nandivarman’s blog

INDIAN BUREAUCRATS DREAM :

INDIA TO BE A COLONY OF CHINA

The editorial of leading English daily of India, Times of India dated 29^th May of 2009 about Aung San Kyi contains a paragraph which I would like to quote:

" We have just concluded a spectacular democratic exercise and are still showing it off to the world .But unfortunately when it comes to speaking up for the defenders of democracy in Myanmar our voice drops to a whisper. To put it bluntly India's foreign policy with regards to Myanmar is caught in a trap. We chose to play tootsie with the military regime in the hope of getting access to Myanmar's natural resources and to secure our north-east from infiltration. We have achieved a degree of understanding on border infiltration but have been well eclipsed by China as far as exerting influence in Myanmar is concerned. We have meanwhile let down the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy. If India is to make amends, this new Government must redraw India's approach map to Myanmar. Given our aspiration towards a greater role, New Delhi under the foreign ministry would do well to recalibrate its approach towards our neighbors, especially towards ruthless dictators whom nobody in the world particularly likes"

Tamils thank Times of India. The newspaper instead of dictator or neighbor had used plural which indirectly indicates the tin-pot dictator of Srilanka. These comments open a Pandora's Box. Indian foreign policy had let down its own citizens in past.

We Indian citizens, who rediscover the past, are baffled at the statement tabled in Indian Parliament on July 23 1974 by then Indian External Affairs Minister Mr.Swaran Singh [Lok sabha debates cols 186-201] for Re-Agreement between India and Srilanka on boundary in historic waters between the two countries and related matters. India must be aware what its own representative sought before UN Sub-committee on the need to extend its maritime belt in view of thorium find in Indian territorial waters. When we had national interest to extend our maritime belt, only a nincompoop would opt for an agreement that will hand over Indian island of Katcha Tivu to Srilanka by way of this agreement.

We would like to remind that one Member of Indian Parliament, speaking on the floor of the house on 23rd July 1974 raised a point or order. Mr.P.K.Deo, Member from Kalahandi of Indian State of Orissa said "Nowhere the Indian Constitution provide for cession of even an inch of Indian Territory. All the Revenue records of Madras Government, a state of India, corroborate that Katcha Tivu was part of former Ramnad zamindary and an integral part of this country. So under no circumstances the Government has got any power under the Indian Constitution to cede even an inch of our country. A few days back the Coco islands which is part of Andaman group of islands belonging to India was ceded to Burma. Now it is Katcha Tivu. It is utter contempt and disrespect shown to the House [Indian Parliament] by not taking the house into confidence and facing us with a fait accompli"

The handing over of Coco island by the foreign policy experts of seventies to Myanmar had paved way for China obtaining its in lease from Myanmar and to build a harbour there apart from installing Russian made radars and satellites to spy on Indian Missile programme operated from Orissa, a state of India just facing Coco islands in the west of the Bay of Bengal. Sitting entrenched in Eastern side of Bay of Bengal that too just 40 nautical miles away from Indian Territory of Andaman Nicobar islands, China had established its access and control of Bay of Bengal. The intelligent foreign policy experts who had no broad vision but had only a thread opened the gateway of Bay of Bengal to the Chinese dragon.

Dr.Ram Manohar Lohia, a Socialist Member of Parliament and contemporary of Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru urged that India should extend her frontier to the Yarlung Zangbo River, which he refers as Brahmaputra; only then Indian troops would be able to meet the Chinese on more equal terms as far as physical conditions are concerned. While such opinions were aired, who took decisions, let us go back to the past pages of history.

"The office of the Military Intelligence was almost closed down by Nehru. Anyway the Intelligence Bureau was pursuing the guidelines laid down by Nehru in his 1954 directive " with single minded effort' In this Mr.Mullick and the Intelligence Bureau he headed apparently had the support of the Prime Minister, steady and equally single-minded. As was the case with the Intelligence Bureau's cooperation with instructions to paper nor did he let even his Cabinet colleagues or senior officials into the secrets of his understanding with his Intelligence Director "

These passages quoted indicate when and how India's foreign policy took the diversion from cabinet accountability and collective responsibility and became a tool for the first among equals namely the Prime Minister of India to act through agencies bypassing other layers in democratic set up. Until 1959 border security was the exclusive concern of the Home Ministry and especially the Intelligence Bureau. Intelligence Bureau was under Home Ministry till 1970 and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi separated it from Home Ministry and attached to Prime Ministers Office. It is not which Ministry controlled Intelligence Bureau that forms the theme of our debate. Cabinets were kept in dark. Cabinet colleagues were sidelined. Defense Secretary or Home Secretary were ignored. IB playing the tunes of Prime Minister started by Nehru is the starting point where India's foreign policy went in wrong direction committing blunder after blunder.

This culminated in Indian Cabinet headed by Mr.Manmohan Singh brushing aside his cabinet colleagues in the cabinet, misguided by National Security Adviser an extra-cabinet authority not accountable to public or Parliament, committing blunder after blunder in India's Srilankan policy. The Himalayan blunder is joining hands with China and Pakistan and trying to get a certificate of good conduct to the worst ever barbarian dictator that history had even seen in neither past nor will tolerate one in future. Indian citizens, of Tamil ethnicity, fishermen who were fishing in Indian waters or contiguous waters were killed now and then, and Indian Prime Minister who should have sent Indian navy in hot pursuit of those killers from Srilanka, was busy pursuing single mindedly to take revenge for Rajiv Gandhi's murder. Now having accomplished his revenge mission, Indian Prime Minister is duty bound to take revenge for the killings of Indian Tamils. The least he can do is to take the matter to International Court of Justice seeking compensation from Srilanka. Indian citizens, [who are not terrorists] hundreds of them, had been killed by Srilankan navy, and India shakes the blood soaked hands along with China, putting the conscience of India into suspended animation and making Mahatma Gandhi turn in his grave in shame.

"India and China are now members of the Financial Stability Board, the apex institution to monitor global risks of financial crisis. Their voting shares in the International Monetary Fund will also be slightly increased through an accelerated quota reform process. However post-reform the USA will retain its defacto veto power with a 17 percent share and the US, EU and Japan will control 53 percent of IMF shares. Individually the shares of US, UK, France and Japan will still be larger than China's share of fewer than 4 percent." Hence China had planned a new offensive according to Professor of National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Mr.Sudipto Mundle.

"Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of the Chinese Central Bank on the eve of G-20 summit suggested that dollar should be replaced with SDR's as the new reserve currency. The huge dollar reserves held by Central Banks and other global investors would be severely eroded if the dollar were to suddenly depreciate. Yet these investors cannot easily diversify away from the dollar since this itself would trigger dollar depreciation. The Chinese are particularly concerned, an estimated 1 trillion dollars of their total reserves of around 2 trillion are held in dollar asset. The SDR exchange rate is a weighted average of exchange rates of the major convertible currencies. Accordingly under Zhou's proposals, China and other countries could convert their reserves from dollars to SDR's at current exchange rates without any erosion in their value. Implementing such a proposal would also mark the end of the dollar as reserve currency." This is the game plan of China which has let the cat out of its bag. The New Indian Finance Minister cannot distribute rasagollahs over his assumption of office. Indians expect, what is he going to do? By joining hands with China to butcher Tamils and to bury the genocide before UN Human Rights Council, India had shown that it follows Chinese footsteps. If India treads the Chinese path, the Left parties of India will be rejoicing. If China launches SDR missiles to strike at the Dollar regime, India had to toe Chinese line, if Indo-China-Srilanka partnership to ethnic cleansing of Tamils is a forerunner to such cooperation.

USA realizing the Chinese designs had been urging India to sign End-use Monitoring Agreement, Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum agreement, and Logistics Support Agreement. China causes grave concern for USA, hence USA urges India to sign these pacts. China had become emboldened to say to USA to concentrate on western Pacific and China will look after eastern Pacific. Pacific Command Chief Admiral Timothy J Keating had recently held discussions with the extra-cabinet authority the National Security Adviser of India and Foreign Secretary of India, the duo that dances to Srilankan's tunes.

