By Nicola Smith –
Nicola Smith
Ravishan should have been preparing to enter university. Instead, on the day he was to sit his entrance exam, the 19-year-old was buried in his school uniform.
He was shot in the head on August 1 as Sri Lankan forces opened fire on a peaceful environmental protest in Weliweriya, a small town close to the capital, Colombo. The town, which donated blood to the army during Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, is in shock.
The bloody episode is cited as the latest example of violent repression that threatens to overshadow the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Colombo in November.
Read more in the Sunday Times UK
Navin / August 26, 2013
Nicola Smith:
What do you say about US dropping atomic bombs on Japan and US/UK backed sanctions on Iraq that killed half a million children? Surely you have watched the video where Madeleine Albright said those deaths were “justified” right? Are there any words in English language to describe such horrendous crimes? Since you feel so strongly about Sri Lanka shooting three civilians, I think you should be feeling like self immolating for your own government and its ally murdering hundreds of thousands and millions of men, women, child and unborn elsewhere in the world! Or are you one many hypocrites who have no shame yourself?
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Dev / August 26, 2013
pointing fingers? so you say your govt is clean?
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Navin / August 27, 2013
There are many people who want MR gone for reasons that have little to do with good governance. They see only bad of him. Yes he has abused power but he has also done some good. In fact MR has done many things which no government could do for the past so many years. So don’t expect everyone to support any hypocrite who is ready to take this government to task.
If a journalist from the West truly cares about human rights and democracy, he/she would not write a headline “shame shame Sri Lanka” in today’s world when their own countries are abusing power and violating human rights all around the world. First they need to fix problems in their own country. Then they can look to right the wrongs elsewhere in the world. In fact if they could do something about abuse of power in their own countries, that would greatly solve many problems elsewhere in the world.
I have no grouse with journalists from Sri Lanka criticizing MR.
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spotlight / August 28, 2013
Similar to ‘Bloody Sunday’ On that occasion 26 unarmed protesters were killed in Northern Ireland by troops of the Britain’s Parachute Regiment
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Alakumbura / August 26, 2013
Alright, there is not English word to describe those crimes. Do you justify Perci Mahendra’s criminal activities in the country just beacause America and the West went to wath its enemies?
Thoththaba Baba MaRa killes innocent young men in Weliweriya and of course in other places.
thoththaBaba MaRa & his lunatic Brother Gota kill, abduct, harass and intimidate innocent men and women daily basis.
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Yehiya / August 26, 2013
Two wrong not equal to one right.Nicola Smith media person. her job is bring the incident to media.Your way Judge can’t sit on bench.because some murders are release.
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Alan / August 26, 2013
Navin,
In japan it was Buddhist and Iraq it was Muslims killed by them, so she has no problem on that. But weliveriya it was a Christian killed by sri Lankan army. so she feels much.
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Dav / August 26, 2013
Alan, your tunnel vision deserves sympathy.
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Anura / August 26, 2013
Navin,
In WW I or II era, that was 70~80 years back, Japanese, British, Germans, & every army just bomb cities. If they manage to put a bomb hitting enemy army barrack, it was a great achievement.. Japanese went everywhere possible and killed so many civilians in other countries too. I am not justify any killing, all human killing is very wrong..
Hitler killed his own civilians and did it in mass scale. American, Japanese or British like civilized countries have not killed their own people at least in the last 100 years.. They still kill others to protect their own as you describe…
What is happening in SL and Myanmar like countries is democratically elected Gov leaders use Gov military forces to kill & suppress their own people whom they obliged to protect.
There will be time in future when people become more ethically and morally developed and they could realize ‘Oneness’ (Unity) of all humans without geographical and ethnic differences, it should extend to animals as well. Until then USA or Russia may kill others to protect their own..
Anura
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Asoka Marasinghe / August 27, 2013
What is the justification for the deaths at Weliweriya. The points you make is no justification for the loss of life at Weliweriya.
