Informal comments to the Media by the Permanent Representative
of the United Kingdom, H.E. Sir John Sawers, on the situation in Sri Lanka.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
UN Security Council Briefing Videos
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and U.N. Emergency
Relief Coordinator, Mr. John Holmes, on the situation in Sri Lanka.
Relief Coordinator, Mr. John Holmes, on the situation in Sri Lanka.
Statement by Paul Harris on Past & Present Situation in Sri Lanka
The writer and military analyst Paul Harris, who worked in Sri Lanka between 1996 ad 2002 as correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and the London Daily Telegraph, spoke to SPUR yesterday with his reaction to current events in Sri Lanka. Harris was forced to leave Sri Lanka in November 2002 at 24 hours notice after the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe pulled his journalist visa. Harris was critical of the peace process with the LTTE.
“The government of Sri Lanka and its President are to be congratulated on the prosecution of the war with the LTTE which has been accomplished with resolve and courage. This is in stark contrast to the supine efforts of previous governments who flinched from taking on the LTTE which had, accordingly, been able to engender a myth of invulnerability. Only six or seven years ago, it appeared that Sri Lanka might be terminally divided: a fate which would have doomed this unique and wonderful country as a sovereign entity.
“The loss of any civilian life is a matter for profound regret and, inevitably, many innocents will be victims of this final round of the conflict. However, we must not forget the tens f thousands f civilians who have already died in a war that has gone on far too long. The end of this war and the extermination of a longstanding terrorist threat must now be the priority. It is disingenuous of the British and US governments, supposedly dedicated to the worldwide war on terror, to call for a ceasefire at this vital final stage in the conflict.
“Foreign journalists who have suddenly arrived in Sri Lanka at this late stage in a conflict that has gone on for decades are questioning on channels like the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera whether real peace can emerge from ‘the military solution’. In daily broadcasts they are claiming there is no other Tamil leadership except the LTTE. Such observations betray their limited understanding of the conflict. If there be no alternative leaders, it is because the LTTE has pursued a specific policy of the eradication of all Tamil politicians who did not adopt their creed of repression and lack of democratic choice. Some of the most brilliant members of the Tamil community have been cut down, men like Lakshman Kadirgamar, who I was privileged to know and work with, and countless others in Jaffna who bravely stood out against the brutality of the Tigers.
“I believe the enormously talented Tamil community of Sri Lanka is fully able to produce leaders of integrity and ability once one man is removed from the scene. I refer, of course, to Velupillai Prabhakaran, one of the most vicious terrorists the world has ever produced. Let us not forget, the LTTE is a one man band representing the views and aspirations of its brutal leader. The LTTE has never offered any sort of a future for the majority of Tamils.
“Hopefully, at an early date we shall see the capture or death of Velupillai Prabhakaran, who has inflicted so much misery on all the peoples of Sri Lanka. To claim him as the representative of the majority of Tamils is a travesty of reality.”
Note: In the autumn of 2004, the LTTE leadership issued a death sentence on Paul Harris for his writings and speeches denouncing them. He has been hunted for the last four years by LTTE death squads and has lived under the protection of the British secret service, shifting locations frequently and restricted in his activities. He now hopes to return to Sri Lanka at an early date.
Tamil Tigers suspected of buying time -TORONTO STAR
Rebels pursue ceasefire to buy fireball weapons and regroup, charges Sri Lankan official
Feb 25, 2009 04:30 AM
RICK WESTHEAD
SOUTH ASIA BUREAU
NEW DELHI – As Sri Lanka's military edges closer to a victory over the Tamil Tigers, a government official called the rebels' recent call for a ceasefire little more than a strategy to buy time to rearm and strike back.
Feb 25, 2009 04:30 AM
RICK WESTHEAD
SOUTH ASIA BUREAU
NEW DELHI – As Sri Lanka's military edges closer to a victory over the Tamil Tigers, a government official called the rebels' recent call for a ceasefire little more than a strategy to buy time to rearm and strike back.
Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said the government has evidence the Tigers recently tried to buy anti-aircraft missiles and thermobaric munitions on the international market.
Thermobaric weapons release high-temperature energy bursts – which have been compared to a fireball combined with a shock wave – that can incinerate anything in their path. Kohona said the evidence was obtained through phone taps and other means. He wouldn't be more specific and said the Sri Lankan government may provide more details about its newly obtained evidence "when the war is over."
The United Nations' top official in Sri Lanka could not be reached to confirm Kohona's allegations. "We know that the Tigers are trying to obtain missiles from international sellers to neutralize our air force," Kohona said in a phone interview from Colombo, the capital.
"They don't want a ceasefire. They want to regroup and hit back with greater force. This is what they've done in the past." He said in the past week, Sri Lanka's military forces have uncovered two .122-mm artillery howitzers buried by retreating Tiger forces.
"They were barely used," he said. "We know they continue to go out and try to obtain more weapons."
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam wrote to the UN and a group of countries Monday to suggest they were prepared to agree to a ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government, but would not lay down arms and surrender. The offer came two days after a pair of rebel planes were shot down Friday night while they flew over Colombo. One of the planes crashed into a government tax office, killing two people and injuring 40.
"It was really their last gasp," a Western diplomat said of the attack. "We were surprised they were able to do it."
The diplomat was skeptical of Kohona's claim the Tigers would use a ceasefire to rearm and fight back. "They just don't have the ability to do that," the diplomat said.
"It was really their last gasp," a Western diplomat said of the attack. "We were surprised they were able to do it."
The diplomat was skeptical of Kohona's claim the Tigers would use a ceasefire to rearm and fight back. "They just don't have the ability to do that," the diplomat said.
"This isn't like other situations in the past. Their control over territory is virtually nil."
As the Tigers are forced into a shrinking patch of dense jungle in the north, international attention is increasingly shifting to the welfare of the estimated 250,000 civilians trapped between the rebels and government soldiers. Civilians are being used as human shields, international aid agencies say, with the Tigers shooting anyone who tries to leave.
On Feb. 12, Sri Lankan presidential adviser Basil Rajapakse addressed a meeting of Western diplomats in Colombo and promised food and medicine would be sent to civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka. Shipments began the following day, sent via tugboats, and have continued every other day since, Kohona said.
The government has agreed to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to assist with processing civilians who escape the war zone. Red Cross and other aid workers will also be allowed access to secured camps where displaced citizens are being kept.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
As the Tigers are forced into a shrinking patch of dense jungle in the north, international attention is increasingly shifting to the welfare of the estimated 250,000 civilians trapped between the rebels and government soldiers. Civilians are being used as human shields, international aid agencies say, with the Tigers shooting anyone who tries to leave.
On Feb. 12, Sri Lankan presidential adviser Basil Rajapakse addressed a meeting of Western diplomats in Colombo and promised food and medicine would be sent to civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka. Shipments began the following day, sent via tugboats, and have continued every other day since, Kohona said.
The government has agreed to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to assist with processing civilians who escape the war zone. Red Cross and other aid workers will also be allowed access to secured camps where displaced citizens are being kept.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
"Die with us" rebels tell Sri Lanka's refugees-Reuters
By Shihar Aneez – Wed Feb 25, 6:53 pm ET
VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – The Tamil Tigers gave V. Rasamalar no choice in how she would die -- the separatist rebels told her she would die alongside them in Sri Lanka's war zone.But the mother of two escaped heavy fighting and fled to an army-controlled area. She and her children are now living with about 1,000 other refugees in a military-run transit camp in the northern city of Vavuniya.
"The organization said we were going to die anyway if we crossed to the army-controlled area and told us to die with them," said 48-year-old Rasamalar, who fled the northern town of Udayarkattu when soldiers fought their way into it.
