Tamil Separatist Demand is Rooted In Fiction
by Bernard Goonetilleke
The conflict in Sri Lanka is inextricably linked with the demand for secession, deceptively designed to wrench the sympathy of the international community. Last month, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), urged the United Nations to recognize “Tamil sovereignty” and end the conflict in Sri Lanka.
The international community must be told that, beneath a plausible veneer, the demand for a separate state for Tamils of Sri Lanka is rooted in fiction. There never was at any time in Sri Lankan history “a traditional Tamil homeland” in the north and east of Sri Lanka, as claimed by the LTTE.
If historically, the LTTE demand for a separate state is a downright fabrication, what is the case they can make to justify a separate state? The claim of discrimination is made in relation to language, standardization in education, justice, etc., for Tamils.
Standardization or statistical weighting was designed to help disadvantaged students from rural districts irrespective of their race and was never designed to discriminate against Tamils. Such positive discrimination exists in other countries too, to grant relief to the underprivileged.
Thus, rural Tamils along with others, benefited from standardization, which is not what the Tigers would have you believe. Consequently, the urban students, with access to better educational facilities, were disadvantaged through standardization, among whom were Sinhalese and Tamils.
Sinhala and Tamil are official languages today and English is a link language. One cannot fault the administration, which came to office in 1956 with an election pledge to make Sinhala, spoken by nearly 70 percent of the population, the official language. The mistake, one can argue, was not to have the foresight to recognize Tamil as an official language as well. Remember, in 1950, the Indian Constitution declared Hindi the official language of the union and think of the ethnic diversity of India.
If anyone says that Tamils cannot seek justice through courts, it is a downright fabrication. Take the landmark Supreme Court judgment in June 2007 on eviction of Tamil lodgers from Colombo. Many are the examples in which Tamils have vindicated their rights guaranteed under the constitution. Other examples are the case of Ramupillai v. Ministry of Public Administration (1991) and Vinyagamoorthy v. Army Commander (1997).
True, the majority of today’s Sinhala community comprising 74.5 percent, is Buddhist. However, the multiethnic, multireligious tapestry of Sri Lankan society, older than 2,500 years, has been enriched by the threads of racial amity and tolerance. The Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Malays and others share a strong sense of harmony unique to Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, even though the LTTE is attempting to establish a mono-ethnic separate state for about 12 percent of “Sri Lankan Tamils” in the north and east, (”Indian Tamils” comprising 4.6 percent of the population are part of our democratic fabric), more than half of that population now lives in safety and peace among the Sinhalese and other communities in the south.
If Tamils are being discriminated against as alleged, why would they prefer to live among the Sinhalese than under the LTTE?
Last month, an FBI announcement said “No, it’s not al Qaeda or Hezbollah or even Hamas…. The Tamil Tigers are among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world.”
No one knows this claim better than Sri Lankans, Tamils included, which is why the government is continuing military operations against Tigers, to free the people and wrest the land away from this terrorist group. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has consistently said the answer to the conflict will be a negotiated political solution that is fair to all communities. The dilemma is with whom is he going to negotiate? Can it be the LTTE, “the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world,” for the seventh time since 1985?
Sri Lanka is one of the oldest democracies in South Asia, and despite the relentless onslaught of terror unleashed by Tigers, democracy still survives in our island. While the United States pursues new horizons to nurture democracy, it needs to be alert to the anti-democratic forces that stalk vulnerable democracies like Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has no Pledge of Allegiance to its flag. If it had one, it would be no different than that of the United States: “One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” The United States needs to afford Sri Lanka the strength to remain “one nation indivisible.”
(Bernard Goonetilleke is a former head of the peace secretariat and the ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States.This article appeared in “The Washington Times” of Feb 17th 2008 under the heading “Tamil Homeland Fantasy”. A response to this article by Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole is published in the Washington Times of Feb 24th 2008).
M.Maheswaran said,
February 26, 2008 @ 3:56 am
Prof. Hoole has destroyed parts of Mr.Goonetilleke’s falsified presentation. Is it possible to have Mr.G’s reaction to this ?
Sam Thambipillai said,
February 26, 2008 @ 9:02 am
It is interesting to read the outright denial of truth about matters in Sri lanka. Of course, if he does not say so, even if his conscious mind says otherwise, he will lose his job!
