Tutu wrong ‘in toto’
Mario Perera Kadawata
I refer to the condemnation of Sri Lanka’s human
rights record by the three personalities; the South African, the South
American and the American. Who are these gentlemen and what is their
justification for intervening in this issue? The American is an ex-president
of the USA and held that office several decades ago. Recently he distinguished
himself by unsolicited involvement in Israeli-Arab relations and was
put in his place by the American Foreign Office for making false declarations.
This speaks volumes as regards the pretensions of this individual. The
gentleman from South America won a Nobel Prize, as did the South African
clergyman.
The question of human rights is a moral issue. Does winning a Nobel
Prize justify intervention on moral issues of the world? Certainly everyone
can express his opinion about everything under the sun, while remembering
the Latin adage: sub sole nihil novi (there is nothing new under the
sun !). Does the Nobel Prize give the pronouncer an added sanctity?
A nobel prize has its context, its ambit and is encompassed within well
defined boundaries. The two laureates have well exceeded the context,
the ambit and the frontiers of their respective awards. It is well know
that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. But the converse is also
true, that ‘angels’ rush in where even fools fear to tread.
The issue of human rights is such a trap. Both angels and fools would
have done very well to think before they leapt and got enmeshed in it.
Regarding the matter of ‘added sanctity’ let us consider Bishop
Tutu and his stand. His role in dismantling apartheid was played in
a home and home match of course with international spectators filling
the stands. But where does Sri Lanka come in within his perspectives?
Does being good for one necessarily imply being good for the other?
Posing as the moral conscience of the world does have its pitfalls.
We know what happens when nations try to be the policemen of the world.
The misery they trigger far exceeds the ‘wounds’ they apparently
tried to heal. So is it also with such self assumed individual moral
consciences of the world.
Already, posing as a moral conscience whatever be the religious denomination
of the individual appears far-fetched. Such individuals hold themselves
out to be ‘good’. I do not want to preach to Tutu but his
Lord and Master when once called ‘good’, replied ‘none
is good but God’. Furthermore when such self appointed norms of
moral conduct take positions on international moral rights issues, they
should be aware of the fall-out. In this present situation the fall
out can only boost a dastardly evil criminal terrorist outfit condemned
by all civilized nations, while holding a democratic country (indeed
the oldest democracy of Asia) to ransom. Goodness must follow the deeds
of the good, which unfortunately has not been the case here. The gratuitous
unwarranted and unsolicited declarations of the bishop have served as
a bulwark for evil. In his prayer St Francis of Assisi said; Lord make
me an instrument of your peace so that where there is hatred I may bring
love. Such humility would seem appropriate even for Nobel Peace Laureates.
Indeed the woods are lovely, dark and deep but the ‘good’
bishop does have miles to go before he can lay his head on his laurels
and fall asleep.
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