By Tassie Seneviratne –
Who burnt the Jaffna Public Library (JPL)? This has been a vexed question ever since this most unfortunate incident took place on that fateful night of May 31-June 1, 1981, exactly 33 years ago.
Tassie Seneviratne
Different versions have been put forward and various academics and ‘righteous’ persons have been accepting versions they were gullible enough to accept or believe what they preferred to believe for questionable reasons. I am urged by a sense of duty to my country to make known what I have come to know in this regard as misleading reports have been coming up of late.
How I came to know what I know is like the question and answer in the famous nursery rhyme:
“Who killed Cock Robin?”
“I,” said the sparrow, “with my bow and arrow”.
It was a police sergeant who was attached to the Jaffna Police Station who told me that he poured petrol from a barrel and ignited the fire with a match stick at the Jaffna Public Library. This Police Sergeant who had worked with me in Colombo earlier, kept in touch with me thereafter. Long after the fateful incident, he found it hard to contain this act on his part within himself, and realising that he was misguided, became quite remorseful and confided in me. More recently I came to know that he had confessed it to another Senior Police Officer (who retired in the rank of DIG) with whom we had mutual ties. I did not press the Sergeant to tell me who else was behind it. It was a well-known and accepted fact that some Government Ministers and Senior Police Officers, sent for election work, were behind the mayhem that was created during the Jaffna District Development Council elections when the burning of the JPL took place.
Now a new dimension has been brought in to the issue of the burning of the JPL in a much belated ‘Intelligence report,’ that has been gobbled down by interested parties to suit their own agendas. According to the intelligence report of Retired Senior DIG Edward Gunawardena, the burning of the JPL was the work of the LTTE with a view to implicate the Sinhala people and win the sympathy of the international community. This is the first time such a report has been put forward, and that too by a person, who on his own admission, had been accused of complicity in the arson.
Did not these academics of the likes of Dr. Carlo Fonseka and Gunadasa Amarasekara consider the principle of ‘conflict of interests’ – when a report comes from an interested party? Are they now trying to pursue a line different to what their earlier motives suggested? So fickle even academics and ‘righteous’ people can be! The danger is that they mislead the people with their sanctimonious talk. My Police mind makes me even wonder if this ‘intelligence report’ is not conducted after the act!! The importance of the JPL to the Tamil people would only have struck academic minds. The thought of destroying it would have been conceived only by sick academic minds.
Furthermore, will the Tigers, given that they were the most inhuman murderers of all communities including Tamils, fighting for Tamil Elam, destroy the strongest and most precious cultural possession of the Tamil people — the records of the very cultural claims they were making? Inconceivable by any stretch of imagination!!
*The writer is a retired Senior Superintendent of Police
Related posts;
Who Burnt The Jaffna Library? By Carlo Fonseka
May 31-June 4 1981: Five Days Of State Terror In Jaffna By Santasilan Kadirgamar
Burning Memories – Jaffna Library- 31st May 1981
Native Vedda / June 1, 2014
Tassie Seneviratne
“My Police mind makes me even wonder if this ‘intelligence report’ is not conducted after the act!! The importance of the JPL to the Tamil people would only have struck academic minds. The thought of destroying it would have been conceived only by sick academic minds.”
I feel much better now that we do have honourable people like you.
Don’t worry when the state and the establishment do their share of mud slinging.
I am hopeful that Banda, OTC, Sach, Thrishu, Navin, Abhaya, David Blacker (Peter Cassie Chetty) Tamodaya, Mechanic, Irrathinavalli, Ramu, Nuisance, Ella, Siva Sankaran Sarma, ………….. Dayan, Weerawamsa, ………. Malinda Seneviratne and his laptop friends will do their best to discredit you.
The people irrespective of their race, religion, region understand you, keep up your good work.
Is it possible to locate those remaining books and ola manuscripts hidden away somewhere in the south?
The library does not just belong to Jaffna man, it belongs to all of us. It is the failure of the state, its institutions and the political leadership (controlled and manned by exclusively Sinhala/Buddhist) which led to the carnage.
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aratai / June 1, 2014
.
