He has been a cricket commentator, writer,actor, and a politically aware/active personality in Tamil Nadu. Cho as he is popularly known is well known for his satirical take on Indian and Tamilnadu politics is the man who had predicted the current state of affairs with precision in a interview 8 long years ago.
Nothing much has been done in these 8 long years, the Cho Ramaswamy interview gives answers to all the Tamil Eelam questions which have never been answered with such clarity.
Cho Ramaswamy was one journalist who consistently wrote against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in his journal Thuglaq, when many other newspapers and magazines in Tamil Nadu supported it in the eighties.
But most had to chew their words and change their stance towards the LTTE after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Cho is still against the LTTE, but he does not react emotionally like many others. He has this uncanny way of substantiating his views with reason. In this interview with Shobha Warrier, he criticises the Bharatiya Janata Party government for its irresponsible handling of the Sri Lankan issue. Excerpts from the interview:
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had been soft-pedalling on the Sri Lankan issue till recently. But now, he has come out with a statement that the Czech model is the only solution. Why this volte-face?
Karunanidhi always takes great pride in being hailed as a leader of Tamils wherever they live, and there is no Tamil issue as such in India now. Earlier, you had this anti-Hindi platform. Then came the anti-north Indian platform. Now, none of those issues are relevant. So, what is the only Tamil issue available now? It is the Sri Lankan issue. If he doesn't occupy that platform, it will become the monopoly of Ramadoss and Vaiko. He is not able to digest the situation. That is why he wants to go on record as having made some noise about this.
Ramadoss and Vaiko are supporting a banned organisation like the LTTE and a separate Tamil Eelam. Are they behaving like responsible politicians?
No. There must be some link between them and the LTTE.
The LTTE has been banned. Its activities are illegal. They are working and campaigning for a banned organisation. The Centre must take action against them.
Is it only because they are partners in the National Democratic Alliance that the Centre is indifferent to their statements?
Yes. The Centre is more interested in keeping the NDA intact than keeping India intact.
Will it not lead to secessionist forces raising their heads?
Yes. The growth of the LTTE culture in Tamil Nadu will lead to strengthening of secessionist forces. They are now marginal. They can now be even ignored as eccentrics. But if this continues, some people will start supporting it.
Are the people of Tamil Nadu sympathetic to the LTTE now, like earlier?
I am sure that the people of Tamil Nadu are not sympathetic to the LTTE. Otherwise, Gopalaswamy and Ramadoss would have made that an electoral platform already. Even in the coming elections, this will not be an issue on which they will focus, as it will never pay electoral dividends.
Then, why is Karunanidhi taking this new stand now?
Even there he has been careful. He said that if there is no settlement, which would give equal rights to Tamils along with the Sinhalese, a division should be considered. He is making these noises only to see that the Tamil platform does not go entirely to Vaiko and Ramadoss.
India has been asking for international help to fight terrorism. When Sri Lanka asked for India's help in subjugating the LTTE, India refused. Do we not see double standards in India's attitude?
The BJP government's attitude is unwise. It says the creation of Eelam will pose a danger to India. It also says that it will not be conducive to the interests of India. At the same time, it will not do anything to prevent the birth of Eelam. What else is the government going to do? It doesn't want to help Sri Lanka contain terrorism. What is the government planning to do? Perhaps the prime minister is going to order mass prayers throughout the country, so that Eelam may not be created! What is this? I cannot understand this.
Is the central government irresponsible and immature in its response to the Sri Lankan problem?
I do not know whether it is just irresponsible or whether there is any other sinister connotation to it!
Their survival?
Yes. It could be that. May be it feels that if it has to keep all these elements like Ramadoss, Vaiko and DMK with them, they have to do it this way. Or, they feel that the Congress created this problem. Or, they just don't understand the ramifications of this.
What will be the repercussions if Jaffna falls? Will it be disastrous for India?
If Jaffna falls, pro-LTTE forces in Tamil Nadu will again be strengthened. There will be euphoria built up around the LTTE, and after that pro-LTTE campaigning here will become much more intense.
The smuggling of diesel, food and equipment will start from Tamil Nadu to Jaffna. There will be certain outfits here, which will be equipped and trained by the LTTE. Gradually this may help the formation of a terrorist outfit in Tamil Nadu, which would pose immense problems.
A thousand terrorists will be enough to hold the entire country to ransom.
Prabhakarn had declared that his first aim was a Tamil Eelam, and later a greater Eelam which included Tamil Nadu.
Not only Prabhakaran. Even people here, like some Tamil Liberation Army, have also spoken of it. They made their intentions clear at several meetings.
The Centre says it will not offer anything but humanitarian help. What is humanitarian help? The LTTE wants the Sri Lanka forces to vacate Jaffna so that they need not carry on the fight. The LTTE obviously is depleted because of the battle. Probably they have lost some arms also. They do not want a further loss of weapons and men.
They want the Sri Lankan army to leave Jaffna. India says we will help you to quit! That is, we will help you fulfil the conditions set forth by the LTTE! That is the Indian offer. That is the humanitarian offer. There could be nothing more inhuman between one country and another than this 'humanitarian' offer of the Indian government.
Will India not be surrounded by hostile neighbours all around? Pakistan, China and now Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will the greatest problem, not Sri Lanka, even if it is going to be inimical towards you. If it becomes friendly with China or Pakistan, that may pose problems for India. But the immediate concern is to contain terrorism in Sri Lanka. India is not going to do anything to help.
