Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Rohini Hensman has made it necessary to once again set the record straight about her misrepresentation of facts. She has a curious belief that condemning the LTTE makes one a right to spread falsehood about conditions in the IDP centres.
I have read the strong condemnation she made of the LTTE's behaviour in the last stages of its rapidly losing battle with the Sri Lankan forces. Yet, criticism of the LTTE's behaviour at that stage, however, strong it may be, does not give one the license to make false statements or mislead the entire world about the actual conditions relating to the IDPs of the North. Even Gordon Brown, David Miliband and Ambassador Robert Blake (of the US) all praised the final defeat of LTTE terrorism, and did condemn its holding Tamil civilians hostage and as human shields, while also trying hard to throw a lifeline to the LTTE in the final stages of the battle for the liberation of the Tamil people from it. I hope she does not think this puts her in exalted company.
My clear opposition is to Hensman's assertion against all available facts that "the Vanni civilians are still being held hostage", which is a colossal departure from the truth. One cannot see how people who are being provided all necessary services, to the best of its ability by the Government of Sri Lanka, and whose welfare is also being looked after by more than 50 relief and welfare organizations of the United Nations and other international and local relief groups could be described as hostages. If so whose hostages are they, and for what purpose are they being held hostage?
Hensman states that the denial of freedom of movement to the Vanni IDPs in incarceration in internment camps was a violation of their democratic rights as citizens of Sri Lanka. She does not say how such a large influx of people could be accommodated, except in the manner done by the Government. It is easy to use words such as "incarceration" and "internment camps", without knowing the reality in those relief centres that are serving the needs of nearly 280,000 plus people, who braved death and grave injury to seek safety with the Government of Sri Lanka.
As to the violation of their democratic rights as citizens of Sri Lanka, she appears to be ignorant that there are petitions already filed in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on this very issue, by some of those in the relief centres, and also by other outside, I would rather await the decision of apex court of this country that has shown great freedom and independence in adjudicating on such issues of freedom and fundamental rights, before the defeat of the LTTE, rather than take Hensman's word on this matter. Suffice it to state, that those held hostage by anybody are hardly likely to be allowed to file petitions in the courts against their condition.
Whether the present situation of the IDPs "is an insult to the soldiers who risked (and in some cases lost) their lives in the belief that they were bringing freedom to these people", is something Hensman had better verify with the soldiers themselves. She is in no position to pass such judgment. The fact is that these soldiers, in addition to ensuring their safety, continue to attend to the needs of these citizens of Sri Lanka, who they freed from the terrible and bloody clutches of the LTTE, and are in fact quite proud of the fact that they were able to bring these people to freedom they now enjoy. It is sheer fancy on the part of Hensman or any others to think that the troops who carried out an important humanitarian operation, indeed at the cost of so many lives from their ranks, think that the present situation of the IDPs, which all independent reports show is improving daily, is an insult them and insufficient reward for their brave and courageous efforts and sacrifices on behalf of these people.
One fails to see how the slowly but steadily improving situation of the IDPs, as documented by many relief organizations and many journalists, too, contradicts "President Rajapaksa's statement in his victory speech that there were no longer any minorities in Sri Lanka by creating a minority that did not enjoy rights like freedom of movement which are enjoyed by the majority". This thinking is moving to the ridiculous without even approaching the sublime. The IDPs of the Vanni are not a special, newly created minority. A minority is not created by stating they will be resettled and rehabilitated within 180 days, and working towards that goal. One does not provide schools and other educational facilities, and also arrange for public examinations and special coaching for students preparing for the higher examinations, among a new minority that is being created.
The President's statement about there being no majority and minority attitudes in Sri Lanka anymore, shows a clear intention to move away from the majority - minority divisions that have bedeviled our politics for so long. This does not in any way deprive the various communities from asserting their separate identities, or enjoying their traditional cultural and other values and practices. This is hardly the stuff of creating a new minority that does not enjoy the rights of the majority, except to a mind that is unable to grasp the new realities of post LTTE developments in Sri Lanka.
As for Hensman's fear that all of this would lead to increased chances of "a new insurgency by converting Tamils who are well disposed towards the government into people with a grudge against the government," one must admit the answer to that lies only in the future. If the government fails in its task of reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation there surely is that risk. It is not a risk that will come from temporary IDP status, One has to take the greatest care to ensure that the exit and resettlement of the last IDP is done as soon as funds and facilities permit, and that too with good livelihood opportunities and the absence of any discrimination toward them to ensure that what Hensman fears would not happen. What can be comforting is that conditions as they are in the relief centres today do not seem to engender any such situation. Interestingly, why should there be "Tamils who are well disposed towards the government" today, if as Hensman claims the IDPs are being held hostage by the same government. Does the summer heat in the UK make her thinking even worse? As for grudges against the government, Hensman seems to have them aplenty, although not an IDP here but comfortably ensconced in the UK.
Hensman moves into considerable generalization when she states that in "the context of the assaults and murder of journalists and policy proposals for the expansion of the army by 100,000 and cancellation of the presidential election, looks as if we would be heading towards a dictatorship." The attacks and killing of journalists are indeed matters of serious concern, but grave as it is one does not see how this could be linked to the conditions and status of the IDPs which is the main issue raised by Hensman. There is no firm policy proposal to increase the strength of the army by 100,000, although this and similar figures have been seen in the media, which does not make them true. As for cancellation of the presidential elections, the President is on record that he will be seeking re-election, and in fact has also stated that his proposals for a political settlement will come after re-election. Hensman could therefore rest assured that we are not moving towards a dictatorship.
In response to my observation that she should, protest about the children of asylum seekers in the UK being held in detention camps, she states that she has done so. How very great! I do wish that she continues her protests about that violation of the rights of children in her land of adoption, even more than her misplaced concern about IDPs here. She could also make a much more vocal protest about the numbers of civilians being killed by US drones in Pakistan just now - the latest reports state that at least 40 to 50 civilians are killed for each Taliban fighter allegedly killed. And there are now more than 2.5 million internally displaced people in Pakistan, all caused by the fighting there. Is there is new minority being created there, too? Keep the protests going, but only on the basis of fact and not fiction that is meant to mislead the world. I do agree that Sri Lanka is part of the world and deserves attention. But the attention should be based on verifiable truth and not on hearsay or unverified media reports or similar reports by do-gooders in the well-paid NGO circuit or business of relief.
Hensman shows a touch of martyrdom when asks whether she should interpret my response (which she calls an attack) to her wrong statements as an "attack by the Director of the Presidential Secretariat Policy Research & Information Unit (PRIU) as a veiled (or not so veiled) threat?" My response to her was personal in a regular column I write. I do not believe in threatening anyone with my writing, even those who may be doing publicity for barbed wire manufacturers. It is something I have never done in all my years in journalism. I can see that she is craftily trying to draw in the Presidential Secretariat into issuing veiled or not so-veiled threats. The inability to accept criticism, without imputing motives that are far removed from reality, is something that requires rejection with contempt.
