Hidden Agenda for Demographic Change in Trincomalee
October 20th, 2007
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The “Panchamahabalavegaya” or five great forces that brought SWRD Bandaranaike to power in 1956 comprised the Buddhist priests, Ayurveda physicians, teachers,agriculturists and workers. There is a “Nava Panchabalavegaya” at work now that seeks to “Sinhalaise” Trincomalee district in particular and the Eastern Province in general.The new five forces striving to alter Eastern demography consists of sections of the Buddhist clergy, security forces, bureaucrats, politicians and business persons.
The last official census for North – East was in 1981.The 2001 National census was not conducted in seven of the eight districts in the North and East. As such exact population figures are not available. In 2006 an estimate was tabulated from figures provided by the respective district Kachcheris. Acoording to these figures the Eastern Province population was 1 , 607, 971. Of this Tamils were 674,411; Muslims 573,843 ;Sinhalese 352,866; and others 6,851.
Trincomalee district had 412, 547 people. Of these 168, 696 were Muslims;143,282 Tamils, 100,454 Sinhalese and 115 others. Batticaloa district had 565,780 people. Of these 415, 217 were Tamils,145,349 Muslims,1,246 Sinhalese; and 3,968 others. Amparai district had 629,644 people; of these 259,798 were Muslims;251,166 were Sinhalese;115,912 were Tamils; and 2,768 others.
These figures have changed now as more than 20, 000 Tamils have left Trincomalee district in the past year.More than 15,000 went to Tamil Nadu as refugees. Others have relocated to Colombo and other areas in the South and also gone abroad.
There has for long time existed extremist elements among the Sinhalese who wanted to populate the East with Sinhalese and change the demography. Trincomalee district has been a specific target. The late RG Senanayake for instance advocated the “Sinhalaisation” of Trincomalee and even contested elections there in 1970. He was defeated.
What has happened after Mahinda Rajapakse became president is that these extremist elements are now ensconced in seats of power. “Sinhalaisation” through demographic transformation is no longer a dream of the fringe elements. It is now part of the undeclared yet potent “chinthana” for the Country. Powerful forces are at work with the full blessings of the regime to implement a hidden agenda.
Apparently the objective of this hidden agenda for demographic change is to make Sinhala speaking people the single largest ethnic group in the Eastern Province.According to plans the Sinhalese population will increase over the years in Trincomalee and Amparai to become the dominant entity in those districts..It would substantially increase in Batticaloa.
Trincomalee is the key target.Pressure would be exerted on Tamils in Trincomalee to move out gradually. The economy of Tamils and Muslims will diminish through calculated manouevres while state input will help develop the economy of Sinhala people in the province.
At the outset let me state very clearly that all citizens in this Country have the freedom to reside in any place they wish to live. The state is duty bound to protect them. This Country belongs to all of her people and deliberately fostering ethnic enclaves is not desirable.
Philosophically I would say that land does not belong to people but people to the land. It is also a fact of life that certain ethnic groups have lived for generations in particular regions and regard them as their areas of historic habitation. Yet this does not give them an exclusive right to those areas
Another reality in Sri Lanka is that people of all ethnicities are living in all parts of the Country. This population distribution has been uneven and does not reflect the overall population ratio. It is an undeniable fact that ethnic groups in this country are a majority in certain districts and a minority in other districts.
Thus the Tamils dominate the Northern Province and are the largest group in the East. Until the escalation of the war nearly two – thirds of Sri Lankan Tamils lived in these two provinces. One – third of the Muslims lived in the East. The Sinhala people are the majority community in the Island and dominate seven provinces but form only a “minority” in the North and East.
Tamil political discourse speaks of the North and East as the “traditional homelands of the Tamil – speaking people”. The “Tamil – speaking” concept includes the Muslims. The North and East are large , under – populated provinces with large chunks of the sea coast.
[Sunset in "Iqbal Nagar", Thamaraikulam, Nilaveli-Trincomalee District]
If one detaches from emotion and views it from a reason – based perspective alone , it would appear that a minority segment population of one – eighths cannot indefinitely “hold” on to a region consisting of one – thirds of the total landmass and two – thirds of the coastline. This is sheer arithmetic !
So there would have been internal migration from “Sinhala” areas to the North – East just as people of the North – East migrated to the South. Colombo being the national capital was common to all people and not the exclusive preserve of any single community. It is a common phenomenon to see major cities having a multi – ethnic population. This is the case in Colombo too.
People moving from one place to another of their own volition is not wrong. What is wrong however is the intervention of the state in moving people of a particular ethnicity on a large – scale into areas where people of another ethnicity are living in large numbers for generations. The problem becomes more acute when the state’s intention is to deliberately alter the existing demographic patterns.
Unfortunately for Sri Lanka this is what happened and the issue became politicised. The state became majoritarian friendly. State – sponsored schemes were set up to populate areas in the East with Sinhala persons.. The demographic patterns of the province transformed drastically.
This was not a case of natural transformation but an artificially engineered one. It was a political project whereby the population in these provinces was deliberately altered with ulterior motives. The Tamils and Muslims resented this politics of colonisation.
Tamils and Muslims of the East were also given lands but this was only a small percentage of lands allocated to Sinhala settlers brought from outside the province. Communal violence was directed against Tamils and many were driven out. Other forms of discrimination were also practised against Tamil and Muslim settlers while the state machinery strained itself to help Sinhala settlers. Apart from lands given legally illegal encroachment was also encouraged.
It is against this backdrop that contemporary designs on altering demography has to be viewed. There have been several attempts in this respect during the past. Some were sucessful and others not. But what is beig planned now is a well – cordinated long term project to “Sinhalaise” or make Sinhalese the dominant entity in the East in general and Trincomalee district in particular.
This plan has backing right at the top and involves sections of the Buddhist clergy, security forces, bureaucrats, businesspersons and politicians.
Once again I wish to emphasise that my criticism of this plan is not based on the traditional homeland theory or due to opposition to Sinhala people relocating to Tamil areas. As someone who was born in Colombo and lived for the greater part of his life in the South and as one living now abroad , my worldview cannot be parochial.
It has been my experience and privilege to enjoy the multi – ethnic life of Colombo and Toronto. This diversity is something to celebrate and not resent. Cordial Inter- action of different ethnicities is a blessing in practice.
[Crows on the shore, in Uppuveli, Trincomalee - Pic: HumanityAshore]
My criticism on this issue is about the state acting as the agent of the majority community alone and attempting to transform the demographic composition of areas as a politico – military project. It is seeking to impose majority hegemony and convert the non – Sinhala people of those regions into a minority.
What is worse is that this is being done after the people of the East lie bruised and battered by a cruel military campaign. The vulnerable civilian population remains utterly helpless after the “shock and awe” tactics and is unable to articulate any effective protest even as its historic habitat is usurped by the mighty state.
A protracted 15 month military campaign has seen the Eastern Province coming under Colombo’s writ. From Pulmoddai to Panamai, there is no area controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) now. The Government of Sri Lanka boasts of having liberated the East.
More than 200,000 people were displaced and much of their dwellings destroyed or damaged. Agriculture, fisheries, dairy farming etc of the Tamils are in shambles. Education, sanitation, health, housing etc are severely affected. What is immediately necessary is to address these needs and restore normalcy. The state has been notoriously lax in this and if not for NGO assistance the people would be in a terrible plight.
[Sampoor Srimurugan Vidyalayam in Trincomalee, damaged from the April, 2006 air attack]
Instead of prioritising the needs and concerns of the affected people the Rajapakse regime has grandiose plans of developing the province through ambitious projects. The President talks of 20 billion rupee projects while his brother Basil Rajapakse heads these efforts to make the East “awaken and rise”.
