The LLRC Recommendations and the Government’s vacillation

It is very sad that the current impasse with regard to Foreign Pressure on the accountability issue of alleged war crimes is played two ways for different audiences and one has no idea of the other due to the breakdown in language.

The Sinhala press now blames everything on a US conspiracy to attack Sri Lankan people as the US is against the fact that SL was able to overcome the most feared terrorist organizations that inhabited the earth. This was after a 30 year conflict with over 100,000 people losing their lives directly as a result of the hostilities.

Now that the resolution is on the table, the Govt has sent a 50+ delegation to defend itself for a period of 4 weeks as the vote on the resolution is on March 23^rd. It is ridiculous to do counterproductive things, though it looks good to the local audience. It would have been better if the Sri Lanka Ambassador in Geneva was left alone to present the country’s case. I believe if she was left alone she single handedly will defeat the resolution, by using her female charm as a minority of one fighting goliath. The Govt. does NOT want the resolution defeated.

For political gain at home, which is all it cares about it wants the resolution carried so that unpopular Rajapakse who is facing insurmountable problems at home, as his miracle of Asia is sinking into a sink hole, will use the UN as his savior to explain to the nation that the world is against us and that we can fight all comers, and let no one take our sovereignty from us. This is hugely populist for minority complexed Sri Lankans who are currently a majority.

This double game that is being played is a cleverly crafted punch line ready to be unleashed within Sri Lanka when any external threat, be it India, USA or international pressure can be woven and created out of nothing. It is very important that the canard is understood, but as yet the Sinhala press does not attempt to give the people a true picture for fear of having the name traitor attached to them.

This state of schizophrenia is intentional due to the double game. The opposition in Sri Lanka is stumped in explaining night and day to the people who can only see night and therefore expect night to follow night and never see daylight. All journalists are complicit in this lie, and wish that this lie continues so they have something to write about. Sometimes it is not easy to write the truth, as it either sounds unbelievable to an unthinking audience or it elicits shouts of traitor, that people especially journalist seem not to want attached to their names. Let it be remembered that traitors are the first to be forgotten and patriots will be remembered for their gutsy defense of the truth, long after they leave.

Now that we have focused the Sinhala Press on to a minority complex of unreasonable attack by duplicitous foreign powers, without actually looking inwards into the very real issues relating to the lack of closure of the hostilities (as compared with the closure of the Apartheid issue in South Africa which was a much longer struggle) How do we emerge unscathed and with the nation's colors flying?

It is incumbent on the present administration, and a duty to the people to finish this chapter of our history, and move forward, without blaming external factors for all the ills of the internal quagmire.

I am convinced that this Govt. does NOT want closure, so that they are able to keep their constituency permanently engaged in a conspiracy by 'Western Powers' that has prevented the peace dividend and resultant growth.