Devolution is not the medication
for Terrorism
(A reply to the article of ''Devolution or Die'' written by Dayan Jayathilaka)
By Manoj Hettige
I am referring to the article published in Asian Tribune on 9th July
2006 under the caption of ''Devolve or Die'' written by Mr. Dayan Jayathilaka
and sending my views so that readers can come to an independent judgement
on the issue.
Mr. Jayathilaka (Author of the above article) seems to have afforded
unnecessary effort to emphasize the need of devolution for Sri Lanka,
the country already experiencing the devolution of power in different
levels to different regions. It was first experienced through District
Development Councils and through 13th amendment to the constitution
setting up provincial councils with the mediation of India and Sri Lankan
government at present is considering further power devolution proposals
to the country.
Author says under the sub heading of ''Our Options'', ''The enlightened
realists understand that the autonomy is a necessary but not a sufficient
condition for resolve the crisis and must be accompanied by the intelligent
& resolute military force., ………The Sri Lankan state
either reforms radically and swiftly or breaks up and is put together
in a drastically different shape - or breaks up and is never put together
again. The name of the game is ''Devolve or Die''. It is fantastic see
this recommendation which is well match with the Tigers demand that
''if the Sri Lankan Government does not grant the internal self government,
they will proceed to achieve the complete self rule separating from
Sri Lanka''. This article is another classical example for the existing
of intellectual terrorism. Mandawela Pannaseeha Thero from France stated
in five years back that ''we are experiencing intellectual terrorism
also from those who appeared as intellectuals and they are trying to
attribute their own beliefs to others which are far behind the reality.
(Feature article in ''Divaina'' newspaper, 09/12/2006)
Autonomy is defined in the oxford dictionary as the self-governing
rule. Author has missed from identifying the level of autonomy to be
granted to LTTE based on ethnic line. To grant the autonomy to the LTTE
as suggested by the author does not require a military back up, as the
autonomy to Northeast province is the present ultimate objective of
Tamil Tigers. But, both GOSL and LTTE will necessarily require keeping
the military force in operation to face continuing unrest in border
of this ethnic line despite of mythical peace expected from granting
a self-rule to Terrorists proving the inapplicability of ''autonomy''
in the context of Sri Lankan conflict.
More than 2500 years long history of Sri Lanka is a full of facts that
northeast has never been a Tamil Kingdom as claimed by LTTE but only
under the governance of Singhalese Buddhist King. Many Tamil Leaders
oppose to the doctrine of the Tigers proving that LTTE is not the sole
representative of Tamils. Hence, Tamil separate movement in Sri Lanka
is a baseless effort which is overwhelmingly rejected internationally
& nationally.
At present, Sri Lanka is a heterogeneous country where different nationalities
are granted to enjoy the democratic rights equally throughout the island.
Singhalese own more than 50% of lands in East region while higher percentage
of population in capital Colombo is Tamils. If the right for self-rule
is granted to the Tamils in Northeast province, other communities in
the country will be compelled to demand for such self-rules for regions
where they represent the majority in population. There won't be an end
of this struggle unless the people already settled in the country get
relocated between these ethnic lines making two or more absolute homogeneous
regions in Sri Lanka. This is absurd situation, which in turn the justification
for rejection of the autonomy, or self rule exclusively for the Tamils
in North East province. It is regretting that these so called enlightened
realists don't comprehend this truth but continuing to propagate such
unrealistic routes for peace, which in turn a lead to long last unrest
in the region.
Tigers demand for an internal self-rule as a final solution threatening
that if not considered that they will be compelled to proceed to gain
the external self-rule. It is clear that Tigers aim is to step up maximum
height under the cover of political solution so as to make a convenient
station to reach to the next step of establishing an exclusive Tamil
Ealam. Demand to accept that the Northeast is a ''Tamil homeland'' as
a precondition for negotiation is itself a classical example to prove
the above argument.
If the ''autonomy'' meant by author is something less than 'internal
self rule'' as Tigers wish, I must agree with him on the point of military
back up to stop the Tigers stretching it's region to complete self rule.
But, what miracle military force can do to stop Tigers to proceed further
for a self-rule from that point where the world community & GOSL
have already acknowledged the right of Tamils to succeed to self-rule.
On the other hand, if the Tigers have succeeded from gaining political
concession from Terrorism, what a big cause they have to stop from further
proceeding to gain the complete self-rule in Sri Lanka from Terrorism
again.
Therefore, taking the ''devolution'' is as one & only remedy for
the terrorist problem in Sri Lanka is not correct but it can be a temporary
''rest hut' for those carders who are on the way to Ealam. Constituting
or propagating another political solution to a non-existing problem
other than terrorism is well fit with the Tigers tactic of taking the
Sri Lankan government on a ride by the Time & continuous violence
to Ealam. Farther of Tamil Tiger separatist movement, Mr. Chelvanayagam
told one time that our policy should be ''Now Little but later more''
and author's recommendation to grant a self-rule accompanied by military
force is well fit with the Tigers tactic SLEF Leadership Shift
Author advises to president Rajapaksha to consolidate his position as
the leader of the SLEF first by going for re-election so as to weaken
the JHU & JVP, which were an essential part for the victory of Mr.
