WHITE VAN SYNDROME IN SRI LANKA, WHERE DID THE WHITE VANS GO?
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Sep 28, 2012
Abductor white Van
" White Van Disappearances and the Disappearances of White Vans". Unfortunately among us are found Mahinda Rajapaksa and Great Liars like Peiris making mockery of the world. Are they genetic aberrations or great deviations in the human genome? Will Mahinda Rajapaksa accept my challenge to go before an independent tribunal to investigate the white Van disappearances and the disappearances of the White Vans?
I am not a lawyer but what intrigues me is the white Van syndrome. In Sri Lanka for quiet sometime the activity of the White Van atrocities were uncontrollable. Mahinda Rajapaksa kept saying his law enforcement is investigating with no information as to who and why these White Van atrocities was on the rise and uncontrollable. There is a government and a functional law enforcement and a functioning judiciary in place or so say the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government. The impression Rajapaksa gave was it is unknown private criminals who are behind the White Van Syndrome and promised to find the criminals.
But now all of a sudden these White Van have disappeared and the crimes have stopped. The question is why did they stop, it is the same government in place. If the same government is in place , if the law enforcement is functional and a functioning judiciary is in place what changed for the White Vans to disappear?
Mahinda Rajapaksa knows the answer, so is the world. If he wants to absolve his part in the White Van Disappearances he has to investigate them with full moral and legal force, but without such actions the White Vans disappeared and so are the disappearances of people. Did the criminals all of sudden purified themselves of crime? NO. Did they become civic minded law abiding people? NO.
Then what happened? What is the common denominator? or who is the common denominator? I am sure the circumstantial evidences are that Mahinad Rajapaksa is the head of the White Van Cartel. But it will be hard to prove it in a court of law, it is the people who have to dispense justice on him. The future of Sri Lanka depends on how they uphold moral justice. Legally you are right but morally you cannot change the world. They know who the criminal is and who the culprits is. This judgement no one can change. That is the power of people, no one can tell me what to think. That is my inalienable gift of God. This no one can take away. If and when you take away you create more.
Sri Lanka can continue to be legally right, but the distance between what is legally right and morally right must narrow and align, a true judge of justice looks at the case with the moral gift he is given. There is a powerful moral energy that surrounds all of us and permeates all of us. they call it Higgs Boson particles, we call it God, some call it invisible energy. We humans are the supreme creations of the universe, but unfortunately among us are found Mahinda Rajapaksa and Great Liars like Peiris making mockery of the world. Are they genetic aberrations or great deviations in the human genome?
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Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review: War Crimes Must Take Centre Stage
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Sep 22, 2012
The Toronto Court House
"One police man told me we do not go while the crime is in progress, we go for post crime investigation. Where does that leave the common man?"
Yesterday I was in the Toronto Court House and I was able to talk to few people and the cases are very trivial, but yet very important as to how the civil society behaves. But in Sri Lanka a murderer is the President, I mean MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA. the evidences are over whelming, yet no one wants to do anything. If you wait for the five permanat members of the United Nations to do something, that will never happen.
What is wrong with the world today is indifference, a man is getting beaten on the street and no one wants to rescue him, all we can do is to call 911. The 911 wants to know more about the caller than the crime and the criminal! But when we call the 911 to the United Nations the Secretary General does not respond.One police man told me we do not go while the crime is in progress, we go for post crime investigation. Where does that leave the common man?
How do we dispense justice to this criminal Rajapaksa? Why not the world let us do justice to him? Will India stay out of this devious knavery and let justice prevail? A simple wanring to India watch what is happenning in the Middle East. Feudalism giving way to freedom, in India social injustice must give way to social equality. I do not know if Indians can see or not but we see it. When India explosed with social revolution the out flow of refugees will be unmangeable. If any Indian thinks injustice will prevail must think that injustice is a wetting agent that permeates all fabrics.
Mahinda Rajapkas is playing China against india and these two stupid succumb to this little rascal. Don't these two nations have any one with back bone to stand up for what this scum basket is up to. How will he have any respect for anything and anyone when these two countries just cannot stand up for what is right.
Too many people have risen to power through nepotism and favouritism and all they want to do is to ransack the society and leave the trash for their future generations to deal with. If we do not stand up for what is right soon we will stoop down to criminals.
Every nation knows this is a criminal but they subscribe to him for they too are culpable of the same or equivalent cirme. It is time people take back the world.
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MUSLIMS OUTSIDE THE MUSLIM WORLD THINK OTHERWISE
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Sep 17, 2012
Muslims burn an American flag in Lybia
"These are dark days and dark ages for the People of Muslim faith, but they must work to come out of it and shower freedom to all". While the fanatics in the Middle East are fanning the flame of fanaticism, the Muslim living outside the Middle East are thinking differently.
They live among the other faiths and see the way we respect their faith and people. The Burqa is one the best dresses. The Halal meat is one of the healthiest to eat, I eat Buriyani, the best in the world. We all read Koran, in fact I have two copies, but one Bible and one Baghavad Geeta.
The Muslims living outside the fanatic area see the panoramic view of the world. They go to their mosques and we stop the traffic to allow the devotees to cross the road. So what then is the problem with the people in the Middle East? I think people are the same except some insecure people who seek protection in fanaticism.
Once up on time we needed the religion to lead us out of darkness, but today people are well educated and much emancipated. we all are religious leaders. I have my own religion which may be combination of all religions, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. I have a combination of cultures in me and I prosper when I widen my horizon and when I rise I stand tall.
Most Muslims think that way especially those live in the Western world. A Muslim mother in Burqa and Muslim daughter in jeans, one can see the generational gap. When you combine the two faiths you get something better. The Muslims Girls and Boys in the west are some of the best educated and best behaved citizens. Why don't the Muslims in the Middle East think like them.
What is going to happen to the Middle East? With the oil reserves running down, new energy technologies emerging, they have to embark on higher education to empower themselves. They all must become like Prophet Mohammed, not just follow him, they have to become better.
Whatever happened to the Muslim inventions some 15 centuries before? The European took those ideas and improved them, while the people in the Middle east was kept in the dark. These are dark days and dark ages for the People of Muslim faith, but they must work to come out of it and shower freedom to all.
Watch the protest in the Middle East and I am sure 90% of them do not know what is going on, they are not focussed, they are meandering, aimlessly walking, smoking and standing around. That itself tells the world these people have to be freed from aimlessness. There are few hooligans and the rest is crowd. These people have nothing to look forward to. We have to give them a vocation, a home, schools, healthcare and a community to live in. But one good thing is they have complete Faith, I do not know if it is blind faith!
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THE FATE OF INDIA AND FATE OF SOUTH ASIA
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Aug 30, 2012
Adult movie star Sunny Leone, oirginal from India
"Great Nations are born out of the greatness of people; not just by fences on the face of the earth”. “If life is by nature a competitive adventure and the survival of the fittest, then obviously India, Pakistan, Bengal Desh and Sri Lanka are dying nations”. Subramaniam Masilamany.
The follies of the Indian mindset and their policies will unfold in the coming years. To the wise and undisturbed the clarity of the mind reveals prophecies. When Super powers vie for bread crumbs we know that they are no longer super powers they are super powerless, otherwise why China, Russia and USA must be fanning and fueling troubles in tiny nations. On the contrary why cannot they get together and solve world’s problems.
The way the world is today divided and demarcated, is it the right way for people to live? People are the same everywhere but why then are we so differentiated and controlled? What we need are not Politicians, Kings, Queens, Generals and Criminals running the nations, we need a broader well emancipated population of people among whom can be identified great minds, the best we have so far is US President Barack Obama. If nations are managed by great minds with the consent of the people we will not have criminals commanding and hijacking pieces of real estate such as Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Sudan. It is surprising to see Sri Lanka calling itself a Buddhist nation descended to the level of prehistoric people and barbaric behaviour.
The fate of south Asia rests largely on the most populace of the nations, India. As I watched the 2012 Olympic games, I noticed the stark absence of India, the second largest world population, so is Pakistan, Bengal Desh, so is Sri Lanka. If life is by nature a competitive adventure and the survival of the fittest, then obviously these are dying nations.
I quote from the book,” The famous men and great events of the 19th century” by Charles Morris, page 627. Nations are born out of the greatness of the minds of people, not just lines drawn on the soil. An Indian is a dull and devious minded person; there is very little trust amongst them and with each other.
While china made great strides in the last 50 years since Mao Tse Tung, lifting its own people and people around the world by exporting and importing with rest of the world, India with almost the same population and cheap labour could not harness the human potential. India had the distinct advantage over China for they spoke the International language of commerce, culture and communication; English. What we see are shovel and mommotie carrying coolies in the Middle East and satchel carrying computer coolies in the West. No self respecting nation will send their people for menial jobs or promote tourism as a means to national emancipation.
I am sometimes sad that I am stereotyped as a dark skinned Indian. It takes only few seconds to fend off that image but why cannot our fellow Indians live up to international standards of greatness? I work hard long hours to compensate for the composite bad image very Indian brings to all other Indians. We compliment and supplement each other on our way to degradedness. I want to tell the other South Asian that we Tamil are not dull minded people, we are creative and contributing people. If we are all one people why do we help the criminals in our society to kill the creative people? To which the Indian establishment has no answer. Indians neither want to emancipate their people nor would not let them go, they are like leeches sucking the national energy and enthusiasm out of the nation. There is no great stride in the walking, they just limp along for the vagaries of nature to act on them.
When I am in the company of other people I categorically say I am not an Indian Indian, I used to say Sri Lankan, then I became a Sri Lankan Tamil now I proudly call myself a Canadian Tamil. There is great pride in it, I walk through immigration with no questions asked except Welcome back to Canada. But I still have my brown skin. What changed? It is our greatness as people. That is the greatness we Tamils earned in Canada. I am eternally thankful and committed to Canada. While at any airport I see the Indian coolies and Indian taxi drivers. Not a Canadian Tamil. You see why they envy us in South Asia; we are the pearl of the Indian Ocean. But before the swine what good are the pearls?
