British Moves to Resuscitate
the receding Tamil Tiger Terrorists
SRI LANKA UNITED NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
Box 55292, 300 Borough Drive, Toronto, Ontario M1P 4Z7 Canada
Website: www.sluna.org E-mail: sluna@idirect.com
MEDIA RELEASE May 10, 2007
British Moves to Resuscitate the receding Tamil Tiger Terrorists
The British Parliament is attempting to flout her own Anti-Terrorism
Laws to provide a platform for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE), an internationally designated terrorist group, by inviting
the terrorist spokesperson Thamilselvam to visit UK and address the
House of Commons. This move is being spearheaded by the Right Hon.
Keith Vaz, MP, and a few other members of parliament, especially at
a time when the Tamil Tiger Terrorists who launched a multi-pronged
attack in mid-2006 to forcibly carve out a mono-ethnic racist separate
state in Sri Lanka have had to retreat in the face of retaliatory
attacks by Sri Lanka’s security forces compelling them to give
up a swath of territory illegally held by them in the east of the
island. Many Sri Lankans are wondering if this is a rehash of the
old colonial policy of “divide and rule” adopted by the
former colonial master to provide oxygen to the fading Tiger, in order
to keep the insurgency going, just at a time when Sri Lanka is making
a determined effort to overcome those who have taken up arms and extend
democracy and the writ of the state to all parts of her sovereign
terrain.
Formation of a UK Parliamentary Group for Tamils:
In a shocking move, the House of Commons recently created the All
Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Tamils under the chairmanship
of the Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz, MP. Ironically, the Chair stated that:
“The creation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils
is an important step showing the commitment of the British Parliament
to a peaceful and just settlement. “ How could a group formed
to support one party to the conflict act in an impartial manner and
help in bringing about an acceptable peace accord? By its very nature,
this APPG has to be looked upon with immense suspicion, especially
as they intend to provide a forum for the LTTE spokesperson who represents
everything loathsome about terrorism resorted to by this group including
suicide bombings, child abductions, ethnic cleansing massacres, political
killings, torture, and the whole gamut of brutality ever imaginable,
which is nothing but an occasion to glorify terrorism and boost the
image of Tamil Tiger Terrorist leaders.
Suspension of Aid and Human Rights Issues:
On another front, the British Government has decided to suspend the
balance half of the promised aid to Sri Lanka subject to a series
of conditions including review of budgetary allocations for defence,
which are clearly interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.
One of the main reasons cited for the suspension is the alleged spate
of human rights abuses in government controlled areas by forces belonging
to the Karuna Group which split from the LTTE, which is forced to
defend itself from the LTTE that has sworn to liquidate the splinter
group.
The dilemma for the government forces is that it does not have fool-proof
methods to stop the LTTE’s suicide bombers who are unleashed
against both civilian and military targets, nor preventing the defensive
or offensive acts by the Karuna Group against their arch rivals even
in the capital city of Colombo, other than maintaining military checkpoints
and regularly conducting cordon and search operations to flush out
potential troublemakers. The government is intent on maintaining law
and order despite the complexities of dealing with one of the most
brutal terrorist groups that boasts an army, navy, a fledgling air
force and a squad of trained suicide bombers. It is not surprising
that a few of these terrorists with false identity papers may breach
the security net in the government controlled areas of Sri Lanka,
when in fact the well equipped large force of military personnel deployed
by the United States, Britain and the coalition of the willing have
utterly failed to stop the bloodshed in Iraq even after the defeat
of Saddam’s forces including within the highly secured green
zone in Baghdad, resulting in nearly 100 deaths a day with no likelihood
of ending these senseless killings. Some estimates of civilian deaths
in Iraq have been placed at around 800,000 while four to six million
have been displaced and forced to seek refuge in neighbouring Islamic
countries. A Save the Children report released on May 8, 2007 has
stated that one in eight children in Iraq would die of violent acts
or wide spread disease resulting from deteriorating health standards
before they reach the age of five. It will be good to know what the
British have to say about the chaotic situation that has arisen in
Iraq following their military adventure to topple their former friend
Saddam and destroy WMDs that never existed?
Human Rights Violations and Atrocities Committed by the LTTE:
The list of atrocities committed by the LTTE is too numerous to be
listed here but a sampling could be viewed by accessing the information
kept on the SPUR website under the following urls: www.spur.asn.au/ethnic_cleansing_in_sri_lanka.htm
; www.spur.asn.au/ltteatro.htm ; www.spur.asn.au/killmp.htm ;
www.spur.asn.au/chronology_of_suicide_bomb_attacks_by_Tamil_Tigers_in_sri_lanka.htm
. This is in addition to the 6000 or so children abducted during the
ceasefire commencing in February 2002 as reported on by UNICEF and
numerous other abuses and violations reported on by Amnesty International
in February 2006 and Human Rights Watch reports of 2006 and 2007,
plus the over 260 suicide bomb attacks carried out mainly against
civilians.
