by H. L. D. Mahindapala
(September 19, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka is never short of foreign advisors on how to run the country. The latest is Mr. Paul O'Callaghan, Executive Director of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID),
With all the pieties of a hired do-gooder, he fronted up at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) last week and expressed “fears of a blood bath” if the UN agencies and other NGOs withdraw from the theatre of war in the Vanni – the last foothold of the Tamil Tigers banned by the international community, including Australia. This statement came at a time when the Tamil Tiger agents had launched a global campaign to save the Tigers fighting a last ditch battle to stop the advance of the Sri Lankan forces. Mr. O'Callaghan’s statement, which among other issues was pressing for intervention by the Australian government, coincided with the propaganda campaign of the Tamil diaspora run on similar cries. In fact, the advertisement of the Tamil agents of the Tigers in The Australian (18/9) echo the issues raised by Mr. O'Callaghan. The coincidence is indeed remarkable!
Raising the bogey of humanitarian disasters is the common tactic adopted by INGOs and NGOs in Sri Lanka which, directly or indirectly, give a leg up to the one-man fascist regime in the Vanni in its dying days. Besides, the politically savvy INGOs and NGOs cannot be unaware of the import of their statements at this critical juncture. This combined with the tilt in their statements, exculpating the Tiger terrorists of any responsibility for the worsening humanitarian crisis, exposes ACFID’s statement as just another piece of propaganda for the Tamil Tigers.
Mark you, Mr. O'Callaghan is wringing his hands and crying his heart out about the plight of the Tamils trapped in the intensifying war without saying one word about the Tamil Tigers plucking Tamil children from their homes and throwing them into the futile war of Velupillai Prabhakaran who sends his children abroad for their education. Nor does Mr. Paul O'Callaghan, the ACFID preacher, mention anything about the sick and the old Tamils pulled out of hospitals or homes for the aged and forced to defend the falling front lines of the Tigers. Obviously, this is not considered a part of the horrendous humanitarian crisis faced by the Tamils in the Vanni. This is the gospel according to ACFID’s Paul!
NGOs and independent journalists monitoring the Sri Lankan situation agree that the Tiger terrorists are using the civilians as a human shield. The last defence of the besieged Tigers is to hide behind the civilians, pro-Tiger NGOs (like ACFID) and even UN agencies to manipulate public opinion. It is at this critical point that Mr. O'Callaghan rushed to the ABC as a doomsayer mouthing jeremiads to denigrate the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), even though he knew that the responsibility of letting the Tamil people escape through the humanitarian corridor was in the hands of the Tigers. So the responsibility of avoiding the “blood bath” mentioned by Mr. Paul O'Callaghan is solely with the Tigers who are holding them back by force. But he blames ONLY the Government of Sri Lanka. That is the gospel according to ACFID’s Paul.
Though Mr. O'Callaghan was quick to deliver his jeremiad over ABC, posing as the encyclopedic authority on Sri Lankan affairs, he refused to be interviewed by me for the Sri Lankan media. ACFID is a peak NGO body consisting mainly of Church organizations. ACFID boasts that it has 25 member organizations working in Sri Lanka over many decades. The CEO of such an organization should be able to field questions on this crisis, particularly after his ABC broadcast. Knowledgeable sources, however, say that he is reluctant to face the Sri Lankan media as he has no solid understanding of the dynamics of the Sri Lankan crisis. In fact, he would not have made the statements he made if his grasp of the conditions in Sri Lanka is as great as he claims.
Mr. O'Callaghan has refused to answer even a simple question as to why he is unwilling to give an interview to the Sri Lankan media. ACFID is not the arm of the KGB to keep its information wrapped in coils of alufoil. He also blames the Sri Lankan government of not being transparent. So shouldn’t he, being the champion of transparency, set a better example to the backward natives of Sri Lanka? Besides, in a media release assuring that the funds donated for the tsunami are used effectively Mr. O'Callaghan invited the public to raise any questions with him. But when questions are asked he refuses to even respond.
