"Don't hurt especially the people in
poverty and sufferings"  
- Naibavar eninum noiya uraiyel  -
Avvaiyar
TamilWeek
Feb 26 - Mar 4
Current
TamilWeek
How the Tamils view the Geneva talks

by K. Arvind

The great tussle "what and when to talk" was overshadowed by the shrill
debate spearheaded by the fringe cousins JVP-JHU "where to talk." Though
the equally obstinate LTTE screamed "Oslo or nothing" after much haggling,
the Lundsteadt-Nick Burns tongue lashing, the GoSL and the LTTE agreed
to meet in Geneva.
Arundhati Roy
on
President Bush
India Visit
Roar of the Tamil Tigers
[Toronto Star - Feb 26, 2006]

Although Toronto's Tamil community is often described as sharing one
voice, there are clear divides. It's not known just how many support the
LTTE, but most estimates — from police sources or Tamil community
members — present a similar picture.

About 15 per cent are considered hard-line Tiger supporters, including a
small group who fought themselves. On the opposite end is another 15 per
cent who are vocally anti-Tiger.

Among the remaining 70 per cent, there's widespread support for Tamil
independence in Sri Lanka, and thus for the Tigers' mission. But some
within that majority can't afford to donate to the cause, or are morally
opposed to the Tigers' violence. This is the group among whom LTTE
intimidation — whether direct or through the Tigers' fearsome reputation —
opens wallets, says Toronto Tamil journalist David Jeyaraj.

Forget George Orwell's Big Brother, says Jeyaraj; here it's the fear of "Little
Brother" — the English translation of LTTE leader Prabhakaran's nickname,
"Thambi."

Jeyaraj, a soft-spoken man with dishevelled hair and a habit of furtively
looking over his shoulder, recounts a recent drive with his friend when the
conversation turned to the Tigers. Jeyaraj, who immigrated to Toronto in
1989, says he instinctually leaned close and whispered, as did his friend.
"After a few minutes we said, `Look why are we doing this? We're the only
ones in the car.' But that's how we are."

Stockwell Day's promise to list the Tigers gets mixed reviews within
Toronto's Tamil community. For many Tamils who lived through the
harassment and false arrests after the Sri Lankan government passed the
country's 1979 terrorism act, there's fear of racial profiling here by
authorities. "You were presumed guilty unless you proved yourself
innocent," Jeyaraj says of Sri Lanka. He worries Canadian police won't have
"the know-how to be selective."
Bush Visit:
Why not?
Letters to the
Editor
Nandana-Rath
ana Vindana

by C. A. Saliya
A win for the
diplomacy,
for how long?

by Dr Victor
Ragunathan
Lord Konesar
festival in
Trincomalee
town
Co-chairs
welcome
commitments
from Geneva
talks
Legal
remedy to
overcome
Geneva?
by K.T. Kumaran
The dust is still
settling from last
week’s Geneva
meeting between
the LTTE and
GOSL, and
predictably the
ground is still
shifting.
Interview with Anton Balasingham

By Lasantha Wickrematunge in Geneva

"Even though talks ended on a positive note it has been a very tough,
difficult dialogue I should say frankly because the government came with a
different agenda."
How Bala checkmated the government in Geneva

by Sonali Sa