The free distribution, only allowed when gifting  iron rails to the armed forces or when institutions have security requirements for which the rails could be used, is now making non-eligible private institutions smile as they also get the rails without a fee.

If procedures are adhered to, according to impeccable inside sources, issuing Railway property to private institutions could happen only for a fee.

What is mind-boggling is that the Sri Lanka Railway (SLR) is ambitiously pushing for a 100% revision in train ticket fares passing its financial burdens to the hapless commuting public who are weighed down under the spiraling cost of living. Yet, the generous acts of the Sri Lanka Railway continue.

Most backward railway network

Besides, there is general consensus that the railway service in Sri Lanka leaves much to be desired and is one of the most backward railway networks in the whole of South Asia which has failed to generate an income for the government. Its service element needs no elaboration.

Whilst preparing to pass the institutional burdens to the commuters through a ticket price revision, the rail tracks are being offered free to chosen parties overlooking the stipulation that the beneficiaries should be either the armed forces or institutions that are considered under threat.

There appears to be no logic in these acts of generosity, given the fact that the Sri Lanka Railway appears to be cash strapped to such an extent that it should be more committed to making money, and the scrap iron that goes waste would prove an instant source of income.

Following instructions to the letter

The Sunday Leader reliably learns that the issuing of 'scrap iron' had commenced following the issue of Transport Ministry Circular No: EF 3054/05 and a letter dated June 4, 2007. Following instructions to the letter, the Railway General Manager on the same day, has taken the initiative to issue the rail tracks - free of charge.

The acts of generosity commenced last June 15, just days after instructions were issued. Accordingly, the Central District Engineer has issued a stock of 'scrap iron' to an applicant. The stock had been released from the Negombo railway tracks storage. Under this single issuing of scrap iron, the Railway has released iron weighing some 39,600 pounds under a 'removal permission' receipt numbered 416, dated June 15.

The estimated value of the issued scrap iron is a massive Rs.1,047,937.50 for which not even a rupee was charged by the authorities. There really should be no question as to why this institution cannot manage its finances.

Issued free of charge

In another instance, on March 29, 2007, a stock of 300 rail tracks had been issued free of charge to Ven. Metaramba Hemarathana Nayaka Thero, the chief incumbent of the Situlpawwa Raja Maha Viharaya, Tissamaharama.

Then of course there are free issues of iron rails to Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) where a stock of 220 rails were removed free of charge. While the authorities claim that CPSTL is an institution under threat and had the legal right to receive the stock free, workers ask as to why a profit making institution such as the CPSTL need to obtain the scrap iron free of charge from the loss making railway.  

During Vesak 2007 too, there had been a similar meritorious act, issuing 9000 feet of rail tracks to a private applicant free of charge.

Many are the examples of such free  'gifting' of iron rails as scrap that workers claim that if the generosity could be curbed, the institution could raise funds effortlessly.Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma and his Railway officials have taken their own government by surprise.

The Sri Lanka Railway as we all know has a huge debt burden besides being a loss making venture. Despite all that however, the Railway has resorted to acts of generosity in issuing iron rails free of charge even to private institutions.

The free distribution, only allowed when gifting  iron rails to the armed forces or when institutions have security requirements for which the rails could be used, is now making non-eligible private institutions smile as they also get the rails without a fee.

If procedures are adhered to, according to impeccable inside sources, issuing Railway property to private institutions could happen only for a fee.

What is mind-boggling is that the Sri Lanka Railway (SLR) is ambitiously pushing for a 100% revision in train ticket fares passing its financial burdens to the hapless commuting public who are weighed down under the spiraling cost of living. Yet, the generous acts of the Sri Lanka Railway continue.

Most backward railway network

Besides, there is general consensus that the railway service in Sri Lanka leaves much to be desired and is one of the most backward railway networks in the whole of South Asia which has failed to generate an income for the government. Its service element needs no elaboration.

