19 March, 2024

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Acknowledge Tamil People’s Right To Self-Determination: Tamils For Labour

Tamils for Labour has called upon the Labour Party to impose travel sanctions and freeze assets of Sri Lankan military personnel and politicians in order to pressure Lankan authorities into delivering justice for the thousands of Tamils who lost their lives in their struggle for freedom.

Sen Kandiah

Sen Kandiah

Chair of Tamils for Labour, Sen Kandiah speaking at a conference on Monday (22) at the ‘Britain’s Global Role’ debate had also urged the Labour Party to acknowledge Tamil people’s right to self determination urged.

In his speech, Kandiah referred to the recent referendum in Scotland where millions of Scots were given the chance to embrace their democratic rights in a free and peaceful manner.

“There is a lot to learn from the British example – its so different to everything I have known in our struggle in Sri Lanka,” Kandiah stated pointing out that in Sri Lanka thousands of lives were lost fighting for the same right which people of Scotland enjoyed a few days ago.

He has also highlighted the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka as well as the harassment and difficulties faced by Tamil people, particularly the militarization and the land grabbing carried out by the military.

While calling for international action to remedy the situation, he had welcomed the investigation on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), he had heavily criticized the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate with the investigation pointing out it is reflective of the disinterest of the government to adhere to international norms and standards.

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  • 2
    11

    Sen Kandiah…. do not attempt to mix oranges with apples.

    If you are in england, just remain their and leave us alone. We will sort out issues here.
    You have blood of our youth & children on your hands.

    • 4
      4

      Sen Kandiah is only asking to keep the oranges and apples separately.

      Sen Kandiah too is part and parcel of the right of self determination of the Tamil people.

      Tamils will leave you alone if you leave the Tamils alone.

      The world now is not the 1950’s and it will not be 2014 in ten years time.

      But Thodamannar will be Thondamannar and will not change.

    • 3
      1

      Hi hondamannar No one can sort out your problem. Sen and many around the globe are highlighting the criminality that is happening in Srilanka by MR family clan. We want justice and help our people live in peace and dignity. MR and his EFM team spreading that the reconciliation is proceeding and people are living in peace. But what we see on prints are just the opposite. UVA election has shown a different picture, what BBS doing is another. what the armed forces doing in the North and east is another BOOTS- rule. You want us to leave you alone, HA HA! are you one of those boot licker?

  • 4
    7

    Travel ban is not advisable , you know where Augusto Pinoche was arrested. Similarly you can ask them to freeze assets but not the land in Hauge , adjoining that of Slobodan Milosovic’s

    • 4
      5

      Sen Kandiah,

      Not only you, here in Sri Lanka we struggle for freedom a lot too.

      These days mainly for freedom from suffocating, corrupt & violent one family rule. As I am sure you know.

      When we have a breather from horrific Rajapassa clan rule, we are constantly reminded we still need to struggle from you guys too. Despite decisively knocking you out at great human cost after 30 years.

      Sri Lanka still needs to struggle for freedom from undercover vioelnt, fascist, raicst Ealamists such as you. Posing as HR champions for Tamils. Mainly operating in Western capitals.

      Tamils for Labour, Obama, “Genocide”, this & that etc. All die-hard Tamil ethno-nationalists looking to bring more misery to Sri Lanka. As if we have not suffered enough already. To sastisfy your utopic, racist Tamil nationalism at any cost.

      “Self-determination” seems to be your new mantra. Ealam tribe has started uttering that a lot more often. Again. Lately.

      What happened to all those other cunning plans you guys came up with such as ISGA, P-TOMS etc? To bamboozle Sri Lankans and others in the international community? You failed. You will fail again.

      Why don’t you stand up and say we want an ethnically cleansed, pure, Tamil only, seperate country carved out of tiny Sri Lanka. We will fight against you tooth and nail. But, will respect your honesty. At least.

      Frankly, we are tired of you guys beating about the bush with this “self-determination” etc. We need freedom from your BS.

      Cheers!

      • 3
        3

        Ben Hurling

        Post independence Sri Lanka is ruled by many jokers. They are mentally the same but their costumes change. Mahinda Rajapakse is the present day length of Pinochio’s nose – a real dramatist who will twist and turn to save his own soul. If Sagith Premadasa will become the next leader, god forbidden, it will be the beastiest and the endless saga.

        Wooden puppets like you are there to give the twists to prolong the evil governance in Sri Lanka.

        Before you start preaching others, please read the Buddha’s gospels and get the enlightenment to understand the meanings of right of self determination, abiding by the rules on handling wars and about war crimes etc., etc.,

        Why don’t you spend some time and feel how Scottish and people in Arche behaved in their own referendums for self determination.

        I can understand your feeling to liberate yourself from your mess but it cannot be allowed to stampede on the minorities. Tamils too are fighting to liberate themselves for the same right like you to get out of the freeki governance of Sri Lanka.

        We had enough.

        • 2
          2

          Salted Fish & Waran,

          Hmmm…!”Self Determination” in the forefront again. Ha..!

          Have you run out of other terms & phrases? Keeping the Ealam campaign alive, an uphill task?

          Blow some life into some your other BS from the past.

          Such as “R2P”, “Failed State”, “Concentration Camps” & of course your favourite “Genocide”.

          Perhaps you will have more traction in the West again. If you throw about those as well.

          Given how desperate you are now. Screaming just “”Self Determination” will not cut it.

          Specially when Sri Lankans believe it is code for extremist Tamil ethnic seperatism.

          Cheers!

          • 3
            1

            Ben Hurling

            “Specially when Sri Lankans believe it is code for extremist Tamil ethnic seperatism.”

            Sinhala/Buddhist believe in too many myths. They have their own rights to believe in anything that will make them happy.

            It seems you are one of them who bought into this illogical believe. You do well to remember that Hindia is the ultimate guarantor of this island. Hindia never indicated it support for a separate state for Tamils in any part of this island. Nor would it sit idly by a Tamil Eelam is being carved out.

            If and when Hindia decides to change its policy on this island even MR’s patron saint in China cannot or would not stop the creation of a separate state. You are rest assured Hindia is not in the mood to recognise a new country across Sethusamudra.

            Therefore stop scaremongering out of sheer ignorance.

            Tell me, what do you understand by Self Determination and why do you oppose it?

            • 2
              2

              Native,

              “Tell me, what do you understand by Self Determination and why do you oppose it?”.

              For starters ask Usha Sri Skandarajah what so called “Self Determination” means to her. It will take you 5 minutes to realize what she really wants.

              That is nothing short of ethnically purified, Tamil only seperate state within multi-ethnic Sri Lanka.

              Right now it is sugar-coated as “Self-Determiantion”.

              Cheers!

              • 2
                1

                Ben Hurling

                “For starters ask Usha Sri Skandarajah what so called “Self Determination” means to her.”

                I am asking you a simple question: what is self determination?

                For the purpose of this discussion lets forget what Usha means by Self Determination.

                “Tamil only seperate state within multi-ethnic Sri Lanka.”

                You prefer Sinhala only Sinhala/Buddhist ghetto in the entire island to Tamil only Tamil Eelam in the North East.

                Multi ethnic is a very good idea as long as the state is allowed to control all aspect of people’s life, accepting Sinhala only practices.

                For example whenever you fly by Sri Lankan airline see how flight attendants welcome you. Just Ayubowan, in Sinhala only. Where is the multilingualism or trilingual-ism?

                • 1
                  2

                  Native,

                  I have heard “Wanakkam” in Tamil on numerous Sri Lankan flights. Pay more attention next time you fly with them.

                  Take Sri Lankan currency notes. You will see both Sinhalese and Tamil.

                  Go to any official function of the Sri Lankan state. You will hear both Sinhaese and Tamil. You will notice practioners of all religious faiths blessing the occassion.

                  We may have major problems. We have a long way to go to be truly united. Yet, we have done a few things correct as well. You need to recognize those too.

                  Kids in Colombo schools now learn Tamil as an example.

