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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.

Full Story

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.

Full Story

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