Tilvin நேர்காணல்- தேசியப் பிரச்சனை குறித்து (2)

 குறிப்பு: இந்நேர்காணல் 25 வருடங்களுக்கு முந்தியது.ENB

Interview

JVP for supremacy of parliament

By Shelani de Silva 

The Sunday Times 27th February 2000

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which is recognised as a third force by some political commentators has conspicuously been kept out of talks the government was holding with political parties on the proposed constitutional reforms. The party has, however, decided to continue its campaign for the abolition of the executive presidential system. It also opposes any move by the President to continue with the executive presidency while also functioning as Prime Minister during the transitional period under the new constitution.

Party General Secretary Tilvin Silva in an interview with The Sunday Times said the JVP would call for an executive fully responsible and accountable to parliament and equal rights to all communities if the party's views were sought for constitutional amendments.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: The government is holding talks with political parties on the proposed constitutional reforms. What is the stance your party which is against the executive presidency, taking?

A: We have not been invited for any talks with the government but if invited we will ask for a copy of the draft constitution. The JVP firmly believes that without studying the draft, there is no purpose in holding talks. At present, not much is known about the proposed constitution. Whatever it is, the JVP has not been called for talks. We will not ask for an appointment with the President. A responsible government should know that not only Tamil parties and the UNP but all political parties should be involved in constitution-making. Bringing in a new constitution is definitely a serious issue and the people's views too should be taken into consideration.

Q: But the JVP and the SLMC had talks on the proposed constitution. What was the outcome of this meeting?

A: It was the SLMC which requested a meeting with us. The meeting was not only on the constitutional reforms but other issues as well. We could not give our views on the reforms. Even the SLMC was not in a position to elaborate on the subject.

Q: Will your support be conditional on the continuation of the executive presidency during the transitional period?

A: We will continue to carry out our campaign for the abolition of the executive presidency. But if the government is planning to continue with the executive presidency in another form we are definitely against it. We hear reports to the effect that instead of abolishing the executive presidency, there are moves to amalgamate the powers of premiership with it.

We are against such moves and it is an anti-democratic act. What the Government should now do is to abolish the executive presidency and form a system to suit the country — not to amalgamate the executive presidency and the premiership. The focal point in democracy is the 'check and balance' system. There has to be a balance, but if excess power is going to be vested in one institution, it is not democratic.

Q: Your party supported Chandrika Kumaratunga at the 1994 presidential campaign on the promise that she will scrap the executive presidency. Did your party take that promise seriously?

A: The party took the promise very seriously. The president gave us a written and verbal assurance that by July 15, 1995 the executive presidency will be abolished. When it did not occur we were told by the Government it is because the constitution has to be changed and certain amendments have to be brought in if it was to be abolished. And now with the President re-elected for a second term she is trying to bring in a new constitution. We believe the government was in a position to abolish the executive presidency. Instead of doing it, the President is now trying to take all the powers and use it during her full term and then bring about changes. It is clear that there is a conspiracy in the sharing of power.

Q: What are the changes your party would like to see in the new constitution?

A: It is difficult to go into detail because we have not studied the constitution. But we have made our representations to the Parliamentary Select Committee. Our main emphasis will be on the abolition of the executive presidency. We will call for an executive responsible to Parliament. There will also be changes where equal rights would be given to all communities. Equality among communities and religions should be ensured. The constitution should recognise the basic rights of all.

Q: How do you see the constitutional reforms as a solution to the ethnic issue?

A: From what we have gathered the new constitution will not solve the ethnic issue. A government should have a genuine interest to give all people their basic rights but we understand that the new constitution, like the present one, speaks of powers being vested in one person. That's why we say that the government is not genuine in its efforts. The ethnic problem has come up because a group of people have not got their basic rights.

Q: Your comments on the Norwegian involvement in peace talks or acting as a facilitator?

A: The Norwegian Foreign Minister did not meet the JVP, so we cannot express our views on the stand taken by Norway.

Q: Did the JVP request a meeting with the Foreign Minister?

