The True status of Tamils in Srilanka - (from Thuglak) Part -8

 Previous articles:

 

Part 1
Part 2

Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

 

"Tamils who made Rajapaksa victorious!" 

Since the Sri Lankan Government's had taken few anti-Tamils' views, the non-violence struggle against the GoSL begun at the end of 1970s and the arm struggle started subsequently. Many people have mentioned us that J. R. Jeyawardena, in particular, was an enemy against the Tamils. 

They further said: "Jeyawardena had completely surrendered once Rajiv Gandhi sent our war air crafts to the Sri Lankan air territory illegally in the name of "Operation Poomalai" and air dropped food parcels on Tamils' areas. As per Rajiv Gandhi's advice, Jeyawardena had brought 13th amendment in the Sri Lankan constitution as well. 

However, the Tigers did not accept that Indo-Sri Lanka agreement then. If only, they had accepted that agreement with India's support then they could have achieved all the things they wanted gradually – with India's conditions – and taken the Tamils to a good stage. However, they did not do it then. All the other armed Tamil outfits had welcomed this political solution. However, the LTTE Movement had started attacking and destroying its fellow Tamil militant outfits more seriously than opposing the GoSL. 

Hence, when the IPKF went to Sri Lanka many militant outfits stood in favour of the Indian army. However, the Tigers while fighting against the IPKF changed their view all of a sudden, forged an alliance with President Premadasa and sent out the IPKF. 

Hence, when the IPKF went to Sri Lanka, many militant outfits stood in favor of the Indian army. However, the Tigers while fighting against the IPKF changed their stand all of a sudden, forged an alliance with President Premadasa and sent out the IPKF. 

The pro-LTTE supporters, who brand many leaders including Douglas Devananda, Karuna and KP, who have taken the pro-GoSL stand as "Tamil Traitors" now, should keep one thing in their minds. Tigers were the ones who taught many people that there was nothing wrong in forging an alliance with the GoSL for the self-interests as and when required. Tigers were the ones who had chased away India by forging an alliance with the GoSL, stating "this is a brotherly issue of Sri Lanka. India, the neibhouring nation, needs not to interfere in this issue". 

"Even many Sri Lankan Governments, which had acted against the Tamils, too came forward for talks with LTTE on many occasions, by keeping in mind the peace of the country. Many countries including India and Norway came forward to broker the peace talks. The Tigers could have utilized those opportunities and obtained many benefits, beyond the solutions expected by the Tamils then.

 

However, the Tigers, by just talking about the independent nation again and again in vein, had decimated several thousands of innocent Tamils while ruining themselves. 

"Many Sri Lankan Governments, headed by Presidents Jeyawardena, Premadasa, Chandrika and Rajapaksa, had been conducting war against the LTTE. Finally, the GoSL became victorious in 2009. Since Rajapaksa celebrates the victory of the 30-old war as his victory, the accusation on war crimes too fall on him. This is natural.

 

In the 2005 elections, Ranil Wickramasinghe's party had sought the support of the LTTE. Many Tamils had argued that Rajapaksa can be defeated only in this way. However, the Tigers did not accept it and ordered that Tamils should not vote. Because of this, Rajapaksa had formed a coalition government and eliminated the Tigers with the assistance from many nations. It was Tigers who had brought Rajapaksa as President. They had found the way for their own destruction", said many Tamils in Colombo. 

As pointed out by an elderly person in the last edition, the SLA did not massacre all the innocent Tamils and Tigers overnight. After fighting continuously for 30 years, the SLA had gradually eliminated the Tigers. There cannot be a long time gap of tolerance, than this, to eliminate terrorism anywhere. We should also keep in mind the fact that, if the countries like the US and China had faced this, they would have uprooted the terrorist group within a year's time.

"Before 1980s, Sri Lankan army's duty was a fun-filled one with walking practice in the morning, volley ball game in the evening and cocktail at night. The SLA soldiers were not aware of war techniques at all. Only after the formation of the LTTE, they had started training for a battle. When the SLA had started studying LKG in the war, the Tigers had completed Ph.D in it. The SLA had fought with the LTTE only after having received training in many countries," said an auditor, who is a Sri Lanka-origin Tamil. 

The SLA had tasted this victory only after paying a big price. The Sri Lanka had not only lost the lives of SLA soldiers but also many other things such as, properties of the Government, economy, tourism etc., Hence the people of Sri Lanka, particularly the business community, hail Rajapaksa who had decimated the Tigers. Because of this, Rajapaksa and his allies had secured a landslide victory in the 2010 general elections. Now, Rajapaksa-led Government has secured a 2/3rd majority by which it can even amend the constitution. 

We can't say that only Sinhalese had hailed Rajapaksa and made him victorious. The Rajapaksa-led Government had captured the power even in the Eastern Province which the Tigers had claimed as a part of their Eelam nation. Rajapaksa's alliance had won three MP seats in Jaffna as well. The said Rajapaksa alliance had captured the Jaffna Municipality as well. Therefore, even the Tamils had voted for Rajapaksa alliance only. What does it mean? It could only be understood that even the Tamils there appreciate Rajapaksa who had brought the war to an end, is it not? [We saw many posters in Tamil, condemning the resolution proposed by the US in Geneva, pasted in many places in Jaffna. See the picture]. (Poster reads: "We shall look after our own problem at home. USA! Shut your mouth - By People Front") 

 

At the same time, the TNA, recognized by the LTTE, too had secured considerable victories in Tami areas. However, we should note here the fact that the victory, secured by them in the elections held after the war had gone down when compared to their victory in the elections held during the war time. 

When we point out all the above things, we cannot stop mentioning the complaints made by the Tamils on Rajapaksa here. We will see, in the next edition, the types of accusations put forth by the Tamils living in Sri Lanka against Rajapaksa. 

[To be continued]………S. J. Idhaya and A.A. Samy 

 

Box News:

Touch-stone of the truth 

Some people criticize that these series of articles are being written against the LTTE and in support of the GoSL in a pre-planned manner. First of all, it is better for them, to get to know the background of the beginning of this article. 

Everyone knows about the stand of our editor from the time Sri Lanka issue had started. Even when Tamil Nadu and the entire India had accorded a red-carpet welcome to the Tigers then, our editor had written articles opposing it. Former LTTE Commander Karuna, while speaking to us, had mentioned "your editor Cho had written against the LTTE in 1983 itself. People like us, who were with the LTTE then, were furious when he had written "only destruction will result if Tigers are supported. Supporting Tigers is not good for both Tamil Nadu and India. Sri Lanka will never get a good solution through the Tigers". 

Likewise, our editor continued to stay firm in his anti-LTTE stand, even from the time when the general public view in Tamil Nadu was in favor of the LTTE. Even in the "Thuglak" office an opinion against our editor's view had prevailed at times. Whenever the Sri Lanka issue gains momentum in Tamil Nadu, there was a debate in our office suggesting "why shouldn't we visit Sri Lanka in person and publish a direct report". Before that debate concludes, the momentum will go down in Tamil Nadu and another issue would replace it. This time, when the students' protest got intensified following the release of the photographs of Balachandran and subsequently even the DMK, which never gives up power for any matters, had gone out of the Central Cabinet, our editor had decided to "send the reporters to Sri Lanka". 

Because, the information received by the Editor from the Tamil sources in Sri Lanka were different from the accusations put forth in Tamil Nadu. Before sending us to Sri Lanka, this is what our Editor told us: "Don't keep any of Thuglak's independent view in your mind. What I want is the ground reality in Sri Lanka. Compile the accusations put forth here. Check the ground reality of those accusations there. We should know the mindset of the Sri Lankan Tamils. You can meet anyone according to your wish. Ask any question you want and bring their replies". 

Our Editor had sent us to Sri Lanka with such a freedom only. In fact, our Editor knows that both of us have sympathy for Sri Lankan Tamils. We had asked our Editor, "what will happen if in case the article we pen goes completely as a pro-LTTE article?" He replied, "Even if the entire Sri Lanka makes pro-LTTE opinions, my view, that the organization was a terrorist outfit, cannot be changed. I cannot write in support of that organization. I will only think that I have sent both of you to Sri Lanka for a free tour and will not publish the article. At the same time, I will keep in mind the fact that all the people in Sri Lanka actually support the Tigers only. My conscience will not give room to make pro-LTTE campaign. If in case such a mindset prevails in Sri Lanka, we don't have any necessity to publish a false article by changing that mindset. Hence, just record the ground reality in Sri Lanka and come. We will see the other things later," he replied. 

We went to Sri Lanka in this manner only. Until we landed in Sri Lanka we were talking like "there will not be any necessity to write detailed articles. People will not put forth accusations to this extent in India and abroad without evidence. There is a possibility that our trip to Sri Lanka will only be a disappointment to our Editor". 

However, the things we saw and heard from the minute we landed in Sri Lanka had shocked us a lot. "We felt disappointed when we had realized in person that all the accusations like demolition of Hindu temples, erasing of Tamil names, Sinhala settlement, domination of Chinese, ethnic cleansing, barbed-wire fenced camps, torture camps for Tigers etc., were blatant lies. When we heard the people in Tamil areas [mentioned as Eelam] cursing the Tigers to the core, while some people in Tamil Nadu worship the Tigers as Gods of protection, we felt ashamed when recalling some of the pro-LTTE arguments we had with our Editor at few occasions in the past. 

