Congratulations Barnard! But?

Sudath Gunasekara

Congratulations to our Washington Ambassador, Barnard Gunatilaka for his pioneer effort in putting the US Foreign Service personal in particular and the world in general, in the correct perspective with regard to the LTTE problem in Sri Lanka. This I think is the first shot in the arm of our Diplomatic services ever since the untimely death of Minister Kadiragamar. I do not know whether the Ambassadors speech was a sequel to the President's recent address (which of cause should have been done at he very beginning of terrorist propaganda) to our Foreign Service big wigs.
I only hope that others in the Sri Lanka Oversea Service will also follow suit as a national priority against the fight against terrorism with the least possible delay in order to justify their presence there on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka..I believe the content of this speech would have been set by Colombo or at least has had its prior approval.

Although Bernard's address was a welcome departure, I would still like to add few suggestions to what already Barnard had outlined in order to make this type of message made on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka clearer and more effective to the international community, who had been hitherto grossly mislead by the LTTE disinformation network.

In spite of the relevance and the significance of Barnard's statement I do not agree with his observations on the language issue and the idea of alienation of Tamils by the successive constitutions. May be there were few lapses in the manner how these things were done. But both these steps were only attempts made to rectify the lost rights of the people of this country and make their independence meaningful. Also it is not correct to say that the Tamils were adversely affected and discriminated. With these few observations the entire tone of his speech, I think, has taken a negative effect. I am totally against this practice of highlighting the minority issue only thereby taking the majority in to the back yard. What about the historical injustices inflicted on the majority. No body talks about them. If you don't make Sinhala the Official language of this country as it was done in 1957 where on earth and when are we going to make it. Was it not the Official language of this country for the past 2500 years until 1815? In my opinion the problem with Sri Lanka is that we have emphasized too much on this so-called minority problem while all those who matter dare not to talk about the majority problems. The moment some one tries to do so, immediately he /she is branded as a Sinhala chauvinist or an Sinhala extremist where as a Tamil or a Moor talking like that is always called a freedom fighter. These are the crucial issues that lie at the bottom of this unending problem that need to be immediately addressed in the correct perspective at least by the present government.

Talking about the emergence of communalism in Sri Lanka, other than the LTTE and their protégé who activated it in recent time with violance, there are many others who are responsible for this sad situation. Main among them are Colonial powers, specially the British, who adopted a divide and rule policy to destabilize this country, some of the So- called local historians both Tamil and Sinhala, Tamil communalist who invented fictitious communal writings (what they call history), Tamil politicians, the vote hunting Marxists and the Colombo based comprador type of power hungry Sinhala Politicians.

It may be also said at the very out set that we did enjoy democracy long before the introduction of the western model of democracy in the 19th century. What we had in Sri Lanka was called "Mahasammatavadaya". It entails not only the concept of consensus of the majority but also it even transcends beyond the majority rule concept.
Having said that I would also like to draw the attention of those who matter to the
following points.

1. You don't have 6% of the Tamil Sri Lankan population in the Eastern province at present as mentioned in the presentation. Half of that 6% is now living among the Sinhalese in the South, under their protection, having migrated to escape the LTTE terror. Nearly half of the balance 3 % has already left the country again in fear of terror. Again about 1/3 of the rest live in the eastern province where LTTE terror is les frequent and therefore relatively safer to live under the protection of the STF. So it is only the balance of the 2/3 of 1/3 rd that is left within the area terrorized and held at gunpoint by the Tigers. There too almost all of them are kept as hostages at gun point. The large number of civilians now rushing in to the government controlled areas evidence this trend. It is for this insignificant fraction the LTTE is asking for 1/3 the total area of the Island. Each tiger under this "New and Pure Land of the Tamils' will have about 80 acres of land in addition to the 2/3 the coastal area with its extensive sea front.
The present Moors in the Eastern areas would never have been there if it was not for the royal patronage given by King Senarath (1604-1635). It was he who settled the Moors chased out by the Portuguese from the southwestern coastal areas when they pleaded for asylum, although some of the Moor politicians-mostly communal minded Muslim politicians like Rauf Hakeem think -that they have come from the heaven of Alla and therefore they also now want a "Traditional Muslim Homeland" in that part of the country. It also must be clearly stated that the whole of the eastern country was under the Kandyan Kingdom through out history. All available historical and archaeological evidence have proved beyond all doubts that during that time there were only sporadic Tamil settlements along the coastal belt and that is also around Batticalloa and Trincommallee. Although the Kalingamagas succeeded in destroying the Dry Zone Sinhala civilization and chasing out them to the southwest, they were not able to hold sway over the northern lowlands and sustain the Rajarata civilization for various reasons. Therefore the whole of dry zone was neglected and overrun by the jungle tide in the centuries that followed. The devastated irrigation tanks and canals provided a heaven for the malaria mosquito. The invaders who were left out were confined to few sporadic and small settlements and the rest withdrew either to India, Jaffna or the coastal belt. With the result there were no permanent Tamil settlements to talk about within the interior.

