Sri Lanka’s SOS to Pakistan for urgent arms supplies

[EagleEyes]

The question isn't about getting 'results', but of making it clear that India doesn't approve of this.

In this matter. Nobody cares. The deal will go through no matter what.

India won't abandon its line simply because it won't achieve anything in the short term.

India has no right to bully a nation.

Can't you look in the mirror? On one hand you defend your right to supply offensive weapons, and on the other hand you say that Indian government has not right to express her views? Contradictory rite?

There is no "right" to supply offensive weapons. It is a privilege. The nation requesting has the "right" to bare arms and defend itself from bully nations and others harboring terrorists.

 

[Flintlock]

The thing is, that India doesn't want to be seen supplying weapons to kill ethnic Tamils, since India herself has a sizeable number of Tamilians. So in order to keep things on an even keel, she acts as a mediator between the two sides.

As far as taking a moral stand is concerned, both the Sinhalese and Tamils are guilty of killing each other. In all frankness, the Sinhalese started the whole thing by their ethnic discrimination.

So by taking a partisan stand, Pakistan is lowering its image in the eyes of the world, and India is earning respect by encouraging the two sides to talk.

 

[EagleEyes]

So by taking a partisan stand, Pakistan is lowering its image in the eyes of the world, and India is earning respect by encouraging the two sides to talk.

Your no one to represent the view of the world! Are you the world?

Tell that to NATO, United States, China, Russia and other dozens of countries in the world.

For the stability of the region one must be able to secure its citizens, her country, and secure attacks from the terrorists.

I am sure you must have heard of the thing called "defense".

 

[Flintlock]

In this matter. Nobody cares. The deal will go through no matter what.

Er..yeah..that's what I'm saying isn't it?

India has no right to bully a nation.

..and Pakistan has the right to 'bully' India over kashmir and myriad other things? Please. Don't be so openly partisan.

There is no "right" to supply offensive weapons. It is a privilege. The nation requesting has the "right" to bare arms and defend itself from bully nations and others harboring terrorists.

Please don't get into semantics. It can be called either a 'right' or a 'privilege' depending on how you interpret the words.

That depends on who you call terrorists. Do you call Palestinians terrorists? I don't think so. Then why would you call the LTTE terrorists?

Why didn't Pakistan protest against the discrimination against the ethnic Tamils before this LTTE thing started? Where was your brotherhood then?

As I said, India has chosen to take a certain stand. I don't know which policy is more effective, India's or Pakistan's. Perhaps we shall know in a decade.

 

[EagleEyes]

All of the above discussions are irrelevant. Nothing stops any country from the right to bare arms. No country has the right to dictate or bully a nation. Whats been done earlier or x nation did to y, has nothing to do with this context of the discussion.

 

[Flintlock]

Your no one to represent the view of the world! Are you the world?

Tell that to NATO, United States, China, Russia and other dozens of countries in the world.

For the stability of the region one must be able to secure its citizens, her country, and secure attacks from the terrorists.

I am sure you must have heard of the thing called "defense".

I"m expressing my own opinions . Take it or leave it. Thanks.

US, China, can afford to bully other countries. They are superpowers. There are different rules for different countries, different eras and different contexts.

The olympics have been held in Mexico during ethnic cleansing, in Germany during the Nazi regime, and in Communist Russia. There was little protest then.
The world has changed now. Due to globalization, governments (especially in democratic nations) are always under pressure to condemn human rights violations etc. by other nations.

Do you know why the world is opposed to the Iranian nukes? Because Iran has no moral standing, in the eyes of world leaders. Iran's human rights record, its foreign policy record, and its attitude doesn't inspire the confidence that it is a responsible nation.

 

[Flintlock]

All of the above discussions are irrelevant. Nothing stops any country from the right to bare arms. No country has the right to dictate or bully a nation. Whats been done earlier or x nation did to y, has nothing to do with this context of the discussion.

I think its perfectly within the boundaries of this discussion.

