Again, not to say that 87-89 JVP insurrection is wrong analogy, just to point out that there are more and varied examples…

and

One makes choices in life

The reasons for LTTE’s existence are no longer valid. India can no longer support terrorism in Sri Lanka, which is how this all started, and the Tamils don’t face any discrimination except for being suspected as potential terrorists, which is LTTE’s fault. It only remains as a personality cult built around the demi-god VP, funded by his followers (=devotees) in the Tamil diaspora. Once he’s gone along with Pottu Amman, the LTTE will crumble, and the guns will fall silent.

Guns can also fall silent by Negotiations as in South Sudan or by International intervention as in former Yugoslavia.

Conversely they can still keep going even after your definition of ‘defeating’ the enemy as Saddam found to his detriment in Kurdistan and Israel is continuously grappling with it in Palastine (didn’t they take out the Hamas Leader?)

Worse still the Guns can return with a vengeance even after 50 years as in El Salvador – remember ‘La Matanza’ and Farabundo Marti. It was eventually settled by Peace Agreement.

While I am not knowledgeable enough to argue about your stylized depiction of Angola and Chechnya, I thought of pointing out that there are more ways in which the Guns can fall silent.

One makes choices in life….

I would like to ask whether all the above mentioned exists in the “Republic of Sri Lanka”? If it exists we would not have had so many abductions, extrajudicial killings, demanding ransom, killing of political opponents, killing of journalist happening. Worst thing is no investigation took place, if it did, never completed, or findings made public and the pepetrators are aided and abetted by the Government. Lawless has become the hallmark of Sri Lanka. They are too numerous to mention. It does not help to pretend as these things does not happen in our “beloved” country.

ps: Sanjana…I liked MOJU better…stay cool. (Groundviews is ok…ok COOL!)

a. The JR gov in ’77 granted all the demands on language etc of the Tamil political parties (but Prabakaran continued with LTTE)
b. In ’80s IPKF came and merged N & E and provided a framework, but LTTE waged war against IPKF and would have got annihilated if not for Premadasa
c. Premadasa invited LTTE for talks, but upon the IPKF departure LTTE re-engaged in terrorism and killed over 600 policemen, who surrendered to LTTE on Premadasa’s orders
d. Under Chandrika gov further constitutional proposal were made by Neelan Thiruchelvan, but he was assassinated by LTTE
e. Ranil made incredible concession with the 2002 CFA, but that was used to stock up arms, place sleepers, build the terrorist network etc

In turn,
i. Prabakaran has reduced LTTE active areas to Tamil prisons
ii. Reduce the reputation of Tamils globally
iii. Kill the next Tamil generation and have converted the remainder to terrorists with life lasting psychological damage; displaced countless others
iv. School principles, temple dignitaries, and other Tamil leaders such as Lakshman Kadirgama, Amirthalingam, Neelan Therichelvam, Alfred Duraippah etc killed. In fact the list of Tamils killed by LTTE far exceeds the list of Sinhalese and Muslims killed by LTTE

For those convinced that Prabakaran is the liberator, here’s a question:
Why with all these concessions over the years Prabakaran insisting on terrorism? Time and again, reasonal solutions could have be reached, but everytime, he killed the very proposer.

The interesting question for all is, where would Prabakran would be if not for his business of terror. Could he have given the same luxurious life he can afford his family now if he remained his family business of smuggling???

When combatting a precarious situation like terrorism, esp ones who have their establishments within civilian preimeters, when the existence of one is a threat to hundreds or even thousands, then to preserve HR to the last letter is impossible. This is not a situation unique to SL, but during WWII, after Perl Harbor bombing, all the Japanese living in US were herded out of their homes and into horse stables…

When the JVP were a terrorist group, Sinhalese (youths as young as 14 yrs) were rounded up and almost a decade later the plight of many are unknown. If this terrible deed that had to be done were not done when it was needed to be done, then SL would be plagued with the same menace it is with LTTE. Why this problem has lived for so long and has taken so many lives is because GOSL (Gov of SL) didn’t take the proper measures it should to counter terrorism.

