Asada M Erpini

The lady who is going to end up in Sri Lanka as the next US ambassador when her nomination is confirmed has clearly enunciated what she wishes to do, according to media reports on 07 June: human rights in Sri Lanka, equality and justice for those living in former conflict zones, devolution of power to the minorities and demilitarisation of former conflict zones are to be her primary concerns.

Sri Lanka is not a vassal colony of the once mighty US. Ambassadors that a country sends to another certainly have to promote the cultural, economic and strategic interests of their own nations and have to tow the line of their foreign ministry bosses. Deciding how the host country should manage its affairs, especially those concerning its security issues, do not come within the purview of the envoys unless the host nation has threatened the diplomatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s own country.

As far as we know, Sri Lanka has not been a threat to the US or to any other country. All that it has done so far is to wage a war against a terrorist group that threatened its very existence as a single nation within the island of Sri Lanka. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”crimeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that the country committed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” in the eyes of the US and the affluent nations of the world ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” is defeating a group that has become their darlings because of the vested interests and covert manipulations of these countries. The good lady from the US, who is likely to descend on Sri Lanka soon with her preaching and admonitions, does not seem to realise that her slip is showing: although she wants the rest of the world to believe that all that the US is doing is selfless service to the rest of humanity, her statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, continues to, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the U.S. has broad interests in Sri Lanka as it is located along the busiest shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, a region emerging as a “strategic arena” for U.S. interests.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ So, all these never-ending demands for restoration of human rights, justice for the people of the North and the East, and devolution of power to the minorities are clearly not what they are portrayed to be. They are mere hogwash.

Libya was once among the poorest countries in the world, but Colonel Khadafy ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” irrespective of his alleged suppression of opposition and lack of freedom of expression ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” gave the country the highest living standard in Africa and, among other things, took concrete steps to make the desert green through a vast man-made irrigation scheme. The Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a darling of the West. But both these Heads of State of sovereign nations were hounded out like rats and killed in cold blood either by the US soldiers or those who were actively supported by the US administration, when they were not ready to do the bidding of the US administration.

The USƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s lackeys are already there in Sri Lanka to do its dirty work that is aimed at undermining Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s attempts to develop the country. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In addition to the handful of human rights peddlers among the Colombo elite who work to an agenda of the US, the TNA leader has openly stated the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-understanding and relationship with the United States as a source of strengthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in his aspiration to bifurcate the country through non-military means, after their Sun God kicked the bucket in the lagoons of Nadikadal in May 2009.

Many Sri Lankans would have been happy to see the back of the former US ambassador in Sri Lanka. After her non-enviable stint in Bangladesh, she landed in Sri Lanka, and what she had been up to has been made public through Wiki leaks. The new candidate for the post is no better. All that peace-loving Sri Lankans can say is, if a pithy Sinhalese saying could be translated, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It is like giving up ginger and getting chilli in returnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The lady should be told very clearly that matters of governance and security of the nation are handled by the Head of State of Sri Lanka and his defence officials, and not by diplomats of foreign countries.