Sri Lanka - News and Discussion

[Stan_Savljevic]

Philip, is the fact that Tamil is used in Air Lanka flights the true measure of the perception of tolerance in Sri Lankan society? Amusing, given the strong feelings that folks who have emigrated have to tell/describe. And even more amusing is the fact you missed: Tamil was not even "officially" accorded equanimous (let alone equal) status till the 1978 constitution came into force, a good thirty years past independence. Till then there had been "Sinhala Only acts" not only in practice, but also officially. Why a sudden change of heart circa 1978? If TULF was the reason for the change of heart, does nt it affirm the maxim that GoSL would nt respond unless someone resorted to violence?!

And the SLankans often peddle this nonsense: "Tamil does not enjoy equal status in India. We have only 20% Tamils in SL and yet we accord them equal status........." Why, I read this tripe in Lankaweb, just now? Nothing could be farther from the truth. There may have been legitimate as well as not-so-legit reasons for whines in India, but whatever you see and have seen in India would pale in comparison with the Tamil experience in SL. For one, there is NOW a solid belief among the majority population in TN (and elsewhere, from all I can tell) that legitimate gripes will be handled by GoI sooner than later. And over the last twenty or so years, there is a strong recourse to sharing power at the centre to undo the takleefs of the centre-state power-divide. That is called maturation of democracy, in short. Being a small guy, you dont have to always fight the big guy; you have to collaborate nicely with him to get the deeds done for you.

What sort of a parallel are you talking of in SL?! Whether you or the Sinhalese want to believe it or not, unless this takleef perception is corrected, the circle will not be squared.

[Sanjay M]

Haha, Jan Jananayagam, that shrill LTTE supporter who was campaigning for a seat in the European Parliament, has failed in her electoral bid:

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29552

I'm glad. Let the LTTE crooks suffer complete marginalization and despair.

[Philip]

No one is disputing the fact that 30 years ago (and that's quite a while!) Tamil was made official along with the two other languages.But what has happened in the East? Here the Tamils who ditched the bullet for the ballot are empowered.True full powers have not been delivered due to the war on,but now that it is over,in time they will.What everyone-who espouse the Eelam line forget is that the Jaffna Tamils are NOT the only Tamils on the island and that superiority mentality espoused by almost the entire JT community towards their other Tamil brethren is what contributed to the downfall of Prabhakaran and the LTTE.I've posted earlier how it was A JT,GG Ponnambalam,who conspired along with DS Senanayake,the first PM to disenfranchise the lakhs of Indian plantation Tamils and turned them "stateless".It is why the JTs and the Eelamists have never been supported by the plantation Tamils,who now enjoy citizenship and the perks of office.

The game is over for the JTs.The north and the east are now two separate entities and the Tamils who live in each part have little in common except for speaking the same language,as do the Muslims! If you want to know the feelings of the Eastern Tamils,just ask "Cabinet Minister" Karuna ,also VP of the SLFP! AS for the Muslim feeling after the ethnic cleansing in the north by the LTTE,let's not stir the pot further.As the good book said,the "first shall be last and the last shall be first".Prabhakaran perhaps never read that pasaage.In answer to the oft repeated statements that the Sinhalese do not want a fair deal for the Tamils,both Ranil and Chandrika were elected on their insistence to the electorate that only a fair political settlement would bring peace in the country.The northern Tamil community voted en masse for them both during the respective elections. A decade passed which included the ceasefire period which was abused by the LTTE.It was after seeing that the LTTE were only using the ceasefire to build up their forces and were not interested in any political settlement,that saw the electorate vote in Mahinda Rajapakse-that too by a whisker.That was due to Prabhakaran forcing the Tamils to boycott the polls ,hoping that hardliner "country bumpkin" Rajapakse and his govt. would be another easy victim of the LTTE.It was his nemesis.

[Stan_Savljevic]

I will put the polity of Sri Lanka in these words: "What gets peddled as a political solution today and what will continue to be peddled as solutions tomorrow are what were right for yesterday." When Chandrika peddled the provincial councils that were disbanded in 1978, it was a case of too little too late. When Tamil was accorded "equal status" in 1978, it was a case of too little, too late. When MR promises I-L accord implementation, I suspect it will be too little, too late. The world aint stagnant...... it is moving towards devolution of powers. Decentralization.... OTOH, the Sinhalese are talking about facts that should have been popular in the 90s. Even India with its far-wider devolution of powers often finds centripetal forces. Imagine the case of SL.....

