28 March, 2024

Blog

Deal With The Families Of Missing With More Compassion 

By Jehan Perera

Jehan Perera

A former diplomat who tried to be a bridge between the government and human rights activists during the immediate post-war years with some success, once said that it was not possible to expect a government to self-indict itself. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s recent assertion that those reported missing from the war are actually dead and the government is not responsible for their fate is a continuation of a long standing policy of denial. During the last period of government in which he held office as Defense Secretary, between 2009 when the war ended and 2015 when the government he worked for lost power, the government position was that there were no unaccounted missing persons as a result of government action, but only as a result of the LTTE or else they had left the country for foreign climes.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, the government position was that there were zero civilian casualties. The government decision was to have no engagement at all on the issue. This position had popular support from the majority of the country’s ethnically divided population. With regard to the controversial last phase of the war, the LTTE contributed to the high death toll by holding at least 300,000 civilians as human shields to make it more difficult for the Sri Lankan security forces to engage them in direct combat. The position of the government was that the security forces did their utmost to minimize civilian casualties and therefore did not employ heavy weapons. As for the treatment meted out to surrendered LTTE leaders and cadre, the government was able to show the rehabilitation and release of more than 12,000 of them.

This situation of denial which is unacceptable to those whose focus is human rights as against national security, only changed after the defeat of the Rajapaksa government in 2015. Most governments in the world would tend to do what President Rajapaksa appears to be doing, which is to defend the armed forces to the hilt against accusations of human rights violations especially when they are seen to be fighting the country’s mortal enemies. President Donald Trump in the United States has exemplified this approach by recently pardoning a US military officer convicted of wantonly killing Iraq civilians, and whose conduct was so atrocious that evidence against him was given by his own soldiers.

Facing Geneva 

However, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government that took power did not have the same concern about self-indicting themselves for crimes committed during the war as they were not decision makers during the last phase of the war the violence intensified. They agreed to a process of truth seeking, accountability, reparation and institutional reform that was unique for a state that had finally defeated its mortal foe. But as the focus was the last phase of the war, this was not supported by the general population or by most leaders in the government itself. One reason was that they saw a double standard in those who had ignored earlier phases of the war that had also seen clear manifestations of war crimes. These atrocities included the LTTE killing of 600 policemen who had surrendered to the LTTE on government orders in 1990, and the wiping out of the Mullaitivu army camp consisting of over one thousand soldiers in 1996 with no prisoners taken.

Towards the end of February the government will face the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and make its case regarding the implementation of Resolution 30/1 and issues arising out of it. While there are some areas in which implementation has been successful, such as signing and ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance there are other areas in which implementation has been slow and even non-existent. Examples of the latter are the setting up of the Office on Missing Persons which has yet to find a single missing person due to various obstacles, and in holding perpetrators to account for attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities and civil society. There have also been areas in which there has been no progress at all such as the establishment of a judicial mechanism to ensure accountability which has yet to take place.

It is in the run up to the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made his controversial statement that there were no survivors to be found amongst those who went missing. This is similar to what former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in an interview with the international media in 2016. He said that those who had surrendered at the end of the war and were still missing in Sri Lanka were most probably dead. This assertion by the Prime Minister was strongly criticized at that time by families of the victims, civil society and international human rights groups. The statement issued by the Women’s Action Network regarding President Rajapaksa’s recent statement has been particularly forthright.

Consoling Victims 

With the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the passage of enabling legislation “Every victim and relative of the victim shall have the right to know the truth regarding the circumstances of an enforced disappearance, the progress and results of the investigation as are carried out by the law enforcement authorities, and the fate of the disappeared person.” (Act No. 5 of 2018, sec. 14(1).) The WAN statement notes that “Families have long resisted the government’s efforts to silence their demands with death certificates and compensation. Their concerns and input helped create the Certificate of Absence procedure in the OMP Act (Act No. 14 of 2016, section 13). As relatives of the disappeared passionately show by occupying the streets, truth is not just about determining if loved ones are alive, but instead determining the full scope of what happened.”

The government’s preferred solution appears to be to have the Office on Missing Persons declare those missing as dead and award compensation to their families. But this will not be acceptable to the families of missing persons who will not accept a general pronouncement by the government that their loved ones are dead even if they have been missing for ten years or more. They will also want to know when and where they died and if possible how? This is also the position of those whose relatives went missing during the period of the JVP insurgency in the late 1980s. One such is a colleague of mine whose brother was taken away by government death squads in 1989. He continues to want to know what happened to his brother. He has an inkling of what happened but is not sure and he wants to know. He will not stop his quest for the truth, and neither will the tens of thousands of others whose are similarly situated.

