Geethanjana Kudaligamage

Rajapakse, regional politics, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Eurocentric DevelopmentalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 12-A)

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasinsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚-A native Indian proverb (Northern Cheyennes)

Half a century ago, in July 1955, Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein issued an extraordinary appeal to the people of the world, asking them ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-to set asideƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the strong feelings they have about many issues and to consider themselves ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-only as members of a biological species which has had a remarkable history, and whose disappearance none of us can desire.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ The choice facing the world is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-stark and dreadful and inescapable; shall we put an end to the human race; or shall mankind renounce war?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Chomsky, [New York Times, 10^th July 1955])

The world has not renounced war. Quite the contrary, by now, the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hegemonic power accords itself the right to wage war at will, under a doctrine of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-anticipatory self defenseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ with unstated bounds.

International law, treaties, and rules of world order are sternly imposed on others with much self-righteous posturing, but dismissed as irrelevant for the United StatesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (and other European countries, [writer])(Chomsky, 2006)

This self-righteous posturing was displayed without a slightest semblance of shame by whole western world when they went to Iraq to find un-findable WMDs while they possessing the same, even deadlier WMDs in umpteenth numbers to destroy the whole world for several times.

This is the same self-righteous posturing was displayed when they cordoned and isolated Iraq, causing 500,000 children to dye without allowing them to access for food and medicines with the full pledged sponsorship of the UNO.

Now this is the same self-righteous posturing that threatening us without any iota of shame to go ahead with their inspection of war crime charges, while continuing their mass murder at this very moment in countries they have waged wars.

In media, it has been a point of discussion about the possibility of isolation of Sri Lanka from international theater, if SL is going to continue her resistance on UN probe. These commentators, the local lackeys of western interventionists, relying solely on their elevated rhetoric, urge Sri Lanka to appreciate the sincerity of the HR concerns, their moral clarity, and idealism of universal justice of these westerners and UN charlatans, blissfully ignoring the fact that this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”universal humanityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ has been excluded non-white global humanity from it. According to western manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s universe, no ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”humanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ can exist in the non-white world. For the white westerner, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”universal humanityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means the Caucasian humanity, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”humanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means hue of Whiteman. See how it works in global politics. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”RighteousnessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”reasonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”TruthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”JusticeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”HonestyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”NeutralityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”CorrectnessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ means white, name it, if there is anything good, that must be white otherwise never considered as right.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Isolationism

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Our pleasures are shallow, our sorrows are deepƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Cheyenne, Indian proverb)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Our deep sorrows have gone through the worst of the worst in recent history; therefore, there is nothing new to learn in isolation for Sri Lankans.

Is Isolationism an effective political tool in twenty first century? Some political annalists on electronic media have cautioned the nation of impending danger of isolation from international arena, if Sri Lanka considers continuing resistance to the western pressure on HR violations. What is this isolationism? ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”IsolationismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in other words, is the policy or doctrine of isolating a country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc. From Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s point of view, choosing sovereign right in oppose to isolation is a sacrifice worth to make for her interests, but it is not so with that for the west.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

South Africa is an example to such isolation during the period of its apartheid, and Burma is another example. But South Africa was never been fully isolated due to the covert and overt backing of superpowers including United Kingdom. And it is said that this sponsorship of the west toward South Africa was maintained in the highest level of the political leadership of the west.

Isolationism was a powerful political tool when there was no alternative power base to counter western dominance in global affairs in the era before cold war (isolating from the west was considered as severe blow at that time) and in the era immediately after the collapse of Soviet bloc; in which for a short period, the west dominated a unipolar world as the only economical and military power. Now that period of monopoly has been ended and passed into the history. In this newly emerging global reality, isolationism has become just a hollow rhetoric. In short, if west decides to isolate Sri Lanka, in the backdrop of its solid international support base especially of China with its veto power, it will then be a bad decision from the western point of view. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Although some anti-Sri Lankan critics and their cohorts trying to portray the resistance of the SL nation to external interference as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”wild drumbeats,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ any nation with slightest self-respect and integrity will do the same in oppose to a dishonest critical barrage of global charlatans like the one we experiencing now.

