By Colombo Telegraph –
“The President remarked at lunch before this meeting that India had satellites and was monitoring the ground situation in Sri Lanka. It will now be equally clear to the Sri Lankan government that we are watching, too.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and recounts details of meetings the US Embassy official Charge d’Affaires James R. Moore has had with Presidend Rajapaksa and his officials. The cable was written on May 5, 2009 by the Charge d’Affaires James R. Moore.
Charge d’Affaires Moore wrote “On May 4, Charge met with Foreign Minister Bogollagama to discuss reports that Government forces were shelling into the Government-designated ‘safe zone’ even after the President’s April 27 declaration of the end of combat operations. Charge presented two declassified satellite images taken on April 26 and 28 of the civilian ‘no-fire zone’ showing probable artillery impact craters. Referring to widely-circulated but unofficial UN estimates of thousands of civilian deaths and injuries since late January (which have elicited strongly-worded refutations by Government officials), Charge noted that the U.S. is not in position independently to verify numbers of civilian casualties, but that it is clear there have been many. Bogollagama replied (implying the LTTE had shelled its own positions) that the satellite images did not provide enough information to indicate the source of fire.”
“On May 5, President Mahinda Rajapaksa held a meeting of Co-Chair Ambassadors. Charge took the opportunity afterwards to pull aside President Rajapaksa and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona to share privately satellite images released for this purpose by Department. The President noted he had already seen the images Charge provided to the Foreign Minister the previous day. Charge informed the President and Foreign Secretary that he had been instructed to share these satellite images with the Sri Lankan government. These ‘before and after’ satellite images dated April 27 through May 3 document apparent shelling damage in the “safe zone” even after the April 27 declaration by President Rajapaksa, he noted. Charge stated that we were sharing the satellite images in the hope the shelling would stop.” Moore further wrote.
Placing a comment Charge d’Affaires wrote “At the beginning of the preceding meeting with Co-Chair Ambassadors (septel), the President asked Charge for an assessment of the current situation, noting wryly, “you are probably better informed than I am.” Post considers it possible that individual field commanders or the Army command might have resorted to the use of heavy weapons while protecting the Commander-in-Chief from this information. Rajapaksa has been known to call individual battlefield commanders in the past to ask for frank assessments when he feels out of touch with ground realities. While the senior officials we spoke with concerning the satellite images conceded nothing, our effort still could lead to the President conducting his own inquiries and a possible change of the Sri Lankan Army’s conduct of the battle in progress. The President remarked at lunch before this meeting that India had satellites and was monitoring the ground situation in Sri Lanka. It will now be equally clear to the Sri Lankan government that we are watching, too.”
Read the cable below for further details;
O 051403Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9926 INFO AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000495 DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM MOPS PREF PTER CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: EMBASSY SHARES IMAGES OF SAFE ZONE WITH PRESIDENT Classified By: Charge d'Affaires James R. Moore, for reasons 1.4 (b & d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a May 5 meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona, Charge provided satellite images taken since April 27 of new shelling damage within the Government-designated "safe zone." The President maintained that Government forces have not been shelling into the "safe zone" since his April 27 statement announcing the end of heavy artillery and aerial bombing in this area. In a meeting with Foreign Minister Bogollagama the previous day, Charge provided other satellite images and inquired about reports of Government shelling in the safe zone. The Foreign Minister insisted that satellite images did not provide information needed to determine the source of fire. End summary. ¶2. (C) On May 4, Charge met with Foreign Minister Bogollagama to discuss reports that Government forces were shelling into the Government-designated "safe zone" even after the President's April 27 declaration of the end of combat operations. Charge presented two declassified satellite images taken on April 26 and 28 of the civilian "no-fire zone" showing probable artillery impact craters. Referring to widely-circulated but unofficial UN estimates of thousands of civilian deaths and injuries since late January (which have elicited strongly-worded refutations by Government officials), Charge noted that the U.S. is not in position independently to verify numbers of civilian casualties, but that it is clear there have been many. Bogollagama replied (implying the LTTE had shelled its own positions) that the satellite images did not provide enough information to indicate the source of fire. ¶3. (C) On May 5, President Mahinda Rajapaksa held a meeting of Co-Chair