Should Restructuring Sri Lanka as Union of Two Nations -EROS

Photo: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour

"On the surface, one cannot see any tangible contribution Arbour’s trip makes to this approach. On the contrary this can be a digression and if pursued carelessly can only contribute to the realisations of Sinhala chauvinist objectives and perpetuate the genocide as well as justify the LTTE and its armed struggle for separation."

(October,23,London,Sri Lanka Guardian) Though there has been concerted attempt to portray the Sri Lankan issue as a human rights issue, question remains whether the problem in Sri Lanka is a human rights problem and if it is not a human rights problem, then what is it?

What you have in Sri Lanka is a war that has erupted due to national oppression and political injustice. Only the end to military occupation and oppression through a profound political approach to resolve the crisis, the causes for war can be ended along with the human right abuses.

But if on the other hand the constraints of UN make this to be the only way it can enter the fray, there are serious reservations about any usefulness of this approach as the Government of Sri Lanka and Sinhalese politicians would exploit the limited mandate with which the UN wants to engage in the process pin down the UN to stifle any tangible results emerging from UN involvement.

The process for solution to the current crisis rests in,

1. In international community acts in such a way so that the two belligerent parties agree to an Agenda for Symmetrical Dismantling Belligerence ASDB.

2. Restructuring Sri Lanka as union of two nations, constitutionally and practically.

This is the position of EROS for the resolution of the ethnic conflict.

On the surface, one cannot see any tangible contribution Arbour’s trip makes to this approach. On the contrary this can be a digression and if pursued carelessly can only contribute to the realisations of Sinhala chauvinist objectives and perpetuate the genocide as well as justify the LTTE and its armed struggle for separation.

Very often, when the human rights champions are questioned whether the right of self-determination is a human right, they would say yes, but in practical terms this is an agenda that is being pursued in a very naive and irresponsible manner so as to shroud the pursuance of military solution to what are political problems and fails to address the fundamental issues of conflicts. Champions of human rights fight for a humane military occupation and military rule. They do not see anything wrong with military occupation.

If the United Nations does not have a mandate to address and resolve issues of disintegration of failing states, and national oppression, at least it should see, the limitations of its pretensions do not become real cause of suffering around the world. The world needs another wise, humane and effective institution.

The Statement released by the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation