By S. V. Kirubaharan –
I humbly feel that if we don’t share our views openly and honestly, there is no use talking about unity. Therefore, I will be frank and honest.
We Tamils from the North East or Eelam Tamils have had many rises and falls – the non violent struggle, the armed struggle in self-defence which came to a halt in May 2009 – the debacle of Mullivaigzhal.
We were taken for a ride by all the aggressive rulers in Ceylon/Sri Lanka, so we are not ready to trust anyone, including our own kith and kin. This is our present dilemma.
Therefore it appears that no viable or successful cooperation among us is possible and this is the very weakness of which the Sri Lankan government is taking maximum advantage. There are many other reasons making us feeble.
à From the very beginning, so-called political leaders have lacked long term political vision.
à We had neither political allies nor enemies among the Sri Lanka/Ceylon rulers.
à We never worked to build-up solidarity among the non-political people in the South. A few Tamil entrepreneurs did, but for their personal benefits rather than for the benefit of our nation.
This solidarity could have been achieved on cultural, religious and humanist levels. This is one of the lessons that we learned from other independence struggles including South Sudan.
à In our vocabulary there is no place for ‘give and take’ policy.
à Throughout history we facilitated and energised the so-called traitors. No path was sought to encourage them to rectify their mistakes. As a result they became the vanguard of the Sri Lankan rulers.
à After the fall of the USSR, independence struggles emerged. But our struggle continued with more sad stories rather than any reasonable success. This is to say that we missed a few opportunities.
à In a broad sense, we Eelam Tamils were the patients, physicians, surgeons and found our own therapy for our illnesses. This is how we were approaching our long bloody political struggle and even today some of us are not ready to share leadership and thoughts with trusted friends, colleagues, and neighbours.
à The list goes on…………
Aggressor’s task made easy
The majority of the diaspora supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – LTTE in the past are today split into many groups. This makes the aggressor’s task very easy. Many are with old thinking with a different approach; a few are with old thinking and some work on completely new phenomena and new approaches.
There is an advantage in having old thinking with a new approach, but is it right to have completely new thinking and a new approach? Or even having only the old thinking? The new thinking is sort of starting from scratch. It has its own shortcomings. The old thinking needs to be followed methodically to gain international support.
Our pathetic history has taught us that the Sri Lankan rulers capitalise on our political mistakes. We have suffered enough through our mistakes.
Creators of new Tamil political parties and organisations have learned nothing from our history or from the attitude of the Sri Lankan rulers.
Some Tamil-owned English and Tamil media in foreign countries are failing to accept realities. They are censoring many realities, for example even the fact that the LTTE Leader Pirapaharan stated that friendship with India should be renewed. Those exaggerating media prefer to launch our people into more disasters. These media do nothing productively. If they publish from the ground and face the consequences, we can recommend them for bravery and leadership. But they are hiding in the democratic countries and motivating others to commit suicide or face mass murder. Before May 2009, the combatants were living with people and guiding the struggle and they sacrificed themselves too.
The terminologies ‘right to self-determination’ and ‘nationalism’ are not only for the Eelam Tamils. They are for every ethnic group. Generally when we talk of politics, we tend to ignore other human beings. The terms ‘right to self-determination’ and ‘nationalism’ should not be loosely used by bankrupt political parties and others.
The breakaway group from the Tamil National Alliance – TNA, initially gave a pretext for breaking away – two of their personalities were not given the opportunity to contest the election on a TNA ticket. Later they said that policy differences on ‘right to self-determination’ were the cause of their break-away. This pure egoism and their pessimistic politics make others doubt whether they function in collaboration with the present regime!
I can give another example which took place in June and September 2007, in Zurich and Geneva. There were two seminars or conferences organised lavishly with the help of international NGOs. The motive of the organisers was to inform the outsiders that they were the diaspora leaders of the Eelam struggle! In other words, the organisers were very keen to identify themselves to the outsiders that they were the “Porte-parole of Vanni”.
