Dear Ones of “Disappeared” in depths of Despair
April 12th, 2007
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
* A Tamil multi – millionaire businessman accused of attempting to de – fraud Customs goes “missing” in Colombo after he threatens to expose involvement of people in high places in corrupt activity. Ransom is demanded and distraught family members pay more than three crores of rupees to two Tamil political groups for the return of the man who is a diabetic. But the missing person who phoned last from Polonnaruwa district is yet to return despite the huge amount paid.
* The vice – chancellor of an Eastern university is threatened by an armed Tamil group and moves to Colombo. His resignation is not accepted by the UGC. The VC attends a top academic conference in a high – security area of Colombo. He is last seen around noon at the venue. Many appeals have been issued and representations have been made to the President himself but the man who went missing many weeks ago remains in the ranks of the “disappeared”.
*The Colombo district organizer of an Up Country Peoples party goes missing in Colombo. Within 48 hours of his disappearance the party concerned crosses over from the opposition to the Government. One MP becomes cabinet minister and another deputy – minister. But the “disappeared” organizer is still missing.
* A young Tamil woman working as financial executive of an airline firm is abducted by unknown persons from her residence in Borupane road, Ratmalana. Nothing is known of her whereabouts so far. In a separate incident another young Tamil woman working as an information tech executive in the private sector is also abducted. But she is fortunate in having UNP Colombo distict MP Thiyagarajah Maheswaran as her uncle. Maheswaran who enjoys close rapport with President Rajapakse pulls strings at a high level and the niece is released.
* Two prominent businessmen – brothers in law – in the jewellery trade return home in a car. The vehicle stops at a Police check point. Two men get in with arms and the vehicle speeds off. One of the businessmen a heart patient is dropped off soon. A ransom is demanded. Negotiations take place and a sum is paid. The missing man returns home. The family keeps “mum”.
* A well – known Tamil broadcaster is abducted on his way to work. He is taken blind- folded to an unknown destination and quizzed by people. The Indian High Commission exerts maximum pressure to get him released. The Indian envoy of that time speaks to President Rajapakse directly. The broadcaster is released with the stern warning that he should not open his mouth.
* A Christian evangelical pastor from Vavuniya district, his two sons and another are on their way to Colombo. They are last seen at the Negombo bus stand. They are reported missing and have been classified as “disappeared”.
* Another Colombo businessman and his employee go missing. His family is informed by his abductors that a hefty amount has to be paid. They are advised to sell off the business and pay up. Meanwhile some relatives have links to “Saffronist” politicians. Through these connections an appeal is made to a powerful personality in defence circles. The man and his employee are released from a camp in the Eastern province.
* A Tamil entrepreneur living in a Western Country goes to Colombo because a family member is terminally ill. His vehicle is stopped at the Negombo road junction by Tamil youths in a pick up. The relative driving him home from the airport is told to keep his mouth shut. Later a massive sum is demanded for his release. The telephone calls are made from Sri Lanka to the foreign country where the family lives.Negotiations are currently on to reduce the sum demanded.
* a woman teacher is abducted in Vavuniya. Her family is middle – class and does not have the ransom demanded for release. But her abductors are well aware of her close relatives abroad and what their financial status. The relatives are asked to pay up. After bargaining an agreed amount is paid and the woman freed.
The above – mentioned incidents are but a few in a long list of similiar ones plaguing the Tamil people of Sri Lanka in recent times. People suddenly disappear or go missing .There have been some incidents where Muslims and Sinhala people have gone “missing” too but the overwhelming cases of “Missing” or “Disappearances” pertain to the Tamil people alone. Though these incidents are loosely called “disappearances” they are really “involuntary disappearances” or “enforced disappearances”.
The “enforced disappearances” of most affluent Tamils are not political or related to counter – terrorist procedures. These are nothing but extortion related abductions. It is now an industry. The actual number of incidents are not reported to the Police or even organizations like the Civil Monitoring Commission. Many people negotiate on their own and get their loved ones released through paying a reduced sum. They later keep silent.