When India is responsible for the growth of the LTTE.
Yes, we have the moral duty to help. We are part of the problem. We helped the LTTE in weapons, training and funding. Otherwise, it would not have grown to these proportions. On the other hand, we have a duty to Sri Lankan Tamils also; the Jaffna Tamils, because we led them to believe that we will help them achieve a federal setup in Sri Lanka with equal rights along with the Sinhalese. But we have not done anything after the Rajiv-Jaywardene accord. So, it is imperative that India intervene.
It should be done properly. The Indian government should ask Chandrika Kumaratunga to declare her immediate acceptance of the terms of the Rajiv-Jaywardane accord, and also set a deadline for creation of a federal setup in Sri Lanka. After achieving this through diplomatic pressure, India could go directly and help, even militarily, if the first two conditions are accepted.
Militarily?
Yes, if other points are accepted. Military help should be given only to see that federal setup comes about there, and that the Lankan government talks. That way, you will help the Tamils there, and also Lankan government to contain terrorism.
When we talk of Tamils, we must remember that Tamils of Indian origin who are there in tea plantations outnumber the Jaffna Tamils. And, Indian origin Tamils do not accept the LTTE as their saviour. I do not know what percentage of Jaffna Tamils accept them.
And, what is this Eelam? It has already depleted because the Eelam concept originally had not only Jaffna but also the east. Now the east is out. So, they are going to get only half of Eelam, if they get it. And, they don't represent the entire Tamil population in Sri Lanka!
Some experts wrote that even in Jaffna, the Tamils did not consider the LTTE as saviours.
Yes. Jaffna Tamils are under threat from the LTTE. So, a substantial section may not support the LTTE. The LTTE has annihilated all Tamil leaders; moderates and militants.
Now that India has distanced itself from what is happening in Sri Lanka, won't others like Pakistan enter the scene?
Naturally. If this goes on for some more time, the Sri Lankan government will seek help from either China or Israel. I do not know whether Pakistan can help. But sometime later Pakistan may need the help of the LTTE to increase Inter-Services Intelligence activities in India.
When China enters, India will have to contend with a situation where a foreign superpower gets a foothold.
P Nedumaran recently said the Brahminical press in Tamil Nadu had ganged up against them on Tamil Eelam and many other issues. He named you.
Much of the Brahminical press is with the LTTE. For example the Ananda Vikatan group had been campaigning for the LTTE. Only after Rajiv's killing that it got disgusted with the LTTE. Even now they are not very much anti-LTTE but they were very supportive of the LTTE in their writings. I do not know who are the other Brahminical press. Dinamani? Dinamalar? I do not know.
Nedumaran said The Hindu.
Hindu was a great friend of the LTTE! After Rajiv's killing, they also changed their stance. So, it is not as if all Brahmin editors are anti-LTTE.
This caste-wise categorisation of newspapers is being done only in this state. It is done on the basis of the caste of the editor. If the editor is a brahmin, then it is a brahmin journal! Well, that way my journal is a brahmin journal, but I have been against the LTTE from the outset.
What about Amruthalingam? Was he a Brahmin? What about Yogeswaran? Was he a Brahmin? What about Padmanabha and the seven others who got killed with him? Were they Brahmins? What about Sabharathinam? Was he a Brahmin? What about the two mayors of Jaffna who were killed by the LTTE? Were they Brahmins? Why should all these people be killed by the LTTE? Were they Brahmins? Were they supporters of Brahmins? Were they champions of Brahmin-hood? Was the sin committed by them a Brahminical sin? So, it is not as if only the Brahmins who oppose the LTTE. Nedumaran must not glorify Brahmins that way!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tamil Chauvinism - at whose Cost?
It’s very sad to see that some regional chauvinists raising their ugly heads again in support of a terrorist organization which has been banned in countries across the world, in the pretext of "Saving Tamils" in Sri lanka.
All of these mindless people seem to live in a country of their own, rather they have a hidden dream of having a country of their own. We are not far from the days when these same very people would want to be isolated from India and want a nation of their own. Listening to the speeches of a noted Tamil Film Director, who says “It is a shame that the one of oldest languages on earth does not have a country of its own", this statement clearly shows the mindset of the individual who refuses to accept India as his nation and is bold enough to reveal it on a public addressing in the same very nation. He further goes on to state that "LTTE are not terrorists" and that they are freedom fighters of Tamil culture, he further quoted that he feels extremely proud of the fact that the LTTE have revolted against the government and have transformed themselves as a powerful (read dangerous) outfit in the face of the world. These kind of statements makes one feel that the real issue is not to support LTTE, but to detach tamils from India and have a country of their own. This cannot be and will not be advertised at this point in time as the majority of Tamil still have not been able to relate to the LTTE and don't find them as one amongst us.
There has always been discomfort in accepting Hindi in TamilNadu relative to English, reason for the same is anybody’s guess. It is strongly believed that being a Tamil, English is the next important language after Tamil and Hindi is considered a "not required" - which will also be strongly advocated by many as the reason for Tamils growth across the globe. There has always been a well minded isolation of tamils from Hindi ever since 1965 (Which is the year from when Hindi was supposed to be the only official language of the nation , changing the status of English and Hindi as official languages of the nation). How can we be against a language which is being spoken by more than 50 % of the nation, for no real logical reason? Learning a foreign language is accepted, but learning a language which is deemed as the national language is considered a threat to Tamil language. India is a nation which has been stitched together by some broad minded leaders, it’s a shame really to fight for the supremacy of a language/religion/region within our country. There are a group of people who find pride in advocating on the non existing Anti-Tamil agenda in India, whose ultimate motive is to isolate and form a country for Tamils.
