Foreign funded derogatory reports cannot match what world leaders saw and said about Sri Lanka

Development

There is a very well planned concerted effort, well funded and with the same think tanks involved compiling report using ‘unknown’ witnesses or witnesses who have ‘escaped’ and awaiting asylum or refugee status to depict the notion that Sri Lanka needs to be divided and the North liberated. The reports are giveaways for when any report speaks of ‘sinhalization’ ‘genocide’ it simply showcases who is funding them. Nevertheless, while these reports are attempting to isolate Sri Lanka, the arrival of scores of foreign delegates from foreign missions, business delegations and foreign parliamentarians alongside their statements shows an entirely different picture but more importantly nullifies the bogus reports in circulation. Many of these reports have been exposed for their lies and distortions and the credibility of these organizations are now seriously to be questioned.

‘If there is any genocide – it is by the LTTE’  

Lord Naseby is the Chairman of the All Party British Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group.

We agree that infrastructure development is not the only criterion on which post-conflict development is to be measured. But we also need to realize that for 30 years these areas of the North were living like in the stone-age. These people needed to have something to look forward to start their lives. Now, in a matter of just 5 years they have new roads, new homes, new buildings, new means of income and ways to creatively generate income, ability to return to livelihoods that had been neglected. With the development a score of other avenues have opened up. Critics must realize this. The same critics need to also acknowledge that the LTTE enjoyed USD300m annual profits, the LTTE Diaspora funded them and that same Diaspora is demanding what the GOSL has done to develop the North when all the money sent by them to the LTTE were only to procure arms, build bunkers and to be shared amongst LTTE families.

We need to also add that scores of UN agencies, INGOs, and NGOs had offices virtually next door to the LTTE which next questions what they had been doing all these years. They were not even able to tell or did not wish to tell how many Tamils the LTTE took hostage! The contributors to these charities/NGOs need to seriously question them as to what they had been doing with the money sent to them for decades – absolutely nothing had been done in the North until the post-conflict development commenced.

Do we believe the LTTE-funded documentaries or the statements of diplomats arriving in Sri Lanka?

There is much talk of UN inaction during the final stages of the war, this is an attempt to downplay the UN country teams estimate of civilian deaths as being 7721 in an effort to give credence to the global campaign to promote 40,000 and more deaths. We have sufficiently argued that without names, dead bodies there is little accusers can do but to waste money running global campaigns. In a court of law their arguments will fall to pieces. In a war and with terrorists wearing uniform and in civil, with LTTE having trained a civilian defense force what army can differentiate a LTTE terrorist from a civilian who is pretending to be a civilian and not an LTTEr? Obviously, collateral damage did occur but the fact that amidst the fighting the army actually saved close to 300,000 Tamils (amongst whom there were plenty of LTTE cadres) is satisfactorily evidence of proportionality.

The country’s ‘Come See for Yourself’ policy has worked well. 1million tourists have arrived since 2009, over 200 delegations arrived in 2013 alone to Sri Lanka. The arrival of the Japanese Prime Minister and the Chinese Leader in 2014 and the agreements being signed showcases the extent of confidence these countries are having on Sri Lanka.

In the meanwhile, a lot of money is being spent by the usual culprits to compile reports, to serialize the same sets of allegations to show a picture of ‘consistency’ but they all end up using the same sources and the same mouthpieces and same online sites and same writers and speakers and reviewers end up saying the same thing. Almost always their ‘witnesses’ are kept hidden by a new concept called ‘witness protection’ and a cap on exposing their names for 20 years because obviously there are no real witnesses and by 20 years people would not remember to even ask the disclosure of their names! The attempt is obviously to do a Goebel – a lie repeated enough times becomes accepted as truth!

Nevertheless, they will have a hard time to counter their lies against foreign delegates arriving from all corners of the world and visiting all parts of Sri Lanka.

