19-01-2007
His Excellency Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse,
President of Sri Lanka,
Temple Trees,
Colombo-03
Your Excellency,
It is with deep regret that I wish to lodge my protest against the unfair criticism that is being levelled against some NGOO operating in the areas under the control of both the Government and the LTTE. I am protesting because the critics do so innocently being totally anaware or without considering the ground situation.
For the last 20 years the Government itself had been boasting that ours is the only country in the world that looks after the terrorists well. Is it due to love for the LTTE or due to the concerns for the poor civilians who would be otherwise deprived of their share by the LTTE?. Inspite of this, we had received complains that the LTTE replaces their old stock with the new arrivals and pass on the old stock to the civilian consumers. During the last 23 years, is there any record of disciplinary action taken against one Government Agent or even a Grama Sevaka for being very liberal with the LTTE?. I myself had complained about some officers who had been making payments for no work done. The LTTE inspite of their declared honest policies had encouraged fraudulent acts among the public servants who in turn had condoned the fraudulent activities of the LTTE.
The position of the NGOs is totally different. First of all with grave risk to their lives the Foreigner are working in our country with no personal interest. Secondly each NGO has only a few persons from the donor countries and the balance workers numerically much larger are recruited locally and in Tamil areas they are all Tamils, some of whom are LTTE supporters and the balance give support out of fear for their lives. How can we expect a NGO to do what the Government with all its power is unable to do?.
I know the tremendous work some NGOo are doing. There is hardly one village in the North where the German NGO GTZ had not put its foot to do some work. Can an NGO with a larger number of local volunteers refuse to do whenever a request comes from a LTTE Leader?. Having refused can they survive?.
Foreigners are more scared to see blood. There is absolutely no need for foreign NGO to support the blood thirsty LTTE. No NGO, not even the Government machinery can function in those areas without conceding to the request of the LTTE to some extent.
My only worry is that by criticising the NGOO we are not only insulating the good Samaritans but also earn the displeasure of the Donor Countries that will prove detrimental to our interest. Whatever criticism is made let it be constructive and fair and should not be insulting to the extent of some donor countries withdrawing from our country. Please advice all concerned to avoid criticising the NGOO at random.
Thanking you,
Your Sincerely,
V.Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.
His Excellency Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse,
President of Sri Lanka,
Temple Trees,
Colombo-03
Your Excellency,
IN DEFENCE OF THE NGOO.
It is with deep regret that I wish to lodge my protest against the unfair criticism that is being levelled against some NGOO operating in the areas under the control of both the Government and the LTTE. I am protesting because the critics do so innocently being totally anaware or without considering the ground situation.
For the last 20 years the Government itself had been boasting that ours is the only country in the world that looks after the terrorists well. Is it due to love for the LTTE or due to the concerns for the poor civilians who would be otherwise deprived of their share by the LTTE?. Inspite of this, we had received complains that the LTTE replaces their old stock with the new arrivals and pass on the old stock to the civilian consumers. During the last 23 years, is there any record of disciplinary action taken against one Government Agent or even a Grama Sevaka for being very liberal with the LTTE?. I myself had complained about some officers who had been making payments for no work done. The LTTE inspite of their declared honest policies had encouraged fraudulent acts among the public servants who in turn had condoned the fraudulent activities of the LTTE.
The position of the NGOs is totally different. First of all with grave risk to their lives the Foreigner are working in our country with no personal interest. Secondly each NGO has only a few persons from the donor countries and the balance workers numerically much larger are recruited locally and in Tamil areas they are all Tamils, some of whom are LTTE supporters and the balance give support out of fear for their lives. How can we expect a NGO to do what the Government with all its power is unable to do?.
I know the tremendous work some NGOo are doing. There is hardly one village in the North where the German NGO GTZ had not put its foot to do some work. Can an NGO with a larger number of local volunteers refuse to do whenever a request comes from a LTTE Leader?. Having refused can they survive?.
Foreigners are more scared to see blood. There is absolutely no need for foreign NGO to support the blood thirsty LTTE. No NGO, not even the Government machinery can function in those areas without conceding to the request of the LTTE to some extent.
My only worry is that by criticising the NGOO we are not only insulating the good Samaritans but also earn the displeasure of the Donor Countries that will prove detrimental to our interest. Whatever criticism is made let it be constructive and fair and should not be insulting to the extent of some donor countries withdrawing from our country. Please advice all concerned to avoid criticising the NGOO at random.
Thanking you,
Your Sincerely,
V.Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.
