28 March, 2024

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Coping With Nationalism In Jaffna Through Engagement

By Jehan Perera

Jehan Perera

Early in the morning as I walked down a street in Jaffna, I heard a cry “Annai, annai.” Initially I took no notice and kept on walking, but the cry was persistent. So I looked back to see two small children behind the gate of their house. I smiled at them and recommenced my walk. But again the cry “Annai, annai” rent the air. This time I turned back and walked to the source of the sound. The elder one, a girl of about six years of age, ran away but the little one, a boy of no more than three stood his ground. Eyes gleaming and with a drippy nose he stood and smiled. I reached out through the chained gate and stroked the top of his head and he laughed happily and ran away.

Sri Lanka is a country where children are usually open and friendly and this child in Jaffna was no exception. It did not matter to this child that I was a stranger and not from his street. Although this child’s parents had probably grown up in Jaffna during the years of the war, they had not taught their children to be suspicious of strangers or to reject them. This is the case throughout the country and applies in most parts to adults as well. There is a deep substratum of human affinity and goodwill that binds people to one another. This is a valuable asset that Sri Lanka possesses in its search for a solution that will bring long lasting peace and reconciliation after decades of conflict.

I was in Jaffna to be part of an exchange visit that the National Peace Council had organized to bring members to bring members of its district inter religious committees from Galle, Matara and Kilinochchi to Jaffna. They had taken part in workshops at which the roots of the country’s ethnic conflict had been discussed and the positions and perceptions of each of the main ethnic and religious communities had been discussed. But it still required a face to face interaction with the realities of life in Jaffna and to meet the people there for the groups from the South to say, “We thought that the North still wants war. Now we see it is not true.”

Misperceptions

The problem of misperception of the people living in the depths of the North and South about each other provides the raw material for ethnic nationalists to provide extreme interpretations about the motives of the other and cause division amongst the people. It is this misperception that has permitted those in the political opposition to undermine the efforts of the government to deal with the unresolved issues of the past, whether it is constitutional reform or the contentious issue of missing persons. On this issue the entirety of the Tamil people are united that those who are families of victims who went missing have a right to know what happened to them, especially those who were handed over by their families to the Sri Lankan security forces and disappeared thereafter.

The government established the Office of Missing Persons in February this year to address this issue. The OMP is intended to ascertain what happened to those who went missing or were made to disappear during the war years, and even before and after the war years which would bring victims of the JVP insurrection within its purview. So far about 20,000 applications, including 5000 from families of military personnel, have been made to government commissions that came before. It can be believed that there are many other families that have not yet registered their missing family members because they did not feel safe to do so or had no confidence in the previous government mechanisms to bring them the truth.

Political opponents of the government have been alleging that the OMP is meant to find evidence against the Sri Lankan security forces and take them to international war crimes tribunals and to the non-existent electric chair in the Hague. They have accused the government of betraying the security forces and deserving to be punished as traitors. Ironically in the North too there has been opposition to the OMP. The introductory meeting of the OMP in Jaffna was disrupted by protestors while the introductory meeting in Kilinochchi was entirely scuttled. The protestors in the North took the position that they had no confidence in the OMP and instead have demanded an international investigation as the only way to secure the truth and justice for the victims.

Positive Response 

While in Jaffna I learnt that one of the main accusations against the OMP was that a former Major General of the army was among the seven members of the commission. The impression was created that a battlefield commander of the Sri Lanka army would certainly dominate the OMP and would suppress the truth. However, the public meeting in Jaffna which was eventually held over the opposition of the protestors revealed that the former major general of the army was in fact the legal head of the army whose job it was to pursue internal legal processes against delinquent army personnel. In addition it was disclosed at the meeting in Jaffna that this commissioner was a Tamil by ethnicity and a woman. When this was revealed the families of missing persons directed all their questions and hopes at her.

The lesson from both the OMP meeting in Jaffna and the exposure visit of the inter-religious groups from the South to Jaffna is that face to face engagement is necessary to dispel misconceptions and to overcome false propaganda. The government needs to be commended for having established the OMP and for having appointed credible members to be its first commissioners. Apart from the former legal head of the army, the members include well respected human rights activists of long standing who have worked to uphold human rights in a non-partisan manner in the face of violations by successive governments. The credibility of an institution depends greatly on who runs it and those who currently lead the OMP are those who have been committed to inter-ethnic and inter religious justice for decades.

The protests against the OMP in Jaffna and Kilinochchi have been led by political groups along with sections of civil society who have no faith in the government or in any Sri Lankan government for that matter. They appear to see the only solution to obtaining their aspirations and addressing their grievances as coming from the international community. This is an unrealistic expectation as the international community sees Sri Lanka on the road to reconciliation and good governance, even though it is as a slower pace than anticipated. While the inter-religious group from the South was in Jaffna, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too was in Jaffna to launch a new ambulance service with the support of the Indian government. More such messages of care need to come from the government and southern part of the country and will surely yield an equivalent positive response from the North.

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Latest comments

  • 16
    1

    Jehan, why should anyone trust this OMP??? try telling this to anyone who is in search of a missing one, running from pillar to post, attending various hearing in past, all they got was false promises, living with grief/guilt and not even knowing whether the missing person is alive or dead, We will never come to know their plight until we are in that same situation. Can anyone name one politician in the government, joined opposition or SLPP , SLFP who is genuinely working towards reconciliation???? The so called OMP it self was forced upon by international pressure, If not the case was shut and closed. Jehan, if I was one of those victims I will be the same. It is not about being suspicious, it is called feelings of hopelessness/helplessness and worthlessness.

