By R. Sampanthan –
R. Sampanthan
Mr. Presiding Member, we are debating a Bill that deals with Prescription, a Bill that is being brought to bring about certain changes in the existing laws pertaining to prescription in regard to the category of persons defined in the new Bill as “disadvantaged persons”. That is, persons who have been unable to pursue their rights shall be entitled to avail themselves of the benefits conferred by this Act until 12 months after the coming into operation of this Act.
In other words, Sir, the original law pertaining to prescription would not apply during the period when they were disadvantaged persons. Thereby, the law of prescription would not run so as to deprive them of title to the land to which they were entitled to. As long as that person continues to be a disadvantaged person, the benefits of this law would be available both to him and to his successors in title. This goes on the basis that many militant groups have taken over lands belonging to civilians and these civilians, over a period of time, after 1983 and particularly until the conclusion of the war in 2009 – it is a continuing phenomenon – have not been able to take any action whatever for various reasons and therefore, when they were in that disadvantaged position of not being able to avail themselves of their rights under the law, the law relating to prescription should not run against them as the law existed earlier. That is the purpose of this law and in that sense, I must say that it provides relief to certain persons. But, one thing, I do not understand, which is in Clause 5. I do not want to get into a debate with the Hon. Minister, but I would like him to think about this. Clause 5 states, “A disadvantaged person who was unable to pursue his rights shall be entitled to avail himself of the benefits conferred by this Act until twelve months after the coming into operation of this Act”, which means that he will be entitled to the benefit of this Act for a period of 12 months after the Act comes into operation. But, if that person has been a disadvantaged person until the Bill becomes law, then in the normal course, the law of prescription will not run against him for a further ten years. So, why should that be confined to 12 months? I do not understand the logic behind this because if a person has been a disadvantaged person until the Bill has been passed and ceases to be a disadvantaged person only when the Bill is passed, he will be entitled to file an action within ten years. So, why should that be confined to twelve months? In the normal run of things, in the normal operation of even the existing law pertaining to prescription, this man will be entitled to take an action against a trespasser, a squatter, a person unlawfully occupying his land for a period of ten years from the time he ceases to be a disadvantaged person. So, I do not see the logic behind that period being reduced to 12 months under Section 5 of this Ordinance. I would like the Hon. Minister to give that matter a little thought. This also would apply largely, though the Minister said that it applies to the whole country, it is certainly a law applicable to the whole country, but in operation it will be largely applicable to the North and the East where land issues have been quite common and exist in large numbers.
Sir, land is the most complex problem in the North and the East and this relates to both private land and state land. The provisions of this Bill will of course relate to private land. But our problems in regard to state land are very many. Problems relating to both private land and state land are multifaceted in the North-East. I would like to use this Debate to identify some of those problems. There have been High Security Zones in the North and the East. Some of the zones have been possessed by the armed forces as High Security Zones. Some have been legally proclaimed. Others have not been legally proclaimed but have been physically possessed as High Security Zones. All these High Security Zones comprise of private land. What is the rationale behind a High Security Zone? There was a time when the LTTE was in existence, LTTE was possessed of long range artillery. They were able to attack installations of the armed forces from some distance using such high range artillery and in consequence of this, there was a need to declare a High Security Zone preventing even normal civilians living in that zone so as to ensure that these installations were safe and that the LTTE would be kept a distance away that would ensure that their long range artillery would not reach these installations in these High Security Zones. Now, the LTTE is not there. The artillery is not there. What is the need for the High Security Zone? It is not necessary any longer. So, what is the purpose in the army continuing to occupy the land which was being held as a High Security Zone purely for security reasons against the LTTE and the LTTE’s long range artillery? When the LTTE is not there, the long range artillery is not there, you are in complete control of all land, what is the need? Now, this land is to be acquired both in the North and the East. Some parts of these lands have been released, but substantial parts of these lands have not been released. The civilians who owned these lands have gone to the Supreme Court both from Walikamam in the North and Sampur in the East. The Government, through the Attorney General, has given commitments to the Supreme Court that these people will be resettled on these lands. It is a matter of record, but the lands have not been returned to those people. I have raised this matter in regard to the land in Sampur in this Parliament and the Minister of Economic Development interrupted me to state that except for a particular land required for the Coal Power Plant in Sampur, people can resettle on all the other lands. That matter is recorded in the Hansard. But, these commitments have not been kept and these civilians are unable to get back to their lands. A large number of houses, a large number of schools, a large number of temples within these lands have been destroyed. Some lands are possessed by the Army, some lands are possessed by the Navy. They have been used for purpose of occupation, for purpose of cultivation, for purpose of recreation and several other purposes. Tennis courts have come up on these lands, golf courses have come up on these lands, swimming pools have come up on these lands, luxury bungalows for occupation by security personnel have come up on these lands, lands on which our people lived and from which our people, farmers derived their livelihood. They have been taken over, they have been used in this way and tens of thousands of Tamil civilian families are being kept out of these lands for these reasons because the lands are being used by the Armed forces in this way.
These persons are even more disadvantaged than anyone else. You have brought a Bill to Parliament claiming to confer some benefits on some disadvantaged people, there maybe a few people, but what about these people? These people are more disadvantaged than anyone else. Can anyone deny that? There are not just a few people. There are tens of thousands of Tamil families in this position. Why is there no serious effort to address this issue? Despite all the protests and demonstrations that are taking place in the North and the East, despite the matter having been raised in Parliament on several occasions, why is this issue not being addressed seriously? Is this attitude of the Government not indicative of the Government having a sinister objective? I want to pose this question.
Lands have been taken over on various pretexts: security, development, occupation, cultivation, tourism and recreation. This is all for the benefit of the majority community. At the expense of tens of thousands of Tamil families, persons of the majority community are being settled on these lands. Who are the members of the armed forces? The armed forces are almost exclusively Sinhalese. When they come into possession of these lands and when the Tamil civilians are permanently kept out, what will happen? These Armed forces will continue to occupy these lands, they will cultivate these lands, they will derive their livelihood from these lands and they will continue to live in the North and the East. Is this not yet another way of settling the majority community people on lands which have belonged to Tamil civilians for generations and centuries on which they have lived, on which they have farmed, which they have cultivated, and making these lands available to the majority community?
