Garvin Karunaratne, Phd. Michigan State University, M.Phil Edinburgh, M.Ed Manchester Former Government Agent, MataraDistrict

You have voiced yourself to castigate the Government of President Rajapaksa in the faceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the Parliamentary Election which is due to be held in a few days on April 8^th, 2010. Evidently you are interested in the opposition winning the election in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You must remember that you are the Foreign Minister of Britain, a foreign countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and as President Rajapaksa had to tell you on your last visit to Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is no longer a colony of Britain. It is unfair for you to interfere in the domestic matters ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a sovereign country.

To start with it has to be pointed out that all your criticisms of Sri Lanka- of prevalent violence, lack of democracy,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  lack of an independent judiciary, lack of minority rights and lack of human rights are all based on incorrect facts.

On democracy the current Government has been acquitting itself in an admirable manner. Parliamentary Elections are being held with foreign monitors. There was once a time in the Seventies and Eighties when we had a President who became aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dictator.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Jayawardena even forced the elected Members of Parliament to sign undated letters of resignation with which he held the Members of Parliament to ransom- to vote as he liked. He threatened to dissolve Parliament which meant that all the Members of Parliament will be deprived ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their positions and incomes. President Jayawardena even incarcerated the Members of Parliament in a Five Star Hotel and when he wanted their vote would come with Police escorts and march the Members of Parliament to the Houses of Parliament to vote in the manner he wanted.

President Jayawardena even got the Members of Parliament to vote that the life of Parliament should be extended for another term with a referendum from the people and thereby all the Members of Parliament could rule the country for the next five years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Britain and the other Superpowers never protested one word at how democracy was being abused then, because President Jayawardena did what the USA wanted and implemented the IMFƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s teachings to the very letter.

It is for you to realize that in Presudent Rajapaksa we have a President whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  rules by the wish of the people. He does not hold undated letters of resignation from the Members of Parliament in his possession.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He has flatly refused a request that came from one of the Members of Parliament that there should be a referendum for the life of Parliament to be extended to another term, like what President Jayawardena did. President Rajapaksa hails from a family that has always upheld democracy. His father as well as his great uncle were total democrats. His father was actually a father figure to us administrators.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His great uncle fought with the Government Agent at Hambantota for the cause of the poor people in the days of colonial domination..ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Thus democracy is etched in President Rajapaksa.

Lack of an independent Judiciary

Sri Lanka has an independent Judiciary and decisions are made by the Judiciary againstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  any injustice.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Rajapaksa has at all times upheld the Judiciary.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He has not followed in the footsteps of his predecessor President Jayawardena to get the homes of the Supreme Court Judges stoned to force them to submission.

On Human Rights

In my University days at Peradeniya,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I studied under Professor Sarathchandra. He was like a saint, never belligerent. I was a student and later a close friend. I associated him for over three decades and have never heard in speaking a harsh word- always soft spoken.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He dared to speak against the Government for its wrong doings. This was during the reign of President Jayawardena when Sarathchanda was pulled down from the stage and assaulted. He was only five feet tall and was hardly 80 lbs. in weight. Yet he was mercilessly assaulted by Government goons.

Human Rights are honoured today. Even the Journalist Tissanayagam who was sentenced to imprisonment for writing against the StateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has been allowed to appeal to the Supreme Court. In Iraq or Afghanistan he would have been bulletted

Even the very fact that the former Army Ccommander Sarath Fonseka is facing a Court Marshall under Army Law shows that his human right has been upheld. Lawyers do represent him and action has so far been taken on representations made by legal counsel.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There have been a few actions on the part of Sarath Fonseka, pointing out towards a conspiracy to take over power. In many countries one hears of a conspiracy and in a few hours it is told that the conspirators have been put to death. There are no hearings to talk of. Not so in Sri Lanka where he has been arrested and will faceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Courts.