  • 11
    1

    Office of Missing Persons is missing in action

    • 9
      0

      Office of missing person is an exercise to hoodwink international community and not to get at the truth or to give relief to relatives of victims. After dragging on the process for sometime, hoping that international community has forgotten about it, OMP will die a natural death. In the history since independence when did Tamils get justice. With mass graves being exposed, the latest one in Jaffna fort which was occupied by army for 30 years, how can OMP deny that relatives of complainants have been murdered by agents of the government. No Sinhala government will ever embark on the process of reconciliation as they know that it involves justice to Tamils in the form of sharing of power and territory in a meaningful manner. It is reported that there are still 93 navy, 54 army, 01 Air force and 30 police camps in Jaffna district alone, where armed forces are occupying about 4500 acres of private lands in the 1025 sq kilometres of the district where over 33,000 Tamils from about 9,500 families are being prevented from resettling and pursuing their activities like farming, fishing and small industries. Does this augur well for reconciliation when international community has told SL government to demilitarise Tamil areas. They say out of sight is out of mind, and it is only when these armed forces are removed that Tamils will gradually forget the atrocities committed on them.

  • 13
    1

    The writer carefully avoids any reference to the military presence in the north and east.
    Those who may state/have stated, the truth as far as they know about military involvement during and after the war about what happened to their kith & kin, know that their actions will be/are being carefully monitored by army intelligence
    not only to intimidate but also to arrest them on the slightest excuse.
    He also ignores the all pervading military regime and their interference/ control of the lives and livelihoods of the citizens.
    The army member of the commission appears to be a former Judge Advocate General of the army – a legal advisor to the commander.

    • 6
      1

      Elsewhere there are photos of Tamil civilians protesting against the NPC as it does not have the list of civilians loaded into buses by the army at the time of cessation of hostilities, and taken elsewhere – to vanish without trace.
      The protesters say that an assurance was given earlier that such a list existed, but same is now denied.

      This is totally ignored by the writer.

  • 3
    7

    I think Bhikku Ghanasara and BBS should start their grievences through Tamils, may be fee for service

  • 8
    1

    A no confidence motion has been passed by the relatives of the missing person on OMP. However they appear to have received some applications. Hence why not select about ten and give an answer. This will be a test check. of their sincerity,

  • 8
    10

    Jehan Perera, Is the OMP handling the disappearance of Arjuna Mahendran, the former governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka? After all he is a Tamil of Sri Lankan origin and he has gone missing.

    • 11
      3

      wannihami:
      For your information Arjuna Mahendran is NOT missing he just does not want to face a KANGAROO justice system in which he has no confidence.

      • 6
        2

        Burt

        “he just does not want to face a KANGAROO justice system in which he has no confidence.”

        Can we also use the same argument as to why the former National Hangman Dr Gota refuses to face courts and always applys for anticipatory bail?

        • 3
          0

          NV:
          Only problem is that National Hangman is still a part of the Kangaroo system which is proved by the anticipatory bail as well as orders to law enforcement against arrest although the hangman is a dual citizen and Mahendran is not.

          • 2
            0

            Burt

            We must go back to the how the nation building process has been skewed to make a few very happy, one way or another. The few includes crooks, racists, bigots, murderers, rapists, child molesters, war criminals, saffron clad whatever, ……………………. With increasing number of such people and in order to sustain a workable majority in the politicians had done deals mostly (99.999999999…… times) with the crooks and murderers, or their supporters, .

            In between they conveniently found enemies and excuses in,
            up country hard working people (JVP has not changed its position – however it doesn’t talk about it), languages Tamil and English, minorities, foreigners, foreign investments, Indians, Tamils, Muslims, Christians, FP, …. JVP, LTTE, Diaspora, …. education, people, freedom of speech, democracy, unity in diversity, …………….. Bridge between Mannar and Rameshvaram, foreign imports, refugees, land owners, brain gap, ………………… and peace.

            The state and its rulers are unwittingly or wittingly bloody armed conflict through out the island.

            In order to avoid imminent conflict the entire state needs to be urgently restructured.

          • 1
            0

            It not Mahendran didn’t want to face. Ranil didn’t want Mahendran to face. He Faced the PCoI. But they didn’t wanted to question Ranil on that.

            Pillaiyan in the prison. But Ranil stopped investigating Pillai so until a suitable time he can be secretly murdered.

            Vidya’s muder case rapist DNA was not produced because it was the navy did the Murder. Now Vydya’ mother in open prison like Jeyakumari.

  • 11
    2

    N&E appreciate your untiring effort to bring about this elusive ‘reconciliation’.
    The people of N&E have no time for this luxury called ‘nationalism’.
    They have a grievance namely being treated as second class. In recent times, the people of N&E find that they have to live under open prison conditions, unemployment is more than twice the national average, food, medicine and other essentials more expensive, drug and alcohol problems are chronic and as if by design, the authorities turn a blind eye and other social ills. What they have in common is the corruption/nepotism/impunity.
    Their cry is NOT nationalism but the whimper of the oppressed.

    • 2
      9

      Could they enlighten the public what exactly are their grievances?
      RMB Senanayake Retd CCS

      • 13
        3

        Raja Senanayake

        Whose grievances would you like to know?
        For a start its only the Sinhala/Buddhist have been discriminated over 2500 years by all sorts of people, foreigners, institutions and by history. They have endless list of grievances including the following:

        They claim to have sole ownership of this island.
        They have the right to release their 500 years of bottled up colonial anger intermittently only towards the “other people”.
        They claim their crooks and murderers should not be taken to courts and charged for their criminal acts.
        Some believe their saffron clad thugs and Mahasangha are the right leaders to guide the people and run the island, including the guiance to prescribe, when one could have sex with, number of times a week, whom one could have sex with, ……………… whether the woman should or should not fake o****m. Right to organise a religious police even the little pleasures of life.
        All military personnel are above the law, even if some of them gang rape president’s son and daughter, both at the same time
        They demand the right to convert this island into a Sinhala/Buddhist Fascist Ghetto.
        Most Sinhala/Buddhist fascists noisy minority believes this island should impose, one language a creole of some sort of North and South Indian languages, one religion Sinhala/Buddhism, one life president may be with several fleets of white vans, ……………………………………….. and ban all other languages and religion including Buddhism.

