By Dayan Jayatilleka –
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
As usual Sri Lanka’s cosmopolitan liberals have it wrong and that includes its most prominent personality, Minister of External affairs Mangala Samaraweera. His embrace of the Diaspora is wrong, not because the Diaspora is diabolical but because Mr. Samaraweera’s embrace is indiscriminate.
Sri Lanka must welcome its Diaspora or Diasporas (plural). This is true of us as a country as well as of the Government of Sri Lanka. But the Diaspora is not a homogenous entity. I do not mean that the Sinhala Diaspora is good and the Tamil one is bad. What I do mean is that there are extremists in both the Tamil and Sinhala Diasporas, just as there are moderates. The Government and the country should open its doors and roll out the red carpet for the moderate, enlightened currents of both Tamil and Sinhala Diasporas. The Government should go beyond that and strive to promote a truly Sri Lankan, i.e. Tamil and Sinhala Diaspora, by building bridges between the moderates, the progressives, of both sides. (Indeed this is the policy I practiced with some success when I represented Sri Lanka in France.) Instead, what Mr. Samarawera has done is to embrace the anti-Sri Lankan element of the Tamil Diaspora.
By anti-Sri Lankan, I do not mean anti-Mahinda Rajapaksa, because that is a matter of democratic political choice. Nor do I mean by anti-Sri Lankan, a generally violent discourse or disposition. After all, Mr. Suren Surendiran is a civilized chap and Fr. Emmanuel is quite affable, even warmly so. By anti-Sri Lankan I refer to an objectively verifiable political stance against Sri Lanka’s national interest. The evidence is out in plain view in the interview that Suren Surendiran of the GTF gave the state-run Daily News, AFTER the conciliatory meeting with Foreign Minister Samaraweera and the resultant conversion to moderation on the part of the GTF. In it he spells out the four pillars of GTF policy. If I may mix metaphors, the smoking gun is in pillar number 3:
‘…Explaining the third pillar, he said: “The third is to actively lobby and create awareness within the international community, international institutions and governments regarding the injustices and alleged breaches of international laws, including international human rights and humanitarian laws that amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Lobby for international independent investigations of both sides…Surendiran said the GTF intends to carry out the Four Pillar Strategy “with the help of the people of Sri Lanka, in the Diaspora and the international community including India.” He added that since 2011, the GTF has been progressing under this programme.’ (‘GTF to work on four pillar strategy’ Kathya de Silva-Senarath June 16, 2015)
The problem with the Ranil–Mangala–CBK model of reconciliation and peace-building is that they have learnt nothing from their unsuccessful efforts of the dismal Decade of Appeasement 1995-2005. This is not to say that the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration got postwar peace-building and reconciliation right. Far from it: the first mistake made in that realm was to abolish the Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) headed at the time by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha.
The Ranil-CBK-Mangala troika made the gross mistake of thinking that peace could be arrived at without the total military defeat of the Tigers and more basically, the elimination of Prabhakaran. Given that peace could not be arrived at even during the much less intense JVP insurrection of 1986-1989 without the elimination of Wijeweera and the defeat of the JVP, it took a really high degree of obtuseness to assume that it would be different with a far more fanatical, successful and powerful LTTE.
For its part the Rajapaksa administration made the opposite error. Just as Ranil-CBK-Mangala failed to realize that peace could not be achieved without a successful war; that a victorious war was a necessary precondition for peace; the Rajapaksa administration whose great merit was to recognize as their predecessors did not, that military victory was both possible and necessary, made the opposite error of assuming that a necessary condition was a sufficient condition. It thought that the victorious end of the war was a sufficient condition of a sustainable peace. It failed to realize that a process of peace-building was necessary, and that this peace-building required not only material reconstruction and development, not only de-mining and rehabilitation; but also political negotiation. It failed to understand that political negotiation, while a discredited tactic of appeasement when practiced in wartime by Ranil-CBK, was however, a necessary postwar practice and prerequisite for a sustainable, durable peace.
Ranil-CBK-Mangala strove to achieve peace by talking to the wrong people: the fascist, fundamentalist Tigers and their fellow-travellers. They could and should have worked out a political project with the anti-Tiger/non-Tiger Tamil groups and caught the Tigers in a politico-military pincer, but they did not. They could have implemented the 13th amendment instead of wasting time and political capital with the union of regions packages of 1995 and 1997, the Liam Fox agreement and the CFA, the Solheim mediation, the PTOMS etc. They could have appointed an interim administration within the 13th amendment and installed a coalition of progressive anti-Tiger Tamil groups which had worked with the UNP earlier and knew CBK from her SLMP years. But they did not.
For their part, the Rajapaksa administration could have done what President Putin successfully did in Chechnya with Ramzan Kadyrov, and empowered their ally Douglas Devananda in 2009, as the war was won and before the TNA recovered. Instead it opted for a (hyper-securitized) developmentalist strategy which had as a political component, a vain effort to rebuild the SLFP in the North and East.
Interestingly, CBK and MR administrations had the same option and made the same mistake: they both had an anti-Tiger, anti-secessionist Tamil partner which they had inherited from the Premadasa–Ranjan Wijeratne years, but they failed to play that card. CBK preferred to talk to the fascist Tigers (through the Norwegians) even after they tried to kill her and instead, blinded her in one eye.
The Rajapaksa administration correctly understood the fascist character of the Tamil Tigers and defeated them, but having done so it strove in the postwar phase, to operate politically in the North without any identifiable Tamil partner and strategic ally. Having made that mistake, the Rajapaksa administration compounded it by allowing the default option to fail, in that the dialogue with the TNA broke down and stayed suspended.
