On the eve of the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi War Criminals, U.S. President Harry S. Truman in a letter to General Evangeline Booth of the Salvation Army stated:

"Due to their barbaric practices we have a stern duty to teach the German people the hard lesson that they must change their ways before they can be received back in to the family of peaceful civilized nations." (Reaching Judgment at Nuremberg - Bradley F. Smith Page 47)

Last week the Sunday 'Divaina' political column reported a JHU Political Council Meeting at which Champika Ranawaka had accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of being a Neo-Nazi, while the Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha had said that Merkel has one hand over Hitler's shoulder and the other over Prabhakaran. Another party member, the Ven. Missaka Kamalasiri had expressed concern over the possibility of Germany pressuring the European Union to lift the LTTE ban.

Germany's decision

These accusations came in the wake of Germany's decision to suspend development aid to Sri Lanka on the issue of GOSL military operations against Velupillai Prabhakaran's rogue state. Whether or not the JHU allegations against the German Chancellor are factual one thing is clear. It is that Germany is trying to `tame' this country through an economic stranglehold, which is apparently designed to give a lifeline to the Tiger 'Hitler' rather than the island's legitimate government. However the latter has every right to recover territory that it has lost over the years to an illegal separatist Nazi-type regime no matter what the Germans think.

It is not too difficult to guess who has been working behind the scenes to get Germany to make the regrettable move of suspending aid to Sri Lanka. The dubious INGO Berghof Foundation - like the Norwegians - has been working overtime to secure some sort of legitimate status for the LTTE. (The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and the Swiss Foreign Ministry are funding BF). Of course the foundation would deny that it had a hand in the suspension of German aid to Sri Lanka.

Some months back when I raised in the 'Asian Tribune' the issue of BF trying to get diplomatic status the BF made no response. The Foundation has also not made it clear whether or not they regard the LTTE as the Tamil people's sole representative. The foundation has never called for political pluralism or freedom expression in Tiger dominated areas of the North. Instead it wants to further `democratize' the Sri Lankan State and 'right-size' her armed forces to appease the Wanni terrorists.

And now we have the SLMM jokers monitoring the ceasefire from Colombo! A wag calls the CFA `ceaseless firing agreement' since there has been more firing than a cease fire since the time it was signed. February 22 marks the fifth year of this ridiculous agreement. And the LTTE is bound to try using the anniversary to legitimize their illegal and despotic administration in the North in the eyes of the so-called international community.

It goes to prove that today modern civilization has accorded cause-sponsored terrorism, a respectability that was virtually unknown in the past. The German move to suspend aid to Sri Lanka also raises suspicions that some people in the ruling circles there want to help promote Nazi political models outside the Western hemisphere, where since the end of World War II democratic constitutions do not permit such activity among the natives.

Since Tigers already have an illegal autocratic state here it can be an ideal model to serve the agendas of their foreign sponsors. And ifGermany as the head of the European Union lifts the LTTE ban these suspicions will be further strengthened. Such a step would become a major boost to the separatist terrorist outfit both within and outside Sri Lanka.

These events and the developments of the last couple of decades have made us wonder whether we of the older generation have to unlearn the world history and politics we studied as school boys/girls. We might even have to give a new definition to certain categories of horrific crime.

In the past we were taught that anyone who has suffered real or perceived injustice nevertheless becomes a despicable social outcast if he expresses his grievances by deliberately slaughtering innocent people and shows no mercy to those who oppose his views. Without question such a person was considered an extremely dangerous anti-social element in the eyes of the law no matter what drove him to commit crimes.

But today some of these characters have the opportunity of becoming respected figures while engaging in mass murder. They even dictate terms to governments and influence the so-called international community. They are feted in world capitals. All this on condition they give an `intellectual' interpretation to their foul deeds - thanks to the emergence of the likes of Anton Balasingham on the political stage. As a result, the LTTE mafia - short of receiving full diplomatic recognition - has been enjoying semi-diplomatic courtesies, especially being given a status almost equal to that of a legitimately elected government.

Osama Bin Laden - or for that matter most terrorist leaders - cannot even dream of the privileges the Wanni Tigers have. Six years ago they even set up - in memory of a dead LTTE cadre - the `Thileepan Research Fellowship for Biotechnology' in the State-funded University of Jaffna! ('Daily News', August 30, 1991)

The Tigers also enjoy the unique status of having two political wings - one led by S.P. Thamilselvan in the North and the other led by R. Sambandan in Colombo.In the circumstances we may have to soon start rewriting world history, where the likes of Hitler will need to be portrayed as great statesmen and heroic leaders who fought for the liberation and national dignity of their peoples. If Tiger separatism can be unofficially justified why condemn Hitler's support for the `self-determination' of Czechoslovakia's Sudeten Germans in 1938. (Compared to Prabhakaran, Sudeten German leader Konrad Henlien can hardly be called a terrorist).

Difference

If the LTTE's brutal ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka's East can be ignored or denied then why bother about the Nazi holocaust? The difference (apart from race) between the victims in the two cases is only a difference in statistics and methods.

The Nazis of course were more `scientific' than the LTTE when it came to deliberately killing defenceless civilians.

If the 'Sinhala State' is committing genocide on Tamils as alleged, how is that there are more Tamils in government controlled areas than under Tiger domination? How is it that TNA is in Colombo, constantly haranguing the government in Parliament and outside?

Glossing over the atrocities of insurgents while expressing horror over crimes perpetrated by some elements among the security forces will never bring an end to bloodshed here. Global pressure has been brought to bear on democratic and other states to probe human rights violations by their police and military. But has any rebel group been forced to try its members for killing non-combatants and defenceless civilians?

If these international do-gooders sincerely wish to see an end to the conflict here they should give serious thought to helping the legitimate government in neutralising or disarming the Wanni Tigers.

A request that former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka E. Ashley Wills made during an address titled, 'Observations on Sri Lanka's conflict' at the Jaffna Public Library a few years ago is valid now as then. He told the gathering:

'If anyone in this audience has contact with the LTTE leadership, please convey two messages from the U.S. Government:

A. If the LTTE is still fighting for Tamil Eelam, please that goal cannot be achieved; and

B. If the LTTE really cares about the Tamil people and about assuring their rights, giving up violence and negotiating are the way to go."