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An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton on the Sri Lankan Issue
Vinod Joseph
Dear Ms. Clinton
Congratulations on your new role as the Secretary of State for the new administration headed by Barack Obama. The world has extraordinary expectations for the new team in Washington D.C. I’m sure that you have a long ‘to do’ list with each item ranked in order of priority. Doubtless, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Pakistan are up there on top of the list. My objective in writing this letter was to bring to your notice yet another geography that is in equally dire straits. Sri Lanka. I’m sure that Sri Lanka is somewhere on your list, though small island nation that it is, it is unlikely to rank very high.
Ms. Clinton, it’s possible you’ve heard this story before, but let me repeat it nevertheless. Sometime in the mid-1960s, just after Singapore broke off from Malaysia, a delegation from Singapore travelled to Sri Lanka. The Singaporean delegation was so impressed with Sri Lanka’s development, that they wistfully wondered when Singapore would ever catch up. The Singaporeans needn’t have worried. They hadn’t factored in Sri Lankan chauvinism or short-sightedness. The Sri Lankans started to follow a Sinhala-first policy. Schools started to teach only in Sinhalese. The Sinhalese got priority in jobs. And the Tamils started a movement for an independent state. I should actually say movements and not movement. There were many Tamil organisations and many leaders. The Indians (with unbelievable stupidity) gave the Tamil fighters not only moral support, but also military support, in the form of weapons and training.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam emerged as the most prominent of the various Tamil groups. Displaying unbelievable ruthlessness very early on, they decimated all other Tamil groups. They also killed off all Tamil leaders who spoke up against them. They perfected the art of suicide bombing. They also recruited women and child soldiers on a very large scale and continue to do so even now.
Soon India harvested what it had sowed. An Indian Peace-Keeping Force (“IPKF”) sent to Sri Lanka in good faith to effect a peace treaty brokered by India ended up fighting the LTTE. The IPKF returned to India after taking over a thousand casualties. It was India’s Vietnam and Afghanistan combined. For good measure, the LTTE killed India’s ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The LTTE is headed by the ruthless Velupillai Prabhakaran (also spelt as Pirapakaran or Pirabhakaran), a veritable Pol Pot, second to none in sheer megalomania and ruthlessness. Thanks to Prabhakaran, the LTTE is unwilling to settle for any thing other than total Independence or Eelam. Various peace proposals offered to the LTTE have been rejected. At times, the LTTE has taken part in peace negotiations, but has always used the cease-fire to regroup and rearm. The LTTE tolerates no dissent. Though it does not claim to support or endorse or oppose any religion, in 1990, Prabhakaran decided that Sri Lankan Muslims are not trustworthy and evicted over a hundred thousand Muslims from areas controlled by the LTTE in northern and north eastern Sri Lanka, such as Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu and Mannar. The LTTE is one of the few guerrilla organisations in the world capable of holding territory and fighting a conventional battle. They have a naval wing – the Sea Tigers. They have a fledgling air force, the Tamil Eelam Air Force. They have the Truth Tigers, a bunch of videographers who follow the LTTE’s frontline fighters and record the fighting, at enormous risk to themselves. The LTTE have even tried their hand at developing a submarine wing!
The LTTE is supported financially and otherwise mainly by the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora living across the world. For example, there are over 300,000 Tamils in the UK, of whom the majority are of Sri Lankan origin. Many of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora support the LTTE since they have family members living in areas under the LTTE’s control. They are a few Sri Lankan Tamils, like the writer Shobasakthi, who are willing to speak out against the LTTE.
From September 1998 when the LTTE captured Kilinochchi from the Sri Lankan army until February 2002 when the most recent ceasefire agreement came into effect, the LTTE had a bull run on the battlefield. The captured the Elephant Pass in April 2000 and soon had the whole of northern and most of north-eastern Sri Lanka (with the exception of Jaffna which they lost in 1995) under their control. The Sri Lankan government was on the ropes.
