April 15, 2013, 6:15 pm


With the Western powers led by the United States and the UK accusing Sri Lanka of violating human rights during the final phase of the war against LTTE terrorism, the bold headline, ‘MI6 organized execution of Lumumba’ in the World View of 3rd April issued with The Island attracted my instant attention.

It reminded me of a rare publication entitled ‘Secrets and lies’ by David Southwell (Funtastic Australia 2005, ISBN 1711508177) gifted to me in 2007 by my good friend Nihal de Alwis. In 200 pages of art paper with rare photographs this book exposes the world of cover ups and deception.

On page 11 of this book is the story of how MI6 was part of a plot to kill the UN Secretary General. According to David Southwell, unlike the CIA, Britain’s MI6 is not usually held responsible for assassinations and military coups. Its motto is Semper Occultus or Always Secret. But the MI6 could not keep its role secret in a plot to kill UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold.

On August 19, 1998 the Chairman of the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission Archbishop Desmond Tutu announced the finding of documents indicating that MI6 had helped the South African Security Service and the CIA to sabotage the aircraft of the Secretary General.

Apart from the above, this book is replete with numerous exposures that highlight the hypocrisy particularly of the US and the UK.

Stories such as ‘M15 helped para militaries murder terrorist suspects as part of their dirty war in Northern Island’ ; US Scientists have experimented on orphans and refugees; Colin Powell was involved in the cover up of the Mai Lai massacre by US Forces in Vietnam; ‘The lies told to justify the invasion of Iraq’, etc. etc.

These powerful western countries are vociferous about Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka with their cupboards full of stinking skeletons.

Edward Gunawardena

Battaramulla

island.lk