Will the Tamil aspirations be buried by the Diaspora’s memories?
I was just watching a past episode of the ‘Riz Khan’ show which is available on YouTube and the subject for discussion was what the future holds for the Tamil people.
The three panelists consisted of the former Sri Lankan ambassador to the US and Mexico, a human rights activist and a spokesperson (Ms. Janani Jananayagam) for London based ‘Tamils against Genocide’. Ms. Jananayagam is also in the running for the European Parliament elections according to TamilNet.
Now while the entire aim of the panel discussion seemed to be on looking at what the future holds for the Tamil people now that the war’s over, I was pretty surprised to see the spokesperson for ‘Tamils against Genocide’ seemed only interested in talking about what has happened in the past. In fact, such was the focus of this lady that she even saw fit to speak about incidents that took place within one year of Sri Lanka gaining independence!
Now correct me if I’m wrong here, but I was under the impression she had been invited to talk about the future of the Tamil people, not about their past. I don’t believe anyone is denying the fact that there were incidents in the past that contributed to the entire war, but should we as a people allow ourselves to be bogged down by the past? I would rather think that we need to use this opportunity to move forwards towards reconciliation and a lasting peace that addresses the aspirations of the people of Sri Lanka. Not just one segment, but ALL of the people.
IMHO, the former ambassador was the only person on the panel who stuck resolutely to the subject at hand and kept reiterating the need to let go of past hatred and ill feeling. He kept constantly calling for the need to understand and move on from the past. Unfortunately it seemed the one person invited to speak on behalf of the Tamil Diaspora seemed only able to stick to the Diaspora party line of ‘genocide’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’. In fact she seemed highly cynical of there ever being any form of reconciliation between the Tamil and Sinhalese people!
It was sad to see that when asked to discuss the future aspirations of the Tamil people, Ms. Jananayagam could only focus on the fact that Diaspora Tamils are in a state of shock and mourning and want only to see justice executed against the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL). There was absolutely no indication of the Diaspora seeing any hope for the future!
It seems obvious that Ms. Jananayagam doesn’t believe in any future for the Tamils in Sri Lanka other than what is dictated to them by the Diaspora. The Tamil people, whether they liked it or not, have of been constantly forced to go along with the aspirations of the Tamil Diaspora who tirelessly provided funding for the LTTE to carry on with their armed struggle for independence. I wonder if these Diaspora members who continue to carry a torch for an independent Tamil homeland have ever stopped to consider the views of the Tamil people who’re actually on the ground in Sri Lanka?
IMHO, it’s high time the Tamil Diaspora realized that their single-minded and almost obsessive focus on a separate nation has wreaked untold damage and suffering on the Tamil people. In fact it was this same obsessive thinking that eventually led to the LTTE holding their own people as human shields, whilst claiming to be their saviours! Even at this juncture in time, when faced with the unshakable evidence that 30 years of war have not been able to achieve this goal, they continue to cling mindlessly to this dream!
It’s not very hard for most people to see that more than a future for the Tamil people, what the Diaspora wants is for their twisted version of justice and fair play to be made a reality. Their dream needs to see light even if it means bankrupting the GOSL and making everybody, including the Tamils, suffer for the sins committed many years ago. They also seem totally unable to see that continuing with this course of action is only going to keep this ‘beggar’s wound’ of a conflict festering for many more generations to come!
So I believe its time for the Tamils of Sri Lanka to stand up and decide for themselves what they want for the future, and not let the Diaspora bury these aspirations under yet another load of hate and rhetoric.
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Dear author:
The author seemingly has an ostrich head buried in the sand. About 20,000 innocent civilians (possibly more) have been murdered by a ruthless regime. These were helpless people sandwiched between two ruthless combatants. The Sri lankan (SL) forces bombed the people to pulp. How on earth to move forward without really finding out the truth. Declaring a death zone as a no-fire-zone shows the dubious motives of SL forces. The cowardly and shameful act of SL to deny access to even credible organisations obviously points to one thing – and only one thing – it has a lot to hide – a lot of inhuman atrocities. It comes as no surprise that every Sinhalese from the President to Palitha Kohona is chanting the same mantra – to forget about the past. The scars inflicted will be there the next seven generations-to-come. So, please get your head out of the sand and be honest, at least for once.
We can’t build the future without properly knowing the past.
Governments change if they have sinned they will suffer the consequences.
Very obviously the ‘concerned humanitarian’ belongs to the diaspora which is being highlighted by this article.
The author and people like indi.ca need to be exposed to this idea of transitional justice which connects reconciliation to a systematic addressing of the the past. I commend Desmond Tutu’s wonderful book titled “there is no future without forgiveness” on the truth and reconciliation commission experience in post apartheid south Africa to both of them. Empty slogans like lets move forward are useless. Here everything seems to be about denial. MR didnt even want to pay respects in his victory speech to the innocent civilians killed in the war. And Mahinda Samarasinghe is damn insensitive to keep claiming that this war was conducted without a blood being spilled.
James:
UN SG Ban expressed that in all the years of visiting conflict zones, what he saw in Sri Lanka is the worst. The EU vehemently condemned the carnage. Secretary Clinton took to task the SL Govt for the heavy-handed destruction. Are you going to say that these people are also from the diaspora? Of course, anyone who talks of the colossal loss of lives are either the Tamil Diaspora or the LTTE. What are you scared of? That the truth will ultimately come out in a “war without witnesses”? In all the denials for investigation and excavate the truth, can you see there seems to be a tacit admission that “I have something to hide, so no investigations, no access to independent observers, etc” As they say, when you have nothing to hide, you need not have to jump like a diseased monkey.
James:
By the way, I have no qualms over chiding Prabhakaran for his part in the atrocities inflicted on the civilians. If you had read my initial response (without your ostrich head in the sand) then you would have realised of what I mentioned, thus: “These were helpless people sandwiched between two ruthless combatants.”
