Since the government of Sri Lanka escalated the violence against its minority Tamil population, setting off a civil war with the Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels in the north, there have been many calls of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
In Canada and around the world, Tamil’s have lead demonstrations and hunger strikes to put the spotlight on the atrocities inflicted by Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority. But the international community has been quite silent on the matter because many governments have designated the LTTE a terrorist organization.
For over 25 years, the Tigers have been fighting for a separate Tamil state and have used tactics that haven’t won them much sympathy. Now that they’re on the defensive, not many people are willing to stand up and demand an end to the repression.
According to the latest news reports, the Tigers have conceded defeat and the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has claimed victory. But at what cost? Many innocent people have lost their lives due to the indiscriminate targeting of civilians.
Adam Bemma is a journalist, humanitarian, and media consultant based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Adam Bemma 
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