Sri Lanka should not be lackadaisical in the face of LTTE referendum plans
Posted on March 30th, 2012
Asada M Erpini
There are media reports that the LTTE activists in the West are moving to push for a referendum in the North and East of Sri Lanka for a re-merger of the two provinces. Buttressing that call is the statement by the Eastern province Chief Minister that it is not the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) but the people in the Eastern Province who should decide whether they wish to join with the Northern Province to form a North-Eastern Province.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is only the military wing of the LTTE that was decimated by the armed forces of Sri Lanka in the war of liberation that culminated with the death of the LTTE leader in the marshes of Nandikadal in May 2009. Its financial backers and the propaganda teams are going ahead with greater vigour than at any time previously in the affluent countries in the West, enticing the principle-devoid politicians in these nations to tow their line. In fact, the power that the LTTE wields today is much stronger than three years ago, as evidenced by the resolution adopted by the UNHCR at its 19th sessions in Geneva on 20 March and the moves such as the airing of Channel 4ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ An important fact that both the LTTE propagandists and its supporters as well as the politicians from the East conveniently ignore, or sweep under the carpet, is that there is no historical basis for a call for a unification of the North and East as demanded by various interested parties. Furthermore, even if archaeological and demographic evidence were there to support such a claim, it is not possible to turn the clock back thousands of years: communities have moved from their original places of habitation and are carrying on with their chosen vocations in towns and cities that are distant from where they came from. If one were to move beyond Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand or Canada belonged to the aborigines, the Maoris and the First Nations respectively a mere two centuries ago, but these countries today are proud to present themselves to the rest of the world as the property of the fair-skinned originating from Europe. The descendants of the original inhabitants who had been living in these countries for thousands of years do not have any chance whatsoever of claiming these lands only for themselves.
The British colonial rulers drew up the boundaries of the current nine provinces in the then Ceylon to make it easy for them to run their administration. The Eastern and the Northern provinces of Sri Lanka were never a single entity. Until the Prime Minister of India, in his plans for subjugating its small neighbour, decided to intervene through his ill-fated 13th amendment in 1987, the North and East functioned as separate administrative units even after Britain had given up its administrative hold on the country in 1948 allowing it to become independent. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ An essential element in the North-East merger plan was holding of a referendum to test the acceptance of a North Eastern Province by the voting public. Yet, such a prime condition was not even considered by the powers, and the concept of a merged North and East was allowed to get established giving added ammunition to those calling for separation of these two provinces from the rest of Sri Lanka.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When Annadurai and other Tamil Nadu politicians were clamouring for separation from the Union of States to from a Dravida Nadu, Jawaharlal Nehru wasted no time in passing a law in 1962 that banned any party or individual from calling for secession from India.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka government should take immediate steps to promulgate laws that would declare as treason any calls for separation. Hand in hand with this, it should take concrete steps to facilitate and encourage the Sinhalese and the Moors to settle in the North and East, if the latter wish to do so. Such moves, therefore, are both morally defensible and make economic sense: it is the government of Sri Lanka that is spending vast sums of tax Rupees and aid Dollars to rebuild the infrastructure in the North and the East that was destroyed by the LTTE.
March 30th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
the north-east referendum threat is the biggest threat faced by Sri Lanka.
We have been telling this for a long time. We made these view public even before the war ended.
http://defenceanalytics.blogspot.com.au/
The ONLY solution is Sinhala Colonization of the north and the east.
Lets not fight over words. What should happen is Tamil must be made a MINORITY in the north-east with a big margin and eventually Tamil should be made a minority in the north.
We have to hurry up. There is not much time left.
USA, Tamil Nadu, India and Tamil Diaspora are united in forcing a referendum on SL in 2013 when the LLRC resolution comes up for discussion again.
Refer the material below.
Tamil for Obama has met US leaders just before the UNHRC resolution to talk about the referendum.
March 30th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9326814.htm
Tamils for Obama Meets with Assistant Secretary Blake, Asks Blake, Clinton to Push Self-Government Referendum in Northeastern Sri Lanka
Delegates from Tamils for Obama accepted an invitation from Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake and met with him and other State Department officials on February 29, 2012. The delegates discussed matters concerning Tamils in Sri Lanka with Blake and several State Department officials and then handed Blake two copies of Tamils for Obama’s petition for a “Referendum in Sri Lanka to Gain Self-determination for Tamils,” and asked him to hand the second copy to Secretary Clinton.
