The perils of partial concessions for regime and nation
Posted on September 30th, 2011

By Malinda Seneviratne

What transpired in Geneva at the Human Rights Council sessions clearly indicates where the anti-Sri Lankan forces are going.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ban Ki-moon tabled the report authored by a panel appointed by him (illegally), against all norms of protocol.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Legitimacy was obtained by tabling the said report (flawed, malicious and clearly designed to hurt Sri Lanka with very little support of claims through substantiation) along with those documents submitted by the Sri Lankan delegation (one put together by the Defence Ministry regarding military operations and the other detailing the humanitarian efforts by the Government).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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By appointing a person to inquire into how the UN conducted itself during the last stages of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s struggle to be rid of the terrorist menace, the door has been opened to pick and choose this and that, privilege malice over integrity, dismiss fact as propaganda and paint conjecture as truth, and do all the hanky-panky that agents of empire have done from time immemorial as and when such exercises are deemed useful.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Whether or not the Government could have responded to these moves in ways that would not have got us to where we are is a moot point.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We are, after all, living in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t kind of world.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What we can do is to do our best and keep in mind that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”doing bestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is in the end about obtaining unity of purpose from the entire citizenry.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is the arena where work has to be done and where work is being neglected.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated in NY (at the UNGA) that Sri Lanka should be allowed to find its own home-grow solutions to its problems.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Home-grownƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is good.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It makes little sense, however, if there is no honesty and integrity.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  While the TNA and other articulators of S.J.V. ChelvanayakamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s crass communalism have neither, this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”lackƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ does not give the Government license to engage in foot-dragging when it comes to calling their bluff.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If there are grievances they need to be articulated (there is enough of that) and the articulation must be supported with evidence (there is a little of that, but nothing that links substantiated grievance to proposed resolution).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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The TNA and it support cast (including those who toss around ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”devolutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and as mechanism that mitigates conflict-threat) are not ready for an audit of history (so that the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”traditional homelandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ issue can be sorted out), are not willing to discuss boundaries (arbitrarily drawn by the British), are not ready to talk about demographic realities (more than half the Tamils living outside the North and East) or population concentrations (most of the Eastern Province being ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”non-TamilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ so to speak).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Government can talk about all this, but does not.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Then there are the issues pertaining to governance.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Where systems lack the safeguards that ensure transparency and accountability and where the public is not insulated from the politician, unity will be a hard buy.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The unifying cause is not helped when a lot is being made of securing the borders but the doors to resource extraction and labour exploitation by multinationals and other foreign interests are kept open.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Being ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”nationalistƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t make sense when paradigms of development that are not only unsustainable but are ruinous and make for impoverishment of ordinary people are privileged over time-tested, environment-friendly and sustainable modes of engagement with nature and one another.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It makes for a political polarization that can only feed other kinds of polarizations (for example, those that are identity-based).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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There is palpable pressure being exerted on the regime by external forces and naturally there are local operators who are trying to make fast political bucks (in terms of outcome-preferences) from the situation, for example the Dayan Jayatillekas, Rajitha Senaratnes and others in the devolution cartel who argue that power-devolution will get these forces off the regimeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s back.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t say it that way of course; Dayan even posited himself as an exemplary nationalist for arguing for conceding devolution (his words, not mine; and they imply that there is no legitimate case for power-devolution apart from obtaining relief from external pressure ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” nothing to do with minority grievances, that is).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Country-siege often manifests itself as regimes being besieged.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ThatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s one way of lulling a polity into thinking that the worst that could happen is for the leadership they prefer going down.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The regime obviously doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t calculate in the same manner.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It might sell threat-to-regime as threat-to-nation in order to mobilize support (for itself).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Politics is about multiple players playing multiple games.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is why people like Jayatilleka will argue and try to persuade the regime to think that making concession (effectively to the Eelamists) would get the vile sections of the international community off its back and give the breathing space necessary to engage effectively in the domestic political arena.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Poppycock, if you ask me!
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The regime would do well to see through the political sleight-of-hand.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Most importantly, even if it was about political survival, then the regime must understand that not only could such concessions as proposed by the likes of Jayatilleka spur separatists to ask for more and more as advocated by Chelvanayakam (A little now, more later), it would effectively amount to the regime having the political rug pulled from under its feet.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Simply, Mahinda Rajapaksa would lose the core of his constituency, the vast majority who are not ready to make any concessions on the unitary character of the state.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The fight then would shift location. From being besieged from beyond the shores by way of threats issued (by the worst liars and criminals history has ever known), the regime would be besieged by within, this time not by enemy, but by friend.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Devolution is not ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”partial concessionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ or something that would buy unlimited time and space, but a full-slip and one that could very well land the regime on its proverbial back.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Possibly for good.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Mahinda Rajapaksa needs the people more than the people need him at this point.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He is admired for certain things but would be erring if he read admiration as blind loyalty of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”foreverƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ kind. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Those who would besiege would love nothing less than besiege being complemented by internal chaos.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Partial concession by way of devolution will not win for the regime the full lung-freedom that the devolutionists within the Government envisage.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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That pressure will not go away.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There is a trap.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is called the 13th Amendment.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The devolutionists are inviting President Mahinda Rajapaksa to walk into this trap.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If heƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s naƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¯ve and if only he will suffer, thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s quite ok by me.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  My fear is that he will drag the entire country into it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Now, thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s not something that thousands of soldiers had to sacrifice their lives to have happen.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a lot of work to do in terms of obtaining unity.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He can very well do without compromising the unifying project further by swallowing the sugar-coated but poisoned seeni-bola called devolution (Eelamist Devolution, that is).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
[Courtesy, Daily Mirror, September 28, 2011]
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Written by Malinda Seneviratne

