By Tisaranee Gunasekara –
“Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear” – Bertrand Russell (Unpopular Essays)
The malignant police response to the peaceful vigil organised by the Facebook group, ‘Buddhists Questioning Bodu Bala Sena’ proved one fact beyond doubt – the BBS is a protected species, protected by the Rajapaksas. According to video footage, the police acted as if they were the private army of the BBS, threatening and harassing the participants of the vigil. Clearly the police were under orders to display a zero-tolerance towards these non-violent protestors – just as they were under orders to employ a laissez-faire demeanour towards the mob attacking Fashion Bug.
The BBS will be above the law, so long as it does the Rajapaksas’ work.
The toxic conduct of the BBS can ignite an anti-Muslim Black July, jeopardise Colombo’s relations with the Islamic world and inflict a new war on Sri Lanka. Given these deadly potentialities, the order to protect and facilitate the BBS (and its offshoots) would have had to come from the very top. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa might be the Godfather of the BBS, but he could not have extended consistent patronage to an organisation trying to incite a Buddhist-Muslim conflict without the approval of his brother, the President.
According to video footage, the police acted as if they were the private army of the BBS
Ethnic overdetermination died with the Tiger. The Siblings need a new (ethno-religious) overdetermination to prevent their Sinhala base from focusing on socio-economic issues (such as the electricity hike which will have a punitive impact on the poor/middle classes while shielding the rich). Fear of an ‘Islamic threat’ can reduce the Sinhala masses into a state of infantile compliance and make them respond to iniquitous economic-shocks with resignation rather than anger.
What about the possible loss of Islamic support, internationally? Perhaps the question should be approached from a different angle. The Rajapaksas need Islamic support because they are having problems with the West on democracy/human rights/accountability issues. If the West discards these concerns and welcomes the Rajapaksas into its fold,Colombowould not need Islamic allies.
Then there is the Magnitsky Act.
Last week, the Obama Administration imposed a travel-cum-asset ban on 12 Russian officials accused of rights violations under the Magnitsky Act. The EU plans to enact its own Magnitsky Act. Imposing generalised sanctions on a country for the crimes of its leaders amounts to collective punishment; it is unjust and ineffective – because the costs are borne not by the leaders but by the people. Laws such as the Magnitsky Act can localise punitive measures to miscreant-leaders/officials and ensure that ordinary people do not have to pay for the sins of their rulers.
Both Gotabhaya and Basil Rajapaksa are US citizens. They cannot but have properties and bank accounts in their adopted country. When President Rajapaksa needs medical help, his preferred option is the US, not China or Russia. The mere thought of the Magnitsky Act being applied against Lankan leaders/officials would thus be a nightmare for all three Siblings. Such a development may take years, but the Rajapaksas would want to take preventive measures early on, given what is at stake for them personally.
The Rajapaksas do not want to become Asian Chavezes. If there is an international model they might want to emulate it is of those Third World despots who were/are welcome in the West, despite innumerable tyrannical deeds.
How to build bridges to the West without abandoning the despotic measures necessary to maintain familial rule – that would be the Rajapaksa Gordian Knot.
One method is image-laundering. Since the Rajapaksa diplomatic and propaganda apparatuses are not up to the task of creating an Orwellian counter-reality, the job is being outsourced to Two American lobbying firms: the Majority Group and the Thompson Advisory Group (TAG). The TAG had only one reported client in 2012; its annual reported income was a measly US$80,000[i];Sri Lanka will pay this nonentity US$ 66,600 per month! The Majority Group seems so tiny that it does not have to disclose its lobbying details (firms with an annual income less than US$ 10,000 are exempt);Sri Lanka will pay this firm US$ 50,000 per month!
The urgent Rajapaksa need to mend fences with Washington might also explain another curious development: the BBS’s sudden American visit.
The BBS’s interest in sprucing-up its image is understandable. But why commence that image-remaking effort in theUS, a country with a Christian-majority, the home base of Evangelical churches the BBS loves to hate?
The BBS in America
The Rajapaksas continue to target their opponents/critics; the Uthayan paper was attacked, again, and the Sirisa TV was threatened, again. They have no intention of implementing the democratising recommendations of their own LLRC. They seem to be intent on either postponing the Northern provincial election or winning it by force.
They want to do all this without jeopardising the Commonwealth Summit. And they must escape the Magnitsky Act.