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." When did I stop calling myself Sri Lankan? after reading about the brutality and the genocidal categorization of Sri Lanka, lumped along with Rwanda, Sudan, Guatemala, Cambodia and Bosnia.
Some Indians tend to think they are brightest, I think they are confusing grey matter with bone matter. When one eats high carbohydrate, high fat food all one ends up getting is oxidative degeneration of brain cells, or brain aneurysm. If they have any grey matter they would not have made enemies out of their neighborhood and they would have taken advantage of the bygone economic boom. All they did was to suck the bone marrow out of the bloodless peasants. It is ridiculous to hear them want to help people in Sri Lanka when they have paupers and single mother on the streets begging. What were they thinking of themselves? If India cannot manage and develop their people, they should let them go in their own way, it is going to happen anyways, it has stared already. Punjab, Kashmir, Tamils Nadu, Assam to name a few.
In Pakistan and Sri Lanka they made a total mess and now they have no know how to deal with it. They have made three enemies out of one Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka as a nation, Singhalese as a group of people and Tamil as the relatives of South India. two out of Pakistan.
Why India is not viable geophysically? It is shaded from the northerly wind by the Himalayas. The wind is flowing towards China taking all the soil nutrients to China. Northerly wind makes people strong by selecting the best and making better people of them. Call me racist if you want, but that is the fact. remember the Eurasians, who are they? they are people from Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Europe, Canada and USA. The Chinese and Europeans mix faster than any other race because they are one people. it should be warning to Sri Lanka, thinking that China will come to their rescue. NEVER. You cannot fool the Europeans either, they may look like one but they are not, they are very smart people in very many respects.
What South Asia needs is massive revolution overturning existing customs and social order and social segregation. There must be land reform and people be given a piece of land called their own, then we need credit banking system that dispense loans based on land collateral. then they need market reform so that people can buy on credit and stimulate production, then the government bring about tax reform to stimulate investment. Tax consumption not income.
If you ask me why the Tamils are successful, because they exist within the an economic system of European making. They know how to make a dollar out of a penny. They understand the law of creation and cornucopia and the law tithing. they make money for generations to come, they invest in community development, in volunteer service etc.
The problem in Asia is the Indians and the Sri Lankan Singhalese are working together to eliminate the Tamils numbering 70 million. More than Sri Lanka, India is the biggest enemy of the Tamil people. The Indians lack foresight and creative thinking. they are very discriminatory, here is a great example of one Indian prostitute advertising as below:
http://toronto.backpage.com/FemaleEscorts/yummy-east-indian-_-great-price-today-_-classy-east-indian-21/12564610
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Status of Minorities: A Tale of Two Neighbors
Special ContributionBy Ram Puniyani
Aug 25, 2012
Violence between Muslims-Bodos
Pakistan and India, these neighbors got Independence in the mid August 1947. Today 55 years after the Independence where do these two major countries of the subcontinent stand vis a vis their religious minorities, is the question which we need to answer to ensure a better and more democratic area.
On August 11, 2012, a mob of over 50000, mainly Muslims, assembled in Azad Maidan to protest against the ill treatment of Muslims in Assam and Myanmar. After some speeches full of provocation and after display of some provocative posters, the mob turned violent and vented its ire against the media for not covering the plight of Assam’s Muslims displaced in the July violence involving Bodos and Muslims. Needless to say that in Assam violence nearly 80 people have been killed and over 4 lakh people, mostly Muslims-Bodos, have been displaced, right under the nose of the ruling government. It burned few OB vans. Mob also took on the police. Humiliated-molested women police personnel and beat up other police personnel. While controlling the violence the police did the firing, which lead to death of two young men. In the whole scuffle many a police personnel also got injured. Now, the Raza Academy, the organizers, has issued an apology saying the meeting was infiltrated by provocateurs. Still the organizers cannot shun their responsibility from the whole tragedy. The protest has always to be on democratic lines, non violent and the speeches in meetings have to be on moderate lines, the hate speech and inciting the mobs is not excusable on any condition.
In the same week there is news that nearly 300 Hindus have crossed over to India from Pakistan. Ostensibly they have come here for pilgrimage, but many of them have stated that they will not go back as they don’t feel safe in Pakistan. Most of these Hindus are from Sind and Baluchistan. There are reports of forced abduction and conversion of Hindu girls there and the religious minorities have to live the life of second class citizens. The religious minorities persecuted in Pakistan are not just Hindus; Sikhs and Christians but also Shias and Ahmadiyas, a sect of Islam.
Where do we find ourselves nearly six decades down the line after we committed ourselves to democracy and secular principles? India came into being as a secular democratic state and even Pakistan which was formed in the name of Islam for the Muslim majority areas of British India began with the secular principles as enunciated in the oft quoted 11th August 1947 speech of Qaed-e-Azam Jinnah. In the speech he said that the state has nothing to do with the religion, people are free to go to their mosques, temples and churches or whatever, as it is their personal matter. He also said that the white color in Pakistan flag represents minorities. Still the logic of communalism was ‘built-in’ in the whole system. One can make a secular speech but the social base which had resulted in formation of Pakistan, the one of feudal elements was intact. Mere secular speeches don’t change the social reality. The communalism caught up in Pakistan in due course of time and in late seventies, with Zia ul Haq-Maulana Maududi duo ruling the roost, the Mullahs came to the fore-front. The Mullah-Military complex backed up by the United States, which had a substantial say in the affairs of Pakistan, violated every letter and the core spirit of the speech of Mr. Jinnah, to the extent that today even the Muslim minorities, Shias and Ahmadiays are as much victims of religious intolerance and it is getting reflected in their political status in the country.
India with Gandhi and Nehru as the major pillars of shaping the values of Indian national movement, were unshakable in their commitment to secularism. Gandhi, the devout Hindu and Nehru the atheist had the vision of a state totally committed to respecting the people of all religious denominations, while keeping a distance from those trying to bring in matters related to faith in the ambit of the policies of state. Nehru while doing this realized two major handicaps. One that, while our constitution is secular, the society is in the grip of religiosity, so he found this as an obstacle in full implementation of secular policies. The second flaw he saw was that in his party, which was founded on the grounds of secular values has been infiltrated by communal elements. There was no one to heed to his warning, and in due course many an actions of some Congress leaders were indistinguishable from those of the communal elements, those forcing the country in the direction of religious nationalism.
The health of democracy in any country has to be gauzed by the security and equity of minorities in the country. Through the complicated mechanisms, the influence of communal elements has risen exponentially during last three decades in particular. The whole trajectory of these two countries has been very different. While in Pakistan, there was always a space for communalism to creep in comfortably, task of communal politics became still simpler with the country falling in to the grip of Military dictatorships time and over again. The intervention of United States and US policies in Afghanistan, in particular, added fuel to the fire.
In India, the opportunism, the fallacies of electoral system, first past the poll, the rising anxiety of sections of society, the successful effort of communal forces to project the fear of the small minorities to the big majority and the politics around emotive issues like Ram Temple completed the picture. Today roughly while Muslims are 13.4% in population, their percentage amongst violence victims is 90%. Today they are standing at the bottom of socio-economic indices. Sachar Committee has demonstrated it beyond any shadow of doubt. In Pakistan, the percentage of Hindu minorities has declined over a period of time and their security and social status is abominable. The injustices on minorities in one country are no justification for heaping of injustices in other country. The reactionary communalism is used by political forces in their own ways. The communal forces in India look at the Hindus exiling from Pakistan and the Assam violence as the attack on Hindus. In Pakistan the atrocities on Muslims in India give them a handle to further intimidate the Hindus there. In response to Babri demolition, many a temples were razed to dust in Pakistan.
All said and done there is a gross contrast between the situation in Pakistan and India. Despite setbacks, the secular democratic values are the foundation of Indian system, though very much compromised in recent decades. In Pakistan on the other hand, democracy has been a marginal value, there are efforts to root it in Pakistan but the obstacles are immense. The common factor is the suffering of minorities though the degree of this suffering is very different in both these countries.
Where will all this lead us to? The communal issue is a big brake to the social development of the countries as a whole. The values of affirmative action for weaker sections of society, the going an extra mile to protect them and to bring them up in social area is what is needed. Sixty five years after coming out from the yoke of colonialism, it is time we remember the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the principles which guided our freedom movement. In India there is an urgent need to reform our electoral system to reflect our social and political needs. Communal violence and discrimination against minorities is an immense loss to our national ethos and humanism. Time to check it and reaffirm in practice, those values which made us India! And for Pakistan high time to come back to the values outlined in the speech of Jinnah on 11th August 1947, decline in the percentage of minorities and their exodus from Pakistan is a great insult to the founder of Pakistan!
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A KIND REQUEST AND A SIMPLE WARNING TO ANY ONE TORTURING AND MURDERING TAMILS IN SRI LANKA
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Aug 17, 2012
Mahinda Rajapaksa
"Rajapaksas must know that they cannot solve murders with murders, murders are solved by the administration of Justice where by the murderer is sent to the hangman. One cannot silence the call of the soul and the sprit by killing," said Subramaniam Masilamany.
Times are over, it is now the duty of the Singhalese to reform and take control of their lives instead of finding scapegoats for their inability.
This warning goes especially to Mahinda Rajapaksa, suppose to be the President of Sri Lanka, and to his siblings to begin to respect Human Life, Human Dignity, Human Freedom and Human Rights.
Mahinda Rajapaksa seem to act like feudal kings still commanding or ordering without knowing that he is on a short leash and lease on his life. You cannot order people, you have to empower them to want to do it. Killing is not the last thing; it is the never thing. Life must be spared at any cost. These are lessons this family has to learn, but they do not seem to.
Time has come for the Singhalese people in Sri Lanka if they want to preserve their culture and heritage begin to respect other cultures and heritage too. Know that tyranny and injustice never prevailed. Ignorance can be over come but not tyranny.
