TNA parliamentarian, university students question ‘reconciliation’

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 November 2012, 15:12 GMT]
Following atrocities committed on the Jaffna university students by occupying Sri Lanka’s military intelligence and police on Tuesday and Wednesday, TNA parliamentarian Mr. E. Saravanabhavan questioned the validity of the so-called reconciliation process when Sri Lanka’s military and police consider the Jaffna University students as enemies. The current developments remind of the situation 30 years back that paved way for the subsequent struggle, the parliamentarian said in a video address to media. Meanwhile student representatives addressing the university students on Wednesday, while condemning the genocidal military of Sri Lanka, asked where to lodge complaint except to the International Community. 



A military should observe certain norms. But this [SL military] is a genocidal military that steps on norms with its boots. They entered the gents’ hostel like they were seizing an enemy position. They sent the paramilitary without uniforms inside the ladies hostel to show guts while we were paying homage to our fallen heroes, a student representative said while addressing the students on Wednesday.

“What we need is not carpet roads, telecommunication towers, dance shows of half-naked women and cricket matches, but the right of self-determination for us,” the representative said.

“What we always have in our heart is humanitarian consideration. We had a chance to express it on Tuesday [homage to fallen heroes].”

We have a duty to honour the heroes fought for our land. We were oppressed from doing so in the last three years as well as this year. We will wage our struggle by democratic means, he further said.
Another student representative, speaking on Wednesday, said that the university administration falsely claims that the military entered the hostels and attacked the students without its knowledge. Then why should there be a Vice Chancellor. Let them bring an SL soldier on the street and put him on the seat of the Vice Chancellor, the student representative said.

Where can we complain? There is nobody here in Jaffna for us to complain. Only the International Community should do something, the student representative said.

Speaking to media, TNA parliamentarian Saravanabhavan identified the issue as one that questioning the workability of reconciliation, as long as the SL military and police treat the Tamil people and students as their enemies.

What happened in the Jaffna University on Tuesday and Wednesday had pushed back reconciliation by five years. Whatever that had been achieved is lost. There is no doubt that the military will behave in the same way even when we oblige to ‘accept whatever that is given’ formula. The behaviour will be the same in the South too, the parliamentarian said.

When democratic struggles are oppressed by the military that means that the time has come for all sections of people to question the oppressing military, he further said.

A new generation political activist in Jaffna, commenting on the events at the Jaffna University said that it is only a typical evidence showing that the paradigm of ‘reconciliation’ designed by Washington and New Delhi is nothing but another word for prolonged genocide.