By Thambu Kanagasabai –
The 2015 Presidential election dealt a deadly blow to Rajapaksa’s ambition of serving as a life term President a long with his family members controlling the destiny of Sri Lanka. His faith in astrology took a battering with even Thiruppathi Venkateswarar letting him down. Now he is silently plotting seeking an escape route to avoid the impending inquiries, accusations of bribery and corruption, not to mention the UN’s possible probe after the publication of its report in September 2015.
Eelam Tamils rightly and correctly gave a knockout punch to Rajapaksa family’s decimation. Tamils felt a sense of relief and fulfillment for his defeat, though the miseries they suffered from his hands lie with no healings. The defeat of Mahinda does not mean an endorsement of Maithiri who is just another side of the same coin. Maithiri served loyally under Rajapaksa, even conducting the final phase of the genocidal war during the absence of Rajabaksa. His hands are also equally tainted due to his complicity in the commission of genocidal crimes in the 2009 war.
Maithiri is a subtle executioner of war agenda, a man with a deceptively pleasing face and smile, a President who has so far not uttered a word about the Tamils problems not to mention any of his thoughts as to any solution excepting a mention of LLRC recommendations. It will be therefore foolhardy and naïve for Tamils to expect any acceptable political settlement proposals from Maithiri.
To make the matters worse and compound the problems, Maithiri’s election allies are no better whose chauvinistic thinking and approach to the problems of Tamils goes hand in hand with Maithiri’s thinking. Viz: General Sarath Fonseka, Champika Ranawaka, Chandrika and Ranil.
Maithiri reinforced his support for his brethren by publicly stating that Rajabaksa or any other Security or State officials involved in the genocidal crimes will be protected from any international indictments, inquiries or trials. This defying blunt statement is nothing but a stark contempt and disrespect and even challenging the UN, HRC and their Commissions stature and functions.
Inevitably, Maithiri’s hands of protection further extend to his companions as well as to himself. In this context, his statement that his Govt will conduct its own internal inquiry with his selected Commissioners is nothing but a travesty and insult to the cardinal principles of justice as the commission will assume the role of investigators investigating their masters’ war crimes. It will be futile to expect any impartial justice except eye washing trials where some junior security personnel could be hauled up and punished as scape goats to cover up the actual perpetrators and main actors.
It can be stated that US. UN and the world community are again lulled into a sense of false belief and hope which is nothing but surrealistic. There is no denying of the fact that Maithiri’s Govt has opened up a charming diplomatic damage control offensive targeting USA, UK, UN and European Union. It appears Sri Lanka has so far succeeded in these efforts by postponing the submitting of UN Commission’s Report on war crimes etc until September 2015. Hand in hand, Sri Lankan Govts’ belligerent moves towards China, a Rajapaksa’s close ally, has warmed the hearts of the West particularly USA and India thereby relegating the Tamils’ cries for justice to the back stage. The stark truth is Eelam Tamils’ ethnic problem and the genocidal crimes are exploited to rein in Sri Lanka and to bring it under their orbit and influence.
The reality is Eelam Tamils have no permanent friends but only friends for acquiring benefits. China though disappointed and irritated with Mainthiri’s Govt will only play a waiting game opting for silent diplomatic moves to maintain its close ties with Sri Lanka. As such one man’s poison is another man’s meat position will not apply for the Eelam Tamils. Any hope for the Security Council acting on the UN Commission’s findings due in September 2015 has also evaporated due to the shifting stands by US and the West, who will certainly block any punitive actions against Sri Lanka based on the findings.
The stark reality is Eelam Tamils are back to square one situation at the mercy of Sri Lankan Govt whose agenda of Buddhisitation and Sinhalasisation will quietly and subtly proceed unhindered unless and until the Tamil population unitedly rise to stop the genocidal program. Mahinda himself has confirmed this position when he said after the defeat that “Tamils will not be better off by defeating me and nothing will change as far as Tamils are concerned”.
