Hypocrisy of the West Exposed !

"How does the international community that has so far turned a Nelsonian eye to the military repression of democratic protests against inhuman occupation propose to view the cold killing of this democratically elected leader?”

Those were the editorial laments or the cry of anguish of Tamil newspaper ‘Uthayan’ in North Sri Lanka on 26th December with reference to the dastardly and cold-blooded murder of Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Member of Parliament for Batticaloa District and grievously injuring his wife and six others, inside St. Mary’s Cathedral while he was attending 24th December midnight Christmas Mass celebrated by Bishop Kingsley Swampillai. A great man loved by his people and a powerful voice for democratic values and ideals and a crusader for human rights has been violently silenced allegedly by cowardly proxies of Sri Lankan Military Intelligence. The fact that this heinous crime was perpetrated with impunity in a crowded church and that in an area under the tight grip and control of Sri Lankan Security Forces makes their involvement crystal clear.

It is tragedy upon tragedy that the above cry of ‘Uthayan’ has turned out to be a biblical voice in the wilderness! While this cry of anguish and desperation truly reflects the general feeling of the people of NorthEast, it also poses as to where are those mighty ‘Paragons of Virtue’ who, at the drop of a hat, rush to condemn at the instigation of SL Government, without verifying facts? The stony silence of the Co-Chairs for peace in Sri Lanka at this despicable and cowardly murder is incredible. The people seem to ask as to why the European Union that was in a mighty hurry to unjustly penalize the LTTE for the killing of Laxman Kathirgaman without an iota of evidence and in spite of their vehement denial of involvement in it, is now dumbfounded when all the evidence point out the hand of Military Intelligence in this dastardly murder.

Oh International Community! Where is thy sense of justice and fairplay? Your ominous silence would point out that you are NOT impartial in your dealings and your scales of justice tilting in favour of the oppressor to the detriment of the long oppressed and downtrodden people of the NorthEast. Your silence, whilst emboldening the perpetrators to continue unbridled killing spree would also transform your status quo from Co-Chairs for Peace to Co-Accused in organised political murders and genocide of a nation! You, who have been mere spectators for over three decades of mass murder, rape, violence, mayhem and destruction of properties perpetrated against the people of NorthEast, are not that naïve not to realise that it was the resultant birth of the LTTE that saved them from near perpetration of Hitler’s ‘Final Solution’ on them where again you would have simply watched it just as you watched Rwandan genocides! Perhaps, the absence of underground oil may be their misfortune in not warranting intervention by vested interests!

It has to be emphasised that the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka was the creation of British Imperialism. It was the British Colonial Rulers who forcibly unified the Sinhala and Tamil Kingdoms, which remained separate and independent entities even under Portuguese and Dutch rule of the Island before the British came in, into one unit for their administrative convenience and they failed to restore the status quo of the two nations at the time of granting independence in 1948. It is reprehensible that Britain, as the author of this human tragedy, should shirk her moral responsibility in forging an amicable settlement.

It has to be further emphasised that the present escalation of violence is the result of and arising from non-implementation of vital clauses and violation of Cease Fire Agreement by the Sri Lankan Government even after nearly four years of signing. Impartiality demands serious view of the –

       · Non-implementation of vital provisions of CFA by GOSL thereby making major part of CFA ineffective, to which the GOSL is guilty;

       · SL Navy Gun Boats sinking with crew the commercial cargo vessels belonging to LTTE in International waters as acknowledged by UNP politicians during the recent elections;

       · SL Military Intelligence, with the help of Govt. Ministers, forming and training Para-military groups and getting them to assassinate LTTE leaders and supporters. This was exposed by two of such cadres two weeks ago. The murder of Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham is alleged to be one such operation.

       · Many such reported violations etc. all of which would make it obvious that the alleged violations by the LTTE are consequential.

In the circumstances, we strongly urge the Co-Chairs for Peace in Sri Lanka to desist forthwith from making one sided and partial pronouncements and instead to -

       · Appeal to both warring parties in equal terms to adhere to the provisions of the CFA to the letter;

       · Strengthen the hands of the Norwegian Peace Facilitators in their efforts to bring both parties to the negotiating table and arrive at an amicable settlement that would ensure peace with justice to the oppressed people in Sri Lanka.

A. Jesuthasan
Convenor
Canadian Movement For Peace With Justice in Sri Lanka
5703, Passion Flower Blvd.,
Mississauga, Ontario,
L5M 7E7, Canada.