It is dangerous and suicidal to get into a pessimistic mindset when the struggle is going through a difficult phase. And it would be a great betrayal to think about deserting or sidelining Tigers at this crucial juncture and it would be killing the Tamil's cause once and for all. This is what the Srilankan government is trying desparately to achieve: to weaken the Tamil's resolve, and create divisions to finish off the liberation movement.

If at all the Tamil's issue is being discussed at the international level today, the sole credit for it goes to the Tigers. The so called 'Political initiatives...' had been tried unsuccessfully for more than three decades even by leaders like Chevanayagam. There is no point in falling into that trap once again. Where was the international community then?

It is clear that Indian authorities do not want 'Tamil Eelam' because they fear that Tamilnadu could become another 'Kashmir' tomorrow. They feel it is better to handle Colombo than taking the risk of having one more 'Tamil Eelam' across the border. The Indian approach is decided by this line of thinking more than by their antagonism towards LTTE. If LTTE could serve their interests, they won't mind supporting them once again as they have done in the past.

Please understand that the Indians only created 'Mukthi bahini' to liberate Bangla Desh and later provided shelter and support to the LTTE at the Indian soil against the 'so called' international norms. Even now Pakistan is accusing India of providing arms and support to Baluchistanis.

Tamils will have to wait and see whether this 'bias' would change if the BJP comes to the power at the centre. Tamils should only depend on the support of the Tamilnadu people to effectively stall their central goverment from taking up an 'anti Tamil stand'.

Further Tamils by now must have understood that they cannot rely on Politicians like Karunanidhi anymore. Whoever has got any doubt, should read 'Muthukumaran's death testimony' once again.

Tamils should be very careful now not to get influenced by people who try to create rifts among them. International opinion will change when once again Tigers take a decisive upper hand militarily and then they will understand that there is no other alternative but to accept the creation of 'Eelam'.

Aarvalan, you have made a very positive suggestion. However, the trouble with Sinhala politics is the power struggle between the two primary political parties.

All our efforts in the fifties and sixties have failed because of this Sinhala politics - thus resulting in the formation of the LTTE and other groups.

Do we go back to a position similar to the fifties? It is impossible for the Sinhala politics to change - this the Internationl community does not understand(?) or pretend not to know.

Your suggestion is that the diaspora brings a viable political solution to the attention of the IC?

Your idea has been also suggested by another person (Malaysian) for the last few months - may be we have to start it.

Time is running out - unless this is done within a few weeks(!), the sinhala government will do irreparablle damage to SL Tamils.

Aarvalan
Thanks for this. This is what i have been saying for sometime. Hope that at least now we will understand the reality and adjust ourselves and stop projecting LTTE is our representative. LTTE has no mandate from us to claim that they are the sole representative of Tamils.

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka should learn to integrate and live with other communities in the same way that Tamils do in South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia.

There is no need and indeed they have no right to demand autocracy and self determination.

Dear Aarvalan,
Excellent work. Could you please adjust your position/stand incorporating my thoughts/fears, so your goood intentions will not go waste by future world Tamil traitors.

Like in your earlier article, I am with you on 99% of the points you mentioned, and infact, I am also advocating almost for the same in my comments in various websites. That is to transform the Tamil struggle strategy from a local military focus to a mixture of global political (70-90%) and local politico (2-5% due to white vans) / military strategy (8-25% guerilla war).

I still see the same flaw that was embedded in your earlier article. Eventhough your are saying that this world movement is not to replace the LTTE, you are dangerously close, and paving the path for more Devas/Karunas/Sangarees/Pillaiyans to mushroom at the international level. And guess what where this will lead this new world body your are talking abot to? Multiple mini groups leaving the world Tamils in the same sorry situation as the local Tamils in SL.