Jan 2013 Australia – Opposition Parliamentary DelegationDeputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop & immigration spokesman Scott Morrison, border protection spokesman Michael Keenan.

“We were impressed by the progress that has been made,” Bishop said during a discussion with President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees. “Your country is to be congratulated.”

Feb 2013 Her Excellency Crete Lochen, Norwegian Ambassador visits Jaffna“ We are aware of the great efforts made by the government and non- government partners who have jointly put up lot of hard work to improve the living conditions of the communities emerging from conflict”,

April 2013 – 6 member Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by Sushma Swaraj, leader of the BJP Opposition / Lok Sabha‘“The pace of development was good given that whole infrastructure was destroyed’

May 2013 Head of the United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu accompanied by the deputy head of the mission, Mark Prasopa-Plaizier.

June 2013 –s ix member BJP-led delegation led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.“This is another achievement of Sri Lanka that many foreign delegations including the opposition party members of INDIA also started visiting Sri Lanka in Post-war era of the country.”

July 20136 Member British Parliamentary Delegation led by Conservative MP Eleanor Laing“There is a lot of hope for the future. We are very positive about Sri Lanka’

Aug 2013 EU Parliamentarian visits North – Mr. Phil Bennion, MEP, ALDE / UK from the EU Parliament Phil Bennion has said the international community can now witness for themselves the successful development process of Sri Lanka

Aug 2013French Senator Nathalie Goulet The role played by the security forces in the development process in the North is impressive

Aug 2013Canadian Embassy delegation visited Jaffna and Killinochchi and had talks with political parties and civil society members. The Canadians also visited the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna and had talks with the management and Editor.

Jan 20129 member British delegation visits Jaffna led by Conservative MP James Wharton ‘solution to the Lankan ethnic question should be found within the country and no solution could be imposed from outside’

Jan 2012Canadian Parliamentary delegationHon. Chungen Leung (M.P.), Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multiculturalism, Deputy Minister of the Government of Canada, Hon. Joe Daniel (M.P.), and, Marlene Gallyot Special Assistant to Hon. Joe Daniel (for Sri Lanka)

“the human rights situation in Sri Lanka has greatly improved and it was understood that there is no discrimination against Tamil community in Sri Lanka”.

May 2012 A team of US State Department representatives and USAID Regional Refugee Coordinator from the office of Population, Refugees and Migration, US Department of State Ms. Amanda Jacobsen, Regional Advisor for South Asia Ms. Andrea Tracy and Disaster Assistance Officer of USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in the USA along with two other officials

Sept 2012 Representatives of the African National Congress Progressive Business Forum (ANCPBF) led by Deputy Minister Ms Hlenglwe Buhle Mkize

Sept 2012 Delegates of 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)New Zealand National List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi said the resettlement process in the North was impressive and the government’s approach in the development process in the area was in the right direction.

Bakshi said the houses given to IDPs were of a high standard and it was important the IDPs had a good home.

South African Parliamentarian Patricia Mahlo said the Northern development process was excellent and the government was doing a commendable job.

Canadian Parliamentarian from Calgary North-East, Devinder Shory said sections in Canada say the Security Forces in Jaffna outnumber civilians here, but from what he witnessed the Forces’ presence was minimal

Nov 2012 – 8 member Czech Parliamentary Delegation led by the Chairman of the foreign Affairs committee of the Czech Republic David Vodrazka MP Czech officials also called on the Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam and the Northern Province Governor Major General (retd.) G A Chandrasiri.

Dec 2012 – UN delegation led by Japan includes permanent representatives from Nigeria, Romania Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York and top diplomats of Italian, Brazilian and South Africa’s missions in Colombo visits north to view progress

Feb 2011 – Leader of the South Asia Delegation of the European Parliament, Mrs. Jean Lambert (Greens/UK) commended the Govt. on the “tremendous efforts and progress made by the Government to remove the legacy of the conflict”.

