Who wants LTTE.. A Thought

A few weeks back Massey wrote that he wants LTTE and reasons for it. He also takes pride in integrating into West which may mean to him a lot as his last name indicates. Integrating into West does not mean changing one's last from Manikkawasagam to Massey. He further speaks high about his World Class manufacturing facility. Of course there are myriads of World Class things around us since we are living in the 21st Century.

He has failed in his soul searching mission and blindly following a terrorist group. He attributes every ethnic disturbance that happened in the Island including the 1983 one to Sinhalese at large. He beats the LTTE drum which helped many Tamils to seek economic refugee status in the West. It was handful of street thugs that instigated 1983 violence against innocent Tamils in the Sinhalese dominated areas. I would not call them even Sinhalese. True nature of Sinhalese of my decent was amply manifested in Kandy where my aunt provided her Guest House free for all affected Tamils and fed them over a month. She also allowed her house as a safe vault for Kandy Jewelry shop owners. Every piece of Jewelry and valuables were returned safely. Irony is that later we found that shop owners claimed those as lost due to ethnic unrest and collected millions in compensation.
What we could clearly see in this incident was the nature of most Tamils. They try to get ahead by all undue means. Examples are ample starting from examination cheating in Sri Lanka even before 1983 disturbances and most recent Carlton University examination cheating incident to claiming refugee status in the West. Tamils who are smuggled by LTTE narco human cargos still come to U.S. and Canadian borders selling 1983 disturbance story to naive immigration authorities. This does not mean that there are no genuine Tamil refugees.
Every living being loves its life first before it loves others. So being a human being that love transcends other creatures' love for their lives. That is the reason why human beings eat other animals for living. If a life is threatened, best logical reaction is to seek refuge in a safe place. So there are genuine Tamils refugees. Irony is that these genuine refugees are willingly create other refugees by pumping money for LTTE.

Ironically, again most Tamils did not go to their cousins in Tamil Nadu in 1983. They packed their bags and loaded planes to West. That fact itself is enough to prove that among Mr. Massey's clan are also economic refugees. Of course genuine refugees (with all due respect to them) could not even afford a plane ticket. At the same time I am also ashamed of the fact that a legally elected government would allow handful of street thugs to loot and kill a minority at their whim and fancy. What happened in 1983 was if it is still a secret to Massey is that then government wanted to curb JVP which was becoming a formidable political threat to UNP regime. Formerly incarcerated JVP leader came third in the Presidential elections in 1982. The land mine that killed 13 soldiers was a better opportunity to instigate something against JVP. Not knowing that it will get out of hand, a few MPs in UNP regime infuriated UNP street thugs to attack Tamils in Colombo which in fact got out of hand before they thought of clamping curfew and issuing shoot at sight orders. Delay in issuing such orders clearly pointed to the place where it originated. Otherwise a respectful legally appointed government could have prevented such a calamity within the first hour. All what it takes is to clamp curfew and issue shoot at sight orders within the first hour of trouble. A couple of UNP thugs would have been killed and many lives saved had government taken such a step. But how could UNP issue orders to kill its supporters. It took 2-3 days for the government which had a President with sweeping executive powers to declare curfew and issue shoot at sight orders.

The damage was done and the World community was taken aback Aftermath of trouble UNP was trying to point fingers and finger was already pointed at JVP. Minster after minster of UNP appeared on national T.V. put the blame on JVP. This lead to proscription of party and sending JVP members underground including the leader who came third in the last year's (1982) presidential elections. JVP was poorly organized they could not even put up a poster to disclaim their hand in ethnic unrest. This made it easy for UNP government to combat a fast emerging formidable threat to its power base. JVP was not armed before 1983. Once thrown into underground they armed themselves. This made it still easier for government to curb JVP. It culminated in Premadasa government killing 60,000 Sinhalese youth in the name of JVP. People who got killed were not only JVP, they belonged to all parties except UNP. This is how UNP remained in power for 17 years. In addition, to be able to remain in power they also helped Massey's LTTE.

It is a political mess that Massey is trying to scratch the surface and put the blame on entire Sinhala community at large. I feel sorry for his poor knowledge of the subject. If Sinhalese were so patriotic then, where are they now? Now soldiers die in 100s and 1000s. Where are those patriots who went on a rampage at the death of 13 soldiers now. If they decide to kill and loot government will not be as effective as even 1983 becuase now the popular sentiment is very much against Tamils because they are the people who harbor LTTE suicide bombers in Colombo and other city centers. It is by far a more genuine reason than LTTE killing 100 soldiers in Jaffna because who get killed in street of Colombo are innocent Sinhalese who go about their day to day business.

