War was won, not yet of the people
jected to was genocide. Recently the Northern Provincial Council passed a unanimous resolution on genocide - it serves as a historical archive of the acts of genocide committed against the Tamil people until now……."
On Thursday, Wigneswaran issued three different statements. The former Supreme Court Judge took what seemed a judicial stance in a "message" he issued on the upcoming elections. "I felt it would be wrong for me to be seen at any political meeting of TNA candidates though it was they who elected me. I am one who would be able to work with whomsoever our people are pleased to elect." Is he referring to divisions within the TNA? Or is he trying to mend fences with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after the lecture he received in Washington DC from US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal? Is the former Judge giving a 'fair trial' to Mahinda Rajapaksa? Alliance leaders have distanced Wigneswaran further after his choice of hosts in London en route to Colombo from the US. Among them were writers and broadcasters who then strongly backed Tiger guerrillas. At least one leading Tamil website (tamilnet.com) ignored the Chief Minister's entire trip. A TNA activist said the "Chief Minister changed his mind and rejected the notion of working with the Government and the UN on a domestic inquiry after the sudden fame he gained among the hard line Tamil diaspora following the Genocide Resolution adopted by the Northern Provincial Council." It is widely known here that he had severed relationships with UN officials in Colombo and their visiting dignitaries.
In a second message, he declared that "under no circumstances should our Representatives accept portfolios until a political solution is found. Otherwise the demands of our people would be dissipated and we would be engulfed by the majority community. The Ministers would be stifled by Cabinet responsibility. It would be the surest way to compromise our rights and aspirations." In a third statement, Wigneswaran appealed, "I call upon our brothers and sisters to choose the best candidates to represent us in Parliament," making clear he was not seeking votes for the TNA. He wanted them to "keep us accountable and at your service. We should cease to be seasonal tourists during election times."
The TNA manifesto, released on July 25 from Maradanamadam, made no reference to any "genocide" charges made by Wigneswaran. It only claims that over a 150,000 have been killed during the 30 years of the conflict. It says "credible estimates point to over 70,000 having been killed in the last stages of the military onslaught"- an assertion hotly contested by the military. Here are some significant highlights. The Tamil people are entitled to the right to selfdetermination in keeping with UN International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which Sri Lanka has acceded to. Power sharing arrangements must continue to be established as it existed earlier in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure. The Tamil speaking Muslim historical inhabitants shall be entitled to be beneficiaries of all power-sharing arrangements in the North-East. Devolution of power on the basis of shared sovereignty shall be over land, law and order, enforcement of the law so as to ensure the safety and security of the Tamil people, socio economic development including inter alia health, education, higher and vocational education, agriculture, fisheries, industries, livestock development, cultural affairs, mustering of resources, both domestic and foreign and fiscal powers. Direct foreign investment in the North-East should be facilitated resulting in new industries and employment opportunities being created for youth. That there would be a direct conflict between an elected Government after August 17 parliamentary elections and the TNA, should they agree to work together, becomes inevitable. This is in the light of the TNA's stated policies in the manifesto. If such a Government is from the United National Party (UNP), its position has already been articulated at a news conference in Colombo this week by Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera. He said the United National Party (UNP) rejected the TNA call for a federal structure within a merged Northern and Eastern Province.
"No political party in Sri Lanka would be willing to agree to the TNA demands," SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the Sunday Times. The SLFP is the main partner in the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). He spoke on the telephone from Kurunegala, from which district he is contesting. He said the "TNA demands amount to a call for a separate state. They (TNA) have to change their attitude." Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), a UPFA partner, said from Colombo that "the TNA is trying to woo the extremist elements to an extremist programme. For many years its demands have been rejected. We reject these claims. We are for constitutional changes where power can be shared."
TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran defended the manifesto. He insisted that the TNA commanded the support of the Tamil public both in and outside North and East. He told the Sunday Times, "We are also calling for de-militarisation to the pre-war situation in 1983." He added: "Our manifesto is based on three important issues related to the North and East. We are asking a mandate from the people to resolve them. The top priority would be reaching a lasting solution to the national question. The merger of the North and East is not our invention. It is part of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987. It was invalidated by courts because there was a 'technical flaw' in the merger." He says the TNA would not accept a domestic mechanism to probe alleged war crimes.
The TNA has partnered with the London-based Global Tamil Forum (GTF) towards a dialogue with a new Government. A GTF statement said it worked "closely with the TNA as the elected representatives". The GTF said it had "been critical of some of the diplomatic initiatives and achievements made in our adopted countries as well as at international institutions such as the UNHRC." That the Government has had a dialogue with the two of them over reconciliation and related issues including matters before the UN Human Rights Council is known. Yet, how well the TNA will perform this time at the polls will no doubt be a key factor. A fuller endorsement by the voter will strengthen its hand. On the other hand, a poor performance would amount to its rejection.
A drop in population strength in the Jaffna District has led to a reduction of the number of seats from nine to seven. Besides the TNA and the newly emerged Crusaders for Democracy, others in the fray are for 529,239 registered votes in the Jaffna District are the UNP, the UPFA, the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), the JVP, smaller political parties and six independent groups. A total of 210 candidates are contesting. Neighbouring Wanni, the other district in the North, is being contested by 252 candidates vying for six seats. That is from 18 political parties and ten independent groups.
