By Pearl Thevanayagam –
Pearl Thevanayagam
“First they came for journalists, then they came for human rights activists; then they swooped down on university students and political dissenters and lately poets are taboo from attending meetings and seminars”. – (Apologies to Lasantha Wickrematunge for pilfering his final editorial he wrote before he was gunned down on January 08, 2009 by the government)
All V.I.S Jayapalan wanted was to visit his mother’s grave since he could not visist her when died in 2008 due to the then prevailing conditions of military offensive against the LTTE. I met him in Oslo in a Tamil shop in October 2004 and he carried a satchel bag. Little did I know he had acted in Indian films and wrote scores of poetry.
It was T. Manivannan, the Head of BBC Tamil Service, who enlightened me on this person’s achievements in the world cinema and poetry.
He is a thespian to boot and an unassuming character who hid his talents and to passer-by he would be just another refugee at the mercy of Norwegian Government. Jayapalan never craved publicity and he was simply a thespian in his own right. For him were there no accolades since Tamils did not take him seriously. Yet India and the US awarded him many accolades. It is a pity his own people of Jaffna never appreciated his talent and it was left to foreigners to give him his dues as a talented actor/poet.
In a world which counts wealth and materialism as its mantra, there is no place for genuine talent or honesty. Even Kambar and Samuel Johnson – the Chola King and Lord Chesterfield – reneged on their promises to commission their works Ramayana and the English Dictionary respectively.
Johnson wrote to Lord Chesterfield, “Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind: but it has been delayed till I am indifferent and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary and cannot impart it; till I am known and do not want it.”
Jayapalan is more a Yarlpadi – the blind musician who was shunned since he did not earn a living wage but immersed himself in music on the verandhah despite his total blindness and whose wife constantly chided him for being a never-do-well – until he recited his Yarl before the king who awarded him with Yarlpanam, present day Jaffna.
Beneath his veneer of a simple wanderer, there exists in him, a worth of talent which goes un-noticed. Now he is incarcerated within the Immigration detention centre charged with attending meetings while he was on a tourist visa. News that he would be deported by the Immigration authorities comes as a shock and it is up to his sympathisers to exonerate him since his roots in Jaffna should enable him to return to his birthplace which is his inalienable right.
For crying out loud, why should the military suspect this innocent man of conspiring against the government by attending meetings and seminars? He is now seventy years old and suffering from ageing illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis.
Poet and actor Jayapalan’s arrest should be on the list of human rights violations post war against the LTTE and added to the government’s list of crimes to be presented to the UNHRC.
mallaiyuran / November 26, 2013
The article is not really touching the current Sri Lankan political environment. The question is rather than visiting in this dangerous way, whether V.I.S. Jeyapalan did not have any other way to pay respect for his mother. Certainly, though advocating that V.I.S. Jeyapalan is not dangerous and an innocent too, many Tamil Media question his wisdom of visiting to Sri Lanka this way.
Arrest of the Poet
Poet V.I.S.Jeyapalan’s arrest is not a surprise one as per the Tamil Medias. This is the message has been put forward by an article appeared in some Tamil Websites like http://www.jvpnews.com/srilanka/54725.html, Thenne.com . As SLG has been carefully reviewing all media personal’s visa applications just before the CHOGM, it is unlikely Poet (that is the self-proclaimed name he uses for him in his Tamil writings, not the Tamil version of “Pulavar”. So because it going to be easy to use that name here in English, we will be using that for the rest of this opinion) was granted an easy one. After all, he would have submitted his Norwegian passport at the Sri Lankan Consulate in Chennai. This is an obvious double jeopardy. It is possible that his application was approved only after British Government’s insistence on allowing all journalists who wanted go to Colombo CHOGM. For an average person, this should have been more than enough to get the necessary alert. Yet, Poet boarded the plane and landed in Sri Lanka. The rest, as everybody is aware, it the Sri Lankan secret service took care of the matter.
It is true that everybody, (even Mahinda , Gotha ) going to have a reason for the things the way that they are doing. The reason Poet had to go to the army controlled area is his mother’s tome is there. There are a million of Tamil, Muslim, and Sinhalese civilians has many more desperate situation like missing person families, families uproots in Colombo for beautification, even the one still remaining all over the country not properly re-settled after Tsunami of December, 2004. Still Poet contended that the royal family will be respecting his right to visit his mother’s tome. After all if Sri Lanka is a democratic country why should he be not allowed?; but Poet does know that is not how it is in Sri Lankan, now. It’s a suggestion in the Tamil Media, including these this article appeared today in some media, all that Poet wanted was not anything less than a Sri Lankan lift for his trips in Sri Lanka and exactly that is what he got too.
