Spokesman Rambukwella; Asset or liability to Country?
January 27th, 2007
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
There was a time when Lalith Athulathmudali in his “new” avatar as minister of national security in the government of JR Jayewardena thought it fit to address press conferences on security related matters. The Oxford – Harvard educated Athulathmudali had the gift of the gab and an eloquent turn of phrase. He made the most of his tenure as national security minister and used the media meets to put across his viewpoint about the “war” in the North – East.Press releases were also issued with his personal imprimatur.
Only the expressed views were not his own viewpoint in most instances. The minister was constrained in two respects. As the public face of of JR’s “war” he could not let the side down. Expediency and not the truth was expected of him. So he had to play ball along the lines required. The armed forces were a sacred cow. Even a morsel of criticism could not be levelled against the valiant security forces.
Secondly Athulathmudali was not privy to the truth about battlefront developments. He was confined officially to the reports that his own security forces and intelligence networks provided him. He could not budge from those confining limits even if he wanted to do so. Being a sophisticated intellectual with liberal democratic credentials Lalith did try to ascertain the whole truth from his own friends and trustworthy sources. Whatever the realities Lalith accepted in private the public Athulathmudali was always gung ho!
If truth was the first casualty in times of war the credibility of Athulathmudali soon became a casualty in the propaganda war. With Lalith being compelled to twist, adapt, distort and economise the “truth” as according to a politico – militaristic agenda his image began eroding in the eyes of the discerning public and informed world opinion. Only the hawkish elements in the polity supported him. Despite the “Jayawewa’s ” from these elements the “liberal” in Lalith was troubled. He consulted some of his journalist friends.
One idea proposed was the setting up of a media centre and delegating responsibility of issuing press releases to another Govt appointee. That person could also hold press briefings whenever necessary. When it came to important issues and instances where the minister’s presence was required Lalith himself could hold forth. Wherever possible Athulathmudali could make political capital out of real military victories.
Lalith jumped at this suggestion and set up a media centre. Prof. Tilak Ratnakara was delegated the duties of an unofficial defence spokesman.Ratnakara was pleased as punch about his new role and plunged into it with gusto!. He was unaware that he was being set up; little did he realise that much of the material being re- cycled by him was disinformation and misinformation.He rushed in where Athulathmudali feared to tread.
Ratnakara was a man who once wrote a scathing review of Prof. AJ Wilson’s book “Gaullist Constitution in Asia”in the now defunct “Sun”. In that he was particularly harsh on the publishers for daring to print on the flap – jacket another “flag” alongside the sword – bearing lion flag. It was the Eelam flag he thundered. The flag in question was the French tri- colour and it was printed for obvious reasons. The book was about the French model in the 1978 Constitution. Yet Ratnakara was quick to rush into print . Lalith had chosen his appointee well.
The Jayewardena regime was the one which made the inglorious transition into a national security state. The fumblings over a media sopkesman on defence affairs were essentially part of teething troubles most national security states in formation incur.The Rajapakse regime presides today over a blooming national security state. There is a full – fledged cabinet minister as accredited spokesperson on defence affairs. It is none other than Keheliya Rambukwella who crossed over from the greens to the blues after Mahinda came to power.
Rambukwella like Ratnakara does not hesitate to speak out. After all he is spokesman ain’t he? He does not mince his words when it comes to speaking on defence affairs which in this country is relegated mainly to anti – tiger propaganda. Keheliya does not hesitate to grasp the truth and present it in a form that leaves us gasping. A classic instance was over Maavilaaru. After repeatedly asking the LTTE to open the gates unilaterally Rambukwella performed a double somersault when the LTTE was prepared to do so by declaring that only the Govt could do so and not the tigers.Only Keheliya could do so without being comical.
Each man finds his niche and if Andy warhol is to be believed entitled to his fifteen minutes of fame. Keheliya has found his niche in Mahinda’s government and enjoys many, many minutes of fame. Rambukwella is the “ministerial” face of the on going war. He does not have the intellectual aplomb of an Athulathmudali but makes up for it with his zestful enthusiasm like a child with a new toy. After all you dont need much intellect for this task do you?Any Katurumurunga, Karawila or for that matter a Keheliya could do it.
There is no denying that in the eyes of the defence establishment Rambukwella is doing well. The national socialists, saffronistas and pseudo – patriots are eagerly lapping up what he dishes out regularly. According to a reputed analyst some people are comparing Rambukwella’s charisma to that of the legendary “Sitawake” Rajasinghe. Others want to bestow a doctorate on Keheliya.
Rambukwella is a man of the people. His remarkable record in Kandy against Anuruddha Ratwatte is testimony. Kandy withstood the Rajapakse tide during the Presidential elections mainly due to Rambukwella. I do think he was treated shabbily by Ranil but that is a different story.
