Contrary to what Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena boasts regarding his published official stance that he is working towards ethnic and religious harmony, the main page slider of the official website of the President only carries four photographs of him posing with Buddhist monks giving more meaning that he himself supports Buddhist supremacy.
Also the cover page of his official Facebook page highlights him posing in a photograph surrounded by a group of nine Buddhist Monks.
Whilst talking about peace and reconciliation the President appears to be promoting the Sinhala Buddhist supremacy through even his Facebook page where he is further pictured with Buddhist monks.
What is startling even further is that the photograph containing him in the Presidential official web page carries a cropped version of the national flag where the photograph of the symbol of the lion takes center stage cutting off all other ethnic groups. The picture of the lion in the national flag of Sri Lanka carrying a sword represents the Sinhalese ethnicity and the bravery of the Sinhalese nation.
K.A Sumanasekera / June 10, 2015
Why do you think I call him Bodhi Sira…
Don’t worry guys..This FC image was designed in Singapore. with the help of the Swiss NGO..
Real issue is what is happening to our good Sinhala Buddhists who sacrificed a lot to liberate the Nation from Tamil Terrorists and given a fair go for the great majority of inhabitants who are the poor , rural folks…
Bodhi Sira’s next assignment is to make our un Elected PM legit.
So, what image can Sira project to ask our Southern great majority to vote for UNP friendly betrayers in the SLFP, other than projecting this holy image surrounded by naive Monks..
/
Burt / June 10, 2015
Can you define what you mean by a “good Sinhala Buddhist”?
/
Raja / June 10, 2015
“good Sinhala Buddhist” he means all those dead ones,
Not those tens of thousandths of demalas killed in Mullivaaikkaaal by bombing, shelling and shooting, and made to ‘disappear without trace’.
/
Waltzing Matilda / June 10, 2015
Sumana’s definition of “good Sinhala Buddhist” would be Mahinda, who else?
/
Amarasiri / June 10, 2015
Burt,
To Begin with There were No Buddhists, and then there were Buddhists.
Sinhala, Pr rather Para-sinhala Buddhists embraced a version of Buddhism a corrupted version of Buddhism, Called “Sinhala” Buddhism.
It is like Islam and Wahhabi “Islam”.
Now Sira has a problem of Mahinda Rajapaksa dwelling in Temples and becoming more Sinhala Buddhists.
Since the IQ of those who voted for Mahinda Rajapaksa is around 65, Sira has to counter .,
So, he should neutralize the Mara, MaRa. People are Protesting MaRa presence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sXTts6RCNDs
/
Amarasiri / June 13, 2015
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/
/
Samuel Jayaweera / June 10, 2015
Not that Mr President plays Safron cards, but he has to be the way he has been – since it is predominantly a buddhist country. Buddhists are tamed by some social fractions – for good or bad – myths have been sowed by Rajapakshe machineries turning those guillible folks permanent voters only for Rajanos. These thoughts and minds would have been changed in this country – through awareness programs – Now Srilanken TV senders are not baised as had been before the 8th Jan. So time has dawned to feed the general public with facts but facts – checks and balances of the current administration. Those who further deceive and making every effort to return to politics – would never love this nation but themselves only.
To the question that Mahinda Rajapakshe to declare his assets -remain unanswered for the reason – if would so, he would be caught by prima facie evidences to have abused people funds not by billions but by multi billions. Next step would be to come to surface the gravity of all the high profile money grabs had been carried out by Rjapakashe kith and kin.
They speak to the very same folks today, as if nothing is wrong to have done so, the folks are listening….. since the hallozinations made in them are still in activation state. This is the reason why the many from outside feel SRILANKENs (majority) are in general born fools.
/
Supun Jayawardhane / June 10, 2015
either he would have been stabbed, if he would practise other way around. THis is srilanka – where no good Amendments could easily be passed as has been routine of EU countries. Stagnations of all forms are in actions from that day on – so where is the progress of the nation – so long rotten men would stay that deep – like a metastized cancer would stay incurable, things would nto move the way we the right and justice longing people would feel.
Here, I think Amarsiri s facts about the low levels thinkings of the average – fertilize it to be fallen even deeper.
Meeharaka Rajapakshe being a criminal leader – even if the folks has fully rejected him has been making every efforts behind the curtain to make moving in favour of him.
Only option for the current regime would be find evidence as much as they can to prove the realities of Rajapkse and his higher profile abuses. Days ahead of us will show – things will really move tothe betterment, so long Rajakshes are kept away from active politics. Whatever Dayan or Gonpala from Austrlaia would utter, nothing will change a lot towards the support of Jarapakshe who once sucked the blood and assets of the people.. but people but showing off the palatable to continue his abuses. No other leaders have made that kind of abuses.. RW must prove all these.. then the nation will support him for ever being Mr Clean of the nation – of this high literate nation… Jaya niyathai.. let see how we improve the situation.
/
JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / June 11, 2015
KAS KAS Sumana, [ LSD Modapala].
