The President Mahinda Rajapakse turned a difficult situation to come out of it as a great Statesman with poise and dignity.
Posted on December 2nd, 2010
By Charles.S.Perera
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President of Sri Lanka came to UK, whether it was a good idea to have had come, and who is to be blamed for not having advised him against his visit are pointless arguments now.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, the reaction of the President Mahinda Rajaksa to the cancellation of his speech to an association of the Oxford University students was:
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I am very sorry this has had to be cancelled but I will continue to seek venues in the UK and elsewhere where I can talk about my future vision for Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I will also continue in my efforts to unite all the people of our country whether they live in Sri Lanka or overseas. As a united country we have a great future. If we allow divisions to dominate we will not realise our true potential. We have had thirty years of division and conflict. We must now secure peace and harmony for all Sri Lankans.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
This showed of what metal he is made. He was not angry or flustered, and least disconcerted. One would have expected an angry outburst from some one else but the President Mahinda Rajapakse showed himself to be an experienced Statesman, poised and generous.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ After all the President had greater enemies to face and he had come out the winner. In this episode in UK too the President is the winner. The loss was that of the Government of UK .
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The United Kingdom is supposed to be a civilised democracy. It is supposed to have given the poor countries in the third world democracy and shaped them according to their Christian Civilization, yet it failed to keep at bay a minority group of expatriate Tamils supporting a terrorist group banned in UK, behaving like uncivilized savages manifesting against a visiting Head of State, even if the visit is unofficial.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is a loss of face to the Government of Great Britain, which speaks of democracy, of freedom of expression, and of human rights, but still could not receive a Head of State in its own soil with respect, in security and in civility. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse of Sri Lanka is after all a democratically elected President of his country.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One would of course have liked if the President did not go to UK, but he did not ask to come ,he merely responded to an invitation. Therefore it was the duty of those who invited him, to have made necessary arrangements and failing that to inform the President of Sri Lanka before his arrival their inability to receive him.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If the respective association of the Oxford University did not expect the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-savageryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the expatriate Tamil Community, it was the bounden duty of the Government of Great Briton to provide adequate security to a Head of State even if he had not been officially invited by the Government. UK Government could say that it was not responsible as it did not officially invite him, but then the UK Government has duty to coordination with its Department of Security to look after the safety of a visiting Head of State.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is a shame that Great Britain that won the second world war against terrible odds was made powerless against an ethnic minority, who are the supporters of terrorism banned in Great Britain, to turn a simple visit of a Head of State of a Commonwealth Country in to a situation of utter pandemonium.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The British People should ask their Government how it could be expected to ward of an attack by the Al Queida terrorists when it could not stop a miserable group of terrorist sympathisers manifesting against a visiting Head of State even if it was not an official visit ?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The British soldiers are fighting the Talibans in Afghanistan but how can we expect them to win against the Talibans when the British Security forces are unable even to provide security to a visiting Head of State.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Any Head of State can visit Sri Lanka now and our Government will provide efficient Security to keep their visit safe and peaceful. The British Security forces could learn lessons from our Security forces. A peaceful environment in Sri Lanka was created by the President Mahinda Rajapakse, whose visit to UK should have been a privilege to UK.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President Mahinda Rajapakse did not ask to be invited he merely honoured an invitation extended to him to deliver a speech at the Oxford University. His not making the speech is no loss of face either to the President or to Sri Lanka, but it is shameful nevertheless to Great Britain a once proud nation where it had been told long time ago that the sun never set in its Empire.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But where are those Media Freedom activists, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Are they only defending the interest of the terrorists, defending free speech, and human rights only in relation to support of terrorists and terrorism ?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These expatriate Tamils protesting against the elected President of Sri Lanka, are fattening the coffers of the pro-terrorist Groups in UK without sending a cent for the welfare of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They protest, pay large sums of money to different media such as the Channel 4 , and pay opposition MPs in Sri Lanka such as Jayalath Jayawardhane and Wickramabahu Karunaratne to discredit Sri Lanka and its President.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But these Expatriate Tamils in UK, Canada, USA etc. have not come forward to finance any development projects in the North or East of Sri Lanka for the benefit of the Tamils in these areas who suffered under their Thalaivar the Sun God Prabhakaran and his chaotic terrorists for thirty years, and have been resettled by the government.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Those who come off worst in the episode are the pathetic figures of Jayalath Jayawardhana and Wickramabahu Karunaratne. They are certainly very sordid individuals without principles who have gone to address the Tamil terrorist supporters and speak to them of Sinhala Chauvinism and a Tamil Homeland.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The people of Sri Lanka if they have any feeling of patriotism to their motherland should keep away from these two individuals as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-pestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and should not cast a single vote for them in any future elections..
