By Amarnath Amarasingam –
Dr. Amarnath Amarasingam
A History of Tamil Diaspora Politics in Canada: Organisational Dynamics and Negotiated Order, 1978-2013
On 10 January 2012, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President Mahinda Rajapaksa‘s brother and Secretary of the Defense and Urban Development Ministry, delivered a lecture to the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute and Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. The President‘s brother, arguably the second most powerful man in the country, began his lecture by stating that Sri Lanka still faces ̳several threats‘ following the end of protracted civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers) in May 2009. The very first threat mentioned and discussed at length by Rajapaksa was the ―reorganization of the LTTE in the international arena‖ (Rajapaksa 2012). Mentioning several Tamil diaspora groups by name, he argued that even after the defeat of the LTTE, ―the rump of the LTTE‘s global establishment is still active.‖ Rajapaksa argued, for example, that the ̳unwavering intent‘ of LTTE-linked groups overseas ―is the division of Sri Lanka and the establishment of a separate state.‖ He went on to note: ―Most of them say they engage only in political activism and not violence. Almost all of them pretend to have a democratic face. But make no mistake. The Tiger has not changed its stripes‖ (Rajapaksa 2012).
While the Defense Secretary‘s remarks should not automatically be seen to reflect the views of mainstream Sri Lankans nor the broader international community, it is true that with the end of the war in Sri Lanka, many have expressed uneasiness and uncertainty with respect to the activities of the Tamil diaspora around the world. Indeed, such a stark verdict on diaspora activism by someone as powerful as the President‘s brother and Defense Minister is worrisome to say the least. However, in addition to the Sri Lankan government, state officials and media organisations in numerous countries, accustomed to viewing the Tamil diaspora through the lens of national security, were also not entirely clear what the defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka would mean for the often sizable Tamil community within their borders.
Much of this uneasiness arose, needless to say, because the LTTE‘s tentacles stretched far beyond the tiny island of Sri Lanka, and were a constant presence in the lives of diaspora Tamils. As Bandarage (2009: 171) has noted, ―Operating like both a multinational firm and an intelligence agency… out of the main centers of its global network in London, Toronto, New Jersey, and Norway, the LTTE utilises the vast resources extracted from the Tamil diaspora and from its illegal and legal enterprises to influence policymakers, media, academia, and other influential sections in the state and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) sectors within the international community.‖ It was also evident throughout my research that the Tamil diaspora, for the most part, did not have an enviable reputation in governmental and policy circles, and is widely believed to have been overly radical and fundamentally corrosive to the prospects for peace in Sri Lanka.
Read the full article here; A History of Tamil Diaspora Politics in Canada_ Organisational Dynamics and Negotiated Order, 1978-2013 – Amarnath Amarasingam
*Amarnath Amarasingam is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University in Toronto, Canada, and also teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo.
Thiru / December 18, 2013
After the usual Sinhala victory celebration in February 2014 and the Geneva human rights council meeting in March 2014, a Truth and Reconciliation Process can be started.
/
Ramany K / December 18, 2013
Thiru, reconciliation process may be started after May2014. As long as the TNA leaders, Tamil Diaspora and the extreme elements in the South don’t realize the importance of reconciliation, there is no point in starting the reconciliation process. First of all ,those who demand for reconciliation should set an example themselves.In the last election platforms TNA’s main slogan was “Lets give pain to those who gave us pain(vali thanthavarkalukku vali aetpaduththuvom)” . Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth attitude will never bring harmony among the Srilankans.It is true that tamils were badly affected in the bloody war.But if the Tamil leaders keep talking and reminding the deaths and losses,then the Sinhalese also can talk about the attack on Dalada maliga,Budhist priest killed in Aranthalava and so on.Then the Muslims also will talk about the killings of Muslims in the mosques.Reconciliation should not be meant to assign blame,but rather to recommend how to prevent similar deaths.
/
M.Sivananthan / December 19, 2013
I agree with your opinions 100%. TNA is not for peace because their “masters” are in the WEST like Anton Balasingam.
Reconciliation is not a one – way traffic. If Sambandan gang not prepared to participate, reconciliation never happen.
Tamil parties don’t like a “peaceful” situation because Tamil sufferings” are their political capital. They have no idea to help the Tamils. They always think about their relatives and their next election and their bank accounts.
