Dr. Kim Howell, to make a valid contribution to solve our problem, forget the ideas with which you have come here……as they may blind you to reality.

By Charles Perera

In an article in the Tamil Net website, Dr. Kim Howell the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is reported have said , “ A military victory for one side is very unlikely to produce a lasting political solution.” How lucky we are that during the World War two you were not the Prime Minister of Great Britain. People would have called you a coward, if you had then made such a statement. You would Have made the world different place.

Sir Winston Churchill was able to encourage his soldiers in the face of all odds , and take the armies against Nazi Germany with formidable courage.
Such men are rare, but we have our own President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is not a coward and keeps up the moral of the Sri Lanka army, and have been able to encourage the army through the worst of terrorist attacks. We are proud of him, who continues a difficult task under pressure from all quarters.

Of course the military action against the LTTE terrorists is not a war.
The terrorists cannot wage a war, as they are more used to hit and run tactics, throwing grenades, blasting bombs, sending suicide bombs, use snipers, employ pistol gangs, suicide boats and kidnapping of children. If the terrorist in Sri Lanka are completely run over by the army, there may still remain a few pockets of them remaining to throw an occasional bomb or lob a grenade or gun down someone. That is the risk that we may have to take but before that we have to break the strong hold the terrorists have taken in the North and East since the Cease Fire Agreement, one of our weakling political leaders signed with the terrorist leader. Our Great Army Dr.Howell has already chased the terrorists from the East. That may perhaps be news to you ! We have to use our army to clear the North of the terrorists. And it is after that we will talk devolution of political power with the true representative of the Tamil people.

Dr.Kim Howell talks of a political solution, well he should by now try to understand that the government of Sri Lanka wants a political solution not with the terrorists, but with the Tamil people. Before that the Tamil civilian population terrorised by the LTTE terrorists have to be redeemed, by military action against the terrorists who keep the Tamil civilian population under their iron boots not allowing them to open their voice in their defence.

You must have been told Dr. Howel how a Hindu Priest, in Vakarai was killed by the terrorists for receiving the President of Sri Lanka when he visited the township. And you seem to careless, speaking about a political solution. Do you think we could sit round a table and talk politics with a set of savage terrorists ? You do not know who they are Dr. Howell, what you have been told about the terrorists here have to be re-examined after your meeting with the people who really know the situation. They are brutal and ruthless and they have millions of Dollars to oil the hands of those who the terrorists would like to cultivate to favour their cause.

The problem we have is not so much with the terrorists, Dr. Howell, because that problem, if we are left to ourselves we may solve, but our problem is the Inter National Community, an the people like you who do not propose to give a hand to our army to see an end to the military action we are successfully carrying out against the terrorists, but come to give us advise on devolving political power to the terrorists.

The former colonialists still think in terms of their colonial leader ship and still try to treat our countries like their former colonies. Dr.
Howell we have tried very much to find a political solution to the terrorists problem, but terrorist replied by murdering the best sons of our mother Lanka. The terrorist are our own people and we would have liked to settle the problem without resorting to arms… but without success. The government still asks them to lay down their arms and come for negotiations, but it is all in vain.

You speak Dr. Howell about the damage to the image of Sri Lanka in the eye of the world. But who will help us to look after our country without dividing it to please terrorists, if our government had awaited without retaliating for brutal terrorism committed by the terrorists, our image would have been a pathetic one. At least now we can face the word with pride.

Dr. Howell you should look at the problem from a different point of view, not with an eye to safeguard the interest of the terrorists for what ever reason, but to develop our country as a Unitary State where the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and others live happily and in unity. You should not make the mistake of accepting the terrorists in Sri Lanka as representative of the Tamil people. There are ample evidence against that but the problem is people like you who do not want to see the evidence in face.

Another mistake you are doing at the outset of your visit Dr.Howell is trying to draw a parallel with terrorism in Sri Lanka and problem you had with Ireland. Your visit to Sri Lanka will not contribute to bring an end to the Island’s tragic conflict, unless you forget the ideas with which you have come here and listen to all the people concerned, and understand the situation objectively before you make any suggestions for a solution.