        Champika Ranawake believes the first ape spoke Sinhala and practiced Buddhism which he wants the UNESCO to recognize.

        Weerawansa believes singing national anthem in Tamil is a joke and wants Hindians to sing their in Hindi.

        Wimal Sangili Karuppan Weerawansa and Sarath Weerasekara believe changing the present constitution amounts to treachery. Wimal feel grieves that he was not allowed to carpet bomb Vanni and bomb parliament.

        There are another million of grievances, I am sorry I cannot list them all here.

        Please send us your list of grievances.

        • 9
          2

          Raja Senanayake, you appear to be a stupid persons. Firstly Tamils want their sovereignty which was taken away by Portuguese and not returned by British and brought under the Sinhalese, returned back to them. Secondly they want all their lands in which they had been living for centuries before any other ethnic group came to live, which they can prove archeologically returned back to them even if the demography had been changed by murder and ethnic cleansing of Tamils and large scale settling of others. Thirdly Tamils must have the same rights as the Sinhalese, have their own majority legislature to rule themselves, their own judicial system and their own armed forces and police to protect their lives and properties and ensure their territorial integrity. Please impress upon Sinhalese to deliver this to achieve peace with justice.

          • 0
            4

            Dr GS
            Does your ‘Tamils’ include those who practise Christianity and Islam as their religion and those arrived during the British?
            Soma

            • 2
              0

              somass

              Good try.
              Once again you have established being a clever dick.
              Its for the respective people to consider whom they want to identify with or fit into a common group. Let the Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, ……… decide for themselves.

              However in your case you want every single person to comply with Sinhala/Buddhism and Sinhala/Buddhists ethos of the post mid 1950s, riots, killing raping, arson, theft, robbery, ……………………… committing mass murders, corruption, ………… electing the most odious people to high offices, ….

        • 2
          7

          “They claim to have sole ownership of this island.”
          They think Tamilnadu is for Tamils and wish to have friendly relations.
          And also they feel Sinhalese are the 15 million minority threatened by majority 80 million Tamils.
          Soma

          • 7
            1

            soma

            “They think Tamilnadu is for Tamils and wish to have friendly relations.”

            Arabic speaking people have several countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Mauritania, southern Morocco, south western Algeria, Western Sahara, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, & Tunisia. Why do they need so many countries?

            By the way Tamil Nadu is not a country.

            Its only 15,000,000 why do you need a separate country whereas Tamil Nadu has about 70 million yet its not a separate country. 70,000,000 >15,000,000.

            Don’t waste time and resources on your pretense that Sri Lanka being a seperate country and possess’ sovereignty. Your people including your arch enemies came from southern state of India hence you should consider going back to whence your ancestors came. You will be comfortable among your cousins, and most of their politicians are as corrupt as yours. For Hindians it would not be a massive problem to shelter your 15,000,000 + 6,000,000 = 21,000,000.

          • 6
            2

            Soma what a bigoted person are you. Yes Tamil Nadu is for Tamils, but they also have a right to claim Sri Lanka which was part of Kumarikandam as proved by discoveries made by NASA and Indian Institute of Oceanography. Please note that Tamils are only asking for their share of the land on which they have been living for centuries as evidenced by archaeological findings. Yes Sinhalese are the 15 million minority threatened by Tamils. Similarly, Maldivians are one million minority threatened by Sinhalese, Tamils are 80 million minorities threatened by 400 million Hindustanis, and Hindustanis are 400 million minority threatened by one billion Chinese. This type of paranoia will not help anyone, but to face the reality. In the modern world nation states are guaranteed of their territorial integrity, and it is the minorities within those states are being threatened of losing their lands and in some cases facing extinction. The way racist Sinhala state is going about in Sri Lanka where they are not even taking measures to bring back Tamils living abroad as refugees and settle them in their original places shows the uncertain future for them.

            • 1
              6

              You can take a horse to water but you cant make him drink. Isn’t up to the Tamil exiles themselves to decide whether they want to go back or not? How can the government bring them back? How can the government resettle them in their original places if others ave encroached on their lands? They themselves have to initiate legal action for eviction. While the world including myself acknowledges that the Tamils did suffer in the past owing to extremist Sinhala Buddhist governments I don’t think it is true now.

              • 3
                0

                Raja Senanayake

                “Isn’t up to the Tamil exiles themselves to decide whether they want to go back or not?”

                Why do you want them to come back to this island?
                What is in this country that is attracting them now than before? Except tourism, they come, they spend and they go back after a few weeks.

                Give us one good reason as to why they should or could come back.
                In 1983 there had been a few incidents where the expatriate Tamils started arriving with the intention of settling down in Sri Lanka for good. After the 1983 they were left with nothing and went back and started their life all over again.
                By any chance you are planning to bring most of the Tamil Diaspora back to this island and destroy all of them over night, under the guidance of local saffron clad thugs? I am sure Sinhala speaking people will leave this island for good at first opportunity and won’t consider coming back, including the Yankee/West bashing variety.

                ” While the world including myself acknowledges that the Tamils did suffer in the past owing to extremist Sinhala Buddhist governments I don’t think it is true now.”

                How do you know?
                The armed forces prevented even counselling war victims for many years in the North East. The deep pain and suffering still there and lingers on. The members of armed forces are now used to having free sex with war widows. ……………… You should leave your comfortable bunker once in a while and visit these people. Your visits could serve you as reality check. There are people who can take you to see water, occupied land, and really affected people. Its up to you decide whether to drink or not.