Did India say that Sri Lanka doesn't have the right to buy arms? India is opposed to the use of weapons in this conflict, that's all.

Here are some articles of interest:

TamilNet: 28.03.08 53% of Sri Lanka's external military training provided by India, TPM protests

Lankan minister lauds India's stand on LTTE - Newindpress.com

» Tamil Nadu party seeks ban on Lankan film ‘Prabhakaran’ - Thaindian News

 

[Flintlock]

Some articles on Sri Lanka's human rights record:

AFP: Sri Lanka accused of lying over human rights

EU warns Sri Lanka trade depends on rights record | Reuters

Now please tell me, what is the principled stand on the issue?

India already tried a military solution by sending IPKF. It didn't work out. Such things rarely do work out by long-drawn out wars. Kashmir is another example of this.

 

[EagleEyes]

How it will work out is none of the Indian concern. It is the government of Sri Lanka and people of the Sri Lanka who decide what to do. In this case, Sri Lankan government believes that the military solution should be available when it is needed. In military terms, it is well needed in this situation... no military solution will make the government look like an idiot. Imagine Pakistan Army with no proper equipment to fight the terrorists. If you dont know.. that is whats going on.. Understanding that the situation in Sri Lanka is worst. Those guys a operating aircrafts to bomb military installations for god sake.. and India comes out to show sympathy for the terrorist, and denies the right of Sri Lankan government to procure arms is solely stupidity and uncalled for!

 

[Flintlock]

How it will work out is none of the Indian concern. It is the government of Sri Lanka and people of the Sri Lanka who decide what to do. In this case, Sri Lankan government believes that the military solution should be available when it is needed.

1. Sri Lanka is India's neighbour. Political developments there affect India. Therfore, it is of India's concern.

2. As I said earlier, India has a sizeable Tamil population who don't want to see India openly support the Sinhalese.

3. The question is not of 'bullying', but of foreign policy. If India wanted to bully Sri Lanka, she would stop funding the Sri Lankan army, stop supplying non-lethal equipment and stop bilateral trade. USA style.

In military terms, it is well needed in this situation... no military solution will make the government look like an idiot. Imagine Pakistan Army with no proper equipment to fight the terrorists. If you dont know.. that is whats going on.. Understanding that the situation in Sri Lanka is worst. Those guys a operating aircrafts to bomb military installations for god sake.. and India comes out to show sympathy for the terrorist, and denies the right of Sri Lankan government to procure arms is solely stupidity and uncalled for!

Sri Lanka is no angel in this. Its not simply a case of democracy versus terrorism. That's the world opinion anyways.
If it was, and If there were no Tamils in India, then perhaps India would openly support the Sinhalese, for the sake of stability.

However, considering the reality of the situation, India has no choice but to adopt a neutral stance.

Perhaps if China had been there instead of India, then there would have been Chinese troops taking out the LTTE with impunity.
Hell, if there had been China here, Sri lanka would perhaps not even exist as an Independent entity. But that's beside the point.

Here's a relevant link: India eNews - India worried by Sri Lanka arms buying

 

[fatman17]

I dont know man. I think what your brother-in-law told you is top secret stuff something which is only meant to be between Pakistan and the officers of that respective country. You shouldn't post things like this online, for everyone to see. I think your brother-in-law could get in trouble for telling you this stuff. I mean like I said it is probably top secret stuff. Please before posting such stuff make sure it is something which you cant get in trouble for.

this is not top-secret stuff. officers of many friendly countries are sent to our armed forces institutions for training (e.g staff college, national def college, PMA, all other training centers like school of artillery). this shows the professional excellence of our armed forces training standards.

 

[IceCold]

Tamils be the minority but the way they choose to protest is nothing more then terrorism which by the way india due to its own political standings is not condemning rather its the other way round. Its obivious that srilankans would go to an alternative source for their requirements. And as long as its precisely ment for rooting out terrorism from Srilanka, i donot see any reason why we should not provide them with necessary military equipment and trainning or why would the world have problem with that specially when the world itself is fighting for WOT.If india has a problem with this, its a matter between them and srilanka, we will provide them with necessary equipment until complete law&order is maintained or until the tamils give up their weapons and join the table.

