For readers who are wearied by much of the recycled stuff that is being written on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue the media release of ‘The Elders’ of 3 August 2010 will be most refreshing. The media release invited a note of deep appreciation that was sent on 5 August 2010.
“5 August 2010
Rev Desmond Tutu
Chairman-The Elders Foundation
PO Box 60837
London W6 6GS
United Kingdom
Your Excellency
Media release: Sri Lanka’s (SL) disturbing actions met by ‘deafening global silence’
To the millions of despairing Tamils in Eelam and worldwide every word in this media release gives much solace that there is an international community offering to serve as our saviors and ending our six decades long sufferings.
A full year passed since Tamil militancy/LTTE that acted to protect the Tamils was crushed. Following this there are ominous reports of the SL regime pressing ahead with its genocide to conclusion to erase the Tamil identity including the Tamil homelands in SL. This causes immense despair never before experienced by Tamils. For the world this development signals the resurgence of the menacing genocide culture that was checked by the precedent setting achievements of the international community in the 1990s in Yugoslavia and elsewhere.
Only tangible progress on the accountability for ‘crimes against humanity’ will deliver real justice to the Tamils. Despite the international community, SL has successfully already ethnic cleansed more than 50 per cent of SL Tamils as refugees, war casualties and in extra-judicial killings over the past six decades.
Despite the ‘crimes against humanity’ action including the appointment of the expert panel, SL to stall UN’s initiatives to establish SL’s accountability for the May 2009 war crimes and the six decades long genocide ‘crimes against humanity’, is pressing ahead with its ethnic cleansing, establishing more armed forces bases (which is 100 per cent Sinhala) to populate the North and East with more Sinhalese. Lands belonging to the displaced Tamils are being appropriated to build those houses on a priority basis while the actual land owners continue to languish in the camps. These developments to permanently militarise the entire North is genocide or ‘crimes against humanity’ that only the international community has the commitment to end regardless of protests of SL and its erstwhile allies. GSP action is clear evidence of EU’s commitment to redressing the injustices being done to the Tamils.
Your candid words of support for the oppressed (Tamils) carry sufficient weight crucial to the survival of the Tamils in SL. The frank and courageous words (‘So what Asia saw was ethnic cleansing’ in Tom Plates – Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew)’ of the distinguished elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew contrast the ‘deafening global silence’ of key regional powers driven geo-strategic interests to shrink from acting fairly by the victims, the Tamils.
Your continued and courageous expressions of support for the victims, the Tamils, will be gratefully acknowledged by not only today’s Tamils but by Tamils of generations to come.
Yours sincerely
vssubramaniam”
The Elders Media release was carried extensely by the world class media and is sure to convince the unwary into realizing where the truth is on a human tragedy that unfolded for over six long decades.
vssubramaniam