Where are they today? When the coffer seems empty, some are keeping away from these issues, a few became businessmen overnight and some hide behind the curtains of new political phenomena, doing more damage to the unity of the diaspora.
As far as biased media is concerned, I can give two good examples of news items which appeared during the last 19th session of the Human Rights Council. One was that when a group of people handed over an appeal to an Officer in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it was published in the media saying that the appeal was handed over to Ms Navaneethampillai, the High Commissioner for Human Rights!
Another manipulated news item with a few posed photographs taken within the UN building was published in a few media by a particular organisation claiming that they were doing an ardent task in the UN Human Rights Council. These bogus news items misled and misinformed the public. This is not the way the diaspora organisations should work.
Sri Lanka defeated in the international front
On the international front Sri Lanka has been defeated several times. These were the result of well coordinated tasks undertaken by many countries, International NGOs, prominent persons, members of civil society including human rights defenders from the South and veteran Tamil diaspora organisations.
Sri Lanka lost its seat in the UN Human Rights Council, GSP plus trade concessions were withdrawn by the European Union, the UN Secretary General appointed the panel on Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa’s doomed visit to UK, withdrawal of military personnel who were accused of war crimes from the Sri Lankan embassies, Channel 4 programmes and the resolution in the 19th session of UN HRC are a few good examples.
Since 22 March 2012, the superpower USA and the regional powers India, European Union and many other countries have shown us the right path and laid the right foundations for a paradigm shift towards peace with justice and dignity.
It is not easy for everyone, especially pessimists and the bankrupt politicians to understand this strong foundation. We missed a few opportunities in the past and more than 200,000 people have sacrificed their lives and many more have lost livelihoods, assets, respect, self-dignity, etc
Some Tamil-owned diaspora media and opportunists talk daily about the present colonisation, buddhistisation, sinhalisation and militarization in the North and East, but they are silent about what the right remedy can be. It seems that they are ready to allow free flow of all these, unrealistically hoping to achieve something which has no support of the international community. Can any sensible person allow further disaster to come to our nation? If so, in another few years we Eelam Tamils will remain as a people only in documents but not physically.
Cannot gamble anymore
A realist perspective always considers a common goal whereas pessimists give prominence to their ego.
Even though many of us come from different sectors, we could work on a policy of ‘Unity within diversity’. In Tamil, there is a proverb that says ‘if the wall remains you can do your drawings’. (Suwaar irunthalthan chithiram varyalam)
When it comes to matters concerning our Nation, we can no longer gamble or build-up castles in the air. We should be able to go with the wind of the globe. In other words, a deviation of our path is a must to reach our destiny.
Rather than losing any more lives and land, let us carefully articulate our diplomatic approach. An immediate interim solution will show the right path to a permanent solution. This is the present wind of the globe. Let us unite to save our people and our land.
Well coordinated action with the support of the international community, NGOs and others will bring us peace, justice with dignity. This should not be undermined and misled by bankrupt politicians, unprofessional media and so-called researchers.
To achieve this task we need to work on two fronts. One should be diplomatically and internationally. The second one can be with masses, I mean with Eelam and other Tamils around the globe. This needs transparency and to be based on realities rather than emotions and exaggeration.
Sri Lanka lobbyists
If we observe and analyse the propaganda of the Sri Lanka lobbyists, we can see that they talk much about the resettlement of IDPs and rehabilitation or release of ex-combatants. But they are silent about the thousands of ex-combatants who surrendered and the IDPs who were raped, killed and disappeared. This is their weakness and we need a coordinated lobby on these affairs, with the help of big powers.
The Tamil homeland/Tamil Kingdom in the Island existed long before the arrival of the colonial powers. Some of us think that we have had political problems only since independence in 1948. This is totally wrong!
Both the Donoughmore Commission in 1927-1931 and Lord Soulbury’s Commission/constitution in 1947 ignored the aspirations of Eelam Tamils.
