Dr Tilak FernandoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When bin Laden attacked Twin Towers on 9/11, AmericaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s prestige as the most powerful nation was reduced to zero. Naturally Americans were embarrassed. Prabakaran brought mayhem to Sri Lanka for 30 long years.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, after taking over the reins of Executive Powers of the country, had one pinpointed ambition to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”free the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ from the terrorist grip. To his credit he successfully managed to achieve his goal in less than three years.

In the eyes of big Western powers Sri Lanka was considered only as another developing nation. Her bravery and guts in annihilating the most coldblooded terrorist outfit in the world met with despondency and adversity, particularly by America and Britain, which in comparable terms appeared as a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”slap in their faceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, thus denuding their double standards.

Terrorist attack on Central Bank on January 31, 1996. File photo

Humiliated Western powers soon had to find a solution to conceal their embarrassment. Meanwhile a residue of LTTE supporters in the name of a Tamil diaspora came to Westerners rescue. Millions of LTTE dollars were poured into a well calculated modus operandi to discredit a nation which should have been acclaimed and applauded for their valour.

University education

What really is Tamil diaspora made up of? (1) A segment who received free university education and graduated to academic status in Sri Lanka later becoming professionals and establishing themselves abroad to lead lavish life styles. Without visiting or seeing their roots for 30 long years, they suddenly became patriotic and nostalgic and began to propagate armchair politics. Their sentimentality to dissect the mother country had no bounds brainwashed by a megalomaniac. (2) Similarly, hundreds of thousands of Tamil village folk from North and East made use of the terrorist impediment to migrate as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Economic RefugeesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

The irony is that many such economic migrants claiming refugee status on the pretext of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, and political opinionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, managed to arrive in Colombo safe and sound and fly out from Bandaranaike International Airport at a time there was fortified security. Could they be assigned as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”victimisedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ individuals?

Once they arrived in foreign lands the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”establishedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ones, with extorted money out of LTTE brand name, helped out new arrivals in offering jobs, advanced financial loans to set up new businesses – mainly ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”corner shopsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (mini supermarkets) where ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”kappamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (extortions) were recovered at the end of every month.

Tamil professionals

Well established Tamil professionals abroad had commitments, particularly with childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s education and their future. They would never return back! Likewise, the new breed never wanted to get back to their village life again having accustomed to new life styles in the West. They needed strategic planning and fresh gambit to remain in the West after the complete extermination of the LTTE from the Sri Lankan soil.

These elements started acting as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”agentsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for another breed of NGOs and INGO, both in Sri Lanka and outside, who were weaned with LTTE dollars, who collaborated with the Western biased press and television networks to make bogus films in a well calculated modus operandi.

The final outcome of all these was, Secretary General, UNO, Ban ki Moon becoming involved directly in the Sri Lankan conflict to appoint an arbitrarily three-man panel without the full authority of the UN membership, which in itself is believed to be a contravention of the UN constitution. This is the first time, may be in the history of mankind, that after eliminating a ruthless terrorist organization, defenders were accused of human right violation while whitewashing the atrocities committed by offenders for 30 long years.

UN constitution

Attack on New York Twin Towers File photo

The killing of bin Laden by American forces will add a new dimension to Ban ki MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s melodrama on Sri Lanka. Will he call another panel to investigate on bin LadenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s killing, shooting him while he was unarmed or keeping his remains in American custody and disposing of it? Will Moon focus his splendour on killing of innocent children in Libya, including Momar KaddafiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s grandchildren by American forces along with many others in the name of safeguarding civilians?

Ban ki-MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unacceptableƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ report will not help the UN or peace and reconciling efforts by Sri Lanka. There has been an avalanche of criticism in the newspapers, Internet and on television, exposing the Secretary GeneralƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s bias and the contravention of the UN constitution.

Many countries including Russia have condemned the publication of Darusman Report while the Chinese believe that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Sri Lankan government and people are able to properly address their relevant issues and the international community could help develop a favourable external environment for the Sri Lankan government to stabilise the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s internal situation and accelerate economic growthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

The contents of the predicted report appear to be an over elaborated unhelpful account. Such an anti-Sri Lankan prejudiced statement is certainly not going to helpful either Sri Lanka or the image of the UN or war victims who are still to be reconciled.

LTTE cadres

Perhaps the Tamil diaspora and pro-Tamil lobby in NGOs and INGO camps will be enthralled thinking that their strategy to condemn a democratically appointed regime and undermine its sovereignty out of three (unwise) men with discriminatory views has been a bullƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s-eye aim, but when Sri Lanka government responds to the report in detail containing details of the ongoing development since ending the war as well as the rehabilitation of former LTTE cadres including child soldiers supported by other member countries such as India, China and friendly nations of NAM, it is certain that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Moon will be eclipsedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and the bungled report is assured to be consigned to the nearest UN dustbin.

tilakfernando@yahoo.co.uk