Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada

The Editor
Daily Telegraph
London, U.K.

Dear Sir:

I have just read the latest report dated May 26, 2009 by D. Nelson from Trincomalee, Sri Lanka where he now quotes un-named aid officials, human rights campaigners and politicians accusing the Sri Lankan government of “ethnic cleansing”. His reports are getting more hysterical, unsubstantiated and ignorant. His report clearly indicates that he does not have any idea of Sri Lanka and is merely plugging the propaganda of the LTTE and their supporters in Sri Lanka. ALthough the LTTE leadership is dead, Nelson’s accounts show that they still have tentacles twitching in Sri Lanka and various parts of the world. In Britain it is the likes of Nelson and the Daily Telegraph.

Anyone who knows the history of Sri Lanka for the last thirty years of LTTE terrorism, knows that it was the LTTE that ethnically cleansed the north and east of Sinhalese and Muslims to make their claim of a Tamil homeland which never existed in Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu, India is the homeland of the Tamils, Nadu indicating home. Sri Lanka belongs to all Sri Lankans. Because it is a democratic country, with the defeat of the LTTE, people are now free to live wherever they choose. If the Tamils are free to live in areas outside of the north, then other communities are now free to move anywhere in the island. The Muslims who were chased out of north by the LTTE on twenty-four hours notice now want to return home. The Sri Lankan government has said that they have that right. The Sinhalese who were driven out of their homes have the same right. Without the LTTE all communities have the right to move anywhere whether it is the north, east, west or south . It is not ethnic cleansing but the freedoms of movement and choice. Obviously Nelson with his LTTE bias and his unnamed informants do not want these freedoms for Sri Lankans just as the LTTE did not.

To give his nonsense an air of authenticity he quotes R. Sampanthan a TNA member who more accurately was (Tamil) Tiger Nominated Alliance member. Nelson’s statement that an MP of Sri Lanka says a new road is being built from Seruvilla (not Serubilla) a Sinhalese village in the Trincomalee district to Polonaruwa a Tamil village indicates the height of ignorance, absurdity and downright stupidity of both Sampanthan, if he said it, and Nelson. Polonaruwa was the capital of the Sinhalese kings. It was never a “Tamil village”. If that is what is an example of “ethnic cleansing” then the entire tirade by Nelson is shown for what it is – total ignorance but full of the British attitude of “know it all” when in reality it illustrates to the world is his pro LTTE bias, monumental ignorance, lack of basic principles and not even a nodding acquaintance with truth.

Yours truly,

Ira de Silva
London, Ontario, Canada

I am copying this letter to The National Post newspaper of Canada so that they will re-think publishing this rubbish from D. Nelson and The Daily Telegraph.