Hillary Clinton on Terrorism - Finally somebody is starting to get it!

Whoo-Hoo! The world now takes note of the plight of civilians in the North East!

After the bomb went off in Nugegoda this week, and killed 17 civilians, I learned a lesson. In order to get the world to focus on the plight of civilians in the North East, it is essential that some civilians have to perish in the South, particularly Colombo. Otherwise, the world just ignores them totally - almost as if they don't even exist, let alone their plight!

After all, US, EU, UN, Canada, Amenesty International, and now Human Rights Watch and SLMM, have spoken out on the deaths of civilians ONLY and ONLY after civilians were killed in a bomb attack.

Honestly, I wish civilians didn't have to do die in the North East or the South, Tamils or Singhalese, but it's sad, how the world ignores all the civilian deaths in the North East and only takes notice when bombs start exploding in the South.

Perhaps they are worried about the five star hotels that accommodates them during their visits to Sri Lanka, will be targeted???

The Sort of Sanity the world needs..

When Kadirgamar was killed, and Bob Rae wrote about his relationship with him, it peeved me. It was still a loss of human life, but people like Kadirgamar are the reason the war has been dragging on for so long. Worse still, Kadirgamar and the average Tamil were worlds apart when it comes to the war and the ethnic problem. So, it still peeves me.

However, I came across a really good article on Bob Rae's Blog, and I have to say, this time he is right on the mark.

"Deep change on both sides, and a willingness to accept the legitimacy of the other are at the heart of any successful political dynamic for peace and reconciliation."

All Tamils, whether they are LTTE members, supporters, or haters, agree on one thing - they want the war to end.

That is what we've been asking the world to help us with. Instead, what we got were, being labelled as terrorists, our charities banned, our TV stations banned, and our fellow Tamils being arrested. Why, is it hard for the world to recognize our struggle as legitimate? Why is it so easy for them to side with the extremists in Sri Lanka, and arm them?

Anyways, Bob Rae's full article can be found here.

US, Canada, EU, UN, etc, condemn attacks...

Yet again we see Hypocrisy at work.

Government of Sri Lanka has been killing great many civilians, many of them Tamil in the Tamil Homeland as well as in the South for some time now. Yet, the international community choses to always keep mum. However, when civilians die in the South in an attack blamed on the LTTE, the International community hops on the bandwagon, and starts condemning the attacks.

Why is that always a Sinhalese person has to die before the world ever speaks out? Are Tamil lives not equal to Sinhala lives? As hard it is, I refuse to believe such notion. I believe it has everything to do with what LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirabhakaran said in his Maveerar Naal speech. The world keeps mum about what is happening to Tamils, because Tamils have no country for themselves. No nation would speak up for Tamils, because no nation is represented by Tamils.

Every time, we want the Sri Lankan government's actions to be condemned, we have to literally beg the MPs wherever we live, to take notice of what our brethren are enduring in Sri Lanka. Even in India, Tamil Nadu still has to beg, and beg the Central government to not provide aid, not play a hand in the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

However, it is easy for Sri Lanka. All it has to do is contact the high commissions, and ask the respective countries to take action.

Hence, when civilians are killed in North East. Tamils write letters, hold protests and vigils, but nothing comes out because everybody is afraid of appearing to support terrorists. However, when civilians are killed in the South, Sri Lankan High commissions go into action. Their respective countries go on a condemning spree.

However just so they get everything write, they look at some more civilian deaths that happened in the very recent past.

Et voila, we get condemnations from the western countries, and UN for the bombings in the South, and a mention of civilian deaths in the Tamil homeland just so they "appear" neutral.

Deadly bomb attacks in Sri Lanka

It is quite sad that 17 lives have to be ended so violently.

After successfully attacking Sri Lankan Military targets for a while now, I can't quite imagine the LTTE now resorting to targeting pure civilian targets. Although, the police have claimed that it was the LTTE that conducted this attack, I hesitate to believe them. The Sri Lankan Police are notorious for blaming everything on the LTTE.

