Sri Lanka’s constitution denies separatism: ITAK still wants to separate. What is delaying Govt action?
Posted on May 29th, 2012
Shenali Waduge
Delaying actions concerning the welfare of the Sri Lankan people by allowing a handful to create unprecedented strife based on a notion of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ethnic separatismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ not shared by the majority has led to decades of terror resulting in unnecessary damage control allowing Sri Lanka to be compromised to opportunist nations pursuing neo-colonial agendas and India desiring to turn Sri Lanka into an Indian protectorate. Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Government has been warned enough. What is stopping Sri Lanka from drawing up its foreign policy without bending to Indian will?
In 1949 the ITAK was formed to work towards a Tamil Eelaam. In 1976 the Vaddukoddai Resolution called upon the Tamil people to join to create an Eelaam and called upon the Tamil youth to take up arms. Why did the then Governments not take action?
Then came Prabakaran and several other Tamil militant groups all assisted by India not because India wanted to create any Eelaam but simply because India thought it could bleed Sri Lanka on several fronts to realize its own South Asian agenda. The then JR Jayawardena Government had to bow down to Indian dictates as Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military was not in a position to defend the nation. That however, led to the greatest betrayal and compromising of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sovereignty resulting in constitutional changes and the thirteenth amendment leading to a provincial council system that appears to be IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s way to acquiring Trincomalee harbor moving on to taking complete control of the island at a future date.
Is this what Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Governments are proposing to allow by their inaction?
What needs to be cleared before analyzing anything related to the Sinhala-Tamil issue is the fact that the ITAK was formed in 1949 a year after Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s independence aspiring to create an Eelaam when Tamils were enjoying all the privileges of English education, Government employment and social status far more than the Sinhalese?
Why would ITAK create a political party masquerading itself as Federal Party in 1949 but aspire to separate well before any of the so-called Sinhala-Tamil issues surfaced? It does make any wonder whether these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-issuesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ over the years including that of 1983 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-riotsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ was pre-planned and had little to do with anything racial or ethnic but all connected to India! There remain unanswered questions as to IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intelligence being involved in triggering the 1983 riots that paved the way for IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intrusion in Sri Lanka on the guise of helping Sri Lankan Tamils.
Therefore, the government must tell the world that if any investigation is to start it must start with IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s role in arming, training, and financially sponsoring the LTTE and other Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups, IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intrusion of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s airspace in 1987, IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s demand to stop the capture of Prabakaran, IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s forceful drafting and signing of the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord forcing amendments to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s constitution and the human rights and war crimes carried out by Indian Peace Keepers upon Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka. These must be investigated FIRST.
What needs to be reiterated is that ITAK is clearly heading towards another attempt to create tension in Sri Lanka. Let us all remind ourselves that members of the TNA were all associated with the LTTE and functioned as LTTE proxy never voicing outrage at any of the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s barbaric assassinations upon political leaders or suicide attempts on ordinary civilians. It goes without saying that their parliamentary status is attributed to the assistance given to them by the LTTE. These members are all a bunch of obsolete VellalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s attempting to lead the Tamil people astray.
It is good for the Tamil people themselves to look back and see what they have gained in aligning with LTTE/TNA/ITAK and India against what they have actually lost over three decades? Look at the colossal loss of Tamil lives, the destruction to their property, children turned into terrorists when they should have studied and improved their lives. Can the Tamils really be happy at the turn of events? Do they really propose to allow the TNA/ITAK and the Tamil Diaspora to ruin the futures of Tamils once again while they make merry profiting from the conflict by kickstarting donation campaigns which is going to begin with a satygraha campaign as was done in the past?
The West enjoys confusing matters with terminology brought in to coerce Governments to do their bidding.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thus these calls for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-power sharingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-devolutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ without knowing any of the ground realities that prevail interested in only what they are to gain by having a disintegrated Sri Lanka. Our objective then should be to remain united.
Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military defeated a globally banned terrorist organization. Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military did not carry out a military exercise against the Tamils in fact the military carried out a humanitarian rescue that left hundreds of soldiers sacrificing their lives to save the lives of 294,000 Tamil civilians.
Unlike any nation Sri Lanka has given prominence to less than 12% of its population. Tamils enjoy denoting its ethnicity on the national flag, every public document includes Tamil, road names, public event telecasts are in Tamil, Tamil cultural events have all been given due place. Tamils hold key portfolios in both public and private sector.
Where is the discrimination and why canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s politicians argue these facts when questioned? If the Defense Secretary can confidently say that the North does not belong to ONLY the Tamils and every Sri Lankan citizen has a right to settle down in the North, why canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t the politicians voice the same sentiment clearly so that they do not leave room for inconsistencies? If the North is meant for Tamils only why are Tamils purchasing property and taking up residence in the South amongst Sinhalese. There are more Tamils living amongst Sinhalese than in the north and east together.
