Insight By Sunil Kumar

It becomes plain from many perspectivesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the face of the Premadasa vs Wickremasinghe diversities that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the UNPƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is indeedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sharply divided over the responses needed towards the UNHRC sessions in Geneva issue, with those behind the former, callingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for support of the Government of Sri Lanka in opposingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the abhorrently lopsided accusations projected by Sri Lanka’s enemiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and done blatantly at a time when there are glaringly shameful issues involving many of the sources who seem to be so insistent about Sri Lanka’s aberrations when they themselves are guilty as leading world nations of painfully visible excesses of the same accusations levelled at Sri Lanka and not involving their sovereignities nor territorial integrities. Sadly innocents suffer as a consequence. It is an affront to justice and the maintenance of world peace albeit motivated more by greed for resources, territory and a power drivenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ madness which shows no mercy for the consequences which could eventually endanger the very existence of the world ! The Wickremasinghe rationaleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (if it can be called that !) to the contrary seems blinkered at best on the issue andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  whether it be at an MP’s cricket match or on the floor of the parliamentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  his responses are more willy nilly and insignificant of late relative to the intelligence required it needs to be emphasized.

The strongest point about Mr.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PremadasaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ towardsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  his dedications and patriotism as a true son of Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ shows whenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ maintaining ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that ” he couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t keep quiet when an obvious attempt was being made to destabilise the country and cause chaos”ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  he said while also quipping thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Rajapaksa administration had failed to alleviate the sufferings of the poor due to negligence, waste and corruption. Those struggling to make ends meet hadnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t received any tangible assistance, though the war had ended almost three years back,.” which of course seems more tongue in cheek rather than realistic given the financial challenges the nation faces during the process of rebuilding after a devastating, nearlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ three decades long internal armed insurrection and perhaps typically opposition motivated..

Coming back to reality he has refered to the US led resolution,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as one which has noƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ moral or legal justification for any country or a group of countries towards intervention in Sri Lanka. Very courageously andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  more importantly, very correctly he has maintained thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  “Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s war against terrorism should not be a political issue, whatever the differences they had with the government. The country had no option but to defeat the LTTE through military means as it rejected efforts made by successive governments to settle the national issue, he said.The LTTE quit the negotiating table in April 2003 after six rounds of talks at various overseas venues. Only the LTTE could have avoided war. The majority of those upset about Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s success did nothing to avert war. None of them at least bothered to issue press statements condemning the LTTE for withdrawing from the Norwegian-led peace process in April 2003 or opposed the use of children as cannon fodder.”

Bravo !ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to his courageous stance where his vis a vis compatriot and “comradeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in politics”Wickremasinghe has had little more than apathy to offerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ what apears to be either an” I dont know and I don’t care” response or “Well !ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am not going to get involved in what may come back to haunt be or jeapordise my ratings with my western allies” scenario.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Regardless of which it may be, the responses truly seem wimpishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where Mr Wickremasinghe should get a life and perhaps quit politics!