The only reason I can fathom for why the LTTE would resort to such attacks (if they were indeed responsible), is because they have totally given up on the International Community. In all honesty, great many countries have labelled the LTTE as terrorists, ironically most of those countries i.e. Canada and EU that remained supportive to the LTTE during war times, decided to ban the LTTE during peace times. Wonder what kind of message that sends to the LTTE?

If a Tamil Charity, that does without a doubt do an enormous amount of aid work in the North East, in the war front is banned by the US, then does it really matter if the LTTE does blow up civilians in the South or Not? One more thing about TRO, once an area gets too dangerous for people to go into, international NGOs usually avoid those areas. However, TRO members, risking their own lives do go into areas deemed too dangerous, just to help those who are stranded in those areas.

Anyhow, back on topic, once upon a time, LTTE did target civilians, and they got labeled as terrorist, despite the Sri Lankan government resorting to the same tactics. Then, as the LTTE grasped what the International community cared about, they wholly avoided targeting civilians. Yet, nations continued to ban them. The final act must have been the recent banning of TRO by the US. After that act, does it really matter what the LTTE does?

The whole world knows about the atrocities being committed by the Sri Lankan Government. The amount of people being killed, disappeared, and kidnapped speaks volumes about the Government. Let's not forget about the Sri Lankan Government having a hand in recruitment of child soldiers in the East, or the constant aerial bombardment in the North, where innocent Tamils continue to be killed.

Yet, despite all these atrocities, countries that are otherwise enemies, come together to provide financial and military aid to Sri Lanka.

Iran just lended Sri Lanka $1.5 Billion, while US just recently donated military equipment.

What is apparent is that the world doesn't give 2 cents about what happens to civilians in the North East, they continue to arm the brutal Sri Lankan Government. Governments are not going to remove the LTTE from their terrorist list. They are not going to recognize the TRO as a legitimate charity. They are not going to heed the Tamils' cries for help.

Further more, no matter what happens, western media, including AP, Reuters, etc are going to take the Sri Lankan governement's word when writing articles about what happened in Sri Lanka. They are going to portray the likes of Douglas Devananda as heroes, even though this man alone contributed to the deaths and assaults of so many Tamil youths.

So why does it matter now, whether the LTTE attacks civilians in the South or not?

Perhaps, the only deterrent would be that innocents would be killed, but that hadn't exactly stopped the Sri Lankan Government from killing innocent Tamils or the world from funding the government's rampage . So why should it deter the LTTE, when such acts would take a toll on Sri Lanka financially, and eventually lead to it's collapse, a few years from now? After all, if no country is going to side with the LTTE, even when they are behaving good, then, shouldn't the LTTE exercise the only options it currently has?

Bulls Eye!

November 27 saw yet another Maveerar Naal (Martyr's Day), and yet another speech by LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirabhakaran. Personally, I think in this speech he hit the point right on. What he said in his speech resonates with what the Tamils world over are feeling currently, particularly towards the International Community. He couldn't have expressed our thoughts any more better. To that, I thank him!

The speech by Leader Vellupillai Pirabhakaran provided by Tamilnet is as follows:


The 21st century began as the ‘Asian century’ and the world is looking towards Asia. Many countries in our region have grown in leaps and bounds in social, economical and scientific fields. They are researching space, moon and atom. The whole human race is taking up new challenges and has embarked on a united path, seeking answers to many of nature’s mysteries and looking for remedies to incurable diseases. It is seeking to protect the entire globe and its plant and animal lives. Sadly, the Sinhala nation is moving in exactly the opposite direction, on a path of destruction. It is trying to destroy the Tamil nation and, in the process, it is destroying itself. This beautiful island continues to soak in blood.

Buddhism is a profound spiritual duty. Its philosophy emphasizes a life without desires, a life of love and justice. The Sinhala nation, claiming that it has followed this path for more than two thousand years, has in fact remained immersed in the poison of racism. It is unleashing unthinkable violence against another people. During the long history of the Tamil struggle, first through non-violence and later through armed struggle, the Sinhala mindset has remained unchanged. The Sinhala nation did not change even after so much destruction and lost lives. It continues on the path of violence. It only desires to find a solution to the Tamil question through military might and oppression. It cunningly evaded efforts to seek peace and is boldly taking forward its military plan. The international community’s economic and military aid, its moral and political support, its diplomatic efforts, and its one-sided involvement directly aided this turn of events.

