By Laksiri Fernando –
Dear Mr President,
I have read your speech at the 65th Independence Day celebrations in Trincomalee with considerable mixed feelings or rather disagreeing with some of the key pronouncements that you have made particularly on the UN. Even on others, I have serious doubts since your noble pronouncements do not match with the existing realities.
Let me begin with the epitaph of ‘freedom of the Kata Kirilli or Gomriththa.’ It is true that whether our village farmers completely know about the Ambattha Sutta of the Lord Buddha or not they respect the freedom of Gomriththa to nest in their paddy fields without making any hindrance to them as you have correctly mentioned. As the Buddha said “But, Ambattha, even the quails, that little birds, can live freely and chatter freely as they like in their own nests.” But in the case of Sri Lanka, even after the end of the war, how many family nests have been destroyed by thuggery and violence perpetrated through political patronage at various levels? How many voices of ‘chattering’ journalists have been silenced in the North and the South? Do I have to mention about Lasantha, Nimalarajan, Pradeep and long list of others?
Today (5 February 2013) I read your full speech in The Island newspaper, along with the news of the “Monks Killing: Moratuwa Dy Mayor [UPFA] Arrested.” This gruesome killing of the chief monk has happened next to my home village, Koralawella, at a place very dearly known to me at the Egoda Uyana Sunanda Upananda Temple. Isn’t this a continuation of what has been happening in Kelaniya, Kolonnawa and many other places with the patronage of some ruling party politicians? More dangerous in the present incident is the people themselves taking the law unto their own hands and allegedly executing the suspected perpetrators.
I remember how you came to Geneva in 1991 with Vasudeva Nanayakkara with long lists of the disappeared of that time to present before the UN Human Rights Commission, the predecessor of the current Human Rights Council. We met with the delegates of many countries to present the human rights violations in Sri Lanka irrespective of whether they were from the West or the East, but mostly with the Western delegates for obvious reasons. We also interacted with the LTTE representatives without any inhibition. Didn’t we? That time I was in-charge of the human rights program of the World University Service (WUS), Geneva. Those days, the ‘sovereignty’ or ‘meddling in internal affairs’ that you talk about today was not important matters to you. Why?
Let me come to the main point of this letter and that is the UN. I strongly feel that you have not given the correct picture of the UN principles to the people in Sri Lanka; what is given is a partial and a distorted picture. You have quoted three paragraphs of Article 2 of the UN Charter but those are not 1, 2 and 3. Those are paragraphs 1, 4 and 7. There are altogether 7 numbered paragraphs in the Article and they are prefaced by saying “the organization and its members, in pursuit of the purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following principles.” (my emphasis).
The purposes of the UN are grouped into four paragraphs in Article 1 and they broadly relate to (1) maintaining international peace and security (2) to develop friendly relations between countries (3) promotion and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and (4) to be a centre for harmonizing these common ends. Therefore the organizational principles that you have quoted are nothing but subject to and in the promotion of the above objectives. If there is any dispute between your government and (some) other countries at present, they are related to human rights and issues of reconciliation after the end of the war. These are also the disputes within the country between your government and the opposition, your government and the TNA and your government and even the judiciary.
The Charter as you know begins with saying, “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
- to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
- to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
- to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
- to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,…”
There is no question or dispute that the UN “is based on the principles of sovereign equality of all its members” as you have said. We don’t need to have any inferiority complex regarding this matter and we should be able to employ the best diplomats who could assert this equality. But unfortunately this is not the case today. According to our own Constitution, the sovereignty of our country is not the property of any government but the right of the people. Please also re-read the exact meaning of the second paragraph that you have quoted as follows.
“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”
There are two propositions in this paragraph. The first is a complete imperative where “all members shall refrain in their international relations form the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” Of course there were instances where this imperative was breached but in the case of Sri Lanka at present there is no threat or risk of using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of our country. All the rhetoric on the subject is related to hiding and camouflaging human rights violations and other atrocities within the country. The second proposition very clearly implies that there are “other manners” in which the member countries could influence other member countries but not “inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”
If the above paragraph is in respect of the member states of the UN, the position in respect of the United Nations itself is entirely different. This is very clear when you interpret the last paragraph that you have quoted. The full paragraph from your own speech is as follows.
“Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter.” (my emphasis again).
According to this paragraph there are two areas where even the UN cannot intervene in matters of a member state. One is the area which “requires the members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter.” These are explained in Chapters VI and XIV. We should also keep in mind that, although not stated in this paragraph, there are matters that the UN and its Security Council could directly intervene and these are explained in Chapter VII as matters of ‘international security and peace.’
The other area pertains to the “matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction.” The word ‘essentially’ is usually emphasised by the experts. There is a considerable agreement that human rights are not ‘essentially within the domestic jurisdiction.’ This means UN could interfere at least in grave human rights matters.
Yet in my present view even the UN should refrain from intervening, as much as possible, in human rights issues, if there is no consent, in countries directly although it perhaps has the mandate to do so. Instead the UN should utilize the ‘other manners’ or other means in influencing the countries under its scrutiny. This is exactly what is happening today and Sri Lanka should not be agitated by the situation.
Therefore my appeal for you is to cooperate instead of resisting or objecting to the UN, keeping in mind the best interest of the people in the country irrespective of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or any other distinction. Sri Lanka should have a better understanding of the United Nations, its objectives and particularly on human rights.
There were many other pronouncements in relation to the ethnic issue, its settlement and reconciliation in your speech which go contrary to the principles of human rights and best interests of the country and the people. However, I refrain from commenting on them hoping that even at this last stage before the government delegation going before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that you might moderate your stance and change course considering the best interests of the country and the people.
Yours sincerely,
Thulasi / February 6, 2013
Excellent article. Please translate into Sinhala and Tamil!
The uneducated and uncultured thug Mahinda Rajapakse has only his and the family’s best interests at heart so there is no way he can cooperate with the UN or anyone. He wants to be Raja forever but the resistance is mounting from within and without and so too is his mask slipping and the spin sounding hollow.
MRs days are numbered and then he and gota the white van goon and ten percent Basil will be frog marched to Geneva where it all began for a war crimes trial!
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Lanka Muslim, UK / February 6, 2013
These useful article are freely available to the English reading public. What is said by the President reaches the large majority of the people who read Sinhala through the state Sinhala press. Therefore the large majority remain ignorant of the truth. That is the serious short-coming that is taken to advantage by the present rulers.
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Saman Wijesiri / February 6, 2013
A fine article. I read it with great relish. He is a patriot when he goes to Geneva, but others who go there are traitors !
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / February 6, 2013
Dear Prof. Laksiri,
Reading your open letter to the president I was reminded of something my late paternal grandmother said decades back: ” One can give road directions to the real blind, but cannot succeed in giving such directions to those who pretend to be blind”.
The worse aspect of the current situation in our country is that the government assumes that we are deaf,dumb,blind and brainless! This assumption that is beginning to underline everything this government does now, is going to prove fatal to it in the long term. Words of wisdom from the likes of you are like petals thrown into a pig sty, as far as this government is concerned, at this point in time.
Mahinda Rajapakse is on the verge of missing the bus like all his predecessors did. He is becoming a victim of his own games and is showing signs of losing cognisance of the difference between games and reality. The illusions he is trying to create for us, is becoming his delusion. This is the same manic delusion ( maya) destroyed many before him, including Velupillai Prabaharan. The achievements of this government on many fronts is about to be buried by the avalanche of mistakes it is cumulating.
I am sad for him and this country. He had much potential and goodwill to back him. Unfortunately, he is squandering both rather foolishly and frivolously. Is he the victim of the sycophancy that he apparently enjoys? Are these sycophants destroying both his potential and his support base? Is his delusion so advanced that he has lost his reputed common touch and his humanism manifested in Geneva in earlier times?
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Lanka Muslim, UK / February 6, 2013
Yes, the hope that people kept on Mahinda Rajapakse was not their on any other leader of the country. This rose very high when the war ended. But, alas what a terrible disappointment, the expectation was never so low as it is now.
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Dev / February 6, 2013
Those with good memories can remember that you are also a sycophant that hung on to his sataka (shawl) !!!
