ADD YOUR VOICE to HELP the VOICELESS of SRI LANKA
65Unimaginable Heartbreak, Loss in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Tamils need our Help Today!
July 28, 2010 - Press Release: Canadian Council for Refugees and Amnesty International Canada, RIGHTS OF TAMILS ON BOAT NEED TO BE RESPECTED.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: UNHCR ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION NEEDS OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS FROM SRI LANKA.
Considering, that the state of affairs in Sri Lanka are terribly disturbing and mean a lot to me, I do not wish to misinform or mislead anyone. Due to questions of doubt in regards to facts of deaths and human rights violations, I recommend either finding information about Sri Lanka's humanity crisis through the human rights organizations mentioned below and/or reading some of the information, for which links are also provided:
Mullivaikal - Time for Mourning a Massacre, May 18, 2010;
Sri Lanka – Government of Ambiguity and Militarization, April 23, 2010; and
Opinion: Deadly dangers of Freedom of Speech, alive tomorrow in Sri Lanka, April 30, 2010.
Report: U.S. Dept. of State report published Oct. 22, 2009
Report: Human Rights Watch: Legal Limbo, The Uncertain Fate of Detained LTTE Suspects in Sri Lanka, Feb. 2, 2010
Report: Human Rights Watch: Country Summary Sri Lanka, Jan. 2010
Report: International Crisis Group: War Crimes in Sri Lanka, May 17, 2010
Report: Amnesty International (who has no current presence in Sri Lanka):
There are also several articles about Sri Lanka on The Sentinel Gazette, if anyone would like to read and know more.
July 27, 2010 - The minority Tamils of Sri Lanka are suffering in ways the international community cannot imagine, with up to 100,000 still held against their will in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps. 11,000 of them are detained as "suspect" LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) supporters in undisclosed locations since the civil war ended. No one has had any contact with them from the outside world, and no one has been able to come to their aid.
Non-government humanitarian, as well as international government humanitarian, organizations are either not permitted into Sri Lanka or they're bogged down with rules and regulations. They do not have the freedom necessary to help the Tamils as much as they'd like, who have been displaced because of the almost three-decade civil war, which came to a brutal, genocidal end on May 18, 2009.
Heavy militarization throughout Sri Lanka hinders NGO's/INGO's, including the UN and ICRC, and Tamils from returning to war destroyed villages and homes.
Children barely 15 years old cannot go to school, because they have to work to help feed their families. Many, if not most, have lost at least one parent.
The Sri Lanka government is a totalitarian regime, whose goal is to control the Tamils. This regime will go to any and all lengths to hide from the world their evil, immoral ways. They contest, argue and oppose in every way possible any investigation into the WAR CRIMES of which they have been accused.
There is no hiding of the fact that including some humanitarian aid workers, over 40,000 civilians were viciously annihilated by Sri Lankan Security Forces during the final phase of the civil war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Security Forces in the Vanni, i.e. Mullivaikal, which was a "No Fight" zone.
Though conflict has been brewing for more years than most Tamils would care to count, BLACK JULY, July 23, 1983, is considered the culmination of the almost 30-year civil war. On that day Sinhalese violently attacked the Tamil population, killing approximately three thousand Tamils, and destroying tens of thousands of homes.
Needless to say, the LTTE was far from innocent, in fact they were considered one of the most notorious terrorist organizations in the world. They are guilty of war crimes, as well as, their passion to become the independent state of Tamil Eelam was at a cost of unimaginable, irreversible consequence. Tamil Eelam was a hope never realized.
The Tamil lives lost are immeasurable. They are a people of amazing culture and history, who have much to give and offer the world with their vast literature, music, art, architecture and beautiful people.
The Sri Lankan regime is oppressive. The Tamils live in constant fear. They have no freedom, no rights.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful island in the process of recuperation from a long-time war. Its government carries the constant facade of democracy and caring about the Tamils, against whom they carried out attempted, almost successful, genocide just over a year ago. The Sri Lankan government has received huge monetary aid from the international community over the years and especially after the Tsunami. Yet, most Tamils cannot house themselves nor feed their families. Neither NGO's nor INGO's are permitted to help as much as they'd like. Sickness and death are rising due to lack of proper medical care and nutrition.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his esteemed advocates are Sinhalese. No one should question the fact this government does not care for the Tamils, who are Sri Lankans and who are subjected to a Sinhalese totalitarian government, who wished them annihilated.
Too many people suffer in this world of ours. Many of us hope for peace and dream of paradise, and wish we could help them all.
Sri Lankan Tamils need OUR HELP TODAY!
Please, contact the media, television networks, your local congressmen and state senators, write to your local and national newspapers. Contact the United Nations, Amnesty International, the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, and the International Red Cross. Anyone who can help make a difference is worth contacting!
The United Nations selecting a panel to participate in the war crimes investigation in Sri Lanka is obviously not enough. Aside from the fact, that Sri Lanka's government has already announced that it will deny the UN panel entry into their country.
The world has to come to attention that the people who run Sri Lanka's government are not people we want to have as part of our international community. Sri Lanka's government must be held accountable for war crimes and attempted genocide of Tamils!
We ask that you tell anyone and everyone that Sri Lanka's Tamils have suffered one day too many. Their misery, suffering and isolation from the world has to stop today!
We must stand together to make a difference! Yes it's corny, "All for one and one for all!" Yet, this is how it must be to make our world a better place. To bring hope to those voiceless and suffering!