We know very well that the military, economic and geo-political interests of the world’s powers are embedded in our region. We understand their concern to take forward their interests. We also recognize the concerns of the international community to bring about stability and good governance to this island for these reasons. At the same time the chauvinistic Sinhala State is attempting to exploit this interest in our region of the international powers. It is trapping the international community in its chauvinistic project and turning the international community against the Tamil freedom struggle. Our people are dismayed and disappointed that these countries, trapped in the deceptive net of the Sinhala State, are being unhelpful in their involvement to resolve our problem. These one-sided involvements of foreign powers are not new in our prolonged struggle. India intervened in our national question then as part of its regional expansion. India signed an accord with the Sinhala State without the consent of the Tamils. The Indo-Lanka Accord was not signed to meet the aspirations of the people of Tamil Eelam. In fact, India then attempted to force an ineffectual solution on our people - a solution which did not even devolve powers to the extent of the Banda-Chelva pact signed in the 1950’s. India tried to enforce that accord with the strength of more than 100,000 Indian forces, with the power of the agreement between two countries and with the assistance of treacherous Tamil paramilitary groups. However, even this ill-considered solution, which did not even address the basic national aspirations of the Tamils, was blocked by the chauvinistic Sinhala State.

We are intimately familiar with the Sinhala State and its deceptive politics. Our people have a long history of bitter experiences. That is why we explained to India on many occasions, at many locations and at many levels about the implacability of Sinhala chauvinism. We explained to India then that the aim of the Sinhala State was not to find a solution to the Tamil question and bring peace; but to occupy the Tamil homeland, destroy its resources, and enslave the Tamil nation. India refused to accept this reality. As a result our land witnessed great sorrow and destruction.

Today, the international community is making the same mistake that India made many years ago. Even the countries that are the guardians of the peace efforts succumbed to the deception of the Sinhala State and listed our freedom movement as a terrorist organization. What we find most incomprehensible is the fact that these same nations, which labeled us terrorists, not so long ago fought in defence of their own freedom.

The Sinhala nation is unable to stomach the support of our Diaspora for the Tamil freedom struggle; it is unable to accept the humanitarian help and the political lobbying by the Diaspora to end the misery heaped on our people. That is why the Sinhala nation is trying hard to shatter the bond between our people in our homeland and our Diaspora. Some countries are also assisting this amoral effort of Sinhala chauvinism. These countries are denouncing, as illegal activities, the humanitarian actions and political protests of our people abroad – actions that are carried out according to the laws of those countries. These countries have imprisoned and humiliated Tamil campaigners and representatives. These countries have ridiculed their protests and their efforts to seek justice.

This partisan and unjust conduct of the international community has severely undermined the confidence our people had in them. And it has paved the way for the breakdown of the ceasefire and the peace efforts. Furthermore, the generous military and economic aid they have given to the Sinhala State and their diplomatic efforts to prop up the chauvinistic Sinhala State has encouraged the Sinhala nation further and further along its militaristic path. This is the background to the confidence of the Rajapake regime in continuing with its unjust, inhuman war of occupation of our land.

Overconfident of its military victory over the Tamil freedom movement, the Rajapakse regime has shut fast the door for peace. The desire to oppress the Tamils has intensified as never before. With the entire world giving support, the Sinhala State, using the ceasefire as cover, and exploiting the peace environment, prepared its war of occupation. The SLMM that was monitoring the peace covered its eyes, tied its hands behind back, and went to sleep in Colombo. The exhausted Norwegian facilitators remained silent. The countries that preached peace to us also went silent and refused to speak out. The Sinhala State started its war and justified it with slogans like ‘War for Peace’, ‘War against terrorism’ and ‘War for the liberation of the Tamils’.

The Rajapakse regime assembled its military might and let loose a massive war on the eastern region of our homeland. This part of our homeland became a wasteland after incessant bombing and shelling. Trincomalee, the famous Tamil capital, was destroyed. Batticaloa, an ancient cultural city of the Tamils, became a land of refugees. Jaffna, the cultural centre of the Tamils, was cut off from the rest of the world and turned into an open prison.

