The End of Separatist Agenda in Sri Lanka

C. Wijeyawickrema

In the 1960s in high schools we used to answer a popular history question, "What were the reasons for the rise and fall of the Seethawaka Kingdom?" Later on, I came to know that this was a question asked even at the final exam of the university history honors program. I thought of asking a similar question on the separatist movement in Sri Lanka, because some visible and invisible forces are trying hard to prevent the fall of Prabakaran for the second time. We all know what had happened at Vadamarachchi in 1987 and a second Vadamarachchi in 2007 will be a disaster for Sri Lankans in general and for the Jaffna Tamils in particular. Security forces must be allowed to end this beggar's wound.

White Man's Burden

It is laughable how the International Community (IC) is reacting to this surgical operation to cure a cancer. They want a little bit of cancer to remain in the body. In this regard the American ambassador comes out with an albatross hanging on his neck. He says "Prabakaran's group" cannot be militarily defeated. He says that group is "powerful." Because of that he says the government must negotiate with Prabakaran. Are there two sets of anti-terrorism standards, one of the white man and another for the brown man? Why is white man not negotiating with Fidel Castro, Iran, Taliban, and Hamas in Palestine or Al Qaeda in Iraq? How come American Ambassador and other western agents do not see the difference between achieving Tamil "aspirations" versus removing Tamil terrorism? Why are they deaf to what Anandasangaree, Douglas Devananda or Karuna say? It is unfortunate that the ambassador has become the new merchant of the "war is not winnable crowd" and thus put his own credibility on test before the villagers of Sri Lanka. They brand such behavior as talking with two mouths.

Chronology of the Separatist paradigm

1. 1922-24
Agreement between Colombo Tamils and Colombo Sinhalese for a formula to make the majority 70% Sinhalese equal to minority 20% Tamils. Colonial governor was behind this plan. This way English educated Colombo crowd would stay in power and the minority would continue to benefit from the divide-and-rule colonial policy. In 1918 Visvalingam proposed a separate Tamil state; in 1924 Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan referred to a Tamil Eelam; "Eylom" and "Suyaatchi"demand by C. Sundaralingam (reference: D.B.S. Jeyaraj, The historical quest to restore Tamil rights, Tamil Week)
In Tamil Nadu, South India Liberation Front was founded (Justice Party) in August 1917.

2. 1927-31
Donoughmore Commission decided to replace communal representation started in 1832 with territorial representation plus the introduction of universal suffrage (first time in a non-white British colony). Colombo crowd opposed granting universal suffrage. Only politician who supported it was A. E. Gunasinghe. Colombo Tamils opposed territorial representation. G. G. Ponnambalam's 50-50 demand rejected by DC.
In Tamil Nad, Self Respect Movement began in 1925.

3. 1944-48
Soulbury Commission prepared its report based on the Ministers' Draft. 50-50 demand rejected by SC. Marxists' supported "parity of status" which is anti-democratic. Section 29 (4) removed the "sovereignty" of the parliament. It had no authority to redress past discriminations forced upon the majority community.
In Tamil Nad, anti-Hindi campaign began in 1937. A separate and independent Tamilnad was demanded directly from London in 1938. A separate and independent Dravidastan was demanded in 1939. In 1947 Ali Jinna (Pakistan movement) refused to support Naicker's demand for a Dravidastan.

4. 1947-49
Malay-born SJV Chelvanayagam disclosed his plans for a separate Tamil state on November 26, 1947. On February 15, 1949 he informed his plan to the voters in Kankasanturai. Tamil state party was formed on December 18, 1949.
Hindi became official language in India in 1955. Naicker abandoned larger Dravidastan goal to smaller Tamilnadu separation goal after linguistic reorganization of state in 1956.
Demand for an independent Dravidasthan re-surfaced in 1962. Separatism proscribed from Indian politics in 1963 (Chinese invasion of India). Separatist torch transferred to Tamil state party in Sri Lanka. DMK activities in Sri Lanka and the illegal immigration of Tamils (kallathonis) became a serious problem during the national government of Dudley Senanayake (1965-70).

