DR. ROHAN GUNARATNA IS CHALLENGED.-CHENNAI HAD OUR BEST DIPLOMATS – GOVT. HAS NOT LOST THE MEDIA WAR.
Posted on August 22nd, 2012
By Professional Analyst – Canada, August 21st., 2012.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The statement made by Dr. Rohan Gunaratna that “Our best diplomats should be posted to TN” and that “Govt. has lost the media war” is challenged.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India and Chennai had got the best diplomats who had done a wonderful job in silence during the peak periods of demand.Today some of them are functioning as our ambassadors and high commissioners in European and Scandinavian capitals. Sri Lanka also had the best diplomat during that time in Beijin and Toronto. How can Prof. Rohan Gunaratna also say that the Sri Lanka government should view the recently held Tamil Eelam Supporters Organization (TESCO) conference as a failure of the Sri Lanka’s diplomacy? The Army-initiated international “Defence Seminar – 2012 titled “Towards Lasting Peace and Stability” August 8th., – 10th., held at the Colombo Galadari Hotel which was aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ great diplomatic PR and interactive successƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had already given the answers to the TESCO event later that week which was held in Chennai. Sri Lanka has proven beyond doubt that it is a country that has the best Anti-Terrorism Techniques and a trained Army and disciplined Security force that canƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ eradicateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ terrorism, be it land, sea or by air by fighting a humanitarian war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Out of the seven (07) questions asked by the learned and politically seasoned journalist Ranga Jayasuriya who has anƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in-dept insight of the ethnic situation in Sri Lanka and the geo-political climate Sri Lanka faces with her neighbours, intelligently has prepared the questions he has placed before the learned Dr. Rohan Gunaratna. That is enough proof of the praise of the journalist, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but Dr. Rohan Gunaratna has not answered to the point, as expected of an expert of hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ caliber the first six (06) questionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and has failed to enlighten the general public/readers of substantive researched analytic support content which should be the proper answers to the questions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Dr. Rohan Gunaratna’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ answers have been not clear and has moved away from the secure ground of known facts, but has strolled into his own extrapolation to make it headline based on conjecture rather than reality.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
One such good example of what he has expressed in his interviews which is away from secure ground of known facts is: -“The strategy of the Sri Lanka government should be to invite Jayalalitha and other Tamil Nadu politicians to visit Sri Lanka and to show theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unprecedentedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ development in the North and the East, engage the Tamil Nadu politicians both DMK, AIADMK and other parties and explain to them that there is a hugeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ propagandaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ machinery that is operating in Tamil Nadu.” How dare Dr. Rohan Gunaratna ridicule the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the Presidential Secretariat, when in fact on April the 16th., 2012, a Parliamentary delegation of 12 Indian MP’s representing the Congress Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party, Socialist Party, Bharatitya Janata Dal and Janata Dal lead by Leader of the Opposition of the Indian parliament and MP Sushma Sawaraj in fact made an official visit to Sri Lanka. Of the 12 members, five were from Tamil Nadu. Their agenda took them to all corners of the North and East and parts of the South with much meetings with officials, ordinary citizens, NGO’s politicians, security personnel and the Executive. Invitations to the two leading political parties and their leaders in Tamil Nadu – the DMK and the AIADMK were also extended an accepted, but at the last moment they pulled out of the delegation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A similar confusion Dr. Rohan Gunaratna had created in the recent past is the contradictory statements made in March this year about the deaths during the last war at Nandikadal when the official governmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ hierarchy have admitted to deaths being in the range of 2,800 to 3,000 countering the United Nations Secretary GeneralƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Expert Panel on Accountability issues in Sri Lanka which had claimed that nearly 40,000 civilians were killed. It was proven recently by the defence establishment afterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ statisticalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ information were obtained from ground reports and a death census that it was around 7000, which yet proved that the UN figures were totally wrong. There was no need to bluff the International community when the government is frank and out spoken. How can Dr. Rohan Gunaratna’s statements to the media be authentic under these circumstances. It is therefore better for Dr. Rohan Gunaratna to have the “feather on his cap” that he is theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “acknowledged expert on terrorism in South Asia” and to be called the world’s top expert on Al Qaeda”, with hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ill-substantiated, and unchallenged, claims that he evades answering when challenged inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ IntellectualƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and Academic audiences in the West and North America. With due respect to Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, the answer he had provided to question number seven (07) is very much appreciated, but Dr. Rohan Gunaratna should not attempt to guide the top brass at the Ministry ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ForeignƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Affairs or the Ministry of Defence to revamp their institutions the way he thinks is correct, just because Dr. Rohan Gunaratna is given a “hearing”. If he is of opinion that they willƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “listen”, which will be similar to teach “grandma how to suck eggs”, that is a great insult to our public servants who have done a wonderful job defending our Motherland under the guidance of the Defence Secretary and Excellency the President during challenging times.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Security establishment and the government of Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to be ridiculed by Academics of the kind of Dr. Rohan Gunaratna. Dr. Rohan Gunaratna’s contributions in the defence of our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” is respected with due honour in the forums he has done so, but he cannot “hijack”ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the facts and replace them with his own extrapolation in order to make them headlines for his glorification based on conjecture rather than reality.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is what is challenged about Dr. Rohan Gunaratna’s recent media interview.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The unblemished intelligent advice given by the late Abraham Lincoln – “you can fool all people for some time, some people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time”. This should echo in the mind of Dr. Rohan Gunaratna always. The army of Freelance Journalism has awoken to the call of our President to defend our “Mathruboomiya” with more vigour, courage and dedication. The Government has NOT LOST THE MEDIA WAR. Honest reporting from Colombo to the international media without anti-Sri Lanka sentiments for the sake of pleasing the foreign masters is the need of the hour. The Freelance Journalist will stand up to that call now.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:23 pm
No point inviting those racist fools. They REFUSE to see reality.
