Jan-Mar, 2011
24. Born Suckers and Political Plunderers
23. Is it a seminar on exporting state terrorism? Or “Defeating Terrorism – the Sri Lanka Experience”
22. LANDMARK DECISION BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL
21. DO WE HAVE A TRUDEAU AMONG OUR TAMILS?
20. Understanding a Welfare State and the issue of cash transfer
19. An audacious attempt to rescue a community from Racism, Fanaticism, Barbarism, State terrorism and Dictatorship
18. SRI LANKA, FROM SINGAPORE TO SOMALIA IN SIXTY YEARS
17. Colombo 10th worst city in the world to live in
16. In search of Leadership Excellence among Tamils
15. Will Release of Aung San Suu Kyi Bring Regime Change in Myanmar?
14. BLOOD CONTAMINATION IN THEIR HANDS
13. Isn’t it time for the Eelam Tamils to reject India and reach out to China?
12. SHAVENDRA SILVA & JALIYA WICKREMASURIYA
11. God has spoken … Who said there is no God
10. Never Under estimate the Spirit of a Broken People
9. Rising ethnic nationalism in Sri Lanka targets minorities for abuse
8. Lessons Leant and Reconciliation Commission must be replaced by United Nations Commission on Genocide and War Crimes
7. NEPOTISM , CRONYISM AND POSSIBLY CORRUPTION AT THE UNITED NATIONS: Ban Ki Moon, His son-in-Law and Sri Lanka
6. A New Year, A New decade, Renewed Hope, Faith and Believe for Tamils Worldwide
5. WHAT CAN THE TAMILS DO IN SRI LANKA?
4. Al Capone at the White House- Super powers with invincible military capabilities are powerless
3. New UNSC Resolution Passed on Sexual Violence in Conflict
2. Backward, March!
1. DELHI MORE ALARMED THAN COLOMBO OVER THE MULLIVAYKAL MASSACRES AND SRI LANKA (SL) WAR CRIMES
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Srilanka
Born Suckers and Political Plunderers
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Mar. 31, 2011
When it comes to political promises, Sri Lankans are born suckers. From S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s “Sinhala Only “ Utopia to his wife Sirimavo’s ˜Rice from the Moon” to J.R. Jayewardene’s “Dharmishta Society” to Chandrika Kumaratunga’s “Eradication of Dooshanaya and Beeshanaya” to maestro Mahinda Rajapaksa’s “Miracle of Asia,” Sri Lankans from all walks of life – rich and the poor, educated and the uneducated, have all fallen for what has almost always been, crap.
To expect this situation to change in the short to mid-term would be akin to expecting the sun to rise from the West in the same period. Which is why Maestro Mahinda is at it again. Hardly had the volume of the call for the Rs. 2500 salary increment promise to be granted dropped a notch or two, he sent his mouthpiece Minister John Seneviratne to ˜announce” that the President never made any such promise. And this in a day and age when every word that is said by the President is recorded and reported in some form or the other.
And it gets better. On Saturday, January 8, President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing a meeting at Temple Trees is reported to have said, this government does not have any faith in privatisation and it would not sell state property.
The audience no doubt in typical Sri Lankan fashion lapped it up and probably gave a thundering round of applause to the Presidential pronouncement. It is highly unlikely that the President was unaware that his Treasury Secretary, P.B. Jayasundera was at that very moment making arrangements to list some high profile government owned establishments in the Colombo Stock Exchange. If that is not privatisation then heaven help our Finance Minister.
How does one get away, and even get a round of applause, after resorting to such blatant, in your-face deception? Only two requirements –“ the speaker obviously needs to be an absolute maestro at his game and of course the audience, a bunch of suckers.
Privatisation is now taking an ugly, hitherto unseen face. It has been the practice that when foreign investors seek state land, be it in Colombo or anywhere else in the island for that matter, such land is given to the investor on a maximum 99 year lease. State land has never been sold outright to foreign investors.
This policy for some reason is no longer practiced. It was announced recently that Shangri-la had been “sold” 12 acres of land at Army Headquarters opposite Galle Face. Days later, last Thursday it was announced that Cabinet had approved the sale of another huge block of land, again at Galle Face to China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation to build a multifunctional complex comprising of a five star hotel and a shopping mall.
It is an open secret that the days when powerful countries fought wars to conquer other less powerful countries are long gone. Now the same goals are achieved through the use of economic firepower. The Chinese have already got a firm foothold in Hambantota through the port it is now building there. From this vantage point they can easily monitor the shipping traffic in the Indian Ocean , the veritable jewel in the Chinese “String of Pearls”. What the Chinese lacked was a firm foothold in the commercial capital and now it seems the Government of Sri Lanka has given it too, on a platter. State land does not belong to the Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa to dispose as they please. State lands belong to the people of Sri Lanka and it is held in trust on their behalf, by the government of the day. How does selling, for example, say the Timber Corporation differ from selling a part of Galle Face to the Chinese? How does this government define the word “privatisation’ ? When one of the most prime assets of the country such as a part of Galle Face or Army Headquarters is sold to a foreign government is that not privatisation of a key state asset?
One can just imagine the wailing cardboard “patriots” such as the JHU and its Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva and such others would have resorted to, had Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP decided to sell Army Headquarters to a foreign company to build a five star hotel. They would be screaming from the rooftops of a “threat to national security ” , ˜sovereignty has been surrendered for a few million dollars,” ˜traitors of the nation” etc. Today, their silence is deafening. So it was when the Casino Bill was introduced.
It will be intriguing should some selective activists like Vasudeva Nanayakkara, like he did in the case of the Insurance Corporation, initiate public interest litigation at least for the purpose of defining whether the two Galle Face deals are indeed instances of privatisation. Part two can then begin where part one ends.
It is also interesting that former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in an interview last week had said that 40% of every government deal was shrouded in corruption. When asked as to how she came about this figure she had replied it was through experience she had gathered as head of state for two consecutive terms. What it means in terms of the colossal projects undertaken by this regime, which incidentally consists of the very same ministers that served under her watch, we leave it to the imagination of readers.
It will be recalled that until last year the Galle Face area in its entirety was closed to the public of Sri Lanka for ˜security reasons” Should there be a security issue in the future will the seven star Shangri-la and the other Chinese five star hotel be told to pack up and leave due to security reasons? After all that was what the citizens of this country were told until a few months ago when they were denied access to even park a motorcycle in this area.
It won't be long when some Indian company also demands a piece of Galle Face if one is to go by recent events. When that happens Sri Lankans who come from such far away places as Mahiyanganaya and even the city folk who have enjoyed this open space for centuries, will have no option but to jump right into the Indian Ocean while the high and mighty can wine and dine in Shangri-la style at Galle Face. To hell with national security etc. etc.
The bottom-line is this. A key part of Sri Lanka ‘s capital city has been sold outright to China for USD 250 million – by a government that claims to be agaiinst privatisation. And the people of Sri Lanka ? Well, they are cheering! What then, is the word that describes such a people?
We all know that we cannot do much about the situation in Sri Lanka , but for the love of your mother land send this mail to every Sri Lankan.
Guess what we have done for the country.... we voted crooked idiots into power and let them plunder our country and we will continue to do so.
God Bless Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans!
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Srilanka
Is it a seminar on exporting state terrorism? Or “Defeating Terrorism – the Sri Lanka Experience”
Sri Lanka Army's International SeminarSpecial Contribution
By Subramaniam Masilamany
Mar. 26, 2011
Lt General Jagath Jayasuriya at an international seminar
What is happening in Libya is an eye opener to nations that do not heed the distress call from numerical minorities about Human rights violations. It is a violation of the UN charter and UN is coming out swift and strong to impose the international law. Mahinda Rajapaksa watch out, if I were you I will cancel this seminar. It runs against the UN resolve. Human Rights violations are not internal matters, which Gaddafi and Mahinda Rajapaksa must accept, there is no choice, no buts and no ifs. It is an inalienable right, the right to freedom and right to life. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Mummar Gaddafi both are criminals, they have no respect for human life and human dignity. Anything irrevocable is inalienable, un-bargainable and non-negotiable. Human rights are an International Law that is under the management of the United Nations, not by the national or regional governments. Not knowing the law is not an excuse, Mr.Rajapaksa.
In the name of eliminating terrorism, Singhalese politician unleashed unimaginable amount of deadly military force on innocent Tamil civilians and about 40,000 was killed in May 2009. We are experiencing first hand the amount of psychological, physiological, physical damage and many medical problems caused to people from this indiscriminate torture for 60 years, they are shell shocked, unable to coherently function and are having nightmares. As an employer I see their difficulties. Who are responsible for these life long disabilities? What should be responsibility of the world nations and the United Nations to these people?
We are requesting nations and their leaders to boycott this seminar where you will be told how to annihilate innocent minorities in your country. Let me tell you at the very outset, violence is not the way to solve politically solvable problems. What Sri Lanka is looking for is nations to practice what they did, so that there is a trend in the world to solve minority political issues. Sri Lankan problem is about 60 year’s old struggle. It is culture of impunity, irrationality and irresponsibility. It is recipe for disaster. At no stage the Singhalese politicians want to consider or concede even a small amount of minority rights. When numerical minorities revolted they called it terrorism.
Most developed countries have realised, long time ago, that for a nation to be free, just and prosperous socio-economic development is very important. They found that a nation that is less governed in the best governed. By providing absolute freedom and the necessary policies to safe guard freedom, human rights, justice and dignity a nation could develop, progress and maintain civility with less effort and resources. They also found they have to involve every citizen in the nation building and hence they brought in laws and regulations to eliminate discrimination in all forms. Discrimination is a deadly force that can destroy just and free nations. Today most countries have realised that irrespective of who they, what religion they practice, what sex they are what age group they are, what color they are and what beliefs they have, they all have to be treated equally and equitably. They also realised that in their own self interest and self preservation they have to make a social contract legislated or otherwise with every other person, so that no one acts as brake on progress. The world has reached that state of development. That is the backdrop from which I am analysing the acts of Sri Lanka to bring in nations and show them how to stifle freedom.
We want these nations to understand that what Sri Lanka will tell you at this seminar will take your country in the wrong direction and into the dungeon and cause civil unrest in your nations. Look at Sri Lanka; in 1956 they caused the first racial and civil riots. From then onwards the country went down and today it is a shattered nation. Tamils as well as Singhalese are the losers in the misguided policies of the corrupt politicians. In 1950 Sri Lankan was a model nation to South and South East Asia, Singapore wanted to copy the Sri Lankan model. Look at Singapore and Sri Lanka today, and you ladies and gentlemen you decide for yourself if there are any fair minded people among Sri Lankan politicians. Gothabaya Rajapkasa is the only man who practices political terrorism. He said in the international media that he will hang people with out any justice. That is poor evolution not ignorance. That is barbarianism; he is guilty by his own words.
War is bad, there are no winners in any war, and you may have a victor and the vindicated, but no real winners. Today Sri Lanka is going around with begging bowl asking for help and while others are doing menial jobs in the Middle East and the corrupt politicians are minding their own affairs. Ladies and Gentlemen, we Tamil left Sri Lanka due to it failed policies and partisan politics and we have raised to world class standards. In Europe and America we are doing very well, we could have done the same in Sri Lanka. Why was it not possible? It was because of their partisan mindset towards Tamil. Do you want to take this idea to your country and destroy your nation? All sensible people are fully aware that stifling another man’s creativity or denying his freedom is denying ones own prosperity and freedom. Why would one do harm to oneself.
This total ignorance.
Look at USA, Europe, Japan and China and India too are fast becoming not only free and open societies but they strongly practicing equality, fraternity, liberty, self responsibility and self employment to give people the best for themselves. Only a naïve man will stop another man's progress. What for? Who is going to feed him? If everyone dies then what am I going to do? So then regressive thinking is suicidal and regressive. Ladies and gentlemen you do not want to take Sri Lankan suicidal ideas to your country? If there are civil disparities fix them in the interest of all citizens. Don’t be foolhardy like the Sri Lankan politicians. Sri Lankans are frogs in the Indian Ocean. They are mentally unstable and emotional people.
But come to Europe and America and see our model. We are the Tamils from Sri Lanka. How we have created a socio-economic model that weans the government from the people and people from the government. The laissez affaire system is the least expensive socio-economic model that every country should have. I, as business man, invest $5000 creating one job for another Tamil. That job will pay for itself in the next 3 months. It is a win-win situation. Why did not Sri Lanka invite you to see their socio-economic model? Why don’t they a seminar on socio-economic development? It is because they don’t have one to show you, all they have is a military-dictatorship model that will destroy nations. You do not want that for your nation. Definitely not!
Sri Lankan economy consists of Tourism, Middle East menial service, looting and misappropriating hard earned possession of others etc. Can you name a country that has made significant progress through tourism? Tourists are basically people from rich nations they come to relax in cheaper nations, but all their daily needs are imported so then the money goes back to their own country. So basically you have provided them a net saving to their credit. That is why all nations that depend on tourism are still poor. There is no net gain from tourism. But Sri Lanka wants to promote tourism. Some one has to do a thorough cost benefit analysis.
The problem in Sri Lanka is not terrorism; it is the clash of two entirely different ways of life. Tamils are basically hardworking, Trans-generational people who due to their land below and sky above have to be Spartans and savers. Land below is loamy and saline, the sky above is scorching and unforgiving. The Singhalese in the south with ample supply of fertile soil and water would not give us any. They neither want to give water nor give us land in the south. This geological disparity has transformed into social disparity and perceived racial riots and at the end Tamils were called terrorists. Now their politicians want other nations to practice what they have undone to their nation. If knowledge is expensive try ignorance!
We Tamil, by the grace of God, were accepted by the kind hearted people of the western nations, including Australia and are predominantly Europeans and we have reciprocated their greatness with our gift of creative greatness. We are indeed contributing tremendously to the socio-economic advancement of these countrieswith our new found freedom and acceptance. We do not feel like second class citizens any more, if few of us do they point out and say you are another human being, we see the content of your character and your capacity to create, not your external complexion, so feel free and make yourself a wonderful life.
There may be isolated incidence of intolerance but there is absolutely no institutionalized discrimination as practiced in Sri Lanka anywhere is the world. Therefore on behalf of the all Tamils I humbly request nations to boycott this seminar and by chance if you do attend do not practice what you hear in your country. You are basically asking for civil unrest in your country. I hope I have given you a convincing case with compelling reasons for you to reject your attendance to this seminar.
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United Nations
LANDMARK DECISION BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Mar. 21, 2011
The latest UN security council approved UN Resolution a no-fly zone over Libya on 17 March 2011.
A simple but strong message to Mahinda, Mahanayake and the racists and fanatics of Sri Lanka.
The simple message is that the United Nations and the International Community will directly intervene if there is any form of Human Rights violation in any country. We have to thank Mr. Ban Ki Moon's "Quite Diplomacy" and the resolve of the permanent members to have finally realized that in the name of global peace and prosperity they have to act in unison.
Col Gaddafi and his cronies have to now look for sanctuary or comply with the United Nations protocols and protection of Human Rights.
And to my Racist friend Mahinda Rajapaksa and to the Mahanayakes at the Malwatte to take a clue and pay heed or end up in The Hague.
Freedom, Human Rights are the basic pillars of peace, progress and prosperity. And when it comes to Human Rights, the excuse of internal matter and sovereignty are not so good defenses.
The world is moving towards Tran border, Transnational one united world. It is a lesson for Tyrants, anarchists and especially for Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Mahanayakes.
How much, we Tamils have contributed to this change and stance? A lot, we spent valuable productive time campaigning for the intervention of the United Nations in the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka. And after 50 years of banging at the doors of the United Nations it has finally acted not only for the Human Rights of Tamils but for all people all over the world.
Mahinda Rajapkasa and other Sri Lankan politicians pay attention to the welfare of the Singhalese people and leave the Tamils alone. Remove your Racism, Fanaticism, Barbarism, State Terrorism and Dictatorship from your mind and your constitution and treat all people as Human Beings.
Preservation, protection and respect for Human life is the one single unbargainable right of all living things and those murderers of Sri Lanka must be punished for taking away the life of thousands of innocent Tamils.
Thank you Ban Ki Moon, Thank you United Nations.
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Canada
DO WE HAVE A TRUDEAU AMONG OUR TAMILS?
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
Mar. 17, 2011
Canadian Liberal MP Justin Trudeau
Canadian Tamil Congress – Quebec Chapter organized the annual gala dinner on Saturday, March 12th 2011 at the UCC Reception Hall in Montreal. Addressing a full house audience, chief guest Justin Trudeau, Liberal MP for the riding of Papineau urged the attendees to start thinking about the type of country they want to build and start expecting more from the leaders. “Demand for leaders who will pull people together and utilize the strength of diversity to build a strong Canada” said Mr. Trudeau.
Commending the young Tamil Canadians who have been the forefront in managing the chapter activities including organizing the dinner, Mr. Trudeau said “We need to start thinking differently about the challenges this world and this country faces. Whether it is social justice, human rights, environment or the economy, the integral part of addressing these challenges is to have people who are willing to step up and be more”.
Jean Dorion, Bloc Quebecois MP for the riding of Longeuil - Pierre Boucher and Foreign Affairs Critic for Bloc Quebecois also spoke at the event. During the last stages of war in Sri Lanka in 2009, Mr. Dorion was instrumental in urging the Canadian Government to intervene to protect civilians trapped in the war zone. Vivian Barbot, Vice-President for Bloc Quebecois also spoke at the event and brought a message from Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe.
Mary Deros, Union Montreal city councillor for the district of Park Extension made a special note to the important contribution the Montreal Tamil community continues to makes towards the well being of the city through social, cultural and economic contribution and further commended the attention the Tamils pay to excellence in education. Greetings delivered by other guests and representatives of elected officials reflected the same sentiments.
The event also showcased some of the local talents and recognized some outstanding Tamil Canadians from the Montreal area for their contribution to the broader community. Those recognized include Abicumaran Uthamacumaran for his outstanding academic achievement and significant research contributions to the field of Applied Medicine, Ganya Gajan for exemplary achievement in community advancement and international goodwill, and the producers of the film “Sillu” for their contribution to the advancement of art and media in the Montreal Tamil community.
