ETCA  ANOTHER 1987 JR-Rajiv GANDHI INDO-LANKA PACT?
Posted on July 16th, 2016

Sudath Gunasekara 16.7.2016.

The whole country knows the historic blunder JR did in 1987 and the political mess this country has fallen in to since then.  It is true that JR was compelled to sing it under duress. But that is no excuse at all for the betrayal he did as the elected Head of the Government of this country.

I annex here a copy of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Agreement signed between JR Jayawardhana and Rajeev Gandhi for easy reference

1 Text of 1987 Indo-Lanka JR-RJIV Agreement

The President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. J.R. Jayawardene, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, His Excellency Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, having met at Colombo on July 29, 1987.

Attaching utmost importance to nurturing, intensifying and strengthening the traditional friendship of Sri Lanka and India, and acknowledging the imperative need of resolving the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka, and the consequent violence, and for the safety, well being, and prosperity of people belonging to all communities in Sri Lanka.

Have this day entered into the following agreement to fulfill this objective.

IN THIS CONTEXT,

1.1 Desiring to preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka:

1.2 Acknowledging that Sri Lanka is a “multi-ethnic and a multi-lingual plural society” consisting, inter alia, of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims (Moors) and Burghers:

1.3 Recognising that each ethnic group has a distinct cultural and linguistic identity which has to be carefully nurtured:

1.4 Also recognising that the Northern and the Eastern Provinces have been areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking peoples, who have at all times hitherto lived together in this territory with other ethnic groups:

1.5 Conscious of the necessity of strengthening the forces contributing to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, and preserving its character as a multi ethnic, multi lingual and multi religious plural society in which all citizens can live in equality, safety and harmony, and prosper and fulfil their aspirations:

  1. Resolve that

2.1 Since the government of Sri Lanka proposes to permit adjoining provinces to join to form one administrative unit and also by a referendum to separate as may be permitted to the Northern and Eastern Provinces as outlined below:

2.2 During the period, which shall be considered an interim period (i.e. from the date of the elections to the Provincial Council, as specified in para 2.B to the date of the referendum as specified in para 2.3) the Northern and Eastern Provinces as now constituted, will form one administrative unit, having one elected Provincial Council. Such a unit will have one Governor, one Chief Minister and one Board of Ministers.

2.3 There will be a referendum on or before 31st of December 1988 to enable the people of the Eastern Province to decide whether:

  1. A) The Eastern Province should remain linked with the Northern Province as one administrative unit, and continue to be governed together with the Northern Province as specified in para 2.2 or:
  2. B) The Eastern Province should constitute a separate administrative unit having its own distinct Provincial Council with a separate Governor, Chief Minister and Board of Ministers

The President may, at his discretion, decide to postpone such a referendum.

2.4 All persons who have been displaced due to ethnic violence or other reasons, will have the right to vote in such a referendum. Necessary conditions to enable them to return to areas from where they were displaced will be created.

2.5 The referendum when held will be monitored by a committee headed by the Chief Justice, a member appointed by the President, nominated by the Government of Sri Lanka, and a member appointed by the President, nominated by the representatives of the Tamil speaking people of the Eastern Province.

2.6 A simple majority will be sufficient to determine the result of the referendum.

2.7 Meetings and other forms of propaganda, permissible within the laws of the country, will be allowed before the referendum.

2.8 Elections to Provincial Councils will be held within the next three months, in any event before the 31st December 1987. Indian observers will be invited for elections to the Provincial Council in the North and East.

2.9 The Emergency will be lifted in the Eastern and Northern Provinces by August 15, 1987. A cessation of hostilities will come into effect all over the Island within 48 hours of the signing of this Agreement. All arms presently held by Militant Groups will be surrendered in accordance with an agreed procedure to authorities to be designated by the government of Sri Lanka.

Consequent to the cessation of hostilities and the surrender of arms by Militant Groups, the Army and other security personnel will be confined to barracks in camps as on 25th May 1987. The process of surrendering of arms and the confining of security personnel and moving back to barracks shall be completed within 72 hours of the cessation of hostilities coming into effect.

