UK Tamil answers pro-LTTE fibs:

Tamils who escaped terror praise SL Army

*Tigers shot dead Tamils

*Tamils were held hostage by LTTE

It is a known fact that during the heavy fighting, the LTTE moved its heavy artillery positions near the safe zones which were declared by the Sri Lankan forces to be no fire zones. The LTTE not only moved its artillery within these no fire zones but also positioned it within the hospital compounds. The Tamils who objected to this move were brutally shot dead, states S Vasudevan, a Tamil of Sri Lankan origin resident in London UK.

He states this and challenges many other allegations against Sri Lanka, in a letter sent to the Guardian Newspaper in the UK to protest an article produced in the newspaper regarding Sri Lanka and the end of the war in 2009.

Excerpts of the text of the letter:

“I am writing to express my disappointment and disgust with the article on Comment is Free, published 13/06/2011 entitled ‘Lifting the lid on Sri Lanka’s war crimes’. As a Sri Lankan Tamil living in the UK, I totally oppose the assertions being made in the article.

Having visited Sri Lanka at least four times after the end of war in 2009, I have had many opportunities to interact with and speak to hundreds of war victims whose story bears no resemblance to the imaginative article found in the Guardian.

These Tamils who have managed to escape the war are still praising the Sri Lankan army for their courage and dedication during the war despite the loss of at least 6000 soldiers. The real story is that these Tamils were held as hostages by the LTTE.

I would like to challenge the figures being quoted of “40,000” Tamil casualties which interestingly are the same figures being reported by the BTF (British Tamil Forum - the LTTE’s UK Branch). If you were to actually do some investigations into the reports on missing people from the conflict being listed during 2009, you would have got a more accurate figure. When I spoke to people on the ground especially the war victims about the figures quoted by the BTF (and subsequently by you), they simply laughed it off and said it was LTTE propaganda in order to get the international attention to save them from the defeat.

Now you may see this as the thoughts of a single man, but if you were to read the interview given by a former Tamil National Parliamentarian, who was trapped inside the war zone during this period, on the 18th of April 2011 to the Asian Tribune, you will see that he also exposes the failed political agenda of the LTTE and the vested interests of the West.

It is a known fact that during the heavy fighting LTTE also moved its heavy artillery positions near the safe zones which were declared by the Sri Lankan forces to be no fire zones. The LTTE not only moved its artillery within these no fire zones but also positioned it within the hospital compounds. The Tamils who objected to this move were brutally shot dead. These have been corroborated by the war victims and even former LTTE cadres and can be viewed for yourselves on You Tube I was in the Vanni last month and many Tamils have also confirmed the above claim. The LTTE not only killed innocent Tamils but also robbed them of their wealth and savings during the last battle. As a Tamil, it would have made sense to support the LTTE, but you have to understand that as Sri Lankan Tamils, we have borne the brunt of the atrocities by the LTTE.

The LTTE had so many opportunities to follow the path of peace and come to a political settlement vis-a-vis the ethnic issue. However they shut the door for peace on many occasions, always opting instead for conflict. This left the Sri Lankan government with no option but to finish off the LTTE. Yes this war against LTTE was a horrible and brutal war but it would have been worse if the LTTE had remained in existence today.

“The Sri Lankan government has already started an inquiry into all the human right issues with regards its conduct and I am confident that accountability will be taken soon.

I am so happy to see the Tamils in Sri Lanka are now living peacefully with the other communities. The peace and future reconciliation of the country remains a threat by the publication of such inflammatory and faulty articles.

Please do not open up the old wounds and disrupt the ongoing healing process among the communities in Sri Lanka.

S. Vasudevan - June 15, 2011

Courtesy: priu.gov.lk