Jun 2011 British Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr. Mark Gooding expressed satisfaction on the role played by the Army in the North

Sept 2011 Australian High Commissioner Her Excellency Cathy Clugan 3 day visit to Jaffna expressed her satisfaction about the welfare measures launched by the Army for Jaffna civilians.

Sept 2011 US House of Representatives Sub-committee Chairman on the Middle East and South Asia, Congressman Steven Joseph Chabot expressed their satisfaction about ongoing developments in Jaffna.

Oct 2010- 35 Member team delegation was led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.India was for the peaceful coexistence of all the people in the island, and the Tamil question should be solved entirely by Sri Lanka, while India could only play a supportive role.

Nov 2010 Leader of the German Delegation, Ms Petra Ernstberger (CDU/CSU) thanked the GoSL for the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the progress made in Sri Lanka, and confirmed their overall impression, following visits to the North and the East of the country that “many good things had been done”.

Oct 2009 Singaporean envoy George YeoI congratulate His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, for his very courageous leadership and thank the Chiefs of the Defense outfit who supported him with deep commitment and self-sacrifice.

Arrival of Foreign Delegates to North Sri Lanka in 2013

 

DATE

NAME

1

2010.01.15

Mr.Charles Haviland – BBC Correspondent

2

2010.03.10

Mr. Yangxiuping, Chinese Ambassador

3

2010.03.25

Delegation from Bangladesh Army

4

2010.04.18

 Indian High Commissioner

5

2010.04.28

Delegation from Pakistan Army

6

2010.05.03

Mr.Yohi Sasakawa of Sasakawa Foundation (Japan)

7

2010.05.05

Indian High Commissioner 

8

2010.05.06

Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Spiteri (Diplomat)

9

2010.05.21

Miss. BM Pheto, High Commissioner South Africa

10

2010.06.08

Ms. Patricia Butenis, US Ambassador

11

2010.06.09

Ms. Patricia Butenis, US Ambassador 

12

2010.06.13

HE Mrs. Ruth Flint, Ambassador for Switzerland

13

2010.06.15

Ms. Samantha Power, US State Dept

14

2010.06.25

Mr. Antonio Tan JR, Ambassador for the Philippines

15

2010.06.28

Mr. Mark Gooding, Diplomat

16

2010.07.04

Dato S Kulasegaran and Mr C Gnanarajah, Malaysian delegation

17

2010.07.12

 UN Stafff

18

2010.07.16

Mr. Akio Uhchida, Japan officials

19

2010.08.06

Mr. Damascus Mscheri, UN delegation

20

2010.08.31

 Ms Nirupama Rao, Indian Foreign Secretary

21

2010.09.14

 Swiss delegation

22

2010.09.21

Mr. Anurag Srivastava, First Secretary Indian High Commission

23

2010.09.21

Ms Indu Mohandas, UN delegation

24

2010.10.01

Brigadier General Humayun Bakht, Defense College Bangladesh

25

2010.10.07

 High Commissioner of India

26

2010.10.09

 US Investors

27

2010.10.12

Chief of Mission Mr. Richard Danziger

28

2010.10.20

Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy

29

2010.10.22

His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Spiteri

30

2010.11.15

HE.Miss Leoni Cuelenaere, Netherlands Ambassador

31

2011.01.10

 Malaysian delegation

32

2011.01.20

 Ambassador for Japan

33

2011.01.21

 Indonesian Ambassador

34

2011.01.21

 Indian High Commissioner

35

2011.01.24

 Ms. Patricia Butenis, US ambassador

36

2011.02.27

 Canadian High Commissioner

37

2011.03.10

 Indian High Commissioner

38

2011.03.12

Mr. Lun Karan, German delegation

39

2011.03.14

Mr. Thomas Litscher, Swiss Ambassador

40

2011.03.14

Thomas Litscher

41

2011.03.23

 Norwegian Ambassador

42

2011.04.25

 Indian Defence Advisor

43

2011.04.29

 Nepalese delegation

44

2011.05.10

Ms. Indumathi Mohandas

45

2011.05.23

 US delegation

46

2011.06.03

Tri Service Senior Officers

47

2011.06.04

Mr. Tomas Dub, Hon. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Czech republic