New York, New York (PRWEB) March 27, 2012
March 30th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Delegates from Tamils for Obama met with Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake last February 29, 2012, and discussed matters important to Tamils in Sri Lanka.
“We also handed him a copy of our Referendum in Sri Lanka to Gain Self-determination for Tamils,” said a press spokesman for Tamils for Obama, “It is modeled on the one that was recently voted on in southern Sudan, and which led to the creation of the new country of South Sudan. We hope for a similar referendum and result in northeastern Sri Lanka.
“We also gave him a second copy which we asked him to pass along to Secretary of State Clinton. He promised it would be done, and immediately passed the copy along to a subordinate official to take to Secretary Clinton. This petition was signed by more than 31,000 people, Tamils and non-Tamils,” said the spokesman. “Tamils for Obama has been gathering signatures for this petition since last June.”
Blake was accompanied at the meeting by three other State Department officials.
“When we handed the petition to Secretary Blake, we commented that it was appropriate in a democracy to get the opinion of the people who will be affected by an official action,” said one of the Tamils for Obama delegates who attended the meeting. “We think that the consent of the people makes any subsequent action more legitimate.
“We want to thank all those people who signed the petition,” said the press spokesman. “We think that if our effort is successful and a country of Northeastern Sri Lanka—Tamil Eelam—results, this may become a historic document, and these signatures will be part of it.”
March 30th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Here is an example of what happens when a nation in divided into competing fiefdoms with ambitious politicians: Karnataka and TN are battling over who gets the lions share of the Cauvery River water. If the National Government was empowered to make the necessary decisions in the national interest to benefit the largest number of citizens everyone’s the project can go ahead. Currently, the project id DEAD IN WATER.
Likewise, if Provincial Councils are given Land Powers in Sri Lanka, we will see these kinds of battles breaking out between the leaders of the Provinces ruled as separate fiefdoms by intransigent politicians like Jayalalitha in TN. In addition, they will invoke their rights to PREVENT National Infrastructure Projects from being implemented in the Nation’s Interest, especially if different Ethnic majorities govern in adjoining provinces.
For example, no project SPANNING MORE THAN ONE PROVINCE, such as the Mahaveli River Development Project can be undertaken either by the national government or by the Provinces.
In a large country like India, some power has to devolved to states, because governing that vast land as a single unit is impractical.
However, one of the few advantages of being a small country like Sri Lanka, smaller than most States in India, is that it CAN BE GOVERNED MORE SIMPLY AS A SINGLE ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT. Therefore, there is NO REASON to hoist the additional cost and bureaucratic inefficiency of MULTIPLE COMPETING BUREAUCRACIES of Provincial Governments upon our already harassed citizens trying to eke out a living, and struggling for survival as a nation in the increasingly competitive global marketplace.
Therefore, we must REPEAL the 13th Amendment, DISSOLVE the PROVINCIAL COUNCILS, REPLACE then with DISTRICTS administered DIRECTLY by the National Government. That will increase the SECURITY of the nation, enable policing by ONE National police force eliminating demands for police powers by provinces, reduce the cost borne by tax-payers to support unnecessary provincial government employees, and will minimize the bureaucratic barriers to individuals and businesses.
……………………
TN won’t allow new Cauvery dam: Jayalalithaa
ExpressBuzz.com
March 31, 2012
CHENNAI: With the Cauvery water sharing row escalating, Tamil Nadu government today made it clear that it would not allow construction of a new dam by Karnataka at Mekedhatu across the river under “any circumstances.”
Replying to a special mention on the water dispute in the Assembly, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa accused Karnataka of not honouring the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.
She said Karnataka makes all efforts to first fill its reservoirs and then release only surplus waters to Tamil Nadu.
“I and my government are committed to securing the state’s rightful share in the Cauvery waters,” she said, amid thumping of desk by the members.
She said Karnataka cannot build a dam at Mekedhatu, about 100 km from Bangalore, without Tamil Nadu’s acceptance. “If Karnataka tries to build a dam, Tamil Nadu will not allow the move under any circumstances.”