This writer has in earlier articles pointed out the exclusion of Tamil in policy announcements and propaganda about these Eastern development projects. The Province is 75 % Tamil speaking but the Tamil language is pointedly omitted in official documentation pertaining to these scemes.. This does not seem an unwitting error but wittingly symbolic.
The master plan devised to develop the East is actually an important component of the hidden agenda to alter demography. The emphasis on Sinhala in a pre – dominantly Tamil speaking region is not merely an exhibition of callous insensitivity but a pointer to the future where the east is going to be “Sinhalaised”.
These plans envisage among other things demographic changes through tourism development and Buddhist revival in Amparai district and agro – business promotion in the Kudumbi malai/Thoppigala areas coming under System B Maduru – Oya scheme in Batticaloa district.
But Trincomalee for many reasons is the prize target and receives top priority in the Sinhalaisation project. I will therefore focus on Trincomalee alone in this article.
Facts and figures from census statistics about population growth in Trincomalee district will help illustrate how demography patterns are unnaturally altered or distorted through state sponsored colonisation.
In 1881 the Sinhala population of Trincomalee district was only 935 or 4. 2 %; the Tamils were 14,394 or 64.8 % while Muslims were 5746 or 25.9 %.
100 years later in 1981 the Sinhalese were 86,341 or 33.6 % but the Tamils were 86, 743 or 33.7%. The Muslims were 74, 405 or 28.9 %.
In a century the Sinhalese had gone up from 4. 2 % to 33. 6 % and Muslims from 25.9 % to 28.9% but the Tamils had decreased from 64.8% to 33.7.
In hundred years the Tamil population increased 502 % and Muslims 1068 % but the Sinhalese had gone up 9134%.While the Muslim increase of double the Tamil percentage can be attributed to larger families and greater birthrate the astronomical increase of Sinhala percentage was primarily due to colonisation..
This distorted demographic transformation being accelerated in the post – Independence years through colonisation is further illustrated through other statistics.
[View from Swamy rock, Trincomalee - Picture by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai]
From 1953 to 1981 the Sinhala population of Trincomalee town and gravets AGA division increased 210 % but Tamils and Muslims increased only 109 %; In Seuwila and Mutur AGA divisions the Sinhala increase was 291 % while the others were only 143%; In Thambalagamam, Kinniya and Kanthalai the Sinhala increase in 28 years was 1180% while the others increased 183 %. In Kuchaveli, Gomarankadawala and Morawewa the Sinhala increase was 580% and for the others 190 %.
Apart from the distorted demographic transformation through colonisation there was another reason for Trincomalee being made to change.. It was of strategic importance due to its natural harbour and the tank farm. It was also in the North – East and the federal party spoke of Trincomalee as the capital of a Tamil state. This made Trincomalee important in a politico – military sense. Later during demonstrations like “pongu Thamil” (Tamil upsurge ) LTTE elements crowed about Trinco being Tamil Eelam’s capital.
Under these circumstances Sinhala fears and insecurities were revived. The presence of artillery in Sampoor saw Trincomalee harbour coming under LTTE threat. It became politico – militarily imperative from a Sinhala dominated state’s perspective to undermine tiger and by extension the Tamil presence in the district.
Thus it was inevitable that plans would be laid both to interdict Northern and Eastern territorial contiguity as well as de – Tamilise Trincomalee and Sinhalaise it.
The escalation of the ethnic conflict saw Trincomalee district suffer. Many massacres occurred and Tamil civilians were killed . Thousands fled to India and elsewhere.
Sinhala civilians were militarised through the homeguard scheme. The Sinhalese were chased out in large numbers during the Indian army period.
Later there was a strategic equilibrium between the LTTE and GOSL forces. Now that the LTTE has been driven out and the GOSL holds the whip hand attempts are on to impose a Sinhala supremacist agenda on the diminished Tamils of Trincomalee.
The Sinhala supremacist vision of Sinhalaising Trincomalee has been invigorated with politico – military imperatives now. There is a need to break up North – Eastern territorial contiguity, sefeguard strategic places like the harbour, airport, prevent Trincomalee becoming the Tamil Eelam capital and exploit the district’s economic potential.
Rajavarothayam Sambandan the Veteran Tamil politician and Tamil National Alliance MP from Trincomalee district charged in Parliament on Sep 5th about a conspiracy to carve out a new district comprising northern parts of Trincomalee district and Southern parts of Mullaitheevu district.
This was a device to break North – Eastern contiguity , Sambandan stated. This was denied and Karu Jayasuriya assured Sambandan that there was no plan to create a new district.
Though Sambandan helped highlight some of the sinister designs on Trincomalee he was apparently wrong about a new district.
It is true that there was an earlier plan to create a new district called Weli – Oya consisting of areas ranging from Padaviya in the west, Kokkilai in the east, Thennamaravaady in the South and Nedunkerny in the North.
This was the “chinthana” of people like Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake, Ranjan Wijeratne and Anuruddha Ratwatte. Tamils from 28 villages were driven out in an act of ethnic cleansing by the state. The Weli – Oya district would break North – Eastern contiguity.
But the Rajapakse regime does not seem to entertain that idea now. One reason for this is that a bill has to be presented and two – thirds majority obtained to create a new district.
Apart from the difficulty of getting two – thirds such an act will be universally condemned due to its blatant Sinhala hegemonist design. This however is not the only reason why this regime has shelved the new district plan.
The earlier idea envisaged Trincomalee as a Tamil – speaking district and therefore thought of a new district as a wedge. But this regime wants to convert Trincomalee itself into a Sinhala majority district by altering demography through Sinhalaisation. If current plans are implemented then Trincomalee will become the Sinhala district interdicting Northern and Eastern contiguity.
As time progresses further Sinhalaisation will transform the entire Eastern province into a Sinhala majority province. There will be no need to break territorial contiguity or consider merger of provinces then.Intead of creating a new district the existing one will be demographically altered.
The recent pattern of certain events indicate what future lies ahead for Tamils and Muslims in the district.The Sampoor region including 12 villages has been made a high security zone. People are barred from re- settling in their ancestral villages. Tamils and Muslims are not allowed to fish or farm in certain areas.
In Ilankaithuraimuhathuvaaram Tamils are prevented from re- settling while plans are afoot to make it the “sacred” area of Lanka Patuna.
In Jabalmalai Muslims and Tamils are barred from quarrying. Apart from unemployment the people will now have to buy granite at exhorbitant prices from Sinhala businessmen in Kanthalai.
Housing schemes are set up and families of Sinhala security forces enlisted from the district are being settled in places traditionally inhabited by Tamils and Muslims like Iraalkuli and Kappalthurai.
Prominent Tamils with leadership potential are being assassinated to demoralise the civilians further . There is a growing nexus between Sinhala civilians and the security forces. Sinhala youths from the district are being enlisted in large numbers into various branches of the security apparatus. Sinhala civilians were aided and abetted by the security forces in looting houses of fleeing Tamil refugees and appropriating livestock.
More important however are master development plans in the pipeline. One is the Trincomalee metro centre urban development plan. This is an integrated development plan for Trincomalee town and other outlying areas.
Trincomalee town is currently Tamil dominated. When this plan comes into force a substantial number of Tamil people will be evicted. Further re – location will be necessitated in the name of security by declaring a security zone around the harbour and adjacent coastal areas.
Just as Anuradhapura was declared a sacred zone by SWRD Bandaranaike and the Tamil dominated “old” town gave way to the Sinhala “new” town the Tamil Trinco town of “old” will be replaced by the “new” Sinhala Trinco.
The other is the comprehensive Post -Resettlement Develoment plan for the Eastern region. Displaced Tamils are being cruelly shuttled about and re- settled without any facilities or infra – structure. They are treated as statistics and not human beings.
The haste is to complete “re- settlement” on paper and then move on to massive post – resettlement development projects. Apart from minting money (more than 10 % of costs ) through corrupt practices the last refuge of scoundrels – patriotism – is also being resorted to . The master plan will facilitate the Sinhalaisation process.