2.10 The government of Sri Lanka will utilise for the purpose of law enforcement and maintenance of security in the Northern and Eastern Provinces the same organisations and mechanisms of government as are used in the rest of the country.

2.11 The President of Sri Lanka will grant a general amnesty to political and other prisoners now held in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and other Emergency Laws, and to Combatants, as well as to those persons accused, charged and/or convicted under these Laws. The government of Sri Lanka will make special efforts to rehabilitate militant youth with a view to bringing them back into the mainstream of national life. India will co-operate in the process.

2.12 The government of Sri Lanka will accept and abide by the above provisions and expect all others to do likewise.

2.13 If the framework for the resolutions is accepted, the government of Sri Lanka will implement the relevant proposals forthwith.

2.14 The government of India will underwrite and guarantee the resolutions, and co- operate in the implementation of these proposals.

2.15 These proposals are conditional to an acceptance of the proposals negotiated from 4.5.1986 to 19.12.86. Residual matters not finalised during the above negotiations shall be resolved between India and Sri Lanka within a period of six weeks of signing this Agreement. These proposals are also conditional to the government of India co-operating directly with the government of Sri Lanka in their implementation.

2.16 These proposals are also conditional to the government of India taking the following actions if any Militant Groups operating in Sri Lanka do not accept this frameworK of proposals for a settlement, namely,

  1. A) India will take all necessary steps to ensure that Indian territory is not used for activities prejudicial to the unity, integrity and security of Sri Lanka.
  2. B) The Indian Navy/Coastguard will co-operate with the Sri Lanka Navy in preventing Tamil Militant activities from affecting Sri Lanka.
  3. C) In the event that the government of Sri Lanka requests the government of India to afford military assistance to implement these proposals the government of India will co-operate by giving to the government of Sri Lanka such military assistance as and when requested.
  4. D) The government of India will expedite repatriation from Sri Lanka of Indian citizens to India who are resident here, concurrently with the repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees from Tamil Nadu.
  5. E) The government of Sri Lanka and India will co-operate in ensuring the physical security and safety of all communities inhabiting the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

2.17 The government of Sri Lanka shall ensure free, full and fair participation of voters from all communities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces in electoral processes envisaged in this Agreement. The government of India will extend full co-operation to the government of Sri Lanka in this regard.

2.18 The official language of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala. Tamil and English will also be official languages.

  1. This Agreement and the Annexures thereto shall come into force upon signature

In witness whereof we have set our hands and seals hereunto.

Done in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on this the twenty ninth day of July of the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty seven, in duplicate, both texts being equally authentic.

Junius Richard Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India

2 ETCA (Excerpts (Not Official)

Article 1: Objectives

The objectives of this Agreement are:

  1. To strengthen and advance the economic, trade, investment and technology cooperation between the two parties;
  2. To promote further liberalization of trade in goods, liberalizing trade in services between the two Parties and gradually establish fair, transparent and facilitative trading, investment and investment protection mechanisms;
  3. To expand areas of economic cooperation and establish a cooperation mechanism.

Article 2: Cooperation Measures

The two Parties have agreed, in consideration of their economic conditions, to take measures including but not limited to the following, in order to strengthen economic exchange and cooperation:

  1. Gradually reducing or eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade between the two Parties;
  2. Gradually reducing or eliminating restrictions on in trade in services between the two parties;
  3. Providing investment protection and promoting two way investment;
  4. Promoting trade and investment facilitation and industry exchanges and cooperation;
  5. Promoting Technology cooperation and transfer of technology and knowhow.

Chapter 2 

Article 1: Trade In Goods

… skipping cause not controversial

Article 2: Trade In Services

  1. The two Parties have agreed to conduct consultations on an agreement on trade in services no later than six months after the entry into force of this Agreement, and expeditiously conclude such consultations.
  2. The consultation on the agreement on trade in services shall seek to:
    1. gradually reduce or eliminate restrictions in trade in services between the two Parties;
    2. enhance cooperation in trade in services between the two Parties.
  3. Either Party may accelerate the liberalization or elimination of restrictive measures at its discretion on the basis of the commitments to liberalization in the agreement on trade in services.

