Sunday 19 April 2009

Straus Khan the French Socialist Manager of IMF should first answer for the neglect of the poverty of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guiana, & Calidonie,

What has the IMF loan of US$ 1.9 billion to do with the implementation of the 13 and the 17 Amendments to the Sri Lanka Constitution ? Implementation or not of Amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka is purely an internal political issue, to which the IMF has no right to interfere.

This shows to what extent the IMF is still hackneyed and out moded dictating their own terms, barring progress and development of poor countries in the grant of IMF loans. We are in the 21st Century and yet the IMF or Nation providing loans to developing countries have not learnt to honour the Sovereignty of Developing Nations. They should allow developing countries to take their own decisions without having to adjust their plans of development to suit the conditions laid down by the donors. Otherwise there would be no progress, and the loans would be used as threats to make countries do what they do not want to do.

The implementation of the 13 Amendment as it had been reported, is to ensure that the Tamil people should have a greater say in the Administration of the Regions where they are in a majority. But such a decision is best left to the government to take without threat and harassment by the IMF. That would be a more progressive means. The IMF was expected to change its modus operandi from its old capitalist policies to a more modern liberal policy after the appointment of Dominique Straus Khan of France , a Socialist Politician, as the Managing Director of the IMF .

But IMF under the Direction of the French Socialist Straus Khan, demands Sri Lanka to give the Tamils in Regions where they are a majority the right to Administer the Region as a condition for IMF loans for development. In this respect one would like to ask the French Socialist that Straus Khan is, whether Straus Khan’s France is doing to its Overseas Departments, what IMF under his Management is pontificating Sri Lanka to do ?

If not Straus Khan who is the Managing Director of the IMF, is then responsible for the violation of the rights of the ethnic population in the French Overseas Departments. Therefore before his bank speaks of the implementation of the 13 Amendment, it should get its Managing Director to ask his own French Government what it proposes to do in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Nouvelle Caledonia -the Overseas Departments the French political hot Spots where the majority ethnic groups have been denied autonomy which they had been demanding for ages.

The economy of these French Overseas Departments are in the hands of the wealthy French or the descendents of the former colonialists. The ethnic black people do not demand Independence but asks for autonomy . Why has it been denied to them ? These Overseas Departments are the poorest territories of the French Republic. The unemployment is on the increase, many workers have been laid off. Guadeloupe was the centre of unrest during the past month, where the workers had beenon strike asking for increase of salaries.

IMF demands the grant of political rights to the Tamils of Sri Lanka when its Managing Director’s France has denied Autonomy and failed to develop its Overseas Departments to eliminate the poverty of the black ethnic community. The ethnic community in these French Departments do not ask for Independence or political rights but better conditions of living and development of the infrastructure of their regions. When ever troubles erupt in these regions the French White Police Force is sent in numbers to quell the Manifestations.

Moment there is a Workers Movement rising against the administration they are called racial moments and the leaders are brought before the courts. It happened recently in Guadeloupe A judicial inquiry against “black” Elie Domota the Leader of LKP a Federation of Trade Unions and Leftist Group, was opened to inquire into allegation that he incited racial hatred.

In an interview Domota said , “ These accusations are, once again, based on nothing, The prefect and the prosecutor are trying to incriminate me to try to weaken the movement.” He further warned the employers that they, “implement the agreement or leave Guadeloupe. We are quite firm on this. We won't let a bunch of white bosses re-establish slavery."

This is how things are taking place in France , under the shadow of the European Union, which dictate terms to us on violation of human rights and denying GSP+ concessions for garments. Are they not violating or instigating to violate the human rights of the ethnic population of Guadeloupe, and other Caribbean Islands which are part of the French Republic ?

Another Overseas Department of the French Republic where the ethnic population is neglected and their political moments weakened is New Caledonia, which the local people call Kanak. French used the Island to send large numbers of French convicts. The French population was gradually increased to out number the indigenous population numbers of which diminished through deaths caused by contacting diseases brought by the white immigrants.

Kanak Independence moment began in 1985. Many uprisings for Independence were suppressed and finally it has been agreed to give independence to the Island in 2014. These are areas where the French had neglected and caused hardship to the ethnic community.

While politicians like Kouchner are fighting for the human rights of the ethnic groups out side France , the ethnic black population within its own Republic have been neglected. Kouchner who is quick to create Kosovos, has still not spoken out for autonomy to the Overseas departments of the French Republic.

This is the situation in France. But in Sri Lanka the ethnic population have integrated far better than those in the French Overseas Departments. Sri Lanka need no 13 Amendment to integrate the Tamils , Muslims in to the Major Sinhala Community and share in the political , social and cultural welfare and development of Sri Lanka.

If the IMF imposes conditions that is not directly connected to economic development, the Government of Sri Lanka should refuse the loans and perhaps turn to China, Russia, Iran and Libya for help. The implementation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka is purely a political issue and the IMF has no right to interfere in to that aspect of Sri Lanka in giving loans.

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