By Dayan Jayatilleka –
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
Since anti-Covid-19 potions by black magicians is currently fashionable, one may say that there is a ‘black magic effect’ of fogging of the discussion about the Easter massacre.
Several top security and intelligence officials and officers admit that they received the Indian intelligence tip-off but did not raise the alarm nor really did anything much about it, and they seem to get away with that answer. Did they think that the prospect of a terrorist attack was not the sort of thing they were supposed to be dedicated to and paid a salary for preventing?
More dramatically, a news story broke in Beirut and Colombo that the Saudi embassy had by some intriguing coincidence, strictly cautioned its employees five days before the Easter massacre, not to move around during the Easter season. Has that story been fully investigated? Why doesn’t anyone talk about it?
That story, with an embedded video, was as follows:
‘Special instructions from Saudi Arabia to Embassy on Easter Attack
Written by Staff Writer 04 May 2019 | 7:49 PM
COLOMBO (News 1st) – Lebanese news outlet Alahed News reports that they have obtained a top-secret document sent by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Abdul Nasser al-Harethi.
The letter which was sent 5 days prior to the attack seems to indicate that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was aware of the attack that took place on Easter Sunday.
The letter signed by Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim bin Abdul Aziz al-Assaf instructs the Ambassador to carry out the following steps.
“First: You should delete all documents, computer data and latest correspondence with domestic and foreign members and groups, in addition to imposing a curfew for the embassy personnel unless it is necessary.
Second: You should inform all those related to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including counsellors, security forces and intelligence during the three coming days, especially on the Christian Easter Day, to avoid presence in public and crowded places namely churches.
Third: You should send written news about the Sri Lankan authorities and their viewpoints regularly to this ministry …”
However, 2 days ago the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Sri Lanka advised its nationals to leave Sri Lanka, due to the prevailing situation in the country.
The embassy, in a tweet, said:
“Due to the current security situation in the Republic of Sri Lanka, the embassy advises citizens in Sri Lanka to leave.”
Special instructions from Saudi Arabia to Embassy on Easter Attack (newsfirst.lk)
Tamils Traded-in?
The Tamil parties are trapped between the Government’s unilateralism and Delhi’s apparent shift of focus, or priority, from the North-East Tamils to the Eastern Terminal.
A multi-track countervailing response seems strategically logical and likely:
1. A Tamil United Front, bringing together the able Tamil oppositional parliamentary front-liners, which would facilitate interface with the world community at political, diplomatic, and legislative levels.
2. A Tamil-speaking United Front incorporating the Muslim parties.
3. A self-reliant, self-propelled outreach and worldwide mobilization – including of Indian political society—through reasonable argumentation and leveraging of emergent new global Tamil influence.
Only the full weight and reach of the global Tamil community and its new political and social influence at the higher end, rather than the Tiger-cult devotee enclave, can move the needle of decision-making in capitals including Delhi. Blocking the way is The Prabhakaran Trap. No global soft-power battle of narratives for justice, rights, non-discrimination, and autonomy, can be credibly fought with the archetypally villainous Velupillai cast as the unconvincing hero of an epic tragedy.
Rescuing Asia’s Oldest Democracy
The report of the consultations of the 11th round of diplomatic consultations between China and Sri Lanka confirmed the new dimensional thrust not only in Sino-Lankan relations but also in China’s foreign relations in general:
“…Vice Foreign Minister of China Ambassador Luo Zhaohui said…China stands ready to …continue to implement the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, constantly enhance mutual political trust, and strengthen the exchanges of experience in governance and administration of state affairs.” (Daily FT)
During the great friendship of China’s Premier (and Foreign Minister) Zhou Enlai and Prime Ministers SWRD and Sirimavo Bandaranaike successively, there was no effort to “strengthen the exchanges of experience in governance and administration of state affairs.” As good friends, Premier Zhou and the Bandaranaikes knew that between the different political systems of the PRC and Ceylon/Sri Lanka– one-party and Asia’s oldest democracy respectively– there could and should be exchanges of experiences in many areas but never in the domain of “governance and administration of state affairs”.
