Discussing the hot issue of ’40,000 civilian casualties’ and war crimes allegations being mounted by international human rights organization, Dr. Delgoda emphasized that the groups making these charges have depended on third party accounts and hearsay.
“What I can tell you is that I spent several days walking through Puthumathalan [security forces are accused of bombing a makeshift hospital there]. All the huts and tents were very close to each other. If they had been systematically fired at, if there was concerted bombing, you would have had miles and miles of burnt huts and tents.”
While the majority of Tamils who escaped from the LTTE were thankful, there were some who felt betrayal and anger. He said the LTTE had fooled people into believing that Eelam was at hand and that the Sri Lankan army would never reach them. Judging by the types of things the civilian population that followed the LTTE into the last pockets of land they held took with them it was clear that they thought they were being led into the promised land. “They took their cars, fridges, carpets because they believed Tamil Eelam was at hand … there was finally rage and anger at the Tigers for betraying them.” He recalled an interview with an old woman who was wailing saying “they have lied to us. They promised us freedom, where’s our freedom now. It’s all been a lie.” The anger and bitterness of these people was directed as much at the LTTE as the Sri Lankan forces and some of this frustration has seeped into the reports filed by human rights groups, he thinks.
About allegations of mass graves, he said he saw very few graves “and they were few and far between.” Besides, it’s impossible to hide 40000 graves in such a crowded area, he said. At the same time, a troubling reality is that there is no way to establish the exact number of casualties, especially in a battle that progresses with tremendous speed.
As for accusations that it was a ‘war without witnesses’ and lack of transparency on the frontlines, he said ‘no army in its right mind would allow foreign writers to cover its battles.’ He said the US army would allow its own journalists to be embedded with the troops but definitely would not let foreign journalists in.
He agrees with the view that there’s ganging up of ‘the old world’ colonial rulers against Sri Lanka but believes it is prompted by the large Tamil diasporas. “The diaspora wants its vengeance because they feel humiliated and want to see Sri Lanka destabilized.” This is reflected in the call by Canada for the boycott of Sri Lanka by CHOGM. “By such action, Canada will be only highlighting racial divisions among Sri Lankans,” he added.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka has done a poor job of countering charges and managing its PR. “It is a story that Sri Lanka should have told two years earlier, we should have been having sessions like this two years earlier. What has happened is that the perception [spread by the Tamil diaspora and international NGOs] has taken root, “ he said.
However, Dr. Delgoda, whose reports from the warfront are backed up with what he says are ‘evidence that is difficult to contradict,” viz., photographs and the identity of witnesses, believes that even the toughest criticism could still be countered and negated with proper evidence. This is the experience he has had at public forums, including a rare presentation he made in November 2009, titled “Tamil Tigers: A Last Phase in the Infantry War,” to the Department of War Studies, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (UK).
And this is the message he emphasized to expat audiences in Ottawa, Canberra, and Scarborough during his tour: refuting the perceptions that have taken root is not impossible, but you will need an arsenal of hardcore evidence.
Dr. Delgoda is now back in Sri Lanka where he will resume his busy schedule of teaching and writing. In addition, he is concentrating on a new project that reflects his wide-ranging interests: a book on the coral reefs and mangroves of Kalpitiya, an ecosystem that is fast becoming a popular tourist destination.
“What I can tell you is that I spent several days walking through Puthumathalan [security forces are accused of bombing a makeshift hospital there]. All the huts and tents were very close to each other. If they had been systematically fired at, if there was concerted bombing, you would have had miles and miles of burnt huts and tents.”
While the majority of Tamils who escaped from the LTTE were thankful, there were some who felt betrayal and anger. He said the LTTE had fooled people into believing that Eelam was at hand and that the Sri Lankan army would never reach them. Judging by the types of things the civilian population that followed the LTTE into the last pockets of land they held took with them it was clear that they thought they were being led into the promised land. “They took their cars, fridges, carpets because they believed Tamil Eelam was at hand … there was finally rage and anger at the Tigers for betraying them.” He recalled an interview with an old woman who was wailing saying “they have lied to us. They promised us freedom, where’s our freedom now. It’s all been a lie.” The anger and bitterness of these people was directed as much at the LTTE as the Sri Lankan forces and some of this frustration has seeped into the reports filed by human rights groups, he thinks.
About allegations of mass graves, he said he saw very few graves “and they were few and far between.” Besides, it’s impossible to hide 40000 graves in such a crowded area, he said. At the same time, a troubling reality is that there is no way to establish the exact number of casualties, especially in a battle that progresses with tremendous speed.
As for accusations that it was a ‘war without witnesses’ and lack of transparency on the frontlines, he said ‘no army in its right mind would allow foreign writers to cover its battles.’ He said the US army would allow its own journalists to be embedded with the troops but definitely would not let foreign journalists in.
He agrees with the view that there’s ganging up of ‘the old world’ colonial rulers against Sri Lanka but believes it is prompted by the large Tamil diasporas. “The diaspora wants its vengeance because they feel humiliated and want to see Sri Lanka destabilized.” This is reflected in the call by Canada for the boycott of Sri Lanka by CHOGM. “By such action, Canada will be only highlighting racial divisions among Sri Lankans,” he added.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka has done a poor job of countering charges and managing its PR. “It is a story that Sri Lanka should have told two years earlier, we should have been having sessions like this two years earlier. What has happened is that the perception [spread by the Tamil diaspora and international NGOs] has taken root, “ he said.
However, Dr. Delgoda, whose reports from the warfront are backed up with what he says are ‘evidence that is difficult to contradict,” viz., photographs and the identity of witnesses, believes that even the toughest criticism could still be countered and negated with proper evidence. This is the experience he has had at public forums, including a rare presentation he made in November 2009, titled “Tamil Tigers: A Last Phase in the Infantry War,” to the Department of War Studies, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (UK).
And this is the message he emphasized to expat audiences in Ottawa, Canberra, and Scarborough during his tour: refuting the perceptions that have taken root is not impossible, but you will need an arsenal of hardcore evidence.
Dr. Delgoda is now back in Sri Lanka where he will resume his busy schedule of teaching and writing. In addition, he is concentrating on a new project that reflects his wide-ranging interests: a book on the coral reefs and mangroves of Kalpitiya, an ecosystem that is fast becoming a popular tourist destination.