By Deirdre McConnell –
Deirdre McConnell
Genocide does not happen overnight. It involves certain processes that take time. Those concerned about the occurrence and re-occurrence of genocide and seriously committed to its prevention, analysed ten stages[i]. These unfold one after another, unless preventative measures possible at each stage are not put in place. As the stages develop they presuppose that the previous ones have happened. However, they can happen simultaneously. The process can be described as cyclical rather than linear, depending on the situation. The final stage is denial, the surest indicator of further genocidal intent and massacres.
Several cases of genocide established through International Criminal Law
The term ‘genocide’ was coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944 and used in the Nuremberg Trials in relation to the Holocaust of the Jewish people in the Second World War. The Genocide Convention of 1948 followed and the international human rights system developed to ensure “never again”. However, as it is common knowledge, less than fifty years later genocide took place on a grand scale again, in 1992 – former Yugoslavia, in 1994 – Rwanda and in 1995 – Srebrenica. The ad hoc International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda (ICTY and ICTR) judged that genocide took place and convicted and sentenced some of those responsible. It is to be noted that genocide is defined in the Genocide Convention, as certain acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group – see article 2 of the Convention. Article 6 of the 1998 Rome statute uses similar phraseology.
The first international conviction for genocide was the Rwandan Akeysu case in 1996. The trial considered the scope and elements of genocide. It defined what constitutes a protected group and it recognized individual criminal responsibility for acts committed by sub-ordinates. The trial concluded that the victim is the group itself and not only the individual.
The perpetrator and the victims have completely different narratives. Perpetrators deny the atrocities they commit and do everything in their power to prevent the classification of their crime as genocide and the ‘interference’ of other states. They have the means and power to do this, usually with all the infrastructures and apparatus of a state, unless the state has collapsed as in ex-Yugoslavia and the Hutu run regime in Rwanda. For the victims it is different. They have to work tirelessly to reveal the truth, peeling away the layers of untruth and cover-up lies. It was 21 years after the genocide in Srebrenica, that Radovan Karadzic was finally convicted and sentenced on 24 March 2016. Turkish governments have persistently denied the genocide against the Armenians in 1915 – it took the courage of a Pontiff such as Pope Francis to tell the world that Turkey committed genocide against the Armenians.
The case of Sri Lanka
It is remarkable that when it comes to Sri Lanka, the true facts are not widely known, despite rigorous human rights reporting over many years. Not once or twice, but many times has the word genocide been used authoritatively to describe the situation in Sri Lanka, by different analysts, researchers and human rights organisations.
Each decade, despite events that clearly constituted stages in the genocide process, no preventive measures were introduced. No effective protection was put in place. On the contrary, the Sri Lanka government in power, whichever of the two main parties it was, (United National Party – UNP or Sri Lanka Freedom Party – SLFP), succeeded in undermining any arguments about genocide occurring, putting blame on the victims themselves, a process which is in itself, an indicator of genocide.
Denial has consistently and proficiently been used as a calculated strategy by perpetrators to conceal reality. In this article I will analyse the ten stages of genocide with reference to the situation in Sri Lanka. I have already mentioned the tenth and final stage, which is denial.
Setting the grim foundations for genocide to occur
The first three stages of genocide are Classification, Symbolisation and Discrimination. There will inevitably be classification of differences, or ways of distinguishing between ‘us’ and ‘them’, within most countries. Cultures have categories to distinguish between people for example, by ethnicity, race, religion or nationality. Many societies are pluralist without problems between different groups of people. They have institutions that promote tolerance and understanding, social and legal mechanisms ensuring these important values are respected and universal policies that transcend racial or ethnic divisions. The promotion of a common language can also help prevent problems and enhance equality and communication. Difference in itself is not the problem, as long as common ground can be found and equality ensured. It can even bring vibrant and enriching diversity. Unfortunately, this has not been so in Sri Lanka.
Tamils existed as a distinct people, with their language, culture and religion long before colonial rule. The Portuguese (1505) and the Dutch (1658) ruled the Tamil Kingdom in the North and East, separately from the two Sinhalese kingdoms in the South. Therefore, classification was obvious. Symbolization, to denote or identify the targeted group, was also not needed initially in Sri Lanka. Identification by name, language or outward features of religion, were sufficient. I will return to symbolization, as the issues unfold later, cyclically, since it was an aspect which contributed significantly to the pace of eventual genocide.
Discrimination against the Tamils has been extensively documented. The latest report, from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, was distributed on 26 August 2016 [ii]. It outlines the severity of the current problems. The preventative measure which could have halted the relentless trajectory towards genocide, would have been to outlaw discrimination. But, on the contrary, discrimination was systematically condoned and legalized, by the majority dominant group, who continually held the reins of power. Discrimination could have been outlawed when it appeared on the scene in the 1940s and 1950s. Denial of citizenship to the Tamils living in the plantations in 1948; the changing of the demography of the East by colonization to decrease Tamil voting capacity; then the infamous Sinhala Only Act of 1956, all entrenched discrimination at fundamental levels. Rather than using a unifying language, to promote understanding, the majority community language, Sinhala, was favoured and Tamils denied equality at the most basic level of communicating with officialdom. Later, a raft of discriminatory legislation including: in Education rights (1971); the abolition of section 29 of the constitution which protected minority rights (1972); and the constitutional favouring of Buddhism over the other religions practiced on the island (1972), constituted calculated and legalized discrimination, against which Tamils had no means of redress.
This multi-layered entrenchment of institutionalized discrimination against Tamils was never reversed. For 30 years Tamils attempted through democratic parliamentary means to gain equal rights, their right to live in peace and dignity, on their own land where they have lived for over 3,000 years. Whichever of the two main Sinhala political parties (SLFP and UNP) won the elections, they never enacted legislation promoting and guaranteeing equal rights for all. The imbalance of power and the need for a two third majority in parliament to repeal discriminatory legislation meant it was impossible to effect change without the participation of enough members of the majority community to support it. This required a paradigm shift of respect for difference and equality of the ‘other’. But not enough of the majority community held this other worldview. Most believed the misinformation they were fed, leading to the awful next stage.
