Lanka Page

Civil war : Sri Lanka has so much, and stands to lose it all

If there is one country in Asia that can serve as a metaphor for all the good and the evil in the world, it may well be little Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon.

This physically gorgeous island nation off the coast of India is a mess. A few years ago, after some two decades of civil war, its people experienced an unaccustomed respite: a rather well-observed, virtually unprecedented, long-overdue ceasefire.

‘Two decades of civil war’ makes it sound as if the people were cannibalizing each other in this island; the truth is that the war was far from civil (!); it was waged, it needs a reminder, by an organization that has been called ‘terrorist’ in the USA and much of the civilized world.

Why does Tom Plate bastardize the word civil; if he must tamper with the English language, should he do it with reference to this country, one that has been ravaged much without Tom Plate getting his teeth into it as well?? How long would a ceasefire really last a few months, a year or two or perhaps four at most? But while it did last, it suggested that Sri Lanka had a splendid future, that it could mature into a gem like Switzerland or Singapore, that it could offer the rest of the world an exemplary measure of hope that our planet is moving toward a higher level of civilization rather than descending into a Hobbelsian state of nature wherein life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

Its not as if the ceasefire is over in that sense; the two parties are meeting in Geneva to talk about precisely the point salvaging a damaged battered ceasefire, one that was perhaps nasty and brutish, but not short as far as ceasefires go, lasting now for over 4 years even though now in its most rudimentary form. You have to understand, this is a nation of tremendous promise.

Its people are, by and large, talented, educated and ready for the globalization experience. Why else would the Japanese always so savvy about investing their time and money in a prospect have invested so much in trying to help all parties maintain the ceasefire? And why else would those near-saintly Norwegian peace negotiators be so prodigiously devoted to mediation efforts? Sri Lanka, everyone realizes, is well worth the attention.

Canonized the Norwegians

Even Pope John Paul never canonized anybody with the god speed that Tim Plate canonized the Norwegians here; and the departed Pope was not known for holding back his halos. But the Norwegians must be proud; they bestow titles such as “Excellency” with tested practice, so why not be canonized by Tom Plate done to a turn, eh?? But to realize its potential, it has to begin helping itself if others are to realize success in permanently helping it out of its nightmare.

If it does not, then all of the outside parties which include the United States and other nations and organizations that came to its aid after last year’s horrid tsunami are going to walk away from Sri Lanka as if it has never existed. For at a certain point, it is only rational to say that it is impossible to help someone who so stubbornly will not help himself.

The United States has issued the sternest warning against the LTTE, which it has called a stubborn reprehensible terrorist organization and Tom Plate says Sri Lanka is not helping itself? That’s like saying a man caught in a torrential downpour is a wretch because he couldn’t help himself by stanching the clouds and stopping the heavens from opening. Right now things are getting worse in Sri Lanka.

Recently elected President Mahinda Rajapakse is demonstrating astonishing ineptitude. Paramilitary forces allegedly repeat, allegedly linked to the SL Government have just abducted a handful of nonviolent humanitarian aid workers and have stored them who knows where (assuming they are still alive).

And the various warring parties practically had to be begged by the international community to send representatives to Geneva where the next multiparty peace chat has been scheduled.

Even assuming that paramilitaries did abduct the LTTE’s humanitarian workers, how does it show President Rajapakse’s ineptitude? In the first place, there is not enough credible evidence to prove it’s the paramilitaries that ran away with the said aid workers.

But does the writer think that President Rajapske instructs paramilitaries all the way from the President’s quarters, to scuttle the talks and abduct people?!!! Tom Plate has not heard of things that are mutually excusive such as overzealous anti LTTE forces acting on their own, and a President who despite all the provocations and impediments is trying his darndest to arrive at pace.

Journalistic ineptitude anyone? Since December more than 100 people have died in Sri Lanka in the renewed round of fighting. Some 60 to 80 Sri Lankan Sinhalese troops have died, as have some 40 to 60 Tamil civilians.

The latter is from the minority ethnicity of Sri Lanka that largely inhabits the northeast portion of the island-nation. Its inhabitants, fearful of oppressive rule by the Sinhalese leadership, by and large would settle happily for some kind of Quebec-like federal status in a bicultural Canada-like Sri Lanka.

Two decades of war

In two decades of conflict, more than 60,000 people have died. Land mines, grenade attacks and what-have-you have converted this tourist postcard island into an Asian Gaza Strip.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo, the capital, should be congratulated for playing a steady mediator’s hand. Oppressed by the Sri Lankan state? Tom Plate quotes the US embassy selectively (see this next sentence) and why does he sweep the US Assistant Secretary of State Nick Burn’s statement under his carpet of verbiage? Didn’t Burns say it was the LTTE a reprehensible terrorist group which wants war in Sri Lanka – not an oppressive government? Da,da, Mr Plate, congratulate the US Government if you must but for the correct reasons…

When the 10 aid workers of the nonprofit Tamil Rehabilitation Organization were abducted last week, the embassy issued a forthright statement expressing Washington’s alarm and urging all the parties to show up in Geneva later this month to attend to the business of making peace.

An ominous recent study, made public after a renewed effort by the governments of Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden (backed by the World Bank and the Asia Foundation), declared that “the potential for a return to war is inherent in the current situation.