A: We did not ask for an appointment but the correct method would be that when a party is getting involved in a country's national issue it should hold discussions with the main political parties in the country.

Q: What is the JVP's stand on resuming peace talks with third party involvement?

A: If we examine the history of peace talks we can see whenever they took place the war was stopped for about two months and then fighting resumed. We see peace talks as an interval taken by both parties. Judging from past experiences we have our doubts whether the talks will be successful. Of course the JVP is for peace talks but the intentions have to be genuine. We have doubts. The important thing is not the country which comes as a facilitator. The Government should give a firm assurance.

Q: Do you feel that the people still link the present JVP with the terror period of the late 1980s?

A: Once again the state media are carrying out a campaign by trying to instil fear in the people that a terror period will once again erupt. We have to make it clear and with responsibility we say that the JVP is not involved in such undemocratic acts and we will not get involved in such things. No matter what difficulties the party will have to face in future we will not act outside the democratic path.

Q: How is the party building its image after the elections?

A: We are preparing for a general election. The party is conducting discussions with trade unions, farmer and women groups. We are also selecting the candidates for the elections. We hope to send at least 10 MPs and we will not join with any other party to contest the general elections.

Q: What is Somawansa Amarasinghe's involvement with the party?

A: He is the party leader and member of the politburo. He is in charge of the party activities abroad, but he is in touch with us and he closely follows political activities here. We have a good rapport with him.

Q: Have you any plans to get Chitrangani Wijeweera, the widow of party founder Rohana Wijeweera, into the party?

A: We have gone to see her not with the intention of getting her into the party but to inquire about her children's welfare. We have come forward to help the children. It should be noted that the JVP is not a party to replace the leader with his widow. Our party has come this far after much sacrifice and hard work by all members. We won't gain anything or even lose anything with or without her in the party. But the Government is trying to use her. It did this during the elections by giving out leaflets alleged to have been signed by Ms.Wijeweera.

Q: In the past few weeks the media indicated that the JVP and the UNP were planning to topple the Western and the Southern Provincial Councils. Has the party any such idea?

A: There is no truth in such statements. We have no intention of getting together with the UNP to topple the councils.

For us the UNP is a party just like the PA which contributed to ruin the country.

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Military road to independence

By Kumbakarana

In the Baghavath Geetha, Arjuna while preparing for battle is addressed by Lord Krishna in the following manner, "Arjuna the duties and responsibilities of Kshastriya is to protect Varnadharma (the caste system) and Swardharma (Duty). It is necessary to find liberation from both good and bad Karma in Sansara. In this, your duty is to act without concern for result (Karma Yoga), to comprehend the true nature of the Atman which transcends both life and death (Ghnana Yoga), and all your actions should be devoted to God (Bakhti Yoga).

Krishna thereby convinced Arjuna to accept death as a consequence of battle. The question now arises as to whether Prabhakaran could use a similar argument to convince a suicide bomber. Some historical background is necessary to answer this question. With the brutal massacres of Indians and the capture of Delhi by the British in 1858, the Hindus responded with a spiritual movement. This spiritual movement continued into the twentieth century and was politicized by gandhi as a non-violent movement against British imperialism (Ahimsa).

There was a Hindu faction, which questioned as to whether a military road to independence (Swaraj) was possible. There was a Christian tradition through the likes of Tolstoy who brought to prominence the possibility of non-violent action. This followed his reading of the new testament tradition. Others accused gandhi of having borrowed these ideas from Buddhism and Jainism and thereby being unfaithful to the Hindu tradition. Since the explosion of a nuclear bomb, groups such as the RSS and VHS and Shivashena have raised these issues once again. Others have used this tract from the Geetha as a war cry of the Black Tiger movement (Suicide Bombers). One can however question as to whether this advice to the Shoobtriya could be used to justify the phenomena of Suicide Bombers. There is another argument that this is a growth from the popular romanticism in Tamil culture. The most propagated popular argument is that this results from the repression of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. The LTTE considers these suicide acts to be a hallmark of their determination to achieve liberation from the Sri Lankan State.