During his stay in Jaffna, in the meeting he had for Media Personal, Poet criticized the Northern PC chief minister for not actively participating with the more aggressive groups in Jaffna. Poet gave a very good evaluation for CV just a month ago. Praising CV, he commented that the new TNA’s big thraa is a good team and the PC will be good front to launch a peaceful negotiations with the government. Right after landing in Sri Lanka, Poet had changed his mind. From Norway and Chennai, Poet has been heavily criticizing the Tamil Diaspora not supporting for a negotiated settlement with MR for Tamils Problems, and at the same time he has supported the more demanding or active elements in TNA too. Jet he does not support TNPF. So, it is extremely confusing and widely open, debatable policies Poet put forward. Though Poet criticizes everybody, he protects himself from anybody catching him or criticizing him by this type of heavily tangled talks.
Recently, TNA has been playing a safe game with Sri Lanka Defense and that is completely avoiding any direct confrontations with it. At “May Day” like general gathering or at Hunger Strike for land confiscation, TNA has been bring Southern Politicians ( like, Ranil, Vickramabahu, Mano) as witness of what is happening or simplify advising the people not to demonstrate and approach the court(though it is hopelessly inefficient ). Exactly the same tactics were used during the British Prime Minister’s visit too. TNA avoided any demonstration but directly worked with British Diplomats. Here TNA achieved two things, one saved the citizen from facing a disaster like Weliweriya and made it clear for the British Official that Sri Lanka does not have the freedom of “getting Together to Express Opinion”.
This is where Poet found the loophole on the CV or TNA and put forward his fiery new thoughts. It is said that some of those attended meeting was pretty nervous even to listen to his speech. It is unlikely that Poet did not understand situation. This raises the suspicion that if Poet was hasty to prove that after British Prime Minister’s there will be no change in Sri Lankan policies or he may have been looking for a short cut to achieve fame(in contrast to the above article he craved for publicity). End of the day, what this has done is it has undone everything that the British Prime Minister has done to bring some respect in Sri Lanka to the free media. Now, Sri Lanka has arrested a Journalist right after the British PM David Cameroon left the country.
It is said that two of his friends, the Muslim ministers Rauff Hakeem, and Basheer Segu Dawood are in touch some people to get him free. In any case if Poet returns home safely, surly he is going to take with him a good lesson of who is Sri Lankan Defense and why one has to take some precaution before menacing with them.
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / November 27, 2013
OF PEARLY GATES AND LOSING THRONES
HI PEARL,
SO GOOD TO SEE THE ADRENALINE FLOWING FAST AND FURIOUS.I REMEMBER A MUTUAL FRIEND ON THE CDN SAYING, [WHEN WAS IT? BACK IN THE LATE 70’S?] THAT SHOULD ANYONE APPROACH PEARL WITH ANYTHING REMOTELY SMELLING OF ‘ANTI-TAMIL’ HE’D BE IN EFFECT APPROACHING THE “PEARLY GATES”. BUT I KNOW YOU’RE VERY WELL BALANCED AND OBJECTIVE AND NECESSARILY NOT LACKING INTEGRITY AT ALL. BUT…..BUT.. HEY, COME ON, READ THIS:
“For crying out loud, WHY SHOULD the military suspect this innocent man of conspiring against the government by attending meetings and seminars?”
BECAUSE, THEIR HANDLERS, AND THEY, CAN’T FIND ANY DIAPERS AND THERE’RE THOSE TELL-TALE SIGNS OF PEE RUNNING DOWN THEIR TROUSERS.
CAN’T YA SMELL IT ?
WHAT’S WORSE THAN DEATH ? LIFETIME INCARCERATION? BEING DRAGGED BEFORE THE ICJ? UNDRESSED IN GENEVA?
GENEVA’S AROUND THE CORNER,, AN SO, AS WOODY ALLEN PUT IT ” I’M NOT AFRAID OF DEATH, I JUST DON’T WANT TO BE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS”
jEYAPALAN WELL KNOWS THE SWAY OF THINGS BACK IN SRI LANKA AND IS, I THINK, MIGHTY BRAVE AS THIS ANECDOTE PUTS IT :
“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’
‘That is the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.”
