Freedom Fighters Or Terrorists?

by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam ( December 9, 2013, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guar ian! " #ri$e in res%onse $o $he Sri Lanka Guar ian ar$icle &Man ela' Sain$ (r Sinner)*+

,o me $he %arallel o- $his in $he Sri Lankan con$e.$ is &/re $he ,amil ,i0ers 1ree om 1i0h$ers or ,erroris$s)* (n a %ersonal basis 2 some #oul #on er #he$her " am a & emocracy crusa er or a nuisance)* ,hose #ho #ork $hrou0h $he ma$$er an 0e$ $o $he e%$h o- $he issue, #oul no$ 0e$ in-luence by ei$her label+ ,hey #oul on $he o$her han use $he iscoveries o- $ha$ %erson in $heir o#n research an o so #i$h res%ec$ -or $he %erson #ho ma e $he iscoveries+ ,ha$ is $he subjec$ive %a$h+ ,he au$hor o- $he above ar$icle s$a$es &,he 3ues$ion o- #he$her $he in ivi ual is ri0h$ $o $ake u% arms a0ains$ $heir s$a$e is a i--icul$ one+ Sou$h /-rica #as one o-, i- no$ $he mos$, emocra$ic coun$ry in /-rica a$ $ha$ $ime, even $hou0h only a minori$y o- i$s %eo%le #ere allo#e $o vo$e (or even be classe as ci$i4ens!+ ,his 3ues$ion challen0es $he very na$ure o- emocracy 2 as " -re3uen$ly o 2 is $he le0ally5man a$e 0overnmen$ ever really morally le0i$ima$e)* ,ha$ 3ues$ion coul be aske abou$ many ecisions by / minis$ra$ions in mos$ coun$ries+ 6ecen$ly, a senior le0al e.%er$ #ho " believe care abou$ me, sai $o me in rela$ion $o commen$in0 abou$ ju icial o--icers 2 $ha$ i$ coul amoun$ $o con$em%$ o- cour$+ " #ro$e in $his re0ar ' &/s %er my o#n Dharma, " usually o no$ e.cee $he au$hori$y o- $he hea o- a househol even in -amily 0a$herin0s+ 7here " am no$ able $o bear i$ any more " jus$ leave+ ,ha$*s #ha$ ha%%ene a$ $he 89S7+ " #as s$ill sen$ $o %rison -or $res%ass 2 #hich $o me #as unla#-ul arres$+ :u$ $hey #ere $he a%%aren$ bosses a$ $ha$ %lace+ Like#ise $he ;u 0e in a cour$+ ,o me, usin0 hi0her au$hori$y $han $he <=( o- an ins$i$u$ion is con$em%$ o- $ha$ ins$i$u$ion un er any circums$ances+ Given $he cri$icism o- $he Sri Lankan Governmen$ by various %ersonali$ies 2 inclu in0 $he :ri$ish PM urin0 <>(GM 2 #e nee $o have clear 0ui elines on $his a$ $he / minis$ra$ive level also+ ($her#ise $he ju 0es ac$in0 ou$si e $heir la#-ul au$hori$y earn $he

