Tamilnet lashes out

Seems that no one can get it right, an article found on Tamilnet - to help the balance of opinion here on this blog. It is incredibly strange how none of us seem to want to ask the Tamil people what they really want, and not the diaspora because this war is no longer about them, as they left Sri Lanka. And no, the Tamil's did not choose who they wanted to lead them in 2004, because the LTTE prevented them from making their own real political choices thanks to constant threats and intimidation.

IC makes history in experimenting ‘genocide bomb’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 April 2009, 10:14 GMT]
The international community accusing the LTTE all this time for ‘inventing’ human bomb is testing a premeditated ‘genocide bomb’ on Tamils and sets new ‘guidelines’ for global order, says a political commentator, who contributes regularly to TamilNet. “Even though there are many actors, the final responsibility for the experiment and deployment of this worst possible weapon of human civilization squarely falls on Obama’s US administration and on Ban Ki Moon’s UN,” he said adding that they will go down in history for “calculatedly allowing one of the worst ethnic genocides of contemporary history to take its toll in the island of Sri Lanka, in the cruellest and deceitful way.”

Further observations by the commentator follow:

“The US takes the core responsibility by tilting the military and diplomatic balance in favour of genocidal Colombo and finally failing to act when the demon perpetrated by them devours the people.

“When genocide was the question, Hillary Clinton by talking ‘post-conflict’ Sri Lanka, indirectly signalled the genocide to take its course.

“The UN is accused of shielding a criminal government, of sitting on any move of intervention and of abetting capture, torture and indefinite imprisonment of Tamil civilians by genocidal Colombo.

“The UN refused to discuss the genocide in Sri Lanka. Even the civilian issue was ‘too sensitive’ for it. At every stage it wanted the capture of civilians by genocidal Colombo. But when the civilians were captured it was not there to guarantee them their freedom of movement. Many of them still languish completely in the hands of Sri Lanka Army.

“Sri Lanka president turned down the request of UN humanitarian chief John Holmes to have access to civilians outside the camps. The personal appeal of Moon for a humanitarian team to enter the so-called safety zone was also turned down by Colombo. It is obvious what role the UN is up to play in future in abetting the structural genocide of Tamils planned by Colombo.

“Many fail to give due importance to the role being played by Japan in funding genocidal Colombo at every stage. Besides there were China and Russia, which played calculated mischief.

“A shameful organized crime, for the first time in contemporary history, has been registered in the behaviour of the international media in abetting the genocide, and not covering it. Now they are busy in spinning yarns with the captured civilians.

“Meanwhile, Monday morning Colombo announced halting the use of heavy weapons on the ‘no-fire’ zone. But throughout the day and the night that followed it showered fire from all types of heavy weapons including aerial bombing.

“EU ministers timed their visit after the testing of the ‘genocide bomb’.

“Even then, Colombo said that one of them, the Swedish minister, is not want.

“Colombo, the Frankenstein Monster is now dictating terms to the IC. But the monster is set loose calculatedly.

“The international community is silent, issuing only statements to hoodwink.

“It is reliably learnt that India has set an agenda for Colombo to accomplish the massacre. Indian home minister Chidambaram’s statement on Sunday that the war will be over in 48 hours is an affidavit for the premeditated crime of the deployment of the ‘genocide bomb’.

“All evidences indicate that the ruling circles of the international community premeditated the testing of the ‘genocide bomb’ on Tamils.”

Tigers at Bay

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/26/tigers-at-bay/

The Washington Times

EDITORIAL: Tigers at bay

By | Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, one of the world's most violent terrorist outfits, are surrounded in northern Sri Lanka and about to be destroyed - but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and European self-styled peacemakers are getting in the way of victory. The meddlers should let Colombo finish off this menace.

In desperation, the Tamil Tigers are using tens of thousands of locals as human shields. The Sri Lankan government declared a cease-fire and called on the Tigers to release their hostages, but unmanned-aerial-vehicle video footage shows the terrorists holding masses of innocents at gunpoint, refusing them freedom. Last week, Mrs. Clinton played into the hands of the terrorists by blaming the Sri Lankan government for the crisis. "The entire world is very disappointed" that they were "causing such untold suffering," she said.