The fourth stage – dehumanization – key to the trajectory towards genocide
Once discrimination is legally entrenched and unchallenged, there is the possibility of hate vocabulary is rising and language denying the humanity of the other group appearing. This paves the way for the critical fourth stage in the horrific slide towards genocide – dehumanization. Unfortunately this occurred in Ceylon/Sri Lanka, led by pronouncements from the majoritarian Sinhalese leaders. In the early 19th century, Sinhala revivalist Dharmapala referred to Tamils as aliens and exploiters[iii]; President Jeyawardena said in 1983 that to keep the Sinhalese happy he was prepared to starve the Tamils[iv], President Wijetunge described Tamils as parasites on the tree of Sinhala people on whom they should be dependent[v], Chandrika Kumaratunga said Tamils were not an original people of the island[vi] and the last President Mahinda Rajapaksa made many racist statements concerning the Tamils. These are only a few of the many inflammatory racist statements made by Heads of State, denying the equality of Tamils, and misleading ordinary Sinhala people into not only contemptuous disrespect, but then vicious and dangerous hatred.
Dehumanisation, if not forbidden, can lead to organization of killings and polarization – the fifth and sixth stages. As was seen, in Sri Lanka, it was the very law-makers themselves who promoted racist discrimination and dehumanization. So of course there was never any enactment of legislation to forbid the hate language of dehumanization.
Normally, human beings are naturally repulsed by murder. Dehumanisation overcomes this. In the case of Sri Lanka it is important to understand that there is an ideology underpinning the dehumanization of Tamils. A proponent of this was Dharmapala, already mentioned. A sacred text believed to be Buddhist, the Mahavamsa, was distorted to glorify killing in defence of Buddhism. It has been written about by many academics in the past. Sinhala chauvinist nationalists fundamentally believe that the island state should be totally Buddhist Sinhalese. The text has been used since the 1930s to state that it is permissible to kill Tamils as they are not fully human. This reality may seem ludicrous, so not taken seriously by those outside Sri Lanka in the international community. But it is taken deadly seriously by the Buddhist prelates and Sangha who wield massive unofficial and official political power regarding government and the Sinhala population[vii].
If this pernicious misinterpretation of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is not understood, it is impossible to follow the tragic events. Leaders who have consistently incited violence against Tamils throughout the decades, met no confrontation which could have halted the trajectory towards the most extreme violence. Impunity has reigned and reigns. To prevent genocide, such leaders should have been banned from foreign travel. But they were met, educated and welcomed in the capitals and most prestigious universities in the world, where the mistruths referred to earlier were promulgated.
Hate crimes and atrocities should be immediately investigated and perpetrators punished. But in Sri Lanka, the early pogroms of 1956, ‘58, ‘77, ‘81 and ’83 were inflicted against the Tamils and there was no punishment at all for those responsible. The international community was aware of what was happening but chose to turn a blind eye.
Organised killings (the fifth stage) and polarization (the sixth stage) – resulting from dehumanisation
The fifth stage in genocide is the organization of the killings, usually by the state, or its agents, as it has the apparatus to facilitate this either directly or indirectly. In Sri Lanka this had been happening since the 1950s, sponsored by those in power, who crushed the non-violent protest of Tamils against discrimination referred to earlier. As the decades continued, organization of the killings became more systematized. Starting with tens, then hundreds, then thousands of victims it finally became tens of thousands.
Documentation of the killings is extensive. Many media have published these facts. So do human rights organizations[viii].
The sixth stage is polarization, where extremists and their hate groups broadcast polarizing propaganda. At this point state media organs become complicit in the polarizing. After the election in 1977, when Tamils voted in exercise of their right to self-determination, having been denied access to equal rights as outlined above, Tamil MPs were denied the right to even talk about a solution for the Tamil ethnic issue. Yet it was their election manifesto which Tamil people in the North and East had voted for, overwhelmingly. In parliament itself, in 1981, two Sinhala MPs described horrific torture methods to be used against Tamil MPs if they dared to talk about their right to self-determination. These Sinhala MPs were unafraid to give their inhumane, degrading and abhorrent views[ix]. There are many other examples to give of how polarization was engineered to further embed a forceful and violent dynamic of ‘us and them’ which balked at nothing in the pursuit of dominance and violent power over the Tamils.
The seventh stage – preparation. Followed by persecution (eighth stage)
In the seventh stage, the state, having polarized society, arms itself against the targeted group, and indoctrinates the majority population of the South, with an irrational fear of virtually all members of the targeted victim group.
It needs to be said that 100% of the Sinhalese could not be indoctrinated – some remained humane and assisted Tamils for instance during the pogroms. But their numbers were too small to effect change, to put measures in place to address the causes of the problem and to prevent the violence. In fact these individuals were (and are) courageous enough to face the risk of becoming, they themselves, the target of hate crimes and killing by Sinhala chauvinists.
Peaceful demonstrations and protests by the Tamils in the 50s – 70s were met with armed violence perpetrated by the state. This armed violence then became a tool used to systematically persecute.
Persecution is the eighth stage. This is built on the preceding stages, which nevertheless continue to operate. In 1981 the Jaffna Library with 95,000 volumes of books and texts relating to Tamil culture and history was burned to the ground, by agents of the Sri Lanka state, in a calculated act of what has been termed “Memorised”[x] – an attempt to kill off the Tamil people’s collective memory by eliminating their cultural and historical heritage. Senior government officials and leaders were involved. Two years later, in the 1983 pogrom in which over 3,000 Tamil people were killed – torched alive and butchered[xi], petrol used was kept ready at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, under the jurisdiction of the Industries Minister. Electoral lists were used to identify the homes of Tamil people. Their names, and in some case their inability to read Sinhalese, were used to confirm their identity as Tamils, leading to immediate summary execution in their homes and in the streets. The International Commission of Jurists reported that “Genocidal intent” was evident, due to the state orchestrated nature of the violence[xii]. This was extensively documented[xiii].