Are we with USA or are we with China? Is USA a grave danger to the territorial integrity of India or is China, the aggressor who claims our Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh will be a threat with high magnitude? China hand encircled India with tie-ups starting from Myanmar to Srilanka, Maldives to Pakistan and Bangladesh. With harbours in all these countries carefully built from 1990, China had acquired a might India cannot challenge. If China could suggest to USA to divide Pacific Ocean as eastern zone and western zone between them, will it not say to India confine to your coast in Bay of Bengal and from Myanmar China will control half of Bay of Bengal. Will not China with harbours in Pakistan and Maldives suffocate Indian presence in Arabic Ocean? Sitting in Srilanka's southern tip China could block passage to Bay of Bengal and from Myanmar control Malacca Straits. India which supports Srilanka hoping it will shield its geo-political interests will cut a sorry figure in days ahead. Srilanka needed the support of India only to finish the Tamil demand for homeland. Helping Srilanka to crush Tamil freedom struggle China had succeeded in sowing distrust towards India in Tamil minds. Each and every step China plans is to establish it as Super power of Asia. It is the neo-colonial power which will colonize Myanmar and Srilanka. In Indian state of Bihar, the influx of Chinese women to marry Indians born in Buddha's land is silently establishing a Chino-Indian population like early Anglo-Indians.

Our foreign policy must be debated in Indian Parliament. Few individuals should not decide the foreign policy of a continent like India with 100 crore population. Ours is Indian Union, though it became unitary due to the trauma of partition, it must be borne that Indian States have a right to shape India's foreign policy. Consensus can emerge in our National Integration Council, debates in Parliament can offer constructive course corrections, and Cabinet should not be bypassed, few people should not be shouldered with crafting nation's foreign policy, however super brains they may be. But seeing how China had outwitted us by encircling India, and within India opening a Red corridor Nepal to Andhra Pradesh where Maoists rule the roost, it becomes evident that only fools will join hands with China, and those evil brains that want India again to become a colony, this time a colony of China will only get conduct certificates from Communist parties and not from Indians with common sense.

N.Nandhivarman

General Secretary Dravida Peravai

www.dravidaperavai.org.in

UN SECURITY COUNCIL MUST DIRECT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OF JUSTICE TO PROBE TAMIL GENOCIDE

Dravida Peravai emailed to the President of the Security Council, Un Secretary General and Permanent representatives of the Member Nations. All mails reached except that of Vietnam, Crotia and Costa Rica.

14.05.2009

The President

THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL

And

THE SECRETARY GENERAL,

UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION

UN Head quarters

First Avenue @46th Street

NEW YORK NY 10017, USA

Respected President of the Security Council

And Respected Secretary General

We are from India and we are Tamil kinsmen of the uprooted refugees scattered all over the globe and our ethnic group is facing genocide in Srilanka. We in India could only shed tears of blood but want to ask the international community one question: Are we not humans? We wonder where has the conscience of the world gone?

Today reports say some how overcoming the hurdles to arrive at consensus in the Security Council a unanimous resolution officially had been reached on the Tamils issue. We thank all members for this initiative and USA, UK, France behind this diplomatic breakthrough, though certain remarks on the freedom fighters makes us realize that Tamils have yet to diplomatically drive home our legitimate grievances.

During the battle of the Stalingrad, brave men and women of then Russia faced the siege of the Adolph Hitler's army, but while whole townspeople got killed leaving very few who withstood the siege eating even the human flesh of the dying ultimately defeating the Nazi army. It is unfortunate that such Russia remained soft towards the Neo-Nazi of 21st century Mr.Mahinda Rajapakshe till today the day of consensus. The Battle of Vanni when independent sources write is more or less the Battle of Stalingrad, our Russian people will understand in future.

The Communist Party of India which was in forefront of struggles against Srilanka in the Indian state of Tamilnadu remained totally silent. It could have appealed to Russian Communist party which would have brought a heart change of Russia, but conveniently forgot to do so.

China in view of its total support by way of arms to Srilanka backed Srilanka to hilt. The Communist Party of India [Marxist] owing allegiance to Chinese line since undivided Communist party split in India, was in selective amnesia, not caring to apprise Chinese Communist Party on its historical blunder to support Tamil genocide.

Even a state declared by USA as terrorist state, had been backing the Srilankan terrorist state, yet to be declared so when the day world's media and UN agencies gets access to the theatre of war.

We still remain depressed over the inaction of the United Nations to come to the rescue of our kinsmen.

The UN could have arranged for airdropping of food to the besieged Tamil people. In history nowhere we have seen people made to starve and starvation to death had been used as weapon in war, while world's conscience was watching helplessly.

Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law at the University Of Illinois College Of Law said that under the Geneva Conventions and Protocol, an immediate humanitarian air-drop relief operation for the starving Tamil civilians within the so-called safety zone, who are suffering without adequate humanitarian supplies for weeks, is a must. But UN and its member nations are delaying a decision for too long, before it is too late to act.

We now urge the UN Security Council to understand that Srilankan President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakshe is resorting to starvation of civilians, as a method of warfare, which constitutes an act of genocide as defined by Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

“Article 54(1) of Additional Protocol I to the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 sets forth a rule of customary international humanitarian law that obligates every state in the world: “Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited.” Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. Every contracting party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocol has the obligation under Common Article 1 thereof “to respect” the Conventions and Protocol themselves and “to ensure respect” for the Conventions and Protocol “in all circumstances” by other contracting parties such as Sri Lanka.

“Furthermore, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare can also constitute an act of genocide as defined by Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention: “Deliberately inflicting Tamils conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” Every contracting state party to the Genocide Convention has the obligation “to prevent” genocide by Sri Lanka against the Tamils as required by Article I thereof.

Therefore, every state party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocols as well as to the Genocide Convention has the solemn obligation to terminate Srilanka’s starvation of Tamils as a method of warfare.

United Nation's Peace Keeping Force must have been inducted before calling the freedom fighters to lay down weapons. Instead asking to surrender to the criminals sponsoring state terrorism is not natural justice, neither is it prudence.

We would like to draw the attention of the United Nations Security Council that it is wrong to place all its responsibilities on India, being a regional power. India could not halt the war. Further India had played active role in attempting to resolve the crisis in past and its efforts were in vain. The Indo-Srilanka agreement to establish peace and normalcy in Srilanka signed in July 1987 is a total failure. The Srilankan Government killed the spirit of the agreement before the ink got dried. To implement the accord, then Indian Prime Minister Mr.Rajiv Gandhi sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force. Simultaneously the LTTE agreed to cessation of hostilities and began to hand over weapons to IPKF. The first and irreparable crack in the accord opened when the Government of Srilanka violated the General Amnesty granted under the accord "to political prisoners now held in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and other Emergency laws, and to combatants, as well as to those persons accused, charged and /or convicted under these laws" [ clause 2.11]

The Srilankan Government interpreted that the amnesty did not apply to persons who committed offences outside the north and eastern provinces of Srilanka and withheld amnesty to 1250 Tamil political prisoners. This made the LTTE suspend surrender of weapons. This past must be borne in mind, by President of United States Mr. Barrack Obama, who pleaded for general amnesty. Srilankan Government could never be trusted. Further then the IPKF which went as mediator handed over Tamils to Sinhalese for ceasefire violations, and those Tamils got killed, thereby the neutrality of IPKF became a question mark in Tamil minds resulting in clashes between IPKF and freedom fighters. The then Chief Minister of Indian State of Tamilnadu Dr.M.Karunanithi refused to receive the IPKF when it landed in Chennai, capital of Tamilnadu, registering the unhappiness of Indian Tamils over the failed mission where friends instead of saving Tamils from enemies turned towards the friends of India. In view of this UN Peace Keeping Force without Indian contingent alone will appear credible before the eyes of besieged freedom fighters of Tamil Eelam. If after sending UN Peace Keeping Force and if UN is in a position to guarantee the safety of those who surrender under General Amnesty, then UN can expect LTTE to comply with their request to surrender. Till such climate arrives mere lip service will not end Tamils agony.

The European Union Parliament on 12th March 2009 passed a resolution, with a large majority, calling for immediate ceasefire between the Sri Lanka Army and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in order to allow the civilian population to leave the combat zone. Condemning all acts of violence against civilians in the safe zone and expressing serious concern for the plight of the people in the refugee camps run by the Sri Lankan government, the EU Parliament demanded full and unhindered access to international and national humanitarian organizations, as well as journalists to the combat zone and to the refugee camps.

The EU resolution calling for immediate ceasefire without any conditions and expressing concern not only for the plight of civilians in the safe zone, but also for the inmates of the internment camps run by Colombo was passed by 358 votes to 232. This took place in March. Even after European Parliament took first step, UN Security Council belatedly today i.e. in May 2009 only had arrived at a unanimous resolution, and those lives of Tamils killed by chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction had to be paid as a price to open the eyes of the United Nations.

