Sri Lanka: Cry From The Graves? – Analysis

By

By Sivanendran

The end of the three decade old civil war that pitted the government against the LTTE and divided the population created a reasonable expectation that Sri Lanka would be able to reach reconciliation and healing, which would pave the way for rapid economic progress. But alas the country appears to be getting more divided and polarised than ever before.

Fifty years of ethnic cleansing have wiped out whole generations who knew any sort of peace, and have made cohabitation between the Tamils and the Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka virtually impossible. The Sinhala politicians have transformed the country into a counter-insurgency state like Columbia, in which repression, torture, imprisonment without trial and disappeared people are institutionally embedded. It appears that it is an extremely difficult task for the Sri Lankans to reverse this process.

Violation of Human Rights in Sri Lanka

With the end of the civil war, there was a glimmer of hope in resolving the longstanding crisis. However, this is unlikely. The current regime having come back to power appears to block meaningful efforts at accountability of individuals for past violations of human rights.

Sri Lanka will continue to be faced in the future by challenges of justice and reconciliation arising from the grave human rights abuses that have been committed by all armed groups in the course of the conflict, as documented over the years by international human rights groups and UN bodies, which have long declared that impunity reigns increasingly unchallenged in the country.

When the Sri Lankan Government formally terminated the ceasefire agreement in January 2008, the previous UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, warned that violations of human rights and humanitarian law could entail individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law, including by those in positions of command. She and her successor, Navi Pillay, have had cause to repeat this warning on several occasions since.

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

In the course of fighting, both sides violated humanitarian law. The LTTE forcibly conscripted adults and children, and forced civilians to travel with its retreating forces and to serve as a buffer against the approaching Sri Lankan army. Thousands of these civilians died when government forces fired artillery into areas densely populated with civilians, who were forced to remain at risk in the conflict zone. The LTTE reportedly opened fire on and killed civilians who attempted to escape.

The Culture of Violence continues

The demand of the Tamil people for a separate state started only after the repeated pogroms suffered by the Tamil people at the hands of the Sinhalese. Inaction by successive governments in Sri Lanka to provide security to the Tamils resulted in their alienation from the Sri Lankan state as it progressively identified with the Sinhala thugs in the streets. Instead of providing protection to its citizens the Sri Lankan state became more tolerant of the inciters to violence on the Tamils. This resulted in the demand for Ealam, a separate state by the Tamil people.

Nothing has changed for the Tamils since the end of the war. In the North the Tamil people are terrorised by an occupied Sinhala army and kept virtually in an open prison. The Tamils in the East are condemned to live in terror of being killed under the joint patronage of the government and the feuding para-militaries. And in the Vanni, where a battle was waged between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan State – where the Government indiscriminately bombed and maimed the Tamils who they claim to be their own citizens – the whole area is evacuated since the war and the government is cleaning up the land and removing all evidence of its atrocities. And in the remainder of Sri Lanka, where any Tamil is viewed with suspicion and treated more as an outsider than as a citizen of Sri Lanka, subjected to arbitrary arrests, killings, kidnappings, extortion all carried out with impunity from apprehension or justice. In short, the Tamil people are still languishing in all corners of the Sri Lankan state and find themselves as exiles in their own land.

The government removed all international NGO’s, UN organisations and all media from the war zone and continued with a war described as a War without Witness. The civil war thus created more than 500,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP), most of them still dispersed and still living outside their homes. The IDP’s have been generated by the expulsion of the Tamil population from their land so that the security forces could establish secure areas. Hence the entire Tamil population along the coastal line of the Northeast have been expelled. Further the people who inhabited the Vanni areas are now dispersed.

Further, it is estimated that more than 100,000 Tamils must have perished during the civil war over the past 25 years and at least a further 100,000 maimed and injured. It is estimated that another 50,000 – 100,000 were killed during the last weeks of the war. It suggests a determination by the State to simply wipe out as many people as possible and not to follow the rules of international humanitarian law. Some of those who came to surrender to the security forces holding a white flag were shot. There is video footage of troops killing surrendered people that is published and verified for its accuracy.

There have been reports of abductions of children from the camps and the ‘disappearance’ or murder, possibly by paramilitary groups operating within the camps, of LTTE cadres who are currently being held in them. Once they have been identified, the authorities are sending LTTE cadres to separate camps where they will undergo “rehabilitation”. There have been accusations that the authorities are treating every civilian in the camps as a possible LTTE suspect and sent to special camps.

4.1 Cry for Justice

In the circumstances, accounting for the conduct of soldiers, their commanding officers, and civilian superiors during the fighting is crucial. However, it is only part of the challenge Sri Lanka faces in repairing its battered human rights record and restoring public faith in its government, justice system and the rule of law. Today Sri Lanka has a chance to rebuild its institutions so that they can protect efficiently and without discrimination the human rights of every woman, man and child. Accountability for violations of human rights and humanitarian law is an important precondition to bind up the nations wounds and rebuild the country and achieve a lasting peace.

