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by Namini Wijedasa

Reacting adversely to international criticism and creating xenophobia will only distance Sri Lanka from the world, a senior diplomat warned last week, adding that the country must immediately start a dialogue locally and with the international community on the concerns that have been raised.

“It is true that perhaps there are misunderstandings abroad about what is happening here,” said H M G S Palihakkara, who retired as Foreign Secretary six months ago. “It may also be true that the credit is not given to the government about the enormous efforts it has deployed, both to take counter measures against terrorism as well as to advance a political process.

“But to react adversely to criticism… to say that we have no problems amongst ourselves and that the foreigner is the sole source of our problem… is not the way to proceed. We have to engage them in a constructive dialogue and not distance them with a combative monologue, thereby creating xenophobic sentiments quite unfamiliar to Sri Lanka.”

It was Palihakkara’s first press interview since leaving the Sri Lanka Foreign Service after 27 years. Earlier – speaking at the launch of a book on the peace process – he pointed out that Sri Lanka’s peace process had been highly externalized only because the country had failed to solve its own problems.

“There is this feeling that the foreigners… always try to overlook what the LTTE’s doing and are blaming the government,” the seasoned diplomat told LAKBIMAnEWS. “I believe this is not a helpful attitude. Diplomacy is all about engaging people who don’t perhaps understand your problem. That is how the European Union ban on the LTTE was achieved.”

When asked about the government’s current policy on the LTTE, he said everyone agrees terrorism has to be dealt with. But, “while we take the military component of our overall strategy forward, there should be a parallel political process.” “What is happening now is that the political process got so lagged behind,” he noted. “There’s no question that you need a military component. But without a parallel political process, you can’t reap the benefits you accrue from the military process.”

The alleged human rights violations are a huge problem, Palihakkara said. Referring to abductions, he agreed that there may be some “mischief makers” who engaged in this activity for financial or political gain. “At the same time, there are very serious charges of abduction and disappearance which, as the prime minister himself mentioned regarding a similar issue, the elected government should take responsibility for and investigate.”

“The problem is that we cannot say disappearances are taking place but it is not possible to find out who is doing it,” he stressed. “That is not a healthy situation for any elected government or for the country.”

He also said that if actions taken to investigate these offences don’t provide quick results, there could be both governance and economic repercussions as the atmosphere conducive to tourism, investment and other economic activity gets affected. Sri Lanka could face international strictures that will reflect badly on the country.

Palihakkara felt criticism of the government on human rights should not be seen as “helping the LTTE”. “I don’t think criticizing anyone for human rights violations can be construed as helping anyone else because respecting human rights is a constitutional obligation,” he observed. “If you ignore human rights, you do so at your own peril as an elected government.”

Was the international community bullying Sri Lanka? “I’m not sure about the terminology used,” he replied, “but certainly, we are being pressured. There are all kinds of international pressure that can be brought to bear. We have to remove the causes of these pressures, not react adversely to them. We have had pressures before and we managed to address and ease them.”

Palihakkara accepted that the international community may be practising double standards. “Double standards are a reality in realpolitik,” he noted. “In diplomacy and inter-state relations, there are no cast iron principles. They are dictated by different interests. Interests and principles don’t always coincide. “We have to be realistic about it. We don’t have the luxury of preaching morality in international relations.”

He also said that for the peace process to succeed, Sri Lankan needed a bipartisan political platform. “Until that happens, Prabhakaran will be very happy to talk now, fight later, talk again and fight again, and so on,” he asserted.

“Frankly speaking, I don’t think it’s a good idea that each party tries to accommodate Mr Prabhakaran,” Palihakkara continued. “That is what they are doing. Each party, whether the SLFP or the UNP, is trying to accommodate Prabhakran.. And for the sake of election gain, they don’t try to accommodate each other.”

“We have within our competence both the prescription and the will to come up with the political solution backed by substantial and brave military gains,” he added, calling on the major parties to fight elections on issues outside the conflict. [Courtesy: Lakbima News]