Terrorism is terrorism notwithstanding country
Blasts in Boston should be an eye-opener to Washington in understanding why Sri Lanka acted in the way it did against Tamil Tiger terrorism
This week, the famous Boston marathon in the United States was disrupted by a bomb attack that killed three persons and injured dozens of others. The attack proved that even the world’s sole superpower is not immune from terrorism.
The international media went into overdrive focusing all its attention on the attack, but Sri Lankans could be pardoned for wondering what all the fuss was about because for years, it had seen such attacks that killed hundreds in an instant - and the world took hardly any notice.
Certainly the Boston attacks are cowardly and need to be condemned outright. The perpetrators have yet to be identified, but the bombings are nothing but an act of terrorism and many Sri Lankans will relate to this experience.
However, their sentiments are likely to be moderated by the fact that in recent times, the United States (US) in particular has not been particularly well disposed towards Sri Lanka in issues related to terrorism.
The US was instrumental in moving a resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and their agenda appears to be influenced by the powerful Tamil diaspora including the rump of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The US has also been in the forefront of the clamor for what it calls are alleged human rights violations during the latter stages of the Eelam war in May 2009. Each year, their calls grow more strident and do not appear to be motivated by constructive criticism anymore.
This year, in the aftermath of strained relations between Washington and Colombo following the passage of the resolution in Geneva, the US has not been shy about trying to bully Sri Lanka into submission. US Ambassador in Colombo Michele J. Sison was prophesying a return to conflict in Sri Lanka if it did not address “reconciliation” and “accountability” issues, hardly the kind of diplomatic language indulged in by an envoy of a friendly country.
Then there was recently appointed US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly contemplating a twenty percent aid cut to Sri Lanka. That only highlighted that the amount offered as aid by the US was paltry by international standards anyway!
There were even reports that the US embassy in Colombo was involving itself with the electricity tariff hike imposed by the government at which point, it was pointed out that this would amount to interference in the Sri Lanka’s internal affairs. All this has meant that there is much room for improvement in relations between Sri Lanka and the United States - and the blasts in Boston should be an eye-opener to Washington in understanding why Sri Lanka acted in the way it did against Tamil Tiger terrorism.
Since the Boston bombings every politician in the US from President Barack Obama downwards has taken to the airwaves vowing to find those responsible and promising to punish them. That response has been welcomed throughout that country.
In 2008 LTTE tamil tiger suicide bombing at the marathon killed 15 people in Sri Lanka.
What the United States has manifestly failed to understand is that this is precisely what Sri Lanka went through day after day when it was battling the LTTE: bombs exploding in every street corner and civilians living in fear about when they would become the next target.
Having endured this for thirty years, the opportunity for a decisive military strike arose
and Sri Lanka opted to take it instead of succumbing to the pressures of countries such as the US and the United Kingdom whose politicians were catering to their own electoral needs.
Also, it is not as if the United States possesses a squeaky clean record on human rights. Its action in Iraq and Afghanistan merit far more condemnation than the strictures they are offering Sri Lanka over the Eelam war.
It was the US that hoodwinked the United Nations Security Council into passing a resolution supporting the invasion of Iraq claiming that it had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The US invaded Iraq which is still engulfed in a civil war, but the WMD have not surfaced!
In Afghanistan, hardly a week passes by without civilian casualties following US air strikes. These deaths are never the subject of demands for “independent investigations” nor are they material for resolutions at the UNHRC. Such is the hypocrisy of the US.
This is why the Boston bombings, horrendous as they are, should awaken the US to the reality that among those who practice terrorism, there are no concerns for human rights or accountability. Sometimes, they would have to be dealt with in a reciprocal manner.
This is the ground reality that Sri Lanka faced, in confronting and finally defeating terrorism. At least after Boston, we hope that realization will dawn on the US that terrorism is terrorism and that it has to be dealt with in the most practical manner - and not with UN resolutions.
The international media went into overdrive focusing all its attention on the attack, but Sri Lankans could be pardoned for wondering what all the fuss was about because for years, it had seen such attacks that killed hundreds in an instant - and the world took hardly any notice.
Certainly the Boston attacks are cowardly and need to be condemned outright. The perpetrators have yet to be identified, but the bombings are nothing but an act of terrorism and many Sri Lankans will relate to this experience.
However, their sentiments are likely to be moderated by the fact that in recent times, the United States (US) in particular has not been particularly well disposed towards Sri Lanka in issues related to terrorism.
The US was instrumental in moving a resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and their agenda appears to be influenced by the powerful Tamil diaspora including the rump of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The US has also been in the forefront of the clamor for what it calls are alleged human rights violations during the latter stages of the Eelam war in May 2009. Each year, their calls grow more strident and do not appear to be motivated by constructive criticism anymore.
This year, in the aftermath of strained relations between Washington and Colombo following the passage of the resolution in Geneva, the US has not been shy about trying to bully Sri Lanka into submission. US Ambassador in Colombo Michele J. Sison was prophesying a return to conflict in Sri Lanka if it did not address “reconciliation” and “accountability” issues, hardly the kind of diplomatic language indulged in by an envoy of a friendly country.
Then there was recently appointed US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly contemplating a twenty percent aid cut to Sri Lanka. That only highlighted that the amount offered as aid by the US was paltry by international standards anyway!
There were even reports that the US embassy in Colombo was involving itself with the electricity tariff hike imposed by the government at which point, it was pointed out that this would amount to interference in the Sri Lanka’s internal affairs. All this has meant that there is much room for improvement in relations between Sri Lanka and the United States - and the blasts in Boston should be an eye-opener to Washington in understanding why Sri Lanka acted in the way it did against Tamil Tiger terrorism.
Since the Boston bombings every politician in the US from President Barack Obama downwards has taken to the airwaves vowing to find those responsible and promising to punish them. That response has been welcomed throughout that country.
In 2008 LTTE tamil tiger suicide bombing at the marathon killed 15 people in Sri Lanka.What the United States has manifestly failed to understand is that this is precisely what Sri Lanka went through day after day when it was battling the LTTE: bombs exploding in every street corner and civilians living in fear about when they would become the next target.
Having endured this for thirty years, the opportunity for a decisive military strike arose
and Sri Lanka opted to take it instead of succumbing to the pressures of countries such as the US and the United Kingdom whose politicians were catering to their own electoral needs.
Also, it is not as if the United States possesses a squeaky clean record on human rights. Its action in Iraq and Afghanistan merit far more condemnation than the strictures they are offering Sri Lanka over the Eelam war.
It was the US that hoodwinked the United Nations Security Council into passing a resolution supporting the invasion of Iraq claiming that it had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The US invaded Iraq which is still engulfed in a civil war, but the WMD have not surfaced!
In Afghanistan, hardly a week passes by without civilian casualties following US air strikes. These deaths are never the subject of demands for “independent investigations” nor are they material for resolutions at the UNHRC. Such is the hypocrisy of the US.
This is why the Boston bombings, horrendous as they are, should awaken the US to the reality that among those who practice terrorism, there are no concerns for human rights or accountability. Sometimes, they would have to be dealt with in a reciprocal manner.
This is the ground reality that Sri Lanka faced, in confronting and finally defeating terrorism. At least after Boston, we hope that realization will dawn on the US that terrorism is terrorism and that it has to be dealt with in the most practical manner - and not with UN resolutions.
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