How Good Or How Bad Are The Rajapaksas? - K. D. Lal Kantha
Sunday, 10 February 2013 J. R. Jayewardene, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa-SL-ph
Three US Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, James Moore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, Vikram Singh, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, Democracy and Labour, Jane Zimmerman – arrived in the country on January 26, 2013. They left after threatening the government with another resolution that would be placed before the UNHRC at its 22nd Session, which is to commence on February 27.
Subsequently another group of imperialist representatives visited the country on February 7. Their visit was aimed at building trade and economic relations with Sri Lanka.
What a good government Sri Lanka has – as soon as it is threatened all the wishes of the imperialists will be granted. There have been many agreements reached with the imperialists under similar circumstances in the past and this trend appears to be continuing.
What a good government the Rajapaksas are – the people are being provided medicines by foreign pharmaceutical companies, and foreign hospitals are being set up continuously.
All agricultural implements and seedlings, fertilizer and pesticides are sold by foreign imperialist companies. A large quantity of fruits and vegetables are also imported from foreign markets.
What is the final outcome of this? Imports have risen and exports have fallen. So how valuable is Sri Lankan to the foreign forces?
Foreign companies are set up in Sri Lanka to cook and feed us.
This is what the Sri Lankan government has bestowed on us.
Five thousand acres of agricultural land near the Somawathiya temple in Polonnaruwa and 2,500 acres from Palwatte in Moneragala have been given to America’s Dole Company. These lands have been given to the American company when the third generation of Sri Lankan farmers are suffering without lands to cultivate. How many more acres of agricultural lands will be given away to imperialist companies in the future?
Thus it can be asked - how friendly and benevolent the Rajapaksa government is towards these imperialists.
An imperialist institution, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has asked the Rajapaksas to strategically pull back from the country’s education system. The Rajapaksa government seems to be doing it much better than J. R. Jayewardene, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The Private University Bill is to be approved by the Legislature shortly.
How good this government is to the imperialists; when the IMF wanted the government to de-value the rupee the government did so, and when it wanted the government to relax exchange control regulations, the government did exactly that.
In the name of development, how many acres of valuable land within the city of Colombo have been given to foreign countries along with massive tax concessions?
The government has allowed India to creep into Trincomalee port, which is a security nerve centre for the Asian region.
Foreign countries have been given massive projects to construct railroads, power plants and many other installations. Therefore what more could the imperialists want.
The government has also signed defence pacts with India which has together with the leader of the imperialists – the United States of America – has scuttled Sri Lanka’s journey of independence.
Minister G. L. Peiris made a sudden urgent visit to India and entered into several agreements, including one that would result in the re-evaluation of the maritime border between Sri Lanka and India in a manner that would be beneficial towards India. The Rajapaksas sign such agreements with glee.
The imperialists must be very happy that the Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka is a US citizen.
A large portion of the country’s resources are being looted through various development projects, which have commenced under the guise of foreign investment. Similarly the Sri Lankan labour force is also being exploited for monetary gain and the Rajapaksa government is hospitable towards exploitative imperialists.
If the imperialists are allowed free rein to loot and exploit the country’s resources, then the Rajapaksa government would be good even if there is state-sponsored religious or ethnic extremism.
Why would the imperialists want such a government toppled?
Why would a strong opposition need to be built - using the likes of Ranil Wickremesinghe or any other imperialist lackey? Only a namesake opposition leader would suffice.
Why would the imperialists raise issues like human rights, media freedom, killing of prisoners and the independence of the Judiciary against the good Rajapaksa government? Why would adopt resolutions against the Rajapaksa government at the UNHRC? These questions have baffled the majority of Sri Lankans. The imperialists supported human rights, media freedom, democracy as well as suppressions by former Presidents J. R. Jayewardene, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Now the imperialists are telling Mahinda Rajapaksa to be like his predecessors. They have asked that democracy, human rights, media freedom and independence of the Judiciary be allowed similar to the previous regimes.
They are also telling him that two Presidential terms are sufficient for him and that he should make way for the next agent of the imperialists to assume office. But the Rajapaksas are not ready to leave just yet and are doing everything to stay in power. They are working towards establishing a dictatorial familial rule.
Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 18th Amendment to the Constitution is not aimed at leaving office. The independent Commissions were not abolished in the interest of leaving the seat of power. The 13th Amendment would be repealed in order to take all power into their hands. The Rajapaksas violated the independence of the Judiciary so that they could gain control at all levels.
Perks, privileges and ministerial portfolios are given out with the intention of staying in power. The Rajapaksas will allocate even 167 ministries (not 67) if it will ensure that they can continue to stay in power. It is this desire to stay in power, that the Rajapaksas have not appointed a strong senior SLFPer to the post of Prime Minister and also sidelined veteran SLFP leaders by making way for yes-men to surround the ruling family. They want to remain in power until death in order to make way for their progeny to govern.
The Rajapaksa maxim to the imperialists is, ‘allow us to help ourselves and you can help yourself too’. However the imperialists have realised that if the Rajapaksas continue to help themselves in this manner, there will be nothing for left, and the mutually beneficial relationship cannot continue for long. The imperialists just want discipline. They want the Rajapaksas to help themselves in the ‘Cinnamon Gardens’ manner and not the ‘Tangalle’ manner simply because the Tangalle system will increase the suffering of the masses within a short span of time. Such a scenario would be detrimental to both the Rajapaksas and the imperialists.
The imperialists are using the UNHRC to further their agenda. They have the 19th and 21st sessions of the Councils for this purpose and will similarly use the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Thus the people of Sri Lanka need to devise a strategy that will defeat the Tangalle system, the Cinnamon Gardens system, and the exploitative imperialists.
This strategy is necessary because there is no place in this world where a dictatorial familial rule has allowed democracy, media freedom, good governance and the separation of powers to operate freely. There is the necessity for a common platform for all Sri Lankans who wish to defeat autocracy and imperialism. The need of the hour is to unite and establish a people friendly social and governance system.
(The writer is the Co-Convener of the Anti Imperialist People’s Movement and President of the National Trade Union Centre)
