Published on - 4/18/2008
AS THE EU'S EXTERNAL Relations Chief, thank you for your condemnation of the suicide attack which killed Minister Fernandopulle and fourteen civilians and injured many other bystanders. The Sri Lankan newspaper readers did, however, note that you failed to make any mention of the well known source of this suicide attack, let alone condemn that source by name. That name is LTTE, in case it is absent in your vocabulary. We also noted that you failed even to make a request that these murderous activities should stop forthwith.
As on many previous occasions, again you wanted the government to negotiate for a political solution. This is easier said than done. We would like to put forward the following questions to you.
1) Could you tell us how the government can negotiate with LTTE who have repeatedly walked out of negotiations on flimsy grounds? When they did walk out in Geneva why did the EU fail to urge them to get back to negotiations?
2) Could you tell us what we have got to negotiate on when the LTTE wants nothing but a separatist Eelam? Have you by any chance persuaded them to give up Eelam so that negotiation is possible?
3) Is it your view that we should negotiate the vivisection of the country? The surrender of a disproportionate part of the country to the terrorists you failed to name in your condemnation?
4) Can we know the political settlement EU expects us to negotiate? Or should I say, wants to impose on Sri Lanka?
5) Why is NATO fighting in Afganistan without negotiating a political settlement with Taleban and Al Queda? Have you also publicly advised the EU members of NATO to negotiate as you frequently do in the case of Sri Lanka?
6) How come thousands of soldiers from EU countries are bombing and killing Iraqi citizens without negotiating a settlement? Is this not contrary to the wishes of the citizens of those same EU countries?
7) Have you publicly advised Israel to negotiate with Hamas in Gaza rather than bomb and kill those Palestinians?
8) Why do you always keep badgering and pestering the government even when it gets hit badly by the LTTE? Why no such needling of the LTTE, the perpetrator of mass murder?
9) Austrian citizens recently held vigil all over Austria to expiate themselves from the shame and blame for allowing the fatherland to be gobbled up by Hitler and the Nazification of the people and to express their firm determination never to allow such a thing to happen again. What then is wrong when we Sri Lankans take up arms to fight the fascist LTTE and the Tamil Hitler and take all measures to prevent what was experienced by Austria?
10) Unlike NATO in Afganistan, and the Allied forces in Iraq, Sri Lankan forces are not fighting in a foreign country. We are fighting for democracy, Human Rights and the preservation of our country. What exactly is wrong in this struggle against LTTE terrorists?
I have many more questions but I shall stop here as you are probably busy trying to repair the damage done to international law and the UN itself, by the despicable and disgraceful conduct of the EU in Kosovo.
This letter will reach you in the near future and I hope you will kindly oblige me with the answers.
Durand Appuhamy. (Sri Lanka) (Courtesy: The Island's “views & opinion pageâ€)
