The Tamil diaspora: solidarities and realities

***Per Srilankan government publication The great chronicles of Srilanka chapter 22 para 14, http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/,

Sinhala queen Viharamahadevi had … urge to drink the water used to wash a sword that had cleaved the head of a warrior of (TAMIL king) Elara , whilst standing on that same head.

Sword on the Srilankan Flag originates from this horrible history.

*** in 1948 millions of Tamils were stribed of their citizenship, Tigers were not there at that time.
** in 1956 sinhala only act was passed tigers were not there at that time.
*** in 1960s sinhala colanisation was inplemented tigers were not there at that time.
*** in 1972 Bhudism was implemented as only religion, tigers were not there at that time.

Important racial riots
Srilankan Tamils also victims of riots 1915 , 1956 , 1958, 1977 , 1983 , 2001 , mid 2006 , oct 2006 during which TAMILS WERE killed, maimed, robbed and rendered homeless are no longer isolated episodes. Many temples, burnt down also Jaffna Library was burnt down. Destroying 100000 books . At many occasions it was organised and assisted by sinhala political parties and sinhala military.
Peace talks and negotiations.( unilaterally halted or abrogated by Srilankan government)
Following peace talks AND PROPOSALS within parliamentary democracy were unilaterally halted or abrogated by Srilankan government . many believe it is because of majoritarian and MAHAVAMSA political pressure.
1956 Banda –Chelva pact , 1965 Dudly –Chelva pact , 1970 fp proposal , 1979 presidential commission report , 1983 all party conference , 1985 thimpu talk , 1985 thimpu proposal , 1986 Indian proposal , 1987 indo lanka accord , 1989-1990 president Premadasa talks , 1992 parliamentary select committee reports , 1995 devolution package , 2003 ISGA PROPOSAL , 2005 POST TSUNAMI ptoms , 2007 ALL PARTY REPORT.

It is on this backround we have to look at the srilankan problem,
And all democratic forces MUST RESPECT 1977 election mandate of tamil people TAMIL EELAM.
IN 1977 ALL 100% OF tulf CANDIDATES WON THE ELECTION WHO CALLED FOR TAMIL EELAM.

Nirmala,
I read your article with great interest. You captured the Tamil diaspora situation very well. It certainly helped me to make sense of a few things I had trouble understanding.

As you imply the dream of a utopian Ealam is probably so ingrained in the minds of many diaspora tamils, that they are now panicking as that dream is shattering. They seem to be unwilling to even consider the possibility that Tamils can live in peace with the Sinhalese, as 4 million of them already do in the rest of the country.

Mistakes have been made in the past, but Sri Lanka has learnt and grown. Tamil enjoy an equal status in the constitution, and a near equal status in society. All citizens have access to free-education in Sinhala or Tamil. Govt Depts operate in Sinhala, Tamil and English. There are Tamils in senior govt roles, and through out many sectors. They are successful in trade and industry. The end of the war will further improve this position.

I think we can afford to be hopeful now..

I agree with the writer on most of the material, but I question the Statement " The government forces have shown no inhibition in bombing and shelling indiscriminately into crowded civilian areas, schools and hospitals as long as their military objective of crushing the Tigers is achieved." If this was true the war would be over by now. Nobody including the British and Canadian Politicians seem to sit back and think that if the SLDF used heavy weapons as claimed by the LTTE dispora the mission would have been accomplished long ago at less cost in human lives to the army. I have been living in New York for the past three decades and think like an American. If the Islamists did what the Tamil Dispora is doing and paraded in the great cities of the west championing the cause of Bin Larden and calling him the saviour of Islam, what would be the outcome. Will these same British and Canadian Politicians take their side???. In conclusion I say that the Sri Lankans can handle their affairs on their own without outsiders jumping in on the LTTE bandwagon for Political gain. Leave them alone to solve their problem.

