Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah
Dr Brian Senewiratne is our hero and more precisely our hero amongst the Sinhalese. So much so I had written an ‘Ode’ to him in 2006 and my husband wrote about him in October 2011 calling him a true consummate humanitarian – both of which I want so much to share – especially when I read some of the flak he gets for fervently defending the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and drawing world attention to their plight. It’s during these times I feel sick in my stomach and want to shout out loud to the whole world and to the Sinhalese people what a great man and a rare Gem he truly is.
I have always been interested in politics and government and was a keen follower of the Tamil Satyagraha movement; an interest triggered off at school during my Government and Politics lessons. I used to admire the Federal Party leader S.J.V Chelvanayakam [1]; I watched him in awe as he took his walks in Galle Face Green, he was then already suffering from Parkinson’s disease. When I was a little girl I remember one of his sons, Vaseeharan was my uncle’s good friend; and they used to study together in our veranda. SJV was the darling of the Tamil Nation and mine too and Brian to me was the Sinhala equivalent.
There was a time when I only heard of him, read about him and of course admired everything about him from a far for I had never met Dr Brian Senewiratne at that point. I couldn’t believe that there even existed one such rare specimen of Sinhala origin, that I know of, who genuinely cared for the welfare of the Tamils as much as he cared for the wellbeing of his own Sinhala brethren; someone who could feel so passionately for the rights of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka the way he does.
I have so much respect and reverence for him that I cannot bring myself to calling him Brian, even after we have become so very close; sometimes I do try but don’t feel comfortable doing it.
I have some early recollection of my fleeting moments with Sinhala leaders. I remember garlanding Sir Oliver Gunetilleka, Governor General of Ceylon as a little girl, when he visited the Kalalaya School of Dance along with, if I remember right Rajendra Prasad, President of India.
Next was SWRD Bandaranaike who stopped with his entourage at our house, a beautiful bungalow built by the British, surrounded by a landscaped garden, that had the most exotic flowers, the house set on top of a hillock, amidst manicured tea plantations, with a magnificent view – that was when my father was then Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), in Norwood, Mr. Bandaranaike needed to use the bathroom. Before they arrived I remember we were given prior notice only of a few minutes.
There after I remember receiving prizes from Mrs Jayawardene at our school prize-giving when Mr and Mrs JR Jayewardene were chief guests.
Finally it was at our wedding reception when the Governor General, Mr. William Gopallawa and Mrs Gopallawa graced the occasion with their presence.
But my moments with Dr Brian Senewiratne are neither fleeting nor ceremonial. We have an awesome relationship and I simply adore him to the core. He is my Sinhala Hero and here is my Ode to him written way back in 2006:
An Ode to Dr Brian Senewiratne
By Usha S Sri Skanda Rajah, Canada, 23 May 2006
Dear Dr Senewiratne
We hail you
As the voice of reason of the Sinhalese
May your tribe increase
And become the driving force
To bring real unity to the island of Sri Lanka
May your kinsmen heed your call
To bring Peace and Prosperity
Security and Safety
Equity and Equality
To all the people of the island
Sinhalese Tamil Muslim and Burgher
In your quest for Justice and Fairness
May not your critics stop you
For alas!
They do not understand the wisdom of your words
They may rant and rave
And call you names
For all they want is supremacy
Not equality
We laud you for your courage
And for your futuristic vision
You’re not a traitor
For you love your people too much
And they must know
It’s the racists and the religious extremists
Who send Sri Lanka
To the age of savagery and destruction
If people see
That all you want
Is for the Pearl of the Indian Ocean
To regain its lustre and beauty
And that freedom for the Tamil speaking
People of the NorthEast
To determine their own destiny
Does not mean doom for the Sinhalese
But rather the advent
Of a bright new horizon
Of hope and glory
Of progress and dynamism
For they would be free
Free from the shackles
Of enmity and intolerance
Of those who spread hate
And those who cannot lead
What’s required
Are statesmen
Of the highest calibre
And of spiritual wisdom
Who are willing and able
Without procrastination
To accept the offer
Of peace and friendship
By Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan
Based on equality of status
And self determination
For both the Tamil speaking people
And the Sinhalese people
Muslim Christian Hindu and Buddhist
Free at last the people would be
Free to pursue their dreams in peace
Free to realize their full potential
Free truly to determine their destiny
And reap the rewards of freedom for all
With dignity and mutual respect
And you Sir shall become
The true emancipator of the people
And be honored as a hero
For your daring and foresight
Dr. Brian Senewiratne – A True Consummate Humanitarian
By Sri . B. Sri-Skanda-Rajah PhD Cantab
Dr. Brian Senewiratne’s steadfast commitment to defending human rights and promoting social justice is an inborn trait, a passion that is so visible in his demeanour and speech that it captures one’s heart the minute you interact with him – that he has fought relentlessly and tirelessly for people who are marginalized and persecuted, based on ethnicity, race, religion, language and culture his whole life, makes one feel inadequate in front of him. Dr. Senewiratne has been indefatigable in his efforts to defending the rights of all oppressed communities in Sri Lanka as well as both displaced peoples in Sri Lanka and convention refugees seeking asylum in Australia. In this regard he has virtually devoted his life to raising awareness of the plight of these peoples through education, international advocacy, lobbying and engagement.
Dr. Senewiratne belonged to the ruling majority community in the island of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and is closely connected to the Bandaranaike family that has produced two Prime Ministers and a President. Despite his privileged background he chose to break ranks to wage a courageous and often lonely campaign against the inexorable atrocities committed against the Tamil community ever since the island was granted independence from British rule in 1948.
Dr. Senewiratne had a strong sense of right and wrong from an early age. In 1948 as a sixteen year old student at an exclusive private school in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) he chose to espouse the cause of nearly a million long time citizens of Ceylon of Indian Tamil origin who had their citizenship revoked and were disenfranchised by the majoritarian Sinhalese government solely with the objective of capturing in excess of two-thirds of the seats in parliament so as to enable Sinhalese majoritarian governments to approve legislation that would be inimical to the interests of the indigenous Tamils of the island. He spoke out publicly in support of the Tamils of Indian origin who were arbitrarily rendered stateless; the very people who had lived in the island since the 1840s and toiled for more than a century to develop the world-renowned ‘Ceylon Tea’ that became the mainstay of the island’s economy.
When he saw the rights of the indigenous Tamils in the island were impinged upon by successive majoritarian Sinhalese governments of Sri Lanka and peaceful democratic protests by the Tamil parliamentarians and other concerned citizens were put down by government-sponsored pogroms and by military force, Dr. Senewiratne made it his mission to defend the rights of these marginalised people to live with equality, dignity and security and without discrimination in the country of their birth, enjoying the same rights and privileges accorded to the majority community.
In 1956 as an undergraduate at Cambridge University he firmly opposed the Official language Act which sought to establish the Sinhalese Language as the only official language to the exclusion of both the Tamil and English languages in Sri Lanka. He organized a series of protest marches in London to oppose this clearly racist move. And when his paternal uncle the then Prime Minister of Ceylon, Mr. SWRD Bandaranaike came to London, he declined an invitation to meet with him purely on principle that his uncle’s actions were unjust and undemocratic.