But Dr. Rohan Gunaratna is a good man who GENERALLY makes sense.
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:41 pm
My surprise is that why this writer uses a nickname instead of revealing him/herself to engage in challenging a so called ‘expert’ on Terrorism? In fact I am surprised why some forum members use nicks to haul insults and downright low bred language at other critiques in this forum, instead of being critique of the ‘opinions’ of people. Can these people please reveal their names and their locations?
Regarding the crux of the artcle, I like to comment on few things. Rohan goes by information gathers from his ‘sources’ who have direct contacts with him, rather than reading whatever journalists report, which again are based on sometimes ‘eye witnesses’ who may fabricate a story or not – even video evidence could be fabricated these days as we live in a very COMPLICATED world of corruption and deception. (the Anglo takes the Gold medal) Rohan may or may not go by factual evidence, although everything he says seems to be ‘authoritative’. One could also be rational i.e. coming to one’s conclusion hammering out on one’s own thinking based on what he reads or hears. Development in N and E no doubt no one denies but the ‘vultures’ are after punishing the people who have supposed to have committed war crimes. Two things entirely different. One cannot ignore something bad when something is done good later. It’s just like someone kills someones family member and then builds a house for the family and says ”just forget the past – we have done something good now’. In my opinion (just another fool’s opinion’) Rohan has done a yeoman service to the country, as SLUNA or SPUR, and his advice needs to be taken seriously. The performance of our Defence Ministry is admirable, thanks to GR, MR and SF and the forces who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our Lankadeepa and but I seriously doubt the performance of our Foreign Affairs Ministry.
August 22nd, 2012 at 6:21 pm
I think the proof of our diplomacy lies in the ground reality. India influences us in every aspect of our life, A 13th amendment and provincial council- it addresses indian hegemony but for sri lankans it is a white elephant, Trade agreements – are in Indias favour, Indian employment in SL and we send ours to korea/ME for slavery, etc. This is a reflection of the failure of diplomacy. But what can you expect when the whole set up is politicised and men of inferior quality are appointed. Rohan Gooneratne is right ,the problem is the sycophancy of the Sri Lankans especially the sinhalese. We have never learnt the lesson from JR when he was the President , He was the fox ,he knew every thing the master who could do anything except to make a man a woman and vice versa. Today he is condemned a traitor, cause of all evil in Sri Lanka . It is time the lankans realise that sycophancy does not help infact it is detrimental. Credit where it is due and condemn what is not right should be the policy. Unfortunately the ahem hamuduruwane is the cause of all the problems of SL.
August 22nd, 2012 at 7:02 pm
nandimitra – when I wrote a stinker in Sunday Times on a speech made by JR, whom I call the Old Fool, this is what he replied on ‘sex change’ published on 29-10-89 Sunday Times. I quote a part of it – ‘ Thirdly, inability to change the sex of a person was said of the United Kingdom, House of Commons not claimed by me’. As people were ‘disappearing’ at that time in SL, I used a nick L.E.Mendis.
August 22nd, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Rohan Gunarathne has to support a University department, if not he will loose his job. Where does he get his funding Of coues from INDIAN RAW. He has to proove it, so what he do when he writs articles supporting this world renouned CROOK Dalilama. I think last November he gave speech stating that SL must not antagonize INDIA by getting too amny loans from China. SL might not be able to pay them back! Indians and Sri Lankens are the same people so SL must not attempt to over take INDIAN economic plans. The he went on to say that Sinhala has nothing to do with Chinese so we must follow INDIA.
August 22nd, 2012 at 8:48 pm
I often hear especially from the opponents of the Rajapaksa regime that there is no press freedom in Sri Lanka and the journalist critical of the government are persecuted and so on.So why is this professional analyst afraid to own this article ? To me it is obvious he is a government official or a political goon.
We all know that prof. Gunaratne is a patriotic Sri Lankan and has the interest of our beloved country and always spoke in favor of Sri Lanka. It is time for all the patriotic Sri Lankans and the government to accept constructive criticism from such eminent people.
It is obvious to any intelligent person that our foreign service has failed to defend our country from our western enemies and the LTTE funded foreign media.Till recently we did not have capable diplomats in key missions in the USA, UK, Australia etc. We had some political goons who had no experience, who could not speak properly in English as representities of Sri Lanka.
We have the best, the courageous and a patriotic leader as our president, but we have gorillas like Mervyn Silva as ministers
in our government.It is time we accept the realities and not blindly support every thin the government does.The president has to listen to good advise.Remember what happened to Hosni Mubarak and Col Gaddafi?