28 March, 2024

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Can A Buddhist Monk Be Secular And Non Sinhala?

Response To Kumar David; Can A Buddhist Monk Be Secular And Non Sinhala?

By Nimalka Fernando

Dr. Nimalka Fernando

I am well aware of the intense discussions and debates taking place amongst professionals, political activists, trade unionists and among those who are shaken by the white collar corruption scandals and existence of the `SEC mafia’ re the future  political trajectory for the country.   Many platforms are raising issues of corruption, good governance, right to information, democracy, LLRC and the 13th amendment.  Most of these platforms are lead by civil society activists, religious leaders and do-good professionals.  I have also seen recently the emergence of a left kathikawaKumar even though I could have sent you a personal response to the article “Can Sobitha prevail where Fonseka failed?”  the matter you have raised has a national importance hence I decided to initiate a public debate for the good of mother lanka.

Your article, with the caption “Can Sobitha prevail where Fonseka failed?”  in a sense threw me as a political activists with a progressive tradition into an abyss.  I have no problem with Buddhist monks in politics. But, I was not aware that Rev. Maduluwave Sobhitha Thero is tipped to be the next opposition Presidential candidate, till I read your article. Are you suggesting that Ven. Sobitha should be the next “Common” presidential candidate against President Rajapaksa in 2016?

You have not nominated him directly. But there is such an implication. Am I wrong to come into such conclusion?  It looks as if you would like Ven Sobitha to contest with the expectation that he would abolish the Executive Presidency, set the motion for establishing a good parliament and then retire to his temple to practise Buddhism.

You have further adviced him.  Ven Sobitha has to ensure that he gets the support of the UNP.  You are then requesting the minorities to support Rev. Monk’s candidacy, because it is better for them to have a double chamber parliament with checks and balances. You have even gone to the extent of drawing similarities with what happened in Egypt.

Kumar have we as Marxists ever been involved in mathematical vote base justification in building our positions?  This is pure electoral manipulation with a very bizarre outcome for the future.  Even if we are desperate for change you and I know for sure it has to be transformative with substantial political agenda in it.  How would you respond if I juxtapose this statement?  If we know Mahinda Rajapakse well enough there is all probability that he would bring another amendment abolishing the Executive to creep back to the Parliament.  What next. MR will reign supreme again in another `avatara’

Can we do politics merely on personal trust and charisma?  You and I have gone along this path twice (at least I did once).   We believed in Chandrika and Mahinda.   But the bitter truth is personal charisma is only a superficial aura in politics without the in depth commitment to a vision for national reconciliation and for transformation of the present Sri Lankan state to herald in a new dawn for this country devoid of majoritarian authoritarianism.  Namely the next Presidential candidate has to come cloaked not in a saffron robe but with the hammer and sickle in his or her hand.  To thrash away chauvinism and national extremism and to plough the harvest of peace and goodness among all nationalities and communities of Sri Lanka.  Therefore we cannot get entrapped in personal trust politics.  I have nothing against Ven Sobitha thero personally. He has been a great fighter for justice. During my young days I have seen him supporting the long drawn nurses’ union struggle in the late 80s.  I was blessed enough to participate in few discussions along with other activists.  He also supported the anti-Ragama Medical College struggle of the GMOA at that time.

“And more important; I understand that Sobitha Thero is on record having made what I have called single-issue promises, but nowhere have I come across a single-issue type pronouncement from Judge Warawewa.”  Surely Kumar in politics objective conditions and alignment of forces matter more than individual performances.  Oh why do you drag in our retired Judge into this mud hole?

Also, I think taking Egypt‘s new president Mohammed Morsi as an example is also factually wrong. In Egypt, the people, mostly young men and women had settled the issue of presidency in the Tahrir Square more than one year ago in April 2011. That is when President Mubarak was ousted from power. After that also, there were lots of protests in Cairo demanding the military to hold elections and hand over power to civilian rulers. The youth actually paved the way for holding elections in June this year, for Morsi to contest and win as the Muslim Brotherhood candidate.   We know that the Muslim Brotherhood party which is over 80 years old was banned during Mubarak period.  But they have worked in other front for a long period for democracy and human rights and has a mass influence. Morsi has given a face to this struggle.  He was not brought onto the stage because the dissidents or the opposition had no candidate.

