Reconciliation and accountability after the UN Panel’s report: Challenges and opportunities for Sri Lanka and the UN system
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Asia Pacific Forum is a pan-Asian radio show broadcast every Monday night from 9-10pm on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City and live on the web. WBAI is part of the Pacifica Foundation, a national radio network founded in 1946 with additional affiliates in Houston, Los Angeles, Berkeley, and Washington, D.C. Pacifica is a non-commercial, listener-sponsored network founded on a strong community role in each individual station.
On the day the report of the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka was released, the founding Editor of Groundviews Sanjana Hattotuwa joined Matthew Russell Lee, the NY Bureau Chief of Inner City Press covering the United Nations for a 20 minute segment of the Asia Pacific Forum looking at the challenge of meaningfully addressing war crimes, accountability and reconciliation issues in Sri Lanka, for the State as well as the UN system.
Broadcast on Monday 25th April, 2011, the full programme segment can be downloaded from WBAI’s website here.
Wrong is wrong”. Even if a million people oppose or protest, a wrong cannot turn right. A crime is a crime even in a society entrenched in evil.
The Sinhalese were cheated and lied en masse during the war. The government of Sri Lanka(GOSL) deliberately suppressed the evidence of war. Even last week a mahanayake said that war crimes were not committed.
But now the UN report is made public and the truth is for every one to see. Concrete and credible evidence for crimes against humanity and war crimes in SL is before the UN and the world to openly see and infer.
The UN has an obligation to identify war crimes and crimes against humanity and punish the offenders. The purpose is to protect mankind.
But Russia refuses to accept the truth and work with the UN because Russia was a collaborator with SL in the crimes. Russian made cluster munitions were used by the Air Force of SL to bomb Tamil civilian targets.
The Russians committed the same crimes in Chechenya. Both SL and Russians are “twins” on this matter.
And now, Russia and its Sri Lankan cohorts are attempting to push the people of SL into a deeper and bigger mess.
The people of SL did not mandate the GOSL to commit these crimes against humanity. Therefore, it is not The people of SL who committed these crimes. The offenders are the soldiers and the GOSL.
Therefore, the masses must not align, associate or be identified with these criminals, but keep aloof and prevent collective punishment such as economic embargo from the UN.
It’s credible allegations not “concrete and credible evidence”. Your impartiality and willingness to jump ahead does not make it so.
I’d wager anything that most of these allegations are absolute distortions and misrepresentations and I’m all for an impartial investigation to show how wrong the Tamil diaspora is.
Sam Thambipillai, thanks for the insider view , it is not always easy to get a voice from the inside heard and in conflicts like this, the news are so short that you can hardly form your own opinion.
Sam is most likely in Toronto and London. Is that what you call an insider view?
Sam Tambi. has written many previous comments in different threads, all supportive of Tamil Eelam. The dream of Tamil Eelam is dead now;wake up to it. Not only Russia and China are guilty of “war crimes”. All your Western friends who are behind this attempt to prosecute Sri Lanka have committed them, not in the distant past, but quite recently.
According to many religions in the world, there is a God and He is always correct;there can’t be anybody or anything Holier than God! Likewise our ideas of human rights (whether they are violated or not) and democracy are modelled and standardized after a few Western countries-unfortunately though! We poor third world suckers look up to them as our role models,eh? Howevermuch I oppose the West,it is irrefutable that the Western democracies are considered far superior to the democracies in the developing world in their capacity to preserve human rights.
Soooooo, we expect them to practice what they preach as the guardians, grand fathers and protectors of human rights in the rest of the world(of lesser mortals!). Therefore they can’t bomb Iraq and get away with it(where is the war crimes probe for THAT?) or launch drone attacks on a wedding party and get away with an opology!(you know we Sri Lankans too are quite capable of apologizing!
As there is a God and a Gospel regarding the human rights, THE GODS can’t DO WRONG! Yes, we poor Sri Lankans will point our fingers at you and ask that equal treatment be meted out to you too,the untouchable Holy Souls!
WE NEVER EXPECT THE PARENTS AND GRAND FATHERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO BREAK THE RULES!
There are many from the Tamil diaspora here.
They must read what the UN report says about THEM.
In short, they are guilty of LTTE war crimes by providing it with material support, etc. Their extremism is a reason for violence. They MUST accept a COMMON HOMELAND of Tamils and others in SL. It is funny how the Tamils of the Diaspora here have missed these!
On the other hand, the UN report does not say ANYTHING wrong about the other SL diasporas abroad!
Even the biased panel didn’t miss the OBVIOUSNESS of these accomplices in LTTE war crimes and Tamil racism. Tamil is only a race and never a nation. SO it is Tamil racism and not Tamil nationalism. Same goes for Sinhala racism and not Sinhala nationalism if it is referred anywhere.
Page 114 of the UN Report.
“E. The Tamil diaspora
417. It is to be expected that the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, large parts of which provided vital moral and material support to the LTTE over decades, continues to harbour grievances about the plight of Tamils and to protest the actions of the Government during the last stages of the conflict. However, significant elements of the diaspora create a further obstacle to sustainable peace when they fail to acknowledge rights violations committed by the LTTE and its role in the humanitarian disaster in the Vanni.
418. During the last stages of the war, many in the diaspora remained silent in the face of numerous LTTE violations, including holding tens of thousands of Tamils hostage in theVanni, using violence to prevent their escape and forcibly recruiting children into their ranks. At the end, parts of the diaspora appeared more concerned about preserving the political State of “Tamil Eelam” than about the suffering of the civilian population trapped between two fighting forces.
419. The LTTE engaged in mafia style tactics abroad, especially among expatriate Tamil communities, to generate funds for their cause. Significant parts of the Tamil diaspora, who were supportive of the LTTE, played an instrumental role in fuelling the conflict in this way. It is reported that former front organizations for the LTTE continue to operate through private businesses and to control some of the temple incomes. Activities of these organizations should be monitored. In addition, funds acquired by the LTTE from the diaspora and elsewhere, and which still exist, should be secured for the purpose of making reparations to those in the Sri Lankan Tamil community who were victims in the conflict.
420. Members of the Tamil diaspora, through their unconditional support of the LTTE and their extreme Tamil nationalism, have effectively promoted divisions within the Sri Lankan Tamil community and, ironically, reinforced Sinhalese nationalism. A stable future in Sri Lanka demands that all of its ethnic communities, including those living abroad, recognizeand respect the rights and interests of others with whom they share a common homeland. The diaspora, which is large, well educated and has considerable resources, has the potential to play a far more constructive role in Sri Lanka’s future.”
