20 May 2011
The government has failed to find solutions for the issues of the people in the North and the East despite the war has been over for two years points out ‘We are SriLankans’. Issuing a letter to the media ‘We are SriLankans’ states.
“It is two years since the end of the war with the LTTE. Throughout last two years Mahinda Rajapakse regime organized various ‘commemorations’ to retain the mentality of the war victory within the masses and the security forces. Today too several such ‘commemorations’ have been organized by the government.
It is true that today is a day for Mahinda Rajapakse regime to celebrate with sweetmeats, milk rice and processions. For, the ‘Gymkhana’ Mahinda Rajapakse generation was endowed with is this war victory achieved two years ago. It is the ‘wishing well’ that provides all what the generations of Rajapakse families including the ‘brothers’ company wish for.’ However, only the ‘Rajapakse regime’ was blessed with this state. Had the government acted in a people friendly manner the end of the war two years ago could have been made a victorious event that the Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and all other people achieved and that brought freedom to all. However, events did not take place during the past two years to make this a reality. Anyone who has not been blinded by the media pageants of the government would comprehend this easily.
As mentioned earlier, today marks the second year after the war victory that paved the way for Rajapakse regime to consolidate the family rule, allowed to suppress those who hold opposite views and to carry out an arbitrary administration that intervenes in judicial matters as well. However, for Tamils in the North it is two years since they had to abandon their loving homes and had to live in prison cells named refugee camps. It is two years since they had to abandon their livelihoods and stand idly surrounded by a fence and armed guards; it is two years since they had to swallow stale rice and dhal instead of having a tasty meal from the harvests they gathered with their own sweat or bought from their earnings. As the school where their children studied has been taken over by the Army, it is two years since their children have stopped their schooling. It is two years since they, who are people of this land, have become refugees of the same land due to their lands being given over to leaders in India including Gandhis who shed crocodile tears on behalf of Tamils in Sri Lanka whenever an election is held in Tamil Nadu but grab the lands of the Tamils in the North and the East to build power stations and hotels.
It is also two years since Tamil youths, who have not even been charged of any offence, have to linger in prisons for being dark in complexion and for being Tamils. It is two years since Tamil mothers, enduring various hardships and insults, have been going from one Army camp to another looking for their disappeared children, husbands or relatives. Hence, the ‘two year commemoration’ is not two years of victory but two years of distress and suppression; two years of force and tyranny. Rajapakse regime also hopes to spend the next 20 years the way they spent the last two years. This state should be changed. We begin the third year of the end of the war. Let us all resolve to change this situation during this third year of the end of the war. Let’s turn this into a year of genuine national unity by struggling to liberate the Tamil brethren from the oppression they are subjected to.”
LT