By Laksiri Fernando –
Dr. Laksiri Fernando
When asked “Do you really believe the proposed judicial mechanism can help address accountability issues?” former Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR), has started talking about “one of the major accusations directed against the army” – the “execution of surrendering LTTE cadres during the last phase of the offensive on the Vanni east front.”
I am quoting his own words published by Shamindra Ferdinando in ‘The Island’ (7 October 2015). The interview is titled ‘War crimes probe Gotabhaya speaks out.’ As a teacher, I am well aware that there are people who fail to answer questions directly and sometimes we call them ‘rigmaroles’ or malle polls. However, there are other psychological reasons why people become obsessed with something, even when something else is asked. The possible reasons can be ‘guilt’ or ‘over enthusiasm.’
However, it should be admired that GR has been straight forward and bold in giving this interview particularly at this juncture. As the interviewer has stated “the former Defence Secretary now faces the prospect of a no holds barred judicial investigation never held in this part of the world.” He may also be believing that he has done ‘nothing wrong’ according to his ‘limited knowledge and beliefs.’
It is interesting note that he has not disputed the validity of the now proposed ‘judicial mechanism’ whereas he has been apparently opposing purely an ‘international investigation’ before. Even he has suggested that the “The proposed court [could] call the then Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Tore Hattrem (present State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to verify accusations.” The interviewer however has noted, that in the past, “The Gajaba Regiment veteran strongly opposed an external investigation into Sri Lanka’s war which he quite rightly believed was an internal matter.”
GR has admitted that the “Widely dubbed the white flags killings, the allegation brought the Sri Lankan Army to disrepute.” However, according to him, the army hasn’t done anything wrong because “There had never been an agreement or an understanding between the government and the LTTE for the latter’s surrender though various interested parties alleged execution of surrendering persons.”
But for surrender, there is no need for an agreement or understanding between two parties and in this case ‘between the government and the LTTE.’ Of course the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) was now defunct and abrogated. According to Jan Romer (Killing in a Grey Area between Humanitarian Law and Human Rights) the customary international humanitarian law (IHL) pertaining to non-international armed conflicts rules the following.
“Attacking persons who are recognized a horse de combat is prohibited. A person horse de combat is:
(a) Anyone who is in the power of an adverse party;
(b) Anyone who is defenceless because of unconsciousness, ship wreck, wounded or sick; or
(c) Anyone who clearly expresses an intention to surrender; provided he or she abstains from any hostile act and does not attempt to escape.” (p.74).
One difference is that in this case the matter is not about ‘attacking’ as Romer said, but alleged killing or massacre. More pertinently, what should have applied in this case is the principle C, the protection of ‘anyone who clearly expresses an intention to surrender.’ Romer further says,
“Surrender requires that attacked person to discontinue his/her participation in hostilities, in particular, by resisting or defending him or herself. Surrender is not bound by strict formalities. In general, a soldier surrenders by laying down his or her weapons, raising his/her hands, or waving a white flag.” (p. 77, with my emphasis).
The surrender does not require strict formalities. Does not require an agreement between the two parties to the conflict or war. And in this case, did not require the dictates or ruling from GR who was in Colombo (I may add in an air conditioned room!). It was a simple procedure, of course with caution, which should have been followed by the commanders or whoever in charge on the ground.
The following is the narration that GR has given about his part on the saga which might not be the full story.
“On the night of May 16th, 2009, Hattrem visited me at my official residence, Baudhaloka Mawatha, where he claimed that LTTEer Pulithevan had offered to surrender along with some other cadres and their families as all senior leaders were dead by then. Hattrem had been in touch with Pulithevan over the phone. However, arrangements couldn’t be made for the surrender as Hattrem failed to get in touch with Pulithevan to know the identities of those willing to surrender. Primary objective of an investigative judicial mechanism is to verify accusations made by various parties.”
Note that ‘all senior leaders were dead by then.’ It is commendable that GR has accepted the objective of ‘investigative judicial mechanism to verify accusations made by various parties.’ There is no question that there can be some questions that Hattrem has to answer as well.
However, there cannot be any dispute that GR was placing unnecessary preconditions or one might say obstacles from Colombo for the purported surrender. Of course there can be some reasons why he was doing that, and he has explained some of the matters in his interview. However, those are not necessary under the international humanitarian law and what were at stake in this instance were lives, not only one or two but of several.
We at least know or have credible evidence that at least the lives of Pulidevan and Nadesen (and their families) were involved. For some people, those lives might not be worth, but those are not the premises of the international humanitarian law or our civilized human conscience. Killing of those who surrender is barbaric. What we have lost is also valuable information to know the ‘truth’ from the LTTE side.
This is not the first time that such things have happened in Sri Lanka. We know that a similar fate happened to Rohana Wijeweera (the JVP leader), who was under state custody, whatever the crimes he himself had committed. The impunity has continued. That is another reason why these incidents should be investigated and investigated thoroughly.
GR has said, ‘for the failure of the surrender arrangements,’ passing the buck to Hattrem, “However, arrangements couldn’t be made for the surrender as Hattrem failed to get in touch with Pulithevan to know the identities of those willing to surrender.”
It is a strange order to rule that ‘the identities of those willing to surrender’ should be known or revealed before the acceptance of surrender. This was 16th of May 2009 evening, two days before the body of the LTTE leader Prabhakaran was found. This was a period of extreme uncertainties. However, the demise of the LTTE was exceedingly clear. It is not revealed in what form the identities of those who wanted to surrender was required. The decisions were taken in Colombo. Verifications were obviously problematic and communications were exceedingly difficult with those who wanted to surrender. GR was asking for the impossible.
The interviewer has very clearly asked, “Q: Who wanted to establish the identities of those wanting to surrender?”
The answer given is also very clear, “A: That decision was mine.”
It is apparent that the decision was given over and above the international humanitarian law and in violation of international humanitarian concerns. The alleged ‘massacre’ was the result, extent of which has to be determined.
Spring Koha / October 10, 2015
Let the investigations start.
Let it be ‘each man for himself, and God for us all’.
Let the birds sing.
Let the hearts mend.
Let it end with pure clear sunshine over Mother Lanka.
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Amarasiri / October 10, 2015
Dr. Laksiri Fernando
RE: Gota’s Inadvertent Admission Of Complicity In The ‘White Flag Massacre’
Yes, let them investigate and close the book, and move on. The War was over in 2009. We are in 2015.
The world war 2 was over in 1945. By Early 1946, most of the accused have been identified and punished accordingly.
Sri Lanka need to get this over with, identify the criminals, punish them if they guilty. If not, let them go and clear them.
One thing is very clear. Sri Lankans are very inefficient. Is it the Para genes?
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Sinhala_Man / October 11, 2015
Dear Mr Amarasiri,
As Sinhalese people we must always defend our “Sinhala Cause”. Dr Laksiri Fernando and you must not write like this. We must practice one of the few good things that the Portuguese taught us. It is called “casuistry”.
That is why we must always admire Gotabaya R., Prof. Gunadasa Amarasekera, Dr Dayan Jayatilleke, Mr H.L.D. Mahindapala, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, Mr Wimal Weerawansa and a host of other patriotic Sinhalese. Now, in his old age, even Comrade Vasudeva Nanayakkara has realised that as a true Sinhalese he must defend our country, which is the only country of the Sinhalese. Also, it is the Sinhalese people alone who have safeguarded the pure Theravada teachings of Gautama Buddha. I want Gautama also accorded the status of “an honorary Sinhalese”.
So, whilst it is true that we must value “The Truth”, we must always give Pride of Place to what is required to safeguard the Sinhalese race, which was selected for a special purpose.
So, President Sirisena and ALL Sinhalese people must an “avabodaya” of the Real Truth.
You must understand what George Orwell understood: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
/
Ken robert / October 11, 2015
Sinhala_man
Many thanks.
I am not sure how your casuistry’s influence on natural justice.
Would not the stupidity of such arguments affect the morality of sinhala nation?
I think Laksri shows how this nation need to be built with a sense of responsibility without compromising national objectives.
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Sinhala_Man / October 11, 2015
Dear Ken Robert,
I have just given your comment a “green approval”, while I’m glad that many have disapproved my comment above. It was sarcastic. See a little below this for my real feelings; I’m hoping that the two “aaprovals” it received were from people who realised that the comment was satirical!
Don’t worry! My stance on any matter is carefully thought out, and will not change unless there is very good reason indeed!
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Amarasiri / October 11, 2015
Sinhala_Man
“As Sinhalese people we must always defend our “Sinhala Cause”. Dr Laksiri Fernando and you must not write like this.”
The Sinhalese, just like the Others including the Tamils are Paradeshis, Paras in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho.
We Must defend the Fuhrer, the Fatherland and the Great Deutschland.
For Fuhrer and Fatherland: Military Awards of the Third Reich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_oath
Hitler oath
The term Hitler oath refers to the oaths of allegiance, or Reichswehreid, sworn by German Wehrmacht officers and soldiers as well as civil servants during the Third Reich between the years 1934 and 1945. The oath pledged personal loyalty to the person of Adolf Hitler in place of loyalty to the constitution.
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Sinhala_Man / October 11, 2015
Thanks, Amarasiri.
Most enlightening.
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Shrikharan / October 11, 2015
Sinhala_Man
In the same spirit you told of the Sinhalese, how do you expect the Tamils to respond? So you will not find fault in the Tamils including Prabakharan having the same thoughts to protect them? So you cannot blame the so called LTTE ‘terrorism’ and they are justifiable. Or are you saying it is just one way the Sinhalese can ‘hit’ the Tamils to protect their identity but Tamils cannot ‘hit back’ to protect ‘Tamil identity’ and that is not acceptable?
In the Same way Gotapaya Rajapakse and the Military committed these atrocities with the objectives of protecting the Sinhala race, you should also accept LTTE and Prabakharan’s actions to achieve their objectives of protecting Tamils from annihilation through the sinister anti Tamil actions of the former Governments such as ‘State sponsored colonization’ of Sinhalese to make Tamils minorities in their own majority areas and the media-wise Standardization at the Advanced Level exam to curtail the Tamil students entering University.
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Ravi / October 11, 2015
Sinhala man,
Enjoyed your post (tongue-n-cheek). Keep writing!
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Thiru / October 10, 2015
Laksiri Fernando,
This man is known to be barbaric to his own Sinhalese people:
Matale hospital mass grave is witness to it.
What he practiced on the Sinhala people he executed to the hilt on innocent Tamils.
Barbarism is his way of doing things: He must be punished severely for life.
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / October 10, 2015
Thiru,
Are you equally ready to denounce Prabhakaran’s atrocities?
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Thiru / October 10, 2015
I denounce all atrocities:
Prabakaran came about because of Sri Lankan state atrocities on Tamils.
I myself witnessed the 1958 state sponsored pogrom against Tamils from the North to the South with horror and dismay.
As the US government reports time and again said that both sides engaged in terrorism:
Tigers while fighting for liberation of Tamils, responded to Sri Lankan state terrorism with counter-terrorism of their own; it was tit for tat.
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Thiru / October 10, 2015
When the Sri Lankan the armed forces committed massacres – mass killing of innocent Tamils, including bombing churches, schools, etc. in the North-East, Tigers retaliated with terrorism in the South.
Many biased Sinhalese writers don’t mention the former atrocities but concentrate on the latter.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / October 10, 2015
“there are people who fail to answer questions directly and sometimes we call them ‘rigmaroles’ or malle polls. However, there are other psychological reasons why people become obsessed with something, even when something else is asked. The possible reasons can be ‘guilt’”
Oh look Lucky, you’ve finally caught one of them :D
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Sinhala_Man / October 11, 2015
Dear Siva Sankaran Sarma, and all others who speak the Tamil Language,
What you say is true, and I have just entered a tongue-in-cheek comment a little above this. I’m sure that it will get the red “disapprovals” that it was designed for!
Seriously, though, what we must understand is that those reading “Colombo Telegraph” are not the people who have to be “converted” to a healthier and more balanced way of looking at life. For decades, I’ve been trying hard to battle “Sinhala Racism” which has been rendered dormant today; it may not remain dormant for long, and long term corrective action, like constitutional changes and revamping our system of “Apartheid Education” must be ensured during this blessed interlude of Peace.
The Sinhalese Racist doesn’t realise that he is being something wrong. No, he isn’t sufficiently intellectual to be consciously “casuistic”. Therefore this subject has to be handled carefully by us all. Of course the Jarapaksas have to face justice of some sort, but it should be “engineered” so as to ensure that there isn’t a retreat in to atavistic positions.
And, may I beg YOU to tackle “Tamil Racism”: that, too, exists, but it is best not be attacked head on by us Sinhalese. Also, this may be the stage at which to appeal to Muslims to desist from over-asserting their difference from other human beings. For a start, at public level, can’t we get rid of separate schools for Muslims? Unfortunately, we are forced to separate the Sinhala-speaking from the Tamil-speaking, but we must see how, within this framework, these students can interact.
Mind you, things have improved. In 1971, I had been posted to a remote school as a very young teacher of English. I first ensured that I became popular with the Sinhalese students whom I was teaching, by visiting all their far-flung homes. The fact that it was the loveliest of rural (and estate) countryside helped in this. As for the students, there were some excellent runners – at all distances, although the longest races then prevalent for girls was the 200 metres. Then I tried a bold gamble. There was a Tamil section of the school. They were not considered for the athletics team, although Sivarasa who was studying in the Sinhalese medium was recognised as our best cross country guy.
The Sinhalese Principal refused flat. “Those students are not citizens of Sri Lanka!” Yes, I really was told that. The Tamil section had nobody with the slightest authority. I met the Provincial Director of Education. Now that, would almost be unthinkable for a young teacher to do even today, but I guess I’ve always been a bit of a mad-cap. The Provincial Director, J.A.K. Jyawardena was his name, said what any decent person would – namely that all students should participate in sports.
“Could you please give it to me in the form of a letter addressed to the Principal,” was my next request.
“Ummm! No, because you haven’t brought me a letter from the Principal” he said.
That response may not have helped much, but I still respect the man – now long gone to his rest. There is a limit to what any given individual can do, at any given time.
I hope all cogitate upon that with reference to some of the things being said today about President Maithri.
/
Shrikharan / October 11, 2015
If you original comment on October 11, 2015 at 12:23 am
was in fact a tongue in cheek I apologize as posted a nasty rebuttal.
Reading back your last line possibly indicated you were merely joking “You must understand what George Orwell understood: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” ”
It is sometime difficult to catch sarcasm or satirical writing especially in a emotion driven topics such as this. It is best we avoid such style as readers do not read line by line but skim through to get the substance and downside we could misinterpret a sarcastic comment written in reverse fashion.
Again if your comment was written in a sense of sarcasm and not realism I am sorry. This is the second time I got caught to such sarcastic writing. The previous one was when Piranha wrote in a comment for “Four Army Personnel Found Guilty Of Raping Woman Killinochchi
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Sinhala_Man / October 11, 2015
Dear Shrikharan,
Just laugh it off! There’s no need to apologise; your supposedly “nasty” response was not at me but at this persona of “Racist Sinhalese” – that I adopted actually for the first time ever.
Yes, satire can be dangerous. Jonathan Swift was beaten up in the streets of Dublin for this:
https://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html
It is knowing that fact, that I had already planned the sequel before I posted the “October 11, 2015 at 12:23 a.m.” comment. However, by retracting so fast, I knew I was reducing the effectiveness of the satire. There can be no real “rules” for doing these things.
The response below by “vis8” is more difficult to counter.
Dear “vis8”, I agree that this could play in to the hands of “Racist Tamils” – a breed which does exist, but in fewer numbers than, perhaps, you imagine.
I feel that you and I agree on one thing: it is best not to have so much hatred brewing within us, and then manifesting itself in the sort of mindless violence that our country has seen for much too long. Anything that exacerbates this situation is bad, and if it is your considered judgement that such has been the effect of my comment on you, then I apologise to YOU, but not other readers.
It is my hope that a greater number of persons were provoked in to thinking more rationally. I don’t think that we will ever know for certain. Personally, I think you should use vague, “clever” classifications such as “eelam hallucinators”. Let’s start thinking of each human being as, before all else, a unique being who has a right to think differently from us, but NOT entitled to harm anybody else.
Let me stop now; what I have given me may not be worth more than two cents. But it’s the best I could do!
/
Sinhala_Man / October 12, 2015
Just to add, dear Shrikharan, most of the time I write seriously, and I would like to do what little I can towards reconcilliation:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/tamils-the-political-culture-of-auto-genocide/#comments
It is also good to see Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam writing about real issues here:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/four-army-personnel-found-guilty-of-raping-woman-killinochchi/comment-page-1/#comment-1895830
Some time ago, I’m afraid that I had to take issue with him about what he was saying about co-existing with Sinhalese in England. Let us, Sri Lankans, try to sort out our problems here, and NOW!
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Shrikharan / October 13, 2015
Dear Sinhala_Man
Sorry I just accidentally so your reply. Thanks so much for your reply. All I say, I want justice done to all irrespective of any racial and other prejudices. Justice not only be done but also seemed to be done. Because we are not Gods but humans and we should at the end of the long process must not feel a mockery of justice was committed even when professional judgment was actually delivered.
This is why in my view foreign judges must be involved who have no stakes and vested interests directly or indirectly. This why Sinhala judges or Tamil judges are not suitable however much they may be qualified and known to be honest. Then it will be a never ending game, either way, 50% blaming the verdict and give room for dirty politics.
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Ivor Biggun / October 13, 2015
Ah Sinhala Man, you have been snookered by Blacker, a private (or was it a lance corporal?) in the army who happens to speak and write English who now pens his vitriolic comment under the pseudonym Siva Sankaran Sarma! If I were you, I wouldn’t waste any time on this fellow!
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vis8 / October 11, 2015
The eelam hallucinators make merry with this kind of bull-shit written by this moron of a writer. Go get a life, A$$….!
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Native Vedda / October 11, 2015
vis8
“The eelam hallucinators make merry with this kind of bull-shit written by this moron of a writer.”
You have not only wasted your precious time reading a moron’s article which is of course full of bull-s**t but didn’t resist the temptation to type some that you appropriate response.
If I were you I would not have read his article in the first place leave alone a response.
If Dr Laksiri Fernando was a moron what shall we call you, a Rous sarcoma virus?
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Marakattai / October 11, 2015
Most of the time, it wasn’t tit for tat. The LTTE initiated incidents were quite lot. Probably you might remember the number of violations committed by LTTE under Norweign CFA were in thousands. For the most number of Tamils, end justified the means especially for those who used the war as an excuse to live in the West.These people had the opportunity to put pressure on LTTE to stop the carnage in which even 13 & 14 years were dying. I just wonder the financiers of the war from the West including Rudrukumaran could be prosecuted under the impending War crimes inquiry.
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taraki / October 11, 2015
So if the American Blacks produced a mass murderer like VP that could be explained away by slavery and discrimination?
No way was it tit for tat. The LTTE murdered more Tamils than the military as you well know.
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Native Vedda / October 11, 2015
taraki
“No way was it tit for tat. The LTTE murdered more Tamils than the military as you well know.”
It begs a question.
Could we have the numbers?
The armed forces killed more innocent people since 1971 than any other armed group.
What do you have to say about that?
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ravivararo / October 11, 2015
[he LTTE murdered more Tamils than the military as you well know.]
As per your confession, Military murdered Tamils.