The quotes from the UN report about elements from the Tamil Diaspora and their ingrained attitude towards SL is correct. This was compounded by certain British MPs who did not bother to challenge the narrow minded views of some elements of the Tamil Disapora. These people should be challenged by moderate Sri-Lankans. Often it is these moderate people who are often supporting the country and NGOs that help both SL Tamils and Sinhalese living in very challenging conditions in SL. When i see people suffering in the Northern parts of SL badly affected by conflict, i dont see them as Tamils, i see them as fellow Sri-Lankans who deserve our support and help. These people are Sri-Lankan citizens and deserve respect, dignity and absolute support by fellow Sri-Lankans and their Government. We have to look beyond the labels and start supporting our countrymen and women. GOSL has change its attitude and start engaging these people as citizens.
UN Chief has already said that there is nothing he can do about the report unless SL instigate a process of looking into it.
It has no worth to SL either.
So the Tamil diaspora that went into another false celebration stage is now back where they belong. This reminds me how they waited and waited and waited for a Stalingrad during the war.
Didn’t SL defeat the Tamil Diaspora this time? I think SL and UN did just that. The UNSG’s report is yet another stage of the war that re-established triumphalism of the winner and defeatism of the loser.
It is like honeymoon. Various backgrounds, but the same act.
Thank you very much Sanjana for articulating a point of view that many of us share. I salute your integrity and courage. This is about us Sri Lankans and our sense of justice and decency not about any other country’s adherence to the rule of international law. If the USA and Britain don’t have what it takes to hold George Bush Jr. and Tony Blair accountable for alleged crimes against humanity that does not mean that we as Sri Lankans should follow suit.
Those who harp on the West’s hypocrisy (which is nothing new) are in fact caught in a difficult bind because what they would really like to see is Bush and Blair brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC). In other words they too want to see the rule of justice prevail but hold the view that unless All criminals are tried, justice cannot be served.
This is a weak argument as none of these people would agree to surrender their own right to justice now would they? Let’s say, if anyone of these people’s car was stolen would they argue that the criminal should NOT be brought to justice because all car thieves haven’t been tried as yet?
The time has come for all law abiding Sri Lankan citizens to demand the truth as to what happened in the last months of the war. It is quite the paradox that decent law abiding citizens have been hoodwinked into now defending alleged war crimes. It brings to memory a terrorist outfit from the not too distant past that had garnered the support of a large enough number to carry out inhumane acts against innocent civilians. Are we now merely switching on a new son god?
But, your esteemed self would acknowledge that singling out Sri Lanka is against justice and fairplay!
Are we trying to be holier than God here? Are we going to set an example to the rest of the world? We have no role in parenting the world, according to my understanding!
That’s why we should fight against UN double standards.
Dear sabbe laban,
Are you suggesting that seeking justice and fair play for our OWN citizens should be foregone because of a perceived “singling out” of Sri Lanka, which you consider to be unjust and unfair? Are you also suggesting that since we don’t need to “parent” the world we should not parent ourselves? But yet you want to “fight against the UN’s double standards”? Careful my friend, you seem to be falling into the same category that you decry so vehemently.
All I request is a little coherence so that our thinking doesn’t get befuddled to the point that we become the champions of violators of human rights, which I certainly doubt is your intention. Maybe if we set an example for ourselves we might indeed be setting an example for the world – and that can’t be bad thing now can it?
georgethebushpig
“Maybe if we set an example for ourselves we might indeed be setting an example for the world – and that can’t be bad thing now can it?”
Sure that’s not a bad thing at all. But do you believe such an approach would be pragmatic given current socio-political climate in the SL and indeed the entire world.
The present regime depends on induced nationalism to steamroll ahead. Hence it would committing hara kiri by admitting to an investigation by UN, the repercussions of such an asinine move would too gigantic to contemplate .
I agree there should be genuine attempts at reconciliation however; such as progressive dismantling HSZ s in North, resettling of IDPs and transparent distribution of aid, more Tamil citizens recruited to security forces to man North and East,progressive removal of security blanket over North East, progressive release of Tamil prisoners,decentralization of at least some aspects of power , disbanding paramilitary forces operating if any, respect for Tamil culture and customs and their holy sites etc.
Moon report should be a wake up call for the present regime . It should reach out to Tamil Community in a sincere approach to eradicate discrimination of the past that gave rise to a terrorist movement. Such a move would be beneficial to Sri Lanka in the long term . However for those Diaspora activists who want blood of MR, well they would be disappointed; Unless and until Government would be frivolous as to do a Chavezian farce, blatantly siding up with China and Russia against the West , we cannot expect any harm for current political military establishment in SL. Hence in this light SL attempts to bring India even at this late stage should be commended
Dear Lakshan,
Much of what you say is valid but pragmatism should be the least of the determinents when it comes to issues of justice. As I have argued before no innocent person is keen to be taken before a court of law leave alone a guilty person.
As much as many of us wanted to see the end to the conflict it was by no means at any cost. Those who support the decision and think it was right to barter a large number of civilians ostensibly for achieving peace, obviously have a lot to learn about peace making. I sincerely hope, as you do, that this report will be a “wake up call for the present regime” otherwise I am afraid we will continue to live the nightmare.
How about the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI)to name one. Also, refer to the following examples, which I’m sure you are familiar with, where independent investigations led to criminal proceedings:
•International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
•International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
•Special Court for Sierra Leone
•Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
Under national law
•Special Tribunal for Lebanon
And yes there are still many war criminals running free, including possibly Sri Lankans.
@gogetthebushpig
Well said. I also listened to Sanjana’s ending remarks and felt very proud even though I am (only) a former Sri Lankan. I hope there are more like-minded people in Sri Lanka. Frankly, until such unequivocal courage is demonstrated by Sri Lankans as a community, I see no reason to identify with them nor to assist them. Such feelings from people (such as I) with a connection through heritage is important for Sri Lanka as it is our view which would matter most for its future Internationally, in the end.
TT:
Yes, the UN report blames the LTTE and Tamil diaspora but I thought it holds the SL regime more blameworthy. Since the report is of no worth to SL, just sleep peacefully and happily ever after. Just that I am concerned of more secret back-door meetings the regime may have in the style of the meeting with the Panel earlier. Initially, it was denial of atrocities, then quickly assemble a sham called LLRC because the grip of fright was very tight, then deny entry to the Panel but secretly making a dash to meet them outside the country, and then trying vehemently to prevent the publishing of the report but even that failed. Well, well, didn’t Mahinda have a premonition that he would like to sit on the electric chair. Oh, I almost forgot your dear friend Wimal Weerawansa’s spiritual journey to become a martyr only to be saved by you know whom and everyone knows but still wheel was in motion. Could it be the denial syndrome? I would love to know.
