Monday, January 12, 2015

An Open Letter To …( A Mover And Shaker In The “New Dispensation”)

By Emil van der Poorten –January 12, 2015

Emil van der Poorten

Dear ….:

Rather than simply sending this to you as a personal e-mail, I have chosen to have it published so that a wider readership than just you and I are privy to my thoughts which I am certain will resonate with all those seeking the dawn of a time of justice and honour in our homeland.

I hope also that it will be read by those who might share your beliefs and approach to politics in this country and might also be in a position to influence its governance in no matter how small a measure.

The Presidential Election is over and Mahinda Rajapaksa has been defeated and Maithripala Sirisena elected with a clear mandate to clean up the Augean Stable that passes for “governance” in Sri Lanka.

By Romesh Hettiarachchi -January 12, 2015

Romesh Hettiarachchi

Dear President Sirisena,

I write to you as a member of the Sri Lankan diaspora; a multi-ethnic and multi-faceted community identifying as Sri Lankan but living outside the country. At the outset, let me join many others in congratulating and wishing you the very best on beginning your term as the 6th President of Sri Lanka.

As President, I recognize neither you nor your Government owe any obligations to me, a member of the diaspora, especially since you are likely deluged with so many requests and suggestions from your own constituents so early in your presidency. I am also acutely aware that many if not most Sri Lankans have strong reservations about the Diaspora, arising in part from the continuing support in certain segments of the Diaspora for the goals and objectives of the LTTE.

I nevertheless write to ask you to consider implementing measures that lead to a more constructive relationship between the people of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Diaspora. As you are likely to aware, the global Sri Lankan Diaspora consists of all Sri Lankan communities; there are Tamils living outside Sri Lanka who identify as being Sri Lankan and not Tamil . Even with respect to the self-identified Tamil Diaspora, few generalizations can be made. Your election amply demonstrates these differences: Tamil Diaspora organizations such as the Global Tamil Forum encouraged the Sri Lankan Tamil population to vote in this election as Tamils “still have the good of the country and of all peoples at heart and wish the triumph of democracy and rule of law” while other Tamil Diaspora activists urged the Tamil population to boycott.