Her assertion comes in the backdrop of tough postures being adopted by Karnataka leaders on the release of water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu.
Accusing Karnataka of using water from its dams for summer irrigation, she said, as per the final orders of the Tribunal, Karnataka had used 203 tmc ft of water for irrigation as against the stipulated 103.24 tmc ft of water.
“Karnataka is also not giving water to Tamil Nadu for its Kuruvai cultivation (short term) in June and July,” she said.
Since Karnataka was utilising water for its summer crops, during monsoon that state took efforts to fill its reservoirs and then released water to Tamil Nadu, resulting in Mettur dam in the state not getting its due share, she said.
Recalling her meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after she assumed office last year, Jayalalithaa said she had discussed the issue of notifying the Tribunal’s award and setting up Cauvery Water Management Board for implementing it.
“But so far, the Centre has not acted on these demands and Tamil Nadu government has been pressing for them,” she said.
The two states are locked in decades-long dispute on sharing Cauvery waters.The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, set up by the Centre, had in 2007 given its final award, allocating 419 tmcft water to Tamil Nadu and 270 tmcft to Karnataka annually.
However, Karnataka has challenged the award in the Supreme Court, alleging it gave a raw deal to the state overlooking its requirements and rights.
March 30th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
If foreign countries want to run Sri Lanka on behalf of various special interest groups including LTTE, Sri Lanka doe s not need a govt.
I always suspect why former Pope chose to visit Sri Lanka twice and one of his famous comments was that Asia as the battle ground in the new millinnium.
March 31st, 2012 at 4:52 am
A referendum should be open to all people in Sri Lanka including those who are working overseas.
The writer should be thanked for exposing how Tamils (the same with other Indians and Indian colonial parasites) play the temporary Christian game.
It is a simple matter for Hindus to accept Christian god in to their pile of gods.
These regional referendum votes are dangerous as the estate sector will be the next.
March 31st, 2012 at 3:03 pm
One correction Dr Romesh. They are not ‘Rogue Elements’ of the Christian Church, but agents of the church pursuing their longterm goal of Christianizing Sri Lanka. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith ‘acts’ cozy with the Rajapakse Presidency (perhaps due the influence of her Catholic wife) and Rayappu Joseph runs with the Eelamists fermenting the base instincts of the Racist Tamils. They are simply two sides of the same coin! In the end the plan works well and they intend to achieve their common goal of Christianizing Asia in the 21st century, as enunciated by Pope John-Paul II before passing away. (into hell for crimes against children. )
The aim of Christianizing Asia dovetails into the plan of the Western Christian powers to balkanize Asia – India, Pakistan (already happening), Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and others. All those thus converted are the willing pawns used to demonize, kill and maim the yet un-converted as it is happening in the Newly Christian North East Indian hill tracts – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland etc. The converted are funded and armed surreptiously by the Church and their allied powers.
Sri Lanka is just the stepping stone to the break up of India! Indians do understand this position but are foolish to think that Gandhi name and destabilizing her neighbors can save it from eventual break up.
In Sri Lanka time is ripe for the Sinhalese to talk about their historical rights to the North and East. All these years we have only been reacting to Racist Tamil sayings, demands and outbursts. Time is ripe to assert our claim to the North and East. If a referendum should be held – it should be country wide. We cannot simply allow a migrant population of Indian coolies brought to the island during colonial times to tend Tobacco plantations to claim exclusive rights to the North and East.
Raja Rata which includes North and East is the Sinhala heart land where our history lives!
April 1st, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Ratnapala,
Pihity rata should be reinstated. It is simple as that. That is the solution ! Historically Pihityrata doest not fully cover east, which is a part of Ruhunu rata. When combined with Anuradhapura we sould have the majority anyway.
April 5th, 2012 at 8:39 am
The Tamil Tiger diaspora has used their illgotten funds and their vote bank to bring down the western politicians to their knees. Its time for the Western politicians to have the courage to dissassociste with these groups, as today we see the Tamil diaspora bullying the western leaders, just the way they did in SriLanka, India and Malaysia. Only Malaysia has so far being bold enough to keep the Tamil activists quiet.