By Pearl Thevanayagam –
Pearl Thevanayagam
The sound and fury after Canadian MP Ms Sitsabaiesan spoke eloquently in three languages in the Canadian parliament when war was escalating in 2009 in Wanni fizzled out no sooner than TVs and media turned their attention to other events unfolding. Young and beautiful she is, she became the media darling for diaspora Tamils and Tamils living in Sri Lanka.
Then there is MIA, daughter of former Tamil militant Prof. Arudpragasam (comrade of LTTE leader Pirabhakaran in the early stages of Tamil militancy) who used her charms and incredible fashion sense to bring Sri Lanka before the world media with her rap and hip-hop music in almost porn-like strutting on stage. That she went on to earn her living as a pop star is another matter.
Children and youth in the Tamil diaspora raised thousands of pounds and dollars for the Tsunami and war victims with their cultural shows and they really went for it with their parents supporting them.
Having said that, both of the afore-mentioned darlings are welcome in their own sweet and cute ways to do their bit to raise the subject of human rights pertaining to Tamils in Sri Lanka.
But when it comes to action, we need movers and shakers with experience. One could hardly make these two sweet and cute little things sit together with Northern Province Chief Minister Wigneswaran, MPs Sumanthiran or Sampanthan. Certainly these sweet and cute little things would be soothing ointment for ageing and sore eyes but they would hardly comprehend the intricacies of diplomacy and politics no matter how many degrees or accolades they have piled up in their portfolio.
One does not know the purpose of Ms Sitsabiesan’s visit to Jaffna. Is it to garner evidence of war crimes and other issues affecting Tamils or is she here to reclaim some ancestral property? Who is footing her travel expenses? Is it the Canadian Government or the Tamil diaspora or is she footing the bill herself from her own pocket or her family’s?
The young and eager Indian journalist Pirabakaran was mentally tortured and his trade tools confiscated by the TID on his recent visit to Wanni. Actor and poet Jeyapalan too was arrested on blind suspicion by the security forces in November this year. Can Ms Sitsabiesan show the same boldness in Jaffna as she did in Canadian Parliament to record and take photographs to present as evidence at the UNHRC sessions. It is hardly possible and almost impossible. On the other hand she may surprise us all.
But the media loves a bit of sensation just like the actresses who are coming out of the woodworks to contest elections in order to prove they have not only got acting talent and beauty but brains. Bless their make-up and shimmering dresses.
Ms Sitsabeisan certain has grabbed Sri Lanka media’s attention. Enjoy is what I say.
Saro / December 31, 2013
One Colombo daily known for its anti-ethnic minority stand reported Ms Sitsabesan’s visit ‘fact finding’ but injected its usual toxin and concluded ‘having close relationship with the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora’ and the other simply said she is on a visit and held discussions with several TNA parliamentarians.
She has a right to visit her birth place and see how her compatriots live or try to survive. Those who languish in tin thatched camps were highlighted to the world by British PM and promised to mobilise the international community to do justice to the victims of the war and oppressed minority community. The more VIPs come more benefit the hapless community will get and eventually the elected representatives of these people will be able to serve them by overcoming controls of the military and military governor.
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sarojini / January 3, 2014
Excuse me she has forfeited the rights to her birthplace ,as she is a fully fledged Canadian citizen . You cant have the cake and eat the cake regrettably.
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kali / January 4, 2014
Sarojini you stupid,
Go and tell this to the Jewish Politicians in the American Administration who Guarantee the Survival of the Jewish people and the Jewish State. If they can do it why cant Rathika speak on behalf the Tamils in Eelam.
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Javi / January 5, 2014
As long as her passport says where she was born she shall remain a citizen of that nation too. No SOB cant stop that!!
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Bedrock Barney / December 31, 2013
My guess is that the Conservatives boycotted CHOGM, the Liberal offered a subway extension and the NDP if offering Rathika Sitsabeisen. All of these are attempts to win the six Toronto ridings that will be key at the next Canadian general elections.
That might being said, Pearl makes a good point about ‘politicians’ (Sri Lankan, Tamil Nadu, British, Canadians) using the the tragic plight of the Northern Tamils, for their own political ends. Are the Politicians helping the cause of SL Tamils or is it the other way around?
Currently every member of the Sri Lankan armed forces are under the command of a American citizen, from what we know about the America, do we really believe that the U.S. wants that situation to change??
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Lynx / December 31, 2013
Seems that ‘cuties’ are as numerous as ‘human rights activists’ in the woodwork!!
