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by A.R.Arudpragasam ( Arular)
Crust
reiterates its stand on the
ethnic problem in Sri
Lanka
(
October 15, 2012, Geneva, Sri Lanka Guardian)
Having been the intellectual force
behind the heroic struggle of Tamil people for statehood for the last thirty
seven years, having introduced the
concept of armed struggle for liberation, taking into consideration all its
experiences of the past and scientifically analysing all the problems, noting
the LLRC report does not include the vital issue of solution to the ethnic
problem and LLRC report cannot be implemented without implementing the solution
to the ethnic problem, while rejecting barbaric prescriptions for solving the
ethnic problem and anchoring a political solution on political realities,
places the following programme as the final solution to the ethnic problem and
calls on all stakeholders, national and international, to come together and
implement the following agenda, without delay, considering the merit of
the proposal, support it and engage in its implementation
so that a new, peaceful, dignified Sri Lanka will finally emerge which all
humankind desires.
1. On
the basis, Tamileelam belongs to Tamil people, Sinhala Ratta belongs to Sinhala
people and Sri Lanka belongs to all Sri Lankans, resolve Sri Lanka into two
equal sovereign statehoods of Tamileelam and Sinhala Ratta, and Sri Lanka as
union of two equal statehoods, by establishing two separate and equal
parliaments for the two principal nationalities and minorities within them, and
a neutral national assembly for a united Sri Lanka as the permanent solution to
the ethnic problem.
2. Under
the two regional parliaments establish elected District Councils for each
district while scraping the colonial GA, AGA, Gramasevaka system, the Provincial
Council system and the 13th Amendment.
3.
Guarantee the rights of minorities
within each territory of Sinhala Ratta and Tamileelam in an equitable and
reciprocal manner.
4.
Outlaw and make it criminal offence, the
‘Okkama Appe’ ( everything is ours) cry of the Sinhala race, denying the historical rights of Tamil people
over their homeland, the claiming of Sri
Lanka as a Sinhala Buddhist country, promoting cooked up history, threatening
behaviour towards Tamil people and their freedoms and similarly towards
Sinhalese people in the North East, casting Tamil people as terrorists, instigating communal riots, abusing terms
such as patriotism, country, unity and integrity as though it exists outside
the Tamil people and as though these are matters for exclusive preview of
Sinhala race and their abuse as a shroud to advance the chauvinist ideal of
Sinhala Buddhist country.
5.
Transformation of Sri Lanka into a
constituted democratic federal polity whereby Sri Lanka will have one party
with equally empowered three independent ideological structures of right, left
and middle path.
6. Pursue
the development of North East according to the wishes of people of the North
East and in consultation with the people and for the benefit of the people
through the return of their democratic rights and after North East government
is empowered to undertake the economic development and reconstruction.
7. Assure
the due share of Tamil speaking people in the central government.
8. Restructure
the armed forces and make it truly national army instead of Sinhala only armed
forces. To achieve this, the army should have 70% Sinhalese 30% Tamil speaking
with regiments consisting of Sinhalese Regiments that are 100% Sinhalese; 70%
Sinhalese and 30% Tamil; 70% Tamil and 30%Sinhalese and 100% Tamil. Navy, 70%
Tamil and 30% Sinhalese and Air Force 50% Tamil speaking and 50% Sinhalese.
9. The
police stations to reflect the ethnic composition of zones to which they are established
and end the over policing of the North East by bringing their levels to 1976
levels.
10. Obtain for people affected by war appropriate
compensation.
11. Assure
the dignity, security and life without fear of Tamil speaking people, living in
the Tamil homeland and throughout Sri Lanka by ending oppressive rule, military
supervision of their daily life and intrusion into their privacy under the
pretext of LTTE and military control of civil administration, and uphold their
human rights.
12. Assure
the release of all political prisoners. Grant mutual amnesty for all. Provide
mechanism for registering all acts of war and terror committed in Sri Lanka
since 1976 for each district and decide the payment of compensation for the
affected people.
13. Assure
the livelihood and social security of people living below the poverty line on a
permanent basis, without exploiting their poverty by making false promises and
cheat the Tamil people by the military and politicians, and foreign
governments. End all barbaric programmes of subjugation of Tamil people within
the Tamil homeland.
