“The government has already declared Eelam in Vavuniya and Mannar Districts on behalf of the LTTE by this foolish act. He asks why the Tamils are harassed in this way. Don’t they have equal rights like the Sinhalese and Muslims to enjoy the freedom of visiting any place of this democratic country in any manner?”___________________________
by Francis De Livera
(April 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A few days ago, an elderly Tamil gentleman from Vavuniya who is an old friend of mine, visited me at my Wellawatte home and related the following sad tale of how Tamils are being treated by this government.
Since recently, Tamils in the Wanni are undergoing severe hardships due to the so called humanitarian operations to liberate the area. The Tamils are at the receiving end, especially at the hands of the security forces.
The closure of the Medawachchiya Check Point to all vehicles leaving and entering this junction from Vavuniya and Mannar in early February, is a gross violation of fundamental rights. My friend highlighted the fact that at this road block, vehicles entering and leaving from the Sinhala dominated area — Kebethigollewa — are not stopped or searched.
The government has already declared Eelam in Vavuniya and Mannar Districts on behalf of the LTTE by this foolish act. He asks why the Tamils are harassed in this way. Don’t they have equal rights like the Sinhalese and Muslims to enjoy the freedom of visiting any place of this democratic country in any manner?
In time to come, the government may introduce passports for Tamils in these areas to produce at this check point to allow them to proceed beyond Medawachchiya.
If you want to go to Colombo from Vavuniya in your own vehicle, you can go only up to Medawachchiya, and from there, you have either to hire another vehicle from the other side (Sinhala area) at an exorbitant rate or use public transport. In the meantime, the Sinhala population in the eastern side of the check point — Kebethigollewa — enjoy the freedom of being the members of the majority community and proceed without being stopped or searched!
Many Tamils in the region curse the government for these humiliations. My friend asks me what wrong the Tamils have done to suffer such anguish. No doubt, the Tamils will automatically distance themselves from the government, and the end result will be them showing more sympathy to the LTTE.
It is the same agony the Tamils have to face even in Colombo. They are stopped and searched every 10 metres by security personnel who guard almost every Colombo street.
One has to be at this Medawachchiya Check Point to see the agony the Tamils are experiencing. In general, all Tamils are branded as terrorists and treated in the same way, not only at this check point, but also at other check points along the A-9 and Talaimannar Road.
At Medawachchiya, you have to get down from the vehicle and walk about 300 metres with your luggage to the place where you and your luggage are thoroughly checked. If the slightest suspicion is aroused, you are detained then and there pending inquiries.
At the Medawachchiya Railway Station too the security forces treat the Tamils in the same way. The Sinhalese trishaw operators at the station charge Rs. 1500 from Tamils who want to travel to Irattaperiyakulam which is 20 kms away or Rs. 400 to Medawachchiya Town — only 2 km away — to catch the Vavuniya bound buses. They charge a lesser fee from Sinhala passengers. These trishaw operators could very easily single out a Tamil, just by sight.
My friend who had to travel to Mannar to visit his daughter, has experienced and seen these hardships undergone by Tamils at the various road blocks or check points along Talaimannar Road. Every 5 kms there are army check points, and at all these places you have to get down with your luggage and walk a considerable distance.
The check point at Uyilankulam — turn off to Madhu Shrine — is nicknamed ‘The Longest Road Block in Asia’ by the general public. My friend relates that this check point is nearly half a kilometre long and one has to walk this distance with the luggage to re-embark the vehicle after the search.
People often say, in Wanni, if you travel by vehicle from one place to another, you end up walking more than the distance you ride!
Even worse, soon after the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, the army at the Kaddai Adappan road block on the Vavuniya-Mannar road — about 45 kms before Mannar — had begun checking the passengers of all Mannar bound vehicles and turned away all Tamils who did not possess National Identity Cards with Mannar addresses. Again a gross violation of fundamental rights.