What happened ? Whose sataka are you planning to grab next?
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / February 6, 2013
Dear Sir;
I humbly Appeal to you to send this letter/ article in Sinhala and tamil Translations to available to all the Srilankan news papers and madia houses.
[Surely, But Jarajapassa own media will never publish]
then Our masses who know only Sinhala and tamil will understand, how their present governance and other politikkas cheating them and leading them to disaster with wrong, misinformations.
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Rev.P.Annrudha / February 6, 2013
Seems like your …
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PresiDunce Bean / February 6, 2013
In Silly Lanka, the government and a majority of it’s people pretend to be asleep when people here and abroad speak out about human rights abuses. In the first comment on this article, Thulasi says that MRs days are numbered. I seriously doubt that. There is nothing that the international community can do as long as there are deaf, dumb and blind people who continue to defend and vote for this despot. MRs days will be numbered one day…but not for a very long time.
ps. at least when the LTTE was there, we could hope for some suicide bomb justice like in the case of president Premadasa. But now for the moment, all we can hope for is divine justice that may or may not come for a very long time.
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manel fonseka / February 6, 2013
But was it REALLY the LTTE in that instance? I expect to be heavily jumped on for what i am about to write, but what the hell! Maybe it will provoke someone to give me a satisfactory answer after all these years. I have never been satisfied with the explanation of how President P was assassinated. For me (as for someone who was very very close to him at the time, but fortuitiously absent from SL when the bomb went off)the LTTE was NOT the obvious suspect, and their killing the goose that was still laying the golden eggs didnt make sense. I wont go into all my reasons for saying that now, but for starters, why was the site cleared within an hour of the explosion? In other countries (even here)it would normally have been cordoned off quickly and PRESERVED for forensic investigation. Moreover, I think (I think) in SL then were specialist investigators from Scotland Yard looking into Lalith A’s assassination (yet another killing conveniently ascribed to the LTTE). They could easily have been asked to extend their remit to examining the site of Premadasa’s killing. I also recall (memory might be wrong) a press report that the President was so mangled by the explosion that he could not be recognized. However, a VERY recognizable photo of his face as he lay on the ground later appeared in another section of the press. I suppose I shall just be denounced as another conspiracy theorist, but maybe policeman Gunewardena can offer some special ‘insight’ into this one.
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punchinilame / February 6, 2013
This letter to the President could convey this very List as a reminder, of himself sitting on their graves, being the ruling Presidnet.!
Journalists Killed in Sri Lanka:-
” Shoba, O’liveechchu
May 18 or 19, in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka
Puniyamoorthy Sathiyamoorthy, freelance
February 12, 2009, in Mullaitheevu district, Sri Lanka
Lasantha Wickramatunga, The Sunday Leader
January 8, 2009, in an area outside Colombo, Sri Lanka
Rashmi Mohamed, Sirasa TV
October 6, 2008, in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Paranirupasingham Devakumar, News 1st
May 28, 2008, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Suresh Linbiyo, Voice of Tigers
November 27, 2007, in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
T. Tharmalingam, Voice of Tigers
November 27, 2007, in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
Isaivizhi Chempiyan, Voice of Tigers
November 27, 2007, in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
Selvarajah Rajeewarnam, Uthayan
April 29, 2007, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Subash Chandraboas, Nilam
April 16, 2007, in an area near Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Subramaniyam Sugitharajah, Sudar Oli
January 24, 2006, in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
Relangi Selvarajah, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corp.
August 12, 2005, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Dharmeratnam Sivaram, TamilNet and Daily Mirror
April 29, 2005, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Lanka Jayasundara, Wijeya Publications
December 11, 2004, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Bala Nadarajah Iyer, Thinamurasu and Thinakaran
August 16, 2004, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Aiyathurai Nadesan, Virakesari
May 31, 2004, in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, BBC, Virakesari, Ravaya
October 19, 2000, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Anura Priyantha, Independent Television Network
December 18, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Indika Pathinivasan, Maharaja Television Network
December 18, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sahadevan Nilakshan, Chaalaram
August 1, 2007, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah, Namathu Eelanadu
August 20, 2006, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sampath Lakmal, Sathdina
July 1, 2006, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas, Freelancer
December 31, 1999, in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Atputharajah Nadarajah, Thinamurusu
November 2, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Rohana Kumara, Satana
September 7, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka “
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Safa / February 6, 2013
It is surprising that the man who went to Geneva to plead on behalf of victims of state abuse has in the span of 22 years turned perpetrator. It would be interesting to know as to what caused this metamorphosis. Was it an event, some bad influence or was it simply that this was a dormant trait that asserted due to the influence of power.
