"Spectre of barbarism is haunting
Lanka again"
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The electoral victory of the centre-left People's
Alliance in August 1994 has done little for the separatist Liberation Tamil Tigers continues.
President Chandrika has promised to respect the previous governments promises to investors, anc the island's major capitalists. The resulting attacks in the majority Sinhala-speaking population by Vickramabahu Karunaratne Colombo, Sri Lanka President Chandrika (left) with representatives of the World Bank MUcH DAMAGE had already been done before President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga finally came out with a "peace" package. First, she got involved in endless discussions with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam (LITE), without any political basis. We of the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP)pressed that she come out with a political framework for
LETUS SEE WHETHER
YOU CAN DANCE BETTER
THAN THOSE PEOPLE/
WORLD
BANK
Wiesoma devolution. As expected, her liberal pundits scorned us.
Then, with the same carelessness, she moved into war, arousing all the war mongers, racists and death squads. It appeared as if she was ready to don a uniform herself.
Workers were forced to contribute one day's salary for her bloody war efforts. Racists were appointed to important positions all across the media. Many of them became active
International Viewpoint n° 270 - October 1995 29
* SRI LANKA in collecting funds for the President's "Defence Fund". In the meantime, she did everything possible to antagonise the workers. The Workers' Charter was postponed. The privatisation programme received the green light. A wages freeze was announced. A special police force was created to deal with worker unrest. The capitalists received a general assurance that the pro-American and pro-World Bank political and economic policies [of the previous government] would be continued. In other words, Chandrika created a hostile atmosphere within the most important social force that stood for the rights of the minorities. Her position in relation to other oppressed classes is no better. In many areas the Samurdhi programme turned out to be a method to reduce the numbers of those receiving social welfare payments. Agriculture Minister Jayaratne had to fight openly to stall the World Bank dictates on paddy production. Apart from the increase in teachers' salary, the PA government has done almost nothing to benefit the rural poor masses. And Chandrika's war cry has turned the tables against her own supporters in the villages. Struggles are breaking out against President Chandrika's social policies. In many cases angry villagers have attacked the Samurdhi organisers responsible for cutting names from the welfare programme list. Very fierce struggles broke out in both the industrial and the plantation sectors. The progovernmental trade unions proved incapable of controlling these mobilisations. Even the Employers' Federation recognised that "the collective demonstrations, as much as they are against private employers, must also be seen as demonstrations against the government, and the Labour Department in particular... Recently, in the estate sector, a token strike was called and a union which made a clear statement that it would not participate found that its members joined the strikers". 3 The employers are clearly very worried. This was the scenario for the new package. Chandrika went even further. She categorically stated that she will not challenge the constitution, and seek an accommodation within the existing legal framework. This means tying herself to the need for a 2/3 majority in the parliament, and to a national referendum. This in turn means pruning the proposals to suit the UNP and the Sinhala chauvinist lobby. In other words, Chandrika brought out the plate of food only after tying our hands and plastering our mouths. Things developed exactly as we expected. Racists, led by Notes 1. See Bala Skanthakumar, "War resumes amid government's broken promises" in International Viewpoint #268, July 1995 2. Sri Lanka section of the Fourth International 3. Daily News, 9 August 1995. 4. "People's Friends", a racist Sinhala organisation, split from the JVP 5. Reference to any federal or confederate structure for the island 6. There is a compact Tamil majority in the north of the island, and a Tamil and muslim majority in the east. 7. "Unfortunately, the old left still prefers to count its eggs in the PA basket, while the JVP has adopted a confused and ultra-left position. They are against the war, and voted against the emergency. They are against the package. They claim to stand for total equality. My question to them is; "comrades, are you ready to replace the Lion flag with a common flag? Do you want to see the parity of languages? Removal of the special status of Buddhism? Tamil-speaking regiments in the armed forces? Fifty-fifty representation of Sinhalese and Tamils in key institutions?" Unfortunately, the JVP remains silent on these questions". 30 International Viewpoint n° 270 — October 1995
Janatha Mithuro, 4 turned on the package like a pack of wolves. Only yesterday they were busy collecting tunds for their darling "Podi Madam" for her war effort. Now thev are very angry that she dare propose autonomy for the Tamils. The government's campaign defending the package has been very weak from the start. Minister G.L. Peris was left to take a beating. And every time he made a public statement, he included a concession to the Sinhala racists. "Forget the union" — the unitary state will be preserved!' , "No unification of the North with the East" 6 With conditions like this, what improvements could any new provincial council in the north really make? The Tamils would be cheated. Their frustrations will accumulate around the LTTE, and the war for separation will gain momentum. The country is moving towards a disaster. Everything is at a standstill. Chandrika's zigzag pronouncements have made "wait and see" the only sensible policy. The racists are howling in the street. The spectre of barbarism is haunting Lanka again. The UNP is waiting for the moment to tell the people "you see, our kind of barbarism would be better than It is time for the left forces to break with any illusions in the PA, and avoid an ultra-leftism which condemns the war without embracing the implications of true equal rights? Only in this way can we aspire to give the people an independent leadership.
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