Jansee,
You don’t get it.
1. There were 2 main sides to the war.
2. One side won while the other LOST.
3. The losers made representations to the Panel.
4. The winner basked in triumphalism and rejected the panel. Didn’t give any evidence. The panel didn’t even travel to SL!!
5. Therefore the panel’s report, its evidence and conclusion AS REGARDS SL lacks impartiality, completeness, and appropriateness (context). So the allegations against SL are one sided, etc. and invalid.
6. But the panel DID interact with the Tamil Diaspora. The panel has FIRST HAND experience of the Tamil Diaspora.
It made the conclusion about the Tamil Diaspora AFTER this first hand experience. It is impartial, objective, complete and appropriate as regards the Tamil diaspora. Whereas their remote sensing about SL is just rubbish.
Get it?
TT:
No, I don’t get it. After all why should the SL regime cry foul when it refused entry to the panel? It may cite thousand and one reasons but the same panel that implicated the SL regime also implicated the LTTE. The panel was prevented from giving a fair chance to the regime to hear its side of the story. But then! By the way, in this time and age, there are other means to verify evidence. After all, it has to withstand the strain and test of scrutiny when and if an international investigation takes place and the panel cannot and would not, I believe, just write a report tp ick on SL. SL was the initial darling remember. The report is at best a preliminary one and has recommended further investigation. One has to just listen to interview of Gotabaya on the bombing of hospitals – two different versions from the same person – during the war and his interview last week. Among all the persons who may be considered culpable (both the regime and LTTE) I think the one person who has the highest chance of being implicated is Gotabaya and being an American citizen puts him in the “crossfire”
Dear georgebushthepig
“Are you suggesting that seeking justice and fair play for our OWN citizens should be foregone because of a perceived “singling out” of Sri Lanka,”
How do you propose seeking justice and fair play for our own citizens?
Undertake an independent investigation into the war crimes allegations and convict all those guilty of violating international humanitarian law.
And who exactly will conduct the “independent investigation?”
How about the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI)to name one. Also, refer to the following examples, which I’m sure you are familiar with, where independent investigations led to criminal proceedings:
•International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
•International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
•Special Court for Sierra Leone
•Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
Under national law
•Special Tribunal for Lebanon
And yes there are still many war criminals running free, including possibly Sri Lankans.
Dear georgebushthepig,
IICI appears to be a training institution. It does not conduct investigations on its own.
The other examples you brought up had the support of the countries where they took place i.e. post-Milosevic Yugoslavia. So the first step would be to convince most Sri Lankans for such an investigation; in other words, you will have to convince them that the end of the LTTE and the war was not worth the cost in civilian lives at the end. You would have to convince them that the civilian and military leaders who ended the war should be punished for doing so.
georgethebushpig
*A War crimes tribunal to investigate US bombings in Iraq
*A war crimes tribunal to investigate killing of civilians in Afganistan
*A war crimes tribunal to investigate the illegal torture facility in Guanathamo.
*And launching a war crimes probe against Isreal based on the Gladstone report
Would have made your list more complete, isn’t it ….pig?
Who are the notable absentees in your list? The rich and powerful Western countries!
Who were investigated so far?
The poor third world suckers and losers of a conflict!
I didn’t include the war crimes of 20th century here, pal!
Dear Wijayapala,
IICI is a training institute that has at its disposal rapid response teams to undertake war crimes investigations.
Most current cases being tried are with the consent of the countries, probably with the exception of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, as it is trying the former head of state of Liberia, Charles Taylor for alleged atrocities committed in Sierra Leone. If you recall there was considerable opposition by Taylor’s supporters and that is why they decided to hold the proceedings in the Hague as opposed to in Sierra Leone so as to avoid a possible return to civil war in both Liberia and Sierra Leone.
It is my understanding that war crimes proceedings do not however necessarily have to be undertaken with the consent of a country. If it is determined by the UN Security Council that a war crimes tribunal be established then that is what happens, whether it is referred to the ICC or for a special court to be established.
If the country doesn’t agree to hand over the alleged war criminal(s) then there could be repercussions such as travel bans on the alleged criminals and their respective families and freezing of assets etc. So in the case of Sri Lanka I am not sure whether it is indeed relevant whether the majority agree or not. If we, as Sri Lankans, majority or otherwise, do not have the moral fortitude to stand up for justice then we become complicit in the crime as well. In this regard I presume imposing economic sanctions etc. on us becomes also possible – a rather abhorrent thought but arguable from an international justice point of view.
The problem I have with your argument is the conflation of the victory of the war over the tigers with the unstated assumption that large scale civilian losses was somehow unavoidable. The victory of the war with the tigers is one thing and the alleged decision to violate the Geneva Convention and all norms of civilised warfare is another. If we pose the question to the majority of Sri Lankans – would you have preferred to have won the war with the least civilian casualties, I would find it hard to imagine (with the exception of a bunch of rabid racists) that anybody would argue to the contrary. All we are missing is the evidence to determine one way or the other the definitive answer. That is why it is important that we as Sri Lankans should continue to call for an independent investigation.
Dear Sabbe Laban,
That line of argument has no merit whatsoever. Because the rich and powerful western countries get away with alleged crimes are you then suggesting that the rich and powerful of Sri Lanka should also be exempt from prosecution? If you want, as I do, that George Bush Jr. and Tony Blair be brought to justice for war crimes, specifically in Iraq where the illegality of it is beyond question, then we cannot compromise the principles of International Humanitarian Law.
I just don’t get the logic that if you are a “poor third world sucker” that you somehow get a pass to commit crimes with impunity because the international community hasn’t been unable to bring to justice alleged war criminals from western countries. That is a bankrupt position. Maybe if you washed the soap from your thinking tool you might begin to get that smart feeling where it belongs – the head upon your shoulders : )
wijayapala:
“And who exactly will conduct the “independent investigation?”
Certainly not Sri Lanka.
It has conducted one of the largest “humanitarian operation” in recent history and not even one soul died except that about 40,000 just vanished in thin air. How more incredible can that become? How much I wish that I, too, can have a magic lamp and its genie that somehow panders to the whims and fancies of the SL regime!Oh you naughty genie.
