Protect Unitary Status – Defuse Racism Repeal the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka Constitution
Posted on November 3rd, 2012
RANJITH SOYSA spokesperson SPUR SPURƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Australia
The Society for peace Unity and Human Rights (SPUR) is a 16 year old human rights organisation operating in Australia, dedicated to protecting the unitary status and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We have been active in countering denigration of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka and challenging the spread of malicious misinformation.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ During the last 16 years, SPUR has been urging the Sri Lankan Government, including President RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government to repeal the 13th Amendment to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s constitution. The 13th Amendment, rammed down Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s throat in 1987 by then unfriendly India:
- Risks Balkanising unitary Sri Lanka providing a fertile ground for separatism parroted by political parties such as the TNA
- Encourages racist, political activism similar to what is being practiced by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress during the recently concluded Eastern Provincial Council elections
- Provides opportunities for foreign funded NGOƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s such as the Centre for Policy Alternative to boldly challenge and obstruct the implementation of progressive government policy such as the Divineguma Bill, drafted to benefit the poor
- Discourages the cultivation of a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-one Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ culture by encouraging provincial based, racist parochialism freely practiced by the likes of the TNA and the SLMC
- Threatens national unity by giving minority political parties disproportionate power, allowing them to secure racial based programmes
- Allows external interference in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s domestic governance evidenced by TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s frequent visits to India, using Tamil Nadu as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Trojan HorseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to follow their racist and divisive Eealm agenda.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
All Sri Lankans paid a tremendous economic, social and environmental price for eradicating Tamil Tiger Terrorism from Sri Lanka. It is time to expunge the provincial council based on parochial racism from Sri Lanka. We urge President RajapksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government to:
- Repeal the 13 Amendment.
- Consider establishing village and district based, development centric institutional structure with elected representatives to empower decision making at grass-root level.
- Get rid of the number of politicians populating a bloated four-tier governance arrangement in Sri Lanka, draining the public purse.
With the repealing of the 13th Amendment, Sri Lanka will prosper as a Unitary State where people will live as one enjoying the full gamut of human rights equitably. At present, the toxic 13th amendment provides a safe heaven and a camouflage for separatists, racists and international agents to freely prosecute their agenda to Balkanise Sri Lanka.
Its time to once and for all to extricate ourselves from the political handcuffs put on us by the Indians nearly 25 years ago.
November 3rd, 2012 at 4:03 pm
ABSOLUTELY!
Repeal the 13 Amendment.
November 3rd, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Thank you Ranjith and SPUR for this invaluable brief explanation of 13th Amendment. We readers would appreciate if you can publish educate us all by detailed assessment of the 13th Amendment so that we will understand it fully and also we will be able to explain to others in Sri Lanka and overseas. If this is a danger to our Motherland and people we must fight to stop it, if we can beat the most ruthless terror group in the world this will be nothing as long as we are united and know exactly what we are fighting for.
This was rejected by the LTTE and Tamil leadership including current Tamil part leaders in Sri Lanka since it was introduced. It is amazing how the same leaders after 25 years demanding the same that was rejected then. It is very obvious that there is a hidden very dangerous agenda behind these demands. Why is this system not in UK which has a much larger population, large ethnic groups and different races, e.g. Scottish, Welsh, Irish who demanding for separate states and then there is a large number of African origin e.g. West Indian and also ever increasing Indian and Pakistanis (Muslims).
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Mixing up 13 A issue with the War Crimes issue is the problem.
Repealing of the 13A is the greatest national issue now and shall be done regardless of who is in power.
Delay of this important action in the fear of war crime allegations is a cowardly act.
November 3rd, 2012 at 11:46 pm
redrawing of the provinces should come with the repeal of the 13th amendment
November 4th, 2012 at 3:42 am
Why we dont have guts to repeal this evil 13 when the majority oppose it? This is our country not belongs to India or USA. Our leaders must take a fearless decision to repeal this with the blessings of all peace loving citizens of Mother Lanka who loves our nation sincerly. Let the enemies of our land cry loud we will stand tall together unitedly. Bless our Motherland.
November 4th, 2012 at 4:47 am
Bloody Indians reminded SL of its promise to fully implement 13 amendment and 13 plus at the UPR!!
But if the people reject it, NO OUTSIDER can impose it.
PUT THE DAMN THING TO A REFERENDUM. Let us flush the 13 amendment down the toilet.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:44 am
We welcome SPUR statement by Ranjith Soysa. He has made it very clear why the 13-A must be removed. The tie up of TNA with Tamil Nadu drags in India. War Crimes accusation is to weaken GoSL, internationally. We wonder whether the TNA can be accused of War Crimes against Sri Lanka as the entire North was set up against the rest of Lanka ?
The 13-A is the most dangerous piece of law ever for Lanka, enforced under Duress, and therefore Null & Void. It’s another ‘divide & rule’ piece, weakening the government.
Down with the 13-A !!
November 4th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Thanks Ranjith for yours and SPUR’s invaluable service to Mother Lanka!
Absolutely, Sri Lanka should stand on her own feet and abolish 13th Amendment for the betterment of 20 million of her people.
We are not a colony of India or the West. We should make our own decisions for our own betterment.
Venezula has a very effective functioning village level administration (village councils) that rolls-up into a central administration. We should implement similar structure- where villages/communities are in control of betterment of their communities allowing national level administration apparatus to look after all the national level implementations.
IT system can decentralise administration i.e. get their day-to-day work such as land matters solved without coming to Colombo.
November 4th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
If the provincial councils are abolished I will be the happiest person on earth. Whether the government has guts to do it, I have a big question mark. The recent discourse by the goverment may have been initiated due to Divineguma, once it is resolved, the idea may again be swept under the carpet. Like the patriotic Diaspora, the citizens must also join the outcry. Only through a mammoth campaign, (preferably headed by Gotabhaya), the country may be able to achieve this sweetest most goal. There is way to go.
November 6th, 2012 at 6:04 am
Removal of 13-A : Is it better to do it through a Referendum through the People or have Parliament remove it through 2/3 majority ?
If through a Referendum, then the People would have participated in the process, weighed the pros and cons, educated themselves on governing processes, and decided what is best for their own progress – (see Dr Gavin Karunaratne’s article on 13-A : “The 13-A : Devolution of Powers …” ). This would be high Democracy in practice.
If through Parliament, then It would seem that GoSL made the decision all by itself.
Which path is better ?