["I love my father so much. He used to tell me stories and give me a kiss every night before I go to sleep. Please release my father" an emotional request made by 7 year-old Angel Yogarajan. Her father and two brothers were abducted on March 2nd 2007 in Negombo - Picture By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai - in: HA]
There is strong evidence that sections of the Police and armed forces are collaborating in these enforced disappearances. There is also evidence of people in positions of power providing tacit support to this racket.Against this backdrop the average Tamil victim does not trust the Police, armed forces or the Government. Those who have high level contacts use that influence to get their loved ones out. Others negotiate with the abductors, pay up and secure releases. After getting out most victims either leave the Country or simply keep quiet.
There are however many who remain missing still. There may be a variety of reasons for this. The families of such people are despondent. The only silver lining in that dark cloud is the Civil monitoring Commission convened by Mano Ganeshan the Western Peoples Front leader and Parliamentarian. The chairman is veteran leftist and former Presidential candidate Siritunga Jayasuriya. Politicians such as Vasudeva Nanayakkara, , Lakshman Kiriella,Suresh Premachandran etc are also involved in the commissions activities. The efforts of this body have failed to get any “missing” person released but the awareness created has helped to minimise abductions to some extent. More importantly it provides an avenue for affected families to complain without fear.
On April 9th the Commission held a conference titled “Expression of grief by families and friends of the disappeared” at the Veeramylan hall in Kadiresan street, Colombo 11. In a welcome development Opposition and United National Party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe participated along with UNP Parliamentarians Lakshman Kiriella, Ravi Karunanayake and John Ameratunga.
It was an emotional atmosphere with family members holding pictures of the disappeared ones and raising cries. When Ranil got up to speak many relatives converged near the stage and requested him to get their loved ones released. They remained sobbing near the stage during his speech. It was like mass funeral without the “departed” loved ones. A visibly moved Wickremasinghe promised to do his best.
According to a newspaper report The Opposition Leader said while the Sri Lankan cricketers are bringing glory to the country the government is damaging its international reputation through extra judicial killings and disappearances. He also blamed the media for being silent on this matter. “I have to question the editors on this matter,” he said. He said the UNP had made an effort to safeguard human rights through an MOU signed with the SLFP, but now that opportunity too had been lost. “I wanted to safeguard human rights through the MOU while others in the party wanted ministerial posts,” he added.
["Please find my husband. I am helpless after my husband has disappeared. Do you want me to commit suicide along with my five children?" queries a woman who went in front to the stage, where the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was seated - Civil Monitoring Commission-First Public Meeting [HA]]
Wickremesinghe assured the loved ones of those who had disappeared in the recent past that he would do his utmost to find their loved ones. A large number of relatives of persons, whose loved ones had disappeared and were present at the meeting, became uncontrollable, as they gathered round Wickremesinghe calling on him to find their loved ones. “Please find my husband as I have become helpless with five children after he disappeared,” one woman was heard to say. A petition which called for an independent international human rights mechanism was handed over to him during the meeting.
The following resolution in the form of an appeal was passed at the end of the conference
“We have gathered here at the initiative and call of Civil Monitoring Commission today to collectively mourn and express our grief at the sudden disappearance of our loved ones. We consider human lives as sacred and that no one, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion, caste, social status etc., deserves to be “disappeared”.
We are shocked that this is happening again in our country after the dark past where thousands of young men and women simply “disappeared” never to be heard again. We join their family members and friends in solidarity and share their continued grief.
We are saddened that the present government, headed by a President who had been at the forefront of the struggle against disappearances many years ago along with the family members of the disappeared, has chosen to dismiss the disappearance of our loved ones as something that is not worthy of local and international attention. We are particularly pained at the inability or unwillingness of the government to adequately investigate this situation and their rejection of our efforts and those of local and international groups trying to help us.
Although the government makes out that they are taking steps to address this situation in the form of the Mahanama Tillekeratne Commission, Commission of Inquiry (CoI) and the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) etc., none of these mechanisms have helped to bring back our loved ones and to know the fates of them. Setting up of these two commissions and group did not prevent disappearances even after have been set up.
