Topic started by Annak (@ proxy.ozonline.com.au) on Mon May 26 09:35:41 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Sri Lankan Tamil plantation workers were brought to Sri Lanka by the British to work in tea production areas. Over the years they are treated by Sri Lankan Government as slaves, they get very low wages, which is hardly enough to by their meals, well when is their freedom???

All we talk about is Tamil people who lives up the north of Sri Lanka, where they atleast have some people and organisation that they can depend on eg(TRO), but how about the plantation worker, the only people who is caring for them is Sri Lankan Catholic priest, but wat is being done is they are mainly helping the elderly people and providing some medical help....apart from that...they are hardly not getting anything else.

There are 68 unions in the plantation sector, but most are “yellow” unions, “bribed” by the government, according to de Fontgalland. However, a new “red” union, the Workers Development Society, has 3000 members. The new union has called a number of strikes and pickets.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/current/539p20b.htm

I'm a Eelan, but i feel like plantation Tamil people suffering more than us. Seriously i would like to know what can be really do to save these people from slavery. This is so complex, some people are saying until we get freedom, that they can't really do anything, well i would like to hear your view's as well.

Please no fighting...and this not about LTTE.

Responses:

• From: Miami (@ 0-1pool108-27.nas4.peoria1.il.us.da.qwest.net) on: Tue May 27 00:25:21 EDT 2003
  
  >>Sri Lankan Tamil plantation workers were brought to Sri Lanka by the British to work in tea production areas.
  
  The white man creates slaves wherever he goes!
  Blacks in America and South Africa, Aborigines in Australia, Indians in the sub continent. B@stards .
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 0-1pool108-27.nas4.peoria1.il.us.da.qwest.net) on: Tue May 27 00:27:08 EDT 2003
  
  Not to mention the Jews in Europe during the Holocaust.
  
  Then they also comes up with Human Rights Organizations, United Nations etc. for peace keeping!
  
  
• From: jegan (@ 202.52.194.186) on: Tue May 27 13:04:23 EDT 2003
  
  Thank you Mr.Anak for bringing up this issue. I am a tamil of origin and we both understand each other communities problems. I commend with pride the courage you and your leader has shown against all odds. I feel that our community do not have a leader with determination and courage to lead us.I was fortunate enough to be brought up in Colombo because my grand mother moved down to Colombo.
  
  Part of the problems remains with the people itself as they and their ancestors had been slaves. They still have the master-slave attitude and majority of them do not have any objectives in life. Their only objective is to have a drink in the night. If people are like that, how will you find the leaders.
  
  Some of the contributors like the diesel engine do not understand what is the difference between the indian tamil and eelam tamil communities. They really do not know what our aspirations and problems are.
  
  But one thing is certain, the Indian leadership headed by Hindi speaking people have no cponcern for us even though our indian tamil community are descendants of Tamil Nadu.
  
  
• From: makizhnan (@ l-lh121-13g.cavern.carleton.ca) on: Tue May 27 22:46:46 EDT 2003
  
  I believe tactically and capacity wise Tamil Nadu should help the Tamils in Plantation. When I say tactically, what I mean is that they are already suspected of LTTE sometimes and harassed by SL army, espescially in Colombo. By overtly supporing or helping them in anyway that earns the hate or dislike of the Sinhalese is not good for them.
  I believe TN should help by setting up Tamil medium school and strengthning local organization that helps them succeed in Eduacation and find other jobs without falling into the Plantations for living. TN govt should open a cultural center in Nuweriliya. TN gov't should partner with SL govt to create an economy in Nuwerelia district, that will absorb the newly generated professionals. In my opinion They should concentrate in Nuwerlia and Colombo, they should not disperse through out the country as that will weaken their politcal power by weakening their political party!
  
  
• From: jegan (@ 202.52.194.184) on: Tue May 27 22:57:44 EDT 2003
  
  very goog suggestion makizhnan. Problem is whether TN govt has enough power to do such things. As far as I know delhi has never appointed a tamilian as the ambassador in Sri Lanka. This shows their ulterior motive. How important there should be a tamilian as the indian ambassador in Sri Lanka.
  
  
• From: Kotiya Paiyan (@ aca21328.ipt.aol.com) on: Thu May 29 00:31:00 EDT 2003
  
  What stupid ideas, sending a Tamilian ambassador. We don't need nobody from India. All we need to do is to force all U-C Tamils to join LTTE or we will kill them. That is best solution. We can turn all U-C Tamils into bloodthirsty homocidal psychopaths just like Velupillai Prabhakaran (National Leader). Why has nobody thought of this.
  
