Colombo Purge

The mindless eviction of the Sri Lankan Tamils from the lodges in Colombo is nothing short of ethnic cleansing whether or not the Sri Lankan Government admits it . This latest move of the Sri Lankan Security Forces, who have proved to be no match for the deadly LTTE, deserves to be condemned in the strongest of words as it is an overt act of Human Rights Violation targeting a particular ethnic group. The Sri Lankan Tamils are already between devil and the deep sea for the past several years. Tens of thousands Tamils have been displaced from their own homes and reduced to the status of refugees in their own country. Now they have been subjected to the worst from rights violation of denial of the fundamental right to move freely within the country. Although the Sri Lankan administrators vehemently oppose the perceived interference by the international community into such blatant rights violations, such third country intervention alone can protect the interests of the innocent civilians who may have little to do with the ongoing civil war and the lethal LTTE.

The Sri Lankan authorities would do well to change their mind set of a vassal nation against India and ostrich like approach towards this sensitive issue. India has always been friendly to the tiny island nation. But the Lankan leadership mistook the leniency of India to be a sign of weakness and allowed jingoism to win over pragmatism and political savvy and maturity. The rabid elements always ensured that the any peace formula failed to take off. This domestic pressure groups always pressurized Colombo to fritter away whatever little was achieved through dialogue. After every cease fire and compulsory violations of the fragile cease fire both LTTE and the Lankan Forces amassed more resources. This brief peace time was always used by both the sides to regroup rather than purposefully contribute either directly or otherwise towards any lasting solution. Caught in this cruel cross fire is the hapless Lankan Tamils. The Colombo purge is latest in the series of victimization of the Lankan Tamils for being born as Tamils.

The polite but curt warning of the NSA Adviser Shri MK Narayanan to Colombo not to amass offensive weapons from inimical Pakistan and China must be read together with this waywardness of the Colombo administration and the Lankan policy makers who look down at every Tamil through coloured glass. At the same time Colombo may disregard their own constitution but ought to respect the international covenants on Human rights and must forthwith suspend all such Security measures of ethnic cleansing.