[Families and friends of the disappeared - HumanityAshore.org]
As family members and friends,
We want to find our loved ones
We want to know what happened to them and those responsible to be held accountable
We want to make sure that there are effective mechanisms (not rhetorical) put in place to make sure that other families are also not subjected to the agony of having their loved ones “disappear”
So, we call on the government to:
1. Publicly acknowledge the disappearances of our loved ones and the continuing disappearances
2. Recognize that despite the best commitment, skills and experience of its members, the Commission of Inquiry and the IIGEP don’t have an adequate mandate and the capacity to help us find our loves ones, know what happened to them and prevent such things from continuing to happen
3. Make available to us and the general public the report of the Mahanama Tillekeratne Commission set up to inquire into disappearances
4. Extend invitation to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Madam Louise Arbour to visit Sri Lanka
5. Positively respond to the request of the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances to urgently visit Sri Lanka and obtain their assistance to help us find our loved ones, know what happened to them and steps to be taken to prevent future disappearances
6. Set up an independent international monitoring mechanism in Sri Lanka that can investigate the disappearances of our loved ones in an independent manner and could work with the government, all relevant actors including Civil Monitoring Commission and all human rights defenders, to hold those accountable, prevent future disappearances and bring an end to the culture of impunity
7. Make “enforced disappearances” a crime in Sri Lanka
8. Ratify the UN Convention on the protection of all persons from enforced or involuntary disappearances.
It is indeed a welcome sign that a national leader like Wickremasinghe has expressed concern over thisdisappearances issue. The minority communities in the South voted overwhelmingly for Ranil at the Presidential elections. The Tamils in the North – East too would have done so had they been allowed to vote by the LTTE. Wickremasinghe’s apathy and the problems he faced within the party led to a situation where he did not respond positively to burning issues of the day. Now he seems to be emerging as a strong leader and his display of concern for the plight of the disappeared is a positive sign.
Mahinda Rajapakse was once a human rights champion but today human rights are being violated on an unprecedented scale. The UNP regimes of which Ranil Wickremasinghe was part of did not have a good reputation for upholding human rights either. It is time for Wickremasinghe to make amends for the past by mounting a human rights platform. If the Human rights champion of yester year can flout all such norms then there is nothing to prevent the opposition leader from campaigning sincerely and boldly for upholding human rights. The enforced disappearances crisis can be Ranil’s baptism of fire as a fighter for human rights.
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26 Comments Add your own
1. Kugan | April 12th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Thank you; it is an excellent article sir. Please distribute this news to as many other news organisations possible to bring awareness of this problem, so a few lives might be saved.
2. zulu | April 12th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Quote”Mahinda Rajapakse was once a human rights champion but today human rights are being violated on an unprecedented scale”
More tamils are killed or victimised any various ways due to the LTTE’s attempt to be sole reps.
LTTE must stop the violence against the state to bring about the peace and harmony to all the SriLankans.
3. Devarajan, Canada | April 12th, 2007 at 10:39 am
In Darfur and Kosovo these would be described as crimes against humanity. The UN would go to the extend of setting up tribunals to punish the perpetrators. Poor Tamils, they are neither Europeans and mostly Hindus. The powers that matter in the world today have no time for these destitute. So they are left to suffer in silence. Welcome to the new world order. There is one more heart wrenching story to add this list. A two year old little girl spends an entire night with her dead grandparents in Jaffna. Most people would be shocked and rightly so, but wait the story is not over yet, the grandparents did not die a natural death, they were shot dead by the military intelligence in a high security zone and the little girl was left alone to spend the night with the dead. Do not shed any tears for the little girl, after all she is just another Tamil, her life can be wasted too.
4. S.W.A.D. Kumara | April 12th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Sri lankan forces are fighting against world’s no 1 terrorist group, to rescue innocent tamils and to protect human right of them.
Sri Lankan Democratically elected Government
that is why US, UK and EU support us and didn’t do any thing and blind eye on this matter.