The LTTE never admits to any wrongdoing and often claims that the
reported crimes have been carried out by the Sri Lankan Security Forces
or the dissident Tamil groups that have entered the democratic stream.
They are known to disguise themselves in Sri Lankan military uniforms
and engage in heinous crimes against Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese civilians
with the object of blaming the government forces. Their attempt to
recently blame the killing of twelve South Indian Tamil fisherman
from Tamilnadu on the Sri Lanka Navy has been detected by the Indian
authorities as a crime committed by the LTTE’s Sea Tigers, following
the arrest of other LTTE cadres in possession of a boat with explosives
hidden in its outer shell on the South Indian coast.
The LTTE had also recently abducted two Tamil aid workers belonging
to an UN Agency (WFP) in the Kilinochchi area, and arranged to release
one of them, which information had not been divulged by the agency
for reasons unknown. Last year the LTTE executed a Tamil family in
the Mannar region suspecting them to be informers and strung up the
bodies of the parents and children, but had the audacity to immediately
publish the pictures in one of the Tamilnet websites even before the
authorities became aware of the crime, with the malicious intent of
blaming the government security forces. Even the killing of the 15
Tamil and Muslim aid workers belonging Action Against Hunger in August
2006, had taken place whilst the LTTE forces that stormed the Town
of Muttur were battling to hold it prior to their being forced to
withdraw, but strangely the Norwegian headed SLMM blamed the Sri Lankan
forces for this horrible crime without holding any inquiry. This is
currently being investigated with the assistance of Australian forensic
experts to determine the exact time of death and pinpoint the forces
responsible for these deaths. There are yet other cases of LTTE crimes
against innocent civilians just as in the case of the 11 Muslim irrigation
workers in Pottuvil who were done to death for no fault of theirs
but for the purpose of blaming the government forces and scoring some
propaganda points, whilst at the same time raising a hue and cry internationally
to tarnish Sri Lanka’s image. The international community which
is easily misled by these dastardly criminals continue the blame game
without conducting proper investigations.
Debate in the British House of Commons on May 2, 2007:
The members of parliament who have no evidence other than the bogus
stories spread to them by the pro-LTTE lobby jumped on this pile of
gory details cooked up by their Tamil constituents whose votes mattered
for re-election purposes, went to the extent of seeking the de-proscription
of the LTTE and desecrating the House of Commons by inviting the spokesperson
for the most brutal terrorist outfit to address the august assembly.
Even the Hon. Dr. Kim Howells seriously erred by referring to Government
of Sri Lanka as the ‘Sinhalese Government’ in the same derogatory
manner in which the Tamil separatists describe the Sri Lankan State,
when it is elected by all constituent communities and is made up of
representatives from all communities.
British stand is seen as supportive of the Tamil Tiger Terrorists:
Britain’s attempt to intervene in Sri Lanka led by the All Party
Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG) is seen as a measure to prop
up the Tamil Tiger Terrorists whose much publicized final war in 2006/2007
to establish their mono-ethnic Tamil racist separate state called
“Eelam” fizzled and flopped, losing ground illegally held
by them in the east of Sri Lanka. They seek to re-start the farcical
peace process where the LTTE merely uses the talks to buy time in
order to re-build their forces and recommence hostilities as they
have done in the past two decades, during the six attempts made by
Sri Lanka to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the conflict through
internationally mediated talks and direct talks held with this terror
outfit. The LTTE has not moved one iota from their end goal of a separate
state encompassing over 1/3rd of the land and 2/3rd of the coastline,
territorial waters and economic zone, for Tamils numbering less than
4 percent of the island’s population residing in the northern
and eastern regions.
Britain cannot claim the high moral ground as her record relating
to the 133 years of colonial rule during the period 1815 to 1948 that
they occupied Sri Lanka (Ceylon), is the shameful past that they need
to be reminded of. In Sri Lanka too, it was the British colonial administration’s
divide and rule policy aimed at propping up the 11 percent Tamil minority
who were favoured in the provision of educational opportunities and
state employment that gave rise to much of the divisions and ill feelings.
The 78 percent Sinhalese majority was neglected except for the few
who converted to Christianity that benefited from the prevailing discriminatory
system. The other retrograde measure taken by the British was the
confiscation of the lands of the Sinhalese by means of the infamous
‘ Waste Lands Ordinance ‘, and sale of these lands to British
capitalists at just Fifty Ceylon Cents an acre, which was merely the
cost of surveying these lands. The Sinhalese who protested this land
grab in the 1840’s were put down with much force, including orders
to shoot all males over the age of 14 years, which was tantamount
to genocide of the Sinhalese people.