                  Though we have not managed to fix Sinhalese only national anthem crap. There should be Tamil in it. It will happen sooner or later.

                  Self determination means equal rights and equal opportunities for all who live here. Protected by law. Regardless of ethnicity, religion or language.

                  It is a right to protect and admire your heritage. I see no problems with any of this.

                  The problem is perverted ethno-nationalistic Tamil racists worldwide & thier dumb Sinhalese counterparts misusing a noble idea to perform yet another racist blood dance on this Island.

                  Cheers!

                  • 2
                    1

                    Ben Hurling

                    Please stop kidding yourself.

                    • 1
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                      Native,

                      “Please stop kidding yourself”.

                      He..he! See that you finally ran out of arguements.

                      Be optimsitic my friend. Troubled times? Yes. But, goodtimes are ahead of us.

                      Cheers!

          • 4
            1

            Ben Hurling

            You are a bedfellow of Sinhala extremism who could not understand political theories, instead honking of arya Sinhala nonsense.

            Littoral meaning of Eelam in Tamil is the whole of Sri Lanka. The traditional Tamil land in Sri Lanka is Tamil Eelam.

            You need serious basic education in politics and history. Even more, you have lost track of basic common sense. No one can correct your sickening mental erosion.

            God gave you the brain to think and act and not surrender it to the evil Sinhala extremism.

            Even God can’t guide you now unless you change on your own.

      • 2
        2

        Hi Ben ‘here in Sri Lanka we struggle for freedom a lot too’. We can see that, Uva provincial election has substantiated that point. you need to do more to live with dignity. Ben you are that frog still in the well. We would not be in this plight, if not for the power hunger late SWRD Banda born an Anglican with western education, became a Buddhist and national dress to create chaos in the Island. Ten we had the nationalist cry saying that British favoured the Tamils, revenge, vengeance, hatred that led to these unnecessary riots, finally the war- ‘genocidal war’, Why? to make the Island a Sinhala Buddhist country . There were plenty of missed opportunities in the past to reconcile and unify the communities, even after 2009, no reconciliation, but still you people are pouring out the hatred. let us jointly lay a strategy to create a healthy and intelligent nation, bury our hatred and our misunderstandings. Ben Get out of the stereo thinking box, and look through a panoramic lenses. If one needs to maintain the birth identity and to live with dignity then “self-determination” is a must, applicable to all races.

  • 7
    9

    This big man Rajapaksa is refusing to grant visas to the OHCHR panel, an elected world body, to enter Sri Lanka to carry out an investigation but the Big man is allowed to address the Security Council. Isn’t a joke or utter foolery or disregard by the United Nations which kept silent when 70,000 civilians were massacred by the Sri Lankan Army.
    More than 40,000 people of Vali-North from villages (Part of Keerimalai,part of Maviddapuram, Kankesanturai, Oorany, Thyiddy, Myliddy, North and South, Vasavilan, Palaly were bombarded and chased away from their homes and not resettled yet. There is a Presidential palace built at Kankesanturai for the Big Man to come and rest, private lands where people cultivated and lived their lives are being cultivated by the army and the produce sold in the markets. This is all in all is a violation of Human Rights and crimes against humanity to deprive of a human being of his or her existence. The Tamil leadership is not efficient enough to continue the protests in this regard as militarisation and grabbing of private lands go unpunished.

    • 5
      6

      The government has made their list of those that killed. Its freely available through the internet. Now that the government has done it, come up with your list without writing wild accusations. Come up with a proper list of those that were allegedly killed. Don’t duck and dive or make excuses. With the help of TNA members, the LTTE proxies that most Tamils in the North elected as their representatives, I am sure you rump LTTE can easily do it. But make the list with images and/or true addresses of the victim to prove your alleged victims were living beings. List out all that 70,000 or 170,000 allegedly massacred by the Sri Lankan Army if you can.

      • 4
        2

        ‘Now that the government has done it, come up with your list without writing wild accusations’.

        Your Basunahe mind is constrained and cannot go further. The following LTTE men surrendered to the army in Vanni on 9/5/09 are not in the list of missing persons. Where are they Basunahe?

        S Thangan
        Ilamparithy
        Elilan
        Iilankumaran
        Lawrence Thilagar
        P Rathnathurai
        Veerathevar
        Arul
        Mani
        Yogi
        Balakumar
        Santhiran

        These are known LTTE names and there are scores of other civilians taken by the army and not accounted for yet.

        Put the government list on the side and go on a pada Yatra through the roads and lanes of war ravaged north and east and you will obtain the list of names of missing person not shown in the government list.

        I hope you will repair your brain with the spanner and nuts and bolts and where needed use the sand paper to rub the rust and fungi to function properly.

        Ask your Dr Ma Raa to allow the US mission to Lanka to undertake the task of collating the missing persons list. They should be asked to find the names of the missing army men in action, whose bodies were dumped in the see during the peak of the war.

        • 2
          3

          SF,
          Where are they????
          They took cyanide capsules obeying Parayabakaran’s orders.

          • 5
            1

            Nuisance

            “Where are they????”

            Could you ask Jegath Dias, Svendra Silva, Fonseka, …… Gota.

            “They took cyanide capsules obeying Parayabakaran’s orders”

            Were you there witnessing them committing suicide?

          • 3
            1

            Eusense

            Even Prabakaran did not take cyanide and so how could others obey him.

            These chaps were taken in bus loads by the army and to this date no ones knows the fate of them. They were taken with two Catholic priests who were helping the army to surrender. Where are these two clergies now? Are they all in the bottom of the massacre pits?

            One of them not listed is LTTE’s Paapa. He is working for the Army intelligence at gun point. He is seen in the Katunayake Airport doing dirty work for the army.

            If your theory of cyanide consumption is true, how did Paapa escape?

            Your Godfather DEW Gunasekara once said Yogi and Balakumar died in the battle. This was another spin by your Godfather to hide the truth.

            Please stop spinning the facts to cover up your back side.

            You and your masters involved in war crimes are in twisted knickers.

            • 1
              1

              Were they any less cowardly than Prabhakaran ?

              • 2
                1

                Ramu

                “Were they any less cowardly than Prabhakaran?”

                They fought the IPKF while the Sinhala/Buddhist armed forces were hiding behind their women folks, or forget behind VP’s big bum as well.

                You judge for yourself.

                • 0
                  1

                  So what happen in 2009 to the so called brave tigers. Did they suddenly become pussies? Why they were hiding behind women and children and asking them to safe there back? thalathel smell oozing from this vedda

                  • 3
                    0

                    SL

                    “So what happen in 2009 to the so called brave tigers.”

                    Ask KP, Karuna, Pillayan and others who are now working for Gota.

                    “Why they were hiding behind women and children and asking them to safe there back?”

                    If your brave army hadn’t killed those surrendered LTTE cadres we would have known the truth.

                    “thalathel smell oozing from this vedda”

                    Are you sniffing your partner’s under garments or a Tamil man’s shawl. Is there a shop owned by a Tamil man whose is from one those small islands in the North.

                  • 1
                    0

                    Who is pussy- Tigers or Lanka?

                    War carried out behind the iron curtain and still not producing any firm evidence of ‘hiding behind women and children and asking them to save there back’ even in the constrained media of Lanka is bravery.

                    Open up the inquiry widely and produce evidence of war crimes of both parties. There is no need to hide.

                    The truth about the horrors of war is abundantly there and it is constrained empower people like to bull shit about the wear.

                    Where are the dead and missing army. Who buried them in the sea. Why?

              • 1
                0

                The military is more cowardly than Prabakaran to torture and brutally kill him in captivity. They were sadistic. The gutless government could not subscribe to the UN convention and treat Prabakaran as a war criminal and produce before the court to pronounce judgement accordingly.

                The Thupayee government did all thupayee things to the surrendered LTTE men and the innocent civilians.

                It is now trying to cover up its stink by accusing all those asking for justice.

                • 1
                  0

                  Salted Fish

                  Are you saying VP was braver than the Soldiers?

                  If so why?

