By Hiruni De Silva Courtesy Ceylon Today-Hiruni De Silva is a Sri Lankan Counter-Terrorism Analyst.

The teardrop island of Asia in the Indian Ocean is used as a pawn on the geopolitical chess board. After the misery of its 30-year bloodthirsty war, exhausted since 2009, Sri Lanka now suffers its aftermath.  At present Sri Lanka is being pulverised by the hands of power abusive world politics. In the power hunger game, the Western Bloc reigns supreme. The recent flickering spark of this is the construction of the Mullivaikal Memorial in the premises of the University of Jaffna.

Since year 2019, the LTTE international network made several attempts to build a monument to commemorate LTTE leaders and members. The Mullivaikal Memorial commemorates members of the LTTE killed in the final battle in 2009. The terrorist supporters and sympathisers wish to rebuild the memorial within the premises of the University of Jaffna. This construction has a negative impact. It is not only on the people, also on social harmony and co-existence among the communities that live in the Jaffna Peninsula. A Twitter video was recently posted by the former leader of the Opposition MPP and Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown. With that video promoting separatism, one could clearly comprehend the level of intense lobbying by the LTTE fronts in Canada. The LTTE funding and votes have trapped number of Canadian politicians to support brutal terrorists seeking to revive and strike back. The outrage on the demolition of the Mullivaikal Monument is clearly, not an act of harmony or justice. Is Canada interfering with the sovereignty of Sri Lanka by permitting the LTTE to conduct activities against Sri Lanka’s interest? 

Globally proscribed

As the LTTE is a globally designated terrorist entity, it is operating largely in the Western World through political, youth and community organisations. The LTTE fronts are Transnational Government of Eelam (TGTE), the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) in France, French Tamils Co-ordination Committee (CCTF), Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), Irish Tamil Forum (ITC), Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka (SGPJ), and the United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG). Brampton Mayor, Patrick Brown became a muppet in the hands of the LTTE. This incident exposed the hidden manipulations of LTTE international network too. Some Western politicians vulnerable to LTTE funds and votes in Canada, France, Australia, USA, Great Britain and Germany started to accuse the tear drop island. They pointed the finger to Sri Lanka’s democracy and the State sovereignty of Sri Lanka.

 The Sri Lankan conflict is one of the best documented conflicts in the world. The allegations that there were war crimes and genocides are false. These false allegations are made by the LTTE and separatist fronts such as USTAG who have no credibility. The true reasons behind these false allegations against Sri Lankan security forces should be unveiled. The separatist war led by the LTTE’s vicious terrorist Prabhakaran began in 1983 when they attacked 13 Government security force personnel in the Jaffna Peninsula. This war has been exploited by some Western powers. They have been using this platform to intervene in State matters of Sri Lanka. The geopolitical rivalry has impeded Sri Lanka’s progress and economic prosperity. The international interferences in state matters have become a significant barrier to Sri Lanka’s development, which suffers due to the West’s vassalage to the LTTE.

 Throughout the period of brutal war Sri Lanka suffered from under development and a huge loss of lives. The LTTE separatists introduced themselves as freedom fighters killing innocent and brave, young and old, alike. According to the UN country report the total number of civilians killed from January to May 2009 is 8186, this includes both civilians and security force personnel. Since the recapture of the Mavil Aru reservoir in 2006, 6261 tri-force personnel were killed and 29,551 were injured. During the three decades of war 24,962 Army personnel, 1160  Navy personnel, 443 Airforce personnel, 456  Special Task Force personnel and 2568 Police personnel were mercilessly killed by LTTE terrorists. Like in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, the Sri Lankan conflict too produced fatalities and casualties. However, the number of civilians killed was very low and most of those killed were LTTE terrorists and the civilians deliberately targeted by the LTTE militants. Although there were isolated atrocities by Sri Lankan security forces similar to atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq by US Forces, there was never deliberate targeting of civilians. Throughout the conflict 52 per cent of the Tamil population lived in the South of Sri Lanka. 

