Is it coz they is black?

‘It must be made clear that before accusing others, you must have the strength to know what you do yourself.’

Yet again, our government has demonstrated its impotence as advocates of human rights. The words above were spoken by the Sri Lankan President, in defence of his government’s actions in the war against the Tamil Tigers. Although the British and French foreign ministers were on an admirable mission to urge a ceasefire and an end to indiscriminate bombing which has killed many (possibly thousands of) civilians, plainly they had forgotten their self-inflicted castration - their own double standards, aka hypocrisy.

In addition to the references to Afghanistan made by the Sri Lankans, I refer of course to the recent massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner of France also apparently had a heated row with the Sri Lankan Defence Minister. Compare and contrast the differences in approach:

While the Defence Minister was giving a glorious account of how they rescued 200,000 civilians, Mr Miliband interrupted him, saying Britain had credible information that civilians were being harmed by the Sri Lankan army’s bombardment of the area. The Defence Minister’s reply was that Britain should not be ‘duped’ by the Tamil Tiger’s ‘disinformation’, and even the BBC were ‘dishing out Tiger propoganda’. Mr Miliband admirably stood his ground and responded that his information was based on credible information from sources in the front line.

All this is well and good, and exactly how we expect our governments to defend human rights around the world - but where was Mr Miliband during the Gaza conflict? Why did he not go to Israel and tell its government that it had credible information of indiscriminate bombardment and civilian deaths – ie the live pictures we all saw daily on our TV screens.

If you recall the same accusations were made in Gaza, that it was terrorist (Hamas) propaganda, and that the BBC was also dishing it out.

Mr Kouchner, French Foreign Minister, then requested the UN be given access to civilians trapped in the conflict area. After being told it was ‘not safe’, he volunteered to go himself. He was further warned that the Tamil Tigers were so desperate they would kidnap him. Mr Kouchner, a founder of Médecins sans Frontières – the international medical charity, bravely stated that he ‘doesn’t mind that risk’.

Again the question is where was Mr Kouchner during the Gaza conflict? Why did he not stand in front of the Israeli Defence Minister and demand access to Gaza, when the Israelis refused all access – even to journalists? True bravery is not standing up to the minnows, but the powerful.

The Sri Lankan Defence Minister again echoed the Israeli line used against Hamas, and said humanitarian concerns were a ‘ploy’ used by the Tamil Tigers. The Defence Minister’s department then added insult to injury but posting the exchange on its website!

It’s also being reported that the Chinese are behind the Sri Lankan success against the Tamil Tigers, they have been supplying arms and money. Apparently they have a strategic interest – they are building a port in Sri Lanka, which they will turn into a military base for eventual regional interests.

“That’s why Sri Lanka has been so dismissive of international criticism,” said B. Raman of the Chennai Centre for China Studies. “It knows it can rely on support from China.”

China is of course a veto-wielding UN Security Council member. But so is the US (and to a lesser extent the UK and France) which supplies Israel’s military equipment and uses its veto to silence criticism of it. As usual our abuses of power are OK, but when it’s someone else, we get on the moral high-horse.

I am not doubting the intentions, and the honourable mission of the EU delegation – but why the double standards and silence when it comes to Israel? The conflicts have many similarities, the only difference is that one antagonist is mostly European Jews, the other is darker former colonials. That is the reality – it is coz they is black.