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Lanka Watch / October 15, 2015
Well said Thiru. I wonder whether you realised that USA now does
not say that both sides engaged in terrorism. USA is the best tongue twisters in the world and very soon they will say that the
Tamils are wrong in demanding federal state, while their own country is flourishing with 50 federal state. They stir at the slightest disturbance in their country but goes hammering other
countries at ease, killing innocents under the pretext of eradicating terrorism. This is USA. At any cost Sri lanka should
be friendly will all countries including China & India if they
want to survive.
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justice / October 10, 2015
Dr.Laksiri F,
Prabhakaran was more than adequately punished by a sentence of 200 years imprisonment for the Central Bank bombing, very early in the war.
A terrorist is expected to commit atrocities.
But, a government official/ army man is not expected to carry out similar acts on those who fought against the state.
/
Siva / October 10, 2015
Prabhakaran was a product of Sinhala Buddhist state terrorism and hooliganism and not a product of the ordinary Tamils. Under Indian PM Indra Gandhi, the LTTE was trained, armed and supported to mitigate state oppression and to win Tamils rights. If there was democracy, rule of law, R2P and Justice, Prabhakaran would not have known to anyone. the root cause is Sinhala Buddhist racism and chauvinism that the Sinhalese must understand it.
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Tamil from the north / October 10, 2015
@Laksiri Fernando, Until to date I am trying to figure out why every time a Tamil criticizes a political official who happens to be Sinhalese, immediately a Sinhalese will bring the bloody LTTE in there. LTTE is a by product of the racist pogroms of the past governments of SL. VP was not an elected official but Gota was appointed by an elected official. You are a doctor of some kind and I am surprised you could not figure that out. Not all Tamils support the LTTE, so what is the reason behind the questioning of Thiru on that matter. So according to your logic, if all Tamils are LTTE, then are all Sinhalese equal JVP.
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Sarath Fernando / October 10, 2015
Dear Dr. Laksiri Fernando,
I was shocked that you would ask Thiru “Are you EQUALLY ready to denounce Prabhakaran’s atrocities.”
I guess that you possibly posed that question, either in a somewhat rash impulsive mood, or as a pre-emptive defense against potential pouncing by racist hyenas of GR’s persuasion. Neither, however, serves you well in terms of your intellect, neutrality and credibility that you have established in this forum to date.
By your question, are you not equating the deeds of a rebel, grown out of terrifying circumstances of repeated riots, subjugation and violence, and one who you yourself have deemed a terrorist, with the crimes of a duly elected Government against its own citizens, a Government elected precisely to “protect” its citizens in entirety in a civil, Democratic, ethical, and moral fashion?!
Do you truly believe both have EQUAL responsibilities? Do you not see the incongruity? Or, the impudence of your question?
My concern is this. I have no problem when such comparison is made by the” Mervin Silva’s” of the Kelaniya origin. I can stomach it when sons of other pseudo-intellect Mervyn Silva’s from elsewhere, despite their education and exposure to civility of the rest of the world, stoop to such comparison in utter self-serving servility. I wish, however, the fair-minded intellects will be more mindful!
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / October 11, 2015
Dear Sarath Fernando,
I was happy about the answer given by Thiru on the question. He has not taken my question offensive, although you were shocked. Why? I was trying to engage in a dialogue. I think underneath there is a difference between you and me about ‘rebellions.’ I used the word ‘equally’ to highlight the moral aspect.
I could have considered Prabhakaran a ‘rebel’ in his early days. But even those days, the killing of Alfred Duraiappah was a terrorist act. Prabhakaran is a person who turned a ‘terrorist’ very early.
To your specific question, wrongly put in my opinion, ‘are you not equating the deeds of a rebel … with the crimes of a duly elected Government’ my answer is NO. Because, I don’t consider that crimes of a ‘government,’ if you want to say so, don’t allow any individual whether she or he himself/herself consider a ‘rebel’ to commit crimes, similar or not. We should denounce all crimes equally.
Of course, an elected government has responsibilities that you have outlined, to ‘protect its citizens in entirely in a civil, democratic, ethical and moral fashion.’ Those responsibilities are not with individuals, although the individuals also should be ‘civil, democratic, ethical and moral.’ This is what we should pursue in Sri Lanka or any country. I do consider that discriminatory and suppressive state actions in the North gave rise to rebellion in early periods. But particularly in the case of the LTTE, it turned ‘terrorist.’
What creates ‘terrorism’? It is both ‘grievances’ and ‘ideology’ among other factors. The specific combination is complex but my studies show that ideology plays a major role in organized violence that we have experienced in both North and South in Sri Lanka. My master’s thesis was on 1971 JVP insurrection discovering these matters. Whatever the grievances, violence is not warranted of the early JVP type or the LTTE type.
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Sarath Fernando / October 11, 2015
Dear Laksiri Fernando,
Your being happy about Thiru not taking offense does not make your nonchalant question neither correct nor appropriate. As I said, such inappropriate comparisons, especially from intellects, only serve to justify misguided righteousness; does not help correct the wrong.
In comparing the act of a rebel turned terrorist and the terroristic act of a senior-most Government official in his official capacity (defense secretary at that) I am dumbfounded that you see appropriate equating the two (“We should denounce all crimes EQUALLY”).
When a thief breaks a house to steal, yes he commits a crime and deserves an apt punishment. Civil society rightfully expects the Police to make every effort to protect them from such thieves. But when a Policeman uses his official power to enter a house by force and rob, to whom should the civil society turn for protection?
As you state, while “those responsibilities are not with individuals” The difference is that when such an individual is able to and uses his/her official powers to commit the crime, then the onus on that individual and on that office is substantially more grave and is deserving of greater condemnation than the act of the lowly thief. And, that is a hell of a large difference – nothing equal about it!
PS: I do not see the relevance of your last para – I take it as a laboured stretch, perhaps an olive branch?
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Tamil from the north / October 11, 2015
Laksiri, I kindly request you to answer me as well. Also the widely believed story about VP assassinating Mr. Duraiyapah is questionable. Amirthalingam’s son Kandeepan is believed to be the trigger man in that brutal killing. VP is a f&*&ing coward who never stood in the front lines and ever fight a war. He is the George W. Bush type, who talked big sh*t, blew bad vapors through his arse and sent other people’s children to their death. This SOB (VP) also took photos with suicide bombers as if he was doing them a favor. SOB is rotting in hell for all the atrocities he committed against not only Tamils but also the wider population of SL. Unfortunately many in the diaspora cheer these fellows (LTTE) like wild hyenas as long it does not hurt their families.
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Shrikharan / October 10, 2015
Dear Dr. Laksiri Fernando
I certainly appreciate the moral courage you have, to speak out the truth in this and other writings you have got published.
I agree with the reply of Thiru when you asked him “Are you equally ready to denounce Prabhakaran’s atrocities?”
LTTE and Prabhakaran were you may call, the ‘necessary evils’ of that time which prevailed, when Tamils were defenseless. It was unfortunate justice was not served and a situation was created where a wrong had to be matched with another wrong. Rule of the jungle prevailed. Certainly two wrongs do not make a right. I too will whole heartedly denounce LTTE side of ‘terrorism’.
But having said that don’t you think that is what the legal system of the world practices? Two wrongs do make a right! If not why punish the guilty? The courts is causing harm to the person who is guilty. A wrong of causing ‘harm’ is again reciprocated by another wrong of causing ‘harm’ in return to offer ‘justice’! That is another debating point and do not want to digress.
The fight for liberation started with the ‘youth unrest’ in the Tamil community after the introduction of the discriminatory media-wise standardization for University admissions from 1970 when the SLFP Government came to power.
Further, prior to Standardization, Tamils also faced ‘Government sponsored colonization’ of Sinhalese into ‘traditional Tamil dominated’ areas with a sinister view to reverse the population ratios making Tamils minorities in their own areas. Certainly Tamils will not mind voluntary migration of Sinhalese who like to live in Tamil areas among the Tamils, but will not like a purposeful and sinister objective to make Tamil minorities in their own areas. Tamils who came to Sinhala areas never came on a ‘Government sponsored colonization scheme’ but came on their own liking. Tamils can never make Sinhalese become minorities but the reverse is possible, so both cannot be compared on equal terms.
Certainly this is one country and Tamils have their own territories which they call ‘theirs’, and it is this which makes a sense of belonging to them, if not Tamils are like foreigners in their own country.
These were the two main core reasons for discontent among Tamils which culminated in terrorism
I would also like to remind you prior to the 1980’s before the birth of the Tamil militancy, Tamils were a peaceful, god fearing citizens who worked very hard, and the students studied hard to seek a good future. They possessed a competitive spirit. It was their frustration of being continuously harassed without any hope that changed everything.
Unfortunately the present generation of Tamils is in no comparison with those of the past and we do witness many domestic crimes in Jaffna such as rape and murder which were unheard of in the bygone society. These are all by products of a broken society due to unfair machinations of evil forces. Tamils did suffer tremendously. I do not deny Sinhalese also suffered, but not of the same magnitude.