In response to these heinous events, there was again failure by the international community to set up an independent international inquiry to investigate, identify and punish the perpetrators, as well as to investigate the root causes of the issues. Yet it was clear there was no possibility of domestic remedy. The international community had pity and sympathy for the Tamils in 1983 but did nothing to encourage repeal of the entrenched discriminatory legislation or stop the dehumanizing processes leading to the terrifying torture and execution of thousands of Tamils. The Prevention of Terrorism Act – PTA, enforced from 1979 to this day, enables torture, arbitrary arrests, rape, enforced disappearances and summary executions to happen with chilling ease. It permits confessions made under torture as admissible in court. Perpetrators of these violations against non-derogable human rights are confident they will not be brought to book. On the contrary, they would sometimes be rewarded with promotion. On 27 July 2016, the Anuradhapura High Court Judge (a Sinhalese) acquitted six former Army personnel indicted over rape and murder of 26 Tamils (13 women and 9 children below the age of 12 and critically wounded several others) on 11 February 1996 in Kumarapuram, Trincomalee. This is one example of many cases, revealing the partiality of the Sri Lankan judiciary.
Since the end of the war a new situation has arisen. Suspected injections given to former cadres, resulting in illness and deaths, need to be investigated.
Response to persecution
In the late 1970s the Tamil youth had already started to rebel, as they saw no results from decades of parliamentary protest by their elders who tried to change things for the better. The peaceful protests of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s had been met with merciless suppression by the military and government sponsored Sinhala thugs, costing many lives. The youth, supported in fact by their elders, started to build armed resistance. This was birthed by the organized state violence (especially in July 1983) against the Tamil people. Under international law the case has been made that the Tamils’ legitimate fight in exercise of their right to self-determination, was a result of all other means – whether peaceful or parliamentary or both – to redress the discrimination and persecution, having been in vain. The young Tamils who took the struggle to its second phase, took the fight for self-determination to the next level.
The government was bound by the Geneva Conventions to conduct the war in line with the laws and customs of war; but instead, it conducted a genocidal war against the Tamils. One indication of this is the gender-based violence. It should be noted that the ICTR, in the Akeyesu case, (in which former HCHR Navaneetham Pillai was one of the Judges) held that rape in the course of an armed conflict, whether international or non-international can be genocide[xiv]. Tamil women were raped and killed systematically. Rape was used as a weapon of genocidal war. The assault on women was to denigrate and humiliate them individually but also the Tamil population as a whole. Even the way Tamil women were killed changed, in order to destroy the evidence more completely.
The narrative of the Sri Lanka Government was that they were fighting ‘terrorism’ – the ‘terrorists’ being the Tamils who were fighting ‘to carve out a separate independent state for themselves’, a phrase slavishly repeated by the world-wide press. In fact Tamils have lived in the North and East for more than 3,000 years, as already stated.
State violence against the Tamils was now transferred from organized thugs orchestrated by the authorities, including politicians, and some army personnel – to the full three armed forces (land, sea and air), intelligence services, mercenaries and paramilitaries. These last were usually Tamils co-opted to work for the state, against Tamils who were resisting oppression and fighting for Tamil liberation. Tokenistic government appointment of Tamils to certain internationally influential political positions, served to deceive the international community, by promoting a false notion of a ‘pluralistic’ state.
The narrative of the liberation movement of the Tamils was that they were fighting a genocidal state, to protect their people and nationhood, in the contiguous territory of the North and East, which had always been theirs. So it was about defending their right to live, work and be in their own land, managing their own affairs. The only solution for protection was felt to be a self-governing, independent state. This arose from lack of any serious evidence that their rights would be respected in a unitary state, and the failure of attempts to discuss federalism in earlier decades.
In 2008, in my article on the Tamil people’s right to self-determination in the Cambridge Review of International Affairs, I analysed more fully than I can here, the fact that the war conducted against the Tamils was genocidal[xv].
The mechanisms of the stages of genocide have remained in place for decades.
After 1983 Tamils flocked to the Liberation movements (such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – LTTE) to join them, to protect the people’s right to life and to freedom. Concern the international community had for the Tamils in 1983, unfairly dissolved. Rather than examine the genocidal intent which had been clearly documented as already shown, and bring to book the perpetrators, the apparatus was left intact, not dismantled, cleverly concealed by the government. The ‘counter-terrorism’ discourse of the Sri Lanka Government, deflected any demand for accountability for their actions, despite the fact that even the counter-terrorism measures are subject to the non-derogable rules of international human rights provisions. The government vilified the victims who had been driven to take up arms as their last resort of self-defence. The only other alternative for the Tamils, which appeared to be to acquiesce to annihilation, was unthinkable. The Tamil people have an immensely rich identity and culture to cherish and protect.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it had not been necessary for the perpetrators of dehumanization to use a symbol to mark Tamils out, in the way that Jewish people had been marked out insidiously by yellow star badges in Nazi Germany. Culturally, Tamils can be identified by language. Also they can be identified by religious markings such as a pottu, or holy ash, on their forehead or by their national costume. After the emergence of the armed struggle, the entire Tamil people and anyone who supported their legitimate legal cause was denoted ‘Tiger terrorist’. The word “Tiger”, taken from the liberation movement’s name, was then used to denote any Tamil as worthy of torture and humiliation. Tiger (terrorist) equals Tamil and vice versa. At the same time, those who supported the LTTE, were proud of the protective ‘Tiger’ symbol of the liberation movement, linking to heritage and rejecting the politically-motivated label of terrorist given by the successive Sinhala governments. It needs to be noted that Sinhala chauvinism describes the Sinhalese as ‘proud to be lions’.
