Speech by Mr. Arun Thambimuttu
Thank you,Chairman, Secretary Defence and UrbanDevelopment Commanderof the Army distinguished guests.
Yes today we are taking of Nation building. Ifelled that better late and never subject that we should discuss 60 years ago.
60 years ago flier of Sri Lanka is what we are face people talk of 30 years of conflict Ibelieved the genesis of Sri Lanka problems roses as earlier in 1940 before independence. I think it is important that we look at Sri Lankans problems. What are the think at we fail and what contributed toward a server ravaging chime that Sri Lanka as face specially Northern and eastern past of the country.
Ibelieving it is important that we understand that we ethnicconflict in fat Sri Lanka past wasn’t if you look at our two million on our history ethnicity played a very little part to Sri Lank politic and history of that time in fat I would are give if you start look at 1930 just before the independentmovement was imaging until that time the ethnic diyamancation did not play a signification part now you talk a ethnic politic a Tamils Sinhalesemournsburgers make up this country the two group that is Tamils and the Sinhalese shirred this island for millennium two millennia and the Tamil population by a large live among the Sinhalese with out is problems how ever the start of a new feaversicosis I would give was created when large number of plantation Tamils were brought in to Sri Lanka by the Britishcolonies.
If you look at our plantations migratory those area forests with importation villages were where Sinhalese population and the Tamils population lived and Sinhalese were majority and Tamils were minatory but they going system how ever thatdimension started to change in the 18 and 19 hinders and leading to a more in ethnic dimension to play with in Sri Lanka.
The Sri LankTamils were temerity small group who occupying most parts of the country. and they were courts of various kings in fat today Sri Lanka capital Jayawardanapura Kotte was founded by a Tamiladministrator who was fighting tax collecting process from kingdom of Jaffna.
Which rosés of 14 thunders so it is important to understand that how Sri Lanka’s history started to make a change and tamales of course Sri Lankan tamales mostly from the northern part of the country were used as administrated by the British colonies.
They establish there English language schools in the north and also in the east where the educate berocrabs to administer there colonialsgovernment and gust before the independence we started to see we started to witness a large numbers of Tamils who a been brought new ideas brought in that is Tamils soon a minority were going to loose political and administrative control in the Sri Lanka.
In fact Tamil leaders of the time they were very much in favor of unitizes as support to federalisms why they were in control and they were had access to power how ever in post independenceSri Lanka with the majority of population been Sinhalese we started to see that Tamils populations fear by the Tamilsburrcrabs felines.
They will loose their substation power enjoyed under the British administrate would lead to their loss their controls but thinks they enjoyedbenefited this I think very point because if you look at Tamils leaders who were early part of the 1940 were demanding they were in favor in unitlism not feudalism and i want to talk to unitlisam to feudalism because of today once again become veryimportant to Sri Lankans feature and in 1940s that was the time that and alternative those brought in this unitrisam why they felt natural they cont been control so feudalism could be and alternative where the Tamilbeercrabs can have a grate a control of the affairs speasilyat lease in northern and east parts of the country.
Where the Tamil population were majority it’s important that we realize that how Sri Lankan conflict or rather the ethnicconflict rose out of benefits and interest and when we talk of ethnicity.
Ethnicity only started become significance dimentation in the 50s and on wards and people for a example we should look at major incident that has cause Tamilpopulation to feel they were margin line one of the example would be standlished that was brought in getting admission to university.
University admissions were to be standardizing so that areas district where population did not have a grater entrance giving preference so is a positive discrimination.
In fact if you look at Sri Lanka 25 districts 23 out of the 25 district benefitted that policy that included 7 Tamil majority districts. How ever it was used political per poses by calamine their entity discrimination and that is very importation point if you look at Jaffna district traditionally had people going to good schools and they have grate number of university entrances.
How ever if you take a district such as Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar all ver.Tamil majority district where they university entrance were much more a numbers so those district benefitted from it how ever if you look back in history when people talk of standlibation and decimation is been given ethnic angle with mybillion so this is the genesis of this conflict today.
I want to gust bring back to today northern and easternprovincesbecausenorthern and easternprovincesare ofcourse 50 almost nearly half of Sri Lankanmaritimeboundary and also have important resources including forest and it lands mast today post conflict Sri Lanka in 2009 one should remember when the LTTE were defeated it gave a shock to many international place TamilDiaspora and why not even Tamils in the northern and easternSri Lanka as well as rest of the country.
Why because their was a believe LTTE will not be defeated going back to the past and it also many international players were rather upset how theirSri Lanka can go against the trends where trend of this centaury is about negotiations is about settlement and Sri Lanka had buck the trend in fact LTTEcomprehensivelydefeated and that was a problem for a significanceplayer in the international community and why was the surprise to the Tamilsbecause LTTE were rootlessorigination and at lease nearly 40000 families have lose atlease one member due to LTTE this is I given 40 year history Including internal killings inter militantrevelers and also them white menu numbers of incent civilians.