Jansee, thank you for your response. Since you did not answer my question, I am forced to conclude that you can’t think of anyone who can really conduct an independent investigation.
wijayapala:
“Jansee, thank you for your response. Since you did not answer my question, I am forced to conclude that you can’t think of anyone who can really conduct an independent investigation.”
Typical if I may say. Just like the cat that closes its eyes tight when drinking milk thinking the whole world is sleeping. Another of the Weerawansa mould – start another UN. You guys never cease to be hilarious. Despite all denials where do we stand now? Please wake up from your slumber.
Dear georgebushthepig,
“If it is determined by the UN Security Council that a war crimes tribunal be established then that is what happens,”
That’s not going to happen, with the Chinese and Russian veto, so thankfully we won’t be seeing a situation where Sri Lanka is going against the UN.
“The problem I have with your argument is the conflation of the victory of the war over the tigers with the unstated assumption that large scale civilian losses was somehow unavoidable.”
How was the loss of civilian life avoidable?
“All we are missing is the evidence to determine one way or the other the definitive answer. That is why it is important that we as Sri Lankans should continue to call for an independent investigation.”
I am fairly certain that we will not get any more information on how the war ended than was provided by UTHR-J and D.B.S. Jeyaraj. UTHR was able to pinpoint exactly who was responsible for killing the 17 ACF workers. If you are interested in learning how the war ended, I would recommend reading its reports. I’m no lawyer, but Sri Lanka didn’t violate the Geneva Conventions that do not criminalise any loss of civilian life. You don’t need an “independent” investigation to find out what happened.
However, I suspect many of those calling for “independent” (i.e. NGO/”civil society”-led) investigations are not really interested in finding out what happened. They just want to punish the Rajapakshas and/or Sri Lanka for pulling the plug on the failed CFA and proving that there was a military solution to the conflict.
Dear Wijayapala,
I’m not fully convinced that if the heat is ratcheted up that Russia and China will jump to Sri Lanka’s defence as you do. Libya was dropped like a hot potato by the very same champions. Anyway, we will have to see how it plays itself out if the stakes get upped.
You refer to the UTHR-J and DBS’s writing on the war. I have read them and that is why I believe the Panel’s report to the UN Sec/Gen provides a balanced assessment. In both UTHR and DBS accounts, they acknowledge that the SL Forces conducted themselves with professionalism and according to the military code of good conduct for the most part. However, they both also refer to a turning point in how the war was being conducted towards the final months and this is what is corroborated by the report to the UN Sec/Gen.
This is what is at issue. Someone in the chain of command made a decision to set aside the military code of good conduct and to undertake a no-holds barred campaign, which led to large scale civilian losses. Various estimates are being thrown around and they are all in the tens of thousands. This was avoidable as it had been for the months leading up to the last few months of the war. The Report to the Sec/Gen which I’m sure you’ve reviewed refers to this as a violation of international human and humanitarian law and as such, requires accountability. Wouldn’t you consider this worth investigating to find out the real truth?
Are you suggesting that if the Rajapakses are in fact responsible for alleged war crimes that they should not be “punished”? International human and humanitarian law has fairly clear parameters when it comes to accepting civilian losses in war. Deliberate targeting falls outside those parameters. A “military solution” cannot be at all costs.
“Moral reason must learn how to make coercion its ally without running the risk of a Pyrrhic victory in which the ally exploits and negates the triumph.” Reinhold Niebuhr 1932
Dear georgebushthepig,
“I’m not fully convinced that if the heat is ratcheted up that Russia and China will jump to Sri Lanka’s defence as you do. Libya was dropped like a hot potato by the very same champions.”
And I’m not fully convinced that the heat will be ratcheted up. Russia and China dropped Libya because it is going through a civil war and Gaddafi might not be a winning horse.
“In both UTHR and DBS accounts, they acknowledge that the SL Forces conducted themselves with professionalism and according to the military code of good conduct for the most part. However, they both also refer to a turning point in how the war was being conducted towards the final months and this is what is corroborated by the report to the UN Sec/Gen.”
The only time I recall the UTHR describing the professional conduct of the military was during those final months you are referring to. Did the UN report make any mention of that?
http://www.uthr.org/bulletins/Bul47.htm#_Toc227718233
The reason why so many civilians died at the end was because the LTTE was using them as human shields. They were trapped and the LTTE would shoot anyone trying to get out. The glaring flaw of the UN report is that it fails to account for this, simply listing the LTTE’s misdeeds as a madness without a method.
“Are you suggesting that if the Rajapakses are in fact responsible for alleged war crimes that they should not be “punished”?”
I’m not particularly concerned whether the Rajapakshas live to see the next day. The larger question is by what process will you find them guilty, **that would not require their cooperation**? The mere act of handing them over to somebody would delegitimise the LTTE’s defeat, which was the larger point I was trying to show you (but you ignored). You would have to convince the population that Sri Lanka would have been better off if the Rajapakhas had not taken the controversial steps to end the suicide bombs and child soldiers.
To add to what Wijayapala said, another factor that spurred on the haste during the final phase of the war (and possibly led to a rise in civilian casualties), was the tremendous pressure to stop the war during its final phases.
This may have been motivated by
1. A desire to save the civilians used as human shields
2. A desire to bring about a last minute halt to the LTTE’s decimation
Unfortunately, I personally believe that no. 2 trumped no. 1, leaving the govt. with no recourse but to hasten the fight to the finish, as the latter result would have been equally undesirable. If the international pressure had instead been more in favour of finishing off the LTTE, but saving as many lives as possible in the process, and they showed this support both in word and through monetary aid to keep the govt. afloat, the govt’s legitimate fears would have abated, and a less disastrous result would have come about.
So blaming the govt. alone for this fiasco is not good enough. All those who opposed the destruction of the LTTE must also be held accountable.
Dear Wijayapala,
It appears we are going around in circles. Also, I am not following the argument that finding those responsible for prosecuting the war as being guilty of war crimes as being a “delegitimisation” of the LTTE’s defeat. What comes out of the UTHR reports (you refer to a Information Bulletin 47 from 17 April 2009) especially the Special Report 34 from 13 December 2009 is that it appears decisions were made by GOSL that if confirmed, amount to war crimes.
http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/Special%20rep34/Uthr-sp.rp34part1.htm#_Toc248456752
“The Government’s dogmatic insistence on sending the Army into the final No-Fire-Zones was thoroughly misplaced as a hostage rescue. This was a war fought on ideological obsessions with both sides regarding fighting men and women, and civilians, as disposable fodder. That is why the Government wants all mouths sealed.