                  • 1
                    0

                    Because he did swallow the cyanide capsule. He proved that he too is prepared to face the brutality of the Sinhala soldiers like Krishanthy Kumarasamy, Inbam, and many others.

                    • 1
                      0

                      It should be ‘Because he did not swallow the cyanide capsule’.

  • 8
    13

    Kandiah,
    Try you luck in Tamil Nad, India where 95 % of all Tamils in this world live and where your cousins there have been demanding a separate country since 1920s till Hindians banned separatism under India’s 16th amendment in 1963.

    • 5
      4

      mechanic

      You should refrain from quoting Tamilnadu history. Whatever you type it only confirms your ignorance.

    • 7
      5

      mechanic

      Kandiah is talking about Tamil Eelam and NOT Tamil Nadu. Tamil Eelam is where 95% of the Tamil speaking people of Sri Lanka live where they have been demanding a separate country since the British gave it on a platter to the Sinhalese. The British were responsible for this mess and it is the British who should help remedy it.

      • 4
        5

        Siva,
        Whether a Tamil man is called Jaffna Tamil, Batty Tamil, Colombo Tamil, Madras Tamil, Chennai Tamil, Indian Tamil or Timbuktu Tamil, as far as we’are concerned, they are all Tamils who speak one language and have one culture that began in what you call Tamil Nad today. Periyar’s separation struggle and the fact that most Tamils back the so-called Sri Lanka Tamils’ terrorism for separation shows that they all aim to establish Eelam first and then expand it to Tamil Nad.

        Read ‘The Kandyan Convention’ here ‘http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandyan_Convention’
        to learn the terms and condition of the agreement that British signed with Sinhala chieftains.

        Neither the British nor the Dutch nor the Portuguese have had any convention or an agreement with Tamils of Sri Lanka ever. The Jaffna kingdom or Aryacakravarti or decedents of the invader Magha who paid feudatory to the Pandyan Empire continued their subordinate kingdoms only from 1215 to 1624. Portuguese had killed Cankilli 11 and finished that short kingdom. Then the new generation started with the Dutch bringing Tamils from Malabar to grow their tobacco in Jaffna with thesawalamai etc. Not just your history even your epic heros like Veerapandiya Kattabomman are from Tamil Nad.

        • 6
          4

          mechanic

          “they are all Tamils who speak one language and have one culture that began in what you call Tamil Nad today”

          Similarly the Sinhalese speak one language derived from Tamil, Pali, Sanskrit, ……… etc. Also the culture that the Sinhalese claimed to practice is a mixture of many practices which originated from South India. The religion originated from North India. Origin myth was based on Lalla land in Venga.

          Therefore you have all the ideal attributes to be part of North/South Indian than a person belonging to this island. Can you relocate your Sinhala/Buddhist state back to Tamilnadu/Venga.

          Is there anything that is uniquely Sinhala/Buddhist apart from your stupidity, corruption, lawlessness, and mindless violence?

        • 4
          1

          Hi mechanic Don’t expose your ignorance since 1739 till 1815 Kandy was ruled by Tamil kings from Vellore the Nayaka kings. Last king of Kandy signed his name in Tamil language not in Sinhalese. Talking about Dutch bring Tamil people from south India to work on Tobacco cultivation to the north, Have you forgotten that Portuguese bring Tamils to the south to work as cinnamon peelers, Coconut-Toddy tappers, lime makers from sea shells and give them the Portuguese names to hide the Tamil cast system. exponential numbers of Sinhalese is due to these original Tamils, Malayalees. Minister Vasudeva is a descendent of the malayalee parents. Many more.

          • 0
            3

            Waran, and add this to the end of your paragraph. ‘Then they mix up with the locals and that’s how Sinhala race evolved from the beginning.’

        • 4
          1

          Mechanic,

          When the Portuguese took over the Sinhala kingdom of Kotte, the Sinhala king of Kotte did not fight against them. Later however, when the Portuguese took the Tamil throne of the Jaffna kingdom, the last king of Jaffna Cankli Kumaran fought decisively with the Portuguese forces (he was not interested in any convention or an agreement with them). Unfortunately, Cankli Kumaran’s forces were defeated and the Tamil kingdom came under Portuguese domination. Defeating/killing the king (including his forces) and finishing the kingdom does not mean killing all the people. A genocide never ever took place after the fall of the Jaffna kingdom to the Portuguese. The entire Tamil population remained in fallen Jaffna kingdom. The Dutch may have brought a few coolies from South India to help the Tamils farmers in Jaffna to grow tobacco but your story (imagination) of Dutch creating a new Tamil generation is a very good JOKE, LOL. By the way, what reliable evidence (any valid link) do you have to prove your historical fiction?

          When the British took over, the only kingdom that was left in Sri Lanka was the Sinhala-Buddhist kingdom of Kandy which did not represent the whole country. Even during the British rule, the Tamil chief of Vanni, Pandara Vanniyan (Kulasegaram Vairamuthu Pandaravanniyan) who was known as one of the last native Tamil chieftains, challenged the British rule (he was not interested in any convention or an agreement with them).

          • 1
            0

            Chankilyan was defeated with the help of 6,000 Sinhala mercenaries. Portuguese could not win him alone.

      • 3
        4

        Tamils do live in North-East of Sri Lanka but that land does not belong to them. History tells us the Sinhalese have lived in the North-East longer than Tamils. British, like Ceaser, gave Sinhalese what belongs to the Sinhalese. British will not help the Tamils just because they chose to go to war and lost; an humiliating defeat!

        • 6
          3

          lal loo

          “History tells us the Sinhalese have lived in the North-East longer than Tamils.”

          Oh really!

          How far back can you trace your history?

    • 2
      3

      (Really) I am Tamil lives in the state Tamil Nadu. 1920s till Hindians banned separatism under India’s 16th amendment in 1963 give evidence link

      • 4
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        What I wrote above is to cut the long separation story of Tamilians in India short and particularly for kallathoni vedda to understand. If any one wants to know more he can find more details of it by typing Periyar, Separation, India, Annadurai etc Or read what’s here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravida_Nadu

        • 6
          3

          mechanic

          What E Ve Ra proposed was a separate Dravida Nadu, which included present day Tamilaham, Kerala, Kannada, Telengana, and Andhra Pradesh excluding Tamil Eelam.

          His Dravida Nadu didn’t include Brauhi speaking Pakistanis.

          By the way what is the connection between Ancient Jaffna (published in 1926 and GG Ponnas racism in 1939?

    • 3
      1

      Mechanic,

      Right from ancient history, Tamils are from both India and Sri Lanka. Tamil nation existed and still exists in South India (today known as Tamil Nadu after the British) and North-East Sri Lanka (Tamil Eelam). There was nothing called Tamil Nadu until the British created it. What existed as the Tamil countries in South India and Sri Lanka were known as Chola/Sola Nadu, Pandya/Pandu Nadu, Chera/Sera Nadu and Eela Nadu/Eelam Mandalam.

      In the 9th century AD, under Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, Sri Lanka became one of the nine provinces of the Chola Empire and was called Eelam Mandalam. This Chola rule was the longest and the most far-reaching in terms of surface area by the Tamil power. Sri Lanka remained a South Indian (Chola) colony under the rule of Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola. After the Chola rule of Anuradhapura and then Polonawara (a kingdom created by Rajendra Chola) kingdoms ended, the people who spoke Sinhala and practiced Buddhism moved to the South and created their Kingdoms in Kandy, Kotte, and many other places in the South. On the other hand, the people who spoke Tamil and practiced Hinduism moved to the North & East and created their Kingdom in Jaffna. A separate Jaffna kingdom (1215-1624 CE) was established for the Tamils. This is the very first time in the history of Sri Lanka, separate Sinhala and Tamil Kingdoms in the South and North began only after the Anuradapura/Polonurawa kingdoms were abandoned. Unfortunately, the Jaffna kingdom came under Portuguese domination in 1624 after the last Tamil king of Jaffna Cankli Kumaran was defeated in the battle. This was how the Tamils lost their sovereignty, independence and their traditional homeland.

