Dr.DJ

This threadbare argument OF THE sovereignty of a country being preeminent above all considerations pertaining to the legitimate rights of a SOVEREIGN PEOPLE has, at best, a convoluted, a twisted, logic to it and detracts from the fact that the legitimate rights of a sovereign race are being denied them by attempts to establish this overarching importance to” national sovereignty”. Does “national sovereignty” considerations then give the rulers Carte Blanche rights as it were to ride roughshod over a people’s dignity and rights by seeking refuge, ad infinitum, behind the rationale of “national sovereignty interests”.

To me ” national security and sovereignty interests’ are excuses totally lacking in persuasive logic.Everyone knows they are mere pseudonyms for “majoritarian self interest” to the exclusion of all legitimate rights of all other minority groups. It is this denial of their rights that was the crucible in which racially tinted political extremism, even armed resistance to this majoritarian stranglehold,was conceived, and birthed.

Trace the genesis of the metamorphosis in Tamil politics that has brought it to its unyielding stance of today. Who and what triggered that metamorphosis? An ugly and bloody history answers that question adequately for those who have the integrity and the guts to acknowledge the truth of the answer.

As another post on “Groundviews” observes , the government has more than an adequate number of spin doctors who are adept at coming up with verbose justifications for what in effect are moves exclusively designed to ensure consolidation of its own power.

Luxmy, in posts above, says a mouthful each time she comes online.

My way of putting it is that all this prevarication, [now moving on from endless committees, commissions and what-have-you,] is in effect a manifestation of the incredible extent to which the government can be callously unmindful of the sufferings, the urgency to meaningfully address the just demands of a honourable people. As paraphrased elsewhere, the Rajapaksa trio knows that it will be “curtains” for them, especially for MR, if he as much as makes a move towards implementing even the 13A, let alone a plus 13A. No that he has or ever had any intention of doing so.

Fully well being aware of this fact, are apologists of and for the government wasting their exceptional journalistic talents to prop up what is morally indefensible, politically crooked, ethically repulsive
by stooping so low as to sell themselves to become mere wordsmiths, paid apologists, to drown out the cries of a race that has enough and more of suffering to last another 50 generations to come.

This is a shame of gigantic proportions and it’s amazing that these apologists can shamelessly continue to play an active part on many prominent blogs such as this site.

Where do you see yourself in this scheme of things? On the human side of the fence? Conscience can be very truthful in such matters.One can also choose to walk on the wrong side of history.

Amb. J’s comments were answered by Roger, PP, Samuthra.

I think What Amb. J was referring to is the Sinhala electorate when he said “electorally radioactive”. Most of the Thamil electorate and the Thamil Diaspora will also consider radioactive anything less than federalism. And for substantial numbers of Thamils in and out of Sri Lanka anything less than a separate state or a solution not based on the VR or the Thimbu Principles will be “radioactive”. Let us therefore leave out, for now, those with views in the extremities of the spectrum of a political solution irrespective of the numbers that support “radioactive” views.

I am assuming that Amb. J is referring to the 13th amendment as originally approved in JR’s Parliament is what he wants me to convince TNA to accept as the starting point. I can only do so if I am convinced that the 1988 13 A is without “radio-activeness” now. We all know its radio-activeness then and the resultant “fall-out”. Is it still radioactive? It is common knowledge that the 1988 13 A was passed through Parliament because JR had the letters of resignation of the UNP MPs. But I am willing to assume that that was not the reason the UNP MPs voted for the 13th A in 1988. Everyone know that the 1988 13th A was not put to the people at a referendum and JR took the Supreme Court route. It was common knowledge that in 1988 the 13th A would not pass AT A REFERENDUM of the people because it was “radioactive”. As the LTTE is no longer a an armed force to be reckoned with in or out of Sri Lanka, the main reason why the 1988 13th A will not be implemented is that the GSL and substantial majority of the Sinhala voters want it expunged from the constitution or dilute it beyond recognition, with the support of the TNA if possible, to get a semblance of Thamils’ acquiescence.

