Shenali D Waduge

 UN Secretary General’s 3 member panel appointed to personally appraise him of the last 3 months (final stages) of the conflict declared LTTE as the most disciplined and most nationalist of the Tamil militant groups”. That ‘most disciplined’ nationalist group reigned terror for 3 decades killing every day, every month and every year with over 300 suicide attacks and it was only after successive failures of 5 peace talks (1985/1987/1989/1994/2002/2006) failure of countless ceasefires and negotiations held locally and even abroad that the decision to militarily defeat the LTTE was taken. It took just 1 incident and 3000 deaths in 2001 (9/11) for the US to declare War on Terror and the UN to create committees and Resolutions but no one bothered when LTTE killed unarmed civilians inside their own villages/people going to school or travelling to work who were targets of LTTE terror. Therefore, we make no excuses for jubilation and triumphalism because when the world ignored LTTE terror and in most instances sided with LTTE terrorists & their fronts abroad, the ‘most disciplined’ LTTE was eventually defeated without world support except for countries that have traditionally stood by Sri Lanka. Therefore, those who played no part since 1980s, who kept mum except issue good-for-nothing statements simply to place on record their condolence have no moral right to be telling Sri Lanka to probe ONLY the last phase of a conflict that would not have ended if they had their way.

If the Ban Ki Moon panel found “credible allegations” that the Tamil Tigers used civilians as a human buffer; killed civilians attempting to escape Tamil Tiger control; used military equipment in the proximity of civilians; forcibly recruited children; used forced labour; and killed civilians using suicide attacks – where is the probe launched against LTTE given that the reports always cite ‘both sides’?

Every year since 2009 it has only been a case of going after the Sri Lankan Armed Forces with each year adding non-conflict related elements into the Resolutions and OHCHR/UNHRC High Commissioners reports. So anyone has to wonder what the gameplan is all about.

The panel says there is “credible allegations” which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers). How about 30 years of murders committed by LTTE shown below which took place in front of everyone and there is little doubt who the perpetrators are. Why have these murders received not even step motherly treatment.

While there was no joint statement as is implied by the UN between the SL President and the UNSG to start a domestic inquiry, the appointment of Ban Ki Moon personal panel within weeks of Sri Lanka appointing LLRC is rather odd moreover one wonders why a panel report that was meant to only appraise the UNSG became the basis and foundation of the UNHRC resolutions against Sri Lanka. These are all precedents and these are serious breach of ethics and irregularities that border illegalities within the mandates of these UN officials.

Moreover, if the Panel could criticize the UN for not protecting civilians what about these and thousands of other civilians who were nowhere near any conflict zone but were blown to bits because LTTE wanted to eliminate them and make a point to the world?

Therefore those going at a tangent about the supposed crimes of the last phase must remember that

• It was LTTE who hounded people and herded them with the LTTE as they retreated
• Both the LTTE and civilians could not be made out – LTTE even had trained a civilian force, LTTE dressed as civilians and fired in civilian attire, civilians too were given arms and told to fire – therefore the distinction is bleak and in an armed conflict there are laws that apply and deny immunity for civilians holding arms during hostilities. Moreover all the LTTE cadres that surrendered (12,0000) were in civilian clothing and not in LTTE uniform – which means they were firing as civilians!
• There is also the question of resettlement & housing – we have yet to be told how many of the IDPs actually had real deeds or even owned lands to be given lands & houses!
• The most important question for those parroting genocide is to explain why the Armed Forces would kill a ghost number of dead while physically saving close to 300,000. So far all those throwing ‘credible allegations’ of 40,000 to 200,000 ‘dead’ have not produced even the names of 100 dead with details to warrant an investigation. Just because a group of goody-two-shoes think that they can quote numbers and claim the GOSL killed them should a sovereign government agree to launch probes?
• Why were there no Resolutions / probes for unarmed civilians that LTTE killed outside a conflict zone who were the real civilians targeted and killed?
• If LTTE herded their own people to be used as human shileds/hostages and even shot at many trying to flee it is not the fault of the armed forces but the LTTE. If Prabakraan is no more to take the dock the LTTE fronts and their leaders now banned should be made answerable for they were carrying out campaigns and raising funds abroad for the LTTE to kill and murder back home!

   Below are just a small segment of examples to highlight the hypocrisies that prevail

   Village massacres from 1984 onwards with intent to ethnically cleanse Sinhalese & Muslims from the North: These attacks were not in any conflict area. These murders were pre-meditated & planned.

• Starting with Kent & Dollar farms, LTTE entered sleeping villages and brutally cut up men, women and even babies. These initial murders went into hundreds of innocent, unarmed civilians who had done nothing to the LTTE to deserve death. Their farms were burnt/ their homes burnt to the ground / livelihood destroyed leaving those that survived nothing and fearful to return lest they would be victims next.
• Andankulam Village massacre: over 20 civilians, including Ven. Bakamune Subaddalanakara Thero, were attacked, tortured and killed by LTTE cadres in the village of Andankulam (Trincomalee)
• The Palliyagodella massacre – over 170 Muslims massacred by LTTE
• The villagers in the North /North Central, East had to live in fear of their lives often hiding in the jungles, keeping watch on trees, hiding their children in underground trenches to escape being caught, tortured and killed by the LTTE – does the UNSG and the 50,000 in the UN Secretariat realize the mental agony and pain of mind these people suffered every second of their lives for 30 years knowing they would be the next on LTTE’s hit list?