Incidentally, Mr. O'Callaghan’s statement pointing a finger at the GOSL does not come as a surprise because Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), a well-know front of the Tamil Tiger, is affiliated to ACFID. This violates the Code of Conduct of ACFID. Answering a question in Parliament on December 7, 2005, Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Minister, said that TRO is associated with the LTTE which is gazetted as a terrorist organization in Australia (Question No: 41, -p. 147, Hansard). The UN Security Council (February 23, 2005) also named and shamed the LTTE as leading offenders of child abuse. Despite these war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by LTTE its main arm abroad, TRO, is allowed to retain its partnership with ACFID as a signatory to the code of conduct of ACFID. Official protests were lodged with ACFID to delist TRO but it has ignored these protests even after it was pointed out that any affiliation with an internationally banned terrorist front like TRO violates its code of conduct. This affiliation questions the integrity of ACFID and its right to question the actions of the GOSL.
TRO is also the adopted child of most of the Church-led organization which consists of pro-Tiger Tamil activists. Tiger fronts like the TRO hide their agenda of violent racist politics and infiltrate these NGOs in the name of humanitarian causes. As seen in the case of Mr. O'Callaghan humanitarian intervention is a tool used craftily by TRO and other fronts of the Tigers to cover-up the war crimes and crimes against humanity spilling over from the violent militarism of the one-man fascist regime in the Vanni.
Before dealing with the inaccuracies in Mr. O'Callaghan jeremiads a brief note on his background will help to understand what makes him tick -- and also tock. He was in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). He held diplomatic posts in several Asian countries. He was also a colleague of Dr. Palitha Kohona, the Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka, before Kohona was seconded from DFAT to work in UN Treaty Section. Elementary duty to serve not only the cause of peace in Sri Lanka but also Mr. O'Callaghan reputation as a credible CEO demands that he be truthful in his statements. But, sadly, it is easier to find a needle in a haystack than finding the truth in his statement.
Obviously, his jeremiad was music to the ears of the Tamil Tiger propagandists. This also explains why his statement was given headlines in Tiger propaganda outlets. Others who knew better dismissed Paul’s gospel as a load of rubbish.
The least he could have done was to balance his statement by cross-checking with his former colleague Dr. Kohona. He was only a phone call away and with 25 of ACFID’s agencies working in Sri Lanka he would have had no difficulty in finding Dr. Kohona’s phone number. But then, as they say, why spoil a good yarn with inconvenient truths. So Mr. O’Callaghan proceeded blithely to make statements which he cannot substantiate. This may also explains why he is running away from a media interview which I requested.
TamilNet, the most popular media outlet played up Mr. O'Callaghan statement. The following is a scrutiny of his comments reported in the TamilNet:
1. Complaining about the exclusion of NGOs and INGOs operating in the Wanni Mr. O'Callaghan says: "If you exclude all foreign humanitarian workers then you won't have any, not only the immediate support for those communities but also those who can actually see what's happening on the ground,"
1.1: Mr. O'Callaghan is saying that NGOs must “actually see what’s happening on the ground”. How valid is this claim when he is so secretive about what’s happening in his own backyard in Canberra? Without facing a war entailing security risks he is refusing to answer basic questions about the normal operations of ACFID. Why? What has he got to hide?
1.2: If his statement is a test of what is reported by the NGOs then it is best that all of them should be sent home. He is clueless about the ground realities as will be shown in the following paragraphs. In any case, there are more reliable sources working at ground level (University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna)) not to mention international wire services (AFP, AP, Reuters, BBC, CNN,) and Tamil media outlets which provide details (even though questionable) about “what’s happening on the ground”. Moreover, ICRC will continue to operate from Vanni. So what’s Mr. O'Callaghan beefing about? Doesn’t he trust ICRC to report what’s happening in the war zone?
1.3: Of the 21 NGOs two agencies continue to operate: Medicin Sans Frontiers (MSF) and ICRC, said Dr. Kohona in an interview with Sri Lanka Guardian. However, the NGOs that were asked to leave were all engaged in development work. In the current climate of an on-going war in the region no development work is possible. Besides, says Dr. Kohona, the tons of building material shipped to these NGOs have not produced any measurable development work. They have yet to produce a bridge, a culvert, a clinic, a road commensurate with the cement and other material sent to them. On the contrary, the Tamil Tigers have been constructing a lot of bunkers, trenches and other defensive walls with the building material available to them. If the GOSL has banned such building material that help Tiger military capabilities from where did the Tamil Tiger get the cement etc to construct their concrete bunkers?