During the cease-fire, divisions between Sri Lankan Tamils from northern Sri Lanka and those from the north-east came to the fore. 1n 1994, Karuna, the second-in-command in the LTTE, a Tamil from the north-east, defected from the LTTE with many of his fighters. Traditionally, north-eastern Sri Lanka has provided the bulk of conventional fighters to the LTTE, though Tamils from northern Sri Lanka formed the aristocracy within the LTTE. After Karuna left the LTTE, the LTTE started to weaken. In the November 2005 Presidential elections, Sri Lanka got a President who could give Velupillai Prabhakaran a close run in a brutality contest. Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa has been single-minded in his determination to defeat the LTTE. He has boosted defence spending and clamped down on civil rights. Within a short while of coming to power, Rajapaksa restarted military operations against the LTTE. Despite occasional setbacks, the Sri Lankan army has had remarkable success against the LTTE. They threw the LTTE out of the eastern provinces, which used to be Colonel Karuna’s fiefdom. They have recently captured Kilinochchi, the civilian headquarters of the LTTE and Mullaithivu town, the LTTE’s military headquarters. Paranthan, a strategically important town on the A9 Road from Colombo to Jaffna has been taken. The A9 Road itself is now entirely under the government’s control. And the LTTE is now bottled up in the jungles of Mullaithivu, in an area of around 300 square kilometres.
As the LTTE retreated from Kilinochchi, they forced the entire civilian population of Kilinochchi to flee with them. A similar fate has met other civilians in areas under the LTTE’s control. Right now, over 250,000 people are held as human shields by the LTTE in the small and rapidly shrinking 300 square kilometres area under their control. The people under the LTTE’s control are, as may be expected, not allowed to leave the forests and escape to areas under the government’s control. Since the Sri Lankan army is ferociously targeting the LTTE fighters based in this location, many civilians are also getting killed along with LTTE cadres. Though the Sri Lankan army says it is doing its best to minimise civilian casualties, it is unlikely that the Sri Lankan government will pull its punches when it has its adversary on the ropes.
Even if the LTTE loses all its territory, it is likely to continue as a guerrilla organisation that launches hit and run raids. The chances of the LTTE giving up insurgency altogether is very unlikely, unless that is, its leader the elusive Velupillai Prabhakaran is caught or is killed or he commits suicide using the cyanide vial he carries around his neck. It is in this respect that that I feel the United States of America can make a huge difference. Velupillai Prabhakaran is in all probability hiding in an underground bunker in the jungles of northern or north eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE are past masters at camouflage. So far, even though 6 air strips used by the Tamil Eelam Sir Force have been discovered, not a single one of the micro light aeroplanes used by this fledging Air Force has been found. The chances are that Prabhakaran’s lair will also remain uncovered, unless the United States of America were to step in.
Unmanned predator drones flown by controllers in Nevada have killed scores of Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s North Frontier Province. If the US could spare a few of those drones for a few months and have them target northern and north eastern Sri Lanka, it might make the difference between life and death for those 250,000 Sri Lankan Tamils used as human shields by the LTTE. If a predator drone were to locate Prabhakaran’s whereabouts and pass on the information to the Lankans, leading to Prabhakaran’s death, the LTTE will fall apart. To quote Prabhakaran’s biographer M.R. Narayan Swamy, ‘'He is their brain. He is their heart. He is their god. He is their soul, and the whole organisation runs around him.’ Without Prabhakaran to motivate them, brainwashed LTTE cadres will not be able to make the sort of inhuman sacrifices which have made the LTTE such a deadly adversary. Rumours already abound that Soosai, who leads the Sea Tigers and Shanmugalingam Sivashankar (who goes by the name Pottu Amman), the Head of the LTTE’s intelligence wing and the Black Tigers don’t get along. On top of it all, Prabhakaran apparently wants his son, Charles Anthony Seelan to take over from him. Soosai and Pottu Amman don’t obviously like that. It is therefore very clear that the only way to end Sri Lanka’s civil war is to either kill or capture the evil Prabhakaran. Doing so at the earliest will save the lives of many soldiers, LTTE cadres including many underage fighters and hundreds of civilians.