Apart from that, Sir, persons of the majority community are being settled in various areas in the North and the East. This is particularly intensive in the Trincomalee District, the northernmost district in the Eastern Province and in the Mullaitivu District, the southernmost district of the Northern Province. Around 4,000 to 5,000 new voters of the majority community have been registered in the Mullaitivu District since 2009. My information is that these persons had never been registered as voters before; for the first time, they have been registered as voters. I would not make this allegation if these were persons who were displaced and who have come back. That, I am told, is not the position. These persons were never registered before, but since 2009, around 4,000 to 5,000 people have been registered as voters in the Northern Province, which shows that these persons have been settled on these lands after the war came to an end. This is a serious question. They have been brought in anew. All these actions have State patronage from the highest level to the lowest level, from the national level to the district level.
Private lands from which Tamils were displaced and which were occupied forcibly by the majority community are sought to be acquired by the State to be given to those who occupy the lands unlawfully. This is happening in Sivayogapuram in Trincomalee in close proximity to the Nadesar Temple at a place called Kanniya. Why is it being done? You are talking of disadvantaged persons. Here, these persons were disadvantaged; they were displaced from their lands; they were driven out and other persons of the majority community occupy those lands. Are you prepared to give an assurance to this House to take up this matter and ensure that these persons who were displaced, who were disadvantaged are enabled to get back their lands if they take legal action? Why is the Government acquiring these lands so as to deprive them of the remedy which you are providing under this statute? You are bringing a Bill to Parliament, stating that you want to give such disadvantaged people some rights. But, those rights can never be enjoyed by them because the Government is acquiring these lands.
Sir, Hindu religious places have been destroyed; they have been desecrated. We have revealed information in regard to all this to Government; we have written to the Government; we have written to the President and we have raised this matter on the Floor of this House on a number of occasions. New majority Buddhist places of worship are coming up in the North and the East. I do not mind the statue of Lord Buddha being installed anywhere. We all venerate Lord Buddha. I do not want my Sinhalese friends to misunderstand me. We all venerate Lord Buddha. But, they are coming up even in places where not one Sinhala Buddhist person lives. What is the purpose? Why is this being done? Lord Buddha’s statue is being installed in various parts of the North and the East where the Sinhala Buddhist people do not live.
Why is this happening? Hindu cultural places of great veneration have been forcibly taken over. I want to refer to one particular instance, Sir. There is a place called Kanniya in Trincomalee, which has seven hot wells. I must narrate to this House the history of these hot wells. Ravana, Sir, a great historical figure, went to the Koneswaran Temple in Trincomalee, Koneswaran which is referred in the Puranas as Dakshina Kailas, as the southern abode of Lord Shiva. He was so impressed by the lingam there that he cut the rock wanting to take the lingam for worship by his mother. Even today as one enters Koneswaran, on the right hand side one sees the cut on the rock which is called the Ravanan Vettu – “the Ravana’s cut”. When Ravana cut the rock in this way to take the lingam away, Lord Shiva was said to have got enraged and with his big toe he moved the rock. Ravana got trapped in the rock. His mother who was in India heard about this and thought that Ravana was killed. She died of shock. But, Ravana was not killed. He was only unable to take the rock away. Ravana implored Lord Shiva that he be pardoned for his fault. Lord Shiva pardoned him and Ravana wanted to perform the 31st Day Ceremony of his mother. He went with his spear to a place close by called Kanniya where he dug with his spear in seven places. There were seven sprouts of hot water, each of a different temperature. That is the origin of the seven hot wells in Kanniya in Trincomalee. There was a Pillaiyar Temple there and over generations and centuries the Hindu-Tamil people have been going there and performing the 31st Day Ceremony of their kith and kin. Today some statues of the Lord Buddha have been installed there. I have gone and seen it myself. At one time I wrote to the DIG of the area. He stopped it. There was no statue of Lord Buddha at that point of time. Now, some statues of Lord Buddha have been installed. A new passage is being opened up to the hot wells in such a way, that as you go along the path where the Buddhist Statues have been installed, you thereby take over and annex the seven hot wells to that area. The old road to the seven hot wells is sought be closed and this new road is sought to be constructed. Why is all this being done? The Pillaiyar Temple which was there has been desecrated. Lord Pillaiyar has been planted under a temporary shed; he is presently under a temporary shed. So, Sir, one can see that some people are working on these designs; some people are very assiduously, very studiously pursuing a programme which has certain objectives. This is, Sir, nothing short of being absolutely diabolical and outrageous denying the Hindu-Tamils of an ancient Hindu religious and cultural right. They cannot even freely perform the 31st Day Ceremonies of their kith and kin in this area, a right which they have enjoyed from Ravana’s time.
I would invite the members of the international community to come to Kanniya in Trincomalee and see for themselves what is happening; see for themselves the situation. We do not want these types of things to happen. But, you are compelling us to make such an appeal to the international community. I wrote to the President; I wrote to the Hon. Basil Rajapaksa. I have raised this matter in Parliament. You do not reply. You do not respond. But, you quietly carry on with your programme of work and your programme of work is being completed. Why is all this being done?. All this is being done because you want to change the demographic composition of the North and the East and you want to change the cultural and linguistic identity of the districts in the North and the East. These things are being done with a definite purpose, the purpose being to change the demographic composition of the Northern and Eastern Provinces and the cultural and linguistic identity of the Northern and Eastern Provinces so as to make a political resolution, a political solution irrelevant and unnecessary. That is the objective with which you are pursuing this agenda. This is not good for the country. I am not saying these things because I want to cast any slurs or aspersions on anyone. But, I am saying these things because this is not good for the country. In this context, Sir, it is necessary that I refer to certain irrefutable facts which, I think, have a significant bearing on the future of this country and which also have certain geopolitical and strategic dimensions.