The Sinhala State’s war of genocide destroyed the peaceful life of the Tamils. It turned the Tamils into refugees in their own homeland, ruined their nation’s social and economical infrastructure and plunged them into unprecedented hardships. While our motherland, caught within gruesome Sinhala military rule, is destroyed, Sinhalisation of our historic territory is going on under the pretexts of High Security Zones and Free Trade Zones. This naked Sinhalisation proceeds by the hoisting of Lion flags, the erection of Sidharthan statues, the renaming of Tamil streets with Sinhala names, the building of Buddhist temples. Sinhala settlements are mushrooming in the Tamil homeland.

The unjust war, the economic blockade, the restrictions on our people’s freedom of movement, the killing of thousands, the displacement of hundreds of thousands, have all deeply wounded the Tamil psyche. The Sinhala nation is celebrating this tragedy as a victory. It is lighting firecrackers believing it has defeated the Tamils. The Sinhala military leadership believes that its occupation of the east has been completed and the barbed wire noose around the neck of Jaffna has been tightened. The Sinhala nation arrogantly believes it has manacled the eastern coast from Pothuvil to Pulmoddai. The Sinhala leadership thus believes it has won great victories against our struggle.

The Sinhala nation has always misunderstood our freedom struggle. It consistently underestimates us. Only after carefully scrutinising the global situation and external conditions; only after accurately estimating the strengths and weaknesses of the adversary; only after gauging the enemy’s goals and strategies; only after ensuring that we remain focused on our own strategy; only then did we implement our plans to take our liberation struggle forward. We have strategically withdrawn from the east while launching defensive attacks. The Sinhala nation could have learnt the dangers of putting its feet too wide apart in our land as it did during past battles. But the Sinhala military has fallen yet again into the net we spread and it is now forced to commit large numbers of troops to rule land without people. Caught in a territorial trap, it will soon be forced to face the serious consequences of its misguided ambitions.

Operation ‘Ellalan’, the very first combined Black Tiger and Tamil Eelam Air Force attack was a massive blow to the Sinhala military. It has disrupted the daydreams of the Sinhala nation. The Sinhala nation has not emerged from this massive shock delivered by our beloved fighters. The immeasurable dedication and sacrifice of our Heroes is delivering a message to the Sinhala nation. Those who plan to destroy the Tamil nation will in the end be forced to face their own destruction.

The Rajapakse regime is never going to realize that the Tamil national question cannot be resolved by military oppression. The Sinhala leadership is not going to shed its desire for military supremacy or the Sinhalisation of the Tamil homeland. The Rajapakse regime is working hard to import more and more destructive weapons from all over the world without care for the cost. Therefore, it is not going to give up its war of genocide.

The All Party Representative Committee was appointed by the Rajapakse regime to spread a smokescreen over the misery that its military adventures are creating in the Tamil homeland and to deceive other governments to get their aid and support. We clearly predicted this would happen one year ago. We have been proved right. After dragging on without putting forward any solution, the committee has gone on holiday.

The past sixty years have proven beyond any doubt that no political party in the South has the political honesty or firmness in policy to find a just solution to the Tamil national question. It has been also proved beyond any doubt that none of the Southern parties are ready to accept the core principles for a lasting peace: the Tamil homeland, the Tamil nation and the Tamil Right to self determination. The ruling party is adamant on unitary rule; the red and yellow parties are calling for no solution at all; and the main opposition party, somersaulting from its earlier position, is, on the one hand, saying nothing concrete and using evasive language to support the military actions of the government and, on the other hand, saying it supports peace efforts. All this clearly clarifies our point and proves beyond doubt that all the Sinhala political parties are essentially chauvinistic and anti-Tamil. To expect a political solution from any of these southern parties is political naivety.

