I wonder if it was a co-incidence that a noble and peace-promoting newspaper that we all know and love, such as The Island (I am being sarcastic, of course) should publish on the same day, anguished laments from the above authors regarding the null response of the Tamil populace to the recent carnage in Sri Lanka. 

Before responding to some of the issues raised by the authors, let us begin by stating the usual disclaimer - no death of an innocent civilian, whether it be by torture, bombing or any other means invented by mankind can be “justified”.

The fact that Neelan was a close friend and associate of Radhika (as was the case with DBS Jeyaraj - whom she quotes), explains the emotional tone of the article, and the loss of perspective. Why was the Tamil community silent she asks, and tries to answer it herself.

Why was the whole Sinhala intellectual and media establishment silent when the first reports of the bombing at Puthkudiyiruppu was confirmed by the ICRC? 

To this day, both AFP and Reuters reports from Sri Lanka - both manned there by “respectable” Sinhala journalists - while describing in gory detail the massacre of innocent Sinhala civilians, have been largely silent on this. 

All they could say was, “The attacks followed LTTE accusations that Sri Lanka’s air force had killed 22 Tamil refugees in strikes on a village in the northeast last week!” The confirmation of the ICRC does not figure and the whole thing rests on “LTTE accusations” (as for the murmurs about an “accident” only the people of Jaffna who lived through the AVRO ‘barrel bombs’ years would know the truth.)

The bottom line is that there is no response because there is absolute and total cynicism and indifference on both sides.

We really don’t know the real feelings of Tamils in the “cleared” and “unlearned” areas of the conflict because of SLG design. As for the Tamils in Colombo who are not necessarily under the “fear and terror” of external forces, let me quote someone I spoke to recently:

“The Sinhalese - whether they are from the UNP or the SLFP will NEVER respect us as equal citizens in this country. Talking of harmonious co-existence in mixed areas of Colombo is a load of rubbish and every common Tamil here knows it. The well-to-do and influential Tamils who think they are fighting for our rights through negotiations with the ruling class are either deluding themselves or are enjoying the benefits of access to NGO funds, cocktail circuits, business class trips to conferences and Rs 2 lakhs/month salaries. Why do you want me to get outraged about this assassination when there are dozens going on everyday in the conflict areas?”.

Radhika goes on to list many of the unheralded achievements of Neelan (though giving him full credit for some such as the Krishanthi case is a bit excessive) on behalf of Tamils.

Such behind-the-scenes efforts I am sure helped many. But considering the immense international contacts, influence and stature he had, let us just imagine this for a moment:

 “Dr.Neelan Tiruchelvam, eminent constitutional expert, PhD from Harvard, Human rights activist, humanist and Tamil summons a press conference of all the major international press and denounces in no uncertain terms the ‘war for peace’ strategy of the CBK government aimed at starving and bombing into subjugation the Tamil population of the Vanni, humiliating and often indiscriminately torturing, killing Tamils in other parts of the country while holding out the ‘carrot’ of a devolution proposal”

Imagine the effect that would have had on the Tamil 'moderate' cause. That would have been “being intellectual” - telling the truth and being the custodian of the moral conscience of society. That was perhaps what the common Tamil was expecting but knew would never happen. Hence the cynicism and indifference - NOT justification.

Obviously Radhika has not been stopped and humiliated while traveling around in her chauffer-driven car in Colombo - she had to go to foreign airports to experience this. Is parading this as an argument against armed struggle for self-determination being intellectual?

She also speaks of Ghandi and Mandela in the context of great nationalist leaders but forgets to mention that they SPOKE OUT, and that enabled them to change the course of history of their people.

As for Jehan, he makes the observation about Tamils not being present in Sinhala peace groups whereas turning up in numbers for the AGOTIC meetings.

To me as a Tamil his surprise is almost pathetic! He needn’t have referred to the “omnipresent reluctance to tempt fate..” etc., - a song constantly sung by the Sinhalese.

He goes on to relate facts but is not able to make the conclusion - Tamils are asking for equal rights that the Sinhalese are unwilling to listen/give.

The two sides are, literally, speaking different languages. They have done so, and probably will, for a long time. The only prominent Sinhalese that I have read who openly supports the right to self-determination of the Tamils is Dr.Adrianne Wijemane at Cambridge.