By Ameer Ali –
One of my friends from Mannar reminded me of an adage in Tamil, araciyalvaathikku aiyo pavam illai, which implies, never feel sorry for a politician. What follows is not to feel sorry for Risad Bathiudeen the politician, although one should have sympathy for him as a fellow human being, but to feel surprised at how easily the leader of the Catholic community, Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit, after being so publicly vocal and accusatory at President NGR’s nonchalance over the PCoI report, has gone amazingly silent soon after the arrest of the above politician and his brother. Before them, when Noufer Moulavi and Hajjul Akbar, two Muslim religious notables, were arrested and declared as the masterminds behind that infamy by Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera, the Cardinal who by that time had access to the report, ridiculed the government for not catching the mastermind and others who aided and abetted. At one stage, he even threatened to take his case before world judiciary to seek justice to his people. Is his current silence tactical or part of any deal with the President? The public is confused.
To start with, it was not the Catholic Cardinal, but the Buddhist monk turned politician Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who went on a televised hunger strike in front of the Maligawa on 31st May 2019, and who demanded the immediate removal from office two Muslim Governors, Azath Sally and Hizbulla, and Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. This drama led to a counter drama when all Muslim ministers and deputies resigned en masse a few days later. They all happily resumed office afterwards, apparently at the request of prominent Buddhist prelates. The Thera should now feel happy, because two of the three are in prison and the third is out of office. However, one notable personality who travelled all the way to Kandy to bless the starving Thera was the Cardinal. One does not know whether the Cardinal was prompted to visit that fasting hero, because of Christian sympathy to the hungry or because of the Cardinal’s support to the Thera’s political cause. Also, whether the Cardinal would have done the same had Bathiudeen not included among those three is another question only the Cardinal could answer.
After that drama, one hears of the Cardinal again when that minister’s brother Riyaj Bathiudeen was arrested on 14 April 2020 under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) but released on October 30th, apparently for lack of evidence. Current Attorney General Dappula de Livera has criticized his release at that time as ‘improper’. However, when the Cardinal was asked to comment on the release, he is quoted to have said, “political wheeler-dealing appeared to be obscuring efforts to bring perpetrators to justice” (D.B.S. Jeyaraj, Daily Mirror, On Line, 26 April 2021). He must have been referring to political bargaining at that time between the regime and Muslim parliamentarians to get that notorious 20th Amendment passed through the legislature. Cardinal’s comments therefore make it obvious that he believes that Bathiudeens are involved in that tragedy. Now that the brothers have been arrested again under PTA, the prelate naturally has suddenly gone silent. This raises two disturbing questions.
Firstly, what happened to the Cardinal’s original demand from the President to bring to book all perpetrators behind that massacre, and most importantly its mastermind? PCoI report has made a number of references and clues regarding these individuals and organizations, and the Cardinal, having read the report should know who they are. So far, the President’s axe has fallen only on the necks of Muslims. Were there no non-Muslim individuals of high and low ranks and non-Muslim organizations involved in that tragedy? Does the Cardinal believe that the arrests made until now complete the story?
Secondly, recently Harin Fernanado, an opposition MP dropped a bombshell in parliament when he mentioned about a certain “boss” and his/her code word “sonic-sonic” to pass messages, which rocked the House and must have echoed inside the Presidency. The government is trying to arrest this parliamentarian, and along with him a few others whose recent speeches in the House have become a source of irritation and embarrassment to the government. Given the security crackdown on freedom of expression in the country, Parliament is the only place where members are privileged to speak freely. Even that privilege is now under threat. All this imply that the mastermind is still out somewhere and the regime is not interested in catching that person or persons. Politics is depriving justice to the Christian community that lost 269 innocent lives. Shouldn’t the Cardinal continue his mission for seeking justice and speak out, adding weight to the opposition voices? One wonders whether there is a devil’s bargain here at the expense of Muslims.
It was reported that Prime Minister MR has vowed to crack down on those who are trying to create trouble and division within the government and compared his team as a family. It was the Prime Minister’s own family of MR-GR-BR-CR that stitched together the various constituents of this larger family, and a genuine effort to bring to book all those involved in the Easter tragedy has the potential to tear it down to pieces. Outside this larger family, the public that made it possible in the first place is fast losing its trust. The popularity of NGR and his regime is tumbling by the day, and it was best illustrated for the first time when traffic was held up by security officers, amidst continuous tooting of horns, to clear the way for the VVIP and VIP entourage to pass through smoothly.
It was the Easter massacre that enthroned this family in 2019, and it is the fallout from its investigation that may eventually dethrone it in the near future.
