Appeal for Indian Economic Sanctions Against Sri Lanka

by E.C.

Hundreds of TESCC members, including Nedumaran, arrested May 3, 2006 protesting shelling & bombing south of Trinco

The bimonthly newspaper Thenseide, published in Tamil Nadu, has asserted in its latest issue that India should take action against Sri Lanka by imposing economic sanctions.

The latest issue of the publication, which is overseen by P. Nedumaran, the leader of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Coordinating Committee, reported the following:

    In the Trincomalee area, all of the Singhalese joint tri-forces [army, navy, airforce] working together continue to launch rockets, drop a shower of bombs using planes, and launch tank attacks using Dvora fast-attack craft against Tamils.

    The result of this is that more than 40,000 Tamils from the towns of Chenaiyoor, Kattaiparichchaan, Koonitheevu, Choodaikkuda, Kadatkaraichenai, and Santhosapuram in Mutur East have fled for their lives from the area.

    The Singhalese air force attacks have taken place on the towns of Sampoor, Eachilamparai, Ilakkanthai, Iraalkuzhi, A.B. Chenra, and Kattaipparichan.

    The curfew for Trincomalee city and surrounding areas has been extended.  It is believed that the curfew is in place to prevent Tamils from being able to leave the area and instead get killed.

    The Singhalese government, which has set Singhalese thugs and mercenary forces upon the Tamils to kill them during the period of the ceasefire, has now directly deployed the joint tri-forces into the field of action.

    The Singhalese government, which has been stockpiling weapons ever since the beginning of the 4 year period in which the ceasefire has prevailed, has once again restarted the war.  But it is trying to put the corresponding blame on the Tigers.  Singhalese media and brahmanical newspapers like "The Hindu" have started to lament that it is the Tigers who are the cause for the war.

    On 27 April 2006, The Hindu newspaper in its editorial and its feature article expresed extreme delight as it noted, "the attack launched by the Singhalese army against the Tamils."

    "The Singhalese military has stepped away from the position of following the peaceful approach stated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and they have instead begun to get involved in intense attacks.  As far as the Liberation Tigers are concerned, the Singhalese government, which has up until now been weak, has just now become involved in intense operations," said The Hindu.

    In the situation where the Liberation Tigers had announced that there is no connection at all between the attack carried out against Sri Lanka military head commander Sarath Fonseka and themselves, this newspaper congratulates the Singhalese military which as been using the attack as grounds for their involvement in the barbaric attacks in Tamil areas.

    When Sri Lanka Member of Parliament Joseph Pararajasingham was atrociously attacked by Singhalese thugs inside the church, and when Vanniasingham Vigneswaran who was about to be appointed to replace him as a Member of Parliament was shot and silenced forever, and when the Singhalese military and Singhalese hoodlums followed that in the Trincomalee area with a hell-hunt against Tamils, The Hindu newspaper did not open its mouth.  Silence achieved the effect that it was as if nothing had happened.

    Not just The Hindu, but also the Indian government is adopting a two-pronged strategy.  The people who hesitate to condemn violence against Tamils are the same ones who scream and flail in alarm whenever anything happens to Singhalese people and jump to place the blame on the Tigers.

    Who is the cause for the spoiling of the peace environment in Sri Lanka, instigating fears that will ignite the war, and a deterioration of the overall situation?  For those who quietly think about this, the following truths will become evident.

    The Liberation Tigers on their own accord accepted Norway's pre-efforts and came forward to announce a ceasefire.  They were in a position of strength at this time.  That the Tigers declared a ceasefire at a time when they had overrun the impenetrable Elephant Pass base, putting 40,000 Singhalese soldiers on the run is a point worth noting.

    The same Singhalese government that agreed to remove camps from education centers, places of worship, and homes in Tamil areas has not done so even now.

    There is an agreement where the restrictions on catching fish will be removed.  This has not been fulfilled yet.

    Tthere is an agreement whereby armed groups working as agents for the military will be disarmed within 30 days.  This has not been fulfilled yet.

    Even though the important aspects of the [ceasefire] agreement have not been implemented, in a stage where the government sets traitorous groups on the Tamils to kill them and pile them up, the Tigers have not broken the peace.

    They have been maintained their composure and their patience at the request of the International Community.  But the Singhalese government says that their patience is weak.  More and more, it is involved in actions against the Tamils.

    Without implementing the important aspects of the accepted agreement, for 4 years the Singhalese government's abusive provocations are the reason for today's critical situation.

    Just like the saying, "In your palm is a gooseberry," countries like America, India, and Canada, which have not felt the truth, have placed a ban on the Tiger movement, have brought about different kinds of stipulations, and are acting very prejudicially.

    What actions have the aforementioned countries taken against the Singhalese government that has stubbornly refused to act according to the agreement?

    In giving lots of weapons, giving war training, and collecting and delivering a lot of funds, these countries have abetted the Singhalese government's actions to eradicate the Tamil race.

    It is not surprising that colonial countries will act this way.  But it is not right that India is also walking that path.  Ever since the struggle for gaining liberation, India has adopted the trend of opposing colonialism.  Since the country gained independence, India has always supported liberation struggles in Asia and Africa.

    India gathered a team of Asian countries in support of the Indonesian liberation struggle.

    India also gave support to the Vietnamese liberation struggle.

    When South African people opposed the racism of the Whites, the struggle that India lead in the world arena is worth engraving in gold letters.

    India brought the resolution in the UN Assembly to place an economic boycott of the racist South African government, got the support of a majority of countries and fulfilled it.  Even when America and Britain were giving support, the isolation from the ban by world countries put pressure on the South African government.

    Similar to that, the Indian government should place economic sanctions against the Singhalese chauvinist government.  It needs to show the Sri Lankan government that, if you refuse to act in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, you will be met with consequences.

    The Indian government has such a duty.  We warn that disregarding that duty will be seen as a move against Tamils.

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