Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
Published by Sangam.org
by Brian Sevewiratne, Brisbane, Australia, March 23, 2007
What is stressed in all of them is that the war that is being waged is not just against the Tamil Tigers, but against the Tamil people. The former is to crush all resistance to Sinhala chauvinism, and the latter to force the Tamil people to accept multiethnic, multilingual, multireligious, multicultural Sri Lanka, as a Sinhala-Buddhist nation. It is an attempt to settle a political problem with military might. |
The Tamil people are facing the worst crisis in their recorded history, at the hands of the most murderous regime ever to run Sri Lanka. The only ‘force’ that can stop the murderous attempt by the Rajapakse regime to decimate the Tamil people in the North and East of Sri Lanka, is international public opinion.
The International Community (IC) has to be targetted urgently. For this to be done, ordinary people across the world will have to be apprised of the critical situation facing the Tamil people. What the Tamils need is not an Air Force or bigger and better military hardware (neither of which are even remotely possible), but the force of international condemnation, especially the violation of human rights and the injustices done to the Tamils by a succession of Sinhala-dominated Governments.
What is urgently needed is an ‘information campaign’ to counter the ‘disinformation campaign’ launched by the Government. To achieve this, I have put together three DVDs of varying length (30, 45 and 120 minutes), which deal with the problems facing the Tamil people.
What is stressed in all of them is that the war that is being waged is not just against the Tamil Tigers, but against the Tamil people. The former is to crush all resistance to Sinhala chauvinism, and the latter to force the Tamil people to accept multiethnic, multilingual, multireligious, multicultural Sri Lanka, as a Sinhala-Buddhist nation. It is an attempt to settle a political problem with military might. This must be spelt out to the IC with documented facts which will refute the Government canard that Tamil civilians are not being targetted.
The three DVDs are
What should be done?
I suggest that the 30 minute and 45 minute DVDs be duplicated and distributed to non-Sri Lankans, with a request that they pressure their politicians to act. What they have to do has been set out in all the DVDs.
I have neither the funds nor the facilities to do this. All I can do is to send the DVDs to those who feel they can help in their distribution. Permission to duplicate them is not necessary since these have been recorded by me.
A printed version
The contents of the DVDs (including the pictures) are being printed. Printing colour photographs is quite expensive and I have put this ‘on hold’ until I can get some idea of how many will be needed. It will help if you could let me know how many of which one you will be interested in.
Availability
I am hoping to have these DVDs available in California, New York, Toronto, London, and Paris. They will, of course, be available from me (in Brisbane), and perhaps in Sydney and Melbourne. For the moment, the best I can suggest is that you contact me (briansen@bigpond.net.au), call me +61 419335335 or mail me, 292 Pine Mt Rd, Mt Gravatt, Australia 4122, and I will post the DVDs or tell you where you can get them.
Payment
Frankly I have not thought about payment and I suggest we forget about it for the moment. What is important is to get the message across and do it urgently. When I send the DVD, I will let you know the cost (with the postage) and how it could be paid. I doubt if it will be much since I have only to recover the cost of copying the DVD, printing the cover and label, and the postage.
I am not sure what the printed version will cost, but I can get an estimate depending on the demand.
The major cost has been the production which fortunately has been met by a few friends of mine in the US, UK, Auckland, Brisbane and, (from someone I have never met!), in Darwin. These funds have not been enough to make these DVDs professionally, but the ones I have been able to put together do get the message across, which is what is needed in this critical time when the very survival of the Tamil civilians is being threatened.
I urge you to act now. Tomorrow may be too late for the Tamils in the North and East, at the hands of a brutal, irresponsible and barbaric regime, that has not set a limit to the suffering of the Tamil people, and has the temerity to call itself their ‘Government’.
