Sri Lanka's Left Front Message and Call to the People

(December 09, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Left Front of Sri Lanka that has planned to field Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathna as a presidential candidate in the Presidential scheduled to be held on January 26, 2010 has issued the following statement regarding their candidature.

So, once again, at the cost of millions of public funds, we have to face a Presidential election. Two equally bloody, corrupt, and parasitic Capitalist Alliances have come forward for the contest, represented by Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka. This Presidential campaign is going to be a bitter and deadly fight between two equally reactionary camps of the ruling class as to who is going to exercise chauvinist dictatorship over the people of Lanka and feast on the blood of the Tamil nationality and other communities. Let us not become mere pawns in a deadly game of chess played by two rival camps of the ruling class. Let us hold this State and this ruling class accountable for the crimes willfully committed against the people and against humanity. It will be the basis to mobilize masses against the prevailing pro global Capitalist political order and the militarist-chauvinist-agenda represented by both ruling class candidates.

The continued incarceration internally displaced Tamil persons including, sick and pregnant women in military camps in the North, under pitiful sub-human conditions, is a damned indictment of the prevailing pro global Capitalist State and political order. Along with the gross criminal violations of human rights committed during the war, these violations constitute continued crimes against humanity. Who is to be held accountable for the horrible massacre of seventeen humanitarian aid workers, the murder of five Tamil students, the assassination of Hon. Joseph Pararajasingham, Hon Raviraj, Mr. Lasantha Wickrematunga and others? Along with these abominable crimes, is the crime of keeping some 12,000 political prisoners in various detention camps and prisons, against whom no legal charges have been filed. Some have languished in these dungeons for over a decade. In this context of the willful defiling of our collective dignity and humanity, it is our duty to get the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and political prisoners.  The Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act and all such draconian legislation be will be rescinded.  The dismantling of the Sinhala supremacist pro global capitalist state is the basis for gaining the Tamil nation cohabiting in the North-East its right to live with dignity, equality, autonomy, and the right of self determination. ; Also for gaining security and democratic freedom, of the Hill Country Malayaga Tamil community, the Moslem community and all other ethnic-religious communities. 

Former president J R Jayewardene brought in the executive presidency to serve a particular agenda. The open economic policy needed such a strong political head. If the Multi National Corporation (MNC) system is to come in and play the important central role expected of them, it was necessary to give all the facilities requested by them. Thus it was introduced as an instrument to support the MNC system. When they need any agreement either economic or security or any other it will be easy to go through an executive head, with the ministries of Defence and finance than through parliament with all the obstacles of transparency and criticism. Information will be confined to secretaries and advisers to the president and decisions can be arrived at, without delay. So it was brought in to facilitate international moneylenders and plunderers of global capitalism. Global capitalism is the modern version of imperialism. It integrates the entire MNC system with the IMF, WB and the WTO as management organs. We explained all that in 1978 Feb. 4 and Bahu was locked up in prison for that. Now everyone is clamouring for the removal of this tree of vultures, but once they get elected they hold on to it not necessarily due to the greed for power, but because of international pressure of the global masters.

Today, the global capitalist system is in disarray facing an acute economic crisis. All attempts to put the system into order have not been sufficient so far. Still to come is a food crisis that could put a large part of humanity into hunger and death. There is an energy crisis and a threat to the global environment so it is vital for us to seriously consider developing our food production, particularly paddy, fish and milk. If we do not turn towards a nature oriented, environmentalist approach we may be too late. In the past three decades, the so-called development projects were responsible for the insurrections both in Sinhala and Tamil rural areas. Because it created poverty and alienation while rich became richer. While local industrialist and producer were marginalized a large section of the population was thrown out as human dust unconnected to the system. The plight of women and children, particularly in slums and in rural areas became most miserable. Patriarchy combined with militarization and the rise of under world reduced most women to the level of domestic slaves. Struggle of youth and the proletariat was used to intensify the repression in all sectors. The media repression was so bad many media people ran away from the country to escape death. But the world tendency is against this global system working on the imperative of super profit. The global capitalist system based on unbridled search of super profit should be displaced by a system based on human kindness and cooperation. No need to turn to Marx, but turn to Thripitakaya, Baghawat geetha, Bible and Koran, and just read the sections on kindness and cooperation.

While denying the vast majority of toiling, suffering people of their right to a life free of poverty, indebtedness, misery and degradation, the ruling class used the open economy to amass vast fortunes, build empires of private profit and plunder, and to waste public funds, through naked corruption.  The Collective Agreement relating to the Plantation workers, which has split the workers movement and betrayed their interests, is a good example of bondages crated. It should be torn up. A minimum basic daily wage of Rs 500 for all plantation workers with the minimum wage in all sectors at Rs15000 per month should be established with an increase in wages/salaries of all government and private sector workers in accordance with the present Cost of Living Index. t the just grievances of workers, graduates and students should be addressed democratically and with justice, as opposed to erecting barricades, baton charging, showering tear gas, arresting and violently suppressing their human and democratic rights. This regime is on trial for unleashing the very same armed forces that brutally decimated the Tamil uprising and its leadership, against the predominantly Sinhala workers, students, graduates and other oppressed masses. So much for the ‘patriotism’ of these chauvinist candidates.

How can there be democracy in a land, which is kept divided by nationality and religion? Even now, the two agents of global system Mahinda and Sarath clamour for democracy without any hint of pulling the masses together in national unity. 

Both worked together to crush the Tamil uprising that was waged ferociously to defend the autonomy of their people. Both were singing and dancing with their masters about the victory until the workers started the battle in the work places. 

The strikes pushed them in to a fresh debate and they emerged as a two headed serpent to face the people. Yes, we lost in both insurrections but we beat them back in the trade union battle. Now they have come out in a presidential election united in policy but divided in camouflage. Let us get together and give a real blow to both of them, and move forward for a united Lanka to face the dictates of global capital. Let us build the strength to raise our vision of a world without domination, exploitation, oppression and WAR! Let us unite our forces across divided boundaries- North-East-South-Hill Country to build a united, free and democratic People’s Republic of Lanka.