"...Beginning in the mid-1950s Sri Lanka's politicians from the majority Sinhalese community resorted to ethnic outbidding as a means to attain power and in doing so systematically marginalised the country's minority Tamils...parties in power seek to promote dubious conflict resolution only to be checkmated by the respective opposition which typically claims that the proposed solutions are bound to eventually dismember the island"  Neil Devotta in From ethnic outbidding to ethnic conflict: the institutional bases for Sri Lanka's separatist war, 2005

"...One of the essential elements that must be kept in mind in understanding the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict is that, since 1958 at least, every time Tamil politicians negotiated some sort of power-sharing deal with a Sinhalese government - regardless of which party was in power - the opposition Sinhalese party always claimed that the party in power had negotiated away too much. In almost every case - sometimes within days - the party in power backed down on the agreement..." - Professor Marshall Singer, at US Congress Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Hearing on Sri Lanka November 14,1995

""We Marxists, we proletarian revolutionaries oppose the division of the country and decentralization. The proletariat opposes the establishment of a federal system as a form of decentralization... the proletariat cannot agree to the use of the federal system to decentralize an existing united centralized state The north and the east cannot be one autonomous region...It is equally reactionary to consider the north and east as the traditional homelands of the Tamil nationality.. The proletariat needs no official language... " The Gospel According to the JVP

"... In any country the majority community is running the administration. We cannot prevent that situation. If a minority is ruling the majority that is a dangerous situation and it is a problem. That is an unrealistic situation. In any democratic country the majority should rule the country. This country will be ruled by the Sinhalese community which is the majority representing 74 percent of the population...." Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka On Democracy, 'Multi Ethnic Plural Society' 19 July 2008 in the Sri Lanka State Controlled Daily News

"  Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism has been institutionalised in Sri Lanka and today it has become more powerful than the politicians themselves. Indeed even if the Sinhala politicians seek to settle the conflict, Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism may try to prevent such a settlement. This is the political reality that those who are aware of the Sri Lankan situation are well aware of.  This Sinhala chauvinism which was nurtured by Sinhala politicians for their electoral advantage, has grown into a Frankenstein monster which now has the power to destroy and make politicians. This we understand very well..." Sathasivam Krishnakumar, June, 1991

Emphasising that �our military operations are directed exclusively at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam� � a terrorist and secessionist organisation banned or designated as terrorist in more than 30 countries, including India � he renewed his call to the LTTE even at this late stage to �lay down its arms, surrender, and enter the democratic political process.�

Comment by tamilnation.org  "The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam�  banned or designated as terrorist in more than 30 countries "

"....It is a cruel extension of the terrorist scourge to taunt the struggles against terrorism with the label "terrorism". We support these struggles and call for the liberation of political language along with the liberation of peoples. Terrorism originates from the statist system of structural violence and domination that denies the right of self-determination to peoples..."  The Geneva Declaration on the Question of Terrorism, 1987

"..The most problematic issue relating to terrorism and armed conflict is distinguishing terrorists from lawful combatants... States that do not recognize a claim to self-determination will claim that those using force against the State’s military forces are necessarily terrorists...The controversy over the exact meaning, content, extent and beneficiaries of, as well as the means and methods utilized to enforce the right to self-determination has been the major obstacle to the development of both a comprehensive definition of terrorism and a comprehensive treaty on terrorism..." Terrorism and Human Rights  Final Report of the Special Rapporteur, Kalliopi K. Koufa,  25 June 2004

"Throwing a bomb is bad,
Dropping a bomb is good;
Terror, no need to add,
Depends on who's wearing the hood."
R.Woddis 'Ethics for Everyman'
quoted by Igor Primoratz in State Terrorism & Counter Terrorism

Mr. Rajapaksa said that �the military operations directed against the LTTE are not intended to harass Tamil civilians or cause any harm or hardship to them.�

Comment by tamilnation.org

Sri Lanka Army DPU Claymore Mine attack on Civilians

ஓ....எங்கள் குரல் கேட்கிறதா ?.

