March, 12, 2024
By Prof. Samitha Hettige
‘Gota’s War’ explains Defense Secretary GR’s contribution to end the 30 year conflict. The LTTE (ranked ‘deadliest’ terrorists by FBI in January 2008) was crushed in May 2009 by SL armed forces politically lead by President MR assisted by GR. GR’s contributions to prevent a resurrection of the LTTE (post 2009) is praised by strategic warfare experts & thus he remains a target. As head of state GR wasn’t good in public speaking but MR said his brother reads Cabinet papers unlike many. By publishing his ‘exit story’ he proved he can write. Generation Z may read his story along with that of President JR Jayawardena who said…
‘I climbed the spiral staircase to the top & came down on my own’.
The China chapter
When GR was pushed to the wall in 2015 without space to speak, read or write China helped to lift the travel ban temporarily & visit a Chinese university where he spoke, read & wrote. Later he managed to visit Singapore for academic & medical matters. After assuming office, despite practicing promised equidistant diplomacy, he broke the equilibrium towards USA via India. When China was fighting COVID-19 ensuring the right to life for nearly 1.5 billion while helping others including SL, GR rushed to evacuate Sri Lankans in China (probably) to win the west by symbolically slapping China. Chinese foreign minister visited him twice & on the last occasion media has been requested not to give front page priority to the story & photos of the meeting (Ref. Media). Both GR & SJB should have handled the fertilizer matter also in a more professional manner. One may feel GR’s top concern was to please USA for the safety of his only child domiciled there. However, below should also be studied.
Visits of Victoria Nuland are seen with different views as choreographed violence spread across Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Pakistan & SL after her visits. Of above last 3 are important in China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). US Ambassador visiting GR to pray for him must be written between the lines in GR’s exit story. Reading GR’s book, one may think GR was the victim & another may think GR was the master mind in the well choreographed episode. If he was the victim (& was fair by Beijing), he could have written a spiral stairs story instead of ‘up & down’ the elevator as writers should keep civilizations from destroying itself (Ref. Camus).
JVP in China
The JVP leader & his delegation were in China from 23rd to 28th December 2023. It’s not clear why JVP couldn’t learn on the grass roots democracy in China during their visits over the decades. If so their parliamentary presence wouldn’t have reduced to 3 from 39 (in 2004). Maybe they can re-do their vision & mission statements as a party. However, the loud Indian invitation may have come due to the quiet Beijing visit since SL economy reshaping & 2024 sees elections. Some Sri Lankans may be thinking that China is at our disposal. They should remember that China is a super power which values; amity, sincerity, mutual benefit & inclusivity with the rich & poor alike.
Cricket season
SL will be on ‘Election mode’ after the Cricket season. Social media pops a statement supposedly by JVP General Secretary on an era without a ‘Cricket Season’ in Colombo after 2024 elections. Since the JVP was in China during Christmas they may have missed Cricket matches there. In China a ‘Cricket match’ is sometimes referred to as a fight between two insects. Being an old guard used to conflicts than peace, JVP GS may have referred to insect matches. Generation Z should know that elections in other words are human resources & cultural management projects in SL.
Chinese Leader’s message
President Xi Jinping last week participating in a joint group meeting during the 2nd session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) called on Chinese political advisors to build broad consensus to contribute to Chinese modernization. He emphasized the need to promote the specialized consultative body's institutional development, & urged political advisors to enhance their ability to perform duties for new advances in the work of the CPPCC & the multi party cooperation (Ref. Chinese media). Sri Lankans should take above views seriously because China is a Democracy that Delivers!
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin
(Views expressed are personal).