Hence, these series of articles are not the ones which were conceived as per the wish of the Editor. This is a touch-stone of the fact prevailing in Sri Lanka. As mentioned by one of the readers of "Thuglak" in "Dear Mr. Thuglak" section, this series of articles may bring some titles such as "Tamil traitor, stooge of the GoSL" etc., from some people to "Thuglak". However, it will not transform the ground reality in Sri Lanka. 


Prabhakan will surface again?

A person from Pudukuyiruppu, who talked to us only for few minutes, had expressed his opinions furiously within that short period. We had to console him as he became very emotional. Why was he furious?

"An accusation, that military rule takes place in the North and Eastern Provinces, is put forth by the Members of Tamil Diaspora all over the globe. It is a kind of depiction, as if guns are placed in front of the faces of all the people here. But, no such thing is happening here. In the past, Tigers were roaming around with guns. Now army cadres roam around. There were no jobs, no roads, no electricity and no travels in the past. We have all these facilities now. It is true that, there was restriction from army for some time after the final phase of the war was over in 2009. However, such restriction doesn't exist now to that extent. It is reduced gradually. We believe that we too can enjoy absolute freedom, like other Provinces in Sri Lanka, after some time. 

The Members of Tamil Diaspora and some politicians in Tamil Nadu are the ones who spoil our above belief. For them, Sri Lankan Tamils mean only Tigers. They had supported all the idiotic decisions taken by the LTTE. They don't care of the views of the general public here. They don't have strength to fight. They are like people who whistle when they see their heroes fighting in the silver screen. They are similar to the barbarous kings, who shout happily by saying "Yes do it", after making their slaves to fight with the lions. They remain in their country safely, after hailing LTTE's fight as "braveness of the Tamils". We are the ones who had lost our parents, children and siblings. We are the ones who had lost our lives in the darkness and bunkers for 30 years. 

"It was Tigers who had destroyed our peace. Many people came to help, to find solutions on many occasions. However, the Tigers did not accept any of them. It is like the calmness prevailing in a cemetery, peace has been restored to some extent after their elimination. Now only we are searching for a normal life like all others. The above mentioned people are trying to sabotage even that life. These people who could not digest the defeat of the Tigers, console themselves by stating "Prabhakan is safe. He will surface again. Tamil Eelam will blossom again". They are not realizing even a bit of the fact that such empty talks from them will only jeopardize our lives further. It is like the mannerism of those who whistle to defuse their fear while walking through the jungle area in the mid-night. 

"They, instead of paving way for us to live independently, after the gradual decreasing of army pressure gets reduced further, make statements like "Prabhakan will surface. Eelam will blossom" etc., This is like telling the army indirectly that "SLA! Don't give room for it and continue to monitor the Tamils with caution. Give them more and more pressure". These people, who shed crocodile tears by saying that a military rule is taking place, are struggling to make sure not to reduce the army activities", he said furiously. 

Is an independent State in India possible?

It is a fact that no Tamil in Sri Lanka raise slogans demanding an independent Tamil Eelam. Majority of them think that it is enough if they survive with half stomach. A person, who spoke to us in Jaffna, has said this: "What is the plight of Tamil Nadu in India? Kerala will not give water. Karnataka will not give water. Andhra will not give water. The Central Government too will not help in this cause. But, power is supplied to other States from Neyveli. The Koodangulam Nuclear Plant will be built in Tamil Nadu in spite of the opposition of the people in that area. However, power will go to the neighboring States. 

Many people complain that the Central Government takes no action to stop the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen. The State Government, at least once in a week, complaint against the Central Government that "the Centre doesn't allocate adequate funds for Tamil Nadu, it reduces the quantity of Kerosene" etc. What Tamil Nadu is doing in this situation? Is Tamil Nadu demands a separate State? It continues to fight with the Central Government. It approaches the Courts legally. You should advise the Sri Lankan Tamils the fact that many more bigger problems than the prevailing ones will surface if they go separate, is it not? 

"How much pressure you face even in creating a separate Province called Telangana in India, is it not? If it is so, how big is the demand of asking to form an independent nation? If a country is divided by using violence, then any country will fear that such a situation will arise in all the countries. Hence, any country will bear in mind that it should not support this division. Hence, at the international level, it is impossible to gather support for the formation of an independent nation". 

Well-maintained Valluvar Statue!

"SLA erases the identity of Tamils" is one of the prime accusations put forth in Tamil Nadu. However, the scene we had witnessed in Vavuniya` city, was totally contradictory to that accusation. We could see the statues of many Tamil scholars in Vavuniya city. Particularly, a Valluvar statue, erected at the junction of a main road, looked very good with new painting. When we saw that statue, maintenance works around the statue were also going on. This is a very big example to show the fact that so many lies are unleashed among the people in Tamil Nadu.

© THUGLAK, 2013

 

 

The True status of Tamils in Srilanka - (from Thuglak) Part -7

 Previous articles:

Part 1
Part 2

Part 3
Part 4

Part 5
Part 6

"What had happened in Mullivaikkal?"

Since the youth, whom we had interviewed in Pudukudiyiruppu city, had recommended us to meet the family of an ambulance driver, we started looking out for that family. We were meeting and talking with many people whom we had met on the way. The remarks made by a 70-year old man, whom we met at a tea stall, should be noted here. 

"It is true that even we had encouraged the youth at the beginning of the war. However, when the causalities had started rising in the subsequent years, we were gripped with a great pain. The Tigers could have stopped the war by obtaining a political solution in one of the numerous peace talks held. However, they were not prepared for it till the last day. This had resulted in the killing of scores of Tamils. It is true that the SLAF had killed many Tamils through Ariel bomb attacks.

However, the Tigers could have avoided it if they had wished. Thousands of families fell at the feet of the Movement and cried that "we don't want a separate state at all. Leave us. We will go somewhere and survive". However, they did not allow the civilians to go out of the areas controlled by them. Hence the number of causalities went high". "It could have been a brave struggle if the Tigers had sent us out and challenged the army face to face". Such a mega number of causalities couldn't have taken place. At the same time, the war too would have got over long back. However, the Tigers had forcefully kept the civilians as their human shields and hence the war had continued for all these years in spite of many helps extended by various nations to the SLA. If the human shields were not there, the SLA would have eliminated the Tigers long back. 

He further said "The Tigers had buried landmines in the areas controlled by them. They had collected tax in their areas. However, how long the Government can deploy the army cadres all around these areas, while supplying food not only to the army cadres but also to the civilians in the LTTE–controlled areas and also to sending salaries to the Government employees? Tigers too should have moved towards a political solution, when many Tamil organizations had moved towards it. There is no use of blaming the army alone now", he said. 

We were shocked when he told us that he was living alone now after losing all his family members in the war. 

We went to see the bunker house, where LTTE chief Prabhakaran had lived, very near to Pudukudiyiruppu city. The army had removed the thick bushes and created a road now. They have erected barbed-wire fence on both the sides of this road and put caution boards on landmines there. The Sri Lankan Government has converted that bunker house as a tourist centre now by providing facilities like canteen and washrooms. When we went to this bunker house, some school children and a Tamil family from Jaffna were visiting it. 

The house looks like a big hall on the top. A net, carefully woven with dark and light green clothes, is spread on the roof of this house [when you see this house from the top it will look like trees and bushes]. Below this hall, Prabhakaran's house is constructed in three floors underneath the land. There is an underground car parking as well to enable to drive the car up to the ground floor and park it there. Each and every wall of this house built underneath the land has a thickness of 3 feet to make sure that the house cannot be destroyed even in bomb attacks and earthquakes. 

Apart from the usual stairs, there is a separate ladder stair from the third floor underneath land to the top to escape out on emergency situations. There are four dugouts of patrolling dogs around this house. Apart from this, there are four camps of human bomb security guards. A 12-feet high electric-wire fence is erected around these camps. In addition to this, there are four more security Camps. Another barbed-wire fence follows this. After this, there is an area, buried with landmines for few meters. Prabhakaran's bunker house had been constructed with such a high security. 

An army guide has been appointed to explain all this to the tourists. We could assume that the army has converted this bunker house as a tourist centre in order to make people understand the fact as to how safely the LTTE leader had lived while the civilians and ordinary Tigers were succumbing to bullets outside. 

Subsequently, we proceeded to Mullaitivu from Pudukudiyiruppu city. On the way, we saw some brand new houses in the outskirts [almost near the place where the final phase of the war was held] and hence we went to collect information there. We talked to a widow who was living in one of these houses with her two children. The woman said "the army had built this house for me when I was struggling without house". We asked from her about the war period. 

"During the war time, I did not come out of the house for many years due to the fear that the Movement would take me away. My mother gave me in marriage. After the marriage I was eagerly waiting to become pregnant. Because, I could come out freely if I am a pregnant woman as LTTE will not take away pregnant women. I could breathe the air of freedom. Likewise, I had started going out of my house after 4 months of my pregnancy. Even the LTTEers had stopped me and inquired. They allowed me to proceed only after believing that I was a pregnant woman. 

