Kanthar. P. Balanathan DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBusAdm (Finance-Massey), C.Eng. MIEE (Ret), MIE (Aus.) CPEng, (Ret) Retired Director & Specialist Power Systems Engineer

23^rd April 2016

Mr. Jeremy Corbyn MP

Leader of the Labour Party

House of Commons,

London, SW1A 0AALondon

Dear Mr. Jeremy Corbyn,

MISCONCEPTION OF SELF-DETERMINATION, AND ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT

ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC-POLITICAL PROGRESSION FOR THE TAMILS

Well, born a Tamil SriLankan, and a patriotic Australian, I have some uncertainties, doubts, and questions on your speech, about right to achieve self-expression and self-determination to the Tamils in SriLanka. I quote reference to the video presentation: http://www.ceylonews.com/2016/04/we-fully-support-self-determination-justice-for-tamils-jeremy-corbyn-video/

First of all, I would like to discuss on the concept of self-determination: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights details out as follows in articles 1-53; Ref: http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx

The right to self-determination is contained in article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and in article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

PART I

Article 1

1. All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.
3. The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

 

In the case of Australian HR: A right of peoples rather than individuals

The right to self-determination is a right of ‘peoples’ rather than of individuals. The Human Rights Committee has declined to consider individual complaints about the right under the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR. It is, however, possible that in an appropriate case an organisation or an individual might be able to bring a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission regarding respect for or protection of this right.

When we talk of All peoples”, do we categorise them to belong to one religion, one race, with no difference in ethnicity at all?

I quote reference from a paper: Published by the Stockton Centre for the Study of International Law” on, Law, Rhetoric, and Strategy: Russia and Self-Determination Before and After Crimea by Christopher J. Borgen, 91 INT’L L. STUD. 216 (2015), Volume 91 2015.

[At various points in international legal history, the term people” has been used to signify citizens of a nation-State, the inhabitants in a specific territory being decolonized by a foreign power or an ethnic group. But defining people” based on ethnicity could be destabilizing to multi-ethnic States].

Nation State: a sovereign state of which most of the citizens or subjects are united also by factors which define a nation, such as language or common descent. The political philosophy and the theories conflict.

II, B, 2 of the article states as follows: The consensus view is that there is no right to secession under international law. Secession,” legally speaking, is not a synonym for self–determination.”

The terminology / principle of self-determination was applied to the then USSR which consisted of Nation-States and the Union was formed on agreement with right to self-determination. You are aware of the Ukraine collapse.

In the case of SriLanka, historically the All People” principle is that all people are from one common parentage / DNA segment. However, forced religious change drove people to change their religion. The language also changed over period, which is a natural phenomenon.

The term, Tamils” you refer to was not a race that existed in SriLanka. The North, East and most part of SL was occupied by Malabar”, who are nothing other than the Keralite. More than 80% of the N&E was occupied / overrun and swamped by the Malabar. Some parts of the N&E was occupied by Tamil Nadu (TN) assimilated Tamils. TN being closer to the Jaffna peninsula, and the dominance because of the population strength, Tamil was spoken, and all Malabar started using Tamil. The Tamil population consists of Sinhalese people who have changed their name and religion. Such Tamil names are not used in Tamil Nadu. Gunaratna/Gunaratnam, Kulasingha/Kulasingham etc. Food habits of the Tamils in SL is different to that of Tamil Nadu, but same as Malabar (Kerala). I would like to draw your attention to a paper. Ref: http://www.nrnmind.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/tna-its-patheticproclamations-to.html.

The British were responsible to Colonise SL with Indian labour force in the 19^th century. [Ref: Vol 6(6), pp 184-191, June 2014, DOI: 10.5897/IJSA12.061, Article Number: 88F84BA45633, Estate Tamils of SriLanka–a socio economic review by IIyas Ahmed H; International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology]. These Tamils are concentrated in the highlands. 49% of the so called new Tamil population is domiciled outside the North & East. Therefore coming to the question of Self-Expression and self-determination.

1. Self-Expression. Merriam Webster defines self-expression as; the expression of your thoughts or feelings especially through artistic activities (such as painting, writing, dancing, etc.)

The biggest question now is; are you saying that Tamils do not have that self-expression freedom? It sounds like that you are blowing something like, Storm in a tea cup”. Tamils in SL enjoy all the freedom as equal to all people in SL. SriLanka has several Tamil Newspapers locally and the Tamil Diaspora publish several newspapers and web sites all around the west, east and India.

