19 March, 2024

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Reflections On The Brink Of The Next Abyss

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“How could we not have seen what was coming, until it had arrived in our midst, clanking and smoking?” – John Banville (Shroud)

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is furious. Not about the Aluthgama riots; that, in his eyes, was a ‘most minor incident’. He is furious about the peaceful protest (Hartal) against the Aluthgama riots.

Little wonder then that Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera is not only free but was allowed to hold another ‘religious meeting’ in Kandy.

According to President Rajapaksa, murder and mayhem constitute far, far lesser crimes than a peaceful protest: “During the conflict period the LTTE killed people irrelevant of their ethnicity. Certain groups that didn’t dare stage a single hartal campaign during the LTTE period have now started them. Large scale (Maha loku) hartal campaigns are organised for even the most minor incidents.”[i]

Mahinda RajapaksaIs it any surprise that the police, instead of arresting the criminals of Aluthgama, are hot in pursuit of the organisers of the peaceful Hartal?

In this context, if Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara succeeds in bringing a law against hate speech, it will be used to silence not the BBS/JHU/Ravana Balaya but to incarcerate those who criticise the hatemongering of Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara et al.

Once, not so long ago, this President justified attacks on Muslims by claiming (entirely apocryphally) that only child rapists have been targeted. This week he dismissed an outbreak of violence which claimed four lives and inflicted a festering wound on the ethno-religious fabric of Sri Lanka as a ‘most minor incident’. Can his government be trusted to discover the truth about Aluthgama and prosecute those responsible?

According to Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera, the Aluthgama riot was a concept of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, implemented by certain military officials. Mr. Samaraweera, given his past affiliations, would know what the Rajapaksas are capable of. And he would not have made such an extremely serious allegation outside parliament unless he had some evidence to show for it. Any government interested in justice, order and its good name would launch an impartial inquiry into such a grave charge. Any society interested in peace and fair-play would demand such an inquiry of its government.

Instead the regime seems to be planning a witch hunt against Mr. Samaraweera. According to police spokesman an investigation might be launched against Mr. Samaraweera under the Official Secret Act for “divulging information regarding national security and information about the security forces”[ii]. Is the regime accusing Mr. Samaraweera of revealing state secrets? Wouldn’t such an accusation be tantamount to accepting that Mr. Samaraweera spoke the truth about Aluthgama riots?

If Mr. Samaraweera lied, why not arrest him for slander and other lesser crimes?

If Mr. Samaraweera did not lie, then the ‘great betrayal’ Sri Lanka’s viscerally Orwellian army spokesman was blathering about[iii] was committed not by Mr. Samaraweera but by Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brothers.

Before Black July, Sri Lanka experienced two minor riots, in 1977 and 1981 (the burning of the Jaffna library). Had Jayewardene regime responded sanely, sensibly and lawfully to these outbreaks, had Sinhala society condemned these outbreaks unequivocally, Black July and many other consequent disasters could have been avoided.

Are we living in a similar interregnum? Is this is the uneasy calm before the next bloody tornado? Will we evade the abyss or plunge into it, singing patriotic songs and waving the Lion and ‘Buddhist’ flags?

Rioters are law-breakers. If the government implements the law, without fear or favour, another, greater, disaster might be avoidable. But the regime is not interested in prosecuting criminals but in persecuting enemies. So UNP provincial councillor, Mujibar Rahaman has been questioned, Watareka Vijitha Thero has been arrested and Mangala Samaraweera might be summoned to the Fourth Four.

Meanwhile the criminals of Aluthgama remain as free as air.

Governments can instigate/encourage riots; but such violence cannot flourish in the absence of societal approbation. In July 1983, the rioters were empowered by the sense that a large component of Sinhala society (if not the majority) approved of what they were doing. Without that oxygen, the fires of Black July would not have blazed for as long as they did.

Lankan Buddhists, lay and ordained, led by the Chief Prelates have to make a decision: who is our Teacher? Is it the Buddha with his message of compassion and non-violence for all living beings? Or is it Bhikku Mahanama, Anagarika Dharmapala and Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera, with their anti-Buddhist justification of violence against ‘unbelievers’?

Are we Buddhists, the followers of the Gautama Buddha? Or are we Mahawamsa-Dharmapala-Gnanasara disciples?

The New War?

In 2008, as the war was grinding towards a victorious conclusion, the principal of a school in Galle ordered the father of a Muslim pupil out of his office for wearing a prayer cap.

That was an early sign of the new disaster which is almost upon us.

Post-war, we Sinhalese should have made a conscious effort to prove to minorities that we are not what we were in 1956, 1972, 1973 and 1983. Instead, under Rajapaksa aegis and intoxicated by the ‘great patriotic victory’, we acted as if there was nothing wrong with 1956, 1972, 1973 and 1983.

To win the war, the Rajapaksas appealed to the fanatic in the Sinhala soldier and the Sinhala civilian. Now to maintain themselves in power they are appealing to the fanatic in Sinhala-Buddhist citizens and monk. The Rajapaksas need enemies and Sinhala-Buddhist supremacists have enemies. The Rajapaksas need a new war, to justify the imposition of a familial autocracy on an imperfect democracy; Sinhala-Buddhists supremacists are never without a handy casus belli.

The Tamils have been taught a lesson; now is the turn of the Muslims.

Someday, the turn of the Christians too will arrive.

Fanatics inhabit a different mental universe, a psychological wasteland in which reason does not exist and any barbarity is permissive in the name of the chosen ‘cause’. That was the logic of Black July. That mindset helped the Tigers to triumph over the more moderate Tamil options. The LTTE in turn helped the Rajapaksas to power.

The moderate Muslim leaders, the ones who believe in democracy and non-violence, are being discredited and are discrediting themselves. Their successors will be neither non-violent nor democratic. Aluthgama would have lent credence to the voices of immoderation in the Muslims community. If a bigger outbreak follows, it will be a death knell for the moderate, non-violent and democratic Muslim. In his/her place will be the Jihadist.

The Rajapaksas may not mind that. The Sinhala-Buddhist fanatics may not mind that.

But is that the future we want?

The allegation that there were 1,000 Jihadists in a mosque in Aluthgama is inane. If there were even a singhel Jihadist he/she would not have just lobbed stones.

