Some say that Neelan was a great leader, a great pacifist, a brilliant mind, and that his death shows that the LTTE is ruthless, responsible for the loss of countless lives and cannot compromise--that they will kill anyone, Sinhalese, civilian or Tamil, who stands in their way.
Some say the media, so quick to lay the blame at the LTTE's feet, are unfair. It cannot be denied they disagreed with Neelan's reconciliatory politics, just as it cannot be denied that the violent methods they employ have contributed to the country's chaos. But the LTTE, who are generally blamed for the murder, usually claim responsibility for those they have killed. In this case, they have not.
And there are some who say Neelan got caught up in the power of politics and forgot the common man. When Neelan's original constitutional changes--which the LTTE would have found less objectionable--were drastically rewritten, Neelan said nothing. There are those who told me that the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan government and the media made Neelan--who was appointed, not elected--a mouthpiece for the Tamil people. There are those who told me Neelan was a convenient, moderate leader for the West and those international leaders who ignore the Tamil cause.
The members of the Tamil community who voiced their opinions so strongly in this matter were informed by ethnic newspapers, underground publications and word-of-mouth. What about those of us who don't have access to all those sources on a regular basis? How do we sort out our opinions? Now, in Sri Lanka, the air seethes with rumors of hidden horrors--torture, rape, looting, murder. Thankfully, in our family, the worst thing that has happened is the burning of my aunt's house 15 years ago. I could tell you stories much worse and much bloodier than that. But it's not my job to tell you.
Why is this story so regularly ignored? Why are human rights abuses--a large number at the government's hands--occurring daily and ignored daily? Is it because Sri Lankans are people of color? Is it because the country's economy isn't worth enough? For the ethnic conflict in Kosovo, media attention meant international outrage--and international intervention and aid. If no one brings attention to what is happening in Sri Lanka, when will it stop? How can the journalists who can and don't cover Sri Lanka look at themselves in the mirror every morning?
What is the war worth? I have been waiting a long time for the answer to that question. So have a country of people--both the living and the dead.
Vasugi V. Ganeshananthan '02, a Crimson editor, is an English concentrator in Lowell House. This summer she is working at the Harrisburg Patriot-News in Pennsylvania.