In Sri Lanka: A U.S. Congressman Gets It

Colombo, Sri Lanka. At a press conference at the Colombo Hilton this morning, North Carolina Congressman Heath Shuler was flanked by the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Washington and the Sri Lanka Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The American Congressman stated boldly, "I would like to congratulate the government of Sri Lanka in their victory over terrorism. We are seeing peace today for the first time in 26 years"

U.S. Congressman Heath Shuler at press conference in Colombo.

I could not have been more elated. It was the first time I have heard an American elected official seem to understand what has transpired here in Sri Lanka. As the only American journalist in the room, I was unsure if those gathered grasped the significance of his statement.

Interviewing Congressman Shuler for The Huffington Post.

Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya, whom I interviewed last week from New York, and Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona, looked as if they understood this was an important moment.

"The situation here on the ground in Sri Lanka is much different than has been reported in the U.S.," Congressman Shuler said.

"I have had open access to the government and the camps for internally displaced people, and commend the government for allowing me to come into this country and to see what I needed to see.

"At this point, Sri Lanka has such an incredible opportunity to move forward, economically, towards prosperity. Of overcoming the challenges of war, and now, embracing the possibilities of moving forward.

"I was able to go to the refugee camps, to move freely there, and to speak with the people staying there.

"I spoke to one 18 year-old Tamil woman who explained to me how she had been used for the last eight months as a human shield by the Tamil Tigers, and how she was looking forward to the opportunity to return to her home.

Speaking with the Sri Lankan Ambassador and Foreign Secretary.

"I commend the Sri Lankan government, as well as the international community -- USAID, the United Nations, the International Red Cross -- for their efforts. There are serious challenges ahead, but these will be met by the government and people of Sri Lanka.

"The people of Sri Lanka, especially in the south, are sending and unprecedented amount of emergency supplies -- people to people -- and in addition to that support the government is opening schools, banks, and hospitals in the refugee camps.

"In order to take the large steps needed towards reconciliation, there is a need to get families returned home. There are challenges ahead, but the people of Sri Lanka must set aside differences for the sake of peace and prosperity.

"I can go back to the U.S. now," the Congressman stated to the journalists and dignitaries assembled, "and report on what I have seen.

"It is so important to look at the lives of the people of Sri Lanka and to see how they are working together to settle their differences and move forward to obtain an eternal peace.

Speaking with Dr. Palitha Kohona, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary.

"I want to go home and explain to my colleagues the political and humanitarian actions that the government of Sri Lankan has undertaken, and to assure them that Sri Lanka has access to the funding needed to rebuild.

One Sri Lankan journalist asked if the Congressman felt the Sri Lankan-American relationship had been diminished by the conflict.

"That is the reason I am here," he replied. "I have had full access to this country and its people, in the camps, on the streets.

"It is this openness and transparency for the international community to see the progress being made in the refugee camps.

"It is important for the world to see the Singhalese, Tamil, and Muslim Sri Lankans all living together in harmony, in peace, as part of the reconciliation process.

"It won't be easy. The war has just ended. The work we are seeing now has just begun in the camps. Water, sewage, communications - even banks. The land must be de-minded, and people must be returned to their home towns as quickly as possible.

"The 18 year-old Tamil woman that I spoke to commented how in less than a week the Sri Lankan government had created conditions much better than she had experienced living in the LTTE camps.

One European journalist asked a particularly pointed question about whether the U.S. Congressman was calling for an investigation of alleged atrocities by both sides during the conflict's resolution.

"I am not here to investigate," the Congressman stated bluntly. "This is now about reconciliation. To proceed, you cannot move forward looking in the rear-view mirror. The need now is to create a sustainable peace."

Another journalist asked about Hillary Clinton's comment before the conflict ended that perhaps now was not the best time for International Monetary Fund loans to Sri Lanka.

"This is not what I understood she said," he replied.

"The work that the Sri Lankan government is doing is very helpful in terms of temporary housing, water, schools.