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / December 31, 2013
May be She will Do model Parade on Canadian Parliament and U N H R C Session Stage in Next March with some photos of Our Rajapassa clan,TNA M Ps , and specially Former comrades of EPRLF and EPDP.
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Fathima Fukushima / December 31, 2013
[Edited out]
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Chandra / December 31, 2013
aiyo
Fathima (Lorenzo)
you try your best to provoke a hostile response without much success.
Funny i read the comments on LW on the “Endgame” thread. no wonder ppl are leaving LW . Good luck with your endgame
LOL!
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Rex / December 31, 2013
Do I see the green eyed monster?
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Sasi / December 31, 2013
Even I do.
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punchinilame / December 31, 2013
These are signs that tell us that the Diaspora is growing stronger and
was so created by the Regimes own activities. It is high time that the
services of the diaspora be co-opted for the betterment of both local
tamils and sinhalese, as a Policy.
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justice / December 31, 2013
Old hags whom noone cares for,hate young pretty politicians who stand for justice for their kith & kin in their former homelands,from which they fled earlier.
Canadians elect representatives more on their parties’ manifestos than on ethnic considerations.
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Ramany K / December 31, 2013
“Tamil militant Prof. Arudpragasam (comrade of LTTE leader Pirabhakaran in the early stages of Tamil militancy)”
PT,Arupragasam alias Arular is not a professor.I dont think A even completed his masters.Definitely he is not a Prof and he is one of the founder members of EROS.
“One does not know the purpose of Ms Sitsabiesan’s visit to Jaffna.”
The answer is simple.She went to Jaffna just to bag the votes of the Tamils in Canada in the forthcoming parliamentary election.She went to SL on a visitors visa having known what happened to Jeyapalan and Thamil Prapakaran.J and TP became heroes among the Tamils after their arrest.Sitsabiesan’s wish is ,what happened to J and TP should happen to her also.Unfortunately(as far as she is concerned),she has not been questioned or arrested yet by the SL authorities.
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Javi / January 3, 2014
At the time of your posting she unofficially was under duress at the hotel.
If they put her under house arrest they would be smarting by now. Without permission CIA flew over to UK and picked up a an internet spammer- that’s how north America works today even with EU/UK.
____________________
I liked the strength in this statement because her votes are guaranteed whether she visits or not.
January 01, 2014.
Full text of the statement from Ms Sitsabeisan follows:
Statement from NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan on her stay in Sri Lanka:
For New Democrats, standing in solidarity with Canadians of Tamil heritage on matters of human rights is part of our shared values as Canadians.
I recently arrived in Sri Lanka to visit my extended family and visit the places that were once home for me, during the earlier stages of my life and the civil war in Sri Lanka; but was subject to political intimidation. I was warned I could be subject to arrest and deportation, as several commonwealth MPs from New Zealand and Australia recently faced.
I have received word from the Canadian High Commission in Colombo that the Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that their previous claims of an arrest warrant in my name does not exist and I now look forward to exploring and learning more about the country of my birth.
My experiences since arriving in Sri Lanka are a reminder that defending principles of human rights is not easy, but I continue to believe that it is only through open dialogue and freedom of expression that people can ultimately achieve healing and reconciliation.
New Democrats, like millions of Canadians, will continue to staunchly defend human rights and freedom of speech, in Canada and around the world.
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JimSofty / January 1, 2014
PEARL THEVANAYAGAM:
This is an open challenge to you.
The following is the truth about WAR CRIMES.
If you can Prove otherwise.
Just Don’t talk CRAP.
On the LTTE, de Maio said that it had tried to keep civilians in the middle of a permanent state of violence. It saw the civilian population as a `protective asset` and kept its fighters embedded amongst them. De Maio said that the LTTE commanders, objective was to keep the distinction between civilian and military assets blurred. They would often respond positively when ICRC complained to the LTTE about stationing weapons at a hospital, for example. The LTTE would move the assets away, but as they were constantly shifting these assets, they might just show up in another unacceptable place shortly thereafter. the US Mission to UN informed Washington.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The Confidential cable discuses what had happened on the ground during and since the conflict. The cable was written by the US Ambassador to Geneva Clint Williamson on July 15, 2009.
After a meeting with Jacque de Maio, ICRC Head of Operations for South Asia on July 9, 2009, the US ambassador Clint Williamson wrote De Maio said it would be hard to state that there was a systematic order to LTTE fighters to stick with civilians in order to draw fire. Civilians were indeed under `physical coercion not to go here or there,` he said. Thus, the dynamics of the conflict were that civilians were present all the time. This makes it very difficult to determine though at what point such a situation becomes a case of `human shields.`
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Javi / January 2, 2014
Jimbo the Sinhala Buddhist Terrorist!,
“Arms, funding from Mussie Gota to revive LTTE as the Real LTTE!