During the presidential election campaign President Rajapaksa pledged to release all military personnel who were imprisoned for what had happened during the war. He will want to keep his promise. The war was a failure of the entire system of government to which all parties and communities contributed. It was not the fault of one side alone. At the same time, to the extent possible, the government led by President Rajapaksa, who said he would be the president of all Sri Lankans, needs to ensure that the grief of the families of the missing is respected, and that they are looked after economically, and sustained emotionally, for the rest of their traumatized lives. Those whose loved ones went missing need to be consoled. They need to be shown compassion and solidarity. This may be the best that can be done at this time. One by one the wives and parents of those who went missing are dying of illness and old age without knowing the truth.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Latest comments

  • 4
    16

    Can’t understand why this Dr Jehan didn’t ask Mr Pirahaparan to be compassionate ..
    I know a lot people might say Mr Pirahaparan didn’t listen to even Vellala Political Leaders . let alone Dr Jehans . although the NGOs were solidly behind Mr Pirahaparan.

    But Dr Jehan could have asked the NGOs to request their Western Political Leaders such as Milbands and Camerons and their equivalents in the US and the EU to tell Mr Pirahaparan in clear cut terms , to release the 300,000 if they were innocents kept against their will .
    Or face the consequences.

    They didn’t do it,, Did they?.

    Instead Miliband and his equivalents in France and Norway came rushing all the way to Medimulana in the stinking heat to demand Mahinda Rajapaksa to release Mr Pirahaparan .

    And they had a special ship parked close to Nanthikadal with even Helicopters ready to Air Lift the LTTE Top Rung alongside Mr Pirahaparan.

    But when it came to the Sultan of the new Muslim Calphate in Syria , they even used Alsatians to hunt him down .
    And Mr Trump the great Leader of the West bragged about how the Sultan died like a Dog himself,.after being chased into his Bunker by American Hunting Dogs..

    If Dr Jehan’s buddies in the Yahapalana Gvet who spent four full years hunting Rajapakas and our poor Sinhala Buddhist Soldiers calling them War Criminals but couldn’t find the ” Missing”, how can poor Nandasena who himself had to dodge Dr Ranil, Dr Rajith and Mr Ranwakaws hunting Digs for four full years tell Dr Jehan what happened to those so called missing , who made them go missing and where they went missing…

    • 4
      0

      KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera

      One of my mate sent the following links to me a few minutes earlier. Please read/listen both:
      Sri Lanka scraps Tamil national anthem at Independence Day
      Dropping of Tamil, the country’s second national language, is a departure from the previous governments.
      https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/sri-lanka-scraps-tamil-national-anthem-independence-day-200204103334093.html

      தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்து – Tamil Thai Vazhthu
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_1jUwSZJAI
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfghItANhUU

      He also left a note saying Tamil Thai Vazhthu is becoming popular among World Tamils (Global Tamils) including India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Australia, USA, UK, Europe, …………………….. I am told almost every function begins with Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

      What do you read from that?

      • 0
        0

        Mr. Native Vedda,
        /
        MP Mangala Samaraweera on 04/02/2020
        I quote
        _________
        “the President made an outstanding speech today, and now he should prove it by his actions. A strong leader is one who would take difficult decisions within the Democratic frame work and implement them”
        __________
        End of quote.

      • 0
        1

        Dear Native,

        That is cool…
        I never thought your Vellala mates in the TNA will encourage their boys and girls to sing Thamil Nad National anthem.

        In fact I thought Thondamays in Up Country and Mr Ganesha’s UNP supporters in Colombo are the real inheritors of this Anthem.

        And they would sing it in Udu Pussellawa at the Sinhala Tamil New Year Celebrations , because our Sinhala Buddhist Independence have nothing to do with them..

        Any way thanks for sharing .
        But I like Manoharan’s Sripadam, Pollonnaruwan and Anuradhaouram song,which is an old time favourite among our people.

        BTW there is a Thamil Chick who sings Pukka baila tunes in Tamil.
        Please lead me to her U Tube Clips, because I don’t know her name..

        • 2
          0

          KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera

          “I never thought your Vellala mates in the TNA will encourage their boys and girls to sing Thamil Nad National anthem.”

          This is not Tamil Nadu National anthem, but a celebration of Tamil, Anthem to Tamil Mother, universal in its message. As usual why are you in a hurry to type your most stupid things even before reading the original comment?

          The way things are rapidly changing/developing you will have to learn and recite the following Anthem:
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtMF973tXIY
          This was written by your supposed distance cousin.

          • 0
            2

            Dear Native,

            Thanks buddy,, You made my day..-

            This dismisses beyond doubt your ex Vellala CM’s claim that our first Native King in Lankawe was Devanampiyatissam ….

            This is specially important with the Vellala ex CM being the front runner to capture the North with his real time LTTE Team at the next Election.

            And his main theme seems to be “We Must Have a Thamil Eelaam to to sing our National Song”..
            And that is serious stuff.

            BTW, To my utter surprise the ex CM has found a strong ally in Colombo Central after this hullabaloo about the National Anthem.

            And it is none other than that Mano Ganeshan the bloke who controls a big block of Hindian Thamil votes in the South, including most of those Estate Tamils.

            Mr Mano is also an associate member of DR Rani.s mighty UNP Faction.
            And Mano was a formidable character and a King Maker in Yahpalanaya.

            Now Mano says . Prez Nandasen stopping Tamils singing Namo Namo is the ultimate insult .
            And the Tamils must have a separate Nation.