It’s so painful to know that we have our own people supporting a Terrorist organization which has been banned in our nation for killing one of our very own Prime Ministers amongst many prominent world leaders. All of us need to understand that LTTE is by no means a representative of Srilankan Tamils, it’s a group of terrorists who happen to speak the same language as we do.
Just do a search on LTTE and the following is what one would get to read to the credit of the world’s most dreadful terrorist group.
Wikipedia quote begins **
Human rights violations
Main article: List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
The US state department claims that its reason for banning LTTE as a proscribed terrorist group is based on allegations that it does not have respect for human rights and that it does not adhere to the standards of conduct expected of a resistance movement or what might be called "freedom fighters".[75] [76] [77] [78] Other countries have also proscribed LTTE under the same rationale. Some countries cite that LTTE attacks civilians and recruit children.[79] The FBI has described the LTTE as "amongst the most dangerous and deadly extremist outfit in the world".[80]
Attacks on civilians
The LTTE has attacked non-military targets including commuter trains and buses, farming villages, temples and mosques, resulting in civilian deaths.
Some of the attacks resulting in civilian deaths include the Kebithigollewa massacre, the Gonagala massacre (54 dead), the Anuradhapura massacre (146 dead), the Dehiwala train bombing (56 dead),[81] the Palliyagodella massacre (109 dead) and the bombing of Sri Lanka's Central Bank (102 dead). The LTTE claims that some of these attacks on civilian targets are collateral damage.
The anti-rebel South Asian Terrorism Portal claims that even after the signing of the Ceasefire agreement in 2002, the LTTE has continued to carry out attacks against civilians. They murdered 6 Sinhalese farmers on April 23, 2006 and killed a further 13 laborers on May 30.[82] In one of the deadliest attacks against civilians, a claymore antipersonnel mine attack by the LTTE on June 15, 2006 on a bus carrying 140 civilians killed 68 people including 15 children, and injured 60 others.[83]
Assassinations
Main article: Notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
The LTTE has been condemned by various groups for assassination of political and military opponents. The victims include Tamil moderates, Tamil paramilitary groups and Sinhalese people. Most notably the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and Ranasinghe Premadasa, who were the heads of India and Sri Lanka respectively, were attributed to LTTE.
LTTE sympathizers justify some of the assassinations by arguing that the people attacked were combatants or persons closely associated with Sri Lankan military intelligence. Specifically in relation to the TELO, the LTTE has said that it had to perform preemptive self-defence because the TELO was in effect functioning as a proxy for India. [84]
Child soldiers
Main article: Military use of children in Sri Lanka
The LTTE has recruited and used child soldiers to fight against Sri Lankan government forces.[85][86][87] The LTTE was accused of having up to 5,794 child soldiers in its ranks since 2001.[88][89]
Amid international pressure, the LTTE announced in July 2003 that it would stop conscripting child soldiers, but both UNICEF[90][91] and Human Rights Watch[92] have accused it of reneging on its promises, and of conscripting Tamil children orphaned by the tsunami.[93] However, since 2007, the LTTE has claimed that it will release all of the recruits under the age of 18 before the end of the year. On 18 June 2007, the LTTE released 135 children under the age of 18. UNICEF claims that 506 child recruits remain under the LTTE and notes, along with the United States, that there has been a significant drop in LTTE recruitment of children.[94] A report released by the LTTE's Child Protection Authority (CPA) in 2008 reported that less than 40 soldiers under the age of 18 remained in their forces.[95]
The LTTE argues that instances of child recruitment occurred mostly in the east, under the purview of former LTTE regional commander Colonel Karuna. After leaving the LTTE and forming the TMVP, it is alleged that Karuna continued to forcibly kidnap and induct child soldiers.[96] Its official position is that earlier, some of its cadres erroneously recruited volunteers in their late teens.[citation needed] It says that its official policy is now that it will not accept child soldiers. It also says that some underage youths lie about their age and are therefore allowed to join, but are sent back home to their parents as soon as they are discovered to be underage.[citation needed]
Suicide bombing
Main article: Black Tigers
The LTTE has frequently used suicide bombers as a tactic. They pioneered the use of concealed suicide bomb vests,[97]. The tactic of deploying suicide bombers was used to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed in 1991 using a prototype suicide vest, and Ranasinghe Premadasa, assassinated in 1993.[79]
According to Jane's Information Group, between 1980 and 2000, the LTTE carried out a total of 168 suicide attacks on civilians and military targets.[79]
Allegation of Ethnic cleansing
Main article: Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna
The LTTE has been blamed for forcibly removing (or "ethnically cleansing")[98][99] Sinhalese and Muslim inhabitants from areas under its control, including the use of violence against those who refuse to leave. Most notably, the LTTE forcibly expelled the entire Muslim population of Jaffna with two hours notice in 1990.[100] The LTTE are also accused of organising massacres of Sinhala villagers who settled in the Northeast under the dry lands policy.[101][102][103]
In 2002, the LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran had formally apologized for the expulsion of Muslims from the North and asked the Muslims to return. Some families have returned and the re-opened Osmaniya College and two Mosque are functioning now. According to a Jaffna Muslim source there is a floating population of about 2000 Muslims in Jaffna at any given time. [104]
Proscription as a terrorist group
30 countries have listed the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.[105][106] As of May 2007, these include:
India (since 1992)
United States (designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Department of State since 1997)[107]
United Kingdom (designated as Proscribed Terrorist Group under the Terrorism Act 2000 by the Home Secretary since 2000)[108]
European Union (since 2006; 27 countries)
Canada (since 2006)[109]
Australia[110] and other countries have listed the LTTE as a terrorist group in accordance with Resolution 1373. Canada does not grant residency to LTTE members on the grounds that they have participated in crimes against humanity.[111]