December 2nd, 2010 at 3:44 pm
London Boy Says
Friends,
No one knows what prompted Sri Lanka President to take this risky action.
As far as I know, Sri Lanka High Commission in London has warned MR not to do this trip. They have vehemently opposed from the beginning giving all details to Sri Lanka about the current security lapses in the UK.
SLFP UK branch had requested and begged the President not to come.
In Oxford University, there are so many pocket associations and sangamayas set up by the students who have come from different ethnicities and countries. There are Indian students, Bangladesh students, Turkey students, Chinese students like that. All those students have their own association. They organise annual events. Some bring artistes from their countries or prominent figures for lectures. What ever they intend do, they have to get permission from the University authorities. Then only they allow students to use university letterheads to send invitations with the Union secretary’s signature .Thus Sri Lanka students have their own Sri Lanka association and there are only 16 students in it. All of them are Sinhalese. 12 Tamil students study there but they are not in this association. 16 Sinhala students are also divided into two. So the President’s event was organised by 8 Sinhala students. Their leader Dilan Fernando is the one who had sent the invitation to the SL President for a speech.
Oxford Union (OU) is a completely different one from what we talked above. It is a different body and it has nothing to do with other student associations. None of the Sri Lankan students studying in Oxford today is in the OU at least as a committee member. When we hear about Mr Bandaranayake or Mr Lalith Ethulathmudali’s Oxford days and their activities in the Student Union, it is important to know that was the main OU. Not this pocket size sangamaya.
The invitation Sri Lanka President received got wide publicity in Sri Lanka that he has been invited by the Oxford Union. It is a complete misunderstanding and sheer treading the tail. I heard President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga appeared on TV there waving the invitation and saying that Mr Rajapakse has been invited by the Oxford and it’s a good opportunity to talk to the foreigners and overseas media. But the truth is when ever a dignitary come from Sri Lanka for a speech or an event, the Sinhala people in London have to travel to that venue to fill the seats. No foreigners are interested in those matters. This I know very well.
As everyone talks now, SL President’s journey is an utter wastage of money and time. Also with him an entourage has landed here. What for ? If he is coming why so many ” Pirivara” ? More over this is the Winter in Europe and it is heavy snow falling. No state visits are scheduled during this period because of travelling and weather difficulties.
Oxfordshire is a small area. Its police force is not that much. It cannot handle if there is going to be thousand protesters. It will not deploy police officers from other areas. Security arrangements are a very costly matter. More over this is not a visit on a UK Govt. invitation. So when the Oxford police knew Tamils are coming in thousands, the next best thing they did was asking the University to cancel the event completely. Done.
Tamils have nothing worthwhile to do here. A lot of them work in shops, Mc Donalds, supermarkets and petrol stations. They have Tiger flags and T-shirts ever ready for this. This is also an outing for them. At beck and call they will be anywhere in thousands. That’s the kind of training given to them by the Tiger leadership over the years. Among them are hundreds of trained hard-core Tigers migrated fro Vanni those days. So if they have a chance, they might not think twice to do the act for which they have been trained.
Also this is not a good time as we all know the British media, Channel 4 and so many other fractions are hostile to Sri Lanka. This has been going on since the war ended two years ago. Knowing all this, every one here is astonished at our President’s arrival in the UK. Where are the advisors? What benefit does Sri Lanka have by talking to these few people in a meeting? Are we having any trade deals with this country? No, none. Even if it is for such a thing Trade minister could come for that. If President wanted to give a speech, as Warna had suggested, it could have done by satellite.
When I first came to know about this Oxford thing, I wrote a month ago, that our President should not accept invitations from all ” Kollas” and ” Ballas” But alas! he did so and see the unsavoury soup he is in today.
Some say, when some media published earlier about his likely arrest on British soil, President wanted to show the UK ” I am coming, catch me if you can” stance. This could be the reason why he came on his own accord, not listening to anybody. In other words President Rajapakse was doing ” a Merwyn Silva”. In my mind such behaviour is not a brave act apt for any country’s leader, but sheer foolhardiness. Sad!
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:25 pm
To All
Above is a copy of the e-mail circulating at the moment written by a person who has never been to a UK university for education. By the way, the oxford Sri Lankan society is an affiliated society within the main student union. Apparently the invitation to address the student union was given by the main student union although it was organised by the Sri Lankan society.
December 2nd, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Hove, hove London Boys. Do not insult politicians who are not with us any more. Lalith’s family name does not start with an “E” (Athulathmudali) NeelaMahaYodaya is right, this man has never been to Sri Lanka. This clearly shows that the author has not understood why HE MR came to Briton. Main reason is to meet various British ministers and get to know them first hand. Oxford was a side show. It is a brave act and to tell the punks like this author, who is an Indian RAW agent that HE MR cannot be arrested and charged with a fictitious fable.
