Tamil Leading Sinhalese

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(March 17, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I read with interest the letter written by Mr. Mahinda Gunasekera to Mr. Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, US State Department, Washington DC about Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam - (TGTE). I also wrote yesterday, recognizing this organization. (Appendix 1). I note that Mr. Mahinda Gunasekera is listed as Honorary President, Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada.

Mr. Gunasekera says in his letter ‘The TGTE is a government which only exists in the imagination of its architects without one square inch of land under its control.’

To me, it is obvious that Mr. Gunasekera does not appreciate the difference between a Nation and a Country. It is the difference between mind and body. Without one square inch of land under its control - TGTE could either be hallucinating or be living through its mind alone – shining through Intellectual brilliance as the moon does on full-moon (Poya) days – the day on which Lord Buddha attained Nirvana. The light of the moon is sunlight and represents Puththi / Intellect in an individual. The Land of the moon is Matter / Body. When the Intellect shines on this land – we do not ‘see’ the land at all. Mr. Gunasekera obviously needs to learn more from Lord Buddha about Nirvana / Freedom. Nirvana in Tamil is being naked. When the intellect is fully apparent / transparent – we feel ‘free’ of limits/land space.

The Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada on the other hand mentions two countries / bodies – Sri Lanka and Canada. They could live side by side but not merge as One Nation, without separate identities visible to the eye. To my simple and small eyes – the two countries are vastly different in land space and culture of natives whose only country is either Sri Lanka or Canada. That to me is a name that projects no realistic picture. Not so the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam.

Mr. Gunasekera says ‘This same group previously provided funding, and other services deemed illegal to the outlawed terrorist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which has been banned in the USA since 1996 to seek the same goal by force of arms, which insurgency was militarily defeated by the Sri Lankan authorities in 2009 after enduring much bloodshed and violence over a period of 33 years..’

Here in Australia, some Tamils were legally charged for providing funds to the LTTE. As per UN Policy and its equal rights and wrongs – it was ‘wrong’. But Australia adopted only some parts of that Policy and hence the persons who were charged were later dismissed with very small punishment. At UN level an action could be found fault with as being wrong because it was the law. There would be equal and opposite right to this wrong and that meant taking the world countries governed by UN as a whole – at least more than 50% of the total population within those borders would have needed to be at risk through the activities undertaken by the LTTE which had global impact.

The same law when it comes down to individual countries – need not show rights and wrongs - but likes and dislikes. Hence countries do not have to adopt that law – totally or partially. Where countries do not consider it a major issue for themselves they are better off dealing with it at ‘family’ level – through likes and dislikes. If we take Dr. Palitha Kohona for example – within Australia, he could have disliked LTTE but would not have had the authority bring legal proceedings against them. But at UN level – he does through the UN Policy that lists LTTE as a terrorist group.

Majority Tamils do not think LTTE as a total organization was acting illegally – i.e. that they were on the wrong side of the Law. By the time majority got involved majority were victims of Government action and hence as per their experience it was the Government that was wrong.

Majority Tamils did NOT dislike LTTE. Those who like them very much – formed organizations such as Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) and Associations such TGTE. Many of us – value the parts we liked in LTTE and use our overwhelming ‘rights’ to balance their ‘wrongs’ at global level. At local level – we DO NOT JUDGE our own people. LTTE are our own people. Some are already in governance in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Gunasekera says ‘I am annexing a copy of an Identity Card issued by this Transnational Government of Sri Lanka to a female named Parameswary Shanmugasundaram apparently residing in the USA based on the identity card number prefixed by the letters USA and bearing numbers 000 002 1619A.’

Transnational Government of Sri Lanka! Ops! – fault of the brain?

This is like any other ID card including within Professional Associations. Transnational groups when worked appropriately will bring-about Peace at global level – where Governments practice colonization at the country level. That is their karma.

Tamils are good for Sinhalese to show the ‘other side’. Without this equal half – the wrongs of the Sinhalese community comes back to them through their young ones.

Even though Tamils were a minority power, we had enough intellectual investment to be driven by conscious thinking and therefore be good Administrators. A good Administrator would divide the substance of an issue into two Equal halves and judge outcomes from the middle – using Puththi/Intellect and not emotions – as majority race tends to do. Tamils have carried this through to the Global level – individually, collectively through Associations such as the TGTE and jointly through organizations such as the ATC. The more Tamils invest through these groups the more global we would be and that would naturally bring about Peace in Sri Lanka. If the Government of Sri Lanka fails to raise its standards to global levels – it would become a minority force compared to Tamil Community conscious of Tamil Nationalism.

Mr. Gunesekera may want to restore the image of his community by writing again to the US State Department confessing to having dismissed his own charges.

