MIA In Daily Beast, Also Wrong
Read more, and MIA is still spreading outright falsehoods in interviews. And I don’t mean that I disagree with her argument, I mean that many of the basic facts are wrong. Again, full respect for her and her music, and I do think there is a case for greater autonomy and rights for the Tamil people. However, if MIA wants to comment on the world stage she needs to take some accountability for her words, and to try and tell the truth. And I understand that a lot of this stuff is debatable, but some of it is just obvious. Sri Lanka is not ‘out and out Nazi Germany’, there is no campaign for ethnic cleansing, civilians are trapped behind frontlines by the LTTE, Tamil people are not banned from the press, international press are not shot, Tamil people are not banned from doing the census, and ‘as a Tamil’ she’s not banned from entering the country. Oh my God.
I’ll go through these point by point. This is from an interview in the Daily Beast with some guy Toure from BET.
“The situation is systematic genocide, ethnic cleansing,â€
Ethnic cleansing is removing one ethnic group by killing or kicking them out. The LTTE did something similar to Muslims and Sinhalese living in the North and East. Sri Lanka is not killing or kicking out Tamils, they’re trying to eliminate the LTTE. This in response to literally hundreds of suicide bombings, assassinations (including, recently the Tamil Foreign Minister Kadirgamar), etc. There are very few people here of any race or political orientation who actually support the LTTE, they’ve disgusted and pissed off almost everyone.
There is a lot of ‘collateral damage’ which I think should be minimized, but it is not a genocide. Even throughout LTTE control hospitals and schools were still run by the Sri Lankan government. Tamils live throughout Sri Lanka, I think now about 50% outside of the North and East, and they are not being rounded up and killed and deported. It simply isn’t happening. The people caught in Mullativu are trapped largely because of the LTTE. Recently, the LTTE has been condemned for exploding a suicide bomber at a crossing and shooting and grenading people trying to get out (UN).
On the tiny island just south of India there’s been a 25-year struggle between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority. (not her quote, from the writer, Toure)
This is nitpicky, but the island isn’t tiny, it’s a bit smaller than Ireland and bigger than Taiwan (islands by area). The civil war has been going on since 83, but the struggle has been going on pretty much since independence.
But 350,000 Tamil civilians are trapped behind the front lines and M.I.A., whose family is Tamil, says they’re in a virtual concentration camp. “They’re treated like animals. They don’t have food or shelter and they’ve just been hit by a cyclone and the government hasn’t sent them any aid. It’s just out and out Nazi Germany.
This betrays no understanding of either the current situation or Nazi Germany. The Nazi’s marked and rounded up Jews and put them in concentration camps, systematically and mechanically working them to death and killing them by gas, shooting, starvation and worse. It is a very serious thing, not an epithet to hurl. Calling people Nazis is just a sign of weak argument.
Somewhere between 100-350,000 civilians are stuck in Mullativu largely because the LTTE is using them as human shields and won’t let them out. They were not put there by the Sri Lankan government, the Sri Lankan government is trying to bring those areas back under democratic control. At great human cost, and yes with warlike disregard for their welfare. They’re not getting enough aid, but what aid they’re getting is from the government and the Red Cross.
There are real arguments that we need to do more for the people trapped in this tsunami type disaster area, but simply calling the Sri Lankan government Nazis isn’t one of them. It’s just a cheap shot with no correlation to reality.
“Tamil people are banned from the press,†M.I.A. says, “and there’s no international media allowed into the country. They get shot.
Again, what? There are countless Tamil papers and Tamil writers and Tamil TV stations and radio, web, etc. There are people like Tissanayagam who are in jail (I think unjustly) and I think being Tamil media here is a harrowing and unfair situation. However, they are not banned. Again, MIA takes what may be a legitimate point and destroys it through exaggeration and outright lies. International media is allowed in the country, and they do operate here. This includes BBC, Al Jazeera, etc. Foreign and local media were even in Kilinochchi (in the North) after the area was recaptured. And while Sri Lanka has some of the worst media freedom in the world, and while coverage in the north and east is difficult to impossible, what she says at best exaggeration and worst lies. Tamil people are not banned from the press. No international media have been shot.
M.I.A. says the government has also erased people from existence. “Tamil people were banned from doing the Census report,†she says. “Which means that you could wipe them out and no one would know. You can’t account for how many there are.â€
Wtf? And does no one in the western media fact check these things? The Sri Lankan census does count Tamils, however we haven’t been able to do a proper census in years, because of the war. The last one did undercount Tamils because they were in areas under LTTE control. If you read the Organizations and Procedures of the Census Department, you’ll see that all the uncounted areas are in LTTE control. Because they prevent people from being counted. Just like the prevented people from voting in the last election. There is no government conspiracy here. Keeping people out of the census and electoral process is clear LTTE policy.