In this prevailing murky scenario, TNA, the Tamils only representatives appear to be sailing without direction and are also clueless as to what sort of political steps or agitations should be taken to salvage the Tamils from extinction Various plans, ideas and conflicting stands are emerging from the TNA’s top brass, some of beach is as follows.
1) TNA leader Sampanthan is still trusting and hoping for deliverance from Maithiri. He and his confidante Sumanthiran attended the Independence Day celebration of the Sinhala Govt as a sop which Northern Provincial Council’s Chief Minister Wigneswaran rightly and boldly boycotted.
2) Thamil Arasu Party’s Chairman Mavai Senathiraja in October 2014 declared that Satyagraha Campaigns would be launched in North and East in January 2015. So far there is no sign of any move towards this agitation.
3) Chief Minister Wigneswaran has forthrightly and befitting his past position as a Supreme Court judge adopted the overdue resolution accusing all the Sri-Lankan Govts of committing Genocide under an agenda initiated in 1948. This is a historical and brave resolution which has put Sri-Lanka and causing unease to the TNA’s leader ship who still trust he the Sri- Lanka’s entrenched policy of promise and betrayal which has been in effect from 1923.
4) TNA has almost distanced away from taking political actions to remove the Sinhala Army and Camps from the North and East, to obtain the languishing Tamil political prisoners, to obtain the statistics and details of those who disappeared (about 90 000) and those killed about 100,000, to obtain suitable compensations, to give back the lands illegally appropriated by the Security Forces, to resettle the displaced Tamils and allow them to live in their own lands.
If the TNA fails or neglects to give priority to the above steps, they will go down in the history as complicit let-downers in the political history of Tamils. The need of the hour for the TNA is the mobilization for mass agitations and propaganda campaigns in support of a referendum and self-determination as allowed in the UN Charter for an ethnic group, like Tamil’s.
The recent outburst of Ranil regarding Tamil Nadu fishermen encroaching Sri Lanka’s fishing zones shows his arrogant slap on the face of India. His statement has indirectly authorized the Sri Lankan Navy to shoot any Tamil Nadu fishermen who enters Sri-Lankan waters even if it results in death. Under any or international law, a person can only kill another person when and if his own life is imminently threatened with death. As far as Ranil is concerned he seems to believe in instant shooting justice like shooting someone who breaks the door or enters a house without permission even if it causes death. Under international law a violating fisherman can only be arrested and detailned for a just trial in the proper courts. Ranil’s outburst is solely aimed at creating hostility and enmity between the Indian Tamils and the Jaffna Tamil fishermen so as to create and foster a political chasm or divide between them who are closely bonded by a common language, religion, culture and traditions.
TNA’s Sumanthiran’s recent derailing and deviant moves and gestures towards Maithiri only reflect the thinking and behavior of Colombo based Tamil politicians as experienced in the past. It is high time TNA clarifies its stand for its own and Tamil’s survival including Tamils for his following actions.
1) His participation with Sampanthan in the Sinhala Independence day celebrations.
2) His statement of support to Maithiri’s internal investigation which is aiming to weaken and even weakening the functions of the UN Commissions’ investicaions
3) His appeal to British Tamil Forum not to stage demonstrations against Maithiri smacks of petty cheap pleasing of Maithiri.
It is left only to Maithiri as the President to show and prove his sincerity by taking acceptable political settlement proposals on his own determination and will undeterred by any Diaspora behavior. So far he has carried out only cosmic changes like appointing civil Governors but not touching the core problems of Tamils which undoubtedly as in the past will be kept alive and kicking for the sake of political power.
Thiru / March 13, 2015
Thambu Kanagasabai,
You are absolutely correct, the Sinhala Buddhist thinking, state system and the political actors are the same: We can’t expect much from the present lot either.
TNA is in a false sense of complacency for reasons best known to them.
Mass agitation against the on-going oppressive conditions is the key:
If the present regime is for good governance, then they must demonstrate it by complying with the just demands of Tamils for justice.
Tamils are not asking for mercy as Kandiah has correctly shown in his article recently in the CT.