First of all we must understand the fundamental of Sri Lankan crisis; it is not the path Sri Lanka chose, but it was the outcome of the political atmosphere that west already had created in Sri Lanka through various political, diplomatic and military maneuverings. If the isolation is the only outcome for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”resistingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ an illegal and immoral dictates of the west, then Sri Lanka has no option but to face the challenges steadfastly.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  As if, that is the only option they have left before Sri Lanka by placing unreasonable demands such as the war crime probe, then we cannot blame the regime for resisting it or for doing the right thing. Sri Lanka must reiterate her position clearly, that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”war crime probeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is nonnegotiable in any agenda of international or bilateral forums. Neither we have to negotiate it, nor do we have to succumb to the demand of the UNSG. To any standard, Sri Lanka has the moral right to resist a probe singling out her on HR violations instigated by globally well known criminals while hiding behind their diplomatic and military thuggery, without giving an iota of response to the call of a probe in conflict zones where they conducting mass murder and killing spree, right now at this moment. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

As a matter of fact, there are two paths ahead of Sri Lanka; either she can give into western pressure and let the HR panel to probe into predetermined HR violations and let them submit their pre-written (most probably written in a western foreign office) report to UN and face the penalties, and then to be subjugated to western hegemony, eventually to open-up the path to next round of unrest and finally to be divided. And the second option is to resist in the fullest possible manner to the current demand of HR panel that, as critics of SL say, might pave the way to be isolated from the west (not from the rest) and face the future with courage within the newly emerging regional and international realities. What could be the position of the nation? What is their most treasured objective of the nation, unity of the nation or goodwill of the charlatans? The west has given us a hard choice!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Now let us ask this question from the nation, what our nation really need? West has never moved an inch from their original policy of dividing Sri Lanka. To the western policy makers, they canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t do it, because their policy is not just targeting Sri Lanka but it is about the whole Asia. Dividing Sri Lanka is only a part of the grand regional strategy. To change Sri Lankan policy, they will have to change the whole Asian strategy. They cannot afford to do it. According to that policy, division of Sri Lanka is a must. That is why we emphasize the fact that regime change, as these pro-separatist writers advocating as an answer to all our ills, never resolves any issue favorable to the nation but they will serve only its enemies. Actually some critics continue their parroting these slogans without knowing the hidden objectives of these slogans, but some others have intensified these slogans as a part of well calculated offensive against the nation with collaboration of foreign elements. They are doing this well-knowing the fact that these slogans have nothing to do with human rights but a lot to do with the destabilization of Sri Lanka. The latter category knows what they are doing, because their selection of targets, the art of building their arguments tells us that it is not the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ignoranceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that has made them to chant these slogans, but it is the well calculated strategy of them.

Protecting human rights has gone into the hands of dogs; dogs do not have hands, but only tails to waggle like NGOs and their media guards ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

If Ban Ki Moon is right, we will have to accept the fact that, under him the noble task of the safeguarding human rights has left under the protection of dogs. As I said earlier in a different article, given due consideration to the political context in which SL government had to react and uphold its sacred duty of protecting the nation, President RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s actions are justifiable to any standards. But critics of Rajapaksa disregard all these background reasons. First of all, we know that most anti-government critics are not genuine at all, they target their attacks selectively for narrow gains, for instance, when they support for a HR probe here in Sri Lanka under western financial patronage, they willingly look away from HR violations of their patrons in the west. Not only that, they do not even acknowledge the fact that there are grave issues of exterminating tens of thousands of people elsewhere by the same forces that finance them to demand accountability in our country. On what morality and principles that they can receive payments and launching a propaganda campaign against a crime while knowing the fact that the very party paying their money blatantly committing the very same crime at the very moment elsewhere in mass scale? In face of the extermination of these populations without any qualms of the value of human life by western powers, the UN was behaved as if it was non existent. It has been proven through their indifference to these crimes of their pay masters, these writersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ are driven only by perks (or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”PagarƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in Catalan-Portuguese) but have no any moral right even to touch this noble task of safeguarding human rights.

When these local lackeys of western HR slogan speak about human rights, it has been clear that their intentions are completely opposite to that of their public posture. Given the fact their intellectual capacities of cooking-up nicely woven stories decorated with the icing of intellectual vivacity, it is impossible for us to believe that they do not aware of the fact that western HR slogan is a mere display item but major part of their arsenal of global interventionist tools that applies to strengthen their existing exploitative global apparatus; and the whole point of using them is to deny human rights for a greater part of population in the global south including Sri Lanka. If they say that they do not know that, we do not believe it, because they do not sound like fools to us. Instead they sound more like soulless learned bunch plotting against their own mother-land without conscience. In other words, their cry is not less a fraudulent than the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”graveƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ concern of the wolf of the health of the goat getting wet in the rain. In this back drop of their intensified cry, it has been even more obvious that their targets are clearly politically motivated than humanitarian. Asking of what they have to say about Iraq, Afghanistan, and even NATO bombing on former Yugoslavia are even worthless considering the low level of these degenerated bunch of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”quacksƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ like them. Although they like to see the tool ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”isolationismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to be used to topple the Rajapakse, emerging realities shows that isolationism wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t work in the way they want.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