Yet MR speaks as if he is on the side of justice but his policies and actions of the govt belie his fine words. As president of the country he is responsible and cannot take refuge under the UN charter to abuse his own people. He cannot listen to evil advise even from his own brothers if he truly has a conscience.
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Jayantha / February 6, 2013
Sixty five years after Independence I still think the biggest mistake British ever did was to invade Sri lanka and trying to educate and make them civilised and to teach good governance to our ever uncivilised, uncultured and uneducated Sinhala Political Gas Gembas.
They built tar roads, schools,universities,education, hospitals,brought in Tram cars, trolly busses, lorries, trains, cars, trained and installed all armed forces, police, law, justice and courts, radio, music,theater, films, Hotels, gardens, Holiday bunglows, Tea, rubber, coconut plantations, Airports and Airplanes, Harbours, ships and dockyards, all private and public companies, Electricity, water and gas etc…etc……all for the sake of civilising, educating, economic development and directing the ever primitive veddas who were before under the control of ever brutal kings who gave them untold and uncivilised sufferings and punishments to keep them under control.
Famous Historian Kelaniya Mervin Silva knows how kings ruled, how kappams were taken from citizens,how caste system kept people ever under kings control doing the same work generation after generation and what brutal punishments they gave. Please ask him.
Unlike other 80 odd countriess which British invaded and governed including USA, Canada, Australia,New Zeland, Singapore, China,malaysia,Korea,Japan,South Africa,Thailand, Phillipines, India etc, who are doing very well now……….British would have avoided invading our country to civilise and educate them to be good rulers and good citizens and to leave our Gas Gemba cave men to ever live in tree tops humming pel kavi listning to ‘freedom of the Kata Kirilli or Gomriththa.’……. wearing their national dress which was Amude with bare body, (read SL history) eating helapa, aggala and kurakkan, chewing Bulath and going about in Gon Karatte singing vannam…….with a “Polkatu” Coconut lamp.
British trying to Civilese ever uncivilised Sinhala Donkey crooks, which the saying going as…… leoperds never change their spots have come into past. This is what the current President wants to take our country 65 years after Independence.
Now president say in Independence day speech that foreign countries to stay away from internal matters in Sri Lanka…….
That means asking him to give freedom to do whatever he wants…….such as arrest, torture, jail and murder anybody who talk for justice, liberty, democracy and freedom of the people and their rights, white van abductions, killing dozens of prisoners in a daylight murder, arrest and prosecute from opposition parties upto chief justice for giving the proper verdict, allow him and his family to acquire anything they want illegally, take unlimited amount of commission, bribes, black money with fraudulent contracts,giving bribes to buy whoever he wants, murdering journalists, opposition party members, installing unfit uneducated over 600 odd Ham bantota family and party goons to top Govt. state and VIP positions, threat and intimidation on free media journalists and human right activists etc..etc..
WELLCOME TO SRI LANKA SINHALA GAS GEMBA’S GRACELAND…………………
AND PRESIDENT RAJAPAKAS KOLLUPITIYA “GON GAHANA MANDIRAYA”….. ( Part of the 435 new deserving name and site changes in Colombo)Before it was called Araliya Gaha Mandiraya.
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Eve / February 6, 2013
Punchinilame,
This is a chilling list of a fraction of the skeletons in the national cupboard!They shouldn’t have died in vain. Whats your source?
