FOR a long time Sri Lanka heard from some Colombo based experts receiving funds from Western agencies. "Sri Lankan armed forces can never defeat the Tigers" ; "Tigers will make Kilinochchi the Army’s Stalingrad" wrote an Indian expert; "The Tamil tigers are invincible" ; "tigers will regroup and counter attack like on previous occasions and they are only withdrawing for tactical reasons" said a US educated Colombo based expert; These were the mainstream expert views written from their relative comforts of plush NGO offices with questionable accounting practices.
Somehow like most self-styled intellectuals, they too love the sound of their own voices and words. These were the cocksure views that were then carried by Western News organizations. These were the only views given prominence. Labels are put on the Govt.
"Hardliner so-and-so" is how any patriotic government official daring to challenge and defeat the Tigers (and thereby destroying the myth of Tamil superiority and Tiger potency) labeled overseas and by these Colombo based intellectuals. Often these experts spoke superior English and were very uncomfortable expressing anything in Sinhalese or Tamil. They looked down on the predictions of the military experts who knew through experience that Eelam fighters were more pussycat than Tiger.
When these NGOs are asked for their record of perhaps building a house for an IDP, giving food to IDPs, building anything for innocent suffering Tamils in the war zone, and they have no record to stand on. They are more comfortable at the fancy Scotch and soda parties at top clubs with Europeans; they gave vent to their one-sided opinions swallowed hook line and sinker by the Western agents in Colombo.
They danced the night away at the best suburban address in town at parties hosted by the Europeans who favoured Tigers. Anyone praising the valiant efforts of the armed forces made up of poor village lads was ridiculed and labeled a "hard line nationalist", but never were labels put on Tigers.
The Sri Lankan army has shown far more restraint and professionalism than even the US or British Armies in Iraq. They are making a lot of sacrifices to protect innocent Tamils. They are under strict orders not to fire or bomb civilian areas even though Tigers have no compunction to do so.
In contrast, before ground forces invaded Iraq, American forces bombarded almost every corner of Iraq to soften it up. They did not give a damn about Iraqi civilian casualties. Even this week, US Predator Drones bombed civilian settlements because there were suspected rebels hiding amongst civilians.
Now, compare that with the tremendous hits the Sri Lankan Army is taking. They are taking these casualties because they want to protect innocent Tamils as much as possible because they know they are fighting a noble battle to save innocent Tamils from the hands of a facist racist thug. As the Commander of the armed forces said, this could have been over a month back, if they did not have to stop and care about civilian casualties because these civilians are our own brethren.
At this stage, the only way Prabakaran can save face is to surrender and face justice in the courts system or to swallow his cyanide capsule as Hitler did in his bunker and end the futile resistance. (Courtesy: The Island)
