Comments on: LTTE Transmogrified Into a Virtual Eelam Trans-national State: Tigers in Sheep Skins or an Exercise in Futility? http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2009/06/18/ltte-transmogrified-into-a-virtual-eelam-trans-national-state-tigers-in-sheep-skins-or-an-exercise-in-futility/ Lankaweb.com Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:05:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: cassandra http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2009/06/18/ltte-transmogrified-into-a-virtual-eelam-trans-national-state-tigers-in-sheep-skins-or-an-exercise-in-futility/comment-page-1/#comment-171 cassandra Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:04:50 +0000 http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/?p=1542#comment-171 The concept of a transnational state is novel and, as Dr Chandraratne notes, translating it to a real state will not be easy. But it is not impossible, and the efforts of the Tamil Diaspora to keep the ‘struggle’ going should not be dismissed as being inconsequential. Even if we disregard political objectives, there will be many in the Tamil Diaspora who will want to keep intact the lucrative financial arrangements that have been set up - people don’t give up easily a source of an abundant cash flow. Politically, we cannot underestimate the depth of the underlying resolve or the motivation. One rarely stated reason for the military defeat of the Tigers was the fatigue of battle that LTTE cadres will inevitably have felt after such a long campaign. The Tamils in the Diaspora are not affected in that fashion and are unlikely to meekly accept defeat and lie down and die. They are more likely to look on the military defeat as just a temporary setback. There is also the dream of a separate state to sustain them. But an even more powerful motivation is an ‘enemy’ who needs to be overcome. Nothing unites a group as strongly as the perception of a common enemy. And for many, if not most, Tamils, the GOSL is an enemy, perceived variously as an institution that has denied them jobs or promotions and admission to universities, that has killed their kith and kin and discriminated against them in other ways. The Diaspora Tamils have abundant financial and other resources. They are well placed in the countries of their adoption, in some cases, to exercise significant political influence, as in marginal electorates where their numbers can make a difference to an MP being elected or not. There are of course many other reasons why the issue has to be taken seriously. In the meantime, there is much the government needs to do. Sri Lanka cannot take its friends for granted. Existing friendships must be kept in good order and enhanced. Where necessary, fences need to be mended and relations brought back to a cordial plane. The country needs to also make new friends. It must step up its public relations efforts. The international community should be made aware of all the facts relating to the Tamil grievances. I recently wrote to a Canadian journalist, after reading an article by him, telling him how the pursuit of a separate state goes back to years before Independence and is not simply a reaction to alleged discrimination by post Independence governments. The journalist wrote back telling me he had not been previously aware of this history. These journalists rely largely on what the Tamil Diaspora feed them. The government needs to ensure that the whole truth is made known to them. The country has seen fit to turn away foreign journalists and politicians seen to be biased and working against the national interest. It is time now to, in fact, invite foreign journalists and politicians who could help the national cause, to visit the country. There must be other ‘Lord Nasebys’ whom the country ought to cultivate. The embassies abroad should be advised to cultivate the media and journalists and other opinion makers in those countries. And very importantly, the government needs to take genuine and transparent steps to improve its international reputation for upholding the rule of law and respecting human rights. The concept of a transnational state is novel and, as Dr Chandraratne notes, translating it to a real state will not be easy. But it is not impossible, and the efforts of the Tamil Diaspora to keep the ‘struggle’ going should not be dismissed as being inconsequential. Even if we disregard political objectives, there will be many in the Tamil Diaspora who will want to keep intact the lucrative financial arrangements that have been set up – people don’t give up easily a source of an abundant cash flow. Politically, we cannot underestimate the depth of the underlying resolve or the motivation. One rarely stated reason for the military defeat of the Tigers was the fatigue of battle that LTTE cadres will inevitably have felt after such a long campaign. The Tamils in the Diaspora are not affected in that fashion and are unlikely to meekly accept defeat and lie down and die. They are more likely to look on the military defeat as just a temporary setback. There is also the dream of a separate state to sustain them. But an even more powerful motivation is an ‘enemy’ who needs to be overcome. Nothing unites a group as strongly as the perception of a common enemy. And for many, if not most, Tamils, the GOSL is an enemy, perceived variously as an institution that has denied them jobs or promotions and admission to universities, that has killed their kith and kin and discriminated against them in other ways. The Diaspora Tamils have abundant financial and other resources. They are well placed in the countries of their adoption, in some cases, to exercise significant political influence, as in marginal electorates where their numbers can make a difference to an MP being elected or not. There are of course many other reasons why the issue has to be taken seriously.

