South Africa Taken For A Ride By

President Rajapaksa
| by S. V. Kirubaharan
( July 23, 2014, Paris, Sri Lanka Guardian) Th !rsn" ds!ra" si"ua"i#n #$ %a&a!aksa's
r(i) has *#)!lld i" "# sk "h $rindshi! #$ s#) !#!ular and !#+r$ul *#un"ris. Thy
ha, "rid ,ry+hr $r#) -./S 0 -#r"h, .as", /s" and S#u"h, bu" ar unabl "# $ind "h
ri(h" #ns. Thy ha, $#und 1hina, 1uba, 2ran, Pakis"an, %ussia, Vn3ula, "*., bu" "hs ar
in "h sa) b#a" as "h %a&a!aksa r(i), #n hu)an ri(h"s, +ar *ri)s #r *ri)s a(ains"
hu)ani"y.
2$ + su))aris "h r*n" $#ri(n ,isi"s by Prsidn" %a&a!aksa and his 4inis"r #$ .5"rnal
6$$airs, Pr#$ G. L. Piris, + s "ha" "hy *#,r a ,ry s)all *ir*l #$ !#+rlss *#un"ris 0
7ahrain, 7an(ladsh, 7larus, 7#li,ia, 2nd#nsia, Ka3akhs"an, Knya, 4aldi,s, Sy*hlls,
"*.
6)#n( "h *#un"ris +h#s $rindshi!s +r s#u(h" by %a&a!aksa ar S#u"h 6$ri*a and 2ndia
as +ll. Ths "+# *#un"ris ar !ar" #$ "h 1#))#n+al"h, "h -#n86li(nd 4#)n" 8 -64
and b#"h ar ))brs #$ "h 9- :u)an %i(h"s 1#un*il. /hn "h 1#))#n+al"h :ads #$
G#,rn)n" 4"in( 8 1:;G4 "##k !la* in Sri Lanka in -#,)br 2013, %a&a!aksa usd
)a5i)u) in$lun* and his usual b#(us !r#)iss, !ladin( +i"h "h :ads #$ S"a"s #$ S#u"h
6$ri*a and 2ndia "# b !rsn". 7u" 2ndia has burnd i"s $in(rs s,ral "i)s in "h !as", and
"his "i) did n#" (" in"# Sri Lanka's "ra!. Th Pri) 4inis"r, :ad #$ s"a" #$ 2ndia did n#"
a""nd "h 1:;G4 in Sri Lanka.
.,n "h#u(h "h S#u"h 6$ri*ans ar s)ar", un$#r"una"ly "hy bli,d "h *r#*#dil "ars shd
by %a&a!aksa. Th S#u"h 6$ri*an Prsidn" Ja*#b <u)a a""ndd "h 1:;G4. %a&a!aksa's
s"ra"(y did n#" +#rk #u" as h 5!*"d "h#u(h= : "h#u(h" "ha" i$ "h S#u"h 6$ri*an :ad #$
s"a" a""ndd, all "h #"hr 1#))#n+al"h *#un"ris $r#) 6$ri*a +#uld d# "h sa). :#+,r
"h :ads #$ S"a"s #$ 7#"s+ana, Ghana, Knya, 4ala+i, 4auri"ius, 4#3a)bi>u, -i(ria,
Sirra L#n, 9(anda and <a)bia didn'" !ar"i*i!a" in "h 1:;G4. Thy sn" "hir
r!rsn"a"i,s.
S##n a$"r "h 1:;G4, "h 2?"h Sssi#n #$ "h 9- :u)an %i(h"s 1#un*il 0 9- :%1 +as
ab#u" "# "ak !la* in Gn,a. %a&a!aksa usd S#u"h 6$ri*an's in$lun* +i"h "h 6$ri*an
))brs in "h 9- :%1. :r als# Sri Lanka $a*d "h sa) $a" as in "h 1:;G4. @i,
6$ri*an s"a"s in*ludin( S#u"h 6$ri*a, Aabs"aind' durin( "h ,#"in( #n "h rs#lu"i#n #n Sri
Lanka, ra"hr "han ,#"in( a(ains" i".
Sri Lanka usd S#u"h 6$ri*a
/hil in"rna"i#nal !rssur +as )#un"in( a(ains" Sri Lanka #n )a""rs rla"d "#
a**#un"abili"y and r*#n*ilia"i#n, Sri Lanka usd S#u"h 6$ri*a as a ,an(uard $#r a n+
ini"ia"i,. Thy s*r"ly in$#r)d a $+ *#un"ris "ha" "hy +r *l#sly +#rkin( +i"h S#u"h
6$ri*a #n r*#n*ilia"i#n and "ha" "hy +r larnin( $r#) "h S#u"h 6$ri*an 5!rin* and i"s
)#dl #$ *#n$li*" rs#lu"i#n.
