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by Ravi Ladduwahetty

British Parliamentary Under Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Mike O’Brien stressing a point. (Picture by Roland Perera)

British Parliamentary Under Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Mike O'Brien was in Sri Lanka to announce his Government's steadfast support to Sri Lanka's peace process and also the enhancement of development assistance from his country in this current political/economic backdrop. He endorses that the ban on the LTTE stands intact. In fact, it was his predecessor- Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Peter Hain who also told this newspaper in an exclusive interview (Daily News- November 27, 2000) that Britain was framing anti-terrorism laws aimed at banning the LTTE, which, he said, were in deference to pleas across the globe for Britain's support to combat international terrorism.

O'Brein was appointed to his present post on May 29, 2002. He was a Parliamentary Under Secretary for Home Affairs and a Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire. He was first elected to Parliament in 1992 and was a member of the Home Affairs Committee and the Treasury Select Committee before joining the Labour Front Bench in 1995 as the opposition spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs. He has a number of pieces of legislation to his credit which include the Crime and Disorder Act, the Immigration and Asylum Act, the Political Parties and Referendum Bill and others. His current responsibilities are for the Middle East, Near East, North Africa, South and South East and Central Asia, Afghanistan, and other issues such as counter-terrorism, security policy, drugs and international crime.

Here, O'Brein is in conversation with the Daily News, where he addresses a number of core issues extensively which includes United Nations Charter and the Geneva Convention in relation to Iraq, the role of Britain in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Commonwealth, the European Union. He also comments on Britain's views on issues relating to regional and global geo-politics.

Q: What is your mission in Colombo ?

A: We are talking to the Government of Sri Lanka about the peace process, providing encouragement.

We are doubling our international development money to Sri Lanka. The international community sees the peace process in Sri Lanka as enormously encouraging. I hope we will be able to continue with that peace process.

Q: You were quoted in Thursday's Daily News that Britain will be the second largest donor to Sri Lanka. Will this aid be expanded ?

A: Yes. We intend that we get good value for money for the people of Sri Lanka. We are doubling the amount that is coming in because we are very encouraged by the way that the peace process in progressing.

Q: What is the type of assistance that Sri Lanka can expect from the Tokyo donor conference in June ?

A: We do not know what will happen at the Tokyo donor conference. In terms of what we have indicated, we will double the assistance to Sri Lanka.

Q: What are your priorities in Sri Lanka ?

A: Our priority is to see the Government and the LTTE settle this conflict peacefully as soon as possible.

Q: Is the ban imposed on the LTTE by the UK Government still effective ?

A: It is.

Q: Would you abide by the United Nations Security Council Resolution on weapons of mass destruction or would you act unilaterally and attack Iraq based on independent information which the United Nations did not find ?

A: We will support the United Nations Resolutions 40 and 41. Most certainly yes.

Q: The UK and the USA have both found evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Would you make a pre-emptive strike based on weapons of Article 51 of the UN Charter which governs an act of self defence ?

A: The basis upon which the UN has taken the decision in the past, has been, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on resolutions 40 and 41.

It believes that on the weapons of mass destruction, the United Nations Security Council is entitled to authorise the member states to take action in substantial order. Therefore, the basis on which we would act would be in accordance with international law.

Q: Does Britain expect the expansion of the European Union and would it welcome the entry of the emerging economies such as the Slovak Republic, Poland and Romania ?

A: We want to see the expansion of the European Union and we signed up two agreements. It is not known how many countries will sign up with the EU. The process will be taking some time. We see a larger European Union which will embrace very nearly the whole of the continent of Europe. That, I believe, is something that will benefit Europeans on the whole, and that will be a major economic factor. It will be a power house in the world of economics. It is will be a major force to reckon with and create emerging markets for countries such as Sri Lanka. With the Sri Lankan textile industry growing, it will greatly benefit from markets such as that.

Q: What about Britain's stand on regional and global geo-politics and what role will Britain play in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ?

A: In terms of the broader political perspective across the world, we identified two key issues. The first is international terrorism. The second is the Israeli state and the weapons of mass destruction. We would be working very hard with other countries across the globe to try to ensure that the UN resolutions are in place. In terms of NATO, we had a broad meeting with NATO where NATO has agreed to bring in other countries and also agreed to set up a network where Europe itself should have the capacity to grapple with the issues we have had with the Gulf and other developments which Europe did not have earlier.