The first country to ban the LTTE was its early ally, India. The Indian change of policy came gradually, starting with the IPKF-LTTE conflict, and culminating with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Sri Lanka itself lifted the ban on the LTTE before signing the ceasefire agreement in 2002. This was a prerequisite set by the LTTE for signing of the agreement.[112][citation needed]
The European Union banned LTTE as a terrorist organization on May 17 2006. In a statement, the European Parliament said that the LTTE did not represent all the Tamils and called on it to "allow for political pluralism and alternate democratic voices in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka". [113]
Relationship with foreign states & International organizations
Even though LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organization, many states like Canada, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Norway have continued contact with the LTTE. International organization like Asian Development Bank, World Bank and many UN Agencies also established contact with the LTTE after the 2002 ceasefire. [50] Notably the Asian Development Bank president held a direct meeting with the LTTE in 2003. [114]. LTTE also held a direct meeting with Danny K. Davis, a United States Representative, Kofi Annan's Special envoy and António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[115] [116] They also have held direct meetings with Norwegian government representatives and officials of other Scandinavian countries.
Criminal activities
On the 10th of January, 2008, the FBI stated that the Tigers (LTTE) have raised funds under a variety of cover organizations, often by posing as charities. A great deal of money, for example, was raised for the Tigers following the 2004 tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka and many other countries.[117].
One factor that has benefited the LTTE greatly has been its sophisticated international support network. While some of the funding obtained by the LTTE is from legitimate fund raising and extortion among the Tamil diaspora,[118][119] a significant portion is obtained through criminal activities, involving sea piracy[citation needed], human smuggling[citation needed], drug trafficking[citation needed] and gunrunning[citation needed].[120][121][122][65]
Credit card fraud
The LTTE has also been accused of committing credit card fraud in a number of countries including India, Kenya and the United Kingdom.[1] [65] In April 2007, the Sri Lankan High Commission in London also accused the LTTE of being behind a credit card scam, however a police spokesman said there was no definite link to the LTTE or Sri Lankan gangs.[123][124][125][126] Williams, a writer at US Institute of Peace Press, alleged the LTTE of crimes such as organized crime, social security fraud, counterfeit currency trading,[123][127].
Sea piracy
Main article: Sea Tigers#Human_Rights_Abuses
The LTTE has been accused of hijacking several vessels in waters outside Sri Lanka including the Irish Mona (in August 1995), Princess Wave (in August 1996), Athena (in May 1997), Misen (in July 1997), Morong Bong (in July 1997), MV Cordiality (in Sept 1997), Princess Kash (in August 1998) and MV Farah III (December 2006). The MV Sik Yang, a 2,818-ton Malaysian-flag cargo ship which sailed from Tuticorin, India on May 25, 1999 was reported missing in waters near Sri Lanka. The ship with a cargo of bagged salt was due at the Malaysian port of Malacca on May 31. The fate of the ship's crew of 15 is unknown. It is suspected that the vessel was hijacked by the LTTE and is now being used as a phantom vessel. Likewise the crew of a Jordanian ship, MV Farah III , that ran aground near rebel-controlled territory off the island's coast, accused the Tamil Tigers of risking their lives and forcing them to abandon the vessel which was carrying 14,000 tonnes of Indian rice. [128]
[Arms smuggling
The Mackenzie Institute discovered that another one of LTTE's most secretive international operations is the smuggling of weapons, explosives, and "dual use" technologies to keep up with the military operations. The part of the LTTE responsible for these activities is given the nickname "KP Branch", taking the initials of its highest level operative, Kumaran Padmanathan (KP). The workers for the KP Branch are from outside the fighting wing of the LTTE, since the identities of those fighters are recorded and available to law enforcement and counter-intelligence agencies by India's RAW, who had helped train many Tiger cadres in the early 1980s. The KP Branch operates extremely secretively by having the minimum connection possible with the LTTE's other sections for further security. It finally hands over the arms shipments to a highly trusted team of Sea Tigers to deliver them to the LTTE-dominated areas.[129]
The Mackenzie Institute further demonstrated that in order to carry out the activities of international arms trafficking, the LTTE operates its own fleet of ocean-going vessels. These vessels only operate a certain period of time for the LTTE and in the remaining time they transport legitimate goods and raise hard cash for the purchase of weapons. The LTTE initially operated a shipping base in Myanmar, but they were forced to leave due to diplomatic pressure. To overcome the loss of this, a new base has been set up on Phuket Island, in Thailand.[129]
Furthermore, The Mackenzie Institute claimed that the most expertly executed operation of the KP Branch was the theft of 32,400 rounds of 81mm mortar ammunition purchased from Tanzania for the Sri Lanka Army. Being aware of the purchase of 35,000 mortar bombs, the LTTE made a bid to the manufacturer through a numbered company and arranged a vessel of their own to pick up the load. Once the bombs were loaded into the ship, the LTTE changed the name and registration of their ship. The vessel was taken to Tiger-held territory in Sri Lanka's north instead of transporting it to its intended destination.[129]
Western countries are the main territory for fund raising activities of the LTTE. The money raised from donations and criminal enterprises are transferred into bank accounts of the Tigers and from there to the accounts of a weapons broker, or the money is taken by KP operatives themselves. LTTE's need for resources is mostly fulfilled by the Tamils who reside outside Sri Lanka. In 1995, when the LTTE lost Jaffna, their international operatives were ordered to increase, by a massive 50%, the amount raised from Tamils outside of the island.[129]
Wikipedia quote ends **
The Question to be asked is "Is the LTTE the face of Srilankan Tamils?" and the answer to the same in all probability is a "BIG NO", LTTE have stepped into their final resort of spreading false propoganda in Tamil Nadu and gaining support which they feel might help them delay the inevitable as deep inside evryone knows the militant organisation has almost been nailed off and its just a matter of days.