"I will go back to the U.S. and share with my colleagues in the State Department how important the IMF loans are for Sri Lanka's economic development.

"From tourism to trade to agriculture, it is important that this nation begin moving forward immediately to sustain peace.

"It will happen. The efforts of the Sri Lankan community will make it happen.

With that, Heath Shuler, U.S. Congressman from North Carolina -- a thought leader and global citizen -- ended his strong remarks in favor of the Sri Lankan government's efforts to move forward into a future of diversity and prosperity.

I warmly congratulated him for having been the first American political leader I have heard that actually understood what had transpired -- and most importantly -- what needs to transpire, here in Sri Lanka.

Photos by Indika Bandera.

Comments

[tmorgan1000]

Fallout from Shuler's Sri Lanka trip continues
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090606/NEWS01/90606040

Why GoSL picked him:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Heath-Shuler-still-gets-no-respect-in-Washington?urn=nfl,140506

Lanka turns away Tamil aid ship
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8090110.stm

Verdict is in; Government of Sri Lanka wants Tamil civilians dead. Sending aid away while there is not enough milk powder for babies or medical supplies for the injured.. hiding behind paper work when their UK embassy and other officials were notified of the mission..

If they followed Buddhist precepts (they claim Buddhism is their official primary faith), Sri Lanka would not be in such a mess & they would be an Asian economic tiger. The kind of tiger which benefits all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4UcKxF7rSY

There won't be peace in Sri Lanka until they have freedom of the press, embrace the federal idea, take steps to reform their military/police Re: ethnic tolerance and allow NGO's access to all the IDP camps.

[carl50]

Well said Mr.Heath Shuler. At last we hear something from a impartial person who is not on the LTTE pay roll.
There is no need for one to visit Sri Lanka to understand the true nature of these racist people who have commented here as terrorist supporters.I feel Sinhalese are victims of this bunch of racists who have been trying to turn this small island into a Tamilland for a long time.One should investigate how these people migrated to the west before 1983. If you check the local staff of the embassies of western countires in Colombo, you will find that all are Tamils.How could that could have happened if Tamils are discriminated? It is sad that some Tamils use Sinhalese names to comment on this article (obviously to say things against the Sri Lankan government). Not only do they destroy the Sinhalese but also everything of Sri Lanka.More informaton http://www.spur.asn.au/latest.asp

[tmorgan1000]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6441067.ece

Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice has lambasted the Government publicly for holding more than 280,000 Tamil civilians against their will in military-run camps, questioning the legality of their detention.
''They live outside the protection of the law of the country,” the country’s top jurist, an ethnic Sinhalese, said of the camp dwellers. “I am saying this in public, and ready to face any consequences. We are doing a great wrong to these people.”

[tmorgan1000]

Racists?

Tamils & Sinhalese are the same race. Most Tamils know this to be true but many in Sinhalese are vehemently arguing that they are the descendants of Aryans. British Empire's Colonel Henry Olcott and protestant Buddhism's denial of the Universalism view of religion are to blame for this false view of their own history. Sinhala mythical heritage acknowledges inter marriage with Tamil women of the Island. The story of Vijaya itself confirms that Tamils were on the island as long as the Sinhalese. If you factor in time & historic racial make-up of Lanka you realize that genetically.. Sinhalese are Dravidians just like the Tamils. There is also some evidence to indicate some polynesian heritage in both groups. http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2008/04/let-us-all-go-back-home-to-africa.html

Please lodge a protest to this incident of Sri Lankan Police apathy in a ra pe case, victim is of course a Tamil girl (14 yrs)

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2009/3155

[TVelmurugan]

