Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga says the Government “should look to making use of her international image instead of indulging in petty smear campaigns against her”.
Her unsolicited offer, on the basis that she “enjoys immense popularity among the International Community” came in a three-page press release on Friday.
To date, she says, she is the “only Asian leader to have been appointed to the Advisory Board of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). She adds that, she is a member of the “prestigious organisation of former world leaders – Club de Madrid” and is invited to “many international fora.”
The CGI is an initiative by former US President Bill Clinton. Building on his lifetime in public service, the Initiative reflects his belief that governments need collaboration from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other global leaders to confront the world’s most pressing problems.
Ms. Kumaratunga’s links to Mr. Clinton, it is well-known, was brokered by a Sri Lankan businessman who was close to her when she was in power, and who made donations to Clinton Funds. She is one of 1400 people worldwide associated with the CGI. Club de Madrid is essentially a body for retired world leaders to meet, greet and talk.
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| How the Hindu reported the CBK visit |
Ending her second tenure as Sri Lankan President, Ms. Kumaratunga tried but failed to secure an appointment with UNESCO. She was in fact appointed to a UNESCO post but it was later withdrawn when the UN agency received additional information about her, especially her treatment of the media in Sri Lanka when she was in power.
Ms. Kumaratunga’s press release was over her recent “official visit” to Kerala where she says, “the Indian media reported her statement fairly correctly” but “the local media have chosen to distort these reports.” In reality, all local media reports including in the Sunday Times attributed the contents mostly to Indias national news agency, the Press Trust of India (PTI), which spoke to her during what she called her “official visit”.
She does not deny these reports but goes on to elaborate in her press release how she came to make the remarks attributed to her. She says she was “taken by surprise by media personnel requesting interviews” when she made a courtesy call on the Chief Minister of Kerala. Had she been on an “official visit” as she says she was, one might have expected protocol to demand that the Chief Minister paid a courtesy call on a visiting ex-Head of State, but nevertheless, the question is why she should have been surprised because media personnel are supposed to request interviews when visiting dignitaries are on ‘official visit’.
She says she acceded to their request only because officials of the Chief Minister “appealed to her to just mention about her impressions of Kerala”, to which she agreed. “The journalist continued to ask her various critical questions about the Government of Sri Lanka, to which she once again responded “no comments”. Finally, responding to some questions asked by a correspondent of ‘The Hindu’ newspaper she says she had stated that she and the country as a whole are happy that war and terrorism were finally over.
At this point, her press release states, she was asked about the prevailing situation in the country, and she replied saying “overall there is a lack of freedom and an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the country. Basic rights of the people and media freedom are restricyed in Sri Lanka”.
The journalists continued to ask her “critical questions”, she says to which she replied, “Don’t keep asking me these questions. If I speak the truth …… even I fear for my life.”
Thereafter, the press release adds: “She was speaking metaphorically, what she meant was that people fear to speak the truth as “there is a certain lack of freedom in the country.” EVEN SHE feared to speak the truth publicly because of possible reprisals…..”
Then, Ms. Kumaratunga who wants the UPFA Government to “make use of her international image” has this to say: “Do those who have been compelled to attack her, state that neither the former President of Sri Lanka nor any Sri Lankan citizen has the right to say the truth about the lack of freedom in the country? Do you deny them the sacred right to express their views freely and honestly? Do we live in a democratic society or not?
“Dozens of journalists have been killed, others have fled the country due to threats, the media have been intimidated into suppressing the truth about VVIPs, the Independence of the judiciary is seriously in jeopardy, the government has yet not been able to control the white van syndrome, hundreds of Tamil businessmen have been abducted and ransoms taken and released after intimidating them into silence.”
Former President Kumaratunga states that “she wishes to state that she does not go around the world mourning about privileges denied to her as former Head of State, by the Rajapaksa government, and the innumerable humiliations and insults she has been and is still subjected to. If a list of this is required we can provide it”.
This press release was received by the Sunday Times last Thursday, and the whole of Friday and Saturday, the newspaper has been at the former President’s Office asking for such a list, but to no avail.
At first, Ms. Kumaratunga’s Secretary Manel Abeyratne said she cannot comment and asked us to contact Eric Fernando.
When contacted by the Sunday Times, Mr. Fernando said he was no longer Ms. Kumaratunga’s media secretary and holds no official position. He said he was consulted “once in a way” but had nothing to do with this press release. Yesterday (Saturday) we informed Ms. Abeyratne that Mr. Fernando denied any knowledge of the contents of this particular press release, whereupon she insisted that she only works part-time at Ms. Kumaratunga’s Office, and that the press release was the work of her ‘media secretary”. She asked us not to disturb her anymore because she had taken ‘sil’, yesterday being poya day. Then, Ms. Kumaratunga’s Office called last afternoon and said the former President will call us back in an hour, but no call came until around 8 pm last night.
Former President Kumaratunga told the Sunday Times that she could make available a list, but only after it was compiled.
She wanted an assurance that it would be published in full, and “would not be abused”. She also wanted an assurance that her replies would be published in case she felt the information “is abused”.
A fortnight back, our Political Editor commenting on the former President’s remarks in Kerala predicted that after the Rajapaksa government rubbished her allegations especially about her security fears, she would deny that she said what she said. In this instance, it seems the irrepressible Ms. Kumaratunga has turned up with a new one – that the media were distorting her “metaphoric remarks”.
Meanwhile, The Hindu reporting her visit headlined their news item “Kumaratunga on a private visit to Alappuzha”. The news item said she was in the State to inaugurate a conference of Rotary International in Kochi and her host was Ms. Betty Karun, the Chairperson of the Karan Group of Companies, reputed coir exporters.
She had been accompanied by Padma Maharajah on her ‘official tour’. |
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