

Sri Lanka’s Tamils

Whose victory?

Mixed feelings among Tamils at the prospect of the war’s end

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Readers' comments


Sasi KC

Dear Indian Tamizhan,

Your statements are true.

Sri Lankans opportunistic diplomacy among USA, Iran, China, India, and Pakistan sometimes may backfire.

When it backfires, the land of Sri Lanka will not be suffice to hold the fire.

When travelling on two boats are not advisable; Sri Lanka is travelling on FIVE boats on/off. Time will be the decider.

Attacking LTTE and occupying NE Sri Lanka alone will not bring peace to the war-torn island.

Suicinde-bombing by LTTE will also not bring peace / statehood for the Lankan Tamils.

Then what's the solution?

The solutions are:

1. Bring ceasefire.

2. Engage India as a Chief facilitator.

3. Stop bitching with USA, Iran, China, India, and Pakistan for weapons and peace simaltaneously.

4. LTTE must respect India and its fellow Tamils in Lanka and India.

5. Tamil Nadu in India or global Tamils alone can't vote for the Tamil cause in Lanka.

6. LTTE must unite with other Tamil political parties for a unanimous decision.

7. LTTE can't be a unovoce of Tamils in Lanka.

8. Lankan Tamils including LTTE must reunite and voice their consensus and confluence to the facilitator.

9. India must warn these two kids to live in peace and harmony - this may not be possible as Sri Lanka has options in hand to go against India, but it may not work for Lanka in long term.

10. Both Sri Lankan government and LTTE must trust India and invite it to table the peace talks - after all India doesn't have any vested/strategic interests in Sri Lanka, except to protect its land from the Sri Lankan occupancy by the foreign forces.

11. War will never bring peace to the Island.

12. China and Pakistan can only bring weapons but peace. India can do both.

Respect India; resolve it amicably; live peacefully.


Bring back your Lankan population toiling in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, USA, Africa, India, and the Gulf.

Singapore was modelled following Sri Lanka. Bring back the glory of Colombo as a secular country.

Sri Lanka was ahead of India in many aspects during 70s and 80s. In India during those time, travelling to Colombo was as good as travelling to Singapore now.

How can the world forget the Colombo Radio, BBC Colombo, TV Channel, Colombo Parathas, imported cars in 70s and 80s????

When India can live in peace, why can't Lanka?

Best wishes,

An Indian


Over Sixty years ago, when this Island nation got its Indepedence, it was envied, by its nieghbours as model of post colonial democratic nation

Unfortunately, that democracy was handed on a platter. Its nieghbur was torn in religous violence and its democracy, was biult in patience, by its leaders, in encouraging its citizens to take that responsibility of nation biulding.
That cannot be said about this island nation, whose politicians created this present situation.
The strenghth ofits citizens being short sighted too.

The unanswered question still remains,will iether side have achieved anything that is friutful. The only thing that seems to be relayed in your comprehensive article is bitterness.

The Pity of War


Very good dias 2. Can you get the offenders to stop the war and then preach your philosophy. Do not ask the defenders to stop fighting which amounts to committing suicide in front of an advancing army! Your first line reveals who you are!! Victory for the armed forces or defeat for the LTTE IS ONE AND THE SAME THING and two possibilities!!!


Given the resilience of the Tigers I cannot think that things will end soon. I believe it was terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman who mentioned that the Tigers had shown themselves to be able to move from terrorism to insurgency as their power changed, and given several recent bombings in Sri Lanka it sounds as though that has not changed. Unless social matters such the rights of Tamils change with the end of the campaign, the war will drag on for many decades to come.


Victory for the armed forces or defeat for the LTTE?

It does not matter - as the underlying problem has nothing to do with the war rather with the discovery of a comprehensive political solution for not just the ethnic imbalances but for the tremendous socio-political inequities that pervade the Sri Lankan system.

Fundamental to discovering an egalitarian solution requires that Sri Lankans first recognize: (a) that the island of Sri Lanka is the common and equal homeland of all of her peoples – every man, woman and child – irrespective of ethnicity, religious belief (or non belief), social or economic status (b) that first and foremost, we are Sri Lankans and therefore, every citizen’s primary loyalty must be towards the common goodwill the nation (c) appreciation by Tamils about the Sinhalese understandable fears about the latter’s vulnerability as a minute race in a rapidly globalizing world with a force of over 60m Tamils just 32 km north of the island – and accordingly, cease their demand for a separate Tamil Eelam (d) appreciation by Sinhalese about the enormous injustices committed against the Tamils (mostly in post-independence) and the essential necessity to correct and compensate for these through systematic yet bold acts that devolve power to minorities as well as to those economically marginalized in all geographic regions of the island (e) recognition by all, especially the Sinhalese, for the imperative for creating a new Sri Lankan identity – a unifying space devoid of communal emphasis, where all Lankans can identify themselves as equity stakeholders in a system with equal participation. Such an identity must be able to encompass all of the nation’s people as free individuals with inalienable rights – each with the freedom to fulfill its own independent destiny, yet celebrating the differences in others – while together working towards the common good of the nation.