We saw how the TNA split came for “positions” in the provincial council which was always rejected by the TNA inside and outside of Sri Lanka. NPC under Justice Vigneswaran embarks on ventures which are beneficial for them only.
NPC returned 3526 million rupees to treasury because they have no plan to spend the money. They indulge in anti-army, anti-chandrasri and so on. They dont care about the ordinary Tamil person who suffered for the last thirty years.
EPC also returned 4046 million rupees to the treasury!
/
justice / December 21, 2013
Funds were NOT returned to the treasury,but are lying idle as the military governor obstructs the plan for their utilisation by the NPC.
Tamil youth are even now being assaulted on roads by the army on frivolous excuses – how can any reconciliation occur.
/
kali / December 22, 2013
Sikalam,
You claim to be a Tamil so you will understand the frightening implications for you lot after March 2013. That is assuming the Moderator alllows this.
வன்னியில் இடம்பெற்ற போருக்கு காங்கிரஸ் தலைவி சோனியா காந்தியும், பிரதமர் மன்மோகன் சிங்கும் பொறுப்பு என பாரதீய ஜனதா கட்சி அறிவித்துள்ளது,
பாரதீய ஜனதா கட்சியின் சிரேஸ்ட உறுப்பினரும், முன்னாள் வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சருமான சஸ்வன் சிங் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
வன்னிப் போரில் பாரியளவில் தமிழ் மக்கள் கொல்லப்பட்டதாகவும் அவர் குற்றம் சுமத்தியுள்ளார்.
தமிழீழம் தொலைவில் இல்லை என அவர் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
/
Saro / December 18, 2013
Gotabhaya is paranoid with LTTE dead or alive. One thing is certain that he contribute to the growth of dissension among minorities, religious and linguistic, in and out of Sri Lanka than all the groups or “reorganization of the LTTE in the international arena”. Deployment of large number of military and using military intelligence and paramilitary to keep the ethnic minorities in fear psychosis are the main reason for TNA to turn against the government and for sponsoring UN HRC resolutions. As Rajiva Wijesinha observes and other noises with the country and cabinet resonate it’s the non-implementation of LLRC recommendations and absolute denial of any wrong doing contribute more to the UN HRC resolutions than the insignificant influence of Tamil groups abroad. Lumping anyone who want justice to the minorities and accountability to the alleged crimes is an obsession on the part of the government.
/
WINSTON DEVALLIERE / December 19, 2013
SO THEN, AFTER ALL THE KILLINGS, THE HATRED PERSISTS, THE ISSUES PREVAIL, THE MAJORITARIANISM REIGNS, THE DEMANDS CRY FOR SOLUTIONS…NOTHING’S CHANGED…DEJA VU !
WE’VE NOT MOVED ONE FRACTION OF AN INCH FROM THAT DAY IN VADUKKODAI.
THAT WHICH THE TAMILS DESIRE THEY WILL ATTRACT TO THEMSELVES. THAT WHICH THE SINHALESE FEAR THEY WILL ATTRACT TO THEMSELVES.THE COLLISION COURSE IS SLOWLY BUT SURELY GATHERING MOMENTUM.
THE TRAGEDY IS THAT THE SINHALESE ARE SO SHORTSIGHTED THAT THEY CANNOT UNDERSTAND ….OR WILL NOT ACCEPT THE FACT..THAT THE LTTE WAS ONLY ONE MANIFESTATION OF LEGITIMATE TAMIL DEMANDS DENIED TOO LONG.THE LTTE WAS DESTROYED. BUT THE SINHALESE STILL REFUSE TO LISTEN. THE TGTE AND TNA ARE NOT THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE TAMILS HERE AND THE DIASPORA.OH NO !THE TAMILS ARE THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THEM.THE NORTHERN ELECTIONS VIVIDLY DEMONSTRATED THIS TRUTH RECENTLY.
TO UNDERSTAND THE HEART OF THE MATTER ONE MUST MEET AND TALK TO DIASPORA TAMILS ON EUROPE’S STREETS. ONE THING BECOMES CLEAR ” WE WANT TO RETURN HOME” BUT “HOME” IS NOT SRI LANKA. IT’S THE NORTH, THE ‘LANDS WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWING AS HOME AND CALLING ‘HOMELANDS’, THE LANDS WHEREON THEIR GENERATIONS WERE BORN.AND THE CONTINUING ATTITUDES FROM THE MAJORITY SINHALESE DO NOTHING TO MAKE MOST TAMILS THINK OF ‘ SRI LANKA’ AS HOM.TO THE TAMIL PSYCHE, SIR LAKA ONLY EVOKES IMAGES OF OPPRESSION, DISAPPEARANCES, SUDDENT DEATH. HARDLY THE IMAGER CONNECTED WITH ‘HOME’.
