Comments on: An “unpatriotic” appeal for a UN mechanism to protect civilians https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-%25e2%2580%259cunpatriotic%25e2%2580%259d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians Journalism for Citizens Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:39:18 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.1 By: thilak https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4997 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:39:18 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4997 In reply to N. Ethirveerasingam.

there is also a saying "you see only what you want to see""…
so if you go deep and speak to one person, his view is not the consensus…

so you are now out of SL?

]]> By: N. Ethirveerasingam https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4992 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:29:07 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4992 Thilak,
I have spent a lot of time in Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka each year since 1994 till 2007. You see the surface of the Tamil communities lives. I go in depth by interacting with them. There is a saying in Tamil which in English is,"What you see is not the truth. What you hear is not the truth. The truth is what you arrive at after investigating, analysing and understanding the events." Under the present conditions in Sri Lanka, no one will readily speak what they feel. The link for an HRW video may help you.



You may also want to read the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing held Feb 24. It will give you some perspective of three independent observers.

]]> By: the optimist https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4985 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:51:18 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4985 In reply to Gamarala.

the difference is my friend that the LTTE is a terrorist organisation and the GoSL is an democratically elected government. i see a deference in the way the two are supposed to behave. i'm sorry if you don't.

]]> By: Ange https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4984 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:27:13 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4984 In reply to N. Ethirveerasingam.

You know, call me stupid, but I wonder why noone is marching. What are we afraid of? How is that going to solve anything? We might not be able to stop what is happening (god knows who can) but atleast we can let the world know that we are not in agreement of what is happening. And if we are attacked, well, then atleast no one can say we cry "wolf?" for no reason!

]]> By: Ange https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4983 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:31:06 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4983 In reply to Gamarala.

I am sorry you feel that this is all hypocrisy. I guess we are conditioned to feel comfortable in what we are familiar with.

Doubtless, there are atrocities committed on both sides. But I can't deny the fact that the LTTE has also done a whole lot of good, like training civillians to defend themselves when they are attacked, including digging bunkers for them to hide in during airstrikes, ensuring they have food and essentials (even if it has been robbed from army supplies), funding the care of widows and orphans (even if that meant having a steady supply of recruits from among them), ensuring that children were able to study despite the unrest, and seeing to the welfare of those affected by the tsunami, not to mention the encouragement of a situation free of crime and effective public service during times of peace.

In fact whenever there is a bomb blast in the South, I can't help wonder why they would allow all their good work go to waste with such terrible acts.

I am sorry if you think that makes me an LTTE supporter. I am sure when the atrocities committed hits close to home, I will not be able to see the good.

But until then, I can only see the lack of any effort on the part of the successive GoSLs to do anything that has ensured the safety of Tamil people. As a person who has lived all my life in the South, and had my own family members taken out of their homes and hauled to police stations in their underwear for "interrogation" (despite not having lived their entire lives in Kandy), and having travelled to Jaffna and seen and heard firsthand how members of the armed forces, together with those of the TMVP and EPDP are abusing their power, I agree with Mr. Ethirveerasingam that in this war, the people are just pawns. Be they the Sinhalese youth who are fed tales of patriotism and heroism, or the Tamils who are promised a better tomorrow, or Muslims who are forced to take sides.

Thank you for your wish. I sincerely hope the future generations of Sri Lanka will be able to see such a future. My own recollections are far from that and after having seen my mother struggle to keep us safe during two riots and ever since then, sadly, I have no wish to bring up children in SL. And I hope those who do, be they Sinhalese, Muslim or Tamil, will not have created a climate where they cannot hold the authorities accountable for their actions.

]]> By: thilak https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4982 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:33:50 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4982 N. Ethirveerasingam -"civilians in distress in Colombo " you must be meaning the tamils going to cima or tution classes, watching the latest tamils films listening to sakthi fm (rather than voice of tigers) and the kovil wel carts around wallawatta,… is that distress… i see only happy smiles…

are you living in colombo or in wanni or in toronto?

]]> By: Gamarala https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4981 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:52:00 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4981 Did the Tamil brothers had the power to talk against the LTTE at any time? When the LTTE was winning the war, did you protest against their atrocities? When they were killing innocent civilians, Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim, did you shout out loud? This is sheer hypocrisy.
On many occasions in the past, the GoSL had to withdraw from the battle front due to the international pressure. Historically, the only time LTTE ask for a truce was when they were loosing. During the peace talks they re-grouped and strengthened their position. This has happened on numerous occasions but not any longer. The lessons have been learned.

When the war is over, we shall be magnanimous in our victory. All the Sinhalese shall rally around the Tamil brothers and help them as much as they could, as they did in the past. Never again shall we allow our Tamil, Muslim and brethren from other minority groups feel insecure.

'I have a dream that Sri Lanka will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that the children of Sri Lanka will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that the children of Sri Lanka will roam from Point Pedro to Dondra Head, without any fear of persecution.'
Let us all do our share to realize this dream.

]]> By: N. Ethirveerasingam https://groundviews.org/2009/02/22/an-%e2%80%9cunpatriotic%e2%80%9d-appeal-for-a-un-mechanism-to-protect-civilians/#comment-4965 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:17:37 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1119#comment-4965 Ange,
No one in Sri Lanka has any power to intervene against the power of the GoSL military machine. No one has marched on behalf of the Tamil civilians in distress in Colombo or elsewhere in Sri Lanka. They, the Tamils, Sinhalese and the Muslims, know the consequences. The international community, including the Co-Chairs have their own agenda and the Tamil civilians in the Vanni and in the Internment Camps in Vavuniya are their pawns.
My fear is what the next three years of misery will bring to the Tamil and Sinhala communities. What will become of the Vanni, Jaffna, and the East. The politico-military apparatus of the Rajapakse family rule may continue for another 20 years. I will leave it to the imagination of the political and military pundits to pontificate on the future.

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