Mahinda Rajapaksa must also stop dying his hair and let his age show to himself time has come for him to behave like a gentle man and an aged man. His dye gives him the false belief that he is still seventeen. Whom is he dying it for? Is he having extramarital affairs with young ladies? Is he giving teaching appointments to young ladies in hotel rooms?
These are days of reckoning for the Rajapaksas, they know grim reaper is smiling that at last St. Peters had made up his mind, he is just waiting for the orders to bring him and them to St. Peters.
But if the Rajapaksas didn't know that their time is up, this message of mine should serve as a kind reminder. They also must know that one cannot solve murders with murders
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WHO WANTS TO BE A SRI LANKAN ANYMORE? IS IT SRI LANKA, SORRY LANKA OR SORDID LANKA?
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Aug 7, 2012
S.W.R.D. Bandaranayke
It is a disgrace to carry the stigma upon all Sri Lankans to realise that they have been branded as one of the few most racially brutal and barbaric people on the face of the earth and they have entered the inner sanctum of the most despised nations in the world. Their behaviour has been indelibly written in the history books!
20,000,000 people, 3 generations and 60 years of misguidance and misleading have landed this paradise into the list of worst nations in the world. It is a shame to call oneself a Sri Lankan. Since I read the book on Ethno-political warfare, I felt this stigma and the urge to get back into the forum to help our people. I would rather call myself Canadian; because there is no comparison, there is no long waiting list at borders, No distrust, no bars to hold. It is the speed of trust that makes one life easy and expedient. I measure myself against the contents of my character not by the contents if my wallet. If one reads the books on Ethno-Political warfare and The Price of Inequality one will realise the stupidity of this nation called Sorry Lanka!
I was born as a Sri Lankan, and then in the 1960s became a Tamil within Sri Lanka and then moved out of Sri Lanka to become a Canadian. I realise that racism and discrimination is part of human make up, we are all racist in some way. But these characteristic may lead local and minor skirmishes. But when the very institution of government is the main and chief instigator of ethno political warfare the world nations have to interfere and involve in the moderation of open and disguised discrimination, hatred and violence. For sixty years Sri Lankan government and religious establishment called Mahasangha was involved in this circle of violence and it has got to the point where they have to bring in the United Nations to help them out. The present Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa attempted to push the level of state terrorism to level five, that is killing not only able men but indiscriminate massacre of a group of people; women, children and elderly. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's association with the nation’s criminals and their groups has not been explained so far. Though he pretend to know nothing, evidences has surfaced that he knows them very well and may as well the gangs who are now occupying ministerial and military positions.
Every Sri Lankan must realise that your misguided leaders have casted your nation into the sea of radicalism and racism and into the list of pariah nations. The name Sri Lanka appears along with Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia, Yugoslavia, and Guatemala as nations at level five of ethnic violence against their minorities. As of writing this article with much hesitation Sri Lanka has agreed to the intervention of the United Nations Human Rights Council to look into ways and means of protecting the people.
For sixty years Sri Lankan Singhalese carried out a planned pogrom against minorities which has no relevance to modern multicultural interracial and intermarrying world, where if one isolate one self and belong to an ecologically influenced group of people you have no chance of socio-economical survival and sustenance. The Singhalese along with the Indians had a common reason and hence a common agenda towards the Tamils. The current struggle in South Asia is that the North Indians and South Sri Lankans cannot come to terms with the Northern Sri Lankan Tamils and the Southern Indian Tamils as to how to progress as a united South Asia. The Indian-Sri Lankan association may be classified as an unholy alliance, two arch enemies got together for a common agenda; vis-à-vis ethnic cleansing. The Dravidians of South Asia were seen as a fly in the ointment or worse as a thorn in their flesh.
The Indians and Sri Lankan never expected the Diaspora Tamils to come to the rescue of the South Asian Tamils. Now the Sri Lankan Singhalese and the Northern Indians are again aligning to do structural damage to the remaining Tamils in Sri Lanka the way they did to south India. How the North Indians promoted the cinema as the tool and the state government is run by movie stars and comedians. There is no life in South India, but mere existence. It is a social disease of the majority invented for the destruction of minorities. India has created more enemies and in fact they are surrounded by enemies only. Will India survive as a nation? I doubt it.
The Indians and Sri Lankan Singhalese think and believe that the Human rights Charter is interfering and as interference into their ethnic cleansing plan, program and pogrom. The big nation-Big heart days are over; today if you are Multinational Corporation or a nation with higher population density you are a liability. The totem poles, pecking order and pyramids are gone and the organizational structure is one flat thin layer. The current economically and socially sustainable and envisaged population rate is about 50-60 people per square kilometer. One Indian quoted that when we steal from each other our Gross National product goes up but the standard of living and moral quality go down. It is not even a zero sum game but a game of declining output.
Can you imagine 300 people per square kilometer, which is 1000 meters long and 1000 meters wide and there are 300 people competing for resources. That is India and Sri Lanka. Bengal Desh is 1000 people per 1000 meters by 1000 meters of land; there is only one socio-economic activity that feasible, sex and more children. You see the problem; they come to the west and continue with the same thing. By Canadian standard every person needs 500 square feet of home areas and room space, but these people have several families living in one house of 2000 square feet. WHEN YOU SEE A YOUNG WOMAN OUT OF SHAPE, ONE IN THE WOMB, ONE AROUND THE WAIST, ONE IN THE STROLLER, ONE WITH A LOLLY POP AND ONE IN THE TRICYCLE, what can be done? Parents need parents and children are having children. Whatever happened to the modern family of 4 or 5 persons per household? I mean household not just family. When morals are insufficient laws are ineffective.
Sri Lanka has been indelibly written in the history of the world. It has been included as nation that basically carried out genocide of the Tamils. It is the short-sightedness of the Singhalese to have ventured into a pogrom to eliminate Tamils. They still do, they are trying to export their ethno political warfare around the world such as interfering with the United Nation Humans Right Council, a Refugee management agency. This is another violation of United Nations Charter by Sri Lanka, they already in violation of the United Nations Human Rights Council Charter. It appears that not only criminals but illiterate people have entered the inner sanctum of nation management. Why is Sri Lanka being a member of the United Nation has no respect for the constitution and charter of the United Nations? China and Russia look the other way while this incorrigible mischievous nation run by organised criminals degrades the very institution, where they are the founder members.
Why would anyone want to be Sri Lankan when we have no respect for other nations and of all the supreme body of all nations called United Nations? Who is behind this attack on the international bodies and how do they get away with it.
Sri Lankans used to be proud of S.W.R.D. Bandaranayke, J.R. Jayewardene and the present criminal Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa for having carried out well planned state sponsored pogrom against Tamils. Behind these three mad men stand the Mahavamsa- Mahasangha and the Mahanayakes who want to ethnically and religiously cleanse Sri Lanka free of non Aryan Buddhist Singhalese.
ORIGIN OF SOCIAL DISEASES
I do not know where lies the evidence or reasoning for the behaviour of people and group of people. But we know that remarkable progress has been made in the area of psychology of human behaviour. If some people among some groups have advanced psychologically why and how did they attain that higher state of awareness and enlightenment and hence release. How comes the Eurasians have mastered the art of community living while people in Africa and South Asia are still embroiled in primitive and feudalistic non beneficial social strife?
The governments were invented for the purpose of minding and moderating the progress of communities and very many countries have made remarkable progress in very many ways, but how is that Rwanda, Sudan, Armenia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Sri Lanka misused the government for destructive purpose?
But there is hope for justice. United Nations Human Rights Commission coming to Sri Lanka. Will Mahinda Rajapaksa commit suicide or will he find scapegoats? UNHRC is coming to investigate Human Rights violations, Am I wrong? At the end of the Rain Bow there is no pot of gold but the Hangman! For some strange reason he assumed and acquired a mindset of impunity and since he controls the law enforcement, judiciary and the criminal cartel he thought he could get away with these single to mass murders. Now he has to face the world. The problem is Russia and China when they abandoned the universal code of justice, they said if America can kill why not Sri Lanka, they never thought two wrongs do not make one right. Removing obstacles and obstruction to freedom, justice, human rights are no crimes. It has to be done. It is the free world that is prospering; peace without prosperity is not sustainable concept of a nationhood. To maintain peace with freedom need socio-economic prosperity.
Russia and China must uphold human rights and the rights of the people to live and participate and draw the benefits of the government. If they do not they will soon fragment and assume smaller more sustainable status. No force on earth can stop the undercurrent of social determination and determinism. Military force needs people and the very people who are struggling cannot join the military for campaigns against their own kith and kin. There is only one person thinks otherwise, Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa and his gang of criminals think they can run a country by immoral force. Will he keep going or will they be stopped
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TAMIL PRESIDENT IN SRI LANKA AND TAMIL PRIME MINISTER IN INDIA
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Aug 3, 2012
Tamil President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam in India
“You may think impossible, we think impossible is nothing” what choice people of South Asia have? Can they forever live in medieval times?
South Asians must think of freedom, freedom from superstition, freedom from Middle East serfdom and total liberation of people. I am talking about India, the cause of our backwardness and backwardedness, Pakistan is embroiled in no one know what their problems are, Bengal desh with 1000 people per square kilometer are pathetic people and of Sri Lankan South totally disabled people through their racial fanatical, criminal and romantic outlook on life. What are left are the Tamils who can only resurrect this region to glory. A Tamil man is basically with the instincts of a hard working industrious and inventive character. They quickly grasp the subject and rapidly progress. They learn from Eurasians fast
If you go to Saudi Arabia you see the South Asians are competing with goats (re Confessions of an economic hit man) for scavenging jobs. No Saudi will do those menial jobs. When this Saudi comes to Toronto, Canada he thinks that we do the “Goats job” in Canada, then he finds out we own patents and trademarks and copy rights, he comes down and talk to us normally. That is the difference between “White man” and “the non White man”; some brown men call the white man stealing their wealth. They never had any, if they had any they did not have the knowhow how to get it, if they know how to get it they cannot co-operate, the idea behind modern corporations. It is human nature to always look for outside cause for an internal problem. When something goes wrong what do you do first? you look for a scapegoat, not scrape you gut for answers. There is unlimited god given resources all over the solar system, milky way galaxy and the faraway lands, yet you complain about a tiny little they took from you. How long do you hope blame them for your inabilities? Why do Eurasians do well? Look at Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Russia, Europe, Canada and USA. What make the Eurasian always at the top of the progress pyramid?
