The Jathika Hela Urumaya in a letter to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had demanded that the British government pays 50 billion pounds to Sri Lanka as compensation for the damage done during its colonial rule.
The following is the full text of the letter;
Hon David Wright Miliband MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
United Kingdom
Sir,
When Libya announced last year that Italy had agreed to pay ‘billions’ as compensation for its three decades colonial rule in the oil rich country, a massive move was already underway in Sri Lanka to demand compensation from Britain for the social, political, economical and ecological damage caused for more than one and half centuries here.
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was building up a strong consensus and it was only the other commitments, mainly ones related to liberating the country from terrorism, that delayed the process of formalizing this demand.
With the major military victories in the North we are back with our crucial subject – compensation by Colonial rulers – since this is a war created essentially by the British by providing the Tamils with undue privileges and thereby dividing the Sri Lankan nation.
Sir, since our independence from the British for the last six decades we have been struggling to come out from the deep dark pit to which your have pushed the Sri Lankan nation to with your divide and rule policy. Even after sixty years we are yet to fully integrate the Sri Lankan nation which you divided sharply causing irreparable damage to the social outfit.
The end of your rule saw a major gulf between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils and Muslims in terms of understanding and the harm inflicted by your policies has been such it only went on to exacerbate the divisions over the years. A group of militants who exploited this situation formed the most ruthless terrorist group in the world – the LTTE resulting in Sri Lanka spending hundreds of billions of money they had reserved for the welfare of the State, for a totally unwanted war.
The three decade of war stunted country’s growth, killed over hundred thousand people and made two million people displaced. A focused political and military leadership under President Mahinda Rajapaksa has brought the war to its tail end now.
After the liberation of the Eastern province in 2007 the government invested USD billions on housing, infrastructure, livelihood and development projects in the province. We pooled all our resources to build a region ravaged by a war triggered by the policies of the British government.
Two years after the liberation of East, we have already started similar projects in the newly liberated North and there’s unanimity among Sri Lankan polity that the British government is under obligation to shoulder the cost of rebuilding the war wrecked regions.
Italy which ruled Libya only for three decades from 1911-1943 has agreed to spend billions as compensation for the colony. The British which ruled Sri Lanka for more than fifteen decades causing vast destruction therefore owes trillions of pounds to Sri Lanka.
The devastation by the British came by way of destroying Buddhist hydraulic civilization, massacring and incarceration of thousands of people, making millions of acres arable by introducing commercial crops in place of paddy, mass scale deforestation, slaughter of thousands of elephants and wild animals, plunder of gold, silver, jewels, artifacts, ivory, destroying the indigenous education system, pitting one community against other with an administrative system that heavily favoured minorities thus sowing seeds for one of the longest protracted conflicts in the modern world.
Now that we have brought the conflict triggered by your government, to its end with our hard earned money and resources and sacrificing hundred thousands of lives, we request the British government to start their compensation scheme as soon as possible.
Since the latest statements by your government make it clear that it has a great interest in the welfare of the Northern civilians, may we request that the British government pays one billion pounds as the first installment of compensation so that we could expedite the process of resettling civilians displaced by the war that has been forced on us by your country.
We would appreciate it very much if you can pay this installment before May 31, 2009 and the balance in fifty similar installments to be paid in a period of four years.
We would also remind you that as the country which forced this war against Sri Lanka, Britain is under obligation to provide Sri Lanka with manpower and other resources to complete our war against the most ruthless terrorist group which is part of a massive network comprising members of terrorist groups which have threatened the security of many countries including that of Britain.
Under these circumstances we are shocked to learn that instead of supporting the Sri Lankan government that you have opted to support the LTTE, an organization banned in your country, by way of attempting to give them a breathing space at a time the Sri Lankan troops have cornered them to a 10 sqkm corner.
You may remember that the LTTE rejected the plea to release civilians during the 48 hour ceasefire declared on April 13, 2009. It was the rescue operation carried out by the Sri Lanka troops five days later that saved the lives of 60,000 civilians by getting them to cross over to safe areas. It should be noted that it only needs a few more days for them to save the balance 20,000 who are now in the LTTE custody.
It is preposterous therefore to see Britain - which should have been with the Sri Lankan government at this moment and help the capable local military personnel to rescue the 20,000 civilians - deciding to side with the LTTE by demanding a ceasefire. It will only go to perpetuate the hostage drama as the LTTE will continue to use the civilians as a bargaining tool thus prolonging the suffering of the innocents IDPs.
We would like to remind a similar ceasefire call by India in June, 1987 to save the LTTE, at a time the latter was cornered to a nook only went to drag the war for another 22 years killing thousands and displacing millions.
Therefore it is indeed ironical that the British government which should been on the side of Sri Lanka spearheading a move to slap a ceasefire which would have the LTTE as its only beneficiary. By all standards Britain which brought this misery upon has the least moral authority to meddle with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. To see them heading a campaign in support of a proscribed terrorist group perpetuating civilian suffering and undermining the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is something that needs international condemnation.
Any further move towards this direction, we want to remind you, will see Sri Lanka taking the British government- the US ally in war against terrorism- to international courts exposing the manner it supports banned terror groups and perpetuating the suffering of its former colonies.
We demand that the British government puts an end to its neo-colonial policies in Sri Lanka forthwith and pays the first installment of compensation due – one billion pounds on or before May 31, 2009.
Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thera
General Secretary
Jathika Hela Urumaya
April 28, 2009
DM
DM
The following is the full text of the letter;
Hon David Wright Miliband MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
United Kingdom
Sir,
When Libya announced last year that Italy had agreed to pay ‘billions’ as compensation for its three decades colonial rule in the oil rich country, a massive move was already underway in Sri Lanka to demand compensation from Britain for the social, political, economical and ecological damage caused for more than one and half centuries here.
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was building up a strong consensus and it was only the other commitments, mainly ones related to liberating the country from terrorism, that delayed the process of formalizing this demand.
With the major military victories in the North we are back with our crucial subject – compensation by Colonial rulers – since this is a war created essentially by the British by providing the Tamils with undue privileges and thereby dividing the Sri Lankan nation.
Sir, since our independence from the British for the last six decades we have been struggling to come out from the deep dark pit to which your have pushed the Sri Lankan nation to with your divide and rule policy. Even after sixty years we are yet to fully integrate the Sri Lankan nation which you divided sharply causing irreparable damage to the social outfit.
The end of your rule saw a major gulf between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils and Muslims in terms of understanding and the harm inflicted by your policies has been such it only went on to exacerbate the divisions over the years. A group of militants who exploited this situation formed the most ruthless terrorist group in the world – the LTTE resulting in Sri Lanka spending hundreds of billions of money they had reserved for the welfare of the State, for a totally unwanted war.
The three decade of war stunted country’s growth, killed over hundred thousand people and made two million people displaced. A focused political and military leadership under President Mahinda Rajapaksa has brought the war to its tail end now.
After the liberation of the Eastern province in 2007 the government invested USD billions on housing, infrastructure, livelihood and development projects in the province. We pooled all our resources to build a region ravaged by a war triggered by the policies of the British government.
Two years after the liberation of East, we have already started similar projects in the newly liberated North and there’s unanimity among Sri Lankan polity that the British government is under obligation to shoulder the cost of rebuilding the war wrecked regions.
Italy which ruled Libya only for three decades from 1911-1943 has agreed to spend billions as compensation for the colony. The British which ruled Sri Lanka for more than fifteen decades causing vast destruction therefore owes trillions of pounds to Sri Lanka.
The devastation by the British came by way of destroying Buddhist hydraulic civilization, massacring and incarceration of thousands of people, making millions of acres arable by introducing commercial crops in place of paddy, mass scale deforestation, slaughter of thousands of elephants and wild animals, plunder of gold, silver, jewels, artifacts, ivory, destroying the indigenous education system, pitting one community against other with an administrative system that heavily favoured minorities thus sowing seeds for one of the longest protracted conflicts in the modern world.
Now that we have brought the conflict triggered by your government, to its end with our hard earned money and resources and sacrificing hundred thousands of lives, we request the British government to start their compensation scheme as soon as possible.
Since the latest statements by your government make it clear that it has a great interest in the welfare of the Northern civilians, may we request that the British government pays one billion pounds as the first installment of compensation so that we could expedite the process of resettling civilians displaced by the war that has been forced on us by your country.
We would appreciate it very much if you can pay this installment before May 31, 2009 and the balance in fifty similar installments to be paid in a period of four years.
We would also remind you that as the country which forced this war against Sri Lanka, Britain is under obligation to provide Sri Lanka with manpower and other resources to complete our war against the most ruthless terrorist group which is part of a massive network comprising members of terrorist groups which have threatened the security of many countries including that of Britain.
Under these circumstances we are shocked to learn that instead of supporting the Sri Lankan government that you have opted to support the LTTE, an organization banned in your country, by way of attempting to give them a breathing space at a time the Sri Lankan troops have cornered them to a 10 sqkm corner.
You may remember that the LTTE rejected the plea to release civilians during the 48 hour ceasefire declared on April 13, 2009. It was the rescue operation carried out by the Sri Lanka troops five days later that saved the lives of 60,000 civilians by getting them to cross over to safe areas. It should be noted that it only needs a few more days for them to save the balance 20,000 who are now in the LTTE custody.
It is preposterous therefore to see Britain - which should have been with the Sri Lankan government at this moment and help the capable local military personnel to rescue the 20,000 civilians - deciding to side with the LTTE by demanding a ceasefire. It will only go to perpetuate the hostage drama as the LTTE will continue to use the civilians as a bargaining tool thus prolonging the suffering of the innocents IDPs.
We would like to remind a similar ceasefire call by India in June, 1987 to save the LTTE, at a time the latter was cornered to a nook only went to drag the war for another 22 years killing thousands and displacing millions.
Therefore it is indeed ironical that the British government which should been on the side of Sri Lanka spearheading a move to slap a ceasefire which would have the LTTE as its only beneficiary. By all standards Britain which brought this misery upon has the least moral authority to meddle with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. To see them heading a campaign in support of a proscribed terrorist group perpetuating civilian suffering and undermining the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is something that needs international condemnation.
Any further move towards this direction, we want to remind you, will see Sri Lanka taking the British government- the US ally in war against terrorism- to international courts exposing the manner it supports banned terror groups and perpetuating the suffering of its former colonies.
We demand that the British government puts an end to its neo-colonial policies in Sri Lanka forthwith and pays the first installment of compensation due – one billion pounds on or before May 31, 2009.
Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thera
General Secretary
Jathika Hela Urumaya
April 28, 2009
DM
DM
