Upali Cooray

An American, garbed in orange jumpsuit, ostensibly calculated to echo the garb of al Qaeda insurgents apprehended and imprisoned by the United States. He kneels down next to a man dressed in all black, his face covered, and a knife in hand.

For many, this has become a lasting image of the terrorist and insurgent group known as the Islamic state in Iraq and Syria, ISIS or simply Islamic state as it now calls itself.

In a video posted to the internet on August 19, 2014 and extensively distributed over social media, the American delivers a speech, warning President Obama to end air raids against the Islamic State. His persecutor speaks, exhibiting British accent that is so dominant in his performance, cautioning President Obama that attacks on ISIS would result in the spilling of American blood.

He places the knife to the American’s neck and the camera cuts away to show the victim’s severed head, displayed on the back of his lifeless body. Only the beginning of the gruesome act is shown. But it is the fright in the American’s eyes that is hard to forget.

Now we roll back the scenario to Sri Lanka, 11th of June 1990. Police officers numbering 600 – 700 are ordered by the government to surrender to the LTTE for the sake of a peace plan worked out by President Premadasa. All policemen numbering 600 to 700 were taken to Vinayagapuram and Trincomalee jungles. Once they arrived, the LTTE cadres lined up the officers tied their hands behind their backs all were shot dead.

See any similarities between the two scenarios mentioned above? Yes, the LTTE was founded by Prabhakaran in May 1976. Al – Qaeda was founded in 1988 by Osama Bin laden. The ISIS was founded in 1999 by al Baghdadi. LTTE is the founder of world terrorism.

Unlike Bin Laden; Prabhakaran and al – Baghdadi are illiterate. Therefore their ruthlessness is comparatively greater. Educated in history of Islam wary of how sectarianism could compromise his vision for an international Jihadi movement, Bin Laden urged to focus on the real enemy, the US and urged war only on Americans, Israeli or European soil. Whereas al Qaeda’s primary enemy has always been the United States. ISIS targets are much closer to home namely Shi’ite regimes such as Basher Assad’s government in Syria and Haider al-Abad i’s in Iraq that impede the creation of a “pure” radically sectarian Islamic state.

LTTE is the most notorious terrorist group in modern history, to use the tactic of suicide bombing on a large scale. Their “black Tigers” division is responsible for the invention of the suicide belt, a device used by suicide bombers throughout the world today.

In 16th May 2009 Sri Lanka government defeated the LTTE but the defeat was only within Sri Lanka. External elements supportive of the organization were undefeated.  In 2015 the yahapalana government came to power promising to redress the grievances of the victims of the war and meet their demands. UNHCR resolution 30/1 was co-sponsored by the U.S and Sri Lanka. Mangala Samaraweera the minister of foreign affairs at the time undertook to the UNHCR that Sri Lanka would comply with the requirements of the resolution.

American exceptionalism is an ideology that holds that the United States is unique among nations. Therefore, crimes committed in Iraq or any other part of the world go overlooked resulting in consequential more brutal retaliation in the form of ISIS or al-Qaida.

The Americans were defeated and chased out only by one country. That is Viet – Nam (1955-1975) since then no country has been able to challenge the U. S. North Korea led by Kim Jong Un has taken up the challenge by threatening to detonate a hydrogen bomb in America. Hence the U.S. is again under threat which can even end up in a nuclear war, though the likelihood is remote. Why cannot the U.S leave Kim Jong Un alone? Geopolitical reasons and any threat to their supremacy are not tolerated. Can Sri Lanka co-sponsor with the U. S. a war crimes resolution committed by the U.S?

Human rights is a tactic to suppress developing countries, regime change to keep under American domination, imposing sanctions to rival nations like Russia in check, setting up puppet regimes in Asia to bar China’s influence on developing nations, and stop China’s use of southern seas to facilitate its transport of oil which is a means to cripple China’s vast economic development.

Present Government never received a mandate to repeal and replace the existing constitution. Words such as”ekiya” in Sinhala and “orumiththa nadu” in Tamil have replaced the “unitary” status of Sri Lanka. The Tamil word can be translated to united country or country formed by amalgamation.

The yahapalana government especially the Prime Minister is a lackey of the west. Such a man will try all the tricks to sell this country’s sovereignty and independence to the west. The UNP lost its capable leaders such as Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake who were   killed by the LTTE. Ranil became the leader after a struggle for leadership with Sajith Premadasa. Habitual loser of elections, he piggy backed President Sirisena in 2015. This evidently is a regime change worked out by the US and India.

The answer to our country being forced to comply with the UNHCR resolution can only be annulled by a government having the will power to resist such demands.  The Yahapalana leaders do not have the any interest to do so as they are pawns of a super power.

UPALI COORAY

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