We perused few resolutions of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Resolutions 1897 of 2009 on Western Sahara, 1870 being Secretary General's Report on Sudan, 1869 on Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1868 on Afghanistan, 1867 on Timor-Leste, 1866 on Georgia, 1865 on Cote d l'ivorie, 1864 Secretary General report to President of Security Council, 1863 on Somalia, 1862 on peace and security in Africa, 1861 on Chad in Central African Republic and 1860 on Middle East i.e Palestine. These resolutions in the time every minute our Tamils being killed and Tamils protesting all over the world have no space for Tamils. And now the Security Council had at last passed a resolution, we urge Security Council to urge the International Court of Criminal Justice to probe the crimes of genocide aimed at total annihilation of Tamils in Srilanka.

UN website reports: The Lanka: Thousands Caught in Conflict

5 May 2009: According to reports from those remaining inside the conflict zone, fighting has intensified with both light and heavy weapons being used, according to OCHA quoted during the daily noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. As of today, more than 188,000 people have crossed out of the conflict zone, with the vast majority accommodated in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Vavuniya. Over 186,000 are in camps, and some 1,700 wounded and their caregivers are in hospitals. Some 50,000 or more people are still trapped in the conflict zone

In Vavuniya, there have been positive developments in addressing basic needs for the influx of IDPs. Among them, the World Food Programme has been able to accelerate food distribution in Vavuniya, and the Government of Sri Lanka has agreed that cooked meals should be provided at Omanthai screening point. In Jaffna, response in the camps has been stepped up in the area of health, including the treatment of chicken pox, the provision of toilets, hygiene kits, temporary teaching space and supplementary food. Also, work to protect civilians and to facilitate family reunifications is ongoing. Asked about reports of shelling, the UN Spokeswoman said that the United Nations was unable to confirm such reports independently, but added that it remains particularly concerned about the situation of the estimated 50,000 remaining civilians in the area, who are believed to be at serious risk. The United Nations also remains concerned about heavy fighting, she said.

Food, water and other basic supplies from United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations were en route on 30 April to help some 175,000 civilians, while 4,500 family-sized tents had been set up in the past four days by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes during a 29 April press conference in New York.

Mr. Holmes also said he had met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and key Government ministers in the nation's capital, Colombo, on Monday to push for a "humanitarian pause" in the fighting and give United Nations and other aid workers sufficient time to unload and distribute essential supplies. However, Sri Lankan officials had rejected that request.

Under Chapter XV of the United Nations Charter, the U.N. Secretariat, headed-up by the U.N. Secretary General, is one of six independent organs of the United Nations Organization itself. As such the U.N. Secretary General is obligated to implement the “Purposes of the United Nations” set forth in Article 1 of the Charter. There have been statements from UN Secretary General on Tamils plight but Sir; we are hurt to term it lip-service. The Secretary General should have found time to visit Srilanka, unfortunately for Tamils he has no time to spare, our Tamils express in anguish…

Prof. Boyle of University of Illinois College of Law and an expert in International Law, points out that “Article 1(3) of the Charter provides that one of these “Purposes of the United Nations” is: “To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.”

Boyle added, “In other words, the U.N. Secretary General has a U.N. Charter obligation “in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for” the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Consequently, the U.N. Secretary General has a Charter obligation to immediately visit Sri Lanka and do all in his power "to prevent” the Government’s on-going genocide against the Tamils as required by the peremptory norm of international law set forth in Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

We Tamils from India are now fully aware that over our catacombs the racist regime of Srilanka will hoist its victory flag after converting whole Tamil race that live in Srilanka, as slaves of 21 st century. UN as usual will act belatedly, as past track record shows. Hence we request you to send the case of Tamil genocide to the International Court of Criminal Justice.

We know that Srilanka and shamefully our India are not signatories to the Rome Statute. International Criminal Court of Justice is governed by the Rome Statute which has reached consensus on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Since Srilanka is not a signatory to a statute signed by 120 countries, it had done that purposely since it has been pursuing genocide and war crimes from 1983, we urge the Security Council to refer our complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of Justice for investigating the Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe's genocidal war.

The Public Prosecutor through Rome Statute is conferred with proprio motu powers, but he cannot go ahead with a state that is not a signatory to the statute, hence we urge United Nations Security Council to ask the Public Prosecutor to start the investigations.

We are aware that crimes in Chad, Kenya, Afghanistan, Georgia, Columbia, and Palestine are being probed by the Public Prosecutor apart from Darfur and Sudan as directed by the Security Council under chapter VII of the United Nations charter. We Tamils are not being considered as human beings, we have started to arrive at this conclusion, because we only are singled out for genocide with impunity, with UN not coming to our rescue before it is too late.

We are aware that for crimes committed after 1st July 2002 The International Criminal Court of Justice can act, though the evidences we submit will involve crimes committed more than three decades.

Crimes against humanity

Art. 7, Rome Statute of International Criminal Code describes these as:

Murder, Extermination, persecution, enforced disappearances, torture, intentionally causing great hurt, great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, deportation or forcible transfer of population…

We wanted to compile complete list of criminal actions of Srilankan Government. Fortunately North East Secretariat on Human Rights had complied a detailed list under the title :Lest we forgot : Massacres of Tamils 1956-2001.We are enclosing the pdf format of that genocide list up to 2001. In our subsequent mail by post we will be sending up to now along with the complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the International Court of Criminal Justice.

To substantiate the charges against Srilankan Government, instead of quoting Tamils who are inferior to animals as per the perception of Sinhalese, let me quote from a Sinhalese political leader. This is quoted to prove that Sinhalese governments have killed Sinhalese too in thousands in past, as told by the Sinhalese leader himself. State Terrorism is in their blood and viens, and for nations of the United Nations to forget this leads them to wrong conclusions. If probed in detail Srilanka can be branded as terrorist state. Their hatred for Tamils stands proven without an iota of doubt by their killing of hundreds of Indian Tamil fishermen over these years. The genocidal intent is proven here too. These Indian Tamils did not demand separate state. They were for centuries peacefully pursuing their professions. In the case of Pakistan if any Indian fishermen by accident strays into its waters, Pakistan arrests them and deports. But Srilankan trigger happy navy finds sadistic satisfaction in killing spree. We will submit these details to the Public Prosecutor of the International Court of Criminal Justice, later by mail.

Let the UN and members of Security Council know the peaceful Sinhalese mind also.Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne, General Secretary of the NSSP and the president of the Left Front in Sri Lanka, states :

The government, while discarding all appeals for a ceasefire is hell bent on finishing the LTTE. The LTTE cannot be finished as it is a movement in the hearts and minds of the Tamil people. It represents the strongest commitment to the Tamil right to self determination and Tamil freedom. Even those who disagree with the LTTE`s violent methods or with its political programme for Tamil liberation, still hail it as the most formidable opposition to Sinhala repression. So, it will be nonsense to think of eradicating the LTTE. UNP leaders led by the then Defense Minister thought of finishing the JVP by eliminating over fifty-thousand JVP suspects with the leadership. It is claimed that Wijeweera was burnt alive by a military group. But today modern dissidents of Wijeweera and other JVP leaders virtually run the government of Mahinda. The ghost of Wijeweera is behind the President at all times. Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa today, represent the last political message of the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya, the brainchild of Wijeweera. In that sense both Champika and Wimal are legitimate political children of Wijeweera. The rump JVP is left in the ditch without being able to go along with these two. It does not represent the JVP past or present. While howling for a better war it is barking at the government for repression! So we can count it out. But the real JVP represented by the chauvinist duo, Champika and Wimal, is doing great. So, the dream of the UNP leaders to eliminate the JVP has not been fulfilled.

Similarly the dream of Mahinda to eliminate the LTTE by brutal repression of all who are associated with the LTTE will be a void in the coming period. In the case of the LTTE, it represents the real anger of the Tamil people against discrimination, humiliation and oppression by Sinhala chauvinism. The JVP was correct to an extent. It protested about oppression of Sinhala society by the Anglo-Saxon Western upper classes. But it was and is wrong to the hilt in hating Tamil society for its demand for equality and self determination. Strangely enough it is the wrong side of the JVP that is flourishing today both inside and outside of the government. However the anger of the Tamil people over the ruthless attacks made by both the state and the pogroms cannot be dispersed by decimating the LTTE. The latter will enhance the hard feelings within Tamil society. It will pour out in the future not only in Lanka but also in India as a gigantic Dravidian movement.

After the economic crash in 1929, the capitalist system faced a massive crisis. Then the rise of Nazism and Hitler was for a purpose. Freud says in human history every crisis has demanded a human sacrifice and massive bloodletting. Taking the rule of Freud seriously one could say that the sacrifice made by the Tamils today is for the victory that will come in the future .Of course I am just speculating, but the truth is that Tamil consciousness in the world has expanded due to the repressive war of the Mahinda regime. The LTTE cannot be blamed for not surrendering to the Sinhala army of the chauvinist regime. If thousands die due to the attacks of the army the blame will squarely fall on the government and its masters.