There was a reason why the world powers wanted the Tamils to replace the LTTE leadership with a moderate / political leadership. These world powers know by experience that a committed rebel leadership cannot be influenced to change its objectives unlike a political leadership by using big $$$, pretty women or other worldly materials. When the Tamils refuse to budge in to turn against LTTE, these world powers are now willing to kill the Tamils to achieve their objective. It is important for Tamils to have a committed leadership that cannot be BOUGHT by anyone, and that type of leadership can only be provided by a rebel organization, LTTE or otherwise. I am not saying we should fight these world powers, all I am sayig is we can have the cake and eat the cake.

Therefore, in this Chennai conference you are referring to, the VERY FIRST committment or motto that this conference must agree to is NOT TO FUNCTION INDEPENDETLY, ABOVE THE HEADS OF THE LOCAL (SL) TAMIL LEADSERSHIP that is supported by majority Tamils in SL. Today, LTTE/TNA is that local leadership. Sure, if the world powers want to change that REALITY let them conduct a UN supervised fair and just mandate to replace that local Tamil leadership in SL, and this world conference should accept the outcome of that UN conducted/supervised elections. At the same time, if the world powers take comfort on a SL govt conducted elections(like in the east) then let this world conference tell the world power why they cannot replace LTTE/TNAwith the new leadership.

This new world conference should support the SL local leadership with its claws and nails out while EXPOSING all the wrong (doings / not doings) of the world powers including the UN in a political way in world capitals.

In essence what I am saying is, we do not want this new world body to allow itself in a position to COMPETE / BETRAY the local Tamil leadership that is supported by MAJORITY OF SL TAMILS.

Could you please take care of this weakness in your next article?

Any Tamil political initiative based in or sposnored by Tamil nadu has as irredentist character and will be locked out, legally if necessary, from Sri Lanka. So that's another stupid dead end, which will only make overseas Tamils feel good, while working to the detriment of Sri Lankan Tamils..

Ashokkumar and Dayan Jayatilleka, wouldn't it be wonderful, if Aarvaln can find a way to acommodate my thought/fears into his ideas as that will address your fears too?

Ashokkumar, I am with you, The SL govt want us to give up and disown LTTE and surrender. But, if Aarvalan can adjust his position to add extra horse power from outside SL to the local SL Tamil struggle (without telling the local SL Tamils what to do), wouldn't that strengthen the local Tamil struggle? We cannot sit here in the western countries and expect the local Tamils leadership to do all the hard work, while the white vans are parked outside their offices. We need to supplement the Tamil struggle by political means from outside SL, where White vans do not have their reach. - Lets build a political tsunami with corporation with world Tamils.- On a side note, not just Tamils, but other Indians are also in favor of our strugle joining the rallies conducted in US / South Affrica etc.

Dayan Jayatilleka. I am with you. Any foreign solution / initiatives for SL Tamils or Sinhalese is not helpful, including 13th amendment. The Local Tamils/Sinhalese should speak their minds in a FREELY(an unknown commodity for SL authorities) conducted elections. But, unfortunately, I hope you will agree with me, when the white vans are running around, it is almost impossible to take any position that does not have the blessings of the SL State. That is true for Tamils today( and in the future for Sinhalese too by going what happened to Lasantha).That is why I am also backing LOCAL TAMIL INITIATIVES, BUT backed by world Tamil political power.

This 3rd level Tamil struggle (LEAD by SL LOCAL TAMILS / but backed by POLITICALLY ACTIVE WORLD TAMILS) will be outside the reach of the terrorist tactics of the SL state and this would be make a big difference. The first level (SJV) was within the reach of the terrorist tactics of the SL state and ended up going thru a transformation to avoid failure and gave birth to LTTE. Now this second level struggle is in cross roads. Tamils have a choice to make. They can either leave it to LTTE and do nothing, or they can get up and show solidarity with their brethern in SL. - Having a world Tamil movement to ADD POLITICAL HORSE POWER to the LOCAL SL TAMIL LEADERSHIP is a plus, provided we have guiding principles for this world Tamil body, not to allow it to replace/compete/betray LOCAL SL TAMIL LEADERSHIP. - If we do, we will have many many Deva/Karuna/Sangaree/Pillaiyans all over the place.