The tamils so condescendingly referred to as the diaspora are the only ones able to speak freely and ask questions. The tamils living “happily ” in Colombo are too worried thinking of the white vans. The UN is trying to cover up their complicity in the murders of these civillians. The sri lankan regime says they will investigate and take action( we all know what happened to the inquiry on the Muthur 17 massacre). The west is standing salivating thinking of all the money they can make out of the “reconstruction”. So we will keep asking and agitating. There is no diplomatic immunity for crimes against humanity and war crimes,
Since the writer says “I wonder if these Diaspora members who continue to carry a torch for an independent Tamil homeland have ever stopped to consider the views of the Tamil people who’re actually on the ground in Sri Lanka?” Why not we ask them? Resettle all the displaced under UN supervision so that we dont have any of the activities that are alleged to be taking place in the Trinco district, and then have a free and supervised referendum.
Any takers?
Don’t waste time arguing about wether there sould be an investigation or not because there is no RECONCILIATION without such thing.
Tamil people needs respect, not just toleration if this new direction is to go anywhere positive. This is only possible by revealing the damage caused by the GOSL. Also an investigation will bring Tamils together ceasing their support for LTTE crippling them and shutting them completely.
An investigation is a MUST.
I also believe we should move on at the same time to rebuild the country if we are to achieve or progress with anything to solve the problem.
Tamil diaspora has a major immediate role to play to bring the war criminals of Sri Lanka to the Hague. They also have to make Britain and the UN intervene to create Tamil Eelam. They have more work to do than ever before.
The hot heads and big mouths from Sri Lanka(SL), manipulated 29 spineless and unintelligent countries in the UN Human Rights Council to pass a resolution last week in favour of it. Prof Francis Boyle said that it does “violate Genocide Convention, the 4 Geneva Convention of 1949 and additional protocol of 1977 and the Rome Statute for International Criminal Court”.
Legal experts on International law reckon that the 29 countries have become “accessories after the fact” to the crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing of the GOSL against the Tamils. They ALL have become a bunch of criminal states punishable under International Conventions.
In the past, laws were respected and strictly upheld. The UN and the entire human race accepted unequivocally that any criminal state or a state with uncivilised ways towards fellow human beings should be severely shamed, disgracefully barred from the UN and punished with economic sanctions.
Such uncivilised ways were clearly not an internal matter but an international criminal matter. Former apartheid South Africa was punished by the UN till it got civilsed and was then brought back to the UN.
SL is worse than apartheid South Africa. SL abuses its parliament and democratic system to enforce tyranny against Tamils; abuses its diplomatic protocol and status to harm Tamils accusing them as terrorists, although, soldiers of SL are actively engaged in ultra terrorism against Tamils, as witnessed by people all over the world on TV screens last month.
SL also recently abused Russia and China at the UN Security Council -to be accomplices for the genocide of Tamils by blocking preventive intervention by the UN- and 29 countries at the UNHRC to normalise crimes against humanity as just and acceptable human behaviour. In essence, the entire world is being polluted by SL into criminality.
When abuse is allowed to nurture at home, it is ultimately exported abroad. SL did this at the UN and UNHRC.
How could the matter between the Tamil nation and Sinhala nation be an internal matter, if India was actively involved in Indo-Lanka agreement and Norway as the facilitator and signatory to the Ceasefire agreement between SL and Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam?
Simple logic of an internal matter and international matter could be exemplified easily. When a husband beats up his wife in his home it is an internal matter but when he stabs his wife in the same home, it is an external police matter, involving subsequent judicial process and punishment from outside home.
The world is becoming wicked. Might is becoming right. We are returning to the law of the jungle. Criminal states are taking over. The judicial system is collapsing. The UN systems to protect humanity is ceasing to exist. Fasten your belts! The world is going to crash !!
A Quote
“Diaspora Tamils are in shock about recent events, for most of them saw the founder and leader of the Tigers, Velupillai Prabhakaran, as an invincible defender of the Tamil cause. They can scarcely believe that he and almost all the other senior leaders of the Tigers are dead. Moreover, the Tiger support network in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom that provided 80 percent of the organization’s military budget is still intact.
There are plenty of young radicals in those communities who are ready to continue the war in Sri Lanka, if only by guerrilla and terrorist attacks for the time being. This is strikingly different from the situation in Sri Lanka itself, where it is clear that most Tamils in the areas formerly under the Tigers’ control are ready to stop fighting. They have personal experience of the Tigers’ ruthless rule, they have lived through 26 years of constant insecurity and recurrent violence, and they have had enough.
That would normally be the deciding factor in the equation, for if the Tamils at home in Sri Lanka really want to end the war, who could make it continue? There are, unfortunately, two possible answers to that question. One is: The dogmatists in the Tamil diaspora, for whom the goal of a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka is sacred. The other is the victorious and deeply intolerant government of Sri Lanka, which may well throw its victory away.
Many Tamils living abroad just want to integrate into their new countries and leave all that unhappy history behind them, but family ties back home and the pervasive presence of Tiger radicals in the overseas communities make it hard for them to do so. There is a risk that the Tamil diaspora, like the millions of Irish who emigrated to the United States in the famine of the 1840s, will become the base for a permanent war against the oppressor back home.”
My comment:
The peace loving immigrants from Sri Lanka (of all ethnicities) living all over the world are NOW getting organized to counter the massive Tiger diaspora agenda. The war they seek to wage against the people of SL will, in the future, have to be fought all over world. It is very sad but it looks like this could go on for another 25 years or more.
The focus of the article was on the performance of Janani Jananayagam on the Riz Khan interview in Al Jazeera. She outsmarted the other two experienced panellists by a mile. So the envy felt by the opposition is understandable. But in my humble opinion such childish sentiments should not be allowed exposure in these respected columns.
forget about the past. Sl won the match. LTTE lost badly. Sad that all the hard earned money was lost. Thanks for all the presents to SL government and the arm forces.Just get on with it. need to feed thousands of displaced people and need to build the country. Bring back the good old days where we were living like one big family.
On the state of the Tamils in North East, “…So I believe its time for the Tamils of Sri Lanka to stand up and decide for themselves what they want for the future,” the author says.
