Inimical forces trying to achieve what LTTE couldn't - Security Forces Jaffna Commander Major General Mahinda Haturusinge published in CDN, State Daily)
'''The only problem the people have to cope with is dealing with the
politically bankrupt politicians in the North and South who raise
hypothetical issues. The children of these politicians who shed
crocodile tears do not live or study in North, but, live and study in
Colombo schools or at foreign universities. The North of
Sri Lanka is only a topic for the diaspora, the bankrupt politicians,
both in the North and South and various organizations with vested
interests operating with foreign backing. ''
Q: With the Geneva sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) ongoing, various factions are raising matters related to human rights violations which are said to have happened at the height of the humanitarian operation conducted to guarantee the human rights of nearly 300,000 Tamil persons who were held as human shields by LTTE terrorists. Others also speak of various grievances of the people in the North as well. What have you to say about this phenomenon as the Commander of the Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna?
A: I think there are the factions who are envious of Sri Lanka's present situation in the aftermath of the humanitarian operation. But if one from Geneva or from anywhere else considers the issues in Sri Lanka or in the Northern part of Sri Lanka during the humanitarian operation or post war situation, the related indexes have to be compared during the corresponding periods. But, without scientifically analyzing this situation, those inimical forces make baseless allegations based on hearsay.
However, the matter in focus here are the human rights violations. But, what we have to say is that not by the United Nations’ Conventions or Charters that we studied human rights, but through Buddhism. We have been taught to protect not only the rights of humans,but, the rights of the animals too. Sri Lankans are a very humane kind of people.
But in reality, there are a few groups working together to achieve what the LTTE could not by military means. One is the political groups in North that propagated the LTTE viewpoint and enjoyed their support. The second group is the diaspora in the international sphere that supported the LTTE and another being the politicians in those corresponding countries who benefit from the diaspora.
The fourth are the politicians in Tamil Nadu, India that promote the Eelam Homeland Concept to continue their politics. This combination seems to become more active when the UNHRC sessions get close.
The US sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka is only another attempt to fulfill this goal. The Sinhalese and Tamils have been living together as Sri Lankans for thousands of years.
However, when human rights violations are considered during the three decade old conflict in Sri Lanka, I clearly and with a great sense of responsibility say that the LTTE was responsible for the highest number of human rights violations in the North of Sri Lanka, and not the government.
For example in 1981, the LTTE commenced lamp post killing which is a human right violation. They tied up their political opponents to lamp posts and shot them dead. This punishment created a fear psychosis among the entire Tamil community. With their actions against the Security Forces, they set land mines in populated places hoping that we would react against the Tamil community.
Meanwhile, the LTTE continued their training camps in Sri Lanka and in India with the Indian government’s knowledge. Then the LTTE forcefully recruited the youth by threatening their parents with death which is also a serious human rights violation. The LTTE abducted schoolchildren by forceful conscription which is another human rights violation. The youth also were sent forcefully to India for weapons training. In later years, the schools were turned into bunkers by the LTTE. The Jaffna University was used by the LTTE in 1987 depriving the youth their tertiary education.
These are the human rights violations of the Tamil People in North. The Tamil people in the North were deprived of their human rights by the LTTE and not by anyone else. The LTTE killed any Tamil person or destroyed any other organization comprised of Tamils that stood against them(LTTE) and also destroyed Tamil youth. President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to put an end to the LTTE’s endeavour of destroying the Tamil youth. In this endeavour he brought all communities together and directed the three forces and the Police to end the conflict under the the supervision of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, guaranteeing the human rights of the Tamil people. Thereafter, the Tamil people were given the rights even to talk of their rights. Before that they did not enjoy any type of human rights at all.
Pro-LTTE agents operating with foreign backing are trying to discredit Sri Lanka in the eyes of the world making various allegations about alleged human rights violations. It was the Sri Lankan government which saved nearly 300,000 Tamil people, kept as human shield by the LTTE during, the humanitarian operation. Bankrupt politicians in the North backed by forces inimical to Sri Lanka are trying take the country back to conflict by destroying peace and harmony, Security Forces Jaffna Commander Major General Mahinda Haturusinge said in an interview with the Daily News.
