Are Tamils waving LTTE flags "terrorists"? by Dushy Ranetunge

Apologists in Sri Lanka are quick to defend Mahinda Rajapakse in
pointing to LTTE flag waving protestors in London as evidence of
proscribed terrorists on British soil plotting to divide the
“motherland”.



They are confused as to why Britain is turning a blind eye, refusing to
crack down, accusing London of harbouring and even tacitly supporting
secessionists to underpin a perceived master plan of
colonial/European/Western domination. Its “divide and rule” they say.

Another favourite explanation is that it is all being done for electoral expediency of British parliamentarians.

The above is a display of weakness of Colombo’s thought and policy in
relation to what is going on. As long as this attitude persists, the
present regime’s desire to reconcile its relationships with the Tamils,
the West and overcome its war crimes conundrum will remain an uphill
task.

The mindset of the present regime gripped with a Serbian style
nationalism liberally branding opponents “traitors” seem incapable of
rising above a certain water mark and this will directly impact on Sri
Lanka’s fortunes and the destiny of Sri Lankan citizens.

Successive Sri Lankan regimes insecure and lacking in confidence have
repeatedly attempted to buttress their domestic popularity in covering
themselves with the “national” flag of religion and nationalism.

Over the decades this policy has alienated Tamils, Burghers, and even
English speaking Sinhalese who have reacted in different ways. All these
communities have emigrated in large numbers and have withdrawn from the
state sector.

It is only the brave from the elite English speaking educated Sinhalese
or Tamil communities who will aspire to participate in the Sri Lankan
state. Those of the calibre of Lakshman Kadirgamer who venture into the
state sector are indeed a rarity, irrespective of ethnicity.

The Sri Lankan state no longer functions at the optimum available to it
in terms of its human resources. It has alienated entire sections of its
population, often the highly educated and skilled in the republic.

Those who do venture in, run the risk of leaving with their reputation
in tatters. One observes those sitting on the LLRC with sympathy and you
can forget about those “experts” who expressed their “expertise” about
the channel 4 war crimes video on behalf of the Sri Lankan state.

While the vociferous nationalistic Sri Lankan mind wants to brand those
who waved the LTTE flags in London as terrorists, London appreciates the
nuances of the Sri Lankan problem and the alienation of sections of its
population.

It recognises that Sri Lankans are rallying to the LTTE flag as a means
of protest against inherent weaknesses of its make up which has
alienated sections of its population.

British intelligence routinely monitors the Tamil Diaspora and advises
the government. The LTTE hardcore in London is a small group, which is
being “empowered” by Colombo’s behaviour.

The successive riots leading up to 83 riots, Sinhala only, the burning
of the Jaffna library etc were acts of Colombo that “empowered” the LTTE
and facilitated the rallying of Tamils to the LTTE flag.

The recent Tamil national anthem fiasco, is yet another such
empowerment. Disrespect for Tamil and English languages have been a
major issue of contention and the recent Tamil national anthem fiasco
once again underpins the insensitive behaviour of the Sinhala
nationalist mindset that empowers the LTTE flag.

Colombo needs to come to terms with the fact that just as some Americans
continue to wave the confederate flag, some Sri Lankans will continue
to wave the LTTE flag.

The British establishment recognises the need of Colombo to urgently
address governance issues. It recognises that the global turbulence of
the Tamil Diaspora is a direct response to weaknesses of governance in
Colombo, leading to the empowerment of the small group of fumbling
radical Tamil separatists who are heavily monitored by British
intelligence.

The isolation or the empowerment of this core LTTE group is directly
correlated to Colombo’s behaviour. Hardliners in Colombo expect Britain
to crackdown on the Tamil community in the UK similar to the way it does
against Tamil activists in Sri Lanka, without appreciating that such
action would be impossible and would be deemed illegal, as it would be
action against an entire community and would be defeated in the courts.

Tamils engaging in activity that is deemed terrorist logistics/violence
would be disrupted by British authorities, but the answer to Sri Lanka’s
problems are in Colombo.

Sri Lanka needs to change, to take the bull by the horns and change its
behaviour for the better, building a rainbow nation (not a Sinhala only
one) uniting its many talents and races creating space for all
communities.

It would be incredibly foolish to think that Mahinda’s unity forged with
an army larger than the British army would last the test of time.

Sri Lanka needs to change. It needs to forge a new nation, uniting its
estranged peoples, not with empty words to an empty United Nations or
empty Oxford Union which had to be filled in the last occasion he
addressed it with bus loads organized by the High Commission in London,
but with change in behavior and deed.

Until then, as Colombo fumbles with poor governance, the LTTE flag will
continue to fly around the globe by Tamil sons and daughters of Sri
Lanka, protesting at Colombo’s foolishness.

The present regime is depending excessively on Kadirgamer’s “terrorist”
strategy to encourage foreign governments to crack down on LTTE
activists amongst the Diaspora without fully appreciating that it is
running out of fuel. With poor governance, if Sri Lanka continues its
present strategy in a post LTTE world, it runs the risk that at some
point, that Kadirgamer’s “terrorist” strategy will begin to unravel.

The United States was the first country to list the LTTE as a proscribed
terrorist organization. Others countries followed it over the following
years. The Sinhalese need to understand that globally the Tamils have
the sympathy of host communities and the Sinhalese are perceived as the
aggressors.

Now with a democratic grouping agitating as the Trans National
Government of Tamil Eelam, increased democratic activity and the moving
away from terrorism since 2009, the LTTE is building a case to push for
de-proscription globally.

Already, the ignoring of those waving the LTTE flags in the West is an
indication that the lobbying of the LTTE that its cause is a liberation
struggle and not a terrorist one is slowly, but steadily gaining
currency.

This argument was used in the past as well, but less convincingly, as
the LTTE were carrying out terrorist attacks negating it. But in a post
LTTE world, attitudes are changing.

Colombo is indirectly helping in this endeavor with its record of poor
governance. The recent fiasco in London and its delay/inability to
address the war crimes issue is further damaging Sri Lanka, giving
momentum to the Tamil cause who are now on a high after the May 2009
downer.

The concept of separatism is not unlawful internationally. Only
Terrorism is. If the Tamils mobilize a democratic movement for
separatism and the Sri Lankan state crushes it militarily, it will
further weaken and isolate Colombo internationally.