Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah
Today we have more than a million people (and counting) wanting Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). That means a million people have now spoken with one voice – a fact that should undoubtedly persuade the UN and members of the Security Council to act decisively – both of whom, according the UN Internal Review Panel’s findings during the final months of the war in Sri Lanka, “failed” Tamil Civilians.[1]
In a major blow to Sri Lanka – both to the current Sirisena and previous Rajapaksa regimes who continue to evade accountability and independent scrutiny at all costs, having been steeped in a culture of impunity and what observers hail to be clearly and unequivocally a strong message – a clarion call for action, addressed to the conscience of the United Nations, and through the auspices of, in particular, to the Security Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council, it’s now been established that more than a million people (and counting) have added their names to TGTE‘s (Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam) campaign: “urging the United Nation to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (or establish a similar credible International Judicial Mechanism) for the investigation and prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed against the Tamil people – by the Sri Lankan State.”
In so doing, more than a million people, in a short space of four months, have, identifying with Eelam Tamils and without reservation delivered an appeal, a plea, a demand, a salvo, a challenge, whichever way you see it, to the UN, one which must be heard, heeded and acted upon. These million people have in other words rejected as unsatisfactory, “any call by the Sri Lankan government for a domestic mechanism or a so called hybrid mechanism to replace any international judicial process,” as the petition states:
“Any call by the Sri Lankan government for a domestic mechanism or a so called hybrid mechanism to replace any international judicial process is an attempt to deflect the call for referral to the ICC and to delay other meaningful actions on accountability. And efforts to establish a domestic Truth and Reconciliation Commission is another diversionary tactic to protect those who committed serious crimes against Tamils.”
The petition invokes Chapter 7 Article 39 of the UN Charter and argues that, “the current situation in Sri Lanka constitutes an ongoing ‘threat to peace’ under the said provision because there has been absolutely no accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”
The petition points to the UN Internal Review Report which found “credible estimates” of civilian casualties of 70,000 Tamils during the first six months in 2009 and that, “as the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated , Sri Lanka is one of the notable countries, along with Bosnia, Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and elsewhere, where rape was used as a tactic of war.”
Further the petition provides facts and reasons in support of its call under the following headings:
- The Sri Lankan State is not ethnically neutral
- The Sri Lankan judiciary is not ethnically neutral
- There is no political will in Sri Lanka to provide Justice for Tamils
- The domestic 2010 Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has not delivered Justice to Tamils)
- The Change of Guard in Sri Lanka will not result in a Change of the Institutionalized Impunity
- The Potential Culpability of the New President Sirisena will not be Conducive for a Domestic or Hybrid Mechanism
- Sri Lanka does not have Criminal Provisions for War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Genocide
- The pursuit of Justice Versus the Pursuit of Peace is a False Choice.
The campaign officially launched by the TGTE, outside the UN headquarters in New York on March 15, 2015 with the former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Senator of the Transnational Government of Tamil as the first signatory to the petition calling for an ICC referral, has today elicited signatures far in excess of the million signatures initially requested, and well ahead of the September release of the report commissioned by the Office of the of High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka (OISL). The campaign formally got underway simultaneously outside the Human Rights Council headquarters in Geneva, as well as in various other cities of the world including a massive online campaign – www.tgte-icc.og – conducted in 15 languages comprising Tamil, Sinhala, English, Russian, Chinese, Malay, Bangla, Urdu, Hindi, French, German, Arabic, Swahili, Turkic and Spanish – that received a huge response, in addition to the collection of signatures on paper!
This campaign has definitely drawn worldwide attention: Without a doubt the many side events featuring leading legal luminaries and academics designed to educate the people on the need for an ICC referral which was thought to be tough to obtain but possible to achieve if enough pressure is put to bear on all concerned – and the ‘Million Signature’ campaign it was felt would provide the impetus.
A side event “Impending High Commissioner’s Report on Sri Lanka: Comparing North Korea & Sudan recommendations for mass atrocities”, was organized by Ibn Sina, with the partnership of Collectif la Paix au Sri Lanka, International Crime Prevention and Protection against Genocide (ICPPG) and the TGTE, at the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva. The key speakers included Geoffrey Robertson QC an International Human Rights Barrister, Professor Ramu Manivannan from the University of Madras, with the session being moderated by Manicka Vasagar Minister of International Affairs TGTE. The Colombo Telegraph carried some key points made by the speakers which are provided here [2]:
“The speakers raised some critical concerns about the Impending High Commissioner’s Report on Sri Lanka. The Panellists were unanimous in raising questions about how the Sri Lankan state can deliver justice, when the government and its leadership itself has been accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Tamils…They also agreed that there is no fundamental change in the political and legal environment in Sri Lanka vis-a-vis the Tamils…Geoffrey Robertson provided searching options of trial against Sri Lanka, such as referral to the ICC, Security Council based initiatives, a hybrid mechanism and even sought an active role of the Secretary General.”
Another Panel about “whether Hybrid Mechanism will work” was also held in Geneva. This experts panel was moderated by Professor Narsinghen Hambyrajen, Former Minister Counsellor of the Trade Division of the Permanent Mission of Mauritius in Geneva and Professor of Law at the University of Mauritius. Panellists included: Richard Rogers, former Head of the Defence Support Team at the Cambodia Khmer Rouge Tribunal and Attorney for Global Diligence and Professor Sornarajah, Visiting Professor at the Centre for Human Rights, London School of Economics.
Some of the highlights from the points made by Mr. Richard Rogers and Prof. Sornarajah can be found here as per the link and produced verbatim for the strong arguments it provides against a domestic or hybrid mechanism [3]:
Richard Rogers:
1) Mr. Rogers dismissed the prospect of a domestic trial, saying that it would likely be the victor’s justice rather than a real accountability process. He further pointed out that the Sri Lankan Government and the Army are too powerful and too closely implicated in the crimes for this to work.
2) He posed the following question: If the High Commissioner recommends the hybrid option to Sri Lankan Government can the UN insist upon procedural guarantees that are sufficient to protect the court from political interference and personal bias? He said the short answer in his view “most probably not.”
3) He spoke of his experience with the hybrid tribunal in Cambodia, the frustrations caused by constant political interference with the process. He believes that there would be similar interference if a hybrid tribunal was to be established in Sri Lanka given the links that potential defendants are likely to have within the political system and within the armed forces.
4) Mr. Rogers also warned of the risk that the hybrid court would get bogged down in years of tedious negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the UN and the UN might eventually give in to the demands of the Sri Lankan Government.
5) He concluded by saying a hybrid court may serve the Sri Lankan Government and even the UN who may then claim that justice has been rendered, but it would remove any meaningful change of real justice being done.
Prof. Sornarajah:
Professor Sornarajah stated that such a hybrid tribunal is unsuitable for Sri Lanka. Besides the fact that international crimes must be tried by international tribunals, the present situation in Sri Lanka is not conducive to the functioning of such a tribunal. He identified the following circumstances:
1) The local judiciary is heavily tainted and is not independent. The Government has removed successive Chief Justices, provoking the International Bar Council to denounce the lack of an independent judiciary in Sri Lanka.
2) The members of the present administration, including the President who was Minister of Defence during the civil war, held office in the administration of former President Rajapaksa. Being complicit, even if not indicted, they are likely to be biased. They would be judges in the cases against them or their associates: Nemoiudex in suacausa.
3) Former President Rajapaksa is bound to be named as defendant for reasons of command responsibility. His two brothers are also likely to be defendants. Rajapakse is able to demonstrate the support he has among Sinhalese chauvinistic groups by holding massive meetings.
4) In that context, the present regime lacks stability to hold a prolonged trial of war criminals. A return to the anti-Tamil climate of the past is likely.
5) In the context of the heavy militarization that has taken place in Sri Lanka, it is unlikely that the armed forces will permit their leaders or personnel being tried by a hybrid tribunal in Sri Lanka. The spurt of militarization took place under Rajapakse. His loyalists still hold office in the forces.
6) The trials, if held in Sri Lanka, will provoke a Sinhalese nationalist backlash making reconciliation impossible. They may result in further violence against Tamils. Reconciliation, which is the aim of such trials, will not eventuate.
A statement by Prime Minister Rudrakumaran entitled “No Will and No Neutrality: Sri Lanka” was distributed to the attendees. The statement had the following key points:
1) An important element in justice is neutrality. When a State itself stands accused as the perpetrator of the international crimes, any involvement of that State in transitional justice vitiates the neutrality. An accused cannot be the sole judge or a co-judge in the legal proceedings against him / her.
2) Last March – 5 years after the first mass atrocity of the 21st century – the UNHRC finally authorized an investigation by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OISL). We have been assured that the report itself will be “strong” and that it undoubtedly will lay out the facts of what took place in significantly greater detail than has been done before. Names of perpetrators may even be released. We believe the report would serve as the basis for fuller investigation and prosecution. What the High Commissioner’s recommendations will include is not yet known, but in the case of North Korea it was recommended last year that the Security Council refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court, even though North Korea is not a signatory to the Rome Statue.
3) Hybrid tribunals can be useful, where a state has a will, but lacks capacity to deliver justice. But that is not case with respect to Sri Lanka.
4) The recent promotion of Army Commander Sarath Fonseka as Field Marshal and the appointment of former Military Commander Mr. Jagath Dias as Ambassador which was heavily criticized by the Human Rights Watch, by the “new” regime in Sri Lanka, and their continued refusal to give access to the OISL to Sri Lanka to meet with the victims of war are just a few examples of a clearly lack of will on the part of Sri Lankan state under the “new” regime to deliver any justice for Tamils.
5) It is true that a hybrid tribunal functioning in an ethnically neutral environment would allow the victims to witness justice in the making. However, in the present case, as implicitly acknowledged by the UNSG’s Panel of Experts, there is no environment in the island of Sri Lanka for Tamils to get justice.
In addition to lawyers, Academics and intellectuals, there were politicians from France and one from Canada, the Ontario Provincial PC Party leader, Patrick Brown and a few well known South Indian Tamil film stars and film directors, producers and Tamil organisations who also gave their support publically. India led the signature count by a wide margin, with Sri Lanka, UK, Malaysia France, Australia, Canada, S’pore, Germany, USA and UAE contributing in that order. The million mark was reached just after at 11.50 am or so Canadian Easter Standard Time on July 13, 2015. The number I am pleased to report is continuing to climb. [4]
The TGTE Minister for Media and Public Affairs, Suthan Raj, who was primarily responsible for the campaign, pleased with the success attained, has today announced that the first lot of signatures amounting to a million will be formally delivered to the UN and Prime Minister Rudrakumaran will on July 15 be addressing the Tamil people about the continuing campaign.
In an article written by Dr Sarvendra, the author cites four reasons why the campaign has drawn such attention:
1) The timing of the campaign and the nature and text of the appeal itself. The campaign is being conducted at a time when the OISL report together with the modalities for a domestic mechanism is being anticipated and expected to be released in September. In addition the petition clearly attaches the reasons why a domestic mechanism or for that matter a hybrid mechanism won’t help in securing justice.
2) The sheer enormity of the campaign. In comparing this campaign to various campaigns conducted thus far in the Tamil Diaspora, this is the first time to his knowledge a campaign with a goal to secure a million signatures has been initiated. Although there were some doubts at the beginning about the probability of achieving the goal, the campaign has started to gain momentum and at the time of writing has reached the five lack mark.
3) The political movement that has emerged as a result of the emotional attachment that Tamils world over feel towards the struggle for justice of the Eelam Tamil people, brought on by the campaign.
4) The campaign rooted in moral underpinnings serves as an effective instrument in appealing to the international community for justice.
Dr Sarvendra in exploring the gains to be had by the campaign, discusses some of the reservations people have, considering the fact that governments usually look to their self interests and that obtaining justice for Tamils may not be conducive to their interests. Furthermore there are those who feel those countries who are deemed friendly towards Sri Lanka would want to prevent an inquiry by the International Criminal Court.
Dr Sarvendra further enumerates the counter arguments to these reservations that he was able deduce from his conversation with TGTE’s Prime Minister Rudrakumaran who was aware of such self interests but looked at from the humanitarian and moral stand point, felt the appeal, is one that can’t be denied; the fact that it has the strong backing of the people, serves only to strengthen the case for justice. Also according to Rudrakumaran, in the present world order, international civil societies, accepted by people as safeguarding the moral fibre of the world, is increasingly found to have the propensity, in terms of foreign relations, to positively influence governments. In that regard, and in the event a domestic or a hybrid mechanism is established, the TGTE with the strength of the moral and political support generated by this campaign and by enlisting the support of civil societies would continue the fight for justice; adding that the campaign has helped to internationalise the problem more than ever, emotionally uniting the Tamil people throughout the world; that which is vital for its success.
Rudrakumaran’s views on the campaign, Dr Sarvendra felt resonated with the point he had raised in a previous article that the Tamil Diaspora had the wherewithal to prevent their governments from acting against certain moral values – that they wouldn’t allow them to be used for their government’s self interest. This Dr Sarvendra points out illustrates that the TGTE is thinking of how it can positively influence governments.
Finding TGTE’s approach very different from that of the GTF (Global Tamil Forum), Dr Sarvendra points out that the difference can be seen in the manner in which the Tamil Diaspora is now being referred to as the Sri Lankan Diaspora in accordance with GTF’s approach; he also points out that GTF’s approach has generated some opposition and protest from the Tamil Diaspora and that any outcomes from this in political terms, including political fallouts from this will be seen in the months ahead.
Dr Sarvendra concludes that looking at in its entirety, he is convinced, TGTE’s million signature campaign would actually further strengthen the need for an international inquiry against Sri Lanka, considering that as per the belief of some political activists, the pre-mediated and targeted genocidal war conducted by Sri Lanka against the Tamil people must not serve to encourage other oppressive regimes to do the same and that the perpetrators responsible for the genocide committed against the Tamil people during the Rajapaksa regime must be prosecuted and punished accordingly.
A million people and counting want and have validated a call for Sri Lanka to be referred to the ICC and it’s hoped their voices will be heard by the UN…
[1] ttp://www.tamilcanadian.com/article/6279
[2] https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/un-side-event-seeks-referral-of-sri-lanka-to-the-icc-international-prosecution/
[3] http://world.einnews.com/pr_news/274405567/campaign-to-refer-sri-lanka-to-international-criminal-court-reached-over-half-a-millon-signatures-tgte
[4] http://tgte-icc.org/Sign/Country_List.asp
kali / July 16, 2015
I have a message to all the Sinkalams , the impersonators and those resident in Colombo to the adverse comments in response to Ushas Fine Article.
You can all Bark but you cant bite any more and I will give you some hard facts. Fate will have it things are falling into place at the right time.
1) The dethroning of the King was a welcome relief and it brought about a welcome temporary relief.
2) Mangala with the blessing of MS & RW went on a Globe Trotting mission to fool the World and achieved limited success in delaying the report.
3) The UN is a slow Machine but the wheels are turning and Sinhala Lanka is on a Journey to the UN and the come back kid Percy will expedite matters.
4) Come September the Journey will start and we will get justice Just like Milosevic and the Sudanese PM.
Make no Mistake.
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NIRMALA N / July 17, 2015
My heart to heart Kali[Edited out]
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maalumiris / July 17, 2015
@kali
1) The dethroning of the King was a welcome relief and it brought about a welcome temporary relief : Agreed ! Even about the “temporary” bit.
2) Mangala with the blessing of MS & RW went on a Globe Trotting mission to fool the World and achieved limited success in delaying the report : Well, his primary mission was not to delay any report but to pay obeisance at the Western Altar (which we had been neglecting for sometime). The delay of the report was simply a fortunate by-product of that obeisance.
3) The UN is a slow Machine but the wheels are turning and Sinhala Lanka is on a Journey to the UN and the come back kid Percy will expedite matters : Here, I think you are mistaken. The UN is admittedly a Slow Machine but it is also an Ineffectual One, especially when it comes to this kind of stuff. Oh yes, they can pass resolution after resolution and everyone will walk out of meetings quite full of themselves and feeling like Champions of Human Rights but nothing will come out of it.
Were it otherwise, all those resolutions merrily vetoed by one or all of the Permanent Members would be on the way to being enforced today !!
4) Come September the Journey will start and we will get justice Just like Milosevic and the Sudanese PM : I don’t think that any leader who fought and won in the GWOT (and this is Officially Acknowledged by our new BFF’s) is going to get hauled up before the ICC, for it would create a horrid precedent that might put our new friends in a very poor light and expose their own leaders to the same.. Eyebrows would be Raised, Questions would be Asked, People would say “Eh, what ?” .. you get the idea
Let us see
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kali / July 18, 2015
maalumiris
Where have you been man. We had 100% votter Turn Out and polls have just closed. I spoke to EC and he asked me to count your vote because you may have had Transport problems.
We laid out full transport all paid for by the THUG.
Let me count it as a YES vote
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punchinilame / July 19, 2015
295 comments and reading – a record? Why not add this bit too – for information:
The genocidal imperative by Mr.A.Pararajasingham – C.T of 5-6-13
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sri-lanka-the-genocidal-imperative-causes-and-consequences/
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EDWIN RODRIGO / July 16, 2015
Only 90,000 from Sri Lanka!!! And you claim 60,000 Tamils were murdered in the last battle including those killed by LTTE.
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Lanka Liar / July 16, 2015
Senator.
Only the those murdered the Tamils to be taken to court. Not Tamils who murdered Tamils Sinhalese Muslims and some time themselves. Your boss is supposed to be a Lowyer isn’t he. Can he support this as a lowyer? Or you are fooling the Tamil people. Any more fancy dress sitting of the Parliament – Farseament
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kali / July 17, 2015
Lanka Liar:
Not Tamils who murdered Tamils Sinhalese Muslims and some time themselves
*** Which planet are you on mate. They ( Karuna, Pillaiyan) were all rewarded with Cabinet Posts for Services to Humanity for killing thousands of your Barbaric Brothers. .
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Eusense / July 17, 2015
kali,
Thanks to Karuna and Pillaiyan the slaughter of Sri Lankan citizens for 30 years by the LTTE terrorists was ended. Wasn’t that a good thing?
If I was MR I would give these guys the highest medal of honor too!
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kali / July 17, 2015
Eusense
It was bloody GOOD.
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Eusense / July 17, 2015
Kali,
Feel GOOD to wake up morons.
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Native Vedda / July 17, 2015
Nuisense
“Thanks to Karuna and Pillaiyan the slaughter of Sri Lankan citizens for 30 years by the LTTE terrorists was ended. Wasn’t that a good thing?”
You wrote some months ago it was Gota who single-handedly ended LTTE terror. How could you misappropriate Gota’s glory to these terrorists. Since when did you start praising the terrorists? Shame on you.
“If I was MR I would give these guys the highest medal of honor too!”
For killing innocent people including Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, policemen, …. and sustaining Tamil terror over many years.
Are you a secret admirer of LTTE?
/
Eusense / July 17, 2015
Vedda,
Where and when did I say this about Gota? Let me have it. If you don’t link me I don’t want your moronic responses on my statements!
Stupid Vedda, I will glorify any individual who works in any possible way to end suicide slaughtering of our citizens by these LTTE murderous terrorists. You do not have the intellectual capacity to grasp that these two individual’s behavioral change towards terrorism facilitated the Gov.’s war effort and spared the lives of thousands more that would have been otherwise lost with an extended terror war!
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Sylvia Haik / July 17, 2015
It is like awarding Hitler for saving millions of Jews from going to the Gas Chamber when he stopped in 1945.
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Eusense / July 17, 2015
silvia halk,
Are you serious???
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AnyoneCan / July 16, 2015
So anyone can sign multiple times there are no safeguards to the amount of times you can actually sign. It is even using a captcha method that can be broken without even using any image processing capability. The stupid rndImages file names have the actual number they represent so anyone 10 year old with basic script writing ability can use it to fudge those numbers.