The conflict in Sri Lanka has not yet been put on the formal agenda of the UN Security Council as a country situation. While in general there was little appetite for doing so until late 2008, in recent months it is Russia and China that have blocked more concerted efforts by other members of the Security Council. The apparent inaction of the Security Council has been the subject of heavy criticism by those who believe it should have played a much more active role than it has. More than anybody else the suffering Tamils have been crying silently for justice for those killed in the bloody massacre in the early months of 2009.

United Nations and the International Community

There has also been some activity on Sri Lanka within UN human rights mechanisms. Since late 2007, international human rights groups and their local allies have been lobbying for a UN human rights monitoring mission to be established in Sri Lanka, supported by the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour and her successor, Navi Pillay. These calls have been consistently rejected by the Sri Lankan Government but remain ‘on the table’ internationally, at least in theory.

Efforts at the 10th session of the HRC in March 2009 to win agreement to hold a special session on Sri Lanka were unsuccessful, despite support from some European countries. However, attempts to secure such a session continued and a special session eventually took place on 26-27 May. The Sri Lankan Government marshalled support from China, Russia, India, Pakistan and other countries to prevent a critical resolution being passed. Despite the efforts of a range of western governments, there was no call in the resolution that was eventually passed for an international war crimes investigation like the one it had mandated earlier in the year with regard to the conflict in Gaza.

Sri Lanka will also continue to be faced in the future by challenges of justice and reconciliation arising from the grave human rights abuses that have been committed by all armed groups in the course of the conflict, as documented over the years by international human rights groups and UN bodies, which have long declared that impunity reigns increasingly unchallenged in the country.

At an event in the IVTY courtroom, marking the Srebrenica massacre in July 2010, Secretary General Ban Ki Moon stressed the need to ensure accountability for those involved in the Muslim men by Bosnian Serb forces after they took over Srebrenica. He said “Until all those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes face those charges and are judged, our quest for justice, and the path towards healing, will remain incomplete.” Further, he said, “ We recognize the burden of families and loved ones who carry the memories and pain with each step,” and noted “And, we vow, together, never again to allow such an atrocity to happen at any time…in any place.” The Secretary General observed that the emergence of respect and trust after conflict depends heavily on bringing the perpetrators to account.

Sri Lankan Government

The Sri Lankan Government has said that its own courts will look into any war crimes allegations, although it has already stated that it believes such allegations to be unfounded. It seems highly unlikely, given the past record of the Government and the judiciary, that there will be a credible domestic judicial investigation into allegations that genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in the course of the conflict, with the possible exception of the former LTTE cadres now in custody.

However, in that event an international investigation of some kind remains possible. The US and EU have now endorsed the idea. The Security Council or the Human Rights Council could initiate such an investigation. However, Sri Lanka probably has enough allies on both bodies to prevent such an outcome.

For its part, the ICC could take up the issue either through referral by the Security Council (extremely unlikely) or under the independent authority of the Prosecutor. The latter would be highly controversial. The Prosecutor has not yet used this power and Sri Lanka is not a State Party to the Rome Statute. However, there have been calls by advocates of the Tamil cause for him to take up the issue of war crimes committed by four senior officials. He has not yet officially responded. Efforts to establish some kind of international war crimes investigation look set to continue, but the odds are strongly against a role for the ICC.

However, the mounting humanitarian crisis has compelled the UN Secretary General to name a panel of experts to advise him, on the way forward on accountability issues related to Sri Lanka. There recommendations have been handed over to the Secretary General. At present there is a tussle going on behind the scenes. Meanwhile, portions of the documents have been leaked to the press. Will these recommendations answer the prayers of the victims of this massacre? The Truth must be told and Justice must be done.

SAAG

SAAG is the South Asia Analysis Group, a non-profit, non-commercial think tank. The objective of SAAG is to advance strategic analysis and contribute to the expansion of knowledge of Indian and International security and promote public understanding.

35 thoughts on “Sri Lanka: Cry From The Graves? – Analysis

  • April 22, 2011 at 12:34 pm
    Permalink

    This is an absolute rubbish. This shows one thing that most of these so called experts of other countries affairs and writers are a bunch of ignorant people. Let me ask these people three questions only. If you can answer them with evidence I will accept these allegations.

    1. Where do the nearly half of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka live (out of North and East) and who are there neighbours for the last 100+ yeras and who runs the biggest businesses in Sri Lanka and where do they do business and to whom?