I am talk about Tamilscivilians so that aspect of it is never discuss and LTTE enquired that the Tamil population will not have alternative voices but remember LTTE only became same terms in fact the courses were even prior to that where Tamilnationalism group in a 1950s and 1960s and 1970s where Tamils a given new dreams and I think is very pointless that we realize what it was that LTTE two main motto was that tigers thirst is a Tamil country but even more that there are no lands tailsdoesn’t lent but there are no lands Tamils can call in zone and they did not of cause want to include Tamilnadu which they did not regard as a separated country in fact this ideology was propagated people of Tamildoesn’t lived fared and whitetrailed than go SouthAfrica and today of cause grate a Sri LankaDiaspora from Taranto to London to Sidney they were given this new dream where like that is release they could have a country their own where they will have every things it will be land of milk and honey and new dream was dives as early as 1970s at that time Tamilleaders ProminaTamilleaders who elected by peoples travels fried and whileI remember TLF leader Mr APP Amithalingam who become to LTTE bulate once in Singaporefamously propagate this view as earliest 1975 year I was borne so in fact it had far and while consequences but also had the genesis going back prior to the LTTE Sri Lankan Tamils today we number run three million people in the country live in every district that you can think of in fact when we are discusses Northern and Eastern provinces as many of half the Sri Lankan Tamilpopulation live outside those two respective provinces and how ever the Tamils were Sri Lankahave been victims of this dreams of creating separate state today I believe there are number of elements at plays one is of cause the TamilDiaspora the Sri Lankan as well as great a Tamil Diasporaof Tamils surf in Indian decent Tamilnadu a importation player in within the Indian union and also signification opinion maker and tiredly and more significantly Tamils of Northern and eastern provinces because I do believed when people discuss about ethnicity issued they inverabely limited those issued to the Northern and Eastern provinces where theare Tamils living ever other parts of the country so let’s look at Tamilnadu I think is very important because Tamilnadu has been I would say the ideologically Tamilnadu started provide Sri LankaTamils with a new thoughts of a nation. this went as early as 1950’s in fact the dividend movement when I develop 1950’s played a significant role in the emergencies of Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka they were the ideologically for bayous for the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sri Lanka sentiment far and wide Tamil films industry to politicians they look at Sri LankaSri Lankan Tamil issue with the large most cream. why they had now invented history and example my district Batticaloawas never part of Tamil kingdom in fact it was part of Polonnaruwa or Kandy it continue in fat the Tamils are migrants who came in 11 century most of the BatticaloaDistrict larging inhuman habits so to given ethnicity dimension of a precede state that existed it is swear in accurate in fact we can take times when we in Sri Lanka have had Tamilsmanors in fact even when we had cheap tons weather is Wanni or Jaffnathey are dream was to became the kings for the hold island never to create separate Tamils home lands which was never the case in fact it was during the midlevel times anion time of that matter until 1950s when the new fretlessidea brought out as an alternative to gainingcontrol at lease parte of the island so it is importation that we realize that Tamilnadu has a precession of Sri Lanka and more and more over is in aureate and without changing such perception we are leading to eared where conflict bouts and we are leading to eared where Tamils of Sri Lanka became a phones in this new age of political maneuvering by political in Tamilnadu secondly of course TamilDiaspora people do not realize you go to city like London there are as many as 3000 Tamils in fact you go to many condensates within the grate London where marginal consequences where politicians have to relive on block roads by Tamils migraines in fact there are more Tamils of Jaffnaorigin in fact as many as two eyes many Tamils living Europian north American then in jaffana then in Sri Lanka in fact there as many as over millionTamils again I want to speak on this issued if you look at last 3 years where now I have been back in Sri Lanka in fact i came back 2009 i am sharing my experiences of what Iwitness i give you one simple example today fromBatticaloa to Trincomalee it take about over and half to travel but in my child hood memory even before the conflict started if used to take 7 hrs to travel between Batticaloa to Trincomalee in fact they were many bridges and roads had been created and it has made traveling so easy today in fact as a consequence city like Batticaloa town today almostentire population living in an ear banarea why because they know go and cultivating morning and come back in evening with out any problems so dynamic has changing social condition has changing and they has been massive changers if you look at Batticaloa or Trincomalee today vas potential are been realize tourism economic condition are improving employment are been creating but remember as many as 5000 individual had fled Sri Lanka and Batticaloa in the last two years how and why they fled through various meanslegally boat traveling traveling by boats to Australia or trying to migrate to one of Europian countries and you have to ask your self why that phenomena taking place i will tell you simply is the aspiration that is creation by the Tamil population or Diasporawhere by a Tamil from Batticaloaor Jaffna today a young boy or girl wants to marry a guy from TorontoLondon or Sidney not a person from back home because they seen a vastlyimproving economic conduction today you speak to a youngster why not there are employment been created in why don’t you work in hotelhear their only paying 30000 rupees but my cussing earning about few hundred thousand been in LondonIwant to go there so that person has all so men that vas number of Tamils fled the country and this has been used by NGO’s humanrights activities as there leaving because of conditions are presiding in Sri Lanka which is far from the trout hand if you travel to east of the country today it has been that peacefully it has been as early I would saw in 17 today their are no army cultural in fact we went through from as early as 1980 it was the know every kid new about weapons you name they will tell you is what is so today has been significant shift and change but still that this people who are feeling from different reasons used for propaganda purposes so it is important that people realistic and empathy by the grate TamilDiaspora is been significant because they had look Sri Lanka their look at Tamil population and their continue with it is view now today if you go to London or Paris take a news paper read still talk of separatism they still talk of new state the still give the dreams what we lost through the war again politically who suffer as a consequences the people in Sri LankaTamils are the loses even when people discuss feudalism I touch on feudalismearlier today if you look at Tamils living in every district in fact today the Tamils of Sri Lankabenefitgreatly by having a unit systembecause they living every parts of the country and the best solution for them is to sharedbenefit powers in every district at national level by having equality opportunity not by trying to reintroduce trying to create some kind of unit which is more in mines of politicianordinary man I can give you example to you now we discuss about the famous 13 emolument which has given land and police power to the provincial councils.