I used to go out with my infant child after she was born and never faced problems. However, when the child started growing I was under the fear that they could hand over my child to my mother and take me with them. Hence, I became pregnant once again and was roaming around freely. However, they [Movement] had started searching for my husband and he ran away from my house subsequently. He is yet to return to me", she said amidst tears. 

When we had a chat with an old woman nearby, she said, "India is the one building my house. They give SL Rs. 5.5 lakhs [INRS. 2.5 lakhs] to us. We have to buy building materials and employ a mason to build our houses. As the building works go on they will give money to us in installments. The price of sand is very high. We could able to build our houses within the allotted funds as we ourselves work as assistants to mason. We cannot build the houses in a luxurious way. We should thank India since we could at least build a basic house for us". 

Through this it seems that the allegations made by some people in Tamil Nadu that "funds given by India are getting looted" are false. [see the box news] 

Subsequently, when we were travelling towards Mullivaikkal, we saw a mega monument in the midst of a river. The Sri Lankan Government had built this monument in a way to declare the war victory. We saw some vehicles, seized from the LTTE, in a ruined state near this monument. Some sophisticated weapons and suicide boats seized from the LTTE, are displayed for public's view next to this monument. A photo exhibition on Sri Lanka too is available here and the tourists visit this area freely. 

Then, we went to Mullivaikkal along the banks of Nandikadal Lagoon. We could not see many houses there. We saw a dilapidated ship in the sea shore here. We inquired about this vessel, while sipping tea at an army-run canteen nearby. "This is the place where war had come to an end 100%. The few remaining tigers were hiding inside this vessel and were firing. The army had shot them down and completed the war," they said. When we inquired about the vessel they said that "the Tigers had dragged this foreign vessel, which got stranded in Sri Lankan territorial waters due to a technical failure to this area. They removed the engines and others parts from this vessel from time to time and used them for their boats", they said. 

Later, we went to Mullaitivu and had a chat with few Tamils there. They explained about the last day of the war. "We got caught in Mullivaikkal area along with the Tigers. They were not prepared to send us out. In the meantime, army had come close to us through Pudukudiyiruppu and Mullaitivu. Army was surrounding on both the sides. Sea was on one side and Nandikadal Lagoon was on the other side. We could not escape anywhere. We lost hopes that we could survive. At that time, Sri Lankan army advanced towards the sea area somehow and started attacking the Tigers from there. Hence we managed to escape through a narrow bridge on Nandikadal Lagoon and started running towards Mullaitivu. 

"The army which had initially fired at us had stopped the firing once it realized that we were civilians. Many people, who fell in the lagoon, in an attempt to escape from the firing, lost their lives in the water. After the civilians went out of the area, the army had entered in to it and brought the war to an end. Though, hundreds of civilians were killed along with the Tigers on the last day of the war, we should only call it as an unbelievable miracle that thousands of people like us managed to escape then and live alive now", they said. We could see a kind of fear on their eyes when they narrated the above incident. 

Subsequently, we went to meet the family of that ambulance driver. This family comprises of husband, wife and two sons. The elder son has an artificial leg. We had a chat with that driver. He said, "I work as an ambulance driver in a Government hospital. I was under the custody of the LTTE for more than 10 years. My job was to admit the Tigers, who suffer injuries in the war, in the hospitals. I had saved several thousands of Tigers in this way. I have two sons and one daughter. When my children started growing I got scared and pleaded the LTTE to release my family out of their custody. I believe that they would have sympathy on me by considering the help I did to them. But they did not accept my plea. 

"After some time I went to them and pleaded again, "I will stay here and serve you. Please send out my spouse and children" but they did not accept my plea. Instead they threatened me at gun point stating that "whether I was so concerned about my life". Subsequently, during one of the ariel attacks, my wife and children were forced to hide in a bunker but my daughter got buried in the sand and died alive", he said amidst tears while showing the wall paper photo of his daughter in his cell phone. 

"I went to the Movement once again bravely and pleaded them that I will stay with them until the very end and requested them to send my family out. They had chased me forcefully. Moreover, they came to my house the very next day and took my elder son also with them. When I and my wife fell at their feet and pleaded that we had just lost our daughter and therefore to leave my son, they threatened me at gun point once again. While we were weeping at home they took me forcefully to drive the ambulance. My son had managed to escape from them within few days. However, they came and took him away again before we hide him. 

He had attempted to escape from them next time too. They got angry and fired at his leg. The bullet pierced the flush above the knee and came out on the other side. I myself had to take my son in my ambulance and admit him in the hospital. The Red Cross vessel of the Sri Lankan Government used to visit Mullaitivu frequently during that time and take the injured people with them for treatment. The Tigers were the ones who were issuing passes and hand over the grievously injured people to the members of the Red Cross. Since the Red Cross vessel came to our area at the time when my son was shot at his knee, I had pleaded the LTTE to hand over my son to Red Cross but they did not accept it. "Bullet has come out, is it not? Let us have the treatment here itself" they said. However, the treatment given to him did not meet success and they amputated his leg within few days by saying that the internal veins got spoiled. 

"I wept inconsolably and protested. Subsequently, they had agreed to send my wife and younger son in the Red Cross vessel and they went out. During the final phase of the war, I managed to go to the "Receiving Point" by carrying my elder son with me and sought refuge with the army. We cannot see such worst monsters like Tigers anywhere in the world. If a separate state was established under their leadership, it would have been a most cruel country in the world", said the ambulance driver furiously. His wife said that, from the day they (LTTE) had realized that they were going to lose, they started behaving like animals". The youth, who had lost his leg, is yet to come out of the mental shock till date. 

Many sad stories like this are coming up against LTTE in many parts of the Northern Province. However, some people, who refuse to accept these facts, immediately raise questions like "if it is so, are all the Sri Lankan army cadres good people? "Is Rajapaksa a Mahatma? [A great person]" in a hurried way. We will search answer for the question, "Didn't the Rajapaksa-led Government commit any mistakes?", in the next edition. 

[To be continued]………S. J. Idhaya and A.A. Samy

Box News

Is there any corruption in the aid given by India?

"Many allegations like, "the Sri Lankan Government ransacks the funds given by India to the Sri Lankan Tamils to build new houses, houses are built for Sinhalese with the help of those funds and the Sri Lankan Government uses these funds for some other requirements" etc., have been raised here. When we inquired about these allegations at the Indian diplomatic circles, a Mission official said "initially it was decided to build houses only for 1,000 people through an agency. Subsequently, it was decided to remit the amount [SLRS. 5.5 Lakhs] in the bank account of the beneficiary directly at different installments, since there was a room for allegations surfacing on that matter. Accordingly, the Indian Government itself disburses money to the Tamil beneficiaries directly. Hence there is no chance of any kind of corruption, bribe or lack of quality to surface in this matter", he said. 

Likewise, even the work of laying railway tracks by India too is carried out through an Indian contractor only. It is said that the funds for this work were not given to the Sri Lankan Government directly. It is also said that China too, which is carrying out the work of laying highways – which it does as a help to Sri Lanka – through a Chinese contractor and with the help of Chinese workers only. 

Appreciation in Facebook

This serial article is published in "Thuglak Weekly" Facebook page every week and the readers of this Facebook page appreciate it a lot. Last week, when the "Thuglak in Sri Lanka-5" segment was published in that Facebook page more than 3,500 readers read it in a single day. Scores of people have "shared" that particular "Thuglak" page in their Facebook accounts. Though few readers have expressed opinions against this article, majority of them are going on appreciating "Thuglak" for exposing the ground reality in Sri Lanka. 

Moreover, it may be noted here that many Sri Lanka Tamil websites including akkininews.com, thenee.com, kattankudi.info, tbclondon.com, marikumar.blogspot .com too continue to publish this serial article in their web portals.

© THUGLAK, 2013

The True status of Tamils in Srilanka - (from Thuglak) Part -6

 Previous articles:

Part 1
Part 2

Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

"They are merciless sinners"

Those who had served the LTTE willingly as well as those who were recruited to their movement by force came to the Receiving Points of the army along with the civilians during the final phase of the war and surrendered before the army there. However, do you know as to who had helped the army to identify the Tigers from the surrendered lot?

The army, addressing the surrendered civilian groups, had announced "even if you had served the LTTE for one hour come out separately. We will release you after inquiries. Mostly young men and women, who were forcefully recruited to the LTTE cadres at the last stages, stood up and surrendered admitting the truth. 

However, those who had served the movement for many years did not admit the truth and remained silent. In that situation, civilians themselves stood up and incessantly complained, pointing out "here, he is the one who had dragged my son to the Movement. There, he is the one who had dragged my daughter to the Movement". This was a very clear proof to show the fact that as to how far the Tamils were angry on Tigers during the final phase of the war. Those, who were forcefully dragged to the Movement too had identified considerable numbers of their "Tiger Colleagues" on their part. 

Around 12,000 odd Tigers were identified in this way. 11,000 out of these 12,000 Tigers were sent to Rehabilitation Centers through judicial procedures provided technical training and were released subsequently in the last three years. There are only around 350 people in the Rehabilitation Center in Vavuniya as of now. There are around 20 people in the Women Center. These former Tigers are taught English, Sinhala, Computer and professional subjects of their choice at these Rehabilitation Centers in one year's time. They get released subsequently.

