Peace Vultures and Terrorist Air Farce

D.K.W. Dias

At this critical juncture when international vultures (self proclaimed Human Rights Groups, Peace Vendors, NGOs, Monitoring Missions), and their national counterparts are descending on Sri Lankan nation as on a dead carcass, president Rajapaksha has a very important decision to make. His predecessors J.R., Premadasa, Ranil, Chandrika or Sirima could not or did not make that decision. Why? They were not true leader's rather political vagabonds who chose self above the nation. The leadership was thrust upon them by circumstantial predisposition. They therefore, could not make single decision which was of least good for a modern democracy. Rather than dwelling in the past, we must learn from our mistakes and march forward. Learning from past mistakes is an arcane concept to a nation with impotent leaders. So the entire nation act as if it is suffering from Alzheimer's decease electing these impotent leaders term after term expecting to uplift masses from poverty. Evidence to this effect is found in immediate as well as in the past history where Sri Lankan were successively hoodwinked by invading foreign powers like Portuguese, Dutch and English and now the Norway which can be considered the father of LTTE air force (mother being Ranil).

Air Show and Two Countries

In light of recently demonstrated Air Show by the Liberation Terrorists of Tamils Eelam (LTTE) ( I henceforth request all peace loving Sri Lankans to refer as such in future identification) the decision before the nation today is whether to please so called "International Community" and not have a country called Sri Lanka in the World map or to rescue it citizens from malignant terrorism and keep the country as a viable economics and cultural entity for every Sri Lankan irrespective of ethnicity, religious belief, gender, riches and poor. I should emphasize here the term that malignant terrorism applies to all forms of lawlessness that hinders well functioning society (Political Intimidations, LTTE terrorism, betrayal of public trust, corruption, treason and treachery). The decision is so crucial it will be the fait accompli for the country we all lovingly call Sri Lanka.

International Community Trap

Who are we trying to appease--the international community? This is a fluid non-entity, with a name coined to gain marketing momentum for international adventures of powerful countries within the U.N. system. The composition of the entity constantly changes depending on the objective, i.e when it comes to toppling Saddam "International Community" is U.S., UK and newly enlisted lesser NATO members like Poland, Bulgaria and on Iran issue it is U.S., UK, EU). So why are we worried about this non entity? Do we have anything to hide about this terrorism that we are trying to rid the country of? International Community can go across borders, invade countries and kill its civilians under the pretext of bringing democracy. Why can not Sri Lankan Government take its own decision to rid terrorism within its own boundaries? The answer is, we are dependent not independent. What we celebrate February 4th of every year is a mirage-it exists and it does not. That is the reason why a Senior Cabinet Minister briefed Sri Lankan AID Group after LTTE air raid while citizens are kept in the dark about it. What happened to the concept that informed citizens make wise governance?

Is ridding the country of Terrorism possible? Very much! Only if leaders set an example as low abiding, dedicated and honest human beings. If leaders show that they manage the country not Norway, Japan, U.S. or EU. Now this is a tall order. Every year elected leaders go begging around the world on entourage. As the all saying goes "beggars can not be choosers." The lenders impose conditions for they are in the Business of Lending for profit (though they may call it poverty alleviation). The money lent to the country is misspent and embezzled by the politicians and bureaucrats alike without bringing much progress to the country. But still the lenders keep on lending. Why? The borrower trapped in a vicious cycle is easily exploited to the full benefit of the lenders, be it World Bank, IMF, ADB and other bleeding heart NGOs lining up to take us to heaven. Even the lending by churches is based on the concept of return on investment: allegiance to the institution and God. Every lender expects to earn a reasonable return be it profit, loyalty or something else in kind. This is what causes Sri Lanka's dependence on this non entity called "International Community" to solve an internal problem. We all know how the World Bank's theme of privatisation came in to developing countries at the request of multi-national companies to open up markets for their investment and asset stripping which finally ended up being a flop causing World Bank to change the theme to Poverty Alleviation.

Trapped in poverty due to poor leadership, the masses have made supreme sacrifices in sweat and blood sending their sons and daughters to the war for three decades and forgone economic prosperity. All the while, corrupt leaders have become second to LTTE in terms of destroying the country. The magnitude of the corruption is so visible as to become a norm of the society and attract even soldiers and commissioned officers to pass vital security information to enemy for a reasonable price. Why not? When leaders are having a Gala with borrowed money, and foot soldiers are being used as pawns in a chess game to make sacrifices, human nature, the greed overcome the patriotism. If leaders can profit from the war why not a foot soldier? Because he is expected to make the supreme sacrifice any moment and might as well earn something collaborating with enemy to keep his family fed after he is gone or earn a life insurance certificate not to be attacked by enemy in a confrontation. This is amply evident in the assassination of Brigadier Kulatunga as well as attempt to assassinate General Fonseka.