48

2011.06.07

 Mr. Tomas Dub, Hon. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Czech republic

49

2011.06.08

Steev Hanchns, Australian delegation

50

2011.06.14

 Mr. Mark Gooding, British High Commissioner

51

2011.06.29

 Malaysian delegation

52

2011.07.11

 Indian High Commissioner

53

2011.07.23

Mr. Stephen Foster, Australian High Commission officials

54

2011.08.02

Lt Col Patrick Schuler, US Defense Attache

55

2011.08.24

IOM International Staff, UK delegation

56

2011.09.13

 Robert O Blake and diplomats

57

2011.09.18

HE.Mr Jongmoon Choi, Ambassador of Korea

58

2011.09.19

HE Kathy Clugan, Ambassador Canada

59

2011.09.20

Mr. Kerin Wenger, Swiss National Public Radio

60

2011.09.22

 US ambassador

61

2011.09.28

Mr. Steven Joseph Chabot, US House of Representative

62

2011.10.03

Mr.Adnan Khan, UN WFP Officials

63

2011.10.09

Mr.Sri Ranjan Mathai, Foreign Secretary of India

64

2011.10.12

Hon Tholhath Ibrahion, Minister of Defense and National Security Maldives

65

2011.10.19

Hon. Albert Benjamin Chandler, US delegation

66

2011.10.22

Hon Mark Prichard, British MP

67

2011.10.28

Hon Lord George Foulkes, UK Parliamentary Delegation

68

2011.11.14

HE Shyam Saran, Ex-Foreign Secretary India

69

2011.11.17

Asian Delegation

 

HE Mr Djafar Husein-Ambassador Republic of Indonesia

HE Mr Ton Sinh Thanh- Ambassador Republic of Vietnam

HE Mr Azmi Zainuddin- High Commissioner of Malaysia

Mr Tan Li Lung- Councellor, High Commission of Malaysia

Mr Albert Abdi- First Secretary, Indonesian Embassy

Miss Rungnapa Srivannavit- Charge d’ Affaires, Royal Thai Embassy

Miss Nareeta Supradist- First Secretary, Royal Thai Embassy

70

2011.11.18

Hon Ebrahim Ebrahim, Deputy Minister of International Relations & Cooperation of South Africa