The Tamils living in open prison in Jaffna (North), living within the paramilitary rule in Batticaloa/Trincomalee/Amparai (East), the ones living in perpetual fear (in Colombo), and the upcountry Tamils…NOT a single voice was and is being heard, or a drop of tear shed, for the unprecedented calamity endured by the Vanni Tamils during the past few months, or while in internment camps.
It is doubtful, if the North-East resident Tamil community will ever be allowed to “stand-up.” Diaspora is the only voice for them.
What do you guys expect Janani to say? “Oh yes, I heard several hundreds of my kith and kin were killed and maimed by your Government, come let’s forget about them and party” is that what you guys are expecting. Not only Tamils, but non-Tamils, who have not even heard of Sri Lanka gasped in horror as the true story of the Holocaust unfolded. No body expected Sri Lanka, who is at the mercy for survival from every country on earth would go on a blood letting campaign of the innocent civilians of such magnitude, despite pleas from several countries. Do they expect a pat on the back for this GENOCIDE? in any other country people who were responsible for this carnage would have resigned in shame!! Not in Sri Lanka. All the monsters responsible are hailed as heros!!
It will take several generations for the victims to forget this, if at all they come out with their faculties intact!!
It was not the panelist mistake that she kept repeating [Ms. Janani Jananayagam]about the past and was a person of absolutely no reconciliatry temperament.She was maybe too shocked by the recent events to look beyod to the future.She did not tell at all which was the best way for the process to go from now on.
The Sri lankan diplomat took all the questions in a cool way and deflected any harsh comments properly.
The moderator of the program was also ill informed about the Sri Lanka problem and had no deep understanding of this conflicts history for the past so many decades. The questions was posed in an improper way and the discussion ended in am incomplete way.
Not a good programme.
The tamil diaspora is anxious to punish the Government of Sri Lanka for violations of human rights.These have to be proved. Why are the tamil diaspora silent about the shooting of their very own kith and kin by their very own saviours. The Sri Lankan Government will give the names of all the innocent tamils killed by the LTTE while trying to excape to Government held territory as surviving witnesses are there in camps.The LTTE has killed thousands of the fleeing civilians including the old and maimed fighters as they were a burden on them.Also it was reported that the LTTE shot all the wounded LTTE fighters that were hospitalized in the Killinochchi hospital before they fled the area as they did not want their caders to fall into hands of the Government forces. Shoud’nt the LTTE fighters who had surrendered at least be held answerable to these inhuman acts.The LTTE has even shot civilians ruthlessly while they had been wading across the lagoon carrying their infants and also those civilians who had chosen to escape by boats.Hundreds of infants had died due to indiscreminate shooting by the LTTE. I wonder what punishment the western humanitarians could give to those people who are now claiming to be LTTE iers for aiding and abetting the ruthless Prabakaran to commit the most henous crimes against innocent human beings. If these humanitarians of the western countries are really concerned of punishing those guilty of muder and torture of civilians they should immediately have all the remaining LTTEiers arrested and and brought before an Internationl Court of Law. The question is how sincere are these blood suckers?
After the war against Ruthless Racist terrorist LTTE SL Govt announced that they have killed over 20,000 of these barbarians LTTE thugs. But unfortunately these refuges (Diaspora) who wants to drag this war for ever (otherwise they can not survive in west) wants to show it was civilians who got killed. Its true some civilians got killed cause these terrorist hide behind civilians and used heavy weapons from NFZ. Why didn’t these Diaspora appeal to LTTE not to use civilians as shield if they are so worried about civilians. Iam sorry for these people because IC is not so stupid as Diaspora to believe there lies.
People who harbour hatrd and vengence in their heatrs lead troubled lives now and in eons to come. That is what I saw in Jan’s face.
Sri Lankan Govt did what a responsible govt had to do for the secutiry of it’s people. And mind you this is with in a soverign country.
You see there is a saying ” Rift between a husband and wife lasts only till the pot of rice boils” A sinhalese saying which warns others to keep off meddling with others family affairs, because they are bound to make up in the end and meddlers become unwelcome. So too Sri Lankan people will sort out their differences in time to come in an ammicable way if only hatred fostering tamil diaspora keep off. It is their duty to do so, as it is not the tamil diaspora that suffered in the face of terror in Sri Lanka but poeple living there. They supported the terror in every way from their comfortable positions oveseas.
As a last word I would like to say you are doing the greatest disservice to your young, by inculcating hatred and vengence in their hearts. It becomes a habit irrespective of place and people. An underline condition in their hearts. What is the point of luxurious life and best of education if good human qualities are denied to them by the actions of their elders.I say they are born poor They will live tortured lives. I teach my dog how to get on with other dogs when we go on our walks. How much more precious is a human life.
KV
To.. Concerned Humanitarian. The 20000 deaths claimed as Times is only speculative journalism. It has not proven. We all know the financial troubles that the ‘Times of London’ facing. So why not cook a story and get some attention ha? LoL
For the Tamil people to forgive and forget about the past, two significant things need to happen. First there has to be a process of reconciliation, in which the atrocities of the past are acknowledged and redressed. Second, and more importantly, there has to be a visible change in the attitude of the Sinhala nation and the Government in the South towards the aspirations of the Tamil people.
Neither of these two steps are likely to taken anytime soon, as the Sinhala Nation continues to gloat over a hollow victory, that claimed (and continues to claim) the lives of tens of thousands of innocents. Under the continued rule of Sri Lanka’s blood thirsty megalomaniac president, a new and more terrifying LTTE will be soon (if not already) in the making.
It’s not over yet Sri Lanka…
Angelo
Why have the media been denied free access to the various parts of Northeast? Why are journalists been chopped up in Colombo?
Cruento
It’s too much to ask for the first. The second is more than enough. (I have been of the view that the moment structural violence is brought to a fullstop, Tamils will forget the past). Anyway the second should precede the first.
Author
Bury structural violence.
Then you’re burying the cause of resentment/hatred.
As long as structural violence isn’t buried, resentment/hatred is going to be generated.
Any child knows this.
Therefore tell the children the truth.
They will have a better future.
Angelo Pavioli:
All the figures of civilians quoted by the SL govt before the first and second exodus from the conflict zone has been proven to be a nonsense over and over again. The govt kept on insisting on insisting dubious figures, despite the fact the UN, the Red Cross and even Anandasangaree insisted otherwise. The govt said it knew better than all those who disputed the figures it had quoted.
