Comments on: Problematic Topographical Imagination On North-East

By: Asoka P

Asoka P — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:56:57 +0000

To bring about national cohesion: the issue of a two thirds majority for UFPA is not relevant if the two major parties in the Parliament resolve to work together to bring about national cohesion given the historical opportunity.

To some people including the International Community, the “devolution of power” to the aggrieved majority Tamil population in the North and East is a key issue. What does this mean and how do we go about achieving this aim?

The International Community (IC) sponsored Cease Fire Agreement gave the LTTE virtual self government. Contrary to expectations, the LTTE did not proceed to develop a model democratic community. Instead, the LTTE assisted with Tamil Diaspora resources and IC connivance armed itself to the teeth and provoked a war.

The end outcome of this war was massive human cost and socio-economic destruction. As a result, the majority Sinhala community is now saying never again would we “devolve power”!!.

The “devolution of power” without risking national disintegration needs a carefully thought out strategy. Here are my suggestions for a framework, some of which require the two thirds majority in the Parliament:

• Make a treasonable offence the calling for or working towards territorial separtism (i.e. more than one sovereign nation within the maritime boundaries of Sri Lanka including the island{s});
• Until cessation of hostilities (from internal as well as external sources, e.g. the Tamil Diaspora) that threaten the unitary nation and State of Sri Lanka, mandate and empower the Sri Lankan Security Forces to maintain sufficient regional presence to thwart treasonable activity; and
• Assure the fundamental right of any citizen/resident of Sri Lanka to live and/or work any where in the nation.

Having gained the confidence of the majority of people who wish peace and prosperity (I might say across all ethnicities):
• Amend existing constitution provisions for devolving power over domestic matters, in light of above three points, and execute them with goodwill.

We all can argue endlessly around the finer points. But without a framework such as that above, and given the disastrous outcome of the CFA, the status quo will prevail. Sad to say so, but this unsatisfactory status quo suits many merchants of conflict – including some sections of the IC.

Whichever way we look at these issues, at stake is the socio- economic future of Sri Lanka. So, let’s tread carefully and progress with caution.

By: Kalag

Kalag — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:49:51 +0000

These Tamil parties which are demanding “homeland and direct investment” should be put in place. The constitution should be amended to ban these demands (not only just separate state). It should also be amended to facilitate all the districts of Sri Lanka to have the ethnic proportion as same as national proportion. Therefore there should not be any Tamil majority districts.
Tamil majority districts have been the source of problems from the day of independance. The Tamils come up with the stories of Tamil kingdoms and etc to fool rest of the world. Even if there was Tamil kingdom, it was the past. It is present and future we should worry. So the Tamil majority should be removed. There should be talks to make India to accept more Tamils from Sri Lanka (as it was before). This time the Tamils should be from all over Sri Lanka, not just up-country. India should be forced to accept by diplomatic means. We can always threaten India to cut it off from any development pogrammes and award all of it to China. There are many ways to tame India.

By: VINTAGE VOTER

VINTAGE VOTER — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:41:29 +0000

DO YOU KNOW THAT THE ARMED FORCES ARE “PUTTING THE CUT OUTS” FOR THE GOVERNMENT. OVER TO YOU COMMISSIONER OF ELECTIONS.

By: Fazli Sameer

Fazli Sameer — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 08:46:52 +0000

Why is it not possible to look out of the box and try to initiate and implement a possible solution to the third world problems that will be mutually acceptable and beneficial to the whole world as follows:-

http://1worldforall.blogspot.com/2010/03/project.html