      However, the Sri Lankan Tamils had and still have a clearly defined (Tamil speaking) territory, their historic habitat in the North & East of Sri Lanka as their traditional homeland (Tamil Eelam) where they lived and defended for several centuries. The Tamils are the sole occupants (natives) of both N&E Sri Lanka (Tamil Eelam) and South India (Tamil Nadu) when the colonials left. Just like the Arab nation has several countries in the middle-east and North Africa, the Tamil Nation had several countries (Chola Nadu, Pandya Nadu, Chera Nadu and Eela Nadu) in India and Sri Lanka and still has two regions/states in South Asia (Tamil Eelam and Tamil Nadu). Tamil Nadu belongs (Homeland) to the Tamils of India and Tamil Eelam belongs (Homeland) to the Tamils of Sri Lanka. There was a natural bridge known as Rama Setu that existed during the ancient period from Tamil Nadu to Tamil Eelam (now submerged by the rising sea but still visible in the satellite pictures taken by NASA).

      The invasion theory that was mentioned in the Mahavamsa was wrongly interpreted by the European (colonial) Orientalist scholars. Even today the majority including some historians wrongly believe that the NE Tamils are invaders from Tamil Nadu. The so called invasion was only the replacement of the king (not people) at the Anuradapura kingdom by either a Chola or a Pandya king. The Tamil people were already living irrespective of who the king was. In the recorded history of Sri Lanka, it is NOT known or mentioned anywhere that there was a mass influx/settlement of Tamils from South India to Sri Lanka during the Chola/Pandya rule. At the same time, in the recorded history of Sri Lanka, it is NOT known or mentioned anywhere that there was a mass exodus of Sinhalese from the North to the South. (Do you think the Sinhalese in the North simply packed their bags and went to the South leaving all their lands to the newly arrived Tamils without any protest/rebellion?). The Sinhalese living in the North & East today were colonized after 1948 by DS Senanayake, if you ask them each one of them will say that their grandfather or great grandfather is from the South.

      Tens of thousands of people from South India (mainly from Cochin/Kochi in the Malabar coast/presently Kerala and from Tutucorin/Thootukudy in the Coromandel Coast/presently Tamil Nadu) settled mostly in the Southern parts of the island from Puttalama up to Matara. The people in the South who were growing/peeling cinnamon – today known as Salagama caste, fishing/pearl diving – today known as Karawa caste, coconut planting/plucking and toddy tapping – today known as Durawa caste, and many other were actually from South India. Eventually, the Sinhala population in the South (low country) increased exponentially when these people assimilated with the local Sinhala population (Sinhalized/naturalized) by adopting the Sinhala language/culture and the Buddhist/Christian religion and getting converted to Sinhala Buddhists and Sinhala Catholics. The main reason for the Portuguese in the 16th century and later Dutch in the 18th century to occupy the island was Cinnamon, NOT Tobacco and cinnamon grew only in the South. Today, the researchers at the Human Genetics unit of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Colombo will tell you that the DNA/genetics of the low country Sinhalese is matching with the Tamil Nadu Tamils.

      If Tamils like Elara are called invaders, then the Sinhalas like Vijay and his 700 men were also invaders. Whether you call them invaders or invitees or whatever, Sinhala came from India and Buddhism also came from India. Both Tamil and Sinhala kings ruled the Island alternatively right from the beginning of history and the civilization was created by both. It is not mentioned anywhere that the Sri Lankan civilization is a Sinhala civilization or Tamil civilization. They both contributed, even the Mahavamsa accepts it. Just because the Sinhala Buddhists are more in number/majority (the story of how they became a majority is not a secret, majority of the Sinhala DNA/genetic marker shows South Indian) that does not mean that the whole country is exclusively for Sinhalese. A part of the country belonged to the Tamils before the British united the Tamil North (formerly Jaffna Kingdom) and the Sinhala South (formally Kotte & Kandy kingdoms) into one unitary state and gave it to the Sinhalese (only) in 1948. Unfortunately, due to foolishness, the Sinhalese is the ONLY race in this entire world that believes that the majority race in a country is the sole owner of that country and all others (minorities) are aliens.

      • 0
        5

        Suresh,
        You say “Tamils are from both India and Sri Lanka.” I have a logical argument against it. How come record of Tamil kingdoms cover only from 1215 to 1624. Surely there must be writings by Chera, Chola and Pandaya historians prove existence of earlier Tamil kingdoms like those between 1215-1624. If Sinhalese have Mahawamsa, Deepawamsa, Chulawamsa and etc, and even Visuddhimagga written by a Bharatha monk Buddhagosha to prove existence their kingdoms, there is no reason why Tamils should not have one. You don’t have any means, this “Tamil people were one of the original inhabitants of the island” is a myth created by Eelamists like you.

        Tamils have no ancient rock edits and monuments etc worth talking about to prove their ‘ancient people’ claim. Records say all ancient Tamil kingdoms are in Chera, Chola and Pandaya country. I am not a historian but I read that historians like KMde Silva, S Pathmanathan and Karthigesu Indrapala writings that say invader named Magha from Kalinga who ransacked and ruled Polonnaruwa moved to Jaffna when he was defeated and started the first Jaffna kingdom. Magha even said to have paid feudatory of the Pandyan royalty.

        When Portuguese killed Cankli and ended the short dynasty, most Tamils went back to their mother land never to come back. What is important to remember is Sinhalas never fall back or ran away to to India for it wasn’t their mother country. They remained in Lanka and fought back no matter who the invader was. Number of times Sinhalas fought the Portuguese and the Dutch were innumerable. Sinhalas rebelled against the British colonials twice. Tamils never rebelled against any colonial ruler. Why?

        Sinhalas believe they’re a mixture of Wijaya’s people and the local Yaksha, Naga, Raksha and Deva. Sinhalas do not deny that their last king was a Nayakkar. Whether Nayakkars were Telugu or Tamil, it doesn’t matter to them. What matters to them is Nayakkar king have become protectors of Sinhala kingdom just like the German Catherine the great become Czarina of Russia. I say majority Sinhalas would have gladly elected Luxman Kadiragamar over Ranil as our President. Get the point?

        • 3
          0

          Mechanic,

          First of all, the ONLY kingdom that existed in Sri Lanka for Several centuries was the North-central Kingdom of Anuradapura (and later moved to the East, Polanaruwa) ruled from time to time by either a Sinhala king or a Tamil king where both Sinhalese and Tamil people lived. The very first Tamil kings who ruled the Anuradapura kingdom were known as Sena and Guttika. Neither the Deepawamsa nor the Mahavamsa calls Sena and Guttika as invaders/outsiders (they were Sri Lankan Tamil horse businessman’s sons). Neither the Deepawamsa nor the Mahavamsa or any stone inscriptions or any other historical artefacts calls the Anuradapura kingdom as Sinhala kingdom or Tamil kingdom. Only when the Chola king Elara ruled Anuradapura, there was another kingdom in the South called Rohana at Kelanaya from where Dutugemunu came but even that was never known as a Sinhala kingdom.

          Not only the Jaffna kingdom but even the Kotte and Kandy kingdoms were created only after Anuradapura/Polonurawa was abandoned. Separate Tamil and Sinhala kingdoms came into existence only after the 12th century, before that there were neither Sinhala kingdoms nor Tamil kingdoms in Sri Lanka but of course Buddhism (including Hindu Gods) was the main religion for both Sinhalese and Tamils. Dutugemunu killing sixty thousand Tamils (as per Mahavamsa) proves that a huge number of Tamils had been living in the Anuradapura kingdom.

          What makes you believe that the Anuradapura kingdom where both Sinhalese and Tamils lived and both Sinhala and Tamil kings ruled (even if they were from the Chola/Pandyan dynasty) as a Sinhala Kingdom? Is it because of Buddhism because today only Sinhalese are Buddhists? Is it because of the Prakrit stone inscriptions in Brahmi? Is it because time to time it was ruled by the Sinhala kings? Is it because today the Sinhala-Buddhists are the majority and therefore it must have been the Sinhala kingdom?
          For your information, there is no evidence to prove that the Anuradapura kingdom was a Sinhala kingdom.

