Getting Tough With Commemorative LTTE Celebrants Is A Start Where The TNA Should Also Be Censured!
Posted on May 19th, 2013
Insight By Sunil Kumar
May 19thƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2013
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All kudos to Army Commander Maj.Gen. Boniface Perera who has sent a clear message to those concerned that “Any organisation or individual will not be allowed to venerate a terrorist organisation. Anyone participating in a commemoration ceremony for LTTE cadres will be arrested” in a strongly worded statement that also overviews the somewhat inconsistent ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ paradox involving Government celebrations of a legitimately won victory over the LTTE terrorists in the Capital Colombo.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Synonymously the TNA who have somehow wormed their way into political legitimacy based on Presidential pragmatism and tolerance perhapsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they have the affront to celebrate what they term the war dead in the North and East in VavuniyaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but to all intents and purposes appears to be one remembering the Tamil Tiger insurgents whom they have no qualms in carrrying placards and waving banners for inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ acquisiencer and have done so on many occassions in the past.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
It seems somewhatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ inconsistent therefore that while the Armed Forces celebrate in ColomboƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the victory of the near 3 decade long anti-terrorist campaign which of course is perfectly legitimate, the TNA have organised in defiance of Army orders a counter celebration for Tamil lives lostƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which quite plainly translates to LTTE as well as TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ losses as they have proclaimedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as otherwise there should have been mention of the other ethnicities who lost their lives also where the related transparencies surely point to TNA arrogance that needs to be questioned.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
QuotingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Maj. Gen. Perera again who has reiterated thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-There is only one military in a country. Any citizen has the right to commemorate their loved ones but no one can commemorate terrorists who were disloyal to the government. If persons are planning to remember LTTE members it is treason. We will arrest whoever is involved in this,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it seems to reflect on the efforts of the TNA who must be pondering overƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ what appears to be eitherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a faux pas on their part or a deliberate attempt to provoke the GOSL and the Armed Forces and either way it will affect not only their credibility as a political entity in Sri Lanka but also bring to bearƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the burning question being asked by many analysts and observers as to what their direction might be?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
And whether they are so naive to believe that their celebrative activities will go unnoticed by the authorities that maintain the equlibrium in Sri Lanka that relate to National Security as well as monitoring any attempts to recussitate what the TNAƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have always maintained as their “bounden right to fight for Eelam” which is not a tolerable right at allƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka today.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
In conjunction with this it becomes imperative towards the well being of the Nation that the President has stated unequivocally that not an inch of territory or effects that belong to the Sinhala NationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that was recovered and wrested from the LTTE or their cohorts of whatever form will everƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be relinquished or lostƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ever again which accentuates the direction and determination by the Administration to maintainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and secureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from a national perspective what rightfully belongs to the nation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The commemorative events in Colombo linked to Victory DayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to rememberƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ those who gave up their lives from all walks of life and all ethnicities and not specifically set aside for military war dead only. It wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a remembrance byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the citizens of this country to commemorate all who died in the deplorable terrorist conflict without considering religion, caste, ethnicity or other differences inasmuch as what the Maj.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Gen had alluded to.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
However the Commemoration Day celebratedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Vavuniya was not a day to commemorate the dead per se as investigations have revealed andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it was in fact moreƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ commemoration ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE cadres who died during the war.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
In response Maj. Gen Perera has responded saying”ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I will never allow any individual or organisation to commemorate a terrorist organisation. If any individual or organisation organises ceremonies to remembers the LTTE, they will be arrested,.The Sri Lankan Defence Force on the instructions of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will never allow terrorism to raise its head in the country.”
Government Forces eliminated a terrorist outfit who took arms against the country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We will protect the country,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Major General Perera said.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In this respect getting tough with commemorative LTTE celebrants therforeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ seems in order as it could be interpreted asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a blatant violationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of all the tenets set in place towards maintaining a terrorist free environmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where the TNA should also be censured for their attempts !
