AFP,  Sun Mar 29 04:58:30 EDT 2009

    COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lankan government troops killed at least 46 rebels during weekend battles in the northeast of the island where they have cornered the Tamil Tiger guerrillas, the defence ministry said Sunday.
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- The Academic

Slow squeeze.  Slow squeeze. The only ones who can save Tigers are SunGod surrendering, committing suicide or being rescued by the West.  They should be ashamed to hide behind civilians like some pansies.

RogerThis wrote:

Slow squeeze.  Slow squeeze. The only ones who can save Tigers are SunGod surrendering, committing suicide or being rescued by the West.  They should be ashamed to hide behind civilians like some pansies.

Where in the blazes have you been during the last 25 years?

The LTTE has always hid behind the civilians. They are not and have never been a conventional army (only pretended to be one). They hope during military conflicts that the State will destroy a large number of civilians (including children) to get enough local support. The people of the North are scared of the LTTE but they are even more fearful of the State. Many will disagree, but it's the truth. It will be back to the 80's style of classic guerrilla tactics from now on... with or without Prabha. If anyone thinks that this conflict is over he or she is delusional.

This is one time I hope that I am wrong.


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'Anyone in a free society where the laws are unjust has an obligation to break the law.'

- Henry David Thoreau

Dear Jones,

rimfirejones wrote:

If anyone thinks that this conflict is over he or she is delusional. This is one time I hope that I am wrong.

What exactly are you proposing? What should the government do? Is there anything Tamil diaspora can do?


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“We are helping Tamilnadu to achieve self-rule” - V. Balakumaran, Advisor to Prabakaran, (Jan. 2006)

systemx wrote:

Dear Jones,

rimfirejones wrote:

If anyone thinks that this conflict is over he or she is delusional. This is one time I hope that I am wrong.

What exactly are you proposing? What should the government do? Is there anything Tamil diaspora can do?

SystemX,

I think the GOSL should try to win the hearts and minds of the poor and low cast Tamils (who happen to be the majority in the North now). The LTTE's main recruiting base is the poor who have no hope for the future.

If a body has hope there is a will to make something better of one's self. Right now these people are waiting to see which way to jump... two choices GOSL or LTTE. The LTTE with all its ugly warts is what these people know. The young men and women of the North know the GOSL only as a military machine that drops bombs, shells or shoots at them. They know nothing else. The only Sinhalese they know wear military fatigues and scares the h*ll out of them. They have been brain washed to fear and mistrust the Sinhalese.

Keep in mind a Tamil in the North under the age of 30 has never known what peace is. They have had 30 years of utter misery, despair and war. This is the mind set that the GOSL has to deal with.

I am in no way advocating peace with the LTTE. The only way to beat a cancer like the LTTE is to make them irrelevant.

Forget about the Tamil diaspora in the West... they are not a part of the solution. If the LTTE becomes irrelevant to the poor Tamil masses in SL, they can stuff their $$$ up their Ars*s.


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'Anyone in a free society where the laws are unjust has an obligation to break the law.'

- Henry David Thoreau

rimfire,

rimfirejones wrote:

I think the GOSL should try to win the hearts and minds of the poor and low cast Tamils (who happen to be the majority in the North now). The LTTE's main recruiting base is the poor who have no hope for the future.

Thank you.  

 I know about following concrete things done in this regard;

1.  Official Tamil language is now being fully implemented.  Knowledge of Tamil compulsory to join the public service.  A Sinhalaese cannot get a promotion if he has no knowledge of Tamil and vice-versa.
2.  Tamils are being recruited to the army.  The first batch of 600 is being trained in India I believe.
3.  Tamils are also encouraged to serve in police in Tamil majority areas.
4.  Investment in estate sector schools and hospitals have seen a big increase.
5. IT and private sector investment in the north.
6.  Upgrading universities in Jaffna and Batticloa.
7.  A public holiday in recognition of service to the nation by Ponnamblam Arunachalam.
8. Railway upgrade along A9.

I haven't mentioned political initiatives but as I understand its based on Indo-Lanka accord with additional powers.  More will come of course in due time when mutual trust is slowly re-established.  Is there anything more that needs to be done do you think?


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“We are helping Tamilnadu to achieve self-rule” - V. Balakumaran, Advisor to Prabakaran, (Jan. 2006)

With the number of LTTE killed as claimed by the Defense Ministry, our soldiers might be fighting with the second generation of LTTE ghosts !!

Dear gemgem,

gemgem wrote:

With the number of LTTE killed as claimed by the Defense Ministry, our soldiers might be fighting with the second generation of LTTE ghosts !!

Various NGOs confirm 20,000 war widows in Jaffna and 30,000 war widows in the east.  This is an indication of men killed in war only.  How many more women and children conscripted by LTTE have been killed? Second biggest numbers of HIV AIDS victims are from Jaffna.  How many maaveeras officially accepted by LTTE? was it around 20,000?  These numbers just dont add up.


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“We are helping Tamilnadu to achieve self-rule” - V. Balakumaran, Advisor to Prabakaran, (Jan. 2006)