The event was well attended by politicians from various levels of government and political parties including Liberal Party, Bloc Quebecois, New Democratic Party, media, academics, community partners and members of the Montreal Tamil community.
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India
Understanding a Welfare State and the issue of cash transfer
By Soheb LokhandwalaSocial Activist
Mar. 16, 2011
An Indian economist Arjun Sengupta
The recent economic survey has predicted a GDP growth rate at 9% which will bring cheers to few but not everyone unless the real inclusive growth trickle downside across all sections of society. Where is the road map to inclusiveness and distribution of our economic in equality with due equity? The inflationary pressure has brought millions more under poverty from previous 77% according to Arjun Sengupta committee.
The vision of Right to Food Bill is ‘Food for All people at All time with sufficient, safe and nutritious Food’ what a travesty where Our Food security is at stake with no visionary document for Agriculture sustainability till next 20years. We dream of 4% & above growth in Agriculture& then totally rely on rain, if no rain there is droughts; if more rain the crops are destroyed. Just one example for lack of vision, when we have buffer crops we don’t have enough storage capacity nor diverted &distributed free to poor of which more than Rs.50,000/- crores($10Billion) of food grain is destroyed every such season, large parts badly needs irrigation.
We have enough food for all, a good example was given by Jean Dreze, if we lay all our sacks of grain in vertical row it will reach to moon and can be back. We have seen due to climate change crops failure around the World, recently in China where there is 70% decrease in wheat crop. Overall economic will crumble if we fail in agriculture, do GOI & State have the road map in Agriculture sector for 2030? To achieve this we have to invest more in agriculture and rural sector.
In the health sector we have the worst data even compared to sub-Saharan Africa. In India around 46 per cent of all children below the age of three are too small for their age, 47 per cent are underweight and anemia affects 74 per cent of children under the age of three and more than 90 per cent of adolescent girls, 55% of women and 24% men suffer anemia of which nearly 58% pregnant women are badly anemic. 33% women and 25% men have BMI below normal. More than One lakh babies die at birth every year.
To this we need to understand the concept of a Welfare State, which delivers all the good, better and best to its entire citizen in equality and with equity. It is meant to serve poor and all those who need and deserves.
To an example:-A State is like a family where the head of family looks after everyone’s need. They live, eat and prosper under one roof. The head never gives the much needed cash to the member so that he/her fulfills one need alone. But the head takes care of the need collectively. This head is said to be caring and loving one, who looks after the welfare of his family with at most care and love. If any member is weak and needs help he is loved& cared by all generously, this is a Welfare State.
On the other hand if the head of the family doesn’t care the family members when the need arise he just give away the cash to fulfill their daily needs individually, he is said to be least caring and loving. The family will never prosper nor get the much affection among them. The end result it creates selfishness, self-centered &arrogant attitude towards other member of the family, this is what we call in modern economics Neo-liberalism.
Neo-liberal State where only elite is Served. State for the elite, by the elite and of the elite OR a Welfare State where everyone is served and cared on basis of equality and equity. If the State loves its people it will care by sharing and facing the responsibilities. Cash transfer will only show the GOI in bad light which is not caring and loving its people & shying away from its prime duty& responsibility without facing challenges and hurdles to serve its own people. The other most important thing in direct cash transfer, the poor men can be easily lured into gambling and liquor. The only sufferer is woman and their children, it will only aggravate to their problems.
The main reason given by the proponent of cash transfer is leakages in PDS system and the other to save huge spending on the process. Leakages are created by whom& who is responsible for the same? The answer is simple it is governance failure to implement and not existing PDS schemes, Instead of plugging the leakages of governance we are opting for cash transfer. It should be plugged by the State machinery itself. In a welfare State we need not bother on right spending whether it’s small or huge. It’s the duty of the State to look after its people.
Is someone comparing ours to UK or any other state in cash transfer? One should know that UK is fully grown Welfare state with minimal poverty and less income disparity and all other countries are unlike India with huge population and great diversity in each and every aspect of life. We are very poor developing so called ‘Welfare State’ with huge income disparity. Our trickle down mechanism has failed which need to be overhauled and strengthen. The PDS, ICDS & MNREGA many more such schemes are quite effective in alleviating poverty, but the system needs to be checked and controlled. What guarantees the cash transfer will alleviate poverty?
On the other hand where there is cash transfer means more of trouble. Again who is going to control? Who will be the real beneficiary for the cash? Is the cash transferring a foolproof system? Therefore it is unfortunate here that the cash transfer is 'no subsidy 'but just like giving alms to poor.The gradual decrease in subsidy is bad for progress of a society in a longer term. The cash transfer idea for PDS will certainly prove we are a withering Welfare State and are derogating our own poor people.
We should inclined more to the welfare of the needy and poor by Universalization of PDS,Health care and other welfare measures that directly touches them. The poor need much of help from Govt. but with 'Due respect and love'&overall with 'Dignity'. Let it prevail in much better way by owning our responsibility and more transparent efficient governance.
Till such time when there will be minimal income disparity we need to say ‘No to cash transfer, but Do withheld our Welfare status.’
The author, Soheb Lokhandwala, is an Indian social activist working at the organisation name called Movement for peace & Justice(MPJ.Mah). MPJ is working in state of Maharashtra (India) for the uplifment of poor and marginalised in society. They have taken up the issues of PDS-Public distribution system(Food for All), Health care, RTI(Right to Information) and Agriculture.
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Srilanka
An audacious attempt to rescue a community from Racism, Fanaticism, Barbarism, State terrorism and Dictatorship
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Mar. 13, 2011
Sri Lanka Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna
The ugly head of racism revived in Sri Lanka to win the election.
This is the best opportunity for the world to experience on real time the spectre of Sri Lankan politics based on racism against Tamils. There is an election for the local government bodies and the ruling party of Mahinada Rajapaksa is at it again, they are making false propaganda about the LTTE being active, supported and propagated by India.
Who is saying this? The prime Minister of Sri Lanka D.M. Jayaratna in the Parliament. It is not off the record, it is recoreded.
For 60 sixty years and 2 generations the Singhalese politicians are hoodwinking the Singhalese masses for votes and to plunder them I feel that the United Nations must keep a very close watch on what is being said during this election.
I want to ask Mr. Ban Ki Moon, do you think Sri Lanka will ever learn? Do you think LLRC is true and honest? Mr. Ban Ki Moon, you will never understand the way of the Sri Lankan politicians. You cannot believe even a single word from these racists. This not lessons learnt and reconciliation it is “lessons learnt and repetition of crime” against Tamil. The United Nations must unilaterally go ahead with the inquiry into war crimes and genocide against humanity.
Singhalese people have been nurtured into racism and any propaganda based on racism sticks and it is a notorious way to get elected. But ultimately it is the Singhalese people who will suffer. Therefore we ask Singhalese people to join the Tamil on different journey which will bring peace and prosperity to all.
We Tamils have no choice but to reach out to the Singhalese people and say unto them we are your friends and saviors, come and join us for a better life. For the last 60 years we have been asking the Singhalese politicians to give our birth rights, they did not want to for they have converted peace loving Buddhists into violent racists and fanatics. They need the Tamils to win elections and plunder the Singhalese people.
We understand your culture and heritage very well, we understand that you are unique people and your culture and heritage must be respected and preserved. We have no qualms about it. We respect our heritage that means we have to respect your heritage. But your politicians want keep us a part so that they can divide and win. It is divide, conquer and plunder.
The question every Singhalese must ask is did our life get any better in the last 60 years. That is the acid test of your politician’s commitment to you. Therefore we instead of asking you what you can do for the Tamils, we are asking what can the Tamils do to help you. We need your help to fight this racist war propagated by Singhalese politicians.
We know how to rebuild your shattered lives and economy. We came to foreign countries because of the state terrorism unleashed by your politicians and we rebuilt our families and businesses. We have the know how to build your life too. Let us all unite and defeat our common enemy, your politicians, Rajapaksa family et al. Rajapaksa has about 500 billion rupees in US dollars in foreign banks. Every time a bullet was purchased with your hard earned money, Rajapkasa family received commission deposited in foreign banks.
Yesterday your Prime Minister informed in the parliament of the existence of 3 LTTE camps in India, he said it to instigate the Singhalese masses and to vote for them in the upcoming elections. India said if that is true Sri Lanka should have informed them first before going to the media, but it did not. This is how your politicians are still creating racial tension and they claim they have a LLRC to bring about reconciliation. This behaviour of the Prime Minister is a hot off the oven example of how racism is used as a political tool by your politicians. It is time for the Singhalese people to about turn 180 degrees.
If the Singhalese as well as Tamil were to live with peace, prosperity and esteem we have to co-operate or lose everything we have. There is no point depending on your politicians, they are corrupt and plunder your blood and sweat. Mahinda Rajapaksa in November 2009 came to New York and stayed at Waldrof Astoria one the most expensive hotel in the world and the total bill was 10 million dollars or 1,000,000,000. One billion rupees then he went to London and staged at the Dorchester inn the cost is again 8 million dollars or 800 million rupees. So then what is happening, they use the Tamils as the scapegoats to fool you. Only you can stop it.
The news is that Sri Lankan lands are being sold to foreign companies, and out of that money about 10% will go into foreign bank account held by Rajapaksa family and the 90% will go to pay off the debt. What do you get? Nothing. This is not the way to reward the people who voted them in. In Sri Lanka, politics is business, war is business, and people lives are mere meat and flesh. The biggest losers in these 60 years of failed policies and politicians are the Singhalese people. They were made into sacrificial lambs or into menial Middle East goats. First the sold the people, now they are selling the land. It is business of making money while promoting racism and fanaticism.
Your politicians have no plan for the ordinary people. Every time they wanted get elected they will play the racism and now they have invented terrorism as political tool. If any Singhalese raise the issue they are killed. Who killed Lasantha Wickrematunga? We know who it is, do you know who it is, ask Mahinda Rajapaksa he knows 100% who was behind it and who were the assailants.
We Tamil have come to the conclusion that if Tamil were to live with self esteem, self respect , freedom and dignity we have to reach out to the Singhalese masses and make them our family, friends and neighbours that is the only way we can convince them the real culprits of the nation are the corrupt politicians. Actually speaking us Tamils have a social and moral responsibility to salvage the Singhalese people and the civil society. I will guarantee that your politicians will never ever work for the socio-economic emancipation of the Singhalese people. I do not know if they lack the intellect and the know-how.
Among Singhalese are needed a new breed of thinkers to redirect the psyche of the people. Tamils are fast discarding their old, narrow minded peninsula thinkers and replace with world class thinkers. We think transnationally, transculturally with shared vision. Shared vision, shared responsibility and hence shared progress. We need that in Sri Lanka.
Mahinda Rajapaksa has sent in few of his people to see if he can cause division and trouble among the Diaspora. He has taken state terrorism to a much higher level. He is using diplomatic immunity as a cover to cause trouble in foreign lands. I hope he is watching what is happening to his friend Colonel Gaddafi in Libya. His nature and nurture is to follow a path of violence and not tolerance as preached by Lord Buddha. By the way have you noticed the absence of the statue of Lord Buddha any where in his office or home. Why is it? I have Lord Buddha in my home and at my place of work. He is not a Buddhist he is a butcher and a barbarian. That means he is using Lord Buddha and Buddhism as means to his own benefit. I am sure he has enough money stashed away in foreign banks to lead a comfortable life. I am sure he will either go to Switzerland or Swaziland to lead relaxed life while your grandchildren will toil in sweat shops paying the foreign masters and bankers.
Maid service, prostitution, tourism, barbarism, state terrorism, corruption, murders etc define your nation. There is no respect for the country any more. It is the Tamils who are keeping the name in good standing. Ask any one in the outside world and they will say Sri Lankans are good workers and good savers. That is what the Tamils have done for you, but your Mahinda Rajapaksa wants to destroy that goodwill. He is worst than Mahathamuktha, He destroyed the Singhalese now trying to destroy the Tamils abroad. He is a schizophrenic psychopath or a psychosomatic paranoid or both.
Three tomb stones clearly mark the regression of Sri Lanka. First the devil called S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake, who destroyed the psyche of the new nation, secondly the dragon called J.R. Jeyawardene, who dragged the nation into the sewer and thirdly the Dracula called Mahinda Rajapaksa, who sucked the vitality of a dying nation. And then the triangle of evil the Mahavamsa, the Mahasangha and the Mahanayakes. These three devils along with the Triangle of evil destroyed the nation for the Singhalese people. I will tell you that you did very little damage to the Tamils in Sri Lanka but then we have made it in the western world. This policy of racism, fanaticism and state terrorism will not reclaim the nation from poverty, plaque and prostitution. A strong democracy with relative freedom and respect for human dignity and human rights can pull any nation out of difficulties.
If one reads into what Prime Minister D.M.Jayaratna said one will understand the Sri Lankan political culture. There is an election for the Local Government bodies coming up and what is the theme of the propaganda? LTTE is re-grouping in India. India has denied those charges. So why did he say that, racism is an excellent vote getting slogan. This is the proof that Sri Lankan politician will always use Tamils are election vote getting means. The Singhalese masses forget all other difficulties and vote for these people. This is where the Tamils have to become smart and practical, we must reach out to the Singhalese masses and show them how they are being fooled for the last 60 years and their corrupt politicians still using the same slogan to get elected. I hope Mr. Ban Ki Moon and the United Nations member nations pay attention to this spreading social disease of racism around the world.
The people of Sri Lanka have been installed with a racial prism and they look at the other nationalities through that prism and all they see is racial tonality. When one looks through red prism all you see it red. Innocent Singhalese Buddhists have been cultured into racism, fanaticism and terrorism.
Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cronies are talking about reconciliation, which is all hog wash; it is their way of deceiving the world. While the people are kept in the hallucination of race and religion, the nation is slowly but steadily slipping in its ability to stand as a nation, it is losing its ability to sustain its ability to live, it is heavily borrowing outside, it is losing it assets and source of income. The power of natural, moral and universal forces is stronger than any man made army or armament. We saw the force of nature in Japan a few days ago.
The force of nature is unfathomable and undefendable. How ever much Mahinda Rajapaksa tries if they are not aligned with natural, moral and universal laws not only it is bound to fail but also may brought about disasters. I hope the Singhalese people will come to grip that despite their 60 years of unfairness to Tamils, they keep growing and growing. Have you ever wondered how? This is how it is; anything that is not natural, moral or universal is not in alignment with the universe and will not survive. Your politicians are losing the nation despite their rhetoric, racism and reaction. The Singhalese people must reject reactionaries and give the nation to responsible people.
What the Singhalese people must realize is that, our people, assets in Sri Lankan may be within the reaches of your misguided people among you, but our connections, our assets and sources of income are spread all over the world and beyond the reaches of your corrupt politicians and criminal plunderers. All your embassies, high commissions are presently under the vigilance of the law enforcement agencies for they think you may spread racism, fanaticism and violence around the world. You have lost the respect as a just nation. You do not have the basic understanding and etiquette which sustains goodwill.
I am a tireless writer and have endless energy when it comes to the welfare of people. But I think I have given enough substance for Singhalese people to rethink and redirect their minds to a more equitable nation of Sri Lanka. It is a simple advice.
That is all folks, the message to my Tamil folks is as usual, 70 million Tamils worldwide unite, stay together, work hard and never ever give up, the best is yet to come and we are winning.
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SRI LANKA, FROM SINGAPORE TO SOMALIA IN SIXTY YEARS
Special ContributionSubramaniam Masilamany
Mar. 7. 2011
The world cleanest country Singapore
“An invitation to Singhalese people to discard their past sixty years of racism and fanaticism and join the Tamils for a free, just and dignified society”
The then prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan yew said I want to make Singapore in the image of Sri Lanka, it was the called Ceylon. Today Singapore is one of the cleanest cities in the world with a per capita income of $50,000 surpassing Canada.
In 1950 all you needed was Rs10 to buy one British pound sterling, today you need about Rs200. That shows how far your country has gone down relative to the world. Sri Lanka cannot be a frog in the Indian Ocean, but it behaves like one.
What happened then for Sri Lanka to be one of the 10 worst countries? Once upon time Sri Lankan teachers went to the Middle East to educate the Muslims, now the children of those teachers are going to work in the menial jobs, as one Saudi friend put it, we had goats to do the scavenging; now we have Sri Lankans to do the cleaning. If you don’t believe me read the book on the confessions of an economic hit man. What you tried to do to the Tamils you have done it to yourself. Life is what happens when you are busy doing something else.
What you do to others come back to you.
Sri Lanka had three Singhalese leaders who brought this country to its knees. In the last 60 years in their arrogance to degrade the Tamils they degraded them to the bottom 10. Were they able to degrade the Tamils, yes to a certain extent, but most of the Tamil migrated to greener pastures and keep their kith and kin in good standing in Sri Lanka. Don’t you ever forget that the Tamils don’t need a government they are self empowering people. Besides we understand the need for a community so we despite our competitive nature we nurture and foster the community in our own self interest. Some people need a government some people need only empowerment. I am glad that I am a Tamil
The fundamental problem in Sri Lanka is not racial it is hydrological, the lack of good water in the north where the Tamils live. The Singhalese refused to give water so the Tamils started migrating to the south or to Europe and America. Water is essential, for our body is about 70% water and Agriculture and Industry needs water. The Singhalese do not want to allow us either, they resented us migrating south and they do not want to give us water. They have a morality problem, they have a human sensitivity problem, they wanted go against nature by denying life sustaining source to Tamils. All in all Sri Lanka cannot be a prosperous country due to its geography, demography and land man ratio. It has population of over 300 per square kilometer, which needs a hi-tech export based economy.
Since independence, Sri Lankan politics was mired with racism perpetrated by the politicians, fanaticism perpetrated by the religious establishment and state terrorism perpetrated by the military and paramilitary. On tracing the Sri Lankan strife we found that it was the triangle of evil as it is called, the Mahavamsa equivalent version of Hitler’s mein kampf, the Mahasangha the religious organization and the Mahanayakes the human side of fanaticism. We cannot blame the ordinary Singhalese people for they become what the state wants them to be. It is how the country nurtures its people. The Singhalese people are the biggest losers in this strife as moral laws says what you do to others you will do it yourself.
Or the corollary is “Do unto others as you would have do unto you” This is moral law several societies adhere to it except in Sri Lanka; something was masking their clear vision.
May be Sri Lankans fail to understand the moral laws of the universe. They looked at themselves as visitors to the earth instead of part and parcel of the earth. The earth operates on certain immutable laws; one of them is retribution, what you do to others come back to you. If you have not felt the impact of this law, you have not yet looked into to the cause of your misery in life.
What successive governments have done is to either undermine good motives or misappropriate other people’s hard work. In the 1970s they nationalized all assets belong to the foreigners, and then alienated the Tamils by looting their hard earned properties. These are self defeating policies and bahaviours. It is not a patriotic endeavour, it is a plundering exercise. There is no more gravy train to scoop from so they go to foreign lands to live as second class subject and work as menials. What they did to Tamils they are doing it to themselves. What goes around comes around.
So it is time for the Singhalese people to about turn 180 degrees and join the Tamils on a different journey. Come to Toronto, London, Paris, Frankfurt or Sydney and see what we have done. We are running neck to neck with Chinese and they like us for our astuteness; a china man is man of substance when he sees something good he likes it. Chinese are one of hardest working people and they like our hard work. You go to Chinese area in any part on the world and see Tamil businesses interposed, Tamils are welcome.
So what we can do for our southern brethren is a model on which they can reshape their lives, of course it is a highly disciplined long term trans-generational process. That is what the Singhalese people need, to wake up and see the children and grand children becoming great citizens. Not sacrificial lambs to kill and be killed or menial goats in the Middle East.
Your leaders have leaded you, leased you, sold you, and mortgaged you to plunder the nation. Ask Mahinda Rajapaksa and his inner circle to reveal their foreign assets, and then you will realize in the name of nationalism they plundered you to your bare bone. You have to either declare a moratorium on your debt or working the sweat shops or serve the tourist with the finest of your assert and you live like paupers. Nothing is free, nothing comes free and there is no free lunch. . There is no escape,
Mahinda Rajapaksa is prompting cricket, what for? His son is promoting golf, what for? These will not put food on the table, roof over the head or computer on the school desk. We want to offer you a better alternative. Come to us, come live with us, come and be our neighbours and friends and we will give you the ultimate formula for meaningful life. Do not let your plunderers use fanaticism and racism to make your adrenaline rise for no reason. Look back, when I was in Sri Lanka, I earned and saved out of my RS700, but today you have take the money in a lorry and bring the grocery in a shopping bag. That is what happens when you print money without corresponding wealth creation. All the good meat, fish and food are gone to keep the fun seeking tourist well fed and they get the other perks too. Why a young mother, wife, sister or daughter does should have to sell their body for pittance. Everyone knows what in going on among confinement of four walls. When fun seeking father encounter his fund seeking daughter at a massage parlour what becomes of the family? What becomes of nation?
You politician has brought your self esteem to that far down. Do you still want to part of that community or want to join community like ours which has the trans-generational family structure. Don’t tell me there is no rampant prostitution in Colombo, Gothabaya Rajapaksa recently sent in the police to a brothel to find top government (police) officials in compromising positions. As Pope Benedict said sex the river of fire has to be contained and moderated otherwise it will bring down the whole civilization.
When a young man joins the military and goes to war knowing that he may die, he has given up all hope on life; he has nothing to look forward to, so he kills and in the process killed. Mahinda rajapaksa is not in the field, he lives in his palace with personal body guards.
If I am in Sri Lanka, I will not able to write like this, but it is our duty to stand up against all odds to what is right. Denying life or taking away life has no pardon, no penance or pity, he has to suffer the same fate. That deterrence must overhang every charlatan’s head.
Mahathanamuktha mumbling again, Mahinda Rajapaksa is spiting venom and racial venom is coming out of his teeth again. This guy looks like a criminal, talks like a criminal, hence think like a criminal and therefore he acts a criminal What Singhalese people must realize is that they will never progress in this racial and fanatical direction. Mahinda and mahanayake will get their 3 plus meals a day and other facilities. When they get sick they can go to the best facility in the world.
I on behalf of the Tamil people ask my Singhalese brethren to look at their life, is there any improvement in your quality of life under Mahinda’s leadership? Ask if your life today any better or worst than when you got freedom. Are you free toady? How comes the whole nation has been turned into a fanatic state?
Let me ask you a question, your leader Mahinda rajapaksa says he won the war with Tamils, then why is he still talking about LTTE. LTTE is gone, rest assured, but he has to keep the LTTE alive to keep you controlled with fear. Trust me if LTTE is alive around the world, he has no control over it. What does he want to do? Send Mervyn Silva to the world cities to kill Tamils. Singhalese people must come to grip with the fact that they cannot live in isolation. You have an export import economy so then the world matters a lot. So obey the international laws, but first your leaders must give credence to your laws. Dictatorship is for a few people to benefit at the loss of masses, so you must insist that your leaders are fair, democratic, just and respect dignity of people. It is your responsibilities to safe guard your sanctuary and chastity of the society, don’t let any leader rape your society. Mahinda rajapaksa is exactly doing the opposite to your society. It is the responsibility of the people to be responsible to their freedom. As it is 20 million people have been incubated and inculcated into racism and fanaticism and the frightening out come is this monster. Look at him, does he look like a statesman, what statement does his attire and attitude tells you? You got a poisonous wiper with venomous fangs. People are too naïve to fathom him!
If any of your leaders bring forward the LTTE, please don’t pay an attention. LTTE has transformed into LIFTING TAMIL TIDE EVERY WHERE, no Singhalese should fear Tamils any more. In fact we can help you to rebuild a once paradise but first of all there should be a 180 degrees about turn. Young misguided boys took up arms and derailed a democratic process and innocent people paid the price and Mahinda got 5 billion in the foreign banks. So in effect you did not win the war, Mahinda won and got money too.
Do not worry about the resurrection of LTTE, we will not let them raise their ugly head again. It was the most expensive experiments a few misguided youth undertook. Don’t let your dictators keep the LTTE alive for them to rob you of your blood and sweat.
If they are Singhalese loving and Tamil hating, why did they kill 150,000 Singhalese youth in 1971 uprising? It is class struggle; it is the nature of dictators. “Among human beings are a segregation of genes that produce offspring that are worst than the worst animal
They have no remorse or reproach; it is their nature to kill its own kind for survival. It is mentally weaker progeny that has preponderance towards materialistic protection. Rajapaksa family fits perfectly into this definition and description. Capital punishment must be preserved and reserved to deal with this genetic aberration exceeding standard deviation”
But you must not forget that Sri Lanka is part of the world and you have fit in with it. You cannot have it both ways. Either perish or prosper. Dictators always keep the people looking in the wrong direction so that they can steal, that is what your Mahinda Rajapaksa and his inner circle and the armed uniformed thugs are doing. Which parent will send a son to war to die; they have over the decades converted decent Buddhist families into butchers and barbarians. How can a mother send her son to war knowing that he may get killed or he will kill some innocent human being. It is unimaginable looking from outside. So you have to change and change the leadership. You cannot continue like that. Don’t look too far, just to your west there is country called Somalia, it did not come about in a few years, it is the culture of impunity, corruption etc.
Look, your President has friends in the wrong places or as they say birds of the same feather flock together. Gaddafi, Ahamanijad, Kim il sung , Zadari etc are all tyrants pretending to be the saviors of people. It is their ignorance than ingenuity that keeps them making the same mistake
To end my insight, Singhalese people of Sri Lankan must look at Tamils as their brethren not as enemies. If any of you leader advances such a theory it is your responsibility to reject them. It is you who make the king and you who suffer the king. So become politically savant and ensure the country sail smoothly, do not let any selfish dictator drive you into the sea of turmoil. If you have not learned in the last 60 years you will never learn. Injustice and injury never achieve anything only it begets injustice and injury.
I hope I have said something useful today to my friends in the south. We can only suggest but you have to make up your mind or it will be marshaled into you.
In the mean time I am going ask my fellow Tamils worldwide to unite, stay together, work hard and never ever give up, the best is yet to come and we are winning.
I am delighted to see a few Tamils have got my disease, they are branding them as world class Tamils.. Very good, excellent.
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Srilanka
Colombo 10th worst city in the world to live in:
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
Feb. 28, 2011
Prostitute talking with a client in Colombo city
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s financial capital (I hope Sri Lankans are aware that the political capital to be shifted to Hambantota) is among the ten worst liveable cities in the world, according to a recent survey carried out by the reputed The Economist Intelligence Unit.
According to latest liveability index compiled by The Economist, the worst city to live in the world is Harare, Zimbabwe, followed by Dhaka, Bangladesh, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Lagos, Nigeria, Algiers, Algeria, Karachi, Pakistan, Douala, Cameroon, Tehran, Iran, Dakar, Senegal, and then, the best of the worst 10 cities on the index, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The following were the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit: 1. Vancouver, Canada, 2. Melbourne, Australia, 3. Vienna, Austria, 4. Toronto, Canada, 5. Calgary, Canada, 6. Helsinki, Finland, 7. Sydney, Australia, 8. Perth, Australia, 9. Adelaide, Australia and 10. Auckland, New Zealand.
The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranks cities based on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety.
In 2010, it was The Economic Intelligence Unit that said Sri Lanka was the 8th fastest growing economy in the world.
The Urban Development Authority of Sri Lanka is now directly under the Ministry of Defence and attempts are being made to clean up and beautify the city of Colombo and enforce traffic laws strictly. Authorities are also trying to contain a Dengue outbreak.
Corruption, prostitution, drugs, pestilence, violence, garbage, poor sanitation, etc Colombo, once the Singapore, is notorious for. Colombo alone has 50,000 street prostitutes.
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Srilanka
In search of Leadership Excellence among Tamils
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Feb. 21, 2011
The psyche of Tamil people of the post independence era leader, S.J.V. Selvanayagam
A true leader may be defined as a product of nature, who has the inner capacity to capture the universal energy that can attract, connect and hold people together. Or a leader may also be a person who can create emotional intelligence among people and direct them in desirable direction. How many Tamils are there who can fit these definitions. Why are Tamil such a fierce competitors and poor co-operators? I have been struggling for the last 50 years trying to find one leader among Tamils whom I could follow and there was none. Why is it we are unable to produce at least one good leader? Therefore let us begin to send our kids to leadership training so that we can produce a few excellent leaders.
The Singhalese proclaim that they won the war with Tamils, but then why do the Singhalese behave like the vindicated second class subjects? They want to talk with us but who among us are to talk with? None of them have the courage to say lets talk. The Tamils must behave like world-class citizens having the courage and greatness to sit and negotiate as equal partners. But we lack self esteem, self respect, self determination and dignity. They are in chains everywhere; every morning when they wake up they put on chain of slavery and servitude themselves. There is an unknown fear in their faces. Why? That fear and the second class mindset is the cause of lack of leadership among Tamils. Some people want to negotiate with Singhalese out of fear. That is not the right thing to do.
My position is, instead of asking what the Singhalese can give us; I will ask the Singhalese what is that we Tamils have to do to live with them. I do not want to negotiate out of fear but I will never fear to negotiate. This is something Tamil have to learn. Stop being second-class citizens or the vindicated. We are not second class citizens any more. There was never a war to lose. Killing 40,000 innocent people is not a war, it is the lowest act of barbarism, and it is genocide. During the massacre 180000 artillery shells were fired and none hit the civilians according to Shavendra Silva, deputy permanent representative to the UN, who has advanced the art of deception and pulling wool over the eyes of the world. 20 million against 2 million is not a match; it is a walk over. Tamils are not mules, they are horses, the Europeans call them “Teflon Tamils”; try to unite them, and they know how to survive as lone wolves. As the great Russian weight lifter Yuri Vasilov said, they work and work to reach a stage in that process they become self propelling rockets. They want to enjoy the moment again and again. We say 40,000 was killed, UN says 7000 was killed, Mahinda Rajapaksa says none was killed. Did your troops carry the bible in one hand and bread in the other hand when they went to war? If your military was unarmed then comes Tigers didn’t kill them. There is a limit to ignorance beyond which it is evolution.
If this Teflon Tamils are the race of people we are trying to lead, then the leader be a real one. We Tamils need a leader who has the conviction, courage and confidence to tell the Tamils and ask the Singhalese what is the right thing to do. We must ask the Singhalese what should or what can the Tamils do to live in Sri Lanka with Dignity, Freedom and Justice. Our next step will depend on what they say. One day, some say they and us have to live side by side. We are ready? Are they ready? Let us show them that it is in their self interest live in peace. If they agree then let us bring in the United Nations to oversee and help us to formulate a social contract and present it to the parliament and give it the legal assent. This contract will give us the mechanism to deal with minor issues. If the Singhalese as majority do not agree then we have a moral reason to ask for separation. I think, in my opinion we have not done this. I am very certain we can work something out because as individuals we get along very well within Sri Lanka and out side, but as a social group we are arch enemies. Something is not right here. I think the people are willing but the leaders are not genuine.
We have leadership vacuum here on both sides and also leadership vacuum everywhere in the world. Among Tamils we have been lacking leaders and leadership for at least two generations. We need a leader who has the charisma and courage to reach out to both sides and tell them all the good things so that we have the mandate for a unified country. At this time that fertile will is not on either side, let us build that. We can have separate states not separated people, we are all connected.
Let me quote from John W.Gardner from his book “No easy Victories”
Leaders have a significant role in creating the state of mind of the society. They can serve as symbols of a moral unity of the society. They can express the values that hold the society together. Most important, they can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and carry them above the conflicts that tear a society apart, and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.
If we ask among our Tamil population and among our presumed leaders, who is in charge? The answer is nobody home. There are people, who want to be leaders, but most of them are what is in it for me people, some of them even don’t know what makes people and society. To know what the society needs and to articulate the intelligence of the people to achieve those goals is said to be the quality of divine leaders. In my life time I did not see one or hear of one. They do not have the moral stamina to take the podium and listen to people. They are not ready to listen, learn and lead. People are willing, leaders are missing.
Why is that we could not produce even a single leader? Where have all the leaders gone? Or have the field of leadership soil had gone sterile. It is the people who produce the leadership, we had S.J.V. Selvanayagam, who represented the psyche of the people of the post independence era, and then we produced Prabaharan the man needed to fend of Singhalese aggression, now we need a leader who can guide us to the next stage. The Tamils are no more people of Sri Lankan mentality, they are all over the world and their understanding in the last 30 years have been tremendously improved. To identify the values that will bring and hold them together is vital to the next leader.
We have identified at least four groups that are trying to lead the community, but are these so call groups understand the needs and the mindset of the Modern Diaspora Tamils? When we are producing university graduates at a rate or 15,000 per year, it is not an easy community to convince. The leader has to be a Doctor of Science, so to say, so that there is some edge in him or her worth looking up to. Since 1960s the intelligence quotients of Tamils have multiplied several times in Sri Lanka and around the world among the Diaspora, since exodus. To have the exposure to some of the modern civilization is the blessing we got out of the Sri Lankan misery.
How does this modern Tamil community communicate? The days of political meetings, radio, television, and news paper are all gone. This is how an investor put it, one day I went home and my little granddaughter stood on top of the 4 inch thick telephone directory and tried to use the key board on the computer. Next day I sold all my stocks in telephone directory company. If you do not get the idea and the trend then you cannot lead people. A leader must know where the society is, what it wants and at least where it wants to be in the next 10 years.
How does one reach people today? They do so via Social net working, youtube, face book, twitter and very many. Now let me ask the four groups that are trying to lead the Tamil community how many of you reach out and touch your people? Look I am not a 16 years old boy, I am retired, and I use computers extensively. It is a new society. Tamil are not Pannam Koddais and Dosais, that is what some leaders think. Why is that we don’t see our leaders, because they are not there where we are. Where are the leaders? Who is charge? I was mentioned four people as potential leaders, but we don’t hear from them, they want to lead us by being in the dark, they are scared to come out in the lime light. I took on this task because I was fed up with our leaders from SJV up to now. Why are they scared to talk? I have never seen or heard Rudrakumarn, Emmanual, Ethiriveersingham and Sampanthan listening to people talking. When Mahinda Rajapaksa speaks only racial venom comes out of his teeth. When Shavendra Silva speaks, his body language speaks so loud we cannot hear his mouth speaking. Please some one conveys this message to him. Let me give a simple advice to my Tamil leaders, dress appropriately, it is your attire, your facial expression, your body language are seen, heard and felt louder than your voice. Please cut your hair clean, shave and put on a suit. Tell the audiance that we belong to a group of civilized people..
Lets talk more about our leaders. We knocked at several doors, nobody home. In the modern terms our emails neither returned nor replied. Why? Our leaders are living about 10,000 years behind, when the world functions on nano-seconds these people are living in the dinosaurs era. In 10 years people will ask what is a telephone? Today the telephone is a mobile information centre and a weapon of mass destruction. I can, at my low level of cyber knowledge reach 4000 people in one second. Early bird gets the worm. Right? A man with a computer, a key board, a solar panel and a wireless internet connection is going to penetrate the impenetrable empires.
BREAK, SECOND HALF
Our leaders must understand that the concept of Government, National borders, Immigration, and Sovereign nation are outdated ideas. Look behind and you see, United Tamil Nation, a nation without borders. We are not stupid to call it borderless nation. Let me give you an example in the year of 2009 month of May, the Singhalese won the war over the Tamils, so they say, I am not interested in dinner table talk. It was a war between Tamils and Singhalese and they claim they won, but then they behave like losers. Why are they behaving like the vindicated? They are asking us come, lets live as one nation one people. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, you are trying to sell an out dated idea. Your fanaticism is gone, your heritage is gone, your intimidation is gone and you have to even beg to come out of your country. Your own people are going to come and get you, get ready for it. You can neither go out nor stay in. what a pathetic situation you are in. that is your problem. You are the master of your own destiny.