Ms. Clinton, you might at this stage, wonder why the US should support the Sri Lankan government when the Sri Lankan President does not respect human rights and actively harms journalists. My response to that is that Sri Lanka is a democracy where the people have the opportunity to vote for change every five years. The LTTE on the other hand is a dictatorial organisation that does not believe in individual rights. Also, it goes without saying that if Sri Lanka were to breakup, India will follow suit. South Asia, already one of the poorest parts of the globe, will be in turmoil.
Sri Lanka has the potential to be the most prosperous nation in South Asia. Despite such a debilitating civil war, Sri Lanka scores well above other South Asian states in terms of literacy, women’s health, child care and the like. Ending the civil war in Sri Lanka will make a world of difference to so many Sri Lankans, especially Sri Lankan Tamils. As I have just mentioned, the Sri Lankan government does not have a stellar record when it comes to respect for human rights or respecting press freedom. Also, the Sri Lankan government is yet to commence a process of devolving power to the Tami speaking regions of Sri Lanka. Before assisting the Sri Lankan government in locating Prabhakaran, the United States ought to insist (and obtain guarantees) that the Rajapaksa government will start the process of devolution immediately. Tamils should be equal partners in a new Sri Lanka and journalists should be able to do their jobs in peace, without fear of intimidation or harassment. Those responsible for the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga should be brought to book.
Dear Ms. Clinton, you have the power to do all this. So, please do pick up the phone and ask for a few predator drones to be sent over to Sri Lanka.
Yours sincerely
A blogger from the World Wide Web
Ledzius
January 30, 2009
01:47 PM
I doubt Predator drones would be of much help in this jungle warfare scenario. How is it supposed to identify Prabhakaran when he might be hiding in the thickets?
Also, your statement "Also, it goes without saying that if Sri Lanka were to breakup, India will follow suit." is quite a stretch.
Ayan Roy
January 30, 2009
03:07 PM
Well written Vinod! I really enjoyed reading this piece. Well balanced and optimistic.
But... "...United States ought to insist (and obtain guarantees) that the Rajapaksa government will start the process of devolution immediately. Tamils should be equal partners in a new Sri Lanka and journalists should be able to do their jobs in peace, without fear of intimidation or harassment. Those responsible for the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga should be brought to book..." ... is being too optimistic in my view, unless the Sinhalese prepare to take the moral high ground or invoke collective "sympathy" and "compassion". These are supposed to be two very important traits for people who claim to be Buddhists. However, I wonder what kind of Buddhists the Sinhalese are; looking at their war hysteria and rabid reactions...
else
January 30, 2009
04:20 PM
Ryan, start reading books so that you will know what is Buddhist
Ayan Roy
January 30, 2009
04:39 PM
Hi 'else',
1. The name is Ayan, not Ryan.
2. Kindly suggest some books I can read so that I will know what is Buddhist.
Dinesh
January 30, 2009
05:34 PM
This is the most unbiased article I have read. Everyone needs to realize that there are two sides to the story. The most ruthless organization in the world didnt come to be for no apparent reason. It was years of discrimination, violence and hopelessness that pushed the Tamil youth to pick up arms and become world renowned for being the most efficient rebel outfit and inventing suicide bombings. How sad is that. I still yearn for the day when all Sri Lankans can live together in peace and with equal rights.
Arun
January 30, 2009
07:02 PM
Dear Vinod,
I find that your loathing of LTTE is more dominant and the wellbeing of Tamils become secondary and not so important, because of your Hatred. You have spent more enery in your request to decimate LTTE, than to raise your voice for the cause of Tamils, which is lost in the last few sentences.
You have also added a few lines of condemnation (well not exactly) to Rajapakse Govt, in the end to project that your article is balanced and neutral.
