Who wishes to mourn the LTTE dead?
Posted on May 19th, 2014
Shenali D Waduge
On 18th May 2014, Sri Lanka celebrated the victory over the internationally banned terrorist movement LTTE. Sri Lanka has every right to celebrate the defeat of terrorism and the victory of peace. It came after 3 decades and the loss of civilian lives, military lives, assassinations of politicians, destruction of public property and affected the country’s economy and growth. That peace is now into its 5th year. That victory came at the cost of nearly 30,000 lives of military men who bravely sacrificed their lives so that we could live in peace. There are close to 20,000 injured and disabled military personnel who cannot be forgotten either for their injuries are a daily reminder of the sacrifices made to end terror. Into this equation has come a sudden desire to mourn LTTE dead and it is interesting to know exactly who wishes to mourn these terrorists?
Only a mother has a right to mourn a son – even LTTE
Why would segments of local and international media wish to promote the notion of the right to mourn dead LTTE?
Why would local stooges of international NGOs also demand the right to mourn dead LTTE?
Why would scores of others also wish to mourn dead LTTE?
What connections did they have and what was the type of connection that they would be so vociferous about the right to mourn the LTTE dead?
For a mother, whoever her son or daughter becomes, that son and daughter remains her child. It is this mother who has the ONLY right to mourn for her dead child even if that child is a terrorist. But, that mourning does not need to be made into a public ceremony or a public event and she does not need the entire world to arrange the mourning. It is a mother’s personal mourning and should be made in the privacy of her home or a private place that she deems fit. She does not require agencies, NGOs, foreign diplomats or media to make her case or be present to click pictures and make a sensational story to sell. All that this mother needs to do is place a flower near the picture of her child in her home and utter a silent prayer. It is a private moment between a mother and her dead child.
Who wishes to make this very private mourning a public affair unless it is for publicity purposes and to make a statement that keeps to an agenda? Obviously this is the modus operandi.
With LTTE banned in Sri Lanka no one has any right to demand the mourning of LTTE.
The West is still looking for Nazis’
The very media and international agencies demanding the right to mourn LTTE terrorists may like to be reminded that the West is still hounding Nazi’s even after 69 years!
Diane Cole writing for the National Geographic News states “You can’t hide from justice forever””not even for war crimes committed decades in the past, and not even when you’re 93.” Apparently, Hans Lipschis, 93 who had been a cook at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp has been arrested for complicity in mass murders and will be the first to be charged from among a list of 50 former Auschwitz guards!
Arresting the old and feeble is not even a factor to be considered. If Efraim Zuroff, the Chief Nazi Hunter for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a global Jewish human rights organization can say ‘”The passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the killers. Old age should not provide protection. The fact that they have reached an elderly age does not turn them into righteous gentiles.” – it gives every right to the Sri Lankan Government to continue its intelligence on LTTE and track down all those who had directly and indirectly sponsored or worked for LTTE over the years. Age is no bar for arrests or criminal charges.
With the precedent in place what is the hullabaloo when LTTE members and organizations are being banned by Sri Lanka? Why do some foreign Governments get so upset not to even attend events the host Government has invited when its own country is being slapped with UN reports on violations of human rights? Canada is becoming quite a laughing stock internationally.
Moreover, in view of the numerous commentaries on the war victory taking place what needs to be reiterated is that
- ALL those who played no part in wanting to defeat terror has no right to comment on what Sri Lanka should and should not celebrate.
- ALL those who in the past either directly or indirectly benefitted from LTTE terrorism in whatever way has no right to be telling the rest of the country they should not celebrate the defeat of the LTTE.
- ALL those who did not even morally support the heroic armed forces during the last phase of the war as they battled to deliver peace to the nation has no moral right to tell the rest of the country to avoid triumphalism.
- ALL those who had been over the years enjoying handouts from external sources to promote western agenda and whitewash LTTE terror have no right to promote harmony-bridges which is just a part of a new farce.
- ALL those who were aligned to LTTE terrorists and terrorism can spare the talk on ‘peaceful coexistence’ ‘building bridges’, and other meaningless jargon for their past is witness to their own criminalities.
Bottomline is all those who took no part in wishing to or working towards ending terror have no right to determine the course of the country post-terror. They chose to work with the enemy and they should have no role to play in determining how the future of Sri Lanka should be modeled. It is also a good message for the Sri Lankan Government that they continue to shoulder plenty of ‘unwinnable war’ promoters and those who have had direct and indirect links with the enemy and the underlying message is that if such people can betray once, betraying again is a piece of cake and they would not hesitate to do so given the largess of the reward or handout.
The people know who these people are and they have no respect from the public and the Government is well advised not to give them strategic roles for it only diminishes the respect for the Government too.