― George R.R. Martin IN ‘A Game of Thrones’.I DOFF MY HAT TO JEYAPALAN !
BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR THRONES… AND ARE NOT BRAVE ANYMORE, HENCE THE SUSTAINED OPPRESSION. JEYAPALAN’S INCIDENT IS JUST ONE OF THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS MANIFESTING THIS FEAR OF LOSING THRONES.
WHO SAYS THE WAR IS OVER ? ALL WE NEED TO DO IS “LOOK’ WITH EYES THAT CAN SEE.
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Ketheeswaran / November 26, 2013
Look who has come to the defence. If this person is asaint, is the writer suggesting that the SL government arrested him simply because he is Tamil?
Having experienced the loss of family members, murdered and tied to lamp psots in Kokuvil, by oue own ‘boys’ and having been to Jaffna earlier this year, I really doubt that the police just arrested him because he is Tamil. We did not experience any such harrassment.
People with bad blood are causing more harm to ethnic relations in Sri Lanka than the government would ever be able to do.
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PalmSquirrell / November 26, 2013
Another Sinhalese masquerading as Tamil, are you.
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Lanka Liar / November 27, 2013
Demil or Sin Halam
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Punchirala / November 29, 2013
@ Palm Squirrell
By the same token , another Tamil masquerading as an ‘innocent European impartial observer’.
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / November 27, 2013
AND YOU WON’T EXPERIENCE ANY HARASSMENT TOO…. NOT AS LONG AS YOU GRIN LIKE AN IMBECILE AND WALK ABOUT WITH THE STOOP YOU DEVELOPED WHEN YOU BURIED YOUR DEAD AND …INCREDIBLY ! PLAY ‘GOODY-GOODY’ EVEN AFTER YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED AND STRUNG UP ON STREET LAMP POSTS.
THE ONLY REDEEMING POINT IS THAT YOUR REFERENCE IS TO”FAMILY MEMBERS” AND NOT “LOVED ONES”.
YOU REMIND ME OF A ROTTEN “SALAYA” I SAW ONE NIGHT LONG,LONG AGO SHINING A BRILLIANT SILVER ON A PATCH OF LAWN NEAR THE MT.LAVINIA HOTEL, IN THE BRIGHT GLOW OF MOONLIGHT. LOOKED SO GOOD TO THE EYE…BUT WAS SO ROTTEN THROUGH AND THROUGH THAT EVEN STRAY CATS APPROACHING IT FELL BACK, RECOILING AT ITS STENCH!
WONDER WHETHER I’M GOING OVER YOUR HEAD !
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Senguttuvan / November 26, 2013
I believe it was the great Russian dissident-writer Alexandr Solzenitsyn who said “a despotic regime fears a writer (poet)
as if they were a different government” The way Intelligence
agencies of this regime recoil at even a little known Poet as
Jayapalan is indicative of an extremely paranoidic condition.
Senguttuvan
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Amarasiri / November 26, 2013
Ms. Pearl Thevanayagam,
“Actor And Poet Jayapalan Is An Innocent Man”
Actor And Poet Jayapalan Is one of many Innocent men and women, who were victimized. If Tamil, the probability is much higher being victimized compared to the Sinhala Buddhist. However,being Sinhala Buddhist is no guarantee. Look what happened to Lasantha, Sarath Fonseka and others.
See what happened to Chane 4 guys.
If you do not want to be victimized, one needs to lick the A**** of the MaRas, like many who are doing it now.
DeJa Vu
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Liberal One / November 26, 2013
The government could have rejected his visa request, it did not. The government did allow the grieving son to pay respect to his mother. What did he do after paying respect to his mother? He organized seminars. You mean there is nothing for us to be suspicious about diaspora seminars? and we don’t have a right to deport foreigners based on suspicions?
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / November 27, 2013
THEN DEPORT THEM DAMMIT INSTEAD OF EXACTING SADISTIC PLEASURE OUT OF BROWBEATING A SICK OLD MAN. YOU’VE HEARD WHAT HE HAS SAID.
HE HAS NOT DISAPPEARED PURELY BECAUSE HE IS NOW A NORWEGIAN CITIZEN.
