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A race against time in Sri Lanka's camps
Written by: CARE International
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Tamil civilians stand in line to receive food and supplies in a refugee camp located on the outskirts of the town of Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka May 8, 2009.
REUTERS/Stringer
REUTERS/Stringer
This blog is written by Melanie Brooks, Communications Coordinator for CARE's Emergency Team. Ms. Brooks has been in Sri Lanka since May 1 working on CARE's emergency response in the IDP camps in Vavuniya for the people displaced by the conflict in Northern Sri Lanka. May 11, 2009 I didn't notice anything different about her, at first; 10-year-old Priyana is a beautiful, perfect little girl, and her face lit up as she smiled at me. Then she moved her hands. Thick bands of scar tissue circle her tiny wrists; her right hand is bent at an impossible 90-degree angle from her forearm. When she wrapped her arms around her mother's waist in a hug, her hands hung limply. I don't know what affects me more: her injuries, or how she was injured. She and her 24-year-old sister, Vithiya, were playing a game when they were caught in the crossfire in January. Shrapnel shredded through Priyana's wrists and thigh, and Vithiya's right leg. On the run, they couldn't make it to a hospital for nearly two weeks. By that point, it was too late to repair Priyana's hands. Today, her mother, Rani, is caring for two injured daughters, alone. Her husband and another daughter died in the conflict zone; her other two daughters are still missing. As Rani tells me their story, Priyana is playing with a purple hair ribbon, holding it awkwardly with the only two fingers that work on her left hand. Despite everything, she smiles. While the world's attention is on the final stages of the war in the north, the country's second humanitarian crisis plays out here in the camps, where nearly 200,000 people were evacuated from the conflict zone by the Sri Lankan government. Like Priyana, everyone is damaged in some way, but they want to move on. Many of them have been displaced several times during the 25-year conflict; everyone knows someone who is missing, or who died in the conflict. It's overwhelming. Most of the displaced people ended up here in the giant Manik Farm camp in Vavuniya, in this sudden city of tents and shelters cut into the jungle. There are people everywhere, moving, sweating in the 38C heat of the midday sun. Men digging trenches for pit latrines. Women lining up to collect water. People stirring bathtub-sized pots of vegetable curry and rice over an open fire at the communal cooking area. Earth-moving machines rumble in the background, clearing land for more tents, creating roads. The felled trees are piled off to the side, then hauled back into the camps to be used as firewood for cooking. In every direction, there are rows upon rows of tents or temporary shelters. Nearly 120,000 people arrived here in the space of two weeks, stretching the resources of the camp and medical facilities to the limit. Aid workers and government workers were all scrambling to put up enough tents, dig enough latrines, install enough water stations, trying to keep one step ahead of the flood of war-weary people streaming into the camp. Today, we're still catching up; some people are living in tents with two or three families while we build more shelters to house everyone, and we are working to replace the emergency trench toilets with something more private and secure. But across the country, there is hope, hope that maybe this time, the 25-year-old war is really going to end. Sri Lankans, from the poorest parts of the capital city to the tourist beaches in the south, are donating food, clothing and emergency supplies for the people in the camps. Ethnicity and religion have been pushed aside, and people are reacting on a human level to the plight of "our brothers and sisters in the north". But it's a race against time. Fighting continues in the ever-shrinking conflict zone. Tens of thousands of people are still trapped. Any day, we expect they will finally escape and arrive here, to where we are all frantically clearing new land, putting up new tents, digging new latrines. The people still trapped have been living the nightmare of war for months now. There are more girls like Priyana out there, desperate to escape, just wanting to be little girls again. I only hope we're ready for them when they arrive. (To protect the identity of people in this story, some names have been changed)
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19 responses to “A race against time in Sri Lanka's camps”
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16 May 2009 23:33:20 GMT
/But across the country, there is hope, hope that maybe this time, the 25-year-old war is really going to end. Sri Lankans, from the poorest parts of the capital city to the tourist beaches in the south, are donating food, clothing and emergency supplies for the people in the camps. Ethnicity and religion have been pushed aside, and people are reacting on a human level to the plight of "our brothers and sisters in the north"./
if that is so, why on earth in the capital city people have to celebrate the deaths of the tamils? after all Manik Farm is not the name of the place in the beginning, but colonizing sinhala regimes changed the name from Tamil to Sinhala. You should be a Tamil to understand what our lives are rather than beliving the shows in the capital city after humilations and other atrocities we go through. You just give the sound bites for a murderous regime. In a six month period, we are going to live as the second class citizens as we were in the country in the mercy of our majority, but you would have packed your bag as if everything is normal and moved to another country to make the hollier than thou comments ans pieces of advices from a western CAREtaker. for you our dignity and daily life is nothing, but one or columns in Reuters AlertNt16 May 2009 23:33:58 GMT
Thank you Melanie for your article that gives light to the true situation in the IDP camps. This is quite in contrast to the false propaganda bandied by the pro Tiger and Ignorant western press. We Sri Lankans from all races will look after our unfortunate brothers & sisters the way we can.
