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TAMIL NATIONAL FORUM - 2006
From: Alex Doss, USA 27 December
2006
Tamil Eelam and the
U.S. Declaration of Independence
In United States history it was July 4th,
1776 when Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence for the
separation of the13 colonies from Great Britain. This
Declaration was a list of grievances against King George
III of England. After endorsement of this Declaration of
Independence came the American Revolution. This list of
grievances of the early Americans is parallel to that of
the Tamil people Northeast of Sri Lanka. The Tamils have
similar grievances against the Sri Lankan government
which the early Americans went through over 200 years
ago. The only difference is that during the American
Revolution, it was a war between Englishmen. In Sri
Lanka, it is between two separate distinct civilizations
whose ancestry dates back for more than two thousand
years.
During the early American Independence Movement,
General George Washington was looked at as a terrorist in
the eyes of the British who were oppressing the people he
was defending. Likewise, the Sinhala government which
oppresses the people of the Tamil nation views General
Velupillai Pirabaharan as a threat to them. Therefore a
freedom fighter is a "patriot" to the oppressed and a
"terrorist" to the oppressors.
Some people may argue that independence movements are
a thing of the past. However, since 1990, thirty-one new
countries have been created (1). The most recent nation
to gain independence was Montenegro on June 4th, 2006
(2). Prior to Montenegro was the independence of East
Timor on May 20th, 2002 with the blessings of
the international community. To those who say that Sri
Lanka is too small a nation to have two separate states,
there are a few dozen countries smaller than the Tamil
homeland Northeast of Sri Lanka. Singapore is one of
them.
There are also those who say that genocide does not
happen anymore like what happened in Nazi Germany during
WWI or during the Vietnam War era. However, there
are countries at present which undergo
�genocide in places like the Congo,
Chechnya, and Sudan (3). Sadly, we do not hear of the
genocide in Sri Lanka which has been unleashed upon the
Tamil people for decades through the governments state
sponsored terrorism. The
following quotes below are excerpts from the United
States Declaration of Independence along with the
grievances of the Tamil nation.
DENIAL OF
RIGHTS:
1. U.S
Declaration of Independence Indictment:
�He has
forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and
pressing importance, unless suspended in their
operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when
so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to
them. Furthermore, He has refused to pass other Laws
for the accommodation of large districts of people,
unless those people would relinquish the right of
Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable
to them and formidable to tyrants
only.� (4)
Similarly, since
the time the British left, the Sinhala government had
refused to pass laws to grant the Tamils Northeast of Sri
Lanka representation and equal treatment. On July 7 1956,
a bill was passed making Sinhalese the only official
language of the country (5), thus marginalizing the
Tamil population Northeast of Sri Lanka. The Banda � Chelva B-C
pact and Dudley � Chelva
D-C pact were offered to the Tamils only to be thrown
out by the same government (6) offering these so called
proposals.
2. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�He has dissolved Representative
Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his
invasions on the rights of the
people.� (7)
As with the
Tamil case in Sri Lanka, one year after the 2002
ceasefire, the Interim Self Governing
Authority
I.S.G.A. was presented to the
Government of Sri Lanka GOSL by the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE representatives of the
people. On Oct of 2003, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga suspended
parliament, and dismissed three ministers and the ISGA
was dismissed with the help of
Kumaratunga�s new allies, the Marxist
Sinhala Nationalist known as the Janatha Vimukthi
Permuna JVP, and the Buddhist clergy political party
called Jathika
Hela Urumaya JHU. Similar actions by the Sri Lankan government
have occurred during the past failed peace talks (8).
3. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�He has
endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for
that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of
Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their
migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new
Appropriations of Lands.�
(9)
Upon Independence from Britain in 1948, the Sri
Lankan government denied citizenship to the upland Tamil
plantation workers, who went there from Tamil Nadu
during the period of 1825 - 1840s (10).
ILLEGAL OCCUPATION:
4. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�He has erected a multitude of New
Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our
people and eat out their
substance.� (11)
Paramilitary
groups such as the EPDP, PLOTE, EPRLF, and the more
recent Karuna group have been used by the Sri Lankan
government to wage a shadow war against the Tamils. Acts
of violence and harassment committed against innocent
civilians at Sri Lankan
Army SLA checkpoints, and
assassinations of prominent Tamil representatives (12)
have been the common activities of these groups. While
paramilitaries are being used for the violent part of the
governments further marginalizing of the Tamils, other
collaborators such as Douglas Devananda of the
Eelam Peoples Democratic
Party EPDP,
Veerasingham Anandasangaree of the Tamil United Liberation Front TULF, and Hoole of the University Teachers for Human Rights -
Jaffna UTHRJ are being used to
mislead the international community about the situation
in Sri Lanka. During early American history, those who
were used by the British government to undermine the
American Independence Struggle were called
Torries. Just last year the British
Broadcasting Corporation BBC put out an article in
regards to the national Sri Lankan elections. In the
article V. Anandasangaree claiming to know what is good
for the Tamils has even stated that if a solution to the
ethnic crisis is acceptable by the JVP, then it is good
for the Tamil people!
5. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�He has
kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without
the Consent of our
legislature.� (13)
In 1961, the
Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency and
for the first time dispatched military
troops to occupy the Tamil areas Northeast of Sri
Lanka. This was in the wake of a mass non-violent protest
Satyagraha in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and
Batticaloa causing the entire Northeast to shut down
(14).
6. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�He has combined with others to
subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution,
and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to
their Acts of pretended Legislation. For quartering large
bodies of armed troops among
us.� (15)
Thousands of Tamil
civilians have been displaced from their homes, only to
have the Sri Lankan military to be quartered in their
former dwelling places. Today, there are
�over 40,000 government troops illegally
residing in Jaffna (16), while at
present, 61,000 Sri
Lankan Tamils are living in 103 government-run refugees
camps in the South Indian state of Tamil
Nadu� (17).
GENOCIDE:
7. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�For protecting them, by a mock
Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should
commit on the Inhabitants of these
States.� (18)
The Sri Lankan
military has been responsible for literally thousands of
grave human rights abuses equating to genocide on the
Tamil civilian population Northeast of Sri Lanka. From
the raping of our Tamil women and young girls to the
butchering of innocent men, women, and children all in
the name of defending their so called territorial
sovereignty which was basically handed over to them by
the former Crown of England. All these perpetrators have
been protected by the Sri Lankan government. A
most recent example of this was the brutal executions of
the 15 aid workers from Action against Hunger in
the town of Muttur on August 08, 2006 and the delaying of
the investigations (19).
8. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�For cutting off our Trade with all
parts of the world.�
(20)
Trade may not be
the issue in this case. However, they have imposed heavy
embargoes on food, medicine, and other supplies to the
Northeast for over the past 20 years. These embargos have violated the most basic
international charts and conventions governing human
rights, including the articles of the Geneva Convention
governing the treatment of civilians during
wartime (21). After the devastating
tsunami of December 26, 2004, the government of Sri Lanka
has prevented the flow of tsunami aid to Tamil areas
(22). Furthermore, the Sri Lankan military and police
have stopped truckloads of aid destined for the Northeast
and reverted them to the Sinhala community. Tsunami aid
coming in from all over the world destined for the
Northeast was even taxed by the government. Container
loads of medicine, clothing, and other aid materials were
halted for several weeks in the Colombo airport.
9. U.S
Declaration of Independence
Indictment:
�For depriving us in many cases, of
the benefit of Trial by Jury. For transporting us beyond
Seas to be tried for pretended
offences.� (23)
The
Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979, deprived the
Tamil population the right of Trial by Jury.
Further more, this
resulted in many abuses by the security forces such as
extrajudicial killings, disappearances, abuses of
detainees, and arbitrary arrest and detention
(24). Thousands of innocent Tamils
have been accused falsely of crimes they have not
committed. Many have been arrested without warrant and
held for numerous months (25).
10. U.S
Declaration of Independence Indictment:
�He has abdicated
Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection
and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas,
ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lives of our people.�
(26)
The Government
of Sri Lanka has waged a war against the Tamil people
Northeast of Sri Lanka from the day it first deployed its
troops in the Tamil homeland back in 1961 till present.
Violent anti-Tamil riots exploded in the island in
1956, 1958,
1961, 1974,
1977, 1979,
1981, and in July 1983 (27). Numerous homes and shops
destroyed thousands raped and butchered, and hundreds of
thousands displaced. Many of whom have sought refuge
throughout the world today. Even during cease-fire, the
government of Sri Lanka has continued its aerial
bombardment campaigns in the Tamil dominated areas of the
Northeast. The BBC reported on August 14, 2006 that the
Sri Lankan air force had bombarded a girls school in the
North killing 61 schoolgirls, and injuring 150
other children (28). This was condemned by Tamil Nadu
with various protest rallies throughout most of the state
(29). The Sri Lankan Defense spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in an interview has
accused the girls of being child soldiers. Rambukwella
also referred to a statement by the UNICEF to the effect
that the LTTE has conscripted 1,347 children and they
were being trained to fight. In his words he stated that
"to us they are terrorists and when they come to kill
our soldiers, does the UNICEF expect us to pamper them.
What matters is not their age or gender, but what they
do" (30).
11. U.S
Declaration of Independence Indictment:
�He is at this
time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to
complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny,
already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy
scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and
totally unworthy the Head of a civilized
nation.� (31)
At present, the
Sri Lankan government is stocking up on its weaponry and
personnel in the Jaffna peninsula. They are conducting
attacks on the forward defense lines from outside of
their posts and thus using breaching the cease fire
agreement signed between the government and the LTTE. The
Sri Lankan military are making excuses not to open up the
A-9 freeway to bring some sort of normalcy to the people
of the North in order to continue their military buildup.
The A-9 freeway is the only major road link connecting
the LTTE controlled areas in the north with the rest of
the island.
12. U.S
Declaration of Independence -
Indictment:
�He has constrained our fellow
Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms
against their Country, to become the executioners of
their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by
their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections
amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the
inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian
Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an
undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and
conditions.� (32)
Since the
breakaway of Karuna in 2004, Ranil Wikramasinghe and his
United National Party UNP government
had a hand in aiding the Karuna
paramilitary group to stage
attacks on the LTTE in the Eastern areas of Batticaloa,
Trincomalee, and Amaparai. Unarmed civilians too have
been victims of this government sponsored incitement
(33). This was done during the ceasefire! There have also
been several assassinations on prominent members in
the Tamil National Alliance TNA and Tamil
community leaders. The government has done nothing to
investigate these murders. One of the promises made by
the Government of Sri Lanka during the first round of
talks in Geneva this year was to reign in on
paramilitaries. So far, Rajapakse�s
government has not lived up to its word.
13. U.S
Declaration of Independence �
Indictment:
�in every stage of these
oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most
humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered
only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is
thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is
unfit to be the ruler of a free
people.� (34)
The Tamil leadership under Velupillai Pirabaharan had
petitioned, and warned the government time and again of
attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable
Jurisdiction over them. The government of Sri Lanka has
been reminded of the Circumstances, and of the Tamils
Right to Self Determination.
CONCLUSION:
U.S. Declaration of Independence �
Denunciation:
�Nor have we been wanting in
Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them
from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to
extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have
reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and
Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice
and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of
our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which,
would inevitably interrupt our Connections and
Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of
Justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore,
acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our
Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of
Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace,
Friends.� (35)
The government of Sri Lanka has deliberately shunned
away from the Voice of Justice and has silenced the cries
of the suffering through censorship of media over the
past two decades. Furthermore, for over half a century
the cries, sufferings, and pains of our Tamil brethren
have fallen on deaf years of the international community.
The Sri Lankan government is heading down the road of
destruction in which it shall soon end up destroying
itself. In the theological aspect of this, Pharaoh of
Egypt was reluctant to let the Hebrews leave his land
while keeping them in bondage. Moses was sent several
times to warn Pharaoh of the circumstances if he did not
let his people go. Several times Pharaoh did not listen,
and several times Egypt was plagued with famine. Finally
the last curse on Egypt came forth out of Pharaohs very
own mouth resulting in the entire first born of Egypt to
die including his own son. It was after that drastic
event which took place when the Hebrews were finally set
free to the Promised Land.
Since the ceasefire of February 22, 2002,
Ranil Wickramasinghe has brought deceit
to the Tamil people, and his successor Mahinda Rajapakse
has brought about death and
destruction.
�The thief commeth not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to
destroy��
� John 10:10
It is therefore time that the Tamil people say
enough is enough. Yesterday was the day of sorrows, today
is the day of declaration for freedom from bondage, and
tomorrow shall be the day of rejoicing for the rebirth of
a nation Northeast outside of Sri Lanka called TAMIL
EELAM!
Sources:
(1) Rosenburg, Matt.
�The 31 New Countries Created Since
1990� New Countries of the
World. About Geography. 22 November 2006.
Retrieved 29 November
2006
(2) Wood, Nicholas. Pro-Independence Movement Leads in
Montenegro. The
New York Times. 22 May 2006.
Retrieved 29 November 2006
(3) Responding to Threats of
Genocide Today. United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum. Retrieved on 29 November
2006
(4) 
(5) Peebles, Patrick.The History of Sri Lanka (The
Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations) (6)
Ponnambalam, Satchi. Sri Lanka: The National Question and the
Tamil Liberation Struggle London: Zed Books. 1983.
p. 110.
(7) Ellis, Joseph J. p.
4.
(8) Arivalan.
�ISGA Proposals and
Precedence.� Norwegian Peace
Initiative. Tamilnation.org. 28 Dec 2003.
Retrieved 29 November
2006
(9) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 4.
(10) Balasingham, Anton. War and
Peace. Fairmax Publishing Ltd.: London. 2004. p.
4.
(11) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 4.
(12) �LTTE
Report on Sri Lanka Paramilitary
Forces.� Sunday Leader.
Tamilnation.org. 5 March 2006.
Retrieved 29 November
2006
(13) Ellis, Joseph J. p.
4.
(14) Ponnambalam, Satchi. pp. 105 &
106.
(15) Ellis, Joseph J. p.
4.
(16) Outbreak of war predicted. The
Morning Leader. 18 January 2006. Retrieved
29 November 2006 .
(17) Sri Lankan Refugees in India: Hesitant to
return. Refugees International. 20
January 2004.
Retrieved 29 November 2006
(18) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 4.
(19) Aid workers� bodies to
be exhumed. British Broadcasting Corporation. 14
October 2006. Retrieved
29 November 2006.
(20) Ellis, Joseph J. p.
4.
(21) Suntharalingam, Dr. Shiamala.
�Sri Lanka's Genocidal War - '95 to
'01.� Indictment Against Sri
Lanka. Tamilnation.org.
(22) Peebles, Patrick. pp. 133 &
134.
(23) Ellis, Joseph J. p.
4.
(24) Peebles, Patrick. pp. 174 &
175.
(25) Ponnambalam, Satchi. pp. 201 &
202.
(26) Ellis, Joseph J. p.
5.
(27)
Balasingham, Anton. p. 9.
(28) Sri Lanka strike
�hits orphanage�.
British Broadcasting Corporation. 14 August
2006.
Retrieved 29 November 2006
(29)
61 schoolgirls killed, 129 wounded in air
strike.
Tamil Info Service. 17 August 2006.
Retrieved 29 November
2006
(30) Gunaratna, Harischandra. �Govt.
dismisses SLMM claim on Mullaitivu
bombings� Lanka Web.
Retrieved 29 November 2006
(31) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 5.
(32) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 5.
(33) We trapped and split LTTE, sank their
ships, says UNP. Tamil Net. 08 November 2005.
Retrieved 29 November 2006
(34) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 5.
(35) Ellis, Joseph J. p. 5.
From: Sujay Rao,
27 December
2006
On the Unity of India
While I respect your culture and language, I cannot agree with some Tamils views that India is an
artificial country. Only a fool would call India a
homogenous country. However India is an aggregation of
inter-related cultures. Therefore why should any Tamil
be against India? Some common points of Tamil and
Indo-Aryan cultures
� While Tamil is the oldest living
Indian language, the present script is clearly related
to Brahmi . This is the opinion of several experts. As
a matter of fact, the letter arrangement is exactly the
same.
� Bhakti , Paatam (lesson) , Sathyam,
Jananaakam, Maaverar, Maanagaram, Raja, Rani, ettu
(aat, ashta), madhiya, seekram, swargam, narakam and
thousands more are clearly related to Indo-Aryan
languages. However, the direction of flow is not clear.
Different words may have their origin in different
sources and some may be of Dravidian origin.
� Tamils are clearly related to other
Dravidian people. eg Telegus. Telegus are hybrids.
While they are ethnically Dravidians, most aspects of
their culture are from North India (eg Vedas:
Punjab)
� Again, many people of the Jharkhand,
Chattisgarh belt are clearly Dravidians
� The religion of the Tamils has
several common points with the religions of the
Gangetic plain eg Siva, Ganesha are worshipped in the
north. There is a Thiruppurasundari Temple in
Rajasthan
� All Tamils are not ethnically
Dravidians
� Many north Indians worship in
temples in Tamilnadu
� There have been significant cultural
exchanges eg Agastiyar�s visit to the
south. Tamil kings mentioned in Sanskrit epics such as
the Mahabharata as allies.
� Some more common points: Greeting
style, Food habits, Dress . In other words, India is a
collection of inter-related cultures.
What we need is a Unity in Diversity model and India is
slowly moving in this direction. Although this will
take time, we must all chalk out a strategy and make
this happen. Please refer the following links
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=342860&sid=NAT
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200612031140.htm
http://www.business-standard.com/opinionanalysis/storypage.php?leftnm=4&subLeft=2&chklogin=N&autono=268217&tab=r
http://www.indiaenews.com/politics/20061106/27718.htm
Please post this on your site for a debate.
Response by tamilnation.org The matters raised
by Sunjay Rao are important and need to be addressed.
He is right to point out that the Tamil national
identity has often been linked to ideas of 'race'. If
Hitler was wrong to found his political ideology on
theories of the 'Aryan' race it seems that it is
equally erronoeous to found the Tamil national identity
on the basis of a 'Dravidian' race. We take the view
that both approaches are 'racist'. A nation is not a
race.
In the sense that India was in some ways a creation
of British rule, it may be seen by some as an
'artificial country'. But in that sense all states are
'artificial' creations. States do not just happen.
It is right that India needs Unity in
Diversity. India is not only an aggregation of
inter-related cultures but it is also
an aggregation of separate national formations - not
dissimilar to the European Union of today. India is a
multi national state. We ourselves believe that the
unity of India will be secured only if we take on board
the views which Pramatha Chauduri expressed more than
80 years ago -
"...It is not a bad thing to try and weld many
into one but to jumble them all up is dangerous,
because the only way we can do that is by force. If
you say that this does not apply to India, the reply
is that if self determination is not
suited to us, then it is not suited at all to Europe.
