"Impending disaster is SL President's own making"- Jaffna daily

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 December 2004, 12:50 GMT]
''Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge has brought to the forefront of political influence ultra Sinhala Buddhist elements with the idea of seizing political power at no less a time when the onus of compulsive responsibility of finding solution to the ethnic problem stood cast on the government of Sri Lanka. It is Ms Kumaratunge who will have to singly take the blame if the present peace efforts fail owing to the hysteria unleashed by the chauvinistic forces whom she had elevated to the high plain of political influence,'' said popular Jaffna daily Uthayan in its Thursday editorial.

''''There is no ethnic problem in this Country,'' ''LTTE leader has referred to Tamil Home Land in his Hero's Day Speech. But historically there is nothing known as Tamil Homeland or Tamil area,'' says the Hela Urumaya. It blares out such slogans having reached the zenith of Buddhist Sinhala Chauvinism, and makes futile endeavour to bury historical truths.

''The Hela Urumaya which refuses to recognise the concept of Tamil Home land cannot be expected to accept the Tamil nation and its right to self - determination,'' said the edit on the Jathika Hela Urumaya.

''It is from this position the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), another political entity which is soaked in Buddhist-Sinhala chauvinism, speaks out. Whether right or wrong the two main Sinhala political parties in the South, the UNP and the SLFP, take slightly different stand. This may be the result of their having been in politics longer,'' the edit reasoned.

Saying that the two main parties accept that the Tamils do have problems involving ethnic dimension, the editorial added that these two parties now stand presssured to willy nilly accept the concept of Tamil Nation and Tamil Homeland.

''It is with regard to the question of the extent to which the right of self determination of the Tamils must be recognized they stand muddled,'' the paper said.

''The South faces the unfortunate situation of the smaller parties virulently refuting the fundamentals of the ethnic problem whereas they now stand accepted by the two main political parties. It is also important to take cognizance of the JVP's warning that an armed uprising will result in the south if the LTTE proposals for interim self government are accepted,'' the paper said of the hurdles faced by the Southern polity to resolve the Tamil national struggle.

''A matter pointed out in the Parliament few days back by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam - Jaffna District M.P is worthy of consideration, '' the paper said.

''The President herself has conveyed to us that the talks could commence on the basis of the LTTE proposals. The stand of the UNP on this is not different. We too stand for it. Therefore a resolution in the Parliament to the effect that the talks shall commence on the basis of LTTE proposals is bound to receive approval by two third majority.

''He also stated such a resolution will be supported by all the main parties and only smaller parties like the JVP and the Hela Urumaya will oppose it,'' the edit pointed out.

The edit concluded, ''the President find herself incapable of pushing forward even a matter that will receive two third majority in the Parliament. Why? She joined ranks with those political parties which exhibit chauvinistic tendencies. This she did purely for her selfish political gains. To continue in political power. She promoted and pushed up these forces with the intension of getting their help to achieve her design.''