As Asia’s oldest democracy, our political system is and should remain qualitatively different and firewalled from that of China’s one-party, ‘party-state’ system which has served China well. However, does President GR think the two are compatible and convergent to the point of “strengthen[ing] experience of governance and administration of state affairs” (presumably including Hong Kong)?
The new Chinese doctrine of “Military-Civil Fusion” (MCF), by placing ‘Military’ before ‘Civil’, appears a deviation from Mao’s “mass line” and firm doctrinal insistence that “the Party commands the gun; not the gun, the Party”. MCF appeared just before the Gotabaya Presidency and is curiously like the regime-model that President Gotabaya has tried to put in place, with negative social results in our contrasting local context.
The Port City and its Chinese investment are decided pluses under any normal, democratic, non-aligned administration (Mahinda/SLPP or Premadasa/SJB), but when the Gotabaya ‘MCF’ regime model is keyed-in, the three components could morph into a qualitatively different offshore strategic platform with high-tech capability jutting into the Indian Ocean, while of course also acting as financial feeder-funnel and anchor for the power-elite. The regime would provide the garrison for the enclave; the enclave would be backup power-source for the regime.
The Gotabaya regime’s voodoo paradigm of converting or razing and redeveloping Asia’s oldest democracy bases itself on the belief in China’s irresistible rise and America’s inexorable decline. That’s unwise.
Firstly, as the Chinese Communist Party enunciated in its Theory of the Three Worlds, when it was at pains to persuade the planet that Moscow was more dangerous than Washington (and succeeded in contributing to the USSR’s demise, helping usher in US unipolarity), it is the rising world power rather than the declining one that tends to be more aggressive and dangerous by virtue of the fact that it is striving to redivide an already divided world. By that logic, if the theory of China’s inexorable rise and America’s inexorable decline is true, it is China rather than the USA that would constitute the greater source of conflict.
Secondly, the present conjuncture in world affairs is a moment of transition from a waning stage defined by the rise of China and the relative decline of the USA, to a waxing stage defined by the contradiction between China’s assertion and America’s global renewal (aimed at re-ascendancy) –and the working out of that dialectic.
Will a grand coalition of democracy, envisaged by President-elect Biden as the cutting edge (or strategic ‘Second Front’?) of the planetary contestation of systems and their governing ideas, sit on the sidelines while the flipping of Asia’s oldest democracy into a target-hardened Trumpism or systemic China-clone continues? Or will that democratic coalition rescue Asia’s oldest democracy?
The answer could demonstrate to the Global South, the Indo-Pacific region and especially to Asia, who might prevail in a clash of wills.
One camp believes a despotic system headed by an Emperor-figure or martial monarch can prevail because it enables the greatest mobilization and concentration of the greatest willpower.
Can democracy prove it wrong? Which system, which political order and idea, has the greater (Nietzschean) “Will to Power”?
Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 17, 2020
Dear Dayan
I seriously think you are conspiring aganist my people. I was hoping you will write some history on all the killings/groups/international players as a man with inside knowledge up North and been the Ambassador to Russia later for the GOSL??
You could consider campaigning and making recommendations for the new constitution
(1) abolition of race and language ghetto party politics and parties in our democracy will give a wonderful and sustainable future for all Sri Lankans….one has to apply lessons learned as a minimum??
(2) Minimal governance and abolition of all provincial council and going back to District development councils.
(3) compulsory military service for all
(4) we should set example to the planet….”One Lanka”. You remember EPRLF try to set up separate state in the North and East PC’s let to the North and East got separated and the PC suspended then?? how many more people have died ever since and for what??
