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United States &
Tamil
EELAM Freedom Struggle
Politics not my cup of tea says US Ambassador Blake - Really?
Sri Lanka State Controlled Sunday Observer, 25 April 2008
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"The main point for Tamils to bear in mind is this: the world’s powerful
states have no more commitment to sovereignty than to human rights. Sri
Lanka’s territorial integrity is no more important to them than Tamils’
freedom. It’s just more useful at this point. And as the British Prime
Minister Lord Palmerston put, ‘we have no permanent friends and we have no
permanent enemies. We have permanent interests’. It is no different for any
other state in today’s world..."
Blunted Tool - Tamil Guardian Editorial
, 24 May 2008
 "...the
denial by international actors of their conflicting strategic interests in
Sri Lanka draws a veil over the real issues that any meaningful conflict
resolution process in the island will need to address. Whilst the goal of securing peace through
justice is loudly proclaimed by the international actors, real politick leads
them to deny the justice of the Tamil Eelam
struggle for freedom from alien Sinhala rule.
The harsh reality is that on the one hand international
actors are concerned to use the opportunity of the conflict in the island to
advance each of their own strategic interests - and on the other hand, Sri
Lanka seeks to use the
political space created by the geo strategic triangle of US-India-China in
the Indian Ocean region, to buy the support of all three
for the continued rule of the people of Tamil Eelam by a permanent Sinhala
majority within the confines of one state. The record shows that
Sinhala Sri Lanka seeks to engage in a 'balance of power' exercise of its
own by handing over parts of the island (and the surrounding seas) to
India, US and China... It will not be a matter for
surprise if the US has found Sri Lanka's attempt to engage in a 'balance of
power' exercise of its own somewhat irritating - and has cautioned Sri Lanka
privately that Sri Lanka was not a super power and should not try to behave
like one. [added note: And many may regard that the
voting off of Sri Lanka from the Human Rights Council in May 2008
(against the opposition of China and India)
was a practical manifestation of that irritation and was directed to
move Sri Lanka closer to the US orbit]" Nadesan Satyendra
in International
Dimensions
of the Conflict in Sri Lanka, 2 October 2007
[see also
A Response by Velupillai Thangavelu from Canada]
The United States reiterated its willingness to
support President Mahinda Rajapaksa to achieve the desired task of
the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the President to probe into
the killings of 17 aid workers and other human rights violations.
In an interview with the Sunday Observer US Ambassador Robert Blake
said the US has no intention in interfering with the Commission and
the US strongly believed in the independence of the Commission.
Blake along with another diplomat was accused of holding a meeting
with the commissioners said that the agenda of the meeting was only
to discuss the ‘logistic matters’.
Excerpts:
Q: Are you satisfied with the support that the US had offered so far
to Sri Lanka and what are the strategic areas where the US and Sri
Lanka should work closely?
A: Yes. The US and Sri Lanka are close friends for more than 50
years now.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"Close
friends for more than 50 years". What are friends for...
"Sri Lanka is an open, working, multiparty democracy. Citizens elect
their president, members of parliament, and local government officials by universal adult
suffrage. All laws including acts extending the state of emergency, must be approved by
the Parliament... The Constitution guarantees the independence of the judiciary, and
lawyers and judges are held in high esteem." (U.S. State Department's Annual Human
Rights Report to Congress released February 1985)
"....The democracy of Sri Lanka has been described in the following
terms, terms which are a fair and accurate description: 'The reluctance to hold general
elections, the muzzling of the opposition press, the continued reliance on extraordinary
powers unknown to a free democracy, arbitrary detention without access to lawyers or
relations, torture of detainees on a systematic basis, the intimidation of the judiciary
by the executive, the disenfranchisement of the opposition, an executive President who
holds undated letters of resignation from members of the legislature, an elected President
who publicly declares his lack of care for the lives or opinion of a section of his
electorate, and the continued subjugation of the Tamil people by a permanent Sinhala
majority, within the confines of an unitary constitutional frame, constitute the reality
of 'democracy', Sri Lankan style.'" - Senator A.L.Missen, Chairman, Australian
Parliamentary Group of Amnesty International, Australian Senate Hansard, 13 March 1986
The US is a strong supporter of Sri Lanka’s fight against
terrorism. We strongly believe that Sri Lanka like all other
countries has an obligation to defend its people against LTTE
terrorism.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"The most problematic issue relating to terrorism and armed conflict
is distinguishing terrorists from
lawful combatants" -
Terrorism and Human
Rights - Final Report of UN Special Rapporteur, Kalliopi K. Koufa, 25
June 2004
"Throwing a bomb is bad,
Dropping a bomb is good;
Terror, no need to add,
Depends on who's wearing the hood."
