Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 29 October  2015

Australia Represented in Vaddukoddai 

That Bad Sri Lankan Government?

Tamil National Alliance member - The Hon M.A. Sumanthiran said in parliament recently also that he had highlighted that the employment of Sir Desmond de Silva, by the former Sri Lankan government was inappropriate. The essence of the objection could be discerned from the following excerpt of  the speech made by him in Parliament on 17 March 2015:

[I state with responsibility that Sir Desmond de Silva was previously retained by the then Government of Sri Lanka to provide it with an opinion with respect to the legality of the conduct of the Government forces during the last stages of the war. On 23^rd February, 2014, five months before he was appointed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to chair the Advisory Council to the Commission, he provided his client – the Government – with a legal opinion stating: “Based on my instructions, my analysis of the relevant law, from the factual matrix made available to me and other research, my opinion is that great mass of civilian deaths which occurred in the final stage of the conflict were regrettable, but permissible collateral damage”.]

To my mind the message from  the TNA Member of Parliament is that Sir Desmond was bought over by the former Government to state what the Government wanted to hear. Fair enough. The following excerpt is from a report of the Global Tamil Forum regarding expressions  by Mr. Sumanthiran in September 2015:

[TNA parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran called for “internationalised prosecutions” for mass atrocities committed in Sri Lanka, as part of an accountability process for the crimes.

Speaking at a panel discussion on Saturday hosted by the Global Tamils Forum (GTF) in London Mr Sumanthiran said the TNA had “no trust in a local judicial mechanism” which is why they are pushing for “internationalised prosecutions”. “One of the most important things is that victims of these crimes must have confidence in these courts and they will not have any confidence in a pure domestic system,” he added.

He stated that this strategy must run parallel with a long-term push for referral to the International Criminal Court, which he believes will eventually come with a “reformed Sri Lankan government”.

Considering ongoing challenges in Sri Lanka, Mr Sumanthiran emphasised the importance of security sector reform, but also the difficulty in achieving it. “The military is the same military, the Terrorist Investigation Department is the same people guilty of serious violations,” he said.
In response to a question concerning the LTTE, he stated the, “LTTE was a product of a problem of majoritarianism” and “the defeat of the LTTE cannot be agreed with because the means used to defeat the LTTE weren’t just to defeat the LTTE, they were to suppress the voice of the Tamil people once and for all.”]

This particular message could be identified with, by most of us. When I was participating in Court process at Waverley Local Court here in NSW Australia – to have the Trespass charges against me dismissed -  a trader in that area asked me where I was from? I said ‘Sri Lanka’. He then wanted to know which part – North or South? I said North. He then said words to the effect ‘That’s where the bad Tigers come from’. My mind was already low – due to suppression of my ‘earned rights’ at the University of NSW – resulting in me having to go to Court to release myself. It plummeted further down when I heard this from someone to whom I was an outsider. Had the University endorsed me as per my performance and upheld my earned status – the above remarks would not have affected me. I would have accepted the remarks as coming from someone reading the news and without any deeper knowledge of Sri Lankan Tamils. Now he would say about the Sri Lankan Government also – ‘that bad government’. Hence, the Sinhalese Diaspora’s pain after the UN Report. If one were to ask ‘what have you really lost?’ – I doubt that any individual would have a valid response. It’s that personal loss and/or renunciation that gives a true base for ownership.

The conduct of the Tamil Diaspora was a strong force influencing the Turning of the Tables.  One needs to be careful in not losing that value by being hasty about ‘returning home’. I myself wanted to run away from Australia back to Sri Lanka after the University of NSW experience. On 11 August 1998 which was during the period of Nallur Murugan Festival, I wrote the letter of resignation from my substantive position at the University of NSW – after not being able to bear the ‘persecution’ I felt from Central Administrators of the University of NSW. I addressed my letter to the Dean of Medicine who did demonstrate appreciation – which I believe was because like Sri Lankan Tamils – he was expecting / promised Devolution of Powers to Faculties: (Now Professor Bruce Dowton is Vice Chancellor of  Macquarie University)

“Dear Bruce,

This morning, in consultation with my husband, I made up my mind to return to Sri Lanka as soon as possible – to a place where I can perform as a Professional in all my creativity.

I heard Pauline Hanson on the 4 Corners Programme last night. Ms Hanson suggests that we go back to our countries of origin if we cannot be like them. It hurts that we even have to hear such things. In the name of ‘Freedom of Speech’ we – the new Australians are being made to lose our freedom to live as individuals. If the leadership of Australia is unable to turn it around – to make up for their negligence in failing to hear the cries of the new Australians – One has to wonder whether Ms Hanson is expressing what these leaders (and employers) feel themselves in their heart of hearts. This is the million dollar question to which I have been seeking a favourable answer – that the leaders of the country to which we brought our children and made them call it their ‘home’ would ensure that it is ‘home’ for our children. But my experience during the past 13 years has failed to deliver the answer that I have been seeking so desperately. When an educational institution such as the University of New South Wales also demonstrated that it was no different – I do not wish to waste any more time – hoping.

I am sorry if this causes you any inconvenience, but I am quite happy to hand-over to your satisfaction – to a person of your choice. I am not arrogant to think that I am indispensable – there are so many excellent Accountants in the market (might even ease the unemployment problem!) and I sincerely wish you the very best – for you are a good leader.”

