Duplicity of some INGOs

Some countries led by Austria, Mexico and Costa Rica-backed by the United States wish to bring before the Security Council the issue of civilian killings in the war torn Wanni has been strenuously warded off by countries led by China and Russia. United States representative at the UN Ms Susan Rice has said, The US is concerned about Sri Lanka, and with their backers would like to see a ceasefire to allow the civilians to be ‘evacuated’ to safety. Nadesan of the LTTE has said it is ready for talks the government without pre-conditions we have heard this before from the LTTE especially when they have their backs to the wall-they should lay down all weapons and release all civilians held captive before embarking on talks. Last month Sri Lanka’s Donor-Co chair-US, Norway, Japan and EU-evolved a US-led humanitarian intervention operation by Three Marine Evacuation Brigade to extricate civilians trapped in the war. This plan had more than a humanitarian motive for the US-since the 1960’ the US has always sought a strategic foot hold in the Northeast of Sri Lanka close to the jewel, Trincomalee Harbour. The launch of such a rescue operation was rejected by India and Sri Lanka too did not favour such an intervention.
Much of the criticism and concern of Sri Lanka has come from Human Rights Watch and some NGO’S operating here-much of this criticism fuelled by these organisations been prevented from covering the war replete with LTTE and government abuses-the ICRC has not helped either by upping the ante and forecasting a humanitarian catastrophe-on an unprecedented scale. The government denies such a problem exists-though150,000 civilians are caught up in the crossfire. The LTTE have positioned their guns in the ‘safe zone’ as they have been confined to a space which is less than 25 square kilometres. Those Tamils who are desperate to flee have pelted stones at the LTTE cadres and others have even attacked the cadres in their attempt to flee-civilian resistance against LTTE has been reflected in the sudden increase of the number in the number of civilians who have fled the fighting over the past week. Soosai, Ranjan, Maran, Alagan and Illayawan had given orders to Sea Tigers to apprehend civilians who were attempting to flee.
Sri Lanka find’s NGO’ and its local staff fuelling criticism and concern with misinformation-as this conflict nears its end-would find themselves out of work. Those westerners of these organisations have had a life of riley which they would not enjoy back home. These ‘so called’ concerns of these organisations and some Countries about Sri Lanka rile the sentiments of all Sri Lankan’ including the Tamils. In the light of UN Human Rights Commissioners Navi Pillay’ report which says, That war crimes ‘may’ be being committed in Sri Lanka by both LTTE and the government-some have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo if following Ms Pillay’ analysis, he was considering action on Sri Lanka, he has replied in the negative. Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome Statute.
Human Rights Watch and other Organisations should be more concerned with the atrocities that the LTTE has inflicted on its own people it claims to represent these past twenty five years and continuing to inflict on the Tamils who are attempting to flee. Could it be that these organisations and their western backers can not abide a tiny country such as Sri Lanka is now in a position to defeat the LTTE given their own frustrations in Afghanistan.

C. Silva

Member of the Group of ’80 Zahira College, Colombo and Sri Lanka Freedom Party Colombo District Organiser  Fawzan Anver donated Rs. 100,000 to renovation the Zahira College grounds recently. Here Fawzan handing over the cheque to Principal of the College T. K. Azoor. Group of ’80 President Alavi Mukthar and Vice President Naina Mohamed look on