Final solution – Extermination – the ninth stage
In the ninth stage of genocide, extermination, mass killings are carried out by state backed groups. In Sri Lanka, the hideous final solution in 2009 involved the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, anywhere between 70,000 and 140,000. It was meticulously calculated over a period of three years, as the Secretary of State during this final stage of the war, boasted afterwards. The genocidal machinery of the Sri Lankan state was not bothered in the least about the horror inflicted, insisting there were ‘zero’ civilian deaths, having deliberately targeted even hospitals and safe zones. The final solution followed three decades of repression, persecution, assassinations of human rights defenders, massacres, bulldozing of mass graves etc within the war period. Continual calls for investigations, from concerned organizations, had been met with powerless commissions of inquiry and biased trials allowing perpetrators to go free. No corrective measures were put in place and perpetrators were supremely confident they would not be punished. Some were even rewarded with the role of representing the country abroad in high-level posts.
The tenth stage as stated in the title of this article – is denial. After the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 Sri Lanka immediately set about defending itself through utter denial in the United Nations Human Rights Council – UNHRC, pushing forward its own resolution to congratulate itself on its human rights record! It was passed on 27 May 2009.
Denial is the surest indicator of further genocidal massacres, persecution, exterminations. The Tamil land in the North and East is rapidly being Sinhalised, Buddhisied and is still militarized, even seven years after the end of the war. Land-grabbing of Tamil civilian land persists, including for tourism developed and run by the military. It is a continuing war against the Tamil people and their rights[xvi].
Genocide does not happen overnight, it has its relentless mechanics and stages, overlapping, accumulating and consistently moving forward in its inhumane and brutally hideous vision, continually working to find new covert and masked overt ways to suppress and wipe out its victims. Understanding the stages of genocide is the only way to understand what happens in Sri Lanka when it comes to the Tamil question. Fortunately we are now living in an era when the international community is beginning to see this missing jig-saw piece. The Channel Four perceptive broadcasting, is one of the signs of hope that the truth cannot be suppressed. Action to halt further genocidal actions needs to take place as soon as possible. Perpetrators must be punished.
WikiLeaks information in 2012 revealed that Sri Lanka had been warned in 2009 that “if the government pursued a military option without first allowing high-level diplomacy a chance, Sri Lanka could expect escalating international criticism and actions to demonstrate the international community’s concern… such actions could include suspension of aid to Sri Lanka, closer scrutiny of IMF lending, possible war crimes investigations, and perhaps other actions.”
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – OHCHR has worked consistently to document the situation, attempting to promote and protect Human Rights. The OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) report is a strong indictment against Sri Lanka. It recommends an independent international investigation through proper courts to establish the truth of what happened. An independent international investigation and referral to the International Criminal Court – ICC is the only way forward. The Sri Lankan government’s claim that Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the ICC should not obstruct justice! (Is Sri Lanka not aware that Sudan is not a signatory to the ICC either!) As the government of Sri Lanka has stated that its war was conducted in accordance with the laws and customs of war, surely it has a lot to gain by allowing an international investigation of its conduct of the war.
[i] See: http://www.genocidewatch.org/genocide/tenstagesofgenocide.html
[ii] CERD/C/LKA/CO/10-17
[iii] Tambiah, Stanley J. (1992) Buddhism betrayed? Religion, politics and violence in Sri Lanka University of Chicago Press , Chicago
[iv] J.R.Jayawardene, Sinhala Buddhist President of Sri Lanka, Daily Telegraph, 11th July 1983
[v] D B Wijetunga President of Sri Lanka 1993-1994 said that the “minorities are like creepers clinging to the Sinhala tree.” (Excerpt. Indian Express)
[vi] Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga – television interview in South Africa, September 1998
[vii] See Tambiah (1992).
[viii] See : http://www.tchr.net.
[ix] D.M. Chandrapala, Sinhala Buddhist M.P. for Kundasale and G.V.Punchinilame, Sinhala Buddhist M.P. for Ratnapura – in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, July 1981
[x] The word ‘Memorised’ was coined in relation to Radovan Karadzic’s burning of the library in Sarajevo in 1992.
[xi] Leary, Virginia (1983) Ethnic conflict and violence in Sri Lanka: report of a mission to Sri Lanka in July-August 1981 on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists International Commission of Jurists , Geneva (library).
[xii] Mac Dermot, Niall (1983) The Review of the International Commission of Jurists — International Commission of Jurists (Geneva), December.
[xiii] Eye-witness account – London Daily Express, 29th August 1983. Dr. Sjef Teuns, General Secretary of Novib, leading private development aid organisation in the Netherlands Times of London, 22 August 1983. Patricia Hyndman, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of New South Wales and Secretary, Lawasia Human Rights Standing Committee Report – Democracy in Peril, June 1985.
[xiv] Akayesu case: Case NO. ICTR-96-4-T, 2 September 1998
[xv] See: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09557570701828592?journalCode=ccam20
[xvi] See; Still Unfinished War – Sri Lanka’s Ongoing Crimes against Humanity http://www.itjpsl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Press-Release-English.pdf
Thiru / September 7, 2016
Deirdre McConnell,
You set the record right on the ongoing genocide of Tamils:
International and local players, politicians of the victims included, writers and embedded journalists all pretend as if past and ongoing genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka is a myth.
This is what happened in many lands where smaller nations were eliminated by the rulers over time.