It is possible that the current government of Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasinghe, may have under the table restrictions in publishing articles locally that may disintegrate their popularity, and unravel fraudulent practices.

As far as Tamils are concerned, we have, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of movement, all defined under Democracy”.

2. Self-Determination (SD), Business Dictionary defines SD as; Fundamental rightof all people to freely decide own political status and to freely pursue own cultural, economic, and social development. The concept of self-determination was embodied first in the American Declaration of Independence (1776) and then in the France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789). It is embodied also in the UN charter.

The philosophy of self-determination was agreed in the then formed, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”. Several republics joined to form the Union, with the right to self-determination. SriLanka is one Nation State, and, NOT a Union of several republics. Therefore, Self-Determination is rightfully not applicable to SL. Some Tamils who are half baked in political science and philosophy, go on advocating self-determination without basic knowledge of what it means. They just want popularity.

Further, I would like to refer you to an article on the population composition in the following media. Ref: http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=94075. Including the Colonised Tamils in the highlands, approximately 49% of Tamils dwell outside the N&E. With 51% Tamils dwelling in the N&E, only approximately 1.1 million dwell in the North. Further, there is no law that prevents Vigneswaran or Sambanthan contesting an election in any part of SriLanka. In fact Sivajilingham contested the Presidential election on the 8^th January 2015 in the Kurunagala district which is the mid-South of SL.

However, the great GOSL devolved power sharing to the Tamils via 13^th amendment to run their own affairs through a governing body: Northern Provincial Council (NPC). Tamils in the NPC have not exercised their rights, but returned 80% of the budget allocation back to Colombo. What is the motive for the return? It can be construed as nothing, but Tamils, as slaves, and beggars of the West, run to the West frequently to complain like that of secondary school students.

Are the Tamils satisfied? No they want absolute power to that of the President of the USA. It’s a disgrace for the Tamils to run to UK, Canada, US, India to complain on false claims.

Therefore your claim of self-expression and self-determination to the Tamils is meaningless, inconsequential and miserable. It cannot be related or referenced to any socio-economic-politico inspiration of the Tamils. It can only be judged as the British Government having ulterior motive to destabilise the SriLankan republic, to enable the west to crawl into siphon the natural wealth in the region, and install their base.

Plundering Asian wealth is not new to the British. It’s historical. The British only talk Justice, don’t practice.

The British destroyed, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Albania and the European sub-continent, and now destroying Syria. May I ask, what right have you got to destroy Syria? You went in during Labour government into Iraq in the pretext of WMD, to plunder the oil fields. Now what happened? Have the Iraqians solved their issues? Have the Afghanistan’s solved their issues?

Mr. Jeremy Corbyn: British secret policy is to divide and rule, and wherever British ruled, they left a dormant problem that will snow ball in years to come, so that they can crawl in subsequently.

1. Are the Americans (US) prepared to grant self-determination to the Greeks, Italians, Mexicans, Spanish, and Germans and may be more ethnic groups in the US?
2. The Tamils and the Muslims in another 5-10 years may demand self-determination/secession in the UK. Is the British government prepared to grant self-determination/secession to the Tamils in the UK? It’s not a joke Mr. Corbyn.
3. Same goes to Canada.
4. Brussels is one example.

You stated as follows:

1. This is the seventh anniversary of the end of the conflict, or is it the end of the conflict?
2. Have to go into the question of the HR abuses.
3. Go into the question of those camps that were set up.
4. Go into the missing people.
5. Go into the question of the lack of access to journalists and independent observers.

 