THAT IMAGERY NOW PERVADES THE NORTH AND EAST TOO IN A POWERFUL MANNER. THE FEELINGS OF BRUTE OPPRESSION HAVE MAGNIFIED A HUNDRED FOLD.
AND DESPITE ALL THESE FACTS, THE GOVERNMENT STILL AUDACIOUSLY TALKS OF THE TAMILS NOT CO-OPERATING WITH EFFORTS AT RECONCILIATION !WHAT AN INCREDIBLY SELF-RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE.
HOME IS WHERE YOU RESONATE HARMONIOUSLY WITH EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.,,,, AND WHERE EVERYTHING AROUND YOU RESONATES HARMONIOUSLY WITH YOU.
HOME….IS WHERE THE HEART IS. ALAS, ALAS, ALL AROUND THEY FIND, AND SENSE,THE HANDS OF REPRESSION POISED TO STRIKE.
“COME BACK HOME TO SRI LANKA”. YE GODS ! DON’T THESE PEOPLE EVEN HEAR THE CRUDE IRONY IN THEIR WORDS ?
/
waran.vaithilingam / December 19, 2013
Very well said !Sri Lanka please read the above article.
/
sach / December 19, 2013
Is that why tamils are now moving towards south of SL? Tamils returning SL? :)
We have moved far away from Vadukkodai. You have worsened it with your LTTE support and terrorism. You are not a victim but an oppressor as well. Tables have turned.
/
M.Sivananthan / December 19, 2013
Are you an elected MP of the TGTE or an appointed MP?
/
sach / December 19, 2013
Anyone saying gov is not doing enough please read what the silly wigneshwaran has been doing.
/
Burning_Issue / December 19, 2013
Can you outlive in terms how you would operate if you were in Wigneswaran’s shoes? You have elected as the Chief Minister of the NPC; how would you go about ensuring that the due powers are transferred from the centre? How would you go about neutralising the military rule?
/
sach / December 20, 2013
Ok, in all honesty i will tell you how i would function as CM.
1. How much wigneshwaran talked about military presence and chandrasiri as governer i dont think they are the biggest issues for normal tamils living there. First if i was wigneshawaran i will pick the PRIORITIES.
2. Try to bring development and job opportunities for people in North.
3. Build good relations with government and especially president. Through diplomacy and good relations get things done.
4. Instead of starting war of words build amicable relationships with army there.
Given his connections (personal) to sinhala people and the respect he had among sinhala educated class we expected more maturity from Wiggie. Not frequent drum beating.
/
Burning_Issue / December 21, 2013
Such,
You honestly manifest your innocence here. I do see that your sincere I have no doubt about that. TNA and CM had been talking to both MR and his departments. The issue is GOSL is not sincere and they do not want the NPC to succeed under TNA. If you had listened to the interview that MR had given to aljazeera you would have noticed that MR challenged the TNA to deliver. He knew that he would make sure TNA would not!
TNA knows that this is the last chance for the Tamils; the international leverage that is there now has to be taken advantage of to the maximum. Both TNA and the Tamils collectively know that no Sinhala regimes will give anything to the Tamils without the intervention of ic. Every regime one way or the other has been reneging on agreements, pacts, and understandings. The Tamils are chronically aware that their long term future is at peril; they are prepared to sacrifice any short-term comforts.
/
Rajiv / December 22, 2013
Burning Issue,
Far from it. GoSL want the NPC to succeed. Its the TNA, at the behest of their masters in the West, that don’t want the NPC to succeed. If the NPC was successful, there would be a mutual understanding between the parties which may begin the healing process(not to mention, help the people that the politicians are supposed to help). But, if that happens the claim to grievances will begin to fade. If the claim to grievances begin to fade, the Western based Tamils(aka LTTE) will lose the support needed to separate.