Some of the proposed projects for Trincomalee under this plan are the special economic zone at Kappalthurai. The first phase costs 4250 million and second 2600 million rupees. It will be completed in 2015. There will also be a small and medium industrial zone at Kappalthurai. The first phase costs 500 m and the second 1000 million rupees. It will be set up in 2008.
A new administrative secretariat will be established at Mankaiootru for 300 million rupees in 2008. A new fisheries harbour costing 1000 million rupees to be constructed by 2010 at Pudavaikattu. A new town development scheme for Andankulam – China Bay to be built by 2010 for 1500 million rupees.
A massive road project linking Uppuvely and Eechilampatru to be constructed by 2010 for 10. 3 billion rupees. This proposed outer circular road will run through Sinhala areas of Seruwila division. This is an extension of a new road being constructed now in Trinco North.Two tourist resorts will be set up by 2010. They will be in Nilaweli and Verugal at a cost of 800 millionand 1750 million rupees respectively.
An important project in this respect is the coal fired power plant to be set up with Indian assistance. Both phases of the project are expected to cost 500 million US dollars each and will be completed by 2012. Originally it was ear- marked for Kappalthurai but Colombo wanted to set it up later in Sampoor. But New Delhi has stood firm and it is likely to come up in Kappalthurai
There are also plans to develop a tourist site around the hot water wells at the Tamil village of Kanniya and Sinhalaise it. An industrial zone is to be set up in the phosphate rich Muslim area of Pulmoddai. The area is to be renamed Polmadhu.
The GOSL has called for foreign assistance and private sector investment to develop Trincomalee district. The project plans do not refer to ethnicity but only to people. Tamils and Muslims will also be given employment in projects. But these will be of a “token” nature to avoid charges of ethnic discimination.
In actual practice there will be an ethnicised approach and employment will be given mainly to Sinhalese from the district and outside. The thinking is that the strategically important Trincomalee’s security can be ensured in the long run through an enhanced security force presence. The security of this military presence can be ensured through a sympathetic population. A sympathetic population can be guaranteed only through Sinhalaisation. Greater recruitment of Sinhala youths from the district into the forces and facilitating settlement of familes in the district can strengthen security further.
New Sinhala settlements will come up. Already thousands of Sinhala youths from Trinco are being incorporated into the security forces. Housing schemes are being set up widely. Security force members from outside the district are encouraged to settle families in Trincomalee.
Actual settlement of Sinhalese civilians from outside the district is yet to take place on a massive scale But preparations are on. Sections of the Buddhist clergy affiliated to a hardline political party are now compiling lists of people from different parts of the Country who are willing to settle down in Trincomalee.
It is only a matter of time before the great North – eastern trek commences.The groundwork is being laid cleverly for future Sinhalaisation. The state machinery is being mobilised. It will be a slow process and would depend on the militarisation process and progress of economic development. A key element in this is the opening up new roads.
The Road Development Authority (a central agency) which is in charge of A and B class roads under the 13th Amendment has begun constructing an inner ring road and an outer ring road for Trincomalee. The inner ring road links Aathimottai on the Trincomalee-Nilaveli- Pulmottai Road, Kanniya on the A12 (Puttalam- Anuradhapura-Trincomalee Road) and 189km post on A-6 (Kandy-Habaran- Trincomalee Road).
Arrangements are being made to get Sinhalese “encroachers” to move in between A-6 and A12 on this ring road. Basil Rajapakse is personally overseeing this project.
The outer ring road planned will begin at Kuchchaveli on the Trincomalee- Nilaveli-Pulmottai Road, cross A12 near Pankulam and meet A6 between Kantalai and Tampalakamam and proceed to Ilankaiturai -Muhathuvaram and to Sampur in further phases.
Sinhalese had already been settled near Pankulam and on the A6 between Kantalai and Tampalakamam. The Tamils who had been living there had been chased away since the early 1980s. Now, the programme is to bring in more Sinhalese and settle them between the two ring roads. Workers on new projects will be mainly Sinhalese.
The construction work is being undertaken by the SL Army. The RDA Chief Engineer in Trincomalee,works very closely with the SL Army. The planning and design are done in Colombo. The Provincial Director of the RDA is based in Batticaloa. He is completely in the dark about the two ring road projects.
Minister Abdul Majeed who is from Kinniya and who belongs to the All Ceylon Muslim Congress of Rishad Bathurdeen is allegedly backing these projects for reasons of his own.. Funds are provided from the Nation Building Ministry under President Rajapakse.
During the past Sinhalese were settled through land allotments in irrigation schemes. At present the main irrigation settlement scheme envisaged is system M lands of the Yan Oya/Kallaru basin to the north of Trincomalee. Earlier in 1983 Gamini Dissanayake settled 3364 Sinhala families on lands under System L in the Weli oya /Manal aaru region Now the plan is to consolidate Yan Oya.
But there are other plans to in Trincomalee to alienate land through systemic encroachment. The new roads being constructed in Trinomalee north and the extended highway to be constructed in Trincomalee south will facilitate this.
Some of the proposed development activity will certainly benefit Tamils and Muslims. But the lion share will be for people of the lion. Moreover the project will ultimately lead to strengthening the Sinhala community and disempowering the Tamil – Muslim people of the district.
Sinhala People will be brought in as squatters in “new” territory opened up on either side of the roads. The security forces will help set up shelters, provide food and water etc under the pretext of providing security. After a short period of residence (not more than a year) the encroachers will make applications to legalise their “illegal” ownership.
The position of land alienation and settlement is a little complicated in the North and East as the Provincial Council is defunct. Be it the Governor or PC administration , reference must be made to the GA in such a situation. The GA will refer to the provincial lands commissioner. If all parties concur legalising encroachments will be easily done.
In order to facilitate this legal “landgrab” the administrative machinery is being Sinhalaised. The previous lands commissioner Ms. Justina Muraleetharan was removed and former Kanthalai Divisional secretary Piyasiri appointed.
After de – merging the North and East the EP administration is being ethnically transformed. Former Trincomalee GA’s Rodrigo and Nelundeniya are chief secretary and Public administration secretary respectively. Former Matale GA, Udage is secretary of the provincial public services commission.
There are also many ex – servicemen in key posts. The Governor is rear admiral Mohan Wijewickrema. The GA is Maj Gen Ranjith de Silva. The rehabilitation co-ordinator is Maj. Gen Amaradeva. The secretary to the Governor is capt. Patrick Jayasinghe.
Appointing ex – servicemen to key administrative posts has been criticised by members of the administrative service. The harsh conduct of Trinco GA has been deplored. But the fact remains that this combination of retired administrative and security officials is well – equipped to implement the Sinhalaisation process in Trincomalee.
Apart from aiding land grab activities the administrative functions of the district can be gradually Sinhalaised. Recruitment and transfers could be ethnic – oriented. Already there are many signs of Tamils and Muslims being sidelined and Sinhalese being given pride of place in the district and provincial administration. There are also the security authorities whose powers are considerable in administrative issues.
The stage has been set and we may be in for a fantastic show of seeing a region being demographically transformed for poilitico – military reasons. “Kizhakku” will set while “nagenahira” will rise.
Some would call this slow ethnocide and a crime against humanity. But then the best laid plans of men and mice can go awry at times. Que sera sera!
Entry Filed under: transCurrents
38 Comments Add your own
1. Dr K C | October 20th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I was born and brought up in Trinco; I feel very sad to read this.
We are in this situation because of the brutality of the GOSL and barmy strategy of the LTTE.
In mid 1987, I was very optimistic and had had full of hopes for the bright future of Trinco. But sadly, I predicted the current situation when the 1st landmine exploded under an IPKF jeep in Oct 1987.
My fellow Tamils ought to understand that the LTTE has neither vision nor wisdom to take us out of this mess. As long as VP & PA are in their respective driving seats there is no future for Tamils.