As the first part of the plan, the LTTE armed wing leader Sivasubramaniam Varathanathan alias Colonel Paduman is to lead the revival of the organization. He is one of the two LTTE armed wing leaders who had attended a news briefing held by Prabhakaran at his Kilinochchchi headquarters on the day the then UNP regime signed a peace agreement with the LTTE in February 2002. The other participant was Karuna Amman, who was the then eastern province armed wing leader. Following an internal struggle for power, Paduman was ordered by Prabhakaran to be imprisoned, while Karuna broke away from the organization. After being in LTTE custody for nearly two years, Paduman escaped during the final stages of the war, surrendered to the military and was imprisoned.
Gotabhaya first employed Karuna, presently a deputy minister of the government, to tempt Paduman into his project, and the two had first met in the middle of this year at prison. Paduman had straightforwardly told Karuna that he wanted to revive the armed struggle against the Sinhala government. Karuna then told Gotabhaya that he cannot convince Paduman into agreeing to his project. Taking matters into his own hands, Gotabhaya met Paduman at a secret location, and as a result of their meeting, Paduman was absolved of charges and acquitted in late September by Trincomalee high court judge Amal Ranaraja who had cited a lack of evidence against him.
Paduman is now in Trincomalee, living double life. To the outside world, he is leading a secluded, peaceful and religious life and is attending Kovil poojas twice a day. But, in actual fact, he has taken 40 LTTE cadres who had been under him in the armed wing, to Colombo. They are now receiving special training at a location near the Panagoda Army Camp. The coordination of this group is being done by a group of soldiers competent in the Tamil language. This team of LTTEers intends to resume jungle combat activities, for which the defence secretary will provide all the necessities. For Paduman’s use in Colombo, the defence secretary has given him a luxury house in the high security zone where the official residences of the commanders of the three armed forces too, are located.
The foundation is now being laid under the defence secretary’s orders to revive the LTTE. Accordingly, firearms are being found and taken into custody at various locations and from buses and motor vehicles, which all are being given wide publicity, also on his orders to all media. The LTTE organization being revived with government sponsorship is targeting to assassinate leading Tamil politicians, especially Northern Province chief minister C.V. Vigneswaran, TNA leader R. Sampanthan, MPs Sridharan and M.A. Sumandiran. The defence secretary has tasked the new LTTE with the elimination of all pro-democratic tendencies. We are in possession of further details, but it is not yet time to reveal them. It has been several months since we exclusively received details of this plan, and we have been collecting, comparing and double checking the details. We will now reveal these details step by step.
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JimSofty / January 1, 2014
with respect to the article you wrote, Harper gained votes of the LTTE-RUMP by not attending CHOGM. Now the NDP and their MP SitaBastian is in Trouble. So she went to Jaffna looking for any crumbs that she pick.\\
Just wait and see how she handles it.
It is Tamils versus Tamils.
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Javi / January 1, 2014
Tatte Motte Jimbo,
This piece of bullshit as seen below “ Gautama:”the Severed Head”- “where he gave his head to a man” “ is written by smelly pincushions with the help of terrorist “ottoman’s” of Porkistan who also want a pedigree beyond the Indus Valley Civilization (5500 years) like Hitler in approach. The Chinese had a language and Tao taught Gautama. Hong Kong Chinese can teach English and don’t need a translator.
Takshashila is also described in some detail in the Buddhist Jātaka tales, written in Sri Lanka around the 5th century.[18] The Jataka literature mentions it as the capital of the kingdom of Gandhara and as a great centre of learning.
The Chinese monk Faxian (also called Fa-Hien) writing of his visit to Taxila in 405 CE, mentions the kingdom of Takshasila (or Chu-cha-shi-lo) meaning “the Severed Head”. He says that this name was derived from an event in the life of Buddha because this is the place “where he gave his head to a man”
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Javi / January 1, 2014
BTW: The Chinese gave the world the Potty. The Nepalese (Gautama born in present Nepal , Lumbini) have taken it to a higher stage and have a restaurant in London “Drunken Buddha” and Drunken Buddha napkins. In Europe you now find ““the Severed Head” outdoor potty of the Buddha.
What do you do tatte motte, and reverse P. Nonis???
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JimSofty / January 1, 2014
In Scarborough area, the fight is between LTTE Tamils Sitabaisen versus another Tamil who will kneel in front of LTTE Tamils for their vote.