Not sure if you read the recent article by DBS Jeyaraj, but go to his website and read it. Then you will understand what MR was trying to do(remove Chandrasiri) behind the scenes. Knowing this fully well, the TNA passed a resolution to remove the governor. All this does is put MR in a spot and he will not put up with threats. They are goading MR to dissolve the NPC. If he does, then the TNA will cry to the West saying how they cannot work with the GoSL. Perfect scenario to get the West to intervene on their behalf to fulfill their ambition of a “Kosovo” solution. Unfortunately for the TNA, MR is smarter than that. He is not going to dissolve the NPC.
/
Burning_Issue / December 22, 2013
Rajiv,
Dbsj is entitled to his views. Justice Wigneswaran has direct Sinhala connection; his integrity is impeccable. The Sinhalisation is being accelerated with impunity. In theory, if the NPC is devolved power with space to govern, things will improve there is no doubt. However the TNA and judge Wigneswaran are not naive to believe that MR has good intentions. MR’s track record is alone enough for one to be incredulous.
If what you say is correct, leave alone the governor issue, what is stopping MR to devolve power? Why the cm is not allowed to visit certain areas? Why is army taking over the mundane businesses? Why are they still modelling in civil activities? Why are they harassing the women? There is so much MR can do to improve the relations; what is stopping him?
Rajiv, I wish I share your optimism but unfortunately MR is an unscrupulous and obstinate individual who’s ego is like a mountain. I also believe he is a complete chauvinist and shares the JRJ’s slogan that more one pressures the Tamils more happier the Sinhala get. This is the reality. Moreover, the NPC election was forced on him because of ChOGM; he wanted to wait till the Sinhalisation project to be over before holding NPC elections. I wish you are correct but you are totally wrong!
/
Native Vedda / December 22, 2013
sach
” i dont think they are the biggest issues for normal tamils living there. “
How do you know? Do you live there? If that is not the biggest issue why don’t you keep the entire army where you live, it shouldn’t be a problem.
” Try to bring development and job opportunities for people in North.”
As long as the army is present in those areas there wouldn’t be any development the way people understand it. Every effort to develop the Northern province would be blocked by the government aided by the army hoping that the Tamils will be frustrated by those delaying tactics and simply give up the idea of self governance.
State is making sure that Wiggy’s authority is undermined by throwing several spanner in the work from all directions.
“Build good relations with government and especially president. “
It is for the government to show goodwill and sincerity. Wiggy cannot cajole government to get things done as he does not command an army whereas Sri Lanka has 300,000 of Sinhala/Buddhist former war criminals who control land, sea, lively hood, dignity and democratic space.
Rather than aburdly trying to score points attacking Wiggy why don’t you appeal to the government and make them to listen to Wiggy and his boys and a girl? It would be too difficult for you isn’t?
“Instead of starting war of words build amicable relationships with army there.”
They can’t launch a war as you know they don’t have an army. They can only protest, verbally of course.
Would you beat up a child dead for crying? The child is crying because it is time for its meal?
/
NAK / December 21, 2013
GOSL talk to them or not, if they do not want to come home to Sri Lanka they have no home here, period.
They still are living in the Eelam dream and until they wake up from that they will not allow reconciliation here.
They will continue this campaign as long as their white masters encourage them.
/
M.Sivananthan / December 19, 2013
We Tamils or others cannot forget the crimes of the LTTE so easily. But reconciliation under LLRC was not only ridiculed by TNA and rejected.
Reconciliation is not the matter of one party in the conflict.
Army will be deployed in the Tamil areas because the Tamil leaders refusal for any kind of talks on the matter of “solving” the problem.
Tamil groups abroad have only one intention which is making some more dollars and extend their kothu rotti business.
Dont think the WHITE gangs who sold weapons to LTTE will find a solution at the UNHRC. They have their own agenda.
Tamils abroad still cry that Prabhakaran is not dead and he live in S/Africa. So, the diaspora is making more mockery and have no moral rights to talk over the reconciliation in Sri lanka!
/
J.Muthu / December 19, 2013
[Edited out] sivananthan read WINSTON DEVALLIERE…
/
Burning_Issue / December 19, 2013
Yeah LTTE committed crimes and so did the GOSL. However, you are not a Tamil and people in these forums know that too!
/
kali / December 22, 2013
Sinkalam,
You cannot remember the Sacrifices made by the LTTE because you are drunk drinking Tamil Blood spilt by the Sinhalese Army. So shut up ypu Idiot and I will see ypou after March 2014.
LLRC is not the model for Sinhala Lanka. What we need first of all is Accountability not Nadipu and Nadakam you moron.