No people in Europe are as different, one from
another, as our people. There is not that much
difference between England and Holland as there is
between Madras and Bengal. Even France and Germany
are not that far apart. If some of our politicians
shudder at the mention of provincial patriotism, it
is because their beliefs smack of narrow national
selfishness.To be united due to outside pressure and
to unite through mutual regard are not the same. Just
as there is a difference between the getting together
of five convicts in a jail and between five free men,
so the Congress union of the various nations of India
and tomorrow's link between the peoples of a free
country will be very different. Indian patriotism
will then be built on the foundation of provincial
patriotism, not just in words but in reality."
Our own views were reflected in Tamil Eelam, Kurds and Bhutan,
written twenty years ago in 1985:
"...The growing togetherness
of the Tamil people, is but a step in the growth of a
larger unity. We know that in the end, national
freedom can only be secured by a voluntary pooling of
sovereignties, in a regional, and ultimately in a
world context. Let us say that we recognize that our
future lies with the peoples of the Indian region and
the path of a greater and a larger Indian union is
the direction of that future. It is a union that will
reflect the compelling and inevitable need for a
common market and a common defence and will be rooted
in the common heritage that we share with our
brothers and sisters of not only Tamil Nadu but also
of India. It is a shared heritage that we freely
acknowledge and it is a shared heritage from which we
derive strength."
Sujay Rao is right to question: "why should any
Tamil be against India?". The answer is that there
should be no reason for any
Tamil to be against India. Equally there should be no
reason for any Indian to be against the struggle of the
people of Tamil Eelam for freedom - especially, given
the Sri Lanka's record of ethnic cleansing during the
past fifty years and more - a Sri Lanka where the
intent and goal of all Sinhala governments (without
exception) has been to secure the island as a Sinhala Buddhist Deepa. Rule by a
permanent Sinhala ethnic majority within the confines
of a single state is the dark side of democracy in Sri
Lanka. There may be a need to recognise that a people's struggle
for freedom is a nuclear energy and that the
Fourth World is a part of today's
enduring political reality. India may need to adopt a
more 'principle centred' approach towards struggles for
self determination in the Indian region. A myopic
approach, apart from anything else, will serve only to
encourage the very outside 'pressures' which may
threaten the unity of India.
From: Mathini
Sreetharan,
மாதினி
சிறீதரன்,
USA 29 November 2006
நீதிக்கு
இங்கெ
பொருள்
என்ன?
நீதியின்
கரங்கள்
எத்தனை
நீளம்?
அநீதியை
அழிக்கப்
போதுமா
தூரம்?
நீதியின்
காவலா,
ஆண்டவா
கூறு!
அநீதியோ
தமிழனாய்ப்
பிறந்தது
என்று.
உரிமையைக்
கெட்டால்
பயங்கரவாதி.
தமிழன்
என்றால்
இன்னொரு
நீதி.
உணவினை
மறுத்து
மருந்தினை
நிறுத்தி
துவக்கினைக்
காட்டுது
இலங்கை
அரசு.
இரவும்
பகலும்
வெடி
குண்டுகளாலே
பரவலாய்த்
தூவுது
குடிசைகள்
மேலே
குடும்பமாய்
அழிகிறோம்,
தனியனாய்
அழுகிறோம்.
முடிவெது
என்று
கெட்கிறோம்
நாங்கள்.
அன்னையும்
அப்பரும்
பந்தமும்
பாசமும்
வெடியுடன்
சிதறியே
முடிந்ததைக்
கண்டு
என்ன
நாம்
செய்து
இப்படி
நடந்தது
என்றென்று
அழுகுது
தப்பிய
குழந்தைகள்.
பதிலென்ன
இதற்குச்
சொல்லிவிடு
இறைவா,
எங்களின்
வாழ்க்கையின்
கருத்தென்ன?
பிள்ளைகள்
வளர
இடமில்லை
இங்கு.
நீதிக்கு
இங்கெ
பொருள்
என்ன
சொல்லு.
comment by tamilnation.org
"We are fully aware that the world is not rotating on
the axis of human justice. Every country in this world
advances its own interests. It is the economic and
trade interests that determine the order of the present
world, not the moral law of justice nor the rights of
people. International relations and diplomacy
between countries are determined by such interests.
Therefore we cannot expect an immediate recognition of
the moral legitimacy of our cause by the international
community... In reality, the success of our struggle
depends on us, not on the world. Our success depends on
our own efforts, on our own strength, on our own
determination." (Velupillai
Pirabakaran, Maha Veera Naal Address - November
1993)
From: அன்புதாசன்,
வடமராட்சி,
15 November 2006
சாவிலும்
வாழ்வோம்
தமிழா
உன்; மனதை
கீறிவைத்து
விடுதலை
என்ற
விதைபோட்டாய்-அது
தசாப்த
காலம்
இரண்டு
கடந்து
விருட்சமாய்
உலகம்
வியாபிக்கிது
சாவில்
தோய்த
எம்தேசத்தின்
வாழ்வுகள்
சாவுமணி
அடிக்கும்
வல்லாதிக்க
பயங்கரவாதத்திற்கு
மனமே ஓ
தமிழ்
மனமே
உரக்க
கூவுங்கள்
மரத்துபோன
மனங்களுள்
(எம்)உண்மையை
உணர்துவதற்கு
ஒற்றுமையின்
தேசத்தில்
நின்று
எடுத்துரைத்தோம்
எம்முறவுப்பாலத்தின்
ஒரே
தெருவை
திறக்க
ஒற்றுமைத்
தேசமும்
சேர்ந்து
கப்பல்
விடுதாம்
எம்முயிர்களைக்காவும்
சிங்களத்தை
மூடி
மறைக்க
கருவறையின்
நிசப்தத்தில்
துங்கும்
மழழையும்
கருவுடலாய்
நிரந்தரத்தில்
அங்கு
துயிலுது
கல்லறையகும்
எம்நோயாளர்
கட்டிடம்கூட
கணவான்கள்
கண்களை
ஏன்
மறைக்கிது
சமாதானத்திற்கான
தார்மீக
போரம்
தமிழர்மீது
சர்வதேசத்திடம்
சிங்களம்
தட்டேந்துது
பயங்கரவாதத்தை
அழிக்கும்
போராம்
சர்வதேசம்
பட்டாயுதம்
வழங்குது
சிங்களத்திற்க்கு
விடியல்
ஒவ்வொன்றும்
புதிதாதாய்
புலரும்போதும்
விடுதலையாயிராதோ
என
ஏங்கும்
தமிழினமே
சாவிலும்
வாழும்
இவ்வொற்றுமைப்
புலம்பல்போதும்
சாயம்
களரும்
எம்மீதகிலத்தின்
பயங்கரவாதக்கோசம்
உயிர்
தாங்கி
செதுக்கும்
பளிங்குச்சிலையில்
ஒளிவிளங்கும்
ஒருகாலம்
விடுதலையில்
உளிகொண்டு
உருக்குலைந்த
உள்ளங்கள்-அதில்
குளிர்
காயும்
நிலையான
சுகம்
காண
From: Himanshu B [[email protected]] 6 November 2006
Response by tamilnation.org You may find the
article Tamil Nation & the
Unity of India of interest - and it may clarify the
point that we sought to make by publishing Pramatha
Chauduri's essay on 'For Province Read Nation' which he
wrote in 1920. We quote here a short excerpt (though we
do feel that a reading of the entire article will be
helpful) -
More than 80 years ago, in 1920,
Pramatha Chaudhuri wrote an
article titled "Bengali Patriotism". It appeared in
the well known Bengali monthly, Sabuj Patra (Green
Leaves), which he edited. Pramatha Chaudhuri spoke as
a Bengali and wrote in Bengali, but that which he so
eloquently said would apply equally to the Tamils,
the Marathis, the Malayalees, and the other nations
of the Indian sub continent.
Chaudhuri described the various people of India as
different "nations" entitled to national self
determination. According to him the possibility of
harmony and co-operation was much more, if this
separateness was recognised rather than denied. He
declared that the unity of India will not come from
the efforts of "minds bred on English textbooks" and
insisted that that unity will be built only on the
foundation of "provincial patriotism". ..
True inter-dependence will come only between those
who are independent. Pramatha Chauduri's writing (in
the 1920s) remains essential reading today for all
us who regard ourselves as Indians and who are
concerned to secure and protect the unity that is
India... A stable unity will emerge only when New
Delhi acquires the vision and the strength to
structure a polity where the different peoples of the
sub continent (including those in the island of Sri
Lanka) may freely associate with each other in
equality and in freedom. The price of failure, will
be the disintegration of the Indian state because, in
the years ahead, the political awakening of the
different peoples of India will continue to gather
momentum - and this will be unstoppable...
The real political
question is not one of separation or division but one
of determining the terms on which different nations
may 'associate' with one another in equality and in
freedom - and this is the issue that the 21st
century may have to confront...
And, here we need to understand that the growing
togetherness of the Tamil people, is but a step in
the growth of a larger unity. The words of Sumantra
Bose in Reconceptualising State, Nation and
Sovereignty merit attention: "The clash between
the ever-increasing clamour of claims to nationhood
and aspirations to sovereignty, on the one hand. and
the persistence, indeed consolidation, of visions of
a monolithic, unitarian, and indivisible statehood,
on the other, certainly represents one of the most
striking contradictions, and one of the most
fundamental moral and ideological conflicts, of our
times... Demands for
'national self�determination' are in
one sense, therefore, also a struggle for a higher
form of democracy....The poetical and
philosophical vision that is required today has been
eloquently articulated, ironically enough, by radical Tamil nationalists
('chauvinists' and 'separatist terrorists', according
to the official wisdom)..."
It was a vision that was spelt out in Tamil Eelam, Kurds & Bhutan
in July 1985, and articulated on behalf of the Tamil
national movement at Thimpu in August 1985, more
than 15 years ago:"... we are not chauvinists.
Neither are we racists. The togetherness of the Tamil
people is not the expression of an exaggerated
nationalism. We do not say that our
language is the sweetest in the world but we do
say that our language is sweet to our ears. We do not
say that our culture is the oldest in the world
but we do say that it is a culture of great antiquity
and that it has made a rich contribution to the
world. We do not say that our thinkers are the most influential
that the world has known but we do say that their
thoughts have left the world with a greater
understanding of itself. We do not say that we are
the chosen people but we do say that we, too,
are a people, and that we are entitled to live
our lives in the way we choose.
The growing togetherness of the Tamil people, is
but a step in the growth of a larger unity. We
know that in the end, national freedom can only be
secured by a voluntary pooling of sovereignties, in a
regional, and ultimately in a world context. ... we
recognize that our future lies with the peoples of
the Indian region and the path of a greater and a
larger Indian union is the direction of that
future.
It is a union that will reflect the compelling and
inevitable need for a common market and a common
defence and will be rooted in the common heritage
that we share with our brothers and sisters of not
only Tamil Nadu but also of India. It is a shared
heritage that we freely acknowledge and it is a
shared heritage to which we have contributed and from
which we derive strength..."
It is this vision which has directed our efforts
in cyberspace during the past several months....The
break up of India, if it comes, will not come from
our efforts. It will come despite our efforts. It
will come from a failure of political leaders in
India to openly recognise that India is a multi
national state - and recognise the enduring wisdom of
the words of Pramatha Chaudhuri:
"...It is not a bad thing to try and weld many
into one but to jumble them all up is dangerous,
because the only way we can do that is by force. If
you say that this does not apply to India, the reply
is that if self determination is not suited to us,
then it is not suited at all to Europe. No people in
Europe are as different, one from another, as our
people. There is not that much difference between
England and Holland as there is between Madras and
Bengal. Even France and Germany are not that far
apart. If some of our politicians shudder at the
mention of provincial patriotism, it is because their
beliefs smack of narrow national selfishness."
more
From: Chandi Sinnathurai,
Tontaimannarru, TE, 3 November 2006
Sir: The line that you have drawn concerning
the question of peace is clearly a straight one.
Your position is, quite rightly, that the armed
struggle of the Eelamites "is NOT about securing
peace" (strictly speaking). More over you have
succinctly said that "It is not about changing the
character of Sinhala rule." So what's it all about?
The yearning of the Eelamites boils down to one thing
alone, and that is: To live in peace within "an
independent Tamil state" and to live alongside
peacefully "with an independent Sri Lanka." That
brings me to a perennial question that I have tried
to grapple with in my decrepit age: Why on earth
have we not made it clear each time we came around
the Table of negotiation chasing for that mirage of
elusive peace? Instead we were brought several times
to the cliff hanger situations in our Talks and to
babble this that but not "this" which you
have articulated. I'm sure the following video would
say something seriously important in a humorous way.
Thank you! - Video: Pirates and Emporers
From: S. Suthanthiram,
USA 23
October 2006
Sanctimonious predatory "democrats"!
The Eelam Tamils have the great misfortune of
sharing the island home with another tribe called the
Sinhalese who have the habit of choosing to be
governed by politicians whose political platform
consists entirely of Tamil baiting rhetoric. What
kind of edge does one Sinhala party then have over
the other at the hustings? It is the promise by one
party to more thoroughly deprive the Tamils of
whatever residual rights they might have left after
more than half a century of Sinhala "democracy".
Inevitably, the Sri Lankan electioning is a sort of
bidding war of escalating promises for the scalps of
the Tamils. That succinctly is the true nature of
what is called democracy by the denizens in the south
of the island. Even the last presidential (or
pestilential!) election was a replay of this
invariant theme, so dear to the heart of the Sinhala
electorate. Is this then the unspoken reason why the
Sinhala politicians would not let go of us?
Now, we hear laments from some quarters loudest
from the Sinhala south, about the lack of "democracy"
for the "poor Tamils" in the LTTE controlled areas.
In this the Sinhalese are either blithely ignorant of
the irony or are willfully cynical in a
Mephistophelean manner. I think it is the latter. If
the Tamil lambs are getting wet it is because they
would rather brave the weather than get eaten by the
Sinhala wolves. The wolf is now howling that the
lambs are getting wet! Just think about it!
For more than fifty years the Tamils have been
subjected to the Sinhala brand of "democracy". Over
this period the Sinhalese behavior was by all
accounts - predatory. The Sinhala politicians have,
up to this very minute, always
acted in bad faith towards the Tamils. So, even
as they talk about democracy and pluralism for the
Tamils that they themselves totally failed to
practise, hitherto particularly vis a vis the Tamils,
one can be dead certain that it is out of resolute
bad faith! During all the years of Sinhala
"democratic" governance not a single piece of
legislation had been enacted and implemented with the
welfare of the Tamils in mind, whereas all have been
intended to benefit the Sinhalese and to discriminate against the
Tamils. Clearly, therefore, in the view of the
Sinhala politicians, the raison detre of the Sri
Lankan government is to liquidate the Tamils. They
almost succeeded. Remember, anything that the Sinhala
politician says or does about the Tamils is with the
intent of destroying their collective identity and
ultimately individual existence; beware of the ever
present ulterior motives. There is, I fear, not a
semblance of humanity discernable in them which is
the basic ingredient of a democratic sensibility.
It is intriguing to know what construction that
Mr. Rajapakse puts on the words "democracy" and
"pluralism". Is it the Sinhala brand of democracy
like the Sinhala Buddhism totally unrecognizable from
the true traditions or some political arrangement to
sneak in his hatchet men, "Douglas", "Karuna" and
"Sangaree"? Whatever it is, his unsubtle intentions
are sinister and fraudulent. It is indeed pertinent
to point out that the Tamils have a far better, fairer and efficient
government right now under the LTTE than they
have in the GOSL occupied areas where murders, rapes,
disappearances arbitrary arrests and detentions,
arbitrary, unannounced closing of streets, economic
blockades, violent crimes of all types committed by
Sinhala armed forces and its paramilitary minions are
the order of the day.
Does Mr. Rajapakse have in mind this mode of
governance, the kind of democracy under Sinhala rule
for the Tamils? Or is he going to hedge and say,
despite fifty years of history to the contrary, the
failed governance is due to the freedom struggle on
the part of the Tamils? Then how is it that even
under a greater threat the LTTE is able to govern as
well as they do? Is he not disingenuous, then, to
complain about lack of "democracy" in the liberated
areas? The Sinhalese, history has shown, are totally
unqualified to talk about democracy to the Tamils.
We, certainly have the intellect, knowledge,
temperament and sensibilities to practice democracy
and wish to tell them hereby, in uncertain terms, to
keep their counsels to themselves. It is the very
fact of the involuntary nature of the association,
with the Sinhala nation that is the singular negation
of democracy for the Tamils.
There is no controversy about the desireability of
democracy. By God, we have been pleading for more
than fifty years with the Sinhalese to practice just
that! We deduce from experience that the Sinhala
leaders, including Rajapakse, have no idea what
democracy is. Thus to go on the bully pulpit at
international forums and accuse the LTTE of not
practising democracy is abysmal deceit and
charlententry. Rajapakse should, instead, sell snake
oil or become an evangelist! The LTTE is under
constant threat of annihilation by the Sinhala
government. The GOSL maintains squadrons of Kfir
bombers and attack helicopters that destroy
everything moving and otherwise in Tamil areas and
does this regularly. For the Tamils in the liberated
areas living is a struggle; yet the LTTE runs a
government, more just, more responsive and cleaner
than the chaotic, corrupt, criminal, failed GOSL.
The liberated areas under LTTE administration is
squeezed from the south and north by the land based
Sinhala army, attacked from the east and west by the
navy and bombarded from the sky by the air force. To
add to the woes traitorous Tamil paramilitary
operatives armed and facilitated by the GOSL commit
attrocities not only in the occupied north/east Tamil
areas but also in the liberated areas. Whereas
Gemunu, the Sinhala hero par excellence, marched to
the north with his army against an elderly Ellalan,
the justest ruler on record the island has ever had,
for purely Sinhala chauvinistic reasons, the LTTE
simply asks the GOSL to leave us in peace so that
when the time is ripe and the conditions suitable on
the ground and our security is guaranteed we may
practise democracy, not the Sinhala variety but
genuine, clean, just and fair democracy. If Rajapakse
is interested in democracy for the Tamils in the
liberated areas under the administration of the LTTE
(he would, apparently, rather continue the present
state of tyranny in the occupied Tamil areas) just
allow for the conditions of normalcy for the Tamils
in the entire island, as the LTTE has been beseeching
the GOSL for some years now, by not instigating and
urging the paramilitary mercenaries and above all,
stop the inhumane, wanton terrorism from the sky,
land and sea.
A word about "pluralism". I think Mr. Rajapakse
means by it a multi-party polity. For the sake of my
instant analysis I will ignore the bidding war
between UNP and SLFP as to who will do more harm to
the Tamils or the JVP and the (serene and
compassionate Buddhas) Bhikkus party and their
contribution to the great virtue of Sri Lankan
political pluralism Mr. Rajapakse obviously has in
mind.