Do we want Sri Lanka to become a target for real Jihadists out there in the world? Do we want suicide bombers and bombs again, probably on a larger scale?

It is easy to conjure spectres; getting rid of them when the work is done is quite another matter. Before we allow the Rajapaksas and their crazy acolytes to damage Sinhala-Muslim relations beyond the point of recovery, we should ask: Do we really want another war?


[i] The Colombo Telegraph – 23.6.2014

[ii] Daily Mirror – 26.6.2014

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Latest comments

  • 22
    2

    It is high time that Sri Lankan civil society must now get together to shape a new political landscape, to restore all moral and ethical values, that was once the bed rock of society.

    • 14
      3

      Agreed Marwan!
      How about Muslim civil society members, asking their leaders – Rauf Hakeem and co. to resign from the Rajapaksa regime and work with the other minority leaders to topple the govt. and support the UNHRC investigation of the Jarapassa regime?

      Muslim leaders and civil society have played a diabolical role since war ended and the Barbaric LTTE dispatched. They never say anything when Christians or Tamils minorities were attacked but slept in Rajapaksa’s Lap. Rauf Hakeem is the most venal politician I know. As Minister of Justice is ignored the illegal impeachment of the CJ and appointment of an imposter in her place.
      Time for Muslim civil society to get their leaders to act with PRINCIPLE. True of course, there are NO PRINCIPLES among all politicians and Ranil Wickramasinghe and the UNP is as bad as the Rajapaksa regime…

      • 6
        6

        Hey Dinuk, Sometimes I feel as though you have expressed yourself in tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. I would even ‘woof woof’ what you call for (in your 1st para) as a tall order. This plan, as we all should know by now will never even take off its launchpad.

        However, in my opinion, Minister Rauf Hakeem who now bears the entire burden of the Muslim setback squarely on his shoulders, should not resign at this stage. He has done it twice before, which has even claimed a Government to collapse. In its present condition, he needs to hang-in there as a government stalwart holding a very important portfolio, and announce to the world the injustice being meted out to Muslims in SL. If he resigned and made a similar noise, it will be just another voice in the wilderness. No one will pay any attention. I feel he is doing the right thing.

        I think you have got completely carried away with your expectations in his role as Minister of Justice. At the outset, you need to know that mostly all Ministries are just frontal agencies, by which I mean Ministry Name Boards only. The powers of administration are retained by the regime leader. They do have only certain administration rights, but majority rights are forfeited and kept under the leadership control. In his case, Transfer of Judges and appointment of CJ, formulating and implementing policies, appointments to Senior Administration positions have all been removed, and thus they all have to work under difficult and trying conditions just to please the Leader.

        The minorities combined can do nothing by themselves without the majority support. This is the main reason why it has become necessary for minority parties to be strong and stable on their own merits, and thereafter lend their support as a coalition partner to form governments. I don’t see this strategy to change in future elections as well.

        • 1
          0

          Well how about a massive civil society rally and vigil in July – on BLACK JULY DAY against STATE TERRORISM AND RACISM at INDEPENDENCE SQUARE this year.

          The CIVILS SOCIETY of COLOMBO needs to “take back: Independence square from Gotabaya Jarapassa in a massive commemoration of those who died in Black July and in the month of July have a series of events and an exhibition on the riots.

          GOta the war criminal has planted his name on little plaques all over the place there while flying the Buddhist flag to cover his crimes! Gota the goon thinks that he and his militia own Independence square!

      • 0
        0

        Dinuk,

        I think what Marwan tells is right. Hakeem or Badurdeen should not vacate their posts at this time. They should stay put and safeguard their Minesterial posts while attacking Pres.Rajapakse in the international forum on Minority rights.

        Both Hakeem and Badureen could fight for Muslims justice and rights through influncing other Govt.Ministers and opposition MPs. Remember Rajapakse UPFA Government is a coalition of 18 parties and with over 65 cross over UNP MPs. Old SLFP have very small UPFA representation.

        Hakeem should stay put and fight until next election. He could do more by staying inside than outside. He could decide what to do if he wins next Parliament elections. I think he is done with Rajapakses for now, and Rajapakses know about it. Only thing Rajapakses cannot chase them, unless they vacate themselves. But they will hang on.

        Meanwhile while Hakeem could influence International community and Badurdeen could influence all Arab and Muslim countries on trade and business. Two shipments of Gasolene or natural Gas blockade would cripple Rajapakse Government. They should be aware of this and Hakeem/ Badurdeen should capitalise on these areas.

        Already UNHRC is working on Trade sanctions, freezing investments, freezing currency transactions, travel ban, asset freeze,freezing spousal and family travel etc,etc on Rajapakses and their Ministers in case Pres.Rajapakse blocks UNHRC inspectors coming to Sri Lanka. USA has over 3 Billion Dollars worth of Security bonds of Sri Lanka, and they could dump them any time they want and cripple our FOREX reserves.

        Therefore Rajapakses are playing Fiddle with fire while challanging UNHRC, international community and on Human rights issues.

        There will be lot of Rajapakse drama in coming months, and we all could watch them while having a cool beer.

    • 2
      2

      Marwen
      The billion dollar question is how to get the civil society organized.
      From time to time we witness protest campaigns, petition signing campaigns,press releases in responses to injustices. Then everybody goes back to sleep.It is the bitter truth about the civil society in Sri Lanka
      Let us start a discussion on how to build up a strong CIVIL SOCIETY MOVEMENT in Sri Lanka

      • 0
        2

        Let’s call the UN to help us on this one! We don’t want to divide the country; we recognize SB’s as master race as per SL (as Malays are masters in Malaysia and Incas are masters in Bolivia; (Vaddas are a type of SB’s actually – DNA-wise); Aborigines are master to Australia); we recognize and acknowledge Eelamist elements; we recognize and acknowledge Jihadist elements or the Jihadist prone elements.

        But, we cannot rely on our own expertise (Buddha’s doctrine and all), but will look at the UN as the governing body that will help us. Otherwise, let’s ask Mahatir.

