Sample Letter 1

February 15, 2009

Hon. Jim Demint
340 Russell
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Recent Developments in Sri Lanka

Dear Senator DeMint:

I am writing this note to share my views with you regarding the hearing to be held on February 24, 2009 on above subject. I have been a xxxxx at yyyy for nearly zz years. As a constituent of your state, with interests in Sri Lanka, I would like to bring your attention to few facts regarding the current situation in Sri Lanka with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a banned terrorist outfit by the United States, European Union, Canada, India, and several other countries around the world.

It is well established now that LTTE is the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world. In an article entitled (01/10/2008) “Taming the Tamil Tigers” FBI reported that “Tamil Tigers are among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world”. To name a few, LTTE crimes include murder of thousands of innocent civilians (belonging to all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka), assassination of two world leaders (Prime Minister of India, Mr. Rajeev Ghandi and President of Sri Lanka, Mr. R. Premadasa), attempted assassination of former Sri Lankan President, Mrs. C. B. Kumaranatunga, assassination of moderate Tamil intellectuals (including Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka), illegal arms smuggling, drug trafficking and money laundering. For their excellence in terror, FBI credited LTTE with few distinctions; the only terrorist organization to assassinate two world leaders; perfected the use of suicide bombers; invented the suicide belt; pioneered the use of women (including pregnant women) in suicide attacks; killed more than 4000 in two years. Mr. V. Anandasagari, a senior moderate Tamil politician in Sri Lanka, told BBC news (02/12/08) that “The LTTE had killed far more Tamils than the Sri Lankan government security forces”. These facts clearly portray the true face of LTTE.

After 9/11, LTTE agreed to a ceasefire agreement (CFA) brokered by the Norwegian government in 2002, primarily because they were in a difficult position due to the U.S. led war against terrorism. During this time, the government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) made several attempts to bring LTTE to the negotiating table but LTTE took every possible avenue to avoid negotiation by putting forward unwarranted demands that any democratically government cannot meet. During the same period, LTTE continued their terror activities and strengthen their arms cache; grossly violating the CFA but the GOSL patiently tolerated for the sake of a peaceful settlement.

After tolerating endless murder of innocent civilians, attempts to disrupt civilian life, and attacks on military installations (including a suicide attempt on the army commander) during CFA, GOSL had no choice but to defend LTTE terrorism and liberate the civilians in areas under LTTE control. As a result, LTTE is on the brink of defeat and confined to a very small area. LTTE agents are now pressuring international community to halt GOSL military actions so that they can regroup, reorganize and rearm.

LTTE agents are world renowned for false and deceptive propaganda machinery. Currently, undercover LTTE agents are busy misleading the international community to stop the defensive operation of GOSL. Their latest ploy is glorifying the word genocide to describe what is happening in Sri Lanka.

Genocide is defined as deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group. Roughly about 20% of the population in Sri Lanka is Tamil and estimated 250,000 Tamils are trapped in the war zone. Sri Lanka has a total population of nearly 21 million. Therefore, the total Tamil population in Sri Lanka would be roughly 4.2 million. About 94% of the Tamil population safely lives in the South with majority Sinhalese or in recently liberated areas. I do not advocate killing of any being, but for convenience of calculation, lets assume all the trapped civilians face death. This amounts to 6% of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. I am not sure of what ‘in part’ in the definition means but I wonder if loss of such a low percentage qualifies as genocide.

What LTTE lobbyists fail to mention is the fact that these innocent civilians are held by LTTE as human shield. As the LTTE retreated, they forced civilians to go along with them. People who defied the order were shot to death. GOSL announced a safe zone for civilians and LTTE purposely moved their guns to safe civilian zone. President and other international aid organizations (Red Cross and UN) begged LTTE to release the civilians held by them. President of SL declared a 48 hr ceasefire for civilians to escape. LTTE grossly ignored every such request. Recently a LTTE suicide bomber exploded herself at a facility where escaped civilians were being registered killing many civilians. Just a day or two back, LTTE fired at a bus carrying escaped civilians. Since LTTE is holding these civilians as human shield, I wonder if LTTE should be held responsible for so called “genocide” of their own people.

Terrorism is a global cancer. United States alone cannot defeat world terrorism. Whether it is Al-Queda, Abu Sayyaf, LTTE or an unknown group, terrorists bring misery to civilians and we all remember the misery caused by 9/11 attacks in the U.S. soil. Imagine the misery for peace loving Sri Lankans during past 25+ years. Individual countries with terrorist problems should be determined to remove their cancers with the help from the leaders of war on terrorism. Regardless of the recent change in political landscape, as the leader, United States has an obligation to support those governments fight terrorism in their lands and achieve lasting peace. Contrary to popular belief Sri Lanka has made extreme progress in removing her cancer from roots. Therefore, as a peace-loving citizen, at this critical juncture, I urge you to carefully consider any move to restrict support to GOSL and give a lifeline to LTTE terrorists.

Only way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka is to eliminate LTTE and come to a negotiated settlement with majority peace loving Tamil leaders. I certainly hope that international community would pressure LTTE to give up violence and be a part of this process. GOSL is making progress in developing a plan to share power with moderate Tamil leaders.

I thank you for your valuable time.

Yours sincerely,