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / October 11, 2015
Dear Prof. Laksiri
Atrocities committed from whichever quarter has to be condemned. It is not only LTTE and armed forces that committed atrocities, but other Tamil groups and Muslim home guards working with the government are also implicated. All the atrocities carried out by LTTE is documnented in detail and is repeated ad nauseam by the commentators. But those committed by others are only partly revealed while the rest have been swept under the carpet. I worked as a medico-legal officer in the war zone in early part of the war and thus a medical witness to all these crimes. Atrocities on Tamil population was committed by Armed forces as early as in 1983. In the aftermath of the first land mine explosion several Tamils in the area were gunned down by the seurity forces. This practice of revenge killings went on in response to every attack by LTTE on security forces. Only in 1985, after two years of such murders by security forces that LTTE began killing Sinhala civilians. Even in the case of Muslims, it is the homeguards who first committed crimes, and LTTE subsequently reciprocated. Facts about what happened has to be placed correctly, before accusing anyone. As far as the war crimes investigation is concerned will the Sinhalese and Muslims tell the truth or just blame LTTE for all the atrocities. All LTTE cadres who committed war crimes have been either killed in combat or killed after surrendering. Those who have committed other grave crimes have been sentenced and serving jail terms. There are still Tamils who have either not committed any crime at all or minor crimes like giving food to LTTE cadres or pasting LTTE posters are still in remand for over 15 years without any trial. While this is the case for Tamil offenders, Sinhala and Muslim offenders are walking free without being charged in courts. This is why UNHCR said that the judicial system in Srilanka is biassed and incapable of conducting a fair inquiry. LTTE atrocities is being talked about now to deliberately play down atrocities by others. If a fair inquiry is held with witness protection, all the atrociies committed by armed services will be brought to light, and then only you will realise that how barbaric was the armed services. Tamils are asking why is this discrimination of punishing only Tamils.
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / October 11, 2015
Dear Dr Gnana Sankaralingam,
I do appreciate your detailed information/explanation and do agree that the LTTEers were not the only culprits. I have met some second level leaders or activists and at a personal level they all were well meaning human beings. I have discussed with them however very openly that I could not condone their methods or even some policies. I have met them outside the country and in Kilinochchi. Unfortunately all known people are no more. It is a tragedy.
It is extremely unfortunate that if people who were not major offenders are still languishing under custody. There should be some efforts to get them released. Perhaps you should make an appeal to the President, the Prime Minister and the UN office. It is extremely unfortunate in this world people are discriminated on the basis of ethnicity or religion, particularly in Sri Lanka. However, I am not sure all sufferers under the state authorities are only Tamils. That can be the way you feel it with some justification. There can be some room for all suffers to become united and try to improve and reform the situation as a joint task. It might be more workable. The assistance of the UN is extremely important. I am in support to have UN human rights offices in Sri Lanka particularly in the war affected areas. Please try to document your experiences.
Sorry for the delay in responding.
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / October 12, 2015
Dear Prof Laksiri,
There is no point in writing to President or Prime Ministar, as no action will be taken against the will of Sinhalese. As for UN, it has degraded itself in recommending an internal inquiry for war crimes after accusing earlier that Srilanka judicial system cannot deliver a free and fair inquiry. Russia and China had always supported Srilanka in it’s wrong doings. India and West have taken opportunisitc stance in this matter. US and UK were very vociferous during Mahinda’s regime, only to attack him. Now that he has been brought down they are singing a different song. Their primary aim is to see that present regime is not toppled and hence their support for internal inqiry. The only sane voice among Sinhala MPs in parliament is that of Lakshman Kiriella. All others are mouthing racism or opportunism. There will be never be reconcilliation without justice and truth, and there seems to be no light under the tunnel regarding these at present. Compare this situation with Nepal who have passed a new constitution. Despite Nepal being 81% Hindu, it has declared itself as secular, while Srilanka with 70% Buddhist, is a proclaimed Buddhist state.
Nepal has declared itself federal to grant autonomy to the southern areas populated by recent migrants from North India, while Srilanka is steadfastly refusing to let go the unitary character and refusing to devolve substantial autonomy to Tamil regions, which has a very ancient Tamil population. Nepal never attempted at ethnic cleansing or settlement of Nepalese in these areas to change the demographic pattern or attempted to divide the minority areas as done in Srilanka regarding north-east. No Sinhala politician will grant justice to Tamils without foreign intervention, which seems to be remote for the present.
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M.Yoga / October 10, 2015
In our socity the law and judgment has continued based on kings decition on the moment and time, even this was practiced by our last King. The injustice was one of the reason we capitalised to forign invaders.
We received the roman law , and our courts were made and run earlier by British when we inherited. Our legal system may have British components but how do we practice individualy? What is right and wrong as a individual person?
As a Tamil did Prabaharan do injustice according to court of law Yes ! , did our practice of legal System and Constitution do injustice to groups of people in Sri Lanka Yes !
How Can we eliminate the injustice we do to one another is by making us aware of our action and change our mind set toward equality and justice is equal to all citizens .
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / October 10, 2015
M. Yoga,
When we go to the genesis of the problem, discrimination and violence against Tamils were/are at the heart of the problem. That did not however permit Prabhakaren or the LTTE to engage in which I call terrorism. At the same time, defeating LTTE or terrorism did not permit killing of innocent civilians or committing war crimes.
Yes, there are limitations in our legal system in delivering justice. That is why we need to employ the international law primarily on human rights and justice. Laws are not enough unless, laws are respected through education and practice. Apart from democracy, the best available solutions are through human rights. Building Sri Lanka as a human rights society/country is the way forward.
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Vetmahadeva / October 10, 2015
Dr Laksiri Fernando,
You are absolutely correct
////////”When we go to the genesis of the problem, discrimination and violence against Tamils were/are at the heart of the problem.That did not however permit Prabhakaren or the LTTE to engage in which I call terrorism. At the same time, defeating LTTE or terrorism did not permit killing of innocent civilians or committing war crimes” ////////
Who allowed V.Prabaharan to engage or for rather prolonged engagement with ruthless terrorist activities and for what purpose? Answer for these two questions
1. Failing to arrest Veluppilai Prabaharan and his accomplices when they were having dinner of hoppers at Amirthalingam’s house, immediately or later following gunning down Alfred Duraippah, at Ponnalai. 2. Failing to apply a return ambush at Kadju Farm Murungan Mannar Road when Veluppilai Prabaharan and his accomplices ambushed a radio-car with few CID officers at the same farm, despite of its close proximity to Thalldi Army Camp, Mannar one of the biggest then existed. 3. Bringing an abrupt halt to the Vadamarachchy Operation Liberation in May 1987, when General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Brig. Wimalasundra’s battalion have managed to isolate the civilians from rest of the fighting groups including Veluppilai Prabaharan and LTTE, and thus for failing to arrest or shoot down the most wanted people of the law by then and failing to avoid catastrophe in succeeding years by that abrupt halt of Operation Liberation 4. Failing to uphold the Sovereignty of Democratic Socialistic Republic of Sri Lanka, which is uttermost responsibility of a Responsible Government at the most required time, by halting the Operation Liberation at a crucial juncture at the behest of India another Sovereign Independent Nation (Could have finished the job swiftly said in above 3. and then sign the agreement) 5. By the action said in above 4 the Responsible Government of Sri Lanka (here in after referred to as RGOSL) wasted an opportunity to tear the Indian Super Power attitude and its’ face mask for the betterment Regional Independent Nations’ Sovereignty; worst of all RGOSL allowed Veluppilai Prabaharan to be carried off to Delhi by an Indian Helicopter from the shores of Sri Lanka, then to return by same means instead of to Colombo on both occasions – with ulterior motives unveiled later as a war. 6. By the actions above said 3 and 4 of RGOSL, the siege by the LTTE as well as by other groups over the entire population lived in the North and East of Sri Lanka and over the defense installations there in were allowed to recommence swiftly, though unfortunately for entire Sri Lanka population. 7. By agreeing to sign and signing an accord at the behest of India, the treacherous act described in above 4, was repeated, and the entire population lived in the North and East was exposed to the atrocities of Indian Peace Keeping Force, and to the crony groups ENDLF, EPRLF, TELO, PLOT, and the worst to the war against LTTE, and the atrocities of LLTE as well. This is an absolute failure, and abandoning the responsibility of the RGOSL, and its constituent Defense Forces to protect and saving its own population from external forces and miseries. More than 20,000 people perished apart from permanently inflicted trauma and despair of war on the living people. Though RGOSL, failed to compensate or compassionate towards that IPKF war affected people, India did only compensate for lose life and property. 8. In the Alambil Jungle, though IPKF have managed again to trap the, Veluppilai Prabaharan and LTTE far, far away from the civilians, again RGOSL, failed to give the necessary shooting orders in time to IPKF, Thus the RGOSL, failed, again to prevent the mayhem all that have been done by LTTE from there on and failed to protect the people, to which the accord was signed RGOSL, claimed. 9. Though the prime aim should have been to eradicate the LTTE and its terrorist activities, Government of Sri Lanka, acted invariably constantly in series of contradicting manner, funding, providing arms and ammunition, at the same time the security forces had been engaged in war with the same group, keeping the state of commotion afloat, totally disrupted of day to day life people of unabated. 10. as such in above 9. RGOSL, connived with LTTE, exposed very able, dedicated, members of defense forces who were very capable of segregating the civilians from terrorists and terrorism to be targets of LTTE and to be killed by same LTTE; to name a few, General Dezil Kobbekaduwa, Wimalratne, Clarence Wiyewardene and Brig. Wimalasundra. Similarly political rivalry also connived with LTTE to get rid of one or the other and not only succeeded in devil dared political maneuvering but also in propagating a maneuvered suspicion among gullible that the Tamil civilians, are against the State as well its leaders through LTTE. In one of those political killing, main informer to LTTE was a former cabinet of minister famous for highhandedness. 11. As such, pursuing the above action said in 10 the both political parties using the name Government of Sri Lanka deliberately closed the pathways for natural integration between the two major ethnic communities. 12. An action plan with a notion of Sinhala Buddhist Nation, was allowed to spread intentionally, hence the above said 10, and thus 11 took its own course to polarize the Sri Lankan society and pushing the Tamil civilians towards LTTE further and further. 13. LTTE on its part, as grown in stature in indisputable terms locally and internationally, staked claim as sole representatives of Tamil people, and to be attractive to that impression conducted series attacks on border villages, monasteries and suicide bombarding in civilian predominant places, such as Railways, Bus-Stand etc. Even their own brethren were killed in spree. 14. The grown stature of LTTE, as above inducted themselves to carry out suicide bombarding of economically important places of RGOSL, such as Central Bank, etc. 15. RGOSL by its own actions tabulated all above, concocted state of concede to carry out ostentatious cosmopolitan decorated Peace Talks for deception, with off tracking LTTE, and then entered into a ceasefire agreement (CFA) thus pushing the ordinary Tamil civilians towards LTTE and made them to keep Himalayan Trust on LTTE for their unresolved issues 16. Having constructed a full-fledged war, as an action plan, RGOSL using planes, artillery and mortar bombarded civilian targets on the pretext of LTTE targets, within its own territory. 17. From above all, it is abundantly clear that GOSL wanted a situation mass of population going behind LTTE, and did achieve it, rather than attracting the people of the land towards its rulers RGOSL 18. It is also abundantly clear that the above tabulated series of actions by the so called RGOSL were in line with, meticulously constructing a situation prolonging and culminating to be equivalent of 1971 and 1989, Machiavellians and Machiavellianism massacre, outside North and East of the country for the reasons described in above 12.
