Sri Lanka and the Tamils (and Israel)
I am going to take a risk here and say a few words about the endgame going on in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) at the moment. Sri Lanka is a large island just South of India with nearly 20 million people living there. Most Sri Lankans are an ethnic group known as the Sinhalese but in the far North is a minority of Indian affinity called Tamils, some relatively recent arrivals from India and some of more ancient origin. Most of the world’s Tamils live just North of Sri Lanka in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. Tamils have a civilization going back over 2,000 years and the ones in Sri Lanka felt that the Sinhalese did not treat them with due respect. They were more prosperous than the Tamils in India, however, so they accepted the status quo, with very few escaping the Sinhalese “oppression” by taking the 20 mile journey across the Palk strait to Tamil Nadu. Then along came some far Leftist creators of trouble who whipped up feelings of grievance among the Sri Lankan Tamils and thus the Tamil Tigers were born: Communist “nationalists” much like Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam or Stalin during WWII.
What the Tigers demanded was “eelam” — a homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka independent of the rest of Sri Lanka. That they already had a homeland just across the strait in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu was ignored. But the Sinhalese did not like the idea of losing part of their island at all — particularly to a hostile Communist regime. They wanted Sri Lanka to remain united. But for 30 years they negotiated with the Tigers off and on in the hope of finding a peaceful solution. At one time they even allowed an Indian “peacekeeping” force into their island to stand between them and the Tigers. All they got was terrorism in return. The suicide belt is a Tamil invention. And all India got was the assassination of their Prime Minister by a Tamil. There is a great deal of sympathy for the Sri Lankan Tamils in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu but the Tigers threw away any prospect of Indian support by their viciousness.
So in the end all patience was exhausted and the Sinhalese accepted aid from China which enabled them to move from containing the Tamils towards an all out military solution — gradually grinding the Tigers down to nothingness. And that is now just about all done. It proved to be the only way to peace and to rescue the ordinary Tamil population from the tyranny of the Tigers. All very sad — particularly because it shows how Israel’s patience must run out one day too. Sometimes peace can NOT be gained by talk. Neville Chamberlain found that out. Sometimes the enemy can only be destroyed. 30 years! Just remember that! The Sinhalese negotiated for 30 years before they decided that they had to wipe the Tigers out if they wanted peace. One is reminded of Bismarck’s much reviled but sadly true dictum: “Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided – but by iron and blood”.
Israel has now been negotiating with the Arabs for around 60 years and it is not presently foreseeable that they will treat Gaza the way the Sinhalese eventually treated the Tamil enclave. But “transfer” (deportation) of recalcitrant Arab populations to other countries has long been discussed in Israel so could become a majority view who knows when? So it is no wonder that the two Arab countries which have peace treaties with Israel are Egypt and Jordan. Because they are the two neighboring countries which have historic and quite recent ties with the Gazans and the West Bank Arabs and into which the Gazans and the West Bank Arabs could be expelled. But they don’t want the “Palestinians” either. But Syria remains foolishly hostile. In the 19th century the Arab population of what is now Israel was described as Syrian. So the Syrians could reasonably be expected to welcome their Arab brothers back, could they not? The Arab countries expelled or forced out their Jewish populations so why should the Jews not expel their Arab population?
Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. To keep up with attacks on free speech see TONGUE-TIED. Also, don’t forget your daily roundup of pro-environment but anti-Greenie news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH . Email me (John Ray) here
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Posted by JonJayRay on May 17, 2009 9:07 am
» Filed Under Communism, History, Israel, Middle East, News, Politics As Usual, gaza, terrorism
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14 Responses to “Sri Lanka and the Tamils (and Israel)”
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So the government is supported by Communist China. That might explain why the U.S. and other countries tried to shield the Tamil Tigers but were ignored. Thank you for the information.
It’s just a bunch of people with anger management issues.
I’ve seldomly come across a lunatic rant as stupid as this.
Quote-mining Bismarck with “Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided – but by iron and blood” when he was the one who kept Europe out of war with his diplomacy, which was ruined by Wilhelm II who didn’t continue the policy of pacts?
How mind-numbingly stupid is that?
One moron didn’t even understand the first world war but rants about politics?
And talking about Neville Chamberlain when appeasement is the present policy of the West regarding the nuke-toting, torturing, rabidly racist Apartheid-freaks?
Shameful!
Listen people, if you want to co exist demolish the sinhala only act. Give the Tamils equality because they are the natives of the Ceylon (British) and prior to that the island was called Eelam. So, those who speak of co existence, i dare them to demolish the sinhala only act and then speak of co existence. Instead of twisting and rewriting the history.
