<<The uncompromising stance of Sinhala chauvinism has left us with no other option but an independent state for the people of Tamil Eelam. We therefore ask the international community and the countries of the world that respect justice to recognize our freedom struggle. >> Talaivar Prabaharan,
by:Chandi Sinnathurai
The Maaveerar Naal Address by V Prabaharan on November 27 has announced to the world that the suffering Tamils of Eelam are reasserting their right to independence. Of course since independence from British in 1948, the Sinhala chauvinism has flourished. Its unbending intent on a systematic, incremental, surreptitious liquidating of Tamils is precisely the lethal cause. And the inevitable effect of Tamil national question.
Sri Lankan Death Squads
There had been a serial failure of peace efforts. Frankly, all Sinhala regimes have flirted with the idea of peace. But with its own spin - ‘war for peace’. Ceasefire Agreements were breached engaging in a ‘shadow war’. Over 1000 Tamil civilians have perished since November last killed by State-sponsored terror attacks. Many thousands of Tamils have quite literally disappeared. Thanks to the ‘white van’ extermination squads. Mass graves have been located in the Tamil territories but sadly, all efforts of independent inquiries have been thwarted.
Currently the people in the Tamil territories have been held as human shields as if in an open concentration camp with a government enforced embargo on food, medicine and other essential items. Starvation, viral flu and other infections are eating away the Tamils – women, children and men. Even hospitals have become aerial targets for bombing! The Government policy of intimidation and humiliation is the order of the day.
The strategy is simple – Genocide. Starvation, slow-death, mass slaughter. An identifiable similarity to the goals of Hitler.
The international community most painfully has fell prey to the accredited lies of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Truth. As a result, the EU and even
[View video clip:http://chandi.eponym.com/blog/_archives/2006/11/17/2506042.html]
An analysis of the Sri Lankan Defense Budget for 2007 was published couple of days ago (see appendix - A). This writer e-mailed a copy of that to a Canadian editor friend. The following words were his response: “holy mackerel! this is insane and evil.”
Can you imagine, for a country like
While all these atrocities are taking place, the international community is seemingly in intentional ignorance. In fact, the
It was only the other day, this writer was listening to an English university Don trying to locate an answer to the above question over toast, Marmite, cucumber, and tea. Naturally.
Culturally the Brits and the Americans have a lot in common he quipped. “But…mm…but” He hastened to add, “There is a compelling difference. A subtle one that…” Difference? ‘ Yep, the way we see things. The way we view the world: how we would like the world to be…ordered in a certain way – a decent world with fairness – you see that’s a very British thing’. And he reached for his pipe in his
“[The] Fundamental difference is – we would look at a worst crisis and say, problematic – yes; hopeless? Therefore its serious. But for them ‘across the river’, if its serious then it must be hopeless. It is a matter of attitude isn’t it?”
As for the survival of Tamils, independence is the time-honoured considered response.
________________________________________________________________________
APPENDIX
A]
by K Balakrishnan, Economic Analyst, November 2006
Defense expenditure allocated in the 2007 Sri Lankan budget is 139.66 billion Rupees, which is 1.4 billion US dollars.
This is a 46% increase on the 2006 defense spending. The government has said that this is mostly due to increases in salary.
The 2007 defense allocation is 23.28%of the total government income.
Of the total government expenditure for 2007, this is 16.72%.
The budget shortfall for 2007 is estimated to be 235 billion Rupees. The table below shows how the Sri Lankan government is planning to make up for the shortfall.
|
The proposed deficit is to be made as follows | ||
|
Item |
Amount in billion Rupees |
Amount in billion US dollars |
|
Foreign borrowings |
114.789 |
1.15 |
|
Foreign grants |
24.075 |
0.25 |
|
Internal borrowing (non banking sectors) |
139.512 |
1.39 |
|
Internal borrowing (banking sector) |
8.00 |
.08 |
|
Foreign currency domestic borrowings |
8.70 |
.087 |
|
Total |
295.076 |
2.95 |
|
After paying overseas loan repayment |
60.038 |
.6 |
|
Rest that will make up the budget shortfall |
235.038 |
2.35 |
The Sri Lankan government clearly has a need to convince the donors of its intentions to pursue the peace process, to convince them of the necessity for the extensive borrowing and aid needed to make up the shortfall as shown above. In order to do this, the Sri Lankan government will posture as the party interested in peace. Will the donors be deceived?
The table below shows how the Rajapakse government has made a three-fold increase in the estimated expenditure for purchasing military hardware for 2007.
|
Estimated capital expenditure for purchasing military equipment for 2007 in US dollars | |
|
By the regime previous to the Rajapakse regime |
14.962 |
|
By Rajapakse regime |
44.896 |
The table below is a comparison of the defense expenditure of several countries.
|
Country* |
Defense expenditure as a percentage of the nation's GDP |
Defense expenditure per year per person in US dollars ** |
Number of citizens for each soldier |
|
|
1.0 |
- |
533 |
|
|
1.5 |
- |
250 |
|
|
2.0 |
- |
173 |
|
|
2.4 |
- |
280 |
|
|
2.6 |
- |
236 |
|
|
2.6 |
14.00 |
820 |
|
|
3.7 |
- |
203 |
|
|
3.9 |
43.00 |
580 |
|
|
4.3 |
71.00 |
130 |
|
|
4.5 |
20.00 |
251 |
|
|
1.2 |
4.60 |
1109 |
|
Average |
2.7 |
- |
305 |
* The data for other countries are based on 2003 spending. The
** Comparison of this data is valid only for countries with similar economic development. Therefore, only countries in the South Asian region are compared.
B]