2. Antony chelva | October 20th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
ethinic CLEANISING is a major Crime against humanity. Under any future peace deal these settlers shud be removed. Tigers seems not so bothered with this ethnic cleanising?
People shud realise this is state sponsered, planed ethinic cleanising just like former Yugoslavia, Ruwanda etc. Sadam did this exact thing in Kurkuk in Iraq to Araabise it to grab the oil. Mahinda’s Policy will surely backfire. Its matter of time. In this modern world no body can ethinically cleans in a secret way.
It is true many Tamils have moved to Colombo area. These people are essentially well to do Refugees from North east. They come to avoid the War and give education to their children. Most of their children go overseas soon as they finish A/ Level. SO it is a fluid people seeking relative safelty frm war. If not they will never come to live in an expensive city and waste their money.
3. taya | October 21st, 2007 at 3:47 am
It is sad that people like Dr KC can not understand the wider picture even now. Dr K C and company can only think about their personal gain and loss not the balance sheet of the whole community.
When a company start to make losses due to external influences, there are two options available to MD.
1.Shake up the structure to become more resiliant to move forward to make profit in the long run without looking at the lifes of individual employees.
2. Find short term cash flow to satisfy the employees and share holders and become bankrupt in the long term.
Tamils have to think harder to find a permanant and prosperus solution while ignoring the short term personal gains and losses.
4. Col 4 | October 21st, 2007 at 4:08 am
I was Brought up in Colombo 4 . Area , there were a few Tamils Those days . But Now about 60% are Tamils Now . Do i have a Problem with that . No way .
5. ilaya seran senguttuven | October 21st, 2007 at 5:00 am
The Sinhalisation of the Eastern Province is a continuing Sinhala Agenda whose beginnings were more pronounced during the regime of that arch-Sinhala supremacist D.S. Senanayake – uncle of the intolerant Tamil-hater RG Senanayake. This sequence of thought, of course, began much earlier. The Samboor saga of recent dates is only the more visible portion in the design of taking over Tamil lands, towns and villages under the name of HSZ and other nonsense. The idea is to drastically reduce the demographic pattern – inspite of whatever happens to the Tamil civilians so long as Sinhala political goals are realised – and realised quickly. The Navy has “destroyed” over 50 ships of the LTTE while their expert Rohan Gunaratne estimated in 2005 the LTTE had only about 5 ships capable of taking on the SL Navy. If you add the casualties of the LTTE claimed by the armed forces in the past 3 years this will come to well over 6,000.
Add to the armed forces claims between 2000 to 2005 that arrives at over 20,000. But Rohan Gunaratne and other independent foreign experts were all agreed the total strength of the LTTE from 2,000 – including conscriptions, baby brigades etc is less than 8,000. So who is fooling whom? The Sinhala public in the South are being conned and they still do not know it. In the next few days there will be a road-show from the Bentara river beyond Hambantota to “show” the Sinhala people the tremendous” gains” by the Sinhala army. This is simply to keep the people from revolting on the unbearable Cost of Living issue. The gullible Sinhala citizen in the South is prepared to forget his badey kakkuma so long as he hears the sweet news that the Tamils are on the run in the Sinhala-Tamil battle. Sumanasiri Liyanage, a respected neutral analyst, noted a few years ago that the Sinhalese should come to terms with a period of history of Post-Eelam.
Both the UNO, CBK and Mahinda Rajapakse’s governments know the inevitable which is exactly why they purposefully failed to develop new infrastructure and repair the others in the North-East or allocate large Capital development votes for irrigation, road/bridge building/repairs, hospitals, health, housing, industrial development etc.
DBS and friends should not waste any more time and energy preaching to the Sinhala dominated government to be fair by the Tamil people. We have travelled far down the road for that. Look at India. They keep silent because they have lost their patience in preachingto the Sinhala governments to be realistic. As another commentator in your columns pointed out it is East Timor, Kosovo, Darfur and inevitably Tamil Eelam.
In 50 years from now the Sinhala middle class displaced from Sri Lanka and holed up in Europe, North America, Australia and India will curse all our leaders from 1980 for making them “Stateless” Tamils will regroup and probably join South India. Prabakaran and his gun men will not be around. Eelam will develop economically like Cochin and Singapore. A more enlightened political leadership from the Sinhala South will make peace with Eelam and history prior to the arrival of the Portugese will be repeated. Encroached and grabbed land in the North-East will go to where and tp whom it belongs – legally, morally and according to recognised international law. Some Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamhalese will live in harmony with the new reality in the North East.
6. veerakathi | October 21st, 2007 at 6:00 am
Without A Tamil Army, Tamils Have Nothing!
o There is widespread racism and state terror that has been directed at the Tamil people since Ceylon gained independence from Britain in 1948.
o The Sinhalese came to Sri Lanka about 2500 years back and claim to be Aryan race, which is a bunch of crap
o Tamils have been living in Sri Lanka for more than 30,000 years and called it Ellam.
o In 1769 the British arrived and absorber the Island of Ceylon into its huge empire.
o Before Portugese, Dutch & British came, there were three Kingdoms in Ceylon, Tamil kingdoms in North and East, one Sinhalese kingdom in Hill Country and one in Costal areas of Ceylon.
o British centralised all powers in Capital Colombo for administrative purpose , unified the whole country by amalgamating three Kingdoms into one Country and brought large amount of Tamil Labours from India to Build Tea estates and these Tamils built the national economy and earn highest amount Foreign exchange today ( US $ 900 Millon per year )
o When British left in 1947, they handed over centralised power in Colombo to Sinhalese and the first Sinhalese majority parliament stripped, (which consisted of Racist like DS Senanayaka, SWRD Bandaranayaka & JR Jeyawardena,) one million tea estate Tamils in the central hill country of their citizenship and right to vote, because they voted against the ruling party and happened to be Tamils.
o The third parliament of Ceylon in 1n 1956, under the leadership of SWRD Bandaranayaka and with the support of UNP, made Sinhalese the only official language and as a consequence large number of Tamils lost their job opportunities. LSSP leader Colvin R De Silva warned one language, two countries, two languages, one country.
o During nineteen seventies the Government of Srimao Bandaranayaka, with the support of Badudeen Mohammed, NM Perera, Peter Kennaman & Colvin R De Silva implemented the standardisation policy where Tamil student have to get much more marks to enter university, irrespective of their merit, and abolished the Constitution Drafted by Last British Governor and deleted the protection given to Tamils under that Constitution and these act angered moderate Tamil Politicians and young Tamil students and provided a strong motivation to start armed struggle, another foolish act of Sindhalese
o Major Sinhalese political parties and Majority of the Buddhist Monks are totally racist and anti Tamil.
o In July 1983 the Sinhalese thugs aided, supported and encouraged by Sinhalese politicians, Buddhist monks and Sinhalese army and police killed thousands of Innocent Tamils, burned down their houses, business premises, medical clinics and lawyers offices and ganged raped Tamils girls and this is known as ‘ July Holocaust’ or ‘ Black July’ .
o The Tamil armed struggle gathered momentum after this foolish act of Sinhalese and resulted in the development of present day Tamil Army known as ‘Tamils Tigers’
o Some feel that creation of a Tamil Federal state or a Scottish style Tamil Parliament will bring peace; this solution will not work, because this type of political system to work, the central government should be trust worthy and Tamils have no trust in Sinhalese central government or Sinhalese politicians. They cannot be trusted, because Sri Lankan army, police and state machinery is one hundred percent Sinhalese.
o The only option for Tamils to fight Sinhalese state terrorism is to create their own state which existed before Portugese, Dutch and British came to Colonise Ceylon – Sri Lanka.
o WITH OUT A TAMIL ARMY TAMILS HAVE NOTHING – POLITICAL POWER GROWS OUT OF BARREL OF GUN – ARMY IS HE CHIFE COMPONENT OF STATE POWER –
o The ‘Tigers’ control their own territory and run it like a totalitarian dictatorship now, after winning an independent state for Tamils, they have to grant democracy to all people, otherwise Tamil people will revolt
o Tamil Army is a militant army with a cause, to disarm them is impossible and no army can fight them forever.
o The ‘war on terror after 9/11’ has been used by Sri Lankan States (past & present) to suppress Tamils and opposition descendants and get plenty of foreign aid from US, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, China and Israel. Tamils and their Tamil Army are not terrorist, but freedom fighters. The Sinhalese and International media describes the entire Tamil people as terrorist and remain silent about Sri Lanka state terrorism for the benefit of their Geopolitical agendas.
o Regardless of whether the war in Sri Lanka is recognized as a war of national liberation in the exercise of the right to self-determination or a civil war, support for the LTTE from the Tamil people cannot be criminalise. The Tamil people, whether in Sri Lanka or elsewhere, have the right to freedom of opinion and belief, the right to freedom of expression and the right to support political parties or groups of their own choosing.
o FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT.