Mangala Samaraweera has picked up where Ranil, CBK and he left off. If the GTF is “moderate” according to Mangala, we can imagine what his idea of radicalism is. What the Sri Lankan government—any Sri Lankan government—should do, is to adopt, in its Diaspora outreach, a policy of concentric circles, which privileges the anti-Tiger, anti-secessionist elements of the Tamil Diaspora before reaching out to those who were Prabhakaran’s fellow travellers, and still refuse to criticize him or the LTTE. No Government should embrace those who, even after dialogue, boast that one of the pillars of their policy is to lobby the international community including governments, for international investigations into ‘war crimes’ and ‘crimes against humanity’.
The basic task of any Foreign Minister and Foreign Ministry should surely be to oppose, refute, rebut and defeat those Diaspora elements who threaten our national sovereignty by lobbying for international war crimes inquiries against Sri Lanka (and in a fraudulent even-handedness, the dead Tigers). If only in his capacity as this country’s Minister of External Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera should be far more discriminating in whom he chooses to partner with in external affairs.
Britlankan / June 25, 2015
Dr.Dayan.
You have written many articles critical of the present government.
Why don’t you write one as why the Rajapakse regime failed and lost the election?
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Samuel Jayaweera / June 25, 2015
Why not Dayan see self immolation of the like if he is that frustrated? Can anybody of you guys tell me what this man has been doing is relevance to eh prevailing idiotic situation of the country. Thug leader is making every effort to return to active politics but telling the pallatable tihngs to decieve the same guillible folks that repeatedly voted for him.
For them the man and his cronies regardless of the greater danger made to the nation – still god like. While others over 50% wait country to take the lead to progress and civlizsation. Human rights development etc are their thoughts. Balige putha is going to give a lead to thugs so that he can continue the murderous culture regardless of any good values.
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sama / June 25, 2015
but you may be right.
This man Dayan will be resitant to heat as the bacterian spores.
He can twist in soft voice that MARA the idiot could be no wrong. But who would take it. Not many actually, Everyone of the nation (vote eligible) would raise the quesiton… why MARA why not any other who did not have the chance ? I believe people are not that stupid as guessed by many. DJ is a spent source, He will have no posts either under MARA or anyone else. He cut his penis by himself.
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sirimal / June 25, 2015
wHO WOULD respect Thunmulle Wimale if not few hundreds ? So are the reactions towards the man once found pants down – and trying to be caught as joky down next days. This man is shamless as no other. He is not sinhalayasa representative. Real sinhalayas would never behave like MARA.. they would see it back where they went wrong. By the time JRJ got sick – he realized the biggest mistake he made was the 78 consitution. But MARA seems to be saying nothing about his higher abuses. His Madamulana barbaric culture was infected to those vulnerable folks.. that would even go naked upon the request of MARA or any chandias that see nothing but day today dwelling.
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Supun Jayawardhane / June 25, 2015
Hey guys,
what would you think if we have this kind pseudo interllectuals in this country. ?
a) Dayan was recalled after 2009… not being able to get on with IC well – thi swas according to MARA
b) Since then he was like a dog who was infected by Rabies wrote and wrote and wrote to make the mahadanamutta clear about the need to getting close to any country that criticise the island nation.
c) Effortless man never thought to go out of MR since he had grudges with RW and CBK or any colombo elites that did their job but not ot the manner MR and thugs did. Even JRJ did a good job, not being fallen to the level of Premadasa or Maharaja.
To that ear, JRJ was well respected for one reason that he gave a life to many by introducing open economy. For some he was the very selfish man. but he has also good sides.
d)78 consitatuion needed to be amended many atimes, but CBK and other terms were not allowed by the very same culprits – but close to Mara- for their dwelling.. criminals always promote crime doers..
e)This country thought young ones would like to see thing becoming better ofr the future, but most of the older or middle aged are brainwashed by corrupted performances of Maharaja.
Alone maharaja to give Astrologers a chance to manimpuate the stupid folks showed the nature of Maharaja. He himself was decieved naively… while letting the many to fall on the same tracks.
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Amarasiri / June 25, 2015
Britlankan
“Why don’t you write one as why the Rajapakse regime failed and lost the election?”
Why?
MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa Amana MaRa
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Amarasiri / June 26, 2015
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
Give up MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa amana MaRa and Hora Gota.
It is not worth being a MaRa Shill and White-washer any more. Can you get out of the MaRa Shilling contract?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DN57FUlwasQ
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Seelawathi / June 26, 2015
Because he cant tick it..
He is more like Rajaakshe.
Rajapakse never tried to feel the pulses of the people.
He abused the national assets to core actually.
Who abused the people s funds to the manner Mahinda did ?
Not even Premadasa Gam udawa wasted that much billions.
Alone that is a curese .. knowing that poor man s funds can bettter be used for their benefit.. to have wasted them for his foreign entourages… see his abusing Airline was similar to that of Mugabe style.
Today, my3 would leave country – just with few guys, but not making big show up… he is the greatest leader we ever had to protect this eroded country.
Mahinda is praised by many, since people are dumb idiots. They know nothing actually .. not even numbers that went missing.
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Antany Peter / June 25, 2015
I agree, President J R Jayewardene’s failed policies created riots in Sri Lanka; due to the riots thousands of Tamils moved to the Western countries. Eventually, the West hijacked the Sri Lankan civil war from India through the Tamil Diasporas. India felt threatened by the Western countries’ move; and implemented the Indo-Lanka agreement to counterattack the Western influence in Sri Lanka. The 1987 Indo-Lanka agreement was the best solution Tamils could ever have. However, the Tamil Diaspora leaders’ political knowledge weren’t adequate enough to understand this reality. The Tamil Diaspora leaders fell into the trap of the West; and pushed the LTTE to fight against the IPKF. This mistake became the biggest disaster in the Sri Lankan history, including killing the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. More than hundred thousand people have died; and more than two hundred thousand people have injured since Tamils have refused to accept the Indo-Lanka agreement. The Tamils leaders have been fulfilling the foreign interests; instead of making right policies for their own people.
