Slow Creep — the World Tamil Movement and Tharisanam TV
The banning in Canada last week of the World Tamil Movement (WTM) and the taking down in London of Tharisanam TV a couple of days ago, hit the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a double punch that largely went unnoticed in Sri Lanka.
Last week’s listing of the WTM as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, caused a furor in that country that went beyond the usual GoSL-LTTE split. The decision by Ottawa sparked as much debate on both sides of the Liberal-Conservative constituencies as can be seen on any Sri Lankan blog. Many of the voices remain supremely ignorant of the war in Sri Lanka, as well as the greater Tamil nationalist struggle, with much of the argument taking the predictable route of “terrorism is wrong” vs “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”.
Announcing the ruling, Canada’s Public safety Minister Stockwell Day said that Ottawa had sufficient and reasonable evidence that the WTM had been raising funds for the LTTE, a Sri Lankan terror organization that Canada finally banned only in in 2006. Day also went on to say that the federal government will seize WTM assets and make it illegal for Canadians to help the group, financially or otherwise.
What is most significant is that this is the first time Ottawa has used its Anti-Terrorist Act (passed in the wake of 9/11) to shut down a Canadian community group for its links to terrorism. Until now, groups listed by Ottawa (40 in all) have been actively engaged in terror; organizations such as Al Qaeda, Hizbollah, Hamas, and the WTM’s parent group, the LTTE.
Active investigation of the WTM by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s federal law enforcement agency, began in 2002, but it wasn’t until Ottawa’s proscription of the LTTE in 2006, that the WTM came under the RCMP microscope as a possible front organization. The RCMP raided the WTM’s headquarters, housed in a red brick industrial building, a block from Highway 401 in Toronto’s suburb of Scarborough, while they looked into the organization’s financial connections to the LTTE. Earlier this year, dozens of bank accounts tied to WTM officers were frozen across the country and the group’s Montreal office shut down. By April, the Scarborough headquarters had ground to a virtual standstill, the building in the hands of RCMP officers.
The World Tamil Movement has operated in Canada since the 1980s, using the country’s large Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora as a source for funding which the group claims is used for community projects in Sri Lanka’s war-ravaged Northern and Eastern Provinces. While the LTTE commands a huge support base in Canada, there have been complaints that the WTM employs heavy-handed fund-raising methods that border on extortion.
While police investigation of the WTM only began in 2002, the group had been under the scrutiny of the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) as far back as the mid-’90s, when staffers of the WTM were investigated for laundering money channelled to the LTTE. One of these individuals was Manickavasagam Suresh, who was sent to Canada by the LTTE in 1990 to head the WTM. He was arrested in 1995 and accused of buying military equipment for use in terrorism. He is still awaiting deportation, an order which Suresh is fighting to have turned down. By 2000, the CSIS had concluded that at least eight non-profit organizations and five commercial companies operating in Canada were fronts for the LTTE, the WTM being one of them.
However, successive Liberal governments turned a blind eye to LTTE financial operations in Canada, ignoring repeated CSIS recommendations for proscription and bowing to their Ontario MPs, who in turn were courting a large Tamil constituency in the Toronto area. Liberal MPs routinely attended LTTE funding events right upto the 2002 proscription, and even though Canada’s previous Liberal government banned LTTE fund-raising after 9/11 as a part of the Anti-Terrorist Act, they stopped short of formally declaring the group a terrorist one. Several Liberal MPs attended the recently organized remembrance ceremony held in Scarborough for the head of the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat, killed in a Sri Lanka Air Force decapitation strike.
This being the first Canadian proscription of a non-combatant group, it remains to be seen how much Vim will be used in Ottawa’s prosecutions. That having been said, it is hard to see any real future for the WTM in Canada or elsewhere.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the London-based Tharishanam TV, an LTTE-funded pay channel announced it was going off the air. This was the latest battle in the propaganda war between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE for the eyes and ears of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. In March this year, GoSL influence on the Italian Ministry of the Interior resulted in the closure of Swiss-based Tamil V Channel Euro Television’s Milan transmitter. Last year saw the shutting down of the Paris-based Tamil Television Network (TTN) in May, and the removal by Washington-based Intelsat of National Television of Tamil Eelam (NTTE) from their network. TTN alone had 22,000 subscribers in Europe, pulling in roughly 330,000 euros a month.