Coming back to South Asia, why we are the only ones to work like slaves and live like beggars? Is it our inability to break from the past of feudalism, fanaticism, racism, discrimination etc? If Pakistan and India can develop nuclear bombs, to destroy each other, they could have used the same know how to build better life for people. People are the underpinning of any nation or state, but then instead of taking care of the people, the pseudo politicians cum criminals are interested in protecting their territory and scamming the people. The concept of investment has not crossed their minds. One has to take time and effort and spin them into a creative machine that can produce more than the initial investment. Which is quite the opposite of primitive parasitic hit and run and hunter gatherer collection called tribes.
You bring them to the west and put them to work, most cannot function, and they complain we had servants back in South Asia to do the menial work, why do I have to do it here. When I asked one student from India, who was trying to get permanent residency in Canada, why do you have difficulty working? She replied we have servants back in India to do the job. I told her in that case you must go back to India and send your servant to Canada, that servant may do better. If we have servants to do our jobs, what do we do? We do other people’s job? We have to break the backbone of this primitiveness.
But look at us, world-class Tamils, and I am proud to say that openly and Mr. Stephen Harper, Prime Minster of Canada and Mr. David Cameron Prime Minister of Britain will agree with me, that these people have class and they are world class. Give them a task and they are not going to ask who takes the message to Gracia. It is done and done better. So the lazy people of South Asia despise us, they are envious of our prowess and progress. There are three financial centres in Toronto Canada, it used to be two vis-a-vis King and Bay streets, Yonge and Sheppard Avenues and now it is Markham and Steeles Avenues. Just visit Markham and Steeles and see the progress in one generation. Wait till our kids pour out of the universities and occupy positions of power. People from all over the world ask us how did you do it?
What I am trying to say is back in Sri lanka and India we Tamil are held back because of the inability of the ``B`` and ``C`` grade people of no fixed origin. The policy of India and Sri Lanka is if we cannot or unable to progress lets stop our neighbours making any head way. In 1987 invasion by the Indians, one Indian soldier quipped how come you people have so much when we do not have even enough food to eat? That man crystallized the plight and mindset of the Indian inability. Inability breeds poverty, poverty breeds contempt, contempt breeds hatred and hence we are engulfed in petty matters. We neither have the hearts nor the guts. When men lack know how they resort to primitive behaviour of steal and gather (Hunter- Gatherer society), but how can we steal form each other. It is a zero sum game with negative yield. Do you see the problem in South Asia? That is why I believe A Tamil President in Sri Lanka and A Tamil Prime Minister in India will a good starting point of putting self esteem and self respect among the South Asians. If we can help people to discover their internal intrinsic creative potential so many wars and strife cannot happen and can be avoided. One cannot live beyond the age of about 15 years if he cannot co-operate and cultivate congeniality. One needs brutal force to live on one’s own capacity. We have to unite and form communities.
I always preached if a man can work for another man and make money for him and the employer he can on his own do better and keep the whole thing for himself and his family. Why would South Asian people have to travel to farther lands and do menial jobs and barter their self esteem and self respect for mere pittance. I can keep writing but you get the idea. We need pragmatic, practical and people who can lead us.
Let me give another example, in Sri Lanka the Singhalese in the south got the best of geographical and climatological conditions and yet they encroach into Northern Tamil land for no reason. The south is full of rich soil, plenty of fresh water, vast ocean wealth and yet they are unable to build a sustainable economy, where as the Tamils in the North where the soil is sandy, rain is scanty, water is saline, weather is arid yet they make the best out of what they have been dealt with. When this southern man invades and encroaches this land, when the Tamil man tries to defend it he is called a terrorist and the world power believed and helped them to destroy us. Is the world sane or are we humans primitive genetically under evolved than animals? What this world needs is calmness not calamity, co-operation not competition, capable people not criminals, more listening and less talking.
Why India with the same population as China could not invade the world markets with their products? India has cheep labour like china; why it did not make to the world forum? The reason lies in their collective consciousness. Their inability to get up and live their lives in respectable way has stopped them from being productive. They have an attitude problem. The inventiveness of the Dravidians was suppressed by the invading Nordic who settled in North India. These very Dravidians are excelling very well in the west. What is the reason? Only difference is one is in South Asia and other is it the west. An Indian man wants everything but is not willing work for it, if he can steal it he will do, if he can misappropriate it he will do. Give him credit and he thinks it is free and you are stupid, because he cannot comprehend the greatness of minds, that consciousness has not developed. Indian man complains of discrimination, when serving the white man and non white man they discriminate. No one can discriminate me without my consent! The state of shared co-operation and responsibility has never developed in their minds. It is the mindset of poor mentality and primitive thinking.
Look at the Indians and Chinese in the west, Indians are still the Indians wherever they are, but Chinese very easily mix with other races and prosper. China man is basically a man of business of serving the people and make an income, an Indian thinks that why should I serve another man. It is their clumsy caste system run deep as undercurrent. Caste is genetical division of people into small inbreeding groups and when small population inbreed recessiveness express and hence their behaviour. I do not know if it is caste or a curse on the people.
Today's news item 700 million people suffering from power outage. This is just the tip of the Indian inability to harness the power of the people.
The main cause of their inability is there is no proper process in place to promote capable people. I mean people who can take the bull by the horns. India never had a revolution that re-creates the genetic map of the people. Compare with the Americans where the leadership process is a time consuming arduous task but it selects the right man for the job. What we need are leaders with determination, courage and determination, not patsies with Ph.Ds. School education is studying autobiography; what we need are courage and confidence to be inventive and creative. In my opinion the best leadership is available but there is no process to promote them. India is a dying country, it may fragment into smaller countries if political institutions are not developed and proper leadership is found.
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SRI LANKA the next phase; reporting on the impending reverse coup d'etat in Sri Lanka.
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jul 31, 2012
"One can reliably predict when one is given certain parameters. Sri Lanka is heading towards a cataclysmic phase, then all will be quite for few decades and Sri Lankans will live in dark ages", said Subramaniam Masilamany.
For the last one year we stayed completely out of the Sri Lankan affairs, we realised that we have to take on this task fulltime devoting our undivided attention or we must devoid our self of this. We spent about 30 hours per week on trying to help our community. Indeed we were able to put them back on the map to the astonishment of the Indians and the Sri Lankan Singhalese and few of the misdirected Tamils.
Indeed the Tamil community is coherent and united except a few self proclaimed pseudo leaders. They are now going into oblivion. It is a community like no other; they are smart, intelligent, venturing, astute etc. I am proud to have been born in this community. But this is a self criticizing and self correcting community; it is good in a way we are a community that lives by the morals. “When morals are insufficient laws are ineffective”. Rajapaksa is an outstanding example of person who is legally right and morally corrupt. But little he knows that humanity exists on accepted morals and norms, there is plasma of conscience that hold the humanity together not the policeman, military, judges, and lawyers. It is the moral behaviour of the individual citizens that keep the humanity alive. Law enforcement is to protect the civil rights of the criminal. Ordinary moral law abiding citizen does not need a policemen or a lawyer. As one judge said we know who the criminal is, but we have to uphold the civil rights of the community, that is where the criminal gets away, but not for long, somewhere somehow we will get him. The wheel of justice turns very slowly but it always turns in the right direction.
Now Rajapaksa thinks as long as he is legally right he is free but the people know the world knows who he is. The stupidity of this man is that he thinks he can get away being legally exonerated. He has begun to believe in his own fallacies and he is trying to demonstrate that he is innocent of all the crimes that he was part of it or that happened under his presidency. The dilemma or the paradox is how to survive on the long term? As long as he stays in power he is protected by the Sovereignty Act. He is legally safe within and outside Sri Lanka. The only safety net he has is the popular support among the Singhalese people of Sri Lanka; as long as he win elections he is safe. But, but if the popular support base erodes and he start losing elections. The coming elections will be the test if he has popular support. How can he keep LTTE and Prabaharan alive? He will some or other try to resurrect the LTTE, but LTTE has transformed into a global financial power, they can do much damage without even firing one single bullet.
Analysing the two different possibilities, that is one is he loses popular support what will happen. To understand a tyrant who was protected by the armed forces and popular support one must go to consult Niccolo Machiavelli, I quote from page 62 of the book “The Prince” on chapter viii,
“Those to come to power by crime”
"Agathocles, the Sicilian, not only from the status of a private citizen but from the lowest, most abject condition of life, rose to become king of Syracuse. At every stage of his career this man, a son of potter, behaved like a criminal; nonetheless he accompanied his crime with so much audacity and physical courage that when he joined the militia he rose through the ranks to become praetor of Syracuse. After he had been appointed to this position, he determined to make himself prince and to possess by force and without obligation to others what had been voluntarily conceded to him. He reached an understanding about his ambition of his with Hamilcar the Carthaginian, who was campaigning with his armies in Sicily.
Then one morning he assembled the people and senate of Syracuse, as if he meant to raise matters which affected the republic; and at a prearranged signal he had all the senators, along with the richest citizens, killed by his soldiers; then when they were dead he seized and held the government of the city, without encountering any other opposition”
My prediction is this what will happen in Sri Lanka. My contention is that Rajapaksa has no choice, either he continue to win elections or go to electric chair. He is no stupid; in fact I will worship him if he is a Tamil provided he has used his astuteness in constructive ways. He is no stupid like Ghadafi or Assad.