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punchinilame / February 6, 2013
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Jay / February 6, 2013
In the midst of bombardment by state media of patchy historical narratives and twisted logic on a wide range of subjects, it is heartening to see a number of voices urging the message of the bold writer be presented in Sinhala and Tamil. We Sri Lankans have lived in hope during the worst of times. Notwithstanding the absence of bombs and bullets, the current era is no less horrendous. Still, there is reason to hope, in the courage of Sri Lankans who will refuse to be silenced – for the benefit of future Sri Lankans and a future Sri Lanka that will truly shine as a beacon of justice and goodness among nations in the Indian Ocean.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / February 6, 2013
Poeple should make their own decisions about whether the economy has improved over the last decade by comparing the purchasing power parity of the rupee against other currencies as well as domestically.
For example, is the average person / family better able to feed themselves, clothe themselves and seek education/health/employment than ten years ago?
What are their experiences about the rate of inflation and their income? Have savings interest rates been sufficient to maintain the value of their deposits?
Are public hospital patients better off in terms of medication, facilities, skills of doctors and nurses?
Are children of state schools taught better now, than ten years ago?
Are job prospects in the country better now, than ten years ago?
Can they seek justice from the law enforcement agencies and courts better than they used to?
If most of the above return positive responses, then, yes, the economy has improved.
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m c spencer / February 7, 2013
LP,
Are you also not a part time journalist with a fairly regular column in the “Pahana”? in Australia? How would you like to be 26th on this list bearing in mind the nearly 80 to 90 % of the comments of abhorrence to what goes under the President/King Mahinda’s Aischarya Chintanayá in the so-called Democratic GOSL on this site and the real world at large?
Journalists Killed in Sri Lanka:-
Shoba, O’liveechchu
May 18 or 19, in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka
Puniyamoorthy Sathiyamoorthy, freelance
February 12, 2009, in Mullaitheevu district, Sri Lanka
Lasantha Wickramatunga, The Sunday Leader
January 8, 2009, in an area outside Colombo, Sri Lanka
Rashmi Mohamed, Sirasa TV
October 6, 2008, in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Paranirupasingham Devakumar, News 1st
May 28, 2008, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Suresh Linbiyo, Voice of Tigers
November 27, 2007, in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
T. Tharmalingam, Voice of Tigers
November 27, 2007, in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
Isaivizhi Chempiyan, Voice of Tigers
November 27, 2007, in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
Selvarajah Rajeewarnam, Uthayan
April 29, 2007, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Subash Chandraboas, Nilam
April 16, 2007, in an area near Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Subramaniyam Sugitharajah, Sudar Oli
January 24, 2006, in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
Relangi Selvarajah, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corp.
August 12, 2005, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Dharmeratnam Sivaram, TamilNet and Daily Mirror
April 29, 2005, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Lanka Jayasundara, Wijeya Publications
December 11, 2004, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Bala Nadarajah Iyer, Thinamurasu and Thinakaran
August 16, 2004, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Aiyathurai Nadesan, Virakesari
May 31, 2004, in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, BBC, Virakesari, Ravaya
October 19, 2000, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Anura Priyantha, Independent Television Network
December 18, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Indika Pathinivasan, Maharaja Television Network
December 18, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sahadevan Nilakshan, Chaalaram
August 1, 2007, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah, Namathu Eelanadu
August 20, 2006, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sampath Lakmal, Sathdina
July 1, 2006, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas, Freelancer
December 31, 1999, in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Atputharajah Nadarajah, Thinamurusu
November 2, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Rohana Kumara, Satana
September 7, 1999, in Colombo, Sri Lanka “
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Sri / February 6, 2013
Dr Laksiri Fernando,
Excellent!
But I want your opinion on another section of the speech made by the President on the Independence Day,
I quote the relevant section below,
“When the people live together in unity there are no racial or religious differences. Therefore, it is not practical for this country to be divided based on ethnicity. The solution is to live together in this country with equal rights for all communities”
What is the implication of this part of his speech in respect of 13A?
what happened to Human Rights will happen to 13A?
Will it be 13A,13A+ or 13A- or total abolition of 13A like what happened to 17A!
No devolution No sharing of Power?
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Siri / February 6, 2013
Jayantha, Brilliant!
