The Inquisition On Sri Lanka

Sunday, December 08, 2013

A so-called Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT), claiming to have antecedents going back to revered intellectuals like Bertrand Russell and John Paul Sartre, was to have commenced hearings yesterday on alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lanka’s armed forces during the last stages of Sri Lanka’s war against terrorism that ended more than four years ago.

Philosophers like Russell and Sartre would be turning in their graves if they knew that their names and reputations were being invoked by racist supporters of a terrorist group – described as the most ruthless terror group the world has known for the past few decades. This is a terror group which is holding some British politicians to ransom by a system of gerrymandering of British electorates and duping American State Department officials. These sittings are a continuation of the on-going inquisition against little Sri Lanka by the mighty world powers under the euphemism ‘international community’.

The Tamil Tiger terrorist movement of Sri Lanka, the world is aware, was initiated, financed and sponsored by one of Sri Lanka’s inquisitors on human rights – India. Of the many gruesome paradoxes that resulted in Indian involvement in Sri Lanka was the landing of Indian troops in 1987 to help the LTTE. This intervention however ended with the LTTE fighting the Indians and killing over 2000 troops, ultimately leading to India withdrawing her troops.

There are many other gross contradictions involving foreign powers in this 30 year long conflict which this Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT) should go into. Immediately after the 1983 riots an arms embargo was placed on Sri Lanka by all Western powers including America. But America permitted an Israeli Interests Section to operate from its embassy in Colombo helping the Sri Lankan government to combat terrorism. Why did they do that? Was it because India with its Peace, Friendship and Cooperation Treaty with the Soviet Union was bullying Sri Lanka?

Another comic aspect of the evolution of Indian foreign policy were the grave fears entertained about Americans being given the use of the Trincomalee Harbour and their fear that the Voice of America Broadcasting facility at Iranavila was being used to spy on India. The VOA facility is still there but now the Americans and Indians are buddies.
We go back in history about two to three decades to point out that investigations into alleged war crimes in the last few days of the conflict will not reveal the true situation the Sri Lankan government and its forces were placed in at the time they vanquished the terrorists.

Even in the closing stages of the LTTE conflict, India and even the United States were helping in the defence of Sri Lanka. Why did the volte –face take place soon after?

The only clear answer that we can think of is: Lanka’s developing relations with China. India promoted from a cow-dung power to a nuclear power by America now wants not only to be the Big Brother of South Asia but South East Asia as well. This suits Americans because the only massive country that can be used as a countervailing force against China is India.

The so called intellectuals comprising this PPT whose dependence on the big powers and their generous purses  ould not permit them to break through the tunnel vision to which they have been circumscribed. They can only parrot what the Darusman report, Navi Pillai, David Cameron and fellow travellers have been repeating ad nauseam. They should look into the reasons behind this fanatical vengeful search which the ‘international community’ is pursuing against a small country

Call them Dogs of Peace or Dogs of War they do not appear to want peace on this island. India throughout the years has revealed through covert action that they want to have a hold on Lanka by creating disharmony between Tamils and Sinhalese and backing the Tamils. What is the objective of inviting the Northern Province Chief Minister to New Delhi at a time when the Congress government is precariously balanced with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana skin?

The one way Sri Lanka can get rid of this crown of thorns is to come to terms with democratic Tamil leaders and bring about genuine peace and reconciliation. The Rajapaksa government has initiated economic development in Tamil areas but that is not enough. Heart break, severe anguish, insults and indignities have to be atoned for. The dignity of the Tamil people should be restored. Tamils are not asking for favours. What they want are their legitimate rights as citizens of the country.

The government should do its basic duty by responding to Tamil grievances. By doing that they deflate those who want to teach us the Rule of Law and democratic governance. There should be the political will to do justice to Tamils.