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National dignity and Independence
Perhaps as never before
in recent decades, the importance of national dignity is being
realized by progressive opinion in this country. This is
primarily on account of the fact that Sri Lanka is being
compelled by current circumstances to come to a renewed
realization of the crucial significance of her intrinsic worth
and selfhood in the international community. While it is clear
that Sri Lanka is a country of profound promise and substantial
potential, now that the scourge of Tiger terror has been
eliminated, not all the main powers of the West in particular,
view this country in this positive light.
What is sauce for the goose is apparently not sauce for the
gander among sections of the international community. Some of
Sri Lanka’s challenges on the foreign relations front derive
from this policy anomaly on the part of these international
actors. If national self determination is an important aspect of
sovereignty and if all member states of the UN system are equal
on the basis of national sovereignty, there could be no question
of some states in the international system being treated in a
discriminatory fashion by the influential sections of the world
community.
For instance, every state enjoys the right to self defence
and is entitled to use all the legitimate coercive power at its
command to defend its territorial integrity and ensure its
national security. However, apparently, not all states are seen
as enjoying this right by some of the predominant powers of the
world system and from this perception have stemmed current
efforts to harass Sri Lanka, particularly through the use of
tools of questionable credibility, such as the Darusman Report.
Today, there are some principal Western powers which are
using the stealthiest military means to destroy their enemies by
violating the territorial boundaries of some Third World
countries, but the international community is doing absolutely
nothing about these blatant violations of International Law. The
reason why a Nelsonian Eye is being cast on these gross abuses
is because these violators are among the most powerful states in
the international system.
These big powers could even go so far as violate the borders
of sovereign states and get away with it, but not Sri Lanka,
which was using its sovereign right to eliminate an internal
enemy which was proving a most blighting presence in the country
for decades and making very short work of law and order and
everything civilized and acceptable to humanity. The thinking
behind these double standards seems to be that Sri Lanka could
be put through the worst harassment and persecution because she
is ‘small’ and does not carry much weight in the affairs of the
world.
These issues go to the heart of the concept of sovereignty,
which is in turn closely bound-up with national independence and
the right to self determination, which collectively constitute a
country’s freedom. And a country’s freedom and its dignity are
inseparable. No enslaved state or people could be seen as
possessing dignity because they are in chains and, therefore,
not free.
Therefore, these post-conflict times in Sri Lanka also happen
to be times when neo-colonialism is attempting to emerge
strongly and cast an ominous shadow over this country. The
Darusman Report-based allegations against Sri Lanka smack of
efforts to hold Sri Lanka in a neo-colonial bind and every
effort must be made by her to fight-off these efforts at
checking and circumscribing her freedom and dignity.
On this, the occasion of Sri Lanka’s 64th Independence
anniversary, it is best that both, the rulers and the ruled,
ponder closely on these issues which would shape this country’s
future. To be sure, not all sections of the world community
share the views of those powers which are seeking to put us back
in chains. The congratulatory messages received by this country
from all over the world in connection with Independence Day,
testify to the esteem in which we are held. They are also a
measure of the support that is being offered us. These bridges
of friendship should be consolidated and expanded. |
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TNA, PSC and the danger of wrong turnings
The TNA has now expressed its interest in a
foreign facilitator. Firstly, in so doing, it is being precipitate.
Following the Norwegian facilitation, the majority of Sri Lankans
are averse to excessive externalisation. Furthermore, the call for
third party external facilitation is warranted only if there is an
impasse of long duration in negotiations and not when the government
is eager that the TNA participate in a multi-party process of
deliberation in the country’s legislature,
 Full Story
Political Revery
The choice before the TNA
Arthur Koestler, the Hungarian Jewish Communist,
published ‘The Gladiators’ in 1939. It was his first (and arguably
his best) novel. It dealt with the Roman slave revolt led by
Spartacus in 73 BC, and -similarly to the book on the same subject
written by the American Communist Howard Fast a decade later - it
really addressed the problems of the current world.
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Prophet Muhammad, a mercy to all mankind
Today, the world finds itself in the grip of
evil, injustice and ignorance on a vastly more macroscopic scale
than it did in the small Arabian community where the prophet was
born. In his time, Prophet Muhammad stood forth as the
representative of good over evil. In our time, there is the greatest
need for a reaffirmation again of this good over the evil forces
pervading the world, and it is in this that the profound
significance lies of remembering the birthday of the holy Prophet
Muhammad,
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Where is our English education heading for?
Teachers who are interested in enhancing their
language ability, proficiency and professionalism find their own way
in improving their skills in teaching. Such blessed teachers should
be encouraged since it is an investment for both the teachers and
the students. They are the noble teachers who are rewarded and their
own children are also blessed. Such teachers are the symbol of real
teachers who are very much rare today,
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