40 Comments Add your own

• 1. kurikaatuwan  |  May 3rd, 2008 at 6:19 pm

  Us Tamils should lobby independent of Tigers. The Tigers should no longer be able to dictate terms for us.

  They have too much blood of our own people on their hands.

• 2. Jegatheeswaran  |  May 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm

  Absolutely agree with the author. Its time a thought out united effort made. But keeping it out of tiger interference will be the most difficult task.

• 3. Deaka  |  May 4th, 2008 at 12:16 am

  The author is skilful in the way he writes so convincingly. The factual comments about the Diaspora activities of ‘asserting the right to be heard’ or propaganda and the identification of the urgent need, for a focused and effective lobbying effort is very well articulated by the author .

  Yet the dangerous side-effects that entail the suggested remedy for the diagnosed condition are, wittingly or unwittingly, ignored in the article.
  Creation of a, so called, alternate voice or moderate force of The Tamils is the long harboured and not so hidden ambition of many forces and countries who’s interests are inimical to the political aspirations of the Tamil Nation.

  The long history of Tamil National liberation is littered with the unmarked, literal and metaphorical, graves of many traitors who had sold their souls to the enemies of our freedom. Each one of them from Thuriappa to Karuna and many leaders of TULF and many armed insurgent groups, stood behind the pretence of moderating voice while compromising the sole and simple aspiration of our enslaved nation; freedom, Eelam.

  If at all, there is a need for a moderate voice, it is needed to articulate and emphasise the righteousness of the stance that of the, so called, ‘extremist’.

  The old moderate Thinking in a new Tank is nothing but an old poison in new chalice.

• 4. pushpa  |  May 4th, 2008 at 1:15 am

  if the budhist monks, radical chavinists, jvp killers,rajabakshe familly rowdies can lobby for sinhaleses why not vp man,?

• 5. Ellaazhan  |  May 4th, 2008 at 4:17 am

  Well, as long as we have too many ‘kaatuwan’s (’kaattikoduppaans”) in our mids, there cannot be a redemtion for our Tamil Nation.
  “thamizhan endru oru inam-unntru, avanukkentru oru kunam-untru,” Paarunko?!

• 6. Murugan  |  May 4th, 2008 at 7:36 am

  This is a good article and I commend your progressive thinking.
  Many would say that Israel was created only because of the lobbying efforts of the Jews. And it is well known that the Jewish Americans effectively lobby congress through AIPAC. But I have a few issues with your idea.

  First of all, let us discuss the International Community (Western Powers) and their role in Sri Lanka.
  Norway is the handmaiden of the United States. The US sends Norway to go to countries like the Phillipines and Sri Lanka to broker agreements. The intention of the United States is to severely weaken the LTTE and to prevent collapse of the Sri Lankan state. In fact, I would say that the whole peace process was just a large scheme of the US-bloc and Sri Lanka to weaken the Tigers. For example, the peace time created an environment for the Karuna split to occur. Moreover, this whole ‘peace process’ was just a scheme to lock the LTTE in talks and take away the threat of the SL state from collapsing. Lastly, these powers were trying to pacify the population and make us forget our demands. For example, Ranil was going to give some devolution and economic development in order to pacify the Tamil people and make them forget their original demands. The talks were a trap to break/contain the resistance movement. The LTTE understands all this, that is why they wanted Rajapaksa to come to power so they can fight war.

  So basically, the US-bloc is one of the main powers that is supporting Sri Lanka. Therefore, it would be a folly to think we could get anywhere by lobbying the US-bloc countries.

  A litmus test of the US led bloc will be the GSP+ scheme Europe gives Sri Lanka.
  In face of Muttur Massacre, Trinco 5, torture of Tamils, murder of TNA parliamentarians and Tamil journalists, an atmosphere of Terror in Jaffna where Tamils have lost their dignity, and terror air raids on the Vanni, etc…. the EU might still reward Sri Lanka with trade benefits for Sri Lanka’s good practices in factories or something. What a joke.
  And in face of all these human rights violations. India decides to fund Sri Lanka. Also a joke.
  Sri Lankan Tamils must not be foolish. India openly funds Sri Lanka. US-bloc tried to weaken the Tigers through containment and locking LTTE in talks. Rajapaksa clan and Fonseka use a policy of terror to break the will of the Tamils to resist.
  Therefore, we can’t trust anybody but ourselves.

  Overall, I think a new (non-LTTE affiliated) lobby would not yield material results.
  In terms of thinking about the issues:
  Everybody knows the real issues. There is not much to think about.
  1. 100% Sinhala Army (obviously there are some exceptions)
  2. Sinhalese have monopoly over the legitimate use of violence, and they have abused these powers against the Tamils.
  3. Sinhala Buddhists have control of parliament and always have control over the executive.
  4. Sinhalese have control of all the land. Including Jaffna and Batticaloa (which are certainly not real estate of the Sinhala Buddhists)
  5. Sinhalese Buddhist leadership has an agenda to colonize the Tamil homeland.
  6. Sinhalese refuse to share the national wealth of the country with the Tamils.

  To me the most scary part is that Sinhalese leadership promotes colonization of Tamil lands in the Northeast.