The point that I wish to raise here is whether Rambukwella by his tendency to engage in unfettered propaganda is becoming a dangerous liability. He is certainly warming the cockles of many a “jathiwadi” by his pronouncements. This may even keep the Rajapakse constituency happy. But what has been overlooked is that as cabinet spokesman on defence affairs Rambukwella bears a tremendous responsibility . He may think comically that his duty is that of a cheap propagandist but that is not so.
Rambukwella must not forget that he is the public face of the Government in Defence affairs.Every word that he utters in that capacity can only be interpreted as the Government’s official position. When Keheliya contradicts himself it is the Govt that is seen as contradicting itself. When he makes an outlandish statement it is not perceived as that of Keheliya’s but as that of the Govt. When Keheliya blatantly utters “terminological inexactitudes” it is the Govt that is seen as a liar. Even if Rajapakse does not comprehend this I am sure people like Amunugama, Samaraweera and Fernandopulle do. “Keheliya Amathithuma , meka vihiluvak neme!”
In a sense Rambukwella is perhaps reflective of the Rajapakse regime’s unenviable record in making war. The callously cruel manner in which it is being waged has impacted greatly on the Government’s credibility. Yet it moves on fired by visions of military conquest and Rohana revival. Apart from this crisis of credibility the ramblings of Rambukwella have also beginning to upset the international community. Let me give just two instances.
Firstly there is his tirade against NGO’s and International NGO’s. ” Government has credible evidence that certain international and local NGOs unwittingly or knowingly supported the LTTE” Rambukwella revealed at a press conference on the 17th of January.Referring to the defensive operation launched against the LTTE in Ampara, he said the Police Special Task Force personnel have found a large amount of food stocks and other non-combatant equipment donated by several INGOs and states for tsunami victims in the captured LTTE camps in Ampara.
“What we have said a few months ago is proved today with ample evidence,” the Minister said referring to the recovery of The STF troops. “Now we have evidence-video footage of supplies being provided by INGOs and NGOs. This is not a personal attack on anyone or institution. It relates to the national security of the country,” he added. The Minister explained that the government would take necessary actions to monitor the activities of all NGOs operating in the country. With regard to those INGOs found to have become puppets to the LTTE he said the government will inform their parent countries via diplomatic means regarding their activities
With Rambukwella setting the stage sections of the media also followed suit. Two Organizations were named and “shamed”. Soon the “Saffronistas” launched demonstrations and marched without permission into the Colombo offices of the respective organizations. None of the intruders were arrested. Subsequently NGO officials met Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse where it was conveyed officially that it was all a “misunderstanding”. Apologies were extended. The damage however was done.
The other instance concerns the Bi-lateral Donor group. The BDG had conducted a field research in Sri Lanka and compiled a report. It was for official purposes and not for public consumption at this point of time. Presumably Rambukwella had a copy. At a press conference held on Jan 23rd the cabinet spokesperson on defence affairs let fly .
Rambukwella according to a Defence Ministry media report revealed the “contents ” of an independent research carried out by the special representatives of the U.S, the U.K, Australia, Canada and the E.U on the present security situation in the North and Eastern provinces in the Island.
“They have asked the LTTE to stop forcible recruitment of civilians of all ages, exploiting aid workers for terror activities, child recruitment and use of civilians as shields if it need any serious considerations from the respective governments” the Minister said. ” They have also urged the LTTE not to disturb all humanitarian activities of the government and to join hands with the government in such activities” he added. Finally, Minister Rambukwella expressed his gratitude towards those countries for conducting such independent study and revealed the reality of the country’s situation to the world.
Despite Rambukwella’s “Thank You” the donor community was not pleased. They were perturbed when the media came out with the minister’s comments. The Bi-lateral Donor group issued a press release on Jan 24th. This is what it said -
The media today made reference to a report that was provided by the Bilateral Donor Group (BDG) to the government, summarising the findings of a series of missions undertaken by diplomatic Heads of Mission around the country. The media made reference to comments made by the Defence Spokesperson on this BDG report.
The BDG report was not intended to be for public distribution.
The briefing appears to have been only partial, covering only one element of the BDG report. There is, therefore, a risk that the public might get a misleading picture of the overall balance and contents of the report. To avoid that and in the interest of transparency and clarity, the participants to these Bilateral Donor Group missions have decided to put a summary of the report in the public domain.
The Bilateral Donor Group comprises all the main bilateral aid donors to Sri Lanka.
The summary report is published here in full –
Summary Report Bilateral Donor Field Missions, January 6 2007
1 Background
Monitoring missions to Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mannar, Vavuniya and Jaffna districts were conducted by the Bilateral Donor Group (BDG) – representatives of the British High Commission, Canadian High Commission, Australian High Commission, Swedish Embassy, Swiss Embassy, USAID and European Commission – during the last months of 2006. The purpose of the field missions was to assess the humanitarian situation and aid delivery in the field and report back to stakeholders in Colombo. The teams met with community leaders, affected populations, government representatives, business leaders, military leaders, SLMM, ICRC, UN and I/NGOs. This report summarises the main findings on humanitarian access, security and protection, and the special situation of internally displaced people (IDPs). It concludes with a summary of recommendations for the implementing humanitarian agencies, the international donor and diplomatic community, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE. These missions were undertaken late last year and some issues have been dealt with but others remain of concern.