During the Cold War decades, the adoption of neo-liberal economics and anti-left politics sufficed for anyThird Worlddespot to become the darling of the West. Currently, a country which is anti-democratic can win Western favour only if it is seen as a target of ‘Islamic terrorism’.
Immediately after the horrendous Bostonbombing, a website notorious for rightwing insanities carried an article[ii] which blamed an Iran-Al Qaeda combine and mentioned Sri Lanka as a conduit state. According to the article’s unnamed source, Iran’s Quds Forces are collaborating with “Hezbollah and elements of al-Qaida with links to individuals in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He said that under Quds Force guidance, Hezbollah recruited Sunni terrorists allied with al-Qaida factions in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh who then entered the US for terrorist activities”[iii].
Given the schisms within Islam (which cause far more murderous violence than anti-Americanism), a nexus between the Shia Iran/Hezbollah and the Sunni Al Qaeda is as impossible as Mahayanism being welcomed inSri Lankaby the BBS. But this is the sort of insane conspiracy theory which is beloved by fanatics of every religion.
And such myths are used to justify the targeting of ethnic/religious/racial ‘Other’ as the anti-Semites did with the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ hoax.
One can easily imagine a meeting of minds between the purveyors of such delusions in the US and their saffron-robed Lankan counterparts.
The Obama administration does not subscribe to the myth of an anti-Islam civilisational conflict, but a future Republican administration (fortunately an unlikely possibility) might. Islamophobia is a powerful politico-ideological current within the Republican Party. Republican Islamophobes believe that “Islamic Sharia Law is creeping into American courts; the Department of Justice has come under the sway of the Muslim Brotherhood; and the President’s engagement ring includes secret writing that indicates Muslim loyalties…. in August delegates at the Republican National Convention voted to include a plank in their platform affirming their opposition to Sharia law” (Mother Jones – 3.1.2013). The Republican Party therefore would be far more receptive to Rajapaksa overtures, if the Siblings can portray themselves as warriors battling the ‘Islamic Threat’.
Is this the message the BBS is expected to convey to the Republican right, at the grassroots level, during its American sojourn?[iv]
[ii] The author of the article is Reza Kahlili, a self proclaimed CIA spy who in 2010 claimed that Iran “will attack Israel, European capitals, and the Persian Gulf region at the same time, then they will hide in a bunker (until a religious prophesy is fulfilled)…and kill the rest of the non-believers” (Washhington Post – 7.12.2010).Iran manifestly did not.
[iii] http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/u-s-was-warned-of-terror-attacks/ The World Net Daily is an ultra-right website infamous for its promotion of such delusions as the ‘Birther story’.
[iv] The BBS monks may have been deployed at least once previously on an unofficial diplomatic mission. Sometime in 2011, Rev. Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thero led a delegation to Norway. According to the CEO of the BBS, a purpose of the visit was to meet some of the hardline Tamil Diaspora groups. Why should Rev. Gnanasara et al, who relentlessly attack Tamil moderates, go all the way to Norway to meet pro-Tiger Tamils?
AYMAN / April 18, 2013
AMERICAN BUDDHISTS REJECT THE BORU BANA SENA
This statement was issued by the management committee of the Sri Ratna Viharaya of Anaheim California USA
The Management Committee of the Anaheim temple would like to issue the following statement regarding the visit of the Bodu Bala Sena:
We are deeply disturbed and disappointed by the actions taken by Ven. Sumana in allowing the “Bodu Bala Sena” representatives to stay at the Anaheim temple, organizing a ‘Buddhanussathi Pooja’ and a get-together (please see attached flyer).
This was organized with the consent of the Ven. Sumana by two individuals without consulting the Management Committee of the temple and we had no prior knowledge of this visit until last Thursday. Since then, the Management Committee has met and spoken to Ven. Sumana requesting not to provide accommodation to the representatives of this group and not to organize a bodhi pooja or a meeting with them.
It is our position that Sri Ratana Viharaya should not support “Bodu Bala Sena” which advocates against the rights of minorities in Sri Lanka and resorts to violence, mob action and intimidation to advance their cause. The temple premises should not be used as a platform to promote hatred and/or to promote an extremist group like “Bodu Bala Sena”.
Therefore, the Management Committee requests our devotees not to participate in any of these activities and not to support this extremist group now or in the future.
The Management Committee of the temple
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Dhaksha / April 18, 2013
There are many other Buddhist temples all over the US. I hope they are following the same example.
Good for the members of this temple for showing the way.