Whilst preparing to pass the institutional burdens to the commuters through a ticket price revision, the rail tracks are being offered free to chosen parties overlooking the stipulation that the beneficiaries should be either the armed forces or institutions that are considered under threat.

There appears to be no logic in these acts of generosity, given the fact that the Sri Lanka Railway appears to be cash strapped to such an extent that it should be more committed to making money, and the scrap iron that goes waste would prove an instant source of income.

Following instructions to the letter

The Sunday Leader reliably learns that the issuing of 'scrap iron' had commenced following the issue of Transport Ministry Circular No: EF 3054/05 and a letter dated June 4, 2007. Following instructions to the letter, the Railway General Manager on the same day, has taken the initiative to issue the rail tracks - free of charge.

The acts of generosity commenced last June 15, just days after instructions were issued. Accordingly, the Central District Engineer has issued a stock of 'scrap iron' to an applicant. The stock had been released from the Negombo railway tracks storage. Under this single issuing of scrap iron, the Railway has released iron weighing some 39,600 pounds under a 'removal permission' receipt numbered 416, dated June 15.

The estimated value of the issued scrap iron is a massive Rs.1,047,937.50 for which not even a rupee was charged by the authorities. There really should be no question as to why this institution cannot manage its finances.

Issued free of charge

In another instance, on March 29, 2007, a stock of 300 rail tracks had been issued free of charge to Ven. Metaramba Hemarathana Nayaka Thero, the chief incumbent of the Situlpawwa Raja Maha Viharaya, Tissamaharama.

Then of course there are free issues of iron rails to Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) where a stock of 220 rails were removed free of charge. While the authorities claim that CPSTL is an institution under threat and had the legal right to receive the stock free, workers ask as to why a profit making institution such as the CPSTL need to obtain the scrap iron free of charge from the loss making railway.  

During Vesak 2007 too, there had been a similar meritorious act, issuing 9000 feet of rail tracks to a private applicant free of charge.

Many are the examples of such free  'gifting' of iron rails as scrap that workers claim that if the generosity could be curbed, the institution could raise funds effortlessly.

LTTE's first ever grandma brigade

When the LTTE launched its baby brigade it caught international headlines. Years later, the UN, the custodian of world peace, is yet to take stern action against the LTTE for forceful recruitment and use of children as child soldiers. It is perhaps why the LTTE has decided to go a step further by introducing another brigade, known as the grandma brigade.

If action against the LTTE's use of child soldiers has yet to see results we can imagine the fate of the grandma brigade. It is inaction of the international community and the UN that has eventually killed many children abducted from their homes and forcefully trained to become killers, and the same fate is likely to befall the elderly women.

If the minimum age for combatants is accepted to be 18 years (Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Children in Armed Conflict 2002), if there is no maximum age in the light of the grandma brigade, it is time for the UN to take action. Elders should not be subject to such ill-treatment.

Use of human shields  

The use of human shields is illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention. However the use of human shields in conflicts is nothing new and should not surprise us when a battle hardened ruthless terrorist outfit such as the LTTE uses human shields. It is noteworthy that terrorists resort to the use of human shields when they are being cornered or their outfit is in a weak state.

It becomes an all powerful tool to use children, women or even grandmothers so as to attract international attention and have them pressurise the government to stop any offensive in a bid to give the terrorists some breathing space.

It is this type of asymmetric warfare used by terrorists that has worked artfully in the past and it is unlikely to fail either so long as the international community remains gullible to the crafty tactics used by terrorists in conflict zones especially those countries that the international community has hidden agendas in.

Perhaps anti-war demonstrators should first demand that terrorists stop using human shields before they denounce governments. The involvement of the media comes in when the images of dead or dying civilians make excellent news footage to be relayed across TV networks.