Who has given authority to the army to act in such a dictatorial manner? Are we Tamils not citizens of Sri Lanka? Don’t we Tamils have the choice to go wherever we want in this country? If some Tamil from Vavuniya or Trincomalee or even from Colombo wants to visit Mannar, he is stopped and turned away at a place where there are no boutiques/shops or even a shelter. He has to wait for hours to catch a vehicle plying towards Medawachchiya to go back to his starting point.
This is the treatment meted out by the President to a section of his own fellow countrymen, who ironically helped him to become the top executive of the country by not casting their votes for Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the last presidential election — as ordered by Pirapaharan on an alleged agreement reached with the President.
My friend regrets being born a Tamil in this country, to suffer such indignities. He also pointed out, the present crisis is solely due to the fact the Tamils were treated in identical fashion some 30-40 years ago. The government does not seem to have learnt anything and the crisis will only drag on.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
U idiot author, why don't u understand that the LTTE is a group of Tamils, so we have to check them. Can't u remember what they have done in Kabitigollawa and recently in Piliyandala? Army just checking them, that's all. So why they curse? We are, sinhalese are the one should curse them bcos of being killed by LTTE, specially by suicide attacks and clemos. Again some how tamils can enter in to the south, but we sinhalese can do so??????
Does the Sinhalese have the right to go the North (Killinochchi) to live there? Could the Sinhalese do business in the North? Could the Sinhalese work in Killinochchi? Why are they not treated like that? Why are Tamils working in the South in the Mercantile sector doing well paid jobs?
SUPERB work by the Sinhala goverment & the Sinhala Armed Forces welll done and keep up the good work& Please safeguard our SINHALA motherland at all times.MESSAGE FROM THE SINHALA NATION
Unfortunately no tamil knows why they can travel like sinhalese or muslims in any part of the country. They are so innocent babys. or pperhaps blind and deaf for the reson which appear 24 hous in news chanells
If government forces allowed all the tamils to go freely, then all the suicide LTTE buggers manage to come to other areas, and they will be very happy to smuggle arms.
What about all the tamils in colombo having their business and living with muslim and sinhala people.
Prabakarn bring curse to tamil people, not only in Sri Lanka, in other countries too. Taking hard earning money from them by force.
LTTE is a curse to all people in the world.
Only fools and brain wash people don't see who bring the curse to tamil people.
Dear Francis,
I can certainly understand the frustration and the agony of your friend due to security measures such as roadblocks. I also understand the facts that you deliberately left out on your article.
Sir, despite all the difficulties your friend still manage to made it to visit you and even managed to visit his daughter in Mannar that is better than not been able to move freely at all.
However, what would you say to the kith and kin of those people who are crying at his very moment for their loved once who had just died the most brutal death thanks to a parcel bomb placed in a public bus in Pilyandala?
Are your shedding tears for them as well?
Are you interested in their human rights?
What do you accept a government to do? Open up every signal road block and invite these blood thirsty monsters to take free hand at massacring innocent people. Your friend should be telling his misery not YOU but to Parabkaran and his cahoots.
Was their roadblocks, questioning, body searches prior to LTTE?
Regardless of ethnicity every signal individual has to go through the difficulties do not grieve simply for your friends experience. I get stopped, questioned and wait in security lines just like your friend and some day because of that your, your friends and my life may be saved.
By the way, as described by your friend if the security establishment on these area are only searching the entry/exit points in Tamil dominated area I see this as huge security lapse on the part of the authorities. I hope they implement the same exact security checks on all areas regardless of race if not LTTE will defiantly find a way to take advantage of the less secure checkpoints.
The issue here is not the check points sir, the issue here is to understand reality of the sociality we have to live in today and more importantly understand who created that reality.
In your article, you conveniently left out mentioning the common denominator of all of these difficulties and that my friend is noon other than the brutal tactics adopted by the most ruthless terrorist organization I the world known as LTTE.
If the “Curse Of Being A Tamil” was to stand in line in a check points for Tamils let me remind you and your friend the “Curse of being A Sinhalese” is to DIE at the hand of a parcel bomb on the way home from work.