....Father M.X.Karunaratnam, Sivanesan Markandu Suman (25)  Pushparaja Jeyanthan (28), Soosaippillai Anton (54) , Arulvaasagam Rosani (31), Charles Joseph Rosanraj(24), Masanat Gilbert Dharsan (22), Antony Thadcruze Christine (26), Mary Angela (47), Mohamed Ali Nanthakumar (26), Kathiresan Ganesan, (43), Kandasamy Manoharan (28), Lawrence Mariyaselvam (32), Jeyachandran Prathap (29), Maiyoor Chandramohan (27), Devadas Christy Prasanna (26), Balasingham Surendran (25), Jesuthasan Jeyasuthan (25), Paramsamy Visaharan (25), Marimuththu Kumutharaj (28), Amirthalingam Alaheswaran (29), Pon Ganeshamoorthy, Manaval Claramma Leela (75), Jesuthasan Jude Nixon (23), Cyrilappar St.Jude (22)  Turairaja Vijekumar (39), Kodalingham Linganathan (20), Abdul Raheem Latheep (28) Mary Medaline (27), Moorthy Martin (35), Ann Nilxon (7), Ann Luxica(9), Ketheeswaran Yathursan (4 months), Ketheeswaran Thanushkanth (4), Palachamy Ketheeswaran (25), Ketheeswaran Anex Ester (23), Abraham Robinson (28), Sellathurai Amalathas (28), Kanesh Navaratnam (50) , Joseph Anthonymuttu ,(64) Sinnathurai Sivanesan (46, Murugesu Shanmugalingam(72), S Kantharoopan (29), Shanmugalingam Parameswari (65), Ratnam Senthuran (38), Somasuntharam Maheswary (60), Vanniasingham Vigneswaran, Thanuskodi  Premini,  Kasinather Ganesalingam, Thangarasa,  Shanmuganathan Sujendram, Thambiraja Vasantharajan, Kailayapillai Ravindran, Arunesarasa ,  Satheesharan, .Ramanathan Ratheeskumar, Thanuskodi  Premini, Kasinather Ganesalingam, Thangarasa, Shanmuganathan Sujendram,Thambiraja Vasantharajan, Kailayapillai Ravindran, Arunesarasa  Satheesharan, Thambiah Jeyarajah, Major Kapilan, Thambipillai Selvarajah, Ramalingam Suntheralingam, Kandasamy Vaikunthan, Anthonippillai Soosainather, Thevasahayampillai Jeyakumar Soosainather,  Subramaniam Sugirtharajan, Chandrakanthan Vijayatharson. Chandragajan Krishnagobi, Illayathamby Ramakrishnan, Thurairajah Ravichandran, Kanapathy Murugesu, Mariyanayagam Maruthanayagam, Suppiah Murugan, Sithambari Ganesaratnam, Visuvar Krishnan,  Bojan Renuka, Bojan Shanuka, Bojan Arthanageswary, Tharmarasan Tharmaseelan,  N Kandeepan ,T Tharmasri, Soosaithas K Marinthiran,  Sebastiampillai P Ruban,  Selvarajah Uthayarajah, S. Thanabalasingham, Balakrishnan Rajeevmohan, Parimalarajah Robinson, Iyathurai Baskaran, Thangathurai Sivanantha,  Logithasan Rohanth,  Shanmugarajah Sajeenthiran,  Manoharan Rajeehar, Yogarajah Hemachandran, Thambirajah Arulajanthan, Joseph Pararajasingham, Jude Sugathy (Theresa) Croos , Jude Arokiyathass Fernando, Emmani Croos, Emmani Anthonikkam Croos, Nadararajah Sivakadadcham , Dharmaretnam Sivaram, Aiyathurai Nadesan, Kumaravel Thambaiah and, over the years, thousands more murdered by Sri Lanka authorities.

His government was doing, and would do, everything in its power �to mitigate and resolve the plight of the civilians displaced or affected by the conflict.� In addition to ensuring that food, medicines, and other essential commodities were �within the reach of every one of our Tamil brethren affected by the conflict,� it would rehabilitate �every civilian affected by the conflict in a fair and transparent manner.�

Comment by tamilnation.org   "Food, medicines, and other essential commodities were within the reach of every one of our Tamil brethren affected by the conflict�. Really?

