Tamil Refugees, MH 17 And Palestine

| by Laksiri Fernando
( uly !", !#1$, %ydney, %ri Lanka &uardian' T(ere are t(ree )rises of different
magnitudes and im*li)ations going on in t(e international s)ene t(ese days, of )ourse
offs(ore, but rele+ant to %ri Lanka, All im*ly t(e need to (a+e )om*re(ensi+e and
international *ers*e)ti+es -it(out digging into our o-n national )losets, T(is need is
rele+ant not only for t(e %ri Lankans but all t(ose -(o are )on)erned and effe)ted by
t(ese e+ents and in)idents, .ur )ons)ien)e s(ould *ri)k, Let me take t(ese e+ents one
by one,
Tamil Refugees at %ea
.n 11 une, a boat load of %ri Lankan origin Tamil refugees left Pondi)(erry, /ndia,
seeking greener *astures in Australia, most of t(em after languis(ing t(ere sin)e 1012
-it( t(eir offs*ring, %ome e+en t(oug(t t(ey -ere (eading for 3e- 4ealand, T(ere is
no doubt t(at *eo*le smugglers -ere in+ol+ed, Ho-e+er, t(is does not diminis( t(e
(umanitarian as*e)t of t(e *roblem, T(e refugee )am*s t(at t(ey -ere li+ing in
undoubtedly -ere des*i)able (e+iden)e5 +ideo footage' irres*e)ti+e of t(e efforts by
*eo*le like %amuel 6(el+anayakm 6(andra(asan or t(e /ndian go+ernment, T(ere are
limits to -(at *eo*le )an do in ad (o) manner on t(ese issues, Permanent solutions
are ne)essary,
T(is boat -as inter)e*ted by t(e Australian border *etrol on (ig( seas off 6(ristmas
/sland on !0 une follo-ing t(e )urrent Australian go+ernment7s military ty*e 8sto*
t(e boats7 *oli)y and no- t(e asylum seekers are ke*t in a )ustoms +essel allegedly in
lo)ked rooms in t(ree grou*s, T(e families are re*ortedly se*arated, 3o- t(e (ead
)ount says t(ere are 1"7 asylum seekers, 27 )(ildren and $1 -omen, all )(ildren are
si)k, T(ey (a+e been at sea no- for si9 -eeks and t(ree -eeks in Australian )ustody
-it(out a solution,
/t -as :ust fe- -eeks ago t(at Australia (anded o+er anot(er boat ba)k to %ri Lankan
na+y -it( $1 asylum seekers, 27 %in(alese, Most of t(em )ould be e)onomi) refugees
or similar but t(e ;uestion begs -(y t(ey flee in t(is manner -it( (ig( risks if t(e
e)onomi) )onditions are mira)ulous, %ri Lanka (as so far refused to a))e*t t(e *resent
boat load )laiming t(at it originated in /ndia, not %ri Lanka, <3H6R and t(e refugee
ad+o)ates (a+e )riti)i=ed bot( Australia and %ri Lanka +ery strongly for t(e )risis, one
)reating it and t(e ot(er refusing to be (umane or follo- t(e international norms,
Australia is no- asking /ndia to take t(e boat ba)k, All t(e *resent indi)ations are t(at
/ndia mig(t agree to abide if anyone is an /ndian )iti=en, not ot(er-ise, /ndia (o-e+er
*oints out t(at t(eir refugee intake is double t(e amount of Australia,
T(e refugee ad+o)ates (a+e taken re)ourse to legal measures against t(e Australian
go+ernment and t(e Australian Hig( 6ourt -ill take u* t(e )ase again on " August
-it( a full ben)(, %o far t(eir ruling (as been to safeguard t(e (umanitarian interests
of t(e asylum seekers, T(e go+ernment stan)e, on t(e ot(er (and, stands more t(an
adamant and )ontrasts -it( -(at t(ey a**ear to ad+o)ate on t(e issue of t(e li+es lost
as a result of s(ooting do-n of a *assenger air)raft in <kraine by *ro>Russian rebels,
%(ooting ?o-n of MH 17
.n 17 uly, t(e Malaysian Airlines Flig(t MH 17 -as s(ot do-n (*er(a*s by a))ident'
by a surfa)e to air missile o+er t(e *ro>Russian rebel )ontrolled areas of eastern
<kraine, /t -as on its -ay from Amsterdam to @uala Lum*ur -it( !01 *assengers and
)re-, T(is (as )reated international outrage and t(e <3 %e)urity 6oun)il (as ado*ted
a unanimous resolution re;uiring a full, im*artial and international in;uiry,
