PLAYING THE GAME ACCORDING TO THEIR RULES
The FBI in USA has stated that the LTTE is among the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world. Does this mean that the USA will supply the Sri Lankan government with military and other aid to defeat the LTTE? There are some Sinhalas living in Sri Lanka as well as abroad, especially some of the e mail veerayas (heroes) who think that the USA government will now help the Sri Lankan government to eradicate the LTTE.
However, unfortunately for them nothing of that sort will happen. The FBI is interested only in the activities of the LTTE in USA and not in Sri Lanka. The FBI wants "the American public to report on Tiger operatives who might be lurking under cover". According to the FBI the LTTE has inspired the Al Qaeda. The FBI has also vowed to eliminate all the links of the LTTE and its network.
However, at the same time the USA and other western countries and Japan (the so called international community) are unhappy about the Sri Lankan government withdrawing from the infamous cease fire agreement signed by Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prabhakaran under the sponsorship of the "international community" represented by Norway. If the LTTE is one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous terrorist organisation in the world then USA and the "international community" have a responsibility by the people in the world to help the Sri Lankan government to annihilate the former. It is clear that it is not the intention of the USA or any other member of the so called international community.
USA is interested only in eliminating the network and the links that the LTTE has built over the years with the other terrorist groups, especially those which have become a threat to that country. The USA does not want the LTTE to operate in USA and have connections with Al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations that are challenging the USA hegemony. However, the USA has no objections to the LTTE operating there provided the latter is engaged in its so called liberating activities against the Sri Lankan government.
As the Democratic Presidential aspirant Hilary Clinton has said there are terrorists and terrorists. The terrorists can be classified, and the classification is done by the westerners according to their rules. It is the westerners who have the prerogative with respect to the interpretation of the rules and the laws from Newton's Laws to Fundamental rights of citizens and terrorists. We have to play the game according to their rules as long as we are after recognition by them whether in Politics or in Physics. Whoever becomes the President of USA next year unless Sri Lankan government takes steps to eradicate the LTTE whatever obstacles the "international community" may place, we will have to live with terrorism with the blessings of the westerners. The LTTE as far as the USA and the rest of west is concerned is a "terrorist" organisation fighting for a just cause, where as Al Qaeda is a terrorist organisation fighting against humanity. Of course humanity as the other concepts are interpreted according to their book and invariably humanity becomes synonymous with the interests of the west. As the LTTE is not against the interests of the west except as far as the links that the former has established with terrorist organisations that are against "humanity" the LTTE would be safe under any President of USA unless the Sri Lankan government takes steps to eliminate them.
The government is under pressure from so called human rights activists naturally supported financially and otherwise by the west to keep to the law books that define these so called human rights which are nothing but individual rights of people who are in support of western Christian modernity. As we have argued on so many times there are nothing called human rights in the abstract and all human rights can be shown to be individual rights of people vis a vis certain states. Sri Lankan government that has decided to play the game according to the rules interpreted by the western law books is now caught in a trap with respect to "honouring" the so called human rights according to this convention and that convention.
These rights like the other rights are interpreted by the west and the Sri Lankan government unless it is determined to ignore their rules and interpretations is in a hopeless situation. The west knows how to interpret the laws to their advantage and during emergency situations they know how to curtail the so called human rights as well. The fact that the human rights can be curtailed under certain conditions also go to show that the so called human rights are nothing but individual rights. The various intelligence organisations in the western countries know how to curtail the "human" rights of certain individuals while "honouring" of those of others who are not against western Christian modernity.
It appears that Sri Lankan government is again under pressure from the western governments and the rest of the international community, and is now being forced to propose a solution to the so called ethnic problem, again according to the interpretations of the western social scientists, that is acceptable to India. The current interest in the thirteenth amendment is due to this fact. However, any solution has to be acceptable not only to India but also to the Sinhala people, especially those who are not prepared to play the game according to the rules and interpretations by the westerners. The survival of the government depends on the support of the Sinhala people who elected the government at all odds. There are problems with the thirteenth amendment as it was opposed at that time by many political parties including the SLFP, JVP and MEP. One of the main objectives was in respect of the unitary character of the constitution. It should be remembered that when the thirteenth amendment was referred to the Supreme Court for an interpretation its unitary character was affirmed by a thin majority of one. The people elected this government to have a unitary state and we would argue that the unitary character has to be well defined in the constitution without it being left entirely to interpretations according to the western law books. In this respect we should be able to refer to the eksesath rajya that we had for thousands of years, which one could say was a form of a unitary state as we still have to play to a certain extent by their rules. The law makers, in this instance, should take the upper hand without leaving it to the interpreters of law. In any event there is another aspect that has to be considered in formulating solution at this juncture. Before any "solution" is implemented it is necessary to crush the LTTE which is also a political solution even according to their rules.
Professor Nalin de Silva
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