    2. Can the writer name what are the rights and facilities that the Tamil people of Sri Lanka has not got that sinhalese has? Does he know that most of the Sinhalese in the villages have much less than most of the Tamils in the North? If he wants I will arrange for him to go and see it by himself to see what suffering they are going through.

    3. How many Tamils have been killed by the “sinhalese”? Can you give a figure? Does he know that in 1971 riots in Sri Lanka how many Sinhalese were killed by the rioters and that not a single Tamil or Muslim were killed? Where were you guys then and why don’t you talk about it as it is also “genocide”. The writer talks about genocide of Tamils but the writer is ignorant that it was LTTE who wiped out all the sinhalese people from North and east and not only that they went into sinhalese villages and killed innocent children including babies, women, old and young. What evidence has he got to prove of genocide by sinhalese? The writer must know and understand that every country has some idiots who enjoys these activities. That does not mean majority of the Sinhalese people are like that and that in 1958 and 1982 Sinhalese people protected most of the Tamils and not these so called protectors of the West.

    So please get your facts rights before showing your ignorance of what you are talking about.

    Reply
    • April 22, 2011 at 8:54 pm
      Permalink

      typical sinhalese reply. they always say more than 50% live among sinhalese. But they fail to say how they live. Forms will need to be filled in sinhalese; disappearances, random check of tamils go unabated even now. In the north and east, if sinhalese think they care, why did they not allow international media to visit and interview them. They keep TNA MP Kanagaratinam, 4 doctors from Vanni in house arrest and yet in this reply sinhalese defend their war crime activities. Look at UN report. if sinhalese disagree, why dont they let international media to see and verify the facts mentioned in this UN report. Only time will tell what will happen in sinhala world.

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 2:24 pm
    Permalink

    Columbia is much better placed than Sri Lanka:

    Excellent lines below by the author:

    Fifty years of ethnic cleansing have wiped out whole generations who knew any sort of peace, and have made cohabitation between the Tamils and the Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka virtually impossible. The Sinhala politicians have transformed the country into a counter-insurgency state like Columbia, in which repression, torture, imprisonment without trial and disappeared people are institutionally embedded. It appears that it is an extremely difficult task for the Sri Lankans to reverse this process.

    Reply
    • April 22, 2011 at 4:15 pm
      Permalink

      Sandra, you are certainly blind if you were looking anything in SL except to keep complaining it was all Sinahal_Buddhist fault. OK, so what?? learn to live with it. You could make it only worse by cotinuing with this complain as the ‘chuvanists like me, keep on hardening the stance – against the Tamils who maintains they did not do anyhing worng??

      Reply
    • April 22, 2011 at 4:31 pm
      Permalink

      Hi Sandra. If the Colombia is much better than Srilanka, U better continue to stay there.U can form a Tamil government there.Why are u worry about Srilankan Tamils who are scattered all over the Island? All TNA MPs are living in Colombo, even when the war was at its peak they were with us. We tolerated them well.Mr Sampandan, the leader of the Tamil National alliance (Pro LTTE) has issued a statement in favor of Moon’s report while staying in the Colombo city.They make these false allegations while cohabiting with Sinhalese.It is the LTTE that wiped out Sinhalese from North and east.

      Reply
    • April 22, 2011 at 4:44 pm
      Permalink

      50 yrs of ethnic cleansing,MY FOOT.then how come Sea street Colombo is owned by the tamils with a buisness turn over of billions of Rupees annually in gem and juwellary trade.From where did the Tamils come to Wellawatte occupying 90% of land,from where did these Tamils come and Occupy major portions of real estate in Wattala,Kotahena,Bambalapitiya,Collpetty, and now slowly but surely encroaching Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia as well???And you call this ethnic cleansing ?? YES IT IS; not of the tamils but IT IS THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF THE SINHALA PEOPLE BY THESE TAMILS:You say Tamils have no rights ,Then again I say MY FOOT.The SIHALA HAVE NO RIGHTS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY ;THEY DARE NOT BUY LAND IN JAFFNA BECAUSE OF THIS THESAWALAMY LAW OF THE TAMILS:Now may I ask,IN WHICH COUNTRY IS IT ALLOWED FOR ITS´PEOPLE ONLINE OF ETHNICITY TO HAVE THEIR OWN LAWS??? NOW IS THIS NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE DEMOCRACY PRACTISED IN SRI LANKA ?

      Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 2:52 pm
      Permalink

      SEEING BETTER THINGS DOESNOT MEAN PEOPLE FEEL BETTER..TAMILS IN NORTH AND EAST FEEL WORSE.Glamourising Colombo and South does not mean Tamils live in peace in north.Their homes are occupied by Army.And tell me why is there HSZ?

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 3:16 pm
    Permalink

    WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    That’s not clear. The panel itself is only advisory and therefore has no standing to push an investigation forward. Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, so the only place an investigation could proceed would be on the U.N. Security Council.