LTTE as an organization was formed, not as a result of greed. It was a result of the NEEDs of the people at that hour.
The other organizations that developed were not popular with the people and also worked the government forces to help them fight the LTTE. They were also involved in many petty crimes. I am sure you remember how a group of PLOT members managed to capture a small island overnight...
When you are fighting a war, you can see your enemies. But the most dangerous people are the traitors. So, LTTE had to act against all these factions to ensure that they survived, and most importantly challenge the Govt forces and become dominant in order to protect the TAMIL People.
You claims that LTTE is being funded by the tamil diaspora mainly because they have relatives staying in LTTE controlled areas is nothing but whimsical and funny. Do you really want us to believe this?
Without people's support, it is difficult to sustain any movement for a long time.
Having spoken to many Eazham tamils, i could see that they see the Tigers as their sole representative.
When they had the capability to fly a plane and bomb any place, why did they not drop bombs over residential places, and chose to drop it in a power station? Is it because they did not know how to aim?
Also, during the Cricket match, they flew their planes over Colombo, to show the people their strength, but, Why did they not drop bombs in the stadium or any where else.
PLEASE dont tell me that they did not have bombs, or they were scared of the Govt forces. The Govt forces did not even know about the aircraft, until they went back.
If Journalists in Colombo are killed, who is behind it? Is it also the Tigers?
You can conveniently blame everything on tigers. And so far that is what has been happenning. Accusations by the SLA and SL Govt are being used as facts in the media.
Now, I would have congratulated you, if you have put up a full article on the need for Protection, Equality, Justice for the TAMILS as the most pressing requirement. But instead you chose to list your hatred for LTTE all through the article, and to make it look balanced, added a few words about Tamils here and there.
It really makes me wonder what is your Motive? To wipe out tamils and give it back to Sinhalese?
Whatever your motive is, i would appreciate if you are forthright in it. Why hide behind the false notion that "LTTE is a terrorist organization".
I respect the Sinhalese and Rajapakse for their straightforwardness because they clearly say that the island belong to Sinhalese and Tamils are their enemies. They dont stab in the back like Indians....
WISH YOU LEARN about JUSTICE, EQUALITY, LIBERTY, FORGIVENESS, HOPE, ACCEPTANCE & Most importantly LOVE....
LOVE has been proscribed in all religions, but never practiced by the followers. You are a typical example of that.
Come open with your hatred, rather than disguise it as Love for people's freedom.
WISH YOU PEACE & LOVE
regards
Arun
Ayan Roy
January 30, 2009
08:01 PM
I have seen that war and death evoke extreme emotions and rigid viewpoints, hence it becomes pointless to engage in meaningful debate.
In the SLA-LTTE scenario, Justice is a complex concept as both parties have been guilty of violence and excesses in the past and in the current conflict.
***********************************************
In my view, the current ground reality in Sri Lanka is (facts):
1. Sri Lankan Army is on a high after a spate of victories and wants to crush and destroy the LTTE as fast as possible; They don't care less about Tamil civilian lives.
SLA won't listen to anybody and won't stop.
Only to appear benevolent in the eyes of the world may the SLA try to keep collateral damage to a minimum.
2. LTTE has been hounded out and defeated badly, now they are scurrying about in the jungles fighting a last ditch battle. They are outnumbered and outgunned.
3. The Tamil Civilans are suffering in the dense jungles, heavy rains and crossfire between SLA and LTTE. It's never been any good for them; be it under the Sinhalese or under the LTTE.
Now, in my view, if the LTTE really cares about the lives of the Tamils, they should throw in the towel, as it is a lost cause; the increasing international attention and presence of international aid workers in Sri Lanka would atleast ensure some level of safety and rehabilitation for the Tamil civilians.
However, I think the LTTE values independence and Tamil Eelam pride more to the lives and suffering of innocent Tamils (victory or death) - hence it is unlikely that they will surrender - they will go down fighting to the last man/woman and may even take all 250,000 Tamils along with them..which is my fear, because SLA won't hesitate to plough through thousands of Tamils if they have to get to the LTTE core.