14. Assure
the property rights, encourage the private sector and modernise the fishing,
livestock, industrial and service sectors and pave the way for their expansion
and establish a sustainable and modern economy for the Tamil homeland and Sri
Lanka.
15. Abandon
the government policy that IDPs should return to their original places as there
has been substantial increase in the population in the thirty years, instead,
put in place a comprehensive Resettlement Programme with Sustainable Livelihood
Assurance (RPSLA) linked to new development programmes for industrialisation,
agriculture and fisheries of the North East to be implemented by the North East
regional government.
16. While
opposing state aided land settlements of Sinhalese in Tamil homeland as illegal
and unconstitutional, as it violates the principle of territorial
constituencies, giving territorial representation to community of interest,
which was the pillar of the solution to
the ethnic problem in the first constitution of independent Ceylon, however, as
large number of Tamils have taken refuge in Sinhala Ratta and become Sinhalese
during the last five hundred years of colonial occupation of Tamil homeland, provide
for their return and resettlement and support them becoming Tamils again.
17. Return to Tamil homeland the territories of
Padvil Kulam and Mannampity as they were inappropriately annexed to North
Central Province as the historical boundary went along the bund of the Padavil
Kulam and the Mahawali River.
18. To resolve the Muslim problem within the North
East, hold a referendum among Muslims to find out the wishes of Muslim people,
as to the following ,
·
Live as equal partners sharing the
identity of Tamils and Tamil statehood.
·
Live as Muslim minority within the Tamil
homeland with equal rights and for those who do not want to live as a minority
within the North East provide resettlement opportunity in Putthalam district
which was already ceded to the Muslims by the Tamil people.
·
Live under an arrangement of contiguous
territorial autonomy within the Tamil homeland.
and implement the majority
decision.
19. Reinstate
the identity of Sinhala Hindus and Tamil Buddhists.
20. Assure
the goodwill, mutual understanding and harmonious living of all communities
living within the respective territories of Sinhala Ratta and Tamileelam.
21. So as
to stabilise the nation in its new structure, harmonising with external forces
is necessary so that the external forces do not emerge as a perpetual
destabilising factor. The three global powers, China, USA and India are
competing and challenging each other to retain Sri Lanka as a satellite in
their sphere of influence by excluding the other two. This has become a major
destabilising factor of Sri Lanka. So as to neutralise this conflict, hold an
international conference of the three, under the auspices of the Secretary
General of the UN, to see if there can be accommodation between the three
through territorial alignment in a congruent relationship with the political
demarcations in a restructured Sri Lanka. Taking into consideration the
favourable disposition of Tamil people towards the West, the economy of
Tamileelam can be aligned in a special relationship with the West.
22. In
the interim period, speedily, establish North East Parliamentary Council,
encompassing all the members of parliament from the North East and additional
ten from political parties not represented in parliament. Similarly the members of Parliament from the
south to come together as Parliamentary Council of the Sinhala Ratta. Vest all
the powers that are due to it under the 13th Amendment, the
concurrent list powers, especially the
powers of rehabilitation, reconstruction and development along with powers over
police, land, finance and demining through one act of parliament, and in a
dignified and honourable manner without further prevarications and corrupt
chauvinist inhibitions, cooperate in the effective operationalization of the
North East Parliamentary Council and the Parliamentary Council of Sinhala
Ratta. Members can sit as regional
parliaments for 15 days of the week and
as parliament of Sri Lanka for the other half of the month. The constitutional
stabilisation period can last for three years before elections are held under a
new constitution.
23. Hand over the current and future development
projects of North East to the North East Parliamentary Council for Sustainability Appraisal and
implementation.
24. While
working towards restructuring Sri Lanka as union of two nations with Sinhala
politicians and Sinhala people, in the interim period, provide all necessary
support to the government of Sri Lanka to defend and protect the sovereignty of
Sri Lanka from external forces seeking to undermine the sovereignty of Sri
Lanka, very often using the ethnic problem, respect the flag of Sri Lanka, and
stand by her unity and integrity and defend her status as a free and independent
nation.
“Sinhala
Ratta belongs to Sinhala people, Tamileelam belongs to Tamil people
and Sri Lanka belongs to all Sri Lankans”
 Crust reiterates its stand on the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka ( October 15, 2012, Gene...){kind=link}