The US Secretary of State, John Kerry’s prioritized visit to Sri Lanka was certainly about a decisive shift in the foreign policy of Sri Lanka. This visit is a calculated mission in terms of reconsolidating American political, security and military presence in South Asia in the face of the rise of the ‘dragon economy’ and the strategic marine silk route heading for unprecedented levels of geopolitical power centering dynamics. Even though both the US and the Indian economies have already accessed the Sino Yuan in billions as loans, still India seems comfortable and has no hesitation in having robust diplomatic relations with the US. China as usual will not be perturbed by these moves as Taoism, Confucianism interacting with Buddhism overarching its thinking with DenG Xiaoping’s Perestroika injecting elements of free enterprise into the system. This is a rare combination where both the US and India might have to compete even if technology and the digital explorations are in the front line of their industrial theaters.India and China haveone thing shockingly in common, its teeming millions and abject poverty, both a strength and an impediment, neighbors can resolve them than depending on a distant ally. As the Economist (Feb 14.2015) says that Indian’s is a ‘floundering economy’ on ‘dragon’s tail’, India needs China more than the other way around.
Big brother hegemony
What is this sudden US interest in the life of this nation and its people? Is it because of Samaraweera’s neither here nor there’ (fldavqldr) diplomacy or his ‘uncritical bent over backward tendency’ to a power about which he arguably is clueless? He must remember that his PM, Wickremesinghe, is a far more a Yankee than his uncle, J R Jayewardene who was famously known as ‘Yankee Dickie’. It is known that Jayewardene disliked his nephew, Ranil’s pro American liberalism, the rest is history. What was Kerry’s agenda with the Sirisena Government? What did Kerry desire in his conversations with the government and the rest of the opposition? Were these politicians aware when and how the US military aircraft with no prior notice intruding into the Sri Lankan air space over the last weekend (last such air space intrusion was in early August 2011).The people of this nation have a right to know the truth of these diplomatically disparaging, politically unethical and militarily obstinate acts of the US and their insinuations on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.We can oppose it and we must attempt it.
Several things happened after Kerry returned to Washington DC. Firstly, the band of so called Homeland Security experts came to Colombo as if to train or to provide their expertise to the local counterparts. We are aware that no US officers would get into a country without their spy network alongside them and this is what is contentious. We know how the US Embassy spied on Chancellor Merkel’s own phone line in the heart of Berlin for which Obama had to offer an apology. The US operated its machine the same to many other countries, for them it’s a part of ‘protecting’ the US interests. The problem with the US is that they seem to be clueless about the interest of each of those sovereign countries. This global mockery is displayed in the Middle East basically destabilized by the mismanagement and the hypocrisy of the US, and its presence in the affairs of other nations. They suddenly wonder why the rest of the world ‘hate us’, the United States, the answer is simple. Stay out of their lives and do not bring shame on the American people.
One track info to US Senate
Senior US Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, in an address on Sri Lanka at US Senate ( June 9, 2015 see. https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2015/06/09/senate-section/article/s3922-1/) arguably takes liberty beyond his regular protocol on areas of concern on sovereignty. The script has a tone as if the president of Sri Lanka is speaking to some government official here in Sri Lanka. This is a script by Senator Leahy where he seems to be deeply biased and there are moments where he crosses his knowledge base on Sri Lanka’s ground situation. He must know well, that Sri Lanka is a democracy and a sovereign State, the script he read is prejudiced and even desires President Sirisena to review the appointment of a senior military leader. Leahy forgets that it is an internal matter and even his suggestion is a complete interference. This clearly indicates whereLeahy’s script originates from. His script loses its integrity of analysis when the intelligent reader reads it in between the lines. It betrays legal intellect within. In Leahy’s script, we read “The government has committed to fight corruption and ensure accountability for financial crimes even for the [Page S3923] most influential and powerful individuals, to end impunity at any level. It has established a Stolen Assets Recovery Task Force for this purpose. The United States is prepared to assist these efforts and those of civil society to combat corruption.” This US support is what is most detrimental to the life of this nation if we analyze US involvement in the various regions of the world. The script that Senator Leahy reads also has this line. “These are very encouraging steps for which we should commend President Sirisena. They should have been carried out by the previous government, but instead former President Rajapaksa and his brothers Basil and Gotabhaya, and their close associates, sought to dismantle the institutions of democracy, subvert the rule of law, and enrich themselves. Rather than support reconciliation, they encouraged corruption and exacerbated ethnic, religious, and political divisions”. There is an appeasing tendency and an accusing tone by the Senator. What authority has he got here in Sri Lanka? I suggest him to visit Sri Lanka now and then give facts their benefit of the doubt and not be fed by a single and one track source of information. This is why Senator Leahy’s submission to the US Senate is partisan, misleading and lacking in critical appraisal of the situation. Secondly, his script casts aspersion on the political leadership of Sri Lanka with misleading data and information to the US Senate. I suggest that Leahy revisits his script with a critical mind and then makes his submissions more objectively, or just stay out! Mr. Senator, speak what you know and do what is just and not cast aspersion on Sri Lanka’s internal affairs and its people.
http://nation.lk/online/2015/06/27/united-states-bad-practice/