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Amarasiri / September 7, 2016
Deirdre McConnell
“Genocide does not happen overnight. It involves certain processes that take time. Those concerned about the occurrence and re-occurrence of genocide and seriously committed to its prevention, analysed ten stages[i]. These unfold one after another, unless preventative measures possible at each stage are not put in place. As the stages develop they presuppose that the previous ones have happened. However, they can happen simultaneously. The process can be described as cyclical rather than linear, depending on the situation. The final stage is denial, the surest indicator of further genocidal intent and massacres.”
Yes. If you look at what has happened to Jews in the hands of the Europeans this fits the above narrative. This also fits the narrative of North American and South American Natives.
In Lanka, the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, this was applied First to the Native Veddah Aethho ( People), by the Paras from India, Para-Sinhala and Para-Tamils.
You are describing the “Genocide” of Para-Tamils by the Para- Sinhala, in the Land of Native Veddah Aethoo. This is much more complex, because this was a Civil War, a separatist war, and resistance to occupation by the Para-Sinhala of the Para-Tamils. The history goes back 2,300 years.
The Para-Tamils did their part too, by ethnically clensing of Tamil Speaking Muslims.
References:
Mitochondrial DNA history of Sri Lankan ethnic people:
Through a comparison with the mtDNA HVS-1 and part of HVS-2 of Indian database, both Tamils and Sinhalese clusters were affiliated with Indian subcontinent populations than Vedda people who are believed to be the native population of the island of Sri Lanka.
http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v59/n1/full/jhg2013112a.html
Forgotten People – The Evicted and Displaced North Muslims of Sri Lanka (English)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JV60McNQ9o
Published on Jun 1, 2013
The Evicted and Displaced North Muslims of Sri Lanka. The expulsion of the Muslims and other nations from the Northern province was an act of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Tamil militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization in October 1990. In order to achieve their goal of creating a mono ethnic Tamil state in the North Sri Lanka, the LTTE forcibly expelled the 72,000 strong Muslim population from the Northern Province.
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Vanden / September 8, 2016
Speaking now under my real name Diedre, I think you need a 12 inch long hot iron rod to cure your condition.
I am saying this because most Sri Lankans are intriged as to why someone with a honky name like you be so interested about Sri Lanka’s alleged “war crimes”. Those still scheming to colonise countries like Sri Lanka may shed rivers of tears on bekaf of the Tamils. But we know what your real plans, intensions and schemes are about.
So dear lady, sit on it for a while to soothe yourself.
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K.Pillai / September 8, 2016
Venden “…I think you need a 12 inch long hot iron rod to cure your condition……..”
Did you learn this treatment from the 2012 Delhi Nirbhaya case or were you one of the gang?
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Words / September 7, 2016
[Edited out]
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Anpu / September 7, 2016
Thank you Deirdre.
The UNSG delivering a speech on ‘Sustainable Peace and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals’ at the Colombo Hilton at the invitation of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute said: “Something more terrible, serious happened in the past. In 1994, in Rwanda, there was a massacre. More than one million people were massacred. United Nations felt responsible for that.”
“Of course,” he continued, “it was their war and massacres. But the United Nations was not able to act on it. We said repeatedly, ‘Never again, never again’. It happened just one year after in Srebrenica.
Again, many people were massacred when they were not fully protected by the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. So we repeated again, ‘Never again’.”
“How many times should we repeat never, never again? We did again in Sri Lanka. We have to do much more not to repeat such things in Sri Lanka, Yemen and elsewhere.”
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the UNSG’s words spoke for themselves when The Island sought an explanation as to how the former South Korean Foreign Minister reached such a conclusion.
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lal / September 8, 2016
UN acts only when their paymasters tell them to. The western block gives orders to UNSG to when it suits them and to promote their geo-political and economic interests. UN/UNSG does not and not allowed to criticise western butchery in the middle east or past/on-going genocide against the native people in US/Australia. The woman author of the above article has not mentioned Tamil barbarity against innocent Sinhala women, children and babies and nor has UNSG. Their motive is to allow UN to subjugate Sri Lanka to concede independence and sovereignty.Her documentation of genocide process is a carbon copy of what her own race did in Africa, Americas, Australia. Knows her stuff first hand!
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justice / September 7, 2016
McConnell has summarised all events from the colonial days.
Now the ‘denial’ phase is very vociferous.
The early days of the Extermination Phase was from 1956 to 2001 during which, 115 massacres of groups of Tamil civilians were massacred by the armed forces in the northern and eastern provinces and recorded (available on the web) by the North East Secretariat Of Human Rights – NESOHR – headed by Rev. Fr. Karunairatnam, who was killed by the army.
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jim softy / September 8, 2016
The early days of the Extermination Phase was from 1956 to 2001 during which, 115 massacres of groups of Tamil civilians were massacred by the armed forces in the northern and eastern provinces and recorded (available on the web) by the North East Secretariat Of Human Rights – NESOHR –
What a comedy.
How many LTTE killed when they attacked the Anuradhapura Temple – 147. that is just one event. what did the people inside a Buddhist temple do ? what did LTTE expect Genocide ?
there are how many events like that ?
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soma / September 7, 2016
The day I observe any tendency among the Tamils (Tamil speaking people) presently living in Sinhala areas to relocate themselves into North and East provinces I would be feeling ashamed as a Sinhalese and
will actively support the demand for a separate state for Tamils (Tamil speaking people).
It is the responsibility of the author and the like to raise the consciousness among the majority Tamils(Tamil speaking people) who slavishly prefer to live outside North/East of the genocidal nature of the Sinhalese. And the fact that the genocide is on-going.
India should consider awarding dual citizenship to Tamils in Sri Lanka in view of this catastrophic situation.
This article should be translated into Tamil and distributed among Tamil speaking school children living in Sinhala areas.
Soma
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Anpu / September 7, 2016
Soma,
“This article should be translated into Tamil and distributed among Tamil speaking school children living in Sinhala areas.”
