Letter to American Ambassador HE Jeffrey Lunstead dated January 2006 - Revisited:

A Tamil diaspora response to American Ambassador

HE Jeffrey Lunstead’s clarification.

By: Donald Jayantha Gnanakone
Courtesy: TamilCanadian - January 19, 2006

Your Excellency,

We the Tamil people, who are part of the Tamil Diaspora immaterial where we have a temporary residence, or what travel document we carry, are deeply gratified to your clarifications to the several critical responses expressed by Tamils who have been hurt by your comments. From the time American missionaries set foot on Tamil soil to establish churches and schools in the Northern and Eastern province we have had a very longstanding relationship and association with America, which has been based on mutual respect and affection extending a 200 year period.

All Tamils came from Tamil Nadu whether it was 250 or 2,550 years ago have one of the richest heritage, culture, and language in the world, with 100 million Tamils living in various corners of this earth. In Malaysia and Singapore Tamil is also an official language, and 60 million Tamils live and administer neighboring Tamil Nadu. Tamils are not just an ethnic group like people from East Timor, Eritrea, or Burkina Faso. Tamils are a rather a distinguished, hard working, well educated, cultured, and determined group of people. We respectfully want the 191 members of the world body to be aware of that fact, and given the opportunity would become a star in the Indian Ocean, emulating Singapore, or Dubai which were fishing villages 50 years ago.

We deeply respect your unequivocal clarification that the US does not believe there is a military solution to the ethnic problems of Sri Lanka. Your officials might have read some of the writings and innuendos created by Singhalese, other foreign funded websites and publishers wrongfully creating the impression that US marines are on it’s way to Sri Lanka as part of a huge package of military aid, to fight the Tamils, and defeat them under the lame excuse of global terrorism.

I have concurrence with you that your speech was deliberately distorted by the websites and news media. It was 4 days before the entire speech was quietly published, but the media kept repeating your speech and several aspects of it out of context. I would strongly recommend that your media officer release the full contents of your future speeches in a timely fashion to enable the websites and media, which monitor the Sri Lankan civil war, publish it in the correct manner. There was also another journalist, who had served the US embassy in Colombo for 25 years wrote in a foreign website insisting that your speech was a policy statement of the State Department, and this was a direct warning from the state department to the LTTE. Tamils worldwide would respectfully seek a clarification on the veracity of such claims, as we believe that if the State Department wishes to issue warnings and policy statements to the Tamils and the LTTE, it would have originated from senior officials in the administration in Washington and the forum would not be a luncheon of American and Sri Lankan businessman in Colombo, who have zero influence with the Tamils representatives, nor with the present GOSL administration because most of them supported the opponent of President Rajapakse, JHU and JVP in the November Presidential elections.

Since the US, due to the FTO do not talk to or have contact with one of the parties of the conflict in Sri Lanka, for US policies and warnings to receive the intended beneficiary should be directed using a reliable diplomatic channel such as the Norwegian facilitators or some of the senior diplomats who recently visited the LTTE in Vanni. In the interest of genuine peace in Sri Lanka, the British High commissioner earned everyone’s respect by visiting the LTTE in Killinochchi despite restrictions imposed by his government.

We Tamils also appreciate the fact that finally US has publicly admitted that Tamils have legitimate grievances, which needs to be addressed and any solution found, by way of devolution of power. It is true that the 2002-CFA and the unilateral ceasefire-declaration by the LTTE in December 2001 after PM Ranil Wickramasinghe’s election victory offered great hope. As a person involved in some way with that process for many years with both the Tamil and Singhala leadership, as well as with the present US ambassador’s predecessor HE Ashley Wills, the Tamils did not go for talks to Tokyo, mainly due to disagreements on financial issues, GOSL taxing most of the aid, with Customs duties, and other levies including defense levies, and GOSL refusal to any agreement on the mechanism of distribution of the aid, similar to the P-TOMS issue.

Subsequently LTTE was not invited to Washington where the international community was having a wedding party without the bride. The rest is history. Then we had the confession from the senior UNP minister who conducted the peace negotiations, Milinda Moragoda, days prior to the elections ridiculing the LTTE and boasting of the international safety net, sinking LTTE naval assets, creating conditions to cause the split, (Karuna issue), and undermining the LTTE itself. The deputy leader of the UNP’s son in law, chief organizer of the Nuwara-Eliya district, and MP, Navin Dissanayake made similar boast, in addition to claiming that UNP had arrangements for foreign troops to fight the Tamils in future wars. Unwisely, the UNP leader kept silent, although privately he distanced himself from the statements of both these influential.

