By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA.
It
was in 1980, the Government took the first step to enact the Voluntary Social
Services Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act. It sought to
introduce a system of registration and supervision of activities of NGOs.
However, this Act was not strictly implemented and the registration of NGOs was
not strictly followed.
In
1990, a Commission was appointed to go into the activities of NGOs and to make
recommendations for their proper functioning. The Commission made some
recommendations and accordingly, regulations were passed under the Public
Security Ordinance obligating compulsory registration of NGOs which have a turnover
of Rs.50,000 and above. However, with the lapse of the Emergency Regulations,
this system too lapsed.
In
1995 the Government introduced certain draft amendments to the 1980 Act
providing for the establishment of an NGO Advisory Council and appointment of
Interim Boards of Management to administer the affairs of NGOs. There were
vehement protests against these provisions and implementation got stalled.
However, a Secretariat for NGOs was established in 1996. Finally, it was only
in 1998 the Parliament approved the draft legislation (Act No.8 of 1998).
Around
April last year, the Government again introduced a draft legislation to amend
the Voluntary Social Service Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act,
No 31 of 1980. The draft amendment was subjected to severe criticism by the
NGOs. As a result, it was withdrawn.
As
we can see from historical records, Sri Lanka has not been successful in their
efforts to introduce regulations to supervise and scrutinise the NGOs in Sri
Lanka. It is obvious that the extraordinary power” behind the NGOs is a real
force to reckon with.
In
many occasions NGO clout had caused deep annoyance to the Sri Lankan
Government. We can take comfort because such experiences are not confined to
Sri Lanka only. It has happened to many other countries.
Uganda has introduced a new Bill restricting the
activities of NGOs, making registration compulsory and obliging them to be
transparent about their reeipt and
In Cambodia a mew new law requires registration
and annual reports to be filed with
expenditure of foreign funds. NGOs can be disbanded if their activities
jeopardise peace, stability and public order or harm the national security,
national unity, culture and traditions of Cambodian society”.
Israel
has passed a NGO Law” t to stigmatize left-wing and human rights organizations
in
Israel
as agents of foreign powers. The law singles out NGOs that receive the majority
of their funding from foreign state entities, and is -fascistic law that harms
democracy and silences dissent Israeli NGOs
critical of the government – in particular the country’s continued occupation
of the Palestinian territories – are facing severe new restrictions amid a
toxic political climate on the right that has sought to label them as disloyal.
There are many reports indicating that the
so-called NGO promoters, advocates of cooked up human rights violations, fund
providers for subversive activities and who claim that they are more open to civil
society such as the UK, Ireland, Australia also have restrictive measures
against public opinion and against groups advocating accountability and .fair
dealings.
In response to these Laws and Regulations the UN
has appointed Maina Kiai as a special rapporteur to focus on freedom of
expression and assembly. The EU organised a global forum of more than 200 civil
society participants last December. Development branches of western
governments, foundations and global NGOs are training and advising local groups
on how to respond to new restrictions. Amnesty International has identified
defending NGOs and human rights campaigners as one of its five strategic goals,
and will launch a global campaign next year.
Similar to restrictions aforementioned exist in
many countries elaboration restricted for space control and now let us
concentrate on the reprehensive activities being carried out by foreign and
terrorist servile NGOs in Sri Lanka.
The
biggest folly of the Ranil/TNA government was making leading persons
financially sound and their cronies who are keenly interested on certain fields
the Minister of such subjects similar to the adage seeking divine solutions
from the mother of the thief” (Horage ammagen Pena ahanawa). Mano Ganeshan reportedly was a NGO head
allegedly receiving funds from the terrorist diaspora and was responsible for
inventing the diatribe relating to the absurd story about abduction of Northern
by white vans when they visit Colombo.
When the joint opposition MP Udaya Gammanpila persistently raised the question in Parliament and demand to furnish details
of white van abductions, names of victims and dates andplaces of such
abductions the official government spokesman responded having dodged the
questions several times saying that there had been no such abductions
reported.
When Minister of Justice Mr. Wijedasa proposed that the NGOs and
INGOs must be regulated, this NGO-wala said that he preferred the term
facilitated instead of regulated.
Ganeshan said that after he took
office he has taken very many steps to ease the pressures in them as earlier
the NGOs were considered as ‘traitors’ and ‘enemies’. He said that he has given
strict instructions to the Director-General of the NGO Secretariat and his
staff to consider NGOs and INGOs as partners in the state building. He stated
that he has blessings from the Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe who has
clearly stated that this country is open to anyone and is not a fascist or
autocratic country.