karma o- $he likes o- L,,= $o #hom $heir la# #as $he only la#+ ;us$ by 3ues$ionin0 $ha$ ju 0e ou$si e $he ;u 0e*s juris ic$ion 2 " believe " #as ne0a$in0 such accumula$ion o- karma+* ?oun0 inves$ors in an issue are o-$en riven by imme ia$e @ shor$5$erm re$urns+ >ence ecisions $hrou0h majori$y vo$e+ "- $hey #ere &ri0h$* ecisions an @or #ere base on ,ru$h 2 $hose ecisions #oul su%%or$ $he 0rou% over a lon0 %erio o- $ime+ ($her#ise $here is ra%i chan0e in lea ershi%+ ,hose o- us #ho are s#aye by majori$y o%inion are likely $o $ake $he si e $ha$ is likely $o &#in* 2 as many Sinhalese $ake $he si e o- $he Governmen$, in $he #ar $o elimina$e $he ,amil ,i0ers+ ,hey #oul call $he ,amil ,i0ers ,erroris$s 2 as %er $he label 0iven by $he Sri Lankan Governmen$+ "$ makes li$$le sense $o #on er #he$her $his label is ri0h$ or #ron0 2 because $he #in #as $hrou0h e.ercise o- subjec$ive %o#ers+ Similarly, ,amils #ho have no$ inves$e in emocra$ic 0overnance $hrou0h $heir every ay livin0 bu$ seek $o see $heir o#n in lea ershi% %osi$ions 2 #oul acce%$ $he label o- $he ,amil ,i0ers $ha$ $hey #ere 1ree om 1i0h$ers+ ,hose #ho have inves$e in emocracy, more ee%ly $han $he L,,= or $he Sri Lankan Governmen$, #oul i en$i-y #i$h $he iscoveries ma e by bo$h si es an kee% %rocee in0 alon0 $heir o#n %a$hs $o in e%en ence+ ,he ecisions ma e by $hem an ac$ions mani-es$e by $hem #oul su%%or$ $heir environmen$s an beyon over a lon0 %erio + /s %er my e.%erience, i- someone has e.%erience ee%er %ain $han mysel- in an issue 2 an " %ar$ici%a$e in $ha$ %ain #i$hou$ consciously alloca$in0 ri0h$s an #ron0s 2 $he resul$ is as i- " have ha $he e.%erience mysel-+ " i $his #i$h $he ,amil ,i0ers #ho -ou0h$ $hrou0h $he %a$h kno#n $o $hem+ " i no$ i en$i-y #i$h $hose amon0s$ $hem #ho &$alke bi0*+ " i en$i-ie #i$h $he ones #ho #orke #i$h commi$men$+ " believe $ha$ $hose #ho i en$i-y #i$h Mr+ Man ela #i$hou$ alloca$in0 ri0h$s an #ron0s $o his ac$ions 2 #oul share in Mr+ Man ela*s e.%erience+ Given $ha$ Mr+ Man ela -oun his o#n -ree om an share i$ #i$h his %eo%le, $hose o- us #ho i en$i-y #i$h his e.%erience #oul a s$ren0$h $o our o#n inves$men$ $o be &-ree* an &sel-50overnin0*+ "- Mr+ Man ela ha been &#ron0* he #oul have been only a shor$5$erm in-luence -or his %eo%le $o a$$ain in e%en ence+ 6i0h$s an #ron0s $hrou0h common %rinci%les are #ri$$en in moral ju 0men$s #he$her or no$ $here is le0al mani-es$a$ion+ 7hen #e $ake le0al ac$ion, $he moral %rocess #ai$s -or $he real e--ec$s o- $ha$ le0al ac$ion $o e.%ire 2 be-ore $he moral %rocess elivers i$s o#n ju 0men$ 2 o-$en as $he &o$her* si e@e--ec$ $ha$ re$urns $o $he %erson@s #ho cause $he %ain@%leasure+ ,he in$ensi$y o- $he re$urn is as %er $he s$ren0$h o- $he ori0inal %ain @ %leasure #i$h in$eres$ over $ime an @or s%ace+ ,he -orm is as %er $he environmen$ in #hich $he re$urn mani-es$s "$sel- @ &ha%%ens*+ Le0al vic$ories in a #eak ju icial sys$em, o-$en ilu$e our moral s$ren0$hs+ " brou0h$ le0al ac$ion a0ains$ Senior / minis$ra$ors an $he /us$ralian ;u iciary recor e in i$s le 0ers many e-ea$s un er my name+ La$er #hen " sue my rela$ives -or -ailin0 $o u%hol my mari$al s$a$us as %er $he la# 2 $he above #ere use $o le0ally e-ea$ me ye$ a0ain+ ,he ne$ e--ec$ o- $his in our le0al :alance Shee$ is $ha$ $he mi0ran$ #ho s%onsore $hose #ho claime $o have been a--ec$e by #ar 2 is lis$e as a lo#er value ci$i4en $han $he s%onsore #ho -aile $o res%ec$ $he la#+ 8n$il $hey #ere able $o be sel-50overnin0, $hey nee e $o bin $hemselves by $he %erson s%onsorin0 $hem 2 even #hen $he s%onsors #ere youn0er $han $hem in a0e+ >ence $o me such mi0ran$s #ho use money $o #in in cour$ 5 be-ore $hey are sel-50overnin0 are economic mi0ran$s+ ,heir s%onsors are $heir 0overnmen$ un$il $hey become sel-50overnin0 $hrou0h $he la#s o- $he coun$ry+

(ne #ho ha en ure #ar %ain enou0h $o -lee 2 #oul be 0ra$e-ul $o $he s%onsors -or $he res$ o- her@his li-e an beyon $hrou0h her@his -amily+ ,hey may be le0ally man a$e mi0ran$s bu$ 2 -rom $he momen$ $hey -aile $o -eel 0ra$i$u e -or $he s%onsors $hey are no$ morally le0i$ima$e /us$ralians+ ?e$ our le0al sys$em su%%or$s $hem above $ha$ o- $he morally le0i$ima$e /us$ralian mi0ran$+ ,his in $urn earns $ha$ Governmen$ boa$ loa s o- such bo0us mi0ran$s #ho are nei$her here nor $here+ ,he karma o- a na$ion is #ri$$en by all i$s morally le0i$ima$e ci$i4ens+ ,hose #ho are merely le0al /us$ralians are ac$ually #ri$in0 $he karma o- $he coun$ry o- $heir bir$h 2 in $his ins$ance Sri Lanka an $o $he e.$en$ $hey believe $hey belon0 only in %ar$icular %ar$s o- Sri Lanka 2 $hey #ri$e $he karma o- $ha$ %ar$+