TAMIL NATIONAL FORUMSelected Writings - Fr. Chandiravarman Sinnathurai Elliptical Illusion: PEACE 18 August 2006
AS the un-declared war progresses in Sri Lanka-Tamil Eelam, you hear from both sides the cry for this bloodletting madness to halt. At least a near-peace. A semblance of normality in the name of Cease Fire.
However, there is a real problem here. The Sri Lanka Government (SLG) has habitually utilised the Cease Fire period to fire the gun nefariously and liquidate most leading Tamils. Over 500 Tamil lives have been taken by the state forces! Parliamentarians, journalist, reporters, writers and broadcasters, humanitarian workers, intellectuals… In other words, unarmed civilian killings are order of the day; war or no war. Fire or cease to fire.
Such state of affairs has made people in general to be cynical about Talks on peace.
State sponsored “Massacre of the innocents” had been the style of governance in the Tamil territories for quite some time. Most international agencies have some how managed to be marble eyed. However, the aerial bombing of 51 innocent children in the Vanni has turned out to be a colossal error. A PR disaster. A State “secret”. A genocidal murder. Let alone the Punditry talk of war crimes.
The question is when will the IC open their eyes and ears to naked reality? The Tamils in Eelam are butchered daily and bombed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The Western corporate-media has been partial in their reporting or in most cases there was hardly any reporting on such atrocities at all! The US, Canada and countries of EU-rope have singled out the Tamil Tigers as a terror out-fit and they want the Tigers to be disarmed.
The Tamils are asking quite rightly that how on earth the IC in its right motive would exert pressure to disarm their sole protectors and representatives – the LTTE?
The Diaspora Tamils have tirelessly told the world the suffering of their people in Eelam. Recently at Hyde Park, the Chair of the BTA (British Tamil Association) Mr Arun Christopher Shanthan addressing to over 30, 000 people pointed out: “The IC must know that the Tamil Tigers and the Tamil people are one and the same. And they are indivisible.”
LTTE have taken up an armed struggle in order to restore the lost rights of the Tamils. And for the protection and preservation of the Tamil people and territory. The latter has been the first cause and effect. The mode of the struggle is determined by the state. Should Sri Lanka wish to come to the Table tomorrow for a negotiated settlement with out any duplicitous agendas, no doubt the Tamils will consider such a move carefully.
Isn’t it high time, one must ask, for the IC to open their ears to the cry of the Tamil people? The Tamils are asking primarily for the following: Self-determination with self respect and dignity.
Self-Governance of their indigenous territory: Sea, land including air space.
Immediate removal of state forces and paramilitaries from Tamil home land.
This writer feels the above three items should be openly and frankly be treated as non-negotiable for any future negotiations with Sri Lanka Government. There is no reason for the Tamils to be double-tongued about this fundamental right. This was the mandate of the people given to our esteemed late leader Tantai Chelva on14th July 1976.
The Vaddukodai Resolution says: "This convention resolves that restoration and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular Socialist State of TAMIL EELAM based on the right of self determination inherent to every nation has become inevitable in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil Nation in this Country." [Emphasis mine]
When such fundamental differences are relegated to mere periphery in any future negotiations, then the word “elliptical” should be the prefix for peace. Elliptical: circumlocutory, obscure or ambiguous, or long-winded.
Peace Talks? Yes. Long-winded? NO.
This time around one would expect the Tamils to hit the bulls-eye with singular caveat: there is NO next time, this time. |