Foreign governments and aid organizations are calling on Colombo to cease operations, fearing that further action will lead to a humanitarian calamity. Norwegian Environment Minister Eric Solheim has been the point man in trying to negotiate a new truce, but he has been denounced by both sides. In response to his unwelcome efforts, the Nation, a Sri Lankan newspaper, editorialized that "the caravan of military operations has to move on. The time has come to tell the salmon-eating international busybodies to mind their own business."

The Sri Lankan government is justifiably confused and angry at the international response to their progress. Sri Lanka has been fighting the Tamil Tigers for over 30 years. The Tigers pioneered the modern use of suicide bombing and have killed thousands of civilians. A U.S. government expert on the group tells us that the Tigers are "one of the most odious insurgent groups around, and for a long stretch of time had more suicide attacks than the rest of the world combined. It has made a cult of martyrdom and violated every single previous cease-fire." During the most recent truce, the Tigers took the opportunity to assassinate about 200 moderate Tamil politicians and the Sri Lankan foreign minister.

Last year, Colombo decided enough was enough and withdrew from the cease-fire agreement. Using innovative counterinsurgency tactics, the Sri Lankan defense forces dismantled the guerrilla network on land and at sea. They drove the Tigers from their safe havens and bottled them up in a four-square-mile patch of beachfront swampland. Tiger leaders are hunkered down in underground bunkers trying desperately to stave off their looming demise.

We can only imagine American satisfaction if we had al Qaeda in this position. It is unconscionable for the United States to castigate its Sri Lankan ally for prevailing in its war against terrorism. The Tamil Tigers have purposefully created the conditions for a humanitarian crisis and deserve neither amnesty nor mercy. There are ways to help resolve this standoff that will not allow the Tigers to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, such as providing military and intelligence support for pinpoint strikes against the terrorist leadership. Failing that, the Obama administration should mind its own business.

A Conversation that needs Attention

Below is a stream of a conversation between a few friends and I. It started when I sent around the news that a group of Tamil diaspora organisations had dramatically pulled together a large ship called the Vanni Mission of Mercy and was going to send it unauthorised to the Eastern shores of Sri Lanka, Jerry Bruckheimer style, with 400 tonnes of aid to help and reach the suffering Tamil people.

It was clearly a PR stunt, and to this day has not yet left the sunny shores of Britain. Why? Because the British govt turned their request down, so they could not even leave the docks... The interesting thing is this conversation is between all ethnicities, walks of life, ages and religions. It serves as a good read, exposing the issues that face Sri Lankans each day - ones that only Sri Lankans (those close to them) and the 30 year conflict, can fully understand.

If you would like to, post a comment and I will post it here in relation to this conversation, as long as it is not uncompromising and rude. Thanks.

LMB.

A Mixed Voice (Ceylon Moor, Chetty and Sinhala)

hello,

So I am not sure if you know, but today there is a huge PR event (including, ironically a party) for the launch of an aid cargo ship being sent to the east coast of Sri Lanka by the British (mainly Tamil diasphora but helped by local UK orgs). It is called the Vanni Mission of Mercy.

The PR has been quite big, they've got celebrities coming today to sign an agreement that says they support this mission and what it stands for - that the Sri Lankan govt/people are doing very little to help the Tamil people. I think its insulting to the opinion of many who don't want people to suffer. But at the same time - this is aid, that is badly needed - so the everlasting question of what do we believe and how do we unite people to stand under one thought?

Act Now (UK org with Tamil orgs) Press release
http://www.pressdispensary.co.uk/releases/c992158/Four-Hundred-Tons-of-Medical-Aid-Sets-Sail-for-Sri-Lanka-.php

The Vanni Mission
http://vannimission.org/

The Island's claim that the Navy will sink this ship if it comes to Sri Lanka which is BAD form. Will make Sri Lanka endorse the 'ethnic cleansing' attitude
http://www.island.lk/2009/03/21/news2.html

Information on the Launch

LAUNCH PARTY - TUESDAY 31ST MARCH

The launch event of the Mission of Mercy Aid ship to Sri Lanka will take place on Tuesday 31 March, 2009, from 1:00 pm at The Royal Horse Guards, 1 Whitehall Place, 2 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EJ. To view, please visit http://www.theroyalhorseguards.co.uk/index.html).

