Comments on: Seeking a negotiated settlement with LTTE

by: Shyam, USA

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 23:55:10 +0000

To Mr. K. Arvind: Let us assume it is true that the LTTE has some fascist tend encies and cult-like following. But despite that recognition, the Sinhala polity has not been able to come up with even the pseudo-Federalism prevalent in India, where the central government can dismiss a state government for the flimsiest of reasons. The Sinhala polity is deeply wedded to its mythical superiroity and priomacy…as even the UTHR made it clear, the Sinhala hoodlum aided by the Armed forces in Trinco said that “Ape Rata Sinhala Rata” a view so plainly shared by the rajapakse gang. So entrenched is this idea in the Sinhala psyche that there is no way Sinhalese will agree to any meaningful power sharing with the Tamils. This fact has been shown repeatedly and I am tired of having to bring it up.

In this scenario, Tamils have no chopice but to rely on the military and organizational prowess of the LTTE. fascist or cultist they may be, to force the South to come to an agreement on Tamil homeland…this cannot be mere Federalism, but must come close to a Confederation as the Boston Globe editorial says today–only such a solution can give a measure of protection to the Tamils.

Critics of the LTTE are right to point out numerous problems with the LTTE–the top-down structure with Prabhakaran making all the decisions, while others simply follow the ‘Thalaivar’ with no independent policy view or choice of their own, makes the LTTE dictatorial; their intolernace of any dissent; the history of assassinating politicians, etc. But the way to challenge the LTTE on such issues is not to align with the racist regime and aid the enemy, as the Tamil quislings are doing. These groups, all of whom have “Eelam” in their name, have found their own version of ‘Eelam’ inside SL Army camps in the North East or bunkers in Colombo. Therefore, suhc quislings should be shown no mercy.

The critics and challengers of the LTTE , if their views are to be taken seriously, should
1. Have the Tamil people’s welfare as their sole motivation and not undermine the Tamil struggle.
2. Stay committed to the ideals of Tamil nationalism which they themselves championed once and work to change the LTTE in the right direction.
3. Be fiercely independent and have absolutely no contact with the murderous SL regime and its armed forces.

It is then possible for them to work within the Tamil community to cause a transformation of Tamil society’s views and by extension, the LTTE’s behavior. It will be a long, hard slog, but there is no alternative. Simply dismissing the Tigers as cultists or fascists and trusting the Sinhala polity to ’solve’ the issues after all these years of struggle, shows a mind-boggling idiocy.

by: Sellam in UK

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:20:17 +0000

I fully and completely agree with the writer Mr.Selladurai with the facts related therein. The fact in particular that to the LTTE, the CFA was intended, for settleing other matters and not the final Eelam aim.

Did Norway who prepared the document in consultation with Balasingam aware of it.
Did Ranil who signed the CFA on behalf of the Government without reading it. was aware of it?

Certain failures of the Sinhalese governments time and time again towards the Tamils was due to the power hungry Tamil politiicians.
then why blame the Sinhalese. Would they not be afraid of a “greater Eelam” by the Sri Lankan Tamils with Tamil Nadu and part of Malaysia.

by: Devi

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:59:03 +0000

The tamils of srilanka have been pushed to their obvious choice of tamil Eelam by the un-yeilding sinhala polity by the terror un-leashed on the tamils over the fifty year sinhala rule. The tamils needed somebody to deliver them from sinhala attrocities and it has been proved beyond any doubt that the LTTE would undoutedley remains their choice. Trying to distance the tamils from the tigers will only make the bond between the two parties more strong. Tamil Eelam and tamil self-rule are never to be compromised for the sinhala version of autonomy that will keep the tamils as second class citizens for ever. Tamils have had it enough with this sinhala chuvinism and tyranny and now they want to be free from this evil nation of userpers. Tamils have lost it all by their union with the sinhalese their language,culture, homes ,lands and seas. The more they stick with the sinhala society the more they will end up losing. The time has come to break away from this sinhala bondage and free them selves with the strong Eelam liberation force.

