and so it goes. thanks for posting this.

And thus it begins, again, light-years away from having centralized government in the north, a stones-throw from legitimate logic and cause... No room for Norway in this one.

terrible... if anyone had vacation plans in sl i would cancel them

brown must not kill brown?....

Part of this has to do with the schisms within the Sri Lankan Tamil population. Christian Tamils are considered 'city,' and despite the fact that they held positions of priviledge under the British (and therefore lost the most after Independance) they feel quite seperate from other Tamil groups.

The Nothern Jaffna Tamils are considered the 'highest-caste' Tamils, (for lack a better description) and look down on the others.

The Eastern Batticalao Tamils feel neglected, claim to have have done all the heavy-lifting for the LTTE, and say that the LTTE higher-ups aren't as concerned about them as with the the Jaffna Tamils. The breakaway Karuna faction of the LTTE is from this group.

The hill-country Tamils were imported from Southern India by the British during the 1800 as scabs whenever the Sinhalese tea-pickers went on strike. They're discriminated against by everyone, and other Tamils will try their very best to distance themselves from this group.

So with all these distinctions, the LTTE find it fairly easy to pick off "their own" ..despite the fact that they present this conflict abroad as though a unified Tamil minority is being genocidally picked off by a majority Sinhalese.

So with all these distinctions, the LTTE find it fairly easy to pick off "their own" ..despite the fact that they present this conflict abroad as though a unified Tamil minority is being genocidally picked off by a majority Sinhalese.

this is a problem i have with most identity politics. my experience is take 'leadership' of oppressed group X and you will find that leadership of X tends to come from privileged subgroup of X. and so on. people have interests that outsiders can never discern, so 'solid fronts' often obscure structural imbalances.

Good Riddens to Bad Rubbish.

Dat A-Hole had that coming to him.

so whoever did it, the tigers or the jvp, a big THANK YOU!

So with all these distinctions, the LTTE find it fairly easy to pick off "their own" ..despite the fact that they present this conflict abroad as though a unified Tamil minority is being genocidally picked off by a majority Sinhalese.

As perverse as this seems, the upshot of this is that it breaks the LTTE's facade of a people's uprising. This is a take-no-prisoners stance and I hope this puts the LTTE's activities squarely in the crosshairs of international geopolitics.

Good Riddens to Bad Rubbish.

Dat A-Hole had that coming to him.

so whoever did it, the tigers or the jvp, a big THANK YOU!

Manish, do you need help with sorting through your list of hits for IP addresses and then passing a particular one onto the Feds? I might have some time to spare.

Good Riddens to Bad Rubbish. Dat A-Hole had that coming to him.

Your comment is also rubbish. Should you also have something coming?

you will find that leadership of X tends to come from privileged subgroup of X.

Yes, but it's morphed into something else now for the LTTE. Originally there was TULF, a legit political organization working to rescind the Sinhala-only laws that were passed during a nationalistic wave a decade or so after Independence.

The LTTE were a group of idealistic (I guess) students who splintered off from TULF. Mostly due to impatience. They'd read too much Marx and Derrida and everyone else, ware fascinated by Che and the revolutions going on in South America and SE asia. They were smart enough to learn about revolution, terrorism etc from such groups in the Middle-east, and brought back all they learned. MIA's father, I think, was part of this set.

I'm not sure how Prabhakaran took over the LTTE, but from that point on, those idealistic (if totally delusional) young Tamil students were sidelined and men of raw purpose took over. They like to keep some of the well-educated types around to gloss-up manifestos and such, and present an 'intelligent, rational' face to the international press.

I heard a story about one such LTTE cadre-member who married a white lady who'd read his papers, articles, statements of intent, etc..and fell in love with the romanticized (naturally) view of living with a wanted man, fighting the good fight, viva la revolucion, working for change, man.. you know. The usual.

Anyway, the point is that she moved to Jaffna to be with him, lived in the LTTE stronghold area, and had a little yippy dog that she loved dearly. One day there was a horrendous air raid by the Sinhala government. Afterwards, as people came out to bury bodies, tend to the wounded and miamed, find the missing..she walked about distraught because she couldn't find her dog. Put up flyers and tried to organize search parties.

The idealistic and priviledged are merely endured as long as they're useful by the LTTE now, which has become something that defies description really. Nihilism, I suppose, comes close.

oh lookie, its cicatrix at it again, trying to pass off her agenda as truth.

its widedly known prabakaran and company are of the lower castes within Jaffna Tamil Hindu hierarchy.

Karuno is a non-factor, as much as cicatrix and her ilk will try to play this up as a "big" division within the LTTE. the fact of the matter is that when the split occured, within a week the VAST majority of Karuna's cadres pretty much crossed the field back into the LTTE fold. so wat Karuna, wherever he is, is running with his hodgepodge rag tag bunch of cronies, perhaps numbering in the 10's, with significant help from the Sri Lankan Army is not more than a nuisance. but the pro SL types will stretch this in order to degrade the LTTE and their cause. not much more than partisan politics.

as for the indian tamil question, they if anything r clearly more trusting of the LTTE than the GoSL, as their leader Chandrasekaran points out here: "As a minority community powerless to defend itself against discrimination and repression, the security is tied closely to the security framework to be established by the NorthEast Tamils under the political and military leadership of the Liberation Tigers." http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15348

i think you'd be better off looking into the the schisms the Sri Lankan Columbo elite create in order to keep the Singhalese lower classes in perpetual poverty while maintaining their stranglehold on all the wealth, half of it directly profiting from the war. pretty much, those in glass houses shoudln't throw stones.

all in all, Sri Lanka is FUCKED UP

i remember some poem , i think it was by Twain, in his travels. he described Sri Lanka as "paradise on Earth, but where Man is Vile" lollss..

its funny because its true....

Oh lookie, it's Parthi again, trying to pass of her agenda as truth.

Wow, that was so easy! I should start all my conversations about war and terrorism like that! We'll get so far!

Sweetheart, stop reading Tamilnet.

see, this weblog is a weird one, pakistan related threads tend to relatively sedate, while sri lanka ones bring out the nutters.

Abhi, sure my comment is rubbish. I figured it was obvious that it was an expression of emotion rather than an analysis of the pleasant feeling of revenge that the majority of Ceylon (I refuse to acknowledge the state of S.L.) Tamils the world over are feeling at this moment. When I find more time over this weekend, I'll put together a piece on why and how the vast majority of Tamils of Ceylon origin regard this man as the biggest traitor and the justice behind his death.

biggest traitor and the justice behind his death.

Ah yes, the only thing to do when you disagree with someone, is, naturally, to get a sniper to plug him with 3 shots to the head. Conflict resolution at it's very best.

What the hell did he ever do to you that you see this as justice??

hahaha, funny how you can totally avoid the issues, but what really is expected from someone who

you're telling me not to read TamilNet? TamilNet may be sympathetic to the LTTE but they don't fabricate quotes, truths or stories. Unlike MUCH of the Singhala Press. haha, and listen to your Sri Lankan Gov't approved news and headlines? Okay there.

but then again that's been the case since '83, the Gov't and its Media have always been fabricating the truth and distorting it, framing the issues, quite similar to how you are on this site.

Parthi, no personal attacks or pure flames, please.

Parthi, you can wave a flag from Eelam all you want, but please don't assume I'm doing the same for the GoSL.

You do nothing but prove my point (again and again) that the LTTE cannot and will not accept criticism of any kind.

I'll put together a piece on why and how the vast majority of Tamils of Ceylon origin regard this man as the biggest traitor and the justice behind his death.

Yeah, like your words have any credibility left??

ahhh, those adorable tamil tigers and their new pop-culture face, m.i.a. i realize this is a *little* off topic, but can the website please stop her worship? this is the kind of thing her music endorses, just in case anyone was unclear.

loll, i love how you like to put words in my mouth.

first off, please address the issues, i dont' wanna play rhetoric with you.

2nd off, where r u drawing the link i'm a rabid LTTE supporter. i've merely been debating your baseless allegations that u have been trying to pass off as fact on a forum where, i'm assuming here, the vast majority are totally unaware of the facts behind this conflict. seeing as how the GoSL and Kadirgamar conducted an awesome PR and Media blackout exercise, hoodwinking the world of the plight the Tamil civilian population suffered under the SLA.

3rd, all you do is prove the hypocrisy that characterizes the Sri Lankan Elite. that being their so ADAMANT on pointing out the misdoings and failures of the LTTE, yet nary a thought, much less a word, on the leadership, or rather the lack thereof, they've provided the Singhala masses. y on earth do you think the Socialist JVP has gained so much in the polls?