If a Senior DIG’s can think like that it was the work of LTTE…..what can I say about SLG Police intelligence?
:-)
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jansee / June 1, 2014
aratai:
It has nothing to do with the SLG Police Intelligence per se, but a cleverly plotted devious revision to change the pages of history to dupe the world. The fact of the matter is, they make speeches to themselves not realising that the world is wide awake. Some sense of reality did bite them during the CHOGM when exasperated Rajapakse had to face the barrage of questions on his “humanitarian war” and the reporters kept pounding on nothing else but the war. Interesting isn’t it?
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Amarasiri / June 1, 2014
Dear Tassie Seneviratne –
“Who burnt the Jaffna Public Library (JPL)? This has been a vexed question ever since this most unfortunate incident took place on that fateful night of May 31-June 1, 1981, exactly 33 years ago.”
I overheard a policemen who was stationed in Jaffna say it was done by the policemen by orders from above. They were drunk, given drinks, because they did not want to do it.
So take it all the way to the top IGP and politicians in power at that time.
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Spring Koha / June 4, 2014
So after Thirty three years and still waiting, we are no closer to the truth…..the only lesson that we learnt from this catastrophic event was that we couldn’t rely on the appointed guardians of law and order in Sri Lanka to safeguard us from the rampages of barbarians, when it mattered most. To talk of intelligence and our security forces in the same breath is a tad oxymoronic, and preventative action has always been selective at best. Nothing has changed!
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Ben Hurling / June 1, 2014
Thank you Tassie.
I have always known Sri Lanka still has plenty of citizens of your calibre. With their honour still intact. Who are still willing to stick their neck out.
Who call a crime, nothing but a crime.
Despite the laughable racial boundaries involved in this tiny country.
I confessed to having bought retired Senior DIG Edward Gunawardena’s version of events. Placing the blame squarely on LTTE.
I actually don’t care whether it is the LTTE or racist cronies of GOSL who committed this ghastly war crime. Against Sri Lanka’s history, heritage and her culture.
I just want the truth. I want the racist cowards behind this crime to be named and shamed.
Unfortunately, criminal coawrds behind the burning of the library may not be in this world anymore. To be punished by public lashing of their shameful, naked buttocks on Galle Face Green in Colombo.
Cheers!
PS: Punishment could be even better, if delivered opposite newly rebuilt Jaffna Public Library.
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Native Vedda / June 1, 2014
Ben Hurling
“Punishment could be even better, if delivered opposite newly rebuilt Jaffna Public Library.”
I am not for punishing the ones who set alight to the institution but in favour of “naming and shaming” the culprits. Those arsonists are mere tools in the armoury of racist state.
“I confessed to having bought retired Senior DIG Edward Gunawardena’s version of events. Placing the blame squarely on LTTE.”
You are in the habit of buying non existent motor vehicles. This is one of them. Don’t let the con artists sell more such cars to you. Wake up man.
I respect your honesty.
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gamini / June 1, 2014
Let me focus on another matter where this Police Officer Tassie Seneviratne being a relative of Lalith Athulathmudali was involved in his security. When Lalith was shot, it was Sgt. Banda who in turn shot the assassin of which injury the assassin Ragunathan died with a bullet on his spinal cord that enabled him to run to a close by lane and commit suicide in hiding. Now this man Tassie Seneviratne is the one who collected Banda’s weapon that tallied with the Bullet found on Ragunathan. Banda too had sustained an injury according to reports on his leg from the assassin’s shooting. This Police Officer Tassie Seneviratne vouched for Banda’s weapon from which Ragunathan was killed. What is interesting is Banda the Security officer of Lalith Athulathmudali was never summoned for the Non Summary Proceedings as a witness that had the participation of the present CJ as a State Counsel then in the case. After all to date no one knows whether Sgt. Banda did have an injury on his leg from a gun shot. To have a Non Summary Proceedings without the main witness present, is a record. Besides Lalith was shot as the lights went off by a person who was on stage with him and this assassin drama fitted well to give cover to mislead everyone, planned by Sirisena Cooray crowd. So Tassie Seneviratne will have a lot of explaining to do if this case is reopened genuinely to find out who really killed Lalith Athulathmudali and the price paid for conniving?
