‘Sri Lankan Forces Won’t Attack
Tiger Heartland’ - Why?By Chandi Sinnathurai
13 April, 2007
Countercurrents.orgI had a lengthy conversation with Fr. Henry Miller in Batticaloa (East Sri Lanka) on April 11, about the Time April 5 article [1] in which he is quoted as saying that ‘Prabaharan [The Tamil Tigers’ leader] needs the violence – or he risks irrelevancy’.
Time article further quoted:“You will not change his [Prabaharan] mind, says Miller. You can only stop his mind”
The Ceylon Daily News went to the extent of dedicating a whole editorial [2] to the above quote and expounded further on it. It must be said that was purely for Government propaganda purposes.
The American-born Jesuit Priest Henry Miller (81) is no stranger to the people of the East. Fr Miller alongside Fr Weber and Fr Herbert (who was martyred for protecting a Tamil boy some years ago) have served the community faithfully since 1948. He has been the most neutral and a bold voice for human rights against all manner of atrocities perpetrated by both sides.
During my conversation Fr Miller told me that, “Both sides [LTTE and the Government] know where I stand on these matters. My lines of communication with both are open. The situation however, is volatile. I will continue to speak the truth.”
When asked about the quote on the Tiger leader, Fr Miller replied, “I did not put it exactly like that as you read within quotations (in the article)…but it does reflect the sentiments expressed. It must be seen within the context of terror coming from both sides. In Batticaloa, people look the other way. Every morning there are bodies found – at least 10 or 15 bodies with gun shot wounds in the streets…people are terrorized and they don’t wish to speak out fearing for their lives! On the Government side they want war, and so is the case of LTTE [Tamil Tigers]. If Prabaharan wants to be relevant, sadly he needs the violence. That is how Sri Lankan politics seem to work these days.”
The Time article failed to include what Fr Miller said about the Sri Lankan Army Camp in the heart of Batticaloa. ‘The Esplanade – the Weber Stadium is being taken over by the Army and it is from here that the multi-barrel rockets are shot over to the Kokoticholai Tiger camp. Elderly people and heart-patients have been removed from the Batticaloa hospital owing to the earth-shattering noises these rockets make…Schools had to close indefinitely because students began to collapse under the constant strain and stress…The Army should seriously consider moving away from the Esplanade.”
In assessing the war situation Fr Miller added that, a solution is not forth coming because, both sides seem to have failed to come up with any amicable solution. As for re-taking the Tiger heart-land Vanni by the Government forces, he said,” The Government soldiers are not prepared psychologically to engage in such a bold adventure. Skirmishes are taking place in the out-skirts of Vanni. The Government has not attacked the heart-land because they know what they can expect and will not be able to handle the out come.”
In the end it seems, there are no winners and losers. If at all, it is the civilians who really are the losers – in terms of life, livelihood, homes and lands. Over 80,000 people have died in this conflict since the 1980’s. Many thousands have simply disappeared. Currently some 153,000 internal refugees are displaced only in the Batticaloa district.
Is there an end in sight? I asked. ‘Not at the moment’. ‘Both sides however, have to come to an agreement to dialogue’ was Fr Miller’s considered opinion.
In the past however, dialogues have failed, how will it be different this time around? I wondered.
“When its ceasefire, both sides must honour to cease fire – not to fire the gun and then say that it was retaliation. When we can achieve that commitment; that will be a good start…”
Fr Chandi Sinnathurai is a peasant-priest. He has written extensively on the Sri Lankan conflict. He maintains a blog at: chandi.eponym.com/blogNote:
1] Sri Lanka: Endless War by Simon Robinson, TIME, April 5, 2007http://www.time.com/time/
magazine/article/0,9171,1606876,00.html2] Ceylon Daily News April 9. 2007 Editorial (as appeared on the internet version)
A maniacal mindset
"You will not change his mind... You can only stop his mind". These are not the words of a communalist who would tend to see our conflict in stark black and white terms and who would bay for Prabhakaran's blood. On the contrary, this is Fr. Henry Miller speaking; an 81 year old American Catholic priest who has been resident in Eastern Sri Lanka since 1948.
In other words, Fr. Miller has witnessed Sri Lanka's post independence political history at first hand and is well versed in the country's public affairs. A household name in the East, Fr. Miller should be knowing what he is talking about.
Besides, Fr. Miller could be counted on to view things dispassionately, being, who may be called, a complete outsider to the country's conflict. Being a foreigner and a keen observer of the country's politics, his pronouncements could be considered to be clinically impartial and objective. Not being a member of any of our communities, Fr. Miller's judgments would be untainted by racial prejudice and hatred.
Therefore, Fr. Miller's views on Prabhakaran need to be considered with the utmost seriousness. Not surprisingly, they correspond perfectly with the most studied judgments of those who have been scrutinizing Prabhakaran's conduct over the decades. Fr. Miller "hit the nail on the head" when he said that Prabhakaran needed to have more and more violence. If not he risked being irrelevant.
The accuracy of this pronouncement cannot be questioned. Prabhakaran's handling of the LTTE over the past two years alone bears this out.
He has not only spurned every effort by the State to involve the LTTE in negotiations but continuously replenished his military machine and relentlessly and blood-thirstily attacked the Security Forces.
Such bloody obstinacy came to a head recently when he attacked the air base in Katunayake, using an aircraft, which he assembled disregarding all prohibitive norms. On being battered and bloodied by the Security forces over the past few months, Prabhakaran has resorted to the cowardly and abominable tactic of unleashing his deadly venom on civilians.
The current killing spree by the Tigers is keenly targetting mostly civilians because they know for certain that they would be annihilated by the Security Forces if they meet the latter head on.
Is this the conduct of a man who is seeking peace or a negotiated settlement? The answer is a clear 'no'. The ruthless LTTE leader knows fully well that if he opts for a negotiated settlement he would be choosing irrelevance and oblivion.
For, a political settlement would make him and his terror outfit completely unnecessary. The majority of the Tamil people would prefer to live peacefully with the rest of the communities, within an united Sri Lanka, and would wholeheartedly welcome a political settlement. They have no need for terror outfits and violence.
Prabhakaran and his killer outfit know this only too well. This is the reason why they are constantly seeking to keep Sri Lanka on the boil. Violence and violence alone keeps them going.
We call on the world, then, to open their eyes and minds to what is going on in Sri Lanka.
They have Fr. Miller's insight into the Tiger leader's maniacal mindset, which cannot be doubted for a second. It is plain to see that Prabhakaran and the LTTE must be defeated if Sri Lankans are to live in peace.
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