The Sri Lankan war was not a ‘civil war’ between Sinhala and Tamil citizens of the country. This was a battle between the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE terrorists. Therefore, this conflict is better identified as a Non International Armed Conflict (NIAC). The motive of the LTTE was an independent homeland for Tamils in the North and East. It is a merciless action disturbing national sovereignty. This separatist ideology is the foundation stone of LTTE terrorism with which they tricked the international community. This made the seepage of domestic problems to the international platform. The LTTE successfully tricked the international community about Tamil Eelam and instigated them against Sri Lanka and its humanitarian actions.

The neighbour’s mistakes

Before approaching the Western bloc, the Tamil Tigers approached neighbouring India. Since India consisted of a huge Tamil population in the Tamil Nadu region. India’s geopolitical agenda on Sri Lanka had a different view from the Western Bloc. Sri Lanka was infected with the separatist ideology of Tamil Eelam. This was a germ spread by Tamil Nadu. The underline cause of Tamil Nadu politicians to spread the ideology of separate homeland for Tamils was their obsession to establish power in Sri Lanka. The Tamil Homeland included regions such as the Northern and Eastern Provinces. This mechanism of approaching the international community paved the way for the LTTE to be stabilised.  As a result, the LTTE was recognised as the most organised terrorist group with a huge international funding network.

Prabhakaran was guileful enough to persuade political leaders and parties of the Western bloc. The influence of the international community on behalf of the LTTE was their significant need of Tamil votes. The powerful western nations helped the LTTE since Tamils were a widespread community in the world. Each Tamil individual was seen as a vote. Prabhakaran’s method of approaching the international community was different. He was opportunistically emphasising the number of Tamil votes that can be gained in the elections. The funding provided by the LTTE too contributed to the West intervening with the State matters. That obviously persuades their minds about the need for a Tamil Homeland. The greediness for power in the leaders of the international community, especially Western Nations dragged Sri Lanka into this dungeon. Eventually, the LTTE became the extensive, foreign funded terrorist network in the world. The Western bloc always had an eye towards Sri Lanka as the gateway to the Indian Ocean. Therefore, maximum advantage was obtained from the sudden fortune. 

The State that safeguards

The Western Governments have used the human rights agenda to pressurise Sri Lanka, in order to develop a Western centric foreign policy. The USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany and Switzerland were the main nations to be harsh about the Sri Lankan humanitarian actions. The recent challenge on Sri Lankan national sovereignty was made by Canada. It was initiated with the statement of Patrick Brown on the Mullivaikal Memorial incident. Canada introduces them as a State that safeguards the human rights and as a State known for better uplifting of the fundamental rights of citizens. In the incident of military sexual misconduct, victims were not given their due concern. It is pathetic to hear that nearly two years after the incident only the Defence Minister, Anita Anand apologised. It seems a bit ironic that Patrick Brown, the Brampton Mayor is the one to deny that allegation at its first instance. Where is the justice for those victims of military sexual misconduct? Such double standards are a paradox and make it difficult to understand the nature of the Canadian Government towards Sri Lanka. 

Similarly any war has its own collateral damages and acts done to obtain military advantage. The Sri Lankan security forces have not committed any sort of extra judicial killings or genocides. There is neither genocide nor military sexual misconduct committed by Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan security forces have followed all required IHL standards. The Canadian move about the Mullivaikal Memorial incident doesn’t make any sense. It is because there are human rights violations in their own country within the authoritative bodies. No State that stood against Sri Lanka for its false allegations of Human Rights neither who passed resolutions against Sri Lanka for war crimes raised their voices against Canada. The national sovereignty of Canada was not disturbed by any means. This is what geopolitical double standards mean. These actions unveil the avaricious needs of the Western Block and the true nature of the politicians of international community who strive in power hunger. Canada and every Canadian should never forget that LTTE’s single biggest support base was Canada. Canada should not once again de-stabilise Sri Lanka by permitting its politicians to be recruited by LTTE supporters living on Canadian soil.