  Note: Giving just 24 hours and allowed to take only the clothes they were wearing thousands of Sinhalese and Muslims were evicted from the North by the LTTE in 1990. Their homes /lands / property were confiscated and most of them would have not even had time to take their deeds and other documents giving rightful claim to return. However, while presently the entire world is going on a tangent about resettling IDPs and allowing Tamils to return to their original homes did ONE of these voices open their mouths to make similar claims for the rights of Sinhalese & Muslims to return to their original habitats in the North? While many of the Sinhalese & Muslims have made submissions to the UN investigators not one UN entity/HR Organization or foreign envoy have come to stand up for the rights of the Sinhalese & Muslims. Isn’t that double standards and hypocrisy of the highest?

  What did UN and foreign envoys do other than issuing a diplomatic statement of condolence –

  NOTHING.

  Attacks on places of worship & clergy :

• Sri Maha Bodhiya attack in 1985 June – 146 worshippers mercilessly shot dead inside temple premises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImJJ-Gp9NJA
• Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) – 1988  The attack took place just days before foreign dignitaries were expected to attend celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of Sri Lankan independence at the temple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27xMR13byNE
• Kattankudy mosque attack 1990 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESCQFTfPAz8
• Arantalawa 32 Buddhist monks slain while travelling in a bus 1987 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLqzbbgWk7I
• 1985 – three Sinhalese Buddhist monks and three civilians shod dead while they were worshipping at the Ruhunu Somavathiya Temple.
• August 8, 1995 the Ven Matara Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara Nayake Thera popularly known as Dimbulagala Hamuduruwo killed by the LTTE terrorists when he was on his way to visit a farm belonging to the temple.

  What did UN and foreign envoys do other than issuing a diplomatic statement of condolence –

  NOTHING. 

  Murder of unarmed servicemen:

• 1990 over 600 unarmed policemen killed one after another – http://itvideo.me/watch/?v=fIzrk42ktzs
• 5000 members of the armed services remain missing still

  What did UN and foreign envoys do other than issuing a diplomatic statement of condolence – NOTHING.

   Destruction of civilian property

• Bombing Central Telegraph Office 1986 – 14 unarmed civilians killed
• Attack on the Central Bank of Sri Lanka 1996 – 91 innocent unarmed civilians killed and over 1400 injured and continuing to suffer injuries some unable to even be employed because of their wounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IMTfImFCnI
• 1997 – Colombo World Trade Centre Bombing killed 15 people and 105 were wounded including several British tourists.

  What did UN and foreign envoys do other than issuing a diplomatic statement of condolence – NOTHING.

  Targeting passenger buses – school children traveling to school / parents going to work / expectant mothers going to clinic / elderly going to take medicine

• Central Bus Station 1987 Colombo – killed 113 civilians, two policemen and a soldier; 298 others were injured
• Maradana bus bomb (Colombo) – 3 civilians were killed and 106 injured by LTTE cadres who exploded a bomb
• 1996 Dehiwela train –  64 civilian deaths and wounding 400 others
• 2008 Fort Railway station – killed 12 and injured close to 100. Deaths included school children (students of D S Senanayake school)
• 2008 Piliyandala bus bomb – killed 26 and injured at least 64 deceased included a Buddhist monk, a 10-year-old boy and eight women
• The lists are endless on the numbers of buses that LTTE attacked along the areas/routes LTTE wanted to chase Sinhalese & Muslims away so that they could reign supreme. Every day since 1984 a bus was blown, claymores were planted along bus routes, or villages were attacked and villagers mercilessly killed or chased away.
• Kebithigollewa massacre occurred on 15 June 2006 when 60 civilians were killed by a Tamil Terrorist claymore attack on a bus. The Nordic Monitors (SLMM) claimed that it was ‘highly probably that LTTE or supporters carried out the Kebithigollewa attack” 

  Note in 1986 even the Katunayake international airport was attacked and LTTE exploded the Air Lanka flight which resulted in 21 dead including 13 foreigners (entire British family, 2 Germans, 3 French, 2 Japanese, 1 Maldivian and 1 Pakistani)

  Therefore what needs to be clearly said is that when countries had every opportunity to end terror in Sri Lanka the so called international community or the UN did not come forward.

• It was India that created and funded Tamil militancy by secretly training 32 groups in 1970s. It was India that prevented the capture of Prabakaran in 1987. It was India that violated our sovereignty and virtually made a Sri Lanka sign an Accord and change the constitution under duress. These links are all confirmed in the Jain Commission report.
• The UN system totally ignored Navi Pillay’s Tamil descent and she herself did not see fit to recuse herself. Her statements against Sri Lanka over the years give evidence to her bias.
• Former LTTE No. 2 & former Minister alleged that Norway provided funds to LTTE, General Trygve Tellefsen is also alleged to have given military intelligence to the LTTE. Norwegian agency Norad is also accused of providing payments to LTTE. Afterposten revealed involvement of Norwegian embassy in SL to help 12 active LTTE cadres escape to Norway!

Shenali D Waduge