INGO WANTS DIPLOMATIC STATUS

Mallika Wanigasundara

Foreign funded NGOs and INGOs dabbling and interfering in local politics,external affairs,national security and constitutional affairs and the northern terrorist conflict are highly suspected, and unwanted in Sri Lanka.Not all NGOs and INGOs are like this. There are those who do valuable social charitable and community developmental work

But these others have secret agendas. They have no accountability and are non-transparent themselves though they preach these procedures to governments and other entities.National minded, patriotic Sri Lankans evaluate their meddlesomeness as anti-Sri Lankan, pro-separatist, pro-foreign intervention in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs,appeasement of the LTTE, pro-wider and wider internationalization of Sri Lanka’s northern conflict and interference in the country’s politics.

They make a loud and clear anti-war call proclaimed in the Sinhala South at times disadvantageous to the LTTE when it is down, and could be out, but for the assorted interventions from abroad and the treachery and dithering of national leaders.

These NGOs are funded by foreign governments, churches, NGOs and Foundations. So, they have to play ball with their funders, particularly governments which imagine that they are our imperial masters in new clothes.It is espionage too through updated outfits . Berghoff Foundation is one of these and it is in the news.Actually, in its case, as you will see as you read on, it is quite open about the agenda it is scheming to implant in Sri Lanka. Unless, Sri Lankans are mutts they should be able to to see through their artful plans.

Many adverse articles have been written about Berghoff Foundation in the local press, but that has not stopped it from requesting the government to give diplomatic status to three of its employees.It is a piece of juicy news which would have filtered into certain circles and the Sri Lankans in Canada caught on.The Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada has written to Preisdent Mahinda Rajapakse opposing the granting of diplomatic status to the personnel of this INGO or any other NGO for that matter .The letter said:

‘ We are aware that this INGO has at various times acted in a detrimental manner aimed at directing Sri Lanka’s national security policies, which as a subject should only be trusted to and managed by capable persons nominated by the national government

.The Berghoff Foundation has previously used their ample funding to manipulate journalists, and politicians in order to advance their alien agenda and leverage some degree of control in highly sensitive areas including national defence and security which are sacrosanct’..

Berghoff has its own nomenclature for what it is doing. It is NOT Conflict resolution, the term facilitators,self appointed mediators, meddlers, interfering parachutists use. It is Conflict Transformation, which if you are sharp enough, you will realize is another word for brain-washing [the gullible of course, and bungling irresponsible national leaders who have been donkeying with the fate of this nation.]

Dr Susantha Goonatilake author of the recently published book RECOLONISATION Foreign Funded NGOS in Sri Lanka has to say this on Berghoff: [The information is taken from its own documention].

Berghoff is basically an anti-national institute which has attempted a total remaking of the Sri Lanka Air Force , by trying for the first time since Independence to bring the Sri Lankan Armed forces under foreign control.It advocates ‘security sector reform’It views the security sector to include military, paramilitaries,police forces and ‘institutions with a role in managing and monitoring the security sector’ as comprising foreign funded NGOs and the international community

This alarming and amazing position means that the NGOs and the so-called international community are to manage Sri Lanka’s security forces! Yes, you could ask: Could this really be true or correct. At this frightening moment of grave danger to the nation Berghoff advocates Sri Lanka’s ‘demilitarisation, demobilization, and disarmament’ and that she should disband her forces. This transformation, the crazy INGO says, is ‘critical to the success of peace agreements.’In other words the country should disarm and surrender to the LTTE.

Berghoff also wants to arrogantly ‘rightsize the political and economic role of the military’ and do a so-called ‘ independent assessment’ of High Secuirty Zones a sovereign right of the government. All by foreigners!

Not satisfied with this Berghoff is designing through a small group of NGOs ‘the structure of the future state of Sri Lanka and inter-ethnic relations’.Now these self appointed fabricators of the future of the Sri Lankan state are also planning along with other NGO ‘baases’[ skilled labour bosses] the shape of a future constitutional settlement –not only the broad contours but some of the intricate details as well!

It tried something like that with the Experts panel of the All Party Representatives Conference [APRC] recently.The Majority report [A] of the Experts Panel ran into a huge controversy after its recommendations were published. Inter alia among the alternatives it recommended was the merger of the north and east for 8-10 years.

The Berghoff Foundation was accused by the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna and the Jathika Hela Urumaya of influencing the members of the panel which produced the Majority A report,. It has been stated that the Majority report [A] has been compiled to fulfil the aims of NGOs which support the LTTE. Champika Ranawake of the JHU has charged that the panel had ignored 700 suggestions sent by the public and accepted only a proposal sent by an NGO interested in dividing this country.Norbert Ropers of Berghoff has denied that the NGO had sent a proposal but had circulated ‘other’ literature among the group.But he also said that Berghoff helped eleven civil society initiatives to meet to formulate proposals to be submitted by them to the Panel.

Self determination traditional homelands – they are all in Berghoff’s bag for the LTTE.To transform Sri Lankan thinking it hopes to influence ‘decision makers,their advisers, politicians, political practitioners, senior civil servants, influentials from all parties and sections of society .To achieve these ambitious goals Berghoff plans to radically change what Sri Lankans think about promoting ‘curriculum changes, research in academic and research institutions and in defence academies’.In short it targets the entire spectrum of Sri Lankan thinking and all sections of society.

Berghoff lists about 70 organisations, local and international with which it has links.In Sri Lanka this includes the Centre for Policy Alternatives [CPA],International Centre for Ethnic Studies [ICES],National Peace Council of Sri Lanka [NPC],Marga Institute,Peoples Peace Front, Sarvodaya,Social Scientists Association [SSA], the National Christian Council and International Alert.

. The Berghoff Foundation was invited to set up an office in Sri Lanka in 2001 to provide support, assistance, external experiences and expert knowledge to the principal negotiating parties, it says about itself in a newspaper notice. Berghoff is funded by the Swiss Federal department of Foreign Affairs and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development.

What more do you want to destabilize this country and give the separatists a free run?