  Any solution must have the Sinhalese giving up their monopoly over the legitimate use of violence in the Northeast. Sinhalese will never give this.

  One way forward for Tamils is through collapsing the Sri Lankan state. Norweigan Peace Talks are a Bull $#!& strategy of the West to contain the Tigers, and then probably screw the Tamils over, after the Tigers are weakened. The Tigers must already know this.

  I don’t support the Tigers and I will never support terrorism. But in life you must make do with what you got. So despite the LTTE’s shortcomings, for better or worse they are the best hope for the Sri Lankan Tamils.

  And for those who argued India will never support Eelam. I thought about this. After the LTTE has physical control over Trincomalee, then India will rush in to make inroads with the Tigers.

  And for those of you who support a federal solution, the Sinhalese will never give the Tamils a decent solution. Almost every election, the most extremist ‘patriotic’ Sinhala Buddhist politician gets elected.

  And I also think I understand why the LTTE assassinates Tamil moderates. The Sri Lankan government will use these moderates to make empty concessions to the Tamils and therefore pacify the resistance movement. The LTTE needs to prevent this pacification from happening.

  As always, I am NOT justifying these deplorable acts by the LTTE. I am just trying to understand them.

  Eelam Tamils must never forget their right to self determination. The Sri Lankan state is using terror to break our will. They want us to forget our own inalienable rights. This is ridiculous. This counter insurgency strategy has been taught to them by the US-bloc and the Indians.
  The LTTE must collapse the Sri Lankan state. After reading about all these defeats in Eelam War IV, I thought that maybe the LTTE was weak and couldn’t win. But now I have realized that the East doesn’t matter too much in terms of the war. The LTTE concentrates its military assets in the Vanni and the LTTE didn’t lose too many military assets when it lost the East. In Eelam War III, the LTTE lost a large chunk of the Vanni, but then the LTTE mounted a counteroffensive. LTTE will probably launch a counteroffensive at the appropriate time in Eelam War IV.

  I am sorry for sounding hawkish, I don’t want bloodshed at all. But I am just saying what I think will happen.

  I am not entirely sure this is an appropriate rejoinder to Arvalan’s refreshing article, but I just wanted to post it.

• 7. Subra S.Massey  |  May 4th, 2008 at 8:06 am

  Mr.Arvalan,

  I did not read the entire text but I think I got the message. Very well said. But I was surprised that Jeyaraj agreed to publish your article. We have just begun, for the last 25 years we were re-establishing our new homes in the world. The Government of Sri Lanka and its People are going to see the next frontier in International efforts to neutralize their false propaganda.

  Don’t forget the fact Absolute Moral Standard will be the ultimate winner.
  This is what I do for my community. On every monday of the week

  1. All Canadian MPs get an email from me
  2. All UN permant missions get an email from me
  3. All SL government officers including MR get an email from me
  5. 250 friends all over the world get an email from me.
  6. Jeyaraj refused publish my articles, but I started my own website

  Our effort is mostly in buidling the financial muscle of our people.
  Rest assured that either way we have won the war in Sri Lanka.

  How comes Iran is giving only $1.5 b and India 100m, when we have 200 billion to offer? Ego emancipation or simply hard to swallow false pride of an Aryan Nation diluted with Arabian genes.

• 8. N2  |  May 4th, 2008 at 9:16 am

  Arvalan:
  “I believe the Tamil nation should launch an effective lobbying strategy in the international community.
  As a first step towards this we should establish a Tamil nationalistic think tank, which should be the front that interacts with the academics, thinks tanks, non government agencies and governments in the IC.
  The think tank is non political and does not represent the Tamil nation in any negotiations.
  LTTE should remain as the sole political representatives of the Tamil nation in any political negotiations.
  This effort is not about isolating LTTE.
  This effort is about enhancing the efforts of the LTTE in the IC”

  Both #1. kurikaatuwan and # 2. Jegatheeswaran disagree (and #2 does not appear to have read properly.)

  Obviously #1 is in a very small minority because the LTTE does not and cannot dictate anything to Tamils in the USA, rather the Tamil diaspora in the USA and elswhere are supportive of the LTTE by a huge majority.

  Arvalan’s point is about changing the bad press that the LTTE has received.

• 9. peri  |  May 4th, 2008 at 11:31 am

  The lobbing is done but it is not going to be made public for obvious reasons

• 10. Lalith Perera  |  May 4th, 2008 at 11:34 am

  The writer has forgotton the past.Did tamils have some think tanks ?Who killed them?You can not have think tanks with a Dictatorship which does not like critisicm.

• 11. Jeevarathan  |  May 4th, 2008 at 1:44 pm

  At least now,( it is too late!) you have let Tamils and the ‘others’ who visit to this site know, that Tamils haven’t have a united intellectual/academic front which can effectively influence on IC, (if there any?), hence accepted the fact the front Diasporian social movements are already labelled as ‘LTTE-affiliated’!

  But please mind the fact that whatever ‘good’ you want to advocate for the sake of Tamils in Sri Lanka, only with the consent of LTTE, none of the so called intellectuals/think tank/academic wants to loose their lives any more if they are genuinely moderate, hence without knowing how much Tamils especially LTTE want(s) to demand/compromise from their ‘political agenda’ considering the contemporary conflict scenario of Sri Lanka (within the global politics).

