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Press Release of Canadian Movement For Peace With Justice in Sri Lanka.
"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, 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 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 the question 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 ask 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 points out the hand of Military Intelligence in this
dastardly assassination.
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 are 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 their unbridled killing spree, will 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 the
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. You would have simply watched it, just as you
watched the Rwandan genocide!
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. The British 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 the 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 the CFA by GOSL thereby
making major part of the CFA ineffective, to which the GOSL is guilty;
SL Navy Gun Boats sinking with crew the commercial cargo vessels
belonging to the 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 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
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