India is in a bad fix because more innocent Tamil deaths in S.L. mean more unrest in Tamil Nadu. India can't be seen helping SL Govt. or SL Army directly; neither does India have the power and clout to militarily step in Sri Lanka and forcibly stop the conflict (which the Tamils would love). That's why India is doing what it can to continously harp about and focus on the humanitarian aspect of the conflict and the plight of the innocent Tamils.
And I don't think any sane human being likes to see innocent people suffer and die. But the LTTE are not exactly innocent; also, they are soldiers fighting a war..
Heck, the more I think about this conflict, the more a feeling of confusion and sadness comes over me.
I just hope some sense prevails in Sri Lanka and both sides somehow cease hostilities, and no further lives are lost.
Love and peace to all,
Ayan
commonsense
January 30, 2009
09:09 PM
Dear Ayan,
The five others were taken to a laboratory for artificial insemination.
Love and Peace to all!
Vinod Joseph
January 31, 2009
01:14 AM
Ledzius #1, I believe that predator drones, in addition to zoom lens cameras, also carry radar and infrared sensors. Even if something is concealed in the jungle, heat sensors may be able to detect it. The Sri Lankans do have surveillance aircraft. However predator drones can hover in an area for hours together and are able to do a much better job. If Prabhakaran is in an underground bunker that's 30 ft deep, the only way to detect him would be through signs of activity - maybe vans delivery food and other supplies to the bunker. No easy task I agree.
Ayan Roy and Dinesh, thank you for your comments.
Arun #6, I agree that I loathe the LTTE, but I also believe that Sri Lankan Tamils will get a better deal if the LTTE were to be eradicated. The LTTE may have started out with noble aims. However, it is now a monster that panders to the ego and megalomania of one individual.
Anthony S.
January 31, 2009
05:05 PM
I completely agree with your characterization of LTTE and their effect on Tamils but, unfortunately, your 'solutions' are naive. Yes, the lives of Tamils everywhere but especially in the North and East have become worse in the past two decades but have there been any realistic, permanent proposals that had any chance of being implemented? Why not?
The current All Party Conference to resolve the problem has met over one hundred times so far but their 'final' proposals to the ethnic problem have not been agreed by even the parties who attended. The 'funnier' thing, the major opposition parties are not even part of this so-called All Party Conference including UNP, JVP (both with members primarily from the Sinhalese ethnicity) and TNA (a Tamil ethnic party, allegedly the political wing of LTTE). Before this, there have been other similar 'meetings' and 'proposals' but none of which have been successfully implemented. While part of this is due to LTTE's adamant militarism/terrorism, there is also an unwillingness exhibited by the major parties who depend on the Sinhalese majority to win elections since it will take away the support of Sinhalese chauvinists. (Not all Sinhalese are chauvinists but, unfortunately, there is a significant portion on whom these parties do depend, not just the boisterously chauvinistic JVP. Tamil chauvinists do exist but Tamils have not had proper participation in the democratic process for several years mainly due to LTTE...)
Defeating LTTE in the current skirmishes would give some currency to the current President but the same President allows 'racist' remarks to be made by his own military leaders and stifles democratic process by curtailing media freedom. Many of the disappearances, attacks and murders of Tamils and media personnel have occurred in heavy security areas while the current President has been in power. You hear of arrests but nobody ever gets punished. Besides, how many people have been brought to justice for other documented killings of innocent Tamil civilians in non-combat areas in the past few decades under various administrations? To put this in perspective, the recently assassinated editor of Sunday Leader is even a personal friend of this President!! What does all this suggest?
What does guarantee and and pressure mean? There has always been pressure and the word 'guarantee' is ultimately a meaningless word. How do you force a government to keep the guarantee? Embargos have the unfortunate effect of isolating nations and I don't think China, for example, would play along. (If you have been monitoring the noise from the Sinhalese chauvinists, you would see how willing they are to attach themselves to China while the Chinese government curtails the freedom of Tibetin Buddhists, the co-religionists of most of such chauvinists.) What is the process to legally bind a government whose constitution appears to be getting re-written or amended with each new administration?