For the Facebook page of this public appeal, please click here: http://bit.ly/98MYzY.
Thank you for your help!
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Thank you, Jaggedfrost, for your criticism. There were people who escaped the bloodshed, who were able to give their firsthand accounts of events to some of the human rights organizations I mentioned. Also as stated, the numbers of casualties are estimates; they may actually be worse, since many people did not receive proper burials.
As for what's happening currently in Sri Lanka, there are Tamils and Sinhalese, braving the wrath of the regime to make contact with the outside world, or who have escaped recently. Their information is received and moved forward.
Please, don't put "words in my mouth". I stated no one has had contact with suspect LTTE supporters.
I stated that humanitarian organizations, who are able to be in Sri Lanka have their hands tied in many ways, and cannot help the displaced civilians as they want to.
As for repeating myself, I didn't realize I was. Thank you for pointing this out. Although, reemphasizing certain points is important, as there are many who do not know much about Sri Lanka's history.
I have learned to appreciate the Tamils very much and have the honor of communication once in awhile with a couple of them. If people are "turned off" by my respect and praise of the Tamils' contributions to the world we live in and their amazing intellect, so be it.
It's important to me for the world to know that Sri Lanka's citizens are smart, intelligent and educated people, who appreciate learning, as any Westerner.
Sinhalese journalists(Tamil journalists would have been ''disappeared'' if they write anything like this) who manage to go to the Northeast say:
http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/08/sinhala_nation
Sinhala nationalist mind set seems incapable of comprehending what Tamils are articulating: Revisiting Jaffna BY Dushy Ranetunge, 14 August 2010:
‘’…The A9 highway from Omanthai until Elephant Pass is dominated by predominantly Sinhalese soldiers, who even operate the small restaurants by the roadside. This military presence seems overwhelming and stifling…. They also without exception viewed the many roadside bunkers in the Jaffna Peninsula and soldiers guarding most junctions as creating a perception of an army of occupation. ….
Our visit to Jaffna exposed and confirmed that all the conditions and discontent that led to the Tamil rebellion are still present today. The only ingredient that is lacking is the combustion of anti-Tamil riots such as in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981, and 1983.
The Sinhala nationalist mind set seems incapable of comprehending what the Tamils are articulating. ….’’
http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/08/rajapaksa_onsl
Rajapaksa onslaught on basic rights is a common threat to all our citizens by Tisaranee Gunasekara, 14 August 2010:
''.... In the South, resistance is possible and, given certain conducive conditions, can become successful. In the North, democratic and peaceful resistance is near impossible, because the regime and its agents can implement any injustice, however abominable, under the cover of security. Once the mantle of security embroidered with patriotic rhetoric,, is used to cover an injustice, not only do victims lose the capacity to protest; the South opts for silent complicity.
According to media reports, 5,000 Tamil families (from Indrapuram and Shanthipuran in Killinochchi, Thiru-Murugandi in Mullaitivu and Munnikulam in Mannar) have been expelled from their villages to make way for cantonments for army families. And 15,000 school children have to study under trees, because their schools have been transformed into IDP camps, and the state, instead of building new schools and new houses, is constructing new military camps and cantonments (new temples too, while demolishing existing temples in the East, to build tourist hotels). ....''
I never meant to put words in your mouth as I was only responding to things as I understood them. I am glad for the clarification and those details that you have provided sense. It has helped me understand your article better.
Thank you very much, Ann. You have a lovely voice and your song fits well into my objective.
Those that have read my book, “it is time we truly know why Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus” (by N. K. David and available online stores world) would understand why I recommend that it’s a book for all humanity. I am glad that people, like you, are fight to help others. I trust someday the world would understand better why you fought a good fight.
Heike,
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Canada+lashes+La
Canada lashes Sri Lanka, summit showdown looms, 29 September 2011:
''Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said he had told his Sri Lankan counterpart of Ottawa's "concerns on the lack of accountability for the serious allegations of war crimes, the lack of reconciliation with the Tamil community and with events that have taken place since the end of the civil war".
Dear Eureka,
Thank you very much for this info! I hope it means what I think it means!!!!!!!!
Dear H Winning! Kindly go to Sri Lanka and learn what has happened.
If you want bad side of the 30 year of bloody war go to Channel four tele drama with lot of fake information
or if you need to know the answers google "lies agreed upon sri lanka"
be balanced (please)!
We are the only nation fought the terrorist while feeding the same! Terrorists grabed all products meant for innocent Sri Lankan civilians under the captivity of terrorists.
Can you imagine a poor country gets 300000 people at one day without anything - how to feed? how to shelter? Oh my God We sent our clothes and money to feed them and clothe them. No media CNN BBC Al jazira saw them.
INGOs were worried that they lost the best lucrative jobs with full luxurious lives in down trodden areas.
America is worried CIA could not finish their task as they wished. We stopped weapon purchases from Israel. CIA sold weapons to terrorists only. many more to tell dear!
![Obama's Afghanistan, a Different Vietnam: What America Should Know. [60]](http://s2.hubimg.com/u/5252833_50.jpg "Obama's Afghanistan, a Different Vietnam: What America Should Know. [60]")
Jaggedfrost Level 4 Commenter 22 months ago
This is an important message. Perhaps you should trim it a bit so that you don't repeat yourself and probably not mention the comparative intellect of the Tamils with any other country. It turns people off. You might want to be more specific in your examples as well. You give numbers yet repeatedly you state that outsiders have no access to the local populous enough to help. If the latter is the case it makes people question where the numbers come from.