By A True Son of Mother Lanka in London –
Many felt dejected and in despair of the disunity amongst their community. All were viewed as agents of the Colombo government. Keen and long standing activists were not spared by those suspicious minds. Confusion created near street fights, sometimes for real. Big Diaspora initiatives were threatened with legal action by their own. The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) was split and near breaking point. Questions of misuse of funds and mistrust made fund raising a nightmare for many genuine projects. Television debates have become like soap-opera with personality clashes in public view. International Diaspora lobby organisations such as Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and others were running out of steam.
What has come to our country’s pride? Do we actually deserve this? For the mistakes of a few the entire nation pays a price.
This was when President Mahinda Rajapaksa came for their rescue as a unifying force in December 2010. Let alone he ignored the wise advice given to him by former judge, Justice Jayasinghe who was not only the then Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in London but was also a friend for many years, the President announced of his arrival well in advance. External Affairs Ministry on advice from the Bell Pottinger, theUKbased lobbyist went public in a big way to announce the arrival of the President and portrayed the event at the Oxford Union as a historic one. The build up was unparalleled.
What actually transpired was a shameful diplomatic disaster that no Sri Lankan would want to be reminded of. This diplomatic blunder gave the Tamil Diaspora particularly in the UK the lifeline they desperately needed.
Groups came together, Tamil media got distracted, lobbying got revived, old contacts became alive, and unity in action was remarkable. With a united front they gave a good hiding to the President who was almost chased away in shame a day early fearing further embarrassment of an impending legal challenge against one of his security men alleging to be a war criminal.
Being chased away felt so bad that the President’s siblings and the entire cabinet came to the Colombo airport to receive and console him. The next Sunday Times in Colombo summed up well with a photograph of President’s arrival rushing in with a hand on his forehead.
The entire Tamil Diaspora around the world cheered in joy of a successful operation well executed. That perhaps was the turning point that has continued with many other vital successes for the Diaspora worldwide to date. Global Tamil Forum’s (GTF) successes are a classic example.
If this self inflicted grief was not enough, the Defence Secretary like clockwork opens his mouth to credible international media putting his foot in his mouth periodically.
What is this about the Rajapaksas who could have been revered as a family of saviours of uniting the land but will likely to go down in history as dividing the people.
When the Tamil Diaspora were gloating after the decisive blow they gave the Rajapaksa regime in Geneva in March 2012, President Rajapaksa hands them over yet another opportunity. This time he declares he is coming to be with the Royalty. If he had just stuck to the plan, may be the damage could have been limited. It’s not to be! He wants more. More of what one might ask. Although he might have wanted more of publicity, instead he got seriously negative publicity indeed!
Not being invited is one thing, but being invited and the entire session being cancelled because of you, must be a hard message to swallow.
Tamils took their old script, brushed away the dusts and implemented the same plan to precision. This time there was a ‘kick’ in their attitude. They knew what they were doing because of the trial run that was given to them courtesy of our President. The same old airport protest with LTTE flags and a lot of them this time, the legal action against accompanying staff, releasing of war crimes evidence, media exposure with disgruntled Channel 4 being the cheer leaders, demonstrations, protest marches, leaflets, emails, texts, twitters, face book links you name it.
Chased away yet again in shame! President Rajapaksa and his associates may shrug away counting the blessings as they see it but the price and the pride was paid buy us the real people of that beautiful island.
Little by little the Tamil Diaspora through their legal initiatives has blocked senior military personnel travelling to Europe or North America. Politicians who have been involved in the war are now scared to travel including the head of state.
When all other national leaders and representatives arrive with dignity and honour in their own vehicles with their national flags flying in with pride, our president has to be smuggled in an unidentified vehicle without our national flag for a formal lunch in an overseas country.
What has come to our country’s pride? Do we actually deserve this? For the mistakes of a few the entire nation pays a price.
rohan j / June 10, 2012
They say that one should never bite the hands that had once fed you but this dude who has conveniently developed a dementia forgot that if not for Velu Pirbha he will not be enjoying all the pomp and glory of a fastidious or opulent lifestyle which is enjoyed by his kith and kin along with his hangers on.
To do this he waged a war using chemical weapons, bombed indiscriminately from very high in the air deliberately brought unhappiness to his own people and which he and his gang of merry less goons are still continuing to do so.