Yes Nirmala, we all know LTTE have made some mistakes. T
his article is your own extremism of your experiences with LTTE, since you left back in late 80's the LTTE have become moderate, their political tactics have improved. We all know LTTE have made some mistakes so have other poltical groups by being in bed with the sri lankan state.

Overall the state has done far more damage to tamils, so focus on the real issue of tamils.
There are tamils living quietly in sri lanka, tamils being kidnapped murdered in south sri lanka, the tamil ministers who cannot speak against the government , Tamil businessmen scared of being kidnapped. The war is against tamils. Focus on the systematic genocide since 1948

An interesting analysis. People all over the world MUST understand that the Tamil struggle has started as a result of continuos denial of human rights, equality, freedom, equal opportunities in education and employment opportunities and use of violence although Tamils initially started the struggle through non-violence means.

The world MUST condemn the Racist Apartheid Sinhala regime rather than the LTTE. LTTE is a product of Sinhala hooliganism and State Terrorism. LTTE is not a product of the Tamils. I still DREAM the days I was at Jaffna during the 50s and 60s. It was a WONDERFUL place to live in peace and harmony at that time.

Stupidest article I have read.You maybe affected by your sister's death,but you are sick in your head, to take a decison like this . I am personally affected by this war and my family and relatives are also affected directly. The war is CONDUCTED by a corrupt government which has a VERY LARGE NUMBER OF MINISTERS for any population in the world. A very corrupt AIRLINE DEAL "MIHIN". HOW MUCH DID YOU GET FROM THIS CORRUPT GOVERNMENT.

I know I am wasting my time. I also know there is an organised well funded team working behind the scene to distrupt and destroy Tamil Nationalism. Just one question: Can you demonstrate to the world at least 100 Tamils behind you. The question you have to ask yourself is, why? and you should not conclude "all Tamils are dum". I know you had some passion to Tamil cause, definitely you have some talents as well. If we all can bring our energy in one direction - may not be in your view Tigers but for Tamil Homeland - We can achieve our goals and create a democratic Tamil Homeland with highest values. Please come out from your FANATIC mindset and try to think otherway around. I know you are tied up with your network - still I believe you can contribute positively to build a lost nation.

Dear Nirmala,

I appreciate your time and efforts to put your perspective in writing. I respect your views and analysis.

First of all, this struggle, sufferings, young Tamils to take AK47 and victims become suicide bombers, as a result of continuous discrimination, no rule of law, attack, no Sinhalese in ever charged for crimes committed against Tamils, Tamil women and children are raped with impunity, Killing Tamils may not be an offence but killing an animal, destruction of Tamil properties by Sinhala state forces and hooligans. Tamils are treated worse than slavery in their own land. Do you think, a Tamil blows up their body for fun or die in a gun battle? Tamils are family oriented, hard working, conservative, disciplined and want to live in respect and dignity.

Although I do not support or defend the LTTE, they brought some dignity, bravery and respect to the Tamils. Tamils people respect the LTTE as their defenders. There may be attrocities, violence and criminal activities of certain elements of the LTTE but overall most Tamils including the elite suuport the LTTE - This is as per the demonstrations that is talking place all over the world.

Tamils people deserve equality, respect, dignity, freedom, democracy, apply rule of law equally, independent justice system, respect to Human rights, no discrimination and so on.

The successive Sinhala Racist Apartheid regimes are responsible for the crimes and the situation today. Their failure to address the Tamil issue by these Sinhala racist governments have vertually destroyed the one time beautiful country. The Sinhalese thought that if they have few Tamil puppets on their side they can win the Tamils. It is a FALSE idea and it NEVER works.

One thing I admire is that this struggle has brought all Tamil Diaspora together, closer than ever before. This struggle has led the issue of AIADMK Manifesto - If Tamils are not treated equally in Sri lanka, Eelam is the ONLY solution. What a change!! Rajapakse MUST be tried for Genocide, War Crimes and use of WMD - Chemical weapons.