The Tamil Diaspora leaders were extremely active in collecting money to support the war. However, the same leaders are not interested to support the post war developments. This is a clear indication that the Tamil Diaspora leaders are dancing according to the West; instead of doing what is right for their people.Sri Lanka is in a strategic location than Singapore; but the Tamil and the Sinhalese leaders have not been able to utilize the Sri Lanka’s strategic location, due to lack of political knowledge and strategy. Sri Lanka doesn’t have leaders. Therefore, all the popular Sri Lankan Universities’ political science department heads must be replaced with intellectuals. We must encourage young Sri Lankans to study political science and encourage them to become political leaders. The country must come up with a plan to create genuine leaders ASAP. I am not denying Tamils have faced discrimination in Sri Lanka. However, Tamils got off the track and took arms from India to safeguard India in the name of freedom. Later on Tamils followed the West and turned against India and fought against the IPKF.
Sri Lankan Tamils are not the only people who have faced discrimination in the world; but they are the only people who have done significant damages to themselves and Sinhalese. For an example; Singaporeans and African Americans faced discrimination, but they didn’t go far as Tamils. Tamils who took arms became terrorists, eliminated more leaders than Al-Qaeda. Tamil leaders would go with anyone to achieve their foolish goals. First they went with India, and took up arms against their own countrymen, then they went with the West and turned against the Indians. Trust me, the West knows about the Tamils and their leaders very well. The West has every intention to use the Tamils leaders in Sri Lanka to control the Indian Ocean. Tamil leaders are fooled by the foreign powers. Still the Tamil politicians are under the grip of New Delhi, and the diaspora leaders are under the grip of the Western powers. Therefore, Tamil leaders will not make any good decision for Tamils or Sinhalese. Therefore, we must keep an eye on foolish leaders.
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Jim softy / June 26, 2015
Tamils are doing the same old thing for almost a hundred years. Peaceful negotations will not ever work with Tamils because they know that they migrants in Sri lanka and sri lankan culture is foreign to them, so they try to establish Indian culture here.
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Amarasiri / June 26, 2015
Jim softy
” so they try to establish Indian culture here. “
Correction:
,
so they, The Para-Tamils, try to establish Indian culture here., just the same way Para-Sinhala established a para-sinhala culture, in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho.
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Native Vedda / June 26, 2015
Jim softy
Are you still hearing voices in your head?
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kali / June 26, 2015
Jim Sooty:
You bloody BOAT PEOPLE. Do you want to know your origins.
Man Stark Naked and Revealing and here it is so in future stop
talking Rubbish.
“Sinhabahu or (“Lion-arms”), was the son of a Vanga princess and a lion. He killed his father and became king of Vanga. His son Vijaya would emigrate to Lanka and become the progenitor of the Sinhala people.”
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sach / June 29, 2015
I knows Hindus have a soft point for taking myth too real, we arent the same. The people of the island the ancestors of Sinhala people has had a far longer history than even they imagined
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kali / June 26, 2015
Antany Peter;
I dont want attack you because you are so week and out on the Street as from what you told everyone you were denied an office to write from. And reading your comments I can see why.
I want to respond to the following
“I agree, President J R Jayewardene’s failed policies created riots in Sri Lanka ”
*** It is all factually wrong. Riots didnt start because of JRs policies and riots started way back in 1958. Riots is a common phenomenon in Sinhala Lanka and the reasons are as follows.
When a Sinhalese mother gives Birth to a son it is not only in the Gene but also instilled through Mothers Milk.
The characteristcs are the following.
– Attack a Tamil
– Maime a Tamil
– Finally Kill a Tamil.
The son carries these traits from Cradle to Grave.
Just look at Dayan the Catholic Priest ( Have you ever heard Priest preaching Hatred) who hails from an Affluent Habitat in Ward Place started attacking Tamils as soon as he started Crawling and carrying on even after forced retirement.
So Antany in future dont make a Fool of yourself writting things which are not correct.
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sach / June 29, 2015
Riots started in 1939 after GG Ponnambalam’s speech
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jenn / June 25, 2015
And at one time he was Sri Lanka’s ace Diplomat…….. Sorry Sorry …..DIPLOMUT………
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Leelawathie / June 25, 2015
Dayan is overcoated by smears of extrements provided by Maharaja. So his mentality would never see changes towards the progress of the civlized folks of the nation. SO balla laginne, ballo gode.. dogs sit with dogs. are what my father (in his early 80ties) makes it very clear today.
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Native Vedda / June 25, 2015
jenn
“And at one time he was Sri Lanka’s ace Diplomat…….. Sorry Sorry …..DIPLOMUT……… “
Wasn’t he the patriotic smart ass diplomat once worked for MR? Subsequently MR called him a NGO employee. What a fitting felicitation for a sacked diplomat.
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Vanguard / June 25, 2015
“…this peace-building required not only material reconstruction and development, not only de-mining and rehabilitation; but also political negotiation.”
Political negotiation should take place between all sides, all parties. Should it not be fleshed out in the form of an amendment patterned after the way the 19th amendment was constructed – a monument chiseled out by many parties, in parliament: an amendment noted not for its beauty (elegance?) but its lack of ugliness. Something to work with while we try to build a prettier constitution?
Satisfying hardliners on both sides of the divide, and avoiding violence and enmity is the goal that this or the next government should strive for.
Dayan what do you think?
