Ban Ki Moon is moonlighting
by Gomin Dayasri
No doubt, human rights are high on
the international agenda and a matter not to be treated flippantly. Sri
Lanka’s record must be looked at from the point of combating and
defeating a most dangerous terrorist outfit that concentrated its
attacks primarily on the civilian population-its defeat brought peace
and democracy to the areas which were under its control
Suddenly Ban Ki Moon without any representation from any country
disclosed to subject Sri Lanka for inquiry has on his own decided to
appoint a panel to inquire into human rights violations in Sri Lanka. Is
it because his term is nearing end and he is up for re election? Does he
want to court the votes of the western powers that desire Sri Lanka be
penalized for eliminating terrorism? Ironically neither the Security
Council nor General Assembly made such a request?
Ending the war and freeing civilians a triumph of Sri Lanka.
File photo |
Last time Security Council voted 23 to 12 in favour of Sri Lanka on
its human rights issue. The General Assembly would be embarrassed as Ban
Ki Moon is silent against those rouge states that constantly and
frequently violate human rights? The stiff message delivered from the
118 NAM members would alarm the Secretary General since he is counting
the votes to be cast for him at his re election. Another from the 133
strong G77 will scare him more.
No doubt, human rights are high on the international agenda and a
matter not to be treated flippantly. Sri Lanka’s record must be looked
at from the point of combating and defeating a most dangerous terrorist
outfit that concentrated its attacks primarily on the civilian
population-its defeat brought peace and democracy to the areas which
were under its control.
The US and the UK often stress on human rights on a discriminatory
basis forgetting the violations in its client states. Human rights and
democracy are their vehicles for propagating their agenda in countries
that do not bow to the West. Nevertheless the deficiency is that Sri
Lanka has yet failed to establish a strong internal mechanism to keep
surveillance and prevent any human rights violations. The credibility of
such an institution will keep the critics at bay.
Struggle to punish
The specter of war crimes will haunt Sri Lanka until the triumvirate
consisting of the Diaspora, anti-Sri Lanka NGOs and the Western powers
abandon their relentless struggle to punish Sri Lanka for defeating
terrorism, which still continues to torment those countries that did not
desire the LTTE to be vanquished.
These countries continue to be plagued by terrorism with which they
have been grappling for years but yet has failed to comprehensively
defeat notwithstanding the superior fire power possessed, sophisticated
equipment at their disposal and the economic strength to combat
terrorism. They never expected Sri Lanka with its limited resources to
defeat the LTTE, which they were supportive, because of its “master-sir”
approach to the West and Sri Lanka’s geo-strategic placement in the
Indian Ocean.
In addition to losing a distant ally in the LTTE there is the desire
to discredit Sri Lanka’s military achievements which they are trying to
emulate but continues to fail miserably which brings out the worse of
the ‘green-eyed monster’ within them.
The anti-Sri Lanka NGO Fronts’ right to survive in Sri Lanka depends
on a continuing war to enable them to wave the white flag of peace and
beat the peace drums which brought them great financial support from the
West.
To be continued |