You are,unfortunately, only too correct. Our “Gas Gembas” can never be educated, civilized or democratic. What they want is a King who is preferably, a tyrant. The Dutch and the British wasted their time introducing law and education. We are now swiftly on our way back to these good old times.
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henry perera / February 10, 2013
hi Sri
What ever you want to say please use more professional words when you are writing your own comments. Because the original article is a brilliant and i don’t think nobody wants see unprofessional comments like yours.
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Jayantha / February 6, 2013
The latest Govt. strategy is to Bankrupt Sri Lanka’s tea Industry and hand it over to China Business Cartel.
While knowing that both private tea companies and the tea small holders are struggling at Break Even, Govt. suddenly without giving any notice or even without informig the Plantation Ministry suddenly added another 10.oo rupees per each kilo for bulk tea exports,using Minister Rishard Baudaudeen while knowing at the moment the whole Tea industry is running at a loss.
Please read the following web.
http://www.mawbima.lk/34-14400-news-detail.html
This is a Govt.preplanned to bankrupt out Tea industry and to sell them over to China Companies. Govt. have already handed some tea plantations, elete Colombo 7 and other Land, put up restaurants, hotels, herbal cultivation, part of Colombo dock yard etc, to China.
Also the latest news is Govt. plan to hand over the full operations of Both Norochcholai power palant and the Sampoor Power project to The China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMEC)
Afrter China made the Norochcholai power plant to breakdown 14 time during last 14 month…loosing 8 Billion rupees loss to Govt…..now it is suggesting to Govt. to hand over the whole Plant and electricity generation to them.
Please read the following web.
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/08/19/norochcholai-always-breakdown-ceb-losses-6-5-billion-rupees-and-counting/
Therefore the Govt. plan In future is to bankrupt private sector manufacturing and service sector industry and sell them to China who will Run both the Administration and Industry sector, tourism, Businesses and the Armed forces……..similar to Sterling companies.
Await for Asia’s Miracle….Mahinda Chinthana Part 2 Ashchariya.
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K.A Sumanasekera / February 7, 2013
Dear Professor,
Didn’t the three sponsors of this Roll Rajapaksa Resolution offer the Princley sum of USD 5 Billion,to us inhabitants to be good and sign the deeds for a bit of land for Mr Prabakaran and his LTTE outfit?.
Wouln’t it have been really a bad decision considering the current value of our Southern Expressway and the Kandy and Jaffna Exoressways alone, without counting anything else?.
Do the countries that were liberated by these same sponsors , have better Economic credentials?.
Is it fair to rubbish our inhabitants, simply because a monk got stabbed and a woman was raped?,
Do you realize that our inhabitants don’t get involved in Drone attacks ,or suicdie attacks or car bombs any more?.
Don’t you think our inhabitants are nearly on par with respect to the most fundamental and important two items in the UNHR Mission Statement that you have been kind enough to list here for our attention?.
Doesn’t that say it is all about Protectiong our Kids and our grand Kids from the scourge of War and promote Social Progress and improve Standards of Living ?.
Being a Lankan don’t you have mercy on our poor inhabitants who need a bit of support from movers and shakers like you.?.
Isn’t it better to put a good word to your all powerful friend. UNHCR Boss to go easy,until at least all the freeways are completed and the per capta is boosted a bit more before Rajapaksa is forced to bend over.?.
Didn’t you notice that kind British Minister in not so Kind Mr Cameron’s cabinet even said that the inhabitants are doing OK?.
In light of that statement, d say the Human Righ
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / February 7, 2013
Dear Mr Sumanasekera,
I hope you have genuine concerns in reconciling what you perceive as the ‘ground situation’ in the country and expressed ‘human rights concerns’ by others inside and outside the country. You have raised several questions, but I can answer only one as an example for you to realize the irrationality or folly of your questions. It is quite possible that you are not a person who value human rights or even democracy perhaps, as I or others do, and you may have your justification that they are subordinate to national pride and development tasks. I am not saying this to condemn you but to acknowledge that this might be the case which is not uncommon to many people in Sri Lanka or elsewhere.
