Sri Lankan state, global powers and Tamil genocide

By Jude Lal Fernando 09 Feb 201 !"osted 20!#ct!2011

$ntroduction $t is o%ten stated t&at t&e 2002 'ease%ire (greement )'F(* and t&e +emorandum o% ,nderstanding )+#,* between t&e -o.ernment o% Sri Lanka )-oSL* and t&e Liberation Tigers o% Tamil /elam )LTT/* came into e%%ect because o% t&e international pressure t&at was e0erted on t&e LTT/ a%ter 91112 But t&e %acts pro.e ot&erwise2 T&at is, %undamentally, t&e peace process was entered into, 2002 'F(1+#, was signed, not because o% international pressure, but because o% t&e balance o% power between t&e two parties in con%lict2 3&y do $ say t&is4

T&e international community stood as a mute spectator as t&e Sri Lankan air %orce bombarded

Tamil ci.ilian targets wit& impunity during /elam 3ar $5 )File p&otos6 Sa.e Tamils +o.ement* 7ow did t&e 2002 'F(1+#, come about4 T&e LTT/, as prelude to a possible peace process, declared a unilateral cease%ire as %ar back as 2000 8ecember2 7owe.er, t&is was not reciprocated by t&e -oSL2 $nstead t&e -oSL, attempted to resol.e t&e issue by asserting Sin&ala supremacy w&ile carrying out a new round o% military operations in t&e Tamil region2 7owe.er, t&is was success%ully repulsed by t&e LTT/2 Later, t&e LTT/9s well!coordinated surprise attack on t&e country9s main airport and air %orce base in June 2001 )be%ore 9111:* destroyed a large number o% military and ci.ilian aircra%ts )wit&out causing a single ci.ilian causality* and broug&t t&e country9s economy to a se.ere crisis2 $t is interesting to note t&at t&e ci.ilian and military airports are located ne0t to one o% (sia9s biggest Free Trade ;ones w&ere workers )largely Sin&ala women* do not &a.e a rig&t to trade unions, but t&e %oreign and local in.estors &a.e ta0 %ree business transactions as part o% t&e neo! liberal economy2 (%ter t&e abo.e attack, as t&e %oreign in.estors began to e0press t&eir serious concerns about t&e economic and political stability o% t&e country, t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment entered into a massi.e political crisis2 7ow4 T&e neo!liberal programme in Sri Lanka was initiated during t&e same period as in '&ile under "inoc&et in t&e <0s and it was also during t&e same period t&at Sri Lankan military %orces began its process o% modernising itsel% mainly targeting t&e emerging Tamil militancy in t&e nort& and east o% t&e country )T&is military, well practised against t&e Tamils made s&ort work o% t&e Sin&ala anti!go.ernment militancy during 19=<!19=9*2 8uring t&e period %rom 19<< to 2002, w&ile t&e Sri Lankan go.ernments continued to build its military mig&t and at t&e same time e0pediting its neo!liberal agenda, t&e LTT/ w&ic& represented t&e Tamil national mo.ement &ad emerged as a %ormidable politico!military %orce to t&e e0tent o% controlling <0> o% t&e Tamil areas and was struggling to build up a %unctioning ci.il!administration2 $t stri.ed to pro.ide %or wel%are, &ealt& care, education, gender e?uality, en.ironmental protection, c&ild care, agriculture, %is&eries, local industries, art, music, culture, law and order, policing etc2 By mid 2001 not only t&e Sri Lankan economy &as been badly a%%ected )due to accumulating burden o% long term military e0penditure and t&e economic crisis broug&t about by t&e LTT/9s June 2001 attack on t&e airport*, but also t&e narrow Sin&ala Budd&ist nationalist ideology t&at was necessary to maintain t&e Sin&ala supremacist unitary state structure &ad been se.erely c&allenged by t&e LTT/9s de %acto control o% large parts o% t&e nort& and east w&ere ma@ority o% Tamils li.e2 (t t&e parliamentary elections in 8ecember 2001, t&e war weary Sin&ala masses &elped t&e opposition w&ic& %oug&t on an anti!war ticket, into power2 Subse?uently w&en t&e LTT/ declared anot&er unilateral cease%ire, t&e newly elected ,nited Aational "arty ),A"* led go.ernment reciprocated2 T&e ,S(, /,, Japan and Aorway )t&e %acilitator* %ormed t&e so called B'o!c&airs9 o% t&e peace process e0pressing t&e wide international support %or t&ese &istoric de.elopments in Sri Lanka2