I am sure you are not saying that we need a Sinhala Buddhist leader to develop the political consensus much required in the political opposition.  How will your argument to promote Ven Maduluwawe or Retired Judge Warawewa differ from the appeal made by Hon Karu Jayasuriya?  We know that there are groups and individuals who are actively nurturing   Sinhala Buddhist politics and such a representative to defeat the incumbent president Rajapaksa. Are you propagating radical Buddhist politics?  Are the objective conditions inSri Lankasame like in the middle-east?

First we all tried a war hero in uniform as a “Common” candidate with JVP, UNP and TNA, DPF and SLMC. Now you are trying to promote a Buddhist leader in saffron robes to defeat President Rajapaksa. But I have not seen JVP engaging in this promotional campaign.  I am not sure how the TNA and DPF would respond to your broad call.

I think we have to first underline the actual political challenges before us. Unfortunately we are going round and round the mulberry bush searching for leaders to ignite us.  While looking for candidates is a good thing, there is also the need to develop the mass consciousness to overcome Sinhala majoritarianism, deal healthily with Tamil nationalist politics, propagate real `politik’ of power sharing and a leader who would dare to say that this country has two nations while respecting rights of all other communities for equal share of power and resources.  It will be difficult to catch the `jinx of communal-religious politics’ once this is let out.  We have seen this with Mahinda. Do we want to repeat this?

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    Why Nimalka Fernando is Against Sinhala majoritarianism, is or was she married to non-sinhala minority person ?

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      Democracy is not only the Rule of the Majority, but recognising the Rights of all in a Society. Otherwise it is anything else, but Democracy.

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        Gamini, If so, why USA and the whole western bloc and their arab – doggies want Syrian president ousted ?

        syrian fight is a fight between governing – muslim minority and the opposing and non governing muslim majority.

        All these human rights and democracy are western plans for other countries and come through UN even though some UN plans, such heavy pollution and fossile use by developed countries, are neglected by these so called democratic and human right worshiping countries.

        Nimalka is just thriving with their money.

        Those are the people who would rent their relatives in order to earn few coins, if you can understand what I mean.

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        Wrong, there is no such thing as Democracy, just different degrees of it.
        Democracy was introduced by the elite English and provided for only the eleite to vote, later only recently is a vote for everyone, but the machine of party politics still serves the elite via big business companies. Laws are introduced to serve them who then pay into the party bank account as donatations.

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      So called Jimsoftly

      It is obvious you didnt understand what was written by Nimalka Fernando.

      Nimalka not against anyone including Buddist monk and that Mahinda chinthanayai.

      She is worried about the country and the citizen of all ethnic groups.

      When you are on a bias agenda you can’t under these things.

      Do you know anything about Nimalka? Refer to Nimakala to the UN Human Forums, especially on Racial discrimination.

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        Mithiran, it is you who don’t understand the bigger picture.

        All these crap that Nimalka writing is about western plans for the other countries. She is just living on that money. That is her livelihood.

        People like you and Nimalka can give different explanations and definitions. But, that is what they are doing.

        Jehan Pere(i)ra, that Basil guy from HongKong, Nimalka, Saravana puttu are all in the same boat.

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          Agreed that you are not in the same boat, but in board of dictatorship.

          We can see the bigger picture of your President through out Gall rd, Kandy rd and A9.

          What about Mahinda’s plan in 1990. Why this man went to Geneva in 1990.

          Your President is the Champion of human rights violations.

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          Jimsofty what you have written just brings shame on you. You are like the dust got into the eye and keeps on irritating. Just ask yourself What you have written make any sense at al to this article. Learn to write comments to the point not slinking mud.

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      Hey Jima;
      Do you expect all the writers who publish in these forum to show marriage certificates and birth certificates.

      IF YOU DONT WANT TO COMMENT DECENTLY BUGGER OFF.

      Gall FACE PAN HANDLERS

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    Nimlaka is none other than NGO paid [Edited out]. In a country like US and UK will nevel allow people like Pakyautthu, Vikramabahu, Dewasiri, Sunila to camapign agaist their country. These so called peace activist Nimalka went all the way to Europe to campaign against Sri Lanka.

    Sri Lankan govermanet must procesute these traitors under a Patriotic Bill and never allowed to comeout from their prison sentences

    Part of this comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
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      Hey yakko Mohotty…you sound like some disgusting gutter level person.

      I object to Nimalka for the reason not that she is criticising the government (ever one of us has the rght to do so) but that she is making a very profitable business out of it. This is why ‘civil society’ such as this have no impact on public opinion except for their inner circle where they pat each other on the backs all the time.