It is not only Tamils that need to carry NICs. All Sri Lankans need to carry NICs. When the country is plague by terrorists we need to do our part and help the police and the forces to do their job. Please share with me the difficulty in showing your ID or letting you vehicle searched? You might loose ten minutes of your life but isn’t it better than loosing your life because some nut wants to kill innocent people. Don’t forget, people who complain are the same group of people who complain about the police and the security forces if the terrorist explodes bombs, like the one in Piliyandala. Please corporate and help our forces so that they can help minimize this carnage and end terrorism. When the terrorists explode bombs, killing innocent people, generally Sri Lankans find fault with the government not with the terrorist who are the culprits. Remember, it is the terrorist who plant these bombs and kill innocent people not the government. Give the forces a break, (it is nothing personal and I am sure they too have relative from different ethnic backgrounds) they’re doing job, which is saving your life. Next time you are stopped for a search say “Thank you” for saving your life and your fellow Sir Lankans lives.
Dear Mr. De Livera,
I’m sure what you are saying is true, that our Tamil friends have to go through such hardship. But then again, with incidents that has been happening, the most recent one at Piliyandala and let’s not forget the blasts in Kabethigollawa, how can they not have such check points? Most of my good friends are Tamil. I just wish that we could all live in peace in our beloved country.
Great article to hightlight the suffereing of Tamils.
If this gerntleman would ask himself the question "Why" before writing this then he would not have written it in the first place.
Hey man, dont you know that non of the sihalese can live in areas where the tamils are majority. They will kill everyone. Whereas Tamils can live anywhere in Sri Lanka without any fear. Look at the tamil population in Colombo. Can you find any sinhala family in Vavuniya. You foolish think before you write.
Please remember that the whole of the vanni, and towns like Uliyankulam (Old name is Vilgamweva විල්ගම්වැව ), Adampan ( අැටිටංපන) etc are war zones. The innocent people living in the Vanni happen to unfortunately live in a region subject to civil strife.
[The old sinhala names for these towns are given at the research website:
http://www.geocities.com/place.names/
]
The same situation prevails in other war-torn countries. In Afganistan, if you happen to live in areas controlled by the Talibans, the different ethnic groups (Pashtoons, etc) have to face different treatments in the hands of the Taliban, or in the hands of the Western NATO army.
The stuation is much better in Sri Lanka in that the Tamils can at least travel around even with great hardship. Similar hardship is faced by Arabs living in Isreal and wishing to visit the Gaza strip claimed by the Palastein groups, or regions controlled by the Hamas.
What would happen to a Sihalese person who would want to visit
Mullaittivu ( මූලදූව ) or Odawelikulam
මකුලවැව ) or Puthukkudiyiruppu ( අලුත්කුලිස්ස ) ?? He simply will NOT be allowed to do so by the LTTE. So it is clear that the Sinhalese cannot go to the regions controlled by the LTTE, while the Tamils CAN go to the regions controlled by the government, although they have to face line-ups and hardships.
During the great world war, in countries like Canada and USA, people of German or Japanese origin, even if they be citizens born in Canada or USA, were deemed to be POTENTIAL enemeys and they were all rounded up and held as prisoners in barbed wire camps until the end of the war. This would be equivalent to rounding up all the Tamils in Colombo, Wellawatta etc., and taking them into holding camps till the civil war is over. Fortunately, the Sri Lankan government has not followed the example of Western Governments like Canada, USA or Britain in dealing with POTENTIAL enemeys
even though the situation (with suicide bombings etc) is much worse than in Canada and in the USA during world war II.
So we must actually CONGATULATE the government for keeping a saner head.
I am sure things can only improve if only Terrorism could be uprooted.
Hi, All I have to say is wow..... Nice Story to say that Sinhalese harressing Tamils.According to Mr.Livera this happens only to tamils. Is That true??
