LTTE fronts in Geneva akin to...:
Inviting the 'Devil' to talk about HR
With the news of LTTE lobby groups masquerading as Human Rights
champions conniving in Geneva to drag a negative veil over Sri Lanka and
bulldoze its ongoing efforts to rise from the ashes of a brutal 30-year-long
battle with terrorism, the Sunday Observer contacted Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, an
international terrorism Expert based in Singapore to ask how Sri Lanka could
tackle this elusive threat.
Prof. Gunaratna says, "A review of LTTE financial records show
that its leaders dedicated a significant budget to an account called 'Geneva'."
'The LTTE recognised that the new religion of the West is human
rights'.
'Although a few leaders have been prosecuted in the US and
elsewhere, there are a dozen financiers of terrorism living in Canada,
Australia, UK and continental Europe'. He opines that international laws must be
used to bring these dangerous men to book.
Excerpts of the interview:
It is alleged that in Geneva, key LTTE sympathisers and LTTE
fronts have ganged up with anti Sri Lanka movements to paint a distorted picture
of on-going efforts to achieve complete reconciliation after the victory over
terrorism at the Universal Periodic at THE Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
sessions in Geneva
Q: How detrimental are these actions to Sri Lanka's
progress?
A: The UPR is a State-driven exercise, but
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have many opportunities to influence the
UPR process. Sri Lanka dismantled one of the world's worst terrorist groups in
May 2009, and since then Sri Lanka is at peace.
The freedom from terrorism and tranquillity has enabled Sri
Lanka to make immense progress.
However, terrorist front, cover and sympathetic groups keen to
disrupt the peace again tried to infiltrate and influence the UPR process.
Seeking to revive its campaign of communal extremism and
separatism, the LTTE remnants operate through three front organisations - the
Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) led by Visvanathan Rudrakumaran,
the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) led by Father S.J. Emmanuel, and Tamil Youth
Organisation (TYO)/Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC) led by Perimpanayagam
Sivaparan alias Nediyawan.
These leaders of the LTTE were involved in participating,
advocating and supporting some of the worst terrorist crimes the world has
witnessed. Some of these fronts and their affiliates made submissions to the
UPR!
Q: Going by the past UN HRC sessions, especially after
the defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka, we have noticed a disturbing pattern in
their activities in international forums, against Sri Lanka. Should Sri Lanka
initiate legal action against them?
A: A review of LTTE financial records show that its
leaders dedicated a significant budget to an account called "Geneva." The LTTE
recognised that the new religion of the West is human rights. That is the very
reason Prabhakaran attempted to engineer a humanitarian catastrophe in the
terminal phase of the fight in 2009. The LTTE has always sent their
representatives dressed in three piece suits to Geneva to hobnob with
politicians looking for minority votes and campaign contributions as well as
human rights groups that can be influenced with little effort.
The Sri Lankan government should use domestic and international
laws to fight attempts by the LTTE remnants to revive it. For example, the LTTE
leaders and activists operating overseas as well as the front, cover and
sympathetic groups that funded terrorism should be charged for financing
terrorism. Although a few leaders have been prosecuted in the US and elsewhere,
there are a dozen financiers of terrorism living in Canada, Australia, UK and
continental Europe. Those who are still active should be brought to justice.
As the LTTE is keen to regroup in Tamil Nadu, the Attorney
General's Department of Sri Lanka should develop a list of proscribed
organisations. This is standard strategy. Any entity seeking to revive communal
extremism and terrorism should be criminalized and appropriate action taken to
dismantle those groups and seize their assets. Rather than supporting
reconciliation, LTTE front, cover and sympathetic groups as well as one faction
of the TNA has been advocating extremism, the precursor to terrorism. The
Government should investigate the sources of support for these groups.
Q: Will these efforts at UPR be successful in misleading
the international community to an alarming extent, where the countries would
call for tough action against SL such as economic sanctions at the subsequent
HRC sessions in March 2013?
A: Terrorists are the worst human rights violators. If
they succeed in their attempts to influence the UPR process by masquerading as
champions of peace in Geneva, no one will take the UPR process seriously. It is
like inviting the devil to talk about human rights. As the UPR process is
essential for global peace and security, it should not be abused or misused
especially in the early years. Governments must identify and take action against
any NGO or individual with links to terrorism or extremism seeking to infiltrate
human rights institutions. Sri Lanka should never be deterred by threats by any
government or organisation. Sri Lanka should continue to invest in its efforts
to reconcile the hearts and minds of those who were affected during the last
thirty years of terrorism. Traditionally, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims have
enjoyed harmony. To strengthen social cohesion, Sri Lanka should continue to
invest in creating a Sri Lankan identity.
The Government should build bridges between communities and not
permit any political party or politicians to divide Sri Lanka along ethnic
lines. Communal overtones to disrupt Sri Lanka's tranquility by some parochial
parties and power hungry politicians, whether they are Sinhalese, Tamil or
Muslim should be firmly dealt with. The Sri Lankan government should closely
watch attempts by the LTTE elements within the TNA to reintroduce the LTTE
ideology. Similarly, the government should ban any JHU activities against
Muslims. Sri Lanka should once again be hailed as a model in Asia for communal
harmony, a status the country lost after 1956.
The greatest contribution Sri Lanka can make to human rights in
the future is to pass two acts: A Harmony Act that promotes harmony and a
Sedition Act that empowers government against anyone that insults another
person's religion or community.
Q: Do you think Sri Lanka has genuine concerns on the HR
front which should have been addressed without further delay?