First teach what Buddhism is to the Sinhalese.
Did/Do the Sinhalese leaders practice Buddha’s teaching?
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Taraki / September 7, 2016
‘Did/Do the Sinhalese leaders practice Buddha’s teaching? ‘
I’m surprised at your bloody stupid comment. Did the Tamil leader VP practice Ahimsa? Do any of the others?
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cholan / September 8, 2016
@ Taraki
Even the Ayotullahs of Malwatte and Asigiriya don’t know what is Buddhism.
Ahimsa has nothing to do with Tamils .
.it is belong to poverty India who have supplied chemical weapons to massacre Tamils ..got it.
What you have done to Tamil MPs when they performed satyagraha at Galle Face in 1958 ?
Modayas can’t understand Ahimsa …
Once VP told TIME magazine if J.R.Jayawardena is a Buddhist I don’t have to take arms…real words.
What about burring Tamils alive in South from 1956 -1983 by your grand father..father ?
Buddhist way?
Buddhism is not a religion it is simply a philosophy prostituted by Ayatullahs in this country .
More buddhist ayotullahs in this country drink.have girl fiends ..children..buddha teaching.
Dont wash your dirty linen here OK?
Cheers
/
Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
Taraki
“Did the Tamil leader VP practice Ahimsa? Do any of the others?”
When VP was asked about J.R.Jayawardena he replied stating “if he (JR)was a true Buddhist I would not be carrying a gun!”
From the onset VP made clear that he was not a practitioner of Ahimsa nor an angel nor Bodhisattva. Unlike many Sinhala/Buddhist and pseudo Buddhists he was forthright about his intentions and mode of operation. Nor was he a follower of awakened one.
“I’m surprised at your bloody stupid comment.”
I am not at yours.
“Do any of the others?”
You are assuming others are followers of the Awakened one too.
Stupid is as stupid types.
/
Taraki / September 8, 2016
You, Colon and VP expect Sinhala leaders to be perfect followers of the Buddha. How daft is that? VP Forthright about his intentions? where did you dream that up? Peace talks, warfare, pecae talks, massacres, peace talks, train bombing…oh yes he told his beloved people of TamilEelam about his many intentions at many times.
/
Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
Taraki
“Peace talks, warfare, pecae talks, massacres, peace talks, train bombing…oh yes he told his beloved people of TamilEelam about his many intentions at many times.”
VP the psychopath was forth right about his words and deeds. He didn’t hide behind Sinhala/Buddhism and pseudo Buddhism to hide his intentions.
Your hypocrisy as an individual knows no bound. Your one sided typing defies all logic.
Re read your typing and my comment. Lets see if you can understand the fallacy of your assumption, logic, facts, …. bigotry, and I have all the time in the world ….
/
Anpu / September 7, 2016
An eminent contemporary Ceylonese (Sinhalese) historian Professor K. M. de Silva, has remarked on the developments since independence in the following vein :-
“…. the concept of a multi-racial polity ceased to be viable any longer. The emphasis on the sense of uniqueness of the Sinhalese past and the focus on Sri Lanka as the land of the Sinhalese and the country in which Buddhism stood forth in all its pristine purity carried an emotional appeal compared with which a multi-racial polity was a meaningless abstraction. Moreover the abandonment of the concept of a multi-racial polity was justified by laying stress on a democratic sanction deriving its validity from the clear numerical superiority of the Sinhalese and Buddhists.” (“Discrimination in Sri Lanka” in Case studies on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms : A World Survey, The Hague, 1976.)
/
Burning Issue / September 7, 2016
soma,
Here you go again! At present, Colombo is the centre of economic activities, this and coupled with damaged dwellings within the north and east, some Tamil people are living in colombo. Any capital city of any nation attracks peoples from all districts. You cannot use this feeble reason to justify your chauvinistic standpoint. It is not your concern as to where the Tamils live; it is democratic and just to investigate and hold people to account on account of the gruesome atrocities perpetrated against the Tamil people that amounts to biblical proportions.
It is also democratic to ensure that sections of the peoples are empowered politically and geographically. This is not something new but a well established international protocol. So I suggest you learn to be a good democrat and refrain from uttering useless nonsenses on public forums. Your pathetic standpoint is completely flawed to the core. This is why no government minister is stupid enough to talk along your line!
/
soma / September 8, 2016
Burning Issue.
“Your pathetic standpoint is completely flawed to the core.”
I would say the Tamil(majority of them) preference to live out side North and East proves without further ado that your standpoint on genocide, discrimination and all that crap is completely flawed to the core. You are talking about ‘commercial interests’ of the Tamils in the face of a ‘continuing’ genocide. What morons are you to risk the happiness, well being and progress, rather very survival of your children in a precarious environment described by this author.
You are craftily referring to only to the Tamil business people in Colombo. They live everywhere – hill country, Gampola, Beruwila, Galle, Matara , I mean everywhere you name it. It is obvious that what you are promoting is a solution only for a section of Tamils (Tamil speaking people) which is less than 5% of the total population leaving other 25% at the hands of murderous Sinhalese. Burning I. , read this article again to realise how dreadful is the situation.
You and I agree on one thing – Right of Tamil speaking people to live anywhere as equal citizens. Where we depart is you are demanding a separate enclave in the North/East AND the right to live anywhere whereas I am insisting that Sinhalese should agree for a separate enclave for ALL Tamil speaking people OR their right to live anywhere.
Once again I wish you understand the following:
The day I observe any tendency among the Tamils (Tamil speaking people) presently living in Sinhala areas to relocate themselves into North and East provinces I would be feeling ashamed as a Sinhalese and will actively support the demand for a separate state for Tamils (Tamil speaking people)
Until that day comes I don’t see any reason to agree for a separate political unit for Tamils.
