Australian Tamil Management Service
(Channel Partner UTS:Insearch )
( Australian Participant in International Higher Education)
The Hon Robert Blake
American Ambassador to Sri Lanka
American Embassy
210 Galle Road,
Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka
19 December 2008
Dear Mr. Blake,
A Response to TamilNet by US Ambassador Blake
I respond as an International Tamil to your above response, published in Lankanewspapers.com
You state
First, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP asserts in the TamilNet article that Washington's purpose in our programmes for the east is to, 'help Colombo make majoritarian inroads into the east.' This is incorrect. We have specifically established the goal of fostering economic development, good governance and stability while preserving the existing ethnic balance in the east.
As a Tamil with investments in Eastern Sri Lanka, I identify with the TNA MP s expressions on behalf of Tamils. As an international subject, I relate to your expressed principles of good governance and preserving natural ethnic balances.
You have used the words existing ethnic balances . Does this include Americans working in the East? If not why not?
Yesterday, the same day when your letter has been published and the same day on which I wrote to our State Premier who was recommending higher punishment for two Australian Muslims, the United Nations published the following:
ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, UN OFFICIALS CALL FOR PROTECTING DIGNITY AND RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS
To save migrants from abuse, and allow them to contribute to development in their home and receiving countries, we must acknowledge them as human beings whose rights, like those of everyone else, must be protected, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated in his message for the Day, observed annually on 18 December.
Mr. Ban noted that this year s commemoration coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with its visionary commitment to dignity and justice for everyone, everywhere, always.
We can only fully give meaning to the Declaration if we recognize that regardless of an individual s immigration status, fundamental human rights are non-negotiable and the treatment of migrants, regular and irregular alike, must always conform to international standards.
Mr. Blake, when I wrote to our Premier, I did not know that yesterday was International Day or that the United Nations was delivering this message towards migrant equality. I was doing the work of the United Nations here in Australia, using my credits with the Australian system. Please note the words We can only fully give meaning to the Declaration if we recognize that regardless of an individual s immigration status.
This is important in the context of Development in Eastern Sri Lanka. Were you speaking as part of Eastern Sri Lankans sharing with each other or were you speaking as an outsider who gives ? As a Tamil with common cultural ties with majority in Eastern Sri Lanka and ongoing work in Batticaloa, I am conscious of the vast differences between local thinking and international thinking. I therefore conclude that you would have greater difficulty than I in making this reconciliation. The easiest way for me is to speak their language by becoming one of them. Our Common faith in Tamil Saint Yoga Swami whose work is celebrated by Tamil all over the world, is a deep connection in this regard. Unless you have a similar connection you need the tools of objective assessment or you need to speak through someone who enjoys that common faith with the community.
One of the reports about your communications with the people of the East states that you said I suspect that you, the residents of Kaluwanchikudy, agree with me. If indeed you used the word suspect and did so naturally then that establishes that you are an outsider.
As an outsider the best avenue available to you is economic on business basis. No indicators of faith must be used to describe your transactions. If on the other hand you want to help Easterners develop a government structure for themselves, the way forward is through community activities that show that structure as in the example below:
CONSTITUTION
THUNAIVI-SANGARATHAI SCHOOL OF HUMAN VALUES
1. The Thunaivi-Sangarathai School of Human Values is formed by the following members:
(i) All citizens of Thunaivi & Sangarathai
(ii) All members (by birth and/or by marriage) of Manickaachi ( Manickam Visvalingam - Founder of Sangarathai-Thunaivi, Vairavar-Kali Temple) Family
2. The Official address of the School is -
Thunaivi-Sangarathai Vairavar-Kali Temple, Navaly Road, Thunaivi-Sangarathai
3. Governance of the School is conducted through a Governing Council made up of:
(i) Governor as determined by the legal owners of Sangarathai-Thunaivi, Vairavar-Kali Temple the Founding Governor being Mrs. Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam of Australia
(ii) Chief Executive Officer the head teacher of the School is also the CEO of the School
(iii) Elected Representative of the Employees of the School
(iv) Elected Representative of the Parents of the students of the School
(v) Elected Representative of the Students of the School
(vi) Appointee of the Government (Ministry for Hindu Culture), representing the General Public of Sri Lanka
4. All appointments to the Council are for a period of two years after which the appointments are to be renewed or new appointees elected through majority vote of the respective group represented by each member
5. The Core Purpose of the School is Social Cohesion through Education
6. The Governing Council has the power to delegate its powers, except this power to delegate, through majority vote the Governor having the power to exercise casting vote when a simple majority is not achieved.
7. The quorum for the Council meeting is three. The quorum for the meetings through which representatives are elected is 20 percent of the registered members.
8. The Governing Council is required to meet at least once every 3 calendar months. The minutes of the meeting are to be distributed to all members of the Council.
9. The School is to be resourced by voluntary contributions from anyone and through its own generation of resources on the basis of educational activities.
10. All decisions of the Governing Council through majority vote are binding on all members, so long as they are within the boundaries of this constitution and are not in breach of the laws of Sri Lanka.
Mr. Blake, this outcome happened largely due to Natural forces. I know that I have deep reserves in Democratic Governance at all levels. Hence when I am in the midst of the needy they automatically connect to the essence of my values. Towards this I become part of them. The calculated part of our work is just the confirmation of the deeper connection. This is why I said yesterday in response to the editorial in Lankanewpapers.com about the high failure rate in Mathematics in Sri Lanka to bring back the elders in Mathematics most of whom have left Sri Lanka for whatever reason.
This faith based learning is the quicker path to bringing into Sri Lanka the values of self governance. This could be achieved through distance learning as we are doing. I note that you yourself have emphasized the importance of students using modern IT. Instead, if you seek to give then need to do so on business basis i.e. these are costs for which you expect benefits. Giving without faith and without a business structure would lead to expectations in the minds of receivers that you would not be able to satisfy for example that they would have priority status to go to America.
Yours sincerely,
Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam
Chief Executive Officer
CC: All concerned.
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