Wouldn’t be surprised if CT doesn’t approve this comment.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 16, 2015
Hosting this on a legit petition site like Change.org would have exposed the truly pathetic state of the mythical Eelam project, so no wonder they decided to employ super We Thamizh IT & software engineering skillz and come up with this gem instead :D
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Native Vedda / July 17, 2015
Wee Thamihz Senior Journalist Siva Sankaran Sarma Meenon
I am just wondering why hasn’t Gota unleash the one man army David Blacker?
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nilame / July 16, 2015
It is a shame that when something crucial happens in the country a Tamil person comes and gives ammunition to Mahinda Rajapaksha to use in his favour. Usha this is the very wrong time to talk about it while Mahinda and the gang are igniting racial hatred to win the election. Use your brain. Do you want Mahinda the dictator a someone amenable? Last time it was Surindran and now you.
Nilame
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 17, 2015
Nilame,
It is a deliberate tactic deployed by elements on both sides to subvert resolution of the conflict. MR and his coterie are the reverse side of the same coin. They have unity in their objectives, though they appear to be feuding and on opposite sides.
Dr.RN
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Tilak de Silva / July 17, 2015
Usha you and all tamils can get 25 million signatures to whatever you want to present against Sri Lankan government. No matter what diaspora tamil goons aim at SL government, it will backfire on tamils. Don’t forget this was an act of self defence that inflicted so many casualties, exaggerated by your goons and brought about your own funding to Velupiissing Parayabakaran, you probably would have expected SL Govt: to bow down and take all the massacres that was done by your goons. Sri Lankans will and should never bow down to any diaspora goons. You will rejoice now and pay later.
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Native Vedda / July 17, 2015
Tilak de Silva
“Velupiissing Parayabakaran,”
Who is this person? Is he your grandpa’s younger brother?
“Sri Lankans will and should never bow down to any diaspora goons.”
If you’ve got them by the b***s, their hearts and minds will follow.
― Theodore Roosevelt
“You will rejoice now and pay later.”
Your can gloat, celebrate and rejoice now however natural justice (Karma, if you want to call it) is a bitch, will catch up the war criminals.
By the way
The truth will set you free, but first it will p**s you off.
― Gloria Steinem
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Tilak de Silva / July 21, 2015
Native vedda, you write comments but don’t have the courage to put your name. This man you highlight was a despot that many people gave money to destroy a country, race of people. You may have a reason to venerate him, have his photograph framed and pray but for me and millions of people he was a spineless, criminal, that preyed on people and people like you treat him as your hero, grand father and your pious messiah. Good luck, keep praying for him, pity you don’t have a cyanide capsule strung round your neck, might come handy.
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kali / July 17, 2015
First of all a Special thank you to Usha the lovely for setting the Scene for this heated and sometimes Ignorant but most of it is VILE debate ( which is understandable.But what do you expect from loosers. FFrankly FILTH.
This is my final submission. There are many reasons why we are at this juncture some of it Circumstantial and Some our mistakes.
We have strengths and weaknesses.
Weakness: We are a minority and dont control anything in Sinhala Lanka since Independance from Colonial Masters.
Strength: We had our own Kingdom and live in the North & East Which we call Eelam. Above all our cause is Just and Right both Morally and Historically a fact recognised by the World except the Racist Sri Lanka.
As a result of the Sinhalese brutality the Movement for Freedomm was born. We were self made people and when Sinhala Lanka was able to buy arms freely we had to do it clandestinely. We fought within a confined space and as a result mistakes were made which were costly. But we emerged victorious Morally . The end product was seeing the CM with the PM on the balcony. The only thing that was missing was the fly past.
The VILE staatements and commets are coming from loosers.
From Dayan to the Late Fat Mama FUK U Shima to ela kola Sumanasekara , to Off the CLIFF , Jim Soooty and sometimes the funny old Grandad and Grandma and 5.8 million more.
These loosers are asking many IRRELEVANT, IDIOTIC , GUTTER LANGUAGE questions. .
Mahintha Percy Rajapakse the fallen King ruled the Roost for 10 years. But the Chicken came Home to roost on the 8th January which changed the course of History in Sri Lanka forever.
First of all Sri Lanka Lost its Sovereignty, Dignity and Moral High Ground.
The danger for the Tamils and the Tamil cause was the reforms promised by the new Government. If those limited reforms were to have been carried out we would have lost a Great Deal.
But the almighty hasnt let us down and he has made sure that the Sinkalams will act in the only way they know how. That is by DECEPTION and bringing the Come Back Kid into the equation has sent a Clear Signal to the World that despite the promises made by MS RW and the spokesperson Mangala, Sinhala Lannka hasnt changed and come September the decision making process at the HAGUE hs been made that much easier.
The TGTE is pressure Group just like the Jewish Pressure Group without which the State of Israel will not exist.
The influence and any efffective action by TGTE inside Eelam is very limited for the simple reason because the North & East is still under Army Occuation and people are living in fear so they cant openly express their views.
This is what I would call a CONDITIONED REFLEX.
But we are slowly but surely Nudging Towards our Promised Land and as a People we will get to the Promised Land of which I have no doubt.
DAWN has broken THROUGH and we are seeing day light at last.
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kumaran / July 17, 2015
Oosha is a very attractive lady! But her vengeful attitude does not help the broken hearted Tamil and Sinhala folk of Sri Lanka, not to mention the Muslims, Malays and a few Burgers etc. Many say to impose severe sanctions. How many will suffer if this happens? The country was put back by a generation by the shameful episode in July 1983. Can the international community totally apply genocide on app. 20 million Sinhalese and Muslims in order to extract punishment and establish “eelam” throughout the country!? Basically, that appears to be the desire of many, like Oosha. Lets think of something PRACTICAL that will endear to all ethnic groups rather than look at a Hitler-like solution which is not worthy of any race.
Also, let us not get carried away by these extreme comments, because all it does is encourage Oosah and others to write even more aggressive articles that raise the shackles of the Sinhala extremists.
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kali / July 17, 2015
kumaran:
1) Oosha is a very attractive lady!
*** The above is a fact.
2) But her vengeful attitude does not help the broken hearted Tamil and Sinhala folk of Sri Lanka, not to mention the Muslims, Malays and a few Burgers etc. Many say to impose severe sanctions. How many will suffer if this happens? The country was put back by a generation by the shameful episode in July 1983. Can the international community totally apply genocide on app. 20 million Sinhalese and Muslims in order to extract punishment and establish “eelam” throughout the country!? Basically, that appears to be the desire of many, like Oosha.
*** Franly the above is Ficction and let me give you hard facts. Who brought about this vengeful attitude it was the RACIST Majority. Thuis is the first time any body has alerted me to the fact that the Sinhalese are heart broken . Might this be due to being Love Sick My friend that is a different disease.
Punishment must meet the CRIME. CRIMES against Humanity. There are no IFs and BUTs
2) Lets think of something PRACTICAL that will endear to all ethnic groups rather than look at a Hitler-like solution which is not worthy of any race. Also, let us not get carried away by these extreme comments, because all it does is encourage Oosah and others to write even more aggressive articles that raise the shackles of the Sinhala extremists.
*** These are not extreme comments they are facts which are on the record so dont talk Rubbish. The Practical step is to have Seperate Roofs and nothing else will do . We have been battered for 66 years.
The Beauty you are talking about is not just Superficial but in the inner most Sanctum and that is what attracted me. Service to Mankind ( I mean Tamil Kind)
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Dr. Rajasingham Narendran / July 17, 2015
” This is my final submission—“.
This was in your previous comment. What did you mean?
Glad you are back so soon.
Dr.RN
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kali / July 17, 2015
Dr. RN,
In Law there is something called Privileged Documents and Statements and it is not for people like you who are not party to the issue on hand.
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kali / July 17, 2015
In Law there is something called Privileged Documents and Statements and it is not for people like you who are not party to the issue on hand.
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Eusense / July 17, 2015
USSR,
What a waste of time! Instead use your energy to improve life of Tamils in the north. I will guarantee you, nobody will be going to ICC. Even if MR is dragged to the ICC and convicted and get a life sentence what good will that do to Tamils? Please answer.
Nothing has to change for Tamils because Tamils enjoy all the rights what the Sinhalese enjoy. End of story!
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Native Vedda / July 17, 2015
Nusiense
“I will guarantee you, nobody will be going to ICC.”
Instead ICC will come to you.
“Even if MR is dragged to the ICC and convicted and get a life sentence what good will that do to Tamils?”
The people will benefit from MR’s absence, thuggery, corruption, murder, nepotism, ……… impunity will hopefully be reduced.
Also it should stop noisy minority gloating over empty slogans.
/
Eusense / July 17, 2015
Vedda again!
Are you a 4 years old?? You are not required to respond to every post here. By doing so you expose your self!
Here is something for your subnormal brain to grasp; USSR is collecting signatures not for MR’s “thuggery, corruption, murder, nepotism…” of people of Sri Lanka! Also, hope you know that he has been already kicked out by these people you are referring.
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Naga / July 17, 2015
Usha
Collecting signatures calling for war crimes trial is a good pastime for you LTTE Diaspora Tamils. Enjoy it in the comforts of Canada, US, Australia or whereever you peoople are.
Bud did you people for a moment ever thought what the attitude of TNA, the elected representative of Sri Lankan Tamils, is?
Now they are campaigning at the Parliamentary elections in the North East asking the Tamils to vote for them and send them to the Sri Lankan Parliament so that they can become partners of a national government headed by UNP’s Ranil Wickremasinghe? TNA papa Sampanthan wants at least 20 seats for them to achieve this objective. ITAK’s Senior Vice President Selvarajah MP gave the same message in Batticaloa immediately after filing nominations. He too confirmed that if elected TNA will be partners in a national government.
You say President Sirisena was the Defence Minister when the Tamils were massacred, but, at the urgings of TNA, North East Tamils voted en masse for Sirisena and helped make him the President. North East Tamils at the previous Presidential Election too, at the urging of TNA, again voted for Fonseka who was the Army Commander at the time of Tamils were massacred at Mullivaikial.
Representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamils are going to bed with the so-called murderers of Tamils and now want to become Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the Sri Lankan Government.
When representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamils are going to bed with the so-called murderers of Tamils, you LTTE Diaspora Tamils are out collecting signatures to take these very same Sinhalese leaders before the war crimes tribunal.
Sri Lankan Tamils and their representatives TNA have forgotten the massacres and want to get on with their lives. They are prepared to forget and forgive. But you LTTE Diaspora Tamils are still on the war path. Enjoy that luxury, but leave alone the Tamils living in Sri Lanka. Let them get on with their lives.
Incidentially, can you tell us whether any TNA in Sri Lanka guys signed your petititon?
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 17, 2015
Naga,
I agree with the sentiments expressed by you 100%. However, I want the story of the war recorded for posterity, in all its lurid details, tragedy, comedy and idiocy. The UNHCR process may do so, it should be the last chapter of the ‘ Navavamsa’ that needs to be written, to be read with the ‘ Mahavamsa’.
Dr.RN
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Eusense / July 17, 2015
Naga,
You bring up several valid points. This USSR will never answer you. She never answer me too. Most of the Tamils who sign these are not SL Tamils. This pro terror USSR and others are trying to capitalize on the “Tamil” banner which comprises in majority of non Sri Lankans. Most western politicians are unaware of this and pander to them to get re-elected.
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Lasanda / July 17, 2015
Today is our day!!! Our true leader will rise again and defeat all foreign invaders!!!!’Jaya Wewa Mahinda Rajapaksa!!
Sinhalaya wake up, we need to defeat the terrorists . These comments shows us that the terrorists are active again!!!’
/
Tungsan Yu / July 17, 2015
These people only want to prosecute and persecute. They wont lift a finger to help the northerner.
Like their CM, who has done absolutely zit to improve the economy of the north and is still doing jak.
The shameless man claims his pension from the judiciary and also a salary from the provincial council.
While these morons still live in the past (much for their own benefit) the moors are making inroads in the north and east and thriving.(Take mullaitivu as an example)
I like that question someone asked before, “yes prosecute the guilty and then what”?
As much as this lady wants to prosecute the guilty in SL, the majority population in SL want the people who voluntarily funded and aided terrorism in SL to be brought to justice.
Will there be fair hearing to that request???
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Eusense / July 17, 2015
tungsan yu,
You call her a “lady” ??
/
Sapumal / July 17, 2015
This writer is a racist and full of hate with same mentality like LTTE. She her self and her boss make their best effort to go to ICC and still can do nothing. It is true that both sides did kill and violate human rights. But in this way you are trying achieve your goal like in South Sudan. Your ulterior motive will not success according to natural law of Karma. Tell that Wigneswaran too. You all are racists and looser s.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 17, 2015
No one in their right mind would sign a petition that claims, without substantiation, other than the opinion of Hillary Clinton (of all people) that rape was used as a “tactic of war” in Sri Lanka. Unpunished rapes may have occurred, but there is no credible evidence that this was sanctioned by the military hierarchy or used as a military strategy. I suspect that Hillary Clinton may be a bit racist, from the list of countries in which she says rape was “used” in such a way (if indeed she did say this, I wouldn’t sign a petition that quotes her opinion as if it is fact):
“According to the UN Internal Review Report on Sri Lanka, there were “credible estimates” of civilian casualties of 70,000 Tamils during the first six months in 2009. As the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out, Sri Lanka is one of the notable countries, along with Bosnia, Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and elsewhere, where rape was used as a tactic of war.”
The “credible estimates” of civilian casualties of 70,000 Tamils is made very doubtful in light of the expected “kill-injure ratio” from known conflicts – there should be many more crippled and injured Tamil civilians if the mortality figures are anywhere this high. The government’s estimates of 7,000 or so are more realistic – but this is still a huge number of people, and there should be full accounting for how they were killed.
What is clear is that though the government may have been prepared to accept Tamil civilian deaths in large numbers in an effort to finish off the LTTE (and may have committed war crimes in doing so), there was no systematic effort at genocide of the Tamil people, as has been claimed by the ‘extreelamists’. After the war ended with the defeat of Prabakaran, there were hysterical claims that the Sri Lankan government had built concentration camps to “finish off the Tamils”. This, it was claimed, was part of a plan of genocide by the “Sinhala-Buddhist” Rajapaksa family, led by Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Events since then have shown this view of the Rajapaksa family to be paranoid, to say the least. No rational person would claim that there are concentration camps today under the Sirisena government – the fact is, there never were, and comparing the IDP camps in Sri Lanka during and after the war to the concentration camps of the Nazis (or even the British concentration camps for the Boers, where the people were deliberately starved to death) demeans the suffering of the Jews and Boers under truly monstrous conditions (and with very different motives by their imprisoners).
Unlike the only ‘Sinhalese senator of the TGTE’, Mahinda Rajapaksa has made an effort to learn Tamil, late in life (which makes it harder), and has made endearing efforts to even give speeches in Tamil (however imperfectly – but he is, in my view, leading by example and shows respect for the language and culture). This is not the behaviour of a genocidal maniac intent on killing off the last of the Tamil people, as has been claimed.
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J.MUTHU / July 17, 2015
Hi romesh, [Edited out]
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Burning Issue / July 17, 2015
Rumesh,
“No one in their right mind would sign a petition that claims, without substantiation, other than the opinion of Hillary Clinton (of all people) that rape was used as a “tactic of war” in Sri Lanka.”
You need a lot of growing up to do; I suggest you do that first before uttering nonsense on public forums! It is on record that you are against any form of international intervention on war crimes and crimes against humanity. Then you have the audacity to ask for Substantiation!
/
Kettikaran / July 17, 2015
“…there is no credible evidence that this was sanctioned by the military hierarchy or used as a military strategy…” This outrageous
defence was claimed by the Serbs and the Croats who raped and then massacred Bosnian women and girls. But the transparent and comprehensive UN trials decides otherwise. The undeniable truth is young Sinhala army men (in their 18-25s i.e. born after the coming of Tamil militancy) are raised in a racially-prejudiced climate Tamils are their historical enemies. It is, therefore, built in their psyche, raping Tamil girls/women and massacring Tamil civilians is not only the right thing in their battle objectives but, more so, a Buddhist Sinhala duty. The lads delivered to the very letter. This is one feature the world wants to disprove via an independent inquiry.
For someone, whose mother is a decent and upper-class Tamil, your attempts to come into the defence of the savage perpetrators is shocking. That you are an educated professional – a medicine man, I believe at that – exacerbates the issue. Concentration camps do not necessary mean that everyone of them has Gas Chambers. I would go for that definition where people call them as such if they and their own of civilians in large numbers are held against their wishes and against the established law. If your point is the Sinhala army did not massacre Tamil civilians – women, men, the old/infirm and the very young – so be it. As to the Sinhala TGTE Senator, please give him credit for his celebrated remark he would have done the same thing fighting for Sinhala rights if they were in that unfortunate and helpless position. Reading you here one is reminded of that earlier charge you function as an informer on Tamils Down Under. If this is true many hundreds of Tamils may have suffered. Some perhaps killed.
You, Sir, are placed in an enviable position to work towards the Sinhalese and Tamils coming together in a united and reconciled Sri Lanka. The recent climate points towards this. But the journey towards early reconciliation does not mean one buries facts and evidence of engineered war crimes and human rights abuses by state actors that resulted in the calculated deaths of tens of thousands of nationals of the country. Tragically, the accused are the very same uniformed forces
who the Constitution tells us is there to provide protection to life and property of all Lankans. Some of them complain their rights have been violated and Mrs. Hillary Clinton – and many other leaders in the world – only want to know who did what, when, to whom and why in an environment where the Lankan Govt, its Courts and the process of law have often not been neutral as expected and, therefore, unreliable.
Kettikaran
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 17, 2015
As long as this is what Sri Lanka has to deal with there’s not much to worry about. I don’t think the ICC is looking for the next over the top low budget Kollywod movie script and a certifiable We Thamizh nutjob to play the lead :D
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Agnos / July 18, 2015
Kettikaran,
I don’t agree with many things the TGTE stands for, but on the matter of war crimes I fully agree with them.
Whatever anyone says, Tamils the world over want the real story of what happened during the war brought out; the UNHRC and internationals courts are the right venue given the history of how such past investigations have been handled by Sri Lankan courts and commissions.
While it is true that the TGTE should do more self-criticism of how much the LTTE itself contributed to the final horror, that cannot be used as an excuse to cover up, deny and suppress state-sponsored war crimes by past SL regimes.
It doesn’t mean more urgent local issues should be ignored. The TNA should give more focus to such issues and deal with Sirisena and the new government. But the Diaspora is right to keep the war crimes and justice issue alive.
/
Off the Cuff / July 19, 2015
Dear Kettikaran ,
You wrote “As to the Sinhala TGTE Senator, please give him credit for his celebrated remark he would have done the same thing fighting for Sinhala rights if they were in that unfortunate and helpless position”
In 1931, the Lanka Tamil population was 610,272 but the Indian Tamil population was 711,028. ALL THE INDIANS WERE ALIENS because they were from India. Almost all of them resided in the Sinhala hinterland and still does.
“According to the 1946 census on population in the agricultural sector of the island, 40% of the agricultural peasant families found in the former Kandyan Kingdom were landless while there were 26% landless agricultural families recorded in the wet zone” (Herath 1995: 79).
What was the cause for that?
The British dispossessed the Sinhalese of their Lands by enacting Draconian Laws such as the Waste Lands Act, Crown Land Enforcement Ordinance, Land Settlement Ordinance etc. and domiciled Indian Alien Tamils on them.
.
Did the Sinhala TGTE Senator, Brian Senewiratne raise his voice against THAT?
.
In fact he ignores it when he starts thumping his chest about the Citizenship Act, an Act of Parliament that has withstood appeals made to the Highest Court of the British Empire, the Privy Council and that too when Section 29 of the Soulbury Constitution, which protects the Rights of the Minorities, was the Supreme Law of Lanka.
.
Let’s look at a Tamil issue and see what he does about that.
.
Mr. J Aguilar of UNICEF was interviewed on BBC HardTalk by BBC correspondent Stephen Sackur (watch Video 3:28 onwards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXbFPoDWSI).
.