*Dr. Ameer Ali, School of Business & Governance, Murdoch University, Western Australia
chiv / April 29, 2021
If needed they will arrest Cardinal to quieten Prelate/ Ganasara.
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Eagle Eye / April 29, 2021
“It was the Easter massacre that enthroned this family in 2019”
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If Easter massacre enthroned Rajapakshe family and if you do not like Rajapskshes ruling this country blame those idiots who blew themselves up to go to heaven and have a nice time with angles.
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GATAM / April 29, 2021
EE,
But the god of their god is Gota (the mastermind). Gota instructed their god to instruct them to bomb.
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Ajith / April 29, 2021
Dr. Ameer Ali,
Why cannot muslim people throw out those Muslim MPs who give unconditional support to Rajapaksas to arrest other muslim MPs?
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Nathan / April 29, 2021
Buddhist NGR Quietens Catholic Cardinal By Arresting Muslim Politician.
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As a Hindu I feel left out!
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soma / April 29, 2021
Instead of denigrating, Muslims should be infinitely grateful to the Cardinal for saving their skin. If not for this great man they all would be huddled together in Kattankudi today praying skywards and thanking Prabakaran who gave them the first experience of a marathon.
To this day Cardinal refrains from shooting his mouth off like Gnanasara who cares not a hoot in being politically correct though both share the same view about the source of Islamic terror.
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Soma
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Nathan / April 29, 2021
…. the regime is not interested in catching that person.
You can’t catch yourself!
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GATAM / April 29, 2021
What tribal thinking! Shame!
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Champa / April 29, 2021
Gotabhaya is a Buddhist? Ha ha ha
I can prove that he went all out to discriminate Sinhalese Buddhists.
1. In 2019, your Buddhist Gotabhaya planned mass racial riots which could have killed (in Trump’s estimation) millions of people in Sri Lanka which didn’t work out as the date was changed.
2. In January 2020, he tried to sign the MCC Agreement totally disregarding the fact that he was elected by the Sinhalese Buddhists who were dead against the MCCA.
3. Then in July 2020, he tried to remove the word “Sinhala” and “Sinhalese family history” from Sri Lankan Birth Certificates.
4. Then he repealed Gazette No. 05/2001 allowing his buddies to clear over 700,000 hectares of residual forests located in villages where the majority are Sinhalese Buddhists.
5. Then in December 2020, he issued a gazette notification that final examination of Sri Lanka Law College should ONLY be conducted in English thus discriminating against the Sinhalese.
6. Then in 2021, totally rejecting objections of the Sinhalese Buddhists, he submitted the Port City Bill to Parliament declaring it a separate state for China. In addition, he has demarcated a “Special Economic Zone” for China which is a violation of sovereign rights of our territorial sea. He cannot separate out our sea without approval from people through a referendum.
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Champa / April 29, 2021
Talking about the Port City Bill, I saw an amusing statement made by Sri Lanka’s Communist Party.
According to them, it was the American Ambassador who was first against the Port City Bill.
Seriously?
Since when did America stand by the sovereign rights of Sri Lankan people?
The Communist Party may have been born yesterday. Otherwise, how could they forget MCCA so soon, if signed, which could also have violated our sovereignty & territorial rights?
It should be corrected as “it was the American Ambassador who first came to know about the Port City gazette notification”.
The Communist Party has forgotten that it is the same people who were against MCCA who are today against the Port City Bill for the same reasons.
It is noteworthy to remind the Communist Party that Pohottuwa boycotted Parliament the day Ranil submitted the Magampura Port Sale Act for debate & vote, allowing Ranil to sell the port without any objection.
Then the same Pohottuwa tried to sign the MCCA with the US in 2020.
Then the same Pohottuwa wanted to sell, first ECT and then WCT to India.
Now, the same Pohottuwa is trying to sign the Port City Separate State Agreement with China.
When it comes to treachery and betrayals, the Rajapaksas don’t care whether it is China, the US or India.
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Champa / April 30, 2021
I have two more points to add to my first comment to prove that Gotabhaya has taken many decisions discriminating against the Sinhalese Buddhists.
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7. Gotabhaya tried to recruit Muslim lawyers to the Police Department deviating from the ususal practice, thus discriminating against the Sinhalese.
8. Now Gotabhaya’s government has issued a school textbook for Grade 11 children, justifying rape.
I want to know how did Gotabhaya’s Buddhist Kewatta Council, especially Ven. Dr. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thero who was all against a similar book called “Hathe Ape Potha”, allow Gotabhaya’s government to issue a school text book justifying and encouraging rape, in a country where there are over 40 child abuses a day?
