Ira de Silva Canada

Reference the statement by Mr. Ajith Perera, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs this week that “new evidence of the LTTE activities overseas was the basis for the EU’s ban”, would the current government explain to the Sri Lankan people why after January 8, 2015 the government has, by it’s statements and actions both overseas and in Sri Lanka, bent over backwards to accommodate and encourage the pro-LTTE diaspora and the TNA to continue their goal of Eelam?

If the government according to Mr. Perera is aware of the evidence of LTTE activities overseas and their continued fundraising for their goal of Eelam, their continued use of LTTE money to fund political parties and candidates at elections to influence governments in the West to push Sri Lanka to promote Eelam, why does the GOSL remain silent or seem to support LTTE goals when it is obvious that the  LTTE diaspora and the TNA are unwilling to change their goal of a separate Tamil only state. It is plain to everyone except those in the government that the TNA still acknowledges Prabhakaran as their leader and are still the spokespersons of the LTTE working towards Eelam. Just this week  a TNA member of the Jaffna District claims that Prabhakaran is his leader. It is essential that the current government clarifies that it’s actions so far regarding the LTTE, TNA and the Tamil diaspora are not meant to further the goal of dividing the country.

The actions of the current government to support” false information about Sri Lanka at the highest levels, was illustrated during the visit of the Foreign Minister when he visited the U.S.  He met with the Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry to apraise him of the policy of the current Sri Lankan Government. In the joint statement issued after that meeting Mr. John Kerry said…..”to move Sri Lanka away from 30 years of war with the Tamils”.  Why did Mr. Samaraweera representing Sri Lanka, not correct this falsehood to point out that  the war was not with the Tamils but with the Tamil terrorists or LTTE which is recognized by the U.S. as a terrorist organization?  He is quite vocal about the faults” of the previous regime and takes every opportunity to adopt a holier than thou attitude to tell the world that this government is different from the previous and that good governance which includes being open and truthful  is of paramount importance yet by his silence gives credence to this obvious falsehood which is the main propaganda platform of the LTTE supporters.  Is it because he agrees that it was a “war on the Tamils” (implying a war on the Tamil people) rather than a war on the Tamil terrorists or was it that he is willing to subject Sri Lanka to U.S. dictates which are based on the constant interaction of the U.S. Government with the pro-LTTE diaspora in the U.S. promoting Eelam. Mr. Kerry’s statement   indicated  that it was a war with the Tamils and that peace and prosperity can only be achieved by giving those who advocate special powers to the north and east to create a separate unit. When will the GOSL realize that the U.S. has only one interest in Sri Lanka and that at the moment it is to destabilize the country and achieve a division of the country by which the US. hopes to control Sri Lanka.

Mr. Samaraweera then follows with the statement on March 19, 2015 that said Sri Lanka’s new government has announced plans to remove 16 groups and hundreds of Tamils from a list of foreign terrorists” as part of reconciliation with the largest ethnic minority. That has been the demand of the LTTE diaspora since this was enacted. If the government is aware of LTTE activities overseas, how does it support ignoring the LTTE activists overseas? Why is this government ignoring the fact that most of the LTTE supporters overseas claimed refugee status by lying about Sri Lanka, promoted the claim of human rights abuses to achieve their own goals and that a significant number of them were members/supporters of the LTTE who funded terrorism in Sri Lanka and given the opportunity would do the same again? Is the current policy to remove these LTTE leaders from the list of foreign terrorists so that they can “legitimately” promote Eelam overseas and in Sri Lanka? Is the government trying to enable them to get dual citizenship?
This Government made a lot of noise that it got the resolution at the UNHCR postponed. The important fact is that it was merely a postponement and that the resolution will definitely be introduced in September. This was followed by inviting members of the UNHCR to visit Sri Lanka opening the possibility that there could be additions to the resolution which could be negative to Sri Lanka. When the Northern Province sent a submission to the UNHCR claiming that there was genocide of the Tamils, the current government was silent. This action by the Northern Provincial Council flies in the face of reconciliation. Why did the GOSL not challenge this opinion in Sri Lanka and call on those who voted for this resolution to substantiate this false claim or withdraw it? Is it a part of reconciliation with the Tamils to accuse the rest of the people of Sri Lanka of genocide when Sri Lankans are well aware that ethnic cleansing and “genocide” was an important part of Prabhakaran’s policy. How does this government expect to promote reconciliation by demonising non-Tamil Sri Lankans and ignoring the plight of non-Tamil Sri Lankans who were displaced from their lands, driven from their homes, also suffer from unemployment/underemployment and were the victims of terrorism, seem to be expected to continue to suffer in silence. Should all Sri Lankans not expect equal treatment from their government? Currently it appears that good governance is based on discrimination against the majority of the Sri Lankan people who were the victims not the perpetrators of terrorism. Which other country in the world is willing to penalize the very security forces who bore the brunt of the campaign to defeat a recognized terrorist organization just to satisfy the demands of the very countries who did their best to stop the war and evacuate the terrorist leaders so that they could once again re-group as in 1987 and have the opportunity to terrorise Sri Lankans for decades. Is it not clear to the GOSL that these countries have no interest in peace in Sri Lanka and that their actions are to win the votes of their Tamil constitutients overseas?

If evidence of LTTE activities overseas is known to foreign governments, is the basis for a ban on the LTTE in foreign countries and the current Prime Minister was aware of the threat even when he was the Leader of the Opposition, why is it the policy of this government to ignore this evidence?  Is it that it is willing to endanger the long term security of the country for short term political gain? After the Indo-Lanka Agreement of 1987 Mr.Rajiv Gandhi went directly to Tamil Nadu and claimed that he had got for the Tamils in Sri Lanka all that they wanted yet the first Indian Prime Minister visiting the country since then in March 2015 makes a statement in Sri Lanka that India wants more from Sri Lanka on behalf of the Tamils in the north in the presence of the President of Sri Lanka. Did anyone ask him what he meant and also indicate to him in diplomatic language, that Sri Lanka is supposed to be a sovereign country, not an Indian State  and that even though he is the Prime Minister of India he has no business interfering in internal matters of other countries?  The Cease Fire Agreement of 2002 also represented the dictates of foreign countries to give the LTTE their Eelam with the support of the GOSL.

Based on the actions of this current government, Sri Lankans wonder is history repeating itself?

Ira de Silva

Canada