$n February, 2002, t&e 'F(1+#, was signed recognising t&e line o% control between t&e two territories and later peace talks began seeking to establis& structures to demilitarise, resettle and re&abilitate t&e war a%%ected regions2 $t is in t&is sense t&at $ argue t&is agreement came into e%%ect not because o% international pressure, but %undamentally because o% local power dynamics2 $n a way t&is was a &istoric moment w&ere, t&e so.ereignty o% t&is island was at its peak, because t&e Britis& constructed unitary state structure, t&e real source o% t&e con%lict in t&e island and t&e &old t&e 3est &ad on Sri Lankan state was at its weakest2 T&e go.ernment o% Sri Lanka decided to talk wit& t&e LTT/ as a result o% t&is new situation2 T&e $nternational "ressure was on t&e 2002 'F(1+#,: 7owe.er, di%%erent powers supported t&e peace process %or di%%erent reasons2 Some, like t&e ,S( and t&e Britis&, wanted breat&ing space to rearm t&e Sri Lankan state and to c&ange t&e military balance in its %a.our2 $n %act, t&e international pressure started mounting on t&e LTT/ soon a%ter t&e 'F(1+#, was signed2 T&e pressure was on t&e agreement w&ic& &ad radically c&allenged t&e neo!colonial unitary state and its Sin&ala Budd&ist $deology2 From t&e .ery beginning o% t&e implementation o% t&e agreement t&e (merican1Britis& go.ernments wit& t&e tacit appro.al o% t&e $ndian go.ernment made e.ery attempt to strengt&en t&e power o% t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment relati.e to t&e LTT/2

T&e Lankan army terrorised t&e Tamil population wit& indiscriminate s&elling o% sc&ools, &ospitals and religious places

