By Jehan Perera –
Jehan Perera
The participation of Deputy Minister of National Integration, Muneer Mulaffar, in a conference on “Building a peaceful pluralistic Sri Lanka through Social Cohesion and Coexistence” organized by the Association of War Affected Women (AWAW) together with other peacebuilding organisations was the highlight of the event. The minister spoke eloquently on the government’s commitment to national integration. The event was attended by more than 150 participants drawn from clergy of all religions, civil society, the academic community and several embassies. The minister’s participation and speech on the occasion gave two important signals to the participants and the country at large. One message was that the government considered the national reconciliation process to be one that merited its time and effort. The other message was that the task of civil society and citizens was important for the wellbeing of the country.
The constructive role of civil society, which was evident at the conference on “Building a peaceful pluralistic Sri Lanka through Social Cohesion and Coexistence” is that civil society can prepare the ground for the government to engage in problem solving. NGOs are able to go to the grassroots and explain to the people the decisions that the government makes in the national interest. The conference in which Minister Mulaffar participated was an example as it sought to build on an initiative taken by senior Buddhist monks to break the deadlock with the Tamil Diaspora on the issue of national reconciliation. In April 2023, the two sides met in Nepal where they formulated a set of principles known today as the Himalaya Declaration on which national reconciliation could be built.
The statement prepared by the convenors of the conference and which was handed over to Minister Mulaffar summarized the sentiments of religious clergy, civil society and the academic community who had participated in consultations that spanned over a year, and across the country, since the Himalaya Declaration had got publicized. The statement which built on the Himalaya Declaration comprised five sections, namely, political reforms (with a focus on constitutional reforms), transitional justice (dealing with the past), equal protection and equal rights, Malaiyaha Tamils (with a focus on the historical injustices they had been subjected to which continue to this day) and good governance (rule of law and strengthening state institutions for a better and more just Sri Lanka.
Further Consultations
As a follow up, the convening organisations also intend to have consultations with political parties with a view to building cross party (bipartisan) support to implement the reforms that are agreed to. The long history of failures of successive governments to resolve the ethnic conflict has been due to the negative role that opposition parties have always played to scuttle governmental initiatives to settle the problem. Therefore, the opposition parties need to be brought on board by the government this time and civil society is ready to assist in this task.
At the recently concluded general elections, the government obtained support from the ethnic and religious minorities, comprising Tamils and Muslims in particular. This enabled it to win all over the country, including seven out of the eight districts in the north and east in which the ethnic and religious minorities predominate. At the consultations, the view was expressed that the electorate in the north and east had placed their trust in the government to resolve their problems. This was described by a Jaffna university academic who participated in the consultation in Jaffna as the people in the north and east wanting the government to solve the problems directly without going through “middlemen”.
However, it is important that Tamils and Muslims should be included in government bodies set up to enact the system change for which the government was elected. They may be from within the ruling party and government or be from outside, whichever the government prefers. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has recently appointed a Presidential Task Force, with the heads of the armed forces and senior government officials and others with the goal “of elevating society to a more advanced status through a social, environmental and ethical awakening”. It consists of 18 members. But absent from the list of members are Muslims or Tamils. Given that Sri Lanka is a multiethnic and multireligious society, their inclusion too is necessary so that the task force will get a more rounded view of the problems at hand.
Looking Forward
The fact that the Tamil and Muslim people want the government to solve their problems without going through intermediaries may be due to their loss of faith in the approaches of the traditional Tamil and Muslim political parties. Their problems still remain and they want them solved. The situation of the Malaiyaha Tamils is a relevant example. They were denied their citizenship rights at the dawn of Independence. The Malaiyaha Tamil people continue to suffer from that act of discrimination. They continue to live in line rooms and do not have a home on a piece of land to call their own. The policy decision taken by the previous government to grant them seven perches of land to build their own homes is yet to be operationalized. Sri Lanka has a long history of providing remedies for landlessness, using different strategies such as colonisation schemes, land reform measures, and massive housing programs such as million houses programmes.
The same holds true for the Tamil people of the north and east. Addressing their issues, starting with small, meaningful steps, can rebuild trust and pave the way for larger reforms. Some of them lost their lands to the military many years ago and have yet to get them back. Some of them have lost their children and do not know where they are or what happened to them, even though some of them were handed over to the military by their parents. At a more basic level, the Tamil-speaking people continue to receive official communications from the government in the Sinhala language even though Tamil is also an official language in the constitution. A more recent, and more volatile, issue is that of ancient religious sites where they feel threatened while others feel unfairly treated.