R.Woddis 'Ethics for Everyman'
quoted by
Igor Primoratz in State Terrorism &
Counter Terrorism
The US has provided military, law enforcement and other kinds of
support to help the government to defend itself while believing that
a purely a military solution would not be the correct solution for
this conflict.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
The power that flows through the barrel of the gun...
U.S. Military Assistance to Sri Lanka Continues
TamilNet, Thursday, 8 November 2007
The US believes that the answer to the conflict lies with a power
sharing concept which can respond to the aspirations of Sinhalese,
Tamils and Muslims.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Power sharing concept?
"...Whereas, the Tamil nation of
Eelam at the general election of may
1977 gave a
clear mandate for
the restoration and reconstitution of
the separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam by winning 18 out of 19
Tamil seats in Tamil Eelam, and Whereas, the Tamil people
were again not a party to the
constitution
of 1978 which replaced
its predecessor
of 1972, and Whereas, the Tamil nation of
Eelam opposed the two constitutions as illegal
impositions on them and their territory and asserted their right of
self determination and sovereignty by non violent agitations, and Whereas, the Sinhala government of Sri Lanka has occupied
the
territory of Tamil Eelam with its armed forces and security services
and are denying the
right of self-determination
and
sovereignty of the
Tamil nation by the use of force on Tamil people, and Whereas, the Tamil United Liberation Front
which received the
mandate of the Tamil people at the may 1977 general election
for the separate sovereign Tamil state is continuing the
struggle for freedom by non-violent ways preached and practised
by mahatma gandhi
and by the late leader of Tamil nation,
S.J.V.
Chelvanayagam, Therefore
Resolved, that the Massachusetts
House of Representatives hereby
urges the President and the Congress of the United States to support
the struggle for freedom
by the Tamil nation for the
restoration and reconstitution the separate sovereign state
of Tamil Eelam and to
recognize publicly the
right of self determination
by the Tamil people of Tamil Eelam...
Resolution of US Massachusetts
House of Representatives Calling for the Restoration of the Separate Sovereign
State of Tamil Eelam, 18 June 1981
We also believe that in this very important
stage of the conflict, it is very important for the government to
address the human rights issues as well.
The US also has concerns about Tamils who suffer
disproportionately due to
human rights violations. It is important to give them a sense of
feeling that they could live with respect and dignity here. So
improving the human rights performances is also an important aspect
of our dialogue with the government.
Q: The US supports developing countries. Sri Lanka has been
battered and bruised by LTTE terrorism and how best the US could
support in curbing terrorism?
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Supporting 'developing countries'? -
Our Friendly Dictators
"Somoza may be a son of a
bitch, but he's our son of a bitch."
