A kind advice to the OU

by Thrishantha Nanayakkara

(December 05, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Last week’s private visit of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to the UK led to mass demonstrations both in the UK and in Sri Lanka on different foci. Underlying these vocal reactions from diverse groups is a Golden opportunity to shape the path of post-war reconciliation efforts, and to strengthen democracy, human rights, and justice. I do congratulate the Sri Lankan president for stating that he will take all possible measures to unite Sri Lankans living in different parts of the World. However, it is unlikely that he will achieve it if various elements of his own Government threaten the demonstrators, their families back at home, and even go to the extent of disobeying Sri Lanka’s own police advices on the limits of demonstrating close to the British High Commission in Sri Lanka.

A mass demonstration led by a powerful minister of the Sri Lankan Government marched towards the British high commission in Colombo, and even dared to violate the Police barriers. Having done that, he questioned as to why the British Government couldn’t ensure enough security to the Sri Lankan president to give a talk at Oxford University. Imagine the crowd led by this minister was the demonstrators in the UK, and the one next to the broken police barrier was the Sri Lankan president in Oxford. The Oxford shire police does not have enough man power to handle such a massive crowd. The British Tax payers would not allow the Westminster Government to activate official diplomatic protocols to accord presidential security without an official British Government invitation to the Sri Lankan president to visit UK. The helpless Oxford shire police would have to run a huge risk on the life of a foreign President. It is obvious that they said NO to take responsibility to handle what it deemed to be a serious threat to the Sri Lankan president that the above Government minster in Sri Lanka proved by simulation.

If the main Oxford Union (OU)  invited the Sri Lankan president (there are various rumors that the main Union is not involved in this invitation), I have a humble request from them. Next time when you invite a prominent leader, please consider giving the choice to talk via a satellite link especially if the opposition presidential candidate is in jail. This also applies to leaders from countries that look abnormally peaceful. I am sure the Oxford union will think twice about the hard earned money of the British TAX payers that might be spent to give extra security to these prominent leaders (and their staff) and the possible nightmare the officials in the British High Commission in the country concerned will have to undergo.