As a matter of fact LTTE has killed more civilians than UNP thugs in 1983. For example Where are the 560 Sinhalese families who were in Yan Oya. They were massacred by LTTE and their Tamils neighbors who lived side by side. LTTE did this within one night. Where was Amnesty International in this issue? Fortunate few who escaped in the dark did not come to West. They came to Kanthale and Anuradhapura. That is how LTTE is systematically killing Sinhalese. If Massey's funds are part of that you must be ashamed Massey.
Further, you write about your hard work. Any human being would be working hard given the right opportunity. This opportunity is what is lacking in Sri Lanka due to blunders of politicians. They have become leaders due to historical coincidence such as being born to elite family or a family of a notorious thug. They do not have vision and mission of purpose. They muddle through problems due to lack of experience and knowledge. They plunder and embezzle public wealth and live happily. They even send their children to West for education because Sri Lankan system is not good for them. By the way Massey, Prabhakaran's sons and daughters are also in England going to school while poor Meenachchi's and Jeganathan’s sacrificing lives in Wanni jungles. Who send them to school. It is not Prabhakaran because he does not have a job. It may be your contributions. So you miss the whole picture here in accusing people based on your limited knowledge and new found wealth. I have every respect for you as a self made human being but would like to invite you to analyze facts before jumping into conclusions.

You might have experienced equal opportunities while being in Canada. I have lived in both the U.S.A. and Canada but my experience is that fairness and equal opportunities exist only in fairy tales. If your forefathers who migrated to Canada were born in Canada or in the U.S.A. they would not even have stood a chance. However, Sri Lanka provided everybody equal opportunity in free education up to University level. In Canada and the U.S.A. it is not free. Those Tamil professional who got their free education from Sri Lanka were the first asylum seekers. Interestingly enough, they are the first to speak vehemently about discrimination. Unfortunately Massey there are people on this earth who drink from a well and give thanks to Oceans. I am yet to see the proportion of minorities in Universities in the U.S.A. and Canada that I saw in Sri Lanka in 1970s and 1980s. You might say that oh! we Tamils are brilliant! That is open for debate Mr. Massey.

You mentioned about ardent West and civil liberties it has to offer to you. It was not created overnight by bleeding heart Caucasians. The path of civil liberties was blotched by the blood of many colored people, slaves and other minorities. The world largest democracy the U.S.A. did not have universal suffrage for even white women until 1940's that was how pervasive the discrimination. If you want to educate yourself further about civilizations please plunge into the history. When Westerners were running around naked Easterners had invented handlooms and had beautiful garments wrapped around them. When they were peeing and pooping in Jungles Easterners had good rest rooms. Look where most of prominent world religions which teach about equality, decency, honesty and other morals originated. Now it has come a full circle, and institutions like Amnesty International whose forefathers owned slaves are trying to teach us human rights and values. Is not that amazing?
Unfortunately, era after Colonialism, Colonials imitated eastern societies and their subjects began imitating masters. Things have reversed. But I am not yet ready to thank the Ocean since I am still drinking from the well even though well has got polluted in the hands of its caretakers who are modern third world leaders. They borrowed the Model of divide and rule from Colonials and applied right away to safeguard the local power base. In doing so they sow the seeds of distrust and animosity among local communities. The current crisis in Sri Lanka is a creation of brown Shahibs of both Tamils and Sinhalese who got the power from their white Shahibs. So Shahibs of your tribe repeated this discrimination cry often enough your every problem seems to have originated from Sinhalese. Similarly Sinhalese Shahibs who did not have ideas ( i.e. elevator operator position in Sri Lanka was created by these politicians-remember the guy who pushes the button for you when you get into a elevator ) to develop the country divided even Sinhalese communities to favor Green vs Blue. Sinhalese youth thought it was a problem with the system and rallied around JVP to create ideologically different economic system whose justification was urban vs rural discrimination . Tamil youth rallied around ethinic dogma to create a mono ethnic political system whose justification was Tamil vs Sinhalese discrimination.

