The recent declaration of war by the USA and Israel’s government, led by Netanyahu, against Iran lays bare the pronounced bias in favor of imperialism held by the Tamil nationalist parties based in Sri Lanka. Israel kicked off hostilities against Iran on the 12th of June, targeting its military bases, economic interests, and nuclear facilities across the nation. This included the murder of prominent civilian and military leaders. This act of belligerence was wholly supported and, on the 22nd of June, there was direct involvement by substantial forces.
Fatalities are reported to be over 600, with children included in this grim tally. More than a distressing 4,000 people have been seriously hurt, and vast swaths of civilian infrastructure lie in ruins. At present, a tenuous ceasefire is in place, awaiting the next assault. Away from Iran, the belligerent administration continued its intense attack on an already unsettled region. Hundreds of lives, including those in desperate need of food and humanitarian aid workers delivering help, have been lost.
The motivating factor behind this imperialism appears to be a drive to reassert control over Iran, a grip loosened 45 years ago when the previous regime was overthrown. This move is part of a more extensive strategy to assert influence over the oil-rich Middle East and prepare for potential confrontations with larger global powers. The embattled workers, the young generation, and the oppressed across the globe, have taken to the streets in huge numbers to express their fury at the war on Iran and the apparent genocide.
However, the silence from the political parties of the Tamil bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka is deafening, with no criticism or condemning of the aggression. This apathy comes as no surprise, given that ties with powerful global nations, especially post local conflicts, have been carefully nurtured by these parties. Major global power strategies are supported against other international forces, with pleas for them to exert pressure on the local government to grant privileges to a select group of elites.
One person from these circles made a comment on June 19th, they stated ‘The Sri Lankan government had both countries’ backing during earlier internal conflicts. One of these countries now faces similar turmoil.’ By suggesting this, they are attempting to bury the fact that these international bodies have initiated an entirely uncalled-for war against a nation with a long history of oppression. Their words insinuate that the country at the receiving end is to blame for its ‘event’, creating an equivalence between the regime’s decisions and the innocent people who actually bear the weight of this harrowing conflict.
Following this stance, the focus shifts to the narrow-minded and parochial interests of the bourgeoisie within Sri Lanka. They insist upon calling for the government to back ‘other countries in putting an end to the war,’ primarily for matters of economic security. Their worry about the conflict against Iran escalating to a global scale stems only from their interest in preserving the rights of the Tamil bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka, with their top priority being ‘substantial autonomy for the Tamil region.’
The oppressed and impoverished Tamil workers in Sri Lanka have suffered decades of discrimination and violence from different rulers of Colombo, a trend that persists with the present government. The thinking is that, because nobody opposed the previous conflicts against local factions, Tamils in turn should keep quiet about the distress of the masses in the Middle East. This argument, however, is fundamentally flawed.
Protests erupted in major cities worldwide against regional conflicts in Sri Lanka. They were deceived by false promises for peace from Tamil party leaders, who were at the same time lobbying for political and military aid from the very powers backing the regional violence. The working class in Sri Lanka, made up of Tamils, Sinhalese, and Muslims, see themselves in the same struggle as their counterparts in Iran, the Middle East including Israel, and across the world, even in the United States.
They perceive the ongoing events unraveling in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific as a worldwide conflict between nuclear-armed nations, posing a serious threat to global peace. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and its associated parties firmly place their loyalties with the internationalist principle of defending oppressed nations from imperialism through the amalgamation of the working class and oppressed peoples.
The global catastrophe of war could only be avoided by developing an international anti-war movement rooted in socialist ideologies. In Sri Lanka, the SEP advocates for the unity of Tamil, Sinhala, and Muslim workers to counter all forms of discrimination and communalism. They insist on the withdrawal of all militaries from certain regions and stand for the safeguarding of democratic rights.
As part of this fight, they urge people, especially the workers and the deprived, to rally for the establishing of a local socialist republic. It is an effort to call everyone, regardless of where they stand in societal hierarchy, to contribute to preventing this globally threatening catastrophe.
The silence of the Tamil bourgeoisie in the ensuing chaos highlights their twisted priorities, focused on their narrow interests rather than the greater good. The suggestion that the tormented are responsible for their suffering is nothing short of deceptive misinformation shrouding the real issues at hand. This stance of considering only the narrow, parochial interests of the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie further underscores the gaping disparity between the working class and the bourgeois elites.
The peril of world war cannot be underestimated or trivialized – it has the potential for monumental global harm. This situation calls for workers and poor people, who are often the most affected by these conflicts, to gather and push for the formation of a socialist republic in the region. The notion of ‘meaningful autonomy for the Tamil region’ and their primary concern with economic security is revealing of their emphasis on protecting their interests, even at the expense of the majority.
The actions of these powers, waging an unwarranted war of aggression against a historically marginalized nation, draws attention to their imperialistic nature. The parties base their stand on the principle of internationalism – priding themselves on supporting oppressed nations against imperialistic onslaughts and uniting the oppressed and working-class people in their struggle.
This turn of events essentially emphasizes the need to overcome divisions and unite the working class. The oppressive regimes have been vehement enough to cause centuries-long damage, which makes it even more important for underprivileged workers to unite and face the menace. Ultimately, the thread that connects workers worldwide is the common struggle they are waging against oppressive regimes and imperialism.
Lessons can be drawn from these events, and those lessons resonate with the struggles faced by the oppressed and underprivileged, not just in Sri Lanka but globally. It manifests the reality of how deeply entrenched the issues of imperialism are, and how the agenda of the bourgeoisie typically trumps the desperate need for peace and equality. It collectively illuminates the path for further action: to stand in solidarity, unify the oppressed, and tirelessly work towards building a socialist republic.
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