This is the first segment of interviews with Sri Lankan Tamils residing in Western countries. The gender and name of the persons are withheld on request.
These interviews will offer different perspectives pertaining to how Tamil expatriates from Sri Lanka view the international and local dynamics concerning the problem with LTTE terrorism and national reconciliation.
The interview is with a Sri Lankan Tamil professional who had studied in the United States after migrating from Sri Lanka as a youth, some twenty years ago and is currently a white collar professional in that country.
Q: Where are you from originally, in Sri Lanka?
A: I am from Jaffna.
Q: When did you leave Sri Lanka?
A: Over two decades ago.
Q: What is the specific reason for leaving to the United States?
A: I wanted to further my studies, escape the dismal situation in the North at the time, escape the LTTE death threats and create a future for myself abroad.
Q: What are your views about the US initiative to recognise the LTTE’s so called Tamil homeland concept?
A: I am not exaggerating when I say I have spent sleepless nights here ever since I heard this news.
Q: What is the reason you are so fearful?
A: We fled Sri Lanka on account of the LTTE more than anything else. I am not white washing any one particular side. All of us Tamils were sandwiched between the Army and the LTTE and we faced enough of issues.
In my case my family lived in close proximity to an army camp. Occasionally we used to share meals. Even battle against terrorism cannot erase the humanness in our mutual cultures. This resulted in the torture and death of our immediate family members at the hands of the LTTE.
We were branded as traitors. I may be in the US but my blood relatives are still in Sri Lanka. We need to have some home – the whole of Sri Lanka – to return to and we need to do so without fear of being murdered by our so called own people.
I will be honest when I say I have many questions pertaining to Sri Lanka’s actions pertaining to reconciliation. Much needs to be done but what many Tamils won’t speak openly is on this mythical concept of a Tamil homeland and its meaninglessness.
What I am sad about is that this has come to a point when we all know that Sri Lankans lived in unity in the past in that small country. Whatever the Government in Sri Lanka, the commitment by the Sinhala politicians to correctly guide the nation and set wise policies towards a national consciousness focused upon equality and self respect is a dire need.
Tamil politicians should stop playing politics with this issue after having made holidays to the West funded by pro LTTE elements.
The chapter pertaining to the three decades of bloodshed has to be closed as sensitively as possible. I acknowledge the good that has been done such as the Sri Lankan Government pardoning the LTTE members that indulged in terrorism and rehabilitating them.
Strengthening these families has to be continued so that this itself can be a strong reconciliation process that will stop giving the LTTE supporters abroad excuses to keep up the chorus of Tamil Eelam.
The cases of those currently in prison; those who are not fighters but held for different other charges such as association with the LTTE should be expedited and they should be charged if guilty. These acts will bring genuine reconciliation, peace and stability to the minds of Lankans.
Q: Do you fear the current LTTE supporters in the US?
A: Very much. I have been trailed and had my car windows smashed and verbally abused because I belong to the category of Tamils that do not wish to go for pro LTTE protests and anti Sri Lanka events they organise here.
These protests are like an excursion for the young generation of Tamils who have been born here in the US and have no idea of Sri Lanka or the North and East. The story is the same across Europe.
For those of us who refuse to pay the hefty sums the LTTE fundraisers demand for the ‘Tamil Eelam cause’ the repercussion is that they will note us down and wherever we go, whether here or in Sri Lanka we will be tracked and harassed.
We need the US and Sri Lankan Governments along with the Sri Lankan Lankan military to be aware of these facts and to follow up on these matters.
Q: Are there many others who hold similar views as you?
A: Many do not disclose their true opinions. On the surface it looks to an outsider as if all these Tamils in the US from Sri Lanka support the LTTE. But this is not so. Many Tamils and intellectuals, despise the LTTE and their terror.
Concerning those in the West who portray themselves as supporters of the Tamil Eelam cause, the actual fact is that it is neither about the LTTE nor the so called Eelam. It is about using a lame excuse for profiteering and living in luxury in total disconnection with Sri Lanka and especially the North.
None of these people who are clamouring for Eelam would want to go back to their home country or birthplace. Some of the key figures championing the Eelam cause are Sri Lankan origin Tamil lawyers who are now US citizens and involved in getting every kind of criminal to the US from Sri Lanka to seek ‘asylum.’
They are minting money by the hour and they don’t have time even to appear in courts for these people. How will they continue to get rich if they get their so-called Eelam? They are the last people who want the so called Eelam they scream so much about.
They need to have a set of abjectly poor people in the North of Sri Lanka as pawns for them to continue being global millionaires. This is the pathetic situation reality. Back abroad these Tamils are portraying themselves as the ‘to be chiefs’ of their mythical kingdom in the North of Lanka knowing full well that they are merely enacting a money making drama.
Q: Do you still identify yourself as a Sri Lankan?
A: Yes. I love Sri Lanka and I love my adopted country, the United States. My adopted country has given me much. It has given me freedom and opportunity. But I am from Sri Lanka and that is my birth place. I would like to contribute to the wellbeing of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans, for peace and understanding between communities. I like to see a future where there is no more unrest in Sri Lanka. Yes, I identify myself with Sri Lanka as well as with the US in the same way. It is like my pair of eyes.
Q: What do you think motivates the US to support a so-called ‘Tamil homeland’ in Sri Lanka as per its latest decision last month?
A: What I am going to say is my personal view. This is not a professional analysis. But I think the Tamil migration from Sri Lanka is a big headache for this country. The level of crime that is happening here unleashed by migrants from different countries overall is high and Sri Lankan Tamil migrants in particular contribute very well to this mess.
Bank/credit card hacking, human smuggling, money laundering and to every conceivable fraud you can think of is happening. I would assume that the US is worried about all this. I think this maybe one of the reasons for initiating the resolution.
