As Regards
the Tamil Issue, Lanka Must Follow Malaysia to Peace, Not India to Anarchy
Dilrook Kannangara
I have pointed put on a number of occasions the tremendous relevance
the Malaysian example has to Sri Lanka. Malaysia faced a similar crisis
as Lanka is facing today a few decades back though they never let it
run wild. Tamil separatists, armed and unarmed were violently handled
backed by a strong pro-Malaysian legal framework. The success of this
solution is there for all to see. Malaysia quickly climbed the development
rankings and it is a Newly Industrialised Country. Its per capita earning
is about four times that of India and it is light-years ahead of India
in terms of quality of life. Malaysia tolerates no poking fingers into
its sovereign affairs and human rights groups have no divine status
in spite a number of alleged HR violations.
Most importantly peace rules Malaysia as it is one of the most peaceful
countries in the world. India on the other hand has fallen from gloom
to doom although it has registered tremendous economic development spearheaded
by the service sector. However, ethnicity, religion, caste and descend
related violence has engulfed India. Almost every state has separatist
movements, many of them armed. A large number of Muslims were killed
in the past few years across the country and the numbers are on a steady
rise. On top of that India has become a paraya for its neighbours. None
of its neighbours appreciate their closeness to India and they all blame
it for meddling in their affairs. Most importantly India exported separatism
to Sri Lanka as it overspills from the giant country.
The difference lies in how they handle like problems differently. Although
both India and Malaysia both take a very aggressive and a violent approach
to separatism, the Malaysian legal framework places tougher obstacles.
Active, live and widespread separatism in India as opposed to Malaysia
shows the failure of the Indian solution which is an advanced federal
set-up following ethnic divisions. Although Malaysia has a unicameral
federal set-up it follows no ethnic issue and in fact is a mere extension
of the ethnic Malay sultanates. These provinces have no power than what
a provincial council in Sri Lanka has. Malaysian national aspirations
are unequivocally championed in each and every province.
Malaysia has recently set an example for Sri Lanka to follow. Please
read the following news item from The Statesman. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=8&theme=&usrsess=1&id=179523
It goes “A Malaysian court denied bail today to 31 ethnic Indians,
branding them a threat to national security after they were charged
with attempting to murder a policeman (he sustained non-fatal head injuries)
during a rally against racial discrimination, a lawyer said.”
“The rally was organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf.
Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail said he had opposed bail because
he had received a police report that Hindraf chairman Mr P Waytha Moorthy,
who is abroad seeking support, would be meeting with Sri Lanka's rebel
group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. “This is a grave concern
for the Malaysian government because the LTTE has been declared a terrorist
organization by the USA, the EU and other countries,” he told the
AP. The 31 suspects are dangerous to public order because they are members
of Hindraf, he said.”
“The 25 November rally was the largest protest in at least a decade
involving the largely impoverished Indians, who form 8 percent of the
population and are the country’s second-largest minority after
ethnic Chinese.
They are demanding equality and fair treatment, saying an affirmative
action program that gives preferential treatment to Muslim Malays is
tantamount to racial discrimination.”
How many ‘peaceful’ separatists in Sri Lanka have attempted
to murder security forces personnel and politicians by causing head
injuries? Why weren’t they treated as a threat to national security?
How many separatists in Lanka have met the Tamil tigers? What punishment
was levied on their organisations? Nothing. Where is law and order in
Sri Lanka? It has gone to doggy tigers!!
It is high time relevant laws are copied from Malaysia to control and
contain this type of situations. This must be done before any political
solution is extended.
The Malaysian solution to separatism was simple and logical. It identified
those who support an undivided Malaysia and privileged them with better
economic, educational, etc. prospects within a framework of equal rights
for all. This resulted in every Malaysia rallying around Malaysian national
interests. As a result the nation got strengthened and people were unified.
This differs markedly from what is suggested for Sri Lanka. All suggested
solutions try to give-in to separatism and legalise separatism than
solve it! As happens often in Sri Lanka, it is an attempt to go in the
reverse gear. To quote Mahadenamutta, if giving away two pieces of juggery
(an edible sweet substance carried in large and heavy baskets those
days) each to a recipient depleted the inventory too quickly, try three
each!! The explanation is marvellous as Ananda Sangaree’s explanation
of how the Indians would come flying and catch Parabakaran when a federal
solution is given to Sri Lanka. So the explanation goes: when each recipient
is burdened with three baskets (instead of two), their backbones will
break hence only a few would come for juggery thereafter, thus the inventory
will last long!!
There is not a single country that has solved Tamil separatism through
a federal system. On the other hand Malaysia has indeed resolved it
for good with no lose ends. Did the rally in Kuala Lumpur held on LTTE’s
heroes’ day change Malaysia’s stand? Not at all. It’s
a shame that Lankan Mahadenamuttas have not studied the Malaysian solution!
I urge the government of Sri Lanka not to waste time and money on ideological
solutions, instead adopt the proven Malaysian solution that will not
only end separatism but also spring the country onto the development
superhighway. Separatism (terrorism has a military solution) is the
problem facing the nation needing a political solution. Tamil aspirations
is not a problem faced by this nation which affects only a fraction
of the population; hence there is no sense in trying to solve them.
On the other hand, Tamil aspirations is an international problem for
which there is nothing little Lanka can do with its less than 3 million
Tamils (less than 4% of the 80 million Tamils). Allow Tamil Nadu to
solve Tamil problems (even though TN psycho leaders with very little
education do not have the ability hence they always pass the buck to
Lanka) and concentrate on matters that concerns the nation as a whole.
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