I want to refer, Sir, to the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement signed on the 29th of July, 1987. I will not read the whole Agreement but I will read certain important parts of it which are relevant.
Paragraph 1.1 of it states, I quote:
“desiring to preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka ;”
That is sacrosanct. That is something which could not be touched, “to preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka”. That is the entire basis, the entire foundation on which the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement was signed.
Then, Paragraph 1.2 states,
“acknowledging that Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic and a multi-lingual plural society consisting, inter alia, of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims (Moors), and Burghers ;
Then, Paragraph 1.3 states,
“recognising that each ethnic group has a distinct cultural and linguistic identity which has to be carefully nurtured ;”
Then, Paragraph 1.4 states,
“also recognising that the Northern and the Eastern Provinces have been areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking peoples, who have at all times hitherto lived together in this territory with other ethnic groups ;”
Further, Paragraph 1.5 states,
“Conscious of the necessity of strengthening the forces contributing to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, and preserving its character as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious plural society, in which all citizens can live in equality, safety and harmony, and prosper and fulfil their aspirations ;
Then, Paragraph 2.1 goes on to say,
“Since the Government of Sri Lanka proposes to permit adjoining Provinces to join to form one administrative unit and also by a Referendum to separate as may be permitted to the Northern and Eastern Provinces as outlined below : ”
Sir, Paragraph 2.2 of the Agreement states, I quote:
“During the period, which shall be considered an interim period, (i.e. from the elections to the Provincial Council, as specified in para 2.8 to the date of the referendum as specified in para 2.3, the Northern and Eastern Provinces as now constituted, will form one administrative unit, having one elected Provincial Council. Such a unit will have one Governor, one Chief Minister and one Board of Ministers.”
Paragraph 2.3 states that there will be a referendum on or before a certain date and the rest of it deals with the referendum.
Now, I want to say this very clearly, Sir. That is why I referred to Trincomalee and Mullaitivu earlier. Trincomalee is the northern most district in the Eastern Province and Mullaitivu is the southern most district in the Northern Province. All these actions of the Government and persons who are working with the Government are concentrated largely in Mullaitivu and Trincomalee because you want to break the linguistic contiguity of the Northern and the Eastern Provinces. That clearly shows that you are pursuing a definite sinister objective which cannot be permitted and this is why I say that these actions of yours have geopolitical and geo-strategic dimensions and there can be consequences which will not be to the benefit of this country. As a Sri Lankan, I have a right to ask that this country be not placed in jeopardy by reason of such actions. I have a right to ask that these actions of yours be terminated because if these action of yours are not terminated, eventually great harm can fall on Sri Lanka.
I also want to read, Sir, a further paragraph. The Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Leader of the Opposition, a couple of days ago raised a question in regard to the Trincomalee Port and the new facility that the Government is contemplating in Trincomalee with the involvement of some foreign power. He said that that would be in violation of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement. When you seek to change the demographic composition of the North and the East, are you not violating the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement where there is a clear acknowledgement that the Northern and Eastern Provinces have been the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil-speaking people? On that basis, the Northern and Eastern provinces must become one unit of devolution with one Governor, one Chief Minister, one Provincial Council. Are you not violating the conditions of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement which flow on that basis which recognizes Sri Lanka as a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, plural society, each people, the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims having a separate identity which must be nurtured, which recognizes the Northern and Eastern Provinces as the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil-speaking people on the basis of which they can be one unit? Are you not violating all these provisions? This is the question, Sir, I wish to pose.
The para 2(ii) of the annexure to the Agreement refers to the question that the Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe raised. It states, I quote:
“Trincomalee or any other ports in Sri Lanka will not be made available for military use by any country in a manner prejudicial to India’s interests.”
That is what the Agreement states. Now, when you seek to alter, when you seek to change vital parts of this Agreement, am I wrong in saying that you are working with an insidious objective, which is to change the demographic composition so as to have your own way and do what you please? This is not acceptable, Sir, and if this continues, I would think that it would not be good for Sri Lanka.
I also want to refer to one other matter before I conclude, Sir, and it is this. Your Bill refers to “disadvantaged persons”. The Tamil people in this country are disadvantaged in many respects, not merely what is contained in your Bill. We all know that under the Decentralized Budget, every Member of Parliament is given Rs. 5 million. The North and the East, in the course of the 30-year conflict, suffered the worst damage. Our people suffered the most; the Tamil people suffered the most. They were killed the most; their assets were destroyed the most; they suffered denial and deprivation the most. The Tamil Members of Parliament, except for those few who are with the Government, were given Rs. 5 million each under the Decentralized Budget. All the other Members of Parliament have been given Rs. 30 million – Rs. 5 million plus another Rs. 25 million. They have been given Rs. 30 million!
We represent the Tamil people substantially. The vast majority of the seats of the North and the East, where the Tamil people have voted and elected their Members, have come to us, but we are given only Rs. 5 million; everybody else is given Rs. 30 million. Is this fair? Is this just? Is this conscionable? How can you do this? You are mere trustees of Government money; you are mere trustees of Government property having been elected by the voters. We also have been elected by the voters. Are our people not sovereign? Are our people not equal? Are our people second-class citizens? Is that the reason that you are giving the Members of Parliament representing the Tamil people Rs. 5 million while you give all the others Rs. 30 million? I do not want to confront anyone, but I do not want to beg from anyone and my people do not want me to beg. My people are not beggars and they never want me to beg. But, I want you to know, I want the world to know that despite a 30-year conflict and despite all the denial and deprivation, all the immense losses, destruction that we have gone through and when we are the most in need of assistance, we are being given by this Government only Rs. 5 million while all the other Members of Parliament are given Rs. 30 million. Is it conscionable? Is it just? Is it reasonable? I want your conscience to answer this question and I want you to do the right thing. After all, being in power and having the reins of governance is nothing more than a trust reposed in you by the people to do the just and the right thing. You must not assume that such power will be with you forever.
