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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MC New York" data-source="post: 14730662" data-attributes="member: 461456"><img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/536860_10151529319264253_2126935055_n.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />The USA is not only the sole super power in the world but also boasts of the highest diplomatic presence. When Sri Lanka has diplomatic ties with only 48 nations, the USA maintains diplomatic relations with 196 out of 206 sovereign nations in the world. In comparison with the USA, Sri Lanka is an insignificant member of the world community. However, the number of nations in favour of the US resolution has been increased only by one during the year.India is the worst loserIndia is of course the worst loser in this diplomatic battle. Tamil grievances and aspirations had been a bilateral issue between Sri Lanka and India for several decades although India has no legitimate right to appear on behalf of Sri Lankan Tamils. The USA has taken this bilateral issue to a multilateral forum with the blessing and support of India. In other words, India has admitted its failure to influence Sri Lanka being its one and only border-sharing neighbour. This has caused irreparable damage to India’s image as an emerging superpower in the world.India has conducted itself in the past as the regional superpower in South Asia, the unofficial leader of the third world and an emerging superpower in the world. Since all South Asian nations openly supported Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, India has been exposed as a nation that had lost its status as a regional superpower. Interestingly, Maldives, whose present government was brought to power by India, not only voted against the resolution but also made a statement in support of Sri Lanka.India has also lost its status as the leader of the third world. Only 11 out of 34 third world nations voted for the resolution. Its record in Asia is dismal. Only South Korea voted for the resolution in Asia in addition to India. South Korea’s vote is a result of its dependency on the USA and India cannot claim any credit for it.Geo-political realitiesIndia is just 32Km away from Sri Lanka. India is an emerging superpower in the world. India is our solitary border-sharing neighbour. Whether we like it or not, these are geo-political realities. India not only shapes our present politics but also has shaped history. Imagine the scenario if Sri Lanka was 320km away from India. No arrival of Aryans. No arrival of Buddhism. No heroic kings such as Gemunu, Vijayaba and Perakumba. No Tamil terrorism. No Indo-Lanka Accord. No UN resolutions.Realising these realities, Sri Lanka has adopted a “pleasing India” policy in the recent past. Sri Lanka has given many gifts to please India. One-third of Sri Lankan fuel stations, oil tanks in Trincomalee, the first block of oil deposits in the Mannar Basin and prime lands in Colombo are among the many gifts given to India. Sri Lanka is to sign an agreement with India to construct a coal power plant in Sampur containing conditions extremely favourable to India. The Sri Lankan government gave up signing the CEPA with India at the very last moment because of the pressure mounted by nationalists and the business community.“Pleasing India”foreign policyGiant India annually purchases only half a billion dollars worth of goods from Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, tiny Sri Lanka purchases goods from India worth nine-folds of Indian purchasing. 175,000 out of 1,200 million Indians visited Sri Lanka in 2010. In response, 210,000 out of 20 million Sri Lankans visited India. Indian companies dominate the Sri Lankan market in the fields of three wheelers, small cars, toiletries, telephones, medicine and agricultural equipment.Sri Lankans have to wait in queues to obtain visas to visit India. In turn, Indians can obtain Sri Lankan visas on arrival. Thousands of Indians have abused this privilege to illegally work in Sri Lanka on a tourist visa. All aspects of Indo – Lanka relations are in India’s favour. Although Sri Lanka is fully aware of this situation, it has been tolerant. Sri Lanka expects only one favour in return for the never-ending list of favours. That is solidarity and protection at international fora. That is something deliverable by India considering India’s ever-growing importance in the world map.The Muslim bloc is a cultural and security threat to the USA. On the other hand, China is an economic and security threat to the USA. India is situated in between China and the Muslim bloc. Hence, India has now become the most important country for the USA. Because of this newly gained status, India has immense influence over US foreign policy and possesses the capacity to control the US witch-hunting of Sri Lanka despite the USA having its own reason to punish disobedient Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, India encourages the USA to harass Sri Lanka instead of protecting it.India had been practicing Pancha Seela Foreign Policy introduced by Sri Nehru which included non-interference in internal matters of nations. India broke this long-standing policy in order to harass Sri Lanka. India has urged Sri Lanka to permit a team of the UN Human Rights Commissioner to enter into the country and conduct a war crime investigation to the satisfaction of the international community. Sri Lanka has nothing to hide. We do not have skeletons in cupboards because we do not possess the cupboards imported from Kashmir. We are in fear since the results are pre-determined.International experts confirmed that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) despite repetitive denial of the Iraqi government. The coalition led by the USA invaded Iraq quoting the WMD as the excuse. However, the USA failed to detect the WMD to-date. The Iranian government bona fide invited international observers to inspect their nuclear plants since they use it for peaceful purposes. However, the observers confirmed that Iran was heading towards producing nuclear weapons. This precedence discouraged the Sri Lankan government to get the so called independent international observers involved in domestic affairs.The Darusman report failed to secure international recognition since the report compilers neither visited Sri Lanka nor talked to the parties in conflict. It is merely a drama script which has no actors, nor a stage to perform. Navi Pillay is badly in need of visiting Sri Lanka to patch up the Darusman report with on-the-spot evidence. The TNA would train several Tamils to give evidence to meet this requirement. With Navi Pillay’s visit, the Darusman script would be turned to a live stage drama. That is why we are against the visit of Pillay.Universal approach for war crimesSri Lanka is frustrated with the international community for entertaining country-specific resolutions. If the UNHRC is in need of probing war crimes it should adopt a universal approach bringing the Kashmir killing fields, IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, US led coalitions operations in Afghanistan & Iraq and Israel atrocities in the Gaza strip into the scope.When Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka by India as a gesture of goodwill, we embraced it. When India forced on us the Indo-Lanka accord, we rejected it. Whenever India invaded us, we fought and defeated them. Our 2,600 years of recorded history is the tale of fighting India. It is not a novel experience for us. It is a part and parcel of our life. Indian diplomatic assault has now been turned to physical assaults in Tamil Nadu. In this backdrop, Sri Lanka should revisit its “pleasing India” policy.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151529319264253&set=a.10151462900709253.1073741825.56427674252" target="_blank">[CODE]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151529319264253&set=a.10151462900709253.1073741825.56427674252[/CODE]</a></blockquote>

Verification: Hath warak paha keeyada? (hatha wadikireema paha)

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