1.3: In talking about “foreign humanitarian workers (providing) immediate support for these communities” it is clear that Mr. O'Callaghan is trying to compete with Baron Munchausen in narrating tall tales for the delight of his naïve NGOs allied to ACFID. John Ball, the Coordinator for Sri Lanka from the National Council of Churches – and also a member of ACFID -- will confirm to him (if he hasn’t done so already) that the bulk of all the food, medicine, health services, free education etc., has been provided by the GOSL without a break. Besides, Dr. Kohona states that less than 10% of the aid comes from these foreign agencies. He said that the government administrative services, run by government agents and district secretaries, have been managing these services from the time the crisis broke out and the GOSL has been commended by UN agencies for the unique services of caring for the people in rebel-held territories.
1.4: As opposed to this the NGOs have mishandled their affairs in the Vanni areas as the corrupt NGOs that misdirected funds and material in the tsunami affected areas. According to admissions of NGO representatives, 29 of Norwegian vehicles have been taken over by the Tamil Tigers to build bunkers, trenches and other defensive walls. Media reports have also focused on NGOs playing footsy with the Tamil Tigers and in some instances acting as their mouthpieces exaggerating humanitarian crises. But despite fear-mongering by NGOs, commentators have pointed out that the GOSL forces have advanced from the east, clearing miles of Tiger-held territory and moved to the West and now to the centre of Killinochchi without causing a major disaster as expected. GOSL, with all its defects, has handled over 200,000 IDPs from the east without creating a Darfur or a Rwanda type of disasters.
1.5 The distance to the heart of Killinochchi has now come down to roughly 5 miles. Military analysts say that the coming battles will fought hand-to-hand and casualties could be high. Since Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary General, has appealed to the two sides to apply the principles of proportionality it could be argued that one nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima cause the instant death of 140,000 and the total deaths in 30-year-old war in Sri Lanka is around 65,000. This is not to condone a single loss of human life. No. While condemning all loss of lives in a futile war perpetuated by the intransigent politics of “the latest Pol Pot of Asia” (New Your Times – James Burns) it should be noted that more Tamils have been killed by Prabhakaran than by all the other forces (including India’s IPKF) put together. This estimate has been revealed both by S. Chandrahasan, the son of the father separatism, S. J.V. Chelvanayakam and the current president of Chelvanayakam’s party, TULF, V. Ananadasangaree, the UN award winning peace activist.
2: TamilNet, quotes Mr. O'Callaghan as saying that “the GoSL had received the highest number of complaints of any government in the United Nations Human Rights Commission over recent years. And that the GoSL had as result been reviewed recently by the commission. In response, the GoSL had made commitments to the commission only a few weeks ago to protect civilians.” Ranjith Soysa, the spokesperson for the Melbourne-based Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR) told the Sri Lankan Guardian: “ACFID is departing from the truth mainly due to ignorance of the facts. GoOSL voluntarily agreed to be reviewed because it has nothing to hide. It has no complaints of detaining children or forcibly recruiting children. It has no complaints of holding 600 suspects incommunicado as in Gauntanamo Bay. It has no complaints of water boarding. It has complaints concerning the killings of 17 local aid workers employed by French agency Action Contre La Faim (ACF), which according to the Australian pathologists were killed by bullets used by the Tigers. ACF also pulled out of the investigating commission when the lawyers were grilling them. It has also complaints of air raids killing civilians but not only the scale of Western forces hitting civilian targets in their wars against terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. GOSL also has complaints about abductions and there are independent courts investigating the complaints brought for trial. Some of the missing has been found in safe havens abroad or hiding in the Vanni. Some abduction has been attributed to the Tigers and some to their Tamil rivals. There are accusations against the courts too. But the best of investigations into terror activities both in UK and Australia have run into difficulties, with the juries throwing them out. Sri Lanka is no different. That doesn’t mean the governments are failing. But the more interesting aspect is the failure of Paul to raise any questions about the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Tamil Tigers. His failure to take them to task questions his impartiality and the integrity in directing the affairs of a prestigious institution like ACFID.”