Tharisanam TV is a client of France’s Globecast, and operates on the Israeli Satlink platform, off the Hotbird 8 satellite. Initial announcements on Tharisanam TV stated their reason for going off the air was “pressure exerted by the Government of Sri Lanka”. That pressure was exerted on the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which obviously has many interests in Sri Lanka, particularly in the area of military trade. It’s interesting to note that the now-defunct Swiss-based Tamil V Channel also used an Israeli platform, RRSat, which was even preparing to support a resurgent Voice of Tigers (VOT) radio transmission out of Serbia this month, before GoSL intervention nipped it in the bud.
The letter to Satlink CEO David Hochner from Yaron Meir, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Vice Manager of the Southeast Asia Department, informing Satlink of the decision, says in part: “For your knowledge, the Tamil underground LTTE, is battling for independence in east of Sri Lanka and is making use of means of terror and violence. Said underground is defined as a terror organization in the United States, Canada, the European Union countries and India. It is not yet defined as a terror organization in Israel. However, any connection between it and an Israeli body is highly problematic and even extremely severe in light of Israel’s coping against the terror organizations.”
While it is gratifying to see this progress in the international arena, particularly at a time when very little verifiable news is available from the battlefield, the fact that many nations still remain unaware of the LTTE’s true nature (Serbia claims they revoked VOT’s license when they discovered their mistake), is a strong indictment of the GoSL’s overall failure in the international propaganda war.
Canada remains a propaganda disaster for Sri Lanka, where many successive federal administrations have refused to take action to curb the LTTE in North America. It is clear that with the long run up to the banning of the World Tamil Movement, the LTTE would have taken steps to transfer funds to other still unlisted front organizations. Whether Ottawa will continue this momentum against the LTTE will depend not just on internal Canadian politics, but on the GoSL’s ability to manage its own international image.
Sent by the author, with original post available on his blog here.
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i guess the author didn’t check out his news site lately, cause there were pongu thamil even held in canada yesterday, and the most interesting part is that more than 80,000 tamil people turn up for that even, i guess canadain Gov will now know the result.
You are exactly right about ‘propaganda disaster of Sri Lanka’ regarding the failure to counteract the false propaganda by LTTE terrorists outside Sri Lanka, especially in Canada.
Terrorism anywhere is terrorism everywhere. It is very encouraging to see that the current canadian government is getting stern actions rather than curry flavouring with these LTTE terroists as former canadian government to get some votes.
The chief LTTE terrorist, Prabhakaran declared last year that there is no country for 85 million tamils live in the world. The aim of the LTTE is to create a tamil country at the expense of others in Sri Lanka by hook or crook. But, truth will prevail at the end as the world is realising the false propaganda by LTTE terrorists.
Last week, to every one’s surprise, the US congress voted shamelesssly, to remove Nelson Mandela and the ANC members from its list of terrorist persons.
Canadian government and the other governments in the west are no exception. The West is invariably ignorant or rather stupid about their knowledge of National struggle, liberation movement, Freedom movement and terrorist movement.
Justice to all the people in the world is an obl;igation and not a prvilege. Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice is denied to Tamils in the North East (NE) for decades. Tamils are allowed to rot, are murdered, raped, tortured, kidnapped, diappeared and displaced. Harward Medical School reported that about 345,000 persons have died in the conflict in Sri Lanka (SL) Mostly, the victims are from the NE. No offenders have been brought to justice because the culprits are Sinhalese.
It is the responsibility of humanity to protect humanity. The inaction by the UN for gross injustice against Tamils by the Sri Lankan state has set up an ugly precedent internationally for other dictators like Mugabe to encourage his soldiers to murder, rape, kidnap and torture citizens.
Mugabe held “unilateral election” and declared unilateral victory. A few months ago, the GOSL held “unilateral election” in the East with guns, violence and rigging and declared unilateral victory, yet the UN and the International Community (IC) were stone silent. If the GOSL is justified then why is Zimbabwe not justified now ?
Economic sanctions should have been imposed on SL long ago for the atrocities it does to Tamils. The failure by the UN and the IC made Mugabe to ignore and snub at both the UN and the IC. Why should the UN be in such a hurry to impose economic sanstions on Zimbabwe when the murderous leaders of SL are allowed to be free from sanctions and travel bans, inspite of documented evidence of gross human rights violations ?
Is it not because Mugabe has black skin and Mahinda has light skin ?
The world is decaying and will decay more rapidly because of SL and its culture of impunity. Till justice is meted out by the UN to SL, this world will continue to decay rapidly and be an unpeasant place for all its inhabitants.
Sam, seriously.