16 May 2009 23:35:23 GMT
Thanks to CARE international for presenting one of the worst affected victims stories of world in recent time. CARE which was in operation for over fifty years in Sri Lanka serving victims of weather and conflict calamities has also lost some of its good long volunteer workers in Sri Lanka recently. We all know the many practical difficulties CARE and other aid agencies are confronted with Sri Lanka government in dealing with these thousands of crowded abused civilians in these unhealthy security camps.
The government policy of handling these ethnic minority Tamil community by the Sinhalese only majority Armed forces has the worst psychological threat in the minds of these civilians who were displaced several times in their life by these same army. Some of these children who were born in the uncleared villages in North sri lanka are seeing the army for first time in their life and army don't speak their mother tongue Tamil language. Specially women and children are scared about these Sinhalese Armed forces and the Tamil paramilitary forces working with them. Sri Lanka government which is hit very bad by the current world economic downturn is keen in international help to these displaced for the one reason its foreign exchange local value which is very bad will recover a little better. Other wise it would never have allowed any AID agencies inside these camps,as it has done preventing all local and international media away from these security camps. When this conflict started two years ago first thing government did was ordered all aid agencies out of Killinochi. Even recently three TV journalist from UK are deported by Srilanka for broadcasting abuses by the armed forces in these security camps. UN, CARE and all other agencies are the only hope for these displaced thousands of Tamil civilians who have lost all there belonging along with some family members in this deadly conflict. They should fight and maintain some human touch and reduce sufferings at least inside these camps,so that they can develope a psychologicaly strong mind and go home to their villages soon. UN, Care,IRC, MSF and all other aid agencies are like the healing god messengers who will reduce their sufferings and find a quick and easy way to their destroyed villages,so that they can build back their villages,roads,schools and local hospitals.16 May 2009 23:36:09 GMT
Why is the Govt. not letting any Nuetral bodies to visit the camp? Only guided tours are permitted1 That too to show this people to get the sympathy from the various govts. to get aid money. Kind of prostitution I would say. If the govt has nothing to hide why it is not even allowing the inmates to talk to their relatives? They have been subjected to physical abuse as well as psychological abuse!! This is a prelude to subjugating the Tamils!!
I appreciate the help of the sinhalese communities are giving to the helpless people. This is the pattern from the mid 1950s. Their Govt. have pepetrated several orgaganized pogroms against the un-armed Tamils. There was not a significant dissident voice from the main sinhala community. Some of the sinhalese became the cheer leaders and egged on the Govt. to do more atrocities and the voting pattern was which ever govt. inflict more damage to the Tamils will be elected. This is not the end. If the world thinks that all those people who suffered in the hands of the sinhalese govt. is going to keep quite is mistaken. Unless they treat the Tamil citizens fairly and equaly there will not be peace in the island. I see no sign of this happening. Why are they not uniting the families? Why are they not publishing the names of the people in the camp? Why are they imprisoned? They have been proudly proclaiming that they are going to rescue the civilians for months. But they have not made any proper arrangements and treating these people worse than animals. There are friends and realtions who are searching for these people to care for them and accommodate them under their loving care. Why are they not letting them. I know of a friend who is looking for her sister who is 75 years old, but could not trace her. Whay can't they let these people go to their village? The Govt. proudly claims they have liberated the North and East. Still people there are living under the jack boot of the army with no freedom. There is murder, abduction, disappearance, robbery, and rape going on. No one is prosecuted. All this is being done by the members of the security forces and the gang members of Douglas Devanada, Karuna and Pillaiyan. All three are Ministers in the present Government. At this rate do you think there is hope for the Tamils!!!!16 May 2009 23:36:43 GMT
Thanks for the coverage!! This is a story of one person. Over 30,000 similar or worse stories are there. People thought they are safe in the internment camps under the Sri Lankan governments care, but are not getting any food or health care. 61 people die from such camps in one day last week due to starvation. The Jaffna Government Agent (City Mayor) has requested public to donate food. The government is concentrating in the military power and people who are in need is completely neglected. No foreign aids through the government get to the people in need. This war will never end until all tamils are wiped out or a STRONG ACTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
16 May 2009 23:38:30 GMT
Here are some of the truth I have wached inside the coflict