The struggle is for the freedom of Tamils and not LTTE. This is all about Tamils and nothing else!!

This is the central flaw in your analysis: You describe the Tamil Diaspora's current re-invigoration and political uprisings as a result of 'LTTE' brainwashing and that the average Tamil immigrant is highly isolated and inundated with LTTE imagery only. I would counter this pessimistic appraisal of the Tamil Diaspora's intellect with the fact that a great deal of the pro-LTTE activities are being organized by and driven by Tamil Youth, Second and Third generation members of the Tamil Diaspora. These Youth aren't the same 'adults' who solely rely on Tamil sources for their daily information and entertainment. These Youth are usually highly mobile and culturally well adopted with multiple and relevant cultural sources. They aren't bombarded by and isolated by the LTTE narrative - they in fact have multiple cultural points of reference provided by linguistic proficiency, or even a lack of Tamil proficiency. What has actually happened is that the Sri Lankan state has completed and proven the main LTTE narrative: that the LTTE is the lone representative and only protectors of the Tamils of Sri Lanka. To rationale members of the Tamil Diaspora who had been skeptical about the LTTE's claims that without the LTTE the island's Tamils are doomed, and that anyone questioning their prerogatives was in fact endangering the survival of the Tamil people as a whole have now been silenced by the ongoing events of the island. As the LTTE has lost ground, Tamil civilian casualties have mounted. The LTTE's unsavoury practices have paled in contrast to the Genocidal Sri Lankan state's willingness to commit mass atrocities against Tamil civilians. The International Community's silence as Tamil civilians die en mass to fulfill political agendas doubly damns LTTE critics and reinforces the LTTE's position.

As the 1983 pogroms radicalized youth into choosing militancy, the current massacres of Tamil civilians has radicalized and solidified Tamil Nationalist Resistance to the Sri Lankan state once more. Indeed the Sri Lankan state has either knowingly or unwittingly played into the LTTE narrative, or as the LTTE would say, the Sri Lankan state's Genocidal intent is simply apparent once more.

A note on why Tamil supporters of the LTTE haven't been openly critical of the LTTE's practices - simply because the International community has been highly critical of the LTTE for so long without securing fundamental humanitarian safe guards for Tamil civilians from the Sri Lankan government. It is offensive to harp on the allegations of the LTTE controlling the movement of their population when the Sri Lankan state does no less, limiting Tamil movement en mass throughout the island, even putting thousands in internment/concentration camps. The IC has regularily attacked the LTTE's actions while failing to even lift the blockade of basic supplies to Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan government, or closing the internment camps, or even securing independent monitors. There seem to be many credible sources about LTTE actions, while the international community cannot even recognize SLA artillery falling on UN hospitals in the safe zone or be critical of a defense secretary who admits to that war crime on public television.

It is shocking you are so disconnected to the basic predicaments of the Tamil Diaspora. And Madam one does not need a more independent source of information then to have their aunt tell them their cousins had his head blown off by an SLA artillery shell - or did you wait for the New York Times to confirm your own sister's assassination and conviction of her killers?

My response to the article, in particular to - why the demonstrators are not asking for the Tigers to let the civilians go - is that that if they did the Tigers in the strip of land around Mullaitivu will be slaughtered by the GoSL's military.

Strategically, the price of breaking the backbone of the Tigers on the domestic front is the Tamils in Sri Lanka lose out on their representative who has had meaningful negotiating strength at Peace Talks.

The loss of Tiger territory reduces the LTTE's power . Thus, strategically what the GoSL has achieved is the end (at least for now) of the meaningfulness of the threat of secession.

Certainly, there is the claim to land (a prerequisite for secession) on historical grounds. However, without military or administrative control of land the threat of secession is a weak threat. The claim of genocide holds possibilities to return to the quest for achieving secession. Thus, the civilians are a pawn in a greater game, albeit unethical - even if the goal be freedom from domination, in this case race based.

Overall, there is more to say, but I hope this conveys a deeper perspective when viewed from a broader strategic perspective.

