Prabhakaran always had a thing for awkward photo ops. This is him and Seeman.
Canada deported the Tamil Nadu actor for making inflammatory pro-LTTE comments in Toronto. I think this is good and appropriate, and I wish that they’d cracked down on the people flying LTTE flags before. Not because Tamil issues are not real or that Tamil nationalism is not intellectually valid. Simply because a global terrorist network like the LTTE is in nobody’s interest.
I suspect this stuff is happening now due more to the cold calculus of power than any particular change of heart. The LTTE is simply a spent force and no longer much acknowledged by the ‘international community’. Thus 21 people were jailed in France for extorting money from the Tamil community, erstwhile leader KP was nabbed in Malaysia, etc.
What I think needs to also happen is for the current acting head Rudrakumaran to be arrested in New York, and the active guys in Norway to also be stopped.
This is not to say that the GOSL is good guys and this should be done for them. I think this should be done because the LTTE is a terrorist organization, it can metastasize into something worse, and it can lash out at the countries its currently active in. These are some of Seeman’s alleged comments, according to Jeyaraj
Seeman allegedly warned of revenge for murdered innocent Tamil civilians& said Sinhalese abroad should be”butchered”and not allowed to live
Seeman allegedly warned of re-starting war in Sri Lanka& said over a100 black tigers would self-destruct in the South and cause destruction
Seeman allegedly warned that TamilNadu youths like Muthukumar who immolated themselves would now turn into human bombs&cause terrible damage
Seeman allegedly said the war would have changed course if the LTTE had bombed 100Sinhala schools for every Tamil school bombed or shelled
Seeman allegedly threatened that Tamils living in many countries would soon show the world through action what “terrorism” was all about
I should posit that these comments are inherently toxic, repugnant and pretty obviously hate speech and incitement to violence. So it’s well and right that Canada booted the fellow.
By taking these actions against the LTTE Canada is now more able to pressure the government on human rights and IDP issues with some credibility. Which I think is the point. Tamil issues are real and it’s not a case of crushing the LTTE and everything being cool. Indeed, there are issues that all people on this island have and we can use the support of international friends. However, that has to basically start with condemning the psychos that want to bomb our schools and explode young people in out cities. Which I’m glad the international community is starting to do.
Insane…
1.Happy to see more balanced reporting, but still slanted in favour of the Sinhala GoSL.
2.While agreeing that hate speech should not be condoned, there are some doubts to whether Seeman actually made those comments. Because why let in a well known LTTE sympathiser and then deport him??
3.Firstly, why did Canada give a visa to Seeman in the first place?? Seeman has been arrested in Tamil Nadu and is a well known LTTE sympathiser. He has made news before. With all this Canada still gave him a visa!
4.Some reports suggested Seeman was not deported but left voluntarily after Canadian RCMP intervened.
5.While it is true LTTE should not be allowed to extorted money, the direction taken by the international community should be more proactive and holistic. I say this b’cos, LTTE is a symptom of the problem, not the cause. The GoSL is the cause of the problem, int’l community should do more to isolate GoSL so as to encourage justice and fairplay in SL, while also curbing LTTE’s illegal activities so as to push them into mainstream legitimate political activism.
6. If people wanted to fly LTTE’s flags, that’s their freedom of expression, that should not be restricted. Tamils in Colombo never protested, why?, because they know there is no freedom of expression in SL. So how can we win our freedom of expression in SL? Unfortunately, internal mechanisms have been rendered ineffective. That’s why we need the int’l community to put pressure on GoSL as well.
7. Int’l community to their credit already have taken effective steps to curb LTTE activities. Examples are : the U.S. arresting LTTE members who tried to purchase SAM missles and bribe state dept officials.
U.K. arresting UK LTTE head Shanthan and others.
Australia arresting 3 supposed LTTE members (Sarath Fonseka, Karanagoda testified thru video link at their trial)
France closing down LTTE satellite TV station and other arrests
EU, Canada and U.S. banning LTTE.
India arresting LTTE members and sympathisers
Malaysia helping to arrest KP
India,Pakistan and China assisting with arms and defence equipment to fight the war and stop LTTE arms ships
U.S. gave a boat to the SL Navy for defensive purposes (Robert Blake handing over photo in papers)
8. But what has the GoSL done in return?????????
a).No one was charged for the 1983 riots
b).Bindunuwewa massacre of LTTE members going thru rehab. 5 accused were released by S. Court. So who done it?
c).TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj killed near Military Police station. Who done it?
d).TNA MP Joseph Pararajasingham killed in Church. What’s happening? Who done it?
e).TNA MP Sivaneson, known LTTE sympathiser, killed in Vanni claymore attack. Who done it?
g).Lasantha Wickramatunga killed. what’s happening? who done it?
h).Udathalawinna massacre of muslims. all accused acquited. Who done it?
i),Chemmani, Jaffna 600 tamils missing, case pending. Who done it? possibly why Maj.Gen. Janaka Perera was killed
j).Around 1200 Tamils disappeared from december 2005 to war’s end in Jaffna. what’s happening? Who done it?
k).UN/ INGOs asked to leave Wanni. All independent witnesses not allowed into wanni. what’s happening? what’s to hide?
l).10 Muslims hacked to death south of Pottuvil, near Southern province boundary. What’s happeining? who done it?
m).Kumar Ponnambalam, Leader of All Ceylon Tamil Congress, killed. Who done it?
n).Kumarapuram massacre of Tamils, in the Trinco dist. What’s happening to case? Who done it?
o).Late Eighties JVP insurrection 30,000 to 60,000 missing. Prez commission report, what’s happening? Who done it?
p).Allaippiddy massacre. Police refuse to accompany magistrate to investigate. what’s happening? Who done it?
And the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on……………………….
What about freedom, equality, justice???????
I say this having read up on SL conflict and political issues ever since I was 12. I believe the GoSL has committed more atrocities than the LTTE. The world needs to start bringing out this truth. The sinhalese need to get this truth or investigate impartially to find the truth through independent mechanisms. Only when the ‘whole truth’ comes out can we believe in truth and equality. Thank you.
It’s unlikely that Rudrakumaran will be arrested, based on what is publicly known of him because, wait for it, the US apparently still does believe in free speech and not arresting people on the basis of ‘guilt by association’. Which, of course, is more than can be said for fake Sri Lankan/Canadian/American liberals and rehabilitated supporters of civilian internment.
REAL TAMILAN