Hillary Clinton lives in the Biggest Glass House of them all

“The Sri Lankan Military Forces are legendary in regards to their strict discipline, and more recently it has become known for its compassion. I’ll never forget being in Sri Lanka during the last days of the war against the LTTE when the floodgates were opened and 95,000 human shields crossed into the arms of waiting soldiers in a single day.”

By Stephen Long, Los Angeles, California

(October 03, Los Angeles, Sri Lanka Guardian) I was shocked when I learned of Hillary Clinton’s statement about rape being used as a weapon during the Sri Lankan war against the LTTE terrorists. For many reasons I simply cannot believe this is true.

On one hand I applaud the unanimous passing of the UN Security Council’s resolution to create new tools to combat sexual violence against women and children in conflict situations. On the other hand, for the US Secretary of State to off-handedly, and without any proof, include Sri Lanka in a list of countries where rape has been used as a weapon is not only irresponsible, but downright shameful. She put Sri Lanka in the company of the Balkans and Burma, but why didn’t she mention Darfur, the biggest modern perpetrator of them all? Is it because the Sudan has coveted oil resources, and she doesn’t want to rock the boat? It makes me wonder…

To me it proves that Hillary is safe and snug in the pocket of the Tamil Diaspora’s relentless propaganda machine, and is a willing pawn in its on-going efforts to discredit the Government of Sri Lanka. Obviously the Secretary of State has been spending far too much time in the company of former Deputy US Attorney Bruce Fein, a highly-paid lobbyist who has represented three LTTE front organizations in one year, and former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake. These two have been feeding her misleading information – lies – for the past two years; one does it for the money, and the other for reasons still unknown.

Shame on you, Mrs. Clinton! You live in the biggest “glass house” of them all, and you should be the last one to be throwing stones at Sri Lanka. The US has become notorious for proven human rights abuses, including torture and sexual abuse, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo. Only recently a soldier was convicted of raping an innocent girl in Japan, and who could forget the scandal at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado? How can you be such a hypocrite?

I was privy to a conversation last night with Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona who said that in thirty years there had never been one incident – or even an accusation – of rape against female LTTE cadres. The LTTE accused the GOSL of many crimes and injustices, but never rape – not even on Tamil.net. Why should such accusations be made now, when the war against the terrorists is over? It can only be because Hillary still has a soft spot in her heart for the LTTE and its front organizations that once donated to her presidential campaign. Even though she returned the money when she learned of its origins, it appears that she is still listening to their false allegations about the Sri Lankan Government. It also appears that she wishes to punish the GOSL for not kneeling to her demands at the end of the war.

The Sri Lankan Military Forces are legendary in regards to their strict discipline, and more recently it has become known for its compassion. I’ll never forget being in Sri Lanka during the last days of the war against the LTTE when the floodgates were opened and 95,000 human shields crossed into the arms of waiting soldiers in a single day. The gratitude toward the soldiers was real; they were treated as saviors. Never did any of the refugees – to this day – accuse anyone in the military of rape.

It is true, though, that many LTTE cadres raped their own Tamil females to keep them under their control. The bad-boys knew that the stigma of rape would prevent any female cadres from deserting; they would not be welcomed back home.

In addition, rape is an epidemic in the United States, but it is rare in Sri Lanka. There are, in fact, violent crimes committed in Sri Lanka every day, but the incidence of rape is almost unheard-of. It just doesn’t appear to be a part of the culture, where both Tamils and Sinhalese seem to value the sanctity of a woman’s right not to be raped. It does happen occasionally, yes; but a rape is committed nearly every second in the US – the capital of sexual violence against women and children – where the “pimps and ho’s” are glorified as heroes.

Since the end of the war against the LTTE there have been dialogs between the US State Department in Washington and members of the Tamil Diaspora. There have been no meetings between the State Department and the Sinhalese community. Why is this? My answer is simply that “money talks.” The Diaspora’s money machine is still in tact, and I’d be willing to bet that donations are still flowing into the pockets of key decision-makers on Capitol Hill.

Mrs. Clinton and her boss, President Obama, should note that of the approximate 500,000 Sri Lankans living in America about 90% of them are members of the Democratic Party, as am I. If the Secretary of State keeps on pursuing her policy of discrediting the Sri Lankan Government, then she shouldn’t be surprised if these people suddenly switch parties. I might even go out shopping for a GOP elephant lapel pin myself. The US Government should also note that there are an estimated 15 million Buddhists in the US – most of whom I suspect, are sympathetic to the Buddhist-dominated GOSL; the Obama administration risks alienating these kind-hearted folks as well.

Wake up, Mrs. Clinton! Screen your information bearers more carefully. Don’t pick up that stone – even though it is very tempting – because you live in a giant glass house that’s visible from the far corners of the earth. People will start throwing stones back at you, and one day your ignorance and bias will be exposed.

-Sri Lanka Guardian