The Ceylon News

The Editor,
Washington Times,

Dear Sirs,

How is it that the Western media never congratulated the
Sri Lankan government and one of the best Army, Navy
and other Law Enforcement organisations on this planet
who were able to completely eradicate terrorism.
It is about time you give some recognition and publicity
to this tiny island and it’s inhabitants. Sri Lanka embraces
an inclusive society where all people are treated equal.
We are a great nation who will set standards for the world
to follow in the future.

History is a funny animal. Like a pet dog it can be
loved, rubbed, groomed, fed, made to obey, ignored,
forgotten, punished, or locked up – depending on the
owner’s proclivities and prevailing mood. As long as the
animal is fed, it is usually cooperative. In a rare moment,
however, it can bite back if provoked or mistreated. I think
this might be just one of those moments when the dog takes a
nip out of his owner’s hide. Let me explain.

The recent uproar over presumed human rights abuses by
the Government of Sri Lanka resulted in the "Western
Powers" crying foul in unison. Even without proper
investigation, for some strange reason they quickly jumped
to condemn the GOSL, which was doing everything it could to
protect the lives of the innocent Tamil human shields and
bring them to safety in the No Fire Zone.

There has been a lot of tearful feigned sympathy for the
rescued IDP’s, but there has also been a huge loss of
memory in regards to the "Western Powers" past
sins of mass murder, or their looking the other way while
thousands suffered and died on their watch.

Let me cite a few examples, and allow me to cry
"Foul!" on behalf of the innocent victims.
• Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the "Western
Powers" there have been 92,133 to 100,591 documented
civilian deaths from violence in Iraq (source: "Iraq
Body Count" website). The British medical journal, The
Lancet, puts the figure much higher at approximately
654,965.

• Since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the U.S.
there have been 7,760 to 10,557 documented direct deaths of
civilians, and 3,200 to 20,000 indirect deaths for a total
of direct and indirect at 10,960 to 30,557 (source:
Wikipedia). The "Unknown News" website puts this
figure at 19,886 including nearly 1,100 foreign troops and
journalists who have been killed.

• Going back a ways in history, the Mau Mau
insurrection against British rule in Kenya caused the death
of 10,173 activists, and an approximate 70,000 Kikuyu
tribesmen were imprisoned (source: About.com: African
History).

• Going back even farther in history to World War II,
there were approximately 140,000 innocent civilians killed
by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the U.S.; 80,000
at Nagasaki; and as many as 500,000 in Dresden when the
Allies dropped 700,000 phosphorous bombs on the city –
nearly one for every two inhabitants. Approximately 120,000
Japanese residents in the US (66% of them US citizens) were
imprisoned in ten interment camps, an act that was declared
unconstitutional in 1945, and never apologized for until
President Clinton’s era (albeit very weakly).

• Even farther back in history, to the turn of the
last century, you’ll find the US suppression of the
insurrection in the Philippines killing 200,000 people, with
the policy to shoot anyone over ten years old who dared to
resist US occupation. Speaking of genocide, what about the
killing of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans –
even going so far as to make gifts of US Army blankets to
the Natives that were laced with smallpox. Nice gifts.
Reports of genocidal actions by the "Western
Powers" during their empire expansion and colonial
periods already fills volumes – including Sri Lanka’s
history books. Did anyone call “foul” when they were
actually happening?

• A little more recently, Belgium’s legacy when
Rwanda was granted independence in 1962, was the death of
800,000 Tutsi’s and Hutu sympathizers from April 6, 1994
and continuing for 100 days – some days killing as many as
10,000. Belgium and the other “Western Powers” did
nothing until it was too late.

• How about the genocidal campaigns in Bosnia,
Cambodia, Hitler’s Holocaust, and the Japanese Nanking
Massacre? Who came to the rescue of the innocent victims –
or even cried foul while they were being cruelly and
systematically exterminated?

• The statistics of the LTTE’s war to create a
racially separate homeland for Tamils are staggering. Over
thirty years approximately 100,000 people of all races were
killed, and countless more injured or permanently maimed.
The LTTE was 100% responsible for this outrage, so who could
blame the GOSL for wanting to end it once and for all?

The GOSL rescued nearly 300,000 Tamils being held by
Prabhakaran as human shields during the waning days of Eelam
IV, and is currently doing its best to care for them with
the limited resources it has available. I don’t know why
the Government isn’t being applauded for such an
accomplishment. I still can’t figure out why the
"Western Powers” are crying foul. What exactly is
there intention, I’d like to know. Do they really want to
see the conflict finished – or is it in their best
interest to continue seeing the South Asian region
de-stabilized? Is this perhaps why the British Government
sold arms to Sri Lanka during Eelam IV, and we’re just now
finding out about it? Was it just to make a sale and keep
business moving?

It’s almost as if the "Western Powers"
can’t bring themselves to acknowledge that a small,
far-away island nation, populated by brown-skinned natives,
could be successful in ending a thirty-year terrorist
scourge when they can’t do the same in their own
struggles, wherever they might be. Granted, the
brown-skinned natives didn’t acquiesce to the
"Western Powers" demands to cease their fire and
allow the terrorists to escape. Also granted, the
brown-skinned natives are proud of their victorious
accomplishment, and of their President who stood firm
against the “Western Powers” ridiculous and duplicitous
demands.

I say we all stand up and cry "foul" at the
"Western Powers" for their historical, un-avenged
murders, and at those who simply stood by and allowed the
destruction of millions of innocent lives. I think history,
like the mistreated dog, will bite the "Western
Powers" on their collective posteriors, while it winds
up applauding Sri Lanka for its success against the LTTE
terrorists, and its compassionate treatment of the survivors
that it made sure were spared and re-settled in their
homes.

History indeed is like an animal. I don’t think it
will be too long before the "Western Powers" are
bought to their knees by the dogs they raised, but can no
longer control. Their “national karma” may have just
"come home to roost" and put them even more at
risk than they already are. Perhaps by then history, like a
good dog, will be on the side of Sri Lanka and give it the
proper accolades it so rightfully deserves.