Provincial councilsSri Lanka’s provincials are a creations by our colonialist British the mordant 9 provinces they in fact created the 9 provinces and banded them in favorable district if they found were in practical in choice and they found difficult to administrative to Sri Lanka through the provincial system and the provinces was forgotLTTE’suntil 1987 the Indu Lanka caught which revised provincial system and today when we talk of in granting police powers and lands powers somehowTamilcommunity how would the Tamilcommunity which is livening in every parts of the country I give you example to you in Nuwaraeliya district there are 400 thousand Tamils in Badulla district 150 thousand Tamils in Rathnapura district over 100 thousand Tamils in Kandy well over 100 thousand Tamils in Colombothere are 300 thousand Tamils and theseTamil population how would they served by a feudalism system feudalism of any description in fact take my province eastern province which when through many years of sufferingTamil population when through years of suffering they number about 33 to 34 present today as little as that in fact even our last sensesclime 39% of population but we think it is much smaller than cautiously people have left so how would they benefit from having a land and police powers in the hands of provincial councils in fact this is problem now Sri Lanka moving on has to look at a system where all population Tamils SinhaleseMuslims burgers they can share and benefits in the country in national level at not at regional level I think it is importance that our friends across the park street realize that it is in the interest of Sri Lankan Tamils to allow a unitary form of government a merge understanding ground realities today and it is important first Sri Lankan Tamils and Sri Lankan as a hold device mechanism that would fetch Sri Lanka needs today as supposed to at a proceed time in the past and it is interesting that now we talk of nationalism both in different form eat nicknationalism and also patriotism is a hold as two alternative system been vivid in Sri Lankathere is a rinsed of eat nicknationalism as a consequences of continuously the government of the past ignored mechanismintegrate various population you have if you come to our eastern district of Batticaloa you will find that divisional secretariat created on the basics of religion Muslim educational division created where the Tamil population Muslims population same language but three differenttowns are administer just because of those three towns are populated by Islamic populate even if you look at Islamic fundamentalismimaging and rising you travel to eastern province if you gone back 30 years ago you will not find kinds environment precious today Tamil nationalism is taking significance rise in a different form yes there are no chance terrorism remarking as long as defence forces manage and maintain and continue what they’re doing if you do not their is plenty of supportersover cease who would be willing are to race founds the create another conflict in fact if you go and speak to a ordinaryTamil man in the street of Paris they will see how come not a single bomb as explored since the war ended in fact their speak sorrow because of them they been given this ideology that this someone you can sacrifice everything in the interest of creating of separate state so Sri Lankachallenges are many and when we look at Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka they of course going to be at the co of Sri Lanka futures Eastern province blest with five national harbour in Trincomalee and also many beaches and attractive destination forest in fact we talk of Sri Lanka achieved independence more than 65% of the country was forested today less than half that we find as forest but fortunately Northern and eastern provinces have a large share of forest reserved so it is significance today even environmental concern Northern and Eastern provinces may provide the balance that Sri Lanka would badly requiredI think it is important when we look at future of Sri Lanka that we do not continue the past mistake of ethnic politics and governments pandering to ethnic policies and ethnic dimension does not take routs for the future and I do believe Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims and burgers have only one future that is together and that is example by the role play the Sri LankaArmy,armed forces specially when it come to reconstruction and I will give you example to you when I travel across many villagers they will come and tell you know sir we want army people to build our roads we are not to army people to build our bridges I said why if you given some body some politician take bright and less money will be spent those on roads and that the view I hear you know every village I am telling you it is very popular when they’re very popular because then they come and build the roads they build with in short time so when people discuss about the role of the army in reconstruction I think the eastern province finest example of where army and the arm forces as a hold such a positive infact even today I mean my old palimentaration from BatticaloaMr Prince Carcinandan very emanan person is and is 90 he said look our school is going to enjoyed 200 anniversary oldest school established by colonials in 1840 so can you ask army people to do the reservicement and do the building.