71

2011.11.30

Mr Robbie Bulloch, British Deputy High Commissioner

72

2011.11.30

Ms. Sheila Berry, Diplomat

73

2011.12.08

Ms Maria Vamvakinou, Australian Parliamentary delegation

74

2011.12.12

Ms. Megan Foster, Canadian High Commission

75

2011.12.13

HE Mrs Christine Robichon, French Ambassador

76

2011.12.15

Mr P Kumaran, Deputy High Commissioner of India

77

2011.12.21

Ms Ayaco Tanaka, Japan delegation

78

2012.01.04

Hon James Wharton, UK Parliamentary Delegation

79

2012.01.09

Mr.Joe Daniel, Canadian Parliamentary delegation

80

2012.01.18

HE SM Krishna, Indian delegation

81

2012.01.20

Dr Alyssa Ayres, US delegation

82

2012.01.23

Mr Devid Hall, British High Commission officials

83

2012.01.23

HE Abdul Kalam, Former President of India

84

2012.01.26

Dato Kulasegaran Sabarathnam, Malaysian delegation

85

2012.02.01

Mr. Andrew Robert Bruce

86

2012.02.08

Hon. Malai K Sinha, Joint Security / Ministry of External Affairs, India

87

2012.02.08

Mr Stephen J Rapp – US delegation

88

2012.02.12

Andrew Robert Bruce, UN officials

89

2012.02.13

Mr SB Divaratne with US delegation

90

2012.02.16

Dr Cyill Nunn, Federal Republic of Germany

91

2012.02.17

Rt. Hon Sir Alan Haselhurst, UK Parliamentarian delegation

92

2012.02.20

Mr Mark Haynes, Counsellor safety and security, High Commission of Canada

93

2012.02.20

Mr. Mark Haynes, Diplomats

94

2012.02.21

 Defence Attaches of Iran,Pakisthan, US,Russian,Bangaladesh and India

95

2012.02.22

Commodore Mudasser Nasir, Defence Advisor of the Bangladesh High Commission

96

2012.03.13

Lieutenant General A.K. Singh

97

2012.03.15

Ms Anne Dorain

98

2012.03.21

Germany delegation

99

2012.03.23

Hon Christopher Alexander, Canadian Parliamentarian’s Delegation

100

2012.04.03

Rt. Hon. Michael Morris, UK Parliamentarian’s Delegation

101

2012.04.18

Hon Mrs Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition, India

102

2012.04.19

Brigadier Akhtar Jamin Ravo, National Defence University, Pakistan

103

2012.04.27

Conl SG Laplante, Canadian Defence Advisor

104

2012.05.05

Hon Katsuya Okada, Deputy Prime Minister of Japan

105

2012.05.06

Ms. Amanda Jacobsen and diplomats

106

2012.05.21

HE Hilde Haraldstad, Ambassador of Norway

107

2012.05.28

Ms Robyn Mudie, High Commissioner of Australia

108

2012.06.07

Ms Amanda Jacobsen, US Officials

109

2012.07.01

Australian delegation 

110

2012.07.09

HE Mr Nobuhito Hobo, Ambassador of Japan

111

2012.07.09

Mr Mark Haynes, Counsellor Safety and Security, High Commission of Canada

112

2012.07.09

Mr John Rankin, British High Commissioner

113

2012.07.12

Mr David Vignatt, First Secretary (Political) Embassy of Switzerland

114

2012.07.17

 Mr. Mark Haynes

115

2012.07.18

Mr Yutaka Tsuneoka, Counsellor / Medical Attache of Embassy of Japan

116

2012.07.20

HE Mr Ashok K Kantha, Indian High Commissioner

117

2012.08.02

Mr James Wharton, UK Parliamentarian’s Delegation

118

2012.08.03

 Malaysian delegation

119

2012.08.05

 Tamil Diaspora team

120

2012.08.11

 Indian delegation

121

2012.08.13

Greg McCarthy, US House of Representative Committee Foreign  Affairs

122

2012.08.17

 HE Mr Ashok K Kantha, Indian High Commissioner

123

2012.08.22

Mr. William Weinstein

124

2012.08.23

HE.Mr Jongmoon Choi, Ambassador of Republic of Korea

125

2012.08.24

Mr Yasusi Akashi, Representatives from Japan

126

2012.09.08

Hon Prof(Ms) Hlengiwe Mkhize, Dy Minister of Economic Development of South Africa

127

2012.09.08

 Ms Hlenglwe Buhle Mkize

128

2012.09.13

 Commonwealth Parliamentary delegation

129

2012.09.17

Mr. Hanny Megally, Chief Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa Branch of the OSCHR