"There was a mother with two children who had little bread for dinner and didn’t have anything for breakfast and lunch on the following day. The neighboring family knowing their pathetic situation gave them little rice on a plate. The mother asked children to eat it but they refused and asked mother to eat it. It is wonderful to see love and concern for each other not diminished, amidst such unbearable suffering and tragic situation of life. These are a few experiences and facts that I got during my short stay in Jaffna. ..We call ourselves Christians. We proclaim that we follow Jesus who lived and died for the oppressed. Isn’t it a crime for us to call ourselves Christians and to live as deaf and blind people amidst our oppressed Tamil brothers and sisters who cry for freedom to live in peace in their own land and homes? You may not agree with me but I would say this is a wiping out or slow genocide of the Tamil people from their own land.....We call ourselves Christians. We proclaim that we follow Jesus who lived and died for the oppressed. Isn�t it a crime for us to call ourselves Christians and to live as deaf and blind people amidst our oppressed Tamil brothers and sisters who cry for freedom to live in peace in their own land and homes? You may not agree with me but I would say this is a wiping out or slow genocide of the Tamil people from their own land..." Jaffna Peninsula: A land of terror, uncertainty, suspicion and death - A Letter from Fr. Terence Fernando, February 2008

And a picture speaks a thousand words...

the Internally Displaced....

The Sri Lankan President expressed happiness over �the positive and constructive outcome� of the discussions his Special Envoy, Basil Rajapaksa, had in New Delhi with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and senior Indian officials.

Comment by tamilnation.org  �the positive and constructive outcome�...

�We have a very comprehensive relationship with Sri Lanka. In our anxiety to protect the civilians, we should not forget the strategic importance of this island to India's interests,... especially in view of attempts by countries like Pakistan and China to gain a strategic foothold in the island nation...Colombo had been told that India would "look after your security requirements, provided you do not look around". "We cannot have a playground of international players in our backyard." Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee 24 October 2008

He welcomed India�s decision to contribute, as a gesture of goodwill, 800 tonnes of relief material for the affected civilians in the North. He appreciated Tamil Nadu�s offer to make an additional contribution to this humanitarian endeavour.

Comment by tamilnation.org

"'India loves to play all sides, and has always done that,' said Reva Bhalla, an analyst with the U.S. private intelligence firm Stratfor.  'They can cater to the Tamil politicians and benefit from the Tigers' military capability going down without taking too much political risk.'  Underscoring India's dual-track approach to Sri Lanka, furious denials erupted from Colombo and New Delhi last month after two Indian radar technicians were injured in a Tiger assault on a Sri Lankan military base. Rajapaksa later said the men were providing after-sales service to radars India's Bharat Electronics sold to the military. India has also helped Sri Lanka intercept Tiger boats, which it considers a threat to national security..." C. Bryson Hull in India Rumbles over Sri Lanka war, but to what end?, 17 October 2008

"While India wants to retain its hold in South Asia by helping Sri Lanka with arms, Sri Lanka would use the same arms against innocent Tamils in the name of war against LTTE. And neither would India ask Sri Lanka to stop the attacks. And all this while, the Tamil Nadu government would be shedding crocodile tears."  Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK ) leader Vijayakant On Karunanidhi's Farce, 30 October 2008

"DMK கட்சியின் கோரிக்கை அல்ல மக்களின் வேண்டுகோள்... கருணை உள்ளம் கொண்டு, கண்ணீர் வடிப்போருக்கு உதவிட முற்படுவதைக் குறைகூறுவதே ஒரு பெருங்குற்றமாகும். ஆனால், இதற்குள் அரசியல் கேள்விகள் அடங்கியுள்ளன... இப்போது நன்கொடை வசூல், தானம் உதவி என்று தமிழக முதல்வர் தொடங்கி யிருக்கிறார். இவை எப்படி அங்கு போய்ச் சேரும்? யார் இதை அவதிப்பட்ட மக்களுக்கு வழங்குவது? மத்திய அரசு, இலங்கைக்குத் தொடர்ந்து ராணுவ உதவி செய்வதால், இலங்கைத் தமிழ் மக்களைக் கொன்று குவிக்கத் துணை புரியும், டில்லியிடம் மன்றாட மக்கள் தயாராக இல்லை... மத்திய அரசைக் காப்பதா?  இலங்கைத் தமிழ் மக்களைக் காப்பதா? என்பதை முதல்வரின் முடிவுக்கே விட்டுவிடலாம்.."  மத்திய அரசைக் காப்பதா?  இலங்கைத் தமிழ் மக்களைக் காப்பதா? - Janasakthi, Indian Communist Party Official Daily, Editorial, 30 October 2008

President Rajapaksa put on record his respect for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, �one of India�s senior-most politicians,� and his appreciation of Mr. Karunanidhi�s thoughts and proposals for �a just political solution of the current conflict within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka.� He said he would like to convey through the Government of India his wish to invite Chief Minister Karunanidhi to visit Sri Lanka.

