The United States has lost clout in Sri Lanka, acknowledges Human Rights Watch
Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune
Washington, D.C. 09 September (Asiantribune.com):
In a statement to the Business Edition of the New York Times September 07 issue discussing the role of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on eve of accepting a one hundred million dollar philanthropic donation from American billionaire George Soros
the Executive Director of the rights group Kenneth Roth singled out Sri Lanka as a nation that has moved out of the U.S. orbit and influence.
The role Mr. Roth envisages the HRW has toward Sri Lanka is through China, India and Japan the three countries he identified as close allies of Sri Lanka which moved away from the United States in recent times.
Mr. Roth said that South Africa had more sway in Zimbabwe than the United States and other Western powers. Similarly, India, China and Japan are more influential in Sri Lanka. “We need to try to generate pressure on those governments, those emerging powers, now, which means expanding our capacity to deploy our information,” Mr. Roth said.
Human Rights Watch will use the gift to add about 120 staff members to its team of 300 around the world, expand translation of its reports and open new offices. The intent, said Kenneth Roth, is to increase its influence in emerging power centers. The power centers he identified are India, China and Japan.
The group, which is based in New York, investigates and draws attention to human rights abuses around the world.
George Soros, announcing his one hundred million dollar donation cautioned the HRW “the organization has to be seen as more international, less an American organization.”
Sri Lanka believes that the Human Rights Watch is an appendage of the overall American foreign policy.
The Asian Tribune read Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s mind on Western Powers, especially the United States, when this correspondent met him for a long interview and conversation in Los Angeles in September 2007 following his official engagement at the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
Mr. Rajapaksa confided to this correspondent that the West (and the U.S.) expected his rival Ranil Wickremasinghe to win the presidential election in November 2005 explaining that the Western Powers depended on Mr. Wickremasinghe to safeguard their interests and formulate policies that suited them.
As subsequent events unfolded, the West and the U.S. realized that President Rajapaksa was not prepared to make Sri Lanka a client state of the West.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee report entitled “Re-charting US Strategy on Sri Lanka” released December 07, 2009 declared:
“As Western countries became increasingly critical of the Sri Lankan Government’s handling of the war and human rights record, the Rajapaksa leadership cultivated ties with such countries as Burma, China, Iran, and Libya. The Chinese have invested billions of dollars in Sri Lanka through military loans, infrastructure loans, and port development, with none of the strings attached by Western nations. While the United States shares with the Indians and the Chinese a common interest in securing maritime trade routes through the Indian Ocean, the U.S. Government has invested relatively little in the economy or security sector in Sri Lanka, instead focusing more on IDPs and civil society. As a result, Sri Lanka has grown politically and economically isolated from the West.”
The report authored by Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry and his opposition Republican Party colleague Senator Lugar cautioned:
“President Rajapaksa was forced to reach out to other countries because the West refused to help Sri Lanka finish the war against the LTTE. These calculations—if left unchecked—threaten long-term U.S. strategic interests in the Indian Ocean.”
Following are some of the salient observations on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee report how the authors saw Sri Lanka went out of the US orbit and influence which the Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth highlighted in a comment to the New York Times Business Page:
(Begin Excerpts) Sri Lanka’s strategic importance to the United States, China, and India is viewed by some as a key piece in a larger geopolitical dynamic, what has been referred to as a new ‘‘Great Game.’’ While all three countries share an interest in securing maritime trade routes, the United States has invested relatively few economic and security resources in Sri Lanka, preferring to focus instead on the political environment. Sri Lanka’s geostrategic importance to American interests has been neglected as a result.
There is a common view that American influence is waning, in part because of the tone of its messages. As one Western aid official told committee staff: ‘‘Sticks don’t work with the Sri Lankan Government. They need to hear coordinated, constructive messages that give them time to implement change without losing face.’’ There is also concern that Western donors do not invest in projects that are government priorities such as big infrastructure projects and roads, allowing non-traditional donors like the Chinese to fill the vacuum.
A more multifaceted U.S. strategy would capitalize on the economic, trade, and security aspects of the relationship. This approach in turn could catalyze much-needed political reforms that will ultimately help secure longer term U.S. strategic interests in the Indian Ocean.
U.S. strategy should also invest in Sinhalese parts of the country, instead of just focusing aid on the Tamil-dominated North and East
The Obama administration should: Take a broader and more robust approach to Sri Lanka that appreciates new political and economic realities in Sri Lanka and U.S. geostrategic interests. Such an approach should be multidimensional so that U.S. policy is not driven solely by short-term humanitarian concerns but rather an integrated strategy that leverages political, economic, and security tools for more effective long-term reforms.
Expand U.S. assistance to include all areas of the country, particularly in the south and central areas so that Sinhalese and other groups also benefit from U.S. assistance programs and reap some ‘‘peace dividend.’’
The U.S. Congress should: Authorize the U.S. military to resume training of Sri Lankan military officials to help ensure that human rights concerns are integrated into future operations and to help build critical relationships.