Do You advise to President Sirisena, to Give Contract to Public relation Company from USA OR UK Like Meeharaka F King Did,
spending Public Money And getting 20, 30 % under the table commission also ????
/
Amarasiri / June 25, 2015
K.A Sumanasekera
“Why do you think I call him Bodhi Sira”
Every Sinhala Buddhist who goes to the Bodhi and Pansal is a Bodhi nman or Pansal man.
Upasakaya or Upasaka Amma. That is their belief and Choice.
Bodhi-Sira and Pansa-Sira can do the same.
Recently, Ma Ra became Pansal-MaRa and Bodhi-MaRa.
MaRA MaRa Chatu MaRa Amana MaRa
/
Real Peace / June 10, 2015
Tamils were living like prisoners with all doors and windows tightly closed under the MaRa regime. MS is indeed slowly opening the windows one by one. I am touched by what he did in the 100days to accommodate the expectations of the Tamils. He had neither touched the doors nor their aspirations – but I firmly believe he will. He will create a country where all communities can live peacefully.
Who cares even if he flirts with the BMs. He needs the votes to win the general election!!
/
Bedrock Barney / June 10, 2015
Just a moment here. This is a south Asian politician in South Asian country. He is a devout Buddhist in majority Buddhist country. Buddhism is central to his identity. The first words out his mouth after he lead the rebellion against the regime and launched his presidential bid were quotes from the Buddha.( I think)
I am not Buddhist, I am a Christian.
There have been Buddhist leaders in this country who have publicly declared themselves bulwarks of Buddhism but in practice have done everything to tarnish and destroy Buddhist values. (like ISIS is doing to Islam).
Here is a leader who is attempting to walk the talk. Maybe do his little bit to restore the image of what a Buddhist leader ought act like. A leader of a country is supposed to have secular outlook but we need to be sensitive to ground realities and cut this guy some slack.
/
Amarasiri / June 11, 2015
Bedrock Barney
“I am not Buddhist, I am a Christian.”
Does it mean that you ARE NOT (Otherwise you will be punished by the Inquisition) :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno
During the seven years of his trial in Rome, Bruno was held in confinement, lastly in the Tower of Nona. Some important documents about the trial are lost, but others have been preserved, among them a summary of the proceedings that was rediscovered in 1940.[27] The numerous charges against Bruno, based on some of his books as well as on witness accounts, included blasphemy, immoral conduct, and heresy in matters of dogmatic theology, and involved some of the basic doctrines of his philosophy and cosmology. Luigi Firpo lists these charges made against Bruno by the Roman Inquisition:[28]
1. holding opinions contrary to the Catholic faith and speaking against it and its ministers;
2. holding opinions contrary to the Catholic faith about the Trinity, divinity of Christ, and Incarnation;
3. holding opinions contrary to the Catholic faith pertaining to Jesus as Christ;
4. holding opinions contrary to the Catholic faith regarding the virginity of Mary, mother of Jesus;
5. holding opinions contrary to the Catholic faith about both Transubstantiation and Mass;
6. claiming the existence of a plurality of worlds and their eternity;
believing in metempsychosis and in the transmigration of the human soul into brutes;
7. dealing in magics and divination.
Just curious, and seeking clarification of a Christian.
/
Bedrock Barney / June 15, 2015
Dude, your tripping!
/
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah / June 10, 2015
Now why on earth do you want to hold us and our land, against our will, who do not subscribe to your skewed Sinhala Buddhist Supremacist ideology, Mr. President!
/
sach / June 10, 2015
because land is not yours!
/
Native Vedda / June 10, 2015
sach
“because land is not yours!”
Its not yours either.
/
sach / June 11, 2015
It is ours….as much as TN belongs to Tamils, Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhala
/
Native Vedda / June 11, 2015
sach choooooooooo
“It is ours”
Not yours. Get over it.
Here is the proof:
Lanka plays Bengal card
– Envoy links Sinhalese to eastern states, TN groups fume
G.C. SHEKHAR
Friday , March 29 , 2013
Chennai, March 28: A claim by the Sri Lankan envoy that the Sinhalese are descendants of Odias and Bengalis and therefore deserve Indian support has angered Tamil Nadu groups who have accused him of trying to divide Indians and sought his expulsion.
“Today, India seems to be concerned only about the 12 per cent Tamil population in Sri Lanka who share ethnic links with Tamil Nadu. But Sinhalese too have similar but ancient links with Odisha and north India,” Prasad Kariyawasam, the Sri Lanka high commissioner to India, has said in a statement.
“It is believed that 75 per cent of the Sinhala race in Sri Lanka originated from in and around Kalinga (modern-day Odisha). Therefore, the people in Odisha and Bengal consider the Sinhala population in Sri Lanka as having its origins in India. The strong links that existed were torn asunder by Moghul and British invasion.”
Kariyawasam’s statement came in response to the prolonged protests in Tamil Nadu against Colombo’s alleged war crimes against Lankan Tamils.