Since we had obtained a prior permission, we were allowed to visit the Women Rehabilitation Centre in Vavuniya. A Badrakali Amman Temple had invited us at the very entrance. We were surprised to find a Hindu temple inside an army camp amidst the allegation that the army demolishes Hindu temples. [The former women Tigers, who were at that Camp, told us that the army not only allowed the Hindu temple inside, but they worship at that temple too].

The former women tigers at that camp came out and sat before us, with the kind of vexed feeling. However, they started talking to us with smiling faces once they got to know that we were journalists from Tamil Nadu. They said, "We were fed up of being subjected to inquiries and being asked the same questions repeatedly in the last four years. We live in peace only after coming to this Rehabilitation Centre. We got vexed thinking that someone is coming to inquire us once again. Luckily you have come," they said. 

Because of this situation we did not ask them many questions and allowed them to speak on their own. They said with a vexed feeling, "we saw in television, the demonstrations of students in Tamil Nadu. We could have benefited out of it, if they had carried out these demonstrations 4-5 years back. What is the use of belated demonstrations now? ," they said. 

We selected 4-5 women from that group of former Tigers, who had served the LTTE for more than 5 years and talked to them. "We had joined the Movement voluntarily" they said. 

They have further said, "We had joined the LTTE due to our wish that we would gain an independent state and could live there peacefully and also got attracted by the campaigns of the LTTE. We underwent complete training and had served the Movement by wearing cyanide capsules. However, our interest level went down once we started realizing that we could not win and will lose. A change had occurred in our hearts when the loss of lives of innocent civilians had increased. We had started going closer to our relatives when our forces had started withdrawing gradually. They too had started telling us "you can't win hereafter. Come and join us". We have surrender before the army by believing army's declaration that Tigers too can surrender and they will not be killed. Hence we are alive now.

"Though we had suffered for few years in detention camps and prisons we live peacefully now. We will go out in the next few months time. After that we will live independently", they have said with a hope.

They also said, "Before we went to surrender to the army, we had a kind of fear that they will kill us and sexually harass us. However we had surrendered as we had no other option then. However, no bad incidents like that had happened to us here. We stay independently here. The army cadres celebrate our birthdays. They make arrangements, for us to celebrate all our festivals like Diwali, Christmas, Tamil New Year etc., They allow us to invite our relatives here during these festivities and dine with us happily. In fact, we live peacefully here," they said. 

Having said that, they brought a photo album of the above events and showed it to us. The army had even arranged the wedding of a former woman Tiger. A young son of a woman Tiger at the camp too was staying with her at the camp. The army takes care of his education. That child remains as a favourite child of all the women army officials there. The army had even conducted the "naming ceremony" of that child as per Tamil and Hindu customs.

We had questioned those former Tigers as to whether they are sad about not gaining the Tamil Eelam. They said, "Yes we are unhappy. However, can we think that the entire Tamil race here should get ruined because of the reason that we did not achieve Eelam? We have so many wishes in our life. Are we killing ourselves if those wishes are not fulfilled? We continue our lives by accepting the failures is it not? This is also like that only. Losing the lives, body parts and peace of minds of many people are enough. No more chaos should be created by talking about Tamil Eelam once again. It is a closed chapter. Hereafter, it is impossible anyway," they said firmly.

We asked them regarding the forceful recruitment of minor boys and girls to the LTTE cadres. A Woman [name removed] who had served the Movement more than 10 years spoke to us on that matter. She said, "When I had joined the Movement, all the youngsters had joined the Movement voluntarily. The Movement campaigned and made request to "give a child from each house". The children were not dragged to the Movement forcefully. Subsequently, at one stage, the LTTE had made the "one child per house" compulsory. 

"After 2004, due to the string of failures, a situation, where all the available children were dragged to the LTTE Movement, had risen. It was painful to see the Mothers' weeping and running behind the children. Those Mothers were chased away with a reply "get lost. We will not send your children to the war front. We will keep them for other works only". It was a pathetic sight. Some mothers hurl sand and curse the LTTE at times", she said. She suddenly broke up and said amidst tears, "want to forget……. Want to forget everything. Please forgive me". 

We consoled and encouraged her by extending our wishes to her for a new life. We did not ask any questions to her thereafter. We asked others "though many opportunities had come for a political solution, the LTTE had missed them …… Why you didn't realize at that time that it was wrong?" They replied "we did not have (direct) links with our leadership to the extent of telling them as to what was good and what was bad. We just carried out the duties assigned to us. That's all. During the final phase of the war, we had started to contradict to the instructions of our leadership, since even the Tamils, who were with us, had started scolding us. We had a pep talk within ourselves and surrendered before the army" they said. 

A youth, whom we met in Pudukudiyiruppu, spoke to us with so much fury on Tigers to the extent of proving the fact that even people had scolded Tigers during the final phase of the war. He said, "If you meet a youngster of my age here, he could be either a person who had escaped to a foreign destination or to other provinces during the final phase of the war. If he had stayed here, he might have been dragged to the LTTE Movement and sacrificed in the war. It is a great miracle that I managed to escape. They dragged me to the Movement on four occasions but I managed to escape on all those occasions. When I get escaped I can't go home. I used to hide in one of the houses somewhere. I lived without a single penny to eat even on those occasions. I became a thief, looted and filled my stomach on many occasions. They (LTTE) would nab me again in some other village. 

They had tonsured my head to identify me as a person who escaped from the Movement. In spite of that I managed to escape. I had negotiations with many weeping children at the Tigers' camp by telling them that "they have to pay me if I take them to their homes and they should give me refuge in their houses etc.", and I took them with me while escaping. Likewise, I got money from some houses and got refuge in other houses. I was even beaten by the Tigers for questioning them angrily "After killing everyone, whom you are going to accommodate in the Independent state which you try to achieve." 

Once army had formed "Receiving Points" in Sudanthirapuram and announced "No Fire Zones", people happily went to the "Receiving Points" in groups from the LTTE–controlled areas. While all were going in line, a woman Tiger, who was going in front of me, suddenly exploded as a human bomb amidst the people. Many civilians were killed on the spot in that attack. Many had lost their body parts and were suffering amidst bloodshed. Luckily I was not harmed in that attack. I just fell down. That's all. All those who fell down, stood up and ran backwards. Suddenly, a male human bomb Tiger, coming in a two-wheeler in front of us, too exploded himself and the two-wheeler suddenly. Some more people had died in this attack and many had lost their body parts and were struggling amidst bloodshed. My shoulder was injured in that attack only. After the explosion of these two human bombs, army went back. All of us, who were moving with a dream for liberation, were forced to return to the LTTE-controlled areas once again.

"On another occasion, I managed to escape to the "Receiving Point". I, as a Tamil, say that liberation Tigers were several times more brutal than the Sri Lankan army. If an Independent State had been established under their leadership, it would have been a graveyard for the Tamils. They were merciless sinners to the core", the youth, whom we met accidently, said furiously. When we went to have a talk with two women, who were buying cloths at a small textile shop in Pudukudiyiruppu, a youth, aged around 25 years, came to the shop in a two-wheeler. We had a talk with him as we thought that he might speak in favour of Tamil Eelam as he is a youth and hence wanted to get his opinion as well. But, the youth spoke to us so angrily (against LTTE).

"I have a plan to go to a foreign country and earn money there. However, the injury marks of the wound which I had suffered on my shoulder during the explosion of the LTTE human bomb are still seen on my shoulders. When I go abroad, if someone suspects me as a Sri Lankan Tamil and check me, might think – after seeing my injury marks - that I was a former Tiger. Hence, I have put a tattoo on those marks", he said while entering our car and showing his shoulders. [We have avoided putting his name and face, by keeping in mind his future interests]. 

When we were getting ready to go, the youth bid farewell to us by saying "you have come from Tamil Nadu. I don't know as to whether you will believe what I tell you and write what I told you. However, there is a government hospital in ………………. There is an ambulance driver called……… Don't forget to visit his family before you go", he said. 

Immediately, we wanted to know as to what kind of information the said family is having. We told our car driver to go to that village".

[To be continued…….. S. J. Ithaya and A.A. Samy]

BOX NEWS

Were the Tamil names of the villages changed?

"The names of Tamil villages are getting changed" is one of the main allegations put forth by the pro-LTTE supporters. Some people have released a list too on this matter. When we inquired this matter with some people there, they said "many places in the North and Eastern provinces have Sinhala names too. When these places were under LTTE's control, the name boards of those villages were in Tamil only. Now, the government has written the names of all the places in the name boards in English, Tamil and Sinhala languages.

For example, a place called "Aanai Iravu" in Tamil is also called as Elephant Pass in English and "Ali Mankada" in Sinhala. All these names mean "a place where elephants cross". Hence, they have started using the names in all the three languages but it doesn't mean at all that they have removed the Tamil names. Tigers had given the names of their martyrs to few places and streets. Those names have been removed completely", they said. All the name boards of the villages, we have seen, were written in three languages only. 