(5) One Indian embassy in Colombo is more than adequate for all the diplomatic requirements between us as people?? we could never have “free land” when embassies crop up with all kind of immunities and operations and secrecies? we would not violate others sovereign status nor would we ever be allowed to do so either?? so the focus should be on this??
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GATAM / December 17, 2020
TV, stop pretending to be a Tamil. Show some respect for your own mother.
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soma / December 18, 2020
GATAM
I now suspect YOU pretending to be Musli
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soma / December 18, 2020
GATAM
I now suspect YOU pretending to be a Muslim and posting anti Sinhala Buddhist comments.
Shame.
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Soma
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Native Vedda / December 19, 2020
soman
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“I now suspect YOU pretending to be a Muslim and posting anti Sinhala Buddhist comments.”
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I welcome readers to post more anti Sinhala/Buddhist comments not less.
Sinhala Buddhists is a concocted identity by the public racist Anagarika Homeless Dharmapala, sort of a new gangsta club.
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They have license to riot, kill, rape, rob, lie through nose, harm, enjoy impunity by invoking their identity, ………………right to be racist, blessed with amnesia, … essentially they need not to work hard, think hard, fear for punishment, enjoy hurting people at every opportunity they get or create.
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A sadist lot, irrespective of race, region, religion, gender, ……….. they continue to hurt Sinhalese, Buddhists, Hindus, Tamils, Christians, Muslims, ………………….. You are one of the active sadist.
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Gota was running a dead squad between 1988 and 1991, Sarath another, ….. Udugampola another, Janaka was the head of them, ….. it is because they pledged loyalty to this Gangsta club they are entitled to power, priority, perk, privileges, impunity, …..
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Why don’t you deal with your own daemons?
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umberto / December 18, 2020
GATAM
TV is a Tamil. He is the son of TURN COAT Thiagarajah, who was elected as Tamil Congress MP for Vaddukkoddai in the 70s . Once he got into the parliament he switched party and joined the ruling SLFP, so that he can send his son Venugopal to England for further studies. Turncoat Thiagarajah was dumped by SLFP and the people of Vaddukkodai in the following election election. Thiagarajah then, joined UNP.
Venogopal is taking up his father’s stance and always criticising Tamils.
You are asking him the impossible action of respecting his mother, he respect no one except GOTA clan.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 18, 2020
Dear Dayan
This is what you are condemning/making a case for the Tamil people up North to be sodamised for the rest of their life by a bunch low life’s and scum bags every time you talk about Provincial Councils.
There is only one end that is to have a war crime investigations from 1970 to 2009 will see to all Mafia once and for all.
This Umberto chap will stand in the box and tell the world how they killed all their opponents in Jaffna on behalf of the FP/TULF and their foreign masters now have a registered office in Colombo ever since. Very Tamil event indeed.
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soma / December 17, 2020
👍👍👍
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Soma
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 18, 2020
Soma
I am hurt thoug…..I am the only one never ambushed you:)
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old codger / December 18, 2020
“Special instructions from Saudi Arabia to Embassy on Easter Attack”
Without going into conspiracy theories, isn’t it more likely that the Saudis were in receipt of the Indian rip-off, and simply took action to protect their citizens. Highly commendable. In contrast, our authorities had the same info but did nothing. Why is Dr DJ trying to shoot the messenger?
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GATAM / December 17, 2020
Now this is a genius strategy by Gota.
“Delhi’s apparent shift of focus, or priority, from the North-East Tamils to the Eastern Terminal.”
If Dayan is a Sri Lanka, he should be elated by the success of this strategy.
Gota should trade off an Indian army base in Jaffna and allowing Indian fishers to fish in northern seas for the removal of 13A. Although 90% of world Tamils live in India, they are only 5% of the Indian population. Modi’s coalition loses nothing. Tamils are so powerless in India (and SL) since 2010.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 18, 2020
Who would be the “Ambassador elect” to Jaffna from the south? Now with India not so in the communist block and Russia not even herd of Marx and Lenin would there be a vetting who comes to the North?? TNA/PLOTE still got the Star in their flag be it Colombo based?