A: The progress Sri Lanka has made in the human rights
realm within the last three years is amazing. No country in the world has
resettled 283,000 displaced civilians and rehabilitated 11,500 of 12,000
terrorists and successfully reintegrated them back to society. Any other country
would have prosecuted the LTTE leaders, members and helpers for the terrorist
crimes they have committed, supported or advocated.
While Sri Lanka needs to continue to support the reintegrated
LTTE cadres and supporters to remain good citizens, its rehabilitation program
today serves as a model for other countries still suffering from communalism and
its vicious by product terrorism. Furthermore, Sri Lanka should continue to
support the 283,000 reintegrated displaced persons with livelihood programs.
The greatest contribution to human rights made by Sri Lanka was
to dismantle the LTTE. The world leader in suicide terrorism, the LTTE killed
not only two world leaders but two foreign ministers (Ranjan Wijeratne and
Lakshman Kadirgamar), one of whom was a Tamil. In addition to massacring
civilians and bombing civilian targets in the capital, the LTTE also held and
tortured several hundred services personnel and civilians including Tamils in
their detention centres. Furthermore, the LTTE recruited several thousands of
Tamils by force including children depriving their education.
The LTTE also extorted funds and property especially from
Tamils. Several tens of thousands of Tamils suffered at the hands of the LTTE
and the Sri Lankan Government should ensure that there is no revival of the
LTTE.
Q: The allegations that the Government Forces
deliberately targeted civilians during the end stage of the humanitarian
operation is still haunting Sri Lanka. This is despite the fact the LLRC in
their final report which was hailed by the international community including the
US, concluded it as untrue. In your opinion, what is there to be done by the
state to redeem its good name?
A: Sri Lanka has done exceptionally well during the past
three years. Last week, the world's most renowned and largest travel guide book
and digital media publisher - "Lonely Planet" named Sri Lanka as number one
destination in the world to visit in year 2013. Although there is much more to
be accomplished, anyone visiting Sri Lanka will realise the progress it has
made. However, the LTTE remnants active overseas are painting a distorted
picture of Sri Lanka. After its defeat in May 2009, the LTTE has transformed
from a terrorist group to a propaganda and a criminal organisation. With Tamil
votes and funds raised through criminal means, the LTTE is lobbying Western
politicians and human rights NGOs. The Sri Lankan Government strategy should be
for the Ministry of External Affairs to create a public diplomacy capability
with three divisions headed by an Additional Secretary. First, Diaspora
Engagement Division, second, NGO Engagement Division, and third, Strategic
Communications Division.
The Diaspora Engagement Division should reach out to misguided
Sri Lankan expatriates who still lead and support communal and extremist
activity. Even Rudrakumaran, Emmanuel and Nediyawan should be invited to pay a
role in Sri Lankan politics on condition that they reject violence and embrace
peace. Rather than spending their lives indoctrinating and instigating hatred
and violence, they must be given an opportunity to invest the remaining years of
their lives rebuilding the lives of a community that suffered from communalism.
The NGO Engagement Division should work with NGOs to support the
socio-economic development especially of the North and the East, a region that
still needs much support. As NGOs have been used in the past to disrupt peace
and stability in Sri Lanka, the NGOs invited must be carefully screened for
terrorist links and also closely monitored.
The NGO Engagement Division should work closely with Human
Rights Watch, Amnesty International and International Crisis Group. These three
influential NGOs have been neglected by the government and they have at times
published reports that are inaccurate and misleading. Furthermore, at least one
of these NGOs accepted money from a LTTE front. NGOs are becoming increasingly
important worldwide.
Rather than shun them, it is paramount for government to
consider them as partners in development. In parallel to the NGO Engagement
Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Disaster
Management and Human Rights should engage the human rights NGOs both in Sri
Lanka and overseas, present an accurate picture and address their genuine
concerns.
The Strategic Communications Division should counter the
misinformation and disinformation disseminated by the LTTE and their affiliates
as well as publicize Sri Lanka's achievements. For example, the remarkable story
of providing humanitarian assistance and socio-economic development to the Sri
Lankan Tamils held by the LTTE as a human shield has been inadequately
publicized in the Tamil language. As a result the LTTE remnants and their agents
were able to convince and misguide not only a segment of a poorly educated
Tamils in the diaspora but also a tiny segment of the Tamil Nadu Tamils that
civilians were deliberately targeted in the terminal phase of the conflict.
The Sri Lankan Government has done a poor job in promoting its
achievements. In parallel to the Strategic Communications Division in the
Ministry of External Affairs, the Mass Media and Information Minister should
build a capability in Tamil language to communicate the unprecedented
developments in the North and the East.
Q: HRW in a statement issued from Geneva has called for
action against Sri Lanka, citing that there is a deteriorating HR situation in
Sri Lanka. Your comments?
A: Like most countries that suffered from terrorist
campaigns, Sri Lanka's record of human rights is not perfect. However, great
strides have been made since May 2009. Every year prior to May 2009, Sri Lankans
buried several thousand Sri Lankan men, women and children to a useless war
created by communal politicians. As the security conditions improve, it is
inevitable that Sri Lanka's human rights record will improve.
Human rights NGOs like Human Rights Watch are still driven by
propaganda and not reality. The government should take a bold step to invite
them to visit Sri Lanka especially the North and the East.
At this point, HRW, AI, ICG and several other NGOS working on
the human rights front are lobbied heavily by the LTTE front, cover and
sympathetic organisations. The government has a responsibility to guide NGOs
influenced either by extremist or terrorist groups or by governments that are
driven by geo-politics and strategic alignments.
Courtesy : Sunday Observer
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