Inadequacy of a system would not be justifiable answer by an means for the above as well as in delivering justice – as you meant the commitment shown by the government in defining and addressing inadequacies is going to play pivotal role in the future of Sri Lanka as a whole!
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sam / October 11, 2015
Dr. Laksiri Fernando.
Did you ever question your Sinhalese governments, why they did not carry out inquiries, and punish all the Sinhalese hooligans, Bikhus, and politicians who aided and abetted the attack on innocent Tamils in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1983 and several in other ORGANIZED pogroms!
What right have they got to kill,rape, loot, burn innocent people? Have you ever wondered why the Jaffna Public Library was burnt? Ever felt sorry for the temples, churches destroyed along with the people sheltering inside. They were all designated “safe zones” Don’t you think if proper investigations should have been held and perpetrators punished then and there? This would have prevented more Tamil youths joining the moment. If Tamils were treated equally ever since independence, Sri Lanka would have surpassed all other Asian countries!
Unfortunately Sinhalese does not understand what is justice and fair play. They always talk about what the LTTE did. Never mention about the “supposedly elected” Governments did!! Until justice is delivered to the Tamil victims, the country will not prosper.
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Amarasiri / October 11, 2015
Dr Laksiri Fernando
“When we go to the genesis of the problem, discrimination and violence against Tamils were/are at the heart of the problem. That did not however permit Prabhakaren or the LTTE to engage in which I call terrorism. At the same time, defeating LTTE or terrorism did not permit killing of innocent civilians or committing war crimes.”
Succinctly stated and well articulated.
Yes. Para-Sinhala have no right to commit discrimination and violence against Para-Tamils. That did not, however, permit Para-Tamils like Prabhakaren or the LTTE to engage in terrorism and ethnic cleansing of other Paras, such as Para-Muslims in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho.
If the Para-Sinhala or the Para-Tamils want to practice discrimination, violence and terrorism against the other Paras, they should get back to their homeland, South, East, West or even North India, and leave the Land of Native Veddah Aethho alone.
“Both Tamils and Sinhalese clusters were affiliated with Indian subcontinent populations than Vedda people who are believed to be the native population of the island of Sri Lanka.”
Journal of Human Genetics (2014) 59, 28–36; doi:10.1038/jhg.2013.112; published online 7 November 2013
Mitochondrial DNA history of Sri Lankan ethnic people: their relations within the island and with the Indian subcontinental populations
Lanka Ranaweera1,3, Supannee Kaewsutthi1,3, Aung Win Tun1, Hathaichanoke Boonyarit1, Samerchai Poolsuwan2 and Patcharee Lertrit1
http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v59/n1/full/jhg2013112a.html
P.S. The very small admixture of Native Veddah Aethho genetic material found in a few cases of Sinhala, is due to the raping of Native Veddah Women by the Para-Sinhala, and the offspring being gradually assimilated into the Para-Sinhala population. Some Native Veddah Aethho, even though generically pure, may have classified them as Para-Sinhala, and skewed the results.
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Lankan / October 11, 2015
Amarasiri,
Your comments about ‘para’ this and ‘para’ that
are irrelevant. There is no need to discriminate
between Sinhalese,Tamils,Muslims,Veddhas, burghers
or any other group when it comes to the Sri Lankan
identity.
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Vetmahadeva / October 11, 2015
Dear Amarasiri
I always respect your comments for the messages it carries to this Forum.
Your Post script in the above comment
“The very small admixture of Native Veddah Aethho genetic material found in a few cases of Sinhala”
Similar interpretation was found in one of your comment elsewhere as well and thus this interpretation cannot be an inadvertent misreading or mistake, above interpretation of yours carries a misnomer notion AS OF FEW SRI LANKAN SINHALESE ONLY CARRIES THE FEW DNA SEQUENCE OF GENETIC MATERIALS RESEMBLANCE TO THAT OF Native Veddah Aethho, Where as the source you provided http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v59/n1/full/jhg2013112a.html transpires as follows Quote ****The haplotypes and analysis of molecular variance revealed that Vedda people’s mitochondrial sequences are more related to the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils’ than the Indian Tamils’ sequences**** Quot ends.
This may be an inadvertent mistyping, but the subject is too sensitive for this type of error, and as well the forum we are in
Good Luck to You.
/
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / October 11, 2015
Dear Prof Laksiri,
You are both right and wrong. Prabakaran or any other Tamil would have never taken up weapons if the Srilanka government did not point their guns at Tamils for demanding justice. It is after failure of repeated attempts by Tamils to arrive at a fair agreement with Sinhalese and peaceful protests were put down by state sponsored violence that some Tamils thought that only way to achieve the rights is by an armed struggle. What Prabakaran did to divert this holy mission into a monopolised criminal path which earned a terrorist label is now history. Majority of Tamil people never mandated Prabakaran to commit atrocities on non combatant people or dissenting persons. If Prabakaran had done according to the wishes of Tamils, he would have won the sruggle. Armed struggles against an oppressive state to defend lives and property of their people has been going around for years and cannot be termed incorrect. The only way to prevent any future armed struggle by Tamils against the state is to garant their rights. So far there is no indication that the Sinhalese are prepared for that, and what they are prepared to offer, no Tamil with iota of self respect will accept. Go ahead and impress upon the Sinhalese that Tamils want to live as first class citizens in their lands of historic habitattion without any interference by the Sinhalese. There are gross injustices done to Tamils by Sinhalese after independence. To correct these, majority of the Sinhalese must first accept that they were mistakes, if not how can you rectify them. Look at Eastern province, which had a clear Tamil majority as evidenced by successive census taken since 1882 has now been altered by planned settlement of Sinhalese and murder and ethnic cleansing of Tamils. Recent Archaeological finds in Trincomalee and Batticaloa have proved that Tamil have been living there since pre-buddhistic times. The genuine owners of Eastern province are the Tamilised descendants of coastal veddhas and not Sinhalese, Muslims or even other Tamils like Mukkuwas. Appropriation of lands belonging to Tamils by army is to settle Sinhalese and not for security reasons as what is being touted. How many Sinhalese are accepting this true position. Should the legitimate rights of Tamils be denied due to atavistic fears and racist mindset of Sinhalese. Just because there is no country in the world to give support to Tamils, does not mean that the Tamil demand to regain their lost soverignty is wrong. If Sinhalese fail to accommodate this concept within a united Srilanka with substantial autonomy to the merged Tamil areas, then there is no other way than for independant statehood.
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Malli / October 10, 2015
Thiru,
Are you equally going to denounce Ranil’s cold blooded murders at Batalanda?
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Estate Labourer / October 10, 2015
The correct term is, ‘hors de combat’.
/
Vibhushana / October 10, 2015
Well, Barrak Obama gave the OK to kill Bin Landen.
Bin Landen was unarmed when he was shot and thrown off a chopper on the way back. Imagine American Arabs wanting Obama punished!
If it requires Sri Lanka to punish Gota for getting rid of Prabakran for “reconciliation” I think most Sri Lankans will forego reconciliation.
The juvenile Tamil political leadership continue to baffle and amaze me.
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Ram / October 10, 2015
And they were watching the goings-on on screen, with Hillary C. getting orgasmic.
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ravivararo / October 11, 2015
[Well, Barrak Obama gave the OK to kill Bin Landen. Bin Landen was unarmed when he was shot and thrown off a chopper on the way back. Imagine American Arabs wanting Obama punished! ]
ask yourself before the mirror
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Tamil from the north / October 11, 2015
Vibushana the racist hog, nobody is questioning the killing of VP. I don’t even care how he died, he is dead. You dumb racist f*&k keep talking about the LTTE and doing your best to divert attention from the real issue where countless number of civilians were slaughtered. How do you wake up every morning and look at yourself in the mirror having so much hatred?
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Sengodan. M / October 10, 2015
Whoever who commited the crimes on whichever side need to be punished. That is Justice in the simplest form.
Let there be a fair trial in the first instance.
Sengodan. M
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aratai / October 10, 2015
.
I really wanted to see if this mechanism can find who killed VP’s 10 yr old son?
:-)
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Ram / October 10, 2015
Laksiri F. spends an inordinately long time with his own rigmarole, in his effort to implicate GR with the alleged crime in the matter surrounding the “ surrender of Pulidavan etc “. The reason for this is strangely unclear and it certainly does not seem to be in the pursuit of truth. GR may be a simple man without the erudition of the author, but to other simple minds, the JURY, his conclusions seem contrived. Some of Prabhakaran’s underlings may have wanted to lay down arms, betraying their erstwhile leader, and to come over to the government but the leader who represented the LTTE was still alive, and ONLY he could offer a formal surrender. In addition when accepted there is usually a ceremony attached with Press in attendance. The name of the surrendee then assumes importance. It is admirable that GR has no intention of betraying his own men who did the fighting, though he has agreed to an investigation.