They realised that inorder to over come terrorist we have to do this kind of act .
I remember what happend to JVP members in 1989.
these kind of actons are not new to International community (IC).
Mr Jeyaraj do not waste your time because nothing going to happen to Srilankan goverment.
most of the people and IC forgot the 1996 disappearnce of 800 tamil youth in jaffna.
they put pressure on LTTE and banned them all over the world.
Kumara
Canada
5. Nam | April 12th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
It all takes ONE CASE with witness to file in US soil in a US COURT against the “US CITIZEN” who commits this crime against HUMANITY.
DO we have any lawyers out there to file a case against the “US CITIZEN” who is also behind these crimes to have an arrest warrant issued?
All Roads leading to POWER and POLITCS. Is EVERY THING IS to be blamed on TAMILS and LTTE ( like Zulu has commented?
WHARE IS THE LAW AND ORDER?
Tamils DON”T HAVE JUSTICE UNDER THE SINHALA regime. What we need here is a REGIME change.
6. Shan | April 12th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Whatelse can you expect from this kind of violent leaders… Its is the public need to be extremely aware that they are at great risk and protect themselves to the max.
If the media personnel are no longer safe who would one expect an ordinary one to be safe..
One of the minister announced, if the Ranil talk too much they will form military govt – I wonder if this is already a military govt.
There’s nothing one can expect from Rajapakse because he is *that and nothing can change *that.
“Lets forget this and enjoy the cricket”- is what an average Sinhalese would say to escape from his own burdens.
7. rangudu | April 12th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
New business for the Srilankan corrupt politicians/officials, that adds money not to the government treasury but to the pockets of politicians/corrupted officials. As the revenue from the Tourism sector declines rapidly, the government is already a bankrupt and begging for outside money for its war actions, the corrupt pollticians/police officials are not getting enough opportunity to enjoy/swindle the money from the government. So they found new business, that is extortions related abductions of tamil community and demanding ransom for their release.
The Government is just watching this business without taking adequate actions, may be they are getting their share I think. If you take the worldwide survey now, the most hated country will be likely be the srilanka and most hated people in the world will be sinhala community because of their corrupt political leaders/corrupt police officials/armed forces.
Useless & lethargic giants – UN, UK, USA and especially India are mere silent spectators and they emerge suddenly & boldly just to condemn and issue the statement for human rights violations by SL Govt.
The present inability President of SL is not a respectable human being in the world for his irresponsible statement of dismissing the disappearance/abductions are not worthy for local and international attention. May be if he loose some body from his house, he may realise the pains.
Well done Mr.Ranil, you are the only savior at the moment to protect the people of SL (but you too missed the boat for not solving the ethnic problem when you are PM of the country).
8. Venkai Mainthan | April 12th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Thank you DBS Jeyaraj for bringing the plight of the innocent Tamils to light. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The suffering of the Tamils in Sri Lanka are endless.
I am surprised and amused by the comments of Zulu. What has LTTE to do with the murderous tendencies of Mahnda and his goondas. LTTE is the by product of the Atrocities commited by the successive Sinhalese Governemts. Prabaharan was only an infant when the anti Tamil pogrom was started in 1956,1958. since then it has become an every day event in Sri Lanka.
9. sahadevan | April 12th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
It is very pity that Tamils are going through misery in Sri lanka. My fellow tamils pls take a moment and think ,who brought this brutal regime to power.Pirabaharan was bribed by Rajapakse and LTTE forced Tamils to boycott the election so Pirabaharan also partly responsible for this present situation.Poor Tamils are paying the price for some body’s stupidity.
10. zulu | April 13th, 2007 at 10:00 am
I do not think anyone in SriLanka in right mind blame tamils in general for the mess this country is in.
Mostly the tamil & sinhala politicians to be blamed.
Failing to achieve the objectives the tamil politicians let loose ‘the boys’ like velupillai to create chaos and violence.
Now mostly tamils are paying the price dearly for allowing ‘the boys’ to continue to achieve the aspirations, objectives.
