The NGOs and Sri Lanka's International Recognition

The activeness of NGO's in Sri Lanka is full of life especially in issues related to ongoing ethnic conflict and other relevant matters. Whether their intention for such activeness is bona fide or malafide or just to promote their hidden agendas, it causes a substantial influence in government's decision making. The vulnerability of the Government before the International is so high due to the statements release by several NGO's. Such statements are potential enough to deteriorate the image of the Government before the international community.

My question is whether the NGOs who are authorized by the government to operate within the boundaries of Sri Lanka should they work to sustain the image of the Country or for its destruction. Of course the context I am talking about is Sri Lanka and its International recognition and the role of NGOs. The point I am trying to highlight is should the NGO’s work together with the State when it comes to matters related to countries International affairs or should they just work to fulfill their objectives without any concern about the recognition of the country.

It is true that every organization has the freedom to operate so as to achieve its objectives. Nevertheless are the NGO’s allowed to achieve its objectives while they ruining the Image of the Country? Sri Lankan Government is attempting to develop the country amidst a 23 years old, still continuing ethnic conflict. In such a situation the NGO’s are causing unnecessary hindrances to the smooth flow of the government. The best example is the recent resolution attempted to pass by the European Parliament on deterioration of Human Rights in Sri Lanka. Fortunately Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe together with the Solicitor General managed to prevent the resolution taking up in European Parliament. It was revealed later that this resolution was motivated by certain NGOs operate in Sri Lanka.

The consequences of such a resolution are fundamentally bad. Sri Lanka is a country which is in a dire need of foreign investments and aids. If this resolution happened to be passed, then a lot of investors will hesitate invest in Sri Lanka which will result badly on countries economy. Statistics prove that the NGOs are only assisting selected groups (Ex: Internally Displaced Persons) whereas the Government does the substantial part. The Government should look after the needs of every citizen of this country. If this resolution was passed, then a countless amount of foreign aid supposed to be granted to Sri Lanka would have stopped and the Government of Sri Lanka will find its way hard to provide the adequacies to the citizens of the country.

I would also like to draw your attention to the facts discovered following the operations by the forces in eastern and how the NGOs had helped the needy people.

Hence I would like to urge the NGO community to think twice before they work against the Government in the international arena.