The contents of the DVDs
Sri Lanka. The human cost of a military solution 30 minutes
Introduction The Background Ethno-religious mix in Sri Lanka Sinhala-Buddhist Ethno-religious chauvinism Anti-Tamil discrimination Tamil protests and Government response The Tamil armed struggle The Government response Buddhist monks A war against the Tamil people The spectrum of civilian structural damage Cost Ceasefire - February 2002 A new President The weapons being used on the Tamil people The Sri Lanka Armed Forces Post-Rajapakse violence Sri Lankan Monitoring mission data Sencholai orphanage bombing Slaughter in Tamil North Sadism Allaipiddy massacre Rape |
Landmine victims Schools, hospitals Kovils, churches, homes ,businesses Fishing banned Blocking the A9 highway High-security zones. Blocking agriculture. Execution of Aid workers Mass displacement of Tamils and Muslims from the East Refugees on the move Plight of the elderly Tent dwellers Genocide Tamil children killed (data) Ways to achieve genocide Mentality of suicide bombers Child soldiers What keeps the conflict going? Act we must. Act how? The most urgent action need Closing remarks. |
Sri Lanka Humanitarian concerns 45 minutes
Introduction Ethno-religious mix in Sri Lanka Sinhala-Buddhist Ethno- religious chauvinism Anti-Tamil discrimination Tamil protests – Sinhala politician’s answer The Tamil armed struggle The Government’s response to the armed struggle A war against the Tamil people The weapons being used The Sri Lanka Armed Forces The spectrum of civilian structural damage Navaly Church bombing Ceasefire February 2002 Election of new President Post-Rajapakse slaughter Politically active Buddhist monks Nordic Monitoring Mission data of killings Massacres of Tamil civilians Pesalai Massacre Killed and hanged – sadism Allaipiddy massacre Kill and hang Rape Sencholai orphanage bombing Slaughter in Tamil North Landmine victims Blocking the A9 highway Fishing and Agriculture blocked |
High-security zones Execution of Aid workers Refugees on the move Plight of the elderly Tent dwellers Genocide Tamil children killed (data) Ways to achieve genocide Different types of genocide Rights of the child and child soldiers Mentality of suicide bombers Tamil Tiger atrocities bus bombing Colombo Central Bank State and non-State atrocities My position What keeps the conflict going? Possible solutions UN Referendum Sri Lanka too small to be divided? The cost International concerns and fall-out Act we must Act how The most urgent action need Becoming part of the problem Closing remarks. |
Sri Lanka. The Ethnic Conflict. What the world needs to know 120 minutes
Introduction The world does not know A crisis in governance and democracy Bribery for Government political survival Where is Sri Lanka? The Geography of the country The peopling of Sri Lanka The Mahavamsa legend The 3 Kingdoms The Westerners arrive The administrative changes by the British The result of the British colonial construct The Plantation Tamils Ethno-religious mix in Sri Lanka The British leave Disenfranchisement of Plantation Tamils Sinhala-Buddhist Ethno-religious chauvinism The Sri Lankan Ethnic problem Post-Independence Sinhala chauvinist demands Political opportunism Anti-Tamil discrimination Tamil protests Sri Lankan Government response to Tamil protests Tamil requests The Tamil armed struggle Liberation vs Terrorism The Government’s response to the armed struggle Politically active Buddhist monks The cost International concerns and fall-out Weapons suppliers A war against the Tamil people The weapons being used The Sri Lanka Armed Forces Sencholai orphanage bombing Allaipiddy massacre Kill and hang Rape Massacres of Tamil civilians Landmine victims The spectrum of civilian structural damage High-security zones Jaffna library destruction Blocking the A9 highway Mass evacuation of the Tamil and Muslim East |
Refugees on the move Plight of the elderly Tent dwellers Execution of Aid workers Nordic Monitoring Mission Genocide Tamil children killed (data) Ways to achieve genocide Different types of genocide Post-Rajapakse slaughter Suicide bombers Tamil Tiger atrocities bus bombing Colombo bombing Colombo Central Bank My position Child soldiers Mass killings of Tamil civilians since 1956 The 1983 pogrom Tamil killings since 1983 Killing Tamil media people Killing Tamil Parliamentarians Colombo today Jaffna today Main Street Colombo Main Street Jaffna High-life in Colombo Low-life in Jaffna What keeps the conflict going? Trincomalee Diego Garcia Indian possessions in Trincomalee Solutions The basic requirements The options UN Referendum Sri Lanka too small to be divided? Trincomalee- the reason Problems in the South Act we must The most urgent action needed Becoming part of the problem Closing remarks. |
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