The Sinhala nation showed eagerness in the peace talks only when we shattered their ‘Operation Fireball’ military action and made them realize that the Tigers cannot be defeated. It was only when we proved our military prowess and only when we were militarily in a position of strength that the Sinhala nation signed the ceasefire agreement. Now, with abundant monetary and military aid from several countries, it has rehabilitated its destroyed military and has prepared itself for war again. It is yet again walking the military path having abandoned the peace path.

The Rajapakse regime, after unilaterally abrogating the ceasefire agreement, is ruthlessly implementing its military plan to remove the contiguity of the Tamil homeland. It has killed and disappeared thousands of our people. It reprimands and controls the Norwegian facilitators. It vehemently criticizes the SLMM. It even dares to brand senior UN officials as terrorists in order to hide its own terrorism. It is obscuring the ground reality in the Tamil homeland by striking fear among journalists and NGO workers.

The world’s powers, even while taking forward their own geo-political interests, respect human rights and democratic institutions. Be it this universe, human affairs or international relationships, they all revolve on the wheel of justice. That is why nations like East Timor and Montenegro broke free of their subjugation and gained their freedom with the help and support of the international community. Even now, the international community continues to work for the freedom of nations like Kosovo.

Yet the actions of the international community with respect to our own national question are unjust. The confidence our people placed in the international community has been eroded. By only paying lip-service to peace the international community has contributed to the killing of an extraordinary son of our nation, Tamilselvan. It has stopped the heartbeat of a light that walked the path of peace. I will be lighting the lamp for my dear brother, Tamilselvan, who until last year was with me every time we, with a burning desire to reach our goal, lit the lamps for our fallen Heroes. The international community has made the entire Tamil world drown in its tears. Had the international community firmly and unambiguously condemned the anti-peace activities and the war mongering of the Sinhala regime, Tamilselvan would be alive today. A huge blow would not have fallen on peace efforts.

The Co-chairs, acting as the guardians of the peace process, have failed in their responsibility. If the Co-chairs do not have a moral obligation to protect peace efforts, what exactly is the purpose of their meeting from time to time in different places? Is it their intent to assist the Sinhala regime to wipe out the Tamils? Questions like these have arisen in the minds of our people. Our people firmly expect that at least from now on the international community will take a new approach in relation to our freedom struggle. On this sacred day it is the hope of our people that the international community will cease giving military and economic aid to the Sinhala regime and accept the right to self determination and the sovereignty of the Tamil nation.

My beloved people,

We are an ancient people with special qualities. We have a unique national identity and national foundation. We have been struggling non-violently and by armed struggle for a very long time against national oppression. We are not terrorists, committing blind acts of violence impelled by racist or religious fanaticism. Our struggle has a concrete, legitimate, political objective. We are struggling only to regain our sovereignty in our own historical land where we have lived for centuries, the sovereignty which we lost to colonial occupiers. We are struggling only to reestablish that sovereignty and rebuild our nation. The Sinhala nation is continuing to reject our just and civilized demands for freedom. Instead, it has declared a genocidal war on our land and our people. Behind the smokescreen of fighting terrorism, it is creating immense human misery.

Despite our people enduring injustice and oppression, facing death, destruction and massive displacement, no country, no nation, no international organization has raised its voice on our behalf. We face this situation alone because, although 80 million Tamils live all around the globe, the Tamils do not have a country of their own.

On this day, when we remember our Heroes, I ask the entire Tamil speaking world to rise up for the liberation of Tamil Eelam. I wish to express my love and gratitude to you for your past participation in the building of our nation, bringing together your abundant intellectual, material, monetary and many other resources in the service of our nation and ask that you stand with us in the coming years of our freedom struggle.

Thousands of our fighters are standing ready to fight with determination for our just goal of freedom and we will overcome the hurdles before us and liberate our motherland. On this day when we remember our Heroes who sacrificed themselves for this sacred goal, let each one of us carry their dream in our hearts and struggle until it is achieved.

National Post

Recently, National Post, a Canadian Newspaper that caters to the Extreme Right in Canada, and is known amongst the Tamil Community for taking a one sided stance with regards to the Sri Lankan Conflict, published an editorial titled "The Post editorial board: The Liberals' LTTE disgrace."