Article 3: Investment

… skipping

Chapter 3

Article 1: Objectives

Parties shall seek to:

  1. Strengthen and enhance economic co-operation between them on the basis of equality and mutual benefit
  2. Explore new areas of and develop appropriate measures for closer economic co-operation as a means to greater economic integration between the two countries; and
  3. Support and augment economic cooperation in accordance with developmental needs of each other and the welfare of their respective peoples.

Article 2: Scope Of Cooperation

  1. To enhance and expand the benefits of this Agreement, the two parties have agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including, but not limited to, the following:
    1. intellectual property rights protection and cooperation;
    2. financial cooperation;
    3. trade promotion and facilitation;
    4. customs cooperation;
    5. e-commerce cooperation;
    6. discussion on the overall arrangements and key areas for industrial cooperation in major projects, and coordination of the resolution of issues that may arise in the course of industrial cooperation between the two Parties;
    7. promotion of the mutual establishment of offices by economic and trade bodies of the two Parties.
  2. The two Parties shall expeditiously conduct consultation on the specific programs and contents of the cooperation matters listed in this Article.

Chapter 4: Technology Cooperation

… This section is missing in the scanned document

Since the whole nation now knows the irreparable historic damage and the Augean political and social mess JR-Rajiv Pact 1987 did to this country all patriotic citizens of mother Lanka should rise in one voice against this treacherous sell out disregarding their all blind political party affiliations as.

Dear all put your country before parochial and blind political sentiments because in the first place you must have a neck to tie a necklace (Tella bandiita bellak tiyenta one).

You have to decide whether we are going to protect and preserve our 2500 year old glorious civilization or be a vassal State of India for ever as JR wanted in 1930 as shown in the following quotation.

 

A free Lanka , Independent of all other nations of the world, is difficult to conceive of. An Indo-Lanka Federation may have to be discussed, may even have to be planned for and may be useful for us to achieve,– our present political aspirations are out of date and must be replaced by new conceptions and a fresh outlook.

India and Lanka must be one unit for the purpose of defense. In the Federal Legislature (Indian that he proposed), Lanka must be accorded a status equivalent to the status of the Indian Provinces.

It is not possible for us ever to be again the Lanka of Old. We can only dream of the Dutugemunu and Parakramabahu and of the deeds of valour of the Sinhalese heroes against the invaders from India. I visualize a greater future for Lanka and its people, yet citizens of a greater and powerful India…”

These were the strong words he used and views he held as a member of the National Congress as reported by Michael Roberts (1977) in his ‘Documents of the Ceylon National Congress 1929-1950 Vol (11)  (Pp 2802-2803).

Also note what has already happened to us due to the blunders done by our politicians and their lack of patriotism and far reaching vision on the future of this Island nation.

Already India has completely invaded this Island nation in all respects. Now look at the following list.

In recent history

1The1987 Constitution has been tampered and reduced it to a mere piece of waste paper with the JR-Rajeev Pact and the 13th Amendment

2 They already invaded this Island in 1987 disregarding the Sovereignty of the Island Nation

3 They trained and armed the LTTE to ousted the democratically elected Government of this country

4 They continue the dialogue with the estate Tamils and all other Tamils as people of Indian origin to destabilize the Sri Lankan Government

5They rob our fisheries resources and insist  that their fishermen be given rights to fish in our waters.

6 The Indian Government keep deaf, dumb and blind to Tamilnadu politicians all vituperative behaviour and interferences  with our sovereignty

7 continue to sent waves of illegal immigrants in thousands tot his country

8 Invade the whole economy, for example, Banking, service sector, labour market, transport inclidng monopoly in the vehicles, construction, trade, distribution of fuel, household items. Textiles( so much so there want be  a single marriage ceremony if we don’t get sarees from India).

9 In short from the simple pin and the joysticks to fighter jets and Ships we depend on India

The list is un-exhaustive. I leave it to you to make your own list for brevity)

All Sri Lankans know how India had treated us even from prehistoric times.

