28 March, 2024

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Mangala’s Trident: Instruments Of Inquisition Into Sri Lanka

By Dayan Jayatilleka

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

Does President Sirisena know what Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is up to or has he been kept in the dark, which isn’t a safe place to be, depending on the company? Does the Parliament or do Mr. Samaraweera’s Cabinet colleagues know what he is up to—and I don’t mean in his spare time?

Mr. Samaraweera has fashioned a trident, a three pronged policy on human rights, accountability and reconciliation which undermines Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, national security and national interest. What are the three prongs of the trident?

  1. An agreement with the UN High Commissioner and his office for a six month interval in which the High Commissioner hopes to gain access to “new information” which will lead to a “stronger” report in August 2015.
  2. A domestic mechanism to investigate allegations, which will be “developed” by working together with the UN High Commissioner and his office, and worse still, will involve “technical assistance” from “international rights watchdogs” i.e. international human rights NGOs—which by the way, are advocacy groups, not recognized or acknowledged sources of ‘technical assistance’.
  3. Another process of a Truth Commission to be evolved in conjunction with South Africa, though the South African government has made it explicit that the TRC of that nation is not for export and transplantation.

This is clear from a news item by Dharisha Bastians in the Daily FT, amounting to a scoop of sorts. It reads as follows:

A special Task Force on Reconciliation and Transitional Justice has been established within the Foreign Ministry, Minister Mangala Samaraweera said. The Task Force will liaise with other ministries and line agencies working on reconciliation and transitional justice issues, Minister Samaraweera told the Daily FT. “We didn’t ask for a deferral of the UN investigation report as a delaying tactic. We will take a two-pronged approach with a Truth Commission to advance reconciliation and a domestic mechanism to investigate the allegations of rights abuses,” the Foreign Minister said. Minister Samaraweera, who heads to Geneva for the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next week, said the Government was reaching out to the UN and even international rights watchdogs for ‘technical assistance’ with the domestic mechanism. “We are also going to be talking to the South Africans regarding the setting up a Truth Commission to help to build trust between communities and promote reconciliation,” he said.” (‘Task Force for Reconciliation and Transitional Justice at Foreign Ministry, Dharisha Bastians, Daily FT, Feb 27th 2015)

Thus the unelected minority administration of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, through its Foreign Minister Samaraweera is planning on (a) a Geneva bureaucratic mechanism and inquisitorial process which even our neighbor India voted against, being granted more time and space to ferret out more information (b) a so-called domestic mechanism which will actually be a joint venture with two international partners, not just the one: the Office of the High Commissioner as well as international human rights NGOs which have consistently taken a hysterically prejudiced stance against Sri Lanka, its armed forces and its war of liberation from terrorism. (c) A Truth Commission which is inapplicable to contexts such as the Sri Lankan war.

Foreign Minister Samaraweera is using two concepts which make no sense in the Sri Lankan context. The first is that of Transitional Justice.

  • Transitional Justice (TJ) comes into play when there is a transition that is systemic in character, i.e. when there is seismic shift from a one–party totalitarian dictatorship (Communist ruled), a military dictatorship (Pinochet’s Chile) or a civilian-military junta ( El Salvador).
  • Even then, Transitional Justice finds no place in some very important transitions such as the first wave of democratic revolutions which overthrew dictatorships in the 1970s: Spain, Portugal, and Greece. It was decided that it would be far too lacerating and would destabilize the democratic transition itself, to undertake such inquiries.
  • In Asia, matters are clearer still. The Philippines and Indonesia which underwent the most dramatic transitions from dictatorship to democracy chose not to delve into the past, for reasons of social and institutional stability.
  • Transitional Justice is also relevant only in the context of a negotiated or essentially non-violent, if sometimes extra-electoral, transition. TJ does not make an appearance when there has been outright victory in war, especially if the victor has been the armed forces of the legitimate state. TJ is a component of a consensual negotiated endgame, such as those in South Africa, El Salvador and Guatemala. Sri Lanka’s was an all-out war in which the Tigers forsook the numerous possibilities of a negotiated end to the conflict and thereby forfeited the right to transitional justice arrangements. On the other hand the Sri Lankan armed forces delivered a total military victory unlike those of many other countries over their enemies, and thereby the Sri Lankan armed forces should be logically regarded as having placed themselves beyond being subject to transitional justice processes.
  • It must be noted that not every country in which there has been a negotiated endgame to the conflict have engaged in a Transitional Justice process, with Britain and the Good Friday agreement being case in point. If Transitional Justice was not deemed a prerequisite for Reconciliation in Northern Ireland, why should it be deemed imperative in Sri Lanka?

