Work hard to iron out internal differences

To prevent adverse effect on Lanka’s image:

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU, Ravinatha Aryasinha has said, “to succeed in our effort to regain control of the dominant narrative on Sri Lanka abroad, we need to learn how to ‘bracket’ issues we disagree on internally, as ones on which we need to work harder to iron out our internal differences, without trying to convert them into foreign policy issues and taking them beyond the water’s edge,” Ambassador Aryasinha made these observations, when he spoke on the theme, ‘Moderating competing narratives: the challenge of recasting Sri Lank’s image abroad’, while delivering the Olcott Oration 2010 at Ananda College in Colombo, Saturday.

He said, “such bracketing, is something we constantly do in our daily lives - within our homes, offices, as well as the religio-cultural communities and organizations we belong to, where we close ranks on some issues for a higher purpose,” and that “this should also be done for the sake of the country.”

The President of the Ananda College Old Boys’ Association Thilak Karunaratne presided over the event. L M D Dharmasena, Principal of Ananda College, members of the Ananda College Old Boys’ Association, present and past teachers and students, senior government officials, media personalities and other well-wishers were associated at this event.

Starting from the premise that “despite the significant improvement in the ‘reality’in post-conflict Sri Lanka, there has not been a commensurate improvement in Sri Lanka’s image abroad,” Ambassador Aryasinha identified Western Governments, NGOs, Sri Lankans Abroad, foreigners visiting and doing business with Sri Lanka, and the international media, as constituencies that shape Sri Lanka’s image abroad. Having discussed their possible motivations, he went on to offer some thoughts as to how Sri Lanka might engage these constituencies in a meaningful manner.

On Western Governments, he said, “While we cannot assuage the imaginary fears of some, all Sri Lanka, like any other self -respecting country can do, is to go the extra mile to address their concerns when they are even marginally genuine, and to respectfully indicate to these parties why some of their demands are misguided and unrealistic and is not in the national interest. Sri Lanka must also remain ready to continue to engage with these parties as long as it could, but it is under no pressure today to capitulate to unreasonable demands.”

On NGOs, he said, “While the purported intentions of these NGOs may seem noble, their actions leave one with the unmistakable impression that rather than helping Sri Lanka move forward, their primary pre-occupation appears to be to advance their own agenda.”

“Today they need essentially to complement the work that is being done by the Government in a post-conflict environment, where reconstruction and development takes precedence” and that “either their inability or refusal to accept this stark reality, has presently led to misunderstandings and disagreements between NGOs and the GOSL.”

On the Sri Lankan Diaspora he said, “it is abundantly clear that today, the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora is no monolith,” and that “the Government has already shown itself to be adept at differentiating between these categories. There are no holds barred in going after those within the diaspora, whose actions are bound to seek to perpetuate terrorism in whatever guise” and the success of these efforts is evident.

At the same time, GOSL has made it clear that it does not intend to demonize or even isolate the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, and has also shown keenness to engage in a dialogue with them in the changed atmosphere, with a view to harness their talents and resources towards the betterment of Sri Lanka.”

On foreigners visiting and doing business with Sri Lanka, he said, “Even as we tirelessly work to bring investment, promote tourism and open up new markets for Sri Lanka, we should engage in these activities in a manner that also secures Sri Lanka advocates, who could be converted into a robust and independent counterpoint to those vested interests that continue to vilify Sri Lanka.

On the international media, he said, “Particularly in the present times, as Sri Lanka has gone off the earlier headlines prompted by the conflict situation, to fill copy, many of the reports of international media organizations datelined Colombo, are increasingly seen to be drawing on local media reportage which is heavily polarized.

In the larger picture, this is very detrimental, because the audiences abroad, who see and hear these as summaries and sound bites, cannot separate the wheat from the chaff, unlike the local audiences, who absorb them in a more informed context, sometimes with a pinch of salt.

In the hands of a sub-editor, often a young intern, fresh out of school with little or no appreciation of the ramifications that can follow by inserting a catchy headline, an isolated killing, an arrest, a judicial ruling that attracts attention, a public protest or a strike by a trade union can get projected as though the entire country is in turmoil.

Other than for a few reports that specifically focus on the economic sector, most of these reports also do not reflect the quantum change that has taken place on the ground.”

To improve the situation he said “On the part of the GOSL, there is need for greater engagement with the media, keeping in mind that after all it is a handful of foreign correspondents reporting out of Colombo to the world, that in an immediate sense sets the agenda and posits the image of Sri Lanka that is seen globally.

We must also be realistic to appreciate that not all follow these rules with the same vigour and when transgressions are committed, to deal with them, but in a manner that we ‘do not throw the baby with the bath water’.”