I'm not an expert on the situation by any means but I can't for the life of me understand how killing this guy helps tamils at all.

He campaigned against the LTTE, sure. The term HN could easily apply to him, sure. But right now, this does nothing but inflame the already tense situation. Was he so dire a threat that it was worth risking a return to war to kill him?

That said, this post and most others have assumed the LTTE did it, considering how complicated SL politics are, that's not entirely certain.

and roop, this has been discussed before, and i dont want to turn this into another m.i.a thing, but you fill in too many empty spaces with assumptions if you think she endorses the tigers

abhi, i'm sorry you feel that way, anyway gotta run. but read this article by Satch Sri Kantha of Japan. it's probably the best and hands down funniest article discussing Kadirgama.

here's an excerpt:

"One can only soothe the troubled mind of Kadirgamar by reminding him of the Tamil proverb,

Thinai Vithaithavan Thinai Arupaan; Vinai Vithaithavan Vinai Arupaan
[One who sows millet reaps millet; One who sows misery reaps misery]."

anyway you can find it here

Parthi, the tone of your posts is laying waste to your arguments, which are lucid and factual without the scathing personal criticisms.

Cicatrix, I hear what you're saying but I'm not sure I agree with all of it, in part because your breakdown of the LTTE seems to paint the entire Tamil "cause" as dysfunctional. While it's true that the LTTE has gone far from its origins, the reason for war hasn't and if anything, its gotten worse and when you say things like this:

They like to keep some of the well-educated types around to gloss-up manifestos and such, and present an 'intelligent, rational' face to the international press.

this:

despite the fact that they present this conflict abroad as though a unified Tamil minority is being genocidally picked off by a majority Sinhalese.

and this:

those idealistic (if totally delusional) young Tamil students

You highlight only the troubled evolution of the LTTE, which isn't synonymous with "Sri Lankan Tamil" and in turn submerge the reality of most Tamils and the need for change in Sri Lanka. I'm not exactly with Parthi on everything she says, but I am on-board when it comes to railing against this kind of spin that always seems to be slapped on the "Tamil-problem" in Sri Lanka. The "cause" is still a cause, with or without the LTTE, and while I really appreciate how you laid out the facts, factions & fractions of Tamils in Sri Lanka (which, if you look at Palestine, Northern Ireland, etc., are not uncommon), it'd be nice to see some facts about the other side show up also.

Ananthan, you're right to take into account the complexities and distortions of SL politics...but this looks like an LTTE hit so far. As 43 Seconds (I shall refrain from making a puerile joke right now) points out, Kadirgama wasn't exactly loved by the LTTE.

Parthi, I'm so flattered that you think I'm from the Sri Lankan elite. Sadly, for me, they would probably disagree with that. I've pointed out GoSL misdeeds time and again, and have no interest in repeating myself to you, since you claim to be familiar with my writings, as attested by your first first remark on this board. I believe I used words like "government" "air-raid" "horrendous" and "miamed" just a few comments ago. Since you missed that, I dunno why on earth I assumed you were rabid. My bad.

Off topic, but doesn't he look suspiciously like Sammy Davis Jr?

Kadirgamar is a long-time supporter of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)… Despite being himself a Tamil, he strongly supported the Bandaranaike government’s policy of not negotiating with the Tamil Tigers insurgents in northern Sri Lanka.

To answer the answer the question of "why" assassinate this guy... He's foreign minister and representing the government and also what is ostensibly the kind of Tamil that some people feel should replace the Tamil majority. So, it makes sense, yeah? If there was another civil war in the U.S. [blue vs. red], one of the first political assassinations by the Democrats would be Zell Miller for no reason other than to make certain no one mistook him as a representative of anything left of center--I think the same philosophy holds for this assassination.

whoa, tiger -

you're right. I have been glib, and I'm sorry for that. I believe the LTTE is dysfuntional, not the Tamil cause...but since the idea of the latter is so owned by the former, I can't seem to criticize one without someone accusing me of criticizing the other too.

If you search for 'LTTE' and 'Cicatrix' you'll see that I've discussed this, at length on many other parts of this website, so I'm afraid it seems superfluous and redundant to preface all my comments with a statements declaiming my own views on this matter. Part of that is just me being lazy, but I'd like to take space here by saying something new.

I think the same philosophy holds for this assassination.

that, I'm afraid, was your turn to be glib. I'm not sure what you mean by this-

the kind of Tamil that some people feel should replace the Tamil majority

What is the Tamil majority? what are they like? There are plently of Tamil Hindu's who believe that change comes from within, that working to change the system is of more consequence that giving guns to 10 year olds.

I'm sorry, did that come off like spin again? I just have a really hard time taking the LTTE as a valid entity that represents anyone. (just like i would the JVP by the way. They are a bunch of psychotic ignorant Sinhala thugs)

LOL @ "Can Minister Kadirgamar get ten votes anywhere in this country? Can he walk along Wellawatta? No. Can he get five Tamil votes either in Colombo, or in the North? I challenge him to contest the next general elections and we can then judge his standing in this country. Can he travel beyond Anuradhapura? Has he been to see the plight of his fellow Tamils, in Jaffna or elsewhere?
"He says I look for cheap headlines. It is Minister Kadirgamar who seeks the cheapest possible headlines and publicity making a right royal mess of our foreign policy and a fool of himself."

from the Sin Eaters and Snollygosters articles on Tamil Nation.

perhaps the biggest farce of Kadirgamar was that he was appointed Foreign Minister by Chandrika. the loser coudln't even win a seat. all in all, it was a superb PR move by the SL Gov't terrorists to a "Tamil" as the foreign minister to conduct their spin internationally.

Parthi,

Do you know anything about Sri Lanka besides what you've heard and read? Your views are so strong, yet singularly akin to those of Tamilnet. Just curious about whether you've formed any of your own.

I dont know why Sepia Mutiny is allowing comments that praise killings on this blog. Would you allow someone praising the London bombings to post here? Stop pro-LTTE posting please!

I dont know why Sepia Mutiny is allowing comments that praise killings on this blog.

Good point. There is no point in erasing the comment now since several people have already responded to discredit the poster. We will be more vigilant from now on though. Thanks.

that, I'm afraid, was your turn to be glib

Yes, true and what to do, I assumed that, for some of the reasons Parthi mentions, there'd be no question as to why this guy was killed. Knee-jerk response to stop a thread that was about to evolve into "those fractious Tigers are so stupid they can't even pick a valuable target" (point taken, however).

What is the Tamil majority? what are they like? There are plently of Tamil Hindu's who believe that change comes from within

I agree but then, really, how many Tamils interested in rocking the boat have/have access to that kind of academic pedigree? That's a pretty high bar to leap in order to get into the system, especially for people who can't even seem to get their hands on rubber bands...

Working from within, I think most people believe in and would prefer this, but Kadirgamar wasn't about letting the "other side" into the system and he wasn't interested in hearing grievances. He also was pretty crucial to the shaping of India-Sri Lanka trade agreements that, as a byproduct, would cut the LTTE's supply-lines but more significantly, strangle the ability of the north to survive autonomously or otherwise.

All that is to say that he was a pretty hard-ass politician and in a world where all the superpowers, smaller powers, etc. are taking a hard-line against anything that isn't formal government, he presented a nice palatable picture that could ramp up the economy with one hand, direct the government to crackdown with the other and speak out both sides of his mouth about the Tamil population's future and Sri Lanka as a united whole. He was a perfect union of everything that wasn't going to help Tamils and he was a perfect representation of the government.

I just have a really hard time taking the LTTE as a valid entity that represents anyone.

Yes, but then, if not the LTTE, then who? You mention working from within the government, but the government itself has had such a swinging&swaying policy on Tamils (and Muslims), that it seems about as reliable as the Tigers. Of course, I agree Tigers are not the best solution but they seem to be the only ones that have ever tried to find a solution, which doesn't make them right but it does put them in a different position that the government, which hasn't done anything at all.

Ban the LTTE, yes, but you're inside Sri Lanka, you know it--how many Tamil *Hindus* are working in the upper levels of government for the "cause?" What would happen to the Tamils without them, would there be someone to speak (or fight), for them?

for some of the reasons Parthi mentioned there'd be no question as to why this guy was killed. Knee-jerk response to stop a thread that was about to evolve into "those fractious Tigers are so stupid they can't even pick a valuable target"

Um, whoa there, tiger. I think you're misreading my comments. There is no question why Kadirgama was killed. I didn't see anyone contest that..did I miss something? My comment #11 was to highlight idealism gone wrong. I mocked a person so clueless, she searched for a dog amidst the dying. I mocked the intellectuals who are drawn to the LTTE and stay resolutely blinkered about how far the group will go to achieve its aims.