A global appeal to the Sri Lankan Government to let the aid into the affected region and to call a ceasefire will be launched on the same day. A launch event has been organised to allow celebrities and politicians to sign a special letter (scroll) of Appeal.

The latest news is that the Sri Lankan Government is threatening to sink the boat! (http://www.island.lk/2009/03/21/news2.html) Come and hear more at the meeting.

We welcome any and all media to attend the event.

Supermodel Claudia Schiffer will be attending.

A Sinhala Voice

This is very cynical, and very sad because the problem is real. You simply cannot antagonize the government if you want aid to actually reach people. I fear that's not their goal at all, I think they just want to have the ship turned away to make a point. It's so sad, because the suffering is very real.

I'm working with a group of citizens called ACT for Relief (www.actlanka.com). We have some lorries leaving Friday (God willing) to the Vavuniya Hospital. We've raised a bit of money and collected mattresses, crutches, medicines and basic supplies. This is only possible because we have worked closely with the Ministries of Health and Defense. That is the only way to get goods into this country and the only way to deliver them to the people at the end. It is difficult and frustrating, but necessary. You have to compromise to actually help people.

This Vanni Mission does not mention the government of Sri Lanka as a stakeholder at all. I disagree deeply and publicly with the government and I did not support this war. However, it is still my government and this is still my country. It doesn't matter if Claudia Schiffer is on the prow of the boat, you simply cannot land in a sovereign country without permission. Certainly not in a warzone. I honestly believe that they want the ship to be turned away to score PR points. This is really sad, because if they want to actually help human beings they have to compromise.

Please remember that the human suffering is real. I visited children brought to a government hospital in Colombo and it's just tragic. I saw a boy named Ketesh who's a double amputee. Couldn't be more than three years old. Another child had burn wounds all down his chest and couldn't stop shivering. They are doing triage in the North on a level we simply cannot imagine and they're lacking basic items like surgical gloves, bandages, painkillers, anti-biotics, etc. I think this is a humanitarian tragedy just like the tsunami and we should extend just as much support to our fellow Sri Lankans.

These Sri Lankans don't need politics, they need relief. I think it is important to remember that they are being treated in government hospitals and helped by government people while the LTTE is simply firing on them and conscripting them as cannon fodder. You simply have to work with the government if you want to help human beings right now. I don't like the government much, but I'm quite willing to put that pride aside for now. If you want to make a statement you can call the government genocidal maniacs and throw a party, but it doesn't actually help anyone. That's really cynical, and really sad.

There are people in Sri Lanka who are trying to reach out to our fellow citizens in the North on a human level, working with whoever we have to, apolitically. There are no gala events because that jeopordizes the actual, delicate work of delivering relief, but do know that people are doing something. You can help. I've cc'd RP here from ACT, and you can help through there. Please note that's just a group of concerned citizens. Sarvodaya is a reputed NGO and you can donate online to them here (sarvodaya.org/donate). Sri Lanka Red Cross also accepts donations via their bank account. These are donations that actually reach people.

I.S.

A Mixed Voice (Ceylon Moor, Chetty and Sinhala)

I agree with you I.S., if these aid organisations really wanted to aid to get to the people - they would have worked cohesively with the government even if they hate them as much as they say they do. The problem is, it is so black and white when it comes to groups like the TRO etc and actually in the UK it is alot easier to convince people/celebs/action groups here that there are 'people' being damned by their own. Which is absolutely not the case because I myself am against what is happening to the innocents in the north - it is such a tough issue, the first trait of war.

The main issue here is that TRO, White Pigeon, Tamil Health Org and so on will all say that the aid won't get to the right people if it goes through the govt, this barrage of talk will be accompanied by words and phrases such as 'ethnic cleansing', 'hatred' and 'genocide'. The fact is, there are people helping other people, devoid of colour, race and ethnicity and this is what these groups don't talk about - because then its not so easy to raise a shout as loud as they have.

The PR, the launch party and the ship sailing with such fanfare is a mockery of whats happening to the innocent Sri Lankans up north. We can only hope and possibly campaign for the ship not to meet any Naval catastrophe because that will only be detrimental to all concerned.