Are we at a stalemate.
I do not think so, because most tamils want a peaceful life Not a seperate regime.
That is well evident because over 54% of tamils live and work outside the area controlled by ‘the boys’ and they are quite content with it and invested heavily in these southern parts of SriLanka.
11. Dr K Chandradeva | April 13th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Deeply distressing and disturbing stories….. Unless the current cycle of violence is brought to an end I am afraid there will be more and more killings, murders, looting, abductions etc.
Unless the SLAF is confined to the barracks in the NE and international armed peace keeping force (IAPKF) is deployed in the NE I do not think there will ever by peace. In fact these are serious drawbacks of the current CFA.
In order to achieve the above objectives I call upon the LTTE to take meaningful political initiatives to strengthen the current CFA.
Let me outline how normalcy can be achieved:
•LTTE agrees to put away the weapons in their armouries under the purview of the international arms monitoring bodies
•SLAF is confined to the barracks
•IAPKF deployed in the NE
•Peace talks resume between the LTTE and the GOSL to find a political solution
•During this period reconciliation gestures by the LTTE towards India is reinvigorated.
•During this period India is persuaded to join the co-chairs to oversee and facilitate the peace process
•Co-chairs (including India) agree to underwrite the political solution.
India shall be in a position to function as an arbitrator between the NE federal govt and the GOSL. Gen Kalkat stipulated in a paper about a year ago under what circumstances India might be persuaded to accept the role of arbitrator.
There is NO military solution to this conflict. I do not think we can blame the LTTE directly or indirectly for the above kidnapping and murders but the LTTE ought to understand they are major players in this conflict and they have the responsibility to bring this carnage and catastrophe to an end.
If the IRA had not taken bold political initiatives about 10 yrs ago to facilitate the peace process in Northern Ireland, I do not think NI conflict could have been brought to an end.
Please see the following link:
http://sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/10-16_Proposal.php?uid=1997
http://www.sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/12-03_Reconciliation.php?uid=2098
12. ilaya seran senguttuvan | April 13th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
A good article on a subject that worries Tamils in the Colombo District more than any other.
It is time Tamils realised the conspiracy of abductions, admittedly by sections of the Police, the Army and other security forces paid for by the government just to do the opposite. This matter has deeper ramifications than what meets the eye. Having failed to totally eliminate Tamil resistance for Language rights and reasonable power-sharing that began via the Parliamentary path and resorted to the extra-Parliamentary only after all other methods were made to fail by the Sinhala polity. A devious plan has been hatched and now in force to initially rid the influential and resourceful business community in the South as a prelude to the final cleansing of Tamils from the Cbo District.
The killing of Industrialist Gunaratnam in 1987, the Shanmugam-Subramaniam Bros in the Pettah in 1988, the threats to the Maharajah’s and Samuel Gnanam, the removal of Kala Sri from the Sugar trade are all part of this conspiracy. Thisre-invigorated plan – whether it has a Central organisation is not established yet – comes in the wake of secret meetings of the sinhala extreme over sometime that has concluded now with Tamilnadu carefully watching events against the Tamils here; with India generally pro-Tamil; with the International community being tired of the government’s refusal to share power with the Tamils;
President Rajapakse being unable to restrain the hawkish elements around him – kin and others – who encourage criminal aerial and other attacks on Tamil civilians in the guise of attacking the LTTE; are all agreed on a putsch to eliminate the Tamils from Cbo. A garrulous Deputy Minister with admitted underworld connections, a linchpin the “kudu” trade and haughtily claiming kinship with Sinhala historical figures – is generally believed to be “contact” man in the conspiracy. He is one of those who directs who should be abducted and who not. It is believed he shares part of the takes which comes to multiple millions monthly – that he shares with powerful people at the top. His role in the exercise has been so successful he has assured the top in the government, he will be able to break the “Tamil hold” in the Plantations sector as well. He was a prime mover in last November’s Estate Strike, which went to weaken Thondaman considerably. The latter admits in recent times the Army has set up, for the first time, that much check-points and camps sufficient to sorround the Estates at a given time.