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Maghribi / April 18, 2013
Sri Lanka does not possess the resources or the financial clout to built an anti-Islamic bridge with the US. However, the country will be used as a pawn to shift geopolitical power struggle between the US and China. The anti-Islamic card played by the BBS will eventually backfire, sadly on the people of Sri Lanka. The BBS is systematically isolating the 1.9 billion Muslims world wide and thus lose out in the economic development process of the business communities in Islamic countries. Is Lanka destined with the begging bowl and a slave to the super powers? Actions of the patriots of Lanka will determined their future.
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srilal / April 18, 2013
One needs to find out who and why the US embassy in Colombo issued the entry visas to these ” hora ganayos ” ? those who are familiar with strict US visa guide lines know , how difficult to obtain the US visa from Colombo embassy , Definitely Some thing, some where is fishy!
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Dhaksha / April 18, 2013
You have a good point. By now, surely the American embassy is aware that these are dangerous extremists who can cause problems even for their Muslim population, so why were they given the relevant visas?
These scum bags should be banned from entering any country, that is if you reject their message of hate and bigotry.
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srilal / April 18, 2013
“By now, surely the American embassy is aware that these are dangerous extremists who can cause problems “
are you to say ,before issuing the visas embassy official didn’t know who this balu sena is ?? US embassy officials know every single major incident taking place in SL, as a matter of fact they have first hand reliable ,uninterrupted sources than the ministry of external affairs can put together.
i don’t know why would countries like US, Norway want these type of terror outfits in their soil.
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Dhaksha / April 18, 2013
I am sure the embassies know, however I just emphasized the fact that after these past few incidences, they would have no doubt.
It does reflect badly on those nations who allow such extremists into their nations, immediately after such violent behavior.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 19, 2013
“i don’t know why would countries like US, Norway want these type of terror outfits in their soil.”
Why does Gota travel via Tel Aviv?
Do you think Obumer the president rules?
After the peace price Obumer was aroused by two right wingers of the continent to go against friendly nation of Gadhafi with a no fly order and the rest is history.
80% of Obumer administration is hardworking intelligent Jewish folk.
How would you like to be living in North Korea? Think! Thats Rajaporkistans dream.
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srilal / April 19, 2013
” Why does Gota travel via Tel Aviv? “
who cares ? i know both countries are rouge states !both SL and Israel have been violating all the conventions and international laws ! There is a slight difference though, in Israel Jews enjoy the rule of law and democracy !
“Do you think Obumer the president rules?”
Come on , don’t drag this in to this , every body knows who controls the US economy and who calls the shots .
” 80% of Obumer administration is hardworking intelligent Jewish folk.”
In recent history Is there any US president who kept jews out of his administration ?
” How would you like to be living in North Korea? Think! Thats Rajaporkistans dream.”
why do you tell me all these , you pick the wrong geezer , go and tell this stuff to your mates !
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Safa / April 18, 2013
BBS will be sadly disappointed in their efforts. Handfull of BBS and a handfull of right wing facist may get together but cannot equal the strength of the Islamic countries. US is the playground of all sorts of queers and weirdos. People getting bombed, shot indicates the deep problems within American society itself. Various cults and schools of thought prolificate. Maybe this is symptomatic of the hollowness of materialistic values and existence.
On the the positive side it is the great melting pot of ethnicities, religons and cultures. There is a place for innovation and talent to be recognised and blossom. I have worked with Americans in the middle east and find them to be most friendly and hospitable. Many a time I was invited to their homes and observed their simple religous practices. There is good understanding and friendship between the Islamic world and US. Jesus PBUH and Christianity is held in high esteem by muslims. The bond is cemented by the strategic importance of Islamic countries and energy sources.
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Shiva / April 18, 2013
lady it is people like u who r inviting the US to ruin ur country….
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K.A Sumanasekera / April 18, 2013
MP Azwer has told Sambandan to first apologizse for the atrocities commited in Kathankaddy Mosque in Eravur , on the Banks of Mahawele,killing hundreds of innocent Muslims and say sorry for uprooting one hundred thousand of them from their ancestral lands in the North.
He has futher stated that Muslimss will never belive him or fall prey for his “gingerly politics”
Palestinian Minister who is visiting Srilanka has gone to meet the President with 15 or 16 other Ambassodors from Muslim countries to thank him for making the country peaceful and prosperous.
President in return has assured them that he won’t allow any racial or religious upheavals under his watch.
And Ms T wants her dear readers to believe that Rajapaksa is betraying the Muslims to buy property in the US and get Medical treatment.
What a joke?.