On Media Freedom

It is held that there is no media freedom and that journalists are being harassed. A glance at the newspapers will convince anyone that there is no censorship. Many are the papers and news items that criticize the Government and full publicity is accorded to such articles and news items in all newspapers. However articles written in support of President Rajapaksa find theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  way only in On LineƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Web sites- in a very few of them,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  like Lanka Web. Even the writings of H.L.D. Mahindapala, an illustrious writer, theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  former Editor of the Observer cannot find publication even in the Government controlled newspapers. There seems to be an unseen hand censoring the publication of such pro-Government papers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In Sri Lanka very few people have access to the internet and it is the newspapers that carry the day. It is the pro-Government publicity that is being denied newspaper access.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This fact itself reveals that it is the opposition that is actually controlling all the newspapers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There is full and wide media freedom.

Lack of Minority Rights

The rights of the Minorities have always been upheld in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There is no country in the world where there is no minority. Be it Malaysia or ChinaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  or the USA there are the minorities. In the USA, the original inhabitants the American Indians, from whom the land was wrested two centuries ago, yet live in reservations steeped in unemployment and poverty.

In Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the problem was that a section of the Tamil minority wanted to establish a separate State in one third of the country commanding two thirds of the coast line and that for a minority of the people who amounted to less tha 5 %ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the total people, because the rest fled to live with the Sinhalese in the democratically held area. . The Muslims have their own enclaves and they too wanted self government of a sort and Sri Lanka had to be balkanized like Yugoslavia.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Further the LTTE was a fascist State which ethnically cleansed the area they controlled and the majority of the Tamils lived in the South away from the LTTE held land.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Minorities in Sri Lanka have had more priviledges than the Minorities in Britain.

It would interest you to become aware that all these allegations=lack of democracy, lack of an independent judiciary and lack of human rightsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  are more true of Britain today.,

It is my intention also to pay you back in your own coin- to expose youƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as the Foreign Minister of a country thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has untold levels of violence, a country that does not upholdƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  democracy, a country that does not respect human rights, a theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  mass murders of civilian people..

You must remember that Sri Lanka has just been victorious in defeating the terrorist outfit of the LTTE, easily classified as the WorldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s most ruthless terrorist groupƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and instead of accepting this as a contribution made to world democracy, Britain has actually condemned Sri Lanka. You fail to understand that Sri Lanka has had the LTTE occupying almost a third of its territory by force, running a fascist state that had no democratic norms. The LTTE killed every person that disagreed with their fascism and ethnically cleansed the entire area. The LTTE never held any election. Further,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka was battling the LTTE in its own country, while Britain and the USA are today battling in Iraq and Afghanistan, countries thousands of miles away in the name of wiping out terrorism.

Over 55% of Tamils live in the South and get about their daily work without any hindrance. It was the Tamils that lived in the LTTE areas that were not allowed to leave- kept back by force and worse-were forced even to donate their children as soldiers for the LTTE. The children were actually taken away, threateningƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the parents. Any parent that dared to protestƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had to face the bullet.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In the 2005 Presidential Election, the first voter that dared to vote had his hands cut off. No one dared to vote thereafter. Those were the hall marks of the LTTE suppression that the Tamil people had to endure. It was no other than President Rajapaksa that saved the Tamil populationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  from the ruthless LTTE, but these facts are either not known to you or you do not wish to know.

You are actually interested in pleasing the Tamil Diaspora- the TamilsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  who have opted to migrate to the UK to enjoy the life of luxury in the UK. They are all economic migrants. You have to please them to obtain their votes at the next Parliamentary Elections that are around the corner.

President Rajapaksa has already decided that Sri Lanka belongs to all its citizens and has assured the entire population of democracy at the grass roots level by proposing to establish the Janasabha- a democratic institution at the village level that will be in charge of the development of the area with fully devolved power,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a type of democracy that is not prevalent in the UK.

The Scene in the UK

It has to be stated that as Foreign Secretary you are fairly unaware of what is happening in your own country.

Britain has untold levels of violence. The Labour Government under Tony Blair had to shed all the socialist values that Labour had upheld for long and become ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”conservativeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to gain power. Once Labour hoodwinked the electors, won the parliamentaryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  election and formed a government then the Labour Government became very repressive and did everything against the people of Britain. Britain had a universal free education system free to all citizens upto the tertiary level. Labour deprived that right and brought in a fee levying system and did away with the Grants systemƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  which was one of the hall marks of BritishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  education. The students have now to endure hardships during study and incur bank loans which burden them for life.