Institutionalizing opposition, that is virtually
encouraging dissent, is an important tradition of
Western democratic polity and an aspect of democratic
governance. A successful freedom movement, when an
armed struggle is necessitated, on the other hand,
borrows many practices from an organized army of a
state. An army cannot fight effectively, if at all,
if some of the soldiers attempt to conduct the battle
contrary to the instructions passed down the chain of
command. Punishment for such contumacy is
traditionally severe even in highly democratic
societies. It will be apparent, then, to an honest
observer it is too premature and probably suicidal to
incorporate this feature in a governance structure in
an ongoing freedom-struggle environment.
When a father debilitates his child by starving
and physically abusing and then complains to his
neighbors that the child is lazy and does not do
enough exercise what does one think of this
father?
From: P. Chandra,
United Kingdom, 20 October 2006
Thank you for the eye opener on the so called Sri Lankan Democracy. The
fight against terrorism is a convenient cloak to cover
all sins. The actions of the Sri Lankan 'Democratic
Socialist State' is a good example how the West is made
to ignore the atrocities. It is clear from the silent
rumblings of the western democracies of their
dissatisfaction on the acts of state sponsored
terrorism but for the fear of giving the wrong signals
to the wrong sort of "terrorists" there is a deafening
silence on this issue. Turning a blind eye to injustice
is worse than acts of injustice itself. We live in hope
for the civilised world to rise above petty benefits
and call a spade a spade or rather call a terrorist a
terrorist even if it claims to be democratically
elected government. Sri Lanka should remember that she
cannot fool all the people all the time. The time for
truth to prevail is round the corner and all fingers
will begin to point towards her soon.
Response by tamilnation.org
There is much that we can
agree with in your comments and in the Tamilnet News
Feature 'Illiberal Democracy'. Having said that, we ourselves do not
agree that the West has been somehow fooled by Sri
Lanka - and to suggest that is (at best) to adopt the
approach of the girl in the pebble
story.
Apart from anything else, the
pebble approach is an anuku murai that has signally failed to deliver.
US Congressman Frank Pallone's recent statement on the
Habarane incident is a case in point.
The West is not asleep. It only
pretends to be asleep. We may need to pay more
attention to the words of Arundhati Roy -
"..Way back in 1988, on the 3rd of July, the
U.S.S. Vincennes, a missile cruiser stationed in the
Persian Gulf, accidentally shot down an Iranian
airliner and killed 290 civilian passengers. George
Bush the First, who was at the time on his
presidential campaign, was asked to comment on the
incident. He said quite subtly, "I will never
apologize for the United States. I don't care what
the facts are." I don't care what the facts are. What
a perfect maxim for the New American Empire. Perhaps
a slight variation on the theme would be more
apposite: The facts can be whatever
we want them to be..." Arundhati Roy in
Instant-Mix Imperial Democracy (Buy One, Get One
Free)
The West knows full well Sri Lanka's
50 year record. The West knows that the
President Rajapakse government seeks to pursue the
Sinhala assimilative agenda by reneging on the 2002 Oslo
Declaration, by refusing to recognise the existence of the Tamil homeland, and
by perpetuating a Sri Lankan state structure within
which the Tamil people may continue to be ruled by a permanent Sinhala
majority. The West knows that the genocidal intent
of the President Rajapakse government is reflected
in
the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan armed
forces under the President's command . The West
knows that in the shadow of a ceasefire, Sri Lanka
security forces and the Sri Lanka para military have
raped,
murdered Tamil Parliamentarians, Tamil journalists, executed
Tamil students with impunity, arbitrarily arrested and detained Tamil
civilians, abducted Tamil refugee workers,
orchestrated
attacks on Tamil civilians and Tamil shops,
bombed Tamil civilian population
centres and displaced
thousands of Tamils from their homes.
But the actions of the West are directed to
stabilise Sinhala Sri Lanka in such a way as to secure
and advance the West's own strategic interests in the
Indian Ocean region - and the Tamil people are being called to pay the
price.
|
O'.... Do you hear our
voices?
|
|
Operation Seabird spells out some
of the features of the uneasy balance of power in the
Indian Ocean region - and two geopolitical triangles
juxtaposing on the Indian Ocean's background: U.S.-
India- China relations and China-Pakistan-India
relations. We may want to remind ourselves of the
support extended to Pinochet in Chile, Marcos in the
Philippines, the Shah in Iran - and indeed, Saddam
Hussein in his war against Iran. Justice always took a
back seat.
 We may want to avoid
confusing the Tamil people by leading them to believe
that all that needs to be done is to wake up the
international community to the justice of our cause and all will
be well. Unfortunately, the
world is not rotating on the axis of human justice.
Furthering our understanding of the strategic interests
of the international community, will better equip us to
engage in the real task of
addressing those interests. In the end, the
success of the struggle of the Tamil people to be free from
alien Sinhala rule will be a function of the
capacity of the leadership of the struggle to mobilise
its own people and its own resources at the broadest
and deepest level - and this
means, amongst other things, broadening and deepening
the understanding of the Tamil people of the
motivations of the international actors in relation to
the struggle for Tamil Eelam.
From: Sachi Sri Kantha, Japan 17 October
2006
40th anniversary of the First
International Conference Seminar on Tamil
Studies
To fill in the gaps relating to the
first four International Conference Seminars on Tamil
Studies held in Kuala Lumpur (1966), Madras (1968), Paris (1970) and Jaffna (1974), I provide the
information available in my files, culled from my
handwritten notes made more than 25 years ago. These
notes were compiled in long hand, while I was
affiliated to the University of Peradeniya. In late
1970s, photocopying facilities were unavailable at
the University of Peradeniya library (though at the
Medical Faculty, we had one photocopier for staff
use). But, the Proceedings of the International
Conference Seminars on Tamil Studies were placed in
the Reference Books section, and thus couldn't be
checked out. For my reference and research interests,
I transcribed the information about (a) the
participants in the first, third and fourth
International Tamil Conferences, and (b) the titles
of presented research papers, from the printed
Proceedings then available at the University of
Peradeniya library."
From: Usha S Sri Skanda
Rajah, Canada, 8 October 2006
Mother India?
I have read with interest the fascinating,
penetrating and masterful exchange between Mr. Sanmuga
Suntharam, the writer of "Atharma Bumi?�
(6 October 2006) and tamilnation.org on New Delhi & the Tamil Struggle -
An Amoral Role.
Reading the two, we cannot deny what a comprehensive
and complete analysis it is of our relationship with
India and of the painful reckoning behind our
�India (will help us)
syndrome� which is an affliction that
seems never to leave us. It�s the
syndrome that raises false hopes - just when
expectations get high that India would help, the
opposite becomes true and our hopes get dashed time and
time again. It�s one of the shackles
that we have to be freed from - but
can�t seem to do.
In this exchange, Sanmuga Suntharam writes with
bitterness and is justified in describing our relations
with India as �a one way
street�. He cries:
�Let us therefore forget the
�motherland� complex
and tell the Indians that we are the only people who
can be relied upon as friends if they treat us with
fairness.�
tamilnation.org in its comment agrees on the one hand
with Sanmuga Suntharam that India is truly not the
�Mother India� that
it�s portrayed to be. But this is
where the two part company.
tamilnation.org in its comment puts paid to this
fallacy of ours that we must tell India and India must
know that we are India�s only most
reliable friend in the region. And that in that
persuasion lies our emancipation. tamilnation.org
in its comment virtually destroys the myth we hold dear
in our hearts that India is looking after us or even
entertaining that thought. It drives home the painful
truth that India actually has been and is
�using� us and our
struggle for its own gain and has been nurturing its
own agenda:
" Having used the Tamil
militant movement to destabilise Sinhala Sri Lanka,
New Delhi then infiltrated the weakened Sinhala body
politic through its many proxies and agents and now
its foreign policy is directed to stabilise its hold
on Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean region - and the
Tamils continue to be called upon to pay the price.
It is the weak who
usually act amorally.
tamilnation.org reminds us of Velupillai
Pirabakaran�s words, more than 10
years ago:
"...We are fully aware that the world is not
rotating on the axis of human justice. Every country
in this world advances its own interests. It is the
economic and trade interests that determine the order
of the present world, not the moral law of justice
nor the rights of people. International relations and diplomacy
between countries are determined by such
interests. Therefore we cannot expect an
immediate recognition of the moral legitimacy of our
cause by the international community... The world is
constantly changing and there will be unexpected
changes. At a particular conjuncture the
international situation might change favourably to
us. At that time, the conscience of the world will be
conducive to the call of our just cause... In
reality, the success of our struggle depends on us,
not on the world. Our success depends on our own
efforts, on our own strength, on our own
determination..."
How then do we remove this shackle
that�s India? Our emancipation from
the shackle that�s India, tamilnation.org
says, lies in us being able to understand the
�motivations� and
�strategic interests of the
international community� to
�better equip us to engage in the real
task of addressing those interests�
and being able to convince all vested interests (not
only India) that our struggle poses no threat to any of
their underlying interests:
"In the end, the success of the struggle for Tamil
Eelam will be a function of the capacity of the
leadership of the struggle to mobilise its own people
and its own resources at the broadest and deepest level - and this means,
amongst other things, broadening and deepening the
understanding of the Tamil people of the motivations
of the international actors in relation to the
struggle for Tamil Eelam. Furthering our
understanding of the strategic interests of the
international community, will better equip us to
engage in the real task of addressing those
interests - and to show that the emergence of an
independent Tamil Eelam will not pose a threat to
many of the underlying interests of all the parties (not simply India)
concerned with the conflict in the island."
And it is tamilnation.org's
view that it is any attempt to suppress the struggle
"which will pose a threat to the stability of the
Indian Ocean Region�:
"On the contrary, it is
the attempt to suppress the struggle of the Tamil people to be free
from alien Sinhala rule which will pose a threat
to the stability of the Indian Ocean region. see
also 1. From "China fear" to "China fever"
- Pallavi Aiyar, Hindu, 27 February 2006; 2.
China undertakes construction of
Hambantota Port, 11 April 2005; 3. China, Sri Lanka Joint Communique, 3
September 2005 and 4. Sethusamudram Project "
This then reinforces the conviction of Velupillai
Pirabakaran reflected in his words:
�Our success depends on our own
efforts, on our own strength, on our own
determination.� Our strength then is
our savior - and in our strength lies the emancipation
of our Motherland. Thank you to Mr. Sanmuga Suntharam
and tamilnation.org.
From: Usha S Sri Skanda
Rajah, Canada, 29 September 2006
[see also Boycott Sri Lanka
Products and Services & Save Tamil Lives]
On The
debate on the boycott of Sri Lankan goods and services
� a presentation of views and
concerns....
The Call: A debate on
the pros and cons of a boycott of Sri Lankan goods and
services has recently become quite intense:
�Some how we should control the terror
state�s products not to be on the
shelves of the Tamil grocery stores
immediately� was a clarion call from a
member of the Tamil Diaspora who stood fully committed
to a total boycott.
Foreign
exchange on a platter: It
has become a matter of growing concern to many in the
Tamil Diaspora that they have over the years
unwittingly given Sri Lanka, foreign exchange, that it
badly needs, virtually on a platter, not for its people
but to maintain a standing army and wage a war against
ironically the Tamils of the NorthEast.
Sri Lanka
has been enjoying a steady, assured and captive foreign
market for its goods (and for some of its services
� ex: Sri Lankan Airlines). The demand
for the products has come from the Tamil Diaspora most
of who had to flee Sri Lanka from persecution and
displacement due to the racist policies of successive
Sinhalese majoritarian governments and the war. The
Tamil Diaspora now living in relative comfort have
�joined the club� and
become avid consumers in a material ridden world. Most
are hard working and many belong to the professional or
business sector. And for their penchant and craving for
goodies and delicacies that they have been used to from
home, there is glut of such items never found before in
the market to satisfy their every need. And a number of
these items are from Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka is making
hay while the sun shines!
We need
to learn from them: In
February (2006) when Arla Foods, a Danish-Swedish dairy
giant said the Muslim boycott of Danish products, in
protest over cartoons derogatory of the Prophet,
published in a Danish Newspaper was costing the company
1million sterling pounds a day, the chorus heard among
many Tamils was �We need to learn from
them.�
Helping
to kill our people: �With goods imported from Sri
Lanka we are helping the Sri Lankan government (GOSL)
to buy arms, we are feeding the Army Navy and Air Force
to kill our people� cried a community
stalwart who likened Sri Lankan goods coming into
Canada to �a horrible Tsunami
that�s crushing our people back home.
Let us arrest this killer wave by a total boycott of
goods made in Sri Lanka.�
According
to a pro-boycott supporter some facts about Sri
Lanka�s economy reveal Sri
Lanka�s military expenditure accounts
for 19 percent of public expenditure, this being higher
than for education and health. This we believe could be
a gross underestimate.
Focus on
the enemy: The
proscription of the LTTE in Canada has resulted in
renewed calls for a boycott. Although disappointment
and even anger at the Conservative Government is
obvious, many felt the focus should be on the enemy and
the boycott would provide the rallying point.
�The enemy is the GOSL and our focus
should be on the enemy, not against Canadian political
parties; by taking them to task we are increasing our
burden with more opposition. Our people need a moral
boost, a rallying point�we are making
every Tamil a part of that process�and
we will hit our enemy most in the economy. We must
encourage our people to boycott Sri Lankan products in
the Diaspora; not to buy air lines ticket from Sri
Lankan Air; not to invest in Sri Lanka, not to travel
to Sri Lanka unnecessarily and we must do this as a
systematic campaign.�
�This would also mean putting
on hold the purchase of apartments in Colombo and
investment in the Colombo
stock-exchange� said another who
thought it was the right thing to do.
Growth
of Sri Lankan Exports to the Tamil Diaspora:
Statistics show a systematic growth
in Sri Lankan exports to Canada from $40 million in
1992 to $137 Million in 2000 and the numbers are
growing. Exports varied from Tea, Food stuffs,
Garments, Rubber Tires, Clay Construction Materials to
Articles of iron or steel. A similar growth could be
seen in countries which have a significant Tamil
community. Further, Sri Lankan Air Lines is making
�big bucks� from the
Tamil Diaspora frequently flying �back
home� especially during the ceasefire;
In addition GOSL is making a fortune in foreign
exchange from the foreign currency
that�s spent by visitors from the
Tamil Diaspora during their travels home as well as
from monies sent by them to relatives.
Damage
to Tamil businesses: As
the debate over the boycott continues some reservations
were expressed; particularly the damage the boycott
could inflict on Tamil businesses in the Diaspora which
at present may rely on products imported from Sri
Lanka.
�By avoiding Marketing Department
products we would be penalizing the importers and the
wholesale and retail industry in the Tamil
Diaspora.� The Tamil Diaspora
businesses targeting the Tamil consumer would lose;
besides some Canadian Tamil business enterprises are
selling products manufactured by the Sri Lankan
Marketing Department (MD) but under their own label
without a trace of it�s origin (very
few know that the products are manufactured by MD);
some of them have their production centers in Sri Lanka
where the labor is cheap and the ingredients are
cheaper; also there are Tamil industries in Sri Lanka
exporting their products to the Tamil Diaspora; some
expressed concern that boycotting Ceylon Tea would
adversely affect the plantation workers. The loss to
Tamil businesses and to those people relying for their
livelihoods on these businesses are factors no doubt
that need to be considered.
NorthEast has not seen development:
The loss to Tamil businesses in the
Diaspora could not only be minimized but averted by
some innovative methods and corrective action but their
loss pales into insignificance say many Tamils when
considering GOSL�s brutish attitude
over the years towards the Tamils.
�Let�s not forget the
embargo that was imposed on our people; a weapon that
may be used again. What about our farmers and fishermen
who are getting a raw deal from the heartless GOSL?
What about the livelihood of the long suffering people
of the Northeast and the GOSL�s non
implementation of certain ceasefire terms like
dismantling the high security zones and giving back
public places and people�s land? What
about the restrictions imposed in the NorthEast on
cement, steel, fuel and other building materials
affecting people�s quality of life and
Tsunami reconstruction as well as post war
reconstruction and development?. What about the economy
of the NorthEast that has not been allowed to
prosper for decades and decades without an end in
sight? What about the right to self determination for
the NorthEast people and the right to directing their
own economy?� You could not find a
more convincing argument to go full speed ahead with
the boycott to wake up a government that has been
uncaring and deliberately neglectful. This is so
noticeable when going round the Sri Lankan government
controlled areas in the NorthEast.
Strategic planning to prevent loss to Tamil
businesses: The solution
to the problem of Tamil businesses losing out may need
some strategic planning in the short and long term.
The
solution would lie firstly in finding other sources
other than Sri Lanka to import these products. There is
an abundance of products and produce of high quality
elsewhere which can be imported; there being plenty of
choice and variety out there. It�s for
the existing wholesale agents to source these products
to supply the Tamil wholesale and retail market.
Secondly
the Tamil businesses in the countries where Tamils live
can satisfy the demand for delicacies and specialties
from home and from Sri Lanka by manufacturing and or
producing these in those countries itself; the
ingredients and materials that go into making the
products if not available in those countries can be
imported from elsewhere and not from Sri Lanka.
Although it�s being done on a small
scale it�s nowhere near fulfilling the
currant demand for these products; an initiative must
come from Tamil businesses in the Diaspora, old and new
to pursue this line with vigor.
Suggestions
of �launching a website listing
alternative products available and ensuring such
products meet or exceed quality with competitive prices
thereby making sure importers/ wholesalers (and
manufacturers) do not lose the competitive
edge� are some sound ideas coming from
a Tamil that should considered.
Promote
NorthEast products: The
concerns of some that the boycott would affect goods
exported from the NorthEast are without basis. The
products that are being targeted for boycott are from
Sri Lanka and not from the NorthEast and could be
easily distinguishable. And actually speaking the more
attractive proposition is to import, yes import these
products from the NorthEast. Though at the moment and
until as long as the NorthEast is under GOSL
manipulation, Sri Lanka would still benefit from the
foreign exchange from the NorthEast exports; but the
people in the Northeast would none the less benefit
from the livelihood and business opportunities arising
from these export ventures; which would justifiably go
far to alleviating the sufferings of the NorthEast
people; barring of course any untoward action from the
GOSL to thwart such moves. The ready market
that�s out there from the huge Tamil
Diaspora should be readily accessible to the NorthEast;
it would no doubt help to jump start the NorthEast
economy and raise the quality of life of the people now
living in dire straights. What�s
required is to determine what the consumers want and
produce these in the NorthEast; taking a leaf from the
Japanese and now the Chinese who are good at finding
out what the consumer wants and manufacturing and
exporting it to
�consumers� where
ever they may be in the world.
