on the brink of chaos
Many children were on the bus
while asvajit is busy stealing titles for his blog posts from me, our lives go on more or less undisturbed…
but according to BBC, ‘At least 64 people - many of them children - have been killed in a mine attack on a Sri Lankan bus, police say.’ this wakes me up a little, shakes me out of my stupor of comfort and lethargy.
the BBC report continues -
Another 45 people were wounded in the attack in the town of Kabithigollewa, 200km (125 miles) north of Colombo in Anuradhapura district.
It is the worst incident involving civilians since a 2002 ceasefire. The government blames the Tamil Tigers, but they deny responsibility.
The government has responded with air strikes on Tamil Tiger positions.
The Tigers say the attack may be the work of a paramilitary group linked to the government.
Violence has risen in Sri Lanka since early April when talks between the rebels and the government broke down.
Government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the administration would have to “seriously consider” the ceasefire agreement.
Military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said the blast was caused by one or two mines left in a tree - a tactic used so the ground does not absorb the blast.
Bandula Seneviratne, a Sri Lankan photographer, said: “The blasts hit the middle of the bus and it overturned, trapping passengers.”
The bus was thrown 25m down the road.
A doctor at the local hospital said at least 15 children were among the dead.
“This is the most barbaric attack of the Tigers,” Mr Rambukwella said.
The Tigers immediately issued a statement denying responsibility saying that “directly targeting civilians… cannot be justified under any circumstances”.
The devices used in the attack - claymore mines - are widely used by the Tamil Tigers.
But a Tamil Tiger (LTTE) spokesman, S Puleedevan, told the BBC’s World Update programme that the attack may have been the work of a paramilitary group linked to the government.
“The Sri Lankan armed forces are using various paramilitary groups. They are engaged in a lot of claymore attacks, penetrative attacks, against the LTTE, against the Tamil civilians, in the north-east,” he said.
Anuradhapura was the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Correspondents say Thursday’s attack has extra significance as it was carried out in the Sinhalese Buddhist heartland.
A relative mourns after Thursday’s bus attack (images and captions from BBC)
the violence is mindless, painful to everyone involved and everyone affected. nothing justifies this. nothing anyone says is going to make it better. what’s the point? it’s futile and meaningless and downright cruel.
ultimately, all anyone does is point fingers. the government blames the LTTE and the LTTE blames a ‘paramilitary group linked to the government.’ what does any of this matter to those who had to see their children’s body parts in the nearby trees? what does any of this matter to those whose loved ones were blown to bits on their way to work or school? oh, us poor unsuspecting, innocent civilians. caught in the crossfire again.
no one is held responsible. none of it is accountable for. it’s a vicious cycle all over again. all these ‘attacks’ provoke retaliation and the peace talks go nowhere. wtf.
Pictures of the bomb blast (NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED)
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20060615_04
Comment by Sam — June 15, 2006 @ 4:57 pm
The truth matters electra, the truth is all that we have in the end. All that the families who are left have. They have every right to know who committed this.
Timing wise, this does not make sense for the ltte. It is strategically a very, very bad move. They have not hesitated, as they did re Kadirigama in comming forward and denying it.
Paramilitaries are very obvioiusly acting in the north, GOSL army personnel dressed in tiger fatigue are furthermore committing acts of absolute horror. As far as some are concerned, all’s fair in love and war. Well it’s not.
The response to a bus bombing killing innocent civilians who are mostly Sinhalese, puts every Tamil’s life in SL in jeopardy. There is no way that the ltte, logically could sustain this because Tamils themselves will not. So - who is behind this?
I think the least obvious answer is those who have the most to loose. Things did not go well for the ltte in Europe.
News & reports about the responding bombings by the GOSL would be appreciated, as you can imagine we are all horrified and worried. The killing of the young family last week whereby those photos were captured and plastered all over the web worried me no end. Again, there is no response as to who, what or why except that of course, as you say the GOSL blamed the ltte and vice versa.
Fact is - things don’t happen in isolation, it also appears that these incidents are happening with some diabolical purpose.
God help us all.
Comment by ashanthi — June 15, 2006 @ 7:47 pm
The Sri Lankan Government strongly condemned the barbaric and inhuman killing of civilians, as the death toll rose to 63 which included 15 school going children, and a few pregnant women.