        • 1
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          ~we recognize and acknowledge Whabbi elements and Jihadist prone elements

    • 0
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      Srilanken police is 1000000000000000000000000000000000000% Rajapakshe POLICE … now police confirms that this kind of hate speeches are not provocative…

      This kind of sinhala ballige puthas to represent srilanken POlice is a tragic situation.

      please check yourself on the following link…

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiHEYxOyrfc#t=11

  • 13
    11

    “Before Black July, Sri Lanka experienced two minor riots, in 1977 and 1981 (the burning of the Jaffna library).”

    Says Tisaranee Gunasekara,

    This shows her writing still biased towards Sinhalese racism.

    The anti-Tamil riots of 1958 an 1977: I watched and saw the devastation suffered by Tamils. They were not minor riots; they were pogroms.

    I still have to correct them when facts are distorted; whoever does it, I don’t care.

    • 7
      5

      It is either that T. G is too young or her memory is too short.

      • 8
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        No she is talking of the JRJ period how the smaller ones unchecked in 77/81 led to the big one in 83.
        She does mention the others in latter stages.
        Though I do disagree with the use of the word riot, it is a pogrom !

        • 6
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          I have seen the devastation with my own eyes going from Jaffna to Colombo in 1958 and 1977 by road the burnt out properties of Tamils during the pogroms.

          I have also read of the death tolls and rapes of Tamils during those times.

          • 1
            0

            I doubt you have un-doctored pictures of 58.
            The only one we kids then heard of (about 58)was the priest and barrel of tar at Colombo 13.
            After this Sihala Buddhist gangsters started taking control from the Indian tamils – of course with the new influx of Sihala Buddhist police officers in charge of stations.

    • 2
      2

      .
      If ship load of refugees were sent back to their homeland, it’s called major riots.

      :-)

    • 3
      1

      I agree with you Thiru; perhaps Ms Gunasekera erred in her description of the events of 1977 and 1981 (you have also mentioned 1958 which Ms Gunasekera did not describe the same way)…. as for me, ANY act of organised violence against ANY community in ANY part of the country is NOT a minor event and MUST be struck down VIGOROUSLY and IMMEDIATELY by the law enforcement authorities who should at ALL times be allowed to function INDEPENDENTLY.

      Maybe Ms Gunasekera will publish a short correction if she agrees that this was a writer’s faux pas on her part, for I am sure judging from her other writing that she is of the highest journalistic integrity and ethics.

  • 7
    2

    ” Do we really want another war?”

    MaRa and Gota are playing a game with BBS thugs and muslims.
    A game to cover a lot political issues.

    SInce this a game manipulated Rajapakses they are not worried about a war. They can press the stop button whenever they want.

    MaRa & thugs enjoying the Gota’s game.
    innocent sri lankans are the pawns.

    I pity Vijitha Thero for being get caught in Gotas war games.

  • 4
    40

    even before reading the damn article, we know it’s another attempt to make para muslims saints and put the whole blame on sinhalese…

    • 15
      3

      Pissu Kolla, unworthy of even a decent reply.

      • 13
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        How can one expect a decent reply from Thana Kolla. His comments are always termed “indecent exposure” and he gets a thumbs down (DONG)!

        • 3
          20

          thread is not completed without a buru comment from buru mike

      • 3
        17

        dandu_lena belongs to same clan of TG

        • 6
          1

          And you seem to speaking from the other end… that drive everyone sick here.

    • 0
      0

      ela kolla,

      Look at the above photo. Can you differentiate it from Charlie Chaplin the famous comedian or from Mr.Bean the joker.

      The above is a mere clown Joker like Charlie Chaplin or Mr.Bean who knows how to deceive the people with double acting and playing double game.

      Remember both Charlie Chaplin and Mr.Bean became very popular.

      Same here when it comes to our Votes and elections in Sri Lanka .
      They always vote for good acting clowns, jokers and double acting crooks.

      But you can’t fool writers like Tisaranee and the CT readers.
      Please check their education standards, intellectual levels and their thinking ability by their writings and comments.

      Mere fools like ela kolla deserve to read “Daily News” or “Silumina” etc,to increase your brain power. Please make your comments there.
      There are many jokers and clowns write those news letters and also appear in those Head line news.

      • 0
        2

        saman, you are as foolish as TG and gon raja

        • 0
          0

          Thana Kolla, it appears you are unable to respond to Saman in a professional manner. A little learning is a dangerous thing, Thaney!

          • 0
            0

            thread was not completed till you put your buru comment. now it’s completed , thanks for that

  • 7
    35

    TG is writing Articles full of HATRED. There are Idiots who says that she/he is a top class journalist.

    What ever it is, her articles are just hatred and no any investigative and is not of any informative – nature. It is all hatred.

    Probably, [Edited out]

    • 13
      2

      Tisaranee Gunasekera writes “Are we Buddhists, the followers of the Gautama Buddha? Or are we Mahawamsa-Dharmapala-Gnanasara disciples?”

      In Sri Lanka we have abandoned Theravada Buddhism, which though misinterpreted, is a sublime non violent teaching and instead we have adopted mutant form now recognized as Jathivada Buddhism. We are now not followers of Gauthama, but Gnanasara.

      • 6
        3

        Wickramasiri

        Jathivada Buddhism or Sinhala/Buddhism.

        • 0
          0

          NV, the situation has become so ugly that I, being a Sinhala Buddhist, is ashamed to acknowledge that I am a ‘Sinhala Buddhist’.

          • 1
            0

            Rationalist

            Sinhala/Buddhism is a nasty nationalistic cocktail of language and religion. One rides on the back of the other. It is important somehow both have to be separated from each other. It is similar to Tamil and Saivam, another nasty cocktail.

            Liberating Buddha’s teaching from Sinhala/Buddhism is my ongoing project.

            We can live with Sinhalese and Buddhists not with Sinhala/Buddhists. Similarly we can live with Tamils and Saivaites not with Tamil/Saivaites.

            If you think about it, on its own language should unite people and religion should do so without language.

            You also would have noticed that the Gulf state Arabs treat their fellow Muslims from South Asia differently than their own fellow Arabs. Sinhala/Buddhist treat their Sinhala Christian with suspicion. Tamils don’t see their upcountry Tamils as their brethren. North Indian Hindu’s see their South Indian fellow Hindus as trouble makers.

            I hope you get my point.

