The same Sri Lankan army that massacred over 146,000 Tamils, raped and disappeared thousands, and now controls Tamil lands is rebranding itself through school donation programs. In 2009, Maj. Gen. Dharshana Hettiarachchi led combat operations in the East as commander of the 23 Division—part of the final military push. Today, the army uses “upliftment” to whitewash genocide, just like China in Tibet or Russia in Chechnya. We must expose this deceit and demand full demilitarization of Tamil regions.
War Crimes Against Tamils – 2009 Mass Executions We Will Never Forget
School Bags Cannot Erase Genocide – Sri Lankan Army Must Leave Tamil Homeland
May 31, 2025
Issued by Tamil Diaspora News
It is a disgrace to humanity that the very same Sri Lankan army that committed the genocide of over 146,000 Tamils before the war ended — the same military that raped and murdered Tamil girls and boys, and disappeared more than 25,000 innocent civilians — is now pretending to uplift Tamil children by donating school bags.
This is not compassion.
This is not development.
This is occupation in disguise.
Let us be clear:
This army was not reformed. It was not punished. It was never held accountable.
Now, it operates in Tamil schools and villages, injecting itself into our children’s lives to erase Tamil identity and build loyalty to a Sinhala-Buddhist state.
These soldiers are the same who:
- Trained Tamil youths using drugs and sexual exploitation
- Turned Tamil land into military zones and surveillance grids
- Are now manipulating Tamil children through school charity events
What Sri Lanka is doing is not new in the world. Militaries involved in atrocities often try to “mask” their crimes through social or educational programs, especially in areas where they are seen as occupiers or aggressors. These are known as “soft power tactics” or “hearts and minds” campaigns. Consider the following global parallels:
Global Examples of Military Masking
China in Tibet and Xinjiang
After widespread reports of cultural genocide, surveillance, and internment camps, the Chinese government promotes programs such as:
- Free education
- Vocational training
- Poverty alleviation
These are marketed as “modernization” but are widely condemned as tools to erase Tibetan and Uyghur identity.
Russia in Chechnya
Following two brutal wars and mass human rights abuses, Russia invested in rebuilding Grozny, constructing schools, and hosting sports events.
Behind this, militarization and secret police rule continued, while Putin’s government painted a false image of “reconstruction and stability.”
Now Sri Lanka Follows the Same Playbook
The Sri Lankan military’s recent program in Palali North GTM School, where it handed out 40 school bags, is being praised as an “education upliftment” campaign. But we, the Tamil people, see the truth:
This is a genocidal force trying to rebrand itself — not to help Tamil children, but to control them, erase their history, and make the North a Sinhala-only province.
Our Call to Action
We, the Tamil people, reject this military presence in our homeland.
We call on:
- All Tamils worldwide to speak out and protest.
- The international community to see through this deception.
- Human rights defenders to demand full demilitarization of the North and East.
Tamil children need freedom — not favors from the killers of their own kin.
School bags cannot whitewash bloodstains.
The world must act.