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        To persons writing on pseudonymous as Mohotty Udayan and Pandukabaya de Silva –

        Your comments states;
        1
        ### Sri Lankan govermanet must procesute these traitors under a Patriotic Bill and never allowed to comeout from their prison sentences ###.

        2 ## she is making a very profitable business out of it. ##

        Give us you twos comments,
        If some group pilfering the states funds and cheats on foreign funded projects, do looting artifacts and natural resources,
        DO gilmart on Tsunami funds, waste public money on tamashas. what should be done to them?

        we think , they should be hung from their balls at GALL FACE GREEN, TILL THEY DIE.

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          Hey S. Senerath, why do you say that I write under a pseudonym – like yourself? Why don’t you come to Weligama and see if your comment is actual fact. Here is my email – pandukabaya2010@gmail.com. Let me know when you are coming and i can arrange a warm welcome recpetion for you. I think its rich, this kind of comment – when you do not have the guts to put your own name.

          On the substance of what you have said (which is very little) let me say that no one is absolving this government. never mind about hanging people by their balls. My comment was that these are all rogues – of different colours! That is why nothing in Sri Lanka will change or if they do, it will not be due to the likes of Nimalka and her NGO pals cavorting at cocktail receptions and embassy dinners.

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    She is absolutly right, religion and politics is a dangerous combination. Hopefully this time we can find a leader who has courage and maturity to accept the reality..

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      If she says the religion and politics are bad combination Nimalka is out of mind and she has some animosity towards one particular way of life which is not a religion. IF what she says is correct, then the Christianity and Islam should not exist because both are political religions. Examine the origin and the existence of both religions. Since the inception those are political religions.

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    SINHALESE ARE NUMERICALLY IN THE MAJORITY BUT INTELLECTUALLY IN THE MINORITY. THIS IS PROVEN BY THE NUMBER OF INTELLECTUALS IN THE PARLIAMENT, WHICH IS FULL OF SINHALESE, WHO ARE ALL MENTALLY SUBNORMAL MONGOLS, SUFFERING FROM DOWN’S SYNDROME. THESE IDIOTS ARE “RUINING” THE COUNTRY INSTEAD OF “RUNNING” IT IN THE CORRECT PATH.

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    M U as long as you have this kind of mentality the wonder of Asia would never prosper. You are dragging the country to gutter.The state media sing the song of we are the brainiest we are the rulers of the world etc etc etc. The frogs in the country believes the lies and wags their tails thinking oh! what a paradise we are living in.The curse of the country is irrepairable.

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    I think the question to be raised here is about the “single issue” and nothing else which has to be our foreign policy meaning whether we are going with US or China. Mahinda at the moment seems to be going with China/Iran at least publicly. We need a candidate who is openly campaigning to reverse that policy.

    I am sure almost all leftist activists (particularly who were related to old left),academics, NGO activists, exiled dissidents and diaspora activists websites,sections of Buddhist clergy can be united around that issue.If you look at some of the big players behind Rajapakshas,they never had problems with strong alliance with US.So they will also join this campaign if you pay the right price.

    I know it is a challenging task given the popular conception on US around the world. Without telling people who is right or who is wrong in a conflict between US and China(that is too complex for ordinary people), Mahinda could be held responsible for dragging Srilankans into a conflict between US and China and that will make him look ugly (easier to convince ordinary people on this one).

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      “I think the question to be raised here is about the “single issue” and nothing else which has to be our foreign policy meaning whether we are going with US or China. Mahinda at the moment seems to be going with China/Iran at least publicly. We need a candidate who is openly campaigning to reverse that policy”
      That is exactly what Ranil is and made Fonseka do,did’nt you know that!
      One thing you say is true that there are those in Mahinda camp who will decamp if the price is right not only from the US but the devil himself. The president can not be unaware of those.
      Even though Nimalka and the clan never stops talking about change, in reality they are the least interested in change, as it is they are better off!

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    Desilva, hiding under sinhala name and propergating tamil views, what a shame

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      kkk

      By any chance you have been a member of Sinhala/Buddhist Ku Klux Klan?

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    According to Buddha’s teachings (not present Buddhism) Buddhist monk must be a secular and non Sinhala but I doubt such person is living at this moment.

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    Nimalka simply does not want to understand that she is naked in her views and in actions and she is prepared to do anything and prepared to say anything for few dollars.

    Why she does not write a logical article which can be read.

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    Nimalka,
    Thanks for this long, considered and thoughtful response. No, I do not agree with you, but I appreciate your taking the trouble to raise many important questions. It is my duty to reply with equal seriousness, I will do so soon, when my plate is a little less full.