She’s pained that her child may never see Sri Lanka—as a Tamil she’s barred from entering the country. (Toure)
OK, I don’t even know where to start. If you’re Tamil you can fly in and out of Sri Lanka. My Tamil friend just came in from Singapore to get married and flew back out. I went to the wedding. There was no meat or booze but it was fun. There is no Tamils only line at the airport. I’m pretty sure MIA can come back here if she wants. Certainly her being Tamil would have nothing to do with it.
…
Again, I’m pretty vehemently opposed to most government policy including much of the conduct of this war. I, however, consider myself constrained by facts, and I believe that there are facts to support the case of the civilians trapped in Mullativu and Tamils screwed over by this war. What MIA is saying isn’t fact though, it’s falsehood, and it discredits everyone here trying to do something reality based to change and improve our situation. Perhaps these are the conspiracy theories running around the diaspora, but if MIA wants to comment internationally she should take some time to just Google some of these things. Because they’re that plainly false. Genocide is a word that has meaning and that meaning doesn’t really apply here. Most Tamils are not even in the warzone, and those there are largely held by the LTTE. This is not Nazi Germany. There are no gas chambers or rounding up of Tamils, I live and work with Tamils everyday. Calling people Nazis or Hitler is generally the last refuge of the factless. Tamil people are not banned from the media, nor are international media shot (though locals are). And finally, Tamils are not banned from entering the country.
Oh my God. I can’t believe this stuff is even out there. It’s disprovable with a simple Google. Please, MIA, I respect what you’ve done and have listened to every album since the first mix tape. If you want to enter the debate about this country, however, please be responsible and look a few things up. There is a difference you can make, but it should be based on fact, not hyperbole and outright lies.
Indi, see my comment to your last post. You seem to think she’s ignorant, or misinformed. I don’t think she’s either.
I agree with your previous comments David, but I think the point that Indi is trying to make is that, you don’t need to outright lie and embellish the facts just to make a point. A lot of what she is trying to say is valid, except that she seems to think that by using certain words and phrases which generally would have an impact on those listening, she is making some sort of difference to the plight of the Tamil people. That is just nonsense which is not going to sway any majority into thinking there is some sort of “genocide” going on.
MIA’s music is great and she is no doubt very talented. Unfortunately, due to her background, she is only ever going to see the LTTE’s side of the story. I agree that that doesn’t make her ignorant and misinformed, but it does make it quite obvious that she is very biased and therefore her protests are worthless if she continues to try to sway people with obvious lies.
Exactly, which is why I disagree with Indi saying she’s out of touch. I don’t think she really is. If you look at what she’s repeating you’ll see the LTTE agenda right there — a war between Sinhalese and Tamils (no one else matters), genocide, the LTTE are the freedom fighters, the GoSL is the SS, the Tamils are oppressed and don’t have rights of entry or citizenship, etc. She’s very well plugged into the propaganda machine. And she’s bringing the war in SL to a whole new audience, which isn’t really interested in the mainstream media. They’ll believe her. How many of us really know the details on Darfur? We just know there’s a genocide on there and that a government is killing a bunch of tribes, right? To her audience, SL is somewhere east of Sudan. And as Goebbels said, if you repeat a lie long enough, people are gonna believe it. The only reason she’s not plastered in tigerstripes and LTTE badges is ‘cos she doesn’t want to seem to be supporting terror in a country quite decided on terrorism. She was less worried when she was in the UK where people aren’t so anal.
David is right. MIA is not some muddle-headed Britney Speares type. She’s a willing particpant in a propoganda campaign, so why would she be googling around for actual facts? There’s the old adage – if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes an accepted truth. Elements in the diaspora are screaming genocide left right and centre in the hope that it acquires a certain currency. The results haven’t been encouraging. As far as I know, not a single foreign government or serious international agency or major news organization has termed what’s happening in Sri Lanka a genocide. I guess MIA is counting on her fans being more credulous.
Tina Brown had a TV show a while back(She is running the Daily Beast now).
In one of the year end shows,(2006,2007 or 2008 I can’t remember but it was after her first album) He mentioned MIA as the hot new artist to watch next year.
Brother has a cool ‘fro for sure but he needs to learn to google a little bit .There are many angles to the same story.It would be helpful to get out of Upper west side of the Manhattan once in a while ,too.
I guess I still cling to the idea that artists still have some devotion to truth. Or at least some artistry in their lies.