Being a Tamil, I do not find any reason to spare a thought for their ideology – Thanks to their dreadful ways of killing humanity. We all know, it’s so close for the LTTE to become a thing of the past and amongst many other True Tamilians, I am waiting for that day.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/14/stories/2008101454490800.htm
All of these mindless people seem to live in a country of their own, rather they have a hidden dream of having a country of their own. We are not far from the days when these same very people would want to be isolated from India and want a nation of their own. Listening to the speeches of a noted Tamil Film Director, who says “It is a shame that the one of oldest languages on earth does not have a country of its own", this statement clearly shows the mindset of the individual who refuses to accept India as his nation and is bold enough to reveal it on a public addressing in the same very nation. He further goes on to state that "LTTE are not terrorists" and that they are freedom fighters of Tamil culture, he further quoted that he feels extremely proud of the fact that the LTTE have revolted against the government and have transformed themselves as a powerful (read dangerous) outfit in the face of the world. These kind of statements makes one feel that the real issue is not to support LTTE, but to detach tamils from India and have a country of their own. This cannot be and will not be advertised at this point in time as the majority of Tamil still have not been able to relate to the LTTE and don't find them as one amongst us.
There has always been discomfort in accepting Hindi in TamilNadu relative to English, reason for the same is anybody’s guess. It is strongly believed that being a Tamil, English is the next important language after Tamil and Hindi is considered a "not required" - which will also be strongly advocated by many as the reason for Tamils growth across the globe. There has always been a well minded isolation of tamils from Hindi ever since 1965 (Which is the year from when Hindi was supposed to be the only official language of the nation , changing the status of English and Hindi as official languages of the nation). How can we be against a language which is being spoken by more than 50 % of the nation, for no real logical reason? Learning a foreign language is accepted, but learning a language which is deemed as the national language is considered a threat to Tamil language. India is a nation which has been stitched together by some broad minded leaders, it’s a shame really to fight for the supremacy of a language/religion/region within our country. There are a group of people who find pride in advocating on the non existing Anti-Tamil agenda in India, whose ultimate motive is to isolate and form a country for Tamils.
It’s so painful to know that we have our own people supporting a Terrorist organization which has been banned in our nation for killing one of our very own Prime Ministers amongst many prominent world leaders. All of us need to understand that LTTE is by no means a representative of Srilankan Tamils, it’s a group of terrorists who happen to speak the same language as we do.
Just do a search on LTTE and the following is what one would get to read to the credit of the world’s most dreadful terrorist group.
Wikipedia quote begins **
Human rights violations
Main article: List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
The US state department claims that its reason for banning LTTE as a proscribed terrorist group is based on allegations that it does not have respect for human rights and that it does not adhere to the standards of conduct expected of a resistance movement or what might be called "freedom fighters".[75] [76] [77] [78] Other countries have also proscribed LTTE under the same rationale. Some countries cite that LTTE attacks civilians and recruit children.[79] The FBI has described the LTTE as "amongst the most dangerous and deadly extremist outfit in the world".[80]
Attacks on civilians
The LTTE has attacked non-military targets including commuter trains and buses, farming villages, temples and mosques, resulting in civilian deaths.
Some of the attacks resulting in civilian deaths include the Kebithigollewa massacre, the Gonagala massacre (54 dead), the Anuradhapura massacre (146 dead), the Dehiwala train bombing (56 dead),[81] the Palliyagodella massacre (109 dead) and the bombing of Sri Lanka's Central Bank (102 dead). The LTTE claims that some of these attacks on civilian targets are collateral damage.
The anti-rebel South Asian Terrorism Portal claims that even after the signing of the Ceasefire agreement in 2002, the LTTE has continued to carry out attacks against civilians. They murdered 6 Sinhalese farmers on April 23, 2006 and killed a further 13 laborers on May 30.[82] In one of the deadliest attacks against civilians, a claymore antipersonnel mine attack by the LTTE on June 15, 2006 on a bus carrying 140 civilians killed 68 people including 15 children, and injured 60 others.[83]
Assassinations
Main article: Notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
The LTTE has been condemned by various groups for assassination of political and military opponents. The victims include Tamil moderates, Tamil paramilitary groups and Sinhalese people. Most notably the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and Ranasinghe Premadasa, who were the heads of India and Sri Lanka respectively, were attributed to LTTE.