Regrettably, instead of discovering egalitarian solutions to these fundamental challenges, Sri Lankans have elected to fight among themselves (i.e. Rajapaksa vs Prahabakaran) in the futile hope that a victory or a loss will somehow, magically, yield solutions. It won’t – the simple fact is there are no victors in this grave human tragedy.


The answer to the question at the end of the article is an emphatic NO in bold capital letters. This is because the Mahawansa mindset is entrenched in the minds of all Sinhalas that the country belongs to the Sinhalas ONLY and all others in the island are at their mercy, will and pleasure.If there is to be a victory in the current war, it has to be to the Tamils as the will of a people to be free is indomitable. I thank the author for the realistic presentation and all hopes of the present Sri Lankan Government of ruling the Tamils with the support of a few Quislings are doomed to failure.


For the benefit of those who are in a state of denial or ignorance, it is worth repeating the legal defintion of genocide as contained in the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide:
"Several acts committed with intent to destroy,in whole or in part,a national, ethnical, racial or religious group by killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, impose measures intended to prevent births within the group,and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group".

This legal position was further reinforced by Security Council Resolution 1674 of 28 April 2006 which "commits the Council to action to protect civilians in armed conflict and protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity".

There can be no doubt that the ethnic Tamil group over the past 60 years, more particularly over the past 22 years from July 1983 and with increasing viciousness over the past 3 years under the present extremist political ruling Alliance in close concert with the ethnic Sinhala military and 98.5% Sinhala ethnicised police, have after reigniting the brutal ethnic conflict as promised by them to the Sinhala electorate in the run up to the October 2005 elections, more particularly after annulling the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE, have been subjected to genocide in full measure to this day.

There can be no doubt that Governments whose primary duty it was to exercise good governance,justice, rights and security under national and international laws to all their citizens had abandoned these goals to which they were committed under law in favour of their own ethnic and religious group, the Sinhala Buddhists,to the utter physical and mental detriment of other groups of citizens, in particular the Tamil people, under a militarily enforced unitary highly centralised governance with callousness and impunity.

As the late SWRD Bandaranaike, the architect who set in train the above catalogue of events with the Sinhala Only Act in Sept.1956 used to say often, "rivers do not flow backwards". How true. Ground facts and the hard truth have to be faced and move forward from here on to ensure that justice is done by all citizens to which they are entitled as a matter of right under the UN Charter, by the International Community. The right to self-determination of the people of the north and east under a free and fair referendum, under UN auspices, holds the key to a future sustainable solution.


This is a good and interesting title to post a comment as in the past everytime the SLA made so many cruel attempts to destroy E.Tamils and could not win.AND after this they left all their heavy duty armoury and other ammunitions to LTTE. This time also ,will loose every of multibarrel(PAKISTAN) and big naval boats to LTTE SOON AND end of war and WHOSE VICTORY WILL BE easily determined .


Assuming a temporary military control is gained by the Sinhala govt., it needs to show wisdom in a) granting GENUINE autonomy to the Tamils of the island b) ensure GENUINE equality and human rights for all it's citizens and, above all, c) AVOID a repetition of this expensive military confrontation by changing the habits of mind cultivated in the last 60 years of Sinhala chauvinism.d) Do not expect anyone to congratulate you. Instead, the world will watch how you treat the Tamils, in peace time."You waged war.. can you wage peace with the same determination?"Colombo needs to be conscious of its small economy and the need to draft Tamil talents to turn the island into another Singapore. They can do it. They can be very successful economically and socially. But much depends upon Colombo. If they fail, the same conflict will start again in another 20 years time. By then, expatriate Tamils are likely to be wealthier, more influential in Western countries. Listen LTTE: "India tried to get you the best deal it could, given its own limitations and given the international sanctions it feared if it had acted like Turkey did in Cyprus. YOU HUMILIATED INDIA, MADE HER LOST FACE, KILLED HER PREMIER. Now, you are paying the price. Colombo has treated India with more regard and sensitivity than you have.Next time, if there is one, do not take India for granted. Do NOT make a fool of it. India and Indians are not as stupid as they seem. We are more than what our own media makes us out to be.If there is a NEXT round, because of Colombo's foolishness, IF YOU HANDLE India better, with greater sensitivity, we can help you to restore Tamil dignity. You cannot win without a role for us. In your arrogance, you thought you could. Now you know better, I hope. In saying that I am being realistic..not arrogant.One more thing... learn to deal with other Tamil groups. Blasting them off the face of the earth is not always a clever thing to do. Patience and hard-work in human organisations cannot be avoided altogether."