Sri
Lanka not called to account for human rights violations
although in contrast IC hard on LTTE:
The Tamil Diaspora is justifiably
angered by the Sri Lankan government headed by Mahinda
Rajapakse which is using its arsenal on innocent people
including children. It�s state
terrorism of the worst kind. The fear is that if not
stopped state violence could once again turn to
genocide of the proportions seen in Rwanda.
Although
bombing innocent people is a war crime under
International law Sri Lanka has not been called to
account by the International Community (IC) for this or
any of its massive human rights violations, whilst the
IC has been hard on the heals after the LTTE, a
liberation organization involved in armed conflict who
most Tamils consider to be freedom fighters and the
sole Tamil representatives and party to the peace talks
with the GOSL. The LTTE is involved in defending the
integrity of the �historical habitats
of the Tamils� and wants a political
settlement based on self determination and equality for
the people in the NorthEast. The final nail on the
Tamil people�s coffin was hammered on
the 29th of May 2006 with the proscription
of the LTTE by the European Union (EU) and by Canada.
Many are outraged by this decision to ban the LTTE.
Sri
Lanka Embassy promoting both tourism and Sri Lankan
Airlines despite the bombing of civilians:
The necessity for a boycott was
hammered home to many Tamils in the Diaspora recently
when the Sri Lanka Mission in America called Travel
Agents to a meeting to promote Sri Lanka to the
American people. �We should not
support this plan whilst the GOSL is bombing our
people. We should blacklist Sri Lankan Air
Lines� are few of the sentiments
expressed by Tamils reflecting the mood of the
times.
The extent
of the promotion shows Sri Lanka is focused in its
drive to collect foreign exchange. It talks about the
Tsunami revival programme �Bounce back
Sri Lanka� with impunity (and would
you believe it with the help of the ADB), when the GOSL
did not part with the funds that should have been
rightfully allocated to the worst affected NorthEast to
�Bounce
Back?�
The Sri Lankan
ambassador talks of the violence but hastens to say
foreign tourists are safe because tourists
haven�t been targeted due to the fact
that �the LTTE did not wish to
antagonize governments that hosted sizeable Sri Lankan
Tamil Diaspora.�
There was
immediate condemnation from many Tamils to this
statement. �Sri Lanka has the gall to
say this about us and also about the LTTE as though the
violence on innocent people is being perpetrated by the
LTTE! Tamils must think again, let�s
not help the GOSL earn revenue over the dead bodies of
our people and whilst they hold the NorthEast Tamils
captive.�
Sri
Lankan embassy�s propaganda ploy
against the LTTE: �Is the ambassador there to
sell Tourism or there for propaganda against the LTTE.
LTTE have never targeted Sinhalese civilians. Where as
day to day you hear the news of the butchering of poor
Tamil civilians by the army navy and air
force�
Emirates
major shareholder in Sri Lanka Airlines:
In considering the boycott of Sri
Lanka Airlines there are some issues that are worth
noting. We hear the airline is owned by Emirates, an
Arab airline which holds majority shares in the
corporation. Also the way the system works most
airlines are now making agreements to work in
association. In other words in this arrangement even
though the passenger may chose to purchase the ticket
from an airline (other than Sri Lanka Airlines) he or
she would have to fly Sri Lanka Airlines for the Sri
Lanka leg of the journey. In addition Sri Lanka
Airlines is offering good rates and bigger luggage
allowances. And for those passengers preferring direct
flights Sri Lanka Airlines has direct flights to Sri
Lanka without having to change flights. This would be
an attractive proposition to those who wish to fly
direct.
Strength
of resolve of Tamils: And
most correctly in the debate whether to boycott or not
the onus was put on the Tamil Diaspora; appealing to
their strength of resolve in an issue that demands a
bit of sacrifice and inconvenience for a period of time
until alternative arrangements are made.
�My view is not to target the Tamil
stores to boycott the Sri Lankan goods.
It�s the public who should boycott the
Sri Lankan goods which should result in Sri Lankan
goods disappearing in the stores.�
Stop
buying items marked Sri Lanka: To say the debate is heating up is putting it
mildly. �I came to Canada ten years
ago. I stopped buying items marked Sri Lanka. I
encouraged others but nobody listened to me. However I
rigidly stuck to my policy. I stopped drinking Ceylon
Tea, Chinese Tea is far healthier. I am aware of the
chemicals sprayed on Tea bushes as I worked in the
plantations and I know the leaves are plucked before
the effects of the chemicals are
gone.�
There was a
fervent cry for people to act now. �It
would be too late to do so later. We cannot depend on
others to do what we need to do ourselves. We do not
need to carry the flag to tell others what we are. Just
think beyond you and your family, and then we can make
a difference. We should avoid giving foreign currency
to a blood thirsty GOSL and let them know we are not
paying to �Kill� our
own. Also we must frequent Tamil businesses that are
not selling Sri Lankan products and encourage other
businesses to do the
same.�
Negative
publicity for LTTE: There
are a few who were worried about the negative publicity
the boycott would bring. The concern was that
�the GOSL and the media will spin the
story �Tigers intimidate Tamil shop
owners from selling Sri Lankan goods in
Toronto� I think boycotting Sri Lankan
Airlines would be more effective.�
There is
also the worry that the boycott could hurt the
Northeast people with GOSL taking its revenge on them.
Use
another airline but do not stop sending
money: Some expressed
pessimism calling the idea not a socially feasible one
for our Tamil Community here. We should see other best
ways to use our energy. �Will Tamils
agree not to go to Sri Lanka and would they stop
sending money home?�
The short
answer to that many say is there is nothing to stop any
Tamil from the Diaspora from going to Sri Lanka, those
who want to go despite the present climate could use
another airline and as for sending money no one was
asking for that to stop at all. �We
cannot stop the lifeline to our people. It would be a
crime to deprive sustenance to a people already
deprived.�
Another
Sri Lankan promotion at Trafalgar Square:
What�s important is
whether the Tamil Diaspora should allow Sri Lanka to
carry on with its marketing pursuits as normal without
a semblance of protest? There is word that another
promotion/cultural event by the Sri Lankan Tourist
Board has been planned this time in London Trafalgar
Square in June. To that an eminent US lawyer suggested
�Tamils in the UK should organize
their own cultural event at Trafalgar Square complete
with photos and signs. You know what photos, not ones
of lovely beaches� she added.
A Tamil
�British Councilor�
seemed to agree: �advising tourist of
the true situation of Sri Lanka will have greater
impact. I will not dream of going to Sri Lanka for a
holiday under the current situation.
Appeal
to American conscience: Further an appeal to the
�American conscience�
is the right way to go was the advice of a veteran of
the tourism and hospitality industry.
�If Americans are coming then they
should be aware �of the plight of the
NorthEast people who are undergoing hardships on
account of the state�s historic
discriminatory policies and consequent neglect of one
section of the body polity; they must be aware of the
aspect of the ground reality before they spend their
dollars. (Boycotting) for the sake of it without a
strategy does not help in this globalized era entwined
with trade/commerce and bilateral pacts/interests
etc.� Admitting that there was an
uneven-playing field even in the tourism industry where
incentives were given to places outside of the
NorthEast he said �perhaps bringing
about the structural discrimination that has in fact
already taken place since the Tourism Act/master plan
of 1966 that resulted in discriminative practices
adopted by the state for the virtual
�non- development� of
the Northeast.�
Buying power of
the Tamil Diaspora: A
Tamil experienced in the travel and shipping business
was advocating a total boycott to
�create a �psychosis
of fear� on the Sinhalese as they
�feel� the nuisance
on trade and tourism. More like a psychological
war� increased costs in security and
insurance as well as the advertising costs on
countering bad publicity would bring pressure to bear
on the GOSL. Americans and Europeans do not like any
conflict or physical danger. Show them the bloody
pictures of Alaipiddy, Trincomalee and the Katunayake
airport attack. Also caution them that a full scale war
may be imminent. The cost of insurance for ships and
aircrafts in and out of Sri Lankan ports and airports
has doubled. A 10 percent reduction in the sales of
seats will make the difference in loss or profit and
a10 percent loss in gross earnings as well as reduction
in tourism would have Chairman Harry Jayawardene
worried. Let them know the buying power of the Tamils;
some solidarity among Tamils to push the boycott,
except products which have the authentic
�NorhtEast� product
seal. Do not listen to vested Tamil interests; we will
not go any where.� The Campaign theme
against Sri Lankan Airlines should be
�Wrong Place, Wrong Time and Wrong
Airline�. Slogans should read Sri
Lanka is Paradise lost; Sri Lanka is dangerous; Sri
Lanka is at war.
Hurting Sri
Lanka�s Tourism;
A distinguished sportsmen was of the
view Tamils should have a strategy to counter the
propaganda by the Sri Lankan Government and its tourist
industry and address those who benefit by tourism such
as the hotel (and travel) industry and (development
funding institutions) such as the ADB; give them a
message; a short history on the conflict, the human
rights violations of the GOSL and its practice of
racism.
Educating people of the atrocities committed by
GOSL: An Australian radio
political analyst and Tamil activist was much against
boycotting products like Katta Sambal etc from the
Marketing Department of Sri Lanka fearing it would
affect �our own (Tamil) businesses; We
would end up alienating ourselves from the business
community who are important to the
struggle.� His strategy is to boycott
Sri Lankan Air Lines and hurt the Sri Lankan tourism
industry; educating people of the atrocities committed
by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and of the dangers of
going to Sri Lanka as tourists by having exhibits in
shopping malls etc.
A Tamil
from the Diaspora who is very much on the ground,
volunteering his services to the people of the
NorthEast commented on this very
�Katta sambal� aspect
of the boycott that would interfere with the tastes and
comforts of the typical Tamil man who
wouldn�t be willing to
�sacrifice his Arrack or for that
matter his bottled Acharu or his instant Ambul
Thial.� One couldn�t
disagree more for some Tamils are still hooked on
�Maliban� biscuits.
It�s a known fact. His optimism on the
boycott succeeding was sadly nil, his faith in the
Tamil man is running at a low ebb!
Success
will depend on the Tamil consumer in the
Diaspora: This then is
the whole crux of the matter; that the boycott of Sri
Lankan products and services would ultimately depend on
the Tamil consumer and his attitude.
One�s faith and confidence in Tamils
has not yet waned; what is envisioned is cooperation
and a change in habits and thinking; that involves
avoiding Sri Lankan products and services at least for
the foreseeable future. It shouldn�t
be too difficult for the Tamil Diaspora to avoid the
products and services of a country
that�s killing its kinsmen. It must
almost become second nature.
Must
make the greatest impact where it hurts and make a
difference: With
apologies to the Sinhalese people but not to those who
have taken them on a path of destruction this boycott
may well be telling. As one remarked
�(Sri Lanka�s) budget
deficit is likely to rise to double digit proportions
and the trade deficit could reach a mammoth US$3
billion.� He quoted the Sunday Times
as saying Tamil expatriates can help worsen the
�health� of the
economy, one such option �is the ban
on Sri Lankan products including
tourism.� As to the role the Diaspora
could play he believed that (at least) the 600,000
persons in the Diaspora could be spending a minimum of
US$10.00 each a month on Sri Lankan items not to
mention the amount spent on flying Sri Lankan Airlines
and his view was that �we could make a
difference.�
Rajapakse has to be stopped:
This is one way to stop the hawkish,
Sri Lankan president says a Tamil who believes Makinda
Rajapakse is two faced, who says one thing to the IC;
i.e. what it wants to hear; but thinks, feels and acts
otherwise. Rajapakse�s call to
�Expatriate Sri
Lankans� (Tamils included) to
�contribute� to the
�Motherland� with a
promise of �equitable
distribution� to all communities in
Sri Lanka is typical of the way he operates.
The
Tamil Diaspora has the means: �The Tamil Diaspora should
know its responsibility; that in its hands it has the
means to stop a terrorist state
(that�s Sri Lanka) from having the
means to harm the NorthEast people; the Diaspora must
do everything it can, with all the commitment it can
muster to make this boycott a success. Whilst
conducting this boycott on a worldwide basis the goal
is to show the enemy the GOSL as well as draw the
IC�s attention to not only the
potential strength and buying power of the Tamils but
their solidarity in the struggle for emancipation of
the NorthEast.�
�It�s now or
never� seems to be the cry of the
majority of those who want a boycott.
Boycott
from July 2006: Having
heard the views and concerns of many one cannot but
draw the conclusion that a boycott could deliver a
powerful message. And in the words of a group calling
itself �Tamils for
Peace� the Tamil Diaspora is being
asked �by the 1st of July
2006 in solidarity and without harm to Tamil businesses
to fully commit itself to a total boycott of Sri Lankan
products (and services).�
Will the
Tamil Diaspora take heed?
From: Ragu R, United
Kingdom, 28 September
2006 [see also http://www.geocities.com/justice4tamil/]
Media & the Tamil Struggle: What can
each one of us do?
"The international media ... play
an indirect role in terrorism through a pattern of
selective definition and coverage. The media
specifically ignores or understates institutional
forms of terrorism, preserving the term instead for
national
liberation movements and their supporters. In such
ways the media become agents of ideological control,
advancing an inverted standard of terrorism..."
The Geneva Declaration on the
Question of Terrorism, 1987 - UN General Assembly
Doc. A/42/307, 29 May 1987
What can we do to persuade the international media
to speak the truth about the Tamil struggle
for freedom from alien Sinhala rule? We can make
it increasingly difficult for those who pretend to be
asleep to continue their pretence with any
credibility.
Here are somethings that each of us can
do...
* Every time BBC gives an incorrect report about our
struggle for freedom, we can complain to the BBC by
calling 08700 100 222 or we can make a complaint on line.
* Every time the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM)
releases an incorrect statement about the Tamil
struggle for freedom, we can complain to the SLMM by
email or at their website
It should take not more than ten minutes of our
time.
From: An Exchange of
Letters between an Uncle & a Nephew, 5 September
2006
Dear Mama,
The Government is systematically killing the young
Tamil population all over the North-East utilising our
Tamil "brothers". What can be done by us to stop these
atrocities. The so-called international community
cannot be depended upon for any justice for the Tamils.
Only God and a "Miracle" can help us. I wonder what the
LTTE's plans are for the future.
Regards, Thamby
Dear Nephew
First, to answer your concerns:
Successive Sinhala Governments have been
�systematically killing the young
Tamil population all over the
North-East�. This is nothing new.
It should have become obvious to us all at least by
1981, if not in 1958, 1977 and 1979, when Inpam and his cousin were
murdered by SL Forces and thrown on the beach, as a
prelude to enacting the PTA.
�Utilizing our Tamil
�Brothers� for
killing the young Tamils..� too is
nothing new. As you well know, it all started in the
early Eighties with both Sinhala and Indian leaders offering
irresistible
�goodies� to
the likes of PLOTE Uma Maheswaran and the EPRLF
Varatharaja Perumal. Every time, the
�price and prizes�
offered become irresistibly higher and higher, and
now it stands at the EPDF crown and the treasure
chest being bandied in Karuna�s
name. The Tamils should expect more
� Ettappans�
vying with Devananda and other goons for
�..killing the young
Tamils�.
India�s non-involvement in the
Tamils� problems, until 1964 (Srimavo-
Shastri Pact time � see attachment), and
inaction till the late seventies, Indira Gandhi�s hurried
interest in strengthening Eelam Tamil hands,
Rajiv Gandhi�s
�missed�
adventure and aftermath etc., should have made it
clear to us all that the so-called 'international
community' (fishing in troubled waters) cannot be
depended upon for any justice for the Tamils.
IC�s impotence or unwillingness to
take a firm stand or intervene meaningfully on any
issue, over the last 55 months, is well known
too.
As I might have mentioned to you before, almost all
of IC members who exhibit interest in the ethnic
conflict will want, understandably to curry favor with
the SL Government, working assiduously towards their
own selfish agenda. In addition to the countries that
have �listed� the
LTTE as �terrorists�,
there are Pakistan, China et al waiting in the queue to
provide military support to serve their own ends, and
here we have Japan and others flooding the Colombo
market with second hand motor vehicles and
non-essentials. It is futile for us therefore to
expect all these �do
gooders� to come to the rescue of the
battered Tamils.
I have, however, not given up on the IC, and I press
on periodically sending news clips, articles and
appeals to selected embassies, international bodies,
and even Erik Sollheim, in the hope that these appeals
might wake up some and create a guilt feeling, which
might prompt one or more into action.
I would not place too much faith in
�Only God and a
�Miracle� can help
us.� Neither would I lose sleep,
pondering over �what the LTTE's plans
are for the future�. Much can be done
by us �to stop these
atrocities�. Every bit counts, and
little drops can make it all flow. �
REACH Out� should be the motto.
�Knock and it shall
open� phenomenon will certainly work
for all of us.
Look out and find 3 to 4 persons around you in whom
you have confidence, who think alike, those you can
work with, and those who care for the Tamil people in
the North-East. Follow your friends or become their
leader/guide in this divine effort. You now have the
Miracle in your hands.
Also look for three to four people back at Home
through whom you could work the
�miracle�. Knock at
the door and you will notice the hands
�reaching out� for
your help � the miracle.
Regards, Mama
Attachment: Indian Involvement
� 1948: The Ceylon Citizenship Act,
though providing the qualifications to be a citizen,
was designed to disqualify persons of Indian origin.
The provision said that �only a
person born in Ceylon prior to the date of the Act
coming into force, of a father born in Ceylon could
be recognised as a citizen�. This
decitizenized all persons of Indian origin since
proof of birth of two generations was necessary.
� 1949: Enactment of Indian and
Pakistani (Residents) Citizenship Bill. It laid down
qualifications for citizenship as registered citizens
(sic). The qualifications inherent in the bill were
designed to deny citizenship.
� 1951: 237,034 applications
requesting citizenship for 825,000 (90%) persons of
Indian origin were made. Majority of applications
were rejected as many were unable to produce evidence
of birth in Sri Lanka, to provide proof of
uninterrupted residency or to provide proof of an
assured income.
� 1956: Elections too proved
negative to the Indian origin people since they had
no strength to field candidates.
� 1960: The government of Mrs.
Bandaranaike created a nominated representation for
the people of Indian origin and appointed
Savumiamoorthy Thondaman to Parliament.
� 1964: Mrs. Bandaranaike moved
to solve the citizenship problem in keeping with the
Sinhala thinking that persons of Indian origin should
return to India. India, then led by Lal Bahadur
Shastri agreed to this move by agreeing to accept
525, 000 back to India. Sri Lanka had agreed to grant
citizenship to 300,000 persons leaving the future of
150,000 people to be settled later.
� 1974: A further bartering was
done under the Sirima (Sic) Indira Gandhi agreement,
dividing the balance people between the two
countries.
� 1965: The UNP government too
nominated Savumiamoorthy Thondaman to Parliament in
return for his support to defeat the government of
Mrs. Bandaranaike.
