- The Sudar Oli Editorial
(August 30, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The European Union is to examine the draft report submitted by the EU delegation that visited Sri Lanka. Thereafter it is scheduled to be forwarded to the EU Parliament for consideration.
The members of the EU delegation that visited Sri Lanka held a Press Briefing prior to the departure. Having analyzed the views expressed by the EU delegation at the press briefing, political analysts felt that they were not favourable to the government.
Therefore, it is generally expected that the report could be prejudicial to the government of Sri Lanka. It is said that Sri Lanka is already engaged in moves to oppose it in such an event of it being tabled at the EU Parliament.
In pursuance of the strategies to oppose the report, allegations are made that all members of the EU delegation that was led by Robert Evans, are pro Lankan Tamils. It is also alleged that the political destiny of these delegates in the EU Parliament is determined by the votes of the expatriate Lankan Tamils.
The strategy is to belittle the report of the EU by a propaganda that the report was prepared by delegates who are pro Lankan Tamils. It is doubtful that the EU will be convinced of any charges against the integrity of the delegates.
What ever the case may be, it is certain that the report of the delegates who visited Sri Lanka will have an impact on any decision of the EU Parliament in regard to the providing of GSP plus concessions to Sri Lanka. In such an event, Sri Lanka will have to lose 10, 000 crores of Rupees each year.
In order to obtain GPS plus concession, the country must ensure workers’ rights, human rights etc as embodied in 27 international charters. It is doubtful that Colombo will rise to the occasion. In fact, the delegates subtly indicated that the continuing increase in human rights violations could result in the country being denied the said facilities.
Colombo seems to have hardly understood the serious nature of the message of the EU delegates. It is, therefore, presumed that the proposed report could be detrimental to the interest of the country.
(An English translation of the Editorial in The Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily based in Colombo.) - Sri Lanka Guardian
The proposed report of the EU on Sri Lanka!
