By Michael Roberts –
Prof. Michael Roberts
The recent UNHRC resolution sponsored by USA and directed at the government of Sri Lanka was the culmination of a campaign that began during the last stages of Eelam War IV. Since 2010 articulate circles in the West have been convinced that there had been “40,000 civilian deaths” during this phase. In contrast Rohan Gunaratna asserted that there were 1400 civilian deaths, of which 200 were inflicted by the LTTE. Both calculations are erroneous. Estimates provided by three moderate Tamils who have had regular access to the Tamil personnel who were on the ground indicate that the death toll, inclusive of Tamil Tiger personnel, was in the range 10,000 to 16,000, in circumstances where it was impossible to differentiate in all cases between those Tiger, those recently conscripted as auxiliaries and those truly civilian.
It is towards the clarification of these specific circumstances and a criticism of the claims presented by a variety of human rights agencies, moral crusaders and media engines that this essay is directed. The campaign has been sustained by a mixture of lies and half-truths amidst truths, compounded further by a wilful blindness to the manner in which the LTTE utilised the Tamil populace in its domain as labour pool, protective shield and bargaining chip meant to induce a ”humanitarian intervention.” The massaging of death toll figures, therefore, is just one facet of a massive propaganda heist.
Death Toll, January-May 2009
As the SL Army advanced on three fronts, the LTTE lost control of the A9 arterial road and its administrative capital at Kilinochchi by 1 January 2009. Thereafter, its forces and the people they had herded together were trapped in the Vanni Pocket, namely, the north eastern corner of the island between the A9 and the coast, a district-size chunk of territory that shrank continuously as the government forces advanced till the Tigers and remaining civilians – roughly 200,000 in crude estimate — were sandwiched into 42 square kilometres in mid-April.
After the remaining Tiger terrain was captured by mid-May 2009, the first estimates of the numbers killed that were presented by Holmes, the UN representative, in Colombo, was 7,721. Further down the track his former media officer at that time, Gordon Weiss appeared before the ABC and claimed that the death toll was between 10,000 and 40,000. Even as late as June 2011 the Times in London referred to 20,000 civilian dead in the course of a summary review of the Sri Lankan war.
However, the UN Panel of Experts appointed on his own initiative by Ban Ki-Moon presented their report (the Darusman Report) in March 2011 and stated that the original figure of 7,721 was at the lower end of the scale and there could have been “as many as 40,000 deaths.”
In next to no time this speculation became hard fact in news items from prestigious media chains. Thus, Kerry O’Brien of ABC asserted that “40,000 civilians were killed” and spoke of the “brutal slaughter of humans.” The widespread acceptance of this type of claim was largely the product of the emotional appeal of the Channel 4 documentary called “Killing Fields.” Gordon Weiss chipped in by highlighting his position under the rubric “Sri Lanka’s “Srebenica Moment.”
The imagery associated with these two moments of state-organised genocide in Kampuchea and Serbia had the impact they were designed to arouse. Despite its weak evidential foundation and explicit surmise, the figure of 40,000 became an established fact in some minds. Also occluded was the character of the UN panel under Darusman and the appalling analytical capacities displayed within its report.
The Shortcomings of the Darusman Report
It is remarkable that Ban Ki-Moon selected three individuals from a legal background to undertake a survey of a military campaign in a land with which they had limited geographical knowledge and no cultural familiarity. The absence of military expertise and social science capacities are immediately apparent in its coverage.
Independent academics working with the Marga Research Institute in Colombo have shown that there was “a large lacuna [in this] information gathering exercise”; that many sources were not divulged and that significant omissions meant that the Panel relied “on a one-sided body of sources.” Indeed, the “adversarial stance” taken by the Darusman Panel resulted not only in findings marred by internal contradictions, but also revealed a failure to comprehend “the formidable challenge which the government faced.”
This was a failure of contextualization and proportionality. A balanced review cannot focus on death estimates without placing the figure beside the number of Tamils, both Tiger and genuine civilian, who survived. We now know that at around 280-290,000, including roughly 11,000 deemed Tiger, emerged alive from the crucible of the Vanni Pocket between January and mid-May 2009.
