Northern challenge

Saturday, 13 August 2011 00:14 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

On Thursday the Daily FT featured some valid comments by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran on the state of the nation. We say state of the nation because Tamils, including those in the north and east, are part of one nation today.

His remarks in the interview were startling. We quote: “The situation is pretty bad. We called for an adjournment debate in Parliament on 7 July at which we placed before Parliament all the things that are happening in north and east – the land grabs, the post settlements, new persons brought in and settled in these areas, increased militarisation, places of worship being destroyed, new Buddha statues and Buddhist places of worshiping coming up in areas where there are no Buddhist civilians at all, increased ‘Sinhalisation,’ new Sinhala names being given, name boards being changed and so on. All that was listed, I even tabled an 18-page document. The Government did not even respond to that. The Government is seemingly working to an agenda. That is why the democratic verdict of the people is not being honoured.”

Some of the remarks could be plain truth and few others an exaggeration or an interpretation out of context. Irrespective of the fact that such allegations are coming from a member of the minority, he is a Member of Parliament and therefore must be taken seriously. There was no response or a rebuttal from the Government since the publication of the interview on 11 August, but we believe his comments are being studied whilst the President and his senior aides are busy on a yet another State visit to China.



Sumanthiran’s comments also came after not-so-successful talks between the Government and the TNA. In the past there had been several rounds and the latest held after the conclusion of local government elections had been hardly cordial. Given some of the adverse incidents of late, including the attack on News Editor of the Uthayan newspaper and the frustration of the TNA, such an outcome could be expected.

Sumanthiran opined that the so-called talks with the TNA were more of a showpiece for the Government, than out of serious intent to find reconsolidation and a lasting political solution to grievances of the Tamils in the north and east. “We sit there, have a cup of tea and come. It is a charade for some other purpose,” he alleged. The TNA MP also fired another salvo. “The Tamil people know the extent of devolution of power that the Government was willing to grant when the LTTE was around. And now if they say ‘all that we were only willing to give the LTTE but not now,’ the message that they are giving the Tamil people is ‘you come with a gun and you will get more.’” This, Sumanthiran said, is not a good message. “They must at least now change that outlook,” he added.

It may not be wise to dismiss Sumanthiran’s comments as “petty politics”. Instead the Government, which is increasingly under pressure from West as well as India to make an honest attempt with credible action to solve the issues in the north, must take a serious look within.

Also on Thursday Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena said that there had been many killings reported in the north and east since the end of the war. These were connected to ransoms and hijacking. The perpetrators remain at large.

In today’s issue on page 6 we feature a statement by the Friday Forum, a grouping of civil society leaders, raising concerns over democracy, rule of law and human rights in the Northern Province. Referring to the attack on the Uthayan journalist, the sixth victim of the newspaper in recent history, the Friday Forum said assaults on such democratic entitlements, especially in the post-war context, can only bode ill for national reconciliation and the future political stability of the country.

It also said not just in terms of the climate of fear, but also as reflective from the local government elections, there seems to be a polarisation of politics from the very different election results and the differing political fortunes of the Government in the north compared to the south.

For a Government which won the war against terrorism, winning peace and fostering democracy and inclusive development must be the preoccupation as far as the policy on the north and east is concerned. It is in the north and not the south in which the Government has an excellent opportunity to prove its sincerity and commitment to the world, while also defeating anti-Sri Lankan forces. If not, the people in the north and outside wouldn’t see a true difference.

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