More than 36,000 Tamils since January 1 have fled to government-controlled areas, running from the final battles of a 25-year-old war and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who tried to force them to stay.
"After a long time, at least me and my two children are relieved from hearing the sound of shells and life in a bunker," she told Reuters at a school converted into one of 15 temporary homes for Tamil refugees. On the run for weeks or months, refugees say they faced the wrath of the rebels, constant combat, perpetual fear and little food or water.
"There is scarce food. Even 15-year-old youth are being forcibly recruited by the LTTE. We were not allowed to leave the war zone. This is the situation of over 200,000 Tamils in that area," S. Selvekumar told Reuters. Formerly a security guard for an international aid agency, Selvekumar escaped at night in a boat that was rescued by the Sri Lankan navy. But he left his sister behind and still does not know now where she is.
"DON'T KNOW THEIR FATE"
READ MORE
VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – The Tamil Tigers gave V. Rasamalar no choice in how she would die -- the separatist rebels told her she would die alongside them in Sri Lanka's war zone.But the mother of two escaped heavy fighting and fled to an army-controlled area. She and her children are now living with about 1,000 other refugees in a military-run transit camp in the northern city of Vavuniya.
"The organization said we were going to die anyway if we crossed to the army-controlled area and told us to die with them," said 48-year-old Rasamalar, who fled the northern town of Udayarkattu when soldiers fought their way into it.
More than 36,000 Tamils since January 1 have fled to government-controlled areas, running from the final battles of a 25-year-old war and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who tried to force them to stay.
"After a long time, at least me and my two children are relieved from hearing the sound of shells and life in a bunker," she told Reuters at a school converted into one of 15 temporary homes for Tamil refugees. On the run for weeks or months, refugees say they faced the wrath of the rebels, constant combat, perpetual fear and little food or water.
"There is scarce food. Even 15-year-old youth are being forcibly recruited by the LTTE. We were not allowed to leave the war zone. This is the situation of over 200,000 Tamils in that area," S. Selvekumar told Reuters. Formerly a security guard for an international aid agency, Selvekumar escaped at night in a boat that was rescued by the Sri Lankan navy. But he left his sister behind and still does not know now where she is.
"DON'T KNOW THEIR FATE"
READ MORE
LTTE uses children for fund raising propaganda- Geneva
So you think the cause of the LTTE is noble, fighting for freedom to free their people, for equal right. They play the victims of Sri Lankan Forces atrocities, and claim they never recruited child soldiers in the battle field. So how about in propaganda? Do they influence the children hoping to spread the same hate mongering in the future generations. Below are some of the images of LTTE's propaganda machines, under numerous fake organizations that have forced the children of the Tamil Diaspora in GENEVA, to act out battle scenes in one of their so called "cultural shows". This happened last year, and even some of the Tamil diaspora who attended the event were taken aback by the sheer, audacity of the LTTE, for using children for their dirty propaganda.
Tamil kids dressed as LTTE soldiers carrying replicas of most dangerous weapons in the world, fighting and pretending to kill other Kids dressed in SL army uniforms. Is this what the Tamil culture is all about? Spreading hatred, violence with little children, who for the most part weren't even born in Sri Lanka, and never experienced any discriminations?
Tamil kids dressed as LTTE soldiers carrying replicas of most dangerous weapons in the world, fighting and pretending to kill other Kids dressed in SL army uniforms. Is this what the Tamil culture is all about? Spreading hatred, violence with little children, who for the most part weren't even born in Sri Lanka, and never experienced any discriminations?
Click on the images below to view the enlarges versions
So are we to believe that, if the LTTE's fake front organizations are desperate enough to use children in their propaganda, that their LTTE comrades desperate for soldiers are not forcing children into the battle field? That they are not capable of doing anything, stooping to the lowest level to preserve their way of terror. The west needs to get real about this, and ask this simple question? If they can lie and deceit you like this, are they not capable of lying to you about not using innocent Tamil civilians as human shields? It's time you stop worrying about the what the Forces of a legitimate government, voted in by it's citizen and recognized by the world is doing, and start really doing something to stop Prabakaran and LTTE propaganda fronts that's using your countries, resources to promote killing!!!
Click here for the complete report!
So are we to believe that, if the LTTE's fake front organizations are desperate enough to use children in their propaganda, that their LTTE comrades desperate for soldiers are not forcing children into the battle field? That they are not capable of doing anything, stooping to the lowest level to preserve their way of terror. The west needs to get real about this, and ask this simple question? If they can lie and deceit you like this, are they not capable of lying to you about not using innocent Tamil civilians as human shields? It's time you stop worrying about the what the Forces of a legitimate government, voted in by it's citizen and recognized by the world is doing, and start really doing something to stop Prabakaran and LTTE propaganda fronts that's using your countries, resources to promote killing!!!
Click here for the complete report!
This is an interview given by a retired us department of state employee who was a political specialist at the American embassy in Sri Lanka. He describes how Sri Lanka has been misunderstood by the international community in her struggle against Tamil tiger (LTTE) terrorism.
He brings forward facts using his broad experience as a political analyst and researcher in Sri Lankas American Embassy for 25 years. He says that all ethnic communities, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and plantation Indian Tamils who were domiciled in the countrys 77% rural areas got a raw deal for many decades creating grievances among all communities. He contends that LTTE terrorism and Tamil grievances are two separate issues.
He brings forward facts using his broad experience as a political analyst and researcher in Sri Lankas American Embassy for 25 years. He says that all ethnic communities, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and plantation Indian Tamils who were domiciled in the countrys 77% rural areas got a raw deal for many decades creating grievances among all communities. He contends that LTTE terrorism and Tamil grievances are two separate issues.
Enough already with the genocide talk
by John Thompson
President - The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto
The accusations of genocide in Sri Lanka are getting annoying… and not in the usual ways. Anybody who takes the charge seriously betrays a highly annoying ignorance about the state of affairs between Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Genocide is not happening in Sri Lanka. Plenty of other nasty things are; but genocide is not one of them.
The LTTE and its supporters in the international Tamil Diaspora they dominate would like us to slap the label of ‘genocide’ onto the Sri Lankan government. Ignore this campaign. Forget the ‘black hat’ vs. ‘white hat’ morality play. In fact, forget this when looking at any civil war in any country. Where human beings are involved, nothing is ever simple.
It seems that everyone knows that in Sri Lanka, some 75% or so of the population are Sinhalese and therefore mostly Buddhist; some 15% are Tamil and mostly Hindu; and the rest are Muslim, Burghers, Malays, etc. But things still aren’t that simple.
The Tamils alone have numerous cleavages based on the antiquity of their community in Sri Lanka, their caste, the main local occupation; etc, etc. Moreover, in many rural communities, telling these Dravidian people apart is impossible, especially as intermarriage and all the other little human connections come into play.
Yet the LTTE claims to represent all Tamils on the Island; and murdered tens of thousands of them to underscore the point. They’ve killed Tamils from rival insurgent movements, from federalist parties, schoolteachers who wouldn’t let them recruit children from their classrooms, people who wouldn’t pay extorted ‘war taxes’, and many more.
When engaged in ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ (a favorite LTTE activity a few years back), it was hard to segregate Sinhalese from Tamils from Muslims when walloping machetes into panicked villagers in the middle of the night. Grenades tossed in crowded cellars aren’t discriminating either. Truck bombs rammed into an office tower and time bombs on crowded buses also couldn’t differentiate between Sinhalese and Tamils.