            What worries me now is will Mano want the Up Country included in Mr Samapathar’s Federal, Independent State of Eelaam in the North?.
            Will Maskeliya the be the Sister City of Jaffna ?.

            Native Can you please give me the links to Manoharan and that Baila Chick too..?..

            • 2
              0

              KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera

              Top Tracks – Ceylon Manohar
              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLScdbzXXQteO49MlKa27FKbs8gG3CmJCm

              Start learning your soon to be National Anthem in Bangali:

              Lyrics Of National anthem of India
              Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he
              Bharata-bhagya-vidhata
              Punjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha
              Dravida-Utkala-Banga
              Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
              uchchala-jaladhi-taranga
              Tava shubha name jage, tava shubha asisa mage,
              gahe tava jaya-gatha.
              Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
              Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
              Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,
              jaya jaya jaya, jaya he.

              Jana-Gana-Mana in English, written by Rabindranath Tagore:

              Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
              Dispenser of India’s destiny.
              Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
              Gujarat and Maratha,
              Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal;
              It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
              mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
              chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
              They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
              The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
              Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.
              Victory, victory, victory to thee.

  • 15
    6

    this missing person comedy of deliberate murdering, the raping, looting, and burning episodes is now going into the 11th year and a full stop has to put on it.
    =
    we the tamils have been given step-motherly treatment ever since 1956 and the finale was in 2009 when the last remaining freedom fighters and the more than 20,000 hapless innocent civilians who were getting hit from both sides surrendered to the government through the good offices of the united nations.?
    =
    they like cattle were all boarded into buses were taken away and till this very second no tom, dick or harry know as to what on earth happened to them.?
    =
    alas, at last, the heavily involved in the cursed war kallathoni of an American citizen mass murderer of a president under stress admits that the surrenderees are not living on this planet and meekly crying like a little baby promises compensation after the issuance of the death certificates.
    =
    why I solemnly ask.?
    =
    as the gutless ranavirus themselves have in their sadistic passions of joy taken many a photograph of their to be shamed dastardly deeds of raping, sodomizing of the young boys/men, the looting burning of the properties of the innocents and the finale was killing them in cold blood by point-blank shooting.
    =
    after doing these unsavory deeds they with no shame sold these pictures to one all for American dollars.
    =
    now that one and all have got the proof in the pudding, the shameless mass murderers are shitting in their amude panties.
    they along with their fellow officers the then cannibal now a sicko of a sadistic kallathoni president have sooner the better be taken to the Hague where when they are cajoled to walk the planks to meet their maker the mighty devil

    • 4
      8

      Listen Mr. ROHAN JOHNPILLAI
      /
      US State Secretary Michael R. Pompeo.
      /
      I quote……
      “”””the United States steadfastly
      supports Sri Lanka’s vibrant democracy and its sovereignty. ……..”””
      End of quote.
      You can go and fly a kite.

      • 3
        2

        S. C. Pasky, the pesty,
        on this sad day where Ceylon received independence the democracy was in force till 1956, then for a short period of 3 months then between 1965/1970 when the Dudley. Senanayake was the prime minister.
        then in 2015 when the yahapalayana government came into power there was a semblance of democracy.
        =
        now you gloriously quote the bully of a trumped-up secretary of state.
        he and his disgusting boss the pompous wig-wearing Viagara consuming a so-called president who’s nothing but a walking dry joker by stating these remarks must have been enamored by a few of your yak housemaids who are creating quite a pandu of a bandu in the middle east.?
        Mr pompous must be wanting to desperately recruit a few into his private harem which he maintains on the Boeing 767 aircraft in which he goes around the world bullying one and all.
        =
        it’s a haha and a big haha if you arrogantly call shitty sorry Sri Lanka to be a democratic vibrant democracy.?
        = it still will and would have been if the UNF won the polls on the 16th November.2019.
        =
        pesty, the ideal place for you to rest your brainless little midget of a brain is to seek refuge in the medamulana mansion of the might less night less unsavory corrupt to the core rajapuka’s.?
        =
        I enjoyed penning this.
        =
        cheers, R. J.

        • 1
          0

          Listen to this also my foolish friend ROHAN JOHNPILLAI,
          /
          President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
          /
          I quote
          ——–
          Dear Mr President,

          Please accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of your country’s national holiday – Independence Day. Russian- Sri Lankan relations are based on the good traditions of friendship and mutual respect. I wish you good health and success as well as peace and prosperity to all the citizens of Sri Lanka.”
          ——-
          End of quote.
          /
          You can still fly that kite.

        • 0
          0

          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

      • 5
        2

        A low class racist SC Pasqual you have to say something anytime a Tamil is involved, eh? Remember there are many Sinhala mothers who are crying too for their sons!! I only wish, while you are alive, someone knocks one of your off springs to moon, then the whole world will laugh at you pig!! Disgusting animal!!!!!

        • 1
          1

          Mr. Tamil from the north,
          /
          We don’t raise terrorists mate…..

