Countering the International witch-hunt
Speech delivered by Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr.
Palitha T. B. Kohona at the seminar titled ‘International witch hunt’
organised by Global Sri Lankans last week.
As we advance into the 21st century, in an intensely complex
international and domestic environment, the challenges confronting the
Foreign Service today are complex and daunting. The country will quite
rightly demand more of our foreign service.
We are being required to produce results and to generate returns for
the investment that the country makes on us, especially in the key
policy areas. The Foreign Service must, in today’s circumstances, be in
forefront of those whose task it is to counter the consequences of
perceptions generated internationally.
Dr. Palitha T. B. Kohona Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
Terrorism has become a global threat and has become every country’s
nightmare. Our region has become the target of a number of terrorist
groups.
Sri Lanka has also been challenged by a ruthless terrorist group for
over two decades, even as the country tugs at its reins to advance
economically and socially. Terrorism’s multi-dimensional, political and
socio-economic threat requires a constantly vigilant response in the
multilateral and bilateral spheres.
Today, the terrorist threat occupies centre stage of our foreign
policy. Equally, the challenge posed by the international propaganda
barrage of the terrorists need to be countered.
Sovereignty
Primarily, the challenge to our diplomacy is to continue to ensure
that there is no compromise permitted in the global commitment to the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. No subtle relaxation
of the world’s vigilance should be permitted enabling a quiet life-line
to be thrown to the LTTE.
The glib suggestion that is innocently made that the Government must
place more on the table to encourage the LTTE to return to the table
must be treated with the utmost caution. Likewise, there would be no
recognition for any level of parity between sovereign Sri Lanka and the
Terrorist, LTTE.
In this regard, the endeavours of the Foreign Service have been
successful.
All the efforts of the LTTE and its sympathisers to gain recognition
for their claim to a separate State, or even to a State in waiting, have
fallen on a giant international deaf ear. The endeavours of the brutal
suicide bombers and their supporters have been to no avail. Nor the
efforts of those screaming of human rights abuses in order to, discredit
the Government.
Every effort to damage our standing, with implications to the
economy, must also be countered proactively by the Foreign Service.
The LTTE and its sympathisers tend to dominate the Sri Lankan Tamil
population, and purport to represent it, particularly those living in
the West even though many may not willingly acknowledge the hegemony of
the LTTE.
The diaspora, which probably numbers in excess of 1.3 million is a
force that the LTTE deploys effectively to raise funds and,
increasingly, as a political lever in their host countries, and that
needs to be engaged constantly and proactively.
The propaganda war with the LTTE will require our diplomats to engage
local decision makers, lobby groups, including NGOs, media, and
importantly, the pro-Sri Lankan diaspora.
The impact of the LTTE propaganda machine, continuously focusing on
alleged abuses and excesses of the Security Forces, to which these
groups are constantly subject, is significant.
The barrage of propaganda that has been fed over the years has
created seriously warped perceptions. Our challenge is to counter this
and in doing so, we are beginning to engage the Sri Lankan community
groups. The access of Sri Lankan Defence Forces to modern technology is
the stake that the LTTE is targeting.
The quiet efforts of the Sri Lankan Foreign Service have contributed
substantially to the LTTE and its front organisations, in particular the
TRO, being proscribed in many countries. Its fund raisers and arms
procurers are being brought before the courts, including in the USA,
Canada, the UK, France, Italy and Australia.
A recent LTTE suicide attack targeting police officers in
Colombo |
These successes were essentially the result of the hard work of our
diplomats. The ready stream of funds that oiled the LTTE war machine and
financed its illegal businesses, including drug trafficking, people
smuggling and gun running might still be turned off.
Foreign investment
The LTTE has over the years sought to create a negative impression of
Sri Lanka with the objective of disrupting aid flows, tourism, foreign
investment and perceptions of the country overseas.
Sri Lanka’s real and perceived failings tend to get highlighted to a
far greater extent than those of other countries and we are subject to
constant criticism for real or perceived failings. Like all other
terrorist groups before and contemporary, the importance of
destabilising the Sri Lankan state economically has not been lost on the
LTTE.
It is incumbent on the Foreign Service to continue in its efforts to
meet this challenge. Increasingly, pubic diplomacy will play a critical
role in its work as the need to reach out to a broader audience
including non-governmental groups becomes critical.
In many Western countries community groups and NGOs exercise critical
influence on public policy formulation, making it essential for our
diplomats to reach out to these entities.
Sri Lanka must continue to identify its interest with the global
effort to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and build on commonalities
with regional and global partners. Our efforts have clearly borne fruit
as was evidenced by the unequivocal statements of the leaders at the
recently concluded SAARC Summit.
There are many seasoned officers in the Foreign Service who have
confronted the LTTE and its legions of sympathisers over the years.