Starting from Rama in pre-historic times, and then from 2nd century BC downward with Sena- Guttika the horse traders, Elara. And the most devastative and destructive 12th century Magha  invasion, that completely destroyed our Anuradhapura and Polnnaruwa civilization and force us to shift to the south West wilderness. (from which we have not been able to recover up to date) there had been  continuous waves of Indian invasions by their unquenched   greed to capture this Pearl of the Indian Ocean and finally

1 the subversive invasion of the Kandyan Kingdom by Nayakkars after Vijaya Rajasingha was enthroned by conjugal conspiracy

Are these two men, JR and his nephew Ranil, the reincarnations of Don Juan Dharmapala of Kotte?

The most important question before the whole nation and all those who are supposed to represent them in Parliament is, are they all going to allow Ranil and his UNpatriotic Government together with Chandrika and Sirisena to commit another irreversible historic blunder to reduce this country to a regional vassal State of India as JR dreamt in 1930s.

Are we going to remain deaf, dumb and blind again like a bunch of monkeys as they already did in 1987 while these treacherous politicians bury our 2500 year old glorious nation for ever?

4 Responses to “ETCA  ANOTHER 1987 JR-Rajiv GANDHI INDO-LANKA PACT?”

  1. plumblossom Says:

    Sri Lanka should tell the US that Sri Lanka cannot abide by the UNHRC resolution. The Sri Lankan Army did not commit any war crimes. It is the LTTE terrorists who committed war crimes throughout 26 years of war. No country with an ounce of self respect will place their army in harms way to be tried by a court domestic or hybrid of war crimes the army did not commit in anyway. If individual soldiers committed any crimes, a complaint can be placed in a court of law in Sri Lanka. Why is there a need for special judicial procedures? This government is a puppet of the US, EU, UK, Norway, Sweden, Canada and India and is so subservient to US interests that it is ready to try its own armed forces for crimes that the armed forces did not commit. All the while, the LTTE terrorists who committed war crimes are being shown as totally innocent. Using the ploy of wanting a new constitution which almost all Sri Lankans don’t want, this treacherous government is trying to create a separate state in the guise of a federal state as the TNA separatist terrorists and the US, EU, UK, Norway, Sweden, Canada and India wants. Sri Lanka should tell the US that Sri Lanka cannot abide by the UNHRC resolution. The worst that the US, UK, EU, Sweden, Norway and India can do is impose sanctions on Sri Lanka. So what? Sri Lanka can trade with all the countries of Asia and the rest of the world even if the US, UK, EU, Norway, Sweden and India imposes sanctions. Sri Lanka can grow rice, we have jack fruit, bananas, bread fruit and plenty of water too. So we will not starve just because the US, UK, EU, Sweden, Norway and India imposes sanctions. Also since we can trade with the powerful economies of Asia which includes the Middle East, South East Asia, South Asia, the Far East and Central Asia as well as the rest of the world, actually, we may be OK economically too despite any sanctions imposed by the US, EU, UK, Norway, Sweden, Canada and India. However by avoiding implementing the unjust UNHRC resolution, Sri Lanka will safeguard its independence and freedom which is the most important thing for the next thousands of years as we have safeguarded our independence and freedom for at least the last 2600 years and avoid the creation of a separate state or eelam in the guise of a federal state. So Sri Lanka must very urgently tell the US that we will not abide by the unjust UNHRC resolution but carry out our own domestic process of reconciliation as we see fit. Let the imperialist US impose sanctions. Nothing much will happen to our economy since we can trade with the powerful economies of Asia and the rest of the world instead but Sri Lanka would have preserved its independence and freedom for the next thousands of years and avoid the partition of the country and the creation of a separate state which will be Sri Lanka’s end.

  2. plumblossom Says:

    Not only this, the treacherous Ranil, Sirisena, CBK, Mangala, idiotic UNPers, those INGOs working for thousands of dollars and even the JVP are trying to dismember the country via constitutional changes. We patriotic Sri Lankans should demand a strong central government, no more powers to provincial councils, no merger between provinces, ideally abolition of the 13th amendment to the constitution and absolute safeguarding of the sovereignty of the country.

