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Favouring China at India’s expense will have dire consequences: Sampanthan
The Committee Stage debates of several Ministries were held in Parliament this week, with Votes of the Ministry of External Affairs among those taken up. Following are excerpts of speeches made in the House:
UNP Kandy District MP,
Lakshman Kiriella:
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has mishandled many issues. We have lost three consecutive resolutions against the country at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The Ministry was caught off guard over the recent decision by the European Union (EU) court to lift sanctions against the LTTE, that have been in place since 2006 by the EU. This was because we did not intervene at the right time to stop this. It was the EU which came forward to ban the LTTE, but, since of late, we are losing all our friends in the international arena. Now a ban on foreigner’s travelling to the north has been introduced. This is aimed at preventing foreign media personnel or monitors during the upcoming presidential poll. This way you can rig the vote there. Earlier, when people were recruited to the Foreign Service, they are asked if they were competent in English or other foreign languages, but now they are asked if they are competent in judo. This is because High Commissioners are getting beaten up and should be ready to defend themselves. I blame our High Commissioner in London too; he should have lodged a complaint with the New York police after he was assaulted.
TNA Parliamentary Group Leader and Trincomalee
District MP, R. Sampanthan:
Nonalignment has been the cornerstone of our Foreign Policy. It may be that, there were times when we deviated from this policy, but that was rare and had its own consequences. Has this Government, for narrow parochial domestic considerations, sacrificed this policy of nonalignment, with consequences which can be dire for the whole country? This has happened through activities in several areas: Trade, Economic cooperation to an unprecedented degree with one country (China), Defence cooperation again with the same country, and geo-strategic cooperation including Maritime cooperation with that same country.
The total assistance extended by China to Sri Lanka during between 1971 and 2012, around 41 years, was US$ 5,056 billion, of which, US$ 4,761 billion, approximately 94 per cent, was received between 2005 and 2012, around 7 years, during the term of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In contrast, Indian assistance to Sri Lanka is approximately US$ 1.3 billion; one-third of that is by way of grants. This a clear indication of President Rajapaksa’s insensitivity to the concerns of India, or is it the pursuit of a deliberate, pre-determined programme to undermine Indian interests, and thereby isolate India, so as to free itself from obligations and commitments made to India, not only in the interests of reconciliation, peace and harmony within Sri Lanka, but also in the region? No country has greater links with Sri Lanka politically, economically, socially and culturally, than India. Is a position sought to be created where India will not be able to play any role where Lanka claims that it will have operational control over many projects executed by China?
DNA-JVP Gampaha District MP, Vijitha Herath:
The MEA marked 66 years recently. In the past, it was considered prestigious to be in the Foreign Service, but today, it has fallen to the lowest level possible. It is being run in the thuggish level of those like “Sotthi Upali” and “Gonawela Sunil”. The MEA says that it does not want to intervene in the EU court case involving the LTTE. That is not a valid argument. Are you saying that, if a court case is filed against one of our soldiers in a foreign court, you will not intervene to safeguard him?
Minister of External Affairs, G.L. Peiris:
We have had much success in the field of foreign relations. We hosted the Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting here, with a record number of foreign leaders in attendance. This year we had the President of China and the Prime Minister of Japan visiting the country within one week.
These high profile visits show they have endorsed the polices of President Rajapaksa. We have said we will not appeal against the decision of the EU court to lift sanctions against the LTTE. If we do this, we will be subjugating our country and our people to the jurisdiction of another land. Our Ambassadors have met with representatives of seven EU countries, after the court decision was announced. We will overcome this through diplomatic channels.