Lo and behold, when the exodus started the SL govt stupidly became a laughing stock and is now begging the international community for aid and assistance. Word is around that only 30% of the contributions from the world countries reach the IDPs.
Your grumble that the figure of expected deaths quoted by Times is speculative journalism, would you consider a “war without witnesses” any better? Of course, the history of SL’s brutal and culture of impunity is a well-acknowledged fact. It is to erase any evidence such brutal massacre it had denied access to independent observers. John Holmes of the UN had said that the actual tally of civilians dying in the last days may never be known – yes SL is a sick country indeed.
George Gunasekara:
Agreed that the LTTE should be held accountable for its atrocities. There are no two ways about it. Then, the SL govt should also be held accountable for murdering so many civilians with impunity. Why did it stop independent observers from visiting the war zone? Then all of us would have known who were the real culprits. There are no second guesses that the SL govt denied access for one, and only one reason – to erase any evidence of its dubious atrocities.
Channa:
The trouble with Sinhalese racists like you is you guys have a stuck head in the sand, like an ostrich. None of us may know the real truth, whether the LTTE and the Govt or both committed atrocities. It is one’s word against another. However, it is extremely laughable that SL has got itself trapped into a situation of “war without witness” seemingly to erase any evidence of its own atrocities. This stain is not going to go away. The govt believes it has got away with its success at the UNHC voting. Hold on, other more damaging indictments are coming on the way for both the protaganists in this despicable war. Those who have blood in their hands are not going to get away. Unlike the political dramas staged in the UNHC, there are enough good people to get blood-thirsty tyrants to pay for their murderous acts. And particularly in the case of the SL’s atrocities, it will be wishful thinking to even dream of evading the issue.
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/2038/
” …. The test of civilisation in modern times is the nature of the political and legal institutions within which people live and not their so called traditional cultures. If the situation of Sri Lanka is such that no such civilised political and legal systems exists, the actors for the state and those citizens who have taken to violence must be judged within the framework of this total situation. ….”
I am dead, the struggle is over. OVER.
Get on with it, rebuild now, REBUILD.
You know why international community was not allowed in to the nofire zone?.
Either they would have been taken hostage byforce or willingly by the LTTE and the international community would have had the great opportunity of stop the war hence the decimation of the LTTE regime. Even up to date all these accusations by the international community is because they couldn’t fullfill their promises to the Tamil Diaspora of saving Prabhakaran and the cohoots at any cost, and to make up for the missed opportunity. They were in LTTE pay role.
It is so transparent I don’t know why this question pops up so often.
KV
@Vellupillai Prabakara
You didn’t even spelled it like how he would actually spell it. You spelled it like a Sinhalese.
When LTTE killed innocent civilians, nobody said Rebuild rebuild…they wanted to go after LTTE…why and how now rebuild rebuild will help in this situation?
Buddha said “Victory breeds hatred. The defeated live in pain. Happily the peaceful live, giving up victory and defeat.”
To the Concerned Humanitarian.
you must be one of the guys who has stopped schooling or stopped word and hanging out on the street protesting…or writing articles on net for a living… please first get a job.
did you try any of these smart talk before the war ended????? Did you tell the very people you supplied weapons to stop having your own as human shields? why you didnt try all this before its too late??? Diaspora wanted the poor tamils in the north to fight for them. Did you expect them to come out of it alive???? you better take your head of your arse to start with….. you had 25 yesrs to talk peace… you had 6 peace talks to talk peace… what did you do? Fed the terrorists. supplied weapons.
what did you do???? bought weapons and funded terrorists….. you only reap what you saw. Its a little too late to cry my friend….did you see the status of IDPS…. do not forget “EVERY DAISPORA MEMBER WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE WAR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SITUATION TODAY” you started this. it could have gone either way but it went this way. You wanted war and you had it. You didnt supply weapons to talk peace? you didnt send aeroplanes and bombs to negotiate?? did you???? you funded them for war… AND YOU GOT WAR.
I’m sad that the DIASPORA did not see it coming….
What happens today is what would happen after any war. Every tamil is screened and every remaining LTTE fighter should be found in order to prevent same in the future. these are normal proceedures. True, the poor will suffer with the rest. Like one bad apple spoils the whole basket. You have to know if you lie with the dogs you will get up with lice.
now you my friend will come up with and essay reply to this coz you got no job…. but what ever you say to this…nothing will change…accept the facts. you can talk shit..but you can’t change nothing..
i’ve got another message to Tamil Diaspora ” please continue to send your donations…i mean not weapons and ammunition…but food and other essentials… your people need them now more than ever”
My only hope is that all people of SRI LANKA…. whether Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or what ever religion and race..would be able to live in peace as ONE under ONE NATION…. there will be no room for a seperate land for anyone here.
If you want one…then please try from UK, Canada, Norway, Swiden. they might have spare land for a tamil EElam. Good luck!
Diaspora says lets wage another war. Good thing we have more stocks of weapons now funded by who? Of course the Tamil Diaspora. So how shall we do this? Please resurrect another insurgency. We need Tamil Diaspora to buy weapons for Sri Lanka and route through organisations like the ex LTTE. EU won’t sell to us now u see. EU think Sri Lanka very very bad maan…
SDS:
I ought to have known that SL breeds such lousy fortune-tellers or even clairvoyants, by smelling from afar of what others do and don’t. Anyway, typical of Sinhalese rattles, when even John Holmes was cited as a terrorist, your stupendous escapism to justify a barbarian’s attitude. How do you know I am even a Tamil? True it appears that goons like you have hung your brains on a tree and with a brainless self, snare at everyone who smell shit in you.
Have you forgotten the infamous remark when JJ claimed that the more he makes the Tamils suffer, the more he can get support from the Sinhalese. Such is the contempt attitude of the Sinhalese regime and seeing such traces in you comes as no surprise.