              • 4
                0

                Dear Raja Senanayake, you say that “Tamils did suffer in the past owing to extremist Sinhala Buddhist governments, I don’t think it is true now”. How can you say that the present government is not practising extremist Sinhala Buddhist thinking. Does putting up Buddhist temples in north and east which is continuing unabated, where there are no Buddhists, not extremism. Does settling Sinhala and Muslim people from outside the province in order to alter the demographic pattern and deny Tamils claim of their lands which is continuing unabated, especially when there is no attempt to settle displaced Tamils in their original places, not extremism. Please note that what ever governments that come to rule in future will always either be racist or pamper to Sinhala Buddhist racism. You are asking Tamils to go to courts to reclaim their encroached lands, knowing well that it is a costly and prolonged process, and judicial system being outwardly racist, where since independence Tamils never got justice. Please create a situation where there is absolute peace, for Tamils abroad to return. Peace can only dawn when rights of Tamils to rule themselves in their entire lands of historic habitation is granted and all Sinhala racist murderous security services and police are withdrawn and replaced with Tamils. When present government is hoodwinking international community without honouring any of the pledges given, how can Tamils trust it to bring about reconciliation.

      • 4
        1

        Raja Senanayake ~ “Could they enlighten the public what exactly are their grievances?”
        This RMB Senanayake Retd CCS reminds one of the person listening to a night of Poya chants and then asking “Who is Buddha”.

        • 1
          0

          K.P,
          RMB Senanayake is a retired CCS man. Probably pushing 90 now.He used to write many pieces in the local press and is as genuine and un-biased as they come. You could have noticed it from the way he does not get provoked. It does you no good to answer his questions with other questions.

      • 7
        1

        RMB:
        First things first: What does “Retd” mean: Retarded or Retired?
        You might not realize because of the state that your in: but what your asking is next to impossible because of the state of your mind and not because of the ability of others.

        • 1
          4

          When those having grievances fail to state them the others may presume their grievances are not serious or even genuine/ So it is in their interests to state their grievances explicitly so that they can be looked into by those in power who govern the whole country including the North and the East.
          Mere Abuse of the writer instead shows he is bereft of arguments to counter them..

          • 2
            0

            Raja Senanayake

            “When those having grievances fail to state them the others may presume their grievances are not serious or even genuine/ “

            I understand its the fault of the victims.
            The noise they made was not loud enough perhaps it was too far for anyone to hear. However the booms, the pows, the bangs, are not really cartoon sounds. When the bombs exploded we were able to hear them deep in the jungle.

            How did you miss all the noises from action?
            Perhaps you made the noise and didn’t hear them.

            All those noises were later made the blind to see and deaf to hear their grievances like the 1971 and 1987/90.

            You sound like Percy the pervert, Eagle Blind Eye, Johnny Baby, Lal loo, Helas, somass, ……………………. Country Farce.

          • 4
            0

            Dear Raja Senanayake, you seem to be either an ostrich with head under the earth or a deaf and blind mouse, when you say that Tamils have failed to state their grievances. Primarily Tamils want to live in dignity and safety in their lands of historic habitation without interference of Sinhalese. For that they want their sovereignty restored which was taken away by Portuguese, and not handed back by British, which Sinhalese are denying to part with, and all their lands which have been appropriated by others by either ethnic cleansing of Tamils or by planned settlement of others. This has been acknowledged as fair by international community and want Sri Lanka government to accommodate it within a single country. Despite Tamils agreeing to it and willing to consider meaningful sharing of power and territory with Sinhalese, it is now being proved to the world that it is the Sinhalese who are intransigent in arriving at a just solution needed for reconciliation and peace in Sri Lanka. So please stop blaming Tamils and get Sinhalese to see reason. Please remember if Sinhalese fail to do it on their own it will be imposed from outside. Do you want to comply with the request or be humiliated as what happened in 1987.

    • 3
      1

      Do you know Jaffna? Have you seen, there, families, their children hang around near to the road with drippy nose but with chained gates? Did you know the child death rate of Jaffna was better than New York and London in the 60s,70s? That is how they care their children. But Jehan PhD saw a rich family with chained gate and children with drippy noses? Can he get the family’s permission and put the pictures here? (If he has photographed from road, permission normally not necessary)

  • 1
    4

    Jail BBS and Bhikku Ghanasara and engage with Vijayakala because DUMB — Sinhala votes are very cheap

    • 7
      1

      Dimwit:
      “Sinhala votes are very cheap”

      Talking with experience I suppose: Just a rice packet and a pint will do. For Ganasara and the likes it will be two rice packets and a pint.

  • 2
    11

    These not so gentle men and women bend over backwards in proposing “engagement” with Northern nationalists. But their urging to the govt in “dealing” with Southern nationalists is the prison (or the “jumper” democracy). That is how Vijeyakala & Wigneshvaran escape law of the land, but Southerners including Buddhist monks go to prison.

    • 8
      3

      Helass

      ” But their urging to the govt in “dealing” with Southern nationalists is the prison (or the “jumper” democracy). “

      As usual you are confused.
      In the South you do not have nationalists instead you have a noisy minority namely the Sinhala/Buddhist fascists, who believe the “others” should be eliminated from this island by any means necessary, including periodical riots, war or genocide.

      Every time you tend to put forward (whatever it is) through your typing you ought to ask yourself a question, as to how you increased your asset value immediately after every riot you instigated and over 30 years of war.

      Its not easy thing to do however you can do it.

      • 0
        0

        Veddo,

        I worked with the suffering masses after riots (in 1983). I was commended by Bradman Weerakoon then Commissioner General of Essential Services for my voluntary work.

        I am not a bigot like you.

        • 1
          0

          Helass

          “I worked with the suffering masses after riots (in 1983). “

          Perhaps you worked with the suffering masses to suffer more. How much did you pocket from your voluntary work and during the riot?

          You may not be a bigot however self interest supersedes everything else. Tell us how much did you make just after the riots or during it?

    • 3
      1

      Hela:
      Can you elaborate as to “What is the law of the land”?

      • 2
        1

        Burt

        “Can you elaborate as to “What is the law of the land”?”.

        For Helass and somass, Gota is the law.