Firstly, he says that the “separate state of Tamils is rooted in fiction”. In reality “a united SriLanka” is based on fiction. If he does not know his history he must ask the British as to how the island was and who united the countries for administrative convenience. Tamils are not asking for separation or cession as the government falsely claims. Tamils want Independence for their country. Further, it is not a demand of the LTTE. It is a demand of the Tamils of North East of the island of former Ceylon.
The problem in Sri Lanka is that it is such ignorant persons who hold important positions in the UN, just because they are Sinhalese.
Secondly, he asks the question ” what is the case they can make to justify a separate state”?. The answer is simple. The Sinhalese unilaterally declared a Sinhala Budhist constitution and illegally annexed North East.
Also, any people have a right to determine their own future. The Muslims wanted Pakistan and they got it because they could not live together with Hindus. So it was in Kosovo.
The people of North East by a self referendum decided that they want to live in a separate sovereign state called Tamil Eelam. They should have been given their demand long ago.
Past 60 years of subjugation, state terror, inequality and human rights violations show that the people of North East cannot live with the hegemonious and arrogant Sinhalese, who are not willing to grant the legitimate rights of the people of North East.. When a wife cannot live with her husband’s brutality she has justice for divorce. So are the nations that form one country.
The attitude of the Sinhalese towards Tamils is abominable. It is dificult to find a similar example in the world, except in Rwanda and a few other countries. Sinhalese are never remorseful. They justify their wrong deeds.
ilaya seran senguttuvan said,
February 26, 2008 @ 9:04 am
Any neutral person, not having visited Sri Lanka nor familiar with her recent history, upon reading this article will come to the inevitable conclusion everything is fine with Lankan Tamils and they, for recreation or what Goonetilleke does not say, keep hammering away at the Sri Lankan State using the LTTE -for no reason at all. Ratnajeevan Hoole elsewhere has given the lie to the Ambassador’s weak attempt at justifying the Standardisation Scheme of that demented Badiudin Mahmud. The Ambassador does not say of the “more than half of that population now living in safety and peace among the Sinhalese” in the South are often harassed with one reason or the other. Goonetilleke could not have possibly forgotten the “involuntary bus rides” of nearly 400 Tamils – living in safety and peace among the Sinhalese – to use his own words; were herded like cattle and thrown into buses, lorries and whatnot in the middle of the night – some women in their night dresses. Why Ambassador do you refer to the 2,500yrs nonsense and yet
omit to state in your piece that when the first colonialists – the Portugese came in 1505 there was a Tamil Kingdom whose Temples, Schools and properties the Portugese razed to the ground. Sir, you need more than just a fig leaf of your article to cover the shame the Sinhala governments (both SLFP and UNP) have unleashed on peaceful Tamils. By the way, the LTTE – like Black September in the Palestine question – is a creation of Sinhala chauvinism and injustice that is now accepted by almost every single Sinhala scholar, historian and political analyst.
KTR said,
February 26, 2008 @ 9:42 am
“Last month, an FBI announcement said “No, it’s not al Qaeda or Hezbollah or even Hamas…. The Tamil Tigers are among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world.”- Look like FBI dropped the term Terrorist label on LTTE, How come ….. Ambassador??
Ratna said,
February 26, 2008 @ 10:56 am
Mr.Goonetileke:
Your question:
If Tamils are being discriminated against as alleged, why would they prefer to live among the Sinhalese than under the LTTE?
My Answer:
Initially Tamils started to move to south for economic reasons, because there is not that much development in the north-east. But, remember 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981, 1983… Tamils living among Sinhalese were chased out. They were asked to go back to North-East. Then in late 80’s and 90’s, Srilankan government started aerial bombings and shelling in North-East. So Tamils have to flee back to Sinhalese areas. Any person would do that, just run away from conflict areas.
Ask your paymaster to withdraw the Army from North-East and stop bombing and shelling. Then you’ll find most of the Tamils are gone back to their native places.
Expatriate said,
February 26, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
Goonetilleke attempted to use Washington’s second-rate paper, The Washignton Times, to peddle his lies. But the paper ended up publishing 4 responses from Tamils (2 from Canada, one from Hoole in the US, and one from the UK). That is quite a strong Tamil response for an audience that knows pretty little about Sri Lanka or the Tamil struggle for justice.
Anyway, readers need to be aware that the Washington Times has a narrow Republican-leaning readership, and the paper is owned by the Korean Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church.
These Lankan liars in the guise of diplomats can’t get a foothold in papers like The Washington Post or The New York Times. These are the most influential papers with much wider audiences; though they, too, have not always been clear about the Tamil struggle, they know enough facts and won’t be swayed by propaganda from Lanka’s devious diplomats.