Your “nothing will change” assumption may be premature. No, one like me are indeed happy that the LTTE and Prabhakaran are no more, as it is in their name that the SL regime got away with its innumerable crimes. Now there is going to be a different ballgame. The politically skewed vote in the UNHR would not be the last. Maybe let us be a bit patient and see who has the last laugh. By the way, who knows, maybe the Rajapakse regime may be dumped by the Sinhalese themselves one day. Well, Churchill won the war but lost the political game. So, just don’t be too cocky that the wind may blow your way all the time.
So, based on your argument you seem to tacitly agree that the SL govt had made the innocent civilians pay for the crimes of the both the recalcitrant attitude of both the warring parties? Then what is this argument that it was a humanitarian mission to save the Tamil civilians from the clutches of the LTTE? Even more hilarious is – after “saving them” lock them up in camps and go begging to the whole world for alms – typical of Buddhists, isn’t it?
Concerned Humanitarian,
That last line about Buddhists – was that really necessary? All it does is reveal your own bigotry and hate. I don’t disagree with much of your response to SDS, but it seems to me that you are part of the problem too.
Volumes have been written regarding the feud between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Journalists of course has to continue writing to earn their living. At last we have achieved peace in Sri Lanka.Government of Sri Lanka is attending to mopping up operations.To-morrow morning they are planning to have Victory Parade to officially announce to all the Sri Lankans that the quarrelling is over and that every Sri Lankan can now live in peace. This victory parade may not create so much fun as the unofficial celebrations when people took to the streets making merry,lighting crackers,dancing,singing,and feeding every one with milk rice and sweet meats as a result of the sudden joy and relief from years of tension the moment they heard that fighting is over. While holding to-morrows victory parade moves are being made to resettle the displaced and treating the wounded.Then there is a bit of an unpleasent task of dealing with the hard core surrendees according to the law. Also comes the restoration of democratic institutions such as the Municipal Councils and the Provincial Council of the north with equal powersas those in other parts of the country.
With all the unpleasentness over ,the trun has come to the world of the sinhalease ,tamils,muslims,burghers,malayas,burahs,vaddhas,the gypsies etc.,etc., living in Sri Lanka to forget their differences if they are keen to live in peace for the rest of their lives. In order to forge unity the President declared that there are only two kinds citizens living in Sri Lanka from now,those who are loyal and those who are not loyal . We have to now forget that we belong to a particular race,cast, or creed. In other words we have to now think in terms of our nationality and not our race. We have finished fighting a war on racism and now all those who live in Sri Lanka are Sri Lankans. Now it is everyones turn to forget every unpleasent thing that happened in the past and foster friendship amongst all Sri Lankans. We must never again think of having separate homelands for any particular race.Every one should be able to live in any part of Sri Lanka that he wishes to live. All of us who are Sri Lankans must desist from writing about the rights and wrongs done in the past. We must be alert to cunning of foreign parties trying to ignite differences amongst Sri Lankans due to jelousy or pecuniary gains.It is a known fact that escalation of differences and the past three decade war scale fighting amongst Sri Lankans was largely due to a stab in the back by a foreign power.It is a shame that a highly literate and anintelligent set of people to fall into the cunning trap of a scheming foreigner. We must also remind the white skinned westerners who are ever trying to show we asians their superiority and running away with the notion that they are a special class human beings that most of them are worshipping a dark skinned man born in the middle east as their one and only GOD.I am sure we Sri Lankans with our regained unity will soon show the whole world how superior we arespiritually and materially.Let us therefore we all Sri Lankans pool all our intelligence,energy and resources to develop our beautiful country and help those in need to enjoy life and also contribute to make the world happy during this short period of time we are destined to live on this earth.
Will the Tamil aspirations be buried by the Diaspora’s memories?
Can someone please list the aspirations of the Tamils. Who are the Tamils we are referring to?
> North/East or South/Central;
> vellala or paraiya caste;
> working class or capitalist class;
> christian or hindu;
> saivaite or vaisnavites
> english speaking or tamil speaking
> local or diaspora;
> gay or straight;
> male or female;
> LTTE or TULF;
> ex-fighters or non-combatants
> victims of singhalese or tamil violence
> upcountry tamils or jaffna tamils
> government servants or private sector workers
> Pro-Prabah or Pro-Karuna
> educated or uneducated
> the blind or the deaf ……
The post independence period has been awful – packed with Singhalese and Tamil nationalism – and divisions along every conceivable line. Unfortunately, while there is a focus on divisions and differences this problem will go on.
There will be a time for reflection and reconciliation. Now is not the time for revenge against the GOSL but is time to better the living conditions of the IDP.
In the meantime lets take the chance to build a common consensus around a common Sri Lankan identity.
Although the IC accuse the Sri Lankan Government did not allow foreign media to cover the war remaining in the front ‘The Hindu’ claims that their reporters were with the Sri Lankan soldiers in the war front until the last day of fighting. They have given a vivid account of the fighting saying only the LTTE fighters remained in the area on the last two days of fighting. This may be verified with the Hindu media authorities.
IDP camps
Compulsory detainment
Aid denied access.
Media denied access.
Home-grown solution
Food and clothes available at exorbitant prices
Lakhs of rupees release the detained.
Home-grown solution
Atmosphere congested with words:
No problem between tamils and sinhalese
Home grown solution
Phosphorus in Vanni
Multibarrels in Vaharai
Barbed wire everywhere
Home-grown solution in Vavuniya
Sinhala magnanimous
Tamil moderate
Hotline to report you
Home-grown solution
Root out dissent
Home-grown solution
Friends at UN
Root out dissent
Home-grown solution
I guess the author’s point is pretty well proven judging by the remarks of certain members of the Diaspora on here!
rajivmw:
The problem with SL since independence is the inability of Sinhalese politicians to resist the Buddhist extremism, the Mahavamasa theory. This has been the main problem faced by Solomon Bandaranaike and other Sinhalese leaders who did try to address the Tamils problems. I used to wonder then the significance of Buddha’s teachings, for whom I have always had the highest respect and believed in his ways. I did write to the Hon Most Reverend Dalai Lama as to how the Budhhists clergy (not all though) could become so racist and inhuman. It needs no exaggeration then that Buddhism has many “faces” and that the one preached and practised in SL is a violent form of strain. When thousands of Tamils suffer utmost misery in internment camps, how many ordinary Sinhalese have spoken for them? You would care to remember the army chief’s infamous comment of a Sinhala nation.
