10 Saturday 26th November, 2011 Features

“The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that is ours; Why Burt We have given our hearts away, a sor- did boon!” - William Wordsworth (1770-1850) “Even now the destruction is begun And half the business of destruction should look done.” - Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)

he Friday Forum is a group of con- cerned citizens who have regularly at Chilcot Tbeen drawing attention to issues that are of importance in the life of our listair Burt the UK’s nation. The Island this week published a Foreign Office Minister letter that the Friday Forum had written Agave the impression of a to President Mahinda Rajapaksa about a jack-in-the-box when he leapt month earlier. That letter referred to var- into the ring to call for accounta- ious incidents pertaining to law and bility by , no sooner order, acts of omission and commission the Lessons Learnt & by various political personalities, Reconciliation Commission including the President in pardoning handed in its report to the President. fellow political personalities found The news channels are full of guilty by our courts of corruption and so many matters of foreign poli- even murder. But this column wishes cy that are directly affecting to focus this week on some important the United Kingdom, much clos- BY LUCIEN RAJAKARUNANAYAKE environmental issues raised by Friday er home and with much more Forum, issues that should concern impact than the situation in Sri “So why does the LLRC not seen everyone of us about protecting Lanka. But, Sri Lanka was on top to be independent?” nature and our heritage. of the list of Alistair Burt. One AB: “Well it is made up of Sri Those of us who have visited wonders whether his demand for Lankans only, and is appointed by the President. They have to report before the war will remember immediate accountability by Sri to him.” two landmarks in that city which Lanka, on the many charges being made against it by a whole lot of “Very interesting. Who appoint- were unique to Jaffna. One was the pro-terrorist propagandists and ed the Chilcot Committee that is Jaffna Fort built by the Dutch in well manipulated politicians, inquiring into the UK’s role in the 1680 on the site of an earlier but Iraqi war?” smaller Portuguese Fort. The Fort AB: “Well it was the British had within it a Government. Who else could magnificent stone church built in The members of the LLRC appoint it? It was our war against the style of the Dutch Kruys that damn Saddam.” Kerks in Wolfendhal and Galle; have completed their “Are there any foreigners on the the spacious Governor’s House Chilcot Committee?” which served as the residence study of what took place AB: “Why should there be any foreigners. From Sir John Chilcot for visiting Heads of Jaffna Fort in Sri Lanka during the on, the committee is made of emi- State/Government, the Prisons, nent British people. Who can a few houses and a tennis court period of their Terms of doubt their independence?” used by the Fort Tennis Club. “So you doubt the independ- The other landmark in Jaffna was the Old destruc- Reference and handed in ence of eminent Sri Lankans sit- Park in . It had the Residency, tion already done. Majestic ting on a commission on a Sri Lankan conflict, that took place of the Government Agent, in one corner trees which adorned this landmark site upkeep of their report. But look within Sri Lanka, but have no and a 27-acre woodland consisting largely have been cut down and monstrosity of the garden, there were the Baobab and a of mahogany trees but also a variety of buildings to house sundry government problems of independence about tree from South America which had love- what’s happening in the a full British committee trying to flora, some of which were unique to Sri officials and government departments ly blue flowers throughout the year, Lanka. The Boy Scouts and Girl Guides report on a conflict, sorry an inva- are being built. When protest were made growing just outside our bedroom win- UK, where Mr. Alistair sion, that took place outside the used the Old Park for their annual camps at the initial stage, the military Governor dow. This tree was supposed to be the UK?” and jamborees. The Old Park was legacy of the North issued a statement, tongue only one of its kind in Sri Lanka. Burt lives and is a mem- AB: “Well the British are left by P A Dyke, a former British colo- in cheek, that no buildings in the Old “The prisoners who were serving sim- known for their independence of nial Government Agent who had served Park have been destroyed. Even if some ple sentences were brought twice a ber of the House of judgment. It’s not the same all in Jaffna for 38 years and who died and newspapers wrongly stated that the month to the Old Park. They cleaned up over.” was buried in Jaffna. Residency was being destroyed, surely the under bush and cleared the garden of Commons. The Chilcot ”But don’t you think that a war that was an invasion of a foreign the Governor could not have been the leaves that had fallen from the Committee is sitting for land, should have at least one The Dutch Fort unaware that the protests were about the numerous trees.” member from that invaded land The Friday Forum has quite rightly desecration of the Old Park. This tenden- The tree with the blue flowers that stressed the need to preserve these two tious statement of the Governor shows more than one year and sitting on a committee to report on Amarasekera refers to