In 1972, as Professor of Medicine at the University of Peredeniya he took up the cause of Plantation Tamils again, when they were hounded out of their miserable dwellings by Sinhalese goons during the term when his aunt Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was Prime Minister ( she was also the first woman Prime Minister). He did what he impishly referred to as, “my nocturnal ward-round” wherein he traversed the streets of Kandy picking up dying Plantation Tamils, so that they could be given immediate medical attention in hospital and if they could not be saved to die with dignity.
Dr. Senewiratne’s outspoken ways, strong convictions and activism made it increasingly difficult for him to remain in the island and 1976 he chose to immigrate to Australia and hasn’t been able to return since.
In Australia he continued to challenge the Sri Lankan Government of J.R Jayewardene accusing him of devaluing parliament and setting up a Presidential dictatorship intended to circumvent the constitutional safeguards that had been designed to protect minority rights.
Following the genocide of Tamils in July 1983 Dr. Senewiratne published a book titled “The 1983 Massacre – Unanswered questions”. In it Dr. Senewiratne held the Sri Lankan government responsible for the crime of genocide. Over 20,000 copies of the book were distributed round the world. As an expected reward for his efforts he was accused of treason and his next publication titled “Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka” was banned in Sri Lanka.
Since then he has campaigned with greater vigor for the oppressed in Sri Lanka highlighting violations of human rights by documenting the incidents and distributing number of DVDs to draw attention to the humanitarian tragedy in Sri Lanka. Dr. Senewiratne has over the years authored over sixty articles and delivered numerous lectures supported by power–point presentations and video clips relating to human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
He has engaged, educated and lobbied parliamentarians and human rights groups in his own Australia as well as Canada, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA and the EU. He has addressed European Members of Parliament in the EU parliamentary complex chaired by Robert Evans EU MP, Britain’s’ most senior MP to the EU. In July 2008, Dr Senewiratne met with Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town and other ANC leaders and politicians to discuss the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
His mission is to also inform and motivate the youth to take a courageous and determined stand against violation of human rights and the abuse of democracy. He has addressed students at several Canadian universities including the University of York and the University of Toronto (UFT).
He has been honored in the US, Canada, Malaysia and Australia. Some of the citations read as follows: “An International Crusader for Human Rights and Dignity the World Over”, awarded in the US, “A Promoter of Justice for All and for Tireless Contributions for Upholding Justice and Human Rights” awarded in Canada, “ For the Excellent Contribution to the International Sri Lankan Diaspora in Promoting Peace and Goodwill and for Campaigning for Human Rights and Safety of Globally Displaced peoples” and “In Appreciation of Your Outstanding and Exceptional Contribution to the Tamil Community in Sri Lanka” in Australia.
In March 2009, Canadians for Genocide Education – an umbrella organization comprising some 48 multiracial and multi-religious organizations selected Dr Senewiratne to receive their prestigious ‘Educator Award’ for 2009 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to genocide education and prevention and to deliver the annual ‘Genocide Education Lecture’ at the University of Toronto. Titled, “Peace with Justice in Sri Lanka. Genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils. Its Causes and Solution”.
Dr Senewiratne has addressed meetings and rallies in Brisbane in support of asylum seekers organized by the Refugee Action Collective (RAC) and Amnesty International. He was one of four speakers invited to address the University of Sydney’s Democracy Forum in the Faculty of Law and International Law; the others were Prof Ivan Schirer (IGEP member), Shiva Pasupathi, former Attorney General of Sri Lanka and Prof Paul Dominic, Prof of Law.
Despite his age he has not slowed down in his mission to deliver justice, human rights and dignity to the voiceless and less privileged. In his pursuit for justice for victims massacred in May 2009 during the final phases of the war in Sri Lanka, he continues to give media interviews and address meetings. He addressed the Socialist Alliance (Brisbane) to give a background to the Sri Lankan problem before the UK Channel 4 video, “Killing Fields” was screened in Brisbane and then to lead the discussion on what could be done about it.
He has given Radio interviews on the current humanitarian situation in the North and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka in both Perth and Melbourne to apprise the Australian people on the still ongoing persecution and plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
He was elected by Peter Arndt, Head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Peace and Justice Section, to join this select group to campaign for peace and justice in Sri Lanka. He has also acted as a lay preacher.
Dr. Senewiratne’s international advocacy work and activism illustrates his dedicated and exemplary service to the cause of human rights, human dignity and social justice. His life’s work, both as a health professional caring for the sick and as a human rights advocate, championing the rights of the underdog, acting with the courage of his convictions, is a testament to what a true consummate humanitarian he is. Undoubtedly he is a living legend and we salute him.
NB: Since writing this Dr Brian Senewiratne has written many more articles and authored a book on: Rape Of Tamil Women, Men And Children By Sri Lankan Armed Forces And Their Collaborators [2]
[1] https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/s-j-v-chelvanayakam-the-father-of-the-tamil-nation/
[2] https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/rape-of-tamil-women-men-and-children-by-sri-lankan-armed-forces-and-their-collaborators/
Tilak de Silva / February 28, 2015
Usha Sri Skandarajah your description of Dr Brian Seneviratne is fitting of him, as you mention he came from a privileged family back ground, for his devotion to causes of Tamil people in Sri Lanka, what you fail to recognise is other less recognised people, who tirelessly work for the Tamil cause. Have you ever thought why a Sinhala gentleman had to take the lead for the cause of Tamils. Yes there are other Tamil scholars, politicians who work hard but not seek publicity or even allow well intended persons to create publicity, like Dr Seneviratne they work hard, I think you need extend your analytical mind and do some genuine research. You fondly mention late SJV, late SWRD, late William Gopallawa, late Mr J.R Jayawardena, ordinary person would get the feeling this name dropping by you is to seek self publicity to promote your self, reading your articles you have the hidden talent to promote your self at the expense of criticising other views, down trodding others right to make comments. This is not helpful to Tamil cause, which is an extension of the Tamil
attitude in Sri Lanka, feeling superior to other racial groups in Sri Lanka. Sinhala people want Tamils to be a part of Sri Lanka, not be an outsider, criticising government every step of the way. The ‘genocide rsolution’ is a bad step by CV, it will open up healing wounds, because any sensible person understands genocide was started by Velupoolai Prabahkaran, previous government had to intervene to save Tamil masses, and you do not criticise or even mention in detail in your articles.
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Sylvia Haik / February 28, 2015
Tilak de Silva, I don’t think you’d recognise sincerity if it hits you in the face. I fully endorse Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah’s admiration of Dr. Brian Senewiratne but I fail to see the reason for your criticism for not acknowledging other humanitarians. If you feel that strongly about those people why don’t you just write about them instead of criticising those that don’t.
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Off the Cuff / March 1, 2015
Dear Sylvia Haik and Usha,
Brian Senewiratne is a Senator of the Transnational Govt of Tamil Eelam and is a colleague of Usha, who is also a senator of TGTE.
She says “Dr. Brian Senewiratne’s steadfast commitment to defending human rights…..”
A few days ago on 19 Feb 2005 she was quoting and praising her employee, Geoffrey Robertson QC about a so called Genocide of Tamils in Lanka.
Usha is on a campaign of building up the “reputation” of people who will attend the next UNHCR sessions in Geneva. Brian S is slated to attend. She is campaigning full steam for SELECTIVE “Restorative Justice”.
But what is strange is that these Bleeding Hearts oozing the milk of human kindness from their breasts, utters nary a word, about the Rights of a minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE.
Not a word about the Rights of the Parents and Siblings of those child soldiers.