The people who started the LTTE might have had good intentions, but it's now become a ruthless machine marching inexorably towards...let's stop there. What would fit? Eelam? We divide country and then who rules Eelam? The tigers allow no dissent, no opposition, so how exactly will they have fair democratic elections? When concessions are made, they appear to find some new bone of contention. If this isn't nihilism, then I'm much too optimistic.

I'm not going to contest your depiction of Kadirgama. I can't think of a single politician who doesn't at one time or another, speak out of both sides of his mouth. I can think of many politicians who would fit your description of him to a T. I'm not here to defend politics. However, I do find some pro-LTTE arguments against the govt. strangely naive. You don't need that kind of pedigree to enter politics. Take Premadasa, who by the way, was one of the best examples of all that is wrong with the GoSL, that innocuous sounding Wiki bio notwithstanding. (I couldn't find another bio that wasn't from a website that already had an axe to grind.)

I agree Tigers are not the best solution but they seem to be the only ones that have ever tried to find a solution, which doesn't make them right but it does put them in a different position that the government, which hasn't done anything at all.

So anything against the govt. even if terribly terribly wrong, still has some innate value? My perspective is that the LTTE made the whole situation worse. Sinhala people who never thought of Tamils as any less deserving, now find themselves thinking that all Tamils are terrorists, and are sick of what's become to the country. How is this helping your average Tamil person who got along with the neighbours and wanted universities to drop the stupid heavy-duty Budhism requirements? Was bombing the temple of the tooth really necessary? Were letterbombs to schools, and carbombs detonated as people were trying to get to work..how is this for political cause again?

What would happen to the Tamils without them, would there be someone to speak (or fight), for them?

Cicatrix, I know you weren't misunderstanding or missing why Kadirgamar was killed, but someone else asked the question and my [glib] response was directed there. Sorry for the scatter-shot.

I understand what you meant by comment #11, but that's really only because I have some knowledge of the overall situation. For people who don't know much, you gave them quite a bit to think about without mentioning the premise for civil unrest/war or the ideology that first brought the Tigers into existence. I realize that you've already said quite a bit about the LTTE, origins of war, etc. in M.I.A. posts, however, this was about a political assassination and the audience is different (M.I.A. posts--with their cheesecake comments, "I can't understand what she's saying"-quips and infrequent pro/anti-Tiger flames--are not exactly a good table for discussion). And since you are regarded as an SL authority on this site, my best guess is that a lot of people choosing to step into the debate here have something serious to say and, in reading your comments, would be missing the full scope of your thoughts and most definitely, the conflict.

The tigers allow no dissent, no opposition, so how exactly will they have fair democratic elections?

I understand what you're saying, however, as with what I said just prior, it's the kind of analysis that seems to use one-sided logic... The Tigers are in a state-of-war and to assume that how they run a military machine as it struggles to stay alive will be the same way they'll work a government in peacetime isn't exactly fair. The Balkans was a killing-clutter at the end of military action, Afghanistan has blown itself up many times, a number of nations and regions have been through similar situations and have managed to establish government in the absence of military conflict and chaos. What have they needed? Administrative (which includes military police), financial and logistical support from external agencies, a somewhat unified belief that they can pull the whole thing off and general belief that they are deserving of the responsibility. The first two things are possible, the last depends on who's judging the situation and the evidence for and against the LTTE setting up government is strong, but to assume they can't is wrong.

So anything against the govt. even if terribly terribly wrong, still has some innate value? My perspective is that the LTTE made the whole situation worse.

Well, the government and the LTTE made it worse... Contrary to some belief, I'm not a Tiger-apologist, I just want the conflict to be discussed in it's entirety, not in pieces and soundbites. But, I'm not sure how to respond here as it seems as though you don't believe there is/was a legitimate reason for Eelam. If that's the case, then we're at a stalemate.

What would happen to the Tamils without them, would there be someone to speak (or fight), for them?
Let's consider what's happened to the Tamils with them, shall we?

No. For twenty years, instead of addressing the humanitarian crisis that started & continues the war, this has been the government's response. Why not answer my question first?

and i thought the israeli-arab conflict brought out some repulsive tendencies in humans in web forums....

And the world does end with a bang and not a whimper...

whoa, tiger-

And since you are regarded as an SL authority on this site,

I'm flattered and horrified by this :)
I'm not an authority on anything, and never claimed to be. This MIA thing brought me out of my shell many many months ago, on a different website, just because so many clueless music fans were running around comparing Sri Lanka to Ruwanda, talking presumptuously about freedom fighters and what-not. To my great pleasure other Sri Lankans joined the conversation, and although many disagreed with me in irreconcilable ways, some others (ok, one) had much to say as a Tamil Hindu that left me speechless and awed.

My point is that I don't want to split hairs with you. You seem to be thoughtful and concerned, and that is really all I ask for.

it seems as though you don't believe there is/was a legitimate reason for Eelam. If that's the case, then we're at a stalemate.

You're right. I don't. I'm half Sinhalese, half Tamil (of the 'citified' kind, so do with that as you will. And my apologies to Sepia regulars who are sick and tired of me saying that) and I grew up thinking that there wasn't much of a difference.

I went to a Sinhala school, but since I wasn't raised Buddhist, all those standardized Sinhala tests that emphasized Pali/ Sanskrit knowledge were horrific for me. I used to ask my Tamil friends, who studied in the Tamil medium, what their test were like, and they said "eh, fine." I was never sure if they were forced to answer questions about Buddhist (in Tamil!) or not.

By the way, my Tamil wasn't bad (for a school kid) and their Sinhalese was the same, and we'd all know some English...so we never had a problem.

Maybe I had some sort of ridiculously idyllic experience growing up. In which case, at least I know it's possible.

My first best friend was Muslim. My mother says we became friends when I was two, but of course I don't remember that. I remember being about four, and trying to stay at her house for lunch all the time because I liked her mother's curries better than mine.

For entirely selfish reasons, I don't want the country to divide. So many places I remember, that hold such memories, are either bombed to rubble or, now, washed away. I like to think that this is where I'm from, and with a division, it won't be the same anymore.

Nostalgia is an annoying and terrible thing. Perhaps I'm guilty of indulging in it. But so many Tamil people I've talked to feel as though people have stopped caring, and just want the violence to end so much, they're willing to let the LTTE do what they will with the Sri Lankan Tamils. And, at least to the Tamils I've talked to, this would be the ultimate nightmare.

Came across an interesting news story written on August 2, 2005 (about 2 weeks before this incident).

To quote the article:

In the meantime, LTTE cadres were caught videoing the residences of the Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, and other key places in Colombo yesterday. They are also shadowing Douglas Devananda, the Minister for Agricultural Marketing Development, Co-operative Development, Hindu Affairs and Assisting Education and Vocational Training. They failed in their ten attempts to get him earlier. These videos and reports are sent to Killinochchi for Pottu Amman, head of the LTTE intelligence unit, to plot and plan the next assassination in violation of the internationally guaranteed Ceasefire Agreement. V. Anandasangaree, the outspoken leader of TULF, spends most of his time abroad because he is another marked target of the LTTE.

Kind of freaky, isn't it?

Ananthan, you're right to take into account the complexities and distortions of SL politics...but this looks like an LTTE hit so far. As 43 Seconds (I shall refrain from making a puerile joke right now) points out, Kadirgama wasn't exactly loved by the LTTE.

And that could be exactly why some other party would kill him, increase tension and force a return to violence. You know there is a considerable bloc in the sinhalese community that wants to cede no ground to the tigers. The idea of negotiating with the LTTE is abhorrent to them. What better way to sabotage the peace process than to kill this man?

Additionally, Kadirgamar was well known internationally. The heat on the tigers from powers outside SL is going to be turned way up now. The LTTE is anything but stupid, why would they actively seek such a thing? Why would they choose now, of all times, to hit out at a man who has been bad for the tamils for years?

The timing is what makes all of this suspicious.

And runnerwallah, look at the other articles on that site, it is entirely one sided in its 'reporting'.