So goes on a Sinhalese politician.

In the press conference on 13 th May 2009, Mr.Vikramabahu Kunaratne said:

There is an international commotion about the blood bath and the human disaster in Lanka. It can lead eventually to an international intervention that could enslave every body. We called this press conference to make every body aware of the developing situation.

Government leaders claim that they have confined the LTTE activity to a very small area near Mulative. It is said that the LTTE leadership and the last battalions are within the 15000 people caught in the Area. LTTE challenges these figures and say that around 120 000 are cornered in the limited area. UN says it is more than 50 000. Whatever it may be only access to food and other necessity for these people, is the ICRC shipment that supposed to arrive twice a week to this enclosure with the government permission. This shipment includes 25 metric tonnes of food and medicine, and the boat intake back is about 500 passengers. There are more than 2000 wounded and sick in the area waiting to go out but the government has not made any extra arrangement for that. While these people are confined to this hellhole the government is continuing its attacks. Shells and multi barrels are used day and nights. In the last few days over 2000 were killed and many more are injured.

Government claims that LTTE is responsible for this misery and demands that Tigers should unconditionally surrender. But at the same time the government says that Tigers are criminals already convicted by Lankan and Indian courts. There for they will be punished accordingly. In that event there is no room for any discussion at all. Tigers are assumed to be just criminals and not even an indirect product of Tamil national problem. At the same time they have accepted that nearly 3000 LTTE cadres are in their custody. Burt nobody knows where they are. It is suspected that they are kept at some desolate place in Vanni. What is their fate is totally unknown. In the recent past many who were in state custody were killed by ‘confrontations’ made by the prisoners, when they were taken out of the place of imprisonment! Among them some were LTTE suspects. In the past Wijeweera, a sinhala rebel was burned alive while he was in army custody. In that back ground if the LTTE leaders surrender their fate will be shameful humiliating death. It will be a severe discredit to the struggle and the Tamil people. In that reality we ask who has the right to demand the LTTE to surrender. We, the Left do not agree with the ferocious methods and the bourgeoisie politics of the Tigers. But they are Tamil liberation fighters and they have the right to be treated as such. Bogus demands of the government have no meaning. Government is demanding that the Tamil people be allowed to leave Tiger areas so that Tiger militants are left behind to be slaughtered by the army. Some lunatics blame Tigers for not agreeing to this demand! If these ladies and gentlemen are so committed to the innocent lives they should demand the government to agree to a genuine cease fire.

The people who have entered the Sinhala army zone are kept in military protected camps. These are open prisons without adequate facilities. No real information about the situation is available from independent sources. Those who divulge information obtained secretly, are punished or thrown out of the country. In such a situation there could be a large number of displaced Tamils who are willingly with the Tiger army. After all to a Tamil, misery under the Tamil army may be better than being a prisoner of the alien Sinhala forces. This tragic situation has developed in to an international uprising of the Tamil people, or more correctly a Dravidian universal protest. It is severely felt in India and spreading into the developed world. There are violent mass agitations every where. This could lead to an induction of foreign forces in Lanka.

We must stop this debacle and blood letting. Sinhala soldiers are also killed and wounded in thousands. All of them are from poor peasant families. Misery spreads into all corner of the country. We demand that the government stop the war and go for a peace agreement now!

Time has come for world to realize that STATE TERRORISM, as practiced in brutal suppression of Sinhalese themselves in past is brought out to light by a Sinhalese politician. If only international court of criminal justice initiates a probe all crimes against Srilankan civilians by Srilankan Government will come to light.

Hence we urge the United Nations Security Council to pass on our complaint to the International Court of Criminal Justice at Hague and urge the Public Prosecutor to initiate appropriate action.

Yours sincerely

N.Nandhivarman

General Secretary Dravida Peravai

 UNITED NATIONS ADOPTS OSTRICH APPROACH

TOWARDS TAMIL GENOCIDE

Matthew Lee of Inner City Press which covers the developments within the United Nations, said that while there was earlier speculation that the Secretary General “will definitely consider” visiting Sri Lanka if he “feels that it can save lives,” the ICP has learnt that “such a trip, for now, is unlikely.”

Prof. Boyle of University of Illinois College of Law and an expert in International Law, pointed out that “under Chapter XV of the United Nations Charter, the U.N. Secretariat, headed-up by the U.N. Secretary General, is one of six independent organs of the United Nations Organization itself. As such the U.N. Secretary General is obligated to implement the “Purposes of the United Nations” set forth in Article 1 of the Charter.

“Article 1(3) of the Charter provides that one of these “Purposes of the United Nations” is: “To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.”

Boyle added, “In other words, the U.N. Secretary General has a U.N. Charter obligation “in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for” the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Consequently, the U.N. Secretary General has a Charter obligation to immediately visit Sri Lanka and do all in his power "to prevent” the Government’s on-going genocide against the Tamils as required by the peremptory norm of international law set forth in Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

“Not to visit Sri Lanka immediately for this purpose would constitute a violation of the United Nations Charter by the U.N. Secretary General himself.

“In addition, where an individual such as the U.N. Secretary General has an obligation to act to prevent criminal activity and either refuses or fails to do so, that would render him “complicit” with the underlying criminal activity–in this case genocide. Article III (e) of the 1948 Genocide Convention prohibits criminalizes and calls for the punishment of: “Complicity in genocide.”

“The U.N. Secretary General must immediately travel to Sri Lanka and do all in his power “to prevent” the Government’s genocide against the Tamils. For the U.N. Secretary General to fail or to refuse to discharge this U.N. Charter obligation would render him complicit in the Government of Sri Lanka’s genocide against the Tamils,” Prof. Boyle said.

Francis Boyle, professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law, on Thursday called on India, the United States, Britain and France to fulfill their obligations under the Geneva Conventions and Protocol, and under the Genocide Convention by launching an immediate humanitarian air-drop relief operation for the starving Tamil civilians within the so-called safety zone, who are suffering without adequate humanitarian supplies for weeks. In a note sent to Tamil Net, Prof. Boyle said starvation of civilians, as a method of warfare, can also constitute an act of genocide as defined by Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

 “Article 54(1) of Additional Protocol I to the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 sets forth a rule of customary international humanitarian law that obligates every state in the world: “Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited.” Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. Every contracting party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocol has the obligation under Common Article 1 thereof “to respect” the Conventions and Protocol themselves and “to ensure respect” for the Conventions and Protocol “in all circumstances” by other contracting parties such as Sri Lanka.

“Furthermore, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare can also constitute an act of genocide as defined by Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention: “Deliberately inflicting on the group {in this case Tamils} conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” Every contracting state party to the Genocide Convention has the obligation “to prevent” genocide by Sri Lanka against the Tamils as required by Article I thereof.

“Therefore, every state party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocols as well as to the Genocide Convention has the solemn obligation to terminate GOSL’s starvation of Tamils as a method of warfare. Under the current “circumstances” one of the most effective means this can be done is for those states with the capability (e.g., India, United States, Britain, France) to immediately undertake an airdrop of food and other humanitarian relief supplies to the starving Tamils in Vanni.

“I hereby call upon these states and in particular India, the United States, Britain and France to fulfill their obligations under the Geneva Conventions and Protocol as well as under the Genocide Convention by launching an immediate humanitarian air-drop relief operation for the benefit of the starving Tamils in Vanni, Sri Lanka.”

"Efforts to have deducted a day's pay from innocent Tamil plantation workers to help people affected by war will only assist the government in its war against the Tamils," Up-country Peoples' Front (UPF) leader and Sri Lanka Minister, P. Chandrasegaran said in a press report, condemning demands made by certain trade unions and voluntary organizations on the plantation workers to give a day's wage to help war affected people, sources in Colombo said.

The following is the gist of the report:

"The plantation workers had voluntarily contributed to tsunami affected people which was a natural catastrophe. In contrast, the Vanni people have been made refugees in a systematic manner and the wages of plantation workers contributed to this cause will only help the war waged on the Tamils." The persons who are trying to demand a day's wage for relief work should take this into consideration."

"The Indian government which assists the war by providing weapons and training to Sri Lanka Armed Forces causing horrible situation in Vanni, at the same time says that it is giving relief assistance to the war affected people; this is but ridiculous." Likewise, the money collected from the plantation workers, in the name of relief funds for the war refugees, is the same as giving funds to war efforts."

Dr Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in a press release issued early last week expressed deep concern at the “growing and grave humanitarian crisis,” and pointed to “serious allegations against both parties of violations of international humanitarian law.” While indicating that shelling by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continues despite assurances by Colombo, Ambassador Rice also expressed concern at the shortage of “critical medicines,” and disappointment at the refusal by Sri Lanka to allow “UN humanitarian team into conflict zone to facilitate relief operations and safe evacuation of civilians.”