Aguilar says that they have reports of about 8000 missing children. He also states that this is just a minute fraction of what went on (4:20 onwards). He also states that during the last 6 months at least 200 children per month were taken from their parents for the war effort including 9 year olds (4:38 onwards).
Thus over a period of 3 decades the LTTE would have directly caused the deaths of at least a 100,000 Tamil Children.
Is TGT Eelam’s Senator Brian Senewiratne seeking Justice on behalf of the Tamil Children, their Mother’s, Father’s, Brother’s, Sister’s, Grand Parent’s etc?
The answer is a resounding NO.
Does the TGT Eelam or anyone such as Rudrakumaran, Usha, David Matas, Manicka Vasagar etc seeking Justice for them?
Their SILENCE is deafening.
.
How can they seek justice when they are PROTECTING the perpetrator who headed the operation, Ms Adele Balasingham?
.
Senator of the TGT Eelam, is a HYPOCRITE seeking POWER in his twilight days.
.
The TGT Eelam itself is full to the brim with Hypocrites with an Incomparable GREED for POWER.
.
.
You wrote “Concentration camps do not necessary mean that everyone of them has Gas Chambers. I would go for that definition where people call them as such if they and their own of civilians in large numbers are held against their wishes and against the established law”
Here is a small essay written by a FAMOUS member of the Tamil Diaspora.
Quote
In Jaffna I have witnessed it from childhood to present. In the fifties, there were two separate churches, two burial grounds. The catholic church compromised to recruit all devotees. There were two cremation grounds. There were many fights over integration and Temple entry. As I child I could not comprehend such rules. It is less overt now than in the forties to seventies. Neville’s observations are correct.
It really does not matter how the caste system evolved or in what manner it is practiced by whoever. It is surprising that Hindu academics, high ranking officials in various departments still discriminate overtly and subtly. Occasionally I read the marriage columns to check and have a laugh at the stupidity of discrimination and the clever subtle hints they state about their daughter or son. The sad thing is that the sons and daughters of all castes attended classes together, sat next to each other, played school games together. Such experience has obviously had not taught them anything about equality of people.
LTTE did not practice such discrimination and tried to stop it but could not succeed. When Jaffna displaced, LTTE had difficulty providing shelter near source of water to the refugees who were not Vellalars and the Vanni Vellalar’s would not let the others from drawing water from their wells.
The LTTE did ask teachers, students and appealed to village elders to share water with the refugees. I have participated in such meetings.
As a compromise pecific times were allocated for the refugees to use the well.
The group of shelters were also segregated. When I asked the Tigers who were in responsible position to integrate why can’t such discrimination be prevented. They said that the Vellalars are merchants and don’t want to antagonize them and loose support. To their credit they did by law, education and by deed reduced some discrimination.
Now I see in Jaffna Peninsula schools in areas where the deprived classes live, competent principals or teachers with qualifications are hard to place. This deprivation shows in the results of students at the National examinations.
Unquote
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Anpu / July 19, 2015
OTC,
1881 Census
Sinhalease 1,846,600 66.91% Tamils 687,200 24.90%
N&E is Tamils homeland & Tamils are Majority in their home land
/
Native Vedda / July 19, 2015
Anpu
The 1881 census also states that there were about 12,000 Tamil speaking people who practiced Buddhism, lived through out this island.
What had happened to them?
Have all their descendants converted to Sinhala/Buddhism and leading the anti minority campaign? Most ambitious bigots do not want to acknowledge their family history. They take a zealous position regarding their ethnicity just to fit in with the in crowd.
Now we have Sinhala Muslim.
Is MR a Sinhala/Saivaite?
/
Anpu / July 19, 2015
Thanks Native Vedda,
“Now we have Sinhala Muslim.”
That is their main idea to convert ALL to SINHALA.
Few days ago you gave a link related to census. Now I Cant find it. If you can without much trouble let me know the link to the comment where you placed it. Don’t bother if it is going to be too much trouble.
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Native Vedda / July 19, 2015
Anpu
Down load the content and save it and attach it to a draft e mail.
Whenever you want access it, you will find in your draft box.
Ceylon in 1884: the leading crown colony of the British Empire, with an account of the progress made since 1803 under successive British governors.
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b294688;view=1up;seq=1
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Anpu / July 19, 2015
NV
Thank you so much
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Tamil in a Vedda Mask,
Re “The 1881 census also states that there were about 12,000 Tamil speaking people who practiced Buddhism, lived through out this island. What had happened to them?”
The majority of them lived in the North.
Low Cast Tamils converted to Buddhism (and Catholicism/Christianity) to escape the Inhuman and Abject Slavery they were subjected to by the High Cast Tamils who used Hinduism to control all aspects of their Lives. From what to wear (they had to be bare bodied and footwear was prohibited), where to live, where to take water and even where they can be buried after death (they could not be cremated) and many more.
What happened to them?
Raped killed and Buried?
“…back in the North’; our dwellings would have been torched and our women raped with impunity” Sebastian Rasalingum a low cast Tamil from Jaffna. http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/12770
Re “Have all their descendants converted to Sinhala/Buddhism and leading the anti minority campaign?”
That is a HYPOTHETICAL question, without any foundation, intended to fan Racism. But even if they did, you created the monster, by doing what you did and treating them as chattel.
Re “Most ambitious bigots do not want to acknowledge their family history. They take a zealous position regarding their ethnicity just to fit in with the in crowd”
One parental population of the Sinhalese is Tamil from India. Therefore the Sinhalese have Tamil Genes. This is a scientific fact. It is also known that the Plantation Tamils, who we know for certain are from South India, DO NOT have Lanka Tamil Genes.
If you are not related to South Indian Tamils where did you get your Tamil Genes from?
Just because you speak Tamil it’s foolish to assume your parental population is from South India.
Re “Now we have Sinhala Muslim”
Don’t be IDIOTIC many Sinhalese marry Muslims.
It happens now and it has happened in the Past.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 19, 2015
Did the Indian Tamils who accounted for more than half of that number live in the “Tamils homeland” as well? Nice try Anbu, but you’re not going to get very far in this age of information :D
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Native Vedda / July 19, 2015
Wee Thamihz Senior Journalist Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon.
EPRLF and another group wanted to include upcountry as part of “Tamils homeland”.
You should ask the smart ass patriot Dayan who spent a lot of time with EPRLF in this island as well as Thamihz Nadu.
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Anpu was referring to the year 1881.
SS Sarma was also referring to 1881
Why make idiotic interventions?
In your own words a smart ass comment.
The EPRLF is a 20th century phenomenon
/
Off the Cuff / July 19, 2015
Dear Anpu,
Yes you are right Anpu except MORE than half of them were Aliens
Are you stupid or what?
The FIRST time Indians were separately enumerated was in 1911.
Lanka Tamils——528,000
Indian Tamils—–531,000 (100.6% more Indians than Lanka Tamils)
What was the point (if any) that you were trying to make?
In 1911 there were 2,715,500 Sinhalese, which gives a proportion Sinhalese to Indigenous Tamils of 5.14 : 1
In 1931
Lanka Tamils—–598,900
Indian Tamils—-818,500 (137% more Indian Tamils than Lanka Tamils)
Proportion of Sinhalese to Indigenous Tamils 5.8 : 1
In 2011
Proportion of Sinhalese to Indigenous Tamils 6.72 : 1
The point I made in my comment is that TGT Eelam’s “Sinhalese” senator was a HYPOCRITE and though he claims that he would have fought for the Sinhalese if they were discriminated against, he did not do so when the Sinhalese were subjected to much more than Discrimination.
Later he turned a BLIND eye to the 40% agricultural peasant families made landless by the British (who imported Indian Tamil Slave labour) and the 26% landless agricultural families recorded in the wet zone.
How did he interpret the Citizenship act as a disenfranchisement? It withstood section 29 appeals against it at the Privy Council UK. Only Citizens elect their govt not Aliens.
BTW is this silly interjection all you could do in refuting what I wrote?
I note that the Tamil impersonating a Vedda has also made a silly interjection which I will address in a comment directly to him.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Anpu,
You also wrote ” N&E is Tamils homeland & Tamils are Majority in their home land”
That is Impossible. It is a Fairy Tale.
In the FIRST place you need to show you had the numbers to occupy and defend the claimed area. You did not have the NUMBERS hence this is a PHYSICAL impossibility.
This was Lanka in 1724 AD
http://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/Map-Ceylon.5852
.
The map is currently safely housed in a Dutch Museum.
In 1724 the Lanka Tamil population in Lanka was between 90,000 to 150,000 (working back from known figures)
Taking the higher figure of 150,000 please explain how Lanka Tamils could occupy and DEFEND a CONTIGUOUS territory beyond the Jaffna Kingdom shown on the 1724 Dutch Map.
I do hope that you will not back off and will continue the discussion and prove your claim.
Every time the Tamils occupied anything beyond the Jaffna Kingdom it was through Invasions from India.
Please remember before the Portuguese arrived in the 16th Century these were COMPETING Kingdoms and hence you have to defend the borders against overwhelmingly SUPERIOR numbers.
Making claims are easy proving them is not.
I have made a much more detailed argument at the link below but no one including you ventured to contest it.
.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/chief-minister-wiggie-a-leader-for-all-time/comment-page-1/#comment-1858227
.
Here is a description of the Tamil psych from a Tamil. It provides an Insight as to why Tamils cannot live amongst a Multi Cultural Multi Ethnic population in peace.
Professor Tambia’s analysis is that social upbringing, experience of social dominance; Hinduism and caste supremacy made the Jaffna Tamil feel superior to that of the Sinhalese.
The Tamils, ‘whose experience of social dominance in their own region and whose sense of greater “orthodoxy” and “orthopraxy” in matters of castes and religious observances made it impossible for them to accept a position of subordination in a polity composed of a Sinhalese majority, who by their standards were inferior in their purity of customs, inferior in talent, and had no historical claim to rule or encompass them
(see The Rise of Tamil Separatism in Sri Lanka: From Communalism to Secession By Gnanapala Welhengama, Nirmala Pillai)
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 19, 2015
You know there’s trouble when ruthless terrorists are the ones standing up against primitive traditional We Thamizh practices :D
/
Heretic / July 19, 2015
OTC,
“Now I see in Jaffna Peninsula schools in areas where the deprived classes live, competent principals or teachers with qualifications are hard to place. This deprivation shows in the results of students at the National examinations.”
Unfortunately this continues even today. The primary schools that are in deprived parts of the Jaffna Peninsula have very low results. I know of many schools where about 3% pass Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.
Most or all of the children in these schools come from poor families that can be described using the word out caste. Their parents have not studied. This is what professionals call generational lack of education or something like that. UNICEF has noticed this problem in SL and Jaffna.
These children do not attend school regularly, have no shoes, uniform or basic material like pens. They receive cloth, shoes, backpacks etc from the government and some NGOs but this is not enough. If the only uniform is wet what will the child do? In the worst case parents will sell the shoes etc to buy food, toddy or ganja.Last year there was an initiative to help these children but I do not know what if anything was done in practice. I believe that the initiative came from UNICEF and the relevant ministries in Colombo.
Maybe needless to say that better off families (often higher caste) avoid sending their children to these schools.
All the schools I know of have been recently nicely repaired and painted thanks to the attention and money that MR sent. MR did many good things in Jaffna after 2009 like building roads, schools, telephone lines, electricity network. What he did with human and political rights is another matter.
In the nice school buildings we will find many incompetent and/or lethargic teachers. Having a degree in something does not make a graduate a good teacher.
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Heretic,
My quotation was written by it’s author in September 2014. The writer is a very famous and respected Sri Lankan Tamil who works in the North. That is why it is current.
What you have written is the ABSOLUTE truth.
These are the people that Usha Sri Skander Raja’s generation and those before that, stepped on, to climb the social ladder.
This is the shameful truth that MOST separatists try to hide today
Education is Governed by the Provincial Council and they should have supplied the Teachers and facilities. Here the facilities are provided by the govt and Wigneswaran’s NPC cannot even find the Teachers! Where are the Tamil Humanitarians?
It is the same old story of the Ruling class and the Servile class. They kept these people ignorant to manipulate them with ease and they still do it.
Sinhalese politicians have been foolish in not reaching out to the Tamil Low Cast majority for fear of the vociferous and socially powerful High Cast Tamil minority.
It has been the same since independence except in one case. That is when these outcast Tamils sought the support of the Sinhalese parties to prevent the District Councils Bill from becoming Law. They sought out the Sinhalese because the Tamil Parties in Parliament were all High Casts and were opposed to the Low casts. The DC Bill was abandoned as a result. This is the much talked about Dudley Chelva Pact that is touted as a broken promise by the Sinhalese. It is unfortunate that this type of misinformation is left unopposed.
At the same time Low Cast Tamil organisation got the SLFP which was in the opposition to bring a bill to amend the existing Prevention of Social Disabilities Act (PSDA) to include the caste Rules imposed on the Low Casts by the High Casts. This was done and the amendment was passed. If you look at the amending Act you will see that all the cast prohibitions practiced on the Low Casts in the North has been outlawed.
I thank you for your honest comment.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Anpu / July 17, 2015
Dr RSA,
‘Sinhalese senator of the TGTE’
You have proved yourself that you are rebelling against your father.
You started adding the alagaratnm to your name only recently to show off your Tamil connection.
Like wise Mass murderer trying to show that he cares about Tamil by pretending to speak Tamil.
“respect for the language and culture” Who are you trying to fool?
MR continued the Genocide (in various forms )started by previous Sinhalese leaders
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Native Vedda / July 18, 2015
Anpu
“You have proved yourself that you are rebelling against your father.”
Come on, are saying that Romesh is a teenager?
/
Anpu / July 18, 2015
Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka
•More than 135,000 Tamil men, women and children estimated Killed or Disappeared
•More that 35,000 Tamils estimated killed in the year 2009 alone
•1.1 Million Tamils made to flee the country
•More than 600,000 Tamil Internal Refugees (Internally Displaced or Evicted)
•More than 20,000 Tamil orphaned children
•More than 35,000 Tamil widows
•Thousands of families (including infants) kept behind barbed wire fenced internment camps operated by Sri Lankan Military, for several months in aftermath of the war.
•Half a million Tamils kept under military rule in Jaffna peninsula (Northern Sri Lanka) that had been described as an “open prison”.
•Thousands in custody – detention without trial, other widespread abuses
•Economic embargo imposed on traditional Tamil areas for more than 2 decades
•Supply of food, medicine, fuel, electricity and other essential items controlled by the Military
•Forced Starvation
•Usage of banned weapons – Cluster bombs, White phosporous. Usage of heavy weapons, artillery on densely populated civilian areas. Reported usage of chemical weapons.
•Mass Graves and systematic violations of fundamental human rights remain uninvestigated
•No International Media allowed into conflict areas
•State sponsored pogroms
•Systematic destruction of Infrastructure
•Indiscriminate and wanton air attacks on traditional Tamil areas for more than 2 decades.
•Hundreds of thousands of livelyhoods and schools, hospitals, libraries, temples, churches, houses, villages destroyed
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Anpu / July 18, 2015
The Legal Case of the Tamil Genocide http://hrbrief.org/2015/01/the-legal-case-of-the-tamil-genocide/
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 18, 2015
Anpu,
I am familiar with the contents of this silly “legal case”, and note that the only comment (which praises it lavishly) has been posted by Usha Sri-Skandarajah who is, like my father, a ‘senator’ of the TGTE. Usha is a great admirer of my father, who she wrote an obsequious “ode” to a few years ago, but is also a great admirer of Prabakaran, who she has recently described as a modern-day Ellalan. In 2006 my father, too, is on record saying, in an interview, that Prabakaran has done more for the Tamils than any other Tamil leader in the past 2000 years. The “Prime Minister” of Tamil Eelam, Rudrakumaran was the LTTE’s chief lawyer, and has been photographed with the LTTE inner circle. This is why it is so relevant that the TGTE never criticises the LTTE, and why I do not regard my opposition to these people as being against the interests of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Prabakaran was a thug and a murderer, who began his murderous activities when he was shot and killed the Tamil mayor of Jaffna when he was still a teenager (in 1975), and continued, as leader of one of several rival Tamil gangs, to kill the others to become “top dog”. Vellupillai Prabakaran was not the kind of leader the Tamil people needed – they needed someone who was progressive, and preferably multilingual, with an awareness of Sri Lankan history and celebration of its racial and cultural diversity. The Tamils of Sri Lanka needed to be led in a peaceful direction, not one dominated by the power of the gun.
The opening statement of this “legal case” presents a distorted view of Sri Lanka’s history and the complex relationship between the Sinhalese and Tamil people over the centuries, giving the misleading impression that the conflict is all about “ethnicity” – meaning Sinhalese and Tamil (based on the incorrect idea, perpetrated by the Europeans and later by Sinhala nationalists as well as Tamil nationalists that the Sinhalese are Aryan while the Tamils are Dravidian).
I think more can be achieved by looking at the commonalities of Sinhalese and Tamil language and culture (and race), and their close relationship to the other Dravidian languages and cultures of South India, and their respective histories. Looking at their scripts and languages one can easily see the similarities, indicating a long cultural relationship between the people of Sri Lanka and southern India (which has included invasions and wars, but also much peaceful exchange, when Sri Lanka was famed for its cinnamon, pearls and rubies, rather than cricket and tea).
Consider the word for ‘mother’:
Sanskrit (in Devanagari) – मातृ mAtR
Sinhala : mavu (මවු) or amma (අම්මා)
Tamil: amma அம்மா
Malayalam അമ്മ (amma), Telugu అమ్మ (amma), Sinhalese අම්මා (ammā). Amma also means mother in Kannada.
The adoption of an official trilingual policy with English as a “bridging language” is an important change in Sri Lanka, that is never mentioned by the TGTE and those who are claiming “genocide” on the basis of discrimination in language (in favour of Sinhalese over Tamil). There is no doubt that such discrimination has occurred in the past, but this is not the same as genocide. There was no effort to destroy the Tamil language, just relative promotion of Sinhala, just as there was no effort to destroy the Hindu, Muslim or Christian religions, but there was a relative support of Buddhism (by the government, in line with the Constitution).
Under the laws that were introduced after Ceylon became Sri Lanka in 1972, there was an effort to promote the indigenous languages by compelling ‘pure-blooded’ Sinhalese to study in Sinhalese and ‘pure-blooded Tamils’ to study in Tamil. The “pureness” of the blood was really based on names and spoken languages of the parents, since there is no way of telling the blood of a Sinhalese from that of a Tamil. I’m not sure exactly how the laws were worded, but I remember one kid who came to our class at Trinity College from the United States, who had Sinhalese parents but spoke only English. After six months, and much to his dismay, he was forced to transfer to the Sinhalese medium from the English medium.
The rationale of the government at this time was partly based on an effort to stem what was known in the 1970s as the “brain drain”. It was argued that the best brains of the colonies were being lured by better pay and conditions in the west, after benefiting from free education in the English language in countries like Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and Singapore, where the British had established universities to train the natives for service in the British Empire. It was thought that by training the local graduates in Sinhalese and Tamil rather than English, it might “stem” the brain drain.
It had the reverse effect, and was a disastrous government policy, and contributed to the thirty-year war between the Sinhalese and Tamils. In this war, race, ethnicity, language and religion became conflated in the minds of many people, built on conflicting views of history. It is true that the effects of the 1972 standardization laws resulted in it making it harder for Tamil students to get into university; it was, however, easier for Muslim students to pass their university entrance than for Sinhalese students (which I heard blamed, at the time, on the fact that the education minister was Muslim). The stated intent of the standardization was to enable more children from rural areas to qualify for higher education, an objective that was apparently achieved, though at great expense to the quality of education, and deepening of the linguistic divide between Sinhalese and Tamils and deterioration of proficiency in English (which was itself one of the objectives, in an effort to stop the ‘brain drain’).
The case against Sri Lanka that you have provided a link to begins by arguing that:
“Sri Lanka has been mired in ethnic conflict since it received independence from Great Britain in 1948. After centuries of colonial rule, under which the Tamil and Sinhalese territories were primarily administered separately, political power was distributed to the Sinhalese upon independence. Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese, the dominant ethnicity on the island, immediately began—and indeed have not stopped—manipulating ethno-religious nationalism for political gain at the expense of the Tamil community, which constitutes approximately eighteen percent of the island’s population.