Other media reports on the situation seem to give the SL government an automatic level of credibility and trustworthiness. Those reports of LTTE surveillance come from the government; those who have followed the sri lankan conflict know that the governments word on any matter should never be taken at face value. They have just as much reason and ability to bend or create 'truth' to further their own interests.

cicatrix and whoa, tiger

great discussion, and i for one hope you don't "stalemate" but continue the back and forth for the illumination of us all.

you guys got me to do some reading and catch up with the s.l. situation, which i'm ashamed to say i hadn't been paying much attention to.

i've followed/studied a number of civil wars and ethnic conflicts, as well as spent time in a country divided fairly irreconcilably between government and rebels, traveling on both sides among both groups (ivory coast);

a couple of thoughts, based those experiences plus reading you guys and catching up with the news.

one is that the situation of "neither war nor peace" with clear territorial separation can go on for a long time. perhaps indefinitely. if there are impartial foreign peacekeepers securing the ceasefire line it can go on for ever. even if there are not, it can go on. two reasons why:

1/ the longer the situation persists, the more a political/military/economic elite forms on either side that has an interest in the situation staying as it is. because they have used it to capture benefits that would end if there were to be a resolution. for instance, personal travel and goods transport between two zones are usually subject to all sorts of "fees" levied at roadblocks, or even official travel permits. all that money goes somewhere.

chances are if i'm the ltte leadership or the ruling faction in the government of s.l., i'm doing very well for myself out of the continuation of the conflict at a level where it simmers -- neither getting out of hand, nor moving toward a credible settlement. just a nice mutual suspicion and misunderstanding that keeps me raking in the dough.

2/ just as elites adapt, so do ordinary people. it's amazing what people will put up with and find ways to get used to, or work around. even with guerrillas or paramilitaries or extortionate district administrators or whatever. people tend to their fields, go to the market, raise their children, hustle side jobs when they can; they put up with the hassles, take their losses, and they accept that life is cheap.

so, it's going to take a major, major new development if this is going to change.

one could come from the "international community" but it has to feel a good reason to get off its collective ass.

another could come from change minded people in the two camps. but for the reasons above, it's unlikely those people have much voice and/or get a fair hearing. (or stay alive.)

i read the 2003 exchange between the LTTE and GOSL on the proposed Interim Self Governing Authority. (ISGA). i'm assuming it's a representative exchange -- if it wasn't please do correct me.

the LTTE proposal was, basically, secession minus the declaration of a separate state. clearly a non-starter. the GOSL response was a point by point refutation of each of the LTTE's propositions. not very helpful. how about a counter-proposal?

but my real point is not about the substantive proposals but about the way they were presented. the LTTE document had this endless preamble of clauses, you know, "reaffirming that bla bla bla, conscious of the fact that bla bla, gravely concerned that bla bla" -- went on for every. grandstanding blather.

the GOSL response was to take refuge in hyper-legalism, with sophisticated chapter and verse objections to whatever the LTTE said. also loads of blather.

the tendency to these kinds of discourse is typical of self-important elites that have lost touch with what ordinary people need or feel. if you're really looking for a solution it's a self-defeating approach. if obfuscation and delay are part of your strategy then it's a great tactic.

ordinary people in these settings after a while are long past supporting one side or one faction or sub-faction. they're just tired and they want it all to go way.

what do y'all think?

(in an experiment to see if there is life outside the sepia board, i will be away from my computer the rest of today. but i'll definitely catch up with the thread later on.)

peace

Mitter my man, help me out here. Doesn't he look suspiciously like Sammy Davis Jr. to you?

"I just have a really hard time taking the LTTE as a valid entity that represents anyone. Yes, but then, if not the LTTE, then who?"i>

We might know the answer to this question if the LTTE stopped killing off all moderate Tamil activists and political voices. Kadirigamar may have been a Sri Lankan government appointee, but the LTTE has assassinated virtually all of the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front's (TULF's) leadership. This includes four mayors of Jaffna who had no affiliation with the S.L Gov't and had grassroots support from the majority of Tamils in Jaffna. They have knocked off moderate Tamil journalists, poets and writers. The Tigers brook no dissent and have initiated a deafening, political monologue through multiple mouthpieces -- whether the voice is that of Balasingam, Tamilnet or the TNA, it's basically one, unified political yell. But, just because it's deafening, it doesn't mean it's beloved or even popular.

The Kadirgamar assasination cannot be veiwed in complete isolation. Despite comments to the contrary on this board, the breakaway Karuna faction (of Eastern Tigers) is having a debilitating effect on the LTTE's ability to operate in the East -- a region that they see as the economic engine of any separate state, but where they have always had serious challenges to their power (the majority of the population is Muslim and Sinhalese and the SLAF have controlled the major cities for decades). Successive leaders, sent by the Vanni Tigers to take charge of the East, have been bumped off or driven out by Karuna's cadres. The tit-for-tat assasinations of the last year are taking their toll on the LTTE power structure, both internally and vis-a-vis the population. Don't let Tamilnet convince you otherwise.

The Tigers have been clamoring for and virtually begging the Sri Lankan Government to clamp down on the Karuna faction. But on August 11th, the Sri Lankan Peace Secretariat explained that the Sri Lankan Government would not take enforcement action against the Karuna faction -- their view is that the disupte is internal, factional fighting within the LTTE. (And some would say that the gov't has no interest in reeling in what may have become a 5th column for the gov't).

Within 24 hours of this announcement from the Peace Secretariat, the Tigers issued a statement that the country was being brought to the brink of war; they assassinated a Tamil journalist and her husband; they killed off a Karuna supporter; and then they assassinated Kadiragamar, who had occupied spot #2 on their hit-list for almost a decade. (In Sri Lanka, only the LTTE and the SLAF have the sophistication to kill a man who is protected by a 100-man bodyguard unit -- and if you think the army did this you probably think that the trees and the rocks are quietly conspiring against you). N.B. most of yesterday's media photographs of police cordons were actually of the security response to the killing of the two journalists not to Kadirgamar's assassination.

It looks like the LTTE is trying to drag Sri Lanka into full-scale war -- and they may succeed. Apparently, they are more concerned about their organizational stability than about P-TOMS (the tsunami relief power-sharing agreement that the Tigers and the gov't have been working on).

Internet discussions about the Sri Lankan conflict get more intensely emoitional than postings about many other conflicts. The expatriate communities are always ready to reach for the sword. And typically the posts get personal and highly defensive. Anyone with a moderate position is witch-burned and forced to defend his/her credentials and background. Nationalist expatriates tend to dominate the discussion. It's both sad and frightening. But, it's also a reflection of the political discourse in Sri Lanka, which has trouble staying moderate for terribly long.

Asingamaanawar,

Many, many thanks for your comment. I hope you stay and keep posting and aren't repelled by fools who have little to say besides calling every critic a puppet.

Cicatrix? C'mon, help me out with the Sammy Davis Jr thing ... do you see a similarity or not?

Latest developments:

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam denied any involvement

but

"A telescopic sniper weapon was used for the murder and only the LTTE uses this type of firearm," Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando told a news conference.

it's a conspiracy-

S.P. Thamilselvan, leader of the Tigers' political wing, told reporters in the northern rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi that the government should look inwardly for the culprits. "The immediate attempt to blame the LTTE is an attempt to create a bad and wrong impression in the international community and to sideline the LTTE on the international platform...There is no need for the LTTE to kill him."

Iqbal Athas, a defense analyst for Jane's Defense Weekly said the Tiger's denial was a standard disclaimer.

"This is nothing new. The LTTE in the past too denied responsibility of acts of this nature," Athas said.

More here.

Man! I just got dissed!

I don't see the resemblance to Sammy Davis Jr. :-)

Back in the day, some people sadly felt the need to call Sammy Davis Jr. an Uncle Tom. If this is the resemblance you refer to, consider yourself dissed.

I think this is the resemblance Theo is referring to.

Since there clearly isn't a physical resemblance, I shall still assume that something else was intended. My mom didn't raise me to be suspicious and paranoid for nothing, you know :)

Cicatrix, suspend your hatred for the LTTE for 5 seconds and read that quote from Thamilchelvan again. Do you not see any merit to the argument that this might have been carried out by Sinhala groups who wish for a return to war? WHY would the tigers kill him NOW?

And that quote by Athas is shoddy journalism. It claims nothing but implies everything.

I'm not being an LTTE apologist, but try to keep an open mind.
As it is, this has turned into another LTTE condemnation thread.

Anathan, consider for 5 seconds that there are reasons why the LTTE is so unambiguously comdemned by impartial observers.

I don't see the merit in the argument that Sinhala groups did this in order to restart the war because, as stated in the AP article I linked to above:

The government said Saturday it had not taken any action that would violate the cease-fire with the Tamil Tiger rebels

Kadirgama has been on a LTTE hit list for quite a while, and now they finally got him. They've tried before, so they got lucky/planned better this time. The JVP, frankly, can't see beyond the immediate gratification of its thuggish demands, at least enough to carry out the plan you suggest.

I'm really grateful to hear some good news in the middle of all this. From the first link in my last post:

However the island's stock market, hardened to the conflict, has shrugged off raging political uncertainty and sporadic violence to become Asia's best performing bourse this year.

