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| Was this the thawing of hostility between the American and Sri Lankan governments over the controversial ‘war crimes’ issue or merely a gesture of no political significance? |
| by Gamini Weerakoon
(September 29, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Sri Lankan diplomatic hit squad led by Mahinda Percival Rajapaksa is now in New York. By tradition the Lankan DPL hit squad is accompanied by a Cheer Squad that vastly outnumbers the DPL kind.
This time we have been unable to get the strength of the combined squad, at the time this column goes to press.
President Rajapaksa leads his squad to the UN General Assembly’s 66th session not to showcase Sri Lanka as the ‘Miracle of Asia’ but mainly for the unpleasant task of defending his regime against allegations of war crimes. It is not on the agenda of the UNGA sessions but supporters of the LTTE under names of various global Tamil organisations are reported to be hard at work attempting to raise the allegations in the UN and other fora.
Grease Yakka
Reports on the Internet say even the Grease Yakka allegations are on the cards of the anti Sri Lankan activists in New York. It will be recalled that Robert O. Blake the former US Ambassador in Sri Lanka and now US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia too expressed concern about the ‘Grease Devil’ when he was here about two weeks ago.
The Rajapaksa regime blames anti-government forces for the creation of the Grease Yakka to discredit the government, but, Opposition critics say it is a government invention to keep strict security laws in place even after emergency regulations were lifted and keep security personnel amidst people in regions where they suspect terrorism lingers. It does appear that the government’s inability to exorcise this ‘devil’ quickly enough and restore the confidence of the people is making the Grease Yakka score points even in New York.
A Mahinda scoop
However, the Sri Lankan President despite the planned hostilities by anti-Rajapaksa activists was able to pull off a propaganda scoop when he attended the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative on Tuesday.
The former US President not only warmly welcomed Rajapaksa and thanked him for the co-operation extended to the organisation founded by him but even threw an arm around Rajapaksa’s shoulder—quite an unusual gesture of welcome even by an ex-American president. Naturally, Sri Lankan newspapers particularly the state and pro-government newspapers splashed it on their front pages.
There is also the picture of the handshake with President Barack Obama but nothing politically significant can be read into the standard smiles exchanged.
Politically significant?
Political observers are bound to read much into this unusual gesture of Bill Clinton in the context of the hostile exchanges that have been taking place between the US and Sri Lankan government spokespersons, particularly those of the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, (the spouse of the former president) and our leaders. Was this the thawing of hostility between the American and Sri Lankan governments over the controversial ‘war crimes’ issue or merely a gesture of no political significance? The US State Department under Hillary Clinton has been leading the charge of Western nations demanding that Lanka investigate the alleged war crimes by its security personnel or submit to an international investigation while Sri Lanka has maintained that it is an internal matter for Sri Lanka to decide on while vehemently denying the allegations. The issue is expected to come to a head during the current UN Sessions.
Ranil and George W. Bush
Another instance of – on this occasion an incumbent president - throwing his arm around the shoulders of a Sri Lankan leader was when Ranil Wickremesinghe, the then prime minister, visited the White House. Wickremesinghe’s government had excellent relations with the George W. Bush administration and other western nations and they were the four Co-Chairs; the US, European Union, Norway and Japan, mediating over the Sri Lankan peace process. Whether the Bush-Wickremesinghe photo had an immediate impact back home is hard to say but on Wickremesinghe’s return two days later he found President Chandrika Kumaratunga had taken away the portfolios of defence, foreign affairs and mass media from the UNP government which made Wickremesinghe dissolve parliament and go to the polls only to lose the elections!
Impact
The Bill Clinton gesture could have a direct impact on local politics. Local patriots who are ardent followers of the Rajapaksa regime have been going ballistic with overheated rhetoric against Americans and other western nations over the ‘ war crimes’ issue. Now with Bill Clinton throwing his arm around Rajapaksa’s shoulders and Rajapaksa apparently appreciating it with his eyes closed( See Daily News September 21, Page 1) what will the patriotic rhetoricians say about it? It does seem to take much wind off the sails blown by the patriots!
We have many a time in this column pointed out that criticism of Rajapaksa’s military options to resolve the terrorist problem here by powerful Western nations led by America had propelled the Rajapaksa led coalition to victory in all his elections. He became the ‘Appe Raja’ of the Sinhala masses – the man who stood up to the mightiest powers on earth. Now would the arm of an ex-American president round the shoulders of our president diminish the Dutu Gemunu image?
Or will it be forgotten in a few days? As Velupillai Prabakaran said, memories of the Sinhalese do not extend beyond a couple of weeks.
A hangman by any other name
The Rajapaksa regime is oozing with loving kindness (Metta—the Buddhist terms expresses it better). Quite recently it decreed that wild elephants should not be called by the name it has been called from time immemorial: Wal Ali. (It could have been interpreted as being ‘uncivilised’ or in many other derogatory ways. The official name now bestowed on them is Wana Ali – elephants of the jungle. The reaction of the jumbos to this change in their nomenclature is not known. Whatever the name, the killing of these lovable animals either by man or trains continues while they are also captured, tortured and kept at home by rich perverts to show off their Thathvaya status).
Now the government wants to change the designation given to the hangman, Alughosuwa – the name used since the time when people were hanged here. We are not aware of how this name came about but some say that in earlier times the hangman wore a white hood when he performed his official function.
In keeping with the political mood of the times we suggest the name: Humanitarian Hanger in English and its equivalents in Sinhala and Tamil. But we wonder whether a hangman by another name matters to the person swinging at the end of the rope.
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