Already many Tamil businessmen are looking towards other overseas areas to escape. Applications for Indian Visas by Tamil businessmen and their families has risen from 400 to 1,000 in the past few weeks. Large Tenders of the Govt are engineered to finding the hands of Sinhala Buddhist businessmen only. In some, rules are relaxed to them subtly ensure their success.
State Banks are asked to give them financial support relaxing established rules of security documents. A group of young Buddhist Sinhala businessmen meeting surreptitiously a few years ago- have now come into the open. They are quietly taking most of the commercial lands and businesses in the Cbo area – with the active presence of the rowdy Deputy Minister referred above – and they have tremendous influence with the President, who took a group of 40 of them to China recently and told Chinese businessmen to take them as their partners in future investments in Sri lanka. There was not a single Tamil in the delegation. Muslims too were missing although a Muslim businessman with a murky past, an established sycophant, with a trail of unpaid bank loans; now a Chairman of a Corporation – has found proximity to the President since the November elections. The idea of weakening the Tamil business presence in the South engages a welcome chord with the Chief Priests in Kandy, the army and the forces, the JVP, the ultra-right and others. It is a pet theory of the mad monks of the JVP and PNM. This cabal will grow.
Tamil businessman in the South should, even at this late stage, organise themselves. There are other govts willing to help them unite. In the alternative, what will happen to Tamil businessmen and other Tamils here is the same that happened to Armenians – who now are spread in small numbers in many parts of Europe – 2nd class, detested and unwelcome.
13. J. Kumaren | April 14th, 2007 at 7:53 am
Since independence from the British, Tamils are treated as second class citizen in their own homeland. To put the blame only on the LTTE is not correct. If the Sinhalese leaders would have treated us Tamils as equal citizens the LTTE would have never become as it is now. Believing in some fairy tale about a prince called Vijaya the Sinhalese thought the island only belongs to them and started to reduce the rights of the minorities and now SL is a failed state. The LTTE is getting more and more support through the anti-Tamil approach by the Sinhalese leadership. I read in one forum, somebody saying…”one mans terrorist is the other mans freedom fighter.” The fight will only stop if the rights of the Tamils are fully respected. The Singhalese leadership cannot deliver this so the UN needs to step in like they have done in Kosovo.
14. Venkai Mainthan | April 14th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I agree with J.Kumaren. If the Sinhalese governments had been sincere in addressing the Tamil problem early enough, the ‘boys” would not have emerged. Even now instead of coming out with a solution, Mahinda keeps on postponing the issue. What he has in mind is a military solution. He keeps hoping that he could eliminate the LTTE. None of the leaders were sincere. They always had a hidden agenda.
For Zulu’s information, 54% of the Tamils are living outside the Tamil areas, not because they love to live outside the Tamil areas. They are there because there are no job opportunites, whether government or private in the Tamil areas. Fishing is banned completely or fishing hours and locations are restricted. Farming is difficult as the farmers cannot buy the neccesary things needed including kerosine to run the water pumps. Since A9 is closed there is no buisness even if there is people have no money to buy. People are refugees in their own land as their houses, and farm lands are gobbled up by the so called security zones. No medicines in the hospital,no school,no books. Suffering of the Tamils are endless. In the whole world only in Sri Lanka one has to get permission to go from one town to the other and you have to give a reason why you are there and to register with the police any overnight guest. Perhaps the Sri Lankan govt. already feels that the Tamils come from a different country!!
The Tamils feel that they can run their own governments better than our Sinhala brothers. I remember one of my Sinhalese friend told me “if you get Elam, I am sure you people will do better than us”
15. zulu | April 14th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
If I were a tamil, I would blame the SL government and all the past governments and the chauvanistic sinhala nationalists who believe in fairy tale about a prince called Vijaya.
If I were a sinhalese, I would blame LTTE and the tamil diaspora for the death and the destruction caused for the past 30 some years.
Every comment is full of what happened in the past and how SriLanka got to this situation.