3 TamilNet quoting Mr. O'Callaghan states: “The extreme humanitarian situation of Internally Displaced Persons, including thousands of children, who are already malnourished, would deteriorate dramatically as clean water is not available for all the IDPs and they have been deprived of medicine by the Sri Lankan government…and added that it is worrying to see the GOSL's change in policy after only recently pledging to protect civilians.” This is another example of Mr. O'Callaghan letting his tongue run wild without engaging his brain. Dr. Kohona told the Sri Lanka Guardian that 2,500 tons of food and essentials, including medicine, are shipped every month through A9 road and are distributed by (Tamil) Government agents appointed to handle the distribution. Independent sources state that much of this is siphoned off by Tamil Tigers to maintain their cadres. Mr. O'Callaghan has nothing to say about civilians being robbed of their food and medicine by the Tigers. Dr. Kohona also said that these supplies are maintained despite the Tigers blocking the sea lanes and threatening to sink the ships that carry food and essentials. Consequently, ICRC and World Food Program pulled out of shipping supplies to the north. The GOSL continued to provide supplies despite threats to the Navy personnel who take great risks in shipping goods to the north and Mr. O'Callaghan refuses to acknowledge that the GOSL is the only known government that takes risks in providing basic essentials to its people trapped in the clutches of the Tamil Pol Pot.
4. Mr. O'Callaghan talks of malnutrition and children being deprived of medicine. First, it is important to note that Australia was a part of the naval cordon thrown round Iraq that deprived milk, medicine and other essentials to the children of Iraq which, according to UNICEF figures killed 600,000 children. He should know this very well. Nothing of that sort has happened in Sri Lanka. Second, Mr. O'Callaghan should also know that the Tamil Tigers agents, including those in Australia, collect $200-300 million per year to finance the military adventures of the latest Pol Pot of Asia. Before pointing a finger at the GOSL Mr. O'Callaghan, if is conscience is clear on humanitarian assistance, should ask what happens to this collection? If he and his allied NGOs claim that Prabhakaran is running a de-facto state isn’t it the responsibility of this Tamil Pol Pot to provide a piece of bread for nutrition and an aspirin for children with his massive collection -- 30% of which comes from Australia, according to his colleague, Dr. Kohona? So does Mr. O'Callaghan have a conscience when he talks about humanitarian assistance or is he invoking the heart-tugging principles of humanitarian assistance to play politics? John Ball of the Uniting Church who is also part of this missionary cause should answer these questions. But they won’t. He replaced the aggressive die hard Tiger propagandist Rev. Dick Wootton. They will neither come forward to discuss these issues nor answer the relevant questions. Ball has also been in the forefront of organizing seminars parading pro-Tiger agents. At these gatherings he plays his suave game of protecting the Tiger agents in whatever he can. They prefer to hide behind he screen of humanitarian causes and pull the strings to push the Tamil Tiger agenda.
1.8: Last but not the least, Mr. O'Callaghan also serves on the Foreign Minister’s Aid Advisory Council. As an ex-diplomat allied to Government-sponsored ACFID he has backdoor access to make in-puts into Australia’s policy in Sri Lanka. His latest statement was clearly an attempt to push the Australian government into a more pro-active role in promoting ACFID’s partisan politics. There is no doubt that his partisan role has brought ACFID into disrepute in Sri Lankan eyes. His failure to present a credible case, balancing his ill-informed statement with the ground realities, has not added one whit to the stature of Australian NGOs. If he continues to drive ACFID down this path he and ACIF will be seen as not only betraying the basic principles of objectivity needed to advance humanitarian causes but also as plain stooges of the Tamil Tigers. John Ball who is more conversant with the Sri Lankan situation should have played a bigger role in guiding his CEO. But his failure to do the job is also regrettable. - Sri Lanka Guardian
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