According to the Mahavamsa, an ancient chronicle of Sri Lanka’s kings written in Pali, a king from Singhapur in Rarh (southwest Bengal) named Vijaya sailed on eight ships to Sri Lanka with 700 of his people in 543 BC and established the kingdom of Sinhala. Legend describes the Sinhalese as descendants of Vijaya and his people, who would have lived in parts of today’s East Midnapore, close to Odisha.
Some scholars believe that today’s Singur — which changed Bengal’s political climate a few years ago — is where Singhapur was located and that Singur derives its name from that ancient town. The Mahavamsa mentions another town in Rarh called Banganagar.
In a quirk of history, Mamata Banerjee, who owes her electoral triumph to her Singur agitation, has been the first non-ally to openly offer support to the Centre’s by and large pro-Colombo foreign policy while expressing sympathies for the Tamils.
Bhaktiprasad Adhikari, who was an aide to former Bengal agriculture minister and Trinamul member Rabindranath Bhattacharya, has written a book, Singur Theke Singhal — Banglar Bismrita Adhyay (From Singur to Sinhala — A Forgotten Chapter of Bengal), which has articles on Vijaya. In Vijaya’s days, the people of Bengal had a reputation for seafaring and, according to legend, the Saraswati river flowed through the Singhapur area.
While some scholars feel that the Bengal-Odisha-Sri Lanka link is little more than folklore, some others said not all of it might be wrong.
“What the high commissioner has said may be possible,” said T.K.V. Subramanian, historian and former Delhi University teacher.
“Buddhism spread in eastern India during the period (third-century BC) of emperor Ashoka. There is a theory that Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka skipping Tamil Nadu. This suggests that people from the eastern coast would have gone to Sri Lanka.”
Kariyawasam’s statement said: “In addition to ethnic links with Kalinga, the Sinhalese speak and write an Indo-Aryan language based on Sanskrit which is linked to Hindi, Odia and Bengali. India must be concerned about the rights of the Sinhalese too and must not allow Sinhala leaders to be isolated in India.”
Historian P.S. Dwivedi, former head of history at St Stephen’s College, confirmed that the Sinhala language belonged to the Indo-Aryan family. “Going by the language, there is a likelihood that the Sinhalese would have migrated from India. But I have no information that they were originally from Odisha and Bengal,” he said.
Gaganendranath Dash, former head of linguistics at Barhampur University, Odisha, said there were similarities between the Sinhala and Odia languages. He pointed out that Pali, in which Mahavamsa was written, was prevalent in the eastern parts of ancient India.
Indeed Ashoka of Magadha, also in eastern India, provides another Lanka-Odisha link. It was his bloody conquest of Kalinga that drove him to remorse and to Buddhism, whose message he spread to the island nation.
The Cambridge History of India says Ashoka sent Buddhist missionaries, including his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra, to convert the Lankans.
Kariyawasam’s statement said: “Tamil separatism and Tamil nationalism in Tamil Nadu is a concern for Sri Lanka, which cannot be allowed to be divided on ethnic lines. And India must allay the fears of the Sinhalese. The violent separatism that affected Sri Lanka for three decades was defeated by the government of President Rajapaksa. He must be congratulated since he eliminated a Tamil terrorist group, LTTE, that had killed former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.”
Tamil groups view the statement as an attempt to rally the support of non-Tamils in India at a time Tamil Nadu politicians are united in trying to isolate Sri Lanka.
On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution asking New Delhi not to describe Sri Lanka as a friendly country and demanding a referendum among Tamils in Sri Lanka and other countries about the establishment of a Tamil Eelam (homeland).
Tamil Nationalist Front leader P. Nedumaran accused Kariyawasam of a brazen effort to divide Indians, who he said were united in their anger against Colombo’s war crimes against Tamils.
“That the high commissioner has sent this email only to the chief ministers of north Indian states and journalists in Delhi proves his intent to cause fissures in India,” Nedumaran said in a statement. “Since this is against all diplomatic norms, he must be expelled at once.”
MDMK leader Vaiko alleged that Kariyawasam “has tried to instigate the people of north India, Odisha and Bengal” with “concocted, unbelievable stories”.
Vaiko has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the high commissioner “has blatantly violated his diplomatic immunity, crossed his legal limits and circulated the most atrocious narrative to pour venom into the minds of” north Indians and “instigate them against not only Eelam Tamils but also the people of Tamil Nadu”.
He has demanded that Kariyawasam be prosecuted for sedition under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY BASANT KUMAR MOHANTY AND SAMBIT SAHA
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130329/jsp/nation/
story_16723882.jsp#.VXlSPPlViko
sach choooooooooooo
You belong to North South India, go back, when you go take your Tamil brethren with you.
How soon can you leave?
/
Afzal / June 10, 2015
Sach,
Tamil dias hora is incapable of fathoming that reality.
Tamil Dias hora is blind to the fact 60+ million tamils are squeezed next door.