Then there was CFA in 2002, No matter how faulty it was, it was an opoprtunity to achieve peace and harmony, Only if both sides wanted.
What the LTTE did during the CFA period?
Built a naval force what came to be known as Sea Tigers.
Built an air force what is known Air tigers.
These are clear violations of CFA terms.
No legitimate government in the world will not tolerate that.
If we are to achieve peace for every srilankan, I would agree with Dr K Chandradeva.
“LTTE agrees to put away the weapons in their armouries “
16. Venkai Mainthan | April 15th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Can zulu tell us what the Sri Lankan govt. did during the CFA? Did they honour any of the commitments on the CFA? Did they vacate the security zones? Did they disarm the paramilitary?
We know what will happen if the LTTE put away the weapons. If the Sri Lankan Govt can purchase arms during the CFA and expand the military capabilities the LTTE also has the right to do so. In any case LTTE had the Naval and air force even before the CFA. They had too many bad experiences.
First of all, is Sri Lankan govt a legitimate govt? If it is a legitimate govt it should protect all its citizens. A govt which bombs and kills its own citizens and does not provide the necessities for its citizens has no right to govern them.
The Tamils cannot trust the so called Sinhalese leaders any more.
17. Dr K Chandradeva | April 16th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Venkai Mainthan
This conflict cannot be resolved by fighting. There is no military solutionj to this conflict. Reliable sources say that during the last 18 months alone the LTTE has lost over 2500 fighters. The LTTE has not gained a single square inch. That does not mean the LTTE can be defeated militarily: the LTTE is likely to go underground and continue the fight for another 50 years.
Therfore, finding a political solution should be the order of the day. Death of over 500 fighters brought about the Indo-Lanka pact but the LTTE failed to grasp the opportunity. Then came the current CFA with the sacrifice of over 21000 fighters. Instead of looking for ways to reinforce the CFA, the LTTE is locked itself in a tit-for-tat strategy. In my opinion the major drawbacks of the current CFA are: the presence of the SLAF on the streets of NE and the absence of neutral armed international peace keeping force. In order to achieve these objectives the LTTE needs to come up with a tangible initiatives. In my opinion, putting away the weapons…..would be the right of course of action. The LTTE can only consider this if there is agreement on paper with the co-chairs and SL.
We need to look beyond bombs and bullets to resolve this crisis.
18. Rupanithy | April 16th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
It is known factor that the Sri Lankan government personally involved in disappearances of our Tamil people but our Tamil politicians such as Devananda and Anandasangari are support the government and accused the LTTE. Sinhala government try to wipe out tamil people from Sri Lanka in every way. Without improving the Pirabakaran’s hand we can not expect any results.
rupan
19. zulu | April 16th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Venkai Mainthan echos the sentiments that can be heard from many eelam supporters.
Not all the tamils and snhalas put LTTE and GoSL at an equal level.
What most people oppose is a dictotorial, mono ethnic eelam state where even tamils are divisive depending on their origin, North or East.
As for strengthening the SLA force, it is no different than US, UK, Russia aquiring nuclear weapons after the WW II.
Longer the war continues, only the tamils from The North stand to loose.
Eastern SL will enter the democratic stream real soon.
regards
20. zulu | April 17th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Rupanithy wrote,
“It is known factor that the Sri Lankan government personally involved in disappearances of our Tamil people but our Tamil politicians such as Devananda and Anandasangari are support the government and accused the LTTE.”
My friend please read This author’s (DBS Jeyaraj) past artcles, of how tamils have been abducted, disappeared under the pre text of tigers “Final WaR”.
I am not talking on behalf of SLA or GoSL.
There is a large silent majority of tamils who simply want a life without all this hationalistic hype, and are denied that opportunity inorder to continue the LTTE’s war.
Lay down the arms, develope your area and let the people live.
The market forces will determine how prosperous we can be. Not the guns and bullets!