Look, I must endorse your views too. I think Tamil people are on a winner here.

I cannot wait to see the back of VP who brought us to this dead end, having messed up the Indo Lanka Accord and Norwegian mediated ceasefire.

The utter brutality exhibited by the GOSL in this war has made us to believe that self-rule under the GOSL is unimaginable and on the other hand an independent Eelam is not acceptable to India.

I think we have been left with only one viable and respectable option - annexing the NE to the Indian union. We will have to follow the path of Sikkim and Northern Cyprus.

We should aim to attack the GOSL with non-violent campaigns such as bringing war crime/genocidal charges against the GOSL to expose its brutality to the IC. Please support www.tamilsagainstgenocide.org. Thank you.

Asokkumar do not understand current reality. He should go back to Wanni and live there for while then he should write.
I support 99% of the content of this article written by Aarvalan. Good intention and hope we as Tamils should learn to live when the situation change.

We gave Tamils politicians 25 years and we gave 30 years to LTTE and no progress. What are happening now are everyday 40 to 50 innocent people dying. LTTE says that they are protecting people. Is that true? Get a life.
Let the Diaspora lead the Tamils for 10 years without fear to get something base on Thimbu accord.

International Community is concerned about innocent Tamils who are dying daily. It is not for LTTE

Tigers will make a comeback soon. They will capture the whole Tamil Eelam. Then, I hope that Praba will understand that he is a liability to Tamil's homeland in the eye's of IC and appoint a new General to Tigers who doesn't have blood on their hand. Praba should go for early retirement for the good of Tamil people. New political leadership and new Tiger leadership should be the way.

*** Tamil National Movement must re-brand itself to advance its cause ***

And what is that cause...? It is to create a Tamil Only Homeland... don't bother doing it in Sri Lanka. All your efforts have failed

We the Tamils need to stick together, It dosent matter how long it takes to gain our homeland. It is sad to see some tamils speak of surender . I dont think we should and the Tamil dispora shouldnt allow this.The LTTE has put us on the map and the world knows who we are. LTTE is our saviour. It is so easy to pass jungement form far away sitting on a cumfy chair.

Please please dont turn your back on the the freedom fighter at this time. They are fighting for our freedom, to live in dignity like any other human and equal.

Can someone answer the following questions. What has LTTE achieved in the last twenty five years? Yes , they focused attention of the world community on failed policies and discrimination by government against Tamils. Yes, they carved out a quasi state which is fast disappearing. At what cost to the Tamil people of north and east have these been realised. Was it worthwhile?
What are the genuine grievences of Tamils in north and east. Yes, there was discrimination on language, education and employment over last fifty years. Are the grievences that existed fifty years ago still valid? Do we still need education in Tamil? Do we need to depend on government jobs as in colonial times when large majority of educated Tamils were employed in the Public Service? Do people know about the benifits of globalization and industrialization which are key to prosperity in the south of the country, together with tourism for which there is immense potential in the east?
I believe these are the key issues that need to be addressed by Tamil leaders.
I do not wish to discredit LTTE which played an important role in focusing on attitude of government towards minorities and the need for self determination in that part of the country which has sadly been devastated. However, time has come for a paradime shift in approach these problems by the Tamil leadership including the LTTE.

Well Anonymous, If you are Tamil you wouldnt be asking this question.

What has the Govt's of the past and present done to Tamil other than inflicting pain and suffering since independance, discrimination in education, employment etc, the list gose on. Yes there are a few Tamil who have benefitted under the past and presnt Govt Sucessive Sinhala Govts and the budist monks systematically isolated the Tamils and deny equal right as citizen under one banner.

Loot at your country and compare Singapore. This is what your Govt has done to Sri Lanka.