Sir, we were dealing with the Prescription (Special Provisions) Bill. But, I have used the time of the Bill to refer to some of the grave issues particularly pertaining to land, particularly pertaining to the tens of thousands of Tamil families who have not yet been resettled, who have not yet been rehabilitated, who do not have houses, who are living in camps and welfare centres and who do not have proper livelihood still in the North and the East. Can you deny the fact that there are such people in the North and the East and that you are giving Tamil Members of Parliament of the North and the East only Rs. 5 million and others Rs. 30 million? Can you deny that? Is it fair? How can you permit this? Will God pardon you for doing this? I will not take anymore of the time, Mr. Presiding Member.
Thank you.
* Speech made by R. Sampanthan MP, the Tamil National Alliance’s leader, in Parliament on Thursday the 7th of August, on the Prescription (Special Provisions) Bill, illegal possession of land by the military and demographic change in the Northern & Eastern Provinces, violations of the Indo-Lanka Accord and discriminatory allocations under the Decentralized Budget.
Amarasiri / August 10, 2014
R. Sampanthan –
RE: On Illegal Possession Of Land By The Military And Demographic Change In North & East
Reads the Mahawansa by Para-Sinhala Monk Mahanama,the lies and imaginations.
The Sinhala “Buddhist” monks are evil. They follow Mara ands MaRa, Re Buddhism — ATHEIST POWER!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsgcP65dDOg
Message by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and ILO Director-General Guy Ryder on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August 2014
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx? NewsID=14928&LangID=E
Sri Lanka: Survival calls on UN to stand up for Wanniyala-Aetto 13 March 2013
http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/9021
The Vedda Tribe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89NuukY32U
Many Wanniyala-Aetto have been fined for hunting in their forest. Some have even been shot dead. © Survival On March 15, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) will discuss the human rights record of Sri Lanka, during which the country is likely to come under severe criticism for serious human rights violations, and be called to account by the United States. However, amidst the international criticisms of Sri Lanka, one community remains largely forgotten – the indigenous Wanniyala-Aetto.
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A Concerned Citizen / August 10, 2014
This is one of the fine speeches Mr. Sampanthan has made in the Parliament.
He has pointed out very pertinent points to show how unreasonable the Government is, in their dealings on issues relating to the minorities in Sri Lanka.
However, MR & Co are so power drunk that his words would be like water on a duck’s back. They will never see the extent of their mis-rule and the fact that every one of their actions could eventually justify the call for a partition of the country and make it inevitable.
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aratai / August 10, 2014
.
I read today, MaRa has given final warning to TNA, enough is enough, don’t talk to tamil media, talk to government.
Here Sambandan is directly requesting the government.
Did MaRa or his servants reply to Sambandan?
:-)
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Fathima Fukushima / August 10, 2014
How many Tamils are living in Colombo?
They have changed the demographics in Colombo.
Kotahena, Wellawatte, Dehiwala, Wattala, etc. used to be Muslim and Sinhala majority areas. Look what has happened now. Tamils have become the majority.
It works both ways. If Tamils can change the demographics in Colombo Muslims and Sinhalese must change the demographics in the north. East is OK. There is no need for change in the East now which is peaceful now. Muslim majority in the east is very peaceful and doesn’t mind the presence of the army.
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paul / August 10, 2014
No Fathima, we must have Tamil-only areas in the North and yet be allowed to buy up lands anywhere else in the country.
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paul / August 11, 2014
…just like there are Tamils only areas in India, Malaysia, England and Canada ..
Or wait: Isn’t Ceylon the ony homeland of Tamilians hence special.. everywhere else they are kallathonis?
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aratai / August 10, 2014
.
Sinhala speaking Fatima….Run to China……..
Tamil speaking aliens are taking over….. Isn’t that the reason Sinhala capitals moved from north to south:
From Yappa Patinaya to Polannaruwa, Anuradhapura, Nuwara, Sri Jayawardanapura to now Hamabantota.
:-)
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radish.S / August 11, 2014
Fathima Fukushima (I have to be extra cautious in spelling this name),
Mr.Sampanthan or the Tamils are not objecting to citizens of this country to whichever race he may belong buying lands legally at agreed consideration in any part of the country as the Tamils do in Colombo. The objection is to State aided colonisation of the North and East in order to change the demographic pattern of that area.For example in 1881 the Sinhala population in Trincomalee Dt. was around 5 percent but has become around 30 percent in 1981 due to Allai-Kanthalai Scheme.
Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987 is an agreement entered into between two sovereign States, India and Sri Lanka.
Art. 1.4 refers to, ” the Northern and Eastern provinces as areas of historical habitation of Tamil speaking peopleS.Now in International Law, ‘PeopleS has a different connotation from people’. It is peopleS who have the right to ‘self determination’ and of course India would have used that term with a purpose.
Art. 2,1.1, states that, ‘Trincomalee or any other ports in Sri Lanka will NOT be made available for military use by any country in a manner prejudicial to India’s interest. JRJ, the 20th century Fox, who had the largest majority in the Parliament of the day, and who ascribed the attempted murder of the then visiting Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by a Sri Lankan Naval ranker during his guard of honour,due to a sun stroke,signed that Agreement. The current talk about 1200 acres of land in Trincomalee around the Trincomalee port being given to China by Sri Lanka for ‘defence related purpose’ may constitute a violation of the Agreement and they should be in a position to take S.L. to the World Court and/or it may give a justification to them to take some action against S.L. I am sure Mr.Sampanthan, as the Member of Parliament representing Trincomalee District and a Senior Lawyer himself may bring these factors to the notice of the Indian P.M. and their Ministry of External Affairs during T:N:A’s visit to Delhi.
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Kettikaran / August 11, 2014
How much tolerance is allowed in these pages even to a depraved pervert like the one that goes as Fathima whatever. His/Her posts do not deserve the courtesy of a comment. But here the creature oversteps the giddy limit and indulges in its usual anti-Tamil prejudice.