T&is ga.e t&e go.ernment a signal t&at it could backtrack on t&e implementation o% t&e 'F(1+#, and ga.e succour to t&e ultra!nationalist %orces w&o were opposing t&e w&ole agreement2 $t is because o% t&is international manipulation t&at t&e Sri Lankan security %orces got well e?uipped wit& t&e blessing o% global powers, and Sin&ala Budd&ist ultra!nationalist %orces were gi.en a moral boost2 (s a result, a new go.ernment was %ormed wit& t&e support o% t&e ultra!nationalist %orces under t&e "residency o% +a&inda Ca@apakse in 200D w&o .owed to t&e Sin&alese t&at &e would Bunite9 t&e country by abrogating t&e 'F(1+#,, in ot&er words t&at &e would strengt&en t&e unitary state2 ,nder pressure %rom t&e (merican and Britis& go.ernments t&e /, banned t&e LTT/ in 200E2 3it& t&e /,, seen by most obser.ers as t&e strongest supporter o% golden rule o% t&e peace process, t&e accordance o% parity o% status to bot& sides o% t&e con%lict, breaking t&is cardinal rule ! encouraged t&e -oSL to renege on peace process and t&ereby pa.ed t&e way to re! establis& t&e endangered Sin&ala Budd&ist unitary state2 3&at &appened a%ter t&at4 Since t&en until +ay 2009 t&e massi.e military operations t&at were carried out by t&e Sri Lankan security %orces against t&e Tamil region &a.e resulted in t&e %irst genocidal massacre o% t&e 21st century2 3&at was in operation was not only t&e Sri Lankan state9s brutal war against t&e Tamil resistance, but also t&e propaganda war o% t&e Sri Lankan state and t&e global powers ! w&ic& was operating in %ull swing2 (s t&e massi.e %ire power was directed towards t&e Tamil region, t&e people continued to mo.e deeper into t&e LTT/!controlled areas as t&ey &a.e been doing t&roug&out t&e last F0 years2 'ontrary to t&e allegation t&at t&e LTT/ was using t&e Tamil people as a &uman s&ield, t&e LTT/ was coming between t&e ad.ancing Sri Lankan army and t&e Tamil people ! pro.iding a s&ield to t&e people2 7owe.er, as t&e Sri Lankan military9s %ire power continued indiscriminately, targeting ci.ilian settlements, c&urc&es, temples, sc&ools and &ospitals, t&e local and global propaganda mac&ine was spreading t&e news t&at t&e LTT/ is &olding t&e people as a &uman s&ield and t&at t&e people s&ould be allowed to cross to t&e Sri Lankan military controlled areas and t&e LTT/ s&ould surrender2 Few mont&s o% propaganda &a.e distorted not only t&e political trut& o% E0 years o% Tamil resistance but also t&e E years old 'F(1+#,4 3&at is t&e &istory o% Tamil resistance4 T&e aut&or 8r2 Jude Lal Fernando is Cesearc& Fellow and Lecturer, $ris& Sc&ool o% /cumenics, Trinity 'ollege, 8ublin, $reland T&e second and concluding part o% t&is article will be publis&ed ne0t week on 2= #ct 2011 (lso Cead "art $$ o% Jude Lal Fernando9s article

8o not let global supporters o% genocide look like

sa.iours o% Tamils

By Jude Lal Fernando 09 Feb 201 "osted 2<!#ct!2011

$n t&e second part o% &is discourse on Sri Lanka, Sin&ala academic Jude Lal Fernando traces t&e political &istory o% t&e island nation and dispels t&e t&eory t&at Britis& %a.oured t&e Tamils2 T&e %irst part o% t&is article appeared last week2 T&e Britis& %a.oured t&e Sin&alese: Tamil resistance was %ormed against t&e Sri Lankan unitary state and its Sin&ala Budd&ist nationalist ideology2 T&is state and ideology is not&ing but a Britis& colonial product w&ic& was constructed in order to &old Sri Lanka as a strategic location in controlling $ndia during t&e colonial period2 $ts economy was built wit& t&e sweat o% t&e Tamil "lantation 3orkers w&o &ad no citiGens&ip rig&ts2

+ute spectators6 Jude re%uses to buy t&e t&eory t&at t&e Bma@or powers9 including t&e ,S and t&e ,H were unaware o% t&e massacre o% Tamils by t&e Sri Lankan army )"&otos6www2warwit&outwitness2com* (s $ndian &istory was written as a &istory o% con%lict between t&e 7indus and t&e +uslims, Sri Lankan &istory was written as a &istory o% con%lict between t&e Tamils and t&e Sin&alese, w&ile %orging a deep di.ision between t&e 8ra.idian and (ryan ci.ilisations2 $n t&at B(ryan Sin&alese9 were seen as superior to t&e BTamil 8ra.idians92 'ontrary to t&e popular Sin&ala Budd&ist nationalist r&etoric, it was not t&e Tamils w&o were %a.oured by t&e