By mid-April 2009 about 60,000 had reached the safety of government territory by sneaking through on land or sea. On the 19-23 April the army breached the LTTE”s last redoubt in a remarkable operation. State media images on TV and print revealed streams of people, including Tigers who had downed arms, struggling across lagoon and dune to safety. As Reddy from India described the scene, “an international and local media team that visited the area on a military-conducted tour saw for itself the terror-stricken faces.” This mass has been variously estimated as 103,000, 106,000 and even 120,000, but it included many Tiger fighters and such leading LTTE functionaries as Daya Master and George Master.
The Darusman Report’s failure to give weight to such events is quite remarkable. This shortcoming is compounded by its refusal to give adequate weight to the character of the LTTE regime.
The LTTE War Machine
Prabhakaran has been described by former colleagues as well as Tamil dissidents as a person who believed in the pre-emptive strike and the killing of individuals who stood in his way. The LTTE had spurned the opportunity of self-determination via negotiation in both 1995 and 2006. Throughout the ceasefire-period 2002-06 it built up its military capacities. This preparation included paramilitary training for civilians
When the LTTE initiated Eelam War IV in July 2006 it was confident of success. Matters turned out different. By late 2007 their military capacity in the Eastern Province had been reduced to nil. By January 2008 they lost control of the north western coastline which had enabled a supply of arms from India. Outgunned and outmanned, their troops were forced into a retreat that moved from west to east for the most part. They used landmines, bunds, trenches and booby traps to slow down the government forces.
The LTTE also increased its conscription of civilians to build these defences and replenish its troops. At the same time the civilian population were induced to retreat en masse ahead of the battle lines – moving from west to east. Though subject to multiple displacements, these people faced limited danger at the outset in 2008. But from January 2009 they were in increasing danger of being submerged in the crossfire.
This was the LTTE’s intent. The civilians were, now, not only a source of labour and conscripts; they were also hostages shielding the Tigers and providing a concern for humanitarian agencies which intervened and sought a ceasefire from the warring parties. Since the LTTE had no intention of releasing the Tamil people or respecting any ceasefire, such interventions were in fact a form of military aid for the LTTE. The humanitarian outcry raised by AI, HRW, ICG as well as some Western leaders was also a potential escape route that would have enabled the LTTE leadership to return to the fight another day.
The reasoning of the LTTE leadership was revealed subsequently by Kumaran Pathmanathan (their principal logistics man abroad): “when I reflect upon the past I think the LTTE leadership also had no choice. If they released the people first, then only the Tigers would be left there. Thereafter all of them could have been wiped out.”
The shielding capacity of the mass of civilians was all the more because, from 2008 if not earlier, most Tigers were fighting in check-shirts, trousers, shorts and sarongs. The SL army’s night operations and the success of their snipers as well as the exigencies of retreat encouraged such a policy. As General Fonseka told an investigator one aspect of the LTTE military tactics at this point was to mingle with fleeing Tamil civilians in order to infiltrate army lines and wreak havoc from within.
In a communiqué on the 9th March 2009 Blake, the US ambassador in Colombo, noted that “the LTTE maintains the fiction that civilians do not want to leave. All evidence points to the contrary: several civilians have been shot trying to escape, many others have escaped.” Anna Neistat of HRW was equally adamant on this point in March 2009 after meeting Tamils in refugee camps who had fled the war zone.
Though Weiss and the Darusman Report mention such facts, their overall reviews downplay the significance and focus largely on the government’s role in the injury of “civilians” through indiscriminate shelling. Their estimates of the civilian dead simply gloss over the difficulty of distinguishing civilian and Tiger; and attach little weight to the fact that the LTTE was the creator of this circumstance: the sandwich situation in which their own Tamil populace was placed and their use as so many sandbags.