7. Naga UK | October 21st, 2007 at 7:17 am
It is easy to say that it is not possible because a certain party or persons in the driving seat. The reality is the big picture, where the Sinhala nationalists having their own theory. They think they arae clever and will be recorded in history as “the”s of this era, not for moment realizing they are catalyzing the process of destruction of this beautiful country. It is as though the common innocent Sihalese are crying for demographic mutilation of the areas where Tamils live. They are infact destroying the livelihodd of the common people in the process, not to mention the enormous damage to the racial amity in this country only for safeguarding their fat bellies and that of the kiths and kins. Indications are that it will reach the point of no return very soon.
8. Vani Kumar | October 21st, 2007 at 8:15 am
Thank you. I want to congratulate you for report. We, the Tamil people are a distinct nationality. We the Tamil people have a distinct history. We are proud of our civilization. We are proud of our language. We, the Tamil people have to protect our ancestral Homeland. Fighting against oppression is the birth right of every human being.
9. nathan | October 21st, 2007 at 10:04 am
“Prominent citizens with leadership potential are being assassinated to demoralise the civilians further”.
This is happening not only in the east, but also in the north and the south.
It is good that you have at last acknowledged that State Terrorism exists.
This killing of CIVILIANS is the major problem of Human Rights violations – debated at a recent conference in colombo.
But for the LTTE, thousands of tamils would have been
slaughtered by now.
IPKF would have slaughtered many more, but for the LTTE.
Displacement of tamils from their ancestral lands was commenced by D.S.Senanayake with the Gal Oya Scheme in the sixties,and has been continued by every sinhala majority government since.
10. tham | October 21st, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Dr KC
Even when IPKF was there colonization was going on.. india turned blind eye on it. because their purpose was just having control over srilanka..not to safegaurd tamils interest..
Otherwise they would not have had purposely brought up 4 tamil movements..
VP has vision…but short sited people ,most of us, loose hope very fast due to loses of people and land…
VP has got the fundemental right.. may be made some tactical mistake… but not any stratgic mistake..
VP’s bet will be emotions of 60 million tamils in tamil nadu… when they go wild indian central government will not have any choice other than accepting Tamil eelam…
even during peace time , more than 30,000 tamils died in one day because of tsunami… deaths can come in any form…
.tamils should never give their struggle until they get what they deserve…..
11. Suresh M | October 21st, 2007 at 1:28 pm
It’s not only the present Sinhala regime, but every one before Rajapakese tried with limited success. Most of the successful colonization had taken place under the watch full eye of TULF, or Federal Party / Tamil Congress before they became TULF. TULF didn’t have the power to stop them. Sinhala regimes didn’t have much success only after LTTE became active in the region (i.e. Mannal Aru scheme).
I know it’s depressing for Tamils in general, especially Tamils fromTrinco. It’s is not our interest to further weaken the LTTE / TNA at this crucial time, but to strengthen the Tamil unity. TNA could take this matter with the donor community, India, and other U.N organizations.
I know a retired Indian Intelligence Officer B. Raman had asserted that if LTTE get rid of VP / PA, India might work with LTTE. But, India’s geopolitical interest is being served by cooperating with the Sinhala regime, and they become partners in crime against Tamils.
Until we attain our goal of Tamil Eelam (a) may be a separate state, or (b) unified North-East under a federal set-up, we, Tamils should not propose anything that could weaken our unity further.
12. Thamilan | October 21st, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Sinhalese are really has walked out of the lines. Times like these that I feel that the animalist nature of the Tigers should be let loose and not held back my humanitarian morals. Trincomalee is the claimed capital of Tamil Eelam, and Sinhalese are fools if they think the Tigers will let go of it based on the demographic change. This slow progress of demographic change by the Sri Lankan governement can become a disaster if there is even a small shift in the internatioanl community which will lead to a road where Tiger will have the upperhand to do what ever they please. Also if the Indians or other poweres think they can use the harbour to expand their military ambition, that is another wild and wet dream. Let the Sinhalese do what ever they want, if the supplies are cut of by the Tigers, it is those foolish Sinhalese who decided to seetle who will suffer. It will be a good barganing chip for the Tigers to safetly get all the Tamils to the North & East when the time of partition arrives.
13. Dr K C | October 21st, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Taya & Tham
I am not against the LTTE but what I am saying is that the LTTE should be radically reformed. It should truly become a responsible freedom movement. We should have learnt some important lessons during the last -exactly- 20 yrs.
For the mere survival of the Tamils in the NE, the LTTE should become a pro-Indian force or at least it should abandon its anti-Indian rhetoric. An anti-Indian force can never govern the separate or federal state of NE – India will never allow that to happen. As long as VP & PA are in their respective positions, India will have genuine difficulties in establishing contacts with the LTTE from the judicial point of view and we should be wise and decent enough to understand this. I have no doubt there are very talented people like Soosai who has all the necessary credentials to become the leader of the LTTE. The LTTE cannot be a one-man show but a mass politico-military freedom movement for the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
Tham:
I can put it to you that only during the IPKF days the Tamils in Trinco enjoyed the sweetness of peace since independence. During the early days there were pockets of state sponsored’re-colonisation’ in Trinco. JR did this publicity exercise to calm down his Sinhala voters because there was large exodus of Sinhala settlers from the EP in the immediate aftermath of the arrival of the IPKF. But subsequently the IPKF objected and dismantled new settlements in the outskirts of the district. We should have fought ethnic cleansing with the help of India because I still see India as our natural safety net. Some fools opened another frontier with India destroyed our future. Two pronged claymore strategy is nothing but absolute madness.
14. nathan | October 21st, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Tamils truly known as Drvidayans must look for the home where they were originally. The present living is in the land where they were brought as slaves by the British to get the dirty work done. There is no homelamd in Sri Lanka for imported meterial
15. Dr K C | October 22nd, 2007 at 1:32 am
Dear Col 4
Here we are not talking about passive human migration; we are talking ethnic cleansing – DBS has beautifully explained the difference between these two, I regret you did not grasp the point.
For example, if a “Tamil Force” invaded Tissamaharagama, chased out the indigenous inhabitants and settled Tamils with a view to deliberately changing the demographic structure of Tissamaharagama – this becomes ethnic cleansing. This is what we are complaining of.
16. Anonymous | October 22nd, 2007 at 5:11 am
Please note that VP & PA are no longer in the driving seat but Pillayan & Karuna! The only difference is that the car is no longer controllable by the person in the driving seat as the car is now remotely controlled by Mr 10%!!
17. nathan | October 22nd, 2007 at 6:41 am
Today the 20th anniversary of the Jaffna Hospital Massacre by the IPKF is being remembered;
Yesterday LTTE has destroyed three helicopter gunships in the anuradapura SLAF base with a combined land and air attack.