/
Real Peace / June 10, 2015
Hi Gorgeous
Holding our land? This is an inevitable result of the protracted war! Why did the LTTE fight endlessly? Why did the LTTE start the war again in 87? In 87, not a single acre of private land was occupied by the military, now you can see what the current situation is. How many private lands and houses were forcefully occupied by the LTTE? Have you ever uttered a single word about this?
/
soma / June 10, 2015
if you call a part of Sri Lanka as “our land” by implication the rest is our land. Now 50+% of your people are occupying our land. Why don’t you initiate a movement to move them all (all Tamil speaking people irrespective of their religion) to your land before we talk about a “solution”
Soma
/
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah / June 10, 2015
This loathsome question is always put to us and I am tired of listening to this absolute stupid comparison. Soma please be reasonable …those Tamils who are living outside our land are not “occupying” the land militarily and not politically enslaving the Sinhala people are they? And remember most were there long before independence. Don’t forget Colombo is the capital of this island…
/
Amarasiri / June 11, 2015
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah, LTTE War Crimes Apologist
“Now why on earth did the LTTE and Mootal Veeran Velupillai Prabakaran wanted to hold and expel Tamil Speaking Northern Muslims in their land land, against their will, who do not subscribe to your skewed LTTE Tamil Supremacist ideology, and murder and expel a whole population who still languishes , that was clearly a war crime, LTTE and GTF etc”
Ethnic Cleansing is a WAR CRIME.
Forgotten People – The Evicted and Displaced North Muslims of Sri Lanka (English)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JV60McNQ9o
Published on Jun 1, 2013
The Evicted and Displaced North Muslims of Sri Lanka. The expulsion of the Muslims and other nations from the Northern province was an act of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Tamil militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization in October 1990. In order to achieve their goal of creating a mono ethnic Tamil state in the North Sri Lanka, the LTTE forcibly expelled the 72,000 strong Muslim population from the Northern Province.
/
Off the Cuff / June 11, 2015
Dear Ms. Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah of the TGT Eelam,
Re your spurious statement “hold us and our land, against our will,”
First of all prove what your land is by establishing it’s boundaries. If that map of Eelam is your claim, PROVE it’s boundaries.
I doubt you will ever try.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / June 11, 2015
Madame Usha,
When do you leave Sri lanka’s shores, Why did not take your Parcel of Land with you?????.
F king Jarapassa Gave Billions of Rs as Jaraawa,{ bribes] to your so called, sun god, Killer VP and Sold all of your people’s souls and lands.
At That time You liberators were Silent and Now asking The Pound Of flesh.
That is not Fair. Isn’t It???.
Please Let Our People, Tamizars Live in Peace, Not In peaces ,!!!!!
/
K.A Sumanasekera / June 11, 2015
Hon Senator,
No probs if my neighbours in Vellala Gardens and the Tamils elsewhere take up residence in the Jaffna peninsula .
Our Sinhala Buddhist majority will be more than happy to get rid of this pestering problem for good .
If you can persuade them with your Western Influence and the Diaspora Dollars,we can dig a canal across Elephant Pass from East West and do a complete separation.
Of course we won’t give Nagadeepa where Lord Buddha set foot not once, but many times walking across the Monkey Bridge.
You can’t say your people lived there too …Right
/
Burt / June 10, 2015
Unfortunately Sri Lankan voters are divided by race and religion, it has always been this way and it is going to be the same in the foreseeable future.
The largest voter base are the Sinhala Buddhist and he knows the more he is seen as a racial and religious bigot the more votes he will get. After all he is a life long card carrying member of the SLFP who brought Sinhala only and overnight changed a large section of the population into second class citizens.
I don’t think this country has much hope until the next generation of politicians come from outside of the current political families.
/
Point of View / June 10, 2015
I feel it is more like he is ‘managing’ Buddhist supremacy and he is doing it well. He has not given any recognition to BBS thugs or the Bhikku undergrads who protested recently. He is not using the temples as a political platform either.
I see nothing wrong with the backdrop using the national flag.
This is a cheap shot at a President who put his life in danger to get rid of a corrupt thug and his whole family ruining this country any further !
So, CT please find something else to publish.
/
patriot / June 10, 2015
Instead of putting his life in danger to get rid of a corrupt thug in January 2014 he should have been a witness to the murder charges against this corrupt thug decades ago as an eyewitness or at least should have let Chandrika Bandaranayake know that he was an eyewitness before nominating him for the presidential elections in 2005 thus stopping the said corrupt thug becoming the president of Sri Lanka.
/
Daham / June 10, 2015
Yes, he put his life in danger to get rid of the corrupt thug, MR Junta. However, he has not got rid of the 100 odd corrupt ministers and MPs of MR. He even favours Drug dealers of the calibre of Duminda by appointing people like Nimal Lansa as the acting CM and the chief organiser of an electorate. So Sirisena is not a Saint.
/
H / June 10, 2015
That moment when you know the admin be smoking some w**d because they be paranoid.