� 1977: Savumiamoorthy Thondaman
contested the Nuwara Eliya �
Maskeliya multi member seat and was elected to
Parliament as the third member. After thirty years
since 1947 a member was elected to parliament by the
people of Indian origin.
� 1978 to 1988: Thondaman made
several representations for the expeditious grant of
citizenship under the two Indo Ceylon Agreements. He
also urged that persons who were left out of the two
agreements be granted Sri Lankan citizenship. Only
506, 000 persons applied for Indian citizenship out
of the 600,000 envisaged under the agreements.
� 1988: Grant of Citizenship to
Stateless Persons (Special Provisions) Act No. 39 of
1988 was presented to Parliament by Premadasa and
passed. This was opposed by the SLFP who voted
against it. The people of Indian origin who were
until then deprived of the rights flowing from
citizenship were overwhelmed by their achieving their
long dreamed goal.
From: A Concerned
Tamil, USA, [in a communication to a visitor of this
website] 29 July
2006
Re International Federation of Tamils letter to
UNICEF - I do not know how the IFT can say that " Enlisting children
under the age of 18 years by armed groups is not a
breach of the Optional Protocol (and not by any means a
�war crime� though
armed groups may have a 'moral obligation' to avoid
doing so )" when Article 4 of the Optional Protocol of
the Convention on the Rights of the Child reads:
"4(1). Armed groups that are distinct from the armed
forces of a State should not, under any circumstances,
recruit or use in hostilities persons under the age of
18 years."
I think the situation has changed since 2000 when
the
ICRC made its comment about the Optional Protocol.
The International Criminal Court has defined such
recruitment as a war crime and has recently indicted
the leaders of the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army for
the crime of recruiting/abducting child soldiers.
The argument that the LTTE can use is that it is not
purely an armed group and has a rear area where
underage recruits can be protected from direct combat.
I think that they are also using the argument that
there is a ceasefire, so there is no combat, and so
underage recruits cannot be exposed to combat. They
also are arguing that the Optional Protocol is not yet
customary international law, but I think they are on
shaky ground here.
Comment by tamilnation.org
Instead of dismissing
the view of the ICRC that the 2002
Optional Protocol created a
�moral� obligation as
something outdated, (after all the Optional Protocol
has not been amended since then) it may be more helpful
if we seek to understand the reasoning of the ICRC. One
would imagine that the ICRC was well aware that
Article 4 Optional Protocol did
say that �
�Armed groups that are
distinct from the armed forces of a State should not,
under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities
persons under the age of 18 years.�
Why
then did the ICRC say it was only a
�moral
obligation�? The ICRC said so
because the Optional Protocol was careful to cast the
obligation for enforcement on the State and not on the
International Criminal Court which had been set up by
the Rome Statute of 1998 - and which
Statute has yet to be ratified by the US.
The result is that Article 4 of the Optional Protocol
is not �directly
enforceable�. It is this which led
ICRC to conclude -
"...Although Article 4 also
provides for criminal prosecution under domestic law,
this is likely to be of limited effect, because those
who take up arms against the lawful Government of a
country already expose themselves to the most severe
penalties of domestic law, and because the capacity
of a Government to enforce its laws is often very
limited in situations of non-international armed
conflicts..."
There is nothing to suggest that this position has
changed since 2002. The statement that
�the
International Criminal Court has defined such recruitment as a war crime and has
recently indicted the leaders of the Ugandan Lord's
Resistance Army for the crime of recruiting/abducting
child
soldiers.� is
incorrect. Nowhere has the ICC
�defined� the
enlisting of under18s as a war crime. In any case,
Courts do not define or create law �
they interpret. Courts cannot amend the 2002 Optional
Protocol and somehow render Article 4
�directly
applicable�. Moreover, in the
case of the Ugandan Lord�s Resistance
Army, the accused Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti,
Okot Odhiambo, were charged with crimes against
humanity and war crimes and in relation to children,
the charge was laid under Article
8(2)(e)(vi) of the 1998 Rome Statute which
reads
�(vii) Conscripting or enlisting
children under the age
of fifteen years into armed
forces or groups or using them to participate actively
in hostilities�
The warrant
issued by the ICC makes no reference to the 2002 Optional
Protocol. The juxtaposition of the statement
�the
International Criminal Court has defined such recruitment as a war
crime� with the statement that it
�has recently indicted the leaders of
the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army for the crime of
recruiting/abducting child soldiers�
is unfortunate as it suggests that the Ugandan warrants
had something to do with under 18s and the
interpretation of the 2002 Optional
Protocol.
Actually, the ICC warrant in the Uganda case is
based on what the International Criminal Court said in
the Sierra Leone case � and that was
that recruitment of under 15s
was a breach of customary international law and was a
war crime. The Sierra Leone court did not hold that Article 4 of the 2002
Optional Protocol codified customary international law.
A failure to draw the distinction between under 15s and
under 18s will not further understanding of the child
soldier issue.
To repeat: the reality is that no
Court has ruled that article 4 of the 2002 Optional
Protocol is �customary international
law� � and, indeed,
the fact that the Protocol is not directly applicable,
the fact that the Rome Statute has not been ratified by the
US, the fact that the Optional Protocol applies a double standard, and the fact
that the Optional Protocol remains 'Optional' even for
states (who may or may not sign up), may well militate
against such an eventuality. And it is perhaps all
this which led the ICRC to conclude that
�it is uncertain whether
non-state actors will feel bound by a norm which is
different from that imposed on States, and thus whether
it will be respected�.
But, ofcourse,
all this will not prevent States and their agencies
(and career diplomats, concerned to advance their
careers in a state dominated environment) to do all
that they can to promote and enforce the double
standard (just as they do in the case of state
�terrorism� and
non state
�terrorism�). States
would like to continue to recruit under 18s themselves,
whilst crying �war
crime� when armed groups recruit under
18s. States would like to offer 16 year olds in
schools � a
career� in the armed forces,
produce video games (given free to 16
year olds and freely seen by 12 year olds) and in this
way encourage the child recruitment process and at the
same shout �child
soldiers� where under 18 children
without schools to attend, and in many cases without
families to look after them, join an armed group
resisting alien rule. Here, we may need to recognise
the truth of something which Dr.Colin Harvey pointed
out in 2000,
"International law is political.
There is no escape from contestation. Hard lessons
indeed for lawyers who wish to escape the
indeterminate nature of the political. For those
willing to endorse this the opportunities are great.
The focus then shifts to inter-disciplinarity and the
horizontal networks which function in practice in
ways rendered invisible by many standard accounts of
law. This of course has important implications
for how we conceive of law's role in ethnic conflict.
We must abandon the myth that with law we enter the
secure, stable and determinate. In reality we are
simply engaged in another discursive political
practice about how we should live..."
To repeat: 'in reality we are
simply engaged in another discursive political practice
about how we should live.' And this
is all the more reason why we may need to resist - and
resist with vigour - the immorality of the double
standard in respect of under 18 recruitment. A double
standard does not treat like equally �
and cannot be (and, indeed, should not be allowed to
become) an international norm because apart from
anything else, a double standard offends against the
fundamental principle of equality before the law. All
law is rooted in common sense and when common sense is
denied, we do not have the rule of law - we have
political opportunism which sheds crocodile tears for
the welfare of children. And to say that is not to
stand on shaky ground, but on something more solid
� truth and justice.
One further
matter also calls for a response and that is the
statement that -
�The
argument the LTTE can use is that it is not purely an
armed group and has a rear area where underage
recruits can be protected from direct combat. I
think they are also using the argument that there is
a ceasefire, so there is no combat, so underage
recruits cannot be exposed to
combat.�
We
cannot, ofcourse, speak for the LTTE. Neither does our
remit extend to lending it support. But reason suggests
that the LTTE is a politico military
�organisation' enjoying a monopoly of
coercive power within internationally recognized lines
of control. This is a characteristic which it shares
with states. A state enjoys a monopoly of coercive
power within its territorial boundaries - and, indeed,
this is the defining characteristic of a
state.
Again, states have armed forces, and they
also have administrative services. In some cases like
Pakistan, the chief of the army is the political head.
In other cases like the USA, the political head is the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In both cases
the administrative services may include police,
training schools, judiciary etc. The LTTE administers a defacto state within
internationally recognized lines of control. The state
is de facto because it has not been recognized by other
states but the lines of control are de jure because
they have been set out in an internationally recognized ceasefire
agreement. This de facto state is no
�rear area� of an
�armed group�. The
so called 'rear area' is very much the front area of a
defacto state with de jure lines of
control. The Australian M.P. Ms Virginia
Judge was not referring to some
�rear area of
an armed
group� when she declared on 15
September 2005 (after a visit to Tamil Eelam)
�
��I observed
that in a remarkable three year period the Tamils
developed a virtual state
within the north and north-east of Sri Lanka. I
visited their judiciary and court, school of law,
police station, police academy, medical and technical
colleges and small industries, a community bank plus
a children's home housing 278 children left orphaned
by the war and the recent tsunami. The Tamil
Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) runs a variety of
development, relief and reconstruction projects as
well as assisting several non-government
organisations with their projects. All this is a
tribute to the spirit and resilience of the Tamil
people��
And it was to this political
reality that Sri Lanka President Kumaratunge alluded
in
April 2003 when she declared that the "LTTE has set
up a separate state". And it was to
this political reality that Professor Kristian Stokke
referred in Building the Tamil Eelam State: Emerging
State Institutions and Forms of Governance in
LTTE-controlled Areas in Sri Lanka, 2006
-
"Sri
Lanka�s third Eelam War created a
political-territorial division of the island with a
resultant dual state structure in the North-East. In
the context of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement and
based on earlier institutional experiments, the LTTE
is currently engaged in a comprehensive process of
state building within the areas they
control."...
Given this political
reality on the ground, reason suggests
that recruitment by the LTTE may not
necessarily mean recruitment to its armed forces. Such
recruitment may be to its police force, training
schools and so on. And it is this which many reports
(including those by UNICEF) have failed to address.
There is also a further interesting question which may
need to addressed - and that is whether Article 4 of
the Optional Protocol which does not apply to a state
but applies to an 'armed group', would apply to a
defacto state with dejure lines of control.
From:
V.C.Vijayaraghavan, London, UK 23 July 2006
Sources of Cultural Memory in XXth Century Tamil
Country
A critique of Dr.Wignesan's Sources of Cultural
Memory in XXth Century Tamil Country
Dr.Wignesan assumes many historically invalid
markers for who is a Tamil. Dr.Wignesan
says
"Tamils - though linguistically and ethnically
they may be defined as speaking or using Tamil and
belonging to the Dravidian race - would appear to
want to be thought of as the indigenous people of
Tamil-Nadu as opposed to those who reside in their
midst and practise and cultivate their tongue and
arts and culture".
He does not define anywhere who is an indigene "as
opposed" to a non-indigene who merely "reside in their
midst and practise and cultivate their tongue and arts
and culture". He does not give any historically valid
documents textual or otherwise to show who is eligible
to be an "indigene" via-a-vis non-indigene.
Instead, he merely throws the names of E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker - whom he calls
Periyar, which is his pet name among his acolytes,
Annadurai, Veeramani and so forth.
Quoting 20th century authors like Naipaul and
dropping political names does not amount to
substantiating his main thesis of indigene and
non-indigene. From his quotes one gathers -somewhat
indirectly that by Tamil indigene he means Tamil
non-Brahmin and by non-indigene he means Tamil
Brahmins.
One of the quotes he gives says "today that the
indigenous Tamils - by which I mean of course the
non-Brahmin Tamils " I don't know why he gives so much
prominence to Naipaul an occasional non-Tamil visitor
to Tamilnadu whose total stay in TN has perhaps not
exceeded 2 or 3 months and who does not know any Tamil.
Dr.Wignesan is million times more qualified as a Tamil
to give his opinions than Naipaul.
Be that as may, he gives as another central thesis
"And this past in Tamil literary achievement is to
be found - to give the major reference points of
Tamilians� prideful memory - couched
mainly in the Tolkappiyam, in cankam poetry:
Ettuttokai and Pattuppattu in the
Patinenkilkkanankku, which includes the Thirukural, in Cittalaic
Cattanar�s Manimekalai, in Ilanko
Atikal�s Cilappathikaram, among
others...".
We gather that Dr.Wignesan gives these literary
expressions of ancient Tamils as the collective
memory.
Let us see these two juxtaposed i.e. his thesis of
Tamil Brahmins as the non-indigene in Tamilnadu and his
thesis of collective memory of the "indigenes" i.e.
Tamil non-Brahmins' Tolkappiyam, Thirukural, Cilappathikaram, Manimekalai, Sangam poetry and so forth. We
can see that Brahmins occur from the earliest
historical poetry of Tamils i.e. Tolkappiyam. Not only
that - the position accorded to the Brahmins is the
same as that of Arya society and later Bhakti society.
Tolkappiyam clearly lays down the four
fold division of the society as Brahmins, Kings,
Vaishyas and Vellalas.
Tolkappiyam : Marabiyal - Way of Tradition
71, 73 Definition of a Brahmin
[நூலே
கரகம்
முக்கோல்
மணையே
ஆயும்
காலை
அந்தணர்க்கு
உரிய. &
அந்தணாளர்க்கு
உரியவும்
அரசர்க்கு
ஒன்றிய
வரூஉம்
பொருளுமார்
உளவே.]
72: Definition of a King
[படையும்
கொடியும்
குடையும்
முரசும்
நடை
நவில்
புரவியும்
களிறும்
தேரும்
தாரும்
முடியும்
நேர்வன
பிறவும்
தெரிவு
கொள்
செங்கோல்
அரசர்க்கு
உரிய.]
78: Definition of a Vaishya
[வைசிகன்
பெறுமே
வாணிக
வாழ்க்கை]
81: Definition of a Vellala
[ வேளாண்
மாந்தர்க்கு
உழுதூண்
அல்லது
இல் என
மொழிப
பிற வகை
நிகழ்ச்சி.
]
83: Brahmins define the limits of a
king [அந்தணாளர்க்கு
அரசு
வரைவு
இன்றே]
These are just a small sample. When one goes through
the Sangam Tamil literature, available in the original one can get
hundreds of examples of a society where Brahmins are an
essential part. Not only that, the life rituals were
also governed by Brahmins:
For example take Cilapathikaram, a Sangam book, which
Tamils justifiably take pride and which gives a
panoramic view of Tamil society about 1800 years
ago
[note by tamilnation.org: Cilapathikaram
actually belongs to the post Sangam period and is one
of the 5 epics -
five காப்பியங்கள் . Professor C.R.Krisnmaurthy has
concluded that "unlike other Thamizh classics,
there is less confusion regarding the age of
SilappathikAram which is reckoned as the middle of
the fifth century. However, this matter of dating
may not take away anything from the main thrust of
V.C.Vijayaraghavan's critique].
How did Kovalan marry Kannagi, the heroine:
according to the Brahminic ritual at the auspicious
time of the Rohini star, after going round the sacred
fire 7 times under the guidance of a senior Brahmin.
Cilapathikaram is soaked with the central position of
Brahmins in ancient Tamil society of Cilapathikaram's
days. Brahmins have been the most indigene of the Tamil
indigenes. I would challenge Dr.Wignesan to deny this
with reference to ancient Tamil literature which he
rightly says are the collective memory of Tamils.
In the absence of a suitable rebuttal to what I have
written, the whole thesis of Tamil Brahmins being
non-indigenes falls flat. He is just falling into the
19th-20th century trap set by Indologists and Christian
missionaries. The best antidote to Indological and
Christian missionary illusions is the reading of
ancient Tamil literature in original.
Since his essay deals with "Sources of Cultural
memory", I would like to point two things. Memory can
be false also. For example it is clinically proven that
paranoid schizophrenics fake their memory - except that
they don't know they are faking it and take themselves
seriously. The entire Dravidian movement of 20th century
Tamilnadu displays the paranoid hatred of Tamil
Brahmins, with Brahmins being the very axis of evil in
the Tamil world.
Hence, the construct of Tamil Brahmin as the
non-indigene who has plotted from time immemorial to
work for the "downfall" of the "indigene Tamils". This
has been retrospectively projected to Sangam times.
While the Sangam literature has intimate knowledge of
the Brahmins as a member of Tamil society, it shows no
such "otherness" towards Brahmins - neither Brahmins or
Brahminical rituals. The "sources" Dr.Wignesan quotes
are 20th century politicians with vested interest in
faking memory so as to gain power.
I am sure many Eelam Tamils are familiar with 'faking
cultural memory' in the shape of Sinhala chauvinism to
deny Tamils their rightful place in Eelam. Sinhala chavinism is a product of the
19th-20th century interaction with western imperialism
and it does not have historical roots within Ceylon
itself. Dravidian movements stand in a parallel
position in Tamil Nadu.
From: A Londoner,
19 July
2006
Thank you for your straight-to-the-point response on the
child soldiers issue. It elucidates that the LTTE has
obviously changed positions, as one does - from denial
to conceding that they have indeed engaged children in
active duty in the theatre. Whether the recruitment
process was voluntary or even forced conscription is
not very clear. Perhaps LTTE is not hidebound on this
question. One becomes concerned however regarding the
rehabilitation of these young people and the impact it
does have in forthcoming generations.
Re. the piece on Peace and international intervention
by Fr Sinnathurai I read that the international
community might be forthcoming to support a "state
within a State" solution.
The above tract from the LTTE
suggests that if one does go down the path of finding
solution under a unitary state [majoritarian in this
case] then the LTTE will fight for separate state. No
wonder Mahinda Rajapakse is giving the appearance of
tinkering with Buddhist-centric Constitution!
As for me, like most Tamils, if there is to be lasting
solution one has to support separation - I'm yet to
hear a convincing argument or a worth-while
intellectual reflection to change my mind on that.
Having said that, may I kindly ask tamilnation.org
to out line the merits and the
de-merits of the "state within a State" proposal purely
from the angle of North East Tamils? How will it differ
from Tamil Nadu?
Response by tamilnation.org
On the question of child soldiers, the
matter that may have to be considered is whether the
law itself has changed on the matter. The Optional
Protocol which banned armed groups (but not States)
from recruiting those under 18 came into force on 12
February 2002. The Ceasefire Agreement between the
LTTE and Sri Lanka, with internationally recognised
demarcated lines of control, was signed 10 days later
on 22 February 2002.
As we have pointed out elsewhere we
ourselves are unaware whether or not the LTTE has
denied that it employs children, "from the age 15,
for military purposes". But be that as it may, the
question in law is whether the Optional Protocol
(which does not apply to a state) applies to a
defacto state and additionally, whether recruitment
by the LTTE which admittedly administers a defacto
state, necessarily means recruitment as a child
soldier.
As for a "state within a State"
solution, our own view (which as been stated on more
than one occasion in the past - please see Sri Lanka-Tamil Eelam: Getting to
Yes; A Question of Peace; What's the Solution; and The
Singer Error) is that the demand for an
independent Tamil Eelam state is not negotiable but
that an independent Tamil Eelam can and will
negotiate a political structure where both the
Sinhala people and the Tamil people may live in
equality and in freedom, yes, freedom.
