Sri Lankan Air Force Kfir bomb civilian settlements in Mullaithivu
Sri Lankan Air Force Kfir bombs civilian settlement in Mullaithivu at 10.00am on 20 December 2006. Some houses were damaged and no casualties have been reported so far.
It has now become an established tradition of the Sri Lankan armed forces to disrupt culturally significant commemorations of the Tamil people and also destroy their culturally significant places. Today is the day of the final funeral rites of the Voice of the Nation Anton Balasingam. This is being held in the Alexandra Palace in London. Commemorations are taking place through out Tamil Eelam at the same time. Throughout the Tamil homeland flags are flying at half mask as the nation mourns the loss of a nationally significant figure in the Tamil struggle. Kfir attack on such a culturally and emotionally important day for the Tamil people, demonstrates the absolute insensitivity of the Sinhala establishment to the Tamil sentiments and culture. The arrogance of Sinhala chauvinisms towards the Tamil culture shines through this deliberate Kfir attack on this important day for the Tamils. Destroying shrines and cemeteries of Maveerar (fallen heroes) is another well established tradition of the Sinhala establishment. The Alankulam Maveerar cemetery in Trincomalee for 634 Maveerar was bulldozed to the ground in August 2006. The list of similar destructions of culturally significant places of the Tamils by the Sri Lankan military in the past is very long indeed. Maveerar cemeteries are not just places to honour the military dead. In Tamil culture worshipping the dead relative is a long held cultural tradition that goes back to millenniums. Maveerar shrines and cemeteries therefore represent something a lot more significant than just honouring the military dead. Families of Maveerar visit these cemeteries frequently and have communion with their dead relative. The insensitivity of the Sri Lankan military to such places and days must be strongly condemned. Importantly, these significant places and days are not inferior in any way to any of the culturally significant places and days of the Sinhala people.
20 December 2006
|
Europe which has a total population of 800 million is made up of 45 language based nation states. South Asia which has a total population of one billion, (1000 million) is comprised of four states. Who is preventing and therefore benefiting by limiting new nation-states in South Asia?
Print this
Email this
more