1. Within six years of the conflict 2009-2015, the then president, the living legend, Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa, had elections for the NPC and handed over powers, allocated millions of Rupees to NPC. The CM and the NPC have four ministers, who are clueless of what they are doing except their demand for Tamil Eelam. It is a strong opinion by the people, that these five minsters are a clueless bunch of Bogans who have been indoctrinated and intoxicated by the West to fight for more powers. Development in SL has been on the ascent during these six years. What makes people think that SL has not achieved an end to the conflict? SL has achieved an end to the conflict, however, the xenophobic, megalomaniac, Tamil Diaspora and the dormant LTTE who have dumped LTTE sleeping cells with the help of foreign countries have not given up their arrogance. They are still on a campaign against SL. Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, think of the atrocities committed by your military and the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan and the prisoners who are suffering in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp even now. As far as the world is concerned the conflict has ended on the 19^th May 2009.
2. HR abuses. What makes you think that there is HR abuses in SL after the conflict? Since the conspiracy to bring Sirisena as the President and RW as PM against democracy, the punitive acts started against the previous regime. Is this democracy Mr. Jeremy Corbyn? The current government is on a path to eliminate all of the opposition members in the pretext of some bogus uttered offence. If there are HR abuses, then how come Mr. Vigneswaran and others are on the path of making bogus complains against SL? Vigneswaran and others have the full freedom of the press and speech, to make utterances in public, rather concentrating on development. Further, it is only the Tamils practice HR violation by the caste oppression and discrimination among the Tamils and is devastating and could blow up one day.
3. The only camps set up were for the refugees, and the military was helping the refugees who were held captive by the LTTE. It was LTTE who set up camps for their captives in Mullivaykal.
4. Missing people. Do we know how many people were drowned in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans? It is a strong view that most of the missing people are hiding in Latin America, Europe and not registered with the UN Refugees Commission. Valid reason is that the family of those missing people are living with Viber”, WhatsApp” mobile facility, and funds received from their husbands/children. Tamil Diaspora have only one intent, and that is to destroy SL.

You further stated: So those issues have to be dealt with. We will continue to demand that issues are dealt with. Because, unless you solve the issue about the rights of people, their cultural identity, their language, the lives, their freedom, the ability to organise themselves as a community, then the war is not over and the conflict is not over. The situation will re-irritate again,” Corbyn said”.

You are mingling the act of war” with cultural identity, language etc. I am surprised that a politician of your stand expressing such meaningless words. What makes you think that Tamils have no freedom to practice their culture and talk in Tamil?

You talk about Trade Treaties”. Do you know that currently the worst HR violator, is the UK? What rights have you got to bomb Syria? How many children and people are being killed due to the bombing? HR violation is practiced in India. Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, please visit India and see for yourself.

If at all, our feeling is that the rest of the world should cut ties with the UK and abandon Trade Treaty with the UK. It is also true that because of your Commonwealth and the colonies, the sterling pound is stronger than the rest of the currencies.

Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, please confirm that there are no HR violations practiced in the UK. I was educated in the UK in the 60s. When I visited UK in 2002, the passport officer after checking, threw the pp and it fell on the floor. He did not apologize or helped to take it for me. I took the pp and walked out. I faced with color discrimination, racial discrimination etc. Well, the current practice: Does UK employers give appropriate jobs for the qualified people or make them to work as laborers, clerks, and security guards like that in Canada.

Conclusion:

It is of the view that Tamil people in the UK, form association called; Tamils for Labor, Tamils for Conservative etc. What is their ulterior motive? What are those Tamils contribution to the UK? Are they Assets or Liability? If they are wasting time on Tamils for Labor, trying to brain wash the UK politicians, then how can you justify that they are as asset to the country? Approximately more than 15 labor MPs expressed their support to establish truth, justice, accountability and genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka. It is of strong view that whatever you are stating have happened within six years from the end of the conflict. It is the megalomaniac attitude of the Tamils that is not allowing them to live in harmony.

Rather sowing ethnic hatred, Mr Jeremy Corbyn, why don’t you throw some advice to Vigneswaran & Co, and the Tamil Diaspora who are hanging onto Labour? The Tamils for Labour can invest in the North and South for the country to flourish, rather sowing hatred among the good citizens of SL. Why would not Vigneswaran run to Sirisena and talk, rather running to UN, UK, and India?

The Labour lot of fifteen, either they have been misled, or ignorant, or pretending to be ignorant of the brainwashing attempts by the Tamils.

Or, is the Labour after votes or funding by the Tamils? Making cheap talks, is not ideal democracy, but like Indian politics. UK taught democracy to the world. So, let the Labour MPs maintain that educative superiority, of Sir, Winston Churchill’s stand. Let the fifteen lot Labour MPs not exhibit ignorance or pretend ignorance, that they have been indoctrinated by the Tamils for Labour, because they were able to indoctrinate poor Tamil mass in SL. Mr. Jeremy Corbyn: A positive approach, with positive thoughts is quite substantial and productive, rather negative thoughts.

 

Thank you,

Yours Faithfully

 

Kanthar Balanathan

Kanthar. P. Balanathan

DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBusAdm (Finance-Massey), C.Eng. MIEE (Ret), MIE (Aus.) CPEng, (Ret)

Retired Director & Specialist Power Systems Engineer