I just find it sad, because when people go off and say dumb, patently false stuff (on either side) it polarizes the debate. It weakens moderates like me (as I like to think of myself) and emboldens people on the Sinhala extreme to say, look, these people are lying and making stuff up. I got my hands full with people denying that the Tamils have any grievances at all, and then MIA comes out of left field with straight-up lies and I feel stupid. Like, I feel like I’m in the middle and people on both sides are just making shit up and there’s less room to just breathe and think.
Again, I don’t expect MIA to agree with me. However, you can make statements that won’t fall apart in literally 15 seconds of searching. I mean, that’s just lazy. Random kid in front of the TV might be like ‘wow, genocide’ and not think about it anymore. But I live here. And there are actual facts on the ground, and it’s not Nazi Germany, it’s not like Tamils can’t join the media or travel abroad, or any of this other shit she’s making up.
There are very real Tamil issues, but they’re discredited when MIA lies so cheaply. And that’s what makes me sad. She says she’s trying to help people here, and maybe she thinks justice justifies lies, but it doesn’t help. It hurts people here. It polarizes the debate and suddenly real grievances are tainted because she’s out there lying about dumb shit which is easily disproved. I mean, she’s making a bunch of noise, but in the end it doesn’t help a soul except the extremists.
As I said, it’s all about audience. Google ‘tamil eelam genocide sri lanka’ and you get linked to stuff like ‘Documentary: Sri Lankan Genocide On Tamil Eelam Tamils’, or ‘(Opinion) Sri Lanka’s Genocide of Tamils – Time for Reckoning’, or ‘UN helping Sri Lanka in genocide’. So MIA’s audience will probably believe her.
Oh dearie me! What clowns. Who’s talking to themselves now? Hardly anyone that ever leaves p0sts on your blog indi have real blogs, do they.
So tell me, how many Tamils died today?
How many young Sinhalese boys died today? What the fuck are you doing wanking on about MIA? Get up there boy and defend your country? Too rich and influential to join the army aye? Do you ever, ever think about how those people in the south feel as they see their sons/brothers/husbands/fathers coming back in body bags? Why don’t you go and do something for the misery this war is doing to them. You and your dumb friends sniggering at MIA. So it’s true aye, you guys can’t stand the Tamils doing well.
How many journalists? North/South?
You keep prattling on about MIA, I’m sure she’s heard about you and the whole Sri Lankan Blog scene yonks ago. The only additional horror now is having to put up with your irritating person on video now.
The other guys like “David Blacker” are far more interesting and intelligent. Shame how you scammed yourself into this whole scene eh.
Go head to head with MIA and as for crapping on about how fab her music is – its your desperate way of trying to say that you’re not a racist fuck and you really admire here while arseholes in your audience were sniggering away with some racist taunts no doubt. You’re worse aren’t you, you’re a closet one at least they have the decency to let the world know how much they hate Tamils. We’ve got more respect for them than you, you hypocrite.
MIAFanbase,
There you go again with the tainted word “BOY”.
“Get up there boy and defend your country”.
It is offensive to all the Sinhalase who toiled under Bristish and Tamil Opression from 1735-1948.
(1735-1815 Tamil Kings,1815-1948 British crown).
http://www.indi.ca/viewcomments/78419424
I think its hard for tamil diaspora to understand the social changes that have taken place since ’83; while they live abroad harboring animosity towards anything Srilankan, i think real change has taken place and there are better representatives of the tamil people than the LTTE (and MIA).
Regarding MIA, i seriously doubt her mouthing off nonsense about the war can make any difference whatsoever. while she may appeal to suburban rebel’s without a cause, her views make no real impact on the current situation.
Oh, and MIAfanbase, try to make a rational argument without resorting to petty insults. You’re only belittling yourself
MIAFanbase,
If you want some context ,you might want to listen to President Obama.
“”You see, my grandfather was a cook to the British in Kenya. Grew up in a small village, and all his life, that’s all he was — a cook and a houseboy. And that’s what they called him, even when he was 60 years old. They called him a houseboy. They wouldn’t call him by his last name. Sound familiar?”
It is time that Rich Tamils living in Toronto and London realize that British empire is dead .You and your masters do not control the world anymore.You might want to think about calling Sinhalase “Boy” simply because your ancesters had Sinhalase Slave/Servants in you mansions in Colombo 7.
I don’t mind being called boy and I don’t feel any particular sting from past ‘Tamil oppression’. I’m told that in one of the first elections to some British council the local lords chose a Tamil (Ponnambalam I think) over a lower caste Sinhalese because that’s what was important. I think any oppression in the past was more rich/poor than Tamil/Sinhalese.
I do not think this historically bitter attitude towards Tamils is either accurate or productive. My issue is that personal attacks and lies distract us from working out the very real issues we need to live together. And that’s not just an academic issue. I live here and I want my life to settle down and I want to live with Tamils and Burghers and Sinhalese and think about something else for a change. Random missives of bullshit from America don’t help matters.