Chinese dominate in Sri Lanka?

A rumour, "that the dominance of Chinese in Sri Lanka has gone up?", prevails in India. We had visited many places like Colombo, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Baticolla, Kandy etc., during our six-day trip to Sri Lanka. We did not see even a single Chinese during this trip. When we inquired this matter with some people in Colombo, they said, "Chinese government has been building an express high-way which connects Central Sri Lanka with Northern Sri Lanka. If you go there, you can see the Chinese working in that project", they said. Therefore, the indirect dominance of Chinese government might exist in Sri Lanka. However, it seems that the direct role of the Chinese remains only up to this level in Sri Lanka.

Ethnic cleansing effort?

A strong accusation, that an attempt was made to ruin the Tamil race in Sri Lanka, is being made in Tamil Nadu. A member of EPDP, while commenting on this matter, has said, "people believe the pre-planned rumours spread by the politicians of Tamil Nadu and the Members of the Tamil Diaspora, who do not know any of the things happening here. If it is ethnic cleansing, the army could have killed the 12,000 surrendered Tigers, is it not?. The Eastern Province and Jaffna came into army's control from the LTTE long back. The army could have massacred Tamils in all those areas as well. However, no such things had happened. Around 3 lakhs of Tamils came out of the LTTE-controlled areas during the final phase of the war. The army did not massacre all these people. In the war against the LTTE, the army did not purposely kill any Tamil in other areas but some civilians were killed after being kept as human shields by the Tigers. Hence how this could be termed as an ethnic cleansing act," he questioned.

© THUGLAK, 2013

The True status of Tamils in Srilanka - (from Thuglak) Part -5

 Previous articles:

Part 1
Part 2

Part 3
Part 4

People who were dragged to the LTTE Movement 

When we went to Women Army Camp in Kilinochchi to meet the Tamil Women who had joined the SLA recently, we met Maj. Bandula, Officer-in charge of the SLA Camps in Kilinochchi. He has explained to us the activities of the SLA in Kilonochchi. 

"When we had captured Kilinochchi, there were no living creatures except birds. It was totally abandoned. The Tigers had taken the people to Kilinochchi along with them as human shields. However the army did not cause even slightest of damage to the houses and the Hindu temples here. In the last four years after the completion of the final phase of the war, 1,35,605 Tamils of 42,580 Tamil families have been resettled so far. 

There is no distress situation here as allegedly campaigned in Tamil Nadu. There is not even a single family in the barbed-fenced camp in Kilinochchi. Not even single Sinhala family except the army cadres have been settled here. All are rumors only. Those who raise such allegations should tell it with evidence like "a barbed-fenced camp is situated in this area…so many people are staying there… This many Sinhala families are settled in this area etc.," They should not make irresponsible statements. 

In fact, SLA strongly supports the Tamils here. The government has allocated 1.75mn for the rehabilitation of Kilinochchi and spending money accordingly. More than 20,000 houses are being built. We educate 3,000 Tamil students at SLA's cost. Apart from this, it has been made compulsory for each and every army soldier to give a minimum of Rs. 100 per month to the Education of Tamil students as a donation. With the help of this money, scholarships are given to 400 Tamil students. Free shoes are given to the students at the cost of the SLA. The SLA itself has given free bicycles to more than 1000 school boys and girls. 

Moreover, free technical training is provided, on behalf of the army, to the young men and women in this area. They are provided with training in various fields like electrical works, mason works, carpentry works, tailoring work, cooking, bakery works, repairs of cell phones, computers and beautician courses etc., So far around 14,000 people including 10,683 former Tigers have received training in these fields", Major Bandula explained. 

Finally he said one thing: "SLA's task was only to eliminate terrorism and not decimate the Tamils. War was over long back. The present goal of the army is to create 5 R's namely Rehabilitation, Reintegration, Reconstruction, Resettlement and Reconciliation. These are the five goals of the army now. We will implement them," he said.

Subsequently, we were given an opportunity to meet around 40 women out of 102 Tamil women who had joined the SLA recently. We had a discussion independently with these Tamil women without the presence of any of the army officials around us. All young women were about 21-25 years old. They draw a salary of SL.Rs. 35,000 per month. They have said that they get SL.RS. 30,000/- as net salary after a deduction of Rs. 5,000/-. They said that this salary was a great help to their economically-down families.

One of these women said, "We feel as to why we have joined this job. All our relatives abroad degrade our family and view us as "traitors". They have stopped the assistance, which they were extending to us in the past, because of this reason" she said sadly. 

Another woman has said, "Even in my house there was a big opposition for my decision of joining the army. My Mother was scared that our relatives will talk bad about us. However I categorically told my Mother that "only we have to improve our economy. we can't starve and die just because of the fact that we should get a good name from our well-to do relatives abroad" and convinced her to allow me to join this job", she said. Some women even asked us, "Brother, what do you think about this matter. Do you mistake us", they asked. Our Tamil sympathizers have created a guilty feeling, to that extent, among these women. [We replied to these women, "this is your life, there is nothing wrong in doing something which you feel as right. Those in foreign countries will send you only their words and not lives," we told them]. 

The women have said that they live in peace and harmony after the war. They said that the army cadres treat them very respectfully and affectionately. We had doubt as to whether there were any cameras in the room in which we had a discussion with these women and whether the army cadres had already threatened them that they should speak only in this way. Subsequently, we took few women to the shade of a tree outside and talked to them separately. The army officials did not object it. At that venue also the women had praised the army in the same manner. They have categorically told us "we were not compelled to talk only like this to you". They also told us, amidst happiness, that "truly they treat us very affectionately. They have given loans to us to buy two-wheeler now", they said. 

We had asked them who and who had served the LTTE organization. They initially hesitated to tell about those details. However, after we had replied to all their questions and the situation was somewhat eased out, two women raised their hands. [They asked us questions like whether they could meet Rajini if they visit Chennai, whether Shalini and Jyotika will act in Tamil films in the future and whether Simbhu- Dhanush clash was true or not etc.,] 

We met those two women separately. They had served the LTTE organization only for few months. [The Tamils there mention the LTTE organization as "Iyakkam" i.e. Movement, in short). 

Both of these women were not the ones who had joined the Movement voluntarily. They were forcefully dragged by the Tigers to join the Movement. The Tigers who had initially imposed a condition that each and every family should give a child to the Movement, had been dragging young men and women to their Movement during the final phase of the war. They did not spare even minor children aged 14-15. 

The first woman (name removed) had served the movement only for few months. "The Movement had captured me and my younger sister first. They did not involve us in training since the final phase of the war was going on then. When we had surrendered before the army later, the army cadres had detained me in a detention camp for nine months since I was a former militant. Subsequently they had freed me after realizing that I had served the Movement only by force as I was young. I was not put to any kind of torture at that detention camp. The army, apart from giving me food and cloths, had also helped me to continue my education. However, I am not aware of the whereabouts of my younger sister so far. She went missing after she was taken away by the Tigers. I don't know as to whether she is still alive or dead," she said amidst tears. 

The second woman [name removed] was forcefully recruited to the Movement during the end of 2008. She said "LTTE had recruited me and my elder Brother. My Mother went all around to make sure that she gets back at least one of us. She went to each and every camp and pleaded there. Subsequently, they had taken away my younger sister too. However, my younger sister was a courageous girl. Even if the LTTE captures her, she would return home after escaping from them, within few days. I neither knew the route nor had courage. Once I made such an attempt to escape and got caught. When the LTTE catches those who escape, they will tonsure the head of the boys and do bob cut for girls. They had used these techniques to ensure that they grab those who escape easily next time. Many girls had wept and screamed for losing their long hair. 

"I had undergone training for 1½ months. I did not have strength to carry guns. I used to be awake at nights due to fear. They thought that I was waiting to escape and hence threatened me that "they will shoot me if I try to escape". During the final phase of the war, they had taken away even minor children due to shortage of people. Mothers had cried inconsolably then, do you know that? Minor children, who could not hold even riffles, were also dragged away. Because of these reasons all had started hating Tigers. I and few others went to the "Receiving Points" in Sudandirapuram in February 2009. I was not aware of the whereabouts of my family members then. I wanted to see my Mother at the camp but it did not happen. I was so fond of my younger brother but I could not see him too. Due to these sad feelings I was roaming around the Camp without eating for many days. I gave letters to the army listing out the names of the missing members of my family. Subsequently, I came to know through a neighbor that my Mother too had come to the "Receiving Point" and I finally met her at the camp', she said. 

Of course, this woman was in the Movement only for few months. However, once the army came to know that she was in the Movement they had detained her in the detention camp for 2¾ years and in prison for 4 months. The name, which was given to her by the Movement, was the reason behind this lengthy detention. Once a person joins their Movement, Tigers used to give new Tamil names to them. Accordingly, this woman was given the name of a dead woman militant. Since that name was a well known and familiar name to the SLA, she was subjected to a lengthy inquiry due to a fear that the woman was actually the dead militant. 

The woman, who was blaming LTTE organization for losing her young days unjustifiably, said, "The army did not treat us badly ever after coming to know that we were former Tigers. Until I stayed at that camp they gave me education apart from providing food and clothes to me. I wrote my school final examinations when I was at that army camp only. I neither experienced any sexual harassment nor witnessed them. I did not hear any such incidents among the fellow inmates as well. However there is such a talk outside. But, as far as myself is concerned, I did not witness any such things," she said. 

