Tamils Being Wooed on the Basis of Elementary Liberties being fully Restored
by Namini Wijedasa
Free movement of all persons without being impeded by security and police; areas of civilian activity to be free of weapons; security forces to be stationed only at strategic locations; restoration of fishing rights; no ‘kappang’ to be levied by anyone; and train services to the Jaffna Peninsula.
Presidential Election Rally in Ruwanwella ~ http://www.mahinda2010.lk/
Fifty years after independence, Sri Lanka’s Tamil population is being wooed at a crucial election by a presidential candidate who is offering them some elementary liberties that should have been a given by now.
Sarath Fonseka’s litany of promises to the Tamil National Alliance, presented in a signed letter to R Sampanthan last week, provides insight into the failure of successive governments to ensure that some of the most basic civil rights are guaranteed to its citizens.
The ‘Programme of Immediate Relief Measures for War Affected Persons and Areas for Peace by the Common Opposition Presidential Candidate, Sarath Fonseka’ is divided into several categories.
These are: restoration of civil administration and normalcy; prohibition of ‘para-military cadres’ and armed groups (self-styled ‘war lords’); resettlement and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons; land and agriculture; fisheries; trade and commerce; transport; special relief packages; persons in detention; and a lifting of the state of emergency.
When considering some of the measures in this package, it seems ludicrous that the situation in Sri Lanka still permits a candidate to campaign politically on the premise of such rudimentary, non-political undertakings. It also begs the question why Sri Lanka’s leadership did not implement similar measures in the six months following the military defeat of the LTTE in May - or why the opposition did not draw attention to these issues before.
It is pledged, for instance, that police will be manned “as far as practicable” by officers who are conversant in Tamil. Despite repeated rhetoric throughout the past few decades that this measure will be implemented, no government - with all its resources and capacity - has still delivered satisfactorily on this exceedingly doable task.
Another pledge is the full restoration of all institutions of civil administration from the office of grama sevaka upwards, free from military, police and political interference. Could this not have been done before? Do we need a new president with a fresh mandate to achieve this task?
Security forces are to be stationed at strategic locations only, taking into consideration national security, states Fonseka. High security zones, he notes, will be dismantled in keeping with the relocation of security forces. This process of demilitarisation was not even discussed in the aftermath of the war. Instead, the government floundered about, alternately making statements about boosting troops requirements and about having defeated terrorism for good.
As for Fonseka, he is on record saying that the army must be increased to at least 400,000 troops. It remains a mystery where he would have positioned those troops had he got his wish.
But take away the politics and it becomes clear that the process of limiting our troops to strategic locations and returning the management of civilians to civilians should have started some months ago.
The government got moving on high security zones in the north just last week with the resettlement of 509 families in the Jaffna peninsula. Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa has promised 20,000 families would be permitted to return to their homes within high security zones from January 10. Only those families whose lands are still occupied by the military will not benefit from this pre-electoral scheme.
Fonseka promises freedom of movement to all persons without being impeded by security and police. Again, this should ideally not be a political issue. It should be a given; part of a natural normalisation process that starts soon after the end of war. A candidate in a developed democracy should not be able to campaign on the basis that people will be allowed to move about freely — particularly when terrorism was defeated more than six months ago.
Meanwhile, the government has shown some progress on providing freedom of movement to its citizens. Starting late last year, it has lifted most checkpoints outside the north and east and made the major checkpoints - such as the one at Medawachchiya - more manoeuvrable.
And, evidently thanks to the election, it has also started with gusto to free up civilian life in the north. The Jaffna curfew was removed, the A9 is open 24-hours day and no travel authorisation is required from the ministry of defence. The camps for the displaced are also open.
Another Fonseka pledge is the prohibition of ‘paramilitary cadres’ and armed groups - a law and order issue that can be dealt with under existing legislation. He promises that areas of civilian activity will be free of weapons and that, except for the security forces and police, only persons with permits under the Firearms Ordinance, will be entitled to possess firearms.
Stringent action will be taken against anyone taking illegal payments or ‘kappang’. How did the status quo in Sri Lanka deteriorate to such a level that such issues became negotiated components of somebody’s bid for election.
How about a poltical solution?
It is promised that all persons in detention against whom there is no evidence will be released within one month - as it rightly should have been done.
The state of emergency will be terminated, as should already have happened.