    • 16
      2

      JimSoftly, Tisaranee’s writing cannot be categorized as hateful. She is only criticizing hateful conduct. To view hate, see the videos of your mentor Galagodaatte Gnanasara. To view bigotry read your own comments. To view a liar see the videos of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

    • 5
      2

      Actually Jimmy this is the mistake of our People. They are not ready to believe any thing other than what TG says. I still remember that our Hon. President says Aluthgama is so.. negligible minor incident and that has no effect to the both Muslim and Sinhala communities. earlier he promised that he will appoint a high profile commission to investigate the matter but later may be Jathiye Adambarakara Baapa would have advised him not to do so as only killed 3 or 4. this is nothing when compare with 40,000, no Jimmy. Also there is that “Guru Maruwa” and our Hon. President also “Maaru” to Maldives to avoid the effect. Our Police has clearly Identified Mangala Samaraweera and Mugibar Rahman as hate speakers but the People are still crying asking Govt. take action against hate speakers. Apart from that Mangala Samaraweera is a great threat to the National Security by disclosing that “Gota is trying to cover his American under pant with National Flag”. That is unpardonable disclosure and our Hon. President will take prompt action when he returns. Until such time Mangala has to avoid Grease Piyas White Van. I am sure our Jimmy will agree with me.

  • 8
    2

    Many thanks Thisaranee dear for another brilliant piece.
    We have always known that the Rajapaksa brother’s policy is to DIVIDE, DISTRACT and RULE the peoples on Lanka, so that they will not realize that their REAL ENEMY is the CORRUPT AND CRIMINAL Rajapaksa family and the DEEP STATE (or state within a state), that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has built to ensure that he may one day ascend power and build a proper MILITARY DICTATORSHIP in Lanka.
    In this game plan the BBS is patronized by Gota the goon to DISTRACT the people from the fact that he is a criminal and under investigation by the United Nations. The attacks on Muslims was long planned as a distraction when the UN investigation starts. Lalith Weeratunge the Secretary to MR and the CHAOS SPECIALIST – is on record stating in Geneva that if there in a war crimes investigation on the Rajapaksa regime, there would be chaos in Sri Lanka.

    Now it is clear that the promised CHAOS takes the form of SINHALA BUDDHIST HATE SPEECH AND TERRORISM.

  • 3
    2

    Yes, its true,

    To counter the agenda of this Gang of Shame, The international community should act to proceed with R2P option and clearly convey the message to this gang, it will prompt an action of intervention. so the monolithic fascist agenda will be jeopardize.
    If this is a re-make of 1915, then the solution also should come with it, yes a foreign army to be brought in and make sure the palm trees are there yet.

  • 4
    2

    Tisaranee,
    I always wait for your weekly posting – hope it’ll soon open the hearts of critical mass of SriLankans.

    Pl don’t forget – the whole utube needs analysis:
    On11 May 2014 a Sri Lankan government Minister told an audience in Paris: ‘’the Sinhala race is about to be wiped out by minorities that entered the island under the welcome protection of a benign host population’’ – https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/champika-ranawaka-is-conning/

  • 3
    1

    To set the record straight, Sri Lanka before this had experienced race riots against the Tamil people in 1956,1958,1977,1979,1981 which included the burning of the Library and then the “Black July” in 1983. Bensen

  • 2
    2

    Obviously woman, the peaceful protest is the worse of the two because the peaceful protest was against the government whereas the riots were in support of the governments ideological position. That is why the ven Galgoda-Atte Gnanasara is free to hold as many meetings as he pleases but neither of us can hold a meeting to oppose what the government is doing BECAUSE madam if you please this government was elected by the Sinhala Buddhist people which means it must have got about 75% of the vote – have you checked that? It would be interesting to know if that is indeed so and since you are paid to do this kind of digging you might as well do it and establish once and for all whether or not this government ever enjoyed the confidence of the majority and whether its programs and pogroms have the support of this majority.

    The law against hate speech will of course be a law against anything critical of the government. That is natural so what you write for instance is HATE SPEECH because it may cause people to HATE the government. What my dear friend Malinda writes however is NOT hate speech because it is designed to confuse and confound those who hate the government. What the RT. Hon DR. DJ, Prime Minister of the Sri Lankan Deep State writes will never be hate speech either because he does exactly what Malinda does as well. The Gorilla who edits the DN will never write any hate speech however hateful his writings may be because he writes against all those who criticize or oppose the government.

    As for the Hon Mangala there is no sign of any society that is interested in investigating his charges. The government interestingly is going to investigate him for revealing national security information against the forces – probably the revelation of the open secret that the Aluthgama riot was a concept of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, implemented by certain military officials.

    Going back to the past who exactly wanted to prevent BLACK JULY? Almost everyone I know wanted it and enjoyed it. The stories of what they did are retold again and again every Saturday night when the arrack is allowed to flow. So what the hell is the issue??? The majority want a chance to do it again and make more stories about the scotch they looted and the jewels that they stole and used to build houses. My sweet Sinhala Buddhist Friends have told these stories to their children and now their children want a taste of the same – only now that the Tamils have fled they have to do it to the muslims and let me assure you that what they do to the muslims will be a hundred times worse than what their fathers did to the Tamils.

    Having said that I will now like to tell you that Sinhala Buddhists are Minoritarians who are busy defending themselves from the depredations of the predatory Majoritarians like the Tamils and the much larger and therefore more predatory Muslims and worst of all these Globalists and their new religion of Human Rights who are the most predatoryn of all. That is why the Prime Minister of the Sri Lankan Deep State the Rt Hon Dr. DJ wants all of us to join the government and defend the Sinhala Buddhists from ourselves. And we are supposed to do this by assaulting ourselves, looting and destroying our own assets and murdering ourselves in true dayanistic logic.

    • 0
      0

      crazyoldmansl:
      You never tire of writing incomprehensible rubbish, do you?

      Umba pissu naakiyek, that is the incontestable truth and you should be confined to a padded cell from where we can neither see nor hear you! That would be the only hope for OUR sanity.

  • 3
    2

    TG – good article as always.

    soon we are going to see something similar to Iraq.

    sometime ago Kurds were the hated ones in Iraq by Sunnis and Shiates. Now Sunnis and Shiates are fighting and we all can see who is benefitting out of this fights – Kurds. Soon they will be given independence. This is similar to Tamils in Sri Lanka – sinhalease and Muslims hated Tamils. Whenever they wanted to kill tamils they joined hands. Now the fighting has started as in Iraq soon they will forget Tamils in the North and East – Who knows John Kerry will soon come to see CM Wigneswaran as he did two days ago in Kurdistan.