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Native Vedda / June 1, 2014
gamini
Thanks.
I also heard other stories about Lalith Athulathmudali warnig Premadasa in a public meeting that his life was in Premadasa’s hand and Premadasa’s was in his.
Is there any truth to this story.
If properly investigated, it will open many cans of worms.
You should comment frequently on this forum for us to learn other side of the history
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gamini / June 1, 2014
Native
To describe the scene at the time, Just as Lalith started to talk it has become dark and had just begun to drizzle, when the lights went off just before spotting the assassin aiming his gun at the stage and firing. Then Sgt. Banda who was in front of the stage is supposed to have pulled out his gun and aimed at the assassin and fired, but the gun had got jammed. At the same time it is supposed that Sgt Banda had been shot on the leg. Obviously Banda’s focus would have been looking at the gun momentarily that failed to fire. Even if Sgt. Banda kept his focus on the assassin who was running away from him and many hundreds running helter skelter between them, for Banda to have shot the assassin in the dark, avoiding hitting someone else, Banda should be awarded a prize as even the best Marksman in the world could not have. The funny thing was not only the bullet found on Ragunathan’s body matched Banda’s weapon, but the bullet on Lalith, matched the weapon found near Ragunathan’s. An open and shut case. These are the Upasaka Cats who catch mice by the pair, provided they are paid the right price. Decent Gentleman? My foot!
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Mallaiyuran / June 2, 2014
Gamini,
Thanks for remaindering the case of Athulathmudali. This not the only murder GOSL did and put blame on others. 1956,1958, Bandaranayake Murder…. Nothing was ever investigated in the proper manner; Sri Lanka’s citizens never came to know the truth of these culprits behind these trend setting events.
I know you write with facts. But this officer, in this case, voluntarily releasing some information, because of feeling guilty of taking with him what he came to know. I think I respect his act on this, relevant of any other things.
65 years of ill conceived government administration has taken place. Corruption was flourishing not just at police department, but it was system wide, without any exception. He has served in that government, investigated many events at senior level of the police force. There are many other stories hidden in his heart, no denial of that. I have many times thought of the Army officers who released Balachanran, Issaipiria and others murder videos. They have served in the most murders army in the world. They were complicit in many other atrocities that took place.( I am not just talking about JVP and LTTE suppression) Yet there was a small amount of consciences in their heart made them to bring these horrendous videos and photos to the world to see. Our appreciation of their deeds will make SSP Tassie Seneviratne like people, one day get together and decide with in them and take action, so the 65 years trend will be reversed. Unless one of them ready to at least one of the story behind one incident, nothing will come out. It citizen “Silva”‘s duty to find another witness to bring out the facts of Lalith murder. Expecting everything from one witness is not reasonable, and not safe to that witness too. Though he is not at Jaffna at that time, he word is more than a direct witness. We wants and willing to respect his services on JPL arson case.
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gamini / June 2, 2014
Many high profiled murders in this country has been blamed on the JVP, the LTTE, staged accidents and planting unrelated individuals. A few that comes to my mind Lalith Athulathmudali, Ranjan Wijeratne, R. Premadasa, Denzil Kobbekaduwe, Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. People who escaped death are Mahinda Wijesekara and Maithripala Sirisena.
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Hooker / June 2, 2014
Lalith knew who was after him. He made Police entries to the effect.
He named Premadasa’s men. It is believed Ragunathan was held at the Kotahena Police Station on issues of identity papers when the Lalith A killing took place at Narahenpita (close to the Nugegoda border)
SP Ronnie Abeysinghe was desperate to locate a tall young Tamil – and poor Ragunathan came into the picture – shot and dumped in the vicinity of the murder to provide a red herring. An Entry made by Ragunathan’s relatives, Hindu priest and his wife, about his wrongful arrest is still in the records of the Kotahena Police. Both Lalith and Premadasa used gangsters (acid throwers included) for their political purposes. They perished the way they flourished.
