{"id":115664,"date":"2013-11-24T13:13:53","date_gmt":"2013-11-24T07:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=115664"},"modified":"2013-12-03T16:59:22","modified_gmt":"2013-12-03T11:29:22","slug":"the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/","title":{"rendered":"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tisaranee Gunasekara<\/span><\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHail the Great Leader of the Commonwealth\u201d –\u00a0<\/i>The wording on hoardings celebrating the Rajapaksa Commonwealth-Chairmanship<\/i><\/p>\n

In 2012, Mahinda Rajapaksa asked India to send the Kapilawastu relics to Sri Lanka for a public exposition. A new round of provincial elections was being planned and the regime wanted to use the relics to bolster its Sinhala-Buddhist credentials.<\/p>\n

\"MR<\/a>After the 1995 exposition in Thailand, India had decided not to send the Kapilawastu relics out again, because of their \u2018delicate nature\u2019. But when Colombo made its request, Delhi complied: \u201cmaking an exception, the Government of India decided to send them to Sri Lanka\u201d[i]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Tamil issue\u2019 is an irremovable factor in Indo-Lanka relations but its importance is not a constant. Publicly, Delhi will always pay lip service to \u2018Tamil interests\u2019. But in actuality, the \u2018Tamil Nadu factor\u2019 becomes significant only during election seasons. In between, Delhi tends to accord more priority to appeasing Colombo (to keep it out of Beijing\u2019s orbit and to promote Indian business interests) than to satisfying Tamil Nadu.<\/p>\n

But such variations and nuances are beyond the comprehension of the Rajapaksas. Thus they turned PM Singh\u2019s presence at the Colombo Commonwealth into a public tug-of-war between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu. They failed to appreciate that given the proximity of elections and the challenge posed by the Modi-factor, the Congress Party would not want to take any risks with the Tamil Nadu votes.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s world even the sole super power cannot ignore global public opinion or expect uncritical and unconditional support, ad infinitum<\/i>. The Rajapaksas, lacking in both material and moral force, think that they can ignore global opinion and have their way, with impunity. They regard international relations through the same distorting \u2018us vs. them\u2019 prism they use in national politics. Either you support us unconditionally under all circumstances or you are our enemy is becoming the Siblings\u2019 approach even in the international arena.<\/p>\n

An independent and sovereign country cannot permit the world to decide its agenda. However a rational government, in fashioning its agenda, cannot ignore the concerns of the international community nor act totally at variance with these concerns. If a country is financially dependent on external sources, as Sri Lanka is, political autarky becomes even more unaffordable. Such a country should try to take a sober view of its problems, prospects and options and come up with the most optimum compromise possible, by balancing varying and conflicting interests, instead of allowing the megalomania of its leaders to chart not just its national but also its international course.<\/p>\n

The Chinese Card<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018The Leader who conquered the World<\/b>\u2019 is one of the accolades bestowed upon President Rajapaksa by his acolytes. The President is not content with lording it over Sri Lanka; he desires to cut a dash internationally and especially in the West.<\/p>\n

Thus the priority accorded to hosing the Commonwealth Summit.<\/p>\n

Under Rajapaksa rule, Lankan foreign policy seems to be structured around President Rajapaksa\u2019s vainglorious need of to gain Western and international entr\u00e9e. <\/i>Rajapaksa mood-changes have a decisive impact on the shape and direction of Lanka\u2019s international relations; Lankan attitude to foreign countries can turn friendly and accommodating or petulant and wrathful depending on the Presidential mood. The regime\u2019s policy is to reward its international friends and punish its international enemies, irrespective of the cost to the nation.<\/p>\n

In the run up to the Commonwealth, the British media revealed that \u201cSri Lankan High Commission in London has privately boasted that it now has 14 MPs prepared to publicly defend the regime\u2026 One Conservative MP has told\u2026how he has been offered \u2018whatever he wants\u2019 from the Sri Lankan government, including luxury holidays\u2026. Another Conservative MP said that he had an \u2018open invitation\u2019 and that the Sri Lankan government had said \u2018You can have whatever you want\u2019\u201d.[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n

In January\/February 2013, Australian media revealed that \u201cA SENIOR Sri Lankan government official is suspected by Australian authorities of being personally \u201ccomplicit\u201d in the people-smuggling trade \u2026 Australia\u2019s intelligence agencies have identified the official, who has a high profile and is known to be close to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The agencies believe he is responsible for authorising numerous boats in the past 10 months, fuelling the surge of asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka\u2026 Australia\u2019s intelligence agencies believe it would be impossible for so many asylum-seeker boats to leave the island\u2019s shores without the individual\u2019s direct involvement\u201d.[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n

Then came Australian elections; the new PM\u2019s \u2018asylum policy\u2019 of immediately deporting all illegal arrivals depended on Colombo\u2019s total cooperation.<\/p>\n