He chooses when to hold the elections, this coming election is to not uphold democracy, he is not that crazy, and it is about when to take over the whole power by eliminating opposition. He knows the popular support is receding, associates and disgruntled supporters are disillusioned and he knows his days are numbered but still he wants to check the pulse, the barometer and the thermometer. He is a case hardened criminal, nothing sways him. He has travelled the road less travelled by others. It is hard to comprehend him; he can smile in the face of the devil, who is Man Mohan Singh, a frail weakling with no exposure to the darker side of the world.
There is no Hammurabi, there is no Alexander, there is no Tudor, there is no Winston Churchill, and there is no George Marshall or Ted Roosevelt to take him head on, so he goes on gloating and giggling at the world. The world killed the only man who is capable of taking him on, that was Vellupillai Prabaharan. The world has a comprehension problem; they cannot see the mind of a true patriot but support a pariah.
The Sri Lankan majority has to make up their mind, do we want to live in a dungeon with the cyclops at the entrance or do they want live as free people. The choice is up to them.
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Manesar: Class Struggle of the 21st Century
Special ContributionBy Amaresh Misra
Jul 27, 2012
Vishvakarma Pooja
While right wing sections inside the media, fanatically anti-working class bloggers, vested interest in the Haryana establishment, and other sundry forces are baying for Trade Union/Communist blood in the unfortunate incidents that took place inside the Maruti-Suzuki plant at Manesar, sober assessment reveals a different picture.
1991, the year that inaugurated new economic policies and the liberalization drive, marked also the emergence of new ideas regarding the management of productive forces. Large Public Sector sections were dismantled. Enormous human and domestic/foreign capital resources were placed in the hands of private corporate players. In the name of fiscal management, State expenditure was sought to be restricted. But perhaps, most importantly, production relations between labour and capital, workers and management, were altered.
Foreign Direct Investment in the manufacturing sector brought in foreigners in management as well. The new management structures—that included Indians and foreigners—were inculcated with a new work ethic that placed growth above workers welfare: but the crucial change rested in the way the new management culture downplayed the cultural sensitivities of the Indian worker.
In a famous case that took place last year in the Honda factory of Haryana’s industrial belt, foreign trained Indian managers refused to allow workers to celebrate Vishvakarma Pooja. In the Hindu pantheon, Vishvakarma is the lord of tools and workers—his birthday is normally a holiday, no less relevant than Ram Naumi, Buddha Jayanti or the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.
Workers worship their tools on Vishvakarma Diwas. In Honda, a worker was assaulted by the supervisor when, the latter tried applying a teeka on the former’s head. Indian workers have their own definition of what constitutes `hard work’. It includes whiling away time, bonding with fellow workers, and then putting in extra work at the right time. Also, the sense of impersonal hierarchy is alien to Indian workers. They can respect an angrez who mingles with them; but they will boycott Indian managers trying to put up foreign airs and indulging in unfamiliar hierarchical behaviour.
Foreign—especially American, German and Japanese personals—were often found dumbfounded by these cultural practices. Because of historic factors—the traditional resistance of the Hindi-Urdu belt to British Imperialism, the rugged-peasant masculinity and sense of honour—dubbed mistakenly, `pre-modern’ by social analysts—the management Vs worker clash was more severe in post-liberalization, North Indian factories.
In the 1990s and 2000s, India saw substantial creation of wealth. The culture of malls and new units in service sector and manufacturing, inducted a new working force emerging from Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The management culture in force looked more towards casual, contract labour. Affiliated either to Communists, Congress, and BJP-Shiv Sena—or practicing Dutta Samant type syndicalism—the old Unions were unable to read the modern times. After failing miserably in creating space for casual/contract labour, they started losing their grip over old working class centres as well.
Interestingly, the Gurgaon-NCR based factories flirted at first with CITU and AITUC, the Trade Unions respectively of the CPM and the CPI. The workers—most of them in their twenties—young, restless and ambitious—however, soon grew tired of old negotiating skills of traditional Unions. It is symptomatic that last year, the Manesar Maruti-Suzuki plant, saw the emergence of a new Union with a new, younger leadership. Sonu Gujjar, the erstwhile chief of the Union, typified the novel, 21st century worker. By presenting the viewpoints of workers through con-calls and other modern techniques, Sonu Gujjar grabbed national headlines. His colleagues wanted their own voice, independent of the management, to be heard.
Indeed this contemporary worker, especially in North India/Hindi-Urdu heartland, was both more rooted and cosmopolitan. Unlike his counterpart of 1970s and 1980s, who hailed mainly from a landless labour, poor peasant or a pauperized proletariat background, the contemporary worker came from middle to upper-middle peasant backdrop. In Indian terms, he belonged to a khaata-peeta milieu—he was much more capable of acting on his own. He was part of the North Indian pattidari village community system that ensured both bonding and individuality. He had learned how to fight while growing up, without getting inflicted with the scars of the lumpen proletariat. Averse to slow paced, constitutional ways, he found the quick action recommended by radical Left activists—or `on their own’ marka angry young men—far more attractive.
This contemporary worker disliked both the detached persona of the foreign manager as well as the philistine, pseudo-personalized approach of Indian mangers. He was as impatient with the taalu-chaalu andaaz of the foreigners as with the baniagiri of Indian executives.
In March 2012, while the Manesar plant was facing wage negotiations between the new Union and the management, two workers shocked the managers with their statistical knowledge. The workers knew exactly that between 2007 and 2011 while the Maruti Suzuki workers’ yearly earnings increased by 5.5 percent, the consumer price index (for the Faridabad centre, Haryana), went up by over 50 per cent. Since 2001, profits for the Maruti Suzuki company increased by 2200 percent!
So in any case, the Maruti Suzuki management was throwing crumbs at the workers. The workers’ salary was in no way, by any yardstick, commensurate with the rise in Company’s profit. Yet the Manesar plant management was not ready to grant even a miniscule wage increase. Here, while contract labor got Rs. 7000 a month, regular workers survived on a mere Rs. 17000. Manesar workers were demanding wage increase of Rs. 15-18000, which the management was resisting, even when Honda workers were getting similar pay scales.
In this period of global crisis, the Maruti section(Swift and Dzire cars) was contributing more to Maruti Suzuki’s super profits. There seems to be immense pressure on the management to reduce wages in the name of increasing productivity. But why should Indian workers always suffer during a downward spiral cycle of global capitalism?
The problem is that post-liberalization India has no idea of 1857, India’s first war of Independence. The Bengal Army of the East India Company, which remained at the forefront of the war’s long and torturous course, comprised of soldiers from the Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar belt. They rebelled against what was seen as the insensitivity of a multinational company—the world’s largest that managed a huge country like India plus other colonial stations—towards the sense of dignity, pride and religion of both Hindus and Muslims.
It is imperative to note that the Manesar incident arose following an anti-Dalit, caste slur issued by a supervisor to Jiya Lal, a worker. Then Jat-Gujar-Tyagi-Dalit workers—belonging to the Haryana region—and UP-Bihar Poorabias—united to give a fitting reply to the miscreants belonging to the management. The management brought in hundreds of bouncers to beat workers to submission. In fact, the official statement of the Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union, states that the bouncers started the fire that killed a senior manager.
So class solidarity overcame caste divisions—a similar phenomenon occurred during 1857. Both 1857 and Manesar incidents arose out of cultural slights inflicted by an insensitive foreign/part-foreign management. At the other end of the spectrum, it can be seen that like the Manesar incident, the cultural aspect of 1857 carried a slew of wage related issues, and other socio-economic grievances, nursed by soldiers against the British East India Company.
It can be seen clearly that though India runs on the workforce of UP, Bihar, Delhi and Haryana, the people of these regions have historically resisted the homogeneity, uniformity and conformity demanded by global corporate culture. These workers demand their own indigenous-capitalist ethic, different from the west. They are in no mood to comply. Be it Gujarat or whatever take, Maruti Suzuki anywhere—Gujarat is not India. But UP, Bihar, Delhi and Haryana do constitute India. The country is finished without these states. As the author signs off this article, news about certain Jat sections of the Haryana establishment dividing Jats and Gujars and undermining workers’ solidarity is pouring in—massive police repression has been unleashed on workers. Without a proper enquiry, workers are being blamed for the Manesar violence. Such tactics however are not going to work—after twenty years of enormous liberalization, India is on the threshold of a gigantic working class unrest. Indian people regard economic reform and the English speaking managerial elite with disdain. They have tasted wealth—but they also know that, foreigners and their lackeys have amassed riches a thousand times over. With people of North Indian origin—their culture of constructive violence and non-submission to power intact—leading this battle, the stage is set for new class struggles of the 21st century. Like the Anna Hazare movement of August 2011, the Manesar incident has taken all political parties by surprise. Their political response system is simply, not attuned to the new, 21st century Indian reality.
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PLANS ARE IN PROGRESS TO MAKE SRI LANKA INTO A ONE PARTY STATE
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jul 23, 2012
"The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli
"Mahinda Rajapaksa is a two way street in one direction". I hope Ranil Wickremesinghe and, Sarath Fonseka pay attention, arm to protect yourself, there is no other safety available, the law enforcement and judiciary are all infested with criminals.
Rumour is that plans are being made to remove all opposition to the Rajapaksa regime. It will be done whether you like to not, accept it or not. What other ways are available for the Rajapaksas to survive their criminal record? They know they are going to die, but a slim chance is still available The instance there is change in the government all of Rajapaksas and their cronies will be rounded up and put to death.
There is only one way to survive this scenario. It is a question of survival and Rajapaksa knows it very well.
Necessary ideas and plans are put in place to round up UNP, Sarath Fonseka, JVP etc and execute them in one night and thus eliminate any possibility of foreign connection or intervention. Any body who has read "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli and Mahinda Rajapaksa has not only read this but several others too, I read it too, as a businessman how to identify and remove my competition.