According to UNICEF, during the last stages of the war at least 200 children a month were abducted (some as young as 9 years) and used as sand bags by the LTTE, financed by the TGTE and other separatist Diaspora organisations (GTF, BTF etc).
Non of these Hypocrites want Restorative Justice for them.
Did Brian Senewiratne or Usha or ANYONE of the Tamil Separatist Organisations agitate for the arrest and prosecution of the Commander, Trainer and Recruiter of the Baby Brigade who personally commissioned those children as soldiers by garlanding the children with a Cyanide Capsule necklace? The BBC library has films of the event which they telecast.
Is it because the War Criminal is also dead like Prbahkaran?
Is it because this cannot be placed at the doorstep of the SL govt or her armed forces?
The Commander, Recruiter and Trainer of the Baby Brigade of the LTTE, Ms Adelle Balasingham Lives in the UK right under the nose of the British Tamil Forum, Global Tamil Forum and the TGTE of Usha and Brian.
CM Wigneswaran’s Northern PC resolution on Genocide has ignored the Tamil Diaspora funded killings of future generations by the LTTE.
Thus it is clear that ALL this Crying and Chest Thumping is not done on behalf of the victims of the War but for other ulterior motives.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Mallaiyuran / March 1, 2015
Off case’s Rubbish! Worth for nothing! This guy is a chronic mental case.
Off case cannot even write a regular propaganda for his government for which this clown is employed, criticizes Senator as propagandist. She is arguing her side. This Narmal University lower cannot figure out the difference between a propagandist and a person argues for her side. He is trying to measure the Senator he as the yard stick. Those who know the senator know how the people in her own circle respect her of her greatness. She is not thief in the dark like you. I challenge you, if you have courage to face truth or face her, come out; she is always ready to answer your questions if you can establish your facts.
1. Off case all these time fails to use the words in the meaning of the dictionary guide.
“A few days ago on 19 Feb 2005 she was quoting and praising her employee, Geoffrey Robertson QC” Could you, please, give the company name senator Usha owns and Roberson drawing his pay check out of it. Could you reprint a pay of Robertson here. If you don’t know the meaning of words, you the proud graduate of Namal University, please don’t horribly distort the meaning of the words. You frequently forgets how nasty is your own employment contract is. In your writing, you could not meet one word equal to Senator, so trying to throw mud on her per your low class mentality. Further, a shameful truth is, Old King gave up on ineffective Off Case like locals and went for external Law firms, only after Diaspora started to use Lawyer with real knowledge. When Off case became jealous, he wrote that he teach international lawyers law. – Off case a comedy mental case.
2. Now this clown lost feeling for arithmetic too.
“Rights of a minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE.” Off Case, Dr.Brain Senevarate has written a book about the Lankan rowdy army’s rape history of Tamil women. (Rowdy army just did not rape in Lankave where the Nirvana Buddhism thrive to facilitate illegal sex easy, it went under UN flag to rape in Haiti too – these heartless animals, who keep sex with animals and write it as their holy scripts and read back as their gospel, raped women and children in a country that is rated as poorest in the worlds. Man! You don’t have a feeling in your hand before you touch those poor that much battered women with that ill intention? These animals are not lion tripe; A merciless hyenas tripe) could you name you own book and research rather than your cut and paste?
You have a government. You the Namal University lowyer are part of it. Last 9 years some donkeys claimed they investigated and had freed the Army as they did not make mistake. What did you do with the Hundred Thousand parents who lost the children? Helped them? Paid them compensation? Rehabilitated their life? Or Raped murdered and bulldozed them too? Or is that the cut and paste King, Off Case’s government also good only in cut and paste rather than investigate? Is that why the truth of that hundred thousand child soldiers’ story is not on any government report?
You are trying to produce a BBC news piece. Can you explain why the BBC and the SLBC’s contract broke? Isn’t that because BBC refused to cut and paste the Lanka media? Let the BBC come free into the country. Let them go to Jaffna, Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi… Let them produce a program with free hand. Then you bring your cut and paste and the BBC report. Now we can bring here the Chanel-4. But we know for sure you are allergic to that so you cannot watch it.
Off case, your comment is not equal even to the tail of the senator’s essay. She has put 100% evidence and proves in her writing. She is not gossiping like with off the cuff. Don’t make yourself a laughing stock like this again by running into an unsuitable palace for your gossips.
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Off the Cuff / March 2, 2015
Dear Mallaiyuran,
Long winded reply from you but unfortunately your command of English is insufficient to understand what I have written in order to make a logical rebuttal. Language is more than just a string of words. You can’t understand it by just using a dictionary.
Re “Those who know the senator know how the people in her own circle respect her of her greatness”
Of course in the company of idiots she is wise and so was Prabahkaran when he led you by the nose.
“She is not thief in the dark like you. I challenge you, if you have courage to face truth or face her, come out; she is always ready to answer your questions if you can establish your facts”
Mallaiyuran, you have taken leave of your senses. You are using a Pseudonym yourself. Aachariya, Tamil Chanakyan, Manimaaran are three Pseudonyms of a well known Tamil Lecturer from the Jaffna University. Burning Issue is a Tamil but that is not his name. Only idiots have a problem with “Names” that is because they can’t write factual and challenging rebuttals. I am not worried about who you are. You can even call yourself Rudrakumaran, the Prime Minister of la la land, I have no problem with it.
Like you Usha also also tried the same tactic but she was given an appropriate reply.
There is a saying in Sinhala about the woodpecker meeting it’s Waterloo when it pecks at the Banana tree. That’s what Usha found out when she challenged me twice, 2 years ago. Therefore keep your EMPTY challenges to yourself.
Since you two are in personal touch, try and convince her to write a devastating reply to anything that I write. I will welcome it but she is too afraid to try, because she can remember her last attempt 2 years ago.
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-1002099345
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-1002155023
Anpu as usual congratulated her as he does everywhere. My reply to Anpu disclosing my identity as M.N.I.N. Perera shook Usha.
Here are some extracts from my first reply to her
Dear Ms Usha S Sri Skanda-Rajah,
I am happy that the TRUTH has got under your skin, Madam Senator, of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam(sic). Are you looking for my identity to send your goons to silence me?
My writings contain copious references that are authoritative. Such as the British Historian Dr. Jane Russel, University Teacher’s for Human Rights (Jaffna), renowned Historians such as Prof. K.M.D.Silva, The Hindu Organ (a Tamil Newspaper of Jaffna in the 1930s), Writings of Sebastian Rasalingam (a low cast oppressed Tamil from Jaffna, probably an octogenarian now, living in Canada), Moderate Tamils such as (Dr Pradeep Jeganathan & Dr. Noel Nadesan), The Hansard (the Report of Parliamentary proceedings), Acts of Parliament, Court proceedings of the United States, The UK, etc, Official Census Statistics, Sir Emmerson Tennant (the former Colonial Secretary), etc. I try to avoid the Mahavamsa as much as possible and instead use TAMIL sources extensively. Hence I fail to see, how what I write, depend on my Identity. What matters is what I write, my real name is irrelevant. If you can, contest them with facts. I welcome it.
Strangely, I have never seen you question the many Eelamists and Separatists, who write under pseudonyms here on GV or elsewhere. Prominent among them is a Tamil Lawyer, a teacher of Law, at a Lankan University, who is listed as a member of the so called “Tamil Civil Society” (sic) and writes under many pseudonyms such as Aacharya / Tamil Chanakyan / Manimaaran / etc I have refrained from revealing his Identity, in order to respect his desire for anonymity.