Mr. Abbot got it. The alleged mastermind of the \u2018human trafficking racket\u2019, \u201ca decorated naval officer who briefed Australia\u2019s border protection chief and its high commissioner to Sri Lanka on how to stop human trafficking\u201d[iv]<\/a>, was arrested during the run up to the Commonwealth. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Australian and Lankan navies to tackle people smuggling during the Commonwealth[v]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Is there a quid-pro-quo<\/i> correlation between Canberra\u2019s uncritical backing for the Rajapaksas and Colombo\u2019s sudden interest-cum-success in stopping the \u2018boat people\u2019?<\/p>\n

Was there a similar correlation between the \u2018milk powder issue\u2019 and the New Zealand\u2019s uncritical support for the Rajapaksas[vi]<\/a>?<\/p>\n

After the regime banned and un-banned Fonterra-imports, with equally inexplicable suddenness, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister and Fonterra Chairman met with Minister Basil Rajapaksa \u201cto iron out the details of a Dairy Sector Cooperation Agreement between the two countries. The meeting followed a difficult few weeks for New Zealand-based dairy cooperative Fonterra in Sri Lanka.\u201d[vii]<\/a> The agreement was duly signed during the Commonwealth; the once-reviled Fonterra was an honoured participant at the Commonwealth Business Forum.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka lacks the capacity to generalise this carrot-and-stick policy globally or to use it to appease its Western critics and escape a thrashing in Geneva in March 2014. That summit will not produce a d\u00e9nouement but it will be an important step towards a showdown in New York, someday.<\/p>\n

It is in that context that the unprecedented Chinese comments about human rights in Sri Lanka should be considered. Those comments, mild to the point of insignificance in general, have a huge import given that they were made by Beijing, publicly<\/b>. The Chinese seem to be hinting, both to Colombo and the world, that their political backing for the Rajapaksas is neither unconditional nor endless. If the Lankan issue ends up on the Security Council agenda, the Rajapaksas may not be able to depend on the Chinese veto, permanently. China would not want to waste any of her politico-economic capital with the West, to bail out Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

China is becoming Sri Lanka\u2019s world. But for China, Sri Lanka is not worth a tiff with the West or even India. China needs Western cooperation, as much as the West needs China. And China is one of India\u2019s biggest trading partners[viii]<\/a>. In the end, Sri Lanka, totally dependent on China politically and economically, might be bartered by Beijing at the Security Council, in return for some Western favour. China will be able to do so, sans<\/i> cost, because the Rajapaksas, having burnt all their regional\/international bridges, would have no choice but to accept any treatment accorded by Beijing, however painful or demeaning, with a show of resignation.<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n
\n
\n

[i]<\/a> The Hindu \u2013 19.8.2012<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[ii]<\/a> http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/asia\/srilanka\/10439696\/Tory-MPs-banned-from-free-Sri-Lanka-trips.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[iii]<\/a> http:\/\/www.theaustralian.com.au\/national-affairs\/policy\/blow-to-asylum-battle-as-intelligence-links-sri-lankan-official-to-smugglers\/story-fn9hm1gu-1226566319961#mm-premium<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[iv]<\/a> http:\/\/www.srilankamirror.lk\/news\/11776-sln-officer-accused-of-being-key-player-in-people-smuggling-racket<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[v]<\/a> http:\/\/www.news.com.au\/world\/breaking-news\/pm-expected-to-unveil-sri-lanka-boat-deal\/story-e6frfkui-1226761488678<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[vi]<\/a> In March 2013, the milk powder scare burst forth literally out of nowhere. The government claimed that milk powder imported from New Zealand contained DCD, a hazardous agro-chemical. Imports were banned. The New Zealand companies and government protested and explained. Just a week later, the entire issue vanished in a puff of smoke. The milk powder was given a clean bill of health by the government and the ban lifted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[vii]<\/a> http:\/\/www.dairyreporter.com\/Markets\/Fonterra-NZ-Sri-Lanka-meet-to-resolve-DCD-protest-issues<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[viii]<\/a> Both countries plan to increase bilateral trade to US$100 billion by 2015 from the current US$68 billion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":115666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,6968],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-editorial","category-popular-columns"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-11-24T07:43:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-12-03T11:29:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"462\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"374\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/\",\"name\":\"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-11-24T07:43:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2013-12-03T11:29:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg\",\"width\":462,\"height\":374},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\",\"name\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[…]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2013-11-24T07:43:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2013-12-03T11:29:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":462,"height":374,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/","name":"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg","datePublished":"2013-11-24T07:43:53+00:00","dateModified":"2013-12-03T11:29:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg","width":462,"height":374},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-discontents-of-a-foreign-policy-made-in-medamulana\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Discontents Of A Foreign Policy, Made-In-Medamulana"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3","name":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MR-GL.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115664"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116183,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115664\/revisions\/116183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}