Am I happy that the LTTE is defeated?

Its Victoria day here in Canada and as the firecrackers are being lit my mind wanders to the elation in Sri Lanka and the military defeat the LTTE Terrorist Organization faced this weekend. Certainly there are firecrackers being lit aplenty back in Sri Lanka and the friends and family that I spoke to are all happy. Personally I don't know whether its happiness that I feel, but I know its definitely not sadness.

Unlike some of my fellow expatriate Sri Lankans here in Canada I'm not privy to the inner workings of the LTTE; as such I'm not fully aware of the depth of commitment and representation they have amongst the expatriate Tamil Community here in Canada. I always thought the LTTE Terrorist movement was a clandestine movement funded by select numbers of misguided expatiate Sri Lankans and affiliated street gangs but over the past few weeks my opinion has changed. The protests opened my eyes to another side of the LTTE: The complex face of the international diaspora that funds them.

I have seen how regular everyday expatriates I wouldn't look twice at, support the LTTE. I watched as they thonged the streets of Toronto with their families; hundreds strong at times and chanted along with students from York, Toronto and Ryerson Universities. I saw how they waved the red and yellow LTTE flag and passionately protested their cause. I feel a bit uneasy at the sight of such strong visible support for a banned Terrorist organization in the city that I call my own; but like many Canadians I understand their right to freedom of speech.

But I don't understand why they support the LTTE. I don't understand why they were protesting for a ceasefire to save civilians caught in the crossfire when it was the LTTE that was holding them hostage all along. I don't understand how they claim the LTTE is any better than the government of Sri Lanka. And I don't understand how they claim genocide when its the undeniably the LTTE that has killed and victimized all the other ethnic groups that lived in the areas they controlled including Buddhists, Muslims and Christians.

I do however understand the fear that the LTTE instilled in us Sri Lankans and the way in which they targeted civilians so as to have their demands carry weight. I remember how news of suicide bombings in Colombo sent chills down my spine and how waves of phone calls would flood the phone lines as friends, relatives, parents and children called each other. Calls to check on people, inquire on their safety and inquire after common friends. I understand the panic that the air attacks caused in the Sri Lankan capital and the pandemonium that each raid flung the city into. I understand how the war drove up our cost of living and how the average Sri Lankan struggles to make ends meet.

So do I feel happy that the Terrorist Organization which the pro-LTTE diaspora here support got defeated militarily? I don't know. But I hope this now means they will address their concerns democratically instead of through acts of terror.

Am I happy at the opportunity of re-unification that this now offers Sri Lanka? Of course. Am I looking forward to supporting a democratic solution to the underlying issues that lead to this conflict in the first place? Yes, absolutely....

Arson at the Scarborough temple in Toronto

Arsonists set fire to the temple in Scarborough, Ontario this morning amidst news that the war in Sri Lanka was coming to an end. Its not really known whether the arsonists had prior knowledge of the latest developments in the Sri Lankan conflict, but despite the situation in Sri Lanka; regardless of whether the LTTE Terrorist leaders were encircled by the Sri Lankan army and were contemplating suicide or otherwise, setting fire to a temple building was low.

Its my understanding that the act was an act of frustration at the situation in Sri Lanka and a punitive effort at revenge against the Sinhalese community here in Toronto by pro-LTTE elements. I understand that pro-LTTE protesters in Toronto are skeptical of the news that the war in Sri Lanka is coming to an end; but they must really be frustrated if vandalizing a place of worship is to be their response to those events.

It serves no purpose, really and only deepens the divide amongst Sinhalese Canadians and Tamil Canadians here in Toronto. I'm glad the Sinhalese community is acting with restraint and lets hope that its only the extremist elements of the pro-LTTE supporters that endorse such acts. The majority of them will I hope, be more democratic as they interact with their fellow Sri Lankans here in Canada.

Ask the LTTE to grant the civilians safe passage

I just came across this video: True, its taken by Sri Lankan government forces but what it shows can not be denied.

The video shows the LTTE blocking civilians from crossing over to cleared areas and designated no-fire safe zones by firing at them.

WHY? aren't the red-LTTE terrorist flag waving protesters demonstrating at Queens park right now not talking about this? Why are they not demanding that individuals close to the LTTE terrorist organizers in Canada address such concerns and work to free the trapped civilians?

