By Noel Nadesan –

Dr Noel Nadesan

Right now Sri Lanka is facing three offensives – and all three have come from abroad with the Tamil Diaspora trying their best to embarrass the Sri Lankan government. The first is the anti-Sri Lanka resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council at its 25th session in Geneva. This resolution insisting on an international investigation into allegations of war crimes in the final phases of the civil war in 2009 has pleased the Tamil Diaspora. They think they have scored a victory against the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL). But GOSL has bluntly refused to go along with the UNHRC resolution. What the Diaspora does not realize (or does not publicize) is that the economic consequences of any sanctions will hurt the Tamil people in the North and south more than the Government.

GOSL is working on its own formula – possibly a Truth Commission on S. African lines – which will weaken the UNHRC move as the GOSL has shown a willingness to conduct an investigation of its own.

The second is the abortive attempt by small group ex LTTE to revive the violent struggle in the post-may 2009  period. Informed journalists such as DBS Jeyaraj have identified the Nediyavan  group of Norway as the key operator who has financed and directed operations from abroad.  GOSL reacted swiftly to target all three thus ending the futile attempt of the Diaspora to achieve their goal. It is clear that the Government forces are on full alert and the ready response to beat futile attempt is a clear warning to the Tamil Diaspora that they cannot gain anything significant by financing and directing militancy except causing more chaos and suffering to Tamils in Sri Lanka

Third, the Tamil Diaspora has been working overtime to hit back at GOSL in various ways. But the GOSL has taken the Diaspora by surprise when it listed 16 organisations as terrorist outfits. This is a move to nip in the bud any organized moves by the Diaspora to destabilize Sri Lanka. To some extent this move has given the GOSL the upper hand. It has also crippled the free access to Sri Lankan agents in of the Tamil Diaspora. I personally think all these Diaspora organization not only banned but also initiating a inquiry against arming and financing a war against t Sri Lankan people many years ago.

The fact that the killing of the three agents of the Diaspora did not provoke a public outrage proves that any attempt to revive terrorism will not gain any sympathy either abroad or in Sri Lanka. In fact, various reports agree that the vast amount of information came from the Sri Lankan Tamils in the North who are wary of the rise of violence again.

The West and Pro LTTE Diaspora fronts have one thing common: they have no sympathy for the victims of their foolish adventures. The consequences of all their actions will have to be borne by the Tamil civilians who have had a gutful of violence. The GOSL forces are quite pleased that  the Tamil community, by and  large, have responded favorably to  their request for information and cooperation. As usual the Tamil Diaspora is going down the wrong path. They have not calculated their options realistically. Whatever emotions there are left over it is not emotions that is going to win the day. The chances of winning gains for the Tamil people are greater if the Diaspora can change its tactics and look for positive engagement with the GOSL.

We have to seriously ask west and LTTE front organisation to leave the Sri Lankan s to sort their problem because that is the only way forward to permanent peace in our Island.

Guns and goons occupied the land till May 2009.Violence of the south and north ruined the nation. There were no positive gains in either the JVP insurrections or the Tamil separatist  violence. If the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna insurrection succeeded in Sri Lanka, then most probably we would have ended up like another North Korea. I believe Rohana Wijeweera would have been be worse than Kim Il-sung who after the Korean War, introduced the personal philosophy of Juche, or self-reliance, which became a guiding light for North Korea’s politics. Decades of this rigid state-controlled system have led to stagnation and a leadership dependent on the cult of personality.

In 1971, unable to control the insurrection, Sri Lanka had to get help from India; unfortunately many young people were killed. Many mothers lost their children. Mrs Srimavo Bandaranaike led government in Sri Lanka, not only rehabilitated  many militants but  also let many leaders back into the community believing they all respect democracy and power of the ballot paper.

In 1987 the same leaders started another insurrection while government battling with Tamil militancy in north and east during 87-90, more young militants, and defence personal and innocent people were killed. The Government during the time had crushed the JVP leadership without mercy, made no prisoner from the leadership. But there were not many complaining about human right violation because cold war clouds covered over the entire horizon during the time.  Subsequently thirty years of Tamil militancy was brought to end last may 2009 by military means.

I am not blind supporter of the government. Governments are all over the world are not only imperfect but also inefficient, but alternative to a government is chaos, destruction of lives and properties. Foreign intervention in many countries whatever those governments were imperfect, interference by other countries in last 60 years turned into disastrous consequences. The Tamil people of the North are being kept in the dark about the unrest and instability in places like Kosovo, South Sudan and East Timor by local Tamil Medias

Last provincial election results shows people are longing for the peace and order provided by the current government. President Mahinda Rajapaksa achieved in Sri Lanka last 5 years was stability and established law and order that many presidents and government were not able to provide  to citizens of Sri Lanka for many years that why he is being elected every election from 2006 to today .

During last presidential election I was travelling south of Sri Lanka and talking to many Sinhala workers, farmer and fisher folks and they all said was he was the man who stopped killing our sons. One friend of mine with his wife and  children  were  driving from Kandy to Colombo,  said to me ‘Machan,  we were not  able to come to  Colombo together as a  family before. We could only come either my wife with son or daughter or me with son or daughter because of bomb blasts in Colombo.’ I asked him, ‘how come all the people forgot this so soon. He replied ‘ No, No ordinary people remember this  and voting to Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa all along’

The majority of the Sri Lankan people are grateful to the Government for removing terrorism from the country. This is specially so in the border villages in the Districts of Anuradhapura, Tricomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. The rural Sinhala people will perceive the actions of the west and the Diaspora as anti-Sinhala.  The west and the diaspora are therefore really sabotaging any real reconciliation between the communities. They are looking only to fulfil their political and emotional agenda.

I thought that was true if you are a wealthy Sinhalese or Tamil you can send your children abroad but ordinary people did not have choice. Poor Tamil send to LTTE and Sinhalese send to army all these years before May 2009.

Now after three decades, ordinary Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese are sleeping peacefully at their home with their children beside them and dreaming of their future but some people outside Sri Lanka do not like their peaceful dreams.