…………….. Unlike you, I do not make use of deception.
Here is an example of a deliberately deceptive post from you.
On 02/04/2013 • 12:00 am you wrote
“Would the US really be pushing for another resolution if the Chief Justice had not been impeached?”asks Bateman. Wasn’t 40,000 (70,000? 146, 000 died?) deaths “reason enough” asks Kenneth Roth (HRW) and I wondered about it too!!!
I noticed the deception and asked you the following question on 02/04/2013 • 12:39 pm.
Are those numbers within brackets authored by Kenneth Ross or Dishonestly introduced by you? Can you give us a link to prove Kenneth Ross wrote what you claim he wrote?
Despite a reminder on 02/07/2013 • 1:39 am, you have failed to respond to date. And you have the shameless audacity to question my integrity!
I will proceed to analyse the rest of your post in Part 2 of my reply.
You can read the full comment here http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-1002155027
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This was her reply
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah > Off the Cuff • 2 years ago
Dear Off the Cuff
Kenneth Roth (Executive Director)and James Ross (Legal and Policy Director)are two different people – both are from HRW. I referred to Kenneth Roth – Director HRW who did tweet: Wasn’t 40,000 deaths “reason enough”…
As to (70,000? 146,000 died?) those numbers were mentioned by the UN Internal Review Report and Bishop Rayappu Joseph respectively – that’s why they were put in brackets as the numbers are even now more than 40,000!
I don’t deceive people! Kenneth Roth (not Ross) can attest to his tweet if he sees this!
Usha
PS: I have things to do, can’t always reply, sorry I don’t mean to be rude. I can debate you fair and square but don’t wish to – I was a debater in school you know!
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If you have the BRAINS you will see that Usha was taken aback by my question about the SURREPTITIOUS introduction of the numbers within brackets into Keneth Roth’s tweet. She tried to pass it off as if the number’s were authored by Keneth when it was she who FRAUDULENTLY introduced it.
She knew she was on a bad wicket and added a Post script to withdraw from the debate that she herself started and was going to loose.
That was the LAST TIME she ever challenged me.
If you are interested you can follow the whole debate here
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52381
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These are the comments she ran away from
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52181
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52242
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52286
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52287
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52322
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52381
http://groundviews.org/2013/04/11/the-empty-findings-of-sri-lankas-military-court-of-inquiry/#comment-52607
Kind Regards,
OTC
PS. you cannot understand the written word. What I have written is aimed at a category of people at a higher plane of intelligence than you. They would have got the message. You can ramble on about Kings and queens, Kasi Appan, Dutu Gamunu, Namal U, Haiti and everything else under the sun except the points raised in the comment. That is what a Psycho does.
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Mallaiyuran / March 2, 2015
Off case,
It is ok if you could not write and you can only cut and paste without understanding what is there. But is it ok if I ask you to read it even if you don’t understand?
“She is not thief in the dark like you. I challenge you, if you have courage to face truth or face her, come out; she is always ready to answer your questions if you can establish your facts.” could read this and rewrite in your words so that I can see if you understand it?
As soon as I said “Senator is not a thief hiding in the dark” you very efficiently cut and pasted it to me. Nothing can come from you as original. First, let me give you a fixing lesson on your poor cut and paste mistakes. It is not just a thief hides from the light, even a victim hides from thief too. As soon as said that, don’t come back and tell that you don’t want to come to light because of my notorious government too. That will be really a poor cut and paste. But many times victim walks behind policeman, still may hiding his/her ID, to help him find the thief. But Policeman generally does not hide. He comes in the open light. Senator doesn’t give a damn about your rowdy government.
It is true in many times I wonder what would be your true ID? How your clients might be blasting in their cases…. Now, do you want to debate with me or you want to reply to Senator? I thought, when wrote that comment, you were in the process of replying to her. If you want to reply me, I never need you to come open. I can always answer to your bluffs. No hard feeling. If you want to debate with senator about Mrs. Balasingam, 100,000 children and other all unrelated bluffs, I suggested you to come open. That I did because, last time, when I asked you answer why Waterteka Thero in prison, you gave up and ran away. As an extremely busy person, when senator spend the time and answer and you run away again, it is simply making her foolish. I did not guarantee on the capacity of her work scheduler, but when she said that Dr. Brian has been very helpful to Tamils, then you cut and pasted that “Rights of a minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE.” So it was commonsense, if you come out and offer your prove, she is obligated to answer when that many children in the Tamil community was abduct, why none of these Tamil leaders have not brought it to UN? That is not just of senator; the entire Tamil leaders have to answer. So I still challenge you to come out with the prove for sentence “Rights of a minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE.” Then we ask all Tamil leaders how they are going to take it to UN, primarily, the Senator as she is a person contribute to CT. I assure you, in that circumstances, it is not just Senator; all those call them as Tamil leaders are responsible. But the sad fact is you are low grade soul trying sell your ugly propaganda for the gang you call “the intelligent people” with in the nasty Sinhala Intellectuals. The number you are getting is found only on the instructions your government sent to you when they commanded you to go for this propaganda. It is nowhere lease can be found. But it is also true that anybody read your nasty gossips like “Rights of a minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children (one of the correct usage could be without that “a” of place it somewhere else- Next time check it Off Case) forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE” needs not to see your face to guess how ugly you are!
For your old cut and paste, those who read your comments and senator’s reply can easily guess, without you come open, why she won’t reply to you. But she showed her ladyship by politely indicating that you are hiding and spreading gossips, not worth to reply. But you indecently ran away without replying to me calling me Psycho when I asked you about some questions. You don’t need another one of your low professors to explain your low class mentality and her high class behaviors of the Senator.
Cut and paste King off case is bluffing to my questions. Where is the proof for your writing? “Rights of a minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE.” This is just one question in my earlier comment. If you sincerely answer this I can remind others after that. As usual, you are trying to cut and paste my question of 150,000 murders of the Lankan army back to me. Though nothing can come out of you as original, 150,000 is not something secret number. It was the number appearing in the government books in Mullaithivu. As per the GAs there, 450,000 were living before the war started 8 month ago. 300,000 spotted in Camps (Nobody knows what happened even to the one came to camps). So it was guessed in 8 months 150,000 were killed.
Though we use this estimate in writings, this is not the number we will accept after an IC inquiry in to the disappearing. This is not counting the dead soldiers the Old and the New Royal Governments refusing tell in the south and pay the dependents some pensions. Expert Panel said more than 40,000, internal report said more than 70,000 and the latest is more than 100,000. As UN is not using scientific methods to estimate the number, which many Tamils are guessing more than 300,000, I have to plead excuse from you for giving you so badly underestimated numbers in my writings.
My estimate is based on the left over 90,000 widowed mothers. As the Old Royal government has claimed it did not target anybody, the 90,000 are random mothers. This tells another 90,000 men are there as widowers, not much interested by NGOs. That is 180,000 adults are lost as their spouses. On the children side, we have to put two per family, for the random death. Of cause, in Lankan homes, children are much more than two. Then there were 180,000 children vanished. These are family based. Non family based adults, old and youngsters should be added to another 180,000. This makes the 500,000 should be an underestimate. I am sorry if I keep saying it is only 150,000. That is only for a talk not for final proof. Other than that, Without any IC inquiry, I am not interested in accepting you bogus cut and paste.