An accounting for the civilian dead needs to be done. Whichever way one looks at it, significantly more than 20 000 civilians are dead or missing from January to May 2009 (see Part V). The number could be several tens of thousands more. Then we need to ask, was it not something that went far beyond a war to defeat the LTTE?
During past rounds of the war, the Army has used brutal and indiscriminate bombing and shelling against civilians. But that was usually when the security forces felt they were at some disadvantage, insecure and in some ways militarily inferior to the LTTE at its height. But this time, from January 2009, indiscriminate brutality causing huge civilian casualties was used when the LTTE was virtually broken and was merely prolonging the war by throwing in conscripts. This time, moreover, the bombing and shelling of areas full of civilians seemed almost vindictive. The largest civilian losses came at the last stages due to indiscriminate fire when the LTTE was virtually finished. These were stages when a sensible government could have made a breakthrough to secure the future by showing the greatest clemency towards civilians, its own Tamil civilians.(1.5)”
Given that you refer to UTHR I assume you too believe that they are a credible organisation and I am not quite sure why you put forward a disingenious argument that civilian casualties were mainly because they were used as human shields and that they were shot in the back by LTTE. That too did happen but what about the actions of the GOSL who surely should be held to a higher standard than a brutal terrorist organisation known for its callous treatment of civilians?
Do we need the Rajapakse’s cooperation? See my response to you on 10 May.
I’m for anything that will get the Rajapakses out of office. It’s a moot point to oppose an international investigation because you feel that Sri Lanka would be victimized. Remaining under the Rajapakses is what’s going to victimize and hold back the country much more than any progressive responsibility taking measure can ever do.
Dear georgebushthepig,
“It appears we are going around in circles.”
Then allow me to restate my position- the current war crimes charges have little if anything to do with the actual plight of the civilians who had been affected, but they are actually intended to punish the Rajapakshas for not showing proper obsequious behavior to the INGOs and the diplomatic community since they came to power. There’s no other explanation for why the latter groups were so thunderingly silent over the LTTE’s atrocities over a much longer period.
“I am not following the argument that finding those responsible for prosecuting the war as being guilty of war crimes as being a “delegitimisation” of the LTTE’s defeat.”
You just said it yourself- those who prosecuted the war should be judged guilty of war crimes, even though the LTTE would never have been defeated without what they did.
“it appears decisions were made by GOSL that if confirmed, amount to war crimes.”
Which decisions? The No-Fire-Zones were not areas mutually agreed by the govt and LTTE, but rather unilaterally declared by the govt. If the govt is guilty of anything, it would be the stupidity of declaring such NFZs in a war zone.
As far as the “indiscriminate shelling” part is concerned, unfortunately the UTHR is contradicting what it mentioned from the earlier bulletin. This may be a trivial observation, but the font from that bulletin where UTHR was talking about the military’s professionalism was different from the rest of the bulletin. I would not be surprised if more than one person had put together these reports, with contradictory judgments.
It is difficult for me to criticise the UTHR given its historic credibility, but my sense is that the organisation’s non-violent ideology has come into a conflict with its own observations and reporting from the ground. It would be impossible for the UTHR to have endorsed the “military solution” given its ideology, but at the same time the UTHR (or yourself) has not really offered a credible alternative to what the Rajapakshas decided. The UTHR quite ironically called for a “diplomatic solution,” ignoring its mountains of earlier reporting criticising how the LTTE manipulated negotiations to its advantage during the CFA.
“I am not quite sure why you put forward a disingenious argument that civilian casualties were mainly because they were used as human shields and that they were shot in the back by LTTE.”
How else can you explain how so many civilians had gotten trapped in that narrow stretch of land, if the LTTE was not using them as human shields? Or why the civilians’ hatred of the LTTE immediately after the end far far outweighed whatever they felt about the military?
The fact that they were being used as human shields makes it impossible that the LTTE could’ve been defeated without civilian deaths. And that explains their subsequent hatred towards the LTTE.
“That too did happen but what about the actions of the GOSL who surely should be held to a higher standard than a brutal terrorist organisation known for its callous treatment of civilians?”
The LTTE was not a “brutal terrorist organisation” during the CFA. It was a partner in peace, according to the NGOs, who got quite angry with the govt for shattering that illusion. To give an example, the Centre for Policy Alternatives quite disgustingly refused to blame the LTTE after the LTTE murdered long-time member Ketesh Loganathan in 2006 (with friends like the CPA, who needs enemies?).
The disgust and revulsion, assuredly, lies in your offensive ignorance.
Kethesh, a long time member of the LTTE?! What are you smoking man? Kethesh was one of the LTTE’s most vocal critics. He was a friend, with whom the founding Editor of this site worked with closely for years in the Peace and Conflict Analysis Unit of CPA. CPA’s statement at the murder of Kethesh explicitly marked out the LTTE as the prime suspects. As noted in it,
“Whilst Kethesh was an ardent and proud nationalist, he brought the same fervour, passion and commitment to the cause of unity in diversity, multi culturalism and a settlement of the ethnic conflict based on meaningful power sharing. He uncompromisingly believed that the liberation of a people could not be founded on fear, the celebration of death, the negation or even suspension of basic democratic values. This made him a stringent and fearless critic of the LTTE for their insistence on being the sole representatives of the Tamil people and for their reliance on terror, repression and violence.”
Former colleagues at CPA were the first to identity his body in the morgue, even though at the time he was Deputy Secretary General of the Government’s erstwhile Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP). Not exactly a position a ‘long-time member of the LTTE’ would be in a position to hold? As DBS Jeyaraj points out, and a few close to him at the time knew, the man was rather disillusioned with the present government’s extremism at the time of his murder.
With commentators like you, who needs bigoted racists?
Groundviews, I am amazed that you interpreted my statement as claiming that Kethesh was a member of the LTTE. Everyone knows he had been part of the CPA for a long time before joining SCOPP. If I had claimed Kethesh had been part of the LTTE (and not CPA), then why condemn the CPA an unrelated organisation??
Sorry, but I wasn’t impressed by CPA’s rather oblique reference to the LTTE’s role in Kethesh’s murder that you cited (but thanks for showing it- I should retract my implication that the CPA was too chicken to even name the LTTE). I found CPA’s appeal for the LTTE to condemn his murder to be particularly loathsome, as if that would’ve exonerated the LTTE. What, so we should let the LTTE off the hook for killing K. Rajadurai simply because the LTTE condemned it???
