by A. Rajasingam
The far-sighted thinking of the President have become a question mark when he boasted about hoisting a flag in Kilinochchi before declaring a ceasefire for negotiation without knowing that the LTTE is crouching to pounce on the military forces. It is easier to make statements on the strength of an early successive military success, but not the strategy to isolate the LTTE. This is what Mahinda and his military officers failed to learn lessons from Bismark of Germany and Cavun Cavoor of Italy (both of whom were instrumental for the unification of Germany and Italy respectively). Further the Government does not have a steady policy in all matters. Mahinda’s concern was merely to become a hero among the Sinhalese people and not as a Statesman among the Sri Lankans. Even some of the Ministers including the PM were only concerned of the war in order to deny the voice of the Tamils and appeared to be clowns. They were not even concerned about the compensation for the families of the dead and the wounded soldiers. No one seemed to worry that Kilinochchi would ultimately become the burial ground for the soldiers. The recent defeat of the military forces at Kunchupparanthan was a case in point. It is noteworthy mentioning that the LTTE has yet to unleash its offensive. The strength of the LTTE is their courage and determination. Perhaps they may be studying the current situation for a change.
In addition, the deployment of 50,000 security force personnel to defend the liberated regions, which is on the card, could also be targeted gradually. Already hundreds of Sinhalese have left the Eastern Province after a Sinhalese doctor was shot dead in Batticaloa. Earlier the fate of four Sinhalese TV technicians are still unknown after the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was signed. Further, Pillaiyan has already complained that Eastern Province was not allocated with sufficient powers and also made a statement that their Secretary was not shot by the LTTE. Both Karuna and Pillaiyan have shown a fear psychosis within themselves given the fact that there is a rise in abductions and murders. Further there are undue delays in providing the essential items to the internally displaced refugees. What is vital is that the strategy in defeating terrorism does not mean waging a blind war (dropping bombs) on the innocent Tamils. The Government should know that a war with the LTTE is a war between the visible and the invisible. The JVP or the JHU cannot decide overnight to wipe out terrorism. It appears that the JVP and the JHU wanted the Government to make North East Province another Vietnam, all of which points out the clumsy handling of the ethnic problem.
Mahinda Rajapakse has already proved that his hands are tainted with blood despite the fact that he had been democratically elected by the people for providing good governance. During this three year period almost twelve thousand soldiers have died and a similar number became maimed according to the statement of UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara. What was more surprising is the restriction of visiting the injured soldiers.
The concealment of vital factors pertaining to the poor governance and of the economic bankruptcy of the country led Mahinda to wage war on the Tamils on the pretext of wiping out terrorism. The emergence of a Military junta initiated by Mahinda and his brothers with the coordination of corrupted Ministers could be seen on the outcome of the development of malpractices by some Ministers. The Supreme Court’s decision to take over the Petroleum Ministry from Minister A.H.M.Fowzie is a recent evidence of how corrupt the government is. What was more surprising is the Minister was reluctant to resign at a time the Home Minister from India has immediately resigned from the Indian Cabinet soon after the Bombay blast. If Fowzie resigns, number of unlawful events, including business transactions with undesirable underworld criminals through his relatives, that took place during his period as Minister in Chandrika’s Government as well as in this Government would come to light. It would be very helpful for the country to identify the culprits who are indirectly connected with terrorist activities. Will it not be wiser to know about the profession of the politicians before entering politics and how they amassed the wealth.
Having known very well the existence of two kingdoms (Tamil in the North and Sinhala in the South) for several centuries prior to the arrival of the Westerners in 1505, the denial of the basic rights to the Tamils since independence by dragging this burning issue constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter. What have they lost in respecting the legitimate aspirations of the Tamils who wants to live in harmony with the Sinhalese. What have they achieved in committing the various forms of atrocities on the poor innocent Tamil civilians (especially chasing the students to bunkers while attending schools with Kfir jets). I wonder whether Lord Buddha ever approved this.
It is true that there cannot be excuses for the LTTE for the murder of Rajiv Gandhi. But does it mean that some Tamil leaders to be accommodated with the Government or to be accepted as the Tamil representatives to the satisfaction of the international community, when such Tamils are a liability to the Tamil community and costly affair to the country. It is against such a background, the Government intends waging a war to remain in power for the next term. It appears to be a rule of a military junta. The appointment of some uneducated Tamils as Ministers has been a contributing factor for the blunder of the LTTE which assassinated Dr.Neelan Thiruchelvam, A.Amirthalingam, etc. But the vital question is, has the Government won the hearts of the Tamils.