CUT OUT THE MEDIA WITCH HUNT AND NO ONE WILL BE WANTING A TOURIST VISA FOR ANYTHING ELSE BUT TOURISM. YOU CREATE THE CONDITION AND THEN GRIPE ABOUT IT.
LET THEM EXPRRESS THEIR VIEWS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ALSO EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS AND COUNTER THEIR ARGUMENTS WITH VALID COUNTER ARGUMENTS. DON’T JUST DRAG OUT THE MISERY.YOU’VE DONE IT FOR NEARLY A CENTURY DAMN IT.
SEDITIOUS? TREASON? THEN GET ABOUT IT, FILE YOUR CHARGES,IMPRISON THEM, HANG THEM…WHATEVER…BUT CUT OUT ALL THIS ” PSYCHOLOGICAL GENOCIDE” . IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK WITH MORE SERVILITY. JUST THE OPPOSITE. APPEARS THAT YOUR PEOPLE HAVE LEARNT NOTHING FROM THE PAST.
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bruz / November 26, 2013
It’s all pure paranoia and who ever who are doing this has no idea as to what really they are doing…reconciliation seems out of the question !
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Ahamed / November 26, 2013
Jayapalan is not innocent as you claim. He together with Kasi Ananthan still sow the seeds of hatred and terrorism among Tamil youths. Jayapalan gave up his Sri Lankan nationality to live in Norway. He should spend rest of his life there without promoting terrorism in Sri Lanka. He is welcome to visit Sri Lanka as a tourist, but he should stop at only sight seeing including seeing his mother’s grave. But should not engage with speaking to unauthorized crowds. Over to you pro-LTTE activists.
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PalmSquirrell / November 26, 2013
What is “unauthorised crowds”, so now you anti Tamil racists demand that Tamils can’t even speak to Tamils.
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JimSofty / November 27, 2013
LTTE are innocent freedom fighters.
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Punchirala / November 29, 2013
The question is ‘ has Jayapalan breached the terms of the visa granted to him which he would have undertaken to abide at the time of applying for and granting the visa’?.
The answer is “YES”.So there you go.
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / November 27, 2013
“but he should stop at only sight seeing including seeing his mother’s grave”….OH YES !ONLY THE SIGHTS TO WHICH THE TOURIST GUIDES TAKE YOU EH ?
THANK GOD THAT AT LEAST HIS MOTHER’S GRAVE WAS THERE.
PRABHAKARAN’S MOTHER, WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HER SON’S ACTIONS, HAD STRAY DOGS SHOT DEAD BY SERVICEMEN, THEN THROWN UPON HER ASHES FOLLOWED BY THE SAME SERVICEMEN URINATING ON THOSE ASHES.
2500 YEARS OF CULTURE ? BEATS THE MOST RIBALD JOKES EVER UTTERED BY ROMAN SOLDIER BACK HOME AFTER THE SERIAL RAPING AND KILLINGS WHILE ON THEIR CRUSADES.
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Mahela / November 28, 2013
Sri Lanka still a Democratic Socialist Republic. Not a Pariah, Banana Dictator’s regime Republic. Everybody has freedom to talk whatever they want, whereever they want and whenever they want. Nobody can supress it.
Also like South Africa and India, freedom should be earned and fought for. Not given free.
Even their own Sinhala people are looking for Freedom and Justice from the Rajapakse Dictator.
It’s time to act.
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Naga / November 26, 2013
Jeyapalan may be a good man. But, if he had come on a tourist visa he should not be addressing news conferences. I do not think he was arrested for visiting his mother’s grave. As has been already explained by SL authorities he was arrested for breaching his visa conditions.
SL authorities did the same to an Australian Member of Parliament during the CHOGM summit. Some months ago, a former JVP leader faced the same fate.
All countries do this. However, even in Sri Lanka, authorities would not bother about someone who engages in less objectionable acts or benevolent acts.
Jeyapalan appears to have dramatised the issue by giving phone interviews while in custody. Journalist Thurairetnam has said in his web newspaper that he contacted him by phone while in custody. One TV station is reported to have carried his phone interview while being escorted to Colombo That is proof that he was not ill-treated while under arrest.
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PalmSquirrell / November 26, 2013
So what if he responded to journalists, he is a poet and actor so ofcourse he is going to be asked questions.
This wouldn’t be a problem if the guy was a Sinhalese , especially if he was known to be pro Sinhala Nationalism.