Sinhala nationalism was mobilized to disenfranchise and discriminate against the Tamil community. As non-violent Tamil protests were met with state violence and increasing brutality, an armed struggle for a separate Tamil state of Tamil Eelam began.”
This is a distorted view of Sri Lankan history, which serves the role of exonerating the LTTE as aggressors in the conflict (which they most certainly were, when they assassinated Mayor Duraiappa in 1975, and continued to attack various political, military and civilian targets with unexpected bombs). The government of Sri Lanka has a record of being draconian when it comes to insurrections, whether by Sinhalese or by Tamils.
It seems to me that it is unhelpful, and incorrect, to paint the human rights problems in Sri Lanka as the result of an intractable ethnic conflict caused by Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism, when there are so many other factors at play.
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Native Vedda / July 18, 2015
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam
“Prabakaran was a thug and a murderer,”
You got it wrong as many other in the past, he was a psychopath with a Tamil twist.
“who began his murderous activities when he was shot and killed the Tamil mayor of Jaffna when he was still a teenager (in 1975),”
You are wrong again, the jury is still out, not being able to pin point the exact murderer. There were four men on that murderous mission. Like Gota he appropriated the glory for himself.
“The adoption of an official trilingual policy with English as a “bridging language” is an important change in Sri Lanka,”
You are wrong again. The change in language policy from Sinhala only to trilingual was enforced by Hindia. Without Hindian involvement the Sinhala/Buddhist establishment would not have changed its language policy voluntarily. Hindia used LTTE and other incidentals to coerce JR through mind boggling violence. Prior to Hindian involvement and its policy of propping up militant groups in this island the language policy would not have been changed through peaceful negotiations of which peaceful negotiator Chelva had had many disappointing experience.
The rest of the advice you have given to Anpu of course free of charge should be given to the Sinhala/Buddhist bigots and enforced it from the top. Otherwise nothing would change.
In your view it seems the victims are the main villains of peaceful coexistence of diverse communities. Have you ever pondered whether Sinhala/Buddhists ever had anything to do with all those conflict, Human Rights violations, war crimes, etc?
“I pointedly dropped the “Brian” after my father had me repeatedly imprisoned and injected, declaring that I was “psychotic”
Sorry to say your father may have a point there. Please consult Dr Naren Rajasingham.
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Anpu / July 18, 2015
Thanks Native Vedda.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 18, 2015
Dear Native,
It seems that as usual you are picking an argument, with which I really cannot be bothered. What the hell is a “Tamil twist”? Some sort of a dance?
Saying that Prabakaran was a “psychopath” does not preclude him from being a thug and a murderer. When you say the “jury is out” on who killed Mayor Duraiappa, where is this jury? Prabakaran himself boasted about shooting the mayor. It is also known that he had accomplices, who also boasted about their involvement. None has denied that Prabakaran pulled the trigger, as far as I have heard.
Do you have any evidence that “Hindia” (which I regard as a rather vacuous assumption that India is synonymous with Hinduism, when it also gave rise to Buddhism and Jainism) was responsible for Sri Lanka establishing a trilingual policy and English as a bridging language? Or are you just being contrary?
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Native Vedda / July 18, 2015
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam
“Do you have any evidence that “Hindia” …………. was responsible for Sri Lanka establishing a trilingual policy and English as a bridging language? Or are you just being contrary?”
Please read
Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution
[Certified on 14th November, 1987]
Amendment of Article 18 of the Constitution of the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
2, Article 18 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
(hereinafter referred to as the “Constitution”) is hereby amended as follows:-
(a) by the renumbering of that Article as paragraph (1) of that Article;
(b) by the addition immediately after paragraph (1) of that Article of the following
paragraphs:
“(2) Tamil shall also be an official language.
(3) English shall be the link language.
(4) Parliament shall by law provide for the implementation of the provisions of this
Chapter.”
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/shrilanka/document/
actsandordinance/13th_Amendment.pdf
FYI
The 13th A was enforced by Hindians.
Hindians have nothing to do with India, a small clique of Hindi speaking bigots who seem to have taken over the power centres of the India and causing havoc all around them. The permanent government/establishment.
You should be spending more time in this forum learning what is in and what is out. Language changes at a tremendous pace. If you want to keep up with changes please do visit this forum once in a while.
AS for VP you call him whatever you may think suits you.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 19, 2015
Thanks Native,
I’m always happy to learn.
If the 1987 laws you have mentioned were introduced under pressure from India, they were a step in the right direction (and India should be thanked for it). I was under the impression that these laws were introduced more recently, since all we were told about was the 1956 Sinhala Only Act, and reforms improving the status of the Tamil language were never mentioned by those creating a ‘Tamil genocide’ narrative (including the 1958 amendment and also these 1987 laws).
I’m not much interested in “learning what is in and what is out” when it comes to terms like ‘Hindians’ (if by that you mean Hindu nationalists or Hindutva extremists).
/
Tamil from the north / July 22, 2015
NV, there is evidence that Mr. Duraiyapah was assassinated by Kandeepan Amirthalingam. Prabaharan was nowhere near the scene. But this low life Prabaharan claimed that he killed him to add a diamond to his blood soaked crown. Kandeepan is hiding in the UK.
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Anpu / July 18, 2015
Dr RSA
Hon cheif Justice CV Wigneswaran CM of NPC Speech – Q and A on 17.07.2015 in London by IATAJ . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX_D6PRU8qk
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 18, 2015
Thanks, Anpu.
I’ll watch it.
/
Off the Cuff / July 19, 2015
Dear Anpu,
Anyone who idolises the Megalomaniac murderer Prabahkaran cannot bring about Peace in Lanka.
.
.
“thoughtless gas-bags, hot-heads and irresponsible talkers in the country who care more for the plaudits of the mob than for the welfare of the people”
.
…. a quote from Mr. T. Chellappa-pillai, retired Chief Justice of Travancore, renowned mathematician, eminent English, Sanskrit and Tamil Scholar, Editor of the Anglo Tamil fortnightly Newspaper, the “Hindu Organ” published in Jaffna by the Siva Paripalana Sabai
.
.
Mr. CV Wigneswaran CM of NPC therefore, cannot bring about Reconciliation or Peace to Lanka because he sought the Plaudits of the MOB than the welfare of his people when he commenced IDIOLISING the LTTE leader Prabahkaran.
BTW you wrote “Hon cheif Justice CV Wigneswaran CM of NPC”
CV Wigs was never a CHIEF JUSTICE of Lanka’s Supreme Court!!!
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Anpu / July 19, 2015
OTC,
“Anyone who idolises the Megalomaniac murderer Prabahkaran cannot bring about Peace in Lanka.”
Why are you telling me this?
In Sri Lanka (“BUDDHIST Country”) Sinhalese leaders are responsible for more people than anyone else.
Mr Wigneswaran is not idolising. He stating the FACTS.
“CV Wigs was never a CHIEF JUSTICE of Lanka’s Supreme Court!!!”
I should have put Hon… in quotes
“Hon cheif Justice CV Wigneswaran CM of NPC Speech – Q and A on 17.07.2015 in London by IATAJ . “
/
Anpu / July 19, 2015
Sorry for the error
In Sri Lanka (“BUDDHIST Country”) Sinhalese leaders are responsible for killing more people than anyone else.
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Anpu can’t you make an intelligent comment?
UK is Christian Country but they don’t observe the commandment “Thou shall not Kill”
Can you name a SINGLE country that abides by the majority religion?
Instead of aiming IDIOTIC barbs like a disgruntled child, use your brain and write a challenging comment.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Anpu / July 20, 2015
OTC,
“Anpu can’t you make an intelligent comment?”
You must have some intelligence to understand my comments.
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Anpu,
You have displayed that abundant intelligence of yours when you avoided my question.
Can you name a SINGLE country that abides by the majority religion?
Your comment “In Sri Lanka (“BUDDHIST Country”) Sinhalese leaders are responsible for killing more people than anyone else” was IDIOTIC. That’s why you are stumped when I asked the above question.
India is Hindu but we have atrocious crimes committed there. UK is Christian but crime flourishes. Jaffna is Hindu is it a land of Saints or Rapists, Drug addicts, smugglers and Murderers?
You see Anpu your comment was IDIOTIC.
Please write an Intelligent comment next time.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Anpu,
You ask “Why are you telling me this?”
Because Wigneswaran idolises the Megalomaniac murderer Prabahkaran.
Anyone who idolises the Megalomaniac murderer Prabahkaran cannot bring Peace to Lanka.
DBS Jayaraj notes the transformation of Wigneswaran from an outspoken SC Judge to a Politician and a Chief Ministerial Candidate playing to the gallery.
“What saddens this writer is the sight of an eminent ex-judge demeaning himself by pandering to the whims and fancies of hawkish Tamil elements in the Island and the Diaspora.
Last week saw Wigneswaran in Valvettithurai (VVT) the native village of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and the cradle of armed Tamil militancy. Wigneswaran delivered a thundering speech to an audience consisting mainly of people from VVT and neighbouring areas.
Wigneswaran stated there that Prabhakaran the son of VVT soil was a great hero and not a terrorist. “Pirapakaran oru payangaravathiyalla. Avar Thamil Inathin Viduthalikkaaha Poaradiya oru Maha Veeran” (Prabhakaran is not a terrorist. He is a great hero who fought for the freedom of the Tamil people) re-iterated Wigneswaran on Valvettithurai soil”.
Wigneswaran as a SC Judge
“What is happening in the on going process is that Wigneswaran who at one time heard and ruled on cases where alleged members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is now giving a clean bill of health to the tigers. “The Liberation Tigers are not terrorists but freedom fighters” he tells gatherings in Jaffna.
One does not know whether Wigneswaran is sincere in asserting this but if he genuinely believes that the LTTE is not a terrorist outfit then one cannot but help wonder as to why he sat on the bench hearing cases listed under the PTA. The honourable thing for an honourable judge to do would have been to refuse to hear cases charging persons as terrorists under the PTA when he personally did not regard them as terrorists. If Wigneswaran was drastically honourable he should have discharged those charged under the PTA and faced consequences with the courage of his convictions”
Re “I should have put Hon… in quotes “Hon cheif Justice CV Wigneswaran CM of NPC Speech – Q and A on 17.07.2015 in London by IATAJ . “ ”
Whether you put it in QUOTES or not IT IS A LIE. WIGNESWARAN WAS NEVER Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice and he never will be, as he is retired.
The International Association of Tamil Journalists are LIARS. You are a fool to propagate those lies when all the time you knew it to be a Lie.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Anpu / July 19, 2015
Dr RN,
****CVW is NOT a failed experiment*****
http://tamildiplomat.com/npc-cm-wigneswaran-calls-tamil-people-to-get-together-to-find-a-solution-based-on-thimpu-principles/
The Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council, Justice C.V. Wigneswaran has put out a call to all Global Tamil people to get together with providing the humanitarian assistance as the short term objective, getting justice for the genocide perpetrated as the middle term objective and finding a permanent political solution on the basis of Thimbu principles as the long term objective.
He was delivering his address at the “ Special Address and Cultural Evening” conducted by the International Association of Tamil Journalists in London on Friday when he put out this call. He was participating as the Chief Guest at the event.
Wigneswaran said that, he was openly expressing in the past, that, neither the 13th amendment nor the Provincial Council system could be starting point or an interim solution or a final solution of the ethnic problem and that he will continue to insist this.
He also said that, the news item saying that, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, U.S. Department of State Nisha Biswal, had disgraced him and asked him play down the Genocide, when he met her in the US recently, is completely false
The full text of his speech is as follows
Although praising and abusing had continued, as always the practice, our loving Tamil hearts had specialized in arguments and uniqueness among them and had expressing overtly their criticisms, but the thought that, I am duty bound to perform all possible duties to my dear Tamil People in the meager period left in my life, is propelling me forward. Thousands of people have elected me to serve them. I am duty bound to serve them, subject to the legacy they had granted me. May God Almighty give me all the strength, robustness and energy to traverse that path of duty with necessary concern.
There is a reason for me to take part in this meeting that is being held under the aegis of the Global Tamil Journalist’s Federation. Several people had invited me to deliver speeches.I am not ready to hurt any body’s feelings. I was not able to accept all invitations. I am new to politics. Several parties toiled for me to become the Chief Minister of the Northern Province. At several times, some parties compelled me not to show any favoritism to any party. Hence, I also felt that, taking a unique stand is a best option. We created parties to do good to the people. But, we see now that parties are becoming more important than people. As far as I am concerned,the interests of the people should take precedence.I wish serve from a position beyond party politics.
I was informed that your federation is operating without any prejudices now. Hence, I came forward to accept your invitation.I consented to meet the brothers and sisters who are working politically serried with us, alone.I longed that all those who are concomitant with us should attend this meeting. My heart is warmed by your grand welcome.
Exactly 30 years have passed after the declaration of Thimpu Principles.In another week’s time, the Black July of 1983 will commemorate its 32nd anniversary.In one month’s time, General Elections to our Parliament are to be held.It is in such a context I am meeting you here.
Although you all had been subjected to the attribute of Diaspora, most of you had not come here excluding your motherland. You came here wounded physically and mentally. But, you are still maintaining a bond between you and your homeland. Some you still have lands and properties there. Several of you have good relations, and kith and kin. I have shared feelings with many who, even after many years, still possess the heartfelt desire to their ancestral residences. They have a liking to renew their relationships, make contact with their kith and kin, and reform those relationships. I don’t know anything about the disposition of your descendants. There are a number of youths in England who are born and bred here. They are several places in this world. I came to understand that, several of them are present in this auditorium today. I had been made to be aware that they are living with the identity of their ancestral land bonded to them.
My wish is that, this concern should be strengthened more and more among the Tamil youth. The contacts between the present day generation living in our country and the present day generation living outside the Island of Sri Lanka, should bloom well. It is my strong desire that it should be rooted deeply. I wish to express my idea very firmly here that, the contacts between the next generation living in our country and abroad, should be built up very closely.
We had to prepare our young society for this. Where ever they were born or they are living, the motherland of their parents is one of the basic identities. There is a uniqueness to this identity. This strength should be recommended to our next generations.
We should understand that intrigues had been undertaken prevent us from coming home from our countries of refuge picturing us as Tigers. A period should dawn on us where we can proudly say that we were born in the traditions of Sri Lankan Tamils. Not only that, but we must also tend to think in our thoughts, that we are a strong unit of the globally honourable Tamil descendants.
It is my wish that, the races living in the beautiful Island of Sri Lanka, live with peace, love, happiness, and mutual understanding. I am dedicatedly working towards this. I have made up my mind that, I shall work in the future also, as much as possible, towards this end. At the same time, I am also determined that, the Tamil people should live in their country with peace, independence and honour.
We are struggling for a very long time, in various forms for the refused rights of our nation and against the injustices perpetrated against them. The governments, which came to power one behind the other in the south had made it clear that, the rights or justice will not be achieved locally.
That is why we had toil with speed to lay a strong foundation in our times and handover the task to our future generation. The support of the International community is essential for our people to get their rights and justice. The youths of the Tamil society, which is living all around the world had to dedicate themselves to acquire this support and increase it. The parents should devote themselves to lay the ground work for this. I believe that the young generation can struggle for rights and justice of their kins living in the country of Sri Lanka, subject to the laws of the countries where they are living.
On one side our rights are being refused in our own country. On the other side, I see that the genocide against the Tamil nation had not ceased. Even after coming here, I came to know that, the ‘white van’ arrogance had not stopped even after January 8th. I am being strongly criticized by some that, I have taken a hard line for adopting the genocide resolution bringing out the genocide perpetrated against our nation. My hope is that making the world aware of the genocide will pave the way on a long term basis, to create a honest goodwill between the nations. I had made this clear in my address tabling the genocide resolution. We are not acting with a revenging attitude. But, we have acted with an intention of getting justice for the thousands of our massacred kins. We believe that those who think about our people and those who love humanism will assist our activities not hinder them. Our people should raise questions against the political ethics of Tamils, who hesitate to bring out the genocide perpetrated against the Tamil nation and who try to block them. The term ‘genocide’ was not my own creation. Thanthai Selva used it for the first time.
During the Non-Aligned Summit held in Sri Lanka in September, 1974, Thanthai Selva submitted memorandum to the delegates of the summit. He had clearly stated in the memorandum, the genocide perpetrated by the Sinhala nation against the Tamil people. Sinhala leaders have an objective. This objective is changing Sri lanka with two nations – Two languages – and several religions into a single Nation with One Nation, Sinhala Nation – one language, Sinhala language, and only Buddhism. He had highlighted even then that, they are engaging in genocide for this. Tamil leaders of yesteryears had started to talk about genocide long before the starting of the activities of placing the stamps of extremism and terrorism. We cannot go back from our stance that, what perpetrated against the our Nation is genocide, fearing the stampings and criticisms. I have lived for 76 years in this world. I have been living in my since the days when it was a British Colony. During my young days Tamils lived spread all over Sri Lanka. During that time, half the paddy fields in Thissamaharama were cultivated by Tamils with relevant deeds, and reaped the harvest. They were all had been driven away. That village people are claiming ownership for these paddy fields without relevant deeds. Tamils were driven away from Southern Provinces. They were driven away from North West and North Central areas. Evidences of Tamils living there were now destroyed without a trace. I have seen these with my own eyes. I know all about Tamil people being oppressed and driven away by a language, through standardization in education, colonization.
The idea that Genocide could be accepted only if the laws tolerate it, is little difficult to accept. But we brought the Genocide resolution with a hope that the law will ratify it. The Sri Lanka which we lived in our young days was different and the present Sri Lanka is different. It is a truth that the governments in power from time to time and their cohorts unleashed by them formed the foundations which caused, through several activities, the migration of Tamils from Sri Lanka or their journey out of this earth. Our genocide resolution brought this out. We cannot allow any more genocide.
In order to protect us from Genocide, our principle identities of our Language, our culture and the stance that ‘we are a nation’ should be preserved and protected. It is on this basis that I had expressed my strong stance of two nations existing in Sri Lanka. I stated this clearly on a stage where the President Maithripala Sirisena was seated while on his tour of Jaffna. Likewise I stated the same while delivering the Bernard De Soysa Memorial Oration last year. I want to say one thing to people who say that, we are a minority. The origin of Tamil people is rooted in Sri Lanka long before Buddhism came to Sri Lanka. It is also true that Tamils who came from out side from time to time had assimilated with this root. As it is customary, giving the name of the big river to the system including the main river and the several tributary rivers discharging into the main river, it is also true that, the Tamil people had carried forward a continuous tradition from olden days to date.
In the year 1921, Sinhala leaders, Peris and Samarawickrama had accepted that the Tamil people are the majority people in Northern and Eastern Provinces and that,only in the other Provinces Sinhalese are the Majority. I mention this here because I want to say that we are not a minority who had come from somewhere. That is, we are not a minority who had come from somewhere being driven out of there. We are the ancient citizens of Sri Lanka. We cannot be compared with the minorities of the other countries. We, the majorities of two provinces-set up became the minorities of the Nine Provinces -set up, just because, our two provinces were amalgamated with the Seven Provinces. But, their characteristic and uniqueness are not understood by many.
Our people whomever they may be, should avoid using the term ‘minority race’ to refer to the Tamil people, who had declared doctrines of our own unique national Status and the right of self determination. They should come forward to act with dedication, to make the Tamil People available with their rights and justice.
In the country of Sri Lanka, Tamils had traditionally lived in particular locations for long times. Some people had said that those who lived in the East were subjected to the Kandyan Kingdom. But, They never lived contrary to the statement that they lived traditionally as Tamil speaking people. East is also a traditional area of our people.