/
kali / December 22, 2013
Sivananthan you Sinkalam aka Tamil Bashing Sinkalam. But your days are numbered but you are in denial which is common to all defeated Criminals.
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 18, 2013
Boat people (kallathoni) in Canada.
/
Lanka Liar / December 18, 2013
Thinks of the boat animals in Sri Lanka FF. FF are you related to Mokkan in any way? He needs your help.
/
Ajith / December 18, 2013
Did you walk from India?
/
chandra / December 19, 2013
fathima (lorenzo)
any chance you give yourself a tokka and get back to LW and debate military rule. lol
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
Adam’s peak in SL. Adam was the first Muslim. We descend from him. So we never had to take the boat unlike you kallathonis.
Arabs arrived in SL on INVITATION from SL people (Chingalams).
Obviously Chingalams are native to SL and didn’t come from India. If they came from India they should be speaking a language found in India. Wouldn’t they?
:)
SL started as a Sinhala Muslim country and that’s how it will be in another 50 years. Buddhists and Hindus can take their wars elsewhere.
/
pearl thevanayagam / December 18, 2013
Dear Dr Amarasingham,
Could you possibly summarise your valuable research in two A4 sinze paers. At school we were given regular lesson on summary or precise as we wouold call them.
/
demon silva / December 19, 2013
Even if it is summarised you wouldn’t understand. You stupid [Edited out]
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
Is that all they taught you at school?
Didn’t they tech self defence from army jerks who are the biggest threat to Tamil women in the world.
/
Ram / December 18, 2013
The LTTE rump is, as expected very hostile to Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans. Their activities betray their intentions. The diaspora funded the LTTE, and it’s many guises in foreign lands appear to be very well funded. Gotabhaya is right to be vary of their activities which can only be described as inimical.
/
punchinilame / December 19, 2013
Was not the diaspora created willy-nilly by SL Politics and enamoured by the repeated utterances of the Defence Secy.?
Will not the diaspora not support its own community in SL? It is time
that they be incorporated into future Policy making decisions.
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
So the defence secretary fathered the Tamil Diaspora!!
OMG he is better than Ghangis Khan. Well done Kothapaya. More needed to change demographics in Jaffna.
Bosnia?
/
Ram / December 19, 2013
Politics and Economics did play a part, BUT NOT as you believe. The changeover from being a colony to full independence, did not preserve the undue privileges that the government sector ‘Tamils’ had become used to. Tamil hostility pre-dated independence. Those who had the advantage of a FREE education left on their own to sell their skills to the West at better rates than were then available here.
The LTTE itself was facilitating the migration of others, with the coercive expectations of future funding. The asylum seekers thus created did NOT want to return and fought tooth and nail to remain where they had got to, and attempting to bring over the kith and kin, which was the ONLY way to escape the clutches of the LTTE. Why they should have any say in how Sri Lanka is run escapes me.
/
K.A Sumanasekera / December 19, 2013
Crack smoking Canandian Mayor with a girth twice as big as old Praba’s, was doing a Hip Hop to Bob Marley’s One love, at the X Mas break up.
Toronto, where this Mayor holds fort, is the second largest Tamil gathering outside Srilanka. These are the hard core of the LTTE and lead by one Mr Thiruchelvam .
PM Mr Rudra is out bounds from his Turf, although the PM’s HQ is only 8 hours by Budget Coach from NY…
These are in fact very interesting and important info which one can learn from the recent comments in these columns..
Providing housing, and other welfare benefits, as well as keeping a tab on this large Foreign community in Toronto is no easy task in anyone’s language.
While Canadian PM can score goals easily to please these Foreigners and win the marginals, poor Mayor Ford has to do all the hard yards as Housing .Welfare and Police come under him.
Can the pressure of these demands and the resulting stress drove him to his “Crack” indulgence and erratic behaviour.???…
/
M.Sivananthan / December 19, 2013
After the “cracking” of the back bone of LTTE, the dollar collectors are out of business. Many LTTE dollar collectors started to go for work for the first time after the defeat of the LTTE.
One notorious criminal Nehru Gunaratnam cried that he has no contact with LTTE or supported LTTE but I know very well how he and his gangs intimidated Tamils and extorted dollars. many of them now became business men and property owners.
Canada is a good country for money laundering. Canadian political parties will support any group when ever they get dollars as “party fund”.
