A Washington washout!

The Tamils want to protect the Tigers and the Sinhalese want the Tamils held hostage released from the Tigers.

By Jacinda Cruz in Washington

(February 22, Washington, Sri Lanka Guardian) However, it demonstrated even more specifically that the Tamils and the Tigers are two separate entities and the latter poses the biggest danger to the former. What is being demonstrated in Wanni is genocide against the Tamils and the LTTE is perpetrator of it.

Just before he climbed into the Wanni-assembled Wasp Suicide Bomber on his Kamikaze mission to Colombo to cause World War II Japanese-type havoc, Tiger "Suicider" Colonel Rooban was believed to have written an appeal like a deed for posterity. In that he was said to have requested more volunteers to strengthen the leader’s dream to become a reality to march packed with explosives against the enemy. This was published in the Tamilnet.com the US-based web parrot of the LTTE.

Tamilnet also doubles as Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) and its presence at the Washington rally on Thursday along with Attorney Bruce Fein was known. If the now departed Colonel Rooban wanted more volunteers, Washington Thursday was the ideal place to sign them up with as reported 75,000 people on a “Save the Tigers” mission having assembled there both from Canada and the USA. In the current situation in Wanni in particular, the genocidal intention against the Tamils is that of the LTTE. It is this group that decimated the Tamil leaders apart from many, many others.

The demonstrators ranging in age from university undergraduates to elders on a Washington demonstration picnic would have been the ideal source to enlist volunteers for suicide missions because LTTE uses all ages to bear their arms. The group that was absent was the 14-year olds who had to be at school being a Thursday and their parents would rather have them in Canada than sending them to Wanni. Unlike for those in Wanni, these kids have everything ahead of them and this the parents will not deny to them by sending them to Wanni.

It is better the older ones go on demonstration picnics to Washington and do some mall shopping on the way back than going to Wanni and that could be a mission of no return. It is reported that some people who went as volunteers soon after the tsunami have been trapped by the LTTE.

Experts at raising funds in the name of the LTTE for what they call as the ultimate war, people like Goldhawk Shan, Silverstone Murali and Copper-gilt Sam obviously for Sampathar, persuaded many Tamil business people to sponsor coaches for the two-day Toronto-Washington-Toronto run with calls on wayside malls for food, beverage and nature needs. If a sponsor was identified, he was virtually told that the coach should report at the said place and the said time and the cost of it also met by the so ordered. It is the Tiger Law that prevails when it comes to raising funds and there is no appeal against it.

In other words, the coaches were provided free and each Washington picnicker was charged $100.00 infants not exempted even if they sat on the laps of parents. This was one way of raising the forbidden funds but not the only way. Other means were also solicited for funds and there are the meek and vulnerable who continue to be exploited even when some of their kith and kin are being held as human shield by the LTTE. There are people, especially those fed on Tamil tabloid trash and a couple of radio stations that have created an impression that whatever they give is for Tamil; they hardly know that the genocide people talk about is the one the LTTE is practicing against the Tamils.

Two elderly Tamils visiting Washington for the first time were discussing the whereabouts of Prabhakaran. They had their own views. One said he had tunneled his way to Valvettiturai. Not to be outdone, the other said he must have tunneled to Kodikarai, a well known smuggler point on the Indian coast. They were sure that their hero will never be captured. A third just passing by rejoined: “If Prabhakaran is gone, another will come.”

All three are basement-dwelling pensioners in their palatial children’s homes in Markham and they hardly have an outing apart from to the temple on some Fridays; lot fewer Fridays. In most such cases, their pensions pay for the mortgage and they hardly have spending funds. This Washington outing was a rare bonanza.

As for Colonel Rooban’s appeal for volunteers to bear explosives for the cause of the dear leader leading the war from the bowels of the earth, not even one from the Washington demonstrating volunteers have signed up. It would be a surprise should anyone sign up to go to Wanni.

When the Canadian Tamil demonstrators arrived in Washington, they were in for a big shock. There was another group, also from the Sri Lankan Diaspora who were mostly from the Sinhala community. Their appeal to Washington was to help save the hundreds of Tamils held hostage by the LTTE in Mullaitivu. What the Canadian Tamil Diaspora wanted was help save the Tigers. This demonstration was most expressive of the tragic reality of the Sri Lankan ethnic nightmare. However, it demonstrated even more specifically that the Tamils and the Tigers are two separate entities and the latter poses the biggest danger to the former. What is being demonstrated in Wanni is genocide against the Tamils and the LTTE is perpetrator of it.

-Sri Lanka Guardian