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / December 18, 2020
Why not trade off the entire north and east and not just an army base in Jaffna? Wouldn’t that be better, Tamils will be happy , India happy and Sinhalese sad but relieved. Anyway India will use that one army base in Jaffna to capture the entire north and and the east . What has the Tamil population in Tamil Nadu or the percentage of world Tamils living in India got to do with the Eelam Tamils and their fight for justice? Just stupid and cunning tactics to muddy waters and divert attention. For your information Tamil Nadu is an important key state in India contributing a lot to the Indian economy . Tamil Nadu and other Southern Indian states( not sure about Kerala) can live without India but India cannot live without them, as they contribute so much to India. This is why Modi has appointed two Tamils to two key portfolios. No one is a majority in India not even the Hindi speakers . They only constitute around 40% of India’s population and people who speak proper Hindi not other dialects or languages , that have been conveniently lumped as Hindi are only around 10%. Oh by the way when the so called Sinhalese war criminal hero Gota sells the eastern terminal of the Colombo port to India .
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / December 19, 2020
It becomes Indian territory controlled by India and Indian fisherman can start fishing along the western and north western province coasts and 13a can be implemented in the western , north western and southern provinces. Hope you are happy with all these suggestions
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Rohan25 / December 18, 2020
Yes the same story the Sinhalese in order to destroy the island’s Tamils invited the Portuguese , Dutch and then the British in the Kandyan areas, after the so called independence ruined the economy and bankrupted the country , now selling the family silver and real estate , to anyone and everyone so that the Tamils can be ruined.
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Mallaiyuran / December 17, 2020
If the river dries this year, the Lake it tribute dries, but when the river flows again next year, lake becomes filled up. But that is not the story of the crops depend on the lake. If the river is not flowing and lake dries, it is life or death for the crops depends on the lake. American voters have now failed a many times not bringing up democratic leadership. It is not hurting the local democracy. When the next election comes, the past mistakes, done locally, are being turned around. But that is not the case in many small countries they are fully dependent on world democratic leadership for their show keep going on. Before thinking of fixing Lankawe’s democracy, the frequent failure in America like leaders needs to fix them. The mother didn’t eat cannot feed the baby. UN is only a prefix of “un”, but not doing anything. In Lankawe matter UN accepted that there was lot of internal wrong doing and made an internal investigation. But, what did it do about that?
UN’s and Western’s negligence of Ceylon Tamils problem is biggest threat at this time to the world democracy. The world’s imbecile action on Tamils’ case now has come like the Jaffna man, who, last week, put the dynamite material in the kitchen liquidizer and attempted to grind it. Now his entire family and even neighbors are in hospital.
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soma / December 18, 2020
Mallaiyuran
Forward your case to UN in a clear and an unambiguous manner.
Tell them who the Tamils are.
I mean who and who are included/excluded and their distribution across the island.
Fooling the Sinhalese or calling Soma is a racist is one thing but talking with
UN is quite another.
Million times I have posted the following on CT:
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You may acknowledge that in order to initiate a meaningful discussion on the subject of a ‘political solution’ definition of ‘Tamils’ is the most primary requirement(I mean who and who are included/excluded).
.
What is YOUR definition?
.
What is TNA’s definition?
.
What is India’s definition?
.
My definition is:
All Tamil speaking people scattered across the island irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival.
/
The typical answer I receive from you guys is a barrage of venemous insults.
Honestly I can’t understand the attitude of Tamil commenters on CT on this fundamental question.
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Soma
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Mallaiyuran / December 18, 2020
Somu,
“My definition is:
All Tamil speaking people scattered across the island irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival. “
That part is not opposed by CT commentators; especially by no Tamils and most of the Sinhalese and reasonable number of Muslims.
