FB post by Marisa De Silva

So Athas, in a newspaper owned by Ranil’s uncle, asks why Wasantha discusses the grievances of the Tamil people with the Jaffna student union, claiming that they’re akin to demands made by the LTTE, rather than the more blatant question of why 40+ yrs on, their grievances still remain unresolved.

This is a blatant attempt to rebuild the “terror” narrative & kill 2 birds with one stone.

Blacklist the IUSF by linking them to “Tamil terrorists.”

And use the same old hackneyed ‘divide & rule’ card, to stir up racism in the South & ensure the communities remain polorised.

You’d think that maybe one residue of a mass people’s struggle would be that people wouldn’t fall so easily for old dogs’ tricks.

I guess now is as good a time as any to test it out.

Sunday times Column below

‘A nexus between student bodies in Colombo and Jaffna

The Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) was at the Jaffna University trying to win the support of their counterparts there for joint campaigns. The IUSF team from the south was led by convenor Wasantha Mudalige, who was involved in anti-government protests in Colombo earlier. He and his colleagues held talks at the Jaffna campus with their student counterparts.

Jaffna University student leader Kannan tweeted the demands they had placed before Mudalige and his colleagues. They are:

• It should be accepted that the Tamil people, native to the Northern and Eastern provinces are a distinct nation with a distinct language, religion and cultural identity.
• It should be accepted that the combined North East provinces are traditional Tamil homeland.
• Accept that Tamils deserve the right to self-determination.
• It should be accepted that Tamils have the right to self-determination which is inclusive of every race, and thereby Tamils have the right to determine their political destiny.
• Accept that Tamils should be given the opportunity to decide their political destiny through an internationally monitored referendum.
• It should be accepted that justice should be given through the international justice mechanism to the genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and enforced disappearances perpetrated against the Tamils.
• It should be accepted that the occupying army stationed in the Tamil homeland should be withdrawn.

As is clear, the above demands are akin to those promoted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when they launched an armed campaign against the troops. How and why the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) convenor Wasantha Mudalige chose it fit to discuss these issues with their counterparts in Jaffna after the Tiger guerrillas have been defeated 14 years ago is a critical question.’