Women’s group decries US project meant to debase armed forces-…calls for effective campaign to counter Ambassador Sison’s campaign

By Shamindra Ferdinando-February 23, 2014, 10:59 pm 

A women’s organisation affiliated to the breakway JVP faction, the National Freedom Front (NFF) has accused some Jaffna based women groups of propagating lies to support US led project to move a resolution against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session.

Priyanga Kotelawela, the national organiser of Lakmawa Diyaniyo alleged that several representatives, including two women lecturers had told US Ambassador-at-large for Women’s issues Catherine Russell during a video conference at the American Centre on February 10 that women in Jaffna were being systematically abused by the military.

The former JVP local government member said that those invited by the US embassy for the video conference had gone to the extent of alleging that the military wanted Tamil women to adopt birth control measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies. They had also accused the government of failing to provide even the basic medical facilities for women, particularly the pregnant.

The US embassy accused Sri Lanka of refusing to issue a visa to Ambassador Russell.

The US official told the gathering that over the past five years alone the US had provided USD 40 mn to organisations here to complete programmes for the welfare of women. She mentioned some of the recent projects, including the establishment of crisis intervention services and awareness raising campaigns on domestic violence – both carried out with the partnership of local Women’s Rights Group, Women in Need (WIN).

Kotelawela expressed concern over a section of women groups collaborating with the US to bring a resolution over accountability issues in Sri Lanka. She accused the US of pursuing an extremely hostile campaign targeting Sri Lanka in the run-up to the 25th session of the UNHRC. The project was meant to paint a bleak picture of Sri Lanka in a bid to get the member states of the UNHRC to approve a resolution against the country, she said, while urging the government to counter US led campaign.

The JVPer emphasized that it was the responsibility of the government to take tangible measures to counter the despicable propaganda project undertaken by the US Ambassador in Colombo Michele J. Sison.

Kotelawela pointed out that those who had been singing for their supper were conveniently silent when the LTTE used women and children as cannon fodder. Although recipients of foreign funding propagated lies in support of projects undertaken by their sponsors, the people of Northern and Eastern Provinces realised they were rescued by the armed forces, Lakmawa Diyaniyo chief said.

She said that it was a mistake to recognize well paid agents of Western powers as representatives of Northern women. Kotelawela queried whether those now cooperating with the US had at least issued a statement condemning forcible recruitment of women and children.

Responding to a query by ‘The Island’, Kotelawela said that Catherine Russell should explain the circumstances under which the US stripped searched top Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade arrested on a charge of underpaying her Indian maid. That incident revealed the way those who had been inquiring about the wellbeing of women in other countries treated women in their judicial custody, Kotelawela said. If a foreign diplomat could have been stripped searched, including being subject to cavity searches for such an offence what would have they done for someone arrested on terrorism charge, she queried.

Lakmawa Diyaniya plans to call a special media briefing soon to expose those who had been cooperating with a section of the international community to haul Sri Lanka up before an international war crimes tribunal.

Kotelawela alleged that the US and its local agents were working overtime to make a case against the Sri Lankan military. She recalled former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton alleging that the Sri Lankan military had used rape as a weapon during the conflict, a charge strongly denied by the army.