In short, there is mistrust. The mistrust comes with a baggage -- the baggage of seeing, learning and understanding history. A complex and complicated history of ethno-supremacy, violence, and mistrust on all three sides --- Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim. When someone promises that the Sinhalese will keep the bargain, after reading some of SL history, I am confused. I am confused because it is not clear to me why the Sinhalese will keep the bargain. I am confused because ethno-supremacy will shine in some form or the other in SL.

Journalist Lakshman Gunesekara and Farzana Haniffa talk about racism in Sri Lankan society and whether Sri Lanka could be described as a racist society.

FH: I think racism is a slightly stronger word; I don’t think I would use the word. But the polarisation between the communities clearly exists.

LG: It’s in the mind - I mean it’s in my mind. Today I’m in the latter part of my life, I’m a little less subject to it, but even twenty years ago, forget it even ten years ago, I would mean to say Sri Lankan, but I say Sinhala or Sinhalese. In some conversations where I am meaning to refer to Sri Lankans, I would just like that say Sinhalese. Why is that? Because in my mind I have been grown up with and nurtured with the conception that Sri Lankan is Sinhala. For me that’s enough to indicate how institutionalised ethnic domination is, ethno-supremacy is. I use the word racism in a simplistic sense. Racism has been used in terms of colour bar based racism and even those elements are there. I grew up with and romanticised Duttagemunu for example. I’m a history romantic. And I grew up to love reading Dennis Clark’s Golden Island, which is a children’s book about Duttagemunu. I would still love my children to read that, although you can see the racism there. The Tamils were dark or black skinned and the Sinhalese were the golden-skinned race. I remember, as a boy Duttagemunu refused to think of himself as betrothed to the daughter of the Tamil king. Why? Because she was black! I don’t think that kind of thinking was there at all in pre-colonial Sri Lanka.

You make it sound like the Muslims (who also speak Tamil mostly) have problems only with the Tamils. It is actually a three-way street, have you heard of what is called the Oluvil declaration (very similar to the Vaddukkodai declaration of the Tamils) of 2003. In all senses, OD is a reflection of the changing polity within the Muslims, and an expression of the mistrust they have with both the Tamils and the Sinhalese, especially seeing the strong ethno-supremacist feelings. Post-1915 Sinhala-Muslim riots, the Muslims tried to stay low, primarily because > 70% of the Muslim population was in the south and the west, amongst the majority Sinhalese. The Muslim community is often called as "pragmatic" and "not taking sides", which often infuriates the Tamils (of the LTTE-type) more because of the strong-Tam chauvinism that percolates these folks. The pushing out of Muslims from the north around 1990 can in many senses be attributed to this alienation. But the alienation of the Muslims from the Tamils in the east had begun far earlier. There is growing mistrust of the Muslims because of change in attire, and in general of being "the other." This extends equally in both directions: Tamils as well as Sinhalese. Let not one community get a free pass on this....

[Philip]

No doubt Stan that it will take time ,years,nay even at least a decade+ for the distrust to fade.The onus is now on the GOSL to take the frist steps and wage peace with the same intensity that it waged war .Pres.Rajapakse has made some fine speeches even speaking in Tamil,but he must now put his words into concrete action.That an Indian "All-Party" INdian delegation might visit the island soon,according to media reports,is a welcome development.

However,there is one unfortunate war which is still on according to the independent media...that against journalists.It is a disgrace that the media is being treated so by very evidently those supporters of the ruling regime who cannot tolerate even an iota of criticism,the role of a free press.Now that the war has been won,where is the need to continue to hound and attack journos? I've met many of them during the last two decades and ost are excellent objective human beings ,men of integrity and honour,attempting to give to their people the news unfettered and true.The GOSL would do well to end this war quickly too,not by "defeating the media",but by protecting it and thereby giving legitimacy to the claim that the country is a true democracy where fredom of speech is an inalienable fundamental right.

Pardon the inappropriate pun,but in SL today it appears that journalists are a "dying breed"!