It is interesting to view the Sri Lanka situation in the context of the world economy. Since 1956, Sri Lanka has condemned itself to "mediocrity and relative stability". The stock market here has fallen but has not crashed, because only 8% of GDP is in stocks and shares. The biggest part of the GDP goes into the black economy, and "10%" into the pockets of the ruling party. After the war is "won" the Sinhala government will treat most Tamils as second-class citizens, but there won't be a genocide.Highly intelligent Sri Lankans will want to emigrate, but job prospects abroad will be very limited if the West is in a depression. There is plenty of money in China but nobody wants to emigrate there.Sri Lanka only pretends to be a democracy. The media are tightly controlled by the government, and power is concentrated in the hands of cliques who use propaganda and, if necessary violence, to subdue opposition.


It's indeed paining to see the suffereing of our brothers in Sri Lanka. I don't know how long this hatred and war are going to continue. Until the legitemate demands of the people are met, any solution can't prevail.

For the deft handling of diplomatic relations & pitting of one against the other, Sri Lanka deserves the credit. Sri Lanka government plays it's geostrategic location in the world, among the world powers.

When it wants something from US, it will go to Iran. (for proscribing LTTE as terrorist in US)

When it wants something from China, it will go to US. (for support in it's humar right violation)

When it wants something from India, it will go to China. (for Indian Government' nod (against wishes of Tamil Nadu) to overtly support in it's current war)

When it wants something from Pakistan, it will go to India. (anytime for weapons)

I wonder how long this play will continue.


It is premature to assume that the civil war will be over soon.In the past, successive SL Governments have made many such claims. For example, about eight years ago, the then Deputy Defence Minister Anuraddha Ratwatte, did plant a Sri-Lankan flag in Jaffna and claimed the LTTE were finished!The SL Govt is involved in state terrorism and until it stops its state-sponsored terror, the war will continue.The Govt’s claim is simply a gimmick to fool the Sinhalese people into supporting the war and to make money out of the war.


Given the long and hard history of colonialism, it is the saddest truth that former colonial interlopers like Britain have played NO PART in helping to resolve many of these tragedies in South Asia. This indifference is totally appalling, to say the least. It is NOT good enough for former colonial masters to say: "We have move on see.." No one can ever "move on" after such deep historical markers as colonial control and exploitation for over two centuries.


Quester wrote:
The article highlights a problem which has been ignored during the
current economic crisis and the recent Georgian crisis. If the Sri
Lankan armed forces are about to win the war against the LTTE, world
attention should be given to the terms on which Sri Lankan Tamils can
expect to live as citizens of a country dominated by the Sinhalese.
If the state cannot establish itself on the basis of equality among
all citizens, it will find a simmering discontent among the Tamil
minority,which will probably flare up in another bout of militancy.
It is surely the responisbility of major powers, both regional and
global, to persuade the Sri Lankan government to act with justice and
to rehabilitate the victims of the civil conflict.


I strongly think the above article is biased towards LTTE terrorists. Anyone who wants ton know how tamils are living in sri lanka and the cohabitation of sinhalese people with tamils and other minorities they can come to colombo or any other part of sri lanka outside LTTE's so-called tami eelam.If what LTTE wants is war we can give them war but not to ask for it again. we are willing to sacrifice anything for that.This is the opinion of majority of SRI LANKANS.


No Tamils think that Sinhalese has no other country to go and live if they lose this country.

But i strongly disagree innocent people suffering due to this war.


There is clearly a carefully contrived agenda on the part of the 'international community', and this includes the international media with writers such as the one who has contributed the article "Whose Victory", to sully and tarnish Sri Lanka's image in the eyes of the world, in total negation of the truth and reality of what has been taking place in this country.
Here is a country in which a group acknowledged as perhaps the most ruthless in the world, is being considered leniently alongside the Sri Lankan army that is battling it in the face of a "human shield" of civilians being used to halt it. Only carefully targeted sites are bombed, and the civilians are being given "Np Fly" corridors in which to come over to safety. Yet, the international media assault is on Sri Lanka, and it is relentless. Every attempt is being made to present events in Sri Lanka in their worst possible light by the LTTE's allies. And the Economist is also complicit in this, as seen by this article.

