Camouflaging genocide: Sri Lanka’s pseudo anti-Imperialism
Such representations of the defeat at the UNCHR convention has been a typical component of the 'anti imperialist/ neo-colonialist' rhetoric employed by the Sri Lankan state in face of allegations of war crimes, genocide, and oppression of Tamils and dissidents. The UNCHR resolution which appeared to be disadvantageous for Sri Lanka is understood and interpreted as a 'US imperialist orchestrated act' to facilitate intervention in a sovereign and ‘democratic’ country.
Representing the genocidal nation-state in such manner - camouflaging it with false anti-imperialist slogans - is convenient to mobilize the support of the ‘developing countries’, Islamic countries, socialist countries and to mobilize supporters based on an anti western rhetoric. It also seems to imbue a much needed revolutionary aura on the people who support the Sri Lankan government. It also convinces the state centric and patriotic agents, who articulate the defense of the Sri Lankan state in international and national public spaces, of their 'revolutionary duty' to their nation in its historic battle against imperialism. Imperialism is among them conceived as being only in the form of the U.S and western nation states. Surprisingly this rather shallow anti-imperialism is only utilized when Sri Lanka is under 'western pressure' to provide accountability for the grave human rights abuses which was invoked in the genocide of Tamils in Mullivay’kal.
The splendorous 'anti western' remarks uttered by state's spokespersons such as Dayan Jayatileke, Rajiva Weerasinha or Palitha Kohona, implicitly glorify the last war. By legitimizing the war they shadow genocidal suppression of Tamil struggle for self determination. The war victory is feverishly presented as a milestone in the 'battle against western imperialism' and also 'Terrorism'. The David in the avatar of Sri Lanka defeats the apparent superior Goliath. In this rhetoric any form of Tamil liberation struggle is connoted to be some form of a proxy of western imperialism and Indian expansionism. Thus, the west emanated ‘anti-Sri Lankan’ pressure is often explained as being 'acts of revenge' by the west as it failed to save the LTTE during the war ,and is now involved in punishing and destabilizing a defiant Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is presented as a developing country from the Global South that has successfully defeated terrorism, while western countries haven’t and are instead indulging in atrocities in countries they occupy while preaching the holier than thou sermon to ‘developing countries’.