Channel 4 went further in manufacturing a lie: they asserted that the Tamil “civilians were driven from their homes by government forces.” Amidst numerous sources, the writings of the Hindu correspondent as well as the Tamil journalist DBS Jeyaraj provide conclusive evidence against such calumny. In a passionate essay in April 2009 Jeyaraj, a senior Tamil journalist writing from Toronto, spoke of the situation of his Tamil people under the LTTE as “an open prison” and celebrated the escape “from bondage” of 103,000 “entrapped” people that was secured by an army operation between the 19th and 23rd April 2009. In noting that some civilians may have died in the course of the war, he contended that those who reached safety had gained that “most important human right, namely the right to life;” while adding that “it is a matter of record that soldiers involved in the evacuation have been deeply touched by the tragic situation of civilians.”
Summary
What we have seen in the last four years therefore is a tale of successful dissimulation that has built on half-truths by the addition of lies and the wilful neglect of significant factors. The 40,000 figure on death toll is a surmise that has gained a definitiveness that it cannot bear; while disregarding the extent to which people died through natural causes exacerbated by the starvation diet forced upon them, the high incidence of death by snake bite during journeys through jungle (highlighted by Anandasangaree, the veteran Tamil politician); and failing to enumerate the 600 or so dissident Tamil prisoners executed by the LTTE once they found them a burden.
Such details have been conveniently forgotten by the media outlets. Since sensational news is their bread and butter this is not surprising. But the moral crusaders have no such excuse. It would seem that emotion and a tendency to evaluate complex scenarios in black and white terms have clouded their judgment. They have also tended to draw upon data provided by Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates who are driven by emotion of a different character: that of vengeance for the discrimination suffered by their people over the last forty years. Such individuals as Daran in England and Jegan Waran in Australia have supplied politicians and media agencies with one-sided and questionable data.
Revenge has likewise promoted the activities of Sinhalese journalists and other who have fled in the face of intimidation from the Rajapaksa government in recent years. Westerners such as Benjamin Dix who have worked in LTTE territory and developed ideological attachments towards the cause of Eelam also seem to have gone overboard in their testimonies.
Such combinations have revealed a capacity to mount an effective propaganda war that has captured the high ground. It is only “high ground” in terms of power exerted. As I have argued, its neglect of detail and its mixing of lies and exaggerations with elements of truth means that its heights are not those of elevated ethics.
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Reddy, B. Muralidhar 2009 “Multiple Displacements, Total Loss of Identity,” http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/27/stories/2009052755811500.htm
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Roberts, Michael 2009b “Dilemma’s at War’s End: Clarifications and Counter-offensive,” www.groundviews.org.
Roberts, Michael 2009c “Realities of War,” Frontline, 26/10, 9-22 May 2009.
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Roberts, Michael 2011c “The Tamil Death Toll in Early 2009: A Misleading Count by Rohan Gunaratna,” 23 November 2011, http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/6285.
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Samarajiva, Indi 2012 “Channel 4’s – A Review,” The Nation, 18 March 2012, http://www.nation.lk/edition/feature-viewpoint.
SRHRL 2012 “High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Conflict in Sri Lanka,” http://srhrl.aaas.org/geotech/srilanka/srilanka.shtml.
Tammita-Delgoda , S. 2009 Sri Lanka. The Last Phase in Eelam War IV. From Chundikulam to Pudukulam,” New Delhi: Centre for Land Warfare, Manekshaw Paper No. 13, 2009.
Tekwani, Shyam 2009 ‘The Man who destroyed Eelam,” http://www.tehelka.com/home /20090523/default.asp.
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Wijesinha, Rajiva 2012 “Benjamin Dix’s Paranoia, and the subtle effectiveness of Guy Rhodes in abusing aid in Sri Lanka,” http://rajivawijesinha.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/benjamin-dixs-paranoia-and-the-subtle-effectiveness-of-guy-rhodes-in-abusing-aid-in-sri-lanka/#more-4898.
