By Charles.S.Perera

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake US Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Central Asian Affairs, is not promoting the USA President Barrack ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s foreign policies. In the 38 minutes long speech to the UN General Assembly the USA President made significant statements. But OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake is making a mockery of President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s speech to the UN General Assembly in his all out effort to discredit Sri Lanka for eliminate the whole lot of his terrorists friends.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President Obama said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But his speech to the UN General Assembly is contradicted by his own Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake , who comes from the Bush Administration ,which as the US President said was viewed with scepticism and distrust, and has not changed in keeping with the President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s above statement to which he added that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- the time has come for the world to move in a new directionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake still carries out the foreign policies of pre-Obama Administration that the President Obama says , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.. has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake was a sympathiser of the Sri Lanka terrorists, therefore despite the President Barrack ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s efforts to change AmericaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s unpopular image, OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake leaving aside President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hope to move in a new direction, continues his vendetta against Sri Lanka for the elimination of his friends the Sri Lanka terrorists.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For it is now known that the terrorist leader Prabhakaran pushed by the Government Forces into a narrow strip of land between the sea and the Mulaitivu lagoon, was awaiting to be rescued by the American Forces by a commando operation.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, and the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, were trying to negotiate with the Government of Sri Lanka a ceasefire to enable them to enter into the no-fire zone where the terrorists leaders had been cornered , probably to arrange a rescue operation of the terrorist leaders, perhaps in connivance with Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Having failed in that endeavour, the West along with OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake is now all out to take revenge from the Government of Sri Lanka by actively moving to accuse the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka for violation of human rights and war crimes.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢BlakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s report to the US Congress with damning condemnation of the Government of Sri Lanka, and the European Unions refusal to grant Sri Lanka G+ Concessions for export of garments are the aftermath of this failure on their part to rescue the terrorists as they may probably had secretly promised to do.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While the US President tells the UN General Assembly, that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-, OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake his Assistant Secretary of State for Asian AffairsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ following that blameful tradition acts, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. Unilaterally without regard for the interest of othersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ submitting a report based completely on hearsay evidence, to the US Congress against Sri Lanka without giving Sri Lanka its right of being heard before such a critical report is submitted to the US Congress.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President Obama said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- no one nation can or should try to dominate another nationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. But this statement seems to have no significance to Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake who had through out his mission as the US Ambassador for Sri Lanka, had denigrated the Government of Sri Lanka criticising her actions even from public rostrums in South India during a determining military operations against terrorists, and continues all possible methods to discredit the Government of Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake now with greater ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-powerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ bestowed upon him by the Obama Administration takes Sri Lanka for a vassal state. He consults expatriate Tamils in America some of who have not even put their foot in Sri Lanka for many decades, and well known local anti-Government elements such as Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu and Jehan Perera, about matters concerning Sri Lanka rather than have direct consultations with the leaders of the Government of Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President Obama continuing his speech to the UN General Assembly said , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Now, like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka respectfully accepts President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s responsibility to his people. But that responsibility should be the same when it comes to a President of any developing country, even that of Sri Lanka .

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As a corollary to President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s assertion , the right of the President of Sri Lanka to act in the interest of his country and his people cannot also be questioned, and he too need not apologize to any one for defending those interests.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the light of seemingly candid statement of President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s speech we question him whether such responsibility is reserved only to America , and whether the President of a developing country has to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- apologize for defending interests of his nation and his peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s remarks are respectfully taken note of, but he should, demand his Assistant Secretary of State Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake to extend that honourable principles of his in dealing with other Presidents of developing nations-such as Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President Obama gives the World of Nations hope when he says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems — it will take persistent action.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ But there is a difference with his speech and the actions of his subordinate the Assistant Secretary of State Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake, who seems to have not understood President ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s policies and principles in dealing with other Sovereign States.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What Rober OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake refuses to understand or does not seem to have understood is that which triumphed in America with the election of an Afro American as the President was the integration of the black minority community into the majority white community.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Robert Blake is aware that in 1950ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ s America still practiced segregation of the black Americans, treating them no better than animals, not allowing them to sit in the same row of seats in buses, not serving them in restaurants reserved for the whites, not allowing black children to walk into a sweet shop to buy sweets. Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake is well aware that in America the blacks were lynched, burnt alive or hanged by the notorious Ku Klux Klan merely for their being ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-blackƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In that atmosphere of American past notoriety, the election of an Afro American representing the then segregated black Community, as the 44th President of USA was the greatest historically meaningful American triumph .

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then why should Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake the US Assistant Secretary of State for Asian Affairs promote segregation of the minority Tamil Community in Sri Lanka, calling for a political separation of the Tamil Community from the Majority Community.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake has really understood the significance of swearing in of the 44th President of the USA on the memorable 21 January,2009, he would not have given into the unpatriotic Tamil Expatriate Community, to promote ethnic separation in Sri Lanka. He should have instead advised them to encourage the Tamil Community in Sri Lanka to integrate or coordinate with the Majority Sinhala Community to forge a larger United Nation of Sri Lankans, where there would be no separate identities of the minority, and the majority.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ None of the Governments of Sri Lanka, nor the people of the Majority Community ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”the Sinhala, practiced segregation against the minority Tamil Community as it was practiced by the American Governments and the American White population to the Afro American Community. In that context Robert OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake is a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-nasty AmericanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ promoting ethnic segregation in Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Finally the President Obama said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect. Each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its people and in its past traditionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is important that every one in the American State Department and the Members of the US Congress understand this truth. In this respect what USA and the EU and the rest of the Western Developed countries should realise is that for true democracy to prevail in the world, the rich countries should make a sincere effort to help those countries who need help to rise above their under development.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Such help should not be made conditional, making those countries subordinate their Sovereignty to the donors, but allow them to develop their countries independently according to their own ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-culture and past traditionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The now common practice of America and the European Union withholding aid and assistance or imposing trade embargo amounts to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-black mailing ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-those developing Nations and halting their development. The rich countries should be intelligent enough to treat separately their aid and assistance to developing countries, and settlement of disputes and disagreements through dialogue. The latter should not be a barrier to promote the former.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We fervently hope that the US President Barrack Obama will not fail to convert his words to reality with persistent action, as he said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems — it will take persistent action.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Those persistent actions should not be to the benefit of America, and its friendly European States but to all Nations of the world without distinction.