"I am not worried about the opinion of the Tamil people... now we cannot think of them, not about their lives or their opinion... the more you put pressure in the north, the happier the Sinhalese people will be here... Really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhalese people will be happy." J.R.Jayawardene, Former President of Sri Lanka - London Daily Telegraph, 11th July 1983 Young Tamil men and women are regularly taken in mysterious white vans, tortured, raped and sometime killed, while there in custody. Tamils are forced out of their homes and lands and made to live in open fields and in barbed wired camps. Food and medicine are regularly denied to Tamils and they are a let to die of starvation and diseases. Those who live in the open fields are bombed and killed daily in hundreds. So called Sri Lankan safe zone for Tamils has become the killing fields of Sri Lanka. The country that was called as a paradise on earth has become a real hell. Demons of destruction are dancing in the lakes of blood. Rockets, shells, cluster bombs, phosphorous bombs and other dangerous weapons are used by the Sri Lankan forces to kill innocent Tamil civilians .In order to hide the truth from the international community, Sri Lankan government has cowardly barred reporters and journalists from entering the safe zone. Tamils are treated as infidels by the majority Sinhala Buddhists. Buddhist extremism has gone to the extreme levels that more than six thousand innocent Tamils were killed and several thousands have been seriously wounded just within the last three months. While killing hundreds of innocent Tamils daily, some of the ministers from the jumbo cabinet of Sri Lanka, travel around the world with their dry clean suites to convince the world that they are wiping our terrorism. They deny all the atrocities that are being committed against innocent children and women. Sri Lankan government is spending substantial amount of money to spread false propaganda in the western world to justify their actions. Cat that drinks milk with closed eyes think that nobody is watching. Sri Lankan government doesn't understand that they can't keep on fooling the international community as the images of the dying Tamils are regularly sent to all over the world via satellites. Wide screens in the west are beginning to show the video clips of children and women running for their lives from cluster bombs. No matter what these Comical Alis of Sri Lanka tell the world, facts will always speak the truth. I have been listening to some of the comments that are being repeated by the mouth pieces of the Sri Lankan government officials but found real contradictions between the ground realities and their statements. As I did before, I went on the the streets of London and asked the Tamil people about what they think of these statements. There are more than three hundred thousands Tamils currently living in London and most of them have their closed relatives stuck in the killing fields of Sri Lanka. There represent the suffering masses in the so called safe zone and their views reflect the realities on the ground. These are some of the controversial statements regularly made by the Sri Lankan government in the Western media. Are they really telling us the truth? 1. Sri Lankan forces are not firing into the safe zone 2 We are liberating the people of Vanni from the clutches of LTTE 3 We don't use food and medicine as the weapons of war 4 This is one of the greatest humanitarian operation in the 21st century 5 Many Tamils are living happily in the South of Sri Lanka 6 We are treating the IDPs well in the Camps 7 Some Tamil leaders are now joining us 8 We will destroy the LTTE completely 9 We have international support to defeat terrorism in Sri Lanka 10 Many Tamils prefer to live with the Sinhalese 11 These Tamil protesters in the west are trying to give a lifeline to LTTE, but they don't care about the innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka. 12 We don't have any racial problems in Sri Lanka but LTTE is the real issue? 13 LTTE has committed so many blunders and they are not the representatives of Tamils 14 There are only sixty thousand civilians currently living in the safe zone 15 Sri Lankan forces are one of the best in the world but LTTE are just Terrorists. 16 LTTE is a terror group like Al-Qaeda 17 What we have in Sri Lanka is an internal issue therefore we don't want any interference from the outside world. 18 LTTE uses violence therefore EU and the US shouldn't talk to them. 19 We are fighting with the most ruthless Terrorist group in the world. 20 Ceasefire agreement with Tamils failed because LTTE walked out of it 21 We won't be able to talk to the LTTE unless they lay down their arms and surrender 22 Tamils are not the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka. They were brought by the British to work in tea plantations. 23 LTTE is using the civilians as human shield and they are not letting them to leave 24 LTTE is still forcefully recruiting under age children Sri Lankan forces are not firing into the safe zone Although reporters and journalists are not allowed into the war zone, there are still ICRC, local aid organizations and other Christian charities working among the people. Deaths, that are taking place in the war zone are regularly documented with picture and video evidences and transmitted via the satellites to the outside world. Several web sites are regularly blogging and journaling the war crimes in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan government will not be able to escape from the crimes, it is committing against the innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka. Many Tamils who live outside Sri Lanka have lost their loved ones in the hands of the Sri Lankan forces. Evidences documented from the eye witnesses, fully suggests that Tamils are killed in hospitals, schools, tents, bunkers and open grounds by the rockets and shells fired by the Sri Lankan forces. They are also using cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs against innocent civilians. We are liberating the people of Vanni from the clutches of LTTE You can't just separate LTTE from the civilians. These civilians who are stuck in the war zone are mostly the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children of those who are fighting at the front lines. Liberating the civilians from LTTE is completely an illogical statement. Tamils who lived with LTTE in Vanni all these years had more freedom than the ones who live in the other parts of the country under the Sri Lankan government. Our friends and relatives in Vanni lived happily under the civil administration ran by the LTTE for six years. LTTE looked after the people well. They built colleges and hospitals. They built orphanages. They trained the youth in various fields. They respect all the religions therefore people had the freedom to worship in Churches, Temples and Mosques. They encouraged the school children do well in their