 'Death seeking' culture  

Human shields have been used in Congo, Sudan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Serbia (civilians used to protect bridges against NATO bombings in 1999), Iraq and it should come as no surprise when it is used in Sri Lanka by the LTTE. The Hamas Parliamentarian Fathi Hammad has recently admitted to developing a "death-seeking" culture using women, children and elderly as human shields against Israeli military attacks.

"For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry, at which women excel, and so do all the people living on this land. The elderly excel at this, and so do the Mujahideen and the children.......... in order to challenge the Zionist (Israel) bombing machine."

"It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: 'We desire death like you desire life,'" Hammad said. Days after the speech over 100 Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli bombings. You can imagine who the dead were.  

The news of the LTTE's formation of its first ever grandma brigade to be positioned in the forward defence lines near the Madhu shrine depicts the importance of the capture of the area and why the LTTE has decided to use grandmas as cover against military onslaughts. 

'Fit' to form a brigade?

The article appearing on Tamilnet does not require any reader to go beyond the first passage to realise and come to terms whether these grandmas can be 'fit' to form any brigade (volunteers or not) when they had collapsed from fatigue before making the five mile walk to Adampan - it would be good to know how far they were really able to walk.

The two photos depicted in the article also questions the integrity of the LTTE at a time when the world is being encouraged to show more affection and empathy towards the world's elders.

The first picture reveals a couple of grandmas apprehensively holding their guns and obviously trying to hit their "target." However the caption reads "LTTE Grandma Brigade Volunteers are ruthless combatants" - they look anything but ruthless. While the second photo reveals a grounded grandma also aiming at her target assisted by a little boy.

The caption reads " Captain Malukaran trains a new recruit."  Captain Malukaran happens to be this little boy perhaps not even 10 years of age and the grandma a weak and feeble looking woman lying flat on the floor with a makeshift gun. The LTTE is guilty on two counts - using child soldiers and now the first ever grandma brigade, the newest combatants to conventional warfare.

To camouflage  

The artful use of 'voluntary' as in the case of the grandma brigade helps the LTTE to camouflage itself by implying to the world that the grandmas have joined of their own choice and it gives a sense of authorisation. By definition they do not belong to the Third Geneva Convention Article 4 (a).

It then poses a problem on how to accept voluntary human shields (VHS) as civilians and most importantly to the question of whether 'voluntary' human shields have any consideration under international law. Firstly because these combatants do not wear uniforms or any insignia for the military to distinguish their status and also they do not carry arms openly. And any civilian if he/she does take up arms openly automatically becomes a combatant (Article 43 of Protocol I of 1977).

While these grandmothers may not be considered as lawful or unlawful combatants they are certainly not civilians in the traditional sense. Unfortunately, the Geneva Convention IV Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War does not explicitly define the term 'civilian'.

Yet the most sensible definition of a civilian should be a person taking "no active part in any type of hostilities." Protocol 1, has made this definition more explicit. Article 50(1) states that "A civilian is any person who does not belong to one of the categories of persons referred to in Article 4 A (1), (2), (3) and (6) of the Third Convention and in Article 43 of this Protocol. In case of doubt whether a person is a civilian, that person shall be considered to be a civilian."

Part of volunteer corps

Thus these grandmas who are said to be part of the volunteer corps - first ever grandma brigade are really to be regarded as combatants masquerading as civilians and if such is the case, then such behaviour becomes prohibited under Article 37 (1) (d) AP-1 and constitutes a war crime under Article 8 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court and is punishable under domestic court as well.

Protection granted to such volunteers should be less than that which is granted to civilians. In the case of the grandma brigade since their presence is authorised by the LTTE their entitled status should be that of a prisoner of war.  

With the emergence of a grandma brigade, we can assume that we are moving away from conventional warfare. The military is having to deal with a terrorist movement that chooses to wear uniforms when it feels fit, while at other times indulge in guerilla tactics and of late openly using child soldiers and now grandmas!

Just imagine how commanders and their troops have to analyse who is a friend, foe or innocent bystander before taking action in a split second.

