Confirming Sri Lanka’s Agenda to Create a Sinhala-Buddhist State
by Thambu Kanagasabai, LLM[Lond.]Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 1, 2019,
July 1983 is dubbed as BLACK JULY for the Tamils who experienced the island wide wholesale massacres, burning of Tamils, destruction of Temples and properties including lootings. It was not a spontaneous outbreak and reaction to the killings of 13 soldiers in Jaffna, but a methodically pre-planned and meticulously executed by the then President J. R. Jayawardene [nephew of the present Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe] and his Government employing thugs, hooligans and his party {UNP] supporters.
The mayhem unleashed against the Tamils living all over the island brought home many truths and inevitably unforgettable consequences impacting the International Community and Tamils who witnessed the horrific scenes staged on the streets, buildings and residences. The fall outs among others included the fleeing of Tamils living in Colombo and other areas to their traditional home lands in North and East.
Tamils became internal refugees in their own country, displaced and deprived of essential needs.
Thousands crossed the Palk Strait and sought refuge in Tamil Nadu which welcomed them with open arms. Even the Tamil political leaders sought the protection of Tamil Nadu and India, fearing for their lives in Sri Lanka.
The Black July was part of the agenda of genocide which was initiated in 1948 and continued from then onwards interspersed with massacres, genocidal killings, army brutalities including the cultural genocide of burning of JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY IN 1981.The stark truth is all of these heinous acts were conceived and executed by the Governments in power employing 99% Sinhala security forces.
Black July brought to the realization and awakening to the fact and truth that Tamils and Sinhalese can no longer live along with each other without fear, insecurity and suspicion thereby ushering the polarization of two communities forced to live divided and detached with uneasy mingling.
Black July angered and motivated the Tamils and particularly Tamil youths to support and opt to choose and resort to armed resistance to protect, face and confront the racial anti-Tamil Buddhist/Sinhala security forces and racial Government machinery believing violence begets violence.
The International Community including India attempted to remedy the grievances and heal the wounds of Tamils. However, all these attempts met with failure in the face of Sri Lanka’s intransigency and hidden agenda of Buddhisiation and Sinhalisation. Even the famous INDO-SRI LANKA ACCORD OF 1987, an INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT HAS BEEN RENDERED LIFELESS AND DISHONORED BY THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT by not granting the powers over land and Police resulting in the Northern Provincial Council to function with half breath and the at the mercy of the Sinhalese Government. It is shocking to the Tamils when the Parliament of Sri Lanka de-merged the North and Eastern Province [Northeastern Province one Unit] against the INDO-SRI LANKA ACCORD OF 1997. The ruling by Sri Lanka Supreme Court on October 16, 2006 that the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces into a single entity was unconstitutional, invalid, and illegal. This action was intended as a body-blow to the Tamils AND A SLAP IN THE FACE OF INDIAN GOVERNMENT WHO CO-SIGNED THE INDO-SRI LANKA ACCORD.
The non-violent campaigns launched by the then Tamil Leader S.J.V. Chelvanayagam were crushed brutally and violently by the Sri Lankan Sinhalese Security Forces in the 1960s, which led to the inevitable option and resort to armed resistance by young Tamil militants, who became active from 1984 immediately after the 1983 POGROM and fully grown during the 1990s, with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [LTTE] being the dominant and active militant group with full support of the Eelam Tamils and Diaspora Tamils who were regarded as protectors of Tamils and Tamils homeland [North and East of Sri Lanka.]
Armed resistance is justified when NON-ARMED RESISTANCE FAILS AS HON. NELSON MANDELA once remarked. Statement of PEARL BUCK is worth quoting when he said ‘WHEN GOOD PEOPLE IN ANY COUNTRY CEASE THEIR VIGILANCE AND STRUGGLES, THEN EVIL MEN PREVAIL’
However, the armed struggle and war against Sri Lanka’s Security Forces collapsed as LTTE was unable to fight against the Sri Lankan Security Forces which enlisted the backing of twenty two[22] Nations. The war ended in May 2009 leaving 146,000 dead, 70,000 war widows, 40,000 orphans with thousands went missing. Tamils homeland is occupied by the conquered Sri Lankan Sinhalese Military with Tamils civilian lands, establishments and schools are also occupied by the Sri Lankan Sinhalese Military. Hence after the war, the Tamils are now looked down as a defeated community. Also buried were the OSLO AND THIMBU declarations of self-determination, Federal Rule, even the Self-rule mooted by the Sinhalese leaders.
The population of Diaspora Tamils who fled Sri Lanka has now sky-rocketed to more than one million Tamils living in 20 countries like Canada, UK, USA, France, Italy, Germany. Australia and Scandinavian countries. Generations of Diaspora Tamils are maintaining the momentum and political pressure on the ruling Governments in the countries where their votes influence the elections, local and general. They also keep the thirst for FREEDOM FOR EELAM TAMILS, fire burning and it will pass on to the next generation until TAMILS ARE FREED FROM THE CLUTCHES OF THE GENOCIDAL SINHALESE RULE.
As for the Tamils living in Sri Lanka, the racial divide appears unbridgeable and becoming impossible due to the ensued pogroms unlashed by the Sri Lankan Security Forces in 1956, 1958, 1971, 1977 1981, 1983, and the genocidal war from 2006-2009.
