CHOGM 2013 – The results are in before it starts – Rajapakse won!

The losers are the Commonwealth in General, being unable to focus  on Agenda!

When Sri Lanka was handed CHOGM 2013 in the midst of controversy on alleged Human Rights Abuses by the military during the closing stages of the war, where between 20,000 and 40,000 people are alleged to have lost their lives, MR (the President) gambled that whatever the outcome he will indeed be the winner, at least if only with the electorate that has given him untouchable dictatorial powers.

The proof is now in, the journalists are pouring scorn, that is namely the UK and white Colonies; India too, following the overwhelming one sided support given by Tamil Nadu. By implication the Center and with it both the Union Govt. and Opposition bashing CHOGM and praising the Indian PM’s decision to be a no show as part of politicking for next year’s Indian General Election! I understand that privately the Indian PM just does not wish to be in a photo op with MR, something that makes his blood curdle! In fact Manmohan is happy not to go, and would rather quietly go into retirement after this term is out, to a happy nobody.

The Fall Guy will be Kamlesh Sharma the Commonwealth Secretary General who was singularly unable to keep CHOGM 2013 on course, and let it become merely a question of the integrity of the Commonwealth, by giving a dictator the reigns!

We may as well say CHOGM has come and gone, as NO journalist has commented on the real agenda that is to be discussed, where the HR abuse matter is not even on it, and is supposed to be discussed and resolved on the sidelines NOT diluting the purposes of CHOGM.

If I was the Host, which thankfully I am not, I would be most perturbed that many leaders were planning on making a bee line to Jaffna, where a few hundred thousand live in a population of over 20M, to report back to their constituencies, and their voters, that they took note of what people there had to say! The most embarrassing point for me would be where David Cameron would go to Jaffna and visit Uthayan Newspaper offices where my (MR’s) goons were responsible for fire bombing and unneeded attacks, a pro LTTE paper, espousing separatism.

Cameron actually asked for a one on one before the start with MR which was refused, and so he leaves on Saturday morning just as the Waters’ Edge retreat was due to begin. This is another snub for MR as he clearly does not wish to be seen schmoozing with War Criminals. The retreat then becomes another pointless exercise in futility and I am afraid SL should foster the blame which MR will conveniently let slip from his own person, as another imperialist plot.

Added to this the ignominy of BBC newsnight report on the continuing torture in rehabilitation camps is bad publicity, not needed and which the President cannot understand. I have it from good authority that MR is asking his advisers who these people are and why were they tortured as he was not aware that this was going on! It would obviously be a wholly unnecessary thing to do at this stage when he was already facing criticism. To add to that with further allegations of continuing torture! I can safely say that in this the President honestly is pleading ignorance, on the tenacity and barbarism of some of the people who have committed this torture more in line with sickos at the wheel, as in Abu Graihb jails in Iraq where US troops were also engaged in unauthorized torture, NOT part of official policy.

He has asked his people to investigate the credibility of these allegations, and due to lack of lie detector tests from the UK to know if some or all are lying, it is difficult to pin point which allegations to investigate further!

None of this has any bearing on his domestic agenda, and if anything he will be able to point to these unfounded allegations to boost his political standing, as suffering further from Diaspora anger against the legitimate Government of Sri Lanka, as they simply lost and are sore losers!

SO CHOGM is a flop, MR managed to open 5 events, the Youth one in Hambantota, the People’s one in Galle, the Business one in Cinnamon Grand and the main one in the Nelum Pokuna not forgetting his 5^th being Chairing the post CHOGM press conference, all for domestic publicity, a favorite pastime and photo op, this time with an international flavor.

The vociferous Tamil lobby put paid to an honest attempt at a productive CHOGM and the journalists also put paid to doing a good job, by spending their time drinking on their expense accounts and sending half baked pre written news of the HR abuses and Tamil grievances, none of which should have been raked up at this CHOGM.  

Shame on you journalists for losing the plot, as you could have written some great original content, if you cared to meet people outside the political context. Instead of being lazy this was a golden opportunity to get around the country to report on what the exact situation in SL is all about. You could also do your Diaspora readers a favor by giving them an unbiased side of Sri Lanka and not bother going to Jaffna to report on people who do not belong there, as all the Jaffna Tamils have either left overseas or are in Colombo leaving Jaffna to be populated by Tamils from Kilinochchi who took over vacated land and buildings of those who fled.