      • 0
        0

        Burt,

        I am confused about the actual “law of the land” is going by what is occurring……….May be vedda can explain………

        • 1
          0

          Helass

          “May be vedda can explain”

          Very well where do we start?
          Let´s start at the very beginning
          A very good place to start

          Freddie Silva catches the essence of politicians relationship with voters in his brilliant song “Girigoris” which is accessible from
          http://www.infolanka.com/miyuru_gee/art/freddy.html

          First listen to Freddie in his element, then think about it and relate it to what has been happening in the past 60 years.
          Please also remember how the crooked racists promised Pancha Maha Balawegaya the heaven on earth and took them for a ride. The stupid Pancha Maha Balawegaya still hoping to reap what was promised 60 years ago.

          The crooked racists promised to empower the powerless however they grabbed absolute power from the people and robbed their wealth vested in the state. And the state functionaries aided and abetted the crooks. You are one of the proud product of the crooks. You should know.

          Even when people were hard hit by the tsunami, the crooks were robbing them of their relief fund.

  • 4
    1

    “ The protests against the OMP in Jaffna and Kilinochchi have been led by political groups along with sections of civil society who have no faith in the government or in any Sri Lankan government for that matter. They appear to see the only solution to obtaining their aspirations and addressing their grievances as coming from the international community. This is an unrealistic expectation as the international community sees Sri Lanka on the road to reconciliation and good governance, even though it is as a slower pace than anticipated. While the inter-religious group from the South was in Jaffna, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too was in Jaffna to launch a new ambulance service with the support of the Indian government. “
    That is not reconciliation between Tamils and Sinhalese, but Jehan PhD’s strategy to wedge between Tamils and destroy them both, one by in the eyes of IC.
    That is completely a fraudulent, unfound and misleading s statement; no Tamil party representing North Easters Tamil will vouch that writing off. In that condition it is only paid propaganda by Jehan PhD. India is not dying for Tamils in north. It stated setting up the ambulance in Galle two years ago. Ranil is not dying in North. He just wanted to see Indian activities in the North. Only person dying is Evangelical Buddhist Monk Jehan PhD. Jehan PhD took Rapist Army to UoJ and threatened students using Nathasuram, two years ago. His hope is North Thawed enough to convert to Sinhala Buddhist with the help of Malcom Ranjith. Now he is showing his hate on Diaspora refugees. Sumanthiran, who works closely with UNP had rejected this OMP as fraudulent deceiving attempt to dodge UNHRC resolution.
    We cannot take point by point, in comments, Jehan PhD’s attempt to white wash the Yahapalanaya crimes. We expect North Eastern Tamil parties to reply to this if Tamil‘s problems are solved by the Yahapalanaya and if they satisfied and they too feel it is only Diaspora Tamils are not satisfied.

  • 4
    1

    “We thought that the North still wants war. Now we see it is not true.”
    In 1948, Sinhala Leadership dismantled the upcountry’s estate Industry. Destroyed the image of “Ceylon Tea”. Nationalized the foreign owned Business. Without understanding basic law, changed British expert’s Soulbury constitution. Spent $400 Billion on was to silence Tamils, not to reconcile. Out of that one family alone deposited $18B in foreign banks. Sold unlimited acres of lands to foreign governments, for bribe. Conducted 1958, to 1983 pogroms. 1.5 million Tamil Refugees forced out of the country with war. Sinhalese youths rebelled. Uncertainty existing in Muslim community. There are 42 leaders accused of war crime. 600 thousand, mainly mothers rented to Cooli jobs in Middle East and Korea. Not one Single Sinhala leadership personnel is prosecuted for corruption. There is no Law order minister & broken up National Unity government is dysfunctional. Putting Tamils and Sinhalese in equal parity, the evangelical Buddhist monk is writing, , “We thought that the North still wants war. Now we see it is not true.”
    What the ugly PhD trying to show is that the war mongering North is rehabilitated by his evangelical Buddhism, but IC is behind in knowing that. It looks like Jehan PhD’s object is achieved. But when this Sampanthar go to North with his slavery deed of “Secret Solution”, the TNA team is going to face it final hour. There is never one Sinhalese Leader ever told to another Sinhalese “we have committed crimes to Tamils from 1948, which is not right”. After the LG election, Sampanthar criticized Old King in the Parliament that, but he didn’t ask Ranil why he dated the LG election during UNHRC sitting or why didn’t UNP counter the Old King’s divisive campaign. Udaya Gammanpila is campaigning in South that the Satan (the new constitution) has to be nibbled on the bud. The dirty Evangelical Buddhist Monk Jehan PhD will not write one sentence in Sinhala to Udaya Gammanpila, but in North spreading his Buddhism.

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      Malluriyan
      IC is also aware that Tamil country is just 20 miles away, they are 80 million compared to 15 million Sinhalese, majority of Tamils in Sri Lanka prefer to live among Sinhalese, a Tamil Homeland will entail physical relocation of those Tamils or will result in Rohingya like situations.
      Soma

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        Soma,
        When I wrote that comment, you picked up something and are showing your understanding on that. Jehan PhD is continuing to hope to fool the IC drawing on their donation.
        Right the after victory celebration with Kiribath and Crackers, Old King Appointed Thero to manage the UNHRC. On the continuing effort of fooling IC, locally, then he appointed LLRC. Hakeem was playing the Thero’s role on the LLRC and he took the National Action Plan to Ex. American Secretary Hilary Clinton. Though Hakeem action may not have fooled Hilary Clinton, but he still managed America from advancing into any action and Hilary left without any progress. You know the rest of the story of LLRC report and its use.
        While writing and posting this essay, Jehan PhD went to “All Religion Conference” where, Chandrika and Mano Ganesan too were present. Mano Ganesan expressed no progress on reconciliation; the reason is he has no hope of anything coming out of Secret Solution. It is a serious issue as he is the Tamils Language implementation Minister and it is not just the Sinhala leaders will be simply blocking the Secret Solution, but they will make sure Mano Ganesan too is not achieving any permanent progress. Chandrika has expressed her disappoint with the Yahapalanaya progress in that meeting, including Tamil usage. Chandrika specially mentioned the Buddhist clergies’ impediment to reconciliation and the World’s opinion on it. There, I understand, Jehan PhD submitted a report of how the Buddhist clergies proposing resolve the Hanging issues. Apparently neither Chandrika nor Mano Ganesa has said anything great to say about the report Jehan PhD submitted. We don’t know what was in that or if that is a decent documents and public can read and benefit out of and it that will united Buddhism with other religions. If Jehan PhD wishes he can bring it here too.