Read the main article again. It is the responsibility of people of your category to translate this article into Tamil and distribute among Tamil speaking school children living in Sinhala areas.
Soma
/
Burning Issue / September 8, 2016
soma,
A solution to the Tamil question in Sri Lanka is not new it has been a subject ever since the Sinhala Buddhists started to asset themselves in quest of creating a Sinhala Buddhist state. It is now internationally accepted that there needs to be a viable solution within a united sri lanka. The solution should be fashioned such that, the Tamil language and demography are protected. These guarantees the crafty Sinhala Buddhists like yourself cannot confirm to. No matter how well you mask your chronic insecurity, it will always stick out like a sore thumb! You cannot point your finger at the tamils living outside of the N&E as a reason for denying the fundamental right of the Tamil people. Power devolution within demographical boundaries does not eschew movements of peoples. It is this aspect that you refuse to accept! In Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have varied levels of autonomy. In the case of Scotland the extend of the autonomy is substantial. This does not prevent movements of peoples. It is left to individuals to decide as to where one wants to settle; it is not your concern. It is indeed very noble of you to project concerns for the happiness of the Tamil people. If you are genuine, I will say three cheers to you, but you are not and you know it too!
/
soma / September 8, 2016
B.I.
Can you give me the reference of any proposal of a political power devolution model which covers at least 95% of Tamil speaking people taking into account their demographic distribution across the island. Surely there must be many generated by Tamil scholars which without doubt you have taken time to study. And give a sketch of your own proposal. When I take the map of the country and color the areas where Tamil speaking people live I am totally at a loss to think of a model which can cover at least 95% of them.
I am looking forward to your help.
Thanks
Soma
/
Burning Issue / September 8, 2016
soma,
Stop being a smug! The N&E are the areas where the Tamils have historically lived and they want power devolution based on this demography. This is not a rocket science. The war displaced many families understandably but this did not alter the Tamil resolve to win their right to gain power devolution. They have democratically manifested this desire number of times and it is about time you realise this!
Switzerland has French-speaking, German-speaking and Italian-speaking cantons but there is no restriction for people movement. Similar scenario exist in Belgium, Britain and India. Why should SL be different? You do not need to fear India as if she wants to divide SL, she would have done this many years back. You cannot do anything about it. Whether SL is federated or not, India will have her way. On the other hand, if Sri Lanka is truly united in every sense of the word, it will be pretty difficult for outsides to cause problems. Only way SL can find peace is by resolving the Tamil question; it can only be done by devolving power by consensus.
/
soma / September 9, 2016
Mr. Burning Issue
Can you KINDLY give me the reference of any proposal of a political power devolution model which covers at least 95% of Tamil speaking people taking into account their demographic distribution across the island.
Soma
/
jim softy / September 7, 2016
the important question is even with this genocide, Tamils stay in Sinhale and they don’t go to Tamilnadu which their motherland just 16 KM away. In Sinhale too, only 31% of Tamils live among Tamils in North. The rest 68 percent of Tamils live among Genicidal Sinhala people.
Secondly, DIEDRA you as a Scot by descendance, where ever you live, you should talk about your right to talk about genocide when you British engaged only in genocide and looted many countries which now have become the British – commonwealth. Your initial – country has not stopped genocide even todate. That is why they are killing people in the Middle east. Very recently, former British prime minister Camaron mentioend if Britain would return all the items looted from third world coutries, Musuems in Britian would go empty. Queen elizabeth has many gems and diamond all brought by force from those so-called common wealth countries when they were British colonies. YOu know how australia, New Zealand came into being. How many million aborginies were slaughtered to make Australia, New Zealand, ans some Argentine Islands ?
NOTE Tamils are recetn migrents in Sri lanka brought by Portugeuse, Dutch and British. the rest is the group of people called Kallathonies. They are still migrating to Sri lanka from Tamilnadu.
So, first learn your history. then come and talk.
/
Burning Issue / September 7, 2016
Jim Softy,
Just for your own salvation, just get it in your thick scull that the Tamils in Sri Lanka are as gooder Sri Lankan as you are! You are not a special Sri Lankan! On top of that, the Tamils have a fundamental right to democratically seek empowerment; this you cannot deny with your fabricated history. We all know you and your lik are chronically insecure but be assured that you will not come to any harm by empowering the Tamils.
It us about time you face the facts once in for all! Now, be a good Buddhist and face the facts.
/
Abimanasigham Sitthawatthai Uthayakumar / September 8, 2016
Dear Jim Softly!
You say that “Tamils are recetn migrents in Sri lanka brought by Portugeuse, Dutch and British. the rest is the group of people called Kallathonies. They are still migrating to Sri lanka from Tamilnadu.”
Well my dear!
First you study the history of the “Sinhalese” and write.
My dear! More than 80 percent of the present Sinhalese are the descendants of the South Indians who fled from the Southward expansion of the Delhi Sultanate in 1307. 1310 and 1320!!
Those who fled from South India settled along the non-fertile coastal regions throughout the island.
The original agrarian societies were living in the regions where the soil was fertile and there was plenty of surface and underground water.
Those South Indians speaking different languages and belonging to different castes who settled in the South became Sinhala Buddhists and who settled in the North and East became Tamils!!
During these 3 exoduses, the fleeing South Indians settled in the Southern parts of all the countries of South East Asia and Far East including Southern Japan.
The present Sinhala Buddhists Extremists are the descendants of those who settled in the 14th. Century and afterwards and became Sinhalese Buddhists.
They only have to speak extremism to gain power in the society and country!!
These Sinhala Buddhists who got education and made ample money during the colonial period started to buy lands in the lower regions of the Kandyan Kingdom. These people were called “Hanging Power” People. They cling to whoever come to power!! Some got married to the women of the Kandyan Kingdom also!! These people only hold some higher posts and speak and write Sinhala Buddhist nationalism now in English language!!
