'Annals of history'

'Annals of history'
[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2009, 19:44 GMT]
The message of "veiled racism" in Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s remarks Friday in his telecast address announcing the capture of Ki'linochchi town, betrayed the true intentions of him and his ilk, camouflaged in saintly wordings against separatism, terrorism, racism, North-South war etc, to hoodwink the outside world, writes a regular academic commentator to TamilNet from Colombo. "Unfortunately, those who claim to be at the helm of the international community, even though very well aware of the impossibility of the Sri Lankan state to satisfy Tamil aspirations, refuse to acknowledge the logic and legitimacy behind the ethnonational demand of Tamils to have political sovereignty to save themselves from genocide," he further writes.

Edited version of the comments follow:

The capture of Ki'linochchi was celebrated with the bursting of crackers here in the Sri Lankan capital. There were also reports that the Sinhala diaspora celebrated it with the bursting of Champagne bottles. No wonder such things happen in a culture nurtured by cricket and football matches.

The Sri Lanka president in his address to the nation on Friday declared, “I am now ready to reveal to you the proud news of the most honourable victory in the annals of military heroism that runs through many centuries of our history”.

What Mahinda Rajapaksa refers to is obviously the military victory of the Sinhalese against Tamils, because in the annals of the many centuries of the history of the island there were no wars of significance fought by the Sinhalese other than what they fought with Tamils.

The colonial wars fought by them couldn’t prevent the advent of colonialism. The only outside military expedition made by them against Myanmar in the 12th century ended a failure in mid sea.

The message of veiled racism in Sri Lanka president’s remark betrayed the true intentions of him and his ilk, camouflaged in saintly wordings against separatism, terrorism, racism, North-South war etc, to hoodwink the outside world.

It is said that Rajapaksa’s next step is to seek electoral mandate from the Sinhalese to cook a political formula in order to give the semblance of a political solution.

Increasingly one hears talk on the ‘legitimate’ rights of the Tamils. Who decides what is legitimate and what is not? The universal principle of democracy is that legitimate rights are always decided by a concerned people. Others deciding for them is only legitimizing enslavement.

Perceiving everything of the state on ethnic lines and after deepening the ethnic divide of the island through a brutal war, it is folly to expect the outcome of a feasible solution within the Sri Lankan state system.

Unfortunately those who claim to be at the helm of the international community, even though very well aware of the impossibility of the Sri Lankan state to satisfy Tamil aspirations, refuse to acknowledge the logic and legitimacy behind the ethnonational demand of Tamils to have political sovereignty to save themselves from genocide.

Christmas in Vanni
Photos illustrating how Christmas was observed in Ki'linochchi district in Vanni this year. Some of the biblical texts follow. "Be strong and courages! Let's fight hard for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord's will be done." (2-Samuel 10:12); "You will cry and weep, but the world will be glad you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness." (John 16:20); "I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)
Christmas in Vanni
The recent interview given by the US ambassador in Colombo to a Sri Lankan newspaper while sounding skepticism in a subtle way about Colombo government’s approaches, not only still pins hope on a united Sri Lanka but also advocates the genocidal government of ways how to get rid of even the only existing safeguards of the Tamils, by isolating them from their fighters and from their diaspora.

He further applauded what the Colombo government is doing in the East and has said that it will be an inspiration to the North.

What is evident is that there is no democracy in the outlook of the guardians of democracy and what actually plays role is nothing but geopolitics. Such an approach is only going to deepen the crisis in the island and in the region and that is what perhaps they want to happen.

The lesson learnt by USA in Vietnam has already been written in bold in the annals of history.

The civilized world has to now teach a lesson to the so-called international community that this time it will be written in the annals of history that even if the elements of power all over the world align to the contrary, a righteous cause of humanity fighting against oppression in a humble corner of the world would still be successful.

The main element behind the present phase of war in Sri Lanka is mischievously silent as though it doesn’t know anything. We come to know that it is once again busy in formulating quislings. When the crisis spread in the region it will also be written in the annals of history how this element either bungled or consciously sabotaged the national and regional interests of a great country.

Chronology:
03.01.09 'Annals of history'
02.01.09 SLA occupies Ki'linochchi town


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