Why don’t UK US Canada Australia Europe Geneva erect monuments for all LTTE leaders & all terrorist leaders too
It is unbelievable that inspite of continuing bans on LTTE in western nations, they allow pro-LTTE diaspora to hold pro-LTTE events hold LTTE eelam flags, promote the separation of Sri Lanka and basically allow terrorism to be eulogized on foreign shores. What is the message these foreign governments are giving the younger generation by these approvals?
Lets keep to the principle. if an organisation is proscribed as a terrorist organisation, the public glorification of that organisation, its insignia and its leadership should not be treated as though the organisation itself has no connection to those symbols.. No one is stopping them from turning their private homes into terrorist memorabilia but public display cannot be permitted.
If we are in agreement with that principle – then why is it that UK, Canada, France even Geneva allows public display of LTTE flags & insignia where unashamedly they are even putting up posters that Prabakaran is their hero.
We cannot dictate the policies of the UK, US, Canada, France, Australia or other European countries. But when media outlets in those countries provide platforms to glorify LTTE leaders or question why monuments honouring them have been removed in Sri Lanka, there is a simple question to ask: why should Sri Lanka be expected to tolerate monuments glorifying a proscribed terrorist organisation when the very countries making such arguments do not permit equivalent public glorification of terrorist organisations on their own soil?
We therefore hope the UK, US, Canada, Australia and European Governments will lead by example. If statues of Prabhakaran and other LTTE leaders are considered legitimate public memorials, why stop there?
Why not erect monuments to Osama bin Laden and leaders of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram and other proscribed terrorist organisations as well?
After all, if public commemoration of one terrorist organisation’s leadership is defended as history, heritage or freedom of expression, the same argument cannot logically be denied to every other terrorist organisation.
Without asking Sri Lanka to allow statues of LTTE leaders, why don’t these Western countries first allow such statues to be erected in their own countries?
After all, many of the demands for monuments, memorials and public commemorations of LTTE leaders originate from diaspora organisations based in these very countries.
If Western governments believe such public glorification is acceptable, let them demonstrate that principle on their own streets first. If they do not believe it is acceptable for terrorist leaders to be honoured with public monuments in London, Paris, Ottawa, Washington or Canberra, they should explain why Sri Lanka should be pressured to permit such glorification.
If their answer is they “cannot”, then that principle must apply in Sri Lanka too.
Shenali D Waduge