This is a hard hit against State Terrorism.
Anyone who wishes to ‘reform’ the LTTE should forward the mechanism for same.
India is now supplying ‘offensive weapons’ to the SLGovernment.
India had supplied information on LTTE supply ships’ movements.
Therefore, india’s stance is evident. India wants the LTTE ‘contained’ if not crushed.
Tamils can no longer depend on india to take the ‘middle path’. It is more worried about other countries getting a ‘foothold’ in sri lanka than about the plight of tamils – whlie ignoring the State Terrorism directed against them.
The Fench ‘terrorism expert’ at the colombo conference has said that it is difficult to defeat the LTTE. This has caused vitriolic comments against him, worse than what was directed against Ms Arbour by the SLGovt sources.
Murder of civilians in the north by tamil paramilitary mercenaries is gaining momentum – a village officer has been shot in cold blood.
Therefore, now it is going to be a ‘fight to the finish’.
18. Thamilan | October 22nd, 2007 at 8:28 am
Comment # 13,
What you are saying is to replace the Sinhalese with the Indians. No Thanks. Remember the time when the foolish Sinhalese replaced a European domination with another one.
Tamil Eelam should be gained by the Tamil, for the Tamils and should only bow to the Tamil people. It should never bow to the Sinhalese, Indians or anyone at any cost.
19. Ravana | October 22nd, 2007 at 11:10 am
this comment is to give a different perspective to the annalysis.
and by no means to justify any sort of cleansing done by any party may it be GOSL, LTTE, or IPKF.
why since independence the leaders of this country did not manage to create harmony among sri lankan people is because of thier lack of vision.
many tried to recreate a past which they have read in a
book may it be “mahavamsa” or “Yaalpanamvaipavam”
they never looke at the present situation and build a new future.
when british gave independence the Sinhalese leaders to get support of their community brought out the figures that british build more schools in jaffna and colombo to support the tamils and marginalise the sinhalese and therefore they should square things off.
( i remember my grand father saying he was chased off from jaffna when he was doing trade becasue he was a sinhalese in 1948 by Tamil chauvinists [not tamil people] ).
sinhalese extremists argue that there are many historical evidence in the eastern part of the island that it has been inhabited by the sinhalese
the tamils say that the tamil cultural has been destroyed by the aryan settlers.
and these arguments fuel tha natural love humans have to their own race, but the reality is that we are heading no where with this mind set,
its easy to say by being 1000 miles away and having your bread and butter safe and asking the people crushed in the reality to fight for your facinations the country / race etc etc. ( this is true to both tamil and sihalese diasphora)
the thing is we need to understand the reality , our thinking and leadership are very negative. we complain some one else fo rour down fall and do not try to over come it by our talent the tamils blaim the sinhalese and the sinhalese blaim the international community.
when tamils speak of thier rights it sounds so offensive that the tamil speaking muslims do not find a place for them selves in their fight.
similarly the sinhalese find them selves so insecure because of the mind set created during the colonial period and do not realise the same hardship that their fellow country men are going through.
people who suffered from these backward thinking are not only the tamils the ones who resorted to armed struggle are the sinhalese youth in 1971,
it is supresses now is because of the presense of LTTE, not because the problems are over, and if the tamil people who are out of Sri Lanka now thinks that a seperate state is the solution it might not be the case,
one reason i will point out is that one i saw tamil day celebrated in London it was not a tamil day but it was seperate VVT day, batticoloa tamil day , trinco tamils day and so on, all of our communities are inter and intra devided.
just think of the situation of the Upcountry tamils with their hard work who have brought in the most foreign earnings to the country, who is realy talking about them ?
i will point out anothe fact about the reality, when the peace agreement was signed , if althese patriotic people who claim that they will develop a tamil eelam really mean what they say…..
look at the numbers where the diasphora investment went in to, tirrikunamalei or Yaalpanam ? NO
it went to Wellawatta all the money for high rise apartments from tamil people went in to Colombo.
I beleive we all have to be proud of our ethnicity, language , culture and preserve it. but in doing so we should not be stupid.( this message is to all sinhalse tamils and muslims)
we should fight together to avoid these cleansing , barberic acts like the 1983 by GOSL , mascre of arantala by LTTE and war in general happening)
instead of bringing in ethnicity or religion in to question and playing with peoples emotions if we make people understand that the administrative problems of central governance is the one that holding us back and go for regional autonomy for the benift of the people in those regions our country will flourish and develop with a Human touch.
teach your children of role models like A Y S Gnanam and Victor Hettigoda and not VP or MR
wish we all will get a day to live in peace
good work DBS Jeyaraj keep it up
20. Dingiri | October 22nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
The idea that the entire Eastern province within the borders defined by our colonial masters is the exclusive “traditional homeland” of the Tamils is not accepted by most Sinhalese. The eastern povince is one of the largest in land area but also the least densely populated. There are Ethnic Tamil concentrations in the larger towns like Trincomalee and Batticoloa but much of it was Jungle land previously occupied by the Veddah people. To bundle these vast jungles with the Tamil occupied land which are their villages, towns and farmland and calling it all their exclusive traditional homeland does not take into account the demography or the history of this province.
I read in some of the posts here that the North-East was a separate kingdom before the country was colonised by the western powers. This is true about the Jaffna kingdom but definitely not so of the East. The East including Trincomalee was part of the Kandian kingdom. It was lost to the Portugese in 1620 and then recaptured again in 1638 by Rajasinghe II. When Robert Knox landed in Trincomalee he was captured and taken to the capital in Kandy before being presented before the Kandian king. The Dutch eventually established themselves in all of the maritime areas including the East and Rajasinha’s response was to withdraw his subjects from the areas occupied by the colonials and to treat the remaining inhabitants of those areas as the enemy. This incidently was the beginning of the Kandian Sinhalese/Low Coutry Sinhalese rift. My guess is that Indian Tamils migrated in to replace the areas vacated by the Sinhalese. However not all Sinhalese left these areas. A few villages remained eking out a meagre existance in the jungle their villages are known as Puranagam (ancient villages) by Sinhalese and Tamils of these parts. The Tamil place names of most places in the east and their former Sinhalese counterparts are well documented. Another fact that demonstrates the more recent arrival of Tamils are the fact that approximately half of them are Moslem. Now any Islamic proselytising in the Island was mainly in the west coast where the Arab traders landed. So how did such a large Moslem population end up in the east? The answer is that they were Moslem before they arrived in Sri Lanka. Now Islam got established in South India in the 16th-17th centuries so the Tamil speaking people must have arrived in the Eastern Province after that. The Sinhalese history in these lands on the other hand is well bourne by the wealth of archaeological evidence. All those watadages scattered all over the EP from around 170bc. Thiriyaya, Somawathie, Digavapi, Kudumbigala. I believe there around 300 such sites listed in the Dept of Archaelogy survey.
Now this is not to say the Tamils have no right to the East. They obviously have a right too but only an equal right. Any future partition of the country should enshrine the right of every citizen to an equal part of the country. If only the two parties, Govt and LTTE could recognise that after all that has passed the only way to secure a lasting peace is for a fair partition of the land between its two or three major communities.. The sooner they recognise these realities, consider the other’s rights and welfare equaly to one’s own community’s the sooner we will be able to live again as civilised people.
We need to recognise that
1. The country belongs to all its citizens equally regardless of when or where they originated from. It follows that each citizen is therefore entitled to about 0.8 of an acre of land.
2. If a viable portion of the population therefore decides to secede from the union they must inevitably have the right to do so and take their 0.8 acre and move to their state of choice.