There is justification for the Tamils to lose confidence on the successive governments. Till to date the UNP has not tendered an apology for the cause of civil riots in 1983. Similarly the PA Government too had not tendered an apology to the Tamils for the mass murders it had committed on the innocent Tamils. Even the MOU (a private agreement) was signed by violators (the UNP, the Army and Prabaharan) of human rights. Finally a word on the massacre of students of Sencholai School. It has to be accepted that when those students (around or below the ages of 16), were ready on their noble venture with the motto of “Serve and Protect” anyone who ever they may be without carrying arms, had become the target of aerial bombing. The Government even failed to tender an apology stating that it was due to an accident, which even Lord Buddha would not have tolerated. When the whole world knows about this barbaric acts being perpetrated on the innocent Tamils, the question of liberating the Tamils becomes a ridiculous matter. Even now no Sinhalese Parties appear to be interested in the ceasefire but interested in obtaining the support of the Tamils for which they have secret deals with the LTTE in order to remain in power. When the Sinhala political leaders can have secret dealings in offering a large sum to the LTTE, it is surprising that Tamil politicians have been charged for mere participation at Pongu Tamil celebrations at a time such Parliamentarians have absolute privileges., while not framing charges on human rights violators. It appears that any one will be charged when he pronounces the word. “Tamil” or “Federalism” in future. I hope the Police is aware of the maxim that he who comes to courts must come with clean hands. The military junta knows only about the force of bullets but not about about the Tamil literature or the nature of civil liberties. On seeing such such events, no wonder
the Tamils have lost faith on the Government.
The question of having an election in the liberated areas is not the decisive criteria which will satisfy the aspirations of the Tamils. It is the question of waging the war in Sri Lanka which produced nothing except the development of hatred. At this crucial hour is it necessary to have the world’s biggest cabinet together with an allowance of Rs.100,000/= for Parliamentarian’s monthly accommodation allowance. It also reminds of how Tsunami Funds were swallowed, when houses built with public donations be given free to the families of the soldiers. Again it becomes colossal waste of public funds, when the Government could have constructed a number of flats with Health Insurance and other pension benefits instead of providing separate houses, which with the passage of time will be mortgaged by the disabled soldiers on account of poverty due to malignant economic policy of the Government. This fact is emphasized because the Government wants to conceal the corruption of the Ministers on account of the procedural constraints confronted by the families of the dead soldiers. The embarkation of waging war could be avoided at least by experimenting the available remedy of Federalism to the burning issue and a large number of lives could be saved.
Mahinda Rajapakse has already proved that his hands are tainted with blood despite the fact that he had been democratically elected by the people for providing good governance. During this three year period almost twelve thousand soldiers have died and a similar number became maimed according to the statement of UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara. What was more surprising is the restriction of visiting the injured soldiers. Even though the Crimean War reminded what a waste that war has caused, at least the Crimean War produced a Florence Nightingale to look after the wounded soldiers. But will there be a prominent Nightingale or Nightingales in Sri Lanka and will such Nightingales be done away with at a time when women soldiers have become victims of the men soldiers. Or will these Nightingales be done away with by the ruling politicians fearing them to be as messengers to the people as to what is happening in the war front. It is for the historians to evaluate the outcome of this war whether a military junta is ruling the country which will be seen in the next few months.
What could be gathered from this loss of soldiers and poor people, is that the government is following a malignant economic policy and has misled the people by waging a war to suit its political agenda. The liberation of Eastern Province has become a question mark given the fact that the LTTE has celebrated the Heroes Days at several locations including the East. Fighting terrorism does not in any way mean abduction and murder of Tamil youths or arrest of Tamil Youths on suspicion or even threatening the life of Parliamentarians who do not conform with the Government’s policy. Government should learn to respect the civil liberties that remain as the live-wire of democracy. Would this have happened had there been a Federal form of Government on the Canadian or American or Indian model.
It is true that terrorism is evil and no one will tolerate it. In Sri Lanka, the issue is that the present struggle is carried on by the LTTE. This has become complex because Terrorism is blended with freedom struggle or Freedom struggle is blended with terrorism. However when there is a freedom struggle there would be a presence of an element of terrorism which cannot be ruled out, but not the way the LTTE murdered innocent civilians when they stood as a bar to their agenda. Neverthless, there were number of hot signals shown by both the Government and the LTTE which became a failure on account of the insincerity of both parties in bargaining for time (for regrouping by the LTTE and for concealing corruption by the Government). But there is a moral duty on the part of the Government to afford adequate protection to the entire people and the Government should utilize the ball in its court it in the proper and meaningful way. Mahinda should no more to conceal their corruption and recognize that the interests of the people are well represented as citizens of the larger union while retaining their identity of their own Provinces which is based on the balance of power policy between the Federal Government and the Provincial Governments through coordination and cooperation. I ask the question why Tamils are denied to represent as citizens of the larger union by recognizing their basic rights which is possible only under a Federal structure. It is then the production of economic development comes in as a decisive matter for the rulers to remain in power. If he can realize this simple logic, then this war would appear to be a useless one and the isolation of terrorism can be seen. As such it appears Mahinda is mainly concerned in restoring his self image by waging this war to remain in power for the next term at any cost.
Second death anniversary of Anton Balsingham, theoretician and chief negotiator of LTTE was observed in several parts of the Jaffna peninsula, 