Hooker
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dingiri / June 2, 2014
“Koheda yanne Malle pol..” We are discussing the burning of the Jaffna Library here not the assasination of Lalith Atulatmudali.
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
dingiri
You should be happy we are discussing all about this island and not Neptune.
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Hooker / June 2, 2014
Dingiri,
I was responding to Gamini’s comment on Lalith. BTW, the SP was not Ronnie Abeysinghe but, as I recall, Gunasinghe – who was killed together with Premadasa at Armour Street.
Hooker
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gamini / June 2, 2014
Dingiri,
Who is relating the burning of the Jaffna Public Library? The same man who connived with the Killers of Lalith Athulathmudali to mislead the public. So can one believe such a person, let alone a story of burning the JPL? Another high profile murder I forgot to mention was that of Janaka Perera and Lucky Algama.
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Native Vedda / June 3, 2014
dingiri
“We are discussing the burning of the Jaffna Library here not the assasination of Lalith Atulatmudali.”
We are discussing the JPL and you are not.
What were you doing at the JPL when it was on fire?
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Bensen Burner / June 1, 2014
“Inconceivable by any stretch of imagination!! Could not have been put more succinctly. ” Tassie is one of those rare kind of past senior police officers who has hit the nail on the head on this subject. Such persons are a rare species in the Sri Lankan Police today. Speaking in Parliament on 8 June 1981 Minister Gamini Dissanayake, in response an opposition allegation stated: We do not wish to minimise in any way the gravity of what has been done, ….I saw it and I was shocked…..these police officers have run beserk….I am sorry for the violence that was perpetrated in the Jaffna peninsula. I think we are responsible”. The least said the better. Bensen
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Silva / June 1, 2014
This dastardly act of the meanest level of the meanest racist mentality of the meanest Sinhala Buddhists I have no words to condemn. Hell with the clownish Sinhalese Buddhist nation of fuckers sucking the balls of uneducated racist politicians. You all rightfully got the ideal ruler you deserve in MARA, the uneducated uncultured bastard who fucks you from dawn to dusk with every imaginable ass-pain!
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Native Vedda / June 1, 2014
Silva
MARA didn’t send his thugs to burnt down the Library. But those who did this heinous crime have served various regimes since and continue to hide behind any party which is in power.
MARA is only the beneficiary of nation building process gone badly wrong.
Unless you address the structure and nature of the state you will still be complaining about new forms of MARAs from your grave.
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Sven Perera / June 1, 2014
One another decoction of your kind of wording – I have no idea whether that could outreach masses. Masses that are in hallozination mode. Anyway, I am also there to go against MARA.
Enough is enough these farts should be driven away from our sight is what I wish everyday. I wish I were blind not to see all these. Anyway, the stupid folks would allow Mara to rape them voluantarily. So who to be blamed ?
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Fathima Fukushima / June 1, 2014
This is nothing compared to the dastardly act of Tamils to kill 150 Muslims in two mosques in 1990.
Too much about nothing!
Very little about real acts of savagery!
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Ajith / June 1, 2014
It is good to hear from a Sinhala person. However, the fundamental issue is that the governing system was abused and there is no change even after 35 years of burning of Jaffna library. Was such crimes brought under the justice system. No and it will never happen because the system is controlled by Fundamentalism.
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Amarasiri / June 1, 2014
Tassie Seneviratne –
“Now a new dimension has been brought in to the issue of the burning of the JPL in a much belated ‘Intelligence report,’ that has been gobbled down by interested parties to suit their own agendas. According to the intelligence report of Retired Senior DIG Edward Gunawardena, the burning of the JPL was the work of the LTTE with a view to implicate the Sinhala people and win the sympathy of the international community. This is the first time such a report has been put forward, and that too by a person, who on his own admission, had been accused of complicity in the arson.”\
There were many who knew this.
This is an absolute Para-Sinhala lie.
It was done by the police on the orders of higher ups from above who did for the wishers of the politicians.
LTTE or Tamils had no part in it.
The policemen were asked to be silent. Those who did were drunk. It was against their ethics, at that time.
