They should bear in mind the incontrovertible fact that the LTTE are no more than a murderous fascist terrorist group who do not brook any kind of democratic opposition even from within it’s own Tamil community! What else could you expect from a notorious band of murderers whose blood-lust knows no bounds?__________________________
by Hermes
(June 07, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) I am sure many Sri Lankans have been waiting to see the type of reaction that would be forthcoming from the Western powers to the elections conducted to the Eastern Provincial Council.It has to be conceded that despite innumerable hazards and difficulties on the ground, the elections were conducted democratically to the best extent possible, taking into consideration the general scenario one could expect in conducting an election under the different political dispensations we have had. I was pleasantly surprised to read of the International Monitors themselves, who were here monitoring the elections, giving a clean bill on the manner the Eastern Province Elections had been conducted.
Expectedly, the INGOs and the NGOs have been making noises about the violence and intimidation resorted to by certain groups, before, during and after the election. Such untoward incidents are of course not unfamiliar to Sri Lankans who have lived through the many hustings that have taken place since Independence where pre and post election violence, even on a larger and more horrendous scale was witnessed. Hence, one could even venture to opine that the Eastern elections were conducted relatively peacefully.
It is certainly no easy matter to bring an erstwhile terrorist outfit to volunteer to come into the mainstream of democratic politics.It must indeed be difficult for a lawless band of terrorists to abandon their old wayward ways and conform to expected standards of social decorum and conventional behaviour. It did happen earlier here in our island with a chastened JVP, who came into democratic politics and made their mark in no time by entering into strategic alliances and ending up with Ministerial portfolios!
No mean achievement.
In this light,conducting democratic elections successfully and establishing an elected Provincial Council within a matter of months after clearing the East of the LTTE, is certainly no mean achievement.The International community should if anything ,be encouraged by these positive democratic developments and provide whatever material assistance necessary for the Eastern Province to consolidate these gains and move forward towards the establishment of a prosperous and well integrated community of people in the Province.
However, the silence we observe from the International quarter is to say the least, disappointing if not disconcerting! We do not of course, expect them to go into sudden celebratory mode by throwing an ostentatious party in Stockholm or Oslo inviting Pillayan and Hisbullah amongst other Sri Lankan and international VIP to grace the occasion! The deafening silence on their part would however,make one wonder whether they are somehow disappointed over the democratic transformation that has taken place in the East! The Vikings must definitely be dejected by the fact that their protégé has been left out of the new political equation that has emerged.It would require an agonizing self-appraisal on their part to make them realize that they are themselves to blame for the predicament the LTTE finds itself in today.
The huge blunder of internationalizing the ethnic problem.
I think the worst blunder we made was internationalizing the ethnic conflict and inviting the Norwegians to come and act as facilitators/intermediaries /mediators or whatever euphemistic term one would want to use in describing such hypocrites who were known even at that stage, to be openly partial to the LTTE. Even subsequently, certain other related local issues have been needlessly internationalized leading to acute embarrassment to the Government while sullying the image of the country. In the future at least, such situations are best avoided.
India’s role in formulating a solution.
Thanks to the valiant efforts of the much respected, late Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Foreign Minister, the US and many Western countries stopped sympathizing with and molly- coddling the LTTE.This turn around led to the LTTE being banned in the US and in many European countries.Because of the facilitator/mediator role of the Norwegians, Western nations were wont to take the cue from the former when it came to formulating approaches to the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka.It was unfortunate that India maintained a strictly "observer" status during this period, much to the detriment of Sri Lanka. Sadly,even after the invalidation of the CFA, many Western countries still, maybe by sheer force of habit, looking to the Vikings for clues in reacting to situations in Sri Lanka.The Vikings and their cohorts are unlikely to abandon their favourite band of ‘freedom fighters’ and look on impassively at the spectacle of their being mauled by the Defence Services.
They are bound to raise the desperate battle cry of human rights violations,disappearances and abductions and attempt to orchestrate an agitation in the West against the Government and the country with the fond hope of depriving the people of this country certain favourable trading arrangements with the European Community etc. which this country is enjoying at present. The Vikings and their cohorts are quite inured to the fact that these low tactics are little more than pure and unadulterated blackmail. It is for this reason that it is vital for the West to take due cognizance of the democratic developments that are taking place in the Eastern Province in the midst of innumerable obstacles. They should bear in mind the incontrovertible fact that the LTTE are no more than a murderous fascist terrorist group who do not brook any kind of democratic opposition even from within it’s own Tamil community! What else could you expect from a notorious band of murderers whose blood-lust knows no bounds?
This is where India can come in at this stage and play a positive role by genuinely collaborating with the Government of Sri Lanka, to bring about a lasting political settlement to the problem, which will have to be in the larger interests of all the ethnic groups living in a united Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
Post a Comment