Mahinda, all out to destroy the Tamils

By Our Defence Insider

(December 13, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Whilst making speeches in Tamil and espousing wonderful economic development programmes being initiated in the North and East to appease the oppressed Tamil people, the President and his government are engaged in a systematic way to further extend their control to strengthen their hegemonic interests in the war ridden areas.

The Eastern flank of the A9 road is a prohibited area for the inhabitants and visitors. The government cites anti-landmine operations and unearthing LTTE arms are the reasons for these civilian protection measures in not allowing the IDP’s or outsiders to move into these areas.

Whatever justification may be there in the government’s claim, it is becoming clear that the government has further ulterior motives. It is a full scale programme to change the face of the landscape to extend its hegemonic interests and make the Tamil people to accept its determined hostile state aided hurtful programmes as part of their lives. It is a reality that the government is undertaking its crude mission in the war ravaged area.

The government’s secret and systematic programme in its war can be assessed from media coverage and scarce information filtering through reliable sources. These include:

1. Elimination of all traces of war crimes perpetrated in the final battles with the LTTE.
2. Constructing a massive military camp in the Vanni area to deal with any future rebellion from the Tamils.
3. Desecrate and destroy evidences of LTTE military activities and replace where necessary with monuments for the armed forces.
4. Establish Buddhist shrines and place Buddha statues in all prominent places.
5. On the long term, systematically introduce Sinhala colonisations in these areas to dilute the demography.

Eliminate of all traces of war crimes perpetrated in the final battles with the LTTE.

Whilst the international pressure on wanting a war crime hearing on Sri Lanka is still alive, it is claimed that the government is carrying out a programme of work to eliminate all traces of war crimes evidence in the war torn area. Destroying the skeleton remains of those died in the bombardment and reconstruction and demolition of sites like the make shift hospitals and buildings are said to be the programme of the government. In this programme even dead bodies buried are unearthed and destroyed to prevent traces of evidence.

Constructing a massive military camp in the Vanni area to deal with any future rebellion from the Tamils.

According to reports and information gathered from reliable sources, a multi billion rupee programme for a massive military complex is currently underway in Mullaitive in the Vanni. The complex is bigger than any military compounds in Jaffna or Vavuniya. The government is expecting to station thousands of military personnel in the camp, providing them with high standard military resources. The complex will also will cater for an air strip for operational and logistical functions of all three forces.

Desecrate and destroy evidences of LTTE military activities and replace them with monuments for the armed forces.

Since the defeat of the LTTE in May this year, an upbeat programme of work to eradicate all traces of LTTE presence in the area is underway. Whilst retaining some of the administrative structures for government use, all other evidences are eradicated as part of this prlan before the inhabitants are returned to their homes in the Eastern flank. According to military sources, the forces have bulldozed the LTTE hero’s burial grounds in Dharmapuram. The former LTTE’s Colonel and a Minister in the Mahinda government Kauna have justified such destruction and he portrayed LTTE cemeteries as symbol of further rebellion in the future.

How Karuna can justify such wonton action when dead bodies of the under aged cadres he recruited for the LTTE and paved the way for their deaths and burial in these yards and mourned by the innocent parents who had no choice in the killing of their children will be hurtful assertion that he will innermost find hard to justify.

The bulldozing of LTTE cemeteries has taken place even in Jaffna and in the eastern province.

What most nauseating is the government furthering its objective of absolute domination and control of the Tamil people and it recently unveiled a massive military monument built with the help of the Chinese government in the Nadhikaddal, where the final battle took place between the army and the LTTE. This is the place where thousands of innocent Tamil civilian population became the innocent victims to the bullets and bombs of the warring parties. The Chinese rockets were freely rained on the area to bring it under government control.



Image: Monument launch with Sinhala dance and berra with hosting of Sri Lanka
flags by soldiers wearing Sinhala dress.

President Rajapakse and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapase with men form the security forces. Persons absent were Army Commander and Presidential candidate responsible for the victory against the LTTE Gen Sarath Fonseka and Ministers Douglas Devananda and Col Karuna.

When feelings are running high for the people who escaped the brutality of the war, such celebration of the government is seen negatively, as the government is failing to undertake any form of assessment of their feelings before venturing into controversial and hurtful programmes. The military monument was officially opened by the President with Kandiyan Sinhala dance and berra (drum). Following that the President went on a flying visit to meet the IDP’s in Vavuniya.

Before the IDP’s came to know the President’s razzmatazz in NadhiKadal, he flew to the camp to show a welcome for him in the IDP camp with the heavy presence of army as part of his election campaign. This shows how the President and the government are trying to treat the national minorities as a cheap stock. The government will always find persons like Ministers Douglas Devananda and Col. Karuna to justify its conduct and use their service to prevent hearing the feelings of their own people.

Establish Buddhist shrines and erect Buddha statues in all prominent places.

Independent observers travelling through A9 road has confirmed Buddha statues are appearing in various places in the A9 route. According to sources, this effort is extended further in the army controlled eastern flank of the A9 road to Jaffna. It will be interesting to quote an incident reflecting the extended agenda of the government.

A Tamil doctor from London went to serve the war victims in Vavunia soon after the war in May. He engaged with Sinhala compatriot doctors and some medical NGO’s to provide his service. Whilst there, he came to know a van load of Buddha statues were despatched from Anuradhapura to be distributed to the IDP’s in the camps. When the doctor heard the news, he sussed the motive and predicted the feelings of the IDP’s at the difficult time. He spoke to his Sinhala compatriots and expressed his strong feeling against this effort.

The Sinhala doctors realising the consequences, warned the government that they will suspend their duties if the delivery of the statues went ahead. The government realising the emerging feeling, ordered the halt of the delivery. This story aptly reflects the government’s extended mission to artificially change the demography and its religious portrayal in the Tamil areas.

On the long term, to systematically introduce Sinhala colonisations in these areas to dilute the demography

Without officially announcing any proposals, the government of Mahinda Rajapakse has decided to implement planned Sinhala colonisations in the Vanni area, similar to that is currently underway in Trincomalee. The extremist Sinhala Urumaya Party which is a partner in the present government and holding ministerial position of controlling lands is systematically engineering its dangerous colonisations in the eastern area. Unlike in Israel, these colonisations are done in a subtle way using the states authority, intimidation and thuggary that the inhabitants are left in a hopeless situation. The situation for the victims is not favourable in the politicised judiciary in Sri Lanka.

Conclusion

Judging from the past seven months since the defeat of the LTTE, if Mahinda is re-elected the future of the Tamils will be an extension of further state control over them. He has become an expert in skulduggery, violence and corruption and minorities of Sri Lanka are expected to face unprecedented humiliations, all to portray him as the Sinhala king and in that the very Sinhala people will become discontent and victims.

-Sri Lanka Guardian