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Sani Abacha
Nigeria |
Fulgencio Batista
Cuba |
P W Botha
South Africa |
"Papa Doc" Duvalier Haiti |
King Hassan II
Morocco |
Ferdinand Marcos
Philippines |
Mobuto Sese Seko Zaire |
Hosni Mubarak
Egypt |
Park Chung-hee South Korea |
Augusto Pinochet Chile |
Pol Pot
Cambodia |
Efrain Rios Montt Guatemala |
King Fahd
Saudi Arabia |
Shah Pahlevi
Iran |
Anastasio Somoza Nicaragua |
Saddam Hussein
Iraq |
General Suharto
Indonesia |
Rafael Trujillos
Dominican Republic |
Somoza with
US President Franklin D Roosevelt |
A: I think I have just answered that question. The US is one of the
first countries to
declare LTTE as a foreign terrorist organisation
in 1997.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"...The peoples of the world are engaged in a fundamental series
of struggles for a just and peaceful world based on
fundamental rights now
acknowledged as sacred in a series of widely endorsed international legal
conventions. These struggles are opposed in a
variety of cruel and brutal ways
by the political, economic and ideological forces associated with the main
structures of domination present in the world
that spread terrorism in a
manner unknown in prior international experience... The terrorism of modern
state power and its high technology weaponry exceeds qualitatively by many
orders of magnitude the political violence relied upon by groups aspiring to
undo oppression and achieve liberation. It is a cruel extension of the terrorist
scourge to
taunt the struggles against terrorism with the label "terrorism"....
We support these struggles and call for the liberation of political language
along with the liberation of peoples.
Terrorism originates from the statist system of structural violence and
domination that denies the
right of self-determination to peoples..."
Geneva Declaration on the Question of Terrorism in 1987
We have also helped to investigate and prosecute people in
the US, who were trying to provide arms to the LTTE.
So, the FBI, for an example, has conducted distinct operations that
had resulted in the arrest of many people and those investigations
are on-going. We also have a central bank, which improves financial
investigations to track down the money flow into the LTTE and help
to stop those money from flowing in.
Then the most importantly we work with our friends in the military
to help them to stop import of arms into this country.
We gave them a maritime surveillance system last year - a radar
system - that will give the Sri Lanka Navy a much better picture of
LTTE naval activities in their waters and thereby give them the
opportunity to detect LTTE shipments of arms. I must say they have
enjoyed considerable success last year in sinking many of these
ships.
The ban on LTTE is extremely effective in terms of implementing the
American law. People understand that we are very strict about
forcing our laws which will prosecute anyone who is believed to be
illegally assisting the LTTE.
Q: Criticism had mounted when the East was about to be liberated.
Now the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has created the right
environment to give more power to the people whereby they can look
after their own affairs. What is your comment on restoring democracy
in the East?
A: I think President Rajapaksa and the Sri Lankan Government made
very important progress over the past year. First they have expelled
the LTTE from the East. That is a positive development and secondly
they have restored government services. In the East they have
reopened schools, hospitals and government institutions. Now there
is a greater sense of normalcy in many towns in the East. People are
out late at nights, going for movies and for shopping which is a big
achievement after 20 years.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Sense of normalcy and people are going for movies...
Vaharai tragedy - theUnfolding Misery
There is
stability now, in that part of the country. With regard to the election we always support the principle of free
elections. It is important to allow the local inhabitants to
represent their views. There have been some controversies which were
highlighted in the media.
The Opposition parties have alleged that there were many
irregularities. The US is not in a position to judge since we did
not have observers on the ground. But we think that it is important
for the government and the new Provincial Council to look into those
charges seriously and act on them.
In the long run it is really important to consider what the people
of the East believe. If they believe that it was largely a free and
fair election and they support the new council, then the
international community should also be prepared to accept their
decision in toto.
In terms of what happens after, I think that the new Chief Minister
has an important challenge on his hand. First of all, he has to
assure security, because on one hand he is the chosen Chief Minister
of the Eastern Province and on the other hand he is the head of the
TMVP which still has armed cadres.
So, he is in a difficult position where he has to enforce state law
as the Chief Minister and on the other hand a fairly large number of
armed cadres. I think something must be done and they can not
continue to do illegal activities in the East.
Otherwise they would undermine the leadership of Pillaiyan and the
transition that the TMVP is trying to make while being a para-military
group and a political party. So, we support the idea of them of
being a political party. But that transition must be completed and
certainly they can not be in both.