5. 1976-1986
TULF formed. Vaddukoddai resolution with Traditional Tamil homeland extended up to Chilaw; Refusal by TULF MPs to take the unitary state oath in 1985; Thimpu declaration in 1986.
In Tamil Nad, Indira Gandhi supported secret Tamil terrorist training camps. All of South India became an anti-Sinhala ocean after the 1983 riots.

6. 1987
Indo-Sri Lanka agreement forced upon JRJ by Rajiv Gandhi and Dixit merged the two provinces (N & E). This gave tacit recognition to the myth that there was a traditional Tamil homeland in the Eastern Province.

7. 1990s
There was a rumor that during the honeymoon between President RP and Prabakaran, RP was willing to negotiate give the Northern Province to P. There respective childhood backgrounds were considered to be a plus for a peaceful solution. In 1994 President CBK offered NP to P for a ten year period. In 1995 Neelan-GL devolution package came out backed by Tawalamas and Sudu Nelum. The Indian model of language-based regions was copied but Neelan T did not want to add the Pondicherry sub-model to it because then the N-E "Tamil homeland" would look like a moth-eaten patch of land.

8. 2002-July 2005
CFA (cease fire agreement) signed on 2/22/2002 which the Englishman Paul Harris identified as the greatest give away in history. Mr. Anandasangaree confirmed this view at a much later stage. Oslo Communiqué in December 2002 (paradigm shift from Eelam to federal?). ISGA (interim self governing authority) plan was submitted by Prabakaran on 10/31/2003. PTOMS (post tsunami operational management structure) agreement was signed on 6/24/2005. The Supreme Court gave its decision on PTOMS on 7/15/2005.

9. 2005 December
Mahinda Chintanaya philosophy, promising maximum devolution within a unitary state won at the presidential election.

10. 2006-2007
Supreme Court gave its decision on the de-merger of N-E provinces on 10/16/2006. Death march of CFA began with the re-opening of the Marvil Aru anicut in August 2006.

Analysis and Conclusions

(a) Reasons for the rise of separatist agenda

1. Ability of Tamils living abroad to propagate the idea that there was religious and ethnic genocide in Sri Lanka. For example, with the late A. J. Wilson and Stanley Tambiah working together, they were even able to convince the Massachusetts legislature to pass a resolution in this regard on May 10, 1979, asking the U.S. president to take necessary action. That was long before the 1983 riots.
2. Inaction or covert support given to such propaganda by the Sri Lankan embassy staff in foreign countries.
3. Massive underground international illegal money machine developed by Tamil terrorist agents (e.g., drugs and narcotic trade, tax money collected from Tamils living abroad).
4. Dishonest Colombo politicians who used the ethnic conflict as a beggar's wound. Previous generation of politicians were able to convert anti-English, anti-Colombo demands as anti-Tamil demand.
5. Economic plight of people, especially Jaffna farmers, due to free market economic liberalization (e.g., unrestricted import of subsidiary food items).
6. Kolambata kiri apita kekiri policy of the Colombo crowd of rulers. Karuna said recently, "Give us what Colombo gets."
7. Political corruption and interferences affecting the efficiency of the army and rampant corruption and insider enemy spy network in the army and government departments.
8. The corrupt belief that a cancer can be cured by feeding it of the Colombo crowd. Attempts to get Prabakaran in a three-piece suit! For example, deporting the Englishman Paul Harris at the request of Prabakaran; calling Pullendran as machan by a defense secretary; calling Balasingham "His Excellency"; sending Prabakaran's and Tamil Selvam's children to study abroad; providing a satellite radio station to terrorists by Ranil W and Bradman Weerakoon (the misbehavior of Prabakaran agents in Bangkok hotels was the only benefit came out of this policy).