Congressman, you should not buy what the Sri Lankan government "mouth piece" is telling. You can't come to the conclusion after talking to "ONLY SELECTED FEW" the people whom you talked to were implanted by the government, if the girl spoke in Tamil it would have been misinterpreted by the "OFFICIAL TRANSLATOR". Lets talk about the other option - if this is truly what the situation on the ground why the government is scared to allow aid agency and other NGOs? The international community can't think reasonably about this? There is only two think - The international community can think rationally with all the available information and what the lankan government is speaking (OR) Just go with what the government says and act like don't know anything about the reality choice is yours.
The UN, HRC all lost its credibility. It is better for them not to exist and tell the the world straight. "Take care about yourself on your own, whoever has the firepower can defend themselves others are not fit to live in this crazy planet".
The Tamil diaspora cried, pleaded the international community to do something. If they would have reacted strong they would have saved 25,000 innocent civilians another 30,000 (wounded) would have a normal life. Does the international community really don't know what is the situation that is more than childish!

[ThosaiFan]

It is only natural when western journalists and law-makers begin to understand the real situation in SriLanka to have the “mouthpieces” of the LTTEterrorists come out in full force. The similarities between the LTTEsupporters and the rabid RightWing in the USA are uncanny. KarlRove promised the uncompromising, partisan RightWingnuts a “permanent” majority and they bought it hook-line-&-sinker. They worked all the dirty tricks in the book to achieve it but failed and are now sabotaging Obama’s every move. Likewise, Prabhakaran promised the worldwide Tamil diaspora an Eelam pipe-dream and they believed it. They abused the good-will and trust of their host countries like Canada, raised millions to send thousands of poor, low cast Tamils to their deaths (while living in comfort and safety) and are now trying to sabotage any progress in SriLanka.

Like the RightWing pro-life madness and the incessant RightWing noise-machine contributed to the death of Dr.GeorgeTiller the LTTEterrorist apologists and enables are actively setting up the next round of carnage in SriLanka and around the world.

If the megalomaniac Prabhakaran renounced violence and took advantage of the political compromise offered by the government like his deputy Col. Karuna did (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Karuna) there wouldn’t have been a bitter fight to the end costing the lives of innocent civilians. Even the feared IRA assimilated into the democratic process---but unfortunately not the LTTEterrorists and their worldwide network have yet. We can only wait and hope.

[punitham]

Killing journalists and denying them access to the highly militarised Northeast for years on end is not noted by the senator.
Senator, please get justice for Tamils: the following has been the same decades before and years after the episode.:
http://bostonreview.net/BR30.3/keenan.html
No Peace, No War: Have international donors failed Sri Lanka's most vulnerable? By Alan Keenan, Boston Review, Vol 30, No 3, Summer 2005: '' Armed with knives and poles and gasoline, the mob hacked and burned to death 27 of the Tamil inmates. Some 60 police officers sent to guard the camp made no effort to stop the attack ........... But the final hearing was truly shocking. As the Solicitor General repeatedly referred to the ways the Tamil inmates had been murdered—"beaten, stabbed, and some even roasted alive" he would say with a flourish—one of the justices began to mock his emphasis on the word "roasted." This brought much laughter from the other justices and the defense lawyers, and even, most disturbingly, from the government lawyers themselves .....’’

[ThosaiFan]

Thank you for the link that does bring out a stark constant between two Western journalists reporting on the situation in Sri Lanka.

Mr.AlanKeenan in his words … “Sitting quietly and scribbling in my notebook, I felt overcome with the desire to pick up a gun and join the Tigers.” This is one example of many, where an outside journalist gets carried away by emotion resulting in biased reporting after paying attention to only one side of a multi faceted situation.

On the other hand Mr.JimLuce is not only reporting on both sides of the situation he is spending his time and effort on actaully helping the vunerable in this conflict. (www.oiww.org,www.jimluce.com,www.lucefoundation.org) This is the difference between biased journalists who support/sympatize with terrorist and those with integrity who support peace and reconciliation.