"The struggle for Tamil Eelam is
about giving effect to the will of the Tamil people
expressed by the mandate that they had
given the Tamil United Liberation Front in
1977. It is also about reversion of sovereignty. It
is about the democratic right of the people of
Tamil Eelam to govern themselves in their homeland
- nothing less and nothing more. (It) is not
about securing benevolent Sinhala rule....The
struggle for Tamil Eelam is not about 'very
moderate devolution' or 'modest devolution' or
'significant devolution'. It is not about devolving
power from the higher to the lower. It is not about
devolution. Period. It is about freedom from alien Sinhala
rule. At the same time, the struggle for Tamil
Eelam is also about how
two free peoples may associate with each other in
equality, in freedom and in peace..." from the
The Singer Error,
2001
If Germany and France were able to
put in place such 'associate' structures despite the
suspicions and confrontations of two world wars, it
should not be beyond the capacity of Tamil Eelam and
Sri Lanka to work out structures, within which each
independent state may remain free and prosper, but at
the same time pool sovereignty in certain agreed
areas. Tamils who today live in many
lands and across distant seas know only too well
that sovereignty after all, is not virginity
From: A
Londoner, 18 July 2006
I read the letter
written by the Secretary-General of the International
Federation of Tamils (IFT) to Ann Veneman. I have
a comment and a question.
1) When I met with Castro (LTTE Foreign Secretary)
soon after the tsunami I put to him a question about
the child soldiers which was then a buzz word for the
international media pundits. With a charming smile
Castro replied: "We are concerned about our next
generation. We are fighting for them in order for
them to have a free and fair life. Are these
foreigners thinking we don't care about our youths?
No, we deeply care for them. The argument of
child-soldiers is a cop-out. What have they done to
improve the lives of our young people and the Tamil
children? Zero."
Arm-chair pundits will talk...dogs bark, the
caravan moves...
2) The IFT - where are they based? What is their
remit? Do they have a public profile?
Response by tamilnation.org
Whilst it is true that the issue
of so-called child soldiers in the LTTE ranks is
being used by many not out of genuine concern for
Tamil youth but for political purposes, it is
also true that the LTTE has engaged with the UNICEF in
addressing the issue and has on occasion
released child recruits. This would
suggest that in the case of the child soldiers issue,
the LTTE has not adopted a "dogs bark, the
caravan moves" approach. The International
Federation of Tamils is based in Geneva,
Switzerland. You will find further particulars
here - and you may contact them
directly at their email/postal address.
From: Rev B J
Alexander, London 3 July 2006
I have read with much interest the articles on
"Monumental Historical Tragedy"
and the accompanying pieces on "The Verdict" along with Rajiv Gandhi's War Crimes. Having
reflected on that, I wondered as to why the Tamil legal
intelligentsia are still waiting to press charges
against the Sri Lanka failed state at the Hague for all
the crimes unleashed on its principal minority in the
past and currently. I have two questions to ask, if I
may.
1) Is the State immune from such action? If so,
should the Tamils go for individuals starting from the
late President JR to President MR not forgetting SWRD.
Can some one be charged for war crimes
posthumously?
2) Can Hague refuse to accept such a case other than
the point of lack of evidence - if refused do the
Tamils have recourse to justice? Will such a case be
Eelam Tamils Vs. Sri Lanka State terror?
Response by
tamilnation.org:
The jurisdiction of the International Court of
Justice in the Hague may be invoked only by a state.
This means that the charge of a war crime against Sri
Lanka or India in the International Court of Justice
may be brought only by another state.
Apart from the
International Court of Justice there is also the
International Criminal Court which was established
under the Rome Statute in 1998. The Statute entered into force on 1
July 2002. The jurisdiction of the ICC may be invoked
by states as well as by individuals and non
governmental organisations. The procedure is as
follows:
" The Chief Prosecutor may start an
investigation upon referral of situations in
which there is a reasonable basis to believe
that crimes have been or are being committed.
Such referrals must be made by a State Party
or the Security Council of the United
Nations, acting to address a threat to
international peace and security. In
accordance with the Statute and the Rules of
Procedure and Evidence, the Chief Prosecutor
must evaluate the material submitted to him
before making the decision on whether to
proceed.
In addition to State Party and Security
Council referrals, the Chief Prosecutor may
also receive information on crimes within the
jurisdiction of the Court provided by other
sources, such as individuals or
non-governmental organisations. The Chief
Prosecutor conducts a preliminary examination
of this information in every case. If the
Chief Prosecutor then decides that there is a
reasonable basis to proceed with an
investigation, he will request the Pre-Trial
Chamber to authorise an investigation."
Having said that, it is necessary to point
out that the jurisdiction of the ICC may be
invoked only in respect of crimes committed
after 1 July 2002. Again,
the roll call of the vote in Rome revealed
the continuing interplay between real politick and human
rights.120 countries voted
in favour of the statute, 7 against, and there
were 21 abstentions. The United States
voted against the statute and refused to
recognise the jurisdiction of the
International Criminal Court in respect of
individuals who may be
charged with crimes against humanity. It also
questioned the right of the Court to act
independently of the United Nations Security
Council [where the US had the right of veto].
That India and China joined the United States
in opposing the Rome Statute reflects, perhaps,
the shared interests of aspiring world powers.
These shared interests are apparent in the
explanations given by each of these
countries for their vote. It is not
without significance that Sri Lanka
abstained at the vote on the ICC in 1998.
The stated reason for the abstention was
that the 'crime of terrorism' was not included
in the Statute. But, Sri Lanka may have been
concerned that the statute included genocide, crimes against humanity, war
crimes, as well as the crime of aggression
(once an acceptable definition for the Court's
jurisdiction over it is adopted). As of May
2004, 90 countries had ratified
the Rome Statute but the US, India and Sri
Lanka have not ratified the Statute.
Finally even though the Rome Statute entered
into force on 1 July 2002, the ICC has stated
that " it will take some time before the Court
begins its operations. A number of statutory
measures and practical steps still have to be
taken before the Court becomes operational.
Whereas the two ad hoc Tribunals for Yugoslavia
and Rwanda could be set up within the framework
of the United Nations, the ICC will have to be
set up as a completely new international
organisation."
From: Swaminathan
Palendira [[email protected]] 20 June
2006
I was somewhat annoyed after reading the article
Quo Vadis Karunanidhi? by Sachchi
Srikantha. I am by no means a fan of Karunanidhi.
But what positive purpose would such a negative
assessment of Karunanidhi serve, especially at this
critical juncture?. Surely Karunanidhi does not depend
on the Eelam Tamils either politically or materially.
So what would the Eelam Tamil community stand to gain
by annoying him? It is not that his present role should
not be criticised. But how and when it is done also
matters. He for political gain or some other purpose is
providing at least the minimum relief to the hapless
refugees flocking across the Palk Straits. Should he
stop or reduce same because of the annoyance that some
intellectuals amongst the Tamil diaspora cause him? We
know very well as to what sort of an attitude his
predecessor adopted in the case of Eelam refugees in
Tamilnadu. Should Karunanidhi be made to follow the
same?
Response by tamilnation.org: Whilst concern about
Mr.Karunanidhi's reactions may be
understandable, it seems to us that the way forward is
to give open expression to the views that Eelam Tamils
may have on the stands taken by Mr.Karunanidhi from
time to time. It may well be true that Mr.
Karunanidhi does not depend on the Eelam Tamils either
politically or materially. But it is equally true that
there is an underlying broad based support amongst the
people of Tamil Nadu, for the struggle of the people of
Tamil Eelam to be free from alien Sinhala rule- and it
is this 'emotional' feeling of the people of Tamil
Nadu, which the DMK has sometimes sought to tap to
further its own political advancement. That this
underlying support does exist is also shown by the
grounds stated by New Delhi to ban the
LTTE -
"The LTTE's objective for a separate homeland
(Tamil Eelam) for all Tamils threatens the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and
amounts to ceding a part of the territory of India
and thus fall within the ambit of an unlawful
activity. The turbulence in Sri Lanka is being
exploited by pro-LTTE forces to draw support for the
LTTE and its cause by taking out processions,
demonstrations etc, in spite of the ban, causing
disquiet and threat to the security of
Tamilnadu....the Tamil Eelam concept still remains as
a goal among the pro-LTTE groups in Tamilnadu."
As to the fear that Mr.Karunanidhi may 'stop
or reduce' relief to the 'hapless refugees
flocking across the Palk Straits' it may be helpful to
consider, in this context, the news report about
RAW aiding paramilitary recruitment
in India -
"Sri Lanka�s Army-backed Tamil
paramilitaries are seeking recruits amongst Tamil
refugees in Tamil Nadu, offering hefty salaries
...The recruitment is being conducted with the
knowledge of India�s external
intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis
Wing)..."
It seems unlikely that Chief Minister
Karunanidhi will 'stop or reduce' the
assistance that he is providing the 'hapless refugees'
because of the 'annoyance that some intellectuals
amongst the Tamil diaspora' may cause him. There is
also the additional circumstance that Mr.Karunanidhi has always maintained
good relations with Mr.S.C.Chandrahasan and his
Organisation for Eelam Refugees
Rehabiltation(OfERR) who continue to make
their own anti-LTTE contribution from Chennai.
From: Usha S Sri Skanda Rajah,
Canada, 19 June 2006
Editor, Tamil Nation - Please could you publish my
letter to the Reverend (Chandi Sinnathurai) re:
Satya-Lobby in the Tamil Nation? -
Dear Reverend
Here is my most humble submission on your most
worthwhile undertaking (naanayam mikka pani), please
excuse me for anything I may say
that�s wrong. I shall appreciate
your pointing it out to me. You have coined two words
- Satyam and Lobby to make Satya-Lobby. You could not
have found a better name. The word Satyam is old; the
word lobby is relatively new (though lobbying must
have been a useful tool from time immemorial) Just as
the word Truth has �no beginning or
end� so does Satyam. Its origin is
as old as creation. Swami Chimayananda defines Satyam as
�intellectual
honesty.� In other words Satyam is
�honesty at the level of the
intellect.� It�s
more than honesty, it�s Integrity;
it�s more than an ideal,
it�s intellectual conviction.
It�s truthfulness as opposed to
falsehood; it�s Satyam as opposed to
Asatyam.
The Struggle for Emancipation of Eelam:
Is based on Satyam (the cause is legitimate)
Was born in defense of Satyam (the cause is just)
Is built on Satyam (the cause is steadfast)
Is bound by Satyam (the cause unites those involved
in truth)
Is baptized in the Maveerar�s Satyam
(the cause is purified by the
Maveerar�s oath and selfless
sacrifice)
The cause will be won because Satyam leads (the cause
will be won because Pirapaharan�s
motives and goal are pure and founded on truth). His
quote mentioned in your article is itself a Satyam
pronouncement � one that is founded
on truth:
"We are not chauvinists. Neither are we lovers
of violence enchanted with war. We do not regard
the Sinhala people as our opponents or as our
enemies. We recognise the Sinhala nation. We accord
a place of dignity for the culture and heritage of
the Sinhala people. We have no desire to interfere
in any way with the national life of the Sinhala
people or with their freedom and independence. We,
the Tamil people, desire to live in our own
historic homeland as an independent nation, in
peace, in freedom and with dignity."
Satyam is the foremost virtue that an aspirant
seeking the spiritual path should possess. This is
universal and true of all paths. But the Truth or
Reality referred to in (Hindu) spiritual parlance has
a different meaning: The true Reality is that the
material world is not real or permanent but that
which is real, permanent and eternal is the spirit
the Atman also the Supreme Spirit. When ignorance
(Maya) is removed man�s
awareness/knowledge of that Reality is awakened and
the falsity of this illusory world and life becomes
apparent.
Although we have a lot to learn from
Krishna�s �Geeta Ubathesam� and
from the �Thirukkural� and many
other literary works � pure words of
wisdom found in all scriptures - the reality as in
the truth of the �ground
reality� is that which we must
convey to all and sundry.
The word Lobby according to the Oxford Dictionary
originated from lobby (n) as in the lobby (hallway)
of parliament, lobby (n) as in �a
group of people lobbying a Member of Parliament or
seeking to influence legislation and to lobby (v)
seek to persuade MP or other persons to support
one�s cause by interviewing him or
her in the lobby or writing letters. The modern
version of a lobby and lobbying could provide for
endless prospects.
Correct me if I am wrong� The
Satya-Lobby made up of persons acting both
individually as well as collectively would, espousing
Satyam, endeavor to engage, educate and influence
persons about the �Truth of the
Tamil Cause from different aspects�
individually as well as collectively from the
ordinary common man to media personnel to politicians
to bureaucrats to governments to world leaders to
NGOs including civil societies; to make them
understand and learn the Truth behind the Cause removing any
doubts and misconceptions that people may have from
their minds about it. In this regard your
illustration of the Modern Gandhi complete with
computer and camera says so much about what the means
and strategy of the Satya-Lobby should be.
Reverend there have been others - who have discussed
similar ideas with us and have come up with
frameworks; yet others who may already be involved in
such exercises. Also this is not to forget those who
have done so much in this department already. We have
to credit those that have achieved so much in this
regard. But Satya-Lobby is a good idea and should be
pursued.
From: Bertram Veerasingham, Canada,
19 June 2006
Dear Tamil Nation Editor: I wonder whether you could
post this letter which I have written to the author of
the piece entitled Satya-Lobby.
Dear Fr.Sinnathurai:
I really do appreciate your contribution especially
at a time when Christian way of strengthening the
moral call for the sacred/just cause as strongly
stipulated in the Gospels, is not catching fire
especially among the Judeo/Christian West. How much
more blood of our people has to spill in the land of
our ancestors before the West realizes the
�Call from the
wilderness�?
I would like to make an additional point in this call
to wage Satya-Velvi by the Tamil
Diaspora of the West. As you know there is a vast
spectrum of practically all of our
intellectuals/academics who are sitting in the
comfort zone and mostly consider this struggle very
much as a struggle of the �common
man�.
Still it�s the $ 10 an hour man from
the factories who tirelessly sacrifices his time,
energy and money to this Satya-struggle. Your call, I
would think should give priority and urgency for the
intellectuals/academics to join in this Satya-Velvi
(Poruththathu Pothum Padiththa Thamilaray!!) at this
hour of utmost need. Of course, we do need to have a
game-plan, but there is hardly any from the active
�Intellectual
intelligentsia� for the take.
(Padiththa Pandithar Crowd)!
It is my estimate at least here in the White-North,
that the ratio between the Ordinary Vs Educated
taking part in this Satya-Yathrai is somewhat like
93:7, though we do have enough on the Pandithar Crowd
to make it 50:50. Such is the current sorry state of
affairs. The educated and the
�Seemaith'
Thamilar�s consciousness need to be
shaken vigorously and urgently!! It should be now or
never, like the popular W.W 11 propaganda quote, when
the son/ grandson asking the dodger
� � Papa, Where were you when the Evil almost
took over Justice and Freedom and threatened our very
existence?�
On a relative note the SL Embassy here do obtain
services from at least 2 PR Firms with an annual
budget exceeding one million $which includes the
wine-dine entertainment with the ruling elites. On
the other hand for years this issue of lobbying has
caused so much of debate among us; one side on the
defense of the homeland and the other, on the side of
offense in the West through lobbying, both sides
always missing the middle. The emotional ties were so
strong that it was the prevention (or lessening) of
blood spilling among our brethren that took precedent
in the past. We have come a long way from those days
to understand the urgent need for
�Satya-lobby�
today.
From: N.Muthu Kumar, 30 May 2006
Recently, I read an article "
Forgotten Heroes of Indian Independence" in The
Times of India, Delhi Edition. The article is about
the Indian National Army founded by Subhash
Chandra Bose and the soldiers who had sacrified
their lives in South Asian countries including Burma
for the cause of Indian independence. The author of
the article has narrated the plight of those soldiers
of Indian independence, majority of them are still
stateless people living in shanties in Myanmar and are treated as foreign
nationals in Burma for more than 60 - 70 years.
These people are denied equal rights with the natural
citizens of Burma for more than seven decades. When
I go through the article, I found many of the persons
referred to are Tamils. Why the sufferings of Burma
Tamils not taken by any one at the political level
in India and what are the possibilities for rendering
any assistance to the hapless Tamil people of Burma.
Why should a Burma Tamil (including all persons of
Indian origin), who sacrificed his life for the cause
of India to suffer. Did successive Governments in
India take any initiatives to grant citizenship to
those people in India or taken up the matter with
Myanmar. When will these people get reward for their
sacrifice.
From: Adhiyamaan
Aadhikkan [[email protected] ] 29 May 2006
I would like to add to the comments by Sivagaandhan
regarding the demands by Tamil political parties for
reservations. In the last election which Karunanidhi
contested and became is Chief Minister, DMK campaigned
to win North Indian votes in Tamil Nadu. To do this
they printed election propaganda material in Hindi. Is
it not really ironic that this very party which claims
to be championing the Tamil cause on one hand sidelines
the "forward communitiy" Tamils by eliminating them
from the reservation system, and on another hand tries
to appease North Indians settled in Tamil Nadu with
election propoganda in Hindi. It makes a mockery of the
people who died in 1965 revolting against Hindi
imposition. Now reservations for Urdu-speaking Muslims
(many of them who do not speak Tamil) is probably is
another feather in cap for Karunanidhi's 'Tamil
cause'. PMK's implementation of medicine labelling in
Hindi and the DMK's implementation of Hindi road signs
in Tamil Nadu are proof of the levels that these
parties can stoop to hold power in the Union
government.
From: Subramanian
Srinivasan [[email protected]], 28 May 2006
The comments of Mr. Ravishnakar Arunachalam
is absolutely baseless. His argument that Forward
Classes who form about 13% of the population get about
31% of the open quota is false and against the facts.
For instance In Tamil Nadu in 2004 out 1186 medical
seats the so called Forward Classes got only 28 got
admission. In 2005, only 38 got admission. But 914
belonging to Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes
got admission thus cornering 77% of the available
seats. So where is the question of forward castes
cornering the professional college admission. If one
makes further analysis, the majority of the admissions
would have gone to the more affluent sections of the
Backward Classes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Unless the creamy layer is excluded from the
reservation, the story of Tamil Nadu will be repeated
throughout India. Please see the following link -
Reserved classes forge ahead by
K.Ramachandran.
The comment of Mr. Ravishankar Arunachalam that "Of
course, forward castes aren't happy with the situation,
in spite of having a larger representation than their
proportion in the population" is fallacious. The basic
problem is the question of primary education. Unless
the foundations are strong, you cannot build a multi
storied building. If you see the primary schools in
villages they lack the basic infra structure. This has
to be improved. For improving the same you require
money. But most of the state governments supply free
power to farmers, and this goes to Other Backward
Classes (OBCs )only not to Dalits. Waiver of
agricultural loans also benefits OBCs and not Dalits.