I did not come to question about the numbers of UNECSO which was distorted by Rhdhika and Karuna. UN is not able to give number of how many died in the war. But much weaker agency did a penetrating intrusion into the war and watched when 200 children per month being abducted. If it is so, this UNESCO story is more horrible than Off Case’s gossips.
Why are you avoiding answering my question? Where is the proof for the 100,000 thousand Kids? What did the government did about it? Why your numbers are only coming from your propaganda material? There was no government existed in Lankave to confirm the 100,000 number you are giving? My final question is what your action for the killed 100,000 children is. Use it only in election propaganda when you keep changing from UPFA to UNP?
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Lanka Liar / April 5, 2015
This a toy government. So why you bother whether they are senators or cooks
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Emil van der Poorten / March 2, 2015
Sylvia Hauk:
I’d like to endorse what you have to say completely.
This is the first occasion that I have read anything by Ms. Sri Skandarajah and to accuse her of “name dropping,” as Tilak de Silva does, is simply hollow accusation, without basis in reality, and does, in fact, suggest that gentleman’s singular inability to grasp why the names of prominent Sri Lankans are mentioned by her, the context in which those names have been “dropped.”
I believe the Sri-Skanda-Rajah family does itself have a very history of bravery and honourable conduct in Sri Lanka, one instance being a teenage member of the family holding a (Sinhala)racist mob at bay during Emergency ’58 when they sought to torch his family home and kill its occupants.
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Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah / March 3, 2015
Mr. Emil van der Poorten and Ms Sylvia Hauk, Thank you for defending me against Mr. Tilak De Silva’s unfair and unjust comment! Thank you also to all who have stood up for Dr. Brian Senewiratne and myself in this forum, I appreciate your kindness.
Best Wishes
Usha
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2015
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah
RE: Tilak de Silva’s Comment
“The ‘genocide rsolution’ is a bad step by CV, it will open up healing wounds, because any sensible person understands genocide was started by Velupoolai Prabahkaran, previous government had to intervene to save Tamil masses, and you do not criticise or even mention in detail in your articles.”
That is because Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah is an LTTE and Tamil Racism Apologist.
They are the Mootals, முட்டாள், Fools of the Tamil People, as opposed to the Tamil and other People with Common sense.
They do not accept their so-called Maveeran is in reality a Mootal Veeran,முட்டாள் வீரன், who could have been more effective in a resolution , if he were not such a Mootal, முட்டாள், Fool. Yes, people do talk obout Sinhala Fools, sinhala Modayas, but the evidence points to the Tamils being greater fools, because they are dominated by the Mootals,முட்டாள். It is sad situation for the Tamils with Common sense, because of the Mootals. This Can be compared to the God, Allah following Muslims and the Shaitan, Iblis Following Wahhabis and their clones ISIS, Mootals, முட்டாள், Fools.
Fools, Mootals முட்டாள் and Modayas, in whatever hues they come from are still Fools, Mootals முட்டாள் and Modayas.
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah, needs to make the Choice, instead of trying to white wash LTTE , VP and their atrocities, and move forward. Evolution will make sure the Mootals முட்டாள் will end up being extinct.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2015
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah
“wrote about him in October 2011 calling him a true consummate humanitarian – both of which I want so much to share – especially when I read some of the flak he gets for fervently defending the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and drawing world attention to their plight.”
Perhaps, you should have said about the Sinhala who do not Practice Double standards, and treats other Citizens, non-Sinhala like citizens equally.
Usha, you never mention and always try to down play the discrimination done by Tamils to non-Tamils, including the Tamil Speaking Muslims and even the Low caste Tamils.
It was Your Maveeran Mootal VP and the LTTE Company that tried the Ethnic Cleansing or expelling of Muslims from the Northern Province and Jaffna. Of course they did not extend that courtesy to Low-Caste Tamils.
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jansee / February 28, 2015
Tilak:
Just like a monkey pretending to be a human, this site is maintained by CT and I am scratching my head as to how Usha “down trodding others right to make comments”. I believe CT has given you and Usha the same “space” to give their comments.
Whoever said the wounds are healing. Is it your uncles MR and GR? That festering wound was never allowed to be healed. Well, you can help the SL regime to prove CV wrong – that there was no genocide. Call for an international independent inquiry to determine who is right. Do you have the balls for it?
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Real Peace / February 28, 2015
Hi Ms Gorgeous
Please, Usha, disown the LTTE. How can you be a follower of SJV and VP. The former is a decent person the latter is a criminal crook.
Only if you dissociate yourself from the LTTE you will receive the due respect and recognition from your readers.
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Peace Lover / February 28, 2015
While I dont agree with Usha on many of her articles I endorse her admiration of Brian Seneviratne
I think its only fair that Native Vedha writes a similar article praising K A Sumanasekera to keep us entertained!
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Anpu / February 28, 2015
“Dr Brian Senewiratne Our Hero Amongst The Sinhalese”
Thank you Brian and Usha. Wish you all the best.
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Off the Cuff / March 1, 2015
Dear Anpu,
Both Usha and Brian work for the same exceptionally Rich Company.
Both hold High Office of the “Transnational Govt of Tamil Eelam”. I believe Brian’s wife is a Tamil Lady, as his son is Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam, who significantly, does not share Brian’s views.
Usha in particular, has been singing the praises of Yasmin Sooka who was party to EXONERATING the LTTE of a very serious war crime Viz the use of a HUMAN SHIELD. Even in this article she is using Ms. Yasmin Sooka that she takes every opportunity to praise and to prop up, in her TGTE propaganda effort.
(please see POE report section 237, ICC Statute Article 8 War crimes (b) (xxiii) and my comment addressed to Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at this link for details.
.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/un-human-rights-chief-urged-to-visit-sri-lanka/comment-page-1/#comment-1756306).
.
The TGTE has BOUGHT “Dr Brian Senewiratne, the same way the TGTE and their comrades BOUGHT Ms. Yasmin SOOKA, Marzuki Darusman, Steven Ratner and Geoffrey Robertson QC.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Emil van der Poorten / March 3, 2015
OTC:
Don’t you (and the rest of the Rajapaksa Sycophancy) ever tire of the endless accusations levelled against anyone who dares not to march in lock-step with the Fascists you support?
You’ve accused everyone from the late Nelson Mandela, through Noam Chomsky, Archbishop Tutu and EVERYONE daring to dissent from your “official” line of being in the pay of some diasporic group with seemingly bottomless pockets.
If you and your ilk come out of your pseudonymous hiding places, it will be only too obvious who is in the pay of whom!
For goodness sake, don’t any of you lot have anything to say that isn’t prefaced and followed by, “…in the pay of the Tigers?”
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Mallaiyuran / March 4, 2015
That is what you call a comment.
OTC not commenting or writing anything truth. His job is rumor mongering and gossip spreading.
There are three type of admirable fighters
1). Defenders – Fight for self’s or associated with self’s protection, when there is a dangers.
2). Freedom Fighters – Fight for a community(mainly living in ), Not merely for self or associated people.
3). Human Right Fighters and defenders – Dr.Brian Like people who fight for general welfare of everyone,without defining a particular group. Dr.Brain is on top of this list (3). Many Tamils may fall only on the second level.
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Athula / February 28, 2015
His balanced views are admired by all – you must read ‘My friend Prabhakaran – never hurt a fly’, ‘ Tamils as economic opportunists – an absurd theory’ and the best seller ‘How to seamlessly insert genocide into every sentence’ Like in the case of Hitler, he will die on a Sri Lankan holiday.