Whilst the international community is being solicited to assist in ending the immediate humanitarian atrocities, which over the years both sides have more than engaged in, the pressing need in these times is a discussion on what are the end results/outcomes we seek to achieve.

It is for those ends/outcomes that strategy needs be developed and for that purpose it is useful to discuss the thinking that informs such strategy.

A point of view by a peace loving Sri Lankan Tamil having spent 30 years in Sri Lanka and the later 30 years in the U.K.
The truth is as follows as I was a Sri Lankan Tamil born and brought up in Sri Lanka grown with the Sinhalese, Muslims and Jaffna Tamils.
I am a Colombo born Tamil; I know my father came from Tamil Nadu in 1912. My mother also Colombo Tamil, born in Gampaha and her grand parents may have come from Tamil Nadu. My mother's side all were Ceylon Government Railway (CGR) workers, under British administration and my father had a Government service with the CGR for 40 years in Colombo.
After my father’s retirement from Railways we lived in Kandy, I was a Trinitian went to Trinity College in Kandy. I had very good Sinhala and Muslim schoolmates and friends. We had good Teachers from Batticaloa, Jaffna and a very strict Sinhalese Principal. Sri Lankan Government services not oppressed me.
At this time of Sinhala and Tamil New year, I can remember the good old days, my mother used to give me a tray full of home made sweets to my Sinhala and Muslim neighbours to distribute and in turn we received sweets from them. I had great times with my Sinhalese and Muslim friends in harmony.
There were some problems in University places, jobs, land and political freedom not fairly distributed among people. These are basic problems in any developing country has to go through after independence from British Empire. The majority of Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims were poor. When SWRD and Mrs. Srimao Bandaranaykes’ came to power, there was severe oppression. However, there were good mediators on Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim sides. There were democratic processes, if one correctly utilise the political processes, all problems can be resolved by negotiations and not by taking Arms and Bombs. I can remember those days when G.G Ponnampalam, Dudley Senanayake and J.R. Jeyawardena, Premedasa were PMs. There were good politicians like Budduhideen Mohamed, Dr. N. M. Perera, Selvanayagam, Kadhrkamar and Ananda Cumara Swamy. There were bad forces within Jaffna people never followed the main line Politics with good leaders like Selvanayagam. There was a cancer growing within the Tamil groups to Separate Sri Lanka and rule, unfortunately who joined these groups are all separatists.
Even at that time, Jaffna Tamil people say that ‘I am not belonging to Jaffna’. Therefore, ‘I am a Northerner’ origin from Tamil Nadu, as I speak different Tamil.
Jaffna Tamil people say they speak pure Tamil and Tamil Nadu Tamils speak bad Tamil this is generally showing the superiority in their behaviour. The Tea estate Tamils were frowned upon as they were migrant workers brought by the British administrators to work in the Tea plantation. The Tea estate Tamils were very poor, ‘hand to mouth’ situation, there is nothing to look forward to, Thondaman lead these poor people in a union called ‘worker’s congress’.
Contrast to this, Jaffna Tamils (now a major LTTE group) from North and East of Sri Lanka, had good education by hard work. Their productive fertile land and coastal area for fishing were naturally giving advantages over rest of Sri Lanka. They were secularised and isolated and they tend to organise themselves in a self governing manner away from Colombo administration. They always try and find differences in communities and tend to secularise and isolate themselves perhaps this is how they wanted.
Jaffna Tamil’s secular idea of differentiating themselves from others is an ideology they practiced. LTTE not going to support for a unified Sri Lanka to include Indian Tamils and Muslims in it.
LTTE want a land of their own to practice what they believe is separatism and segregation. Their thinking formed the present armed group of LTTE.
LTTE’s are tactical people; whenever they need help they seek help from Tamil Nadu, yet they treat themselves a superior race than Indian Tamils. I am not going in to the roots of Jaffna Tamils. There are significant numbers of Jaffna Tamil sympathisers in Tamil Nadu causing political leadership problems in the Indian electoral system. This is dirty politics between parties to gain votes the voice of every party leader changes according to the nation’s tune of the Tamils. The party politics of Tamils in Tamil Nadu has a say in the Indian administration. Sri Lankan Tamil problem is a Political game for India.
LTTE paid the heaviest price in the history of Tamils through this unwanted civil war. They are now reaping the harvest sown by their ideological LTTE leaders. Isolation and secularisation made their suicidal type mental make up is very strong in a hypnotised manner, even as young as 5 years old waging the tiger flag and marching to the Hyde Park of London, for a cause further destroying the humanity and infuriating the host community and the peace loving people of the world. Especially the demonstrations in London to stop the war are not going to help LTTE unless there is sincere political hand shake to work with the government. If LTTE gets what they want, the Indian Tamils and Muslim settlers also have to flee from North and East of Sri Lanka.
LTTE group were armed to full fill their ideology and to reach their political ambition through civil war. World Tamils have no nation of their own therefore; well to do LTTE foreign settlers are supporting to divide a nation in to two sovereignties at any cost.