The TNA is also offered a speedy conclusion of de-mining; the return of displaced persons to their original homes with the provision of alternative accommodation if those homes were destroyed; social infrastructure for the resettled such as provision of essential foods, medical centres, schools and transport; restoration of private lands and buildings now occupied by security forces, police and government agencies to those lawfully entitled to them; relief packages for land cultivation and the full restoration of fishing rights; train services to Jaffna; and special relief packages for dependants of all persons who lost their lives during the war and those disabled due to war.
None of these are measures that a cabinet with more than 100 ministers could not have carried out. But it took an election - and an election scare in the form of Fonseka - to prick the government into taking some long overdue measures in the north. Had it spent less time campaigning for and conducting staggered provincial elections throughout the country, delegated national responsibilities beyond a limited circle of favoured persons, set aside the early presidential poll and focused on normalisation of civilian life after thirty years of war, Sarath Fonseka would have been deprived the chance of making trivial pledges in exchange for Tamil votes.
Fonseka has pointedly avoided undertakings on substantive issues such as a truth commission or a clear roadmap towards a political solution. Although the TNA last week announced its support for Fonseka’s election bid, the party did not explain in detail its reasons for backing him.
Last week, Sampanthan said he was too busy to grant us an interview and refused to answer why they chose Fonseka over Rajapaksa.
Meanwhile, Mavai Senathiraja, another TNA stalwart, also turned down the offer of an interview and abruptly cut the line.
It would appear that the two most senior members of the alliance don’t want to be held accountable for the Tamil National Alliance’s decision to back the devil over the deep blue sea. ~ courtesy: Lakbima News ~
6 Comments
The reasons for TNA backing the General have been given at a press conference and therefore no further comment on this issue. Mostly this is being used by the Government for propoganda against the General.
There is obvious reason why a Solution was not disclosed
in that written doc. of SF. This would play into the hands of radicals like Champika Wimal etc for Election
propaganda.!
MRs Track-record calls for a Regime change. India will
be supportive of such a change. Winning the war was
a duty of any elected President and does not call for
re-election on that score alone.
MR, SBD and party, shirtless and red pottu on the forehead, are praying at the Temple in Jaffna with closed eyes and appearing as pious as possible. Whether they also broke into a Thevaram - is not known. As Premadasa would say it in that cocktail of Hultsdorp that passes as Colombo Muslim-Tamil "Naang Ellang tharen" (I will give you everything) But as the late Amir woould say with deep meaning "Too litte and too late, Sirs" You had five years to prove your credentials and good intentions. All the Tamils got was a large dose of rhetoric and promises. One can hardly live with those. But do come regularly to the Tamil land of the country.
You are welcome and you will receive the traditional hospitality
and greetings in the antique traditional home of the Lankan Tamils.
ISS
The wooing of minorities shows that srilankan politicians are no different from their counterparts in India ...for them only power matters ! what a shame ,instead of considering all people equal...these two MR&SF will certainly destroy sL
I see two reasons for TNA support
TNA really want Mahinda to be next President by providing him interesting topics to talk about
OR
TNA is under Dispora pressure to support SF because it is the only way dispora can initiate another Praba to fight for their EEElam. For me SF is a wolf inside a lamb coat - Now he talk about democracy and good governance and all sweet stories, Wait and see what will happen if he is elected - We will see his true colors then- He will definetly not give up executive presidency but will establish a nationalistic military dictatorship in the country. He could defeat LTTE because he is also a insensible, ruthless leader like Praba. Good for winnig war - I do not think he is good for running the country, One would say he is backed by democratic parties - But I think SF will steam roll these crooks with diametrically different views on everything other than defeating MR.
MR regime is corrupt no doubt - but who is not corrupt - all politicos are corrupt bastards - But the good side of SF is If he manage to set up a clean , uncorrupt , impartial, focused,brainy administration in the country then we will move forward. But when people experience undiluted power they often change - because everybody around them want to share it and use it. My warning is not be immotional but open your mind to see beyond election.
"None of these are measures that a cabinet of 100 ministers could not have carried out" says the writer.They did NOT do so because this government wishes to keep tamils as 'third class citizens' who were expected to beg for their (birth)rights, and they will be allowed slowly,over a period of time as "concessions" ( this word is already in usage ) to the tamils.
The writer forgets the most important measure promised by the General - the appointment of the Constitutional Council - which was blocked by President Rajapakse on various excuses, so that he could appoint his own Yes Men to the judiciary,as attorney general,IGP,bribery commissioners, the public service commission,and compel the elections comissioner to go on, without the government parties carrying out his directives as is happening.