LTTE sympathizers justify some of the assassinations by arguing that the people attacked were combatants or persons closely associated with Sri Lankan military intelligence. Specifically in relation to the TELO, the LTTE has said that it had to perform preemptive self-defence because the TELO was in effect functioning as a proxy for India. [84]
Child soldiers
Main article: Military use of children in Sri Lanka
The LTTE has recruited and used child soldiers to fight against Sri Lankan government forces.[85][86][87] The LTTE was accused of having up to 5,794 child soldiers in its ranks since 2001.[88][89]
Amid international pressure, the LTTE announced in July 2003 that it would stop conscripting child soldiers, but both UNICEF[90][91] and Human Rights Watch[92] have accused it of reneging on its promises, and of conscripting Tamil children orphaned by the tsunami.[93] However, since 2007, the LTTE has claimed that it will release all of the recruits under the age of 18 before the end of the year. On 18 June 2007, the LTTE released 135 children under the age of 18. UNICEF claims that 506 child recruits remain under the LTTE and notes, along with the United States, that there has been a significant drop in LTTE recruitment of children.[94] A report released by the LTTE's Child Protection Authority (CPA) in 2008 reported that less than 40 soldiers under the age of 18 remained in their forces.[95]
The LTTE argues that instances of child recruitment occurred mostly in the east, under the purview of former LTTE regional commander Colonel Karuna. After leaving the LTTE and forming the TMVP, it is alleged that Karuna continued to forcibly kidnap and induct child soldiers.[96] Its official position is that earlier, some of its cadres erroneously recruited volunteers in their late teens.[citation needed] It says that its official policy is now that it will not accept child soldiers. It also says that some underage youths lie about their age and are therefore allowed to join, but are sent back home to their parents as soon as they are discovered to be underage.[citation needed]
Suicide bombing
Main article: Black Tigers
The LTTE has frequently used suicide bombers as a tactic. They pioneered the use of concealed suicide bomb vests,[97]. The tactic of deploying suicide bombers was used to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed in 1991 using a prototype suicide vest, and Ranasinghe Premadasa, assassinated in 1993.[79]
According to Jane's Information Group, between 1980 and 2000, the LTTE carried out a total of 168 suicide attacks on civilians and military targets.[79]
Allegation of Ethnic cleansing
Main article: Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna
The LTTE has been blamed for forcibly removing (or "ethnically cleansing")[98][99] Sinhalese and Muslim inhabitants from areas under its control, including the use of violence against those who refuse to leave. Most notably, the LTTE forcibly expelled the entire Muslim population of Jaffna with two hours notice in 1990.[100] The LTTE are also accused of organising massacres of Sinhala villagers who settled in the Northeast under the dry lands policy.[101][102][103]
In 2002, the LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran had formally apologized for the expulsion of Muslims from the North and asked the Muslims to return. Some families have returned and the re-opened Osmaniya College and two Mosque are functioning now. According to a Jaffna Muslim source there is a floating population of about 2000 Muslims in Jaffna at any given time. [104]
Proscription as a terrorist group
30 countries have listed the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.[105][106] As of May 2007, these include:
India (since 1992)
United States (designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Department of State since 1997)[107]
United Kingdom (designated as Proscribed Terrorist Group under the Terrorism Act 2000 by the Home Secretary since 2000)[108]
European Union (since 2006; 27 countries)
Canada (since 2006)[109]
Australia[110] and other countries have listed the LTTE as a terrorist group in accordance with Resolution 1373. Canada does not grant residency to LTTE members on the grounds that they have participated in crimes against humanity.[111]
The first country to ban the LTTE was its early ally, India. The Indian change of policy came gradually, starting with the IPKF-LTTE conflict, and culminating with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Sri Lanka itself lifted the ban on the LTTE before signing the ceasefire agreement in 2002. This was a prerequisite set by the LTTE for signing of the agreement.[112][citation needed]
The European Union banned LTTE as a terrorist organization on May 17 2006. In a statement, the European Parliament said that the LTTE did not represent all the Tamils and called on it to "allow for political pluralism and alternate democratic voices in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka". [113]
Relationship with foreign states & International organizations
Even though LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organization, many states like Canada, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Norway have continued contact with the LTTE. International organization like Asian Development Bank, World Bank and many UN Agencies also established contact with the LTTE after the 2002 ceasefire. [50] Notably the Asian Development Bank president held a direct meeting with the LTTE in 2003. [114]. LTTE also held a direct meeting with Danny K. Davis, a United States Representative, Kofi Annan's Special envoy and António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[115] [116] They also have held direct meetings with Norwegian government representatives and officials of other Scandinavian countries.
Criminal activities
On the 10th of January, 2008, the FBI stated that the Tigers (LTTE) have raised funds under a variety of cover organizations, often by posing as charities. A great deal of money, for example, was raised for the Tigers following the 2004 tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka and many other countries.[117].
One factor that has benefited the LTTE greatly has been its sophisticated international support network. While some of the funding obtained by the LTTE is from legitimate fund raising and extortion among the Tamil diaspora,[118][119] a significant portion is obtained through criminal activities, involving sea piracy[citation needed], human smuggling[citation needed], drug trafficking[citation needed] and gunrunning[citation needed].[120][121][122][65]
Credit card fraud
The LTTE has also been accused of committing credit card fraud in a number of countries including India, Kenya and the United Kingdom.[1] [65] In April 2007, the Sri Lankan High Commission in London also accused the LTTE of being behind a credit card scam, however a police spokesman said there was no definite link to the LTTE or Sri Lankan gangs.[123][124][125][126] Williams, a writer at US Institute of Peace Press, alleged the LTTE of crimes such as organized crime, social security fraud, counterfeit currency trading,[123][127].