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    Set of jokers in our Country called SriLanka including all commentators here, (Mey ratey minissu thanikara kellinnne pissu).

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      SO YOU ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT SET OF JOKERS ?,
      WE ARE NOT , BUT, WE THINK YOU ARE A REAL JOKER AND A BUFFOON ALSO.

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    It is relieving that this lady seemingly sharing the same political ideology as Kumar David has neverthaless lashed out at his views that displays his stark ignorence and his political and ideologcal bankruptcy. There are others too very prominent ideologues who have got lost in the woods resorting only to personal insults agaist their opponents. Wish his response to NF be personal, not public.

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    Well done Nimalksa Fernando.

    We need more Lankans like you to practice real democracy in our mother Lanka.

    Pandukabaya de Silva and Mohotty Udayan –

    It is obvious you both are not writing with your original name.

    Never mind, do you both know anything about democracy? Here I am not talking about Mahinda Rajapaksa’s democracy.

    Mohotty

    Do you read news papers and history of Sri Lanka?

    Have you ever heard anything that your present President, then MP Rajapajapaksa went to Geneva to complaint about the disappearances in the South in 1990? Is this not against Sri Lanka? Don’t talk nonsense when there is a serious discussion.

    Pandukabaya de Silva

    If you know about democracy, do you know the job of the opposition party? Do you know the task of Civil society? To know all these you should be civilized well read, well….

    If you think that these task are profitable business, tell us, where is Richard de Sozysa, Lasantha Wickrematunga, Prageeth and many others today. Also don’t forget about many Tamil parliamentarians, Lawyers and journalists.

    You both are not fit to come into these discussions. You do emotional politics.

    You both better join JVP, JHU to talk about Mahin cinthaniya, how to practice dictatorishp in Sri Lanka.

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      I appreciate that,
      and what you have pointed out is correct to civilized society.

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        Naturally you would agree. Possibly you are one and the same person! Pereras and Seneraths one and all!

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          MR Pandukabaya de Silva,
          I am not a perera And I have no idea who this MR Perera is.
          And I am from eastern province of sri lanka.
          Many thanks for arranging a warm welcome reception for me.
          Consider it is taken.I am happy about that.
          Sorry to say that assuming you name as a pseudonym.
          In due course,When I come to sri lanka I will come for the next reception.
          I hope that may not be a WHITE VAN RECEPTION.

          because Most are appearing as Kabuki Dancers in these blogs.

          To MR Pandukabhaya de silva’s knowledge that I am not an university graduate and only an O / L educated from Mahaveligama Maha Vidayalaya at Serunuwara Lanka Patuna.
          When it was Raining,I have never been to a University.just a simple guy from a rural village.
          that is why i write in simple English.
          I get my knowledge from the society.and I am still getting that and broadening.I think that you are member of that.
          I am not a member of / or aligned to any political party in Sri Lanka.
          And i think my task and obligation to my country is to serve and save it. Don You think so
          I must call a spade a spade.
          is it correct or not ?
          It is very sad to say that, When we see others nations becoming prosper and Our country is going under with wrong patronage advises of fools.
          One question to you? What mr Dowd, AC QC and mr Gordon Weiss to do with Nimalka fernando’s Article?.

          Seruvila Senarath.

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      Perera, I can only reply to you in the same way that I responded to S. Senerath.Let us give you also a warm reception next time you come our way.

      Mixing up the NGO businesses with the real task of the opposition is to talk nonsense. No one denys that the oppposition or the NGOs have a great task to do – in theory. Look at India where some of these organisations are in fact doing good work. In ur country, these are sham organisaitons and no amount of protest from people like you can lessen the fact that decent ordinary people have a very low opinion about these NGOs. This is also why NGO’s have no dent on public opinion.

      So when Nimalka and her ilk run to Geneva on every pretext, live a life of clover there consorting with known thieves like Sunanda Deshapriya, we are entitled to question her motives. I am strongly against this government even if I am from the South but I am also strongly against these NGO conners who have destroyed what is meant to oppose the government in a moral sense of the term.

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        Good articles Pandukabaya. I wonder how I missed them. Thanks for posting.

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    Thanks Mr Perara,There can not be any better

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    And by the way, to the Pereras and the S/Seneraths (one and all)the truth may hurt and it may be easier to dismiss criticisms as those written by anonymous slanderers but let me dispell your illusions that I am an illusionary person once and for all by referring to two articles that were published in srilanka guardian, one referring to an exentive conversation that I had with one John Dowd Esq. one of Australia’s most determined Tiger backers.