Once all other parties are eliminated and one party system like in China installed, foreign help has to come in the form of foreign military intervention. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sarath Fonseka and others will be executed summarily, even no one will know what happened to them. Any one hoping foreign intervention will be sadly disappointed. The idea is to remove any strong opposition to Rajapaksa Dynasty. Is there any other way for Rajapaksas?
The way he ousted Chandrika Bandaranayake, the way ousted Prabaharam and LTTE, he will oust any form of opposition to his rule. India and USA will find that the Chinese have succeeded into installing system that will be always on the Chinese side.
In the mean time Rajapaksa is playing a cool game with the Indians. After all when you eat Chapatti and Ghee how can your brain function? How about Dr.Manmohan Singh, a man who knows a lot about a little (Read Ph.D) and has no political stamina to outsmart Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa is a two way street in one direction. His life is defined by criminal behaviour and killing people is a minor event. As George W. Bush said "Life lives on lives killed", just before the Gulf war. If any one thinks life is sacred he or she is mistaken. Lives are sacred living is not, living is a competitive game of either kill or get killed.
So what should Ranil and others must do? Arm themselves NOW to protect themselves. There is no other choice. Please don't blame for not telling. Once you are dead you are dead. Did you get the hidden massage. Once you are dead the memories last only few days, but if you are alive you are a nuisance. There is no other protection available to opposition in Sri Lanka. Mahinda Rajapaksa is case hardened criminal and is a well experienced street smart criminal. I will never ever get close to him. So People and politicians in Sri Lanka must get together now.
I hope Ranil, Fonseka and others heed my advice. Why do I think I am right because Rajapaksa and I are born in the same month and same cusp. I think the same way he thinks.
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Celebrating Harmony and Peace
Special ContributionBy Ram Puniyani
Jul 17, 2012
India-Pakistan partition of 1947, the reason of Hindu/Muslim conflict
Communal violence is the sad reality of South Asian states. India in particular has been witnessing this violence more so after the coming of British. British in pursuance of their policy of ‘Divide and Rule’, introduced communal historiography and sections of population who wanted to preserve their feudal privileges, picked up this version of History and used religion as a cover for their politics. Both Hindu and Muslim communalism, in a way played a supplementary role to the British policy of divide and rule. The communal violence, which has been stalking the streets of India is due to numerous factors and is causing immense suffering to the society. Many a social group and many an individuals are doing their bit to ensure that the flames of communal violence are doused and amity prevails in the society.
In this light, it was heartening to note the observance of ‘Peace and Harmony’ day, on the anniversary of Vasant–Rajab on 1st July in Ahmadabad. Vasant Rao Hegiste and Rajab Ali Lakhani were two friends who were working for the amity in the society. In the communal conflagration which broke out in Ahmadabad in the wake of post partition tragedy, both of them went in the city to restore peace and amity. The crowd, maddened by the feeling of hate, killed them. The day of their martyrdom is being celebrated in Gujarat by various groups. One recalls there have been many outstanding individuals, thinkers, social activists who have sacrificed their lives on the altar of communal peace. The name of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi comes to one’s mind for his selfless work in the Kanpur violence of 1931. For Gandhi, father of the nation, the Hindu Muslim amity was on the top of agenda and when whole nation was celebrating the release from the clutches of colonial powers he was doing his best in the riot ravaged Noakhali and other places. His efforts were superhuman, as he did not care for his safety, what was paramount for him was as to how to restore the sanity amongst the violent mobs. It is because of this that Lord Mountbatten the last Viceroy of British Empire and First Governor General of Independent India called him as the ‘one man army’.
One is sure there must be various glorious examples of such superhuman efforts in our community, who need to be remembered with respect. One needs to learn a lot from their values while celebrating their anniversaries. It is all the more important in today’s India as communal violence is, unfortunately marching with relentless speed, changing it’s form and nature constantly. One has seen that since the decade of 1980s the violence in many a north Indian cities, Meerut, Malyana, Bhagalpur and Delhi was in a way revival of this horrendous phenomenon in the Independent India. The massacre in Nellie and Delhi were too dangerous in their extent and damage to human lives. Further down the Mumbai violence of 1992-93 gave us a warning signal that things are worsening on the front of intercommunity relations. This was followed by targeting another minority, the Christians, and brutal murder of Pastor Stains and later the Kandhmal violence came as yet another eye opener for us.
The root cause of the communal violence is the politics in the name of religion. In this the political, social, economic agenda of vested interests are presented in the language of religion. Unfortunately in India this phenomenon is running parallel to the process of global aims of Imperial powers that in pursuit of their control over oil wells have promoted fundamentalism and terrorism in the name of religion. The Imperial power has also demonized one of the major religious communities of the World. This present era has been the one where the deeper process of ‘alliance of civilizations’ has been undermined and the flagship of the vested interests has been the thesis of’ ‘Clash of civilizations’, which is a falsification of the reality of the human history. One knows that human society has progressed due to alliance of diverse civilizations and cultures. While the rulers and affluent have been fighting for increasing their power and wealth, the average people of the world have been allying, intermixing with each other leading to high degree of synthesis in all aspects of human culture, be it food habits, clothing, language, literature, architecture, or be it even the religious traditions followed by people. Social interaction is the moving engine of Human progress.
The divisive politics in the name of religion begins by changing the paradigm of human understanding from the socio economic differences to religious one’s. The core aspect of human stratification runs around economic and social factors while the politics in the name of religion presents it as if the differences amongst the practices preached by clergy are the core points of difference. From last some time the syncretic aspects of society are being undermined and the divisive aspects are being highlighted. The communal politics has the base in the spread of Hate other propaganda. This hate other sentiments are the foundation on which innocent people are killed during the carnages. The carnages also polarize communities along religious lines and ghettoization of minorities follows. This ghettoization further traps the communities in to becoming inward looking and being further demonized. Today we in India are witnessing a very concerted attempt to marginalize the religious communities.
The way out is very hard and a long struggle to restore the humanism of our society. We, people of different religious communities have a common heritage and our aspirations for better society are also common. What prevents our efforts for a better society is the hysteria created by religion based politics. This hysteria is created around the emotive issues. There is a dire need to change the paradigm of social thought, the one from identity based issues to the one revolving around the rights and livelihood of weaker sections of society. There is a need to overcome the impact of prevalent myths about minorities and stereotypes about them and strengthening the tradition of syncretism, which is our basic hallmark. There is a need to uphold the values of Bhakti and Sufi traditions, there is need to uphold the values of likes of Gandhi, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Vasant-Rajab and their tribe. We do salute this spirit of peace and amity in our traditions and hope this will show us the path to progress and peace in the long run.
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DEMOCRACY IMPLICATIONS OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI’S EUROPEAN TRIP
Special ContributionBy Roland Watson(dictatorwatch)
July 2, 2012
Aung San Suu Kyi(L) at the Swiss Federal Palace
Following her trip to Thailand, I wrote an article, Policy Questions for Aung San Suu Kyi, which said that Daw Suu needed to elaborate her positions on the critical policy issues facing Burma. Her statements in Thailand were vague, and only touched upon a few of the issues. However, that trip was also carefully controlled by the Thai authorities, and she may have felt constrained in what she could say.
I made a major effort to get the article to her, with numerous individuals attempting to communicate it directly. She has now concluded her trip to Europe, and her comments at different venues seemed to reflect some of my concerns, which other people have of course voiced as well. In addition, while her trip was also carefully orchestrated by the governments of the countries that she visited, she was in no way censored by them, or subjected to the types of influence that might have led her to censor herself. If there was any place where she should have felt free to speak her mind, it was in Europe. (On the other hand, she was denied the opportunity to meet exile Burma activists face-to-face, just as she was denied similar meetings at the Thai border. Still, she stood in front of many different podiums, and could have addressed their concerns - which I listed in my article - had she felt the need.)
Some people might argue that being forthright will put her at risk from Burma’s military regime. To this I can only say that if she has to censor herself outside of the country, how will she possibly feel comfortable speaking her mind as one of the few democratically-elected MPs in the regime’s hand-picked Parliament?
Other than a few specific statements, which will be considered in the balance of this article, Daw Suu for the most part continued her practice of speaking only in vague and general terms. I think at this point that we just have to accept that this is the way she is. For whatever reasons, she will never be specific, or forceful.
There is a joke that every contestant in a beauty pageant, when questioned one-on-one by the moderator about what she would most like to see happen, responds: “world peace.” Daw Suu in her comments always calls for peace in Burma and the rule of law. (One commentator satirically dubbed her trip the Rule of Law tour, since she uses the phrase all the time but neglects to describe what she means by it.) Not to be discourteous, but when she makes such statements it is difficult not to be reminded of the hapless pageant contestant.
This is the first point that has serious implications for democracy in Burma. Daw Suu’s strategy is to press quietly for change - engage in some sort of secret dance with Thein Sein, and wait and hope. There is a significant risk, though, that this strategy will fail: That absent substantial pressure the regime will never allow a real democratic transition. The Burma pro-democracy movement is saddled with a leader who is pursuing only the weakest of tactics and which the regime should find easy to deflect.
It is essential to recognize that Burma, Parliament or not, is still ruled by a military dictatorship. The regime has no incentives whatsoever to permit democracy, now that Daw Suu herself has opened the doors to economic development.
Things happen because people make them happen. The world now is a bad place because bad people are allowed to do what they want. Good people don’t stop them. Daw Suu is a good person, but she’s fallen into the trap of believing that calling for positive change is enough to bring it about. It’s not. Good people have to take control, and then expel and prosecute the bad. Sitting around and waiting for peace means that nothing will ever change. There will never be peace.