Full text of the press release follows:

Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative, on the Situation in Sri Lanka, in Security Council Consultations

April 30, 2009

Dr. Susan Rice Thank you, Mr. President. Under-Secretary-General Holmes, let me thank you for your briefing today?and for your efforts to address the mounting humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. The United States is deeply concerned by the situation in Sri Lanka, where fighting between government forces and the Tamil Tigers has led to a growing and grave humanitarian crisis that has left innocent civilians pinned down and desperate. We are very concerned by the serious allegations against both parties of violations of international humanitarian law.

Despite the Government of Sri Lanka's promise to suspend combat operations, multiple accounts indicate that shelling into the conflict zone continues. We have also received reports of alarming number of civilian casualties. Very credible reports also indicate that the Tamil Tigers are using civilians as human shields?and have, in some cases, shot at civilians trying to leave the conflict area. I hope we can all agree that this is utterly unacceptable. Both the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers must abide by their commitments to prevent further loss of civilian life. We renew our call to the Tigers to lay down their arms and allow civilians to depart, and we call on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law. On April 28, limited quantities of food were delivered to the conflict zone?the first such delivery in more than three weeks. We welcome the arrival of this sorely needed aid, but we are deeply concerned that critical medicines were not able to reach the conflict area as well.

We share Under-Secretary-General Holmes' disappointment that the Government of Sri Lanka has not yet allowed a UN humanitarian team into the conflict zone to facilitate relief operations and the safe evacuation of civilians. We urge the Sri Lankan government to reconsider. This Council must also grapple with the sheer scope of the problem. Latest reports indicate that more than 170,000 displaced persons have registered in government-controlled camps. The Government of Sri Lanka must allow the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all sites where newly arrived displaced persons are being registered or being provided shelter.

We welcome the news that some 400 displaced persons returned to their homes on April 29, and we hope that the government will keep its commitment and continue the resettlement process. The April 29 visit by Ministers Miliband and Kouchner demonstrates the international community's deep concern with this unfolding humanitarian crisis.

We are disappointed that Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt was not able to travel with them and find it hard to understand why the Government of Sri Lanka would turn him away. Both sides have responsibilities to meet. And in the face of this worsening crisis, all of us in this chamber have responsibilities too.

Targeting Tigers while 50,000 lives at risk,

Boyle faults US, UK

“US. UK, France and India appear to have given green light to Sri Lanka to get rid of the Tigers no matter what the cost is to the 50,000 lives of innocent Tamils at risk now. Let’s get back to the need to change that green light to a red light, and let’s solve the humanitarian crisis first, and then talk about some sort of solution,” said Francis Boyle, professor of International Law at the University Of Illinois College Of Law, during an interview with Aljazeera network Wednesday. Eric Solheim, key architect of the 2002 peace process in Sri Lanka, and Nirj Deva, a Member of European Parliament and of Sri Lankan origin also participated in the discussions.

Prof Francis Boyle, University of Illinois College of Law Dismissing talks of who holds the military upper hand as “petty and insulting,” Boyle stressed the need for immediate humanitarian intervention.

“50,000 people are bombarded, killed and are starving to death. We need to act immediately to remedy the situation. Immediate ceasefire, and massive humanitarian help via air, sea and land,” is what’s needed, Boyle said.

Mr Solheim said both sides must act to resolve the crisis, the Tigers should allow the civilians to leave the area, and Colombo to allow humanitarian aid to go in and permit UN relief agencies to engage in relief effort.

Mr Deva took the official line of the Sri Lanka Government, describing the unfolding humanitarian crisis as one of “largest ever evacuation of hostages.”

 Urge Four Nations to Drop Food and Medicine into

 “Safe Zone” in Sri Lanka

A Tamil American doctor and an Illinois legal scholar urged India, the U.S., Britain and France–the nations who can–to air drop food and medical supplies to civilians inside the “safe zone” in northern Sri Lanka. The doctor provided a lengthy description of the public health disaster that is currently going on in the ludicrously named “safe zone.” The legal scholar explained that the four countries are obliged under the U.N.’s Geneva Conventions and Protocol to intervene to stop “illegal methods of warfare” and to help the victims.

 May 3, 2009 — A Tamil American doctor and an Illinois legal scholar urged India, the U.S., Britain and France–the nations who can–to air drop food and medical supplies to civilians inside the “safe zone” in northern Sri Lanka. The doctor provided a lengthy description of the public health disaster that is currently going on in the ludicrously named “safe zone.” The legal scholar explained that the four countries are obliged under the U.N.’s Geneva Conventions and Protocol to intervene to stop “illegal methods of warfare” and to help the victims.

The doctor, Sujanthi Rajaram, is a Tamil who was born in Sri Lanka but is now an American citizen. She practices and teaches at a medical college in New Jersey. Dr. Rajaram wrote a report titled “Medical Crisis in Vanni, Sri Lanka” in which she detailed the adverse results of the systematic violence committed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) against the encircled civilians in the safe zone, which is then exacerbated by the GoSL’s refusal to allow food and medical supplies to reach the safe zone.

In her report Dr. Rajaram described the results of malnutrition; bomb blast, shell and gun shot wounds; psychological trauma; lack of preventive health care, and other factors which affect the Tamils encircled in the safe zone. To read Dr. Rajaram’s complete report, go to http://www.tamilsforobama.com/pressrelease/Rajaram_medical_report.html.

Francis Boyle, professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law, explained that “Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited” under the U.N.’s Geneva Convention. He wrote that “Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. Every contracting party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocol has the obligation under Common Article 1 thereof ‘to respect’ the Conventions and Protocol themselves and ‘to ensure respect’ for the Conventions and Protocol ‘in all circumstances’ by other contracting parties such as Sri Lanka.” He further noted that starvation of the civilian population can be construed as genocide.

Professor Boyle emphasized that this is an obligation incumbent on those nations that have signed the Geneva Convention and are able to act. He writes that “Every state party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocols as well as to the Genocide Convention has the solemn obligation to terminate GOSL’s starvation of Tamils as a method of warfare. Under the current ‘circumstances’ one of the most effective means this can be done is for those states with the capability (e.g., India, United States, Britain, France) to immediately undertake an airdrop of food and other humanitarian relief supplies to the starving Tamils in Vanni.”

Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. They are a minority population in Sri Lanka, and are currently bearing the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial Diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.

To contact the group, call at (617) 765- 4394 and speak to, or leave a message for, the Communication Director, Tamils for Obama.

www.TamilsForObama.com

Why information sabotage, UN questioned

[Tamil Net, Thursday, 07 May 2009, 01:52 GMT]

Why the UN withheld casualty figures and satellite information on the no-fire zone in Sri Lanka, while it released such information on Gaza was the question put to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Tuesday, by the Inner City Press (ICP). The Secretary General's reply not touching the question reflected his continued hopes in private deal with the Colombo government. Tamil circles find it strange, that a UN that accepts its inability to send its team or life-saving food cum medicine supply to the no-fire zone, and unable to guarantee the human rights of the civilians already moved, is showing keenness only in further 'evacuation' of civilians and in helping Colombo in 'any post-conflict facilitations'. While the ICP hints at hidden Indian hands behind the UN, the Tamil circles wonder whether the UN stand is the stand of the US also.

Answering the question, Ban Ki Moon, Tuesday cited his "quite lengthy telephone call with president Rajapaksa covering all the pending issues".

He agreed there was not much progress either in 'evacuating' the people or in feeding them.

He said that he "again and again" urged the president to allow humanitarian teams to the conflict zone.

"Since they are still confronting militarily, this is a very difficult situation even for the Sri Lankan government to ensure safety and security" to allow such a team, he said.

On sending a team and supplies he further said that while Sri Lankan government is allowing them to approach through ship by ICRC, his position was that "they should be able to land and deliver all humanitarian assistance and assess the exact situation how many people are trapped and how the international community can help them evacuated safely to a safe zone".

Whether the Secretary General is linking the issue of sending life-saving assistance to the issue of evacuation and sending the people to Sri Lanka's prison camps is a question asked in the Tamil circles.

As typical to its practice of 'equating the attackers and the attacked' in its accusations, whether the UN is hinting that it is the tigers who are preventing them from landing and assessing the situation, is yet another question Tamil circles wonder at.

The Secretary General said that the Sri Lankan president had informed him of the release of all UN staff in the internment camps, named by the UN.

"UN stand ready to any 'post-conflict' facilitation", Ban Ki Moon assured to Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile the Inner City Press on Tuesday highlighted the need for Ban Ki Moon sending another UN envoy fast, and not Vijay Nambiar.