My proposal is different from yours only on the aspect of encasing a group forcefully in one place. In 1948 Lankawe disenfranchised and deported 1.5M Tamils. That is against UN principles. Any people have right to live in the community they were born. That cannot be violated while Tamils Eelam is being created. That is why we keep saying no Indian-Pakistani separation. That was not separated as solution to Hindu Muslim problem. So in Pakistan Hindus are wiped out and in India Muslims problem not solved. Malaysia-Singapore separation did not disturb people life but solved the racial problem. The New country declared it is multi-ethnic country. It started life with new policies. But Malaysia continues as it was. In Malaysia still some racial problems exist, not because any fault in the principle used to separation, but mainly because Muslim Law doesn’t accommodate others. As solution to that the new country, Tamil Eelam will give citizenship for any Lankawe citizen who claims he/she is from or belongs to Tamil Eelam, under some connection.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 19, 2020
Dear M
1.5 million (150 000?) of Tamils deported from where to where Mr M??
They are immigrant workers (voluntarily walk into SL from India for work) who arrived in the last 10 years prior to Independence. That is between GOSL and Indian Government. What is that got to do with Hon SJV? and Jaffna?
The Ceylonese (Tamil) estate owners and their Colonial masters who were the estate owners too who needed slave workers who will accept slave working conditions and have a miserable life needed to be stopped too?? giving opportunity to locals be it Tamils/Sinhalese/Muslims and all others in the estates in a newly born country is normal?? say if it was a Sinhalese land (according to you all) then why you want to tell Sinhalese who should live in their land?? did SJV wanted all the Tamils to be brought to Jaffna as a solution then?? did he ask what the Jaffna man would have told him then?? .
The same FP/TC owned estates in Malaysia too wanted the same labourers condemned to horrible life’s in the estates too??
No wonder no Sri Lankan Tamil refugees never given Indian citizenship after Jaffna children died fighting this cause trained in India??
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Native Vedda / December 19, 2020
soman
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“Tell them who the Tamils are.”
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No need.
UN knows who the Tamils are, it so happened they were your ancestors.
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Definition of Tamils should include the Sinhalese, Buddhists and the Gansta Sinhala/Buddhists who over a long period converted to various Racial and Religious strands, including all racists.
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Mallaiyuran / December 17, 2020
Just let us look at Lankawe’ struggle on becoming a democracy from 1931.
1933 – Sinhala Only government excluded Tamils from cabinet.
1948 – Britain recognized the Majoritarianism as democracy. Majoritarianism was confirmed by the unitary government. Don Stephan created 1.5 m refugees by disenfranchising Tamils, who were the only people, took part in building Ceylon’s identity, dedicatedly working for Britain.
1971 JVP; Indian forces had to come.
1987 – JR Invited Indian forces.
1989 JVP; Old King, was an opposition leader, asked UN’s involvement. Nothing happened.
2009 LTTE; what happened in 2009 is one of the World’s biggest stories.
2019 ISIS; 6 Countries came in, though Saudi and some others stayed alert within their lands.
The funny part is UN can only recognize the Lankawe State sovereignty but could not recognize its struggle to set foot on democracy, for the past 7 decades.
If the world’s democracy has to be protected and the weaker & smaller countries to have to enjoy that blessing, then all rivers in the world have to be tributary to the lake of greater democracy. This is how when one part of the world face dry season, other part of rainy season world can feed the lake.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 17, 2020
Dear M
“UN’s and Western’s negligence of Ceylon Tamils problem is biggest threat at this time to the world democracy”
Ceylon Tamils – FP/TULF..SJV/Amir/GG do not speak for Ceylon Tamils. They were used by the International Tamils (rather they used each other) India/Malaysia/Singapore++++ to sacrifice Ceylon Tamil Children as Mercenaries for their dirty deeds. In the process we have lost our Nation called Ceylon now named Sri Lanka. A nations time line ..ups and downs as time lined by you and as exploited by the FP is not something other Nations dwell on for their development but this has been made possible because of the gutter Tamil Nadu Politicians (not the TN public) conniving with the above.
