Comments on: Tigers In The Midst

By: who else but me

who else but me — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:33:22 +0000

i sometimes wonder, would the tamil diaspora in the first world return to a third world Eelam, if it was to exist?

By: Amzy

Amzy — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:29:28 +0000

I agree with you on this indi. I have pondered on this for long as to why the diaspora keeps deifying Prabhakaran when he has done nothing but rob them off of their very lives and proper education, employment let alone their country! It hurts to see how these diaspora in their designer boots clutching designer handbags raise placards carrying Prabhakaran’s photo with the wording “Our Leader” etc…and hailing him! Why not instead actually think about the people in the midst of this war and in IDP camps? It is easy for them to shout “genocide” what they fail to understand is the more they support this sort of a leader to thrive the more of their fellow citizens will die in Sri Lanka. So I too question why can’t these diaspora actually work together to end terrorism and look to a way we can all get together and rebuild this country where we can together address their grievances in a media that does not involve guns and suicide kits? I believe there is hope but it takes a lot of effort from all of us.

By: indi

indi — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:52:14 +0000

It seems they are talking to themselves, and I suppose trying to keep morale and funds going. I don’t think it’s about preserving Tamil life, it’s really about preserving the LTTE. The statements and images make have very little to do with actual Tamil grievances. Instead it’s pictures of land and Prabhakaran. Screamingly ineffective for actually improving life here, or anywhere.

By: indi

indi — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:47:59 +0000

@comment

lack of knowledge?

In all fairness, I don’t know who you are or how you have any particular insight into the collective mind of the West. There is no evidence of increasing support for Hezbollah or terrorism in America. How did that demonstration against Gaza go? Did it stop the war? Chas Freeman was, I think, lightly critical of the ‘war on terror’. How did his confirmation go?

I admit that the Bush ‘war on terror’ is somewhat retarded, as are most wars on nouns. However, terrorism is still, fundamentally, innocent people being shredded by bombs and shrapnel and is pretty widely recognized as a bad thing. And rightly so.

Revolution might have been romantic in the 70s and 80s now but there is no ideology left. It’s just money. The LTTE are international drug and weapons smugglers and they are wanted in pretty much every nation on the globe.

Aside from your personal implication that I am somehow uninformed or unaware I don’t see any actual evidence for your claim. You think Westerners have developed some tolerance for terrorism. I don’t see anything in the news to support your claim.

By: N

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:06:02 +0000

I guess crimes against humanity in the name of a ‘freedom struggle’ (or rather one man’s quest for his own kingdom) is ok? Too bad the Tamil Diaspora is missing out on all that sophistication.

By: comment

comment — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:43:53 +0000

Stealing a line from a “pro-LTTE” publication: It seems the world including the UN is following the instructions of that genius Lakshman Kadirgamar and concentrating on the the irradication of malaria and mosquitos rather than the minor matter of the irradication of Tamils who just happen to be “caught up” in this “war on terrorism” in Sri Lanka. So yes, you may be right about the fact that a bit of screaming and shouting and self-immolation from those “Tiger loving” diaspora may in fact not do much to stop this. So you diaspora people, cut out the hysterics and hire a PR person from Colombo.

By: comment

comment — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:57:32 +0000

correction *Samaraweera should read Samarasinghe.

By: comment

comment — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:52:27 +0000

You make some obvious points. However, it also shows a lack of knowledge of what is happening in the world out there. We are moving towards a post-Iraq, post-bush world, where people, including the Americans, are becoming far more sceptical not just about simplistic slogans but also sophisticated “spin” about defeating “terrorist” groups. If you watched demonstrations against the invasion of Gaza, there were the usual Hamas supporters as well as some blatantly anti-semetic slogans. Further more there was some violence in a demonstration in London against the situation in Gaza and a contrasting “orderly” demonstration by the Tamils. Yet I remember that even Jewish protesters on their own accord stood shoulder to shoulder with these people and did not get detracted from the main issue at hand. ie a crime against humanity is being committed in the name of “defeating terrorists”.

Actually, again, people in the west are becoming more sophisticated and are less likely to be “outraged” by pro-hizbollah demonstrations. There is also a clearer understanding among the informed of the difference between the Hizbollah and the Al-Qaeda and it is less common for them to be lumped together as one, unless you are the PR person for the Israeli government ala Kohana/Wijesinghe/Samaraweera.

So, these forms of thinking are probably something that maybe people in Sri Lanka, including the educated middle classes, lack exposure to.

By: Rohan Samarajiva

Rohan Samarajiva — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I just got back from Geneva, one of the two places where the UN meets to deliberate things like human rights. Possibly because the HR committee was in session, there was a massive demonstration of Sri Lanka Tamil expatriates that went past my hotel room on the 16th of March afternoon.

Two comments of relevance to the post above:
1. It was a big demo. I thought it would peter out, but they just kept coming, young people, old people, children in strollers. Either there is a massive support for the LTTE in Switzerland or they have the machinery to haul people in from all parts of Europe. Very few to no people who are not expatriate Tamils, quite unlike the other “liberation” struggles.
2. They are screamingly ineffective in communication terms. Without question the greatest problem for the government of Sri Lanka would be some kind of authoritative statement saying that there is a form of genocide going on here, or even a clear finding of attacks on civilians. Does the parading of Prabhakaran’s picture in guerrilla fatigues contribute to this? Does the horrible red and black symbol of the LTTE, the blood thirsty tiger framed by to guns help? Does the map of the imagined land of Thamileelam that includes Chilaw on one side and Ampara on the other, serve the cause?

Why on earth do they engage in these counterproductive communications? The only explanation I could come up with is that they are talking to themselves, not to the decision makers and even the general publics of the various Western countries. The objective seems to be to keep morale up, not to actually get a declaration of genocide out. Good job for the government.