Conflict in Sri Lanka: Ground Realities - Tamil Nation & Beyond

The latest Sinhalese ploy is to get India, which fears a breakawayby Tamil Nadu, the Sikhs and the Kashmiris, to intervene. Letthem not forget that, when the Indians physically intervenedunder President Jayawardena, both the Sinhalese and Tamilsresented that invasion. The then Prime Minister Mr Premadasavirulently opposed this foreign intervention. The Tamils foughtand humiliated the Indian army. The Indians have never forgottenthis and carry their resentment against the LTTE to this day.What kind of neutral intervention could we possibly expect fromthem now? In any event, can the Sinhalese trust the Indiansany more than we do? The important question everyone has toask is whether we should allow others to dictate to us what ourfuture should be. The Indians, as an unhealthily ambitious minisuperpower with its intelligence service R.A.W running aroundour island in an effort to control events there, will love to dothat. The sovereignty of both the Tamils and Sinhalese would becompromised thereby.The rest of the international community, on the other hand, willmost likely do all in their power to avoid this, preferring a localleader to determine the island’s future. The worry we Tamils haveis whether that local leader will represent our interests, or thoseof the Sinhalese to the exclusion of those of the Tamils.Ultimately, the question that arises is whether the Sinhalesepeople are ready to stop playing games by doing everything intheir power to avoid facing the simple straightforward issue thatfaces us, which is, that they seek to continue to control our fate,while we wish to control our own.Democracy with a permanent majorityThe international community and the U.N. have recognised theright of minorities to overcome the unwelcome, overwhelmingpower of national majorities in East Timor, Northern Sudan andBosnia. What is so different about Sri Lanka? The fact that SriLanka has elections? Those elections allow the Sinhalese to choosebetween two or more rival contenders who their leader should be.Does it permit the Tamils to have a real voice in determining who10