Britis&, but t&e Sin&alese t&emsel.es2 T&e %act t&at t&e Tamils &ad a &ig&er proportion )not a &ig&er number* o% state and public sector employment t&an t&e Sin&alese until 19DE is used to pro.e t&e so!called pri.ileged position t&at t&e Tamils supposedly en@oyed under t&e Britis&2 T&e trut& is t&at it was oppression and marginalisation %aced by t&e Tamils under t&e Britis& rule t&at created t&e conditions %or t&em to seek and obtain petty bureaucratic @obs like station masters, bank o%%icials and suc& like work %or w&ic& /nglis& was needed2 T&e Britis& &ad no reason to %a.our t&e Tamils as t&e latter were seen to be more inspired and moti.ated by t&e $ndian %reedom mo.ement t&an t&e Sin&alese2 T&e Sin&ala Budd&ist )Sri Lankan* nationalist leaders ne.er %oug&t %or total independence, but wanted a dominion state under t&e Britis&, w&ereas t&e Tamil Iout& 'ongress called %or swara@ %or w&ole o% Sri Lanka %ollowing t&e inspiration o% t&e $ndian %reedom mo.ement2 For t&e Britis& t&e key was to pull t&e Sin&alese away %rom connecting wit& t&e Tamils in t&e nort& and east and %rom t&ose in t&e "lantation Sector and keep t&em loyal to Britis& interests2 T&e unitary state structure and t&e Sin&ala Budd&ist ideology were t&e two main %actors t&at pro.ided political stability to Sri Lanka as strategic and satellite state o% t&e Britis& /mpire2 T&e political stability in Sri Lanka &elped t&e Britis& to rule $ndia and t&e $ndian #cean2 $t was t&is state ideology and structure t&at was rebuilt a%ter t&e so!called independence in 19 =, w&en Tamils began to discriminated in t&e issues o% citiGens&ip, land, employment, education, de.elopment etc2 $t was in t&is conte0t t&e Tamil resistance began2 8uring t&e %irst F0 years a%ter independence it %ollowed a -and&ian type non!.iolent resistance2 (ll o% t&ese were brutally crus&ed by t&e state2 "eriodic murderous riots against t&e Tamils got worse to reac& a crescendo in 19=F2 8uring t&e 19<0s, t&e Tamil parties passed a resolution calling %or a separate state based on t&e principle o% sel%!determination2 $n 19<< election, t&e Tamil parties w&ic& contested t&e elections on t&e basis o% t&is resolution won .ast ma@ority o% seats in t&e Tamil region2 T&e rig&t!wing go.ernment in t&e <0s pro&ibited any party t&at called %or separation and t&ereby closed t&e only parliamentary democratic option a.ailable %or t&e Tamil parties2 $t was at t&is &istorical @uncture, a%ter nearly t&ree decades o% peace%ul protests, Tamil militancy emerged2 $ndia w&ic& was alarmed by 'olombo9s turn towards $srael!3as&ington (0is supported t&e Tamil mo.ements in order to contain t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment and keep t&e .aluable Trincomalee &arbour %rom %alling into t&e &ands o% t&e ,S(2 (t t&e end o% t&e 'old 3ar, as $ndia leaned more towards 3as&ington, it also aligned closely wit& t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment and sent its troops to t&e Tamil region during 19=<!19=92 $t was during t&e same period t&at t&e Sri Lankan military repressed t&e Sin&ala yout& uprising in t&e Sout& led by t&e "eople9s Liberation Front )J5"*2 T&is was caused by socioeconomic grie.ances o% t&e Sin&ala lower middle classes2 7owe.er, it &as to be noted t&at t&e J5" also adopted t&e Sin&ala Budd&ist nationalist ideology2 T&e party did not &a.e a support base eit&er wit& Tamils in t&e nort& and east, or t&e Tamil "lantation 3orkers in t&e central &ills2 By sending its troops to Sri Lanka, $ndia &ad to e0perience in t&e Tamil region w&at (merica

went t&roug& in 5ietnam2 3it& t&e wit&drawal o% t&e $ndian troops, t&e LTT/ emerged as a strong political!military %orce and e.entually %ormed a de %acto state by t&e time o% t&e 'F(1+#, in 20022 T&at is t&e &istory o% Tami resistance in s&ort2 Let me come back to t&e 2002 'F(1+#,2 T&e global powers protect t&e unitary state: By t&e time o% t&e 'F(1+#, in 2002, t&e LTT/ de %acto state &ad under its control about 1D,000 s?uare kilometres, but by 2009 +ay t&is was reduced to 12D s?uare kilometres by t&e &ea.y bombardment %rom air, sea and land by t&e Sri Lankan security %orces2