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Wickramasiri / June 1, 2014
I presume CT has raked this old story up again to commemorate an anniversary and rekindle public interest. I believe Tassie Seneviratne though he does not go on to reveal the names of those who gave the orders. Edward Gunawardene’s report has already been discredited by Gamini Gunawardene. Whilst the burning of the library quite rightly deserves condemnation, we must not forget the far worse crime is the killing of human beings that has gone on for decades and which does not get the same sustained condemnation from Sinhala and Tamil racists.
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Native Vedda / June 1, 2014
“we must not forget the far worse crime is the killing of human beings that has gone on for decades and which does not get the same sustained condemnation from Sinhala and Tamil racists.”
That is one reason as to why we need an independent investigation to find the truth and then need a process through which we can forgive the perpetrators. Then move on to build a memorial which should remind (all those racists and victims alike) people of their stupidity.
I am curious 1971 and between 1987 and 1991 there were violence and killing. Were they related to racism?
Therefore all war crimes should be investigated and accounted for. The burning of library is some thing similar to raping a child in front of her family where family is hapless to save the child. Because the rapist is heavily armed state.
Then the disrupting of World Tamil Research Conference in Jaffna in 1974. Thirteen people were killed due to Police actions or lack of it. No one was charged.
Had you met and talked to Tamils who will tell you how they felt about these two incidents, are cultural genocide of some kind.
Being a Sinhalese you are not the best person to feel their pain.
Please find those people who were there when these two deliberate crimes were being committed by the state. They will tell you how they feel about the state.
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Wickramasiri / June 2, 2014
Native Vedda, The 1971, 1987-1991 period was not a racist issue. It was more a class war manipulated and driven by a violent JVP. I experienced violence, was seriously under threat at that time, was held at gun point, shot at and robbed by the JVP. Tamil JVP members were also involved, in a large measure, in the upcountry.
The loss of a vast storehouse of ancient literature is sad and deserves condemnation, but they are not worth the loss of a single human life. History is good to study who we are, but history is just history. It is far better to focus on the present for not many appear to learn from history. It is morality now that will determine our future.
Tamils are my friends. I live in a predominantly Tamil area. I experience the Tamil racism as much as that of Sinhala racism, both of which I condemn. I feel the pain of any one whatever race or religion. I am free of all bigotry.
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R.Dias / June 1, 2014
We know who pays for you….hik..hik..hik…
because we also have our intelligence…
use your intelligence and tell us who killed President Premadasa and
on whose instructions…?
Do not forget that a library can be replaced but not an elected President.
He was the Head of the State…who dared to touch him..?
you were a policeman…therefore you have a duty to solve crimes…
do not go after petty things as a library…
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
R.Dias
“Do not forget that a library can be replaced but not an elected President.”
President can be replaced. You can find many morons to replace the earlier ones not libraries with rare books and ola manuscripts. Killing is wrong destroying library is wrong as well.
Morons can’t see the value of rare books and ola. Morons have become so large in number anti intellectualism has become increasingly fashionable.
Did the library do any harm to anybody which needed a brutal punishment?
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R.Dias / June 2, 2014
Hey Native Vaddha…..
I do Agee with you 100%
but Do not read my comment out of context…..
My question was why this ” intelligent ” man took
33 years to tell about ” who dun it..” ?
lot of water has flown under the bridge…!!!
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Backlash / June 1, 2014
“According to the intelligence report of Retired Senior DIG Edward Gunawardena, the burning of the JPL was the work of the LTTE with a view to implicate the Sinhala people and win the sympathy of the international community” Understandably so. Gunawardena was one of the Police stalwarts sympathetic to JRJ and his ministers then stationed in Jaffna when the attack on the JPL took place. Many in the know have reason to believe of his enthusiastic complicity although he tries hard to cleanse his name from this enormous crime against humanity.
Backlash
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kabaragoya / June 1, 2014
This only confirms what we knew until the whitewash attempted by great rationalists like Carlo Fonseka.
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Paisa Must Appah / June 1, 2014
“Who burnt the Jaffna Public Library (JPL)? This has been a vexed question ever since this most unfortunate incident took place on that fateful night of May 31-June 1, 1981, exactly 33 years ago.”
