"I believe in the sun
though it is late
in rising
I believe in love
though it is absent
I believe in God
though he is
silent........"
from an unsigned inscription;Holocaust Poetry.

Any proposal for a Tamil homeland is welcome provided it clearly articulates the status of the 54% of the Tamils who live outside North and East and the status of the Muslim community who live within North and East.

sought out the Palestine-Israel problem first. Since it has been going on for a longer time

When experienced people like Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor like Elie Wiesel who has wisdom , speaks up for the minorities it is giving hope for many of them including long suffering Tamils because of the failure of the successive Sinhalese leaders of GOSL since 1948 to devolve/share power with the minorities by introducing an equitable constitution and implement it and sustain it with good governance. I sincerely hope messages like Elie Wiesel's reaches the leaders of the IC and they act fast.

I am really glad that Elie Wiesel said : " The Tamil people must be allowed to live in peace and flourish in their homeland.”

This exactly the same thing or something to that effect was said by one the great Asian and Global leader Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew to the press in the early 1990s during the time when the then Indian Prime Minister Narasima Rao paid an official visit to Singapore. MM Lee said " they must loosen up the system and let the Sinhalese develop their areas and the Tamils develop their areas, so that the whole country progress and prosper " or something to that effect.

Even after the 1983 July riots,in his national day speech he dewelled in length about the plight of SL and how it has gone down the drain from an eviable position because of the wrong policies. He was sad about SL. He also told the killings and revenge killings will go on for many years or something to that effect. He also said that once the good people leave the country it will be difficult to get them back. Particulalrly the second and subsequent generations or something to that effect.

My pessimistic view is that the current regime of Mahinda brothers supported by Sarath Fonseka,JVP and JHU, will not go for any devolution of power through constituional changes unless pressed by external forces.The plight of APRC proves that.

Although they have promised to do within 180 days, Even on an urgent basis, they are not going to resettle the IDPs until they milk enough money from donor countries using demining,inadequate infrastructures, rehabilitation of suspected IDPs, establishment of army camps and police stations, employment mainly to Sinhalese youths in the armed forces to look after the NE etc as excuses.

Where did the Elie Wiesel found reliable information that Tamils' disenfranchised in Sri Lanka? I hope he is not talking about Upcountry Tamils who lost that right about 40 years ago and got it back 20 years ago Under JRJ regime. Rest of the Tamils from India and Upcountry got citizenship last year supported by JVP. Show me any one else disenfranchised Mr Elie?

Hello Gamaya,
only semiliterate imbecile would dare to question the wisdom of someone like Elie Wiesel.
Kind Regards,
Siva

When I was younger, during my school days, I happened to read one book by Elie Wiesel called "Night." I can still recall his vivid accounts of how the Nazis rounded up him and his family and sent them to concentration camps. The horrors he experienced while at the camp are also described in detail. So I have no doubt that he can understand the suffering of the Tamils - it is suffering which he himself has been through, many times over.

I was surprised to hear how journalists were being picked up, and then either fell out of sight, or were tortured. We recall the service at JCOH when Judah Pearl, an expert on artificial intelligence spoke about the beheading of his son Daniel. Or, when Alicia Shepard spoke at the Fred Friendly conference at Columbia, and then wrote Running Towards Danger about the plight of journalists. Now, however, the situation in Sri Lanka may be even worse than we can imagine. What can the situation be when we may not report on what is under the radar? How can a popular astrologer, with a regular TV show, and a weekly newspaper column be arrested for rendering a prediction of election results in a referendum still three months off? As scientists, seekers of truth, can we tolerate this - can we stay silent?

gamaya, Yes 'uproorting' of Tamils began more than 40 years ago..however, "disenfranchised" means the following in dictionary.com:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disenfranchised

1. to deprive (a person) of a right of citizenship, as of the right to vote.

2. to deprive of a franchise, privilege, or right.

Do you think the IDP's at present are able to exercise their right to live where they want and have a livelihood?

Thank you Prof. Elie Wiesel, for giving voice to the voiceless.

The suggestion is that the Tamils in Sri Lanka are to be be treated like the Palestinians in their own land. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The TTT proxies are at work here.

Get a grip all of you still ranting tiger propaganda.

Elie Wiesel might know about the Jews, but not the truth about Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the country of sinhalese, the homeland of tamils is india,so if tamils wants a homeland, we are happy to help them create that in india where over 100 million people who speak tamil live.

We have no problem with tamils living in Sri Lanka as long as they are willing to live within the laws of the country with all the other nationalities instead of trying to boss others around like you lot trying to do everywhere you go and live.

Truth is far superior to a nobel prize.

I am sure there are Sinhalese who are sensible,law abiding and religious people in Sri Lanka. I hope they will raise against the corrupt government and get a government that looks after all the ethnic groups, corruption free, upholding justice and media freedom.
The Tamils in the camps do not need to continue to suffer.

Hello Sinhala_voice and Sam,
Excellent comments.Please keep on commenting.The world has to listen to liberal intellectuals like you.By the way, do either of you know as to why dogs bark at the moon?
Best Wishes,
Siva

Siva I may be semiliterate imbecile but I was taught from the begining ot ask questions if I don't agree. I ask questions on Buddhist teachings as well If I don't agree. Eliw Wiesel may have influence Money, Obama everything. But that does not make him immune. Show me the Tamils who are disenfranchised???
Go on.
semiliterate imbecile

I welcome Elie Wiesel to raise his voice on behalf of the Tamils. But in fairness to recent political events and the Sinhala political leadership, there is no deliberate de-franchisement today. That happened 40 years ago before Mr Thondaman's patient crusade succeeded and most of the recent Tamils of Indian origin were restored to the Electoral Register in 1987. The question of the "residuals" too was settled through the efforts of his grandson Arumugam Thondaman during the time of CBK - with welcome cooperation from both sides of the house including the JVP, JHU - one of the higher points of our political culture in recent times. Even the Mahanayakes helped on this score. On the other hand, if Wiesel has been told of the time when MR got Tiran Alles and Emil Kanthan to bribe VP/LTTE to prevent Tamils in the "uncleared areas" from voting in the last General Elections, then he is on the ball. But that was purely for filthy lucre. The clueless Ranil lost since he did not know what was happening under his own nose. And today, Tamils are cursing VP/LTTE for the crime committed against them in preventing them from exercising their right to vote. If they had at that time there would have been no 300,000 IDPs today. And Mr VP and his own cabal would have been alive and kicking - ready for another day.

ISS

Sam,

Elie Wiesel is a beautiful humanitarian who echoes what President Obama said in his inaugural speech, "We are on the right side of history."

Which side are you on?

Ilaya Seran Sengutuvan –

Disenfranchisement is loss of citizenship or voting rights. It could be another ‘privilege’ too. Right to have a life in their habitat *** if not right to a livelihood etc. Aren’t they denied to the people in the camp.