    However, Sri Lanka has the firm backing of Russia and China, which it relied on to fend off Western pressure at the end of the war, both of whom have Security Council vetoes.

    Reuters

    Reply
    • April 22, 2011 at 4:51 pm
      Permalink

      Dear migara, Very pertinent question.It will be in the wast paper bin of the UN. It is the place it deserves.

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 3:59 pm
    Permalink

    not true. just go to colombo and you will see that +50% of all shops and other businesses are run by either tamils/muslims/hindu or even european decendents. No one even ask the question “from which community are you”… that’s how the multi-cultural sri lanka works. that’s the vision of Mahinda Rajapaksha too. You just have to go and experience the reality instead of listening to the reports from the bankrupt countries whose only way to survival seems to be destabilizing / igniting wars in others lands by using their spindoctor NGOs.

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:15 pm
      Permalink

      If sri lanka is multi cultural as you claim.WILL YOU LET A TAMIL BECOME PRESIDENT????enough is enough..

      Stop cheating tamils,by saying you love them.You expressed your love in 1956,1977 and 1983..!!and in 2009!!

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 4:07 pm
    Permalink

    Ethnic cleansing has been going on for a lot longer than 50 years. From the time that the Portugese came to Jaffna and Sankili came to a bitter end, the Sinhala people in the north have been evicted from their homes. When the Dutch deprived the King of control of the littoral the Tamils moved down the coast both in the East and the West. The Indians brought into Sri Lanka both to help with the administration and as labour for the Tea plantations are still in Sri Lanka. The more recent ethnic cleansing by the terrorist group LTTE is well documented.
    During all this there were small pockets of South Indians living in Colombo without harassment. Today nearly half the population in Colombo speak Tamil, and live quite happily alongside the other communities.
    The sorry tails of discrimination and the water works were used effectively to gain asylum in the West long before terrorism started. During the period of terrorism both sides were blamed to gain the same end result, without ever making the effort to go back to India.
    It is interesting that a figure of 500000 is mentioned as internally displaced in Sri Lanka. Some 200000+ are Muslims who were forcibly evicted from their homes and given just a few hours to get out taking with them the bear minimum they could carry. They live in the Puttalam area today. The rest is the human shield corralled during the last stages of the military campaign, most of whom have been sent back to their homes.
    The estimated 70000-100000 dead from the conflict did not all become Tamil in death. Near 20000 Sri Lankan soldiers died. Thousands upon thousands of Sinhala villagers were murdered by the terrorists using the most savage methods.
    The alleged missing are in Canada Australia etc, where they “gone forth and multiplied” as requested by their lord Parabhakran.
    The people who are left behind in Sri Lanka will come to their own arrangements and live with each other. It is those expats who sought asylym and then went back to Sri Lanka on holiday 2 years later, who cannot. They should remain where they are.

    Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 4:37 pm
    Permalink

    Ravi,

    Use of your language shows what type of person you are and therefore there is no need to even reply to your misguided thoughts and I believe you are one of those traitors if Sri Lankan to blame everything on Buddhists. Just simply produce the data and details to prove your point.

    Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 4:51 pm
    Permalink

    Who committed ethnic cleansing in Sri-Lanka? 100,000 muslims and 40,000 sinhalese were thrown out of the north alone by the LTTE. So who really did commit ethnic cleansing in Sri-Lanka I wonder.

    Besides LTTE supporting diaspora tamils who are a mare few percentages of the sri-lankan population have no rights whatsoever to dictate terms to the vast majority of the rest of Sri-Lanka and demand a large part of the country namely the northern and eastern provinces as exclusively their own. The rest of Sri-Lanka has totally dismissed your demands. Sri-Lanka is a multi cultural society and in a multi cultural society it is high time that the diaspora LTTE supporting tamils instead of writing extremist articles such as these full of highly inaccurate concoctions accept to live in a multi cultural society with the rest of Sri-Lankans in peace and harmony in a peaceful multi cultural society or if they cannot then live in peace in their respective adopted countries and leave Sri-Lanka alone.

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 2:58 pm
      Permalink

      YOu may SCREAM at the top of your voice..But History clearly shows north and east belongs to tamils.
      Who cares what sinhalese think???Tamils have all 5 reasons under UN and International Law for a separate land.!!Whether you like it or not that land belongs to tamils.Pointing out the large number of sinhalese against this is foolish.Cos laws dont care who is the majority.

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 4:52 pm
    Permalink

    You say the questions are answerable,Then answer damn it before draging religeon to it.YES SRI LANKA IS A BUDDHIST COUNTRY WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF TOLERANCE (AS PREACED BY THE GAUTHAMA BUDDHA)towards all other Religeons.

    Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 5:44 pm
    Permalink

    I Am a citizen of Sri Lanka, and I live in Sri Lanka, I wonder if this investigative panel had to wait in fear if their children would return from school safely, or drive by a bus without any fear, only us Sri Lankans know how we suffered in the hands of terrorism, and I am surprised to see the stand these countries have taken towards a terrorism free Sri Lanka, My dear Tamil friends, please understand that the Sinhalese government took the similar bold decision in 1978, and 1989 against a radical uprising, everyone who died was Sinhalese, if you consider yourself a Sri Lankan, be happy that you will not have to be blackmailed by LTTE any more, you will not have to pay money in the name of a ‘Cause’ in order to allow few individuals to maintain luxurious lifestyles, do not be fooled by western politics, first world will be always first only if countries like ours are in turmoil. due to this terrible war we lost many Innocent children,women and leaders who could have made a difference to our country, I dont know if They were Sinhalese or Tamil,but one thing I know is that they were all Citizens of Mother Lanka, Please understand that this war was not between a majority and a minority, it was between a sovereign country and a radical uprising within,trust between our communities have perished and it is time we start rebuilding our trusts, all this statements we make only make it more difficult, please understand that no foreign country can compensate for the trauma all communities have gone through, it is us who would need to work towards achieving,also please dont be fooled by the UN nor the west, they cannot give you what you seek,

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:11 pm
      Permalink

      Roshan..
      *There is no smoke without fire.
      Do you realize children of North and East do not live in their OWN houses??Why should they grow in the presence of military??why should they grow guns pointing to their heads??

      Sadly majority of Sinhalese DONOT care about tamils.Why?? Because they have supported governments from 1948 which had and is all the injustice in the book against tamils.!

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 6:25 pm
    Permalink

    It’s sad to see that the UN has once again fallen prey to the Western financial culpability/domination and their vested interest! Is that the mandate of the UN? Will the UN HR Council intervene if the US, France or UK breaks into civil war and when the State/Govt. uses its army /military forces to repeal domestic violence [terrorist]. Or is the word “terrorist” inter changeable to suit the UN HR Council and its vested alliance.

    Why did the UN not intervene in US, UK or France? Or when US African community where persecuted by the white American government backed cults/clans [http://www.counterpunch.org/stephens05132005.html ]? Or has the UN HR Council forgotten Ireland’s civil war and its leaders? Or more recently, when Bush, Dickcheny were found fabricating WMD’s in order to gain access to natural resources, at the expense of many thousand Iraqi lives [see wikileaks/John Perkins http://www.johnperkins.org/ also see http://www.counterpunch.org/stephens05132005.html%5D ?? Why is there no probe into the Abu Gharib torture chambers? Why not investigate the Goldstone report? Why not investigate Tony Blair/Gordon Brown’s UK government for war crimes and gruesome torture in Iraq [see UK Guardian 23rd March 2010 & AI report and http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=21143%5D? Is this something beyond the scope of UN HR Council when blood is shed with UN impunity and approval? Where is justice and the needed closure to the many families who have suffered by such atrocities at the hands of UK, US and UN/France, what happened “Justice/Democracy to the World at large and their pain”/Investigation into Human Rights ??

    “Let he who is without any sin among you caste the first stone” [John passage-8]

    The idea of ‘International Justice’, ‘Universal Right to Human Rights’ and ‘Human Equality’ is now none existent in the UN charter, it’s a shame to see the UN/US/UK/EU display its duplicity. The instigators subtle hand is evident to all of the Developing World and to all those who see its immorality in their line of work and destabilizing approach opponents of West is Best Ideology. This inaction by the UN HR council and the many lapses of investigation into its own Security Council Members is glaring and shameful to all righteous men. The UN is not worthy of serious thought and its ad hoc work is mere waste of Western Tax Payers Funds. Clearly what this report says it’s good to kill one ethnic group [the Sinhalese and Muslims, Moors, Burghers] who DO NOT seek favor with the West. Or put differently the UN HR Council supports those who sell their motherland to gain political asylum/social welfare from the West/Political patronage. It has been proved beyond reasonable doubt [see wikieleaks/John Perkins] that the same US/UN diplomats who talk about “War Crimes” and “Human Rights” obtain financial support for their own political campaigns/office, with social welfare monies been provided by the so called “domestic tax base” [see Political Corruption in America: an encyclopedia of scandals, power, and greed By Mark Grossman].

    What needs to be understood, is that in any civil conflict there is no one side that is right/wrong, nor can any side hold moral right to inflict death and destruction on another group for want of reason. In that case will the UN HR Council hold LTTE financiers and their sympathizer accountable? Will the UN bring the LTTE to book and also hand out equal punishment to those Sri Lankan’s [Tamils] who funded, colluded with the LTTE -Terrorist Org so deemed by US/UK/EU states, to commit many atrocities and destruction home and abroad? Aren’t they too found to be ‘Mens rea’ or to be held as accessory to mass murder?