Many observers who pay close attention to the 35 year history of the LTTE believe that the Tigers have killed more Tamils than the government. It’s also true that the government has killed more Sinhalese than the Tamil Tigers ever managed: In the past 40 years two uprisings by Maoist Sinhalese were suppressed with extreme ruthlessness and tens of thousands died. Sri Lanka has been far more discriminating in fighting the Tamil Tigers.
The Sri Lankan government is certainly guilty of human rights abuses, and the current government’s behaviour can be very troubling. Yet genocide is one crime that they cannot be accused of; no matter how shrill the wailing from Tiger’s propaganda outlets.
Lately, those outlets have been shrill indeed. After 25 years of guerrilla warfare and 35 years of terrorism, the Tigers are finally being crushed. Whole regions of the country have been quiet for months, the Tiger air force has vanished, their artillery has been captured, and their founder and leader has apparently deserted his remaining forces.
But like Hitler or Saddam Hussein; Vellupillai Prabhakaran is not above sacrificing anybody his followers can compel into service. As the last guerrilla forces retreated into their final sanctuary, they dragged in every Tamil civilian they could find as a human shield.
Now, the Tigers are screaming that genocide is being perpetrated on their human shields… Well, this could be easily solved by laying down their arms and surrendering; but instead they seem determined to fight to the death.
The Tigers under siege are screaming for food and medical aid to be sent to their hostages. The Sri Lankan Army doesn’t share this misplaced compassion.
The Tigers are screaming for a cease-fire. Every ceasefire that occurred in the past 25 years was used as an opportunity to re-arm and re-fit, before the Tigers ended it with a new offensive. The Sri Lankan government can be forgiven for preferring surrender to a cease-fire.
Wars are terrible things, and it is best that they be ended – not be prolonged. The Sri Lankan Civil War, after over 70,000 dead and 25 years of ruin and expense, is finally coming to an end. Let it end.
Canada should retract its call for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, and instead call on the Tigers to surrender. As for those people busy pressing the ‘genocide’ button; leave it alone. It won’t work if it keeps being misused.
(John C Thompson is the President of The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto Canada. The Institute, cited by several major Canadian newspapers as one of Canada’s leading research organizations, prides itself on its objective and independent forays into some of the most contentious issues of the day.
Its work often becomes a catalyst for informed debate and major change. He Directs its research into issues relating to domestic and international political instability and organized violence (e.g. terrorism, warfare, organized crime, conflict, causes of instability, political extremism, etc.) Former Intelligence Officer of the Canadian Army, Thompson was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1989. He left the service as a Captain. John is a member of Civitas, the Queen’s York Rangers Regimental Council, the Royal Canadian Military Institute – and its pistol club, Fair Vote Canada, the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association)
President - The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto
The accusations of genocide in Sri Lanka are getting annoying… and not in the usual ways. Anybody who takes the charge seriously betrays a highly annoying ignorance about the state of affairs between Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Genocide is not happening in Sri Lanka. Plenty of other nasty things are; but genocide is not one of them.
The LTTE and its supporters in the international Tamil Diaspora they dominate would like us to slap the label of ‘genocide’ onto the Sri Lankan government. Ignore this campaign. Forget the ‘black hat’ vs. ‘white hat’ morality play. In fact, forget this when looking at any civil war in any country. Where human beings are involved, nothing is ever simple.
It seems that everyone knows that in Sri Lanka, some 75% or so of the population are Sinhalese and therefore mostly Buddhist; some 15% are Tamil and mostly Hindu; and the rest are Muslim, Burghers, Malays, etc. But things still aren’t that simple.
The Tamils alone have numerous cleavages based on the antiquity of their community in Sri Lanka, their caste, the main local occupation; etc, etc. Moreover, in many rural communities, telling these Dravidian people apart is impossible, especially as intermarriage and all the other little human connections come into play.
Yet the LTTE claims to represent all Tamils on the Island; and murdered tens of thousands of them to underscore the point. They’ve killed Tamils from rival insurgent movements, from federalist parties, schoolteachers who wouldn’t let them recruit children from their classrooms, people who wouldn’t pay extorted ‘war taxes’, and many more.
When engaged in ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ (a favorite LTTE activity a few years back), it was hard to segregate Sinhalese from Tamils from Muslims when walloping machetes into panicked villagers in the middle of the night. Grenades tossed in crowded cellars aren’t discriminating either. Truck bombs rammed into an office tower and time bombs on crowded buses also couldn’t differentiate between Sinhalese and Tamils.
Many observers who pay close attention to the 35 year history of the LTTE believe that the Tigers have killed more Tamils than the government. It’s also true that the government has killed more Sinhalese than the Tamil Tigers ever managed: In the past 40 years two uprisings by Maoist Sinhalese were suppressed with extreme ruthlessness and tens of thousands died. Sri Lanka has been far more discriminating in fighting the Tamil Tigers.
The Sri Lankan government is certainly guilty of human rights abuses, and the current government’s behaviour can be very troubling. Yet genocide is one crime that they cannot be accused of; no matter how shrill the wailing from Tiger’s propaganda outlets.
Lately, those outlets have been shrill indeed. After 25 years of guerrilla warfare and 35 years of terrorism, the Tigers are finally being crushed. Whole regions of the country have been quiet for months, the Tiger air force has vanished, their artillery has been captured, and their founder and leader has apparently deserted his remaining forces.
But like Hitler or Saddam Hussein; Vellupillai Prabhakaran is not above sacrificing anybody his followers can compel into service. As the last guerrilla forces retreated into their final sanctuary, they dragged in every Tamil civilian they could find as a human shield.
Now, the Tigers are screaming that genocide is being perpetrated on their human shields… Well, this could be easily solved by laying down their arms and surrendering; but instead they seem determined to fight to the death.
The Tigers under siege are screaming for food and medical aid to be sent to their hostages. The Sri Lankan Army doesn’t share this misplaced compassion.
The Tigers are screaming for a cease-fire. Every ceasefire that occurred in the past 25 years was used as an opportunity to re-arm and re-fit, before the Tigers ended it with a new offensive. The Sri Lankan government can be forgiven for preferring surrender to a cease-fire.
Wars are terrible things, and it is best that they be ended – not be prolonged. The Sri Lankan Civil War, after over 70,000 dead and 25 years of ruin and expense, is finally coming to an end. Let it end.
Canada should retract its call for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, and instead call on the Tigers to surrender. As for those people busy pressing the ‘genocide’ button; leave it alone. It won’t work if it keeps being misused.
(John C Thompson is the President of The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto Canada. The Institute, cited by several major Canadian newspapers as one of Canada’s leading research organizations, prides itself on its objective and independent forays into some of the most contentious issues of the day.
Its work often becomes a catalyst for informed debate and major change. He Directs its research into issues relating to domestic and international political instability and organized violence (e.g. terrorism, warfare, organized crime, conflict, causes of instability, political extremism, etc.) Former Intelligence Officer of the Canadian Army, Thompson was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1989. He left the service as a Captain. John is a member of Civitas, the Queen’s York Rangers Regimental Council, the Royal Canadian Military Institute – and its pistol club, Fair Vote Canada, the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association)
Camps for displaced Tamils under scrutiny
Al Jazeera has been given first access by the Sri Lankan government to a camp in Vavuniya housing refugees from the ongoing war with Tamil Tiger separatists.