Comment by tamilnation.org  "Today, Tamil Nadu appears headed for revolutionary political changes in a culmination of a combination of events: For one, the two main Dravidian political outfits � Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), headed by three-time chief minister M Karunanidhi and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), headed by former two-term CM Jayalalitha � are both reeling under overwhelming outrage among the Tamil population...The ground reality in Tamil Nadu is that almost every Tamil � belonging to whatever religion or strata � has a primary affinity to other Tamil-speaking people of whatever domicile or religion. .. Dravidian leaders, in their zeal to get on the right side of Delhi bosses, are seen to be conniving with New Delhi�s policy of aiding Sri Lankan government in exterminating Tamils..."  Natteri Adigal in  Merinews, Tamil Nadu Going Eelam Way?  9 October 2008

Asked about the contours of the political solution he had in mind, Mr. Rajapaksa explained his four �Ds� approach � Demilitarisation, Democratisation, Development, and Devolution. When the 13th Amendment was introduced in the Sri Lankan Constitution at the instance of the Indian government, it could not be implemented in the North and the East because �there was no political will on either side to implement it.� But as a political leader, he had announced his government�s �intention of implementing this for the first time. We have given that assurance to the Tamil people of my country and to the international community. We are going to do it. This is not to satisfy anybody. It is my duty by the people of this country.�

Comment by tamilnation.org

"The Government of India Act enacted by the British in 1935 was described by the biographer of Subhas Chandra Bose as 'one of history's most sophisticated attempts by an occupying power to perpetuate its alien rule and yet appear not to do so'. The 13th Amendment to the Sri Lanka Constitution is no less sophisticated in its efforts to perpetuate Sinhala rule of the people of Tamil Eelam and yet appear not to do so.

There are some who may describe the 13th Amendment as a constitutional sleight of hand par excellence. But, that is to put too fine a point on the matter. The blunt reality is that those who proclaim that the 13th Amendment is intended to share power between the Tamil people and the Sinhala people, are, to use a colloquialism, 'trying to pull a fast one' on the Tamil people.

Under the 13th Amendment power will continue to reside in a Sinhala dominated Central government, within the frame of an unitary constitution. The 13th Amendment is intended to secure a constitutional frame which will enable a Sinhala majority to manage the Tamil people more effectively than before.

It has created Provincial Ministers who will not exercise executive power but who will have executive power exercised 'through' them!. At the same time it has created a Provincial Governor appointed by the Sinhala President who will exercise executive power in respect of provincial matters - a Provincial Governor who is also the administrative head of the provincial public service and who has control of the Provincial Finance Fund. And the 13th Amendment has created a Provincial Council without control of planning, without control of the provincial budget, without control of police and public order within the province, without control of disposition of state land within the province, without control of higher education and whose remaining meagre legislative powers are subject to the over riding will of the Central Parliament. Finally, the provisions of the Provincial Councils Act itself may be amended from time to time by a simple majority of members present and voting in Parliament!"  Thirteenth Amendment to Sri Lanka Constitution
- Devolution or Comic Opera Nadesan Satyendra, March 1988

Sri Lanka�s fifth executive President pointed out that his government was implementing the interim proposals of the All Party Representative Committee. Within one year of clearing the Eastern Province, local and Provincial Council elections were successfully held, a Tamil Chief Minister was in office, and development work had been taken up on a priority basis.

Comment by tamilnation.org  "...whilst the current landscape in the East is one of humanitarian crisis and endemic human rights abuses, the current focus on human rights issues, which whilst performing the essential task of exposing the authoritarianism and violence of the current regime, is insufficient to capture the cold calculations and reasoning in the intentions of the Sri Lankan State which has once again returned to the the logic of Sinhala colonisation.." David Rampton, Lecturer, SOAS, University of London

He would now set up a committee to benchmark the devolution process in the Eastern Province (against what other Provinces enjoyed).