May 19th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
ARREST, PROSECUTE & IMPRISON these TRAITORS to the Nation.
The TNA shows its Tiger Spots with IMPUNITY.
Teach them the ERROR of their WAYS NOW …. before the FAILURE TO PUNISH encourages them into Full Fledged Terrorism AGAIN!
Have we NOT LEARNED these LESSONS from our RECENT PAST?
…………….
Sri Lanka Tamils defy ban on rebel memorial
May 18, 2013
COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition Tamil party Saturday defied a military ban and staged a commemoration of their war dead as the government celebrated the fourth anniversary of defeating Tamil Tiger rebels.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said it staged the remembrance in the northern town of Vavuniya for those who died in the final battle which also killed Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his entire top leadership.
“We had a meeting to commemorate all those who died in the conflict,” TNA lawmaker Suresh Premachandran told AFP from Vavuniya, 260 kilometres (162 miles) north of Colombo.
The event came as Sri Lankan troops held a parades in the capital to mark the victory over Tamil Tiger rebels and an end to 37 years of ethnic bloodshed.
The state-run Daily News said the Vavuniya meeting was illegal and warned anyone commemorating the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would be jailed.
Witnesses said the TNA-led ceremony ended peacefully amid a heavy police presence in the area, a front-line town near the former war zone in the island’s north.
In the capital Colombo, President Mahinda Rajapakse viewed the military parade showcasing heavy weapons used against the Tigers who were known for their ferocious suicide bomb attacks.
“We will not allow a single inch of the land that you won by the sacrifice of your life to be taken away,” Rajapakse said. “There will be no room for separation.”
A naval craft taking part in the celebrations capsized and a search was on for an officer who was reported missing after the accident, a military official said, adding that the other four crew members had been rescued.
The military offensive which crushed the Tigers had triggered allegations of war crimes with rights groups saying that up to 40,000 civilians perished in the last months of fighting alone.
May 19th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Sri Lanka Police release Tamils arrested during commemoration of dead in the war
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 19, Mannar: Sri Lanka Police in Mannar have released the 15 people arrested on Saturday during a function held by the Tamils in Mannar to commemorate the Tamil people died in the war.
The police arrested 15 people including three members of Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and a journalist on early Saturday while they were participating in the commemoration. Seven women were also among the arrested.
All 15 people were released on personal bail late Saturday after they were produced before the Judicial Medical Officer.
A senior police officer of the Mannar police said the 15 people were arrested for carrying the photo of the slain Tami Tiger terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Tamil National Alliance also defied the government’s ban on commemorating the terrorists who died in the war and held a remembrance in Vavuniya for those who died in the final battle which also killed Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his entire top leadership.
“We had a meeting to commemorate all those who died in the conflict,” TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran has told AFP.
However, the TNA has held its function peacefully amid heavy presence of police.
May 19th, 2013 at 4:21 pm
ONE pro-SL celebration in Colombo.
TWO pro-LTTE celebrations in Vavuniya (TNA) and Mannar (TNPF).
Guess what.
TNA pro-LTTE rally was NOT stopped.
Few TNPF pro-LTTE rally terrorists were arrested and RELEASED.
Believe it or not, SL is once again in the 1970s. They are getting ready while we do DEMILITARIZATION.
This is the strongest ever indication of LTTE re-emergence. But our people will NOT believe it until a bomb blast.
MAKE TAMILS A MINORITY IN THE NORTH.
Or face terrorism again.
May 19th, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Nero is said to have fiddled while Rome was burning!
His fiddling is said to have started after Rome was set on fire.
Hopefully Sri Lankan authorities will not leave room for such a scenario based on lessons learned as the so called importance shown towards reconciliation seems to be so lopsided that the TNA and other LTTE supportives appear to have a tolerance that ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. The need to be confronted and dealt with for their blatant support of the source which caused so much destruction in the past.
Lets hope our Nero will deal with the issue differently and Lanka will never burn at the hands of terrorists ever again.