Eliminated the Tigers is victory of people – Russian Envoy in Sri Lanka

"No body can hide the truth for long time. You know what was happened to the Tamil Tigers. However, Sri Lanka has wiped out the worlds most ruthless terrorists whilst rescuing large number of innocent people who were in the Tiger clutches and will submit its full report of their operations to explain how the conflict came to an end. "
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By Nilantha Ilangamuwa

(June 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It was an interesting interview the Sri Lanka Guardian had with the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Vladimir P. Mikhaylov at the Russian Embassy in Colombo. The interview went on for about two and half hours and issues involving international bilateral relations between nations were discussed were talked about. “Russia is a traditional friend of the Island Nation” he said. The Ambassador has visited Sri Lanka as a tourist when he was the Consul General in Karachi,Pakistan.

Vladimir P. Mikhaylov became the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives in succession to Mr. Alexey L. Shebarshin, who left the Island on September 3rd, 2008.

Vladimir was born in 1952 in Moscow and graduated at Moscow State University in International Relations (International affairs faculty) in 1974 and also passed out from the Diplomatic Academy in 1991. He started his diplomatic career in Ethiopia.
Here is the interview with Ambassador Vladimir P. Mikhaylov:

Q: First of all, I wish to thank you on behalf of Sri Lanka Guardian, for accepting our request for an interview. To Start with, could you let our readers know about your family background, and interests in personal life?

VPM: Well… I appreciate your request for an interview and take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to the Sri Lanka Guardian.

So… to reflect something about my family back ground, I was born in 1951 in Moscow. My father (Peter Mikhaylov) was an army officer, who was involved in the Second World War. He died of his wounds in the battlefield. I joined the Moscow State University as a student to pursue International relations. In 1974, I graduated and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a young diplomatic carrier officer. After that, I worked in the United States, Greece and Pakistan and now in Sri Lanka.

Q: At a crucial time you have been appointed as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka and Maldives in 2008. Is there any special reason for your appointment?

VPM: I visited Sri Lanka for the first time when I was working in Karchchi, as Consul General and traveled most of part of the island. That visit gave me new hope and provided me the best opportunity to be in touch with the people in Sri Lanka. I appreciate the valuable customs followed by the Sri Lankan people. It was a very important opportunity for me to engage with the beautiful and historical places. That time, I was hopeful that one day I will become the ambassador for Sri Lanka. Fortunately it has happened after few months of my visit. However, I don’t have any idea that there were any special reasons over my appointment as the envoy for Sri Lanka. It is the decision of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow.

Q: Post Second World War was a very important period for USSR and the whole World. Onecannot forget the events of the so-called “Cold-War” period. As a diplomat will you be able to elucidate who started this task in 1974 and can you clarify in brief all what happened until fall of USSR?

VPM: Well…the period of so called cold-war was a very important period to the relations between USSR and the World. It changed the system of political structure of the world. I think, it was a period for the establishment of political diversity across the World.

Q: What is your assessment on ‘War on Terror’?

VPM: We cannot justify any kind of violence and aggressive behavior. Terrorism is high level of aggressive behavior against people. But unfortunately, there is no common description for terrorism. Some brand some of the terrorist movements as liberation struggles to reflect their people’s needs. I think we must come together against unjustified enemy who talk lies and about unethical rights, which are never based on people. Likewise, the leaders too must leave behind their double standard approach on this. For example in Sri Lanka and as well as in Chechnya, we have seen how terrorists have used the people as hostage for their survival.

Q: However there are root causes for most of these violence to survive as guerrilla movements. I am sure you will agree that we cannot talk on situations without dealing with these root causes.

VPM: Of course in Russia and Sri Lanka we have enough experiences on violence and we know their root causes. I accept some governments even make mistakes. These mistakes are reasons for uprising of youths. But then we see these movements engaged in the liberation struggle, move away from the people and become tool of foreign powers. Under this context, we must wipe out the terrorism that also would lead to end of dealing with root causes too. For example, the International Community asked for a ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri Lanka recently. While the government said, there is ceasefire if Tigers lay down their arms. That is quit correct and later we have seen how the Government troops entered Tiger areas on a rescue mission. I think it has opened the eyes of the international community to see the true situation in Sri Lanka.

Q: More than 30 years of bloody war has ended in Sri Lanka and it has wiped out terrorism. What do you think about the victory?

