Archive for the ‘Foreign Relations’

  • 22 Nov, 2009
  • 8 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Foreign Relations

Sri Lanka’s new found friends: Looking for love in all the wrong places

Reading about GOSL’s latest foreign foray is like venturing into an oncologist’s office; you suspect that there is something wrong with your system but you hope that it’s nothing serious. But, deep down you know that you will be looking at some serious chemotherapy and at least a few doses of radiation. You try to come to terms with the impending gloom of the loss of hair; the loss of appetite and the nausea. Try to put the best spin on this situation, but you still come up short. Since the successful end of the military campaign against the LTTE in May 2009, the GOSL has managed to alienate most of the western world and the sole super power and the 2 countries that provided it with much needed military assistance and know how; Pakistan and Israel. Guaranteed, some of these countries were not exactly effusive in their praise of Sri Lanka’s military gains, but cultivating cordial relations with them…

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Chellaney on Indo-Sri Lanka relations: How not to win friends and influence your neighbours

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Intellectuals in India have unfortunately not played positive roles in building good relations with its small neighbors.  For the most part they ignore all neighbors other than Pakistan.  In the few cases they do not, they tend to do active harm.  The recent article in Forbes.com on 9 October 2009 (http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/08/tamil-tigers-rajiv-gandhi-opinions-contributors-sri-lanka.html) by Professor Brahma Chellaney exemplifies the latter. Justifying cross-border terrorism India is a country with many minorities.  Would it like an external power describing one of its minorities as its “natural constituency” as Professor Chellaney does?  I do not know quite what to make of this excerpt from his article:  “India already had alienated the Sinhalese majority in the 1980s, when it first armed the Tamil Tigers and then sought to disarm them through an ill-starred peacekeeping foray that left almost three times as many Indian troops dead as the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan.” Was the alienation of the Sinhala majority a good thing?  Was the alienation caused…

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GSP+, SOVEREIGNTY, DOUBLE STANDARDS AND TERRORIST TRAITORS

It is worth clarifying here the situation regarding the EU GSP+ facility, given the confusion prevailing in the mainstream media. The EU has NOT threatened trade sanctions against Sri Lanka. The GSP+ facility is an extra privilege granted to developing countries which abide by certain human rights norms. If it is withdrawn, the EU will continue to trade with Sri Lanka, but its imports from Sri Lanka will have to compete with imports from other countries likeIndia and China which do not enjoy the GSP+ facility. This means their quantity will decline, and there would be job losses for workers and revenue losses for the government. Is this fair? The lengthy EU report on Sri Lanka produces mounds of evidence that Sri Lanka is not complying with the human rights norms which are compulsory for receiving GSP+ privileges. Take just three out of the many more instances cited there. One is the detention of around 280,000 displaced civilians in IDP camps for months on end. The government claimed it was housing…

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Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy: Speaking in many tongues and still not making any sense

Is it just me or are you also wondering how many times can the government of Sri Lanka shoot itself in the foot or put the proverbial foot in the mouth when it comes to manageing it’s diplomatic affairs? Since executing the war against the LTTE to it’s logical conclusion a mere 5 months ago, the government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has managed to antagonize just about every Western European nation and the sole super power through a spate of ill advised and ill tempered foreign policy decisions. Let’s take a look at some of the low points of GOSL diplomatic onslaught (actually more an onslaught on common sense) and their consequences; 1. GOSL refuses NGO’s access to IDP settlement camps. GOSL’s reluctance to allow third party access while the IDP camps were being set up is understandable. However, the stubborn refusal to allow third party access, ostensibly due to concerns of leakage of inaccurate and damaging depiction of the…

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From Here to Hanoi

Vietnam was the first country to be informed by Sri Lanka of its victory over the Tigers. It was from the on the record remarks of a top Vietnamese leader that I learned that. In their separate speeches of welcome, the President, Prime Minister and Secretary General of the ruling Communist party of Vietnam all congratulated the Sri Lankan President for “the country’s historic victory over the LTTE” and promised to cooperate in “the elimination of the remnants of the LTTE”. On the issue of whether or not the Sri Lankan victory over the Tigers was one worth celebrating, the word of leaders who, as young men, actively fought the world’s mightiest superpower and won has an overriding credibility and authority. Vietnam hosts an international Buddhist Conference next year but it’s purely part of the cultural matrix and plays no role in the identity of the state.  This is because they have separated religion from the state and government. Vietnam…