    Unless of course, the allegation is leveleld that John Dowd was also conversing with an imaginary person (which Dowd knew he was’nt since I had studied at an Australian university), I hope that this convenient illusion is laid to rest.

    Otherwise, as I said, a visit to Weligama will be necesarry…

    http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/09/cage-is-no-acidic-account-of...
    ‘THE CAGE’ IS NO ACIDIC ACCOUNT OF A MINORITY-MAJORITY STRUGGLE
    Book Review of ‘The Cage’ by Gordon Weiss
    BY PANDUKABAYA DE SILVA

    When a cousin of mine living in the United Kingdom dropped off a copy of ‘’The Cage’ by Gordon Weiss, I must confess that I picked it up with a feeling of trepidation! On the one hand, I thought that this was just another book by just another UN-staffer who played the game when he was here and then took the opportunity to moralise after he had finished his assignment.

    Two factors mitigated that pre-prejudicial assessment. First, the beauty of the language that Weiss uses in his telling of the agonising story of Sri Lanka’s descent into madness, grips one almost insidiously, as I turned over the pages of this book in a quiet moment overlooking the colour and serenity of the Weligama Bay. Second and more importantly, I became quickly aware that this was no acidic account of a majority-minority struggle which most writers and commentators are unfortunately apt to characterize the travails that have visited the country of my birth.

    So this book is a welcome departure from the norm as it looks at the country from a historic and holistic eye. It does not spare the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, commonly called the LTTE. It also does not look at only the emergence and eventual decimation of the LTTE with a compartmentalized eye or indeed, categorise (only) the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa as virtually Satanic as most are apt to do.

    Instead, there is a balance to the perspectives offered. The writer looks at the crisis in Sri Lanka from the viewpoint of State excesses over a historical period and makes, for example, particular mention of the human rights excesses in the eighties against Sinhalese themselves under a different government, where Rajapaksa (described as ‘a stout and nervous lawyer’ at that time) was seen frequently in the halls of the United Nations pleading the case for his countrymen and women.
    Rajapaksa’s metamorphosis from human rights crusader to despotic ruler in later years when he comes into his own as the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Si Lanka is perhaps inevitable but still sad.

    Yet Weiss’s dramatic positing of the protagonists is not between the late Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Wanni’s Sun God and the South’s King Dhutugemunu, reborn in a modern political avatar as Mahendra Percy Rajapakse. Instead, the two protagonists in his story are Prabhakaran and Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the ‘power behind the throne’ if ever such a phrase was appropriate! So we are offered the clash of two equally ruthless and unscrupulous men and the dragging down of Sri Lanka from a functional though flawed democracy to a deep, dark authoritarian abyss where the judiciary is intimidated, the public service has been beaten down, the media cowers in its own shadow and civil society is disgraced and demoralized.

    http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/10/wither-justice-lion-tiger
    SO NOW THAT THE AUSTRALIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL NOT PROSECUTE, WHAT WILL JOHN DOWD DO?
    Pandukabaya de Silva

    In a correspondence with the Hon. Mr John Dowd, AO QC, President, International Commission of Jurists, Australia initiated by me on 4th August 2011, I was forcibly reminded of the arrogance of the white man who continues to think that he knows more about the countries of the ‘brown peoples’ than those people themselves. When this maxim is applied to retired individuals who ought to be tending to their roses rather than getting involved in countries about which they know nothing of, the simile is very much relevant.

    For those who are curious, I started this correspondence since I wished to ascertain if this Mr Dowd was acting out of sheer naivete or whether his actions had a deeper sinister motive. I would conclude that this is a mixture of both. For naivete, if not confused language, let me give a sample as follows. During this correspondence, I happened to mention that my aunt and uncle (since I come from a mixed family) were prevented from voting in the 2005 elections by the LTTE since they wanted to prevent Ranil Wickremesinghe coming to power in perhaps the biggest miscalculation since their assassination of Rajiv Ghandhi. His response was that my statement that ’brute force was used by the LTTE in the 2005 election is similarly disingenuous. That could only be part of the cause of people voting.’ (email message sent by him on 15th September 2011).

    My answer to him was direct ‘Who are you to tell me what my people have suffered?”. I also added it is idiotic that he would try and deny that the LTTE prevented Tamil civilians from voting in the 2005 elections thus inadvertently bringing Mahinda Rajapakse – possibly Sri Lanka’s most brutal Presidents – to power. To say this shows his total lack of knowledge about the Sri Lankan reality.