We need to examine a few statistics at this stage. The LTTE claims a total of 14,668 deaths in battle, of which 148 were Black Tigers. Further, between 1993 and 1999 there have been 1385 LTTE cadres who have surrendered with their cyanide capsules unused. The number 148 is a small minority compared to the total cadre, which were successfully brainwashed to do so. In recent times it is not only the LTTE who use this tactic, but other groups such as the Mujhideen, Hamas and Hizbollah and the Algerian FIS, the Kurdish PKK have suicide bombers. The technology of suicide however is probably most developed by the LTTE. There is an annual doubling of information on violence today. Sources like the Internet are full of such information. It is quite possible that the LTTE technology of suicide will be globalised.

There are cases of heroic sacrifice among the soldiers from the Sri Lankan Army. In Vietnam Nguyen giap used this tactic, against the American soldiers and Kampuchea's Pol-pot used this tactic as well as Han Semerin against Pol-pot. There were many extreme Nationalist groups and Racists who used this tactic such as the Zionist, the Nazis and the Japanese Kamikaze kids of the Imperial Army. The phenomena is therefore rather common and used by various extreme groups, and it can not simply be justified on the basis of injustice or oppression.

A mechanical causal theory, assumes that deep rooted underlying causal factors give rise to epi-phenomena. The epi-phenomena in this case is suicide bombing and the underlying causal reasons supposedly 'ethnic oppression'.

🔺

Tilvin நேர்காணல்- தேசியப் பிரச்சனை குறித்து

குறிப்பு; இந்நேர்காணல் 12 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முந்தியது.ENB 

PC System not a panacea for present problems-Tilvin

03 Jun 2013 

     

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva speaks to the Daily Mirror on the Northern Provincial Council Elections and issues confronting the Tamil people. He noted that the government had failed to address the genuine grievances of the Tamil people.  Following are some excerpts of the interview:

Q:In the political circle, there is much talk of the 13th Amendment these days. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was a party that was opposed to the Provincial Council (PC) system right from the beginning. What are your views on this renewed criticism on the PC system established under the 13th Amendment?

The JVP is opposed to the PC system on principle. That is the policy we have taken right from the beginning. However, there is renewed criticism by some elements on it at a time, ahead of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections.  Against this backdrop, we have to take serious note of this   political criticism against the 13th Amendment.  We see this diatribe against the PC system today despite President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s repeated assurances to the international community, particularly to India that these elections would be conducted. Therefore, any criticism of the 13th Amendment would be viewed negatively by the Tamil community in the north.  We, the JVP, do not believe that the PC system is the panacea for problems confronting the ethnic Tamils.

It is true that the Tamil people are enduring immense hardships. But, we should politically convince them that the PC system is not the way out for them. It has been proven unsuccessful.  The Eastern Provincial Council was constituted. But, the problems of the people remain unsolved or unattended.  Yet, instead of finding practical solutions to the genuine grievances of the Tamil people, the government has made way for a political harangue against the PC system. Therefore, Tamils will obviously view such criticism with suspicion.

Q:You mentioned that Tamil people are grappling with some serious problems. In your view, what are they?  
At the moment, they have serious land problems. They were dispossessed of their lands during the war. There is no proper plan to give back such lands to their rightful owners. Likewise, there is the issue of Tamil prisoners.  The government has also failed to look into the incidents of disappearances.  The government has still been unable to dispense with legal cases involving disappearances or to pay compensation to the next-of-kin of the victims. Instead of resettling people with proper facilities, the government has literally left them in the street. The government should resettle them after restoring their means of livelihood. Also, there are circumstances that have compelled the Tamil people to consider themselves as second class citizens of this country. The language problem is one of them. It has to be addressed. There are a lot of administrative issues – lack of Tamil speaking police officers and Grama Niladharis.  After the war was over, a semi-military rule has been imposed on the Tamil people.  Democracy should be strengthened in the north along with the establishment of civil administration.   These matters warrant urgent attention. If these problems are solved, the Tamil people will begin to think differently.

