Sri Lanka finds out an enemy in (Ban Ki-)Moon

(July 07, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity
)Many Russians feel real psychological comfort in feeling surrounded by the enemy. For politicians, it can also be used as a means of evading responsibility. I remember a conversation I had with a journalist some time ago, who reported listening in on a cabinet meeting with Fidel Castro at a time when Cuba had long been the subject of an American naval blockade. According to this story, Fidel is supposed to have pointed out of the window at the silhouettes of American war ships scattered across the horizon, and said: “if they went, we’ll be forced to make them out of cardboard”.
-Alexei Levinson, Sociologist, senior researcher at the Levada Center, Moscow

The position of The Enemy of Sri Lanka government is vacant since Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabakaran was assassinated on May 18, 2009 in the battlefront in Vanni. Although the Tamil Ealam struggle tries to appear as it is not over, the government supported by former deputy leader and the international leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) looks confident to tackle the threat of the half-hearted Tamil Diaspora.

The government's attempts to depict Tamil Diaspora as a formidable enemy was not successful not because it was not a  non-enemy but simply because it is not discernible to the majority Sinhala polity to get them mobilized. It seems not tangible to them. The leaders in Tamil Diaspora do not have attractive names. The persons like Rudrakumaran have meek appearance in photos. Other Tamil heroes are so timid that they are afraid even to pose in photo.

The government could have saved their man Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, the self-proclaimed successor of Prabakaran out in the Tamil Diaspora. KP had a substantial personality to create a fear psychosis locally. Unfortunately, he lost it following the Malaysian apprehension saga in which he was brought to Sri Lanka like a chic.

A low intensity guerrilla warfare could have been a better alternate for a mighty enemy like Prabakaran, if there was one. The government could have tried one themselves. A new Prabakaran could be fictionized, may be one like Osama Bin Laden. A fictitious enemy is better since it can take any shape unlike a real one.

After all, here comes Ban Ki-Moon, the General Secretary of the United Nations. This man, or better say, this position is not a new found enemy. Many a rogue state previously have used him (never her so far) as an enemy to manage internal politics.

Sri Lanka government or the ruling Rajapaksa family has meticulously planned the violent protest before the UN office in Colombo on July 06. The President has sent his 'political' son (his words) Wimal Weerawansa to lead the mob. Even the man's attire is significant. A short-sleeved bush coat with close resemblance to military fatigue. with Lenin-style cap.

The hullabaloo the organized mob created before the UN office created powerful images. However, it is yet to be seen if the penetration is enough for an emergence of a wave of protest that can undermine the social repercussions of the issues like the loss of European Union's GSP Plus, the warnings from US regarding its GSP, broken promise of Rs. 2500 pay hike, ballooning cost of living and more taxes etc.

The government cannot continue providing support and infrastructure like people, transport etc. If Wimal is the contractor, he will have to form a sustainable protest movement within a short period of time. Wimal will not like the JVP be contracted again although it is the best option for the government. The JVP has already taken the Ban Ki-Moon's committee for an island wide poster campaign.



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A commendable comment that reflects undermined Sri Lankan mind

(March 17, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Following comment was posted in The Hindu website:

This is good news. We need somebody to look at recent affairs in our country objectively.

Yes, as a Sinhalese Sri Lankan my culture, language, and a Sri Lankan philosophy of life are important to me. But we live in a global village (too bad the expression is so hackneyed) and I consider all these political notions of sovereignty to be quite meaningless.

The Rajapaksas are no longer "sons of the soil." Gotabaya is an American citizen. General Fonseka has a Green Card and his children are now American. I cannot really be more committed to Sri Lanka than I am. But I know that our culture is largely Indian; my family and I are brown Asians; but we are all part of the world which is dominated (for good or ill) by the species "homo sapiens".

I spent yesterday reading about Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh. When will a "non-Sinhala Buddhist" ever be the leader of my country? Even caste remains an important consideration, although it can be exploited only with great subtlety. President Premadasa cleverly used it in an inverted sort of way.

Yes, Mr Ban Ki-moon, we need your help.

from: Dayaratne

Posted on: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:41 IST

The comment is related to the following post in The Hindu website:

UN Chief to go ahead with proposal for panel on Sri lanka

B. MURALIDHAR REDDY

The United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that he is going ahead with his proposal for a panel of experts on Sri Lanka as part of an accountability process following the end of the civil war in island nation despite vehement objections from Colombo and defended it on the ground that the panel would not infringe on the country’s sovereignty.

A report posted on the UN News Centre web site quoted Mr. Ban Ki-Moon as telling reporters at his routine monthly news conference that the establishment of the panel is in line with a joint statement he issued with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the country last May.

Since the defeat of the LTTE, the government has been engaged in war of words with all those who have demanding a commission to investigate alleged human rights violations in the war and repeatedly pointed to the resolution by the Human Rights Commission lauding Sri Lanka on the issue.

After Mr. Rajapaksa personally spoke to Mr. Ban Ki-Moon describing the move on experts panel as 'uncalled for and unwarranted’, Sri Lanka had also reached out to several countries in a bid to stall the UN experts panel. Last week Chair of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Maged A. Abdelaziz in his letter to Mr. Ban said: “The Non-Aligned Movement strongly condemns selective targeting of individual countries which it deems contrary to the Founding Principles of the Movement and the United Nations Charter.

In his latest interaction with the media at New York Mr. Ban Ki-Moon has been quoted as saying, “This joint statement contained a commitment related to ensuring an accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws,” he said in response to questions from reporters at his monthly press conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

“The panel I am establishing will advise me on the standards, benchmarks and parameters, based on international experience, that must guide any accountability process such as the one mentioned in the joint statement. Now this panel will report to me directly and not to another body.”

Mr. Ban said a recent letter on the subject he received from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) indicated “there is a misunderstanding on the nature and purpose” of the experts’ panel.

“I am convinced that it is well within my power as Secretary-General of the United Nations to ask such a body to furnish me with their advice of this nature. This does not in any way infringe on the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.”

Last week the UN chief voiced concern about the lack of progress on political reconciliation, the treatment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the setting up of an accountability process since he reached the joint statement with Mr. Rajapaksa.

Earlier this month Mr. Ban had what he described as “a frank and honest exchange of views” by telephone with Mr. Rajapaksa. Since the ballot was held the runner-up candidate, General Sarath Fonseka, has been arrested and faces trial.

B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, is slated to soon head to Sri Lanka for talks with senior officials in the Government.