For 67 years our struggle had continued through non-violent way and in armed way to win the ratification of our Traditional home lands, the refused rights of our people and justice for the genocide against Tamil race. But no majority leader, who came to power, had shown a responsible response to the struggle of the Tamil People. On the contrary, they keep on disrespecting them. When they faced some crisis, they looked upon Tamil Leaders to help them. At the end, we were always remained cheated. The relationship between Tamil and Sinhala leaders was always like the Tamil proverb “ We are brothers until we cross the river; after that we are strangers” This holds good also for the regime change on January 8th. We have to put a full stop to these cheating tricks. We cannot stay as a swindled race. They tell us one and something else to the Sinhala people and finally cheat both people groups. The politicians of both side should avoid such cheating words.
My expectation is that our people living at home should elect persons who will serve with dedication to the people. As far as the Tamil representatives are concerned, we need politicians with honest politics, committed to cause, with a mentality to serve the people with dedication, long vision, will to desist from being a turncoat for any reason and at any stage in conformation to what “Thiruvaluvar” had said. What our soil and the people need in this conjuncture is people who can establish the uniqueness of the Tamils, who can establish their right of self determination, and who can win their rights and justice. I will stand by the people for them to realize their historical responsibility and to perform their righteous duty. Meanwhile the youth and the women should increase their participation in politics. The political leaders should cooperate in this and be the guides to them.
After I took over as the Northern Province Chief Minister, I was able to meet on a daily basis, people who have lost their lives and carrying their sorrows because of the militarization of traditional home lands of Tamil people and the expansion on Sinhala Colonization. I feel a buried history in every one of their painful incidents. The recent regime change also had demonstrated that whether Rama rules or Ravana rules, there is no relief to Tamil people. The new rulers also had not overtly acted regarding the removal of Army Camps which are ruining the routine lives of our people. The new government was bent on postponing the UNHRC report, which was to be a channel to deliver justice through an international investigation. They were successful in their attempt. They also celebrated this as their victory. Now there deliberations are going on as to what level should be the international intervention in the internal mechanism after the report is published. But any mechanism should consists of interests of the affected and reconciliation.
A permanent solution cannot be found under the current unitary government system, for the gangrenous ethnic problem. This is a truth we have learned through events that are continuing for a very long time. However, the Sinhala Political leaders are not ready to change the unitary government system, knowing very well that as far as this system exists, it is not possible to achieve permanent peace or reconciliation. Information had been received that two Sinhala leaders had signed an agreement that the unitary government system will not be changed. Unless this mentality of theirs is changed, one cannot expect any good changes in Constitution or in the solution for the ethnic problem.
Keeping everything that had happened so far in mind, The Northern Provincial Council under my leadership, adopted the “Genocide against Tamils” resolution. This is considered a historical event in the path to attaining the justice for the Tamil people. If the Sinhala progressive forces will join the struggle for finding the justice for Tamil people, it will pave the way for a political solution for establishing a permanent peace in the Island of Sri Lanka. You can pave the way for a true reconciliation only if you know the truth. You may remember that the South African Commission was named as The Commission for True Reconciliation. The South African people was in realization that Reconciliation could be created only if the truth in accepted.
In such a conjuncture, we should remember the importance of Thimpu Doctrines. Thimpu negations were first to be held under the aegis of International community. In this negotiations, our leaders who struggled in non-violent ways and our militants who trekked the path of armed struggle represented the interest of the Tamil people, in the same table.. The Tamil speaking National Race and the Sinhala speaking National race engaged in peace talks with the mediation of India. Thimpu Doctrine was born out of the initiatives of this negotiations.
It is not necessary for me to tell you that, this declaration with such importance had to be taken into consideration in any attempt at a solution to the ethnic problem. The people who are preparing solution schemes should keep Thimpu Principles in mind in their actions. The activities for the political solution should be undertaken on the basis of entitled to self determination in conformation to International Laws.
The first international agreement signed with the ethnic problem in mind was the Indo – Sri Lanka agreement. In conformation to this agreement, Northern and Eastern Provinces were merged on the basis that they the traditional home lands of Tamil speaking people.India which gave refuge to our people who fled to escape the genocide, later acted as the facilitator at Thimpu. Later Indo Sri Lanka agreement was signed.This indicated not only the important role India had to play but also the historical responsibility that India should come forward to serve with an open heart. I outlined this responsibility to the Indian Prime Minister when he came to Northern Province recently.
On 1987 October 28th a letter was sent to the then Indian Prime Minister, Rajive Ghandi, jointly signed by the then the Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, Mr.M.Sivasithamparam, The Secretary General, Mr. A.Amirthalingam and the then Vice- president and now the Leader of TNA, Mr.Sampanthan. In this letter they had expressed their dis-satisfaction regarding the 13th Amendment submitted in parliament with the ethnic problem in view and the bills pertaining to Provincial Council and also explained in detail that, these project proposals did not satisfy the aspirations of the Tamil people. Today I am the Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council. I am able to realize the truthfulness of their statements practically. I was openly expressing in the past, that, neither the 13th amendment nor the Provincial Council system could be starting point or an interim solution or a final solution of the ethnic problem. I will continue to insist this.
A bitter history lays spread in front of our eyes, where several agreements which were signed by Leaders of the Sinhala people and the Leaders of the Tamil people, being torn and thrown away , unable to sustain the racism. We, the Tamils are basically like peace, brotherhood and living together. Our social structure was built up with such ideas. On the basis these, our struggles were started in the non-violent way. Our Satyagraga struggle in Ghandian line was answered with violence. Laws were formulated with oppressing us as the objective. Especially the standardization bill compelled the youth including those who were continuing their studies to pick up arms. Our youth were compelled to bear arms because the rights were refused and injustice was continuing. We should not waste the sacrifices of such people, nor desecrate them. I see their relative shedding tears even today.
Hence we should avoid using them to sweep the votes and then causing dishonour or disgrace their dedication.
Our nation is struggling to rise from the genocide at Mullivaikkal. Our Social structures were ruined, our livelihoods were destroyed and our people are concerned about what will happen tomorrow. They are spending their time among 150,000 army soldiers.
You should come forward to stretch a helping hand to them, build up the destroyed economy, and for our country to rise from the ashes. Currently the Provincial Council is busy drafting and finalising the modes through which you could help. Your grate help is needed to undertake this successfully. Building up our society and the homeland with the help our own people is the honour and dedication to the people who had laid down their lives for us. And this will be an answer the persons destroying our nation. It is true that they putting up several barriers. Recently I came to understand that, the Governor had said that we will have to wait till the end of the election to create the Chief Minister’s fund. It is clear that , although the president had approved it, the Governor is dragging it.
Hence we all should get together with providing the humanitarian assistance as the short term objective, getting justice for the genocide perpetrated as the middle term objective and finding a permanent political solution on the basis of Thimpu doctrine as the long term objective. I conclude my address in the hope that you will provide a meaningful cooperation and contribution toward this.
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Anpu,
CVW has transformed from a outspoken SC Judge to a gas bag seeking the plaudits of the MOB.
“Pirapakaran oru payangaravathiyalla. Avar Thamil Inathin Viduthalikkaaha Poaradiya oru Maha Veeran”
DBS Jayaraj translates the above as follows “Prabhakaran is not a terrorist. He is a great hero who fought for the freedom of the Tamil people”
He cannot bring about Peace as he forfeited the confidence and respect that he had from the Sinhalese.
No one who idolises the megalomaniac murderer Prabahkaran can bring about peace to Lanka.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Anpu / July 20, 2015
OTC,
“DBS Jayaraj”
We know what he writes.
DBSJ in 2007: The Continuing agony of Eastern Tamil Civilians http://tamilweek.com/news-features/archives/751
“What is now happening in the East is a monumental crime against humanity with genocidal attributes. Innocent civilians are being decimated for politico – military objectives. Meanwhile Mahinda Rajapakse will continue taking “Malthattus” to viharas, observe “Sil” and listen to “sethpirith” being chanted .May the blessings of the Triple Gem be upon him. “Pin Siddha Vechaava”.”
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Anpu,
You are not very observant.
.
“Pirapakaran oru payangaravathiyalla. Avar Thamil Inathin Viduthalikkaaha Poaradiya oru Maha Veeran”
.
Those are neither DBS’s words nor is it his opinion.
It’s a VERBATIM report of CM WIG’s speech.
According to DBS it means “Prabhakaran is not a terrorist. He is a great hero who fought for the freedom of the Tamil people”
Therefore attempting to dismiss it by saying “We know what he writes” is FOOLISH.
Chief Minister Wigneswaran has idiolised Prabahkaran the Child killer, Mass murderer, Megalomaniac and who many Tamils claim, has killed more Tamils than anyone else.
In the words of the Editor Mr. T. Chellappa-pillai, of the Anglo Tamil fortnightly Newspaper, the “Hindu Organ” published in Jaffna by the Siva Paripalana Sabai, CM Wigs is a “thoughtless gas-bag, hot-head and irresponsible talker in the country who care more for the plaudits of the mob than for the welfare of the people”.
If you don’t agree with DBS’s translation please give your own.
Kind Regards
OTC
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 21, 2015
Dear Anpu,
Thanks. I read the complete text only a few minutes back. It is yet the same old wine in the same old bottle,
It is good to hear and it warms our cockles. This has been happening for decades now, The result is, where we are now. Words, words and words, that were interspersed with misplaced and unwise actions. This is our sad story.
The CM did not talk about the water crisis that is upon us, development, productive employment for people, the self made social ills and plight of the war-affected, which are also inter-related. He has not talked how we can help ourselves. He has not talked about the CM’s fund, he had said had been approved by the Sirisena-Ranil government. Is this fund operational now? If so, how does purpose to collect the funds and how does he propose to use the money collected? I and many like me want to hear about these.
He as a lawyer and a retired judge of the Suoreme Court, was quite aware of the severe limitations of the 13th amendment. I was quite aware of these too. However, although I had all along argued for drastic improvements, I ennthusiasticalły supported his bid for the position of CM, in the hope that HE WILL DO WHAT HE COULD, WITH WHAT HE HAD. Instead he has only played to the gallery. Although he claims he is new to politics, he has surpassed all our failed politicians of yester year and now, by leaps and bounds!
I am also for Tamil and Tamils. I have seen the post-war human misery In all its ugliness. I have how the then government dealt with IDOs and appreciated the efforts made. I have seen how the infrastructure was restored by the then government quite quickly. I have also been frustrated by the failures of the same government to invest more in improving the lives of the war-battered poor, widows and maimed, I have been angry with the attitude of the last government to the land related issues. I am also very concerned about the water and oroductive employment related issues. I have been very critical of actions of the last government to rule through unacceptable proxies in the north and east.
The NPC, however weak as an institution, was with the election of the present CM, an opportunity to work to resolve the mundane issues that afflict the people. The men we have elected to parliament , were there to talk and find solutions to our problems as a people ( we are no different from the Sinhalese as a race. The old concept of a race has become irrelevant today). I wanted him to identify these mundane problems objectively, to come up with solutions and break his head on how to implement them. At every step in this process, he should have kept us informed of progress, reasons for failures and how he plans to overcome them. He has failed miserably, despite all his talk and propensity to find scapegoats. He has been more involved in creating dissention, discord and unnecceary bitterness. He dies not. Have the skills to deal with the circumstances and succeed to the extent possible.
He has continued to play a role that was not his. He tried to supplant Sambanthan-led TNA in voicing the concerns of the Tamils at the national and international level. He has to dear with the micro-problems in the north and help the TNA leadership deal with the macro-problems of the north , east and the island.
He is, unfortunately, a failed experiment to me yet! I wish he can change course and achieve something tangible for the people in the north.
Dr.RN
/
Off the Cuff / July 18, 2015
“…a petition that claims, without substantiation, other than the opinion of Hillary Clinton (of all people) that rape was used as a “tactic of war” in Sri Lanka” says the Son of Brian Senewiratne, Senator of the TGTE
Hilary’s DUBIOUS opinion has something to do with Raj Rajaratnam according to the following news report filed on Oct. 16, 2009
Indicted N.Y. Financier Gave Big to Hillary and Terror Charity
By RICHARD ESPOSITO, KRISTIN JONES, ANNA SCHECTER and BRIAN ROSS
The New York hedge fund billionaire indicted today in an alleged $20 million insider trading scheme, Raj Rajaratnam, was a major contributor to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and also the single largest known U.S. contributor to a charity linked to the Tamil Tiger terror group in Sri Lanka, according to records obtained by ABCNews.com.
Raj Rajaratnam Gave To Democratic Campaigns
Rajaratnam and his wife were also major contributors to a number of Democratic campaigns, giving a total of $118,000 to, among others, the Senate campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer and the presidential campaigns of Mrs. Clinton and Barack Obama.
“He was big with Hillary and then jumped over to Obama after Hillary lost,” said one Democratic party figure involved in fundraising.
Associates of Rajaratnam formed a Tamils for Clinton fund raising group for her presidential campaign and sought her help in getting the Tamil Tigers taken off the Stte Department’s Designated Terror List.
“You shouldn’t lump all terrorists together,” Sen. Clinton said in 2007. Members of the Tamils for Clinton met with former President bill Clinton in Dec. 2007 to press their case.
Rajaratnam is also a major trustee of the American India Foundation, which is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. President Clinton is the Foundation’s honorary chair, and has publicly thanked Rajaratnam and his wife for their multi-million dollar support.
/
Off the Cuff / July 18, 2015
Dear Anpu,
Re “You started adding the alagaratnm to your name only recently to show off your Tamil connection.”
He was BORN out of a Tamil Womb wasn’t he?
He was not BORN with a Name.
The name was given by his Parents (perhaps the father).
Do your children carry their Mother’s Name?
If as an Adult, Romesh decided to add his Mother’s family name, how can that be a problem of yours or anyone’s for that matter?
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 18, 2015
Thanks for coming to my defence, OTC.
I was, in fact named “Romesh Brian Senewiratne” (with my father’s name as my middle name); I pointedly dropped the “Brian” after my father had me repeatedly imprisoned and injected, declaring that I was “psychotic” (which he has been doing, off an on, for twenty years – whenever I was openly critical of him).
It is true that I have only used the name Alagaratnam since I was criticized on CT for not acknowledging my Tamil ancestry; in doing so I was showing my regard for my grandfather, Winslow Alagaratnam, my mother’s father, who I was close to. Alagaratnam was actually his “Christian” name – though Tamil, he was brought up a Christian with the surname Winslow, taken from a American missionary in Jaffna that converted my mother’s family. In the Tamil tradition, my grandfather changed the order of his name, taking Alagaratnam (‘beautiful jewel’) as his surname.
My grandfather, who was the first Ceylonese (rather than British) Director of the Irrigation Department, was involved in the Gal Oya irrigation scheme, and was criticized by Tamil nationalists for this at the time. My understanding of this is that he was more interested in using his knowledge of irrigation engineering to provide water for all the people of Ceylon, and to renovate the ancient irrigation works of Rajarata, and grow more food (especially rice) for all the people of Sri Lanka. He was trilingual, and proud enough of his Tamil ancestry to wear a Tamil name. But he wasn’t a fan of tribalism.
/
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran / July 18, 2015
Dear Dr.Romesh,
I was at Peradeniya when your father was on the medical faculty staff.He had a formidable reputation as a kindly man and an excellent medical practitioner and teacher. His subsequent involvement in the Tamil issue, while welcome, was often one sided. This apparently was not deliberate. He probably did not have the opportunity to see and experience the other side of the coin. His sentiments probably clouded his objectivity.
Your approach has been more objective and your willingness to learn isquite visible. Please contribute. more to CT. I appreciate your comments in this link. Further, the Sinhala-Tamil divide is very marginal in genetic terms. We are two branches from the same stock. Science is teaching us more about our essential unity, than history teaches us and common sense dictates.
Incidentally, your grandpa Alagaratnam was well known. I think there is an indirect family connection through a marriage with the Alagaratnam family and my family- through a marriage to my maternal aunt. However, the details cannot be verified now.
Wish you the very best.
Dr,RN
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 18, 2015
Dear Dr RN,
Thanks for your comments. I have had a break from commenting on CT, while I’ve been researching and writing a book on mind-body medicine and the neuroscience of music.
/
Burning Issue / July 19, 2015
DR RN
I need to seriously question your judgement that you call Romesh Senewirate balanced! I am opposed to separatism and had been an ardent opponent of the LTTE. I have no problems with people taking their stance against extremism and bigotry. But this guy is insidious and trying his best to neutralise his father’s complete backing of the Tamil struggle.
This guy Rumesh has asked for substantiation for the raping strategy! He at the same time is opposed to any form of international investigation. Please do not take people like this guy on face value.
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 19, 2015
Burning Issue,,
My opinion on Dr. Romesh is based on my interactions with him in CT and the enlightened stance he took regarding the Valikamam land issue, the discussion on the antiquity of our languages & their origins, and the genetic relationship issues.
Further, although I have appreciated his father -Dr.Brian Seneviratne- taking up cudgels on the Tamil cause, I have been also viewed many of his utterances as naive and ill informed. I have however , not cross words with him, because of his age, his innate humanity and the respect I have for him.
Dr. Romesh’ personal revelation has shocked me. I feel sorry for all three-father, mother and son. The mother probably has suffered most.
As demonstrated in this thread,mhe has once again demonstrated an openness to learn. This is great. Let those of us who disagree with him, provide him the information that will convince him otherwise.
Dr.RN
/
Burning Issue / July 20, 2015
DR RN,
“Let those of us who disagree with him, provide him the information that will convince him otherwise.”
I also had exchanges with Rumesh and find him to be ostentatiously possess selective memories! I feel that his “openness to learn” option is a get-out mechanism. I am very sorry to say. Good luck with your endeavour to educate this individual who has a beef with his father for obvious reasons!
/
Naga / July 19, 2015
Hi Romesh
You state “..I pointedly dropped the “Brian” after my father had me repeatedly imprisoned and injected, declaring that I was “psychotic” (which he has been doing, off an on, for twenty years – whenever I was openly critical of him).”
Romesh, I am horrified to hear that your father imprisoned and injected you for just being critical of him.
And your father Brian Senewiratne, who you say had been imprisoning you and injecting you on and off for twenty years just to make you obey him, continues to champion the Eelam cause of that maniac Prabaharan. No wonder he found common cause with a maniac.
By the way is your father Brian who I understand was a consulant physician continues his medical practice in Australia? If what you say is correct,I dread to think the treatments he would have been administering his patients.
I would not have commented on the personal doings of an individual but you opened it up in a public forum. Again, I am simply horrified to hear your story mate. And I hope you are free and living away from him now.
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 19, 2015
Thanks, Naga.
I am indeed free, and have been able to get them to stop injecting me (some months ago). I should make it clear that when my father first started getting me locked up twenty years ago, I had long left home and was working as a GP in Melbourne, while he was living and working in Brisbane. He did it through phone calls, faxes and letters (some of which I have obtained under FOI).
I have been able to avoid being locked up for two years, now. I hope that writing about him on CT again doesn’t get me locked up again. He may try, so I have to be careful about what I write.
/
justice / July 19, 2015
Dr RSA,
Imprisonment would have been by a court of law which found fault with you, though your father may have initiated the process.
Court would have obtained psychiatric opinion.
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 19, 2015
Justice
I was locked up in mental hospitals, not prison. It’s a long story, and I won’t go into it now.
/
justice / July 19, 2015
Dr RSA,
Your reply confirms that you had mental illness and now you are OK.
/
Agnos / July 19, 2015
On the internet, you made serious allegations against your father, stating that his medical degree at Cambridge was bought and not earned, but many people who knew him at Peradeniya, including Dr. RN above, would easily confirm he was a brilliant student and had no need to buy a degree. Perhaps it was things like that from you that made your father think you were mentally ill, and though some of your statements on this forum sound rational, there are others that sound irrational.
Everybody knows MR learning Tamil was a gimmick; the things he said after he lost the election on January 8 should have made it clear.
So you should continue your mental care privately and then try to reconcile with your family, rather than making allegations against your father on the internet. It is legitimate to criticize some of his political positions, but not his character or his academic achievements. There can also be disagreements on what constitutes mental illness; even certain minor personality disorders may sometimes be characterized as mental illness by the medical establishment. But if you have such concerns, you should find supportive people within the medical community who will agree with you and make your case in medical journals, conferences, etc., rather than making wild allegations on the internet.
