Shenali D Waduge

While all LTTE were Tamils but all Tamils are not LTTE, it is important to also differentiate who are the non-LTTE Tamils from the LTTE Tamils and the non-LTTE Tamil Diaspora from the LTTE-Tamil Diaspora. The LTTE, LTTE-supporting Tamils in Sri Lanka as well as the LTTE Diaspora made their millions from the war manipulating & sacrificing the lives of even Tamils for this objective. This same bandwagon of opportunists should not be allowed to walk away with the dividends of the post-conflict benefits as well. The GoSL must ensure that they cater to the needs of the victims of LTTE before looking after any LTTE and their remnants.

If the Government is enabling and facilitating life in the conflict-torn areas it should be for non-LTTE Tamils FIRST.

If the Government is giving state land for development or agricultural purposes on lease as well as supporting via other state mechanisms it should be to non-LTTE Tamils first. GoSL must ensure LTTE & LTTE families are NOT RULING over non-LTTE Tamils & their families.

While there will be a bandwagon of others screaming why” the discrimination to LTTE and holding posters infamously known as ‘reconciliation’, the question asked of these poster boys is was there no discrimination during LTTE rule towards Tamils? How many Tamils ended in their graves by LTTE bullet? How many Tamil children lie in their graves because of LTTE? How many mothers and fathers and siblings are weeping the loss of their loved ones because of LTTE? Have the foreigners weeping for LTTE Tamils ever wondered what LTTE did to the Tamils?

When the former UNSG female head arrived in Sri Lanka – she wept only for LTTE & their families. She saw only them. She spoke to only them. Did she visit a single Tamil family member of the Tamil leaders killed by LTTE? Today, she is ridiculing her international position by making mullaivaikkal LTTE-mourning speeches. This just proves how biased she was!

No doubt the LTTE illegal combatants, their family members and others supporting them need to be assimilated into society BUT they cannot be given preferential or privileged positions over the non-LTTE Tamils who suffered, caught between the LTTE and the armed forces. These people simply wanted to get on with their lives but they could not because they had no money to migrate to other parts of Sri Lanka, they had no money to fly overseas and they were too poor for any LTTE diaspora to be bothered about them via the bogus charities that they operated simply to channel money and equipment to LTTE. A good audit of the charities that these LTTE Diaspora operated and how much they channeled to Sri Lanka and for what purposes will disclose the nature of their ‘charity’.

Isn’t this why Jane’s Intelligence declares LTTE annual profits to be $300m – this was back in 2004-5 and profits after spending for LTTE arms & ammunition, feeding and clothing combatants and other logistics. Now imagine how big this kitty is now that the expense for LTTE combatants is no more and most living combatants are of no use to the LTTE tie coat diaspora unless they hold high profile positions in the LTTE fronts that are operating.

The largess of this kitty is now being used to lobby and when the British Parliament is lit for a few seconds to weep for Prabakaran – that should show how pockets can be filled. It should also put to shame those stiff upper lips of the Brits. These opportunists are no better than the handful of people who end up plugging themselves to whatever political party that comes to power & enjoying perks & privileges and love to appear on every photo grinning to glory.

Thus, it is extremely important to also realize that the non-LTTE Tamils and the non-LTTE Tamil Diaspora number far more than the handful of people who have found a new hobby carrying ‘genocide slogans’ and creating youtube videos with heavy foreign accents by youth who have never set foot in Sri Lanka to even know where a single town they quote are located.

The foreign ambassadors are guilty of showing ‘concern’ for only LTTE-combatants & their families. Is this out of ignorance or is this purposely done? If it is out of ignorance, the GoSL must have a mechanism to clearly state the need to differentiate the needs of non-LTTE Tamils vis a vis post-conflict development rather than concentrate only on LTTErs & their families.

As is clear, even the Tamil political parties concentrate or prefer to articulate mostly in favor of LTTE Tamils & their families. This is probably due to the lobbying of the LTTE Diaspora and course nothing much can be expected from these political parties who spew hatred in public against the Sinhala politicians and then go to their homes to have tea & a hearty tete a tete!

The GoSL must listen to the pulse of the people. Whatever funds or lobbying happens from LTTE Diaspora, any breakthrough for better relations comes from mending ties of miscommunication. There is no hatred between any community in Sri Lanka but there are plenty of miscommunications to purposely divide so that the opportunists can bear the fruit. The Sinhalese having travelled North immediately after the conflict ended and the Tamils travelling South learnt that they are no different, they all suffer the same problems and they all had been fooled.

The task is to identify who fooled them and to ensure they are not fooled again. Though there is a tiger in tie & coat calling himself ‘prime minister’ and thinking he can reign Tamils from yankee land while his outfit remains banned as a LTTE front.

GoSL we are waiting for you to go after the money trail of the LTTE international money making racket which is the backbone of the LTTE Diaspora’s powerbase & should be exposed and dismantled. If 32 countries continue to ban LTTE even after 12 years of its demise, why is diplomatic pressure not exerted for the countries that house these LTTE fronts to investigate their sources of income & legality of their operations.