One Response to “The perils of partial concessions for regime and nation”

  1. Geeth Says:

    Very good article. The essence of the current state of the problem has been nicely explained…

    “The regime would do well to see through the political sleight-of-hand. Most importantly, even if it was about political survival, then the regime must understand that not only could such concessions as proposed by the likes of Jayatilleka spur separatists to ask for more and more as advocated by Chelvanayakam (A little now, more later), IT WOULD EFFECTIVELY AMOUNT TO THE REGIME HAVING THE POLITICAL RUG PULLED FROM UNDER ITS FEET.

    Simply, Mahinda Rajapaksa would lose the core of his constituency, the vast majority who are not ready to make any concessions on the unitary character of the state. The fight then would shift location. FROM BEING BESIEGED FROM BEYOND THE SHORES BY WAY OF THREATS ISSUED (BY THE WORST LIARS AND CRIMINALS HISTORY HAS EVER KNOWN), THE REGIME WOULD BE BESIEGED BY WITHIN, THIS TIME NOT BY ENEMY, BUT BY FRIEND.

    DEVOLUTION IS NOT ‘PARTIAL CONCESSION’ OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BUY UNLIMITED TIME AND SPACE, BUT A FULL-SLIP AND ONE THAT COULD VERY WELL LAND THE REGIME ON ITS PROVERBIAL BACK.”

    If not on back, it also may fell proverbial ‘flat on its face.’ Malinda, you have touched the very core of the problem that our political Kevatta advisers are dragging our government into. This is people’s government now have been taken into custody and dragging all over by few Kevattayas. Administration must realize that this trap has not left a gap for it to retreat. The foes have laid the trap very shrewdly to undermine the popular mass-base of the government by exerting their pressure to do things that masses would never approve. The objective of that is to put the government and masses in conflict and clash.

    Administration seems to be concerned only one aspect of the trap that has been laid down by its foes including RAW. But the trap is much complicated than many can think of it, because it has multiple dimensions. First of all this trap cannot be dealt on personal basis, such as ‘if you do this we will spare you’ type of deal. It is not even a mere political trap but a geo-political trap. Even Rajapaksas decide to give concessions or not, for the west there are much grave issues to be put in order in the region, for which not only Rajapaksa must go, but also he must be dragged into war tribunal at any cost to preserve new world order in South Asia and in the third world.

    According to this trap, regime has no option other than steadfastly sticking into its original plan because either giving into the pressure or resisting it makes no difference according western perspective, either way the regime will be at lost in dealing with the west.

    Childish attempts of some sections to portray the current western and Indian pressure simply as mere reflections of concerns of international community, and could be resolved by listening to them, engaging with them, convincing them etc. etc. is dangerously misguiding and is a wholesale underestimate of it. And arguing and trying to persuade the regime to think that making concession would get the Shylocks of the international community off its back is completely hoodwinking and no different to that of Ranil’s safety net formula and allowing Darusman panel to enter into Sri Lanka as goodwill gestures. Neither of these gestures proved to be productive and even never produced intended results but added extra screws to the tightening the fate of the nation.

    If anyone thinks that this trap is just a political bargaining tool, or hand twisting political leverage then he must check his brains for good.

    The other part is the economics.
    “The unifying cause is not helped when a lot is being made of securing the borders but the doors to resource extraction and labour exploitation by multinationals and other foreign interests are kept open.

    BEING ‘NATIONALIST’ DOESN’T MAKE SENSE WHEN PARADIGMS OF DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE NOT ONLY UNSUSTAINABLE BUT ARE RUINOUS AND MAKE FOR IMPOVERISHMENT OF ORDINARY PEOPLE ARE PRIVILEGED OVER TIME-TESTED, ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY AND SUSTAINABLE MODES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH NATURE AND ONE ANOTHER. IT MAKES FOR A POLITICAL POLARIZATION THAT CAN ONLY FEED OTHER KINDS OF POLARIZATIONS (FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE THAT ARE IDENTITY-BASED).”

    This article has summarized many things that deserved to be said in lengthy articles. Government has only one way that is the native formula, in other words “the true home grown solution” as Malinda put it, but “with honesty and integrity.” Government’s strength resides among masses. It never should give legal background to illegal demands. If someone needs to take something by force, let them take it by force, but never let them have it wrapped in legal cover. Resist, resist again, and again and again!!! That’s the only way-out.

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