The Labour Government relaxed administrative rules and allowed immigrants who dared to come in droves- even incarcerated in containers and sitting amidst the wheels and axels of trains. Labour blocked decent law abiding immigrants from coming in but allowed this rabble to come in as asylum seekers. In this process terrorists have entered Britain and they have established a gun culture through gangs and as a result Britain is the hub of terrorism in the world today.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Many murders are committed today, far more than the levels that were prevalent before Labour took over.

Labour also went to the support of the USAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s illegally declared war against Iraq. Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the US FederalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ReserveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has stated in his Memoirs, that President George Bush went into Iraq because of its oil wealth. To put the record straight,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Western Imperial Powers were finding it very difficult to control the oil supplies in the face of the OPEC decisions. The Western Superpowers found that they could not control the price of oil. The Imperial West must have a hand in the distribution of oil and its multinationals must be able to get profits in handlingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the oil wealth. It was this that made President Bush invade Iraq. He could not get United NationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s approval and had to have at least oneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ally and forced Prime Minister Tony Blair to support him..

This is the record ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”achievementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Labour during the past decade.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Once elected Labour went on the rampage.

The levels of violence are substantiated in any British Newspaper.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Let me quote a fe:

The London Evening Standard of 26 th March 2010 headline is enough:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Rush Hour Teen Killing 20 HeldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The sub captions gives it all:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Commuters See Boy, 15, Stabbled in Victoria StationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Terror as Child Gangs from Rival Schools ClashƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-This was a Running Knife BattleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  at height of StationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s rush hourƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Commuters flee in horror as rival gangs clash at Victoria Ticket OfficeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The same Newspaper states of another incident:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- ManƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s arm nearly hacked offƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in brawl between restaurantsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Let me quote the same Newspaper- London Evening Standard of 29 th March 2010:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Teenager stabled to Death at Station ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”wanted to be a pilotƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-

There is an area called South Manchester, which is ruled by gangs with guns. According to a report from the Home Office:

Violence in general, Gun Violence and Fatal Shootings in particular are concentrated in a specific small area of South ManchesterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.about 60% of shootings are thought to be gang related.

(From: Shootings, Gangs and Violent Incidents in Manchester by Karen Bullock & Nick Tilley, published by The Home Office, 2002).

Incidentally I may state that I was a Social Worker in South Manchester in the early Seventies and saw for myself how the Government neglected the people, mainly West Indian in the area. You deprived them of human rights, did not allow them a voice and instead of the peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  being helped and being educated you marginalized them to establish their own gangs of violence.

The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”suicideƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, rather assassination of UN Arms Inspector Dr David Kelly

Britain has also to answer for a gross violation of human rights in the case of the death of Dr David Kelly, the United Nations Arms Inspector, one of your own senior officers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This happened when Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted to join President George Bush to invade Iraq. Dr David KellyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  after due inspections reported that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was Dr Kelly ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-that exposed claims by Tony Blair, George Bush and Colin Powell that mobile biological warfare unitsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had been found, as false.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(The Independent:25/7/2003)This was not what Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted to hear. Blair wanted to join George Bush, in goingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to war with Iraq and held that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Dr David Kelly had to be silenced. Kelly died a strange sudden death, officially decided by a coroner as suicide, when the family of David Kelly and his friends opine that Kelly was not of the type to commit suicide. The battle is left to the Media.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Insider of 23/2/2010 states:ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚Evidence concerning the assassination of Dr David Kelly has been covertlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  classified as Top Secret and will not be released for at least 70 yearsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

The Daily Mail of 25/1/2010 states: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-David Kelly post mortemƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to be kept secret for 70 years as doctors accuseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Lord Hutton of concealingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  vital information.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The fact is that it was not the normal coroner that was attending to the investigation. Instead an outsider, Lord Hutton was brought in. A normal coronerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s court is attendedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by any member of the public. In this case the very fact that the details have to be held secret for 70 years- a life span which will exonerate everyone that made a wrongful decision itself speaks of the fact that the verdict can be questioned. It would behove of David Miliband the Foreign Secretary to get the Government of Britain to release the findings and full details of Lord HuttonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  investigationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to the public domain.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is an essential factor in democracy and human rights.

The fact remains that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to justify an invasion.