Even an imbecile like he/she will know Muslims were never in the majority in Kotahena, wellawatta, Dehiwala, Wattala etc., But we know they tried hard – and perhaps still do – in their conspiracy to demographic change, which is now out in the open. Yes! It has succeeded, for the moment, in the Eastern Province but things will change there in due time.
Please, for goodness sake, do not endanger the many thousands of Muslims living in peace with us in your delusional madness of out-populating other communities. You have already caused much harm to them.
Kettikaran
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2014
Kettikaran
Could you clarify a simple statistical problem regarding Muslim population.
Muslim total population = M
Many thousands of Muslims living in peace with us =Mpeace
Mwar = Muslims living with us but at war with us.
M – Mpeace = Mwar
Could you solve the equation for Mwar.
Thanks.
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Kettikaran / August 11, 2014
Dear Native V,
Your math conundrum has been solved by Galabodda Gnanasara (?) and colleagues. The Ulama has apologised for the Halal. The Muslim women have opted for the mildly coloured head-scarf only
and have ditched that sordid looking black dress and face cover.
Rauf Hakeem has confessed in India the Rajapakse Brothers are, after all, the greatest pals of the Lankan Muslims. Super expensive lawyer Faiz Mustapha heads a meeting with GR in attendance and tells his Muslim Brothers not to ask embarrassing questions???
Why fret, pal? Sleep in peace for tonight – for tomorrow you will go after the Windmills again.
Kettikaran
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 10, 2014
So the UNP Christian Faction Leader Mr Wickremasinghe say’s in Parliament that Chinese shouldn’t be allowed to develop the Trinco Harbour,
And the LTTE proxy TNA leader Mr Sambandan says AMEN..
Because it violates the Indo Lanka Agreement.
And tell us it is a great injustice to his Tamil people because it breaks the continuity of their Homeland and threatens their existence.
Does the Vellala Gardens which lie between Dehiwala and Bamabalapitya break the continuity of Sinhala Home land and threaten their existence.
Haven’t the full Cabinet of the TNA outfit and most of their Vellala vote base been located far away from the North and the the East all along, even when their beloved LTTE was awarded the ISGA by the TNA’s current mentor Mr Wickremasinghe.
Do these TNA Vellalas show any signs of becoming extinct when they now totally in charge of not only the total population of Vellalas but also the non Vellalas in the North as well?.
Unless this “threat” is not getting the right to join the North and the East together with its own Police and Land Bank to run a mini Eelaam..
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2014
“So the UNP Christian Faction Leader Mr Wickremasinghe say’s in Parliament that Chinese shouldn’t be allowed to develop the Trinco Harbour,”
Where have all your Sinhala/Buddhist experts, professionals, engineers, technicians…….. gone? After all they were educated in this island free of charge had preference in education, employment opportunities, promotion prospects, in “world renowned” universities of Sri Lanka. Are they putting anything back in the community?
Why does the state need foreigners to develop ports, roads, airports and other infrastructures?
What is the Sinhala/Buddhist diaspora doing to help this island develop?
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 11, 2014
Dear Native,
Our Sinhala Buddhist Diaspora , according to your mates, are all toilet cleaners and maids for the Midle East Sheiks.
How can they build Harbours and Airports unlike your Diaspora mates who according to the TNA, will build even a Disney Land if the Vellalas can get total control of the Northen Land..
There are a few Sinhalese who got free degrees and pissed off to become Diasporians.
They are too busy trying to be Elite and rich and they don’t want to know about the poor brethren who are stuck in the Motherland.
They even barrack for your buddies who want to kick the Rakapaksas out and bring in the UNP Christian Faction and Vellala Sambadan to look after the inhabitants.
Perhaps they might come when Rainbow Ranil becomes President or PM or just Sobitha’s adjutant.
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
Would you like to review your above comment and retype it as it has inconsistencies with your previous comments elsewhere in this forum.
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Amarasiri / August 11, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera , Jim softy, Lorenzos, Leelas and Avtars,
Proxies and shills.
Are there liars at Lankaweb?
Why is that Amarasiri’s posts give indigestion and constipation to the moderators of Lanka Web when Amarasiri points out the lies and distortions? Is it because Lankaweb is a lie and distortion spreading media for some of the para-Sinhala “Buddhist” racists, and there is no room for alternate opinions from Agnostics and Egalitarians and non-racist “Buddhists”?
So Lankaweb’s following claim is a lie, and therefore they are liars.
THE LANKAWEB LIE, GIVEN BELOW: “We believe in Free Speech, Right of Expression that Creates Platform for Dialogue. Therefore we do not moderate every comment posted on this web site. Once filtered through the initial registration process, any subsequent comments can be posted directly on the website to make it truly interactive. However, any abusive comments will be deleted forthwith and contributor’s membership will be cancelled immediately.”
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Vibhushana / August 10, 2014
Well, where there is smoke, there is inevitably a fire isn’t it? Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement is the culmination of a chain of events that began in 1949 by your party Ilankai Arasu Kadchi with the Maradana resolution.
The ITAK resolution standing for an exclusively Tamil, “Traditional Homeland”, or a “Tamil Kingdom”. The terminology has changed over the years although the goal is the same.
There was neither a remedial nor historical basis for the claim. The Northern and Eastern Provinces have been the historical habitation for Sinhala as well as Tamil speaking people. Tamil speaking people since about 10ce and Sinhala people even before that.
The East in particular to this day have equal distribution of communities. Any attempt to corrupt the fine balance will ensure the country and the region in particular reconciliation uncertain.
If the Indo-Lanka agreed to such a thing then it needs to be corrected, not cemented. It needs to be corrected particularly in view of better relations with India.
I would dismiss your claim Ceylon not protecting its Hindu culture as political rhetoric. Ceylon is not against Hindu culture but the virulent form of Tamil nationalism that was imported by your predecessors and maintained by the incumbents.
If anything the events over last 3 decades have shown Ceylon is not going to adapt to 1949 ITAK resolution. It will be the other way around.