This only confirmed the pre existing suspicions the LTTE had, which led to the boycott in the North, and a partial boycott in the East, providing the opportunity for the Singhala Buddhist in the South to decide who their next President would be, with the support of the religious extremist the Buddhist monks of the JHU, and the radical Marxist JVP. Some Tamils not having the opportunity to vote in the Presidential elections is not a loss of political right of the Tamils. Even those Tamils who exercised their political rights, and voted at the Presidential elections especially in the East, West, and upcountry have no political rights today, except being hounded, harassed, intimidated and threatened with cordon and search of their homes at the middle of the night by the armed forces. Over a thousand Tamils were arrested and dragged to the police stations in their night clothes, humiliated with degrading treatment, finger printed, videotaped and treated worst than drug dealers, pick pockets, pimps and prostitutes. What the Tamils desperately need is the restoration of civil, fundamental and human-rights and not essentially political rights.

All the Singhalese political parties voted to support the armed forces whose humanitarian record is no better than Sadaam Husseins. Unfortunately the UNP also regularly supports such emergency laws, which has not resulted in apprehending the Kadirgamar assassins or made the armed forces, and Singhalese safer in any part of the Island. The only region that people are safe and secure today, and not subject to threats of race riots, illegal searches, or massacres are surprisingly the LTTE controlled areas. The most disciplined region including the notorious drivers of Sri Lanka is also in that same region.

Personally, I would have preferred that there was no election boycott at all. I would not debate the merits and demerits of the LTTE election boycott any further, but I wanted the US State Department and your Excellency to comprehend the Tamil side for future benefit, as this ethnic problem need to be resolved politically at the negotiating table, without any further bloodshed, after GOSL is compelled to first adhere to the ceasefire agreement they originally signed. Only then can they can go crying to Uncle Sam, Tom, or Tony, or Aunties around the world whether in America, Italy, Europe, India or Chennai, complaining of the LTTE’s CFA violations.

My family was terrorized and distressed after the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, with my 89-year-old father and American born children exposed to midnight raids. My brother who was an Australian was arrested 2 months later when the Singhala media and Sri Lanka Police falsely accused him, that he was part of the conspiracy between the LTTE and UNP, in the assassination plot. Charles Gnanakone was not only innocent, but had nothing to do with the LTTE, and little to do with the UNP politics. So were my friend Lakshman Thalayasingham and his brothers, in London, his servants, and gardener in Colombo, 2 mobile phone sellers, who were falsely accused of being LTTE members and involved in the plot to assassinate the late foreign minister. Since you have wrongfully accused the LTTE without any base, evidence or foundation, that LTTE assassinated him, I would respectfully challenge you to substantiate where you obtained such information and from whom, to facilitate you to arrive at such a conclusion. The Police investigators, the Attorney General's office, nor the criminal courts have any such information.

GOSL deliberately dragged the assassination investigations until and after the elections causing severe heart problems to Charles Gnanakone, which needed hospitalization and treatment. The international community including the US is ignoring the fact that such arrest were made to embarrass the Tamils, LTTE and the UNP, so that Singhala Buddhist and chauvinist voters, would believe the false allegations and vote for this President, which has only resulted in plunging this country into a near civil war situation. Is democracy about winning elections at any costs and under false pretenses and lies?

I would discuss the other false facts of the Kadirgamar assassination in a different forum, but would only respectfully suggest it is wrong for any diplomat or country to accuse a lawful organization in Sri Lanka who is also the equal partner in the peace process, of murder without proper and impartial investigations or judicial process. Both the Tamils and the LTTE are entitled to due process, but foreign diplomats based in Colombo, should not be permitted to make such serious allegations in chamber of commerce luncheons without proper facts or evidence, which is detrimental to the peace process.

Kadirgamar’s own brother in law, retired colonel Sarath Jayawardene was in full charge of his security, and his older brother Maj. Gen. Asoka Jayawardene was the defense secretary who received the foreign intelligence reports of the assassination attempt would be made in August just weeks before the murder, confessed the widow Mrs. Suganthy Kadirgamar, rather be lately. Thereafter, they all claimed that security was not increased but relaxed which adds to the aura of all the conspiracy theory, which went on after the assassination. May be the FBI who are arriving next week in Colombo could provide a helping hand to the Singhalese, and the Rajapakse administration to independently resolve the investigations since even after 6 months they are as confused as they were when the incident occurred, and investigations began.

No Christian diplomat have ever reprimanded the GOSL, JHU, or JVP for permitting the burning of Christian churches, persecuting Christian organizations, nor wish to discuss the secret assurances given by Lakshman Kadirgamar to the senior Christian clergy on the conversion bill. As you are fully aware the bill has been shelved and hidden under the carpet now. It is rather extraordinary that such incidents never occur in any LTTE controlled areas, where religious tolerances are fully practiced.

These are the undeniable facts, your Excellency.

With all due respect the ceasefire violations occurred before your Excellency stepped foot in our island in September 2003. The fundamental issues still remains the same since February 2002.