/
justice / June 10, 2015
The monks have become a potent political force
They even assist the army in preventing displaced citizens returning to their lands.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=37795
No leader can ignore them.
No leader can be re-elected without their support, and they know it.
Every regime provides them with material support.
All of them do not live according to the teachings of The Buddha.
They support the concept of ‘singhala buddhism’, and the doctrine that the country belongs to Sinhala Buddhists, and that all other citizens are only tolerated.
President Maithripala Sirisena cannot afford to ignore them.
/
Mahesh / June 10, 2015
This is a pointless article written by nobody – literally.
Is there a byline?
/
Dharshan / June 10, 2015
I think this newspaper needs to do more careful research. As a minority religious citizen, MS has shown more solidarity to us than MR and Chandrika put together. Yes he is a staunch but good Buddhist. But I feel free to be what I am than I have ever been. I am deeply touched at the way MS has stretched his hands to us and has visited out mosques, movies, churches that MR and the Raja’s repeatedly and intentionally declined. The Colombo Telegraph got this wrong. Terribly wrong. I am champion of your newspaper but this bad reporting!!!
/
Saro / June 10, 2015
MS is known for good governance and peaceful co-existence.
Zionism is the extremism of Judaism as defined ‘God appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to set an example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world’ – which divides Middle East and kills people of both Islam and Jews.
Sinhala-Buddhism is the extremism of Buddhism as defined in the distorted version of history in that impossible mixture of hybridisation and Lord Buddha’s origin in order to poison the minds and divide the country and create mayhem – maiming of ethnic and religious minorities. These skinheads in the yellow robes is an insult to the religion they claim to follow and nothing to do with the philosophy of the good lord who disowned the power of his kingdom and enthroned as a universal peacemaker.
MS is trying to safe his own life from these madmen and show others taming them is beneficial to the country and people rather than confronting. Otherwise the power thirsty ex-leader is waiting in the wing to continue his ruination of the country by empowering his corrupted goons and primary and secondary relatives.
/
Jim softy / June 10, 2015
President should promote christian Agenda.
Then these anonymous journalists will be happy.
/
Native Vedda / June 10, 2015
Well well well
Politicians are politicians are politicians.
Sinhala/Buddhism helps them to steal the country from people. No politician dares to liberate himself/herself from Sinhala/buddhism. No wonder Sirisena follows the tried and failed path.
/
Amarasiri / June 11, 2015
Native Vedda
“Sinhala/Buddhism helps them to steal the country from people. No politician dares to liberate himself/herself from Sinhala/buddhism. No wonder Sirisena follows the tried and failed path.”
Succinctly stated.
The Average IQ of 79 certainly helps.
/
aha / June 10, 2015
One has to be politically naive not to associate oneself with the 70% majority in any country. If you take any nation in the world, you will see this reality.
In Italy it will be Catholicism and in Thailand Buddhism. In France where there is a 7.5 percent Muslim population, you will not see François Hollande posing in a mosque on his website. It is abundantly clear that Obama could have been green, purple or yellow, if he was not a Christian there was no chance of him being elected.
The majority religion, especially this level of majority, will always play a part in politics and one ignores that at ones peril.
/
Ansar / June 10, 2015
Dear CT,
Sometimes you need to be tactful rather than truthful.
In my opinion it is better that MS portrays himself in that manner rather than exposing himself as a multi cultural personality. Otherwise MARA and the gang will vilify him and carry out a campaign saying that he is going to sell out Sri Lanka to the minorities.
With regard to your Lion in the flag, it is just a co incidence in a close up shot.
Let us not make an issue out of a non issue.
/
Harry Hatton / June 10, 2015
What about Obama in church or Modi doing rituals? CT being petty and mischivious ?
/
nivaadcabaal / June 10, 2015
Namal Please stop posting on Colombo Telegraph
all of this is not needed
/
JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / June 10, 2015
What rubbish is this?????.
“RAAJAA BAHAWATHU DHAMMICKOH”.
When F KING, His Family clan and His Stooges Meet all the Extremists No body Raise any Voice????? WHY???
Buddhism is president’s Belief,
So let him practice that, What is the Problem if he meets any of religious leaders.
Does any body wants to stop that, practising of religion ???? .
And Banning him meeting Buddhist monks.
You all are lucky as he is Not meeting Balu Sena Ganndassara.
Let him Govern,
If he Is not Good, We Will, we can throw him out with his supporters.
/
EDWIN RODRIGO / June 10, 2015
Too much is being read in to these photos. MS is a person as well as the President. from what we have seen, he is a good Buddhist and that includes religious tolerance.
The cropped Lion flag?
The photopgraphs do not show the Presidents feet. Does it mean that he does not have feet?