Some context for the “genocide”
http://www.groundviews.org/2009/02/10/dilemmas-at-wars-end-thoughts-on-hard-realities/
Too much of resources wasted on that Tiger bitch. :P
Call me a racist & sleep well :P
@B this is true, if 83 was my last major impression of Sri Lanka I might feel that way. However, I was born in 82 and we’ve come a long long way since then.
I think there are still real Tamil concerns and we have serious law and order issues for everyone, but it’s no longer the riot days.
Have you ever experienced entering Sri Lanka as a Tamil, indi? It’s a lot of fun really – you enter the lineups in absolute fear of being pulled out of line and taken to some room somewhere to be interrogated. You see soldiers walking up and down trying to pick out the tamils (by asking them questions in sinhalese). Once you enter (if you get past the first barrier) you have to lie about where you’re from, and I don’t need to tell you what it’s like actually moving around there.
Tamils may not be banned, but shut up with your stupid wedding anecdote. Tamils are effectively persona non grata, there’s no way she can take her kid there, and that’s sad. Quibble about her words all you want, it’s all a shade of the truth.
Yup, I feel exactly the same flying into London or Frankfurt.
@kiwi
Well, no I haven’t experienced entering Sri Lanka as a Tamil. I have entered Sri Lanka literally 2 feet from my Tamil friend (the wedding one). I’ve also helped Tamil housemaids, etc fill out their embarkation forms. I’ve never seen soldiers asking people questions in line. I dunno, maybe it happens. Airport security is looking for any number off things, but I don’t think a specific one is Tamils. I speak terrible Sinhalese so I think they’d be confused by me as well. But again, I’ve never seen armed soldiers questioning anyone in the airport. I believe they have staff for that, and I remember that you wait in line to speak to the immigration officer. I haven’t been to the airport recently, perhaps someone can clarify.
I do think it’s harder being a Tamil, and that very valid point is obscured by MIA’s lie that Tamils can’t enter the country. All I’m doing here is pointing out that that is false, and irresponsible. Tamils can enter Sri Lanka. That’s all I’m saying. This isn’t about shades of truth. That quote was a flat-out lie.
We can accept that and move onto the more substantive issues, but we have to point out bare falsehood first. There are real issues and real injustices for Tamil people. Lying just polarizes the debate and harms the moderates trying to work this out.
I came in twice in 08, April and December, never saw armed soldiers questioning people in line at immigration. In fact I don’t remember seeing armed soldiers until I got outside the airport. Kiwi (i.e. foliage) might be employing a bit of hyperbole. I know enough and more Tamil people who have come in and out of the country recently.
I can’t say what they do now, or what the normal practice is, but when I went a few years ago there were soldiers trolling the immigration lines for Tamils. You’ll have to take my word for it.
I switch up my names regularly, but how did you know? I didn’t think I commented here enough to develop an identifiable character.
Disregard, I just discovered the ‘History’ link.
Blacker – I’m sure you would see it as an affront if you and every ancestor you’re aware of was born in England or Germany. I’m sure you would feel unwelcome if that was just the first of many marginalizing or outright threatening experiences you faced in the country. Tamils aren’t banned, but we certainly aren’t desireable.
Really? A ‘few’ years ago? Exactly when? Because I was back in 99, 01, 04, 05, 06 and 08 and not once did I see soldiers trolling the immigration lines for Tamils.
May 2004. Wish I had taken pictures but that would have made the process a bit less fun, I think.
I came back to Sri Lanka in June 2004. There’s a pretty detailed blog post about my transit. I did not note nor do I remember any soldiers singling out people in line, or in the airport at all. This was also during the cease-fire.
Frankly, based on my experience and others experience I don’t believe your airport story. I also don’t consider you an especially credible source.
And that’s why truth and integrity is important. Why should we believe your reports when you support lying to further your cause? There’s no other verification, so how do we know you’re not lying now?
April ’04 for me. Maybe the soldiers were taking a day off? Or perhaps busy electrocuting somebody in this back room you speak off.
And that’s your prerogative. I referenced my experience with the soldiers as part of my contention that Tamils are unwelcome in Sri Lanka and that this, to an extent, amounts to something like a ban. But it isn’t centrally important that you believe me or consider me credible – I don’t have any evidence, so I don’t expect any special regard – because the result isn’t that important to me.
That goes to my point about MIA: I’m not going to get bent out of shape because she exaggerates or gets the numbers wrong. The end result – evoking a response from the foreign public – is what’s important. From thereon they can get reports from more credible sources. I certainly hope they don’t turn to random internet commenters for credible reports.
