Comments on: Elections in the East: The dawning of democracy or fostering of violence? http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/ groundviews is an award winning Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:34:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sam Thambipillai http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-736 Sam Thambipillai Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:38:06 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-736 Hounds cannot handle holy things. A unilateral logic cannot bring out reason. This is what one would observe if he he or she were to analyase the statement of Keheliya Rambukwela, the foreign minister of the government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), on the proposed elections for the "Provincial Council in the Eaast". This week, we were told two things by Rambukwela, about Indo Lanka Accord (ILA) and the merger of North and East provinces. Firstly, he said that the merger of North East (NE) was temporary. When the GOSL went ahead with the Unilateral Declaration of Republic (UDR) in 1972, the people of NE, by a self referendum as a single unit, decided to form the sovereign state of Tamil Eelam. Having democratically done at the appropriate time, NE will remain as one unit forever. When the contents of the ILA were discussed in India, the Tamil leaders knew full well that they had no mandate to go against the unit of NE, and they stood firmly for it. India agreed to this stand. J.R.Jeyawardene, the then president of SL, also knew that it was unavoidable. However, he openly expressed clearly to India that the criminality of Sinhala nation would assasinate him if he consented for NE as one unit. Therefore, there was a provision included in the ILA for "temporary merger" of Northern and Eastern provinces and a referendum was to be held in the East, unfairly without the North. It was definitely an inappropriate action against the mandate given by the people of NE in 1970's. The GOSL was asked in the ILA to prove as to why the "temporary merger" should not be a permanent merger, by a referendum in the East, within one year of signing the accord. Referendum was a challenge to the GOSL to prove a point. And the GOSL failed to prove it within the stipulated time. The idea of referendum was thus not to split the NE. Rambukwela does not seem to understand the circumstances leading to the inclusion of referendum in the ILA. Probably, unilateral Sinhala logic has not made him to ask the simple question " how could anything be temporary for so long as 20 years?". Secondly, he said that the referendum was to be held after disarming the militants. Not only referendum but even the the first elections to the NE provincial council was to be held after disarming the miltants. The fact that NE was conducive for Provincial Council elections shows that it was also equally conducive for a referendum in the East, but was not held. The referendum was not held deliberately by GOSL because it knew that it would lose the referendum. Therefore, the GOSL lost in its challenge in the ILA to de-link NE. The present provincial council elections is therefore a unilateral violation of the ILA let alone democracy. Hounds cannot handle holy things. A unilateral logic cannot bring out reason. This is what one would observe if he he or she were to analyase the statement of Keheliya Rambukwela, the foreign minister of the government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), on the proposed elections for the “Provincial Council in the Eaast”.

This week, we were told two things by Rambukwela, about Indo Lanka Accord (ILA) and the merger of North and East provinces.

Firstly, he said that the merger of North East (NE) was temporary.

When the GOSL went ahead with the Unilateral Declaration of Republic (UDR) in 1972, the people of NE, by a self referendum as a single unit, decided to form the sovereign state of Tamil Eelam. Having democratically done at the appropriate time, NE will remain as one unit forever.

When the contents of the ILA were discussed in India, the Tamil leaders knew full well that they had no mandate to go against the unit of NE, and they stood firmly for it. India agreed to this stand. J.R.Jeyawardene, the then president of SL, also knew that it was unavoidable. However, he openly expressed clearly to India that the criminality of Sinhala nation would assasinate him if he consented for NE as one unit.

Therefore, there was a provision included in the ILA for “temporary merger” of Northern and Eastern provinces and a referendum was to be held in the East, unfairly without the North. It was definitely an inappropriate action against the mandate given by the people of NE in 1970’s.

The GOSL was asked in the ILA to prove as to why the “temporary merger” should not be a permanent merger, by a referendum in the East, within one year of signing the accord.

Referendum was a challenge to the GOSL to prove a point. And the GOSL failed to prove it within the stipulated time. The idea of referendum was thus not to split the NE.

Rambukwela does not seem to understand the circumstances leading to the inclusion of referendum in the ILA. Probably, unilateral Sinhala logic has not made him to ask the simple question ” how could anything be temporary for so long as 20 years?”.

Secondly, he said that the referendum was to be held after disarming the militants.

Not only referendum but even the the first elections to the NE provincial council was to be held after disarming the miltants.

The fact that NE was conducive for Provincial Council elections shows that it was also equally conducive for a referendum in the East, but was not held.

The referendum was not held deliberately by GOSL because it knew that it would lose the referendum. Therefore, the GOSL lost in its challenge in the ILA to de-link NE.

The present provincial council elections is therefore a unilateral violation of the ILA let alone democracy.

]]> By: Perumal http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-735 Perumal Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:50:35 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-735 For the first 10 years we got to teach the Sinhala nation what democracy is, so that they become fit to utter the word "democracy" !! For another 9 years teach them that democracy is not simply unilateralism. For the first 10 years we got to teach the Sinhala nation what democracy is, so that they become fit to utter the word “democracy” !!

For another 9 years teach them that democracy is not simply unilateralism.

]]> By: David Blacker http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-734 David Blacker Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:17:25 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-734 At least now in 20 years it will be possible. Under the LTTE it never will be. At least now in 20 years it will be possible. Under the LTTE it never will be.

]]> By: Justin http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-733 Justin Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:39:32 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-733 Sarath, what you are aware and state is coming from the government propaganda. You do not seem to know neither democracy nor reality. Democracy guarantees freedom of expression, justice and equality of citizenry. None of these exist in the East. Any electoral process that is democratic guarantees free campaigning , free decision by the voters- having heard the policies of all parties and candidates-, free vote without intimidation and one man one vote without rigging. Do you think a fair democratic process is possible now in the East? Not for another 20 years. Just because somebody else who was undemocratic held elections does not mean that the elections were democratic. Sarath, what you are aware and state is coming from the government propaganda. You do not seem to know neither democracy nor reality.

Democracy guarantees freedom of expression, justice and equality of citizenry. None of these exist in the East.

Any electoral process that is democratic guarantees free campaigning , free decision by the voters- having heard the policies of all parties and candidates-, free vote without intimidation and one man one vote without rigging.

Do you think a fair democratic process is possible now in the East? Not for another 20 years. Just because somebody else who was undemocratic held elections does not mean that the elections were democratic.

]]> By: Sarath http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-732 Sarath Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:08:06 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2008/03/30/elections-in-the-east-the-dawning-of-democracy-or-fostering-of-violence/#comment-732 K. Ratnam, you seem to have been conspicuously silent when the LTTE was running affairs in the east. Do you regard their administration as "democratic"? I certainly do not. It never ceases to amaze me how people who were advocating that the east be handed over to the LTTE in the interests of "peace" and "democracy" (through negotiations) are now up in arms over an election. In my view the ousting of the LTTE was a boon to the region. Deaths due to violence have sharply fallen and refugees are being resettled. Tamils (and others) have been able to vote after more than a decade. K. Ratnam, you seem to have been conspicuously silent when the LTTE was running affairs in the east. Do you regard their administration as “democratic”? I certainly do not. It never ceases to amaze me how people who were advocating that the east be handed over to the LTTE in the interests of “peace” and “democracy” (through negotiations) are now up in arms over an election. In my view the ousting of the LTTE was a boon to the region. Deaths due to violence have sharply fallen and refugees are being resettled. Tamils (and others) have been able to vote after more than a decade.

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