So if the Tamil community is freedom loving democratic people who know their rights and freedoms and also know their rules and regulation, what kind of person can lead them? This pulling wool over their eyes will not work. Sometimes I smell rat is some leaders or smell chicken in others, neither has place in the modern Tamil society. I hope our self proclaimed leaders get this one right.
I had a discussion with a friend in England, he said lets us all get together and go as one unified people and ask Mahinda Rajapaksa and see what he can give us. In the first place he has nothing to give us and there is nothing for us to get from them. Unfortunately we live in that naïve world without understanding the human nature. Man is an animal with a mind. As long as Sri Lanka is a poor country, the law of the jungle will prevail, there is not enough to share hence stealing is the right, the right of the might is the law. It is the law in any uncreative and unproductive society. Neither the Tamil leaders nor the Singhalese leaders ever paid any attention to the economy.
There is only one thing we Tamils can do, invest heavily and help the Singhalese to “have” something worth living for. Once they have a home, food, healthcare etc they will become modern people who want to protect their new found comfort. They will not go to war, a man goes to war as a last resort, and 18 million people do not have enough that is why they are in the Middle East toiling. The Tamil leadership must understand that. We must understand them before they understand us. Let us give them the head start. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt, let us behave like world-class Tamils, we are magnanimous and magnificent people. They through their inability destroyed a beautiful country. Now they want to pollute it with tourism. Tourism is not the way to build a just and decent society, but it the easiest way out. We Tamils always thought we were at the receiving end, but you have not seen the life of ordinary Singhalese in the villages, he is being fleeced, skinned and skimmed by their own people.
Therefore the Tamil leadership must reach out to the Singhalese people and offer our greatness despite their leader’s misguidance. That is the value that will bring the community together. We have to offer our greatness to the Singhalese people. God has for some strange reason put some extra gray matter in our heads, warm blood in our hearts, ability to persevere and a cornucopia in our minds. Tell you the truth some days I hate the cash in my pocket, a nuisance in my pocket. Give me a man and I will turn him into magic money machine. Why did God give us the fountain of never ending wealth? In Toronto I live there are three important languages English, Chinese and Tamil. Mahinda Rajapaksa did you hear that? You and your people are missing a lot, because there are too many Mahathanamukthas among you.
So who is going to be the next Tamil leader? In my opinion the one who can reach out to the Singhalese and say let us all live as one people. Let us show you the money magic. Let us show you how to create an economic to suit your country. There are some resources that are unique to Sri Lanka, but you need people with the knack for ingenuity and creativity. A leader who will not negotiate out of fear but without fear, a leader who can stand on firm moral high ground and say we are all people. Let us look for the internal diversity of intellect than the external complexes of language, religion and class, these are acquired characters and can be changed, today Singhalese tomorrow Tamil or something else. You can force the Tamil to be Singhalese, Hindu to a Buddhist etc, but you cannot change who we are inside, the true human, that is what Tamils are. You cannot move the light house, the ship has to move.
But the way Sri Lanka is progressing; it will be a fun paradise for the others, that is what is being created by The Singhalese, India and china; a place to relax after a good days work. Sri Lankan men do the foot massaging and women do the room service. That is not the culture we Tamils are willing to venture into, we have a rich cultural heritage which other communities are fast adopting around the world, we are not willing to compromise it at any cost. It is time tested elegance; there is nothing to improve upon.
The world has become and becoming uncontrollable, freedom has seeped into the minds defying borders and armies. Even the armies are vulnerable to freedom. Why should a poor village boy sitting with military uniform and gun in his hand hoping to kill an enemy who is not really his enemy, but of the establishment? We are only protecting the rich not the people for people are all gone; there are no more people to govern. A revolution has taken place, about 4 -5 people changed the world. There are no more people to manage and no nation to call a sovereign. People are learning to manage themselves and they understand that in their own selfish interest they respect the neighbour’s interest. We are on our way to Utopia. Governments have become a liability and clumsy disorganized, divided organization.
To tell the truth governments are the source trouble than a source of relief for people.
Leadership is about listening and learning. I function with one assumption that every one is intelligent and well informed in their own way. When I assume like that, I become a great student, I become a listener; I do not guide people, I do not teach them , but they learn on their own. All I display is a wider, greater and larger vision of what my community should be in the next 1000 years for the next 1000 years. I provide the nourishing media and people do their job so well. They day you stop listening to people you are done with. Do you think Barack Obama can do the work of 300 million Americans? No, all he can do is to provide the charisma that people are looking for, the social energy, that mesmerizing look, that look of all positive qualities in his eyes. That ability to look straight into peoples eyes and we got a life to live, lets live it up. People will do the rest, rest assured.
Let us listen to Plato for a minute or two, “Until philosophers are kings, and the princes of this world have sprit and power of philosophy, and when the greatness and political wisdom meet in one, (cities will never cease from ill, nor the human race, as I believe and ) then only will our states have a possibility of life, and see the light of the day. The truth is, that the state in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is the best and most quietly governed, and a state which they are willing govern is the worst”
If Plato gave life to leadership, Marcus Aurelius lived it. He is the standard against whom others are measured. One of the kings who passed Plato’s test is Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. All other leaders are evaluated on his scale of 100. If Marcus Aurelius is 100, where will Mahinda rajapksa be? Minus 10?! How about among Tamils, there is none to evaluate. Why are the Tamils struggling; because there is no one to show them the values of belonging and social virtues that create a prosperous community? There is nothing to be gained or to be bargained being in this Tamil community so they drift like a ship without a captain, a sail and a rudder What we are doing here is stimulating the community to much higher plateau, trying to show them a highly enriched living. Will we be the future leaders? May be, we don’t know only time and people will tell us, but rest assured we are in the right direction. We have to build trust and become high trust society.
Ultimately what sustain a society of people is freedom and Justice. The freedom to associate or not to. Justice is absolute, you cannot tamper with. Man is born with a moral foundation and moral compass. So we all know what is right and wrong. Mahinda Rajapaksa says one leader, one people, and one nation. I think G.L.Peries must have given that line to him. No it we are the leaders, we are the people and we are the nation. That will work. When you sit in Hambantota and look either you see the jungle or the sea, you cannot see the world.
I want make my contribution to my people; It is my passion to see people succeed. I come to work everyday to see my young associates have a place they can come and be creative in their own way. When a new recruit ask me what to do, I tell them go find your own niche and find your own vocation and find your own quest and answer that call. Our enterprise will never fail.
I hope I have said something useful today. As I always say.
All Tamils worldwide unite, stay together, work hard and never ever give up, the best is yet to come and we are winning.
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Myanmar
Will Release of Aung San Suu Kyi Bring Regime Change in Myanmar?
By Barry WelshStaff editorial writer
Dec 1, 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi with her father image(Father of Myanmar Independence)
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese human rights activist, was released from house arrest on Nov. 13, 2010.
Last week, Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from seven years under house arrest at the hands of Burma’s military junta.
Speaking publicly for the first time since her detention in 2003 she championed unity and National reconciliation.
“We have lots of things to do…I believe in human rights and I believe in the rule of the law. I will always fight for these things…and I need the support of the people.”
Burma’s idolized symbol of democracy also signaled a desire to communicate with the military generals responsible for her imprisonment.
“I think that we all have to work together,” she said. “We will have to find a way of helping each other.”
On the day of her release the National League for Democracy headquarters in central Rangoon were surrounded by supporters who arrived in their thousands to pay tribute and catch a glimpse of their democratic leader.
The peaceful mass gathering by supporters of ‘the lady’, as she is known by her followers, is emblematic of a significant shift in the Burmese political landscape.
The last time the country witnessed such mass gatherings was in 2007 during the so - called ‘Saffron Revolution’. It was well documented by citizen journalists inside Burma that on this occasion the protests were viciously suppressed by the military junta’s brutal security apparatus.
But in 2010 there was no such response. Now Aung San Suu Kyi’s supporters openly wear t-shirts bearing her image and carry photographs and portraits of their icon seemingly without fear of reprisal from the military forces for this public display of political allegiance.
It has been widely reported that her release has galvanized the country and generated a palpable sense of optimism on the streets of Rangoon. However, many have cautioned that Aung San Suu Kyi’s new freedom should not be seen as Burma’s “Mandela moment’. Indeed Daw Suu has stated herself that the circumstances are considerably more complex than those faced by South Africa upon Mandela’s release.
“I think that our situation is much more difficult than South Africa’s. South Africa had already made some movement towards democracy when Mandela was released. Here in Burma, we are nowhere near that. We haven’t even begun. And I feel our case is a lot more difficult than South Africa.”
Although free from house arrest her political position is still precarious. In the past she has been subjected to house arrest for spurious or relatively arbitrary reasons and she could easily be imprisoned again if the military regime wishes it.
“It is not a fear, it’s a possibility that I live with. I understand that is the situation, and I have to accept it. They have done it before, and it is very possible they will do it again, but it is not something I fear every day. It is my situation.”
So she conducts her business under the watchful gaze of government spies who monitor her activities. They have had a lot to monitor in the days since her house arrest was lifted. Her release was widely reported around the world and has served to shift Burma to center stage in the eyes of the world’s media. As such since her release she has been constantly busy in various meetings with journalists and diplomats from around the world.
It is difficult to see what will happen in Burma now Aung San Suu Kyi is free. She seems aware of the symbolic power she wields but also its limitations.
“I don’t believe in one person’s influence and authority to move a country forward. I am honored by the trust people have in me, but one person alone can not bring change to a country.”
Nevertheless, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi has ignited hope in Burma.
Barry Welsh is a British freelance writer. He received BA in English Literature and MA in Film studies.
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Tamil
BLOOD CONTAMINATION IN THEIR HANDS
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Feb. 15, 2011
Members of the TGTE selecting their leader
I am referring to the recent so called confrontation between a War Criminal and a member of the TGTE. Some people from TGTE tell me not to write bad things about TGTE. To tell you the truth we don’t write bad things, we expose what is not good for the community.
By shaking hands with a war criminal, TGTE is now a contaminated organisation. To forget the 40,000 people killed and to shake hands with the very same killer is beyond human comprehension.
We have been fighting for the freedom of Tamils since 1961; some of these people in TGTE were not even born. When we suffer from short term memory loss we tend to wander into ignorance.
We don’t hear or see our Prime Minister; if we raise the question we are called Traitors. But deep in out heart we know who we are. Where were this Prime Minister and his TGTE on 18th May 2009? We were there keeping the sprits of the people high.
What TGTE wants to do is get elected and want to go into hibernation. They are like Mahinda Rajapaksa, does not like opposition. Mahinda is fighting his internal battle; I hear he is coming again for chemotherapy! What is the difference between Mahinda and Rudra? Mahinda is destroying us from outside, TGTE is destroying us from inside. Same results, slightly different ignorance. I do not blame them; it is their mindset of dreamers not doers. They like to live in a dream world and when the floods or Tsunami hits come begging to us in the west. Then they go into west bashing.
I would personally like to put Mahinda on one side and Rudra on the other side of the plough and feed the people.
TNA wanted some money for a computer system, we sent the money, came back the expense list, no computer, but they charged their lunch expense to our blood and sweat account.
The Asian mentality is one party system, elect me and then I rob the community. They don’t like opposition, they don’t like opposing ideas. How can you progress if you don’t listen to others?
In my opinion the western democratic system is not good for Asian countries, what is good for them is nine inch steel toed boot or boot camp. We are happy to be slaves and servants. Yes sir, yes sir, how many bags full.
Come on Tamils wake up and smell the great life god has given to you. There is cornucopia and the utopia out there, go get it and enjoy a bountiful life.
Do you know why I drive a 1993 old car, we are happy to see a Tamil sucker living like a beggar? But will they ever know that my health card is my debit card.
TGTE has Tamil blood in their hands.
OH by the way, TGTE, here comes the next trouble; we want to have a leadership convention before the next election. Please don’t run to the washroom with your pants wet. Fool us once shame on you, fool us again shame on us.
WE WANT A LEADERSHIP CONVENTION BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTIONS An American style leadership selection.
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Srilanka
Isn’t it time for the Eelam Tamils to reject India and reach out to China?
Special ContributionBy Noelv
Feb. 14, 2011
Former leaders of Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam
"When China wakes up the world will tremble"—Napoleon Bonaparte
The world has begun to tremble. China is on the way to becoming economically the most powerful country in the world. They are not only becoming the most powerful militarily but also from the nuclear aspect they can give a run to the US. They are the biggest creditors of the United States having also absorbed most of the US debts. Unlike in the case of the Soviet Union in the latter twentieth century when it was in decline during the cold war China is on the rise in the 21st century. However, it is in the interests of the Chinese economy to keep the US going lest they lose out on their credit. In this sense it is a cold war. Being the biggest consumer of oil, China have ensured the continuous supply from the biggest producer of oil namely, Russia.
Thanks to the war against the LTTE they have gained a firm foothold in the Indian ocean in Sri Lanka, Hambantota port being part of the string of pearls as part of their geo strategic consolidation of oil traffic which has also helped them militarily. Their power is being spread around. India has admitted that China have become more powerful than they are in every possible way. It is matter of time that India disintegrates to pre British colonial times. The federation of States will break up into individual independent governments and or States for they have been held together as a nation of Indians centrifugally and artificially brought together by the British. True Federation is a centripetal concept as in the case of the unification of Italy and Germany.
India is riddled with corruption with its democracy in decline. Their spineless Prime minister Manmohan Singh is a puppet of the so called Cambridge scholar Sonia Gandhi having attended an English language school there, whose primary aim is to eventually install her son Rahul (formerly Raoul) and her daughter Priyanka (formerly Bianca), having adopted Hindu names to hold the highest political positions in India. Given the ignorance and the abject poverty of most Indian people and the Hindu chauvinism of the opposing BJP this could eventuate. In a previous editorial we stated that the magnitude of the corruption in India would be seen in the conduct of their Commonwealth games. True to our word it is now revealed that the organisers owe hundreds of millions of dollars to Australian businesses that were contracted to provide its infrastructure. The latest revelation is the arrest of the former telecommunications minister, Raja, an ally of the ruling congress, who was very close to the DMK in Tamil Nadu for the biggest racket ever in India involving millions of dollars. We are now convinced that they are not only jokers but also bloody thieves.
The Chinese are a highly civilised and cultured people affording at least in theory, equality to their fifty two ethnic groups. Above all, they are largely a secular society with their religious beliefs private to them thanks to Mao, which accounts for their tolerance of other faiths. Buddhism embraced by 70 million of them is shrouded in superstitions. Their relative tolerance is quite in contrast to the barbaric Sinhala Buddhist State that sponsored Pogroms against the Tamil people culminating in the 1983 massacre of thousands of innocent Tamil children and adults for being Tamils. These were nowhere near the Chinese manner of quelling the Muslim Uighurs in Urumqi in the western province of Xin Jiang. The treatment of the Tibetans has been far more civilised than the manner the Tamils of Sri Lanka have been treated.
Given the strong possibility of a military dictatorship of the Rajapakse clan and no return to the democracy, ante 1972, China will very soon take over Sri Lanka politically, economically and socially. It will virtually rule over Sri Lanka which will eventually become their colony/satellite as Burma or even worse. Given the complete breakdown of the Sri Lankan economy and agriculture in their inability to feed the people, China will dump their sub standard produce and products which would be most welcome at ridiculously cheap prices thus competing with the Sri Lankan farmer and producer thus reducing their level of self reliance and the reduction of any level of agricultural development. The moral strength and the integrity of the peoples and those in power in Sri Lanka are so weak that they will not withstand the overwhelming Chinese economic influence and their social pressures but succumb to its hegemony. The Rajapakse dynasty will be looked after with all privileges and comforts as in Burma and Zimbabwe.
Brahma Chellaney, in Behind Sri Lankan Bloodbath (2009), wrote: “Unlike China’s assistance, India’s role has received little international attention. But India, too, contributed to the Sri Lankan bloodbath through its military aid, except that it has ended up, strangely, with its leverage undermined….…….But having been outmanoeuvred by China’s success in extending strategic reach to Sri Lanka in recent years, New Delhi got sucked into providing major assistance to Colombo, lest it lose further ground in Sri Lanka”. Profound as it is, India have indeed lost considerable moral ground amongst the Tamil people.
India’s corruption and hypocrisy at all levels in relation to the Sri Lankan Tamils have been revealed in the manner that they have betrayed the Tamils all the way. In the matter of the rebuilding of the of the tens of thousands of the homes of displaced Tamils their statements are so ambivalent that we are not certain whether they would ever provide 50,000 house, repair them, or provide even 5000 houses. No dwelling has been reconstructed by India. As reported in the media in an exclusive meeting with a high-profile team of media heads from Sri Lanka at his office at the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, Shiva Shankar Menon the national security advisor, revealing Indian hypocrisy in no uncertain terms said: “Sri Lanka should have its own home-grown solutions for the problems of its people in the North and the East and that other parties elsewhere including in Tamil Nadu should not worry if those people are happy…. If that is right, I don’t think the views of either the Tamil Nadu or Tamil Diaspora are important. If the people in Sri Lanka are happy with the solution they get, why should the people in Tamil Nadu worry about it?” (Sunday Observer 12 Dec. 2010).
It is the influence of China in the Kashmiri region that has reduced the severity of human rights abuses against the Muslims there that has strengthened the call for an independent Kashmiri state over which India has absolutely no tangible political or moral claim. Kashmir belongs to the Kashmiri people.
Further, In an exclusive interview with a group of media heads from Sri Lanka at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, the Indian Foreign Secretary had Nirupama Rao having watched entire political and economic the profile of Sri Lanka through a window of the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo states: “ Sri Lanka is moving in the right direction after eradicating terrorism…there are “unique opportunities” for Sri Lanka and India after terrorism was defeated by the Security Forces….everybody is enjoying the dividends of peace. “People are moving very freely...I saw from my hotel room people moving freely at the Galle Face Green even at midnight. They are enjoying the freedom to move without any fear….The resettlement of displaced people in the North is “going on in a very constructive manner”. “It appears to be moving in the right direction… we saw that paddy farmers had returned to normal life. This means that the agro industry is catching up. I hope it would be restored soon to its previous level…the number of displaced persons has dropped to under 17,000 and they too would be resettled before the end of this month ?” (Sunday Observer, 12 Dec 2010).