Comparing Mandela and the ANC…to the LTTE and its related organizations? Delve further into the example before making such bland statements.
As for Mugabe, once again….if you think the GOSL is as bad as Mugabe…you really haven’t the foggiest idea of what present day Zimbabwe is like. I will admit to SL being well in the midst of a dictatorship…nepotism and so forth….but to compare it to Zimbabwe is an insult to the people of Zimbabwe. I speak to Zimbabwean friends quite regularly and they tell me of the struggles they have to go through….economically…socially….it pales in comparison. Though I don’t deny that SL may be on its way to such a state in the future…
I’m sick of Sri Lankans talking about Mugabe and making comparissons. As someone who grew up in Southern Africa..I find it extremely ignorant and self-serving.
It’s very trendy for people to make comparisons between regimes…and freedom struggles. But in actual fact their contexts and the realization of the rights concerned come about in very distinct ways.
“It is the responsibility of humanity to protect humanity. ” Indeed a profound statement it would seem. So…are the Tamils who support the LTTE, protecting…fighting for humanity? In light of this…is murdering…forced recruitment of its own people…justified? Because the evil state power oppresses them? What hypocrisy I say. If you are for self determination through bloodshed…by all means. But bringing human rights…and a moral basis into the mix..is just a savage hypocrisy in my view. You cannot lambaste one side …there is terror on both.
Shanil,
You do not seem to understand my point. My point is that “the West is invariably ignorant or rather stupid about their knowledge of National struggle, liberation movement, Freedom movement and terrorist movement.
People like you were talking the same “opposition language” to freedom struggle against the ANC, during their freedom struggle. They were called “terrorists”.
You only “grew up in Africa” and are not in Africa now. just speaking to a few friends is not enough to know the atrocities in Zimbabwe. In Zim only 90,000 are affected by the atrocities of Mugabe. About 25,000 killed in Matebeleland. In Sri Lanka it is more than 1 million who are affected. If the situation is not serious in Zim why is the UN trying to impose sanctions? The common feature in Zim and SL are that both the governments are ruthless, defiant, arrogant and stubborn.
Further Zim was not found fault in the UN Human Rights Council at any time, but SL was documented as the country having the largest number of disappearances in the world. Also journalist killing is the seecond largest in the World for SL not Zim.
Yes, I am comparing “apples with apples” two regimes; Zim and SL. Both ruthless both needing punishment based on truth than on imagination.
Murdering and killing own people can never be justified. This is why the state of SL murdering its own Tamil citizens and recruiting Tamil child recruits is not justified.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said yesterday in Pretoria “Robert Mugabe had turned the weapons of the state on his own people” and urged the world to support sanctions against Robert Mugabe’s regime. He said it as “a campaign of unchecked brutality against his own people”
Use the same worrds to judge for yourself as to who is worse, whether Zim or SL.
Definitely, SL should face sanctions first before Zimbabwe.
The difference is that the Zimbabwean opposition hasn’t murdered two heads of state, massacred thousands of innocent civilians, regularly murdered all other opposition groups and conscripted thousands of children. The Zimbabwean opposition struggling for its people’s rights, are doing so through peaceful democratic means. The LTTE has chosen the path of violence, and he who lives by the sword, dies by it.
Exactly David. I was going to lead into that. I have lived in Zimbabwe as well, though I will admit it was when Mugabe was a saner individual.
Only 90,000 people? So I trust you are in Zimbabwe now and know of the atrocities? I fail to see the logic of pointing out my alienation when in fact you suggest your own through such a statement. Rest assured, the entire nation suffers on many levels not confronted (yet) in Sri Lanka. And I am sure that only a minority will see is as an apple being compared with an apple.
In complete agreement with David, the MDC, who represent the democratic rights of the people of Zimbabwe. Have not resorted to armed violence to counter Mugabe’s. In fact I suggest you follow up on Tsvangirai’s argument against it. Their official stance is that they are even against armed intervention by AU troops. He pulled out of the presidential election, primarily because he did not want further bloodshed in the name of rights. He too said that rights won at the back of a gun, die at the end of a gun. Lasting change is in the hearts and minds of the people. Many would criticize Morgan and he’s not without fault. But he is an example of a leader…who acknowledges that freedom from oppression…by his own countrymen even…cannot justify brutality and the violation of the rights of others…even though he thinks their cause just.