I have always acknowledged that the violent acts of the LTTE have no place in a civil society and killing of innocent civilians can never be an acceptable reason or justification.
If it is your belief that raising the plight of innocent civilians being massacred by a reckless and recalcitrant regime that conducted a “war without witness” and thereafter bury the evidence to bluff the whole world, then your citing me as a problem does not bother me at all. At least I did that, what did you do?
It is very unfortunate that we had to face the horrible things that happened during the last three decades. We must be thankful we still have the chance to forget everything that happened in the past and live as one family in Sri Lanka. All those in Si Lanka are living to-gether now without any differences.We must be thankful that the Government of Sri Lanka was able to put up temporary shelter to about 300,000 thousand citizens within a very very short time to accomodate those displaced due to the fight that a ruthless terrorist of Prabakaran created in Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka inspite of money problems was able to put up temporary shelters to accomodate 300,000 citizens without letting them to sit under trees. The Government has even put up temporary school buildings,hospitals,Banks and communication facilities in these camps. These camps are only for a short time. Once the demining is done people will be settled in their original lands as the Government has done in the Eastern Province. It is the revengeful westerners who are trying to create dessension amongst the Sri Lankans without helping Sri Lanka to put up houses and other infrastructure to house the displaced . The UK.,and USA have even had been heartless even at a time like this to block an IMF Loan of 1.9 bn that Sri Lanka has applied to improve conditions in the North.The tamil diaspora must understand the plight of the Sri Lankan Government at this time.Although there is an accusation that Sri Lanka has not allowed the media to report the fighting the Sri Lankan Government has allowed the trustworthy mead like the ‘HINDU’ to report on the fighting staying in the war front upto the last day of the fighting. This could be verified from the Hindu authorities in India.Anyhow the world would soon see the miracles the Government of Sri Lanka will perform to improve the conditions of all its citiziens in the North within the next three months. The Government has already arranged to hold elections to the local Institutions in the North and restore the democratic rights that was denied to the Notherners by Prabakaran for the last three decades.I can say with responsibility that Sri Lankan Government did not treat its citizens as the USA Government treated prisoners of war at the Guatnamobay in Cuba.Neither did Sri Lanka kill children and innocent civilians as the UK and the USA Governments did in Iraq and Afginistan.The President of Sri Lanka has already declared that there are no more divisions according to races and minority and majority communities in Sri Lanka. He has declared that there are only two types of citizens in Sri Lanka now, that is those LOYAL to Sri Lanka and those who are not Loyal. We Sri Lankans are intelligent,Literate and it is not easy for foreigners to dictate their terms to us. The White skinned peoiple in the Western Countries think that they are superior than us who are in the east but they are not aware that they worship a darkskinned easterner as their one and only GOD. Therefore the world must know that easterners are so intelligent that persons worthy to be worshipped as GODS have been born in the Asia regions.I hope I have written enough for all to realise who Sri Lankans are and I warn all concerned to beware of the reawakened united SRI LANKANS.The days our foreign enemies separated all those living in Sri Lanka ended on the 19th of May,2009.
It’s the post-Black July diaspora you see on TV waving red “Tamil national” flags or engaging in acts of vandalism. The British Empire & pre-Black July groups (like me) are non-violent but active in legal steps against GoSL due to use of white phosphorous bombs on civilians, other crimes well documented by UTHR(J), Amnesty International, AHRC, HRW & other NGO’s. Pogroms against Tamils 1st occurred in 1950′s despite Independence of Ceylon Act 1947 protections for Tamils. GoSL failed to prosecute those crimes as well as sex crimes committed by their troops in UN Haiti scandal despite promising UN otherwise.
In 1998, a Court in Sri Lanka was informed by a Sinhalese soldier of mass graves of Tamils in Chemmani, Jaffna. This was during the rape of Krishanti Kumaraswamy by 6 Sinhalese soldiers’ case which only proceeded due to pressure by Amnesty International. The Asian Human Rights Commission in a 2005 press statement commented that the exhumations (done more than 10 months after the first disclosure) were generally viewed as a publicity stunt and lamented that up until 2005, more than 6 years later, no serious action has been taken to prosecute the perpetrators … and you wonder why some Tamils supported LTTE?
We can well imagine what SL Army does with no media or NGO’s to see them.
I’d really like to have some of whatever George has been drinking (or smoking… or both)
The Sri Lankan government has not achieved peace by any stretch of imagination – they have won a battle by caring as little for innocent human life as any terrorist organization in the world. The terrorists that rule this country now have an unquenchable thirst for blood and power; perhaps people like George will only realize that when their own skin is touched – that is if they aren’t sleeping with the past and dreaming of fighting some imaginary ‘white’ enemy.
Wake up George, the white man doesn’t really care about Sri Lanka anymore cos it is oil that talks in today’s world, not tea and spices. As for the real enemy of peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, well you have crowned him king.
the dispora will first have to accept it funded a maniac – see their story
Tamil Tigers’ child conscripts bid farewell to arms
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090604/FOREIGN/706039850/1002
Cruento
It is a pity ,you all don’t see the viciousness of the white man as he pretends to be supporting tamils allowing them do picketing on their roads. The misguided tamils do not realize that they are being used as pawns to spite the Sri Lankan Government as the swollen headed whites could not make the Sri Lankan Government to bow to their dictates.It is true Sri Lanka does not have oil but Sri Lanka weilds better power than having oil.If you awake from slumber and think deep you will realizse the strategy.As far as your thinking that Sri Lanka has won a war not caring for innocent human life you have missed the statistics loosing 5000 odd soldiers and about two months delay just to avoid civilian casualties when a few areal bombs would have eliminated all those who were cornered in that sandy block in a few hours. There are no dictators in Sri Lanka.Majority in Sri Lanka can decide what is best for Sri Lanka.Fortunately majority has decided that there will be no divisions in Sri Lanka and there will be no more quarrels over racism in Sri Lanka.
