Tilak Dissanayake

I am not sure who you are, but please don’tƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ get suckered by theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTEƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Diaspora who wants to see the war continue on so that they can realize their dream of a mono-ethnic Tamil separatist homeland.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Please look at Israel as living proof of how wrong this aspiration is.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who liveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka (TamilsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ included), other than the LTTE diaspora, are delighted that the war is over militarily.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Is there discrimination in Sri Lanka?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Of course.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is there discrimination in other countries?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Of course.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Just ask the African American Harvard professor who was arrested by a Caucasian policemen in Boston while trying to enter his own house in 2009.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Obama had the two of them over to the White House for a beer to patch things up.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Or just ask any American muslim citizen, or anyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ muslim for thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ matterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ trying to get in to the US at an airport or at a border crossing.

The GoSL were morons were to say “zero civilian casualties” when they should have said “a policy of zero civilian casualties” 3 years ago, and please don’t be a moron and believe that you can conduct a war to defeat a terrorist organization that is holding 400,000 people as human shields and not have collateral damage.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am sure people were killed and the number will be speculated about for ever.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  People do die in wars. Just see the newspaper anyday about the latest drone attack the US conducted in Afghanistan or whereever in the world they are blundering around now.

Please also read Para 53 of the Darusman Report (not a UN report by the way), and see the level of credibility that they themselves attribute to the report.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The accusation was genocide back in 2009, now it has been toned down to war crimes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If it was genocide, then the GoSL could have easilyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ killed all 400,000 Tamils being held as human shield by the LTTEƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with the weaponry they had their disposal in a few hours, not the claimed 40,000.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Also, they were under no obligation to take as prisoner 10,000 LTTE cadres whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have already been released into society.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The camps were referred to as concentration camps, and with the exception of a few thousand who have chosen to stay thereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ voluntarily, all theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 300,000 who entered the camps back in 2009ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have left. And in case you did not know,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a large percentage of the Tamil population live not in the North and the East, but in the rest of the island fully integrated with the other ethnic groups.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  So, if this is a genocidal place, that would be highly improbable. Are their army camps in the North and the East?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Of course.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There are army camps inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ other parts of the island as well.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Duh..ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

If you want to promote a green future, don’t get suckered in by a group of people who still are advocating hatred because they lost the war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is not a coincidence that the US, Canada, UK, and parts of Europe are the ones calling for the resolution against Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the UNHRC.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These are the countries in which TigerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ diaspora elementsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are present (with names likeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canadian Tamil Congress, Global Tamil Forum etc.) and have political and financial influence over the politicians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And I am going to presume thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ you know what moral, non-opportunistic, ethical people politicians, reporters and some NGOsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are.

I think you understandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ root cause of all wars is economic (not only financial, but influence as well).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ethnicity, religion etc are used to legitimize and rally groups to conduct and continue the war. So, come to Sri Lanka and help with economic development if you want to address the root cause.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Go speak with the people in the North and the East and other parts of the island.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They are focused on making some money, sending their children to school and building a better future for them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is their prime focus on human rights and war crimes allegations?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Absolutely, not.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They just want to make a living.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Do they understand that there are indeed injustices that happened during this 30 yar bloody conflict and in other parts of the world? Yes, they do, and they are unhappy just like you and I about these injustices,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but they cannot afford to become paralyzed by them since the have toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ feed and provide for their families.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is the Colombo NGO crowd (which does not need to worry about where their next meal is coming from; it is provided by the same countries that are supporting the US resolution at the UNHRC) that are the baying pack calling for various investigations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Should those investigations happen?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Absolutely, but not at the cost of economic development which is the need of the hour.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Come, build a freeway system so thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ economic development isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ encouraged in all parts of the island, and everyone realizes that this is indeed a tiny island (Hopefully, youƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ won’t have people from Jaffna speak about “migrating” to Colombo after that) :-).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Provide affordable credit to SMEs so that development and livelihood can take place since the Sri Lankan banks are indeed greedyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ risk averse who will give no credit if you don’t have matching collateral (and are reaping in huge profits).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Provide English training and computers (via things such as the low cost Akash tablet from India)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to students so that they can tap the power of the internet and do their learningƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on line from a wonderful resources such as the Khan Academy.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Come do the difficult things that actually help the lives of those you want to help.

It is easy to go around beating up small countries selectively on human rights issues.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If you really care about human rights, there is no need to go after Sri Lanka and allegations made by the LTTE; take on the US for the multiple war crimes and genocide they have committed in the past 70 years starting with Hiroshima and Nagasaki.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Vietnam is another shining example.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Then there is the Iraq embargo that killed untold numbers of children because they could not get access to medicine and essential supplies.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Not to mention what is going on today in Afghanistan and Iran coming around the corner to a theatre near you in the next few months. No speculative allegations here.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The concrete evidence is there in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in the form of the B-29 bomber the Enola Gay that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Just imagine the outrage if the Germans had a crematorium and a gas chamber on display in one of their technology museums.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Please understand that the US governmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  with help from Hollywood, have sucessfully pulled off the “Big Lie” that Goebbles would have been proud of.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They are seen by you (I am almost certain) and most people in the world as The defenders of human rights when in reality they are the most eggregious offenders.

Please be a positive force to help build a united Sri Lanka for all its people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Don’t get suckered into being part of the big lie of the LTTE and promote a mono-ethnic homelands by forwarding their lies.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You are smarter than that.

Tilak Dissanayake