Wijesinha, Rajiva 2012a “Frances Harrison, Daran of Channel 4 claims, and the ‘othering’ of Arun Tambimuttu” Daily news 22 may 2012
Gerard Thurai / May 25, 2012
While it is clear that the SL government’s policy of obstruction has played into the hands of the LTTE propagandists, it is not right to assume that there was a conspiracy by Channel 4 and others to overstate the sufferings of the civilian population. The gaps are entirely to do with the absence of information rather than any conspiracy to distort the truth.
Channel 4, like other rapporteurs, failed to understand the nuances and attitudes of Tamil people in the areas governed by the LTTE. At best these civilians were compliant with the LTTE rather than active fighters. However, as the LTTE’s prospects were degraded by the SL armed forces, the civilians could not have remained neutral without being seen as traitors. So they would have had to follow the LTTE into a shrinking killing zone.
There are, nevertheless, questions to be answered by the SLA; in particular the deliberate re-targetting of artillery fire at field hospitals and the systematic rape, torture and murder of prisoners. By the way, these prisoners were not just taken during the final days of the conflict, but were those who were “disappeared” throughout the course of the war.
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 25, 2012
First and foremost now everyone are aware that this Michael Roberts of 91 Hampden Lane, (By the Dhoby land of Canal Bank), is a government lackey, trying his best in the last few years to be an expert on the civil war between the Tamils and Singhalese.
With his association with Rohana Gunaratne another well established con artist and fraud are becoming two peas in a pod, as expert liars. May be it is time Roberts writing about Gunaratna visiting the prison where 4 army suspected of the murder of Editor Lasantha Wicramatunge and negotiating a deal on behalf of the Rajapakses. What promises were made, and what gifts were given remain a secret, but the murderers have been released back to the army, and have gone free.
http://srilanka-warcrimes.blogspot.com/2010/12/rohan-gunaratna-masterminding-cover-up.html
Roberts writes about UNHCR resolution. Hilarious. He does not even know the difference of the UN bodies. It was UNHRC resolution sponsored by the only super power in this world, supported by 40 countries including Australia and New Zealand. He does not find any fault with Australia his own government nor dare write about it. There were 24 countries out of 47 who voted for the resolution, and another 8 refused to support Sri Lanka. They will have another opportunity in November and next March, where China and Russia would not have a vote, but might have influence no doubt being members of the Security Council.
More importantly, India has now firmly on the side of the UNHRC resolution which they reluctantly supported. But after the Indian Parliamentary delegation led by the Leader of the Opposition visited SL and gave a report to the PM, they (GOI) are more than convinced that they were right in supporting the UNHRC resolution.
What the GOSL and their lackeys/liars need to comprehend is that the resolution was only the beginning of IC/UN pressure and not the end, as G L Peries found out while they were on their knees in front of people like Secretary Hilary Clinton, Samantha Power (Presidential Adviser on Genocide) and US rep to the UN Susan Rice. There is undoubtedly much more to come, and we Tamils do not care a damn how badly GOSL misbehaves in the next 9 months, jerking everybody around with deceit and delays. More they jerk, there would be serious ramifications and consequences to Sri Lanka in the 4 important events, in the UN and the commonwealth. There will be 2 UPR country reviews in November 2012 and 2013.
The IC does not look at the rubbish/lies written by the GOSL’s paid lackeys and liars. I am happy to include Rajiva W in that illustrious bunch. And please feel free to bring on board as many as possible, since the IC has all the facts, evidence, affidavits, testimony, and videos.
This is what was included in the US Dept. of State annual human rights report on Sri Lanka. “Quote…….
Britain’s Channel 4 broadcast a report in 2009 on events at the end of the war, followed by a more extensive documentary made available worldwide on the Internet June 14 entitled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields,” which purported to show graphic evidence of army forces committing human rights violations, including footage of extrajudicial executions. The government claimed that its investigations showed that the video was a fake, and that those filmed were actually LTTE members wearing uniforms to impersonate army soldiers while carrying out the executions. The UN special investigator into extrajudicial killings in Sri Lanka, Christof Heyns, told the UN Human Rights Council on May 30 that forensic and technical experts concluded that the video was authentic and that the events reflected in the video occurred as depicted. The report of the domestic Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), publicly released December 16, questioned the findings of the UN-commissioned experts and recommended that the government “institute an independent investigation into this issue [the video]… and take action in accordance with the laws of the land.”
