Tiger terror strikes at Freedom of Speech in the UK

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Tiger terror strikes at Freedom of Speech in the UK


Thursday, 02 December 2010
The savage arm of terror of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that has with its bloody trail of assassinations and other killings, especially of all persons who opposed its violence, and silenced the voices of dissent among the Tamil community, in Sri Lanka and abroad, has now struck at the home of free speech – the Oxford Union.
In canceling the address by President Rajapaksa for what it states aresecurity threats from unnamed, but readily identifiable sources, thosewho lead the Oxford Union today have made it clear that they areincapable of living up to the laudable standards of those who wentbefore them in upholding their belief in the Freedom of Speech.The decision of the Oxford Union to invite the Sri Lankan PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa to address its members was in keeping with itspolicy of inviting a broad range of prominent politicians, Heads ofState, other key opinion makers and blazers of new thinking fromaround the world. Founded in 1823 as a forum for discussion anddebate, at a time when the free exchange of ideas was a notion foreignto the restrictive University authorities, it proceeded to become thebest known defender of the Freedom of Speech and upholder of dissent,which are at the very core of Democracy.The source of the security threat to the Oxford Union, its members,and invitees did not operate behind an impenetrable curtain ofsecrecy. It is none other than the pro-LTTE Tamil expatriate lobby inthe UK, and their fellow travelers among extremists, unthinkingradicals, vote hungry politicians, and those bleeding hearts who arestill carrying the burdens of Britain’s past record of colonialism andimperialism. There is little doubt that the remnants of the LTTE havesuccessfully manoeuvred these varied groups into giving them theappearance of a powerful organization, enabled by the easy use of theInternet, modern communications technology and sophisticatedpropaganda. This security threat that has frightened the Oxford Uniontoday is the result of manipulation by a hard core group of LTTEcadres still marketing the policies of violence and terror, under thepretence of speaking for the Tamil people of Sri Lanka, andregrettably supported by a handful of the foreign media.There is not much difficulty in identifying the source of this threatas being the same as those who carried a miscalculated demonstrationat Heathrow Airport, when President Rajapaksa arrived in the UK lastMonday. All the banners that were on display and the slogans that wereshouted at the Meeting Point at the Arrival section of Heathrow madeit clear that the organizers were the rump of the LTTE stillfunctioning in the UK, and claiming to be a Tamil Diaspora. They haveno intent of ever returning to their homeland of Sri Lanka, and noteven to the failed dreamland of a Tamil Eelam, to achieve whichVelupillai Prabhakaran shed so much blood of the Sri Lankan Tamils andother communities in Sri Lanka, while carrying on the most profitabletrade in arms smuggling and human trafficking, among other crimes.The buckling of the Oxford Union under threats from such forces raisesserious questions for the future of democracy in the UK itself, aswell as in other western democracies that through their refugee andasylum laws, and often misguided protection to those who falsely claimto be under threat in their countries of origin, give an open ticketto action to criminal and extremist elements. The LTTE with its fellowtravelers have bitten the hand that fed them, and shamed the land thatgave them shelter in what they succeeded in doing at the Oxford Union.The inability to take necessary action against the highly bloatedthreats from such groups is not what is expected from a country wheremodern policing began with Sir Robert Peel and his Bobbies; is thehome of Scotland Yard, and boasts of a Special Anti-Terrorism Laws andinstitutions. The fear of violence that drove the leaders of theOxford Union to their shameful act of giving in to terror, andespecially the targeting of Freedom of Speech, is a timely and aptdemonstration of the dangers that democracies face in giving shelterto those who are avowedly against the very principles of democracy.This is also an eye opener to the very large number of moderateTamils, whether in the UK or elsewhere, on the need to mobilize toovercome the disgrace and danger that a group of extremist Tamils,imbued with the belief in violence and terror, brings to the Tamilpeople, whether in Sri Lanka or outside; people who have a worthyheritage of tolerance, understanding and non-violence in communityrelations. Are they to give the leadership of the Tamils worldwide tothose who have the least respect for democracy and its core principleof Freedom of Speech?It is indeed a sad day for Democracy that this assault on Freedom ofSpeech took place in the land that has the Mother of Parliaments andwhich takes great pains, at times even misguided, to spread democracyto other countries, societies and cultures. It is an even worse dayfor the Oxford Union to be led by the people of straw, who lack thespine to stand up to threats of violence that target the veryfoundation of Free Speech on which the Union has been built. If itfollows this beginning, will the Oxford Union be anymore able to throwup the democratic leaders of the world as it has done since itsinception?Let Freedom of Speech thrive against terror, with the Oxford Unionregaining glory in its protection.