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 20, 2015
Agnos,
My father did not buy his degree; he earned it and passed his exams like everyone else at Cambridge. What I said, perhaps unnecessarily, was that he was a fee-paying student.
You say that I should try to reconcile with my family, rather than making allegations against my father on the internet and that it is legitimate to criticize some of his political positions, but not his character or his academic achievements.
I agree, and have no desire to discuss the character of my father in this forum; however his political role as a TGTE senator is a legitimate topic for discussion, as well as his previous statements in support of Prabakaran and the LTTE, and his lobbying for the the separatist cause. I think criticizing his medical views is also legitimate, and would welcome a debate with him on the topic of psychiatry.
You have also said that “even minor personality disorders may sometimes be characterised as mental illness by the medical establishment”. I have written extensively on the problem of the psychiatry profession churning out more “incurable” mental illness labels with each edition of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association), and treating them with potentially harmful and toxic drugs, as well as the human rights abuses that occur (all over the world, and not just in Third World countries) in the treatment of mental illness. I have also written about the problem of stigmatisation, and the social harm (and depression) caused by the policy of forcing people to agree that they are mentally ill if they want to leave hospital (euphemistically called ‘gaining insight’). This is at the root of human rights abuses around the world, and I would be surprised if they do not occur in Sri Lanka. The roots of this system, though, are in The USA and UK, which exported it to the rest of the world.
There are many medical people who share my perspective of psychiatry, some with even more critical views of the psychiatric establishment than I hold myself (such as Professors Peter Breggin and Peter Gotszche). My own perspective is that while some psychiatric drugs have value, music is a better and safer tranquilizer than Valium, and that talk therapies should be tried before drugs (or ECT) is used. I am strongly against the over-use of antipsychotics, and the punitive, custodial approach taken by psychiatry (but not the rest of medicine) and the pseudoscience of “chemical imbalance theories” that are used to justify the prescription of more drugs. I have campaigned against the use of stimulant drugs in children (for treatment of ADHD) and the application of labels like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in children (it’s bad enough with adults but outrageous to apply these labels to children, as is currently done in the USA).
I started writing about these matters many years ago, in addition to human rights abuses I witnessed and experienced over more than fifty admissions in the 20 years since 2015. My father was not involved in all these admissions – many times I was locked up for not turning up to be injected – I refused to be made into a “psychiatric patient”, and was outspoken in my indignation, at times (but never violent).
My father did not say I had a “mild personality disorder”. He maintained, despite all evidence to the contrary (including expert opinion by psychiatrists) that I had a “serious psychotic disorder” that needed “involuntary treatment” in a “closed ward” (this means a locked ward) and that my “intelligence and medical training” made me a “nightmare to treat”. He cited all my medical, political and scientific writings as “thought disordered” and indicative of serious mental illness in confidential letters that he wrote behind by back to psychiatrists in the hospitals in Melbourne. These actions had the effect of destroying my medical career, since he also made false claims about my medical views and patient management.
My father has considerable medical knowledge in his own field – internal medicine, but is not well versed in psychiatry (reading his purported “psychoanalysis” of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which was published on CT a couple of years ago, should give you an idea of what I mean, if you know anything about psychiatry and its legitimate use).
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/psychiatric-disorder-an-analysis-of-gotabaya-rajapaksa/
I am critical of any doctor who uses drugs too much, and especially the use of psychiatric drugs in children. Despite not being a psychiatrist or paediatrician, in recent years my father has made an extraordinary video lecture in which he promotes the use of antidepressants to a degree that I have not seen even from the most drug-oriented psychiatrists. This has been posted on YouTube, and is very worthy of public discussion, in my opinion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuwNvpFcQjA
If you watch this video, you may understand my opposition to my father’s professional as well as his political views. But I don’t think he should be locked up and drugged for them!
/
Agnos / July 22, 2015
Actually I remember that you clearly wanted to imply he didn’t earn his Cambridge degree; you also said things like he wouldn’t write anything without asking for money, which is another lie since he has been writing on the Tamil cause for long time without anyone paying him; some well-wishers might support his travel expenses when they invite him to speak, but that is probably all he gets. I saw him speak once at a friend’s when he visited the US back in 2000/2001, and knew then that he wasn’t paid.
I have no time to search and give links, but you did make very serious allegations against your father that I knew not to be true.
That you are backtracking now may be a sign that you have no memory of what you wrote; that could be part of an earlier mental illness. I am not saying that you had schizophrenia, but I have to agree with Dr. Sankaralingam on one point he made: developed countries have such strict privacy laws and mental care regulations that they wouldn’t lock up a working professional adult in a mental hospital on the mere say-so of his father. There must have been a lot more to the story–someone must have witnessed a serious outbreak of mental illness–that your mind probably blacked out.
As for the politics, I don’t like talking to you on that because your views appear to be caused by your inability to see the issues from the Tamil victims’ perspective, which your father does.
He was probably influenced early on by his uncle, the late Edmund Samarakkody. Though your father and many others should have been more objective in looking at the LTTE’s negative and atrocious side, even in the face of the brutal violence and crimes unleashed by the State on the Tamil people, and criticized the LTTE forcefully when such criticism was warranted, your blanket and incessant criticism of him is probably based on some obsessional, tunnel-vision based thoughts on morality, which is part of some personality disorders. Such a mind cannot see that an armed struggle may have legitimate causes. I will leave it at that and stop posting in this thread.
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / July 20, 2015
Dear Romesh,
From what you have disclosed, I can imagine that you would have been suffering from violent schizophrenia. Locking up people in mental hospitals without proper assessment can occur only in third world countries like Srilanka. In developed countries a person has to be sectioned under mental health act before being restrained. You would have been a threat to either yourself or to others if released as an out patient. That would have been the reason to lock you up in a mental hospital. Blaming your father for your predicament is not correct. From your writings, I feel that you still have remnants of your mental instability.
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 20, 2015
Dear Gnana,
You can imagine whatever you like, though I’ve never heard of “violent schizophrenia”. Did you make that one up yourself?
Romesh
/
Off the Cuff / July 20, 2015
Dear Romesh,
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam has been using what he terms his “Medico Legal Experience” thinking that it will insulate him from further questions.
He made the following comment during this discussion on July 16, 2015 at 3:38 am
“I have worked as a medico-legal officer in the war zone and therefore I am a medical witness to the atrocities commited by the Srilankan security forces on non combatant Tamil population”
When he was asked how his Medico Legal Experience equipped him to distinguish between combatants in Civies and Real non combatants he slinked away.
He is an impresario without integrity.
I think you should refrain from any further discussion about your private life as you have given enough information to make people understand that your father has abused his position within the medical profession in order to silence you. What he has done is atrocious.
Charity begins at home.
A child abuser in private life is trying desperately to present himself as a Humanitarian with a Bleeding Heart. I can understand how your mother would have felt to see her son abused by his own father.
I am sorry to note that your father is a hypocrite.
Brian Senewiratne did nothing to uplift the Tamil masses. He is a great pretender seeking fame, adulation and power from where ever he can get it.
Between 60% and 75% of the Tamil population in the North are Low cast they are the Untouchables of Lanka, the Tamil Outcasts. If Plantation Tamils who are a near 100% low cast is included the untouchable figure rises over 80%. Therefore anyone desirous of standing up for the Tamils should stand up for the Untouchables.
Here is a small primer about the Northern Society from the 1940s to the 1970s
W.R. Holmes, Jaffna (Sri Lanka), St Joseph’s Press: Jaffna, 1980 cited by Gnanapala Welhengama, Nirmala Pillay in “The Rise of Tamil Separatism in Sri Lanka: From Communalism to Secession”
In Jaffna in the 1940s and 1950s, for instance, minority [sic] Tamils were forbidden to enter or live near temples; to draw water from the wells of high-caste families; to enter laundries, barbershops, cafes, or taxis, to keep women in seclusion and protect them by enacting domestic rituals; to wear shoes; to sit on bus seats; to register their names properly so that social benefits could be obtained; to attend school; to cover the upper part of the body; to wear gold earrings; if male, to cut their hair; to use umbrellas; to own bicycles or cars; to cremate the dead; or to convert to Christianity or Buddhism.
This practice of caste exclusion gave rise to violent incidents in the 1960s and 1970s directed against high-caste Jaffna Tamils. Trade and industry and jobs in government service remained the monopoly of the upper caste groups and attempts by the Pallars and Nalavars to improve their position resulted in violence, long drawn out hartal, and in extreme cases, killings by both high and low caste Tamils. Any sign of upward mobility by untouchable groups was quickly suppressed and repressive social customs were enforced through intimidation and violence. Vellalas often fielded thugs to punish attempts by Pallars or Nalawars to improve themselves, forcing them to conform to the social stratification. According to Pfaffenberger ‘Minority Tamils who attempted to raise their position would find their communities victimised by Vellalar organised gangs of thugs, who burnt down properties and poisoned wells.
Gradually, in the 1960s, oppressed Tamils began to voice their anger against these discriminatory practices. They organised under the umbrella group ‘All Ceylon Minority Tamils’ United Front’. One of the protest campaigns organised by minority Tamils with the help of Shanmuganathan, a Tamil politician, and his Communist Party was ‘the Maviddapuram Temple-entry movements’ which shook the fabric of the Jaffna Tamil society. Low caste Tamil campaigners tried to enter the Maviddapuram Hindu Temple hitherto reserved for the worship of high caste Tamils only, by force. This campaign resulted in a drawn out and violent struggle between high and low caste Tamils attracting wide publicity in the Colombo based newspapers.
In response, high caste Tamils of the Jaffna Peninsula organised against low-caste Tamils by setting up a new organisation in 1968, the ‘All-Ceylon Saiva Practices and Observances Protection Society’. Chelvanayakam’s Federal Party failed to provide any leadership or viable solution to this crisis. In fact, in 1968, Chelvanayakam was confronted by low caste Tamils challenging him to stand down from his parliamentary seat and contest it again. Other Federalist leaders, S. Nadaraja and A. Amirthalingam (who succeeded Chelvanayakam as leader of the FP, and later the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)) also failed to respond to the frustrated youth faction of the low caste Tamils. By 1968 low caste Tamils lost almost all faith in the FP to move in a new direction.
end quote
Ask your father whether he was BLIND to all those happenings within Tamil society when he decided to side with the OPPRESSIVE Vellala Ruling Class.
Your father claims to have campaigned for the cause of the Tamil people to live with equality, dignity and safety in the country of their birth.
Ask him what he did to ensure that the majority Tamil population could live with equality, dignity and safety amongst the Tamils themselves in the North, where they were born.
I cannot find any record of ANYTHING that he has done for the emancipation of the Outcasts Tamils from the OPPRESSIVE IRON grip of the Vellala minority.
Perhaps someone having such knowledge Like his colleague Usha Sri Skander Raja or Rudrakumaran or your father himself can enlighten us.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 20, 2015
Thanks for the information and support, OTC.
It is not possible for me to ask my father anything. I rang him up yesterday to discuss the “million signature campaign” to refer Sri Lanka to the ICC, but he hung up the phone as soon as he heard my voice. He flatly refuses to speak to me, though I am quite prepared to speak to him and debate with him if necessary.
The following video, titled “Speech by Dr Brian Senwiratne- Australia, about Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka” was posted on 23 May 2009, immediately after the end of the war. It is an edit of two megaphone speeches, to a cheering crowd of Tamil youths in Sydney, in which he warns that if the Tamil Tigers are defeated (and he says he doesn’t think they will be, so it must have been filmed at least a few days before they were) – someone “even more virulent and extreme” will come forward to lead the “struggle” for Tamil Eelam (an outrageous statement for which he was cheered and applauded). It is in this speech that he first mentioned employing the barrister Geoffrey Robertson to take Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka to the ICC (he actually says International Court of Justice):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI0UVuiYPro
After the war ended, my father was made a senator of the TGTE, and was their contact man with Geoffrey Robertson (who he boasted in the clip above, he “knew very well”). I learned from my mother that Geoffrey Robertson was prepared to give legal advice but insisted on being paid. He was thus employed to prepare the genocide case, but warned that it would not be easy to refer Sri Lanka to the ICC since this can only be done by another member nation of the UN. You can see Robertson’s appearance (complete with LTTE flags on the table) here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08FbPxp1AIg
Robertson also made another “talking head” presentation for the TGTE, similar to the old effort of Bruce Fein for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), the group that lured Fein away from Donald Gnanakone’s ‘Tamils for Justice’ group. When my father said he was on the way to London to convince Robertson to “appear for us and charge these blaggards and murderers” (referring to Sarath Fonseka and Gotabaya Rajapaksa) in the first clip, my father refers to these attempted “legal actions” when he says that they should use Robertson, rather than “some joker from the USA”. This is why Donald Gnanakone has angrily written that my father “sabotaged” his legal case against the Sri Lankan government. It’s quite a comedy – but a tragi-comedy.
I noticed that the TGTE website is soliciting donations for the campaign. It seems rather tragic that the poor Tamil people are contributing their hard-earned money to the bulging wallet of Robertson and other lawyers, who will string them along, as long as they get paid.
Regarding the oppression of lower castes in Tamil society by the Vellalas, coming from a Vellala family I am quite aware of caste snobbery, as well as class snobbery, both of which are repugnant to me. Some of my ancestors were from Maviddapuram (my great-great grandfather, Mutthukumarar) and were associated with the temple, but I didn’t know details about the caste laws and the role of the Colombo government in making caste discrimination illegal, till I read one of your earlier postings. Thanks for enlightening me.
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / July 21, 2015
Dear OTC AKA MNIN Perera,
You have no guts to disclose your identity.
People know who killed whom.
I will give you a good example of Kumudini Boat massacre.
36 people were killed by Navy personnel.
Mr. Athulathmudali went on TV and said, Navy intercepted a terrorist boat and killed 36 terrotist.
Among those killed were Mr. Jesudason an inspector of internal trade who was a Presidntial award winner for public service and a six month old baby bayonetted through the chest.
Do you think that I could not differentiate them as civilian.
Come mister shed your racist mindset and work towards genuine reconcilliation. Everybody makes mistakes. Please accept it as gentlemen. Tamils are prepared to forgive and forget if those who perpetratrated atrocities accept it and apologise, without continuing to deny them. To err is human but to forgive is divine.
/
M. N. I .N. Perera / July 21, 2015
Dear Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
Your comment of July 21, 2015 at 3:36 am is good only to FOOL foreigners and the uninitiated who cannot identify dates.
We were discussing a battle where the Tigers held civilians as a Human Shield and Fought in Civilian Clothes in 2009.
You claimed you have the Medico Legal experience to differentiate the Civilians from the Combatants.
That was an ABSOLUTELY IDIOTIC CLAIM.
You were trying to IMPRESS the readership about a NON EXISTING expertise that you say you posses.
I asked you POINTEDLY how you could distinguish between a Combatant in CIVILIAN clothes and a Real Civilian.
You ran away from that question then and now you are trying to pull the wool and run away again.
Mr Lalith Athulathmudali was assassinated on April 23, 1993.
Hence that example of yours is more than 22 years old as Lalith A was LIVING then. No Medico Legal experience is needed to analyse that incident as there was no confusing Combatants in Civies HIDING amongst a captive CIVILIAN population.
Please inform the CT Readership How you are able to distinguish DEAD Combatants in Civilian Clothing from dead Real Civilians amongst a Captive civilian population held as a Human Shield by those same COMBATANTS in CIVILIAN CLOTHES
What was this Special MEDICO LEGAL EXPERIENCE that you posses?
Come on MISTER Gnana Sankaralingam all those who contribute to CT are not Fools. You are the FOOL if that is what you think.
You ask me pompously “You have no guts to disclose your identity”
It is not my GUTS that are in question but your INTEGRITY
You are proving to be a Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. A RACIST trying to appear otherwise.
You ran away from a war and allowed children to fight in your place. This is a fact. But even a coward is ALWAYS better than a CUNNING LAIR.
Kind Regards,
M.N.I.N. PERERA
/
Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 21, 2015
What a nutter this Brian Senewiratne appears to be – did he go out to those rallies intent to destroying his own carefully curated image of being “a squeaky clean champion of human rights and totally not a supporter or paid coolie of LTTE terrorists”? Maybe he had a bad batch of “gassibbu” for breakfast that morning, his ranting and raving is certainly reminiscent of the village drunk on pay day :D
We Thamizh were also thinking Robertson boarded the leaky SS Kadavule Chenociiiite sailing for Peelam out of the goodness of his heart – but it turns out he’s just there to make off with a few barrels of gingelly oil from the hold before it hits the lagoon floor :D
But all it takes is a few hollow soundbites to whip We Thamizh into a frenzy and believing We Thamizh propaganda – some say We Thamizh are still at that meeting, hooting and howling and believing that the LTTE can’t be demolished :D
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 22, 2015
Dear OTC,
Recently, I recruited a young couple as caretakers for my house and garden in Jaffna. They are evangelical Christians and appeared to be decent and honest folk. I did not inquire about their caste affiliations. I , subsequently hired the father of the male , as a daily worker to perform various tasks in the garden, when required. He has proved to be knowledgeable and efficient.
One day, he told me that he wanted to make the Vadamarachchi Kool ( a fish and vegetable stew made with palmyra root flour) . I agreed. He bought the required ingredients and directed his daughter- in-law to make the Kool. He insisted that I eat-drink the Kool from a pula ( a container made from fresh palmyra leaves) and set about making some.
He made two types of the pula, one with a handle with a single binding and the other more decorative, with two bindings. He said the one with the two bindings was to serve the Vellahlahs, toddy. This is when I had a clue as to their caste.
He went unto say, ” We are slaves ( Nangal Adimaihal) and we have to serve our Masters in the pula with the double binding to keep them happy.” His words had a stunning effect on me. I had not expected to such a sentiment expressed by a human being in this day and century! I took photographs of both types of Pula as a record for posterity. Incidentally, the Kool was delicious.
The caste consciousness and centuries of caste oppression have left deep impressions, scars and habits in Jaffna society. It is not visible any more openly and outside homes. We are at an intermediate stage of it being phased out. Caste divisions will ultimately disappear, if the current trends continue and more investments are made to improve the lot of the poor- mostly the so-called low castes- through education. This process is also in motion. The generation that is taking over amongst these unfortunates, is already different.
Dr.RN
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / July 21, 2015
Dear Romesh,
I am not a psychiatrist. I could not take up to psychiatry because I am allergic to NUTS. However I have made this assessment on the following facts given by you:
1. You were restrained in a mental hospital. Only people who are restrained are those who are of violent behaviuor being a threat either to themselves or to others.
2. You said that you were forcefully given injections. Depot injections are given to schizophrenics as their compliance is poor. Also they have a poor insight which makes them think that they do not have any illness and thus do not need any treatment.
When you say that injections were given against your will, it corroborates with the theory that schizophrenics think that they are being trested against their will as they do not have any problems. Also you are accusing your father of having problems which is a characteristic of schizophrenics who think that they are normal and the others are abnormal.
Whatever the diagnosis it may be, the good news is that you have recovered to carry on with your normal life and not fall foul of the law. Therefore you must thank your father rather than running him down for his actions, if not for his foresight you will still be languishing in the mental hospital.
Just imagine the plight of several unlucky children in the third world who when they become mad, due to social stigma are left neglected by their parents, kept locked up inside the house and not given proper treatment. Consider your self lucky and stop berating your well respected father.
/
Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 21, 2015
Dear Dr Gnana,
It is clear from your “assessment” that you are not qualified to make one. Not because you did not qualify as a psychiatrist, but because you seem to have a number of preconceived prejudices against what you call “schizophrenics” and your quip that “you are allergic to NUTS”.
As such it is of no value to debate the matter with you. It is clear that subtlety and logic are not your strong points (let alone any knowledge of the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, their history and their flaws).