The other concept that Foreign Minister Samaraweera makes utterly inappropriate use of is the Truth and Reconciliation mechanism of South Africa. In the first place the context is not merely different but the exact opposite of that of Sri Lanka. In South Africa the struggle was for majority rule. In Sri Lanka, democratic majority rule existed and the LTTE fought against it, continuing in armed forms, a reactionary anti-democratic struggle begun decades before. Tamil nationalism was antidemocratic and reactionary from the inception, as Dame Barbara Ward confirmed in her 1957 lectures at the University of Ghana, published in 1959 as ‘Five Ideas That Change The World’ (with a Preface by Prime Minister Kwame N’Krumah, later ousted by a Western backed coup). She said: “…since the achievement of Independence and the introduction of adult suffrage, the Tamils have feared to be outvoted…” (p.15)

In the second place the ANC came to the negotiating table. It didn’t kill its negotiating partners or its own representatives as the LTTE did—but that is because the ANC was a genuine liberation movement and the LTTE wasn’t. The TRC was a byproduct of the roundtable process that ushered in a new South Africa in which majority rule was instituted. Not incidentally, the ANC rejected calls for federalism and its most progressive intellect, Joe Slovo, white, Jewish leader of the South African Communist Party and close comrade of Nelson Mandela, strongly rejected the idea of a “pluri-national federal” South Africa, and was a strong advocate of a democratic, multicultural unitary state—a solution that the TNA rejects out of hand.

A TRC that issued from such a context has no relevance for Sri Lanka. Can one really imagine any ex-LTTE cadre or currently active one from overseas, coming before the TRC and confessing that he or she slaughtered elderly women worshipping at the sacred Bo tree in Anuradhapura in 1985 or burnt alive young TELO activists in the streets of Jaffna in 1986 or hacked little Buddhist monk acolytes in Arantalawa in 1987? Can one imagine Sri Lankan Navy personnel owning up to the bayoneting of a baby on board the Kumudini boat in 1983? Even if they did so, how would that help, rather than harm, the atmosphere for Reconciliation?

What then is the answer? It is to stick explicitly to the letter and spirit of the LLRC recommendations, which entails nothing less and nothing more than the independent investigation of the residual issues identified and de-limited by the Report.

If anyone, including the UN High Commissioner attempts to push Sri Lanka beyond that, the new Government should re-enlist the support of India, Brazil and South Africa, and move a blocking Resolution in self-defense of national and state sovereignty.

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Samaraweera and his Prime Minister must stop telling untruths on on the public record. Their claim, in Parliament and even to an audience of Buddhist monks (which makes the Hon. Prime Minister guilty of the most mendacious musaawaada), is that President Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to an accountability mechanism—they sometimes say an international investigation – in his May 23, 2009 Joint Statement with Ban Ki-moon and later in the May 2009 Resolution in favor of Sri Lanka which obtained a near-two thirds majority in the UN Human Rights Council (on my watch, I might add). The relevant portion of the May 23, 2009 Joint Statement read as follows: “The Secretary General underlined the importance of an accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The Government will take measures to address those grievances.”

As for the Resolution of May 27th 2009, it simply stated in paragraph 10 that the Council “Further welcomes the visit to Sri Lanka of the Secretary-General at the invitation of the President of Sri Lanka, and endorses the joint communiqué issued at the conclusion of the visit and the understandings contained therein”.

The “understandings contained therein” were that the Government would take unspecified measures to address grievances regarding an accountability process with regard to human rights and humanitarian law violations. The “Government will take measures to address those grievances” is hardly a smoking gun; no evidence of any commitment to an accountability mechanism, domestic, international or hybrid. Indeed it is a model of diplomatic ambiguity. The LLRC and the Disappearances Commission, are the measures that the previous Government took, as promised, to address those grievances. That Government’s lapse was in failing to fully implement the LLRC report. That is all the new government has to do.

*Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka was a Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council, elected to represent the Asian Region in 2007-2008

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Latest comments

  • 12
    34

    I also think that Mangala Samaraweera is the bull in the China shop or the man breaking pots in the abandoned house.

    It looks like Mangala Samaraweera thinks Sri lanka is him or his private property.

    Ranil wickramsinghe looks like another Rajapakse brother who follows his brother.

    Every one is talking but no one looks working.

    • 11
      6

      All these you will see in the days to come.
      Who is the bull ? All those who went against Srilanken state will join the island nation instead. Indian premier is scheduled to visit the nation in 2 week. Next week, Prez MY3 will be visiting UK. Uk was a place where no former Prez was welcome. And further to this – MY3 Is also due to visit the US in the near future. All in all, diplomatic relations are about to become intact with the time.

      DJ as a man who deserves similar respect even much less than the former royal astrologers… who predicted former Prez would definintely be elected in the last poll…. how can people rely on his revengeful, malicious statements.
      He is like an amoke runner would do what ever he is fooled to do so. Latest had been his performance on the Nugegoda being joined to dogs… the days of his ticks problem is not far from him .. is what we the people with even a little brain feel…
      DJ s gone to mad being isolated by new regime. He has lost all his hopes not being given middle point by the new administration.

      • 7
        3

        This man DJ will soon be named as [Edited out] of all times times.
        Yestreday, having watched Satana Program – in which Kelaniya Mervin Silva confssed to be sorry to have done nothing to go against Drug trafficking problem of the nation, I felt, Kelaniya Mervin though one time nation s joker to become a volunatary supporter to current adminsitraton is positive – but DJ and the like to stay that admant
        not respecting real issues left behind by most abusive former prez.

        Today, Wimal Buruwanse can still add his thought though it ws made clear that his wife was explained to have been against he prevailing law. Shameless Wimal Buruwanse sits infront of TV –

      • 2
        1

        ” Uk was a place where no former Prez was welcome “

        Tosh. One, CBK lives there with both of her children.

        My3 would be visiting soon, and all the LTTE supporters are waiting with garlands, drummers and dancers for the traditional welcome. Cameron too is expected on the tarmac with the kiss of Judas.

    • 13
      6

      Diabolical Dayan goes:

      “Mr. Samaraweera has fashioned a trident, a three pronged policy on human rights, accountability and reconciliation which undermines Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, national security and national interest.”

      I would like to ask the wizard of Oz on politics:

      What freakin Sri Lankan state can you have without human rights, accountability and reconciliation for all peoples of the island? Nazi type of democratic state?

      You are a humbug trying to fool people to buy Mahinda’s version of Sinhala Buddhist fascism.

    • 1
      2

      Ranil can’t handle all the ministrys, it is the duty of the minister to handle his ministry correct. If Mangale is in the dark,Very soon he will see the light. Like you did Spindocter.

  • 33
    8

    Hey Dayan,

    Do you not remember that promptly after Weliveraya incident you wrote “If the State is capable of doing this to the Sinhalese here down in the South, what must they have done to the Tamils in the North, and more importantly, what may the State be doing even now?”!

    Can you give us one reason why the Tamils are not entitled to justice by way of independent, credible investigation at least on that segment of your own bemoan “what may the State be doing even now?” – years after the conclusion of war?

    It was based on that comment that Al Jazeera thought it fit to ask MR for an explanation of your comment, and in his reasoning MR implied that you were prostituting for an NGO.

    CT – please note the term “prostitution” should not be narrowly interpreted. I am attaching how prostitution is explained further in Merriam Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostitution)
    : the use of a skill or ability in a way that is not appropriate or respectable

    Examples of PROSTITUTION
    1. She was arrested for prostitution.
    2. Writing commercials was a prostitution of his talents.

    • 8
      29

      Weliweriya incident and some other similar incidents had all the characteristics of an “Arab Spring”. It is unfortunate some one died. Other than, the govt did what they should have done.

      • 10
        3

        Jim Softly,

        You say ‘the govt did what they should have done.” Dayan opined diametrically the opposite, hi-jacking an incident in his usual despicable, self-serving scheme to get back at Gota who was instrumental in DJ’s eviction from Paris and from the regime’s inner circle. So, Dayan did that not on principle or conviction, nor because of concern about Weliweraya residents or the Northern citizens.

        Hence my observation, pointing out Dayan’s repeated bigotry at every turn. Not an intellect, but just a prostitute (repeat: user of a skill or ability in a way that is not appropriate or respectable) as MR told the whole world.

    • 6
      3

      Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka,

      Guilty or Not Guilty?

      What is the Evidence?

      Go By evidence and facts. Then punish the Guilty.

      “I Have Information On Whitevanning: Former Police Spokesman”- Prishantha Jayakody.

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/i-have-information-on-whitevanning-former-police-spokesman/

    • 13
      4

      If Dayan has any self respect left in him after the Nugegoda meeting, he will respond to Kumar R.’s post.

      • 1
        1

        Above the Rest

        “If Dayan has any self respect left in him after the Nugegoda meeting, he will respond to Kumar R.’s post.”

        Mahinda Rajapaksa Shills, White-washers and Cronies have no respect. What they are looking for is some place to hang on to. Dayan Jayatillaka, tried to hang on to Maithripala Sirisena, and he was not convinced, I guess.

        They are like whores. They did their tricks with Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is no more a paypastrer-customer. Looking for new business.

        Same with the whores, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Manayakkra, Dinesh Goonawardana and Udagampila. All the in the same business Whoring business. No disrespect to the whores, but only used as a reference point for the analogy and comparison.

    • 11
      3

      Kumar R.

      How can he remember what he said onky a new years ago. As you can see he has been changing colours for his survival.

      Whatis wrong in the Tamil citizens of this country fighting for their rights. Aren’t they equal to any other community in Srilanka? Some of these people have lost their kith kin and naturally their concerns whether they are living, or killed. Since they are not confident about the domestic inquiries they are demanding or international involvement in these investigations. Now we are in 2015 and almost 6 years have passed since the end of the war in 2009, what action has been taken locally to investigate atleast some complaints and bring justice to them.

      One has to be happy that Minister Mangala Samaraweera is trying to find solutions to sstisfy all comcerned in this regard. In a short period he has been able to establish some good communications with the major countries of interest to us Srilankans. We already could realise the good will established with them. Suppose, if the UNHRC were to release the report in March as per their previous agenda what is the solution SriLanka had to face same?

      DJ Thinks only he knows to handle the International, UN, UNHRC, USA, UK, CHINA, INDIA etc where he is badly mistaken. As it is he would love to follow MR and bring in hatred amongst the different communities so that he and his guru can have hopes of coming back to power by arousing the Sinhala Buddhists.

  • 7
    19

    Thanks for writing tirelessly on this subject. It’s important that none of us go to sleep on the new administration’s handling of this issue.

  • 27
    8

    Tamil people rose against the Sinhala majority rule in Srilanka because of the suffering they underwent under successive governments of racial discrimination in education and employment and repeated state sponsored violence resulting in loss of lives and property.
    You must understand that the Sinhalese became a majority of the entire island, because the British amalgamated the Tamil majority Jaffna Kingdom with the rest of the island without the consent of the Tamils. Therefore the struggle of the Tamils is similar to the blacks in Africa in trying to bring back the Tamil majority rule in the Jaffna Kingdom which was being ruled by the minority Sinhalese. Tamils had sovereignty over Jaffna Kingdom at the time of Portuguese conquest which was not returned back to them when British left, and this sovereignty that they are trying to get back from Sinhalese rule.

    It must be made clear that truth and reconciliation commission was established in South Africa only after justice was done to the blacks. In Srilanka still no justice has been done to the Tamils in granting them autonomy for them to rule themselves without any interference by the Sinhalese. First settle the Tamil problem according to natural justice and international norms before talking about reconciliation. Secondly the commission was set up by the blacks who were victims and not by the whites who were perpetrators. In Srilanka it is a joke that the Sinhalese who are the perpetrators are setting it up, and not the Tamils who are victims. With a poor track record of past commissions, where either they absolved the Sinhala perpetrators blaming Tamils for everything, or in the event of a damning report against the state, the report were shelved without making public, there is only little hope.

    • 5
      15

      what I saw was Tamils had favouritism from Every way. I lived overseas for decades and I know what discrimination is. I don’t think Tamils faced discrimination in Sri lanka. Tamils moved to Sri lanka had a better and a decent life than those who lived in Tamilnadu.

      Mahinda Rajapakse lost bearings after some time. Otherwise, Mahinda Rajapakse was the best leader to solve the Tamil nuisance in Sri lanka.

      • 8
        4

        Jim,
        Guys like you and your fathers wrote school text books in Lanka in 60s, everybody is suffering from those cruel and foolish acts still in year 2010s.. You said you lived overseas and experienced real discrimination. Have you throne out of a restaurant which legally says ‘ no Dogs and Asian allowed’.. in 1960s.. West was fools allowing dogs like … to live a decade in the West.

      • 8
        4

        There is Sinhala racism in UK where I was racially discriminated and abused. Unfortunately for the Sinhala racists, in UK unlike in Srilanka, there is a level playing field. This is the reason why I was able to defeat Sinhala racists in UK, an unthinkable event for a Tamil to achieve in Srilanka. Therefore the claim that there is no racial discrimination in Srilanka is hollow.

        In UK, the government does not discriminate between Sinhalese and Tamils in the fields of education or employment. Also there is no violence committed by Sinhalese to life and property of Tamils, because any perpetrators of crime will be punished. Sinhalese living abroad, must impress upon Srilanka government to take the example of UK government in treating Tamils and Sinhalese alike.

      • 2
        2

        Jim Softly,

        You single-handedly justify the origin of the often cited “Sinhalaya modaya” dictum!

    • 13
      5

      Please don’t present silly arguments. Do you want to go further back in history, to a time when ancestors of Sinhalese lived and ruled the North as well, prior to the arrival of the ancestors of the Tamils? As you can see, best to live in the present, and leave communal attitudes aside. I know many Sinhalese also have this problem. Everyone should stop this ‘us and them’ way of thinking.

      • 8
        8

        Truth seems to be unpalatable to racists like you. Please do not try to distort history. There was a civilisation in the North and North-west prior to the so called origin of history claimed in Mahavamsa. urn burial sites have been discovered in Puttalam and Poonagari, and there may be several more. Also ancient pottery have been discovered in the north which have similarities with those found in parts of Tamil Nadu. Sinhala racists deliberately targeted and burnt Jaffna library to destroy ancient ola leaves describing Tamil presence in Jaffna. Stop your racist rant with lies and half truths to deny Tamils of their legitimate rights.
        Find a solution within Srilanka where Tamils can live with safety and dignity enjoying the same rights as those of Sinhalese, with full power in a shared rule. If you cannot do it, there is no option for Tamils other than to secede, and have their own state where they can live as first class citizens, ruling themselves.

        • 2
          0

          Dr Sankaralingam,

          My argument was simply that going back to a particular point in time is futile as another person can present a counter argument by referencing a point further back in time. I think it’s a futile exercise. What’s important is to be able to live together in harmony and with dignity,today, as mentioned by you. I’m no historian, and I don’t really care whether Sinhalese lived or ruled the North before or after the Tamils settled there. I think my point has been completely misconstrued.
          It’s up to the leaders of the nation to guarantee the rights of all communities.

          • 1
            1

            “Do you want to go further back in history, to a time when ancestors of Sinhalese lived and ruled the North as well, prior to the arrival of the ancestors of the Tamils?”

            Lankan
            March 1, 2015 at 6:01

            “My argument was simply that going back to a particular point in time is futile as another person can present a counter argument by referencing a point further back in time. I think it’s a futile exercise.”
            Lankan
            March 2, 2015 at 3:51 am

            Please make your mind up. Which version of your comment that you stand by and die for?

            “Please see my reply to Dr Sankaralingam. I won’t delve into the history of Sri Lanka. It’s besides the point.”

            It is precisely the point. By the way what does history mean to you in Sri Lankan context?

            • 1
              0

              I will stand by below, as that is what I meant to highlight,not start a debate on who came first or ruled whom:

              ““My argument was simply that going back to a particular point in time is futile as another person can present a counter argument by referencing a point further back in time. I think it’s a futile exercise.”

              Apologies for any ambiguity.

              Regarding your last query, I’m not interested in the history in the context of this discussion

        • 3
          1

          Please mention a single source (proper) one that identify a civilisation in North…

          Give a single evidence for an ancient civilisation in North…

          Give a single tamil book written in SL prior to 16 AD

          Give a single monument that can be called as a legacy of northern tamils….

          :) I have asked this question from many CT historians but no answer….:(

      • 7
        7

        Lankan

        “Do you want to go further back in history, to a time when ancestors of Sinhalese lived and ruled the North as well, prior to the arrival of the ancestors of the Tamils?”

        Did they?
        How far would you like to go back, 2500, 7000, …. 36000 years?

        Could you cite your evidence so that we can once and for all put this debate to rest.

        Whoever that ruled North could you define them and provide us with timeline.

        “Everyone should stop this ‘us and them’ way of thinking.”

        If you want to stop this ‘us and them’ you better watch out whenever you type effortlessly “Sinhalese lived and ruled the North as well, prior to the arrival of the ancestors of the Tamils?”

        “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
        – Mahatma Gandhi

      • 4
        6

        Lankan

        Here is something that you should have referred to but you didn’t just before you started typing:

        People of the ancient rainforest Late Pleistocene foragers at the Batadomba-lena rockshelter, Sri Lanka

        By

        Nimal Perera
        Nikos Kourampas
        Ian A. Simpson
        Siran U. Deraniyagala
        David Bulbeck
        Johan Kamminga
        Jude Perera
        Dorian Q. Fuller
        Katherine Szabó
        Nuno V. Oliveira

        Excerpt:

        Conclusions

        Batadomba-lena preserves evidence for the presence of
        H. sapiens foragers in the rainforest of southern Sri Lanka from ca. 36,000 cal BP onwards to the end of the Pleistocene. A rich material culture, marked by microliths, bone points, ornaments, objects derived from the ca. 80 km-distant shore and possible plant-based artefacts, is associated with possible human burials, and faunal and floral remains, providing windows to Late Pleistocene habitats and human lifeways.

        Batadomba-lena’s Late Pleistocene inhabitants practised
        symbolic behaviour and made a complex toolkit of unretouched
        flakes, bone and antler tools, rare blunted-backed microliths and,
        possibly, plant-based objects and structures from the outset of their presence at the site. This toolkit was used to support broad spectrum foraging, which, although focussing on small to medium sized (adult weight 20 kg) arboreal mammals (monkeys, squirrels),
        also included fish, land and freshwater snails and an as yet
        unidentified range of plant resources. The environs of Batadombalena retained forest cover throughout the ca. 25,000 years of human presence recorded at the site, even through periods of monsoon weakening and maximum regional aridity during the
        LGM. The continuity and composition of this rainforest biome,
        however, remains unknown. Human presence intensified during
        the LGM and especially in its immediate aftermath. Human
        foraging practices appear to have changed in this period of intensified occupation, with an increased emphasis on small-bodied
        prey, especially freshwater snails, and rainforest plant resources, such as Canarium nuts. These shifts may reflect depletion of the surrounding ecosystem by intensified exploitation by an expanding human population, effects of environmental change as a result of post-LGM monsoon intensification, or a combination of the above. Production of microliths declined notably from the earliest human presence at the site to this period of intensive occupation, inviting the hypothesis that microliths were mainly associated with highly mobile forager bands that used the rockshelter in earlier times.

        The behavioural record of Batadomba-lena is markedly distinct
        from that of the European and Levantine Upper Palaeolithic, which
        inform current models of Late Pleistocene ‘cognitive revolution’
        (Mellars, 1989, 1991; Bar-Yosef, 2002; but see Belfer-Cohen and
        Hovers, 2010 for an alternative reading of the Upper Palaeolithic
        of the Levant). It is also different from broadly contemporary
        Southeast Asian and Australian sites, characterised by the absence
        of backed microliths and, in the case of Southeast Asia, low
        archaeological visibility of symbolic practices (Anderson, 1997;
        Barker et al., 2007; Habgood and Franklin, 2008). Alongside
        broadly contemporary sites in the South Asian mainland (e.g., Jwalapuram Locality 9 in Southern India: Clarkson et al., 2009),
        Batadomba-lena demonstrates that Late Pleistocene pathways to
        technological diversification and symbolic practices were diverse,
        multifaceted and ecologically contingent. Ongoing work aims to
        place Sri Lanka’s Late Pleistocene societies in their dynamic
        ecological context, thus contributing to wider debates on the
        human ecology of prehistoric foragers in the tropics, the cultural
        diversity of the Late Pleistocene world and the drivers of technological and behavioural change in earlier human societies.

        Journal of Human Evolution 61 (2011) 254e269

        Lankan

        Hope you would pass this information to all your fellow Mahawansistas.

        • 0
          0

          Native Veddah,

          Please see my reply to Dr Sankaralingam. I won’t delve into the history of Sri Lanka. It’s besides the point.

        • 2
          1

          So are you saying batadomba lena man is Tamil? :D))))

          • 1
            1

            sach

            “So are you saying batadomba lena man is Tamil? :D))))”

            What it means is that first ape spoke Sinhala and practiced Sinhala/Buddhism.

            • 2
              0

              really? I thought they were ancestors of Veddhas! Is your theory from Eelam history manufacturing institute?

      • 1
        1

        I hope this Lankan will get a taste of CT version (or tamil version) of distorted history with this comment….

        then you will see that this is not an issue of minority discrimination but merely a debate on history!

  • 26
    3

    When you whine we know that Mangala is doing the right thing.

    Thanks for whining.

  • 7
    3

    Noticed a small mistake in how you sign off now as – “Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council”

    Should it not be ” Professional War Crimes Denier and Supporter of Human Rights Abusers” ?

    Pls fix it in your next post.

  • 4
    8

    Mangala hails from a family renowned for Nationalism, his relatives being Anagharika Dharmapala and Anil Moonesinghe. I hope Mangala will change course of being subservient (as seen by many observers) to external powers and, follow the priciples of national icons by placing the interests of the nation first. The thrust of DJ’s view is that Mangala’s efforts to appease the external powers will do more harm than good for the nation.

    • 7
      3

      lal loo

      “his relatives being Anagharika Dharmapala and Anil Moonesinghe.”

      Anagarika Dharmapala (Homeless One)never heard of computers, face book, youtube, google, man landing on the moon, planned one way trip to Mars, Blackhole, ……….. .

      The first Parliament of the World’s Religions (1893) which was held in USA was represented by all religions. Anagarika Dharmapala (Homeless One)also represented Buddhism where Swami Vivekananda from India made a speech and it was well received. I suspect Anagharika was not listening to Vivekananda probably due to jet lag.

      Here is the Swami Vivekananda’s Addresses at the Parliament of Religions:

      I will tell you a little story. You have heard the eloquent speaker who has just finished say, “Let us cease from abusing each other,” and he was very sorry that there should be always so much variance.

      But I think I should tell you a story that would illustrate the cause of this variance. A frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born there and brought up there, and yet was a little, small frog. Of course the evolutionists were not there then to tell us whether the frog lost its eyes or not but, for our story’s sake, we must take it for granted that it had its eyes, and that it every day cleansed the water of all the worms and bacilli that lived in it with an energy that would do credit to our modern bacteriologists. In this way it went on and became a little sleek and fat. Well, one day another frog that lived in the sea came and fell into the well.

      “Where are you from?”

      “I am from the sea.”

      “The sea! How big is that? Is it as big as my well?” and he took a leap from one side of the well to the other.

      “My friend,” said the frog of the sea, “how do you compare the sea with your little well?”

      Then the frog took another leap and asked, “Is your sea so big?”

      “What nonsense you speak, to compare the sea with your well!”

      “Well, then,” said the frog of the well, “nothing can be bigger than my well. There can be nothing bigger than this. This fellow is a liar, so turn him out.”

      That has been the difficulty all the while.

      I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christians sit in their little well and think the whole world is their well. The Muslims sit in their little well and think that is the whole world. I have to thank you of America for the great attempt you are making to break down the barriers of this little world of ours, and hope that, in the future, the Lord will help you to accomplish your purpose.

      lal loo

      This story is not going to change you from a bigot to a Buddhist however there are others who may benefit even from frogs.

      • 0
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        Brilliant NV!

  • 9
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    A man who murdered 150,000 mentioned that “action will be taken to care the accountability and HR violations”. As per Dhayan’s another day essay, the International Community believed on that and acted that when Dhayan took it to UN (This is for what Dhayan claims credit. If there was nothing for Dhayan to convince the IC, there is nothing Dhayan can claim as his achievement. This is how Dhayan cheated the IC and the Tamils with one and the same word). Further Dhayan did not argue on the floor of the UN “Sirs please read our cheating words carefully; it is nowhere saying it as a promise to Investigation and punishing.” The Sinhala Intellectual, Dhayan, kept these intentions secret and cheated UN with 150,000 murders as zero casualties. Those are parts of the statistics when Robert Blake declared in American Congress that Sri Lankan Government has cheated America. There nothing Dhayan can do to hide it.

    It is unfortunate, there is need to explain some legal points to Dhayan as he is not a lawyer. Further he was sent to UN only to cheat UN, but not to understand its principle and cooperate with it to implement the International Agreements signed under UN. As a result of this Dhayan’s arguments is going in a way the statement released with UN SG did not have an implementation clause of what it said so it need not be implemented. It is not new for Tamils. They have had talks with hangy-pangy Sinhala Intellectuals. But it may appear as something new for IC. But, it is not so either. There is an agreement with UN to implement its Human Rights policies in Lankave too (as a UN member). Our Dr.PhD cannot understand the legal point behind the joint statements, that it was only an acceptance by the old King of his obvious responsibility. Our PhD cannot understand that the statement was not a contract itself and Lankave responsibility to uphold the Human right and Humanitarian law did not arise from it and no breach arises from the Old King’s not following those terms. Having said that, UN SG served a reminder, which was not important to take action on Lankave, if Lanka not following the membership terms. The truth is our PhD is thinking that he is confusing others but, he is the one confused.

    On the other two points, Dhayan may appear like he is correct, but those too were true on the other side of the coin, not by the side Dhayan referring here.

    Transitional Justice is irrelevant here, because it was a clear Genocide case. If there was only war crime, then Dhayan or Mangala can twist it as a place for Transitional Justice. Dhayan clearly argues that the Army committed the crime was a legitimate Army of Democratically elected governments. That is where it was race related a government selected by majority race’s crime. One entire race legally participated to wipe out another race by selecting government with that intention. So it was not a one single dictator’s action. The army carried out the 150,000 murder on that sport by the order of a democratic majoritarian government. It was a clear Genocide. Dayan may want to go to NPC one day and invite them for debate on why they called it as Genocide on 11 pages resolution.

    The other one is South Africa’s TRC. It has no relevance here. In SA Minority was oppressing Majority. The legitimate government contained only minorities. Minorities made the rules. Minorities governed the country. This was a hanger over from British and Royal Dutch imperial governments. It was not a native people’s government. Lanka was ruled by native people during the Genocide committed and being committed. The majority made the rules of oppressing the minority. They made rules to oppress the minority like standardization which were not existed in SA. SA Whites only oppressed the Blacks in the period of the discussion here. They did not commit Genocide like it happened in Lanakave. Further, time and again, it has been repeated, TRC was formed only after a solution for the racial problem found. The TRC’s contribution was to implement the solution without any new upheavals takes place. That was mainly to preserve the Economic structure established by the White minority. In Lanka the Minorities wealth was swindled and looted during the anniversary celebration of the communal riots. Now, north is the poorest province in the Island. So there is nothing the TRC to offer to Tamils. Dhayan is again wrong.

  • 5
    10

    When the cacophony of personal abuse against Dayan gets louder it is an indication that he is saying the right thing – that is, sounding a warning as to what is afoot.

  • 6
    3

    DJ,

    Your criticism of Mangala Samaraweera doesn’t hold any water as the new government’s foreign policy is premised on constructive engagement and we are beginning to see some positive results already.

    The reality is that the previous regime, the one you continue to venerate, adopted a failed foreign policy, one that would have completely isolated Sri Lanka from the international community. Let’s be thankful that the international community is at least listening to Sri Lanka now and is keen to engage us.

  • 5
    5

    Dayan:

    I know you are trying very hard to save your friend MR’s neck. Now with the access UNHRC may have, it frightens and upsets you a lot more. By right you shouldn’t and those who have claimed that they have nothing to hide need not have to worry. Let the truth find its own level. Not only the Tamils need it, SL needs it. What we know for sure is, the more you write on this subject, the better and hopeful we feel that you are helping us all in seeking the truth, much against what you may have hoped for.

  • 5
    4

    Dr.DJ are you a smart patriot by your own definition or a traitor by MR ‘ s definition or a traitor by few others’ definition by which they called Ranil and MS as a traitors ?

    For the good of Mother Lanka, the good deed done by the current GOSL coalition partners to bring the Great Change on the 8th Jan, could not be predicted either by Sumanadasa Abeygunawardne ( SA ) or the political scientist you(DJ). So the fallen emperor MR was kept in the dark by his two in house experts and his brothers GORA. and BARA. MR did not realise what these 4 were up to and also the majority of the Mother Lanka’s voters, regardless of their race, language or religion were up to until the eventful 9th morning at the Temple Trees where Ranil was begged to make a guest appearance by MR.

    Without knowing the past and the present there is know prosperous future for Mother Lanka.
    Instead of attacking President Srisena, PM Ranil and their team and create divisions within the coalition, why don’t you use your real intellect to write about topics like “PIVITHURU HETAK ” that has become a necessity.The good starting point will be what MR said to the media after visiting Vimal Weerasinghe’s wife in the hospital is “PIVITHURU ” or not.

    By the way when and where the next Nugegoda style rally is going to be. With full credit to you, you did a great job as a PEON or Emperor’s Drummer covering the message (MARA I ) at the Nugegoda rally. YOU ARE ALSO A GOOD “THAMMATAM ” drummer. So for the next rally do not forget to take your THAMMATAM with you.

  • 3
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    The problem our smart patriotic son has is, he thinks he is the best man for the job, next to Kadirgamar. He thought he nearly was there but, these minorities spoil his soup.

  • 7
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    Are people still reading what this vagabond is blabbering?

    First ask what he (Dr. DJ) promised or made his boss (MR) to promise in 2009, the main cause for most of these problems and for him to lose his job when his boss realized the blunder. Look at yourself in the mirror before looking at others.

  • 3
    5

    The PM and the FM are a power center, similar to the family politburo that existed before.

    The postponement of the geneva report has not gained anything; in fact, the postponement has provided for new ‘doctored’ evidence to be produced; also gave rise to CM Wigneswaram’s Genocide newsletter. The UNHRC report in Sept 2015 will be horrific and is most likely lead to UN conducted referendum on separation.

    DJ was lead speaker at the Nugegoda revival of Ali Baba and his 40 thieves; I dread that day it will happen.

    I now have no choice except to prepare for life in a divided Sri Lanka.

  • 3
    4

    The Singhe-Weera Government (Wickremasinghe- Samaraweera)is hading to wrads a division of our land.

    North and East provinces to Sampathan-Sumanthiram lead TNA and the rest of the rubbish, to Singhe-Weera leaders.

    • 1
      2

      We Luv Mahinda

      “The Singhe-Weera Government (Wickremasinghe- Samaraweera)is hading to wrads a division of our land.”

      Only few years ago Hindia stopped the division and helped the reunification of the island.

      If anything its Hindia’s problem and not yours. Hindia has the resources to prevent or support and deliver separate state.

      Relax little islander. Let Hindia do the worrying.

      “North and East provinces to Sampathan-Sumanthiram lead TNA and the rest of the rubbish, to Singhe-Weera leaders.”

      What does democracy mean to you?

      Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.

      Abraham Lincoln

      In your case, you prefer and die for a “Government of the clan, by the clan, for the clan, shall not perish from the Earth”.

      Clan = Kleptocracy, war criminals, racists, despots, ……….

      Please come back to democracy.

  • 7
    3

    Dayan

    You should not twist the facts to suit your argument. At least in the case of Indonesia, allowing East Timor to become an independent nation, by the post Suharto administration, was a result of transitional justice.

    Pretending be an expert on Latin American affairs, you should know how most of the military junta members and their cronies were brought to justice in the period of restoring Argentinian democracy.

    • 0
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      ‘ rest of the rubbish’ – CT what calibre of people comment on your site?

      There was another post that said ‘tamil nuisance’.

      Outside this Island, Sinhala, Tamil. Bangladeshi, Pakistani are all ‘Indians’ .

      What Sri Lankans do not realize now is that there is a huge problem we are facing now as a country. The Sinhala-Tamil issue is just a minuscule one. So think about it and move on.

  • 4
    3

    Hello Dayan”

    “Thus the unelected minority administration of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, through its Foreign Minister Samaraweera is planning on”

    The above preamble clearly indicates that all your readings have come to a Zero.

    Please remember to be factual when you lie!

    The present administration of Prime Minister Wickramasinghe Is from a legitimately elected Parliament. The President My3 has used his powers given by the people to appoint the Prime Minister of his Choice from amongst the elected Parliament where on his opinion has the majority support.

    RW has proved that he has the majority by getting his Budget passed. Now what is your problem.

    Please remember that is Srl Lanka as it Stand on this date a Prime Minsister is Selected and nominated by The Elected President with his Executive Powers given to him by all people of this Country.

    You Won a Match playing without an umpire Refree or Judge leave alone a Hora Umpire /Hora Judge/Referee. You should realise that you have to pay the price for such action.

    Why are you Whining? Face the Judgement day boldly and bravely if you have played the Game Correctly. Pl Remember in today’s High Tec has seen to have recorded most of the events as they occurred. Recordings in the Mobile phones of your Soldiers and Satilites donot lie like Diplomut.

    Levi

  • 3
    2

    Everytime this dishonest ‘political scientist’ opens his mouth, the Maithri popularity goes up.

    In a few more days CT readers are bound to ask whether Maithri is paying him to keep yapping about him and his team.

  • 2
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    dayan, is fast becoming a pimp.

    • 0
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      Dear Ebola
      What to do Aney! He Had a Vacancy for the Post with no takers. He has decided to Fill the Vacancy himself.

      His income from prostitution of his services has shown an increase. As he has cut short the pimp Commission. Clients too are happy as the rates have come down as overheads is reduced.

      Best of Luck.

      Levi

  • 0
    2

    MY3 came to power to abolish the executive presidency and establish an executive PM post for the country.

    MY3 shall transfer all his executive powers to the PM and be the nominal Head of the State like QE in the UK.

    This shall be done before the end of the 100 days in keeping with his election pledges.

  • 0
    2

    DJ, take a Piriton and go to sleep.
    [Edited out]

  • 2
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    DJ- you viewed what is being taken place as a professional in this field and the suggestions and criticism to prevent harm from the UN process. Those MODAYOs are always negative,

    I respect your views.

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