/
sach / June 10, 2015
The only thing I can say to this stupid article is LOL
/
Patriot / June 10, 2015
Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa is a cunning man. The present president Maithipala Sirisena is also a cunning man but in a different way. He pretends to be a very mild mannered person, an honest person, but he is not. Look at what he has done in the past. Sirisena has seen MR shooting a person during a bi-election campaign and has kept silent for decades until last week. He should have been a witness in that murder trial or at least he should have let Chandrika Bandaranayake, the then president, know this information in 2005 before nominating MR for the presidency. So what Sirisena says is that he worked under a murderer for 10 long years as a spineless person. His continuation of talking about the misdeeds done by others without taking any action makes him a real dishonest man. He talks about equal rights to all races and religions just to get the votes of these people and at the end there won’t be any equal rights.
/
Point of view / June 10, 2015
Simply, he saved himself to save the nation when needed, that too, by putting his life in danger !
/
Patriot / June 10, 2015
He could have saved the nation a decade ago if he divulged what he saw at the bi-election rally.
/
Sinhala_Man / June 10, 2015
I would say that President Sirisena is a prudent politician – which statement is a back-handed compliment.
Your criticisms are fair, valid, honest, and may even be constructive.
When I began carefully writing my first, longer comment, there were no other views to be seen. Now, you will observe, that an over-whelming majority approve of him. However, commenters on this forum are not representative of the people of our country. Our messages must be got across to those who (usually through no fault of their own) have not mastered the language we are operating in – with only one ethical justification for doing so; it is the medium that we use to reach a wider world audience. We can’t now learn Chinese or Spanish or French or German.
Maithri speaks only Sinhalese; please focus on the substance, not the medium.
/
JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / June 11, 2015
Sinhala_Man
Hello SINHALA MAN,
[ ENGLISH professore],
YOU MORON;
You have a very poor Knowledge of Sri lanka.
Get educated Please.
First Remember that 99% of commentators on this forum are representative of the proud people of our mother country Sri Lanka,
Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims , Malays, Burgers, Chinese, and All Others. Some have foreign citizenships,
But They love Their mother country sri lanka.
And I am One Of Them with a Sri Lankan Identity Card, Sri Lankan Pass port, and Registered Voter in Trincomalee District Also.
and Please Keep in Mind That Our President Mr Sirisena Is a graduate from USSR, Georgia’s University of Agriculture.
and Fluent in Russian, English, Little Tamil and Latvian also.
[If I am not wrong].
/
Sinhala_Man / June 12, 2015
I know that President Sirisena has had that foreign exposure, and that h has a broad world view. When you listen to him you realise that he has read widely. I wonder if you once saw a photograph of him with a Maldivian opposition delegation? On his office wall, pictures of Marx, Lenin, Ghandi and the Buddha. NO Stalin, or the like.
Two misapprehensions by you I’d like to correct: I’m sure this very intelligent man understands English and Russian, although his speech fluency must be mainly in Sinhala, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Secondly, people of all ethnicites access CT. Unfortunately English has not got taught to many of our citzens. That has to be corrected, but we desperately need trilingualism, owing to realities.
/
Samuel Jayaweera / June 12, 2015
You have added your two cents without foucsing on what JA has been trying to say.
Of course, most of us are not native speakers for English. You guys may feel that you belong to super category – being able to comprehend English but English has not been used in the country in every corner so that each of them could learn it better. Like the Africans speak french almost like native speakers, not many would speak English in SL. This is common to all other countries in SA region. Besides,if you would live in Europe, you will realize it that English is not the only international langauge. I know guys from the UK working with me have disadvantages being unable to speak French, German and Italian. I believe, lanken schooling should be so restructured so that all could start learning English from the kindergarten level on, so that none of them would face difficulties with English in the future. Not only English, but also German and French should be added as additional langauges to the school zyllubuses.
/
Leelagemalli / June 12, 2015
I respect Prez Sirisena for his gentle kind of behaviour. This is exemplary. No doubt actually. He would never be so pompous as MR had been upto the day he was defeated. No matter any one would explain anything Prez leaves his views focusing all the facets actually. His speeches are the best among the any ACTIVE politicians of the day. He must not be fluent in English – so long he has been a good statesman. The difference between MR and MS is the latter is intelligent and respectable person.
Remember how MR publicly made it clear – that he has proved that he was successful 3 times bringing the example from his family – what he meant was to have produced 3 sons. He thought childrenless RW would have been felt attacked by such low level statements.
Do you think any EU politician – not statesmenor women but just parliamentarian would make any of such statements in public. If they did, their colleagues would never be deaf and blind – force wrong doers either to resign or make an appology.
Please be aware of all these before going to make any kind comparisons of the curre
/
Sinhala_Man / June 12, 2015
Dear Samuel Jayaweera,
You are right about the “unfocussed two cents worth: that comment was sent from a mobile phone when I saw that Julampatiye Amaraya had been critical of what I had said. I don NOT agree with what “Patriot” says, but I have said that it is a valid criticism, unlike the shameless distortions of this main Colombo Telegraph article.