The friends I talk to are refugees and immigrants …It may not be as good as the real thing yes. But to dismiss their views simply because you are trying to make a clinical comparison…well…
If your logic is that more disappearances and most journalist killings make Sri Lanka on par if not worse than Zimbabwe. That is in my view, like most of our ramblings on this website….an armchair assessment. The political, social and economic roots of these problems are entirely different. Sanctions have not been put on Zimbabwe for many reasons…primarily due to a lack of AU support for it until recently and even then “targeted” ones. Aimed specifically at Mugabe’s aides. Also countries such as Namibia are in the process of farm re-distribution. And the process of black empowerment is a very sensitive topic in Souh Africa (thus Mbeki’s passive stance…though there are more reasons for it).
You are coming from a hostile point of view that seeks to punish the state for their atrocities. Once again….you responded with how ruthless the state is. But it seems that whoever is in clear support of the armed struggle by the LTTE…never really talks about any of their atrocities. Perhaps their violence (justified or not) makes it harder for the IC to rally behind them? I mean opressed people lamenting while engaging in terrorism……do not strike everyone as a prime candidate or advocate for human rights.
Yes there is much hypocrisy afoot in Global politics. What else is new? If proceedings were legitimate many nations would be held accountable. Sanctions do not and will not make things better in Sri Lanka. It will degrade socio-economic conditions and fuel further prejudice …and fuel the war. Sanctions affect a whole…thus also the Tamil people who live in it.
This is also why countries have been hesitant to sanction Zimbabwe, most of its population are innocent…why should they suffer?Thus it is Mugabe’s regime and his aides that are being targeted. Not the whole nation’s extremely fragile economy (inflation in the millions…as known the world over…)
You spoke of humanity…why punish an entire nation? To make them realize? The LTTE’s struggle has only mobilized more hatred towards Tamils by the average Sri Lankan, especially the Sinhalese. I admit that I am not presenting solutions. I am only saying that no….Sri Lanka is not like Zimbabwe. And no…sanctions will only fuel hated and adversely affect millions of all races who subsist in Sri Lanka …
I’m surprised that Groundviews republished a ranting blog post by a former soldier (rana viru?) whose opinions seem more suited for the notorious Ministry of Offence (sorry, Defence) website. The megaphonic chauvinists already have many platforms for voicing their self-congratulatory shrill, so why waste precious space on Groundviews for this even in the interests of balance? Looks like Blackler in his still hasn’t stopped working for GOSL and the Holy Sinhala Buddhist War!
What on earth are you on about? He merely stated fact. The MDC has never adopted a military struggle to realize the democratic rights of Zimbabweans. The LTTE have adopted a military approach to realize (as they say) the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka. What’s inherently chauvinistic about that? It is purely factual.
This is a place for discourse is it not….
As for the blog post as a whole. Once again, the whole point of groundviews…is to provide the views of all on the ground is it not? Sure we may not all agree with the views presented…..but they are a reflection of ground realities.
Looks like Shanil has to see everything through his Zimbabwe blinkers, which was never raised in the original article by the ex-soldier still carrying out his (former?) orders. I agree in principle on the plurality of views – but freedom of speech does not extend to the point of giving license for someone to cry ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre, or merely repeat the war rhetoric and propaganda of the Sinhala Buddhist hegemonist government.
And mark my words: first they came for the Tamils of all faiths. Now they are already targeting Muslims. Next they will single out Sinhala Christians/Catholics. Very soon, only those who are Sinhalese AND Buddhists AND true blue will be allowed to live in peace in this country. Knowingly or not, soldier boy and Shanil are cheerleading the sinister march of this Sinhala Buddhist hegemonist government.
“Looks like Shanil has to see everything through his Zimbabwe blinkers, which was never raised in the original articl”
I believe it was Sam Thambapillai who brought up the Zimbabwean issue, which was quite irrelevant to my article. Did you miss that, Chee? Blinkers, huh?
“but freedom of speech does not extend to the point of giving license for someone to cry ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre”
Ah yes, the tired old excuse used by fascists everywhere to suppress free speech. You’ll be pleased to know, Cheelanka (intuitive pseudonym there), the Defence Secretary and the MoD are in total agreement with you. We can see the revoking of the licence to cry ‘fire’ on a daily basis as journos are assaulted, imprisoned, and kidnapped in SL. Chee, you should be proud of yourself and your stand against our constitutional rights.
Oh, and I’d like you to quote any portion of my article that cries anything, never mind ‘fire’. I’m merely reporting on the banning and closing down of several LTTE front groups. Would you prefer that no one heard about these things?
“or merely repeat the war rhetoric and propaganda of the Sinhala Buddhist hegemonist government.”