LMB.

A Ceylon Moor voice

I.S. - We have people in the North East and totally agree with you.

If the Tamil people in the UK and elsewhere care so much for their brethren, then they must ask the LTTE, the very organization that is proclaiming to fight for the Tamils (they also claim they are the sole representatives of the Tamils), then why are they sacrificing the innocent Tamils who have suffered so much in the last two years being dragged by the LTTE from the West – Mannar all the way to the East? Let them go as all the International bodies are saying.

It is because the LTTE wants to save their skin when they are cornered as they are now.

Even the Indians who tried this trick in 1987 dropping food parcel and then sent the IPKF to be chased out by the LTTE have now offered to work with the Sri Lankan Government. No vessel can enter the sovereign waters without the state approval.

Why have these people not offered to send some ships to evacuate the innocent Tamils held hostage by the LTTE, then the food problem will be over.

Let us not allow ourselves to be deceived by those inciting disharmony amongst Sri Lankans.

ZM.

An English Voice

(In response to a very graphic, gory picture sent by AE to all in conversation to provoke, it was of a baby who was killed in cross-fire).
What did that achieve? What will having an extravagant party with models and celebrities to launch a boat that probably wont make it to its destination, just to make a point, really achieve? Maybe they are both meant to disgust.... but don't really help at all.

Nor will comparing people with Israelis or Palestinians, nor members of ETA, the IRA, the Bush Administration or any other. Let's face it, all these things have in common is bloodshed... and who wants that?

I'm not sure the calls of genocide etc are doing that much good either. But what do I know? We live in a society (and world) of Blame Culture; you did this, he did that, wasn't my fault etc. In the words of Bob Marley "while you're pointing fingers, someone else is judging you". Maybe if 'we' stopped point scoring and started looking beyond personal / political interests things would improve, but then look at the banks! If the planet were a bank, we would have saved it already!

LB.

A Tamil Voice

I am Tamil and I submit that the LTTE have, in recent years, systematically persecuted their own people to propagate war and preserve their own power. There is conclusive evidence (ICRC, World Concern, UN) that the LTTE is forcibly recruiting anyone that can hold a gun. They only release those that are of no use to them. Eg. Amputees.

Much as this champagne and supermodels approach to relief work entertains me, pls don't put AE in my path, there will only be more blood shed.

As far as ACT (Action & Care Trust, different to the ACT Now that AE speaks of) is concerned, we have a very successful working relationship with GOSL, who have extended us full access to the receiving hospitals to personally ensure our aid gets to the injured. That's the power of co-operation.

RP.

A Ceylon Moor voice

It is a gory picture indeed! What a tragedy, however she was killed by who ever.

I remember seeing a similar picture of a 8month pregnant Tamil woman suicide bomber sent to Colombo by the LTTE to blow up the Army commander, you know where? Army Head Quarters, that killed 11 innocent soldiers with her and her baby. Fortunately the Army Commander survived to deal with the LTTE as it is happening today.

I have seen more than 300 such killings by the LTTE;

On the 2^nd March 1991 at 8.38AM when the LTTE blew up the then defense Minister to bits, right in front of my office at 68 Havelock Road, Colombo 5 killing over 50 people on the road injuring my staff and destroying my office.

Then on the 31^st Jan 1996, a truck laden with 400kgs of explosives blew up the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in the premier business centre of the Country, the Janadipathy Mawatha, which killed more than 200 innocent people and destroyed every building in sight including my Head Office, killing my tenants and injuring my staff. I saw the bodies and spent 18 hours assisting the injured and dealing with the dead that day pulling concrete rubble.

Hundreds of Tamils, young and the old, the dumb and the brain washed Suicide bombers that LTTE sent to Colombo to kill anyone who they felt they should, ended up in worse condition than the gory picture you attached. Hundreds of Sinhala farmers on the border villages are being butchered every week by the LTTE agents. Just last week on Prophet Mohamed’s Birthday celebration in deep south, the LTTE suicide bomber killed 40 people right in front of a mosque. Surely, there are bounds that even a devil doesn’t cross. We have seen it all and been close to half dozen LTTE suicide bombs, so please don’t tell me or remind me about Gaza, which all of the international community looks the other way.