studies. Crime rates were very low in Vanni. There was no corruption. Women were given the equal opportunities in every area. LTTE was running a secular government just like the ones in the Western countries. But the Tamils who live in areas that are controlled by the Sri Lankan government live with fear of abductions and torture. They have no freedom of speech. Churches are burned and Pastors are killed very often. Sri Lankan government is even trying to bring an anti conversion law to lock up Christian pastors in jails. Not just the Tamil journalists but even the Sinhala journalists and politicians who support the Tamils in their struggle are also kidnapped and killed. Some Tamils did choose to go into the barbed wired camps run by the government not because they have any trust in the government. Sri Lankan government is deliberately preventing food and medicine reaching to the needy in the safe zone. Civilians are killed daily by bombs and shells. Some Tamils think that they might probably survive longer and get treatment for their wounds if they go and live in the camps. Many have later regretted of making this choice as there are reports of rape and murder in these notorious camps. Trying to force the Tamils from the land of freedom into the land of bondage is not liberation. Sri Lankan forces are not liberating the Tamils from LTTE but they are just wiping out Tamils. This is not a war of liberation but genocide in the disguise of Humanitarian operation. We don't use food and medicine as the weapons of war According the reports coming from the medical sources in Vanni, thousands of people could have been saved if they had the necessary treatments and medicine. Doctors still have to amputate hands and legs without anaesthesia under the trees. Caesarean operations are done without any pain relieves. Many are dying without antibiotics. People are shelled and killed even when they are lining up to collect food for their babies at the hospitals. Recent reports suggest that children are dying of malnutrition in Vanni. What else the Sri Lankan government has to say about these horrific crimes? This is one of the greatest humanitarian operations in the 21st century This is one of the greatest jokes by a democratic government who is wiping out a race from the face of this earth in the disguise of humanitarian operation and liberation. The man who is leading the military operation has said to the Canadian media that Sri Lanka is the land of the Sinhalese and Tamils can only live only under their mercy. Unfortunately there is no more mercy left in the hearts of these military leaders so they have decided to eliminate Tamils. Many Tamils are living happily in the South of Sri Lanka Tamils living in any parts of Sri Lanka, live under the fear of intimidation, torture, rape, abduction and murder. Tamils are subjected to random arrests in the south of Sri Lanka and they are kept in prisons indefinitely without any charges. Tamils in Sri Lanka are treated like how Nazi Germany treated the Jewish people during the Second World War. One of the main reasons why Tamils come to Colombo is because they use this as a base to leave the country. Passport office, high commissions and visa offices are located in Colombo. Colombo has the only international Airport in Sri Lanka. It is not always easier for people go abroad within a short period of time, therefore Tamils sometime have to live there for few years in lodges before getting the opportunity to leave the country. Tamils are sometime taken away from these lodges and forcefully sent to the North in buses by the Sri Lankan government. The second reason for some of the Tamils living in Colombo is because most of the head offices of the government departments are located in Colombo. Those Tamils who work at these head offices have no alternatives but to live in Colombo. Tamils who live on Colombo never consider this city as their real home. Most of the homes, schools and hospitals in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the Sri Lanka have been totally destroyed by the war. Sri Lanka has dropped more bombs in the Tamil land than the ones that were dropped during the Vietnam war. Most of the areas are no longer habitable because of land mines and unexploded bombs. Tamils living in the North and East are still murdered in masses by cluster bombs and shells. Although Tamils are randomly arrested and taken away by security forces in the South, Government doesn't use cluster bombs and shells in these areas. If they were to use these weapons in the south, the would end up killing the Sinhala civilians as well, which they will never do. This is the third reason why some Tamils choose to live in the south. Because the probability of getting killed in the North and East is much higher than in the South. This doesn't deny the fact that Tamils still live in fear of abductions, random arrests and extrajudicial killings in the south as well. In the past, many times Tamils living in the south were killed in Thousands and their properties were burned. We are treating the IDPs well in the Camps Those who come out of the safe zone are kept like prisoners in the barbed wired camps. People are not allowed to meet their relatives. Young men and women are filtered out and taken for questioning, but many of them don't return. Diseases are spreading inside the camps as the people don't have access to clean water. Many Tamils in these camps suffer from severe depression. Sri Lankan government very often conduct some pre arranged staged tours for the foreign diplomats and give a completely a wrong picture to the outside world. They will not be able to play these games forever Some Tamil leaders are now joining us There are few Tamil politicians dancing with the ruling government just for personal and selfish reasons. Tamil people don't support such politicians, but see them as betrayers of their own race. What such politicians speak doesn't reflect the views of ordinary Tamils in Sri Lanka. These hypocritical leaders can be compared to some of the Jewish leaders who deny the holocaust and western youth who join Al-Qaeda to become suicide bombers. We are so sure that the Western countries have now identified such leaders therefore