It is obvious that the Indians are wont to say what President Rajapakse wants to hear. President Rajapakse of Sri Lanka though lacking in any finesse, regarded as the least literate of all Sri Lankan Heads of State is, however, an astute wheeler dealer when it comes to turning one bidder against the other in the auction to sell Sri Lankan interests to suit his dynastic ambitions and aspirations to foreign interests. Conceding China’s superiority over them, the Indians are no longer in the race for domination in the Indian Ocean not to mention the world. India in relation to Sri Lanka will soon learn their lesson.
In a previous editorial, we advocated that the Sri Lankan Tamils should show their backs to the Indians and woo the Chinese. It is a fact that the Tamils are deliberately denied access to the Chinese but are left at the mercy of India to be looked after. This is undoubtedly a strategy of the racist Rajapakse government to ensure the slow but certain destruction of the Tamil people and their culture in the very near future and we are certain that India will up to her expectations of the Rajapakse brothers. Malathi de Alwis in her “China Factor’ in post-war Sri Lanka (Inter Asia Cultural Studies), states: “If Eelam Tamils can befriend with Communist China and allow it to use Tamil homeland for mutual benefit Eelam Tamils might get what they want! Eelam Tamil Diaspora can cultivate their relationship with Western powers but they are not going to help the Tamils as they will only listen to India, when it comes to Sri Lanka [sic]. Therefore [sic], the only power that can really make a difference for the Tamils will be China and Tamils should start making contacts with China at the highest level (Gopi 2010)".
The Tamil people both in Sri Lanka and abroad should acknowledge China’s rising tide in the affairs of the world and the Tamils should recognise it to take them at the flood at every opportunity that would to lead on to fortune.
We repeat and reiterate what we stated in our editorial of 06 June 2010: “The question that has arisen in many Tamil circles is whether the Tamil people should show their backs to the Indians and turn to support the Chinese as the new strategy, with their children learning Chinese (Mandarin) developing to be a world language to be taught in schools. Furthermore, the plague of Brahminism will no longer haunt the Tamils. They should be pragmatic in turning to the winning side that will bring them more benefits, not wasting their time with India. This was also the view that the late N. Shanmugadasan, a former leader of the Ceylon Communist Party (Peking Wing) and intellectual, advocated in the 1960s and the 1970s as a remedy for the redress of Tamil grievances".
It will also be to the advantage of China to make overtures to the Sri Lankan Tamils both within Sri Lanka and abroad. The Tamil Diasporas in turn should reciprocate.
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Srilanka
SHAVENDRA SILVA & JALIYA WICKREMASURIYA
Breaking International Government laws and United States of American laws: Both must be declared “Persona Non Grata” – inadmissible persons
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jan. 08, 2011
Folks, the problem is we got TGTE; I call them Limping Tigers of Tamil Eelam. And the Prime Minister is Press (Release) Minister. Why do ordinary people like us have to carry forward the freedom march?
These two criminals are now in the United States of America , one as the Ambassador and other as Deputy Permanent representative to the United Nations. Both these cowards enjoy immunity under Diplomatic Privileges Act. But the same Act says if they are involved in actions or affairs that are incompatible with their function at the missions they can be declared “Persona Non Grata” and can be expelled from the receiving or host nation. Sri Lankan government under Mahinda Rajapaksa has no respect for Sri Lankan laws, United States of American laws and International Government Laws. They have no respect for any law, they are a lawless society.
Shavendra Silva
These two criminals are sent to destabilise Tamil Diaspora and they are using their diplomatic protection to carry out their subversive acts. They do the same in Sri Lanka . The Diplomatic Immunity Act and Diplomatic Privileges Act clearly specify that they cannot act beyond their official mandate. Shavendra Silva by organising a public meeting in a Church has contravened the above two Acts. He has violated the good faith and the good offices for his own nefarious activities.
I don’t blame him; I blame the TGTE for not taking any action. It is the duty of the TGTE to inform the law enforcement authorities. But I hear that they get orders from KP.
America is a free and open society and the government takes lesser role and allow the citizens and courts to manage the civil affairs. It is the active participation of the citizens in the administration that makes America a great country and also a convenient place for Sri Lankan State Terrorist to enter under diplomatic immunity and involve in subversive activities.
Jaliya Wickremasuriya
Shavendra Silva is the war criminal who masterminded the killing of 40,000 innocent, unarmed and starving Tamil women and children. Jaliya Wickremasuriya has just returned form Mexico spying on Sri Lankan Tamils. It is duty of the Tamils living in the USA to keep a close vigil on these two guys and others who are forming sleeper cells.
By the way, why do these two donkeys wear US lapel Pins instead of Sri Lankan Lapel pin? Is it for deception and disguise or to pull wool over the eyes of Americans? Some one told me not to call them donkeys, when I asked why not; they say not to disgrace the Donkey. I hope some one forward this email to them.
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Srilanka
God has spoken … Who said there is no God
Special Contribution from CanadaBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Feb. 2, 2011
Mahinda rajapaksa has cancer, he is the one given order to kill hundreds thousand of Tamil
Suffering produces endurance
Endurance produces stamina
Stamina produces Courage
Courage produces Character
Character produces Faith
Faith produces Hope
Hope produces believe
Believe produces Excellence.
We understand that Mahinda rajapaksa has cancer. We don’t know. When there is no other way to find justice for his atrocities an incurable disease is the right punishment. He may cure him self but that fear of cancer emerging is sufficient punishment for him. We wondered how to find justice for this national pestilence and his disease; we didn’t wonder how to find him guilty. Please get the difference. We asked every one no avail. The evidence was overwhelming that he was sick.
But God intervened and said let me not only show him that justice alive but let me also others to know that they have failed in their conscience. Well now it is his baby, he can nurse his karma. Whether he has cancer or not is not the question, why such a silent and secret trip? Why was there no welcome red carpet at the air port, why has not he appeared in the public since early January 2011? According to his confident he has some serious illness, he did not elaborate. But let assume that he has a serious health issue. We have based our suspicions based on circumstantial evidence, the first one came from Thai Pongal day when the “head gear” (Thalipa) fell off his head while putting rice into the pot. Second evidence came from his visit to the flood ravaged area in the east where he has to cut short of his visit. The oxford debacle drained his adrenaline and energy and exposed the deep seated disease in him. If I am wrong I will ask for forgiveness from our viewers.
Some people said there is no God; they are innocent and naïve people. Air is every where but do you see it? No. So is God, not everything is visible. God in omnipresent do you see him not, but he is guiding you all day. Okay fine there is no God, so what caused cancer in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s body? His Karma, the law of nature is for every reaction there is opposite reaction or Law of retribution, we pay for all our sins. You don’t have to believe me, just visit the nearest hospital and ask those patients they will tell you what is waiting for the non believers.
I did not see the breeze therefore there is no Air! Will you believe it? No. God is universal conscience and the universe exists and operates under immutable laws. We accept scientific laws but we hesitate to accept natural laws. I do not how many people use prayer as a medicine; I do it, works wonderful. It is better as preventive medicine. Who is interested in preventive medicine? They want to wait till they get sick then god comes to them. Didn’t you notice that Mahinda was a regular visitor to Hindu temples, he was asking for forgiveness for the sins. If any one thinks the war was a divine parade he is insane.
Innocent people sought asylum in churches and temples and he ordered them to bomb them. What is this sea change I see, Buddhist monks who lead the racial parades all of a sudden talking like Lord Buddha and one people and one nation concept? What changed? Who changed? And who changed them?
Listen to this carefully, during the last phase of the war, India provided a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to relay live on real time video picture to Mahinda Rajapaksa and he watched every second of it. A man watching innocent people being killed. To him it was entertainment. Human lives are entertainment. That is disgusting and you deserve a punishment. No man made judge was able to pass judgment so the lord took over the proceedings and here you are a life time punishment of slow painful death.
Only weapon we were left with was prayer and we prayed; every morning I sat down for 2 minutes and ask for justice from the almighty, around the latter part of January 2011 I felt something a kind of feeling that redemption is coming. And bingo, new item from a very pious lady said “God has spoken Mahinda has cancer”, then another person sent an email, “who said there is no god”, and Rajapaksa has gone to USA for cancer treatment. This particular video is done as a tribute to these two people. People say there is no god; they have not prayed long enough to discover God. Oh what a naivety.
Mr.Ban Ki Moon, India and China will forever live with this guilt, they will pay their price too. No escape, there is no escape God has very power GPS. He can spot any one anywhere anytime. When did man become so arrogant? Ban ki Moon did not have the intellect to know what is right and what is wrong, but he knew who is right and who is wrong. His people are right and others wrong.
But now god has put Melinda is a right listening mode so let’s give him a dose of morality on top of dose radiation therapy. Once you were a highly sought out man for the world believed that you are the modern giant of morality that is the world we are living today. It is about popularity or notoriety. But you can do one great service to humanity, please say I am sorry, I should not have killed innocent people. I am guilty, when you do that your incurable disease will be cured. Prabaharan perished with his people, but why don’t you ask for forgiveness for your sins, we are not asking for your blood. We will not we are Tamils.
Remember that the future generations of Singhalese are going to pay the price. That is the law of the universe. It is message to Sonia Gandhi and India, Ho Jin Tao and China that they two have sins to repent for. There is no easy way out. Penance has to be paid. What can the Tamils who through their naivety, innocence and sometimes ignorance supported war crimes and genocide can do, they should serve the community in some way they can, but don’t leave it for your future generation. What I say my sound philosophical but life is philosophy, if you don’t make it then you will suffer it. What can Gothabaya, Mervyn Silva, Karuna and Douglas do, well you have to wait for your turn to pay for your sins. You time will come and it will come.
But one thing we all learned that there is some power out there which moderates all what we do, some one is running a balance sheet and profitable and loss account and each day either you are credited with good or debited with bad and these are added to you karma. If you don’t believe me, then don’t believe me. But you will find out. These are universal laws, not my law.
We Tamils stood on a firm high moral ground. We stood so high that we were able to see the future in the horizon. We knew that we have to adhere to firm rules otherwise we will stumble and fall down. That is why even at old age we stand firm, work 16 hours a day with excellent health. Our parents and our teachers taught and implanted in us the right moral principles in our moral computer as our bug free operating system. We never had any problem making the right decisions, when in doubt we went into extreme deliberation; never a decision was made if there is even sliver of doubt or harm. Compare that with the world losers are making decision. Our moral compass didn’t even deviate a millionth of an inch; we knew what is exactly right and wrong. That is what we are teaching our children, we are not training them and send them to kill innocent people. That is why mahinda has cancer; 20 million people are suffering from cancer. Let any man or any Sri Lankan man stand up and say that what happened in Mullivialkal did not happen. Let the people who escape the carnage speak out, let the world hear the truth. The truth will come out.
If he has cancer, now he has joined the other at the half way house to hell. A Hospital is in fact a half way house, either you can come back into civil society or you can go to hell. He is a mere number of a docket waiting for a kind hearted nurse come and take care of him. I hope that experience will transform this mans heart.
Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy is torture chambers, people go for these treatments lose their hair and it is painful. A person I know went for chemotherapy and said it is one of the most painful feelings and finally he chose to die than going for therapy he said that let me die than dying! Mahinda Rajapaksa must live dying to the tears and trauma of innocent Tamils. If any one thinks that he did not give the orders to kill innocent Tamil, he must seek psychiatric help.
Here is a punishment that you can blame no one other than yourself. Am I heartless person? No, I am speaking on behalf of those innocents Tamil killed. On behalf of Lasantha, Ehneligoda and the other 40,000 people whom I don’t have their names. Who gave the orders to kill innocent people? When the head of the nation refuses to investigate he is the suspect.
And to Mr. Ban Ki Moon, God has spoken, and now you can stand up without drooping tell the world now I have the moral stamina to say let investigate him. The wheel of justice turns very slowly for it has to deliberate vary carefully, very delicately, very wisely and very finely. Once it has spoken there is no recourse. When man does not apply his sound judgment, God takes over and the punishment from is unquestionable.
This is how we start our day, we cleanse our body, we light the traditional oil lamp, we sound the cymbal to harmonize and harness the waves, sing the divine verses, practice absolute silence for a few minutes and thank god for all the blessing and teaching and humbly request for a divine intervened day. You want to defeat that community. Never.
I go to homes and see TV and Time pieces no God on the wall. That is why people lost their moral discourse. But what happens in Sri Lanka is a man get up put on his murderer uniform pick up his gun and go hunting for innocent Tamils, if he kills gets promoted. There is no moral justice and no legal justice; there is only one judge Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is above all. Mass murders are all promoted but mindful and moral people are all killed. Lasantha and Ehneligoda are the prime evidence of an evil triangle of Sri Lanka.
We asked for help from United nations, USA, UK, EU and other world nations to intervene but they did not. India and china supplies weapons of mass scale destruction. The United Nation has a head he has problem with moral issues, he gives into charlatans foxy cunning devious verbal interjections into his feeble minds. He is unable to make a moral decision so he contemplates and procrastinate hoping things will go away. Mr. Ban Ki Moon it will not away. We don’t wait for action from a super power or super powerful, they super powerless. We are ordinary people with extraordinary conscience, relentless, determined, persevering and steadfast people, we don’t move as Robert schuller said “let the mountain move, we are not moving” our power lies not in the barrel of guns or in White Van Terror cartel but in our unwavering commitment to what is right than who is right, Prayer and clear conscience are invincible weapons. Try stopping them!
We were powerless, our powers were taken away, but there is one power the barbarians were able to take away, that is our freedom to think, that no enemy can take it away. May be they pretend to change but first justice has to be meted out to the criminals.
Sri Lankan Singhalese must pay the price for their 60 years of atrocities. Going around the world telling that the LTTE killed Tamils will not do, for no one believes that and besides LTTE may also means Lifting Tamil Tide Everywhere, what is wrong with that?
Here is word of encouragement to Tamils, I live in Canada but it is applicable to any free nations. Here is copy of Charter of Rights and freedoms, these are things that are guaranteed in the constitution, this is the criminal code, these are things that you cannot do. What you can do and what you cannot do. In one sentence do not resort to violence, terrorism, subversion or bearing fire arms and you are scot-free to do anything else.
If the Sri Lankan government agents call you a terrorist, do not worry, collect money but register with the government and account it properly, file your tax return. No body can stop you collecting money; if you do illegally then you will be in trouble.
I hope I have said something useful today. So as I always say Tamils 70 million unite, stay together, work hard and never give the best is yet to come. WE ARE WINNING
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Sri Lanka:
Never Under estimate the Spirit of a Broken People
Special Contribution from USABy Heike Winnig
Jan. 26, 2011
350,000 displaced persons in the Vanni
For the world to comprehend and appreciate their horrible tragedy of oppression and systematic extermination, they must come to understand the decades of suffering and unimaginable losses of Sri Lanka’s Tamils. Their story is analogous to that of Palestine’s illegal occupation by Israel. Like Palestinians, Tamils are survivors through perseverance, determination and faith.
For over two thousand years, Tamils and Sinhalese have lived side by side mostly in harmony on the beautiful small island dubbed the “Teardrop of the Indian Ocean”. There were minor issues and clashes that crept up, but it wasn’t until the 20th century, that powerful leaders and their followers of the majority Sinhalese openly provoked and suppressed the minority Tamils.
The British are known throughout history as imperialistic aggressors and occupiers of many nations, i.e. from Africa and Asia to Arabic countries. It would seem they greatly admired the Romans and followed in their historical footsteps. They conquered the small island in 1815 and had great influence over Ceylon (Sri Lanka) until their independence from their British occupiers in 1948.
However, the arrival of Protestant missionaries in 1814 was a primary contributor to the development of political awareness among Sri Lankan Tamils. To counter Protestant manipulation, Hindu Tamils were inspired to create their own social groups, build their own schools and publish their own literature. They were motivated to keep their culture and traditions alive, and their efforts helped them come into their own as a people of great history and learning.
Their grievances reach as far back as 1931, when the Donoughmore Commission (DC) rejected communal representation and enforced universal franchise. Due to the fact that the Tamil population was and is to this day a minority compared to the Sinhalese population, this was the ultimate beginning of discontent and frustration for Sri Lanka’s Tamils. Their foreboding of eventual discrimination and despair would come full circle.
Tamil Struggle and Revolution to Become the Sovereign State of Tamil Eelam
When Sinhala was made the “sole official” language of Sri Lanka (Ceylon at the time), Federal Members of Parliament conducted a non-violent protest of resistance which turned violent. By 1958, the first deadly ethnic riots in Ceylon against the minority Tamils were geographically spread over the entire island and the magnitude of destruction and murders signified the riots as pogrom. Sinhalese who supported and provided sanctuary for Tamils were targets of brutality and murder as well. The excessive ruination of property paled in comparison to hundreds of murdered victims.
The pogrom culminated any trust between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities, and thus it was the beginning of absolute opposition by the Tamil population against the Sri Lankan regime controlled by the majority Sinhalese. Volatility and resistance led to the “birth” of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 1976 and to the 26-year civil war beginning in July 1983 and ending in the genocidal crushing of Tamils and the termination of the LTTE during the Mullivaikal Massacre in the Vanni on May 18, 2009.
Some Sri Lankan Political History
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa was elected as the sixth president of Sri Lanka in 2005 for a six-year term and re-elected in what many consider a compromised presidential election on Jan. 27, 2010. In August 2010, parliament passed Sri Lanka’s constitutional 18th Amendment annulling presidential term limits, revoking the Constitutional Council and handing the president total power over commissions, including the National Police Commission. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidential powers over Sri Lanka are limitless.