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paul / August 10, 2014
A copy of the original ITAK document can be seen here
http://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/the-federal-party-emerges-seeking-self-determination-18-december-1949/
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2014
Vibhushana
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
CHAPTER II – BUDDHISM
Buddhism.
9. The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).
http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/Chapter_02_Amd.html
You have been hearing lots of noises in your head except the one about the Buddha Sasana.
Why should a supposedly modern democratic country see fit to enshrine certain position in its constitution?
It is clear that the country doesn’t trust its own Sinhala/Buddhists with Buddhism.
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Abhaya / August 10, 2014
Never asked for the $%^ land when the LTTE was holding it . now crying like little bitches .
Cheers
Abhaya
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 10, 2014
Sambandan knew that his shrivelled ancient balls would have been quickly liberated from his scrotum and put on display outside the ‘court of Eelam’ by his sole representatives if he dared to swing them around in public back then. Now he can do it without any fear – but apparently things were so much better back then :D
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aratai / August 11, 2014
.
At least he got balls. You?
:-)
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F-Word / August 11, 2014
Blacker is, in his own admission, part Burgher, part Tamil and balance??? To insult a senior, educated, respected political leader like Sampanthan in such lowly fashion, this Army ranker – who now hides under a Tamil name, must be really desperate to be in the good books of the army. Is it the pension?
What disgusting creatures we are fated to share this planet with.
F-Word
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Native Vedda / August 12, 2014
F-Word
“Blacker is, in his own admission, part Burgher, part Tamil and balance???”
Hitler’s grandfather was a Jew, it didn’t stop him from killing Jews.
“What disgusting creatures we are fated to share this planet with.”
Are we talking about 7 billion of them or just 20 Million?
According Blacker he wouldn’t write under another pseudonym. He believed he was a honourable man.
Therefore you are rest assured one day (when?) he would suddenly appear and hopefully disassociate/distant himself from this disgusting creature that is “Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon”.
By the way Blacker may want to write his own version of Mein Kampf, the book of home grown extreme right wing ideology. Lets see how Gota’s activist transform himself into a extreme right wing ideologue.
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Manoharan / August 10, 2014
Forget about the army etc.
The illegal possession of land is the possession of land by rich Tamil Lawyers who live in Colombo and hold onto the most coveted and most fertile parts of the Northern peninsula. How did they get this land? The land was captured illegally by the foreign invader, and given to those Tamils who became traitors to this land and aided and abetted the invader, many of them even becoming Christians of various sorts to win the favour of the invader.
It is this unfortunate co-habitation of our people with the invader that has produced a land-owning Tamil aristocracy that has lived in Colombo since the at least the late 19th century, and ruled over the tamils as absantee land-lords.
The descendents of those people still live in Colombo, and still win elections, be they before the Donoughmore commission, after the Donoughmore commission, before the Soulbury commission, after it, and then after independence, after Vaddukkoddai, and after Nadikadal.
Nothing has changed in the social class (caste) or the lineage of the leadership of the Tamils for over a century – except during the brutal revolt by Prabhakaran against the Colombo-Tamil land-owning class and the sinhalese.
This will change if the land is nationalized and redistributed properly, eliminating the illegal ownership of land by these men, the descendents of those men who collaborated with the foreign invader. These descendents are now living in Colombo, London, New Jersey, New York, Scarborough, Sydney, Frankfurt etc., while the ordinary tamil man has to work their fields, do their labour, do their battles, be their cannon fodder etc. as has always been the case. Those who remain in Colombo run the TNA.
Even the marxists who should have cried against such social iniquities come from the same land-owning social class (caste) and they too have betrayed the tamils.
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2014
Manoharan
Had you seen Situ Matura or heard about it you would not have written the trash that you have just posted above. Its about gentry and their Walauwa that drag them back in time while the world under their feet is changing all the time:
Watch it here:
http://tharunaya.co.uk/new_site/tharunaya_video/vedio_show.php?num=18536
You have stuck in the past. please stay permanently there. Leave the young to their own chosen ways of learning their future.
For your information there have been reports on ownership of lands in the North, a large proportion is held in Trust.
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 12, 2014
Dear Native,
Are you trying to defend the un defendable !!!!
Our own landed gentry have lost ground, shall I say to a certain extent. thanks to the political developments in recent times.
Our non Vellala brethren in the North , however have been mesmerized by the promise of paradise by the Vellala TNA who live in Colombo, after their previous liberator left them in dire straights.
Thanks Manoharan,
We are beginning to understand why the Vellala TNA boss is hellbent on getting the titles to all land .
Nice way to perpetuate Vellala rule going forward.
And the the son of our own landed gentry ,Rainbow Ranil is one hundred percent behind the TNA chief.
Thankfully our own non Vellalas wouldn’t allow Sambandan this time to restrict their freedom of movement in the North ,on their way to tell a prayer to Lord Buddha.and put in a few LKR in the Nallor temple to get a blessing for a safe trip back.
They have no intention of owing land along all those lovely beaches surrounding the Peninsula.
Even if they wanted , they wouldn’t have the dough. Plus it will be hard to get around that Vellala rule, where land there can not be sold to other ethnics.
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Jim softy / August 10, 2014
Mr. Sambanthan is talking about so many things. These statements may be relevant in the parliament as most of these craps are neglected.
But, for us he should have presented a detailed account in order to these things to be believed.
We all know so many Indian Tamils migrated to Sri lanka during the Tamil peelam time. When Sinhala-army captured; when the Tamil-peelam citizens surrounded and when the Tamil king was floating in Nanthikadal, all those tamils lost their lands.
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Dawn Dale / August 10, 2014
what is this man on about? this deep seated tribalism and greed for land is the curse of tamils – how about live and let live to adopt as a new concept.. Even ancient tamil laws like thesavalame show the greed for the land – and contempt fr women – must be in the genes or what say u amarasiri?
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2014
Dawn Dale
“Even ancient tamil laws like thesavalame show the greed for the land”
Please state in this forum what you learned and understood about Thesawalamai?
It shouldn’t take you more than a line or two.