they will not treat them as the representatives of Tamils. We will destroy the LTTE completely Firstly, LTTE are not just few thousands Tamils who carry guns and rocket launchers. LTTE has now evolved into a people organisation that is supported by millions of Tamils in Sri Lanka and overseas. It is no longer an armed group that you can defeat them with weapons. If the Sri Lankan government were to get rid of LTTE, they would have to kill all the Tamils in Sri Lanka and overseas which is not all a feasible option though they might succeed in killing the Tamils in Sri Lanka if the international community don't intervene. Instead of wasting money and efforts in killing the Tamils, Sri Lankan government should listen to the Tamils and give them the freedom to make their choice. We have international support to defeat terrorism in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is now slowly breaking it's ties with the West because they don't like to be criticized for the worst human violations in the country. They are now maintaining close links with China, Iran, Libya, Pakistan and other countries that have poor records for human rights. Killing fields of Sri Lanka are functioning well with the help of cluster bombs, phosphorous bombs and other chemical weapons that are freely given by China, Pakistan and Iran. Western countries have started to raise their voices against the Sri Lankan government for killing hundreds of innocent Tamils everyday. Sri Lanka has support only from China, Pakistan, Libya and Iran who are their current allies. China is backing the war because eighty percent of the oil and minerals for China is transported via the seas of Sri Lanka. China has no enmity with the Tamils but they want to keep the Sinhala politicians happy so that they can secure their interests in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan is giving weapons in order to compete with India in the region. Iran wants to find a new friend in Sri Lanka. Countries that are part of the free world are now alienating themselves from Sri Lanka. Many Tamils prefer to live with the Sinhalese This is completely false, Tamils have gone through real hell in the hands of the Sinhala racist governments all these years. All that we desire is to live with freedom and dignity in their traditional homeland without being oppressed by another race. These Tamil protesters in the west are trying to give a lifeline to LTTE, but they don't care about the innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka. We Tamils who live in the west have loved ones dying in the killing fields of Sri Lanka. We are doing a sensible thing by protesting on the streets of Western cities. Western countries always give respect for the voice of the people. These countries know that millions of Tamils living in the foreign countries represent their own flesh suffering in Sri Lanka. Tamils believe that the greatest democracies in the West will definitely come for their rescue. You can't separate LTTE and the people who live in the safe zone. These people have lived under the LTTE administration for more than six years. Most of them have their loved ones fighting at the front lines. Every one of them has contributed towards the freedom struggle. In theory the civilians in the safe zone are indeed part of LTTE therefore, you can't separate the people from LTTE. We don't have any racial problems in Sri Lanka but LTTE is the real issue? This doest need much explanation. You can look back the history and see what happened to the Tamils all these years in Sri Lanka. LTTE came to the scene only thirty years ago after Tamils realised that they couldn't get freedom through democratic means. Tamils are being persecuted for more than sixty years. Dealing with the root cause is always the sensible way to resolve a problem than fighting with the symptoms. LTTE has committed so many blunders and they are not the representatives of Tamils LTTE didn't fall from the sky. They started with few members more than thirty years ago and now they have evolved into a people organisation that is capable of running a civil government for Tamils. They have proved it by doing it.. Nobody can deny that LTTE also made few mistakes and they have acknowledged it. Even the mature governments in the West sometime make mistakes but that doesn't disqualify them from governing the people. What is right and wrong can't always be defined in absolute terms because not everyone knows the bigger picture in which some of the decisions were made by LTTE. Just because LTTE made few tactical mistakes in the early stages, you can't just write off them. Tamils never stopped supporting the LTTE. LTTE is the only Tamil liberation group that never deviated from its strategic objectives which is to get a separate state, so that Tamils can live with freedom and dignity without fear and intimidation. Millions of Tamils, who have been protesting in the great cities of the world, is a proof that Tamils trust in LTTE but not in any other groups that work with the Sri Lankan government. There are only Sixty Thousand civilians currently living in the safe zone Sri Lankan government has been deliberately lying to the outside world about the number of civilians within the safe zone. Three months ago there were around 350000. 