Crown Colombo will need at least six thousand employees to run their high roller Casino on the banks of Beira Lake.
That is six thousand opportunities for the pretty faced Facebookers in Colombo to earn a decent crumb.
And what they do in appreciation?.
Come on to the streets with candles to stick it up to the poor Sinhala Villagers and their monks, who made unbelievable sacrifices to make Colombo a safe place to live and invest.
And their parents and relos overseas to buy luxury pads in Colombo postcodes.
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AYMAN / April 19, 2013
MUSLIMS WOULD RATHER BELIEVE SAMPANTHAN THAN ASSWER. HE IS A “POLITICAL
PROSTITUTE”. HE REPRESENTS NO ONE BUT HIMSELF. HE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO TALK ON BEHALF OF MUSLIMS,SINCE HE HAS NEVER CONTESTED AN ELECTION. HE WAS PICKED UP FIRST BY SOME “PIMP” FOR PREMADASA. THATS HOW
HE CAME INTO THE UNP AND THE PROSTITUTE HE IS, SLEEPS WITH THE RAJAPAKSES
NOW. ASS-WER PLEASE KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT, BEFORE YOU ARE FULLY EXPOSED!!!!!
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AYMAN / April 19, 2013
REPRESENTATIVES OF MUSLIM COUNTRIES DID NOT GO TO THANK RAJAPAKSA.
RATHER THEY DIPLOMATICALLY WARNED HIM ABOUT A POSSIBLE BACKLASH FROM THE
MUSLIM AND GULF COUNTRIES. THEY CAN FREEZE EMPLOYMENT, FREEZE REMITTANCES
AND AS A LAST MEASURE JUST CLOSE THE “OIL TAP”
SUMANASEKERA DOES NOT KNOW WHAT PEACE AND PROGRESS IS. YOU ARE FREE TO
LICK THE RAJA-PASSAS.
YOU WILL KNOW PROGRESS WHEN YOU GET YR. NEXT ELECTRICITY BILL.
IT IS BECOZ OF IDIOTS LIKE YOU THAT WE ARE IN THIS BLOODY MESS
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peebee / April 18, 2013
It is certainly important that the motives and root causes are examined which led to the creation of the terror group such as the BBS. But equal importance needs to be given zo examining why it is so easy for the majority of Sri Lankans to succumb to racist hysteria so easily time and time again. Unless this phenomenon is acknowledged and ways to prevent it are devised I don’t see hope for Lanka.
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eureka / April 18, 2013
Tisaranee
How can the justice-and-peace-loving people of Sri Lanka thank you enough ?
You are a marvel linking up various facts to make sense to help us find solutions for the knots made by the thuggish rulers.
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John / April 18, 2013
US is totally against BBS & issued a statement with their concern over some incidents. Another bullshit.
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AYMAN / April 19, 2013
THE US AMBASSDRESS CONDEMNED THE BBS ACTIVITIES, BUT GRANTED VISAS,OBVIOUSLY ON THE REQUEST OF THE GOTA.
THIS IS AMERICAN HYPOCRISY!!!!
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Dee / April 18, 2013
BBS is in the US during Vesak, here’s the schedule, please call , write contact the Managements, inform Sri Lankans, and Muslims groups in the US.
On April 20 – Indianapolis Buddhist Vihara – phone 260-447-5269
April 27th – Washington DC Buddhist Vihara – 202-723-0773
April 28th – Maryland Buddhist Vihara – 301-946-9437
May 2nd – Boston New England Buddhist Vihara – 508 839-5038
May 4th – New Jersey Buddhist Vihara – 718-556-2051 / 609 933-2291
May 5th @ 3PM – New York Staten Island Buddhist Vihara – 718 – 556- 2051
May 5th @ 6PM – New York Queens Buddhist Vihara – 718 468 4262 , 718 556 2051, 609 933 2291
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Pol Pot / April 18, 2013
Dee, – If the Buddha’s Dhamma is honestly practised in the above list of Viharas, the devotees will have no difficulty in recognising the Devadattas in the BBS Group.
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Jayantha / April 19, 2013
I don’t think many respectable Buddhist devotees in USA would like to see BBS in their Buddhist temples. They may not welcome them similar to CA.
Wait and see what the outcome will be.
Also both Muslim and Tamil peoples protests may also follow.
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eureka / April 18, 2013
Rajapakses (just as their predecessors) are willing to do anything but fairplay to all citizens !!