• 12. Sothinathan  |  May 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm

  This is a very sane and well thought out article by Arvalan. Firstly the need for a think tank consisting not only of professionals but Tamils drawn from the hoi polloi as well, who can think rationally and cogently. Secondly, the idea of consistent lobbying made all the more effective through integrated action with other groups such as the Coalition against War, the Palestine Solidarlity Group etc., etc.And thirdly - events that promote socialising and fraternising with the powers that be can be very effective indeed.All this brings to mind the South African anti partheid movement which turned on (supplementing the sanctions imposed by various nations and states ) intense private lobbying, which was termed ‘talks about talks’ Please let us get started with this long overdue project.Fears of the LTTE interfering are ill founded since our lobbying will be the other side of the coin of the militant struggle.

• 13. sp  |  May 4th, 2008 at 10:44 pm

  The thing Tamils diaspora have to learn is to get into long term involvement of the politics of the countries of which they are nationals. Tamils are by nature fiercely individualistic and reluctant to work with each other. Tamil expatriates are traditionally shy of politics and focus on professional and academic interests instead. Both of these characteristics must be overcome if Tamils are going to be effective in lobbying for their rights.

  Believe it or not most politicians in the West actually think that most Tamils support the Sri Lankan government. The reason is that the small number of Sinhalese in these western countries are very vociferous in writing to their MPs, whereas they get a deafening silence from the much larger Tamil community.

  If you are really serious about lobbying, then the approach taken should be to appoint someone in each constituency to deal with writing letters to the MP in that constituency and Euro MPs in that region, and these people should coordinate the letter writing and writing to newspapers.

  Joining human rights organizations like CAMPACC http://www.campacc.org.uk/ , Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch en masse, and moving them in the direction we want them to move will also be a great help. Since news is so heavily censored by the Sri Lankan government, without our participation, these prople simply do not realize the full extent of the human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

  Another thing that needs to be organized is protests against the EU renewing the GSP+ duty free access to the EU for Sri Lankan imports. It is this facility that subsidizes the Sri Lankan Government’s genocidal war against Tamils. Without it, Sri Lanka would long ago abandoned its genocidal policy against the Tamils, simply because it would not be economically sustainable without the preferential treatment Sri Lanka receives from the EU and the US with regard to trade tariffs and foreign aid. The reality is that this genocide and ethnic cleansing against Tamils is funded by the West.

  The aid to Sri Lanka and the GSP+ status breaks EU and probably US rules, and one can only speculate that it is corruption of certain politicians and bureaucrats in the EU, US and other countries that permits it to continue. For example, $4.5 aid was allocated to Sri Lanka for the reconstruction of the war torn North and East because Sri Lanka was not entitled to other aid because it had already received a disproportionate amount of aid compared to other countries. The $4.5 billion aid was however misappropriated by the Sri Lankan Government and spent on the Sinhalese in the south. About $1 billion of tsunami aid was misappropriated by the Sri Lankan government, and none went to the North and East where the majority of the tsunami victims were. Despite massive fraud and misappropriation of aid, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank continues to grant yet more aid.
  The Mahaveli scheme involved ethnic cleansing of Tamils funded by the World bank. It is interesting that the funding by the World Bank of the Narmada irrigation scheme in India was suspended because of protests by those displaced about being forced out of their land. Why weren’t the same standards applied to Tamils displaced in Sri Lanka by the Mahaveli colonization schemes funded by the World Bank. There is only one explanation for these double standards - corrupt aid officials within the World Bank and ADB, and corrupt politicians in states which provide this aid. It is absolutely important that Tamil activists keep track of and expose these irregularities and who committed or supported them and ask politicians to give an explanation of why they are happening. It is only by exposing and embarrassing people involved in such corruption that it and Sri Lanka’s funding for genocide against the Tamils can be curtailed.

  It is particularly important that Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status in the EU is removed when it comes up for renewal in October. It is therefore important to lobby MPs and Euro MPs about this. In particular organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the latset US State Department country report, the Iand the UN figures on disappearances, and the IIGEP reports should be used as evidence. In addition, people who have had relatives killed, tortured, or “dissapeared ” bu the Sri Lankan government should write to their MP through the coordinator for the MP/Euro MP in their area.
  Also Marks and Spencer CEO Stuart Rose has said he will be lobbying for extension of Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status. He is doing this because M&S is one of the UK’s biggest importer of Sri Lankan garments. Tamils should organize a leaflet campaign outside M&S stores (just one or two persons per store) where they hand out leaflets about the human rights violations in Sri Lanka, about how their purchase of Sri Lankan (St Michael’s) goods contributes to genocide, and about M&S’s unethical policies in buying from Sri Lanka, and M&S’s CEO lobbying for GSP+ extension contrary to EU rules that governments of countries like Sri Lanka with serious human violations are not entitled to the preferential treatment and duty free access to the EU that GSP+ allows.