My condemnation of the CPA and the attitude of the Colombo NGO industry still stands. Yes, Kethesh was understandably frustrated with the Rajapakshas, but why do you think he left the CPA to begin with??? He was very outspoken about how useless “civil society” was with regard to the conflict, even while he was in the CPA.
CPA’s statement was not to let the LTTE off the hook, but to expose their janus attitudes towards peace. And you seem to know Kethesh better than any one of us did, and certainly more than the Editor of this site who worked with him. why don’t you tell us why he left CPA? Can you please quote from a passage or article where he said civil society was “useless” when he was at CPA or at SCOPP? Kethesh meant a great deal to us personally and institutionally. His writing still resonates deeply. If all you can and want to do is to prostitute his work and life for your pedestrian piffle, kindly desist.
Wijaypala,
The fact that Rajapakse’s methods worked in defeating the LTTE does not justify them. Maybe if over the last two years he had done one single thing to make up for those actions and their negative impact on the Tamil community we wouldn’t be in this position and there was a chance of overlooking them. But no, he’s more concerned with removing term limits, and dismantling powers that are not held by him and whipping everyone into doing what he wants. Further when his misdeeds are brought up he cannot offer a single credible defense or justification and has to resort to pathetic lies and cries of sovereignty to cover them up. I as a Sinhala person have had enough of his braindead politicing and will accept the war crime charges because there’s no credible alternative on the table. Further his abuses of power are well-known and not up to debate and he needs to get the hell out.
And the international communities has over and over accepted and condemned the LTTE. In that case there is no need to call for an “international investigation” because the government exists and is geared towards looking at anything the LTTE has done. They’ve done their part in banning the LTTE and breaking up funding organizations. The call for an investigation at the end of the war stems from the fact that the government itself is accused of crimes and there’s no one to hold it to account. Get it?
And the seemingly credible casualty figure of 40,000 is a far cry from an LTTE suicide bomber killing 10-20 people. The international community has again and again overlooked the government killing 10-20 people despite cries of foul from Tamil expatriated and human rights groups. 40,000 is just too big of a number to let slide.
Even with that, the International community has given way too much leeway to the bumbling fool and his administration. The EU, David Miliband, etc. have all asked in the politest way (because they just want a mutually agreeable solution) to take the initiative and offer something that the Tamils can accept and see as genuine inclusion in the Sri Lankan political system (at no time have they tried to come into Sri Lanka — they’ve always asked Rajapakse to do the right thing) and to provide some comfort for the suffering wreaked by the war. Rajapakse’s response is “LTTE CONSPIRACY!!!” and burning effigies!
The Rajapakse administration had his chance to get the alienated Tamil civilians caught up in the war zone on their side. But no, GOSL decided it was better to herd them like cattle and when forced to release them keep constant tabs on them and bothering them by requiring them to report to the military every week or so. Even if they hated the LTTE at the end of the war their hate is now (if not then) as equal towards the GOSL.
Stop bringing up LTTE’s atrocities. Those pathetic fools are all dead now. And really in comparison to the GOSL causalty list it’s nothing. Rearing up the dead horse to beat is getting really tired at this point.
Thambi,
“The fact that Rajapakse’s methods worked in defeating the LTTE does not justify them. Maybe if over the last two years he had done one single thing to make up for those actions and their negative impact on the Tamil community we wouldn’t be in this position and there was a chance of overlooking them.”
First of all, I have no objections against anyone criticising MR for the last two years. I also totally agree with criticisms of MR’s public statements at the time, i.e. “no civilian casualties.” I just want to know whether there was actually a way to end the LTTE without killing any civilians.
“I as a Sinhala person have had enough of his braindead politicing and will accept the war crime charges because there’s no credible alternative on the table.”
Thank you for admitting what nobody else here has- that the war crime charges are not really motivated by how the war itself unfolded.
“And the international communities has over and over accepted and condemned the LTTE. In that case there is no need to call for an “international investigation” because the government exists and is geared towards looking at anything the LTTE has done.”
What did the govt do to “look at anything the LTTE has done?” What control would the govt have over LTTE fundraising in other countries???
“They’ve done their part in banning the LTTE and breaking up funding organizations.”
Did they really break up “funding organisations” to the degree of seriously impeding the LTTE, who seemed to have all the weapons they needed? Isn’t it true that the EU banned the LTTE only after the Sea Tigers attacked a SLN ship with European monitors on board?
“And the seemingly credible casualty figure of 40,000 is a far cry from an LTTE suicide bomber killing 10-20 people.”
Excuse me, but you haven’t answered my point that so many civilians had been killed because the LTTE was using them as human shields. To lay the entire blame of their deaths on just the govt would be typical of an LTTE bootlicker. Get it?
[cit]First of all, I have no objections against anyone criticising MR for the last two years. I also totally agree with criticisms of MR’s public statements at the time, i.e. “no civilian casualties.” I just want to know whether there was actually a way to end the LTTE without killing any civilians.[/cit]
Allowing Tamils the freedom to govern themselves (through a federal system or a separate state which is what 60 years of ignorant policies has left us with) is the proper step towards getting rid of the LTTE. It can only sustain itself while the Tamil population feels they are being wronged. When that belief disappears so goes the LTTE.
There may be civilian causalities in the dismantling of the LTTE by the civil Tamil population but that blood is not on Sinhala hands and as long as this violence is kept within “Tamil Eelam” it’s not my problem.
[cit]Thank you for admitting what nobody else here has- that the war crime charges are not really motivated by how the war itself unfolded.[/cit]
It’s motivated by the 60+ years of Sri Lankan independence and the 30 years of war. Defeating the LTTE is not the magic solution nor is it even a solution. If you look at the causes and what sustained the war you should see the motivation. The motivation is even further aggravated with the deaths at the end of the war.
My motivation is to clear the Sinhala name and take Sri Lanka forward without keeping a foreign state as slaves.
[cit]What did the govt do to “look at anything the LTTE has done?”[/cit]
It certainly has seized and plastered everywhere every single act that the LTTE has done that they could condemn. And the government has done all it can to murder any LTTE member or anyone who seems sympathetic to it. The International community should investigate the LTTE even with all the concerted effort put in by the GOSL?
[cit]What control would the govt have over LTTE fundraising in other countries???[/cit]
“[Foreign governments have done] their part in banning the LTTE and breaking up funding organizations.”