The time has come for these North and East people to live in harmony with other members of the communities, dismantling their tiger shields away. Some Tamils show their colonisation in the host communities too. They are not alone, there are Indian Tamils ands Muslims too, along with the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. We need a common platform to solve our problems. It is our responsibility to build our Nation strong and economically healthy and to provide opportunity for all to prosper.
I have well observed LTTE’s mentality for years and my family’s personal experience as I have grown and lived in Sri Lanka for 30 years and living in U.K for the past 30 years. There should be one government and people should learn to live together respecting each other. Tolerance is the key, look for the common factors of humanity and don't look for the differences.
I have seen how Scotland went for separate Political platform in 1987 after a referendum and devolution of powers still keeping and respecting the main administration of the United Kingdom. The Sri Lankan Tamils should have followed a similar path and negotiated a referendum for their internal affairs and legal matters in their own political platform under the administration of Sri Lanka. These possibilities not explored, now completely wiped out by the LTTE’s terror wing and blindly following an offensive campaign to destroy humanity.
Those culprits, who supported LTTE for arming, should be responsible for driving these poor Northern and Eastern people in to this vast human disaster. Those LTTE political wing leaders are hiding under ground after causing maximum damage to the Tamil race untold in the history of Tamils. Where are these political leaders after Anton Balasigham no one coming out to face the world? Are they hiding in the bunkers with Gin and Tonic and flashing their pre recorded message on the Tamil satellite TVs, while their own race going through immense suffering.
LTTE paid a heavy price in this avoidable civil war. Those intellectual young men and women were wasted for a wrong cause. If Jaffna Tamils had good leaders, North and East of Sri Lanka would be thriving with trade with other countries due to its natural harbours and coastline. Abundance natural resources for manufacturing Cement and Chemicals, fisheries and harbours above all Jaffna Tamil’s intellectual mind. It is a shame that they got in to this mass hatred for Sinhalese people and the bad propaganda and the TV Medias used by the LTTE for propaganda, to hate their own fellow citizens. There were no Tamil leaders, who had broad minded vision to form a prosperous country within the legal frame work of Sri Lanka; yet holding a prime negotiated position, within that Tamils can practice their culture and religion without hatred, contributing to the democracy and the economy of Sri Lanka and gaining the support of the Sri Lankan Government.
In this war, those Northern and Eastern Tamil elders not practiced tolerance; instead they resorted for terror and segregation this is because they were forced to believe in the armed struggle by some Tamil mobs. This only made the Jaffna people to believe in hatred. There are no diplomatic efforts made by the negotiators in the LTTE group to gain world sympathy. They have a task to prove the world that they are not the banned LTTE terrorist group. There are peace loving Tamils also in Sri Lanka want to live in harmony with the Sinhalese and Muslims.
Dismantling the US endorsed LTTE terror symbol is a tough one, as LTTE have well rooted international terror campaign. LTTE supporters, while having a lavishing life style in Europe, Americas, Australia, they sponsored Prabhakaran and his allies to absorb and convert the poor people of North and East of Sri Lanka. Morally wrong move, pure selfishness to divide the nation. If that happens no one can live in Sri Lanka. The LTTE symbol is a symbol of terror and any peace loving community will not sympathise with this terror symbol and the organisation with its past records.
In the recent LTTE mob attacks to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Norway and throwing Nehru’s statue from Indian High Commission at London are not going to help LTTE’s peace process. Pure madness and indecency in a civilised Society and mobs out cry without a peaceful leadership within LTTE group. There is eminent danger exists in Canada, London and other countries where LTTE is well settled with the host community, yet colonising and isolating themselves from the peaceful world.
My talk with many ordinary Europeans reflects consolidation of their understanding of LTTE and making no sympathy for LTTE. What is left is to sincerely join hands with Sinhalese and make peace efforts wholeheartedly to make a new beginning by the help of the world.
Now the matter is humbly left to the Secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs David Milliband M.P, Rt. Hon. Des Brown MP appointed by the Prime Minister of U.K., to solve this Tamil issue and all those members of U.N to make a sincere effort to save the Tamils at this last minute. We do not need poor Sri Lankan Tamils suffering owing to the wrong doings of the LTTE.
LTTE in its present form should not be given the power for a new beginning in Sri Lanka; it is the Tamil people of Sri Lanka who decide their destiny in a referendum and possible devolution of powers to live in their native soil. I pray Her Majesty the Queen and the British Government to take this good cause forward to the U.N and mediate with Honourable Rajapakse for a new beginning for Sri Lankan citizens. I am sure Honourable Rajapakse will do the best for his citizens. God help him.

