NGO busy-bodies and their fake causes
Seven NGOs who call themselves civil
rights groups have taken deep offence at being branded by some as
“traitors” and are currently parading their “cause” before the UN Human
Rights Council with a view to soliciting its sympathy.
As should be known, a traitor is someone who betrays his or her
country for cheap gain or the proverbial “mess of pottage”.
We will leave it to the NGOs concerned to measure themselves against
this perennial standard and to ascertain for themselves whether the
label of “traitor” suits them or not. If the cap suits them they may
wear it.
We will, however, allow the facts to speak for themselves. When those
who consider themselves do-gooders have every opportunity to engage the
Lankan State on issues that allegedly have them worried, why do they
prefer to raise them at international fora and thereby cast the country
of their birth in a poor light?
Why help in the process of internationalising our problems which
should be resolved by ourselves and ourselves alone? Does not such
behaviour smack of traitorous, weak-spirited conduct? After all, nothing
could be gained by undermining the interests of the State. For, the
State acts in the interests of all Lankans.
The NGOs concerned are headed by public figures who are not strangers
to these issues. They should know fully well the rights and wrongs in
dealing with Lankan issues. Why then, are they working in violation of
all accepted norms?
Special ingenuity is not needed to ascertain that these “do gooders”
are advancing a covert agenda by conducting themselves in these ways
which are so bizarre. The conclusion needs to be drawn that there could
be some “mess of pottage” at the end of these manoeuvres.
The NGOs concerned are certain to cry themselves hoarse denying these
observations. If they are really free of this taint of receiving the
largesse of external agencies why don’t they declare their wealth and
assets? Why don’t they account for the ways in which they sustain their
opulent life styles?
We call an these NGO Wallahs to rise to these challenges or conduct
themselves in accordance with the accepted norms.
Obviously, the critics of the Lankan State could not prove their case
before the UN Human Rights Council. This was the reason why strictures
were not passed against the State by the UN body on allegations of human
rights violations. There was simply no case.
We call on these NGOs to put the interests of the State before their
narrow agendas. Today it is the State which is going to the rescue of
those persons who have been affected by the conflict.
The humanitarian effort of the State is ensuring that these persons
are resettled and provided the essentials of life. The State in doing so
acts without fear or favour. No one is discriminated against on whatever
grounds.
But what are the do-gooder NGOs in our midst doing to justify their
existence? They are Colombo-based and their personnel live in the lap of
luxury. Some of them are embarrassingly wealthy. How could they account
for such vast riches?
These observations are not prompted by malice. We make them to point
to the fake lives some of these NGO Wallahs lead and the fake causes
they undertake. We once again call on these NGOs to work along with the
State for the common good. |
Avurudu festival in Asian lands
In villages in the deep South and in the interior
rural areas the traditional Sinhala games like chak-gudu, pora-pol,
tug-of-war, played by men, and onchillava (the swing), by both men
and women, raban-gesima and panchi-demima mainly by females come to
limelight during the Aluth-Avurudu festival focusing the attention
of the simple folk as well as the sophisticated elite.
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Hope-filled New Year dawns for Eastern residents freed from LTTE
tyranny
Security Forces complete humanitarian mission in
East; Boost for resettlement:
As the country was preparing to celebrate the
Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the Security Forces on Wednesday reached
new heights in their silent battle fought in the Eastern theatre for
nearly three quarters of a year with the capture of Chenkaladi-Maha
Oya road from the Tiger terrorists.
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