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A solution to the ethnic problem- Part II

Tamil People wants a Federal or a Unitary Constitution, and the terrorists want an Eelam. The two demands are not compatible. The solution for the former is naturally political, and the latter certainly military.

By Charles Perera

The main political parties of the Tamil people have not identified legitimate grievances peculiar to the Tamil people. The day to day ethnic problems are common to all communities - the Sinhala, Muslim or other.
Therefore when the International Community asks the government to give the Tamil people their legitimate rights, what rights are the IC speaking about.

According to the political leaders of the Tamil people, the main problem of the Tamil people is political, as the Constitution of Sri Lanka does not provide an appropriate political administration to the Tamil speaking people in the North and East. However, the political parties representing Tamil people themselves, have different views on the devolution of political power appropriate to North and East.

The TULF of Mr.Anandasagaree- proposes a federal constitution modelled on that of India, EPDF of Mr. Douglas Devananda, proposes an amendment to the
13 Amendment of the Constitution, for an improved Provincial Council to North and East, CWC of Mr.Arumugam Thondaman, proposes a system in keeping with the grievances and aspirations of the Tamil people, while UPF of Mr.P.
Chandrasekaran proposes a system where the legitimate issues of the Tamil people are redressed and that the Estate Workers are given more protection.

Therefore, to attend to this political grievances pointed out by the Political parties representing the Tamil Speaking people, the government has set up an All Party Conference for power devolution, to make proposals for an acceptable system of government.

But the main problem of Sri Lanka at the moment in the North and East, apart from the demand for devolution of political power under a unitary or a federal system, is the problem of terrorism caused by LTTE terrorists.

Terrorism is not a legitimate right, therefore, terrorism cannot be solved through negotiations. Nevertheless, the International Community blindly insists, that the Sri Lanka government and the terrorists should find a negotiated settlement. Because of this International harassment or arm twisting, the government is being forced to invite the terrorists for a negotiated settlement of the problem- which is of their own making.
Moreover, the problem with the terrorists is diametrically opposed to the legitimate ethnic problem, pointed out by the political leaders of the Tamil people.

The terrorists demand a separate homeland-Eelam, for the Tamil people in the North and East, which is altogether different from what the Tamil people want. Therefore the ethnic problem the International Community is referring to is two fold, one is the legitimate rights of the Tamil people, and the other the LTTE terrorists demand for a separate Eelam.

The government, as well as the Tamil people, are opposed to a separate Eelam. Yet, the terrorists hell bent in realising their Eelam dream at any cost, have resorted to terror tactics against the government, through murder, assassination, blasting bombs, throwing grenades, and now an open war.

Even if the government which is opposed to an Eelam, is ready to invite the terrorists to the on going All Party Conference for power devolution, to present their case, it is not constitutionally possible as the LTTE terrorists are not a political party, and do not represent the Tamil speaking people. The way out of this situation may be for the LTTE terrorists to get their proxi party TNA, to present their Eelam demand to the All Party Conference, on behalf of them. That would avoid the LTTE terrorists and the Government to go all the way to Oslo to discuss, an impossible ceding a part of Sri Lanka for an Eelam.

Further more it would be meaningless, to convene an All Party Conference for power devolution as a solution for the ethnic problem, and at the same time have separate discussions with the LTTE terrorists, to find another solution for the same problem.

If the terrorists insist for a solution separate from what the Tamil people are demanding, then there is no necessity to hold peace negotiations with the terrorists , as the Government cannot agree to give to the terrorists something, that the Tamil people themselves, do not want.

Therefore, the only alternate open to the government is to militarily defeat the LTTE terrorists, and find a political solution through the All Party Conference for the democratic devolution of power to the Tamil speaking people in the North and East. This is the logical conclusion one could come to and which the International Community in the right mind, has to agree.

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