IA opens another front to destroy Sri Lanka and the separatist forces along with their foreign minders ____________________________________
by Ranjith Soysa
(February 18, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka people and their elected government have realised that the LTTE has to be defeated if the country has to be liberated economically, they have proved the earlier publicised statement that the LTTE cannot be defeated is a myth. Yet, the NGO mafia and their foreign minders continue to plot to prevent the defeat of the LTTE.
The latest move is by International Alert to open fronts in the UK, Australia and Canada to promote "Corporate Social Responsibility" of Sri Lankan business community by having seminars in foreign countries! The first seminar is planned to be held at a University in Queensland by International Alert in collaboration with Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict studies. The budget for the seminar will exceed AUD 100,000- (SLRs approx I million) most probably with funding from Australian Government sources and the Universities.
International Alert’s credentials need investigation as the objective of the programme is to create social responsibility. IA came into existence in 1980s with main focus on ‘conflict within Sri Lanka between Sinhalese and Tamil’. IA published a map of Sri Lanka showing half of Sri Lanka as Tamil areas. According to British records IA contributed funds to Tamil International Centre one of the major organisation promoting LTTE in the UK and in Europe.
Most sordid activity of IA was its involvement in funding a rebel movement in Sierra Leone and connections to the smuggling of diamonds. President Dr Ahamed Tejan Kabbah the elected President of Sierra stated as follows in the American Sunday Talk Show "Like it is" on ABC on 5th Oct 1997. "For the past six years, we have had a rebel movement in the country. The rebels were being sponsored by a third party ..called International Alert … they have their secretary general someone from Sri Lanka.
Dr Kabbah charged, "We have evidence to show that (IA) were very much interested in smuggling out diamonds and gold and that was how they got associated with the rebels and they (IA) was able to really control the rebel leader to virtually do whatever they wanted him to do"
In a letter addressed to then UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Mr Kabbah stated that he was .."gravely concerned ..by continuing activities of…IA …Two of its officials, Mr Kumar Rupasinghe and Mr Addal Sebo in particular started interfering in our internal affairs in violation of the principles guiding the conduct of the NGOs.. (page 107, Foreign NGOs in Sri Lanka-Dr Susantha Gunatileke-2006)
It is indeed ironical to read that an organisation with such a sullied record is attempting to introduce corporate responsibility to Sri Lankan business organisation by organising seminars in foreign countries. It is regrettable that some members of the academia of the universities and representatives of the business community have consented to join the AI circus without investigating the AI ‘s motives.
AI has no moral right to discuss peace in Sri Lanka and canvass opinions of the business community to send wrong signals to Sri Lanka’s unsuspecting global partners with their history of diamond smuggling. Sri Lankan government should take steps to discuss these issues with the business representatives in Sri Lanka as AI is planning to get ‘regional businessmen’ from areas such as Hambnatota, Kegalle, Jaffna, Trincomalee. Ratnapura and Badulla to join the circus to complete the brain-washing of the international community to provide the required escape route to the LTTE. (AI effort reminds me of the expense paid tour of team of school children taken to Geneve to speak for the separatists by the Peace Council)
Why are our so-called intellectuals prostituting their positions for dollar payments? And why are businessmen who had their education and made their fortunes in Sri Lanka going to help destroy Sri Lanka.
According to the preliminary reports the seminar’s welcome address will be made by Markus Mayor, Country Manger of AI , Sri Lanka. Others who are billed to speak are Prof Siri Hettige, University of Colombo, Deva Rodrigo, Past Chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Radika Hettiarchchi, Advisor IA , Sunil Bastians ICES.
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