Bourse = stock exchange.

I've been skooled!

:)

I'm really grateful to hear some good news in the middle of all this. From the first link in my last post: However the island's stock market, hardened to the conflict, has shrugged off raging political uncertainty and sporadic violence to become Asia's best performing bourse this year.

this is the point i was making earlier (#43). the stock market performance is not "good news in the middle of all this" -- it's part and parcel of the situation. it simply confirms that there are plenty of people/interests that are benefiting from the current state of sri lankan politics. it would be interesting to analyze which are the best perfoming stocks; what is the ownership structure of the firms; and what is the quality and quantity of the ties between the domestic capital-market elite and the GoSL political or for that matter military elite. (ahem)

these are patterns that have been observed in plenty of other similar cases.

asingamaawanar's analysis (#45) gets to the same point. why are the moderates on either side being killed, marginalized, silenced or outflanked? because a comprehensive political solution would necessarily shake up the economic order that has settled into being over all these years. and i mean the total economic order -- not just what you see in statistics but the informal, improvised and corrupt stuff too.

what makes negotiated settlements so hard to achieve in this sort of conflict isn't so much that "the people" on either side are so far apart, but that those who have the authority to negotiate on their behalf have little incentive to do much more than grandstand and pantomime their way through a simulacrum of negotiation, to keep a fatigued populace on side and the international community off their backs.

that's the standard pattern. i am sure that in sri lanka there are various locally specific exacerbating factors. the question is, what are the locally specific factors that could help break through the impasse, rather than worsen it?

that's my question to you cicatrix, ananthan, asingamaanawar, whoa tiger, parthi and co.

peace

Siddhartha M,

I'm sorry, I didn't meant to ignore your question. It's just that it's really obvious and really difficult at the same time. Yes, the parties involved have much to gain by keeping this simmering along. It is rumored that Premedasa actually slipped arms to the LTTE at one point. Yes, wealth-gains reek of war-profiteering. I've said so, many times on this site. All of this. I'm jsut tired of hearing myself repeat it. I'm happy about the stock market though, because a statement like that will still encourage foreign inevestment. Hopefully that money won't go entirely into the pockets on the already-rich-and-corrupt. If given the options of a job, food, education, or more of this same fighting, I think people will choose the former. But an entire generation has grown up thinking there is no hope for them, no future, so they battle on. Getting the country's economy going, and spreading that around will do more than rational arguements, I think.

As for discussing the subtleties of "locally specific exacerbating factors" - rather hard to do on a message board when every simple statement I make is lambasted as GoSL propaganda and my attention is diverted by searing personal criticisms.

If we can't break through this impasse, on a goddamn internet board, you can guess how likely it will be to do so on the ground in Sri Lanka. The moderates are silenced permanently, or cowed into silence. The problem is that every fact, every new bit of information about anyone or anything is twisted, or assume to be. Just look at the various theories concerning this killing! Ananthan is still convinced that this is some Sinhala plot.

On exacerbating factor is that the "elites' really don't have much to do with this conflict anymore. After Independance, they held the reins, but in the 70s the current president's father saw that he could sweep them aside by harnessing populist Sri Lanka -for- the-Sinhalese! themes. He did, Tamils found themselves cut off, and the roots of all this started. Sinhala elites (in the cosmopolican, rounded, educated sense) haven't flocked to politics much since then. There are some really intelligent moderates, but they find themselves ham-strung and shouted down quite often.

On the Tamil side, the Tamil elites banded to form the TULF to gain the rights lost under Bandaranayake. They supported an opposition cadidate who won, and reinstated most of those rights, but was slippery enough to placate the rabid fringe by retaining others. Well-educated, elite young tamils got sick of all this and splintered off to form the LTTE, which is now run by ruthless men who, as Parthi ever-so-kindly pointed out, are of the lower castes within Jaffna Tamil Hindu hierarchy.

So really, the elites done up and gone. It's jsut a shouting match now. Much bickering on the GoSL side, and Chandrika made some concessions to the JVP which she now (idiot) regrets, but can't seem to do much about.. on the LTTE side, Asingamaanawar said it best - The Tigers brook no dissent and have initiated a deafening, political monologue through multiple mouthpieces -- whether the voice is that of Balasingam, Tamilnet or the TNA, it's basically one, unified political yell. But, just because it's deafening, it doesn't mean it's beloved or even popular.

Actually, I simply meant that I see a strong physical resemblance. Same nose, cheekbones and eyes. But since nobody else does, I'll stop asking.

No, nothing else implied. Really. I'm not trying to call the FM "Candyman" for example.

I'm behind in the conversation, sorry.

Siddhartha M. asked a good question about local factors that can be modified to break through the impasse and Cicatrix, you didn't answer because you feel that you're being attacked for your pro-government views. However, since there are enough people in support of your position (and really only one person, who has since departed, that was on an offensive offensive), I think you should lay out an answer to the question.

As Ananthan says, this is an LTTE-bash and that's unfortunate because if anyone's really reading what I'm/we're saying, you'll/they'll know this is not a pro-LTTE rally. Rather, it's an attempt to get everyone whose stock response to everything is "LTTE sucks!" to answer the very direct yet complicated question: what do you do in the absence of LTTE?

Everyone makes strong points about how terrible the LTTE is, no one seems interested in addressing any of the grievances by Tamils in the north. All say "Ban the LTTE" and none offer a plan for what's to take place afterwards. The whole world says the LTTE's making it worse and you're saying get rid of the LTTE, but that's all you're saying: No Eelam, no autonomy, no bombs, no war, no Tigers. Sounds really simple and, similar to what someone mentioned about Eelam-supporters, naive.

Say what you want about the Tigers but then realize that they are there, so deal with it. Say what you want about Tamils, but also realize that haven't got a clue in the world as to what's going to happen next and the blame for that rests on the Tigers *and* the government. Talk about an idealized vision of SL but then acknowledge that that vision doesn't match a reality where the Tamils in Colombo have nothing to do with the ones in Jaffna, the government is fighting the Tigers and the JVP, and one of the most highly-guarded politicians in the country was just killed in front of his own house by possibly one of two Tiger armies who are waging three different wars against three different enemies.

The listing of depressing facts and troubled historical evolutions of the LTTE is impressive, but LTTE-bashing aside, is anyone interested in really discussing how to make things work or is it just easier to throw stones at an obvious target.

All say "Ban the LTTE" and none offer a plan for what's to take place afterwards.

One could also say it's easier to stay mad and just blow people up.

We've seen this script before in Northern Ireland, to pick just one example.

- Enshrine non-discrimination and protection of minorities in the SL constitution
- Encourage the development of a Tamil political party
- Grant greater self-governing autonomy to the Tamil regions in a federalist model
- Give them a vote in SL affairs similar to the bicameral compromise in the U.S. constitution
- Boost investment in education for all to reduce envy of market-dominant minorities

- Disarm the Tigers
- Grant limited amnesty to Tiger leaders
- Cut off their funding with international police cooperation
- Ban and imprison the violent factions of political parties like the JVP
- Enforce the plan with aid tied to the reports of external observers

The listing of depressing facts and troubled historical evolutions of the LTTE is impressive, but LTTE-bashing aside, is anyone interested in really discussing how to make things work or is it just easier to throw stones at an obvious target.

Yes, it is and to answer your embeded questions, it would be easier if you refrained from caustic comments yourself.

Where, where, do I say anything that's uniquivically pro-government?! I'm so sick of trying to have a conversation about this only have even the more rational interlocutors read my comments selectively, and then reshape my perspective into something easily mocked. In the interest of a worthwhile discourse, I've let people insult me, replying without exacerbating the argument.

I answered the question Whoa, Tiger. You just didn't care for it. Siddhartha M directed the question to you as well. So why, exactly are you eager to assume, critcize an lash out at me for not answering the question when I have already done so?!

Where are the "ban LTTE" "LTTE sucks" forces, exactly, on this thread? How are they more vociferous that Parthi or 43 seconds? Who, besides you, tried to discuss this rationally?

And now to my great disappointment, you've wasted a whole comment on my percieved faults and failures, and the supposedly Tamil bashing that's going on. How many times can I say that being against the LTTE does NOT mean being against TAMILS?

Siddhartha M. asked a good question about local factors that can be modified to break through the impasse and Cicatrix, you didn't answer because you feel that you're being attacked for your pro-government views.

Is being against Eelam pro-goverment? Are you saying that this is what every single Tamil person IN SRI LANKA really wants? Instead of rebutting the criticism of the LTTE, why do you immediately impugn the motives of the critic? Isn't that just a cheaper and shoddier tactic that what Ananthan claims for Iqbal Athas?