/
Native Vedda / December 19, 2013
K.A Sumanasekera
Didn’y Bob Marley sing “No Vellala women No Cry”?
Oh terrible Little Sumanasekera, don’t she’d no tears
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
Vellala women stink like stale swine blood and SL army.
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
Tamils have no future in Canada.
Arabs are flocking in millions into Tamil Ghettoes in Toronto, etc. Soon Tamils will have to inter marry Arabs and all will be Muslim.
Does Canada even allow them Diwali, Paithongal? NO!
Is Tamilian a national language in Canada? NO!
Tamils are misled Muslims and must get back to the fold.
/
J.Muthu / December 19, 2013
Fathima Fukushima;
You must be a good entertainer, another one NATIVE VEDDA. Difference between you and Native; native must be genious you nothing but empty head.
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
[Edited out] Tamils in Canada and London!
Lovely. Apparently Tamils loving it. Way better than the white Chingalam army.
/
M.Sivananthan / December 19, 2013
[EDITED OUT]!
Colombo is controlled by Muslims. [Edited out]. Go and check it first!
/
BBS Rep / December 19, 2013
I have been made to understand that there are many Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Muslims in Toronto as well. I am also told that many Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims socialise together. I believe they do so because they have so much in common having come from Sri Lanka.
Look at the above author’s name. Many Sinhalese are called Amarnath also. Amarasingam could easily have been Amarasinghe.
We Sri Lankans are such an imbecilic lot to keep pulling apart on such flimsy issues as language and religion when we have such strong commonality to hold us together.
/
Native Vedda / December 20, 2013
BBS Rep
“I am also told that many Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims socialise together.”
No they don’t I am told. Each of the community has its own ghetto where they live not so happily. They socialise only at the offices of lawyers who specialise in Asylum cases. Sinhalese and Muslims prefer Tamil lawyers to their own.
“I believe they do so because they have so much in common having come from Sri Lanka.”
They have just one thing common among these people the desire to live and die in cold Canada. They are not coming back.
“Amarasingam could easily have been Amarasinghe”
It could be a Tamilised Sinhala/Buddhist name similar to the Sinhala places names which already have been Tamilised in Jaffna.
“We Sri Lankans are such an imbecilic lot to keep pulling apart on such flimsy issues as language and religion when we have such strong commonality to hold us together.”
Good point, so you want all non Sinhala speaking minorities to give up their own language and become Sinhala speaking Tamil/Muslims. Language and religions are flimsy issues I agree. Therefore I strongly recommend Sinhala/Buddhists should give up or abandon their own Sinhala/Buddhism and become a Tamil Speaking Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhists ………………..
/
Fathima Fukushima / December 19, 2013
Thanks Lasantha Wickramatunga for inventing this writing.
Everyday 1,200 Tamil women from Jaffna are NOT raped by various people some bearing weapons.
Everyday over 1,000 Tamil women do NOT fall pregnant as a result. They are NOT forcibly abortioned by government ministers.
At the rate all women will NOT be violated within a few years.
SL is a great place for Tamil women. Hail Rajafucksa for saving Tamil women. Wonder of Asia!
/
aratai / December 19, 2013
.
When Tamils start leaving the island, some Sinhalese were happy. But they never expected Tamil Diaspora to become so powerful in both financially and politically. Taking advantage of this, there are many diaspora Tamils on Srilankan government payroll, doing pro-Lanka, anti-LTTE campaign. Not only this, Srilanka spends millions to hire white PR agents to campaign for them as well.
:-)
/
Native Vedda / December 19, 2013
aratai
“But they never expected Tamil Diaspora to become so powerful in both financially and politically.”
So much so they helped MR to finish off LTTE and win the war.
/
Kumar R / December 21, 2013
Amarnath,
Increasingly it appears that most likely several thousands of civilians were killed at the end of the war, and perhaps intentionally. If that proves right, do you think the truth would ever have been exposed if not for the relentless call for justice by the Diaspora. Don’t you think the Tamil civilians – mothers, fathers, spouses and siblings of those killed needed a voice? If not for the Diaspora who do you think would have provided that voice?
I think it is unfair that you would imply the larger part of, even if not the whole, blame for non-reconciliation falls on the Diaspora by summarizing that “Tamil diaspora, for the most part, did not have an enviable reputation in governmental and policy circles, and is widely believed to have been overly radical and fundamentally corrosive to the prospects for peace in Sri Lanka.”