(and one truly fears for them)

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20090607/onthespot.htm
The war is over but the war against the media is not

[ramana]

EDITS | Tuesday, June 9, 2009 | Email | Print |


Lanka Buddhists take on Church

Sandhya Jain

Lion-hearted Sri Lanka leads by example once again. It was the first nation in the post-World War II era to elect a woman Prime Minister; then it became the first nation to spurn ineffective external intermediaries in a fratricidal war and launch a concerted armed effort to end violent secessionism once and for all.

Now, the island’s Buddhist religious leadership has risen to redeem the Indic tradition by repudiating inter-faith dialogue and demanding national legislation against conversions. India would do well to take a leaf out of Sri Lanka’s book, given the mischief Christian colonial powers are wreaking in our neighbourhood: Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and of course, Iraq.

Sri Lanka’s Joint Committee of Buddhist Organisations wants re-introduction of the stalled Bill on Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion (LDO/INC/7/2004). This is being criticised by Christian bodies, and 24 mainline Christian leaders, including 18 Catholic Bishops and retired Bishops, the Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Baptist Sangamaya, Presbyterian Church and Salvation Army have appealed to parliamentarians against it.

They contend that the proposed Bill will undermine the democratic right of religious freedom to choose a religion according to one’s conscience; prevent Christians and adherents of all religions to stand with the affected and serve one another for fear of legal consequences in spite of their innocence; and, provoke more inter-religious suspicion, tension and conflict than resolve them. They claim that all religions in Sri Lanka have originated outside the island nation, and that over the centuries, the Christian Church and Christians have become an intrinsic part of the social fabric.

This mischievous re-packing of the colonial Aryan-Dravidian divide insinuates Hinduism and Buddhism as imports from India (with ‘Dravidian’ Tamils as Hindus). This has been rebuffed by Mr Gamini Perera and Ms Chitra Wijesekera, co-conveners of the JCBO. They contend that the Christian Church has emanated from a colonial background of repression and cannot equate itself with Buddhism, which has moulded the life, culture and traditions of the country for over 2,550 years.

The JCBO says the barbaric manner in which different brands of Christianity have spread is well-documented. Despite this, tolerant Buddhist rulers and people have permitted other believers to merge with the national social fabric and even protected the Catholic community when hunted by Dutch Protestants, offering temple premises for religious activities. Similar asylum was given to Muslims attacked by the British. All religions enjoy all privileges only because of the magnanimity of the Buddhists.

Addressing Christian leaders directly, the JCBO says some of their major activities are directed at expanding Christianity through questionable means. Their commendable humanitarian services stand marred by subtle, long-term strategies to attract people of other religions to their faith.

Christians have established good educational infrastructure and turned this to undue advantage by alluring non-Christian parents to accept immoral conditions for the admission of their wards to Christian schools, even though many schools receive sizeable public funds. In India too, Christian NGOs corner governmental aid in the name of their developmental expertise, and the possible misuse of these funds has never been probed.

Mr Gamini Perera and Ms Chitra Wijesekera charge that the Church has never denounced or took action against Catholic Bishops with LTTE links. In fact, the activities of some senior members of the Christian clergy are aimed at breaking up the nation; even today, some Christian leaders’ statements are unduly biased in favour of the LTTE.

The JCBO has openly charged various churches of synchronising their myriad activities to achieve the objective of Christianising the Buddhist world. The late Pope John Paul II said when he visited India: “The task ahead of the Church is the evangelising of Asia during this millennium.” Way back in 1940, Rt Rev Lakdasa De Mel, on elevation as Assistant Bishop of the Anglican Church, had asserted: “The task of the Church in Ceylon will not be finished till the remaining 90 per cent of the population, who are not Christian, are converted.”

The Buddhist leaders rejected Christian concerns about the anti-conversion Bill, pointing out that original Bill had been placed before the Supreme Court and after two full days of comprehensive arguments by both sides, the court determined that its main contents were acceptable, barring a few amendments necessary to qualify it to be passed by ordinary majority in Parliament; these have been attended to since. The Bill has no provisions to prevent acting according to one’s conscience or make one who does so an offender.