          • 3
            2

            Mr Pasqual,

            Despite all the name calling directed at you by the parasites, you have remained calm. Good on you. But please do not call these rif rafs “mates”. They are not your “mates”.

            Did you hear about the mad man who went berserk in London? It’s only a matter of time one of these fellas will follow suit. It’s embedded in their culture?

            Have you ever watched a Tamil Nadu Movie? Have you seen the scenes where people are butchered and blood flowing like rivers? Like abattoirs? Well, that my friend is what you are up against.

            • 2
              1

              Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera,
              /
              As far as country is concerned they are the spoiled kids.

          • 1
            1

            SC Pasqual – We don’t raise terrorists mate…..?

            Who are the Ex-LTTE terrorists hanging around with? So, who is raising terrorists?

    • 3
      3

      ROHAN JOHNPILLAI: WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF RAPE AND SADISTIC PHOTOS MUS BE BY LTTE. For certain army won’t allow that. Exclude politics, arrange a fair group of people and investigate it. Up to now, even Channel FOUR (A PRIVATE BUSINESS AND IT IS NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION) ) produced such films. BUT, THEY DID NOT PROVE. LTTE things lowest of the lowest thing that humans could do. Instead of accusing get together and investigate it,
      Do not trust NGOs. They say, they are doing it for employment purposes.
      We know JD Jehan Perera. He is a NGO. When he start talking about only the deaths just before the summation of the war, his all the arguments fall flat and it becomes just a political issue.
      Sri Lankan govt should not waste time on that. As there is ample evidence that LTTE managed every thin with the T-56. I heard even voice recordings are available.
      Why JD Jehan is not talking about so many LTTE kidnappings from the south and shooting and killings when they could not recruit child soldiers and their way court prosecutions.

    • 3
      3

      ROHAN JOHNPILLAI,
      “as the gutless ranavirus”
      They were not gutless Ranaviruvo. Thay had full of guts to eliminate your Sun God Piripakaran bellige putha and make Demala LTTE barbarians surrender without swallowing cyanide capsules.

      You BPs keep on blaming our Ranaviruwo to bury all the sadistic crimes committed by LTTE barbarians against innocent Sinhala people. Worst kinds of war crimes were committed by LTTE barbarians and IPKF. You guys do not have guts to open your mouths to talk about crimes committed by IPKF against Demala people. They killed lot of civilians and raped hundreds of Demala women. That is why there are North Indian looking Demala people in the North. Sinhala Ranaviruwo did not do such things. Some Sinhala Ranaviruwo had love affairs with Demala women and have married those women. That is ‘Sanhidiyawa’.

      • 0
        1

        “as the gutless ranavirus
        They were not gutless Ranaviruvo. ”

        How can somebody call Sinhala Buddhist Punnakku eaters gutless, while all Punnakku eating spices has four guts to regurgitate and eat back all what they already ate. It is Bald Eagle, Somass and Champawati feel same to call them SinhaLE. There is no Sinha Blood in these three traitors. Bald Eagle doesn’t want to call him SinhaLE anymore but wants to call him American Bald Eagle. Now the SinhaLE, the Wildlife Sanctuary has gone to Foxes, Bald Eagles, vultures, Water Buffaloes, but no more to wild lions and Buddha. The Gutless Bald Eagle is ashamed of telling who was his Great, Great, Great Grandpa. He could not tell the name of the Wild Lion Wijeya, so he has become one of Ehelepola who captured Vickrama Rarajasingan and handed over to British, Dom Juan whom to marry a Portuguese Servant Girl, wrote off the Kotte Kingdom to Portuguese and the 6000 Ranaviru mercenaries went to Jaffna to capture the Jaffna King, Chankiliyan, and hand over to Portuguese. When Old King was rewriting the Mahavamsa, to he keep to the legacy to Mahanama, he dropped all these traitors part from the one he wrote.

        These four gut species, the so called Ranavirus are sacred to go to UNHRC so keep sending gutless Hakeem, Richard, Deva and Karuna with Sinhala Cinema Supporting Actresses to Geneva.

        Bald Eagle is one in a few 7 Billion who feel ashamed of telling who their Great, Great, Great Grandfather is. Bravo Bald Eagle, whose is gutful with Biryani and Arrack.
        Eagle, if you have gut remove the wild Lion from your flag. It doesn’t match with your cowardism!

        • 1
          0

          Mallaiyuran
          “It is Bald Eagle, Somass and Champawati feel same to call them SinhaLE. There is no Sinha Blood in these three traitors.”
          Key board Veddah refers to as Somass , and I presume you are following him parrot-like though I am the only Sinhalese in this forum who supports a SEPARATE Homeland for Tamils (all Tamil speaking people irrespective of their religion caste or the date of arrival, scattered across the island.)

