Double standards as it may seem Lasantha’s murder was a rude awakening for many, including me. Why I call it a double standard is that many lives were previously lost and I chose to ignore it under the justification of national pride and war for the sake of our country’s sovereignty. Well at least I confess to be guilty as I did. However, as I have always said, I am loyal to my country, I am a nationalist, a patriot, but I refuse to be a blind one.
The latest development where the Government of Sri Lanka has requested for public information on any dissent to the war effort strengthen what I would call fear psychosis. Journalists, bloggers, key decision makers in the community, peer leaders have all attributed this to the days of Hitler when one was rewarded for one’s Nazi loyalty. I question this new public information telephone number, we do have emergency numbers to call, and so as citizens do we now need another to report those who dissent against the war? Dissent against terrorism we must, as everyone in the world does, but if our voices were and are to be heard in a working democracy, isn’t this call for patriotism for the want of a better expression, working against the very freedom we seek to establish by fighting this war against terrorism for the very sovereignty of our motherland?
I take Afghanistan, the Taliban and the fundamentalist way of life as an example. Originally Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein stood out as individuals to be targeted in the war against terror. 9/11 changed the world forever. The war against terror now has moved on from individuals to a collective of individuals. In a lawless country like Afghanistan where the warlords ruled the day. For those who had the power, in this instance the ability to kill, ruled. Indiscriminate bombing, ill planned military presence has now allowed what I call a collective of individuals against the western world. The warlords were disarmed, but individuals, families were wiped out in this war against terror. The west as always not understanding the simple facts of life in the developing world and its ways. It’s simply personal now; if you bomb my house I will seek you out for revenge. So as an answer, do we now wipe out whole villages, kill whole families and ensure that none are left to nullify future quests for revenge?
Sri Lanka’s war against terror now confined to four kilometres proves easily quenchable. The government propaganda and war machine understand the importance of identifying the Tamil Eelam program to its leader Prabakaran. His death is imperative, for with it, they hope the end will come. A weak opposition, macabre politics with former terrorists in parliament, a severely disappointed Tamil Diaspora all clearly show us that democracy has ended in Sri Lanka. So the end not only is Prabakaran’s.
A family government with enough trusted and most loyal generals waiting in the corridors of power. Filial connections, none fragile.
The aspirations of the Tamil people flow in ashes in the many rivers of Sri Lanka. So do the blood of its people.
We prayed another 1983 would never happen again, we watch in vain as 2009 is happening before our very eyes. Through battle we create another generation who will grow hating Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan’s and Sri Lankanarism’s. We ourselves lay the first stone to the building of another Prabakaran.
We create the need for revenge again. We created it amongst the Tamils in the south in 1983. Prabakaran took it to the north. Now we strengthen his claim of inequality by those we destroy now. We make him more credible.
The battle is already won in Sri Lanka. Prabakaran’s justice will be quick death.
Aspirations for freedom will never die, no one deserves to live in a land they call theirs subjugated.
Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan’s and Sri Lankanarism’s largely depend on the whim of a large family. Warlords… Kings… Call them what you may defend them as you may.
As we fight to eradicate terrorism from our country and fight for our countries very freedom we ourselves through the right we call democracy create demagogues within our country. Through election.
I wonder about the former Soviet Union, culture, creativity, pride, national war assets, and music all under the umbrella of communism. Now their gift to the world is human trafficking, blonde prostitutes and the Albanian mafia, all in the name of freedom.
Thailand best economic progress under Sinawata’s quasi dictatorship.
China, the best of communism and culture, all without the freedom to speak.
So is a dictatorship what we need? Sans the freedom?
Are you with or against us rises the clarion call of the Rajapakse’s.
We respond in our typical Sri Lankan manner. Best summarised through what I heard recently from a friend in Colombo. “Machan, the world may going through a recession, all kinds of problems and people in the US and UK may find life hard, in Colombo it’s business as usual. We’re eating, drinking and partying hard!”
Spoke to a friend in London. “Machan, I don’t blog about MR or I am really careful for I don’t want them to turn me back from the airport when I holiday in Sri Lanka.”
The Sri Lankan’s who are Tamils among us suffer in stoic silence. The Tamil Diaspora scream in protest. The Tamil Tigers die. The Tamil people in the north die in the crossfire. We breed a new batch of Tamils, hatred and a new cycle of violence.
The Tamils suffer death, indignity and violence.
The end is what never was. All of us watch in silence. Democracy disappears very like the ashes swept and washed from the opposition leaders home hearths.
Thanks to Prabakaran and LTTE terrorist tactics we lost any proper leadership that Sri Lanka may have had through suicide attacks. We are left with what we have now.
So are we with them? Is this the value of democracy, that it can be twisted to meet your needs? The needs of those in power?
Unite Sri Lanka is another clarion call, who’s calling please?
Stop the violence. Please hear us.
Stop.