ICP cited the bias of Vijay Nambiar's brother Satish Nambiar, an Indian army officer.

Satish Nambiar, "as an individual and as a soldier", was quoted by the Sri Lankan army, in praising president Rajapaksa and the outstanding performance of Sarath Fonseka.

"While perhaps Vijay Nambair — who refused to speak with the Press after his brief visit to Colombo — and his sibling Satish are not as close as the three brother who run Sri Lanka, still the above highlights the need for the UN to send another envoy, and fast, among other actions", the ICP said.

How a small group of related identity work with motivation against Tamil interests, right from the Indian Establishment to the UN, and how the international community searching for solutions need to keep this group out, is what the hint one gets from the ICP reporting, said a political commentator.

So far the UN has not fulfilled any of the demands, pleads or aspirations the Tamil people raised in recent times through various demonstrations. On the contrary, at every stage it enforces the agenda of the Colombo government to ultimately make Tamils as subjugated prisoners. Its present actions tell Tamils what it means by 'post-conflict facilitations', commented Tamil circles.

Sri Lanka : A Paradise turned into

Kingdom of Vultures!

By Richard Dixon RichardDixons@googlemail.com

Land that was known for beautiful beaches and waterfalls has now been turned into a Kingdom of Vultures.

Dead bodies of of the innocent Tamils are dragged away by stray dogs and wild beasts while the survivors hide inside the bunkers.

Let the dead bury the dead as the living will be dead if they try to bury the dead. Screams of the innocents can’t be heard to the far away lands because the rulers of Sri Lanka are not even allowing the birds in the sky to carry the messages to the lands of the living.

Mothers cuddle their crying babies and hide in the bunkers all day long. Starving mothers don’t have anything to give for their children. Frightened parents wipe their tears and pretend to be strong in order to comfort their children who are tormented by the demons of war.

Food and medicine are denied for the innocents and many of them are forced into starvation.

Most of the wounded are let to die in the open fields. Those who are fortunate enough to make to the make shift hospitals have their limbs amputated without anaesthesia. Caesarian operations are carried out without pain relievers.

Chinese F7s and Russian MIG fighters fly over the skies of Vanni continuously and they regularly bomb hospitals,schools, churches and orphanages. Cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs are used against innocent Tamil civilians.

Children are dying in front of their parents and the parents are dying in front of their children. Many of the dead have nobody to mourn for them. More than eight thousand innocent Tamils have been killed just within the last three months.

Tamils are now left with nothing. All their homes and farm lands have been made into grave yards. Many families have lost their loved ones. Thousands of orphans and widows are longing for death than suffering from hunger and untreated wounds in the killing fields of Sri Lanka. They have no more comforters left to comfort the victims.

Destruction came upon the Tamils suddenly

People of Vanni in the Northern part of Sri Lanka once had their barns full of grains, children played in the parks and on beautiful golden beaches, fishermen went to the seas, farmers went to their farms and the mothers worked hard at homes. They had the money, resources more than enough even to send their children abroad for education. They were neither prisoners nor hostages.

All came to an end when the Buddhist Sinhala rulers of the country decided to destroy the lives of the minority Tamils in the disguise of "War on Terror".

As part of the so called deceptive humanitarian and rescue operation, Sri Lankan forces surrounded an area that is almost two times bigger than Singapore, bombed and destroyed all the hospitals, schools, orphanages and homes in this prosperous land that was once flowing with milk and honey.

Mother is trying to protect her child from exploding shells

They destroyed farms, fruit trees and the cattle belonging to the people who have lived there for years. They dropped cluster bombs and killed so many thousands of innocent people including children, women and old people.

They have forced people into starvation and made them to live in tents and bunkers for months. All this is according to them for just to catch or kill few hundreds LTTE fighters that were living among more than three hundred thousands of innocent Tamil civilians.

Tamils are persecuted all over Sri Lanka

Tamils who are forced to live in the open fields are bombed and killed in thousands. Those who leave the war zone are sent to barbed wired concentration camps and torture camps. The ones that live in the other parts of the country, live in open prisons with the constant fear of abductions, extrajudical killings, torture and rape.

Hospital is bombed 

Their hands are tied and their voices are suppressed. Their loved ones living in the lands of freedom have been knocking on the doors of the kings and queens. Nobody has so far come to rescue the Tamils from these man made pits of hell.

Thousands of Tamils are living in the so called safe zone which is the most dangerous place on planet earth

Sri Lankan government had few months ago,declared a safe zone in a tiny strip of land and asked the Tamil civilians to move in. People were moving in and started to live in tents and bunkers. They are no longer protected from the rain, sun and the bombs falling on them.

So called Safe Zone that has become the most dangerous place on this planet

Sri Lankan forces have now reached to the borders of this tiny over populated safe zone and started to use heavy weapons on innocent civilians. People are now getting killed in thousands. They are making the people to starve.

Child wounded in chemical bomb attack

They let them to die with their wounds because people don’t have access to proper medical care. Wounded civilians that are treated in the make shift hospitals are bombed again by a murderous regime that has no respect for human lives.

Barbed wired Concentration Camps for Tamils

While Tamils are being slaughtered in thousands in the war zone, the ones that come out of that area are sent to barbed wired concentration camps where they are kept as prisoners.

Welfare villages: They once lived in their own homes 

Aid agencies, foreign diplomats and Journalists are not allowed to see these notorious camps except to the one that is used only for propaganda purposes. Friends and relatives of the detainees can’t visit these horror camps.

Children are separated from mothers and fathers and sent to different camps. People are treated like wild animals. Food packets are thrown at them from military vehicles. They are forced to drink unclean water collected from irrigation tanks.

Mothers and fathers are forced inside the wired fence and their children are taken away. Not sure they will ever return

Tamils are dying of diseases. Many have become mentally ill. Even the very severely ill people are not allowed to leave the camps and to live with their relatives.

There are fears that many of the young people who are taken away from these camps for questioning, might end up in torture camps and mass graves.

Concentration camps for Tamils in Sri Lanka

When the Sri Lankan military did a similar operation in the Northern part of Sri Lanka several years ago, thousands of Tamils were taken away for questioning. Many of them were killed and their bodies were dumped in mass graves. The military commander who was responsible for those atrocities, is now overseeing the barbed wired camps.

Tamils in Torture camps

Young Tamil men and women are filtered out and regularly taken for questioning. They are tortured, raped and sometime killed in the torture chambers of Sri Lanka.

Tamils in Sri Lankan torture chambers,their hands are tied and left naked

Most of them are kept naked in these torture chambers in order to prevent them from fleeing. One of the popular phrase used among the Sinhala forces is about feasting on the women of Vanni while turning the Indian ocean red with the blood of the Tamil men.

Torture camps of Sri Lanka is a well known fact that has been documented by many International rights organisations.

World very well knows how the Sri Lankan soldiers were asked to leave Haiti after they were blamed for rape, while doing peace keeping operations as part of the UN force.

Sri Lanka is under reported

Although the images of the dying Tamils are beamed through the television stations and internet all over the world, many people have only a little knowledge about this internal civil war that can one day even turn into a confrontation between nuclear armed India and China.

How is the world reacting to the current situation in Sri Lanka?

1. Why are they killing the Tamils?

2. Are all the Sinhalese people racists?

3. Who are partnering with Sri Lanka to slaughter the innocent Tamils?

4. Why do they do what they do?

5. Who are defending the Tamils?

6. Who are so far the winners and loosers in this dirty War?

7. Why should we stop Rajapakse from continuing with the War on Terror?

8. Who can save the Tamils?

9. Why did the nations wait till it got so worse?

10. What is the UN doing about the whole crisis?

13. What would be the consequences,If the Nations didn’t intervene?

14. What is the Solution for the problems in Sri Lanka?

How is the world reacting to this?

Cries of the dying children and women are reaching to the skies but they haven’t yet touched the hearts of those who have the ability put a stop to this man made disaster within minutes.

We have the technology to reach out to the injured in North pole in minutes. We have built rockets and space stations. But we have failed miserably to save the lives of innocent children and women in a land that is only twenty miles away from a country that claims itself as the largest democracy in the world

Only country in the world that bombs and kills the minorities. Obviously failing from their responsibility to protect

As the scenes of Rwanda and Kosovo are being repeated on their TV screens, the leaders of the free nations have so far failed to bring peace to this troubled Island.

Why are they killing the Tamils in Sri Lanka?

Deception, foolishness, ignorance, arrogance,hatred, pride and greed. All of these evils come together and make people to commit crimes against humanity. Sinhala Buddhist extremists want to wipe out Tamils from this tiny island and they have so far been successful in killing many thousands of them.

