Earlier in December 2010 also President Rajapaksa was forced to cancel a public engagement in Britain under Diaspora pressure. That meeting was a gathering of the Oxford Union. Unless Sri Lanka president puts his Human Rights act together, he will be haunted by protests wherever he goes in the west.
Unfortunately, Colombo has not demonstrated the political will to account for the war crimes, particularly the targeting of civilians or using the civilians as human shields during the last phase of the Wanni War. Human rights groups view the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) as a half –hearted measure. Sadly even its recommendations have not been acted upon and this is the reason why President Rajapaksa remains under intense international pressure. In addition to his dithering, the arbitrary arrests and detentions by the police and the phenomenon of enforced disappearances have exposed the regime to more ridicule.
Yet, the President and his advisors have given up their fixation with the army, which is clear not only from the beefing up the fire power of armed forces but also from the creation of new cantonments. In the war ravaged North, even regular civilian government duties are entrusted to the army. Tie-up with the Chinese army is being strengthened for purposes unclear.
The Chinese Minister of National Defence, Gen Lisng Guanglie has just pledged that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was prepared to provide Sri Lanka with whatever assistance that might be needed in case of any emergency, catastrophe or otherwise.
During a meeting with Sri Lankan Army Commander Lt-Gen Jagath Jayasuriya in Beijing, Gen Guanglie elaborated the roles and tasks assigned to him in the PLA as well as in the sphere of Chinese defence and its related strategic planning in his capacity as Minister of National Defence. Gen Jayasuriya discussed opportunities that could be made available to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) trainees in Sri Lanka’s various post-war training exercises and module during the meeting with PLA Chief of General Staff, General Ma Xiaotian, a report said.
Sri Lankan army is 200 thousand strong. This is a large force for a small country by international standards, that too after its only battle has been won decisively and the enemy was eliminated. Yet more recruitment is taking place particularly in the South.
Officially Colombo claims that its huge defence outlay of Sri Lankan Rupees 231 billion is on account of loans that were taken during the war to buy arms and ammunition. The claim has few takers. Also the composition of the army and the reluctance to recruit from the Tamil belt have not done any good to Sri Lankan army’s image, which is a professional force and richly deserves the laurels it had got on the Wanni War front. By his actions, and by turning cold eye towards his critics, President Rajapaksa is harming his own cause. And the cause of his country.