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General Fonseka and the interview

Over the last couple of days there has been a significant amount of discussion back and forth about General Fonseka and the Department of Homeland Security interview. However, nobody seems to have asked nor answered the following simple questions; 1. General Sarath Fonseka is said to have been invited to the interview, implying that he can decline to attend as well. Is this correct? 2. The Government of Sri Lanka is livid with the United States, but the Government can simply instruct General Fonseka- a serving public officer- to decline the interview. Would it not be simple and straightforward to issue such instructions? Why has the Government not taken this obvious route? 3. The invitation is from Homeland Security, not US Immigration Services; meaning it has nothing to do with retaining Sarath Fonseka’s Green Card. So he stands to lose nothing in respect of his resident status, if he declines. Correct? 4. Is it known whether General Fonseka or the…

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Interrogating a public intellectual: Noted bloggers and youth activists engage Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

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[Editors note: Beyond Borders, as part of a discussion series aimed at connecting youth activists with key opinion  and decision makers, organised a discussion with Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka on 8 October 2009. Around 25 young people interested in politics participated in the discussion. Well-known bloggers Aachcharya, Negligible Minoritist and SP who were present share some reflections on Dayan.] Judging Public Intellectuals by Aachcharya It is impossible not to be swayed by Dayan’s display of intellect. The way he answered  questions was exemplary, being able to quote from very ‘high theory’ and then engage with us the very next minute in some very good ‘common sense’ but vivid and sharp analysis, replete with anecdotes, a quality I must say, is in the dying in our intellectual tradition. I asked Dayan a very lengthy question with primarily two limbs 1) the role of public intellectuals and the choices that they make regarding direct, mainstream political engagement 2) his prescription for Tamil politics (I asked…

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The post-Prabhakaran government strategy in Sri Lanka and overseas

In the post-Prabhakaran scenario in Sri Lanka there is an immediate need for the GoSL to engage both the Sri Lankan public and the international community in a meaningful manner, or at least to appear to do so. To date this has not happened. The government’s decision-making from all accounts and actions is too centralized. Opposition MP have not yet been able to visit the IDP camps, a fact that not only breeds discontent among elected members of parliament but also could be seen as gross abuse of government power. It is true that after the end of the government had a great deal of domestic political capital, however, this honeymoon period is now over.  GoSL MUST stop playing hardball with powerful international players such as the EU and the United States. While these countries certainly have no moral right to preach to SL regarding HR, they do have much needed AID money and international political capital, which we as…

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The Rise of an American Empire? An analysis of political, military, economic and ideological variables

‘In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed…Mission Accomplished’ (President Bush, May 1st 2003)’. The above quote refers to former President Bush’s rather premature assertion that the conflict in Iraq had been concluded as of May 1st 2003 after only two months of combat. The reality has turned out to be rather different and has damaged America’s reputation among the global community and has generated much debate across the political spectrum as to whether the US is indeed now an empire after its unprovoked attack on the sovereign state of Iraq. Historically, the US had for the most part until recently only faced the accusation of ‘empire’ from the political left, for example, Edward Said argued that while the British and French Empires of the early twentieth century have fallen apart, imperialism is far from dead and the US is the nation that today shoulders the burden of empire (Said,1994). Therefore, the image of an…

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A response to Basil Fernando: Sri Lanka is not a Gulag Island

I am proud of my country, Sri Lanka, which has just been able to vanquish a formidable, ferocious and fascistic foe, despite its vast global network and in the face of considerable external pressure. I am proud that my country Sri Lanka has been able to restore its territorial unity and integrity and reasssert its independence and sovereignty. I am proud of the Sri Lankan armed forces which have achieved that which the armies of major powers have been unable to in many parts of the world. I am proud that Sri Lanka has been able to defeat not one but two armed totalitarianisms, South and North, Sinhala and Tamil — the JVP and the LTTE- while maintaining at least the rudimentary foundations of an electoral democracy. The very fact that I am able to express my criticisms on TV gives the lie to the description of Sri Lanka as a Gulag Island. In the first place, the defining characteristic…