  • 5
    2

    Time has come for the civil society in Sri Lanka to show Rajapakse Govt what they feel. It has shown clearly that the President is disturbed with the harthal. This is a Gandhian process. So every member of the civil society should start keeping off work and protesting – harthal on a rotation basis with the help of their associations or unions. This should include Parliamentarians, Lawyers, Doctors, Office workers, Government Servants. This should go on until the President arrests Gnanasara Thero and brings him to court. The decision that would come out of the courts is another matter, we have a rogue Cheap Justice! But the President will get the message.

  • 3
    3

    Tisaranee G fearlessly continues in the path of reason, liberalism
    and the insistence Sri Lanka must be a peaceful home to all her communities – Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and others. That is the right way.

    “…Who is our Teacher? Is it the Buddha with his message of compassion and non-violence for all living beings? Or is it Bhikku Mahanama, Anagarika Dharmapala and Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera, with their anti-Buddhist justification of violence against ‘unbelievers’?
    Are we Buddhists, the followers of the Gautama Buddha? Or are we Mahawamsa-Dharmapala-Gnanasara disciples?…”

    The answer to that will define what the future holds for us. Demagoguery will bring in votes for the Rajapakses – for the time being. But it will destroy further the thin bond that holds all of us together. For sometime now, there is no governance in the country. Parliament is a rubber-stamp with an unthinking and mindless majority. We learn the powerful Defence Secretary, his friend Dhammika Perera and a large team are in Japan now – negotiating for a super-expensive mono-rail project. Was Parliament – that is to say, the people – consulted about the project and its cost. We are not against a mono-rail project if we can afford it because the transport situation in the Colombo District is dismal. But what about the Constitutional form of Govt?

    R. Varathan

  • 1
    2

    this “president” record in office is one of utter mismanagement and mind you there are more Sinhala-Buddhists who are shocked at his clan actions against others of one country…he wants kandy and wherever possible to burn and they and their spokespersons plan to treat this as part of election strategy

    These will a massive riot…then they will hold elections…army has shown they are not a army of the people but represent the family of a ex-fisheries minister.

    they can get a few unemployed youths to join gandassara but,several times that will not vote.

  • 5
    2

    Great article Tisarannee, you have as usual, hit the nail on it’s head. The rajapaksa tyrants are doing nothing to stop what is now becoming a bloodbath. If one Sinhala Buddhist person had been killed during this disgusting attack on Muslims, we would have seen more casualties, and this hatred spread. Perhaps this is what that overfed thug from the BBS, really aimed for. It seems these extremists Buddhists want this country to suffer again, by loss of lives, conflict, and strife. Proving again, that saying “Sinhalayo modayo” has some truth to it. In the rajapaksa world, up is down, and what videos, photographs and witnesses say, is a figment of your imagination. The morally corrupt rajapaksa who leads this country, says “what violence against Muslims, it was a small scale incident” (lives lost are disregarded and cheap, whether it is in Aluthgama or Weliweriya). We should be thankful, that since we are unable to get justice in Sri Lanka, that the international community is holding the scoundrels accountable, and demanding investigations. We have become a pariah state, and once the aid starts drying up, it will the Sri Lankan people who will suffer. The rajapaksa’s and their ill gotten gains will still enjoy the flashy cars and imported dogs.

  • 3
    4

    Ven. Gnanassara is reported to have threatened ‘self-immolation’ if the more than 17 men arrested by police for arson,demolition and looting of muslim homes and businesses were not released – and released they were, by a “compassionate” government.

    If Gnanassara had self-immolated – like thousands of Tibetan and Burmese monks – would it have made a difference?
    I do not think so – just as in Tibet & Burma.

    • 2
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      If Rev, Gnanasara set fire to himself it would have been GROBR.

  • 0
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    Compassion and the Individual

    Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama

    The purpose of life
    ONE GREAT QUESTION underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.

    I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

    How to achieve happiness
    For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace.

    From my own limited experience I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.

    The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.

    As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but every one who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind!

    Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.

    Our need for love
    Ultimately, the reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.

    Inter-dependence, of course, is a fundamental law of nature. Not only higher forms of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without any religion, law or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an innate recognition of their interconnectedness. The most subtle level of material phenomena is also governed by interdependence. All phenomena from the planet we inhabit to the oceans, clouds, forests and flowers that surround us, arise in dependence upon subtle patterns of energy. Without their proper interaction, they dissolve and decay.

    It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Therefore we need a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.

    We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not like machine-made objects. If we are merely mechanical entities, then machines themselves could alleviate all of our sufferings and fulfill our needs.

    However, since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. Instead, we should consider our origins and nature to discover what we require.

    Leaving aside the complex question of the creation and evolution of our universe, we can at least agree that each of us is the product of our own parents. In general, our conception took place not just in the context of sexual desire but from our parents’ decision to have a child. Such decisions are founded on responsibility and altruism – the parents compassionate commitment to care of their child until it is able to take care of itself. Thus, from the very moment of our conception, our parents’ love is directly in our creation.

    Moreover, we are completely dependent upon our mothers’ care from the earliest stages of our growth. According to some scientists, a pregnant woman’s mental state, be it calm or agitated, has a direct physical effect on her unborn child.

    The expression of love is also very important at the time of birth. Since the very first thing we do is suck milk from our mothers’ breast, we naturally feel close to her, and she must feel love for us in order to feed us properly; if she feels anger or resentment her milk may not flow freely.

    Then there is the critical period of brain development from the time of birth up to at least the age of three or four, during which time loving physical contact is the single most important factor for the normal growth of the child. If the child is not held, hugged, cuddled, or loved, its development will be impaired and its brain will not mature properly.

    Since a child cannot survive without the care of others, love is its most important nourishment. The happiness of childhood, the allaying of the child’s many fears and the healthy development of its self-confidence all depend directly upon love.

    Nowadays, many children grow up in unhappy homes. If they do not receive proper affection, in later life they will rarely love their parents and, not infrequently, will find it hard to love others. This is very sad.