The government says the "welfare villages" meet international standards, but rights groups say they are in fact detention centres. Al Jazeera's David Hawkins reports.(Al Jazeera)
The government says the "welfare villages" meet international standards, but rights groups say they are in fact detention centres. Al Jazeera's David Hawkins reports.(Al Jazeera)
EU condemns LTTE's use of violence and intimidation to prevent civilians from leaving the conflict area
Tue, 2009-02-24 11:26
European Union has condemned the LTTE's use of violence and intimidation to prevent civilians from leaving the conflict area. The European Union, at a resolution adopted at the 2925th General Affairs Council meeting held in Brussel, has also called on the LTTE to lay down its arms and to renounce terrorism and violence once and for all, end the inhuman use of child soldiers and forced recruitment, and participate in a political process to achieve a just and lasting solution. In the meantime EU has called on the authorities of Sri Lanka to engage in an inclusive political process, which addresses the legitimate concerns of all communities.
READ MORE
European Union has condemned the LTTE's use of violence and intimidation to prevent civilians from leaving the conflict area. The European Union, at a resolution adopted at the 2925th General Affairs Council meeting held in Brussel, has also called on the LTTE to lay down its arms and to renounce terrorism and violence once and for all, end the inhuman use of child soldiers and forced recruitment, and participate in a political process to achieve a just and lasting solution. In the meantime EU has called on the authorities of Sri Lanka to engage in an inclusive political process, which addresses the legitimate concerns of all communities.
READ MORE
M.I.A. in the USA: An Oscar for a bin Laden Next?
by Ru Freeman - Published on Saturday, February 21, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Ru Freeman is an author and activist. Her political journalism and cultural criticism has appeared internationally. Her novel, A Disobedient Girl, will be published in English and in translation in July, 2009.
Mathangi Arulpragasam, who goes by the name M.I.A., has been denied a visa to the enter the United States in the past due to her terrorist connections, but is now a resident of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. MIA was nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar for her song on the current flavor of the month, Slumdog Millionaire which is traveling at breakneck speed toward an Oscar flush. She used her segment on Tavis Smiley to make the statement that she is the spokesperson, the only one!, for the Tamils of Sri Lanka, discrediting the thousands of articulate and frankly more informed and far less dubious Tamils who can speak both for Tamils and Sri Lanka, and, with the connivance of Smiley, continued to accuse the Sri Lankan government of engaging in genocide, that it was "trying to make Tamils extinct," that it had "an army of millions" and that Tamils weren't being "allowed to live" in Sri Lanka. Suffice to say that anybody with a computer and internet access - both of which, I'm positive, aren't denied to Mr. Smiley - could have confirmed the ludicrousness of these pronouncements. The UN, UNHCR and the Red Cross, let alone the Sri Lankan government, have released statements regarding the continued terrorism of the LTTE and its murdering of Tamil civilians before they can cross into the safety zones being maintained by the Sri Lankan government and the Red Cross. UN Human Rights reports regarding its forced recruitment of child soldiers and women as well as international aid workers, are also easily accessed.
READ MORE
Mathangi Arulpragasam, who goes by the name M.I.A., has been denied a visa to the enter the United States in the past due to her terrorist connections, but is now a resident of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. MIA was nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar for her song on the current flavor of the month, Slumdog Millionaire which is traveling at breakneck speed toward an Oscar flush. She used her segment on Tavis Smiley to make the statement that she is the spokesperson, the only one!, for the Tamils of Sri Lanka, discrediting the thousands of articulate and frankly more informed and far less dubious Tamils who can speak both for Tamils and Sri Lanka, and, with the connivance of Smiley, continued to accuse the Sri Lankan government of engaging in genocide, that it was "trying to make Tamils extinct," that it had "an army of millions" and that Tamils weren't being "allowed to live" in Sri Lanka. Suffice to say that anybody with a computer and internet access - both of which, I'm positive, aren't denied to Mr. Smiley - could have confirmed the ludicrousness of these pronouncements. The UN, UNHCR and the Red Cross, let alone the Sri Lankan government, have released statements regarding the continued terrorism of the LTTE and its murdering of Tamil civilians before they can cross into the safety zones being maintained by the Sri Lankan government and the Red Cross. UN Human Rights reports regarding its forced recruitment of child soldiers and women as well as international aid workers, are also easily accessed.
READ MORE
Rehabilitation road for LTTE's child soldiers
The United Nations has accused the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of recruiting child soldiers. The international body says thousands have been kidnapped from their villages and forced into the 25-year conflict. The Sri Lankan government says it has been taking steps to help child soldiers who were captured or surrendered on the battlefield. David Hawkins reports from a rehabilitation centre in Ambepussa in central Sri Lanka.
Terrorists in Australia busted!
This is Melbourne Australia, cracking down on the LTTE last year... Am I alone in thinking that Canada is lagging far behind all these other countries who are cleaning their backyards, by putting a stop to these group of festering human garbage, called LTTE sympathizers. Or is it that the Liberals are too deep in the pockets of their LTTE comrades, that all they can see are the 200,000 + votes? Wake up Canada and speak up against terrorism of all kinds, everywhere!
YORK UNIVERSITY TAMIL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION PROMOTES TERRORISM AND HATE!
Below is the on-line Petition to YORK UNIVERSITY which was created by ALL SRI LANKANS and written by YSLSA. We urge all of you to click on the link below and sign the petition. Remember that the public will resort to believing in anything, in the absence of Truth and Honesty. We need to better inform not just the Canadian public, but institutions like York University.
On February 17th 2009, there was a very serious incident that occurred on York University campus. The York University Tamil Students Association (YUTSA) held a rally for a separate state in Sri Lanka in support of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), arguably the most lethal and well organized terrorist group in the world. It was insulting enough that YUTSA waved the LTTE flags but they took it much further by lighting the Sri Lankan Flag on fire. This insult to all Sri Lankans was perpetrated in front of Vari Hall for thousands to witness. Furthermore, when a Sri Lankan student tried to stop them by putting out the fire, these members of YUTSA began a physical altercation with the student. The Sri Lankan community in Canada and abroad are outraged by these acts of hate directed towards all Sri Lankans.
People are questioning how this could happen on the campus of an educational institution. We put the blame solely in the hands of York University and the clubs that organized it; how can a university allow a rally in support of terrorism, and have the burning of a flag go unpunished? We also put the blame on YFS (York Federation of Students) and USAY (United South Asians at York) as they both helped to organize and supported the rally. The university should be ashamed of what it has let happen on its property. We would like to thank the York security and the York regional police who stepped in to put an end to the rally before it began to escalate even further. We are fed up with how the university has dealt with YUTSA’s support of the LTTE over and over through out the past couple of years. It seems to be the situation we Sri Lankans have to face every year at York. We have seen terrorist flags raised on campus property for the past few years and it seems that York administration is turning a blind eye to the situation. A Sri Lankan flag is burned, York University shrugs its shoulders. Will it take the assault of a Sri Lankan student to finally get the attention of York University? We demand that YUTSA discontinues the use of the LTTE terrorist flag, we demand that York University takes action against YUTSA for burning the Sri Lankan national flag. The Sri Lankan community of Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers and Malays also asks for an apology from YUTSA and York University! PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION IN SUPPORT!
SIGN THE PETITION
On February 17th 2009, there was a very serious incident that occurred on York University campus. The York University Tamil Students Association (YUTSA) held a rally for a separate state in Sri Lanka in support of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), arguably the most lethal and well organized terrorist group in the world. It was insulting enough that YUTSA waved the LTTE flags but they took it much further by lighting the Sri Lankan Flag on fire. This insult to all Sri Lankans was perpetrated in front of Vari Hall for thousands to witness. Furthermore, when a Sri Lankan student tried to stop them by putting out the fire, these members of YUTSA began a physical altercation with the student. The Sri Lankan community in Canada and abroad are outraged by these acts of hate directed towards all Sri Lankans.
