramaratne.

It minimizes S.B.DissanayakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cross over and writes critically of Dissanayake casting aspersions and trying to create dissention by referring to a Basil RajapakseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s not wanting him back within the folds. Times papers even during the days of terrorism peddled an anti government stance, and we often found Jehan Perera who has now found his way into the Island, Kumar David, Viyangoda and the rest , within the pages of the Daily Mirror. The Sunday Times article on Pillayan is again an attempt to create a rift between the President and the Tamil votes in the East.

At least the Daily News which is supposed to be the pro government press, should place some of the articles of Daya Gamage or L.Jayasuriya for the information of the general public, if possible with a a Sinhala translation of these articles in its Sinhala sister editions the Dina Mina or Silumina.

Because the ordinary people in Sri Lanka should be informed that the Presidential election, is being made use of by the West to attempt a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Regime ChangeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by removing Mahinda Rajapakse who refuses to do their bidding, and replace him with a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-puppetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚who would say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-yesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to the West. They have found an ideal stooge in Sarath Fonseka along side ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the yes man for the WestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ -,Ranil Wickramasinghe

The Sinhala,and as a matter of fact the Tamil speaking Sri Lanka electors as well, do not understand that the Presidential Election has a greater foreign implication, of which the foreign interest in the Presidential Elections is diametrically opposed to democracy, the progress and development of our country as an independent Nation State.

We see it very well in the visit of Robert Blake, surprisingly when the Presidential Election campaign is beginning to take off, to inform us that there is a change of heart in the American Foreign Policies with regard to Sri Lanka. It sounds more in keeping with a Sinhala saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- kapanta beri atha simbanawa wage ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…– like kissing the hand that cannot be cut off. May not be exactly that, but something more or less like it.

Blake had insisted that , the United States does not take sides in elections in other countries, except to express its strong support for a free and fair democratic process. That is to say that they do not work for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- regime changeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as they did in the past with the CIA interposed, in Guatamala, Iran, Equador and Chile etc.

But they have since learnt other means of doing the same thing in a different way staying behind the scene and have others to do it for them. That reminds me of another Sinhala saying-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- balalun lava kos ata ba gannawa wageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚- getting the catƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s paw to draw the jackfruit seeds from the fire.

Blake has made reference in passing to the Presidential Election without apparent interest in the out come saying, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.Next month, you will decide who will be your next president. It is an historic election for your country. For the first time in decades, a united Sri Lanka will vote in a national election.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Should we thank Blake, despite his pro terrorist and anti government efforts while he was the Ambassador here, and for his part in threats of refusing the IMF loan, accusation level against the Armed Forces for war Crimes, and putting Sri Lanka in the same bracket with some Countries as one using rape for military gain, and submitting a scathing report on the government of Sri Lanka to the American Congress ?

Thanks to our President Mahinda Rajapakse, this Presidential Election is indeed an historic election, because for the first time in decades a united Sri Lanka under one flag will vote in a National election, despite Robert Blake, Hillary Clinton, Miliband,Kouchner,, and Navi Pillai, Ban ki Moon, the UNO, Human Rights Watch, ICRC, the Amnesti Internationl of Khan, and the EU. Yes the EU which still threatens us with its GSP+.

We should have asked Blake, whether he could enlighten us as to what happened to Sarath Fonseka when he was in America recently and was about to be questioned on his part in the War against the terrorists, that changed his mind to severe connections with the government, the President and come forward as a rival candidate against his former Commander in Chief the President Mahinda Rajapakse.

ShouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t we have also asked him whether the American State Department played some part in the mind-change of a military man with 40 years experience in war and military strategies ? Perhaps BlakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s visit is to see how Sarath Fonseka is getting along with his American friendly companions, the Human Rights medal Winner Mano Ganeshan and proWest Ranil Wickramasinghe.

Sarath Fonseka seems to be working according to some one elseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Agenda, and with Robert BlakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sudden visit to Sri Lanka just at this time makes one wander whether he has something to do with the Agenda according to which Sarath Fonseka is working..

Robert Blake is a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-coolƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ personage capable of appearing in wrong place at the wrong time. It was during the crucial military operations leading to the last phase of the end of the terrorism in Sri Lanka , when Tamil Nadu was up in force against Sri Lanka demanding the Central GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intervention for a ceasefire, that Robert Blake addressed a gathering at a University in Tamil Nadu, stating that the government of Sri Lanka should revert to finding a political solution to the ethnic problem.

Robert Blake while informing us of the change of heart of American policy makers towards Sri Lanka, also has not failed to advice us as to how we should go about doing our business of governance. The Sri Lanka Guardian has emphasised for us BlakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s important piece of advice to us . He had said , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- to bring unity and peace to the island, the government and the people of Sri Lanka must now undertake the difficult process of reconciliation and reconstruction.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Do we really need either Robert Blake or the American State Department to come and tell us that ? They do not seem to realize that their interference only hardens the Tamil political leaders, taking them away from a path of friendly dialog and reconciliation, to a path of confrontation and hostility.

The so called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- ethnic problemƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is in actual fact minor and insignificant, as it is some thing not difficult to solve. Only thing is that it has to be approached with the correct perspective. Not the way Sampanthan of the TNA is trying to tackle it making their demands from the Presidential candidates through the Government of India, and demanding impossible conditions. If America really wants to do something positive to Sri Lanka they should unconditionally do so, by sending some one different from Robert Blake.

Because, despite the fact that Robert Blake is the Assistant Secretary of State of America for Asia, his role as the American Ambassador for Sri Lanka has left bitter memories of his sympathies with the terrorists, and his efforts from the beginning to discourage the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military solution to terrorism, forcing the government in various ways, by even influencing Foreign Ministers in other Western countries to intervene on behalf of the terrorist to seek a ceasefire.

It was not so long ago that Robert Blake appointed as the Assistant Secretary of State for Asia, prepared along with the Terrorist Front Organisations in America, the expatriate Tamil Community sympathetic to the terrorist, Bruce Fein the shameless American Attorney who was retained by the terrorists with their blood money to defend their cause, and the reactionary forces of Sri Lanka including Pakiasothy Saravanmuttu and Jehan Perera, prepared a report against Sri Lanka to be presented to the American Congress.

Therefore, Robert Blake has no advice to give the Sovereign State of Sri Lanka as to how it should settle its political, social or economic problems. Our present political leadership did not fall from the yesterdayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s rain, and they know what the problems are and how best to settle them.

In conclusion Blake had said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ I firmly believe that our relationship will develop and grow in the months and years to come, as Sri Lanka makes progress on the priorities I outlined above ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hope the President kept notes of his speech, because Blake has warned that relation ship between America and Sri Lanka will grow only if we were to make progress on the priorities out lined by the great and mighty Blake himself !