Politics By Other Means

By Chandi Sinnathurai

(February 08, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Guardian) The politics of the world does not revolve around an altruistic axis. The world powers talk about humanitarian interventions not without selfish intentions. Politics as we know, is about multiple discourses.

When we talk about the plight of the civilian Eelam Tamils we begin to catch glimpses pathetic human beings through the fog of war. The world powers, sadly have kept their silence for better part of the long-drawn Sri Lankan conflict -- only to issue, at times, some token public statements. On the whole, the international community have supported overtly for a political solution to this conflict. But covertly, they have given their nod to a military solution. And of course, they have supplied arms and intelligence.

Clausewitz was right when he said, 'war is a continuation of politics by other means.' Hence the rationale of finding solution for conflict in both - through political and military means. One encompasses the other.

This does not mean to say that this is a moral position. Unfortunately, when it comes to international relations and geo-politics it all becomes an amoral game. That might be the only way to appease the disturbed conscience.

The Sri Lankan regime's intention is to marginalise and terrorise the Tamils even further. The indiscriminate killings of civilians in the process comes under the cloak of war against the Tamil Tigers. Such a discourse falls into a circuitous questioning. Who are the Tigers? They are Tamils. Who are the Tamils? They are Tigers. Go any where in the world, and when you say that you are a Tamil, they would jokingly ask, are you a Tiger? So, the inevitable question to the Sinhala state is: who are you trying to eliminate? Wouldn't such a rapid elimination tantamount to genocide?

The world governments however, are adamant not to condemn the atrocious actions of the Sri Lankan state.

President Rajapaksha is trying to achieve one fundamental aim through this war. And that is to "Disarm" the Tamil Tigers.

But this disarming is two-pronged:

1) To make the Tigers militarily impotent.

2) To render the Tigers politically disabled.

Political power, no doubt, is derived from the people. Rajapaksha is trying to bomb, kill and scare the Tamil civilians in order for them to turn against the Tigers and to run to the Government side. Without the support of the people the survival of a guerrilla movement becomes extremely vulnerable.

The question however is: How can the Tamil civilians trust the Government that is bent on liquidating them?

The tragedy of humanitarian catastrophe continues. None can see any signs of sustainable peace in Sri Lanka.

Most unfortunate.

-Sri Lanka Guardian
Afzal said...

The war against LTTE is not a war against Tamils just as the US emphasized that war against AL Qaida is not war against Muslims and Israel’s as war against Hamas is not a war against Gazan's

But one need not look too far behind to ascertain records of civilian casualties in both these wars. It's colossal, few days of War in Gaza with Israel most modern weaponry resulted in more than 1000 civilian casualties.

Should we not be praising our forces for keeping the casualties to the minimum in a such a long war?

We all agree civilian casualties has only occurred during the very last days of this war.

Many governments in the past has sat down with LTTE to talk peace
hopes of peace has come and gone.

LTTE has bluntly broken peace and massacred the trust placed on them by various governments in many a occasions.

So how do we bring about peace in our country ?

I think finally we have all realized that it’s the LTTE who is not willing to compromise their multimillion dollar empire for the good of its own people.

Solution is clear eliminate or weaken the power structure within LTTE and bring about lasting peace to our country.

I am sure world which has given a somewhat free hand to the Government to continue with the war will not keep quiet and definitely bring about sustained pressure on the government to implement a just power sharing solution applicable to all communities.

After all Sri Lanka depends on the foreign donor countries to keep its economy going.

Lets unit as Sri Lankans to find a lasting solution. War against LTTE is not a war against Tamils.
This much we should have understood after 30 years of living with this conflict.

Afzal M. Ismail, Dubai

Chaminda Tilakumara said...

Dear Chandi,

You certainly sound like as if you are residing outside SL and writing from the comfort of your arm chair. According to you, the LTTE has made the race ‘Tamil’ synonymous with the word ‘Terrorist’ when people ask if you are a Tiger when you identify yourself as a Tamil. Note this down as one achievement of the LTTE whilst leading the Tamils of SL to a total abyss.

LTTE should be defeated militarily plain and simple. They have spurned every opportunity that has been presented to them as a starting point to resolving the conflict. Instead, they have used every ceasefire to re-arm and re-group and eliminate their political opponents including a vast amount of Tamil moderates. LTTE have relied on their military strength by threatening the GOSL at every juncture and holding its people to ransom. I’d say enough is enough and what better way is there to defeat LTTE terrorists other than giving some of their own medicine?

What Chandi should understand is that GOSL is not going to put up with Terrorism any more. The people of SL and the entire world at large know that this is the only way left to deal with the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit. The jokers in Tamil Nadu and the SL Tamil diasporas can call it ‘genocide’ or any other fancy word. It is time to turn over a leaf by taking out the LTTE and create an environment for Tamil moderates to come forward so we can get on with resolving our differences. So get over it!
Best regards,

Chaminda Tilakumara (chaminda_t@hotmail.com)