Worse still, Indian Tamils from South India were brought in as indentured
labour and settled in Sri Lanka’s heartland, whilst the dispossessed
Sinhalese peasants and land owners ejected from their land and livelihoods
were not paid even a penny in compensation. The extent of ecological
degradation that followed as a result of stripping the forest cover
in the central hill country, and burning the millions of trees to
make way for new cash crops is an inestimable task. The compensation
due to Sri Lanka from Britain for these acts of colonial exploitation
and damage plus accumulated interest thereon spread over two centuries,
far exceeds the little financial aid that is extended with much fanfare
which now remains suspended, thanks to Britain’s lopsided sense
of fair play. Sri Lanka should rightly claim the immense losses she
was forced to suffer on account of such deliberate acts and harsh
treatment meted out to the protesting local population during the
period of British colonial rule.
Underlying causes of the Conflict:
Reference was made in the Commons debate to addressing the underlying
causes. The main causes as claimed by the Tamils have already been
rectified and little remains to be done in order to soothe their afflicted
perceptions:
(a) Tamil linguistic rights was dealt with in 1978 by making Tamil
a National language and later enhanced as an Official language. Full
implementation of the language laws needs the cooperation of the Tamil
community.
(b) University admissions permitting a lower ceiling for students
in rural schools lacking basic facilities based on classification
of schools in all districts was said to favour the Sinhalese. Today,
Tamil students in the Jaffna, Kilinochci, Mulaitivu, Batticaloa and
Vavunia districts receive this benefit of classification as the education
standards in these areas have dropped due to the armed insurrection
of the LTTE. Universities established in Jaffna and Batticaloa remain
exclusively for Tamil students as Sinhalese students are threatened
harm at these institutions. Whereas the other universities in the
south cater to all communities including the Tamils.
(c) The Tamils object to Sinhalese being selected for settlement in
agrarian projects in newly developed state lands under poverty alleviation
schemes in areas claimed as being their traditional homeland, even
though allotments are made according to national ethnic ratios. The
limited land available within the small island should be equitably
distributed to help the needy from all communities.
(d) The Tamils also want to be recognized as a Nation with a right
to self-determination, whereas they are considered a distinct ethnic
community or group of people with equal rights forming part of the
Sri Lankan Nation. The Tamil Nation exists in their national homeland
of Tamilnadu, South India, where over 60 million Tamils live.
(e) The Tamils seek the re-merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces
(boundaries/lines drawn by British colonialists to create administrative
units) to form a Tamil dominated semi-autonomous region with a very
high degree of devolved power, stating that the security of the Tamils
would only be secured in such an arrangement. The fact is that many
Tamils who hitherto lived in the north and east have moved out to
other provinces in the rest of the country to live in mixed ethnic
surroundings, as their security is not assured in the north and east
where the long arm of the LTTE, the self-declared sole representative
of the Tamils, could harass and harm them whilst depriving these Tamils
of their democratic rights and freedoms. This is also linked to their
claim of a Traditional Homeland of the Tamils in the Eastern and Northern
Provinces which cannot be substantiated by any means, and is one that
has been recently invented to mislead the ignorant youth who were
called on to take up arms against the state. No such claim was presented
to the British Commission headed by Lord Soulbury who ascertained
the views of the various communities in Sri Lanka prior to grant of
independence in 1948. The Tamils only sought balanced representation
where the minorities including Tamils numbering 22 percent would be
guaranteed 50 percent of the places in the new parliament of independent
Ceylon (Sri Lanka), whilst the 78 percent majority Sinhalese community
were required to contest an election to win the balance 50 percent
places. Lord Soulbury rejected this 50:50 demand, stating that it
was an insidious move to make a minority of the majority, and instead
recommended the grant of voting rights to all citizens over 21 years
of age.
(f) The Indian Tamil question has been sorted out between Sri Lanka
and India in terms of the Sirima-Shastri Pact, with Sri Lanka subsequently
absorbing those who had even opted for Indian citizenship but continued
to live in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has taken steps to improve their lot
considerably by upgrading their schools, housing and living conditions.
Today, we have leaders of the Indian Tamils holding positions in the
Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers.
Britain should not hastily jump to conclusions based on misrepresentations
made by Tamil constituents supporting a separatist agenda aimed at
breaking up Sri
Lanka, but instead act in an impartial manner, as they have already
done enough to cause a multitude of problems by their 'divide and
rule' policy and discriminatory
actions when they held sway over the destinies of the island of Sri
Lanka (Ceylon). What is needed at this moment is unbiased actions,
and full implementation of
measures required of Britain in terms of the United Nations Convention
on the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism of 2001 to ensure that
funds are not raised and
remitted from Britain for the use of the internationally designated
terrorist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
for their terrorist warfare in Sri
Lanka and elsewhere.
Yours very truly,
Mahinda Gunasekera
Honorary President