          Soma

  • 9
    0

    Absolutely, Jehan.
    .
    Very true. None liked the LTTE, but is that a reason why we, Sinhalese, should go out of our way to make miserable those who remain? That whole unfortunate story of the Eelam Wars must now be forgotten by the Sinhalese. For the Tamils it is different. There must be closure for them. They must necessarily be allowed to mourn
    .
    I haven’t properly read your article, since I know the sort of thing you write – similar to mine, except that I don’t get branded as an “NGO karaya”.
    .
    Please forgive me for having almost hi-jacked the comments on your previous article to which I have provided a link. It wouldn’t be wise for me to repeat with this article – which is likely to attract lots of negative comments, as you would already have anticipated.
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/problem-solving-in-the-north-requires-more-attention/

    .
    It is funny, how, when serious articles are written responses are sparse, but Sr Lankans love to argue about National Anthems and such-like trivialities, and keep writing rubbish.
    .
    The subject that I dealt with on Christmas Eve, didn’t attract as many comments as the serious situation there warrants. People who don’t know the S. Thomas’ well enough didn’t comment, imagining that this article didn’t have a wider significance. It does. The same Board of Governors controls the Mt Lavinia school, and that – as you must know – is a place that some people love to hate.
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/some-thomian-pharisees-are-adamant-on-the-need-to-cheat/
    .
    People love to comment on sex scandals. They wouldn’t have realised, from the title what sort of near-porn-writing was contained in this:
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/st-johns-college-new-principal-unity-only-in-diversity/
    .
    Few racist “Sinhala-Buddhists” would have realised that an almighty gay scandal involving a married and kidded Anglican Bishop is alluded to there.

  • 4
    14

    In order to compile a list of missing persons assistance of Canada, Australia, UK, Switzerland and many other European countries is essential. They must oblige to provide a list of immigrants since 1983. A list of those visited Sri Lanka after obtaining refugee status would also be useful. So long as this is not forthcoming our government is helpless and we can consider as those countries are unconcerned over justice to the kith and kin of those missing. This request must be presented at Geneva.

    Soma

    • 6
      1

      somass

      “In order to compile a list of missing persons assistance of Canada, Australia, UK, Switzerland and many other European countries is essential.”

      I agree.
      These were the countries which helped and covered up all human rights violations being committed in this island by armed forces and their subcontractors for many years, even to this day they defend Sri Lanka at all international forums.

      These countries should temporarily invite those crooks, conmen, war criminals, ………. Rana-viruses to their respective countries on short stay visas (about 2 years) allow the people to investigate particularly those secret mass graves, dug and filled over 40 years.

      There are experts who could bring something like 15 different disciplines to search the ground for such graves. It is known as Necro-Search, (http://necrosearch.org/). Go learn.

      While necrosearch being carried out all the Rana-viruses should be subjected to Brain Fingerprinting wherever they are, its like Polygraph Lie Detector Tests. You also should regularly subject yourself for both.

      Its look like the National Hangman is in trouble. Why don’t you help him with a well organised riots and then blame Diaspora.

    • 3
      0

      Soma,
      Former Defence Secretary and current President may not have a list of people now because he is the one ordered to kill all the surrendered including those who came with white flags after agreement with Rajapakse family. That is why he said all dead. Murdered people are dead is his version of heroism. It is not a secret Lasantha was murdered. For the president he was dead. That is why no one was brought under judiciary. In his speech, he also said judiciary should not interfere what he does. Not a Sinhala will be brought under justice for any murder of Tamil, Muslim or a Sinhala who is against to Rajapakse family.

    • 1
      4

      Soma,

      Is that Thai Cargo Ship Sun Sea one of them?..

      I believe the Kanadian Tax Payers had to pick up the Tab for USD 25 Million plus on going maintenance fees ….

  • 6
    8

    Jehan Perera

    “, the LTTE contributed to the high death toll by holding at least 300,000 civilians as human shields”

    How sure you are? Did you see that?
    Do not spread disinformation about the freedom fighters of we Eelam Tamils .

    . Do not bite the hand that feed you. When Thalaivar was alive these bogus right activists came crowlong. Now Thalaivar is dead and gone, these same trecherous bastards talk shit about Tamil Eelam figheters from the same mouth.

    We Eelam Tamils Have been

    taken for ride by these greedy bastards.
    it is public knowledge LTTE freedom fighters ask Tamils to leave kill zone. But patriotic Tamil of Eelam stayed with freedom fighters .

    Several countries in the International Community (IC) supported the Sri Lankan State that waged a genocidal war against the Tamils. The Tamil national liberation struggle and its taproot [the LTTE] were wiped out through a genocidal war by the SL State with the backing of other states in the IC. It was Gotabaya Rajapaksa who commanded the genocidal war in 2008 and 2009. Today, we are voicing for justice as a nation subjected to genocide. We are not merely speaking from a suppressed situation or a coated environment of so-called Development . Jehan Perera, you old cuck , role your analysis and shovel it in your ass .
    Tamils were no longer begging for justice, but demanding international justice.

    • 7
      3

      Eelam Tamil Smartass Patriot

      Where were you when psychopath VP’s child brigade fighting a losing war against equally stupid and brutal armed forces?

      What are the differences between Justice and International Justice (made in UK, USA, Europe, ….) ?