Beyond the challenge of security, I think that the new Chief
Minister in order to secure the support of the people of the East,
it is very important to show that he has been given opportunities to
serve all other communities in the East and pursuing development in
a neutral way.
And I think that way he can ensure that there is harmony among these
communities and also stability in the East, which will automatically
reach to a greater development and priority for the people of the
East.
Q: Will the US continue with its support to develop the East?
Comment by
tamilnation.org
A: Yes, we have quite a number of projects with the assistance of
the private sector, for example the vocational training. We have
just announced a major project in Batticaloa to develop dairy
industry and another to grow vegetables for exports.
We strongly believe that we need to help the people of the East and
give them economic opportunities. We believe that there is a big
role for the private sector to play. We have proposed to give more
assistance for the East and the US government is considering it now.
Q: You have always advocated a credible political package to meet
the aspirations of the Tamils. How do you see the
APRC proposal to
implement the
13th Amendment?
A: The East is a fine laboratory to show that powers within the 13th
Amendment be devolved within the Eastern Provincial Council.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
A fine laboratory?
"...whilst the current
landscape in the East is one of humanitarian crisis and endemic human
rights abuses, the current focus on human rights issues, which whilst
performing the essential task of exposing the authoritarianism and
violence of the current regime, is insufficient to capture the cold
calculations and reasoning in the intentions of the Sri Lankan State
which has once again
returned to
the the logic of Sinhala colonisation.."
David Rampton, Lecturer, SOAS, University of London
But I
think the government needs to go beyond the 13th Amendment.
Implementing the 13th amendment is itself will not satisfy the
aspirations of the Tamils. The way they develop must be a significant power sharing proposals
through the APRC using some other mechanisms. But I do believe that
the APRC has made lots of progress.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
APRC has made lots of progress...
 "After labouring for 63 sessions, over 250 hours and spending
millions of tax payers' rupees, the All Party Representative
Committee (APRC) and President Mahinda Rajapakse last week delivered
an ant in what is nothing short of a massive political fraud
perpetrated on both the Sri Lankan people and the international
community. "The Political Fraud behind
the APRC Farce, 27 August 2007
According to Prof. Vitharana over 90 percent of their work has been
done and I think the APRC has been a useful mechanism to get the
Southern consensus to move forward. The most important thing is to
come up with an idea which is really welcomed by the Tamils.
I think that it is important for the government to consult a wide
range of Tamils. We are not calling for negotiations with the LTTE.
That is something that the government has to decide.
It is important to recognize more than half of the Tamils are living
outside the Wanni. I think their interests also should be respected
as well. So, people like Anandasangaree and other elected
representatives in the government controlled areas are needed to be
brought into this process and consulted.
Q: You mentioned the solution should be something beyond the 13th
Amendment. So what is your proposal to end the national issue?
A: I think we need to distinguish as these are two different things.
The President Rajapaksa’s proposal to implement the 13th Amendment
is a good idea. But I don’t really want to come up with a proposal
because whenever I try to say something I am later accused of trying
to dictate to the Sri Lankan people. The US does not have any
intention of doing that. It is up to the Sri Lankan people to decide
what is best for them.
Q: What do you think that Sri Lanka is facing today - is it a war on
terror or an ethnic problem? What sort of a solution do you suggest
to end the conflict in the island?
A: I think all these are loaded terms. I am reluctant to say this is
an ethnic conflict but it is a
civil conflict. I always remind
people who are visiting from USA that Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims
lived together and
continue to live peacefully together.
Tamils are living in Colombo peacefully with their Sinhalese and Muslim
friends.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Living peacefully together...
Sri Lanka begins forced eviction of Tamils from Colombo,
June 2007
So there is no ethnic conflict here. And certainly the
government is defending itself against terrorism.
Q: It is clearly proven that the LTTE is not the sole representative
of the Tamils. And also it has been proved the LTTE’s political
agenda
is different from the Tamils. What do you have to say?
