CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

The Threat of UN Intervention

Janaka Yagirala

The brutal LTTE is now in its terminal phase, facing the classic domino effect or in other words defeat after defeat. To say that the LTTE has “met its match” is an utter insult to our valiant soldiers. The LTTE were always inflated by bogus pundits and NGO dollar vultures, all that was needed was the proper military and political leadership.

This was clearly shown by the great General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne, who were inches close to defeating the LTTE. Had it not been for the notorious Parippu Invasion (Operation Poomalai), this would have become a reality. Rajiv Gandhi later realized his grave mistake, but he had to pay the price of nurturing terrorism with his life.

It was a lesson that should haunt the tiger lovers of today, for they should realize that once they are no longer of any use to the LTTE, they become liabilities. The fate of turncoat army officer Lucky Algama was the prime example of how the LTTE deals with liabilities. The Queen of Thieves was lucky escape a similar fate. Even faithful servants, stooges and puppets of the LTTE are not immune. If the LTTE sees an opportunity to gain political brownies by blaming the GoSL, no lapdog is non-expendable as in the case of TNA parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham.

Today the threat of foreign intervention looms again. This is because the vile tiger sympathizers know that it is the one and only way they can see their darling LTTE escape its inevitable demise. This time, intervention would most likely be through the United Nations. On July 18th, 2008 Tamilnet reported that South African born Tamil judge Navaratnam Pillay would most likely be the next UN Human Rights Chief, replacing Louise Arbour. Later it was announced that her term will begin on September 1st 2008. For Sri Lanka, this is can be compared to the proverbial exchange of pepper for chillies.

It is somewhat difficult to describe the UN. In one way it is an organization that needs 1 million dollars to keep alive but does only a penny worth of useful work. It can also be called an ailing organization, with no improvement over its failed predecessor, the disbanded League of Nations. It can also be called a nominal organization just for appearances, much like the nominal monarchy of Britain or the human appendix (being there just for the sake of being there). In another way it is an oxymoron of double standards that tacitly endorses the hidden agendas of stronger members while bombards and bullies the weak.

The best example is the case of Kosovo, where all UN charters on sovereignty were given as much regard as a toffee wrapper when Kosovo unilaterally “seceded” from Serbia. This was all so that the US could set up a strategic camp (Camp Bondsteel) in the Balkans. Compare this to how the UN reacted when Ian Smith declared unilateral independence of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) from Britain in 1965 when the UN responded with economic sanctions.

Sri Lanka took the proper stand by condemning and not recognizing this move alongside her true allies, Russia and China. UN charters on human rights enjoy a similar toffee wrapper status in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and Colombia where the US is directly or indirectly involved. Only two countries have not signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which forbids the execution of juveniles. One country is Somalia, the other is the US. The UN charters on culture were also nowhere to be seen when the priceless Babylonian artefacts were plundered in Baghdad during the US invasion.

There is also strong suspicion that the UN chapter in Sri Lanka tacitly supports the LTTE. When it comes to circumstantial evidence, rarely do we see condemnation by this organization of the atrocities of the LTTE such as bombing of innocent civilians or forcible conscription of child soldiers. Even when it does come, the condemnation is usually vague and blunt, often referring to “both sides” instead of the true villains. On the other hand, we see UN “officials” like Louise Arbour try to meddle with our internal affairs.

Nevertheless, UN human rights observers or peacekeepers will undoubtedly make a huge mess of our country if they come. The UN made a huge mess of Cyprus and Yugoslavia. Typical UN incompetence was also demonstrated during the genocide of Rwanda and in Somalia.

Somalia was more than just a Black Hawk Down fiasco. It was where Belgian peacekeepers inspired by the Muscles of Brussels, Jean Claude Van Damme, tried to become real life heroes. Among them were paratroopers Claude Baert and Kurt Coelus who were photographed roasting a Somali boy over a fire. Also was Sergeant Major Rudy Derkinderen who was photographed urinating on a Somali and later suspected of killing him. Similarly Sergeant Dirk Nassel was accused of forcing a young Somali to eat pork, drink salt water and then eat his vomit. There were also numerous cases of extra judicial executions and rape of Somalis by Italian peacekeepers. Most of the accused literally went off scot-free after serving a few months or paying a fine, continuing their service in the armed forces.

Cambodia was another fiasco for the UN, but not in terms of brutality. Instead it was where Bulgarian peacekeepers ended up as Vulgarians. As reported in the November edition of Readers Digest in 1995 by Dale Van Atta, it was a time when the (famous!) Yasushi Akashi (UN chief of the mission) had to advice peacekeepers to park their UN marked vehicles as far as possible from night clubs. During this mission, nearly 150 peacekeepers contracted HIV. Nearly a decade after the mission (July 11th 2001), Akashi had to address a press conference in Phnom Penh and vehemently insist that the UN was not to blame for the spread of HIV in Cambodia!

It is therefore the duty of all patriotic citizens of Sri Lanka both here and abroad to ensure that the ailing UN will not be able to repeat its classic buffoonery of double standards in our motherland.

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