    The army did not commit any war crimes. it is the LTTE who committed war crimes. However, it is high time that Sri Lanka rejected the US imperialists UNHRC resolution and state at the UNHRC to leave Sri Lanka alone to get on with reconciliation as Sri Lanka sees fit.

    Actually Sri Lanka today being accused of committing war crimes by the US, UK, EU, Norway, Sweden, Canada, India etc. is very similar to the way Saddam Hussein and Iraq was accused of possessing non existent WMDs. Although Iraq did everything possible to show the US, UK, EU, Norway, Sweden, Canada etc. that it did not possess WMD it was bombed anyway, regime change brought about since Iraq has massive amounts of oil which the US, UK, EU, Norway, Sweden, Canada companies wanted to extract at cheap rates by bringing on a puppet regime. A similar scenario is unfolding in Sri Lanka since Sri Lanka is located at a strategic location, the US wanting to establish a naval/air base at Trincomalee, the US wanting to establish further US army, navy, air force bases in the island, mineral resources, marine resources, control of the Indian ocean sea routes etc. For this, the separatist, terroristic Tamils who are subservient to the US are who the US is favouring to help them with this task. This is why the US favours eelam. All patriotic Sri Lankans should therefore tell the government to withdraw from carrying out the US resolution and to tell the US to leave Sri Lanka alone.

  3. plumblossom Says:

    India has over 400 million poor people and over 40 million people in India are unemployed. If this ETCA is signed and the Hanuman bridge is built all these desperate people in India will come in droves to Sri Lanka since the socio-economic situation of Sri Lanka is a million times better than the socio economic situation of India. I would urge the uncaring and cruel Indian government to provide basic housing, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, education, food and clothing to these desperately poor 400 million Indians rather than spending US 5.2 billion dollars in building a Hanuman bridge to Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka signs this ETCA with India it will be Sri Lanka’s end. Sri Lanka should not sign any such trade deals where people can come here to work freely, unless the country we are signing the ETCA with has a similar or a better socio-economic situation than Sri Lanka. I would urge the uncaring, corrupt and cruel India Government to immediately stop building space stations and nuclear weapons and use that money to provide basic housing, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, education, food and clothing to the 400 million desperately poor people of India which is a government’s basic responsibility. Sri Lanka should stop immediately the signing of ETCA with India and urge the Indian Government to carry out the above task rather than serving the rich people of India only which the uncaring and cruel Indian Government seems to be doing.

  4. plumblossom Says:

    Sri Lanka needs a strong central government in the form of the executive presidency. It is the executive presidency which is keeping the unitary state together since provincial councils have now been provided powers. Therefore if the executive presidency is abolished, the provincial councils will become more powerful and the separatist terroristic TNA will try to break away using threats the North and the East. the PR system is the fairest system which means each vote counts. It is a very democratic system. We do not need any changes to the constitution. These changes to the constitution are only suggested to bring on stealthily a federal or a separate state by falsely labelling it as ‘unitary’ to hoodwink the idiotic Sinhala Buddhists. We do not need any changes to the constitution which is what the separatist terrorists of the TNA, US, UK, EU, Norway, Sweden and Canada wants to dismember this country. Also it is the executive presidential system which can easily carry out programmes to develop the country since otherwise there will be endless wranglings within the cabinet and in parliament about what path to follow for development to happen. A well meaning executive president can easily implement a reasonable and suitable programme to take the country forward. Another main reason to keep the executive presidency as it is to counter the separatist threat since a strong executive president can stop any treacherous activities which goes against the independence, freedom, sovereignty, unitary status etc. of the country since the executive president is elected directly by the people’s vote and is answerable to all the people of the country as a result. So for all these reasons, there is no need whatsoever to change the constitution. However the provincial councils should not be given any more powers, there should not be any merger between provinces, ideally the 13th amendment to the constitution should be abolished and there should be a strong central government if Sri Lanka is to move forward as a country and since it is a small country.

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