Sanctions
It is extremely unpleasant to criticize an icon, but in the interests of intellectual honesty, and to be true to my commitment to the people of Burma, I have to do it. Further, I would not be nearly as critical of Daw Suu as I am, if she hadn’t changed her mind about economic sanctions. It would have been OK if she joined Parliament but at the same time continued her support for the sanctions. If that’s the role that she wants to play, to push for change from the inside, that is her right - even if I and others believe that it will never succeed. But by reversing herself she not only empowered the regime financially, and diplomatically, she put great pressure on the ethnic resistance groups, which did have real power to press for democracy. One by one they felt compelled to sign ceasefire deals, even though the deals are only tentative, and also bad for their respective peoples. Among other regime-committed violations, land thefts in the ethnic areas are skyrocketing, and this is a direct consequence of Daw Suu’s change of heart.
Moreover, through the regime’s effort to push the groups that signed ceasefires in the 1990s to become Border Guard Forces, this led these groups, notably the Kachin Independence Army, to renounce the agreements. This meant that there was a real opportunity, the first in twenty years, for the ethnic resistance forces to form a united front. Daw Suu’s new approach though destroyed this possibility, and it also left the Kachin on their own, unless the UNFC members follow through on their threat to end their ceasefires and help their ethnic brothers to the north.
This is the second major democracy implication of the new Daw Suu. Before, there were two paths to democracy, the non-violent approach of the NLD and the armed resistance of the ethnic groups and ABSDF. Either one conceivably could have brought about the collapse of the regime (the NLD by calling upon the people to rise up), and together, even without cooperating, they created a lot of pressure. With her change, though, Daw Suu sabotaged the ethnic option, and through this made herself the only game in town.
The last year truly has been historic (people will write about it for generations), although the jury is still out on whether the change is positive. First, Daw Suu reversed her position on the sanctions. Secondly, and this event is not nearly as well recognized, GOC (General Officer Commanding) Mutu Sae Poe of the KNLA signed a preliminary ceasefire with the regime even though he was not authorized to do so. His action committed the KNU and through this once again split the ethnic resistance. If he had not signed, there would probably not now be a Karen ceasefire, which in turn would mean that the ethnic resistance groups could work together much more easily, and also that foreign corporations would be more hesitant to enter the country.
Economic development
In Europe, Daw Suu did make a couple of specific comments on economic development. She said that development was acceptable if it was “democracy-friendly,” and if it created jobs. She further cautioned against companies doing business with the regime’s Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), because it “lacks transparency.”
Unfortunately, and I don’t believe that she recognizes this, economic development is never democracy-friendly. Corporations have their own agenda, and the top three items are making money, making money, and making money. They don’t care if the governments that they deal with are dictatorships, or lack transparency. They just factor into their profit and loss models the benefits (lack of environmental and worker protections) and costs (bribes) that are involved. For example, right after she made her MOGE comment, the regime signed nine different exploration deals with foreign companies. So much for the impact of her statement of caution.
If Daw Suu really wants to understand the Gold Rush that is now happening in Burma, she should go to Happy Hour at the Strand Hotel bar. Foreign profiteers there are in great spirits - literally, promoting one deal after another, and with no thoughts whatsoever for “democracy,” only which regime officials to pay bribes and in what amounts.
The accolades that she just received also had nothing to do with democracy. Corporations needed someone to unlock Burma’s door. Her being treated like a queen by the governments of Europe, the corporations’ promoters, was the payoff for her willingness to do just that, to go along with the charade that constructive engagement will lead to freedom. (It didn’t for Saudi Arabia or China: Why will it for Burma?)
(Note: The reception in Europe was also intended to silence her critics. How can anyone fault such an unparalleled hero? Furthermore, it is important to remember that Europe never banned investment and trade. It only implemented the weakest of sanctions, in deference to the U.S.)
As an additional comment on energy exploration, and resource extraction in general, I can mention that I once worked on the Executive Staff of Union Pacific Corporation, which at the time, in addition to its famous railroad, had oil, mining, and land development subsidiaries. I subscribed to the Oil and Gas Journal for years. Because of this, I understand the oil company mindset. They feel that it is their job to supply the world with the energy that it needs. When they go into difficult countries like Burma, they actually believe that they are doing us all a favor. That’s where the oil is, so they go get it. It may be a hostile environment, like the North Sea or the north slope of Alaska, or a dictatorship like Burma or Equatorial Guinea, but they are willing to do it. They also say that their actions are separate from the local social and political conditions, but here they are deceitful. It is specious to claim that they do not have an impact in a country like Burma. The revenues provided by Total and Chevron have kept the military junta afloat for years. These companies are not only stealing the resource wealth that belongs to all the people of the country; they are their oppressors’ funders. When Daw Suu called Total a “responsible investor,” she was not only incredibly poorly informed, she was flat out wrong. (Note: The people of Burma should insist that Derek Mitchell, the incoming U.S. Ambassador, vigorously enforce the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies from paying bribes. This move alone will prevent U.S. oil companies from new dealings with MOGE.)
Fortunately, development in Burma is not solely up to her. The people and the pro-democracy movement will be able to have their own say. Corporations may then find that the opportunities for exploitation are not so ripe after all. All workers in labor-intensive industries, e.g., factories, should refuse to be wage slaves. They should demand reasonable pay, and working conditions, and the right to form unions, and strike if they are not satisfied. As for resource exploitation (including hydroelectric energy and large-scale contract farming), such resources are located in the ethnic nationality areas, or are distributed through these areas. The resistance groups of course retain the power to disrupt their operation.
Conflict in Burma
Daw Suu also made a number of important comments in Europe about the conflict in Burma. On the civil war between the Tatmadaw and the ethnic groups in the northern and eastern parts of the country, she said: “resolving conflict is not about condemnation, it is about finding out the root, the cause of the conflict.” She has also been quoted on numerous occasions as saying that she “has always had great affection for the Tatmadaw.”
I can understand that Daw Suu does not want to criticize the regime, because she has to try to work with it as an MP. However, it is unbelievably insensitive for her to imply that the ethnic nationalities are somehow to blame, if only partly, for the crimes against humanity to which they have been subjected. The Tatmadaw has been attacking them for decades, and slaughtering and raping their villagers. The regime is wholly responsible for what is one of the world’s very worst humanitarian crises. To deny this is not only absurd, it is a grave insult.
The ethnic nationalities backed Daw Suu because they viewed her as the only Burman that they could trust. However, since she has consistently deferred to the regime in her observations on the conflict, this trust is rapidly eroding. It hasn’t been widely publicized, but Kachin people demonstrated against Daw Suu in London (at the event organized by the charity Prospect Burma). Kachinland News now has an editorial objecting to her comments.
This issue has major implications for democracy in Burma. The leaders of the ethnic nationality political organizations for the moment are sticking with her, because they have no one else on the inside with whom to ally. But popular opinion among their people is changing. Were a truly free election to be held, the ethnic nationality publics would no doubt vote for their own parties, not the NLD, including parties that had specific platforms opposed to her. Over the long-term, if she is not able to serve as a unifying figure, including through the possibility of being unable to lead due to health problems, it will become extremely difficult to get all of the varied peoples of Burma to cooperate and agree. Daw Suu, by publicly backing the regime, and not blaming it in any way for the civil war, is playing an extraordinarily dangerous game, and which may prove to be another historical turning point for the country.
The Rohingya
On the conflict that recently exploded in Western Burma in Rakhine State, Daw Suu said: “We need clear and precise laws with regard to citizenship,” and “we need more responsible border vigilance.” Once again, she has misunderstood, and mischaracterized, a pressing national issue.
The question with the Rohingya is not one of citizenship; instead, it is about human rights. All the people in Burma - all the people in the world - have an inalienable set of human rights. When these rights are denied, to anyone, human rights champions, certainly Daw Suu, should rally to their cause.
Many Rohingya live in Burma. That is not a subject of dispute. There is a question though of when large numbers settled in the country, with some people saying for centuries, others since the British took control in the early 1800s, and still others only in recent decades. There are also questions about the Rohingya as a distinct group. They are Muslims, but then there are other Muslims in Burma as well, many in fact, who are not Rohingya.
There has been an astonishingly racist reaction from some Rakhine Buddhists that the Rohingya are not Burmese and therefore should be thrown out. This is a rich argument given, as Bertil Lintner commented in a recent article (Burma 2012: Democracy and Dictatorship, in The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus), that “Burma is a colonial creation...” Burma has only existed as a country since the 19th century, and furthermore, since 1962 it has been run by a completely illegal government, not one single action of which has in any way been legitimate. The question of who is Burmese can therefore only be determined when a truly democratic government is established and investigates the issue. Until then, though, everyone in the country should be afforded all of their human rights, and in no way be subjected to violence or expulsion.
Another way to consider the question is to address the racists directly. The following are the options for dealing with the “Rohingya problem.” Which do you think is right?
- All Rohingyas, every man, woman and child, is a terrorist, and should be executed.
- All Rohingyas, if Bangladesh won’t take them, should be towed out to sea, following the policy used by the Thai government. (Note: This is of course the same as the first option.)
- Rohingyas should be treated as they are at present, with their existence tolerated but with them denied many basic rights.
- Or, Rohingyas should be treated as everyone and anyone should be treated, with respect, including for their religion, and only detained and investigated when there is probable cause to suspect them of criminal activity. (And, in such cases they should be afforded due process. Since Burma unquestionably needs the rule of law, this is an excellent place to start.)
One disturbing element of the conflict in Western Burma, and which Daw Suu by focusing on the citizenship issue has enabled, is the degree to which it hasn’t been properly investigated, including with an apparent self-censorship by the International Community and exile Burma media. The World Food Program reported that there are some 90,000 refugees from the conflict, three times the regime’s estimate. Interestingly, the WFP has engaged in self-censorship as well, by refusing to state how many of the total are Rakhine Buddhists and how many are Rohingya Muslims. Atrocities have been committed by both sides, but if - as one suspects - the bulk of the refugees are Rohingya, an effort should be made to determine what led so many people to flee. Specifically, the reports listed as follows and which come from numerous sources need to be confirmed.
- That hundreds and possibly even thousands of Rohingya were killed, both on land and through the helicopter gunship sinking of three packed ships at sea.