Uccai Siravas said,
February 26, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
Since independence in 1948, thousands of Tamil civilians have been killed in the island. Not a single perpetrator of the crimes have been brought to justice to this day!
This clearly shows the status of Tamils in the island.
Estavez said,
February 26, 2008 @ 5:12 pm
Is this writer had spent too much time at the corridors of Washington D.C or at the G.O.P conventions? It seems that he has! Is he been brain washed or what?
If you do take a poll on American People about your Sri Lankan Conflict, I am sure, the majority would say that the “Peace Talks and an amicable Political solution” is the way to go. Secondly, If you ask the Americans whether USA should involve with force in SL, then, 99% of US Citizens would say “Nay”.
Then, why is that USA supports SL (Sinalese by extension) govt to the hilt? It is because you call Tamils and their defence forces a terrorist group.
If you Sri Lankans stop calling LTTE terrorists and make peace with Tamils, the world and USA can only watch from the sidelines.
Dr.Bernard Goonetilake conveniently forgets that there was a Tamil Kingdom prior to western colonisation. This in itself be a lesson to all that prudence prevailed in the island prior to colonisation and thus, all three kingdoms lived in peace “Seperately”.
The US Ambassador to SL is going to have his work cut out,when Hilary Clinton adorns the whitehouse soon.
All these articles that support unitary Sri Lanka only prolongs the agony of ordinary sri lankans on the ground.
2ndClassTamil said,
February 26, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
For centuries if not for millennia the Tamils have lived in their traditional homeland in the island of Lanka and governed themselves. There is no evidence in history to refute this fact. If not for the aberration in history of the colonial past their sovereignty would have continued to the present day. The gullible Tamil and short sighted British leaderships during independence and the hegemonic Sinhalese constitutions of the 70’s paved the way to usurp the sovereign status of the Tamils. So mush so, a Sinhalese gentleman has the temerity to say that Tamil sovereignty and statehood is fiction.
“The international community must be told that, beneath a plausible veneer, the demand for a separate state for Tamils of Sri Lanka is rooted in fiction. There never was at any time in Sri Lankan history “a traditional Tamil homeland” in the north and east of Sri Lanka, as claimed by the LTTE” .
Where did he learn his history? This is utter nonsense without any facts to back! Simply put, for how long have the Tamils lived in the North-East? Many millennia my friend! So, what is his definition of a homeland? The one I am referring to has more going for it than Kosovo. Who is he trying to fool with his blatant lies? No doubt the world will see through this man and judge him for who he is or what he says. I need not waste my words over him!
He starts off by saying:
“The conflict in Sri Lanka is inextricably linked with the demand for secession, deceptively designed to wrench the sympathy of the international community. Last month, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), urged the United Nations to recognize “Tamil sovereignty” and end the conflict in Sri Lanka” .
without realising that the sympathy of the IC has always been with the Tamils in their quest to uphold their inalienable rights (without any need for deceptive designed wrenching)
Then he asks:
“If historically, the LTTE demand for a separate state is a downright fabrication, what is the case they can make to justify a separate state? The claim of discrimination is made in relation to language, standardization in education, justice, etc., for Tamils” .
Forget the discrimination etc etc. It is too late in the day to discuss all that. The Tamils want to continue their sovereignty from where it was stolen. They have come to realise that allowing eroding their sovereignty without any tangible benefits accruing to them has been a bad idea. Thus they view the SL forces an alien and foreign occupying force in their land. Hence the war. It is not in the interest of the Tamils to negotiate their sovereignty. They will never consider it with chauvinistic Sinhala regimes. So it is not for the LTTE to call for negotiations. If interested it will be the GoSL, who will have to woo the Tamils to give up some part of their sovereignty. Lets get that idea right. Tamils have slowly but surely come to this awakening after 60 years of turmoil. The Sinhala propagandists will now have to work overtime on this.
Peter said,
February 27, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Hello Mr. Bernard Gunatileke why don’t you agree for the debate you are being invited by Mr.Bruce Fein on these issues so that we can thrashout the facts without any bias in the open. At least do you know who the last Kandyan King was,what his original name and from where he is.
dias said,
February 27, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
As Her Excellency President Pratibha Devisingh Patil recently said the best for Sri Lanka is a “… to find a negotiated political settlement within the framework of a united Sri Lanka that is acceptable to all sections of society.”
