Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan discuss energy joint cooperation and climate action    Vegetation cover in Saudi nature reserve increases to 8.5%    Largest international conference for religious leaders in Asia to be hosted in Kuala Lumpur    Defense minister launches King Faisal Air Academy's new facilities, attends graduation ceremony    Groundbreaking Ceremony for Al-Asasyah Advanced Industry HVAC Smart Factory in Dammam    Saudi Arabia among top 20 global car markets    Key Car rental introduces innovative monthly key subscription service    Prince Badr Bin Abdulmohsin, icon of Saudi poetry, dies at 75    Health Ministry reports no new cases in food poisoning incident, one death confirmed    Targeting Rafah could lead to slaughter, warns UN aid agency    Japan calls Biden 'xenophobic' comments 'unfortunate'    Saudi Arabia initiates anti-dumping probe into steel imports from China and Taiwan    Loay Nazer announces candidacy for presidency of Al-Ittihad    Al-Nassr sets up thrilling clash with Al-Hilal in King's Cup final after defeating Al-Khaleej    Karim Benzema seeks medical consultation in Madrid for ongoing injuries    Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad in heated King's Cup semi-final    Infinix GT 20 Pro flagship launch: Revolutionizing esports-level gaming and ushering in a new era of the holistic gaming universe    SFDA: Breast-milk substitute products are sugar-free complying with Saudi specifications    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Riyadh premieres first Saudi opera    Australian police launch manhunt for Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Politics vs Military
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 10 - 01 - 2009

With the ongoing travesty in Gaza, attention has been distracted by another attempt to impose a military solution on a problem that clearly demands a political one: the Tamil minority of Sri Lanka.
However, the murderously fanatical position taken by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in their decades long battle has forced the ideal of minority rights off course for the larger cause of eliminating terrorism that has nearly wrecked the island nation.
LTTE is now locked in a deadly struggle to hold onto a small patch of jungle, a fraction fo the territory they controlled just weeks ago.
Should the government destroy the Tigers as a conventional rebel force, its adherents will no doubt continue their struggle via guerrilla tactics and quite possibly more terrorism. A rebellion that has sustained itself for decades is not likely to raise the white flag and fade into the sunset.
No doubt the Tamils of Sri Lanka have genuine political and economic grievances. As early as 1956, anti-Tamil legislation was passed. The official language of the country was made Sinhala; in 1972 the constitution gave Buddhism the “foremost place” in the state. The discrimination escalated, preventing many Tamils from attending university or acquiring government jobs. Hundreds of Tamil were killed in anti-Tamil riots in the decades following the independence from Britain.
However, the Tigers squandered away any claim to fighting a just cause when they made victims of the very people they represented by trying to cling on to power at any cost. They have forcibly recruited children, men and women, suppressed independent media and opinion, killed and tortured political opponents within the Tamil community and generally operated as an authoritarian entity.
Successive governments in Colombo have tried various approaches to tackle the problem, some good, some bad, but all mostly leading many young Tamils to join the LTTE out of anger.
The latest cause for outrage was on Thursday in Colombo when the editor of a Sri Lankan newspaper that has been highly critical of the government's hawkish approach to the Tamil issue was shot dead.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse condemned the killing but there are charges that elements sympathetic to the government are using extrajudicial means to press their own point.
The situation in Sri Lanka is a pointer that the resolution of political issues by violent means results in nothing but countless deaths, ongoing resentment and never-ending conflict.
Rajapakse appears close to a historic victory against the terrorists among the Tamils. However, he still has a long way to go before he can make any claim of victory against the largely innocent Tamil minority whose grievances must be addressed if the country is to rid itself of the scourge of militancy once and for all. __


Clic here to read the story from its source.