Ambassadors. Charge took the opportunity afterwards to pull aside President Rajapaksa and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona to share privately satellite images released for this purpose by Department. The President noted he had already seen the images Charge provided to the Foreign Minister the previous day. Charge informed the President and Foreign Secretary that he had been instructed to share these satellite images with the Sri Lankan government. These "before and after" satellite images dated April 27 through May 3 document apparent shelling damage in the "safe zone" even after the April 27 declaration by President Rajapaksa, he noted. Charge stated that we were sharing the satellite images in the hope the shelling would stop. ¶4. (C) Rajapaksa responded by saying that before government forces occupied about half of the Government-designated civilian safe zone, the LTTE did not allow civilians to enter the southern end of the zone, as the LTTE had established bases in that area. The President further asserted there was no hospital in the area where the LTTE has claimed a hospital was shelled on May 2. (Charge countered that it was a makeshift facility.) Kohona noted (without specifying a precise time frame) that government forces had indeed bombed this area before unilaterally declaring it a safe zone because there were LTTE "Sea Tiger" bases along that strip of coast. ¶5. (C) The President then claimed that Government forces would not shell civilian areas, confiding that the Army has Deep Penetration Units (Tamil-speaking agents operating in LTTE-controlled areas) within the safe zone who are attempting to organize people to breach the LTTE earth berms and allow civilians to escape. Rajapaksa stated that casualty rates among Government forces have gone up because they are not responding with heavy weapons to outgoing heavy weapons fire from the LTTE. He commented that the military believes the graves documented in the satellite images are likely for LTTE cadres killed in action. Kohona added that there was little reason for the Government continuing to shell the safe zone, since "such sporadic shelling would not serve any military objective." He referred to an article on the Defense Ministry website alleging that the LTTE had staged photographs of the damage at the hospital. ¶6. (C) Charge inquired how the Government currently intended to pursue the end game of its campaign against the Tigers. Rajapaksa staed that Government forces will proceed slowly, wthout proceeding to a final assault, believing tha they could secure the surrender of the remainingLTTE combatants within a few weeks. Rajapaksa insisted that the Government does not plan, however, to give the LTTE any breathing room to reorganize. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: At the beginning of the preceding meeting with Co-Chair Ambassadors (septel), the President asked Charge for an assessment of the current situation, noting wryly, "you are probably better informed than I am." Post considers it possible that individual field commanders or the Army command might have resorted to the use of heavy weapons while protecting the Commander-in-Chief from this information. Rajapaksa has been known to call individual battlefield commanders in the past to ask for frank assessments when he feels out of touch with ground realities. While the senior officials we spoke with concerning the satellite images conceded nothing, our effort still could lead to the President conducting his own inquiries and a possible change of the Sri Lankan Army's conduct of the battle in progress. The President remarked at lunch before this meeting that India had satellites and was monitoring the ground situation in Sri Lanka. It will now be equally clear to the Sri Lankan government that we are watching, too. MOORE
mj / January 20, 2012
Bloody hell!! They all knew this??? F~~~~ Indians they are not talking a single word re War Crimes.
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KKKK / January 20, 2012
Indians are the terrorists of South Asia
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shan azvi@gmail.com / January 20, 2012
WAR CRIMES ARE UN AVOIDABLE & HAPPENED IN EVERY SINGLE WAR AROUND THE WORLD IN THE LAST CENTURY DEAR….. COMPARE TO THE SATELLITE IMAGES OF AFGHAN & IRAQ WAR, SRI LANKAN ISSUE IS MAY ONLY 10% SERIOUS HAHAHAHA.
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Sam / January 21, 2012
Indians wants to kill Tamils to save their country.. These Tamils are a virus, spreds every whre and start distroying everything, just like termites…needs pest control.
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shan azvi@gmail.com / January 21, 2012
“SLUM DOGS” CREATED THE SRI LANKAN TERRORISTS,THEY FULLY SUPPORTED MAHINDA IN DESTROYING THE MISSON & WATCHED THE FINAL PHASE AS WELL….. WOW WHAT A WONDERFUL AWARD WINNING BOLLYWOOD MOVIE……. HOPE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RECREATE AGAIN HAHAHAHA………
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Bodinayaka / January 20, 2012
killing terrorist is not a crime. One or 100. Like Bin ladin killing is not a war crime. If Mullaha Omar died along with Bin Ladin that’s still not a crime. Ask even from Pakisthan. They too watch everything. Are you guys born again?
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Malani - Dematagoda / January 20, 2012
War crimes are war crimes my friend, we dont care its Americans did or Sri Lankans did.
