Won accolades from many:
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s mature leadership, personality, stature and diplomatic skills enable Sri Lanka to achieve major victories at the recently concluded 22nd CHOGM in Perth , Australia and thwarted last minute attempts made by disgruntled LTTE sympathizers to decry it and tarnish its image internationally, stated Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga in an interview with SLRC chairman Mohan Samaranayake on Rupavahini.
He said the speeches made and the diplomatic manoeuvring adopted by the President won accolades from many Heads of State and sections of the Australian media. The strategies adopted by Sri Lanka under the leadership of the President in making preparations for the CHOGM brought humiliations to the LTTE sympathizers who made last ditch attempts to dislodge Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth by bringing unfounded war crimes and human rights violation charges against the President and Sri Lanka.
“We realized this sinister attempts before hand as we were getting prepared for the CHOGM. The LTTE sympathizers in Australia had organized a campaign to take legal action against President Mahinda Rajapaksa over concocted war crimes charges. He said that these forces tried to obtain a warrant against the President through a regional magistrate.
Weeratunga said that Sri Lankan envoy in Down Under Thisara Samarasinghe had contacted the Australian Government and the Attorney General’s Department and obtained a statement in writing to the effect that President Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity against such legal action and as such he could not be tried before a war tribunal in any Australian court.
Here are excerpts from the interview:-
Q: What is the importance of the 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and its significance to Sri Lanka?
A: The Commonwealth is a powerful assembly of nations which is only second to the United Nations. The first CHOGM was held in 1971 and this was the 22nd such CHOGM which was held in Perth, Western Australia. A new member State Rwanda gained admission to the Commonwealth at this meeting. It is a country marching towards development after overcoming internal unrest. The Commonwealth now has a membership of 55 nations and Sri Lanka is one of its founding members. The ABC countries namely Australia, Britain and Canada make a great impact on the global economy next to US. At this meeting the Sri Lanka government had to make a great struggle to overcome efforts made by LTTE terrorist sympathizers to cause inconvenience to Sri Lanka by getting sanctions imposed against it and downgrade it. We realised these sinister attempts before hand as we were getting prepared for the CHOGM.
The LTTE sympathizers in Australia had organized a campaign to take President Mahinda Rajapaksa before a war crimes court by making use of Australian laws and get him designated as a war criminal. They even tried to obtain a warrant against him through a regional magistrate. But Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Australia Admiral Samarasinghe acting in an erudite manner had spoken to the Australian government and Attorney General’s Department and obtained a statement in writing to the effect that President Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity against such legal action and as such he could not be arraigned before a war tribunal or any Australian court. It stated that as a matter of privilege President Rajapaksa is not subject to the laws in Australia.
This is a great victory attained by Sri Lanka for which we should also thank the Australian government. When the President visited the UK too he had to face a similar situation as LTTE rump and sympathizers had obtained a court warrant against him and members of the Armed Forces for which he gave leadership. This has been one of the ploys adopted by the LTTE sympathizers. But no such situation arose in Australia because the Australian government gave us this victory through the AG. Secondly, the 22nd CHOGM was important because there was a proposal to appoint a special commissioner according to a decision taken at the previous CHOGM held in Port of Spain according to a document called ‘A Commonwealth of the People - Time for Urgent Reform’. One of the proposals was to appoint a special commissioner titled Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights.
They wanted to appoint such person mainly in relation to Sri Lanka in an effort to expel it from the Commonwealth. Fiji has been expelled from the Commonwealth before. President Mahinda Rajapaksa thwarted these attempts by reiterating that sanctions should not be imposed on a country and its people to act against its leader.
He said that if a country has acted against democracy it should be corrected and led on the right path through discussion and dialogue rather than through expulsion. For expulsion would aggravate the situation by enabling such country to act in any manner it wanted.
Thirdly at the CHOGM held in 2009, the Commonwealth leaders agreed to hold the next CHOGM in 2013 in Sri Lanka.
