Why Did Mahinda Say US Had Changed?

| by Upul Joseph Fernando

( October ! "#$%! Colo&bo! Sri 'an(a )uardian* Diplo&atic circles +ocused attention
on ,resident Mahinda -a.apa(sa/s recent 0ie1 that! +ollo1ing his tal(s 1ith United
States Secretary o+ State! John 2erry! he (-a.apa(sa* +elt that the US had so+tened its
stance on Sri 'an(a3 4t is not (no1n that Mahinda too( such a 0ie1 due to the
cordiality o+ 2erry or 1hat 1as pro&pted to hi& by 56ternal 7++airs Ministry
Monitoring M,! Sa.in 8ass )una1ardena! 1ho spearheads the e++ort to change the US
stand on Sri 'an(a through a ,- +ir& e&ployed by Colo&bo at a hea0y cost3
Chris 9onis contro0ersy
Follo1ing the Chris 9onis contro0ersy! Sa.in 1ho e&erged into the li&elight again is
reported to be carrying his :ab to :e&ple :rees to sho1 Mahinda that the stand o+ the
West 1as no1 being so+tened through his e++orts3 :he only +actor to the bene+it o+
San.in is that the process adopted by US and other Western countries 1ith regard to
1ar cri&es and hu&an rights 0iolations being slo1 in nature3 :hat process is
custo&ary to those countries3 ;ut Sa.in &ay i&press that because o+ his e++orts the
process 1as being delayed or could be abandoned3 Since Sa.in 1anted US ,- +ir&s
in0ol0ed to so+ten the US stand! Mahinda &ust be thin(ing on sa&e lines on a so+tened
stand3
When John 2erry assu&ed the o++ice o+ US Secretary o+ State! he had hopes on
Mahinda/s )o0ern&ent3 :hat 1as because 2erry as +or&er Senate Foreign 7++airs
Co&&ittee Chair&an planned and discussed 1ith his Senate colleague -ichard 'ugar
about the US stand on Sri 'an(a based on a report3
Here are so&e e6cerpts o+ that report< =:he United States cannot a++ord to >lose/ Sri
'an(a3 :his does not &ean changing the relationship o0ernight or ignoring the real
concerns about Sri 'an(a/s political and hu&anitarian record3 4t does &ean! ho1e0er!
considering a ne1 approach that increases US le0erage 0is?@?0is Sri 'an(a by
e6panding the nu&ber o+ tools at our disposal3 7 &ore &ulti+aceted US strategy 1ould
capitaliAe on the econo&ic! trade and security aspects o+ the relationship3 :his
approach in turn could catalyAe &uch?needed political re+or&s that 1ill ulti&ately
help secure longer ter& US strategic interests in the 4ndian Ocean3 US strategy should
also in0est in Sinhalese parts o+ the country! instead o+ .ust +ocusing aid on the :a&il?
do&inated 9orth and 5ast3B
Despite this scenario! it loo(s! Mahinda had not gi0en up hopes on 2erry a+ter he &et
hi& in 9e1 Cor(3 Mahinda thin(s that there is a dispute bet1een 2erry and ;arac(
Oba&a/s White House :ea& on the Sri 'an(an issue3 50aluating 2erry/s tal(s 1ith hi&
and the report presented earlier! it is e0ident that Mahinda is o+ the 0ie1 that the
White House :ea& stands +ir& on Sri 'an(a3
7+ter 2erry 1as no&inated as Secretary o+ State! the 4nternational ,olicy Digest
1ebsite published a letter on ho1 2erry 0ie1ed countries li(e Sri 'an(a3
9i6onian style
Here is a part o+ that published 0ie1point< =When it co&es to +oreign policy! ;arac(
Oba&a is a control +rea(3 He has e&braced a 9i6onian style o+ +oreign policy planning
D &eaning po1er is 0ery centraliAed3 Decisions are &ade by a s&all group o+ White
House insiders! Oba&a/s inner circle3 Hillary Clinton has been an outstanding
Secretary o+ StateE she has per+or&ed her duties 1ith dignity and grace3 ;ut she has
principally ser0ed as an i&ple&enter o+ policy! not a strategist3 4t is true that Hillary
Clinton 1as an outspo(en proponent o+ US inter0ention in 'ibya! as 1ere Susan -ice
and Sa&antha ,o1er3 ;ut e0en 'ibya 1as not considered a pree&inent +oreign policy
concern by this White House3 4t +reFuently loo(ed li(e e0ents 1ere passing Oba&a by!
