Media Release : Saturday, 05 January 2005

A Wake up Call

"There was a siege going on; It had been going on for a long time, but the besieged themselves were the last to take it seriously"  - from the Desperate Characters.

Sri Lankans besieged by the racist LTTE terrorists and the indifferent policy makers for the last so many years were practically swept away by the Tsunami tidal wave. The positive response of the ordinary people to help the victims and the goodwill shown by the foreign nations led by India, rekindled the hopes for the Sri Lankans to emerge strongly under a united effort and a scientific plan.

Unfortunately, the post-Tsunami scenario in Sri Lanka is different to the anticipated optimism of the masses. The Sri Lankan political leaders continue to pursue individual and party agendas in the midst of a shattered economy and nearly two million Sri Lankans who are destitute.

The UNP leaders are on a visit to Norway, a country openly promoting Tamil Tiger Terrorism, and to EU countries blind to the human rights violations of the LTTE. The objective of the visit is to report to the 'masters' how reconstruction and rehabilitation schemes of the Government of Sri Lanka
should be managed using foreign aid so that the UNP's short-term political goals are not disrupted! (Surely D.S Senanayke and the great UNP leaders must be turning in their graves!).

The Leaders of the major political parties have failed to realise the grave danger of allowing foreign politicians like Norway's Minister for International Development, Hilde Johnson, other Norwegian do-gooders, the Canadians, the Italians, and some NGOs to violate UN Security Council Resolutions in giving succor to the terrorists. Hilda J had the impudence to dictate terms to the Sovereign Sri Lankan Government by making boorish statements in Oslo as well as in the uncleared areas.

These nations along with some NGOs assisted by self-serving Sri Lankan politicians have supplied the Tamil Tigers with light aircraft, gas masks, body armour, hi-tech communication equipment, walkie-talkies, food packets used in war situations, and mobile hospitals, all of which will turn out to
be very useful to the terrorists. According to reliable sources many other packages have included machines and material, which will revamp the LTTE's sea-tiger wing destroyed by the Tsunami.

The instability is further worsened by the political patronage extended to the underworld gangs in Colombo, who do the gun running for the LTTE cadres in Colombo while engaged in drug trafficking. With the President showing a rare determination, the Police and the Defence forces were able to get rid of some of the members of the Mafia. However, there are signs that the corrupt politicians and some of the bigwigs in the business world are attempting to restore the rule of the Mafia by imposing restrictions on the drive to eradicate them.

Any observer can easily see the locus of the crisis- the corrupt, rudderless leadership -. However, the redeeming feature is the unrelenting voice of the adroit Police Officers, Service personnel, Customs staff, Trade union staff, Patriotic National Movement, National Movement Against Terrorism led by the progressive sections of the SLFP, the MEP, the JVP, the JHU who are taking a lead role in the defence of the country and the civil society. The JVP efforts in the recent weeks to open the eyes of Sri Lankans should receive the highest accolade of the Nation.

If the apathy and the tunnel vision of the political leaders continue in the midst of the current crisis, it will be seen as the last straw that demolished the Sri Lankan State.

We request the President and other leaders to reassess and reassert the National Leadership and to forget about the short-term gains. Identify the patriotic forces and work with them to arise from the terrorist and Tsunami damage like many other countries have. We also appeal to the patriotic forces in the UNP to help build the Nation rather than go after countries like Norway to pull chestnuts for the anti-Nationals in the party. We also salute the section of Sri Lanka media who have come out boldly to present a positive response to the issues at hand rather than being the Master's voice. Please continue to play your critical duty.

At this crucial time, our appeal to all patriotic forces is:

· be vigilant,

· forget petty differences and

· be united,

The ordinary people do not wish to be marooned. The collective weight of all
Sri Lankans who love their land gives us faith that a resurrection of a
proud and dignified Sri Lanka can be a reality.

Ranjith Soysa 

Spokesperson

Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)

Reg No. A 003 07777 M

PO Box 4066

Mulgrave    VIC 3170

Australia