Thesawalamai is not ancient.
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Navin / August 10, 2014
“We all venerate Lord Buddha. But, they (his statues) are coming up even in places where not one Sinhala Buddhist person lives. What is the purpose? Why is this being done? Lord Buddha’s statue is being installed in various parts of the North and the East where the Sinhala Buddhist people do not live.”
The answer is obvious. MR and GR have inducted the Buddha into their diabolical genocide of the Tamil people. And the evil Buddha is obliging.
The double tongued Sinhala Buddhists please take note.
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Dawn Dale / August 10, 2014
tribalism again – in my 40 years of my life in SL, I hv lived in 3 places and has gone to 1 school and 2 universities and has worked in 3 work places – in all these places/spaces there were more than 1 tamil /1 muslim /Christian/ hindoo- how come in North u find places where there isn’t a single Buddhist/Sinhala – equation doesn’t look right does it? while south is so plural why is north so tribal ?
of-course I agree with ur point all statues(Buddha/jesus/Hanuman(I have actually seen a statue of Hanuman in Galle – not kidding)) in street corners should be taken down, its a traffic hazard to say the least and not works of art. and posters of MR shld be burnt.
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Bodin / August 10, 2014
Do you know how many new Kovils have come up in the South since, say, the
year 1990?
Do you know that there are even Kovils like “Visa-Pillayar Kovil” that have come up
for the benefit of Tamils who come down south just to get a Visa to go West!
It would be good to convert the frog-in-the-well society of Jaffna into an open, multicultural, multi-ethnic society of the sort found in Colombo, breaking down the Cajan curtains with their caste and race tribalism.
Read what a modern-minded Tamil, Sebastian Rasalingam, had to say:
Sinhalization of the North and the Tamilzation of the South- by Sebastian Rasalingam in the Sri Lanka Guardian
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thrishu / August 10, 2014
No wonder nobody reads this rubbish. Paragraphs are too long and arguments convoluted. What is he trying to say?
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Navin / August 11, 2014
If you are mentally retarded and cannot concentrate enough to read and understand a sentence of more than three words, go and read the Ceylon Daily News. No one is forcing you to read the CT.
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Tamodaya / August 10, 2014
Racist!
Wonder how the war spared him.
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Park / August 10, 2014
Reading this article and the comments above, I have come to one conclusion. I do not think that most of the Ministers and MPs’ would have grasped what Sampanthan said. Further, from the comments above one thing is sure, most of the writers cannot take their mind off “racism” and look at the arguments put forward by Sampanthan in a “law and order” perspective.
Tamils and Muslims in Colombo were not planted by the Government unlike the Sinhalese who are being planted by the Government in the North and East.
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Navin / August 10, 2014
Tamils and Muslims in Colombo were not planted by the Government unlike the Sinhalese who are being planted by the Government in the North and East.
—
Does the government need to provide land in Colombo for Sinhalese living outside Colombo to come to Colombo? How nice would that be?
Colombo is a developed area. No one needs to motivate people to move to developed parts of the country from under-developed parts.
You only see racism in the Sinhalese. You do not see Tamil racism in Sampanthan’s speech.
The government needs to and it should move Sinhalese to North/East now itself for otherwise Sampanthan’s ilk would not allow even one Sinhala man to set foot in the North/East development or not.
You expect us to take Sampanthan’s word that they do not oppose natural migration? Sampanthan is the man who said LTTE was the sole representative of Tamils. Gosh what a statesmen no eh? What a legal eagle right? His long speeches are not worth the paper they are written on.
Sampanthan wants state to spend money (taxes from all parts of the country) do develop N/E but does not want people from other parts to move in to N/E.
Pray tell me does he believe lord Brahma himself came down to earth to create him?
The government should create settlements in the N/E disregarding racist TNA types. Then at least next generation of Tamils will not be brainwashed into isolation by likes of Sampanthan. Sampanthan is a man from the past whose thinking has now outlived its usefulness.
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2014
Navin
Here is a news item that should bother you most than any other. Its about disappeared land. Could you find out who did steal it from the people?
25000 acres of acquired land missing
Published on Sunday, 10 August 2014 17:59
There are no substantial information on over 25,000 acres of land acquired by the government under Land Reform Act No. 1 of 1972 and its amendments, said a higher official attached to Ministry of Land and Land Development.
According to ‘Divaina’ news paper, he has further stated that there are heavy suspicions rising weather they were acquired by the politicians or distributed among their acquaintances.
The governments which came into power since 1972 failing to follow a proper method has led to the particular situation, he has said.
According to Land Reform Commission reports, 153,442 hectares of land were provided to Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB), however according to JEDB reports it has been only provided with 140,761.03 hectares of land.
In addition, though the Land Reform Commission reports claim that Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation was provided with 117,753 hectares of land, according to Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation reports only 94,571.45 hectares of land have been granted for their use.
(Divaina)
https://www.srilankamirror.com/news/16465-25000-acres-of-acquired-land-missing
Please let us know the break down of the names and acres of the present owners of all stolen land under the following classification:
Tamils in Colombo
Muslims in Colombo and Kathankudi
Tamils of Jaffna origin
LTTE rumps
Tamil Diaspora
Karuna
KP
R Sampanthan and his cronies
Since the Sinhala/Buddhist politicians and officials are honest and clean you do not need to have a category under Sinhala/Buddhists.
How soon can we have the schedule?
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R.Dias / August 10, 2014
This Govt rule the Country by terror….people have become fearful of the Military….of sudden disappearances ..and those who speak out are being threatened of it…they say that GR would ensure that…!!!!!!!! surprising …but it is the fact just look..when anything is spoken / written against Secretary to the Defense the servile media censors as if he is all reasonable ..Mr.Clean..but they too are fearful of the threats of sudden disappearance white van….SO THAT IS TERROR….. At the next presidential Election ..which is illegal ..If MR gets elected God helps…Therefore ensure that the Tamil people in the N&E vote for the opposition at the next Elections….none of the Elected Head of the Country have experienced the power of it over the last 30 years….besides the Muslims too should be encouraged to vote against….that will change the Govt…..if not the Military Rule is inevitable…WE ALL KNOW HOW IDI AMIN DADA BEHAVED…HE KNEW EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING…BECAUSE HE WAS A MILITARY MAN…SO SRI LANKA HAS DEVELOPED A HYBRID VERSION OF IT….THREE HEADED DRAGON…!!!!!!!