According to reports, over 20,000 child abuse and rape cases are held up at the Attorney General’s Department .
The Police Department is yet to publish Police crime statistics for the year 2020.
The President should know that according to the ICC, all forms of gender-based crimes; rape, sexual violence, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization and enforced prostitution are considered as crimes against humanity and that his government’s attempt to justify rape in a school text book could be interpretted as in support of a widespread practice against Sri Lankan women.
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Ajith / April 29, 2021
Poor Champa,
How long it took to understand Rajapaksas? There is no difference between eldest Rajapaksa and youngest Rajapaksa. one in All. They are common in power greediness. They still think they can cheat poor Sinhala Buddhist masses again and again until they replace buddhism with thuggerism.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 29, 2021
“It was the Easter massacre that enthroned this family in 2019”
Yes, that’s the most important aspect about the Easter attacks. Not the people it killed.
Only a Muslim could come with such a heartless argument.
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chiv / April 29, 2021
Regie, it cannot be that bad compared to Rajapaksas standing in front of the carnage site and making their election pitch
Give us a break will you??
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Tamil from the north / April 29, 2021
Hey Regi Shemale boy, I am a Tamil and I say the same thing. Gota is the mastermind behind this nasty Easter attack. How is retirement in Canada? After pillaging, killing the innocent and raping innocent women, are you well settled in Canada? Are you having nightmares where all the people you hurt are coming back to haunt you? These are the very same people who could not defend themselves from brutes, rowdies, rapists, thieves, serial killers from a 3rd class ragtag army which took 30 years to defeat jungle dwellers? What were you doing while the LTTE was beating you buggers up? Were you hiding under your bunk bed inside the Jaffna fort? Even the UN peace keeping job you buggers couldn’t do without tarnishing the image of this failed state. There also buggers from this ragtag army could not keep their 2inch sticks inside the pants, out of all the people you buggers had to mess with underage kids in Haiti? Bloody disgraceful buggers. The army you were part of was a failiure inside the country and outside the country.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 30, 2021
TFTN,
I never raped anyone. I did have consensual fun while stationed in Jaffna as part of our R&R.
Our Army is a world class army when it comes to counter terrorism. Unlike the Americans we didn’t end up getting our rear-ends kicked by the terrorists. Instead we beat the hell out of ’em.
Chiv,
Rajapakses did not stand in front of the carnage and make their election pitch. That’s a blatant lie.
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Buddhist1 / April 30, 2021
Rajapakse Family may have two reasons for taking Risad into custody.
1. By doing this at the instigation of the Cardinal they can pacify the Cardinal. It may also be the Rajapakses who made the Cardinal to make this speech to take Risad into custody.
2. This may also be another plan of the Family to stir up the Muslims so that they may attack the Catholics and this may give another opportunity for the Rajapakse Family to win another election, may be the Provincial Election.
Anything is possible with this Family.
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Rajash / April 30, 2021
Dr. Ameer Ali “It was the Easter massacre that enthroned this family in 2019,”
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Dr. Ameer Ali falls short of accusing the family directly.
is Gota so powerful to persuade a rich Muslim to blow himself.
VP did it but there was strong motivation and reason for Tamil youths to blow themselves
But a rich Muslim to blow himself ?
and why would Muslim MPs vote for 20A
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Dr. Ameer Ali – fails to answer these questions
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Tony / May 1, 2021
Let’s not beat around the bush. You know very very well that all those Muslim politicians are ultimately accountable for the Easter Sunday muslin terrorism. Those muslim bosses are in public eye for at least 30 year. The laws of Sri Lanka mean nothing to them. They have held muslim vote bloc hostage as a bargaining tool, always managed to be on winning side, been given lucrative ministries, etc.
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Other suspects such as Akim and Isbulla are still at large.
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The word ‘Cardinal’ appears 16 times in the article is alarming.
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Arresting them is not enough. Now successfully prosecute them, and DON’T BUGGLE UP the prosecution.
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Pandi Kutti / May 1, 2021
However the Rajapakses , the Sillysena government that largely came to power because of Thamizh and the so called un Christian racist Cardinal were were quiet and were clapping and watchin on the sidelines giving lots of encouragement, when nasty Muslims politicians in the north and especially in the east were busy marginalizing the native Eezham Thamizh , stealing their lands, denying them jobs, encouraging and sending Arab dress Abaya wearing women into Hindu/Christian Thamizh schools. Even you were very quiet. Now all screeching as Chingkallams and Thullkans are affected. The Rajapakses, the Cardinal and you too. What happened to all of you when Thamizh were brutally treated ?
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