But, and here lies the rub, it designates as offenders those who convert or attempt to convert by force, allurement or fraud, or aid and abet such conversions. The Buddhist clergy forcefully asserts that it does not accept “Sri Lankan society as presently constituted as a pluralistic society, but this notwithstanding, the Bill in no way undermines or tampers with the right to one’s conscience”. There are, it points out, special protections to ensure frivolous actions are not brought before a court. Clearly, six decades of dominant Western political rhetoric is meeting its Waterloo in Sri Lanka.

Batting valiantly for the Buddhist-Hindu ethos, the JCBO alleges that inter-religious tension is rising because of the activities of evangelical churches, better known as fundamentalist Christian groups. This was admitted by Bishop Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary-General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, in a letter to the Ministry of Cultural and Religious Affairs in May 2000.

Christian fundamentalists boldly oppose Buddhist monks defending the freedom of religion of Buddhists targeted for unethical conversions; monks are often subjected to threats and violence. In northern Sri Lanka, where Christian churches have long had a privileged presence, an alarmingly large number of helpless Hindus have been pushed to change their faith. In India, Hindu monks defending the underprivileged against forced conversions are shot to death (Shanti Kaliji, Agartala; Swami Laxmanananda, Kandhamal) or hacked to pieces (Swami Ramcharan Das, Puri).

The Buddhist clergy maintains that 80 per cent Sri Lankans are legitimately aggrieved at the absence of a law against unethical conversions. Rejecting the Christian plea for an Inter-Religious Council to discuss conversions because the goal of the Church to evangelise the entire region is unchanged, it has urged Parliament to debate the Bill and take it to its logical conclusion. India needs a dose of such clear thinking and bold affirmation in defence of its civilisational ethos.

From Pioneer, 9 june 2009

[JE Menon]

And to rub it in, they kicked the aussies out of T20 in grand style... sorry could not resist. It fits right here somehow.

[Muppalla]

Now, the island’s Buddhist religious leadership has risen to redeem the Indic tradition by repudiating inter-faith dialogue and demanding national legislation against conversions. India would do well to take a leaf out of Sri Lanka’s book, given the mischief Christian colonial powers are wreaking in our neighbourhood: Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and of course, Iraq.

It is a good article and it is heartening to know that SL was able to rise to the occassion. Hope it shows the statemenship in it's dealing with Tamils and the concept of equality among its citizens post war.

<OT>
This will be the single most strategic affairs related issue that makes or mar the direction that India will take itself to its future. This may be out of topic for this thread. India as a big country want to lead itself and its neighbors with Indic identity or will it end up culturally-rootless like Africa is what time will tell. Conversions is modern day equivalant to invasions of bygone era. Mughals or British did not come suddenly and ruled entire country in one go. Slowly but steadily occupied the country. Religious conversions are also in the same path. The surge is coming from East, West and South.
</OT>

[putnanja]

Miliband unplugged

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband continues to rub leaders in the subcontinent the wrong way. If his first visit to India turned out to be a disaster, his trip to Sri Lanka last month has left Mahinda Rajapaksa fuming. In fact, before the visit itself Miliband had indicated that London was considering appointing a special envoy for Sri Lanka in the wake of the humanitarian crisis and the violence. Colombo was furious at all the hectoring and so, the Lankan President did not even want to meet Miliband when he came. The suggestion he gave was that Miliband ought to come to his village to meet him. But tempers did eventually cool off, largely because Miliband had insurance cover in the French Foreign Minister, who was accompanying him on the trip. Nonetheless, Rajapaksa and his government down the line made it clear to Miliband that if London were to go ahead and appoint an envoy, there was no way Colombo would grant diplomatic recognition.

Kudos to Rajapakshe for showing Miliband's his place.

[SwamyG]

Ramana: Here is the full-text of JCBO

[Philip]

Rajapakse is supposed to have asked "Milli-Bond" in person, whom should he listen to? The FM of a country thousands of miles away or the 17 million voices of his own people? Milli-Bond was speechless!
Gordon Brown has survived barely,by humbling himself before his MPs and admitting that he has faults.This desperate plea has staved off the backbencher coup,organised some allege by Tony Blair and his followers,but still puts him on probation until the year end.Any further scandals or esignations of his ministers and one might very well see an election called and a new regime installed.Milli-Bond's days are numbered and he is trying to grandstand with an eye on the future empty seat at No.10.