People are questioning how this could happen on the campus of an educational institution. We put the blame solely in the hands of York University and the clubs that organized it; how can a university allow a rally in support of terrorism, and have the burning of a flag go unpunished? We also put the blame on YFS (York Federation of Students) and USAY (United South Asians at York) as they both helped to organize and supported the rally. The university should be ashamed of what it has let happen on its property. We would like to thank the York security and the York regional police who stepped in to put an end to the rally before it began to escalate even further. We are fed up with how the university has dealt with YUTSA’s support of the LTTE over and over through out the past couple of years. It seems to be the situation we Sri Lankans have to face every year at York. We have seen terrorist flags raised on campus property for the past few years and it seems that York administration is turning a blind eye to the situation. A Sri Lankan flag is burned, York University shrugs its shoulders. Will it take the assault of a Sri Lankan student to finally get the attention of York University? We demand that YUTSA discontinues the use of the LTTE terrorist flag, we demand that York University takes action against YUTSA for burning the Sri Lankan national flag. The Sri Lankan community of Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers and Malays also asks for an apology from YUTSA and York University! PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION IN SUPPORT!
SIGN THE PETITION
Dr. Palith Kohona PBS Interview-Part1
On Wednesday 18th february, Dr. Palitha Kohona was interviewed via satellite from Colombo by Tavis (US) who interviewed MIA 2 weeks ago. Since MIA complained Sri Lanka having a Genocide, Tavis was fully bombarded with emails of criticisms all around the world for letting somebody accuse SL in national TV and then he gave Palitha Kohona to counter attack MIA.
This is the first of the 2 part videos of the full interview.
This is the first of the 2 part videos of the full interview.
Posted by UnitedLankan in UK.
America, Canada, France and Australia watch out! The London has just 100,000 Tamil refugees form Sri Lanka. Toronto has 200,000. Scarborough, Ontario's Tamil Tiger gang crime is on the rise. These fights are mainly due to Tamil Hindu casts problems and the area where they come from back in Sri Lanka. They terrorise not only innocent Tamils and Sinhalese but also other communities in London.
Most of them are well trained Tamil Tigers, who can handle any sophisticated modern weapons and also ready for kill any one for a silly little reason. They badly need to undergo a proper rehabilitation before integrate in to the communities.
America, Canada, France and Australia watch out! The London has just 100,000 Tamil refugees form Sri Lanka. Toronto has 200,000. Scarborough, Ontario's Tamil Tiger gang crime is on the rise. These fights are mainly due to Tamil Hindu casts problems and the area where they come from back in Sri Lanka. They terrorise not only innocent Tamils and Sinhalese but also other communities in London.
Most of them are well trained Tamil Tigers, who can handle any sophisticated modern weapons and also ready for kill any one for a silly little reason. They badly need to undergo a proper rehabilitation before integrate in to the communities.
Remember the recent interview of the LTTE supporter and US singer MIA, the worst dressed pregnant girl at the Recent Grammy's. Well an emerging International Star of True Sri Lankan descent, DeLon who represents peace and unity in Sri Lanka made this song to show what MIA and her songs really stands for.
Now that's setting the record straight! Nice Expose DeLon!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Iron Curtains in Toronto
Published in the Daily Mirror - 19/02/2009Why do people take wings to another country? Because they think they could better their lives, integrate with others and live peacefully. They all come in search of a new beginning. But, what happens when those dreams are shattered and they have to some time live like slaves, live with fear and intimidation. What happens when most of them are allowed to integrate with others but, are forced to listen to lies and terrorist propaganda and even their children born here are forced to hate other communities and brainwashed.
That is what has happened to most of our Sri Lankan Tamil brothers and sisters living in Toronto. We all know that they are cultured people and they know the value of education. But, they are not allowed to have their free will and live the way they want to. Most of them are bombarded with Tamil hatred Tiger propaganda with hundreds of newspapers, radio and television channels and websites. They are separated from others. Though we have proudly shared the Sinhala/Tamil New Year for several centuries the Tamil Tigers/supporters are trying to remove the word Sinhala here. Earlier members of the Sri Lankan community had got together annually to have a day of fun at the Wonderland in Toronto. The LTTE terrorists had successfully divided that too using threats and intimidation. It is very sad how they have failed to learn the Canadian values of sharing and Canadian multiculturalism even after 25 years. How could one community be harassed like this by supporters of terrorism in a Western democracy? How come they are forced to close their shops and other work places to ‘celebrate’ the birthday of a terrorist leader who is wanted for the killing of the grandson of Shri Jawaharlal Nehru and thousands of innocent people and wanted by the Interpol? How come they don’t respect Canada the same way and close shops on Canada Day, questioned a Sri Lankan Tamils who face harassment by them.
Reports say that nearly 8000 former LTTE terrorists are here in Canada, mainly Toronto. It is time they stop even small scale threats to others even now because they have left their guns and cyanide capsules behind. Though the media here identify the LTTE as Tamil Tigers, I do not like to use the word Tamil to describe this terrorist organization though I have no choice at times. It is because by using the word Tamil, it brings disgrace to innocent, respected and peace loving Tamils living in Sri Lanka and all over the world. It is time we look for a new word to describe them.
Harassment
When the Sri Lankan cricket team was in Toronto, a so called community newspaper described by many as supportive/sympathetic to the terrorists had its photo caption “Tamils protest against Sri Lankan cricket team” It hurt the sentiments of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils living in Toronto because most of them defied the orders of terrorist supporters and cheered for the Sri Lankan team. Cricket is a religion in Sri Lanka and a game that bonds. Our Sri Lankan Tamils were hurt that terrorist supporters tried to break that bond. My table of twelve at the gala dinner had six Sri Lankan Tamils. They are true Sri Lankans with no malice.
Sinhala, Muslim, Malay, Burgher and our Sri Lankan Tamil brothers and sisters who had defied the LTTE terrorists are saddened that many Sri Lankan Tamils are harassed here and they are forced to part even with the little money they earn here. One person, I met at the Temple told me “We all are working hard to make a living here. But, I am sad that our Tamil brothers and sisters have to give even from that small amount they earn to these terrorists.” Most of them are coming out in the open without fear after the Conservative Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper banned the LTTE and the WTM as terrorist organizations. However, many of them are still scared to come to the open for fear of threats from the LTTE terrorists.
Dreams do come true
We as Sri Lankans with the help of Canadians are trying hard to bring people together, bring them out of the terror caves of the LTTE terrorists and their supporters here. The task is hard here than back home, because of the damage the terrorist supporters have done and the hatred they have created among young children who were born here. They have never seen Sri Lanka but brainwashed heavily under the winds of democracy in Canada. Do you think there is a worse crime than brainwashing innocent children? That too whilst living in a country which practices multiculturalism.
We believe that terrorists can shed their stripes. Once a terrorist does not always have to remain a terrorist. It is not impossible. Sri Lanka proved to the world by bringing the second in command of the LTTE terrorists, Karuna to the parliament and man others to the democratic path.
Our dream here is to bring all Sri Lankans together. Many dreams do come true!
That is what has happened to most of our Sri Lankan Tamil brothers and sisters living in Toronto. We all know that they are cultured people and they know the value of education. But, they are not allowed to have their free will and live the way they want to. Most of them are bombarded with Tamil hatred Tiger propaganda with hundreds of newspapers, radio and television channels and websites. They are separated from others. Though we have proudly shared the Sinhala/Tamil New Year for several centuries the Tamil Tigers/supporters are trying to remove the word Sinhala here. Earlier members of the Sri Lankan community had got together annually to have a day of fun at the Wonderland in Toronto. The LTTE terrorists had successfully divided that too using threats and intimidation. It is very sad how they have failed to learn the Canadian values of sharing and Canadian multiculturalism even after 25 years. How could one community be harassed like this by supporters of terrorism in a Western democracy? How come they are forced to close their shops and other work places to ‘celebrate’ the birthday of a terrorist leader who is wanted for the killing of the grandson of Shri Jawaharlal Nehru and thousands of innocent people and wanted by the Interpol? How come they don’t respect Canada the same way and close shops on Canada Day, questioned a Sri Lankan Tamils who face harassment by them.