          Mahawamsa, Deepawamsa, Chulawamsa and even Visuddhimagga are all written in a language called Pali that a Sinhalese can neither read nor understand (only the monks learned Pali). What makes you think that it belongs to Sinhalese when they cannot even read or understand them?

          You are saying, when Portuguese killed Cankli and ended the short dynasty, most Tamils went back to their mother land and never to come back. So, when the Portuguese took over, they all went back leaving only the Portuguese and when the Dutch took over they all came back? Who told you all these cock and bull stories that is never found in any history. For your information, the Portuguese converted some of those Tamil Aristocrats of the Jaffna kingdom who were willing to cooperate into Catholics and gave them the Don title. Some of their name were recorded as Don Philip Villaivarasa Mutaliyar, Don Anthony Narayanan, Don Frnscisco Arulampala Mutaliyar, Don Juan Chantirasekara Mana Muthaliyar, Don Martino Manappuli Mutaliyar, Don Franscisco Vanniyarasa Mutaliyar, Don Juan Chayampunata Mutaliyar, Don Juan Chutukavala Chenathiraya Mutaliyar, Don Louwys Putar, Don Francisco Rasarathina Mutaliyar.

          You say the Sinhalas rebelled against the British colonials but the Tamils never rebelled against any colonial ruler. The Sinhalese did not fight with the British as a nation would fight against a colonial power for independence (India did both violently and non-violently). Neither D. S. Senanayaka nor Keppitipola, Puran Appu, Gongalegoda Banda, Anagarika Dharmapala and numerous Bhikkus and lay people fought for the Sri Lankan independence. Puran Appu and/or Gongalegoda Banda did not fight a national struggle (a brief uprising limited for few days, as a direct response to the introduction of a new tax by the then Governor Torrington), Keppetipola fought for personal reasons and so were the others. Monarawila Keppetipola in 1818, Puran Appu in 1848, Mayadunne, Gongalegoda Banda, Kudapola Rahula thero, Wariyapola Sumangala and a few others were rebels who fought at different periods (long before independence) for different issues/reasons, it had nothing to do with the Independence. They were easily crushed and were executed very long before Sri Lanka obtained independence. Very similar to some of the Sinhala rebellion against the British rule even the Tamils have rebelled. Pandara Vanniyan (Kulasegaram Vairamuthu Pandaravanniyan) was known as one of last native Tamil chiefs to challenge British rule. You should not forget the service rendered by Sir Ponnampalam Ramanathan at that time and the Sinhalese including Anagarika Dharmapala called him a hero.

          You say the Sinhalas believe they’re a mixture of Wijaya’s people and the local Yaksha, Naga, Raksha and Deva. It is ONLY a belief but not true. Yaksha, Naga, Raksha and Deva were found in the North Indian Mythology (Mahabaratha and in some Jathaka stories). There is no evidence to prove that such tribes existed in Sri Lanka. The authors of the Sri Lankan chronicles have done a copy and paste job from the North Indian Mythology.

          • 0
            3

            Suressh,
            Sri Lanka Tamils do not have a unique language and/or culture. Tamil language and culture of Sri Lanka Tamils is the same that is embellished by the ancient Chera, Chola and Pandaya country and Tamil Nadu Tamils or 70 million Tamils meaning 95% of all Tamils in the world live are making use at present. Neither Prof. Indrapala nor any other Tamil historian proved that Tamil language and culture is originated in Jaffna kingdom or earlier Tamil kingdom in Sri Lanka where less than 3% of all Tamils or just a few million Tamils live today.

            Sinhalas on the other hand have a unique language and culture that is not found in Bharat or any other country. Unlike the imported Tamil, Sinhala alphabet, language and culture is developed in this island over a time. Read how 8th 9th and 10 th cetury written kurutu gee in Seegiriya vary with time. It is Sinhala writing not Tamil. If so, one need not be an Einstein to understand that Sinhala race has been evolved in this island through assimilation of new comers and the local tribes over a period of time.

            If you cannot appreciate Sinhalas rebellion against the British in 1818 and 1848 when every male was ordered to be killed and paddy fields were burned and even animals were killed to starve off the people as fights against repression and for freedom no point writing to you about the fights by Sinhalas against Portuguese and Dutch.

            But I must take up your mentioning, “Sinhala kingdoms came into existence only after the 12th century”. What a stupid remark? Forget Mahawamsa etc, read that authentic 5th century written Vissudhimagga. Its writer Ven Buddhagosha clearly has written that on his arrival, all the books written in ‘Sinhala’, I repeat ‘Sinhala’ at the Mahavihara library was made available to him for him to proceed with his studies and translation to Pali. He has also mentioned about the patriotism of the ‘Sinhala King’ at the time as well.

            And you Eelamists propagate that “Sinhala kingdoms came into existence only after the 12th century”. I bet you cannot get Prof Indrapala to write a new theories for LTTE is no more to bully him.

            • 3
              0

              Mechanic,

              You are saying that the Tamil language in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna are very similar. You are neither a Language expert nor a Tamil scholar and you have not quoted any such scholar who has done research to find the similarities and differences between the Tamil language in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna. What credibility do you have to comment about the Tamil language?

              When it comes to Sinhala, you are talking about today and not the ancient past. Of course, today the Sinhala language is spoken only in Sri Lanka and Buddhism is practiced in Sri Lanka only by the Sinhalese but it was not the case during the ancient period. Every linguist/language expert who analyzed the Sinhala language is calling it an Indo-Aryan language meaning a North Indian language (originally Prakrit made up of Sanskrit and Pali). Sinhala may have evolved in Sri Lanka but it did not originate in Sri Lanka, it originated from India. The Sinhala language experts are saying it is not only Indo-Aryan but also Dravidian (Tamil).
              The Sinhala language Proessor J. B. Dissanayake in his book ‘Understanding the Sinhalese’ states, “Sinhala occupies a unique position among the languages of South Asia because of its close affinity with two of the major linguistic families of the Indian sub-continent, Indo-Aryan and Dravidian”.
              The Sinhala scholar H. A. J. Hulugalle in his booklet ‘Information for Tourists’ says in the first paragraph on page one: “The Sinhalese are a mixed race, their language has been vastly enriched with words from the Tamil vocabulary”.
              Sinhala language scholar Mudliyar W. F. Gunawardena says, “The science of examination of the structure of a sentence is called its grammar. The grammar of the Sinhala language is Dravidian”. He further said, “The structural foundation of Sinhala is Dravidian while the super-structure is Indo-Aryan”.
              The Sinhala language expert Dr. C. E. Godakmubara says, “the Sinhala Grammar Sidathsangarawa was based on the Tamil Grammar Virasolium”.

              According to the scholar Rev. S. Gnanapiragasam, “There are more than 4,000 Tamil words in the Sinhala vocabulary. If the Sinhala vocabulary is stripped of all the Tamil words there will be no Sinhala language”. Also refer, ”The Dravidian Element in Sinhalese” by S. Gnanapiragasam.

              Regarding the Sinhala rebellion against the European colonials, what is your point? It was not only the Sinhalese but even the Tamils rebelled against them. The king of Jaffna Cankli Kumaran fought a war against the Portuguese. The Tamil chief of Vanni, Pandara Vanniyan rebelled against the British rule. However, neither the Sinhalese nor the Tamils fought for independence, it was given to DS Senanayake in 1948 on a platter.