Just as the Sri Lankan Government needs to wake up and take legal action against the TNA/ITAK, the Tamil people must not allow their lives to be manipulated once again. If charges could be framed against the former army commander what is stopping any Government from charging the TNA/ITAK legally and constitutionally against what they are proposing to do. The people of the Vanni are now beginning to realize how they had been fooled by Tamil politicians ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” their heroes today are the military and not the TNA and there is no argument on this fact!
This is no time for niceties ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” as a nation we have been bitten too many times and our goodwill has been misused, abused and manipulated.
There should be many patriots filing FRƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s against the current trend while awaiting Government action.
Internally, we are a nation suffering because of corruption by politicians and inefficiency by our public service. If we can set this right first while properly handling our foreign policy in keeping with the central policy theme that the country remains united, sovereign, without devolution and for all the people who desire to be SRI LANKAN, then we are on the right track.
For all that to happen the Government now needs to take some stern action and it must start with legal actions (6th amendment to the constitution) against anyone attempting to break up Sri Lanka and extend to undoing the wrongs that have prevailed starting with annulling the thirteenth amendment, doing away with the provincial council system and breaking the barriers that ties Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s progress.
There is nothing a government with a two-third majority cannot do if they have the political will to do so.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The military won the war, the battle lies now in the political arena and we are still waiting to see the success of our politicians in ensuring Sri Lanka remains sovereign against all odds.
The people are bearing all the hardships of life believing that the Government has a plan for the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s future. The people are ready any time to safeguard the nation and it is now time for the Government to do their duty towards the nation.
Shenali Waduge
May 29th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Govt is not doing any action because it hurts India.
People can’t take action because the govt controls the supreme court.
Army can’t do anything because the army has been heavily politicised.
Am I wrong?
The only EFFECTIVE way seems to be vigilante action against KEY traitors. There is only a VERY FEW left. End their misery and the country will be safe.
That will force the govt to ALLOW people to peacefully settle these things by banning the TNA. Not otherwise.
May 29th, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Petition GoSL to remove 13-A. Millions of signatures cannot be ignored.
May 29th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Fran,
Vigilante action is easier than that. 14 bulleets cannot cost more than a bundle of toilet paper.
May 29th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
People may blame Buddhist monks. Interested public in Sri Lanka should inaugerate some programs such as “Gandhian movement” to resettle Sinhala people from Avalanche-prone and congested areas.
FRAN DIAZ: Your suggestion is very good. We should make the removal of 13th amendment an election issue. In that sense, a petition is a very good idea.
I think upcoming elections during the next year should be used for that.
I think, Stanley Perera may be able to look into how people ask the Supreme court to force the govt to abrogate the 13th amendment.
May 29th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
I have spoken to a very senior politician about banning the TNA in 2007 when it was obvious TNA must be banned. He maintained it would not be practical and would not achieve anything. He was of the view that TNA was the major representative of Tamil people of the north and east.
There was no need for a two thirds as it was a judicial matter but there was more than two thirds support for it should it be brought to parliament. With 110 ministers, 39 JVP MPs and 9 JHU MPs, the total was 158. There were few non ministers (in addition to the 8 additional seats) to take care of those ministers who would not support it. Ultimately he was annoyed by the idea and nearly lost his temper.
JHU and JVP petitioned Supreme Court in 2002 against the illegal CFA. Supreme Court transferred the case to the Court of Appeal which sat on it for 6 years until 2008 when it declared it illegal. On a lesser case filed by a PA MP in 2002 against the proposed 18th and 19th amendments at that time (not to be confused with the actual 18th amendment of 2011), the Supreme Court gave the verdict in days.
Though banning the TNA is the obvious solution, the three branches of the government – executive office, legislature and the judiciary – are wholely uninterested in it. A similar approach is taken towards abrogating 13A.
People should petition the court and tell the government in no uncertain terms these things must be done.
May 30th, 2012 at 6:28 am
AnuD
Aren’t we fooling ourselves without understanding what really is happening ? YES !
May 30th, 2012 at 11:46 am
We should send in the Millions of Signatures to remove the 13-A, whether GoSL acts on it or not. It should become a Peoples’ Movement to safeguard the country. Signatures should be sent to the Speaker of the Parliament to present to the Lawmakers & President.
As AnuD says we should also “The best thing is that people organize they themselves and implement different programs. It should be handled in many different fronts”.
Also, see to it that :
* All illegal migrants from at least year 2000 are deported. Illegal migrants are fodder for TNA separatism.
* Modernise & Mechanise our Commercial & Agro activities, depending less on Tamil labor. This will help existing Tamil tea estate labor too by giving them more freedom of education & movement into other areas of occupation, while allowing others to move into tea estate work.