I am now recruiting the Indian/Singaporean/Malaysian/Diaspora Tamil children “only” for the mercenary needs of foreign Nations for the training in Tamil Nadu camps or to man the UN forces.
All Sri Lankan children will be relived of their death and destructive duties to have “normal” lives & “swapped”(passport and Nationality swap) with the above chidden in their respective countries.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 17, 2020
In addition all the useless MP’s in Ceylon Tamil areas who can not serve their constituents with a “Normal activities of an MP” and never heard of such job scope will now be exported to all the Nations where Tamils live to look for causes where the shit stirring can begin on a full time basis.
UN will be asked to audit the 70 year FP/TULF MP’s job scope/action list/mile stone/progress report/surgery report and the Suthenthiran paper audit will reveal the crime against the humanity to date in Sri Lanka. If the UN has been wasted for the past 70 years on an unnecessary activity related to SL where the UN time should have been spent on more pertinent issues affecting our world such as “Environmental and Waste Management” issues then the world can sue the FP for this following the above audit.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 17, 2020
Dear Dayan
If you were involved in the EPRLF activities we like to see an article of your activities for our records/analysis please.
We need to take stock of what did really happen in our Nation.
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old codger / December 18, 2020
TV,
Don’t you know he wasn’t just “involved”, he was a Minister in the EPRLF PC.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 18, 2020
OC
Not really…only heard that in the CT from one of the commenters.
Part of openness and transparency should not Hon Dayan write something about his journey in life will give a better back drop to all we read from him??
When UN investigate war crimes he could be a material witness to how all shaped up in Sri Lankan since 1970 onwards as Indians also will be on the dock explaining the training camps, Palestinian Training camps, Isralai involvement etc.all be presented in The Hague as part of the war crime investigations??
How then a minister in the separate Ealam project be the SL ambassador to Russia on behalf of GOSL later….all need to be explained to the entire Lankans and the world too??
Whatever we have lost in life has to be explained ion the war crime investigations and the truth and reconciliation process I am looking forward to participating so we all can listen to FP/TULF my questions for example as a material witness to murders yet to be brought to the books etc????? atleset have them accounted will be good place to start just as what was done in South Africa???? All the Soldiers families also awaiting this for a long time too??
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old codger / December 19, 2020
TV,
“How then a minister in the separate Ealam project be the SL ambassador to Russia on behalf of GOSL later”
You don’t know that Karuna was a VP of the SLFP and some kind of Minister? Have you been sleeping?
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 20, 2020
OC
TQ. We had JVP leadership released several times even before the 1971 debacles/coup by the Hon Mrs SWRDB after the election in 1970 only to find ourselves dealing with the JVP insurgency later and irrespective we allowed them to be part of the GOSL democratically, same with EPRLF/EPDP/LTTE eastern wing, protected PLOTE/TELO/TULF/FP from decimation and allowed them democratic participation and honorary positions too.
Regards to Excellency Dayan Amba. position may be due to his educational status/Russian Ideology knowledge etc.
Hon MR invited LTTE to come to the table even with the arms before the final push on 2009.
Is there anything we can draw from the exceptional character of the GOSL’s over time yet is our children who let them down??
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umberto / December 18, 2020
TV
Are you asking for Dayan’s activities with EPRLF to clarify whether he is involved in the suspected killing of your father???
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 19, 2020
Umberto
Do you know who killed my Father then please go to the nearest Police station (wherever you are) and let them know.
or you can unmask yourself and be a man in the forum so we can proceed accordingly??
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old codger / December 19, 2020
Umberto,
Don’t be a sadist…..
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chiv / December 17, 2020
DJ you mean to say except we Lankans the whole world knew about Easrer. Pathetic but proves we are land like no other. On top people are expecting foreigners to invest in our La La Land.
