RADA, the Government's Reconstruction and Development Agency, recently established by the President, must be congratulated for exposing the subversive, anti-Sri Lankan agenda of an International NGO - ActionAid, UK. (Daily News: 21st February, page 3 - 'ActionAid assessment lacks credibility - RADA).

Most Sri Lankan NGOs and certain past Sri Lankan Governments have been known to run behind international NGOs ready to sell their birthright, their country and even their own mothers for a packet of dollars that is offered as 'Aid'.

Against this background it is such a wonderful change to see RADA - a very new Government institution -call the bluff of a pretentious INGO - namely ActionAid - and expose the way in which it has tried to mislead the international community on the eve of the crucial peace talks in Geneva.

Its latest report entitled 'Tsunami response: A human rights assessment', ActionAid has tried to twist and misrepresent statistics and facts and quote other people's reports out of context to show that the Sri Lankan Government has discriminated against the North and East in the distribution of tsunami aid, whereas the reality - as statistically proved by RADA - is that "whereas US$ 307 million has been disbursed from primary donors for projects in the North and East, only US$ 131 million has been disbursed to the South".

It is reasonable to suggest that the intention here is to bias the international community against the Sri Lankan Government and at the same time strengthen the arguments of the LTTE as the peace talks start in Geneva.

The aforesaid report then goes on to take high moral ground to attack the Sri Lankan Government in terms of human rights violations by alleging that "buffer zones have been used to remove people from coastal areas under the guise of safety".

While enjoying the hospitality of the Sri Lankan people what right has this INGO got to impute malicious motivation to the Sri Lankan Government by using the phrase 'Under the guise of safety ?' Does ActionAid have evidence to substantiate such motivation on the part of our Government? If not, will they be manly enough to withdraw the damaging statement they have made ?

What is at work is not simply an intellectual incapacity on the part of this INGO as a result of which it has not been able to understand the complex nature of the issues involved: for example, how the rights of communities regarding 'safety' and 'protection from natural disasters' take precedence over the rights of individuals and families to build their houses and live at any place of their choice. No, that what is at work is something totally different is proved by the timing, venue and mode of launching of their twisted report.

Crafting their statement on the 'buffer zone' issue in a human rights perspective and attacking our Government on this issue in terms of a human rights violation is nothing less than a missile aimed at morally and politically weakening the human rights plank of the Government's official position in Geneva, and thereby helping the LTTE.

And, timing the launch of the report to be just ahead of the peace talks and releasing it in Washington to target the international community in preference to launching it in Colombo to target the Sri Lankan public including ActionAid's own Sri Lankan partners, only goes to support the probability of it being a part of a political strategy.

While congratulating RADA on its patriotic stand in relation to this INGO and thanking the Daily News for bringing these facts to our notice, I wish to warn both these institutions against being subverted themselves by the insidious INGO mafia. They are bound to reach out to you to subvert your personnel at all levels by 'buying' them over with scholarships, foreign trips, projects and consultancies. This is their normal mode of silencing criticism.

And as for all self-respecting Sri Lankans whose karma brings them in contact with one part or other of his insidious INGO mafia, I propose a simple spiritual exercise that will help you preserve your dignity. Look into yourself. If you feel you are intellectually, morally or spiritually weak and may get subverted, then discipline yourself and refuse the resources they may offer you.

Move away from them. Recall to yourself, Virgil's words of wisdom: Quid quid id est timeo danaos et dona ferentes - whatever be it, I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts".

If on the other hand you feel you are intellectually, spiritually and morally strong enough to resist them, then grab their resources and use those very resources to hit them hard - and hit them where it hurts them most, politically, intellectually, culturally and socially, to protect your country, your heritage, and above all, your dignity.

RAM SOMASUNDERAM - Wellawatte