Former UPFA Minister and Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) leader Douglas Devananda is contesting under the banner of his own party than under the UPFA. Devananda told the Sunday Times, "Our policy is for self-rule in alliance with the Central government. This is only possible through a better understanding and reconciliation among all the communities. This time we are contesting under the symbol of ' Veena' (a musical instrument) after almost a decade. What we have been saying all these years that there is the need to implement the 13th Amendment and build on it phase by phase. The Northern and Eastern provinces can be merged if the people of the two regions favour that. If a referendum is needed Sinhala and Muslim people living in east will not support that. Whoever committed the alleged war crimes should be punished. In the post-war scenario the reconciliation efforts should be given top priority, he adds.
Another in the fray this time is Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, a lawyer, who is leader of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF). He is the grandson of the late G.G. Ponnambalam, a reputed lawyer and then leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). He told the Sunday Times, "Our main demand is the need for Sri Lanka to be recognised as a multi-ethnic nation belonging to all people living here." He accused the TNA of "lying to the people about a federal solution. The TNA gave up that demand in 2009. That is why I left the TNA to form a new alliance. It has not spoken about a federal system for the past five years. It says that now only to win votes." He said his political party would not accept any kind of domestic inquiry, but "we are for an international probe into alleged war crimes." The TNPF manifesto is being launched here today.
There was a distraction on Friday morning. Vijayakala Maheswaran, UNP candidate and a former Deputy Minister, refused to hoist the Sri Lanka national flag saying she had "never done so." This was when she turned up at the Hindu College playground where the Jaffna Premier League cricket tournament is now under way. Kathiravel Sebwal, who once contested on the SLFP ticket for the Northern Provincial Council, is the organiser of the tournament. He told the Sunday Times, " I gave the first opportunity for Vijayakala Maheswaran to hoist the Sri Lanka national flag. She refused saying she had not done so before." I later asked Hindu College Principal Iyampillai Thayanandarajah and he hoisted it. Vijayakala could not be contacted. Several calls to her mobile phone were answered by a female aide who said she was at different meetings and could not respond to telephone calls. This is notwithstanding her party's unwavering commitment to a unitary Sri Lanka. Her refusal raises many questions including her allegiance to the unitary status of the country and how she would swear an oath if she is elected. It is clear she is also playing to the sentiments of the hard line elements to win votes.
Whilst a seemingly muted polls campaign is under way here, there is also concern in the security establishment over last week's find in the Southern Indian coastal town of Rameshwaram. As reported in these columns, Tamil Nadu Police intercepted a vehicle carrying GPS equipment, 300 grams of cyanide, 75 empty capsules and seven different mobile phones. Krishna Kumar, described as a Sri Lankan and two Indian nationals were arrested and were being interrogated there. As reported in these columns, for Sri Lanka's state intelligence community, the news came as a distraction from monitoring polls countrywide.
The discovery has had its reverberations in the peninsula. One high ranking security source said, "It is becoming increasingly clear Krishna Kumar has assumed the name of a person who is no longer living." He said investigations into his background, after findings by Tamil Nadu Police, are making them draw that conclusion. During interrogation, Kumar had said the items detected in his possession were to be delivered to a party in Jaffna. He had also described his past life. That has raised issue over whether guerrilla remnants are being revived by groups from outside Sri Lanka whose plans are still unclear. Authorities here are still to unravel the would-be recipients of the military items.
Naval intelligence here had also received tip offs about the presence of military items in two different places last week. In one instance, the find was two hand grenades, two cyanide capsules and two rounds of 9 mm ammunition. In the other, there were ten Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) which were outdated and cannot be activated. In addition there were ten hand grenades and 750 rounds of 7.62 ammunition. A senior Navy official here declined comment on the discoveries and suggested that the help of Navy Headquarters in Colombo be sought. That these finds came on tip offs from informants have raised questions whether such things are an organised distraction or part of a pattern of events to unfold. "Yet, we are not taking any chances. The developments are being closely monitored," the security source said. The task of ensuring stability in the peninsula is now in the hands of the Commander of the Security Forces in Jaffna, Major General Nandana Udawatte. Even if his men are not deployed heavily in the streets like in the past years, they have been geared to meet aany eventuality. This is besides helping the Police in their law and order roles during elections, should a necessity arise.
The pledges made to voters by different political parties here for the August 17 parliamentary elections underscore one key element -- the need for selfrule -- with different interpretations from the contestants. Therein lies a message to the power brokers in Colombo. Six years after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas that ended a near three decade long war, there has no doubt been dramatic changes. This northern capital, like other adjoining areas, has shown rapid signs of development and a changed face. There is electricity with 220 volts as against voltage drops one experiences in the suburbs of Colombo. Paved roads have facilitated easy movement. Train services have linked the south. So have air conditioned bus services. Yet, there are rumblings in this peninsula as little attention has been paid to hearts and minds. Whilst they await a permanent peace, it would be imperative for those at the helm to retain the normalcy won at great cost to life and limb through the sacrifices made by troops.