I want you to remember the thousands of Muslims driven out of Jaffna by the LTTE in the 80’s who are still living in squalid conditions in Puttalam camps. Then more than 20,000 Muslims chased out of Mannar by the LTTE in ethnic cleansing. They too are people who suffering like the Tamils and other minorities, we need to work to empower them.

Let’s face it, LTTE has reached the end of the road. Let us work to save the innocent Tamils, the young, the old, men, women and children who are trapped or held hostage by the LTTE to be used as shields and suffering untold hardship in Mullaitivu and elsewhere. Let’s empower all the elected Tamil politicians of all hues to talk with the powers to find a solution to the disparity and the concerns of the peace loving Tamil population, most of whom are living in the south of Sri Lanka amongst the Sinhalese as well as those in the North and the East.

I have, from 1997 worked for reconciliation through Rotary and then through my foundation - Grassroots - and will continue to work to establish equality. I have been to the then uncleared areas in 1999 and tried so hard to bring reconciliation. Let us all join hands to make all Sri Lankans equal.

ZM.

TRO Half Tamil Voice

Dear all,
before i start, i just wanted to say "we" bare you no ill will and, as i've told Leah many, many times, if those who have governed Sri Lanka since independence were persons such as yourselves there would not be any war... i have met you all and you are all lovely, intelligent, honest, caring, loving persons, who if that beautiful island is to ever see peace (as one state or two states) MUST raise your voice - not just in the humanitarian sector but in the human rights and political spheres (Neela aunty will you please run for office and take over the UNP - ranil is not much of a leader - you on the other hand have the carisma, intelligence and managerial skills for the job).

I'm really interested in this "debate" and wish i had more time to respond and engage in detail with all of you (that is the only way to an enduring peace isn't it), but... as you might expect we are rather busy... and so i leave you with this:

I skimmed through the contributions from all of you and one thing that struck me was Leah's statement that (and i'm paraphrasing here so forgive me) "we" were against the good Sri Lankan's (Sinhala, Muslim, Bugher, & Tamil) helping, sending aid, or otherwise assisting the IDPs in Govt controlled areas - i wish to CATEGORICALLY state that "we" do not have ANY problem with the great efforts you all are engaged in. "We" encourage them and infact in my meetings in Geneva with Ms. Pillay (11 March) and others while at the UN Human Rights Council (http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7294) i stressed that it was important that civil society in the "south", international NGOs, the UN and other humanitarian actors be empowered and allowed free and unfettered access to these concentration camps so that these people, who have experienced so much horror, will have the humanitarian assistance that they are entitled to and that they be allowed to return to their homes and rebuild their lives as soon as possible.

At the meeting with Ms. Pillay (which the Sinhala journalist Ravi leaked to the media) there were persons from the 3 communities (sorry no Burghers, but then i didn't call the meeting and so it wasn't my fault) representing a variety of Sri Lanka based NGOs and what was really lovely was that we were all saying the same thing vis a vis the humanitarian and human rights abusesbeing committed by the GoSL.

but... (there had to be a "but" didn't there)

A couple questions / thoughts / points:
1) why isn't the GoSL helping these people - at my meetings with the UN, ICRC etc in Geneva they stated that there was plenty of humanitarian aid in Colombo & the South but the GoSL didn't seem interested in putting it to use & in the case of the 'safe zone' continued to refuse permission for the ICRC to transport adequate amounts. Why isn't SL Civil Society make more noise about this?

2) This ship and the event yesterday are focused on assisting the people in the 'safe zone' because no one else (other than ICRC) seem able or willing to assist them. And so we have taken the task - so please do lobby for the GoSL not to sink us (i'll be on it).