COMMENT FROM SRI LANKAN TAMILIN UK:
I am a Sri Lankan Tamil of Indian origin, born and brought up in Sri Lanka, now live in U.K. When George Bush and Tony Blair bombarded Iraq on false information about WMD (Weapons of Mass destruction), they killed thousands of innocent civilians including children and women. When UN Security Council surveyors arrived at the war site for post war inspection to detect WMD, no trace of WMD found. Bush and Blair never went to prison for killing innocent people due to their wrong pre concept. When Israel bombed Hamas, not a dog from world media allowed to the fighting zone. Israel accomplished their war plan and then pulled out, despite crocodile tears shed by western politicians. Same standards practied in Afghanistan. There is double standard for western war mongers and our ‘just war’ to eliminate this deadly LTTE terror group, depressed this beautiful tiny island for years and untold suffering to poor Tamil people of North and East.
I believe that the final war operation has to be conducted in surgical precision to destroy LTTE’s war machinery. My deepest sympathy for those innocent Tamils held as hostages and human shield to protect LTTE. Brig. Nanayakkara has to plan and attack targets with surgical precision to end this bloody war. Thanks to, Prof. De Silva's for his useful Satellite information. Keep up your good work and free Sri Lanka from terror.
We never get another opportunity to dismantle LTTE war machinery. I am sure Karuna realised this at the end. Hon. Rajapakse’s prime responsibility is for the people of North and East. Which he is doing splendidly under huge pressure given by western politicians, who practice double standards. We, peace loving Sri Lankan Tamils are with you Hon. Rajapakse.

ALTHOUGH THE WAR IS FINALLY OVER AFTER 30 YEARS, there are still comments appearing here threatening to continue the violence. The commentors' only reasons for making such threats: somethings that happened 30 - 50 years ago.
Why not forgive and forget, and work towards a peaceful future united? Why do people like this always feel the need to rewind and relive history over and over again?