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malik / January 20, 2012
Malini go and vote to TNA
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Pasan Egamag / January 20, 2012
My friend.. fighting a terrorist organization which was a threat to the sovereignty of the country is not a war crime.. there may have been few civilian deaths.. but dont forget… army fought LTTE not civilians.. you . while living as a second class citizen with virtually no equal rights in the real life among natives but in law books .. try to be smart.. you with your grainy brain are ready to clean toilets and sweep roads in west without a single word said.. raise the question of inequality in sri lanka…. if you haven’t ever lived.. ask your parents/ grand parents.. if they were treated like the black people in America until late 60’s .. good luck mate .. your dream of a separate state is only possible in south India if it ever going to materialize .. but never in sri lanka
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Sam / January 21, 2012
No war crimes when killing LTTE and Its supported. Thats a virus, need to control from the start. Good job SL & India. Get ride of the remaining Virus’s soon.
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rajiv retard / January 20, 2012
if killing terrorist not a crime… ltte didn’t commite any crime by killing that rajiv gandhi retard :) lolz..
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Kalani Hevawasam / January 20, 2012
Those who watched the Killing fields instead of saving innocent people are also war criminals
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Appuhamy / January 20, 2012
Which “Killing Field” are you talking about – Mai Lai, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, …. ?
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Bodinayaka / January 20, 2012
Sadly still Tamils are not working hard to get their bolts tightened. Only few Tamil leaders really want a change. Others still praying for a Stone Shiva Lingam asking for salvation from themselves. They know their route cause is that Lingam and Parippu wadea. But still they want Elagithel in their buttocks and asking us to , This part is not moderator friendly. so I will shut up. Finally. You lost, we won. So what you want? Send Mahinda and company and the SL Army to court? Not even In your dreams. LTTE lined up Tamils and ” Harak wagea dakkagena ehatta meheata’ took and finally shoot the ones who got fed up with the stupidity.Tamils lost their dignity and their balls and since LTTE start this war. So many Tamil leaders killed by LTTE since they start this destroying Sri lanka programmed launched by strings attached. Still they are operating you can see. YOU LOST WE WON. Now shout Kadawunea kadawunea twice and throw a coconut at that Lingum.
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reality / January 20, 2012
The American Adminstration saw Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq via satellites and started a Gulf War, still looking but non found upto date!!!!
The President of the USA and his deputies were watching the assasination of Bin Ladin and those in his home by live Telecast, I guess those civilians were not entitaled to human right.
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shan azvi@gmail.com / January 21, 2012
MR.BLAKE GOT THE VIDEO CLIPS OF IRAQ & AFGHAN KILLINGS TOOOOOO…. BIG FISH ALWAYS COLLECT EVIDENCE TO BULLY SMALL FISHES LIKE SRI LANKA…………….. SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE DOUBLE STANDARDS INT’L LAWS AGAINST THE WAR CRIMES HAHAHAHAHA.
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Bertie / January 20, 2012
he area in the red rectangle can not have morwe than15 houses, and even if each had 5 people, that is 75. However, the so called ‘houses’ could have been housing artillary of the LTTE. It is well-known that the LTTE brought in artillary to the safezone.
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Lak W / January 20, 2012
How do you know my friend?? were you there?
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lankaley / January 20, 2012
Its good they watch because they know no war crimes happend!!
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Selvem / January 20, 2012
We observe the remarks of extremists of both sides with sorrow.What ever it is all have forgotten that at the end of the2nd world war, it was our man, that JR who told to forgive Japan quoting Nahi vereni verana ……
Now the war is over. Remember when you are in a fighting mood you always try to destroy the opponent. Whether Sinhalese or Tamil or Muslim or any other ethnic person behave like this.
What will happen next. Again Sri Lanka will be divided and westerners will start ruling us indirectly. Those who are in foreign lands obey every rule in that country and their second call treatments. But in Sri Lanka could not live together.
We suffered 30 years. Poor Tamils suffered most. If any one wants to continue this for another 30 years what is the word we should use to identify him of them ?
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manuri-toronto / January 20, 2012
They knew the truth…and that is why they kept quite……if anyone knew the truth it had to be US……and India…..the sri lankan army was doing it right….and therefore they couldnt move their guns…..
it would be stupid to think otherwise…..they watched the war silently from up above and please the tamil disapora they know charge with the war crimes…knowing that they saw it pretty much well..
this is their double standered….