[Arjun]

Now, the island’s Buddhist religious leadership has risen to redeem the Indic tradition by repudiating inter-faith dialogue and demanding national legislation against conversions. India would do well to take a leaf out of Sri Lanka’s book, given the mischief Christian colonial powers are wreaking in our neighbourhood: Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and of course, Iraq.

Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar should be of immense interest to India. These are the only three major nations where government and nationalism is strongly identified with and based on an Indic religion. Would be intereresting to track the offspring, esp. when the parent culture has been relatively unsuccesful in making headway with its own indigenous brand of nationalism.

[chetak]

Rajapakse is supposed to have asked "Milli-Bond" in person, whom should he listen to? The FM of a country thousands of miles away or the 17 million voices of his own people? Milli-Bond was speechless!
Gordon Brown has survived barely,by humbling himself before his MPs and admitting that he has faults.This desperate plea has staved off the backbencher coup,organised some allege by Tony Blair and his followers,but still puts him on probation until the year end.Any further scandals or esignations of his ministers and one might very well see an election called and a new regime installed.Milli-Bond's days are numbered and he is trying to grandstand with an eye on the future empty seat at No.10.

No doubt you mean a toilet seat

Don't need to go to No.10 for that.

[JE Menon]

Clearly Millibond is becoming Milligand...

[Philip]

Was the UN "unwittingly" a contributor to fuhrer P's death? Read on.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Secti ... RTID=51399

Was UN Organization unwittingly responsible for Prabhakaran’sdeath?

[ramana]

Impotent West rages at Lanka

Very insightful comments on the article.

[chetak]

As per TV news, Headlines Today, it appears that the ltte leadership may have been taken alive, tortured and shot later. Many things fall into place if this were to be true.

It especially explains how each and every ltte dignitary had their faces so very clearly identifiable.

The big P, was as per this news report, made to watch the shooting of his younger son.

This also explains why there is not much news about pottu aman and also not much concern about his whereabouts by the lankan authorities. This worthy is / was actually more dangerous than the big p.

Prabhakaran tortured before being killed -- Report

[Sachin]

This also explains why there is not much news about pottu aman and also not much concern about his whereabouts by the lankan authorities. This worthy is / was actually more dangerous than the big p.

One of my friends (not in the Army, but in a kind of intel/police agency) did mention that when such worthies like Fuhrer P (or our old pal 'Brigadier' Veerappan :p) are finally trapped the police/army generally do not go for the kill. They try to capture them and get the maximum information out of them. Only then they are finished off in staged encounters, or using any other means. It seems this is a kind of a tradition within the army/police.

So looks like our deal old Pottu (some how I like this cute name) also was captured, information gleaned out of him and then bumped off. thusitha in the previous thread (or at the very start of this thread) had also mentioned that SL Army is not bothered about Pottu, which meant either he is dead or currently being interrogated. And if this is how SL Army treated Big P's son, I cannot imagine what would have happened to his wife and daughter.

[Raju]

For all the big talk SL Army has behaved no better than LTTE. No high moral ground to be claimed here.

the LTTE top brass perhaps surrendered by through some western mediated backchannels, but SL flouted the terms by eliminating P and his team.

[rkirankr]

As per TV news, Headlines Today, it appears that the ltte leadership may have been taken alive, tortured and shot later. Many things fall into place if this were to be true.

It especially explains how each and every ltte dignitary had their faces so very clearly identifiable.

The big P, was as per this news report, made to watch the shooting of his younger son.

This also explains why there is not much news about pottu aman and also not much concern about his whereabouts by the lankan authorities. This worthy is / was actually more dangerous than the big p.

Prabhakaran tortured before being killed -- Report

Whatever sympathies I had for Srilanka is shaken. Killing a 12 year old boy. Now I think there is no difference between LTTE and SLA. It seems like repeat of barbaric wars when afghan hordes killed , raped and plundered Bharat.

[bart]

For all the big talk SL Army has behaved no better than LTTE. No high moral ground to be claimed here.

the LTTE top brass perhaps surrendered by through some western mediated backchannels, but SL flouted the terms by eliminating P and his team.

