The Sri Lankan Government maintained a zero
civilian casualty policy and to meet this
policy slowed their advance considerably in
consideration of the Tamils being used as
human shields, but the LTTE violated the
rights of millions of Sri Lankans over three
decades, said Don Randall, Liberal MP, in
the Australian Parliament.
Speaking during the debate on a Private
Member’s motion on Sri Lanka Mr. Don Randall
said, “Having had a long association with
the Australian - Sri Lankan community and
having watched closely the atrocities
committed by the LTTE over many years, few
were more thrilled at the prospect of Sri
Lankan peace and unity than me when I saw
that the Tigers were defeated recently,”
In addition to brutalizing the Sinhalese
people in its battle for territory, it
sacrificed its own minority ethnic group of
Tamil people and used them as human shields
and suicide bombers and recruited child
soldiers from them, reported the Daily News
quoting Don Randall.
As recently as February this year, I
wrote to the Attorney-General to request the
immediate listing of the LTTE as a terrorist
organization under the Security Legislation
Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002. The European
Union, the USA, Canada and Britain are among
more than 30 nations who have recognized the
LTTE as a terrorist group, he said.
“Speaking on this motion, it is important
to stress at the outset that Australia has a
strong humanitarian record. We will provide
aid but we cannot support or condone aid to
terrorists. To cast a slur on the Sri Lankan
Government - quoting their defeat of the
LTTE, a known terrorist organization - is an
insult to the democratically elected
Government and damaging to relations with
Australia. As a former Chair and the current
Deputy Chair of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary
friendship Group I have maintained a strong
relationship with the Sri Lankan community
over my time in Parliament. I have attended
their community events and have heard their
stories and watched with horror as the LTTE
group brutally murdered many innocent
civilians,” Randall said.
“The former High Commissioner to
Australia, who I was proud to call a friend,
was viciously targeted by the LTTE last
year. A suicide bomber in Anuradhapura
killed 27 people and injured 80, including
Major General Janaka Perera and his wife,
Wajira", he added.
To call for an investigation into the
actions of the Sri Lankan Government is
damaging at home and abroad. To ambush the
Prime Minister with calls for an
investigation into human rights abuses is
both disturbing and politically motivated.
"The member for Fremantle, who touts her
UN credentials at every opportunity, should
acknowledge that the UN in a special session
passed a resolution praising the efforts of
the Sri Lankan Government in addressing the
needs of displaced people and also welcomed
the commitment of Sri Lanka to the
protection of human rights. The resolution
also condemns the Tigers and welcomes the
liberation by the Government of tens of
thousands of citizens kept by the LTTE
against their will as hostages,” he said.
“While the Sri Lankan community moves
forward the LTTE sympathizers continue to be
divisive. The Australian media has reported
that LTTE fronts through various groups
across Australia have raised funds to
support the tactics of the LTTE and
demonized the Sinhala people. It is these
actions that culminated in recent ethnic
attacks in Sydney". The situation is
certainly volatile.
"The Sri Lankan Government works
feverishly to construct temporary shelters,
schools and hospitals,” Randall said.
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