Why don't you tell me then, how life for Tamils in Sri Lanka will be once the LTTE are granted their every last wish, the country is ripped apart, and Eelam is a state. Will all the governments that condemn the LTTE as a terrorist organization rush to recognize it as an independant democratic goverment? Who will invest? With all these children raised to shoot and kill the 'enemy' what kind of civil society can exist in Eelam? Maybe I'm wrong.. I hear the LTTE were effective at rebuilding some parts of the coast that were badly damaged by the tsunami... but given the Muslim "cleansings" that were undertaken by the LTTE, I really don't think they're going to care much about the rights of minorities within Eelam. Which will be the greatest irony of all.

From the link above:

In October 1990 the LTTE expelled, with 48 hours notice, all Muslims living under their control in the northern districts of the island: Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu, and Mannar. The LTTE prevented them from taking vehicles, valuables, and other moveable property. The remaining residents of the LTTE zones were expressly forbidden from providing transportation or other support to the displaced. Seventy two thousand Muslims, victims of a shocking and neglected example of ethnic cleansing, walked south towards government areas with few possessions other than the clothes on their backs.

Which, by the way, is from Refugees International so please save me hassle of more "cicatrix u and ur propaganda" comments. When the AP and Reuters are also accused of being GoSL mouthpieces by the expat LTTE experts, heaven knows it's hard to what will actually be acceptable. Besides TamilNet.

We've seen this script before in Northern Ireland, to pick just one example.

I think we agree that the U.K. is not Sri Lanka and, despite it's failures, such a plan is at least a better direction to take than the current one; being cynical isn't any better than being militant, why take such a position?

Yes, it is and to answer your embeded questions, it would be easier if you refrained from caustic comments yourself.

Well, I suppose we could do this as a back-&-forth and accuse one another of being glib, caustic, combative, abrasive and as one person put it, "repulsive," but then it's a shouting match with no purpose, much like the war itself.

Where, where, do I say anything that's uniquivically pro-government?

Well, you don't, at least not any more than I say anything that is wholeheartedly LTTE. However, you do mention that in regard to fully answering Siddhartha's question, it's rather hard to do on a message board when every simple statement I make is lambasted as GoSL propaganda and I was simply responding to that; I should have placed quotes around "pro-government," as I was paraphrasing, sorry.

Where are the "ban LTTE" "LTTE sucks" forces

There is or at least, was, an official ban on the Tigers that has been a refrain in the LTTE-argument for some time now; In this specific discussion, a number of people, including yourself, have highlighted examples that demonstrate the LTTE's adverse effect on everyone. I haven't disupted much of anything, I don't think these examples are anyone's way of complimenting the Tigers for a "job well done" and I don't think I'm missing the point.

Have you answered it? Haven't I jsut wasted space here defending myself against your presumptious and antagonizing statement that I didn't answer because I feel attacked for my pro-goverment views!!

Hey, look, that wasn't a "Go f*ck yourself!"-comment, rather, I was telling you to explain your position and f*ck the criticism of you as a "GoSL propagandist." I didn't put an emoticon in there because I'm not sure how to do that here (and because that's not my thing), but I read your response to Siddhartha M., didn't see a direct answer to the question and assumed you were being serious about not speaking your mind. Okay? Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not here just to fight and as you say, would rather not spend a paragraph talking about how this debate-cum-argument is turning into insults-cum-abuse and subsequently ending in a war.

Is being against Eelam pro-goverment?

No, but similar to how you mention that the LTTE has co-opted the Tamil cause as their own... It's hard to disassociate being against Eelam and the government, in part because that is their official position. I realize that doesn't make you automatically "pro-government," but since our individual positions are supported, cemented and destroyed by the LTTE and government, there's very little room to squeeze out from the title.

Instead of rebutting the criticism of the LTTE, why do you immediately impugn the motives of the critic?

Because I'm not here to defend the LTTE, I've been saying that for many paragraphs now. I've also got your lack of support for Eelam in my head and although I don't necessarily believe splitting the country is a good idea, it sounds as though your position relies on a vision for SL that doesn't address the reasons for Eelam, the issues of economy, education, employment and health, the discrimination and lack of involvement in national government...

All those things are about the people and they exist with or without the Tigers and that's what I care about. Maybe all of that's in your comments, that this isn't about the LTTE but about people in both the North and the South, but I'm having hard time seeing it, that you believe even without the LTTE the north is in a state of crisis.

Why don't you tell me then, how life for Tamils in Sri Lanka will be once the LTTE are granted their every last wish, the country is ripped apart, and Eelam is a state.

A representative government made of just one form of representation means nothing, I think that's obvious. Do I think they LTTE should be granted all their wishes? No, but by the same token, people can't pretend they don't exist and can't expect that the LTTE will simply dissolve into the hemisphere following a cease-fire or seats in government. In other words, because the problem will have to be dealt with and they'll need to be either incorporated into the government or given provincial authority, some concessions have to be made. As for the rest, Manish has laid out what he seems to think is an all-too-common-plan-for-failure...

My point stays consistent on this: you have to involve LTTE in any post-ceasefire government, it's not really a choice unless a war is what everyone wants.

And my question remains: without any kind of representative bargaining by the LTTE, however flawed, who will be representing the Tamils? Oxford-educated Tamil Christians in Colombo? Jaffna et al Tamils don't have anyone and whether that's because the LTTE killed them all is irrelevant when it comes down to questions of how to get shipping routes and government funding for roads-projects, engineers to reactivate water-processing and sanitation, foreign aid... If the LTTE dissolves, in the vacuum of their absence comes a return to shoddy status-quo without any visible leaders and given the unsympathetic position of the government since before the war, that's dangerous. It's safer to work the LTTE into the government and then out of it than to simply hope it disappears.

When the AP and Reuters are also accused of being GoSL mouthpieces by the expat LTTE experts

Sarcastic props aside, I'd like to once again mention that I have never said the LTTE are little girls and boys with feather-dusters just tickling the pants off people. They're paramilitary, they're fighting a war and they're brutal. I respect their origins but not their current incarnation, however, embedded in what they're doing now is a certain truth regarding reasons they went to war, which were equally brutal and set the stage for a people to destroy themselves.

I don't read Tamilnet, Reuters is fine and despite what you may have heard, my credentials in this discussion aren't as thin as you might think. I'll give you your due respect, in equal share, and if you want we'll keep talking along with everyone and anyone else.

what makes negotiated settlements so hard to achieve in this sort of conflict isn't so much that "the people" on either side are so far apart, but that those who have the authority to negotiate on their behalf have little incentive to do much more than grandstand and pantomime their way through a simulacrum of negotiation, to keep a fatigued populace on side and the international community off their backs.

that's the standard pattern. i am sure that in sri lanka there are various locally specific exacerbating factors. the question is, what are the locally specific factors that could help break through the impasse, rather than worsen it?

Siddhartha M.,

To be honest, and I know this will raise hackles with just about everyone, I think giving the LTTE official, but temporary, control over the Jaffna port to allow for open trade and supply with India, and allowing Tamils official access to Batticaloa's port to participate in trade with Southeast Asia, will be a good step toward confidence-building and making the economy once again dependent on trade and not external funding.

The LTTE already controls the port, but if the government gives a greenlight for them to handle it with technical and engineering support from Colombo, it will be a first step toward having a factor other than war controlling the region and also, the first legitimate exchange of resources between the two sides in many years. In addition, it will also give the north a large chunk of revenue and in the overall, bolster the national economy.

It would take a lot to do it, a severe and almost brutal commitment, but it would be quite a bit easier than trying to broker cease-fires, government positions and lobbies, etc.. Of course, the whole thing is unequivocally sealed with a cease-fire and guarantee from the LTTE that they establish a civilian police force...

Another thing to do is allow for foreign contractors to rebuild certain areas and reestablish basics, such as electricity, sanitation and other "amenities" that cannot be construed as ambiguous from a military/political intelligence standpoint; Iraq has shown that a number of people are willing to enter war-zones and since the government will not allow Eelam, they'll have to address these things regardless.

Disappointment regarding rebuilding and reparation was a major factor in the break of a ceasefire not long ago, reapproaching that "conflict" more aggressively shows faith on the part of the government to engage current Tamil-grievances... Again, holding the agreement together is a ceasefire and commitment by the LTTE to establish basic municipal governing structure and guarantee security (both of which were things that existed in the '90s).

