There may well be former members of the LTTE on vessels bringing asylum seekers to Australia. The LTTE were, after all, the fighting component of one side in a no-holds-barred civil war in Sri Lanka over the past 35 years.
It was a war in which terror was deployed by both sides, although there is something about state terror that is inherently more evil. I think it is the cold and calculating nature of state-sponsored retribution that sees individuals disappear off busy streets and abducted from homes by people who are sworn to uphold the rule of law.
Wilson Tuckey has blown the dog whistle on LTTE terrorists arriving in Australia by boat. Tuckey has reason to make a lot of noise, his parliamentary career has been less than a success, with his sacking by John Howard as a minister a fair indication of his character and ability. He has not many runs on the board and his electorate is sick of him. He is well aware that he can expect some stiff competition at the next election. But Tuckey’s views count for little with the exception of the Canberra parliamentary media, who, mostly bored to death, enjoy a stir from a colourful character, Barnaby Joyce included.
Elements in the AFP might like to hear Tuckey in action on LTTE terrorists, they may have geed him up, but other intelligence agencies are more sanguine and circumspect in their analysis of the threat posed by former members of the LTTE stepping onto Australian soil. What does Tuckey think they will do if granted the right to live in Australia? Blow up the local post office, police station or shock horror, a pub.
It should not come as a surprise to learn that there are former members of the LTTE living in Australia and that they are now engaged in one or other of the professions and raising successful children. It should also come as no surprise that there are Sinhalese living in Australia who were involved with military and security organisations, the sole aim of which were to kill, sometimes through murder, members of the Tamil community.
Australia has sought good relations with all of its regional friends and neighbours, which is a most commendable foreign policy objective. Problems arise, however, when the plain talking that should form a part of friendship is not employed in the face of poor behaviour. Australia was able to castigate South Africa over the policy of apartheid but not Indonesia over abuse of human rights in East Timor and not Sri Lanka over the treatment of Tamils. Consequently Australia ended up supporting one side in a civil war, when it should have been neutral and even-handed.
Unfortunately, although understandably, it is mostly easier for governments to conduct government-to-government relations than try and deal with the invariably bush-based other side in a civil war.
That does not mean that Australia should continue to demonise Tamils. The Sri Lankan government monopolised the propaganda war that ran along with the military conflict.
Some media representatives and some elements of the Australian security community have chosen to listen to Sinhalese operative Rohan Gunaratna.
Employed by the Sri Lankan government in 1984, the year in which the civil war started, Gunaratna was involved in disruption activities being run against the Tamils. It would be surprising if he were not aware of the disappearances of Tamils off the streets. Born in 1961, his CV is sparse on detail until 1987. Some sources have him working for the Sri Lankan government at least to 1994.
In 1987, Gunaratna became a student in Finland, claiming to be a recipient of an untraceable Australian-Europe award to study American-Australia diplomatic and security co-operation; an interesting topic to undertake from Finland.
The Sinhalese, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) organisation became active again in 1987, targeting government institutions, police and army personnel involved in counter-insurgency activities. Indeed Gunaratna has written a book about the abortive Marxist/Nationalist uprising.
Following 9/11, Gunaratna shot to prominence, with some masterly promotion, as a self-proclaimed terrorism expert, of which at that time there were very few.
He got into the ear of US-based think-tanks, including the Rand Corporation, mainstream intelligence organisations and officials of the Bush Administration. He also got into the ear of the AFP, although ASIO remained unconvinced with his credentials and his message.
Gunaratna has made a name for himself peddling fear; he has little understanding of the causes of terrorism. He remains close to the government of Sri Lanka.
Gunaratna has claimed that members of the LTTE are on boats destined for Australia and recently apprehended in waters around Indonesia; he also claims that some of the boats are owned by the LTTE.
The Sri Lankan government has reason to be pleased with Gunaratna’s remarks, this and his former links to that government should give the Australian government pause when dealing with or taking his advice.
Bruce Haigh is a political commentator who served as an Australian Diplomat in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
The Australian Government should give pause to taking the advice of anyone directly or indirectly associated with the Sri Lankan Government, particularly the questionably qualified and gormless Gunaratna, when it comes to refugees from this failed state.
While it works on its ‘final solution’ to the Tamil problem in the north, there are many Sinhalese citizens who face similar threats to their human rights, simply because they hold the objective view that their government has gone too far: they see the reality of a despotic and ruthless military ‘hipocrisy’ at work, starving the country of funds which could be used for much-needed development, and willing to eliminate all opposition in maintaining its stranglehold….we have to wonder where it will all end, and how many innocent people on both ‘sides’ have to die before the Australian Government and the international community finally wake up to the tragedy they have stood by and allowed to unfold.
As Bruce says, former LTTE combatants should not be compared to ‘genuine’ terrorists where their potential threat to Australians is concerned……and their supposed ‘fearsome reputation’, well cultivated by the Sri Lankan Government’s PR department and swallowed by western media, is no excuse to hand them back to the true force of terror which is running rampant in that country.
Good One Bruce. Thanks for bringing out the role of the Australian Government in supporting and assisting Srilankan government in their ethnic cleansing. Australian Government charged three tamil community workers with terrorism related cahrgesds knowing very well that they are never a threat to Australia but only to aid the Govrnment of Srilanka in their State Terrism. It was done on the specific request of the Govt of Srilanka.
Certainly my big media watching has shown a clear and present PR offensive on behalf of the Sri Lankan Govt this last 5 days:
ABC tv news footage of soldiers marshalling Tamils to rice and bottled water stations. As if to say, what refugee camp oppression?
Then last Saturday on Doogue RN was the elephant expert from the Sri Lankan tourism industry. Nice man, very sensitive. Nice fluffy story that.
I even made a note on the back of my hand: Is Burson Marsteller (refer wikipedia) working for the Sri Lankan Govt? BM can be compared with Hill & Knowlton global spin doctors who cooked the story about Iraqi soldiers ripping prem babies from their medical cribs in Kuwait – just in case there was any doubt about US/coalition support for Iraq War no.1 (including Australia). It was a lie apparently.
Just googled “Burson Marsteller Sri Lanka”:
“With this Genesis Burson-Marsteller now has exclusive presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. Christened the BMSAN (The Burson-Marsteller South Asia Network), the network offers a unique model of central planning with local insights and expertise in execution in respective markets. It is thus a compelling and a competitive proposition to companies with presence across these markets or those looking to enter these markets.”