Comments on: Eastern elections

By: Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:03:32 +0000

For some insight into the Eastern Province situation at various points between the 1970s and 2000s see the following two books
Margaret Trawick, Enemy lines. Warfare, childhood, and play in Batticaloa, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007).

Mark Whitaker, Learning Politics from Sivaram, (London: Pluto Press, 2007)

Trawick’s book is reviewed critically by another American anthropologist (non-specialist) in http://sacrificialdevotionnetwork.wordpress.com/ –a site that allows for blogs. Trawick was clearly unhappy because she has replied.

Daya Somasundaram’s on the motivation of militants will also interest readers of groundviews. Indeed, some of you may be interested in his book Scarred Minds which is based on his work as a psychiatrist in the north from the 1980s onwards (NB: he is one of the authors associated with Broken Palmyrah).

There are other dimensions to this site that should interest people as well.

By: Jeyam

Jeyam — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:23:46 +0000

This election is final journey for TMVP . government is trying to show the world how they established the “Democracy ” In future TMVP is going to give more headache to government. This election indicate how government played the divide and rule among Tamils /Tamil Speaking people in East .

By: Aachcharya

Aachcharya — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:09:39 +0000

For whom are these elections being held? Can Local Government of Provincial Council Elections empower the people of the East to usher in the development that the region requires? The answer is a plain no. Both the Local Government and the Provincial Council systems do not have the legal competency (powers) or the finances to undertake development work leave alone taking care of basic or local needs. The public administration system (GA’s and AGA’s) managed by the Central Government run the show when it comes to the basic day to day needs of the people. The â€˜Big’ Ministries and the â€˜Big’ Ministers at the Centre and in this case the Ministry of Nation Building (one of those five which comes under the President) are responsible for the so far announced development projects for the East. These are being done (if at all if they are being implemented) with almost zero consultation with the elected representatives from the East. Mr. Basil Rajapaksha is in full control. DBS Jeyeraj in a post on his website dated Oct 20, 2007, candidly explains how these projects could be used and are being used to promote Sinhala colonisation in the East. So are the LG representatives going to be of use? Are we naive to think that democratic elections should not be questioned for their purpose and that they are good in itself? That’s the first question â€“ would the Local Government representatives be used or would they be of use within the present framework of governance? The second is the one that a lot of people are raising – will it be of value balanced with the blood that is being and going to be shed in electing these representatives?

The UPFA is teaming up with TMVP for the polls. Without Govt support the TMVP cannot exist. So the TMVP has no choice but to accept UPFA as an electoral partner to gain legitimacy. So even there given that TMVP will sweep the polls the govt is going to have full control. A self-serving election for the Government this will be.

By: groundviews

groundviews — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:41:59 +0000

Come now Dayan, you are made of sterner stuff…

By: dayan jayatilleka

dayan jayatilleka — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:30:15 +0000

” …coterie of murderous brutes…” ?

eek! fetch me my smelling salts…

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:48:40 +0000

The South is not interested in democracy in the Eastern Province. All what they are interested is to show to the world that they have held elections in the East and that “democarcy prevails”.

Karuna faction is contesting the elections disarmed, just because his armed group is a “para military of the state” ,regardless of their terror to people in the East. Perhaps, this is the first time in the world that some gun trotting individuals are contesting democratic elections!

The problem with the South is always that when it comes to North and East they are more interested in propaganda to the world than the genuine interest of any political process, legitimate rights and freedoms of people.