    As children grow older and enter school, their need for support must be met by their teachers. If a teacher not only imparts academic education but also assumes responsibility for preparing students for life, his or her pupils will feel trust and respect and what has been taught will leave an indelible impression on their minds. On the other hand, subjects taught by a teacher who does not show true concern for his or her students’ overall well-being will be regarded as temporary and not retained for long.

    Similarly, if one is sick and being treated in hospital by a doctor who evinces a warm human feeling, one feels at ease and the doctors’ desire to give the best possible care is itself curative, irrespective of the degree of his or her technical skill. On the other hand, if one’s doctor lacks human feeling and displays an unfriendly expression, impatience or casual disregard, one will feel anxious, even if he or she is the most highly qualified doctor and the disease has been correctly diagnosed and the right medication prescribed. Inevitably, patients’ feelings make a difference to the quality and completeness of their recovery.

    Even when we engage in ordinary conversation in everyday life, if someone speaks with human feeling we enjoy listening, and respond accordingly; the whole conversation becomes interesting, however unimportant the topic may be. On the other hand, if a person speaks coldly or harshly, we feel uneasy and wish for a quick end to the interaction. From the least to the most important event, the affection and respect of others are vital for our happiness.

    Recently I met a group of scientists in America who said that the rate of mental illness in their country was quite high-around twelve percent of the population. It became clear during our discussion that the main cause of depression was not a lack of material necessities but a deprivation of the affection of the others.

    So, as you can see from everything I have written so far, one thing seems clear to me: whether or not we are consciously aware of it, from the day we are born, the need for human affection is in our very blood. Even if the affection comes from an animal or someone we would normally consider an enemy, both children and adults will naturally gravitate towards it.

    I believe that no one is born free from the need for love. And this demonstrates that, although some modern schools of thought seek to do so, human beings cannot be defined as solely physical. No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.

    Developing compassion
    Some of my friends have told me that, while love and compassion are marvelous and good, they are not really very relevant. Our world, they say, is not a place where such beliefs have much influence or power. They claim that anger and hatred are so much a part of human nature that humanity will always be dominated by them. I do not agree.

    We humans have existed in our present form for about a hundred-thousand years. I believe that if during this time the human mind had been primarily controlled by anger and hatred, our overall population would have decreased. But today, despite all our wars, we find that the human population is greater than ever. This clearly indicates to me that love and compassion predominate in the world. And this is why unpleasant events are news, compassionate activities are so much part of daily life that they are taken for granted and, therefore, largely ignored.

    So far I have been discussing mainly the mental benefits of compassion, but it contributes to good physical health as well, According to my personal experience, mental stability and physical well-being are directly related. Without question, anger and agitation make us more susceptible to illness. On the other hand, if the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease.

    But of course it is also true that we all have an innate self-centeredness that inhibits our love for others. So, since we desire the true happiness that is brought about by only a calm mind, and since such peace of mind is brought about by only a compassionate attitude, how can we develop this? Obviously, it is not enough for us simply to think about how nice compassion is! We need to make a concerted effort to develop it; we must use all the events of our daily life to transform our thoughts and behavior.

    First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by compassion. Many forms of compassionate feeling are mixed with desire and attachment. For instance, the love parents feel of their child is often strongly associated with their own emotional needs, so it is not fully compassionate. Again, in marriage, the love between husband and wife – particularly at the beginning, when each partner still may not know the other’s deeper character very well – depends more on attachment than genuine love. Our desire can be so strong that the person to whom we are attached appears to be good, when in fact he or she is very negative. In addition, we have a tendency to exaggerate small positive qualities. Thus when one partner’s attitude changes, the other partner is often disappointed and his or her attitude changes too. This is an indication that love has been motivated more by personal need than by genuine care for the other individual.

    True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively.

    Of course, developing this kind of compassion is not at all easy! As a start, let us consider the following facts:
    Whether people are beautiful and friendly or unattractive and disruptive, ultimately they are human beings, just like oneself. Like oneself, they want happiness and do not want suffering. Furthermore, their right to overcome suffering and be happy is equal to one’s own. Now, when you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems. Nor is this wish selective; it applies equally to all. As long as they are human beings experiencing pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively.

    Let me emphasize that it is within your power, given patience and time, to develop this kind of compassion. Of course, our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of an independent, self-existent �I�, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self- grasping is eliminated. But this does not mean that we cannot start and make progress now.

    How can we start
    We should begin by removing the greatest hindrances to compassion: anger and hatred. As we all know, these are extremely powerful emotions and they can overwhelm our entire mind. Nevertheless, they can be controlled. If, however, they are not, these negative emotions will plague us – with no extra effort on their part! – and impede our quest for the happiness of a loving mind.

    So as a start, it is useful to investigate whether or not anger is of value. Sometimes, when we are discouraged by a difficult situation, anger does seem helpful, appearing to bring with it more energy, confidence and determination.

    Here, though, we must examine our mental state carefully. While itis true that anger brings extra energy, if we explore the nature of this energy, we discover that it is blind: we cannot be sure whether its result will be positive or negative. This is because anger eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. So the energy of anger is almost always unreliable. It can cause an immense amount of destructive, unfortunate behavior. Moreover, if anger increases to the extreme, one becomes like a mad person, acting in ways that are as damaging to oneself as they are to others.

    It is possible, however, to develop an equally forceful but far more controlled energy with which to handle difficult situations.

    This controlled energy comes not only from a compassionate attitude, but also from reason and patience. These are the most powerful antidotes to anger. Unfortunately, many people misjudge these qualities as signs of weakness. I believe the opposite to be true: that they are the true signs of inner strength. Compassion is by nature gentle, peaceful and soft, but it is very powerful. It is those who easily lose their patience who are insecure and unstable. Thus, to me, the arousal of anger is a direct sign of weakness.

    So, when a problem first arises, try to remain humble and maintain a sincere attitude and be concerned that the outcome is fair. Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand, This, however, should be done with compassion, and if it is necessary to express your views and take strong countermeasures, do so without anger or ill-intent.
    You should realize that even though your opponents appear to be harming you, in the end, their destructive activity will damage only themselves. In order to check your own selfish impulse to retaliate, you should recall your desire to practice compassion and assume responsibility for helping prevent the other person from suffering the consequences of his or her acts.