There were constitutional reforms after 1948, but nothing accommodated any solution to the grievances of Eelam Tamils. But it was portrayed to the outside world, that there was only a small group of Tamils against the rule of the numerical majority, the Singhalese. All this has to be fought diplomatically in international forums.
It is still not too late for us to build-up solidarity among the people in the South, on cultural, religious and humanist levels. This is with the long term vision of both nations, living side by side peacefully. Also we need to work with our Muslim and plantation Tamil brothers and sisters.
Out of any people struggling in exercise of their right to self-determination, we Eelam Tamils have the maximum number of people (diaspora) internationally. But our past experience has taught us that we cannot and should not proceed alone any longer. Now we see a green light from the regional and global powers – India and USA.
If we are serious in our task – saving our land and people, we need to share our thoughts and future vision with these powers. Sri Lanka may have won the so called war on terrorism but not the diplomatic war in the international front.
Hate among us continues to damage our nation. It is not the dream or intention of any of us. Day by day, year by year, generation by generation, this is how each of us has contributed to the destruction of our nation. We must bring this to an end. Now we are at the verge of losing everything. We will have to open our eyes to see what is happening to our language, our culture, our nation and our land. Let us realise and admit our mistakes. We can’t change the past, but if we maintain at least the policy of ‘Unity within diversity’, we might or can change the future. Let us have unity within diversity and face the challenges in safeguarding our people and our home land. Time is running out.
Malinda Seneviratne / April 29, 2012
No sense of history, geography or demography. fed and nurtured by lie, it is not unnatural to inflate grievance and conflate ‘inflated grievance’ with aspiration. there was a reference to a wall. if rabid eelamists want to hit their heads against the wall again and again, it’s their business. but people die as a result. mostly tamils.
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Visakha Tillekeratne / April 29, 2012
I reaally like the Tamil saying if you have the wall, we can all draw. Sri Lankans have to agree to keep the wall not between ethnicities, but our joint wall. If we break this we will be buried underneath.
As a Sinhala Buddhist if i am to put a label on myself, a label which is useless as we are all part of the human race, I am ashamed of the recentincident with regard to the mosque. e cannot condone intolerance resulting in violence and disrespect. All sane Sri lankans must unite against this. United we stand, divided we fall. if there is indeed an issue let us sit down and discuss. There is a win win for all.
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JD / April 29, 2012
this is the problem with the so-called part time diaspora activists.. For some time in the past they were crowing about Kosovo and now they are praising the independence struggle of South Sudan. They are so ignorant about the price the people of South Sudan paid in the name of “independence”. They simply ignore the fact that South Sudan was carved out just because of its oil wealth and not for any humanitarian reasons. Even now, the people of South Sudan are facing questions of the stability of their young nation and the problems of economic hardship. In fact, the independence was granted to South Sudan by big powers and not really won by its people.
//the superpower USA and the regional powers India, European Union and many other countries have shown us the right path..//
This type of thinking is the outcome of the “brokering” mentality of the Tamil diaspora. They don’t, after all these calamities, learn any lessons in running after these so called global and regional players of power politics. They have actually shown us, without any room for doubts, that their own interests are paramount rather than upholding the principles of justice, human rights and peace with dignity.
This kind of diaspora activists have to share the blame for the ongoing sorry state of Tamils in Sri Lanka. They are still dreaming and wouldn’t ever wake up to the realities in international and local politics. And above all, they don’t realize that in reality they are no more than paper tigers! They are unable to move even a smallest thing in politics other than making news reports with their photos and asking everyone to sign an e-petition or to make a donation to some charity working with war widows of ex-combatants in Sri Lanka.SAD really!!
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Perera / April 29, 2012
At least we find one courageous person to tell the truth.
Let us join with him to be in solidarity.
Hope there is no Car accident in foreign countries like what happens in Sri Lanka!
Mr Kirubaharan, you should do politics.
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muththu / April 29, 2012
” From the very begining, so-called political leaders have lacked long term political vision”.