A: I do actually see there are important differences here. From my
discussions with Tamils I know that over 95 percent of them support
a solution within a framework of a united Sri Lanka.
They are not seeking an independent Tamil Eelam which Prabhakaran is
seeking.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"From my discussions with
Tamils"...
There was a joke which went the rounds in the
aftermath of Stalin's 1968 suppression of the Dubcek uprising in
Czechoslovakia. It is said that two Czechs were walking in the streets of
Prague. A Rolls Royce and a Skoda were parked on the street. One Czech told
the other - 'You know, the Skoda is a better car. The other Czech said -
'Don't be silly. Don't you know your cars?'. The first Czech replied - 'I
know my cars, but I don't know you!".
I think it would be very useful for Prabhakaran to
give up
this idea of seeking an independent Tamil State and agreeing to
negotiate with a united Sri Lanka. I think this would give him lots
of credibility to respond to lots of scepticism here in the South that the LTTE
would never negotiate with the government.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Credibility with the Tamil people?
 "Throughout the ages the Sinhalese and Tamils in the country lived as distinct
sovereign people till they were brought under foreign domination. It should be remembered
that the Tamils were in the vanguard of the struggle for independence in the full
confidence that they also will regain their freedom.
We have
for the last 25 years made every effort to secure our political rights on the basis of
equality with the Sinhalese in a united Ceylon. It is a regrettable fact that successive Sinhalese governments have used the
power that flows from independence
to deny us our fundamental
rights and reduce us to the position of a subject people. These governments have been
able to do so only by using against the Tamils the sovereignty common to the Sinhalese and
the Tamils."
"I wish to announce to my people and to the country that I consider the verdict at
this election as a mandate that the
Tamil Eelam nation
should exercise the sovereignty already vested in the Tamil people and become free."
Statement
by S.J.V.Chelvanayagam Q.C. leader of Tamil United Front after winning the by-election for the Kankesanturai Parliamentary seat,
held belatedly on 7 February 1975, two years after he had resigned the seat to seek a
mandate for Tamil Eelam.
The LTTE has a responsibility to show that
they
are prepared to negotiate in a genuine way.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
ISGA and discharging the responsibility 'to negotiate in a genuine way'...
"Applauding the Norwegian government for its
ongoing facilitation efforts, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka said
that it also believed that "the U.S. Embassy has taken note of
the LTTE's delivery of counterproposals made in response to the Sri
Lankan Government's interim administration proposal for the North
and East. The Embassy urges both parties to build on this step by
resuming negotiations in a timely manner..."
U.S. Government supports resumption of peace negotiations
"The Sangam and the world at large are shocked at the reckless behaviour of Sri
Lanka President Kumaratunge, who places her own political agenda before the
needs of the people of the island. ..On Oct. 31, 2003 the LTTE, on behalf of the Tamil people, announced their
proposal for an Interim Self-Governing
Administration (ISGA) of the Tamil areas. This proposed ISGA is a
significant step toward a peaceful resolution of the decades-long conflict
between the Tamil and Sinhalese peoples.
The world applauded this proposal by the LTTE. US Deputy Secretary of State
Armitage said that the proposal is "the first time I have seen such a
comprehensive delineation of the aspirations of the LTTE...it is significant,"
the EU stated that the proposal is an "important step forward in the peace
process," and ex-Ambassador to Sri Lanka Schaffer said, "the LTTE has presented
an ambitious proposal.
Sinhala chauvinists - of which President Kumaratunge is one - consider this proposal
for an interim autonomous entity anathema. Kumaratunge used this eminently
reasonable and achievable proposal of the LTTE as an excuse to precipitate a
political, constitutional and military crisis."
US based Ilankai Tamil Sangam
on Kumaratunga's Coup & the Peace Process
Q: What is your view about the on-going military operations to
liberate Wanni where people are living under severe hardship and the
young and the old were being conscripted by the LTTE?
