Media Release : Thursday, 27 July 2006

http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20060727_British_High_Commissioner.htm

Gross interference in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs by the the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr. Dominic John Chilcott is reported to have made comments which range from inaccurate representations of history to gross interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka by supporting the separatists terrorist’s ideology in an interview with the Sunday Virakesari.

He states that “When the British came to Ceylon in 1796 there were three distinct kingdoms. The British made it one country for purposes of administrative convenience.”. This is a grossly inaccurate statement given that when the British arrived in Sri Lanka there was only the Sinhala Kingdom in the Hill country while the Dutch East India Company controlled the coastal areas. We can only speculate at the intention of making such an inaccurate statement and hope that it was not done to further the terrorist LTTE’s claim for an independent Tamil homeland. He has gone on to accuse successive Sri Lankan governments of not safeguarding the rights of minorities, particularly of the Tamils, but has played down the role of the British colonial policy of ‘divide and rule’ as a pre-condition to the terrorism facing Sri Lanka today. This is a mostly inaccurate, harsh and unjust indictment of Sri Lankan governments since independence. Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic country and Sri Lankan constitutions that followed the Soulbury commission have by and large reflected that and have not caused grievances that are different to those that are faced by minorities in the UK and in other so called developed countries.

He has gone on to state that the current political system has to change and that they would like to see a federal system within a united Sri Lanka implemented. This is a blatant interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka as the type of solution must be determined by the people of Sri Lanka taking into account the national interests of Sri Lanka. Perhaps Mr. Chilcott needs reminding that he is merely the High Commissioner of the UK in Sri Lanka and is not a viceroy.

His comment that the terrorist LTTE’s chief negotiator and political strategist Anton Balasingham, is free to live in London as he is a citizen of the UK despite the LTTE being a banned organisation in the UK, leaves us astounded and smacks of double standards. We wonder what the purpose of the UK’s ban on the LTTE is, when the ban isn’t enforced against a known member of the LTTE who is openly espousing and strategising terrorism and death to members of the legitimate government of Sri Lanka from London. We would be extremely surprised if a strategist of the Al-Qaeda would be allowed to operate in the same manner as the LTTE’s Anton Balasingham does in London.

We request the UK government and its representatives in Sri Lanka not to make pronouncements that justify and legitimise the LTTE’s terrorism and to allow Sri Lankans to work out the best solution by themselves. If the UK wishes to genuinely be of assistance to a fellow democracy and a fellow member of the commonwealth, it needs to stop or minimise the LTTE’s fund raising and propaganda activities in the UK and to provide military, economic and political assistance to Sri Lanka in it’s legitimate fight against the cruel separatist terrorism of the LTTE.

In view of the above we request the government of Sri Lanka to reject the High Commissioner’s statements and to impress upon the High Commissioner that such statements are not acceptable and are unbecoming of his position.

Malin Abeyatunge

Secretary (SPUR Vic)

Society for Peace, Unity & Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)
Reg No. A 003 07777 M
P.O. Box 4066
Mulgrave, Victoria, VIC 3170
Australia

http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20060727_British_High_Commissioner.htm

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