by: Junius

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:30:56 +0000

The slow and determined long term plan by the sinhala buddhist hegemony to suppress the tamils into a second class breed in their own homes and lands have now opened the eyes of the tamils to free themselves from the sinhala evil domination in every aspect of the tamil’s lives. Tamils are made to lose their homes,lands, seas their culture and their language. This deliberate sinhala domination well planned and executed by the sinhala buddhist society has finally brought the suppressed ball to float above the water and show the real terrorism that was reined on the tamils by the sinhalese over a period of six decades after the so-called independance from the british. The ahimsa agitations practiced by the tamils seeking their fundamental rights were dashed by sinhala tyranny. LTTE is now in place to answer the sinhala terrorists what they intend to achieve in their freedom fight.The foregoing article is trying to portray the LTTE as monsters but the tamils have a clear winner in LTTE leadership after the rise and fall of many tamil militancies. The tamils cannot pin thier hopes on the evil chauvinist sinhala buddhist hegemony for any kind of solution to their problems but they can now depend on their own tamil Eelam Force namely the LTTE to establish peace and tranquility among tamils in their own self-ruled home land of tamil Eelam. No force on earth can now break away the state of tamil Eelam and self-rule at any cost. The tamils will join hands with LTTE in their fight for survival even if the whole world turns against them. Remember one thing that every person born will have to die one day and how beautiful it will be to die for a good cause prematurely so that the coming generations can live in peace. The LTTE resolve is the best resolve for the tamils at large. The governments’ intended war against the tamils will prove beyond doubt the outcome of a clear winner and the whole world will witness the wrong doings done to tamils by the sinhalese have been brought to an end and laid to rest for ever.

by: K. Arvind

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 06:53:18 +0000

In the post-portugese period and before Sri Lankan Tamils have earned a name as a cultured and peaceful people tolerant of others and their views. Mr. Sellathurai’s laborious analysis should be studied carefully and in perspective. Tamils and Sinhalese must live together in the future. It is an undeniable fact though all Sri Lankand Tamils feels strongly for their language and culture many of the supposed 50%+ Tamils living in Sri Lanka outside the North and the East fear to settle in the Tamil homelands after the coming the coming of peace. The LTTE has to accept responsibility for this change of mind-set. Many talented and educated Tamil leaders have been killed senselessly and brutally. This was not necessary. Thousands of LTTE youth, originally inspired by Prabhakaran and his commitment, have laid their young lives for the Tamil cause. They died so that other Tamils may live. We will never forget them. But we must not be prisiners of the past. We must work to create conditions for a united and peaceful Sri Lanka where Tamils can again live freely and peacefully. It is Sinhala chauvinism of the post-1948 period that gradually brought the country to this pathetic level. Was there LTTE terror in Galoya in 1957 when innocent Tamils were chased out - many killed? Sinhalese must hold themselves responsible for the creation of the LTTE - many of their academics infact do. We have all lost so far - Sinhala, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers in the country turning out to be a battlefield . The International community will discourage a fascist State headed by a demi-god and the LTTE because of the strategic location of Sri Lanka in that vital commercial sea-route that feeds Europe with meat and wheat from Australia/New Zealand. The same sea-route carries life giving oil from the middle East to Industrial giants Japan, Korea and other Asian Tigers. This is the reality. The IC carries very little for Sri Lanka, India or the LTTE. They care only for their self-interest.
But this is the real world. The I/C will not allow a cult-leader to be on their way. The foundations for peace to come must emerge from the Sinhala polity because it is they who destroyed the tranquility of our Society and State. Mahinda Rajapakse must go beyond his rhetoiric to give the Tamil people “maximum devolution” that he tells the I/C he has. Similar promises were made by other Sinhala leaders before e.g. Premadasa who promised “give up Ealam and I shall gladly give you ELLAM”. In the future Tamil configuration India must be involved but it is not necessary for us to be dependent on them. Many educated Tamils feels Prabhakaran will not give up his impossibe goal of Tamil Eelam because he wrongly thinks feels he will become part of South Asian history and “the greatest Tamil of all time” To achieve this objective, he risks the interests of all Sri Lankan Tamils of the present and the future. There is no place for Prabhakaran and fascism in a future peaceful Sri Lanka. In fairness to the LTTE, it must be said, in respecting the wishes of the IC, he came down from “Ealam or nothing” to “a viable alternative” - the practical demand of the moderate Tamil leaders of the 70s-80s. Once again it was the buddhist priests and the Sinhala chauvinists who failed to use their enormous influence with GoSLs in power grasp this opportunity. Now, at this very late hour, the Sinhalese must unite and provide the conditions to the Tamils - whom the LTTE claims they represent and lead - to remain part of a future undivided Sri Lanka. It is estimated 65% of the destruction in the Tsunami took place in the shores of the North- East> But the Tamils and the Muslims got little from the massive rehabilitation funds that came in. This is the generosity of the Sinhalese which Gunadasa Amarasekera, Nalin de Silva, SL Gunasekera, the High Priests of Kandy are speaking about. Even the Supreme Court was aobliquely invoked to deny Tamils justice and due compensation - on a mere legal technicality. Is this Justice? Surely there is such a thing as natural law and the guiding principle in the in the dispensation of justice is that it shoud have an element of mercy.