At least in education the creamy layer should not be
allowed to reap the benefits, which should go the more
deserving Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
From:
Sivagaandhan.I, Tamil Anti-Reservation Blog
26 May
2006
The logic of Professor Arunachalam's
article recommending reservation proportional to %
of population, fails as the number of open seats
filled by so-called Backward Classes is susbstantial.
Also there is quota for sports people etc. Reservation
deserves to be abolished the same way that terms like
Brahmin, Backward Classes, Thevar, Nadar etc deserve to
be abolished. Reservation is nothing but a legal way to
divide society. Reservation defies the cause of Tamil
unity.
Pro reservationationists ironically favour Muslims who
only speak Hindi at home or Nayudus and Reddys who
speak only Telugu at home. At the same time they treat
Tamil-speaking Brahmins and Chettiars as foreign
invaders by excluding them . They also claim to fight
for the Tamil cause....by dividing Tamil society!!?
PMK, DMK, ADMK etc reject creamy layer, support the
cruel 2-tumbler system of Southern Tamil Nadu and now
demand extended reservation. PMK leader will go Delhi,
Hyderabad and Bombay to promote reservation rather than
setting up Tamil learning centers in those places. This
shows that Tamil Nadu policitians don't mind loosing
their self respect and prefer to worship their Hindi
masters than to work for an integrated Tamil society.
Incidently the PMK health minister has made Hindi
compulsory for medicine, the the DMK surface transport
minister has made Hindi compulsory on national roads
even in Tamil Nadu.
From: R. Vijay Kumar,
BS, PhD,MD,FACP [ [email protected] ], 23 May
2006
State Sponsored Terror and Genocide of Eelam Tamil
People of the Island of Sri Lanka
- The Indifference of the US and the International
Community is Alarming.
The Genocide of Tamil People in Eelam by the brutal
Racist Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka Regime and its
Military must be condemned by all people who espouse
democracy, freedom, and human rights. The utter
indifference, to the Genocide of inocent Eelam Tamil
civilians in Eelam, the North-East region of the island
of Sri Lanka, by the US, India and the (Western)
International Community is alarming. It begs the
question: Are they complicit in the Genocide of Eelam
Tamils to achieve their selfish goals? The sacrifice of
4 million Eelam Tamil lives, it seems, is
inconsequential and irrelevant to the US and its
proxies in their grand scheme of plans to maintain the
so called "world order"
I am on a one-man humanitarian crusade for the
emancipation of Tamil People of Eelam in the island of
Sri Lanka. The occupied nation of Eelam and its Tamil
people of the Island of Sri Lanka are desperate to be
freed from the shakles of Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka
hegemony and tyranny.
Over the years, I had written to various international,
political, human rights, and news organizations
regarding the tragedy of Eelam Tamils in the Island of
Sri Lanka. I appealed to these organizations to look at
the plight of Eelam Tamil people who are being
mercilessly slaughtered by the brutal racist military
of the racist Southern Sinhalese State of Sri Lanka.
The urgency of my plea was to do everything possible to
stop the Genocide of Eelam Tamil People by Southern
Sinhalese Sri Lanka regime and its racist occupation
army in Eelam. The International Community had done
nothing to halt the Genocide of Eelam Tamil People by
the Sri Lanka Regime. The tragedy of this ongoing human
slaughter is that the International Community, under
pressure from the myopic influences of the US, had not
held the Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka regimes
responsibile at all for their murderous deeds. It is
becoming patently obvious that the International
Community seem to be acting in unison in their
proclamation to place the blame for the death and
destruction in Eelam in the North-East of Sri Lanka
entirely and exclusively on the LTTE. It is ludicrous
and mind boggling that USA, a country that claims to be
the beacon of freedom and democracy, has been
singularly responsible, by its ignorent policy, in
favoring the murderous Southern Sinhalese Sri
Lanka.
This biased US policy had emboldened the the
Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka to conduct its mass
murders of Eelam Tamil civilians and their elected
representatives. As a world policemen, the US had
overseen the massacres in Genocidal millions in places
like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia,
South Africa, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Dafur, to
name a few. The US has no use for the Eelam Tamils.
How much more of Sri Lanka Sinhalese Government
Sponsored attacks, pogroms, massacres, and genocide of
Eelam Tamils are needed before the US and its proxies,
the so-called International Community, can act on this
human tragedy? The Eelam Tamil people are at their wits
end that the so called great democracies of the world
have found it convenient to cricize the puinished Eelam
Tamil people and its savior and freedom fighters
(the
LTTE)) than the punisher (Sinhalese Sri Lanka Regime
and its brutal killing machine, the Sinhalese
Military)).
It is of utmost urgency that appropriate actions be
taken to protest the US sponsored bias enabling the
Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka regime and its racist
Miliary to prosecute the Genocide of Eelam Tamil
people. It is the hope of Eelam Tamil People that world
opinion can be mobilized at this most perilous moment
in the 3000 year history of Eelam Tamil people of the
island of Sri Lanka.
The so-called "peace loving", "patient" President of
the "Failed State of Sri Lanka", Mr. Mahinda
"Chinthanaya" Rajapakse had ordered the Genocide of
Eelam Tamil people that is in full swing at this very
momenmt in Eelam Region of the island of Sri lanka. To
the dismay of the Eelam Tamil people, he had ordered
the murders of the elected representatives of Eelam
Tamil people who have stood up to him in protest of the
atrocities committed by him and his regime of the
Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka. The recent actions and
proscription by the Western Governments, at the
instigation of the Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka
Government, against the freedom fighters of the Eelam
Tamil People of Sri Lanka, the LTTE, is troubling. This
had emboldened the Southern Sinhalese "Failed State of
Sri Lanka" to unleash, once again, its murderous
campaign of State Sponsored Terror against the Eelam
Tamil people.
The Genocide of Eelam Tamil people of the Island of
Sri Lanka and the Ethnic Cleansing of Eelam is in full
swing. It is aided and abetted by the Western
Governments who, not too long ago, stoodby and watched
the Genocide of nearly a million of the people of
Rwanda. They have, as of late, been slow to respond to
the Genocide in Darfur. The International Community's
attitude toward the Genocide of Eelam Tamil people in
Sri Lanka is no different. Clearly, it seems, Eelam
Tamil lives and the miscery of the "Failed State of
Sinhalese Sri Lanka" are inconsequential in the grand
scheme of "World Order", as dictated by the US, in a
strategically unimportant region in the backyard of
India.
I do not believe, the Western Governments have the
desire to demand the truth, under intense pressure from
the US, and bring to light the ground reality of the
plight of Eelam Tamil people of Sri Lanka. The
brutalized, down-trodden Tamil people of Eelam, will be
emancipated from the Sinhalese Sri Lanka State
Sponsored Terror, Hegemony and Colonial Servitude. That
is the reality of human perseverance and human
history.
History had taught us that the mighty and the
powerful that crushed and massacred the powerless and
the down-trodden, eventually fell and disappeared into
the dustheap of history and oblivion. The international
community, led by its master, the US, have swallowed
the misinformation, disinformation and lies perpetuated
by the Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka, regarding Eelam
Tamil people and the Freedom Fighting Force of the
people of Eelam, the LTTE. The viciously anti-Tamil,
racist, venomous propaganda machinery of the "Failed
State of Sri Lanka", via its Foreign Ministry and its
Diplomatic missions, as well as via the Southern
Sinhalese racist media such as the "Sri Lanka Island
News Group", the "Lake House News Group" of Sri Lanka,
"AsiaTribune", "SPUR", "WAPS" have no compuction
propagating the lie that the Sinhalese Sri Lanka, the
real aggressor, as the victim, and that the Eelam
Tamils, the truly aggrieved, as the aggressor. These
are signs of a sick and psychologically deranged
nation.
These are signs of a nation and its regime that is
in a psychiatrically deranged delutional mind set.
These are signs of an utterly Failed State. Eelam Tamil
people, long time ago lost all the confidence of being
governed by a foreign, modern day colonialist hegemonic
government of the neighboring Southern Sinhalese Sri
Lanka.
The Government of the "Southern Sinhalese Failed State
of Sri Lanka" has brutalized, murdered and massacred in
genocidal propotion the people of Eelam. It uses sexual
rape of Eelam Tamil women as a horrific tool of terror
before murdering these Eelam Women. The people of Eelam
have, long ago, rejected their governance by a brutal,
racist, chauvanistic, hegomonic, terrorist Southern
Sinhalese Sri Lanka colonial regime. The LTTE is a
freedom fighting force formed by the people, for the
people and to serve the people of Eelam. LTTE is not an
international terrorist organization. LTTE is the Eelam
people. Eelam people are LTTE. One does not exist
without the other.
Sri Lanka Government's actions, under the tacit
approval of the US have wreaked mayhem, mass murder and
Genocide on the Eelam Tamil people of Sri Lanka. Sri
Lanka's Racist, Chauvanist, Sinhalese Budhist, Brutal
Military continues to sadisticaly terrorize Tamil women
by gang raping them until they are lifeless.
Brutalization of Eelam Tamils had been the "modus
operandi" of the Southern Sinhalese "Failed State of
Sri Lanka". The cowardly Sinhalese Sri Lanka Military
had been committing mass murders at will, even as I
write this letter. The only crime that the Eelam Tamil
people had committed was that they were born
Tamils.
The Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka Government had been
deceiving the minority Tamil people of Sri Lanka for
nearly 6 decades. During this period it has
systamatically destroyed this vibrant segment of the
population of this island.
The Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka is a nation that had
made the great teachings and philosophy of the Hindu
Indian Prince, Gautama Budha, into a radical, facist,
intolerent religion. The despotic actions of the
Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka regimes, present and past,
had paved the way for the creation of an intolerant,
mono-ethnic, mono-riligious, facist, racist,
chauvanistic, Asian Pseudo-Aryan, Neo-Nazi type, Brutal
Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka. No reason, whatsoever,
approved tacitly by the USA or not, justifies the
action of Sri Lanka Government's State Sponsored Terror
on the people of Eelam.
The propaganda blitz conducted by the "Failed State of
Sri Lanka", locally and internationally, to vilify
Eelam Tamil people and its Freedom Fighters, the LTTE,
as International Terrorists, is utterly false and
cannot and, will not, justify the killing of innocent
Tamil civilians by the Sri Lanka Government Sponsored
State Terror. The frequent and periodic mayhem, mass
murder, rape and arson had been occuring under the very
eye of the US and all its proxies who constitute the
International Community.
The pogrom and Genocide of Eelam Tamils have been
occuring ever since the departure of the British
Colonial Administrators in February of 1948.
The sentinal event, that paved the parting of ways of
Tamils from the treachery and failure of Governance of
the Sri Lanka State, was the Southern Sinhalese Sri
Lanka Government orchestrated Pogrom of July 23, 1983. In a matter of
two to three days, Eelam Tamil people of entire
suburbs, towns, and villages were butchered, immolated
alive or burried alive, resulting in the death of
several thousand Eelam Tamils and Up-country plantation
Tamil Brethren. There were Western visitors who were
eye witnesses to these horrors of Black July of 1983.
Despite the highly publicised genocide of Eelam Tamil
people in July, 1983, the Southern Sinhalese Government
of the "Failed State of Sri Lanka" is in a state of
denial to this day of the events of July 1983.
The Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka regime had very
conveniently placed the total number of deaths of the
Pogrom of Black July 1983 at approximately 300 deaths.
This was the approximate number of Eelam Tamil
Civilians killed along one suburban street (36th
Avenue), at a single moment's orgy, during Black July
1983, in the prodominently Eelam Tamil suburb of
Wellawatte, in the Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka's
capital city of Colombo. At the Grand Central "Fort"
Railway Station of the capital city of Colombo, every
one of the 1500 Eelam Tamil passengers who were boarded
and ready to depart for the city of Jaffna on the
inter-city express train "Yal Devi" were gunned down,
hacked and clubbed to death on that horrible day in
July 1983. The Sinhalese Military and the Police had
locked up all the Gates around the railway station to
facilitate the Sinhalese "Goon Squads" to methodically
go about their murderous acts on that fateful day
during black July 1983.
These and numerous other acts of beastiality and
brutality commited by the racist Southern Sinhalese and
its regimes of the past 58 years have clearly
demonstrated that the "Failed State of Southern
Sinhalese Sri Lanka" has no intention of accomodating
the needs, desires, aspirations, rights, safety and
justice of Eelam Tamil people. The State Sponsored
Terror had been committed with impunity, with
complicity of the USA and all other Western Governments
that are labelled as "Donor Nations" in the proposed
reconstruction and redevelopment plans for Southern
Sinhalese Sri Lanka. The internet and other sources are
replete with factual data on the Genocide of Eelam
Tamils by the brutal Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka
Military and its Goon Squads and Death Squads. I have
appended as attachments some of a large body of
information concerning the atrocities committed by the
Southern Sinhalese Sri Lanka Regimes of the present and
past.
The Eelam Tamil people have endured for far too long,
the brutality, the violent deaths at the hands of the
Sinhalese Death Squads and the intense fear of harm by
the Sinhalese Regimes of the "Failed State of Sri
Lanka". The gentle and hospitable Eelam Tamil people
have been forced to live as undesirables and as second
class citizens in this "corrupt", "Ungovernable",
"Lawless", "Failed State of Sri Lanka".
I have experienced first hand the Southern Sinhalese
Sri Lanka's racism and chauvanism. I have narrowly
escaped death at the hands of the "Marauding Sinhalese
Thugs", "Goon Squads", "Death Squads"
and the "Rampaging Sinhalese Sri Lanka Military". I do
understand how my people of Eelam must feel. The fear
of their lives being snuffed out at the blink of an eye
is an unimaginable horror they live with on a daily
basis.
I have pleaded with various international
organizations, through my letter writing campaign, for
help on behalf of the endangered Eelam Tamil people.
Mine is a one man crusade to bring freedom and
independence to a race of people who are undesired,
unwanted, reviled, and despised by the racist Southern
Sinhalese people and the government of this "Failed
State of Sri Lanka".
When a ruling regime of a State Fails consistently to
safeguard the human rights of a segment of its masses,
it is then a Failed State. When a ruling regime of a
state had authorized and conducted Genocide of a
segment of its population, then this state is a
Terrorist State.
The collusion of the state with its undiciplined
criminally inclined corrupt military and other criminal
elements to set upon the powerless minority ethnic
community within its state with the express purpose of
mass extermination of these minority people, the state,
therefore, is engaged in Ethnic Cleansing. The Island
State of Sri Lanka, by all accounts had failed the
Eelam Tamil people and the hill country plantation
estate Tamil people of that country. Sri Lanka is a
Brutal, Facist, Racist, Chauvanistic, Budhist
Fundamentalist, Psudo-Aryan, Neo-Nazi Type State. It is
a Rogue State. It is a Lawless State. It is a Terrorist
State. It is a Failed State. It is a state from which
the Eelam Tamils have long desired to extricate
themselves from the artificial and moribund union
forced upon them for administrative convenience 173
years ago by the British. The International Community
of Western Nations, under pressure of the USA, is
aiding, abetting, colluding and enabling the ethnic
cleansing and genocide of Eelam and its people. I urge
the law abiding, freedom loving people, who value
democracy and life without oppresion, rape and terror,
to rise up and take a stand against this state
terror.
From: Usha Sriskandarajah, Canada, 23 May
2006
An Ode to Dr Brian
Senewiratne
Dear Dr Senewiratne
We hail you
As the voice of reason of the Sinhalese
May your tribe increase
And become the driving force
To bring real unity to the island of Sri Lanka
May your kinsmen heed your call
To bring Peace and Prosperity
Security and Safety
Equity and Equality
To all the people of the island
Sinhalese Tamil Muslim and Burgher
In your quest for Justice and Fairness
May not your critics stop you
For alas!
They do not understand the wisdom of your words
They may rant and rave
And call you names
For all they want is supremacy
Not equality
We laud you for your courage
And for your futuristic vision
You�re not a traitor
For you love your people too much
And they must know
It�s the racists and the religious
extremists
Who send Sri Lanka
To the age of savagery and destruction
If people see
That all you want
Is for the Pearl of the Indian Ocean
To regain its luster and beauty
And that freedom for the Tamil speaking
People of the NorthEast
To determine their own destiny
Does not mean doom for the Sinhalese
But rather the advent
Of a bright new horizon
Of hope and glory
Of progress and dynamism
For they would be free
Free from the shackles
Of enmity and intolerance
Of those who spread hate
And those who cannot lead
What�s required
Are statesmen
Of the highest caliber
And of spiritual wisdom
Who are willing and able
Without procrastination
To accept the offer
Of peace and friendship
By Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan
Based on equality of status
And self determination
For both the Tamil speaking people
And the Sinhalese people
Muslim Christian Hindu and Buddhist
Free at last the people would be
Free to pursue their dreams in peace
Free to realize their full potential
Free truly to determine their destiny
And reap the rewards of freedom for all
With dignity and mutual respect
And you Sir shall become
The true emancipator of the people
And be honored as a hero
For your daring and foresight
From: A Tamil University
Student, United Kingdom, 28 April 2006
I have found your website both informative and
respectful. Even now writing this e-mail, I struggle to
write coherently as I am overwhelmed with great
sadness. I have too many questions, although many of
those had been addressed by your very great articles, I
still find myself asking those very same questions time
after time. So to sum it up in a few lines...
"How can the world allow our people to be humiliated,
abused and tormented like this? How can the great
bourgeoisies of India sit by and let these atrocities occur to the Tamil
people, when other nations like Turkey took a stand and
sent their armies into Cyprus to protect their kin? We
have so very many Tamil people across the world, who in
turn have settled and given birth to Tamils born in
these new adopted countries, who carry on the tradition
of being highly educated. So how can our people being
suffering in Eelam if we are prospering overseas? Are
our people not alike to the Jews, yet the Jews managed
to create their own statehood from the funding of their
people living overseas, despite being landlocked by
their enemies at every angle. Are we not able to this,
even though we have a Tamil Nadu/India right next to
us? Why are the paramilitaries (our own people) against
our own cause and fighting their own people, shedding
more of our blood? Tis' bad enough that the world turns
their back on us, but now they ban our resistance and
financing of the people in North/East of Sri-Lanka
instead of protecting us? Why is this happening to
us?"
I have never liked the words Tamil nationalist, nor
Tamil pride and so forth. It has always made me imagine
our people as obsessed of being Tamil, which didn't
correlate with my beliefs at the time. I have never
been proud of being a Tamil, for I have never really
known what that means to be as such. Growing up in
England, taking the typical modern British Asian
ideals, not being able to speak Tamil and not meeting
others of my race contributed to the previous
statement. But, as I grew older and observing the news
reports from Sri Lanka, made me realise I wanted to
know who I am. I quickly found tamilnation.org, and then tamilnet, amongst meeting other Tamils
etc..