Q:In your view, what will the political repercussions be if the elections are held in the north under these circumstances?

It is a serious situation.  The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is likely to win this election. Then, there may be attempts to reinforce the separatist ideology. Though the war is over, the separatist ideology remains intact. During the last four years of the post-war period, the government did not do anything to defeat separatism politically. Instead, the government’s actions only added force to this ideology.  Therefore, we can conclude that certain sections of the Tamil Diaspora and   the international forces including India and the United States may try to use this council as a base to push for further devolution of political power in conformity with their separatist agenda.   That is the imminent danger lying before us. But, the government has made repeated assurances before the international community that these elections would be conducted. The government can ward off the impending danger only by finding practical solutions to the problems of people in the north. They do not ask for power sharing or self-determination. They urge the government to address cases of disappearances, to release Tamil prisoners, to create economic opportunities and to restore civil administration.

In reality, the government should have acted to abolish this PC system a long time ago. Yet, the government conducted staggered PC elections in other parts of the country. All of a sudden, they talk against the system, ahead of the NPCE only. It creates suspicion in the minds of people. If it is applicable to other areas, why is it not for the north? That is the logical question arising in the minds of people. A complex situation has arisen today, and the government should be held   responsible.

Q:You mean the government is in a crisis situation?

Yes of course. The government is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.  The government was unwise. They only tried to find solutions to the country’s problems   on a daily piecemeal manner instead of making a holistic approach with a farsighted vision. It is the typical way of the government. It has resulted in the present mess.

Q:If the Northern Provincial Council elections are conducted, will the JVP participate in it?

Yes, we will do it as a party. We will make it an opportunity to engage in politics with people in the north.  The government failed to defeat the separatist political ideology during the past four years. Again, they did not allow any political activity that can attract Tamil people to the mainstream of national politics. We, the JVP, were not allowed to carry out political work in the north.  Our comrade MP Sunil Handunnetti was assaulted in Jaffna. They placed a lot of hurdles before us. Through such foolish and adamant behaviour, they blocked the path for Tamil people to embrace national politics without confining themselves to politics based on their regional and ethnic identity.  

Q:Though you claim that Tamil people are not for power devolution or self-determination, the TNA which campaigns heavily on such demands won past elections in the north.  The TNA is on record that they repeatedly got mandates from their people to fight for such political rights.  How do you see it?
Tamil people naturally tend to vote for Tamil political parties, whichever are mentioned in manifestoes. The TNA has given its own political interpretation to this electoral behaviour of Tamil people.  Let’s take what happened in recent times. There were some demonstrations and protest rallies in Colombo by the Tamil people.   Once they held a demonstration holding aloft the posters and banners bearing the photos   of their disappeared relatives. They wanted to know what happened to those who went missing. In another demonstration, they urged the government to release Tamil prisoners.  The most recent one was against the land-grabbing in the north. Their main demands are linked with their normal lives.  Yet, the TNA did not play any role in any of these protest rallies or demonstrations.  They may have made a few statements. The TNA appears to be thriving on such concerns of the Tamil people for political gains.

Q:Will the demand for separatism be renewed in this context?

It can happen due to a few reasons.  The government has imposed its will on the Tamil people today. Its lies strengthen the ideological base for separatism to raise its head again. Though the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was defeated, their separatist ideology has not been dealt with politically. Therefore, there is a danger of Tamil politics in the north taking a separatist form once again.   The government should address the problems of Tamil people to avert separatism gaining its hold in northern politics.

Q:If you are against the Provincial Council system, what do you propose as an alternative?

There should be a public discourse on this. But, there is one principle. Equality is all the more important. People should have equal access to their rights such as education and employment opportunities, leaving aside their differences over language, ethnicity etc. There cannot be any discrimination. Besides, administrative power, people’s daily needs have to be given at grassroots level. Today, the most important administrative powers have not been decentralised. For example, the issuance of passports is done mainly in Colombo. It is a Colombo-centric activity. It should be changed. The issuance of National Identity Cards are done in Colombo. There is only one Eye Hospital in the country, and that too is in Colombo. Wherever we live, we have to come to Colombo for treatment. The Cancer Hospital is in Maharagama. The most essential services have not been decentralised. Instead, we talk about the 13th Amendment imposed on us by India.   