Theory after theory. Just read the responses. Next to the Americans, the biggest conspiracy theorists are the SriLankan Modayas. And all the while, Gamini Dissanayake must have been be laughing his guts out.
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
Paisa Must Appah
By the way what is your theory?
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Ali Baba Sabry / June 2, 2014
“Paisa Must Appah
By the way what is your theory?”
Ask no questions and youll get no lies; Only Gamini Dissanayake knows the correct theory.
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Sat.N,Gam / June 1, 2014
I was a student of Jaffna Central College doing GCE (A’L) during that time. I daily go to Jaffna Library after school to use the reading room to revise GCE(A’L) as my home had one table to study with my brothers.
Mahawali Minister Gamin Disanayke brought some people and stayed in a hotel near Jaffna Clock tower and burnt it. I saw the people getting ready with cans and buckets entering while we all came out around 9.30 PM. All the men were talking Sinhala and some sinking ‘Surangini Surangini , suranginta Malu genawa…..’. Following day morning I came to know library was burned down. I was 16 years old school boy at that time. No LTTE was available in 1981. PLOTE started in 1983 and LTTE stared in 1984. this the truth. From Sat ( Old boy of Jaffna central College & Jaffna library old Member ship No JF 803)
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
Sat.N,Gam
“No LTTE was available in 1981. PLOTE started in 1983 and LTTE stared in 1984.”
Tamil New Tiger started in 1972.
Changed their name to LTTE in 1976 .
LTTE split in 1979-80.
Uma started PLOTE in 1980.
LTTE was almost inactive for a few years with few cadres.
Check your facts.
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Abhaya / June 2, 2014
To my idiot editor Veddha
No doubt what happenned to JPL was a crime , also what happenned in 83 . Im not a denier of facts or an member of the flat earth society .
Regards
Abhaya
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
Abhaya
“Im not a denier of facts or an member of the flat earth society”
But you live in a parallel universe.
“No doubt what happenned to JPL was a crime , also what happenned in 83.”.
How about 2009?
What did you do to catch the culprits? How did you express your outrage? Did you protest? Did you hold state and its institution responsible? Its not too late, you could pursue the case.
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Leelawathie / June 2, 2014
better to talk to a wall.
This Abhaya is just one another to represent those gaping folks.
Your efforts are useless. Take care of you NV. I only attack him since I cant see Uranutang repeating his views here.
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Abhaya / June 3, 2014
Veddha idiot
in 2009 a bunch of terrorists who were holding average citizens hostage were killed . there was a little collateral damage . no big deal .
talking about dealing with personal outrage Veddha did you express yours when the pilgrims were killed or when the dalada maligawe was bombed ? . I dont seems to remember that historical event when a single citizen stood up to a autocratic terrorist .. Ummmm I wonder why .
Cus it did not happen asshole .
Cheers
Abhaya
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Native Vedda / June 4, 2014
Abhaya
“talking about dealing with personal outrage Veddha did you express yours when the pilgrims were killed or when the dalada maligawe was bombed ?”
Then there was no internet media to express my outrage or your childish tantrums.
Go check Tamil Canadian, Transcurrent, Economists, DBS Jayaraj, Colombo Telegraph almost since its inception and other media, where you will find timely condemnation, outrage, …
Since you are a novice in these forums and an arrogant bigot you wouldn’t have noticed what I have been saying consistently.
Stupid Abhaya I am not a 85 year old man now to have condemned Anuradhapura Vihara attack then. My record in this forum or elsewhere has been one of consistent. Unlike you I never celebrated death, in thousands.
My advice to you (free of charge) read, think and then type.
“I dont seems to remember that historical event when a single citizen stood up to a autocratic terrorist .. Ummmm I wonder why”
Why? Because you didn’t want to see them. As you suffer from selective amnesia you have no memory of elected leaders resorting to state terrorism. As a proactive racist you see events through your tainted eyes.
I don’t think your bum is permanently fitted with micro flying machine which could help you to be all over the world recording single citizens standing up to a autocratic terrorist.
