The dialogue of the deaf

Whatever the ‘Peace Establishment’ or ‘Peace Industry’ both local and foreign may have achieved in the last 19 years to bring about better understanding among the Sinhalese and Tamils, the dialogue among opinion-makers of both communities is still a dialogue of the deaf. It is best illustrated by the Sinhala aphorism: Kohede Yanne, Malle Pol (Whither bound? Coconuts in the bag!) Despite thousands of seminars and workshops, daily articles in newspapers, TV and parliamentary debates, our leaders, academics, journalists, intellectuals and politicians during the 19-year period have been talking aloud but not listening to each other.

The unequivocal statements made by representatives of the United States and European powers in recent times, we thought, would have been cold water over feverishly hotheads of the proponents of a separate Tamil state. The stand taken by these western powers by criticising Sri Lankan governments for violation of human rights and accommodation of Tamils as political refugees while permitting the LTTE to collect funds for its terrorist activities may have conveyed the impression to Tamils and the LTTE that the western powers were tacitly supporting the establishment of a separate state. This mistaken belief was held despite policy statements of these nations categorically saying that they were for a United Sri Lanka where the rights and aspiration of the minorities are safeguarded. But now all blinkers on the eyes of the Tamils have been removed and it is quite clear that the western powers will not support the creation of a separate state, certainly not through terrorism.

Today, it is quite clear that there are no backers for Eelam in any part of the world other than a section of the Sri Lankan Tamil community here and abroad.

The moment of truth has arrived for the Tamil community but cherished prejudices and impossible dreams are hard to forget-at least immediately.

On Tuesday, The Island reported that a group of Tamil parties, which included the TULF, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, EPRLF, TELO and the DWC, met and decided to appeal to the international community to recognise the right of Tamils for self-determination. This call is not new. The right to self-determination was among the other demands – known as the Thimpu principles – which called for recognition of a Tamil nation, self-determination, the Northern and Eastern Provinces as the traditional homelands of the Tamils and the right to secede – all the elements required for the establishment of a separate state on a unilateral declaration of independence.

We leave it to the western powers, who desire to see the return of peace to this country and the different communities living together in amity, to consider how this proposal of the Tamil parties will contribute to make the wishes of western nations come true.

Unless there is a change in heart in the Tamil leadership, these Tamil parties will bring further suffering upon their people.

In contrast to this extreme demand for separation, the proposal of the Sinhalese dominated southern parties had been devolution of power. Devolution was never a demand or even a consideration of the Sinhalese. It was a concept brought in by Tamil leaders who in the fifties wanted a federal state but were negotiating with successive governments for devolution even on a lesser scale. The Tamil parties allege that successive governments sabotaged agreements reached, which made them call for a separate state, and support terrorism. In the same breath, they have been claiming that they were for a ‘viable solution’ through negotiations. Even now they want negotiations between the government and the LTTE. But how does this call for self-determination square up with a negotiated solution?

Are the Tamil parties sincere in their call for self- determination? Or are they sincere about a negotiated settlement within a united state of Sri Lanka? Or have these negotiations right along been an attempt to pull wool over the eyes of western nations while not deviating from their goal of a separate state?

Meanwhile, the PA government and the UNP have committed themselves to devolution as a way out of the impasse. But the PA’s Devolution Package has been rejected outright by Prabhakaran. Despite all that academics and intellectuals among Sinhalese are proposing devolution even on a lesser scale – devolution district-wise arguing that it would lead to better governance.

Prabhakaran however is not concerned about the niceties of governance but wants a state under his fascist jackboot. He did not even want the entire Northern Province offered to him by President Kumaratunga because he wanted the east as well.

What Mr. Eric Solheim of Norway is doing shuttling between Norway and Sri lanka we are not aware. But right now, it is still a dialogue of the deaf; One side calls for devolution, while the other side keeps calling for self-determination.

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