BETA

Mr Prabharakan was to make some important comments relating to the ongoing fighting and related matters. He told them that it was his responsibility to cope with the latest campaign in the Wanni by the military. They should not worry about it. However, he asked TNA parliamentarians to highlight to "the outside world" what he called "the suffering undergone by people in the Wanni and the human rights violations that were being committed."

- Situation Report, Sunday Times, 16/03/2008

There is no way to corroborate this information at the moment, but it clearly demonstrates the strategy employed by the National leader Veluppillai Pirapaharan during the Eelam war IV. The war has to be fought in two fronts; one is in military front in Tamil homeland and second one is in the corridors of power in the western capitals more precisely a politico diplomatic front. Any one with a keen interest in Sri Lankan ethnic conflict, people with few hundred grams of brain substance inside their skull will appreciate this strategy and its intended objectives. Given the fact, the current international politics is monopolised by US and its allies; making a strong case for an independent state for the Tamils of Sri Lanka can be the most prudent and timely action by the expatriate Tamils at this crucial juncture. Unfortunately the self proclaimed custodians of Tamil nationalism in western capitals don’t give a damn about lobbying and engaging the main stream politics. They think it’s a waste of money and time. They discourage who ever involved in lobbying activities and give them scant respect. This kind of arrogance and ‘cartel mentality’ is severely hampering the lobbying activities. The ‘exclusive club’ of Tamil nationalists black out the lobbying activities in the media and some instances even portray as ‘unpatriotic’. Of course I understand that there are few naïve over enthusiastic lobbyists / activists boasting that they can bring miracles to the Tamil nation without realising their limitations. On the other hand we witnessed the ‘village tea boutique style’ management of the affairs by the Tamil nationalist establishments in diaspora countries with scant regard to the local rules and regulations and that led us to this current ‘mess’.

We can sense this arrogant attitude still prevail in those establishments. The following excerpt from the Tamil Guardian editorial clearly demonstrates the ‘cartel mentality’ of the establishment.

Over the past two years, numerous Tamil actors have taken up the plight of their people with the international community, especially the Western states. Yet there has been no substantive effort to crack down on the Sri Lankan state. This is not to say such efforts should be abandoned; indeed, in the spirit of hope with which these are taken up, they must be followed through to their end. Rather, it is to ask why is that in response to all this lobbying, instead of taking up the Tamils' demands with the Sri Lankan state, the international community instead continues to insist, as it always has done, that it is up to the state to offer us a solution?

- Editorial, Tamil Guardian, 12/03/2008

Instead of this 'snobby editorial' TG should unreservedly endorse the lobbyists and support their endeavour.

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