Concerned Humanitarian,
Here’s what you said:
“Even more hilarious is – after “saving them” lock them up in camps and go begging to the whole world for alms – typical of Buddhists, isn’t it?”
Here’s what you could have said:
“Even more hilarious is – after ‘saving them’ lock them up in camps and go begging to the whole world for alms – typical of SO-CALLED Buddhists, isn’t it?”
or
“Even more hilarious is – after ‘saving them’ lock them up in camps and go begging to the whole world for alms – THESE PEOPLE CALL THEMSELVES BUDDHISTS?”
You chose to slur the religion and its community. Even your correspondence with the Dalai Lama reveals prejudice:
“…how the Budhhists clergy (not all though) could become so racist and inhuman.”
It’s as if this is some pathology unique to Buddhism and to its clergy. But there are reactionary and ultra-nationalist clergy from every faith in every corner the world. It seems to be a regrettable but universal feature of organized religion.
***
“If it is your belief that raising the plight of innocent civilians being massacred by a reckless and recalcitrant regime that conducted a ‘war without witness’ and thereafter bury the evidence to bluff the whole world, then your citing me as a problem does not bother me at all.”
Well this is pure bluster. That is not my belief at all, and you know it. On the plight of the civilians, I’m mostly in agreement with you, and said so. My issue was with your careless (but revealing) dig at Buddhists.
***
“At least I did that, what did you do?”
Please don’t conceive of yourself as some lonely crusader. There are a multitude of voices who have spoken on the matter, many right here on groundviews. And yes, these include even the reviled Sinhala Buddhists, most notably the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.
As for me, posting comments on a website is not a priority. I have done, and continue to do, what I think is right and necessary, just like countless other Sri Lankans. Should I do more? This is a question I ask myself all the time. And I’ll admit the answer is always yes.
After promising myself that I would bury my head in the sand and ignore all these articles and comments, for my own sanity’s sake, I relented. Sad I know, as I am safe, so why should I torture myself reading about this messy situation in Sri Lanka?
Unfortunately for us “Diaspora Tamils”, once we taste freedom, being out in the world, we dare to hope for a better fate for those who are less fortunate and who have no option but to continue living in Sri Lanka.
It is definitely time to forget the past and move on. We would love to. WIthout the recurring nightmares which haunt us when we least expect it, with scenes of running for our lives in ’83 or beingg taken in for questioning on our way to work or receiving death threats on our mobiles in the middle of the night or the police who refuse to do anything when we stupidly lodge an entry.
We have and still on some level continue to forget the past. Despite the horror and disgust we feel at the “rejoicing” of our very close Sinhalese friends at what they consider Sri Lanka’s “victory”, we try to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear and meet them for dinner or a movie or some other such thing. But in our heart of hearts, we grieve and we suffer. Because their callous disregard for the suffering of countless people tells us that we could very well be in that situation. Would they care then? would they grieve as well or would they continue to celebrate and tell us its time to “forgive and forget”?
Though unacknowledged publicly, anyone who has been reading the news knows that the catasrophe in Sri Lanka is far from over. And all I see (and incidentally, friends have expressed the same feeling) is that we are being told – “either learn to live with what you have and don’t complain, do not dare to think you can dissent because this is how you will end up.”
I once heard someone in a camp say, “At this point, I’d rather live like a dog than die like one”. I’ve also heard the sentiment “I’d rather die than live like this”. And it is sad that this is what is left for Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Thankfully for some others, there is another choice – “never go back to the hell hole” – which is a sentiment I heard many Tamil friends living abroad express. In fact they seem to think I’m crazy to obsess so much about the situation and visit this site and keep track of the news. They have very politely told me not to forward them any mails or links to any stories concerning Sri Lanka as they have a life now, very different from their old life, and they would like to live it, without my constant badgering for someone to do something.
So in short, what I’m trying to say is that, fortunately (or unfortunately) contrary to popular belief, most of the Diaspora want to forget that they ever lived in a place called Sri Lanka.
The people I spoke to also said they had never been contacted by any groups seeking funding other than the Sri Lankan Embassies in their countries.
So my hope is that the Sinhalese people will learn to remember that nobody wakes up one fine morning and decides to blow themselves up. That kind of thinking happens after a long process of frustration and hopelessness. Something like what we witnessed in the last 27 odd years.
God save us all when those who escape death by starvation, rape or torture in the IDP camps manage to make it through. They will most probably need another 30years to vent their frustrations.
Ange,
The tamils must be thankful the Sri Lankan Government stepped in to save the tamils from being eternal slaves of Prabakaran. The past suffering was their own creation.Now, do not give up hopes only good can happen to tamils from now onwards.Tamils must have patience.Sri Lankan Government will find the money to improve conditions in the North soon, provided the tamils themselves does not play into the hads of the western countries and beg them to harass Sri Lanka Government, thereby hinder the progress.The tamil diaspora also can help those displaced tamils to rebuild instead of donating to remaining LTTE thugs to fatten themselves.
Ange
The conditins for the people behind barbed wires in Vavuniya and Vaharai will improve when at least some people from the South are given a free bus trip to the whole of the heavily militarised Northeast from which journalists have been barred in the last three years. People are nort only dying now of starvation in Vavuniya camps, but people have been dying of starvation in Jaffna in the last three years. But then there have been more than 1,500 abduction-killings too.
Dear George,
Re: your white man comment.. that attitude never stopped Sinhalese from buying western military supplies or accepting Special Forces training. You sound ungrateful.
We diaspora are not oblivious to the genuine good deeds that Sinhalese are doing to help IDPs, nor are we oblivious to the callous use of bombs against those same civilians or the pleasure some Sinhalese take from the sight of their defeated enemy. I hope no one views Sinhalese as an evil “race” since any geneticist can tell you Tamils & Sinhalese are the same race. Sinhalese may perhaps have more Bengalese genomic similarities than Sri Lankan Tamils but it’s a negligible difference.
Thank you for explaining how thankful we should be.
