Who are Tamils Tigers (LTTE) any ways?
I read many definition of Tamils Tigers in the Internet. Separatists
, Terrorists, Rebels … and many more.
But does it matter how they are defined if they are generally accepted by the Tamils civilians in Sri Lanka? I am sure it does as the terrorist categorization of Tamils Tigers got after 9/11 in USA has made a huge difference in how the war is fought in Sri Lanka right now. As the regional power house India has taken over the job to kill Tamils or Tamils Tigers alike while other countries fell silence becaues they did not want to support Tamils civilians and sound like they are supporting Tamils Tigers.
Few Tamils I have talked to in the war zones of Sri Lanka refuse to identify two groups as Tamils civilians and Tamils Tigers. An old man asked me “what will happen if I go to the ‘safety zone’? The army is continuously sending artillery shells to the so called ‘safety zone’. In a day, we got 5000 shells. Who was there for my family when the Tsunami hit? Sri Lankan government sent all the aids to Sinhalese in the south. We received nothing. Tamils Tigers established aids, food and restructuring. If all the Tamils Tigers die, why should we survive? Who would be there to look after our good or bad after that? How can I see separate them and see them die when they surrendered their lives for our survival?”.
I guess in a way it is hard to separate Tamils Tigers and Tamils civilians, because of the following reasons:
(1) First we look very much alike – you can’t help this as these are sons and daughters of many Tamils civilians
(2) We have the same goal – Tamils autonomy – we need a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka compromising the North & East as it has been before the British colony started in Sri Lanka, this arrangement provided relative stability to the country. When the British left in 1948, they left Sri Lanka as one big state, which has been a one big mistake. Sri Lankan Government and Army have long ago disqualified themselves to be the representatives of Tamils civilians in Sri Lanka. Black July 1983 is one of the examples.
(3) Sri Lankan Government and Army consider the Tamils civilians and Tamils Tigers the same. Tamils civilians are tortured, raped and killed and then identified as Tamils Tigers. Consequently, the affected family, relatives, or friends go to join Tamils Tigers as they see no other way of finding justice for what has happened or no other way for them to better their lives under Sri Lankan Government or Army.
(4) Many western countries can’t see the difference between Tamils civilians and Tamils Tigers either. The new president Mr. Obama of USA still has not made a public statement / call to stop the war in Sri Lanka; Mr. Stephen Harper of Canada has ignored all the protest and human chain demonstrations of Canadian Tamils. UK has not called to stop the war either. India’s governing party Congress and Mrs. Sonia Gandi are busy sending troops, weapons and encouragement to kill more Tamils in Sri Lanka. China and Pakistan is trying to pick up their economy by selling weapons to Sri Lankan Army.
Why USA and Canada have categorized Tamils Tigers as “terrorists” even after they have gone to extensive peace talks with the Sri Lankan Government?
There are many ways I can start to shed light on how Tamils Tigers have evolved. Tamils Tigers were not very strong before 1983 Black July. Once the anarchy of Sri Lankan Government went out the roof, many youngsters joined Tamils Tigers due to the suppression they felt. Tamils Tigers have been fighting Sri Lankan Army’s anarchy in the North and East for over 25 years now.
I vividly remember this. I believe it was in 1984. Four armies from the Point-pedro Army camp went on a shooting rampage on civilians. I was grade three at that time. I still can feel the shivers went through my spine to see the Army boots legs standing in front our gate. The shooting sounds continued. After few terrifying minutes, they started to walk away. In the event close to 15 innocent civilians were shot to dead. I remember that a Van with Tamils Tigers flag followed the Army to restrict them back to the Army camp. Tamils Tigers also came to take the wounded civilians to hospitals. This is just a tiny moment of what Tamils Tigers have done for Tamils. There are many Tamils who were helped and protected by Tamils Tigers.
Am I trying to say the Tamil Tigers are saints? Definitely NO. Tamils Tigers have made their fair share of mistakes too, however they have managed to emerge from their mistakes and align them into a solution for Tamils.
Are they the only mostly agreed representatives of Tamils now? Definitely YES.
What will happen if all Tamils Tigers are destroyed? It would be very hard to do that as Tamils Tigers are seasoned fighters. Even if they are all destroyed, the history will repeat itself. Sri Lankan Government anarchy will continue. Now that they don’t feel safe with any Tamil, even after all the Tamils Tigers die, the government or army won’t feel safe enough to accept any Tamil [except may be people like Karuna – who can trade anything for their own personal benefits. Karuna is a FORMER Tamils Tiger Colonel, but decided to sell his views and values for a handsome amount of money and rewards to the Sri Lankan Government and Army. He is the current puppet of Sri Lankan Government in the North & East areas where the government claims it has civil services restored. The main method of serving of the civil services results in at least few Tamils civilians’ deaths per day. The main method of governing is by fear.]
As in any anarchy, sooner or later, there would be a rebel force to oppose the anarchy. It will take time to converge the force to an all accepted force. Tamils Tigers have passed most of the evolving stages and mistakes. They have evolved into a group which may be able to bring Tamils civilians closer to peace.
So… why does the government who wanted to negotiate peace talks with Tamils Tigers suddenly has changed its mind to fight them? Foreign forces, especially newly found Indian ( congress )support. Sri Lankan Army by itself can never defeat Tamils Tigers.
Finally, defeating Tamils Tigers is a wrong step towards more blood shed and agony for Tamils civilians, and all others involed in the war, because Tamils Tiger posses the acceptance of most Tamils right now and they are willing to start a peacetalk for Tamil autonomy.
This is just a matter of fact, that's all.
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First-hand information of facts which should be brought to the notice of the non-Tamil general public who are indifferent to the Tamil cause due to the fact that such facts are not brought to their notice and made aware of the conditions of life of th Tamils in Sri Lanka. Most of them (general public - the voters)still are of the view that the Tamils have come to their country in search of greener pastures like the Sinhalese from Sri Lanka.
ReplyDeleteSo it becomes the RESPONSIBILITY of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora to enlighten the general public around them as to the continuing situation in Sri Lanka that compelled them to seek refugee status in those countries.
The politicians know the facts very well, it is the general public who should be educated to the maximum extent possible and in the shortest possible time if the civilians trapped in the conflict zone, in "welfare camps", and the "general open prison" known as Sri Lanka are to be saved and allowed to live in dignity with respect in Sri Lanka and for the members of the Sri Lankan Diaspora to visit their relatives in Sri Lanka with the same respect and dignity they receive in their present country.