Instead of discovering a political solution within a united Sri Lanaka, the Rajapaksa admininstration has come to believe that it can force a solution down the throats of the minorities if it can to defeat the Tigers and consolidate military power.
o The Rajapaksa admininstration is barking up the wrong tree by invoking the miitary option
o The Separatists are barking up the wrong tree by demanding a separate Tamil Ealam
[My friends, beside many other negatives, our tiny island split as two nations, both will capitulate in an increasingly competitive global market place. A better approach is to unite and strengthen our competetive capacities as opposed to split and weaken these.]
o Ambassador Goonetilleke is barking up the wrong tree by trying to disprove the Separatists premises [What a waste of energy]
And unfortunately the only one who was trying to discover a solution, Dr. Vitharana and his group have been disbanded! Of course, the Rajapaksa admininstration is to be held accountable for these unwise decisions.
Ramesh Sinniah said,
February 27, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Dear Ambassador,
Thank you for the fictious article you wrote for Washington Times. You definitely need a crash course in Sri-Lankan History.
When we have Ambassadors like you to US and Dayan Jayatileka to UN in Geneva , who needs the comic books.
With you being the former head of Peace Secretariat, no wonder the peace talks are decomposing in the garbage dumpster.
Congratulations to you for following the path of late Gamini Dissanayake and Late Lalith Athulathmudali.
They were the “Pioneers” in twisting the Sri-Lankan history with their late 70’s infamous proclaim of long known Anuradhapura’s King Elara’s tomb as being the tomb of Duttugemunu. Thanks to the mainly “Sinhalese Scholars” they were forced to abandon their quest.
It’s really pity to have a rogue person like you holding such a high calibre post, when there are are so many “Noble Sinhalese”people are around,like Galle M.P, Galle Police Chief, Former Nuwara Eliya M.P. Herath Ranasinghe and thousands of other genuine human beings. Unfortunately, good men finish last, and rogue ones get ahead.
As long as Sri-Lanka employs people like him and his ilks the race relations will head south bound!
punitham said,
February 28, 2008 @ 2:52 am
Shouldn’t Prof Vitharana have resigned when he got the President’s directive on 9 January asking APRC to ‘’submit a proposal” according to the directive?
punitham said,
February 28, 2008 @ 2:56 am
Goonetilleke hides the truth of his head and heart and lets the hand to get some dollars?
Sri said,
March 1, 2008 @ 7:02 am
Mr Bernard Gunathilake raises questions about the alleged discrimination of minorities in Sri Lanka.
The ambassadors are supposed to be well informed about the affairs of the state.
First about standardization as practiced in Sri Lanka. The reason the standardization was brought in Sri Lanka during the 70 s was to drive away the Tamils from the professions.
When the admission to Engineering faculty was overwhelmingly Tamil on merit basis during 1970/71,it was decided to add more marks to Sinhala candidates and admit them at the expense of Tamil candidates. This happened in 1970/1971.it has nothing to do about favoring any underprivileged rural students. As an example Marks were added to a a Sinhala doctor’s son at Royal college at the expense of the son of a tamil drivers son from the same royal College. Thereafter the method was changed first to media wise standardization and then th present district wise standardization.
Mr Bernard Gunathilake asks another question. This is his question.
If Tamils are being discriminated against as alleged why would they prefer to live among Sinhalese than under the LTTE?.
This is a stupid question. but needs an intelligent simple answer?
I will take hypothetical examples.
First Example
Let us say their are two countries like West Germany and East Germany during normal peaceful time. If people flee from one part to another say from East Germany to West Germany, then you can say people prefer West Germany to East Germany. If they run from West to East, then people prefer East Germany to west Germany.
Second Example
Now war is being waged in Iraq. There is neighboring Iran without any conflict. If people of Iraq run to Iran to escape from war, Will you say that the people of Iraq prefer Iran to Iraq?
War is being waged in the area controlled by the LTTE. There is indiscriminate bombing and shelling. do? Further there is economic embargo and all kind of deprivation. What will average unarmed civilians. but you seems to come to some hasty conclusion .If we say that you are trying to mislead unsuspecting international community Are we far from the truth?
Do anybody needs any elaborate answer?
Mr ambassader,Please let me know whether my response is fiction?
ilaya seran senguttuvan said,
March 5, 2008 @ 9:55 pm
Ambassador Gunatilake should respond. No point in arrogantly ignoring the strong rejoinders to his article – full of falsehoods and calculated to mislead the reading public –
in the rationale “I am an Ambassador. I cannot go below my
exalted levels to answer plebians”