Response to Jonathan Steel's
Mindless Comments...The Guardian
By Don J. Wick
Canadian Sri Lankan Against Terrorism,(CSLAT) 4981 Hwy.7 East, Markham,
Ontario L3R 1N1 Canada
Attention: Mr. Jonathan Steels
The Guardian
119 Farringdon Road
London EC1R 3ER
UK
Mr. Steels,
As a Sri Lankan-Canadian, I am amazed at your mindless comments in
your following article - "Sri Lanka's president seems as mindless
as any bomber", published in The Guardian newspaper in UK (February
9, 07). It seems you are desperately trying to compare, and discredit
a democratically elected Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), to a Fascist,
racist, and a barbaric group of Tamil Tiger Terrorists (LTTE), in
order to justify the Tiger terrorism in Sri Lanka.
Your article is clearly biased and contains inaccurate facts. You
are trying to give credibility to a vicious terrorists group, by mistakenly
implying that the LTTE has the full support of the Sri Lankan Tamils..?
You are completely wrong in that respect. This was exactly the perception
the LTTE propagandanists wanted to propagate internationally, especially
in the west. Unfortunately, gullible and ignorant western journalists
(like you) have been buying into this perception. The reality is that
many Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad, are forced to follow the terrorists
propaganda. Since you have been to Sri Lanka, you must also realize
that there are many legitimate Tamil political parties (TULF, EPDP,
etc,), and their followers overwhelmingly reject the LTTE and their
terror tactics. Not to mention the majority of Tamils in the north
east region, who openly reject the LTTE, and support Karuna ( defected,
former LTTE top commander), and his political party.
You also seem to have bought into the relentless LTTE propaganda campaign
against former commander Karuna, who publicly denies any connection
to the Government forces, and challenges the pro-LTTE agencies to
prove their claims that his forces are recruiting children while government
forces are turning a blind eye.
You claim that the GOSL is not interested in peace talks, instead
resorting to military actions. Have you ever known a government, such
as GOSL, anywhere in the world, which has been extremely accommodating,
and open to negotiations with the terrorists? Successive Sri Lankan
governments in the past, and the present government have gone out
of their way to engage in peace talks without demanding any pre-conditions
in return. Every peace negotiation in the past had failed because
of their (LTTE) unrealistic demands, including a separate state. The
only reason why they had agreed to cease fire was mainly to avoid
the backlash after the 9/11(2001) bombing in New York, not because
they wanted peace. The truth is, the LTTE has never been, or never
will be sincerely interested in peace, period. Like Al-quida and Hamas,
the only way the LTTE can survive is by prolonging the terror and
violence, as long as they can.
Mr. Steels, can you name a single government which is willing to talk
to terrorists unconditionally? Did Britain talk to IRA, or Spain talked
to Basque Nationalists, or did Israel talk to Palestinians without
demanding absolute conditions, such as lay down arms, and renounce
all violence before talks? No sane government anywhere in the world
is willing to talk to terrorists who are engaged in violence. Anyone
with an ounce of brain knows that terrorists are never interested
in peace. They know that they cannot survive in a peaceful, democratic
state. Then, why should you expect Sri Lankan government to give into
terrorists demands, when indeed no country will tolerate such terrorism...??
In other words, your views represent the utter hypocrisy of the western
ideology when it comes to global terrorism. Let me even go further,
saying that your views indicate typical prejudice and double standards
shared by the west towards the developing Asian countries like Sri
Lanka.
For an example, your own government (Britain) engaged in a relentless
effort to eradicate terrorism globally and locally. Almost every week,
it seems the British Security Forces are rounding up, and arresting
hundred of "potential terrorists" in Britain, some without
warrants or without proven evidence, that those who are arrested are
even connected to any terrorists organization. Not to mention the
thousands of innocent civilians who have been killed in Iraq by foreign
Military Forces, which include British Forces as well. Yet, western
media and their obviously biased journalists, never seem to ask their
own governments why they are engaged in violent military actions,
rather than negotiating with the terrorists..?
On the other hand, when the GOSL is engaged in arresting the real
terrorists, such as the incident that occurred early last week, where
three local journalists with links to the LTTE were arrested, so-called
freedom loving western media, and NGO's were quick to blame and accuse
the GOSL of human rights violations...
In your article, you are also attempting to paint a picture that the
Tiger Terrorists are not a global threat in comparison to other terrorists
groups such as Al-quida, etc. Either you are sadly mistaken or completely
ignorant to think that they are not a threat. There are quite a few
reports by many credible international sources indicating the collaboration
of Tamil Tigers with other terrorists groups, sharing techniques of
suicide bombing, arms & drug dealings. There are also reports
by Indian security sources that the LTTE is selling arms, and engaged
in training certain terrorist groups in India, Nepal & Kashmir.
There is no doubt that the LTTE is a well-organized, well-funded,
ruthless organization, engaged in many illegal global trade such as
arms, drugs and human smuggling, etc. To dismiss them as mere local
freedom fighters is to be naive and stupid, especially by the ignorant
western journalists who have been mislead by well-orchestrated LTTE
propaganda.
Frankly, we Sri Lankans are disgusted with the western attitude of
double-standards, and hypocrisy towards Sri Lanka. We are disgusted
that you try to equate our democratically elected leaders and government
with a group of blood-thirsty terrorists, whose main aim is to maintain
and spread violence by dividing a country, with the intention of creating
a Fascist, Racist, and a Monolithic State called Eelam. We are tired
of hearing your whining of our Armed Forces, who are finally capturing
the area illegally held and controlled by the terrorists - while rescuing
thousands of innocent Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese civilians, who
have been victimized, and tortured by the Tamil terrorists. We are
tired of western based NGO's, journalists and diplomats who only seem
to be critical of the actions taken by the government and the Armed
Forces, while turning a blind eye to killing, kidnapping,and violence
by the terrorists.
We are tired of your double-talks and preaching to us about negotiating
with the terrorists, while your leaders and governments are engaged
in exactly the opposite. Frankly, we Sri Lankans, are sick and tired
of so-called INGOs', intellectuals and other experts with colonial
mentality, who are trying to tell us how to run our own affairs. Finally,
we have had enough with those journalists and experts who travel to
Sri Lanka with a pre-conceived bias against the Sinhalese majority,
with full freedom and security provided by the government forces to
travel any part of the country - while they are denied such freedom
and security by the Tamil Tigers, in the area they occupy illegally..
Perhaps, before you comment on Sri Lanka, you should ask your own
Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, and the US President Mr. Bush, why they
are not willing to negotiate with the terrorists..???
Then you might understand why Sri Lanka has no choice but resort to
military actions, which is the only viable solution available in eradicating
terrorism and violence created by the Tamil Tigers, who are not at
all interested in peace, or the well-being of the innocent Sri Lankans....
Don J. Wick
Canadian Sri Lankan Against Terrorism,(CSLAT)
4981 Hwy.7 East,
Markham, Ontario L3R 1N1
Canada