We don't. And do you know what, I suspect Tamils back in Sri Lanka don't support Tigers. I expect they're fed up with the non-productive violence of the last 30 years.
I'll say it again, if you want to change things for the better in Sri Lanka, then learn from the American Civil Rights movement, not from a discredited and failed terrorist group. If you cannot change your approach, you are doomed to yet more failure. And that would be a pity, because Tamils do have legitimate grievances. But they will not be solved by violence.
Look, I know a lot of the Canadian Tamils lost relatives in the war. I'm sorry for them. I really am. I'd like to take one of the protesters by the hand and fly with him to Holland or France and have them walk with me through the cemeteries containing the bodies of thousands of Canadian freedom fighters. I'd tell him/her that ten times that many Canadian citizens at home also shed tears of despair. But it was war. Didn't matter who started it, people including loved ones get killed. Protesting, reliving, denying, threatening, & nurturing it won't change anything. There are no winners, you just move on. Remember those who died taking part in the most vulgar of man's passion and be grateful you're alive with a chance to live your life free of war's shackles.
It's over people. Get over it. If insist on having a home land go try to create one in Tamil Nadu (isn't that where you all came from??). Might be tough though I don't think Indians want you over there either because you blew up their PM.
May be it's time to learn to get along and learn to respect your host country as well.

A shame! A sneaky escape! No Cyanide capsule for the Leader. He gave it to all his men and child soldiers as a true BritishTamil The only way to have peace in Srilanka is to treat Tamils with equal rights like UK treat all citizens with equal rights

The war HAS ended! Can't you get it through your thick ignorant skull. Why would you say the war hasn't ended? Are you actually planning on continuing on this war which kills massive amount of your own people. It's unbelievable how you protest that 'our innocent people are dying' when you really mean is 'help! save LTTE, or our egos will be crushed'. As for Prabhakaran he is a coward! Using his own people to create human shields while he trying to escape without byting the synide pill. What kind of a leader is that? What a coward! lousy bastered. All he ever wanted from tamils are money! He may have been thinking he wanted to fight for freedom but he soon forgot his purpose with his level of power to kill massive numbers of people and obtain money through the use of fear. All you blood sucking LTTE just remember, we are trying to save your own backsides down here. We are trying to also keep our sinhala nation safe along with every other race living on it. It is our right to ensure LTTE does not obtain power to destroy our country. Don't cry to Western countries now because deep down they know the truth themselves! When the country is reformed then they will see what and who was holding it all back! When tamils were killing our people we didn't cry for Western help. We didn't go around protesting in countries and disrupting other's lives. Gutless terrorists. Get over it! Move on with your lives. Its OVER now. Stop blaming the government for the reckage of your own people, because you guys did that to yourselves without any assistance from us.

Sri Lanka ‘turns back’ Mercy Mission Ship - Rejects Tamil Diaspora Humanitarian Aid

http://vannimission.org/2009/06/08/press-release-8th-june

This is how DEFENCE.LK responds President of Sri Lanka's call for reconciliation?

Protecting them from access to humanitarian aid?
Sri Lanka is now focused on the "3 R's:" Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Reconciliation?
I think not.

They are like an vindictive neighbor who goes to city hall to find every statute that can be used to make life hell for their Tamil neighbors.
What a bunch of petty & pathetic bureaucrats.

I see that http://defence.lk also picked up Mr. Luce's article for there web site.

Guess this means Jim Luce's got a green light for his retirement plans in Sri Lanka
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/in-sri-lanka-the-basics-f_b_212286.html

The first legal record of ethnic cleansing of Sri Lankan Tamils:
According to Clause 3 of the Kandyan Convention of 2 March 1815, "... hereby declared enemies to the government and excluded and prohibited from entering those provinces on any pretense whatever, without a written permission for that purpose by the authority of the British Government, under the pains and penalties of martial law, which is hereby declared to be in force for that purpose; and all persons of the Malabar Caste [Tamils] now expelled from the said provinces, are under the same penalties, prohibited from returning, except with the permission before mention" as per the request of the Sinhalese chiefs who signed.