Tamils are asking for the removal of continuing injustices and distressing on-going oppressive conditions first before their political rights are addressed.
Victims are not asking for mercy from the oppressors, they want justice: Will the oppressors give justice?
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Lanka Liar / March 16, 2015
Lots of analysis and comments. But what is the alternate idea. Any solution. Or you want to do another experiment from a safe distance and kill thousands.
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Lanka Liar / March 16, 2015
You lost the power to ask even for mercy. You know who is the culprit ? Ask them if you can find them? Try their followers as a second options.
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msd / March 13, 2015
Can you please outline clearly the oppressive conditions you mention. We are not aware of any such conditions which are being imposed only on the tamils so I would be very grateful to be enlightened. You also mention justice please explain.
Thank you.
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Rabok / March 15, 2015
After reading the comment of Irrational racist Thiru – same question came to my mind – what are the “oppressive condition” specifically applicable to Tamils in this country – if the tamils are subjected to so much oppression – how majority of Tamils are living among Sinhalese in the South of the country – these racist are paranoids who cannot stomach the humiliating defeat of their war load Prabakaran and his ruthless band of killers – it would be better for these idiots to list out all their so called grivences and try to solve them through negotiation
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Sylvia Haik / March 13, 2015
One of the core demands, among others, of the Tamil activists, appear to be the fragmentation of an already small island. I have my doubts if that is what the Tamil community wants. I wish their demands are realistic and to benefit the whole of Sri Lanka for all Sri Lankans. Taking a cue from UK, the Scottish people rejected a separate Scotland in a referendum last year. It appears most are already pleased with the Devolution. This would suit our own North and East too, with a program of assimilation such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil and Diplomatic Service recruiting the ethnic mix reflected in the whole of our society. We could also have anti-discrimination legislations and make incitements to racial and religious hatred a crime punishable very severely. A harmonious Sri Lanka is not that difficult to achieve.
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Uthungan / March 13, 2015
Here is a Rip Van Winkle type puzzled and concerned if the Tamil demands would be for equal treatment,dignity,self respect and safety for live in the land of their birth would be realistic and benefit him and others of his ilk.
I would suggest that he doze off pondering on his question
till a suitable answer comes up in his dreams.
The only condition is, until then he should not snore.
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msd / March 14, 2015
I totally agree with Sylvia Haik. People who can not live amicably in a country where tamils, sinhalese, muslims, burghers all live and are encountering the same problems in their day to day lives, should leave sri lanka and not bother about what happens in sri lanka. These people who have emigrated to other countries are talking and interfereing with the poeple living in sri lanka. If sri lanka was bad for them they should thank god that they got away and let people who are happy here live here peacefully without causing problems. All this talk by people who are unhappy with themselves will not help anyone, not even themselves. By all this BS what you people try to do is make it impossible for any tamil to live in sri lanka.
Tamils have equal dignity, self respect and everything you mention. The problem is you do not respect yourself as a tamil so keep struggling to bring others to your level. Please do not do that because most tamils are a respectable people. All people who promote separation should be punished.
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Billa / March 15, 2015
My3 and Ranil may be history soon, the way things are going on…\
Ranil is anti Tamil for sure. He’s a cunning guy, never a trustworthy person , rascal in a western suit..his days are numbered.He’s a snake in the grass sort.
My3 is not an innocent guy either, or Sarath Fonseka guy !
Mahinda is straight forward thuggish anti Tamil, anti Muslim..
but Ranil is not that type..very shrewd and he thinks he’s a smart ass :)
There is a fate for Sinhalese , Tamils and Muslims to suffer for a long time.
We have no real LEADERS in our nation, the good ones are hiding..they don’t want to get into dirty politics of our country..
So the thugs and imbeciles are allowed to rule us all…
Miracle of my ass :)
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msd / March 16, 2015
It has already been mentioned by gnanakone that they only wanted to get Mahinda out that is why they chose Maithri. This means they are looking forward to another round of violence!
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