http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20110811_05


"Will not allow phony Human Rights concerns to stand in the way"- British PM

(By: Tony Fernando)
Photo Courtesy: GETTY IMAGES">David Cameron has promised the British government will not allow 'phony human rights' concerns to stand in the way of tracking down suspects from riots in London and other parts of the country.
In a statement, the Prime Minister spoke of "major police operations" underway to arrest "criminals" who were not picked up by police on previous nights of rioting, but who had been captured on closed-circuit television cameras.
"Picture by picture these criminals are being identified and arrested and we will not let any phony concerns about human rights get in the way of the publication of these pictures and the arrest of these individuals," he insisted.
Since coming to power the government has however committed to curtail state intrusion under the Protection of Freedoms Bill.
Part of the coalition's proposals have been to regulate the use of CCTV by public authorities more tightly. And the government has said it wanted to make sure bodies like councils could only use surveillance powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to prevent "serious crime".
Meanwhile, 'The Island' Editorial on Thursday (11 Aug), titled 'Reaping the Whirl Wind' penetrates into the London crisis as a case of study on the dangers of promoting anarchy.
Full text of the Island Editorial on Thursday (11 August, 2011).
Reaping the whirlwind- Island Editorial
Riots flaring across the UK have left many dumfounded, unable to figure out the real causes of widespread violence, which some have naively attributed to a recent police shooting. That incident was only a trigger. If not for the pent up mass resentment awaiting the slightest opportunity to burst forth like molten lava from an erupting volcano, hell would not have broken loose in the great wen.
Britain may not have ever expected its wrong policy of promoting anarchy and mayhem to further its neocolonialist interests to boomerang in this shocking manner. In early 2009, the British government let thousands of terror backers lay siege to central London demanding that Sri Lanka be prevented from crushing the LTTE.
Last year it allowed them to flex their muscles again and unleash mayhem to sabotage Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Oxford Union speech, in retaliation for the defeat of the LTTE. The British police claimed they would not be able to provide security to the venue of the lecture in view of threats from the LTTE rump. When the law enforcement authorities own up to their impotency thus, it is only natural that the anarchical elements take advantage of it. During the past few months, Britain in the armour of crusade has been at the forefront of a campaign to topple some foreign governments, in the name of democracy.
Britain has thus sent the wrong signals to the frustrated sections of its people. They must have asked themselves if others could have their wishes granted through anarchical violence with the blessings of the British government, why they should not adopt the same tactics to achieve their ends.
Anarchy and terrorism are deadly germs that jump from nation to nation regardless of their economic or military prowess. Those two evils have the potential to cut a wide swathe through any country like the weapons of mass destruction and therefore it is a grave mistake for the world power to use them against others.
It is a supreme irony that the social media the West praised for playing a pivotal role in popular revolts against the dictatorial regimes in Egypt, Tunisia etc are being used to spread violence in Britain; there have been calls in some quarters for imposing restrictions on social media in that country until the situation is brought under control. What's sauce for the goose is not the sauce for the gander, in their book! AP reports that many masked or hooded youth have been photographed typing messages on their mobile phones while flames engulf cars and buildings in London and adjacent areas. Karmic forces at work!
There is no guarantee that other architects of Jasmine Revolutions will be spared by the genie of anarchy they have let out of the bottle in Africa and in the Middle East. When the Obama administration curtails government expenditure to save trillions of dollars with the poor and the marginalised Americans bearing the brunt of the welfare cuts on the horizon, the US is likely to experience unprecedented social unrest fuelled by the social media.
It is reported that among the London rioters are many unemployed youth consumed by passionate hatred towards the Cameron government which has failed to deliver with Britain's economic outlook remaining bleak.
Promoting anarchy is a very dangerous sport. Those who sow the wind are doomed to reap the whirlwind. Britain is a case in point.