By Charles.S.Perera

Now we know who were behind Ban Ki Moons ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” move against Sri Lanka to appoint aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  three-man Panel to advise himƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  whether there had beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  violation of human rights by the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka in the last phase of its military operations against the terrorists.

Germany, UK, France, USA, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Romania, Norway and EU are obviously the prime movers of the idea of a Panel to Ban Ki Moon.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These same countriesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  voted against theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  resolution submitted byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka at the HumanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Rights Council in Geneva on the 27 May, 2009.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Very Strangely in Tamil Nadu a political partyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Hindu Makkal Kachi alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has protestedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  against the President Mahinda Rajapakse, forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  not allowing a UN Probe. Like minded people flock togetherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ?

In the statement issued by the Colombo based diplomatic Missions of the nine countries and EU, it is state that the manifestation before the UN Office in Colombo is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-harmful to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s reputation ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- in the world.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But what have these countries done to enhance the reputation of Sri Lanka which got rid of a ruthless group of terrorist by its own strategies nettingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the terrorists leadership which every one thought wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-invincible ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-, andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  carried out a tremendous rescue operation to bring inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  thousands of Tamil Civil population kept as a human shieldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by terrorist.

The Western anti Sri Lanka block only keepsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  harping on the possible violation of human rights in the military operations by the government forces,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  leaving conveniently aside the continued killing of civilians in Afghanistan , Pakistan and Iraq by haphazard bombardment of civilian settlements by the Armed Forces of USA,UK, and France through remote controlledƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  drones.

UE representative too joined the cavalcade, havingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  informed of the temporary withdrawal of GSP+. TheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  web site ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- UN DispatchƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in the meantime was not satisfied by the expression of dismay by the group of the diplomats issuing the statement.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It wants some thing more severe and blamesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that the statement fell short ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  spelling out justiceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and diplomatic consequences the group is willing to impose on aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-recalcitrantƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka. That is it- recalcitrantƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka which does not submit itself to the authority or control theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  West is trying to impose on it .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is the crux of the matter.

It isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a call for imposing ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-democratic methods ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- the West is quite used to,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  such as imposition of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-embargosƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  or theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  US sponsored NavalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Cordon around Iraq which resulted in the death ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  more than 600ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 000 children,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  several decades of trade embargo on Cuba hindering its development and progress, because Cuba does not adhere toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-democratic systemƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, as EU imposes its ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- democratic methodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of depriving the livelihood of thousands of poor workers in Garment Industry in Sri Lanka by withdrawing GSP+ trade concessions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

And these hypocritesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dare say that Sri Lanka, by manifesting against most undemocraticƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  uncivilised method of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s interferenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in to the affairs of Sri Lanka, is causing harm to its reputation.

It is not by submitting to their calls according to their whims and fancies that Sri Lanka seeks to establish its reputation in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  most egocentric West out to stop developing countries seeking independence from theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hold.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
The West is so pretentious, they think they and only they are worthy of being trusted,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and only they are just and reasonable. Blinded by this pretence of being the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-bestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, they fail to give credit to those who deserve credit even if they are different from them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Even the Western tourists who enjoyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the hospitality of the people of Sri Lanka are friendly andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  sociable onlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  when they are in Sri Lanka, but join a group of them as a tourist in their own country to see how they leave you out looking ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-through youƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  because you are different from them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That what they are, though theyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  pontificate to us about human rights and ethnic problems.

Terrorism is a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- vicious cancer ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the world is affected withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and if the West is intelligentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  they should have acclaimed the great feat of Sri Lanka in eliminating Terrorism from its soil.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That would have been an impediment, a warning to all terrorists and any future groupsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that envisageƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  terrorism,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to take warning ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a united force ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  world nations against terrorism that they have to face.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ButƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  insteadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the WestƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  takes every opportunity to discredit Sri Lanka for having eliminated terrorism, which they have not been able to doƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in several fronts, despite their most modern weaponsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and sacrifice of thousands of their youth.

The Group of Western Diplomats should have warnedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ban Ki Moon of the immorality of his action in the face of the Government of Sri Lanka appointing aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Chaired by a former Attorney General.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The West has no right to degradeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  demeanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the ability of the members of this Commission.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The West presumes thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  objectivity, justice and fair play are their monopoly.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But it is not so if oneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  takes into account corruption and scandals that some of the Western Governments are infested with.

If the Western Countries cast doubt on our institutions , judges and intellectuals , we the people of the country who have faith in our institutions, and dignitaries have the right to protest to show our disagreement with them.

In this respect itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is worth whileƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  referring to an articleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the Daily Mail of the 29.6.2010 by itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Social AffairsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Correspondent SteveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  DoughtyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  entitled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Leading Judge warnsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Europe to Keep its nose out of British JusticeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

InƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  this article it is said that a senior British judge- Master of the Rolls Lord NeubergerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  recently warned theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  European human rights courtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  not to interfere with British Justice, and showƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  more acute appreciationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the independence of the British Law.

We therefore have the same right to demand the UN Secretary General not to demean the capacity of our Commissions of Inquiry.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ban Ki MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s appointing a Panel despiteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka informing him of the appointment of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is an affront to our institutions, dignitaries and the judicial system- as most of the members for these Commissions are often those who served as lawyers or judges.

Hence, even if one may think that the Minister Wimal Weerawansa hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  precipitated into taking a perilous course of action, one has to appreciate his courage and conviction to attempt through this drastic methodƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to inform theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  world that people ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka has faith and trust in the Government and its Armed Forces who went through untold misery some sacrificing their lives, some their limbs, in a battle against inhumanly ruthless set of the worlds worst terrorists.

Wimal Weerawansa is not only defending the government and the Armed Forces of the Country, but also the independence and the Sovereign right of Sri Lanka to take appropriate action under all circumstances to defend the people and the territory of the Country.

It is not Ban Ki Moon or the Group of Diplomats from the Western Nations that suffered from the ruthless terrorism in Sri Lanka for thirty long years , it is people of this country who went through it , therefore it is only the people of Sri Lanka that could sit on judgementƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  if necessary over the actions of its Government and Armed Forces and not at all Ban Ki Moon or any one of the Western Nations.

Without any offence to any developing country, it has to beƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  shouted outƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to be heard by the Western Governments that,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka though it is not comparatively rich andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  technologically not as developed, it is not an ordinary Banana Republic, but a country with a remarkable history and a culture older than that of the West, and the people are educated and capable of competing with the West in any field.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

If Sri Lanka is left on its own, with a little generosity from the west, without interference and forcing their authority, it is capable of development to be equal to any Western country.

If Ban Ki Moon is an honourable man, with some sense of morality,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  he will call off the Panel or the members of the Panel if they have a sense of dignityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and understand what is morally right, considering the situation of Sri Lanka a developing country which had achieved more than what the rich and proud Nations of the west have so far achieved in their fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, will resign from the Panel.