There is enough evidence to prove that the LTTE has indulged in kidnappings of children to forcefully train into child soldiers and yet no action has been taken beyond countless reports on statistics made by the UN Rapporteur for Child Rights and now with the emergence of a grandma brigade we can but ask how long the international community will remain mum to the gross violations that the LTTE is presently committing.  

- Shenali Waduge

Jackals hounding HC to London

By Deepak Sharma

The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has polarised the Sri Lankan diaspora community in the United Kingdom with politically active Tamil nationalists turning to the LTTE and the British authorities to represent their cause and the politically active Sinhalese nationalists expecting the Sri Lankan High Commission to represent them.

The Sinhalese nationalists are disappointed with the outgoing High Commissioner (HC) in the UK. They see their cause being championed by the likes of Dayan Jayathillake, Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Geneva, whose brand of what is regarded as Rottweiler diplomacy raises a cheer in the Sinhala nationalist camp.

While Dayan Jayathillake is a political appointment, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London is a professional career diplomat whose training in diplomacy is more the quiet initiatives of lobbying and persuasion, rather than waving a club threateningly from a cave.

Playing to the gallery

The politically active Sinhalese nationalists do not see it this way, as for them quiet initiatives of lobbying is not visible and do not raise any cheers.

The High Commission in London initially tried to get all members of the Sri Lankan diaspora community to participate, but according to High Commission and Tamil sources, some Sinhalese made speeches, which were hurtful to the Tamils present, and some of the Tamils walked out.

Since then, the High Commission does not engage with the politically active Sinhalese groups to the same extent, and they are understandably disappointed.

This disappointment constituted itself as various damaging articles being published in the press against the High Commissioner. There were allegations of financial impropriety, highlighting of costs involved in the purchase of a motor vehicle and the renting of a property.

These allegations were unsubstantiated and unreasonable.

Colombo was aware of all the transactions mentioned above, were authorised by them and executed by the administrative staff at the High Commission. The discipline of career diplomats is such that Colombo is kept informed of everything and prior authorisation gained before any action.

Amusing

The articles attacking the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London while providing entertainment and pleasure for some, caused amusement to senior Foreign Ministry staff and even previous High Commissioners to London as they were aware of the procedures regarding the disbursement of expenditure, the dilapidated state of the official residence, and the motives of those writing such articles against professional career diplomats who cannot defend themselves.

The High Commissioner's husband was also attacked alleging that he was to make commissions on a property transaction. Last month, lawyers served notice of intended prosecution on the editor of a newspaper in Colombo and a journalist in London, in relation to this issue.

There were press reports that the editor of the Asian Tribune was also opposed to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London and had attempted to get her replaced, because she was not cooperating with him.

A prominent Sunday newspaper also carried a story stating that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London had evaded a meeting requested by the Foreign and Commonwealth office. This story was completely false and even the British were amused.

Investigations have revealed that the source of this particular false story in the Sunday newspaper was a senior civil servant based in Colombo. The identity of this source who had planted the false story was both disturbing and shocking.

To the credit of the Foreign Ministry, these inaccurate articles and mischievous initiatives did not result in any diplomat based in London being reprimanded or being recalled to Colombo. The present High Commissioner who was previously the deputy high commissioner has served for approximately five and a half years in London, to the great consternation of the various groups who are opposed to her.

In praise of quiet diplomacy, it should be mentioned that it was during the present High Commissioner's tenure that the LTTE chief in London, A.C. Shanthan was arrested and faced prosecution under the Terrorism Act 2000. These events were not accidental. It was also quiet diplomacy by Sri Lanka's career diplomats that also put a lid on the TRO in the United States last year. But these initiatives are silent and cannot be given publicity, while recent developments in Geneva by self publicists are loud and popular among Sinhala activists.

The appointment of Dayan Jayathillake to Geneva has clearly raised the spirits of these groups of Sinhalese as they appreciate his brand of combative megaphone diplomacy. One wonders how Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar would have reacted to this style and the implications on Sri Lanka's interests abroad.