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          I wish Mano Ganeshan every success in his endeavour and Govt will allocate sufficient funds for the project. As a ‘political solution’ is impossible in view of the distribution of Tamil speaking people across the country and desire of majority of them to live among the Sinhalese everything possible should be done to alleviate their difficulties in interacting with the state machinery.
          Soma

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            somass

            You seem to never get tired. Aren’t you bit bored repeating the same old rotten, stupid, monotonous, clever dick stories?

            I think you need fresh riots to boost your energy, bank balances, and blood on the street to quench your thirst.
            -.
            Have you started warming up towards a potential riots. Go see your local saffron clad thug and finalize your preparation.

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        Soma, whom are you threatening. For your information, there will be a Tamil homeland as well non relocation of Tamils or Rohingya type of situation. Are you aware that Indian foreign minister told Sirisena to expedite the settlement of ethnic problem through making a new constitution to share power and territory with Tamils for which Sirisena did not say no. So why are you saying a political solution is impossible. The writing is on the wall that if Sinhalese are not willing to share power and territory with Tamils on their own, it will be imposed on them. Please do not be arrogant and comply with that order unless you want to face humiliation.

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        What has the 80 million or more Tamils living in South India got to do with the 15 million Sinhalese who by the way are largely descended from these 80 million Tamils from Tamil Nadu. Around 50% of the present day so called Sinhalese , many of them now beating the anti Tamil drum, are purely descended from largely low caste/untouchable Tamil indentured labour and slaves , who were imported into the island by the Portuguese and then the Dutch. It is these recently Sinhalised low caste and some high caste Indian Tamils , who have doubled the present day Sinhalese population. Sinhalese DNA is 70% Indian Tamil , whereas the Sri Lankan Tamil DNA is only 17% , proving who are the descendants of the South Indian invaders and immigrants . The Tamil country is Tamil Nadu and the NE and the North West of the island. Stupidly repeating like a parrot that there are 80 million or more Tamils in South India , therefore the Sri Lankan Tamils living in another country/island from ancient prehistoric times so not deserve their homeland or their just rights will not work. I have heard many die hard Zionists stating the same thing with regards to the Palestinian Arabs . There are more than 20 Arab nations in the world and the Palestinian Arabs can go there and if they want a homeland. Why should they go to these Arab lands, that is not theirs and similarly why should the Eelam Tamils who are from the NE and the northwest coast of the island move to Tamil Nadu and leave their ancient homeland that they have lived and ruled from time immemorial to Tamil Nadu , just because Tamil is spoken there? It is the Sinhalese who should move to Tamil Nadu as most of their ancestors are from that Indian state. Arguments are stupid and without any logic. Most of the Tamils do not live amongst the Sinhalese .

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          contd: even as per your government statistics 51% of the island’s Tamils and this includes both the Indigenous and Indian origin live in the north and east. Most of the Tamils living in the Sinhalese areas are the Indian origin estate Tamils , who were settled there by the British. Even most of them do not live amongst the Sinhalese but in the NuwaraEliya district where they are the overwhelming majority 80% . Then they are largely found in the Kandy district in significant numbers and thinly spread in the rest of the Central , Uva and Sabragamuwa and parts of the southern provinces , where the tea and runner estates are. 70% of the indigenous Tamils live in the north and east and 90% of the rest largely live in the greater Colombo area , where they had lived for centuries. The City of Colombo is predominantly Tamil speaking as 67% of the population are Tamils and Tamil Muslim. Colombo and the western coast south of Mannar up to the north of Colombo was part of the Tamil country until very recently. Puttalam and Chilaw were part of the Tamil Jaffna kingdom and you still find thousands of indigenous Tamils and Tamil villages in these areas . People who are still clinging on to their Tamil identity and many even to the Hindu religion like in Udappu area. The Tamil origin names( including Colombo) along this coast , now recently given a Sinhalese twist , proves this. Tamils do not like to live amongst the Sinhalese , we are forced to , due to deliberate government policies of denying Tamil areas development and employment. Ethnic cleansing and the illegal settlement of thousands of Sinhalese in Tamil areas have also forced the Tamils to flee overseas or move to the Sinhalese south. No one loves to live amongst a people who are largely racist towards you and have been brainwashed by their elite government religious authorities and establishment to commit genocide on you and think that you do not belong.

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    ” The problem of misperception of the people living in the depths of the North and South
    ………………..
    ……………………
    this misperception that has permitted those in the political opposition to undermine the efforts of the government to deal with the unresolved issues of the past “

    When did the PhD found out that the North not understanding South or South not understanding the North? Then how the North and East were able to hold the 75% of the Jobs and Sinhalese never had complained to British Supervisors about any dissatisfaction? How the Northerners’ businesses were flourishing in South, if south hated seeing Tamils? Why Evangelical Jehan PhD class politicians had to organize repeated pogroms to loot and burn Tamils’ business instead to open business and attract the Tamils hating Sinhalese customers to them? The evangelical PhDs who takes foreign donations to spread Buddhism in North is hiding Sinhala Leadership hiring rowdies to chase the Tamils from South but saying Tamils wanted war that is why Sinhalese hated Tamils. The problems to reconciliations is the criminal who organized the loot, rape and kill Tamils & doing it now too are refusing to accept it, even after UNP minister Vijayakala pointed out to them. Jehan PhD class’s only object is to brainwash IC with white washing statements of Yahapalanaya’s crimes and keep fooling Modayas to make their earning. Jehan PhD wrote he went to UNHRC with the teams went to defeat the resolution 34/1 in 2017, and now pretending like he is working with Appe Aanduwa to implement the OMP. What a nasty trick?

