In her much publicised three articles in the Sunday Times (UK), Ms. Colvin has denied she had any secret agenda in entering rebel controlled areas.She entered this territory secretly with the help of terrorist sympathisers from Colombo. She presumably went there ‘to find the truth’ - from the terrorists and civilians living under their control, because, apparently she doesn’t believe the government side of the story. Could she have got an impartial view from such civilians when she interviewed them under the watchful eye and in the presence of terrorist gunmen?

Is Ms. Colvin aware that the democratically elected 11 Tamil parliamentarians (living in Colombo, belonging to other Tamil parties, whose leaders and some family members had been silenced by assassinations), recently made representations to the British and other western embassies, not to ban the LTTE, (when such a ban was being considered by the British Govt.) through fear of the LTTE? Such is the fearful hold, the LTTE has over the Tamils. Does this not say something about what impartial information she could have got from civilians living in terrorist controlled areas? Is she not aware that the school teacher and others she interviewed - in the terrorist controlled areas - were being paid their salaries and upkeep by the Sri Lankan government? Is she not aware that food and essential items are being sent to the rebel controlled areas by the Sri Lankan government, most of which is appropriated by the terrorists, for their own consumption? I know of no other government in the world, one might call foolish enough to do this. (The USA and UK have imposed 10 year sanctions/embargo on Iraq, Libya and a 20 yr. embargo on Cuba, even though they are not fighting a terrorist war against these states. This ban is allegedly to prevent terrorist support by the countries concerned).

Is Ms. Colvin aware that more than half the Tamil population of Sri Lanka live outside the rebel controlled areas and among the Sinhalese, in the rest of Sri Lanka?

As usually, the case among most western journalists, Ms. Colvin is unaware of the history and background of this conflict, having heard or read a one-sided view mainly from the well-funded and highly organised Tamil terrorist groups and supporters in the West.

Ms. Colvin is inadvertently or deliberately helping the terrorists’ cause and helping to prolong this war, thereby causing untold misery and death to thousands of innocent Sri Lankans.
Dr. L. Silva
UK