Shenali D Waduge

Let us speculate. Why is the Tamil Diaspora and Tamil politicians reluctant to back Ranil Wickremasinghe at an election? More importantly why would they prefer a CBK-Maithri deal? In searching for reasons to understand a pattern to their thinking the example of Kosovo immediately comes to mind. Is the Eelam project a mere slogan for a handful of people to cling to power and control their people while enjoying perks of office, VIP status as representatives of the other side and the ability to bargain. Under Ranil, the likelihood is of a Kosovo being created with Tamils and Tamil politicians ending up with an Eelam not meant for them and a life suffered no different to the Kosovars 6 years following a bogus ‘independence’. Is this the reason why a Maithri-CBK choice is being preferred for it would enable them to decry ‘Eelam’ but be in no hurry for its realization, an agreement that both TNA and CBK-Maithri would mutually benefit by whereas voting for Ranil and his choice of allowing West to rule may end up fast forwarding the creation of an Eelam as a Western base as done in Kosovo with Tamils left sore losers.

Let us show how similar the situation of Kosovo is to Eelam lobbyists.

Kosovo is an example of the first UN administered territory following UN Security Council Resolution 1244. However, Kosovo has been given ONLY self-government while acknowledging the ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’. Russian UN envoy Vitaly Churkin has already made clear that Moscow will not allow the cancelation of UN Resolution 1244, which confirms Serbia’s territorial integrity.At this stage we need to take note that one of the UNHRC Investigation Panelist is Martti Ahtisaari who was the architect of the Kosovo independence for which the German intelligence accused him of taking a bribe of Euro 40m from the Albanian mafia. Only 75 out of 192 states have recognized the new state. The ICJ delivered an Advisory Opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence in 2010. The International Court of Justice ruled that Kosovo’s declaration of independence was not illegal under international law, about two thirds of the international community is reluctant to establish formal contacts. Kosovars can only travel to five countries visa-free: Turkey, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Haiti.

KLA and LTTE

While LTTE was initially armed, trained, financed and supported by India with time LTTE soon fell into the hands of the West and operated under West’s directions which we can conclude in the manner LTTE chose Christian clergy, Evangelical nations, Christian NGOs to advance their agendas while they were happy to keep LTTE holding power with the gun. The same relationship prevailed with the Kosovo Liberation Army established in 1997. The US and NATO refuse to answer charges that they colluded with the KLA through the NATO occupation force that was in Kosovo (KFOR). Like the LTTE, KLA also secured territory and ran a defacto rule.

The comparison of West’s role in Kosovo and Sri Lanka

It is important to take note how the same parties/people and organizations are at play in both examples. In 1998, US manipulated EU governments into agreeing to a US/NATO intervention in Kosovo through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Kosovo Verification Mission was established with a US director in charge assuring KLA protection. The UNHRC is doing its best to create the need for a UN mission in Sri Lanka. Let us note, the scores of INGOs/NGOs that operated in the North throughout LTTE’s defacto rule and question how many so far as gave a single input against the LTTE! The Tamil Diaspora are playing a key role to generate the international publicity needed for a similar intervention in Sri Lanka.

KLA-NATO connection was established when Canadian MP David Price said KLA has been provided with a long-term training deal with the Military and Professional Resources International (MPRI), a mercenary training company run by American officers”. Thus, KLA appears to have been trained by MPRI contracted by Pentagon.

In another twist there is also the argument that KLA comprised of Albanian expatriates (some 300 Albanian-Americans had been transported to the Balkans to join the KLA) and not Kosovars similar to the question whether some of the LTTE cadres were those hired from Tamil Nadu. There are further similarities. KLA ordered Kosovo Albanian men aged 18 to 50 to join the KLA, LTTE ordered every family to ‘donate’ a member of the family. The similarities continue. KLA was financed through a combination of drug trafficking, money from Albanian diaspora, US, links to NATO governments and not surprising these are the same sources that LTTE was funded.

Nevertheless, GLobalResearch declared that War on Terror omitted KLA in 2001. In 2002, the US government was accused of subsidizing and training Albanian paramilitaries in Macedonia by a secret report leaked by Klingerdaar Institute (a respected Dutch military analysis firm). In 2000 Britain’s BBC2 television channel ran a documentary by Alan Little entitled “Moral Combat: NATO At War”, evidence of how the Clinton administration set out to create a pretext for declaring war against the Milosevic regime in Serbia by sponsoring the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), then pressed this decision on its European allies. The revelations in the documentary were reinforced by an accompanying article in the Sunday Times. Jane’s Defense Weekly reported April 20: “Special forces involvement confirmed.” The report said that that special units from Britain, the United States, France “and other NATO groups” were working undercover in Kosovo. London Sunday Telegraph reported that SAS, a unit of the British special forces, is running two KLA training camps near Tirana, the Albanian capital. Party of Democratic Socialism in Germany report asserts that top NATO, U.S., British and German officials are “utterly lying in public concerning almost all the facts in regard to the Balkan War.” It says there are no pictures of any mass killings or of troops force-marching the people of Kosovo out of their homes. There are no such pictures because this is not happening.

If KLA terrorists can be partners of the US/West what stops LTTE from doing the same even if the Leader is now dead?

Did Kosovo have a case for ‘independence’?

Serbs and Albanians live in Kosovo and speak Serbian or Albanian. Albanians already have a state (Albania) one ethnic group does not require 2 states. In Sri Lanka, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers live. There are no ethnic-territories or homelands though there is a State in India called Tamil Nadu where 72m of the world’s 76m Tamils live. Tamil Nadu has been fighting for a separate Tamil state far before that struggle was palmed off to Sri Lanka.

