Can injustice last forever?

by J.N. Selvadurai

(January 29, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) As Nelson Mandela said: "No injustice can last forever and fighting against injustice and tyranny is sanctioned by humanity." The Lord Buddha also said: "Nothing is permanent and everything has an end." I hope that Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists who are responsible for this ethnic war will give it serious thought.

In Sri Lanka, ethnic violence between the Sinhala Buddhist majority and the Tamil minority began after independence and happened every few years. Then in July 1983 it climaxed into a holocaust resulting in the deaths of over 2000 Tamils and the creation of over 500,000 Tamil refugees that even created an international refugee problem for the UN.

This ethnic violence against the Tamils was supported by certain people in power.

As a result the Tamils - a hitherto docile people were forced to take up arms and demand a free state as there seemed to be no other option.

After the introduction of the 'Sinhala Only' language policy the Tamils asked for a federal state within the unitary state of Sri Lanka, but that was opposed violently. This resulted in the creation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. (LTTE)

Now the Sinhalese who created the LTTE feel they are the victims of terrorism but are fully prepared for 'state terrorism' against the Tamils. Even the 'Sinhala Only' language policy could be considered an 'act of terrorism' against the Tamil-speaking minority.

Instead of following the solution of the IRA problem in Ireland and making an effort to make peace, the government together with the JVP and the Buddhist priests of the JHU party are today opposing negotiations. The LTTE are quite fed up with negotiations because promises are made but never implemented as the state seems to have no desire to stop the war. That is why they killed the LTTE political wing leader Tamilselvan in an airforce bombing raid in Kilinochchi.

The Tamils feel that even a federal solution will not guarantee them security from Sinhala aggression. The Tamils therefore feel that only separation can set them free, where they can have their own military force in the defence of their people. It is the duty of every Sinhala person to use their brain and think rationally instead of allowing emotion to overcome reason.