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mallaiyuran / November 26, 2013
“As has been already explained by SL authorities he was arrested for breaching his visa conditions.SL authorities did the same to an Australian Member of Parliament during the CHOGM summit. Some months ago, a former JVP leader faced the same fate.”
In the first place why the visas for the Journalist are not coming forth? Why the visas are not upgraded when a decent, well known people like Australian, New Zealand Senators Lee Rhiannon and Jan Logie wanted to address meetings? Didn’t it is the Sri Lankan embassy who issued these visas back at their countries. So far so many people have been deported. At least now have Sri Lankan embassies have started a corrective procedure of advising the journalist and VIPs that if they intent to do more than simple sightseeing the officials would be willing to issue them an upgraded visas? Why do you treat even the foreign Peoples Representatives like mere criminal or even ending up as calling them as white tigers?
If you compare JVP Gunaratnam with Lee Rhiannon or Jackie Park or Poet Jeyabalan, then you really don’t know the basic substance of these matters. The blinds that touched the elephant came out with better understanding of the elephant than yours in these matters.
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Athi / November 26, 2013
I am saddened again and again by the quite ignorant, intolerant and mechanic commentaries provided by the readers. It is a fact that tamils are subjected to widespread, unlawfuø detention, abductions, torture , sexual harrasment and murder. How can you deny this without even checking the mountain of evidences out there? Unconditionally you people digest the venom and illusion giving to you by your bourgoisie leadership and rasicst clergy. Is there no hope for the genuine marxsist in the south, everyone has apparently gone to exile for well founded reasons, the rest has betrayed all the people and joined hand with imperialist stooges, bourgoise politics and genocidal practicing governments. When people uncondtionally accepts the narratives of this government and state then it is self-evident how one of the most horrid genocide of this century is bushed over as well… Jayapalan was visitng his mothers grave, being an well known poet among his people, the Muslims and even the SInhala comrades he was attending meeting concerning litterature and freedom of expression. How can you sit there and legitimize such unlawful acts by your government? But by now there should be know that there is no humanity left in the appologists, collaborators and supporters of this regime nor government. I am truly saddened by such revealations even after the so called war… where is there hope for reoncilation when the people of the south unconditionally support this philistine government.
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Liberal One / November 26, 2013
//where is there hope for reoncilation when the people of the south unconditionally support this philistine government
There lies the problem of reconciliation. You want a regime change and unless that happen you are not open for reconciliation.
And yes, Marxists, the defenders of Tamil Nationalist violence does not have any place in south.
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Snowdon Asange / November 26, 2013
Crux of the matter… He WAS issued a visa to visit his mom’s tomb… Had he stayed withing the perimeters of his visa conditions HE would not have to be arrested nor deported. He took part in seminars, which was not authorized to a TOURIST. He could have certainly attended one, but not ADDRESSED IT…
So the fault lies on him, not the authority. Sri- Lankans do not have the same privilege to travel to other countries in the SO CALLED WEST…. whether it be Tourist or otherwise… EVEN with all relevent documents… Most times their excuse to deny a visa is ” NOT ENOUGH ECONOMIC TIES” to go back to the country….thinking that ALL SL’s would stay put in any country overstaying the visa…
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M.Sivananthan / November 26, 2013
He went to a meeting in Colombo Tamil Sangam with out invitation and shouted, criticized the President etc. lead the arrest and deportation.
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Liberal One / November 26, 2013
This is really amusing. Issuing Visas and deporting foreigners is up to the host country. You don’t need a reason for it.
Many Western countries reject Visa applications of Sri Lankans without any valid reason. Does that suggest a Rights violation of Sri Lankans? Seriously the anti-Sri Lankan crowd should stop crying about every decision we take like we owe you anything.
