Write on: letters to the editor
Tamil Tigers
We refer to the article written by Ana Pararajasingham in your paper titled "Behind the War in Sri Lanka". It is clear that the author has presented a one-sided view of the events happening in Sri Lanka and distorted the history to justify the brutal terrorist activity which killed over 100 innocent civilians in Colombo.
The author has purposely omitted the brutal activities committed by the Tamil Tigers against innocent civilians, economic and military targets, and attempts made by successive Sri Lankan Governments to reach a political settlement through negotiations. All these attempts were foiled by Tamil Tigers who are interested only in dividing this small country.
The readers should also be made aware that 3 million Tamil people (out of a total population of 17 million) live in peace and harmony with the majority Singhalese outside North and East of Sri Lanka.
Also we would like to point out that the Sri Lanka Government Foreign Minister, himself a Tamil, requested the International Community not to fund LTTE activities.
We would like to point out that the Sri Lanka Government has put forward a political package which offers a substantial devolution of power, far more than is found in the Australian and Indian systems, amounting to virtual autonomy for the North and East. All 8 Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka have been participating in these negotiations except the LTTE which has rejected this package outright because they know that they cannot exist in an atmosphere of peace and harmony as they are a terrorist organisation.
Dr Jaliya Kumaratilake
President, Sri Lanka Society of SA Inc.
Adelaide
Sexual assault
As the student representative body of the University of Western Australia we are writing to condemn the University's decision to cease funding the Sexual Assault Referral Centre. The SARC is a specialised counselling and educational service for students which deals specifically with sexual assault.
Sexual Assault is a violation of human rights. It is a crime of violence and an act of aggression. Sexual assault refers to a wide range of offences performed without consent, from sexual touching to rape. Both men and women are vulnerable.
Sexual assault is not in any way a victim's fault. The victim faces a disrupted lifestyle, with physical, social and psychological changes which affect not only themselves, but their family, friends and the community. The UWA should be giving as much support as possible to its victims while facilitating community awareness. SARC has proved a necessary fixture in the Guild and among students.
Until recently, SARC was funded by the Vice Chancellor's discretionary funds. However, the UWA has ceased funding this service in favour of a full time psychologist. However, victims of sexual assault prefer to speak to and confide in a specialist. This is what SARC provides. SARC also gives 24 hour advice, police assistance, a library and specialised service groups.
At present SARC is being funded by the UWA Guild at a cost of $4500 per year. Due to the state government's introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism in 1995 the Guild has suffered financially and has come to rely on federal government funding. But the recent federal election results will see this funding cut. The loss of this funding will be detrimental to clubs and departments, but the Guild, University and students cannot afford to lose a necessary service such as SARC.
The implication of this loss of funding is one more step in the decline of student representation and welfare on campus, We therefore implore the UWA to continue funding this service.
UWA 1996 Guild Council
NOWSA Collective 1996
[Edited for length.]
Population
According to a recent news report the Indonesian island of Java has to reduce its population from 100 million to 70 million.
Think about that. Using approximations, if the population doubling period is 25 years this means that 130 million people must emigrate, or will be born in their new lands, over that time. Say 5 million per year, or 100,000 per week, on average.
The possible destinations, West Papua, Kalimantan and East Timor, do not have the infrastructure to handle so many people. These areas are underdeveloped.
It follows that developing northern Australia will have the effect of making this an attractive alternative.
All the brown-nosing in the world will then be of no avail and it is time our Indophile politicians realised this.
Col Friel
Alawa NT
Demidenko
Re Phil Shannon on Demidenko: From 1920, Adolf Hitler (real name Adolf Schicklegruber) always coupled Jews and Communists together in his speeches and writing. Mimicking and echoing him were Streicher, Goebbels, Himmler and the puppet Nazis in the puppet Nazi regimes in France, Slovakia, Croatia, etc. The two words, Jews and Communists or Communists and Jews were always locked together.
Demidenko has done something no-one in Australia could have done since the Nuremberg Trials. She has openly mimicked and echoed the Nazi leaders, been paid handsomely for it and been congratulated by Leonie Kramer and other semi-educated, empty heads of the Right.
Denis Kevans
Wentworth Falls NSW
Greens debate
Michael Unger's letter (GLW #223) regarding my assessment of the Australian Greens' economic policies and perspective contained in the book The Greens (GLW #221) would have been a welcome contribution to a much-needed discussion had he attempted to make the case for his views. It is precisely because, as he says, progressive organisations "are not all in agreement as to the way forward" that we need a considered discussion about key questions, not empty name-calling.
Michael accuses me of "elitism" for advocating a mass action perspective on social change versus the self-confessed parliamentarism of the Greens. Is Michael arguing that the approach advocated by the Greens' leaders, which elevates to a primary strategic position the election of (at most) a few hundred individual Greens into parliament to represent the views, needs and aspirations of tens of thousands of people, is not elitist?
Is he also defending as non-elitist the Australian Greens' elevation of the rights of their parliamentarians over those of their grassroots membership and constituency by giving Green MPs (except in NSW) a conscience vote on all policy issues?
It is on these sorts of concrete questions that the democracy or otherwise of green and left organisations and movements can and should be judged. If we are serious about changing the world then we have to take these questions seriously and have a real discussion about the issues involved — as Bob Brown and Peter Singer obviously intended us to do in publishing The Greens in the first place.
Lisa Macdonald
Sydney