Due to wild allegations made by LTTE sympathizers operating during the last two years, the Canadian PM had said he would not be visiting Sri Lanka to attend the next CHOGM. He had said the decision to hold the CHOGM in Sri Lanka in 2013 had to be reconsidered. We saw this attempt to overturn a decision already taken as an injustice caused to Sri Lanka. If by chance this topic came up for discussion some would have adopted the LTTE viewpoint and said they should hold the next CHOGM in a different venue. Such a decision would have impeded our development and reconciliation efforts including rourism promotion and encouraging direct investments. Such a decision would have greatly inconvenienced Sri Lanka and we would have had to make renewed efforts to gain global recognition and acceptance and regain our image and dignity. These were the main challenges we had to face and we have to accept without question or debate that the President played the key role in the drama of thwarting these insidious attempts.
Furthermore President Rajapaksa was among the three main characters who stole the limelight at the 22nd CHOGM as highlighted by the Australian television and radio. As Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth too gained prominence and a grand welcome from Australian people wherever she visited. The second important character was Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard who presided over the CHOGM as Head of State of the host nation. The third most important character was Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa who gained wide publicity and prominence due to actions of LTTE sympathizers. Sri Lanka received wide publicity owing to LTTE actions and it helped to uplift Sri Lanka’s image abroad. The entire media gave much prominence and publicity to the President as a result. This was a great advantage to the President.
Q: The path taken by certain sections of the international community was to bring HR violations against Sri Lanka. We were able to change this course of action.
A: If they succeeded in their attempt leaders of 54 nations would have treated Sri Lanka as a country which has violated human and fundamental rights.
The main factor which helped us to overcome this threat was the bilateral talks the President held with Commonwealth leaders. Moreover External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris had earlier cleared the way for it at the Foreign Minister’s meeting which preceded the CHOGM. Attempts made by some leading countries and small countries linked to them as well, LTTE sympathizes to tarnish Sri Lanka were thwarted as a result. President Rajapaksa and Prof. G.L. Peiris forced these sinister forces to back out by presenting facts in an able and forceful manner.
Q: Had these attempts succeeded we would have been blacklisted internationally. This was very ably thwarted by the President and the External Affairs Minister.
A: The UNHCR sessions also tried to bring forward this same accusation but all leaders who attended it came forward and thwarted it. The next UNCHR session is due in March next year and the success achieved by the President and the country and the CHOGM will stand in good stead for Sri Lanka at the UNHCR sessions as we need not find new answers.
The irony is that certain local groups and sections are also trying to assist moves to label Sri Lanka as a failed or pariah state. LTTE sympathizers are using these local groups to substantiate charges against Sri Lanka. As patriotic countrymen we should pay special attention towards these groups because this is not a struggle against a leader only but against the country, in an attempt to tarnish its international image and reputation.
Q: If we were taken to the dock the punishment given should have been borne not only by the leader but the whole country, its sovereignty and freedom.
A: Exactly so. We ought to take a cue from Myanmar’s Democratic Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was under house arrest for 21 years. When the international community tried to impose sanctions she dared not state anything against its military regime. She requested the international community not to impose sanctions since it would inconvenience her people.
She said sanctions against leaders would mean sanctions against the country. At the CHOGM held in Kampala in 2007 too an attempt was made to expel Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth and President Rajapaksa thwarted it single handed by opposing it.
Q: Didn’t the President explain the ill-effects of imposing sanctions in his address to the UN General Assembly sessions too?
A: Apart from the CHOGM the Commonwealth Games are to be held in 2018. We too have bid to stage it. The Gold Coast too has staked claim to hold it. The election will be held at Kitts and Nevis in November 11. There are 71 Commonwealth Sports Associations, including small nations like Isle of Man. We have to gain at least 36 of the 76 votes to win the right to stage the Commonwealth Games. We have to compete with Gold Coast. There was a sports breakfast meeting which was addressed by the Commonwealth Games chairman, the Australian PM and President Rajapaksa. President prepared for this meeting very carefully. He made several statements which opened the eyes of the world. In his speech he said this festival had been had only in about 5 countries so far - Australia, UK, Canada, NZ and India.