Sri Lanka learned to fight back the terrorist rather late, when it realized that nothing else would work. A nation long believed to be easy going and laid back, was finally made to face what was the last straw against a terrorist group, and not any of the traditional allies who speak so vehemently on the world's stage about annihilating terrorism has budged to support her. Indeed they have done everything to make out that Sri Lanka is a country where genocide is taking place.

That word 'genocide' has been bandied about regarding Sri Lanka, without a care in the world as to whether people understood its meaning, and indeed without a clue as to its meaning. In a country where more than half its Tamil population lives side by side with Sinhalas and Muslims, send their children to the same schools, their sick to the same hospitals, and live in houses that are often better located and better equipped than those in which their other Sri Lankan counterparts live, that dirty word "genocide" is what is used meaninglessly in order to describe the situation of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Indeed, if there is anything near 'genocide' it is only in the areas where the LTTE hold Tamil civilians hostage as slaves and menials and to supply the LTTE with the children they need as recruits for their army.

The LTTE and its allies are relying on this war being won on propaganda, NOT ON THE TRUTH. Sadly, the international community has been bought into it.


I thank the author for highlighting the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka even in a limited way. This is a silverlining in the dark skies of the international community though people like boslogan may say it is not enough. Denied of access to the war zone by the brutal, genocidal, state terrorist dictatorship of the GOSL, people like the author can get only glimpses and hence I am thankful for sharing those glimpse and hope the international community (at least the people) will wake up to the ground reality. Some, blinded by the Mahavansa Mindset are saying that Tamils should be happy with the prizes they have given to Karuna, pillaian , ananda ,sangaree and the like but whatever these traitors get will never trickle down beyond their families and such traitors had been there in all the Liberation Movements AND NOWADAYS PEOPLE ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND SUCH PARASITIC TRAITORS. Someone said that majority of Tamils are living outside the WAR ZONE and what a stupid remark is that!! Obviously if someone cannot carry a gun and if he can escape and if he can escape to safety, THE WILL TO SURVIVE will push him to do that. And they must survive to carry on the fight for Liberation IF, IF, IF and IF the state terrorists win.


Its a Victory for the war mongor brothers Gothapaya , Mahinda and Basil Rajapaksas ..

Australian FM recently condemed Sri Lanka's attack on civilians in a diplomatic way as below, but the message is 'No more Genocide Sri Lanka'
"Australia’s very strong view remains that Sri Lanka's conflict cannot be resolved through military means alone. We consider a political solution to be essential for long-term peace in a country which has been suffering for so long from conflict. In this regard, it is crucial that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are upheld, allowing the democratic political process to function properly in the search for a settlement. The Australian Government urges all parties to act with urgency to bring forward a sustainable political solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans."


I just wanted to recall what was on the news papers last week, The Army Commander, in an interview to the Canadian National Post that "Sri Lanka BELONGS to the majoritarian (75%) Sinhala people"! and he continued to say that minorities are allowed to live. This is not a new thing in Sri Lanka, from the ancent history even 1000 years back the sinhala majority think that the island is belong to them and its a permanent print in their brains and simply passing through generations and knowingly or without intention everyone adding value to the same concept. If anyone read the primary school history book you can realise the importance given to the fights between tamil and sinhala kings and I believe I not need to explain the idea behind these stories. A simple example that when I studied grade 5 in 90s the history book said king kulakotan (a tamil king) builded a pond in Eastern Sri Lanka but now it was changed the history re-written to give that credit to a unknown Sinhala king... so what is the motive behind these? We need to understnd the arm struggle stared only 30years back and that's why still the sri lankan tamils are known or have some identity in the world unless they may be lost generation at this time. Without self- determination tamils can't alive in Sri Lanka. If you pick anyone even they agree or not agree with LTTE, but they won't ignore to say that LTTE is Tamils power. I personaly believe if Tamils couldn't secure a solution when LTTE is strong then it never going to happen. All the sinhala governments pushing the struggle to survival vs self determination or independent, so the ordinary people have no choice need to secure the life first without solution... so this is going in circle and onestage the sri lankan Tamils only will be in writting in world history as a lost community..., this will happen soon if the world's unfair treatment continues.


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