If Pulidevan could not be contacted afterwards by the Norwegian Ambassador through whom the offer was made, then it is patently clear that surrender was not on the cards and all the hullabaloo made by the foreign press which was allegedly in contact with him matters little. The oft used phrase ‘fog of war’ comes to mind.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / October 10, 2015
And given the LTTE terrorists’ well known cowardly, deceptive, and illegal tactics which even included the use of pregnant ‘civilian’ human bombs, I don’t see how anyone can decide whether any of these terrorists was “clearly expressing an intention to surrender” or “discontinuing his/her participation in hostilities”. So this entire article is a bit of a “malle pol” :D
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pacs / October 10, 2015
Mother earth always cherish with fresh human blood but it always gush from mother Lanka . it is a vital river of human blood and flesh.
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Vetmahadeva / October 10, 2015
Gota’s Inadvertent Admission Of Complicity In The ‘White Flag Massacre’
This is just only one part of the Human Right Violations, listed but it is crucial, in the sense that lead the courts or inquirer what ever digging for the truth of the end saga of war, will lead to the real culprit or culprits of the other serious allegations out side and after real battle field.
As such Gotapaya Rajapaksha may be banking on “credibility” of the courts as have been theirs or of Government of Sri Lanka’s usual practice to be ignorant and inadvertently admitting the complicity.
The baton (COMPLICITY) for the relay of slaughtering of people on the pretext of a war first given to Acting Defense Minister, present president, now the baton is in the hands of Hattrem, although the relay is finished long ago we are still in the process of finding a “winner”
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Vetmahadeva / October 10, 2015
Gota’s Inadvertent Admission Of Complicity In The ‘White Flag Massacre’
This is just only one part of the Human Right Violations, listed but it is crucial, in the sense that it would lead the courts or inquirer what ever digging for the truth of the end saga of war, will lead to the real culprit or culprits of the other serious allegations out side and after real battle field.
As such Gotapaya Rajapaksha may be banking on “credibility” of the courts as have been theirs or of Government of Sri Lanka’s usual practice to be ignorant and inadvertently admitting the complicity.
The baton (COMPLICITY) for the relay of slaughtering of people on the pretext of a war first given to Acting Defense Minister, present president, now the baton is in the hands of Hattrem, although the relay is finished long ago we are still in the process of finding a “winner”
/
Nettabomman / October 10, 2015
Tamils do not raise no objections in the deaths of Tamil youth killed in their war against the State. The justice and the truth they seek is in respect of the many men, women, old/infirm and children in civil society killed outside the battlefield. They are deeply concerned of the many thousands missing – and presumed killed by the army – after they surrendered. They demand justice for the brutal rape and killing of many young Isaipriyas and the little Balachandrans. Those who committed summary executions should not be seen as Sinhalese or Tamils but as those going against the very code of conduct they are expected to uphold during hostilities. That is what is expected and the test of a civilised plural society. In that unfortunate situation where our once splendid justice system was engineered to collapse by scheming politicians over the decades there is too much of racial prejudice, even in the part of lawyers and judges, for Tamils to expect unbiased justice. That is why external judges/courts – or at least – hybrid courts appear to be the best choice in the search of that badly needed justice.
This is not the view of Tamils only but of the concerned external world as well.
Nettabomman
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Ram / October 10, 2015
The man who in his heyday apparently ordered his underlings to shoot him dead if he ever offered to surrender was still playing hide and seek even when he knew he had no escape, or was he shot dead by his adoring underlings, as ordered.
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M.Yoga / October 10, 2015
Firstly eliminating Bin Ladin did not solve the problem universaly, Now the world is phasing IS, root cause to the problem is not solved. We should not bring Obama in to this social injustice issue and crime against humanity.
Why did JVP or LTTE came in to picture, who created it and how Can we secure a better future for our country?
Unless we realy find the root cause and eliminate, we will always have a new group revolting the goverment.
Even investigating the Crimes happened in our country Can cause a new revolt unless the issue is handled correctly and to make sure correct information is given to public and educate the public What the domestic investigation is all about.
The Social injustice and our Constitution is far beyond Rajapakse family and Prabaharan. This is not the issue. Social justice and better Constitution to accomerdate all socities is the important issue. In this Process we May find guilty persons who have been responsible for mass distruction and killing.
Those who have done bad things should not be made heros, example is dirty Harry he carpet bombed Germany and did mass distruction in Second world war II. This kind of bombing was not necessary to win the nazi military. After the war he did not get nighted by queen or get any. Incentive because of his behavior and kick for killing.
Sri Lanka is a buddhist majority country and we should know better about buddha’s teaching better than the western socity and social injustice.
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manel fonseka / October 10, 2015
“On the night of May 16th, 2009, Hattrem visited me at my official residence, Baudhaloka Mawatha”
Since when did Ministry Secretaries have “official” residences?
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Ram / October 11, 2015
This was during the war, and the Defence Secretary was the most IMPORTANT civilian in the administration next to the President, and needed to be well protected in secure a home. Isn’t it sad that this was all that caught your eye from the article.
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Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri / October 10, 2015
Dear Laksiri,
Do you have any explanation as to why you proposed at the senate of the University of Colombo that Gotabhaya and Mahinda Rajapakshas be awarded honorary doctorates? I refrain from asking this possibly embarrassing question from you for a long time. But I cannot control myself anymore.
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Kumar R. / October 11, 2015
Dear Dr. Laksiri Fernando,
Dewasiri’s accusation is quite a serious one – I think it is necessary that you, at the least, either confirm or deny Dewasiri’s accusation.
If you choose not to, that will dramtically change the goodwill and credibility that you have built up in this forum.
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / October 11, 2015
Dear Nirmal,
Why were you embarrassed to ask that question for a long time personally or publicly? This was raised before in a CT comment twice I believe and I had admitted it as a mistake, although I cannot straightaway trace my apology.
However, were you there in the Senate at that time? Did you oppose? No one opposed at the Senate. The date I believe was somewhere in the last week of May 2009. I was not aware of any atrocities committed. This does not mean that I considered the war (or any war) as a clean one, but I didn’t consider GR or MR were possibly implicated. It was a moment of hesitation/failing as well. I was asked to make the proposal by the VC. I couldn’t refuse (1) as I didn’t see anything wrong (2) given that she was appointed as a VC in a contest with me among others. I even felt I was trapped. My hesitation was perhaps clear as I immediately left the Senate and I never attended the party when they came to receive the award.
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Kumar R. / October 11, 2015
Dear Dr. Laksiri Fernando,
That is quite a lame apology.
For one, you say you were trapped into proposing (on behalf of the University?). As a distinguished academic with substantial standing in the academic and civil society, do you truly consider that a valid defense?
You also propose as an excuse for you act that you were unaware of GR/MR being implicated, but you rush to state you had some hesitation. Do you not think that a PhD, even a honorary one, needs to be conferred only after a thorough, careful and complete verification and validation of the credentials – that it should not be an impulsive decision based on incomplete information? That is not merely a shame but a travesty to the Academic system. Don’t you think that it is such willy-nilly undermining of the hallowed traditions by no less than the best of intellects that gave the MR regime the misguided courage to reduce the once elite Law College to become the laughing stock among national and international academia?!
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lal / October 11, 2015
Dr Laksiri,
I believe you made the correct decision to honor both MR and GR for ending the Terrorists campaign to destroy Sri Lanka. I am appalled by to read the justification by some readers that the Terrorists acted in self defence and/or due to the standardisation of university entry requirements. Tamil hatred for the Sinhala pre dates the standardisation issue and, Prabahkaran would not have had an issue for he would not have entered university with/without standardisation. He was an early drop our from the education process. Standardisation card is overplayed by many Tamils, as those who claim to have missed out exceed available places at universities.
We all make mistakes, you have with dignity admiitted to yours. However, to honour with a doctrate may not be the best, as we often see those with doctrates acting rather foolishly. MR and GR deserve better than honourary doctrates.
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Native Vedda / October 14, 2015
lal loo
Why hasn’t the uni considered honouring Premadasa, Udugampola, Janaka Perera, Sarath Fonseka, Denzil Kobbekaduwa ……. and the village boys (30,000) who sacrificed their life and limbs to rid the island of terrorism?
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PhD / October 11, 2015
“I was asked to make the proposal by the VC”, “I couldn’t refuse”
So Laksiri has been another typical Sri Lankan academic who will do anything when a Vice chancellor requests them to do. Academics have to suck up to the VC if they need to go up the ladder.
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PhD / October 11, 2015
You can not justify your act By highlighting the fact that no one opposed that proposal. Obviously no one will dare to oppose such a proposal for fear of their life. Also members of the senate are normally the suckers of the VC except a very few. Most probably Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri would not have been there.
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Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri / October 11, 2015
I was not in the senate at that time
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / October 10, 2015
“Attacking .. a horse de combat is prohibited”
The rules might need updating for the modern, mechanized age :D
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sarath de alwis / October 10, 2015
Vibushana,
Obama not only authorized the killing of Bin Laden but watched the execution of the operation live. He later revealed it to the world. Suggest you read Obama’s Nobel acceptance speech which the Norwegians gave him at the beginning of his first term. I am not endorsing the murder/ killing of Bib Laden. That said Obama cannot be accused of moral or legal ambiguity. He did not order the killing of the children and women in the compound.
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Ranil Wijeyesekera / October 10, 2015
There was confusion on the front. Air craft carriers were moving into position. The general in China saw it all. He had access to movement of air craft carriers and frigates and ships. Close up it was the command of The security council chaired by the chief of staff. The army commander and our ships moved to positions. Our aircrafts bombed targets in non civilian areas. They left open the gate tyo move civilians in. Gotabaya moved supply men in. Suplies of the LTTE were blocked. Conflicting orders created havoc. Michael Roberts said it was ythe the fault of the west. THe general in command in china intervened. Telephone calls and other communications should be unsealed. The west can not try and tamper with evidence.