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/588
Comment by Sam — June 15, 2006 @ 7:52 pm
Ashanthi, I know I’ve been rude to you in the past, but you can’t honestly believe that the LTTE aren’t responsible for this? Name one terrorist act that LTTE have ever taken credit for. It’s their classic modus operandi - do it and deny. They never admit to any act of terrorism and we all know they have committed loads.
And you are wrong when you say they have the most to lose -in fact they have nothing more to lose. The major financing hubs for them have all banned them, and now the EU has too. What else do they have to lose by appearing to be the civilian-targeting terrorists that they have always been?
IMO, what they are hoping for by this action is that the scale of the atrocity will incite Sinhalese civilian mobs to riot against civilian Tamils, creating another Black July. That’s why the attack is in predominantly Buddhist area. That’s why the navy vessel attacks took place on the eve of Wesak. It’s the only way they can resurrect their damaged image and justify their no longer credible call for a separate state.
Comment by Ravana — June 15, 2006 @ 8:08 pm
Was looking for obituaries for a friend who died and landed on your blog going through someone else’s! Nice blog you’ve got going. I hope to see all of you again before we all grow too old to travel.
It’s Alex in France. Very sad about T.
Comment by Alex — June 15, 2006 @ 9:27 pm
Hi Ravana - actually I don’t recall you being rude to me before - so hey, don’t worry about it!
Look firstly I don’t speak for the ltte. I have been saying this on the blog for so long, I’m truly sick of saying it. You need to address issues about the ltte with the ltte, frankly. If you are in S/L - hey you have more access to them than I do.
This funding issue - confuses me no end, mainly because I think the perception that it’s all comming from Tamils in the Western world and frankly I don’t see how - especially after Sep 2001. The EU ban is probably a bit like a rubber stamp. The EU - not wanting to jump on the “coalition of the willing against the war on terror to prevent the propogation of weapons of mass destruction” held back a bit. However, really I think a universal decision was made that things needed to change - and they did.
OK - read that paragraph again, and again, and again. I totally support and always will the extermination of every single dictator on the this planet. I supported the Americans going into Iraq to get rid of Saddam Hussein and Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Guess what - I was wrong. Saddam Hussein will live out the rest of his life in comfort as did Idi Amin. No weapons of mass destruction were found. I think the Germans and French knew they wouldn’t be and hey - people are dying in terrible ways, every single day in Iraq. Bombings in the UK, Bali, Spain etc have all continued.
What we ALL have to remember is that most of the time, we don’t really know who’s doing what to whom.
However, the fact remains, in Sri Lanka, Tamil people are treated in an apalling manner and they are being systematicallly hounded out of existence on any pretext by certain powerfull elements and this is a crime. It is a shocking crime and it has been going on for far, far too long.
So - the ltte did it. Maybe. They say they didn’t. I still say that having sat in various meeting halls in Norway and Switzerland to be giving orders to blow up buses whilst on a plane back is really just not logical by anyones standards. Nor is it smart. Tamil people may have blown up that bus, because a lot of them really hate the Sinhalese. Harsh - but true, espcially members of undercover army death squads that go into their homes regularily and terrorise them and their children. Capiche?
I say that someone is stiring the shit and doing a great job. And I say that, the “someone” is a “someone” who has previously thrived in an environment of communal violence. Who might that be Ravana? JVP perhaps?
Communal violence has already commenced in the South - it is no longer petty aparthied type discrimination, now some people are after blood. Ravana, you my friend had better do something to stop it rather than wasting your time being rude to me.
In the end remember this, your children will grow up to live with the children of people who have killed other people. You will all live and die together. We, through no fault of our own don’t live with you because our parents left and because they would not commit acts of violence. You will be living and mixing and you continue to live and mix and have lived and mixed with people that have committed these attrocities against other human beings. Sooner or later, this violence will land on your door step.
Do something to stop it. That’s what fighting for Peace is all about.
Comment by ashanthi — June 16, 2006 @ 9:41 am
Aashanthi, you absolutely make me laugh. I am amazed that you are not blonde. At least then I could have understood your lack of intelligence. Your episode of “Ohhhhh the TRO Personnel” was hilarious . After you completely lost credibility over that issue, I notice that you have not even bothered to update your blog since. The only thing that you do now is visit the other blog sites and maintain to be broad minded and pretend that you are “intelligent” about LTTE activities and the way they behave.
Read your post again.
“Paramilitaries are very obviously acting in the north, GOSL army personnel dressed in tiger fatigue are furthermore committing acts of absolute horror.”