    Sri Lanka does not need advice from outsiders. Therefore, let the people of Sri Lanka [all ethnic groups on the ground, who have suffered through a life time of 30 years because of the war, mentally and physically] deal with healing and reconciliation process in manner that will be right by all communities that have been affected. Both parties have had their fare share of death, loss of assets and loss of appreciation for life. Let the people who lived through this on the ground, therefore, deal with the wounds and find a path to mutual self respect, shared reconciliation and dignified co-habitation. The UN can keep its “So called” report in a place where it so chooses it belongs. As it does not belong to the People of SRI LANKA!

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:06 pm
      Permalink

      LAW TO ALL…

      Why isnt law same for all in srilanka????Why is Sarath in jail and Karuna,Pilliyan,KP enjoying luxury??There is DOUBLE STANDARDS within your government..Fix that before you blame West.!!

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 6:40 pm
    Permalink

    The responses to the article is convincing and spot on and most have hit it on the nail. What specific problems or discrimination the Tamils have undergone, which are unique to them? The country belongs to all races and Tamils live in most parts of Sri Lanka and co exist with Singhalese and Muslims in other provinces, especially Colombo, Kandy, Badulla, and the hill country. Take a look of Sri Lankan life in the cities and it shall give an answer.

    The truth is their life long ambition of obtaining a separate state by the indirect support of its white masters were crushed by the Sri Lankan forces. They seem to still smarting from that lost dream which they slowly nurtured and all most achieved. Yes folks, the manifestation of a defeated mind arising out of shock is quite understandable. One cannot do anything other than trying to take revenge by bringing on claims of abuses, which will take them no where as the resilient nation of Sri Lanka are marching on with gusto towards properity and stability.

    We have put up with 30 years of misery and we overcame it. Yes, we will stand by our nation under any challenges with the support and help of our international friends. We do have peace now and thats the biggest challenge we overcame.

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:00 pm
      Permalink

      Serbian people told Kosovans the same.”ITS JUST A DREAM,YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR LAND”..sadly international laws specially UN LAW doesnot work that way..It has made many DREAMS reality..

      Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 6:46 pm
    Permalink

    Singhalese people, if they want to retain their unique heritage must learn to respect human life and dignity. It is a very simple advice. I witnessed the 1971 killing of singhalese by singhalese!. There is something that is wrong with the singhalese character to kill, justify and then feel happy about it.

    Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 7:09 pm
    Permalink

    As the Russians stated, this so called UN Report is not sanctioned by UN members but a personal advisory request from Ban Ki- moon. This outrageous attempt to harm the ethnic reconciliation process underway in Sri Lanka will create bitterness and division among the communities. All the fact finding this panel did was from Tamil diaspora who financed LTTE and the die-hard supporters of LTTE. What do you expect to find ? The mistake the democratically elected Sri Lankan government did was not to allow this panel to visit Sri Lanka and talk to the people who were caught in the middle to find the truth. Government thought this UN panel will destabilise their own Truth and Reconciliation Commission, therefore they refused to cooperate.

    Let us analyse why UN is doing this.
    Prior to the ending of war, internationally banned terrorist outfit LTTE has been running a virtual government in Nnorth and East of the country forcefully taking away the children and training them as suicide bombers ,the concept they invented that other terrorists follow at present. This war has been going on for three decades where LTTE violated the rights of people ruling by the gun financially supported by Tamil diaspora overseas.

    During the final phase of the war in which Sri Lankan forces eliminated the LTTE and rescued hundred of thousands of civilians held captive as a human shield, USA, UK and Norway governments requested SL government to stop the war and offered safe passage to airlift 100 odd top leaders of LTTE and their families. USA did not want SL to be the first country to defeat terrorism when they were in a mess to control Iraq and Afghanistan. Also as per Wiki-leaks the Tamil diaspora virtually blackmailed western politicians for votes if they did not support LTTE. LTTE has smuggled the Tamil diasporas and smartly settled them in certain electorates to get the numbers significant enough have a say.

    Sri Lankan leaders stubbornly asked the West to go to hell. Wiki-leaks confirm what was said to David Milliband and the French FM in Colombo. This is why these countries have a vendetta against Sri Lanka for revenge. They were the colonial masters after all. Now most of the UN funding comes from these western countries especially USA. It is not rocket science to understand UN is a puppet of the western world. UN sanctions, the invasion of countries western powers don’t like / vested interest in resources are paving way to massive human right violation of civilians caught in the middle.