The choice is therefore not between “Unitary” and “Federal” but “Fair” and “Unfair”. I believe we should first logically devide the country into 3 states. One in the North devided from the rest of the country by a horizontal line with a given latitude (to pre-empt future border disputes). One in the east with Batticaloa as it’s centre and separated from the rest of the country by horizontal and vertical lines. There should then be a referrandum to find out who wants to belong to which state. The Diaspora should also be given a vote as many of them may want to return once peace returns. Once the numbers are established the borders can be drawn so that the land mass of each state is proportional to it’s population.
Afterwards the three states can hold elections and co-operate as and how they wish. If the co-operation is full and open all Sri Lankans will stand to benefit. For example there should be a disarmament treaty to ensure there is no arms race and that respective govts spend their budgets on public services rather than on foreign arms.
There should be free trade treaty, and an open borders treaty like that between the Schengen states.
If it is at all possible for our local bufoons to see that this will go further to achieving some kind of unity and harmony than their entrenched positions of
Tamils: Who cant see why the Sinhalese and Moslems cant crowd into the lower 2/3 of the country and leave the remaining 1/3 to just 12% of the population.
Sinhalese: Who believe that Sri Lanka should always be a unitary state dominated by Sinhala Buddhists. The only place in the world where the shining triple gem survives till eternity!
If this could ever be achieved people will realise that all that has changed from the “Unitary model” is that the President of the neighbouring land is of a different ethnicity. Everything else remains the same. People travel between the states without need for a visa or even crossing a border post. One can conduct business anywhere in the country. And resources can be spent on improving people’s lives rather than for hugely wasteful “Defence”.
The only difference it makes to a Sinhalese is that Mahinda Rajapakse’s writ will no longer be currency in the North and the East. And I dont rue that.
21. kumar | October 23rd, 2007 at 9:19 am
Important article to understand what is going on in eastern trincomalee. I wish all foreign embassies in Colombo read this
22. Patriot | October 23rd, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Thankfully both the sinhala and tamil racists are becoming a small minority and the vast majority of sinhalese and tamils are much more moderate and realistic about their country and do want to change the excessive centralisation of power at present by political decentralisation/devolution of power, or power sharing from the centre to the pheriphery to resolve issues amicably and is looking forward to a brighter future except for the LTTE violence.
.
It is very clear to me that what especially to young sri-lankans need is shared future and need to really feel that there are no three or four separate futures for the tamils, sinhalese or muslims but that their is only one future and that is a shared future and a common future, a shared destiny and a common vision where the prosperity of one is the prosperity of all. In fact, it must be clear by now especially for both the sinhalese and tamils that when one group suffers the others suffer too.
I think the main reason the tragically that the tamil people are suffering today in the east or indeed the north is due to the LTTE’s extremist violence, its tunnel vision and totalitarian rule and facts like child soldiers, killing opponents, killing of intellectuals and politicians, use of guns, bombs and landmines, extortion, violence towards other ethnic groups etc.
23. taya | October 24th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Dear Dr K C
I am supporting the tamil cause for Freedom and equal status in Sri lanka. Nothing else.
India can be pro tamil and pro LTTE now. Tamils and LTTE were Pro Indian from the heart which never changed. Indians did not respect that friendship even now. They are chasing the Aryan myth connections in SriLanka. Even if you give your hand for a shake, they will stab you with the other hand.
I think the Indian government is making a mistake in trying to eliminate VP to avenge Rajiv killings. Without a dedicated and determined leadership tamil cause and SL tamils will be history. We will endup with ruthless and more violent groups in the ground and no one will be able to control the situation. Compare Palestine and Iraq.
Elimination of VP will lead to seperation in Tamilnadu,India.
24. Dr K C | October 24th, 2007 at 8:08 am
Dear Patriot
You cunningly cover up the brutality of the GOSL and only complain about the barmy strategy of the LTTE.
You must remember that the GOSL started its brutal behavior (The Sinhala Only Act, deprivation of civic rights 15% of Tamils, Anti-Tamil riots in 1958 in which state machinary did little to protect the genocide of Tamils….) even before the cadres of the LTTE were born.
The LTTE is the direct product of the state terror. If you say all forms of violence must come to an end – you’ll have my full support.
25. Dingiri | October 24th, 2007 at 9:08 am
So what do you recommend Patriot? Whether you like it or not the majority of Tamils would chose to live under the LTTE given a choice. They may not like the LTTE but they like Sinhala domination even less. What they really want is to run their own affairs, tax their own people and spend those taxes on their own people. Why is this a threat to the Sinhalese? Both Tamils and Sinhalese can have a common future and destiny if both their representative governments work equally towards the well being of their respective peoples. I think it will be good because there will be pressure on each state to match what is good about the other state.
Imagine the pressure on the MR govt to reduce the size of his cabinet and the perks and luxaries given to them if the LTTE were running affairs in the north with a skeleton cabinet who rode around on bicycles and ran the northern state like clockwork?
Imagine the pressure on the LTTE to tolerate desent if the south enjoyed genuine debate and a free press?
26. Vani Kumar | October 24th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Sri Lanka has the continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation.
Sri Lanka armed forces Tuesday paraded the naked bodies of Tamil Tiger commandos killed during their devastating attack on airbase.
The display of mutilated bodies echoed the Sri Lankan military’s display of the naked bodies of LTTE women fighters killed in an abortive attack on the Army’s Ma’nal Aa’ru (Weli Oya) camp in 1995.
The bodies of the women were reportedly mutilated with knives before being handed back to the LTTE in body-bags.
The Sri Lankan Army also released photographs of the women’s naked bodies heaped in piles, some with their legs spread.
27. Thamilan | October 24th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Comment #22,
From what you are saying when the LTTE throws a bomb the SLAF forces throw flowers back at them?
The main reason the Tamils have suffered and suffering is because of the racist Sinhalese who have limited vision on what the country should be.
28. MadurarThamizhan | October 24th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Hello Fello Thamilzharkalae,
Is this the reason why Karuna betrayed the LTTE?
29. Dr K C | October 25th, 2007 at 3:44 am
Dear taya
If the LTTE is interested in winning the hearts and minds of people like me it should reconcile with India now; if necessary let the LTTE walk the extra mile.
Devolved state/federal state/separate state in the NE could be viable only if India is on our side. India is the emerging global politico-economic-military giant. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to grasp this basic fact. I do not want another Cuba in our homeland.
I do not think the LTTE has significantly done anything to reconcile with India. Has VP ever said any goodwill sentences towards India in his Maveerar speeches? Reconciliation ought to involve acknowledging the past mistakes and formally expressing apology in good faith. I invite you to read my paper on ‘Reconciliation with India’ at Sangam, Dec 2006.
30. Vani Kumar | October 25th, 2007 at 3:51 am
Thank you Dr K C. Most civilized people agree with you. “The LTTE is the direct product of the state terror”.
However civilized people never parade the naked bodies of fighters killed during the war.
31. Dingiri | October 25th, 2007 at 5:35 am
Vani Kumar,
Why is there more outrage over the display or dead bodies than about the death of these obviously brave and selfless young men. In Buddhism you are nothing once you are dead. Just a collection of flesh and bones. It is only the Athma or sprit that is of any consequence. So once a person is dead it doesnt really matter whether you display the corpse, strip it naked, mutilate it, feed it to the dogs, bury it or burn it. You are not hurting anyone by doing so. You should however try your very utmost not to ever have to kill anyone. Which is why both sides should be prepared to make some serious compromises in order to end this war and become a civilised people again. Until then there is no point in paying lip service to Buddhism. Its time to do away with all this symbolism. Respect for the dead when you’ve killed them in the first place, worship of stone statues, trees, anyone wearing a robe regardless of their principles…For all I care Buddhism is dead in Sri Lanka.
32. Suresh M | October 25th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
#26,
Vani Kumar, you may seem to be shocked by the barbaric display of vulgarity of the Sinhala Army, and to a certain extent the ordinary Sinhala Buddhists who have participated in the parade. As you have mentioned, this is not the first time this occured.
