One one things

There’s been a lot said about the LTTE of late, and there’s a small thing I feel like getting off my chest. On kottu and other sites there has been debate as to who killed Kadi and various (often bizarre) conspiracy theories have raised their respective heads. All this is fine, I guess we still don’t “technically” know who did it so I’ll just keep quiet about that. There is however one thing that disturbs me a lot. I’ve been meaning to write about this ever since I started reading Distant Warriors, and this morning I read a comment on kottu saying something along the lines of the LTTE aren’t stupid, they have Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge advisors, and that triggered me. (The rest of the comment went on to condemn the LTTE and the rest of the post doesn’t concern that comment).

When ppl who live abroad glorify the LTTE it pisses me off. We all know what happened in 1983 and I think most of us condemn it with every possible stregnth. Given that situation it’s fair enough that lots of ppl, Tamils in particular left the Island and now live in foreign nations. It’s also human nature to carry a bit of a grudge against those who they feel were responsible for ‘83, and the SL govt. of the time does bear a lot of the burden of that responsibility. So naturally a lot of these chaps felt that the LTTE is fighting for the rights of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and therefore threw all their weight behind the LTTE in terms of support.

The LTTE probably started off with the best interests of Sri Lanka’s Tamil’s in their hearts and minds. Things today are different. The LTTE has successfully wiped off all moderate Tamil leaders who opposed them (just ask Douglas Devananda, that bugger is Houdini I tell you) thereby becoming the single representative of the Tamils by default. I can’t quite see how that is in the interest of the Tamils. They recruit child soldiers, depriving them of their childhood, and more often than not, their life (heard of the ceaseless waves tactic? who do you think “volunteers” to be the first wave?). When the LTTE attacked the Dalada Maligawa and the Sri Maha Bodhiya, what did they want to achieve? they wanted to piss off the Sinhalese to such an extent that July 1983 is reincarnated. And who suffered in ‘83? yes, the Tamils.

Now, those who sit in their lovely flats in London, Vancouver, Melbourne etc. and raise funds for the LTTE, speak at public forums glorifying them and lobby their respective Governments to acknowledge them, they get away with everything. It’s not their kids who are abducted from school and taken to a training camp, it’s not they who get caught to LTTE suicide bombs and it’s not their houses that will be stoned and burnt if a Sinhala mob reacts to LTTE provocations. If you think the LTTE is so wonderful come here and face the bloody music. If you’re too scared to do that, then shut up and stop funding and glorifying the wankers.

Now for some self criticism (always a good thing). It’s not just certain (I hope a miniority) Tamils living abroad who do this. Around Colombo dining tables we hear conversations about how to end the war, and ppl say “apo what peace talks men? those buggers aren’t genuine we should fight and finish them off right now when there is international condemnation of terrorism”. Ok, so tomorrow morning are you sir, going to pick up your AK-47 and step up to the FDL’s or are you going to pick up your brief case and step into your A/C office? Methinks you just might choose the latter. This happens in my own home and it pisses me off. I am not willing to give up my life for this wretched war and I sure as hell don’t expect somebody else to give up their life for me, so no, I don’t think we should go back to war and “finish the buggers off”. However screwed up the peace process has been, I think thats the only solution I can afford to support.

If you’re not willing to hang around when the shit hits the fan, please don’t throw shit at the fan in the first place.

P.s.
This might be an obvious disclaimer but I’ll say it nonetheless. The post above refers to certain elements in society. It is NOT a generalised statement and if it does appear to be so please remember that evergreen saying, “assumption is the mother of all fuck ups”.