India, Pakistan and the BBS

Two important assertions made by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in an interview with the 'Daily Mirror' have probably come as a relief to many. One is his categorical statement that he has "nothing to do with the BBS" (Bodu Bala Sena). Any move to distance itself from this outfit can only be beneficial to the Government, given the BBS's racist credentials (proclaimed by the organisation itself in its infamous speech in Aluthgama). The other important statement made during the interview is that there is no merit in claims about 'Muslim terrorists,' about whose existence Indian intelligence agencies have expressed concern. The defence secretary went further to say that "our intelligence agencies are very active on these issues."

These statements are important firstly, because they put paid to the BBS's allegations about 'jihadist' plots, used by BBS as justification for its hate campaign against Muslims. Secondly they should help ease Indian paranoia over the prospect of Sri Lanka being used as a launching pad for terror attacks against India. Indian media speculation has been along the lines that the Aluthgama riot and its aftermath could provide a breeding ground for radicalisation among disaffected young Muslims, who may be exploited by foreign elements to stage attacks on India.

Indian alarm

The degree of Indian anxiety is reflected in a recent decision to set up a special standing committee to share intelligence and strengthen coastal security. The meeting at which the decision was made "discussed the need for strengthening coastal security following specific inputs that some suspicious characters, having terror links, might intrude from Sri Lanka via sea route," according to a report in 'The Hindu.' A watchtower in Danushkodi is to be used for maintaining surveillance on Sri Lanka from the southern tip of Rameshwaram, where "policemen armed with binoculars would keep watch round the clock."

Against this backdrop of Indian alarm, the statements made by some Sri Lankan ministers attributing the riot to 'foreign instigation' (G L Peiris) and 'international conspirators' (Nimal Siripala de Silva) have been badly misplaced. While the remarks may have been made out of a desire to distance the government and its supporters from any involvement in the incidents, they have only added fuel to the fire of Indian worries.

The muddled state of Sri Lanka's external relations was displayed in further drama in recent weeks when the Government arrested scores of Pakistani asylum seekers and refugees living in Sri Lanka (mostly in Negombo), along with some Afghan asylum seekers. Most of the 144 Pakistanis currently held at the Boossa detention centre are from the Ahmadi community, considered apostate in Pakistan. At the end of last month the Government also suspended the visa-on-arrival facility hitherto enjoyed by Pakistanis travelling to Sri Lanka. The harsh treatment of Pakistani nationals does not seem to have caused ripples in Islamabad. A foreign ministry spokesperson reportedly disparaged the asylum seekers for having 'badmouthed' Pakistan in order to get asylum in Sri Lanka.

Information freeze

No reasons have been given for the arrests. They have set the authorities on a collision course with the UN High Commission for Refugees in Colombo, which has not been informed of the Government's intentions with regard to the detainees. While there have been reports that they will be deported, there has been no clear statement to the media about the rationale behind the moves. Both police and external affairs 'passed the buck' to the Controller of Immigration who was impossible to reach for comment. UNHCR says returning asylum seekers or refugees to places where they face danger constitutes a breach of customary international law.

The sharp increase in arrivals of Pakistani asylum seekers took place in 2013, when numbers reached 1,489, as against just 102 in 2012. External Affairs sources link the clampdown to the abuse of the visa-onarrival facility by some Pakistanis who entered the country on a tourist visa and then walked into the UNHCR to claim refugee status. But if this is merely about the need to curb abuse of the country's visa policy, then why is there an information freeze, leaving even the officials charged with the dissemination of information in the dark?

Lack of clarity

The lack of clarity gives rise to speculation as to whether the crackdown on Pakistanis comes in the manner of 'offering a sop' to India, in order to appease the big neighbour whose new government has shown no change in its stance on the implementation of 13th amendment, on which progress has been slow. Prime Minister Modi reportedly brought up the question of the possibility of Pakistani militant groups operating in Sri Lanka during bilateral talks in May, when President Rajapaksa was in Delhi for Modi's swearing in.

An increasing tendency to freeze the free flow of information is seen in the media- related strictures suddenly issued to NGOs, and the limited media access afforded during the visit by South Africa's Deputy President and Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Cyril Ramaphosa. A joint media briefing would normally have been in order for a visiting dignitary of this stature, and it was not at Ramaphosa's insistence that the media were kept at a distance.

While the Government remains tightlipped on many issues, the BBS has been holding several media conferences. Monday's event was an interaction with the Foreign Correspondents Association of Sri Lanka. It revealed BBS's delusions about the 'Muslim invasion' that has taken place (there is a jihadist hiding behind every flower pot) and its obsessive preoccupation with the reproductive habits of Muslims (the Sinhalese race is on the verge of extinction). It seems doubtful whether these 'monks' have command of any international language -- and it need not necessarily be English -- that would open a window for them on a larger world of ideas. A charitable diagnosis of BBS might be that it simply represents a bad case of 'frog-in-well-itis.' However seeing that the group's main achievement so far has been to spark off a race riot, the Government's butter-fingers approach towards its activities remains a cause for alarm.