Rajapakse as the president while emphasizing the need for securing the
continuous international support.
With this advice, I was reminded the attitude of cunning fox whose
habit is to give false baits to others. This option leads to further
internationalisation of our internal problem and destroys the present
political harmony president has earned in his effort to bring the peace
to Sri Lanka. Government should remember the disastrous made by the
previous leaders who acted against the will of the people and introduced
several detrimental provisions to the country, i.e. merger of the North
& East provinces.
International Support
I must agree with Dayan J. who says that international support is imperative
to solve the terrorist problem in Sri Lanka. But, it is not true that
international community supports Sri Lankan if & only Sri Lanka
considers power devolution to the extent the Tigers demand for their
satisfaction. We need the International community to listen us &
support us on our agenda but not to preach us and pull our leg to support
on LTTE agenda. From further internationalisation of our internal problem
by earlier government led by Prime minister Ranil Wikramsingha, we have
been facing enough problems today. One good & recent example is
that Japan peace envoy Yakushi Akashi who has expressed the requirement
of bringing the UN peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka. This is the kind
of dangerous results from seeking international intervention blindly
& faintly by our governments in last few decades in a disguise of
support.
International Community's suggestion for a political solution avoiding
war is natural and good-hearted advise as taught by ancient gurus but
following the same blindly is not better than falling into a phoney
pit as the governing the countries with absolute virtues is not possible
at all the time. If the Sri Lankan government is pressurized for a political
solution, it would amount to an intimidation to concede with Tiger's
demand becoming the international community also no better than Tamil
Tigers or its proxy alliance. If the Tigers are not flexible enough
to compromise its extreme unrealistic demands and settle within the
limits of majority's will in line with democracy, war is essential for
peace to establish the law & order destroying the Tiger's dwellings,
armament caves & other infrastructures but International Community's
ambiguous will for peace inevitably amount to protect Terrorist gruesome
kingdom, which is responsible for thousands of lives for decades.
International support is important but Sri Lanka should not depend
on the international community's will on our country's integrity and
sovereignty. So called international community specially Norway &
Japan are trying to play a big role not because of they love so much
to the people in Sri Lanka but only due to the aspiration of achieving
different political heights. No other country than Norway knows the
oil resources in Sri Lanka and Japan is competing today with India for
a position in defence council of UN. If we don't understand the underground
political aspirations of these countries clearly, our recommendations
to use them for our peace are penniless. As an independent country,
as long as Sri Lanka possesses a strict stand on its sovereignty and
solution for the terrorist problem, international community cannot act
beyond or deviating our policy as a support to us but to comply with
us only.
Our Option.
With the internationalisation of our internal problem since Timpu talks
in president J. R. Jayawardana's regime, the words ''ethnic'', ''war''
& ''peace'' were misapplied as a ''talking medium'' of the Terrorist
Problem. Since then, ''peace'' in Sri Lanka has become a business for
many people & countries. Politicians of Sri Lanka have started to
fish in the mud water becoming the big businessman from the troublesome
country. Some countries became richer by selling arms to Sri Lanka as
well as Tamil Tiger Terrorists. Some people became intellectuals expressing
most odd views on peace. Some countries have attained the hidden agendas
to intervene with Sri Lankan internal politics by becoming the mediators
or advisors of the peace in Sri Lanka. Thus, peace in Sri Lanka has
given varying opportunities to the people & countries worldwide
to upgrade their positions.
All those businessman, intellectuals & mediators have misrepresented
the real terrorist problem in Sri Lanka by using the inapplicable words
such as ''ethnic'', ''war'' and ''peace''.
War, Peace, negotiations and all other peace business talks may be
applicable when the war is waged between two separate countries. It
is obvious that there is no ethnic problem in Sri Lankan other than
terrorist problem. Tamil, Muslim & other many kinds of nationals
are afforded to live peacefully in outside of Northeast of Sri Lanka.
If the real ethnic problem exists, those minorities will not be allowed
to survive out of the Northeast province. Any country in the world is
a composition of Majorities and minorities and democratic rules more
than enough to protect the rights of all these civilians rather than
dividing the countries.
There is no war in Sri Lanka but there are some disturbances being
constantly committed by a group of criminals belonging to a certain
community in the country. Criminals irrespective of where from they
are or what nationality they belong should be punished severely according
to the law of the country. No civilized government should afford to
negotiate with those lawbreakers or Terrorists for peace. If Sri Lankan
Government gives exclusive privilege of negotiation to a Tamil Tigers,
a group of terrorists for peace, the entire robbers, murderers and other
criminals serving in the prison should be released and invited for negotiation
for peace or otherwise their rights to enjoy the equal opportunities
same as Tigers would be denied. There is no other permanent solution
for the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger terrorist problem other than the establishment
of law & order in the country by bringing each & every Tamil
Tiger Terrorist including their leaders before the law. There is no
terms such as ''Peace or negotiation for peace'' in the Law.
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