A few words to the self-loathing Sri Lankans
Of late people who made a living out of Sri Lanka-bashing have been changing their tune a bit, but obviously it’s not easy for them to get off their habitual groove.
Let me illustrate by taking the case of Jehan Perera, whose career, like those of his ilk, I have been following with increasing disgust. Perera is the head honcho of the highly lucrative National Peace Council.
From giving a subtle nod to “its [US] proposal, which could include safe passage abroad for the LTTE leadership …” and his glowing tributes to the LTTE after he visited Prabhakaran’s now lost kingdom some years ago [at the Tiger’s invitation], Perera is now compelled to grant, crestfallen, that it is the citizens of Sri Lanka who have the final say in matters that affect us and that would impact on unborn generations.
See for example, his interview with Groundviews in which he admits the ineffectiveness of NGOs in peace building, while taking the opportunity to fire a few barbs at the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), and his article in the Daily Mirror of May 5 2009 in which he bemoans the inability of the International Community (IC) — a euphemism for a cabal of Western nations with high concentrations of Sri Lanka Tamils who have been supporting the separatist project — to strong-arm the GOSL to effect a ceasefire in their efforts to eliminate the LTTE which has terrorized the country for three decades – a move which would undoubtedly be exploited by the Tigers to run to fight another day.
Perera is in obvious awe of the IC and Civil Society, a euphemism for his kind of entrepreneur. But they’ll be making a mistake if they think we are all in equal awe of the people whom they genuflect to. My question is: did/do the powers that demonstrated ‘shock-and-awe’ in Iraq and are doing so now in Afghanistan, allow free access into their theatres of conflict the legion of agencies and representatives of the IC clamoring to interfere in Sri Lanka? They do not. In fact, the UK recently brought the full weight of their law to penalize a British soldier who had been active in Afghanistan for revealing classified information to a journalist. If found guilty, he faces life imprisonment in Her Majesty’s jail.
But they take umbrage at our well-founded anxiety about their sinister agendas which could very possibly spell ill for our country and throw a lifeline to her existential enemy – those here and abroad whose avowed goal is to carve out another country on this island. Methinks they protest too much.
What people like Perera must understand is that this country is blessed with many patriots who will resist all efforts to make Sri Lanka an ugly stub, wedged by the horseshoe-shaped pincer in the form of an expansionary, enemy state called Eelam. At one time, Perera thought it might not be such a bad idea.
But all one needs to do is to visit the hospitals where wounded Sri Lanka soldiers urge their doctors to fix them fast so that they can rush to the battlefield and finish off our ravagers. Then they will see the grit and spirit that safeguarded this beloved country from ravagers of the past, most of them of the identical lineage as the Tamil Tigers.
Have these Lanka bashers seen the pictures of forces personnel — men and women, soldiers and doctors — helping the victims of the monstrous tyrant in the Vanni? Have they seen the human chains – made up of the humble citizens in the south — preparing aid for the victims of tyranny in the Vanni? Have they seen the Sri Lanka Army and Navy saving them from the barbarians who hold them as human shields and who shoot them dead and chop off their legs when they try to escape? Have they seen pictures of the Sri Lanka Air Force airlifting essentials to them? If they have, why turn a blind eye to their deeds, to their benevolent efforts — round the clock at great personal sacrifice — on behalf of the miserable Tamils who have suffered under Prabhakaran’s jackboot?
Why do they persist in painting the government of Sri Lanka as the villain of the piece? Anyone who steps out of the bunker constructed out of their biases must surely sense the essential goodness of the much demonized Sinhala people?
At times when countries face existential threats, even so called ‘civilized’ nations – the UK, the USA , Australia, for example – are compelled to enact Prevention of Terrorism Acts, Patriot Acts, Homeland Security Acts, and they tend to turn draconian. At a time when this nation faces an existential threat, it cannot afford to uphold all the norms of democracy. Unfortunately, circumstances dictate their temporary shelving. It is also prudent to go by the mounting hard evidence of the partiality for the Tigers by many powerful Civil Society agencies and so-called mediators such as the Norwegian state, in cahoots with the separatist lobby both here and abroad, to be wary of Trojan horses disguising very probable ‘Save-the-Tigers’ maneuvers.
I understand how hard it must be for people like Perera to shift their position, to grant their devil (GOSL) its due. But give us a break! At least now stop your inane, biased pontification and, worse, subtle and not-so-subtle demonization of the Government of Sri Lanka and, by extension, the long-suffering people of Sri Lanka.