[cit]Did they really break up “funding organisations” to the degree of seriously impeding the LTTE, who seemed to have all the weapons they needed? Isn’t it true that the EU banned the LTTE only after the Sea Tigers attacked a SLN ship with European monitors on board?[/cit]
Yeah, they had all the weapons they needed. That’s why they put up such a big fight in 2009. Anyway, the foreign government can’t keep tabs on a motivated Tamil disapora that loves the LTTE and want to get it money.
[cit]Excuse me, but you haven’t answered my point that so many civilians had been killed because the LTTE was using them as human shields. To lay the entire blame of their deaths on just the govt would be typical of an LTTE bootlicker. Get it?[/cit]
Face the facts –> the Northern Tamil population prefer the LTTE to the Sri Lankan army. Many of them left Jaffna and moved to the Vanni to be away from the Sri Lankan army. They are only “human shields” in that when the army bombed the hell out of them they abandoned the LTTE and wanted to get to non-bomb blasting areas.
The blame is to the govt — they are the aggressors. Let the Tamils do what they want with their land.
Dear Wijayapala,
Pardon me if I refrain from going into the details of your arguments as I believe your primary assumption is faulty – that is that the war with the LTTE could not have been won without large scale civilian losses. You stated the following in your 11 May response: “I am fairly certain that we will not get any more information on how the war ended than was provided by UTHR-J and D.B.S. Jeyaraj”.
In my earlier response today I give you a quote from the UTHR Special Report that clearly details the responsibility of the GOSL with relation to causing large scale civilian losses. Your response that UTHR is contradicting itself is in fact an ironic contradiction of your own reference. If you brought forward a reference I would expect you to stand by it and accept that reference’s authority, not merely cherry pick what supports your argument. In addition, if you read through the reports carefully you will find there is no contradiction whatsoever on the part of UTHR; their arguments have always been consistent.
With relation to the red herrings about INGOs, CFA and CPA they are simply irrelevant to the argument as I don’t belong to any of those groupings; I am but a simple citizen looking to see justice served.
In summary, all the necessary evidence seems to be coming together that points at the GOSL’s culpability in bringing about large scale civilian deaths. As Sri Lankans it is our duty to hold those accountable for those crimes not make lame defenses for those who act with impunity. It is our collective amnesia that allows history to keep repeating itself in Sri Lanka; I trust that this opportunity will allow us to define a new path that takes us to the promised land. As the saying goes, stand on the right side of history!
Dear georgebushthepig,
“I am but a simple citizen looking to see justice served.”
But you haven’t answered whether it is your visceral dislike of the Rajapakshas in general, and not simply what they did to end the LTTE, that is motivating you. Thambi for his part truthfully answered that question not once but twice, which I much appreciated.
“I believe your primary assumption is faulty – that is that the war with the LTTE could not have been won without large scale civilian losses.”
You keep on saying that without explaining at all how the war could have been won without civilian casualties. It is hard for me to respect your views when you don’t really explain them, more or less defend them.
You are entirely correct though that this is my primary assumption, and if you can shift it then I will be happy to concede the argument.
“If you brought forward a reference I would expect you to stand by it and accept that reference’s authority, not merely cherry pick what supports your argument.”
I most certainly stand by the authority of the UTHR’s clinical yet very courageous observations. I don’t stand by, and never did, the UTHR’s noble but naive ideology of nonviolence, or its prescriptions based on its ideology which I felt were not very well thought out. For example, I never agreed with the UTHR’s longstanding position that federalism would have made the LTTE magically disappear.
“if you read through the reports carefully you will find there is no contradiction whatsoever on the part of UTHR; their arguments have always been consistent.”
The UTHR certainly contradicts your position that Tamil civilians were deliberately shelled, or your larger view that the govt adopted a total anti-civilian strategy. Why then did soldiers risk their lives to rescue civilians, to the point of not returning fire when fired upon???
“It is our collective amnesia that allows history to keep repeating itself in Sri Lanka;”
How has history repeated itself in Sri Lanka?
Dear Wijayapala,
Thambi may have his own motivations and I respect that; my motivation however is to see justice for those killed in vain. Isn’t that sufficient?
I do not claim that the war could have been won without any civilian casualties but what I have been arguing is that large scale civilian losses in the last months of the war seem to have been avoidable and that the decision to liquidate innocent civilians needs to be held to scrutiny in the courts of justice.
What the UTHR reports highlight (which you interpret as contradictions) is that there was common decency among the SL troops DESPITE the pressures from above. These are the true heroes; those who fought and died without losing their humanity. Please do not try to absolve those who engaged in war crimes by referring to heroic sacrifices made by those who fought with integrity (some of them were my friends).
I provided you the excerpt from UTHR Special Report that informs my views – your response has been that they are contradicting themselves and that UTHR’s ideological leaning towards pacifism somehow undermines their assessment. I provide once again this snippet to refresh your memory: “The largest civilian losses came at the last stages due to indiscriminate fire when the LTTE was virtually finished. These were stages when a sensible government could have made a breakthrough to secure the future by showing the greatest clemency towards civilians, its own Tamil civilians.(1.5)”.
The obvious response that I can expect from you is “what should the government have done differently?” If you were to pose this question to a military strategist I am sure you will be able to get a number of options that do not require liquidation of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
If you are adamant that there was absolutely no other way other than liquidating large numbers of innocent Tamil civilians despite having neutralized the LTTE, just imagine for a moment your mother hiding terrified in a ditch with shattered bodies strewn all around her, not knowing who to believe and where to go, with only one hope that she would come out of the horror alive. Then imagine that you controlled the decision whether her hope was realized or not. What would your decision be Mr. Wijayapala?
Wijayapala, why would you accept a leader that has compete disregard for human life and well-being just because he killed another leader who has a complete disregard for human life and well-being?
Prabhakaran became popular when he started fighting against an administration that slaughtered 3000 Tamils who had chosen to live alongside the Sinhalese in Colombo and destroyed the homes of thousands more. Now the LTTE at the end of their worthless run has about 2000 civilian casualties and Mahinda is popular for defeating them…
Dear georgebushthepig,
“my motivation however is to see justice for those killed in vain. Isn’t that sufficient?”
The problem is that you’re only blaming the govt for the civilian deaths, without even acknowledging that so many of them died because the LTTE was using them as human shields. That leads me to believe that you are simply anti-Rajapaksha, like Thambi, and are looking for any reason to condemn them.
“what I have been arguing is that large scale civilian losses in the last months of the war seem to have been avoidable”
But how?