A: With respect to the on-going military campaign, as I said
earlier, the US does not believe that a purely a military solution is
possible. The 25-years long experience of war here has shown that
the LTTE is a rather formidable organisation and it is very
difficult to defeat them militarily.
So the best way to reach a solution is through a political solution
to address the aspirations of the Tamils and all the communities.
And again the Tamils in Wanni and rest of the country need
a sense of
dignity and conviction in future that they will be able to have an
important say over matters that concern them especially the areas
where they are predominant.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
They should be able to have a high degree of self governance within
a united Sri Lanka. I believe that is really a way forward to
achieve a peaceful settlement to this conflict.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Way forward to achieve a peaceful settlement to this conflict...
"Martin Woollacott's comments in the Guardian (in 1993), on the Bosnian conflict offer food
for thought about the real world: ''Nobody involved in this war, in fighting it
or in trying to stop it, was born yesterday. What matters most in any
agreement, is territory, what matters secondly is international legitimacy,
what matters thirdly are constitutional arrangements and what matters least
are human rights provisions..'
The Tamils, too, were not born yesterday. They know that it is because the armed
resistance of the Tamil people led by the Liberation Tigers has succeeded
to the extent
that they hold territory in the North-East that Tamil rights are on the international
agenda.
They know that if that resistance fails, Sri Lanka will have no further use for Tamil
quislings. They know that if that resistance fails, they will be left with the pleaders of
the TULF rump whose efforts during the past forty years and more did little to stop the
onslaught on Tamil rights and Tamil lives. Territory, international legitimacy, constitutional provisions and human rights are,
ofcourse, inter connected. Without human rights, legitimacy may be more difficult to
achieve. Without legitimacy, it may be more difficult to hold territory over a period of
time. But without territory, a people will cease to exist - and in the end it is this
which is fundamental. And it is this which the Sri Lanka government understands only too well when it
prevaricates on the merger of the North-East, when it seeks to divide the Tamil homeland
and when it launches its genocidal military operations in the North-East. "
Nadesan
Satyendra - Self Determination & the 'Multi Ethnic Plural Society'
15 September 1993
Q: You have just mentioned that the military cannot defeat LTTE and
this was the assumption before the East was liberated by the
military. So how can you say that the military cannot defeat the
LTTE in North?
A: The East was a different situation and the LTTE was spread out.
But Wanni is more in the heartland of the LTTE. Here they have been
prepared for many years to face any kind of an attack.
Q: Do you still believe that Sri Lankan Security Forces cannot
capture Prabhakaran?
A: I think you have to ask this question from the Forces. What I can
say is that the US does not have any love for Prabhakaran. But it is
going to be difficult for the government to get him.
Q: He is the ‘Most wanted man’ by the Indian government for the
killing of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In which way could
the US help the government to bring him to book?
A: I can not really say how, as we are not involved in any military
efforts to capture him. We believe that the best way would be, not
with the gun but
through peaceful means.
Q: Do you think that both Al-Qaeda and the LTTE, are ruthless
terrorist organizations and how do you categorise the LTTE?
A: I would not say they are the same at all. I do not want to get
into the business of comparing terrorist organisations because every
terrorist organization is different. And it is also
important to
address the LTTE in the Sri Lankan context.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"Well, I believe that terrorism is a tool that has been
utilized throughout history to achieve certain objectives. Some
have been ideological, others territorial. There are
personality-driven terroristic objectives. The bottom line is,
you can't lump all terrorists together. And I think we've got to
do a much better job of clarifying what are the motivations, the
raisons d'être of terrorists. I mean, what the
Tamil Tigers are fighting for in Sri
Lanka, or the
Basque separatists in Spain, or the insurgents in
al-Anbar
province may only be connected by tactics. They may not
share all that much in terms of what is the philosophical or
ideological underpinning. And I think one of our mistakes has
been painting with such a broad brush, which has not been
particularly helpful in understanding what it is we were up
against when it comes to those who pursue terrorism for
whichever ends they're seeking. "
"You Can't Lump All Terrorists Together" -
Hillary Clinton
Q: But some countries call the LTTE as freedom fighters?
