As I wrote the original Post,I could not get adequate first hand report(reliable) on the rebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka, Post Civil War and LTTE.
Today I came across an article in the Guardian, which states that the Rebuilding efforts are normal and raises questions over the 13 th Amendment and the size of the Defence Foeces to be maintained in the Tamil Areas.
Ifeel that this might take time because one hs to take into account the tragedy suffered by the Sri Lankans as well.
Surprising, or is it intentional that no report of this nature is picked up by The Tamil Media and even on the internet one has to hunt for this information!
Reconstruction
A recent visit to Colombo and Jaffna enabled this writer to hear a range of voices and also see the reconstruction activities that have been undertaken by the Sri Lankan authorities in the latter city and area. The resettlement work and the reconstruction of physical infrastructure in the four years that have passed since the LTTE’s defeat have been good. While there is a civilian administration in place, the Governor is a retired army officer and this is a ground for complaint. It is true that Colombo would have had little option but to rely on the army in the immediate aftermath of the conflict for resettlement and development work. However, popular sentiment would now be addressed by reducing the army’s salience. The acquisition of land for the expansion of defence facilities is a major ground for complaint.
One of the most contentious issues relates to the size of the defence force to be stationed in the Northern Province. Almost all sections of Tamil opinion are convinced that if the defence forces are placed in large numbers in extensive military facilities, their sole objective would be to coerce the Tamil population. The basis of this belief is that the threat of violent separatism has disappeared with the defeat of the LTTE. The Rajapaksa view, endorsed by many Sinhalese, is that this is not so. It strongly holds that the ambition of a separate Tamil state is widespread, especially in the influential Tamil diaspora. The diaspora is currently focused more on putting pressure on Colombo on human rights issues. However, in future it can promote violent activities and an empowered province in the north may provide them with a base.
There is no easy resolution of these two fundamentally contradictory visions. In the 21st century, terrorist violence is an issue but the security of plural and multi-ethnic states is best guaranteed in satisfactorily addressing the reasonable aspirations of ethnic and religious minorities including their quest for identity, justice, democracy and development. On their part, minorities must shun violent approaches and understand the concerns of the majority communities. Historical memory, ancient grievances and the dubious lessons of battles lost and won in centuries past cannot guide leaders, particularly those who control the destinies of peoples and countries in this digital age.
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment is the cornerstone of the position of the overwhelming majority of the Tamil political class. It has already been diluted by the decision of the Court regarding the inadmissibility of the merger of the Northern and the Eastern provinces. Any further weakening of the Amendment is unacceptable to them. The Indian position too is to support the implementation of the Amendment. Recently, the Union Minister for External Affairs, Salman Khurshid, urged his Sri Lankan counterpart that elections for the Northern Provincial Council need to be held within the time frame announced by President Rajapaksa and under the present provisions of the Constitution. While India is firmly committed to the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, the entire country shares the concern expressed in Tamil Nadu for the rights and welfare of Sri Lanka’s Tamil community. Will President Rajapaksa take these views into account and if he does not, what can and will India do? The communication channels which have worked successfully to diffuse situations in the past now need to operate urgently.
(Vivek Katju is a former Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan.)
I have been posting articles on the repression of the Tamils in Sri Lanka,The Genocide and lack of progress in the resettlement of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, post the civil war and LTEE era.
Displaced in Sri Lanka
I still hold the same views on the culpability of the Rajapakshe Government in the massacre of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Regarding developmental activities in Sri Lankapost Civil War, as I mentioned in my earlier posts, there is scant and vague information in the internet,
The tales of atrocities continue.
However, normally very credible Thuglak, a Tamil Fortnightly, run by Mr, Cho Ramaswamy, Satirist and Political Commentator, has been running a series of articles being reported by its Reporter, SJ Idhaya, who has visited Sri Lanka, which states that war normalcy has returned ,people are going about their normal activities and are relieved to be rid of the LTTE Threat.
Excerpts.
Killinochi,Pudukkudiruppu,Mullaiththeevu and Vavuniya have returned to normalcy.
People used to dig holes in the houses, hide children to save them from being recruited by The LTTE.
The women who were interviewed had admitted that they have joined the Sri LankanArmy and that there has been no force.
The people are not threatened nor are they being mistreated by the Army.
The reporter confirms that those interviewed were those who had no time to prepare their replies and most of the time the interviews were impromptu.
The reporter affirms that the demand for Tamil Elam is the making of the Tamil Politicians for their vote-bank.
For more on this read the Thuglak dtd 26 June 2013.
I am providing a Link for Mr.Cho’s views on the subject.
‘I doubt these people realise that the US resolution does not condemn Sri Lanka as such. The resolution says that recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Com-mission (LLRC) appointed by Colombo, which was something like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, should be implemented. The US resolution also insists that there must be a settlement of the Tamil problem. I cannot understand what the champions of the Eelam cause see in it.”
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