Backdoor diplomacy with

Zuberi
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
July 27, 2014
Sri Lanka's approach with the US on a 'lobbying spree' what is said to be 'to continue
to disseminate the accurate factual views of the Sri Lankan peoples and 'continue the
education process of key law makers in the executive and legislature of the USA and
their staff' is indeed running into millions of US dollars if not billions!
Imaad uberi! one of the latest big catches and actors! in the field of helping defend
Sri Lanka from the international community's alleged claims! is a reputed
businessman! of "akistani origin! based in the US# $e is the fund%raiser for &bama
and has been the 'o%'hair of the (ational )inance 'ommittee of America from *++,#
uberi is also said to be one of the directors reporting to his boss! -ark Skarulis! of
.eltway /overnment Strategies! a lobbying company in the US! and has been the
mediator for Sri Lanka in the process of helping Sri Lanka to be successful in its
campaign to put things right with the US /overnment#
0he .eltway contract had been signed on 12*2*+345 6egistration number 1**7! and
the 8irectors are -ark Skarulis of 'alifornia! under whom uberi works# 0he other
director of the lobbying firm is -ohammed 9han! who is also working closely with Sri
Lanka#
:hile! Imaad is the Interim "resident of 'ir;a -obile Inc# the '<& of 'ir;a is known
to be the very same -ark Skarulis#
.eltway /overnment Strategies has promised Sri Lanka it would =manage the
government's relations activities and its current and future representatives or agents#'
0he lobbying contract registration with .eltway /overnment Strategies Inc# had been
*> -ay *+34! however! it was executed on 1 ?une *+34# 0he contract expires on @+
April *+3,# Although the cost of the lobbying on behalf of Sri Lanka! is unknown! the
usual figure for such an exercise undoubtedly runs into millions#
0he other lobbying agency! the government is working with! is a company named
-adison /roup! which has been registered in the month of -ay this year# .oth
contracts had been signed by the -onitoring -" of the -inister of <xternal Affairs! that
is -" SaAin Baas /unawardane! the form states#
:hen 'eylon 0oday contacted Imaad uberi! he denied any connections with Sri
Lanka# uberi said yesterday =I was told there were false stories about me in Sri
Lankan newspapers# I have nothing to do with it# &bviously! someone had their story
wrong#=
$owever! -" SaAin Baas /unawardane! in an interview! recalls meeting him and said
he has heard of Imaad# :hen asked what took him to the US and what kind of
lobbying engagement Sri Lanka is involved in! the -" simply replied! =(ot only in the
USA! the -inistry of <xternal Affairs continues to engage with the international
community in communicating with the current developments in Sri Lanka and
addressing issues that are faced by us# 0his is our Aob! is there anything wrong in us
performing our duties and obligationsC=
defend the country
It is said that "resident -ahinda 6aAapaksa's administration currently pays four US
lobbying firms to defend the country and there are four under contract or active
accounts for Sri Lanka in the US at the moment#
0he two groups that were added last month were the -adison /roup and .eltway
/overnment Strategies but the financial background is not known#
0hough Imaad uberi stresses that he has nothing to do with Sri Lanka! it is his boss!
-ark Skarulis! who had undertaken the contract based on the introduction and
mediation by uberi#
-" Bass /unawardane! who admitted that he met uberi! told 'eylon 0oday! =Des! I
know Imaad uberi! however! I do not know how influential and so on he is# :hen we
undertake our duties internationally we come across personalities both in the
government sector! in the private sector in civil society and they all claim to be very
powerful and influential!= he pointed out#
0ruly! no one knows how influential these lobbyists working on behalf of Sri Lanka are
and that is the hard truth#
A reputed Aournalist! based in the USA! stressed that such lobbying exercises do not
even change the mindset of the &bama government and educating a government that
has passed a resolution! which comes out of mounting pressure and debate! is
undoubtedly a waste and such companies cannot make "resident .arak &bama think
otherwise#
0he latest additions to Sri Lanka's )oreign Agents 6egistration Act are the -adison
/roup and .eltway /overnment Strategies which have set their working agenda# 0he
-adison /roup has taken upon itself the task of =assisting the -inistry of <xternal
Affairs to create situation awareness of current affairs in Sri Lanka= and the payment
for this process is USE37!+++ a month! plus expenses and performance bonuses# 0he
contract with the -adison /roup will last through ?une *+37 with the possibility of
renewal! one of the agents who works for -adison /roup said#
0he registration with .eltway indicates it is working with a government of a foreign
country and the foreign principal is the office of the -onitoring -" of the -inistry of
<xternal Affairs#
0he government has said 'yes'! to the need of political activities! to the lobbyist#
0he criticism is that even countries richer than Sri Lanka would not opt for contracts in
the hope of educating another country's politicians about its own land and interests!