Reports say that nearly 8000 former LTTE terrorists are here in Canada, mainly Toronto. It is time they stop even small scale threats to others even now because they have left their guns and cyanide capsules behind. Though the media here identify the LTTE as Tamil Tigers, I do not like to use the word Tamil to describe this terrorist organization though I have no choice at times. It is because by using the word Tamil, it brings disgrace to innocent, respected and peace loving Tamils living in Sri Lanka and all over the world. It is time we look for a new word to describe them.
Harassment
When the Sri Lankan cricket team was in Toronto, a so called community newspaper described by many as supportive/sympathetic to the terrorists had its photo caption “Tamils protest against Sri Lankan cricket team” It hurt the sentiments of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils living in Toronto because most of them defied the orders of terrorist supporters and cheered for the Sri Lankan team. Cricket is a religion in Sri Lanka and a game that bonds. Our Sri Lankan Tamils were hurt that terrorist supporters tried to break that bond. My table of twelve at the gala dinner had six Sri Lankan Tamils. They are true Sri Lankans with no malice.
Sinhala, Muslim, Malay, Burgher and our Sri Lankan Tamil brothers and sisters who had defied the LTTE terrorists are saddened that many Sri Lankan Tamils are harassed here and they are forced to part even with the little money they earn here. One person, I met at the Temple told me “We all are working hard to make a living here. But, I am sad that our Tamil brothers and sisters have to give even from that small amount they earn to these terrorists.” Most of them are coming out in the open without fear after the Conservative Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper banned the LTTE and the WTM as terrorist organizations. However, many of them are still scared to come to the open for fear of threats from the LTTE terrorists.
Dreams do come true
We as Sri Lankans with the help of Canadians are trying hard to bring people together, bring them out of the terror caves of the LTTE terrorists and their supporters here. The task is hard here than back home, because of the damage the terrorist supporters have done and the hatred they have created among young children who were born here. They have never seen Sri Lanka but brainwashed heavily under the winds of democracy in Canada. Do you think there is a worse crime than brainwashing innocent children? That too whilst living in a country which practices multiculturalism.
We believe that terrorists can shed their stripes. Once a terrorist does not always have to remain a terrorist. It is not impossible. Sri Lanka proved to the world by bringing the second in command of the LTTE terrorists, Karuna to the parliament and man others to the democratic path.
Our dream here is to bring all Sri Lankans together. Many dreams do come true!
What LTTE in Canada don't want you to know...
Since of late, many lies have been spread about Sri Lanka, by individuals and groups who want to see this beautiful island paradise, continue to suffer at the hands of LTTE. This is a forum for Canadians of Sri Lankan origin, to voice their opinions, find the truth about the situation & inform others about the lies being spread by the LTTE supporters.
Sri Lanka is a place for all of us to live in harmony. If anyone, especially the Tamil diaspora thinks that Sri Lanka should be ethnically divided, then, the following is food for though for you. This is also good for those LTTE sympathisers in our country as well as around the world:
Your claim: Sri Lanka is the only place for Tamil Ealam
Fact: Sri Lanka is the ONLY place in the world for the Sinhala race and the Veddahs. Whether you like it or not, they have the right to this land before anyone else. Tamils, on the other hand, have the historical right to Tamil Nadu – and that is where the only Ealam Dreamland should be. Or you may consider Singapore , Malaysia , Canada , Germany , England or Australia – they have been pampering you well, haven’t they?
Claim: North and East are the historical Tamil Homeland
Fact: If you think the North and East belonged to the Tamils historically, think twice. Read the history of Sri Lanka – the truth, not the rubbish you teach in Tamil schools in Germany . Visit Anuradhapura and look at the moonstones: Lankan civilisation began in the North (not in the South) and the Buddhists were there before the Tamils. Many places of worship of significant importance for Buddhists still lie in the North and East, including places such as Nagadveepa and Only during the Polonnaruwa regime that the cow was removed from the moonstone as a result of the Hindu influence. That’s the first time ever the Cholas set foot in our island – so how dare you claim that the North and East are the “traditional” land of the Tamils?
Claim: Sinhala Buddhists are committing a Genocide in Sri Lanka (Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.)
Fact: There were Sinhala and Muslim communities living in the North and East – not so long ago. Where are they now? Who has systematically eliminated them, chased them out of their own homes? Who has chopped the heads off the infants, split opened pregnant mothers, stamped their wombs, killed every Sinhala person in sight and torched their villages? Starting from the Kent Farm and Model Farm, the Tamil extremists have eliminated the Sinhala and Muslim communities from the North (and tried in the East too); they attacked temples and mosques, brutally executing monks, priests and innocent people while they were praying. From Aranthalawa, Dimbulagala and Sri Maha Bodhiya to Kandy , the barbaric LTTE terrorists didn’t even spare a temple or a mosque. It’s the Tamil terrorists committing genocide in Sri Lanka , not anyone else!
Claim: Tamils are discriminated in Sri Lanka
Fact: A person from the majority Sinhalese cannot buy a piece of land in the North (prevented by a pact), but the Tamils can buy land anywhere in the country. Statistically speaking, Tamils are occupying more than their share in universities, in the civil service, the government and even in the private sector. From Sea Street to 4th Cross Street , there are certain trades and industries that “belong” to the Tamils, and no Sinhala or Muslim merchant can penetrate that. A closer look at the transformation of Colombo and its suburbs will make any pea-brain understand who is having a better life and who is being pushed aside from the capital city. From Paskaralingam to Kadirgamar to Muralitharan, there are millions of Tamils who have flourished in this country. It is the Sinhala students who cannot attend the Jaffna University or the Eastern University , while the Tamil students enjoy their rights all over the country, including the Peradeniya University in the heartland of the Sinhala Buddhists. Even in Colombo , a Sinhala student is not admitted to any Tamil school, while all the Sinhala schools accept Tamil students.From education, to civil service, to businesses and private sector, to land-ownership in Colombo – Tamils are enjoying more than their fair share. How would it be possible if there is so-called discrimination against Tamils in Sri Lanka ?
Claim: Sri Lankan regime has failed to take care of the North and the East
Fact: Jaffna had been almost on par with Colombo at one time, a thriving cosmopolitan – the second capital of Sri Lanka – before the troubles began. There are many provinces and districts that have been forgotten by the ruling parties – North and East aren’t at the top of that list. Uva, for example did not even have a university until 2 or 3 years ago; Moneragala district is the most deprived in the entire country. The governments have always favoured the Tamils – in order to keep their votes, and as a result, they have been enjoying better benefits than the others in Sri Lanka.
Claim: Tamils get hassled and harassed by the security checks
Fact: The Sinhalese, the Muslims, the Burghers – we all get woken up in the wee hours of the morning, during search operations; we all get our bags, baggage and vehicles checked, we all get harassed – that’s the price the innocent people pay for the environment the stupid LTTE has created. Anyone who fails to produce valid identification or reasonable evidence for whereabouts would get into trouble – unless you are a foreigner (they are the privileged ones in paradise). There are Sinhala and Muslim informants on the LTTE payroll too, so everyone is a ‘suspect’ at a checkpoint. We all go through the same hassle, same agony. But then again, you hardly visit Sri Lanka , so what would you know?