Mu)( of t(e blame, (o-e+er, (as gone to Russia and President Putin gi+en t(e re)ent
)onfli)ts bet-een Russia and <kraine and Russia7s alleged belligerent stan)e on t(e
)onfli)t, Among t(e *assengers, 102 -ere ?ut)(, !7 or 27 Australians and $2
Malaysians, T(is -as t(e se)ond in a ro- of air disasters for t(e Malaysian Airlines, t(e
last being on 2 Mar)( -(i)( disa**eared on its -ay from @L to Aei:ing -it(out a tra)e,
Australia (as a**arently taken an un*re)edented leaders(i* on t(e issue of MH 17
be)ause of 27 Australian +i)tims and *er(a*s for ot(er *oliti)al reasons, T(ere is (ig(
le+el of grief bot( in Australia and in t(e 3et(erlands, T(e Australian Minister of
Foreign Affairs (as +ou)(ed t(at s(e 8-ould not rest until :usti)e is done7 for t(e dead
*assengers, and t(e *er*etrators are *unis(ed, %ome obser+ers (a+e )ommented t(at
t(is 8(umanitarian )on)ern7 -as not s(o-n on t(e issue of t(e Tamil refugees at sea,
T(ere is undoubtedly an imbalan)e in standards or treatment of *eo*le all o+er t(e
-orld,
MH 17 disaster is undoubtedly linked to t(e ongoing )onfli)t in <kraine, /n t(e
<krainian )onfli)t -(i)( eru*ted last year, Buro*e is )learly in+ol+ed like Russia,
dire)tly and indire)tly, Ho-e+er loud *eo*le talk about demo)ra)y, some regimes tend
to transgress ot(ers7 -(en it )omes to self>interest or geo*oliti)s, T(is is not a reason
to re:e)t demo)ra)y but to be more +igilant and dee*en demo)ra)y at international
le+el or relations, An ele)ted *ro>Russian *resident, Ci)tor Danuko+y)(, -as ousted
t(roug( an (8demo)ra)y7' u*rising allegedly su**orted by Buro*ean *layers in
February, T(e Russian res*onse -as more )rude, inter+ening militarily, and anne9ing
6rimea, -(i)( *redominantly an et(ni) Russian *ro+in)e, 6rimea -as also *art of
Russia before 10"2, /t -as also t(ereafter t(at *ro>Russian insurgen)y eru*ted in
eastern <kraine su**orted by Russia,
T(e )onfli)t (as all (allmarks of a ne- e+ol+ing 6old Ear bet-een Russia and Buro*e
-it( future ramifi)ations going all o+er t(e -orld, T(e <% is not a bystander, <nless
bot( sides learn to sort out t(eir differen)es and issues t(roug( negotiations and
)om*romise, t(e im*li)ations to t(e global e)onomy and for t(e international *oliti)al
stability mig(t be drasti), T(e <3 (as limitations at *resent to resol+e t(e issues as it
is more of a *art of t(e *roblem t(an a solution, /t is in t(is )onte9t t(at t(e ongoing
)onfli)t bet-een /srael and Palestine is more outrageous,
6risis in Palestine
.n 1! une, t(ree /sraeli yout( -ere abdu)ted and t(en killed allegedly by Hamas or
ot(er e9tremists, T(at -as t(e trigger for t(e )urrent es)alation of +iolen)e and -ar in
Palestine, /mmediately t(ereafter, (undreds of Palestinians -ere arrested and
allegedly tortured as re+enge, more t(an in a *ro)ess of interrogation, Palestinians as
usual retaliated +iolently, T(en t(ere -ere air atta)ks from /srael and artillery
e9)(ange from bot( sides, 3o- t(e deat( toll (as risen to o+er 7"#,
T(e ne-est in)ident as / -rite t(is is t(e s(elling of a <3 run s)(ool in &a=a by t(e
/sraeli for)es, 1" are already dead and o+er !## -ounded, /t is alleged t(at t(e s)(ool
-as used by Hamas insurgents to atta)k /srael, T(e <3HR6 (still' 6(ief, 3a+i Pillay,
(as a))used bot( /srael and Hamas, more of /srael, for )ommitting -ar )rimes, T(e
<3 %e)retary &eneral, Aan @i Moon, (as )alled for a )easefire -(ate+er it is -ort(,
T(e *resent im*asse in Palestine is t(e result of t(e (alf-ay *ea)e arrangement set u*
by t(e .slo A))ords in 1002 -it(out mu)( *rogress sin)e t(en to find a final or a better
solution, .ne reason for t(e la)k of *rogress is t(e struggle bet-een Fata( and Hamas,