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Pygmalion / February 28, 2015
Native.
Usha hari Narakai!
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Pot Shot / February 28, 2015
I too have the highest respect regard for Mr. Brian Seniviratne. Its a fact that the Tamil people and other minorities have been subject to majority rule that has led to a series of turmoil in the country. But Usha is a polariser and out for revenge. It is never a starting point for reconciliation but opportunity for further division. These our the trends we need to be cautious of. The Diaspora is worse than the LTTE.
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Afzal / February 28, 2015
any dickhead who support diashora views is a hero for usha, UNHRC was a hero until recently.
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bo / February 28, 2015
Nonsense: Your hero amongst sinhalese are Mithripala Sirisena and the remaining Sinhalaese that voted him in and rejected the MoRon.
BTW I did not see any Tamil people voting for BS. May be you are a day dreamer from a foreign land.
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P Carpenter / February 28, 2015
Usha,
Whilst Dr. Seneviratne deserves credit for espousing the rights of Tamils, I have a problem with your narrow interpretation of the conflict in Sri Lanka. For example, it’s true that successive Sri Lankan governments have intentionally undermined the Tamils and other minorities. However, the LTTE too imposed severe suffering on the very people it claimed to protect and you have never held them responsible for gross human rights violations, including, the forcible recruitment of child soldiers, assassination of Tamil politicians, and extortion of funds from the Tamil Diaspora. To the contrary, the likes of you, including your husband, silently cheered the LTTE for unleashing acts of terrorism.
Your acts of omission undermine your credibility and wouldn’t help any efforts aimed at highlighting the true plight of Tamils.
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Peace Lover / February 28, 2015
spot on P Carpenter,I too agree 100% on what you said about Usha and her likes cheering the terror boys of the LTTE while safe in foriegn soil!
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Pot Shot / February 28, 2015
P. Carpenter
You couldn’t have said it better.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / February 28, 2015
Not long after this racist We Thamizh terrorist supporter was waxing lyrical about the corpulent jayalalitha she found herself in jail – to be freed after her disproportionate assets are cut back down to an appropriate size, possibly by making her eat some normal sized meals :D
It shows precisely the types of disgusting characters revered by We Thamizh – and doesn’t bode well for the self hating[Edited out] Brian :D
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Native Vedda / February 28, 2015
Wee Thamihz Senior Journalist D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon
“Not long after this racist We Thamizh terrorist supporter was waxing lyrical about the corpulent jayalalitha she found herself in jail”
Brilliant.
Now that the Wee Thamihz senior journalist has come up with a cunning plan, Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah should now attempt to compose a kavia or prasasti in adulation of MR, Gota, Basil, Weerawansa and his wife, ….
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jansee / February 28, 2015
Dr Brian should NOT be seen just a sinhalese. He is the sparkling light of humanity and is the torch of a race – the human race. I have met him once and this icon of the human spirit deserves a unique and special place in the hearts of minds of “human beings” MY BEST WISHES TO HIM.
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Mati Dombasiri / February 28, 2015
Jangee
Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!! What a compliment, heh, heh. I presume “the moon is at the peak of maturing now a day”. It is seasonal.
Sure you are absolutely correct!!!!!!!!Brian is not a Sinhalese my friend. Calling him as a Sinhalese is an insult to the whole Sinhalese Race. Brian is a still-born child to a LTTE vagabond funded by Die-Ass-Poo-ra like Usha dreaming on Peelum La-La Land.
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Native Vedda / February 28, 2015
Mati Dombasiri
“Calling him as a Sinhalese is an insult to the whole Sinhalese Race.”
You mean insult to Sinhalese who are genetically speaking closely related to Tamil Nadu Tamils.
In other word Tamils are insulting Tamils. Isn’t it obvious?
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jansee / February 28, 2015
Mati Dombi:
I have heard of moon waxing and waning. What a great intellectual you are Mati. You must be appointed as the next royal astrologer of King MR. After all, in god’s unfettered wisdom, he has endowed you the secret of a “seasonal” moon. Congratulations.
What a sigh. Looks you need to be beaten to shape like a school hid for not even able to read what I wrote. Why display your utter ignorance and show your world the stupidity. Go and ask your English teacher. He or she may teach you understand better thus “Dr Brian should NOT be seen just a sinhalese”. Who is the still-born child here. Hilarious you.
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Mati Dombasiri / March 1, 2015
Jangee
Astrology is not my type and I believe in behavioural science. They are well obvious in terra’s comments in CT forums. And also collecting to promote and fund terrorisms s also not my type. They are the main and mean acts of people like yourself and Usha (Usha’s or [Edited out]).
Writing bush-shit poems and articles to promote and praise LTTE terrorisms in Sri Lanka are the hobbies of pathetic loosers of Die-Ass-Poo-ra.
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Sylvia Haik / February 28, 2015
Thank you Jansee, I am wholeheartedly with you in praise of Dr. Brian Senewiratne.
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PAUL NEW MAN / February 28, 2015
It is a fitting tribute to a great human being who has tirelessly crusaded the cause of the Tamils despite so many threats, abuses, intimidations. He has made the ultimate sacrifice by not being able to visit his beloved homeland. Being a physician he has relentlessly exposed the continuous victimization of the Tamils and spent his personal money to expose the anti human regimes. Thank you sir for what you are.
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brian Senewiratne / February 28, 2015
Thank you so much, all of you. However, as I told Archbishop Desmond Tutu when I met him in Cape Town and he kept saying “Isn’t it wonderful that a Sinhalese should be campaigning for the Tamil people for all these decades”, I said “I respectfully disagree. This is not a Tamil issue or a Sinhalese issue but a humanitarian issue that should be of concern to all who call them human beings”
My greatest regret is that there are not too many Sinhalese who think this way – though there are some. Dr Vickremabahu Karunaratne is a striking example. More so, much more so,was the late Adrian Wijemanne,one of the greatest Sinhalese that I have ever met. Just before he died he entrusted me with his outstanding collection of articles. I am ashamed to say that I still have not published them. Hopefully I can do this before I join Adrian. He must have been one of the finest Sinhalese, the other being a person I call one of the ‘Saints’ of Sri Lanka, Bishop Lakshman Wickremasinghe, Bishop of Kurunagala. I pale in comparison with these Sinhalese ‘giants’ – the latter being a physical giant too.
The Tamils have produced some outstanding writers. The names that come to mind are Subramanium Sivanayagam, Justice Satchi Ponnabbalam, V.Navaratnam, Founder member of the Federal Party, and, of course, Usha Sriskandarajah. These are people whose writings should be collected and sent to the Jaffna Library so that the future generation of Tamils will appreciate the contribution that they have made.
The other, dare I say it, was my mother’s brother, Edmund Samarakkody, who worked all his life for justice for the Tamil people, and, admirably, for the marginalised Sinhalese rural youths too.
It has been my privilege and good fortune to have met and worked with these outstanding people.
At a personal level, it is unfortunate that despite six and a half decades of campaigning for justice, I have achieved so little, if anything.
I started all this as a 16 year old boy, way back in 1948, when the Plantation Tamils were disenfranchised and decitizenised in one of the worst acts of political barbarism anywhere in the world (a seventh of the entire population of the country made non-people).I worked with these people in the early 1970s when I was a don in the Peradeniya University and saw the terrible life they led.