    • 4
      1

      Eelam Tamil P…s? ,
      are you for real.?
      =
      I think that you are a real top most racist you maybe my good para de mala’s fruit-eating mahindapalan.?
      =
      I have been a general of the intelligence division of the one time world’s best freedom fighting mob have come to the foregone conclusion that you regret that you were not delivered at the Kilinochchi hospital.
      do not worry, I will vouch for you.
      =
      cheers, R. J.

      • 2
        2

        Being racist against Johnpillais and other lansi ghosts is a badge of honour. Because they are scum, take it Native Lansi Vedda.

        • 1
          1

          George VP [ in Tamil vesa pu……n ], eager less ? and others who think they are better than the klu Klux petty racists,
          =
          to be called a racist scum by the super-duper cheap classless low caste racist master class racist scumbags is the best honor that ever has been bestowed on me.
          =
          if you care to read my posts diligently with your limited know-how of the queen’s language known to one and all like English, my only squabbles are with the petty today racist yaks similar to you.
          the others and especially the Sinhalese ladies of every height, size, and vintage are my especially god created for only me sweethearts.
          I have been married to 2 of them.
          for some unknown slimy reason to my advantage, they chose to leave me.?
          =
          if you mob still have any doubts if my explanations went about your heads, by that I meant that t was just too much for your tiny midget brains to comprehend and understand.
          =
          please ask and I will be there all 24 hours of the day to drill and drive sense in your gadol brains.?
          =
          cheers, R. J.

      • 1
        0

        Rohan Johnpillai

        You disgusting lowlife. Do not defacate in this forum . Low life animals like you have no place in Tamil Eelam. I dont give two shits to your distusting comments .you are not worthy enough to my shit , you scum.
        We eelam Tamil patriots have spend all our lives to tamil national struggle . Do you pathetic lowlife scum think i myself give me the title Eelam Tamil Patriot . NO you low life scam. I WAS FETED BY NONE OTHER THAN NATIONAL LEADER OF TAMILS THALAIVAR VELUPILLAI PIRABAHARAN AS THE EELAM TAMIL PATRIOT IN JUNE 1995.

        Lowlife scums like you would be given a life lesson soon.

    • 6
      0

      GR also served as Director TID.
      Recently, a man jailed under the TID died in jail after 26 years during which time, he was never charged in courts – as there was no evidence against him.
      There are more like him, in jail.

      This happened in this land where the teachings of the Compassionate Enlightened One are enshrined in the constitution.

      • 3
        1

        Justice,

        It’s important to keep them locked up to ensure the safety of other citizens. Yesterday, another of these manics took a knife in London, UK and started butchering people at random.

        Have you ever watched a Tamil Nadu Movie? I recently watched one and I must say I was appalled by what I saw. All I saw was Kamal Hassan taking a Butcher knife and going berserk all over the place. It was such a gory sight that it wasn’t even funny anymore.

        Sri Lanka cannot take safety for granted. If the London butcher was incarcerated those innocent civilians would still be alive.

  • 8
    1

    justice is what they want,not compassion.Put yourself in their shoes.Wont’t you want to know how and why did they die,did they suffer and be tortured or raped before they died,who killed them,who gave the order at the highest command to kill them,where are they buried or cremated?

    These are what they want.What are they to do with compassion?Will the souls to rest in peace?

  • 3
    15

    Jehan Perera,
    ‘Para’ Demalu who declared war against the Government of Sri Lanka by killing 13 soldiers should be held responsible for all the dead and missing persons during the military operation carried out by the Government to eliminate terrorism. IPKF also should take the responsibility to a certain extent.
    Why should Native Sinhala tax payers’ who were the main target of LTTE to kill shoulder the responsibility to pay compensation to ‘Para’ Demalu who are the descendants of slaves from Hindusthan.

    If you are so concerned about Demalu, draw the attention of the Government to the problems faced by workers in tea plantations. Although they are also descendants of slaves brought by British, they have made a significant contribution to the economy of the country while ‘Para’ Demalu in the North did everything to destroy this country after British left.

    • 5
      2

      eager less.?
      you are very very good at writing about the low country and the upcountry tamils who are slaves brought to work as slaves by the various colonial masters.
      you are a masterful artful dodger.?
      =
      I have raised many a hoot from your eminence whether your pariah de mala thangachi of a menike is a low country pariah or an upcountry pariah de mala ponnabalai or a meenachi.?
      =
      what’s this mental phobia you have about us the well renowned Tamil community.?
      do you regret that you were not brought into this as alluring beautiful sex oozing de mala meenachi.?
      =
      by being married to this gold oozing from every part of her sexy body you are a lucky S.O.B.
      I am very jealous of you.?
      =
      if you really have balls, at least now with all of my worthless encouragement to a daytime Tamil hater and after dark during the nighttime a fastidious lover of shapely sex oozing Tamil Meenatchi or two…
      =
      machan, mahindapalan, I envy you and have cast my powerless evil eyes on you.
      beware.?
      every time you racists write a negative post or two, you lot bring out the best in me. it’s automatically putting me into overdrive.
      =
      cheers, R. J., the one & only.