- That the killings of Rohingya were not only perpetrated by Rakhine mobs, but also regime security elements including the army, police, Nasaka, and other paramilitaries (photos have documented young Rakhine men who were given police vests and guns). Indeed, the investigation needs to consider if the conflict was in fact orchestrated by the regime, to further inter-ethnic hatred and also to put Daw Suu in a difficult situation.
- That the bodies of the bulk of the Rohingya who were killed, and which bodies have been requested by their communities, were taken away and dumped in rivers and mass graves.
- That Rohingya women were subjected to revenge rapes.
History is written by the winners. However, unless the conflict is properly investigated, it will remain an open sore, and on its own have profound implications not only for the treatment of the Rohingya, and inter-ethnic harmony in Burma, but for the goal of democracy as well.
(Note: It was appalling that both the E.U. and the U.S. applauded the regime’s positive characterization of its own response to the crisis, without investigating the reports that it was in fact regime agents who perpetrated many if not most of the murders - shooting Rohingya villagers. U.S. Rangoon Charge d’Affaires Michael Thurston should be pilloried for saying that “the government is trying to help everyone who needs it,” when in fact it was Naypyidaw that escalated the crisis.)
One final issue is the question of why many Rakhine Buddhists (and pro-democracy luminaries such as Ko Ko Gyi) hate the Rohingya so much, rather than the regime. If they would fight against the Tatmadaw as forcefully as they do against the Rohingya, the dictatorship would fall in short order.
The future of Burma
The virulent racism that erupted in Western Burma was unexpected. Analysts have long understood that there is an undercurrent of racism in the country, which many people politely describe as”chauvinism,” but it was nonetheless surprising to see it accelerate so dramatically.
The racism is due to the regime. The generals that have ruled Burma for the last 50 years have been racists with two distinct foundations. First, they truly believe that the Burman ethnic group is superior. (They inherited this position from previous Burman empires.) And secondly, they encourage racism as a divide and conquer strategy, to distract the people from their crimes and to turn different elements of the pro-democracy resistance against each other.
Burman leaders, excluding General Aung San, have typically taken a dim view of the country’s other ethnic groups. (This is also the case with some of the NLD ‘uncles.’) Historical empires strove to eradicate the Rakhine and Mon peoples, with the present day generals turning their ire against the Karen, Karenni, Shan and Kachin. They resent that during the colonial days these groups had a great deal of autonomy, while Burma Proper, home of the majority of the Burmans, was closely administered by the British. It has also been evident that such resentment is shared by some ordinary Burmans, as their comments on articles describing Burma’s civil war have repeatedly demonstrated (i.e., blaming the Karen or the Kachin). It was an open question, though, how far this racism extended. From the Rohingya crisis, we can now see that the ethnic disunity problem is severe, and just below the surface.
This has extraordinary consequences for democracy in Burma. First, racism itself is of course undemocratic. It is based on the extremely primitive idea of collective guilt, and in some cases the associated idea of original sin. Regarding the crisis, Rakhine and Burman racists, perhaps without even realizing it, believe that all present day Rohingyas are guilty, and must be punished, because their ancestors committed the original sin of having the temerity to move into the territory.
While it was never going to be easy, I have always hoped that the great reward of achieving real freedom in Burma would be enough to set the different ethnic groups out on a new path, to peaceful coexistence and cooperation. It is further clear that there is great determination among many leaders and people, and both ethnic nationality and Burman, to achieve this end.
Unfortunately, though, the longer it takes to achieve real freedom, the less likely it is that peaceful co-existence will be preserved. (For additional analysis of the inter-ethnic issue, please see Bertil Lintner’s above mentioned article.)
The real challenge of Burma is that it has so many pressing problems. If Daw Suu attempts to address these in Parliament, which given the regime’s recalcitrance will almost certainly have to be one by one, it is guaranteed that they will never all be solved. There will be more unexpected events, and conflict, and this will disrupt and ultimately end the democratic transition. As the military rulers in Egypt have just illustrated, even with the removal of Hosni Mubarak they are loathe to give up power, and are fighting this tooth and nail. The only logical conclusion for Burma is that its military regime will do the same thing.
The many distinct hurdles include: Actually implementing the rule of law, starting with a new constitution; creating safeguards to try to restrict development to projects that are transparent and “pro-democracy;” ending all the conflict that is underway, including by having the Burma Army withdraw from its ethnic area bases and outposts, and through confronting the society’s underlying racism; constructing a social infrastructure with schools, clean water, and medical clinics; implementing the safe return of refugees and migrant laborers; holding a truly free and fair general election in 2015; confronting the narcotics problem and the associated existence of Wa and other ethnic warlords, and their regime business partners; addressing the Naga issue (the Nagas in Northwest Burma want their own country, greater Nagaland, through unification with the large Naga population in Northeast India - like the Rohingya issue this has largely been ignored); etc. The list goes on and on.
To repeat, the only way to deal with all of this is to achieve freedom first, pass a new constitution, and then begin to address, following democratic principles, the different issues. Trying to solve them at the same time as the push for freedom is a recipe for disaster.
In an article published at the end of last year, Parallel Universes in Burma, I said that for the first time in my eighteen years of involvement the possibility that the country would fail, and break up into a collection of separate states, had become real. This observation was based on the fact that Daw Suu had started losing the trust of the ethnic nationalities. For the reasons described above, this risk is growing. If she continues to follow her current course, she will be elderly once - if - real democracy is achieved. At that point there will no longer be a unifying leader. Provocateurs, seeking power, will then do everything they can to trigger ethnic discord and conflict.
It is essential that a true democracy first be established. Then Daw Suu, like Nelson Mandela, can have a period of personal leadership, after which she can serve as a revered elderly leader backstop to Burma’s democracy, peace and unity, as a new generation takes control.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Daw Suu is not the only leader of Burma. A democracy means that many people have a say. If there is only one, it is a dictatorship. For example, the writer and former political prisoner “Ludu” Sein Win was one such leader, but unfortunately he has just passed away (on June 17th). Until his death he was devoted to the fight for freedom. He was skeptical of Thein Sein, opposed international engagement and economic development, and even criticized the NLD. His loss is great, but as with Daw Suu herself, there are others ready to fill his shoes. There are many extraordinary individuals in every generation of the Burma public, and from every ethnic group, who are already making a large impact, and who could and would contribute much more if they were only given the chance.
Perhaps the most difficult task of leadership is delegation. It is hard to trust others, to not try to do everything yourself. However, this ability, to identify strong subordinates and then to give them a free hand to do their jobs, is an essential skill of great leaders.
Daw Suu has changed following her most recent house arrest, in other words, since Depayin. She has changed her mind on many important points, and also her overall approach. (She was formerly confrontational with the dictatorship.) Moreover, even in the center of such a bright spotlight, she seems isolated, with few people on whom she can rely and whom she trusts. Now more than ever Burma needs a new class of leaders, committed to democratic ideals, to advise her and to help share the load.
I said that she has changed, and it is important to consider this fact. Some people think that the reason is that she recognizes she is getting older. She has to take a chance now, even if it is on the regime’s terms, while she still has her vitality.
While this argument makes sense, I am concerned that another factor is also at play. Since her release, she has been silent on Depayin. She has never talked about it. I am certain though that it has constantly been in her thoughts. What happened at Depayin is that her driver was able to escape from a regime ambush, and she was saved. But behind her, as many as a hundred of her followers, including no doubt personal friends, were killed. It was rightly termed a massacre.
People who accompanied her, and supported her, were killed. While this was in no way her fault - everyone was there of their own free will - it is still a fact. They were there because she was there. I believe the reason that she has changed is that she is no longer willing to have anyone risk their lives, for her. While not a rigid pacifist on philosophical grounds, she has nevertheless become one because of this.
This is an unrealistic position for a pro-democracy leader. Even in the most peaceful of transitions some lives are inevitably lost, usually at the hands of the regime. Given the nature of Burma’s generals, and such things as the racist beliefs that now appear common in some groups, the transition for the country will involve more than a few lives lost, which is of course already the case.
Being a pacifist will not prevent this, and it may even increase the toll. Further, this may happen through chance events, or purposeful action. For the first, had the Saffron Revolution succeeded, the death toll from the Nargis cyclone would have been much less, because a democratic government would have quickly alerted the Delta population of the impending weather catastrophe. For the second, what is happening now, and which groups such as the Kachin are so upset about, is that Daw Suu’s pacifism and outspoken support for the Tatmadaw has actually validated its attacks against them. This begs the question: How many such deaths is she willing to tolerate on her long, slow road to freedom?
I imagine these remarks appear strong, but I could actually be much stronger. I have struggled to characterize Daw Suu, because she is such a singular figure. I believe that the description that is most succinct, though, is as the leader of a Ponzi scheme. A normal Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud, where the initial investors are paid outsized returns using money contributed by later participants. It is a pyramid scheme, meaning that it can survive as long as new gullible investors are found (to form new, lower and wider levels of the pyramid). The basic con of the fraudster is that the investors can earn great rewards, without bearing great risk.
While it is certainly not premeditated (or criminal), I nevertheless view Daw Suu’s leadership as another type of Ponzi scheme. She is saying to the people of Burma that they can earn an extravagant social return, in this case freedom and democracy, without the necessary sacrifice. It is already the case that fewer people are willing to join her pyramid.
Daw Suu says that she doesn't want to be an icon. The solution to this is simple. She shouldn’t accept invitations to events where she will be treated as one. As a recent defense, she said that she worked “very, very hard.” This is unquestionably true. My advice though is to spend less time with self-serving diplomats (before her trip she met China’s Ambassador, although nothing was published about it) or writing speeches for inconsequential meetings. (Even the Nobel Prize is nothing compared to freedom for Burma.) Instead, spend more time understanding what is really happening in the movement for freedom, foremost by meeting and developing relationships with the many people who have been fighting for years if not decades, and who are desperate to make her acquaintance.
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