With the international community continuing to mount pressure on the government to curb human rights excesses, President Mahinda Rajapakse last week called on his ministers to project a positive image of the administration through the media even as the opposition UNP opened another frontier by calling for Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s ouster.

The human rights noose has been slowly but surely tightening around the government’s neck for some time now and the failure to deal with the concerns raised by the international community in concrete terms save for appointing a presidential commission has not helped ease the pressure and last week saw ominous signals emanating from the United States no less.

There is no gainsaying the United States has helped the government in its fight against terrorism and even cracked down on LTTE arms smuggling operations with a series of sting operations, and in return what it urged the President to do through silent diplomacy was address the human rights situation in the country and submit a viable political package to address the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people, which he has been found wanting in.

In fact it is during UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as prime minister that the ground work was laid for increased US co-operation to strengthen Sri Lanka’s intelligence and military capabilities, which they did, recognising the fact there was a genuine attempt to resolve the political issues based on the Ceasefire Agreement and the Tokyo Declaration.

And with an effective Ambassador in Washington at the time in the form of Devinda Subasinghe, Sri Lanka was in a position to build a solid foundation, the benefits of which the country continued to harness long after Wickremesinghe’s ouster from office. But now there is a very real threat of all that goodwill being frittered away due to this government’s hamfisted approach to human rights, free expression and the lack of political will to resolve the crisis through negotiations.

It was in fact in December 2006 that four top senators and 38 members from the House of Representatives drew attention to Sri Lanka’s dismal human rights record and called for the resumption of talks based on the CFA, which call fell on deaf ears much to their chagrin.

The government in its wisdom believed, the US given its global fight against terrorism, would not go beyond issuing the occasional statement on the human rights situation in the country, thereby giving it a free hand to continue with military operations and balance the extremist forces in the south who were hollering for a military solution.

And given the government’s failures on all other fronts, the popular belief was that a projection of military success against the Tigers will keep the people happy and towards that end the military option was pursued with vigour.

But the government received a rude awakening with the LTTE’s air strike on the Katunayake Air Force Base and it was back to square one with the public too realising there was more to the administration’s claims of annihilating the Tigers than meets the eye.

What was particularly disconcerting following this development was the lukewarm response of the international community to the government’s call for assistance to meet the latest threat posed by the LTTE, which was projected as being regional and international.

To make matters worse, the government made a mess of the situation by attempting to blame India for its gross negligence which led to the air strike, thereby isolating itself further.

It is in this context, the reports emanating from the US are ominous with the government expected to come under increasing pressure to stop its military campaign and resume talks while addressing the human rights situation as well under the threat of sanctions.

And signalling what’s in store for Sri Lanka was Democratic Congressman from California, Tom Lantos, who last week issued a strongly worded statement on the growing number of disappearances in the country.

Lantos who is chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, in his strongly worded statement not only called for the resumption of talks under the CFA but also urged the international community to push the government in that direction.

Said Lantos — "I am dismayed to learn of the continued escalation of violence in Sri Lanka. The past several months have been abhorrently violent and rife with civil unrest, punctuated this past week by the first aerial bombing ever conducted by the LTTE, a recognised terrorist group."

Added he, "perhaps the biggest casualty of all is the continuing deterioration of human rights. Child soldiers, extra judicial killings and abductions have become common place in certain regions, and the numbers of internally displaced people have increased dramatically."

"I urge all parties to stay true to the Ceasefire Agreement and come back to the negotiating table. A military solution will not end this circle of violence and further escalation will only worsen the already gross human rights abuses. I call upon the international community including diaspora groups, to push all parties towards dialogue rather than destruction," Lantos said.

And this statement from the Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs came just days after an even more devastating call by Freedom House, a very powerful organisation in Washington which has wide support among the Republicans as well as Democrats.

Founded by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Freedom House carries a lot of weight in Washington and its call to withhold funding from Sri Lanka can have serious consequences, a matter on which the President will do well to be educated on from the likes of his Ambassador in Washington, Bernard Goonatilleke or Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda for that matter.

Dated April 6, Freedom House, in a statement said, "the serious human rights abuses and excessive restrictions on freedom of speech and association by the government of Sri Lanka merit the country’s removal from a list of eligible recipients for Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) assistance."

"In 2004, Sri Lanka met eligibility requirements for funding from the MCC. However, the peace accord between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has become increasingly meaningless as the rebels initiated a slow slide back into civil war during 2006, and the actions of the government in response have violated basic human rights," Freedom House said.