“the decision to liquidate innocent civilians needs to be held to scrutiny in the courts of justice.”
What is your evidence that there was a decision to specifically target civilians?
“Please do not try to absolve those who engaged in war crimes by referring to heroic sacrifices made by those who fought with integrity (some of them were my friends).”
Ok, then what do the soldiers believe? If they had been ordered against their will to target civilians, then wouldn’t they be at the forefront of those screaming for war crimes investigations? The impression I get is that the soldiers are the most pro-Rajapaksha element in Sri Lankan society and will defend the country to the death from any outside intervention for war crimes investigations.
“The obvious response that I can expect from you is “what should the government have done differently?” If you were to pose this question to a military strategist I am sure you will be able to get a number of options that do not require liquidation of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.”
Why don’t YOU pose this question to a “military strategist,” come back to us and prove that there was an alternative? Or were those civilian deaths so meaningless for you that they aren’t worth the effort?
“If you are adamant that there was absolutely no other way other than liquidating large numbers of innocent Tamil civilians despite having neutralized the LTTE”
That’s the thing- I am NOT adamant that there was absolutely no other way. I had thought long and hard whether there were alternatives, and couldn’t come up with any. However I am more than willing to listen and to change my views if your alternative is plausible. The problem is that you aren’t saying anything!
LOL, I’m looking for a reason to condemn him? I’ve been looking for reasons to like him since the war ended and I’ve come up with absolutely nothing so far. OOOH, he’s building roads and War Memorials to the army that seemingly terrorized the North! Oh noe! That second part seems to negate the first! OOH, he’s having talks with TNA about power sharing while pushing through only bills that gives him more power! Wait! Again, he has sidelined what could have been a good thing with a horrible act!
If you look a little bit back on these here website you will see I was even arguing against the war crime charges. I’ve been doing so for the last two years and I’m done — I’m sick tired of this. Rajapakse and his chums should tell us exactly what happened. Tell us what’s up with these eyewitness reports of hospitals been shelled. No “LTTE BAD” is not the right answer. It doesn’t matter at this point what the LTTE did; they are finished — it’s more important now to know what the government did and what it’s hiding, get it?
And why does Sri Lanka have to take out the LTTE? As crappy as they are, the Tamils seemingly prefer them to SL army for some reason. It’s up to the Tamils not SL to deal with the LTTE. SL should just focus on keeping them out of SL proper.
Oh the Vanni Tamils didn’t prefer the LTTE to the SL Army? There must be a reason a lot of them left Jaffna controlled by SL army to join the LTTE in the Vanni though.. It’s only when the SL army made it absolutely impossible to live with the LTTE that they attempted to leave and became human shields. And word is they don’t feel as safe now with the SL army monitoring than they did with the LTTE around.
And, if we must fight the war, there’s certain steps that can be taken to avoid civilian causalities like you know not carpetbombing areas brimming with civilians! Especially not when the opposition group is completely destroyed and a siege would have sufficed just as well.
Dear Thambi,
“There must be a reason a lot of them left Jaffna controlled by SL army to join the LTTE in the Vanni though..”
This should educate you a bit more about how the LTTE forced the Tamils to leave Jaffna:
THE EXODUS FROM JAFFNA
http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport6.htm
Dear Groundviews,
“Can you please quote from a passage or article where he said civil society was “useless” when he was at CPA or at SCOPP?”
Can you quote from a passage or article where Kethesh had said that he was disillusioned with SCOPP and/or the govt?
What a typical cop out by a charlatan.
Sorry Groundviews, but if you aren’t willing to adopt your own standards for what you claim about Kethesh’s beliefs, name-calling won’t help.
I am glad though to see you coming around to the David Blacker mode of communication. And I do appreciate your giving me space to express my views.
Sorry Wijayapala, if you make unwarranted accusation and when called on them, can’t even back them up, it’s you who has to change your tact. Space here is not just for the converted, but neither is it for those who pander to dishonesty.
“CPA’s statement was not to let the LTTE off the hook, but to expose their janus attitudes towards peace.”
Right… the LTTE murdering Robert, Kadirgamar, and then Kethesh was insufficient to expose a janus attitude to peace, so we needed the LTTE’s refusal to heed “civil society” and condemn that last killing to prove it once and for all. What would CPA have done if the LTTE had condemned Kethesh’s killing?
In all fairness, the CPA’s statement right up to the fourth paragraph was praiseworthy. It was that fourth paragraph written in NGO-ese (translation: “we’re pretty sure the LTTE killed Kethesh, but we aren’t going to sacrifice our ‘CBM’ enterprise by saying so”) which tarred the entire statement.
Dear Wijayapala,
The “plausible alternative” was simply to avoid large scale civilian casualties by any means necessary short of letting the LTTE leadership escape. To assume there were no alternatives is a core belief that you must hold that every problem has but only one solution.
“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is
extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn’t fit in with the core belief.” (Frantz Fanon. 1952. Black Skin, White Masks)
You state, “I had thought long and hard whether there were alternatives, and couldn’t come up with any” I guess this is your answer to my last question, “what would your decision be Mr. Wijayapala?” with relation to deciding the fate of your own mother. This in many ways confirms that you are not only being deliberately obtuse but sadly, also, probably deeply scarred to the point of having lost the ability of expressing basic human empathy.
“The life of the nation is shot through with a certain falseness and hypocrisy, which are all the more tragic because they are so often subconscious rather than deliberate … The soul of the people is putrescent, and until that becomes regenerate and clean, no good work can be done.” (Frantz Fanon)
Thanks for engaging in the discussion for whatever it was worth; I rest my case.
Dear georgebushthepig,
Thank you for quoting Fanon, but I was looking for specific answers to the question, “how to avoid civilian casualties” rather than philosophy.
“The “plausible alternative” was simply to avoid large scale civilian casualties by any means necessary short of letting the LTTE leadership escape.”
If it’s so simple, how come you can’t list a single one of such means?
“I guess this is your answer to my last question, “what would your decision be Mr. Wijayapala?””
No I did not answer your appeal to emotion because you were dodging my question “how to avoid civilian casualties.” Tell me, how would you feel if you were one of the civilians who was being herded by the LTTE, watching them drag your children away and literally chaining them to the front lines to slow down the army. Then you watch your brother and his wife try to run away and they get shot in the back. How would you feel?
And what if the only way to avoid civilian casualties was to let the LTTE leaders escape? Would you justify killing your own mother to ensure that Prabakaran would not run away to Norway?