Your questions themselves reveal how you look at issues, for example, you ask “Is it fair to rubbish our inhabitants, simply because a monk got stabbed and a woman was raped?
I called you Mr since you raised the ‘rape issue’ revealing an unacceptable gender bias or otherwise there was no way for me to consider whether a K. A. Sumanasekera is a man or a woman. No woman would have raised such a matter as a question. I don’t think it is correct for anyone to trivialize ‘rape or stabbing,’ but in my case I highlighted not a stabbing but killing of a monk near my birth place. Moreover, no one would rubbish the people that you call ‘inhabitants’ but only the perpetrators and the governments responsible for human rights violations. Why do you yourself call the people of Sri Lanka inhabitants? This is a derogatory word used by the colonial masters.
Don’t equate the governments responsible for human rights violations with the people. Perhaps you must be implying that if the UN or any other country takes ‘punitive’ action against Sri Lanka it would hurt the people. Yes, it would to an extent but I don’t think that is the case at present. Even if they take, like in the GSP+ case then who would be responsible? It is the government which is primarily responsible in my opinion. We the people are also responsible to the other extent as far as we justify human rights violations by our governments. We might not consider human rights are important. But we have to accept that some countries consider those to be important, hypocritically or not, in their foreign and trade policies. I think we should get rid of bigotry to believe that we are always right.
I can go on and on answering your questions but it would be the same and the same. I kindly ask you to go through your own questions frankly and try to figure out some answers critically. There is a vast difference between how you think and how I think. Of course you can criticize my way of thinking but don’t consider your questions to be very smart. I just tried to answer one question of yours just as courtesy and if you are a genuine inquirer of your own questions please do some reading on human rights and democracy.
Best wishes,
Laksiri Fernando
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m c spencer / February 8, 2013
Some if not all of the top NAZI and other types of political leaders, serial killers and most top level psycho-sociopathic CEOs and chairman of multinationals and giant companies and corporations that in reality run some of the most important Govts behind the scenes.
These people have it in their immortal and selfish genes to be born ruthless. These people are kind and gentle with their own families and close kith, kin & ideological sympathisers and empathisers but not to the rest of us.
Mr K.A Sumanasekera as well as others of ilk is by their very nature of genetic and mematic make-up predisposed to belong to those mentioned in the above paras.
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K.A Sumanasekera / February 8, 2013
Dear Professor ,thanks very much for spending your valuble time to espond to my post.
Although you say you could only bother to answer one question , you have raised a fair few issues which are pertnent.
Did any of you guys overseas wriite articles under Human Rights, to pin the blame on Govts in the 1st world countries where horrendous massacres of innocent children and youth occured recently?.
Can you categorically declare that the current “Lynch Rajapaksa in Geneva” campaign is not a follow up to the USD 5 Billion “package”, which our inhabitants kindly declined?.
Doesn’t the term “inhabitants” refer to the people whose habitat is Srilanka and who have no option but to continue to habitate there, in contrast to the privileged and the Elite and the Educated who have numerous options?.
Therefore, Aren’t the the parts of the UNHR mission statement, which I pointed out more pertinant than the rest, where these inhabitants are concerned?.
Even if Rajapaksa has to be rolled, shouldn’t it be done in 2016,by the ballot of our inhabitants under the watchful eyes of the Polls Police sent in by the Democracy and Good Governance guardians of the West?.
Unless Rajapaksa is tripped !!
Do you believe that your HR protectors on Colombo, waving placards with air brished portraits of Cameron, Harper and Pillai going to convince the inhabitants that Rajapaksa is bad for their health, wealth , welbeing and the environment?.
Wouldn’t it be better to back off a bit from the same old Bogey man tactics and present a positive posture and say, “Look mates, our Reps in Colombo and suburbs have the talents, expertise and funding from the West to make you rich sooner than Rajapaksa.
That you can build better Highways , better schools , better hospitals and better child care centres and create more jobs.
That you can make the minimum wage LKR 50,000 per month as one poster suggested to me recently and eliminate Poverty, Terrorism, Murder , Rape and of course Corruption.
Then again you have the best of the best in the West when it come to Political strategy.
And you reckon I am not for Democracy and Human Rights !!