Q: Will Britain welcome the entry of the Russian Federation into NATO ?

A: We have set up the Russia - Nato Council which is all about getting Russia getting involved in getting other NATO members to work together so that Russia's relationship's with NATO are now very close and very good indeed. So that the whole period of the post Cold War era we were getting Russia to work together with all the other NATO members. So, the relationship Russia enjoys with the NATO Council is very good indeed. The Russia-NATO Council is the basis on which we are working together and with military relationships with Russia which is very strong.

Q: If such an intrusion is made, don't you think that there will be an erosion in the military balance as an attack on one member state would be construed as an attack on all the states ?

A: Well, NATO is all about collective security. What we have got is a resolution that we will support each other. The Russia -NATO Council is a body that establishes a greater degree of cooperation.

Q: Britain is insisting that Cyprus should settle its armed conflict with Turkey before Cyprus is admitted to the European Union as a member state. Similarly, would you insist on a peaceful settlement and demilitarisation of the LTTE, before proscription on the LTTE is lifted in the UK ?

A: We definitely want to see Cyprus admitted into the European Union. We have encouraged the Greeks and the Turks to reach an agreement. In terms of the LTTE let me not offer any comments at this stage as a Cabinet Minister of the United Kingdom as I do not want to disclose certain sensitive information.

Q: Would you consider the Ireland armed conflict different to the armed conflict in Sri lanka ?

A: The conflict in Ireland is different to that of Sri Lanka, although there are some similarities. It is just that Sri Lanka's circumstances are different to that of Ireland. We never had the scale of suicide bombings in the same scale seen in Sri Lanka.

We have to recognise that. We have to help each other in this similar backdrop of similar circumstances.

Q: Would you classify the Northern Ireland conflict as a non international armed conflict under Article 3 of the Geneva Convention or do you feel that it is a simply a breakdown of law and order ?

A: The assistance that the United Kingdom is getting from the US in the negotiated settlement against the IRA is similar to the assistance that Sri Lanka is getting from Norway.

Q: If so, what steps have you taken for the protection of human rights victims of this armed conflict ?

A: There is the Northern Ireland Human Rights Act which provides legal protection for all the people in Northern Ireland which is stronger than most of the other human rights acts. We are keen to ensure that they are strongly addressed.

Q: Do you feel that sports should be separated from international politics in the context of Zimbabwe ?

A: I fervently hope that the English cricket team does not play in Zimbabwe. Otherwise, it will be supporting Robert Mugabe's regime which has a large number of Zimbabweans.

Q: Britain is a major player in the EU. How do you see the Commonwealth of which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is the Head ?

A: The Commonwealth, is undoubtedly an integral part of our heritage.

There are still the close partnerships and the links.

So, I see the Commonwealth going from strength to strength.

I see no exclusivity in terms of our relationships with the EU. I see our relationships between the EU and Commonwealth growing from strength to strength.

Q: Would you contribute financial support for the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation ?

A: We look at lots of issues like this. I am not sure what the current position is in relation to the CFTC.

Q: There is a school of thought that Britain has no independent foreign policy and is subservient to the dictates of the US. If the position is otherwise, how will you substantiate with facts and figures ?

A: The Americans tell us that our foreign policy is too independent in the sense that we disagree with issues such as Kyoto. Our stand on a number of issues has been very clear such as this. British foreign policy is running in the interests of the British and not the Americans. America is nonetheless a close ally of ours. We have mutual aims at which we can work together.

Q: Britain has become a formidable force in the formation of an International Criminal Court. You have deferred in some respects from the USA. Would you advocate the handing over of some of the Presidents and Prime Ministers who come to Britain to the ICC, or would, you like in the Pinoche case, wash your hands off and let these leaders return to their home countries ?

A: The International Criminal Court's jurisdiction is not retrospective. Therefore, the issue of jurisdiction will only present itself to someone who has committed to an act in his country. Of course, Pinoche was not caught with that piece of legislation. So, his detention was not relevant to this.

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