Sea piracy
Main article: Sea Tigers#Human_Rights_Abuses
The LTTE has been accused of hijacking several vessels in waters outside Sri Lanka including the Irish Mona (in August 1995), Princess Wave (in August 1996), Athena (in May 1997), Misen (in July 1997), Morong Bong (in July 1997), MV Cordiality (in Sept 1997), Princess Kash (in August 1998) and MV Farah III (December 2006). The MV Sik Yang, a 2,818-ton Malaysian-flag cargo ship which sailed from Tuticorin, India on May 25, 1999 was reported missing in waters near Sri Lanka. The ship with a cargo of bagged salt was due at the Malaysian port of Malacca on May 31. The fate of the ship's crew of 15 is unknown. It is suspected that the vessel was hijacked by the LTTE and is now being used as a phantom vessel. Likewise the crew of a Jordanian ship, MV Farah III , that ran aground near rebel-controlled territory off the island's coast, accused the Tamil Tigers of risking their lives and forcing them to abandon the vessel which was carrying 14,000 tonnes of Indian rice. [128]
[Arms smuggling
The Mackenzie Institute discovered that another one of LTTE's most secretive international operations is the smuggling of weapons, explosives, and "dual use" technologies to keep up with the military operations. The part of the LTTE responsible for these activities is given the nickname "KP Branch", taking the initials of its highest level operative, Kumaran Padmanathan (KP). The workers for the KP Branch are from outside the fighting wing of the LTTE, since the identities of those fighters are recorded and available to law enforcement and counter-intelligence agencies by India's RAW, who had helped train many Tiger cadres in the early 1980s. The KP Branch operates extremely secretively by having the minimum connection possible with the LTTE's other sections for further security. It finally hands over the arms shipments to a highly trusted team of Sea Tigers to deliver them to the LTTE-dominated areas.[129]
The Mackenzie Institute further demonstrated that in order to carry out the activities of international arms trafficking, the LTTE operates its own fleet of ocean-going vessels. These vessels only operate a certain period of time for the LTTE and in the remaining time they transport legitimate goods and raise hard cash for the purchase of weapons. The LTTE initially operated a shipping base in Myanmar, but they were forced to leave due to diplomatic pressure. To overcome the loss of this, a new base has been set up on Phuket Island, in Thailand.[129]
Furthermore, The Mackenzie Institute claimed that the most expertly executed operation of the KP Branch was the theft of 32,400 rounds of 81mm mortar ammunition purchased from Tanzania for the Sri Lanka Army. Being aware of the purchase of 35,000 mortar bombs, the LTTE made a bid to the manufacturer through a numbered company and arranged a vessel of their own to pick up the load. Once the bombs were loaded into the ship, the LTTE changed the name and registration of their ship. The vessel was taken to Tiger-held territory in Sri Lanka's north instead of transporting it to its intended destination.[129]
Western countries are the main territory for fund raising activities of the LTTE. The money raised from donations and criminal enterprises are transferred into bank accounts of the Tigers and from there to the accounts of a weapons broker, or the money is taken by KP operatives themselves. LTTE's need for resources is mostly fulfilled by the Tamils who reside outside Sri Lanka. In 1995, when the LTTE lost Jaffna, their international operatives were ordered to increase, by a massive 50%, the amount raised from Tamils outside of the island.[129]
Wikipedia quote ends **
The Question to be asked is "Is the LTTE the face of Srilankan Tamils?" and the answer to the same in all probability is a "BIG NO", LTTE have stepped into their final resort of spreading false propoganda in Tamil Nadu and gaining support which they feel might help them delay the inevitable as deep inside evryone knows the militant organisation has almost been nailed off and its just a matter of days.
Being a Tamil, I do not find any reason to spare a thought for their ideology – Thanks to their dreadful ways of killing humanity. We all know, it’s so close for the LTTE to become a thing of the past and amongst many other True Tamilians, I am waiting for that day.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/14/stories/2008101454490800.htm
Friday, October 10, 2008
Politics..rubbish?
Its so unfortunate that almost 95 % of famous personalities in India feel uncomfortable to reveal/accept their inclination to politics.
"I don't know politics" "I don't want to enter politics" is the fashion statement these days. Right from Narayana murthy to Kamal haasan, feel that you can contribute to the society without being a part of politics. It is so irritating to know that many people in India are not even aware of their local MLAs and MPs , leave alone CMs and PM. Bashing the government for every other Bomb blast is the most easiest thing to do, this would not happen if we realized what it means to run a government in a country like India and that is why its completely necessary to have political awareness and be a socially responsible citizen.
Recently there was an interview of Mr MK Narayanan , the NSA of India, in which he bursts out saying that the government has averted many blasts and the very few that were missed is what the country has seen. He accepts that even those blasts should have been averted, at the same time its only human to accept what is being indicated there. The fact that it has taken the NSA of India to give such a statement says the scrutiny hes under, thanks to the irresponsible media (who make even the most sensous issue an entertainment) and the ignorant majority of the population. A nation is only as powerful as its people and in a democracy , its even more so. Being the largest democracy in the world, we have our own responsibility to show the world what it is to live in a diverse country filled with culture and tradition and its time we realize that India is only as good as every one of us are. Bashing the government for everything is like cursing one self.