Last week, I sked a Sinhalese lad who was working in my laboratory in Kandy whether he could slip over to the tea plantations and send me some photographs of the living conditions of the ‘coolies’ as they were so outrageously called. He sent me some 25 photographs and details of how they lived today,in February 2015. I was shocked beyond belief. They seem to be worse now than they ever were.These are the people who by their sweat, toil and tears, put Sri Lanka on the map- and continue to do so.
Sri Lanka has a long way to go. Getting rid of a tyrannical regime is just a start – except that even that might be reversed – God forbid
Brian Senewiratne
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Off the Cuff / March 1, 2015
Dear Brian Senewiratne,
One TGTE Senator patting the other TGTE Senator on the Back!!!
According to UNICEF, during the last stages of the war at least 200 children a month were abducted (some as young as 9 years) and used as sand bags by the LTTE, financed by the TGTE and other separatist Diaspora organisations (GTF, BTF etc).
A minimum Hundred Thousand Tamil children were forced into Child soldiering and used as cannon fodder by the LTTE.
Did you or Usha or ANYONE of the Tamil Separatist Organisations agitate for the arrest and prosecution of the Commander, Trainer and Recruiter of the Baby Brigade who personally commissioned those children as soldiers by garlanding the children with a Cyanide Capsule necklace? The BBC library has films of the event which they telecast.
Is it because that War Criminal is also dead like Prabahkaran?
Is it because this cannot be placed at the doorstep of the SL govt or her armed forces?
Or is it because any International probe will expose those who financed the operation?
The Commander, Recruiter and Trainer of the Baby Brigade of the LTTE, Ms Adelle Balasingham Lives in the UK right under the nose of the British Tamil Forum, Global Tamil Forum and the TGTE of Usha and you.
Any hope that you, Usha or the TGTE will push for Adele’s arrest and prosecution?
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Mallaiyuran / March 2, 2015
Came on baby, You are cutting and pasting your own throw up. Didn’t you say this garbage earlier too. Then you cut and pasted your lies here too?
The Cut and paste King is a Poor soul!
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Alahakoon / March 1, 2015
Brian Senewiratne,
I am another admirer of your work. Thank you Sir.
It is unfortunate to see that you rated your achievement as very little, but I am afraid that I have to agree with you there. I recently saw photo of Bin Larden and his 25~30 male/ female friends taken in early 1970s. All boys were wearing Bellbottoms and girls warring short frocks, and all having western hairstyles and no burkas or even scarfs. What happened to them in the last 40 years. The same wicked cultural shift has been happened in Lanka. But in the same period West moved from slavery to human rights, human values safeguards.
I put whole blame to people like me and my fathers, who understand you, your courage, and see what West is achieving, but not brave enough to come forward and work with people like you, being selfish…. and let wicked, foolish people to destroy the country.
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vas / February 28, 2015
Usha,
I don’t think you know Dr Brians background. His family is of a christian background who collaborated with the bristish to subjugate and deprive the Sinhalese mainly the buddhists of their rights no different from the ancestors of JRJ, SWRD , SJV etc. JRJ and SWRD and the likes became buddhists and joined the ruling elite after independence. They probably was forgiven by the sinhalese for the injustices committed by their ancestors. The sinhalese had only a few leaders as the british deprived them of a proper education and wealth that was only opened to the christians.hence JRJ ,SWRD etc found it easy to join the main stream politics. Dr Brian felt they were never a part of SL having been sustained by the british who gave them privileged positions to control the sinhalese by giving them a christian education and high ranking office such as Mudaliyars etc. His grouse was never different from the Tamils who felt they could note enjoy the privileges they had after independence. Instead of the continous anti sinhala rhetoric this man should apologise to the injustices his family perpetrated on the sinhala people. My only hope is that the truth should prevail
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ABCD / March 1, 2015
@Vas
I know this might sound biased since i am a christian myself. But in general christianity was a postive force in sri lanka. As a lot of the educational instituations in sri lanka were built by christian orgainisations. Especially on the tamil side christianity helped to eradicate caste barriers. Actually even on the sinhalese side chritianity helped to eradicate caste barriers. It is said that sinhalese karawe christian youth have some of the best educational outcomes in sri lanka. So i don’t know why you gripe about christianity.
Infact part of the reason why kerala has a much higher rate of education than the rest of india is due to the impact of christian missionaries.
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vas / March 2, 2015
ABCD
After the ova vellessa rebellion against the british for abandoning the agreement it made with the Kandyan aristocracy colbrook commission was appointed. One must never forget the christen Colonislists killed thousands of sinhala buddhist, burnt buddhist libraries of Aluwihara etc and the crimes committed against the sinhala buddhist are unbelievable. The recommendations of the colbrook commission are the division of the Sinhala land into 9 provinces with an effort to make them isolated surrounded by indian tamils and enhancing the minorities with in provinces to bcome majorities the repercussions of it are still felt. The other recommendations were the creation of a public service employment in which was restricted to sinhala christians and minorities. The Buddhists did not qualify for employment. it created a legislature where there was no representation of the 74% of the (sinhala buddhists) people. The discrimination is unbelievable.
With regards to this christian education which you emphasise let me tell you that it was created for christians and employment with in the public service. No buddhists were allowed unless they converted to christianity. It was meant to reeducate the elite surpressing the native religion and culture. The so called literacy only increased after free education. Unfortunately the so called christian schools continue producing a group of people who are imitators of the west with little feeling for the culture and the ethos of there ancestors.With regards to christian educators doing away with the caste system which is a load of baloney instead it created a servile christian elite.that is still destroying the country.
A product of that christian education is Brian Seneviratne. One of his favourite rhetoric against the sinhalese buddhists is the ill treatment of the Indian Tamil labourers. Who brought them not the sinhala buddhists, Who treated them like slaves not the sinhala buddhists It was the the white christian colonial power and the big english companies such as carson cumber badge etc. Why blame the Sinhala Buddhists. Sorry sir the man epitomises the products of christian education. A completely brain washed qualified person who has now found his niche amongst his hero worshippers the white europeans in australia.
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R. Varathan / February 28, 2015
For those of our Sinhalese friends so angry with Brian S they call him
“traitor” and “unpatriotic” for sympathising with the Lankan Tamil cause, let me remind them what Dr. Brain S often says – admittedly in different phraseology – “I will fight for the Sinhalese just as much if they were so unjustly treated” The worm is slowly but surely turning with such Sinhala supremacists like the Ven. Muduluwewa Sobita Thero and others from the other side of the divide in the Sinhala South regretting Tamils were wronged. As they say, truth will eventually triumph.
R. Varathan
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Off the Cuff / March 1, 2015
Dear R. Varathan,
Re “Dr. Brain S often says – admittedly in different phraseology – “I will fight for the Sinhalese just as much if they were so unjustly treated”
Really? Really?? Really???
Ask him what he has done to emancipate the Sinhala victims of British Colonial brutality, the Kandyan Sinhala Peasantry that numbers over a Million?
According to the 1946 census on population in the agricultural sector of the island, 40% of the agricultural peasant families found in the former Kandyan Kingdom were landless while there were 26% landless agricultural families recorded in the wet zone (Herath 1995: 79).