The international financial institutions should [...] ensure that IMF and development bank financing does not inadvertently exacerbate conflict. (End Excerpts)
-Asian Tribune-
Comments
The following is what the
The following is what the letter of transmittal dated December 7, 2009 and submitted by Senators Kerry and Lugar says about the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Report that Daya Gamage talks about in this piece:
“… Sri Lanka is an important partner and friend to the United States, so we asked two of our Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) staff members, Fatema Z. Sumar and Nilmini Gunaratne Rubin, to evaluate U.S. policy towards Sri Lanka. Ms. Sumar and Ms. Rubin traveled to Sri Lanka with the extensive support of the American Embassy in Colombo and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, DC, to conduct a week-long fact finding mission November 2–7, 2009, to see firsthand how the country was transitioning after the war. ……. THEIR REPORT provides significant insight and a number of important recommendations to advance U.S. policy in Sri Lanka. We hope it will help stimulate debate on the nature of the U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship and American interests in South Asia.” Signed John F, Kerry, Chairman. Richard G. Lugar Ranking Member (CAP-LETTERS emphasis is mine)
The SFRC Report was NOT authored by Senator Kerry and his Republican colleague Senator Lugar as Daya Gamage incorrectly reports. Gamage should cease this kind of irresponsible reporting that brings discredit to Asian Tribune and to the profession of Press Reporting. It also takes away the credit from the actual authors – the two Staffers who diligently worked on the production of the Report – one of the staffers is a dear family friend who I have known since the day she was born. Please Mr Gamage, stop your re-engineering of events and words – its not good for you or others who you quote; you know very well how the U.S. system works, and that the two ladies were asked by their bosses to research and produce this Report – as is very customary in the U.S. system.
While it is moslt likely that the Report would have been reviewed by Messers Kerry, Lugar and even others in the U.S. establishment, the Report by and large reflects the views of the two staffers and NOT that of the U.S. administration and has not been endorsed by any U.S. legislator – including Kerry or Lugar. As they emphatically state: “…We hope it will help stimulate debate on the nature of the U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship…” – and that was the exclusive intent of the Report – which is the way the U.S. system works!
RE-ENGINEERING: GAMAGE
RE-ENGINEERING: GAMAGE STYLE
AT Editor: Please delete my previous submission
The following is what the Letter of Transmittal dated December 7, 2009 and submitted by Senators Kerry and Lugar says about the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Report that Daya Gamage talks about in this piece:
“… Sri Lanka is an important partner and friend to the United States, so we asked two of our Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) staff members, Fatema Z. Sumar and Nilmini Gunaratne Rubin, to evaluate U.S. policy towards Sri Lanka. Ms. Sumar and Ms. Rubin traveled to Sri Lanka with the extensive support of the American Embassy in Colombo and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, DC, to conduct a week-long fact finding mission November 2–7, 2009, to see firsthand how the country was transitioning after the war. ……. THEIR REPORT provides significant insight and a number of important recommendations to advance U.S. policy in Sri Lanka. We hope it will help stimulate debate on the nature of the U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship and American interests in South Asia.” Signed John F, Kerry, Chairman. Richard G. Lugar Ranking Member (CAP-LETTERS emphasis is mine)
Senator Kerry and his Republican colleague Senator Lugar as Daya Gamage incorrectly reports did NOT author the SFRC Report. Gamage should cease this kind of irresponsible reporting that brings discredit to Asian Tribune and to the profession of Journalism. It also takes away the credit from the actual authors – the two Staffers who diligently worked on the production of the Report – one of them a dear family friend who I have known since the day she was born. Please Mr Gamage, stop your re-engineering of events and words – its not good for you or others who you quote; you know very well how the U.S. system works, and that the two ladies were asked by their bosses to research and produce this Report – as is very customary in the U.S. system.
While it is most likely that the Report would have been reviewed by Messers Kerry, Lugar and even others in the U.S. establishment, the Report by and large reflects the views of the two Staffers and NOT that of the U.S. administration and has not been endorsed by any U.S. legislator – including Kerry or Lugar. As they emphatically state: “…We hope it will help stimulate debate on the nature of the U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship…” – and that was the exclusive intent of the Report, i.e. food for thought – which is the way the U.S. system works!
Ah good to see Dias the
Ah good to see Dias the "Sinhala Buddhist American" return to swiftly and dutifully defend his masters as he has devoutly done for years.
I hope the rewards are rich and fruitful, you know, from the shed to the patio.
The white world does not hate dogs, cats, cows and sheep. They treat them well but NOT as equals. It is ironic that the African American population can see this mentality clearly, detest it and want it to be changed however are mature enough to recognise that such will never take place. Sad to say other communities love to continue the master slave relationship.
Important points (1) The
Important points
(1) The Executive Director of the rights group Kenneth Roth singled out Sri Lanka as a nation that has moved out of the U.S. orbit and influence.
HRW is more interested in keeping countries within the U.S. orbit and influence than concerns about the rights of humans. In essence the subject human-rights is a mere facade for HRW to cover their true intentions.
(2) George Soros, announcing his one hundred million dollar donation cautioned the HRW “the organization has to be seen as more international, less an American organization.”
George Soros is asking HRW to create a smoke screen to cover it's obvious affiliation with US interests.
A person with average intelligence should be able to understand now that HRW is purely a political tool to keep Sri Lanka and other poor countries as b--ches of the west in perpetuity. Perhaps, Sri Lanka should legally deport anybody working for HRW or it's interests in Sri Lanka for meddling with national security matters of Sri Lanka.
Post new comment