Unquote”
So liars and lackeys can shout and scream all what they want about Channel 4’s 2 videos, UN report, Silva report’s recommendations, HRW, AI, and ICG reports. There are over 1,000 Tamil and Singhala eyewitness testimony that would be available giving direct testimony when there is some credible, independent investigations. Some are senior army officers. The army commander General Fonseka himself will provide his own testimony and if he does not lie will be enough and more revelations. There are plenty of hard evidence via cell phones from the soldiers who sold them for a fee in the last 3 years, which contains valuale evidence to the world of the genocidal atrocities perpetrated under military chain of command of the MOD.
Ignoring the deliberate lies, misleading distortions which are expected from Roberts and their ilk, which is not even worth commenting, mostly all are calling for independent international investigations. Then the likes of Roberts, Rohana, and Rajiva together with racist-chauvinist of the JVP can make their presentations and arguments of hearsay. They did not associate with the perpetrators of the war crimes nor the eye witnesses to the holocaust and genocide, like in Rwanda, Serbia, and Cambodia. What value these lackeys testimony would be, compared to the likes of Bishop Rajappu, Bishop Thiagarajah, very credible eyewitnesses, TNA MP’s and officials can be observed. These lackeys will hurt SL more than help.
These lackeys and government paid propagandist need to realize that the investigations are on War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity committed by the GOSL, and MOD and not on the LTTE. As Tamils For Justice we do not have any objections if the GOSL calls for investigations on the LTTE, India, USA, and Britain as evidenced in many articles and blogs of the lackeys.
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Punchinilame / May 25, 2012
There is one important witness to the so-called faked videos of Ch 4.
He is presently in the “Goldedn Cage” of Gota as with KP – and he is
Mr. Ramawickrema, the embedded cameraman, who sold clips to the media
converting them to mobile phone format?? The LLRC only heard the
Govts. expert Mr. Hewawithrane “in camera” for a good reason.
The burning of bones in a “No-go” zone even after 3 years, now shifted
to NCP Brick klin,under MOD, are matters for the UN Investigations – and not for Rajiv-Robert-Gunaratna comments.
An Independent International Investigation will only satisfy the
SL victims. SF will make statements in time to come, more so on
each act of Gota as to be expected.
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 25, 2012
@Punchinilame – You are right. Bones were destroyed using Chinese incinerators in the Vanni. It is too messy and cumbersome to transport corpses from Vanni to NCP.
@Roberts – Read this article of mounting war crimes evidence on Sri Lanka.
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2012/05/evidence-is-mounting-for-sri-lankas-war.html
Author is from London, and is not paid from or by anyone.
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suz / May 26, 2012
suz propose to use war referees in future war if required the third referee too,instantly UNHRC can take action.
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Anu / May 25, 2012
Reference to the Dhoby canal, Hampden lane is not relevant but perhaps explain author’s motivation!
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Vijaya Senadeera / May 25, 2012
LTTE Eleam Project was born out of FP TULF slogans of separatist slogans and internatization of secessionist Movement and Eleam struggle came into since 1983 to 1987 was one peroid.
And Indain intervention,Indo-Sri lanka Accord and intensification of Violence 1987 to 1994 the second peroid. Year 1994 to 2002 The peace package, war and Interantional community third peroid of LTTE Outfit terrorist action.
Fourth is Norwegian So-called peace lunch 2002 to 2008.
End war 2009 May defeted of LTTE terrorist out-fit.
UNHRA has NOT review entire period of WAR against LTTE actvities.
Why only last part of WAR been invegisation?
The reason is avoide LTTE war crimimla record and human rights Violation BY LTTE TERRORIST MOVEMENT.
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Gerard Thurai / May 25, 2012
It matters not what the numbers were. OK, so what if the numbers were 40 and not 40000. The truth about how they died and who gave the orders makes the difference between describing them as “casualties of war” or as “victims of war crimes”.