'' India has changed now ''-Tilvin

 “India has changed now” : Tilvin on JVP’s stance

April 9, 2025 News Fire

`மாறியது நானா? மாற்றியது நீயா?`

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary, Tilvin Silva, has refuted claims by certain opposition politicians claiming that the government has betrayed the country by entering into several agreements with India. 

Cartoon-Daily Mirror LK

Tilvin Silva challenged the opposition to prove if any of the agreements have been signed in a manner that could be detrimental to Sri Lanka. 

Stating that the agreements signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit have been openly announced to the public, he said they are beneficial to both nations. 

“Both Sri Lanka and India benefit from these agreements. The NPP Government has proven to be the government to have received the most international support in Sri Lanka’s history. Earlier, they claimed there was no international support or help, but now that we are receiving international help, they are claiming we are betraying the nation,” he said.

Tilvin Silva pointed out that the former Ranil Wickremesinghe-led government, together with the Rajapaksa clan, attempted to sell the local milk producer, MILCO, to an Indian company, but the move was stopped due to the NPP Government having approached India on the matter. 

''An issue arose then, for which we protested against India in 1987, and it was later over''.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary, Tilvin Silva. April 9, 2025 News Fire

Acknowledging that the NPP/JVP had lobbied against several projects in the past, Tilvin Silva said they protested the Indo-Lanka Agreement in 1987, which saw the Indian Army entering Sri Lanka, as it was deemed a betrayal of the nation.

“Yes, we did protest against India in the past. However, India has changed now, and so has the world. Just because we protested in 1987, should we still hold on to that anger? No. An issue arose then, for which we protested, and it was later over. At times, they accuse us, claiming that we are not on par with global developments. But as we start working in such a manner, they are accusing us of betraying the nation,” he added.

The JVP General Secretary made the remarks while addressing a public rally in view of the upcoming local government elections. (Newswire)🔺

Asian markets fall

Pic: A woman walks by high-rise office buildings in the central business district of Beijing on Tuesday. The Chinese government has remained defiant in the face of President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, vowing to “fight to the end” of the trade war. (Andy Wong/AP)

Asian markets fall as Trump’s tariffs, including 104% on China, take effect

Tariffs on products from 86 countries have now kicked in, including a 104 percent duty on all imports from China. President Donald Trump signaled he was open to doing deals.

The WPost April 9, 2025 By Lily Kuo

President Donald Trump’s threatened 104 percent minimum tariff on all Chinese goods will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, sharply escalating the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

China, the world’s biggest exporter, was hardest hit by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff blitz, but duties on 85 other countries — including 49 percent on Cambodia and 46 percent on Vietnam — have also now kicked in.

Stocks in Asia traded lower when they opened Wednesday after another day of wild gyrations in U.S. markets with the S&P 500 index closing down 1.5 percent, bringing its total loss since mid-February to almost 20 percent — nearing a bear market.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, on which many Chinese exporters are listed, fell by almost 4 percent when trading opened Wednesday although it rebounded somewhat in later trading.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was trading more than 4 percent lower in the early afternoon, while Australia’s ASX 200 index lost almost 2 percent and South Korea’s KOSPI was down 1.4 percent.

But she also suggested Trump was open to talking — as long as Beijing made the first move. “The president also wanted me to tell all of you that if China reaches out to make a deal, he’ll be incredibly gracious, but he’s going to do what’s best for the American people,” Leavitt said. “China has to call first.”

It was not clear on Wednesday how Beijing would respond. State media on Wednesday was awash with commentary saying China could not back down.

“The weaker you are, the happier the United States is and the harder it will hit you,” said an article on Niu Tanqin, an influential blog run by a former journalist with the state news agency, Xinhua.