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Jim softy / August 10, 2014
Mr. Sambanthan:
will a low caste tamil head the TNA after you or is it another Dutch-brought malayali – tobacco farmers aka vellala tamils who will control Tamils ?
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Amarasiri / August 11, 2014
Jim softy
“vellala tamils who will control Tamils”
Vellala tamils will control the Tamils
Govigama (Vellala) Sinhala will control the Sinhala caste.
The plight of the Sinhala `DALITS`- Karava, Durava, Salagama, Berava and Rodi. Caste discrimination in Sinhala society.
Friday, 9 September 2011 – 10:42 AM SL Time
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2011/9/70564_space.html
The Kandyan Buddhist clergy – the Siam Nikaya – DENIED ENTRY into the Buddhist monkhood to the non-Govigama. They EXCLUDED THE KARAVE. This led wealthy Karave merchants in the maritime districts to finance the journey of Ambagahapitiya Gnanawimala Thera to Amarapura in Burma for the ordination into the Buddhist monkhood in 1800 AD. While the newly founded Amarapura nikaya had 21 sub-sects defined on caste lines (i.e. Karave, Salagama and Durave), it nonetheless offered a rare opportunity for the Karave to join the Buddhist religious order.
Jum, Softy, Lorenao, leela, Sumanasekera and avtars,
Why are you excluding Amarasiri’s Comments on Lanka web? Are you following double standards? Case Discrimination, Race discrimination or religious discrimination against agnostics and Egalitarians?
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Nat / August 13, 2014
Jim:
Stop talking rubbish and talk about the danger facing the Nation as a result of Bad Governance.
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justice / August 11, 2014
Sampanthan has summarised the persecution being commited against the tamils – all forget that periodic massacres of tamils for the only reason other than their ethnicity,which commenced soon after independence.
Now,even their lands are being robbed.
The military regime of Rajapakse and hangers-on continues.
Sri Lanka is now the most militarised country in the world.
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Kishok JEYACHANDRAN / August 11, 2014
Think like this, you was born in a town and your parents own a land and house. You was living in peaceful.
Due to war that land was taken by military and your family was displaced, after certain years when your back to your land, that was taken by some strange people. What you will do people?
If your wise man, only two drops of tear. This the situation for Tamils in Sri Lanka. In my personal my granddad live in dehiwala. In 1983 his family was displaced. When we back at 1985… That whole land was taken by Sinhala people and not willing to give them back. Police never helped and he was living his whole life in rented house.
But still that land under his name. people lives there build three house on that land and renting out.
People who commenting above! Put your legs into innocent Tamils shoe and feel the different…
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 11, 2014
Our inhabitant population in 2065 will be 40 Million plus.
That is only 50 years away and our post Nanthikadal generation will be only in their 60s.
Do any one in his or her right mind want to impose an Apartheid style living on these future generations?.
Specially using a stupid gimmick, invented by Rajive and Junius who were desperate to save their asses from Prabakaran..
And Ranil who is Junius’s nephew as I understand, to come up with bullshit that Chinese should not be allowed to build Trinco harbour because it will upset the uncle’s gimmick is rather pathetic.
Population Density in the North is under 40 inhabitants per Sq Km.
It is averaging 300 per Sq Km in the South already, and the population is only just under 21 Million.
With a population of 40 Million, our inhabitants will be crammed ,400 each per One Sq Km all across the width and the breadth of the South.
And the TNA Vellalas will be still merrily going about with 50 bodies a Sq Km , unless the whole Diaspora settles there.
Even then, they will have ample space to build a few Golf Courses while our Southern brothers will be packed like Santa Maria Sardines in Cans.
.
.
living of these
Is it fair to restrict and freedoms of travel work , housing, leisure, and education of these 21Century inhabitants, by adopting a and e
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paul / August 11, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
You are the one of the few talking sense in this fools-paradise called ‘CT commentators’. Do keep it up..
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Amarasiri / August 12, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera . :orenso, Jum softy, Leela and avtars,
“Our inhabitant population in 2065 will be 40 Million plus. “
Can you turn them all to be Agnostics by then.
Then we cab retire the Monks, no monks to run berserk, the priests and the Ulema for good, to produce an egalitarian Agnostic society and live in this temporal world.
PS. Why is it that Egalitarian Agnostic Amarasiri’s posts give indigestion, constipation and goose bumps to the moderators at Lankaweb.? Just curious. Why double standards.
Lorenzo, Leela et al get to post all the time, whether the article was written by a shill or not.
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ukg / August 13, 2014
K.A.Sumanasekara
Must have a doctorate on the Vellaala caste
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Fathima Fukushima / August 13, 2014
I have now realised mistake and would like to say sorry. I now realise that the reason why the Tamils are scattered all over Sri Lanka is because of our failure to develop North which is a baron land. Sorry folks.
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Fathima Fukushima / August 13, 2014
How many Tamils are living in Colombo?
They have changed the demographics in Colombo. Kotahena, Wellawatte, Dehiwala, Wattala, etc. used to be Muslim and Sinhala majority areas.
Look what has happened now. Tamils have become the majority. It works both ways. If Tamils can change the demographics in Colombo Muslims and Sinhalese must change the demographics in the north. East is OK. There is no need for change in the East now which is peaceful now. Muslim majority in the east is very peaceful and doesn’t mind the presence of the army.
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Chandra / August 13, 2014
Fathima Fukushima aka Tamodaya aka Lorenzo of Lankaweb.
We are aware of your secret agenda. your imbecillic mode in churning out tripe comments has successfully driven out readers and commentators at LW now seen recently and now you trying to do the same at CT
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