100000 have already left the safe zone which means there are still 250000 left there. But the government is telling the world that there are only 60000. This brings real fears in the minds of the Tamil community that the Sri Lankan government is going mass murder Tamils and tell the world that they haven't done anything. There are reliable reports that the Sri Lankan forces have used chemical weapons against the rebels and civilians recently and killed more than six hundreds. Sri Lankan forces had even burned all the bodies of the victims therefore this has raised a real suspicion among the Tamils about the intention of Sri Lanka in lying to the world about the number of people in the safe zone. Sri Lankan forces are one of the best in the world but LTTE are just Terrorists. Compared to the Sri Lankan forces, LTTE has got a much disciplined conventional force that complies with Geneva conventions. For example LTTE treat the fallen government fighters with respect. But the Sri Lankan soldiers very often make fun of the fallen LTTE fighters. In one particular instance, the Sri Lankan forces paraded the naked bodies of the women LTTE fighters in a busy Sinhala town. The world knows very well how the Sri Lankan forces were blamed for raping the women in Haiti while being engaged in the UN peace keeping mission. In recent days there are very reliable reports that Sri Lankan forces are making the Tamil civilians to walk naked at the check points for few hundred meters. Sri Lankan soldiers are also involved in looting jewellery and valuables from the Tamil homes in Vanni and then selling these items in the South. How can such military be the best in the world? LTTE is a terror group like Al-Qaeda Actually this is the other way round. Al -Qaeda and Sri Lankan terror regimes have many similarities. Al Qaeda are Muslim extremists who terrorize people in the name of Allah. They treat the non Muslims as infidels. Sinhala Buddhists treat Tamils as infidels the same way how Al-Qaeda treat the westerners. Muslim extremists use Quran as their source of hatred and the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka have a holy book called Mahavamsa, a book with controversial writings, full of hatred towards the Tamils. Sri Lankan governments backed by the Sinhala Buddhist extremists have been killing Tamils for more than 60 years because the Buddhists in Sri Lanka delight in eliminating Tamils. Sinhalese believe that they doing something great by following the hatred teachings and stories from their holy book. This book is very specific to Sri Lanka and not used by Buddhists in other countries. Buddhism in Sri Lanka is not the peaceful one that is preached by Dalia Lama in Tibet. One of the former prime ministers of Sri Lanka was assassinated by a Buddhist monk. What we face in Sri Lanka is an internal issue therefore we don't want any interference from the outside world. Sri Lankan government twists its tongues depending on what they want to achieve. It was indeed an internal issue but the Sri Lankan government has demonised the Tamil struggle by telling the world that Tamils are terrorists and they had links with Al-Qaeda. They did false propaganda all over the world by spending so much money to suppress the liberation struggle of Tamils. They convinced the world that Tamils are terrorists and launched the 'War on Terror' game with the blessing of some countries. They are using this as an excuse for killing the Tamils in thousands. As the international community begins to object what is really happening, the government of Sri Lanka now turns around and say that it is an internal issue. What is happening in Sri Lanka should be now seen as an international issue. China, Pakistan, Iran and Libya are fuelling the fire and have artificially strengthened the military muscles of Sri Lanka. They are doing it for their own strategic interests and Tamils have become worse than animals in their eyes. China not allowing the Sri Lankan issue not being discussed in the Security council itself shows why this should now been seen as an international issue. UN should use the "Responsibility to Protect" act to save the Tamils from total annihilation. LTTE uses violence therefore EU and the US shouldn't talk to them. Sinhala Buddhists governments have been mass murdering Tamils for more than 60 years. They use abductions, extrajudicial killing, forced disappearances, torture, murder and rape to eliminate Tamils. When the Tamils tried to defend themselves through democratic means, Sri Lankan governments always responded with more and more violence. Tamil rebels took up arms to defend the innocent Tamils from the Sinhala regimes. EU and the US are now beginning to see the impure motives of the Sri Lankan government. It is not the Tamils that are violent but the Sinhala governments who bomb and kill the innocent Tamils are the real offenders. When Hitler killed the Jewish people, the free world declared war on fascism. UK, France and the US fought against the Nazis and brought freedom to many. Buddhist Sinhala regimes in Sri Lanka rule Tamils with the rod of terror. State terrorism backed by the racist Sinhala Buddhist leaders is taking the lives of so many thousands of Tamils every year. Defending the Tamils from this terror is not violence but it is a struggle for freedom. If some nations have a policy of not speaking to those who use violence, they should stop speaking to the Sri Lankan government and start to listen to the Tamil community who are the real victims of state Terror. We are fighting with the most ruthless Terrorist group in the world. When a step father is abusing the children for a long time, the children will eventually begin to fight back. One child may cry, another one would shout to protest and the one of them might one day take a hammer and hit him back on his head after years of abuse. If the social workers blame the child who is a real victim and to support the step father, he will continue to abuse and even start killing the children. Sri Lankan government who is like a step father for Tamils has managed to convince the world to tie the hands of the Tamils so that he can continue to abuse them. Nations have now started to realise that they have been deceived by the Sri Lankan government. What we are seeing in Sri Lanka is like a step father who is taking revenge on a child who had the guts to fight back. Sadly, it has taken quite a long time for many countries to see the real picture. But it is still not too late for the Nations to save the Tamils. Real terrorists are not the Tamils but the Sinhala regimes who use their holy book called Mahavamsa to back their cruelty and injustice against Tamils. Ceasefire agreement with Tamils failed because LTTE walked out of it Sri Lankan government was putting a big show and pretending to the world that they were talking peace with tigers but in reality they were not willing to deal with the grievances of Tamils . For instance, Tamils requested the Sri Lankan government to withdraw its armed forces from churches, temples, hospitals and schools that are in the North and East. They wanted this to happen to create atmosphere, so that both