130

2012.09.17

Ms. Michelle Sison, US ambassador

131

2012.10.12

Mr. Ren Faqiang

132

2012.10.24

HE Mr Wu Jiangho, Chinese Ambassador

133

2012.10.26

 Asian Development Bank delegation

134

2012.11.05

Dr. Thomas Helfen, German Delegation

135

2012.11.16

 Japan delegation

136

2012.11.21

Mr. David Vodrazk,

137

2012.11.29

Mr Jhon Klirin and China Delegation

138

2012.12.04

Ms Megan Foster, High Commission of Canada

139

2012.12.04

Ms Indu Mohandas, UNHCR officers

140

2012.12.10

Dr Ashok k Behuria, Minister of Defence of India

141

2012.12.11

Mr Kumaran Periasamy, High Commission of India

142

2012.12.12

HE Ms Grete Lochen, Norwegian delegation

143

2013.01.27

Ms Michele J Sison, US delegation

144

2013.02.13

 Japanese delegation

145

2013.02.13

 Australian delegation

146

2013.02.13

Mr Sandeep Ullithen (Deputy Editor) India Today

147

2013.02.23

HE Mr Ashok K Kantha, High Commissioner of India

148

2013.03.01

HE Ms Grete Lochen, Ambassador of Norway

149

2013.03.06

Mr Sandeep Ullithen (Deputy Editor) India Today

150

2013.03.08

He Mr Poldej Worachat, Ambassador of Thailand

151

2013.03.11

Mr. D Prasad , Officials of Indian High Commission

152

2013.03.18

Mr Sandeep Ullithen (Deputy Editor) India Today

153

2013.03.20

Mr Hugh Segal, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Canada

154

2013.03.24

Mr Charles Haviland, BBC Correspondent

155

2013.03.25

Mr Prakash Thuladar, UN Area Security Coordinator – North

156

2013.03.27

Mr Neil Cromton, Director for South Asia & Afganistan, UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

157

2013.03.28

Mr Crete Lochen Norwegian ambassador

158

2013.04.03

Mr. Zhou Oing

159

2013.04.09

Indian Parliamentary delegation 

160

2013.05.06

Mr Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India

161

2013.05.13

Dr. Morhard, Ambassador of German

162

2013.05.17

Indian investor delegation 

163

2013.05.21

Ms Agnes Asekenye – Oonyu

164

2013.06.08

Mrs Averil Jan Henderson, High Commission of New Zealand

165

2013.06.11

Mr Mike Hillman, Australia’s Office of National Assessment to Sri Lanka

166

2013.06.24

HE Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Bangladesh High Commissioner

167

2013.07.01

Ms Janelle Denton, 2nd Secretary, Development Cooperation of Australian High Commission Office

168

2013.07.13

 European Parliamentary delegation

169

2013.07.23

Mr Abraham Mathai, Chief Security Adviser to UN High Commissioner for HR

170

2013.08.14

Mr Phil Bennion MEP – EU Parliament

171

2013.08.18

Ms Nathalie Goulet, Senator for Orne, France

172

2013.08.19

Mr Allen McLean, Regional Security Manager, UK Foreign Office

173

2013.08.25

Navanethen Pillay, UN High Commissioner for HR

174

2013.08.29

 Chinese delegation

175

2013.09.04

HE Mr Ashok K Kantha, High Commissioner of India

176

2013.09.06

Indian defense attache 

177

2013.09.10

HE Robyn Mudie, Australian High Commissioner

178

2013.09.18

HE Maj Gen (Retd) Qasim Qureshi, High Commissioner of Pakistan

179

2013.10.02

 Team of British Prime Minister’s Office

180

2013.10.08

HE Salman Khrushid Minister of External Affairs of India

181

2013.10.30

HE.Mr Jongmoon Choi Ambassador of Republic of Korea

All that needs to be said is that if anyone, any report is making allegations they would need to match these against the delegates that arrived, issued statements of praise and congratulated Sri Lanka on the efforts taken.

The very critics may well like to look at the illegal military interventions taking place, the illegal take over of lands and investments of these invaded nations, the scores of illegal renditions and the displacement of over 2.7million people and decide more of their time compiling reports on these nations to bring a ray of hope and sunshine to the lives of the people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Serbia, Kosovo, South Sudan,  etc instead of insisting that a UN team office positioned in these countries with NATO and US troops can solve all problems because there is little the UN or the Human Rights Head can argue as to these success stories to get away with similar action for Sri Lanka.

– by Shenali D Waduge