In the meantime, global conscious governments need to take measures to prevent the likes of Mr. Gunesekera from trying to implement their personal likes and dislikes as LAW – as happens back in Sri Lanka – which short-sightedness led to this war. Their analyses need to be based on common principles and/or values. If they are sure that it is illegal – then they must use their own people in those countries to take action against Tamils. Otherwise they are actively working against Peace.

Appendix 1

Law For Tamils Only

A recent email from the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) states as follows:

‘In Sri Lanka it is now a criminal offence for any Tamil to ask for a separate state.’

If indeed this is true in substance – it needs to read ‘it is criminal offence for Sri Lankan to ask for a separate state’. As per the above wording it would be evidence of Racially discriminatory policies.

Much as I may disagree with aspects of the current Government of Sri Lanka, I doubt that they would have brought about a law as stated above – for Tamils only.

I do believe that those (including TGTE) who do more work for the Administrative Structures of an organization/nation (including he Government of Sri Lanka or the TGTE), are entitled to higher position and powers to ‘interpret’ the common laws of the organization/nation. Not to ‘tell’ their own personal opinion - but to ‘interpret’ common laws. There is everything right about that. Discretionary Powers are provided to help Judges complete hearings and judgment for this reason. But they must always be used as a last resort and only where the two parties concerned are not able to bring about completion and closure through their own independent interpretations of the same law – standing as Equals on either side of the outcomes.

In this instance as per this email ‘Some 150,000 Tamils from Eelam living in 20 odd countries voted representatives to sit in their Parliament’.

TGTE leadership is entitled to interpret laws and policies for their membership only and not on behalf of all Tamils. A Tamil individual on the basis of her or his belief and belief only - is entitled to express on behalf of Tamils.

The email states also :

‘The Tamils who have left their homeland for some reason or other have formed their own government outside the jurisdiction of the oppressor. Their aim is to provide the world with a voice and a representation for Tamil causes.’

Unless Tamils left their homeland for reasons of oppression by the Government – be it Sinhalese or Tamil (many did leave due to those Tamils who took up positions of Governance above them) ; Official or De Facto, – they do not have the moral right to form a Government parallel to that particular government they left behind. One must for one’s own sake believe that they are independent of the Government they left behind and the one they have accepted in their new country of residence. Anyone who believes that the government of their new country of residence is their government would work through that government to oppose the oppressing government that they left behind. Hence ‘some reason or the other’ in the above statement needs to be replaced by ‘in search of new government’

A transnational government would need to be at a higher level to the political opposition physically represented back in Sri Lanka.

Numbers therefore do not matter in the case of a Transnational Government. The strength of the contribution to various aspects of Administration and Governance through their people in Sri Lanka is what matters. The parallels of Geography/Land based electorates in a Transnational Government are the various disciplines – through which Governance is conducted – for example – Education, Health, Environment etc. The email says about the recent conference by TGTE:

‘Over the weekend, one of the three Deputy Prime Ministers, Professor Selvanathan, Professor in econometrics at Griffith University, in Queensland, traveled on a private visit to Kuala Lumpur. With him came the speaker of the parliament, Mr. Pon Balarajan from Toronto in Canada, and Mr. Manickavasagar, Deputy Foreign Minister also on a private visit. It must be noted that all of them were respected professionals.’

Given that they are professionals, voting ought to have been as per various disciplines mentioned above and not on the basis of country – as if TGTE is a mini United Nations. It is not because its focus is only on Sri Lankan Governance and not on the governance of other countries in which the voters live.

As per the email ‘On Saturday, the Right Honourable Mr Rudrakumar came on the skype and spoke to us. He said the aim of his government was to first and foremost to ask for justice for the Tamils affected by the genocide in the Vanni. He said his government was trying to access various governments to present the case for a separate state for the Tamils. The Transnational government has scored its first point in getting an invitation to open an office in the newest state in the world, South Sudan.’

So long as Tamils are part of Sri Lanka – they do not have the right to claim ‘separate state’ for Tamils in Sri Lanka. They could form Equal Opposition at various political levels, but within Sri Lanka. Hence democracy which facilitates Equal status within parliament, to the Opposition – to facilitate 50:50 contribution to decision making – so the physical picture is complete at that level. These are based on likes and dislikes rather than rights and wrongs. Once they become law they are rights and wrongs equally applicable to all individuals.

Those Tamils who have come outside do have the moral authority to challenge their counterparts as Equals – but from outside those organizations / institutions, under a common umbrella – for example professional bodies. In terms of TGTE – that opposition needs to be within – in all activities that are not covered by common administrative laws – equally applicable to all its members across the globe. When they were forming the structure I urged strongly towards an administrative structure for this reason – so that members – especially the less active participants could contribute through Due Processes and feel connected to each other through this common measure. Strong Politics and weak Administration would lead to top heavy group driven strongly by personal opinions of leaders.

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam group would be more productive contributing through their disciplines rather than smaller versions of their political reality in Sri Lanka.