Hitler slaughtered millions of Jewish people for a simple reason that they were different. Muslim extremists kill people all around the world that they treat the non Muslims as infidels.

Form of Buddhism that preaches violence and hatred in Sri Lanka

In the same way, Sri Lankan governments that are backed by the Sinhala Buddhist extremists have been persecuting the Tamils in Sri Lanka for more than 60 years.

Muslim extremists use Quran as their source of hatred and the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka have a holy book called Mahavamsa, a book with controversial writings, full of hatred towards the Tamils. Sinhala youth are indoctrinated by lies and deceptions in schools.

President of Sri Lanka and the Defence secretary are busy with their Buddhist rituals while killing thousands of innocents in the North

This book is very specific to Sri Lanka and not used by Buddhists in other countries. Buddhism in Sri Lanka is not the peaceful one that is preached by Dalai Lama in Tibet. One of the former prime ministers of Sri Lanka was assassinated by an armed Buddhist monk.

In the fifties, sixties and seventies, the Sinhala extremists slaughtered thousands of Tamils with knives and swords. They burned them alive and destroyed their homes. Hundreds of thousands were made homeless and sent to the North of the country in ships.

Tamils were killed and their properties were burned in the seventies long before LTTE came to the scene

Now they kill Tamils with cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs. They bomb hospitals, schools and orphanages in Tamil areas.

Are all the Sinhalese people racists?

There are many peace loving Sinhala people living in Sri Lanka. Several academics, human rights activists, journalists, Christian leaders and professionals from the Sinhala community are supporting the Tamils in their struggle for freedom. Some Tamils even tend to intermarry with the Sinhalese.

Although the extremists are only a minority among the Sinhalese, they have been successful in influencing politicians, military leaders and ordinary Sinhala people to incite racial hatred, violence and discrimination against Tamils.

Buddhist extremism has gone to the extreme levels that more than Hundred thousand innocent Tamils have been killed, six hundred thousands are made homeless and forced to live in camps, fifty thousands have become orphans and widows and many thousand Tamils are now disabled and mentally ill.

Majority Sinhalease support the War on Tamils and they elect politicians who come up with racist policies.

Who are partnering with Sri Lanka to slaughter the innocent Tamils?

China and Pakistan are giving the weapons and ammunitions. Iran and Libya are providing with low interest loans for Sri Lanka to purchase arms. India is orchestrating the whole war in Sri Lanka by providing intelligence and military expertise.

Why do they do what they do?

All these countries are trying to satisfy the racist regimes in Sri Lanka in order to look after their strategic interests in the region.

China is fishing in troubled waters. Sinhala extremists who have been killing the Tamils all these years wanted to get smart weapons to kill the Tamils in thousands as opposed to knives and swords that can be used to kill the Tamils only in hundreds.

They went and asked India for weapons. India refused. They went to the West and the East. Nobody wanted to give offensive weapons to Sri Lanka. Two countries came forward. It was China and Pakistan. They obviously asked for something in return,

In recent times, China has been actively involved in building ports in the South East Asian countries including Sri Lanka. China is spending 1 billion dollars to construct a port in the south of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan defence secretary in China with top military officers

China is planning use this port as a refuelling and docking station for its navy, as it patrols the Indian Ocean and protects China's supplies of Saudi oil. Ever since Sri Lanka agreed to the plan, in March 2007, China has given it all the aid, arms and diplomatic support it needs to defeat the Tamils, without worrying about the West.

China has so far given six F7 jet fighters free of charge, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Pakistan is also trying to spread it’s influence in the Indian ocean and in order to build a launch pad in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan has transferred huge amounts of automatic rifles, heavy mortars, multi-barrel rocket launchers, artillery and tank shells to Sri Lanka in recent years.

Sri Lanka is also getting JY-11 3D air surveillance radars, armoured personnel carriers,

T-56 assault rifles, machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, missiles and bombs

Iran provides low-interest credit to Sri Lanka to help them to purchase military equipment from Pakistan and China and to train Sri Lankan Army and intelligence officers in Iran.

Sri Lankan president in Iran: Partnership with like minded States

Iran is now very pleased with the anti western policies that are being adapted by the Sri Lankan government.

India never wanted to supply offensive weapons to Sri Lanka which is the very reason why the Sri Lankan government went after China, Pakistan and Iran in the first place. Having 65 millions Tamils in India, it will be difficult for India to give offensive weapons to kill the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

However, India faces a real threat from China and Pakistan in it’s own backyard. Sri Lanka has always maintained good relations with India.

In order to look after it’s interests in the region and to deal with the threats from China, India had come up with the clever idea of providing with intelligence and military expertise to Sri Lanka.

Many Sri Lankan ministers have recently acknowledged that they wouldn’t be winning the war without the help from India.

There are reliable reports that many Indian soldiers are fighting along with the Sri Lankans on the front lines in Vanni. Several intelligence and military experts from India are helping fifty thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers to cause so much damage in the Tamil Land.

Even the so called medical professionals sent by India to Vanni to treat the wounded Tamils are mostly intelligent officers who are more interested in gathering information from the Tamil civilians than treating their wounded.

This is not because India hate the Tamils and love the Sinhalease but they are not ready to see Sri Lanka going into the hands of China and Pakistan. More than seven hundred Indian fishermen were killed by the Sri Lankan Navy within the last few years but India is willing to sacrifice even their own for a greater gain in the region.

Who are defending the Tamils?

LTTE took arms to defend the Tamils when every effort taken by the Tamils to fight for their rights through democratic means had failed to bring results.

Democracy never worked in Sri Lanka because the majority are the Sinhalese and they always support the regimes that oppress the Tamils.

Conventional Tamil Army that defends the Tamils from State Terrorism

Say for instance. If a country has eight thousand deadly Muslim extremists and two thousand westerners, Most of the the westerners would be one day sent to the graves under a democratic government because the majority rule over the minority.

When the democratic governments in Sri Lanka were sending the Tamils to mass graves, Tamils had no option but to fight back.

According to the recent survey, 99% of the Tamils support the LTTE and see them as their representatives even though they had made few tactical mistakes in the past.

Tamils in Sri Lanka and India, Tamil Diaspora have now emerged as a powerful voice to support their suffering people in Sri Lanka.

Who are so far the winners and loosers in this horrible War?

Sinhala Buddhist extremists in Sri Lanka are already celebrating with flags and fire crackers that they have achieved what they always wanted to

More than eight thousand Tamils have been killed, twenty thousands are wounded, three hundred thousands of Tamils have been made homeless just within three months and many thousands have become orphans and widows.

Almost all the Sri Lankan Tamils are now either homeless or they live in homes that are open prisons. This brings joy to the Sinhala extremists whose sole aim is to wipe out Tamils.

China has a lot to rejoice for, because they have been successful in securing their interests in the region. They are now busy building a port in the South of Sri Lanka that will be used as a refuelling and docking station for its navy, as it patrols the Indian Ocean and protects China's supplies of Saudi oil

Pakistan has made enough money by selling cluster ammunitions and fire arms. They have also found a platform in the south of India to launch attacks against India.

India is a looser. India has made a historical blunder by assisting the Sri Lankan government to commit genocide against Tamils. Once the war is over, Sri Lankan government will go after China and Pakistan as they did before. India has now lost credibility both among the Tamils in Sri Lanka and India.

India would have been in a better position if they helped the Tamils to establish a prosperous secular state in order to free them from State oppression and to secure Indian strategic interests in the region. Even now, it is not too late for India to change it’s mind.

LTTE is now left to fight on their own without any help from other countries. But they are supported by a powerful Tamil Diaspora which means LTTE can’t be defeated by bombing the whole Vanni although they are facing defeat in the Vanni.

Why should we stop Rajapakse from continuing with War on Terror?

When the twin towers fell and the innocents died, we declared war on Terror. We have done the right thing and we have been successful in preventing many disasters in our great cities.

Unfortunately,Some of the countries that have been terrorising their minorities for a long time, have started to use the loop holes in the “War on Terror” strategy. to declare war on the vulnerable.

War on innocent mothers and children. Failed state that bombs Innocent Tamils

Theory of War on Terror has failed miserably in countries like Sri Lanka because the oppressor has got the freedom to declare war on the innocents who are already going through hell in their hands.

Many freedom movements that have been fighting for the freedom of the oppressed are now wrongly branded as Terrorists groups.

Some of these countries like Sri Lanka have been spending so much money in doing false propaganda, to convince the world that these freedom movements had links with Al Qaeda.

War on Terror is a great idea but the problems come when we wrongly recognise the Terrorists and the ones who are fighting the Terrorists.