/srael taking t(e full ad+antage of t(e situation, Palestine state is still a name or (o*e
t(an a reality, alt(oug( t(ere is a 8go+ernment7 or an aut(ority, /t is so ob+ious t(at
t-o une;ual states or aut(orities )annot e9ist in t(is limited s*a)e, .ne state ob+iously
is not a solution, T-o states, unless )oo*erate and s(are, -ould not be +iable eit(er, A
)onfederation mig(t be a solution, but t(at re;uires )onsiderable good -ill and
)om*romise from bot( sides,
/srael )laims t(at t(ey (a+e (anded o+er t(e land but t(ose are )on+erted into
fortresses and laun)(ing *ads against its +ery e9isten)e, T(e fa)t of t(e matter is t(at
land -as o))u*ied by /srael illegally sin)e 10F7, T(ere is somet(ing fundamentally
-rong in t(e -ay /srael -as )reated in t(e first *la)e in 10$1 by t(e <3 and %u*er
Po-ers in)luding t(e %o+iet <nion, /t is not so mu)( of a mistake in t(e )reation of
/srael for t(e e-is( *eo*le -(o -ere *erse)uted during t(e -ar and before,
T(e mistake -as in t(e manner of its )reation, T(e <3 s(ould (a+e ensured t(at /srael
-ould not be)ome a monster against t(e Palestinians, A MonsterG t(at is e9a)tly -(at
(as (a**ened and t(e Eestern *re:udi)es against t(e Palestinians or t(e e-is( lobby
in t(e ma:or )a*itals *arti)ularly in t(e <% (as ensured t(is )olossal in:usti)e, /t
s(ould (a+e been a demilitari=ed state like a*an, for e9am*le, / (a+e tra+elled to Eest
Aank and &a=a se+eral times in t(e 101#s and early 100#s and t(e differen)e bet-een
/srael or t(e e-is( settlements and t(e g(etto e9isten)e of t(e Palestinians is
unimaginable and un:ustified, /t is not sim*ly a differen)e of e)onomi) or so)ial
resol+e bet-een t-o *eo*les,
/t is unfortunate t(at *eo*le -(o -ere *erse)uted under Fas)ism (a+e turned into a
similar o**ressor, 3o one a**ears sane in t(is )onfli)t or any ot(er,
6on)lusion
B+en a )ursory glan)e at t(e t(ree )rises t(at -e (a+e re+ie-ed -ould re+eal an
enormous imbalan)e of attention, treatment or standards ado*ted, if / may say, by t(e
international )ommunity, T(e <3 is a refle)tion of t(is situation, T(is is not a reason
to :um* on t(e band-agon to denoun)e t(e Eest or t(e <3, -(o are t(e key *layers in
t(e 8international )ommunity,7 E(at about t(e BastH E(at about our so>)alled friends
of Russia or 6(inaH
/t is in a -ay understandable t(at t(e Eest *ursue t(eir o-n interests e9)e*t -(ere
t(eir )ons)ien)e *ri)ks, T(eir fo)used attention to MH 17 disaster mig(t be to finally
oust t(e *ro>Russian rebels from eastern <kraine and )onsolidate <kraine as se)ure
buffer =one against Russia, A*art from t(at, t(ey are genuinely )on)erned about t(e
disaster as -ell, ?oes 6(ina or Russia gi+e t-o (oots to su)( a disasterH Per(a*s not,
Putin7s res*onse -as luke-arm to t(e disaster,
B+en on t(e ;uestion of refugees, alt(oug( t(e *resent Australian go+ernment *osition
is un:ustifiable, t(ere are many se)tions -(o are sym*at(eti) to refugee *redi)ament,
At least legal re)ourse is a+ailable for t(e refugee ad+o)ates,
.n t(e Palestinian ;uestion (o-e+er, t(e international standards a**ear
fundamentally fla-ed and *erennially mistaken, B;ual blame s(ould go to t(e
e9tremist Palestinian a)tors, T(e -ay t(e t(ings )ould be )orre)ted is mu)( more
)om*li)ated -(ile t(ere is mu)( sym*at(y and su**ort -it(in t(e international )i+il
so)iety for t(e Palestinian )ause or for t(e resolution of t(e ;uestion ami)ably, T(e
final lesson from all t(ese mig(t be not to take rigid sides on international e+ents or
de+elo*ments, some are )loser and ot(ers being distant, but to e+ol+e )riti)al +ie-s
and -ork al-ays t(roug( demo)rati) *arameters, de)en)y and so*(isti)ation,
Posted by T(a+am