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NAK / August 28, 2013
There is no justification for wanton killing. But when some stupid idiots decide to throw molotov cocktails and bottles filled with sand at soldiers who are armed to teeth,what do you expect?
As for the smith girl,she is simply making a buck!
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bo ring / August 26, 2013
What is this? Anadvert for selling Sunday Times UK. Shame on you Nicola Smith.
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Boro / August 27, 2013
Enthusiastically, an advertisement to pursue the killers of the innocents in the abattoir.
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M J / August 26, 2013
Lord Buddha said, if you do good it would come back to you, if you do bad it too will come back to you. Eventually. These villagers donated blood to the army during Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, to kill innocent Tamils in Jaffna, now the same army is killing Sinhalese. So do not grumble.
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M J / August 26, 2013
Attempted abduction of journalist Mandana is [Edited out] contract: [Edited out] paid for it: Abductor group are present [Edited out].
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Amarasiri / August 26, 2013
Ms. Nicola Smith,
“Ravishan should have been preparing to enter university. Instead, on the day he was to sit his entrance exam, the 19-year-old was buried in his school uniform.”
We all feel the tragedy that befell this unfortunate lad.
Since independence, thee were thousands of such lads and young men, children, women, young women and young and old women who lost their lives, where the culprits were:
1. The State, the politicians, the racists and the racist monks.
2. Even today there are Buddhist monks who have teamed up with the state to maintain the Monk-ruler Hegemony.
Now Back to England and the Soulbury Commission.
England left Sri Lanka leaving a Sinhala Buddhist -Tamil Conflict time Bomb with insufficient checks and balances. This bomb exploded immediately after independence and phase I was over during May 2009 with the defeat of LTTE.
Now we are phase II, like the many Elam wars.
This lad Ravishan is an unlucky and unfortunate casualty in this saga.
Did you visit the BBS, funded by the Norwegians? The will offer you a free Nirvana with loads of Kamma for the next rebirth.
If it is good Kamma,you will be born as a man ( Sorry, this is Buddhism).
It it is bad Kamma, BBS has loads of it, you will be born as an animal.
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Safa / August 26, 2013
This incident was caused by the impunity of Govt and Private Sector officials who think that the military can be used to frighten people. When the people resisted the military, it turned bloody. Some members of the military think that they are entitled to trample on people because they defeated the LTTE. This type of warped thinking is present in Sri Lanka today.
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punchisingho / August 26, 2013
This is the way armed forces behave, behaved and will behave throughout the world. They have been trained to kill for the the government they are paid by.
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Marwan / August 26, 2013
If you are patient enough, you can be witness to more army excesses to come. The armed forces in our country SL are being maintained through a huge slice of our military budget, and once in a while will be very much in the news to remind us all of who is in charge. Unfortunately, this is the only way this government can continue t be in power with impunity. Typical Myanmar military junta style administration with staged elections et all. It must also be said, we deserve the government we get.
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Mahela / August 26, 2013
“Bloody Footprints On Sri Lanka, The Island Of Shame”…….Yes after shamelessly murdering over 40,000 helpless Nothern Tamil war victims, now Rajapakses are turning their murderous AK47 s to the South to murder their own Sinhala race.
The the most ungrateful Rajapakse Basta…s who came from Medamulana, hambanthota…..the most notorious criminal villege in Sri Lanka who came to power through fraudulant menas, now destroying the whole country. They are the economic assasins in Sri Lanka.
I worked in that area for over 10 years in the marketing field and I know how those crooks live their lives. They are the ever untrustworthy criminal crooks. My father always say not even to bring a blind cat from that area where the the most criminal crooks live.
The people in Weliweriya including me have donated blood to our armed forces. but now I regret for donating blood for a criminal gangester force who’s commander is a world notorious murderer and a thief. He even sell the peoples donated blood to private hospitals.
Rajapakses are borrowing heavily from China while taking huge commissions and keeping Sri Lanka eternally under China’s wings, while China guaranteeing Rajapakses their governing seat.