Absurd. The political leaders have had their own class vision my dear friend. As you defined WE=NORTHEAST TAMILS=EALAM TAMILS, I humbly ask you, could you classify these terms? It is a crime, has been committed sofar, by using these disguised words to cover the underneath class structure and their class interests within the entire society. Come back with a concrete answer and not with a magerine type or visionless junk.
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Perumal Thevan / April 29, 2012
Sri Lankan government thought that it had won the war and suppressed The Tamil question, but instead itself brought the problem to the international forums by its very own acts. Because of the Sri Lankan government Tamil Eelam will be created soon by the help of international communities.
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David / April 29, 2012
Honurable and Honest Malinda Seneviratne!
You are one the journalists who were in Geneva doing naked lobby with lot of lies for the Sri Lanka governemtn. It is a shame that you still not learn any lesson from your Geneva experience. Please dont waste time with your unjust writings. According to Tamilnet you so called Journalists were seen as jokers in Geneva.
You may have to go again very soon. Dont worry you will get your first class air ticket, Intercontinental accomadation and 200 Swiss Franc for a day food allowns and evening trip to ………..area.
JD – Do you think Kirubaharan doesnt know anything about the suffering of people of Kosova and South Sudan.
Perera, please dont put Kirubaharan on a Grease-pole. Let him do his job as a happy man.
Muthu, the WE=NORTHEAST TAMILS=EALAM TAMILS, were the area where your lovely Singhala Buddhist governments did carpet/claster/chemical/aerial bomings, shellings. If you colour these areas on a map, you will find the results for your questions.
By the way Kirubaharan why you are allowing these funny fellows a make a comment on you. slam them before hand.
You are the right person to handle these fellows locally and internationally.
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Dr C P Thiagarajah / April 29, 2012
This long article does not make any sense. Kirupaharan had worked consistently in the UNHRC for a long time and did a good job for Tamils exposing the HR violations of the Sinhala governments. bUT HIS POLITICAL APPROACH IS WRONG.
Great intellectuals like Sir P Ramanathan and Sir P Arunachalam had moved with the Sinhalese in the South. They did tell that all of Sinhalese had a hidden agenda; to make Sri-Lanka a Sinhala deepa. During the passing of the Donoughmore Commission in 1927-1931 and Lord Soulbury’s Commission/constitution in 1947 the so called newly educated Tamils were deceived by the Sinhalese promising them a comfortable life in Colombo ignoring the aspirations of Eelam Tamils. See they still have these houses in and around colombo -cinnamon gardens.
Arunachalam and later Vavuniya Suntharalingam only started to see reality and gave a lift to Tamil aspiration. Till a strong diaspora were built up the Tamils suffered and the so called elitist capitalist class were talking pandithakama in Colombo as the Sinhalese call it.
We must thank the Tamil Diaspora and the Amnesty International and many true NGOs and the Elders for noticing the HR violations though late particularly after Channel 4 exposure of war crime (thank you Callum) and taking action.
The TN Tamils too were kept in the dark by vested politicians like Karunanithy and Jayalitha. It is Seeman who through his violent speeches blasted the myth about Rajiv Gandhi’s murder and created Tamil Nationalism. Of course it does not mean Vaiko and Nedumaran and many others are not heavy weights in the struggle. They laid the strong foundation for Eelam. The struggle now moves on.
The Tamil Diaspora for its part should ignore the weeds and select the best seeds that can be sown to produce Tamil Eelam. Therefore it is important to nurse and grow eloquent Tamil speakers who can put a strong case for Tamil Eelam at international fora. 192 counties in the UN should be enlightened of the true situation in Sri-Lanka that minorities are victims of genocide for over a century.
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Thilainathan / April 30, 2012
Why you are hiding Kirubaharan’s article? Compare to other articles appeared in the front page for days and days, this has to be given important coverage. I did a google search to find this article.
Learned unknown Dr C P Thiagarajah.
