Ban Ki Moon is moonlighting

by Gomin Dayasri

No doubt, human rights are high on the international agenda and a matter not to be treated flippantly. Sri Lanka’s record must be looked at from the point of combating and defeating a most dangerous terrorist outfit that concentrated its attacks primarily on the civilian population-its defeat brought peace and democracy to the areas which were under its control

Suddenly Ban Ki Moon without any representation from any country disclosed to subject Sri Lanka for inquiry has on his own decided to appoint a panel to inquire into human rights violations in Sri Lanka. Is it because his term is nearing end and he is up for re election? Does he want to court the votes of the western powers that desire Sri Lanka be penalized for eliminating terrorism? Ironically neither the Security Council nor General Assembly made such a request?

Ending the war and freeing civilians a triumph of Sri Lanka. File photo

Last time Security Council voted 23 to 12 in favour of Sri Lanka on its human rights issue. The General Assembly would be embarrassed as Ban Ki Moon is silent against those rouge states that constantly and frequently violate human rights? The stiff message delivered from the 118 NAM members would alarm the Secretary General since he is counting the votes to be cast for him at his re election. Another from the 133 strong G77 will scare him more.

No doubt, human rights are high on the international agenda and a matter not to be treated flippantly. Sri Lanka’s record must be looked at from the point of combating and defeating a most dangerous terrorist outfit that concentrated its attacks primarily on the civilian population-its defeat brought peace and democracy to the areas which were under its control.

The US and the UK often stress on human rights on a discriminatory basis forgetting the violations in its client states. Human rights and democracy are their vehicles for propagating their agenda in countries that do not bow to the West. Nevertheless the deficiency is that Sri Lanka has yet failed to establish a strong internal mechanism to keep surveillance and prevent any human rights violations. The credibility of such an institution will keep the critics at bay.

Struggle to punish

The specter of war crimes will haunt Sri Lanka until the triumvirate consisting of the Diaspora, anti-Sri Lanka NGOs and the Western powers abandon their relentless struggle to punish Sri Lanka for defeating terrorism, which still continues to torment those countries that did not desire the LTTE to be vanquished.

These countries continue to be plagued by terrorism with which they have been grappling for years but yet has failed to comprehensively defeat notwithstanding the superior fire power possessed, sophisticated equipment at their disposal and the economic strength to combat terrorism. They never expected Sri Lanka with its limited resources to defeat the LTTE, which they were supportive, because of its “master-sir” approach to the West and Sri Lanka’s geo-strategic placement in the Indian Ocean.

In addition to losing a distant ally in the LTTE there is the desire to discredit Sri Lanka’s military achievements which they are trying to emulate but continues to fail miserably which brings out the worse of the ‘green-eyed monster’ within them.

The anti-Sri Lanka NGO Fronts’ right to survive in Sri Lanka depends on a continuing war to enable them to wave the white flag of peace and beat the peace drums which brought them great financial support from the West.