2 Access and humanitarian situation
The representatives found varying degrees of humanitarian access in the six districts visited. In general, the areas controlled by the Government are accessible for implementing agencies, but bureaucratic constraints, political pressures and ethnic tensions impede free movement. The areas controlled by the LTTE are accessible for the UN-agencies and the ICRC, but also this access is limited and subject to lengthy government approval procedures. LTTE controlled areas are generally restricted for INGOs, as indicated in the work permits issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), allowing access only to GoSL controlled areas. As an exception, the MoD recently approved a select number of INGOs to resume their work in LTTE controlled areas.
The representatives also found that there are restrictions on certain goods into LTTE controlled areas. Not only are fuel, cement and iron bars restricted (beyond the agreed levels in the CFA), but also tents and plastic sheets, with obvious implications for humanitarian operations. There are no formal restrictions on food items, but a complex set of factors such as insufficient transport capacity, fuel shortage and low levels of local food production mean that food consumption is currently below the required levels (e.g. 60% in Batticaloa). The IDP situation in Jaffna, Vakarai (Batticaloa) and Eechilampatu (Trincomalee) was reported to be the most severe, mainly due to the lack of access for humanitarian supplies and services.
The situation in the Jaffna peninsula is of particular concern, where also the government controlled areas have been cut off since the suspension of commercial flights and the closure of the A9 in mid-August. As a result the representatives found the population in a state of near-complete isolation, dependent on only a very fragile humanitarian relief supply chain. The Government is transporting basic food commodities (rice, flour, sugar, dhal) via sea, but this has become more difficult with the onset of the monsoon rains. The representatives were informed that the flow is insufficient to meet the basic nutrition needs and that the majority of the population is food insecure. The health system is also suffering from a supply distribution bottlenecks of essential medicines, limiting surgery and treatment of severe cases.
3 Security and protection
Military confrontation between the Sri Lankan Armed Forces (SLAF) and the LTTE has increased in all districts visited. In the Eastern districts it was reported that the military actions of the Karuna faction have become a major destabilising factor. The missions were informed of a steady increase this year of extra-judicial killings, abductions and disappearances. The abductions of mainly men and boys were attributed by local stakeholders to both the LTTE and the Karuna faction (and the PLOTE and EPDP factions in Jaffna). Especially worrying was the report of children being kidnapped from internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Batticaloa. Local observers in the Eastern districts believe the SLAF and the Karuna faction are collaborating in their campaigns against the LTTE. This was however consistently denied by the Government representatives interviewed by the missions.
A special security concern, also hampering humanitarian efforts in the districts, is the report that the parties to the conflict might be using civilians and civilian installations as shields. For example, the civilian and IDP population in Vaharai is generally believed to be used by the LTTE as a human shield against SLAF and Karuna operations. In the same way, SLAF and Karuna camps tend to be located in the middle of urban or otherwise populous areas, bringing military activity dangerously close to IDP camps and civilian areas.
Human rights observers reported that they are not aware of any serious attempt by the legal system to investigate abductions or other crimes committed against civilians. They point at a collapse of rule-of-law in the area, with full impunity as an automatic result.
4 Recommendations
The overall recommendations for implementing humanitarian agencies, the international donor and diplomatic community, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), are:
1. Respect, uphold and promote International Humanitarian Law, especially the humanitarian imperative to assist all those in need in line with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality
2. Respect, uphold and promote Human Rights Law to ensure civilian protection and security
3. Allow free and unfettered access to all areas of Sri Lanka for the purposes of delivery of humanitarian assistance to all vulnerable populations
4. Continually assess, monitor and evaluate the humanitarian situation in all areas and the local, national and international response, in order to reduce suffering and provide timely assistance, meeting international standards, wherever it is required
5. Improve civil-military relations through interaction and dialogue at all levels, driven by GoSL, LTTE, other protagonists, civil-society, community leaders, implementing agencies and donors
Anyone reading the summary report would discern easily that Keheliya Rambukwella was being ultra – economical with the truth in coming out with a twisted version of one aspect from a report that was confidential. From the minister’s perspective he had “scored” brownie points in the “imagined ” debate with the LTTE. But from the donor community point of view he had erred and erred badly. That is why the BDG took the unprecedented step of releasing the summary report to clearly refute Rambukwella and also express their displeasure.
Again one wonders whether these matters sink into the heart and mind of the Rajapakse regime. It does not matter an iota if Rambukwella’s ramblings affect only the Government that he is part of. But the ramifications go far beyond the Rajapakse Raj.Against that backdrp it is time to ponder whether Keheliya Rambukwella in his present capacity is an asset or liability to the Country.
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