parties can talk about the important issues. Sri Lankan government was instead bringing more and more troops and arms to the Tamil areas for future battles while talking peace with Tigers. Sri Lankan government not showing any genuine commitment was the main reason why the ceasefire came to an end without any fruitful results. We won't be able to talk to the LTTE unless they lay down their arms and surrender LTTE took arms to defend the innocent Tamils from State terrorism. Tamils are sacrificing their lives not just for fun but they have legitimate grievances. Fighting for survival and freedom is a basic human instinct. Tamils never trust in the Sinhala Buddhists governments. They have come a long way in their struggle against State oppression. It is completely irrational and illogical, that Sri Lankan government expects the LTTE to lay down their arms and surrender. Tamils are not the inhabitants of Sri Lanka. They were brought by the British to work in Tea plantations. Tamils in Sri Lanka are there for more than two thousands years. They always lived in their own nation until the British put them together with the Sinhala kingdom during their rule. Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka represent the traditional home land of Tamils. They have their own culture, traditions and language. Tamils had their own constitution, rulers and kings. Tamils who work in the tea estates of Sri Lanka are different from the Tamils who live in the North and East of the country. It is the up country Tamils that were brought by the British, not the ones living in the North and East. When Sri Lanka became independent, the majority Sinhalese were made to rule over the Tamils. As a rule of democracy it is the Sinhalese that come to power in each election as they are always the majority. The political party that oppresses the Tamils become more and more popular among the Sinhalese. Power hungry Sinhala leaders have tortured the Tamils all these years. Now they are doing false propaganda with lies and deceptions to deceive the international community to justify the mass murder of Tamils. LTTE is using the civilians as human shield and they are not letting them to leave This is one of the controversial issue often raised by the Sri Lankan leaders to justify their actions. If they are not letting the civilians to go, how the 65000 did leave that place despite the fact, this area is surrounded by an army of 50000 who are using multi barrel rockets and other heavy weapons constantly throughout the day. It is not that easy for the civilians to leave the area even if they are willing. 65000 had to suffer so much in hands of the security forces to get to the government controlled area. They are very often shot at and bombed by the Sri Lankan army. If the LTTE is stopping the civilians how come several hundreds of elderly and the wounded are taken by ICRC ships every week? The fact of the matter is that many civilians who are stuck in the safe zone are the loved ones of those who is fighting at the front lines. These people know that they would have to endure torture and rape in the hands of the Sri Lanka forces if they ended up leaving the zone. There were few isolated incidents that Sri Lankan armed forces that were standing outside the safe zone had fired at the Tamil civilians and killed them. They had even orchestrated suicide bombs using the paramilitaries working with the government forces. They finally blamed this all on LTTE. There also use the paramilitaries to shoot at the civilians escaping the safe zone Sri Lankan authorities force the refugees in the IDP camps to talk against LTTE to the foreign media.. If the Sri Lankan authorities want to convince the world about these issues and if they have nothing to hide, why can't they let the reporters and journalists into the safe zone? Tamils are dying inside the safe zone, outside the safe zone and all over Sri Lanka. LTTE is also not standing just within the safe zone but they have the combatants both in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The hype about finishing off the LTTE within the safe zone is drama played by the Sri Lankan government to wipe out Tamils from Sri Lanka. LTTE is still forcefully recruiting under age children During the cease fire period, the LTTE fully complied with the international laws by making sure that cadres are above 17 years old. In recent months, many Tamil families have been completely wiped out by this dirty war. 16 years old boy who witness his whole family being killed in front of him by bombs will not wait till he is 17 to fight for the unborn Tamil babies in the wombs. Times are difficult for the Tamils that even 16 years olds are also now joining the LTTE and they are doing a very sensible thing. They way how things are going, LTTE may not in the future be able to comply with all the international treaties as the enemy is using dangerous chemical weapons against ordinary Tamils. LTTE has been so patient and still believing that the Nations would intervene and bring a political solution for the Tamils. Conclusion It is time we should stop listening to the Comical Alis of Sri Lanka and to start listening to the ordinary Tamils to find out what is really going on in Sri Lanka. We live in lands that give respect to the voice of the people and not to the voices coming from few arrogant leaders who are being responsible for the death of thousands in far away lands. Let Tamils decide their own destiny! Yours Truly Alex Pandian16 May 2009 23:39:00 GMT
Tell that bloody idiot Tamil Tiger's & the Terrorists leader Prabakaran to let go of the innocent civilian's and fight like a real man, what a coward, he is not a leader hide behind women and children. damn these idiotic Tamil diaspora. SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
16 May 2009 23:39:43 GMT
Thanks for a non-terror-biased posting. Just want to thank you for not falling for terrorists attempts at blatant lies. You just gotta see the follwong pictures:
Pictures speak a lot: HOW TAMIL TERRORISTS FOOL THE INTL COMMUNITY: http://www.lankaenews.com/16 May 2009 23:40:08 GMT
SOMEONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF OVER ON+//3//Q HUNDRED THOUSAND HUMAN LIVES IN SRI LANKA. wHO?.