It is the time for Non – LTTE Tamils to show their strength.
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Javi / January 1, 2014
Burro (in spanish means donkey) Jimbo do not want to admit that you were uncivilized before 1505??? You have no dictionary nor a complete language it was concocted after 1948.
Your rumblings about your masters and aid givers Canada proves it.
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JimSofty / January 1, 2014
RATHIKa IS PICKING GARBAGE – JAFFANISTAN – LITTER BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO SUCCEED IN HER carreer.
If the govt did it, this is the best.
I think, as a grown up in Canada, She was scared and she is waiting until garbage information comes to her residing house. WE WILL SEE.
Canadian Eezham Tamil MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan under house arrest in Jaffna
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 December 2013, 20:51 GMT]
Canadian Eezham Tamil parliamentarian Rathika Sitsabaiesan representing Sacarborough-Rouge River constituency, who was on a visit to the island has come under the harassment of the occupying Sri Lankan military and police establishment in Jaffna on Tuesday evening. SL ‘Terrorist Investigation Department’ Officer-in-Charge in Jaffna Ranaweera accompanied by two TID female officers, who were waiting at a hotel in Jaffna, where Ms Rathika Sitsabaiesan was staying, have placed the visiting Canadian parliamentarian under an ‘unofficial’ house-arrest after she entered the hotel around 7:00 p.m., concluding a visit to the uprooted people of Valikaamam North and Vadamaraadchi with the chairman of Valikaamam North Piratheasa Chapai (PS) Mr S. Sugirthan.
Around 8-10 TID officers are stationed at the hotel. No one is allowed to meet the visiting Canadian parliamentarian, news sources in Jaffna told TamilNet Tuesday evening.
The latest move by the Sri Lankan TID, which usually receives direct instructions from the SL military command in Colombo, comes after Ms Sitsabaiesan was touring Jaffna after she visited Mannaar on Sunday and Ki’linochchi on Monday on her way to Jaffna.
In Mannaar, Ms Sitsabaiesan met Northern Provincial Council (NPC) minister of fisheries and transport, Mr B. Deniswaran, religious leaders and civil society members. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan was also present in Mannaar, meeting the visiting Canadian parliamentarian.
On Tuesday, the TID interrogators of the occupying SL military went to the office of TNA MP Sritharan in Ki’linochchi and questioned about the whereabouts of the visiting Canadian MP.
In the meantime, Ms Rathika Sitsabaiesan, who had reached Jaffna on Monday, met Valikaamam North uprooted peoples, representative Shanmugalingan Sajeevan and Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member Ananthi Sasistharan in Jaffna on Monday, informed sources in Jaffna said.
The latest ‘house arrest’ of the Canadian MP comes after deportations of a known Eezham Tamil poet from Norway and a visiting young journalist from India.
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Javi / January 2, 2014
Jimbo! Arms, funding from Gota to revive LTTE!
Like Premadasa like Sinhala cum Buddhist.
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JimSofty / January 1, 2014
I think that there is an opportunity for the Sri Lankan govt do decide the out come of the Canadian Federal election.
Now the LTTE-rump voted should be divided among the incumbant MP – RATHIKA SITABAAISEN and who EVER the CANDIDATE that the PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES OF CANADA will CHOOSE, if they choose to do that.
So, anti-LTTE voters can influence the vote.
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Javi / January 1, 2014
“|”I think that there is an opportunity for the Sri Lankan govt do decide the out come of the Canadian Federal election.”|”
Gaas Gembo, Jimbo, Beggars dont have a right to choose.
The boycott is because the opposition leader was deported from airport.
Stop digging your own stone age scenario, you are making UP and Bihar bomb you.
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Peebles / January 1, 2014
Who is this author? She sounds like a typical cave dwelling Neanderthal, with a load of sexism and condescension thrown in.
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Fathima Fukushima / January 1, 2014
Sounds and looks!
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Fathima Fukushima / January 1, 2014
She is TAMIL.
That should explain it!
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Javi / January 2, 2014
Jewish/Islamic fuckfatimam is without knickers just tatte motte sinhala hate buddhist cannibal- that explains the bandit in you.
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M.Sivananthan / January 1, 2014
In Quebec many teen agers became MPs of NDP. This Radhika too got a fluke chance but never gain!
When conservatives banned the LTTE and their assets are not frozen, many hard core LTTE criminals now lick the boots of Stephan Harper. His party got millions in party funds from LTTE goons.
NDP the “poor” party too try the best to get some dollars.
Radhika, I hope, will meet her former husband’s relatives at Ariya Kulam. Her former husband was the grand son of M.C.Subramaniyam, leader of the tree climbing Nalava clan.