A: I do not respect the freedom fighter argument. Certainly any
group which is working for freedom, they should do it in a peaceful
manner. They can not use violence and terror. That is same with the
LTTE and we have consistently said they must
renounce terrorism and
stop using violence.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
"...Do we not deliberately obfuscate when we
conflate the two words 'terrorism' and 'violence'? ... The Cuban revolution
was violent but it was not terrorism. The war against Hitler was violent but
it was not terrorism. Again, the war against Saddam Hussein was violent but
presumably, it was not 'terrorism'. And so too the continuing war
against the Taliban in Afghanistan is violent but presumably, it is not
terrorism.... What are the circumstances in which a people ruled by an alien
people may lawfully
resort to arms to resist that alien rule and secure freedom? Or is it that
there are no circumstances in which a people ruled by an alien people may
lawfully resort to arms to to liberate themselves? And if all resort to
violence to secure political ends is not terrorism, then
what is terrorism? ..to categorise a combatant in an
armed conflict as a 'terrorist' organisation and seek to punish it on that
basis, is to.. assert
in effect
that a people ruled by an alien people may not, as a last resort, lawfully
resort to arms to resist that alien rule and secure freedom... "
Nadesan Satyendra - On Terrorism & Liberation
Q: The US and Sri Lanka are engaged in a common fight - combating
terrorism. But some critics say that the US has double standards
when combating terrorism against the US and dealing with the
terrorism in countries like Sri Lanka. What is your comment?
A: I really don’t agree with that. I think we have a very consistent
approach and even in places like Iraq where we are confronted with a
very serious terrorist problem and we are in favour of a political
solution there. The insurgency strategy of the US is based on using
a wide range of tools to combat terrorism and it is just not the
military strategy.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
A wide range of tools...
1."..In Sri Lanka, the government appears to have
concluded.. that law enforcement and compulsion can end a terror
campaign. However, the LTTE has a much broader base of support than the
JVP ever did, and the LTTE is unlikely to go away simply through
government-applied force... One of the most effective strategies at governments' disposal may be to split off pragmatists from radical
rejectionists. Such efforts can diminish public support for the terrorists and deny them a strong base from which to operate...So
called 'get tough' measures against terrorist groups can have unintended
consequences. Trying to 'decapitate' a movement may radicalise the
whole movement ... Assassinations and military force can provoke a
desire for revenge, create mythologies of martyrdom, or feed paranoia
and secretiveness (which makes the movements even harder to penetrate
for reasons of either understanding motivations or foiling actions).."
How Terrorism Ends
- United States Institute for Peace Study, May 1999
2. "The March For
Justice is dedicating its
"Shock and
Awe Gallery" as an authentic historical documentation and
evidence of the U.S./British Crime of the Century. As attacks on
freedom and the free have
become characteristic of contemporary America, we advise and
encourage all those who support
Truth and Justice, to save our material and to make the utmost
use of it, as its intended objective is revealing facts and reality."
What is Terrorism? Shock and Awe?
In Iraq we are engaged in with certain strategies to bring down the
levels of killing and violence both against American forces and
other coalition forces. The ordinary Iraqis have come way down over
the last years. Iraq is a major domestic issue an year ago in my
country and now people have confidence that Iraqis are in a better
track and hopeful about their future.
So the policies are the same that we are advocating here in Sri
Lanka and so I can say there would not be any double standards.
Q: In this situation what are the priorities of a country -
combating terror to save lives or safeguarding human rights?
A: Well. I do not think there is contradiction between the two. I
think one has to devote. Clearly one has to defend one’s country
against terrorism. That is extremely important. For any government
the most important priority is to defend its citizens. It is true in
the US and it is true in Sri Lanka and every other country in the
world. But we also believe that it is possible to preserve human
rights.