    Thus, because the measures you employ have been calmly chosen, they will be more effective, more accurate and more forceful. Retaliation based on the blind energy of anger seldom hits the target.

    Friends and enemies
    I must emphasize again that merely thinking that compassion and reason and patience are good will not be enough to develop them. We must wait for difficulties to arise and then attempt to practice them.

    And who creates such opportunities? Not our friends, of course, but our enemies. They are the ones who give us the most trouble, So if we truly wish to learn, we should consider enemies to be our best teacher!

    For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, an enemy is indispensable. So we should feel grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us develop a tranquil mind! Also, itis often the case in both personal and public life, that with a change in circumstances, enemies become friends.

    So anger and hatred are always harmful, and unless we train our minds and work to reduce their negative force, they will continue to disturb us and disrupt our attempts to develop a calm mind. Anger and hatred are our real enemies. These are the forces we most need to confront and defeat, not the temporary enemies who appear intermittently throughout life.

    Of course, it is natural and right that we all want friends. I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more smiles, The result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of helpers! If, on the other hand, you neglect the happiness of others, in the long term you will be the loser. And is friendship produced through quarrels and anger, jealousy and intense competitiveness? I do not think so. Only affection brings us genuine close friends.

    In today’s materialistic society, if you have money and power, you seem to have many friends. But they are not friends of yours; they are the friends of your money and power. When you lose your wealth and influence, you will find it very difficult to track these people down.

    The trouble is that when things in the world go well for us, we become confident that we can manage by ourselves and feel we do not need friends, but as our status and health decline, we quickly realize how wrong we were. That is the moment when we learn who is really helpful and who is completely useless. So to prepare for that moment, to make genuine friends who will help us when the need arises, we ourselves must cultivate altruism!
    Though sometimes people laugh when I say it, I myself always want more friends. I love smiles. Because of this I have the problem of knowing how to make more friends and how to get more smiles, in particular, genuine smiles. For there are many kinds of smile, such as sarcastic, artificial or diplomatic smiles. Many smiles produce no feeling of satisfaction, and sometimes they can even create suspicion or fear, can’t they? But a genuine smile really gives us a feeling of freshness and is, I believe, unique to human beings. If these are the smiles we want, then we ourselves must create the reasons for them to appear.

    Compassion and the world
    In conclusion, I would like briefly to expand my thoughts beyond the topic of this short piece and make a wider point: individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community.

    Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

    Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another.

    If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self- worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.

    I believe that at every level of society – familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

    I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.

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    Hakeem is a liar and not fit to be the minster of justice. He is only interested in his own welfare and will continue to suck his masters. I was watching this guy on an Aljazeera interview and he was lying blatantly, is a liar plus plus, full of deceit and deception, knows every trick of misrepresentation, conceals of facts and deliberately and disgracefully avoids saying the truth. He is a fraud and it is a shame that the Muslims trust this crook. I hope that he is kicked out by his brothers. It look like the Rajapakse poison and corruption has been embedded in Hakeem due to his closeness with the Mara.

    • 2
      1

      Obviously, we don’t know what you are writing about, when you are critical of Minister Hakeem’s Al Jazeera interview. It was the BBS rep Dilantha Withanage who was ‘piling it on’ by telling all those lies. I am posting the link for viewers to decide for themselves, on who is the liar. This writer George Jilmart is obviously disillusioned.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=r5gE7TV8MXU

  • 7
    1

    It is time for the international community to have travel restrictions on all politicians and their families and economic sanctions on their wealth abroad.

    This will eliminate all forms of racism.

    All Muslim countries will support.

    • 1
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      Goraka,

      It is coming slowly. Already face book blocked BBS and Dilantha. More will come in coming months.

      Also unless Pres.Rajapakse allows UNHRC inspectors to Sri Lanka, they plan to impose Trade embargos, travel restrictions, foreign asset freeze, restricting currency transactions, investments and leasure travel.

      If two Oil and Gas shipments are blocked or restricted, Rajapakses will be in for a long haul self immolation.

  • 4
    2

    T.G. You are a prophetic voice in the wilderness, a true journalist who writes with a passion and impartiality, keeping the country and masses in mind. We salute your bravery and pray that you will be spared from the deadly fate many journalists had to pay in our beloved land. The disaster began with S.W.R.D. and continued with all narrow minded politicians to this day. Instead of building a vibrant economy to uplift the masses our politicians offered Sinhala language and Buddhism on a platter. Miracle of Asia becoming the hell of Asia is not very far as the politicians and their kith and kin prosper and the poor and the marginalized suffer.

  • 1
    1

    It is inevitable, violence and extremism is in every ones genes.

    Christians line up, your turn is around the corner. After, the Kandyans and then South on South.

    With the Govt trivializing violence against it’s own citizens it powers on the extremists.

  • 2
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    why is he referred to as Venerable?

    • 0
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      A better word to address him is ‘Venereal’, as in ‘Venereal disease’.

  • 5
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    TG:

    First of all you deserve a Medal for LTTE bashing and in any argument LTTE is never fr away.
    The above shows your inexperince and let me explain to you why. I agree with you on everthing that you write about MR the Thug. He dosent care about what happened to Tamils or Muslims and in fact he only cares if they are not terrorised and he gets a Withdrawal Symptom if they are not arracked.
    As for your question about do we really want another war and by that I am sure you mean a SINHALESE vs MUSLIM war let me tell you my friend there is not going to be another war as Musllims cannot afford one and they dont have the means to fight a war. First of all who is going to support them and where are they going to get the Suicide bombs and the jackets from. The Muslim countries are not interested or care about Sri Lankan Muslims and for them they dont exist.
    The Muslims all over the Arab World are only intersted in targeting Western interests and the Pakistani Muslims in attacking Western and Indian interests. There are no western targets in Sri Lanka and the Pakistanis only use Sri Lanka to export terrorism to India as happened recently.
    So the prospect of Suicide Bombs going off in Sinhalese areas is a figment of your imagination.
    I can assure the entire Sinhalese Population SLEEP in peace as nothing is going to happen as long as you lick MRs boots and any other parts ( smelly) which others dont reach.
    Tamils are FREE at last and if there is another Race riots in which Tamils are killed that is death knell for MR but that is already being driven through MRs coffin.