Probably explains why western capitals are so pissed and ranting away.

[Raju]

exactly !

[Sanjay M]

Shaken, shmaken - it's all just rumour and inuendo, just like the rumour that Prabhakaran was still alive, and that it was only a lookalike who was killed.

I don't particularly mind if the entire bloodline of the mass-murdering thug is wiped out, as others would only try to resurrect his movement through his kids. Better that he has no heirs.

If the Lankans have the guts to eliminate these jackals, they are only doing us a favour. This is why countries like China have much better national security in comparison to ramshackle India, which is always continuing to burn from one moment to the next. Never a moment without terror in India. Meanwhile, others will achieve peace and thrive, while we're left behind.

[Surya]

What the hell is the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR)??????


Whats wrong with seasoned BR vets if you read some garbage and start believing it.

Hell they have said similar things about our forces ...

Cmon get a grip -

and agreeing with the shameless western powers!!!!! thats the pits.

[Raju]

One should not question those pointing out human rights violations even if backed by west because they are a service and are the only check available on errant govts. What should be protested however is that there is no one to bell the cat if western govt commits human rights violations.

In countries like SL & India there will always be some organization, either with support of a salivating western govt eager to get one back at no cost, willing to spill the beans on excesses. But when it comes to excesses by western countries, there is not a single organization backed by any kind of powerful govt or non-govt to spill the beans. This is the tragedy.

[Philip]

Prabhakaran's body was also displayed on TV without his uniform,with only his underwear.There were no marks of any kind indicating torture.I looked carefully for any signs of such marks.The most that one can lay at the door of the Lankan armed forces is that he tried to surrender,after his personal security cadre's ammo was exhausted but was shot as one report mentioned,or shot while atttempting to escape the trap.Prabhakaran caught alive and put on display in a cage would've been the ultimate coup of the century.He could've been squeezed for everything inside.Even if was not the intention to capture him alive,awkward for both India and Lanka,who would've had to put him on trial,allowing the Eelam brigade and his powerful western supporters to plead for his pardon (a la Karuna!),the SL forces could've held him and squeezed him for a while before killing him in an "encounter".

The games being played now are a pathetic attempt to try and smear the GOSL on human rights charges.The west invested an astronomical sum on the LTTE and its late fuhrer,as this report on events in Oz show.There,even the govt. of Oz was scared of banning the LTTE because of its power in the country! One day the truth will out as to how many western leaders,NGOs and other human right organisations,including UN officials were on the LTTE's payroll.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Secti ... RTID=51577

Govt scrapped plans to ban Tamil Tigers

The Australian media reported today that it has seen evidence the Australian Federal Government last year backed away from plans to declare the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) a terrorist organisation.
The Sri Lankan Government has all but destroyed the Tamil Tigers but it wants Australia to help deliver the knockout blow by following the US and the UK in banning the group.

The question of whether to declare the Tamil Tigers a terrorist group has been debated behind closed doors by successive governments and their intelligence agencies.

Under the Howard government, then foreign minister Alexander Downer wanted them banned and was told he would have to wait until the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka was issued with an armoured car.

But then the government could not get its plan past the states, like Victoria, where the Tamil community is strong.

The ABC has learned the Rudd Government made its own secret move to ban the Tigers late last year.

It prepared a media campaign and put state counter terrorism officials on notice to be ready to explain the move to the local Tamil community.

It is understood that, in this case, the majority of states and territories did agree. But then, for some reason, the Government also backed away and it will not explain why, despite diplomatic tension.

'Hardcore LTTE in Australia'

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in Canberra, Senaka Walgampaya, says he is "disappointed" by the revelation.
He is warning that Tamil Tiger supporters in Australia could reinvigorate the organisation.
"This is something we have been asking for for a long time," Mr Walgampaya said.

"The LTTE can be revived. They can take all their activities outside Sri Lanka and build up the diaspora. It can also encourage the few remnants of the LTTE back home."
To the Sri Lankan Government, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) are simply an almost vanquished enemy, but an enemy with too many supporters beyond its reach.