Let us assume that the 1988 13th A is the “Middle Path” as Amb. J seem to infer. Can he get the government he serves to put the 1988 13TH A to the people to RE-AFFIRM at a referendum which were denied to them by JR in 1988? Can he also get the government he serves not to renew the ER. If this happens no one need to convince the Thamils and the TNA, Sinhalese or Muslims to accept or reject the 13th amendment of 1988. IF the people reaffirm the 1988 13th A, after a NE provincial election, there can be a dialogue between the Centre and the Provinces, with a time frame, to eliminate the concurrent list and allow the Provinces to elect their own Governor.

The condition to the proposal above is, in the event that the majority of the people do not affirm it at a referendum, the United Nations should conduct a referendum of the Thamil people to determine whether the Tamil people want a separate state or prefer to stay within a Unitary Sri Lanka.

”…… when ‘self determination’ jeopardises the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country….” ??

”unity”, ”territorial integrity”, ”sovereignty”, etc are not the bottomline.
The bottomline is good governance – respects fundamental rights of ALL citizens.
1. If this is respected, the result will most probably be unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty, ………
2. If it is not respected, self-determination should determine the extent of ”unity”, ”territorial integrity”, ”sovereignty”, etc.

We cannot afford not to sow the good seeds of logic in the minds of the future generation and we cannot afford to sow the seeds of illogic.

Basically what you say is that 13A is the maximum devolution, which can be envisaged at this point in time as the ‘majority’ will not allow any politician to go beyond it.

I want to remind you that even this ‘hallowed’ 13A has never been endorsed by the majority in any referendum. It was introduced by then GoSL as it was thought at that time as the best possible solution to the ethnic problem. (I conscioulsy omitted the politics behind the introduction of 13A). I do not want to tell you what happened in Colombo and how many people got killed in the immediate aftermath of signing the Indo-Lanka peace accord. Inspite of all those negative factors we should thank then JRJ’s government for making a devoultion pakage a law first time in the history of independent Sri Lanka (although not implemented fully due to unwillingness of the Sinhala politicians ever since). Today we can talk about it as a base line of devolution of power to Tamils. Imagine a situation where there has not been such devoultion package in existance. People like DJ would say that since majority will not endorse any form power devolution. Nothing can be given to Tamils’ They have to satisfy with the status-quo.

DJ, what you and people like you, are doing is providing a ‘pseudo’ intellectual background for the oppertunistic politicians to hide behind.

Forget about the majority, as we know that they have been brain-washed by the continous barrage of one-sided propaganda by the Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalists for too long to think clearly without prejudice and fear about the Tamils and their aspirations.

Tell me what you think about this. Are you satisfied with 13A? Do you think it will satisfy the Tamil Political aspirations? Are you still a left wing maverick as we know you for years? Or just another intellectual in the calibre of GLP?

If you really beleive in something would you let the Majority a free hand to decide something giving the lame excuse that majority decides. Or would you fight tooth and nail to eductate the majority to change their thinking?

Don’t you think that the thinking of the majority can be changed by correct education?

You are challenging us to produce a single UNP poliiticians who is willinng to go beyond 13A. I do not think that you are so naive to understand the Sri Lankan politics DJ. When MR is riding high with his populist national agenda with his image constantly bombarding the Sinhala Buddhist Collective Mind as a tough anti-separatist, anti-fedaralism and anti-devoultion bulwark do you think a UNP leader with the ever falling vote bank in the Sinahal Buddhist south would project himself as a pro-devolution, pro-tamil, pro-separatist, pro-LTTE figur given the infamous history of UNP vis a vis ‘peace accord with the LTTE’ or “Ali-Koti Givisuma”

You statement that any future Sri Lankan leader will not/will be unable go further than 13A looks like to me a more than a mere statement. I suspect it is more of a wish isn’t it?