Sincerely yours K.A.
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Nuwan Siriwardhana / February 8, 2013
Dear Dr.Fernando,
all these are because the signicant numbers of our folks seem to be suffering from perception disorder. So long these masses make no efforts to get them impartially, the problems of our peoples remain further.Some of their interpretations are being represented by this particular Sumansekara.
I fully agree with you the followings:
“We might not consider human rights are important. But we have to accept that some countries consider those to be important, hypocritically or not, in their foreign and trade policies. I think we should get rid of bigotry to believe that we are always right”.
Best wishes,
Nuwan S
Switzerland
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Das / February 7, 2013
Dear sir,thank you for the nice article.I think JR is more cleverer than MR.He wanted to rule for ever but that didn’t happen.JR couldn’t even ensure that his nephew tules the country.Mr will go one day.all his actions are making the departure sooner than later.Remember man proposes and god dispose.
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Samson / February 7, 2013
You can point him out by letter of this kind, but the guy would never listen to you, but his. It is the mental set of SO CALLED WISE LEADER THAT BECAME to govern the country not by people^s vote but by computer gilmarts.
Which leader has wasted funds of tax payers money to this levels in the past ? CBK was attacked by all journalists, have been attacking further, but has she allowed Lemosenes to be imported without taxes and let go missing millions of dollars.
http://www.ceylontoday.lk/27-23824-news-detail-customs-loses-rs-480-m.html
All those who wrote against her – are friends of MR and they keep quiet today – very same Viktor Ivan stays as Kimbula kirimati gilala wage ?
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Mahela / February 7, 2013
I see President Rakapakse as a mere survior than a ruler.
After knowing that he going to loose last Presidential election, he won it by chasing Gen.Sarath Fonseka’s voters and vote conuting staff, by stealing SF’s ballot papers which sill appear by the road side,fake media bashing, kept election commissioner under house arrest,computer gilmart and finally sending armed forces to round gen SF at Cinemon Lake side hotel etc.
After chasing all Gen.SF loyalist top commanders MR politicised armed forces, police, all corporations,media,foreign missions,buddhist clergy,parliament,using party thugs and finlly giving away prime land, businesses including tea estates, Colombo Dockyard, China hotel Chains, Hambanthota Harbour operation, and others to China. Giving TAX FREE LAND TO CHINA WAS THE LATEST….read following web…
[Edited out]
MR now plan to hand over both Norochcholai and the Sampoor power projects under China operation after artificially breaking down the Norochcholai plant 12 times(A mystry) in the first year loosing 6.5 billion rupees.
Govt. fired electricity minister Patali C.Ranawaka due to he opposed handing over Norochcholai plant to China…..but Govt. has already decided to go ahead to hand both to China.
While MR looking for China to save his dynasty, while hiding behind Buddhism and buddhist clergy playing Race, religion, international conspiracy, tiger collaborators,dividing country,traitor and many other cards for his bankrupt political survival. MR’s 65th Independence day speach say it all.
IT WILL BE EASY TO SEND A GOAT THROUGH THE HEAD OF A NEEDLE ……THAN TO KICK MR OUR EVEN THROUGH ELECTION WIN OR THROUGH OTHER MEANS.
BLOOD SUCKING LEECHES NEVER LEAVE WHILE DESTROYING COUNTRY.
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mike / February 9, 2013
There is no point in sending an open letter to a regime chief who is uncivilized, uneducated and uncultured. I wonder whether he can understand the nature, effect and content of any document in the first place??
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Randy Mathew / February 9, 2013
can’t agree with you more. we can only talk to civilised, decent & honest people not to thugs, Tsunami horas, human rights violators, murderers & corrupt people.
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jay gunasekara / February 10, 2013
Dr. Fernando, what a great article.MR is so thick skinned he will not care for any advise. The Buru Sumanasekara appears to be a rajapaksa cocksucker with his long nonsensicle rants. Please don’t dignify this idiot with your replies.The outcome for Srilanka from the rape of of all its resources is huge and it’s future is in great peril.The Singhala reading public is ignorant of most of the major issues to the benefit of the despot.
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