When the "War on Terror" strategy is used by a Terror government that is already killing it’s own citizens, alarms should be raised to protect the vulnerable.

Did we permit Saddam Hussain who was a democratically elected president to wipe out all the Kurdish people? Hitler was democratically elected but he was still responsible for killing millions of Jews.

Rajapakse government, although it is democratically elected, shouldn’t be allowed to use the "War on Terror" agenda to annihilate Tamils.

UK government would never bomb the whole city of Belfast and force people to live in the bunkers without food and medicine for months, if they had to catch few hundreds of IRA rebels. They wouldn’t use chemical weapons against innocent women and children unless they had a hidden agenda of killing the people.

This old Tamil woman has lost everything. Rulers of Sri Lanka treat such innocent Tamils as terrorists

Sri Lanka is doing something what no other governments on this earth would do for their own citizens.

The way how the war is being conducted in Sri Lanka is a clear proof that "War on Terror", "Humanitarian operations", and "Hostage rescue" are just the buzz words used by the Sri Lankan government to deceive the international community.

Who can save the Tamils?

India has now got itself into a mess by orchestrating the war in Sri Lanka although India has no enmity with the Tamils. They are doing it to protect their interests in the region as they are becoming very nervous about the threat from China and Pakistan in the Sri Lankan soil.

India hasn’t so far come forward to rescue the innocents and they won’t do it in the future because they are ones guiding the Sri Lankan military to fight the battles.

China is obviously fuelling the whole situation by freely giving offensive weapons to Sri Lanka in order to look after their strategic interests.

Tamils can only be saved by the Western countries.

US, UK, France and other EU member countries are already pressurising the Sri Lankan government to stop this war.

Arrogant leaders in Sri Lanka have so far no not listened to warnings from the free world

Why did the nations wait till it got so worse?

Sri Lankan government has been very successful in demonising the Tamil struggle with lies and deceptions. [ Useful Reference: Lies and Deceptions! Comical Alis of Sri Lanka! ]

They have been so far successful in convincing the world that the military operation was a legitimate "War on Terror" strategy that targets only the rebels and not the innocent Tamils. They have managed to ban reporters and journalists to the war zone in order to hide their war crimes.

Western media also has failed miserably in their duties to give importance to this trouble spot where thousands of innocents are perishing.

What is the UN doing about the whole crisis?

As usual, UN has so far failed to protect the innocents. They failed in Rwanda and they failed in many other countries where millions died of man made disasters. They always waited till it was too late to act.

UN had sent it’s representatives to Sri Lanka few times in the last few months ,but they couldn’t convince the Sri Lankan authorities to stop the war.

UK and the US are working really hard to bring the Sri Lankan issue before the security council. China, being a permanent member is not allowing the war in Sri Lanka to be discussed for an obvious reason that they are also partnering with Sri Lanka.

They don’t want to be blamed for fuelling the war in this tiny island by freely supplying offensive weapons in order look after their own interests in the region.

What would be the consequences, If the Nations didn’t intervene?

We would regret forever for repeating the same mistakes that we did in Rwanda.

Sri Lankan government, would continue to use cluster bombs and phosphorus bombs to kill the remaining innocent civilians left in the safe zone. Many Tamils would continue to die of hunger , starvation and diseases. Young men and women in the concentration camps would end up in mass graves.

Sinhala Buddhists will be settled in the Tamil areas and the names of many Tamil towns and villages will be changed into Sinhala names.

Wounded LTTE with the support of the Tamil Diaspora will continue their struggle for freedom.

Nuclear armed China and India might one day confront each other as both of them are competing to dominate the same region.

This trouble spot in the Indian ocean can one day would become a threat to the whole humanity if we didn’t intervene to stop the madness that is going on, in this tiny island which has already been turned into a Kingdom of Vultures.

What is the Solution for the crisis in Sri Lanka?

World doesn’t need any more proof to recognise the war crimes that are being committed against Tamils. Hospitals are bombed. People are deliberately forced into starvation and death. Voices of the victims are suppressed. Chemical weapons are used against innocent civilians. Many Tamils are locked up in barbed wired concentration camps.

UN should intervene to save the remaining Tamils in Sri Lanka without any delay.

It is time that the Nations should get together and protect the Tamils from annihilation by invoking the Responsibility to Protect clause (R2P).

World doesn’t need to sit and wait for millions of skulls and bones to appear on their wide screen TV sets.

Tamils had their own Nation before. This hard working and highly literate community is once again capable of building a secular state like Singapore in the Indian ocean.

It is time for the West and India to support the Tamils to establish a State of their own.

Richard Dixons

RichardDixons@googlemail.com

No-one yet knows whether swine flu will become a global pandemic, but it is becoming clear where it came from ' most likely a giant pig factory farm run by an American multinational corporation in Veracruz, Mexico.(1)

These factory farms are disgusting and dangerous, and they’re rapidly multiplying. Thousands of pigs are brutally crammed into dirty warehouses and sprayed with a cocktail of drugs — posing a health risk to more than just our food — they and their manure lagoons create the perfect conditions to breed dangerous new viruses like swine flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) must investigate and develop regulations for these farms to protect global health.

Big agrobusiness will try to obstruct and scuttle any attempts at reform, so we need a massive outcry that health authorities can’t ignore. Sign the petition below for investigation and regulation of factory farms and tell your friends and family and we will deliver it to the UN agencies. If we reach 200,000 signatures we will deliver it to the WHO in Geneva with a herd of cardboard pigs. For every 1000 petition signatures we will add a pig to the herd:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

Last week the flu was all that we talked about — Mexico has been nearly paralysed and across the world leaders halted air travel, banned pork imports and initiated drastic controls to mitigate the spreading virus. As the threat shows signs of subsiding the question becomes where it came from and how we stop another outbreak.

Smithfield Corporation, the largest pig producer in the world whose farm is being fingered as the source of the H1N1 outbreak, denies any connection between their pigs and the flu and big agrobusiness worldwide pays huge sums of money for research to argue that biosafety is ensured in industrial hog production. But the WHO has been saying for years that ‘a new pandemic is inevitable’(2) and experts from the European Commission and the FAO have cautioned that the rapid move from small holdings to industrial pig production is in fact increasing the risk of development and transmission of disease epidemics. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that scientists still do not know the extent that infectious compounds produced in factory farms affect human health.(3)

Studies abound of the horrific conditions endured by pigs in concentrated large-scale operations, and the devastating economic impact on small farmer communities of bloated large-scale operations.(4) Smithfield itself has already been fined $12.6m and is currently under another federal investigation in the US for toxic environmental damage from pig excrement lakes.(5)

But even with all of this damaging evidence, a combination of increased global meat consumption and a powerful industry motivated by profit at the cost of human health, means that instead of being shut down - these sickening factory farm operations are propagating around the world and we are subsidising them (6). In the wake of this swine flu threat, let’s hold industrial pig producers to account. Sign the petition for investigation and regulation:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

If we resolve this global health crisis boldly by reassessing our food consumption and production, and urgently calling for an inquiry into the impact of factory farms on human health, we could put in place tough farm practice rules that will save the global population from future animal borne lethal pandemics.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

in hope,

Alice, Pascal, Graziela, Paul, Brett, Ben, Ricken, Iain, Paula, Luis, Raj, Veronique, Milena, Margaret, Taren and the whole Avaaz team

(1) Biosurveillance report tracing the disease to the Smithfields farm: http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/biosurveillance/2009/04/swine-flu-in-mexico-timeline-of-events.html
Reports on the link between the Mexican factory farm and the flu:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/for-la-gloria-the-stench-of-blame-is-from-pig-factories-1675809.html

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-fg-mexico-flu28-2009apr28,0,1701782.story

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=can-swine-flu-be-blamed-on-industri-09-05-01

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227063.800-swine-flu-the-predictable-pandemic.html?full=true

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/swine-flu-outbreak—-nat_b_191408.html

(2) WHO pandemic information
http://www.euro.who.int/influenza/20080618_19

(3) FAO, EC and CDC reports on the risks of industrial farming on public health
FAO and CIWF and http://www.cdc.gov/cafos/about.htm

(4) CIWF and PETA video reports of the disgusting conditions for animals in factory farms and the disease ridden manure swamps:
CIWF and PETA

(5) Reports on Smithfield’s animal welfare and environmental damage
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/for-la-gloria-the-stench-of-blame-is-from-pig-factories-1675809.html

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/new-report-highlights-the-trouble-with-smithfield-article03132008

http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/SmithfieldJan08.pdf

(6) Reports on UK tax payers subsidising factory farms http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/5225298/Taxpayers-forking-out-700-million-for-factory-farming-in-England.html