She further said, "my aunt's family came to my place [name of the place removed] from Jaffna to celebrate Pongal with us in 2006. However, the LTTE had blocked the road by burying landmines during that time and they had suffered a hell of a pain since they could not return to Jaffna. There were incidents wherein some well-to do people paid money to the Movement and got released. However, all cannot afford to do this, is it not?" she said. 

Those, who had served the LTTE voluntarily as well as those who were forcefully recruited to the LTTE, came to "Receiving Points" of the army along with the civilians during the final phase of the war and surrendered before the SLA. However, how the army cadres had identified those Tigers from the surrendered civilians and separated them? We will tell about those facts, which cannot be digested at all by the Pro-LTTE supporters here, in our next edition.

[to be continued]. 

NOTE: Since all the interviews were mostly recorded in audio and video, there was an opportunity to listen to these interviews once again and publish this article in the local language of the Sri Lankan Tamils itself. However, the article is published in the media Tamil itself since it would be very difficult for the readers to understand and also we have to give explanations frequently in brackets.

– S.J. Idhaya and A. A. Samy.

 

Box News 

Are Hindu Temples being Demolished?

An Army official has challenged us by saying "It was campaigned throughout Tamil Nadu that Hindu temples were demolished and Buddhist temples were built". You go to any Tamil area and inquire. Not even a single Hindu temple in any of these areas is demolished. Buddhism is mixed well with Hinduism. Buddhist temples have places even for Hindu Gods. The Buddhists worship Hindu Gods too. Hindu temples are getting refurbished at government's cost after the war. However, a leader, who was holding the post of Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu, had himself complained that Hindu temples were demolished in Sri Lanka. There is no better example than this to show that only misinformation reach Tamil Nadu", he pointed out. When we asked about this from TNA's Saravanabavan, MP, he said "Of course, they are building new Buddhist temples here but there is no information that Hindu temples were demolished here". When we met the Mayor of Jaffna, she said "No Hindu temples were demolished. The Government refurbishes each and every Hindu temple here at a cost of several lakhs of rupees.

We ourselves saw new Buddhist temples built in Kilinochcdhi, Pudukudiruppu and Mullaitivu areas. When we asked an Army official about it, he said "These (Buddhist) temples were not built with a specific vow that Buddhist temples should be built in Tamil areas. In the past these areas were completely under LTTE's control. However, now army camps are put up here on "national security" reasons. These temples have been built for the Buddhists living in these army camps to worship. Building a new Buddhist temple doesn't mean that Hindu religion is getting destroyed. Just see how many Lord Muguga & Lord Vinayaga temples have been built by the Hindus, who got migrated from here, in Canada, Britain, Norway and Australia. Were the people in those nations thought that these Hindus were thinking of ruining the Christian religion in their nations because of building Hindu temples there?" he questioned us.

Box News 

"Why the Tamils escape to foreign countries even now?'

Many members of Tamil Diaspora send cash assistance to the Tamils living in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu areas now. Many Tamil families told us "independent Eelam…oh my goodness. What we had gone through is enough" but requested us not to publish either their names or photos. When we asked them the reason for it, they said "the members of Tamil Diaspora support independent Eelam. If we say that "independent Eelam is not at all necessary", they will become angry on us and stop sending money to us"

During our conversations, we could understand that the local Tamils were jealous and little angry on the Members of Tamil Diaspora. "They had migrated to foreign countries and settled their lives there before they face big loses like deaths, loss of body parts, loss of lives of members of families etc., It is not sure as to whether they or their generation will come and live in Eelam if in case Eelam is formed here. However, they have been provoking more and more from there, by saying "independent nation, public referendum" etc., 

Because they could continue their life in those countries only if this issue exists continuously. Moreover, they could bring their other close relatives, living here, to their places in the guise of "refugees". Hence, there is no point in holding a referendum on independent Eelam among the Members of Tamil Diaspora" they said. On the other hand, many of the Tamils in Vanni still have a wish to migrate to foreign countries including Canada, Europe and Australia. A Tamil family has said "we want to forget the cruelties we had experienced in this land. Moreover, the movement of the army here still causes stiffness in our life. We cannot hide the fact that we still have a hidden fear as to what would happen and when it would happen. Hence, many of us have a mentality that it is good to have a settled life in a peaceful foreign country. Hence, incidents, of fleeing to foreign countries in illegal ferries, are taking place" they said.

 

© THUGLAK, 2013

 

 

The True status of Tamils in Srilanka - (from Thuglak) Part -4

Previous articles:

Part 1
Part 2

Part 3

 

"Landmines yet to be removed" 

Since we had travelled in the Jaffna-Kilinochchi A9 highway during the day time, we could see the caution boards' with red-coloured skulls and two bones on both the sides of the road. The moment we had stopped the car and got down from it 6-7 persons, wearing a strange uniform, sunglasses covering the face and with walkie-talkies rushed towards our vehicle, all of a sudden. They chased us away by saying "don't stop the car here, start immediately". 

A person, who identified us as Tamils by seeing our faces, has cautioned, "the work of removing landmines is going on here. One of the landmines may blast at any time. Therefore there is no permission to stop the vehicles here. Go away immediately". Then only we saw the "caution board" which read danger landmines. 

Subsequently, we have started our car journey and saw similar "Caution Boards" on both the sides of the road for few kilometers. Many people were involved in the work of removing the buried land mines. They dig sand, get confirmed that there are no landmines and then insert a stick on the place to identify that it is a safe place. [Earlier they used to run a unmanned robot vehicle in these areas and trigger blasts. Subsequently they will manually dig the sand and confirm that this place has no landmines. A mere look makes us understand that this job is a very risky one. Earlier landmines were removed in the places where people were to be resettled and then they were resettled there. After completing that work this work has started in this forest area. We came to know about this information through a army official whom we met later]. 

 

Moreover, all the Palmyra trees in that area had lost its leaves and stood like lamp posts. The Tamil driver, who was driving our car, explained us the significance of that area. "Jaffna started getting liberated from the control of the LTTE since 2004 itself. Since Jaffna has an harbor and airport, the Sri Lankan government brought a huge quantum of army troops there and brought Jaffna under their control. However, Kilinochchi was under the control of the LTTE till January 2009. 

"In this situation, since the army was advancing in this Jaffna-Kilinochchi road, the LTTE had buried landmines throughout this area. Hence a severe battle took place in this area for many years. Severe aerial attacks had taken place here. All the trees here were burnt in these attacks only. The army, which had eliminated the LTTE by carrying out incessant aerial attacks in these areas, removed landmines for many months, created a road, advanced ahead and captured Kilinochchi. Since this is the area where large number of landmines were buried, the work of removing these landmines is not yet finished", the driver said. 

When we neared Kilinochchi, army and police have intercepted our car on the way. When we thought that they are going to enquire us, they gave us pamphlets in our hands and asked the driver to drive the vehicle safely and then allowed us to proceed. 

 

We saw a very clean Kilinochchi when we arrived there. All the buildings like new schools, new government offices, new power stations etc., looked very new. We saw private buildings of Tamils and the renovated new jewelry shops and two-wheeler showrooms. We could see school students, both boys and girls, roaming around the unmanned streets with their uniforms, without any fear. When we reached the office of V. Ananda Sangaree, MP, former Secretary, TULF, we saw a huge water tank felled on the road completely. When we asked the passersby about it, they have said that the Tigers had blasted this water tank to prevent the army cadres from procuring water out of this tank. The LTTE had left this place only after the bombing the government completely here, they said. 

We took a photograph of that water tank and met V. Ananda Sangaree, former MP and Secretary of TULF at his office. He was in the TNA alliance earlier, but left it now. He said, "LTTE chief Prabhakaran too as bad as like Rajapaksa. Prabhakaran prevented many Tamils of Vanni from going out of Vanni even during the severe war and decimated many Tamil families by keeping them as human shields. TNA too has the same share as Prabhakaran in decimating the Tamils. 

"TNA too was one of the reasons for the decimation of Prabhakaran and thousands of Tamils by not preparing him for a political solution. TNA, though it was aware that several lakhs of Tamils were caught in LTTE's zone during the final phase of the war, did not take any efforts to safe them. They might have thought to let Prabhakaran and his family die, since they could not do politics if Prabhakaran was alive", Ananda Sangaree said. 

 

He further said, "opportunities for a solution came up at many stages. Even Rajapaksa too came forward to accept an Indian model provincial council solution at one stage. But the LTTE had chosen only disaster. Rajapaksa had called Tamil parties even at the last juncture. He told us that nearly 65,000 Tamils had surrendered to the army and only around 20,000 people were still in LTTE's custody. However, I had refused his statement and said "three lakhs civilians were in LTTE's control". But Rajapaksa was angry on me and told me not to bluff.