It seems that the way that you uphold the actions of other Asian governments regarding their speartist problems as ‘best practice in Asia’ it is no wonder you are employed as an diplomat by the Rajapakshas. Can you put all these situations namely Kashmir, Baluchistan, Tibet, etc in a single basket? Do you agree with what Indian government is doing with Kashmir? (Of course you do!) Is it Kashmir a part and parcel of India? If Kashmir was ruled by a Muslim Maharajah what would have happened to it? Don’t you think that it really belongs to Pakistan or at least their claim to it as ‘controversial’.

The way that the intellecutals supporting the government adivce the Rajapakshas there is no wonder that the Sri Lanka will not be able to solve this problem in the coming future. We are definietly going to leave it for the future generation.

The Rajapaksha Troika is so typical (like many other authoritative regimes in the past and the present) that they employ people who say what they want to hear. Others are pushed aside branding as ‘traitor’.Therefore, they will face the same fate as anyother in their shoes by listening only praise and as a result of with thinking they are invinsible. What will happen to Rajapakshas in the future will be an inadvertant result of the their ‘intellectual’ advisers.

It was only a child who shouted that the King is naked.

Mr.Ambassador why the “best practices” in Asia? What is the best practice of Asia? Do you believe that 13A is the best solution to solve the ethnic problem? Why a proposal for federal constitution will be shot down in a referendum? Should it be shot down? Don’t you know the separation is the agenda of very few? Don’t you think that 3 questions raised by TNA is to confirm the commitment of government to the 13A?

To OPPOSE it? Moi? Do you have a comprehension problem Renu? I have been consistently supporting, when I haven’t been actively applauding, Asanga Welikala (‘Publius’), Kalana Senaratna, Chaminda Weerawardana, Shakya Lahiru Padmalal, Indi Samarajiva, Celina Cramer, Harini Weerasekara, Thilina rajapaksa, Harendra Alwis, Malathy Knight…and of course Kumar Sangakkara’s speech and those who endorse it.

BR
”Minister Basil Rajapaksa has been quoted in the Tamil language newspapers today as having said that a Parliamentary Select Committee is the best method to find a political solution to the national question. He says that in this way, we can find a political solution that is acceptable to all communities in the country, and has invited the Tamil people to have faith in this process” – http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/2945

GR
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of His Excellency the President and an important policy-maker in the Government, has been quoted in the “Headlines Today” (Daily Mirror, Wednesday, August 10th, 2011, Page 4), that there was little scope of going beyond the current levels of devolution – http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/2945

Samuthra wants to know how we will “address2 …”self determination”. Well, the Sri Lankan state under any administration will address it following the ‘ best practices’ in Asia on that matter, when ‘self determination’ jeopardises the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country: Kashmir, Baluchistan, Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, Tibet, Mindanao… Get the picture?

Dear Pitisara ( or PeePee), Samuthra et al,

Let us keep it simple. Five basic points:

1. It is not logically possible to envisage a reform more advanced than that which the combination of Rajiv, MGR, Dixit, the IPKF, a Govt with a 2/3rds majority AND an undefeated Eelam militancy were able to secure: the 13th amendment! So why waste anybody’s time seeking to move beyond it? Such unrealistic greed can only work in one direction: unravelling.

2. An outright statement by the TNA that it accaepts supports and will work within the 13th amendment as the final status solution, and wishes solely to discuss modalities and a time table for its full implementation ( albeit with mututally agreed upon minor modifications), will surely pre-empt any dilatory tactics by this or a future government by way of APRCs, APCs, PSCs etc .

3. Try getting a single leading figure of the opposition UNP, by which I mean the current or likley next leaders, to promise to go beyond the 13th amendment! If the Govt and opposition are unwilling to do so, the only game in town in the foreseeable future is to subscribe to the 13th amendment.

4. Try producing a single public opinion polling result for the past 15 years which shows a plurality willing to go beyond 13A.

5. So, 13 A is as good as it gets and as good as its gonna get. Use it or lose it! Focusing on 13 A, as I do, is useful because someday, some leader or administration — including perhaps this one– is going to implement it, but will not/will be unable to go further.