His first point is that tamils live in vanni area is facing severe hardships due to army mission.and army violate the human rights...because they not checked vehicles from south to north & checked all coming from north to south. I must ask you one question can you tell at least one sinhalese who travelled to north? Do LTTE allow any sinhalese or Muslim to go there?? In this country everybody knows who is enjoying fundamental rights by visiting any place of this democratic country in any manner? Dear Livera I must tell you clear your eyes tamils can come from north to south but we sinhalese and muslims cant go there.
Next thing why passport this is not two countries to produce passport to check points.They have to have identity card.everybody in this country having identity card and all knows now they have to carry it where ever they goes.Am I wrong??
and I would like to ask you, in the LTTe side in vanni are they not checking the poeple who travell from south to north.Do they just allow you to go. The truth is they also do checking and you dont like to mention it, and the funny thing is ltte is checking there own poeple that because they cant trust them?? or any other reason.But no sinhalese or muslim coming from north to south other than military.but military not using that road to come to south.Mr. livera you have complicated lot of things thats why I have to give a such explenation.
next is that you are telling in Colombo also its happening every 10 metres. yes army have to check for terorist,but before they stop they dont know who is traveling in side the vehical unless you mention your nationality out side the vehical.therefor sinhalese and muslims also facing same check points.This situation has created by so called liberation to tamils.Good isn't it.all are treated same.
Next thing is you mention all tamils are terrorist.Who is telling?in that case why tamils live more freely and harmony in south than north.If we (sinhalese and muslims) believe all tamils are terrorists tamils can't go in public transport or they cant have tamils schools in south or they can't do day to day work everyday.If people in south believes as you said, why tamils need to come to south and put therie lives in danger?? Because they can protect there kids from ltte and they can live without feer.my friend In this country all the benifits enjoying by tamils thats the reason.
Mr. Livera Frankly I don't know about the taxi charges there and all I know is in south we can't afford our own vehicals and maintain also bus fairs are high.and what we earn for month is not enough to live.thats the truth for all people in south.
Again you are telling check points and long way to walk to check.Yes even in south poeple has to walk after getdown from the bus but not kilometres. any way this will avoid any suicide attempt or explotion of vehical bomb.thats why security forces has to introduce such a system.
Also you are telling if any body not posses ID card to security forces they were return.and that was a violation of fundamental rights. damm man you are going to be a supper hero!! Do you know if any body dont have national ID is crime? you must be happy that they are not arrested and jailed.Am asking you one question do you know any country that allows it people to live without any form of identity?? tell me one country.Don't be stupid.
Sooo M. Livera this answer is enough for you. may some other poeple also will reply.I must tell you that my english is not so good.by I try to express my ideas too.dont be angry this is the truth all knows.
Since you and your frind is not happy to live in this country peacefully I suggest you to go to some other country where they dont have ID cards or road blocks and exactly no terrorism too.
2.I wish you to born as a tamil in your next life in Tamilnadu after your death.
Thank you
Dear Author,
I'm really sorry about the harrasement that our fellow tamil country men have to gone through due to various reasons,but you have failed to understand so why is that they have to under gone such situation as the country have plunged deep in to terrorism,if you are facing such defficulties ,you should have lobbyied against the LTTE facists to stop their terror acts and let the tamils be a free race again,without addressing the root cause you cant find soulution to your suffering.
I have my tamil i d,but the ltte babies did not allow me to visit to meet my brother in pudu kudirippu.u are talking about rubbish.pls tell them to live and let live.pls god, save us tamils from this lunatics.
Anonymous said...
The author must be another LTTE supporter.
Dear all, from the article and mainly from most of the comments, you can see how racist country we all living in now. Public simply believe in all government statements about all bomb blasts happening in the country. Just stop & think. Who is doing it & why they are doing it. Now days anyone can plant bomb/s & put the blame on LTTE. It’s good for government (to get support & sympathy from Public to do what they want & easy work for police to close the case saying it’s LTTE works.) Why they haven’t arrested any single person so far for any bomb blast in West or South? If LTTE doing it all this, then from Colombo to Wanni how many check points they have to pass through with the bomb/s. After blast where is bomber gone? Just Think....
Post a Comment