Hands off civilians! India must now step in and warn the LTTE,
I very strongly condemn the most brutal killings of 12 innocent ones and injuring about 100 innocent passengers at the Fort Railway Station and the cowardly attack on the Kandy – Dambulla bus causing the death of 20 innocent civilians and injuring 16 others. Only last week 18 civilians, some of whom are students, were killed near Madu in Mannar with 20 others badly injured. Two days back at Thirunnelvely in Jaffna a suicide bomber foolishly took his life along with four others, leaving 18 people seriously injured. Also last week 16 unidentified persons decomposed bodies were found in pits in Kepitigolawa. A total of 70 lives had been snatched away and more than 150 had been put to immense hardship, for no fault of theirs. Apart from some blood-thirsty lunatics quenched their thirst, a number of widows, orphans and disabled had been created.
I reiterate that the Tamil media, both print and electronic, should bear part of the blame. Their failure to condemn these killings in one voice, gives some encouragement to the LTTE terrorists. With a good network of their reporters, they can easily assist the authorities to detect the real culprits. Without doing their duty they find fault with others. As for me I always condemn every killing for I believe that no one has any rights to take the life of another.
At the moment, I am in the UK. I am informed that a Tamil daily based in Jaffna accused me for not condemning the killings of Tamils but only condemn the killings of Sinhalese. It is wrong for anyone to come to such conclusions. The said paper had made specific reference to the 16 dead bodies found in Kepitigolawa. These bodies had not been identified at the time I left Sri Lanka.
If the editor of that paper claims to know the identities of those 16 unfortunate victims the most honourable thing for him to do is to bring it to the notice of the authorities, without dragging me into this. Most of the killings in the North and the East are by the LTTE themselves. If the LTTE is serious they can easily prevent the rest of the killings. Large scale killings of Sinhalese in the South is undoubtedly by the LTTE. Why can’t this paper condemn these killings? Why should this editor ask the readers as to what should be done to me? The editor is obviously sending a message to somebody. Who is that somebody? What is the message he is sending?
I condemn every such killing as brutal and will not dare to encourage any such killings. The LTTE leader must cry halt to all killings. It will not take them anywhere. Instead they lose their credibility day by day. It is high time the International Community warn the LTTE to refrain from causing the death of innocent civilians. There are a few blacksheep in the Forces too. It is duty of the fellow soldiers to bring to the notice of their superiors, if any solder is seen causing harm to the civilians.
The LTTE’s only hope now is to start a backlash for which the Sinhalase are not prepared. The Sinhalese know very well that half the Tamil population is living in the South amidst the Sinhalese and the Muslims and it is their duty to safeguard them. The Tamils trust the Sinhalese more than the LTTE, which is selfish and blood-thirsty. They know how difficult it would be for them to live under the LTTE. The Tamil people should realise their responsibility and help the Forces to detect any attempt by the LTTE to plant bombs and claymore mines. If the LTTE claims that the Mannar claymore mine attack was by the penetrating unit of the Forces, LTTE must confess that they can’t give any protection to the Tamil Civilians and surrender their cadre to the Forces. Who is responsible for the Thirunnelvely incident? They have not failed to take their toll on the independence day also totalling 15 in various incidents.
The LTTE should not think that they can keep on hoodwinking the International community, I wish to ask the Tamil media as to which of these five incidents referred to here are by the LTTE and which one is by the Forces. The time has now come for India to step in and tell the LTTE “ hands off civilians”.
V. Anandasangaree
President - TULF