T# !las S#u"h 6$ri*a, "hy r>us"d Ja*#b <u)a "# b in,#l,d in "h r*#n*ilia"i#n. This
ld "# Ja*#b <u)a a!!#in"in( his B!u"y Prsidn" 1yril %a)a!h#sa as his s!*ial .n,#y "#
Sri Lanka.
C" %a&a!aksa's r(i) !#r"rayd S#u"h 6$ri*an in,#l,)n" in r*#n*ilia"i#n, "# "h !#!l #$
"h S#u"h #$ "h island, in "h sa) +ay as "hy had )ana(d "h !#r"rayal #$ n(#"ia"i#ns +i"h
"h Libra"i#n Ti(rs #$ Ta)il .la) 8 LTT., in "h !as". ;n #n hand "h %a&a!aksa r(i)
n(#"ia"d +i"h "h LTT. in $#ri(n *#un"ris, +hil "llin( "h l#*als "ha" "h LTT. +as a
"rr#ris" #r(anisa"i#n +i"h +h#) "hy +#uld n,r n(#"ia". Thy in$#r)d ni"hr "h
1abin" n#r "hir *#ali"i#n !ar"nrs ab#u" "h S#u"h 6$ri*an r#l in r*#n*ilia"i#n.
:#+,r, S#u"h 6$ri*a "##k ,ry"hin( ,ry sri#usly and did "hir ini"ial !r!ara"i#ns, in,i"in(
"h (#,rn)n" r!rsn"a"i,s as +ll as s#l r!rsn"a"i,s #$ Ta)ils, "h Ta)il -a"i#nal
6llian* 8 T-6 "# S#u"h 6$ri*a and *#ndu*"d a "h#r#u(h s"udy #n "h !#li"i*al si"ua"i#n in Sri
Lanka.
/hn "h S#u"h 6$ri*an (#,rn)n" had *#)!l"d i"s !rli)inary +#rk, "hy in$#r)d
Prsidn" %a&a!aksa #$ "hir +illin(nss "# ,isi" "h island. 6s s##n as "h S#u"h 6$ri*ans
in$#r)d hi) #$ "hir in"n"i#n "# ,isi", h )#"i,a"d his *#ali"i#n !ar"nrs 0-a"i#nal @rd#)
@r#n" 0 -@@ (Ja"hika -idahas Pra)una 0 J-P) and -a"i#nal :ri"a( Par"y (Ja"hika :la
9ru)aya 0 J:9) "# s!ak #u" a(ains" S#u"h 6$ri*an in,#l,)n".
6rri,al #$ S#u"h 6$ri*an dl(a"i#n
.,n a" "his s"a( S#u"h 6$ri*a did n#" undrs"and "ha" %a&a!aksa +as si)!ly usin( "h) "#
!r,n" in"rna"i#nal !rssur. :#+,r a$"r a $+ *an*lla"i#ns and !#s"!#n)n"s,
,n"ually "h S#u"h 6$ri*an dl(a"i#n, ld by B!u"y Prsidn" 1yril %a)a!h#sa, arri,d in
Sri Lanka #n D"h July $#r a "+#8day ,isi".
/hil "hy +r in Sri Lanka, "h (#,rn)n" s!#ks!rs#n, "h 4dia and 2n$#r)a"i#n
4inis"r Khliya %a)buk+lla +h# has br#kn "h +#rld r*#rd #n "llin( lis, said "hr +as
En# a(nda #r #$$i*ial !r#(ra))F $#r "h S#u"h 6$ri*an .n,#y's ,isi"=
This +as $#ll#+d by "h 4inis"r #$ :#usin( and Prsidn" #$ "h -a"i#nal @rd#) @r#n" 0
-@@, /ra+ansa, "llin( "h !rss "ha" "h ES#u"h 6$ri*ans +r *#)in( as "#uris"s.F Th
Gnral S*r"ary #$ an#"hr *#ali"i#n !ar"nr, "h -a"i#nal :ri"a( Par"y, 4inis"r 1ha)!ika
%ana+aka, said E"hr +#uld b sri#us *#ns>un*s i$ "hr +as $#ri(n in,#l,)n".F
/hil all "hs +r ha!!nin(, Prsidn" %a&a!aksa's siblin(s, "h S*r"ary #$ B$n*,
G#"abhaya %a&a!aksa and "h 4inis"r #$ B,l#!)n", 7asil %a&a!aksa, +h# +r su!!#sd
"# )" "h S#u"h 6$ri*an dl(a"i#n, k!" a+ay $r#) )"in( "h).
2n $a*", disas"rs and hu)ilia"i#n $a*d by "h S#u"h 6$ri*an Vi* Prsidn" and his dl(a"i#n
+r +ll )ani!ula"d by Prsidn" %a&a!aksa hi)sl$. @#r %a&a!aksa, "h i)!ndin(
Prsidn"ial l*"i#ns ar $ar )#r i)!#r"an" "han "h r*#n*ilia"i#n !r#*ss and "h S#u"h
6$ri*an ini"ia"i,s.