21. Dutu Gamunu | April 19th, 2007 at 7:44 am
The Tamils of Sri Lanka has made a historical blunder by backing a brutal terrorist outfit led by a sychopath.They should have accepted their status as a minority, where they have to learn the language of the majority to share the economic opportunities, and realized that they would loose the favoured and prvilaged status they enjoyed under British. This is the lot of ethinic monoirities be it Malaysia, Canada or else where. However the Sri Lankan Tamils were too arrogant to accept this fact because they think they are the Jews in South Asia . They have never been discriminated to the extent ethinic minorites have been discriminated in countries such as Malaysia, South Africa or for that matter blacks in USA. Had they pursued a peaceful path they would have granted limited political rights just as the Estate Tamils won their right throgh far sighted approach of Thondaman senior.
Instead they have become a nation of destitutes and refugees in the world , the work Sri Lankan Tamil has become synonymous with terrorism and suicide bombs.
Tamils are getting what they deserve for distrupting the economic progress of Sri Lanka and well being of other nationalities in Sri Lanka through a senseless terrorist war.
If they want to be safe in Sri Lanka, they should make a collective decision to disown LTTE, stop financing LTTE and promoting LTTE in the countries where they live as refugees. They we Sinhalese can extend them sympathy and pardon them for the crimes they committed.
22. Dr K Chandradeva | April 19th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Zulu
Just asking the LTTE to lay down the arms is a non-starter, if you are truly intertested in solving this conflict peacefully. I wish too use the phrase ‘putting away the weapons under the purview of international arms inspectors. If the LTTE is prepared to go down this path, a series of events shoud follow suit, ie confining the SLAF to the barracks, deployment of neutral peace keeping forces and above all a viable political package to solve this ethnic conflict.
23. K'Nagar | April 20th, 2007 at 11:01 am
nice to see the comments
24. K'Nagar | April 20th, 2007 at 11:15 am
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/04/16/slanka15719.htm
25. Chris, Canada | April 20th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
The Sinhalese should be spoken in the language they understand. The world did not sit by passeivly and coexist with the Nazis accepting their twisted, despicable belief of racial superiority, instead the aggressor was made to understand the folly of adhering to voodoo thinking. The Sinhalese have a choice. Accept an independent Tamil nation on the Island and co-exit with the Tamils or be treated like international pariahs and confined to the list of failed rouge nations shunned by the international community. No power in the world have come forward to fight the Sinhala racist government’s battle against the LTTE , instead what we hear from the international community is strong endorsement of the Tamil ‘s right to fair play and justice – that in itself is an indication of the tacit approval of the LTTE’S position.
The government writ does not run beyond Omanathai and the realignment of LTTE’s position in the east is a freighting reminder of things to come in the future. The SL troops in the east are primed for a major rout the likes if which the Sinhalease have never seen. It would be wise to remember at this stage what Anurutha Rathwathe said early on in the battle to open A9. He is on record of saying that he would shook hands with the LTTE leader once the advancing SL forces link up with their garrison in Wanni. Ten years have rolled by and there is no Anurutha and no opening of the A9, instead what we have is LTTE massed at the entrance to Jaffna and SL army turning off lights to protect their camps from airborne attack by the LTTE. Now go figure that.
26. ilaya seran senguttuvan | April 20th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Responding to Dugu Gamunu’s comments, all Tamils do not support all what the LTTE does. This “Privilege” talk, now the favourite of the “Advisor” of the JHU Gammanpila is nonsense. There was very little “privilege” Tamils were trying to defend. What was achieved by the Tamils in Government Service was secured in succeeding in Open Exams conducted mostly by Sinhalese administrators. The paranoid and pseudo-nationalist Cyril Mathew is now blamed by the Sinhalese for his reckless anti-Tamil stances. Tamils are not fools not to know they are less than 25% in Sri Lanka where the Sinhalese are in the majority. But just because you are in the majority does not mean you run rough-shod over all others and care tuppence for their welfare and feelings. I remember Dr Colvin R de Silva’s famous words to the Sinhalese “Just because the Tamils are 1/5th and you are 4/5th does not mean you can eat 4 plate of Rice to the Tamils single plate.”
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