 

[Malang]

Malang:

Ally or not, that is pretty much interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.

We don't expect, nor would we tolerate, the US questioning our defense relationship with the Chinese, and on the flip side, the Chinese have stayed out of our defense dealings with the US.

Raising concerns privately with the Sri Lankans is a different matter, but the public statements amount to no less than an aggressive "big brother attitude" and interference.

This is not isolated to Sri Lanka either, the GoI made a big fuss about Pakistani arms sales to Vietnam as well.

I don't think GoI has summoned the SL ambassador or made a public statement, I wouldn't believe SL would antagonize India and probably the higher ups in GoI and IA were informed of the purchase in all likelihood and some gloating officer decide to leak some info of his own accord...
and yes every right to question behind closed doors and not washing dirty linen in the public kind of questioning...

 

[Malang]

Tamils be the minority but the way they choose to protest is nothing more then terrorism which by the way india due to its own political standings is not condemning rather its the other way round.

Can you provide a link?
LTTE is a terrorist organization and hated by most Indians and hounded by Indian armed forces..

Its obivious that srilankans would go to an alternative source for their requirements.

its quite obivious you missed the part of India being the biggest defence partner of SL..
and heard of IPKF fighting LTTE alongwith SL?

And as long as its precisely ment for rooting out terrorism from Srilanka, i donot see any reason why we should not provide them with necessary military equipment and trainning or why would the world have problem with that specially when the world itself is fighting for WOT.

Please read my previous post.

If india has a problem with this, its a matter between them and srilanka, we will provide them with necessary equipment until complete law&order is maintained or until the tamils give up their weapons and join the table.

LTTE is a terrorist organization and doing too well/brainwashed/powerful to ask for peace... just like AQ etc.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Sri Lanka is India’s neighbour.

It plays an important role in the strategic perception of all countries that use the Indian Oceans since the sea route from the Bab el Mandeb to the Straits of Malacca has to circumvent the ‘outpost’ of Sri Lanka, Therefore, all countries that use this sea route has interest in Sri Lanka. In addition, it has the deep and large Trincomalee Bay that has immense strategic naval importance and just before the Indian entry into Sri Lanka, the US was negotiating to have rights over this Bay.

The ethnic problem of Sri Lanka was festering for long, well before the IPKF entry into Sri Lanka.

There is a common interest in the LTTE problem for both India and Sri Lanka. Whereas the Tamils of Sri Lanka are creating a problem for Sri Lanka with their separatist movement, it is to India’ disadvantage if this movement succeed since it can affect the Tamils of India and a same situation in India can arise. Hence, the Indian interest.

It is to Sri Lanka and India’s advantage if this the Tamil issue is solved.

There is no doubt that any country can buy what it wants or take assistance from any other country.

Israeli weapons have been bought by Sri Lanka and the MOSSAD has been active with official invitation. Therefore, the coming in of any other country in the same manner would not be unusual.

There are reports that the LTTE attempts to find shelter along the coast of Tamilnadu where there are sympathisers because of the Tamil Eelam euphoria, even if they are no kins, the Tamils of Sri Lanka being different owing to their long exposure in Sri Lankan.

But to assume that it should not affect India is incorrect since it does not indicate understanding of the security and strategic environment. It is like stating that what is happening in Afghanistan is of no concern to Pakistan or the influx of Pashtuns into FATA should be of no concern to Pakistan. India cannot have a situation in Tamilnadu like what is happening in FATA and such areas.

Like the Pakistan is sensitive to foreign forces and influences in Afghanistan since it is causing the influx of terrorists into Pakistan and destabilising the area, India, too is equally concerned about foreign influences in Sri Lanka for the same reason.