His actions killed Velu along with many thousands whilst still are suffering living in the open and have been maimed for life.
He then agreed with the United Nations to be a party in the investigation as to how the war was conducted but as usual he is reneging on his agreements.
He also begged and pleaded for time telling the world to give him time to await the findings of his Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission now the report has been made public but it has not been implemented to date.
Hopefully the cabaret acts that he has performed in the UK will make him a sadder but wiser human beast.
He and his gang must meet justice sooner the better I say in disgust. R j.
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Gowrie / June 10, 2012
Come on! Mahindha! Score another own goal by visiting London for the Olympics. “Once bitten twice shy”. they say. But those phrases are not for you Mahindha. They are for good people. You have a buffalo skin. Doesn’t matter how many times you get bitten you will never get ashamed. C’mon keep scoring own goals. Thanks
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bo / June 10, 2012
The problem with Rajapakshas is that they try to run in world politics and diplomacy before they have learnt to crawl and walk. So, they are unbalanced and keep stumbling and hitting their heads on the deck.
Yes they are excellent in dealing with terrorists. Terrorists and anyone else who try to destabilize the Rajapaksha power base or the unity of the country, BE WARNED. They will not spare you and your fate would be worse than that of the villain Prabhakaran. Sri Lankans love MR and GR for the way they stood up to interfering foreigners in their war to liberate the country and ironically the weak and downtrodden Tamil population of the country from the ruthless LTTE menace. We are free, at last.
But the Achilles Heel of the R family is their desire to reach the top of world leadership in one stroke, without allowing time to properly build it up through example. First build up the country as a peaceful and developing place, where people are happy and looking forward to the future. It is not happening, and the R family is using the victory over terrorists as the only credential to reach the top.
MR seems to love publicity in a grand way. He has been trying to generate publicity through weird failed (or failing) projects. The money draining Mihin Air, the flopped big Bollywood show, commonwealth sports thing that is bit of a white elephant for SLK are some examples of this extravagant expenditure to gain publicity to himself, but disasters to the average SLK citizen. Why the public with such little annual income is being steam rolled into squeeze out more taxes from them, to make up for borrowed money from foreigners to pay for this extravagant behaviour. It is not right and it is not fair.
These foreign debacles in UK falls into the same category. The people who organize these agenda’s and venues to make believe he world that MR was going to make world statements are real hangers on. Like the courtiers of the king who wore no clothes, the hangers on egg onthe President, hoping that if he succeed, they would get their slice of cake. Their advice to MR are purely self centred, i.e. what is it that they can get out of the President’s success. If he fails, at least they have the consolation prize of having a state paid trip and 5-star hotel accommodation in London. It is win-win situation. Never mind the outcome to the President.
Personally I think the politicians and courtiers who surround MR are real a*** h***s. If MR can find some intelligent and non-selfish advisers like the late Mr Kadiragamar to support him, he would do better in world diplomacy, especially with the west. If not he should adopt a low profile like his brother GR, and focus on getting his country and people into better shape, and then by example prove to the world that he is a good leader and statesman by example.
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dagobert / June 10, 2012
Lets sabotage the Olympics…….
Its easy………………………
Lets send the Rajapashes to the U.K. for the Olympics and see how the british security & the administration is going to react..to the clowning of the Diaspora.
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Priyanka / June 11, 2012
Although glory seeking for the Diaspora’s efforts this piece, does bring out certain facts. We as a people must realise that we cannot go on like this particularly in foreign soil. Unfortunately every time President Rajapaksa travels aboard to countries where Sri Lankan Diaspora, Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese are in large numbers, he attracts bad publicity not just to him but to the entire country. Either as people who love our country we tell the government to come up with a mechanism to put a stop to these allegations of war crimes or we should all support and call for an international mechanism. If we have nothing to hide, why don’t we take this bold step and finish these allegations once and for all? In the post war era, development in our country is stagnated and the economy is going into ruins, largely because of corruption and the negative international image we have generated which is blocking investment.
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kukluxclan / June 11, 2012
Hey CT.. Why are you always publishing news/articles in favor of tamil diaspora .. in other words against MR and mother land of ours as well as yours ?? where is the fairness of journalism.. i cannot see any good news you published of MR’s.. atleast single article? you are becoming like ITN Wimasuma ..
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