Reconciling Truth and Justice, A United Path Forward for Sri Lanka
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), once considered one of the most ruthless terrorist organizations in the world, remains a proscribed entity in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, India, Australia, and Malaysia. This designation reflects the horrific atrocities committed by the LTTE against innocent civilians in Sri Lanka, transcending ethnic and religious boundaries Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim alike.
The LTTE’s brutality was systematic and inhumane. Children were forcefully recruited as soldiers, denied the right to education and a future. Suicide bombings became their signature weapon, devastating villages, mosques, temples, and vital national infrastructure including the Central Bank, the airport, and the harbor. From the massacre of innocent monks in Aranthalawa to the slaughter of worshippers in Kaththankudy mosque and the horror of Dollar and Kent farm massacres, the scars of their terror remain deeply etched in our collective memory.
Their violence was indiscriminate. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India, President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Tamil political leaders, academics, journalists, and public servants were all victims. The LTTE also ethnically cleansed Sinhalese and Muslims from parts of the North and East. No one was spared.
While the entire country suffered during the nearly three-decade conflict, the Tamil community bore the brunt of it as the North and East became the main theatre of war. The LTTE, however, extended the conflict to the South and Colombo, unleashing a reign of terror across the island.
When the war ended in 2009, all Sri Lankans exhaled a collective sigh of relief. And among those who benefited most from the end of the war were the Tamil civilians themselves,liberated from the grip of a violent separatist movement and given an opportunity to reintegrate into national life. Today, Tamils are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s social, economic, and political fabric, entitled to equal protection under the Constitution.
Let me be clear, Sri Lanka is not a perfect nation, but is there any country in the world that is? What we are is a functioning democracy with universal franchise, free healthcare, free education, and a social safety net that does not discriminate between ethnic or religious groups. Sri Lanka is a nation in progress rebuilding from the past, and striving to ensure that all its citizens enjoy peace, dignity, and equality.
No one denies that there was collateral damage during the final stages of the war. War is, by nature, tragic. But the fact remains: the State of Sri Lanka worked tirelessly to protect and support the entrapped civilian population, even while knowing that a portion of those resources would inevitably be diverted by the LTTE to fuel its war machinery. Throughout the conflict, the government ensured the delivery of food, medicine, and essential services via a dedicated Essential Services Department headed by a Commissioner. Through government agents operating in LTTE controlled areas, free public services including healthcare and education, were continued.
That is why, in the final phase of the conflict, it was the civilians who ran towards the Sri Lankan armed forces, not away from them. They knew where safety lay even while the LTTE was using them as human shields until the very last moment.
With all our faults, Sri Lanka is not an apartheid state. We did not conquer someone else’s land. We defended our territorial integrity. We did not starve our people, nor does our Constitution permit us to do so.
Despite the LTTE’s defeat, its vast international network which raised funds, procured arms, and lobbied foreign governments remains active in different avatars. Many of these actors, operating under the guise of human rights activism, continue to promote a separatist agenda, misleading a new generation of youth and perpetuating divisions. And yet, how many of them have been sanctioned, prosecuted, or even called out by the very countries that now rush to impose one-sided sanctions on Sri Lanka’s war veterans?
This is the hypocrisy we must confront.
Sri Lanka chose a path of reconciliation. We did not prosecute 12,197 surrendered LTTE cadres. Instead, we rehabilitated them, gave them a second chance, and reintegrated them into society. In recent years, nearly 27 convicted LTTE operatives including those responsible for the Central Bank bombing were pardoned by the President in an effort to build trust, promote reconciliation, and move forward as a united nation.
Reconciliation takes time. It requires patience, understanding, and a collective effort from all communities. It cannot be achieved through external pressure, selective condemnation, or unilateral sanctions that only serve to embolden extremist voices and satisfy diaspora vote-bank politics abroad.
The call to release convicted LTTE members as “political prisoners” while simultaneously punishing those who fought to liberate our nation from terrorism is not only unjust, it is profoundly immoral. It ignores the suffering of all Sri Lankans and undermines the sacrifices made to restore peace.
When the war was on, we all suffered. When the war ended, that suffering ended. What we need now is not a return to the dark days of division, but a determined march towards a future where we address the genuine grievances of our people Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim, Burgher, and others, not through the lens of separatism, but through unity, equality, and justice.
Let us reject extremism in all its forms, let us not get caught to the vicious agenda of few separatist diaspora ideologies, resist the distortions of the past, and work together to build a Sri Lanka that celebrates its diversity and stands tall as one nation.
There are fears for dozens of workers after a tower under construction collapsed in Thailand's capital Bangkok due to two powerful earthquakes in neighbouring Myanmar.
MR strikes!
Speaking to Daily Mirror, war time Pres Mahinda Rajapaksa accused the UK of maintaining a double standard by sanctioning SL military figures while the LTTE remains a banned terrorist organization in UK
Says he will standby SL's military leaders for ending the war
‼️BREAKING
“As of today there will only be two genders in America - Male and Female.”
- @realDonaldTrump issues a big blow to the LGBTQIA+ community by saying he will not recognize any gender apart from male and female genders/sexes.
#DonaldTrump#Trump#lka#SriLanka
Let anyone take the credit but this is how Hambantota Port looked like in 2008, Till @PresRajapaksa saw it’s potential, and building port changed regional geopolitics, ship routes, besides you have no idea what it will be in the future. https://t.co/mqu6Ypn8id
They said SL would be a Chinese colony but when sitting on that 'hot seat' , reality is different. Truth understood.
Prezy AKD talked to renowned Chinese firms China Com Construction Ltd, China Petrochemical Corp, Metallurgical Corp of China Ltd, Huawei etc. to woo investments
🇨🇳🤝🇱🇰Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcoming ceremony for Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the Great Hall of the People in the afternoon on January 15. A 21-gun salute was fired in Tiananmen Square. The two presidents reviewed the guard of honor of the PLA. Video:
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇱 BREAKING: Journalist Sam Husseini (@samhusseini) gets DRAGGED out of White House Press Briefing while calling out GAZA GENOCIDE & telling Blinken he should be IMPRISONED in the HAGUE!
FR to invalidate SL- Adani agreement to hear on May 23
The Court of Appeal has moved the Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed seeking an order to invalidate the agreement reached by the SL Govt with Indian Adani Green Energy for a wind power project to 23 May 2025
Sri Lanka secures a historic US$ 3.7 Billion FDI during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's China visit, paving the way for a 200,000-barrel oil refinery in Hambantota by Sinopec, set to boost exports & transform the economy. 🇨🇳🇱🇰
#LKA #SriLanka
US$ 3.7 Billion Foreign Direct Investment Secured During President's First State Visit to China 👏👏👏
During President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s four-day state visit to China, Sri Lanka marked a significant milestone by securing the largest foreign direct investment to date.
This significant achievement was formalized this morning (16) with the signing of an agreement between Sri Lanka's Ministry of Energy and Sinopec, a leading Chinese international petroleum corporation.
Under this $3.7 billion investment, a state-of-the-art oil refinery with a capacity of 200,000 barrels will be constructed in the Hambantota region. A substantial portion of the refinery’s output is planned for export, further enhancing the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
This major investment from China is expected to bolster Sri Lanka’s economic growth while uplifting the livelihoods of low-income communities in the Hambantota area. Moreover, the benefits of this project are anticipated to positively impact the overall Sri Lankan population in the near future.
The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake and Director General of Government Information H. S. K. J. Bandara, alongside other dignitaries.
"For each person, it is necessary to find a reasonable answer to the most important questions: "What is life? What are the criteria for a right life?". - Zafar Mirzo @zafarmirzo