“There is no way that the ltte, logically could sustain this because Tamils themselves will not.”
Aashanthi, has the LTTE ever admitted to any of the bombing or killings in Sri Lanka ? LTTE, more than anything now , want the Karuna fraction out and that is why there are blaming them. Wake up !!! LTTE is now wants to provoke the people in south to act out.
LTTE is no longer Pro Tamils as they claim to be !!! LTTE is only Pro LTTE.
If they were Pro Tamil, they would have at least let the future generations of Tamils study under Prof. Hoole. [Read it up when you have some time !!!!]
LTTE certainly has killed civilians before and you can read up on them killing in Aranthalava and in many boarder villages as well as in Colombo. [if you have some idea where you can find the DATA heh!! Heh!!! Heh !!!! ]
“News & reports about the responding bombings by the GOSL would be appreciated, as you can imagine we are all horrified and worried.”
Is this because you care about the people or is this one of you fashion statements ? Like I said your acute lack of intelligence is almost funny !!!!!!!
I most certainly am anti LTTE but Pro Tamil.You have every right to choose what you want to be. If you can sit down and “think” without having a tantrum that is !!!!!!!
Aashanthi, You have lost your credibility before on the blogsphere. I am assuming that you still have some self respect. Read.
There are millions of ways that you can at least assist to educate the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Supporting LTTE is certainly NOT one of them because they are not the liberators of Tamil people. Read and learn. Or become a joke !!! The choice is yours. We always appreciate a good drama queen !!!!!!
Thank you Electra for giving me an opportunity to have my say on your blog.Much appreacieted.
Priyanga
Comment by priyanga — June 16, 2006 @ 10:18 am
Oh look don’t give a lecture about me not updating my blog. I don’t live and die by your silly blog rules.
I think you as anyone else has every right to curse and blast the ltte. However, don’t worry about my credibility when frankly you haven’t actually accounted for any of the other mayhen & murder that’s been going on in Sri Lanka & this does not just affect Tamils.
I don’t think the ltte want to “get rid of the Karuna group at all costs” - I think the ltte have had to come to terms with the fact that there is dissension between east & Northern Tamils. I think you however Priyanga would make yourself a lot more credible if you tackled the issue of whether the “Karuna” group is nothing but a cosmetic cover for hired killers who are doing the SL army’s dirty work. You know - why worry about my reputation on the SL blogsphere - worry about the way your govt is completely deceiving you. What an idiot.
As for “assisting” in the “educating” of Tamils - you reckon the Tamils in Killinochi and Mullathivu need educating do you? Well nothing like a couple of bombs falling around their makeshift refugee camps to help them learn a few lessons quicker.
There are 2 sides to every story ever told - I ain’t worried about my credibility in your 2-dimensional self-centred sphere matey.
I’ve kept my blog quiet not because the truth about what happended to the TRO people is a question that I think has been answere but because S/nut told me to put blogger comment moderator on & I haven’t been able to get the bloody thing off since.
Furthermore - you what, the world is a very, very big place. There’s lot’s going. Sri Lankan bloggers & websites are where I can find out about Sri Lanka & sure I make my opinions known. I’ve already moved my personal blogging on & I have to say I am thrilled that you have not been able to find me in the blogsphere. Probably because it has nothing specific to do with SL anymore.
You hang on to what credibility you think you’ve got. As far as I can see you don’t give a shit about Tamils so your opinion is worth nothing to me.
Comment by ashanthi — June 16, 2006 @ 11:30 am
One last comment on credibility - “priyanga” - why don’t you reveal who you really are, how much credibility do you think you have when you aren’t even a registered blog user!
Sorry - i don’t want to sound arrogant because yes I was an Anon many moons ago - but again - why should i show this f/with any courtesy when all “it” wants to do is bash Tamils on the Blog.
Well - Morq showed me courtesy on the Blog, maybe you could “educate” this blogger Electra and teach them how to gain “credibility” in blogsphere.Hmmm … come to think of it - I suppose being a blogger is some sort of bloody status symbol unlike the rest of the planet where it’s an opportunity to get information and exchange views - oh sorry silly me for not being as Sri Lankan as Priyanga.