VPM: As a close and very honest friend of the Sri Lanka and its people, we are very happy with the recent war victory of the government. I think this is a victory for the people and not for a political party only. This is a victory for the whole country and for the region as well and also for the World. As a multi ethnic and multi religious country, Sri Lanka marked huge victory against terrorism. It is great lesson for the World. Now the time has come for reconciliation and re-construction destroyed by terrorism in last few decades.

As a country, we work closely with Sri Lanka. We supported the war as well as other issues to strengthen our bilateral relations. Likewise, we are honestly happy over the victory in the war and we are ready to help re-consolidate the Island nation.

Q: Are there any common norms you can identify between the Tamil Tigers and Chechen guerrillas?

VPM: Strategically, all these terrorists have common linkages between them. Terrorism is a network. I think both these guerrilla movements function away from the people and are extremists. Unfortunately, I do not have evidence these two groups have any links, but it may be possible.

Q: In Sri Lanka youths have rebelled violently against the state in the past. The first was when Sinhalese youths struggled against the government. Then the Tamil youths carried out their violent struggle for decades. According to some reports, the Russian government (that time USSR), has supported the uprising of the Sinhalese youth which was considered as part of communist strategy. China too supported them. But both these nations have stayed away from Tamil militants for some reasons. Isn’t it double standard?

VPM: I can’t talk on the past about the JVP. As a democratic political party, it has entered theparliament accepting the norms of democracy. But we have number of reasons to go against the Tamil Tigers. Especially they were targeting the civilians, recruiting children as soldiers etc., etc., They have also killed number of democratic politicians. Under this context, we have not supported the Tamil Tigers and our main goal was to wipe them out.

Q: Russia supplied arms for Sri Lanka forces and Sri Lanka was a weapon procuring customer for the Russians.

VPM: Both nations dealt with weapons trade in a normal way. I know Sri Lanka never depended on Russian military supplies. They reached different markets to procure weapons and equipments. It must be said we have become very strong friends now.

Q: During the last few years, we have seen South Asian regionalism emerging, which is centralization power leaving out India incorporating China, Russia and Iran in association with Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Strangely Indian policy is not known yet. What do you have say on this?

VPM: I don’t think India has forgotten their responsibilities on regional relations. This time they have correctly dealt with the Sri Lanka to wipe out terrorism. India correctly knew, that the Tamil Tigers cannot continue with their struggle against the peoples will. They fully supported the war, as well as gave relief tothe people suffering in the conflict. The Indo-Lanka relationship is based on energetic and intelligence path and both nations are doing the correct things. It was clearly reflected in Geneva at the special session on Sri Lanka recently.

Q: After the victory in the war, is there another battle in Geneva as you have mentioned. One of them was won by the Government of Sri Lanka. But there are still many organizations and some countries blaming Sri Lanka over war crimes in final phase of the war against Tamil Tigers. What is your assessment?

VPM: No body can hide the truth for long time. You know what was happened to the Tamil Tigers. However, Sri Lanka has wiped out the worlds most ruthless terrorists whilst rescuing large number of innocent people who were in the Tiger clutches and will submit its full report of their operations to explain how the conflict came to an end. We have supported Sri Lanka, because we believe Sri Lanka is working for its people to address their basic needs. It is not easy to work in a post-war period, because first of all,the government must normalize the people, who are victims of the war. I think at present they are doing many things for the IDPs. This is time for the international community and the Diaspora to support the country and its people. We should not keep our mind divided and it will destroy us and unity can only union us.

Q: Could you please summarize Russian-Sri Lanka relations at present?

VPM:We are close friends and equal partners. Official contacts between Russia and Ceylon started in the year of 1891 by establishing the Russian consulate in the southern port city of Galle. Peoples of our two countries are well aware of the atrocious and devastating essence of terrorism. Having suffered itself from separatism and international terrorism, Russia unflinchingly supported the efforts of the legitimate Government of Sri Lanka aimed at eradication of these evils as a precondition for the creation of solid foundation for political solution to internal problems of the country.

This support had a firm foundation of the principled position, rejecting double standards. That is why Russian representatives in the UN opposed attempts to divert attention of the Security Council from real threats to international peace.

Taking into consideration time-tested nature of the Russia – Sri Lanka bilateral bonds of friendship and cooperation, one may be confident that there are bright opportunities for their even more fruitful development in the future.

-Sri Lanka Guardian