Some of these LTTE sympathisers may simply be misguided into seeing
innocent liberators forgetting the history of ceaseless killings of
civilians, ethnic cleansing, suicide bombings, recruiting thousands of
children, targeting civilians, eliminating moderate Tamils etc.
The LTTE pioneered the technique of massively deploying suicide
bombers to terrorise political leaders and civilians.
Until overtaken by the Al-Qaeda, the LTTE possessed dubious
distinction of holding the record for the largest number of successful
suicide bombings.
Civilians
The LTTE is unique among terrorist groups for having massacred large
numbers of civilians and ruthlessly expelled even greater numbers from
the areas that they controlled.
It is also important to ensure that the democratic world is not
lulled in to forgetting through clever propaganda that Sri Lanka is
Asia’s oldest democracy and continues to be one. Its judiciary commands
enormous respect and its decisions are respected by even the mightiest
in the land even though it commands no battalions.
There will be a continuing requirement to identifying with the
democratic forces in the world and to ensure support for Sri Lanka as it
seeks to strengthen democracy and consolidate its institutions,
including the rule of law, in the face of the challenge posed by a
ruthless terrorist group.
The success in the Eastern elections and our massive efforts to
reconstruct and rehabilitate the East must be highlighted to the
maximum.
Our consistent effort must be to emphasise the strengthening of our
own institutions. The world cannot be allowed to ignore Sri Lanka’s
commitment to achieving and even surpassing the millennium development
goals, remaining a high achiever on the UN Human Development Index and
providing education and health services, infrastructure facilities and
Government services to the areas remaining under LTTE control pursuant
to the now defunct CFA.
The Foreign Service must also be very much focused on the country’s
economic priorities. Historically, a trading nation, much admired by
other trading nations, Sri Lanka’ needs a continuous flow of
investments, expanded trade and tourism for it to realise its true
potential.
It is also important to reinvigorate the centuries old tradition of
trading, hospitality and wealth creation. It is also an area that has
been targeted by the LTTE propaganda machine. Respectable organisations
such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have glibly mouthed
LTTE propaganda pieces without much analysis.
Trade concessions
Today, the country’s potential remains largely underutilised. The
terrorist threat is a continuing dampener on economic enthusiasm and an
incentive for efforts to remove trade concessions.
The glib readiness of some to withdraw trade concessions does not
seem to recognise the moral victory that this would provide a proscribed
terrorist group or the financial agony that it would cause thousands of
workers.
But opportunities are there and need to be marketed. A few examples
come to my mind. Sri Lanka is a significant supplier of apparel to
lucrative Western niche markets but in global terms remains a relatively
small player.
There is every possibility for capitalising on the hard work done and
the excellent reputation earned by the pioneers in order to attract
other top end industry players and customers.
As often repeated, manufacturing and assembling industries could be
encouraged to benefit from our strategic location, access to sea routes,
the pool of flexible and educated labour, the easy investment regime and
bilateral trade agreements, particularly with the booming Indian
sub-continent.
Tourism
The vast Indian Ocean at our door step remains an immense resource
waiting to be better utilised, not only for fishing but as a source of
valuable ocean bed minerals and hydro-carbons from below.
Tourism could do with more international players, especially at the
top end.
Our culture, the history, the natural beauty, almost predictable
weather and above all, the warmth of our friendly people are the envy of
other countries striving to develop their own tourist industries.
Natural resources could be better exploited to improve the standards
of living of our people. Against this backdrop it becomes the
responsibility of the Foreign Service to be actively engaged in
encouraging inward investments and developing trade against the backdrop
of our liberalised economy in collaboration with the responsible line
Ministries.
A country that had been a trading hub for over two thousand years and
a history of having attracted traders from far away as Rome, Greece,
Egypt and China should find the resources within itself to reinvigorate
its trading roots.
The exaggerated size of Sri Lanka in Ptolemy’s map of the world
millennia ago indicates the importance ascribed to this land in distant
Alexandria. It is interesting to note that many countries, e.g. New
Zealand, Canada, Australia, have amalgamated the departments of foreign
affairs and trade to benefit from the obvious synergies.
Sri Lanka has been confronted by a barrage of accusations on human
rights issues. Human rights is as important to democratic Sri Lanka as
it is to any other country despite the paucity of institutional
resources and the inherent drawbacks of a developing country.
Alleged lapses in our standards, compounded by the ever present
threat of terrorism and the shortcomings in our resource levels and
technical infrastructure, make us the target of a well orchestrated tide
of criticism.
In a world where human rights have sadly become a convenient
political football, developing countries tend to be subjected to
standards of scrutiny which are not always applied even to far more
developed countries with more sophisticated support bases.
The Foreign Service knows that while we may need assistance in
improving standards, what we do not need are sanctimonious sermons from
self seeking prophets who may have discovered human rights in the
aftermath of recent egregious violations in their own countries.