    • 1
      0

      eagle

      “problems faced by workers in tea plantations.”
      the main problem for them is up country sinhalese are lazy and can’t compete with them.if you are differentiating between the indian tamils and sri lankan why during the riots of 77,81.and 83 you lump them all together and attack them?Only a snolly goster will shed crocodile tears.Even poor murali’s father’s biscuit factory was destroyed.destroying is easy ,but setting up one is difficult,that is the problem the indian tamils are facing.some of them labour hard and build something and those not capable of building anything destroy it.it happens among sinhalese too.There are sinhalese that try to come up while the others drag them down,instead of trying to come up themselves.When satan was showing the pits of different countries there was no sentry only in the sri lankan pit.When asked why satan said no need cos if one sri lankan tries to climb out of the pit the others will drag him down.

    • 0
      0

      Brainless, Gutless Bald Eagle, don’t rob Peter to pay Paul. Don’t deny that you are a Wildlife SinhaLE only to hide in the aboriginals Vedas’ Amude. You rearly have any idea of what do you talk; do you? Is that Sinhala Women are smarter than Moda Eagles? Women have copied the Part Modern Malayala Kurukku Kattu but male Moda Eagles copied only Veda’s Amude, until Ehelepola brought Suthu Mathayas beat them and taught them to wear British Pants and America Denims.

  • 0
    3

    What shoddy language!! Most people who comment on CT articles have no shame in writing thrash. I am surprised that the editors allow this. I ask these writers to read what they have written and look at your self straight in the mirror. [Sigh] … but these perhaps are the same people who call themselves “CIVIL society”

    • 1
      0

      Rationalist the irrationalist,
      by any chance, are you referring to me, the Tamil master who in a short period of time has put all you Yakko’s into a tailwind of a spin.?
      =
      I proudly challenge you to ascertain for yourself whether in any of my numerous postings I have ever posted any unparliamentary language or lingo.?
      any vulgar four-letter words.
      =
      as you yaks even cannot communicate in your Yakko’s own Sanskrit copied the Sinhala language which you unceremoniously bully the poor for a pittance of money earning members of the minorities who are generally quite proficient in the queen’s lingo better known to one and all in the educated refind world as English.
      you sad buggers cannot even master a little of this royal language.
      =
      cheers, R. J.

  • 4
    6

    Gentlemen,

    Another Tamil nutcase called Sudesh has tried to achieve eelam in London, UK and the English Police have voluntarily sent him to his Eelam.

    These fellas wherever they go, they bring a bad name for all South Asians in general. God Bless the London Police for putting an end to his misery.

  • 2
    0

    The families of missing persons will know the identities. The identity of battle casualties are not known to the opposing forces. The identies of Mia and KIA soldiers are known to their respective services. Similarly the Northern casualties should be known to the the respective administrators. Hence in this situation of ignorance it is prudent to assume they have been killed in action.

    • 1
      0

      Bren
      putting entire families including toddlers and children into trucks and making them disappear cannot be considered ‘killed in action’,even if they are families of LTTE.

      ps.I remember wijeweera lost because he threatened to kill army soldiers families.Even in war there are certain unwritten rules and code of conduct among the fighters.

  • 2
    0

    Jehan.
    What need to be done by the Attorney General is to file charges against those armed forces personnel who were in charge of the checkpoints where the parents handed over their children or relatives.
    The AG can also file charges against the the army officer in charge at Vadduvaikal where the White Flag tragedy took place.
    While at it the AG should file charges against soldiers in charge where Balachandran Child of Pirapaharan was detained and shot.

    AG can also file charges against those LTTE Members and other armed groups who committed Crimes and war Crimes and Crimes against. humanity.

    • 0
      0

      Wishful thinking. The last may happen but not the first. Every AG wants to become CJ

  • 1
    2

    It is fair for the Sri Lankan govt to address concerns of the missing people case by case. Among Sinhala people, they know either, Police or Che Guvera took them. After that, only the body was found or they did not come home. For others also, the relatives must know what happened. But, the govt should nit address the NGO bickering as it is a business. NGOs can complain to overseas govts but they all know what happened and what is happening. Asking reparation, in other words apology dfor something the govt is not responsible or must not be responsible, then eventual paying of compensation are just waste of times. For LTTE, those who funded it promoted it (Adel Balasingham garlanded suicide bomber girls with Cyanide capsules. I here she is living upscale house with lot od Dough left by Anton Balasingham).are living in the west with houses boyght with LTTE collected money. Some LTTE financiers they even write articles to CT promoting Veernaal, , I here, have houses in more than one country. Some Tamils, I heard, received the first degree in Sri Lanka and now in the west married to white women and they funded and promoted LTTE violence. If they need reparation, those people should be brought back. It is in the open and very clear how western spy agencies supported Pabakaran while the govt was crying talking about the aftermath.

  • 2
    0

    KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera

    One of my mate sent the following links to me a few minutes earlier. Please read/listen both:
    Sri Lanka scraps Tamil national anthem at Independence Day
    Dropping of Tamil, the country’s second national language, is a departure from the previous governments.
    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/sri-lanka-scraps-tamil-national-anthem-independence-day-200204103334093.html

    தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்து – Tamil Thai Vazhthu
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_1jUwSZJAI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfghItANhUU

    He also left a note saying Tamil Thai Vazhthu is becoming popular among World Tamils (Global Tamils) including India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Australia, USA, UK, Europe, …………………….. I am told almost every function begins with Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

    What do you read from that?

