Ghosts of war haunt President Rajapaksa

Ghosts of war haunt President Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa was wearing his trademark reddish brown scarf, its colour symbolising the coarse grain consumed by poor farmers, when he welcomed Commonwealth leaders for their biennial summit.

The event, which ended in Colombo on Sunday, was as much about re-establishing an old solidarity as it was about showcasing Sri Lanka's emergence from a quarter century of ethnic strife. But the war ended brutally in 2009, and those memories are not going to fade quickly, especially as the vocal expat Tamil community keeps up the din.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam also stayed away from the summit over the President's failure to investigate wartime excesses.

In the midst of the storm, Mr Rajapaksa continued to smile serenely as he played host. Adding a personal touch, he presented Prince Charles with a cake adorned with three elephants on the latter's 65th birthday.

For many this is the mixed legacy of a politician who brought about the stunning defeat of the Tamil Tigers soon after taking over as president. In the war's final phase, the United Nations estimates almost 40,000 civilians were killed by Lankan military shelling. The government alleges that the rebels used civilians as shields and asks "who are these 40,000?"

Ironically, Mr Rajapaksa got his start as a young human rights lawyer fighting the very excesses that he is accused of today.

Those who know him remember the earnest young human rights activist who in the late 80s tried to help women whose sons disappeared without a trace after they criticised the government.

"Rajapaksa at that time was an activist, slamming the government on human rights, collecting data of the missing boys and offering comfort to the families of the bereaved," said Ms Seema Guha, an Indian journalist who was posted in Sri Lanka at the time.

A lawyer by profession, Mr Rajapaksa entered politics as a candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1970. At 24, he became the youngest person to enter Parliament.

Over the next two decades, the politician - described as a rough diamond by some - worked his way up, becoming a Cabinet minister in 1994, prime minister in 2004 and president in 2005. He filled the void left in politics by the exit of Mrs Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Paris-educated daughter of two former prime ministers (Sirimavo Bandaranaike and S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike).

It marked a stark change; the Sinhala-speaking politician from a rural southern district taking over from Mrs Kumaratunga, political royalty from Colombo's English-speaking, foreign educated political elite.

"He retains his popularity as a kind of folksy leader, but who has the added advantage of having won a war," said Mr Dayan Jayatilleka a former minister and former Sri Lankan ambassador to Geneva, ex-political activist, and now author. "He has a classical rascally charm and is genuinely engaging."

Stories abound of how Mr Rajapaksa never forgets the names of people, never takes off his shawl - his link to the rural folk - and is a keen rugby and cricket fan.

In one instance, he was photographed inspecting the ear of Evander Holyfield - famously bitten by Mike Tyson - when the American boxer met the President during a visit to Colombo in 2012.

What cannot be denied about Mr Rajapaksa, whose core support comes from the Sinhalese Buddhists, was that he was returned to power in 2010 by a large majority.

Apart from bringing an end to war, Sri Lanka has seen rapid growth under his charge, with the government pegging it at 7 per cent. Infrastructure is also developing at a fast pace, from roads to railway lines across the island nation.

But the chorus of criticism has also spread over the last three years amid allegations of intimidation of journalists and social activists. There is also unhappiness over the Rajapaksa clan's grip on power: His brother Gotabaya is in charge of defence while another brother, Basil, is in charge of the economy.

"There is discontent brewing. There is a total destruction of the opposition and gagging of public opinion," said Professor S.D. Muni, a foreign policy expert and senior visiting scholar at the New Delhi-based think-tank Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

"And there is the hold of Rajapaksa on the entire economy. It is a family fiefdom."

But President Rajapaksa is likely unfazed by the criticism so long as his base of support among the Sinhalese - who form 74 per cent of the electorate - remains unshaken. In the meantime, his confidence has grown as countries like China and Pakistan actively court him.

Yet gaining international acceptability is not going to be easy.

Said Mr Jayatilleka : "The flip side of the coin in terms of international appeal is that the accession to the Commonwealth chair has come at a high price, with an international spike in criticism. He has pulled something off, but it is difficult to conclude he has made it."

gnirmala@sph.com.sg


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