There
is just NO let up in the claims and counter claims, arising from the ethnic
conflict based civil war in Sri Lanka, and for good measure foreign political
operatives are also at it for their own political advantage further clouding
the line between truth and fiction.
The
latest is a claim by the young Canadian MP (Sri Lanka born, Tamil origin)
Rathika Sitsabaiesan, who was recently in Sri Lanka on a private visit, which
became very public when she had ostensibly issued a statement that she was
under house arrest! (something that never happens in Sri Lanka) that gave an
element of notoriety,(and reprimand in Canada) and more importantly for her a
huge amount of publicity in her now native Canada. This was a clearly
politically motivated move on her part, which while naughty, has upset local
(as in Sri Lankan sensitivities) media as there was NO grain of truth in her
outburst.
On
her return she has now come forward claiming she was followed, wherever she
went. I know MacRae and his Channel 4 colleagues were followed, but that was
too obvious as to be both intimidating and funny at the same time, as they must
have been bumbling goons who were tasked with the job!
As
she was on a private visit she was cautioned to keep it so, as she had not had
the basic courtesy, common sense or maturity to inform the SL High Commission
in Canada of her impending visit. (as unequivocally verified by the female HC
to Canada, an experienced career diplomat and not a mouthpiece of partisan
politics) The HC said that her claim was an outright lie, though I don’t put it
past the security forces to indulge in that sort of stuff, as a matter of
normal practice when they discover a hostile MP (to the SL Govt.) is loose and
on the prowl. Just think what the Canadians would do if roles were reversed.
In
Ms Sitsabaiesan’s case, whilst she claimed she was merely visiting family,
something which she would not have dared do in areas if they were occupied by
the LTTE, due to her political stance against GOSL it was inevitable she would
meet with the people who would reinforce her prejudices over those who would
try to contradict her claims! That after all is human nature, and so be it.
The
problem becomes the way the news is reported both here and in Canada. Without
the underlying background, the reader is left to believe that there is
something truly sinister going on! When in fact it is normal practice! That is
why we must try and understand the motivations of all parties here.
Talking
about motivations, it was very wrong of both Bishop Rayappu Joseph and MP
Sumanthiran to jump into conclusions on the recent discovery of a mass grave in
the Mannar area, and assume it is of Tamils killed by the forces, when it fact
it could also be Tamils killed by the IPKF and also Sinhala and Tamil people
killed by the LTTE. Any idiot would say, first the approximate period of when
these deaths took place must be ascertained, and secondly determine who was in
charge in that location during that period. Neither of which can be obtained
within minutes of finding the graves.
We
know their motivations as they wish to see an independent International
Investigation into war crimes by the Govt. forces, but at least if they were to
admit that the LTTE were just as if not more violent in their treatment of
civilians and enemy it would at least give them some credibility in their allegations.
I can’t for the life of me understand why they both continue to play this
antagonistic role, as their credibility is also called into question when they
jump into unfounded assumptions, when faced with new discoveries.
Whilst
this soup continues to stew, better understanding between the races in Sri
Lanka is the loser. The Govt. is just as guilty of this, as they have Karuna as
one of their own, MPs and ministers, and for one of the world’s greatest mass
murderers to live in their midst, without being held accountable or at least rehabilitated
to openly confess to his crimes and ask forgiveness from the thousands of
families who are still suffering owing to the killings of their loved ones by
him. There is NO “truth and reconciliation” until that is done by the
home team and would make it utterly facetious to insist that come from others
first.
As
you see, I am NOT taking sides. I merely point out the anomalies that all
parties to the debate are stuck with, Diaspora, TNA, Clergy, Govt. Forces,
former LTTE leaders. The hostages that they ALL have taken are the citizens of
Sri Lanka, who are being held to ransom by them for their personal ends.
Until
they all realize that they are party to the problem and NOT the solution, the
more humility we can elicit from them, instead of grandstanding bravado for the
brainless, spineless, tactless and factless media, the easier it will be to
find a solution that will be acceptable to all. Until that time, this type of
polarized and unbending approach of the rigid (as in inflexible) stakeholders
of reconciliation, will continue to
destroy any hope of finding common ground, and we the people MUST point our
fingers at them as truly abominable, inhuman traitors who will rot in hell for their
crimes, as that in essence is what they are guilty of.
1 comment:
Actually lumping Sumanthiran and Bishop Joseph in with the GOSL as being equally guilty is an excellent way of putting in perspective the stalled peace process.
All parties are just as guilty, and the hapless people of Sri Lanka are made to suffer on account of personal egos in the way.
Remove the lot of them from the equation and hey presto we arrive at the magical ending, PEACE
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