During the consultations, a view was expressed that the Tamil and Muslim people did not ask the government to do big things but to start with small things. Indeed, the government has given back some private land that was taken over by the military back to their owners. It opened up a road that was closed for over thirty years. It gave the Tamil people the right to memorialize (which was already provided for in law) without facing harassment by the police. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has also affirmed that the government is laying the legal groundwork for the conduct of provincial council elections. There is a lot to look forward to. For Sri Lanka to achieve lasting reconciliation, the government needs to ensure that members of all communities are part of its mechanisms that engage in problem solving at all levels of governance.
Ajith / December 24, 2024
North East Tamil People suffered continuously for past 76 years. So, you cannot say that our government will treat them as equal without any solutions for what they lost over 76 years. . This government may say we will give equal opportunities in employing based on merit. Is it right? Once North was number 1 out of 10 in education but now 10 out of 10.
Similarly Tamil People who was brought from India by British leaders as slaves to work to develop the hill country of Sri Lanka and became Ceylon citizens. They also suffered continuously as slaves by under Sinhalese leadership. If you really realise that truth and treated as equal as any other Sri Lankan they should be treated separately.
/
davidthegood / December 25, 2024
Ajith, It is not a solution to treat any group separately. All should be equally treated.
/
Ajith / December 25, 2024
“Ajith, It is not a solution to treat any group separately. All should be equally treated.”
Equal(T) = Equal (S). Inequality is not equal. Where there was an inequality that was created by the Governments you have to bring the inequality to equal. Do you want to keep that inequality?
/
Tony / December 25, 2024
Tamil Nadu is the only solution!!!!
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / December 25, 2024
“Tamil Nadu is the only solution” – Do you mean that the only solution is for Tamil Nadu to take over Srilanka. India is going to build the bridge between Rameswaram and Talaimannar, through which they will come and annex the ancient Dravidian homeland which got separated by sea upheaval. Then you can fight to create a quasi federal state of Sinhala rata in Indian union.
/
old codger / December 25, 2024
Tony,
“Tamil Nadu is the only solution!!!!
You are right for once. Their per capita income is already higher than ours. Don’t wait till it is double. Build a land bridge and let them run the country. You can go back to your ancestral village too.
/
Lester / December 29, 2024
“Their per capita income is already higher than ours.”
$3,816.26/12=~$318 USD per month. You and Leela should definitely relocate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LhGhM334xM&pp=ygUabWFuIGdldHMgZWxlY3RvY3V0ZWQgSW5kaWE%3D
/
Ajith / December 26, 2024
Tony,
You may be right. A similar devolution of power like “Tamil Nadu” could be a solution.
/
Mahila / December 27, 2024
There may be aspirations – Portugal, Netherlands!!??
/
Mahila / December 27, 2024
Those 2 countries TOO far TO BUILD – BRIDGES AND TUNNELS!!
/
Mahila / December 27, 2024
However direct shipment – one-way – Available, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
There are few in the country thinks that the land and the people are their property, those rascals are twisting their lounges in all direction and defending their dastardly behaviors. Rowdy Royals, Evil UNPyers, Rear Admirable, Lemon Puff, Ganapathi Pillai grades are constantly convulsing to manipulate the international communities with a pound of people’s flesh for them, then want to rule the land for ever and speared bogus religions. In the La La Wildlife Mahinda Chinthanaiya time, Old Rowdy and Hitler ousted Nimalka Fernando, and many other NGOs with Mano Ganesan like politicians, out of the country Then Hitler invited Jehan PhD like self-proclaimed NGO SLFP campaigners to a meeting and told them that those who work for Royals will get laptops and other rewards, but those who show protesting signs will come to know the fate of those who were white vaned and ousted out. As soon as the PhD came out of the meeting, declared to pressmen that Hitler had said that he wants to work with an NGO and listen to them. Earlier Jehan had invited UOJ students to a university meeting, led by Sothern Bald heads, to make the students forcefully adopt Buddhist convention in their functions, A way of conversion. The convention was to condemn students using North East Cultural Nathasuram for a reception ceremony, and to insist they should have used Kandyan Dhovil Kooththu.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
The was told as “Religious Unification Initiation”, which was part of a fake campaign NPC conducting those days to make Sinhala Buddhism dominate over even in the North and East, by subtle ways. NPC is led by the PhD. NPC never struggled or achieved any justice for the students of those days. Many of the ones who were taken under gun point to Rapist Army camps, with the name of rehabilitation, not granting access even ruling party MPs like Devananda. The teenage girls recruited by Rapist army to be used hooks for other free students, attempted suicide, were admitted at metal hospital and even ones, those admitted in the General Hospitals, the doctors refused to talk with the parents and lawyers. Tamilini, a Tamil language editor, was told was poisoned until she accrued cancer. She was forced to write a fake account of the war. Later she was left to die by cancer pain in Langkang without proper treatment, though her government arranged marriage husband was a British citizen and was living there. In none of those media accusation, PhD took any part in bringing out “True or Even False Word”. The above said meeting was declared by organizers as compulsory for UOJ students and all students must be attending.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