    Ban Ki-moon is near the end of his term in office and is due for re-election. No secretary general is appointed without the blessing of the major funding nations. Who is Mr Ban trying to please now? Sri Lankan nation or his masters who can reappoint him? Ban Ki Moon and his UN does not care a donkey about what the truth is but only their own interests. I wonder what the UN has to say regarding the Iraq indiscriminate bombing (shock and awe tactics), Guantanamo Bay enquiry in US and Iraq enquiry in UK that were swept under the carpet by the respective governments.

    Reply
  • April 22, 2011 at 7:56 pm
    Permalink

    Subramaniam,
    Please note that it is not only Sinhalese who have criminals and a good example is LTTE and they are Tamils and they have killed many thousands of innocent Sinhalese village babies by smashing their heads on rocks at the start and innocent women, old people etc etc. How many sinhalese have you heard blame all these on Tamils except LTTE? That shows one thing Sinhalese are intelligent enough to seperate the Terrorists from the good people. So please don’t generalise things. LTTE terrorists (worlds most dangerous and ruthless)were far more worse than the JVP in 1971, as they didn’t target babies, children women and older.

    If Sinhalese catagorised people or a race the same way you have done, then all Tamils are dangerous and there is definitely something big is wrong with the Tamils. But I don’t believe it is true. I always say majority of the Tamil people are very good people. Americans have killed millions of innocent Vietnamese, Cambodians, Iraqis and Afghan people. Does that mean that all American people have a big problem?

    So Subramaniam please think before you write otherwise people can think you are unintelligent.

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:03 pm
      Permalink

      ROHAN…
      600 policemen were shot by KARUNA AND PILLYAN!!ALL the crimes mentioned by you were done by then east commander KARUNA..Why have you let him in your goverment??Why is KP ,who bought arms to kill you soldeirs living luxury while Sarath is in jail..DOUBLE STANDARDS????

      Reply
  • April 23, 2011 at 2:47 am
    Permalink

    This is propoganda work of LTTE sympathizers. The so called UN and other agencies where they were when this conflict was at full gear and so many people were dying. Where the NGO were when LTTE accumilated all those weapons with their assistance. The fact after the anahilation of LTTE leadership there had been not a single bomb blast indicate who were responsible for all that terror. This government should be credited for removing the fear of death from over 20 million people. Who is talking for those 20 million people. UN had become a joke when the Secretary General can appoint people of his liking to slander another soverign nation.

    Reply
  • April 23, 2011 at 7:32 am
    Permalink

    Dear All
    I am a Sri Lankan Muslim. I want a HONEST and TRUE TO HEART reply from all the readers, I feel Sri Lanka as a COUNTRY is very unfortunate in many ways. If by any CHANCE the TAMIL TIGERS were MUSLIMS how many would have cared and how many would have even bothered to take time to COMMENT on these pages, would all these so called WORLD LEADERS who care about HUMAN RIGHTS and The UNITED NATIONS would have bothered, also IMAGINE the PRAISE accolades our PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapakse would have received IF IT WERE MUSLIM TIGERS. In view of this STUBBORN FACT i sincerely urge all readers to DIG DEEP into their hearts what ever RELIGION one may BELONG before shooting off the HIP.
    Thank You

    Reply
  • April 23, 2011 at 10:36 am
    Permalink

    Firstly people need to understand that Sri Lanka’s conflict is revolved around not just one issue.
    a) Colonial divide & rule policies led to Sinhalese being purposely marginalized & Tamils given best of education & eventually employment.
    b) This is one reason for Tamils to demand 50-50 representation upon independence because they had been getting the best of civil society.
    c) The party ITAK (translated to mean separate state) was artfully translated to mean Federal Party but was calling youth to arm themselves to fight for a separate state well before Prabakaran came into the scene.
    d) these calls for separatism in Sri Lanka coincided with India’s separatist calls in Tamil Nadu…which still desires to separate from North Indian hedgemony.
    e) North Indian Government was quick to strategize to export Tamil Nadu separatist desire to Sri Lanka so that Tamil Nadu would watch & see independent Tamil Eelam emerge in Sri Lanka..though India was not going to allow this to happen, India was going to allow LTTE to prevail but ensure India was in control at all times…even if it meant it would do nothing against LTTE for killing Rajiv Gandhi…
    f) Sri Lanka’s strategic positioning means much to western as well as India & China. It is this importance that makes all nations attempt to be friends of Sri Lanka
    g) The diaspora that went to reside in foreign shores on the pretext of discrimination enjoyed repeating these genocide & racism calls so that they could apply for citizenship. They were also collecting funds as well as carrying on nefarious illicit activities like drugs, human smuggling from which they bought over powerful foreign politicians & institutes..these are the voices that emerge & come with biased reports
    h) yes more than half of the Tamils live amongst the Sinhalese…why are they not going to live in the North which is now free…the number of Tamils coming to live in Colombo has increased…if the Sinhalese are ill treating them this cannot happen?

