The Mahinda – KP move handled by the military intelligence of Sri Lanka, whether a culmination of a long-term strategy or a move to probe the diaspora, is now backfiring against Colombo, is backfiring against some international actors harping on wrong notions of reconciliation and is backfiring against some elements in the diaspora which were long dreaming on the success of this move to trail behind with their tangential politics.
KP (Selvaraja Pathmanathan), exploited by all in his vulnerable situation, is now sounding spiritual and is advising subservience to the entire nation of Tamils, is the opinion of the people interacted with him.
Colombo’s ‘counterinsurgency’ organs were too quick to trumpet about the visit of KP-invited diaspora members discussing rehabilitation and ‘development’ with the government, forsaking any discussion on Tamil political cause.
Colombo reaching agreement with LTTE faction led by KP is “unprecedented political advantage” and a “major victory” to Rajapaksa government, Colombo media said, adding that the diaspora has realised that Eelam would never be a reality and the move is a severe blow to re-organisation of Tamil polity.
The Sri Lankan High Commission in Malaysia led by military brass was quick to jump at the occasion by making some Ceylonese Tamil elements that have business interests in Colombo to support the move in a token fund raising event and to proclaim that the “upper crest of Tamil diaspora” is now with the government.
As “these men who were supporting the LTTE to the end” have now shifted in their attitude, “this will be the first of its kind and there will be others in the future,” a Malaysian High Commission official was cited commenting on the fund raising in Malaysia for the “KP-engineered project.”
As hinted by one Colombo’s long-serving ‘counterinsurgency’ agent now in Singapore, the next step is dealing with Mr. V. Rudrakumaran of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam.
Colombo’s orchestration has several aims put together: The immediate aims are to divide and hijack the diaspora; to excuse itself from the war crimes by pleading the world not to disturb the process of ‘new alliance,’ and to diffuse any political uprising in Tamil Nadu that may come with the state assembly elections there.
The long-term aim for which Colombo is ‘mandated’ is to indefinitely nullify any political formula of solution and in the meantime to complete the structural genocide of the Eezham Tamil nation in the island.
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Public anger was the response in the diaspora for the Colombo-KP move, which prompted the British Tamil Forum (BTF) to come out with a statement denouncing a member who went for the meet as that was his personal decision and condemning the GTV, a Tamil satellite television channel with main studio in London, for involving the name of the BTF in the news bulletins.
In fact highlighting the institutional affiliations of the visitors was Colombo’s intention, to show that the diaspora frontline organisations have now come towards it.
However, the British Tamil doctor who was genuine in his social commitment and confided his feelings to the media as soon as he came back, received wide appreciation across the world when his interview was released later, exposing the realities and saving the masses from confusion.
As far as the diaspora is concerned, the Colombo-KP move is doomed at the outset, say diaspora observers, adding that the failure will reflect on Mr. PM Amza of the Sri Lankan High Commission who coordinated the move from London.
The KP syndrome had its effect on the Tamil political actors in the island too. While Mr Anandasangari came out with open outbursts that Colombo let down its supporters in the war by giving leverage to former LTTE, many Tamil political parties are exploring the possibility of coming together, anticipating a political assault on them by Colombo deploying KP, media sources in Jaffna say.
KP toured the North along with visitors from the diaspora, the visitors confirm. Colombo media also reports that KP is very popular with LTTE cadres in captivity.
However, what prevents the unity of the Tamil political parties is the fear whether Douglas Devananda would play the same role as of KP, in leading everything towards Rajapaksa, said a Tamil political activist in the island.
Some observers also identify alliances influenced by India and the USA in different directions.
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The Colombo-KP move was put in operation shortly after the US block of countries staging war crimes investigation, visit of G L Pieris to Washington, visits of some officials and dignitaries to Colombo, Vanni and Jaffna, and the US Asst Secretary of State spilling out some policy decisions.
The US Asst Secretary was talking about close partnership with India on the Sri Lankan question throughout the last several years, but in the current developments Mahinda Rajapaksa reciprocated neither to the two-decades old rot of the political formula of India nor to the signing of the CEPA.