End of the meeting the PhD wrote in CT, the students very obediently attended the meeting and behaved inside with discipline because they were instructed what would be their fate if they failed to attend the meeting. But when Old Rowdy lost the election in 2015, some fear covered the hopes of the acolytes of him. PhD switched his tone to justify Yahapalanaya’s crimes, to make sure the European Union’s checks will keep coming. So based on the UNHRC Resolution 30, he started to explain to everyone why it was important to follow the Resolution 30. PhD’s all essays had something to say about the Resolution-30’s four pillar Transitional Justice. All his article has been claiming how mush close the Yahapalanaya government had gone on completing those four elements. Alas, Mrs. Clinton left the Obama Administration and Senator Kerry came in. He, Like Evil Emperor, tore off the Constitution 2000 in the parliament, tore off the Resolution 30 in UNHRC and put everything upside down. It was Cartwheel game, so before Yahapalanaya was dissolved, Senator Kerry went out of the administration. PhD started to feel relaxed, but still was fearing the UNHRC so wrote many more essays in CT and outside advising the White Flag Murderer to use Lord Naseby to knock out Resolutions in UNHRC. That time Lord Neseby functioned as an illusion creator like, Sadampi, with his riddles.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
Sad is, it is the fate of PhD, though his checks seemed to be on strong footed to flow, but whatever he touches fizzle out. Lord Neseby is gone, and there seems to be no such black art magician in British parliament on whom PhD can count. So appropriately, that when the time was ripe, that is one or two months before the 2024 presidential election, while still many were calling AKD as JVP Communist, PhD made up his mind to back up AKD. His articles started to appear accusing the old stalwarts, without fear. When AKD won the election, he dropped out Old Rowdy, Evil Emperor and Hitler king, and promptly switched over to the support of the new president. We expected while China to treat AKD as its own family man, India and America will be putting all efforts to keep him on their side. ETCA seems to his AKD’s gasoline drum to run the economy in the future. It will make his administration lose some freedom in international maneuvers, I do not see any other opening in the country, where its education, workers, morality, mentality, and quality are not outstanding. Nobody forwarding an offer for Air Lanka during the Evil’s administration, after all the Evil’s flamboyant boasting, is the acid test of the country’s status outside. Country in debt above the nose
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
If president wants to think straight forward, he needs to find ways to inform the people the true picture, instead of boasting for media and create unwanted expectation from the masses and end up in another Protest 2022. When you are lying on a hospital bed, it is difficult to the truth. Nurses, bring the good hotel food; everybody tell something good, but when you get up and go home, wife will be tearing off the Dhoti for money; kids will be crying for food; your job, your field, the stores you run, will be going empty quickly, while you watch. Yet, you have to come out with a solution to pay the hospital bill. After the accident of 2019-2024, the patient Langkang is in the hospital. The hospital life is not the reality after the accident. The patient Langkang as to know the best is yet to come. You can declare that you are friendly with everybody when the international issues come. But they all are rushing to help, because they too have some expectation. While soon the in the future, while Langkang has its problems, will have to come out with solution for the friends and foes you have been dealing with, in this difficult time. Remember war and Rowdy Royals and Evil Emperor promises to the minorities. Yes, AKD government also can repeat that once more to the local minorities.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
But they could not shrug off China so easily. They lost Colombo Pong Cing, Hangbangtota, and allured into may loss making White Elephants. That is how China induced the Foreign Exchange run through the People’s Bank’s poop import. The Media has been writing that AKD wants to give equal important to China and India relationship. So, they predicted AKD will be going to China from India. It did not happen. When AKD returned to Langkang they are saying that he did not reveal anything (nothing) that happened in India. If the things had been so rosy over there, he would have been the first to have a couple of press meeting to boast his successes. In contrast, it is the Media now fishing and phishing for secrets, from which they are shut out of. China trip’s date and arrangement are not yet known. Chinese ambassador had accused some countries (India) interfering in it’s and Langkang relationship. America and EU are important for Langkang, even though Sadampi like Pundits blabbering all hate mongering stories about those countries, they are the countries receives all Langkang exports, lots of tourist come from, expatriates are living and send large sum of foreign income.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