I even visited the Sri Lankan Sinhalese websites. I
was horrified at the single-minded bias and bigotry -
how a majority population in an island justifies their
horrid actions on a minority one. My nerves began to
become unsettled, for I have never believed in
rebellion, terrorism or anything but peace. As I read
the struggle of our people, I had now become
obsessed with the word Tamil itself. Over the years,
reading and discovering our culture for the first time as
if I were an outsider - infact that is perhaps what I
was at the time. The revelation of being a Tamil hit me
like a bolt of lightening. No longer, would I deny to
myself as to who I am. I am now proud and angered of
being a Tamil. Angered that I feel powerless to help
our people in anything, but financing a cause, but
proud for the more obvious reasons.
I was astonished to find there are so many Tamils in
our own country, even people I knew prior to my
revelations were Tamil, but never advertised it. Now,
every one of my friends who are Tamil, I have made them
realise what it is to be Tamil. Shown them the
available resources, shown to them where our parents
and parents' parents came from, shown to them our
struggle,our endeavour for peace and the right to be a
Tamil.
... the Sinhalese have shown that they cannot be
trusted nor respected until they give us what was meant
for us .. Our own state, our own country for we do not
belong to them and they do not belong to us. ..I may
not be a true Tamil as those that are born in
Sri-Lanka/India, nevertheless it doesn't make me a
non-Tamil now does it? I do not expect a reply to my
questions, but I thank you for taking the time to read
my frustration.
From: Ivan
Pedropillai - Editor, Tamil Writer Guild - April
13, 2006
The Spider and the Fly � a
cautionary tale
President Mahinda Rajapakse has to be judged by his
actions and not his words
It is clear from the recent course of events in the
heartlands of northeast Sri Lanka that President
Rajapakse has ordered his security forces to terrorise
the Tamil population and to cause maximum damage to
their properties, in order to repress their demands for
self-determination and political autonomy. There is
presently a genocidal blood bath unleashed on the
Tamils of Trincomalee by the Sri Lankan Army and the
Sinhala thugs. The prospect of a federal solution
thrashed out in the Oslo agreement between the Sinhala
government and the LTTE only a couple of years ago, is
now lying disembowelled by Rajapakse and his rabid
anti-Tamil chauvinistic supporters. Even the agreement
reached between the Sinhala government of Rajapakse and
the LTTE only a month ago in Geneva to bolster the main
peace agreement has been shot to pieces by the Sri
Lankan government continuing to order its armed forces
and their paramilitary supporters in the north and east
to carry out wanton killings of Tamil civilians in
cynical disregard of their own agreement.
In any other walk of life, given the long history of
abrogation or non performance of signed contracts by
the Sinhala government, the defaulting party would have
been legally required to perform or the aggrieved party
would have had its rights restored. But in this case,
there is no one prepared to enforce the Sinhala
government, not even the international community, to
deliver on its agreement. The co-chairs to the peace
agreement are so fixated on saving their relationships
with the Sri Lankan government at any cost, that they
are unable or unwilling to persuade or force the hands
of the government to honour the terms of the agreements
that the co-chairs themselves set out to uphold.
It is a tragedy indeed that the vested interests of
governments that underwrite a peace agreement, overtake
and supersede the impartiality and moral courage
required of them as arbiters of the terms of peace
agreements entered into in conflict situations. The
attitude of these governments is utterly
incomprehensible in that they are prepared to bully and
adopt a wholly one-sided approach to ban the LTTE, the
sole representatives of the Tamils, in their own
countries while at the same time strutting the stage as
neutral co-chairs of the peace talks involving the
Sinhala government and the very same LTTE. In this
farce, the Tamils are served up as mere pawns in the
hands of the Sinhala government to be ultimately
gobbled up.
I am reminded of the poem, the Spider and the Fly by
Mary Howitt.I have chosen the following three versus to
illustrate my point that Mahinda Rajapakse is the
spider that is weaving an intricate web into which he
hopes that Tamils will walk in.
Will you walk into my parlour? Said the spider to the
fly,
�Tis the prettiest little parlour that
ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I have a many curious things to show when you are
there.
Oh no, no said the little fly, to ask me is in
vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can
ne�er come down again.
Alas, alas! How very soon this silly little fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly
flitting by;
With the buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and
nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and
purple hue;
Thinking only of the crested head, poor foolish thing!
At last
Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her
fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal
den,
Within his little parlour; but she
ne�er came out again!
And now dear little children, who may this story
read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you
ne�er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and
eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the spider and the
fly.
It is not the first time that the Sinhala government
and the Sinhala majority have reneged on political and
constitutional arrangements to protect minority rights
and to award the Tamils their democratic rights
guaranteed under the UN Charter, as a historic and
distinct nation living in their homelands. It must be
clear to Norway, the intrepid internationally renowned
peacemaker, that even after three years of its
indefatigable mediation in the conflict, that a Sri
Lankan government of any persuasion is both unable and
unwilling to deliver on its signed promises because of
the inherent ethno-religious bigotry of the mass of its
Sinhalese supporters.
It is by analysing the facts and accepting hard reality
that any successful solution can be reached, in a
political quagmire that has been allowed to fester for
over 55 years. It is no use pretending that the
historically entrenched Sinhala Buddhist mindset, which
claims hegemony over the whole country and is
brainwashed to believe that the Tamils are intruders in
their own country, will ever be prepared to concede the
democratic rights of the Tamils of Sri Lanka. The
Sinhala politicians are all flag bearers and
drumbeaters of the Sinhala claim and, after the nearly
three score years of parleying with the different
Sinhala governments and their leaders, Tamils have come
to accept that there is neither the intent nor the
mandate within the Sinhala political parties to arrive
at an amicable negotiated political settlement within
the framework of a single state of Sri Lanka.
It is with such objective thinking that we have arrived
at the only viable solution remaining to be explored by
both parties. If the two nations of the Sinhalese and
Tamil people are to live side by side in amity, then
given the long history of the claim of the Sinhala
Buddhist masses and their political leaders and the
competing rights of the Tamil people, it has to be a
two- state solution along the basis of the traditional
and well-established homelands. In a world where in
recent times East Timor, the Czech Republic and
Slovakia have been given separate statehood to stop
further serious acrimony and where they now exist in
concord, the two proposed states of Sri Lanka and Tamil
Eelam will exist in complete friendship and total
respect for each other and for their welfare and
traditions. The current and continuing loss of lives
and property in an unwinnable war or shadow war will be
staunched, and the resources and talent of the two
nations will be conserved and directed towards the
development and improvement of the lives of the people
of both the States.
After all these years of frustrated effort as a result
of immutable forces within the Sinhala polity, the
co-chairs of the Sri Lanka and LTTE peace talks will
have to make an objective assessment of the political
situation in the country as well as the fundamental and
historic factors that continue to bedevil the current
and crumbling peace agreement. It is axiomatic that the
Sri Lankan government will never allow even the agreed
federalism to the Tamils, because they will continue to
be intimidated by the reactionary Sinhala Buddhist
forces prevailing in the country. Further talks with
the Sinhala government will only entrap the Tamils,
just like how the spider dragged the fly up his winding
stair.
The co-chairs have the influence and power to stop an
inevitable war for separation, which will bring about
countless deaths and immeasurable destruction to both
nations. The UN and world powers have proposed a two
state solution for Israel and Palestine and the
situation in Sri Lanka calls for precisely the same
solution.
From: A Concerned
Tamil, USA 11 April 2006
An Exchange of Letters between a Nephew in
Colombo, Sri Lanka & an Uncle in United States
about the Canadian Ban on LTTE
Dear Uncle
Is this meant to force LTTE (and Tamils) to accept
whatever Rajapakse offers at the next meeting?. Is
there any way of getting them to review this decision
or is it too late?. Are there "our" people in Canada
supporting this decision?
Reply:
Dear Nephew
There are so many things, we as onlookers, cannot
comprehend, nor have the clout (financial or political)
to change or make a difference in such matters.
Therefore, first and foremost, it should be a person's
resolve to continue whatever help one can to help our
people over there and not to get too agitated about
such developments, particularly in foreign
countries.
1) In the Canadian context, the
�listing� was not
altogether a surprise. The Conservative Party had even
during election campaign time pledged that the Party
would do this, although in later days they played it
down for fear of losing the support of the Tamil
Community in a big way.
2) This �Listing� is
also a political whack aimed at the Liberal Party,
which was accused by the Conservative Party while in
the opposition - alleged to have been soft on the pro
LTTE support in Canada.
3) In practical terms, there would not be much
difference in fund raising or other significant
activities, because there are similar restrictions
already in vogue under Canada�s
Terrorism Act .
4) The LTTE has been
�listed� for years in
India, USA, UK, Australia et al, but I doubt whether
all these listings have changed the LTTE which seems to
be working at it its own pace and set Agenda.
5) There is no doubt that the latest news is a
reflection of concerted international attempts to prop
SLG and stump the Tamil freedom movement.
EU�s move of late 2005,
and the recent HRW Report accusing that the LTTE fund
raised in Canada and UK through intimidation and
extortion etc are not all isolated or unrelated. There
has been a concerted and coordinated effort by several
countries and groups, each with its
own agenda though.
SLG might be hoping that such attempts at strangulation
by the international community, the Safety Net
arrangements by Ranil, defense pacts with and arms
supply from China and Pakistan, and with backbiting by
India that the LTTE muscle could be cramped.
6). On the subject of whether our efforts will make any
significant difference, I believe everyone should
continue doing whatever we feel we should and could,
irrespective of how much impact it might have towards
the cause of Tamil Freedom.
Personally, I am very sceptical about the real impact
of lobbying efforts overseas. Tamils�
experience from Indira Gandhi/Clinton to the present
day, should tell us that every Ruler and Group and
country has its own selfish Agenda.
We can only hope that the will of our people at home
will not abate, despite all the genocide, treachery, killings and
assassinations, and international manoeuvres.
Whatever needs to be, and can be done in Canada, I
am certain is being done by the Tamil friends there.
When people talk about the clout of the Tamil
Diaspora, that strength is really in Canada
and in Continental Europe, and nothing is going
to change that. If at all, it will only wake up the
sleeping tigers.
From:
G.Amirthalingam, United Kingdom, 9 February
2006
Tamil Struggle: The Need for
self-determination
[see also Right to Self Determination: Tamil
Eelam]
Struggle is not a new experience for the Tamils of
North and East of Sri Lanka. From the time the
British merged the North and East with the rest of
the country in 1833, Tamil Nationalism, political
aspirations and the concept of self determination
began due to many factors. Most importantly the
feeling of neglect by the British rule, interference
of Sinhalese politicians in the administration
against the Tamil welfare and unfavourable and
unconstitutional amendments to the Constitution
fanned the fire of Tamil Nationalism.
The struggle continued with the Independence in 1948,
even though the Section 29 (2) of the Soulbury
Constitution entrenched a special clause to preserve
and protect the minority rights, the clause was
amended in the 1972 with the new Constitution that
transformed Sri Lanka into a Sinhala Buddhist Unitary
State.
Soulbury Constitution, Section 29
"29. (1) Subject to the provisions
of this Order, Parliament shall have power to make
laws for the peace, order and good government of
the Island.
(2) No such law shall
(a) prohibit or restrict the free exercise of any
religion; or
(b) make persons of any community or religion
liable to disabilities or restrictions to which
persons of other communities or religions are not
made liable; or
(c) confer on persons of any community or religion
any privilege or advantage which is not conferred
on persons of other communities or religions;
or
(d) alter the constitution of any religious body
except with the consent of the governing of that
body. Provided that, in any case where a religious
body is incorporated by law, no such alteration
shall be made except at the request of the
governing authority of that body.
In 1956 Bandaranaike government
passed the Official Language Act,
which made Sinhala the official language, another
callous move by the Sinhala nationalist government.
The amendment of Section 29 of the Soulbury
Constitution, and the introduction of Sinhala
only Act were unconstitutional and the Tamil Members
of Parliament walked out and refrained from
voting.
I think it is appropriate to include the following
paragraph from a website article written by Niranjan
in the TAMIL VOICE (SUPPLEMENT) - FALL 1996 under the
heading, �The Broken
Covenant�
�By not including
Section 29 in the 1972 and the 1978 constitutions,
the majority government, which was the Sinhala
Nation, broke the sacred covenant between the two
nations and returned the Tamils of Ceylon to their
previous status as colonial people and subjects of
the Queen. If Great Britain is unwilling or unable
to accept this status of the Tamil people as its
subjects, then the Tamil people become sovereign by
virtue of their pre-colonial status as the people
of the Tamil Kingdom.�
Every reasonable request for an
amicable settlement of the Tamil nonviolent political
demand was answered with violence, murder and
destruction. Sinhala government did not
understand the political freedom and the fervent
desire for self rule that the Tamil people aspired.
They could no longer tolerate to be subservient
citizens under oppressive Sinhala rule. There was no
option but to take up an armed struggle to achieve what they
could not achieve by peaceful means.
It is no secret how the governments after the
independence, subjugated the unarmed, defenseless
Tamils. Each and every Anti Tamil riot is etched in
every Tamil mind and the scar will never be erased.
If the Tamils give up the inevitable armed struggle,
which forced the past and present governments to
negotiate, defenseless they become turning the clock
back to the old state of affairs when the Tamils were
oppressed and their demands were suppressed.
Mahabharatha revisited:
�Krishna tried to
negotiate with the Kauravas (Duryodana and his 99
brothers and of course their scheming uncle Sakuni)
to get an empire for the Pandavas to rule (because
they lost everything to the Kauravas in Yudishtra's
gambling with Sakuni). The Kauravas refused. Then
Krishna asked for a one nation for them to rule. It
was refused. Then Krishna asked for a few villages
- that was refused. Then Krishna asked for just one
village and it was also refused. Finally Krishna
asked for some land and a house for them to live
in, the Kauravas refused that too. Only after that
Krishna asked the Pandavas to go to
war.�
Just as in Mahabharatha, whatever the
Tamils asked has been opposed by the hardliner
monks, the nationalists and now the JVP. Those forces
will NEVER give anything to us - that is now very
clear. The only way to peace is to first make the JVP
and the hardliner monks and hardliner nationalists in
Sri Lanka ineffective and non-interfering in the
peace process. That has not been done, since the
ceasefire began.
Take a look at the American Independence struggle.
The American people know the value of freedom and
they also know how they got it. Negotiations did not
work; it was through war they got rid of the British,
the Spanish, the Dutch and the French. This has
been the case in every freedom struggle. These
wars could have been avoided if not for the educated,
matured and the so called wise men did not refuse the
rightful demand of the people. Instead they succumbed
to the rabid racist elements.
Tamils don�t need
the consent of the Sinhalese population to determine
their political future. Did the colonizers get the
consent of the Tamil people in a democratic manner,
when the Tamil homeland was merged with the rest of
the country? It was the most undemocratic act to
merge two different communities, whose language,
religion, culture and customs are different.
In 1505, Sri Lankans gave into
Portuguese invasion, in order to oust the Portuguese
they invited the Dutch for help, and then the British
walked in without any resistance. All in all the
country lost 433 years of Sovereignty. Sri Lanka will
make the same mistake again, if there is no
settlement to the Tamil cause, and lose the country
to foreign rule for another 500 years.
From:
Mathini Sreetharan, USA, 21 January 2006
I wrote this 'kavithai' in 2001 while
the conflict was raging. Sadly, the message in the
'kavithai' has again become relevant.
அருகினில்
வாழும்
தமிழ்ப்
பெண்
நான்
கேட்கிறேன்
கருவினைத்
தரித்து.
உருவினைக்
கொடுத்து.
மகனென
அழைத்து.
அருமையாய்
வளணுத்து.
"அரசினைக்
காக்க
உயிரதைக்
கொடுப்பான்.
இராணுவ
வீரன்,
என் மகன்
இவன்"
எனப்
பெருமையாயக
கூறிடும்
இராணுவ
அன்னையே.
அருகினில்
வாழும்
தமிழ்ப்
பெண்
நான்
கேட்கிறேன்
கூறிடு!
பெண்ணினைப்
பிடித்துத்
துகிலினை
உரித்துக்
கைகளைக்
கட்டி
மாணுபினை
அறுத்து
பலருடன்
கூடிக்
காமுகப்
பசியினைத்
தீணுத்து
அவளது
உயிரையும்
எடுத்துப்
புதைகிடங்கினில்
போட்டவன்
உன் மகன்
என்றால்
என்ன நீ
சொல்வாய்?
மாணுபினில்
ஊறும்
பாலினைக்
குடித்துத்
தாய்க்குலம்
பேணி
வளணுத்ததால்
மனிதனாய்
தன்னுருப்
பெற்றவன்
உன் மகன்
என்றால்
இன்னொரு
பெண்ணை
இப்படிச்
செய்து
கொன்றிடும்
உள்ளம்
எங்கனம்
கொண்டான்?
எங்களின்
நாட்டினில்
எத்தனை
வேலைகள்
ஆக்கமாய்ச்
செய்யலாம்?
தமிழ்
மண்ணினில்
வந்து
துவக்கினைக்
காட்டி.
அப்பனை.
ஆச்சியை.
அண்ணனைத்
தம்பியைத்
தங்கையைக்
கொன்று
அழிப்பதை
விட்டால்
எத்தனை
வேலைகள்
ஆக்கமாய்ச்
செய்யலாம்?
அன்னையே
நானொன்று
சொல்லுவேன்
கேள்!
எங்களின்
மண்ணினில்
சண்டைகள்
நின்றிடும்,
குண்டுகள்
விழுவது
சட்டென
விட்டிடும்,
சிங்கள
மைந்தரால்
ஆக்கிய
இராணுவம்
உங்களின்
மண்ணினில்
நடந்திடும்
அப்போ,
உன்னவள்
மகள்தான்
வீதியால்
போவாள்,
அவளினைக்
காப்பது
உன்னது
பொறுப்பு,
நாங்களும்
நீங்களும்
வேண்டுவதென்ன?
மாந்தராய்
மானமாய்
வாழ்வதுதானே!
அழகிய
தீவினில்
வாழும்
சோதரி.
தாயே!
உனக்கிதைச்
சொல்கிறேன்.
வேண்டிநான்
கேட்கிறேன்.;
பெண்களை
மதிக்கும்
மைந்தரைப்
பெற்றிடு
நேணுமையாய்
நடக்கும்
மனிதராய்
வளர்த்திடு-அப்போ.
ஆயிரமாயிரம்
ஆண்டுகள்
வாழ்ந்தது
போலே
சுமுகமாய்
இலங்கையில்
வாழலாம்
நாங்கள்.
செய்வாயோ?
மாதினி
சிறீதரன்
2001
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