S#u"h 6$ri*a larnd a lss#n
-#+ a S#u"h 6$ri*an hi(h l,l dl(a"i#n has sn and 5!rin*d "h sri#usnss +hi*h "h
%a&a!aksa r(i) !la*s #n a r*#n*ilia"i#n !r#*ss. 6ls# "hy ha, hard )any $a*"s and
rali"is $r#) "h h#rs's )#u"h. 2" is a !i"y "ha" S#u"h 6$ri*a s!n" s# )u*h )#ny, nr(y,
"i) and )an!#+r #n Sri Lanka "# arn s# )u*h )barrass)n" and hu)ilia"i#n.
:#+,r "hy )us" b "hank$ul "# %a&a!aksa $#r n#" all#+in( "h) "# $a* "h sa)
hu)ilia"i#n and insul"s "ha" "h la" Pri) 4ins"r #$ 2ndia, %a&i, Gandhi arnd #n 30 July
1GHD. /hn %a&i, Gandhi +n" "# 1#l#)b# "# si(n "h 2nd#8Lanka a**#rd, a na,al s#ldir "rid
"# kill hi) +i"h his L8.n$ild ri$l.
-#+ S#u"h 6$ri*a is an#"hr *#un"ry +hi*h has $#ll#+d 2ndia and -#r+ay in kn#+in( "h
a*"ual "hinkin( #$ "h %a&a!aksa r(i) ab#u" his !#li"i*al s#lu"i#n, +hi*h is n#n #"hr "han
"h 1#l#nisa"i#n and Sinhalisa"i#n +hi*h "h r(i) has in )ind $#r "h Ta)ils in "h 2sland.
Thr$#r, n#+ i" is "i) $#r S#u"h 6$ri*a "# "ll "h "ru"h #$ i"s in,#l,)n" in Sri Lanka "# "h
in"rna"i#nal *#))uni"y. 2$ Ja*#b <u)a is rally in"rs"d in !a* and r*#n*ilia"i#n in Sri
Lanka, S#u"h 6$ri*a sh#uld s!ak #u" ab#u" "h rali"is his dl(a"i#n has sn and
5!rin*d.
This is "h #nly *#ns"ru*"i, !a"h S#u"h 6$ri*ans *an "ak "# *#n"ribu" "# r*#n*ilia"i#n in Sri
Lanka.
2$ "h ,isi" #$ B!u"y Prsidn" 1yril %a)a!h#sa +as r(ardin( r*#n*ilia"i#n, s##n a$"r
)"in( +i"h Prsidn" %a&a!aksa, "hr +#uld ha, bn a !rss rlas by b#"h #r a" las" by
Prsidn" %a&a!aksa.
7u" as "his n,r ha!!ndI n#+ ,ry#n is *#n$usd. /hy +r 1yril %a)a!h#sa and his
dl(a"i#n in Sri LankaJ 6 ridi*ul#us n+s i") *#n"radi*"in( +ha" +as said by "h
(#,rn)n" s!#ks!rs#n, "h 4dia and 2n$#r)a"i#n 4inis"r, a!!arin( in "h #$$i*ial
+bsi" #$ "h Sri Lanka Prsidn", ab#u" "h ,isi" #$ "h S#u"h 6$ri*an dl(a"i#n, is (i,n
bl#+.
S#u"h 6$ri*an B!u"y Prsidn" *alls #n Prsidn" %a&a!aksa
;$$i*ial /bsi" #$ "h Sri Lanka Prsidn", Tusday, July 0H, 2014 0 S#u"h 6$ri*an Prsidn"
Ja*#b <u)a's s!*ial n,#y "# Sri Lanka, B!u"y Prsidn" 1yril %a)a!h#sa *alld #n
Prsidn" 4ahinda %a&a!aksa a" T)!l Trs las" ,nin( (July D).
%a)a!h#sa arri,d in 1#l#)b# ys"rday #n a "+#8day #$$i*ial ,isi" "# )" Sri Lankan
(#,rn)n", and #!!#si"i#n #$$i*ials and dis*uss Sri Lanka's r*#n*ilia"i#n !r#*ss.
E/ha" + ar (#in( "# d# "hr, + ar (#in( "# lis"n "# "h Sri Lankans,F B!u"y S#u"h
6$ri*an Prsidn" said b$#r la,in( $#r Sri Lanka.
4r. %a)a!h#sa is a**#)!anid by "h B!u"y 4inis"r #$ 2n"rna"i#nal %la"i#ns and
1##!ra"i#n, 4s -#)aindia 4$k"#. h""!KLL+++.!rsidn".(#,.lkLn+s.!h!Jn+s2BM234D