Rajapakse’s Lover

"The attitude towards minorities shows in our never are seeing any condolence message from the President or any key government players over the killings of Tamils civilians and school children in the Vanni during the last few days. How have these wanton killings – even if accidental – influenced the conduct of the regime? In no way."

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• Government of Sri Lanka will be inexorably moving towards their "fight to finish" with the LTTE by the end of this year, according to government politicians and the country’s military officials. They are optimistic about the outcome. In this light, what is next, if the Government is successful in its war against the LTTE?
  
  Sadly there is no clear evidence that Rajapakse has plans to bring stability to the country without any uprising again even if he wins the war. The situation has given pointers to the direction of the future of the country. Yes! Rajapaksa can fight to the death of Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE. He can impose an authoritarian peace on the Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka. Thereafter some Sinhala racists will be playing with Tamils’ and Muslims’ rights just like Prabhakaran in the past. It will only give reasons for another international intervention in Sri Lanka and for a more vibrant and sustainable uprising among the minorities than the past.
  
  The attitude towards minorities shows in our never are seeing any condolence message from the President or any key government players over the killings of Tamils civilians and school children in the Vanni during the last few days. How have these wanton killings – even if accidental – influenced the conduct of the regime? In no way.
  
  President Rajapakse utters empty words all the time: "Sri Lankan nation", "all our races living together", "honorable peace," "humanitarian mission in the LTTE controlled areas," etc. But his policies and concepts appear clearly for talking and not for working at the ground. If these are his permanent policies on which he is building a united and stable Sri Lanka, of course he will fail soon unless he changes course. Rajapakse should use wise political strategies embracing minorities while pursuing his military strategies, if he wants to really eliminate the LTTE. It must be recognized that it was the peace process that brought international opinion to the side of the government and, when the LTTE was seen to be responsible for most of the violations during that period, earned strategic support for the government through bans of the LTTE in the West and valuable intelligence on arms shipments. We are worried that the present attitude of the government towards Tamil civilians will squander away this hard earned goodwill.
  
  Unfortunately the President is using strategies for governing Tamil people from his lover Douglas. He appears to be running based on Douglas Chinthanaya rather than on the Tamil people’s needs.
  
  The upcoming elections in the East may give good evidence of the true nature of the Mahinda regime and its future plans. We can readily see an alliance being forged between the Government and the Pillayan group of the TMVP. This is a dictatorship in the making over the Tamils and Muslims and even the Sinhala community in the East. If any one cares to listen to the voice of the people in the East, one would see the real situation with regard to the upcoming elections there. They have no expectation or even hope of free and fair elections with the handling by Pillayan and his armed cadres with Government’s guidance.
  
  The Government and Douglas Devananda have divided Karuna from Pillayn because of their future plans. Douglas worries about the rising leadership of Col. Karuna Amman. Karuna was lucky for winning the hearts and minds of Tamils, especially eastern Tamils, in the early period following his breaking away from the LTTE. They loved him. Many had hoped that he is the best alternative to the LTTE for the Tamil people. Not only did Karuna’s rise affect the standing of the LTTE, it also worked to the detriment of the EPDP and other political parties, eroding their support base. They all knew then that he was seen as the real voice of the Tamil rather than themselves because he came from the ground situation and not a palace or mansion in Colombo. He also had the best experience among Tamil leaders of facing the challenges posed by the LTTE..
  
  But military preoccupations deterred Karuna was building up on the goodwill he had. His cadres continued the recruitment children as a soldiers, just like the LTTE. After that the people never saw any difference in political or military matters between Karuna and Prabhakaran. It was the main reason why Karuna’s image decayed nationally and internationally. Even Sri Lankan security personnel used Karuna’s child soldiers in their operation in the East. Karuna saw that, but he was silent because of his concerns over losing the benefits and logistical support he was receiving from the Government.
  
  Karuna and his cadres were used by the Government for the so called liberation of the East. This was the tragic end of the TMVP as an independent group with in-depth thinking on the problems in Sri Lanka. Naturally they had soon forgotten why they had taken up arms against the Government in the past. Pillayan who has now risen in Karuna’s place has no political image like a Karuna. Pillayan only has the image of a puppet or at best of a secretary.
  
  No option now remains for the Tamil People. Now the problem is Douglas who is also playing with their problems to his own gain. He is a mastermind like Prabhakaran. He will become another Prabhakaran as soon as possible. Now he is planning to become that. According to political sources close with the Government, he is ready to take oaths as a Chief Minster of the North and East Provincial Council introduced by the APRC after resigning his ministerial post.
  
  If government the has any indepent view on this case, they should be analyzing who is the best leader within the Tamil Community and which Tamil leader has a good image internationality and among the Tamil Diaspora.
  
  When the late Mr. Lakshman Kadiragamar was gunned down by the LTTE, the policies created with his political strategies came to a halt. This writer wrote at that time an article entitled "Sri Lanka Foreign Policy Post-Kadhirgamar." We have been saying that if the Sri Lankan Government has any brains it should appointed Mr. V. Anandasangaree as the Foreign Minister after taking him into the cabinet via the National List. It was a good opportunity for filling the vacuum created by Mr. Kadirgamar’s demise. But the National list was filled with idiot-politicians like Mervyn.
  
  Mangala Samaraweera and now Bogollagama have been working as Foreign Minister after the Kadirgamar period. They cannot fill the vacuum of the Kadirgamar space. Their policies have created very much doubt in all circles – especially international circles – about Sri Lankan foreign policy and indeed the makers of these new post-Kadirgamar policies. Our foreign dealings seem primitive compared to other countries’.
  
  This same problem of political loyalties coming before reason in the light of what is best for the country seems to be happening again with regard to the North and East Chief Mister’s post. Douglas is planning on taking the post and become another king of the area. His dictatorial policy never depends on the people. He is depending on Mahinda and his own mind and indeed also on weapons. Count on no future free and fair election in the North either, if the Government eliminated the LTTE there like in the East.
  
  The Government should be re-thinking their solution for reintegrating the Tamil people into the Sri Lankan State for achieving a permanent and just solution to the problem.
  
  The only way is to let the Tamil people elect their own representatives and dealing with them, whether or not the government likes the representatives the Tamils might choose to elect. The focus should be on the means of conducting free and fair elections and then negotiating devolution of powers through the chosen representatives of the Tamil people. India can assist in ensuring free elections.