As I said, it would be preferable if she stuck to the facts, but her exaggerations (terming them lies is a bit hamfisted) aren’t diabolical enough to warrant stringing her up. There are bigger fish, doing far worse things, to fry.
Anyway, I guess it says something that you believe there’s some sort of objective truth in Sri Lanka, or that it has a chance in hell of seeing the light of day. I hope you’re right, but I don’t think there’s anything to merit it.
Could well be, N. I’m glad to hear it isn’t regular practice, almost makes me want to take up MR’s offer to return…
I fly to Europe at least once a year sometimes twice, and have done so for the last twelve years. I haven’t ONCE seen armed military personnel INSIDE the Katu airport terminals or immediately outside the terminals, unlike Germany or the UK, where submachine-gun-armed metropolitan police and Bundesgrenschutz personnel patrol the terminals. There are pistol-armed SL airport security inside the terminal. So I think you’re mistaken, Kiwi.
As for my ancestors, yup, many of them came from those very countries. However, I do understand racial profiling, and accept it as a necessary evil, whether it be in SL or Germany. However, in my frequent visits to Katu, I’ve never seen Tamils being singled out for special attention either coming in or going out.
Maybe your visit ‘a few years ago’ was different to my regular travels, but forgive me if I doubt it.
I really don’t understand this whole genocide bull shit, I really don’t see it happening. I have many Tamil relatives living freely in Sri Lanka. They go in and out of the country without any trouble. I have so many Tamil friends who travel without any fear. Well within SL everyone is expected to carry identification, everybody gets stopped and checked. It’s sad that the war is still going on. But in most other parts of Sl Tamils & Sinhalese living freely. I come from a mix family I have many Tamil friends & relatives and I don’t agree with this Genocide crap!!
Although the extremes of how all Sri Lankans saddens me, I am encouraged by the fact that there are people who are able to be moderate.
MIA has her facts wrong. People who have not lived in Sri Lanka during the last 5 years need to try living in the country BEFORE they judge.
I lived every single day of my life there. Grew up with a war that I believe does not belong to our generation. It has to begin with ‘education’ and no ‘sinhala’ ‘tamil’ ‘muslim’ segregation of schooling. It’s nice if everyone can learn each others languages out of respect for each other.
Letting go of petty differences. Equal rights for all. Wiping out the LTTE. Helping the people of the North. These will take time.
Pity those people who judge fellow humans based on race, caste and religion.
MIA is not helping.
Good work Indi.
This bickering here is a microcosm of the real problem isn’t it? It’s also divided down racial lines with each side being uncompromising. If we hark back to ’56 and ’83 and everything in between, that has been the root cause.
The Sinhala and Tamil worldviews are different. Until we can stop trying to show the other race the world through our own prism nothing is going to happen.
I’m not sure Kiwi was talking about airports. The fact that we can get in and out of the island is one thing. Whether Tamils want to is another issue. And ‘can’t’ is a word very easily substituted for ‘cant’ be arsed’. The fact remains that if someone wanted to get from the Vanni to Colombo they could. It would be a huge hassle and largely demeaning and degrading, but they still could if they wanted to badly enough. Does this take away the ability of someone who doesn’t want to be demeaned and/or hassled, to say ‘we can’t go to Colombo’? I don’t think it does quiet honestly.
It’s like the govt telling us we have free speech. Legally we do. But am I not justified in telling a third party that ‘I can’t speak out against the govt’? I think I am.
The thing Indi, is that you claim to hold on to the ideals of artistry and even lies having some credibility. For me that’s poetic license. And describing the situation in Mullaitivu etc. as ‘genocide’ is a mere exercise in poetic license rather than ‘patently false’ as you would choose to describe it. We all know why she’s doing it, and until we everything she can possibly embellish we are destined to live with it. Even an embellishment needs a kernel of truth to it.
So instead of trying to convert each other to different points of view I vote we try this ‘middle path’ thing that they talk of.
The genocide issue is debateable. That’s only one comment I’ve highlighted above and before.
The Sri Lankan army being 1 million people, there being no Tamils in the media, Tamils not being allowed to enter Sri Lanka, international journalists being shot, Tamils being banned from the census – these are things MIA has said which are simply false. This is not embellishment. These are simply lies, and they’re dumb, easily falsifiable ones.
Well said Indi. A lie is a lie. How many millions are dead because demagogues took ‘poetic license’.
This conflict receives so little attention in the world that it doesn’t matter if she uses imprecise language or misstates the ‘facts’. She’s attracting attention to a dire situation and, to some extent, succeeding. I could care less if 250k =/= 1m, for all intents and purposes it’s still an overwhelming military force. It doesn’t matter that it’s domestic journalists rather than international journalists being shot. At this point, at that level, details don’t matter. It would be preferable, I suppose, for her to stick to the truth as it’s generally perceived, but it isn’t imperative.
