 |
 |
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are engaged in
talks about setting up a structured authority to oversee and coordinate all tsunami
related rehabilitation and reconstruction activity in the North - East. The Suranimala
column of Jan 23rd "Sunday Leader" exclusively reported that a tiger delegation headed
by Pulithevan was in Colombo from Jan 15th to 19th for talks with a government team led
by Jayantha Dhanapala. The facilitator was Norwegian envoy Hans Brattskar. The LTTE
was scheduled to be in Colombo this week too for a second round of talks.
A remarkable change almost a sea change seems to have come over in the LTTE
approach towards current issues. The LTTE is now very flexible on the question of
setting up a post - tsunami structure for the North - East. While wanting to head the
envisaged authority the tigers are prepared to accept three joint chief coordinators
representing the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala communities. It is also ready to set up a
coordinating council representing the affected six North - Eastern with all three
communities.
According to the LTTE the affected Northern districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and
Mullaitheevu will have a coordinator each. All three with a predominantly homogenous
Tamil population will have Tamils as coordinators. The Eastern districts with a largely
heterogeneous population will be different. The multi -ethnic Trincomalee and Amparai
districts will have three coordinators each representing all three communities. Batticaloa
will have a Tamil and Muslim coordinator each. Thus the eleven member council or task
force will have six Tamils, Three Muslims and Two Sinhalese.
The Tamils will be appointed by the LTTE, the Sinhalese by the Government and the
Muslims appointed by a majority of the elected North - Eastern Muslim MP"s. The Council
will reflect the ethnic ratios of the combined North - Eastern population. The Muslims and
Tamils will have three each in the East. The North will have only one from each district.
So the coordinating council or task force will be East dominated thus avoiding charges of
Northern hegemonyism.
It is premature to outline the final framework of this envisaged set up. It will not be
applicable to the entire North - East but only to six affected districts. It will also have
specific powers restricted to limited relief related functions. The state machinery in the
form of Government agents and deputies will also be part of the structure. Whatever the
"minimal" powers given there is no doubt that the LTTE will use it as a stepping stone to
enlarge their power. It will be easy because the bureaucracy in those areas is a puppet ,
the population throttled and elected MP's slaves to the LTTE. When the ceasefire came
into effect the LTTE was only permitted to send unarmed political workers to government
areas. Three years later tigers virtually rule the roost in most Tamil areas of the North -
East.
The primary face of flexibility displayed by the tigers seems truly remarkable. It was only
last December that the LTTE was planning to announce quitting the ceasefire after Thai
Pongal this year. Now the same LTTE was ready to join the Government in setting up a
joint mechanism. The peace process was stymied by the insistence that an Interim Self -
Governing Authority (ISGA)be set up under sole LTTE control for the N - E. The LTTE
was not prepared to compromise or even accommodate power - sharing options on the
ISGA. The LTTE had been strongly opposed to accommodating the Muslims as an equal
third party in the talks. Now the tigers were ready to be more than generous to Muslim
interests.
Moreover the LTTE is seemingly prepared to put the ISGA or nothing demand in cold
storage and opt for a task force structure with limited and lesser power. This is not all. It
was in April 2003 that the LTTE quit the joint sub - committee on immediate
rehabilitation and humanitarian needs charging that it was too slow and ineffective.
When this column criticised that action the LTTE responded by a barrage of vicious
propaganda against this writer.
The highwater mark (or low) of that campaign was an article in the LTTE English flagship
"Tamil Guardian"singling out this writer by name in a vituperative attack. No other
Journalist has been attacked by name in the "Guardian" before or after. Belatedly the
LTTE seems to have realised the validity of that criticism about jettisoning the joint
mechanism and is ready for a changed stance.
The LTTE claiming the needs of the people were urgent has waited for 20 months now
without any structure being set up. So much for the urgency of the situation. The very
same tigers are now ready for another joint mechanism to address tsunami needs. The
so called imperative needs of the earlier category of war affected refugees have now
taken second place to the immediate tsunami refugees.
The UNHCR at least is consistent and humane. It has called for resettling both
categories together. The LTTE like the government seems ready to abandon the people
whose cause was used to justify the earlier abandoning of peace talks. Even now the
government and LTTE will do well to revive the defunct SIRHN and address needs of
both refugee categories instead of trying to set up a new authority.