  One other thing to remember is that politicians do not run on idealism most of the time, and many have actually been lobbied or corrupted by the Sri Lankan government, and are therefore unreceptive to even fair and rational arguments. The way to deal with these people is to run a campaign to get these people out of office - not necessarily on the basis of what they are doing to support the Sri Lankan government or their corrupt activities in that connection which may be difficult to prove, but rather by digging any dirt or adverse publicity on them to get them out. This is the means by which Jews are so effective in lobbying for their and Israel’s rights in the US. Politicians there are wary of crossing the Jewish lobby, since they know that the Jewish lobby never forgets, and that any anti-Jewish policy will result in the Jewish lobby lobbying against them for all time using whatever means is necessary.

• 14. sp  |  May 4th, 2008 at 11:06 pm

  Just one other comment.

  Remember to lobby against the Sri Lankan government on the basis of human rights violations, and perhaps the right of self determination, rather than supporting or promoting the LTTE. This is because, whatever you may feel personally, supporting the LTTE automatically labels you as an LTTE supporter, and therefore makes your lobbying efforts ineffective. Attacking the Sri Lankan government on its human rights violations is far more effective, and is much more difficult for the Sri lankan government’s lobbists to defend against. Remember also there are draconian anti-terror laws against supporting proscribed organizations which will be used by Sri Lanka’s supporters to try to stifle free speech. However these are completely useless against human rights activists or issues like the right of self determination. In fact if the British or US government violates your rights to free speech in this regard, you can take them to court.

  Basically leave the LTTE out of it - don’t mention them at all. If the politicians bring the LTTE into it (as some who have been corrupted by the Sri Lankan government lobbyists or have read Sri Lankan Government propaganda will do), them just tell them “What does the LTTE have to do with this? I am talking about the Sri Lankan government. Whatever the LTTE does or doesn’t do, it does in no way justify excuse the real and very serious human rights violations perpetrated by the Sri Lankan government over decades that led to the civil war, and continue to happen now. The LTTE is sanctioned, and so should the Sri Lankan government”.

• 15. ilaya seran senguttuvan  |  May 5th, 2008 at 1:02 am

  Convergence of the Lankan Tamil intellegentia is a welcome thought and should be encouraged. The Tamil anguish, I believe, will end in the near future with wise counselling forthcoming from the Int’l community, India and decent Sri Lankans within the Island succeeding. Much of the remaining meagre resources by then would have been plundered in the form of various “Mega Projects” that one hears of every day. The Sinhalese may not have much space to turn around - no less for their food, as one sees now.

  Mahinda R and his brothers gives two hoots for the rice and food shortage of the people. They don’t even know about it. The proceeds of the loot robbed (also by earlier leaders) will find its way to the US, Europe, Singapore and Malaysia where most of it is being spirited away. I believe it is in the wider interest of the Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka not to seek a separate State/Country, which will weaken an already small entity. It can also being in various other complications like water-sharing etc India also will discourage a total bifurcation. There are a growing number of Sinhalese who are now ready to give the Tamils their due.

  The problem is the ill-educated politicised Buddhist Priests, the congenital chanuvinist Sinhalese of the JVP. JHU, sections of the Forces (notably Army) heirarchy and the Buddhist Mudalali clique now controlling much of our main businesses (Nawaloka, Dasa, Casino/Drug King Dhammika Perera, the Underworld of drug traffickers, prostitute rings, abductors lead by Mad-dog Mervyn and his mafia et al) The political leadership of the Sinhalese is now ready to give unto the Tamils that is their due because they know separation now stares them in their face.

  The North and East must be built by the Tamil diaspora and we must show our Sinhala brothers that united and guided by patriotism of the Tamil soil and in the name of our Tamil brothers and sisters who shed their blood for the flowerng of the Lankan Tamil Nation “we can overcome” all our travails. I firmly believe many Tamils, the ordinary and well to do here and in the diaspora, will sacrifice to creating a Tamil Singapore in our soil. It will not be lead by fascists but by educated, well-meaning, humane, pluralistic and democratic Tamil speaking men and women strong enough to foget and forgive Sinhala brothers and sisters - who, as Anthropologists tell us, were in fact Tamils at one stage or the other. The culture of forgivance is in the Tamil blood and tradition.

• 16. kurikaatuwan  |  May 5th, 2008 at 1:38 am

  You tamils in Europe, and N. America don’t understand the problems of your own people here in Wanni.

  There is no tamil nation here, just Prabhakaran’s playground. In my experience it is better to work with Singhalese than these bloodthirsty tigers.

  They don’t care about us otherwise they can give us the arms and we can decide who to fight.

  Prabhakaran is not the right man to have “monopoly of violence” of our people. His plan is doomed to fail and you people living in luxury are sending money for us to be shamed by our sisters getting kidnapped and sexually abused in tiger camps.

  This eelam project is nothing but a communist state with a villain worse than hitler or stalin running the show.

  Please i beg of you on behalf of suffering people here in Vanni, don’t support to LTTE. Do something independant to support us but right now every dollar you are giving to tigers is destroying and humiliating your brothers and sisters here.

• 17. Dumindak  |  May 5th, 2008 at 6:29 am

  More your people lobby, more IC will understand what the tamil racism and Terrorism is.

  If you can lobby internationally then it is a good support for the GOSL .