2 In the historical past there were also no ethnic differences as such except at times of invasions by south India. In peaceful times they were all citizens of Sinhale. In other words they were all known as Sinhalese. Practically every one left behind after the invaders were chased out was naturally absorbed in to the Sinhala society.

3 Also it would have been better and more forceful if the statement could have pointed out that there is no ethnic problem in the historical past as well in this country (Which I would prefer to call the Tamil communal problem). If it is an ethnic problem why are the Tigers killing their own people? How is that even now with all these ethnic cleansing in the north and east and brutal killingof Sinhala and Muslim people in other parts of the country by the Tigers, more than 60% of Tamils live peacefully and happily among the Sinhalese in the south without any problem.

4 The so- called ethnic problem began to raise its ugly head with the divide and rule policies adopted by the British starting in 1833 along with the introduction of communal representation for the first time (remember they had one for Tamils (Less than 10% at that time) and 1 for the Europeans while they only 1 for Sinhalese who constituted over 90 % of the total population of the Island at that time. So it is not quite correct to say that it started after 1956.
Also look at their policy on education. By 1845 out of a total of 103 schools for the whole Island the colonial government had opened up 45 were in the Jaffna District. The rest were found in and around major urban centers like Colombo, Galle and Batticalloa where the agents of rulers and minority Tamils were living. This is how they discriminated against the Sinhala people.
At the same time they also created a superiority complex mindset in the minds of the Tamil elite. By virtue of the educational advantages they enjoyed over the Sinhalese, Tamils also were able to enjoy the lion's share in the government jobs sector. In fact till about 1960 they were able to monopolize areas like medicine, Engineering and Accountancy, which was highly disproportional to the demographic composition of the country and grossly unfair and discriminatory against the Sinhalese.
As a result Tamil leaders openly clamoured for what is called 50-50 representations. That is 50% of the seats in Parliament they wanted for 10% of the population and the balance 50% for the Sinhalese, who even then constituted over 85% of the population of the Island. It was also the Tamils who started the first Tamil Communal Political Congress in 1921. Then again in 1947 it was they who started the Ilankai Tamil Arusu Kachchi (The Lanka Tamil State Party) under the name Federal Party to hoodwink the Sinhalese. The Sinhalese on the other hand formed the UNP to unite all the communities even in 1947.

5 Then regarding the often-quoted "Colonization of Tamil Areas" in the east and the north by the Sinhala Government. First what we have to point out is that these areas were never settled by the Tamils at any time of the Islands history. They were the areas, which formed a contiguous part of the Sinhala Kingdom from the inception of history and abandoned by the Sinhalese in the post 12th century after the Kalinga Magha devastation. Therefore they were the traditional Sinhala settlements that came under the Kandyan Kingdom and its suzerainties ruled by Wanniyars until 1815. Resettlement of these areas was in fact, started by the colonial government in early 1870s. Subsequently they used the word 'Colonization' to call these new settlements. From this background, one can clearly see that there is no colonization of Tamil areas as they claim it.

6 Another aspect that had to be among such books was Yalpana Vaipana Malei written in 1783 which is only a fiction invented and compiled by them as an attempt to prove their claim to the land. They also tried to build on the notorious Cleghorn Report. None of these documents are accepted as valid or authentic history by any. Subsequently they also started to pile up mythical wrings like The Sinhalese and the Aryan Theory by a man called Samuel Livingston (Probably a pseudo name to add a scholarly flavour or impress the general readers). A Tamil father is writing this as a series of letters addressed to his son who was supposed to be studying at the Peradeniya University.
8 I would also like to emphasize on the need to highlight that there is no ethnic problem in Sri Lanka or none of the minorities are subjected to any discrimination or disability merely because they are Tamils or Muslims

9 Who are the real enemies of the Tamils also has to be pointed out. All the present day miseries of Tamil people in the north and the east and even in other parts of the country are the creation of Tigers. Look at the Extortion. Collection of taxes, Abduction of children depriving them of education and teaching them either to killed or get killed, Kappan collection and the absence of freedom of association and elimination of other political parties and their leaders and the brutal gunning down of their political opponents in the broad day light etc (See Duran Appuhamys excellent article on 'The Grievances of Tamil Problem in the Island of 3.11. 2006)