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Pol Pot / April 18, 2013
“One method is image-laundering. Since the Rajapaksa diplomatic and propaganda apparatuses are not up to the task of creating an Orwellian counter-reality, the job is being outsourced to Two American lobbying firms: the Majority Group and the Thompson Advisory Group (TAG). The TAG had only one reported client in 2012; its annual reported income was a measly US$80,000[i];Sri Lanka will pay this nonentity US$ 66,600 per month! The Majority Group seems so tiny that it does not have to disclose its lobbying details (firms with an annual income less than US$ 10,000 are exempt);Sri Lanka will pay this firm US$ 50,000 per month!”
Tisaranee you should have been assigned the Task of putting together a Documentary of all the atrocities committed by the LTTE during the 30 years of War. It would have beaten ‘The Killing Fields’ hollow! Why pay Foreign Exchange, (earned by our West Asian Workers), to get the job done?
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Lankan / April 18, 2013
BBS in the US, to what extent can they be effective in the US? The most they can do is to influence the Sinhala minorities in the US. That too they can influence only a very small group of the Sinhala Buddhists. Their influence may be, if at all, be over the older folks and not the younger generation. The younger generation who are living and educated in the US, do not see colour, race, religion or cast as a valid reason to be against another group of people. So the influence of BBS would be very limited and we should not give that much of attention to their visit. There is a saying in the marketing community, “any publicity whether its good or bad is always a good publicity”. If we give publicity to BBS all the time they are getting good publicity. The best way to counter is to ignore completely the BBS from the media. In my opinion the best BBS would gain would be the duty free liquor the leader of the BBS can bring with him when he gets back from the US, nothing else.
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AYMAN / April 19, 2013
THEY WILL SOON RETURN WITH THEIR TAIL BETWEEN THEIR LEGS.
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Dee / April 19, 2013
But it is worth calling the viharas to find out why they are sponsoring these hate groups? No different to LTTE sponsoring event. There will be Sri lankans without knowing will go to these temples to celebrate Vesak, BBS can then put theise photos or free publicity.
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Dee / April 19, 2013
***put these photos for free publicity****correction
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Dhaksha / April 21, 2013
Yes it it worth calling these temples and advising them against entertaining these scoundrels.
If any Sri Lankan lives close to any of these temples, please go ahead and make that call.
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Jayantha / April 19, 2013
What I see is that Rajapakses Politicised Buddhism completely to fulfill their personal agenda.
When one gives dana to buddhist preletes with a good heart, Rajapakses give dana with another idea in mind to trap Both Buddhist Preletes and the Buddhist voters who visit those temples often.
First Rajapakses gave enough and more gifts to Kandy Dalada Maligawa to receive the most Prestigious and the longest title ever to receive by a Sri Lankan Leader from the Kandy Preletes.
Nowhere in Sri Lanka’s history a leader has given so much of donations, lands, vehicles, foreign travel, buildings,scholarships, temples, buddha statutes and many others as much as Rajapakses to buddhist clergy and now have even gone upto say that Rajapakses are related to Lord Buddha and King Dutugemunu.
Very soon we could see Rajapakse statutes replace Lord Buddha statutes and for people to worship them.
This is how far Rajapakses have politicised their Power base after duping the Buddhist cand most of them are villages who could be easily duped.
Then President Rajapakse appointed his own relative Sashindra Rajapakse as the trustee of kataragama temple.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/infographic-rajapaksa-family-and-nepotism/rajapaksa-family-tree
Since Rajapakses are from South, they knew that they could influence the southern Buddhist clergy in order to fulfill their long term ambition….which is the eternal governing of the country.
Similar to the way how JVP influenced southern Youth, Rajapakses influenced Southern Buddhist Clergy and now with BBS, Rawaya, Rawana, Rajapakses have managed to penetrate and brainwash the rest of the young Buddhist clergy putting them on a revolutionary path to intimidate the opposition parties, minority communities and minority religions.
Using this revolutionary Buddhist clergy to influence 75% sinhala buddhist voters will give enough and more power to Rajapakses to stay in power for life.
THIS IS RAJAPAKSES LONG TERM GAME PLAN. NOW THAT THE SEED IS ALREADY SOWN AND THE TREE IS ALMOST GROWN, IT WILL BE VERY HARD FOR KNADY BUDDHIST PRELETES OR RATTWATTE NILAME TO RE-DIRECT THEM.
What I herd was that BBS has already planned to build a center in Muslim dominated Kalmunai.
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_13A/Apr18_1366294864CH.php
Also they plan to expand their branches all over Sri Lanka and other countries.
