TMVP Cadres: like letting the Mafia run New Jersey
This is an article for the latest issue of Montage, out soon or now even
The war (and the nation) feels like its reached a cruel stasis. There’s some gravity at the center of the SLFP that has caused all other parties to splinter. Neither the UNP nor JVP can mount anything near an opposition now. The LTTE, too, has fractured and fractured again. There is nothing moving, no opposition, and perhaps no will to oppose. The war machine churns on, terrorism burns on, and the economy sputters and stalls. By all accounts the war is going well, even though there is no real exit strategy as long as Prabhakaran is alive. Things are just going and the decline is hard to notice, because it’s all borrowed against the future.
Fundamental rights were the first thing to go, and the press was the easiest target. With the Island publishing obscene poems in their kids section, its not the most defensible target. So TamilNet was banned, Rupavahini physically attacked by Mervyn Silva and various journalists arrested, detained and taken from their homes and beaten. Against the greater threat of terrorism, it seemed like a small problem, a vain indulgence of the powers that be. The long-term cost, however, is not insignificant. A free press gives a nation the information it needs to change its course before it steers off a cliff. Now with defense reporting so curtailed, we are literally steering blind. The government doesn’t want us to know much about the war, and we don’t.
The economy was the next expendable good. Not only the war, but also the corruption needed to maintain the government in power (both perks for ministers and jobs for vassals) cost huge amounts of money. Much of this money was printed, leading to inflation that gallops on at 25% and higher. This hits poor people directly in the form of higher cost of living, made worse by the fact that food and fuel prices are rising globally. Direct mismanagement and politicization of economy is costing Sri Lanka billions, most of it in small pains across millions of pockets. Feeding the war machine and the political machine is costly, and it burns heavy fuel.
Finally, international relations has been shunned so that we can do ‘as we will’. This means the Governor of the Central Bank telling the EU that we could stand to lose garment subsidies rather than change our human rights practices. It means the Prime Minister telling the world we’re just fine with a few friends like Pakistan and China. Essentially, relations with the rest of the world have been deemed expendable if they don’t give us unquestioning support.
Our national rights, prosperity and international standing have been compromised for short-term advantage in our own War On Terror. And we have seen short-term gains. With a stable (and well paid) government, the Rajapakses can prosecute the war as they see fit. With gains on the war front, they can continue printing and spending money without people complaining too much. With friends like China, Iran and Pakistan they can deflect international pressure as well. So, for now, the center holds. However, if history and common sense is any indication, there is no free lunch. Eventually we will need our freedoms, we will need money, and we will need true friends. These things that the government deems luxuries against the exigencies of war are really the foundation of our nation and our greatest bulwark against terrorism and decline. We are selling them far too cheap, and we may not notice until it’s too late. This is not a short-term war. We need a long-term plan.
You made me think of leaving this country………..
The only reason I haven’t ditched this country…. is because I’m outraged at having to quit MY country because of thugs like the Rajapakse Brothers….!!!!!
next will be the infrastructure – whats left of it that is
power for example
sri lanka needs about 200 MW added to the grid every year
about 250ml of diesel (HFO) is needed per unit of electricity
HFO is over 70 per liter
the govt will eventually be forced to remove subsidies on electricity
and we’ll end up paying over 40 bucks per unit (right now we’re paying over 28 per unit for over 200 units)
thats just one example – lets not think about highways and 300m two lane fly-overs that cost rs 2.1 billion!!!!
but i like the food here
btw, Sitting Nut left a comment but I’ve been moderating them. Namely because it’s the same rant over and over, and it’s really long and distracts from (what I consider) discussion I want to read. And because I hate freedom.
hilarious
Hi,
Thanks for the summary. ;-D I find all this (the situation) frustrating. I find it more frustrating because a) I am removed from everything that’s happening by the fact of where I have to be at the moment and b) I worry that as a woman, I don’t or won’t be allowed to have a voice about this even if I knew what to say and c) I don’t know what to say or do and I feel that there should be something somewhere that I can do or say.
Congrats on getting it published in Montage.
Cheers, Marisa.
A good post but why not let Sittingnut’s comments through for whatever it is worth?
There is no real strategy except perhaps in short-term military terms and even here we have largely the government’s word for it since independent reports are hard to come by. The trickle of nformation suggests that things are far from positive on the military side.
The economy is suffering as a result of incompetence and as a result of the war itself.
The ‘solution’ that has been implemented in the East is highly dangerous and is likely to result in the Balkanisation of the East. P is doing what he is used to doing and the minorities bear the brunt of this:killing, kidnapping, extorting, terrorising. This is setting up Muslim against Tamil and possibly against the Sinhala people as well.
I think it is only a question of time before the Muslims take up arms and this would be a truly terrible scenario. MR appointment of Pillayan is probably with an eye on the next election – the East will be ‘delivered’ by P. with a thumping majority for the ruling party.
With the media under control, the government may well take a tiny part of the Wanni, declare victory and appoint Douglas Devananda as Chief Minister of a Phantom Northern Provice, where again, suitably positive results will be delivered at election time. Therefore with only a minimal level of rigging in the South, they can will many an election.
The Rajapake jaggernaut is unstoppable and I see the regime in place for the rest of my lifetime. The people will get the government they deserve. Dissenters please go while the going is good or else be silent.
Look to Burma, look to Pakistan, look to Iran. Birds of a feather will flock together.
consumer price index
Jan 2005: 3986.7
Jan 2006: 4304.0
Jan 2007: 5184.3
Jan 2008: 6302.5
annual average change:
2005: 8.8
2006: 11.1
2007: 14.8
2008: 17.6
source: central bank
poverty line:
2004: Rs 1628
2005: Rs 1817
2008 March: Rs 2886
source: http://www.statistics.gov.lk
Muslim Liberation Front urges Rajapaksa to disarm Pillayan group
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 2008, 17:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Muslim Liberation Front (SLMLF) Tuesday appealed to SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take immediate steps to disarm Pillaiyan group operating in Batticaloa as it has been proved beyond doubts that this group is responsible for the recent attack on Muslim people in Kaathankudy and Eraa’vur. SLMLF general secretary M.I.M.Cader addressing a press briefing in Colombo Tuesday said Muslim youths would take up arms if government fails to disarm Pillayan group.
He appealed to Muslim politicians holding ministerial positions in the government to resign and work to safeguard the interest of the Muslim community.
There is no alternative for Muslim youths other taking up arms against armed group now operating in east especially in Batticaloa district and this would justify their stand, he added.
right… and then there is this
Meet with triumph and disaster… just the same
Members of the Eastern Provincial council opposition along with SLMC and opposition leader Rauff Hakeem taking oaths in front of North-East Governor Mohan Wijewickrema today in Trincomalee.
daily mirror
You speak about the trauma of a nation in almost poetic fashion. Nice article. Sri Lanka’s lot does’nt seem aaalll that bad until you write it all down. And then you wonder how you can be even remotely happy, living in a country with so may problems and so little hope.