Blair goes against the Labour Members of Parliament

Perhaps David Miliband has now forgotten that when Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted to get approval for his foray into Iraq, the Labour Members of Parliament revolted and Tony Blair had to depend on the votes of the Conservative Members of Parliament to getƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Parliamentary approval for invading Iraq.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  So much for parliamentary democracy in Britain!

Mr. Miliband, Why did you denyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Human Rights of the Chagossian Islanders ?

Mr Daid Miliband have you forgotten how you silenced the voice of the Chagossian Islanders when they won the right to return to some of the islands on May 11, 2006 at the High Court.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Instead of accepting this decision of the High Court that upheldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the right of the Chagossian islanders to return to the islands, you did appeal against the High Court decision to the House of Lords. Let me quoteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the accepted British Journal,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The New Statesman:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”No sooner do the Chagossian islanders achieve victory in one legal case, than the Government (of Britain) appeals and the heavy legal machinery once again clunks into gear. And this time the reason as the Foreign and Commonwealth office spokespersons are very keen to explain to anyone prepared to listen, is that there is an urgent needƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to defend the defence status of all British overseas territories including Bermuda, Gibraltar and Cayman Islands,,, because of the Court of Appeal JudgementƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in May this year which ruled that the British GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had abused its power in evicting the ChagossiansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  from their paradise islands.(New Statesman 20/11/2007)

Last year when I entered Gibraltar from Spain, I was greeted by the words:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-BRITAIN GET OUTƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  etched in large letters on a rock.

Let me jog your memory because you seem to be forgetful of facts.

The ChagossianƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Islanders lived a peaceful life, in their own habitat till the USA wanted a sea base in the Indian Ocean. Britain then decided to give the Chagossian Islands including Diego Garcia to the USA.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Britain then moved 2000 Chagossians by force from 1967 to 1973 first to Peros Banhos, a hundred miles away and later to Mauritius.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  By a Court Judgement on October 9, Justice Ousley of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  High Court denied the right of the IslandersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to return to the Chagos islands.. This was overturnedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by the High Court on May 11, 2006 and the islanders were authorized to return to the islands.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At last it looked as if the islanders won to get beck to their homes. But you yourselfƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  appealed to the House of Lords against that decision and the Court of Appeal on October 22, 2008 and the Law Lords ruledƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that the islanders had no right to return.

The United States of America yet rules the waves of the Indian Ocean with its base at Diego Garcia, equipped now withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the 30,000 lbs bunker buster bombs loaded onto B2 bombers, while the Chagossians- 2000 of them arelingering in far off countries as refugees- now in their second generation. This is the Human Rights Record of Great Britain and you David Miliband are a part and parcel of it. You will carry it to your grave if there is no redress.

Please read the New Stateman: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”A resolution to the long running British injusticeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to the Chagos islanders could have signaled a switch in UK Foreign Policy.20/11/2007.

The Falklands War.

Look at your record in the 1982 Falklands War. When the British torpedoed the ArgentinianƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Navy Cruiser, Belgrano,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  killing 323ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  soldiers it was not speeding to the Falklands. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The Belgrano was outside the Total Exclusion Zone established by the British Government around the Falkland Islands.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (historylearningsite.co.uk/general_belgrano.htm)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Exclusion Zone was 370 nautical miles radius from the islands. However the British decided to sink the Belgrano. ItƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was not comingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to battle BritishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  forces at the moment it was sunk.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Instead the destroyer was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-sailing away from the Exclusion ZoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ The decision of the British Government to destroy this destroyerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and killing 323 sailors amounts to a murder.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Captain Bonzo the commander opf the BelgranoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  said that the sinking of the Belgrano was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-an act of warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(Merco Press,24/4/2009) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- The Thatcher Government went one step too far: for good measure, they also realizing the story that the ship was headed towareds the War Zone, not away from it. But then Ministry of Defence Civil Servant Clive PontingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  leaked confidential documents to the Labour MP Tom Dalyell which noted that the Argentine Cruiser had been moving away from the islands, not towards them as officially claimed. The British public was outraged at the lie.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

(www.bobhenneman.info/belgrano.htl)

Now does not the sinking of the Belgrano and causing the death of 323 sailors deserve action as a War Crime in the International Criminal Courts?

Hark Back to the League of NationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Mandate.

