'Until Sri Lanka government and the international community address the dire human-rights situation, the deterioration of the rule of law, and legitimate Tamil grievances, Sri Lanka will remain mired in turmoil' - Brad Adams, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch.
It would be naïve to expect anything other than propaganda from a head of state, but the piece by Mr. Rajapaksa is more dangerous than hubris - Asoka Wijeweera, London.
Wall Street Journal published three responses to the article by Mahinda Rajapaksa on WSJ under the caption "Sri Lanka Looks to the Future." He said "our people are free of threats, fear and terrorism. The government will work hard for all of them."
Comment by Brad Adams, Asia Director,Human Rights Watch
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's plans sound good on paper ("Sri Lanka Looks to the Future," op-ed, Feb. 4), but until his government and the international community address the dire human-rights situation, the deterioration of the rule of law, and legitimate Tamil grievances, Sri Lanka will remain mired in turmoil.
More than 7,000 civilians died last year in what the United Nations called a "bloodbath" for which government forces as well as the Tamil Tigers were responsible. Yet the government has reneged on commitments to conduct a serious investigation. The president's ongoing crackdown on civil society, which has continued since election day, has resulted in killings, disappearances and unlawful arrests, and has caused many journalists and rights activists to flee the country.
Were Mr. Rajapaksa sincere about addressing the genuine grievances of all of Sri Lanka's communities, he would permit an independent international investigation into alleged abuses by both sides. And he would end the violence and harassment against peaceful critics of the government. Those concerned about Sri Lanka's future, whether to visit or to invest, should insist that respect for human rights be part of that vision. Only then will the stage be set for true reconciliation and a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka.
Asoka Wijeweera, London
It would be naïve to expect anything other than propaganda from a head of state, but the piece by Mr. Rajapaksa is more dangerous than hubris.
The presidential election was certainly quiet by Sri Lankan standards but hardly free and fair. Media outlets critical of the government were shut down, one newspaper editor has been arrested, another is still missing and even the state television station was commandeered by the military.
By writing in The Wall Street Journal Asia, Mr. Rajapaksa is trying to suppress these reports and avert international eyes from his crackdown on critics. The police and army have been purged of would-be threats and the "state of emergency" has been extended. Mr. Rajapaksa is consolidating his grip on the island.
Although he uses run-of-the-mill rhetoric to dismiss critics, the truth is that Sri Lanka needs more help from the international community than an IMF loan. The island might be a middle-income emerging market but inflation and unemployment are high, and the loss of preferential tariffs in the EU will hurt. Hence the feeble attempt to improve his reputation and the plea for aid.
Freedom of speech is a right that everyone should have. But by printing Mr. Rajapaksa's piece, the Journal not only contributes to the erosion of truth but bestows on him something routinely denied to the Sri Lankan media and public: a chance to say what he thinks, however unpalatable it may be.
Comments by Sashi Selvendran and Ashwini Vasanthakumar, Lanka Solidarity, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Rajapaksa correctly observes that his country's presidential elections were historic. But if the rest of his blinkered piece is any indication, Mr. Rajapaksa seems poised to miss this historic opportunity.
Mr. Rajapaksa gestures only vaguely toward a political solution and minority grievances, dwelling instead on Sri Lanka's potential for investors and tourists. Certainly economic development is necessary for sustainable peace, but this should neither substitute for nor distract from the critical challenges of reconciliation among the country's multiple communities, implementation of a permanent political solution and the demilitarization and democratization of society.
This last point is deeply concerning. Mr. Rajapaksa seems to believe these most recent elections were "peaceful" and "well-fought." Independent election monitoring centers, however, found more than 900 instances of election violence. Despite the war's end, he makes no mention of implementing parts of the Sri Lankan Constitution that would devolve power to local authorities, giving various communities more of a say.
The demise of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam signals the possibility of a democratic future for a long-brutalized society. But in its postbellum conduct, the government of Sri Lanka under Mr. Rajapaksa has shown us that terrorism is not the only threat to democracy.
Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his article to WSJ:
January 26 was an historic day for Sri Lanka. It was the first presidential election for more than 25 years that was unaffected by the terrorism and intimidation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, otherwise known as the Tamil Tigers. The overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans who exercised their democratic right last Tuesday voted for an end to division, an end to terrorism and for a new beginning of peace and prosperity. I am proud that the election was well fought, but peaceful on voting day. All who wished to participate, could.
Kilde: Tamil National
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