There may be a need for another IPKF but it must be an International Peace Keeping Force. (Are the citizens of various countries like US, EU nations, Japan, Norway and India willing to support such a mission?) This may not succeed either but what else do you think will create a meaningful solution that will keep militancy from arising again while the civilians, especially Tamils, continue to struggle?
SanjayTheAtheist
February 1, 2009
02:16 AM
Vinod,
Sonia already has Predator drones hunting for Prabhakaran. RAW's aerial branch, the ARC has already despatched Heron drones to search for him.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/RAW_goes_on_recce_mission/articleshow/3939767.cms
The Heron is an Israeli-made copy of the Predator drone with special enhancements, of which India has purchased over 50.
Ledzius
February 1, 2009
02:52 AM
Sanjay, the article you cited makes no mention of Heron drones. It talks only about manned planes carrying high res cameras. Where else did you get the info about the drones?
Vinod Joseph
February 1, 2009
04:56 AM
Sanjay #11, I agree with Ledzius.#12 I had read the article for which you've given a link to, a few weeks ago when it first appeared online. There is no mention of Herons or other drones patrolling the skies over Northern Sri Lanka. The only mention is of a RAW recconnaisance aircraft. Indian most probably does have 50 Herons (IAI was supposed to have delivered them in 2007), but I doubt if they are deployed in Sri Lanka. As we all know, domestic compulsions prevent India from giving more robust assistance to Sri Lanka, a gap filled by Pakistan & China. I don't blame the Lankans for seeking help from Pakistan or China, but the US is in the best position to help Sri Lanka.
Ledzius
February 1, 2009
10:26 AM
It is quite possible that the SL govt has already done that with clandestine help from either Israel or India, assuming it doesn't possess drones of its own.
If India has lent them, it would be kept a secret for obvious reasons.
Citizen
February 21, 2009
03:17 PM
All,
Morons....still trying to hide wht's going in sri lanka is not GENOCIDE.
Hey indians...you morons can't fool everyone speak againgt you every day. You all have left with little time to bully neighboring country citizens so be careful!!!
You indian hindi speaking morons, your inteligence morons and thugs - RAW, indian governments (sonia ghandhi family, pranab muharjee, man mohan singh, karunanithi and family) involved in terrorist activities in sri lanka by killing innocent TAMIL people now.
You are monitored by all the countries around the world and watching your support to sri lankan terrorist goverment!
You indians shipped weopons of mass destruction such as cluster ammunitions, tanks and still training sri lankan armed forces in tamil nadu and in other atates to KILL TAMIL CIVIALIANS....you all are resposible for your attrocities with sri lankan government...you morons are killing TAMILS and raping women in sri lanka!!!!
You hindi speaking morons...came to sri lanka as IPKF, means INDIAN PEOPLE KILLING FORCE, killed children, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and also raped women and killed them before SENT BACK to your nasty NAZI LAND india by TAMILS.....NOW AGAIN...your PROXY WAR is going on.....you are watched by world leaders...you can not continue doing it.....DAMN IDIOTS....don't kill TAMILS......THEY WILL COME BEHIND YOU HINDIANS FOR ANSWERS....INDIANS non-hindi speaking Indians all over India...WAKE UP>>>HINDIANS ARE GOING TO KILL YOU IN THE LONG RUN...WAKE UP NOW!!!! FIGHT BACK AGAINST THEIR ARMED FORCES WHEN THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT STARTS KILLING YOU ON THE SAME LAND YOU WERE BORN....
OTHERWISE, HINDIANS LIKE SINHALESE SRI LANKANS WILL KILL YOUR PEOPLE, ROB YOUR PEOPLE AND eventually KILL YOU ALL.
Love,
Citizen.
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