The International Community including United Nations, UHHRC have failed to protect the Tamils [should have implemented the R2P],failed to hold Sri Lanka accountable for the crimes committed since 1958, and failed to dispense a just political settlement for the traumatized Tamils. Talks and statements are the priority by the Government, not real action. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Government leaders as well as other Sinhala leaders including the Buddhist Clergy are battling among themselves to outmanoeuvre as to who will carry out the Buddhisiation, Sinhalisation and Colonization of Sinhalese in Tamils Homeland agenda quickly and furiously without any concern for the oppressed Tamils who are helpless and neglected by the United Nations and the International Community totally.
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremasinghe promised the Buddhist Clergy that he will build one thousand [1000] Buddhist Viharas in the North and East – the traditional and historical homeland of the Tamils – to totally assimilate the Tamils in their own traditional and historical homeland. It is to be noted that the Buddhist clergy and Maha Sanga, the de-facto rulers of Sri Lanka are in the forefront very actively promoting the building of Buddhist Viharas and erection of Buddha statues in the North and East, even by destroying the existing Tamils Hindu Temples thereby widening the gap of racial divide. Ven. Gnasara Thero of Bodu Bala Sena, a convicted and imprisoned Buddhist Monk has been released before fully serving the jail sentence to lead the campaign with the slogans of ‘ONE NATION, ONE PEOPLE AND ONE RELIGION’.
With all the promises and undertakings by Sinhalese leaders, being ignored and discarded, the Tamils have no hopes on Sri Lankan Governments and its leaders who are committed to make Sri Lanka as a SINHALA BUDDHIST STATE.
A Senior Minister and Minister of Finance Hon. Mangala Samaraweera in his speech in Parliament on July 25th 2019, has with no hesitation confirmed the majority hegemony by saying that “WE STILL HAVE MAJORITANISM ENTRENCHED IN OUR POLITICS AND LAW”. He deserves appreciation for exposing the curse and causes of Sri Lanka’s cavalier treatment of Tamils, Muslims and Christians. He also admitted the entrenched culture of impunity prevailing in the legal system confirming the denial of justice.
The agenda of Genocide, Buddhisization and Sinhalization appear unstoppable as they are employed as weapons to destroy and obliterate the history, language, religion, culture and traditions of Tamils who are the original inhabitants of this island, before the existence of the Sinhala race and Sinhala language which gained recognition in sixth century AD.
The plain truth is Sri Lanka is now heading towards a ‘SINGLE ETHNIC, SINGLE RELIGIOUS AND SINGLE CULTURAL STATE” [Sinhala/Buddhist state] losing its multi characters and qualities.
A divided nation with a defeated community clinging on to survival is the net outcome of Sri Lanka’s entrenched majoritarianism, chauvinism and hegemony, racial and religious hostility.
The only hope lies on the Diaspora Tamils and above all on the International Community who shoulder the responsibilities to take the initiative without delay to prevent the extension of Tamils through assimilation.
Thanks for the informative article and Sri Lanka Sinhala Buddhist Leaders continue with their bloodthirsty politics due to the failure of the so called International Community, United Nations, Powerful nations and those who boast of Democratic values and posing as they respect Rule of Law and Justice;
Global Politics has deteriorated since the end of WWII due to greediness for Power, Wealth and Superiority Complex. Powerful nations isolate their core values and support oppressive and genocidal governments, deny independent international investigation of war crimes, slavery and UN and other international organizations have become virtually News agencies as they are unable to bring perpetrators to Accountability, deliver Justice, ensure peace and harmony. It looks that the World was more peaceful, less wars and invasions (Iraq, Libya, Syria, Sudan, etc) during Cold War days than today. Russian federation is dismantled but illegal occupation and denial of basic rights, citizens aspirations by those who boast democratic values continue without any basis.
I doubt that any struggle can rely or trust the Western countries and International organizations on accountability and Justice. Recent election of leaders including who are unstable, unpredictable, religious fanatics and comedian expose people are sick of traditional political parties and their leaders who probably fail, corrupt, incompetent, unable to deliver, satisfy voters or sincerely work in the best of their nation and it’s people.
Although Sri Lanka is a poor country that relies on foreign aid for survival, it has been spending billions unproductively for arms, armed forces that they commit war crimes and abuses with impunity. Over 100 million Tamils do not have a nation due to cruel and barbaric Western colonial rulers who not only robbed from nations but also created mass human sufferings as they ended colonial rule without separating those nations as they were prior to colonialism; After inflicting this, these nations’ leaders call them as civilized and a great civilization; These are dark chapters of human living in many continents due to the insensitiveness and disrespect to humanity by the colonial rulers;
Western power is waning and power shift from West to East. As former Indian prime minister Indra Gandhi had close ties with Russia and Indra Gandhi assisted and helped Tamils to struggle for Justice, achieve Eelam and to end seven decades of Sinhala Buddhist State sponsored terrorism, Tamil Leaders may seek help and support from leaders of all powerful countries and not to rely on Western countries who have failed to date, on Accountability, Justice, forced disappearances, political prisoners and end Sinhala occupation of Tamils Eelam;