These lands are today occupied by a million Indian Origin Tamils and the ORIGINAL owners are still Landless
You will praise anyone who will connive with you to hide the Truth.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Plato. / February 28, 2015
Dr.Brian has not indulged in anti Sinhala rhetoric.His is the voice of reason.His is the voice of Humanity.There are many others like Dr.Brian and BAHU but do not publicly voice their sentiments for fear of being labelled as this and that.Dr.Brian and BAHU throw caution to the winds when upholding a cause.Both are assets to the nation.
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truthful / February 28, 2015
I was a student under Dr Brian Seneviratne at Peradeniya Medical faculty in early seventies and I can remember his ward classes at Kandy Hospital. [Edited out]
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Jim softy / February 28, 2015
For Most Germans, Hitler is a hero. For most Tamils, Pabakaran is a god.
So, what is wrong if a member of a LTTE rump says that Brian Senevirathne is a hero.
Most probably, Brian Sensitiveness know if he doe snot bash sinhala people that his wife would push away him from the bed. LOL.
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Bruz / March 1, 2015
Undoubtedly, Dr Brian Seneviratne types are rare gems of Lanka and humanity, a hard to find true human and we all, fair minded honest Lankans should be very proud of this gentleman. So was Adrian Wijemanne, and our still kicking Dr Wlckremabahu Karunaratne and there are notable non racist others too.
Racism kills and destroy countries, people and life without fail.
Only the racist minded people do not accept these as humanitarian advocates but hate them as traitors due to their lack of wisdom, not wanting to understand due to brain washed venomous racism. Anything to do with Tamil issues or other minorities are treated as unpatriotic, anti-Sinhalese, non Buddhist !
They will never learn anything but destroy the nation, peace and citizen with their narrow mind set, cultivated by the successive regimes and selfish politicians, solely to capture the power by any means.
The erosion of disciplined life style, lack of proper education, lack of honest and sincere believes in religious faith,anger , jealousy, suspicion, fear paranoia, power hunger and all the evils are making most of Lankans to act and think unethically and idiotically. It’s so difficult to change their mentality, narrow and petty mind set, after leaving it to rot and decay for a long time. Only a strong and dedicated regime can bring about any change by imposing rule of law, discipline just like Singapore’s former PM Lee Kwan. We are doomed without a leader like him. Because , these racists,thugs,religious fanatics will never allow Lanka to prosper or races to unite and work together to develop the nation. If these rascals are not checked and kept under strict control, the once envy of Asia will go down the drain. There are enough signs indicating that pathetic end which is looming ahead.
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Human rRights Activist / March 1, 2015
I endorse 100% what ever good things Mrs. Sri skandarjah has said about this gem of a
gentleman,a tireless human rights activist.
May God Bless you Doctor for all your good work.
Thank you Mrs. Sri Skandaraja for your excellent article about this gem.
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Karikalan Saravana / March 1, 2015
Mrs. Usha Sri, Your tribute to that noble human being, Dr.Brian Senewiratne.is indeed gratifying. Dr.Brian has defined the moral dimensions of the Tamil cause. I have had occasion to listen to him and marvelled at his sharp intellect,,indepth knowledge, diction and delivery. Really, it was a stunning surprise to learn that he is a nephew of that illustrious leader late Mr. Edmund Samarakody.(I have a hunch,Edmund was related to D.S.Senanayake).In that case,Dr.Brian is related to both Bandaranaikes and Senanayakes ?). To his very last breath, Edmund steadfastly, stood up for his principles. At great personal risk and loss, he stood by the Tamils.Originally he represented Dehiowita (?) electorate from the LSSP. Later, he represented Bulathsinhala. I remember the racists in Parliament derisively referred to Edmund as “MP for “Bulath Themala”. Undaunted by such ugly attacks, this great man, with his colleague Merrl Fernando (Moratuwa MP) continued to fight the injustices heaped on Tamils and the other oppressed people.We all adored him. In our fervour, ( I believe, in 1970) some of us approached him and invited him to contest Colombo South Electorate (which had a concentration of Tamil voters) against J.R.Jayawardene. We offered to organize the entire campaign and to meet the costs. But he declined, and offered to filed his friend Dr. Anandarajah (eye-surgeon?). We were not enthusiastic about it and that was the end of it. No wonder that Dr.Brian has ventured out on a mission to fight Sinhala racism and seek justice for Tamils We salute heroic leaders like Edmund Samarakody, Merryl Fernando,, Bishop Wickremasinghe, Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne . On a global level, Dr.Brian Senewiratne’s contribution to Tamil cause remains monumental. May the good Lord bless him!
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Dr N. Satchi / March 1, 2015
Sometimes long ago an eminent Supreme Court Judge referring to a leading council made a very interesting remark during a court session.
“ The Learned Council Seems To Suffer From Diarrhea Of Diction And Constipation Of Thought”
This would be an apt commentary on the author of this article and her hero with whom she shares an adoring awesome relationship.
What sentimentality! What Superlatives!
The Tamils of Jaffna are not of laughing stock to hold this silly nonsense in veneration. They like the great Judge and their people are made of sterner stuff.
Dr. N. Satchi UK
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Native Vedda / March 1, 2015
Dr N. Satchi
“The Tamils of Jaffna are not of laughing stock to hold this silly nonsense in veneration.”
Of course they not laughing stock for they believe that the first ape spoke Tamil and practiced Saivam, and they also believe their intelligence is only next to Jews.
Don’t they suffer from superiority complex?
PS
This is what I found in Google:
1. An exaggerated feeling of being superior to others.
2. A psychological defense mechanism in which feelings of superiority counter or conceal feelings of inferiority.
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ABCD / March 1, 2015
@Vas
I know this might sound biased since i am a christian myself. But in general christianity was a postive force in sri lanka. As a lot of the educational instituations in sri lanka were built by christian orgainisations. Especially on the tamil side christianity helped to eradicate caste barriers. Actually even on the sinhalese side chritianity helped to eradicate caste barriers. It is said that sinhalese karawe christian youth have some of the best educational outcomes in sri lanka. So i don’t know why you gripe about christianity.
Infact part of the reason why kerala has a much higher rate of education than the rest of india is due to the impact of christian missionaries.
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Jeyam / March 1, 2015
Usha,
Thank you for an excellent write up on Dr. Brian Senewiratne. As one of his students I still remember his passion and commitment not only in the field of medicine but also in humanity.
He is a rare gem. The world needs more people like him.
I wish him all the best for a long healthy life.
Thank you again Usha
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Plato. / March 1, 2015
Native.
The problem in this country is that the Sinhalese and the Tamils suffer from both an Inferiority and Superiority complex! Even Sigmund FREUD would have found it difficult to figure out the causes.
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Native Vedda / March 2, 2015
Plato
Thanks.
Seriously, what is the problem of this island?
Please remember if there is no problem, the little islanders are not only capable of creating one or two new ones but also thrive on new and old (non existent) problems.
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Vijayaraja / April 10, 2015
Dr Brian Senewiratne had the guts to speak for the Tamils.He was more a humanitarian than pro Tamil.When indiscriminate bombings took place where innocent civilians were getting killed or were potential targets he campaigned against all atrocities .He took the initiative to inform the foreign missions and governments .I had the opportunity of attending his meetings and associatie with him in other events in Brisbane.Tamils have to be grateful to him for voicing on behalf of all the down trodden Tamils specially in the northern Sri Lanka.In my view he was neither pro Tamil nor anti Sinhalese..He was just an intelectual and a very nice human being.He was an asset to the society.
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mike / December 9, 2015
[Edited out]
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