Complaints

Several countries have already complained about Jayathillake to Sri Lanka.

The latest country to comment about Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Geneva is Israel. When the issue of Sri Lanka's controversial Ambassador was raised, the visiting Sri Lankan Premier defended by stating that Jayathillake had expressed his personal views. The Israelis politely pointed out that Ambassadors do not have personal views, but reflect the views of the state and suggested that the Ambassador to Geneva be replaced by a professional.

The terms of duty of both the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and the present Deputy High Commissioner in London were coming to an end this spring. The High Commissioner is scheduled to leave London in early May and the deputy high commissioner was scheduled to leave in April and was granted an extension till July because of the GCSE examinations of his children in London. If they were hoping for a quiet exit they were going to be disappointed, as a nightmare was about to unfold.

The British political establishment is under heavy pressure from its Tamil citizens because of the current politico military developments in Sri Lanka, and the British, in keeping with their democratic traditions have expressed displeasure at the deterioration of human rights in Sri Lanka and emphasised on the need for reconciliation. These British initiatives are democratic norms that should be understood and managed by Sri Lanka, but a statement on Sri Lanka's Independence Day was to take an unsavoury turn.

Milliband's statement

On the anniversary of Sri Lanka's 60th Independence, the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, David Milliband MP made a brief statement, emphasising the need for peace. He ended by stating "People in Sri Lanka need to find space to realise their many similarities, rather than becoming further polarised by their differences. A sustainable solution to Sri Lanka's conflict can only emerge through a just political process involving all communities."

Considering the pressure Britain is under from its Tamil citizens, and recent British initiatives against China over the Olympics and human rights in Tibet, it was a good statement and the last paragraph emphasised the need for reconciliation rather than separation.

Colombo did not take exception to Miliband's statement, as the authorities in Colombo are aware of the sensitivities at play.

But, it seems Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Geneva, Dayan Jayathillake took exception to it and wrote an article criticising the British foreign Secretary for not congratulating Sri Lanka on its 60th anniversary of independence.

This article, published in the Island and later the Tamilweek, was regarded as being highly inappropriate, dragging in Miliband's father, Stalin, Lenin, the Emir of Afghanistan, 1848, the American Revolution, the Cromwellian Revolution, the Russian Foreign Secretary, Kobbekaduwa, Wimalaratna and many others.

Bombarded with complaints

The publication of Dayan Jayathillake's article resulted in Colombo being bombarded with complaints. Previously, several other countries had also complained about Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Geneva.

"We are not Russia," one senior official in Sri Lanka stated. "We need to maintain our preferential trading terms with the EU and antagonising them is not going to help our national interests as only the LTTE would then emerge as the winners."

Jayathillake is convinced that his presidential mandate is to adopt a permanent Rottweiler mode. Jayathillake maintained that he issued his article because those in Colombo were not doing their job.

The President's office expressed displeasure at the Rottweiler journalistic initiative of Jayathillake who received a telephone call from Colombo.

Sinhalese activists unaware of the goings on behind the scene were thrilled with Jayathillake's initiative and were blissfully unfamiliar of the damage caused by a permanent Rottweiler mode of diplomacy emanating from Geneva, when Sri Lanka has enough battles to fight on its plate already.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary issued an instruction forbidding Sri Lankan diplomats from writing such articles while emphasizing that foreign policy is directed from Colombo and not from Geneva.

Apology

Later, Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to London apologised to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the incident. Sri Lanka has good relations with Britain and their regular interactions are cordial and civilised.

Statements made by Chilcott, Lord Maloch-Brown and Secretary Milliband should be regarded in their correct context of Britain's democratic norms and its obligations to its Tamil citizens and should be managed at a competent level rather than launching on highly personalised reactive attacks, shooting the messenger, hoping that the message could be changed. Quiet diplomacy is far more effective in achieving results in this respect. The President's Office understands these complexities, but it seems that others insist on waving clubs threateningly from caves. Unfortunately the matter did not end there.

