“The principle of Nemo judex in causa sua must apply. No one can be the judge of their own case. There cannot be selective justice. The nations that have directly / indirectly played a role in fanning terror and organizations that have helped too can have no say or no role in any post-conflict. Since these very same entities are involved, the real victims have been given step-motherly treatment while their agendas are being fulfilled by concentrating only on their preferred choice.
This is unfair, immoral and completely against the ethics of what these international entities boast of providing.
Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done”
Before anyone forgets. It was not the Tamils that the Sri Lanka Military fought and defeated but a globally banned terrorist organization called the LTTE banned in 32 countries. This LTTE had open offices in London and elsewhere. This LTTE had LTTE fronts operating overseas who were providing material support. Nevertheless, somehow after the LTTE was defeated in 2009, the whole world has forgotten we fought against terrorists and the UN and International Community are telling us to reconcile. Why should we reconcile with Terrorists? We have never had any antipathy with Tamils (only the politicians suffer from this). However, with the UNHRC head in Sri Lanka, we would like to know why none of the victims of LTTE terror get any international attention? Why is the emotional, physical and economic plight of the Sinhalese & Muslim victims of LTTE terror never highlighted?
There are some misconceptions that need to be corrected
The 3 decade conflict did not affect ONLY TAMILS.
The 3 decade conflict victims were NOT ONLY TAMILS.
The post-conflict development beneficiaries should NOT ONLY BE TAMILS.
Sinhalese & Muslims were the FIRST victims. It was LTTE that fired the first shots. These shots were against Sinhalese & Muslims who were virtually ethnically cleansed from the North within a few hours.
Census statistics will give evidence that there were thousands of Sinhalese & Muslims living in the North? Where are they? If alive, why are they not assisted to resettle in their homes?
Some of these Sinhalese & Muslim refugees have been languishing in refugee centres since 1980s why does the UN, human rights organizations and media never highlight their plight or raise the need for them to be looked after too?
Why has India, US, UK, EU, UN, UNHRC never highlighted the plight of Sinhalese & Muslims who were evicted from the North and who have yet to be resettled in their original homes in the North?
Why is the GOSL going overboard to provide lands, land deeds (to people who never even owned land) and homes ONLY TO TAMILS? Why have the Sinhalese & Muslim victims been forgotten? Some Sinhalese had been living in the North since 1940s. Some of these victims even sent submissions to the UNHRC.
LTTE eventually went on to attack Sinhalese, Muslims and even Tamils.
LTTE used suicide missions, placed bombs inside buses, cars, exploded these by remote control, LTTE sent suicide cadres dressed as pregnant mothers, even children were sent. These explosions did not distinguish their victims.
300 suicide attacks were committed by LTTE in 30 years upon innocent people carrying on their daily lives. These attacks were not in any theatre of war.
LTTE also carried out assassinations on politicians of all communities leaving only those that would peddle their song.
Why are foreign governments and donors building homes ONLY FOR TAMILS? Today 1million Tamils plus scores of runaway LTTE cadres are living overseas thanks to the false propaganda of ‘Sinhala discrimination’, ‘genocide’ campaigns none of which has been proved but paid to give enough publicity to ensure refugee/asylum status is given and these cheap labor uplifts foreign economy.
As a result of LTTE suicide attacks Sinhalese & Muslim families lost the sole income provider, these families are living with great difficulty. They do not have money to educate their children.
Some of the Sinhalese & Muslim victims of LTTE terror suffer lifelong physical injuries – some are blind, some are disabled, some unable to work while others are not given employment because of their physical and mental disabilities – why have they never got any international attention?
Does the UN, UNHRC, foreign envoys, India, US, UK & EU governments know the suffering that the Sinhalese & Muslims have gone through the past 30 years or do they even care?
These Sinhalese & Muslim victims of LTTE terror suffer emotional pain in seeing the entire world rally around ONLY THE TAMILS
600 Sri Lanka policemen were killed by the LTTE one after the other, where is the justice for these victims who were on duty
LTTE’s first attacks were on innocent villages. These villagers, their wives and children were cut into pieces, pregnant mothers had their belly slit, babies were decimated. In Palligodella, an entire Muslim village was wiped out by the LTTE, scores of Temples, mosques were attacked, Muslims in prayer inside mosques were slain in cold blood, student monks travelling in a bus were waylaid and killed one after the other, army informants were hounded and killed….these victims run into thousands and these killings took place almost every day, every month and every year for 30 years. But all the attention is always on ONLY TAMILS.
Why do the Sinhalese & Muslims not have right to freedom of movement and freedom of residence? What right do foreign envoys and UN have to refer to traditional homelands where there is no historical proof or evidence of such? This is a violation of people’s rights and the rights of people mean not only Tamils must have rights disregarding the rights of the majority ethnic group and the Muslims who were also victims.
We would like to make reference to a letter sent by the Swarnahansa Foundation to the US Ambassador complaining against the behaviour of one of its diplomats who had visited Navatkuli to question the Sinhalese who had returned to their original home in 2013. This was the same diplomat who was exposed by the Sunday Leader newspaper for links with Sun Master of the TNA to whom the rehabilitated LTTE cadre had supplied scores of blank UNHRC submission forms with signatures but no date. This put the UNHRC, OHCHR and the OISL investigators in an embarrassing situation which they covered by blaming the then GOSL accusing it of trying to tarnish its image without answering whether the accusation was right or wrong.
>>Another very important item forgotten and ignored by the UN & UNHRC is the MISSING 5000 SRI LANKAN SOLDIERS why have these missing soldiers been overlooked – their wives and children have petitioned the UN seeking justice but nothing has been forthcoming.
Prince Zeid cannot just land in Sri Lanka and ask the GOSL what they have done for the Tamils only. Prince Zeid and the entire world are reminded that the first victims were the Sinhalese & Muslims who were chased out of their homes in the North by the LTTE, evicted giving just a few hours notice. Ever since there are scores of Sinhalese & Muslim victims of LTTE terror. They have NEVER HAD ANY INTERNATIONAL LIMELIGHT for their grievances. They have never been dished any of the reconciliation dividends or been recipients of anything.
The principle of Nemo judex in causa sua must apply. No one can be the judge of their own case. There cannot be selective justice. The nations that have directly/indirectly played a role in fanning terror and organizations that have helped too can have no say or no role in any post-conflict. Since these very same entities are involved, the real victims have been given step-motherly treatment while their agendas are being fulfilled by concentrating only on their preferred choice.
This is unfair, immoral and completely against the ethics of what these international entities boast of providing.
Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done
Shenali D Waduge