Those are just two ideas, neither of which hand too much power to either side and both of which are possible via external negotiations. In the end, as someone will most likely point out, "this" and "that" could go wrong, but since everything's wrong right now anyway, might as well try.

whoa, tiger

I get random, scattershot flames directed at me quite often, in addition to people who send their hatemail privately...Please try to see that Parthi's (for example) comments can only be taken for so long before one starts seeing angry rants everywhere. Your comments were unclear, I misread... anyway, back on track:

Here's where I think we disagree.

I think your point is this:
1.you have to include LTTE in any post-ceasefire government because,

2. without any kind of representative bargaining by the LTTE, however flawed, who will be representing the Tamils?

3. If the LTTE dissolves, in the vacuum of their absence comes a return to shoddy status-quo

4.and given the unsympathetic position of the government since before the war, that's dangerous.

5. It's safer to work the LTTE into the government and then out of it than to simply hope it disappears.

All the statements are yours, emphasis in point 5 is mine.

Ok, so working with this, here's what I think

1. The LTTE have created a catch-22 whereby Tamils (at least the expats) feel that they are all they've got, while the goverment, and virtually every other group (including most SL Tamils, I think, but lets jsut agree that's debateable) refuse to have anything to with the LTTE, because

2.The LTTE refused to let anyone else represent the Tamils. They've followed PLO tactics and consolidated power. That's why there will be a power vacuume if they're gone - they've picked off every other Tamil with leadership potential. You said Jaffna et al Tamils don't have anyone and whether that's because the LTTE killed them all is irrelevant . I beg to differ. That's hardly irrelevant. That's exactly why so many people hate them, why it's hard to respect them as a legitimate representative voice of the Tamil people.

3. After all this, do you really think it could return to status quo? Don't you think that someone Tamil will step in to lead? Do you really believe that only the LTTE has what it takes? Other Jaffna Tamils may be cowed now, but without the LTTE, do you not think someone will step up? Do you really think that the Colombo Tamils don't care? The only reason the LTTE even has this much power and authority is because they have military might. Take that, and them, away...and see what the Tamil people have to say, freely.

4. The unsympathetic positions of the government towards whome? The LTTE or the Tamils? I will not defend the fact that various govt administrations passed laws that disenfranchised the Tamils. Others reinstated some, but the fact remains the GoSL changed hands many times and the Tamils were bounced around depending on whether that administration felt like pandering to the pro-Sinhala fringe lunatics or not. As someone who would have been quite discriminated against educationally in SL, I still say that this sort of pandering and political-wrangling is not the exclusive evil domain of the GoSL. Right now the govt is actually ready to throw the Tamil people to the LTTE and concede most things short of Eelam. As I said in pt3, I don't think anything can return to the way it was after this, and I also don't think the Tamils will fare any better in the arms of the LTTE. At this point it really depends on who you see as the greater evil : GoSL or the LTTE. I will take the elected body every time.

5. I added a bold emphasis because it seemed really really optimistic to say that It's safer to work the LTTE into the government and then out of it than to simply hope it disappears. ...."And then out of it"?... Can you see the LTTE functioning smoothly in the govt in the first place? Can you see them ever voluntarily reliquishing power? Of course they won't disappear...they've been ruthless and tenacious for decades now..hoping won't make it so. But how do you propose to work them out of the govt? Even if they agree to participate in govt that is, without Eelam.

I don't necessarily believe splitting the country is a good idea, it sounds as though your position relies on a vision for SL that doesn't address the reasons for Eelam, the issues of economy, education, employment and health, the discrimination and lack of involvement in national government.....but I'm having hard time seeing it, that you believe even without the LTTE the north is in a state of crisis.

As for my "vision," the simple fact is that I'm not an expert. So as "naive", and "idealized" as I may sound, please keep in mind that I'm not shaking my love-beads and passing these on as policy suggestions. I'm just sharing my own experiences and memories of a country. A place where suspiciously few of the commentors on this thread seem to have actually lived.

The key point is language. I don't know what the latest decree is, but it used to be that Sinhalese was the first official language and Tamil the second. However, all schools had a "Tamil medium" where if you wanted, you could take all your subjects in Tamil. Notice I say "if you wanted." No one prevented tamils kids from learning Sinhalese or vice versa. But although most regular forms etc of daily civil life were translated into both languages, there were bound to be problems with courts, medical schools, univeristies, etc. The religion aspect weighed heavily in the Sinhala language classes is most texts were old Buddhist teachings.

How to encourage Tamil language in civic discourse, creating partiy between the languages, without creating a confused babble remains to be seen. Presently some Buddhist preists are running amock screaming that Sri Lanka is buddhist country and should remain so. I am not buddhist, and I think they're nuts, but I do believe that as a 70% Buddhist country, it has the right to consider itself so. (without discriminating against other religions, of course)

As it was, Sri Lanka celebrated Hindu, Muslim, and Christian holidays as well as the Buddhist. I don't know how anything got done with all the days off.

Now, I'd like to know how you have faith in the LTTE...that it does speak for the Tamil people, that it will lay its weapons down and assimilate into goverment, that it will step aside when Tamil's rights are whatever they wish it to be....when you haven't addressed what the LTTE did to 72,000 Mulims. You lose all credibility in, imo, if you claim to represent an oppressed minority, and then cast out an even smaller minority. Forbidding Tamils to help the Muslims, no less.

Hey, Cicatrix, sorry for the lag in response, I know this is a dead conversation for everyone except us... You've said a number of things and broken my argument down and before I answer points 1-5, I'm just going to clarify something:

Tamils have a number of people that can represent them, however, right now the only "political body" that is recognized at the bargaining table, by both sides, is the LTTE. It's a fact and whatever the reasons are, there is no way around that. They are in control.

It is relevant who killed whom, but when you're at a stalemate, people are dying and everyone's trying to find a way to work things out, to point the finger at the only person sitting in front of you doesn't help. The discussion on the table is how to move forward, correct wrongs and blaming the LTTE or the government for a thousand wrongs in the past isn't going to make ports open, roads appear, hospitals materialize, etc.. That holds true for both sides and the grievances I mention now are not "Will the government admit to genocide policies?" or "Will Kumaratanga apologize for saying Tamils don't belong in Sri Lanka?" but, "Can we open the port and bolster the economy?" "Can we start a vaccination program again?" and "Can we get a representative body of Tamils in Colombo that is not the TNA?" In regard to answering those last three questions, it is irrelevant to ask how many people are dead because we're talking about how to save the ones that are living and stop the others from killing.

As for whether or not someone can step into an elected position and not be LTTE, I don't see that as a possibility unless Tamils are granted Eelam. LTTE is fighting for a homeland and once they get it, it would be easier to hold elections and have others take the reins. But if there is no Eelam, the LTTE is not going to easily step aside unless they're worked into the provincial government first. It's not an unknown or unusual solution, the same thing has just happened in Indonesia...

After all this, do you really think it could return to status quo? Don't you think that someone Tamil will step in to lead? Do you really believe that only the LTTE has what it takes? Other Jaffna Tamils may be cowed now, but without the LTTE, do you not think someone will step up? Do you really think that the Colombo Tamils don't care? The only reason the LTTE even has this much power and authority is because they have military might. Take that, and them, away...and see what the Tamil people have to say, freely.

Well, you know, okay, I understand that, I accept that, ask me if I'd like to see the LTTE not have so much power and I'd say "yes." But how do you propose taking power away without getting them to first disarm, which won't occur without governing-incentives? I don't have a problem with this point, its what everyone hopes for, but I just don't see how it fits with the reality of the situation.

I will not defend the fact that various govt administrations passed laws that disenfranchised the Tamils... As I said in pt3, I don't think anything can return to the way it was after this.

Unfortunately, for as much people would rather not have the LTTE in power, most don't believe the government will do anything more than what was before and since that includes policy that disenfranchised Tamils... I think GoSL also admits that on the heels of their forty-year absence from economy-building in Jaffna, they have no economic reconstruction plan for the North following this war and thus, there is no future for people to aspire towards. So, when I say "shoddy status-quo," this is what I'm referring to.

The LTTE has no plan either but the only difference is that they are wholly focused on regional governance. Yes, they're brutal and not a good force to have in office, but, yes, there is a guarantee that they will push for localized government and recognition in Colombo. I think this is important not because I feel the LTTE deserves much of anything, but because after such a long and devastating war, there should be a resolution that guarantees nothing like this can or will happen again. There needs to be some result to all this, some formal change, constitutionally, that can ease the political scar of the war.

At this point it really depends on who you see as the greater evil : GoSL or the LTTE. I will take the elected body every time.