  • 2
    0

    The word ‘Compassion’ is not in Gota’s dictionary or in his brothers’ and friends’ dictionary.

  • 0
    0

    There is NO compassion in Sri Lankan Buddism It is a new form of Buddhism with 180 degrees turn from Lord Buddha’s preachings. How many deaths of the public during about 450 years of Colonial rule How much death of people during 72 Years after independence in so-called Buddhist society? With a two-thirds majority, we will move from democracy to Family dictatorship. Sri Lankan Singhala masses are intoxicated with communalism. There is no economic growth without unity among all communities. The national anthem in Singhgal contains many Tamil words., In short, Tamil crept into the National anthem,. Mr. Weera Wansa your name itself contains Tamil words which means Brave (Veera) and Heridatry ( Vamasam) in Tamil. That uneducated man should change his name to Punchi Banda or Tinkiri Banda

  • 1
    1

    Mr. Jehan Perera JD: All these discussions are about IDENTITY POLITICS and it’s after math. Else where, I read all these are the components of HYBRID WAR which makes the unconventional war fare against a country makes that country vulnerable.for needs of the country that is engage in the Hybrid war. They pull out, including the national anthem in more than one language as part of Identity politics.

    • 1
      0

      I don’t know any Tamil at all. Sinhalese is “my language” and I speak it very fluently, making an effort not to use unnecessary English words, the way it has become fashionable with young people today, particularly with those who cannot express themselves in pure English. I have now almost ceased to be literate in Sinhala – that is a brute fact.
      .
      English is the language that I’m most fluent and literate in, yet I have never been outside Asia. I wish I could have spent a few months at least in England (for all the racism that I know abounds there. Why? Because so much of the English Literature that I love transcends racist barriers.
      .
      Yes, wanting the right to sing Ananda Samarakoon’s National Anthem in Tamil is owing to a desire to assert Tamil Identity. Anything wrong? It is subsumed by a Sri Lankan identity. I’d like to go a step further and have a Universal Human Identity, on occasions when that is appropriate (the day intelligent life is found elsewhere in the Universe, that may have to be taken account of.) I know what inspires me – but it may not appeal to you, JD. This.
      .
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9dLGDCdg3g
      .
      It is true that all the faces that I see there are white. It doesn’t matter to me. It may to you. No problem, perform it with all brown people. The version of Beethoven’s Eroica (3rd) symphony that I have downloaded for listening to is by an all Korean team.

      • 0
        0

        There was a SECOND PART to this comment which suggests that Sinhalese and Tamils can have their own separate identity, but also that we share an identity as Sri Lankans – all of us on this island (including Muslims, obviously).
        .
        Every single citizen must feel equal to every other. We cannot have First Class Citizens and Second Class Citizens, the way it inevitably becomes when theoretical prominence given to Sinhalese-Buddhists.
        .
        What the SECOND PART did was to place before readers the words of the Ode to Joy, in three languages: German, English, and Sinhala. The Sinhala was done using Google Translator. I hope it wasn’t rejected because of the Sinhala Script which formed about a tenth of the comment. I don’t know Tamil, and so I didn’t want to put on Tamil words which I know nothing of. Could somebody else please do so?
        .
        I shall re-submit my comment right now. I appreciate the fact that all readers of English articles must be comfortable reading what is put in this section, but the points I was making are important.

        Panini edirisinhe aka “Sinhala_Man”

  • 0
    0

    PART TWO

    The words matter. Here they are in English – and in the original German:
    ,
    https://archive.schillerinstitute.com/transl/schiller_poem/ode_to_joy.pdf
    .
    Google translator turned a bit of it into Sinhala – which may be imperfect. Why not improve it JD – a much more constructive action than what you’ve come up with?
    .
    ප්‍රීඩ් / ඕඩ් ටු ප්‍රීතියට ෆ්‍රෙඩ්රික් ෂිලර් වර්ට්ස් ජෝයි, දෙවිවරුන්ගේ ලස්සන ගිනි පුපුරක්, එලිසියම්හි දියණිය, අපි ගිනි බීම, ස්වර්ගීය, අභය භූමියට ඇතුළු වෙමු. මිලියන ගණනක් වැලඳගන්න! මුළු ලෝකයේම මෙම හාදුව! සහෝදරවරුනි – තරු කූඩාරමට ඉහළින්. ආදරණීය පියෙක් විය යුතුය.
    .
    Languages are difficult to learn. I rejoice when I hear that Tamil (spoken by millions of my fellow Sri Lankans) is the oldest living language in the world. It often sounds harsh to me. That’s not the fault of the language – it is a fact that merely reflects my limitations,
    .
    For me, the future lies in recognising that we have to appreciate diversity, even if it is a bit outside our comfort zones.
    .

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.