Exposing NGO conspiracies

Last week Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lionel Premasiri expressed some important views on Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The Deputy Minister's views are very significant because there is a direct connection between eradicating terrorism and NGO activities.

According to Deputy Minister Premasiri, there are a large number of INGOs and NGOs in Sri Lanka and some of them perform a very significant service to the country while keeping themselves away from involving in the country's administration and illegal activities. Some other NGOs have a very bad reputation and they are supporting terrorism directly or indirectly. Deputy Minister Premasiri pointed out that if NGOs are somehow involved in terrorism, stern action will be taken against them and such NGOs should not expect mercy.

Another local newspaper reported an artificial human shield created by the NGOs in the North in order to delay humanitarian operations of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The same newspaper report stated that representatives from certain NGOs which have very bad records in Sri Lanka met in Colombo and held secret discussions in order to delay the clearing of the North and to tarnish the image of Sri Lankan Armed Forces by forcing civilians into conflict areas. The same newspaper report also stated that the NGOs plan to bribe civilians with cash in order to stay in conflict areas as long as possible. The objective of those NGOs is letting civilians die purposely in order to put the blame on the Armed Forces.

The news report showed how certain NGOs relocate their `offices' and `branches' in the middle of conflict areas. It questioned how truthful it is to say that terrorists snatch their resources such as vehicles, modern communication equipment and computers.

The latest conspiracy of the NGOs staged during the recent North Central Province and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Elections held on August 23. PAFFREL monitored hundreds of elections for over a period of 20 years under different Governments. It did not pop up from nowhere. It used a lot of resources and did its properly with dedication. It always had foreign monitors in their monitoring teams. The Sri Lankan public saw how new NGOs or `just one or two persons who hold a name board' popped up from nowhere demanding to let them monitor elections. They were members of political parties and members of different organisations affiliated or established within the political parties.

But Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake gave the best reply to them. He stressed that he is going to permit monitoring elections only for the NGOs which has over 15 years of experience.

This is one of the rare occasions justice is being done for the Sri Lankan public. The Elections Commissioner brought in very timely, realistic and totally agreeable rules and regulations in connection with election monitoring.

Sri Lankan people and the unbiased foreign countries know very well about the conspiracy launched by certain NGOs against the Sri Lankan Government and our Armed Forces.

Unfortunately the same conspiracy wears different masks at different times. It is the sole responsibility of media to expose this conspiracy to the world, especially to the international community.

According to some recent newspaper reports certain NGOs which have a very bad reputation in Sri Lanka have started to hunt journalists who expose their anti Sri Lankan conspiracies. According to the same report one of their main plans is making a list of journalists who expose their dirt and preventing them from doing so using powerful persons and cash.

The whole country and the world know that there is an effort in Sri Lanka to pretend that media and journalists are subjected to constant attacks. Strange vehicles, abductions, assaults and all things comes along with this fabricated environment. No wonder the common society call some NGOs and the journalists employed by them `peace crows' (Sama Kakko).

Who knows may be this is the best cover up for the real hunting of journalists, the hunt of journalists who expose conspiracies against the Motherland and the Armed Forces !

We cannot forget how Ruwanthi Kariyawasam received numerous death threats from local and foreign persons and organisations after she set up a journalists' organisation called 'Rata Wenuwen Madyawediyo'(Journalists for the country). No person or media organisation came to assist her. She was all alone.

No picketings were conducted for her. No easy and free visa or asylum was received from various countries. It is interesting to check where NGOs and media organisations were at that time.