So instead we should repeat the war rhetoric and propaganda of the LTTE, as has been done quite often on this site. Would you prefer that only one side is represented, as both the GoSL and the LTTE wish? Why, you’ve got Tamilnet and Defencenet already.
I do apologize I did have my blinkers on I do concede. As for me cheer leading the march…really you don’t have a clue about me….so I don’t think you are in a position to make such a bold statement.
Peoples opinions are peoples opinions. I never congratulated the article. In fact the only reason I even posted was in response to Sam’s message. You can’t stop people from saying what they believe in really…it’s up to you to filter out what you don’t like and I’m all for discourse. But I do not appreciate being labeled as a Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist without any due cause. If you see it as being your role to pass harsh judgment to prove a point and act superior …get off your high horse.
Guys
Tamils had to resort to armed resiatance to minimise state terror. The victims may be prime misters but they were executing the war, and so are enemies in the war of resistance or freedom.
The prime misters had “medal of blood” . So be happy !
Shanil/David Blacker
My point was that the west does not know to differentiate a freedom movement from Terrorism. Therefore, Canada and Britain were not right in their actions.
My point was also that Sri Lanka (SL), a terror state, deserves not a “medal of blood” but “punitive sanctions to put it right”. Sri lanka has been walking away freely for long from economic sanctions by the west. If sanctions is the “way” for Zimbabwe, SL should have been put in this “way” long ago by the west.
The government of Sri Lanka GOSL), the political parties in the South and the voters who voted this wretched government to power, should be severely punished by economic sanctions from the UN, for denying the legitimate rights of Tamils and for gross violation of human rights abuses in the North East (NE), even before armed resistance commenced.
GOSL is overtly or covertly involved in torture, arrest, kidnap, murder, economic depravation and social disintegration of Tamils in the NE. And the Sinhalese are made to support this cruelty. Inflamatory inciting actions have made the Sinhala attitudes to harden. War talk and fighting talk is sweet to the Sinhalese.
More than 80% of Tamils in the NE want self rule. LTTE also wants self rule. Though LTTE wants self rule, all the Tamils who ask for self rule are not LTTE. Sinhalese are deliberately told by the Sinhala media and the state that all those who ask for self rule are in LTTE. Sinhalese are flogged into this untruth to promote violence, bloodshed, war and Tamil genocide.
Any born Sinhalese is grown into anti-Tamilism. They are never taught to respect the legitimate right of Tamils to rule themselves. This has happened for decades and is not reversible even by a “medal in blood”.
Because of such deliberate “anti-Tamil rights” movement, Sinhalese can neither be reasonable with Tamil rights nor understand the pathetic predicament. The state and media continue to underscore the rights and sufferings of Tamils.
It is Tamils who face state terror and brutal oppression. Tamils are coming to realise more and more with certainty that armed resistance is their only survival kit. Unfortunately, for any Sinhalese armed resistance by Tamils is offensive because it impedes their corporate intent for Tamil genocide.
SL has more than 90% literacy. Voters who vote the racist anti-Tamil governments are not stupid to be misled by politicians. They know what they are doing. They deliberately vote anti Tamil parties to power with the intent to exterminate Tamils in the NE
The Sinhalese are expensively educated in universities to be anti-Tamil. For their brains to open up to wisdom, economic sanctions by the UN is vital. Sanctions will make them realisse that there is a world out there requiring human norms and standards of governance in their country, SL.
The Sri Lankan state is a “rotten apple” in the world basket of countries. The “rotten apple” must be taken out of the basket to prevent other apples from rotting. It has already made Zimabawe to rot. Therfore, SL shoul be isolated from the world community and strict economic sanctions should be imposed to bring the country back to human norms and standards of governance.
Sam, rhetoric aside, your response is full of subjectiveness and selective facts. Let me point out just a few.
“My point was that the west does not know to differentiate a freedom movement from Terrorism.”
I think they do. The definitions are quite clear. Terrorism is a strategy, not an objective. Freedom is an objective. Both the Zimbabwean opposition and the LTTE are fighting for freedom, that is their stated objective; but the latter uses terrorism as a strategy, while the former uses democratic means. Therefore, ONLY the LTTE is designated a terrorist group.
“My point was also that Sri Lanka (SL), a terror state, deserves not a “medal of blood” but “punitive sanctions to put it right”.”
I think you’re mixing up my article with Gajaman Nona’s piece “Blood is Their Medal”. Perhaps you should take a moment to gather your thoughts. No one is awarding the GoSL any medals for what it’s done.