However, the LTTE lobbying is also very strong here. The counter lobbying by Sri Lanka as a State is very weak. This is my understanding. I could be wrong. But I think much more awareness is needed from Sri Lanka on what is happening here on the ground.
Sri Lanka needs this awareness not just before the Geneva talks but to have a proper annual strategy to deal with the propaganda here. But this has to be done with stringent attention to building unity within Sri Lanka.
Q: What kind of jobs in general does the Tamil Diaspora from Lanka do in the US?
A: You asked a very interesting question. Most of them come with nothing and with very poor education but almost overnight they end up owning land and other assets here. The question is where do they get the money? The answer is from the illegal activities they do globally – as I told you every kind of thing you can imagine from smuggling people to drugs are on the list.
The rest of the money – a very significant amount comes from the so called ‘fund raising’ for the ‘Tamil homeland’ and the ‘Tamil people.’
This fund raising is continuing in vast proportions across the world. They do not want permanent peace, reconciliation and stability in Sri Lanka because if there is peace then they cannot launch fund raising using various excuses tied up with ‘Tamil Eelam’ and the Tamil people.
Q: How much of these ‘funds’ reaches the Tamil people of the North East of Sri Lanka?
A: Your guess is as good as mine. Talk to the people of the North and the East. Are they getting this aid? If at all what is given with much fanfare and covert LTTE promotion is an absolute pittance, just so that they could showcase to the world their ‘humanitarianism’ for the purpose of more ‘fund raising.’
Q: Are you connected to India – do you have any relatives there?
A: No. But I am aware of the dynamics that play out in diverse ways connected to India and Sri Lanka. I was in the North when the IPKF arrived and have followed the diverse aspects of the Indian context pertaining to Sri Lanka.
Q: What is your view of the Lankan army?
A: Well, I am not going to say they are perfect nor are saints. No am I going to say they are criminals. They were an Army and mostly they were disciplined. We had interacted closely with them because they were an everyday presence in the North.
Where my family was concerned there was a camp close to our house. We know they were fighting a war with a set of persons who resorted to terrorism. This fact I have to acknowledge whether I am a Tamil or otherwise.
But I also have to acknowledge that we Tamils faced a terrible situation – needlessly – in 1983 – and several other riots happened previously. My own immediate family was affected. Thereafter for thirty years Sri Lanka suffered from terrorism. But humanism survived during even the worst situations.
Even amid the most intense fighting between the army and the LTTE this humanism survived. Do you know many young Tamil girls married Sinhala boys from the army. This happened. Pro LTTE people shout rape, Not rape. Normal relationships happened. Even in war there is a thing called love. There were many ordinary friendships as happens among youth.
There was a military official I knew for 25 years whose family members used to be friends with one of my older relatives before the battle against terrorism. Since I was a child I used to be talkative and tell this military official who was a very kind hearted young officer all my school time woes and would play cricket with him. To date I consider him a brother.
I am in contact with several other military personnel where my family interacted back then. The stories of utter humanism during the battle against terrorism are many. Some are unimaginable. I will talk to you one day when I come to Sri Lanka.
I don’t hide my unhappiness about certain things. How many times I have shouted at the Army as a youth. But there is a sense of trust. I don’t have to worry about them smashing my car windows for speaking my mind.
Q: Do you consider there to be a political problem in Sri Lanka pertaining to the Tamil question or a people related issue?
A: I think it is a combination of both. The basic thing is that Sri Lanka has to create mechanisms where all Sri Lankans are made to feel that this country is their home and want to work hard for their nation.
Intelligent people are leaving Sri Lanka. There is a serious brain drain. I think more and more young people should be encouraged to interact with each other and collectively pursue the path of knowledge to develop Sri Lanka.
Fear of each other should be eradicated. True patriotism should be encouraged. Petty policy making based on fearing each other or each other’s success based on ethnicity or religion should never be encouraged. This is the root of all ill.
Although Sri Lanka is a small country the interaction between people is not happening. There was a time I nearly joined the LTTE. The humaneness ingrained in my Catholic family and the everyday interaction with the army friends prevented this.
I could not see myself killing the young persons- members of the army we used to share food with, played cricket and learnt Sinhala. Encouraging humanism within every human heart is what is going to save Sri Lanka against those who want the opposite.
Q: What is the biggest crime against humanity that you think Sri Lanka and America should focus at present?
A: Human smuggling from Sri Lanka’s North-East. The way I see it this is one of the biggest ‘businesses’ carried out by the pro LTTE Diaspora. I do not know if the US understands this situation and I am not sure if Sri Lanka has sufficient knowledge of what is going on. This is a very serious issue that needs careful attention from all countries concerned.
Q: Your final advice for promoting national reconciliation in Sri Lanka?
A: Let the young people interact. I repeat this thousand times. Why I do not have extremist ideas or become a victim of terrorism is because as a child and youth I interacted with Sinhala children and because of this as a youth I did not see the army as an enemy out to kill us. I knew that they were merely doing their duty to control terrorism as any country would.
Because I knew this I did not believe the fear psychosis based brainwashing of the LTTE. What we should do is prevent any future opportunism that gives way to terrorism. The correct national priorities should be inculcated in terms of language rights.
Basically, Sri Lankan education system should invest in teaching students all three languages and overall emphasise on creating wise youth who can think originally and humanely and not be misled by devious agendas.
This is the way to create human beings who realise that creating wise policies can make or break a nation. It is today’s youth who is a leader tomorrow. Sri Lanka has some really talented young people whether Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher. Let more and more opportunity be created for them to interact and think together for economic and social solutions for their country.
I consider Sri Lanka as my home as it is my home. There is a place I need to return to. I do not want a fragmented home. I want the home of Sri Lanka intact.