Even before, during so called many riots against Tamils, there were many Tamils set on fire in the nude, and the ‘civilised’ Sinhala mahajanam, that include women, and children, joyfully participated in this very public display of affection towards Tamils.
This is an eye opener for civilized international society that this is a problem of hate crime against Tamils, just like Hitler’s Germany hated the Jews.
33. Patriot | October 25th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Dr K.C.,
You are living in the past, a past that most young people in Sri-Lanka have little idea about including myself. Anyway why should this generation suffer violence for two decades due to what may have happened in the past?! In fact, are you saying that because this or that happened in the past we shouldn’t move positively into the future? The past is past but now we have to move positively into the future. Lets face it, sri-lanka is a multi cultural society and in this scenario, it is a dangerous idea take extremist positions.
Like I said, especially the youth tamil, sinhala and muslim, burgher and others should be inculcated with a sense of a shared future not four or five fragmented futures. We should move forward as equals. Of course this should happen through legislation but what is more important is an inculcation of a sense of brotherhood, warmth and a shared sense of a common future which is beneficial for all concerned. This should be thaught in schools. There must be much more close co-operation and co-ordination between sinhala and tamil schools, much more mixing of students than at present. As they say, change happens first and foremost in the home and in the heart!
If we keep living in the past, we will never, ever be able to move forward into the future. A big change of hearts and minds are called for on all sides and those extremists on all sides, tamil and sinhala, who I believe are in a minority should step aside, well aside, not just for their own good but for the good of the vast nmajority of others, and let the vast majority of moderate minded people resolve issues the right way and stop their violent preachings.
34. Dingiri | October 26th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Patriot,
Have you heard of the saying “Too little too late” ? Well unfortunately thats what most Tamils will think of your offerings of..
“Moving forward as equals”
“move positively into the future”
“inculcation of a sense of brotherhood, warmth and a shared sense of a common future”
“more close co-operation and co-ordination between sinhala and tamil schools”
“much more mixing of students than at present”
What they want is Self Determination. i.e. they want to determine their destiny without having to loby a Sinhalese President in Colombo who is not electorily beholden to them. They want to tax their own people and control how those taxes are spent on their own people.
Personally I think thats a very fair demand as long as the land can be devided fairly between the communities.
35. Dr K C | October 26th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Dear Patriot
Many thanks for your kind reply.
I am sitting in front of my PC and keep sending my comments because I am deeply distressed by the sacrifice of the precious lives of children of Appuhamy and Appapillai, in their tender age.
If the post-independent GOSL had upheld the rule of law and treated every citizen equally SL would have become one of the most prosperous nations on this planet – there would have been sky scrappers and Silicon valleys all over the island. It is Mahinda who is stuck in the past and propagating the same atrocities against the Tamil-speaking minority: brutal military oppression, kidnapping, extra-judicial killings, deliberate air-raids & MBRL attacks on civilian targets, ethnic cleansing….the list goes on. Since Mahinda came to power NOT a single person has been charged for these heinous crimes.
I am not saying the LTTE is completely innocent but a sovereign govt has the responsibility of protecting all her citizen � that is what we are complaining of.
How can we come out of this mess?
GOSL must stop all its military operations
Allow the UN HR monitors to be stationed in SL
Start the negotiation to end the conflict based on the majority report of the panel of experts
Even after ~60 yrs of independence the GOSL has no idea as to what to offer the minority as a political package to solve the conflict!! Utter disgraceful isn’t, it?
As you suggest integeration can take place only if there is a political solution and Tamils are made to feel that they are also egual citizens of this island.
36. Sundaram | October 26th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
DBS,
Thank you for very much writing about the current status in Trinco.
I hope Indian Policy makers would read this article.
India is helping SL to contain LTTE and maintain its territorial integrity but not doing sufficient to prevent the SL govt. unleashing injustices to Tamils.
The colonization of Trinco will not be in line the solution India wished in SL.
I think the BJP govt. would be better for SL Tamils rather than current weak govt. of Dr Manmohan Singh.
The present Indian High Commissioners in SL too very weak compared with the previous officer, Nirupama Sen.
Trinco Tamils have suffered the worst of state terror for last 5 decades. During Srimavo Bandaranayke’s time there was no communal clash in the island but in Trinco. Trinco never had a Tamil Government Agent.
First casualty of IPKF was in Trinco, which was not due to LTTE but due to a Sinhalese thug who shot an Indian soldier and went and hid himself in SL army Camp. Also first agitation for IPKF to leave from SL was from Sinhalese in Trinco., during which Sinhalese mobs led by a Buddhist monk blocked the way for Indian Army vehicle in China bay. The mobs stoned the Indian soldiers who fired for their self-defence. The Buddhist monk died on the spot and later a statue was built for him at China bay Buddhist temple.
When Sinhalese who have been illegally occupying the property of Tamils in Trinco. town for many years were chased by Tamil boys, soon after the arrival of IPKF, the Navy sailors attempted to come out of their camp to attack the Tamils which was prevented by IPKF.
An year later there was clash between SL Police and IPKF resulting in the death of couple of SL Police men. This news was suppressed by UNP govt. to prevent protests from Sinhalese. But Island paper reported that a show down between IPKF and SL soldiers was imminent.
In mid eighties all the Tamils living in Thennamaravaadi(a village at very North of Trinco. were chased away at gun point by Srilankan forces allegedly masterminded by JR’s son Ravi Jeyawardene. That was similar to LTTE chasing the Muslims in Jaffna.
Govt. overtly and covertly encouraged unauthorized Sinhalese settlements in Trinco but persecuted the landless Tamils who tried to occupy in the abandoned plots of lands.
In South Asia only in Srilanka the demographic pattern is being changed by government and with a force in an inhuman manner. That is one of the major reasons for youth to take arms and rebel.
In India only about 15 % of Muslims live in Kashmir. But Kashmir Muslims can buy land in any part of India, but Hindus from other states cannot buy land in Kashmir
Panjab is for Sikhs, but nearly half of Indian Sikhs live outside Panjab. By those ways India has respected the traditional homeland of minorities. But SL has been doing just the opposite.
Few Tamils have written here supporting LTTE. But can they send their children to join LTTE?
Can they persuade the children of their friends and relatives in their adopted country and in SL to join LTTE?
LTTE’s chance of winning the war has been fast fading. Tamils in western countries should think of an alternative plan now. The alternative would be nothing other than begging India to help. India might change current attitude and will be sympathetic to Tamils only if LTTE leaders surrender to them. Then only at some solution will be there for Tamils rather than being at the mercy of SL govt. and monks.
37. Suresh M | October 27th, 2007 at 11:30 am
I come up with a list of events that could happen in next year or two.
Sinhala parties come together and put forward a fair and just solution, pass them through Parliament as they have more than two third votes. This will make LTTEs demand a mute point.
Very effective, but highly unlikely to happen
LTTE gives up all terror activities including child recruitments. Also, as some of you, and an ex RAW officer suggested, replace VP / PA from their respective positions, and make peace with India.
Effective, but unlikely to Occur.
Continues suffering of minorities, deteriorating on human rights front, deteriorating of press freedom, and redefining of war on terror due to change in leadership in the west might push a solution in the line of East Timor, Kosovo, Darfur.
Workable, likely to happen.
Any other thoughts……………..
38. Dingiri | November 7th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Suresh M,
How about Sri Lanka being absorbed into the Indian Federation as its next State with the North being absorbed into Tamil Nadu and the rest of Lanka a becoming another Federal State of India? 20 years from now India is going to be much more powerful economically and militarily wheras Sri Lanka is going to be a shadow of what it is now being worn down by endless conflict. If India then decides to annex us will Sri Lankans object? India will offer us peace, stability and a share of India’s success and we wont be in a possition to refuse being half starved and war weary. I think it would be a good thing. To hell with Nationalism! Only politicians benefit from it.
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