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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nicjosh83" data-source="post: 24903301" data-attributes="member: 569114">Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC): The US Government in the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s OfficeThe US Government and US capital do not only rely on their think tanks to create a favourable climate for ownership and control over Sri Lanka’s territory.The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which claims to be “independent,” but is a US government body chaired by the US Secretary of State, has a Project Unit physically located inside the current Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s Office within its strategic Policy Development Unit, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in March 22, 2017.Given its strategic location in the Prime Minister’s Office, it is a legitimate question whether and to what extent the Corporation is involved in shaping the country’s economic and trade policy, and also in drafting the Prime Minister’s “Vision 2025,” the strategy of re-orienting Sri Lanka’s economy to an export and FDI based model, which was unveiled in September of that same year, only a few months after MCC set up office.The so-called “partnerships” practised by MCC are based on coercion and prior implementation of political conditionality. The difference between traditional foreign aid conditionality and MCC funding is that while traditional aid is based on actual “good governance” results, MCC funding depends on the demonstration that it has already been achieved. By Good Governance (or Yahapalanaya, in the Sinhala) is meant reforms considered necessary by the US agency to protect private foreign investors, meaning US capital – not Chinese or Russian, especially laws governing Public Private Partnerships.Unlike traditional foreign aid, MCC assistance involves an annual re-selection process, which permits coercion on a permanent basis, depriving the State of space for sovereign decisions.Additionally, the indicators used by MCC to measure performance are highly political themselves. Data on trade policy is provided by the neoconservative neoliberal think tank, Heritage Foundation with links to the CIA. Evaluating whether a State is “ruling justly” is done by Freedom House, which receives 80% of its income from the US Government and has carried out destabilization missions under the CIA against legitimately elected governments. Evaluating control of corruption, Government effectiveness, rule of law, and regulatory quality is conducted by the World Bank and the neoconservative think tank Brookings Institution, which has links to the CIA and supports Washington’s unilateral military interventions.Sri Lanka is fast losing its economic sovereignty. Yahapalanaya’s positions at the Human Rights Council and declarations reveal that we no longer enjoy political independence. The planned foreign takeover of fixed assets occupied by the armed forces will ensure that we will no longer be able to defend our territory. Today, Sri Lanka is being turned into an aircraft carrier for Washington’s undeclared war against China, and our people foot soldiers in the battlefront.Yahapalanaya’s utter submission to US hegemony is reflected in its constant citation of acclamation from Washington as example of success.Under the circumstances, it is vital that we return to the principles upon which our sovereignty and independence is based. There is wide recognition in international law and policy that political independence of States can only be assured through economic independence, which in turn is only possible if people are able to exercise their inalienable right to own, control and develop – on a permanent basis – all their wealth, natural resources, and economic activities.Permanent sovereignty is crucial for the preservation of Sri Lanka as a fully independent State in which its people can exercise their inalienable right to selfdetermination. All States are duty bound to respect this right and to remove all international obstacles to its realization.There is an undeclared, covert war against Sri Lanka taking place. It is conducted by a Holy Alliance between Yahapalanaya, the US Administration, and the corporate world.The result will be more deadly than the almost 30-year-war against LTTE terror and separatism. If we fail to resist now, we will lose total control over our territory, wealth, natural resources and economic activity. Our national identity and culture will be dismantled, our ability to determine domestic policy and foreign policy will be lost, and along with it, our independence and sovereignty.Many things can be negotiated, but principles, never! Sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity are non-negotiable!- Tamara Kunanayakam<img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/P.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":P" title=":P    :P" data-shortname=":P" /></blockquote>

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