If west take the path of isolation, it is the west that looses the most

First of all, although Sri Lanka is insignificant in military power and wealth in global arena, her significance in relation to her strategic importance never have lost its magnitude in relation to regional security.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka has never made it clear to the west, that our friendship is more important for them in the imminent new realities in the region. It is high time now for Sri Lanka to use that strategic trump card. The reason is, that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the prospect that Asia might move to a greater independence has troubled western strategists and planners since WW II.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (Chomsky) Now the concerns have only risen in the backdrop of collapsing centrality of 400 years old western dominance into tri-polar world order namely, Asian regional order with African and Latin American blessings, the European regional order in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic region and the North American regional order with the unhappy partner of Canada, have continued to evolve. At this point Sri Lanka must use her strategic card in the dealing with west. If they do not need our friendship, then we have all our rights to position our self in a full pledged partnership with Eurasian Regional Corporation with Russia and China with the full membership of Shanghai Corporation Organization. Does anyone think that west want to see it happen? Not really. Sri Lanka must give up her reactive/defensive mod of diplomacy. She must go offensive, and must send her foreign minister to tell their counterparts that we are going to use our strategic card. And we are more than ready to face their isolationism.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The entire world reality is in the drastic change. Five hundred years of colonial legacy of dominance is crumbling. But our local lackeys are still dreaming isolationism for their sadistic pleasure. Look around the world, day by day Latin America is becoming more and more independent. Now Asia and Latin America are strengthening their ties while Europe and the USA consumes themselves and their resources in the misadventure in the Middle-East and Afghanistan. Regional integration in Asia creating a larger spectrum connecting it with Latin America and Africa; and that has been the irritant spectacle for the planners in the west. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Non-western world is more and more distancing their dependency on the west that betokens a defiant world becoming out of control for the west.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (Chomsky) In such background, I do not think that west need to see a foe in the middle of the Indian Ocean on the wayside of one of the largest maritime routes in the world that handles more than 40% of the energy traffic of the world.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ China, the nucleus of Asian Regional Corporation, refused to be intimidated by the west stands firm, unlike India with her unreliable foreign policy idling and swinging without a proper stand for her neighbors to rely on. If there is any slightest chance of intimidation of India by the west against Sri Lanka, still Sri Lanka will be able to rely on Chinese patronage, because China cannot loose Sri Lanka under the current global circumstances.

India with a shaky beginning while choosing to be a U.S client in the region, but however, counter balancing her dependency on nuclear power deal she signed with Washington, very recently she signed another similar civilian nuclear agreement with Russia demonstrating her willingness to be within the fold of emerging Eurasian Regional Corporation, which includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Belarus, Afghanistan, all ASEAN countries, CIS countries and now Sri Lanka. Do not ever think that we are any way in difficult position what so ever. Our position is stronger than the westƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s in relation to regional affairs. Actually this cry of HR probe is meant to drag us to a difficult position; that is the reason why we must resist in our best possible manner to this demand.

At this point one can pull Indian card. Let us see whatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s happening there now? There appeared to be so many different mixtures of contradicting signals within the Indian camp over becoming a client of the west in the region, Indian desire to be a superpower in the world has arose conflicts with the said cliental position. It is pretty clear that, India has achieved what she wanted out of the nuclear deal even without commencing any nuclear reactors constructed by US. India is not a signatory to the treaty of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Nuclear non-Proliferation Act, is a treaty to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. The treaty came into force on 5 March 1970, and currently there are 189 states have become partners to the treaty, five of which are recognized as nuclear weapon states: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China (also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Four non-parties to the treaty are believed to possess nuclear weapons: India, Pakistan and North Korea have openly tested and declared that they possess nuclear weapons, while Israel has had a policy of secrecy in regarding its own nuclear weapons program. North Korea acceded to the treaty, violated it, and in 2003 withdrew from it.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Through the civilian nuclear power development partnership with US, India has secured USƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s indirect approval to her nuclear program. Now from this point onward, US is in a difficult position of criticizing Indian nuclear program in future.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, apparently India has recognized the importance for her to be within the emerging more Independent Asian bloc that is taking shape with close ties with oil producing countries in the Middle East. Siddarth Varadarajan of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”HinduƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ says that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-If the 21^st century is to be an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Asian Century,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ then AsiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s passivity in the energy sector has to end.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ That reveals Indian contradicting position of becoming a western client and her desire to be a more independent regional power. Proving that Cliental and independence cannot live together, India has taken far reaching decisions going away from this position of client state. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However it is observed that a close relationship between India and China is a key to stability for the emerging regional system in the Indian Ocean. In January 2006, an agreement signed in Beijing ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-cleared the way for India and China to corporate not only in technology but also in hydro carbon exploration and production, a partnership that could eventually alter fundamental question in the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s oil and natural gas sector,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Vardarajan points out. (Chomsky)

(To be continued)