as one o++icial later noted that the US 1as (o6y&oronically* >leading +ro& behind/ in
'ibya3
With regard to Clinton/s tenure at State! 7aron Da0id Miller! e6pounds upon Oba&a/s
need +or control3 =;ut did she o1n and do&inate D on behal+ o+ the ,resident D a
single issue o+ strategic conseFuence pertaining to peace or 1ar? :here 1ere so&e
issues that the &ilitary! C47 and White House appropriately do&inated D thin(
7+ghanistan! 4raF and the 1ar on terroris&3 ;ut on others D 7rab?4sraeli peace&a(ing!
the US?4srael relationship and the big thin( on 4ran strategy D the White House
e6clusi0ely do&inated discussions 1here the State Depart&ent could ha0e played a
central role3B ;arac( Oba&a trusts John 2erry and! i&portantly! 2erry did not
challenge Oba&a +or the De&ocratic no&ination in "##3 ,erhaps e0en &ore
i&portantly! 2erry is not &arried to ;ill Clinton3 4t/s possible that Oba&a 1ill let a
Secretary 2erry run 1ith a +e1 issues o+ his o1n! although Oba&a 1ill still &aintain a
tight grip on the &ost i&portant +oreign policy issues3 Here/s the rub< 7t this point it/s
hard to (no1 i+ Oba&a 1ould 1ant to set Sri 'an(an policy by hi&sel+! or 1hether he/d
be 1illing to hand that o++ to John 2erry and his sta++ers3 Sri 'an(a 1ill ne0er be
7&erica/s +ore&ost concern in South 7sia! but that doesn/t &ean diplo&atic relations
1ith Washington! are not i&portant3 :hey are i&portantE it/s .ust not clear ho1
i&portant ,resident Oba&a percei0es that relationship to be3
,aragon
John 2erry is a paragon o+ Washington/s +oreign policy establish&ent3 4+ John 2erry
1ere allo1ed to ta(e the reins on Sri 'an(an policy! it/s li(ely that &ilitary and security
ties 1ould &atter &ore than hu&an rights3 :his isn/t to say that John 2erry doesn/t
care about hu&an rightsE he &ost certainly does3 ;ut he probably cares less about
hu&an rights in the conte6t o+ Sri 'an(a3 John 2erry (no1s ho1 the 1ar endedE he
also +ully understands 1hy the US supported the )o0ern&ent o+ Sri 'an(a ()oS'* to
de+eat the '::5B3
When this letter is read one cannot ha0e doubts about Mahinda/s thin(ing on 2erry3
So! Mahinda/s )o0ern&ent &ust be thin(ing that 2erry could o0erco&e pressure +ro&
the White House :ea& and ta(e decisions on Sri 'an(a better than +or&er US
Secretary o+ State Hillary Clinton3 Contrary to these 0ie1s and stands! the
Spo(esperson at the US State Depart&ent e6pressed a di++erent 0ie1 this 1ee( 1ith
regard to Sri 'an(a3 She announced there 1as no change in the US stand on Sri 'an(a3
Oba&a has a short period
Co&e 1hat &ay! Mahinda &ust be thin(ing that Oba&a has a short period &ore in
o++ice as US ,resident3 4n 9e1 Cor(! Mahinda 1ent to the Clinton Foundation and &et
Hillary 1ith the 0ie1 to build up a relationship 1ith the Clinton +a&ily i+ Hillary
planned to contest the ne6t US presidency3 :he Mahinda )o0ern&ent thin(s that the
US adopted a tough stand on Sri 'an(a 1hen Hillary 1as Secretary o+ State due to the
pressure o+ the White House :ea&3
:he ne6t &o0e o+ the Mahinda )o0ern&ent could be to use the good o++ices o+ business
&agnate Harry Jaya1ardene/s daughter 1ho has close lin(s 1ith the Clinton
Foundation3 Sooner or later Mahinda/s )o0ern&ent 1ill realiAe that it is not easy to
so+ten the US stand on Sri 'an(a through ,- Fir&s or personal contacts3 'ast
Monday/s state&ent by the 56ternal 7++airs Ministry in Colo&bo that the ,resident
ne0er said about a US stand being so+tened is a clear signal that Mahinda/s
)o0ern&ent has already realiAed the true stand o+ the US to1ards Sri 'an(a3
,osted by :ha0a&