Former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Americans can always be counted to do the right thing after they have exhausted all other possibilities.”
Events that have occurred since then have proved his point.
While the deep financial crisis, corporate failures and the weakening ‘American spirit’ have all appeared to have sapped the world power of its top status, the US is reinventing itself with a new political strategy.
The recent vote initiated by the Barack Obama administration against the Sri Lankan government at the UN Human Rights Council is a shouting example of ‘You cannot write us off’ cry from Washington.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government apparently thought of circumventing the US by courting China and get away with the atrocities committed against the Tamilian population during their operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009.
US did not initiate any action against the Sri Lankan government then as Mr Obama, who was new in Oval Office had other priorities.
In many ways, Mr Rajapaksa underestimated the tenacity of the US to pursue its goals – in this case, violation of human rights.
Justice to Tamils
Despite being a shrewd politician, he did not realise that after ‘containing’ Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, pulling the US troops out of Iraq and putting the economy in order, Mr Obama would turn his attention to Sri Lanka.
It is interesting that almost all countries in South Asia except India voted against the US Resolution on Sri Lanka. India had to support, as the domestic Tamil constituents and influential Tamil Diaspora in the western countries have long demanded justice for Tamilians in Sri Lanka.
The US has done this for geo-political reasons. Apart from keeping a check on China’s rise in South Asia, it probably wanted a naval base.
US interest in Sri Lanka is not new. Former President Ronald Regan wanted to interfere just before the Indian troops landed in Sri Lanka in June 1987.
But with the increasing involvement in the Middle East, the US focus on Sri Lanka faded and the Sri Lankan Tamils continued to suffer.
However, there is renewed interest with Mr Obama turning his attention to human rights issues and Sri Lanka.
Experts say that it is just a matter of time before Mr Rajapaksa would be called to account for his actions.
Trapped in a corner, he has to present an Action Plan for the implementation of the recommendations made by the ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ and to address alleged violations of international humanitarian law. Further, when the Action Plan is evaluated in 2012, Mr Rajapakse would be completing three years into his second term.
On the other hand, the US term in the UNHRC will end only in 2018, which means that even if he is re-elected, Mr Rajapakse would continue to face a hostile international institution.
Balaji Chandramohan is our Correspondent based in Delhi.
Photo :
Mahinda Rajapaksa- facing international hostility