What I want to tell is that initially BBS revolutionists will change the whole Sri Lanka’s Buddhist doctrine instigating violence among minorities and with the blessings of Rajapakses will govern for some times similar to what JVP and LTTE did.
But eventually after a while….(I don’t know the duration) it will face the same fate as how both JVP and it’s supporters faced, and VP and LTTE fighters buried at Nanthikandal.
One thing is sure and that is the respect for the Sri Lankan Buddhist Clergy have disappeared both in Sri Lanka and abroad and also Rajapakses are playing Russian Roulette with BBS.
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Lanka Liar / April 19, 2013
Have you met one true Buddist in Sri Lanka. If you know him please let me know.
BBS has gone a bit too far for the time. They too are following the other Buddhist in Sri Lanka. Tell me a Buddhist monk who raised his voice against the atrocities of hundreds of thousands of Tamils. Many riots. Bulldozing cemeteries. None isn’t it. Now they are upset that Muslims are going to overtake them in number in a few years time because of their superior birthrate. That is it.
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sundu / April 20, 2013
Well said. BBS is not alone. This would happen as long as we do not question our behavior as well said by Bertrand Russelbut not heard by the Deaf.
How True and yet untrue to many
“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
“Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
“MAN IS A CREDULOUS ANIMAL, AND MUST BELIEVE SOMETHING; IN THE ABSENCE OF GOOD GROUNDS FOR BELIEF, HE WILL BE SATISFIED WITH BAD ONES.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
“Man is a rational animal. So at least we have been told. Throughout a long life I have searched diligently for evidence in favor of this statement. So far, I have not had the good fortune to come across it.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
“MOST OF THE GREATEST EVILS THAT MAN HAS INFLICTED UPON MAN HAVE COME THROUGH PEOPLE FEELING QUITE CERTAIN ABOUT SOMETHING WHICH, IN FACT, WAS FALSE.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
“Not all superstitions are dark and cruel. I once received a communication from the god Osiris. He was living at that time in a suburb of Boston.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
Google Search for ‘Jumping Yoga’ on the internet. The will prove the sayings.
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AYMAN / April 20, 2013
TALDUWE SOMARAMA. HE KILLED SWRD. AND WAS EXECUTED, BUT HE CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY BEFORE HE DIED.SO THE ONLY BUDDHIST SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR THE SINS OF THE OTHER BUDDHISTS.
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Tissa / April 20, 2013
If somebody thinks that a friendly bridge could be built with US by attacking Muslims, then that person is living on another planet. Gota or Basil are nobodies over here. Basil may move to Australia to be with his daughter’s Caucasian in-laws. No BBS will be allowed to take over our temple. I’d rather call them the “KBBS”, “kunu biththara bala sena”. They stink like what they do. Don’t forget one of the senior advisor to the president over here is a Muslim. And every Muslim is not a Jihadist. Some politicians are like vultures devourer any carcass they find. JR did the same thing in July, 83 to stay in power. Buddha never had bunch of thugs going round converting everybody or destroying other religions. I listened to a monk ranting about protecting Sinhala from Muslim men. I didn’t think that had anything with spiritual wellbeing. They are trying to hijack Buddhism. Violence has no place in Buddhism.
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Aiyo / April 22, 2013
It is evident that the Rajapakse’s resort to diversionary tactics to draw attention away from the core issues severely plaguing this country. What kind of President is MR to defend the Mattala Airport by making childish statements that people are of jealous of him. The electricity tariff increase is nothing but total mismanagement and to service debts resulting in failures of wrong policy decisions. They have no audience with the educated and enlightened that will respect their theories and shortsightedness other than for the masses who are least impacted by economic issues and global issues. They are playing on the emotions of people who dont have the mental capacity to assess and respond to the issues at hand.
Take the politicians that form his government. They are subservient people who compromise on ethics to cash in on small monitory benefits dolled out by this government. Whilst I can understand the Rajapaske’s behavior to be like children in a candy shop I cant understand the politicians who serve his government who are a bunch of “yes” men. If at all they should be taken to task for not holding their boss and his family for their corrupt and low -down behavior by holding this country to ransom. They so claim they have rid the country of terrorists but they terrorise the country with their white vans, BBS acttivities, abductions of journalists, Killing of people, supporting murderers like Karuna and Pillaiyan. Their is nothing that can save this country, be it the opposition, SF or anybody unless the people decide to act and hold this government accountable. They must! They have to!
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