is known to the invasion?” botanists as the lignum vitae and has come nowhere near AB: “What nonsense. Who is to remains in bloom throughout the year. appoint an Iraqi to the Chilcot Another plant found in the Old Park was concluding its work. It is Committee? There will be wran- the doun palm which, like the lignum gling among rival political groups Reconstruct not vitae, was unique to Sri Lanka. The Old being stymied by the that will never come to an end.” Park was also home to a variety of “You mean the wrangling that fauna, including several species of but- secrecy of the Foreign came after the western type of terflies and hundreds of bats. It is this democracy as introduced to Iraq after the invasion.” priceless treasure of fauna and flora that Office and the British AB: “That is not the issue. But desecrate Jaffna is being destroyed by the thoughtless as I said earlier, this is a British actions of persons with no sense of his- defense establishment, inquiry and it must be done by tory and no respect for our heritage. Britons.” among other problems. “Very good. But what about hav- The Residency ing some members from the other landmarks The magnificent Residency, the home coalition countries that joined you of Percival Ackland Dyke and succeeding think-tanks, and rights activists in carrying out the invasion, and Government Agents now lies in had anything to do with the widely caused so much bloodshed in Iraq? landmarks as heritage sites. The ruin, not because of wanton announced Mahaveer Day celebra- Why are they excluded?’ Church and the Governor’s House AB: “Well, I don’t think any destruction but because of years of tions due to take place this week within the Dutch Fort were magnifi- beginning today. coalition member asked for such NOTEBOOK OF A callous neglect over the years by cent buildings. During the war, the In case you have forgotten it, representation, certainly not the Church was wantonly and sadly persons without a love for history this is Mahaveer Day – the birth- USA, the biggest coalition partner, destroyed. The belief was that the NOBODY and traditions. The Residency was day of Velupillai Prabhakaran, and its leader?” destruction was done by the LTTE a fine specimen of British whose lethal army of terror was “Forget the political divisions, BY SHANIE don’t you think there should be at because they did not want the Architecture. It was a two-storeyed defeated in Sri Lanka two years least one representative each from Church which was on high ground building built by Dyke around 1840. ago, and whose followers are According to a writer, it combined involved in keeping the Eelam the Shia and Sunni Muslims of in the Fort to be re-occupied by the Sri that he at least condones this action, if Iraq who were turned against each the ‘all the features of British architec- message alive and kicking in the Lanka Army and use it to attack LTTE not being a party to the decision to do so. other after the invasion, and so ture at its best - pillared verandas, lofty West. positions outside. But reading Ben Obviously, no one from civil society The members of the LLRC have much of whose blood was shed archways and timbered ceilings. The Bavinck’s memoirs, there is now some organizations in Jaffna had been consult- completed their study of what since the invasion?” doubt about this. But it is a small mercy ed or informed. The Citizen’s Committee showpiece was the drawing room took place in Sri Lanka during the AB: “Come on you will next ask to learn that the tablets and plaques that of Jaffna which is headed by a former upstairs, so immense that it could only period of their Terms of for an Iraqi Christian representa- were in the Church are now safely lying Vice Chancellor of the University of be furnished with two sets of furniture, Reference and handed in their tive, because they have also suf- in the compound of the Cathedral at Jaffna and the Bishop of Jaffna had one on each half of the room. The walls report. But look what’s happen- fered a great deal?” Vaddukoddai. One of the houses almost lodged a written protest. No one seems were thick and solid, and according to ing in the UK, where Mr. Alistair “Well yes, why not? The Iraqi on the ramparts of the Fort was occupied willing to take responsibility for taking one story they had originally been coated Burt lives and is a member of the Christians and Jews too are House of Commons. The Chilcot known to have lived in complete by Leonard Woolf when he served as a such an insensitive decision. There is a with the white of egg’. young cadet in the Ceylon Civil Service, At the entrance to the Residency was a Committee is sitting for more than safety under that damn Saddam as 19 member Presidential Task Force for one year and has come nowhere you say, but it is no so anymore. So which he describes in his autobiographi- tablet erected as a tribute to Dyke. It Re-settlement, Development and Security near concluding its work. It is why not a Christian too?” cal volume ‘Growing’. He was later to be of the Northern Province headed by the reads: ‘This tablet is erected by the being stymied by the secrecy of AB: “Look, you are not making the Assistant Government Agent in Presidential sibling Basil Rajapakse. Ceylon Civil Service in testimony of the Foreign Office and the British any sense. What we are doing is Hambantota, which experience he Apparently, this Task Force does not have their respect for the memory of Percival defense establishment, among having a British