At the same time Rajapakses are isolating Sri Lanka from the West. They are distancing Sri Lanka from West in order to hide their illicit corruption business deals and corrupt politics in Sri Lanka.
Rajapakses are a dangerous kind of species who will assassinate our economy, country and it’s people only for their survival.
Also Rajapakses are playing Russian Roulette between India Pakistan and China by arousing them against each other. He is making Sri Lanka a battle ground by setting India against China.
One has to be careful on this Rajapakse crooks dirty plans and intentions and the Sri Lanka’s economic assasin while showing a fake development picture for outside audience.
Good if he stays in Belarus on vacation for ever drinking Vodka. What business deals he is talking with Belaruse signing fake business deals…..a country with 30% unemployment and a pound of bread costs over 300 rupees.
Banda going merry go round trips around the world with his notorious game Nade.
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Leon / August 26, 2013
There are two types of Sinhalese, those who see MR as a folk hero who saved Sri Lanka to fulfill its mission of being the Dhampdeepa and those whose eyes are being opened. Those whose eyes are being opened are very scared. They now know that any form of dissent will be met with unbridled violence. Ranil, abdicated his role to enjoy the power and perks of his office. There is no leader, so it is unlikely that there will be any more such incidents. Like Tianamenn Square, this will mark the end of demonstrations.
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Stewart Sloan / August 26, 2013
Is this supposed to be pithy Ms. Smith?
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Deep Heat / August 27, 2013
I feel pity for your liniment isn’t that effective.
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Jayantha / August 26, 2013
The bottom line is a villege “Gamarala” farmer who came to top using fraudulent means now think that he is the almighty God.
The ever swolen head with false pride joker has forgotten his past and now has mixed up the Governing of the country with Personal Politics,fair play, Business, free enterprise and foreign relations etc, all been directed at the one and only self made God.
This only happens when a crown is placed on an Iguana’s head…….it becomes too proud and finally get it’s stomach burst.
With no proper education,wisdom, family and social values, respect for others,forgetting the past,reciprocate, appreciation, humbleness or vision for future, the iguana will soon burst into pieces.
The false pride, swolen head iguana days could be numbered.
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RajasH / August 26, 2013
Bloody footprints from the day Island of Shame got independence
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lal / August 26, 2013
How does Nichola Smith feel about the bloody murder of a young, innocent Brazilian shot in the head 8 times by a BRITISH under cover agent in 2005? The agent got away, pardoned. Afterall it was a little mistake wasn’t it? No shame but Britain, the land of hope and glory?
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Red Dragon / August 27, 2013
So by virtue your bloody criminals got the portfolio to kill the Civics of Weliweriya.
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Jim softy / August 27, 2013
Nicola does not feel any shame for what British did for centuries.
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Jayantha / August 27, 2013
Jim softy,
What did British do for them to feel shame…… Could you give me one reason.
Isn’t Sri Lanka a one country today, all because of British. If not Sri Lanka could be still ruled under three different Kings and two of them could be from India.
British never borrowed money from outside to build all these infrastructure in Sri Lanka, but now even to put up a two mile concrete road our beggers go after foreign loans.
Seventy Two (72) countries in the world who were under British are doing very well today………except your crazy Morons Democratic Socialist Republic who ruined it ever since Independence.
Stop drinking your morning cup of Tea before blaming the British.
If not for British our Gan Kabarayas will still be wearing Amude, going in Bullock cart, eating bulath and aggala with a coppara lamp singing Wannam kavi……sadu….sadu…ssssaaaaddduuuuuuu.
Please go back to your native Amude to show your Sinhalaya’s pride.
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NAK / August 28, 2013
You should have gone with the brits when they left. You sound lost with out them!
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Gum Chewy / August 27, 2013
The centuries old criminal archives were burnt in stakes, and history was pardoned. Now, we will Count on you ‘Dracula’.
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Howzit / August 27, 2013
CT, instead of posting links publish an excerpt of the full text.
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