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Athi / November 26, 2013
To My Self-Righteous Sinhalese friend
can you define the fertile land reconcilation and peace can sprout and grow on? If there is systematic opression towards a sepcific people and against those in the opposition, the actions are ingrained in the structures of the state, thus there is structural violence, authotharianism and repression which facilitate inequality and denial of democratic rights. In such an context there is the demand for structural and systematic change and restructuring. Thereby if there is an inability to provide for the just system, which facilitates the inalienable democratic rights to people, there is no fertile ground for equal and genuine reconcilation. When people in the north are under a military occupation, the people of south subject to dictatorial repression, i dont see how you can speak of asymetrical reconcilation. You can do so just for the namesake of it or to perpetuate the mystifying national ideology of the state which applauds your patriotism and pseudo revolutionariness. Do you imply to deny people opressed the equal life as you enjoy and practice? To the other Sinhala friend defending the suspension of democratic rights on the pretext of visa laws and also isolating such repression to temporary incidents. There is not many countries which prohibit attending seminars, workshops and lectures under visa regulations, Which indicates that this is systematic and you can not deny that you are not aware of nature of such state repression. THere are comrades in the south, many had to flee due to a coordinated campaign against them, those who remain are under pressure. I am saddened that you do not see how a state apparatus which is defined by decades of perpetuating systematic opression towards the tamil is now once again turning against the sinhala masses and oppositionals. IF you choose to remain in apathy and cynicism then it will be late to safeguard your own people. All solidarity and reconcilation lies in equality of rights and exsistence. We share this beautiful island of ours, and have done so for millenias, we have most of our genetics in common. We have lived together for milleniums as well with equality. But with the dawn of A rasicst SInahla buddhist idelogy patronaged by the Western educated bourgoisie and political elite have spread venom in the South creating an illusion of aryaness and inconsumerability with the Tamils. I hope you can overcome this to see our common causes and interest. I ask this with pride in my people rights, and the belief in our intertwining as equals but also in humbleness to ask you to realize the conditions of our island. I truly you can understand the very basic cognitive qualities demanded to practice reconcilation, peace and solidairty.
Til then we will remain in opposition to an system which denies our people and the sinhala masses the equality of life.
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mallaiyuran / November 26, 2013
There are a lot of Chris Norris symptoms here in CT. They say. “Araan Evvazhi, Kudikal Avvazhi. – The citizens follow the king”. King MR explained at CHOGM. Norris did it at CNN. The rest is being done here at CT. The one with fault seems always not ready out there for franks discussions. If so, will some body compare the world most notorious refugee producing country, the country whose leads are accused of war crime, with western democracies, coming and crying that the westerns countries are denying visas for them so that is no other way to them but to refuse visas for western journalists and VIPs.
Come man get out of this silly Chis Norris symptoms or find out some effective treatment for that. You honestly don’t know that the westerns countries are planning to intervene? You really do not want to do something about it but to think this real disease of Chris Norris symptoms going to win it over?
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JimSofty / November 27, 2013
CAn you tell of you Tamils here commenting, why do you people die for Sri Lanka instead of your motherland South India ?
Why do you people prefer Sri Lanka to Tamil -motherland there ?
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mallaiyuran / November 27, 2013
Aren’t you thinking Bengal also is a rotten country. Tamils are proud of Tamil Nadu because Raja Rajan was born there.
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Fathima Fukushima / November 27, 2013
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS are criminals.
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mallaiyuran / November 27, 2013
I totally agree with you. The deported criminal shouldn’t have been allowed to land in Lanka. Isn’t that a sad fact even after 2,500 years, still it couldn’t be not rehabilitated?
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pearl thevanayagam / November 28, 2013
Dear Winston,
Good to see your comment and thanks.
I do miss the good old days at CDN and the camaraderie we enjoyed bereft of ethnicity.
Perhaps you’ll enjoy this.
The burgher community hasnt lost their sense of humour wherever they
may be today! For those of us who remember the colour and the’ joie de
vivre’ the burgher community brought to Ceylon.
Burghers demand Lansi Ealam …Unite for the common Cause
‘We write on behalf of the Lanseelam Association of Australia Inc., a body which was recently formed for the purpose of defending the rights of Burghers in Sri Lanka.
For long, we Burghers have suffered in silence and watched with rising indignation the gradual erosion of our rights and privileges in the land of our birth.
From the position of total supremacy which our forefathers formerly enjoyed, we are now
being reduced to voices crying in the wilderness. Not only have we been stripped of our high social position, but even economically and
politically, we have degenerated into an oppressed and downtrodden community.
We therefore feel justified in staking our own claim to a section of Sri Lanka stretching from Galle Face Green to the Bambalapitiya Flats. This territory will be designated Lansi Eelam and
will comprise a safe haven for those of us whose culture has been threatened with extinction.
The message that spells out what this is all about:
– English will be the state language and medium of education in Lansi Eelam.