Roberts’s attempt at statistical manipulation by including death by natural causes and snake bite would, if extrapolated, provide statistical evidence that the loss of life was a negative number. Smoke and Mirrors!
The debate about numbers is a self- indulgent distraction from the need to understand exactly what roles the LTTE, SL Armed Forces and Government played in the commission of war crimes. What really matters is the knowledge about the current leadership of Sri Lanka and their intentions for addressing the root causes of the war in the first place.
Can these people be trusted to eliminate systemic racism? I don’t think so if their attempts at ethnic cleansing by mass land-grabbing is anything to go by. Is there hope for reconciliation when our intelligentsia play the numbers game with smoke and mirrors? Nah!
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 25, 2012
@Anu. I am born and bred in Hampden Lane. I know the geography as the back of my hand. We still have our homes there. The facts are facts and if the author wants to dispute it he can. When he came there and when he left.
I notice that the article has been corrected from the UNHCR resolution to UNHRC resolution. The author did not know the difference until I pointed out that it was hilarious.
War Crimes issues are “life and death” issues to the Tamils. It is not just pride and ego to cover up and save the war criminals from investigations and possible prosecution.
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Max Silva / May 26, 2012
DONALD THE [Edited out] AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST EXPOSED.I unmasked this terrorist in an article posted by the Tamil Tiger terrorist claiming to be “Srilanka Campaign” titled “Srilanka’s war criminal…”.Donald the [Edited out] have not replied to my comment because he had been caught with his pants down.It seems that Donald the [Edited out] has run away with his dirty tail between his legs!
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Max Silva / May 26, 2012
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
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Vijaya Senadeera / May 26, 2012
Sovereginity and indepedance ,Democracy also survival of Island of Sri lanka.We cannot allow People of SRI LANANKN TANK another RIDE BY LTTE TERRORIST OUT-FIT ; FOR ANOTHER 30 OR 40 YEARS.Tamils living in Hamdon Lane had been not suffer like Tamils in North-east over 30 years. End terror-politics mean ,bring back FREEDOM AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES OF ISLAND.
Your APPROCH IS short-sight, mindset of end WAR confines to the last BATTLE had been KILLED OF LTTE TERRORIST SO IMPORTANT.
NADIKAL WAS WAR BATTLE FRONT.THAT LOCATION LAST BATTELE BETWEEN GOSL ARMY AND LTTE-TERRORIST;THERE WAS WAR AGAINST TAMIL PEOPLE AT ANY COST,IS fact against TERRORIST OF LTTEs.( Tamils all are NOT terrorast)
Naturally war is battle between LIFE and DEATH. At end of war there may be some civlian casuatilities,thosed incidents unavodiable at all.CIVILINS HAS BEEN KILLED,by LTTE as well.THEN war CRIME WILL ARISE!
MY POINT IS IF THERE IS WAR CRIME OR HUMAN RIGHTS VILOATION WE HAVE GO BACK HISTRORY OF ITS BEGNING.SEE THE BOTH SIDES OF WAR CRIMES DURING ENTIRE PERIOD.WHY ONLY SINHALESE SIDE?That is how RACISM HAS BEEN ROOT CAUSE LOP-SIDED WEST-ORINTED HUMANRIGHS BEEN ACT ON FAVOUR OF LTTE-TERRORISM.
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gamini / May 26, 2012
Prof. Michael Roberts uses his Scholastic status to distort facts. Can he explain why the LTTE closed the Mawilaru anicut other than to draw the govt. Forces to a staged War? Why did the LTTE bury all their sophisticated weaponry if they were not ready to fight a War? Why did the LTTE not use their heavy weaponry? If the LTTE were not ready to fight, why did they close the Mawilaru anicut at all and draw the govt. Forces to a War? How did the govt. Forces capture the entire NE under thirty months when the LTTE strong holds in the NE were heavily land mined? According to the International demining Teams it will take another ten years or more to clear the NE.
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 26, 2012
@[Edited out] Max. We do not want to and never will run away from any debate as long as certain dignity is maintained. You seem to be struggling with such a principal for obvious reasons.
