BETA

The visit of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs Richard A. Boucher, to Colombo and Jaffna with a definite itinerary, and agenda has brought to light a lot of information, regarding the sacred and genuine struggle of the Tamils of Eelam. The timing of the visit is important and the fact that the report of The Asia Foundation, under the caption ‘The United States’ Role in Sri Lanka's Peace process 2002 – 2006’ was realised almost at the same time, gives credibility to this analysis

Incorrigible, the Government of Sri Lanka!

At the press conference on May10, 2007 at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo Richard Boucher thanked the government and the people for helping him understand what was going on as if he was not aware of what was happening there. This can be passed as a formal comment. But his further statement that, "We recognize that the people of Sri Lanka continue to face the threat of terrorism. They face the threat from the Tamil Tigers (should have said ‘The Liberation Tigers of Tamils’), an organization that continues to be a terrorist group, continues to be a group that recruits child solders, extorts money, kills people, blows up buses and attacks government facilities", is unfair and wrong. But it was also reported that at the meeting with the President, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse and other officials, he said in no uncertain terms that US had serious concerns about the human right violations in the country, particularly in relation to abductions and disappearances and the climate of intimidation of confronting the media.

Division of the Sri Lanka – Imminent

On the same day he met with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe in the company of U.S. Ambassador Robert Blake, Colombo M.P Ravi Karunanayake and Bradman Weerakoon. It transpired at the discussion that the SLFP proposals to resolve the conflict was a step backward and was the very same, the UNP had proposed back to 1984. The US diplomats were told, "The only way to prevent the imminent division of the country was by: (a) Preventing further military set backs and ensuring that we are not military weak at the negotiating table.(b) Mobilising the maximum support both national and international to prevent the division of the country."(Ref: The Sunday Leader, May13, 2007).

This explains why suddenly U.K is showing interest like the recent show up in the House of Commons, why France is doing what she does. True Tamils among expatriatess must have the wisdom to do more, and much more, somehow overcoming these hurdles.

The U.S Gearing Herself Out?

The above mentioned report of ‘The Asia Foundation’ was by Jeffrey Lunstead who is Assistant Vice President of International Affairs at American University in Washington D.C. He served in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1977 to 2006 and was U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka from August 2003 to July 2006. The Asian Foundation with its office in Colombo has done a marvellous job in printing the elaborate report running to 40 pages, including some photographs very relevant to the scenes there.

In the Executive Summary itself Mr. Lumstead gives some information that would raise many eyebrows of many political analysts and politicians. It is all credit to the great liberation fighters of Tamils, the LTTE and the great Leader Velupillai Prabaharan, the fighters, the Martyrs and others who have contributed in no small way to the freedom struggle. He explained why the U.S acted as a "a bad cop" and in a apologetic way he explained why the LTTE was included in the list of FTO (Foreign Terrorist organization), though LTTE never met the third and most important condition that "The organization’s terrorist activity must threaten the Security of U.S nationals or the national security (national defence, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States". He dares to say that the decision not to allow the LTTE to attend the April 2003 Washington Development Conference, a mistake. He further says that the U.S. enthusiasm was bolstered by the policies of Ranil Wickremesinghe government that was elected in December 2001, simply because it was pro-West and pro- free market outlook. That explains the great rapport U.S. diplomats had with the opposition leader.

Tamil Rehabilitation Organization – A Nongovernmental Relief agency.

The Assistant Vice President of International Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C has this to say about TRO. The TRO, a nongovernmental relief agency and that conducted development work in the North and East. Though nominally independent, the TRO was clearly linked with the LTTE. Other governments and UN agencies funded TRO projects. He further says that the U.S was keen to contribute to NERF (North East Relief Fund), and U.S did not object to her establishments, even though it would put some donor funds directly into the hands of the LTTE or its front organization. After all ‘front organization’ is not a vulgar word.

India - a Disappointing Actor

According to Mr. Lunstead’s report the U.S got deeply involved in Sri Lanka affairs since only late 2001, leaving India as the lead outside actor, and that the U.S has no interest in military bases in Sri Lanka. Of Trincomalee, he says that the U.S does not have, and has never had, any interest in the use of the harbour at Trincomalee as many expected, because of the threat of attack by the LTTE with the continued failure of the ethnic conflict. From an economic and commercial standpoint, Sri Lanka seems unlikely to be a major U.S trading partner in the near future and further that there is not a large enough Sri Lankan-origin community in the U.S. domestic politics.

He insists that India has a large Tamil population which has a natural sympathy for its Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka and that goes on to say that India is keenly aware of the effect that a demonstration of successful secession would have upon its own nation.

He mentions of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of July 1987 and the tragic denouncement of that process and goes on to mention of the exchange of letters during the same time, between President Jayawardene and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, where the letter from Gandhi states that, "It is imperative that both Sri Lanka and India reaffirm the decision not to allow our respective territories to be used for activities prejudicial to each other’s unity, territorial integrity and security".

Peace Process Deteriorates – U.S Interest Wanes

In the concluding paragraph he says, "This U.S support could diminish precipitously mainly due to the failure of the government to prevent abuses. Widespread abuses by the security forces would have and legal and political repercussions which would make it difficult for the U.S. to continue to support the government to the degree that it has in the past. In addition to preventing human right abuses, the U.S has made it clear that it expects the government of Sri Lanka to develop a political package that could realistically meet legitimate Tamil grievances".