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    “ (A luscious Member of) army whose job it was to pursue internal legal processes against delinquent army personnel. In addition it was disclosed at the meeting in Jaffna that this commissioner was a Tamil by ethnicity and a woman “ Let Johan PhD to come clean on this “Is this woman going to prosecute the Army or, like in the past, she is going to be used to saved Army like Radhika was used in UNESCO? Can Jehan PhD tell what Radhika did with Sundram Judge’s report? Is Jehan PhD agreeing a Tamil woman can talk the matters like Vijayakala talked? If a Tamil woman worked with Rapist Army is only acceptable to Tamils, is Jehan PhD confessing the Sinhala Army men suspected by Tamil will not produce justice to Tamils? Then why relatedly Jehan PhD argues that North needs 150,000 Sinhala Rapist troop and they cannot be withdrawn?

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    ” Political opponents of the government have been alleging that the OMP is meant to find evidence against the Sri Lankan security forces and take them to international war crimes tribunals and to the non-existent electric chair in the Hague. “ What a deceptive statement! It is the Yahapalanaya president, not the opposition said “They tried to come in by other ways to prosecute the war heroes but I foiled it all” Isn’t that statement clearly telling the President wants the OMP to vet the relative searchers by race and send the CID to Tamils home and make them shut up? If the OMP is a genuine why the Yahapalanaya used Paranagama Commission to send CIDs to missing family relatives? If not so why, after UNHRC had come to know the operation of Paranagama, it asked Yahapalanaya to close down Paranagama spy agency, but Yahapalanaya refused? If OMP is genuine, why New King took two years, to sign the bill? Why did they amend it before signing it? Why the New King kept blocking the selection of commissioners? Why Tamils’ leaders are not allowed to appoint the commissioners, while Tamils are one affected, not the military! Tamils went missing by military. What is this game the military is registering that they went missing! Is there a department existing for Tamil too, to search their missing ones and list them died during the combat? Why the game player Jehan PhD has not asked the military why didn’t try to find the missing military men? The truth is Chinese loans are sent to foreign banks & killed soldiers are not paid compensation. The PhD is making a joke, while the country is celebrating the war victory and designating the Heroes title to Sinhala heads, average dead soldiers family is let in the water. So he wants UNHRC has to intervene and force the Heroes’ government to form an OMP to find out the dead soldiers? Modayas are gone missing but the war criminal celebrated it with Kiribath and Kavum eating? Is this how the brainy PhD is white washing the criminal OMP?

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    Dear Author and all participants,
    Have you ever heard Sri Lanka taking positive and prompt reconciliation action for any of the humiliation they faced after every Tamil pogrom carried out from the 40s. Have you not understood why the Yahapalanaya was convened in 2015 by the same old politicians who promoted pogroms against Tamils for a long time? Have you ever seen any positive measures towards reconciliation as they cosponsored with UNHR? How can Jehan Perera or any other Journalist, Academician, Brain stomer, or responsible persons seeking a good future for the children do anything different? Is there anybody to feel how important it is to bring some dignity for the Country to begin giving some confidence to the world to rely on Sri Lanka?

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      Richard
      Status quo is reconciliation. Don’t hope for more.
      Every Sinhalese is a majoratarian.
      Every Tamil is a separatist .
      Every Muslim is a fundamentalist.
      Soma

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        “Status quo is reconciliation”. Which point pre independence, pre Portuguese, pre Vijaya or pre sea upheaval. Tamils are demanding restoration of their lost sovereignty and reclaiming of their appropriated lands as proved by archaeology.

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          Did the Tamils lose their sovereignty or did they not voluntarily join up with the rest of the populace in demanding Independence? Who appropriated their lands? Is it the Sinhalese ? Or is it the British under the Waste Lands Ordinance and connected Land laws passed by them with the full awareness of the Tamil leadershp of the time.

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            Raja S,
            The Waste Lands Ordinance mostly affected the Up-country Sinhalese, not the Tamils. The large plantations were set up in Sinhalese areas, not the North or East.
            It was the Prevention of Encroachments upon Crown Lands Ordinance No. 12 of 1840 which caused the 1848 uprising.

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              Dear Raja Senanayake, you seem to be ignorant of the history. After conquering Jaffna kingdom, Portuguese ruled it separately from Kotte kingdom which too they conquered. Dutch who succeeded them also ruled Jaffna kingdom separately from Kotte kingdom. Even in the early part of British rule, it was the same, until 1833, after the fall of Kandy kingdom, British brought all three under same rule for administrative convenience. This was forced without consent of Tamils. It is true that Tamils did not ask British to return their sovereignty when they were leaving, but now the situation has changed, where Tamils have suffered years of discrimination and state sponsored violence, and they have every right to reverse their decision too reclaim sovereignty. Regarding appropriation of lands, large scale settlements of Sinhalese to change demographic pattern has resulted in Sinhalese appropriating Tamil lands. Sinhala population at the turn of the 20th century in Trincomalee was only 3% confined to Gomarankadawela AGA division and rest scattered elsewhere. Kantalai which was a Tamil majority town has been completely ethnically cleansed. Manal Aru in Mullaitivu district has been completely ethically cleansed and renamed Weli Oya. Still appropriation of lands is going on in border areas of northern province and areas of eastern province by Sinhalese and Muslims. Even parts of Jaffna kingdom has been annexed to Anuradhapura district and Puttalam district. There is archaeological evidence to prove all these as Tamil territory.