Ours is an intrinsically caring and compassionate society where deep
sentiments of respect for the fellow being existed long before many of
our critics discovered human rights.
Global wars
The President so aptly articulated this sentiment recently when he
said “Human Rights were an inherent part of our culture before its
discovery by some others in the aftermath bloody global wars and the
deaths of innocent millions caused by misguided philosophies”.
While we must never shirk in our efforts to protect the rights of our
fellow beings, and seek the company of those who do, we must also not
permit recent converts to the cause opportunities to preach from the
pulpit.
Advancing and consolidating existing relationships and developing new
ones is a task that is natural to the Foreign Service particularly in
view of the brutal terrorist threat that confronts us. Our own region
must be a critical focus and India, with the advantage of deep seated
historical, religious, cultural and increasingly significant economic
links must be central to our approach.
The booming bilateral economic links, trade, investment, tourism,
etc., add substance to the relationship. Today we enjoy a trade
relationship of over US $ 3 billion with India.
While the plethora of existing ties and the common democratic
tradition might make the task of relationship building seem easy, the
complexities of domestic political reality requires continuing attention
on the part of both countries. Increasingly Sri Lanka must focus on the
Tamil Nadu factor.
Foreign service
The South Asian region will demand continuing high level focus from
the Foreign Service and the galloping economies of our neighbours will
demand our attention.
We stand to benefit extensively from the very fact of being part of
the region with the necessary adjustments to our priorities. Our links
with all our neighbours need constant and considered care. Pakistan, a
critical friend and a source of military hardware needs our unwavering
attention. Greater care needs to be paid to understand Pakistan’s
culture and politics.
The long standing cultural and religious ties with China now acquire
a wider dimension due to its burgeoning economy which has confounded
critics, sceptics and well-wishers alike.
They are also a key supplier of military hardware and a source of
investments. Our relationship should not be allowed to pose any
discomfort to our range of friends. Each relationship is unique and must
be cultivated for its own sake.
The firm relationship with Japan could be further strengthened in the
cultural, religious and economic areas. The Russian Federation, a
longstanding and reliable friend remains one of our staunchest.
Increasingly, large numbers of Sri Lankan youth are looking east for
their education and employment.
Asian regions
This development must be encouraged and further opportunities
created. On the whole Sri Lanka will benefit further from strengthening
its ties in the SAARC, ASEAN and East Asian regions. The SAARC itself
has determined to progress from a declaratory era to an implementing
stage.
It is an increasingly valuable mechanism to address regional issues
as well as global issues that impact on the region. The existing
historical cultural and religious ties will be a good spring board for
this.
Our Buddhist heritage, long neglected in our international relations,
gives us unprecedented access to many of the countries of the region,
which could assist our efforts to curtail LTTE money laundering and arms
procurement. With little effort, we should be able to convert casual
relations to reliable alliances.
In global fora, Sri Lanka must continue to identify with issues of
common concern such as terrorism, human rights, the environment, respect
for the UN Charter, etc.
Protection
At a time when many suspect the motives of multilateral agencies, the
Foreign Ministry must seek to allay unreasonable fears and develop
effective linkages. The historical influence that the LTTE developed in
these agencies must be countered.
The Middle East is the temporary home for over 1,000,000 Sri Lankans
and the source of over USD 2.7 billion in foreign earnings. While
fostering our traditional links with the region, every effort must be
made to encourage increased trade, two way investments and tourism,
while ensuring that our citizens, temporarily resident abroad receive
adequate protection from our Missions.
Inward tourists from the Middle East have continued to grow in
number. The country has enjoyed constantly good relations with Europe
and the United States.
However, for too long these relationships have been characterised by
a dependence on development assistance.
Sri Lanka which has graduated to the status of a middle income
country, greater effort will need to be placed on strengthening our
contacts on the basis of shared global values, intensified trade and
investment, interaction between people and on the cultural and religious
heritage that Sri Lanka can share.
Our relationships must never be based on dependence or create
perceptions of inferiority.
Economic success
A significant but inadequately utilised resource for the country are
its millions scattered around the world. Some left these shores, lured
by the challenge of succeeding in a different environment, others sought
greener pastures and yet others left in unhappier circumstances. All of
them can be made partners in a forward looking, confident and advancing
Sri Lanka.
The attraction would not only be the old home in a charming village
but also the prospect of participating in making Sri Lanka a better
place for all its people and for its sons and daughters scattered around
the world, the potential for economic success and the obvious joys of
life on an island in the sun.
The Foreign Service will face these challenges in its efforts to
advance the goals of the Government. A Government’s policy of only
rewarding those who produce results and not those who claim rewards on
the basis of longevity and personal need or patronage will facilitate
this. |