Initially, when I read it, I was filled with anger, not necessarily because NP was taking an anti-Tamil stance, but because the National Post often uses our suffering to further their agenda of bashing the Liberals, like it did in this editorial.

But then as I read the comments posted on the same page by it's readers, my anger subsided. There were comments posted by both the Pro Sri Lankan Government, and Pro LTTE people. For the most part, the comments speak volumes about what kind of people support the view point of the editorial - hateful people, who are only a very small minority of the beautiful multicultural Canada.

Anyhow, here are some letters written by John Mckay, Liberal MP, and someone named Dr. Nicolaas Paul L.G. Verhoeff, Toronto, who seemed to have understood the repercussions of Tamilchelvan anna's assassination.

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Killing a peace negotiator

John McKay, National Post

Published: Friday, November 09, 2007

In its rush to judgment about my reasons, as well as those of my Liberal colleagues, for attending a Markham, Ont., vigil for S.P. Thamilselvan, the National Post has produced an editorial that appears to have completely missed the vigil's point ("The Liberals' LTTE Disgrace," Nov. 7). Mr. Thamilselvan was the chief peace negotiator for the Tamil Tigers. He was working to bring an end to Sri Lanka's protracted and bloody conflict between the Tigers and the Sri Lankan government.

The peace process in Sri Lanka is shaky at the best of times. Even so, the negotiations offered a glimmer of hope amidst the country's vicious civil war. Though he was indeed seen as a revolting character by many, Mr. Thamilselvan played a role that was constructive enough to warrant the government of Norway, which was mediating the peace talks, to describe him as "an important contact point in the facilitation of the peace process." With his assassination, that hope for peace dims considerably.

Just as the government of Israel regarded PLO leader Yasser Arafat as a repugnant individual, even as the Israelis' dealt with him during the Oslo and Camp David peace talks, I am sure that the government of Sri Lanka holds a similar view of Mr. Thamilselvan. Unfortunately, though, one does not get to choose who will negotiate on behalf of one's enemy. The best that can be expected from a civilized government is that officials, in the search for a resolution, will hold their noses and pursue peace talks with the other side, regardless of who is sitting across the table from them.

Mr. Thamilselvan's death casts doubt on the Sri Lankan government's commitment to peace. Yet its conflict with the Tamil Tigers will not be resolved through military force. Unfortunately, the National Post's editorial ignored this fact. Instead, the article dwelled on the largely irrelevant Toronto-area ethno-political implications surrounding the response to Mr. Thamilselvan's assassination.

The Post editorial board should be condemning the government of Sri Lanka for aborting the peace process by killing Mr. Thamilselvan, and calling on both sides in this conflict to return to the negotiating table. Where, I wonder, is your thundering editorial condemning state-sanctioned assassinations of peace negotiators? Peace in Sri Lanka is obviously not top of mind at the Post. Launching broadside attacks on Liberal MPs is.

What is of concern to me are the deaths of thousand of Sri Lankan civilians, the creation of more refugees and the destruction of the peace process. That is why I attended this week's memorial service: to lament what will undoubtedly be the start of renewed and more intensified violence in Sri Lanka. - John McKay is the MP for Scarborough-Guildwood in Toronto.

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The LTTE is not like Hamas

National Post

Published: Friday, November 09, 2007

Re: The Liberals' LTTE Disgrace, editorial, Nov. 7.

The comparison of the LTTE to Hamas is both a simplification and an overstatement. Apart from the fact that the Sri Lankan government uses weapons acquired from Israel to attack not only the LTTE but also the civilian Tamil population, on closer inspection there is less in common between these organizations than one might think.

Hamas is, like other Islamist organizations and nations, anti-Western and a potential threat to Western civilization. The LTTE is not. Hamas openly endorses the destruction of Israel, whereas the LTTE only wants a Tamil Eelam homeland with either independence or a very large degree of autonomy.

Sinhalese and Tamils can and will live in peace in Sri Lanka. But the peace process requires an open assessment of the strengths and flaws of both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, as well as more moderate Tamil groups that can effectively contribute to peace. And in this process all of these should be heard and not marginalized.

Dr. Nicolaas Paul L.G. Verhoeff, Toronto.