For anyone interested in how murderous terrorists thrive on the sympathies of the well-meaning western world…the information is out there, feel free to educate yourselves:

www.mackenzieinstitute.com/2005/tamil-dispora.htm
www.mackenzieinstitute.com/Overseas_Terrorism_In_Canada.pdf
www.mackenzieinstitute.com/2003/other_peoples_wars1.htm (11 pages)

[punitham]

Please look at those who voted for the Resolution at UNHRC Special session on 27.05.2009 - human rights violators.
Evidence that the basis of membership of UNHRC shouldn't be geography but human rights record of members.
If our future generations should have a decent life, we need to dump our ego.
Just as we make choices about our physical health through the knowledge of natural sciences, let's make choices about social health through the knowledge of basic principles of justice for all.

[punitham]

How come what this senator says is just the opposite of ICRC, HRW, AI, UN and many journalists who have sneaked into camps to report the truth?
Prof Richardson who studied the conflict for 18 yrs said that the local leaders as well as foreign politicians are responsible for the escalation.

[ThosaiFan]

The Senator like HRW know that the LTTE cannot force more children into their ranks anymore--- Quote"August, 2002, soldiers from the Liberation­TigersofTa­milEelam (LTTE,orTa­milTigers) abducted Selvamani while she was walking to class. They took her to a military training camp where she learned to use weapons, including landmines and bombs. During training, when she became too weary to continue and asked to rest, the rebels beat her.
CanadianTamils don't have to worry that their children will one day vanish on the way home from school and end up in a military training camp.
But the Tamil community in Canada bears some responsibility for the fate of children like Selvamani. Many of Canada's 250,000 SriLankan Tamils provide financial and political support for theLTTE, enabling the group to continue its recruitment and use of child soldiers.
The LTTE receives significant funding (often through charitable "fronts") from Sri Lankan Tamils overseas. With the largest Tamil diaspora in the world, Canada is a significant source of such funding. Some experts estimate that Tamils in Canada provide $1 million to $2 million each month to front organizations for the LTTE.
Many Tamil donors may be unaware that their contributions support the recruitment of child soldiers. Although a 2002 ceasefire brought an end to active fighting between the LTTE and the government, the Tigers have continued to recruit thousands of children into their ranks, often by force.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2004/12/19/canadas-tamils-must-rethink-ltte-support

[keshini]

Jim, I'm curious: why is it that you are one of the few Western journalists who sees the Sri Lanka situation in a fair-minded way? I'm struck by the contradiction between the coverage of Pakistan (where everybody killed is automatically an insurgent, where 3 million refugees are no problem, where the government has no option but to address an internal insurgency) and the usual coverage of Sri Lanka (where everybody killed is a civilian, where 250,000 refugees calls for international intervention, and where an internal insurgency that has raged for 40 years is no cause for alarm). Do you have any idea what underlies this disconnect?

[Jim Luce - Huffpost Blogger]

Keshini - I have lived in France, Germany, Colombia, Japan, Indonesia - and visited Togo, Ghana, Haiti, and the Dominican extensively. In college, I lived in the international dorm where I was one of two Americans. In NYC, many (most?) of my friends were born somewhere else. All of my partners have been South East Asian or Pacific Islander. My adopted son is ethnically Chinese. So, although I am a 13th-generation American, with roots back to the Mayflower, and in spite of a long family tradition at Harvard and Yale, I have great sympathy and respect for people outside of Europe and North America. I would say Americans who don't get the world simply have not seen it. To experience Africa, Asia, and all of the Americas is to realize that neither Washington, nor Toronto, not London and Paris are the center of the universe. At this point, the Internet is. Thanks for taking the time to write - I read each and every comment and reply when I think anyone is listening... Cheers, Jim

[tmorgan1000]

Jim plans on retiring there so he needs to keep on Sri Lanakan govt's good side ;)

[truenorth8]

Is giving funds from IMF a good idea at this juncture to Sri Lanka?

Congressman Heath Shuler, please note that Western embassies in Sri Lanka are attacked with impunity, and a government backing news paper shed lights on that Sri Lanka has support from Russia and China to head off any calls for difficulty funds wise:

http://www.nation.lk/2009/05/31/newsfe8.htm

"China and Russia will ensure that the “international community” cannot torment Colombo."