America recently banded two loonies of Rowdy Royal’s agents. Them two are nothing in the local political, diplomatic & industrial circle. AKD will not give a damn about their ban. America too knows that. But America simply reminded AKD its present too. That’s all at this time. It has not sent its bill for its pound of flesh. Sinhala Buddhists Aappa diplomats, from the time of freedom, have done a good job of keeping Western democracies win their closed palm. There is no reason to suspect if any danger going to come to that by these bans. Most of the ISB loan are from that side. Those are mostly private, unlike Chinese Indian bilateral loans. But nevertheless, there is some hold on those loans to their government. America blocked during Evil’s time the First Hamilton Bank attempting to collect its $250M. EU reinstated the GSP+ which it cancelled for Langkang’s biased humanitarian laws like MMDA. But Evil managed to get it. But Evil tore off German PBS cloth in front of world audience boldly. That lesson broke the backbone of Europeans and it brought him full success at Paris Club. No one can predict that of technics will be available to AKD too.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
I don’t see many other ways to bring the country out of poverty without some kind of sacrifices. It is not going to be a pleasant experience to the new president nor to the citizens. But whet tools and techniques the president would be using to sail his boat smoothly through this storm is to be seen in the future. Evil Garsha crossed only one rope bridge. AKD has to build many bridges to start his journey. Recently there was a cartoon on a news media that the red-carpet bridge which AKD intended to cross from India to China, was broken by China even before he started to walk.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
Yet the new president is completely a safe boat for the PhD to ride, because AKD said, “No international investigation, only local, nobody will be punished because punishing a criminal is vengeance in Sinhala Buddhism” . We don’t know the future. Consider this: TamilWin has been declaring since previous October 6th that Hamas has won the war against Israel. Israel went even to Iran to finish the Hamas leader. Israel won Hezbollah with box of matches (Pager) fire. Now Assad has vanished to Russia, handing over the whole Golan Height to Israel PM, Netanyahu. The PM has sent a “What’s up” telex to Hautes, “Ready or not, here I come”. The UN had declared Netanyahu as a war criminal from October 7th, 2023. So, it is common sense for one to wonder, after Sana’a to which part of the world would receive “Netanyahu’s here I come”. If President Biden is in Washington, we could guess it would be Turtle Bay in NYC, because the UN’s World headquarters is there. Tamils are asking for the interference on UNHRC and thus UN, but the British MP said it is too short time to collect the evidence on Tamils’ genocide to be presented in the next October for an investigation. Some time ago, some Tamils were thinking that they should reach China to bring an investigation to the UNSC floor against Langkang.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 25, 2024
I was struggling to figure out what the ward numbers of those gentlemen were, when they were in Angoda, before they were suggesting an option like that. Listen, Chancellor Markel wanted Russia the world number one power and sedate Yankee’s romping ways. Now the German government is rushing to have Ukraine win the war before Donald Trump takes the oath as the next president. Reading all these news, recently, I was wondering why so far TamilWin Interviewees (a gang of five or six, equivalents of Sinhala Buddhist Intellectuals) has not suggested to Sumanthiran, Sritharan, Mavai…… to approach PM Netanyahu to bring an investigation on Tamils Genocide, in UN? TamilWin would rather recommend to Nobel Peace Prize committee to give Evil a Prize on abolishing poverty world over by his lectures in how to kidnap an orphan child across the rope bridge. TamilWin and Evil are so desperate, it seems, to get that from the time Ravi received his Asian Wonder prize for Central Bank Robbery! Probably, one day Jehan PhD might suggest that as the minority solution, to AKD.
/
RBH59 / December 25, 2024
Minorities Want Government To Solve Their Problems Directly
Policies must be developed with an understanding of the unique challenges and cultural contexts of minority populations to ensure their needs are effectively addressed. Continuous engagement and feedback mechanisms should be established to adapt governance practices based on the evolving needs and concerns of minority communities, promoting trust and resilience in governance.Ensuring that the interests of minority groups are not overshadowed by majority preferences requires careful balancing and facilitation. As the past Pohotuwa had attacked the minority business places now the people are saying who did it.History tell.
/
Captain Morgan / December 25, 2024
Out of the many minority problems that require to be solved urgently, probably the easiest one to tackle and dispose of would be the issue of the Tamil Political Prisoners. But this government seems incapable of coming to grips even with this straightforward matter. If the case records of each and everyone of the political prisoners are studied , it will become evident that there is no case at all against most of them. Therefore, if the government is unable to solve this longstanding grievance, you can take it that there is no likelihood of it solving any of the other, more troublesome issues.
/
Thanga / December 29, 2024
Those gullible Tamils who voted for the Tamils are wondering as to what has happened to the plethora of promises made by the JVP/NPP.
Army-occupied lands have not been released except for an 8-acre plot in Katkolam in Vadamarachchi. A road from Vasavilan to Atchuvely was opened with much fanfare and jubilation, but not the houses on either side of the road under army occupation.
The security situation remains the same. Drug trafficking, road accidents, burglaries, illicit liquor and murders are taking place as before. One cannot expect any change with the same old corrupt police and army officers in command.
Security personnel posted to the North don’t want any transfers because of the payouts they receive from criminal elements. Some are on their monthly payroll.
An expatriate Sinhalese after visiting her village in the south reported to have said that all the tiled houses there belong to either policemen or service personnel!
The JVP/NPP government is making a lot of noise but very little action.
/