• 18. Sudalaimaadan.  |  May 5th, 2008 at 9:29 am

  You are absolutely right MR.Kurikaatuwaan.
  The Thamil diaspora who indulge in luxury are unable to understand how life is in Vanni.Has anybody bothered to think of the suffering by the Vanni Thamils?By the way does any one of the ‘Think tanks’ from the Thamil diaspora has any clue about the ‘breakup of the Vanni Thamil population?A considerable proportion are decendents from the Plantation areas,who are not accomodated into the Jaffna Thamil society.
  In addittion the Thamil diaspora is not pluralistic.They consists only of Jaffna Thamils.
  What about Eastern Thamils and the Plantation Thamils.
  It is easier said than done.Mr.Murugan wants a moderate Think Tank.But is it possible.I think the L.T.T.E has infiltrated into every aspect of the Thamil diaspora.
  Further the second to third generation is slowly taking shape among the Thamil diaspora.These generation born and bred in the west and exposed to the Western way of living.
  All what they know is through the media and from their elders point of view.
  So with time the concern for a Thamil homeland will wither away with the landed immigrants slowly passing away.
  And as I said earlier Srilankan Thamils are not ‘MONO ETHNIC’.Uniting them under one leadership is never possible.
  So how can we create a Thamil Singapore?
  As mentioned in the opinions the Sinhalese will never concede anything to the Thamils.
  As said by late S.J.V.chelvanayagam only god can save the Thamils!

• 19. Sudalaimaadan.  |  May 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am

  Well written ilaya seran sengootuwan.
  Please tell the Thamil diaspora loud and clearly that even in this day There are Thamils holding hire positions and Sinhalese working under them and respected well inSrilanka.
  And Mr.Sothy’s comments the Tamils notable Jaffna Thamils are fiercly individualistic…What a truth.
  Unfortunately comments written by like Ilaya seran sengutuwan do not reach the Sinhala Buddhists youth who are literate only in Sinhala. The Sinhala media is today facing fierce competition from each other,and is politically controlled.So they are reluctant to publish such comments.In addittion the editors journalists are themselves extremists.

• 20. Murugan  |  May 5th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

  Mr. sp
  You are a wealth of information, thank you so much for taking the time to write your comments.

  Sudalaimaadan,
  We must not let caste, region, and religion divide us. These divisions will only be exploited by those who seek to oppress the Tamils. For example, look at the artificial cleavage that the Sinhalese created between Tamil speaking Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils. Some would even say that Karuna’s split had to do with regionalism. We must not allow this to occur again. We must stand united.

  All individuals will be equal in Tamil Eelam. We will not replace SInhala buddhist chauvinism for Jaffna-centric chauvinism. For example the capital will be located in Trincomalee not in Jaffna. We won’t make the same mistake the Sinhalese Buddhists did to Ceylon.

• 21. sp  |  May 5th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

  The above is a good illustration for the Tamil diaspora about why speaking out and lobbying is so important. Above you can see how vocal the Sinhalese are when it comes to lobbying, attempting to speak for Tamils at every opportunity, and most masquerading as Tamils. This is the reason why Tamils must start speaking and lobbying for for themselves, or others will purport to speak for them. You can hardly blame politicians in the West for thinking that the only opinion that exists in Sri Lanka or in the Tamil diaspora is the Sinhalese put forward as Tamil opinion.

  Also as I mentioned earlier, you can see how a number of posters bring in the LTTE as a diversion and an excuse to justify the Sri Lankan government’s horrendous violations of the human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Whatever your views on the LTTE, don’t fall for this trap - don’t waste your time engaging them in these pointless arguments. Instead lobby against the one thing that all Tamils including the diaspora agree on - the serious and continued violation of human rights and the right of self determination enshrined in the UN charter. This is far more productive than the “who did more - the LTTE or Sri Lankan government” argument. The bottom line is various members of the international community has sanctioned the LTTE. They must impose sanctions against the Sri Lankan government for the same reasons, or at the very least suspend the undeserved preferential treatment the Sri Lankan government now gets from the international community.

• 22. cyclops  |  May 5th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

  Arvalan,

  Why don’t you lead the way and set up such a think tank?

• 23. Kumar  |  May 5th, 2008 at 9:37 pm

  Long before the LTTE, Tamils decided to create a separate state. Any Tamil organization can easily follow this guide lines of 1976 resolution and the mandate provided by Tamils in 1977. Whoever follow this mandate are pro Tamils and whoever support the Sri Lankan state terrorist are traitors.

  The first task for the Tamil lobby is to encourage the IC to take actions against Sri Lankan state terrorism. Once it is done, it is easy to find a solution.

• 24. Ruwan Ranasinghe  |  May 5th, 2008 at 11:56 pm

  As far as the article goes, its good to consider an alternative to the LTTE, relative to political lobbying. This alternative body should have as its sole task, the responsibility of presenting to the Western World, the grievances of the SL Tamils. I do not think that such a group should embody nationalism in any form, however, as nationalism leads to uneccessary exaggerations of the greatness of this or that nation/race/culture etc, which will only serve to draw attention away from the genuine grievances of the SL Tamils. The politically correct West loves ideologies which don’t border on the extreme - in this regard, I would consider self-determination a better term than nationalism. Self-determination does not carry with it the romantic connotations which nationalism thrives on.