3) Leah also asked (in a private email or in this 'discussion') why "we" weren't assisting the IDPs in GoSL controlled areas. The fact of the matter is that we are. Over the past 1 month the Tamil Diaspora (this is only the orgs that i know of NOT the individuals who have also contributed which would result in a much larger figure) have sent over US$600,000 to organizations working in the concentration camps. (sorry can't tell you the names - indi will post them on his blog and then they'd be chucked outta the country)

4) Over the past 3 years ANY funds sent from a diaspora organization with "Tamil" in the name have been frozen (added to the war budget?) by the GoSL - (i can provide evidence) this has included funds that were sent from organizations with names like "The xxx Tamil Hindu Society" to Sinhala & Muslim NGOs working in the East and in the GoSL controlled North. So you see, while it might not appear to be the case, "we" are trying to help people in all parts of the county. After the tsunami TRO built wells, houses, toilets, and preschools for tsunami affected MUSLIM & SINHALA villages in the East and a Sinhala village near Matara (can't tell you the name - don't want them to burned out of their homes) and we had numerous post-CFA projects in the upcountry. There weren't any headlines about those projects in the Colombo papers.

5) Where were you guys over the past couple of years? Were you sending humanitarian assistance to the LTTE administered Vanni? I hope you were and it was not just now that your consciences were pricked.

6) Why was Sri Lanka "Civil Society" so quiet when the UN & iNGOs were ordered out of the Vanni in Sept 2008 or the media stopped from travelling there in Jan 2007? The LTTE has always welcomed them... If you're going to speak up for the suffering of the people in the concentration camps then what about other instances of suffering and/or the conditions that create them? Any why don't these people have the freedom of movement to go where they please? I have some relatives in one of the concentration camps who were sent there after being evacuated by the ICRC to a hospital treated and discharged - they wanted to go to our relatives house in the "south" or to Jaffna but weren't allowed to. Why?

7) i notice that some of the individuals involved in this org "ACT" (not ACT NOW www.act-now.info - hehehe) were also involved with "Rebuild Sri Lanka" which in the end turned out to be just a land grab in Arugam Bay... i hope their new focus isn't on creating a 5 Star resort in Mullaitivu or the Chundikulam Bird Reserve (which by the way is beautiful, or was... when i was last there - multibarrel rockets tend to disturb bird migratory systems)

anyway, i hadn't intended to go on for so long and "somebody" will be very angry with me for "wasting" all this time... BUT...

i just wanted to reiterate (via cut & past): "we" bare you no ill will and, as i've told Leah many, many times, if those who have governed Sri Lanka since independence were persons such as yourselves there would not be any war... i have met you all (except maybe one or two i was in one of my many "fogs" hahaha) and you are all lovely, intelligent, honest, caring, loving persons, who if that beautiful island is to ever see peace (as one state or two states) MUST raise your voice - not just in the humanitarian sector but in the human rights and political spheres (*name deleted* aunty will you please run for office and take over the UNP - ranil is not much of a leader - you on the other hand have the charisma, intelligence and managerial skills for the job).

respectfully,
AE

Temporary safety

Tamil's fleeing the LTTE's clutches... the truth will come out slowly but surely - the real Tamil people who have been living the war, unlike many (NOT ALL) people who have been living abroad and away from the carnage. As I have said, I do not support the Govt of Sri Lanka but I do support the fact that these Tamil refugees who deserve a much better life, one equal to mine, will more likely get it on the Govt side, as long as they do not sit with the LTTE who are forcing them to suffer too. Because, hey guess what? This could be the beginning of a new chapter... one that only we, the Sri Lankan people, can make.

BBC talks to Tamils fleeing the LTTE hold - how do you dispute this? How do the Tamil's protesting hoist the LTTE flag on Parliament Square in Westminster in protest when the LTTE are clearly killing their own?????? Let us start our own united movement to ensure the rights of the Tamil people without violent, hypocritical intent.

Read this article by a moderate Tamilian:

Are you Tamil? Time for some soul-searching

A time for change

So this is going to be a focused spot for new, moderate and encouraging thoughts for how we get Sri Lanka to a better, safer and peaceful place.

The ethnic conflict is on the cusp of change, it has caused a great deal of suffering for the Tamil people on the ground and there is no excuse for their hardships. Both the Govt and the LTTE are responsible and need to accept their roles.

This blog is going to be a place for people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and trains of thoughts to debate over our conflict. To get to the truth, to understand our history, to get the real facts and to get people talking to each other about what has been a very complicated and sensitive issue. Hopefully in the future, it will be a part of the effort to give the Tamil people a true, unhindered and fearless voice.

I also want to be able to help support and promote groups and individuals who are actively doing something with no shout about themselves, just for the cause.

Deep breath... and begin.