Mission Impossible 4?

Dushy Ranetunge in London

STAR: Mission impossible 4 starring not Tom Cruise, but Mahinda Rajapaksa is being played out in Colombo before our eyes. In a master stroke, he has not only secured a parliamentary majority discarding the need for an expensive general election this year, but enriched his government with a better quality of personnel.

Not only has the Rajapaksa Presidency changed the entire military politico landscape of Sri Lanka within 12 months, but he has for the first time in Sri Lankan Parliamentary history turned the SLFP into the most formidable political force in the country.

The ancient Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times" seem very relevant today not only to the LTTE but also unfortunately for Sri Lanka's main opposition party. In February 2006 during Geneva talks this writer observed in his reports to the Island newspaper that the manner in which Minister Bogollagama handled the press and provided explanations was similar to Minister Kadirgamar.

Similar observations were made by others. I wrote on February 22, 2006 in the Island "The Swiss authorities had strict security for the press conference and had organised several coaches to transport a large number of reporters from the Geneva Press Club to the Chateau de Bossey and back.

Sitting next to me during both trips, up and down, was the veteran retired BBC correspondent Gordon Martin OBE (Order of the British Empire). He is 78 years old and had settled in Geneva. In his retirement he was working for Vatican Radio.

He had observed the events of the day and all the press conferences. On our way back he stated "you must be pleased with the outcome", I replied in the positive. He then asked who was that Sri Lankan Minister, Bo... somebody who spoke? I inquired, "Bogollagama?" He then said "yes, he was rather good".

Others in Colombo may have made similar observations as less than 12 months later Minister Bogollagama has been appointed as the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.

Although recent events have resulted in the UNP threatening to withdraw support from finding a solution to the Sri Lankan conflict and some have amateurishly torn up the MOU, it is unlikely that the UNP will resort to such action as it will further weaken their position, especially in the eyes of the international community. The UNP has in effect been totally politically annihilated.

12 months ago foreign diplomats in Colombo and other European experts were quoted in the press as stating that any military action by either party will not result in any major changes in the front lines.

Today, they are having to eat their words as the front lines have been obliterated in the East. It is however disturbing that some diplomats in Colombo are still waiting for "parity" to be achieved, so as to frustrate Colombo and facilitate an outcome more in line with their perceptions.

A report filed in Reuters by Simon Gardener on Friday January 26, 2007 5:18 AM ET under the heading Analysis-Sri Lanka seeks to destroy rebels, but can they win? states "On the side of the government, the hawks are in the driving seat and they're going to go forward because they think they're winning ... and they think they can go all the way," the diplomat added. "(The Tigers) need to do something to achieve parity."

The attempted suicide attack on the Colombo harbour may have been an attempt at this "parity".

This line of thought by European diplomats in Colombo is in bad taste and hypocritical as they would never contemplate such "parity" in Iraq where their forces are engaged in "restoring democracy".

In Sri Lanka, there is an agenda among some European diplomats to aspire to establish "parity" between the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka and the proscribed terrorist organisation.

Last year, when I commented to a long standing American citizen living in Sri Lanka that the LTTE might collapse, he responded by stating that if that happened the Sinhalese will walk all over the Tamils.

Some senior European Diplomats, this writer has spoken to view the Karuna faction as standing in the way of peace. This again is hypocritical as there is no difference between the roles played by the Karuna faction (TMVP) with that of the Protestant paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.

These European concerns stem from the conviction that the Sri Lankan State has failed in its duty to provide adequate security and development to Sri Lanka's minority communities.

I have lived in England from the time I was a teenager and has observed no difference between the racism that exists in England with that of the racism that exists in Sri Lanka. The only difference is that in Britain there is an active political and administrative effort to change racist attitudes and challenge racism.

Systems are in place, to attempt to ensure security and development of minority communities. Perhaps the most important aspect of British democracy is the "Right of Choice."

Imagine a situation, if instead of imposing Sinhala stream education on the citizens of Sri Lanka, if the "Right of Choice" was given to the Sri Lankan citizens to choose the medium of education? Not only would things have been so much different, but it would have empowered Sri Lankan citizens.

Instead of allowing one radical group within one ethnic/religious community to dictate terms to the majority of Sri Lankans, the "Right of Choice" should be advanced as a strategy to allow and encourage different aspirations of Sri Lankans to be realised, simultaneously empowering varied strata of Sri Lankan citizens.

The strategy of the "Right of Choice" will enhance the Rajapaksa Presidency by mobilising in the country, what has been done in Parliament, in uniting citizens of diverse views.

A European head of State recently informed President Rajapaksa that he must be prepared to take difficult and unpopular decisions if he is serious about addressing Sri Lanka's problems. Observing the current mobilisations taking place, it seems that Rajapaksa is getting ready to do battle and lead, instead of being led.