Opinion: Re: Does TNA have game?

in response to Does TNA have game

by Gogol G.

The most recent post by Eelapalan, Does TNA have game, is the latest in a series of recent posts which describe the current trend in the TNA's position and why and how this can backfire greatly. Following the resounding TNA victory in the 2010 parliamentary elections, frustrations of the Tamil people grew after seeing the TNA engage GOSL in good faith over a long period of time and getting zero progress in return. Perhaps Sampanthan's speech at the ITAK convention in May 2012 temporarily assuaged Tamil people's fears. But those fears persist, and if anything have strengthened, and for good reason, as exemplified above. The TNA has done itself no favours here.

Having said that, let me play the devil's advocate. Although the benefit of the doubt that (some) Tamils conceded (perhaps unwillingly) to the TNA is quickly eroding, it is disconcerting how bashing the TNA has become almost a sport among Tamils. It's at least not old, confused, and deeply entrenched like America-bashing is among Canadians. But is it still slightly unfair? Are we shooting the messenger? Are we focusing less on the message, and more on who's saying it?

Words like "self-determination" are momentarily falling out of favour among Tamils because the TNA is finding the room to waffle by using the word and yet always referring to internal self-determination. How is this any worse than Anton Balasingham stating in the 3rd round of 6 rounds of peace talks in 2002-2003 that the LTTE will favourably consider exploring solutions based on internal self-determination, while still reserving the right to exercise external self-determination if & when GOSL proves itself incapable of accommodating internal self-determination? Knowing that GOSL is structurally incapable of anything but a positive feedback loop of anti-Tamil genocide, the process of good-faith talks on federalism between the LTTE and GOSL would make that evident for all to see, which is what happened (regardless of how Western observers tried to re-paint the picture). Isn't the exploration of federalism / internal self-determination what the TNA stated? And when the GOSL under Ranil couldn't get any greasier, and they had to prove their earnestness in working towards a political solution in order to restart peace talks, Ranil sent forth 3 draft political solutions that were no better than a provincial council in authority. The LTTE responded with 9 months of world-wide traveling, consultation, and brain-storming, after which they submitted the ISGA proposal. The ISGA proposal amounts to a fill-in-the-blank document for a federal solution, where the actual details of sharing finance, defense, and natural resources were explicitly left unspecified in order to be discussed (regardless of how Singala observers tried to re-paint the picture). Isn't such a solution what the TNA says it is working towards in good faith?

So if the LTTE could explore internal self-determination without abandoning the knowledge that [GOSL is structurally incapable of accommodation, therefore] external self-determination must remain on the table, why don't Tamils give the TNA a pass in this regard?