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In the first instance I agree with you that intellectuals like Jehan Perera are funded handsomely by foreign organisation. Although NPC has yet to broker a meaningful dialogue between the warring factions your contention that draconian laws must be implemented to avoid terrorism smacks of sher hippocracy.
I’ll tell you why. While those in the South (including Tamils) enjoy all the privileges meant for the whole of Sri Lanka and have tremendous freedom to enjoy themselves civilians in the North and South have been systematically and continously chased out of their homes losing their kith and kin to the advancing military onslaught since at least 1983.
The intervention of foreign countries is a necessary evil otherwise Tamils would have perished long time ago. So clearly there’s ethnic cleansing and Sri Lankan governments should be held accuntable for the war crimes they are perpetrating. And Tamils should be given back what was plundered from them starting 1977 at least.
Having spoken to people in the internment camps in vavuniya and heard many of them relate their pathetic plight of being indiscriminately shelled by their government and heartlesslely shot at by the LTTE – I think self loathing in being sri lankan living in south, is a honourable thing. I am relieved that there are atleast a hand ful of people like Jehan, who are trying their best against extreme odds.
There is no existential threat, just the necessary expression of the right to live in your own home and in command of your destiny.
By shelving democratic norms do you mean the murder of journalists, the shoveling of Tamils into white vans, the rapes of Tamil women in internment camps, continued artillery shelling of people living in tents on a spit of beach when not tunnelled in bunkers?
There is no international conspiracy against the Sri Lankan State. Rather there seems to be an international blindness to the arms delivered to the SL state by China and Russia to fight what their governments call an internal war.
I hope the writer will enjoy his hard-won freedoms dreaming perhaps of the children amputated or killed by bombs. He may be bothered more by the amputees because they will continue to walk the streets of his united nation.
1. The statement: “Perera is the head honcho of the highly lucrative National Peace Council” implies that Jehan Perera is “in it for the money”. This does not square with the facts of his life-style which is easy to observe. That he is “in it for the money” is doubly questionable in light of the fact that he has a law degree from from Harvard University, USA.
2. The assertions following: “even so called ‘civilized’ nations – the UK, the USA , Australia, for example – are compelled to enact Prevention of Terrorism Acts, Patriot Acts, Homeland Security Acts, and they tend to turn draconian.” can make any sense only if the author actually believes these nations are “civilized”, of which he seems be skeptical (notice the “so called”).
Facts support the author in being skeptical of the “civilized-ness” of these nations. Even simply on basis of the way the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, has been prosecuted, and the way aboriginal people are treated in Australia.
If they are then no very “civilized”, what is the point of using them as an example to emulate. The author is making a logical error in argument.
Having gone through the article and the comments I have been led to a state of confusion as to why none, who commented, cannot base themselves on the ground situation.
“Have they seen the Sri Lanka Army and Navy saving them from the barbarians who hold them as human shields and who shoot them dead and chop off their legs when they try to escape? Have they seen pictures of the Sri Lanka Air Force airlifting essentials to them? If they have, why turn a blind eye to their deeds, to their benevolent efforts — round the clock at great personal sacrifice — on behalf of the miserable Tamils who have suffered under Prabhakaran’s jackboot?”
The author’s statement above, clearly sums up the humanitarian cause extended by the patriotic security forces of the country. It is a rather unfortunate situation that illegitimate and totally fabricated propaganda material of the separatist mechanism is still allowed to “float”; thus giving air to the widespread misinformation which has plagued the international media and to a certain extent the learned circles of colombo.
Going through the comments made apparently by eminent tamil personalities, I, in my most modest sense, cannot help observing the fact that there is an air of relief in the conflict ending but seeds of dissatisfaction are still sowed deep in their sentiments. This is perhaps the most unfortunate situation that has befallen the once peaceful pearl of the indian ocean. It is only but natural that there is a feeling of mistrust between the two major communities, having logged horns for over a quarter of a century. It must be noted however that all parties have sizeable portions in the unpleasant porridge of ethical responsibility.
It is absurd to call Jehan Perera a fat cat. He has donated the entire award from Japan to the NPC and to good casues. I am aware of it. Imputing motives is all that our nationalists can resort to.Displays of kindness can hardly square with the shelling of the safe zones declared by the GSL itself,Outward displays of charity mean nothing as Jesus Christ pointed out. Charity must be borme of love and our soldiers have not shown any love or compassion for the Tamil people. That is why they rape the women in the camps, treat them like slaves and harass them every way. If the GOSL and the Armed Forces ahve nothing to hide why shut out outside observers.Who will believe the GOSL when lies and deception is its stock in trade.