"However, I repeated the above statement categorically and then he believed it to some extent. Hence he ordered to send additional quantum of food materials to them. [During the war time, food was sent by the Sri Lankan government to the Tamils in the LTTE-controlled areas every day. Moreover, Rajapaksaa had created many "No Fire Zones" and announced that people may come out and seek refuge under the army's receiving point. On the first day of his announcement itself 85,000 people came to "receiving point "from the LTTE controlled areas. In the subsequent days, around 2.80 lakhs Tamils came out. The war had intensified further only after that stage and came to a conclusion. [See-box news]. 

"Though the LTTE had done a mega error and decimated the Tamils it cannot be punished since it was a militant outfit. However, the same error should not be committed by a government. There should be some restrictions for it. It should not lose patience and massacre thousands of people too. No one can hang Rajapaksa even if many complaints on human rights violations raised at the international arena. Only the God can punish him. As otherwise, the next government should hold an enquiry and get him the punishment. These things will never take place. 

 

However, it is enough, if the future governments take action to treat Tamils on par with others. Though India is fighting against Islamic militants it made Abdul Kalam, a Muslim, as its President. It did not make a community, which was accused by few people that it had killed Indira Gandhi and it had people who demanded separatism, as a culprit and generously made a Sikh as its President. We expect the same generosity, accorded by India wherein Mahatma Gandhi was born, from the Sri Lanka government too. Let the Tigers go and let them give equal rights to Tamils here." V. Ananda Sangaree, concluded. 

When we were dining at a restaurant there, a person told us, "the Tamil women of this area have been recruited to the Sri Lanka army cadres now. 102 young Tamil women have joined the army now. The highlight here is some of these women had served the LTTE organization. If you go to Women Wing of the Army Camp in Kilinochchi you can meet many of these women" he said. Subsequently, we made an attempt to meet these women at the Kilinochchi Army Camp and our efforts tasted a success. 

"New Tamil women joined the same Sri Lankan Army which was scolded by the people in Tamil Nadu now? Moreover some of them were former Tigers? We rushed to the Camp with a shock and surprise. 

--- S. J. Idhaya and A. A. Samy. 

 
[To be continued]

BOX News 

Is the action of Tamil Nadu fishermen justified?

Controversies are coming up continuously on the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the SLN. Those who raise voice for the Tamils in Jaffna are the ones mostly raise voice for the Tamil Nadu fishermen as well. Hence we made an attempt to know the opinions of the Tamils fishermen in Jaffna on the attacks carried out on Tamil Nadu fishermen.

When we met A. Sagayaraja, President of Jaffna Marine Development Association, he said, "there are large numbers of fishes in the Sri Lankan coast. Hence the Tamil Nadu fishermen sail upto Sri Lankan coast for fishing. We had seen the fishing boats of Indian fishermen, from our coast, on many occasions. Both of us could enter the Marine territory of other country within 90 minutes of starting our boats. 

"In the past we were scared to do fishing trade due to the fear of war and went to do other jobs. Because of this fact Indian fishermen had dominated our sea areas and were fishing there. However, many of us here have lost several kinds of professions and have come to the fishing trade now. Hence we are forced to tackle the dominance of Indian fishermen now. The Indian fishermen use new technology and sophisticated fishing methods in fishing when compared to us. Hence we find it difficult to overcome them and do fishing. 

"There is a ban for using trawler mechanized boats here. However, the Indian fishermen use double nets on the single nets and take away all the fishes. When we went to attend the St. Antony's festival in Katchchativu we made an attempt to talk to the Indian fishermen who visited there. However, they did not attend the talks and returned to India. Both of us are Tamils. We don't know how to approach this issue. It is better if we hold talks with them and allot separate fishing time deadline for them and us to avoid any problems. We are ready to do other jobs for our livelihood during off-fishing season", he said. An outfit called Movement of War Affected People," had carried out a rally for about 600 km in Northern coast of Sri Lanka last year. The above rally was carried out to demand to stop Indian fishermen from doing fishing with the help of double nets. 

Some of the fishermen in Jaffna, have questioned "if only GPS equipments are fixed in all the fishing boats of the Indian fishermen and monitor these boats through satellite links, then the truth as to where they do fishing will be exposed. Will the Indian government do it"? they asked. 


BOX News

                                                
Who Killed Balachandran?

It may be said that the photos of Balachandran had provoked the pro-Sri Lanka Tamils feelings hidden in Tamil Nadu. Only after this, demonstrations had started in Tamil Nadu. When we asked about this matter to the army officials they said, "it is true that we got the dead body of Balachandran but we don't know who had killed him. Some people accuse the SLA because the SLA attire was seen in one of the photos. The whole world knows the fact that Tigers had used the attire of the SLA on many occasions. 

"Moreover in today's digital world photos can be morphed according to our liking. Moreover, "that child was in a bunker surrounded by sand–filled gunny bags" was the only truth revealed by that photograph. It might even be a bunker of the LTTE? Tigers were always prepared to bite cyanide capsules to prevent their arrest by the LSA. Even the Tigers could have taken the decision to make sure that the child should not be nabbed by the army, is it not? 

Those, who accuse the SLA that it had shot dead Balachandran mercilessly, should question themselves as to why the army gave biscuits to him before shooting him down. Those, who were so merciless to the extent of killing a child would not have given biscuits for his hungriness, is it not," they question us. 

Mostly wrong informations on Sri Lanka are passed to the Tamils in Tamil Nadu. We assume that the members of Tamil Diaspora spread this wrong information through internrt. In this digital world one can do anything using graphics. Killing of nabbed SLA cadres by the LTTE was wrongly campaigned as SLA had killed Tamils. Terrorists can act in any way. However, army cadres of a government have a duty to answer many people in future. Hence the people in Tamil Nadu should not forget the fact that the army cadres cannot act as per their wish" army official said. 

V. Ananda Sangaree, MP, former Secretary, TULF, when he was asked to comment on this matter, said, " it is nothing surprising that the death of the child had shattered the Tamils in Tamil Nadu. A child's death is powerful to shatter any human being. However, the same Tamils in Tamil Nadu should also take into account the numbers of children massacred by the LTTE", he said and showed few newspapers which had published the photos of many children killed in the attacks carried out by the LTTE. " W should show the same mercy and sympathy for the deaths of these children as well, is it not?" he questioned. 

However, many of the Sri Lankan Tamils too, like the people in Tamil Nadu, had talked about Balachandran death in a moving way. The majority of the people in Sri Lanka feel that SLA was responsible for Balachandran's death. However, his death has not affected them to the same extent in which it had affected the people of Tamil Nadu, since all the Tamil families in Sri Lanka too had lost children like Balachandran. Even Prabhakarn death too did not cause a big impact on them. They are on the verge of a very vexed state to the extent that they treat any death ordinarily.

 

© THUGLAK, 2013

 

The True status of Tamils in Srilanka - (from Thuglak) Part -3

Previous articles:

Part 1
Part 2

'Thuglak' in Sri Lanka – Part 3

 

"Tamils will live independently" 

"Jaffna, the northern corner of Sri Lanka, has attained such a great development to the extent of raising a question as to whether it had actually faced a war. We saw farming going on in greenish paddy fields there. The roads looked new and government buildings have been renovated. The work of renovating Hindu temples was going on. New 3-wheelers were roaming around the city. People lead a normal and casual life. A new Tamil film [Kadal] was running in a theater. However, many dilapidated houses could be seen here and there, in an agonizing way, as the monuments of war [See the box pictures]. 

Brand new shops were seen all along the roads. A senior citizen told "all the youth, who sought refuge in foreign countries, have returned to Sri Lanka after the war. They get more opportunities for fishing related livelihood only. Since many houses are being constructed now, they work as masons. The well-to-do people and those who get assistance from the relatives abroad open new shops and hence you see all the news shops here. Putting up 50,000 shops in such a small area is too much. If all set up their shops, where can we go for buyers then?" the senior citizen asked. 

Though army cadres were seen here and there they did not stop and check any vehicles. It seems that they were not intercepting anyone for checking as well. A youth said casually "they do their duty as usual and we will move around as usual". 

A complaint, that the Sri Lankan Government had settled Sinhalese in Jaffna is being made against the GoSL. When we enquired about this complaint with some of the Tamils, only few of them made such a complaint in general but none have said in a way that "so many Sinhalese have been settled in such and such areas". 

An official of Jaffna Municipality has said, "A law called "Thesavalamai Law" exists here. Except the Tamils of Northern Province, no one either from Colombo or from the Southern Sri Lanka cannot come to the North to buy properties here". A Tamil has been appointed as the Government Agent (Collector) here. He has all the data regarding the land. No one can amend the documents of several years all of a sudden. Sinhala settlement is an impossible issue. Only the land of few Tamil Muslims families, who were chased away by the LTTE in 1983, have been returned to them", the official said. The Jaffna's Army Major General Hathurusinghe had agreed to meet us. When we met him, he said, "barbed-wire fenced camps do not exist not only in Jaffna but also in any other parts of Sri Lanka. Four years have gone since the end of the war. How can we still keep the civilians in the camps? They have been sent back to their own land. Roads, government hospitals, government offices etc., have been refurbished at the cost of several crores of rupees. Development projects are going on in the North to the extent that the people in the South envy that North is prospering and the South is going down. Sinhala settlement is a blatant lie". 