Coming back to serving the society outside politics, it sounds like a real responsible statement but in the actual sense of it, it only comes to show that these so called socially responsible people are not ready to accept a system which is present for the same very purpose and instead want to create their own which would not demand any commitment as it is seen as an additional contribution to the society. What stops anybody from being in politics? agreed its not very clean and its full of corruption but how does it help by staying away from it? We dont want everyone to be politicians out here, but atleast don't give an impression that Politics is not suited for the ideal people. There have been some really great people , far ideal from any ordinary citizen of the country who have plunged into mainstream pollitics simply because they believe in the political system and are not intimidated by the lack of same minded people or the presence of not-so-ideal people. Politics is a system and it is defenitely the best way to serve a nation truly, distancing away from politics is just a way to assume they are cleaner people. I can only see 3 main reasons for anybody to distance themselves from politics:
1. Truly ignorant people who feel it is more important to know the current cricket captain than it is to know their constituency.
2. Another kind of people who don't have the self confidence to feel that they can contribute to the society but have every right to question people who do their bit.
3. Third kind who think of it as just something that occupies the first page of a newspaper and those typical " Politics is not my cup of tea" kinda guys.
In my opinion, none of these 3 kinds of people are fit to live in a democracy. Its so sad that the great entrepreneurs of the current generation,noted personalities of the media, sports icons, and ultimately most of us find it way to easy to slip into the third kind of people.
The primary reason for the present state of the nation is that majority of the population consider it completely unnecessary to be socially aware,refuse to make use of the abudant avenues available today to know what is happening around us. Political awareness would bring out an immediate change in the outlook of the nation, one will be able to visualize the power that every individual has, to change the country. Being politically ignorant is worse than being an illiterate. India will change only when we look Politics as a system (which is far bigger than the people who are in it) and it is far more importnt to be concerned of who will be the next Prime Minister than it is to know who is the opening batsman of the cricket team. Its time we knew our politicans more than Java or SAP.
Finally,
A democracy is not truly a democracy until the people want it to be one !!!
"I don't know politics" "I don't want to enter politics" is the fashion statement these days. Right from Narayana murthy to Kamal haasan, feel that you can contribute to the society without being a part of politics. It is so irritating to know that many people in India are not even aware of their local MLAs and MPs , leave alone CMs and PM. Bashing the government for every other Bomb blast is the most easiest thing to do, this would not happen if we realized what it means to run a government in a country like India and that is why its completely necessary to have political awareness and be a socially responsible citizen.
Recently there was an interview of Mr MK Narayanan , the NSA of India, in which he bursts out saying that the government has averted many blasts and the very few that were missed is what the country has seen. He accepts that even those blasts should have been averted, at the same time its only human to accept what is being indicated there. The fact that it has taken the NSA of India to give such a statement says the scrutiny hes under, thanks to the irresponsible media (who make even the most sensous issue an entertainment) and the ignorant majority of the population. A nation is only as powerful as its people and in a democracy , its even more so. Being the largest democracy in the world, we have our own responsibility to show the world what it is to live in a diverse country filled with culture and tradition and its time we realize that India is only as good as every one of us are. Bashing the government for everything is like cursing one self.
Coming back to serving the society outside politics, it sounds like a real responsible statement but in the actual sense of it, it only comes to show that these so called socially responsible people are not ready to accept a system which is present for the same very purpose and instead want to create their own which would not demand any commitment as it is seen as an additional contribution to the society. What stops anybody from being in politics? agreed its not very clean and its full of corruption but how does it help by staying away from it? We dont want everyone to be politicians out here, but atleast don't give an impression that Politics is not suited for the ideal people. There have been some really great people , far ideal from any ordinary citizen of the country who have plunged into mainstream pollitics simply because they believe in the political system and are not intimidated by the lack of same minded people or the presence of not-so-ideal people. Politics is a system and it is defenitely the best way to serve a nation truly, distancing away from politics is just a way to assume they are cleaner people. I can only see 3 main reasons for anybody to distance themselves from politics:
1. Truly ignorant people who feel it is more important to know the current cricket captain than it is to know their constituency.
2. Another kind of people who don't have the self confidence to feel that they can contribute to the society but have every right to question people who do their bit.
3. Third kind who think of it as just something that occupies the first page of a newspaper and those typical " Politics is not my cup of tea" kinda guys.
In my opinion, none of these 3 kinds of people are fit to live in a democracy. Its so sad that the great entrepreneurs of the current generation,noted personalities of the media, sports icons, and ultimately most of us find it way to easy to slip into the third kind of people.
The primary reason for the present state of the nation is that majority of the population consider it completely unnecessary to be socially aware,refuse to make use of the abudant avenues available today to know what is happening around us. Political awareness would bring out an immediate change in the outlook of the nation, one will be able to visualize the power that every individual has, to change the country. Being politically ignorant is worse than being an illiterate. India will change only when we look Politics as a system (which is far bigger than the people who are in it) and it is far more importnt to be concerned of who will be the next Prime Minister than it is to know who is the opening batsman of the cricket team. Its time we knew our politicans more than Java or SAP.
Finally,
A democracy is not truly a democracy until the people want it to be one !!!
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