The Role that Britain played in establishing Israel within Palestine is the one cause for the problemsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that beset the Middle East today. Before Israel was created there was no problem whatsoeverƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the MiddleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  East. In 1917, Arabs formed 90% of the population of Palestine and almost 50% of the population of Jerusalem. At the end of World War I, Britain was handed over Palestine by the League of Nations to be handled as a Protectorate, to be developed and managed till the PalestiniansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  would be capable of running their own country. Then instead of developing and maintaining Palestine and offering measures of self government to the Palestinian population to enable them to become masters in governing themselves, Britain had the Balfour Declaration where Britain professed to help establish a Jewish State in Palestine. Thereafter the British Governor of Palestine allowed, connived and clandestinely enabled Jews to come from Germany and all over the world and settle down in Jerusalem and finally Britain kept mum, while Israel declared itself as an independent State.

No other than Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, stated in the Fifties over the BBC that there would have been no wars in the Middle East if Britain and the USA did not establish the Jewish State of Israel in Jerusalem. Plunk a foeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  into a country and allow them to establish a belligerent country and see what happens.

To relate these facts to recent happenings in Sri Lanka, right at the moment when President Rajapaksa had cornered the terrorists- the ruthless LTTE to the shores of Mullativu, Britain, USA led by the Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, France led by your counterpart Kouchner, Japan and many other nations tried theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  level best to stop President Rajapaksa,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to get him to declare peace and give the terrorist a reprieve.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Was the West not trying the very same tactic that you all tried in Israel, to allow the LTTE a new leash of life- in short helping them to establish a separate State within Sri Lanka. .

ThatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is the dismal record of Britain.

The fact remains that the Superpowers are not intent on defeating terrorism. Instead your very actions reveal that the fight for terrorism is the pretext under which the Superpowers are now trying to rule the world.

Its Neocolonialism. You lost the colonies that once provided the funds for the riches of Liverpool and Manchester. Now the Superpowers are trying to regain the colonies by economicƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  warfare- through encouraging terrorist outfits to destroy upcoming States like Sri Lanka and India.

Britain you should be ashamed of the past decades of Foreign Policy.

Israel

To get back to Israel,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Israel has gone on expanding its territories. Its history reveals that it declares war on one of its neighbours and ends controllingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  some of its territory.

As I write, Israel is turning out PalestiniansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  from their homes forcibly at the point of the gun. A few months ago a media photographer was ordered to stop filming this atrocity and thrown out at the point of the gun. I saw the entire episode over the televsion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Gun totting Israeli soldiers stormed into houses and ordered the occupants out. The people dragged their belongings outside and sat on the streets. Then came Israeli bulldozers to pull down the homes. The media photographer who was perched unobservedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  on a side was then spotted by the soldiers who ordered her to leave at the point of the gun. The soldiers did not know that she had radioed the scene to the television.

In the last few weeks the world has seenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  how Joes Bidden, who came to talk sense to the Israelis was totally rebuffed, ignored by Netanyahu the Prime Minister of Israel. In the face of Joe Bidden, Netanyahu orderedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that another 1,500 homes for the Israelis should be immediately built.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Obama and Vice President Joe Bidden- their peace intentions have come to nought.

Does Britain realize that the title deeds for the lands that Israel holds as their own and the deeds of the lands they are taking over by force are the treasured documents held byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the homeless in Gaza and other areas of Palestine. They keep cryingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  showing to the world what has happened to their own homes. Their tears wet the deeds but the wheels of Israel goes on moving further and further. Palestine even today is not a recognized country while the clandestinely established State of Israel is not only an accepted country but receives and annual grant fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the USA. Israel also gets the latest weaponry from the USA, weaponry that is denied to any other country.

It would behove of Britain and of you as its Foreign Minister to understand what Britain has done to the world,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Mr Miliband you have actually destroyed your own country- enabled the rabble of the world to come in helped them with grants of social security to establish themselves to make Britain a more violent place that it ever was.

Please keep offƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  our Country Mr Miliband, Sri Lanka is sacred to us. You can continue to destroy your country as you please but please keep your hands off us.

Garvin Karunaratne, Phd. Michigan State University,

M.Phil Edinburgh, M.Ed Manchester

Former Government Agent, MataraDistrict

2 nd April 2010.