Arugam Bay; hidden currents

There has been growing public concern over the recent weeks, about happenings in Arugam Bay (AB). This analysis adds to the discourse.

Two sides to the law

Democratic states are obliged to protect all people within its borders, whether citizens or non-citizens. Non-citizens include tourists on short stays, subject to the law of the land they visit.

Informed sources report that Jewish places of prayer have been set up for Israeli tourists in AB. Though few would object to people at prayer, this raises a concern. Why would tourists on short stays want this, when they can pray in their rooms?

A likely answer links two possibilities. Some of these tourists are here to stay longer and have been permitted to do so. And, the authorities have turned a blind eye to the construction or designation of a Jewish place of prayer for Israelis. The stringent regulations governing the establishment of new places of prayer or worship for our own citizens, makes this favour even more puzzling.

If the law has been bent to confer some Israelis with undisclosed, preferential treatment, new questions surface. Was this due to corruption in our system or external political pressure?

The US menace

Corruption is no doubt endemic in the system, but US reaction to two recent global initiatives by Sri Lanka, tips the balance towards the latter. The shocking entitlement to interfere in our affairs, repeatedly demonstrated by the current US Ambassador and the indissoluble marriage between the US and her proxy Israel, add weight to the swing.

A sudden, even controversial, travel advisory issued to her citizens by the US (promptly repeated by some of its allies), came soon after Sri Lanka signed a UN resolution along with 123 other nations, demanding that Israel end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, within 12 months. Sri Lanka had also around this time, applied for and gained a level of interim membership with BRICS, not the best friend of the US and her allies. Given the sequence of these incidents, the travel advisory could be seen as a warning; a nudge. Unless we behave; cooperate with US foreign policy, which coddles Israel, our gradually improving tourist industry will suffer another set-back.

There is a lesson here. Nations hit by economic bankruptcy like Sri Lanka, are prone to sell their sovereignty, in exchange for pseudo, dressed up, stability. If any, tasked to protect our own sovereignty, have been part of such hidden currents, we will have to deal with not one, but two sets of predators, to regain our independence.

Playing with fire

Some reports that IDF personnel who have been active agents of genocide in Gaza, are among the AB ‘tourists’, could turn the Israeli presence into a time bomb. Wherever and in whatever condition segments of the Israeli fighting machine are present, there the Mossad will be; gathering and hunting.

One of our former governments is claimed to have bought arms from Israel and invited their personnel to train our forces during our protracted ethnic war. The Israeli agents invited over then, had ample opportunity to study our fractious ethno-political relations and explore the strategic locations on our coasts, not the least AB. This ethnic war then, brought death and untold suffering to thousands of civilians, especially Tamils. Today, our hurt and humiliated Tamil community still waits for closure. But for this to happen, the protective cordon of racist patriotism will have to be dismantled.

Caught up today with a much more mysterious Israeli presence in AB, Sri Lanka should note what the whole world knows. Any who stand in the way of Israel’s policy of occupation are punished harshly. This explains ongoing genocide in Gaza, how the Secretary General of the UN was swiftly deemed persona-non grata and why the life sustaining UN agency, UNRWA, currently faces shut down.

Integrated justice

While our impending geo-political crisis is hugely complicated, an immediate step in this tough task is to review all preferential treatment of Israelis on our soil. The commendable political will demonstrated in signing the UN resolution on Israel’s occupation of Palestine, has a moral sequel. Till the genocide of the Palestinians end, Israelis who have played a part in the genocide should be on notice for prosecution wherever they go, including Sri Lanka.

Discernment

Drawn into deep and dangerous currents, by design or default, our best chance for a dignified nation is to look beyond party politics to our wisest legal and diplomatic minds. In the meantime we are to beware those who fly over, with bag loads of smiles, gifts and advice. They are far from the angels they pretend to be.

With peace and blessings to all