    Without knowing the full story…people should not write or comment…

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:35 pm
      Permalink

      Shenali

      I think you should learn history first.!Your comment reflect the typical sinhalese mentality.
      A)First governor of Srilanka under british law was a sinhalese.Not tamil.
      B) Tamils claims 50/50 because they are NATIVES of srilanka just like sinhalese.They require equal rights and opportunities in all fields just like sinhalese.
      C) After 1956,1963,1977 riots,do you expect any one in right mind to have peaceful talks with sinhalese??or choose to take arms??
      D) Call for separate Tamil Nadu took place in 1963.Call for Tamil eelam took place in 1977!!Do not try to rewrite history.!!
      E)Why did JR Jeyawardane turn to India in 1987 for help??SO it is right for JR to ask help from India but not oppressed tamils from their brothers in tamil nadu??
      F) West help to destroy LTTE is larger than China and India combined.Mahinda knows that.!Mahinda said YES and agredd to all deals from WEST.But after War he betrayed them.Naturally what do you expect from West??
      G) Sinhalese too went to Europe and CANADA.THEY APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIPS AS A TAMIL.You claims about drugs lacks evidence.Just shows you would stoop to any level to blame tamils.
      H) Tamils are not going to North because their house and land is occupied by Army in the name of HSZ.How do you expect someone to live when the do not have a house and land??

      So Shenali since you do not understand the plight of tamils,you should not write or comment about them.!

      Reply
  • April 23, 2011 at 1:00 pm
    Permalink

    Shenali,

    Thanks for your honest analysis of the situation. I believe people should read this and think before making any comments. Truth always hurts for some because they have been brained washed and cannot accept anything else. Those people are like frogs in the “well” thinking what is around you is the whole world.

    Reply
  • April 23, 2011 at 5:44 pm
    Permalink

    Guys!!! I am a Sri Lankan Tamil and i live in Sri Lanka for last 25 years.. well my UN mates, Sri Lanka is not Colombia…. trust me its far better place than Colombia…. Tamils are living peacefully among Sinhalese….

    Terrorists only created a ethnic problem in this country and they tried to divide the country…

    Now war is over my dear UN mates…. Stop talking about war crimes… Now we are slowly progressing towards economic growth and we are breathing the freedom after 30 years… During war time, we couldnt even travel in Bus because all were scared of LTTE bombing….. So Stop ur nonsense UN…

    Well innocent civilians might have been killed during war time, but please think guys, LTTE used innocent civilians as a shield to cover them self… Tamils tigers used innocent tamils as to protect them self from the Army… so now think LTTE said they are freedom fighters for Tamils, but killed innocent Tamils who tried to escape from them…..

    So my dear UN mates, what ever happened in past, is gone… Now we are progressing toward a economic growth and living freely here… so do not spoil it….

    Again i am saying i am Tamil and i have been living here for last 25 yrs, but i have never got harrassed by a Sinhalese or anyone….

    Reply
    • April 25, 2011 at 3:41 pm
      Permalink

      Shruthi..

      I believe you are a tamil.I totally believe it.

      LTTE didnot create this ethnic problem.ETHNIC PROBLEM CREATED LTTE..so shruthi my dear please learn history.

      You kill your father and police arrests you, can you say what ever happened is past,lets forget and proceed??Darling one cannot kill 40000-100000 civilians and simply say “lets forget it” and get away!!

      Reply
  • April 25, 2011 at 2:54 pm
    Permalink

    Lion.Tell me why SL army has occupied people’s houses??they have no place to live!land is taken in the name of HSZ..these are violations and termed as “genocide”.These are the reasons why Tamils moved to colombo.!If srilanka is so peaceful Tell me why so many sinhalese migrated to UK and USA???

    Reply
  • July 3, 2012 at 4:14 pm
    Permalink

    Wisdom ,
    Thank you for educating the Suruthi but
    I would like to add more things
    Suruthi you are only 25 years old and no other Tamil history experience you are lucky after 1983 there is no riots in your town (colombo)
    here is the details of Tamil ethnic genocide
    ETHNIC PROBLEM CREATED by Racist Sinhala politicians and Monks
    1970 Tamils quality education cut throat by Racist sinhala politicians
    Then the student Movement Started by Pon Sivakumaran
    Again Sri Lankan gov hunt for All Tamil youths and put them in jail with out justice
    Military abducted tamil youths and killed
    1977 Riots
    1981 Riots
    1983 Riots
    Then these
    ETHNIC PROBLEM CREATED LTTE
    Then there is no Riots after 1983

    Moderator ,please publish this because the young generation of tamil you who living in Capital of sri lanka have no history of violence against Tamils

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *