Diaspora creates more chaos and suffering for Tamils

Noel Nadesan in Melbourne

Right now Sri Lanka is facing three offensives – and all three have come from abroad with the Tamil Diaspora trying their best to embarrass the Sri Lankan government. The first is the anti-Sri Lanka resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council at its 25th session in Geneva. This resolution insisting on an international investigation into allegations of war crimes in the final phase of the terrorist war in 2009 has pleased the Tamil Diaspora. They think they have scored a victory against the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL). But GOSL has bluntly refused to go along with the UNHRC resolution. What the Diaspora does not realise (or does not publicise) is that the economic consequences of any sanctions will hurt the Tamil people in the North and south more than the Government.

The GOSL is working on its own formula – possibly a Truth Commission on South African lines – which will weaken the UNHRC move as the GOSL has shown a willingness to conduct an investigation of its own.

The second is the abortive attempt by a small ex-LTTE group to revive the violent struggle in the post-may 2009 period. Informed journalists such as DBS Jeyaraj have identified the Nediyavan group in Norway as the key operator who has financed and directed operations from abroad. The GOSL reacted swiftly to target all three thus ending the futile attempt of the Diaspora to achieve their goal. It is clear that the Government forces are on full alert and the ready response to beat the futile attempt is a clear warning to the Tamil Diaspora that they cannot gain anything significant by financing and directing militancy except causing more chaos and suffering to Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Nip in the bud

Third, the Tamil Diaspora had been working overtime to hit back at GOSL in various ways. But the GOSL has taken the Diaspora by surprise when it listed 16 organisations as terrorist outfits. This is a move to nip in the bud any organized moves by the Diaspora to destabilise Sri Lanka. To some extent this move has given the GOSL the upper hand. It has also crippled the free access to Sri Lankan agents of the Tamil Diaspora. I personally think all these Diaspora organisations should not only be banned but also initiate an inquiry on arming and financing a war against Sri Lankan people many years ago.

The fact that the killing of the three agents of the Diaspora did not provoke a public outrage proves that any attempt to revive terrorism will not gain any sympathy either abroad or in Sri Lanka. In fact, various reports agree that the vast amount of information came from the Sri Lankan Tamils in the North who are wary of the rise of violence again.

The West and Pro-LTTE Diaspora fronts have one thing in common: they have no sympathy for the victims of their foolish adventures. The consequences of all their actions will have to be borne by the Tamil civilians who have had an overdose of violence. The GOSL authorities are quite pleased that the Tamil community, by and large, have responded favourably to their request for information and cooperation. As usual the Tamil Diaspora is going down the wrong path. They have not calculated their options realistically. Whatever emotions left over, it is not emotions that is going to win the day. The chances of ensuring gains for the Tamil people are greater, if the Diaspora can change its tactics and look for positive engagement with the GOSL.

We have to seriously ask the west and LTTE front organisation to leave the Sri Lankans to sort out their own problems as it is the only way forward for a lasting peace in our Island.

Stagnation

Guns and goons occupied the land till May 2009. Violence in the south and north ruined the nation. There were no positive gains in the JVP insurrections or the Tamil separatist violence. If the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna insurrections succeeded in Sri Lanka, then most probably we would have ended up like another North Korea. I believe Rohana Wijeweera would have been worse than Kim Il-sung who after the Korean War, introduced the personal philosophy of Juche, or self-reliance, which became the guiding light for North Korea's politics. Decades of this rigid state-controlled system has led to stagnation and a leadership dependent on the cult of personality.

In 1971, Sri Lanka had to get help from India. Unfortunately many young people were killed. Many mothers lost their children. The Sirimavo Bandaranaike led government, not only rehabilitated many militants but also let many leaders back to the community believing they all respect democracy and power of the ballot.

In 1987 the same leaders started another insurrection. While the government was battling with Tamil militancy in the north and the east during 87-90, more young militants, and defence personnel and innocent people were killed. The Government during the time had crushed the JVP leadership without mercy, made no prisoner from the leadership. But there were not many allegations of human rights violations because cold war clouds loomed large over the entire horizon during the time. Subsequently thirty years of Tamil militancy was brought to end in May 2009 by military means.

I am not a blind supporter of the government. Governments all over the world are not only imperfect but also inefficient. However, the alternative to a government is not chaos, destruction of lives and property. Foreign intervention in many countries whether governments were imperfect or inefficient in last 60 years resulted in disastrous consequences. The Tamil people of the North are being kept in the dark about the unrest and instability in Kosovo, South Sudan and East Timor by the local Tamil media.

Stability

The last provincial election results show that people are longing for peace and order ensured by the government. President Mahinda Rajapaksa restored stability in the country and established law and order during the last five years which the successive presidents and governments were not able to ensure for citizens of Sri Lanka for many years. That is why he is elected to power at every election.

During the last presidential election I travelled to the south of Sri Lanka and talked to many Sinhala workers, farmers and fisherfolk who repeated that it was President Rajapaksa who stopped killing our sons. A friend of mine with his wife and children driving from Kandy to Colombo, said to me ‘Machan, we were not able to come to Colombo together as a family years ago. Either my wife with our son or daughter or me with son or daughter came due to bomb blasts in Colombo. When I asked him, ‘how come the people forgot this so soon, he said “No, the ordinary people remember this well and voted for President Rajapaksa all along.”

The majority of the Sri Lankan people are grateful to the Government for removing terrorism from the country. This is specially so in the border villages in Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. The rural Sinhala people tend to perceive the actions of the West and the Diaspora as anti-Sinhala. The West and the diaspora are, therefore, really sabotaging reconciliation between the communities. They are looking only to fulfil their political and emotional agenda.

I thought that was true because if you are a wealthy Sinhalese or Tamil you can send your children abroad but ordinary people did not have a choice. The poor Tamils let their children join LTTE and the Sinhalese the army until May 2009.

Now after three decades, ordinary Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese live peacefully in their homes with their children beside them and dreaming of their future but some people outside Sri Lanka do not like their peaceful dreams.