UNSG quo vadis?

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has proposed to appoint a panel of experts to advise him on Sri Lanka. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a telephone conversation with the UN Secretary General has flatly rejected the idea as an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.

President is quite right. It is an infringement on the sovereignty of the country. Further it is a sign of different and unequal treatment.

Sri Lanka has battled the world’s most ruthless terror outfit, the only one which had land, sea and air forces at its disposal. It was also the first to invent the suicide or human bomb that later proliferated throughout the world.

Sri Lanka battled the terror outfit for almost three decades and victory was achieved only nine months ago. It left a legacy of over 300,000 internally displaced in addition to the destruction of millions worth of property.

It would have been normal for the world body and Sri Lanka’s friends to assist her in the tasks of rehabilitation, reconstruction and development. However, a section of the international community has been trying to put Sri Lanka in the dock for alleged human rights violations.

The truth, however is that the Sri Lankan Security Forces, confronted with an unprecedented task of rescuing that number of people forcibly held by the LTTE as a human shield did rescue them with the minimum of casualties. The LTTE, several times exploded human bombs and detonated other explosive devices among the crowds entering the Government controlled areas in a bid to cause mass deaths and destruction.

Strangely, the UNSG and the western countries that pontificate on human rights kept mum then.

The UNSG’s attempt is discriminatory, as the President has told him. Did he appoint such expert panels to advise him on the violation of human rights of the Iraqis, the Afghans and others that were at the mercy of the United States?

Where was the UNSG when thousands of innocent Palestinians in the Gaza strip were massacred in cold blood by Israeli Armed Forces? Did the UNSG or the UN act on its own findings on the genocide practised in the Gaza strip?

The United Nations should, instead of holding the country to ransom, assist it to overcome the ravages of the war and champion the cause of an international effort to aid Sri Lanka’s reconstruction and development effort.

It is no secret that powerful apparatchiks in the UN system have been openly calling for international tribunals to try Sri Lanka for alleged violations of human rights. When taken along with that and the pronouncements of powerful personalities in the US State department it is clear that the UNSG’s proposal is a prelude to the institution of an international tribunal.

That is why all Sri Lankans, irrespective of political convictions and allegiances should rally round the Government in a united show of strength to deter these sinister efforts.

Paragons of virtue

Sri Lankans are a fortunate lot. Unlike in other countries they do not have politicians that lie, take commissions from commercial deals, take bribes and are involved in corruption.

Look at the posters, cut outs and billboards that depict their virtues at every lamp post, street corner and junctions.

Though cynics could laugh their heart out when they see politicians displaying huge banners saying that they never lie or that they have conquered the world or that they are the friends of the poor (duppathage hitawata).

Cynics, however plenty they are, are always cynics. They never tell the truth. Ask any politician or any budding politician at whatever level - divisional, provincial or national, he or she would in unison vouch for the truth of the assertions of fellow politicians.

Some politicians seem to be especially fond of grandmothers. You could see them reverently welcoming or hugging grand old women and posing as their benefactors. Never were they seen with a beautiful girl. Perhaps they want to keep such relations distant from the public view. Or are they so “disciplined” by the teachings of the prophets that they do not want any association with them?

Anyway the voters at least are lucky to have such disciplined, pious and humane candidates for them to vote at the election.