– A certain measure of social intercourse with the natives will naturally be permitted but legislation will be introduced to prevent over-familiarity.
– Severe penalties will apply for especially serious offences such as the contamination of old Dutch Burgher recipes. Such penalties will
include that dreaded torment: deprivation of liberty and lamprais for 20 years.
– Dutch will be our second language and will constitute the lingua franca of the new Parliament shortly to be set up within the hallowed precincts of a new Burgher Recreation Club [BRC] headquartered at Wolfendaal.
Proposed actions:
We have sent urgent communiquès to our fellow Burghers scattered throughout the world informing them of this venture and soliciting
their support.. On the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch in Ceylon [2002] we estimate that 50,000 Burgher loyalists here in after
to be known as the Wolves of Wolfendaal, will land in Sri Lanka at Bentot and Hambantot and march in a glorious struggle for freedom and
Lansi Eelam.
Those who have eked out a miserable existence in lands where breudhers never rose and love cakes never set, where hearts ached for
the smell of Kehel Kola to wrap their lamprais, and the powerful aroma of Poffertjis at the tiffin table – all these will now come into their
own again.
The Burghers will return en masse to claim the Lansi heritage of yore, ready to die in the attempt. Summoning up their ancient Dutch
courage, they will march forward relentlessly – Lansi kakula, nikan kakula, Lansi kakula, nikan kakula – from Galle to Kernigalle, from Cockeye-Kade palliya to Newreliya, gathering the support of their long- suffering kinsmen en route.
We therefore give you prior notice of our intentions and, in addition, request you to solicit the support of the local Burgher community in this most worthy cause.
As you are aware we always prefer to utilise peaceful democratic methods in the pursuit of our legitimate aspirations. If these fail, however, we will be compelled to cannonade Colombo with stale breudhers, an offensive that will
spread panic. This offensive will be followed by Dhadiya Daapu Bunnis to ensure certain victory. The Liberation Wolves of Wolvendaal will
march under the Sapaththu Kodiya..
Long Live Lansi Eelam !
Yours sincerely
Suzie Cockroach
General Secretary
Lansi Eelam Association of Australia, Inc.
—
© 2013 Microsoft Terms Privacy & cookiesDevelopers
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / November 30, 2013
PEARL, YOU’RE SURE ONE OF THE RAREST…THAT WAS A SUPERB PIECE..BUT I’M ALSO TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF FORMING, IN EXILE, A PARTY CALLED THE “BURGHER LIBERATION UNITED FRONT[ BLUF ] AND OUR OBJECTIVE DOES NOT END AT BAMBA..NO SIR, WAY DOWN TO GALLE WHERE MY MATERNAL GREAT GRAND MOTHER, A ‘DE VOSS’ SET FOOT IN SRI LANKA ON A DUTCH FRIGATE.
BUT SERIOUSLY, AND I’M DEADLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS,I THREW IN MY LOT WITH THE TAMIL CAUSE AGES AGO AND 1983 SAW ME IN A PARADIGM SHIFT,WHICH IS WHY I DON’T COMPROMISE ON FACT AND REALITY AS SEEN FROM THE TAMIL VIEWPOINT.
CDN…DON’T MISS IT ONE BIT. EVEN BACK THEN THERE WAS THAT DISTINCT UNDERTOW OF PURE RACISM AGAINST THE ‘DEMALA’ ‘LANSIYA’ AND ‘MARAKKALAYA’ BY SOME VERMIN WHO HAD AMBLED INTO JOURNALISM.
WOULD BE REAL NICE TO SEE MORE OF YOU ON THIS SITE. TAKE CARE..AND BLESSINGS. HEY, THE CT IS SURE BECOMING A REALLY GREAT “SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE”. THANKS CT. MEANS A LOT I ASSURE YOU. BYE FOR NOW PEARL.
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Thondamanaru / November 29, 2013
Innocent man makes an innocent mistake.
However trivial this what the other countries practice on overstaying tourists.
This Norwegian Jayapalan has committed a simple cardinal sin against the provisions of the Immigration Ordinance.
Either depart on time or be sent back if he gets caught.
Also, provisions of a visitor visa is clear.
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David C / November 30, 2013
Wait till March 2014. I will make sure MaRa, BaRa and GoRa behind bars and Namal will be eating richtea as his last supper. You guys just chill and leave the rest to me.
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