The LTTE "change" is all the more interesting because of the visible "U" turn even in the
post - tsunami phase. The LTTE and its propagandists overseas unleashed vicious
criticism of the government after the tsunami accusing it of blatant discrimination. The
LTTE and affiliated organizations wanted international aid to bypass Colombo and be
channelled directly to them. Working together with the government seemed out of the
question. Now the LTTE is prepared to work with the same government it vilified
constantly.
The government for its part played cheap politics by preventing UN Secretary - General
Kofi Annan from visiting LTTE controlled areas. The Italian envoy in Colombo too was
chastised for daring to visit Kilinochchi. All this was to prevent the LTTE defacto
administration gaining "legitimacy" it was argued. Earlier the same UPFA had criticised
the ISGA proposal on somewhat similar lines. Now the same regime wants to set up a
joint mechanism with the LTTE. If this will not confer respectability, power and legitimacy
to the LTTE what will? Certainly not the Kofi Annan visit.! Only the JVP seems consistent
in opposing LTTE involvement. After all it was the tiger card that was used by
Kumaratunga to topple the UNP government and seek new elections.
As stated in these columns earlier neither the government nor the LTTE are in a position
to go to war in the aftermath of the tsunami. Except for the lunatic fringe on either side of
the ethnic divide no one would accept or approve resumption of armed conflict in the
wake of this monumentally calamitous tragedy. Public opinion will not forgive those who
start war again. There will be international opprobrium against the warmongers too.
If fear of national and international political repercussions is the stick preventing a return
to war there are carrots acting as incentives against war too. Chief among them all is
what makes the world go round - Money! The international donor community is prepared
to dole out massive sums of cash for tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction. The hitch
is that these agencies and nations want both parties to work together as part of a joint
mechanism.
It may be recalled that the Tokyo summit of June 2003 pledged 4.5 billion dollars for
reconstruction after war and implementing the "Regaining Sri Lanka" plan. The condition
was that both parties should progress along the peace process path. The entire thrust
behind that search for peace was a "cash for peace" strategy. The development horse
was tied before the peace settlement cart. It was hoped that the lure of lucre will promote
peace in Sri Lanka. That approached failed miserably. The warring parties demonstrated
that their mutual animosity was greater than their mutual need and greed for money.
Now the same donor community is back again with a fresh offer. The tsunami disaster
has provided a worthy and very deserving cause. The immediate rehabilitation and
resettlement of tsunami refugees and reconstruction of affected areas. If both sides
played ball and reluctantly collaborated on post - tsunami renaissance then around 2
billion dollars at least will be doled out. The donors feel now that a collaborative venture
between both sides will strengthen the peace process and pave the way for direct talks.
In the meantime Govt - LTTE interaction on the rehabilitation issue will be positively
advantageous it is felt.
Resettling the war refugees was not an issue close to any "Sinhala" government as 98%
of the refugees were Tamil and Muslim. The tsunami refugees are around 40% Sinhala.
Moreover the politically sensitive Southern Province is affected. So Colombo is forced
this time to strike some deal with the LTTE and get its hands on the moolah to carry out
its grandiose plans.
The LTTE too wants money. Nowadays it has become a financial conglomerate trying to
eke, shake, make or take money. The tigers and affiliates like the Tamil Rehabilitation
Organization have raised massive sums of money after the tsunami. Yet these are not
enough to effectively reconstruct the affected areas and galvanise economic activity on
a large scale. So international funds are very necessary. It is not as if the LTTE is driven
solely by concerns for the Tamil people but it knows that money can be raised only in
their name. Mirror image of the Colombo regime. When this aid is obtained and projects
get going the LTTE will directly and indirectly make money.
So for this some compromise is needed. The LTTE has also learnt the hard way that it
cannot lay hands on the big bucks unless and until it enters into a strategic partnership
with Colombo. The same Tamilselvan who pulled out of SIRHN led a tiger delegation to
Europe seeking separate funds for the N - E.. A dejected tiger political chief lamented in
an interview that the international countries were not prepared to give the LTTE money
directly. "They will give money only if we and the government seek it together" he said.
Yet after the tsunami the tigers did try and strike out again. They failed and now wisdom
has dawned. The LTTE now knows that it has to "bond" together with the government to
gain funds.
Besides there is a major difference now as opposed to the Tokyo summit situation. The
tigers were prepared to play the peace talks game in 2002 and 2003 too in order to get
a slice of the economic cake. The problem was that the international community wanted
the LTTE to adhere to some democratic norms and respect human rights. This was
anathema to the LTTE. The LTTE wanted aid with no strings attached. It wanted the
money but no "benchmarks" of pluralism, democracy or human rights. It stood up to the
international community and now after many, many full moons the donors seem to have
capitulated.