Also, I don’t think she’s doing this maliciously, I just think she isn’t all that intelligent or well-versed in the subject and she’s repeating the latest from the protests. One would assume she would be a bit more sophisticated in light of her fame but if you read her interviews and other things it’s clear that she isn’t.
Anyway, I don’t think the situation exists anymore where you can afford to stop and mull the ethical implications of genocide/not genocide and so forth. Perhaps it does in the warm sconce of a poetry slam, but not to any tamil.
The truth matters.
Even if you believe in taking ethical shortcuts to justice, MIA’s lies are so obvious that they don’t even accomplish that. They just make the entire Tamil cause look suspect. And these lies you defend are just stupid.
Of course those lies matter. If Sri Lanka’s army was one million that would be the size of Germany, Italy, France and Japan combined. If an international journalist was shot that would be an international conflict and a huge diplomatic blow-up. On what level do these things not matter? These aren’t just lies, they’re stupid obvious lies which discredit real Tamil grievances.
The government calls us liars and uses that as an excuse to shut the media down and jail us. They encourage us to be assaulted and killed as liars and traitors. Then MIA lies in public and people say these lies are OK, even justified. You make us look like fools. It’s damn rough out here trying to find the truth when peoples lives are in danger and you make us look like fools. And for what? 15 minutes of airtime on PBS?
And please don’t patronize me with your ‘warm sconce of a poetry slam’. I take a physical risk speaking out in Sri Lanka. MIA is in Los Angeles. I speak out because I think Tamil grievances are true. I don’t feel the need to lie to exaggerate them because the truth is scary enough. There is bombing, there is discrimination, Tamils do not have equal protection under the law. These issues are real. Let’s talk about them. Lying insults the people here, it insults hard-working Tamil thinkers who labor for the truth, and dumb lies simply don’t work. Get real.
Your audience is different from MIA’s audience. She’s speaking to the unaware masses and, I think it’s fair to say, the people who read (or listen to) your work have an active and more informed interest in the conflict. It matters less whether she’s precise because her platform and her statements are inherently superficial – people know they’re getting the short version when they see a 15min clip on Tavis Smiley and they know the short version can’t hope to be the totality of it. People also have a sense that celebrities with political platforms often muddle the truth.
Her value is the extent to which she can engage a wider audience and focus attention on Sri Lanka. It’s only when the lens is on the conflict that the details will matter. If she wins that Oscar, and goes up and says something about Sri Lanka, a lot of people will suddenly be aware that there’s an ongoing problem on the island. If they then pay attention to the related news, or if news orgs pay more attention to the conflict because of that interest, then that’s a positive outcome, despite her hyperbole.
I don’t believe the government would behave any differently, whether everyone told the truth or otherwise. There’s no point in someone like MIA trying to gain the moral highground, the government doesn’t care about an objective moral highground, just the one they define and inhabit for the masses.
I understand you’re taking risks, I respect what you’ve been doing there, so i’m sorry if I was patronizing.
I’m not even sure how this is a debate. If you go on national TV and quote numbers and specific facts please spend 15 minutes on Google looking it up.
What are you trying make the ‘unaware masses’ aware of? I thought the point was to make them aware of reality. If people listen to her and then look stuff up they’ll see that she’s lying and the whole cause is discredited. Or they’ll believe her, and then we’ve got more self-assured idiots in the world. Neither one is a positive outcome for the truth and justice we’re trying to promote. We’ve got enough bullshit from the government side and she’s just piling it on from the other end.
The truth is enough. It’s the best weapon we have. These lies just blunt it.
Have you forgotten how unaware the rest of the world is of Sri Lanka? Her going on TV and saying that there’s a conflict is an eye-opener for the majority of people. Simply making it known to the public that there is something going on is her usefulness, that’s all.
If their interest is piqued enough they’ll go and look for the facts. I don’t agree that they’ll discredit her views because she said 250k instead of 1m or used the term genocide carelessly, the facts are dire enough that they can stand to that scrutiny. To repeat another point – she’s a pop star and she isn’t very articulate, I think most people will take that into account when weighing her statements.
Yup, so since she’s talking to people who don’t know the facts, it’s OK for her to lie? Yup, ‘cos she won’t get caught. Ha ha.
No, but I think it’s permissible for her to exaggerate or make mistakes on immaterial issues (eg. foreign vs domestic journalists/sophists illustration) in light of her role in drawing attention to the subject. We disagree, fair enough. I understand Indi’s point and I think I’ve repeated my point too many times as it is, so I’ll leave it at that.
