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| Sri Lanka |
| Accept Muslim leadership, rights group tells Tamils |
| 2006-08-24 |
| In a suggestion bound to fuel widespread But the most significant aspect of the report, titled 'Hubris and Humanitarian Catastrophe', is the appeal to the Tamil community to acknowledge Muslims as the leaders in the campaign for democracy and equality. 'The time has come where Tamils will have to accept in all humility that the leadership in the struggle for democracy and human rights in the northeast, both against the state and (against) Tamil fascism, will have to be borne by the Muslims,' it says, referring to Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Muslims living in Sri Lanka's northeast speak Tamil but call themselves a distinct community. Many Muslims were once members of Tamil militant groups but relations between the two groups later got strained. After discussing the situation in the astern town of Mutur from where Muslims and Tamils fled in thousands following recent heavy fighting, the report says: 'What the Mutur experience has done is to mobilise the Muslims towards coming into their own, and no one could now take them for granted.' It goes on: 'More than their homes, the Tamils have lost their sense of community, leadership and social infrastructure. Even when fascism collapses, as it surely would, it would take them at least a generation to recoup.' It says that Muslims evicted from Mutur have been able to preserve a sense of community and mobilise support from around the country and abroad. They are in locations where access is relatively easy. They have been able to make demands, activate their representatives and force the government and relief agencies to listen... 'In comparison, Tamils evicted from their homes and scattered once more at every new blast of missiles have become both politically and communally amorphous. The Tamil displaced, dead, dying and injured remained largely invisible.' UTHR is a rights group that mainly monitors rights violations in Sri Lanka's troubled northeast. It has been critical of both the government and the Tigers. The latest report also blames both the government and LTTE for causing human misery due to their fighting that has, among other things, triggered a panic run to Tamil Nadu by thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils. The report criticizes international agencies for leaving the conflict zone when they were most needed.Isn't that a given? This, it says, has sparked fear among the locals 'as they fear killings and massacres at the hands of the security forces without any witnesses'. Watching this story develop will be a bit like watching to see if a funnel will form on the bottom of a storm cloud. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #1 But the most significant aspect of the report, titled 'Hubris and Humanitarian Catastrophe', is the appeal to the Tamil community to acknowledge Muslims as the leaders in the campaign for democracy and equality. Who let these lunatics out of the asylum? Talk about "hubris"! A "Rights Group" telling people to accept government by one of the most abusive ideologies on earth. We need a graphic of a melted down Cognitive Dissonance Meter for this little gem. But wait! There's more! Muslims living in Sri Lanka's northeast speak Tamil but call themselves a distinct community. Where have I heard this before? [Muslims] have been able to make demands, activate their representatives and force the government and relief agencies to listen... Heelllloooo, Dhimmis! |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-24 17:50 |