CC: Vice Chancellor

Many Medical Faculty staff were upset but not so Central Administrators. I now realize that the position I developed through my true contribution would not let me go back. THAT was/is Australian Ownership power. Dr. David Garlick and Ms Gwen Harrigan – who developed a Business Unit within the Faculty of Medicine – adopted me – and communicated their need for my services. I restructured my work to suit them and for the rest of the time – I pursued my Governance work through the higher Administrative processes followed by Legal Processes. The process was a release – and this is what I recommend to Victims of war also. I am working with them in Vaddukoddai - through every step of this pathway.

When I learn about children being attacked – I recall how my children were looked after by an Invisible Power with least external support – while I was at work. These were the discoveries I made about how God had received my genuine work – as service and stored them for me to be drawn on, when I needed them. Had I therefore run away to Sri Lanka – I would have lost the value of my Australian family that I myself had worked hard to develop and sacrificed to nurture. Likewise, my Professional Position as an outstanding Accountant specializing in Democratic Accounting systems. They are mine developed through my true, voluntary contribution. Sharing this Truth is the best contribution I could make to prevent unjust wars in my home environments.

Hence when I read the following report about Fr. Emmanuel – the head of Global Tamil Forum – I felt he was abandoning post:

‘Nava Lanka Samasamaja Party General Secretary and Ceylon Today's Columnist Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne told the writer that Fr. Emmanuel has accepted a personal invitation extended to him by the President and the Foreign Minister to work on the 'reconciliation' process the government has launched.

"Although I have accepted the personal invitation of the President and of the FM to come home and work for reconciliation, I depend very much on the cooperation of the progressive forces of the South to explain the whole truth to the Sinhala masses and I hope we have at least made a start in liberating the masses from the falsehoods of politicians," he had told Dr. Wickramabahu.
Under the Rajapaksa regime, in 2014, the Global Tamil Forum was banned along with many other organizations under United National Security Council Resolution 1373 for 'supporting terrorism'.

The Global Tamil Forum represents a large section of Tamil Diaspora in the United Kingdom. It has political power in Britain – to a far greater degree than Sir Desmond de Silva. When Mr. Sumanthiran used the GTF platform in September this year – he was using that political status. The above report about the return of Father Emmanuel confirms that Mr. Sumathiran was part of the process through which the current government bought over Father Emmanuel. What was bought over was the Political Status of  Tamils in the UK. The LTTE also did this in 2005 when it ‘sold’ the Political Rights of Tamils to the former President who is now at the center of war-crimes charges.

I believe that I was meant to invest in Sri Lanka as a Global person. Hence I act independently  at all times. That was a position that I developed from zero base. When I expected benefits relative to my position and/or  others in that environment by being ‘nice and pleasant’ to the custodians of power in addition to performing outstandingly as per my assessment of the position duty -  the ‘gap’ causing depression kept growing. By resigning – I was renouncing all of it – as if I did not belong in that environment.   I had much pain because at that time I could not ‘see’ the higher position that I had developed through my genuine contribution. Only a perfectly reliable system could have kept account of my contribution and kept my earned seat ready for ME to take, confirm and pass on to the next generation as well as share with wider world during current times. Hence the birth of Australian Tamil Management Service. The partner in the Sri Lankan branch is a Sinhalese – as are the Auditors. I did not need any Presidential invitation to do this. I believed in the ordinary Sinhalese – as I believed in the ordinary Australian. Where they did not perform as per their structures – I adjusted my position to suit them and the structure known to them.

The place where I was taken to is Vaddukoddai and the standards are Australian. The Service is ‘Prevention of War’ by strengthening  security of the individual – especially women and children and developing self-employment opportunities – especially in high risk areas such as Thunaivi. If they later make up their minds to ‘protest’ / ‘rebel’ it would be an independent decision and that would need to be respected and valued. But that was not the case with LTTE recruitment. The way I renounced my earned benefits – of my own free will – these folks would need to renounce their earnings after following the law applicable in their area – as per their interpretation of the law or as per their Truth alone. This is the training they get through secular positions structured through our Australian Tamil Management Service.

If Father Emmanuel is therefore intending to educate the Sinhalese Masses – then I conclude that he is now a Sinhalese. This is why one must not have even a drink in the Opposition’s home – as Lord Krishna demonstrated when He undertook to try Reconciliation to prevent war.

Those of us who emigrated to new nations – have responsibility to uphold our true  positions in our new home-nations. If we abandon post, we damage the structure and the group and all those who relate to that group would need to restructure their own relationships. Father Emmanuel has a DUTY to Britain to remain a British Tamil at least until the Sri Lankan ethnic problem is adequately addressed. Lord Krishna recommends DUTY above Benefits because we owe our society of previous generations and the society of future generations  owes us. We need structures and positions towards this. By recognizing our ‘positions’ we recognize that owing/debt which is called Duty when it is for ownership purposes. When we fulfill our DUTY we inherit the Structural Values of that position and the Institution. Hence the Ownership Right. In any relationship there is Duty before Rights. It is indeed testing times for British Tamils – whether they are owners of the Tamil issue or mere users. Likewise the TNA at National level.  

We are all Ambassadors of the Nations we claim we belong to.  Father Emanuel needs to restructure his services to reflect his British values also. That is how we would resolve our illegal immigration problems also. Otherwise problem one would evolve as another.