Lol if you think it’s immaterial to accuse the GoSL of killing foreign journalists that’s upto you.
Indi, I agree with a lot of stuff you say, but what you have to realize here is that you should not take her comments, word by word. You should consider it in the wider context.
What I mean is, when she says ‘ethnic cleansing’ it’s true to a certain extent because, you know, quite recently, the government had designated a certain area as ‘safe – zone’ in the Wanni for people to be safe, but they bomb the place the moment people get there.
When she says that Tamils aren’t allowed to enter the country, she doesn’t mean it literally, but what she means is that it isn’t that easy as you think it is. Due to some commitments, I have to walk about 500m to a place in the night (no, it’s not anything bad! :P). Policemen are sometimes patrolling the roads. If I actually felt safe, I would just mind my business and continue walking.
However, though I have absolutely nothing that could possibly incriminate me as being an LTTE cadre (I was born abroad and have a colombo address on my NIC), it’s just the fact that I’m a Tamil that I have to walk like I’m an absolute idiot or something (I generally scratch my head and walk clumsily in the hope that they would never stop and interrogate me for no reason. Its worked so far).
Now I’m sure that there are plenty of vultures out there (not you, Indi) who would like to throw the tag of ‘LTTE supporter’ over my head. No, I’ve denounced the LTTE because they should stop the war immediately as there are so many people being bombed in the Wanni because of them. However, I do support Tamil people, and the fact is, the SLA continues to bomb places without even thinking twice about it (such as bombing hospitals with pregnant women).
Now that is what she means as genocide, the callous attitude of the GoSL as well as the SLA towards humans in the Wanni. Not all of them are LTTE cadres.
Now you see Gota claiming, once in a while, that the LTTE leaders may have flead and all sorts of bullshit like that. What does this mean? “We’re just bombing the whole of Wanni at free will, but we’re quite sure that the LTTE top-brass have left the country”. Doesn’t this count as a genocide?
Perhaps Gota and the other Rajapakses are finding it hard to locate the LTTE top-brass (didn’t Mahinda say that he would capture praba by the 4th of this month?) and now they’re starting to build excuses and try to get the people in a state of acceptance of what they’ve managed to do without getting them into a mindset where they’ll bad-mouth the government for not capturing the ltte leaders…
From what i can see, indi, she does exaggerate quite a lot, but what you should understand is that, as far as the army thing is concerned, what she meant was the fact that the SLA outnumber the LTTE by quite a margin.
In addition, the thing about the journos, she tries to say that tamil journos foot have a safe environment to work in. Look at tissa! Being held in detention without a charge! Sivaram was killed so blatantly! A newspaper office in jaffna is burnt by marked arsons! (however, the whole argument about journos does seen quite pointless given that even sinhalese journalists get assaulted very often)
Looking at the whole census thing, isnt it true that a lot of decisions are made by the gov which are not at all conducive to tamils? It isnt enough for the rajapaksas to just say lip service!
And, does it actually make a difference that tamils are being allowed to enter sri lanka, we are harassed just enough to ensure that we never harbour any thoughts of coming back to sl!
Luckily, i havent suffered much at the hands of the army, but i have heard endless stories of porkd who get harassed enough! Would you believe, one of my mum’s friends flat was raided by the army. They asked her how she afforded the rent of 32 grand. She said that her husband is working as a copywriter and she gets government pension. They them ask her whether she gets financial assistance from the ltte! Now how bland is that!
Those are all valid points. She could just say that.
The reality is dire enough, there’s no need to make things up. It just discredits and overshadows the valid points you’re making here.
oooohhhh indi, looks like you have a few questions to answer aye.
Just been reading your post and reactions it’s caused. Everyone has a right to say what they want and while I don’t totally agree with MIA’s views on things, I don’t think you should go on about her getting her facts right cos it looks to me that you haven’t either – Re: your “Tamil” friend’s wedding not having meat or booze was probably not cos he was Tamil but because he was Hindu and there’s a difference. I don’t think you should generalise like that cos I am half Tamil and my father is full Tamil but we’re Christians and we both enjoy lots of meat and lots of booze. :)
I didn’t get any facts wrong here. It’s simply a detail about my friends wedding, not Tamil people in general. I’m literally talking about one wedding I went to a few weeks ago.
BTW, MIAfanbase, I know you’re trying to justify MIA’s comments, but please do so in a more logical manner rather than being just a blind fool (thereby not contributing to a proper debate)! :)
Wrote a response to you TC – but Indi blocked it.
//Everyone has a right to say what they want//
as do they have the right to get ridiculed for it.
//The thing Indi, is that you claim to hold on to the ideals of artistry and even lies having some credibility. For me that’s poetic license. And describing the situation in Mullaitivu etc. as ‘genocide’ is a mere exercise in poetic license //
wow.
