I am a big fan of Dr. Vishakha Desai, president of the Asia Society in New York. Her introduction last week was spot-on. The Prime Minister’s speech was forthright, compassionate, and honestly addressed the issues at hand.
What amazed me – shocked me, really – was the moderator’s Q & A of the sitting prime Minister of Sri Lanka. His questions were nothing but an intellectual ambush.
His Excellency Ratnasiri Wikramanayake, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, was belittled and demeaned by the moderator.
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Wikramanayake addressed the Asia Society Sept. 24.
I honestly do not know how it has become “politically correct” to kick Sri Lankans. I was not only flabbergasted, but disgusted. And embarrassed as a New Yorker.
Does the lecture series sponsor Citibank condone such behavior? Can the Asia Society really approve of such an un-diplomatic and biased approach?
As head of a global NGO, Orphans International Worldwide, associated with the U.N. and operating a program in the south of Sri Lanka for children impacted by the Tsunami, I have travelled to Sri Lanka repeatedly through the difficult and dangerous terrorist years. Those years thankfully are over.
I have many friends in Sri Lanka now – Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu – who get long fabulously.
I was there last spring when the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization – the LTTE or “Tamil Tigers” – were defeated after decades of war. I wrote a basic primer on Sri Lanka especially for Americans here in the Huffington Post (here).
His Excellency Ratnasiri Wikramanayake with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
All Sri Lankans that I met there were euphoric that the conflict that had lasted longer than most of their lives was finally over – and their divided nation could move forward as one. I wrote about their joy here.
The government of Sri Lanka is now is focused on moving forward – together. I covered this story in the spring as well (here).
Yet the Asia Society moderator, who admitted knowing little about the country, was swayed by anti-Sri Lankan reports and attempted to teach a civilized man – the Prime Minister – how to be civilized.
The Colonial Mindset is alive and well on Park Avenue.
Sri Lanka gets bad press for three reasons: The Tamil Tiger PR machine survived the war, the former colonial powers feel a need to teach their former colonies how to behave by their rules, and Sri Lanka is honestly not very good at public relations.
The Tamil Tigers – the LTTE – were defeated at home but live on overseas. In London, in Toronto – and in New York. Last spring I wrote a story in this publication about a terrorist cell of Tamil Tigers that was busted in Brooklyn. The Tamil Diaspora provides a screen for the Tigers continued provocations.
This LTTE presence is coupled with former colonial powers who feel it is their sacred duty to continue to teach, in the words of Teddy Roosevelt, their ‘little brown brothers,’ about true democracy.
At the Asia Society last week, His Excellency Ratnasiri Wikramanayake was lectured on how to behave. With a series of when-did-you-stop-beating-your wife questions, the moderator smiled and pounced:
Why do Tamils have no rights in Sri Lanka? (They do – equal rights)
Why are the Tamils kept locked in camps? (One reason: land mines everywhere)
Why can’t Tamils vote? (They can)
Why can’t Sri Lanka have a Truth & Reconciliation Commission like South Africa? (Because they don’t)
Why can’t Sri Lanka admit its past sins? (Because the immediate need is to look to the future)
Why do journalists disappear? (I am also a journalist - and I have had complete cooperation there)
But I should let the Prime Minister speak for himself. Excerpts of his eloquent speech follow:
Sri Lanka, my home island, is heir to a more than 2,500 year old civilization and rich language.
My motherland suffered from almost three decades of destruction from terrorism. But now we have shown the world that terrorism can be defeated.
The U.S. FBI has stated that the LTTE is the world’s most dangerous and ruthless terrorist organization. We were able to defeat this organization…
To defeat terrorism was not simple or easy. We invited the terrorists many a time to give up their arms and enter the democratic path. The terrorists ignored our calls.
They killed innocent, unarmed people. They destroyed the nation’s resources and created a blood bath upon our motherland.
We were responsible for stopping this… We lost a lot of young lives in this war. We had a huge cost to bear.
The residual effects and related problems remain.
The internally displaced Sri Lankans need to be resettled in their villages again.
These are the people who were displaced from their homes due to conflict between the Tamil Tigers and our security forces.
It is our responsibility to resettle them and carry out the planned development projects.
It is necessary to wipe out the LTTE network which operated locally as well as internationally, supported by local and international sponsors.
When our forces were fighting against terrorism, the terrorists used various ways to escape the pressure.
A population of 300,000 was kept as a human shield by the Tiger terrorists while attacking the military forces.
These unarmed innocent Tamil civilians tried many times to come over to the government forces for security. At times, the terrorists shot and killed those who tried to escape.
Among them were small children, pregnant women, the elderly…
Our soldiers received then kindly and treated them as their own. That is their discipline and how they were trained.
Our motherland is nourished with the teachings of Buddhism. We were brought up in that background.
The true Buddhist shows compassion towards all others…
That is the disciplined and civilized army the Tiger terrorists attacked…. Close to 300,000 Tamil civilians came to us for security.
As you may imagine, it is not an easy task to provide welfare to these people all at once.
Yet we accepted this challenge. My heart goes out to the friendly nations who supported us.
Today, the people are being resettled systematically and efficiently…
But there is still a serious obstacle to overcome. Terrorists have planted landmines in playgrounds, holy sites, farm fields, and on roads.
There are death traps – mines – in farm lands after decades of terrorism. We are not ready to push our people on to these death traps.
Mine clearance in the North is efficiently underway. Several NGO’s are helping the government with this.
For the benefit of the displaced persons, educational and health services have been revived…
Some of the leaders of the LTTE understood that this separatist war was not practical. Those leaders laid down their arms and joined the democratic process.
One is a Cabinet Minister in our governments and another is Chief Minister of the Eastern Province.
They understood that by a democratic process, people’s needs can be met. Not by the bullet, but by the vote.
A great number of youth regret today that, due to intimidation or voluntarily, they joined the LTTE.
Those who have been harassed physically and mentally will be rehabilitated though several programs… (with) education, vocational training, and psychological treatment.
We give them life. Although the terrorists took away their childhood, our vision is to secure their future.
Children who were forced to carry guns now… study in school, sit in government exams, and exercise vocational skills.
In the meantime, we have a challenge to stop further LTTE activities.
The LTTE will try to reorganize themselves. They will try to influence the people by issuing statements while hiding in various cavities of the globe…
Some powerful nations in the world, while invading other countries, bring human rights allegations against us for trying to defeat terrorism.
There should be a common agreement on the war on terror. It should be common for the entire world.
There cannot be different laws for different countries on the subject of terrorism.
There is something our President says often: “We do not have a majority or a minority in this country. We have only one race. We are all Sri Lankans.”
Following this eloquence of the Prime Minister, the moderator began his series of hostile questions.
Before this Citibank-sponsored presentation, I had attended only the most positive events, lectures, and exhibitions at the Asia Society. I love the Asia Society.
There is a Henry Luce Room there overlooking Park Avenue that I am particularly fond of. Last week I wrote a glowing interview with its president (here).
An Israeli-American friend who sat through it with me commented afterwards: “That was not an interview, it was an interrogation!”
So what happened? The moderator’s last question to the Prime Minister was, “What is your prayer?”
Had the moderator asked me, my prayer is that the Asia Society never presents such a one-sided, biased, and humiliating evening again. I would hope that Dr. Desai herself moderates the next event.
See the Asia Society’s webcast of the evening here.