/.ery nation in t&e world wants to appease Sri Lanka because o% its strategic location in t&e $ndian #cean2 T&e Tamil struggle %ell a .ictim to t&is appeasement T&e area t&at was declared as t&e so called Bsa%ety Gone9 by t&e go.ernment, w&ere well o.er F00,000 people li.ed, was &ea.ily bombarded2 3&o were t&ese people4 T&ey were t&e people w&o decided to li.e in t&e LTT/!controlled areas as a result o% E0 years o% oppression under t&e Britis& made Sin&ala Budd&ist state )Sri Lankan state*2 T&e Sri Lankan go.ernment made t&e claim t&at it was carrying out a &umanitarian operation to sa.e t&e Tamils %rom t&e LTT/: T&e ,S(, ,H, /, and t&e Security 'ouncil issued statements e0pressing t&eir concern about t&e ci.ilians in LTT/ territory and re?uested t&em to come to t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment controlled areas: Aobody asked t&e ?uestion, Bw&y s&ould t&ey come4 $t is t&eir land:9 $t is clear t&at t&e w&ole ob@ecti.e o% t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment and t&e ma@or international powers was to destroy t&e ac&ie.ements o% t&e Tamil resistance t&at establis&ed a balance o% power t&roug& t&e 2002 'F(1+#,2
$t is a uni?ue and rare moment in recent &istory w&ere a people9s resistance mo.ement ac&ie.ed a parity o% esteem in local and international politics wit&out t&e support o% any ma@or power in t&e world and t&at &appens to be in Sri Lanka w&ic& &as strategic &arbours )Trincomalee and 7ambantota* in t&e $ndian #cean2 $t is t&is #cean w&ic& is being mapped by t&e (merican establis&ment wit& t&e support o% $ndia against t&e '&inese e0pansion: 3&o paid t&e price %or it4 $t was not Ba war wit&out witnesses9: $t is o%ten said t&at t&e war in Sri Lanka was a Bwar wit&out witnesses92 $t is true in a sense, as all t&e local and international media and t&e ,A and ot&er agencies were e0pelled %rom t&e region by t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment in #ctober 200=2

3&en t&e $sraeli %orces attacked -aGa t&e ,A agencies did not lea.e, but in Sri Lanka t&ey le%t %rom

t&e Tamil region w&ic& is t&e B-aGa o% Sout& (sia92 Ae.ert&eless, t&is is also untrue, because e.ery diplomat in 'olombo knew w&at was going on2 T&ey &ad satellite e.idence and t&eir own sources o% in%ormation2 T&e ,A .ery clearly knew t&e gra.ity o% t&e situation, but did not want to release t&e scale and t&e %igures o% t&e massacres2 3&at s&ould we conclude4 /.ery ma@or power, especially t&e 3estern powers, allowed t&e genocidal massacre to &appen and @usti%ied it in t&e name o% t&e so.ereignty o% t&e Sri Lankan state2 3&y do t&e ,A, t&e (merican and Britis& go.ernments want to talk about war crimes and crimes against &umanity in Sri Lanka )two years a%ter end o% t&e war* by releasing t&e ,A report on &uman rig&ts situation in t&e country4 First o% all t&ey want to &ide t&eir complicity in t&e massacre o% t&e Tamils and t&eir responsibility in destroying t&e 2002 'F(1+#,2 Secondly, t&e accusation is coming mainly %rom t&e ,S1,H a0is as '&ina seems to &a.e outweig&ed t&is a0is in Sri Lanka by 20112 T&irdly, t&ese powers depict t&e Tamils as B&elpless .ictims9 and e0pect t&ese .ictims to depend on t&em to look %or solutions like in t&e case o% Sout& Sudan and Hoso.o2