FYI (for Sophist), I never said lies have some credibility. I’m not sure how that even makes sense. What I said was:
“I guess I still cling to the idea that artists still have some devotion to truth. Or at least some artistry in their lies.”
Leni Riefenstahl (Triumph of The Will) or Maoist propaganda posters are two examples of the latter. Beautiful stuff, but not credible in the least.
Add Birth of a Nation to the list as well
LOL TC, I’ll take that on the chin and I did respond as part of the above discussion but Indi had banned me. Look we’ve met the fucker and known him since the Tsunami days. So, you take that on the chin. He’s a prick. Obviously everyone even so called high-brow journos like fucking Indi are getting on the Censorship bandwagon.
So I’m just using one of the other guys’ logins at the moment.
Thing is TC these Sinhalese boys feel inadequate. They are almost bloody 30 before they can get regular sex, they’re not really fighting any wars, they can’t protest against the government, they don’t really play cricket and they barely earn a decent wage.
All the smart ones are bloody out of Sri Lanka. I know my cousin married one in January, or was it just the other week :-). You get my drift?
So the best they can do is this half-baked revolting version of nationalism whereby the find who they think is a Tamil victim and make racist remarks.
I’ve interviewed MIA and look will probably do so again when she’s back in town for the tour. Facts are, she’s never going to know about you or Indi, or Sophist. You know her life is just not something you could imagine. Urmmm what can I say? She’s made it, she’s Tamil, she’s the daughter of Arular, she’s worth millions.
Sri Lanka is fucked and really it has not much to do with the north (or whatever MIA says) because everything that happens in the South has to do with the 20 million that live there!!! 20 million in such a very, very confined over-crowded, under-n ourished, poorly educated mass with an huge crash about to descend via the global economic downturn (mainly because of tourism) is going to be the greatest threat Sri Lanka faces.
Mahinda can fart arse around with a few tanks in the north but you know, the poor are going to kick his arse when they cannot eat on top of having allowed him to sacrifice their sons lives.
It won’t be long before there is a social revolution in the south. Then little daddies boys with fake Canadian accents will be on top of the list. Just like the last 2 JVP uprisings.
Don’t worry about the Tamils. Their fate is sealed and there is nothing they or you or Indi can do about it.
You guys start having a serious look at what is coming your way.
XYZ,
“I’ve interviewed MIA and look will probably do so again when she’s back in town for the tour. Facts are, she’s never going to know about you or Indi, or Sophist. You know her life is just not something you could imagine. Urmmm what can I say? She’s made it, she’s Tamil, she’s the daughter of Arular, she’s worth millions.”
TRUE DAT.
Even if her singing career tanks,she is set for life.She is baby momma of a Bronfman.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronfman_family
Alimony would be cute as well.
She might look from un-tamilian from outside but her core is pure tamilian.
Arular did good by marrying off his daughter to on eo fthe richest families on earth without a dowry.
His ancesters and all jaffna tamils will be proud of the man achivements.
There’s nothing in my moderation queue, might be your computer. You and ‘your guys’ can comment away.
Don’t lie you mate, you’ve been caught out many times before.
Learn to take the criticism boy, might make you into a man finally, you’re certainly getting from all quarters here.
Yeah I was going to swear but because I’ve decided I like TC I cut out the rude words.
Your a good influence on me TC :-), keep it up!
Actually TC, we won’t bother coming back here. But would really like to debate some of these issues with you. I note however, that you (like a whole heap of others) don’t have real blogs sitting behind their comments. What’s the deal?
“We”? You mean X, Y, AND Z?
haha….you know XYZ/MIAfanbase sounds a lot like Ashanthi…maybe the nutter is back?
???
There is going to be a post on the air attack by the LTTE. I have no desire to comment on that. If the LTTE is “eliminated”, the future not just of the Tamils but this country is something that I don’t want to imagine. I don’t think people in or from this island even comprehend the forces surrounding them. There are vultures, watching and waiting for the Rajapakse brothers or the next in line to hand it to them on a plate. Of course the vultures may throw a few scraps in the general direction of those with the stomach to partake in this feast.
Can anybody tell me why we are even bothering to discuss the comments of a rapper? Who takes 50 cent or any of those guys seriously outside their music? The idiot Foreign Minister started by responding to her.
MIA says on Twitter that she’s been asked to be the face of Coca Cola…
http://twitter.com/_M_I_A_/status/1856952903
[...] and freedom to create songs of this nature few still have inside Sri Lanka. M.I.A, for example, is supremely ill-informed about Sri Lanka, but is that reason enough to not play any of her music on public and private radio (even though [...]