"We believe that a lot of hardcore LTTE personnel have come into Australia," he said.
Mr Walgampaya says because the LTTE no longer control any part of Sri Lanka and they have been defeated in open battle, they will turn increasingly to terrorism to keep the dream of a Tamil homeland alive.
And he claims supporters in Australia could play a crucial role.
"Unless proper surveillance is done they will set up cells here," he said.
"They probably already have, and terrorism which has been wiped out in Sri Lanka could spread its wings in other countries overseas."

The chair of the Federation of Tamil Organisations, Dr Raga Ragavan, says the Tamil Tigers were a vanguard which gave the Tamil people a voice at the bargaining table.
He says it was a chance to end decades of discrimination and brutality, which now relies on what he calls the doubtful intentions of the Sri Lankan Government.
"We'll be shocked to hear if Tamil Tigers are banned in Australia," he said.
"The Tamil community will also be disappointed very much. They will take this as a message to the Sri Lankan Government, 'your genocide is accepted by the international community'."

[Surya]

One should not question those pointing out human rights violations even if backed by west because they are a service and are the only check available on errant govts. What should be protested however is that there is no one to bell the cat if western govt commits human rights violations.


Ok Raju - then similar orgs were involved in calling the IPKF all the names they were called.

Its easy to get a 2 paise group to file all sort of accusations.

See what happens in J&K

and you are right - lets see when the West follows what it says (hint - NEVER) - till then its a lot of propoganda

[Gerard]

UTHR said: "Information seeping into the public domain from within the army points to capture or surrender, but the official responses dismissing this are a rehash of stories that public no longer finds credible. It is left to an impartial enquiry to answer this and related questions."

I have heard from an impartial source that Prabakaran is alive and performing in Las Vegas with Elvis Presley.
The audiences are not aware who "Prabo the Lankan Elvis" really is.

UTHR and Western Governments must appoint an impartial commission to go to Las Vegas and investigate this.

[Gerard]

Sri Lanka deports Canadian MP for ‘rebel support’

Bob Rae, a Liberal member of parliament, former Ontario prime minister and outspoken critic of the Sri Lankan military's offensive against the rebels, was detained after flying into Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport. “He was put in the next available flight and sent back,” an airport official told AFP.

[Javee]

I don't particularly mind if the entire bloodline of the mass-murdering thug is wiped out, as others would only try to resurrect his movement through his kids. Better that he has no heirs.

Your attitude is sickening and the your reasoning to kill a 12 yr old child is moronic.

[SwamyG]

One should not question those pointing out human rights violations even if backed by west because they are a service and are the only check available on errant govts. What should be protested however is that there is no one to bell the cat if western govt commits human rights violations.

Applause. Applause. Applause.

[chetak]

What the hell is the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR)??????


Whats wrong with seasoned BR vets if you read some garbage and start believing it.

Hell they have said similar things about our forces ...

Cmon get a grip -

and agreeing with the shameless western powers!!!!! thats the pits.

Dude,

No one belives or cares for their garbage.

Teachers associations are generally all commie inspired and run, if not worse.

These worms are very much like our own fifth columnists.

Just some fakes jockeying for "moral" position and political space.

[Sridhar]

There is hardly anybody here who has any sympathy for Prabhakaran himself. He met the fate that he deserved. However, it is shocking the extent to which there are people here willing to jump to defend anything and everything the Sri Lankan army did. There can be no justification of the killing of a 12-year old boy. Or any unarmed civilian for that matter, whomsoever he/she may be related to. We don't know if the report is actually true, so there should be no vilification of the SLA based merely on one report, but the way some are jumping to defend it even if it were true is sickening. Also, perhaps it is worth asking how Prabhakaran happened to lose his clothes if he was actually shot in combat, as per the SLA's account? The LTTE was known for many things, but fighting in their underwear is not one of them.

Finally, whether the reports of his surrender and summary execution are true or not, it is unlikely that the LTTE or its sympathisers are the source for the story. The last thing they would want to be made public is that their "great leader", rather "God himself" surrendered to the Sri Lankan army and begged for mercy. This story is coming from elsewhere.