We expect much from the Government for the brave soldiers have fulfilled beyond our expectations and the nation remains ever grateful to them. Our gratitude for the role of the armed forces remain ever strong and inspires the rest of the people to think nationally for it is only those who defend and protect the nation that have any right to dictate how and where the country should be steered.
This is why it is all the more important that Sri Lanka’s education system is reviewed for efforts are afoot to subtly eliminate the pride in Sri Lanka’s national heroes so that the future youth will be absolved of any feeling of wanting to protect the cultural and historical heritage of the nation leaving the country open to cats and dogs to devour our nation. Nationalism and national minded people are being targeted globally through various smear campaigns simply because they want to protect the historical identity of their country.
Only those who value the cultural and historical heritage of the nation and its civilization value have come forward to defend and protect the nation. This has been proven through history from the battles against colonial powers to those that enlisted to defeat the LTTE. It is to them the country must owe its gratitude.
May 19th, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Within Germany, mourning for the Nazi murderers and any public display of support for the Nazi idealogy is VERBOTEN – FORBIDDEN by Law, some enacted at the insistence of the Victorious Allies of World War II. Those laws are enforced strictly even today.
Within the nations that triumphed in that War, like the US, UK and Canada former Nazis are DENIED immigration into those countries. If they are discovered to have falsified their application by hiding their Nazi activities, they are PROSECUTED, PUNISHED and DEPORTED to these countries of origin … no matter how long their have resided in the host countries under false pretenses.
While GLORIFICATION and ATTEMPTS TO “MOURN” the Nazi War Criminals is strictly forbidden, every one of these countries Celebrate not only with Great Pomp and Pageantry, but also nationwide religious services, conducted in PUBLIC, the DEFEAT of their vile enemies and the survival of the innocents. They pay homage to their warriors who fell in those battles, so others may live, and honor their current armed forces personnel who stand ready to continue that honored tradition of defending their countries and their peoples against unprovoked and murderous aggression.
This is how the MEMORY of the diabolical and murderous enemy they faced in that EXISTENTIAL STRUGGLE over 60 years ago are ISOLATED from society and EXPUNGED from the public existence in these countries, and the MEMORY of the innocents and the warriors who paid the last full measure of devotion to their homelands are honored.
Can Sri Lanka, which fought an EXISTENTIAL STRUGGLE against the Murderous Eelamists, and the LTTE in particular, do any less?
Should Sri Lanka allow the proxy of the LTTE, the TNA, and its various overt and covert allies continuing the quest for Eelam, REVIVE and WHITEWASH the MEMORY of these DIABOLICAL MURDERERS for political purposes, under ANY PRETEXT?
No we CANNOT, SHOULD NOT and MUST NOT.
The direct family members of the LTTE criminals, can mourn their “loss” within the confines of their homes, NOT ANYWHERE ELSE; not in ANY place in public, not even a TEMPLE or CHURCH.
All other “honoring” and “mounrning” activities of these TRAITORS and MURDERERS should be strictly FORBIDDEN and PREVENTED from taking place by the Law Enforcement forces, as an ACT OF TREASON against our Motherland, this resplendent and hallowed Isle of Sri Lanka that shelters and nurtures us all.
May 19th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Jayalolita’s election victory in Tamil Nadu is ENCOURAGING the Eelamists of Sri Lanka.
The GOSL should CLAMP DOWN on these WAILING MURDERERS of yesterday, and not yield ONE IOTA.
Every time the Eelamists PROTEST and engage in TREASONOUS activities, INCREASE the PRESSURE on them. Soon, even the Eelamists who REFUSE TO LEARN will understand the direct CAUSE and EFFECT relationship between the two. That should be adopted GOSL Policy.
NOW is the time for Sri Lanka to REPEAL the 13th Amendment to the Constituition imposed on our country by India. GET RID of these FOREIGN SHACKLES binding the limbs of Mother Lanka!
That would be the BEST response to these UNREPENTANT Eelamists trying to win through subterfuge in PEACE what they had failed to win through VIOLENCE in War!
WAILING they may be, but VICTIMS they are NOT!
…………………..
Tamils say barred from commemorating war dead, Sri Lanka denies
May 18 (Reuters) Minority ethnic Tamils said on Sunday they had been banned from commemorating the deaths of their relatives five years ago in the final battle of a 26-year war with Sri Lanka’s military, a charge denied by the army.
While President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is under international pressure to investigate war crimes in the battle, watched a victory parade in the south of the island, Tamils said they had been barred from attending Hindu temples in the north.
Ananthi Sasitharan, wife of a rebel leader missing since his Tamil Tiger separatists surrendered to the army on May 18, 2009, said the military used “abusive language” when she tried to enter the temple in Keerimalai.
“They didn’t allow me to Keerimalai Hindu temple to conduct my usual rituals to remember my relatives killed in the war and my husband. This is a blatant human rights violation. It exposes the government’s heavy military control over Tamil civilians,” she said.
