Who says there need to be a further ‘political solutions’ only the TNA, the LTTE terrorists in the west, the western countries and India. Now these same nefarious elements are harassing the sri-lankan government suggesting there is still an ‘ethnic problem’ and there needs to be further ‘political solutions’. Yes there was a problem and a solution was implemented more than twenty years ago in the form of the 13th and 16th amendments to the constitution which set up the provincial councils.

The sri-lanka govt must stand firm, very firm and tell these nefarious and nasty elements the eelamists, the separatists, the LTTE terrorists in the west, the TNA, the western countries and India that sri-lanka implemented the 13th and 16th amendments to the constitution more than a quarter of a century ago and that this is it and that sri-lankan people just want to get on with their lives and develop their country. These nefarious elements will not be satisfied until sri-lanka disintegrates and until that time they will shout from the roof tops about ‘ethnic problems’ and ‘political solutions’. In reality those things were solved more than twenty years ago with the implementation of the 13th and 16th amendments to the constitution. Who are the western countries and India to demand that sri-lanka do this and that? The govt should tell them to get lost. Are we supposed to offer new political solutions at the detriment of our own fundamental rights every few years to satisfy these nefarious elements? of course not unless we are completely stupid.

I would suggest that the western countries in particular and India in general stay away from sri-lanka, stay far, far, far away. The further that the western countries and India stay away the more likely that sri-lanka will be restored back to good health and that sri-lankans will recover from the scars of war. In fact the further the western countries and India stay away from sri-lanka the faster the recovery for all sri-lankan people.

Further devolution beyond the 13th amendment would be a disaster for sri-lanka. In sri-lanka there are 76% sinhalese, 10% muslims, 5% indian tamils, 8% sri-lankan tamils and 1% others. 92% therefore are not demanding going beyond the 13th amendment. Even the majority of the sri-lankan tamils are not demanding going beyond the 13th amendment. What the tamil people in the north want is healthcare, education, housing, jobs, infrastructure development, roads, bridges, economic development and the like.

The people in the north and the east did have problems. The specific issue of the people in the north about lack of power was solved twenty years ago with the 13th amendment and 16th amendments to the constitution. There are muslims and sinhalese also in the east. They have not demanded going beyond the 13th amendment. There are also many tamil people outside the north and east. They will not benefit from going beyond the 13th amendment. Vast majority do not want further political solutions. What sri-lanka need now is for all sri-lankans to work together in unity and develop the country. That is the need of the hour not further political solutions which does not benefit the vast majority and the vast majority didn’t ask for further political solutions. We have already devolved power and even that more than twenty years ago in the form of provincial councils and that is sufficient, adequate and enough.

Land and police powers should not be given to the PCs. Land belongs to all people of sri-lanka equally. About the concurrent list, it should not be abolished. It is there as a safeguard. If it is the central govt will lose more power and will have nothing much to do! We cannot hand over the land and police powers and abolish the concurrent list as the TNA and the LTTE terrorists in the west wishes.

Justitha,

You say first the rule of law must be firmly established. I agree. But how do we know when it is established. Does it also not mean that the longer it takes to be established the longer the Army would have to remain in Jaffna and the longer it remains the more excesses of the kind we saw last week. This in turn causes more resentment which can again lead to a break down in law and order.

Rajapakse needs to make a big gesture that is tangible and quantifiable. Saying “I will withdraw the army after law and order is established” gives no indication of when it is likely to happen. Besides Tamils will argue that it is precisely the Army and militias that are responsible for the lack of law and order.

You say law enforcement should be entrusted to the police only. Again, shouldnt the Jaffna citizens have the right to select and appoint the policemen who will enforce the law in their neighbourhoods? (as in a federal state) rather than a Sinhala police force appointed by a Sinhala nationalist government elected by Sinhala people in the south? You cannot blame the Tamils for not trusting the police who were responsible for burning their library and standing idly while hooligans burnt their homes and businesses.

Also, even if the emergency and the PTA are repealed it is not likely to change much. The way the police and the CID operate today is by taking orders on who to arrest/harrass directly from a handful of powerful politicians by phone, regardless of due process.

Wijayapala,

I thought that was obvious.. A Federal State redemarcated in proportion to the resident population would give the Northern Tamils no more than 7% of the land and the Eastern Tamils no more than 5% of the land. Do you think they would ever want to secede completely with a state of that size and give up all the free access they enjoy to the rest of the country? Even if they did secede completely Sinhala rights would remain largely unharmed as their per capita land entitlement would remain unchanged.

your middle path sounds genuine and resonable good

Kadphises

How will a Federal State be a reassurance against separatism?

Tamils make up almost 100% of the population around Jaffna and Batticaloa therefore devolution of executive powers to the inhabitants of those areas can be affected without infringing on any of the rights of the Sinhalese. Any fair minded Sinhalese should understand this.

On the other hand the Tamil demand for a disproportionately large merged Northern and Eastern province exclusively for themselves also smacks of supremacy. They should understand that their claim to Sri Lankan land is no greater than that of the Sinhalese.

The middle path between these two extreme positions would be to re demarcate the Northern Province and the Eastern Province to reflect the size of their populations as of the 1981 census and devolve full powers (including police, land and fiscal powers) to these two new entities. It would also allay the fear of some Eastern Tamils that they will be dominated and dictated to by their Northern brethren.

The Tamils will then have their Federal State and the Sinhalese will have the reassuarance that the Tamils will not break away at some future point with a huge chunk of their country.