Another article was published in a web site attacking Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to London and her apology to the British Foreign and Commonwealth office in a most disparaging manner.

This article has been written under the name of Keerthi Godayaya, and while attacking the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in a most inappropriate manner, the insinuations are crude and unacceptable, making references to rape and prostitution.

The article by Keerthi Godayaya however praises Dayan Jayathillake and his 'unique brand of diplomacy.'

The suspicions in the Sri Lankan establishment in London and Colombo are that Keerthi Godayaya is none other than Dayan Jayathillake. If Jayathillake is Godayaya, the article exposes serious psychological issues.

The award winning journalist Namini Wijedasa, writing last Sunday in the Lakbima newspaper has highlighted that e-mails have been sent from an address called api.slfs@yahoo.com attacking several Sri Lankan heads of mission including the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London and the Foreign Secretary. It is not clear if this e-mail is critical of the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Geneva. The matter had been referred to the CID to investigate.

Email and internet activity is vigorously monitored by law enforcement authorities because of terrorism, paedophilia and other criminal activity and it is relatively easy to trace e-mails and web activity not only to the primary account, but even to the computer used.

Journalistic activity by Dayan Jayathillake has caused considerable embarrassment to Colombo. Colombo attempted to mend fences by dispatching G.L. Peiris to London who met Lord Brown. During the conversation the Jayathillake fiasco was hinted at by the British.

Consequences

Peiris was followed to London by Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama. The sale of Western high tech weapons systems and spares that Sri Lankan forces depend on have been frozen and the prospect of withdrawal of preferential trading terms in the EU for Sri Lankan garment exports has become a distinct possibility.

Meanwhile another article attacking the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London was published in an English newspaper in March.

This article was first published in the Asian Tribune on March 17 and promptly reproduced in a Sri Lankan English daily the following day titled "Heads to roll at Sri Lankan HC in London."

The author has not disclosed his name and has written as 'special correspondent.'

The Sri Lankan authorities in London and Colombo suspect that the author is Walter Jayawardene who works at the High Commission in London. He would obviously deny it.

Before Jayawardene took up his position in London, he had boasted at a gathering in Los Angeles, that he was "being sent to London to clean up the mess" as perceived by Sinhala activists. This comment by Walter was communicated by another party to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London.

Specific role

On taking up duties in London, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner made it known to Walter of her knowledge about his comments about cleaning up London. She requested from him a media strategy to combat LTTE propaganda in London, as this was his designated task at substantial cost to the taxpayer.

In the article published, the special correspondent has stated that the London High Commission would be cleaned with many transfers in the spring.

This is misleading as no such clean up is taking place. There are no heads rolling as the special correspondent suggests. The terms of duty of these career diplomats are coming to an end this spring, and they are merely being re-posted to Colombo, before being sent to another destination. In fact the term of the deputy high commissioner has been extended.

Walter has been having problems at the High Commission from the outset. The present High Commissioner had initiated regular staff meetings and Walter was attending these meetings and was then writing articles in the Asian Tribune about selected items discussed. A group of staff members from the High Commission met with Walter and informed him that he should not be writing about what is discussed at staff meetings.

Since then the regular staff meetings were discontinued.  Walter has also been served with a letter from his superiors at the High Commission, seeking explanation for his conduct.

Boaster

Jayawardene had also boasted to the High Commission staff that his appointment to London was linked to a defense effort and his links with the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse. Rajapakse is unaware of such a defence effort other than Jayawardene telephoning Rajapakse and self publicising himself that he is countering the LTTE by writing to the Asian Tribune and Rajapakse politely stating well done.

Encouraged by his article attacking the High Commissioner being reproduced in another  daily, the special correspondent was to write another article, this time accusing that the Indian Intelligence agency RAW had infiltrated the Sri Lankan High Commision in London. This same article praised Walter Jayawardene. On this occasion the said daily did not carry the special correspondent's fiction.