Comment by ashanthi — June 16, 2006 @ 12:16 pm
no one can teach anyone else how to gain creditibility and earn respect : on or off the blogosphere. while others will respect you and your opinion, some others will always direspect you and your opinion simply because they don’t share your point of view. while to others you will be credible, to some others you will never be credible simply because they will not believe what you have to say. its simple. its human nature. we are all biased, and we are all judgmental.
any sort of discussion is allowed on my blog, or in fact, any other blog, so long as it is relevent to the topic of conversation. no one needs to thank me for this, nor does anyone need me to convene it. i’m not the authority here. you are. you create the discussion, you maintain it. you exchange views and ideas and you debate with each other till the cows come home. just remember that everyone’s opinion is subjective (none of us are entirely unbiased) and everyone wants to be heard. also remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
no one is expected to show courtesy, i think showing respect is more important. and the way to do that is to be diplomatic, and above all mature, in your approach and expression. don’t beat each othher up senselessly, like children in a mud pit. make your point, listen to others. it is so very important to open our minds to the fact that a world beyond us exists, and that others may have something to say worth hearing. this lack of patience and understanding is the root of all our problems as humans.
that’s all i ask of everyone, a little maturity. you’d be surprised at how few bloggers are able to comply.
Comment by electra — June 16, 2006 @ 1:14 pm
Ashanthi: i agree with you it’s highly possible there are ‘paramilitiaries’ operating alongside the LTTE in the North/East, and it’s also possible the karuna factor is a mere cover for other undesirables to get away with murder.
ps: I don’t live in SL and i don’t collect money for the LTTE, I’m a mere observer of the horrific violence that is going on in SL. I have one parent who is Singhalese and the other is Tamil and I have no beef with either race. When my grandfather’s youngest brother (Lakshman Kadirgamar) was assassinated not so long ago I did wonder if it was an ‘inside job’, how else could an armed assassin shoot one of the supposedly highly guarded men in SL at point blank range in his back garden in Colombo 7 and disappear along a quiet road like Bullers Lane? how long did it take for his bodyguards to realize the shot came from next door? the whole story just didn’t add up.. not in my mind anyway..
Comment by savi3 — June 16, 2006 @ 5:58 pm
dear savi3 - agreed, all I say is - some of these situations are not as clear cut as the GOSL would have us believe.
Being from both sides of the conflict and not living in SL it is probably easier for you to show impartiality. I hardly know any Sri Lankans and I don’t have a beef with anyone either. However, of course, I am of Tamil descent, I have lived and gone to school in SL and spent time in Jaffna. I miss what I have recollections of. Somehow for me all the vast volumes of footage we saw after the Tsunami brought back memories even more. So I came across Morq’s w/site and now I too sit and read with increasing horror about SL.
As for LK - well what can I say. It’s almost as if we need to bring in expert murder investigators to uncover the real facts. As I said right at the start of this post families need to know who did it. It really is the SL govt’s duty to do so. I think the trial of the people who killed LK should have been broadcast for all to watch. Strategically, again, it was the stupidest thing the ltte could have done. So no - it does not make sense.
LK choose a high profile life and as a SL politician he had enemies. The man featured in this post crying did not choose this. He probably has lived a cautious, careful life trying to avoid trouble and keep his family safe. It isn’t fair and he will anguish and suffer in ways that you & I Savi3 can’t imagine.
If he is told that the ltte did it, he will hate them and some might say rightly so. However, why would the ltte further tarnish their image and inspire more hatred against them? Have they lost control of all their factions? Is this revenge for the family of 4 who were found killed and mutilated and these pictures then plastered all over the internet? Btw - that incident was blamed on the ltte too.
How twisted is the state of affairs if in fact it was not Tamils (ltte or otherwise) who blew up this bus? What if it was a set up by elements to cause communal violence?
As we don’t know the truth and I don’t trust what the GOSL spits out, we need independent inquiries into these events. We need strong NGOS who are allowed to find out the answers.
Let’s not forget, there’s a whole brand of neo-nazis out there who don’t believe 6 million Jews were killed by Hitler, even to this day.
People are easily manipulated and agreed Savi3, it does not make sense.
