Terrorism & It's Brutality-Who
Wants to Protect it?
By Darmitha-Kotte
It is no secret that where there is terrorism, there will always be
brutality & there is no difference whether it is in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, India, USA, UK, EU, Philippines, Indonesia or Sri Lanka-the
results are equally gruesome and gory. However, when the problem of
terrorism raises its head and thrives in small countries like Sri Lanka
we seem to be having many "pundits" who love to advise on
humanitarianism, peaceful co-existence, peaceful negotiations or what
is termed as "political solutions" rather than military solutions!
Whether such pundits happen to be foreign governments(whether western
or Asian), foreign funding organisations, NGOs, INGOs or religious institutions
the very fact that they pamper terrorists and terrorism in the name
of "humanitarianism" should open our eyes to the fact that
they are in reality aiding and abetting the existence and propagation
of terrorism while we may also say openly, that they actually thrive
& enjoy the mayhem and brutality wreaked out by terrorists for their
own personal agendas. This situation is by no means any different here
in Sri Lanka.
For 30 years Sri Lanka has suffered untold misery at the hands of LTTE
terrorists where the entire country has been held to ransom. The yearning
to enjoy freedom and democracy, educate our children, lead harmonious
lives, and lead normal lives has so far been a dream to the citizens
of this country while successive Governments in this country have also
benefited in no uncertain terms to remain in power using " Emergency
Rules" to control our people.
Things have been getting rather hot for LTTE terrorists in Sri Lanka
as well as their fund raising organisations like TRO during the past
3 years. Our incumbent GOSL has for once had the backbone, to hand over
the duty of protecting our sovereignty and eliminating terrorism without
political interference to the Combined Armed Forces and they have truly
exhibited their military prowess by systematically encroaching into
lands once held under LTTE control. The Armed Forces have also been
able to provide a "ray of hope" to the peace loving citizens
of this country, that LTTE terrorism can definitely be wiped out from
the face of this country. Today, they have proved this beyond doubt
that the once considered "invincible" Prabhakaran and his
LTTE outfit are by no means unbeatable! The ordinary Tamil community
who hold no grudge against the southern citizens of this country are
awaiting anxiously for the day to dawn, when they can resume their harmonious
lives and cooperation with the rest of the country; when they can live
without fear that their school going children will not be kidnapped
by LTTE cadres to be used as human fodder in their child brigades.
Now, Sri Lanka is at a very crucial and decisive stage in the bid to
eliminate terrorism with very encouraging victories being gained by
our Armed Forces on a daily basis. It is our fervent wish that our brave
soldiers will continue their bravery in their duty towards protecting
our Mother Land for the sake of the entire country- not just for a minority
group of terrorists and their foreign funding cahorts who support them.
At this crucial stage the entire country must stand by our soldiers
and the entire world must support our GOSL and Armed Forces with sincerity.
They must be happy in the thought that Sri Lanka will hopefully be able
to wipe out the most notorious and brutal terrorist organisation in
the world and ensure peace not only in this country but in the entire
region. However, it is sad to say that we now see certain sectors raising
their heads to speak out on behalf of the desperately cornered LTTE
leader Prabhakaran & his brutal terrorists!
Who Protects These Terrorists?
Reports being received on a daily basis have shown us that foreign
INGOs as well as UN organisations have in the name of socio-development
projects, conflict resolution, peaceful co-existence and humanitarianism
have in reality been pampering, protecting, supporting the nefarious
activities of the LTTE. Recently ACF or Action Contre Le Faim, ZOA and
earlier Oxfam and UNICEF have been found fault with for aiding and abetting
with the LTTE.
Various governments in the EU including the most notorious supporter
of the LTTE-the Norwegian Government have even been working against
the incumbent GOSL in no uncertain terms until it became evident to
the GOSL that the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was doing more
harm to our country than good and decided to cancel their Terms of Reference
and request them to leave. Their impartiality was found to be very faulty
and detrimental to the extent that they were even involved in providing
arms to the terrorists!
Throughout the 30 years of mayhem wreaked out by the LTTE, the Christian
Churches including the Catholic Churches and Evangelical Churches operating
in the regions in Mannar and further up in the North and East, have
directly and indirectly been protecting the LTTE and paying obeisance
to them while endangering the entire nation! As religious groups they
have been trusted by the GOSL until it has been proven and detected
that Christian Priests have actually been even transporting and storing
suicide kits and explosives back and forth from the LTTE held areas
to other parts of the country to destroy civilians and transport systems
and state institutions which points a finger at their direct involvement
in terrorism! Rev.Father Raiyappu Joseph has exposed himself very badly
in every action of his in the recent past. In relation to the Madhu
Church issue where he intentionally sabotaged the Madhu Festival to
implicate the Armed Forces and insecurity in the region for his own
lapses. Happily he entertained the LTTE and permitted them to plant
landmines within the Madhu Church premises for kilometres in extent
without saying "boo or bah"!
Can anyone say that there will be no IDPs in a war torn region in any
part of the world? Today, Rev.Father Raiyappu Joseph is crying pathetically
on behalf of dangers to civilian life in the Mannar and Wanni areas
which in any way never had any security from LTTE brutality for the
last 30 years-then he worked harmoniously with the terrorists but now,
when the Armed Forces are attempting to free the Wanni of terrorists
he is shedding crocodile tears for the IDPs and civilian life! The task
is first to eliminate terrorism and then for the GOSL to sort out the
IDP problem-not to solve the IDP problem before eliminating terrorism
as any sane thinking person will understand. There is absolutely no
doubt that civilians sandwiched between the LTTE and the war against
terrorism are facing hardships and no one is happy about that.
When the GOSL and Ministry of Defense requested all NGOs and INGOs
to leave the Wanni, SEDEC-Caritas refused to do so on the grounds that
they cannot abandon "their work and their people"- may we
ask-is it to protect terrorism and the LTTE or not? The Armed Forces
want to avoid harming as least as possible civilians in the region and
it is upto all organisations to support and cooperate with the Armed
Forces instead of creating wedges in between!
Our "Big Brother" and neighbour India is also beginning to
twist the arm of the GOSL as per recent reports we have seen. BBC Tamil
Service, Chennai carried a report by TN Gopalan on 7th October 2008
titled "Karunanidhi Steps Up Pressure" in which it is stated
that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi has stepped up his campaign
for Indian intervention in Sri Lanka by requesting Prime Minister Mr.
Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to intervene into the internal
affairs of Sri Lanka in their bid to eliminate terrorism from our country.
In another report in BBC Sinhala.com on 6th October,2008 titled "
India Expresses Grave Concern" it is stated that " India has
expressed grave concern and unhappiness of the growing casualties of
Tamil civilians as a result of military action in northern Sri Lanka."
While appreciating the concerns of the Indian Government about the
situation in the Kilinochchi region as the Armed Forces are advancing
into LTTE held areas to eliminate terrorism and clear the area which
will eventually provide Tamil civilians who are sick and tired of LTTE
harassment for the last 30 years, Mr. Karunanidhi and the Indian Government
must fully cooperate with the GOSL if we are to consider India as our
best friend and "Big Brother" at this crucial moment without
hindering the progress. All this harassment and inconvenience to Tamil
civilians in the North would not have happened, if the LTTE was not
trained in India originally to wreak terror in Sri Lanka! Therefore,
the Indian Government and the people of Tamil Nadu also have their fair
share of "aiding and abetting "with the LTTE to create mayhem
in a once peaceful & harmonious country called Sri Lanka!
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