"US pressure tactic may not work. Like in the case of Myanmar or Sudan, if Washington steps up pressure, China may come to Sri Lanka’s help."

[ThosaiFan]

On the subject of attacking embassies --- The Sri Lanka embassy in Norway was attacked by LTTE terrorist supporters not too long ago --- http://www.sindhtoday.net/world/86128.htm

What everyone needs to clearly understand (and the worldwide LTTE support desperately wants to distort) is that the Sri Lanka government has representatives of Tamil (including even a former LTTE commander (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7657668.stm), Muslim (yes this is not just a two sided story) and other communities. Unlike the LTTE that ethnically cleansed the areas they controlled. The government of Sri Lanka in spite of their failings is still the legitimate democratic representatives of all the citizens of Sri Lanka.

[Mullai]

I am sure NC Congressman visited the camps, but not sure which camps he is talking about? ICRC said not too long ago that they did not have access to the camps in Vavuniya, one of the biggest IDP concentration camps in the world. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon visited and asked the Sri Lankan government to allow UN access and Media access. So clearly Congressman is talking about a different camp. For argument sake, lets assume Congressman from NC did visit Vavuniya concentration camp and for some unknown reason he is saying good things about the camps. Can this Congressman ask his Sri Lankan friends to allow independent media access to these camps to show off their excellent work in caring for Tamil people? Recently, UK Channel 4 news reported about this camps and it is not good news as Congressman saying now. I agree it could have changed between now and then. So why did Sri Lankan government deport Channel 4 news team? They should have invited Channel 4 news team and "SHOW OFF" the camps. May be I am not understanding clearly what NC Congressman is talking about - logically doesn't make sense.

[usasrilankan]

US Congressman Schuler,
I have to thankyou for weeding out the LTTE propaganda around the world regarding the Sri Lankans. Being a third world country, these LTTE tamil Diaspora must be expecting five star treatment at the IDP camps. Sri Lanka has to start somewhere, rehabilitating our own Sinhala and Tamil and other ethnicities, who are all affected by this.

Tamil LTTE loving violent international media and the diaspora have forgotten the horrible atrocities of LTTE during the past 30 years, the killings, dissapearences, child soldiers, children deprived of their childhood, women deprived of their children, families deprived of their fathers, mothers, children, and starving to death in a dictatorship under LTTE. Diaspora have no idea what it is like, while living in comfort, nestled in western countries, they only know how to escalate problems in a nation, which affects all people living in a nation. EELAM can NEVER BE. Sri Lanka is a soverign stateWe have to learn to live peacefully and coorperatively.
Why is it that none of the Jafna Hindu College, the Vanni Tech, and all the other Jaffna schools have no Sinhalese children attending them? Perhaps only one or two muslims, and no burghers at all.
That is because the Dictatorship LTTE chased them all away, with ethnic cleansing, killing all the Buddhists, Muslims and anyone else who did not agree with them. What a way to go. Kill Kill Kill. This was the motto of Prabhakaran.

[Kevin2]

It is truly shocking to see a US congressman can so easily be made to spread lies and deceptions.

The congressman clearly knows more than 20000 civilians were murdered and more than 30000 were disabled, in the last few weeks of the fightling alone.
He would also have seen more than three hundred thousand tamil civilians are held as hostages in the detention camps, subject to abuses. Independent media is barred from these camps. Aid agencies are not allowed or have restricted access at the mercy of Sri Lankan government. The civilians are detained so that the evidences of the mass murders can be destroyed and the witnesses can be easily intimidated.

It is appalling for him to tell us that we need to ignore these crimes and then only the detainees can be released.

I hope this trip was not paid from the tax payers money. If it was paid by the lobbyists belonging to Sri Lankan government, it is truly concerning how vulnerable we are to corruption and what this corruption can do to American values.