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RBH59 / December 17, 2020
Several top security and intelligence officials and officers admit that they received the Indian intelligence tip-off. due to the tip off of indian Saudi and all other embassy took steps of precation measures. Like the minister of sri lanka did not go the the church due to advance information.
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Ajay / December 17, 2020
Gota’s model of “Military-Civil Fusion” (placing Military before Civil) was the doctrine of Prabhakaran too. This is what transformed him from a liberator to “the archetypally villainous Velupillai.” So now it looks like the Sinhala people are getting their own Prabhakaran to “protect national security and preserve the unitary state.” Who said be careful what you wish for?
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chiv / December 17, 2020
Here is how efficient GR and the current govt. Today health Ministry report states for last FEW days there has been anywhere from 500 to 600 newly detected Covid patients, and there is more than 500 patients recovering. Which Covid task force gives approximate numbers ??? if these are approximate what about the people who die daily, is that accurate or approximate ?? The whole point behind this HM statments is to undermine the community spread, provide false safety/assurance and let people know govt is in control of the pandemic. Govt in hurry opened BIA for tourist and today a cleaning lady was admitted sick to a hospital and later found positive for Covid.1) Isnt it better to test or screen employees before opening BIA than finding later,that too by affected person getting hospitalized. 2) what message does it give to people who may be thinking of travel to prosperous splendour Lanka ??
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Agnos / December 17, 2020
DJ,
If you look down from an plane when it approaches an airport above 1000 ft, the winding roads look straight and the homes and other structures all look like part of well-planned development. It is only when you get down to the ground that you see the reality that the roads are far from straight and it is a sprawl, not a well-planned development.
A zoomed out image gives you a different picture than when you zoom in and look at the fine-grained details. A compressed chart of a stock market index over several years gives you a much smoother view than the reality of its ups and downs in a chart for a shorter period.
The same applies to people who look at VP as an idealistic symbol of resistance vs. “the archetypally villainous Velupillai,” as you and many others do. For some Tamil people, the resistance to tyranny part dwarfs all other considerations– the cruelty, the paranoia, the internecine and fratricidal killings, suicide bombings, wrong and self-destructive strategy, etc. Some people like to stay with the 1000 ft view of things, never willing to get to the ground and see it all.
[contd.]
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Agnos / December 17, 2020
A few years ago, there was a Telugu movie, “Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy,” fictionalized portrait that was inspired by some real resistance to the British in Andhra/Telangana. The central character in that movie has many similarities to VP, including a total dedication to the cause and inspiring a suicidal attacks.
Indeed, the Sinhalese are staying with their 1000 ft view of Gotler, and refuse to come down to reality on ground. But there is a big difference in people who are underdogs–or perceive themselves as oppressed–taking such a 1000 ft view in support of resistance, as opposed to people who as the majority hold the power to oppress others.
VP was killed more than a decade ago, and even among Indian policymakers, the memory of “the archetypally villainous Velupillai” has faded. But the world today is not the same as in the 1980’s or 1990’s.. India sees its strategic interests differently now. Tamil leaders will have to listen carefully to what leaders at the Center and in TN say, and modify their strategies.
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Native Vedda / December 19, 2020
Agnos
–
“India sees its strategic interests differently now. Tamil leaders will have to listen carefully to what leaders at the Center and in TN say, and modify their strategies.”
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Tamils have no vision, no strategy, no unity of purpose, no new ideas, no tactics, ….. It is a divided people with bitterness all around them, …… So are the Sinhala people. Every Tom Dick and Harry grope this island with or with out the consent of the islanders while the Sinhala/Buddhist continues to harp about the nonexistent sovereignty.
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Yang Jiechi, Ajit Doval, Mike Pompeo, …………… came molested the countries leaders and went back. Sri Lankan leaders are extremely happy they were being groped and molested.