  I do not think that the LTTE by itself is capable of effective lobbying so long as nuclear India reigns supreme in our (Southeast Asian) part of the world. Given the Rajiv debacle, it is unlikely that India will ever change her stance, at least to any significant degree. Essentially, any “diplomatic” ties with the LTTE have to take into account India’s “feelings.” Therefore, it is a given that attempts at such diplomacy will ultimately fail. One cannot speak of SL Tamil nationalism without including the LTTE; thats why the alternative body, if it wishes to distance itself from the LTTE, should leave out the nationalist slogans.

  The difficulty with the SL situation is that the SL government is pursuing the practice of gradual, albeit subtle, sustained genocide (of Northeast Tamils and their cutlure) as opposed to outright, blatant genocide. This is similar to what Israel is doing in Palestine via colonization. So I do not think its feasible for the alternative body to ask the IC to invade; invasion occurs when the relevent aggressor makes it official state policy to massacre, colonize, etc, such as we saw in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Albania. What I am saying here is that GOSL will not massacre thousands of Tamils in cold blood in a single day; it will simply replace those Tamils with Sinhalese via colonization schemes until the Tamil numbers are so small that Sinhalese hegemony will come about through “favorable” demographics alone. The end result is the same - what matters as far as getting the IC involved is perception.

  Since getting the IC to militarily intervene is not practical, the next best thing to do is have them exert economic pressure on SL. Sanctions should be the ultimate goal. Sri Lanka is a failed state living on Western loans; most of these failures are due to the aggressive Sinhala-Buddhist agenda pursued since 1948. The alternative body needs to capitalize on this fact - that Sri Lanka is a failed state - it cannot just focus exclusively on a particular region. Of course, the emphasis should be on addressing the grievances of North-East Tamils, however this should be in the context of the fact that SL is a failed state, since it is the failed state, unwilling to reform itself, that propagates all the misery.

  It is certainly true, as the article suggests, that the LTTE should be kept in the background at all times. One needs the military will to back up the political clout, to be taken seriously. Also, it has been my experience that the majority of Sinhalese are opposed to any form of power-sharing with the Tamils, and would not hesitate to capitalize on that fact, sans an LTTE. On the Sinhalese end, the horizon looks very dim for the failed state; there is not even the remote semblance of a moderate political party emerging which can successfully bridge the manyand varied gaps between the two ethnicities, thus shattering the notion of a successful multi-ethnic, democratic “unitary state.” The proposed “unitary state” will hardly be different from what we see now, except that the NorthEast will be turned into an open prison. Unfortunately, for reasons I don’t really understand, the failures of GOSL seem only to further the antagonism and resentment for Tamils which I see in most Sinhalese I come across.

• 25. Deva  |  May 6th, 2008 at 1:30 am

  Ever since Sri Lanka gained independence the Sinhala Buddhist majority governments oppressed the Tamil minority by discriminating them on language rights, education, employment, and state sponsored colonization.
  Every successive governments since independence used state terrorism to attack the Tamils who were engaged in peaceful protest for their legitimate right to self-determination, which caused many Anti-Tamil riots against innocent Tamil civilians with the blessings of the state and the Sinhala-Buddhist clergy.

  The state sponsored occupation of extremely racist and highly indisciplined non-Tamil speaking (Sinhala) armed forces in traditional Tamil areas with enormous degree of immunity led to harassment, illegal detention, torture, disappearances, extra judicial killings, and rape of innocent Tamils forcing the young Tamils to take up arms for a liberation struggle. The LTTE is the direct consequence of the Sinhala policy to refuse to share political power, and instead suppress legitimate minority (Tamil) rights by violent means.

  In that sense, the emergence of the LTTE and other numerous Tamil-based groups fighting for greater autonomy can be classified as certainly justified. If a group of people, especially confined mainly to a specific region are oppressed or deprived of their fundamental freedoms and as rightful citizens of a specific land, are dissatisfied with their treatment, then they have a right to seek greater autonomy or even in extreme circumstances (as some may argue was such in the case of Sri Lanka) complete independence from what they feel is an oppressive state. That right to self-determination is a valid right and an excepted right in many international treaties. Hence, this was one main reason why most nations at the beginning supported the Tamil separatist cause even despite the horrendous crimes committed by the LTTE.

  However, as much as ‘Freedom fighters’ the LTTE could have been initially, fuelled with passion for greater freedom from oppression, the tables have turned quite radically since the ’struggle’ began.

  Sadly, today the LTTE cannot be labeled even close to the label of ‘freedom fighter’. To label a term often used to describe great leaders such as Mahathma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela on a group that has indiscriminately and violently massacred innocent civilians belonging not only to the ethnic group of whose government they were opposed to, but even killing civilians of the group whose freedom they claim to fight for, is a highly politically incorrect and horrendous idea. During the last 30 years the Tamil people in the NorthEast lost everything but gained nothing.

  As the author rightly said, to obtain the support of the International Community for the freedom of the suffering Tamil people, it is very essential that the Tamil think tank should operate independently and not be affiliated to the LTTE which is already banned in most of those countries as International Terrorists.