Lest we %orget6 T&e deat&s o% t&ousands o% ci.ilians in t&e brutal war could &a.e been a.erted &ad t&e ma@or powers inter.ened at t&e appropriate time $ndia9s role in looking %or a political solution wit&in a unitary state structure %its into t&e ,S1,H a0is .ery well2 '&ina too would be &appy as long as t&e unitary state structure is untouc&ed2 For all t&e powers, w&et&er t&ey are %rom /ast or 3est t&e most important %actor is t&e unitary state structure w&ic& is t&e tool o% domination2 (ll t&ese powers need t&e &ub o% t&e $ndian #cean, t&at is, Sri Lanka, to &a.e a strong state so t&at t&ey could control t&e wa.es o% t&e $ndian #cean w&ic& is important bot& %or commercial and military purposes in t&e emerging global politics dominated by t&e ,S( and '&ina2 T&ese so called, B&elpless .ictims9, t&e Tamils, resisted %or E0 years wit&out t&e support o% t&e imperial powers and emerged as a %ormidable %orce in (sian politics counterbalancing t&e /uro!(merican, '&inese, $ndian and t&e Sri Lankan unitary state2

(s 3estern imperial powers led by t&e ,S( need a strong state in $srael to control t&e +iddle /ast and a strong 'olombian go.ernment to manipulate Latin (merican politics t&ey also need a strong state in Sri Lanka in order to get &old o% t&e $ndian #cean in t&eir strategies against '&ina2 '&ina too &as backed t&e Sri Lankan state in its competition wit& t&e 3estern powers and $ndia2 ,n%ortunately, %ollowing t&e same steps, progressi.e countries in Latin (merica &a.e also backed t&e Sri Lankan go.ernment e.en t&oug& it is t&e most militarised state in Sout& (sia and t&e %irst and t&e %astest in implementing neo!liberal economic agendas in t&e region2 'ould t&e progressi.e go.ernments o% 'uba, 5eneGuela, Boli.ia and Aicaragua be supporters o% t&e Sri Lankan brand o% "inoc&ets )'&ile* and JosJ /%raKn CKos +ontts )-uatemala*4 'ould et&ics in politics be betrayed %or geo!political strategic games4 T&e massacre o% Tamils and t&e military de%eat o% t&eir resistance are not necessarily a de%eat o% t&e Tamil people and t&e progressi.e people in t&e world2 $t is a betrayal and de%eat o% t&e principled politics and &umanity t&at t&e progressi.e go.ernments in t&e world claim to up&old2 'onclusion6 T&e power o% 7ope $t is o%ten said t&at t&e magnitude o% t&e loss o% li.es in genocide is unimaginable2 T&e numbers are staggering and t&e destruction caused is ine0plicable2 T&e imagination o% t&e unimaginable Tamil genocide is possible only wit&in t&e reassertion o% t&e Tamil people9s rig&t to nation&ood, &omeland and sel%!determination2 T&e imagination o% Tamil genocide s&ould also radically ?uestion t&e separation o% et&ics %rom politics in t&e so!called progressi.e countries and political parties in t&e world w&o are also indirectly responsible %or t&e crime2 +emories o% t&ose w&o were killed or o%%ered t&eir li.es %or t&e cause continuously inspire us to recommit oursel.es to t&e goal o% @ustice, %reedom and e?uality by strongly up&olding t&e Tamil struggle not only as a nationalist struggle, but also as an internationalist and &uman struggle o% t&e 21st century2 T&e most practical step towards t&is direction is not to allow t&e global supporters o% t&e genocide to appear as t&e sa.iours o% Tamils2 Let us maintain t&e spirit o% independence o% t&e Tamil struggle2 )'oncluded* T&e aut&or 8r2 Jude Lal Fernando is Cesearc& Fellow and Lecturer, $ris& Sc&ool o% /cumenics, Trinity 'ollege, 8ublin, $reland Cead "art $ o% t&is (rticle &ere