Source: Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Republished in full
"Sri Lanka has exploded many myths about terrorism one by one for the benefit of the democratic world such as 'terrorism is the war of the poor and war terrorism of the rich'. While routing the LTTE's determined efforts to ratchet up civilian casualties, the Sri Lankan military has laid bare the true face of terrorism" states The Island Editorial today(Jan 19).
The editorial themed, "Help Lanka Help the world', further highlights the need for undeterred assistance from the international community and HR perpetrators to prevent LTTE from dragging the innocent Wanni civilians into a dire situation.
Full text of the editorial.
"That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind" a jubilant Neil Armstrong proudly beamed back upon setting foot on the moon to an awestruck world way back in 1969. Forty years on, in a far-flung corner of the earth, a tiny island nation, which is trying to keep itself afloat in a whirlpool of economic woes, is taking a giant leap for mankind in her small way. If the mighty US by sending a man to the moon demonstrated to the world that mankind was capable of breaking down seemingly insurmountable barriers in conquering space, Sri Lanka, a speck of a country not capable of sending anything other than an ahasgundu into the sky, has proved that the civilised world is capable of meeting head on the biggest threat to mankind in the modern world-terrorism. 'The most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world' is about to receive a decapitating blow from Sri Lanka's small yet highly motivated and innovative military.
Ironically, it is not assistance that Sri Lanka has received from the democratic world for her model war on terror but stiff resistance. She has had to clear many a hurdle slapped in her path by even the so-called crusaders for global democracy battling their terrorists with might and main turning as they do a Nelsonian to huge collateral damage.
Sri Lanka has exploded many myths about terrorism one by one for the benefit of the democratic world such as 'terrorism is the war of the poor and war terrorism of the rich'. While routing the LTTE's determined efforts to ratchet up civilian casualties, the Sri Lankan military has laid bare the true face of terrorism. Self-appointed liberators of the LTTE, who accuse the government of committing 'genocide', have had to use barbaric force to prevent people from fleeing to the army-controlled areas. (The LTTE spin doctors need to be asked: Would victims of genocide ever flee to the side of perpetrators?)
Prabhakaran has proved he is worse than Rev. Jim Jones, who created hell on earth for his blind followers in the name of salvation, assassinated those who tried to escape and finally made all of them commit mass suicide in 1978. Jones, too, promised a utopia in the jungles!
Protection of human rights has apparently become the raison d'ˆtre of the western world, if the preoccupation of their Colombo-based envoys with the predicament of the displaced in the Vanni is any indication. Their concern for the plight of civilians should be appreciated. But, intriguingly, none of them seem capable of or keen on securing the release of the hapless people in the clutches of the LTTE. We are told the UN has called upon the LTTE to release those civilians! That the LTTE with a history of abducting even UN workers with impunity will not heed that feeble appeal is known even to a tyke.
The powerful West and the UN having thus failed to make the LTTE fall in line, a call for a truce is the fig leaf with which they are trying to cover their nudity. In protecting human rights in Sri Lanka, why have the EU, the US, Norway, Australia etc. chosen to fight short of arresting Prabhakaran's allies on their soil for aiding and abetting the LTTE's crimes against civilians such as forced labour, forcible conscription, recruitment of child soldiers and using them as a human shield for the safety of LTTE leaders?
Speculation is rife in defence circles that Prabhakaran will try to flee the country after the fall of Vishvamadu, if he is still there in the Vanni. If any country were to shelter that criminal warlord sentenced to 200 years RI in this country and wanted in India for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, it would eminently qualify for pariah status as a state sponsoring terrorism.
What Sri Lanka about to make the biggest contribution to the world's war against terrorism deserves is not a monkey wrench in the works but unstinted support.
Courtesy: The Island
