By Rajkumar Sivapatham, July 17, 2004
[Editorial comment: Present proxy war against Tamil freedom struggle is nothing but another obstacle along our path to freedom. Proverbial ploy: “Rocking the cradle ( peace talks) and pinching the baby (proxy war)” is not rocket science to Tamils. Nevertheless the writer expresses his unhappiness and enlightens us on the moral obligation of the “international community.” ]
Thanks to Norway. Tamils will remember the contributions made by the people of Norway for a long time to come. Norway has chosen to play an unenviable role to bring about a dialogue between the two warring nations. They have persevered through difficult times in searching for a dignified solution for both Tamils and Sinhalese to co-habit. They are even more admirable because neither Tamils nor Sinhalese have any oil! What about rest of the world – the international community? Busy crafting clever military plans to contain emerging vibrant China ? Or building strategic pipelines to deliver democracy to the needy ?
After the parliamentary election in Sri Lanka, it appears that the UFPA government has decided to ditch the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE and resort to war of some sort. It could not do that openly because it will become the violator of the CFA in the public eyes. It has decided to wage the war by proxy, using Karuna group and other paramilitaries. The sad part of this process of resuming war with LTTE while locking LTTE into the CFA is that the so called “international community” has either given its blessings for the proxy war or turns a blind eye to this war.
For decades, the Sinhala governments have successfully manipulated the international community, the western countries and India in particular, against the Tamils of Sri Lanka. They obtained funds for the war against Tamils. This war was not only aimed at LTTE, the only credible Tamil fighting force, but also directed against the Tamil civilians, Tamil economy and culture. Sinhala governments had made the “international community” to believe that this type of war is the essential part of war against “Tamil terrorism”. To help the Sinhala governments, the western countries and India have banned LTTE and declared it as terrorist outfit (with the exception of EU). By doing so, they have given the blanket approval to the Sinhala governments and their actions. They also continue to provide military help and advise to the governments of Sri Lanka even during this so called “peace times”. This military helps can only be used against the Tamils, as has been in the past.
By these actions, it is clear that what this “international community” wants. It has no concern for the Tamils and it never had. It wants the Tamils in Sri Lanka to be destroyed and wants them to be history. The Sinhala governments have the same desire for decades. The genocide committed by the Sinhala governments against Tamils prompted no credible response from the “international community”. Instead, they had provided military help to Sinhala governments. Even now, the donor countries (G7) who are more or less reflective of the “international community” do not want to give any help to develop war torn areas of Sri Lanka. But they are more than willing to provide weapons and military advise. These countries do nothing to help the Tamil civilians. They treat all the Tamils as their enemies which Sinhala governments have been doing.
Recently, the Sri Lankan government was caught red-handed in using Karuna group as its paramilitary force to destabilize the eastern Sri Lanka. The so called “promoters of democracy and freedom” have said nothing about the hand in the killings of civilians and violation of CFA by this group. The group launches operations from GoSL controlled territory and is funded by the Sinhala government. GoSL is responsible not only for the actions of this group, but also for the disarming of this group, according to CFA. The “international community” is quick to find fault in LTTE for recruiting minors but not so keen on the human rights violations and killings by the government and its proxies.
In light of this, every Tamil has to ask himself/herself these questions:
-When was the last time this “international community” came for the help of the Tamils when they were hunted by the Sinhala governments?
-When was the last time this “international community” has really understood the real face of Sinhala governments?
-When was the last time this “international community” has really understood that they are being cheated by the Sinhala governments and taken for a ride by them?
-When was the last time this “international community” has realized that the Sinhala governments used them to destroy the Tamils and what have they (international community) done about it?
-Why do Tamils have to trust this “international community” while this community helps the Sinhala governments to destroy Tamils?
-How dangerous is it to go along with this “international community” while they are giving military help to Sinhala governments even during the so called “peace time”?
One of the representative of this “international community” has said that if the peace to prevail in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan army should be strong and show the “others” that it is strong. While this applies to LTTE, how does this representative suggest to show the military strength of Sri Lanka? Does it mean that the “international community” is actively promoting a war in Sri Lanka and destruction of Tamils and LTTE? If they have the guts, let them say it openly. Everyone who follows the world events knows what does this “international community” want. Their statements and explanations of their actions would fool nobody but themselves. These people can get the same pleasure in making this type of statements to the world even if they talk to their mirror.