Just like I said before, the government can choose not to interfere, but it is not the government’s business to stop citizens from interfering with the domestic situation in other countries. Citizens can freely choose to take stand. You have the individual freedom to not condemn the war in Sri Lanka while WWW members have the individual freedom to condemn the war in Sri Lanka.

Hi Arun A *118-I am fully aware of this. Perhaps, it is better we respect each other countries sovereignity and independence and mind our own business. Further Singapore an Sri Lanka are members of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) and we must stick to this NAM and focus solving our own domestic problems more effectively. Sir Lanka’s problem has no solution at the end of the tunnel and both the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers are to be blamed equally.

Since my last posting *9, the truth are out and we see the true picture in Sri Lanka (all the details).

As Singaporeans, let us not get involve and let the Sri Lankans solve their own internal problems be in via Guns & Bombs or via Peace Talk. We have more problems in Singapore to solve and hardly have spare resources and time to divert to Sri Lanka and the saying goes “Charity Begins At Home”

Regards
Andrew Chuah

Noone knows about the Ceylon/Sri Lankan problem more than the GOM of S’pore, Lee Kuan Yiew. When individual politicians in S’pore with its multicultural and multilingual population were at one time toying with the idea of one official language LKY simply pointed to the example of Ceylon and the havoc it had done there and posed the question to S’poreans :Is that what we want here? You have 4 official languages and ended up with “One people and One country”! That was great wisdom. Besides LKY had been to that island a few times and even adviced the Leaders against pursuing one language so adamantly but it was ignored at the time. His memoirs has references to these comments and is well worth a read.

Although SL started off with one language- Sinhala- originally in 1956, it adopted two official languages by 1972, after much agitation and race riots by inclusion of Tamil also, it went in for 3 official languages by addition of English, in 1978, again after much violence. Even today Tamil, as an official language is only in the Statute Book only, not implemented vis-a-vis Tamil people in the north and east where they predominate even after decades! Bad faith has engendered more violence and counterviolence and bloody wars over the past 22 years.

The underlying reason is ‘majoritarian politics’ and winning elections by unscrupulous politicians to climb into power. This kind of divisive politics has resulted in an insoluble tragedy of great economic proportions too. By spending billions of $ on defence and the military (ethnicised too) destruction and poverty has increased significantly.

The ethnic humanitarian disaster is of epic proportions. the UN Human Rights Council wanted to place Monitors incountry but it ws turned down by SL under a figleaf of “sovereignty” even though this resides in “the people”. Meanwhile, the present government wants to make war to a finish, no matter the financial and humanitarian costs. That is why peace minded people everywhere can raise their voices againt such mindless bloodshed and sore human tragedy.

do you need evidence listn to karuna who was the second in command LTTE and now he is NOT WITH THE LTTE.

There is an island in the Indian Ocean, south of India, its called Ceylon now known as Sri Langka, the homeland Tamil people (Tamil Eezham )

Now, there are currently about 230 000 babies, children, young & elderly woman and men without a decent shelter from the heat of the sun, the cold rain drops and the chilling winds at night. Above all they DO NOT have a meal to eat.

These people are suffering in their own mother land Eezham in full view of the International Community (IC) and the mighty United Nation (UN) while being indiscriminately bombed , killed , abducted , chased from their own soil & home by the inhumane Government of Sri Langka (GoSL).
Self determination for their rightful home, soil & land called Eelam has grabbed with such a violence and inhumane method in front of these watchful silence of International Community.

WHAT IT TAKES for the International Community (IC) to wake up to the cries of these 230,000 innocent helpless people (Internal Displaced People – IDP ). During tsunami Dec 04, there were about 250,000 people killed and entire world & International Community (IC) woke up, put their hands together to help and elevate the suffering of many hundred thousands of people.

ARE WE, the International Community (IC) and the world waiting for another man made tsunami by Government of Sri Langka (GoSL) against the innocence Tamils.

WAKE UP !!! SEE AROUND …. ALL THOSE READING THIS ARTICLE ARE AT their most comfortable position.

PLEASE Close your eyes and open your ears to the cries for those innocent 230,000 babies, children, young & elderly woman and men plight.

IMAGINE & THINK … WE ALL DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANOTHER man made tsunami by our own ignorance to voice objection to the oppression, indiscriminate bombing & killings by the inhumane institution called Government of Sri Langka (GoSL).

Foreign Aids esepcially those private ones did not reach these ordinary Sri Lankans caught between,please check your fact. – andrew chuah (#7)

Why must foreign aid that reach the victims or refugees to be considered as successful examples of soft power? That is not what soft power is about. It is about achieving specific political gains using material means or social influence.

However, not every aid organisations engage in such activities.

Hi Peace *8-Let us be realistic and we are in the Real World which is totally impossible to avoid a world without war.Yes, Singaporeans regardless of races have very big heart and we must use our big heart for better things especially to feed our very poor Singaporeans who que up for meals at charitable organisation daily

You are not making any sense too. One can exert soft power in such a situation by enticing either parties with goodies. It is common knowledge that foreign aid is often used to solve or polarise political situations in conflicts.

Foreign aid does not have to come from a government. It can come from NGOs too. Oxfam and Red Cross are among the most influential aid organisations in the world. They also play important roles in mediating conflicts too.

Hi smallvice585-We as Singapore citizens have our own set of problems and we must focus on solving our problems then to participate in this Vigil.Let me ask you can we really help to bring real peace in Sri Lanka (both the Sri Lanka government and Tamil Tigers broke the Peace Agreement and neighbouring India who tried to help these two parties are getting fedup.

The Singapore Government may choose not to speak out, the choice to do so remains with each citizen. It is also not the government’s business to instruct citizens what not to say.

Both Sri Lanka and Singapre are independence and sovereign nation and we must not interfer in each other’s domestic affairs. Sri Lanka’s civil war is their domestic affairs and both sides ie Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers are not sincere and must share equally the blames not honouring the terms and conditions for peace.