Silence of complicity that hurts Sri Lanka

R. JAYADEVAN, the Sri Lankan born British citizen held captive in the Vanni by the LTTE for 32 days has revealed the importance of foreign pressure on the LTTE.

In an interview given to the "Sunday Island" he says: "My former British parliamentarian Harry Gardiner, present MP Andrew Dismore, and also European MPs Robert Evans, Gareth Thomas and Tony McNality, were especially instrumental in getting me released from the clutches of the LTTE.

"There were a number of MPs who came forward because they knew me. They were also approached by various people about the predicament I was facing"

He has said "as far as the official version was concerned, it was the British Foreign Office, which informed the British High Commission in Sri Lanka about his abduction and told them I should be released."

Whether individual British MPs, Members of the European Parliament and the British High Commission here acted in concert or separately, it is clear that the pressure brought by them on the LTTE, and the impact it would have on British public opinion and official attitudes in the UK, is what enabled the release of Jayadevan and his friend Vivekanandan.

The story of their abduction by the LTTE, bringing them to Sri Lanka under false pretences, and attempts by the LTTE to take control of a Hindu shrine in the UK through threatening them, are too well known and needs no repetition.

However, what strikes one most is how much the LTTE is subject to pressure from abroad, especially when it comes from the West, where most of the Tamil Diaspora is found. When pressurized sufficiently by the proper sources the LTTE does give in.

Donor apathy

With such a clear example of the ability to bring pressure on the LTTE before us, what strikes one as most strange is why most of the Western countries and donor organizations that indeed bring pressure to bear on the Sri Lankan Government vis-a-vis the peace process and not so overtly the so-called joint mechanism, do not think of bringing even an iota of such pressure on the LTTE. This pressure is to make the LTTE give up arms.

Yet, surely there is sufficient ground to believe that pressure could be brought on the Tigers to comply with the basic tenets of human rights.

With so much concern in the world about the use of children in combat, what is it that prevents these Western countries, the EU and other organizations, whose support the LTTE is so eager to cultivate, from making it very clear to the LTTE it cannot expect any support from them for their search for "internal self-governance" or any other goal, unless it first proves, and not just give pledges, that it will put a stop to the recruitment of child soldiers, when proof of such recruitment is staring in the face of all these donor countries, provided by none other than UNICEF?

Maybe they seek to show they are using soft and secret diplomacy to persuade the Tigers to give up their dirty habits that have no place in the civilized world. However, such secret diplomacy or quiet arm twisting will not fool anyone, least of all the LTTE.

A major problem that Sri Lanka faces today with regard to the stalled peace process, and the joint mechanism, is this apparent unwillingness of those who can bring pressure to bear on the LTTE, failing to do so, and yet expecting the Government to proceed on a so-called "road map to peace" drawn up in large measure by these same countries and organizations.

"Yanthranaya & Kumanthranaya"

When the Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Government's Peace Secretariat Jayantha Dhanapala, made known some key aspects of the proposed Tsunami Relief Organization, dubbed the joint mechanism, he made light of the fact that the word mechanism or "yanthranaya" had been distorted giving the impression it was a "kumanthranaya" or conspiracy.

Many were impressed by the details given by Mr. Dhanapala. But what struck one most was his admission that although they were able to make the LTTE agree to some form of gender balance on the membership of the Tsunami Relief Organization, the LTTE had been adamant in its refusal to agree to any article of human rights being included in the agreement.

Mr. Dhanapala's reference to the LTTE's refusal to accept the inclusion of human rights in the proposed agreement followed a series of questions by an obviously pro-LTTE woman in the audience, insistent on knowing how the LTTE could be expected to come to any working arrangements when words such as "terrorism", "terrorist activity" and "violence" were used in reference to it. Mr. Dhanapala then came out with how the LTTE had refused to agree to the inclusion of an article on human rights. The questioner was silenced.

It is here that the apparent complicity of silence by the Western countries and donor agencies come into question.

Surely, is it so difficult for these countries and organizations to tell the LTTE, as forcefully and effectively as they can that the very exclusion of human rights in the JM agreement on the LTTE's insistence is totally unacceptable. This includes the country busy exporting democracy and carrying on a war against terrorism, which has correctly banned the LTTE as an international terrorist organization.

Human Rights Watch

This is the same issue that Human Rights Watch raises in its latest statement on the escalation of violence in Sri Lanka, and even calls for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into the killings and abductions after the ceasefire, in order to identify those responsible and recommend measures to end the abuses.

In a strong statement blaming the LTTE for most of the killings, HRW states:

"The international community, which is uniquely positioned to be heard in Sri Lanka has also remained largely silent." It has noted that the Sri Lanka donor conference strongly endorsed a "joint mechanism" to coordinate tsunami aid with the LTTE, but did not demand an end to the political killings and abductions.

Norway, the facilitator of the ceasefire agreement, and other key states, such as Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom have also chosen not to use their leverage to demand an end to the killings.

"The only way to end this campaign of violence and impunity is to refuse to ignore it," said Brad Adams, Asia director of HRW. "These killings are part of a concerted campaign to destroy opposition voices.

The silence on the killings simply fuels more killings and leads to more impunity."

The point is made very clear. The silence of those in the world outside that can act to help Sri Lanka is causing it the worst pain today.