I wonder about your opinion about the quality of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment in the “de-facto state” of the Tamil Tigers. Did they diagnose schizophrenia or psychosis if people had the “delusion” that the LTTE were a murderous, criminal outfit? Or did they just shoot them if they said such “crazy” stuff? As a supposed witness to rule under the LTTE, can you offer you “medico-legal” advice on this?
Romesh
/
Off the Cuff / July 22, 2015
Dear Dr Romesh,
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam writes mediocre comments expecting the “Dr” to give it intellectual authority.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Mallaiyuran / July 19, 2015
You are confused who is old King and who is the New King. They are two different personalizes!
What is your position; are supporting both of them, or none and only Ranil or one of them?
The quotations you sited are true other the than the government number 7,000. Government number is zero casualty.
The interesting matter is UN’s last number is 70,000 murder. Government’s last number lived in that area is only 70,000. That is government killed no one, zero casualty. That is a highly accurate math.
/
Pacs / July 17, 2015
Usha don’t get upset most of these comments are out of inability and totally based on racism. They think by shouting louder they can win and hide the truth. Actually They are scared a Lot. It is going to be a million signatures from Tamilnadu alone and a million families That means 5 million people. It ll grow exponentially to impact on Indian politics. One may observe it it is already happening.
/
Toronto Tamil / July 17, 2015
Kali,
Maybe you have missed my earlier comment. I will try to post it again here so that you can hopefully read it and REPLY.
Just to add that I was forced to join the LTTE after A-levels. Due to a mine explosion I was able to leave the LTTE and then emigrate to Canada. Having lost some fingers is not a big problem but my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) needs more time to heal.
Kali,
“Toronto Tamil: What happened to the rset of the Title ” Ex Pat” Dropped it have or were you forced to drop. Who forced you.”
I decided to shorten my name to save energy. I apologize for any confusion. I belong to the Toronto Tamils not supporting Usha and her mates. We are the majority.
“She says that she never was a tiger. Thus no need to rehabilitate her. Is she lying about her background? *** Did she phone you or come to see you in Hambanthotta.”
Her claim about never having been a tiger has been in the English speaking media recently. You can call her and ask her about the claim. Her number is easy to find on her homepage [Edited out] or the NPC homepage. Please call her and post the results as a comment.
“She said she she handed over her Husband to you Barbaric Soldiers.”
That is maybe true or just another claim. According to her even their 3 daughters were present. Why did her husband not fight to the very end or swallow his cyanide capsule? Was he a coward?
“Who stopped Ananthy from becoming a MP”
Why don’t you reply? This is the real question. I repeat that she was stopped by the elderly wise guys of her own party not others. Can you dispute this?
/
kali / July 18, 2015
Toronto
She said she handed over her Husband to your Barbaric Soldiers.
Who stopped Ananthy from becoming a MP *** MS
Read , Re Read and Read Again until you see light at the end of the Tunnel.
/
Toronto / July 18, 2015
Kali,
“She said she handed over her Husband to your Barbaric Soldiers.”
I was forced to fight with her husband not against him. Get it?
“Who stopped Ananthy from becoming a MP *** MS Read , Re Read and Read Again until you see light at the end of the Tunnel.”
Are you claiming that the President stopped Ananthy from becoming a candidate and quite possibly a MP? You might want to call her or at least study what has been on the media.
Or does you “MS” refer to Microsoft? A soft ware bug stopped Ananthy?
/
Off the Cuff / July 19, 2015
Dear Toronto Tamil,
Re ” I was forced to fight with her husband not against him. Get it?”
He is too much of an IDIOT to “get it”
I am sorry to hear about your fingers and the curtailed education. This is the story of most Tamil youth.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Toront / July 19, 2015
Kali,
“Who stopped Ananthy from becoming a MP”
*** MS
I am very slow. Please excuse me.
Does your MS maybe refer to Mavai Senathirajah or Mathiaparanan Sumanthiran?
Would you mind answering in a clear manner so that us differently abled can understand your comments.
Thank you for your attention.
/
kali / July 19, 2015
Toronto:
You are too slow and in fact I think the clock has stopped in your case. SAD
MS stands for MENTALLY Retarded SINKALAM called Maithiri Srisena.
/
Candidly / July 18, 2015
1 million from a world population of 7,300,000,000 =
0.07%
Or, to put it another way, if you had 10,000 people in a meeting only 7 of them would have voted for this resolution to send “Sri Lanka” to the International Criminal Court.
You are wasting your life away playing this silly game of revenge, Ms Sri-Skanda-Rajah. What a pointless way of living.
/
Pacs / July 18, 2015
This article has drawn in 231 comments . What is the reason??
/
Off the Cuff / July 18, 2015
Deluge of False Tamil Separatist propaganda and counter challenges.
/
Eusense / July 18, 2015
Pacs,
She always come up with “no brainer” projects and articles proving she is intellectually challenged. By doing so I guess she inflame the Sinhalese and the non-terrorist Tamils. She is doing more harm to any Tamil cause than solving them.
/
freddy / July 18, 2015
The Tamils ltte destroyed Sri Lanka and killed 1000s and these terrorist still pushing for ICC. With the mislead Tamils of other countries, always vengeance and revenge seeking for the purpose of a separate state. These manipulators should be brought back and charged for killing and war crimes, still looking to deztroy Sri Lanka and its people. Even God cannot help you for the killings and destruction if MR did not stop the war more innocent people would have been dead.
/
kali / July 18, 2015
I am making this closing Speech on behalf of Mrs.S.Usha Sri Skantha Rajah under devolved powers.
Fisrt of all thank you to all those who voted ( I mean commented ) especially the Sinkalams.
There was only one Candidate and One Question.
It was a Commital Proceeding.
Question: Do you Agree that Manhintha Percy Rajakse the Ex President of Sri Lanka is Guilty of War Crimes.
If you comment by inference it is a YES.
*** Having heard all the Evidence I herby Indict the said Sri Lankan Citizen to the International Criminal Court to be tried for War Crimes.
Signed & Sealed
Kali
/
Eusense / July 18, 2015
Kali,
Who do you think is stupid here, you or the commentates?
/
kali / July 18, 2015
Eusense:
You are right. I think it is Mr.Modi and UN.
Moodi was stupid to stop Colombo Port City
To ban all Chinese Submarines
UN
To publish a Report Indicting the THUG.
After all Sinhala Lanka is the only remaining SUPER POWER. How can you challenge her MIGHT.
/
Native Vedda / July 19, 2015
Nuisance
“Who do you think is stupid here, you or the commentates?”
Both of you
/
Eusense / July 20, 2015
Vedda,
Another stupid response!
Making statements without explanations!!
/
kali / July 21, 2015
Eusense:
Thanks for being honest. Not many people admit to being stupid.You either have it or not and you certainly dont.
/
Toronto / July 18, 2015
Kali,
“I am making this closing Speech on behalf of Mrs.S.Usha Sri Skantha Rajah under devolved powers.”
Are you sure that Usha and her mates want you to represent them?
/
kali / July 19, 2015
Toronto
First of all why have yo left out Tamil from Toronto: Have you been caught out.
Are you sure that Usha and her mates want you to represent them?
*** As for the above it is a Family affair and we dont need permission from Race Flippers.
/
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah / July 20, 2015
‘Toronto’ the amazing Kali can represent me any time!
/
Off the Cuff / July 21, 2015
Dear Usha TGTE Senator,
What is the TGTE’s stand on Ms Adele Balasigham a war criminal, who trained and Commisioned Children as soldires for the LTTE which is a War Crime under the Rome Statute. There is video evidence of her involvement in the Public Domain.
If you have not seen her supervising the commissioning by awarding a cyanide capsule this video will enlighten you. Adele and Anton Bala explains what the cyanide symbolises. The video leaves no room for doubt about Adelle’s War Crimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqbj8PHTtHY
/
Mallaiyuran / July 21, 2015
Would you bring your tape to ICC there Senator will answer to question?
Your haughtiness make you repeatedly dig out others mouth. Uneducated, uncivilised Kandian Sinhala intellectuals are”IGNORED”. They not worthy for any response by anybody.
Ugly mouthed Kandian Sinhala Intellectual, is this you have to say about the worst rape and murders of the human civilization?
You said “young girls murdered planting bombs in their private parts after gang raped” Ha ha haa, How big was that bomb? Could not have been an artillery shell! This is the ugliest form of an immoral Kandian Sinhala Intellectual villain’s laugh! It does not just hurt the Tamils who suffered through the Sinhala Intellectual army’s tortures and rapes (there are thousands links available in the YouTube showing how the Sinhala Intellectual army tortures; everybody show it- no point in me attaching it here again), it hurts the entire human civilization. It’s not the laughs show who these births are but, when these Kandian Sinhala Intellectuals like Off Tragic Cases ask for the size with the nasty intention of tracking into dirty fantasy his opponents with whom they cannot stand on debate, they fully expose them how they enjoyed their worst heinous crimes deeds when they did it. This is why NPC CM passed a resolution requesting the International Community to investigate the brutality of the Sinhala Intellectual army. Allowing the Sinhala Kandian Sinhala Intellectuals to investigate themselves will only enable them ruminate and re- chew the cud. CM led the resolution in the NPC and he stands as another hero as a night mare to the Sinhala Intellectuals.
/
Off the Cuff / July 21, 2015
Dear Mallaiyuran,
Obviously you are a TGTE supporter.
Is that BLIND support or EDUCATED support?
Do you know the TGTE’s stand on Ms Adele Balasigham a war criminal, who trained and Commissioned TAMIL Children as soldiers for the LTTE which is a War Crime under the Rome Statute.
These children were ABDUCTED and FORCIBLY taken from their Tamil parents.
There is video evidence of her involvement in the Public Domain. If you have not seen her supervising the commissioning by awarding a cyanide capsule this video will enlighten you.
Adele and Anton Bala explains what the cyanide symbolises. The video leaves no room for doubt about Adelle’s War Crimes.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqbj8PHTtHY
.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Toro / July 21, 2015
Off the Cuff,
You are unlikely to receive any answer but your question is good. Maybe you should redirect your inquiry at the recently appointed spokesperson of Senator Usha.
Keep up the good work.
/
Off the Cuff / July 21, 2015
Dear Toronto,
Thanks. I can see worms like Mallaiyuran getting excited about my question.
I will be repeating this under EVERY article that any member of the TGTE posts on CT. Until they declare their policy publicly.
You are free to post it yourself.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Mallaiyuran / July 21, 2015
Well, fool like you can not read.
Keep repeating your question. You never id no if ever produced an answer or not. Keep up the Senator!
You are ignored my friend by (not me and not in the dictionary meaning you use, the Kandian Sinhala Intellectual ) learned peoples.
Keep ranting please. (eat the rubbish you produce) We want the Tamils problems discussed. Thanks for you in sense and thanks for CT on the other sense!
/
Off the Cuff / July 21, 2015
Dear Mallaiyuran,
Obviously you are a TGTE supporter.
Is that BLIND support or EDUCATED support?
What is your stand on the Tamil CHILD KILLER Adele Bala?
/
Toron / July 21, 2015
Usha,
“‘Toronto’ the amazing Kali can represent me any time!”
I thank you for your confirmation of his/her role. Does Kali act as a spokesperson for the rest of your outfit also?
I completely agree with you. Kali is really amazing.
Kindly observe that your group does not represent me.
Good luck with your work. You will need it.
/
kali / July 21, 2015
Toronto:
Now you have heard from the Horses Mouth. Permission Granted
/
Tor / July 21, 2015
Kali,
Congratulations!
In the future you might want to indicate in your comments who you represent to avoid confusion.
It is important to keep your private comments clearly separate from the comments you make as the official spokesperson of Usha.
Who is the spokesperson of the outfit of Usha? You, her or somebody else?
Last but not least:
What is the stand of Usha on Ms Adele Balasigham a war criminal, who trained and Commisioned Children as soldires for the LTTE which is a War Crime under the Rome Statute. There is video evidence of her involvement in the Public Domain.
Thanking you in advance for your earliest reply.
/
kali / July 23, 2015
T ( Tamil from Toronto )
You started off as Tamil from Toronto but have finally been reduced to T. Start rebuilding your life add an H then U and then G to make it THUG.
/
To / July 23, 2015
Kali,
Thank you for your sincere and balanced advice.
What do you personally and especially Usha say about Adele and war crimes?
We are expecting your statements.
Best wishes.
/
Pacs / July 18, 2015
The former deputy minister Publicly says that he has evidence about the murderers of 3 prominent citizens. Do you all read it? Why can’t the Sri Lankan Judiciary act on it.
/
Pacs / July 19, 2015
All who argued for and against this article please think introspectively and with open mind. If democracy is a land mark of civilization what are the pillars of civilization?. What does a civilised society means? What are the characteristics of a civilisation? Is there good and Bad civilisations? I think a civilisation means a society with good or High values. Respect to people expression and respect the way of expression. The expression of a peaceful non harmful way. Is this a part of revolutionizing or improving democracy. A better way of expression is always better way of democracy. Not only the expression but look that to whom is it expressed for what purpose.And respecting one’s expression and wish apart from fear, greed, selfishness and obession. In voting system you are given a multiple choice question in which none of the choice may be desirable. you are forced to select an answer which is not correct. The signatory campaign is an expression of the desire. Suggesting a desirable answer and solution. A better way of democracy and evolving civilisation with the advancement of science and IT. moving forward for a better way of governance towards more harmonious, peaceful and sufferingless society or civilisation.
Unreasonable criticizing will not help but derail the civilising process. If you want to move backward go peaceful protest-> violent Protest-> violent -> battle-> and war. Reversing of Buddhism. remind the war of Kalinga and What happened thereafter.
/
kali / July 19, 2015
I didnt expect this out pouring of Grief from Sinkalams.
Off the CLIFFE
Sinkala Sankaran Sarrma
Toronto Tamil.
etc
May the THGUGS soul rest in Peace ( or should I say in pieces) in the HAUGE.
307 and Still counting.
/
Off the Cuff / July 21, 2015
Dear Heretic, Dr RN and any others interested,
Turning Brackish water to Potable water
Simplest method
Take a tank with the largest surface area that you can get (depth unimportant but you may need more frequent top up of Brackish water if depth is small). you can also use a barrel cut lengthwise to increase surface area. The darker the inside of the tank the better it is. Black is the best.
Make sure that the Tank is food grade (like a plastic water tank)
You can be certain it is food grade if you can get hold of a barrel in which liquid glucose is imported (any toffee factory will have them. They are sold by them. If you go this route make sure you buy from the source and not from a scrap dealer as dangerous chemical’s also come in similar looking barrels.
Mount the two cut halves of the barrel horizontally in such away that one edge of the barrel is a few inches HIGHER than the opposite end (sorry, I have no way of giving you a sketch).
Locate the barrel in a spot where it will get the most amount of Sun.
Fill the barrel with brackish water.
Cover it with a sheet of glass that is BIGGER than the exposed surface of the barrel and will extend beyond all four sides when placed on top. The glass sheet should extend at least 2 inches from three sides and about 4-6 inches beyond the LOWER barrel edge on the fourth side.
You will note that the glass sheet is now sloping downwards.
Lift the lower end about 0.25 – 0.5 inches while still maintaining a slope.
Now you have created a gap between the lower end and the glass.
If possible cover the two triangular gaps that you see on either side. This will increase the temperature inside appreciably as otherwise air flow will cool the inside and some water vapour will leak out.
Don’t cover the lower edge gap as it is needed.
Within a few seconds in bright sunlight you will see condensation under the glass and within minutes that condensation will drip down the glass and will start falling outside the barrel (this is why the lower end was extended beyond the barrel edge and the reason why we created the gap (keep the gap as small as possible while allowing the water to drip out).
Collect this water it is pure POTABLE water with a 0-10 ppm of dissolved solids.
To make it easier to collect you can do the following.
Take a length of water pipe about one inch in diameter (buy the thinnest grade as it is not subjected to pressure)
Cut it lengthwise and remove about 3 times the thickness of the glass that you are using. Then you will have a tube with a long slot.
Insert the slotted tube at the lower end of the glass and keep it in place by using Silicone on the TOP of the glass.
This will leave a gap between the lower surface of the glass and the slot that will allow the water to drip into the tube.
Now the water will come out at both ends of the tube where you can collect into two vessels. If that is not convenient cap one end and collect your water at the other end.
You should get about 6-8 liters of water on a sunny day with a water surface area of 1 sq meter which is easily achieved.
You can automate the filling by piping the tank.
You will also have to wash out the tank regularly as it will be like a Saltern and salt will get deposited inside.
The efficiency of the system can be increased quite appreciably by employing higher technology that is currently available locally but the cost will also increase appreciably.
Before going ahead with what I have described above carry out the following test to assess for yourself the viability of what I have described.
Select a sunny location
Mark out an area 2m x 2m (or anything convenient) You need to know the area.
Push a few stakes into the ground on all four sides so that the stakes stand above ground by about a foot.
Saturate this area with water and record the quantity used.
Take a BLACK polythene and tie it to the stakes so that it will cover the whole area. Do not make it taught it must be allowed to sag.
Place a stone (or weight) at the center of the polythene. Now you would have formed an inverted conical shape.
Place a bowl on the ground right under the apex of the inverted cone and collect the water that you get. It is potable water and can be used (boil it first as the possibility of contamination is higher due to the construction used in the test). It will also have a low ppm which will be slightly higher than the glass as the poly may not be as clean as the glass.
Make sure that you wet the ground from time to time as water get’s evaporated.
Measure the collected yield.
It will be lower than the glass construction as air flows under the poly cooling the ground surface. You can block this by using poly fence to cover the sides as well.
For every Square Meter of Surface Area the daily evaporative loss in Australia is about 6.4 mm. This works out to 6.4 Liters/sq meter.
Since Jaffna is arid and has a lot of sun you can expect more than this at your location.
I hope you get this table in a readable form
Mean Daily Evaporation in Australia (liters)
Tank(m)—Area—Volume–Sydney—-Melbo—Bris—Adela—Perth
8.0×4.0—32.0—41,600—205——-205—–221—-237—–266
9.2×4.5—41.4—53,820—265——-265—–286—-306—–344
10×5——50.0—65,000—320——-320—–345—-370—–415
Length and breadth of Tank in meter (Depth is unimportant)
Area is surface area in sq meter
Volume is in Liter calculated for a depth of 1.3 meter (unimportant)
Evaporation is in Liter per day
If you have any problems please email them to the Colombo Telegraph Editors and request them to forward the email to me (they know my email and I believe they will oblige).
Please let me know what the results are.
Wishing you success.
Kind Regards
OTC
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 21, 2015
Dear OTC,
Thanks for providing a simple, low cost and practical solution to improve the drinking water quality. I hope this information is disseminated to the people.
However, I have to point out the resulting water will be like distilled water. Drinking water should have at TDS of around 100-110 ppm. The resulting water should be used to dilute the well water to the right TDS ppm. A pre- requisite would be to measure the TDS ppm of the water at its source,
One other observation:
I have a solar cooker at home in Jaffna and use it to boil the well water in a black metal vessel with a black lid. I see plenty of salt being precipated along the sides and the bottom of the vessel. I take this water at the end of the day and put it through a regular ceramic filter. The salt on the inside of the vessel should be washed off immediately after, before it dries up.
I used to put the water filtered from a domestic Reverse Osmosis ( RO) unit, through the above process before the RO pressure vessel corroded. I noticed some salt precipitation in the black vessel even then. Now it is more. I am planning to fabricate a pressure vessel from an old plastic can in the coming weeks.
Dr. RN
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Off the Cuff / July 21, 2015
Dear Dr. Rajasingham Narendran and Heretic,
Yes it is distilled water and will have no mineral content.
However it is the simplest and cheapest way to desalinate water. I noted from Heretic’s comment that your water has a high ppm (> 300). Distilled water will be around 0 ppm and hence if it is used to dilute your water in the proportion of 2 parts distilled to 1 part boiled local water you would get a ppm close to 100.
Salt is highly corrosive that’s why you should use Food Grade Plastic or a Tank made of cement (Stainless steel is prohibitively expensive). Steel is not suitable as it will corrode quickly.