look at what describes in a later autobiographical a single Tamil in it and the only one in it Acland Dyke, for upwards of 45 years a other problems. That may be a British leaders and British troops work and is the background to his novel with any sort of connection to the North member of the Sertvice, and for the last problem for the British people, did in Iraq. It may have affected ‘Village in the Jungle’. is the Governor Maj Gen G A 38 years of his life the Government who must be relieved that their the Iraqi people badly. We are here It is understood the Dutch Government Chandrasiri. In such a set-up, it is unreal- Agent of the Northern Province of troops are not dying in Iraq any- to learn lessons for the British in has given Rs 60 million towards the istic to expect the Archaeological Ceylon. Known no less for his untiring more, but would still want to know future situations, not to teach les- preservation of the Jaffna Fort. With this Department and the Department of the truth behind the Iraqi invasion sons to the Iraqis. That is why it is devotion to the Public service than for and how they were fooled about grant, the outer walls of the Fort and the National Heritage to take any strong a fully British committee” his capacity for administration and the Weapons of Mass Destruction of moat alongside it is to be restored. There “Damn it Burt, have you forgot- stand. zeal which he displayed in promoting the Saddam Hussein, and the 15 is much history in the Jaffna Fort and it Some years ago, Ranjini Amarasekera, ten that what took place was a con- interests of the people over whom he was minute threat that Tony Blair lied flict within Sri Lanka, where no is hoped that the Dutch Government will wife of a former Government Agent of placed. He rested from his labours on 9th about in the Commons. others were involved, and that we extend its generosity to restoring the Jaffna, wrote in the newspapers about October 1867.’ Dyke was buried in Jaffna. But let’s take a look at the ended it our own way, with no for- inside of the Fort also to its original her life in the official residence of the This column therefore joins the Friday accountability and independence eign troops, in a coalition or not. state. It appears that there are some who Government Agent in the nineteen sev- Forum in urging a re-think on the issue of the Iraq invasion, about The only foreign input was in are critical of spending large sums of which Alistair Burt, his leader enties: “The Residency apart from its planned work in these historic land- weapons purchased from willing money in restoring historic buildings David Cameron, and Foreign own bakery, the underground tunnels, marks. We urge the halting of all further suppliers abroad. So why can’t we when there are more pressing human Secretary William Hague maintain the place where the personal staff of the building construction work and the have our own people on our own needs in the North and elsewhere. Such GA were mustered in the morning and the strictest of silence. All of commission to learn the lessons felling of trees in the Old Park. We also these are people who ask for critics seem to have no sense of history. A paid in the evening in the past, had 27 that we need to learn from the con- urge the restoration of the Residency accountability in Sri Lanka, in the people no doubt need food and shelter acres of garden land called the Old Park. flict, and why should it not look and the buildings within the Jaffna Fort same breath that they call for an and employment opportunities. But a This place had its own history. Percival independent?” to their original state. As a matter of pol- independent inquiry into what people without pride in their history, tra- Ackland Dyke who had been the AB: “What you said seems very icy, any work in connection with such happened in the final months and ditions and culture will not have life. So Government Agent of Jaffna for more true, but please remember that we historic sites throughout the country weeks of Sri Lanka’s battle to it is important that economic and social than 36 years had bought the place with defeat LTTE terrorism. British are accountable only to must only be after extensive consultation development should go hand in hand with his own money and bequeathed it to his A Sri Lankan, who is not busy ourselves. So the Chilcot with the local community, with the Committee is fully British and will cultural development. successors on an irrevocable deed of gift with distributing leaflets for be so, until whatever time it takes through Queen Victoria. Departments of Archaeology and Mahaveer Day happened to meet to submit its report”. The Old Park National Heritage, with the Central Alistair Burt and ask him a few “The Old Park had some of the rarest “Well, well Alistair Burt; that The desecration of the Old Park is a Environmental Authority and concerned questions on accountability. trees. Apart from the giant Mahogany, is certainly the most convincing sadder story. Here, as Goldsmith wrote in Nedun, Ironwood, the inevitable Mango civil society organisations. Such deci- “What is this independent inquiry you ask for on Sri Lanka?” case you have made for the inde- his poem The Deserted Village, the and the Tamarind, both of which sions cannot be left to unthinking AB: “Very simple, it must be pendence of the LLRC. Thank destruction has begun and half the bureaucrats, civilian or military. brought some revenue annually for the seen to be independent.” you”.