If you are writing your comment to Kirubaharan from a foreign country, 90% of your comments have no value.
Secondly your comments do not have facts. Once again it is an emotional writing.For EX.you say the following :
“See they still have these houses in and around colombo -cinnamon gardens.”
THIS SHOWS THAT WHAT KIRUBAHARAN AND OTHERS WERE TALKING IN THE UN ABOUT 1983, ETC ARE WRONG AND CONTRADITING THEIR GOOD WORK IN YOUR TERM.
“……and the Elders for noticing…….”
WHO ARE THESE ELDERS? IS IT YOU?
“Of course it does not mean Vaiko and Nedumaran and many others are not heavy weights in the struggle. They laid the strong foundation for Eelam. The struggle now moves on.”
DO YOU KNOW THAT NEDUMARAN NEVER CONTESTED ELECTION SINCE STARTED WORKING FOR EELAM AND VAIKO AND HIS PARTY NEVER WON A SINGLE ELECTION.
IF THIS IS THE SITUATION OF THOSE WHO LAID FOUNDATION, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE REST!
192 counties in the UN should be enlightened of the true situation in Sri-Lanka that minorities are victims of genocide for over a century.
TO TELL YOU THE FACT, PRESENTLY THERE ARE 193 MEMBER COUNTRIES AND TWO OBSERVERS, VATICAN AND PLO IN THE UN. 192 is out dated information.
IF YOU SAY THAT TAMIL AS “MINORITIES” THEN ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL LAW, THEY ONLY QUALIFIED FOR MINORITY RIGHTS, BUT NEITHER FOR INTERNAL NOR EXTERNAL RIGHT TO SELF DETERMIATION.
IN CONCLUSION IT IS YOUR COMMENT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE BUT KIRUBAHARAN ARTICLE MAKING A LOT OF VALUE.
ANYWAY I APPRECIATE YOUR GOOD TRY.
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Dr C P Thiagarajah / April 30, 2012
You accept that I am learned. That shows you are intelligent. As for my popularity please type my name in google search and my articles will appear. I do not know what credentials you have got.
The main point I wanted to say is that all countries in the UN should be given the information about the real situation in Eelam including people like you who try to pick up hairs from egg shells. The actual number of countries in the UN here is immaterial. The 193rd country to be added is East Timor or Kosovo I am not sure. If you do not know the Elders then please stop you Tamil Nationalism.
All Tamils know that they are a discriminated minority. That is why we are fighting for Eelam. The trouble for the Tamils are those who try to climb the social ladder all of a sudden. What I was trying to tell the Tamil community is that no Sinhalese whether fiend or not will ever agree to give political freedoms to Tamils and that Tamils should not waste their time and energy in pleasing them or trying to explain to them. They already knew our weakness that is disunity.(closed)
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Thilainathan / April 30, 2012
Thiagarajah
You invited this!
Do you think I have no other work to do a search on ‘Nerve Doctor’ Thiagu!
If I do a search I can only find that Thiagu finding fault on others like Kirubaharan than doing anything good to you, your community, and your friend or even to your family.
Yes I try to pick up hairs from egg shells but what did you do on Kirubaharan? You were trying to find strings on what was said by Kirubaharan.
Who are you to say that he is not good for politics and to judge his work?
The 193rd country to be added is East Timor or Kosovo I am not sure.
ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE A DOCTOR? DID I SAY ANYTHING ABOUT KOSOVA?
HERE YOU TRY TO SAY THAT THE RABIT THAT YOU CAUGHT HAS THREE LEGS.
PLEASE DO SOME WORK ON THESE FUDAMENTAL ISSUES ABOUT INTERNATIONAL AFFIARS.
All Tamils know that they are a discriminated minority.
WHEN DID YOU BECOME AS THE SPOKESPERSON OF THE EELAM TAMILS? THIS IS TO SAY THAT YOU ARE ONLY FIT TO TALK WITHIN FAMILY MEMBERS AND OTHERS WHO THINKS THIAGU IS A WONDERFUL CREATEURE.