Comment by ashanthi — June 16, 2006 @ 8:35 pm
Emotion is a natural phenomenon Ashanthi and obviously, I cannot put myself in your shoes as a member of a Diaspora who had to flee her homeland due to conflict. I have been supportive of some of your views in the past and you have been of mine, so I hope that you will treat what I am going to express in the spirit that it was meant. Emotion, although inevitable, will not help us analyse any conflict, in Sri Lanka or elsewhere. One must be objective in order to see what is going on. You insinuate that the government supports the Karuna Group. This could well be. Yes, there could be government-sponsored death squads operating in the northeast. It is not that the GOSL has never sponsored death squads. One must only recall the Black Cats during the last JVP insurrection. It makes political sense to think such. However, we need evidence in order to make sweeping allegations. Same for the Govt, same for the LTTE. You cannot however, feed on the myth that the LTTE are still legitimate supporters of all Tamil people - and I hope that this is not what you believe. There is plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise, clearly indicating their fascist ways. From your writings, I take it that you live in Australia. You must be familiar with a documentary called ‘No More Tears Sister: An Anatomy of Hope and Betrayal,’ narrated by Michael Ondaatjee. I hear this was screened on Australian television recently. The story of Rajani Thiranagama is one of many stories, most of which will remain untold. Rajani’s sister Nirmala Nithyanandhan (a former LTTE cadre herself) refers to Tamils in the north and east as “cannon fodder as part of the war machine.” One only need look in the appropriate places and read the appropriate work, to get a better perspective of the realities. Recall the execution of Mahattaya, recall the execution of two of Prabhakaran’s bodyguards, for having had sex on duty. The list goes on.
However, just like the recent bus bombing has yet to be proven to be the work of the LTTE (as you might say), Government links to paramilitaries (Karuna Group) have also yet to be proved. This could work either way. You say though that the LTTE has a lot to loose from the Kebithigollewa bus bombing. What exactly do they have to loose now? I’m sorry, but the answer is nothing.
You may have heard that the LTTE is planning a ‘final war.’ If you haven’t, you will hear this soon. Not only have they been raising funds for a ‘final war,’ but a London-based academic consulted for political advice by the group has also suggested such.
There is a lot to know about the Sri Lankan conflict and the realpolitik Ashanthi. It is one thing to be driven by emotion and ethnic allegiance, which I can only try to appreciate in your case, due to the admitted hardships undergone by the Tamil people, but it is another to be objective in analysis. The sad reality is that: yes, as I just said, the Tamils have been marginalised in Sri Lanka for years. The sadder truth however, is that the LTTE has long since out-lived its ability to make any legitimate claim for true Tamil representation. Theirs was a clear path to delegitimation in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their struggle was justified in those terms when they started (at least, their claim to arms is understandable in a motivational context). However, I think their intolerant, fascist ways (Prabhakaran) can hardly be ignored. I often wonder if the sentiments expressed by some Diasporic Tamils will be the same if they still lived under LTTE control. I have talked to Tamil and Muslim people from the region. Theirs is a pitiful story. They’re terrorised by the military and they’re terrorised by the LTTE. Whom do they turn to? Theirs, Ashanthi, is a sorrowful plight.
I have posted my views on the bus bombing and other such issues on my blog. Ashanthi, I invite you to comment.
Comment by Castedeus — June 18, 2006 @ 10:28 am
Hi Desh - sorry been busy but will do. I reckon somehow if we can work things out on the blog surely this could translate into real life.
Can you just give me a few days and I will respond on your blog.
Cheers.
Comment by ashanthi — June 19, 2006 @ 10:05 am
Hi Desh - sorry been busy but will do. I reckon somehow if we can work things out on the blog surely this could translate into real life.
Can you just give me a few days and I will respond on your blog.
Cheers.
Comment by ashanthi — June 19, 2006 @ 10:07 am
He who knows, and knows that he knows…follow him.
He who knows, but does not know that he knows…wake him up.
He who does not know, and knows that he does not know…teach him
He who does not know and does not know that he does not know ……..Avoid him
Drama queen, which category do you fall in to ??? Truly do hope that you know more about yourself than that you know of the LTTE.
Priyanga
Comment by priyanga — June 20, 2006 @ 4:35 am
Sure Ashanthi. No problem.
Comment by Castedeus — June 20, 2006 @ 5:08 am
oooops - you forgot one thing “priyanga” …
“he” who cannot accept that he has mistreated an entire population on the basis of their race and religon is nothing but a racist and really - nobody needs to know who “he” is. We all know that you are wrong. Deep, deep down inside, we know you are wrong and every single time someone dies, we know so , even more.
You are pariah & you will always be one. Stop hiding you miserabe dog.
Castedeus - hey, see you on the other side.
Comment by ashanthi — June 22, 2006 @ 2:08 pm