Other countries have been denied the opportunity. President said he was speaking on behalf of these countries which do not stage it. Australia had hosted it four times. It is bidding for the 5th time. They are trying to take it to their own cities on a rotation basis. An event of this nature will help boost a country’s economy. We offered Hambantota as a venue to develop it as a country making reconciliation efforts. So please give us the opportunity. The Commonwealth Secretariat official described President’s speech as the best diplomatic speech from a Head of State. This was a great diplomatic assault. Invariably Sri Lanka will gain this opportunity. An Australian website said that the President’s speech was a powerful blow against Australia.
President also addressed a business forum. The theme was the ‘Indian Ocean and the Pacific Rim the fastest growing market 2013’. The President said our economic growth has increased from six to eight percent. Unemployment dropped from eight to 4.3 percent. Inflation dropped from 28 to six percent. Our foreign debt decreased from 103 to 73 percent of GNP. The budget deficit dropped from 10 to 6.8 percent. Foreign reserves improved from 1 1/2 to 9 months imports. Our competitive ability ranking improved from 79 to 52 position.
Doing Business Ranking improved from 102 to 89 position. Poverty rate declined from 22 to four percent. Sri Lanka is a politically stable country. Most suitable for business activities. The President took Sri Lanka to the highest pedestal through his remarkable speech.
Q: The international backdrop was not friendly towards Sri Lanka when President attended the CHOGM. The President made a diplomatic assault, what was the response received from Heads of State for his endeavour?
A: President has a personality which can turn any enemy into a friend. He had separate meetings with Heads of State of African nations. He also held talks almost by force with the Canadian PM who was somewhat opposed to us and asked what was the bone of contention the PM had with us. He told the Canadian PM to talk directly and iron out problems. The Canadian PM said there were 40,000 persons in Sri Lanka awaiting resettlement. But President after contacting Colombo gave the correct figure as 7,000 odd to be resettled.
He gave detailed account of the development and resettlement work undertaken in Sri Lanka through talks with Canadian PM and Singaporean PM. President had meetings with Heads of State. After everything he had to make a formal invitation to Heads of State for the 2013 CHOGM. He said Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with a 2,500 year history. We established democracy in 1931. We received adult suffrage even before UK. A strong democracy prevails in Sri Lanka, where power had never been grabbed through conspiracies. We have done everything democratically according to the constitution. We have done a great service towards women and youth. We have experience in holding international conferences. People even now recalled the Non Aligned Summit held in Sri Lanka as a most successful event. It is a pride to stage a conference of such magnitude with meagre facilities, President said.
We have all competence to stage the CHOGM in 2013. This is held in Asia after 22 years and we invite you to attend this. A three minute video was also displayed on Sri Lanka. Singapore PM was so immersed in it and impressed about our values and religious rights.
Q: What’s the cause for this internal pressure? What is the wrong that has been committed?
A: No one thought we could eradicate terrorism in 2009. Until terrorism existed, most groups operating abroad and people who needed instability in Asia could never believe that we could eradicate it. They are angry because we didn’t need the fiat of powerful nations because they disliked this achievement. They tried to single out the President, for attack thinking he would be a powerful leader who could change Sri Lanka’s path and direction. President’s objective is to build a free and independent Sri Lankan nation which is not subservient to any foreign nation. As revenge against destroying the LTTE dream they tried to destroy our image.
Q: What are the benefits we gain by holding the CHOGM in 2013 and the Commonwealth Games?
A: We want to prove that this is a democratic country any one could move and it is a tourist paradise. Sri Lanka will gain international attention and help development of infrastructure. It will be a great impetus to the economy. Hambantota will become a city of sports, tourism. Hambantota with port and airport will be a tourist paradise. The Southern ports including lower Uva which received step-motherly treatment will get a great economic boost as a result of the holding of the Commonwealth Games there.
Source: Daily News, November 04, 2011