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J.Muthu / January 1, 2014
Adoi mokka what damn caste r u fool. R u and ahampadian just like murderer Pootu amman. dont write stupid caste u fool.
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M.Sivananthan / January 2, 2014
Fool!
You are an Indian donkey. In India “caste” is legal. But Radhika divorced her husband because of the caste.
So, preach your sermons to Radhika and others, not to me!
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Javi / January 3, 2014
Mannar pinnatu poriki sinhala buddhist khyber pass.
Even Chinese women were allowed to divorce in 1932 the same time everyone in SL irrespective of caste class race received the right to vote. She divorced because his lifestyle is not compatible with hers- period. Muthu is your granddad farmer from vanni.
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Razik / January 1, 2014
LTTE Pearl Theva supports an Indian pro LTTE journalist Maha Pirabakaran.
View this video clip of Maha Pirabakaran interweaving LTTE sea Commander Soosai just a few months before their annihilation.
More LTTE and appetisers have found niche in the journalism . Beware of these terror supporting journalists.They are racist and working against Sri Lanka.
http://salasalappu.com/?p=74010
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kali / January 4, 2014
Pearl,
Have you changed Horses and who are you speaking for. It looks like you have gone balmy and may be got at .
“One does not know the purpose of Ms Sitsabiesan’s visit to Jaffna. Is it to garner evidence of war crimes and other issues affecting Tamils or is she here to reclaim some ancestral property? Who is footing her travel expenses? Is it the Canadian Government or the Tamil diaspora or is she footing the bill herself from her own pocket or her family’s?”
I am struggling to make any sense out of the above.
Ms.Sitsabesans visit to Jaffna might be a combination of the two issues you have raised. There is a saying in Tamil ” Nelluk Iraitha Neer Vaikal Valiodi Pullukum anke posiumam. “.
What is wrong with her visiting her ancestral home and at the same time in her capacity as an MP ( Which is an achievemnt in itself) Garner Evidence of War Crimes.
The last bit surprises me even more. Does it matter who foots the bill. It is not as bad as the expenses scandal in the UK.
****Can Ms Sitsabiesan show the same boldness in Jaffna as she did in Canadian Parliament to record and take photographs to present as evidence at the UNHRC sessions***
As for the above why dont you spell it out to her as to what you want her to do and she might oblige.
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pearl thevanayagam / January 4, 2014
Kali,
In case you lost the plot everybody wants to jump on the band-wagon to say they are championing Tamil cause. Ms Sathsabiesan is a flash in the pan with no experience except the adulation of some ageing Canadian politicians and drooling Tamil diaspora based on her eleoquent speech in parliament.
Tamils want action and not rhetoric.
Does this answer your question.
Let us not waste our time on such wannabe stars who want media exposure.
Ms Sathsabiesan’s PR stunt even failed with the intelligence in that she was not taken notice of.
Now let us take our dignified Chief Minsiter Wigneswaran who could challenge the government since he has excellent credentials and diplomacy to negotiate with the government to restore Tamil rights.
He did not bother with Ms Sathsabiesan since she is an unknown quanity with no quality.
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kali / January 5, 2014
Pearl,
With all you experience I am diasppointed that you expect the solution to Sri Lankan Tamil problem will come from within when you have a Born Racist ruling the country. Even the decent Sinhalese like Dr.Shirani are squeezed out without due process and a decorated Four Star General put in Solitary Confinement for spaeking out. Where does that leave Mr.Wigneswaran frankly nowhere. MR has a Agenda and that is Etnic Cleansing and he he is not going to flinch from that willingly and he is master of deception.
We have to get what we want with international help and the only Country that holds the Key is Mother India. We cannot expect anything from the Congress Government who are Corrupt to the Core. Even you must have noticed that before the four State elections Chithamparam was promising a lot of things for the Tamils and as soon as they realised that Congress is not going to make it they have gone quiet.
We have suffered for 64 years and we have to speak with one voice and every bit Counts and it is no point putting Sitsabeisan down for her efforts and I am sure you admit that she alone is not going to change Tamil Fortune and for the matter not even Steven Harper.
The three Countries that matter to us are in the folowing Order
1) India
2) Britain ( As Britain has a Moral Responsibilty for our plight.
3) USA
So In future I ask you refrain from attacking any Contribution from a Fellow Tamil However Small the Contribution is as it only plays into the enimies hands. I am not prepared to play Politics with Tamil lives any more when the end is in sight.
Your attack on her is Unfair and I take it as a Working Holiday.
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