There is no insistence on democratic norms or pluralism or adherence to human rights
codes now. There is no insistence on resuming the peace talks too. There is no
reference to the ISGA demand too. All what seems necessary now is for the LTTE to
forge some joint mechanism with the government for tsunami relief and rehabilitation and
make it workable. The government keeps its so called sovereignty as funds will not be
given the LTTE directly but channelled through Colombo. Tiger affiliates like the TRO
could get funds with the approval of Colombo.
The government may have legal authority over the Country but its writ does not run fully
in the North - East. The LTTE can sabotage any project there. So the LTTE is needed to
execute projects in the N- E. Like the story about the blind man carrying the lame man
on his shoulders to pluck fruit from a tall tree both the government and LTTE are ready
to join forces and share the booty.
When the LTTE wants something it is prepared to adopt any posture that will succeed.
The tigers know that the major opposition to the LTTE being given control of the North -
Eastern structure will come from the Muslim and Sinhala communities. So it is bending
backward to accommodate them. The LTTE is more than generous in allocating
representation and sharing power with the other communities because it does not want
them to obstruct the tigers gaining overall control.
The LTTE and TRO are catering to some Sinhala and Muslim refugees too in the East to
enhance its image. Sharing power nominally does not matter to the LTTE as it has
absolute control over the Predominantly North - Eastern bureaucracy. The tigers have
the unofficial power but not the legitimacy which is needed to get funds legitimately and
officially implement projects.
Apart from access to more funds this nationally and internationally sanctioned legitimacy
is also needed to establish and expand its control among the Batticaloa - Amparai Tamil
people. The tiger base is badly eroded in the East after the Karuna revolt. The power to
rehabilitate tsunami victims will be beneficial greatly. It will also use this opportunity to
coax, cajole and coerce new recruits. The LTTE will also develop its income generating
capacity further by utilising the rehabilitation process. Tiger nominees given fat
contracts will pay their dues to the tigers.. The people will be forced to do "shramadana"
while being on the payroll which will of course go direct to tiger coffers. Tiger taxation will
increase.
Internationally the LTTE will gain more prestige and "legitimise" its fund raising. Security
agencies abroad will not be able to check donations given to a legitimate rehabilitation
authority in the North - East. Ironically one could channel the money through Sri Lankan
embassies abroad. It can also gain more clout with the Muslim community. It will also
strengthen its position vis a vis the armed forces. Hypothetically the LTTE controlled
resettlement authority could "instruct:" the STF to transport a batch of children from a
refugee camp to a tiger camp for additional "counselling".Conscription will be made easy.
What is frightening in this scenario is that giving legitimate recognition to the LTTE in this
respect will give tigers "carte blanche" to do what they want in the N - E. Already the
LTTE is accused of diverting, hoarding and misappropriating relief aid. People planning
to go abroad on account of being affected by tsunami are being deprived of official
documents. They have to pay the tigers to get them. There are charges of conscription
from refugee camps too. Against this backdrop the potential for greater abuse and
misuse of power is very much there.
What is perplexing is the move to give control of all affected N- E districts to the LTTE.
The LTTE control Mullaitheevu, Kilinochi districts and parts of Jaffna, Trincomalee,
Batticaloa and Amparai. One can understand the "hobsons choice" involved in areas
under tiger control but extending LTTE "writ" to areas outside their control is incredibly
absurd. An LTTE affiliate like the TRO could be one among several players operating in
government controlled areas if it is visible and accountable but creating an overall N- E
authority is an invitation for trouble. It can only result in more people of the North - East
coming under tiger hegemony.
The LTTE is seemingly flexible only to gain control of a North - Eastern post - tsunami
structure. The international donor community and the liberal intelligentsia in the South
must realise that the LTTE must be made to genuinely adhere to concepts of pluralism,
democracy and human rights in the Tamil areas in order to gain further legitimacy. It
must also be transparent and accountable in executing funds. In this high stakes game
for tsunami relief funds the LTTE may seem to be playing a cool hand but is actually
desperate for legitimacy and funds. It could be pressured to accept international
humanitarian law and universal standards of upholding human rights, democracy and
pluralism. The donor community must raise the ante and call the tiger bluff through
Colombo.
 |
 |