The elected body was elected by whom and to govern what? 2001 elections barred quite a few Tamils (70-80K, I believe), 2004 gave less than 10% of the seats in Parliament to the TNA (who not so coincidentally represent 100% of LTTE-controlled territory by force *and* consent). I don't know that in this case that the elected government knows how to govern the region fairly or efficiently. I can't say that the LTTE can do it either and so, since I see a huge war erupting if the LTTE doesn't get to govern, I'd let them have it...

I don't know who is the greater evil but for the last 20+ years, the GoSL has been a yo-yo and the LTTE has been a switchblade. Both know only how to do one thing and since the former's had a shot, give it to the latter and let them build a party, economy and system of governance that is both tied to the national-outlook and also semi-autonomous. Set it up and see if it falls or flies--if and when the former occurs, my guess is there'll be enough of a strong opposition party to take their place.

How to encourage Tamil language in civic discourse, creating partiy between the languages, without creating a confused babble remains to be seen.

That remains to seen in both India and Sri Lanka... Language is always going to be the big hammer that Tamils use to stick a nail in your head. The reasons make sense, but I think even if some kind of peaceful settlement is reached between the government and the LTTE, this will remain an issue. It happens in Malaysia also and if anyone really wants to ease the tension, the easiest solution comes in the form of English, unfortunately. Aside from that, I'd say get the new governments going in the north (and the south after this years election) and then put it to the people.

Now, I'd like to know how you have faith in the LTTE...

Because, what are the other options? The government doesn't have resources to undertake a full-scale occupation of the north (nor are they willing to do so) and they're not doing much more than the LTTE. Yes, the LTTE has done wrong and so has the government, I don't think either of them has any moral authority left and all that can be done now is to either call it even and start again, or just glare at each other until one side blinks... The government and Prabhakaran's LTTE have reiterated their commitment to the cease-fire, I think that says something about the interest in reconciliation. And, despite everyone balking at the "tsunami-accord" signed in June, it's a good sign. Nothing's impossible, but everyone has to let some of the stuff pass.

(I mentioned "Prabhakarans LTTE" because this recent assassination seems more like the Karuna LTTE stepping up to present themselves as a force of reckoning, rather than an LTTE political hit. Really, the man has been on a list for years and suddenly, now, when he has three times the protection he had in years before, the LTTE comes in for a kill? Seems odd and lacking the cold-intelligence standard in LTTE planning)

A place where suspiciously few of the commentors on this thread seem to have actually lived.

Second or third(?) time you've mentioned something like this--are you asking a question, making an accusation or just talking? If you want me to say something about this, I can give you a discreet explanation, but privately (our mutual friend in Brooklyn can give you my email).

I know this is a dead conversation for everyone except us...

No, this is an interesting and enlightening conversation and i'm glad it's taking place.

I'll preface this comment with this: I'm unable to answer Siddhartha's question because I couldn't even begin to offer concrete suggestions about specific actions that can be undertaken to move things forward.

My perspective is like a lot of others; we were born there but fled the war as kids and were raised in the west. My information about the conflict comes mostly from following media coverage (majority non-tamil) and listening to relatives and others. Cicatrix has sort of dismissed the views of people like me as uninformed and biased, but I try to read and understand the issues from both sides and would rather have compromise than anything else. I don't consider myself allied with any faction or group.

Cicatrix, I don't consider you a GoSL mouthpiece but, as whoa, tiger has said, condemnation of the LTTE is a non-starter. You can criticize and condemn the LTTE to the end of time - there is plenty of fodder to keep you occupied - but this isn't proactive and will not bring a resolution any closer.

Your vision of an equal and inclusive society ignores the significant level of distrust that I have seen in tamils for the government. The government is guilty of committing atrocities equally horrible to what you claim of the LTTE. Acknowledging this, why would the tamil people trust the government any more than the tigers? Because they're democratically elected by the majority Sinhalese population?

This conflict arose out of the actions of that same democratically elected government. To ask the tamil people to put their faith in it once again seems a little bit far fetched doesnt it? The actors might have changed but the institution is the same one that created this mess. Have they done anything to deserve the faith or trust of tamils? It's a rock and a hard place and both are around to stay... i'm not a pessimist by nature but the whole situation doesnt leave room for much else.

And no, im not saying that the LTTE didn't kill this man, but I am not willing to say they did this without a shadow of a doubt. There are too many other interested factions and questions for any reflexive condemnation. There's a discussion on that here. There are plenty of links to reactions from others (mostly living in SL) and i'm glad to see that my skepticism isn't simply a product of my biased, foreign view.

I know this is a dead conversation for everyone except us...

I've been following this thread since it started too... Please do keep the discussion flowing...

i too really appreciate this discussion and the effort you (cica, whoa, ananthan) are putting into it.

i'm rushing to hit the road and will be away from the computer much of the next few days but i'll be checking in and will share some thoughts that your comments are provoking.

peace

siddhartha

This is an interesting development, peace talks are starting up again. I expected things to get worse after the killing, not better.

I had to focus on work for the past few days, so I'm afraid I haven't been around to continue this discussion.

Frankly, I think there is a stalemate. I'm sorry for it, but this detached, academic, clinical analysis is not possible for me. I'm not a policy wonk, and never claimed to be. I ask if commenters have lived in Sri Lanka because it's a very different reality when you live there. Sometimes the rumors and whispers had more truth than anything published...as proved by the many times vendors and neighbours would exchange info like, "don't go to Pettah market today." And that afternoon a carbomb would explode there.

Outside observers are often loathe to criticize one group more than the other for fear of losing 'impartial' status, so it speaks volumes that the LTTE have been condemend outright by Amnesty International, Refugees Internations, Human Rights Watch, among others.

Accepting the LTTE as the de facto representative of the Tamil people, whoa Tiger, and moving to cement their status as the de jure representative body in order to break this state of war, open ports, build infrastructure etc (as you mentioned) appears to be a pragmatic solution. In theory. But if also doesn't take into account the LTTE history of squeezing the Tamil people for its own ends.

Please understand, I appreciate your focus on moving forward. My point is that taking a good hard look at the LTTE isn't just about toting up past crimes and misdemeanors.

Your suggestions up the ante quite a bit. Recognizing and legalizing the LTTE would mean giving them legitimate power. And once that happens it will be even harder to unseat them, should they not live up to the hopes and assumptions you've outlined above.

Here are extracts from a report by the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) - a group of present and former university teachers at the Jaffna university who speak out against the LTTE, documenting human rights abuses.

I find the questions of Muslim evictions in 1990 of interest since the LTTE say they represent a minorty group oppressed by a majority goverment. They they turn right around and expell 72,000 people, prohibiting them from even taking their belongings with them. Such strong-arm exclusionary tactics don't bode well for the economic redevelopment you envision. If the LTTE gain Eelam, or are a recognized form of representational goverment, Sri Lanka will have the equivelent of a legalized Mafia.

I don't understand really, how you can have so much faith in the LTTE doing better in the future, while being rather callous about the Tamil people's future if the LTTE doesn't do better:

GoSL has been a yo-yo and the LTTE has been a switchblade. Both know only how to do one thing and since the former's had a shot, give it to the latter .... Set it up and see if it falls or flies--if and when the former occurs, my guess is there'll be enough of a strong opposition party to take their place.

So giving the LTTE the thumbs up to "build a party, economy and system of governance that is both tied to the national-outlook and also semi-autonomous" will loosen their strangehold on Tamil representation how, exactly? if their isn't a strong opposition party now, how will one spring out of nowhere once the LTTE are given legitimate power in addition to its military might?

from the university teacher's report on the "Gold Tax", linked above:

In 1990 the LTTE had launched its liberation tax to which each family had to contribute Rs 10,000 or 2 sovereigns of gold. Even the destitute had to pay this 'once and for all', which was explained as buying shares in the future state of Eelam. It took more than two years of pressure, harassment and even selective detention to force even those without money to borrow and pay up...

Those with family members abroad were taxed according to the number and country, irrespective of access to their money; for example, about Rs. 45,000 for a son in Switzerland....

It has been decreed that only the LTTE could purchase gold. The price initially offered at Rs.3000 per sovereign was about 50% to 60% of the market rate. There are also restrictions on the carrying of jewellery by those leaving the North. By comparison, the Muslims the LTTE chased out of Jaffna in 1990 had to surrender all their valuables. Women then were subject to humiliating body searches with sometimes ear-rings being plucked off bleeding ears - all by women cadre.

This is the LTTE past and present again the very people they will be representing if given recognition and autonomy. It is not "irrelevant to ask how many people are dead" when the living will be served up to exactly the same people who did the killing. If the GoSL was "genocidal" (a claim that is rather dubious, frankly. Guilty of discriminatory laws and practices, yes. But that's not genocidal) then how would you describe it when Tamils are being killed by the LTTE?