India applies the R2P to Sri Lanka

by Gamini Weerakoon

(November 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Just two weeks ago the Rajapakse faithful and quite a lot of Sri Lankans had hitched up their sarongs above the decent knee level and were going into tirades against Tamil Nadu politicians and the New Delhi wallahs - bureaucrats and politicians included - over what was perceived as gross Indian interference in Sri Lankan domestic affairs. Government leaders kept mum but their propagandists including the so-called 'independent media' hit hysterical high notes against our neighbouring big brother.

But after that Henry Kissinger like diplomatic mission to New Delhi by Basil Rajapakse, the President's brother and special envoy, the Indians and Sri Lankans appeared to have kissed and made up. Brotherly ties and historical relations are being recalled and now it's all 'India-Sri Lanka Jai-Jai.' If Velupillai Pirapaharan said that we Sri Lankans down south have short memory and that it lasts only about two weeks - however much we may abhor him - the fellow was dead right.

Godfather's vow

Such ups and downs in the relations between the sub-continental neighbour have taken place regularly in recent years but political analysts and observers have failed to comment on these fluctuations probably out of 'national interests' or embarrassment. The fury over Big Brother poking its finger into our domestic affairs is quite unjustifiable, whatever its domestic political compulsions are. But what baffles us is the sudden embrace of the Big and Small Brothers after the sojourn of brother Basil. True, Muthuvel Karunanidhi the Tamil Nadu godfather had revoked his pledge to bring down the Congress government of Sonia Gandhi by making Tamil Nadu MPs resign their seats in the Indian parliament. Earlier at a meeting in Chennai Karunanidhi had vowed: We may have to consider the next step if the Central government failed to take immediate action to stop the genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils by the Sri Lankan armed forces. 'If it fails to find a solution to the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, we may be forced to consider whether this government is necessary.'

But after he had talks with Indian foreign office wallahs and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Karunanidhi who was erupting like an inferno became as mild as a cool mountain stream. He pledged not to rock the Congress government as he had menacingly threatened earlier. Mukherjee and the Foreign Office had talks with brother Basil earlier and conveyed the contents of the discussions to Karunanidhi. The trillion dollar question - to use the American lingo these days - is: what soothing assurances had brother Basil conveyed to Mukherjee and the wallahs which they poured into the ears of the raging Karunanidhi to cool him down?

Joint communiqu‚

The joint communiqu‚ issued by the two countries after talks with brother Basil apparently did not tell the whole story. All the important points made in the communiqu‚ had been reiterated earlier by the Sri Lanka government. As the editorial of The Morning Leader last week said: Joint communiqu‚s between two countries on highly contentious issues are like bikinis: Only the possible is revealed. Is it that assurances were made which have not been revealed in the communiqu‚?

It is well known that in any part of the world there is nothing called a free drink and certainly there are no free cups of tea in Tamil Nadu. All this Indo-Lanka 'ha-ho' centred around the military operations of Sri Lankan troops in the Wanni which the Tamil Nadu godfather and others said amounted to attempted genocide of the Wanni Tamils. Other than assurances given by brother Basil that this would not happen, no other assurances are mentioned in the joint communiqu‚.

SAARCers

But the 60 million Tamils across the seas and our Sri Lankan aiyahs down south quietened down after Karunanidhi said he was satisfied and will not rock the boat. In any country where there is a free media the reasons for the volte-face of the Tamil Nadu chief should have been called for. But we are South Asians and all suckers - sorry SAARCers - and a dime a dozen of us are born every minute.

Since the protestations were made about military operations those not SAARCers should watch for developments in the battlefield. The prime objective was to capture Kilinochchi, the headquarters of the Tigers.

Everyday we are being told that vital Tiger defences have been breached and taken over. But there is no news of Kilinochchi. A week or two ago we were told that the troops were only two miles away from the town and it could be seen by the troops. But Kilinochchi still stands. Time will reveal whether brother Basil did a Down South hooniyam on the New Delhi wallahs or was it the other way about: The Indian performed their famed dead rope trick on brothers Basil, Gotabaya and Mahinda?

Whatever peace loving NGO pundits and the born again Sinhala 'ethno-nationalists' may say the Indians attempting a repeat performance of 1987 should be viewed with alarm. Many countries may have their ' internal compulsions' to interfere or invade other countries which have not done any harm to these countries. If we justify such interference or invasions then American President George Bush's invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan or Russia's recent invasion of Georgia may be justified. New Delhi may feel justified to interfere in the hill country where the plantation workers may get into dire economic straits following the economic collapse of the tea industry.

Right to Interfere

There is a nice term developed by the so called international community for such interventions - Responsibility to Protect (R2P) which in reality is the Right to Intervene (R2I).

The philosophy is that if a sovereign government cannot protect its own citizens other countries or organisations have the right to intervene. All this is well and good if it can be of universal application. Since the Indian government has demonstrated its inability to protect its own citizens such as the incidents in Assam last week where 63 Indians were killed and over 300 wounded or in Orissa where Christians have been raped and burned India is one country where the R2P could be applied. But India is now a global power and though they have the right to intervene in small countries like Sri Lanka others have no R2P in India to protect innocent civilians. - Sri Lanka Guardian