If SL Government since Banda or JR had proved its sincerity to the Tamils’ welfare, that alone would have weaned the Tamils away from LTTE. Instead, the Governments focused on ridding the rebellion, ignored or worsening the discrimination issue in the process, thus further pushing the Tamils towards the rebels. Had the Government done that – given sufficient confidence to the Tamils of fair treatment devoid of discrimination, then LTTE, with lessening local support, would have died a natural death.
Similarly, post-2009, had the Government worked to build the local Tamil’s confidence in its sincerity then the local Tamils would not have sought, accepted or encouraged Diaspora intervention. Instead, the Government’s actions only promoted locals dependence on the diaspora as the likely lone savior!
Can you name three specific actions by the Government post-war that were directed at or conducive to establishing confidence in the local Tamil community that could have helped wean them from dependence on the diaspora? Where do you think the principal responsibility lies – with the diaspora or with the Government? It is easy to blame the diaspora – but unless you can convince that the Government has done at least the minimum required for reconciliation (not merely establishing commissions to buy tim, and to dupe the internationals) – your educated wisdom does not rise any above the propaganda of the local politicians.
/
justice / December 21, 2013
Amarasingam’s thesis is about 138,000 tamils in Canada – his Magnum Opus ignores the realities in sri lanka.
This ‘thesis’ has earned him a ?PhD!!
What does he teach?
/
S. Makenthiran / December 21, 2013
The priority is that Rajapakse should remove Chandrasri and give back to Tamils, their lands, and appoint a governor with the concurrence of NPC CM. He should let NPC implement the budget and improve the condition of tamils
/
les pere / December 22, 2013
The Politicians of Sri Lanka, Human rights activists, the UN and world leaders can argue – till the cows come home but, like any other country in the world the majority ethnic group will prevail. Sri Lanka will not and cannot be different. The Sinhalese are approximately 80 per cent of the population, this factor will influence and translate to all facets including Government.
Dogs may bark but the caravan moves along.
/
Antany Peter / December 23, 2013
Are you willing to keep the corrupted regime? Are you ready to overlook justice for the thousands of people who have died during the war? The LTTE has paid for its atrocities, but the Rajapaksa regime should escape for what reasons? As decent human beings we must focus on the next UNHRC, anything else is a waste of time and unproductive in the long term. The foolish and corrupted Rajapaksa brothers have been pushing us to seek international help. If there is no India or the UNHRC, no elections in the North and the regime will do nothing for the Tamils. The regime is talking about the South African model for the Sri Lanka’s problem, because of the UNHRC meeting in March 2014. Do we want this kind of leader? I really don’t believe any super leader as an opposition leader can defeat the Rajapaksa brothers, because the Rajapaksa regime is corrupted. The criminal regime has too much deals under the table to undermine the opposition. The corrupted criminal regime doesn’t value democracy, in fact it does not give a damn for anything including law and order. Furthermore, the regime has less educated ministers in its cabinet than any other government’s cabinet in the history of Sri Lanka. Are you happy to let the fools ruling you? The regime is controlling the media, and fooling the people with unbelievable propaganda, but it’s propaganda didn’t work in the North, because the media in the North does not dance according to the criminal regime. The Rajapaksa regime is a disaster for the country. I don’t blame the UNP leader, it is the Rajapkasa criminal regime is doing all the damages. Therefore, we need an international help to defeat the corrupted and criminal regime.
/
Antany Peter / December 23, 2013
People who comment in Lakbima news have been accusing me as the LTTE member, due my writings. For the people who control the media and the country you are a LTTE member, if you are a Tamil intellectual. You are a traitor, if you are a Sinhalese intellectual. None of them who comment in Lakbima under various names is ready to disclose his identity. They say that they are patriots, but they can’t reveal their identity. What kind of patriotism is this? The comments are extremely pro Rajapaksa regime. And derogatory comments are made towards the people who are commenting against the Rajapaksa regime’s policies. And also derogatory comments are made under others’ name who comment against the Rajapaksa regime. This is very deplorable behavior. Every decent Sri Lankan must condemn this lowlife behavior. Clearly, it is the evidence of authoritarian rule in Sri Lanka. Seriously, Sri Lanka is going down, I urge the Lankans to wake up, the sooner is the better for you and for your future generations.
/