When people speak about discrimination it is everywhere. They discriminate each other base on religion, gender, class, creed, race, color you name it. Even within a single family there are discrimination. Some parents treat their sons better than their daughters. Even today in India if you are a female fetus you will not live to see the light of the world. As such one can see how pervasive this discrimination is. A Black Tutsi who fights a Black Hutu in Africa fight due to their clan or tribal differences. When the same Hutu and Tustsi migrated to U.S.A. their tribal differences evaporate, skin color takes its place. Both of them get together to fight White Caucasians' discrimination against Blacks. Of course West has laws against discrimination. But are they effective? Most of these are psychic laws that give individual the psychological satisfaction, that just in case something happens s/he can requests redress before the law. Does that happen often? No. Because litigation processes are costly (unless it is funded by LTTE with easy money ; case of Suresh in Canada). So in this respect I saw Sri Lanka as a country where these so called discriminations were at their lowest. Statistics like minority professionals per capita speaks for it. This discrimination cry in Sri Lanka began way before 1983. It began even before the Solbury Commission which many Tamil leaders repeated the Gobelsian lie to stay in power and capture the votes. This culminated Amirthalingam’s wife saying in Batticoloa that they will established Eelam over the Blood of Sinhalese (Sri Lankan Hansard Reports).

When Britishers invaded the country they divided Tamils and Sinhalese and ruled the country. They gave Tamils who were loyal to them missionary education. They confiscated land of upcountry Sinhalese and planted tea. Now these lands are given to Tamils of Indian origin who were brought to the Island as indentured laborers and huddled into single line rooms ten per each. Who discriminated Indian Tamils? Sinhalese? Up country Sinhalese whose land were confiscated do not today have the rights enjoyed by even Indian indentured laborer in Sri Lanka. Tamils in the North and East who got missionary education in return of their loyalty were given Ceylon Civil Service Employment. They were then sent to England for further training at government expenses. Those who were converted first were the low caste Hindus who were not even entertained in Kovils. Later elites Vellalas also jumped aboard in Conversion Bandwagon due to luxuries it afforded.

Meantime Sinhalese and Moslems who opposed the tactics of either forceful conversion or conversion based on prospects afforded to converts were neglected and their property confiscated. Local education and livelihoods were ruined. After independence, Sinhalese Government gave prominence to Education. Youth of all races entered Technical Colleges, Universities, and other Professional Colleges. When educated youth from all communities came out and competed for small employment base in the government sector, jobs given to Tamils under Colonial regimes came under heavy competition. Tamils were favored due to being a subservient and obedient lot of Colonial masters. That was how the so called professional Ceylon Civil Service was created. With fair competition on an equally leveled playing ground these jobs went to Sinhalese and Moslems. This is where Tamil leaders refreshed their discriminatory cry. They later resorted to cheating government exams even to get into Universities.

The problem was aggravated due to wrong government policies of nationalization of private enterprises which became inefficient every passing day. Whatever the small private sector that remained at the time of 1948 was nationalized. Had not been for this policy Sri Lanka would have become the first Singapore in Asia. Speaking of Military Industrial and Complex and your advice to Prabhakaran for Yugoslavian type solution in Sri Lanka is a waste of time. Because Prabhakaran listens to no one and Chandrika listens but does what she thinks is right which often is wrong. If I were Chandrika I would have defeated LTTE without a battle. Remember that Napoleon said that battle is about nine tenth of information and one tenth of fight. He also said every army travels on its stomach. These things are practiced by LTTE very effectively. But Chandrika does not allow Sri Lankan military to practice the same. Until we find right leaders you and I will be debating this issue and poor Punchiband's son will die for want of a wage to live not because of his patriotism and Selvarajah's son will die because he is brainwashed to die for illusion called Eelam. If you and I do not understand and educate our folks Prabhakaran's son will return from U.K about the same time as Chandrika's son and they will take over the next phase of vicious cycle as legitimate heir apparents. Therefore, please drop your emotional baggage and try to help solve the problem rather than aggravate it. You and I will be able to make a difference.

Finally Messay you said that land is sacred even it is barren. So is motivated your fight for Jaffna. This is what little I comprehend from your sacred statement. If we Canadian Tamils get Eelam it will be our holy holiday resort. We will live in Canada but our Sri Lankan Tamils can live in Eelam. You are damn honest. But Massey this "sacred" ness is in human mind. The same cow which is sacred to a Hindu Tamil will be a delicious steak for a Christian Tamil. Therefore, nothing is sacred until that sacredness is thrusted upon to the object by human beings. But amazingly enough Messay land is the only resource for which humans and animals alike have killed their own kind in great many numbers for survival. Finally the fittest will remain.

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