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Gamini / January 20, 2012
Have they got satellites images of Iraque, Afghanistan,Libya and afghan borders of Pakistan? How many civilians killed when they attacked Libya and Iraque? Where are those weapons of mass destruction? How they treated Sadam and Gadaffi?
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Ron Stevens / January 21, 2012
Hey Gamini- don’t be an ass and write garbage here. This is about Sri Lanka and stick to that issue, stop wandering around like a two year old child. Otherwise go and write your stupid comments on wensites related to small children and their books or something. If that is how far your intellect spans out, then stay there. This may be too much for you to understand.
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anonymous / January 20, 2012
What can you expect from an uneducated man at the helm, who bribed Pirabakaran to come to power, and then used his power not only to defeat Pirabakaran but kill innocent civiliann- children, women and elderly- whose only fault is they were born Tamils.
He boasts that he has defeated terrorism. Could he have won if not for support of 20 odd powerfful nations.
Now his family is ruling the island, with dictatorship. Even now many abductions, killing & raping is going on.
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Sara / January 20, 2012
Wow, 20 powerfull nations supported him! not bad for an uneducated man.
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Appuhamy / January 20, 2012
“Man”? – what man? Prabhakaran was the devil reborn who was trying to establish his Eelam hell on Earth. Fortunately we managed to “transfer” him and his Eelam to Hell where it truly belongs.
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shan azvi@gmail.com / January 20, 2012
UNEDUCATED MAN IS A “WISE MAN” THAT’SWHY MORETHAN 20 POWERFUL NATIONS WERE SUPPORTED HIM. DON’T UNDERMINE HIS MOVES DEAR FRIENDS HAHAHAHA.
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Sam / January 21, 2012
RIP you loosing LTTEers .. Hey whu dont you start your struggle in ToiletNadu??? just try India will teach you basted a nice lesson this time.
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Ray / January 20, 2012
Man”? – what man? Rajapaksa and brothers and now children are the devil by blood. Please refer Sinhala history.
The Sinhalese used planes and tanks for 30 years to make the Tamils’ life a hell in Srilanka.
Thank god, I’m not in that hell hole anymore.
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kan / January 20, 2012
everything is drama.even now these powers demanding war crime investigation all are drama.
only the power of nature can punish this powers.
shame on them.
who knows in next 20 years, India is going to be 20 nation?
go ahead.
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NAK / January 21, 2012
They were watching, but they saw nothing. If they had seen anything, Hillary would have been more than happy to give it to the NGO bunch of HRW,ICG etc. Instead she had to make do with the Darusman and CH4. Everyone knows war crimes charges are a pack of lies they are using to pressure the the government to get maximum devolution to north.
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Bodinayaka / January 21, 2012
yes, They see nothing compare to urinating on dead bodies like stuff. If they are watching they still know this cockroches ( Tamils) are a disgrace to planet earth. All the credit card scams, Illegal migration, Drug trade, shitting on public places I mean roadsides, you name it .. all by Tamils. India knows it and Australia has already informed US about it. as well as Canada. They make lot of babies and populate earth. they can survive in Mars or moon with less food. America knows it well. They killed Indian Rajive Ghandu and they are trouble for India too. Inshalla one day Tamils will get their bolts tightened. I mean SLG did tightend their bolts well and all the world is grateful for this. Thanks you very much , have a nice day.
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Nissan Yamota / January 21, 2012
The Americans seem to have developed a fetish for observing murder live (remember Osama Bin Laden?). Sick scoundrels!
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Canaga / January 21, 2012
No point in telling the Rajapakse family what happened – they were fully aware, and they continued to kill the innocent Tamil civilians. The racial politics of SriLanka caused the LTTE and others to form.
Have the racial politicians forgotten the 1983 massacre of the innocent Tamils in Colombo? During this time alone these racist Sinhala politicains killed more number of poor Tamil civilians than that killed by the LTTE in all of their activities put together. Can any one give statistics to deny this?
India of course was not only watching but helped Sri lanka by giving them information where to drop bombs from their satellite view. What a shame when India is literally ruled by a foreigner who moved immense wealth to the ‘rulers’ homeland, what more can you do. Poor Indians – it will be too late when they realise the immense ‘corruption’ of that ruler. They do not mind the ‘Borphous’ scandal when millions of dollars of bribe were transferred to the ‘rulers’ homeland, while millions of poor Indians struggle to survive with only meagre food for the day.