The lies also included the accusation of genocide. The International Tribunal discovered just over 2000 dead and compares to the accusations of supposed dead in Sri Lanka with not a shred of evidence accept propaganda. Nothing is said about the over 5000 killed by NATO, its destruction of civil installations in Yugoslavia, NATO’s use of cluster bombs and DU or those killed by LTTE. 250,000 Serbs were forcibly driven out of Kosovo by KLA and backed by US special forces no different to how LTTE evicted Sinhalese and Muslims from the North.

Even in 2013 Serbia continued to say that it regards Kosovo as part of Serbia no different to how Sri Lanka will continue to maintain that Sri Lanka’s North and East are very much part of Sri Lanka.

How was Kosovo ‘independence’ created?

It was created with bloodshed and lies no different to the journey the Eelam ‘independence’ took, stopped only because of the military option taken by the Sri Lankan state. But plenty of bloodshed and lies prevailed and continues to prevail as the Eelam project remains very much alive. The lies came in the form of media being paid to project that Serbs were killing innocent Albanian Muslims no different to the media lies projecting Sinhalese as killing innocent Tamils. The media was paid to project Serbs as murderers and Muslims as innocent victims, no different to Sinhalese being projected as murderers of innocent Tamils. Media was paid to project that Serbs were killing and forcing Muslim Albanians out of their land, the same is being projected through NGO funded reports paid to create the notion that the Sri Lankan military are raping Tamil women and taking over ‘Tamil lands’.

The lies also included the propaganda with which the West showed that they tried every avenue possible to win peace even persuading Milosevic and that the Kosovo ‘independence’ must come because all else has failed. The story for Sri Lanka has to be re-written because of the ground defeat of the LTTE and plan B is the manner in which deaths are being bloated, where propaganda focuses on accountability for war criminals this is integrated with the projection of minorities being targeted and thus the requirement to separate and create ethnic-enclaves and allow them to rule themselves. The build up of propaganda is to do away with people who are obstacles to the establishment of a Western base in Asia or scare them into believing that giving at least some of what they want will let them off the hook. Milosevic fell for that and then died in prison with a question mark as to whether he was poisoned to death. In compromising, Milosevic not only lost his life but his country as well. The West bullies nations in 3 ways – their religious power (Pope), economic power (IMF/World Bank) and military powers (military interventions). Our leaders sadly have not seen the dangers or have been misled into believing that they will be let off the hook and this mistake will cost them much.

How different is ‘independent’ Kosovo?

Kosovo independence was given without a plan to allow Albanians to control and run Kosovo. This will be the same blueprint for Eelam that Tamils must take note of.

The West and UN did appoint an International Civilian Representative (ICR) an appointment decided by the West only. Kosovo is independent but not controlled by Kosovars. Kosovo is controlled by the West alongside their friends the Albanian mafia.

How far is Kosovo ‘independent’?

• Unemployment is above 45% the highest in Europe.
• Economy/business: Gaining independence is only the beginning of a host of bigger issues as Kosovo soon discovered and which Eelam will also suffer from. Kosovo’s domestic commerce documents are simply not recognized overseas due to the lack of diplomatic relations. Insurance rates for Kosovo are still among the most expensive in the world. Kosovo’s imports are more than $200m but Kosovo cannot reciprocate through export! The West that lied to get Kosovo independence is today charging extra tariffs for preferential trade goods to the EU. These are the same issues that Tamils in Eelam are likely to suffer as well.
• International acceptance: the lack of international recognition for Kosovo means that it has no international postal or telephone code and this means Kosovo does not have its own web IP address, no online purchasing ability, no internet banking, no national cybersecurity, and mobile phone calls are channeled through Slovenia or Monaco at considerable expense. What would this mean if Eelam was actually given following the March UNHRC Investigation report with Marti Ahtisaari also a member of the selected Panel?
• About 200 orthodox churches destroyed by Albanian mafia
• Sports: Kosovo athletes cannot join international sports associations and those that wish to take part in international events will have no other choice but to emigrate. Would the same not happen to Tamils in Eelam?
• Drug haven – Kosovo is a ‘free market’ for 70% of Europe’s heroin, human trafficking, murder of non-ethnic Albanian
• European nations are refusing to accept asylum claims by Kosovars.

If Kosovo independence was given to establish a US/NATO base in Kosovo, it is essential that we come to terms with Eelam being a project on the same agenda to establish a US/Western base in South Asia and along a key trade route.

The gigantic military base was built in 1999 by Halliburton subsidiary Brown and Root Services Corp. Known as Camp Bondsteel covers some 955 acres (360,000sq.m) and even has a prison (Council of Europe declares the camp is a secret detention and torture facility). Initially there were 50,000 US troops.

The EU has the European Security and Defence Policy Mission claiming to help establish accountability, independent judiciary, independent police, independent customs service while Kosovo remains Europe’s drug hub and makes an advance prediction of what the UNHRC is likely to recommend for Sri Lanka in March 2015.

This comparison is essential for people to understand the dynamics at play and the players involved.

The forthcoming election is crucial for we see a shift in Tamil leaders deciding to opt against the UNP and Ranil with the possibilities of resulting in the realization of an Eelam but an Eelam similar to Kosovo which is of no use to either the Tamil people or the Tamil politicians.

As per TNA thinking it is better to strike a delaying deal with CBK-Maithri short of Eelam but ensuring Eelam chant is kept alive and kicking and not go with Ranil-UNP whereby Ranil’s tilt to the West will mean a quickie Eelam but not getting anything of what they expect no different to what the Kosovars in independent Kosovo today suffer from.

It is for Tamils themselves to start thinking of the futility of the Eelam project in the larger picture of political reality devoid of emotional attachments to a project that looks a utopian dream.

Shenali D Waduge