16 May 2009 23:40:36 GMT
Another LTTE point refuted, the fact that CARE is in the IDP camps where they are claiming no International Aid Agency is allowed into IDP's!!!..Might come as a surprise to the Western Govts. but poeple in Sri Lanka DO care about the tamils but not LTTE and DEFINITELY NOT the pro-terrorists living overseas. We need to see a few more blogs such as these, but then again facts arent as appealing as make belief...In anycase, Thank you Melanie, for stating facts rather than fiction!
16 May 2009 23:41:09 GMT
What your blog fails to mention is that these people have homes that they can go it. They are not allowed to go to their homes by Sri Lankan government.
These camps are also surrounded by barbwire fences and armed soldiers.16 May 2009 23:41:50 GMT
LTTE,the sole reps (by force) of the tamil, has to take full responcibility of these crimes against children they were holding from getting proper treatment . the tamils in the foreign countries also responsible for the killing and wounding of civilan in my country but abouve all these so called INTERNATIONAL community should take full resposibility for the indirect support given to the terrorist Eg. UK cared Balasingam and nurtured LTTE openly then and now by striving to get UN involed to safe LTTE, USA asked terrorist to lay down arms but asking the SL GOVT to stop fighting given encouragement to the terrorist they openly express their pleasure Hillary wants to block the IMF loan which can be used to develop the infrastructure, reduse poverty and upgrade the life of civilan tamils which was the root cause of terrorism in general.
16 May 2009 23:42:15 GMT
Thanks for seeing real situation in Sri Lanka
16 May 2009 23:42:43 GMT
Do you guys know that these barberic LTTE terrorists have been killing innocent people for the last 30 years by neumorous ruthless ways no human can believe....and thousands of this kind of stories...where were you then?now the gvt is on the verge of crushing terrorism for ever and threrafter,no such stories for you sell and make this a business...
16 May 2009 23:43:05 GMT
Whats wrong with China helping out for a good cause? China has very been a bi bad wolf in the history of the Universe compared to Most western countries and America. This was a good oppertunity for Sri Lanka to know WHO ARE THEIR FRIENDS.
16 May 2009 23:44:11 GMT
Hello, Did you ever seen the camps for the UNITED STATES DISPLACED after hurricane Katrina months after the event? They were MUCH worse than this. Yet, where was the media? Yes, they were there, but were either too ashmed to report on it or were gagged by the US govt. The war in Lanka is just finishing.. pls be patient. Sri Lanka had JUST eliminated the worst terrorists in the world. Sri Lanka has what it takes to give these people a good future. PLEASE BE PATIENT.
16 May 2009 23:44:36 GMT
See how the Tamil terrorists take 'headline-hungry' and gullible reporters for a ride: Hollywood enactment (photoshoot) by Tamil terrorists caught red-handed: http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7678
16 May 2009 23:45:43 GMT
It doesnt matter which nationality you belong what we do to each other and if we keep watching this disgraceful human behaviour then that curse will live with all of us and the future generation. This is genocide and nothing short. A bunch of Unemployed Nationals (UN) making statements is not going to help anyone
16 May 2009 23:47:02 GMT
LTTE is said to be vicious and some of this viciousness is based on some attacks on civilians.However,if one looks at 90% of the suicide attacks in the last 12 months ,the LTTE had no motive to commit them.I wonder who is responsible,if it is not the LTTE? Suicide bombers are not that difficult to train.LTTE may have perfected the art but others have taken the task of training suicide bombers with vigour.