The Tamils have been demanding equal rights for them from the day of independence from the colonialist Britain in 1948 because they have been deprived of their democratic rights for a long time –since more than half a century. At the beginning they protested and used mass agitation to arrive at a solution. But the consecutive Sinhalese governments since independence continuously attacked them and their peaceful demonstrations were suppressed. Even though Tamil people from the North and East, which is their traditional Homeland (TH) elected a party, The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that represented their aspirations, the Sinhala government ignored them. This is where the Sinhalese nation started off on a wrong foot.
Hence, these representatives unitarily demand that devolution of power must be established with regional powers to the Tamil Homeland in the North and East. But nothing happened. The Sinhalese conceitedly turned a deaf ear to the just demands of the Tamils. The Sinhalese even formed a pan-sinhala cabinet ignoring Tamils. As a last resort Tamil youth took up arms, because, there were no democratic way-out for Tamils to attain their aspirations. All options were closed or blocked ruthlessly by the ethno-centric Sinhalese.
Then at the end of the 1980’s there was a turn around because the Sinhalese found out by the hard way that what goes around comes around. An attempt was made to offer a solution by J.R. Jayewardene – the President at that time – where he established provincial council to cover the north and East. But, because of the pressures within and without the government, the racist pressure and the pressure of the Sinhala chauvinist rebellions this was abandoned. Even the 13th amendment which gave some powers to provincial councils was not implemented properly. He never tried anything that was a worth a shot after that.
Apart from Sinhala racism and their reluctance to give democratic rights to the Tamils there was a natural Himalayan hurdle to the Tamils. The way parliamentary seats were allocated and the attitude of the electorate to vote on communal lines ensured that the seat of political power and government would always be in the hands of the Sinhalese. Since the majority of the population is ethnic Sinhalese this Sinhala dominance in politics was a permanent feature from the inception of native government in 1948.
As a proof of this statement one could note from history that there was never a Tamil prime minister or Tamil minister entrusted with an important ministry. Tamils were tolerated as necessary evil to show to the world that Sri-Lanka is a vibrant democracy. As an icing on the cake of democracy the Sinhalese doled out one or two minor ministries to renegade Tamils who sided with them in Tamil bashing. Under such a congenial set up Sinhalese continued to carry out their cunning plan of decimating the Tamils population, their education, culture and economy. Frequent government sponsored pogroms and genocide continued with impunity at a quick pace since 1983. Record of the tragic history during this period was well documented by UN and other world bodies. Unfortunately as Ellyn Shander MD, of Stamford, CT, USA, a humanitarian activist said recently “Jews may be news, but Tamils and Sinhalese certainly are not” for the world governments. Tamil’s cause or their right to govern themselves was not in the limelight and no human rights activist ever cared to say a word against the aggressor-GSL.
Faced with Sinhala repression Tamils had no other way than to aspire for freedom through separation. This aspiration of the Tamil people could not be eliminated by military methods. More they killed more people decided to separate. The only way they could unite the country was by appealing to the Tamils to accept substantial devolution. As many international organisations had declared the Tamils problem was a political problem and not a terrorist incursion or subversion.
Because of the language issue and their refusal to devolve power to the TH the Sinhalese had lost their civic power in the TH. For the Sinhalese the chickens had come home to roost. The normal arms of the law were not legitimate in the TH. A police officer could not go on law enforcement mission because there was resentment from the Tamils civilians due to the suppression and aggression by the Sinhala army. Without acknowledging this fact the Sinhala government interpreted this political right of the Tamils to resist passively as Terrorism and used force to suppress the Tamils. They went for military solution to a political problem. This was where the Sinhalese missed the bus to establish democracy in the Tamils areas through power devolution. This led to a viscous circle; deterioration in communal harmony and understanding to where we were now.
The Sinhala army had bulldozed the TH and made it ‘scorched’ earth. Government of Sri-Lanka (GSL) air force bombed and shelled the Tamil areas with heavy machinery. The Sri-Lankan navy drove cannon balls into coastal fishing villages and dislodged them killing many in the process. Following the killing of at least 14 civilians in Sri Lanka on 2 January 2007, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator United Nations Margareta Wahlström called on the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to stop fighting, protect the innocent and resume talks. Sri Lankans continue to suffer deeply due to this conflict, and today’s loss of life is a source of deepest concern,” she said. Her statement also spotlighted deteriorating conditions on the Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka – home to more than 500,000 civilians – as well as all those who have been displaced in the country.