              It is true that the Indian Buddhist monk Buddhaghosa came to Anuradapura in the 5th century AD and wrote the Vissudhimagga in the Pali language. The question is, if Buddhaghosa has actually said that the Vissudhimagga was originally written in the Sihalabhasa and kept preserved in the libraries by the Mahavihara Bikkus for many centuries before he translated it into Pali, then what happened to the original text in Sihalabhasa? If it was preserved for centuries until Buddhaghosa came to Anuradapura, they could have easily continued to preserve it for the Sinhala nation of Sihaladipa. Did Buddhaghosa destroy the Sinhala version after he translated it to Pali? Now, if Buddhaghosa says that it is written in Sihalabhasa for the benefit of the island-inhabitants, then after translating it into Pali (a language that the Sinhalese cannot read), Buddhaghosa or the Mahaviharic Bikkus has committed a crime by depriving the Sinhala nation from reading the Buddhist scriptures in their own language. In a land where all the ancient Buddhist artifacts are being preserved for millenniums by the Monks and the Kings, why such an important thing has not been kept safely for the benefit of the Sinhala-Buddhists?
              Another question that arise is, the Mahavansa author who wrote the so called ‘Sinhala’ history says in his most celebrated Pali chronicle that, in 3rd Century BC, Arahant Mahinda who introduced Buddhism to the island preached the Dhamma to the inhabitants of the island in Deepa Bhaasa. Why didn’t Ven. Mahanama thero say Arahant Mahinda preached Dhamma to the inhabitants of the island in Sinhala Bhaasa?

              Regarding Prof. K. Indrapala, if you had read his latest book “The Evolution of an Ethnic Identity” you will not utter a word about him.

            • 1
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              Mechanic,

              I thought you would be interested on this. “the Sinhalized Tamil Catholics from Puttalam to Galle …” http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2010/12/63118_space.html

  • 7
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    No one denies Tamils right to self -determination.

    First they have to find a country.

    They should not bully the country of sinhala people.

    • 6
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      Jim Sothy

      Thanks for recognising the right of self determination of the Tamils.

      Rest of your comments are canard emerging from the un-accommodative attitude that is inbuilt in the political psyche of the Colombo governments since independence. This psyche has grown into monstrous scale that internal processes will find it hard to respond reasonably.

      Let the Tamils be given a chance to exercise their right of self determination within or outside Sri Lanka in a free referendum. Even the right thinking Sinhalese will not subscribe to your ludicrous claim.

      • 2
        5

        If Tamils (NP?) be given ‘chance to exercise their right of self determination within or outside Sri Lanka in a free referendum’ soon will have to give Muslims of the East and Tamils of the Nuwara Eliya and Tamils of Wellawatta and etc the same right. Just not practical to say the least. Try it in Tamil Nadu.

        • 5
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          @Wathie, Muslim is not a race, it is a religion. Tamil on the other hand is a race. Also if you consider Muslim a race, then give a separate land for the Christian faction of the Sinhalese as well.

          • 0
            3

            A Muslim is all (religion, race, creed, cast and etc) in one. I have never heard a Muslim man calling himself ‘Tamil’ just because he happens to speak Tamil.

  • 6
    6

    Sen Kandiah has spoken for the Tamils For Labour.

    Where are those Tamils for

    Conservative,
    Liberal Democrats,
    English Defence League,
    Democratic Unionist Party
    Sinn Féin
    Respect Party
    Ulster Unionist Party
    UK Independence Party(UKIP)
    Plaid Cymru
    British National Party (BNP)
    Communist Party of Britain
    National Front (NF)
    British Fascisti

    • 3
      2

      They are all joining the Monster Raving Loony Party instead. (You will get an honorary membership there, Vedda!)

      • 3
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        Sigma

        “(You will get an honorary membership there, Vedda!)”

        Is it the Wimal Weerawansa’s National Freedom Front (NFF)?

    • 3
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      Dear Native,

      Did Milliband sweat in Medumulalana hoping to whisk away Prabakaran for nothing?

      Besides would the Deputy PM of Eelaam allow any Diasporians to join.

      Why do you think Cameron is busting his balls to get the UN investigation going and become the new champion.

      • 4
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        K.A Sumanasekera

        “Did Milliband sweat in Medumulalana hoping to whisk away Prabakaran for nothing?”

        Labour party made sure Tamil Diaspora was kept closer to them complying with the age old adage “Keep your friends close Keep your enemy closer”.

  • 8
    16

    Hmm, “Tamils for Labour” like “Tamils for Obama”!
    What a waste of money for corrupt politician’s lip service!

    • 5
      4

      Nuisance

      You should be happy that Tamils are wasting their hard earned money.

      • 3
        3

        Vedda,
        No, I will never be happy because I don’t discriminate based on race, gender (unlike you), religion, color or age. I only discriminate people who indulge in terrorism.

        • 4
          3

          Nuisance

          “I only discriminate people who indulge in terrorism.”

          Then you should discriminate yourself and then the state run by terrorists.

          • 2
            3

            Vedda,
            I want MR out. Though he does not indulge in suicide murder and terrorizing every citizen every minute.

            • 4
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              Nuisance

              “Though he does not indulge in suicide murder and terrorizing every citizen every minute.”

              The state did not discriminate between Tamils and Sinhalese when it continued to terrorise both innocent people in 1971, between 1987 and 1991 and over 35 years.

              If white vaning is not terrorism then what is?

            • 1
              1

              Try, use the power of your vote. (if you have one)

              • 3
                1

                wathie

                “Try, use the power of your vote. (if you have one)”

                It works only in free and fair elections.

            • 0
              4

              I’d rather hold on to MR in spite of all his short comings because the alternative (RW) would bring disaster to our country just like his uncle did.

              • 3
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                mechanic

                “I’d rather hold on to MR in spite of all his short comings because the alternative (RW) would bring disaster to our country just like his uncle did.”

                Its like battered wife holding onto her husband even after many years of abuse. The wife is conditioned to believe the abusive husband is the only means of survival and her future.

                Thanks for confirming your perverted sexual preferences. How long have you been practising masochism?

                Please read the following:

                Sexual Masochism

                Sexual masochism falls under the psychiatric sexual disorders category of paraphilias, meaning “abnormal or unnatural attraction.” Sexual masochism refers to engaging in or frequently fantasizing about being beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer, resulting in sexual satisfaction. Blindfolding, spanking and humiliation in the form of defecation, urination, or forced imitation of animals are other methods used by these patients. Masochists may inflict their own pain through shocking, pricking or choking. Approximately 30 percent also participate in sadistic behavior.

                One particularly dangerous method is called hypoxyphilia (near-asphyxiation) caused by reducing oxygen level in the brain. This results in the accidental death of one or two per million people per year. To achieve near-asphyxiation, masochists might place a noose around their necks, chest compression, put airtight bags over their heads or use amyl nitrates (“poppers”).

                Sadomasochistic relationships tend to be well planned, with partners deciding on a special word the masochist will use to indicate that the sadist should stop.

                psychologytoday.com

  • 11
    9

    Keep up the good work Sen.

  • 5
    3

    There is a widespread view the Mahavamsa is the reason why Tamils a despised in Ceylon.

    This is not so. Ceylon accepted the South Indian Telegu family who sat on Sinhala throne. Ceylon was ok as they put Buddhism above all other interests.

    The worm turned when the Europeans used imported Malabars to undermine the Kingdom. I have read somewhere possibly A.J. Wilson, how Coomaraswamies helped the British to take over Aripo Pearl fishery and to dethrone the king of Ceylon.

    The Malabars also helped the British to crush the natives in the Uva Wellassa rebellion. That is where Tamils are seen as the “Poodles of the English”.

    Sen Kandiah here does the Poodle thing yet again. Some things never change it seems.

    • 1
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      Imbecile,

      “The Malabars also helped the British to crush the natives in the Uva Wellassa rebellion.”

      Can you substantiate the above statement of your?

  • 4
    3

    It is not only Vellala Sri Skandarajah , even Kandiah wants a referendum.,

    Badulla where most inhabitants are Tamil elected the UPFA to govern them ..

  • 5
    4

    In 2009 Sen Kandiah told a Labour conference in England about “concentration camps” in Sri Lanka where children are separated from their parents and “cower in the corner” under soldiers armed with AK47s. He was supposed to be talking about “self determination” (one of the separatist catch-cries, since the word was used in the 1976 Vaddukoddai resolution) but spent his three minutes making wild claims about concentration camps.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GmeG0zucu8

    Ironic, because the British were the first to invent REAL concentration camps during the Boer War.