Added FH — "While condemning the brutal conduct of the war by the LTTE, Freedom House is deeply troubled by the actions of the government which has imposed restrictions on freedom of expression, harassed non governmental organisations (NGOs) that question government policy, and committed serious ongoing human rights abuses."

"These abuses by the Sri Lankan government merit a suspension of MCC eligibility status," Executive Director of FH, Jennifer Windsor had said.

"The Sri Lankan government’s involvement in extra judicial killings and disappearances as well as the crackdown on speech and association, are simply not compatible with the MCC’s underlying criteria of ‘ruling justly,’ and until these deferences are repaired, the country should not be considered. Democratic government’s have a responsibility — even in the midst of conflict to respect and protect fundamental individual freedoms."

Adds Freedom House for effect — "Media freedom was a main casualty of Sri Lanka’s slide into war in 2006. Increasing numbers of journalists, particularly Tamils have been targeted, and media outlets face censorship and other restrictions. Although freedom of expression is provided for in the constitution, a growing number of laws and regulations limit this right, and official rhetoric towards journalists and media outlets perceived to be critical, has become more unfriendly."

Going further, Freedom House also comments on the increase in human rights abuses and extra judicial killings and deals with the harassment meted out to NGOs not supporting the official line.

It is also pointed out that the MCC is a division of the US government that examines economic and governance indicators for each country before awarding aid. Freedom House assessments of political rights and civil liberties are included in the MCC’s analysis.

And launching a frontal assault on the defence establishment in the wake of calls for by the international community for the resumption of negotiations was UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who held Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse personally accountable for the current crisis.

Addressing UNP organisers at the party headquarters, Sri Kotha on Tuesday, April 10, Wickremesinghe not only called for Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s ouster but suggested the appointment of popular war hero Janaka Perera as defence secretary to overcome the crisis in the defence establishment.

Said Wickremesinghe — "We have to start talks to resolve the problem but we must go to the negotiating table from a position of strength. Today, the conduct of Gotabhaya Rajapakse has weakened our position. He has fallen into the LTTE trap by putting many of our troops into the east. It did not take the UNP government days to clear the east but bad planning now has messed up the situation despite the valiant efforts of our soldiers."

Added he — "Gotabhaya said he will take responsibility for the protection of the airport and the air force base. Now what has happened. The LTTE launched an air strike and got away, thereby changing the entire equation. Even on the human rights situation there is pressure by the international community and the blame is on him. He himself admitted to knowledge of disappearances by publicly stating members of certain political parties are not abducted. He has become a liability and must be removed and replaced by a capable officer such as Janaka Perera."

Wickremesinghe’s comments were telling since Janaka Perera has a proven record of success in the military and is widely respected not only by the soldiers but also the Sinhala-Buddhist electorate and it remains to be seen how the President responds to this call.

Wickremesinghe in his speech in fact made it a point to detail Janaka Perera’s war record.

That these unfolding developments were of concern to the President of course was evident when he met his coalition partners on Monday, April 9 at Temple Trees where the focus was on the human rights situation, controlling the media and projecting the stability of the government.

It was Deputy Minister R. Radhakrishnan who broached the subject of disappearances and the white van syndrome ably supported by CWC’s R. Yogarajan, much to Rajapakse’s discomfiture.

Others present at the meeting were, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Ministers, Maithripala Sirisena, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Susil Premjayanth, Tissa Vitharana, D.E.W. Gunasekera, Dinesh Gunewardena, Rauf Hakeem, Milinda Moragoda, Douglas Devananda, Karu Jayasuriya, Hasan Ali and Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Udaya Gammanpila, President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse.

Radhakrishnan told the President, the abductions were causing panic among Tamil businessmen and said MP, Mano Ganesan was having a meeting even as they speak with the family members of those abducted where UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe too was present.

"Can you at least meet with the family members of those abducted and give some reassurance," the Deputy Minister asked, to which Rajapakse responded in the affirmative.

"Yes, yes, bring them anytime," the President said and fixed a time for Thursday.

And without allowing the discussion to take a serious turn the President made light of the whole issue by inviting EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda too to come for the meeting on Thursday. Joked the President, "Douglas, you can also come for the meeting. Then you can answer all their questions."

The President then turned to Radhakrishnan and with a smile asked whether there was any objection to Devananda coming for the meeting. "No, let him come," the Deputy Minister replied.