The study’s authors who include a University of London expert argue that the key to peace in Sri Lanka is to be found in a renewed effort in Colombo by the majority Sinhalese government to magnanimously accept many of the expressed wishes of the minority in the northeast.

Magnanimity has been offered by many Sri Lankan governments; and one government which was around some years back will remember that when it wanted to talk of Federalism (express wish of the people of the northeast according to tom Plate) the LTTE took a walk, taking the negotiating table with them almost.

The study calls for “a more inclusive approach to conflict resolution,” including a recommendation for greatly increased humanitarian aid to the minority northeast, the hardest hit region by the tsunami: “Sri Lanka’s current situation may be characterized as a ‘pause in conflict.’ ” The pause seems about to end, and the country would appear to be on the precipice of a descent into hell like that of Darfur.

A more inclusive approach to conflict resolution would be realized if the LTTE deigned to include itself in the resolution process. So, veteran commentator Tom Plate gives his credibility over to the LTTE on a plate – nay a platter.

UCLA professor Tom Plate, a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, is a veteran journalist who has worked at TIME, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and CBS.

********************************************************************************

`Tom fools’ beating LTTE tom-toms

The West never seem to be running short of crusaders tirelessly trying to “civilize’’ the Sinhalese since the LTTE – riding on the backs of ordinary Tamils – launched its separatist war against the Sri Lankan state, over three decades ago, with Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah’s assassination.

Western Tiger sympathizers seem to be living in the clouds although their own governments (The USA, European Union etc) have come to recognize the so-called Liberation Tigers for what they really are – a terrorist movement that not only deserves no international recognition but also ought to be banned until it reforms itself. Yet all that make no difference no difference to `intellectuals’ parroting LTTE rhetoric.

Writing to the February 8 Japan Times, under the title, “Sri Lanka has so much and stands to lose it all,” University of California, Los Angeles `Professor’ Tom Plate is apparently shedding crocodile tears for this island while turning a blind eye to LTTE’s many crimes including abductions of children (which the Amnesty International has condemned in no uncertain terms) for combat training, suppressing all opposition and freedom of expression in areas under Tiger domination.

In contrast the areas under so-called oppressive Sinhala rule continues to be a multi-ethnic and a pluralistic society, despite the many faults in its political system. The overtly pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance is represented in Parliament and pro-Tiger Tamil newspapers are published in the South. Have the likes of Tom Plate ever investigated the in which part of Sri Lanka does the greater number of Tamils live (except for those who have migrated to foreign lands) – whether it is in the Tiger-dominated areas of the so-called Tamil traditional homeland or the areas under “oppressive’’ Sinhala rule? In other words have the Tamil civilians moved en-masse to the rogue state of Tamil Eelam from the areas under “oppressive Sinhala rule” since 1983?’’

Has Tom Plate (instead of writing Tommy rot and beating tom-toms on the Tigers’ behalf) pondered why these so-called sole representatives (the LTTE) of the Tamil people have to date never dared to face a parliamentary election – if necessary under international supervision? Even Hamas – which the West and Israel have accused of many a terrorist act – vindicated itself on the issue of popularity by facing an election and winning it.

`Tiger’ Plate congratulates U.S. Embassy in Colombo for its statement on the abduction of a handful of “nonviolent humanitarian aid workers’’ from the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). He pretends to be oblivious to Britain’s Charity Commission ‘s exposure of TRO links with the LTTE in allocating funds. The Commission reports states that the “Commission found evidence of mismanagement” of funds. It has been established that the TRO’s financial controls were inadequate and that there was a lack of transparency in its operations, according to the commission

Plate also pretends to be ignorant of the U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead stern warning to the LTTE that the U.S. government would give the Sri Lanka Government all possible military assistance if the Tigers do not express a strong commitment to peace but continues instead with its “repugnant policies of the past decade and a half”

Plate expresses concern over renewed clashes between government troops and the LTTE after the Presidential Elections without saying who was responsible – who blasted the first landmines and fired the first shots – for the recent round of fighting.

He refers to alleged government links to paramilitaries – a reference to the anti-Prabhakaran Karuna Group – ignoring the fact that the Scandinavian ceasefire monitoring team has ruled out any support to the dissident guerillas from Sri Lankan troops.

Who pursued a ruthless policy of ethnic cleansing in parts of the North and East, forcing hundreds Sinhalase and Muslims to flee these areas following a series of brutal massacres?

Tom Plate’s Tom Foolery is only pretense. He is nothing but a hypocrite and Tiger mouthpiece posing off as a peacemaker. His endorsement of Prabhakaran’s demand for “Tamil rights’’ reminds me of a cartoon by well-known British cartoonist the late David Low on British Fascist Party Leader Sir Oswald Mosley’s criticism of the British government’s punitive measures against his party. The caption read: “British Fascists demand their democratic rights!’’

It is nothing but the moral and material support that Tom Plate-types extended from the West to the Prabhakaran group that turned it to the monster, which it has become today. All these foreign LTTE sympathizers too have to be held accountable for the assassinations of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Presidential Candidate Gamini Dissanayake and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgarmar.

Let us remind him the words of Tamil United Front Liberation Front Leader V. Ananda Sangaree in a letter to Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh.

“The time has come to liberate the suffering Tamils from their so-called liberators. You will be doing a great service to the Tamil people of Sri Lanka who are living in total subjugation under the control of the LTTE.’’ SinhalaNet by Janaka Perera