Duplicity of the free-media and human rights champions

S. Akurugoda

President Rajapaksa had to appoint a Commission of Inquiries followed by an International Committee to probe on alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka to counteract the pressure put on by the so-called human rights groups and, according to the media reports, these committees are to be effective since this month.

It is strange to see that, whenever the Tamil Tiger terrorism is to be wiped out from our soil, various 'rights' groups come from all directions and the end result is either complete stoppage or weakening of the actions against terrorism and thereby paving the way to strengthen the hands of the terrorist outfit.

The Tamil Tiger Terrorism of the country is going on since early 1980's and the successive governments have failed to wipe out same despite several attempts to do so. The first such attempt had to be stoped due to the intervention of India. The Indian government was very concerned over the human rights of the 'starving' people in Jaffna (not to mention the starving people in India) and used its air power to drop 'parippu' onto the Peninsula. The end result is part of the history.

Now the Rajapaksa government is all-out to get rid of Tamil Tiger terrorism from our soil, the same very champions of 'human rights", "free media", "abduction" "disappearance" etc have started their usual game via media and through street demonstrations. Two weeks ago, one of their game of 'abduction of journalists' was turned to be a case of 'arrest of hard core terrorists', the so-called free media and human rights champions became comedians of the day and their true nature was exposed.

Ironically, the so-called international community, foreign funded NGO's and human rights group were not to be seen as at today, when there were disappearances, abductions and killings were the norms of the day during the infamous 'Bheesana Samaya' in late 80s, when the UNP government showed no mercy to the misguided youths who attempted to take the laws of the land to their hand. No Commission or Committee of Inquiries was appointed to probe the human rights violations of those affected on both side of the conflict up to now although there were Commissions to cover-up issues or to get political leverage.

Disappearances, abductions and killings are carrying out daily by the Tamil Tigers terrorists, at their liberty, in areas under their control during the last two and half decades while the so-called international or local 'human rights champions' are marinating a blind eye towards them. The most recent victim of such abduction and killing by the terrorist out fit is Selliah Kurukkal Parameshwaran, the head Priest of the Santhiveli Pilleyar Kovil, Batticaloa for blessing the county's democratically elected President. Hence duplicity of the so-called human rights groups is quite visible.

It is also interesting to note how the champions of democracies of the world, who define 'human rights' and pretend to show that they are the owners of 'human rights' of the world, are responding to situations affecting their nations. These democracies are also champions when it comes to interpretation of the words to suit their benefit while following a different policy towards smaller developing nations such as ours. The killing of a terrorist suspect (in fact an innocent 'tourist' not a terrorist') instantly by the British Police under the new terrorism laws and subsequent justification is a case in point.

The news item appeared under the title 'Law is second to policy in fight against terrorism' in one of the local media, reproduced from The Telegraph, is timely and is an eye opener to those who attempt to put pressure on the government on various types of human rights issue at a time when the country is fighting against one of the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world. The policies followed by strategies should come first before the law, as the news report quite correctly identified, although the responses must be lawful.

When fighting terrorism, states have to be innovative as the terrorists. The methods of the terrorists have to be matched and the terrorist hunted to their hideouts, for god's shake, to protect the lives of the innocents and those of VIPs who opposed to terrorism.