Vacating all buildings, private homes, schools and places of worship, including hotels.
Permitting unfettered access to fishing grounds to Tamil fisherman in the NE.
Permitting Tamil farmers cultivating their own land.
Disarming all present and future Para military groups.

I would add that sharing of all foreign aid, (including Tsunami Aid), and revenues from the regular budget was agreed. As to who would administer the distribution of funds was unfortunately unclear. There is a paramount difference between the LTTE and the GOSL when they signed the CFA, after LTTE being successful in defeating the army in Elephant pass and collecting hundreds of millions of dollars, worth of arms and equipment. The crippling military strike on the Katunayake military airport, and destroying 50 per cent of military and commercial aircrafts devastated the GOSL. LTTE was more interested in a final peace settlement, which would bring long-term benefits to the Tamils, whereas the GOSL was more interested in immediate foreign aid, grants, loans, FDI, Stock market, Real Estate, Tourism and Employment for the Singhalese. That is why the LTTE cannot be just enticed with money and foreign aid like other rebel groups in different parts of the world.

It is paramount that the GOSL immediately and unconditionally implement these clauses before any discussion on the CFA in Oslo or Burkina Faso. In fairness to President Rajapakse, The provocations, and challenges were made clear, prior to the elections by him, the JVP and JHU. They made it well known to the LTTE, Singhala Buddhist, and the international community, by way of some Chintanaya, that if Mahinda is elected the Tamils cannot expect any mercy, No Federal system, No P-Toms, No sharing of revenues, No self determination, No homeland, No Norway, New facilitators, and Unilateral changes to the CFA. In other words it is Mahinda’s way or the highway for the Tamils. The President has kept his promise to the Singhala Buddhist, unwilling to change, which is costing the country dearly. With that in his mind, he took an unprecedented delegation of 72 members, to Delhi to convince the Indians to support his views. Delhi diplomatically rejected most of his request, and while in India, his wife the first lady also has renounced her Catholic faith, and become a practicing Buddhist.

The President also sent the foreign minister (Mangala Samaraweera) to Washington to meet the Secretary of State and other state department officials to request different kinds of assistance, as well as undermine the GOSL's partner in peace and CFA negotiations the LTTE. While being in Washington he made an outlandish claim that LTTE is the Godfather of all terrorism including the Al Qaeda. He also demanded that the Tamil NGO supported directly by the Tamil Diasporas and INGO’s to be banned. How can the Tamils and their representatives trust or have faith in a Singhala administration, which relentlessly worked hard the past few weeks in India, Europe, and US to undermine the negotiating capacity, strength, dignity, and credibility of the Tamils? Does the international community expect the Tamils to have any good faith negotiations on any subject with such an administration which is held captive by two extremist groups, who are fundamentally racist, chauvinist, intolerant, and are Marxist, who virulently opposed the US, Europe and India in the past and even now?

The combinations of possibly having a Marxist-communist religious extremist, with inexperienced administrators, soon became irresistible for the LTTE, given the Moragoda-Dissanayake interviews thrown in. it was very clear to everyone, what LTTE and the Tamils would do if Rajapakse and his extremist got elected or installed by the LTTE. As soon as he became President, he threw the gauntlet to the LTTE with the appointment of hard-line armed forces commanders, Prime Minister and defense advisors. Ministers and Foreign minister ran around the world and in Colombo, undermining and ridiculing the LTTE and getting ready for a showdown.

On the ground the armed forces acted with brutality on civilian protest and killings took place all over the NE as well as Colombo. Midnight searches threats, harassment, and intimidation in Colombo and up country culminating in the cold blooded Christmas murder of a senior Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham in church, and five university students in Trincomalee. Strangely the US ambassador remains silent on such cold-blooded murders by the GOSL or it’s forces, as well as to the multiple murders of journalist Sivaram, former MP Chandran Nehru Ariyanayagam, and LTTE leader Kaushalyan and several others including at least 100 Tamil civilians. The ambassador, who authoritatively accuses LTTE of the assassination of Kadirgamar, does not even utter a word about these murders, or the recent attack on the Scandinavian SLMM monitors, which has forced them to suspend operations in Trincomalee.

The President and Prime Minister are also accused of threatening and scheming the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunge the Sunday Leader editor, and Killi Rajamahendran the Chairman of several TV stations, and Maharajah organization. Your Excellency, your esteemed position demands that you are seen to be impartial, just and fair when you deal with such sensitive issues, and it is improper when you only accuse and threaten one party to the conflict. If the US wants to play a useful and dignified role which it should, in bringing about Peace and Prosperity to the island of Sri Lanka, firstly it needs to talk to both sides, and secondly it needs to be genuinely fair and impartial by both sides. Everyone should also bear in mind that the LTTE labored for 9 months and produced a highly detailed ISGA proposal document as an alternate to a separate state in 2003. Both the UNP and the President rejected this, and she took over 3 Ministries in November 2003 from the UNP, which led to the dissolution of the Parliament as well.