So let us not denigrate learned men like Mr. Sellathurai amongst us. We might not agree with him on issues but we mut not belittle men like him. Tamils have immensely suffered in the past 50 years but our collective suffering has brough us a new sense of togetherness
and energy. I have felt this wherever I travelled - in Europe, in Australia, in Canada and elsewhere. Let us strengthen this.
The time will soon come when Tamils will once again find their peace and place in society; the opportunities to display their traditional
strength and culture by which all of Sri Lanka will also gain.

by: Bandara

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 20:01:32 +0000

I think Mr. Sellathurai is a cult follower of the belief that India is the answer to end all the Tamils’ suffering.

His view, as with all other cults can not be changed by any amount of comments.

However, I would like to point out certain aspects of this article;

Firstly 56% of Tamils live outside of North-East according to the latest censure. However, I feel that Mr. Sellathurai lacks some basic knowledge as to how censures are carried out and what the statistics mean. The latest censures left out almost the whole of the North-East. Only parts of Amparai and Trincomalee were included. It is like doing a global censure, leaving out India and claiming 100% of Indians live outside of India.

Secondly, I agree that Tamils do live outside of the North-East. Why is that? It is because in government controlled areas there are hardly any random bombings, flattening of homes, carpet bombings. You get the odd bomb targeting army official or politician. However, in LTTE controlled areas there are always air raid, carpet bombings etc that kill innocent people. When Fonseka was injured only one civilian died. And most civilians won’t be hanging around army HQ. However, the response killed 16 innocent Tamils including children who were in their homes. Civilians do often hang around at home. The number of Tamils living outside of the Tamil Homeland is a reflection of the terrorist nature of the Sri Lankan government and not that of any imaginary equality between ethnicities.

I feel that this article was written by a Sinhala person using a Tamil pen name. This article sums up the typical denials often used by Sinhala people to justify this war.

by: Shyam, USA

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 17:40:57 +0000

I could not contain my laughter at this Sellathurai quoting ‘ racist newspaper’s columnist about Tamil Diaspora being ‘fooled’ by disinformation. Unlike you, the quisling eunuchs who fall for the false promises of ‘elected’ gangsters (what else are Mahinda/Gotabaya/Samaraweera, JVP, JHU), we in the Tamil Diaspora rely on multiple sources and know who is doing what and are fully capable of seeing through disinformation, regardless of whether that comes from the elected gangsters or the LTTE.

We have more important things to do than answering every idiotic thought of a morally and intellectually challenged quisling.
If the fate of the master quisling, Mr. Kadirgamar, was ‘natural justice’, I would not cry if the same fate fell on other Tamil quislings who fail to see the enormity of the sin of their support to a terrorist, gangster regime against the Tamil people !

by: Kail. - Ont, Canada

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 17:34:16 +0000

Good analysis
The longer this goes on, more entrenched the position of the Tamils will become and until the GOSL educate their masses that Human Rights entitles both Singhalese and Tamils to equal opportunities under the law and vote with their heads rather than their hearts, there is no end in sight.

Rajapakse trying to get a secret deal with the Tigers, as reported in the Sunday Leader of June 25th. is really Kindergarden stuff.

by: cristine virakun - usa

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 15:00:16 +0000

Great article by Sellathurai.
LTTE is a Cult indeed.
Thank you for getting this story into perspective.
Clearly, the LTTE is not looking for a peaceful solution; peace is the last thing they want. Why is everyone living in denial?

by: Unbiased Tamil, Germany

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 13:41:31 +0000

Very unbiased article by S. Sellathurai. Well said! You dont support the sinhalese nor the tamils. Both the races want to kill each other. Nobody wants to go for a negotiated settlement.
We need more and more people like S. Sellathurai in our country.