spending such a whooping price#
Lobbying for Sri Lanka in the USA has been going on since the end of the war in *++>#
0here had been other contracts way back in *++7! too! where Sri Lanka had
approached 0ravis F 6osenberg2Sri Lanka! which cost Sri Lanka USE @+!+++# 0he
American for "eace in Sri Lanka in *++> also had cost USE 7+!+++ but the details go
as '-iscellaneous Issues'# Also! there had been 'Lobbying <xpenses reported by
Subsidiary <mbassy of Sri Lanka' for USE @4G!+++ by -aAority /roup LL' in *+3@#
0hese details are endorsed by the US Senate &ffice of "ublic 6ecords#
:hether those brought fruitful results or not is yet unknown! however! the eye%catching
lobbying exercise that led the 'entral .ank to pay 6s 3++ million to the US lobbying
agent 0hompson Advisory /roup! LL' H0A/I! USA! had taken place last year and it is
the biggest pay off by the government# 0he other contract has been with bouti;ue
lobbying firm -aAority /roup of which the accounts are not revealed#
0he thumping pay off contract was signed in )ebruary *+3@ to end )ebruary *+34!
where the 'entral .ank had released 6s 3++ million to 0hompson Advisory /roup
Hregistration number 137>I# 0he document 'eylon 0oday! obtained exposes that the
one year contract has run into 6s 3++!+++!+++! approximately USE G++!+++! which
had been disbursed in this manner5 6s G!@@,! +++ or USE 11!1++ as an advance
payment! seven days prior to the signing and a monthly fee of USE 11! 1++ to 0A/! by
the monetary board at the end of each month during the contract period that ended
)ebruary 37! *+34#
&ne of the 'unheard' practices is that 0hompson Advisory /roup 'hairman 6obert ?#
0hompson has made his Limo driver! a Sri Lankan! 0hilak -ohan Siriwardana! the
consultant# $e is supposed to have advised the government to work closely with
0hompson Advisory /roup and his pay has been USE ,!+++ per month till the contract
ended last )ebruary# Siriwardane is also registered as a for hire driver in -aryland#
no ban
Such payments for mediating are legitimate says an expert! ?oseph Sandler of
Sandler 6eiff Doung F Lamb# $e had been ;uoted as saying there's no ban on paying
a finder's fee under US law! but certain payments to foreigners and foreign officials are
impermissible under the )oreign 'orrupt "ractices Act#
-" Baas' other argument is that the L00< front organiJation is spending over USE *#7
million per year only on one company to lobby on their behalf# =(eed I say moreC= he
asks# .ut whose money they spend is not a ;uestion to be worried about# (o politician
or government is spending on their behalf!= he said#
$owever! the most intriguing ;uestions that follow are what price are we paying for this
'engagement' and will we get the 'desired' attention we are seeking from the global
arena at the end of the dayC
8oes this lobbying exercise work well! or can Sri Lanka change the image that it has
been portraying till today! is very debatable and at the same time not so debatable!
since! Sri Lanka has not had much success at the $uman 6ights 'ouncil# It seems
there will be a weak response# If the government wants to spend some money on
lobbying! fine! but when you contextualiJe that in terms of per capita /ross (ational
Income H/(II and poverty! it seems like these big amounts would be better spent
elsewhere#
0he need of the hour is to work on issues that are causing pain and disturbances to
many in the country# A change in their lives can definitely bring about a change in the
mindset of the international community and the truth will eventually prevail without a
price tag#
(o international community wants to see an <elam or a separate state within Sri
Lanka# (o one is lobbying with cash for such a necessity# <ven the 0amil 8iaspora!
which may have the support of some five countries! cannot change the political
platform of Sri Lanka nor of the country they live in#
0he one good step the Sri Lankan /overnment took after five years of growing
international dis;uiet K and eventually a U( resolution K was when "resident
6aAapaksa announced that he would extend the term of the commission investigating
disappearances to look into the evidence of war crimes by both sides in the war#
Sri Lanka has been moving forward in a good direction but at some point it makes a U%
turn and is blinded to several serious offences# 0hese are the issues that need to be
seen under the light and eventually everybody will see the true picture but not by being
paid for telling what is supposed to be the truth#
Is Sri Lanka! fighting for a global advocacy or a US advocacyC Shouldn't they look
beyond the US resolution! an international writer under anonymity! asked 'eylon
0oday#
0here are thousands of lobbyists in the USA and what is the guarantee that they would
bring about a change! vastly! only a dream! he added#
:hat the government needs to worry about at this hour is that! hundreds of war
victims are eager to testify and give information to the United (ation's investigative
body# 0here are various issues that money cannot solve either#
0he need of witness protection bill is an important element for fact finding# &ne of the
notorious deficiencies in the LL6' and the "residential commission are the absence
of witness protection initiatives# 0he Sri Lankan government has explicitly stated that
they will prosecute people who give evidence to the United (ations body# 0his has
raised concern# 0here are issues related to ethnic clashes based on religions#
0hese are concerns that the government should work closely on before thinking of
spending public money on 'uncertain' agendas'#
Posted by Thavam