THOSE WHO DO NOT WHAT IS A NATION WHAT A MINORITY IS TALK THAT EELAM TAMILS ARE MINORITIES. YOU ARE ONE OF THE PERSON BELONG TO THIS CALIBER.
If you do not know the Elders then please stop you Tamil Nationalism.
DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM AND WHAT I AM DOING? EVEN NOW I AM ASKING WHO THESE ELDERS ARE? IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THE FOOLISH IDEAS WHAT IS IN YOUR MIND?
What I was trying to tell the Tamil community is that no Sinhalese whether fiend or not will ever agree to give political freedoms to Tamils and that Tamils should not waste their time and energy in pleasing them or trying to explain to them. They already knew our weakness that is disunity.
WHAT A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY? IS YOUR THESIS ON THIS SUBJECT? I FEEL SORRY FOR THE UNIVERSITY THAT OFFERED YOU DOCTORATE!
Closed.
I AM NOT READY TO CLOSE ANYTHING EVEN WITH FOOLS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU FOOLED IN THE PAST? IT IS OPEN.
Thiagu, by the way are you jealous of Kirubaharan and others who do wonderful work for the Eelam Tamils? Let us know any constructive thing that you have done for the Eelam that you are boasting about.
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Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe / May 1, 2012
Kirubaharan,
We must continue to strive to build principled unity of all democratic, progressive and revolutionary forces in a common struggle to win national independence and democratic freedom, within a united country, where all the nations, nationalities and ethnic-religious communites can live together and share this Land with equality, dignity, security, autonomy and democratic freedom. This is the only long-term vision and goal that would lead us all- the People of Lanka- towards freedom. To win liberation we must adopt a scientific perspective, a political line and strategic path that will rely on the masses of exploited and oppressed people to struggle and achieve their self-determination.
We must engage in deep criticism and self-criticism so we may identify the deviations, errors, weaknesses and limitations that have led to disaster of all the armed insurgencies-both in the South and the North. This is a matter of adopting a strictly scientific perspective. We must also adopt an internationalist perspective of revolutionary struggle and not be imprisoned in any form of narrow nationalism. What were the internal factors of philosophical vision, scientific theory and strategy that led to the military liquidation of the LTTE- and the JVP? We cannot betray the blood of the martyrs, the untold sacrifices of the masses and the continuing agony and misery of the people.
To rely on imperialism- the US and the EU- and regional powers such as India-all preadtory powers to deliver liberation would be suicidal and blatantly opportunist and capitulationist.The right of national self-determination must lead to the right of self-determination of the masses where they shall exercise political power to rule and decide their future. Of course, we should use all opportunities and exploit contradictions to make tactical gains, including on the diplomatic front.However, we must not strategically rely on imperialist or regional predator powers.We must engage in serious self-criticism.
Condescending saviors who claim to liberate the masses through command and dictat will inevitably replace one form of domination with another form of class dominationand national oppression.These are the crucial issues we must address, if we are to learn the lessons paid in blood.
For our part, we are striving to build the revolutionary struggle of the workers, peasants, fishermen and all oppressed masses, nations and nationalities within a common anti-imperialist strategy and program. Why don’t you also raise your philosophical vision, your ideological heights, scope of action by basing yourslef on a scientific-internationalist perspective of human liberation. Would be happy to hear from you.
I have written a long article on the Liquidation of the LTTE: Lessons paid in Blood. I can mail this to you, if you give me your mailing address. Also my writings can be accessed by typing Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe on Google.
Keep in touch. It has been a long time.
Comrade Surendra
Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist)
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Dilan / May 1, 2012
Comrade
I noticed that Kirubaharan doesnt reply any comments. It looks like you know him well. Rather than on a public demoin, why dont you both find a way to communicate directly.
Comrade, in the recent past I also notice that Kirubaharan’s views are positive towards India. This position may not unit you both.
Good luck.
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