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Boycotting Sri Lanka - கனடா நசனல் போஸ்ட் columnist 'Jonathan Kay' இன் சந்தேகத்தை நீக்கிவிடுங்கள்..!

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வணக்கம்,

கனடா நசனல் போஸ்ட் columnist 'Jonathan Kay' இன் சந்தேகத்தை நீக்கிவிடுங்கள்...!

Jonathan Kay இன் மின்னஞ்சல்: jkay@nationalpost.com

Jonathan Kay இன் சந்தேகம்:

Jonathan Kay asks: Hey Sid, Naomi, when do we all start boycotting Sri Lanka?

Posted: February 02, 2009, 5:43 PM by Jonathan Kay

Jonathan Kay

Here’s a question for Sid Ryan, CUPE, the York University Federation of Students, Britain’s academic unions, and Naomi Klein: When do we all start boycotting Sri Lanka?

The government of Sri Lanka has been locked in a civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels for more than a quarter-century. During that time, 70,000 people have died, including hundreds who have fallen victim to Tiger suicide bombings. The war may finally be coming to an end, however: In recent months, the Sri Lankan military has gone on the offensive, and is now closing in on the Tigers’ last remaining bases.

As in any conflict of this type, there have been civilian casualties. Over the weekend, for instance, nine people were killed when artillery repeatedly hit a pediatric hospital in the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu. The episode is just the latest instance in which the government has been accused of perpetrating “war cimes” against civilians who are hemmed in between advancing government troops and besieged Tiger forces, who themselves are accused of using innocents as human shields.

Does all this sound familiar? It should: If you switch “Sri Lanka” to “Israel,” and “Tamil Tigers” to Hamas, the account runs roughly analogous to that of Israel’s terror-suppression mission in Gaza last month.

In both cases, national governments are fighting against terrorist organizations that use barbaric methods of attack, and which knowingly take refuge in civilian areas. In both cases, several hundred civilians have died. In both cases, UN officials have issued stern admonitions regarding international law.

But there’s one crucial difference: Sri Lanka’s campaign against the Tamil Tigers is mostly being ignored in the West — or reported on in the back pages. There are no mainstream organizations, unions or prominent media columnists in this country agitating to boycott Sri Lanka — or trying to shut down co-operation with Sri Lankan academics. Why?

Do you have an answer, Mr. Ryan? Ms. Klein?

If so, I’d be delighted to post it on this blog, and in the print edition of the National Post.

jkay@nationalpost.com

தகவல் மூலம்: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...-sri-lanka.aspx

நன்றி!

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