A WASTED WAR, A RUINED EELAM DREAM

BY P.VIJIAN

VAVUNIYA (Sri Lanka), May 18 (Bernama) -- The verdict of history on the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will be a harsh one, despite their
26-year old violent struggle to champion the rights of the minority Tamil
population in northern Sri Lanka.

The LTTE's ideology to create a separate Eelam (or home) in the island's
north has turned out to be an elusive dream and a wasted war that claimed the
lives of over 80,000 people.

Instead, the north turned into violent battle fields over the years -- where
thousands of Tamil war refugees are now mired in dire poverty and trapped in
fear in refugee camps -- while the fate of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabahkaran
and his top leaders remains a mystery as the endgame nears.

The world, especially some western states for their own political agenda,
while debating the status of the war failed to hear the cries in these camps,
which could burst into a colossal humanitarian crisis, perhaps the worst in
modern times in this region.

Nearly 190,000 Tamil civilians managed to escape the guns and reached safe
camps set up by the Sri Lankan government in Vavuniya in the island's north, and
their only hope is for the war to end quickly so they can return to normal life.

"They (LTTE) wanted to split this country into two so that we (Tamils) can
have a better life but for more than 20 years we only suffered the trauma of
fighting and running from our homes.

"Now we are not even safe from the LTTE themselves, most of the food
supplies sent to us by donors goes to the LTTE. People just drop dead in the
streets in Mullaithivu because of starvation, it is horrible," a jaded
56-year-old Selvanayagan, who is talking shelter with his family in Menik Farm
in Vavuniya, told Bernama.

The government along with international aid agencies, including MERCY
Malaysia, a voluntary organisation, rolled out humanitarian programmes to help
escapees -- many who appear worse than people living in drought-hit African
states.

Thousands of undernourished, disillusioned and fear-stricken men and women,
including many pregnant women languish in these camps under the scorching heat.
Among them are the injured but lucky civilians who escaped the war zone.

"For days we hid in the jungle and read the Bible. We were so afraid that
the LTTE would kill us if we escape but we had not choice but to run. At about
3am (one day in late April) my family and a group of us crossed the river to
escape. It's better to be in the camp, at least we have security and food," said
Philomena, in her 50s, who yearns to return to Mannar where she once lived.

Fleeing war victims carry horrid stories. Fear, food and medical supply
shortages, complaints of LTTE forcefully recruiting under-aged children to fight
the tail-end of the war are repeated again and again.

"My son was hit in the leg when we almost reached the government check-post.
He was lucky. We cannot stay any longer because we will be forced to sacrifice
all our children to LTTE.

"We have lost every thing we had in this war, I don't have work or savings
now," said a teary-eyed Murugesandas, 42, who fled with his wounded son and
family from Mullaithivu last month.

The Tamils are further pushed into a political quagmire. Their voices would
be muted in Sri Lanka politics because the LTTE had also eliminated most of the
Tamil intellectuals and vocal pro-Tamil leaders, while many professionals have
migrated to foreign lands.

At the time of penning this article (Sunday), President Mahinda Rajapaksa
had claimed victory over the LTTE forces and reports from Colombo say many top
LTTE leaders have committed mass suicide (but yet to be confirmed officially).

Sri Lanka, the "island of serendipity" has certainly suffered for decades
due to the secessionist war.
(Names of those interviewed have been changed for security reasons)
-- BERNAMA