We all know how the U.S found Saddam in a hole? Not due to its sophisticated surveillance but by appealing to raw human greed. When a war is prolonged, soldiers become weary, leaders and commanders become corrupt, enemy naturally wins. It has been proven that even a "Super Power" like the U.S. can not sustain a prolonged war-the case in point is Iraq. Under the Sri Lankan political and military leadership that lasted 3 decades, the sacrifices thousands of foot soldiers have made become in vain.

Illusive Peace and Colombo Country

For almost 3 decades Presidents and Generals came and went but they have been presiding over Colombo not Sri Lanka. Without any prejudice to citizens living outside of the capital, Colombo not Sri Lanka has become the country that soldiers in their youth have sacrificed their lives to protect. If they presided over entire country, there would be no LTTE today. LTTE has proven many times that Colombo is penetrable. With recent air show, it has proven essentially that we have two countries. Because one small Island nation can not have two air forces be it two aircraft or single craft air force. This is a reality that has made possible by illusive peace. Why is peace elusive? Even a street man with common sense would prove to you that the terrorist leader Prabhakaran can not live as a civilian leader even if you parcel out and give half of Sri Lanka to him. Why? Myriads of enemies are after him: India for Rajiv assassination, Karuna for killing his gang and attempting on his life, Sri Lankan army and even his own people for killing their kith and kin are after him. He, therefore, needs a personal military protecting him 24/7 even in his own kingdom as a civil leader which he himself may not envision. So who is Government trying to negotiate peace with? A megalomaniac who can not expect to live a civil life even if he is given his own kingdom with his own military. This is a person with whom so called "International Community" is asking Sri Lankan government to negotiate peace. Fortunately, though history has ample evidence that such people have committed suicide in their own bunkers. This is the fourth cycle of war due to successive blunders committed by greedy politicians chasing an illusive peace. Aftermath of the air show Sri Lankan leaders should come to this conclusion that there will be no peace without military victory which should culminate in letting Tamil people decide their own fate in an election free of intimidation, coercion and of course free of "international community" because remember the international community who paid courtesy calls to us since 1505 until today (Portuguese, Dutch, English and Norway).

The decision the current government should make is whether we please the international community and not have a country called Sri Lanka or whether to displease this non entity and have a country for Sri Lankans. In the era of powerful countries tearing apart Geneva convention labelling War Prisoners as Enemy Combatants and outsourcing torture, violating U.N charter by invading weak countries and creating mayhem, Sri Lankan government is trying to please the world. More she tries to please the more they become displeased. It is evident by the most recent organization to join the bandwagon: International Protestant Church which wrote directly to Mr. Rajapaksha asking to safeguard rights of Christian minority. Now there is no fault in asking to safeguard rights of anyone let alone Christians. But the timing, motivation, bandwagon effect, and underlying assumption of the request need careful evaluation. Every government has a natural right to protect every living being and the environment of the country. Of course, had the first executive president of Sri Lanka J.R. protected the minorities which he could have done with a simple directive (shoot any violator of civil order at sight) at the wee hours of ethnic flares in 1983, we would have held post mortem of LTTE long time back.

Independence and the Decision

We have come a long way since de Azavedo (1598) raped and butchered Sri Lankan women and crushed mothers and children alive between rocks. The countries like the U.S. also has come a long way since Thomas Jefferson wrote in to constitution that "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal…." At the time he wrote these words he owned 500 Slaves who toiled full time building his Monticello. Even today the U.S. is grappling with racism and social injustices. Though institutions are there to protect civil liberties and human rights, institutional racism and discriminations exist. This is not an attempt to compare a modern Military Industrial Economic Empire to a tiny Island but to show how the moral balance has shifted allowing room for non entities like International Community to impose solutions on "sovereign" but dependent nations. For all practical purposes, we are still a colony of post colonial masters plus neo colonial capital owners who lend for political and economic reasons. Of course this does not imply that lending and borrowing is wrong. The world development has been due to efficient capital flow and capital markets. The point, of course is that a bank can give me a mortgage loan based on my creditworthiness but it should not tell me how best I should get along with my wife in the house.

To become successful in modern world we need leaders who can differentiate between dependence and independence rather than garlanding and dancing on February 4th of every year to show an empty self. If we are economically dependent we can not be politically independent. In a global village what is beneficial is not dependence but mutual interdependence as equal partners in progress. Under the pretext of promulgating democratic institutions, these powers pump in millions of dollars to election campaigns of other countries to change regimes. On the other hand, even a legitimate political donation by a naturalized citizen of their country is scrutinized to the fullest. For this very reason, Sri Lankan leaders should understand that time is running out and a firm decision must be made to defeat terrorism and lasting solution acceptable to all communities must be implemented. No nation likes solutions imposed upon them however strong the so called "International Community" is. Therefore, Mr. Rajapksha should make his decision to politely show the exit door to Norway and begin the campaign from Kilinochchi not from Thoppigala as no military campaign has been successful which keeps enemy's command and control system intact and peripheral assets destroyed. Out military leaders should know this basic tenet. Finally according to Sun Tzu this is what LTTE did : "Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots." According to him our resort "To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. This is it. We should march forward in the name of fallen soldiers and the country.