In a bid to shift the focus from the issue of disappearances, the President then told the members present, the SLFP political proposals will be released next week and turning to Minister Sirisena asked whether that was possible. "Yes, can do," said Sirisena, which saw Minister Vitharana opining it would be a great relief if that was to be the case.

With that out of the way, the President said the meeting was called to discuss the current political situation in the country and the unnecessary gossip that the government was unstable and about to collapse.

Having said that the President fished out an opinion poll conducted by one of his advisors, Sunimal Fernando and read excerpts of it, wherein the government’s failure to get its message across to the people was highlighted.

"The survey was conducted on the basis of the people who voted for me and for Ranil and what they felt about specific issues in addition to an overall opinion. More than 24% have said they are happy with the way the war is being conducted. On other issues, the results are not good, especially on graduate employment — only four per cent were satisfied. The work we are doing is not getting through to the people," Rajapakse said.

The President went on to say, of those who voted for Ranil Wickremesinghe, there was hardly a change with the UNP base holding, a comment which saw Jayasuriya shifting uncomfortably in his chair, prompting Rajapakse to say the situation can change in the future.

And as the President continued to read the various statistics, one member asked whether the survey could be published and received an emphatic ‘No’ by way of a response. What the President did not tell the members present was that according to the report, if an election was to be held today, the government would be reduced to 83 seats in parliament.

Thus, one factor which emerged at the meeting was that the government will not go for a general election anytime soon, even though with time the situation can only get worse short of an outright military victory.

The blame for the government’s failures of course was placed at the media’s door with the President stating, there was a negative campaign afoot, completely forgetting in the process he not only has a huge state media at his beck and call but also a sizeable section of the private media which is muted in their criticism.

Jumping in to the media bashing bandwagon was Minister Sirisena who singled out Sirasa for criticism. He said Sirasa was giving a lot of coverage for the UNP with the likes of Johnston Fernando and Ravi Karunanayake featured regularly.

Responded the President — "Sirasa is doing some stuff not beneficial to us."

And chipping in was Yogarajan who claimed Sirasa has bought the host of Shakthi TV’s popular Minnel programme Sri Ranga, the Purawasi Peramuna political party.

Adding his own two cents to the Sirasa bashing was Devananda who accused Sri Ranga of having a meeting with Mano Ganesan and former CWC member Sathasivam to set up a broad Tamil alliance to contest from the hill country.

However the President pooh poohed the criticism of Sri Ranga, a loyalist of his and said he knew exactly what was going on.

With that said, the President turned to his Secretary, Lalith Weeratunga and said to speak with Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona and finalise Sri Ranga’s foreign assignment early.

Having listened to this media bashing, Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda rose to the fourth estate’s defence stating there was no point in attacking the messenger without the government putting its house in order first.

"Don’t blame Sirasa. At times many channels complain that government ministers are not available for comment. They seek to balance a story with the government’s view point but the ministers are not available," Moragoda said.

Asked the President — "Why is this happening all the time. I have asked Jeyaraj to deal with this and to identify the relevant ministers to respond."

However, Minister Fernandopulle had problems of his own and said many ministers fought shy of speaking on the relevant issues and were uncontactable.

"I tried to reach one minister three times but he was not available and did not even respond to my calls. They are also avoiding going before the media when issues crop up," Fernandopulle said.

This comment saw the President calling for unity in government and the need to go before the media as a collective force and show allegiance.

Further, the President once again showed concern about astrology and the preoccupation with the predictions made by a soothsayer in Rakwana named Marshall and said it must be made clear the government was stable.

"Ranil had gone to see Marshall. He had said Ranil’s time is good but he did not say Ranil is going to be the leader of this country. He was to go at 3 a.m. but was there by 6 a.m. Ranil is giving his own interpretation to what Marshall said," Rajapakse told the members.

Added the President, "When I came back from abroad, the media had gone to town on the LTTE’s air attack. But they are not acknowledging the successes of the government. The fact that we have liberated a large part of the east has not filtered to the people. Much more needed to be done to convince the people we are winning the battle in the east. The percentage that has realised this is not enough. There is gossip the government is going to fall. They are all planted stories, based on what Marshall is supposed to have said." Continuing, the President said the state media has not done an effective job countering the propaganda and should be told to get its act together.

That just about summed up the state of play in government, with confusion worst confounded being the order of the day.