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bhya karim / January 21, 2012
Hey, you all cut the bull shit. All these are dramas. There is nothing good going to happen to Tamils. But I really pitty for sinhalese because Tamils has nothing to lose; but sinhalese are all excited as they think they won the war. Let them be happy for a shortwhile until the whole Srilanka sinks in water within the next 10 years(nature will take care of it). Good luck sinhalese.
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N. Yoganathan / February 5, 2012
NO SRILANKAN RACIST TERRORISM NO NEED OF LTTE
The Genocide apologists are HYPOCRITES because they are happy to blame the lesser evil LTTE who killed a tiny fraction of the people who were killed by the state racist Srilankan Military since 1948 to date. If the people against killings of civilians, they MUST blame the CAUSE – the Srilankan racist state terrorism – than the symptom -LTTE.
ANy sane person will attack the cause to stop symptoms like LTTE arising again but these Genocide Apologists love keeping the SRILANKAN RACISM- the cause – and even justifying the SRILANKAN racism by claiming wrongly that Tamils are illigal immigrants. That is, any state can carry out GENOCIDE of IMMIGRANTS according to these SRILANKAN GENOCIDE APOLOGISTS here writing.
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N. Yoganathan / February 5, 2012
in the world history, Genocide happened in few countries after the UN created, Germany did to Jewish people, Cambodia did to own people, Rwanda did to TUTSI people and Now Srilanka did to TAMILS. World did take action against Germany, POLPOT Cambodian and Rwandan War criminals but Why Srilanka is an EXCEPTION??????/
The Problem in the island is the Srilanksn SINHELLA RACIST state not the SYMPTOM LTTE, Srilanka started ETHNIC CLEANSING of Tamils and Muslims as soon as the British left the island in 1948, that is 30 years before the LTTE even created by frustrated Tamils who did try all the democratic peaceful avenues to get an amicable solution due to the ULTRA RACIST nature of srilankan racist state, Now, Srilanka doing the same to the TNA – Majority Of Tamils voted for them – in the 19 Months talks which achieved NOTHING as Srilanka cannot even allow Tamils to have power over their LANDS nor to have Police for the North and East while Srilanka continue to SETTLE SINHALA people and 100% SINHALA Military families into the North and East where Tamils have been living even before the Sinhalese came to the island as IMMIGRANTS
Srilnakan CENSUS reports show the REAL PATTERN OF SRILANKAN SYSTEMATIC ETHNIC CLEANSING of Tamils and Muslims from the North and East by Srilankan racist governments since 1948 to date – BTW DON’t BURN the CENSUS REPORTS as you always do to hide evidence of Tamils’ history –
for example, The first British rulers held Censun in 1837 shown that JUST 18 SINHALESE lived in the Entire Tamil Areas called EELAM – North and East- and First Post Independent Srilankan Census reports shows that JUST 286 Sinhalese WORKERS existed in the Entire EELAM areas. How can LTTE chase the Sinhalese out of EELAM where there were no SINHALESE at all except few 100 workers??????????
As per the world atrocities, let the people concerned to worry about that, we are talking about Srilankan GENOCIDE of Tamils and Tamils are victims of Srilankan systematic PRE-PLANNED Genocide by denying access to any independent sources while killing even SInhala journalists in Broad daylight not to mention of killings of several 100 Tamil journalists, Tamil rehabilitation officers, red cross workers, etc, etc
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N. Yoganathan / February 5, 2012
The Problem in the island is the
Srilanksn SINHELLA RACIST state not the SYMPTOM LTTE, Srilanka started ETHNIC
CLEANSING of Tamils and Muslims as soon as the British left the island in 1948,
that is 30 years before the LTTE even created by frustrated Tamils who did try
all the democratic peaceful avenues to get an amicable solution due to the
ULTRA RACIST nature of srilankan racist state, Now, Srilanka doing the same to
the TNA – Majority Of Tamils voted for them – in the 19 Months talks which
achieved NOTHING as Srilanka cannot even allow Tamils to have power over their
LANDS nor to have Police for the North and East while Srilanka continue to
SETTLE SINHALA people and 100% SINHALA Military families into the North and
East where Tamils have been living even before the Sinhalese came to the island
as IMMIGRANTS
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