If you haven’t expressed your outrage, its not too late. You can do it here and now. Let fellow forum sharer see whether you are genuinely sorry for destruction of JPL, Killing of Tamil/Sinhala innocent people, ethnically cleansing Muslims out of North, ….
………
Be a man.
“Cus it did not happen asshole “
Its perfectly all right once in a while to pat your own backside.
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abhaya / June 4, 2014
Gee what can I say not only a small dick a small brain too. I don’t carer for terrorists or their supporters other than if they are dead
Cheers
Abhaya
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Native Vedda / June 4, 2014
abhaya
“Gee what can I say not only a small dick a small brain too.”
Size does not matter if both don’t perform and not fit for the purpose.
In your case nothing works. What a sad person you are.
Have some of yours, might help you.
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kali / June 2, 2014
Goth- Abhaya from Detroit:
It is too little too late. TNA are coming to sort you lot. Iron Lady is joining Modi and a few portfolios are in the offing.
Cheers
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Rajash / June 2, 2014
The way the regime is rewriting history ? What next? SWRD was killed by LTTE ?
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
Rajash
“SWRD was killed by LTTE ?”
No it was a joint operation by SJ Chelva, Thiruchelvam, GG Ponnampalam,
S Thonda, C Suntharalingam, …….
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Rajash / June 2, 2014
NV – great stuff
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Abhaya / June 2, 2014
praba was killed by [Edited out]
Cheers
Abhaya
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Amarasiri / June 2, 2014
Wickramasiri
“Whilst the burning of the library quite rightly deserves condemnation, we must not forget the far worse crime is the killing of human beings that has gone on for decades and which does not get the same sustained condemnation from Sinhala and Tamil racists.”
Why? A very good question to ask.
” …does not get the same sustained condemnation from Sinhala and Tamil racists. “
Why. The Tamil and Sinhala racists life is cheap. They are replaceable. Perhaps they think they are reborn. So, they do not value each others life, the problem with Hinduism and Buddhism.
On the other hand, it takes longer and more difficult to replace the archives of the Jaffna Public Library, that was burned down by the Sinhala Paras to hurt the Tamil Paras.
This is called cultural genocide.
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Mani / June 2, 2014
Joker
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Guy Paranawithan / June 2, 2014
Get over it. I can think of hundreds of atrocities that went unclaimed by the LTTE. Central bank bombing, dozens of bus bus, train bombings, massacres at Anuradhapura, Temple of the tooth, Pollonnaruwa, Maavil Aru harvest destruction, dozens of border village hackings, killings of tamil and sinhala politicians…whodunnit?
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Ajith / June 2, 2014
You are right man. Get over it. I can think of thousands of atrocities committed by Sinhala military, politicians, thugs over the 65 years of Srilanka from the attack on the Tamil parliamentarians in front of parliament and massacre of 70,000 innocent Tamils and continued attack on Tamils and Muslims. This nation has free hand on murders.
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Guy Paranawithana / June 3, 2014
Congratulations on joining the “Pulling Number out of my Tamil Ass club” Ajith. 70, 700, 7000, 70000, why not make it 7000000 while we are at it. Guess what” you deserved all of it- the collective Sri Lankan Tamil race. This is what you get for not accepting your true place as an 12% minority, making unreasonable demands, and backing a racist, fascist, maniac like Prabhakaran. Now lick your wounds and stop barking
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Native Vedda / June 3, 2014
Guy Paranawithana
“and backing a racist, fascist, maniac like Prabhakaran.”
Are you referring to Premadasa who provided arms funds and support to VP or MR who paid millions to buy votes from him?
I am bit confused.
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Kasi Navaratnam / June 2, 2014
In my opinion, burning of Jaffna Public library should not be discussed
in public for public consumption. This ghastly incident hurts the hearts of all Tamils as this library served the poor Tamil students, who did not have money to buy their books, used this library and were able to enter universities and some of them became intellectuals. Only today’s elders knew the value of this library, and the purpose it served. Let it rest and please do not rekindle the feelings of the past students who used this library.