What is relevant that has to be carefully perused of the US Asst Secretary’s spill-out is what he said on giving a chance to Colombo’s own war crimes investigation; initiating programmes for the ‘released’ Tamils in order to encourage ‘new business development’ in the North; ‘domestic answers’ (sounding similar to Mahinda’s home-grown solution) to the situation where there is ‘still some polarisation,’ and ‘ensuring’ the devolvement of power to ‘new democratic institutions’ in the north.
Tamils should never have the illusion that justice will come from those who knowingly committed and abetted war crimes. Rather they will pass the blame among one another or they will turn the table against the victims after keeping them gagged.
The US Supreme Court recently upholding even speech as criminal offence in dealing with ‘terrorist’ organisations may be applied to jeopardize independent war crimes investigations and may have a bearing on the functions of the TGTE in the USA, observers say.
Outwardly staging war crimes investigation, what the powers behind it are really keen about is prodding diaspora Tamils to work for development without political power, under Colombo’s directions.
KP embracing Gotabhaya, invitation to the diaspora for development under Colombo, Malaysian fund-raising and the immense pressure in some Western countries on the Tamil diaspora development workers to function under known Sinhala chauvinistic NGOs – all have to be understood in the larger perspectives outlined above.
This is ‘bridging the gap’ and ‘reconciliation’ say organs or powers in the West, denouncing any criticism as extremism, and threatening that they would decline all aid if diaspora Tamils don’t follow suit.
The money of the diaspora, which every one magnifies out of proportion, is in fact a speck compared to what the powers and their corporates want to pump in. What they want to extract is the symbolic participation of the diaspora.
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What hurts the Eezham Tamils is that they are continually put at the receiving end by the powers: their national question was rejected; their struggle was labelled as ‘terrorist;’ a war was conducted against them without witnesses; people were starved, massacred and incarcerated; even after the war the world didn’t take direct responsibility of them and allowed them in the hands of their adversaries; justice to crimes is only a lip service and is doubtful; political solution or political empowerment is seen nowhere and finally now they are asked to be slaves in the ‘development’ process and to contribute to it without any expectations.
This is ‘real politicking,’ being idealistic is futile, say pragmatists.
If this is what real international politics, then the Eezham Tamils are left with no space for ‘bridging the gap’ or for real reconciliation.
The choice given to them by an extremist world is that either they have to accept being complete slaves or should prepare for another struggle.
Whatever the humiliation, by not listening to what the winners say, Tamils will be further losers. One has to ‘wriggle through’ to find solution, say some sections confident in their tangential polity and in their ‘diplomacy’.
When their diplomacy doesn’t convince even their own people how are they going to succeed against a state that is known for decades of diplomatic onslaught on Tamils is the question.
There is no way of waging a struggle. That’s why the decision to collaborate with Colombo, to do at least something to the people. Rather than trusting any of the powers it is better to trust Colombo, is another shade of opinion.
There was always a criticism about ‘total political bankruptcy’ of the LTTE. What prevents the critics now coming out with their politics appealing to the pulses of their own people?
What is the alternative to accusing politics, where is a positive roadmap for struggle and solution, ask some think-tank strategists, knowing very well how every roadmap was hijacked.
The primary roadmap Tamils have to design is how every shade of opinion could understandingly nod to one another and go ahead, bearing in mind the national cause that is in the pulse of the mainstream of the masses.
If alliances can be made with Fonseka and Mahinda Rajapaksa why not with the progressive left of the Sinhalese that has a positive understanding to the national question?
If development without political solution is the answer coming from the West and India, why not Tamils deal with China too?
China has reportedly told some Tamil sections that it would not help them in politics or in human rights matters, but it is prepared to help in ‘development.’ China has not committed or abetted any crime against Tamils more than that of India and the USA.
If Eezham Tamils are not prepared for active political struggle internationally, they are not fit enough for their national cause. The bottom line has come now. That is first fighting for their right to develop their own people, on their own.
The Tamil diaspora can come out with alternative ideas of reaching its masses in the island for rehabilitation and development. Will the powers listen to them?
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