Claim: Sinhalese Buddhists are at War with the Tamils
Fact: Nope, we aren’t. If we did, there wouldn’t have been any Tamils living outside LTTE-controlled areas. Majority of the Tamil population is living outside the LTTE grip; living amongst the other ethnicities in harmony. Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is at war with the terrorists, just like some other democracies around the world. Some LTTE propaganda agents substitute GoSL with Sinhalese Buddhists and LTTE with the Tamils, to leverage certain situations in their favour.
Claim: Some Sinhala Extremist Parties are spreading Sinhala-only ideologies
Fact: Yes, there are extremist elements such as Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU trans. National Sinhala Heritage) – which came to being to counter the extremists such as the LTTE under a political mandate. Tamil extremism is over 50 years old in Sri Lanka while JHU isn’t even 10 years old. JHU, being an extremist, has almost zero influence on the average civil society. Tamils, on the other hand, have “erased” Sinhala from their areas (only Tamil and English exist on the sign boards from the North – out of sight, out of mind?) while the rest of the country treats Tamil as one of the official languages.
Now, who is being extreme and who is breeding extremism in this country?
Claim: Sri Lankan Government has no option but to negotiate with the LTTE
Fact: Sri Lankan Government did not negotiate with the Sinhala Buddhist uprisings in the early 70’s and the late 80’s. The Sinhala terrorists were captured, tortured and killed – and their heads decorated the roadside fences. Their burning bodies were seen in almost every street corner every morning, and over 50,000 youth are still missing to date. That was the Sinhala Buddhist government taking care of the Sinhala Buddhist youth who terrorised the country. The government does NOT have to negotiate with terrorists. The Sri Lankan governments have been too nice, and tolerant, to the Tamil terrorists all these years.
Claim: The international community has a right to involve in the Sri Lankan situation
Fact: The international community has already banned the LTTE – a terror outfit and its sister-concerns. Not even India can ecourage terrorism or division anymore; they too have Mumbai and Kashmir on their agenda. Sadly, it is only a few misguided Tamil businessmen and individuals who support the LTTE around the world trying to lobby a voice for lost cause – they hardly quantify or qualify as the “international community.” BBC and the gullible British elements don’t qualify either. You too will soon see the truth and realise that the Ealam dream was nothing but a painful nightmare.
Claim: LTTE is the only and true voice of the Tamil people
Fact: LTTE does not represent the true Tamils of this country. If they did, why would they eliminate EPRLF, EPDP, EROS and TULF? Weren’t they representing Tamils too? Why would they kill any Tamil voice that was against the LTTE agenda – no matter how big or small the person was? From innocent villagers who were labelled as “traitors” to great statesmen like Lakshaman Kadirgamar, LTTE has killed thousands of its own kith and kin that they were “supposedly” protecting. In fact, the LTTE has killed more innocent Tamils than the number of LTTE militants killed by the Sri Lankan Security Forces. LTTE is not the true voice or the protector of the Tamils in Sri Lanka . It’s just the opposite.
Claim: LTTE is protecting the civilians in their area, if they get out, they would be killed by the Sri Lankan Security Forces. (Also according to LTTE and the BBC)
Fact: Almost all the Tamils in Sri Lanka – except for the ones who are trapped in the current War Zone – live outside the LTTE influence. How come they are not killed? If over 90% of the Tamils are living outside the LTTE held areas, in harmony with the rest of the Sri Lankans, protected and freely, what are they talking about? They would be killed by the military advance if they DON’T leave the LTTE-held areas soon enough.
Claim: Sri Lanka failed to recognise the demands of the Tamils and never offered a political solution
Fact: Sri Lanka did, but sadly the Tamils didn’t recognise the power they had in their hands. The country switched from a 225-seater parliament that represented an MP per electorate to the Provincial Council System to satisfy the demands of the Tamils. This may not have been perfect, but it was a very good beginning. North and East were combined and offered in a silver platter to the terrorist leader twice, but he refused to enter the political stream. LTTE rejected democracy and took up arms, not once, not twice, but many a times. Every “Cease-Fire” ended in LTTE regrouping, re-arming and murdering hundreds of Sinhalese – the Tamil Diaspora that has never set foot in the island should use their brains to understand why the LTTE were NOT acting for the benefit of the ordinary Tamils.
Sri Lanka would have been better off without the high-maintenance Provincial Council System – with a leaner, meaner, accountable and more responsible Parliament. Today we have a white elephant – created for the Tamils, but fed by the rest of the Sri Lankans.
We were a resourceful nation in South Asia, ahead of Singapore on the development curve, once upon a time. Thanks to the idiotic ideologies and stupidities of LTTE, the whole country has gone back in time – in to the stone ages. The roads are still the same width as it were 30 years ago, the currency has depreciated from Rs 16.00 to a US Dollar in 1978 to almost Rs 114.00 to a US Dollar today – a whopping 712% in just 30 years! The country is filled with the maimed and the war-victims – a huge burden on the welfare system for the next few generations to come. Emotional scars would take another zillion years to heal; and I could write another million ways the war has crippled our Paradise .
Most of all, the LTTE cleverly bumped-off all the brains in the political system – leaving the country in the hands of a bunch of imbeciles. We will win the war and restore peace and stability, but we cannot gain the time we lost. We cannot turn back the clock. The world has moved on, leaving us far behind.
Sri Lanka is a place for all of us to live in harmony. If anyone, especially the Tamil diaspora thinks that Sri Lanka should be ethnically divided, then, the following is food for though for you. This is also good for those LTTE sympathisers in our country as well as around the world:
Your claim: Sri Lanka is the only place for Tamil Ealam
Fact: Sri Lanka is the ONLY place in the world for the Sinhala race and the Veddahs. Whether you like it or not, they have the right to this land before anyone else. Tamils, on the other hand, have the historical right to Tamil Nadu – and that is where the only Ealam Dreamland should be. Or you may consider Singapore , Malaysia , Canada , Germany , England or Australia – they have been pampering you well, haven’t they?
Claim: North and East are the historical Tamil Homeland
Fact: If you think the North and East belonged to the Tamils historically, think twice. Read the history of Sri Lanka – the truth, not the rubbish you teach in Tamil schools in Germany . Visit Anuradhapura and look at the moonstones: Lankan civilisation began in the North (not in the South) and the Buddhists were there before the Tamils. Many places of worship of significant importance for Buddhists still lie in the North and East, including places such as Nagadveepa and Only during the Polonnaruwa regime that the cow was removed from the moonstone as a result of the Hindu influence. That’s the first time ever the Cholas set foot in our island – so how dare you claim that the North and East are the “traditional” land of the Tamils?
Claim: Sinhala Buddhists are committing a Genocide in Sri Lanka (Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.)
Fact: There were Sinhala and Muslim communities living in the North and East – not so long ago. Where are they now? Who has systematically eliminated them, chased them out of their own homes? Who has chopped the heads off the infants, split opened pregnant mothers, stamped their wombs, killed every Sinhala person in sight and torched their villages? Starting from the Kent Farm and Model Farm, the Tamil extremists have eliminated the Sinhala and Muslim communities from the North (and tried in the East too); they attacked temples and mosques, brutally executing monks, priests and innocent people while they were praying. From Aranthalawa, Dimbulagala and Sri Maha Bodhiya to Kandy , the barbaric LTTE terrorists didn’t even spare a temple or a mosque. It’s the Tamil terrorists committing genocide in Sri Lanka , not anyone else!