    With that, the correspondence not unnaturally ended. However, there were some interesting points that came out. Earlier, I had asked him to refer me to just one instance where he had criticized the actions of the LTTE similar to his almost daily barrages against the Sinhalese government. He was unable to do so, saying only that to suggest that his statements are characterised by a silence in relation to the LTTE is ‘nonsense’. But all that he could say was that its the media that decide what gets published. He then went on to say that he had made comments on radio but did not keep copies or receive copies of what he had necessarily said. Interestingly, he said ‘the chance of me getting published having said something negative about the LTTE is less than zero’ and went on to say that there is no point about saying what the LTTE had done as this is quite clear.

    So this is an individual who is bold enough to assert that is chances of saying anything negative about the LTTE is ‘less than zero’! I am not sure what this shows more; his extreme arrogance or his extreme duplicity? Either way, it is quite obvious that this goes beyond mere naivete.

    I replied by saying that I could not accept his explanation that the media decides what to publish as it was a clear excuse for his partiality. My comment was that I was under the impression that Mr Dowd was a trained lawyer and if so, then he should know that individuals are condemned by their omissions as well as their acts of commission His silence about the atrocities re the LTTTE cannot be justified by saying that there is not much doubt about what they have done since that same logic applies to the Sri Lanka government since there is not much doubt about what they have done either. Yet, individuals such as Mr Dowd continue to loudly denunciate what the government does while keeping silent on the LTTE.

    This, to my mind, suggested partiality and bias, however he may try to justify it.

    I ended my correspondence by saying that Mr Dowd, AC QC should confine himself to commenting on human rights concerns to countries regarding which he has some knowledge rather than Sri Lanka? His actions are damaging as they strengthen the hand of Sinhala nationalists.

    I also suggested that suggest that he direct his energies in highlighting some of the atrocities perpetrated in the war on Iraq and Afghanistan to which Australia has also sent their troops as international ”justice” should not be seen as being enforced against (politically) ‘weaker’ states only. The principle of equality is central to the idea of justice.

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      Pandukabaya de Silva,

      is it an article or a reply.

      You are ok to be a columinist, if you can stop writing toooo much of bluff.

      Here we are unable to understand what you are talking about

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        Chum Perera, if you cannot read or understand English, that is NOT my problem. Get real.

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    Who is this avalama called Jimsofty ?

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      It is very clear that both middle east originated religions are expansionist and, at present, they are in a cold war in order to dominate the world. Sri Lanka has been a victim in that war and both abhramic religions are fighting inside Sri Lanka to convert the whole country into their faith.

      As some Sinhala people are supporting this expansionism the ultimate result will be the disappearance of Sinhala buddhist culture and the civilization.

      Those both religions are not accommodating other views.The crusade wars and islamic – conguests are the examples.Additionally, even to date, they are fighting with the religion itself in order to one sect to dominate the other. As buddhism is a non-aggressive, non-violent way of life, when that disappears in Sri Lanka, Sinhala buddhist culture, it had disappeared already in Sri Lanka, and civilization also will vanish.

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    Nimalka:
    Socialist “purists” like you are, ultimately, as supportive of this corrupt regime as the Gunasekeras and Vitaranas of that group that Kumar so aptly refers to as the “dead left.”
    You are going to be singing your purist chorus to Nero’s fiddle while Sri Lanka burns.
    Lady, this is not about making some debating points! This is about getting rid of what amounts to a pox upon this nation, in case you haven’t noticed!

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    Seruwila Senerath, some answers to your complaining reply above to which I am responding in a seperate post since the “Reply’ option does not seem to be available there.

    Dowd et al were cited by me to support my contention that I am a real person not some imaginary name as you and one other have alleged. Capiche?? I thought that point was obvious.

    My posts earlier and now are critical of this government. However, they are also critical of NGO hypocrites like Nimalka who have also dragged this country down and made it possible for the government to act like this. Look at where the actual examples of protest in this land have succeeded; Katunayake protests whee the pensions bill was withdrawn, the FUTA protest which has succeeded in drawing large public support…etc, etc.

    ON the other hand, what have these NGO characters done with all their ill gotten gains other than running off overseas and blabbing to embassies? Do they even engage in good documentation that is used when this government is criticised as it should be when it abuses the rights of people? Only the exceptions do. I have not seen a single publication by this Nimalka except her polemic articles here and there and her blabbings of course.

    And, there you have i! I too believe in calling a spade a spade. You can never save this country by relying on these hypocrites.