• 26. kurikaatuwan  |  May 6th, 2008 at 2:17 am

  You people have no idea about the Prabhakaran’s atrocities to our people.

  He is covertly caste conscious. He favours Karaiyar from Vadamarrachi area, he never let upper cast people to go on front lines. They all occupy nice positions in LTTE, and only the poor Indian tamils who came to Vanni are having their kids sent to starve and die at front line.

  He even built a three storey jail in Visuvamadu since he felt 1/3 of Jaffna people would have to be executed for co-operating with Army.

  He was so confident of taking Jaffna in August 2006, but thank God he failed.

  What kind of mad man is this who proclaims himself as Surya theivam and having black tigers as his “oli”

  First we tamils need to clean our own house of this tiger filth then we can go for a peaceful solution.

  Ippa puli’a kaatikuddupoam , naalaik’ puli’nda thalai vettuvom

• 27. Deva  |  May 6th, 2008 at 3:33 am

  As said in the above article, the Sinhala Diaspora (expatriate community) in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Italy and Japan organize events successfully; invite local politicians, “wine and dine” with the decision makers and are very effectively lobbying for the government of Sri Lanka against the LTTE.

  With a genuine cause, there is absolutely no problem in us Tamils following their footsteps. The above author has put it in the best possible way what the Tamil Diaspora should do. It is high time that the Tamil organizations should think seriously regarding the above and start taking action without involving the LTTE.

• 28. a sl voter  |  May 6th, 2008 at 5:14 am

  Interesting article, whcih finds the problem, suggests some solutions but failed to find the root cause of the problem.
  I remember the times when we had multiple parties, orginizations amoung Tamils. Even though we had many, Only one was accepted by people. Ealier it was Tamil Congress then it became Federal Party and later It was TULF. That culture allowed people to think, raise their voice and act on what they believe. It is no more there. When LTTE distroyed all other groups, the majority became silent. That forced either Govt or LTTE can raise their voice. This led to the current situation where (due to the fact that GOSL conduct elections periodically) Pro Govt forces are accepted as Moderate voices.

  Will LTTE allow independant voices? If so, people will make noice. They shoudl be able to confront even LTTE policies. If so they will be considered as Neutral

• 29. Nexus  |  May 6th, 2008 at 6:47 am

  Arvalen must be like Madona for the Tamil’s who is the mystery man.
  To answer your question Tamils dont need a lobby they have omni present terror network all over the world, they recently tried to ‘lobby’ a US congressmen to get the tigers of the terror list, have you been following the ‘lobbying’ that happens in Montreal.

  Call it war taxes, call it fighting fund heck call it lobbying if you want to sanitise it , but machang we all know what it really is, influence peddling to white wash the atrocities of muderous criminal netowrk outlawed in 32 countries !

• 30. punjab da puttar  |  May 6th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

  #16

  kurikaatuwan,

  we empathize and understand your feeling….It is the egoistic tamil diaspora in western countries spreading the hatred without bothering about the suffering on ground.

  why dont they send their sons and daughters to fight.Infact they couldnot stop international ban on ltte.They are the incompetent people with huge ego.where are they successful,otherthan suicide bombing.India made a mistake of leaving the island on request of premadasa.Nowhere in the world we can find insurgents holding territory.Are these singhalese so incompetent…can’t they overrun the ltte defences and push the tigers into forest..

  we pray for an early settlement of this ethnic issue and let ordinary people enjoy peace.

• 31. sahasamvada  |  May 6th, 2008 at 5:44 pm

  The article has put forward some interesting points and mostly it has highlighted the importance of the involvement of the Sri Lankan Diaspora especially the Tamils in influencing a progressive and positive change in hastening a solution to the ethnic conflict. Also, reading the many comments that have been presented the clear division in the thinking in terms of the ‘representation’ of the Tamil community is absolutely clear. But the real importance must be placed in respecting the views of people like Karikkattuwan who relate the ground realities and its serious ramifications on the political situation. The Tamil Diaspora has to stop its support to the LTTE be it through fund raising or propaganda.

• 32. Vanni Man  |  May 6th, 2008 at 10:44 pm

  kurikaatuwan, ur funny man…moreover ur postings denoted u as an insane…huh..
  Keep up ur hilarious postings…LOL…

• 33. kurikaatuwan  |  May 7th, 2008 at 2:21 am

  Most of the so called eelamists have never been to Vanni or at best gone on a sightseeing tour with LTTE during CFA.

  Come to vanni now, and see what tortures your beloved “annai” is doing to your people with your money !

