I totally disagree. I have spent most of my time in Jaffna and traveled throughout the Vanni in the past two years. I have also visited the east. The needs of the the war-affected people do not relate to exercising political power. Their needs are very basic and relate to human dignity. What they need is a responsive , responsible and sensitive process to deliver their basic needs. Unfortunately, this has been wanting from the politicians and the government services. The armed forces have filled this breach commendably.

I would describe the actions of the government as rather well intended, though sabotaged to a considerable extent by the actions of corrupt cum stupid politicians it depends on and an effete cum corrupt public service.

The government has directed its efforts towards winning the confidence of the Tamils through its development thrust and promoting greater interaction between the north, east and the south through facilitating travel and greater people to people contacts. The armed forces have slowly but steadily transformed themselves into a bridge between the government and the people, and have won the trust of the people at large despite the few unsavoury incidents that are exaggerated and highlighted. The armed forces are trusted more by the people than the police, public service and the politicians thrust on them.

This is the truth, many for lack of knowledge or political reasons refuse to acknowledge.

The fault of the government has been its failure to define its vision in clear and unambiguous terms. The path it is traveling is definitely visible to the discerning, despite the hue and cry of the four forces identified by Sunanda Deshapriya and the despicable game being played by the TNA and other Tamil political formations. By trying to resort to coyness in expressing its intent and path, the government has created the conditions for the world at large to believe that it is not only naked, but also covered with sores! The GOsl has not understood the mind frame of the Sinhala people at large viz a viz the Tamils and has adopted its coy strategy to keep the Sinhala hardliners at bay. This foolish strategy has misfired.

The government should radically reform the public services in the north and east top to bottom and remove the ‘nasty’ politicians they have imposed on the people. Good governance is the only solution to the problems yet confronting the Tamils. Political solutions though necessary at some stage in the future, are not the answer now. If good governance can be brought about by any means, it should be considered. Political solutions and politicians of the type we have and who are waiting to be crowned through political solutions, would only make matters worse and widen the communal divide in Sri Lanka. Empowering divisive and corrupt elements will not definitely be of any help in the reconciliation process. Reconciliation should build trust. Trust should seed political solutions.

Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

Candidly

What you write shows the type of our education curriculum/textbooks and the type of politicians we have been having. It also shows what you are reading and what you are NOT reading in print and online.

1. We have unleashed state-aided pogroms on those who asked for devolution of power. Britain has devolved power to the regions. In our country It is illegal to advocate separation! Britain has allowed Scotland to hold referendum on separation and the Prime Minister went to Scotland to ask(plead with) the Scots to consider staying inside Britain with maximum devolved power. We keep the people under army boots if they are likely to demand fairness.

2. We are told that the diaspora from many countries have demonstrations year round in London and that the locals know that they are using their freedom of expression the diaspora didn’t have in their countries of origin. Just think of all the killings and abductions of those who criticise the government within the last one year alone inside our country. If you visit London once you may get us much more info for all of us here.

3. Most people judge others by deeds and not by words. The international community doesn’t judge the Sri Lankan President by what he speaks on international platforms but by what he does inside Sri Lanka. He has been doing inside Sri Lanka just the opposite of what he has been telling the world on international platforms. That is called lying in common parlance. In this internet age if the ruler of a country is lying, what can you say? The less the lying the better.

4.We should be demonstrating to demand so much from this President: we could start by demanding him to release the 15 reports in:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/85007346/A-List-of-Commissions-of-Inquiry-and-Committees-Appointed-by-the-Government-of-Sri-Lanka-2006-%E2%80%93-2012

“To those who feel themselves to be somehow above politics, I want to say that politics should be seen neither as something that exists above us nor as something that happens beneath us but something that is integral to our everyday existence” – Westminster, 21 June 2012

This is now the second time in 12 months that Tamil separatist activists have been able to force the cancellation of a speech in the UK by Mr Rajapaksa. But it’s not just the president who is adversely affected. In the case of the cancellation of a speech at Oxford an influential group of elite academics and students had their right to freely listen to a speech curtailed by fear of disruption and violence from Tamil separatists. In the case of the cancelled Mansion House speech, a large group of British and Commonwealth business and political leaders also had their right to hear a speech curtailed by the same people for the same reasons. But in this case an additional person’s right to free speech was also curtailed – that of the Lord Mayor of London who was to have opened the morning session of the Commonwealth Business Council.

These are powerful and wise people, and if some think they are the sort of persons likely to run in fear because of threats from supporters of the Tamil Tigers,they are making a huge mistake. In those circles, and in the international context, president Rajapaksa is likely to have received a lot of sympathy, especially given the sea of Tamil Tiger flags seen on the demonstrations. “Ah, now we get an idea of what you had to deal with Mr President” will be the thoughts of many of those people whose rights were curtailed by the pro-Tamil separatists in Oxford and London.

For the general public in the west, it is the reputation of Tamil migrants that will have gone down, not the reputation of Sri Lanka’s president and government.

“At London School of Economics on 19 June Aung San Suu Kyi said that Burma’s constitution must be amended to have the Rule of Law to harmonize the aspirations of all ethnic nationalities.”

True and together, the people must have the “Right to Information” on all the activities of the Government that is “transparency” in all its actons.

Dear Dr. Jayatilleke,

I don’t.

The state, unitary or otherwise, is not the issue; it is what defines its existence and conduct. The 13th amendment, and if I may add the 18th as well, are clear examples of irrational rules that serve none but those in power, namely the office of the President.

The assumption that we don’t have any other option but the 13th amendment for maintaining a unitary state (if that is the sole objective) is not even consistent with your own views as argued in 1995 (referred to in Kalana’s article). I find it difficult to accept that someone patently intelligent as you would consider the 13th (& possibly 18th) to be a cornerstone of our foundation.

Regards
GTBP

That is also in the reports on Sri Lanka by International Commission of Jurists, Asian Human Rights Commission, etc in the last few decades.

That is what Justice Weeramantry and many others told LLRC.