At a press conference organized by the Collective of Civil
Society Organizations Executive Director of the Center for Policy Alternatives
(CPA) and a Co-Convener of the Platform for Freedom, the notorious foreign
servile anti-Sri Lankan Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, said that civil society
was ‘shocked’ and ‘stunned’ that such a Cabinet paper could be presented and
endorsed by the Government. He said that the effect of the Cabinet
Paper was to consider legislation that was so extensive and comprehensive in
terms of all civil society actors. He said the restrictions
envisaged by the amendment would have had a chilling effect on civil society
and would run completely contrary to the promises and commitments made by the
Government with respect to good governance.
According to the draft amendment the NGO Secretariat is able to
investigate complaints of misconduct in NGOs, criminal activities including
terrorist financing and money laundering. The Secretariat also has the
powers to enter and inspect premises of NGOs. Further, the
Secretariat can obtain information related to financial activities of NGOs from
banks. The draft has also proposed further offences for NGOs for actions, such as
non-registration, not giving a publication of the organization and not
providing information, that could have been administratively corrected.
Nishantha Prithviraj of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement said
that the proposed draft amendment weakened people’s sovereignty. He pointed out
the draft amendment was drafted without consulting civil society and was an
injustice to civil society and the public at large. (Just see the actual status of the peo[;e’s sovereignity under the
Ranil/TNA government? Amendment or
introduction of legislation should be drafted in consultation with civil society!)
He said existing laws could be used to deal with malpractices within
organizations if there were any.
The NGO named National Peace Council (NPC) is one of the worst
anti Sri Lankan, anti
Buddhist and anti-Sinhalese NGOs in this country. Activities of NPC
in the past are well known and Jehan Perera, who is the Executive Director of the NPC, and is
reportedly employed by the Norwegian government, for several years were
attending the UNHRC sessions in Geneva lecturing against Sri Lanka and holding
special meetings with foreign representatives attending the UNHRC sessions attempting to convince them that the
LTTE is only a people’s liberation organization, not a terrorist organization,
and they are fighting to liberate the Tamil people of Sri Lanka from what he
called oppressions, discriminations and
inhuman treatment of the Sri
Lankan security forces which he claimed are forcibly occupying the lands
belonging to Tamils and denying them
freedom to pursue with their livelihoods.
Even
on 7th January, this Norway employed Jehan Perera writing an article
to the Island newspaper under the title Uniformity in governance is important
for development drawing attention to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s Throne
Speech stated that although the first month of the
new government has had many positive features to it, some of the government’s
recent actions will not inspire confidence that the government is focused on
implementing consistent policies. Instead it is giving the impression that it
is tailoring policies to fit a political agenda, and they are tend to engage in actions that have short
term gains in mind even at the cost of the country’s long term future. He
stated that there are several negative actions currently taking place that
could potentially detract from the positive motivations of the government in
seeking to enhance national security and promote development. He claims the
president’s vision of rapid economic development as the solution to the
country’s problems, including its ethnic conflict, will become more difficult
to achieve under these circumstances.
In this article, he strongly criticises Police actions against
certain offensive MPs, delivering the inaugural address from Anurdhapura, and
constitutional amendments being envisaged by the President and the President’s
promise to be the he sarcastically says that it ought to be his destiny to lead
Sri Lanka on the right path instead of permitting partisan politics to lead the
country astray, as it led his predecessors astray.
The
NPC, whose annual funding is said to be in excess of 126 millions SL Rupees is
funded by the USAID (Main contributor), MISEREOR (The German Catholic
Bishops’ Organisation for Development Coorporation), Asia Foundation, European
Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) ,US Department of State
,Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), SPICE-MSI, FOKUS
(based on the information provided in NPC website, Financial Report 2017).
The
website of the above funding agency the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
gives CAFOD’s mission as promoting human development and social justice in
witness to Christian faith and Gospel values. Depending entirely on foreign
governments and agencies they carry on the White Man’s Burden and have a
function similar to Christian missionaries during the high colonial era. The 10
member Governing Council of this NGO has only 2 members with Sinhala names.
Most
of the foreign funded NGOs were established in Sri Lanka during the war against
LTTE terrorism. Most of these NGOs have engaged in brainwashing the
people of Sri Lanka promoting federalism (or indirectly separatism). For
example, National Peace Council (NPC), considered in their vision statement
published prior to the defeat of terrorism, the LTTE as an integral part of
‘their so-called solution’. Clearly the NPC and similar ilk wanted to
whitewash the LTTE and bring it out as a civilised entity.
These
peace mongers and their colonial masters in the West were behind the propaganda
on behalf of Tamil racism in general and the LTTE in particular. Their
activities parallel the LTTE’s global propaganda campaign against the
government of Sri Lanka and its people.
The
Island dated March 4, 2011 under the heading Foreign funds galore for three
NGOs” stated that 3 Sri Lankan NGOs received over Rs. 600million in 3 years and
Norway was the leading donor”, The article revealed how a section of the
international community was pouring money into Sri Lankan NGOs like the Centre
for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and National Peace Council (NPC), Transparency
International Sri Lanka, in spite of the conclusion of war against by our
gallant security forces in May, 2009.
