How the transnational hate project and torture allegations are linked?

“A nation requires many ethnic groups coming together in nationalism. There is absolutely nothing called ethno-nationalism in the modern world. Mono-ethno-nationalism? No chance!”
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By Thomas Johnpulle

(June 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sinhala jingoists and Tamil Eelam hate mongers are business partners. They are striving towards the same thing from two apparently opposing approaches. Second World War saw the convergence of three disparate groups trying to assert their racial ‘superiority’ in perfect harmony. They were the Axis. One would expect a clash between the Aryan German campaign and the Imperial Japanese campaign as both were trying to assert their racial dominance around the world. But they were friends! Their enemies were the Allies with different political ideologies trying to stop the aggression of the Axis.

Following the defeat of the LTTE, the vanquished racist project branched out; one heading towards an international hate project and the other towards glorifying imaginary excesses that never were. While Sinhala jingoists are boasting locally how so-and-so and his associates were tortured and killed, taken to places, etc., contrary to facts, Tamil Eelamists are helping them globally by launching a transnational hate project. It has to be emphasised that celebrating the military victory is nationalism, not jingoism. Use of the multi-religious National Flag is a sure sign of nationalism, if used with dignity. However, jingoism is the xenophobia type shoddy boastings and celebrations based on imaginary cooked up stories of abuse and torture of senior LTTE leaders and cadres. Sadly the society that also houses drug dealers, murderers, rapists, extortionists and other criminal elements also accommodates these lowlifes who love to boast about torturing people even if it is unreal. The large armed forces merely reflect the elements in the society as in any other country. Contrary to what happened and the disciplined conduct of men in uniform, some crooked elements in the armed forces too have joined this bandwagon. Some may have been told to tell certain things by interested parties.

The torture allegation that is floating around is a creation of these elements. It has no credible sources, identified witnesses, ancillary evidence and logic to it. According to the allegation, Pirapaharan’s family members were tortured in front of him and killed before he was tortured and killed. Alice in Wonderland!

Firsthand accounts

Firsthand accounts of the incident don’t support the torture allegation. Pirapaharan’s body was found by the army near the Nanthikandal lagoon. That was when they first had a glimpse of him. Apart from his eldest son, other family members were not found. This version which is a true account of those who witnessed the event absolutely nullifies the false allegations of torture. A close look at Pirapaharan’s photos reveals that he was always carrying a cyanide capsule. All LTTE cadres were told to use it than get captured. It is very unlikely that Pirapaharan didn’t follow his very own safety instructions! Even LTTE child soldiers had no hesitation in bitting into the cyanide capsule and ending their life before capture. Anton Balasingham gave away a cyanide capsule each to arrested LTTE leaders in 1987 and they all committed suicide.

Apart from surrendered LTTE leaders, none of the other top Tigers were captured alive. Therefore it is not likely that the topmost Tiger, who was most secretive, was captured alive.

The nature of the final assault does not leave room for any possibility of capture. Once the remaining civilians were drained out, a ferocious battle ensued to decimate the LTTE. It was very violent and swift. Photos of the last stage of the battle confirm this logic. It was not a man-to-man battle, to say the least. Capturing the LTTE leader or anyone else amid that kind of ferocity is impossible.

Why kill him?

A Living Pirapaharan is more beneficial to the military and the government than a dead one. He and his family members would have become powerful political tools. They could have been used to manipulate the Tamil Diaspora, Tamil political parties here and in India. Additionally, he could unlock the treasure chests of the LTTE around the world. If LTTE amassed US$200-300 million in 2006 alone, over the years the collection would be US$2.8 - 4.2 billion. While part of it would have gone for purchases and other war expenses, a large portion got to be lying in some bank account.

There is a life sentence for him for bombing the Central Bank. Making him pay for his crimes is the most appropriate punishment and deterrence to his followers and devotees alike. That would be a permanent humiliation for all Tamil Elam supporters and a constant reminder to those who still promote it.

LTTE military secrets were best known to Pirapaharan. If he was captured, it pays to keep him alive at least until all LTTE military hardware is recovered. Killing him prematurely is not an option.

Therefore it is an obtuse argument that the LTTE leader was killed in captivity.

Then why create the torture story?

Apart from those who boast the capture and torture of Pirapaharan who are mostly Sinhalese ignorant people, sections of Tamils also ascribe to this view. While some such Tamil sections are trying to be important, most others have a longer term agenda. Their plan is to prolong the Tamil Elam struggle by generating hatred. Hate generation is nothing new for Tamil Elamists. In July 1983 when the LTTE was only a fraction of what it was by 2009, its leaders hatched a very successful plan to breed hatred. They tortured and killed 13 soldiers. The incident sparked the biggest ever race-riot in the country. Scores were killed and thousands of property set on fire. Hundreds of thousands displace and hate flared up like the flames of the Black July. Tamil support for the LTTE multiplied exponentially within a matter of days and the Tamil Elam struggle led by the LTTE got a new lease of life. It is the same tactic they are trying now.

However, going back to violence is not an option now; at least for the time being. Therefore they have come up with another absurd concept which they call a Transnational Tamil Nation (TTN). The more hatred they generate, the more will be the support for the TTN. Pirapaharan was a cult-like figure for Tamil Eelam supporters; for some, he was their god! Torturing and killing him therefore attracts a lot of attention, anger and resentment. The story of torturing his children, the youngest being just 12 years old, is a hate multiplier. The creators and believers of this story didn’t care two cents about tens of thousands of poor Tamil children of similar age brainwashed by the LTTE to become suicide bombers. Their sudden concern for the concocted victim of 12 years old is to arouse hatred, nothing else.

Hatred is the brick that goes into the building of the TTN. Already the promoters of the TTN have pleaded to India to allow their TTN activities in South India. They argue that if India can allow a Tibetan government in exile, why not allow a Eelam Tamil government in exile in the Indian soil. To their advantage there are hundreds of thousands of displaced Tamils in South India. They have been told not to return to Sri Lanka citing various invented fear stories. This is a clever strategy. If the TTN opens up a branch in South India in a refugee camp, that would provide the LTTE with its next generation of fighters!

At the same time the TTN would have branches in Canada, UK, Western Europe, Australasia, Africa and other parts of the world. These branches will act like money collection centres. The collection will go to buy weapons in other parts of the world where too the Transnational Tamil Nation will have a foothold! While this is going on, yet another arm of the transnational octopus will bring in false and exaggerated allegations of human rights violations. This is the clever plan of TTN Tigers. However, hatred alone cannot float a nation. If it could, there would be Tamil Eelams not only in Sri Lanka, but also in the Maldives, Malaysia, Tamil Nadu, South Africa and many other places.

A nation requires many ethnic groups coming together in nationalism. There is absolutely nothing called ethno-nationalism in the modern world. Mono-ethno-nationalism? No chance! It is this fact put nicely by those who claim there is not a country without Tamils but there is no country for Tamils. Unfortunately they don’t realise that there is no country without Tamils! Isn’t that a remarkable achievement?

-Sri Lanka Guardian