Claim: Tamils are discriminated in Sri Lanka
Fact: A person from the majority Sinhalese cannot buy a piece of land in the North (prevented by a pact), but the Tamils can buy land anywhere in the country. Statistically speaking, Tamils are occupying more than their share in universities, in the civil service, the government and even in the private sector. From Sea Street to 4th Cross Street , there are certain trades and industries that “belong” to the Tamils, and no Sinhala or Muslim merchant can penetrate that. A closer look at the transformation of Colombo and its suburbs will make any pea-brain understand who is having a better life and who is being pushed aside from the capital city. From Paskaralingam to Kadirgamar to Muralitharan, there are millions of Tamils who have flourished in this country. It is the Sinhala students who cannot attend the Jaffna University or the Eastern University , while the Tamil students enjoy their rights all over the country, including the Peradeniya University in the heartland of the Sinhala Buddhists. Even in Colombo , a Sinhala student is not admitted to any Tamil school, while all the Sinhala schools accept Tamil students.From education, to civil service, to businesses and private sector, to land-ownership in Colombo – Tamils are enjoying more than their fair share. How would it be possible if there is so-called discrimination against Tamils in Sri Lanka ?
Claim: Sri Lankan regime has failed to take care of the North and the East
Fact: Jaffna had been almost on par with Colombo at one time, a thriving cosmopolitan – the second capital of Sri Lanka – before the troubles began. There are many provinces and districts that have been forgotten by the ruling parties – North and East aren’t at the top of that list. Uva, for example did not even have a university until 2 or 3 years ago; Moneragala district is the most deprived in the entire country. The governments have always favoured the Tamils – in order to keep their votes, and as a result, they have been enjoying better benefits than the others in Sri Lanka.
Claim: Tamils get hassled and harassed by the security checks
Fact: The Sinhalese, the Muslims, the Burghers – we all get woken up in the wee hours of the morning, during search operations; we all get our bags, baggage and vehicles checked, we all get harassed – that’s the price the innocent people pay for the environment the stupid LTTE has created. Anyone who fails to produce valid identification or reasonable evidence for whereabouts would get into trouble – unless you are a foreigner (they are the privileged ones in paradise). There are Sinhala and Muslim informants on the LTTE payroll too, so everyone is a ‘suspect’ at a checkpoint. We all go through the same hassle, same agony. But then again, you hardly visit Sri Lanka , so what would you know?
Claim: Sinhalese Buddhists are at War with the Tamils
Fact: Nope, we aren’t. If we did, there wouldn’t have been any Tamils living outside LTTE-controlled areas. Majority of the Tamil population is living outside the LTTE grip; living amongst the other ethnicities in harmony. Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is at war with the terrorists, just like some other democracies around the world. Some LTTE propaganda agents substitute GoSL with Sinhalese Buddhists and LTTE with the Tamils, to leverage certain situations in their favour.
Claim: Some Sinhala Extremist Parties are spreading Sinhala-only ideologies
Fact: Yes, there are extremist elements such as Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU trans. National Sinhala Heritage) – which came to being to counter the extremists such as the LTTE under a political mandate. Tamil extremism is over 50 years old in Sri Lanka while JHU isn’t even 10 years old. JHU, being an extremist, has almost zero influence on the average civil society. Tamils, on the other hand, have “erased” Sinhala from their areas (only Tamil and English exist on the sign boards from the North – out of sight, out of mind?) while the rest of the country treats Tamil as one of the official languages.
Now, who is being extreme and who is breeding extremism in this country?
Claim: Sri Lankan Government has no option but to negotiate with the LTTE
Fact: Sri Lankan Government did not negotiate with the Sinhala Buddhist uprisings in the early 70’s and the late 80’s. The Sinhala terrorists were captured, tortured and killed – and their heads decorated the roadside fences. Their burning bodies were seen in almost every street corner every morning, and over 50,000 youth are still missing to date. That was the Sinhala Buddhist government taking care of the Sinhala Buddhist youth who terrorised the country. The government does NOT have to negotiate with terrorists. The Sri Lankan governments have been too nice, and tolerant, to the Tamil terrorists all these years.
Claim: The international community has a right to involve in the Sri Lankan situation
Fact: The international community has already banned the LTTE – a terror outfit and its sister-concerns. Not even India can ecourage terrorism or division anymore; they too have Mumbai and Kashmir on their agenda. Sadly, it is only a few misguided Tamil businessmen and individuals who support the LTTE around the world trying to lobby a voice for lost cause – they hardly quantify or qualify as the “international community.” BBC and the gullible British elements don’t qualify either. You too will soon see the truth and realise that the Ealam dream was nothing but a painful nightmare.
Claim: LTTE is the only and true voice of the Tamil people
Fact: LTTE does not represent the true Tamils of this country. If they did, why would they eliminate EPRLF, EPDP, EROS and TULF? Weren’t they representing Tamils too? Why would they kill any Tamil voice that was against the LTTE agenda – no matter how big or small the person was? From innocent villagers who were labelled as “traitors” to great statesmen like Lakshaman Kadirgamar, LTTE has killed thousands of its own kith and kin that they were “supposedly” protecting. In fact, the LTTE has killed more innocent Tamils than the number of LTTE militants killed by the Sri Lankan Security Forces. LTTE is not the true voice or the protector of the Tamils in Sri Lanka . It’s just the opposite.
Claim: LTTE is protecting the civilians in their area, if they get out, they would be killed by the Sri Lankan Security Forces. (Also according to LTTE and the BBC)
Fact: Almost all the Tamils in Sri Lanka – except for the ones who are trapped in the current War Zone – live outside the LTTE influence. How come they are not killed? If over 90% of the Tamils are living outside the LTTE held areas, in harmony with the rest of the Sri Lankans, protected and freely, what are they talking about? They would be killed by the military advance if they DON’T leave the LTTE-held areas soon enough.
Claim: Sri Lanka failed to recognise the demands of the Tamils and never offered a political solution
Fact: Sri Lanka did, but sadly the Tamils didn’t recognise the power they had in their hands. The country switched from a 225-seater parliament that represented an MP per electorate to the Provincial Council System to satisfy the demands of the Tamils. This may not have been perfect, but it was a very good beginning. North and East were combined and offered in a silver platter to the terrorist leader twice, but he refused to enter the political stream. LTTE rejected democracy and took up arms, not once, not twice, but many a times. Every “Cease-Fire” ended in LTTE regrouping, re-arming and murdering hundreds of Sinhalese – the Tamil Diaspora that has never set foot in the island should use their brains to understand why the LTTE were NOT acting for the benefit of the ordinary Tamils.
Sri Lanka would have been better off without the high-maintenance Provincial Council System – with a leaner, meaner, accountable and more responsible Parliament. Today we have a white elephant – created for the Tamils, but fed by the rest of the Sri Lankans.
We were a resourceful nation in South Asia, ahead of Singapore on the development curve, once upon a time. Thanks to the idiotic ideologies and stupidities of LTTE, the whole country has gone back in time – in to the stone ages. The roads are still the same width as it were 30 years ago, the currency has depreciated from Rs 16.00 to a US Dollar in 1978 to almost Rs 114.00 to a US Dollar today – a whopping 712% in just 30 years! The country is filled with the maimed and the war-victims – a huge burden on the welfare system for the next few generations to come. Emotional scars would take another zillion years to heal; and I could write another million ways the war has crippled our Paradise .
Most of all, the LTTE cleverly bumped-off all the brains in the political system – leaving the country in the hands of a bunch of imbeciles. We will win the war and restore peace and stability, but we cannot gain the time we lost. We cannot turn back the clock. The world has moved on, leaving us far behind.
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