As for renouncing of violence, LTTE is never going to abandon the path that has been followed by our founding fathers like George Washington, or African independence leaders like Mandela, Kaunda, Nkrummah, Kenyatta, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese military leaders like Ho Chi Ming, Chou enLai, Mao Tse Ting and a few others. LTTE has already fought many wars with the GOSL and GOI in the past 2 decades. The Tamils only oppose the military occupation, repression, suppression, and oppression. They are living in an open prison in their own homeland, with parts of the land, sea, and homes occupied by the Singhalese, and denied for the use of the Tamils.

The Tamil leaders from the time of independence in 1948 tried non-violence Gandhian methods and failed miserably. The Tamils got disenfranchised for decades with the stroke of a Singhala pen, and brutalized with riots from 1956, 1958, 1961, 1971, 1977 and finally in 1983. Just give some thought to why should LTTE, which has fought a liberation struggle in Sri Lanka for 33 years, beginning as a small group of high school kids, suddenly change their course and methods, what has worked and brought respect with dignity to the Tamils in the past two decades? However much the West would like to dictate terms of how a peaceful conflict resolution has to be determined through a negotiated settlement, the Tamils cannot renounce violence at this stage now.

The Tamils organized an armed resistance and launched a liberation struggle as a result of years of continued State Terrorism and violence on unarmed Tamil civilians. The safety and security is in the hands of the Tamils and no foreign entity can guarantee the safety and protection of the Tamils from the Singhalese. LTTE and the Tamils has already burnt its fingers and nearly lost its hands when they trusted the Indian troops (IPKF) to play such a role in 1987.

The Colombo Tamils are safe today from the barbaric Singhala forces sponsored by the GOSL, is not due to the generosity of the Singhalese, the IPKF forces or the stationing of US marines. The government and JVP controlled Singhala Marxist mobs are mortally scared of the little boys and girls from the Tiger organizations. That is the ground reality and both the international community and the Singhala GOSL needs to realize it, and take genuine steps towards negotiating a permanent peace which will bring prosperity to the 17 million Singhalese and 3 million Tamils peaking people. We Tamils are fully supportive of such peace, immaterial of prosperity.

Many diplomats have praised the restraint and patience of President Rajapakse, the armed forces, and the GOSL. The truth is the GOSL has unleashed the armed forces and Para military on unarmed Tamil civilians in the North East, as well as the Tamils in Colombo, resulting in over one hundred deaths, including the murder of Tamil parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham. The GOSL is simply incompetent, impotent and unable to engage the armed enemy directly fearing the military ramifications and economic consequences of such actions island wide. It is a well-known fact that if GOSL declares war on the Tamils, the war is not going to be restricted only to the Tamil province, but would engulf the whole island. The army commander himself informed the President that he needed more equipment and training to enable the army to be ready to engage the LTTE in another 3 months, which would be in February. This is where the Singhalese are confused with the promised military aid that is forthcoming from the US, as per their interpretation of your speech.

Therefore if the GOSL is genuine to restore normalcy, prevent violence, they cannot bicker for months about the venue in Oslo, for the first meeting. They should also agree not to undermine the facilitator Norway, or the Scandinavian peace monitors, and agree to fully implement the CFA. There is no reason GOSL not to abide by the P-TOMS signed by the GOSL and LTTE a year ago, and also share the budget revenues passed by the parliament. The Parliament is supreme than the courts, where judges are appointed and also can be retired by the all-powerful President, parliament and the people. President Rajapakse also need to realize that he is the President of the whole country and not only of the Southern province and his hometown Hambantota, while diverting all Tsunami and other aid to the Southern and Western Province, refusing to share it with the North and the East where 70 per cent of the Tsunami damages occurred. Before all the homes, fishing boats, schools, coastal roads, (not highways) and medical clinics/hospitals are replaced; funds should not be allocated for other grandiose projects.

In conclusion the Tamils are grateful for all the assistance provided by the US government, it’s agencies, World Bank, IMF, the ADB, and request that the fundamental requirement of the fisherman, farmers, and the poor victims/survivors are first addressed. The American Red Cross alone collected more than 2.5 Billion dollars as of June 2005 for Tsunami aid, but has consistently refused to share a reasonable portion of the aid with the Tsunami survivors of the North and East nor account for the funds collected on behalf of the Tsunami survivors. You would know how much the ARC has spent and actually done in 1 year in the North East.

Respectfully Yours,
Donald Jayantha Gnanakone.
Los Angeles, California.

cc: Secretary of State Condoleeza Ricecc: Chairman, Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senate Chairman: Foreign Affairs Committee, US House of Representatives