The longer that the trade fight goes on, the more Beijing sees U.S. moves as simply an effort to contain China. “Beijing is losing patience with the Trump team, believing that they have no sincerity in negotiating,” said Zhao Minghao, a professor at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies.

Other countries are trying hard to broker deals with the Trump administration to avert tariffs, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent telling CNBC that nearly 70 countries had approached the United States about negotiating over trade barriers.

Argentina, Vietnam and Israel have indicated they will drop their tariff and regulatory barriers to U.S. exports, while South Korea and Japan are now actively pursuing negotiations.

Trump said on social media Tuesday he had a “great call” with South Korea’s acting president about a potential deal to remove the 25 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose on the ally’s exports.

The steep tariffs on Chinese goods will almost certainly raise prices for American consumers on products including clothes, shoes and electronics — something Chinese state media have been at pains to point out.

“Manufacturers here cannot absorb the burden,” Liang Mei, president of the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association, was quoted as telling the state-affiliated Global Times newspaper Wednesday. U.S. retailers would shoulder part of the cost and the rest “will be passed on to American consumers,” Liang said.

Naomi Fink, chief global strategist at Nikko Asset Management in Tokyo, said the new tariffs will “first and foremost be a blow to U.S. consumers,” which will ultimately affect exporters to the U.S. But the ultimate impact on domestic U.S. interests is significant, and countries on the receiving end of tariffs recognize that, she said.

“The thing here, and I think China even stated it, is that the only reason they’re retaliating is because they know it’s a credible threat to the U.S. consumer, who’s also the U.S. voter, and they know the U.S. consumer is wearing the cost,” Fink said.

Trump on Tuesday tripled the tariff rate he had announced on low-value packages from China, closing a loophole that allowed Chinese companies like Shein and Temu to sidestep duties on shipments worth less than $800. From June 1, those packages will face a tax of 90 percent of their value, up from the originally planned 30 percent duty.

While other countries have approached the White House to negotiate, Beijing has instead hit back with its own tariffs and deployed other measures like export controls and import bans. Escalation on both sides makes the possibility of talks less likely, analysts said.

“Beyond a certain point, further escalation loses meaning,” said Lizzi C. Lee, an economy expert at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. “China would likely decide there’s no point in continuing to engage — and at that stage, retaliation could take forms the U.S. isn’t ready for.”

Retaliation could involve suspending cooperation to stop fentanyl and related chemicals from reaching the United States; cutting off imports of U.S. products that depend on the Chinese market like farm products, services or energy; or rapidly opening trade channels with other countries hit hard by the tariffs, Lee said.

Well-connected Chinese blogs have also suggested Beijing might ban on the importation of U.S. movies to China.

Here’s how the tariff on Chinese goods got to 104 percent:

• With a Feb. 1 executive order, Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, saying it was punishment for Beijing’s lack of progress in stopping the flow of fentanyl and precursor chemicals to the United States.
• Beijing responded with a 15 percent levy on imports of U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as a 10 percent tariff on agricultural equipment and crude oil.
• At the end of February, Trump announced an additional 10 percent tax on Chinese goods, again citing the opioid epidemic. Beijing, which insists that this a U.S. public health issue, imposed a 15 percent duty on imports of American farm products including chicken, pork and soy — a move designed to inflict pain in Trump-supporting agricultural states.
• In his “Liberation Day” tariff blitz, Trump imposed a further 34 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, to come into effect April 9, taking the blanket tariff to 54 percent.
• China responded two days later by levying a 34 percent blanket tariff on all products from the United States and condemned the Trump administration’s “unilateral bullying.” It also further restricted exports of rare earth minerals, blacklisted a slew of American companies, and filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization.
• Trump said Monday that if Beijing did not promptly withdraw the blanket measure, he would increase the duty on all Chinese goods by a further 50 points, taking the minimum tariff to 104 percent.

Lyric Li in Seoul, Michelle Ye Hee Lee in Nagoya, Japan, and Christian Shepherd in Singapore contributed to this report.