I generally have a principle that I do not throw stones on shit. Lest it spreads and hits everyone.
What you fellows do not seem to comprehend is to keep the discussions on the facts and truth which is currently relevant. Once again, you all are struggling with that challenge, which is understandable because the truth and facts are not on your side. How many countries in this world are facing the indictment of the international community in public forums like Sri Lanka? This is despite all the boasting done by them for 3 years, winning the war against the Tamils.
Now the world has realized that they were tricked and fooled by the GOSL because winning the war by illegal means supported by the West, India, China, Israel and Russia is bad example for the future world. Geneva conventions has strict rules and regulations to follow in the conduct of war, handling of surrendering prisoners, dealing with the hundreds of thousands of civilians, their hospitals, schools and homes. Use of chemical weapons, cluster and phosphorous bombs, heavy artillery on civilians at close range are No NO’s. Rape, torture and murder of unarmed civilians and children (under 18) under any circumstances are war crimes.
The IC and UN cannot abandon their responsibilities and duties and ignore such evidence and testimony because lackeys and liars like Roberts, Rohana, Rajiva, Malinda and other so called academics who are really propagandist, write articles on websites, blogsites and have their own videos created by the GOSL. These are worthless documents to the UN, IC and the US. It is simply pathetic.
Go ahead, and keep beating your racist-chauvinist-extremist- jingoist drums and dance to that music and beat. That really serves the purpose of the Tamils, as we do not have to say “no more”. A case in point was the conduct and utterings of Rajiva at the Frontline Club discussion chaired by the BBC anchor SS, with AI rep and Channel 4 producer. Luckily for Rajiva and the Singhalese the 2 Tamils performance had nothing much to write home about, and they escaped. May I reiterate that the Prof. from Sabragamuwa, appointed MP with his hilarious pretend accent even the British don’t have, cut a sorry figure.
Well, is that the best the 17 Million Singhalese can put forward in the international media? What a sad state of affairs? As for Roberts, he is a Jhonny come late, to this 40 year debate and Tamil struggle and he has no bone in this fight. His motives are selfish and personal despite his education and academic background.
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 26, 2012
@[Edited out] Max. There are big differences to human rights activist and terrorist, whether they are state terrorist or other varieties. No real terrorist organizations will be allowed and promoted by the IC, to conduct peace and political conflict resolution negotiations in world capitals like Thimpu (1985), Geneva, Oslo, Berlin, Bangkok, Tokyo etc.
This is what I wrote on a separate CT blog, FYI. Quote”
@Max. For the Singhala Buddhist, racist, chauvinist, extremist, jingoist all the human rights activist are “Terrorist” or bought up by the “terrorist”. Now the IC realizes who the real terrorist are. The GOSL itself, are the State Terrorist and War Criminals.
That would not have happened if people like us Tamils did not expose the gross human rights violations, cruel, and inhuman brutalities exposed, as well as the war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We have done that for many years and as as a matter of fact for 30 years since 1983 riots, and I am proud of it.
The lobbying, canvassing and meeting all the people concerned of human rights, and prevention of war crimes and Genocide, was no easy task. There is mountains of work still to be done and we will continue to do it, immaterial of the name calling.
You buggers can bark as much as you want, like rabid pariah dogs.
What we do is moral, ethical and legal. Too bad for you buggers.
Your true colors are being exposed by yourselves and your filthy mouths.
Unquote”
At this rate, Sri Lanka is fast heading to be a “Pariah State” with Greek like problems, with 20% of the female population slaving in the Middle East, under humiliating circumstances sending more real money than the country’s dwindling exports. Other 20% of the female population comprising mostly Singhalese (nearly exclusive), are exploited sewing “Jungies for Suthies” to keep the state from bankruptcy.
The Tamils of course are keeping the Tea trade/exports alive with the very low wages and suppressed conditions.
Meanwhile prostitution, child pornography and sex trafficking, and drug dealing is exploding in Southern and Western Sri Lanka under tourist promotion.