For some, it seems that both Walter Jayawardene and Dayan Jayathillake were writing under different names and attacking the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London and praising themselves, while being cheered on by their Sinhala supporters. It was a comedy that went too far.

Colombo, besieged by the West for human rights violations was keen to maintain good relations with India and the prospect of a Sri Lankan diplomat based in London writing articles as special correspondent alleging that the Indian Intelligence agency RAW had infiltrated the Sri Lankan High Commission in London was an uncomfortable prospect.

Cautioned

While India speculated, Colombo informed the Asian Tribune to be cautious as to what it carried from the 'special correspondent' and furthermore it was stated that the purpose of the special correspondent's appointment to London at considerable cost to the Sri Lankan taxpayer was not to write in the Asian Tribune.

Walter Jayawardene's appointment to London is a political one with misguided political patronage. It is unfortunate that recent political appointees to the Sri Lankan Foreign Service are conducting a damaging and corrosive campaign, attacking career diplomats who cannot defend themselves and undermining the Sri Lankan administration globally to further their personal agendas. They are in fact indirectly helping the LTTE gain mileage over the Sri Lankan administration.

These popular elements are cheered on by Sinhala activists and they seem oblivious that they are undermining professionalism in the Foreign Service which the Oxford educated former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar tried so hard to nurture, to defend Sri Lanka's interests abroad.

Pope joins R2P bandwagon

The latest entrant into the controversy over the infamous issue of R2P - Responsibility to Protect - is none other than Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI. At a speech made to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, the Pope, who himself was a prisoner of war during World War II, was insistent that improvement of human rights would be the foundation for ending war and poverty around the world.

The Pope's remarks were wide ranging, and did not specify any particular country or conflict. He said that "every state has the primary duty to protect its own population from grave and sustained violations of human rights." The Papal remarks in effect endorse the R2P concept, pioneered by former Australian Foreign Minister Garreth Evans. It was support of lobbying for R2P in Sri Lanka that cost ICES Head Rama Mani her Sri Lankan visa for "security reasons," leading to her being forced to leave the country.

That the Pope should articulate his stand to the UN General Assembly is particularly significant as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has been a strong supporter of the R2P concept. "If states are unable to guarantee such protection," the Pope continued, "the international community must intervene with the juridical means provided in the United Nations Charter and in other international instruments."

Dismissing claims that such policies risk violating the sovereignty of  member nations and can be seen as illegal interference in a country's internal affairs, Pope Benedict stated the Catholic Church's view was that such policies "should never be interpreted as an unwarranted imposition or a limitation of sovereignty."

"On the contrary," he continued, "it is indifference or failure to intervene that do the real damage."  In effect echoing the words of the IIGEP whose parting remarks to Sri Lanka suggested that valiant efforts to spur human rights would aid and not deter the war against the LTTE, the Pope told the General Assembly that "the promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security."

"The victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence, and they can then become violators of peace," the Pope warned.

In similar language, the IIGEP in its parting April 15 statement said that "strict adherence to the laws of human rights and international humanitarian law, secured by effective rules of engagement promulgated for the police and each of the armed forces of the state, is not a recipe for weakness in the face of the enemy."

"To the contrary, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law strengthens the hand of the state in earning the trust and support of all sections of the civilian population, without which it cannot prevail in its efforts to bring lasting peace to the country. Moreover, proper training and strict discipline resulting from adherence to rules of engagement in the conduct of operations are essential to morale and promote a culture of professionalism and self-respect in all members of the police and armed forces," the IIGEP statement said.

The remarks of Pope Benedict XVI at the UN are just the latest of many developments around the world both indirect and directly aimed at Sri Lanka, which add pressure on the government to get its human rights record into shape. We may soon find, to the detriment of the people, that toothless committees, commissions, investigations and empty promises will no longer serve to stall the international community.