Five other residents also said they had been banned, but declined to be identified due to possible reprisals.
They said security was tightened across the northern Jaffna peninsula, with roads closed to prevent any commemorative events. They said the military had ordered Tamils not to hold any commemorations.
Military spokesman Ruwan Wanigasooriya said families had not been barred from their rites, but some additional security had been established to maintain stability as some parties were trying to create what he described as an “unwanted situation”.
“There was no prevention of individual families commemorating their dead. Our concern was mainly about any organized move to politically incite people and … commemorating terrorists would not be allowed,” he said.
Wanigasooriya said the military saw some Tamil families observing religious rituals in temples, including in Keerimalai.
ELECTION LANDSLIDE
While both sides mark the end of the war every year, this fifth anniversary comes after the main ethnic Tamil party secured a landslide in a provincial poll in September, rekindling the animosity between the sides.
The Tamil National Alliance, the former political proxy of the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, won 30 seats in the 38-member council in the former northern war zone.
The TNA victory showed the defeat of the rebels in 2009 did nothing to subdue calls for autonomy among Tamils, who make up about 14 percent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million people.
“When we are suffering with the loss of lives and other properties, how can this government justify their victory?” Sasitharan, a TNA councilor, told Reuters.
More than 100,000 people were killed in the war and thousands, mainly from the minority Tamil community living mostly in the north, are still missing.
The United Nations in March approved an international probe into the war crimes allegedly committed by both Sri Lankan state forces and Tamil rebels during the conflict, saying the government had failed to investigate properly.
A U.N. panel has said around 40,000 mainly Tamil civilians died in the ferocious final months of the conflict, but Sri Lanka has disputed that figure. Both sides committed atrocities, but army shelling killed most victims, it concluded.
Despite concerns raised by international community about marking the victory, Rajapaksa went ahead with the celebrations in the town of Matara.
“We celebrate the victory of peace and not the victory of war. The best way of respecting the war heroes is maintaining the peace,” Rajapaksa told the victory day celebration.
Tight security has been in place in Jaffna since March. The military killed three Tamil militants in April in the first combat since 2009.
May 19th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
LTTE was wiped out due to its own actions.
LTTE forced the voters in North and East to boycott 2005 Presidential elections and due to that patriotic Mahinda won the election against pro-western Ranil who signed the no-war treaty with the LTTE which brutally butchered thousands of innocent women, children and men.
LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru reservoir in 2006. hoping that Sri Lanka’s military could be defeated easily so the LTTE would create Tamil Eelam by 2010 which was the main reason behind the LTTE’s election boycott and support to Mahinda. The hostilities began on the July 26,2006, when Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed several LTTE camps around Mavil Aru anicut.
LTTE refused to accept surrendering plan initiated by leading players in early 2009. The LTTE’s ONLY aim was to win Tamil Eelam, and it was not prepared to seriously negotiate less than Tamil Eelam.
LTTE’s utter failure to understand the global politics in the post-cold war period. There was no big desire for new nations at global actors’ political agenda.
South Sudan is different situation because there was Islamic or anti-west regime in the North Sudan. And south Sudan is home to natural resources. So US had great eyes on the south and to pose challenge to the Northern Sudan.
May those who lost their precious lives during the war in Sri Lanka including the brave soldiers who saved 300,000 innocent people and thousands of LTTE members rest in peace.
May 19th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
After banning Tamil TERRORIST groups, Tamil diaspora activities have lessened.
Good move by govt. Even their MAHABOORU nonsense suffered as a result.
The killing of 3 Tamil terrorists just 2 months ago also terrorized Tamils from commemorating dead terrorists.
May 19th, 2014 at 2:16 pm
NT,
LTTE was wiped out because SL FORCES
OUTNUMBERED
OUT-KILLED
OUT-BOMBED
OUT-SMARTED
Tamil nationalists and DID NOT fall into the POLITICAL SOLUTIONS trap.
The world DID NOT help us which allowed LTTE collect $300 million a year and buy weapons. The world shouted HUMAN RIGHTS, R2P and other nonsense at SL to SAVE the LTTE.
LTTE did everything it could to save itself and win the war but failed because of DETERMINED GOSL ACTION.
May 19th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
If the Tamils want reconciliation, they themselves initiated Victory of Peace ( or defeat of terrorism) celebrations should have been held all over the North and East.
“May those who lost their precious lives during the war in Sri Lanka including the brave soldiers who saved 300,000 innocent people and thousands of LTTE members rest in peace.” – sounds like TNA boss.
300,000 ARE NOT innocent civilians. They are relatives of terrorists who supported terrorism by supplying whatever they could. They ran away with the LTTE willingly providing hanuman shield , only a few was taken unwillingly. They surrendered finally once they knew that their Nazi Army has been defeated. Now they have waken up again seeing some support for Nazis arising.