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    I just come back from Sri Lanka after spending 5 weeks attending to my business there.
    I can sincerely say that I had a better time than last year’s visit and even better than the years before. No more road blocks, few politicians driving recklessly, cops behaving a bit better though our car was stopped no less than 8 times by corrupt cops of a journey from Peradenya to Polonaruwa.I can’t say life is getting bad but better.
    Sad to say that the people are not willing to work hard for their wages but use every excuse to not to turn up using an excuse like attending a religious even, a sick relative etc.making any venture less productive making the country long way off the miracle of Asia.
    There’s no doubt the politicians are still corrupt and so are the people on the whole. Very difficult to find an honest hardworking person to do business. was sad to experience that my house was ransacked and burgled by the construction workers doing my house. I installed copper piping sent from UK and the very next day it was ripped off from the walls by the workers and hidden away in the garden(cut into pieces),my bulbs were stolen and so was the soap, shampoo from my toilet. Half the goods that were shipped were stolen at the customs yard. Politicians are the product of its people. I say bring the suddas back to put the country right but I still love my country. Though they were highly paid they still were greedy and dishonest. That country needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom. Religion is really the opium of the people as the Marxists say.Politicans to people take advantage of the religion to serve themselves.Perahara was run to their own agenda and not to the benefit of the humble people that was created by the colonials for the benefit of the humble people since 1828.So are the games like Cricket and rugby is controlled by politicians and this is sad.

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    Nimalka is a well known [Edited out] in SL

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    Haa… Nimalka seems like a christian or who has the value system of the Judae-chrstian tradition, and there fore has no feeling for the core cultual aspects of this country. Its like Bin Larden trying to lecture the Ameraican on how their country should be run. Accept the fact that this country needs a person who has deep routes in the core culture of this country to run it. It is because of the tollrence of the buddishts that the other religions are able to do what they do now. All Monothestic Religions are by definition Racist. All the problems in this country was creted y the missionary education system which facvoured the traitors who were willing to give up the ultimate sacrifica a man can make in term of bittrayal by changing the religion for favours. This system created the elitist and the landed who made plocies of this country to this day. If you get rid of this set all the normal people of this coutry of all th races will live in harmony

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    Sanjeeva
    What culture are you talking about?Country is full of thieves and dishonest people,from top to bottom.Is that your version of culture?If you are very sick and helpless in hospital where you have to provide your own aids at a terrific costs while while the attendants watch TV.Poor has to pay for the medicines.Should anyone take one to courts there are thieves there that will rip you off for decades,postponing cases endlessly and without pity.People drive recklessly without any care for other persons lives.People are transferred left right and centre without pity for the family left behind by provider(which is a cruel legacy of the colonial). By the way I have given up on any religion in participating as a ritual but try to practice by my self.Are you referring to the naked ladies in Sigirya which is run by some corrupt touts.Go as a tourist and see for your self.Since I wrote the article above my premises is broken in last night and newly laid plastic pipes were stolen.This seems to be our culture and please don’t talk about what happened 2000 years ago as we can’t recollect what we ate 200 days ago.Get real,no decent developed country go back in history as it was always dark and horrible and only our politicians and some leaders harp about it.Colonials did much to uplift our living standards or we will be still in mud huts.Just show me a house build for an ordinary person 200 years ago in this island.one can see the evidence of tyrants who ruled us but not the houses of the citizens.I think the social revolution against religious and ruling tyrannies come to England first,thus ushering freedom and democracy to the people.It came at a cost to the lives of the Christian hierarchy and a hostile king who were executed in the process.Please read the history of England and they never had a glorious life for the majority.Since their liberation from their own tyrants they showed much pity and consideration to others with a similar fate.Their facilities to our infrastructure is to be seen even today.we must give credit when due without glorifying our tyrannical past.

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    Bodidarma, Budhagosha were secular and not Singhela

    if gota basil were robbing the last electron at the commissioner’s house theres never going to be regime change with brother and son next in line and its not so much a case of individual failure, but a national failure

    some relic will be displayed, many bo trees hugged, floors kidsed and the people will happily pay more kerosene tax for the myth of Buddhism, country & racism………… aka patriotism…
    Idiots deserve it until they rise up middle east style many decades to come, relieved at foreign help, too late
    gota believes in the bullet, brother is indifferent to it, those who live by the sword die by the sword

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    WHY CANT THEY BE SECULAR?