— “Maybe America and Canada can be given back to all the Natives?” —
The “natives” can have Canada and the USA back when they beat us in a war. As it is we’re currently giving the US and Canada away to everyone *but* the natives – Indians, Chinese, Africans and, especially, Mestizos from south of the Rio Grande. Canada is already home to over 200,000 ethnic Tamils, who are virulently pro-Tiger.
The Sinhalese just won their war, in a manner no worse than the Allies won World War 2. The Tamils have only been in Ceylon for ca. 1000 years, not “1000’s.” If the Tamils in Sri Lanka can’t co-exist peacefully they should be shipped back to India.
this is what happens when you get people who dont know anything about a situation writing like they are an authority.
thanks for wasting all our time.
Sinhala only Act was demolished way back in 1978 constitution. These people are so ignorant and believe lies given by LTTE Propaganda. Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that has Tamil Language accept as a national language Sri Lanka use Sinhala, and Tamil as national languages and English is the second language.
Before you write please study the history.
Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that has Tamil Language accept as a national language… SIN GAP Pore has also accepted long before you were born I believe, which is also Is land Count try with minority population of Tamils cohesive and coherent co-existing with other races nationalities foreigners new immigrants expatriates… This shows Tamils basically are good people who contribute to the well-being and economy of the world and the land they dwell and belong to… where as lankans how many countries know you..Infact the Tamils have made known your own race to the rest of the world…Tamils are well established community in Cannada, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, in all over Europe- UK, Germany, France, Italy even in Middle-east and the rest of the world.
It’s human nature when they are marginalized and dominated by other human race they erupt like a volcano.. It has indeed erupted but the lava flowing out of the 10 of thousands will flood the nation…then everyone will know the value of each ones life…when it comes to ones own life only then will they know what is life….
Right when I read the first paragraph I knew where this article was going.
You make the incorrect assertion that just because the Palestinians happen to speak Arabic, they have no right to live on the land they are indigenous to and should be perfectly fine if they move to any other Arab country. A Zionist lie.
Why not lump all Hispanics and Mexicans to Spain then?
Like the Palestinians, Ceylon’s Tamils have had bad luck in their choice (or in most cases, non-choice) of leaders.
Prabhakaran was a Hitler. A small Hitler on a smaller stage, but a Hitler to his very bone marrow. Even down to the very end, when everyone else in the known universe knew it was over, his bunker mentality mirrored the last days of Der Fuhrer.
Hopefully, the next Tamil leader will have a basic understanding of the words “compromise” and “negotiate,” but you never know. The BBC printed the comments of some British Tamils who, from their plush London flats, want the war to continue in a nastier, more suicidal mode. With fools like those free to blather on far from Ground Zero, Prabhakaran need not roll over in his freshly-dug grave just yet…
Sudarshana , who told you Srilanka is the only country has Tamil as national language? How about Singapore?
Anyway Tamil is a national language of Sri Lanka. Why are they still demanding a separate nation?
On the other hand Sri Lanka has only 4% of the world Tamil population. Tamil Nadu (meaning Tamil homeland) houses more than 90% of all Tamils. So Tamil Nadu must be the Tamil nation, not a part of Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu was a seperate nation for 2,000 years before European invaders brought it under their rule. When they left, it fell into the hands of India. Severe protests were lauched by Tamils in Tamil Nadu but to no avail. Ultimately they were forced to give up in 1968.
Thereafter (4 years later) the struggle for a Tamil nation started in Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka was thought to be weak and indeed was weak until all Sri Lankans (including Tamil leaders like Lakshman, Jeyaraj, Loganathan, Devananda, Anandasangaree, Thondaman, Chandrasekaran, Vinayagamoorthi, Chandrakanthan, etc.) said
Thereafter (4 years later) the struggle for a Tamil nation started in Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka was thought to be weak and indeed was weak until all Sri Lankans (including Tamil leaders like Lakshman, Jeyaraj, Katheegesh Loganathan, Devananda, Anandasangaree, Thondaman, Chandrasekaran, Vinayagamoorthi, Chandrakanthan, etc.) said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. LTTE meanwhile killed 3 of the above named Tamil leaders; tried to kill 3 more and called the other 3 “traitors”.
It is not that SL took 30 years for negotiation with LTTE. They coul’d defeet the Tamils finally they took the help of the other nations & defeted Tamils. This is not the vicory.
The True Hero is our President Prabhakarn who fought for our ellam & lead his life in the War field.
Did u think getting out of the SL was difficult to him. No he was a brave worrier till the end.