I must confess that I did not know that Mr Sirisena knows Latvian, or that he had been in Georgia. I take that to be the Nation of Georgia (earlier part of the USSR, and NOT the State in America. I guess I must study his website more carefully. I know that he has a very good Diploma in Agriculture from Kundasale and and that he has a Diploma in Political Science from Moscow. He is very well read, and I admire and respect him greatly.
I whole-heartedly agree with “Point of View” who says that “Simply, he saved himself to save the nation when needed, that too, by putting his life in danger”. I intended my word, “prudent” to be something like a summary of that comment. However, I can carry on a conversation with a man who made the comment that “Patriot” has made here. A political opponent who makes that point is NOT distorting or using innuendo.
About English – it was NOT the ideal language to become THE World Language. it’s so chaotic. I listed the languages in that order because while English is probably the language understood by the most people across the world, if the numbers of “Native Speakers” are considered Chinese probably has more. None of us obviously are going to be accepted as anything approaching “Native Speakers”, mainly on account of accent.
I have heard polyglots claim that Spanish would have been a better “World Language” because it is more regular, and thus easier for foreigners to learn. The main justification for teaching English is to communicate with the rest of the world – but obviously it is more complex than that!
As for non-English users, what I meant to say is that the vast majority of those reading and commenting here are using rational arguments and have access to facts (I include my two critics), which many others unfortunately cannot access. We tell each other many things, and we may be living in a “fool’s paradise” where we believe that almost all agree with us. I’d like those who have the competence to post the sort of views that we express in the Sinhala and Tamil media. I certainly engage in Sinhala conversation with many.
There may be much more to be said, but I’m being urged to stop so as to attend to more mundane matters. So, thanks, Stanley, even Amaraya!
/
MsMaralathoni / June 19, 2015
I am in full agreement with you above saying that Prez Sirisena has a broader view about everything when he holds a speech. Actually, this I have not seen in MR. He just behaves as if he is no better than Mervin and the like. That was the reason him to have stayed mum at the time Mervin and the low lives went amok under his regime. They even went on justifying after doing so. Today, the man being cornered to Madamulana could help him coming to sense. Sinahal-Man, your comments are making a sense-Thanks.Rome for this day
/
sama / June 12, 2015
If a politician has the talent to speak one langauge outreaching the masses – what is the point of knowing English `? German Canceller Dr. Merkel is powerful as no other in Europe. She speaks German only, but privately, she manages to hold her sessions using her English skills. So are Italian, French and other leaders. Why cant we the sinahalya do the same ?
/
Native Vedda / June 12, 2015
sama
“If a politician has the talent to speak one langauge outreaching the masses – what is the point of knowing English `?”
I can see a little islander talking. If a leader cannot reach out to the entire people then he/she should provide translation.
The problems in this island started with parochial language policy. Would like to continue with same stupid mindset.
Grow up, your petty linguistic nationalism is outdated in this globalised increasingly connected world.
People if possible learn as many languages as possible.
” Why cant we the sinahalya do the same ?”
They should, however the so called Sinhalaya language has been increasingly polluted by your own hypocrisy.
Can you write a paragraph in Sinhalaya language without any influences whatsoever of other languages?
Why don’t you get on with your life, without outside influences, give up all what deems to be foreign?
/
kelum smarasena / June 10, 2015
this is crap again. as offensive as the Mohommed Fazl article hasbeen. please take note of the monks in the pics .both the prelates of Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters have been steadfast against extreme conduct by monks .they continuously strived for reconciliation amongst the communities.the article conveys a message which is way beyond imagination.
/
Sinhala_Man / June 10, 2015
This is mischievous and distorted. Maithripala is a Buddhist; a devout and pious man, and much of his goodness could, I’m sure, be traced to an upbringing the tolerance and thoughtfulness incorporated in the Dhamma. That is his identity, and he has affirmed it. That does not mean that he is “a Buddhist supremacist”.
The “cropped National Flag” in “the main page slider of the official website of the President” has been further “cropped” by YOU! In the website, a good deal of the orange stripe representing the Tamils is to be seen, and even the Lion’s rear feet have been cropped, so a Sinhalese Supremacist may say that it’s been turned into a lame lion! Depends how much you want to twist. Nothing of the green stripe is to be seen! Will you try to draw conclusions from that as well?
There have been many criticisms of our National Flag; if someone tries to desecrate it, the INTENT behind that action is provocative – but we may, hopefully, not act out of such provocation ourselves. In certain circumstances action may even have to be taken against the provoker. However, there can be serious and responsible criticism of the flag. The yellow border represents unity, but you may wish to complain that it doesn’t do that effectively. But the fact is that it IS our National Flag, and more picturesque than that of most other countries, which in itself may be a criticism. That photographer has selected the most striking part of the flag, but someone may also have commented that the flag has been insulted by part of it being covered by Maithri on whom the focus is, for the simple reason that it is a photograph of him! I agree, now that you’ve pointed it out, that on the OFFICIAL website of the President, there could have been more photographs suggestive of the multicultural nature of our society.