Yes, I am a Tamil and my concern is that the community, especially the international Tamil diaspora, has not only been hijacked by the LTTE for the last 25 years but also hoodwinked by them. Hijacked by claiming to be the "sole representatives" and eliminating all opposition. They lived by the gun and paid the price for it, sadly draging the entire community in the mud. They hoodwinked the community into accepting grivences against government which are no longer valid. Present problems are economic and social, need for development,education and employment, which needs to be addressed by the community after peace has been restored. Tamil diaspora has invested hundreds of millions of dollars on financing a futile war, which if utilised for investment in business and industry in the north and east, would have created unimaginable prosperity for people of our community. Also, language disputes fifty years ago are no longer valid. Youth of the country need English education, which has to be sponsored by the private sector. This is happening in the south. We can achieve much more in the north and east, if only the LTTE can lay down arms and allow the community to get back to normal life. There is a need for the community to stop depending on government to take care of them. In countries like Malaysia and Singapore the minorities have prospered despite discrimination by the state sector, because they did not depend on government for their future.
What the Tamils need is emancipation, ie, freedom from war and conflict, freedom from hunger and poverty and freedom to pursue their living including education. So called self determination can only achieve benifits for a handful of Tamil politicians or power hungry war lords.
I am in favor of constitutional reform and also a federal state, subbject to cooperation and negotiation with the south. This cannot be realised in the present mindset of polarisation or animosity between north and south, resulting from the war. Also it is not a priorirty at this stage.

There are approximately 4.5 to 5 million SL Tamils and humanity that are affected adversely by the LTTE under various front and brand names. The unrealistic greed and arrogance born of ignorance and believing in things that isn’t so. The most recent rally participants in Canberra were exaggerated ten fold. It may equally apply to the other rallies the world over claiming to be about 175,000 in total. Even if we accept that exaggerated figure and further exaggerate it to about half a million to make the LTTE supporters happy, still that is about less than one tenth of SL Tamils trying to ruin the lives of more than 9 tenths of the SL Tamils in the south of SL, TN and other world nations.

The support the LTTE has in TN is mostly emotional with minimum clout to affect the ground realities other than to further self inflict harm on themselves and their infrastructure and ruin another sate and its people through unrealistic expectations in trying achieve for SL Tamils what TN Tamils could not and did not want to achieve for themselves partly due to the wise counsel from the likes of EVR Peryar and others.

Many LTTE supporters have not understood the importance of a tongue in cheek "Demise of the Tamil Tigers? Perhaps, but an Appreciation by Zachary Abuza a political science with specialist knowledge in Counter Terrorism. It's some what similar to that famous Mark Anthony's speech after Julius Caesar’s assassination where he repeats to the effect that "I have not come here to praise Cesar but to bury Caesar". There is another modified sexually oriented parodied joke as well on this utterance when the male apparatus was admired by the intending recipient the same utterance was given in jest. This too is applicable to your admirers.

Figuratively speaking most of the LTTE supporters seem to have a brain cancer that an ill educated butcher has tried to operate on in a make-shift hut after killing all the neuro-surgeons and the hospital staff. This has resulted in Biafra like situation but for the grace of the TN Tamils and the International community.

When will the all too emotional and less rational LTTE supporters ever understand that these and other regional, global, natural and life’s realities like the centuries if not millennia old plight of the aborigines in all the continents to date? Or ever wake up unlike Mr. Rip Van Winkle? Apparently the story of Mr. RVW is the story of a person who woke up from a 20 year comatose state. Most of you supporters are still in a figurative coma.

"Truth is going to hurt, but the truth has to be told. If not, the wounds will never heal."

“It is impossible for a man to learn, what he thinks he already knows”.

Humnan/e Tamil

Dear Writer,
We have not forgotten the words spoken by all the present leaders of the Srilankan Government and they have not uttered even a 1 percent of what we aspire as a dignified Tamil community. In this circumstances we have the opportunity to follow some of the paths mentioned by you to attain our rights but to give up on LTTE is utterly an act of Ettappan like in Kattapomman. So in this circumstances with the present appeal from Tamil community should go on increasing its tempo and in the meantime protect the LTTE from any further annhillation as they are the only strong arm to stand against sinhala fascism which has been proved beyond doubt from the last 60 years of leaderships in Srilankan Government.
chelvashan