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Jim softy / October 10, 2015
Laksiri Fernando:
You may be a political expert. Well, there were how many successful political philosophies. It is just like Economics.
Anyway, you don’t apply your brain into other areas.
First you should have explained a strategy to eliminate a ruthless terrorist group who used their own as human bombs, killed their own children because they did not agree to become black tigers, they raped their own and brain washed those girls as they were raped by sinhala soldiers. the objective was to create animosity to be good human bombs.
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Plato. / October 10, 2015
Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri.
This is a Bombshell.However,I would not rush to comment without a clarification!
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Daya Gamage / October 10, 2015
I read Dr. Laksiri Fernando, my contemporary at Peradeniya, writing about Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s comment on White Flag Surrender of the LTTE Top Brass.
Laksiri wouldn’t have come to discuss this if the war was still going on. WHY DID GOTABHAYA RAJAPAKSA FINISH THIS WAR AND DEFEAT THE LTTE WITHOUT ALLOWING IT TO DRAG THE WAY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT DID ? LOT OF PEOPLE COULD HAVE MADE LOT OF MONEY, AND IN FACT LAKSIRI ALSO WOULD HAVE LOST HIS HEAD. WHY WAS THIS WAR PUT TO AN END. GOTABHAYA SHOULD ANSWERE THAT QUESTION – DAYA GAMAGE
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Siva / October 11, 2015
@Daya Gamage – You are requesting an alleged war criminal Gota to respond to why the war was over. The MR regime was killing everyone who was against them including the Tamils. The war, mass atrocities and genocide made headlines each day after 6 years, still discussed at UNHRC and Sinhalese are regarded as disgraceful,chauvinists, alleged criminals and shameful in many nations and MR regime has exported war criminals all over the world.Do you really like what MR and GR done to the Sinhalese?
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Richie / October 11, 2015
Siva,
I could not keep my mouth shut when you are referring to the Sinhalese as war criminals who committed mass atrocities and genocide against the tamils. What do you think the TAMIL LTTE did when they massacred whole Sinhalese villages? When they ripped open the bellies of pregnant Sinhalese women, and ripped the babies and bashed their heads on the walls to kill them? How about ripping babies from breast feeding Sinhalese mothers and again bashing them in front of the mothers before killing the mothers? It is the bloody Low caste tamil LTTE’s who are disgraceful and started this 30 year war. The reason was not because the Sinhalese subjugated the Tamils. It was because Prabakaran was a low caste Jaffna Tamil was marginalized by the high caste Jaffna Tamils. Instead of taking steps to eradicate the caste system in Jaffna, Prabakaran took arms to massacre the Sinhalese people. He brutalized and massacred whole Sinhalese villagers and the Sinhalese people who were alive, fled to the south of Sri Lanka to save their lives. You call this genocide of the tamils? This was GENOCIDE OF THE SINHALESE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE NORTH!!! You can call it genocide of the tamils, if the tamils who lived in the rest of the island were massacred. During the 30 year war, Tamils lived, and breathed among the Sinhalese. MR and Gota ended a war that was begun by the low caste Tamil Prabakaran. They brought safety to the whole island. People can now live their lives without the fear of getting bombed by a low caste tamil suicide bomber. IT WAS PRABAKARAN WHO STARTED THIS WAR!!! IT WAS NOT THE SINHALESE WHO STARTED THIS WAR!!! The majority has a right to defend themselves from a minority guerrilla terrorist group who was committing GENOCIDE OF THE SINHALESE IN THE NORTH, and murdering lots of innocent civilians in the rest of the island by using suicide bombers. The Tamil LTTE terrorists who were killed made a decision to live and die by the gun and the bomb. Sinhalese Civilians did NOT make a decision to live and die by the gun. War Crimes of the Sinhalese? It should be War Crimes committed by the Tamil LTTE guerrilla terrorists that should be investigated and not the legitimate government who did it’s best to protect the rest of the civilians and put an end to the murderous rampage of Prabakaran and his LTTE group of terrorists!!!
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Vetmahadeva / October 12, 2015
Richie
The Genesis of War in Sri Lanka
“IT WAS PRABAKARAN WHO STARTED THIS WAR!!! IT WAS NOT THE SINHALESE WHO STARTED THIS WAR”
No, It was meticulous long term action plan of the Government of Sri Lanka, proved by following actions of it.
1. Communal Riots of 1958, 1976(Trincomalee) 1977, 1983, 1985-1986 (Upcountry) in which so called Sinhala human burned alive Tamils, looted the hard earned properties, uniform clad and monks raped and molested Tamil women, with well orchestrated and impunity 2. 1962 Deploying and Army Under Curfew against compatriot Parliamentarians, in response to a non violence movement in Jaffna and uniform clad forces looted the hard earned an properties of shops, raped and molested who got caught in the curfew imposed on short notice Tamil women, with well impunity orchestrated 3. Deploying Police against 1974 International Tamil Research Conference being held in Jaffna against the Wish of Government who insisted it to be held in Colombo to be disturbed on the final day after orchestrating stone throwing through then Mayor Alfred Durraiappah towards final day podium 4. Orchestrating violence through Hooligans and thugs brought from Colombo including cabinet ministers to disturb the District Development Elections and looting and burning the what the eye saw, including the cultural symbol Jaffna library and the Jaffna Cooperatives. This was in 1980.
Therefore up to 1977 all actions of Responsible Government of Sri Lanka (RGOSL) were that of agitating the younger generation of Tamils, unfortunately for RGOSL Sinhala youth as well got agitated and it resulted in 1971, and 1989. The RGOSL self sinned itself!. But since 1980, RGOSL being well aware Tamil youth had have been agitated, and forming groups wanted to sustain in it than to prevent, and construct a warring situation. That is what resulted 1983 communal riots in response to a Landmine explosion which killed in Jaffna. Now you answer me. Which another civilized country would have responded to a landmine blast in the north in a manner burnt, looted and raped innocents in the south, unless it schemes for else, a war in north where the innocents south have conglomerated as refugees. So the next step is born through a violence, 1984 a police officer was shot dead, RGOSL responded by ransacking entire Jaffna town by deploying army and agitated youth exchanged retaliated guns accumulated. That was how the war started.
Further following actions of RGOSL, proves that it wanted a full-fledged war than Tamil groups who were compelled to take arms by the actions preceded by RGOSL, as means of only remedy is separatism –
1. Failing to arrest Veluppilai Prabaharan and his accomplices when they were having dinner of hoppers at Amirthalingam’s house, immediately or later following gunning down Alfred Duraippah, at Ponnalai. (mid 1976) 2. Failing to apply a return ambush at Kadju Farm Murungan Mannar Road when Veluppilai Prabaharan and his accomplices ambushed a radio-car with few CID officers at the same farm, despite of its close proximity to Thalldi Army Camp, Mannar one of the biggest then existed. (Early 1977)
RGOSl was pretending sleeping for the want of Protracted war in order to be succeed in ethnic cleansing!
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vis8 / October 11, 2015
@daya gamage: the eelamists are hallucinating about the eelam again. This “writer’ is obviously a hate-filled moron with only a one track mind.
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Native Vedda / October 11, 2015
vis8
“This “writer’ is obviously a hate-filled moron with only a one track mind.”
Why waste time reading it and responding to an article written by “a hate-filled moron with only a one track mind”?
However I do waste my time reading and responding to most typing by bigots, racists, MR’s b***s carriers, war criminals and their supporters, fascists, war mongers and war crime deniers, stupid, ………….. hence my comment to you.
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punchinilame / October 11, 2015
GR has many a chance in saying things he does not mean. His War-without-witnesses did
not foresee the Mobile phone techonology – where his Defence Consultant Guneratne let
him down? He has to face Macrae accusations – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml3KprXzufg
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vishvajith / October 11, 2015
If I may, In Behavioral Sciences we know people make blunders when wrapped around in ” over confidence “. We all at some point have fallen victim to this.
GR after finishing off the JVP under Ranjan Wijeyrathna, with so much power under his brothers rule was utterly over confident. He got away with the JVP; that one day he will be asked to stand up and be accused, must have never got into him. There was no one to control him. No one could control his loyal supporters the BBS, Ravana Something. This was the mistake his brother Mahinda made.
GR knows, the cards are decked against him. People much larger than him have ended up in the Hague. Some have died there.
Writers as Dr. Laksiri Fernando, softens the population to accept the inevitable.
Prabhaharan was a bloody fool when he went for the all or nothing war. Rajapaksas were too intelligent to realize, they too were getting entrapped.
It is our Ghosts of war.
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Ram / October 11, 2015
Command and Control had to be eliminated, as the Americans say, and this was all that was aimed at, and it was achieved in the face of all the advice to the contrary from our fair-weather “friends” in the West who today have got a yoke-like hold on Samaraweera.
Prof Devasiri poses an interesting question. We await the answer with glee.
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ramona therese fernando / October 11, 2015
[It is a strange order to rule that ‘the identities of those willing to surrender’ should be known or revealed before the acceptance of surrender.]
What is so strange about that? It was well known that civilians were forced into the war areas, and it goes to show that Gotabaya was trying his best to separate and spare the civilians from the combatants. Weren’t there many other white flags that were honored? what about the many Tamil lives saved by the armed forces?
Why didn’t Hattem , the Norwegian, most concerned for lives of Tamils, make every effort to identify those who wanted to surrender? Wasn’t the onus on Hattem, to do the needful and relay the information to the Gosl, and save as many lives as possible?
Was it, that he willingly chose not to do so, but waited in anticipation for the massacre, so he could once and for all, catch Lankan government out? Was it that the Norwegian’s main purpose was to create a state for Tamils, irrespective of lives lost?