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            North East are Ancestral land of Tamils. UNHRC has to work beyond Resolution 30/1. Period. They Just can’t waste Time on every cunning cheat of PhDs’ Evangelical Cunning games. Everybody has understood Jehan PhD’s games only time buying to see staff changes in America, UK, UN to wait for Lord Neasby and Condoleezza to come to power.

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    Wannihami didn,t I say Lankans take pleasure in the suffering,plight and despair of their own country men.

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      This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

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        wannihami

        You are doing very well.
        Keep it up

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    Jegan,
    You cannot exclude politicians or political parties in bringing reconciliation between Sinhalese community and Tamil speaking community. We should not ignore the fact that majority of theNorth East region of this island is and was Tamil speaking community for many centuries which has different language, religion and culture that of Sinhalese people living in the South with a different language, religion and culture. There are a lot of common characteristics as well. Both communities have changed lot with the arrival of Europeans administration and it was felt that both communities can live together respecting each other but unfortunately the political system evolved created political opportunism with two party formation within Southern politics and the power struggle between these groups took the differences between the two communities to widened up. Both political parties played the same game alternatively. JRJ (UNP) opposed Band a-Chelva pact, then SLFP opposed Dudley-Chelva pact. This game continues until now. Therefore, whatever the reconciliation measures is going to be opposed by other and it is not going to work. OMP is another political opportunism. I don’t think there is courage personality among Sinhalese politics.

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    Maha Raja (senanayake) , please think before you ask. otherwise you will get some thing you did not ask for.

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    Yahapalanaya has not done anything to improve the situation. But the international governments are aware of that and they are continuing on working it.

    Jehan PhD may just not be a paid propagandist, who is associated with Yahapalanaya, but an open fraud too. He has not referred in his essay what the UNHRC envoy Ben Emersion has said in his latest statement about the continuing tortures and oppressions taking place in Lankawe.

    Here is what Colombo Media reports on Black July from PM Trudeau:

    Canadian PM calls for meaningful reconciliation in Sri Lanka
    In a statement to mark the 35th anniversary of Black July, Trudeau said that Canada is working closely with the Sri Lankan Government and civil society to encourage lasting peace and reconciliation, including a meaningful accountability process that will have the trust and confidence of the victims of war.”

    Ranil or New King so far has not given a speech on TV or paper that Yahapalanaya has an idea of devolving power with Tamils. But, Yahapalanaya has asked Sumanthiran and Jayampathy, without any political preparation within the Southern Sinhala Community, to restart the Secret Solution launch. They know the end of it will be (before election) crash landing (total destruction). That will be a lesson for IC for asking Yahapalanaya to resolve Tamils problems. This is something need of the time for Yahapalanaya to ensure the support of the IC to come back to power. When they ask IC for support, they want to say “We attempted a new constitution; it did not work; so we want to redouble the reconciliation and redo power devolution.” TNA too will support them to get the minister post for Sumanthiran. Last time (2015) many Tamil diaspora Organizations asked Tamils to be neutral between Yahapalanaya and Chitanta governments. But this time they will oppose Yahapalanaya, I guess.

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    Why don’t they send Minister Mr Mano Ganeshan to Jaffna?.
    After watching him yesterday ,I realised his potential.
    He is a really nice guy who can do a great job to build community corporation and reconciliation at the grass roots.
    He is smart, well spoken and more proficient in Sinhala than even the PM.
    Mano I thought is a real potential Candidate for the Presidency of Lankawe.

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    Wellalahs do not like Mano Ganeshan being a dalit from Tamilnadu as his forefathers have brought to Sri Lanka by British to work in Tea Estates as slaves.
    Even so called wellalas have come to Sri Lanka as plunderers, smugglers, invaders captured during invasions by Chola and Pandiyan dynasties.
    Angoda Veddah, Maliyuran, Sankaralingam, Ravi Shankar tryy to cover up these caste situation in Jaffna. They even do not know that Tamils from Batticaloa is graded as low caste to this So called wellalas of Jaffna. The main reason of Karuna Amman leaving LTTE was that low grade mentality treatment although all bull work by the Batticaloa Tamils in the war front.
    Angoda vedda and other racist thugs in this forum got a fitting reply from people of Kilinochchiya, Mulathivu, Vishwamadu by given off a tremendous farwell to a departing very Senior Military officer who involved in rehabilitation and reconciliation process.

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    The debate has taken the “Who came first” turn!!

    Which came first? The language/religion-divide or the culture of corruption/nepotism/impunity?

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    As the majority community wants everybody is living here to think as Sri Lankans and not as Kallathonies.
    Tamil masses beginning to think in that line vigorously in recent times whereas so called tamil politicians cannot because there will be no survival for them.In m first hand experience, the Tamil masses were thinking as Sri Lankans in the past and it was the tamil politicians deceived them for fanciful slogans and non-existing Elam.
    Tamil politicians must understand that Federalism,Elam, that power, this power to provinces are answered and annihilated with LTTE and its entire leadership and such fanciful mentality is fast vanning and almost non-existing among Tamil masses and the so -called politicians calling those for survival will be end u in the dustbin of the history.

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      Nimal Tissass Wijethunga

      “As the majority community wants everybody is living here to think as Sri Lankans and not as Kallathonies.”

      What is Sri Lankan?
      Sri and Lanka are from Sanskrit. Why Sanskrit is also not an official language?
      Mahawamsa the dream book was written in Pali. Why Pali was made official language?
      Just because Kallthonies call themselves Sri Lankans, by a foreign name they don’t become son and daughters of this soil. Go take your, Sinhala, Tamil, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit back to your mother country India where you belong.

      Please Go Now .

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    Native Veddah in Angoda as these explanations suitable to Resident Patients of a Mental Hospital and not to us or any other.

    If you cannot think as a Sri Lankan and live as a Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka, then you can go to your native place as you think

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