[Caroline692003]

Heath Shuler, U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, is biased. The Government of Sri Lanka is very good in covering up his acts. Over 100,000 of the above refugees need urgent surgical & medical care, and health & sanitary facilities. Some 25,000 people have been left to die bleeding in trenches, tents, sheds, roads, lanes and open areas, with corpses decaying for weeks. No international or local NGOs or media or aid workers are currently allowed to enter these barbed-wired camps, who are able to provide food, medical care, housing, other welfare. They also have the means to report on the situation. If he failed to see these things, In my opinion, Mr Heath Shuler is disgrace to be a Congressman.

[cruul]

How do you know without seeing things or your eyes? These figures are the ones spewed by the rebel propaganda! There is no correct account of how many died since the government didn't allow anyone to go to the war zone. There can be many rebels among the IDPs and it is paramount that the people are screened while they are being well taken care of.

[johnlee84]

How do you know U.S Congressman is biased based on the news and Western media sympathizing the Tamil Tiger leadership? The media trashing the government because of the current refugees crisis overshadow the necessity to end the war. People forgotten the atrocious acts conducted by the Tamil Tiger's since 1970s- human rights violation, child soldiers recruitmen­t,civilian­s being used as human shields, brutal suicide bombs, expulsion of Muslims and ethnic cleansing, piracy, arms smuggling and attacks on civilians with excuse of liberal and fight for the Tamil's right. As someone involved with non profit in children welfare and live in Sri Lanka, sometimes the Western ideology simply doesn't apply in every part of the world. I won't be happy if a visitor bossing me around in my own home. The issue of imperialism and meddling in Sri Lanka’s affairs, no country had the right to tell Sri Lanka and the government how to resolve its ethnic problem or blame the Rajapaksa brother's strategy in ending the war- every victory come with a hefty price-as long as the government is doing their best for recovery efforts.
In 2008, the world think Sri Lanka can never win in the battle against terrorism and Tamil Tigers, should the government listen to the world, they would have probably suffer another 20 years of civil war, just like the successive governments who have wasted the last 20 over years to discuss so called 'political solutions' by international community who think they know best!

[SBaker]

Finally, a US lawmaker gets it!

U.S. Congressman’s Heath Shuler’s comments are true and should be understood well by the LTTE-leaning Obama administration and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. We cannot let our elected officials here in the US to be influenced by such brutal and wealthy terrorsts.

Let’s hope the Congressman Shuler’s words are given much publicity to bring lasting peace to Sri Lanka.

His positive comments about Sri Lanka will enrage bitter Tamils who still think violence of the answer to everything. That explains all those nasty comments by some.

Thank you U.S. Congressman’s Heath Shuler for exposing the truth.

Simon Baker
Hollywood, California

[banda]

The Srilankan government got help from Iran,Pakis­tan,Cuba,C­hina...etc­.All these countries share the same values of human rights,corruption and impunity for the criminals.
A US congressman making this kind of statement for a few days of fully paid all inclusive Srilankan vacation is very really upsetting.He is indirectly helping to kill more of the voiceless and helpless.

The way the Srilankan authorities are spending the money to buy this kind of people is amazing.

Hope the truth and justice will finally prevail.

[cruul]

Hahaha... how about the many diplomats on LTTE payroll? Welcome to the real world!!

[SriLankanAmerican]

Let me congratulate Rep. Shuler on making an honest effort to find the truth for himself rather than getting swayed by organized mass letter writing campaigns. Also, kudos to the writer for this concise, to-the-point report.
As rep. Shuler correctly observed, what's critical at this point is to attend to the welfare of the thousands of people who have undergone untold missery over the last year and help re-unite the broken families. Let's also not forget the many thousands that belong to all ethnicities who have been languishing in refugee camps for years.
The separatist lobby in the west seems to be more interested in doing a postmortem on the dead patient while ignoring the patient who is in a 'critical state'. How else can they carry on their separatist project?
I hope the big-wigs at the State Dept. learn from the likes of Rep. Shuler and not subscribe to efforts that attempt to Balcanize the Indian Subcontinent.