Genocide?

Protests in Toronto by pro-LTTE groups have been the rife these days and have really jumped into media view due to the disruption being caused to our city. Most Canadians don't really understand the reason for it, but swivel around and pay attention when they hear the word "Genocide" being brandied about by a crowd that's 12,000 strong.

Genocide? By whom? Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group. That's NOT what's happening in Sri Lanka although the red-LTTE terrorist flag waving individuals that are holding the city of Toronto hostage will tell you otherwise. What's happening in Sri Lankan is the entrapment of civilians in a war zone.

These civilians are unable to cross over to safe zones away from the fighting that is occurring between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE terrorists. They are trapped in-between the two groups and are caught in the cross fire.

So why aren't these civilians being allowed to leave and are escourted off the war front you ask? Why are they getting caught in the cross-fire? Well that's exactly what I want to ask the red-flag LTTE terrorist flag waving individuals that have been protesting at Queen's park all day today.

So far all fingers point to the the LTTE terrorists. The UN and other international 3rd party sources have verified that the civilians in the warzone are actively being prevented from leaving.

SO WHY?

Why doesn't the LTTE allow these civilians free passage to safer areas? Why are they actively contributing the the death of innocent civilians and why are the red LTTE flag waving protesters not demanding the Terrorist organization that they support; grant these individuals free passage to safer areas?

WHY are they clogging up our streets when in actuality its the LTTE terrorist group that is in actuality, actively causing all these civilians deaths?

LTTE !!! Let them go...!!

I'll join the protesters on parliament hill, or any of the protests currently being being staged in Canada. Heck I'll even wave one of their bloody red and yellow Terrorists flags, I'll do whatever, as long as the LTTE promise to release the poor civilians they are holding hostage...

The LTTE terrorist group are right bastards; cowering behind civilians and abusing the very people they claim to protect while accusing all and sundry of genocide. Its like lying down in front of a Toronto Transit Corp diesel-electric bus and yelling murder when the front wheels thump over one's ribcage.

The video embedded below highlights some of the suffering the civilians being held hostage by the LTTE are subjected too. Before you watch it be warned; its gruesome and has graphic pictures of injured civilians trudging their way to safety after fleeing the LTTE Terrorists.

....I'll even yell anti-government slogans and throw bottles at passing traffic like they did in France yesterday. Heck, I'll do anything just as along as the hypocritical LTTE terrorist sympathizers agree to free the civilians being held hostage, I'm down.

Red Cross (ICRC) as well as the UN confirm that the LTTE are using civilians as human shields

An excerpt that was taken from the "Situation Report" at http://actlanka.com/2009/

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as the UN confirm that the LTTE are using civilians as human shields.

With only 28km of land area currently controlled by the LTTE, anyone of a fighting age is forcibly recruited into the LTTE and civilians attempting to flee are being shot, chased and often killed.

Only those that are of no use to the LTTE, the severely injured, the children and the elderly are allowed to leave and even then, only when they have managed to flee and reach the ICRC boat loading area.

Before being loaded onto a boat, a medical decision (Triage) is made as to whether each civilian can survive the journey. Those that are determined high risk are left to die.

The ICRC are, under instruction of the State, now bringing boats ashore in Pulmoddai, from the conflict zone. These boats arrive every few days and carry approximately 480 civilians.

Of those civilians arriving via ICRC boats, a third are seriously injured, a third have relatively minor injuries and the remaining third are bystanders accompanying the injured.

Civilian arrivals are registered, tagged and treated by the Indian & Sri Lankan doctors at Pulmodai Field Hospital. Later, some patients (with bystanders) are transferred to Padaviya Hospital and some stay overnight and then transferred. Those that arrive with no injury and not accompanying any injured are transferred to Padaviya for overnight stay.

Once emergency medical treatment is provided and patients are stabilized, the injured fit enough for travel are then dispatched to Vavuniya Hospital.

Attack on Sri Lankan village by armed insurgents

Armed insurgents have randomly attacked a village in Sri Lanka. The reports currently published indicate that it was an attack that was carried out by the LTTE on unarmed civilians who were tending to their crop.