10 Finally you must also very clearly tell the whole world who these so-called liberators are who pretend to represent the whole Tamil community. They are only a pack of illiterate thugs and murderers who keep the entire Tamil people as hostages under threat of death with the final objective of creating their Nazi regime. It is said that none of them have gone to school. (See sinhalanet@ Monday Oct 30th 2006 for details) Tamil Chelvam a barber, their IGP a labourer, look at heir names Tamil Chelvam, Pulithevam (Tiger God) Pirpakaran (Sun God) a smuggler at Velvatiturei. This alone, I think is enough to show how extreme and racist they are. Among the Sinhalese we don't have Sinhala Bandas or Sinhala Pereras. That is the difference between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, the world should be told. Now look at how the so-called impudent back boneless Tamil politicians and intellectuals propitiate this gang of uneducated murderers. Is it not a shame for them to behave like lackeys of these uneducated murderers like this.

11 Again you can't allow Sri Lanka to be made a paradise for the so-called minorities only. In fact our ideal should be to make it a paradise for all those who treat this country as their motherland irrespective of whether they are Sinhalese, Tamil or Moors. Actually isn't it the tyranny of a communal minded minority that reigns in Sri Lanka today? Do the international community and the so-called human right agencies and world media expect us to dump the majority Sinhala people who invented the Island's civilization along with all other democratic peace loving men in to the Indian Ocean? Isn't the majority considered within the ambit of human rights and is that why these agencies don't talk about their rights. They talk of discrimination. Who discriminate whom is the most pertinent question. Can any one name any other country in the world where there are two official languages and that also to a tiny minority of 12%? Who even don't consider this country as their homeland?

12 Ramifications of Indo-Sri Lanka relationship are another disturbing factor. Almost all Lankan Tamils (perhaps other than the Eelamist Tigers who think the whole world as their pre-Christian Ehelam that spread from Africa to Australia- the first human civilization on earth, according to them) think India is their Motherland. Even for the slightest headache they rush to India. India on the other hand often tends to think of Sri Lanka as only another regional State the affairs of which they have a god given right to dictate. It was India for example in 1987 who thrust upon JR the poor old man the burden of merging the north and the east as the Traditional Home Land of the Sri Lanka Tamils, thereby creating a new problem to the government of Sri Lanka. Their selfish and parochial political interest in the South Indian Tamil electorate is the main factor behind their sinister moves against Sri Lanka. These are some of the geopolitical inconsistencies that have to be corrected with the least delay.

13 On the top of all this the Sri Lankan government treats these murderers gang as State guests by frequently shuttling them from their tiger dens in Kilinochchi to Katunayaka to spread disinformation on the government and the Sinhala people and get their guns and missiles to wage war against the very government, which provides all these facilities to them. Where on earth is found the other Government in the whole world, which provides this type of right royal diplomatic facilities to your enemies to get equipped to over throw the government and to kill the people. The fact is, as Vinodan of The Independent reported ('The Tigers are dancing with the AFP': No.3 ISI K.Vinodan). 'The Government is also not fighting the international media effectively'. Here again I would suggest that the Foreign Ministry carefully read the above 2 articles I have suggested. Both are excellent pieces, well written on this subject). As I guess from their comments I think we should have to have a daily press brief, of cause, if they don't have one at present, to brief press agencies like the AFP, AP, BBC, CNN, the Hidu and Reuters etc giving the correct position on this all important national issue.

Finally, I suggest that the government immediately set up a committee of experts in history, law and other relevant matters to draw up a comprehensive and authentic document on these issues to counter the LTTE disinformation network and convince the world on the actual ground situation with regard to this matter. Among others whom the government may deem necessary, I propose the following names to be included in this committee. Rev. Ellawala Medhananda, Prof. Gerald Peiris, Prof. K.N.O.Dharmadasa. Prof Nalin De Silva, S.L. Gunasekara and H.L.De. Silva

Finally, even if you comply with all these requirements, you can never succeed in this yeoman task unless we appoint the correct people to our Foreign Service positions. They should be the correct people in correct places at the correct time. By correct people I mean patriotic men of high integrity and achievements who know their country, its history and culture and also who puts the country before their self. They also should be men who can deliver the goods and never the political rejects (to compensate for their loyalties or for money) and their protégé as we have often seen in the past.