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Agnos / December 20, 2020
NV,
The diaspora should undertake the task of interfacing with the international community, including India. It will require travel and active coordination. Sampanthan and CVW are too old to do that. Sumanthiran is spread thin because of his legal work. Of the other two articulate leaders, Gajen may not have the right approach and may not be taken seriously in India. Chanakyan is new and may emerge as a good leader in time, but right now it is for the Diaspora to pick up the slack. There were many in London who were associated with groups like the BTF, but I don’t see any serious action from them. Are they also fighting among themselves?
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Nathan / December 21, 2020
Agnos,
You seem to have a high regards for the Diaspora.
India is not going to be receptive to the Diaspora. They will not want to add to the chaos.
Good leaders know how to relegate responsibilities. Sumanthiran, if spread thin, would know how to sort out his priorities, wouldn’t he.
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Agnos / December 22, 2020
Nathan,
But as NV says, correctly, if Sumanthiran or other SL Tamil leaders are doing something, why is it that there doesn’t seem to be any coherent or serious strategy?
The Diaspora shouldn’t act alone but in concert with the local political leaders, to provide them the support they need. In my conversations with my Indian friends in the U.S. — from the South and the North– who have political connections in India, including some from the BJP, they are receptive to Diaspora involvement. It just has to be the right people, and be coordinated with leaders on the ground in SL so that none is working at cross purposes nor goes rogue. If I were not constrained by the position I hold in my adopted country, I would be willing to do it myself, but unfortunately I can’t.
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Nathan / December 22, 2020
Agnos,
I wish to avoid stepping on your liberty to rule who is correct or who is not. The issue is should the Diaspora be interfacing with India, – the only international voice that matters.
TNA has shown no interest in the Diaspora being given a role.
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Agnos / December 22, 2020
Nathan,
Maybe that is why the TNA has shown poor results. They leave the people stranded there without basic necessities, and the burden falls on the Diaspora, who often collect funds to support the people, by providing them food, microlending, etc. It is going on at the individual level, through temples, charities, etc. But the TNA can’t coordinate with them on a longer term solution?
The TNA has branches in Canada and UK. Why can’t they give a role to the Diaspora?
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Ashan / December 18, 2020
It is best we do not trust Saudi Arabia, and also Israel. The two nations are now as thick as thieves, and up to all the unimaginable mischief in various parts of the world.
Together with money and the technology, they are capable of assassinations, bombings, and crimes that are violent and deadly……ask Iran, they have had many of their Nuclear Scientists assassinated INSIDE Iran. Those nasty Sri Lankans who benefitted from this terrible attack, also deserves to be investigated. There is much more to this horrible terrorist attack than we know, and people who may know are conveniently arrested and silenced.
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soma / December 18, 2020
GATAM
I now suspect YOU pretending to be a Muslim and posting anti Sinhala Buddhist comments.
Shame.
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Soma
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Pandi Kutti / December 18, 2020
Happy Christmas everyone . Hope you all have a nice vegetarian Christmas and spare the poor pigs , Love from the pig sty
Here is one of the latest Tamil Christian Carols
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSl-5xHMo1g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdtWN-cKqyA
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / December 18, 2020
Dear PK
Thank you
Would there be a mud bath with a candle light in the festive days too??
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Champa / December 19, 2020
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka has raised a very important question.
Yes, why didn’t PCoI pay attention to the highly suspicious fax at the Saudi Embassy?
In addition, US FBI agents and British intelligence officials visited Sri Lanka to investigate. Has anyone seen their reports? We have a right to know the findings of foreign investigation teams.
It is clear that the Easter Attack was a local and international conspiracy to provoke ethnic riots in Sri Lanka to massacre innocent Sinhalese civilians and Buddhist monks.
The Sinhalese were surprised by the Easter Attack. However, a large stockpiles of extremely scary weapons found in mosques and Muslim homes shortly after the Easter Attack showed that Muslims were well prepared for an ethnic riot.
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