GSL was intransigent. It couldn't see the forest for its trees. Having ruined Jaffna citizen’s life by their military rampage which had been widely reported, it went on its war path to Vanni. Having erased Vanni and its head quarters Kilinochchi where the freedom fighters had their de facto government when they signed the famous ceasefire agreement of 2002, the GSL had driven the LTTE into a land locked area in Puthukudiyirupu. According to John Holmes, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator’s briefing to the UN on 26 March 2009 the land area is not much more than fourteen square kilometres. The most recent estimate of IDPs was approximately 150,000 to 190,000 civilians squeezed into this area.
Now when the LTTE and its supporters are herded into a narrow enclave by bombs and rockets, we have been campaigning for a ceasefire for a long period. But the fact that India, America, Japan and other countries are seamed forcefully behind the government, giving everything the government wants, including arms and ammunitions. So the government is adamant and carries on the barbaric war and wants to finish off the Tamils and their freedom fighters. It is a cliffhanger situation.
The War Without Witnesses estimate based on first-hand information obtained from government-run hospital authorities, police and judiciary sources in Vanni, the North East Secretariat of Human Rights, aid workers and credible media outlets confirms more than 3546 innocent Tamils have been killed and more than 8370 injured by SLA since January 1 2009.
Without being definite, Sir John Holmes estimated that the civilian casualties continue to be tragically and unacceptably high. However he believed that on average several dozens of people had been killed everyday in February and March. Apart from deaths the HR violations committed during this genocide is beyond intolerable level. This prompted the HRW assistant director Elaine Pearson declare in presenting the 241 page Sri-Lanka HR violations report on 26 March 2009, "President Mahinda Rajapakse ... has now led his government to become one of the world's worst perpetrators of enforced disappearances."
The report found that at least 1,500 disappearances took place between December 2005, when Rajapakse came to power, and December 2007. The 2009 HRW report noted that the disappearances had continued in 2008. "Human Rights Watch is unaware of any serious action by the government to address the hundreds of new ‘disappearances' of the past few years, the great majority of which remain unresolved. Most cases of enforced disappearances implicate government security forces," it stated.
Further, GSL used disproportionate force to overpower the LTTE in their cornered enclave. Artillery and mortar shells hit the safety zone killing numerous civilians during the night. Artillery-fitted cluster munitions exploded between Valaignarmadam and Ampalavanpokka'nai causing heavy casualties. The SLA deployed RPG shells, short range mortars and long distance gunfire on the safety zone during the daytime, in addition to numerous air strikes in the settlements surrounding the Pachchaip-Pulmoaddai junction within the safety zone. Hundreds of bombs were reported dropped by the SLAF that flew low flying sorties. Multi Barrel Rocket Fire (MBRL) was also reported inside the safety zone. The casualties were obviously civilians as the freedom fighters were engaged in fighting and therefore could avoid severe injury and deaths. Owing to indiscriminate bombing there were wanton death and serious injuries to vulnerable groups; children, elderly, expectant mothers and the sickly. The Sri-lankan government had banned NGOs from the Tamil areas unfairly alleging that they were helping the LTTE. What the Sri-lankan vernacular educated MR should remember was that he could not swim against the tide.
However, they had allowed India to open a hospital in Trincomalee a place that can only be reached after many hours of travel. It was a 115 bed set-up. This hospital is useless for war casualty emergency cases as it was far from the war zone. The hospital was only for name sake to hoodwink the world to show that India was helping Sri-Lanka a democracy that was fighting terrorism when in fact as shown above Sri-Lanka is a tyrannical chauvinist racist country.
According to officials, the functioning of the Indian hospital had been a "tremendous success" with the IDPs getting immediate treatment from the set up. In reality, if India stopped the war by its influence then there was no need of any hospitals.
In the event of an increase in the patients from Wanni, India was hoping to open a second hospital at Pulmoddai, near Mullaittivu from where the IDPs patients would be coming in. A 52- member Indian medical team left for Pulmoddai. If the Sri-Lankan government was sincere in its motives they should allow NGO doctors to open a hospital in Pulmoddai. NGO doctors from the West are more advanced technically and therefore efficient than the Indians trained in poorly equipped hospitals.
India should take heed of an Ancient Proverb that said “To everyone is given the key to heaven; the same key opens the gates of hell”. India! do not open the gates of hell. It should advice Sri-Lanka to stop the racist war and stop killing innocent Tamils who were fighting for their right of self determination that was their birth right. By providing medical aid to the injured you were instigating the Sinhala government to kill more and that you would save those who survived the bombs to show the world that Sri-lanka was after all humane. India is walking a tightrope. Mahinda Rajapakse should take to heart what the world’s spark Albert Einstein, the German born American physicist advised “And the high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule, or to impose himself in any other way”. As for the Tamils, however long the night, the dawn will break.
Published: Mar 29, 2009 23:52:44 GMT