    Now that the last of these camps has been closed and the predicted Nazi-style genocide never occurred is Sen Kandiah and Tamils for Labour (and the rest of the genocide lobby) going to acknowledge that they were wrong?

    • 4
      5

      Dr Alagaratnam,
      “Ironic, because the British were the first to invent REAL concentration camps during the Boer War. “

      You are posting comments on COLOMBOTELEGRAPH which discuss mainly current issues – about Tamils and the govt which committing Tamil Genocide and the UNP & SLFP govts did the same thing in the past.

      No one stopping you opening a Boer Telegraph and invite us to post comment.

      • 1
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        This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

      • 1
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        Anpu,

        I am merely pointing out that the camps in Sri Lanka were not concentration camps, and anyone who knows what concentration camps actually were would realize that.

        • 2
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          Dr Alagaratnam,

          “not concentration camps,”
          What are they then? Torture camps? Rape camps? Murder camps?…

    • 2
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      Dr Romesh,

      The more you write more you reveal as to your real credentials! This is why you often appear inconsistent and ostentatious!

      Never mind about what the British did during the Boer War during the 1900s; you need to get real.

      Do you or do you not agree that Tamils as a people are qualified to govern themselves within a united Sri Lanka?

      We cannot pretend that, the we as peoples of Sri Lanka messed everything up. Even after May 2009, the Sinhala endeavouring to subjugate the minorities and not accommodate them. It is futile to expect the Sinhala Buddhists to suddenly start behaving!

      The Tamils are tired and they need to be allowed to establish their dignity and self-respect. The Sinhala will not give them that; this they have shown in numerous occasions explicitly.

      • 3
        4

        BI,
        “Do you or do you not agree that Tamils as a people are qualified to govern themselves within a united Sri Lanka?”

        Not at all. Going by the posts here no one in their right mind can conclude that Tamils can govern themselves. 8% Tamil population and only 4% in the north. Are you nuts? They couldn’t even continue a terror regime properly!

        • 2
          2

          Euse,

          You praised the Scottish referendum and Scotts voted to stay in the union! The Scottish people only about 4% of the British population! The Scottish people did not have to fight for 60 years for equal treatment; they always had it! The fact that they wanted to govern themselves was the primary reason they demanded greater devolution and even a separate state! Only one thing prevented a separate state that is the economy.

          Contrast that with the Tamils of Sri Lanka. It does not matter how small the Tamil population is; they have the right to govern themselves. You need comprehend this loud and clear otherwise you are a Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinist; are you one?

      • 2
        3

        BI

        Not all the Tamils are “tired” – many were tired of the war and are relieved that it is over. The Tamils do not need the Sinhalese to establish their “self-respect and dignity”. These things come from within, surely.

        Of course Sinhalese should respect Tamils and Tamils should respect Sinhalese, and they should treat each other with dignity. I have seen a lack of respect on both sides. Respect is earned, not demanded, though.

        You demand to know: “Do you or do you not agree that Tamils as a people are qualified to govern themselves within a united Sri Lanka?”

        It depends on what you mean by govern and “united”. I support a unitary Sri Lanka. At the moment the NorthEast is being used as a substitute for Tamil Eelam in separatist arguments. There is a risk of unintentionally supporting separatism if I say “united” rather than “unitary”. I have nothing to add to our previous discussion about the powers of the Provincial Council versus the central government.

        • 1
          0

          Dr Romesh,

          You are an educated man but appear devoid of appreciation that vicissitude of undemocratic events since independence culminating in ethnic polarization! Your quest to support a unitary sate with the status quo is astonishing. Since 1955, the Sinhala dominated administrations unilaterally formulated constitutions, policies, and statutes totally undermining the minorities. The Clause 29 instilled to protect the minorities jettisoned with total disregard to the minority sentiments. The clause to protect and foster Buddhism is designed to undermine religious freedom. The state land allocation and colonization programs virtually excluded minorities. Under these conditions, the Tamils are understandably incredulous, and them clamoring for self-governance is inevitable and totally justifiable.

          You say:

          “Not all the Tamils are “tired” – many were tired of the war and are relieved that it is over.”

          I do not disagree that the Tamils are tired of war. This is aside, you need to pay attention the to conclusion of NPC elections, where the Tamils overwhelmingly manifested their desire for self-govern. This is a democratic manifestation of their desire. I therefore can say that the Tamils are tired of waiting for their freedom. I am sure you have the mental capacity to comprehend their predicament!

          You say:

          “The Tamils do not need the Sinhalese to establish their “self-respect and dignity”. These things come from within, surely.”

          Of course; the Tamils’ self-respect and dignity is totally contingent on the Sinhala respecting democracy and accommodating the minorities with dignity. This is the nature of unitary state in SL with the Sinhala constituting the overwhelming majority! What made you make such a ridiculous statement?

          I asked:

          “Do you or do you not agree that Tamils as a people are qualified to govern themselves within a united Sri Lanka?”

          You say:
          “It depends on what you mean by govern and “united”. I support a unitary Sri Lanka.”

          Why do you support a “unitary state” that has miserably failed resulting two armed insurrections with immense sufferings? Don’t you think you need to think afresh? What is so wrong in empowering the regions with self-governing; N&E being one such a region?

          You further say:

          “At the moment the NorthEast is being used as a substitute for Tamil Eelam in separatist arguments.”

          Come on Dr; steady on! Have you read the APRC proposals? The TNA was not a signatory to it; yet, it advocates substantial devolution bordering on a federal state. Are those who constituted the committee Separatists? The UNP at one time resigned for federal governance; was UNP entertained separatism?

          The Scottish independent movement vigorously campaigned for a separate state, and how is that in anyway discredited the campaign for union? In my view, only those who possess Sinhala chauvinistic ideology oppose the Tamils demand for self-govern within united SL; are you one of those Sinhala Chauvinist?

          • 0
            1

            BI,

            You ask “Why do you support a “unitary state” that has miserably failed resulting two armed insurrections with immense sufferings? Don’t you think you need to think afresh? What is so wrong in empowering the regions with self-governing; N&E being one such a region?”

            If the “two armed insurrections” you are referring to are the JVP and the LTTE, I fail to see what a unitary state has to do with the JVP. To my knowledge there were two JVP insurrections based on Marxist revolutionary ideals in the 1970s and 1980s. They had nothing to do with separate, united or unitary states.

            The LTTE fought a ruthless war for a mono-ethnic separate state, employing guerilla tactics, and conventional and unconventional warfare as well as terrorism – it wasn’t an “insurrection”. It was a war. A very cruel war. I, for one, am glad the government won the war.

            I don’t have any objection to regions being self-governing in some areas. In fact I encourage devolution of power to the provinces. In my opinion, national security and police, and major infrastructure projects require the involvement of the national government. Here I’m talking about irrigation projects and the like. Areas like health and education require both a national and regional perspective and governance. Ideally the local government would work harmoniously with the national government.

            There is a danger, though, of the interests of the East neglected by the North and vice versa. What’s wrong with the political leaders of the nine provinces working in their own, as well as the national interest? Undivided by language or race.

    • 2
      3

      We have seen so many worthless “Tube Bulb” stories like yous. They do not go to court. Your defense department has produced so many fake web sites. They all are good enough to, when China wants the Noraichchosai, play and hack them. That is why when the China prime minister came to Lanka, he orders the King to reduce the electricity cost to the consumers make him look like an angel by taking over the Noraichcholai reduced the cost. These the Lanka’s “tube Bulb” stories.

      We care less about the British Boer Camp. We care only about Britain handing over Tamils land in the hands of Wild beats.

      When the time comes, Tamils will file case against Britain for that and force to accept that it made a mistake. That statement will help Tamils to UN and get their land back like Israel got its.

  • 2
    4

    Tamils don’t need permission from anybody. This is Tamils land.