  
• From: jegan (@ 202.52.194.185) on: Thu May 29 12:45:38 EDT 2003
  
  Kotiya paiyan, a tamilian ambassador is required to feel the pulse of the tamil people in Sri Lanka and report that to delhi so that it changes it attitudes towards tamils in Sri Lanka. As far as I know there had not been a tamilian become a ambassador to sri Lanka/Ceylon. Is this because hindi leaders could not find a suitable tamilian or they purposely not sending one. Only the RAW and south block knows the answer.
  
  
• From: lankapeace (@ 157.minneapolis-06rh15rt.mn.dial-access.att.net) on: Sun Jun 1 01:29:11 EDT 2003
  
  For pro LTTE here:
  When your Tamil National Leader Prabhakaran Bin Laden comes out of his cave, he will be hanged by few times for his share of crime. Eelam is a dream which is quarter century old. Time to dream something else you can achieve quickly.
  
  
  
  Annak,
  Most of what you say is not true. I am sure the plantation tamils lifestyle is much better than an average Tamil lifestyle in TN. I've heard that the per capita income of a plantation Tamil household is much higher than the average.
  
  I am sure the exploitation is there, I don't know how much Tea estates are owned by the government and the multi nationals.
  
  Plantation Tamils have a very strong representation in the SL govt. This guy
  Thondaman is an Indian (Plantation) Tamil.
  
  "Hon. Saumya Moorthi Arumugan Ramanathan Thondaman, MP - Minister of Housing & .........Plantation Infrastructure"
  
  
  
  http://www.interpol.com/public/Wanted/Notices/Data
  /1994/54/1994_9054.asp
  
  
• From: lankapeace (@ 157.minneapolis-06rh15rt.mn.dial-access.att.net) on: Sun Jun 1 01:31:44 EDT 2003
  
  sorry, I wanted to paste this link for our pro Sinhala killing folks here:
  
  when your cave man come out of his cave, he will be hanged few times by his fellow Tamils.
  
  http://www.interpol.com/public/Wanted/Notices/Data/1994/54/1994_9054.asp
  
  
• From: Thamilan (@ 12.151.162.22) on: Sun Jun 1 07:54:14 EDT 2003
  
  To : Lanka Peace or Piece
  
  Hey why don’t you tell Interpol to go in to the Vanni and get him instead crying here. I can also start a WEB SITE and put all you Favorite Politicians photos and say they did this and that.
  
  Coming to the threads headings
  
  The Thamilar in the Up country were oppressed but they know better now. Mostly the young are now doing other agriculture since they know the tea business in not going to last long. I must say that some of them are earning more than the average and they understand the world more clearly now.
  
  But we still got problems in education and living infrastructure. There is no development in some areas even now. The old are still doing the plantation jobs. I heard that there is very few new recruits to the plantation industry because of low pay.
  
  In the last few day’s the CWC party declared that the Gov. has to give the TTE an interim rule in the North East.
  
  I don’t think the TN Gov. would do anything for the Upcountry Thamilar because they themselves don’t know what they want and TN is not ruled by Thamilar by the way. So we should not expect anything from them.
  
  We stand United.
  
  maaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  
  
• From: Thamilan (@ 12.151.162.22) on: Sun Jun 1 07:58:49 EDT 2003
  
  
  Haa Lanka Oh Lanka Piece
  
  “since when a Terrorist leader created a better world for fellow citizens?”
  
  Veerapandiya Katabomman, Veelayathu Servai, Ghandi, Chandraboss, ( Who were called terrorist by the british )
  
  Nelson Mandela ( Who was called by the Whites in South Africa as a terrorist )
  
  East Timor ( The Indonesian Gov. called them Terrorist )
  
  G. Washington ( Was called by the British a terrorist )
  
  ( In the near future Velupillai Prabagaran – Who was called by the now not existing SL Gov. who destroyed themselves ( Not by the TTE ) Terrorist )
  
  We don’t mind Ermuai’s calling Prabagaran a terrorist since there where a lot of Terrorist who were called even Mahathma in the end. We just are waiting for time to repeat it self.
  
  And an another thing if you guys rig the vote ( Which we don’t give a Damn about ) its not our problem. Why did you leave the 5% you must have taken that also to your side and showed it that all ( 100% ) of the Illangai Thamilar Hate the TTE. We don’t mind. It’s your paper your pen you vote what ever you want and say what ever you want to say. We Thamilar are clear on what we want and who we want unlike you.
  
  So keep up the good work on disgracing yourself.
  
  And MMMMMMMMMMmmmaaaaaaaaaa
  
  

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