The European Union ban has caused grave concern, perturbed and angered not only Sri Lankan Tamils but also expatriate Tamils. It is pertinent to point out here that the Tamils are hurt that the European Union that has a moral responsibility and commitment to ensure justice to them should have taken a step that is not even handed.

It is a known fact that the twenty-five member states of the European Union willy-nilly imposed the ban due to the pressure exerted by the US with UK as its ally. The UK imposed the ban long before the EU did it. Really it is Britain that should take up the blame for all the sufferings of the Tamils-their loss of lives, property etc.

When foreign powers came to Lanka five hundred years ago, there were two distinct kingdoms namely Sinhala and Tamils. Unlike the Portuiguese and the Dutch, the British for the convenience of their administration brought these two units under one umbrella, although the Tamils and Sinhalese lived in their traditional homelands with separate identities such as distinct culture, civilization, language and self-rule. In 1883, through the Colebroke and Cameron Reforms, the British Imperialism forcefully unified the two resulting in Tamils becoming a minority.

When Britain had to leave Ceylon after 115 years with many South Asian countries were freeing themselves from the yoke of its Imperialism, they left the country as a unitary state and the Tamils were made a minority.

The present struggle of the Tamils is to free themselves from the domination of the majority community. The Tamils were deprived of their sovereignty at the point of a gun by the British Imperialism and when the British left the island, their sovereignty was invested with a unitary state.

Britain is not unaware of these facts of history and the historical reality. What perturbs the suffering Tamils struggling for their emancipation is that instead of rectifying its omissions, Britain acts partially towards one party and with prejudice to the other.

The gentlemen of Britain who were once hailed as ‘White Lords’ have demeaned themselves in the eyes of the world!

An English translation of the Colombo based Tamil national daily,Sudar Oli

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