The writer, who claims to be a reporter, should not get emotionally carried away, but impartially report the truth. The truth is, yes, there are ‘disappearances’ – but not in the scale when JVP was persecuted, yes, people are been dtained, but definietely not in the conditions LTTE is keeping its detainees and yes, children are witnessing horror beyond description, but so many more are been forced out of their families into committing terrorism. Children as young as 10 – 12 are been forced to face a professionally trained security force. They die screaming for their mothers.

What the writer in his brief visit has not seen is the humanitarian efforts by the very Security Forces (SF) that he is blaming on – no other SF does the amount of humanitarian relief as the SLSF. If in doubt, then ask why is it before an impeding attack and even during a confrontation and then afterwards, the Tamil people move to areas under SF domination and not vice versa.

LTTE was not there then. Pirapaharan was only 4 years old then!! Since then violence against the Tamils have become endemic in Sri Lanka.

Violence against the Tamils did not start with the LTTE. LTTE was the byproduct ot the government’s “INABILITY” or should I say “UNWILLINGNESS” to stop the violence committed against the Tamil. It is no secret that the Government WAS and IS aiding and abetting the violence against UN-ARMED Tamils.

Before that, I think in 1915, there was violence between the muslims and the Sinhalese. Please do some research before you put pen to paper.

ps: Sanjana… how about another Poll?

I have read in this site a lot about conflict resolution, and peace. but what i am not clear is that , how can a minority (as defined above) claim that due to their minotiry status claim that that they should be seperated and that they form a seperate enitity or a country.

my main question arises from the fact that, where would such demand end , example what what be the lowest common denominator?

my reasoning come from this. example – if we say in sri lankan terms , lets say that the kandyan buddishts decided to create a seperate state. they have legal precedent due to nayyakkar history and the kandyan law. they are in one geograpgical area and also of one religion. they are of one cast, say kandyan cast. so does that mean if they want to seperate from the rest the sri lankan government and the world and UN and UNHCR should help them if they say that they have been discriminated.

to take a international example, mermons in mormons of Utah, if they are the majority in Utah state are having their own culture and religion and geographically in a seperate area. could they ask USA government for seperation from US of A..

now some can argue that united states have devolved power. i am not too aware of the level of power devolution in Utah , but since they call it one country, one citizenship, one currency, one national anthem i feel they still are within one country…

seperate flag or police or municiplaty in state level (equavelent to provincial council in SL) does not consititute a seperate country…

so my argument is , in trying to achive peace in SL what exactly does the LTTE want. why has no one come up and say these are they aspects we want?

and if the SL government is pressued to give these things, where does it compare in global and local terms to the above two examples? and where do we stop at creating new nations

2. Some Tamils and Sinhalese are waiting for the peace proposal from the APC.

this sounds very scary

Nandasena who must be a Tamil extremist in a Sinhala name has forgotten that ‘occupied land’ he is talking about is not anyones but part of Sri Lanka which belongs to every Sri Lankan irrespective of the language they speak. If anyone tried to follow this idiot’s racists theory then all the Tamils and Muslims will have to be chased out of down south because one can argue that they are occupying Sinhala land. So it is time for everyone to concentrate on how to help the affected Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim people and how to help democratically elected govt to help to resolve this 30+ year old cancer brought in by a terrorist group.

We all have heard about this terrorist’s reason as to protect the Tamil people and their rights. What rubbish is that. If anyone cannot understand by now that they are not for the Tamil people, they have to be simply idiots. Is it the reason why LTTE has killed so many Tamils? How many times we have to explain these things to Terrorist sympathisers?

Lets get the govt and real Tamil leaders to sit together and resolve this issue once and for all. LTTE if they are not willing to negotiate and settle this matter, they should be not only isolated but completely get rid of.

How about the suicidal women terrorists who blow up their heads as well as other inocent sinhalese civilians. Most of all we will never forget the mass assacination of 38 student monks (8 to 13 years olds)who were cut into pieces by LTTE terrorists in Aranthalawa, who didn’t have anything to do with politics. How LTTE used to kill masses and masses of inocent villagers of Anuradhapura by simply cutting their heads off and chopping the bodies into pieces.

One can write any amount of poems but one day LTTE together with Prabaharan and his foreign supporters will be properly perished according to the law of the universe. Then you will be able to write a better poem than this.

I’ll tell you one thing, Sri Lankans will never hand over a chunk of our country to a bunch of heartless terrorists when there are reasonable and well educated Tamil politicians who can be the leaders of the people.