“Sri lanka has been walking away freely for long from economic sanctions by the west. If sanctions is the “way” for Zimbabwe, SL should have been put in this “way” long ago by the west.”
If the LTTE hadn’t hijacked and squandered the Tamil struggle with its own blood-drenched path, perhaps the GoSL would have faced sanctions. As long as the LTTE remains by choice one of the most murderous organizations on the planet, SL has no fear of sanctions.
“The government of Sri Lanka GOSL), the political parties in the South and the voters who voted this wretched government to power, should be severely punished by economic sanctions from the UN,”
Why should an entire population be punished for the (alleged) faults of its government? If the LTTE hadn’t prevented the NE Tamils from voting, Ranil Wickramasinghe would have won the presidential elections and a more benevolent administration would’ve been in power. In Zimbabwe, the sanctions are selective, to target the top brass, not the suffering population. The world learned from the mistakes of the Iraqi sanctions.
You are right that it was the violation of Tamil rights that sparked the separatist movement, but the subsequent actions of the LTTE have far surpassed anything done pre-’83. The LTTE has avenged itself, and so the scales are now balance, and in fact more in favour of the GoSL. The LTTE has had numerous opportunities to compromise and win a peaceful solution for the Tamils it professes to represent, but has wasted each chance.
“GOSL is overtly or covertly involved in torture, arrest, kidnap, murder, economic depravation and social disintegration of Tamils in the NE.”
As is the LTTE. Pointing fingers benefits no one.
“inflamatory inciting actions have made the Sinhala attitudes to harden. War talk and fighting talk is sweet to the Sinhalese.”
It is in fact the LTTE’s constant aggression, it’s breaking of every truce or ceasefire since ’87, it’s intentional targeting of religious and other civilian targets, that have hardened the Sinhalese hearts. Do you need to be reminded that it took many months of continuous provocation by the LTTE before the Mahinda government retaliated, in spite of the media baying for LTTE blood?
“More than 80% of Tamils in the NE want self rule.”
Really? Could you substantiate that claim with a source please? If this is true, why didn’t the LTTE allow the NE Tamils to vote at the last presidential elections? A UNP government would have made Tamil self-rule much more of a possiblity. But FYI, the Eastern Province seems to have already got self-rule.
“LTTE also wants self rule.”
True, but the LTTE wants self-rule for the LTTE, not for the Tamils.
“The state and media continue to underscore the rights and sufferings of Tamils.”
Er… why are you against the highlighting of Tamil rights and sufferings?
“Tamils are coming to realise more and more with certainty that armed resistance is their only survival kit.”
Well then it’s a pretty faulty and useless survival kit, because more Tamils have been murdered, maimed and made homeless by the LTTE than were in July ’83 or before. The LTTE is incapable of defending the so-called Tamil homeland (they are now restricted to just two districts) and must resort to conscription to make up their numbers. If 80% of the Tamils are for self-rule, why aren’t they all volunteering to fight? Why aren’t the Canadian Tamils sending their youth to fight? Why is the LTTE forcing little children to fight? After 30 years of war, the Tamils are in a worse state than ever before.
“They deliberately vote anti Tamil parties to power with the intent to exterminate Tamils in the NE”
But it is the LTTE that picked Mahinda by refusing the NE Tamils the vote.
“The Sinhalese are expensively educated in universities to be anti-Tamil”
Again, please provide sources for your claim that university syllabuses teach racism.
The bottom line is, Sam, that the Tamils and Sinhalese are equally racist. The only difference is that the Sinhalese outnumber the Tamils so the latter got the dirty end of the stick. If the Tamils were the majority, the Sinhalese would be oppressed.
Very well put I agree. The 90% literacy rate is really nothing to speak of Sam. It’s basic reading and writing…..it doesn’t translate into real critical thought. I do not agree with the view that the whole population should be penalized. I know your argument is that they have a blood lust and they vote these people into power. It’s true to an extent that there are prejudicial underpinnings…but it is largely justified by the terrorist attacks of the LTTE and not entirely on a fundamental hatred of Tamils. Thus the terrorist, separatist struggle sustains and adds to the intensity of state terror and Sinhala , Muslim animosity towards Tamils. Because in their eyes they don’t really know who is who….I’m not saying it is right by any means…but it’s how iti s….
And of course..it has to change. I just don’t believe sanctions and an armed conflict will solve anything. It only exacerbates the situation further.