It’s an eloquent image - thousands crossing from the territory controlled by the LTTE to government controlled area. The look on their faces tells the full story with the visuals blending perfectly with reality - a disenchanted people held captive escaping from the LTTE bondage.

Still the UK, US and France have failed to decipher either the message or the image. They are too sophisticated and are not nitwits to be taken to cloud cuckoo land. What exactly is their one-upmanship or gamesmanship? The possible answer has to be elicited on speculation together with hard evidence to form an intelligible analysis.

Did the West ever speak in favour of Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden and seek an amnesty for their organizations? Who is directing the Pakistanis to go after the Taliban? Do they fail to see the magnanimity with which Daya Master and George Master are being treated on surrendering? Why should the civilians on whose behalf they bargain, cross over to us from the LTTE? Ask the civilians whom they prefer to live with - LTTE or us?

Go West or more precisely the neo-liberal West, if you desire to graduate in double standards in diplomacy. Just like in the local environment, it is the internationalized left leaning politicians (distinguishable from the patriotic nationalistic left) who tango openly or stealthily with the Tigers. In that sense the more conservative and right leaning politicians of the West (unlike in Sri Lanka) appreciate the scourge of terrorism rather than the pinkies who are friends of terrorism, provided their own countries are secure.

It is wrong to blame the entirety of the West because some countries have acted with responsibility like Spain. It is ironic that Mexico who commenced the campaign for the Tigers to subject us to UN sanctions should now be hounded by pigs (swine flu) to close shop and seek the sanctuary of the WHO!

One thing is for sure - it is the these same western countries who will hunt our war heroes, not to take them to international human rights commissions but to famed defence academies, to learn the art of defeating terrorism with a human face. In 25 years there is bound to be volumes written on Sri Lanka’s successful war against terrorism and Prabhakaran and his band of outlaws will be in the rouges gallery before becoming a mere ugly blot in history.

Gratitude is a national characteristic from time immemorial.

We have faced the full blast of sniper fire and multi barrel attacks in the name of fake diplomacy and dubious humanitarian exercises and still emerged triumphantly to defeat terrorism. Equally difficult has been to overcome the onslaught from western sources appearing in pseudo humanitarian garb to preach sermons which they fail to practice.

Name it , we have had it - negotiations, monitoring, ceasefires, failed state, R2P, human indexes, economic indicators, travel restrictions, humanitarian interventions, Amnesty, searches for strictures and sanctions, peace missionaries, NGO onslaughts, Human Rights Commissions with foreign observers. Yet we have surmounted these obstacles, survived and succeeded.

We could never have overcome these poison darts if not for the support of the international community. It is the numerically majority club (unlike the handful who pretend to represent the international community) which stood firmly beside us at times of crisis. They never flinched or flickered for a moment in their support of our just cause to wipe out terrorism unlike those human rights angels who have agendas which are in conflict with their outward appearances and utterances.

The fake international community is vocal because of their links to the giant media mafia. It is through media manipulation the opinion of a powerful but numerically few are blown out of proportion to reflect as the custodian voice of the international community.

In the forefront are the giants China and Russia along with Pakistan and Japan whose solid espousal in our favour makes us eternally grateful to them. The countries of South and South East Asia along with most of the countries in the Non Aligned Movement, Arab and the Socialist Bloc together with the Latin American countries stood by us in the difficult days. They were the genuine majority who spoke but were not reported in the media. It is the voice of the majority that stood up for us to prevent any international repercussions or ramifications.

Special mention must be made of Brazil, Australia and the Maldives which not only denounced terrorism in Sri Lanka as did most other countries but specifically refer to LTTE atrocities which many failed to do in international forums.

The countries we cannot forget are Iran and India. They have showered us with immense support at critical times when the western powers attempted to reduce our international standing.

India with its diverse political complexions in a complicated election year, has acted with restrain and care amidst its own internal pressures from a enigmatic Tamil Nadu with its shifting and swaying political opinions. We must understand and respect the plight of India which has come a long way from its shameful past to be a true friend in our hour of need. We must have the maturity to appreciate this factor.