Dumb Dravidians like me… we need such things explained to us. Good Aryans like you are always eager to help us out. [sarcasm]
Articles like http://virtualjudah.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/an-epitaph-for-tamil-eelam express the misgivings we diaspora & other Tamils had about Praba that caused us to not support LTTE financially. You want to have it both ways.. diaspora gave money, LTTE fund themselves by criminal enterprises, just so you can have the west equate all diaspora with crime. There are so many visible examples of law abiding Tamil diaspora in so many different countries that your argument seems to just be thinly disguised racism. Jan Jananayagam, ASEAN founder S. Rajaratnam (foreign minister of Singapore), George Alagiah, M.I.A… so many Tamil doctors, lawyers, honor students http://www.excellenceaward.ca/entrance/_e/laureates.php?province=9 around the world. Xenophobia is the negative hallmark of Sinhalese politics and religion in the 20th century & you want this for the 21st as well? How unfortunate that the only lesson some have taken out of the story of Dutugamunu is bigotry. Do you approve of the government propaganda which blames Praba entirely for Black July as well? Living under the Kandyan Lion flag and rulership of “King” Rajapaksa after surviving disease, starvation, rape (is it happening at IDP camps, will you say the victims accepted payment), torture will make for happy Tamils in the north? Revisionist history won’t save Sinhalese pride or Sri Lanka. GoSL following the lead of Anti-NGO book “Rocolonisation” by Susantha Goonatilake will doom that pride.
Of course almost all diaspora were & are approving of Eelam, we democratically created such a mandate http://books.google.ca/books?id=4iA2IoBzXXEC&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=tulf+mandate&source=bl&ots=ZB561ZxNpc&sig=61ZCe4KMicZy2zyPa_YCy1L5k1k&hl=en&ei=YL0qSobmAqGxtgeDtYG7CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6
I lost faith in Eelam via LTTE due to Marxism, child soldiers, suspicion/intolerance to Muslim Tamils, etc. but that does not make me fond of GoSL who to this very day fail to acknowledge wrong doings and want to whitewash the killing of civilian Tamils. You prop up militia leaders, who took and used child soldiers, into government posts and then expect the diaspora to view this as good news for Tamils in the north? What kind of false reconciliation is that? The GoSL is just spinning the same old web of lies.
Any real reconciliation attempt will be impossible due to the need for freedom of the press in Sri Lanka, freedom of speech, safety from white vans & para-military types, all are required before your local Tamils can even speak to what they want. We diaspora will have to speak for them in courts of law around the world, street corners, wherever… TAG you’re it!
tmorgan,
It is for your own good health to forget the past.Deep rooted enmity poisons your blood. I can tell you sincerely the Army did its best to avoid civilian casualties. A No Fire Zone was created for the civilians to take cover not for cowardice LTTE to hide behind the civilians.In spite of taking cover behind the innocent civilians the LTTE planted their heavy weapons and started attacking the troops. This is where the trouble started. The Army had to retaliate to finish off the LTTE. The had to airlift injured children directly to the Colombo Lady Ridgeway Hospital for immediate treatment.If the Army did not fight back and put an end to the LTTE the war would never have ended USA after killing millions of Iraqies vindicated the killings saying its well worth the result achieved. It is a fact that we value even one life saved but after all the sacrifices on both sides, lives of the valiant soldiers,innocent civilians and LTTE fighters,now we breath a well earned peace. It is a very heavy heart-rendering price we all had to pay because of a inhuman enemy. We lost as many s 100,000 lives on both sides for the last thirty years leaving aside the loss of property and the abbhorace of the civilized world.We would have been still loosing lives if this bloody war persisted . Now we have learnt a bitter lesson fighting a meaningless war to carve out a homeland for a particular race out of a million in a hay stack. Shall we even now put a stop to this carnage and give a fair pace of time for the Sri Lankan Government to restore nomalacy.We have to give up the lust for power and trust each other if we are to achieve that peace we dream on this earth.
”…..peace we dream on this earth”:
http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport32.htm#_Toc232409723 :
”………………………..
Discrimination in Action: No sooner the President abolished the term minority, some old discriminatory habits which caused the Tamils to rebel show signs of returning with a vengeance. ‘Sinhalese’ fishermen have been brought under naval protection to fish in the sea off Mannar Island without any restriction. The local Tamil and Muslim fishermen are allowed only about four days a week on the pretext of security for some minor naval movements. The trawlers with Sinhalese fishermen use large Japanese nets of a kind now banned internationally, which drag the seabed, pulling out coral, the nets of local fishermen and damaging the breeding ground, eggs, weeds and fish fodder.
On 28th May the Tamil fishermen protested and had an argument with a group of Sinhalese trawler fishermen, who using the communication set the Navy provided, informed them of the boat number. When the Tamil fishermen came ashore, naval men who were waiting for them with batons, made the Tamils kneel and beat them up severely.
”…..peace we dream on this earth”:
Justice in retreat: A report on the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law in Sri Lanka(IBAHRI, May 2009):
”’Many of the problems identified in the 2001 IBAHRI Report continue to affect the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law in Sri Lanka and in some respects the situation has deteriorated significantly. …. This deficiency in the provision of legal aid means that some members of Sri Lankan society, particularly those of Tamil ethnicity, are unprotected within the criminal justice system. We are alarmed by these reports, as it is precisely those individuals whose cases fall within the PTA and the ER who are most at risk of a conviction resulting from a trial process that tilts heavily in favour of the prosecution,….. ”
”…..peace we dream on this earth”:
Amnesty International, 12 June 2009: ‘Twenty Years of Make-Believe: Sri Lanka’s Commissions of Inquiry’, documents the failure of successive Sri Lankan governments to provide accountability for serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, killings, and torture.
”…..peace we dream on this earth”:
The Observer, 14 June 2009: “Behind the barbed-wire fence at the Pulmoddai camp, tiny children had stared out at us, open-mouthed, their eyes sunken and hollow, the first signs of malnutrition. Around the camps, scarcely functioning mothers and grandmothers waited patiently for brown trickles of water to emerge from the earth. The inmates were surrounded by a cordon of steel: dozens of Sri Lankan soldiers sitting at 10-yard intervals around the perimeter of the compound, their weapons cocked and trained on their captives.”