Kasi
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Native Vedda / June 2, 2014
Kasi Navaratnam
“Let it rest and please do not rekindle the feelings of the past students who used this library.”
Let us talk about all atrocities and keep the issues alive until cows come home if necessary.
Those who believed in violence should read and reread about those atrocities of which they took active part again again until they realise what they did was wrong, unacceptable, avoidable, inhuman and find solace in preventing such atrocities recurring.
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kali / June 2, 2014
Foreign:
The key word here is Atrocities Recurring. It is like the dreaded disease of all “Cancer”. Cancer has habit of recurring and the key to treating Cancer is early detection. But some cancers like Splenic Cancer is untreatable and the patient dies with a few months of onset. Three are three stages of cancer INITIATION PROPAGATION & TERMINATION.
In order to avoid the onset of cancer we need to remove the external agents causing it and that is the INITIATION.
Until we remove the barbaric Sinhala Army ( external agents) we can never prevent Atrocities similar to the Burning Down of the JPL.
Fortunately the TNA are waiting in the wings.
Jeya is joining the Modi Government with the promise of some portfolios.
Modi is getting tougher and has asked MR to release the full details of what he discussed with him the 20 minutes which MR has denied. Noose is tightening.
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kali / June 2, 2014
Mr. Seneviratne,
You should ask the following two pronged Questions.
Whodunit and Whydunit.
The answer
Whodunit: Barbaric Sinhala State Authorities
Whydunit: To destroy Tamil culture.
It is despicable to point the finger at LTTE who would never destroy such a precious Tamil Collection and this nothing new coming from our enemies.
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kali / June 3, 2014
Further Breaking News for local consumption in Sinhala Lanka:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today amidst speculation that the BJP is trying to lure her party, the AIADMK, into the NDA-fold to seek its support in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling party is in a minority.
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Gon Fonseka / June 3, 2014
Whodunit?
Ask Suranganee; She enjoyed the fish that was brought to her, so she should know.
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Citizen / June 5, 2014
‘I did not press the Sergeant to tell me who else was behind it…… that some Government Ministers and Senior Police Officers, sent for election work, were behind the mayhem ……. during the Jaffna District Development Council elections when the burning of the JPL took place’.
Tassie Seneviratne’s statement raises number of issues.
(1) Was he under pressure from the higher ups.
(2) Who were the Government Ministers and their agents. Was he not aware that some agents take this opportunity to take revenge on others within the same party.
(3) Another amusing issue whether such agents would have been paid either in Sterling Pounds or Dollars for the burning of this library.
(4) Why can’t the Police Officer find out whether any agents getting enriched overnight either abroad or in Sri Lanka.
(5) Since Cyril Mathew was there with his two bus loads of JSS men, what was the relationship Cyril Mathew had with other agents within the UNP.
(6) If Tassie Seneviratne is really dedicated why should he wait all these years, instead of pulling police sergeant who was attached to the Jaffna Police Station. Was the Police Sergeant bribed by the agents of Cyril Mathew.
Who brought those two bus loads of JSS men. It is at this point, any investigation into the burning of Jaffna Public Library should begin.
Moreover, it is a fact that Ministers get their agents to do all the dirty work. For instance, the manner of how the Power went off when Lalith Athulathmudali spoke at Kirullapone was a mystery. The issue is who was in charge of the Power at Public meetings that was controlled by the Colombo Municipal Council. Such agents consist of all categories of people ranging Video shop mudalalis from areas like Mattakkuliya, Kotahena, Grandpass, etc to the labourer class. Finally an innocent (apparently a Brahmin) youth (who was about to migrate) who was detained at a Police Station, was shot dead and the body was thrown nearby. Eventually the blame was put on him. Would such things have happened without the knowledge of the Police?
Similarly the Police would have known the Agent and most probably Police would have been bribed by the agent.
Anyway there is something called Karma. No one can escape the divine punishment.
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Native Vedda / June 5, 2014
Citizen
“Anyway there is something called Karma. No one can escape the divine punishment.”
Why not natural justice?
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Citizen / June 5, 2014
Agreed. Ha ha ha
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