Rajiva Wijesinha

“ In short, what the world should be doing is to ask the LTTE to pause firing for the civilians to get away. Asking the Sri Lankan forces to pause is like asking a man who would not dream of doing anything of the sort to stop beating his wife. And calling on both sides for this purpose is a calculated insult, since the Sri Lankan forces have never fired on those seeking refuge. ”

“ When this absurdity is pointed out to those who have to explain away the general pronouncements of British politicians, they claim that what is meant is a ceasefire to allow the civilians now held by the LTTE to get away. If that is what is meant, one wonders why it cannot be said, with the now more common phrase ‘humanitarian pause’ being used instead. The simple answer is that British politicians are catering not to the Sri Lankan people but to their constituents in Britain, and they have to say what those people want to hear. ”

“ Sadly, no one seems to have noticed that 60,000 people have got away in the last couple of months, and in no instance at all has it been even alleged that they were fired on, even by accident, by the Sri Lankan forces as they made their escape. In short, our men know what they are doing, they can recognize civilians coming to them for refuge, and they have in every instance treated them perfectly. ”