To be fair, the Rajapaksa regime is not the only or original culprit of Tamil grievances against the injustices carried out by the Sri Lankan government. These built up over decades. However, the current regime has become the deadliest for Tamils.
When Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike became Sri Lanka’s, and the world’s, first female prime minister in 1960, she and her political party did not endear themselves to the Tamils. Her decision to drop English as an official language and to conduct all government business in Sinhala caused major resentment amongst Tamils. They considered this order a highly biased action as an attempt to deny Tamils access to law and any official government posts. Needless to say, this intensified Tamil militancy under subsequent administrations.
As stated in, “Allergy to analysis and historical amnesia in Sri Lanka”, by Dayan Jayatilleka, Oct. 17 2010:
“The Bandaranaike administration sowed the dragon’s teeth and it took Mahinda Rajapakse to slay the marauding dragon, with all the corollaries and consequences that entailed. By the time it ended Sri Lanka had lost thirty five years and a hundred thousand lives with many more maimed.”
Meaning the civil war, but this is not where the torment and anguish ends for Tamils, because it continues to this day. The Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Committee (LLRC), which was ordained to be an investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government as well as the LTTE was a big flop and a waste of time, as we all expected. Of course, Sri Lanka denies having committed any war crimes against unarmed, innocent civilian Tamils and NGO workers who were trapped and callously executed in Mullivaikal in May 2009. It remains to be seen if the United Nations will finally stick to their guns and force their way into Sri Lanka to dig up the truth of what happened during the final horrific phase of the civil war in the Vanni. I’m holding my breath for now.
The Brethren Rajapaksa, War Criminals and Executioners
Children without a Voice
Pictures always speak louder than words, and the heart-wrenching coldblooded disregard for human life as depicted in the photos of the Aug. 7, 2010 report, “Grisly Photos Reveal Genocide by Sri Lankan Government Against Tamil People - Previously banned photos from May 2009 published with this report: they are EXTREMELY GRAPHIC, not appropriate for kids”, by Muthamizh Vendhan for Salem-News.com, brings this sadistic fact unmistakably home. Incredibly, there are those who deny the truth of these photos.
Reportedly more than 40,000 civilians were executed in the Mullivaikal Massacre. The numbers are impossible to verify exactly, simply because the government unceremoniously dumped the bodies of men, women and children into mass graves, which then were torched. There were no humane burials permitting the surviving loved ones of the dead to say their final goodbyes, much less be allowed to grieve. The death toll could be higher, but very unlikely less, since survivors know whom they lost.
TamilNet published an online article, “Gotabhaya-led team responsible for killings, abductions in North”, on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, stating the following:
“An esoteric team of military intelligence led by Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is directly involved in the killings and abductions in the North, informed circles in Colombo said, citing a high-ranking military officer.”
and
“…sources further said, adding that people who are targeted by this killer squad could hardly come back alive. The said squad reportedly maintains an operational unit in Vavuniyaa near the Oamanthai check post.” Systematic executions are very real for Tamils and Sinhalese alike who dare speak out against the Rajapaksa regime. The fate of anyone daring and brave to raise his voice is sealed in death.
Tragic Economic Plight and Hardships of Survival for Today’s Tamils
Govt. of SriLanka has not allowed temporary shelter materials in Trokilinochchi
After a World Socialist Web Site team visits villages in the Vanni in late November 2010, they published the following article, “Sri Lankan detainees ‘resettled’ in appalling conditions”, by Subash Somachandran on Dec. 2, 2010, which reports the following:
“On November 3rd, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, fraudulently claimed that “Sri Lanka has kept a unique record by resettling IDPs [internally displaced persons] within a short period of time.” He insisted that “the government is committed to improve the life of the resettled people”.
However, the situation on the ground is appalling. Detainees have been left without proper facilities, including houses. In order to conceal these conditions from the outside world, the government has imposed restrictions on the media visiting these areas.”
After the brutal defeat of the LTTE in May 2009, the Sri Lankan government detained approximately 280,000 civilians and stuck them in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps harshly controlled by military. The government admits that up to 20,000 people still live in these camps today. The detained are Tamil civilians treated as prisoners of war. They have nowhere to go, because their homes have either been destroyed or they’ve been evicted from their lands by Sri Lanka’s tyrannical regime. They have no means to support themselves and their surviving families. Much of basic human necessities are not provided, even denied, for these poor people who’ve suffered through most unimaginable terror and losses. Military presence and checkpoints are still very conspicuous throughout Sri Lanka, and the regime seems fanatical about “homeland security”. Facts show that thousands of young Tamils are “being held without charge” in the Welikada jail in Colombo according to a report by the BBC.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is in control of absolutely everything to do with Sri Lanka, has brought Sri Lanka’s economy close to ruin, though the world doesn’t seem to realize. He’s ordered higher taxes for workers and tax breaks for business owners. Naturally, the brunt of the economical downfall is suffered by those who can least afford it.
One of Sri Lanka’s most generous financial supporters is China, and Rajapaksa seems to have sold his soul to the devil. Government spending is through the roof as the regime is determined to build tourist resorts and military housing, amongst other important business ventures.
Yet, there are no decent schools for Tamil children. Many of them are forced to work if they can find jobs to help support their families. Thousands of Tamils are homeless and jobless. NGO’s, much less INGO’s, are tightly controlled by the Sri Lankan regime, which hampers their plans for aid to the needy tremendously.
Tamils who still have homes live in constant fear of evictions, which are brutally and pitilessly conducted by Sri Lanka’s military police. Tamils have no means to fight this system of diabolical tyranny. When they finally flee for their lives on ships to Canada and any other nations willing to take them in, this government makes public declarations of LTTE witch hunts, asserting there are LTTE combatants and human traffickers on board. The hardships that these poor people endure during months on board ships are hard to imagine.
Recent events in Tunisia brought great hope to the voiceless, though the cost of such courage is always high. Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims will be free to achieve justice, equality and peace for all when the current Sri Lankan government is denounced. The people of Sri Lanka must unite and demand that Mahinda Rajapaksa step down and relinquish his authority as president. Alas, this may take divine intervention, since the majority Sinhalese worships Mahinda Rajapaksa. The sovereign state of Tamil Eelam has been a hope and dream of Tamils for decades. Never underestimate the spirit of a broken people.
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Srilanka
Rising ethnic nationalism in Sri Lanka targets minorities for abuse, Report of Minority Rights Group International (MRG)
Jan. 19, 2011
Minority Rights Group Logo
Human rights violations in Sri Lanka continue unabated against ethnic Tamils and Muslims who fear an increasingly nationalist government, a new report by Minority Rights Group International says.
Nearly two years after the end of the war, minorities face daily repression and marginalisation in politics and development policies, particularly in the country's north and east, documents the report.
The report titled ‘No war, no peace: the denial of minority rights and justice in Sri Lanka’ includes groundbreaking first-hand research from the north and east of the country, including areas that international and national media and NGOs have limited access to.
'Despite the end of the war, many Tamil and Muslim minorities in Sri Lanka continue to live in fear, ’ says Mark Lattimer, Executive Director of MRG.
The report quotes minority political leaders and activists who express serious fear of a state based on Sinhala hegemony. It documents cases of land in traditional Tamil and Muslim areas being seized by military and civilian authorities and used for the construction of everything from military encampments and a power plant to hotels and leisure facilities. The report also expresses concerns by minority activists at the sudden proliferation of Buddhist temples and religious symbols in Tamil and Muslim areas, which they argue is politically sponsored.
In 2009 the Sri Lankan government declared that the country’s 30 year conflict was over after it successfully defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels who had been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils. In the immediate aftermath of the war the country faced a huge humanitarian crisis with more than 250,000 people displaced and interned in camps for months.
The report says that while many of those displaced in the last stages of fighting have been moved out of the camps, the resettlement process has not taken place according to international standards. It also stresses the need for the government to provide for the return and resettlement of over 200,000 ‘old displaced’, who lost their homes in earlier stages of fighting. This includes a substantial number of Muslims who were forcibly displaced by the Tigers from the north in 1990.
‘The situation in the resettlement areas in the north and east is very worrying, particularly as international and national media and NGOs have restricted access. There is a high level of militarisation and state control over freedom of movement and association, with local women vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassment,’ says Lattimer.
The report argues that the government is doing little to resolve some of the original minority grievances that led to the conflict, such as violations of physical integrity including torture and enforced disappearances, lack of political autonomy and denial of language rights.
‘The government has made little mention of greater political autonomy for minorities which has always been a key demand of Tamils and Muslims. In fact, the government is now proposing legislation to change the electoral system in a way that threatens to decrease their political representation,’ Lattimer adds.
The report makes a series of recommendations to the Sri Lankan government including asking for a published policy to address minority rights issues, the resumption of all-party negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on political representation and governance for minorities, and the development of an impartial and credible mechanism for justice and reconciliation in the country.
‘We urge the Sri Lankan government not to lose the opportunity to bring in a lasting peace that can be enjoyed by all communities in Sri Lanka. Justice, reconciliation and human rights protection are essential for peace to become a reality for all,’ Lattimer says.
Notes:
- The full report ‘No war, no peace: the denial of minority rights and justice in Sri Lanka’ will be made available on www.minorityrights.org on 19 January 2011.
- Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is a non-governmental organisation working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples worldwide.
For further information visit MRG's Minority Voices Newsroom at www.minorityvoices.org, a pioneering online multimedia library that showcases the stories of minority and indigenous communities in developing countries and makes them available to the global media.
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is the leading international human rights organisation working to secure rights for ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous people around the world.
MRG Press Office in London:
T: +44 207 4224205
M: +44 7870596863
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United Nations
Lessons Leant and Reconciliation Commission must be replaced by United Nations Commission on Genocide and War Crimes
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jan. 14, 2011
Mahinda Rajapaksa surrounded by Srilanka's troop
Why? Because LLRC was appointed by the prime suspect in the genocide and other crimes against humanity. I think the UN is not serious about genocide and war crimes. The acid test is, will LLRC be impartial knowing that it was appointed by the criminal himself and unfortunately he is the President of the nation? The problem is that a criminal has been elected as a President for his war crimes. Killing Tamils was the reason why he was elected. Besides the members of the commission are all Aryan Buddhist Singhalese, and to expect them to be impartial goes against the very human nature. Secondly, the suspects of the genocide are also allowed to testify, but not the real victims. Thirdly, the prime suspect, Mahinda Rajapaksa must testify and cross examined by appropriate counsel for the victims.
All these "pulling wool over the people’s eyes" was possible when we ordinary people do not express our views and concerns, in this way we Tamils have failed in our duty to our community. But some of us, here we are asking the world to be fair to us. We are asking the United Nations to be fair to us; we are asking the member nations of the United Nations to be fair to us. We are asking China and India to be fair to us. We are asking the educated, emancipated, enlightened elders and leaders like Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton to be fair to us by voicing their concerns.
We all should get together and demand the LLRC is wound down, shut down and replaced by a United Nations appointed Genocide and War Crimes tribunal and Mahinda Rajapaksa be brought to trial. He is the prime suspect in these crimes against humanity. If we do not then this disease will spread to other nations.
We hope the Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, take this matter very seriously, for this will be a land mark decision. This will set the pace for future conflicts. He must make very firm decision to stamp out crime against humanity. Human rights are the prime responsibility and purpose of the United Nations and we hope that the Secretary General and the Members will act with clear conscience in their mind.
This LLRC was originally composed of seven members, but only four are now left, at least that is what we see from the pictures. There were supposed to two Tamils and they are missing too. So this commission was doomed for the beginning. It is a farce and fake bearing Mahinda Rajapaksa's trade mark.
There were about 40,000 people killed in the genocide and about 17-20 people of the media killed or missing. Of these 17-20 murders none of them was solved. Why? Is it inefficiency or interruptions? There is something not right about the government headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa. He does not even seem to be concerned about these murders not being solved. As the President he must investigate as to why none has been solved. It all indicates that he is either behind these crimes or he is the criminal. Only he can help the world to know. We cannot expect the UN to take much interest for it is our business to defend democracy in Sri Lanka. It is the duty of the Singhalese people to protest en masse as to why there is no civil administration and no accountability. The Inspector general of Police have all the time to write a book on LTTE but no time to perform his duty entrusted with.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, invited Maradankadawela Jinadasa alias Yakadaya (Iron man) to the Presidential palace. Yakadaya is a convicted serial murderer and what kind of advice he could give Mahinda Rajapaksa? This meeting happened just prior to the genocide at Mullivaikal. Birds of the same feather flock together!
The troubles in Sri Lanka are not people made, but by the government. It always happen at the same time all around the country and one must wonder how it can be so well co-ordinated. When a government plans and execute civil riots, it is the head of the government who is the prime suspect. The violence against Tamils is never an isolated event but an island wide co-ordinated action. Repeated governments unleashed violence against Tamils to terrorise them, and when they took up arms in self defence they were called terrorists.
Since independence the country has been run on a policy of racism, fanaticism and state terrorism, it had devastated the country along with the people. Tamils are suffering along with the foolish choices made by the Singhalese. The Tamils about 1,000,000 live outside Sri Lanka and have excelled every well, whereas the Singhalese are languishing in the Middle East working as maids and coolies. Why would a community of people put themselves through this disgrace? Just to annihilate the Tamils? The Singhalese are trying to go against nature, and they will never succeed.
The disease that started in Sri Lanka is spreading to the other countries in Asia and Africa, look at Ivory Coast. But Mr. Ban Ki Moon his United Nation is like a house of ostriches keep their head buried in nepotism, cronyism and corruption. If we have to help the world we have to clean up the United Nations of rats and roaches.
One little idea, the post of Secretary General must be an elected position not an appointed bureaucrat. A bureaucrat is a person who works because he has to work, not he is committed to ideals.
What we Tamils have to do is to first unite, mobilize the world powers to apply sanctions and other draconian measures to rein in the this tiny nation of Sri Lanka full of trans-generational racists and radicals. It is a disease the world has to deal with now or they can deal with a world wide pestilence later. I hope the world leaders become proactive than procrastinating.
Voice of the Victims of Genocide in Sri Lanka.
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United Nations
NEPOTISM , CRONYISM AND POSSIBLY CORRUPTION AT THE UNITED NATIONS Ban Ki Moon, His son-in-Law and Sri Lanka
Special Contribution
By Subramaniam Masilamany
Jan. 6, 2011
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Srilanka President Mahinda Rajapkas
If Ban Ki Moon is indictable, under which law it has to be done? If an elected President of a nation is a suspect in several murders since 1970 what avenues are available to bring him to justice? The world is facing serious moral issues here. Our up bringing says that certain acts are wrong, such as murdering a person, or as responsible person in society we are suppose to pay heed to justice. But it is being violated at the higher places.
India is a nation notorious for corruption, I am yet to see an Indian talking straight or evading and avoiding taxes if he can. If a visa officer takes $50.00 dollars to issue visa, there are several moral issues here. If you read Mahabharata you will know why this culture of deviousness and corruption is in that nation. While we in the west take a moral high road they always take the immoral sewer.
We still don't know why it is taking such a long time for United Nations to ask the International Tribunal at the Hague to issue arrest warrant for Mahinda Rajapkas, his family and the top officers of the "NAZI" regime in Sri Lanka. We have a nation that is full of thugs operate freely and free of impunity. We all know that, Ban Ki Moon knows that. Why is he not acting? We have been asking him to resign and he would not do that either.
As the top man of the world government he must act responsibly, but he is not, he is pandering with the corrupt while people are dying in Sri Lanka. When he is not acting, isn't he conniving? Lets analyse his "VAK" that is his Visual, his Auditory and his Kinetics or body language. There is no energy in his voice, No light on his face and the body language is not congruent.
This man should gracefully resign or retire and lets have some one who has some guts and courage to take over. This man has done great dis-service to the humanity, he will go down in the history of the United Nations as the most ineffective and corrupt secretary general of the United Nations. He has turned this reputable organization into another failed League of Nations.
You all know the story of Ban Ki Moon, his indian son in law and the Sri Lankan connection
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Srilanka
A New Year, A New decade, Renewed Hope, Faith and Believe for Tamils Worldwide
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jan. 4, 2011
Canadian Tamil in rally protest
“A journey of a thousand years begins with the first year” We have begun. Next 1000 years is our responsibility, we shall behave responsibly
Please let me begin this New Year with a little but profound story.
The second oldest college in America is William and Mary collegiate, Williams-burg in Virginia. In 1881, as a result of financial catastrophe, which resulted from the war between states, William and Mary collegiate was closed. It would have remained closed but for the faith of its President, Dr. Benjamin Ewell. Every morning for the next 7 years he rang the old college bell. That is about all he could do, but he did that for every day and evening without fail that is the power of hope, faith and believe. And one day William and Mary was reopened.
The moral of the story is Hope, Faith and Believe are the most potent weapons against any man made military weapons.
This year in 2011 we will increase our cry for the conscience of the world. At the same time we have a huge responsibility to learn about courage, determination, perseverance, steadfastness, inspiration, motivation, unity, trust etc. From where does courage and strength come from? It is not from the brain, not from the mind, not from the body but from our unshakable trust in Hope, Faith and Believe. Hold on to your dreams. Will the Singhalese ever win this war on Injustice and Immorality? Never. No man can hold another man down without he stays down with him.
If the Singhalese want freedom, it is within them and not outside them. If they do not respect the freedom of the Tamils, they will never live in peace or freedom; they will eternally live in fear. The answer of fear is freedom not oppression. When a child lives and grows in a freedom family it grows well and when a child lives in repressive and narcissistic family it grows bad. Rajapaksas must see themselves in this back ground of this revelation. It appears that the oppressive regime of Sri Lankan owes it notoriety to the Rajapaksas, either is it a nod and a wink or outright approval.
What we Tamils need are our freedom, nothing but freedom, do not substitute hand out for freedom. Freedom of our minds no body can take it away, but our freedom of movement, freedom of vocation, freedom of our choice to associate or dissociate don’t tamper with it. These are fundamental to our human nature, and our living nature. Anything fundamental to our living human nature is non-negotiable and these are fundamental human rights. No one has the right to take it away with out losing his own right to freedom. Think why Rajapaksas have to sleep in bunkers well guarded by military. They are not free that is self imposed imprisonment; there is no free mind inside it.