[chetak]

There is hardly anybody here who has any sympathy for Prabhakaran himself. He met the fate that he deserved. However, it is shocking the extent to which there are people here willing to jump to defend anything and everything the Sri Lankan army did. There can be no justification of the killing of a 12-year old boy. Or any unarmed civilian for that matter, whomsoever he/she may be related to. We don't know if the report is actually true, so there should be no vilification of the SLA based merely on one report, but the way some are jumping to defend it even if it were true is sickening. Also, perhaps it is worth asking how Prabhakaran happened to lose his clothes if he was actually shot in combat, as per the SLA's account? The LTTE was known for many things, but fighting in their underwear is not one of them.

Finally, whether the reports of his surrender and summary execution are true or not, it is unlikely that the LTTE or its sympathisers are the source for the story. The last thing they would want to be made public is that their "great leader", rather "God himself" surrendered to the Sri Lankan army and begged for mercy. This story is coming from elsewhere.

I dread to think what India would have done under similar circumstances.

Shooting son and all others ( as rumoured) notwithstanding, the lankans have a very big pair of tooties.

Focussed to the finish.

[Raju]

You are forgetting something. What is India's manifest destiny ?

to uphold dharma at any cost.

We have (atleast many well-meaning Indians have) done that over the ages and suffered many reversals as a result. It is pointless and self-defeating to lose the bigger picture for petty gains and satisfaction. especially at this juncture.

Some people were saying that this is a 'dharmic victory', but there is no proof yet of it being such, in terms of the means employed in victory.

[enqyoob]

Sorry, but after reading all the "reports" cited, I see no basis for claiming that Prabhakaran surrendered or was captured alive, and similarly, zero basis for these claims that his 12-year old son was captured and killed before him, etc.

This is all garbage. Ppl should exercise a little bit of self-control, if thinking is too hard, b4 jumping up and down about such nonsense. "Dharmic" way of winning a war! Wonder if that isn't also the "Gandhian" way? Oh, wait, no. Mahatma Gandhi recognized all too well the necessity to fight wars hard and win them. Is it the Way espoused on Ramayana TV where all the actors wear gilt paper costumes and 3mm makeup in 110-degree weather and prance around making uber-pompous declarations?

The LTTE leadership is dead. Good riddance. If they wanted to surrender to the Law, they had 20 years to do it.

[chetak]

Sorry, but after reading all the "reports" cited, I see no basis for claiming that Prabhakaran surrendered or was captured alive, and similarly, zero basis for these claims that his 12-year old son was captured and killed before him, etc.

This is all garbage. Ppl should exercise a little bit of self-control, if thinking is too hard, b4 jumping up and down about such nonsense. "Dharmic" way of winning a war! Wonder if that isn't also the "Gandhian" way? Oh, wait, no. Mahatma Gandhi recognized all too well the necessity to fight wars hard and win them. Is it the Way espoused on Ramayana TV where all the actors wear gilt paper costumes and 3mm makeup in 110-degree weather and prance around making uber-pompous declarations?

The LTTE leadership is dead. Good riddance. If they wanted to surrender to the Law, they had 20 years to do it.

What !
You doubt the University Teachers for Human Rights ( a leading human rights body!!!) and their " high-level military sources "?

Shocking!

[Raju]

UTHR seems to be a popular tamil voice in Sri Lanka. It is not a new-fanged organization.

Mission and statement of purpose

The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) (UTHR(J)) was formed in 1988 at the University of Jaffna, as part of the national organisation University Teachers for Human Rights. Its public activities as a constituent part of university life came to a standstill following the murder of Dr. Rajani Thiranagama, a key founding member, on 21st September 1989. During the course of 1990 the others who identified openly with the UTHR(J) were forced to leave Jaffna. It continues to function as an organisation upholding the founding spirit of the UTHR(J) with it original aims: to challenge the external and internal terror engulfing the Tamil community as a whole through making the perpetrators accountable, and to create space for humanising the social & political spheres relating to the life of our community. The UTHR(J) is not at present functioning in the University of Jaffna in the manner it did in its early life for reasons well understood.

http://www.uthr.org/history.htm

[Gerard]

They need to go to Nevada and investigate claims that Prabakaran is working in a whorehouse or performing incognito in Las Vegas

[chetak]

They need to go to Nevada and investigate claims that Prabakaran is working in a whorehouse or performing incognito in Las Vegas

The nevada job would be right up his alley. Those bordellos hire eunuchs onlee.