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Ilankai Tamil Sangam, USA, Inc.
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
by Wakeley Paul, Esq.
The political situation in SL seems grim and stalemated. Can Mr Rajapakse last politically without J.V.P & J.H.U support? What are the J.V.P & J.H.U planning to do - cut his throat if he does not stick by his totally unacceptable election pledges? Does he, in the interest of survival, intend to stick by those pledges?
How can the International Community possibly tolerate such blind obstinacy if even a minimal prospect of a peace agreement is to remain a reality? Has Rajapakse, on the other hand, given the slightest indication that he will modify his position? If he does, how politically stable will he be? Can he honor anything other than what he has promised to his political allies?
Are we just playing games by pretending that Rajapakse is a true leader of the island who can represent it in any internationally-sponsored peace negotiations?
Since the Tamils cannot trust Rajapakse to represent Tamil aspirations, what are we left with? A possible stalemate, where no Sinhalese party can ever satisfy Tamil aspirations? If so, have they not forfeited their right to determine who our ruler should be? This is not a smart alec, slick argument.
It is a harsh political reality.
As long as the Sinhalese parties insist on maintaining an armed presence in the NE, no peace agreement can be in the offing. As long as the Sinhalese parties deny us the right to elect our rulers to determine our fate, the prospects of peace are deadened.
The fact is that no Sinhalese party or section of the Sinhalese press will ever be willing to release their stranglehold over us.
What the Sinhalese fail to realize is that we have ceased to be Sri Lankan subjects and are now Tamil subjects, since Sinhalese rulers have long since ceased to have our interests at heart.
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