As per the report, the CPA has received
Rs. 272.31 million during the 2008-2010 periods. The NPC and TI have received
Rs. 171.23 million and 174.79 million, respectively. However, it is said that
the country’s banking system has no records of the exact amount of funds
received by NGOs over the past two to three decades. Some sources said that an
enormous amount of funds had been received by NGOs since Feb. 2002, with some
countries and the UNDP providing funds to the LTTE Peace Secretariat.
Pakyasothy
Sarawanamuttu, the CEO of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) also has a
similar reprehensive record of carrying out various activities against Sri
Lanka. Even during the recent Swiss Hoax
he had made statements to NewYork Times accusing the Sri Lanka government and
justifying the Swiss allegations saying that the Swiss Embassy employee Garnier
Barrister Francis could have been abducted by the agents of the government.
Popular
opinion indicate that although the NPC and other NGOs were playing lead roles
during the Chandrika-Ranil failed regimes, and later during the Ranil-Sirisena
yamapalana regime, attempting to brainwash the country from top political
hierarchy to grass roots level, spending billions of rupees, the mass support
received from the general public to eradicate terrorism in 2009 and to chase
away the above notorious regimes at the end of their terms are
clear proofs that the peace loving people of Sri Lanka are wiser than the
so-called foreign servile and foreign funded PEACE prophets.
A
regular contributor to the Island newspaper Mr. M. Arukgoda in his latest
article to the Island states that the latest mission, after the failure of
earlier vision, of these NGOs is said to be the work towards a political
solution to the so-called ethnic conflict, reconciliation etc. He says
that a few months after the elimination of the LTTE terror from our soil, we
had every reason to believe that some notable elements of the US and their
allies were rapidly making a case of war crimes against Sri Lanka on the basis
of the conduct of her armed forces as well as political leadership. One of the
motivations of this action is to cover-up their own continuing armed conflicts
on large scales, involving major humanitarian catastrophes and causing the
death of large numbers of civilians due to military actions in Iraq,
Afghanistan and in some areas of Pakistan.
Mr.
Arukgoda reveals that on 28th August 2009, the two kingpins of NGOs were
reported addressing a close-door meeting convened by the US Institute of Peace
(USIP). Another notable participant of this discussion was Teresita Schaffer of
The Centre for Strategic and international Studies, one of the former US
Ambassadors to Sri Lanka, who was very critical of the Sri Lankan government
during her tenure of office in Sri Lanka. As per media reports, the duos from
the two NGOs basically said at a meeting, in Washington D.C. with former
Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Robert Blake, was what Blake wanted them to say.
After
few months of these meetings, Ban Ki-moon appointed a panel to advice him on
Sri Lanka’s alleged war crime charges and European Union gave conditional
ultimatum on GSP
Plus.
Thus these NGOs are the promoters of the notorious UNHCR Resolution welcomed by
their yahapalanaya government and soon after the appointment of Ban Ki-moon
panel, these Peace Vendors were back in the business by issuing statements one
after the other to the foreign and local press supporting the Ban KI-moon’s
panel and the EU’s conditions and condemning the actions of the Sri Lankan
Government and its people as was usually done by them during the past and they
started, once again, advocating solutions. The solutions they seek are from
outside including foreign intervention. It is not surprising at all to learn
that those who live on foreign funding are for foreign intervention.
Mr.
Arukgoda in conclusion of his article claims that three years ago Modi’s
government in India revoked licences of 25 foreign funded NGOs over
‘anti-national activities’ and the pool
of foreign-funded bodies shrunk there by almost half in two years.
The
Government needs to be more concerned about the International NGOs (or INGOs).
These INGOs have two in-built components. There is the foreign funding
principal and the local NGO agent. The donor functions from overseas and
provides the funds. The agent is engaged in the operations which could vary from
building up a School for Blind to conducting seminars (mainly in English) at
the five-star hotels.
One
of the most important aspects about these foreign donors is that the donor
NGO’s are not always non-governmental. For example, in Europe, there are many
INGOs who receive 100% of its funds from their governments. In Canada, the
Government has increasingly taken over the funding of Canadian NGOs. In Germany
there are the ‘foundations’ linked with the political parties. Invariably, all
of them thus have definite political agendas of their own. Just look
around. You will be surprised to note
the number of foreign aided foundations” are being held by UNP MPs. It is hard
to find a UNP MP without a foreign funded foundation in his name or in the name
of their spouses.
The
time is very opportune for the government of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to
ban immediately all leading anti-national NGOs, confiscate their assets, freezr
their bank accounts and prosecute the leading figures for spreading anti-Sri
Lankan propaganda and causing damage to the image of the country. It is the wish of all peace loving, patriotic
masses since a long time and it now lies as an obligation to be fulfilled by
the Prersident..
(concluded)