In the meantime, there is much the government needs to do. Sri Lanka cannot take its friends for granted. Existing friendships must be kept in good order and enhanced. Where necessary, fences need to be mended and relations brought back to a cordial plane. The country needs to also make new friends. It must step up its public relations efforts. The international community should be made aware of all the facts relating to the Tamil grievances. I recently wrote to a Canadian journalist, after reading an article by him, telling him how the pursuit of a separate state goes back to years before Independence and is not simply a reaction to alleged discrimination by post Independence governments. The journalist wrote back telling me he had not been previously aware of this history. These journalists rely largely on what the Tamil Diaspora feed them. The government needs to ensure that the whole truth is made known to them. The country has seen fit to turn away foreign journalists and politicians seen to be biased and working against the national interest. It is time now to, in fact, invite foreign journalists and politicians who could help the national cause, to visit the country. There must be other ‘Lord Nasebys’ whom the country ought to cultivate. The embassies abroad should be advised to cultivate the media and journalists and other opinion makers in those countries. And very importantly, the government needs to take genuine and transparent steps to improve its international reputation for upholding the rule of law and respecting human rights.

]]> By: PRIYAN WIJEYERATNE http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2009/06/18/ltte-transmogrified-into-a-virtual-eelam-trans-national-state-tigers-in-sheep-skins-or-an-exercise-in-futility/comment-page-1/#comment-169 PRIYAN WIJEYERATNE Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:27:36 +0000 http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/?p=1542#comment-169 Donald, again you have written very valid points. The professional LTTE diaspora would be more dangerous and damaging to our sovereignty than the "drop outs". My personal experience with them in London in 1975 to 1979 was a good example. The professionals said that they were discriminated, but did not specify. Once an Engineer who worked with me at the then Greater London Council said me that they will rebel against us just like JVP in 1972 and it really happened in 1983. To my amazement this fellow had his Engineering education all free at Sri Lanka University and I could not understnad why he was so angry with Sinhalese and their country. I still wonder why? I had 75 Sri Lankan Timils in my first year at the Middlesex University (all doing Civil Engineering), 90% of whom were qualified technical officers worked back in Sri Lanka. I find it very difficult to understand how they can justify that they have been discriminated by the majority Sinhalese in their daily lives. We need to really set up a committee to put our heads together to plan ahead to avoid any possibility of another disater from these educated Tamil diaspora. Like I said and you agree I believe, they are the "hardcore". Donald, again you have written very valid points. The professional LTTE diaspora would be more dangerous and damaging to our sovereignty than the “drop outs”. My personal experience with them in London in 1975 to 1979 was a good example. The professionals said that they were discriminated, but did not specify. Once an Engineer who worked with me at the then Greater London Council said me that they will rebel against us just like JVP in 1972 and it really happened in 1983. To my amazement this fellow had his Engineering education all free at Sri Lanka University and I could not understnad why he was so angry with Sinhalese and their country. I still wonder why? I had 75 Sri Lankan Timils in my first year at the Middlesex University (all doing Civil Engineering), 90% of whom were qualified technical officers worked back in Sri Lanka. I find it very difficult to understand how they can justify that they have been discriminated by the majority Sinhalese in their daily lives.

We need to really set up a committee to put our heads together to plan ahead to avoid any possibility of another disater from these educated Tamil diaspora. Like I said and you agree I believe, they are the “hardcore”.

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