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"How does the international community that has so far turned a Nelsonian eye to the military repression of democratic protests against inhuman occupation propose to view the cold killing of this democratically elected leader?â€
Those
were the editorial laments or the cry of anguish of Tamil newspaper
‘Uthayan’ in North Sri Lanka on 26th December with reference to the
dastardly and cold-blooded murder of Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Member
of Parliament for Batticaloa District and grievously injuring his wife
and six others, inside St. Mary’s Cathedral while he was attending 24th
December midnight Christmas Mass celebrated by Bishop Kingsley
Swampillai. A great man loved by his people and a powerful voice for
democratic values and ideals and a crusader for human rights has been
violently silenced allegedly by cowardly proxies of Sri Lankan Military
Intelligence. The fact that this heinous crime was perpetrated with
impunity in a crowded church and that in an area under the tight grip
and control of Sri Lankan Security Forces makes their involvement
crystal clear.
It
is tragedy upon tragedy that the above cry of ‘Uthayan’ has turned out
to be a biblical voice in the wilderness! While this cry of anguish and
desperation truly reflects the general feeling of the people of
NorthEast, it also poses as to where are those mighty ‘Paragons of
Virtue’ who, at the drop of a hat, rush to condemn at the instigation
of SL Government, without verifying facts? The stony silence of the
Co-Chairs for peace in Sri Lanka at this despicable and cowardly murder
is incredible. The people seem to ask as to why the European Union that
was in a mighty hurry to unjustly penalize the LTTE for the killing of
Laxman Kathirgaman without an iota of evidence and in spite of their
vehement denial of involvement in it, is now dumbfounded when all the
evidence point out the hand of Military Intelligence in this dastardly
murder.
Oh International Community! Where is thy sense of justice and fairplay?
Your ominous silence would point out that you are NOT impartial in your
dealings and your scales of justice tilting in favour of the oppressor
to the detriment of the long oppressed and downtrodden people of the
NorthEast. Your silence, whilst emboldening the perpetrators to
continue unbridled killing spree would also transform your status quo
from Co-Chairs for Peace to Co-Accused in organised political murders
and genocide of a nation! You, who have been mere spectators for over
three decades of mass murder, rape, violence, mayhem and destruction of
properties perpetrated against the people of NorthEast, are not that
naïve not to realise that it was the resultant birth of the LTTE that
saved them from near perpetration of Hitler’s ‘Final Solution’ on them
where again you would have simply watched it just as you watched
Rwandan genocides! Perhaps, the absence of underground oil may be their
misfortune in not warranting intervention by vested interests!
It
has to be emphasised that the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka was the
creation of British Imperialism. It was the British Colonial Rulers who
forcibly unified the Sinhala and Tamil Kingdoms, which remained
separate and independent entities even under Portuguese and Dutch rule
of the Island before the British came in, into one unit for their
administrative convenience and they failed to restore the status quo of
the two nations at the time of granting independence in 1948. It is
reprehensible that Britain, as the author of this human tragedy, should
shirk her moral responsibility in forging an amicable settlement.
It
has to be further emphasised that the present escalation of violence is
the result of and arising from non-implementation of vital clauses and
violation of Cease Fire Agreement by the Sri Lankan Government even
after nearly four years of signing. Impartiality demands serious view
of the –
#
Non-implementation of vital provisions of CFA by GOSL thereby making
major part of CFA ineffective, to which the GOSL is guilty;
#
SL Navy Gun Boats sinking with crew the commercial cargo vessels
belonging to LTTE in International waters as acknowledged by UNP
politicians during the recent elections;
#
SL Military Intelligence, with the help of Govt. Ministers, forming and
training Para-military groups and getting them to assassinate LTTE
leaders and supporters. This was exposed by two of such cadres two
weeks ago. The murder of Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham is alleged to be
one such operation.
#
Many such reported violations etc. all of which would make it obvious
that the alleged violations by the LTTE are consequential.
In
the circumstances, we strongly urge the Co-Chairs for Peace in Sri
Lanka to desist forthwith from making one sided and partial
pronouncements and instead to -
# Appeal to both warring parties in equal terms to adhere to the provisions of the CFA to the letter;
#
Strengthen the hands of the Norwegian Peace Facilitators in their
efforts to bring both parties to the negotiating table and arrive at an
amicable settlement that would ensure peace with justice to the
oppressed people in Sri Lanka.
A. Jesuthasan
Convenor
Canadian Movement For Peace With Justice in Sri Lanka
5703, Passion Flower Blvd.,
Mississauga, Ontario,L5M 7E7, Canada.
Source: CMPJSL
A. Jesuthasan
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