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 26, 2012
@CT. The use of the word “Mad” is not a bad word. So I simply register my protest for “Editing” that word, as by you editing, gives the wrong impression that I had used some bad adjective on Max. I try my level best not to use bad or vulgar language even though I have been provoked.
Many of those who comment, do not even give their true ID’s since they are cowards are too scared. Those in SL do not give their true sentiments fearing the “state terrorist” and “White Vans”.’
Anyway, you are doing a good job under trying circumstances, and please carry on regardless. Best Wishes…..
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Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam / May 29, 2012
The problem is two wrongs do not make a right. That is what has taken place most sadly in Sri Lanka to date.
It is fair to state for anything to be met objectively, the blame game must stop and everyone must accept mistakes on all sides, and thereafter find a middle ground. This I believe is imperative, as a country such as India is the only a winner or beneficiary of using the differences, which exists in Sri Lankans for their geopolitical advantages, which is a fact, not my opinion, as the LTTE was formed by Indian help.
I suppose it is fair to state at present a good deal of the LTTE ex carders have become a ‘killing group’ against innocent people of all persuasions in Sri Lanka at present. To me, this is more worrying than the blame game, which is most counterproductive to all concerned, as I have stated above. Therefore if any one likes Sri Lanka from their heart and soul deep within, let us be objective and not keep the blame game going, as this situation in Sri Lanka is a heart and soul problem, not a political one, as is to due with human lives, may it be Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, or Eurasians who have live in Sri Lanka or who have any links for the betterment of the country, even if they may be expatriate Sri Lankans. This view comes from a very moderate and objective Sri Lankan who takes a middle and objective view, not based on any political, religious or ethnic persuasion.
In conclusion, as life is not eternal and we all only live for a given period in this world, it is imperative we always must play a totally ‘straight bat’ in life, what ever that situation or circumstance one may be faced with. This I believe we owe to ourselves, as civilized human beings.
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Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam / May 29, 2012
Based on my comments above, I am intending to update my book entitled Strategic Significance Of Sri Lanka, which Stamford Lake (Pvt) Ltd published in 2005 and bring to up to date. Based on this, I will be adding chapters in regard to the post Cold War Period, New World Order and the Natural Assets of Sri Lanka, and based on theses factors why regional and world powers yet view Sri Lanka as the most or if not, one of the most nation from a geopolitical and natural asset perspective. Based on this, the eternal influences to the internal factors are imperative to be analysed and reviewed, not just the internal differences, which exists in Sri Lanka.
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 31, 2012
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2012/05/michael-roberts-inc.html
@CT : Fully agree with the author Pearl T of her analysis of Roberts and Dayan De Silva. And please sea the True Photo of Roberts.
How ,,,,,,,,,,, the specimen is!!!!
So please update your files for heaven sake and give the readers a true picture.
Couple of quotes from Pearl!!! which would interest the readers.
Quote”
1. The proof readers (now extinct) and sub-editors have far more knowledge of how the readers want their money’s worth than these so called academics in ivory towers. I will bet my bottom dollar that Roberts has never set foot in the North and East but he soldiers on writing about the ethnic conflict just because he can and there are websites who are gullible enough to buy his convoluted and empty rhetoric.
Unquote”
2. By the time readers go through the likes of Michael Roberts, Dayan Jayetillaka and other long-winded social and political scientists’ essays (what science has got to do with social studies remains a mystery) in the newspapers and websites the world would have moved on faster than a scud missile.
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Roshan / July 8, 2012
who is this Donald J Gnanakone? if i use the same words.. he sounds like a LTTE lackey himself.looks like he has lot of free time drumming the LTTE war drums.
If he is so impartial in writing as he claims to be, i have not seen any words of LTTE wrong doings over 30 years in sri lanka at all..
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Roshan / July 8, 2012
MY hunch was correct.This Donald Gnanakone is the brother of Charles Ganaankone
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
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Roshan / July 8, 2012
i dont have Humour when in comes to Our National Security as the this columns moderator says so.
@Roshan -If you want to publish your comment please provide proof. CT
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