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an alliance of Russia and China as a third power bloc, give new hope for
developing countries ?
By Charles Perera The International Community had not been honest in its dealings with the developing countries. It seems to act within a pre-set agenda of its own, which is not to ensure progress and development of the developing countries but rather to divide and keep them dependent on it. The aid proposed by it is through loans which have to be re- paid with interest. The financial aid is not supported by transfer of technology and no strategic support is provided to fight terrorism. This is seen by the constant complaints by the International Organisations of violation of human rights by the government of Sri Lanka which in the midst of a war against terrorism , is making a great effort, sacrificing life and finance to keep its unitary status, and assert its sovereignty. It is also made doubly evident by Great Britain and Germany withholding its aid to Sri Lanka, that they sympathise the terrorists rather than make authoritative, and meaningful dissuasions against terrorism. Their complicity with the terrorists in Sri Lanka could be accounted for in their duplicity in treating terrorism in USA and Great Britain differently from terrorism in Sri Lanka. They propose aggression and war against terrorism in their territories, while demanding the government of Sri Lanka to negotiate peace with terrorists. With the disbanding of USSR, the International Community has taken leadership in the world, and with that it is able to hold the developing countries to ransom by demanding to accept their own blind solutions to the problem of the developing countries, with threats of withholding financial aid for development. The developing countries like Sri Lanka have to abide by their unfair demands as there is no rival leadership in the world to which Sri Lanka or as a matter of fact any developing country could turn for alternative proposals. The arrogance of the International Community comes from its presently un-disputed world leadership acquired through the practice of manipulating political leaders to break up their countries among disputants rather than unite for a common purpose of development.. However, today it appears that the world leadership is being challenged by a rival leadership that is in the making. According to a report by Tony Halpin from Moscow , appearing in The Times of 6 August, 2007, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has brought together Russia and China in a military alliance. In a Peace Mission 2007, held in Chelybinsk Region of Russia , scores of Chinese and Russian Air Crafts began from 9 August, 2007, a week long joint military manoeuvres involving 6500 troops, which include anti terror exercises. Tajikistan, Kyrgyztan, and Kazakhstan were among the participants. Tony Halpin says that according to Colonel General Valdimir Moltenskoi, the Deputy Commander of the Russian ground forces the exercise involves all SCO members, and Staff Officers from Uzbekistan , for the first time. The SCO founded in 2001 was originally meant to be a non-military organisation to combat against drugs, weapon smuggling, terrorism and separatism in the region. Its transference into a new role of development of regional trade opens new vistas and both Moscow and Beijing regard this as a counter weight to US Global influence. The Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) calling for its member states to join in the military exercises with SCO to guarantee security across the region gives the Russian and Chinese military alliance a greater importance. The CSTO already has plans to set up a large Military Force which could assist a member state in the event of foreign incursion . The plan is already becoming a reality with a rapid reaction force already in place in Central Asia . There are further plans for a common air defence system covering most of the former Soviet Union. The CSTO represents Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyztan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The leaders of the Member States of SCO are scheduled to meet in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyz. The meeting will be attended by Turkminstan, with Mongolia, Iran, India, and Pakistan as observers. However, it is further stated that Igor Ivanov, the head of the Russian Security has asserted that SCO is not evolving into a military alliance in opposition to an expansion of NATO into Asia as a part of NATO’s war against terrorism. Yet certain Western quarters express concern that alliance between China and Russia would be a challenge by an authoritarian bloc opposed to democracy in the struggle for energy resources. Amidst tension in the West over missile defence and NATO expansion, concern is also raised as Russia enriched by oil and gas revenue is moving to increase its military capabilities with a £ 100 billion budget set aside for re-armament over a period of eight years. Although the USA defence budget of Dollars 535 billion for 2006 is far greater than that of Russia and China(which put together amounts to Dollars 60.2 billion), the number of active service in army (1,995,000), in Navy (397,000), air force (560,000), and the number of submarines (111),main battle tanks(3,311) are greater in numbers, than those of USA. When other countries ,outside the Western bloc, get together to form an alliance it becomes for the Western Bloc an anti democratic move. What the Western Governments want is their system of democracy, even when it is in fact a dictatorial system, in the absence of another power bloc. USA invaded Iraq bypassing the United Nations. They propose action against North Korea or Iran without consulting other nations. The International Community, and the European Union have become laws unto themselves. The developing countries have become helpless under the dictates of the International Community and EU in addition to their by products the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Red Cross, the UN , and the Non Governmental Organisations etc. Under these circumstances, an alliance of Nations outside USA and European Union as a third power bloc would be a welcome change, which should be hailed by the developing countries.
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