    THE S ANGHANAYAKE IN CROYDON SHOWED IT BY “POKING” HIS FINGER NOT IN MAGGI’S PIE BUT HER VAGINA!!!!!!!!

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    I do not agree with Kumar David on his position, nor on Nimalka Fernando.The solution to this problem does not lie in finding another person, however good he is,to champion the abolition of the EP.I am sure that when CBK accepted the Presidency she had a genuine desire to abolish it, but events inveigle her to act other wise, the perks, the power the boot lickers all would have contributed to it.Ranil W also did not want to change the EP, that why he did not trash out and clearly state his position when the UNP had discussions.
    The problem lies elsewhere.I have followed the history of Constitution changing from gen De Gaulle, Pres. Chavez,in Nicaragua, In Bolivia, In South Africa, In Syria, In Burma etc etc.In all those instances the approval by the Parliament was not paramount but the approval by the people was considered paramount. That is the change in the constitution was always with the consent of the people. Let us see what happened in Sri Lanka. In 1948, I too was a small child held Flag of Ceylon and lined the roads, while attending Akuressa govt School.The Soulbury constitution was accepted by the people by celebrating the consequence of that change- the independence.The constitutions adopted in 1971,1978 and the various amendments (18 in number) was done with no reference to the people.Since constitution making is an ongoing evolutionary process, in keeping with the practices in other parts of world, the changes in 1971, 1978 and since 1978 are all illegitimate.The solution is not to promote another with a single sentence or multi sentence manifesto (it had been proved that it is subjective to their fancy)The solution is to challenge the root cause – acceptance by the Courts.
    When the section 29 was dropped ,the courts did not object, this I believe is a major cause for the unrest among races in Sri Lanka.The path is to fight it in courts. When the issue taken up the Courts cannot make a mockery of the demand.

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    Before we debate on suitability of candidates – presidential or otherwise – we need to ensure that FREE and FAIR elections are possible.
    Only then,any candidate will be able to win,solely on his qualifications,policies and promises, and not by other means.

    The recent provincial elections were NOT free and fair.

    Only an ‘indian style’ Elections Commission can ensure this.
    But it appears to me,that many parties DO NOT want such a powerful Commission.
    Such a Commission cannot be appointed or function, under the present constitution.

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    One more point.Proceeding form the above, the only constitution that was accepted by the People in general though not by the members of the senile left, (who lost the sight of the so called principles when they benefited otherwise),was the Soulbury constitution.We should revert to it, then appoint a constitutional council to prepare a new constitution and proceed. There is no necessity to test the public opinion at another Presidential as suggested by Dr. Kumar David.The people had rejected this constitution en mass at four Presidential elections, 1994, 2001, 2005 and 2010, in 1994 with 65% majority.The solution lies with the courts. It is upto the Lawyers who are Patriotic to pursue that path.

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    Sam, Reflecting on what we see, do you think that this country can produce active men,to over look an election impartially? There may be a few such individuals but are they enough and are they active with enough stamina to with stand pressure.The solution may lie in the style adopted by the Bangaladeshis.

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      Upali,
      Of course there are men and women who will conduct elections impartially if only given the chance.
      I was Senior Presiding Officer in the sixties and seventies and an Asssitant Returning Officer in the eighties, in three elections.I ran the polling strictly according to the printed guidelines given by the Commissioner of Elections – a seminar on the conduct/procedure of each election was held by the Returning Officer (G.A) one month before.
      At the very first election,I got rid of a Junior Presiding Officer who deliberately flouted correct procedure,after warning him once,by ordering the single policeman with an ancient rifle to escort him out of the polling booth – after entering details in the SPO’s Journal – later submitted to the Returning Officer, with the Ballot Box.

      Nowadays,thugs are reported to interfere with the polling.

      Ironically, I could not vote in the eighties as my name had been omitted from the Voters’ List – this happened to two of my friends too.I followed the usual procedure to correct it but was unsuccessful.The Grama Sevaka said “Oyage nama kappala thiyanne” I asked why,how & by whom but he was silent.

      But what happens today in the pre election campaign,and during polling & counting,is an insult to any democracy.

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    We cannot remain on individual ” Leaders” as they can change their policy time to time for their own benefit. They may even die,e then what will happen to the expectations of the people behind them. A good example is that the eastern province elections and the decision taken by Mr. Hakeem.

    As all we aware that there is no internal democracy in all political parties in Sri Lanka.Then how these leaders ensure democracy for people of the country.

    I feel that the time has come to create a policy of democratic party politics and to prevent individuals becoming kings to rule the country according to their wish and will.

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