Arguing that 'nobody can win' the war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) has called on the People's Alliance government to revise its devolution proposals for the Tamil-populated North and East of the island.
According to LSSP General Secretary Batty Weerakoon, Minister of Science and Technology, the government should modify those elements of their peace "package" that are strongly opposed by the right wing opposition parties.
United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe demands that any devolution agreement contains an explicit recognition of the unitary state model. Not surprisingly, he is also opposed to "package" to allow provincial administrations to carry out radical land reforms.
According to Wickramasinghe, unless the government reaches consensus with the UNP, the LTTE will benefit from the impasse.
"Batty Weerakoon has dared to come out from his comfortable cabinet seat, and demands that the left and the UNP sit together to crush the LTTE, " replies Vickramabahu Karunaratne of the New Socialist Party (Sri Lankan section of the Fourth International). "This is naive and dangerous. Shortly after Weerakoon declared that 'neither side can win the war,' the Tamil Tigers dealt a crushing blow to the Kilinochchi."
According to Karunaratne, that battle could mark a turning point in the war. "It could be the Dien Bien Phu for the Sri Lankan govern28 International Viewpoint #305 November 1998
In the opinion of the NSSP leader, "the problem is that even the original 'package' of proposals falls far short of the expectations of even the pro-governmental parties which represent Tamil citizens. One, the Eelam People's Democratic Party now demands that the government implement the Provincial Council system originally introduced by the former UNP government in 1987."
"In this situation, demanding that United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe's amendments be incorporated is a step back to
Although the People's Alliance government was elected on the basis of a promise to stop the war and introduce devolution measures that partially recognised the national rights of the Tamils, President Chandrika Kumaratunga actually intensified the war. A state of emergency has been declared throughout the island. "This recreates the constitutional dictatorship that existed during the previous regime of the [right-wing] United National Party, " says Karunaratne.
"Chandrika's attack on democracy - particularly the postponing of the Provincial Council elections - takes us back to the dark days of 1982; when the UNP government used a fraudulent election to abolish parliamentary elections."
According to the NSSP leader, "the government is now in a position to use brutal repression against all protests for democratic rights and just demands. This will be a particular threat to trade union activities and student protests. Any such attempt to undermine just and democratic struggles will result in violent confrontation.
In this situation, according to Karunaratne, "the only people who could be happy with the LSSP proposal are those who want a strong right-wing government, ready to crush mass struggles in the North and South of the island."
As for the war itself, Karunaratne is unequivocal. "No war drive, no matter how intensive, can curb the aspirations of the Tamil people for freedom. It can only intensify the hatred and the wish of the Tamil people for separation. Hence the result of this madness will be separate racist hegemonistic regimes both in Sinhala and Tamil areas.
"This war is a colossal racket. President Kumaratunga openly admits that she is unable to control rackets in arms dealing, because of the need for "defence secrecy." The more intense the war, and the greater the emergency powers, the bigger the racket there will be.
This war has become a machine for destroying the youth of all communities. While poor young people from all communities become the victims of this war, the rich enjoy lives of unbelievable luxury.
This war has become the pretext which imperialists and foreign conspirators use to walk into this country at their convenience. The government recently claimed that the Tamil Tigers had CIA and connections. hilarious. Everyone knows that the Sri Lankan government's war effort is totally dependent on US and Israeli support. These imperialist forces are directly involved in organising and directing the Sinhala armed forces. When the government talks of the Tigers' Mossad or CIA links, it is like a butcher who preaches vegetarianism. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's resources are being handed over to foreign firms, in the name of the war effort. measures indicate that militaristic and Sinhala-chauvinist forces have taken control of the government. Prime Minster Chandrika Kumaratunga has become their prisoner. If the military leaders can push forward their own candidate, they may even eliminate Chandrika. Their goal is a dictatorship, hiding behind an ideology of Sinhala and Buddhist nationalism. In these dangerous times, it is essential that democratic forces come together." [VK/JD] * Contact: Nava Sama Samaja Party, 143 Kew Road, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka. Tel. +94-1-430621, fax 334822