• 34. Sudalaimaadan.  |  May 7th, 2008 at 8:53 am

  Mr.Murugan
  Thank you for your comments.I am a virulant critic of the Jaffna Thamils as well as their admirer,that is my speciality.I can speak Jaffna Thamil as well as Our native Thamil without overlapping.I am a different person
  no doubt.
  But as mentioned by Mr.Sothinathan Thamils are a fiercly individualistic community.Escpecially the Jaffna Thamils.
  This point is very important because it is the Jaffna Thamil diaspora who are virtually taking the lead.
  What I feel is there should be a revolution in their thinking and behaviour.
  They always look down at the Upcountry Thamils as
  Thottakkaatans.I would like to point out no man in this world has the facility of choosing the community or ethnicity in which he should be born,nor he can choose the colour of his skin or his parents.
  “Naangal yaarum kettu pirapadillai”
  like the importance given to lobbying I am of the firm opinion the thinking of the Jaffna Thamils,I am mentioning about the present generation should change once for all.
  I think it is possible ,because the present day Jaffna Thamils younger generation are growing up in a pluralistic enviorenment.They have to change.
  But the most worrying part is there are considerable older generation who do not want to change.
  The entire “Thalayeluththu” of the Srilankan Thamils depends on the L.T.T.E. and the Thamil Diaspora.
  If we can create a common Thamil culture for the entire Srilankan Thamils…Be it the Jaffna Thamils upper middle class,the Pungudutheevans,then the Vadamaaratchy,The Maddakalappaan,the Thottakkaataans…..One andonly tradition and custom.
  Am I dreaming too much?
  If we can remodell the Thamil language so that there will be only one Thamil spoken and written…then again am I dreaming too much?
  There was another gentlemen who spoke about a Thamil Singapore.With the Jaffna Brains it is defenitely possible.They hava the brains and resourses.No doubt.
  But as I said earlier they have to revolution their thinking should come forward to accodomodate the aspirations of the not so fortunate Eastern Thamils,Plantation Thamils without exploiting them.
  When Brains and Brawals meet together anything is possible.
  I think the Present day Vanni thamil population is taking a lead in this direction.Mixed marriages among the Plantation Thamil ‘Kudiyetra vaasigal” and the natives are rather common.
  I am eagerly waiting from those learned men from Jaffna to send in their view regarding “commonalisation”of the Srilankan Thamil
  culture.
  .

• 35. Selva  |  May 7th, 2008 at 9:40 pm

  Mr. Arvalan,

  Whenever the International decision makers are getting ready to listen and press or take action against the Sri Lanka government LTTE keep a bomb and kill ordinary minister,athletes,bus passengers etc, etc…and then the IC decision makers will talk among themself ‘ Should these Tamils be punished in the way the government do” and forget about everything. The mistake is not on the Tamil diaspora but only on Pirabaharan. Knowingly or not knowingly from the begining of the freedom fighting what ever he does helps the Sinhalese only. Most probably he would heve been a Sinhalese in his previous birth.

• 36. selva  |  May 8th, 2008 at 6:00 pm

  Mr. Arvalan.

  Sorry I have written a sentance which gives opposite meaning and it should be written ‘The Tamils should be punished in the way the Government do’.

• 37. Reggie  |  May 10th, 2008 at 11:55 am

  All Tamil thinkers are clipped of one by one, how many articulate, leanred and moderate Tamils have been killed

• 38. vel  |  May 14th, 2008 at 11:40 am

  Thank you very much for your brave suggestion that lobbying the IC should be entrusted to the intellectuals in the community who are not in any way directly connected with the ongoing problems in Sri Lanka.This would work only if the so called IC is guided by principles of good governance.The IC too is highly polarised and they too are inflenced by the regional powers.They fear to express their frank opinion on any issues that are not connected to them even remotely.The UN is unable to intervene on any issues as the IC is divided and highly polarised.Now take for instance when the UN iis concerned about the human rights violations in Sri Lanka, supported by the Western Nations the Lankan Government look the otherway for support from Pakistan Iran And China. President Rajapakse is exploiting the weaknesses of these Powerful Nations and carry on regardless.Our president playing his cards skilfully keeping the IC on board.

• 39. Irumporai  |  May 26th, 2008 at 4:22 am

  Lobbying for LTTE or Lobbying for Tamils? Both are distingly different

• 40. ilaya seran senguttuvan  |  June 6th, 2008 at 10:38 pm

  I visit this blog after several weeks.

  The fact many Tamils in the Diaspora (I contest the word) think of other Lankan Tamils and the dream of getting together in our own sacred soil - after 30 years of great suffering and tribulation - itself is a “valuable resource” that should be built upon. I have travelled many parts of the world and take more than an ordinary interest in studying the feelings and attitudes of scattered societies - armenians, lithuanians, Kurds, Palestinians and Arabs, Jews, Chinese et al. With few exceptions - the aspirations of most of them are confined to their economic well being and material future. Many of them have little compunction being submerged into the immediate culture around them in which the live and thus losing their identity. But not the Tamil. To him his culture, religion, the link to his original soil, his places of worship and rituals comes before economic
  well being. This includes the Christians amongst us too.

  Their food at home, naming of their children, insistence to teach Tamil to the new generations, keeping the younger ones
  educated of our culture and history are of paramount importance. This wonderful tradition should be maintained.
  We must all be proud of our roots, our heritage and pass these on to the coming generations. The Tamils of Chettinad - beginning from the early 19th century - wherever they went Burma, Malaysia/Singapore, Vietnam, South Africa, Mauritius, Ceylon - and - no matter how successful they were to become - always helped build a temple in their new found homes around which they continued their precious cultural traditions. I am glad Lankan Tamils have done the same thing in the UK, Australia,North America and in other places. This is yet another inherent feature of an ancient people and race. May this continue. Let us all be part of this great endeavour that offers neither challenge nor threat to any other.

Leave a Comment

Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed