By Malinda Seneviratne –
Malinda Seneviratne
That empty glass
When a glass that can contain 50 ml of water contains 25 ml, you can say it’s half full or half empty. That’s the difference between negative and positive. But what if there’s say 60 ml or even more and someone says ‘it’s empty’? Sri Lanka is not a glass that’s empty. Heck, a few years ago some might have claimed that there was no glass to fill in the first place. But we do have a glass and it’s filling up. With water, not blood. That should mean something. But no, the ‘nay-sayers’ deny any water. Is it because water is transparent and glass is colorless? Or is it something to do with eyes that cannot see or rather will not see?
Jehan Perera’s monologs
Jehan Perera didn’t like the LLRC. One could say he was terrified of the LLRC. He didn’t have the guts that the ordinary Tamil living in former conflict zones had. He didn’t make representations, perhaps because he was scared about questions that might have been put to him. Anyway, now he wants the LLRC recommendations implemented. He wants, as the Commissioners recommended, ‘dialog’. Dialog between parties. When is Jehan going to tell his friends in the TNA that dialog cannot happen if they don’t want to talk? Or is it that the TNA is like Jehan; terrified of any kind of conversation because they might be asked to substantiate their claims? It’s known after all that Tamil nationalists were high on claim but pretty thin on fact.
Mathematically challenged priests
Priests know about doctrine. Doctrine related to the particular faith. Ask them what the fundamental tenets of the faith are and they will respond with an answer that will get a perfect score. Ask them about other things and they might be off the mark. Sometimes they are way off the mark. Like Fr. Rayappu Joseph. The good father says that 145,000 civilians were killed in the last days of the war. He based this figure on the 1981 Census. That’s rich! It’s as though nothing happened between 1981 and 2009. No one died, no one was born, no one was killed and no one fled the area.
An open invitation to submit information regarding disappeared persons has yielded a few thousand submissions. Some are known to have been LTTE cadres. Some are known to have fled. What happened to the ‘tens of thousands’? If the security forces got rid of over 100,000 bodies without anyone seeing or taking pictures of mass burials or cremation in this age of mobile phone cameras and satellites, then something must be wrong. Yes, a simple explanation: pothakarukku kanakku varaathu [the good father is poor at arithmetic!].
Doosras at Sajith, Thalatha
It is reported that the Leadership Council of the UNP has appointed a 12-member nomination board to select candidates for the upcoming provincial council elections. Among the persons appointed are Sajith Premadasa and Thalatha Athukorala. Here’s the rub. Now they can accept the posts or reject them. If they reject then those loyal to them seeking nomination will get sidelined. If they accept, they will also be acknowledging the legitimacy of the Leadership Council. If the Buddha, while traveling with his agraupasthayaka the Most Venerable Ananda Thero saw this move, the Enlightened One might very well have said Ananda, dutuveda sarpaya [Did you notice the snake, Ananda]?
THAT investigation and THIS investigation
British PM David Cameron has ordered an investigation into an MP’s claim that the Thatcher government “colluded” with India on the deadly raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. Ok folks, implied in this is that Cameron is convinced that a ‘deadly raid on the Golden Temple’ was carried out by the Congress Party Government of that time. If not, why even go into the question of whether or not Thatcher’s government ‘colluded’ with India? So then, David, are you going to get together with your master across the Atlantic to bring a resolution of censure against India? Isn’t that important for ‘reconciliation’ between Hindus and Sikhs? Isn’t that a prerequisite for ‘closure’?
We can’t wait David. Come on, don’t be chicken now. Go ahead, call up Manmohan Singh and say ‘Hey Man, we are gonna rip you apart in Geneva!’
*Malinda Seneviratne is the Chief Editor of ‘The Nation’ and his articles can be found at www.malindawords.blogspot.com
Sulaiman / January 22, 2014
1. Hold on – a glass that can hold 50 ml holds 60 ml or more? You lost me there buddy.
2. The good bishop is not all that way off. The amount of new births may well have offset the deaths. If you are concerned about the truth why not call for a transparent international census of the war dead? Not only were there demonstrable flaws in the survey questions carried out by our department, but only one who is obstinately blind to reality would claim that they are independent. So go ahead and make a public call for an independent survey. Scared?
3. Mass burial sites are emerging. Once there is freedom of movement more will be uncovered.
4. So you believe in the channel 4 videos huh? Bit of a slip there mate. You think that videos would have come out -like how the killing videos surfaced, eh? Tut tut. Getting sloppy old boy.
5. the whole western hypocrisy argument has been repeated as nauseum dude. We all know they are hypocrites. Let’s move on and see if we are wrong.
S
/
Bedrock Barney / January 22, 2014
Me too.. don’t get the 50ml glass holding 60ml of water? also got the lingo wrong. David probably would say “Hey Mate as opposed to ‘Hey man’, the latter is what is said across the pond.
/
Anpu / January 22, 2014
Tx. I was going to ask the same question “a glass that can hold 50 ml holds 60 ml or more? You lost me there buddy”
/
Thiru / January 22, 2014
Malinda Seneviratne is the Chief bluffer of ‘The Nation’ of Sri Lanka, and his articles can be found at http://www.malindawords.blogspot.com
/
aratai / January 22, 2014
.
Probably he was using Mahinda’s Free Laptop!!!
:-)
/
Vibhushana / January 22, 2014
The Tamil Catholic Priests are lying and scheming. Although instead of being judgmental one may be interested to ask why? Empathy after all is something we need to cultivate more.
I would like to ask Jaffanese folks why they are lying. Can someone please clear bring some clarity. After all only truth is the foundation for reconciliation.
/
Abraham Lincolnpaksha / January 22, 2014
@Vibhushana
The truth will be known ONLY when an independent investigation is conducted one fine day. Until then, Tamils will speculate as to how many were killed and Sinhalese will keep saying that nobody died.
Like Sulaiman said in the first comment, if you patriotic guys are not scared, go ahead and ask for an independent investigation!!! :)
/
Vibhushana / January 22, 2014
Sure why not, what days you want the investigation to cover?
/
Silva / January 23, 2014
Vibhushana
I have NEVER ever come across a sensible comment from you. The more you talk the more you bluff.
Sit in a corner and think a little before typing something on the key board to avoid wasting the free space given to you in the net.
/
Joel / January 22, 2014
You yourself is lying unable to reveal your true name.
/
Siva / January 23, 2014
When the SL govt. and its armed forces killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in the war without witness (all the independent journalists and foreign workers were removed from the war zone), they would have never expected that a few members of the armed forces would video the atrocities committed by their fellow members for monetary gain (sell it to foreign media). When the videos were exposed (solid proof) the govt. is denying (lying) thinking that they can hoodwink the world. The people in the North know how and where the dead bodies of the civilians are buried. The people remaining in the war zone today are the living witness to what happened during the war but they cannot talk due to white van abductions. Only some popular personalities like the Bishops can say the truth.
How can anybody (other than the Sinhalese) trust that this anti-Tamil govt. is doing a transparent census and independent investigation? The ONLY way to find the truth is by holding a transparent independent international investigation but the moment it is mentioned the govt., the armed forces and the Sinhalese people turn into chicken, damn scared. It is not the Bishop but the govt. is lying and the whole world knows.
/
Abraham Lincolnpaksha / January 22, 2014
Linda Seneviratne with his usual weekly drivel. Fr. Rayappu Joseph may or may not be mathematically challenged. The only way to find out is to have an independent invesrigation…but apple polishers like you who continue to support the Rajapassas’ are definitely mentally challenged. :)
/
Piyadasa Yalgala / January 22, 2014
Crux of matter of ‘War Crime’ against SL rulers, not that they Criminals of WAR, but they are not time being representative of US & UK ally.
Democracy of nation first in agenda is THAT COMMITED TO SAFEGUARD NATION SOVEREGNITY,DEFEATED THREATENS BY LTTE-TAMIL TERRORSIT BY LONG YEARS WAR AGAINST PEOPLE OF SL.
How are we are going live modern state without combat Tamil-terrorist ,look for the vast majority of Sri Lankan nation INTERSET.
US UK and India chiefly aim that ‘war crime’ is nothing, establishing A PRO US -ORINTED REGIME SRI LANKA RATHER THAN REALLY CARING FOR ‘WAR CRIMES’ FOR ‘DEMOCRACY’ AND ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’ CONDITIONS HERE.
THESE COUNTRIES DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ARE RAERLY FOOTS IN EXCHANGE OF VESTED INTEREST OF WEST AND INDIA.
I personally agreed for any type of crime against HUMAN, must be address in fair manner;but fact that ongoing motive are in having,different agenda that irreqularities of democracy governance address by US UK and India.
Present world order in chaining for better Democracy values and transition for NEW CIVILIZATION OF DEMOCRACY ORDER WILL COME INTO BEING coming century. In fact Aim of US UK and India assessment of politics is undermine such move for negative direction PUTTING UNECESSATY BURDEN TO SRI LANKA.
In long-term it will go to set example is totally undermine very foundation of Democracy in our Island. This is nothing undermine own values originated and developed by West that betray own system for narrow end.
/
Kutti Machan / January 22, 2014
Piyadasa Yalgala
I don’t know anything about the WORLD Order,
but I like your WORD Order.
No seriously, my friend, you make a very good point.
International politics is a sham, a bloody joke.
We all know what happened. In fact the US and India wanted the LTTE terrorists wiped out because they were just killing people for an impossible dream. And Sri Lanka did just that: defeat the LTTE militarily. This is what any country would have done in that situation to protect its sovereignty and its people from a bunch of animals called the Tamil Tigers.
After letting the Sri Lankan government do the right thing, now the Americans want to overthrow the government elected by the people of Sri Lanka, and bring a pro-US regime to power. They are staging a drama on the world stage that they are going to punish the Sri Lankan government for “war crimes” and protect “human rights.” In this conspiracy the dirty Americans are being assisted by Britain and other US allies, India, Tamil Nadu Jokers, HRW, AI, UN-IRC, NavaNazi Pilli, Goat Wise, Pranky Harris, Kallan Makkara and their local ass-lickers Paakiya, Nimalie Acca, and Sunaka Priya and of course the LTTE rump.
You are absolutely right!
/
Nishan / January 22, 2014
Still nothing about attacks of religious places? Corruption? But still harping about Cameron. What an embarrassment to your profession you are. You’re a rich-man’s Rajpal. btw his latest editorial is a classic -https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/rajapaksa-state-media-defends-attack-on-churches-alleges-genocide-against-sinhalese/
/
Muhandiram / January 22, 2014
Through the anti-Muslim hate speach by Bodu bala sena,we loose more Budhists.(as Budhists are motivated to learn Islam by thug sena).yesterday too two educated families were converted to islam in Kegalle district.what Ulama council suppose to do is done by Bodu bala sena.
/
Sumith / January 22, 2014
Good thing Milinda concluded the article blaming Cameroon PM of UK instead of blaming Mahinda, the Prez of Sri lanka. -:)
/
Hichchi Putha / January 22, 2014
That he would NEVER… like pig might fly.
What an idiot that knows nothing but ONLY beating around the bush to stay supporting abusers to loot it to core. And talks further about buddhism… hathara hina .. actually :(
/
Lynx / January 22, 2014
The TNA can’t engage in debate because they will not be able to reconcile their Tamil, Sinhala and English statements to any reasonably intelligent interlocutor. They get caught out.
The TNA like the ‘international community’ is never able to defend its allegations. When they are in ‘check’ they simply fabricate a fresh allegation.
Notice how the media tools of the ‘international community’ respond when Prof. Wijesinha destroys one of their allegations? They hastily say ‘alright’ ‘alright’ but what about this other allegation …..
/
Sumith / January 22, 2014
“President Rajapaksa Sanctions Ongoing Media Attack (on Nation newspaper) On Keheliya.”
Ha. Ha Milinda what’s up.
Careful about attacking UPFA folks. -:)
/
Bedrock Barney / January 22, 2014
In an age when monks are jumping up and down naked(dambulla), destroying personal property(fashion bug) and attacking churches(Hikkaduwa) and getting arrested for trying to violently break into the PM’s office. I suppose the log in his eye has not totally blinded his tunnel vision.
/
Thiru / January 22, 2014
Malinda Seneviratne has gone bananas,
He cannot rebut the war crimes of Sri Lanka by rational arguments against the mass of evidence from war witnesses coming out.
So he resorts to all kinds of fancy imaginary rubbish to keep him
‘journalism’ going.
What a pity!
/
Palayang yako! / January 22, 2014
Rayappu Joseph is certainly not “mathematically challenged” but this piece of you-know-what has proven to be beyond ethically challenged and seems determined to prove that over and over on CT.
He should put all his writing together and calls it Mein Kampf, like the man who is obviously his hero once did. Or is that title being reserved for his boss(es) memoirs?
/
Anpu / January 22, 2014
“Like Fr. Rayappu Joseph. The good father says that 145,000 civilians were killed in the last days of the war.” Can you provide some evidence to prove for your claim that Fr Rayappu said this?
/
Anpu / January 22, 2014
The numbers I found –
” The LLRC heard specific evidence from two key sources – the Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph and Ms. Imelda Sukumar, who served as the Government Agent (GA) for Mullaitivu during the relevant time – in relation to the number of civilians trapped in the NFZs. While the Bishop of Mannar cited official figures from the Kachcheris of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi placing the number of persons residing in the Vanni in early October 2008 at 429,059, the GA for Mullaitivu herself testified that there were approximately 360,000 civilians remaining in the NFZ in the Puthumattalan area in January 2009. Given that only 282,380 civilians came out of the Vanni into government-controlled areas, the number of persons unaccounted for remains between 75,000 and 146,679.” – TNA rejects LLRC report as failing to meet international standards of accountability and right of victims to truth, justice and reparations. http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/7299
/
Sirimal / January 22, 2014
MS please be honest
when you write to this forum, you need to explain first that you work for a news paper that belongs to president`s nephew and so you will not be able to bring all the facts as they really are, then even small children would say nothing to what you babble.
a) How can you prove the glass is being filled WITH water only under the criminal rule of current bunch -MR regime ? I have the feeling glass is being filled with more blood than the water, when I read lanken news being out of the country
b)Jehan Perera’s monologs
Get the facts straight please: what have they implemented sofar in accordance with LLRC recommendations ? UFTA MP Rajiva W himself accused the rulers of any impelementations being painfully slow – that was already 1.5 years ago. Dr. Sara and many others did the same, making VERY clear that even small steps under LLRC have been UNENCESSARILY delayed by the regime for no reasons.
c) THAT investigation and THIS investigation
This alone show how serious/WHOLEHEARTED you have been on ongoing issues.
Keeping aside all the investigations based on war crimes – but how many among other crime invistigations that held during the last 5 years – were carried out to a fair manner sofar ? As one CT writer clearly pointed out over 300 crime investigations have been abused by the authorities. This they have been doing to this day as it became their daily agenda.
So what talks about WAR CRIME INVESTIGATIONS ?
Alone so called investigations on heroine and alcohol frauds/deals being run with FULLEST SUPPORT OF govt thugs- seem to take longer than it is necessary.
Now that Tangalle murder investigations even after CHOGEM -ABOUT which Prince charles himself is said to have requested the govt for a fair investigation- being FURTHER delayed to this day- nor have the police found LET ALONE the where the key accused has hidden to this day.
/
Asanka / January 22, 2014
Malinda as usual trying to say something but he lost in the middle as usual. For heavens sake Malinda can you stop writing crap and do something better. Enough blaming and finding fault with every anti-Perci anti-Nandasena.
You better open your eyes without telling others to do so. Yet you wont be able to see because you are obsessed with Jarapassas and their free laptops.
Mind you, its we who paid for those Laptops.
/
Hichchi Putha / January 22, 2014
MS has no shame, no own thinking, no own analysis, no brain, I know even few down syndrome, autistic -patients that can write better scripts. This MS is always lost somewhere – not knowing where to go, whom to help heartedly ? Anyway, living along in a puzzle -while ignoring the facts and figures
/
Kekille / January 22, 2014
its from our charity, i mean from the tax money, that these beggars going on mega tours and giving ‘dhaane’ at Temple Tress and lavishly throwing money around as if its from his grand fathers coffer.
I laugh at people when saying rajapaksa building airport, harbour, highways, cricket stadium.
well its we who gave you free laptops MS.
/
Ajith / January 22, 2014
Malinda’s problem is Mahinda’s laptop and his moral support to Gotapaya’s accounts. Malinda, you don’t need to spend your valuable time to put arguments to challenge the mathematics. The father’s have challenged to disprove their accounts in a court of justice, that is acceptable to international law. You think Tamils side telling lies and we think you are telling the lie. You may have not forgotten about the sad things happened in 1989 and 1990 between Sinhala government and Sinhala youths. The man who gave you free laptop and cars to you went to UN when the numbers did not agree with your Government and your youths on numbers. So, it is better we both go to the same place and ask them to come and find the truth through an impartial investigation. We know both Tamil LTTE and Sinhala military was in war. There is no more LTTE but Sinhala military is there. Therefore, it is better to replace the Sinhala military out of the seen and replace by UN military. The Tamil side also accuse that there are large number of mass graves covered under military areas. We need to find the truth know. Truth is important to a country that is rule by Buddha’s preachings! Malinda, I sure you will agree with this arrangement to find the Truth because you have doubts about the accounts of Tamil Priests.
/
KSR / January 22, 2014
Stastics by Rev.Rayappu Joseph is based on the numbers provided by the government itself.Another calculation provided by Dr.Wickamabahu Karunaratne too presents approximately the same figures.It is upto the state to subject its armed forces and those in the command responsibility to acredible and fair inquiry by an international commission of inquiry.People have lost faith in any inernal mechanism as seen by the major crime investigations that have been bungled by the police and other authorities inrecent times.
/
fred / January 22, 2014
1. Malinda, it is not only your concept of capacities and volumes that is flawed; so is your style of referring to the Bishop of Mannar. When referring to a bishop, his name is not prefaced with ‘Fr’. To be strictly correct, the name should be preceded by ‘The Rt Rev’ but in common usage, it is usual and perfectly acceptable to, simply refer to ‘Bishop so and so’
2. What is so problematic if Jehan did not choose to appear before the LLRC but wishes to see its recommendations implemented? So, would many others. I cannot see what’s bothering you here.
3. As for Bishop Joseph – I don’t know how he can state with certainty that 145,000 civilians were killed in the last days of the conflict. All sorts of numbers have been bandied about in this regard but no-one has established a definitive, reliable figure. The census figures from 28 years do not provide a reliable basis for arriving at the number of casualties.
4. What really concerns me about the good bishop, though, is how happy he seems to be to trot out unverified figures. As a bishop he needs to be scrupulously honest, and that means he must always speak the truth. And more than that he should also not make reckless statements – that is, statements of which the truth is in doubt. I am afraid but I think Bishop Joseph is setting a very bad example.
5. One is also compelled to ask whether the good bishop is not losing sight of his true role as a bishop, which is to provide spiritual leadership and guidance to his flock. Today, he seems to be more a political activist than a good Christian shepherd. I don’t think that is his proper role. He seems to me to be an aggressive and self righteous individual, showing a great fighting spirit but little of the compassion and charity and a pursuit of peace that should mark a real Christian. His conduct in recent times is inconsistent with his role as a bishop and is a source of great embarrassment to many Catholics.
/
Anpu / January 22, 2014
What about the men with yellow robes?
/
Dawn Dale / January 22, 2014
and one might say all because of China- signifying nothing
/
Leon / January 22, 2014
This SOB is scared of an international investigation. The only way to find the exact number that were killed is through an independent international investigation without casting aspersions on a ” mathematically challenged” priest.
If you have the guts call for an investigation, if we do there is no need for such idiotic conversations.
/
Anpu / January 22, 2014
Niran Anketell argues ..
“the pursuit of accountability for war crimes committed in Sri Lanka by Tamil political parties and civil society, including at relevant international fora, is legally and morally necessary, but also strategically the best available choice for furthering the human rights and democracy agenda in Sri Lanka.” http://www.csls.ox.ac.uk/documents/Sri_Lanka_and_Urgent_Need_for_Accountability-final.pdf
/
Saman Wijesiri / January 22, 2014
I felt sorry for Mohan when he accepted the chairmanship of a state-controlled media institution. Because I thought he is not so base and corrupt as to be be a lackey. I hope he is wiser today. Those who know Malinda well, does not judge him by the company he keeps. I am afraid that Malinda too will sooner or later get the type of `shock treatment’ that Mohan got. And that will make him wiser!
/