I think of myself as primarily something living that is a human being, but I chose some time ago to give myself a handle that acknowledges that my outlook is shaped (limited?) somewhat by my Sinhala village upbringing. That was in part so as to send a message to other Sri Lankans that there ARE people of my background who desire to live in peace with all. It may have been the height of arrogance to claim to be “the primal life force”.
Just yesterday, President Sirisena had emphasised to the National Education Commission the importance of the Sinhalese learning Tamil. Maithri had the courage to sing the National Anthem in Tamil. Please present a balanced view-point which takes account of what is said on specific issues, and even more of definite actions.
We have all been feeling rather frustrated for the past fortnight because uncertainty prevails, and nothing decisive has been happening. It is difficult to be patient, but that is a quality we must for now cultivate. I feel that you have deliberately tried to cause dangerous dissension; campaign, if you must, for Maithri’s political opponents, but please don’t work through distortion and innuendo.
/
Village Idiot / June 10, 2015
You are a real village idiot. Robert Knox said, Sinhala villagers are liars ! You say – The “cropped National Flag” in “the main page slider of the official website of the President” has been further “cropped” by YOU! In the website, a good deal of the orange stripe representing the Tamils is to be seen, and even the Lion’s rear feet have been cropped, –
Where? Check the 5th picture of the screenshot of http://www.president.gov.lk
/
Pacs / June 10, 2015
The Sri Lankan National Flag is a folly and ridiculous. The violent and terrifying killer sword. The cruel Killer king Lion brandishing the sword and threatening the onlooker with cruel and fearsome look. And the Bo Tree leaves of Buddhism for non violence and love. The Bo tree leaves seems to protect the cruel killer terrifying sword on its forelimb. The children growing and revering this flags will feel and believe that their cruel, violent and fearsome acts and conducts shall be protected, encouraged, facilitated and praised by their religion and their community. Not punished.
/
Paul / June 10, 2015
‘The children growing and revering this flags will feel and believe that their cruel, violent and fearsome acts and conducts shall be protected, encouraged, facilitated and praised by their religion and their community’
So, is this what Sinhala children feel today?
/
Off the Cuff / June 11, 2015
Two idiots writing about a Lion in a flag!!!
There is a BULL in the Tamil flag is that why you are IDIOTS?
.
https://godwinjblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/royal-flag-of-the-jaffna-kingdom/
/
Ben Dover / June 10, 2015
This is bordering on gutter journalism, and Colombo Telegraph should be ashamed of publishing such puerile material tailored to rouse communal ill-willand disharmony.
Above all who preceded him, President Sirisena has shown us citizens of all stripes in Sri Lanka, what a honest and sincere politician can achieve in the short space of a few months.
I say stop trying to destabilise the momentum he is trying to create and respect the freedom that you now have, CT, but please do not abuse it.
/
Rio Ziegelaar / June 10, 2015
Typical Sri Lankan style to criticise all and everything. I as a Christian burgher do not see anything wrong in him having photos taken with Buddhist priests, as I accept that Sri Lanka is Buddhist majoritry. What really should matter is the actions he takes on matters regarding Race & Religion. If he respects this then that is all I would like to see.
Stop buggering around and GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.
/
Global Citizen / June 10, 2015
As a leader of a country where majority are Buddhists, MS is doing what he is supposed to do. He encourages what he believes in and he is a good Buddhist. Buddhism encourages tolerance of all religions. If every citizen of Sri Lanka could understand Buddhism as Buddha’s philosophical teachings rather than a religion, the world would be a better place for them.
I do not accept what CT has reported; as I feel the cropping the flag was not intentional as what the article says. You still can see the orange part of the flag, and I’m sure it’s a close-up shot.
I’m a regular reader of CT and I do so due to their fair reporting. But this article is like “good sowing a bad seed”. If such things persist, a clear solution for the country would be a mere dream.
Sri Lanka has suffered long years of one of the deadliest wars in the world. It’s going to take some time for the wounds to heal. The country is now in a transition phase where the Government is putting every effort possible towards bringing peace.
The country needs a true Sri Lankan unity. Violence undermines the strength of a true citizen.
/
Lankan / June 10, 2015
CT,
Not much in terms of actual news stories to publish today?
/
Gobba / June 10, 2015
CT Why this warped article ? So out of the ordinary for CT style journalism. What happened? Have MR funds being shoved into CT pockets ? Time will tell, let us see what CT brings out in the future.
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 10, 2015
A ‘ below the belt’ hit! Not quite fair.
Dr.RN
/
K.A Sumanasekera / June 10, 2015
RN,
Chill ,,man.
He is one of yous,, I mean not necessarily Vellala,
Don.t forget, now you have Sinhala Elite,and the Whabis on your side too, to compliment the original Elite, Anglican and the Vellala Alliance
They all want to enjoy Yahapalanaya like our new Honorary citizen Dr Mahendran does..
BTW , Narendran and , Mahendran rhyme well .. Are they related..
/