    • 0
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      kalistani

      Countdown: 51 days.

      Make sure your army kept out of our habitats.

      • 2
        0

        Thanks granddad and it looks look you have run out of material.

  • 3
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    I’m afraid half truths and lots of ifs and buts with hatred and fear psyche.
    How can she put anagarika dhamma pala in the same bracket as ganasara? She is either a fool or an incompetent researcher or she wants to purposely misled people. What AD said was to follow buddhist principles, not eating meat, drinking etc and he used some words which were totally appropriate at the time but not now, like mas nokapalla, nobeepalla etc. also he was against coversions of buddhist children to christianity so that they get a better school!!! (is that wrong?) and started Buddhist schools temples in SL and world wide and preserved buddha gaya. He never spread hatred to other religions.

    What Sri lanka needs is proper laws of Hatred, patriotism, division and terrorism, and independent institutions to implement the law. Look at how the west is bringing all these laws following 9/11. This is an ideal opportunity to follow that. Yes there is political influence in these institutions which should not be condoned, which was always there from the time I can remember (1970 onwards), but I blame the police as well which is completely corrupt.

    The example I take is, anybody could have even transported prabakaran throughout sri lanka during the height of troubles with 1000 rupee note in the driving lisence. Such stupid, idiotic Police force (They are not actually stupid, but making money) we have and they are renouned for taking bribes from Muslims and Tamils, more than the sinhalese. Most minority people pay hefty bribes to get anything done gov institutions and because of that anything could be done. Look at passports, all LTTE cadres had passports IDs with muslim names, how did that happen…

    I also suggest to see Champika Ranawaka’s media interveiw after the aluthgama incident and also other media reports about international involments.
    Why international hand, because if you look at Presidential elections 2010, Mahinda 58%, Fonseka 42%. therefore you only need 8% change to change the government. assuming tamil votes for mahinda remains the same, if 8% the muslim vote (9% of the population) is converted against mahinda plus the unpopularity vote of sinhalese, US (and their poodle UK) will have their stooges in power. US never comes to a country do any good, they badly wants SL for geo political reasons. Who knows… china will be the same in years to come, India will never due to its own probs and complexities.

    The challenge for SL is to find a nationalistic leader who is uncorrupt, democratic, anti nepotism etc etc like Modi in India. Unfortunately there is non in the horizon.

  • 5
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    Readers

    Please listen to Narendra Modi’s speech attached below in the web link.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK9vMM9bHWE

    There is lot for Mahinda Rajapakse & Co in his speech.

    Even Education Minister Smriti Irani’s speech is a stunning one. Compare her with Sri Lanka’s S. B. Dissanayake

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b6Q_8iGF0k

    Judgement is yours.

    • 0
      0

      Jay,
      Thanks for the links.

    • 0
      0

      Great stuff. Thanks. I hope these message gets across to our morons.

  • 0
    0

    I have reproduced this letter from another source, to bring it into the public domain.
    -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-
    How many of you are aware that Defense Secretary met Muslim religious (leaders of Muslim Organizations) and civil leaders behind closed doors. where press reporters were barred, on 25 June 2014?

    As expected, it was to have been about the recent communal clashes. Muslims were somewhat relieved there have been some discussions. As to who these Muslim leaders were, and what was discussed and agreed, are still shrouded in secrecy. Further, it is now known that it ended with both sides agreeing to a media embargo!

    As for the Government side wanting a media embargo can be understood as there has been a “media black-out” since the first incidents. Those claiming to represent the Muslims have no right to agree to this, as every Muslim is concerned about what action has been taken against the perpetrators of these atrocities, and as to what preventive measures are being taken to avoid future clashes.

    The ACJU does not have to educate us on the history of Buddhists and Muslims living peacefully over in the past. What we Muslims want is for action taken against the BBS monk who made a very provocative speech followed by all the violence. There have been calls for action against him by professional groups as the Organization of Professionals Association and the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, and other civil right groups.

    Therefore it is our earnest request, that the Defence Secretary at least to issue a media release revealing as to those who participated in these talks and the decisions taken. Surely this is not asking too much, is it? Ismaeel Marikar in Colombo.

  • 0
    1

    fair play from sinhalese?? Hahahaha.

    The skins heads fucked up the country for long time. it is all until the complete destruction, the skinheads will not give up.

    who gets free food and preferential treatment to do hate-mongering.

    it is only in Srilanka for the Skinheads.

  • 0
    0

    Now they have started it. I mean the campaign for the next. Placing Dayasiri the special kind of personality- with all capacities to betray anything for own advantage, in forefront. Having watched this weeks ” Balaya ” Program I myself felt how our some sinhalaya behave, as if own past is fully forgetten proving there is no other agendas but betrayals and selfish agendas.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeYKyKXGdgU
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKunW6zEoDA (for some reason Part 3 missing)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rCPLdluvco
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKOYB2XlZIw

    We had days if politicians reacted in that way would have been socially isolated, but to see other way around is being promoted by the current rulers even not respecting large scale drug business goons and their danger to the future of the island nation^s youth…. there I really dont understand why.
    As JVP and UNP clearly points out it today -there is no other way than going for abolishtion of EP in order to see a rise towards the democracy in the country, but there are ruling candidates to behave as EP is further appropriate to the country – is far from my understanding.

  • 0
    0

    No human is ever perfect;but correction can be done in a civilized manner;burning is the motto in srilanka;;every minor incident petrol bomb ;lootin burning filthy language;oh sint colombo and the rest of srilanka developed;how about the peopl who resort to behaviour;if the heart is rotten how can the body be clean;;we are the victims to get the majority votes;every corner there is chatter and gossip ;;;;on how to ruin the muslim community especially amongst the lesser income groups;arent we poor and have to strive hard;;;please correct us;and punsih us for the mistakes according to the rule of the country;we are a minority;and we need to live as a traveller coz this is a temporary world and our fight is to restrain all the bad habits in our selves than hating

  • 0
    0

    “Mr. Samaraweera, given his past affiliations, would know what the Rajapaksas are capable of. And he would not have made such an extremely serious allegation outside parliament unless he had some evidence to show for it.”

    lol. The cat is out of the bag! [Edited out]!!

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