I do not want my friend Rudrakumar, Honourable Prime Minister of TGTE think that all is fine and dandy. We do not hear from him, except occasionally a press release. I hope he is not hiding some where in Timbuktu. Dear Sir, to talk about human rights and the way to improve the lives of others is deeply enshrined in the American constitution so don’t be afraid to speak out loud, besides if Martin Luther king can put his life in front of his people, what stops you from doing so?. Why should a donkey like me try to teach the dog how to bark, you are a lawyer and an elected leader. You got the guts and courage, don’t you sir?
To us, Tamils, our hopes, faiths and believes are basic to our human nature and human rights. There is no weapon in this man made world to vindicate hope faith and believe. The Anglo-Saxon Americans being Christians believed that if they do not free their African Americans they are doomed. It is for the Aryan Buddhist Singhalese to free their Dravidian Hindu Tamils. Am I a racist and bigot, yes I am, who made me into one? Look at the Middle East, the Israelis and Islamite with deadly weapons that can destroy them. But I am yet to see a man or woman without a heart, 23 pairs of chromosomes and red bloods in their veins. We have demarcated ourselves with non human traits such as color, religion and language which are all are external to us. When we focus of the internal content of our character our acquired character of color, caste, religion and language disappear.
Sri Lanka has developed a culture of impunity, killing is okay, raping is okay; violence is okay, corruption is okay as long as it serves the king and his cohorts. There is no crime in Sri Lanka except the crime perpetrated by the Alibaba and 40 thieves. Sri Lanka is the only country in the world where there is ZERO crime if you compute the Rajapaksas out of the equation. They are the criminals, the law enforcement, the judiciary and judges. What can go wrong in the country of king rajapksa for rajapaksas?
It is sad to see that the Land of Buddhism has become land of butcherism! I mean it, if a man is hauled into a White Van and beheaded, what do you call it? The father of white van concept is now the head of the government, military and paramilitary. What will he do and what is that he cannot do? There are no higher authorities hence he is the only authority.
When the whole nation has been turned loose to run wild, it returns to nature and the strongest prevail. The man with the gun is the strongest. the weak one dies, humanity dies along with it. What difference it makes to Rajapaksa if one dies as long as it is not one in his family. We all must thank the almighty, Sri Lanka is a tiny island away from civilization otherwise the disease which has become a pestilence may spread all over the world. That way Mother Nature has provided immunity to humanity through salinity (Sea).
On analyzing the words, deeds and looks of the leadership one realizes that there is so much of pain in these people. Instead of seeking the counsel of the wise they seek the company of the wicked. Only time can heal the wounds of childhood trauma that besieges this family. When you pick up a dog either it will love and lick you or bark and bite you, it is the master disguised as a dog. It does what the master will do.
If China helps Sri Lanka to kill people in return for parking facilities for their ships carrying the sweat and blood of Chinese people to be sold in dollar stores across the world there are a few serious moral issues with China.
If India helped Sri Lanka to kill Tamils in return for oppression and repression of its southern people, then there are serious moral issues in India. When millions die daily of dysentery due to lack of sanitation facilities what are few thousand Tamils in Sri Lanka?
If people at the United Nations cannot differentiate between right and wrong, humanity is facing some huge moral issues. No one wants to talk about it; if you do then you are branded as a terrorist. I think a copy of, “A message to Garcia” by Elbert Hubbard must be sent to each member of the United Nations, including the Secretary General.
What can the Tamils do in the meantime? There is book on “TRUST” by Francis Fukuyama, on page 199 I learnt about the paramount importance of High degree of TRUST and UNITY. Japan, Germany, France, UK, USA, Canada, Korea are among the countries with High trust. 70 million Tamils must unite and become a high trust society.
So what can the Tamils do in the mean time? We all can unite; learn to trust each other, stay together, work hard and never ever to give up.
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Srilanka
WHAT CAN THE TAMILS DO IN SRI LANKA?
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jan. 1, 2010
Tamil civilians in Srilanka
Well, we made terrible mistakes, We never trusted each other, stayed divided and furthered our selfish goals.We have this sea sickness syndrome. We were crabs that pull each other down and fish that does not know the importance of community. A fish will only discover water last but too late. But the good news is we can come back.
We have to go back and rebuild, we assume our family like a nation and our home and land as our country. Become self sufficient in our own way, stay away from any form of governance. World powers are slow to respond and act. India and China of no help. Civilization has gone back to nature, might is right, and subjects are not armed with sticks and stones but with barrels and bombs. What can an ordinary Tamil person who prostituted his community do? Yes you did. No diseases can invade if the immune system is strong, barbarians are like a disease and they invade when the social immune system is weak. We had weak social immune system.
What can we do now, at this very moment? ordinary peace loving people killed in cold blood, they are not terrorists, so why then they are killed. No reason is given, No reason will be given. That is Mahinda Rajapaks'a rule, it looks more like a criminal's rule.
What can ordinary Tamil civilian do? You have to be Pro-active, Precautionary, Prudent, Pragmatic, Patient, Peaceful etc. Because the enemy is belligerent, stubborn, non reasoning and violent. The enemy has no remorse. As much as possible stay away from the mindless thugs roaming the streets, they are the proxies of the President.The President is the head of state terror cartel funded by India and China. So you have a formidable enemy. You are numerically and financially too weak. But you will come back.
Then as I told you earlier we are responsible for our own plight. We are divided, poorly of course united, selfishly motivated, sense of community is hard find. It is our rush to fame and fortune that we prostituted our future, that is our own children! But the enemy is intoxicated with Fanaticism, Racism, Barbarism. His mind is dull and no better than a donkey.
But stay firm and steadfast, believe in yourself and in divine faith. Prayers never go unanswered. You can disarm any enemy with faith in the almighty. Do that daily and clean up your mind. What else can you do, but Jews and the American Africans over came their troubles, we shall too, what we need is faith that will move the mountain.
But I beg to some Tamils please as Jesus said "You were born to do good, if you cannot please do no harm". Some of you, can you please do no harm to your brother?
We also must pray for the enemy's proxies, they are misguided and they have no food, no bread, no eggs, no coconut, but they are given plenty of arms and ammunition. How?. When their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters have to resort to the oldest profession to make a living in the streets of Colombo and the mansion of the middle east what can the children do? They become crooks and criminals, they have no one look upon to other than a terror king. He is their role model!
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Srilanka
Al Capone at the White House- Super powers with invincible military capabilities are powerless
Special ContributionBy Subra S.Massey
Dec. 29, 2010
The world notorious mafia Al Capone
Dear World Leaders, Presidents, Prime Ministers and Law makers,
I write this letter because some thing is bothering me for quite some time.
Imagine either Al Capone or John Gotti, the world notorious Mafia and Mobsters, gets into White House. I stood on my library floor glancing over the array books and something struck me, the book on Mobstar or Mobster John Gotti, who virtually controlled the underworld of crime, drugs and murders. I just browsed through various pages and I found that there were similarities between Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka's modus operandi and that of the Mafia.
I do not know how many of you are aware of the detailed structure of the apparatus set up by Mahinda Rajapaksa and his inner circle of criminals. Let me describe it to you. What will happen if Al Capone or John Gotti took over the White house and rest of the US Government. Mahinda Rajapaksa was so successful in Sri Lanka in taking control of the various command and control centers he was able to build an almost perfect terror cartel in Sri Lanka. There is no place for ordinary people to go for justice and mercy. The Right of the Might was the norm and nothing else matters. Killing is okay, raping okay. Murders and other atrocities are going on daily in Sri Lanka and the President has not said a word to the law enforcement authorities to investigate and bring the people to justice. Why has not the head of the state said something about the atrocities? He was the counsellor and the cover up man while atrocities were committed.
Now he is in the process of converting his foreign offices into satalite cartels to unleash violence against the Diaspora Sri Lankans who do not toe line with him. That is audacity of a murderer. His philosophy is,"I am right and all the others die"
Hotel Waldrof Astoria, The Dorchester inn, The Oxford union, The United Nations, The Indian prime minister and others to allow a criminal, a mobster and a man who has serial killers invited to the presidential palace to allow him or invite him to the podium shakes the very foundation of religion, democracy and morality.
It is time for the world of nations and world leaders to examine their minds and motives and to deny freedom to people of some nations that fund criminals. It is time for the world of nations to come together and stamp out this menace and a pestilence. Democracy is being hijacked and raped in day light and the pillars of democracy stood by doing nothing.
It is time for the world of nations to come together and shock this tiny atoll in Indian ocean so that it will send a message that injustice and immorality will not be tolerated. I hope the United Nations and the World of Nations wake and stamp out this tiny rascal so that more of them do not grow in the world.
It is very unfortunate that some of us have to put our life on line to salvage the world, let us be the life line that will rescue the world from injustice and impunity. It is sad to realize that the super powers with invincible military capabilities are powerless and ordinary people have to rise to the occasion to salvage humanity.Like a soldier who goes to the front line, face the enemy fire to save his nation, we have set out to save the world from going back to nature, where the rule of jungle is the norm and the might is the right.
MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA OF SRI LANKA MUST BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE AT ANY COST
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Special report
New UNSC Resolution Passed on Sexual Violence in Conflict
U.N. Security Council meeting was chaired by Hillary Clinton.
A new UN Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence in Conflict was adopted unanimously. This will further strengthen the normative standards on women and peace and security - in particular UN SC Resolution 1888. It was sponsored by the US and co-sponsored by about 30 countries.
Among its many important provisions, this new resolution calls on the Secretary-General to include in his annual reports detailed information on perpetrators (parties to armed conflict that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for acts of rape or other forms of sexual violence) and to provide a list of such.
Additionally, it requests the Secretary General to establish monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence, including rape in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict ...and taking into account the specificity of each country, that ensure a coherent and coordinated approach at the field-level, and encourages the Secretary-General to engage with United Nations actors, national institutions, civil society organizations, health care service providers, and women’s groups to enhance data collection and analysis of incidents, trends, and patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence..."
"UN Security Council Resolution 19XX (2010) Adopted by the Security Council at its XXXXth meeting, on 16 December 2010 The Security Council, i. Reaffirming its commitment to the continuing and full implementation, in a mutually reinforcing manner, of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1612 (2005), 1674 (2006), 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1894 (2009), and all relevant statements of its President,
ii. Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 24 November 2010 (S/2010/604), but remaining deeply concerned over the slow progress on the issue of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict in particular against women and children, and noting as documented in the Secretary-General’s report that sexual violence occurs in armed conflicts throughout the world,
iii. Reiterating deep concern that despite its repeated condemnation of violence against women and children in situations of armed conflict, including sexual violence in situations of armed conflict, and despite its calls addressed to all parties to armed conflict for the cessation of such acts with immediate effect, such acts continue to occur, and in some situations have become systematic and widespread, reaching appalling levels of brutality,
iv. Reiterating the necessity for all States and non-State parties to conflicts to comply fully with their obligations under applicable international law, including the prohibition on all forms of sexual violence,
v. Reiterating the need for civilian and military leaders, consistent with the principle of command responsibility, to demonstrate commitment and political will to prevent sexual violence and to combat impunity and enforce accountability, and that inaction can send a message that the incidence of sexual violence in conflicts is tolerated,
vi. Recalling the responsibilities of States to end impunity and to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other egregious crimes perpetrated against civilians and, in this regard, noting with concern that only limited numbers of perpetrators of sexual violence have been brought to justice, while recognizing that in conflict and in post conflict situations national justice systems may be significantly weakened,
vii. Welcoming the progress made in rendering operational the team of experts to assist national authorities to strengthen the rule of law in accordance with resolution 1888 (2009); reaffirming the importance of deploying it rapidly to situations of particular concern with respect to sexual violence in armed conflict, working through the United Nations presence on the ground and with the consent of the host government and in this regard, appreciating the voluntary contributions to support its work,
viii. Recognizing that States bear the primary responsibility to respect and ensure the human rights of all persons within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction as provided for by international law,
ix. Reaffirming that parties to armed conflict bear the primary responsibility to take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of civilians,
x. Recalling that international humanitarian law affords general protection to women and children as part of the civilian population during armed conflicts and special protection due to the fact that they can be placed particularly at risk,
xi. Reaffirming that ending impunity is essential if a society in conflict or recovering from conflict is to come to terms with past abuses committed against civilians affected by armed conflict and to prevent future such abuses, drawing attention to the full range of justice and reconciliation mechanisms to be considered, including national, international and “mixed” criminal courts and tribunals and truth and reconciliation commissions, and noting that such mechanisms can promote not only individual responsibility for serious crimes, but also peace, truth, reconciliation and the rights of the victims,
xii. Recalling the inclusion of a range of sexual violence offences in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the statutes of the ad hoc international criminal tribunals,
xiii. Reaffirming the importance for States, with the support of the international community, to increase access to health care, psychosocial support, legal assistance, and socio-economic reintegration services for victims of sexual violence, in particular in rural areas, and taking into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities,
xiv. Welcoming the proposals, conclusions and recommendations included in the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/64/19) on the need for adequate capabilities and clear and appropriate guidelines to enable peacekeeping missions to carry out all their mandated tasks, including prevention of and response to sexual violence; stressing the importance of ensuring engagement by senior mission leadership on protection of civilians, including the prevention of and response to instances of sexual violence in armed conflict, with a view to ensuring that all mission components and all levels of the chain of command are properly informed of and involved in the mission’s mandate and their relevant responsibilities; welcoming progress made by the Secretary-General in developing operational tools for the implementation of protection of civilians mandates; and encouraging troop and police contributing countries to make full use of and provide feedback on these important materials,
xv. Recognizing the efforts of the Secretary-General to address the underrepresentation of women in formal peace processes, the lack of mediators and ceasefire monitors with proper training in dealing with sexual violence, and the lack of women as Chief or Lead peace mediators in United Nations-sponsored peace talks; and encouraging further such efforts,
xvi. Welcoming the inclusion of women in peacekeeping missions in civil, military and police functions, recognizing that their presence may encourage women from local communities to report acts of sexual violence,
xvii. Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 24 November 2010 (S/2010/604) and stressing that the present resolution does not seek to make any legal determination as to whether situations that are referred to in the Secretary-General’s report are or are not armed conflicts within the context of the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols thereto, nor does it prejudge the legal status of non-State parties involved in these situations,
1. Reaffirms that sexual violence, when used or commissioned as a tactic of war or as a part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilian populations, can significantly exacerbate and prolong situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and security; affirms in this regard that effective steps to prevent and respond to such acts of sexual violence can significantly contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security; and expresses its readiness, when considering situations on the agenda of the Council, to take, where necessary, appropriate steps to address widespread or systematic sexual violence in situations of armed conflict;
2. Reiterates its demand for the complete cessation with immediate effect by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence;
3. Encourages the Secretary-General to include in his annual reports submitted pursuant to resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) detailed information on parties to armed conflict that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for acts of rape or other forms of sexual violence, and to list in an annex to these annual reports the parties that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict on the Security Council agenda; expresses its intention to use this list as a basis for more focused UN engagement with those parties, including, as appropriate, measures in accordance with the procedures of the relevant sanctions committees;
4. Requests the Secretary-General, in accordance with the present resolution and taking into account its specificity, to apply the listing and de-listing criteria for parties listed in his annual report on sexual violence in armed conflict consistent with paragraphs 175, 176, 178, and 180 of his report A/64/742 S/2010/181;
5. Calls upon parties to armed conflict to make and implement specific and time-bound commitments to combat sexual violence, which should include, inter alia, issuance of clear orders through chains of command prohibiting sexual violence and the prohibition of sexual violence in Codes of Conduct, military field manuals, or equivalent; and further calls upon those parties to make and implement specific commitments on timely investigation of alleged abuses in order to hold perpetrators accountable;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to track and monitor implementation of these commitments by parties to armed conflict on the Security Council’s agenda that engage in patterns of rape and other sexual violence, and regularly update the Council in relevant reports and briefings;
7. Reiterates its intention, when adopting or renewing targeted sanctions in situations of armed conflict, to consider including, where appropriate, designation criteria pertaining to acts of rape and other forms of sexual violence; and calls upon all peacekeeping and other relevant United Nations missions and United Nations entities, in particular the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, to share with relevant United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committees, including through relevant United Nations Security Council Sanction Committees’ monitoring groups and groups of experts, all pertinent information about sexual violence;
8. Requests the Secretary General to establish monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence, including rape in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict and other situations relevant to the implementation of resolution 1888 (2009), as appropriate, and taking into account the specificity of each country, that ensure a coherent and coordinated approach at the field-level, and encourages the Secretary-General to engage with United Nations actors, national institutions, civil society organizations, health care service providers, and women’s groups to enhance data collection and analysis of incidents, trends, and patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence to assist the Council’s consideration of appropriate actions, including targeted and graduated measures, while respecting fully the integrity and specificity of the monitoring and reporting mechanism implemented under Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure full transparency, cooperation and coordination of efforts between the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict;
10. Welcomes the work of gender advisers; looks forward to the appointment of more women protection advisers to peacekeeping missions, in accordance with resolution 1888 (2009); notes their potential contribution in the framework of the monitoring, analysis, and reporting arrangements to be established pursuant to OP8 of the present resolution;
11. Welcomes the elaboration by the Secretary-General of scenario-based training materials on combating sexual violence for peacekeepers and encourages Member States to use them as a reference for the preparation and deployment of United Nations peacekeeping operations;
12. Underlines that, in order to carry out their mandate, missions must communicate effectively with local communities; and encourages the Secretary-General to improve their capacity to do so;
13. Expresses its intention to give due consideration to sexual violence in mandate authorizations and renewals and to request the Secretary-General to include, as appropriate, gender expertise in technical assessment missions;
14. Encourages the entities comprising UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as other relevant parts of the United Nations system, to continue to support the work of the aforementioned Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and to enhance cooperation and information sharing among all relevant stakeholders in order to reinforce coordination and avoid overlap at the headquarters and country levels and improve system-wide response. 15. Encourages Member States to deploy greater numbers of female military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and to provide all military and police personnel with adequate training on sexual and gender-based violence, inter alia, to carry out their responsibilities;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to continue and strengthen efforts to implement the policy of zero tolerance on sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel, and further requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide and deploy guidance on addressing sexual violence for predeployment and inductive training of military and police personnel, and to assist missions in developing situation-specific procedures to address sexual violence at the field level and to ensure that technical support is provided to troop and police contributing countries in order to include guidance for military and police personnel on addressing sexual violence in predeployment and induction training;
17. Invites the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict to continue to provide briefings on sexual violence, in accordance with resolution 1888 (2009);
18. Requests that the Secretary-General continue to submit annual reports to the Council on the implementation of Resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) and to submit his next report by December 2011 on the implementation of Resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) and the present resolution to include, inter alia:
(a) a detailed coordination and strategy plan on the timely and ethical collection of information;
(b) information on progress made in the implementation of the monitoring, analysis, and reporting arrangements mentioned in paragraph 8;
(c) detailed information on parties to armed conflict that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for acts of rape or other forms of sexual violence, and an annex with a list of parties that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict on the Security Council agenda;
(d) updates on efforts by United Nations Mission focal points on sexual violence to work closely with Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), the United Nations Country Team, and, where appropriate, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and/or the Team of Experts, to address sexual violence;
19. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter."