    The indigenous Veddhas are physically related to people in South India and early populations of Southeast Asia. It is not possible to ascertain what languages that they originally spoke as Vedda language is considered diverged from its original source.[27]

    According to K. Indrapala, cultural diffusion, rather than migration of people, spread the Prakrit and Tamil languages from peninsular India into an existing mesolithic population, centuries before the common era.[28] Tamil Brahmi and Tamil-Prakrit scripts were used to write the Tamil language during this period on the island.[29]

    Settlements of culturally similar early populations of ancient Sri Lanka and ancient Tamil Nadu in India were excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu on the west coast and in Kathiraveli on the east coast of the island. Bearing a remarkable resemblance to burials in the Early Pandyan Kingdom, these sites were established between the 5th century BCE and 2nd century CE.[26][30] Excavated ceramic sequences similar to that of Arikamedu were found in Kandarodai (Kadiramalai) on the north coast, dated to 1300 BCE. Cultural similarities in burial practices in South India and Sri Lanka were dated by archaeologists to 10th century BCE. However, Indian history and archaeology have pushed the date back to 15th century BCE. In Sri Lanka, there is radiometric evidence from Anuradhapura that the non-Brahmi symbol-bearing black and red ware occur in the 10th century BCE.[31] The skeletal remains of an Early Iron Age chief were excavated in Anaikoddai, Jaffna District. The name Ko Veta is engraved in Brahmi script on a seal buried with the skeleton and is assigned by the excavators to the 3rd century BCE. Ko, meaning “King” in Tamil, is comparable to such names as Ko Atan, Ko Putivira and Ko Ra-pumaan occurring in contemporary Tamil Brahmi inscriptions of ancient South India and Egypt.[32][33]

    Why do ask we Scotland like referendum? Why do we compare that with this? From prehistoric time this island is Tamils land. When Europeans came here Kandy, Jaffna was ruled by Tamils. Kotta was always subordinate to Kandy. During whites rule, Tamils ruled country for Whites. Only Tamils rule missing is the time after freedom. So do not have to ask Lanka to have a referendum like Scotland. We need UN to interfere and get back our land to us. This is why UN did for Israel.

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      Malli,
      Don’t you think Parayabakaran just wasted his time and life? I guess he didn’t get your memo!

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        “I guess he didn’t get your memo! “
        Don’t worry. When the King gets his present, the electric chair, he will travel on that deliver it for me!UNHRC is falling little bit behind, but still it deliver the order placed with it. That time, King will save nobody’s life is wasted.

        “Parayabakaran just wasted his time and life” Why didn’t you tell this brother Prince. When Chidhamparam, the contractor who hired the hitman, asked about it when brother Prince went Delhi to finalize the bill and get the final payment, Prince did not have the answers. That is why India never opposed the UNHRC resolutions.

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    “There is a lot to learn from the British example – its so different to everything I have known in our struggle in Sri Lanka,” Kandiah stated pointing out that in Sri Lanka thousands of lives were lost fighting for the same right which people of Scotland enjoyed a few days ago.

    Pooh! What the heck is this idiot talking about?

    Your boss that Mad Fat Prabhakaran was not a leader. He was a blood thirsty Pariah Dog that took whatever self respect the Tamils in Sri Lanka had. You Tamils on the other hand are parasitic vultures going with a begging bowl in one hand and a cyanide pill with the other.

    Are you mad to compare the Tamils to the Scots.

    Andrew Stuart / Scotland

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      “Andrew Stuart / Scotland” really!

      Rather than appearing on CT forum incognito, just tell us as to why one cannot compare Tamils of Sri Lanka with the Scotts?

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    Acknowledge para tamils right to self-determination – what a joke

    not even in the dreams…

    tamils need to first find a country…they can try a Norwegian country

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      Ela kella, u wana hear a joke? The buddhist monk who [Edited out]. Tamils have a country and they are living 1000 times better than the average Sinhalese. Now you get back inside Galagoda Gna Thera’s Loin cloth. Croaking always like a frog in a well.

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    Well said Sen Kandiah,
    The self determination of Tamils of North East Sri Lanka is the only way to resolve the multi issues faced in Sri Lanka. The Sinhala ruling regimes continue to use this issue as an excuse for their unlawful activities such as corruption, human right violations, politicization and Sinhalization of every institutions including justice system.

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    It is good to know the History. But will the History repeat once more? Consider the present. We see here the majority Sinhalese are unwilling to accommodate the Tamils in Sri Lanka. They are applying the Majority rule and the Tamils are fighting back to get their rights. This is the present scenario. The struggle recently caught the attention of the World and the International community is just beginning to resolve the issue. So both parties be patient. At least stop publishing your rivalry and showing hatred towards each other and make the World more resolved in giving the punishment. Start building friendship and tolerance and show the world you are friendly and are able to coexist.

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      Sulaiman
      What “rights” you were talking that Tamil or any one for that matter doesn’t have in Sri Lanka but Sinhala has?

      Do you want me give a few important “rights” that the Koran took away or purged of infidels?

  • 0
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    Y.U Kandia… demand for… ‘Rights for self-determination for Tamil people’ by fighting for ‘freedom struggle’? against whom? Is that Colonial rulers who had been occupy 425 years Sri lankn land by Portuguese, Dutch and English colonial master.

    Tamils political party and its class had never mark that history of freedom fighters or fought for their liberation in Sri lanka land last 4 and half centuries in our soil. What they did was totally undermine our national Independence before and after 1948.And Tamil political class had made many attempts to associate with the imperialist west and other foreign forces representative by split nation one for Tamil Eealm by de-stabilities of our land was key agenda Tamil political parties.

    In appealing to traditional demand of self-determination no longer valid for TAMILS, because Tamil Nadu is their, real t HOMELAND, not which north part of Sri lanka.

    The Eealm model namely Tamil created consensus was defined by Upper Tamil cast of Jaffna Vialla that constant experiments with own Tamil ancestor Hindu worship ,which that stimulated by rise of neo-Tamil chauvinism was back by Tamil-Nadu expansion of Tamil nationalism, in India.

    The Tamil backwardness politic, and social to Tamil traditional culture and believed that only through whole sale Westernization and the introduction of Western politics could develop by so-called
    self-determination by Tamils itself. This realization that TAMIL model of Eealm cannot be explained by dichotomy of authoritarianism of rule and against Sri lanka democracy as well as the values of West.

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      sirisena yatawara

      Sinhala speaking Demela.

      Get your facts right.

      This island was freed by colonist only because they couldn’t hold on to India. Once India was free British had no option but to free this island.

      Please give us a brief history of Sinhala/Buddhists fighting to free this land from British.

      Sinhala/Buddhists betrayed Kandyan kingdom. The last war was fought by my people.

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      Yatawara,

      You need to join the club of kite flyers; you have no clue and it is embarrassing!

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    Oh Mr K, don’t compare the Jaffna Tamil with the Scots. The Scots never armed themselves to the teeth and massacre thousands of innocents or resort to ethnic cleansing as the LTTE did. Now pl don’t sound so virtuous. Also why not target Tamil Nadu to hoist your flag – we know all what the Tamil diaspora want is a piece of land to call their nation at whatever cost to anyone else. The Antractic may also be a good bet

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    Periyavar

    “The Antractic may also be a good bet”

    I would have thought South India is the best bet and historically more relevant.

    When are you leaving? When you go take your Tamil brethren with you?

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    The ones who stand for SL including those who defend MR and his deed should understand the anti SL forces utilises the opportunity created by MR and this gover by
    destroying democracy and rule of law,
    settling sinhala pople in north thereby making tamils fearful
    gover’s tolerance of anti muslim acts and racism rising in SL

    SO before you defend SLG try to correct SL gover..if not kick them out

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    Hey Kandiah

    Why don’t you mind your own dam business and be a patriotic British, rather interfering into other countries’ affairs. You are inflicting separative thoughts into the minds of the Scotish also. What happened to Scotland?

    You migrated to lick in Britain an forgot about SL.

    So be it. Forget SL and go on licking the British Bacon you fool.

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