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Sacrificing essential liberty for temporary safety in Sri Lanka

Despite the successful military victory over terrorism, we continue to be warned by the state that a critical threat to national security continues to stalk the country. Consequently, we have passively assented to a persistent and invasive military presence in our daily life. Furthermore, over quarter of a million Tamils are continuing to be held by the state against their will in IDP camps as suspect terrorists until proved innocent through stringent government screening procedures implemented at a measured pace which appears insidious. The leadership of the country has assumed an overtly authoritarian and threatening stance in declaring that dissenting opinion against state policy is unpatriotic and subversive. Despite vehement denials, it is obvious that the government is guilty of suppression of media freedom and dissent through intimidation, threats, violence and extrajudicial acts which have seriously affected their credibility both nationally and internationally.  Society is rapidly losing its trust in the regime on account of the mere lip service paid…

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Sri Lanka on a collision course with the West

Why on earth is the Rajapakse regime on a collision course with the West?  Okay, we are being bullied by the West, but haven’t we asked for it mainly on account of our  stubborn resistance to  international appeals for independent investigations into war crimes and human rights abuses?  Taking blanket cover under a ‘conspiracy theory’ to undermine Sri Lanka  by the West due to our ‘strategic importance’ borders on the ridiculous. It sounds more like a ‘Jamis’ Bond plot to distract and entertain an impoverished and ignorant rural polity. From Solheim to Milliband, we have identified so called ‘international conspirators’ who serve as convenient scapegoats or punching bags. Alas, the regime does not stop to think of the long term consequences of the shortsighted unsustainable ‘ collision diplomacy’ which our role model authoritarian states such as oil rich Iran and Libya have the economic power to counter, unlike resource starved Sri Lanka. The collision course became most evident  with the…

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A video of shame and outrage: Responses, positions and clarifications

Video of alleged executions

The video broadcast Channel 4 last week generated a number of responses from the readership of Groundviews. Much has been written about the video, including this well thought out commentary in The Lede, the New York Times news blog. Of the many comments in response to it, this one and the Lede’s response to it stand out: Sinhala-Indian: I think this is Tiger Propaganda. American Should be worring about their own atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan. We don’t really care about Americans anyway. We got our true Indian friends to help us. Indians helped us to defeat the Tiger terrorist and they will help us to defeat this American inspired Tiger Propaganda. LEDE BLOG REPLY: Can you explain how video obtained by a Sri Lankan Sinhalese journalist could possibly be “American-inspired propaganda,” against a military run by an American citizen? If reporting that a video exists and that charges have been made is propaganda, what role do you think journalists…

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Taking a page from Chechnya: Sri Lanka’s insincere constitutional reform and its apologists

[Editors note: This post which first came to me through Facebook was forwarded to Dayan for comment. His response follows. The emphasis at the end of the article is mine. It is hoped that Aacharya and Dayan will continue this debate along with others on this site, which is more open than Facebook to this type of exchange.] The soon to come back home UN Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to Geneva, Dayan Jayatilleke has repeatedly wrote about the Chechen (Chechnya) model (yes he loves Russia) for conflict resolution in Sri Lanka: In a recent interview with David Blacker Dayan noted: I have long advocated the Chechen solution — an all-out, combined arms war to destroy the terrorist militia, followed by the implementation of some form of autonomy and self-governance for the area and stabilization through the rule of an elected local ally. Our military victory has to be politically conserved and socially stabilised. That’s what my advocacy of the…

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Sending Dayan home: the triumph of folly in Sri Lankan politics?

I was tempted to write this article after a few days of reading different news reports about the ‘sacking’ of His Excellency Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. Different explanations have been provided by different quarters about the ‘reasons’ that led to Colombo’s decision to recall its most gifted diplomat. This article does not attempt at analyzing such explanations, or at making any judgments. Concerning Dr. Jayatilleka’s writings on Sri Lanka’s ethnic relations, his personal views expressed on the electronic media since his appointment to Geneva, and his work as Permanent Representative, there are many points that this writer and many others may not agree with. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Dr Jayatilleka remains one of Sri Lanka’s best political analysts, scholars and public speakers. Diplomacy is a strange professional domain, where high skills in many areas are appreciated. These generally include foreign language skills, a sound education in the areas of…

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About Groundviews

Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

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