So, for example, one of the very difficult problems the government
faces is to identify suicide bombers. How they find these people
before they carry out their murderous acts. And I believe that the
way to do that is still to arrest, question in a humane way and if
they are suspected of the crime produce them in courts.
But do not use
extra judicial killings and
other kind of things. And
those acts will undermine the long term solutions. So, it is much
better to use rule of law to address terrorism. Accountability of
rule of law is extremely important.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Rule of law for more than 50 years...
"Communal riots in which Tamils
are killed, maimed, robbed and rendered homeless are no longer isolated episodes; they are
beginning to become a pernicious habit..." [see
1956,
1958,
1961,
1974 and
1977] -
Paul Sieghart,
Report of a Mission to
Sri Lanka on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists, March 1984
"...Impunity means freedom from punishment.
During the past five decades and more the Sri Lankan security forces,
para military groups and
Sinhala
goondas have violated the rights of the Tamil people, have
killed,
tortured,
raped and
massacred with
impunity, free from any fear of punishment. The pattern of behaviour
established by the Sinhala Sri Lanka government's refusal to
adequately investigate the crimes committed against the Tamil people and
the overt statements made by Sinhala politicians from time to time
expose the true nature of the assimilative agenda of
Sinhala
Buddhist governments..."
Impunity: Crime & No Punishment
Q: Do you think that Sri Lanka has violated UN Conventions when
strengthening bi-lateral relations with Iran?
A: I do not think so and not to my knowledge. But
it is up to the
government to be aware of those resolutions.
Q: Iran is in rivalry with the US with regard to nuclear issues.
Therefore how do you see the recent visit of the Iranian President
to Sri Lanka?
A: Our concerns about Iran is well-known. President - Bush,
Secretary of State - Rice and many our leaders are concerned about
their nuclear capabilities. We acknowledge their right to develop
civil nuclear energy for energy purposes. But the US opposes nuclear
weapons. Similarly we have expressed our deep concern about the
Iranian support for international terrorism particularly in the
Middle East, especially the support for groups like Hisbulla. We always want all our friends to make the same point for Iran.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
""India and Iran are ancient civilisations whose
relations span centuries. Both nations are perfectly capable of managing
all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care
and attention. Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct
of bilateral relations as both countries believe that engagement and
dialogue alone lead to peace," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej
Sarna, a foreign ministry "-
India rejects US advice on Iran,
24 April 2008
At
the same time we understand that Sri Lanka has to develop
relationships with Iran and we do not have objections if they donate
funds for education projects in the South.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
As always the devil is in the small print.
Education projects in the South?
"...Iran will increase its investment in the expansion
project of an oil refinery in Sri Lanka up to US$ one billion... Iran
has also agreed to provide low-interest credit to Sri Lanka to enable it
to purchase military equipment from Pakistan and China and to train a
small group of Sri Lankan Army and intelligence officers in Iran."
Iran to Train Sri Lankan Intelligence & Army Officers,
24 April 2008 - B.Raman Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi,
and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai.
Q: We were made to understand that you had met the members of the
Commission of Inquiry which probes into 15 cases of killings of Aid
workers and other alleged HR cases? What was your area of interest
while meeting the commissioners?
A: Yes, we did have a short meeting with them, and the purpose of
the meeting as Justice Udalagama has explained was purely a
technical matter. The Commission did not get the support of the
IIEGPS and the Commission has the problem of how to continue the
video conferencing to record testimony of witnesses resident abroad.
So the question arose as to whether the international community
could continue to fund the video conferencing.
Since the US and the other partners in the IIEGP process happened to
fund the process all along, we discussed the matter whether to fund
the particular video conferencing. So that was real the purpose of
the meeting.
The US do not have any intension of whatsoever in interfering anyway
with the Commission of Inquiry. We strongly believe in independence.
I really do not share the allegations that we are interfering with
the Commission and we simply looked into logistic matters.
We support the Commission appointed by the President. And he has
reiterated on many occasions that his commitment in seeing this
commission achieve its desired task. So we totally support the
President in this regard.
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