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lal / June 25, 2015
It would be a big mistake to assume that GTF, TGTE, Fr Emmanuel have moderated their earlier held hostile positions towards Sri Lanka. Their new approach is due to refusal by governments in their adopted countries to meet them and lobby unless they reject violence. Many diaspora activists are not Sri lankan citizen and Sri lanka need not hold discussions with them. Mangala S should focus on settlement talks with resident Sri Lankan Tamils instead. Sumanthiran, Sangaree (to name just two of many) are decent chaps who are well capable of representing the Tamils of Sri Lanka. (I believe Fr Emmanuel is barred from entering India for “lending support” to terrorism)
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Native Vedda / June 25, 2015
lal loo
“It would be a big mistake to assume that GTF, TGTE, Fr Emmanuel have moderated their earlier held hostile positions towards Sri Lanka.”
Hindians are working on it. You shouldn’t worrying about events that are beyond you.
By the way did you know that this smart ass patriot too held hostile positions towards Sri Lanka earlier.
He was with EPRLF for a number of years supporting their ideology which included separation of this island. Would you believe that he held a ministerial position in the merged North East Council?
If anything you need to demand an explanation from him more than anything.
” Many diaspora activists are not Sri lankan citizen and Sri lanka need not hold discussions with them. “
Gota is not a Sri Lankan citizen and this island should not have allowed him to butcher the people and commit war crimes.
If a former JVP supporting Human Rights activist (caught with photographs while trying to smuggle them to Geneva) could transform himself into a war criminal then of course anything is possible.
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Rajash / June 25, 2015
Dayan you seems to be saying well done Mangala and Ranil, I wish i had this wisdom when I was posted in France .
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Dr R K Raghavan / June 27, 2015
Machang Rajash
Well said but Dr DJ is our buddy. Don’t criticise him.
He served in the first Northern Provincial council and he can play an important role to help our Viggi.
DJ got a problem of pen pushing which he did beyond limit when he was Ambassador for France. Addi da Raja was his motto then.
You are also pen pushing too much and my advise to you is to use your skills in a professional manner.
Why don’t you put a write up on Tamil issue in the CT?
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Jim softy / June 25, 2015
Idiots become ministers handling important portfolios. The only thing they know is to screw up every thing.
What Dayan Jayathilake said else where is correct.
The western govts want to subjugate Sri lanka in order to fulfil their wishes in the Indian Ocean. Tamil block votes wants access to Sri lankan political theatre. Tamil block votes living in western countries want part of Sri lanka carved with the power of These govts.
I don’t think Mangala Samaraweera can understand that much.
USA already has a long list items that they are looking for. It is simply anarchy in the country and subjugation to make their wishes come true.
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Native Vedda / June 25, 2015
Jim softy
We know you have been hearing voices in your head for a long time. Out of disrespect nobody mentioned it in this forum. I have to be brutally frank with you, and happy to break the news that you are indeed suffer from hearing voices. You should ask your doctor about Paranoia.
Read the message below:
Voices in people’s heads more complex than previously thought
Date: March 10, 2015
Source: Durham University
Summary:
Voices in people’s heads are far more varied and complex than previously thought. One of the largest and most detailed studies to date on the experience of auditory hallucinations, commonly referred to as voice hearing, found that the majority of voice-hearers hear multiple voices with distinct character-like qualities, with many also experiencing physical effects on their bodies. The study also confirmed that both people with and without psychiatric diagnoses hear voices.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/
150310205707.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_
campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28Latest+Science+
News+–+ScienceDaily%29
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R K Raghavan / June 27, 2015
Native Vedda
You are a Naked Vedda. You must meet the Masai Mara’s in Tanzania and they are your breed there. You will be stunned to see their tradition and physic.
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Lanka Watch / June 25, 2015
The govt. should take up this matter of satisfying the diaspora ten years or so from now as there is no urgency to talk to them now while the day to day problems of the Tamils are still there to be sorted out, locally. It is sad that TNA too took part in the talks recently
as the pressing problem of unemployment, latest drug addiction in N/E,
removal of armed forces in excess of requirement in N/E, get the release of lands forcibly taken by armed forces and some Southern
politicians and businessmen to build factories and hotels, undermining
the concern for environmental disasters, get the law and order situation improved in N/E, resettlement of refugees in their own lands, get hold of fertile lands used by army for farming,done against govt. orders, throwing the owners to refugee camps ,are some of the priorities, TNA should take up with the Govt. and ask the diaspora to pump in money for developments in N/E war affected areas and politics should not be discussed with them.Tamils are surprised to read in the media that TNA slept all these months and woken up last week to talk to the govt. on Tamil issues just prior to dissolution of Parliament but had time to go down to London to talk the diaspora. Tamils wonder as what is there to talk to diaspora except ask them for financial assistance. Minister Mangala acts as if he does not seem to know what the priorities are and sadly mistaken if he thinks that he could get the diaspora to get the decision taken by the UN War crime tribunal, changed.
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Heretic / June 27, 2015
Lanka Watch,
“Tamils are surprised to read in the media that TNA slept all these months and woken up last week to talk to the govt. on Tamil issues just prior to dissolution of Parliament but had time to go down to London to talk the diaspora.”
I would not say that the different parties constituting the TNA have slept. We are very divided by politics, geography, caste and religion. A minority like us does not have very much power. I repeat again that there are also the other political groups than TNA. They also have support and MPs. There is no sole representative of Tamils.
MAS went to London not the rest of the TNA who even claim not to have known of what was going on. MAS does not represent the majority of the TNA or his own party ITAK. You can read more on Tamilnet or Uthayan. Feel free to call Suresh and Ananthi if you have time. I can provide you the numbers if you do not have them.
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thondamannat / June 25, 2015
“It would be a big mistake to assume that GTF, TGTE, Fr Emmanuel have moderated their earlier held hostile positions towards Sri Lanka”- Lal
THIS MONGOL GUY IS A MAVERICK. HE HAS DONE THE UNTHINKABLE WITHIN FEW HOURS DURING HIS VISIT TO THE UK………HE IS AN ALCHEMIST.
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Jim softy / June 25, 2015
Ranil-CBK-Mangala model should be introduced to solve the probems in the middle east – that ISrael vs other arabic countries or the problems among super powers that is USA-russia-china.
Why do they build arsm and get into arms race instead of following Ranil-CBK-Mangala model.
CBK wants to destroy the Sinhala-majority model..
But, europeans are mourining their lose of societies and cultures because they are people are not reproducing migrents mostly muslims are taking over what is theirs.
CBK thinks that is the model for Sri lanka too.
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Punitham / June 25, 2015
”Talking” with diaspora is to let the occupation army carry on its work as in the previous regimeand not to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict.
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Crazyoldmansl / June 25, 2015
So now [Edited out] maintains that prosecuting our war criminals and human rights violaters is “against the interests of the state”? That means he wants a CRIMINAL STATE that HIDES ITS WAR CRIMINALS AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS.
Let me make it VERY clear that it is very much in the interests of our state to prosecute all those who committed war crimes and who violated human rights. Did we tell them to commit these crimes and violate human rights? NO.
We told them to go to war with GUN IN ONE HAND AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHARTER IN THE OTHER. SO MR SICKO IF ANY OF THEM DISOBEYED OUR COMMAND AND COMMITTED WAR CRIMES OF VIOLATED HUMAN RIGHTS THEN THEY MUST BE EXPOSED AND PUNISHED AND OUR STATE PURIFIED OF SUCH SICK TRASH. You know very well how come of them have behaved and what some of them have done and yet you want such people to walk free in our country and you want to hide what they have done and protect them from justice.
This man is a criminal.
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Siva Sabapathy / June 25, 2015
It is the Srilankan government and all those who gave them the Deadly Weapons to destroy the people and their homes who should pay for the Reconstruction of the Vanni and its surroundings .Why should the diaspora who are struggling to make a successful living pay for the sins of others?
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Ram / June 29, 2015
You seem to have conveniently overlooked the fact that it was diaspora funds that financed the LTTE in the main and the resultant destruction of public property alongside the recorded massacres . Hence a good part of the blame should be borne by them. They have a duty to help rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.
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dcn / June 25, 2015
DJ De Silva is anti Ranil/chandrika/Mangala and his views, opinions, & comments are centred only on criticising their actions and this is his agenda.
He is unable to see or accept Good tactics and actions by them and this is disgraceful for a person who talks so much about his PhD and his political knowledge. Every reader of XT knows he is a MR crony and therefore do not take notice of his articles and/or late night talks in Sir as a TV.
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Non PhD / June 25, 2015
Smart Patriot DJ,
So you are indirectly accepting the fact that between 4th February 1948 and 8th January 2015 the Ceylon Leaders and Sri Lankan leaders (elected by a single party or coalition of parties ) whether they were ruling or in opposition, were really anti Sri Lankan leaders. None of them nurtured a united Ceylon or SriLanka through viable political solutions.
These leaders’ inability to resolve the socio- economic & political problems of the country as a whole youths in particular, in an amicable way resulted in youth rebellions in North, East, West & South of the country. The other component of their failures is the state sponsored violence in 1959, 1970 -71, 1977, 1983, 1989 – 91 and so on.
Therefore, I strongly believe that anti Sri Lanka elements among the Diaspora are far less harmful than the anti SriLankan elements like MaRa, his family members and cronies and they coming back to power.
DJ if you are not anti SriLanka and a smart patriot it is time for you to openly advocate for MaRa and bros to step down from politics. If they do not, the whole of SriLanka will continue to go backwards. If not openly you can do behind the scene too.
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CountryFirst / June 25, 2015
Dayan has quite rightly found reason to criticise those of use who use the term “Tamil Diaspora” rather indiscriminately. This needs some explanation from those of us who accuse the “Tamil Diaspora” as diabolical. Today we do need to be more specific.
When one talks of a “diabolical Diaspora” it is the Tamil LTTE-supporting Diaspora that we speak of. They have always acted in their parochial and personal interests and NOT in the country’s interest, and unfortunately have gone so far as to create an international image of Sri Lanka as being a “diabolical state” through a well organized Goebellian propaganda strategy, with focus over the post-Eelam war period, on the Rajapakse regime.
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Ajith / June 26, 2015
There is nothing new about [Edited out]continuous racist agenda. He wants a Minorities oppressive regime and he believes that Gotapaya & BBS should be there to continue the genocide agenda. Srilanka never faced security problem. Srilanka only had national problem where Tamils have been subjected to genocide. The end of war in 2009 and its contnuous Sinhala militarisation showed the true nature of Buddhist Sinhala genocidal intent. Mahinda regime proved undoubtedly that the regimes intent was genocide. Now,International community have got all evidences to prove that and Srilanka has no other escape route other than changing. I don’t know how far the change is true real and it could be another drama to cheat the international community.Suddenly we see daispoara meetings, meeting with TNA to restart peace process, death sentence to soldier who killed 8 civilians, another court decision etc. In otherwords, suddenly the justice system have become independent and police and army is corporating with the justice system and the international community can now leave all the war crimes to investigate by locally. Once that happened the power may be handed over to Mahinda after September.
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Leon / June 26, 2015
What is wrong in GTF asking for an international, independent investigation of BOTH SIDES?. Such an investigation will reveal whether war crimes and crimes against humanity were carried out. I don’t see why you are against unless of course you fear that the Sinhalese military – army, navy and the airforce were more responsible than the Tigers whether dead or not. This is a grand opportunity for the military to clear its name of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity once and for all. The only visual evidence we presently have are those presented by Channel 4 of the UK which places the entire blame on the military. Don’t you want to clear the good name of the Sri Lankan military?.
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K.A Sumanasekera / June 26, 2015
Our Samare does what the Madam tells him to do…
Otherwise he will be out of a job.
But there are more pressing bread and butter issues locally under this YAMAPALANYA as our ex Prez calls it.
The patron . guardian and the protector of the Catholic Faction of the UNP Govt ,and its senior Minister Johnny Amaratunga said on public TV yesterday that fellow Catholic in Wattala, but from the Opposition SLFP, should be hung for the crime of peddling drugs to Wattala voters .
Amare went even further and said the file his dept has on Lansa is so big that it takes time to prove that Lansa is the Drug King in the Bible belt.
Now, we the inhabitants want to know is, has Yamapalanaya approved the Death Sentence for Drug Convicts . like they do in our neighbour nations like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesea?
As a Cabinet Minister and a most Senior UNP one for that matter, has Amare got the tick from his Cabinet to make this serious policy announcement?.
How does this “hanging for Drug Trafficking” sit with Sodomy which has now become the Yahapalana Policy, after our FM Samare signed off UN Bunky’s Same Sex Marriage Act ?.
When Sodomy is a serious crime in India which in fact was instrumental in giving our Inhabitants this Yamapalanaya with the help of the BFT and the West and of course the Madam CBK..
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Jim softy / June 26, 2015
Some where I read that USA buys politicians.
I am pretty sure, Mangala Samaraweera is one such politician. That is how he had several anti-govt web sites all connected to him.
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Native Vedda / June 26, 2015
Jim softy
“Some where I read that USA buys politicians.”
It is a matter of fact that here in this island politicians buy terrorists when they need them and wouldn’t mind sleeping with enemies.
How gratifying it is to know you too read.
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observer / June 26, 2015
Dayan is quite right in saying that the Government should be prudent in its actions and be discriminating in who they take on as partners in peace building. Blindly teaming up with any and every ‘group’ is extremely unwise. As Dayan points out, neither the diaspora nor the groups purporting to represent the diaspora are homogenous which is true even of the TNA. Peace at any cost usually backfires into war as history clearly shows.
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Mallaiyuran / June 26, 2015
“The Ranil-CBK-Mangala troika made the gross mistake of thinking that peace could be arrived at without the total military defeat of the Tigers and more basically, the elimination of Prabhakaran. Given that peace could not be arrived at even during the much less intense JVP insurrection of 1986-1989 without the elimination of Wijeweera and the defeat of the JVP, it took a really high degree of obtuseness to assume that it would be different with a far more fanatical, successful and powerful LTTE.”
This how Dayan is equalizing Thalaivar with Vijeveera. The JVP could not stay home and eat the free rice. Doing home work was too hard. Took the school girls to jungles. Dayan justified 145,000 murders in five months in. Now, he is justifying the 120 thousand murders over 20 years in South.
This war for peace army has turned the man who was the most peaceful official in Lankave as rebellion Like SJV, Thalaivar…. Can he declare independence and run to India?
Dayan’s boss Varathar could not manage the army, declared Independence and ran to India. Pillaiyan went to wash the Royal washrooms. Now what will be the situation of CV is in limbo. He cannot manage the army that is sitting on his head with the name of peace. He is not used to wash bathrooms so he cannot serve at Temple Tree house. If he run to India, they will not accept him. Because he is not Varathar.
I hear Mavai is breaking a new coconut every time, when passes Maruthadi Pillai to meet CV, for having him saved from this “Muthalamaisar” trouble.
You want to make “Freedom Fight Small Soldiers” toys. Just send any toys to Jaffna; without any effort for you, Sinhala Intellectual army will turn them into rebel toys!
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saman / June 26, 2015
what is the truth in the story we hear that you were forced to run naked at someone’s funeral?
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kali / June 26, 2015
Dayan Jayatilleka
Mangala, The Diaspora & Postwar Peacebuilding.
1) As usual Sri Lanka’s cosmopolitan liberals have it wrong and that includes its most prominent personality, Minister of External affairs Mangala Samaraweera. His embrace of the Diaspora is wrong, not because the Diaspora is diabolical but because Mr. Samaraweera’s embrace is indiscriminate.
*** You are right because Mangala embracing the Diaspora adds fuel to the fire. By that I mean Magalas sexual orientaion is already in question and this will confirm that beyond reasonable doubt.
2) Sri Lanka must welcome its Diaspora or Diasporas (plural). This is true of us as a country as well as of the Government of Sri Lanka. But the Diaspora is not a homogenous entity. I do not mean that the Sinhala Diaspora is good and the Tamil one is bad.
*** Who is this Sinhala Diaspora and I know of only one and that is ” Sam Chicken” He gave thousands of pounds to Gotha to kill Tamils baack Home. You are right the Diapsora are heterogeneos beacuse we are a civilsed and Mature Societ and you lot are Homogeneous 22 Million born RACISTS.
3)What I do mean is that there are extremists in both the Tamil and Sinhala Diasporas, just as there are moderates. The Government and the country should open its doors and roll out the red carpet for the moderate, enlightened currents of both Tamil and Sinhala Diasporas.
*** I know your trick. Roll out the Red Carpet and when they arrive pick them up in White Vans and send them on a RENDITION.
But as for Sam Chicken he wont be allowed to return by Colonel Saunders.
4) The Government should go beyond that and strive to promote a truly Sri Lankan, i.e. Tamil and Sinhala Diaspora, by building bridges between the moderates, the progressives, of both sides.