Several thousands of Sinhala families were chased away by the LTTE from Jaffna in 1983. The government is prepared to re-settle these families in Jaffna if they are prepared to come back. However none of the Sinhalese are prepared to settle here. However, a false complaint on Sinhala settlement here is being spread. I am ready to leave this place immediately if anyone can prove that the Government has forcefully settled any Sinhala family in Jaffna", he challenged. 

He continued, "only the army cadres and the officials are here. Those who had served as soldiers during the war time were different and the soldiers of the present National Security Force are different. People maintain a good friendship with us. A woman come to us and complains that her drunken husband beats her. She did not go to Police. Women have so much confidence on the army to the extent that they telephone our camp and say that their children are unwell instead of informing the ambulance. We had built houses for many poor people and widows" he said. 

We visited the places where the army had built houses and schools. The Tamils in those areas have said "the army helps us in fact". However, their need is always more. Their economic situation is very weak. 

An army official said, "there are no Tigers here as of now. But their supporters are here. Army is not ruling here. The TNA does politics here without weapons on par with LTTE. Many anti-GoSL political parties function here. The law implementing courts function here. Foreign Organizations keep visiting here. Nobody can deceive any one here by telling blatant lies", he said. 

Yogeswari, the Tamil Major of Jaffna, has said, "development projects are on going on a fast track after the war. Jaffna, which looked like a dark continent during LTTE's time, is getting back its past glory now. Earlier it took 14 hours to go to Colombo from here. Now we can reach Colombo in 7 hours time. Changing the population of Tamils in the North, which stood at 18.6%, to 12.7% was the achievement of the LTTE. They had rejected the opportunities given by India on a gold platter, ruined themselves and also ruined scores of Tamils. This is the only benefit they had gained. 

"The LTTE organization was the one which had assassinated three Tamil Mayors who were elected by the people of Jaffna. Meet people in Kilinochchi and Mulaivaikal and ask them and you will come to know as to who had committed war crimes and human rights violations then", she said emotionally. She further said "Cho, the editor of Tuglak, was the only one who had been approaching Sri Lanka issue from the very beginning in Tamil Nadu in the correct perspective. He was the one who had said that an independent Eelam was impossible and that the LTTE would cause only destruction", she said. 

When we met Siribavananda Raja, Director of Jaffna Hospital - which is one of the biggest hospitals in Sri Lanka – he said, "large numbers of patients come to this hospital. All the war–affected patients physically had been sent back home after the treatment. Treatment continues only for those who are affected mentally. We received a huge quantum of medicine and medial equipments from India" he said. 

While China is putting up a four-lane roadway from Central Sri Lanka to the North, India is putting up the railway track. India is putting up railway tracks at a cost of USD 800 Mn from Madhavachchi to KKS. Apart from this, India is also setting up – at its own cost - a mega industry which could give employment opportunities to 40000 people. 

When we met Sri Lanka Cabinet Minister and leader of EPDP Douglas Devananda at his office in Jaffna, he said "At one stage, I too had taken up arms and fought. However, I had returned to the political path when I decided that an independent state was impossible and only a political solution was appropriate. India had paved way for a political solution but LTTE did not accept it. IPKF arrived here. LTTE did not accept it. Premadasa and Chandrika, former Presidents, too were ready for a political solution but the LTTE did not accept it as well. Even Mahinda Rajapaksa came forward for talks. But the LTTE did not make use of that opportunity as well. The LTTE had branded all the Tamil leaders, who had favoured a political solution, as "Tamils Traitors" and assassinated them. They had attempted to kill me on 12 occasions and many of my associates including my brother were killed in those attempts. Prabakaran, who had strongly followed "adamancy" as his policy, had ruined the Tamil community which had faith on him and ruined himself too in the end. They had not only massacred scores of Tamil leaders and innocent Tamil civilians but also ruined the Tamils culture, education, economy, peace of mind and the determination of the Tamils as well. Today we hold office after been elected by the same Tamils. 

Doing good things for Tamils by joining hands with the government is the wise move. Since we are an ally in the ruling party, we had stressed the government and made sure that several high security zones, which were under army's control, were removed gradually. In the passage of time army will be withdrawn completely and the Tamils will live very independently. There should be no doubt about this. However, TNA, which claims that it works for Tamils, doesn't assist any of the efforts taken by the government. Then, how the Tamils will get good things? Taking anti-government approach cannot do any good for Tamils, is it not? 

The government-appointed LLRC had submitted a report after the war. The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) too was formed to consider the recommendations of LLRC. However, TNA is not prepared to participate in the PSC. We should make use of such opportunities, if we really want good things to happen to the people, is it not? The elections for the Northern Province are going to be held at the end of this year. Hence the dark era of Tamils has passed and the good time is going to dawn for them in the future. Our party will support for this", Douglas Devananda said.

We met Ganga, a bus operator at the Jaffna bus stand, and he was happy to speak to us when he came to know that we were from Thuglak. He said "Your editor, Cho remains as a forecaster, not only in the Indian and Tamil Nadu politics but on the Sri Lanka politics too. Even when the entire Tamil Nadu had approached the Eelam issue emotionally, he had conveyed a very clear view on the issue. What he said then has come true now. The LTTE had prevented Thuglak magazine from reaching us here. Please take action to ensure that we get Thuglak magazine again," he requested. 

Subsequently, we continued our journey from Jaffna to Kilinochchi in A9 highway. On the way we sighted a thing which remained as a witness to the peak of the concluded war and the remains of it"……

(To be continued) S. J. Idhaya and A. A. Samy. 

ENEMIES OF EELAM TAMILS

A Jaffna-based person has said that all the confusions surrounding the Sri Lanka Tamils issue would be cleared if only we search answer for a question as to who is supposed to take decision on the stands of the Sri Lanka Tamils issue. Following are the arguments put forth by him: 

"Who has to take a decision on the Sri Lanka Tamils issue? Are the members of the Tamil Diaspora who ran away to foreign destinations to save their lives due to war and leading posh lives there now with the mercy of those countries? Are the politicians in Tamils Nadu who do politics by enjoying the benefits extended by these members of Tamil Diaspora? Are students who protested in Tamil Nadu because of the sentiment of fighting for fellow Tamils, without even knowing the history of Sri Lanka, the people who were responsible for the losses suffered by the Tamils in the war and the fact that the number of Tamils, who were decimated by fellow Tamils, was more than the Tamils massacred by the Sri Lankan Government? or we the people who live in our own land, Sri Lanka? Who among the above has to take the decision? 

Without doubt, we should be the ones, is it not? All should accept only our decision, is it not? Because we are the ones living here, is it not? All others should accept our decision only, since we are in a mental frame that the life already lost was enough and the remaining should live peacefully in the rest of their lives and therefore we should go behind only those who can do good for us, is it not? What are the decisions given by the Tamils here? 

The Jaffna Tamils had given majority to EPDP, an ally of the ruling party, in the Mayor at elections in 2009. EPDP had captured the Jaffna Mayor post in 2009. In the 2010 Parliament elections, the Tamil parties in the ruling front had captured three constituencies in Jaffna. All those voted were Tamils only and not Sinhalese. 

The Pro-LTTE TNA won 23 seats in 2009 elections but got only 14 seats in 2010 elections which were held in 2010, after the final phase of the war. The TNA could not win the Eastern Provincial Council as well. This is the situation in all the places where Tamils had voted in large numbers. If all the parties, which had forged alliance with a ruling party are Tamil traitors, then what about the Eelam Tamils who had voted for them? 

In fact, those who attempted to force their wish on us, without knowing the mindset of the people here, are the real enemies of the Eelam Tamils," he said furiously. 

WITNESSES OF THE WAR 

There is no doubt that peace has returned to Sri Lanka and development projects are going on in full swing. Roads, government buildings and power stations have been refurbished and they look fresh. However, amidst this peace, some dilapidated houses were seen – like a melodious sad tune - in all the places. These houses, which belong to the IDPs, become dilapidated since their owners are yet to return. 

The Bullet marks, which occupy all the outer walls of these dilapidated houses in Kilinochchi and Mulaitivu areas, bear witnesses to the final phase of the war. It is learnt some of these house owners, though returned after the war, live in huts as they were unable to refurbish their houses due to financial constrains. These houses have no windows, doors and ceilings. 

When we enquired about these missing building materials, local people told us "some families, which returned here after the war, could not repair their houses due to financial constraints and hence they had taken these building materials from the unoccupied houses. Some had taken materials with the permission of the owners and some had looted them," they said. It is a big dream to each and every middle class family to build their own house. It is pathetic that these people get caught in a bad time which made them to run away from their hard-earned houses. 

TAMILS WHO ARE REFUSED BY TIGERS 

Though many politicians in Sri Lanka were asked as to why the Tigers did not accept the Tamil-speaking Muslims - though they had accepted the Christian Tamils - we did not get the proper reply from them. An elderly Muslim in India replied for the question by saying, "the Tigers had considered only Tamils in the North and Eastern Provinces as Tamils. They consider only these Tamils as Eelam Tamils and that Eelam belong to them only. Hence they were not willing to accept any of the other Indian-origin Tamils [irrespective of their religions]" he said.

© THUGLAK, 2013