After the 1983 riots Eelam maps (almost) swallowed the island of Sri Lanka (The source of the two maps above: The Ethnic Problem in Sri Lanka: a collection of essays, vol. 2 (Centre for Ethnic Amity, Colombo and Overseas Sri Lankans' Organization for National Unity), page 12). In 1987 traditional Tamil homeland received an official boost. With the 2002 CFA Eelam terrorists choked the entire island while the GOSL activities were limited to certain areas. Thus the separatist agenda reached its zenith between 2002 and 2006. During this time period terrorists were able to place guns closer to the Trincomalee harbour encircling it. Thus, the terrorists were in a position to cut off the military sea supply life line between Trinco and KKS and attack military installations in Jaffna forcing a humiliating surrender. Perhaps, God Vishnu and the Tsunami prevented this sure strategy of Prabakaran.

Just days after stopping the Vadamarachchi operation which would have killed Prabakaran, the merger of N-E gave him the best gift separatist Tamils dreamed for decades. But P can never face a free election because the average Tamil is an innocent, honorable human being. The majority of Tamils in Jaffna will not vote for him or his puppets. It is this fundamental fact that the American ambassador and his IC crowd cannot comprehend. Countries giving political asylum to Tamils do not know that the first thing an asylum seeker does when he gets his new country passport is to make a trip to Sri Lanka!

After the Oslo meeting (December 2002) the UNP government and the peace mudalalis in Colombo were jubilant talking about a paradigm shift. They said Prabakaran had finally gave up his separatist dream and decided to join the federal lobby. In February 2002 CFA gave P on a platter what Paul Harris called the "greatest give away in history," then in December came the paradigm shift. Not only the American ambassador and IC but even the Colombo crowd thus ended up as cats on a rock. Why and how P put them in this position can be answered in a few words, "there is no moral justification for P's agenda."

(b) Reasons for decline and fall of separatist agenda

(1) Fair and free consensus of U.S. Congressional Committees that the Sinhala Buddhist people are not engaged in discriminatory acts against the minority Tamils. Because of this position American officials cannot implement their private views.
(2) Sri Lankan soldiers are convinced that they are engaged in a just war. Most of them come from Sinhala Buddhist villages and Buddhists believe in the impermanence of every thing in this world. They know that the average Sinhala Buddhist does not believe in discriminating others.
(3) The inability of Tamil Nad and Indian politicians to continue supporting Sri Lankan Tamil terrorists inside India. The Catholic Church in USA got into trouble because it did not take remedial action and tried to hide such behavior. Similarly, Indian politicians are in hot seat because P lost the claim that he is the sole representative of Sri Lankan Tamils. Anandasangaree, Douglas Devananda and Karuna played a key role in this regard.
(4) Exposure of improper activities of certain INGO-NGO agents. For example, why peace mudalalis do not demonstrate in Kilinochchi or in Jaffna became problematic.
(5) IC getting tired of defending a terrorist outfit. Even in Norway protest groups are growing.
(6) The victory of the five great forces in Sri Lanka under the Mahinda Chintanaya which is based on Buddhist principles of impermanence and the Middle Path.
(7) The removal of spies from the army and creation of an atmosphere for the security forces to work in partnership. For example, the most effective war front is where jets and foot soldiers work in coordination.
(8) The belief that God Vishnu protects Sri Lanka. This is similar to the Patton prayers (General Patton ordered his military chaplain to write a prayer asking for good weather so that the enemy could be attacked more effectively) in America. If not for divine intervention Sri Lanka would have ended up as two warring countries long time ago. When we think of the way politicians, some army generals, police bosses and spy agents betrayed the country that is the only logical explanation that comes to my mind. In December 2005 God Vishnu helped Sri Lanka.

During the Civil War in America, the Southern confederates had more power than the Union forces in the North. But Abraham Lincoln won the war because the South had no moral justification to wage a war to continue slavery. When the South asked its slaves to join the confederate army to fight save slavery it lost morally. Was this not what had happened with child soldiers of the "Tamil freedom fighters?"