The unifying, winning issue is equal rights for all Sri Lankans. Framing it as a Tamil issue will inevitably lose because this isn’t about Tamil Eelam. Framing it like everything is fine doesn’t work either, cause it isn’t. This is about Sri Lanka, and our rights as Sri Lankans. Equal civil rights is something everyone can support and believe in. More importantly, it’s something that can happen.

Tamil Chauvinism

I follow this @TamilDiaspora character on Twitter. He posts some interesting links, but too many of them are about the future of Tamils or Tamil vigils and attacking Sri Lankan thugs and Sri Lankan economic extortion. I agree with some of the concerns, but I think the approach is divisive and counterproductive. The people of Sri Lanka are reasonable and multi-ethnic. The grievances of one race backed by foreign punishment is not a winning national platform. Calling for foreign economic attacks on Sri Lanka to support one race should be rightly opposed by everyone.

Sinhala Chauvinism

I also deal with some Sinhala bloggers and commentators who pretend like everything is fine, and that’s not right either. I personally know Tamil people in jail and in the camps and they don’t have the same rights as me. The status quo is not fair and Tamil people are disproportionately affected under emergency. IDPs have little legal protection or status at all. I think we have to recognise that these are real concerns and address them within a Sri Lankan context.

Unity

The issues may affect one race more, but the resolution lies within our common constitution. We all have the same rights as Sri Lankans. Tamils are not asking for anything special and they do deserve better. They deserve equal protection under the law. We deserve equal protection, because these are our family and friends. I know someone in jail for almost two months now under emergency. His family deserves to get letters and defend their case in the Tamil language. Not because that is some special right as Tamils but because it is their constitutional right as Sri Lankans. Not because they are Tamil and the UK backs them up but because they are Sri Lankan and you and I back them up.

Constitutional Contract

This is, in essence, the nature of our constitutional contract. Under emergency the contract is essentially “we protect you, don’t blow anything up”, but the constitutional framework is still there. The Sri Lankan Constitution guarantees certain fundamental freedoms (Chapter 3) if we accept a united Sri Lankan state (Chapter 20). If we try to gain rights separately we will fail, but if we work together we can succeed. Both legally and politically.

And we all have constitutional issues. Restrictions on freedom of speech affect everyone, whether you’re a reader or a writer. Torture can affect anyone that ends up in custody, from suspected terrorist to suspected criminal to innocent bystander. Freedom of movement is limited island wide, especially for IDPs. These are all rights due to us as Sri Lankans if we just accept Sri Lanka. Then as loyal, patriotic Sri Lankans we can demand them.

A Middle Path

In this way I think we need a new perspective that unites rather than divides. No Tamil rights movement will work unless it includes Sinhalese and Muslims in some common cause. There simply isn’t enough votes or righteous force, especially if they call for separation or ethnic nationalism. For real progress we have to accept a united Sri Lanka and work together to make it better. No amount of shame is going to win rights for Tamils and no amount of denial will make real problems go away. However, a broad civil rights movement might actually work.