December 2nd, 2010 at 7:35 pm
This man calling himself London Boy! I got his name from an e-Mail. Daya Ranasinghe UK! Ha I thought he was a Tamil Nadu Tamil. I was wrong.
December 2nd, 2010 at 10:09 pm
london boy/daya ranasinghe , are u this stupid always or are you making a special effort today? If oxford main union didn’t invite to mr.president,why did the chairman of oxford main union apologise for the inconvenience. Dont use this to insult to politicians who are opposite to your politicle view.president visit gives huge message,’we dont afraid to false war crime complains.’
it need some intelligence to understand it.sorry ,you havn’t enough
December 3rd, 2010 at 7:30 am
UK, the birth place of EELAM, showed how they can humiliate a leader who defeated their proxies. This is an expected fiasco. The only lesson we can learn: DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM BRITISH, AMERICAN, EUROPEAN AND VATICAN.
December 3rd, 2010 at 7:59 am
Why is it that all the Oxford educated Colombo politcians, viz. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake, got assassinated ?
THE PURPOSE OF PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSE’S VISIT TO UK :
We think that President Rajapakse aim is to tell the whole world, as much as possible, his & the GoSLs vision for Sri Lanka, Unity through Development. He will go to any venue in UK, Oxford or no Oxford, to speak of his message. He merely accepted an invitation to speak at Oxford as that was the only invitation from UK. If it were a Lancashire or Cornwall institution, he may have gone there !
He is looking for other venues to speak in UK, as that is his point in going there. He is trying his best to put Sri Lanka back on the map after the defeat of the ltte. He has taken a personal risk to his own life by going to UK with so many pro-ltte lobby people there, just to deliver his message about developing Sri Lanka, and hopefully win over the pro-ltte lobby. Not many people will do this for Lanka. He has already met with Liam Fox, Secretary of Defence in UK. Let us back our President in his endeavors. We are proud of our President !
December 4th, 2010 at 1:00 am
British always tap the elites and intelectuals in their colonies to serve their interest better. When those people “FAIL” and talk about their nation or people, British agents like Buddharakkita or LTTE kill them!
Ranil have no problem because he belong to the Church of England headed by Queen and colloborator of LTTE and British!
December 8th, 2010 at 5:08 am
Mudali you are correct. British spy (high) commission in Colombo is the place trained tamil racist terrorists theoretician anton balasingham. He was just a low profile tamil English translator in the british spy commission. Suddenly he got a british citizenship and a doctorate from Britain. Then he became second in command of the terrorists group later. Anton’s wife Adele was the leader of terrorists group’s female suicide cadre. She now lives in London and coordinates terrorists groups. Neither David Milliband, nor british parliament members nor Channel 4 nor bbc nor human rights groups nor human right watch question about her terrorists operations.
December 8th, 2010 at 7:14 am
I, for one, cannot join in the chorus that is out attacking ‘London Boy’ for his comments. There is sense in some of what he writes, and I am with him when he says “No one knows what prompted Sri Lanka President to take this risky action”.
It seems that everyone in sight, especially Sri Lanka’s hapless High Commissioner in London, is being blamed for what went wrong. But a little bit of soul searching closer home would not be amiss. For that will show that common sense and a bit of prudence should have persuaded the President and his advisers to not go ahead with the trip.
It was always clear that there would be demonstrations against the President by sections of the Tamils in London and that the British authorities would not try to stop them so long as they stayed within the law. During the last days of the war against the LTTE, when hundreds of Tamils occupied grounds in the very precincts of the House of Commons to engage in long and rowdy demonstrations, the authorities virtually ‘looked the other way’. They were unlikely to act differently this time.
Then, it was equally clear that efforts would be made to have the President and any ministers and service personnel travelling with him, arrested for alleged war crimes. The Tamils had telegraphed their intentions a long time ago. They made no effort to conceal their plans; they meant business.
So, there were these very real threats and in light of these threats was it sensible to still undertake the trip? And let’s keep things in proper perspective – the Oxford Union is not the UN. Was a speech to a university group all that important?
Not so long ago, at the request of lawyers acting for Palestinian victims of fighting in Gaza, a British magistrate issued an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes against Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni who was due to visit Britain around that time. The warrant against Livni was later withdrawn but not before she had chosen, in light of the circumstances, to cancel her planned trip. Now, was that not the sensible thing to have done? And did it not spare her and her country the sort of embarrassment that President Rajapaksa’s ill fated trip to Britain has brought in its train?
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