Was it humanitarian issues that they cared about, or a permanent solution that they could be rulers on – an ultimate thrust into the vast Tamil-Nation prosperity (rather like the age-old European global-ally/colonial system………not to be outdone by the American and British in their ally-network…….all is nice and socialistically egalitarian in Norway, but the monetary system still needs to sustain)?
For what good would it done for Gosl to massacre innocent people, especially with the world waiting to catch them out. It was obviously an out and out plot to mingle genuine surrendering persons with the LTTE-terrorists. The fact that the lost LTTE cause made use of civilians as human shields to stake claims, should nullify the whole UNHCR case.
Ok,….let’s say that because civilians were forced into the war zones, that Gosl should have not have had a final conflict in the first place – the war dragging on for many more years, with the main reason for LTTE-diaspora parties for the collection of terrorism funds.
But let’s see how the US tackled threats to its monetary system asap. It bombed Baghdad! Then it gave all kinds of arms to rebel forces. What does one call the current bombing of ISIS territories by US forces? Who is going to speak for the women and children and other innocents who were/are caught up in these places? Isn’t it impossible to distinguish their white flags, of which I am sure many are waving frantically?
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Ranil Wijeyesekera / October 11, 2015
The white flags could be dreams or visions by a ego centric maniac. Just as electoral ballot by computer. Trace on please.
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Mallaiyuran / October 11, 2015
This is case, has been decided at international level(UNHRC), of war crime with a possible pending upgrade of genocide. Here the government’s applicable law has been invalidated. For example, the way the PTA was implemented may not hold during the investigation. International Humanitarian and Human rights law may override the ways conveniently implemented emergency and the PTA provision. They, with 6th amendment certainly separated Tamils from Sinhalese. It was a war with two parties, Sinhalese and Tamils. Certainly not with brother prince and Pirapakaran. It was not the question of who did, what. The main question raised at the court will be who maintained the control from the start, 1948. Governments always had the control and seeded the violence, nurtured, fertilised and reaped the benefit suppressing Tamils with occupying the North. There was a upraising in the South presided ahead of the oppressed North. This is a clear indication the path the Lankan governments indicated the Tamils to follow. The violence in the oppressed North is not the one appeared in the South. It was purely by the misrule of the government. The prime purpose of oppressing was only in the North. It was with that aim from 1958 pogroms were started and conducted. After the war, even ambassadors, Blake, Patricia and other expressed their opinion that there was still ground to another armed struggle to appear. It was in the government’s interest to start war and tighten more and more the grip on the North. This was not in the control of the Tamil. If a man beat up the dog tied to the tree, it will jump back at his. Because its running away chance is removed. Then blaming the the dog as violent is not valid. In fact that one of the methods used by trainers to use dog for fights. The dogs properly trained do not behave like that. Government had the ultimate control and government managed the movement of the direction of the matters so that it can occupy the North. This what DS dreamed when he disenfranchised the Tamil in the upcountry. LTTE has a case to present. So, by careful dealing, the war crime could be upgraded to Genocide.
As a matter of fact Nelson Mandela was not investigated for terrorism by IC. It was not simple recognising his 27 years prison terms he served under internal investigation. It was because the recognition of there if IC open a way for peace, it could be achieved by both parties. That was not the case with Lankawe’s war. Before any power sharing agreements that is non in line with the Banda-Selva, Dudley-Selva or India- Sri Lanka pact, UNP destroyed the stability of the LTTE and Push back the negotiation to starting point. So LTTE has a case to present at an International Investigation. In South Africa, ANC had the leach of the investigation. In Lankawe, the purposeful cheatings of the commissions appointed in the Internal Investigation are the one changed the minds of IC supporting the Lankawe’ governments.
Pain is felt by everybody same. The war was unwanted. Tamils were left with no alternate path. But, a mass of 145,000 civilians death in five months is not equal to LTTE’s murders which not has been reported to a 1000 civilians death for its entire history. UNHRC reported pointed out that LTTE’s war crime would stem from the use of human shield. This was usually done by the government and government used techniques to heard people as declaring no fire zones too. Government, further has been arresting wife or mother and raping them until it can get out of the accused what it wanted. This type of crime may not have been identified in the UN provisions as war crime, but they are beyond that.
SJV had even appealed to the non aligned countries in 1976. But they were with the government. The Privy council was a thorn for Sinhala rulers. Because of this SWRD and Dudley wanted to agree for some pact. Once that hanging knife was removed, Sirima and JR decided to rule with army and pogroms. A diamond can be cut only with a diamond. The army pogroms rules were neutralised by LTTE’s tit for that. Tit for tat may not accepted by the IC courts, but there was a need to stop the pains of the pogroms.
Thuraiappah murders is not a political murder and Because of that murder alone Prabhakaran may not be branded as a terrorist. My object is not to present an individual case of Thuraiappah or Brother Prince or defend Pirapaharan. This is a war crime accusation by IC. That is mainly of mass murders of civilians. All what I can say here is with that limit. Kathirgamar, Karuna, Pillayan, Douglas, Thuraiappah are not politicians. They worked as government’s agents. Unlike Amirthalingam, Yogeswaran like politicians there are people not serving with proper selection by peoples. The murders of Kathirgamar and Thuraiappah can be compared or contrasted. When they took decision to work for government beyond their capacity they took their risk. This was for the reward from the government which, with a claim of democratically elected and oppressing the minority and committing genocide. Other than that, actual murders were completely different. Thuraiappah’s, an elected government agent, murder is accused on LTTE, with whom Thuraiappah had his head locked to destroy each other. In that deadly game, Thuraiappah lost. It is not the same with Kathirgamar’s murder. It was a breach of trust and heinous ugly crime. Kathirgamar, an unelected government’s agent, showed extensive dedication to Government. But at the end there was sudden withdrawal of his security by the government. He was alarmed of his mother bitch going to eat the pup. The defenseless fool tried to quickly with to private life and escape the death. But the government did not let him go. Then it blamed on LTTE for that forced the family to accept that. Then, further to fool British Prime Minister Tony Blair, it built a memorial hall on his name. If somebody call Pirapaharan as terrorist because his enemy Thuraiappah was killed, I may have to google back to use to call the ones who murdered Kathirgamar, the dedicated servant of government. The shamest in all of it is the Drama Queen, the Attanagalla Princes have not one day condemned her deadliest enemies the old Royal family for Kathirgamar’s murder. She used him maximum when he was alive. Her action shoed, if it a Tamil, he/she is worthless even below for their enemies. So she too working with the gang that is trying to save her enemies, but she never came out called for a serious investigation for her earnest slave’s death. The ugly behaviour of ignoring Kathirgamar’s death is not particular to Attanagalla Princess. This is the basic relationship between the Tamils and the Sinhalese.
There is view of the UNHRC, September, 2015 resolution as a call for Hybrid Courts. I am not referring the comedian Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara or Dinesh Gunawardene. Specially, the words used as “Commonwealth.. Foreign” make them to interpret it as a Hybrid mechanism. But there is no substance in that. This is happening because those who try understand on the legal side of these wordings looking at them through the prism of their new acquired standards for which they have become accustomed in the foreign countries they live. Then it might be again one may betray him/her thinking that a resolution passed by IC would have been well understood using in combination with foreign standards. But that is not so with Lankawe. As far lankawe concerned, it is a resolution co-sponsored by it and so it is interpretation is the one will prevail. President and prime minister has said that this is an Internal Investigation and the Old Royal family has been already saved. So arguing with that will not save anything. Thier contention is, America knowly allowed the word to take low end meaning as it would keep the the resolution away from the firing range of the Old Royals’ crooked friends like Wimal, Vasu, Denish…. And further their belief is, the IC allowed only the words to fall down but will not allow the quality of the investigation to fall. So, even though it does not look like a spade, but as still going to do the job of a spade, they want to call it a spade. At UNHRC, Government reserved implementation part only for it. Government has the control and as always, it will be guiding the events to move toward their objectives.
But attempts to educate the mass will on this matter will not be wasted. It will serve as the starting point to the mass on the long way they have to go to understand the democracy and their government. The democracy to thrive, they need education on wide rage of subjects. Legal matters, international obligation can be only one of them. The disadvantage of education is Lankawe is it does not trickle down to the mass. The first recipient of it the Sinhala Intellectual always change the cow milk as the cactus(Euphorbia antiquorum) milk and let the poison only to flow down. That is why, with the individuals’ efforts, government’s involvement also important. It is the government has to call it as Hybrid Mechanism is what IC prescribed. The government to form the Hybrid courts. It is the government have to implement it as a Hybrid investigation. Thirudanaai Parthhtu thirunthaaviddal thiruddai olikka wali illai” (Unless the thieves give up stealing, the policing will not stop the thefts)
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janaka / October 11, 2015
Did Gota give orders to kill surrendering tigers general Shavendra?
No comment! OH god should have been definite NO.
What prisoners were killed in Welikada prison officer?
They were killed according to a list supplied by Gota.
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shamindra ferdinando / October 11, 2015
Laksiri Fernando avoided some critical points raised by me in ‘war crimes: Gotabhaya speaks out”. GR’s position on alleged attempts to organize surrender of terrorists on tbe Vanni east front in May 2009 had been confirmed by no less a person than the then US Defence Attache Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith over two years after the conclusion of the offensive. Prabhakaran could have surrendered to the army on the battlefield along with over 11,000 cadres.
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / October 11, 2015
I don’t think it is correct for Shamindra Ferdinando to say that ‘GR’s position was confirmed by Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith.’ He was talking about surrender offers in general as he had heard. There was no reference to GR’s position by Smith at the Seminar on ‘Defeating Terrorism’ in May 2011. He did say the surrender offers were ‘a bit suspect.’ He also said ‘it is not uncommon in combat operations, in the fog of war.’ Anyway, my points were different, which Shamindra Ferdinando has not contradicted. His point is about my ‘avoidance.’
Well, I do avoid unnecessary or murky matters.
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