The cement can be coloured black using ground “Coconut shell Charcoal” (paint should not be used due to possible heavy metal contamination)
———————–
Re I have a solar cooker at home in Jaffna and use it to boil the well water in a black metal vessel with a black lid. I see plenty of salt being precipated along the sides and the bottom of the vessel. I take this water at the end of the day and put it through a regular ceramic filter. The salt on the inside of the vessel should be washed off immediately after, before it dries up.
Your yield would be very low as most of your water get’s evaporated. Crystallization happens when concentration is high. I also note that you are using a metal vessel. If it’s steel it will get corroded. If it is aluminum it may be dangerous.
Use a closed enameled vessel and paint the OUTSIDE black with a mat paint. Earthenware can also be used. SS would be expensive.
I use enameled and stainless steel cookware or Teflon coated Alu but not plain Alu. Remember that Salt is corrosive and will react with Alu faster as you are using elevated temperatures. In addition, in the presence of other metals (in solution) there will be galvanic corrosion (works like an Electric battery).
Here is an extract from a Govt of Canada Publication. It may be out of date as it was archived.
However, there is now abundant evidence that aluminum may cause adverse effects on the nervous system. Abnormal disposition of aluminum in nerve tissues is thought to be associated with severe diseases of the
nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and Alzheimer’s disease. However, these associations are not completely understood and are still under study. The effects in humans exposed to low levels of aluminum over a long period are not known, but earlier onset or progression of a wide range of diseases of the nervous system is a distinct possibility. With respect to Alzheimer’s disease, the epidemiological research needs to be confirmed by analytical studies. Kidney dialysis patients exposed to high levels of aluminum in dialysis fluids and medications have developed a condition called dialysis encephalopathy. Intake of large amounts of aluminum can also cause brittle or soft bones, anemia, glucose intolerance and cardiac arrest in humans. The available data from animal studies and epidemiological studies in humans do not indicate that aluminum is a potential carcinogen.
http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/H46-2-98-211E-18.pdf
Re RO pressure vessel corroded. I noticed some salt precipitation in the black vessel even then. Now it is more. I am planning to fabricate a pressure vessel from an old plastic can in the coming weeks.
You are seeing the effects of the problems I discussed in the foregoing. Water contains other metals in the ionic form and these will cause Electrochemical reactions with your metal vessel with NaCl as the electrolyte.
Plastic should be food grade. Use a 225 liter liquid glucose barrel. It is very strong.
Email CT if you have any probs and ask them to forward it to me. I will be glad to help.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 22, 2015
Dear OTC,
Thank you very much. Your contributions have enriched this thread and highlighted not only the water problems but also the bigger and simple solutions.
My guess is that the TDS content of some well waters can range upto 3000 ppm. This guess is based on my exposure in Saudi Arabia,
The solar cooker and vessel are German made and were gifted to me by my friend Mohan Sanarasinghe in the UK, to serve as a demonstration model for solar cooking. The vessel is specially made to catch the maximum reflected heat from the the solar cooker. It is coated black on the inside and outside and is made of thick metal. There is no corrosion yet. The lid fits tightly and prevents evaporative loss.
I have tried to show and teach folks I know how to cook using a solar cooker and a black vessel. They are impressed. The fact that this would involve working in the open, discourages a people, who are yet not energy conscious!
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Off the Cuff / July 22, 2015
Dear Dr.Rajasingham Narendran and Heretic,
This is the water classification of the Water Quality Association (http://www.wqa.org/) It has a lot of resources that may interest you.
Fresh: <1,000 ppm TDS
Brackish: 1,000-5,000 ppm TDS
Highly Brackish: 5,000-15,000 ppm TDS
Saline: 15,000-30,000 ppm TDS
Sea Water: 30,000-40,000 ppm TDS
Brine: 40,000-300,000+ ppm TDS
I am assuming that the daily water loss from an adult in the 40 C heat of Jaffna may be about double that of a person in a temperate climate (I know you are knowledgeable about these but I am stating them for the info of others – I may be off target and would like to know your assessment).
Water loss in an Adult Jafanese 4-5 liters/day
Water intake through food about 1.5 liters. Drinking water needs of an adult Jafanese about 2.5 – 3.5 liters a day. Since you are using the output of the desalinator to dilute Local water a tank with surface area of 1 sq m would be more than sufficient for a family of 2 adults and a child.
You need to get a TDS meter. An average quality meter is available from $4 upwards at ebay http://www.ebay.com/bhp/tds-meter
This will eliminate guesswork from the dilution needed to make good drinking water.
You could also simply do a taste test. Dilute your local water until it becomes palatable.
Before you go ahead with any construction, you can decide on your output requirements (and hence the size) by using a good quality bottled battery water (say from Laughs) which is about 0 ppm, to dilute about 100 cc of your local water until it becomes palatable and noting the quantity of Battery water used. This will give you the dilution ratio that you need and allow you to make an informed decision on the size.
What I have written is based on my own Solar research spanning over a decade. This is one of the earliest experimental projects I developed. I have developed more advanced space efficient projects but this is the simplest and cheapest to construct. It is a proven design and with careful construction success is guaranteed.
You don't have to worry about your solar cooker since it would meet EU safety standards. But anyone trying to duplicate yours should be aware of the dangers.
Since your collector would be oriented East West with the collector facing South you could put a movable shelter in the North to shade the cook from the sun.
Thank you for the sentiments expressed and I hope I have been able to help even in a small way to quench your thirst.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 22, 2015
(This comment posted in this thread has appeared in the Gypsy Sunil thread for some reason I cannot figure out)
To all concerned about the water problem in the Jaffna peninsula, The following news item has appeared today:
“ECONOMY NEXT – Sri Lanka has decided to go for a seawater desalination plant to supply drinking water to people in the northern Jaffna peninsula after a plan to divert water from a reservoir failed. The Asian Development Bank has agreed to consider a loan of 90 million US dollars to Sri Lanka to fund the seawater desalination project, the government said. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal by Rauf Hakeem, Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, to seek additional funds to revamp the Jaffna – Kilinochchi water supply and sanitation project. The ADB loan is to fund a seawater desalination plant in Jaffna after a previous plan to divert water from the Iranaimadu reservoir, south of the peninsula, failed owing to protests from farmers and drought which reduced water levels. Implementation of the project under its initial plan failed owing to difficulties in obtaining the required amount of water from the Iranaimadu Tank, according to the Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage. It said the initial design of the drinking water scheme was entirely dependent on getting water from Iranaimadu Tank in the Kilinochchi district. This could not be done because of a dispute over water sharing between drinking requirements and irrigation agriculture needs. With the resettlement of people displaced by the ethnic war, which ended in 2009, in Kilinochchi, demand for water for irrigation increased, resulting in strong resistance from farmer organisations to share water with Jaffna district. The situation escalated after an unusually severe drought in 2012 when the water level in the Iranaimadu Tank fell drastically. (Colombo/July 22 2015)” Why this decision that will have a high investment cost, high recurrent cost, high energy cost and costs to the consumer? Further, the gains regarding reclaimed land, improved quality of aquifer water and better quality water for expanded agriculture and industry, will be negated? Were the people of Jaffna consulted? The solution to protests against sending Irranaimadu water to the north, is to bring Mahaveli waters to the Irranaimadu tank. Who is trying to play costly, foolish and shortsighted games and why? Dr. RN
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Off the Cuff / July 23, 2015
Dear Dr. Rajasingham Narendran,
Elephant Pass Lagoon (EPL) has a surface area of about 30 sq miles and a catchment of 363 sq miles (almost the size of the peninsular). It has two openings to the sea. The west opening is at the Elephant Pass causeway the East opening is at Chundiculam.
The bund breached because the rain water from the large catchment area could not be contained by the comparatively small Lagoon. It is this water that was to be diverted to Vadamarachchi and Upparu by canals and the canals were not complete.
The three lagoons have a catchment area of about 600 sq miles or 1.5 times the peninsular. This will ensure sufficient drinking and agricultural water to the peninsular. A desalination plant will cannot solve the problem of agricultural water. The lakes should be the First Priority not a desalination plant.
How much sea water should be desalinated to fill a Tank the size of Vadamarachchi lagoon? When you take all three lagoons together the volume is massive.
Since a desalination plant can cater only for drinking water the same thing can be achieved by restricting the fresh water lakes for drinking, at minimal operational cost and lower capital costs.
It definitely is a bad idea and should be opposed tooth and nail.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / July 23, 2015
Dear Dr RN and OTC,
I have brought my own comment from the paranoid Gypsy story to the correct thread. I realised, Dr RN, that it was in the wrong thread but I’m very interested in understanding more about the water shortage an its possible solutions. Hope you don’t mind; I’m interested in what OTC thinks about the topic since he is so well informed.
Romesh
July 22, 2015 at 5:58
Thanks, Dr RN,
I am very interested.
I had been wondering about a desalination plant myself, and didn’t know it was being considered. Your argument is convincing to an non-expert like myself (with little knowledge of the geography and none of the engineering, logistics or economics). If the problem was the irrigation requirements of farmers being provided by the Iranaimadu tank, the obvious solution seems to be (and without long term energy costs and taking up valuable space in the peninsula) to extend and connect the network of ancient irrigation tanks, fed by the natural river systems, including the Mahaweli Ganga, further north, to provide more water to the Iranaimadu tank (if this is possible).
In a country with as much rainfall as Sri Lanka, and despite the relative aridity of the Dry Zone, it should not be necessary to build desalination plants. The problem may lie in getting advice from the people who made the “desert bloom”, rather than following the sage advice of King Parakramabahu who famously advised that not a drop of water should reach the ocean without being put to good use, hundreds of years ago.
To which you wrote:
July 22, 2015 at 10:20
Now that my comment has appeared and has received a response from Dr.Romesh, I will use this opportunity to request Sunil Perera of the Gypsies to compose and sing a song on the water problem in Jaffna.
This will be his lasting contribution to reconciliation and genuine peace in this country. Dr.Romesh, a thanks for your comment. The NPC should request help from Israeli agricultural experts through the foreign Ministry, to help with the water problems, modern methods of irrigation, green house agriculture/horticulture and livestock farming.
Israel presently has the best Holstein dairy cows in the world!
Dr,RN
To which I have responded:
July 23, 2015 at 2:10 am
Dr RN,
I have no idea what Holstein cows are, or why you judge them to be better than Brahmin cattle, that are depicted on the ancient Indus Valley seals (whose distinctive humps I am particularly fond of).
Are you judging “best” by how much milk they produce (or its taste), how tasty their meat is, their size (which makes them more meaty), their speed, the quality of leather you can get from their hide, the types of loads they can carry or pull (for which a Brahminy hump is pretty useful) or their aesthetic qualities, such as the beauty of their eyes, or the colour and design of their fur?
Are you sure you’re not being taken in by Israeli hype? I’ll have ask some of my Australian friends whether they agree with your opinion, even if you do mean the most productive milk-producers (which I think is a horrible way to judge the quality of a cow, and has no bearing whatsoever on the needs of Sri Lanka, where there is not, and has never been a milk shortage, as far as I know).
Australia breeds and exports cattle and it is an important part of the Australian economy, having been introduced as a mainstay of the British diet (and that of the convicts and settlers). This has led to total devastation of the Australian environment with massive loss of biodiversity over 200 years. I don’t think Sri Lanka should develop its economy (in terms of agriculture and animal husbandry) on the Israeli and Western model.
The Israelis do not provide their expertise for free. either, I lived long enough in Melbourne to understand a few things about Israeli and Jewish expertise, and how it is marketed, not by Zionists, but by a network of Jewish academics and businessmen who promote each others ideas, and have built the myth of the “miracle of making the desert bloom” etc etc. (hence my initial, more subtle, reference). There have been, and are, many brilliant Jews, especially in the realm of science, but there is also Jewish hype tied to the brilliant technology of the Weizmann Institute and the science of Israel.
Please tell me what’s so good about these cows?
Romesh
I don’t want to side-track the conversation, talking about cows, but you did raise the matter. You don’t need to respond to it; I’m just keeping the thread of the conversation together, so OTC and others can read my contribution to the matter, such as it is (and knowing nothing about the ground situation there other than what you have told us). I remain skeptical about getting advice from people with expertise in desert agriculture and irrigation, whether from Israel or Singapore, for the water supply problems in Jaffna and the North.
Regards, and thanks for discussing this important matter so sensibly (it’s a refuge of sanity in the CT commentary)
Romesh
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 23, 2015
Dear Dr.Ronesh,
I am copying and pasting my response to your last comment relating to cows:
” Dear Dr.Romesh, Holstein cows ( black and white) have been genetically improved over a hundred years or more to be high milk producers, hardy and climate adaptable. Among the Holsteins, the Israeli type is quite the best. Dairy cow breeding, particularly with the Holstein, is a very advanced science, Ramesh advance data collection, genetic profiles and statistics. Israeli’s have done better than the Americans on this score, considering their climate and other constraints. I wish humans can be bred on a rational basis as done with these cows. We may have better humans within a a few generations. The random breeding we engage in has not helped us much! I have been involved with the dairy and food industry in Saudi Srabia for decades, after abandoning the academia. The Dairy industry in Saudi Arabia is also advanced, but it has not been innovative. There are farms with 25,000 milking cows, averaging 38 litres milk/ day and peak yields of 60 litres/ day. The local cows here will produce on average 6-7 litres per day. Thus, fewer Holstein cows managed well, will meet our milk needs better. We will be feeding less of better quality feed per litre of milk. The milk quality is also good ( about 3-3.5% fat).0, though the fat is lower than that of local cows ( 6 % fat). There is an inverse relationship between milk volume and fat.
Dr.RN “
Those interested in the water issue, please note that I have opened with a comment on the water issue on the article written by Rudrakumaran( TGTE). Please let us have more comments on the issue and a fruitful discussion which will draw the attention of key political players and formations. The current thread with 400 + comments is too crowded now.
Dr.RN
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Anpu / July 23, 2015
Dr RN & OCT,
I also saw the article last night.
I do not know which is the best scheme. A while back I suggested to Dr RN to write to the people (who make decisions )or department concerned directly (may be on a different topic).
Or at least write an article (comparing different schemes) and publish it on CT and other media.
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Off the Cuff / July 23, 2015
Dear Anpu,
My view is that turning even Vadamarachchi into a Fresh water lake is far superior to a Desalination Plant.
The reasons are as follows.
A desalination plant can ONLY supply drinking water and will need a distribution network.
A Fresh water lake like Vadamarachchi restricted to supply drinking water will easily supply more fresh water than a desalination plant.
With 50 inches of rain, Vadamarachchi will get 306,500 Acre feet of water which is 378,062 million Liters.
Part of this will evaporate and part of it will seep underground and will recharge the Limestone aquifer which will supply the wells with fresh water. This means no distribution costs within that area served by the aquifer. There is one disadvantage which is it depends on rain.
The maintenance cost is minimal.
A desalination plant if not Solar based will need Power infrastructure and will be very costly to run and maintain. You may have to spend an appreciable amount of the Northern development budget just to keep the water flowing.
I would not go for a desalination plant costing 90 million US dollars when the balance work on the complete River for Jaffna project in 2008 was estimated at US$ 10 million.
Hope the Decision Makers in the North will give this project a thorough evaluation and think of the Tamil people instead of grandiose schemes.
The Tamil people of the North deserve a break, they need fresh water instead of brackish water.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 24, 2015
Dear Anpu,
Thanks.
I appreciate the intent of you request. However, I have over the years learned many lessons from dealing with our politicians and bureaucracy.
My writing one article will not take us forward . the mode I have chosen in CT, has already got much attention. These have also coincided with government decisions or thoughts on the water issue,
It is those like you who have to start applying the pressure. Our politicians and bureaucrats are only sensitive to collective public pressure in an open, widely read forum like CT. I hope more individuals from all communities in Sri Zlanka will come forward to do. AN EDITORIAL NOTE FROM CT would be best support we can get.
One to one interactions with our politicians and bureaucrats will not take us any where. It is waste of time, this is my unfortunate experience.
Dr.RN
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Agnos / July 22, 2015
Dr. RN,
Despite the costs, if some international agency is
willing to subsidize it, a desalination plant is good for Jaffna. Countries like Singapore and Israel invested heavily in such plants and are now benefiting greatly from it.
I haven’t made any detailed cost benefit analysis, but in principle I support it.
Mahaveli and Iranaimadu ideas will probably get bogged down in endless political and racial issues.
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Dr,Rajasingham Narendran / July 23, 2015
OTC,
Thanks for the informative input. The first step in the Jaffna River project is what you suggest , the second is accommodating the overflow of the Irranaimadu tank during the rainy season in the Eleohant Pass lagoon and the third, the input of Mahaveli waters into the Irranaimadu tank.
Agnos,
Thanks, but I disagree.
Desalination of sea water is very expensive in terms of equipment, maintenance and energy costs. Further, a net work of pipes have to be laid to reach every house hold. Utilising the existing well network is a better alternative. Saudi Arabia is using the gas from the oil wells, that were previously flared, to proviD de energy for its sea water desalination plants.
Further, remember we are unable to repair and maintain the solar powered water pumps that were installed in rural areas with foreign aid.
Dr.RN
Dr.RN
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Heretic / July 23, 2015
OTC and Dr RN,
Many thanks for your ideas and comments. I will reply later because I am very busy at the moment.
/
Heretic / July 24, 2015
OTC, Dr RN and any others interested
Turning Brackish water to Potable water
Thank you for all the information you have provided above. Below are my comments. Due to lack of time I cannot provide links as I usually do. Some facts might be wrong. Please correct.
The method OTC describes is a simple and cheap DIY solar still. There are many kinds of stills that can be DIY or ordered from, for instance, Amazon. The main difference is their capacity and where the necessary energy comes from.
Another method is reverse osmosis that Dr RN has used. There are even models that are powered manually. R/O needs new parts regularly and lots of energy. R/O creates a lot of waste water that has to go somewhere.
The stills and R/O create water that has very low TDS and almost no minerals. Some pesticides etc go thru R/O due to their small size.
Both methods are relatively slow. R/O needs good water pressure so that in a normal Jaffna house hold they would be very slow or need a booster pump.
There are wells in Jaffna with tds>5000. Some community based piped systems offer drinking water of tds 600-800. Why rain water collected in ponds also has tds of 600 or more I do not understand. In the rainy season the TDS of well water becomes lower for obvious reasons. Sometimes relatively good water can be found next to a well with tds 1500 or higher. TDS higher than 300 affects the taste of water. Many countries do not allow higher than tds 500.
It is important to study the quality of raw water before investing. Most of the R/O filters available do NOT work with tds>2000. Jaffna water often contains nitrates, heavy metals etc that should be avoided.
As OTC mentions hand held TDS meters are cheap and available. If ordered from abroad SL customs might add tax etc. The TDS meters have usually been calibrated in a temperature of 25 C abroad. For each added Celsius grade there is an error of about 2% higher TDS. Jaffna water might thus appear to have 20% higher TDS than it really has. The TDS meters should be calibrated locally.
There are people like OTC and Dr RN who believe that R/O water and distilled water is dangerous because of lack of minerals. I have seen R/O pages that totally disagree explaining why. Is drinking rain water also dangerous?
Rain water harvesting is not a bad idea if there is space for the necessary quite large tanks and a large area for collecting water.
People with money can order 19 litre bottles of “Southern Water” to be delivered home. Maybe Jaffna politicians do this?
We should maybe continue our discussion somewhere else but where?
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Dr.Rajasinghan Narendran / July 25, 2015
Dear Heretic,
Dear Heretic,
Thanks,
There is no harm in drinking distiller watet, but being by definition tasteless, it will be unacceptable to most people. Further, the rain water has dissolved gases and is not the same distilled water.
The water we drink is a vital nutrient and carries with it many mineral elements that are required. Some bottlers of drinking water, add a mixture of minerals to the almost distilled water like output from ROs. Many consumers look for low sodium and high potassium water, for health reasons.
Please send your input to the thread carrying the latest article by Rudrakumaran. I have posted the contents of the e-mail I received from Mr. M.Sooriasekeram, in that thread today.
Dr.RN
/