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Srilanka
Backward, March!
By Tisaranee Gunasekara
The conquering hero who threatens to destroy the liberty of his homeland belongs to history, not myth”.
René Girard (Violence and the Sacred)
The disturbingly inane proposal for a Sinhala-Only National Anthem has suffered (an ephemeral) setback, due to internal dissent. Still, it may return, as the proposal for presidential term-limit removal did (initially withdrawn due to internal opposition and subsequently reintroduced via the 18th Amendment). A resurrection is likely because the idea of a Sinhala-Only National Anthem is integral to the Ruling Family’s nation-building project aimed at moulding a Sinhala- supremacist and a Rajapaksa-supremacist Sri Lanka.
The proposal to scrap the Tamil version of the national anthem is of huge symbolic importance; its historic equivalent would be the 1958 policy of using Sinhala letter ‘Sri’ in vehicle licence-plates. A Sinhala-Only National Anthem would be a divider rather than a unifier; it will widen the psychological gulf between the majority and the minorities and drive home the impression that minorities are not-so-welcome interlopers in a Sinhala-country. Consequently it will be a natural landmark in our journey to the past, to the time before India compelled us (via the Accord) to replace the post-1956 Sinhala supremacist vision of Sri Lanka with a more inclusivist and pluralist model.
Sri Lanka is not the only country with a bi-lingual national anthem. Canadian and Cameroonian national anthems are sung in English and French (O’ Canada has an Inuktiut version too); Swiss national anthem is in German (the original), Italian, French and Romansh; New Zeeland’s national anthem has English and Maori lyrics; post-Apartheid South Africa has a multi-lingual national anthem in Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English. Perhaps the President got his anti-factual information from Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who backed the ‘Sinhala-Only’ proposal vigorously, stating, as a clincher, that Indian national anthem is in Hindi! (This latest Weerawansa faux-pas is on par with his previous gems, such as Guy de Maupassant wrote The Old Man and the Sea and Angulimala hurled a boulder at Gautama Buddha!) That President Rajapaksa and Minister Weerawansa were unaware of India’s national anthem being written by Rabindranath Tagore in Sanskritised Bengali is hardly outstanding. What is remarkable is that in a 60+ cabinet there wasn’t a single minister with both the knowledge and the backbone to set them right. That lacuna says much about what we have become in this Era of Our High King….. Exclusionary Nation-Building…..
A review of George W. Bush’s memoir ‘Decision Points’, claims that “by Bush’s own account, revenge is among his chief motives in sanctioning torture” (New Yorker – 29.11.2010). Was the proposal for a Sinhala-Only National Anthem a knee-jerk reaction by the President to the Oxford Debacle, a painful humiliation heaped on Lankan Tamils as a collective punishment for the anti-Rajapaksa protests by a segment of the Diaspora? Perhaps. On the other hand, this proposal is no coup de foudre; it is very much in consonance with previous Rajapaksa measures such as reversion to a unitary-state model, abandonment of the homeland concept, unilateral-judicial de-merger of the North-East and reduction of the ethnic issue into a terrorist/Tiger problem (plus resumption of internal colonisations, mushrooming of Buddha statues in areas with no Buddhist-civilians and the arrest and ‘blasphemy’ trial of Islamic-convert Sarah Malani Perera). These measures are reverting Sri Lanka into a Sinhala-First country in which the minorities are not citizens with equal and inalienable rights but guests living on sufferance (how they are treated depends on how the majority perceives their conduct; Tamils ‘misbehaved’ in London; ergo, the punishment).
The Sinhala-Only National Anthem proposal reeks of vindictiveness and ill-will. Can such measures which humiliate ethno-linguistic minorities promote national reconciliation? Surely there is a greater chance of inculcating a sense of Lankan patriotism in Tamil/Muslim children and youth if they can sing the national anthem in their own language rather than parrot it in a language they barely understand? Incidentally, a Sinhala-Only National Anthem will neither hurt nor displease Tiger remnants and sympathisers; in fact they will use such measures as vindication of their past deeds and a green light for their future plans. It will be those Tamils who still believe in a Lankan future who will be dismayed, grieved and alienated by such mean-spirited and petty-minded measures.
The Sinhala-Only National Anthem idea fits in with the Rajapaksa strategy of peace-building not by winning-over the minorities but via repressive laws, militarisation and internal colonisation. The Defence Secretary recently stated that the “re-positioning of security forces in a post-war era was a costly business as new bases and cantonments were needed to accommodate troops in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. ‘This is a very high priority. Unlike during the war, troops cannot be given makeshift shelter,’ he said” (The Island – 8.12.2010). Lankan Armed Forces would correctly regard the North as their country but they are unlikely to regard its ethnically and religiously different populace as their own people, especially with historical and recent memories redolent of suspicion and enmity. An army in a territory it considers its own, controlling a population it considers alien (and inimical) is a recipe for abuse and repression. For instance, in his latest letter to the President TULF leader V Anandasangaree (whose anti-Tiger credentials cannot be in doubt) states that “20 business persons from Jaffna had been summoned by the Army Intelligence to know about the contribution they made to the LTTE when they had certain areas under their control. I understand that this is going on for some time…..At this rate there will be no end to the harassment the people will be subjected to…..” In the name of ensuring security the regime is busily creating a new vicious circle of hatred and violence.
The dominant Manichean mindset condemns as a terrorist/traitor anyone who is not totally subservient to the Rajapaksa project. This is the basis on which the regime interacts not just with the Tamil/Muslim North-East but also with the Sinhala South and the world. Wherever there is difference of opinion, democratic dissent or peaceful opposition, the rulers see a mortal enemy ‘who must be brought down before he brings us down’. The recent statement by President Rajapaska at the 11th National Convention of Samurdhi Officials about ‘trade union leaders on foreign payroll’ indicates that the winds of repression are wafting in a Southerly direction. Ere long, the regime may brand trade-unionists and workers, fishermen, doctors, nurses and teachers, students and public servants as ‘traitors’ and suppress their dissent with brutal efficacy.
Juxtapose the Presidential remark with the statement by a Presidential sibling that “Emergency Regulations couldn’t be lifted due to clandestine activities of the TNA and JVP. Defence Secretary Rajapaksa alleged that the TNA and JVP had launched a campaign to destabilise Jaffna Peninsula…. the war veteran said that armed forces had paid a huge price to restore peace in the country, therefore politicians couldn’t be allowed to jeopardise national security according to their whims and fancies” (The Island – 29.11.2010). The composite picture is of an intolerant land in which democratic dissent is outlawed; and of a regime determined to utilise anything – from Sinhala extremism and xenophobia to repressive laws and extra-judicial deeds – and sacrifice everything to ensure its own longevity.
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Srilanka
DELHI MORE ALARMED THAN COLOMBO OVER THE MULLIVAYKAL MASSACRES AND SRI LANKA (SL) WAR CRIMES
by VssubramaniamDec. 05, 2010
In a subtle master stroke Gothabhaya Rajapakse more than anyone else was the principal architect of the defeat of the Tamils in Sri Lanka in May 2009. A greater achievement was his diplomatic coup that bought Delhi’s ‘stilled silence’ on SL war crimes that included the locking away of incriminating RAW evidence on the Mullivaykkal war crimes.
Though details relating to the South Block Delhi’s involvement in theMullivaykkal massacres is in the open now, the ‘personal caprice (Bellamy) of the Sonia Delhi’s ‘in the loop’ proxies that stalled the international community’s war crimes initiatives against SL began to collapse when other (non RAW) incriminating evidence began to unravel. These pointed to SL acting as South Block Delhi’s proxy in the killings of Tamils in Mullivaykkal.
Gothabhaya had reasons to be angry over Delhi’s subtle blackmail using RAW aerial pictures of the massacres when in fact SL acted in good faith on ‘in the loop’ Narayanan-Menon’s instructions during that stage of the war. Though RAW pinpointed the presence of the core LTTE leadership in the midst of heavy civilian concentrations in Mullivaykkal, Narayanan-Menon gave Gothabhaya the go-ahead to launch the massive final assault in the ‘no fire zone’ in Mullivaykkal. The ‘no fire zone’ itself isolated and away from prying witnesses is the brain child of Narayanan.. The final assault according to Fonseka was originally planned for August to avoid heavy civilian casualties but the revengeful Narayanan-Menon (Sonia-proxies) keen on eliminating the LTTE leadership totally acted recklessly to abort the US rescue plans to save the lives of the LTTE leadership and civilians. The result was the massacres that was a precedent setting Delhi-Colombo trade off model for wiping off the entire Tamil militancy/resistance and treating the massive civilians casualties as acceptable ‘collateral’ damage. Accordingly, morally the blame for the massacre was not Gothabhaya’s alone. He acted indirectly as the Sonia Delhi’s proxy then.
Except for the‘tom-toming’ Raman, details on the massacres began to unravel fast (within days) once Delhi unfairly attempted to blame SL for the excessive civilian lives lost brandishing its RAW aerial surveillance pictures. The response of the impetuous SL was swift and smart enough to rattle Delhi that instantly caved in to comply with SL’s key demand that it observes ‘a stilled silence’ on all SL’s war crimes details. This was a diplomatic master-stroke.
The South Block mandarins had committed RAW to covertly provide critical battle front aerial intelligence for the combined Sri Lankan and covert Indian armed forces offensives that delivered SL its victory over the Tamil rebels. RAW was in the most vantage position to capture authentic aerial pictures of the heavy battle field casualties. While RAW’s aerial pictures were far too incriminating for SL’s comfort, RAW and Delhi viewed them as invaluable leverage tools to pressure SL into a more compliant stance post Tamil militancy. Colombo’s stance instead turned out to be exactly the opposite.
A Delhi stunned by an angry Gothabhaya Rajapakse took his ‘loop’ signals as lethal enough to implicate Delhi’s South Block in the war crimes should SL ever be forced to face such charges. A harried and alarmed Delhi reacted speedily to appease Colombo launching a swift diplomatic offensive to save the murderous SL regime by killing off the international community’s war crimes initiatives in the UN specifically supporting the infamous May 2009 UNHRC resolution. Colombo was now in possession of a dreaded leverage that Delhi has to live with for the longer term.
The South Block despite widespread anger in Tamil Nadu had locked Delhi into this ‘deafening silence’ predicament for SL to continue vigorously its ethnic cleansing and genocide policies further alienating TN Tamils. Delhi had no qualms in recklessly brow beating TN government (its UPA partner) into supporting its anti-Tamil SL policies, damaging the DMK’s savior of the Tamils credentials. Delhi even flaunted the CBI Spectrum scandal weapon most damaging to DMK’s image. For details on the Delhi-Chennai double crossing politics readers are referred to ‘Tamil Nadu being forced to go the Eelam way –NateriAdhigal (a revisit) in Groundreport.com Oct 27 2010.
SL’s powerful ‘loop’ leverage weapon ensures Delhi’s silence when SL vigorously pursues a more monstrous and multi faceted genocide and Delhi funding in post LTTE, SL’s intense militarization of the North displacing more Tamils again from their homes, demographically marginalizing the Tamil homelands and facing harsher oppression. How would Tamilians and Hindus react when SL even prohibits the ringing of bells in temples in the North and East, effectively blessed by secular Sonia-Delhi in charge of a Hindu India?
Delhi partnering in the SL genocide, a horrendous crime is unlikely to improve Delhi’s moral credentials internationally when the world is seriously pursuing SL to account for its crimes. Any permanent Security Council seat aspirant will desist associating/supporting a notorious regime tainted with serious crimes and furthermore withhold crucial incriminating aerial evidence relevant for crime investigation by international tribunals. This borders on criminality. Delhi’s behavior is no different from that of other world renowned human rights offenders. Delhi’s ‘deafening silence’provoked an enlightened Obama to politely urge Delhi to be more vocal in its criticism of human rights abuses.
Sri Lanka’s latest open declaration of a fresh war on the Tamil diaspore living in the Western world poses fresh challenges to the security agencies of those countries. SL has planted intelligence agents in several countries who run parallel intelligence outfits undertaking intelligence work on the diaspora citizens of those countries. Visiting diaspora and their kin in SL are targeted based on intelligence transmitted back by these agents and there are plenty of reports of visiting diaspora going missing presumed dead, arbitrary arrests for funds and information extortion. State sponsored white van outfits commit these crimes with impunity. The activist diaspora not cowed by these risks are exposing such crimes and seeking legal redress for the genocide victims. The growing support for the diaspora’s war crimes campaign is now unstoppable in the enlightened world, the benefit for the world is arresting the growing horrific trend of state terrorists oppressing minorities by strengthening international mechanisms to enforce accountability on genocide regimes.
The Delhi led human rights abusers stalled the UNHRC crimes proceedings in May 2009 but it is heartening that there are legal regimes that permit the victims to seek redress for these crimes in the courts of countries that have extended jurisdiction to punish offenders even if the crime was committed elsewhere. President Rajapakse Oxford Union address had to be aborted and a senior army officer (Gallage) took a chartered a flight out to escape war crimes courts in London; evidence of a growing fugitive complex amongst leaders with crime records. These are products of the noble activism of the diaspora. The diaspora activism only seeks legal redress for the victims of SL crimes using mechanisms that offer some protection for minorities at least in genocide situations.
The discomfort the SL genociders face during visits overseas shows the potency of the diaspora activism in their search for justice. Before the ink dried on a pedestrian reporter’s piece ‘Will there be a violent resurgence of the LTTE soon’ 5 Nov 2010 dbsjeyaraj.com reputable media reported over 50 000 diaspora in icy cold conditions demonstrating to bring the genociders before the jurisdictions of the courts of enlightened nations belying this reporter’s claim ‘gone are the days when the LTTE could mobilize thousands of flag waving demonstrators in important Western cities’. The theme and contents of his piece and that of the SL Ambassador to Brussels Ravinath Aryasingha ‘Countering LTTE propaganda’ 23 Nov, Daily News have much in common.They come out of the SL Intelligence production line.
Both these pieces earned derisive comments they richly deserved. Dr Victoria Sentas’ scholarly and well documented ‘Truth and Justice within and beyond,the continued repression of the Tamil diaspora’ exposes the class difference in journalistic standards. Readers benefit from pieces by journalists observing high professional standards not those authored by very pedestrian reporters. Equally professional is the piece by Lee Yu Kyung ‘Sri Lanka: Resettlement, reconciliation in limbo’ Nov 7 2010 that debunks the rosy ‘real peace’ conditions for Tamils in the North portrayed in dbsjeyaraj.com piece and Shanika Shriyanada’s ‘President’s initiative for reconciliation, unity’ Sunday Observer 14 Nov.
On the Indian side some promising developments emerged from an Indian Intelligence think-tank proceedings in Chennai, 17 November 2010. Though not pro-Eelam the shallow quality of the debate on Indo-SL relations and the Eelam Tamil issues still persists. Some soul searching has led apologists to acknowledge that India’s foreign policy is ‘largely dominated by one or two social (sectarians) groups of Tamil Nadu and Kerala….The(ir) biased approach was largely responsible for the rift between Eelam Tamils and the Indian Establishment..; (they) masked the right perspectives reaching the masses.(and) . contributed to the genocide of Eelam Tamils..and paved the way for the China syndrome knocking the doors of South India. Now they want to discuss what to do about it and perhaps how to pawn some more Tamil interests for their mistakes….India will not like UN involvement.., (for the loop factor)…. India will oppose war crimes accusations against Rajapakse ..India faces similar accusations in Kashmir’
Is it sound logic that Delhi supports SL genocide ‘..because India faces similar accusations in Kashmir ‘ and does Delhi admit that it also committed massacres in tens of thousands as SL did in Mullivaykkal. The think tank’s logic goes awry. Most of the think tank participants are renowned tribal sectarians the exception being Brahma Chellaney whose piece ‘Behind Sri Lanka Bloodbath’ in Mainstream Weekly Oct 24 is exceptional. His ‘But India, too, contributed to the Sri Lankan bloodbath through its military aid, except that it has ended up, strangely with its leverage undermined..since 1987 Indian foreign policy is driven not by resolute long term goals but by a meandering approach influenced by the personal caprice of those in power..Another personality driven shift in India’s Sri Lanka policy came after the 2004 change of government in New Delhi, when the desire to avenge Gandhi’s assassination trumped strategic considerations with the (faked) hands-off approach being abandoned.
The message from the recent Bihar elections beacons hope for all Tamils exposing the fragility of the Sonia-Rahul hype and that their personal caprice is bound to disappear sooner than later and Delhi returns to its pre -2004 foreign policies bringing salvation for the Tamils.
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