*** You are late the construction of the SEDU Bridge has already started and Modi confirmed this when he addressed the Sri Lankan Parliament.
5) By anti-Sri Lankan, I do not mean anti-Mahinda Rajapaksa, because that is a matter of democratic political choice. Nor do I mean by anti-Sri Lankan, a generally violent discourse or disposition. After all, Mr. Suren Surendiran is a civilized chap and
*** No you are wrong Mahintha is Sinhala Lanka and Sinhala Lanka is Mahintha. It is a fact. You are wrong again Sumanthiran is not civilsed. He is Barbaric as only Barbarians ( The Newzeland Rugby Players) will ask for their rights.
6) The problem with the Ranil–Mangala–CBK model of reconciliation and peace-building is that they have learnt nothing from their unsuccessful efforts of the dismal Decade of Appeasement 1995-2005. This is not to say that the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration got postwar peace-building and reconciliation right.
*** This is the Story of a Tamil Life, No one gets it Right and how do you expect Animals to have any thinking power.
7) For its part the Rajapaksa administration made the opposite error. Just as Ranil-CBK-Mangala failed to realize that peace could not be achieved without a successful war; that a victorious war was a necessary precondition for peace;
*** You really are an Idiot. Why dont you advise India to attack Pakistan so that Peace can be achieved .
8) Ranil-CBK-Mangala strove to achieve peace by talking to the wrong people: the fascist, fundamentalist Tigers and their fellow-travellers. They could and should have worked out a political project with the anti-Tiger/non-Tiger Tamil groups and caught the Tigers in a politico-military pincer, but they did not. They could have implemented the 13th amendment instead of wasting time and political capital with the union of regions packages of 1995 and 1997, the Liam Fox agreement and the CFA, the Solheim mediation, the PTOMS etc. They could have appointed an interim administration within the 13th amendment and installed a coalition of progressive anti-Tiger Tamil groups which had worked with the UNP earlier and knew CBK from her SLMP years. But they did not.
*** Man wonders never cease to exsit. What you have written above is Diabolical. GOSL should be talking to TNA and ANANTHI ( The elected Tigress).
9) For their part, the Rajapaksa administration could have done what President Putin successfully did in Chechnya with Ramzan Kadyrov, and empowered their ally Douglas Devananda in 2009, as the war was won and before the TNA recovered.
*** Douglas didnt haave the brains so he was employed by Gotha to extort money from Tamils for a 10% Commission which he is still doing.
10) The Rajapaksa administration correctly understood the fascist character of the Tamil Tigers and defeated them, but having done so it strove in the postwar phase, to operate politically in the North without any identifiable Tamil partner and strategic ally. Having made that mistake, the Rajapaksa administration compounded it by allowing the default option to fail, in that the dialogue with the TNA broke down and stayed suspended.
*** Was that why the THUG was booted out by the New Colonial Master Modi
11) Mangala Samaraweera has picked up where Ranil, CBK and he left off. If the GTF is “moderate” according to Mangala, we can imagine what his idea of radicalism is. What the Sri Lankan government—any Sri Lankan government—should do, is to adopt, in its Diaspora outreach, a policy of concentric circles, which privileges the anti-Tiger, anti-secessionist elements of the Tamil Diaspora before reaching out to those who were Prabhakaran’s fellow travellers, and still refuse to criticize him or the LTTE. No Government should embrace those who, even after dialogue, boast that one of the pillars of their policy is to lobby the international community including governments, for international investigations into ‘war crimes’ and ‘crimes against humanity’.
*** This is a relay and the baton is passed on
Rajapaksa to MS to RW to Mangala to ICC.
12) The basic task of any Foreign Minister and Foreign Ministry should surely be to oppose, refute, rebut and defeat those Diaspora elements who threaten our national sovereignty by lobbying for international war crimes inquiries against Sri Lanka (and in a fraudulent even-handedness, the dead Tigers). If only in his capacity as this country’s Minister of External Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera should be far more discriminating in whom he chooses to partner with in external affairs.
*** I have already told you this is what happens when you lose your Sovereignty.
YOU DO AS YOU ARE TOLD.
Wake up man and face facts.
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Naga / June 26, 2015
Dayan
If the LTTE is trying to raise its head again, the blame should go to Mahinda.
When LTTE was wiped out in May 2009, MR had a historic opportunity to settle the Tamil problem. Had he listened to saner counsel he would have put foward a plan for reconciliation and reconstruction in order to bring back real peace and harmony. Instead he listened to Sinhala extremists and failed to take any meaningful action to sort out the remaining issues of the Tamils. Though LTTE was using terrorists methods and was in fact a facist organisation, Tamils and the world believed they were purportedly fighting for a right cause. That was the reason many Tamils put up with the dictator Prabaharan.
Shortly after the war ended, India asked MR to implement in full the 13th amendment. Mahinda even promised to give 13 plus. Regretably he reneged on this promise to India and passed the time. Mahinda even opened talks with the TNA but despite many rounds of discussions he failed to agree with them on anything. Had MR made a genuine effort to settle the Tamil problem, the alleged war crimes would have been forgoten by the nations of the world. By his own inactions and failures, MR made things difficult for him and completely alienated not just the SL Tamils but even India and the world opinion.
All these provided the impetus to the residual elements of LTTE based abroad to revive. Though defeated, LTTE’s overseas network remained intact. As reported by the United States, they are back in business now.
An important point not discussed in the media either in Sri Lanka or abroad openly is that a group of highly talented hardcore LTTE cadre of nearly 150 was reportedly sent abroad by Prabaharan when he realized way back in January 2009 that the SL government forces had gained an upper hand in the war and that defeat was imminent. There is a rumour that this group included his intelligence chief Pottu Amman. This rumour is further strengthened by the fact that SL Army did not recover the body of Pottu Amman though they either killed all the other top rung LTTE leaders or recovered their bodies. This escaped group, and other LTTE cadres who managed to escape abroad by either bribing the SL military and other personnel or managed on their own to cross over to India and then to other countries after the war ended, plus the LTTE cadres who already operated overseas before the end of the war will be the backbone of the revived LTTE. Therefore, no one should imagine that LTTE had been destroyed and will never be a threat.They will raise their heads again like phoenix and start another deadly war against Sri Lanka. Whether they can be as effective as during Prabaharan’s time is another matter.
Mangala is not speaking to the hardcore LTTE based abroad but only with some publicity seeking Diaspora Tamils like Surendran & co who were never fully recognised by Prabaharan and his LTTE. This guy Sumanthiran MP is a political novice who never had any idea of LTTE or how they operated. In the eyes of LTTE, guys like Sumanthiran are really traitors and politicl opportunists. Even during the hey days of LTTE, they never treated popular Tamil TNA MPs like Joseph Pararajasingham as genuine and had only contempt for them. Joseph Pararajasingham was made a “Nattu Patalar” by LTTE not because he was their man but because he was known to have been targeted by anti-LTTE forces for colluding with LTTE.
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kali / June 27, 2015
Dayan:
Ever since the Hambanthotta THUG was dethroned and his Castle Crumbled in a Tamil Tsunami you waged a relentless campaign to undermine pouring Scorn on those who set out( half heartedly) to right the Wrong. You pursued a campaign of Bring Back the THUG and your prayers have been answered. MS has thrown down the Gauntlet to the War Winning Criminal
” Damned if you do ” Damned if you dont.
MR has his work cut out and here is the Stark Choice facing him and the Nation.
1) If he stands either on an SLFP ticket or as an Independant and manages to win that will be the Death Knell for Sinhala Lanka. Sanctions will follow aafter September as you cant then Fool the World. MAKE NO MISTAKE.
2) If he is humiliated at the election then he will go down in history as the only War Winning CRIMINAL rejected by the people Twice despite his record.
Either way there is going to be Humiliation either for the NATION or for MR. He could have gracefully retired but the Born RACIST cannot accept that his Dream of Colonisation is in Tatters.
This is what God intended. Punishment for Crimes against Humanity and it will be a day to Celebrate.
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Heretic / June 27, 2015
Dr Dayan,
Thank you for your article and analysis.
The people who left Sri Lanka can be an important resource in the future. However I don’t think that much time should be spent on the people who claim to represent them. They are more or less self appointed and represent a very small minority. Most of the diaspora is busy with their new lives abroad and will never ever move back to Sri Lanka. Naturally the second and third generation overseas will be even less interested. Some of the Tamil groups abroad receive attention because they can buy it with money inherited from the LTTE. Many LTTE businesses continue and the income goes somewhere.
“No Government should embrace those who, even after dialogue, boast that one of the pillars of their policy is to lobby the international community including governments, for international investigations into ‘war crimes’ and ‘crimes against humanity’.
The basic task of any Foreign Minister and Foreign Ministry should surely be to oppose, refute, rebut and defeat those Diaspora elements who threaten our national sovereignty by lobbying for international war crimes inquiries against Sri Lanka (and in a fraudulent even-handedness, the dead Tigers). If only in his capacity as this country’s Minister of External Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera should be far more discriminating in whom he chooses to partner with in external affairs.”
What is wrong with internal and international investigations? As long as all the parties of the conflict are investigated everybody should be happy.
A real international investigation is demanded by the people who claim to represent Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad. It would be interesting to find out what they would do after an international investigation. Would they be happy and concentrate on the current problems of Tamils instead of the past?
How would they react to credible findings about what the LTTE and Tamil politicians did during the conflict?
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kali / June 27, 2015
Heretic:
What bloody rubbsish are you talking about.
“What is wrong with internal and international investigations? As long as all the parties of the conflict are investigated everybody should be happy”
** Let me tell you what is wrong. You committed the Crime and you want to be Judge & Jury. It is nearly 7 Months since the THUG was booted out with the Tamil Tsunami. All the culprits are still at large . Trillions of Rupees have been spirited away and no one has been Charged and no money has been retrieved and if anything MS. RW Mangala are Globe trotting trying to protect the THUGS, CRIMINALS and THIEVES.
Add insult to injury Desmond the Crook comes up with the Theory that 140,000 death was justified and it was colateral damage caused by indiscriminate shelling. SF butts in and says that no one was killed and all those missing have fled to other countries.
Who are you trying to fool. The UN has said they dont believe that you have the Will or the Mechanism for an internal Inquiry.
If you think the Diaspora are not important try and tell that to the Jewish Diaspora ( 2nd 3rd Generation) without them the State of Israel wouldnt exit.
Who is Dyan to answer your questions.
He is a pensioner with Crap Doctorate.
He cant even add 1+ 1.
He only knows Mahintha + Mahintha = 5.8 Million
GROW UP MAN.
Dont be like Peace Lover the Small Boy ( Ninja Turtle) who saw Legacy with his bare eyes.
Sinhala Lanka is on a Reverse Throttle and if you attempt to divert course you will be heading for a Crash Landing.
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Sudar Oli / June 28, 2015
[Edited out]
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Sudar Oli / June 28, 2015
kali,
You forgot to repeat the most important part of your feedback. I will provide a summary for the readers.
[Edited out] is swimming with Chinsese Panda Bears and Submarins from Sampur to Palk Straights. What a Legcy and Sovirgnity of the HAmbantota Thug and Port City Project.
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