Please study the ancestries of the present Sinhala Buddhist extremist politicians. You also have to conduct a study your ancestry!!
In the latter part of 19th century and early part of the 20th century, they published books on their family trees and claimed various things. But when Sinhala Buddhist nationalism gained traction, they collected those books and destroyed them to hide their ancestries! But still people like me have a collection of such books! If you conduct a scientific study on this, you will find the truth that the present Sinhala Buddhist extremists are the descendants of those who settled in the 14th Century and after from South India!!
So dear Jim Softly!! Do not write rubbish!!
/
cholan / September 8, 2016
@ Soma the London Coolie
First India should take all Malayali origin and Manawadu origin Sinhalese and give citizenship there ..rest here will be the TAMILS who are the original inhabitants of this country .
Full Stop
/
SalvadorDali / September 7, 2016
Deidre, Can you be honest and discuss how the US committed war crimes and got away? Obama went to Laos but failed to apologize but only offered 90Miliion dollars to deal with UXOs. Why did it take so long to even “regret” it?
Do you know that they actually used CLUSTER BOMBS?
Do you know they knew they will be killing civilians?
Do you know what they did in Vietnam and how they covered up civilian deaths?
Did you hear about MyLai?
Stop your pontification and start examining western war crimes. What did Leopold II do in Belgian Congo? Who started chopping people’s hands and raping enmasse in Belgian Congo?
/
Anpu / September 7, 2016
Pls comment on American Telegraph not on CT
/
Thanos / September 7, 2016
Why are you constantly getting thing jumbled up? Article is about Sri Lanka NOT the US. Crimes committed by the US is well documented, but that is irrelevant since this article is about Sri Lanka. Refute the article with facts. You don’t have to agree with “Deirdre McConnell” but this how freedom of expression goes.
/
jim softy / September 8, 2016
Dumb Native Veddo:
You are a typical Sinhala/Buddhist male chauvinist [Edited out].
/
Thanos / September 8, 2016
I am not a native veddha. I am Sinhala-Buddhist who’s ancestors came from Kerala, India 700 years ago. But unlike you we were taught things like compassion, tolerance, acceptance etc. Thats why we are sympathetic towards the Tamil population. A populous that has faced injustice, extreme prejudice since 1956. The right thing to do is to stand by people who are oppressed.
/
Eusense / September 10, 2016
thanos
You say “The right thing to do is to stand by people who are oppressed. “
Do you know the meaning of oppress? Have you oppressed Tamils? Have you discriminated tamils? What oppression are you talking about my Sinhalese Buddhist?
Your “oppressed Tamils” suicide murdered over 100,000 innocent SL civilians for over a 30 year period. You are standing by them too???? Thank Lord Buddha that you escaped blown into pieces by these suicide murderers!
/
Shrikharan / September 7, 2016
SalvadorDali
So all you are saying is to make murder legal.
We murdered and you murdered so why investigate me. So I will also murder who I don’t like and why should I too get punished so let all murder and no body should be investigated.
/
Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
SalvadorDali
“Do you know that they actually used CLUSTER BOMBS? Do you know they knew they will be killing civilians? Do you know what they did in Vietnam and how they covered up civilian deaths? Did you hear about MyLai?”
Didn’t you know the answers to all your questions? Come on my 10 year old neighbor could give you a lecture lasting hours.
Poor fellow, where did you study? What school did you attend? How old are you?
The information is available on net. Please don’t bother us with trivial pursuits.
/
cholan / September 8, 2016
@SalvadorDali
He He He
Here come another Sinhala medium educated clown
Listen…your elected Sinhala government massacred its own people ….got it?
There are international rules of conducting wars within the country by elected governments.
Why you bark about Vietnam….Congo …? here foreign amy killed locals. this is another story.
When Murderspakse will go to Malaysia again?
Murderpakse has shelved all his visits to Europe ..1000s of Tamils are ready to lodge complain at police stations .
Modayas and Murderers are pissing now .Jayawewa.
Cheers
/
Plato. / September 7, 2016
Notwithstanding all this,as clearly and lucidly exposed by Deirdre McConnell, the TNA continues to do the Waltz with the Govt:
Very soon it will be the Last Tango in Paris!
/
Anpu / September 7, 2016
TNA is collecting evidence fro Genocide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92W-I2EyqY0
/
Native Vedda / September 7, 2016
Plato.
“the TNA continues to do the Waltz with the Govt: Very soon it will be the Last Tango in Paris!”
Last Tango in Paris, you are a bad boy or an old pervert.
By the way did you enjoy the film? I mean buttering Brando.
/
Lal Keerthie Fernando / September 7, 2016
Ms. Diedri McConell
The case of Sri Lanka (para: 3 )
….It is remarkable that when it comes to Sri Lanka, the true facts are not widely known, despite rigorous human rights reporting over many years….
True. Your statement is prima facie. Official archives are closed for eternity on the Sri Lankan war. In Scandinavia and in Denmark, archives are closed for 80 years. The UN (UNHCR) in SL ,also have closed it`s archives for 30 years, just at end of war 2009.
When the truth is one sided, whither the rule of law. Where is the evidence? It is not a question of who is doing what but who is/was behind what? In English law: Aiding and abetting to crime is equally a serious offence. There were the many who died in vain on both sides.
Who will be saying mea-culpa, again?
Ms. Diedri McConell…, it`s certainly a long way to Tipperary.
/
Sudath / September 7, 2016
Dear Madam, for your information, about 50% of Tamils live outside of North & East
/
dingiri / September 7, 2016
“The Portuguese (1505) and the Dutch (1658) ruled the Tamil Kingdom in the North and East, separately from the two Sinhalese kingdoms in the South.”
We all know of the kingdom of Jaffna that existed in the Jaffna Peninsula but what was this Tamil Kingdom in the North AND EAST? if it was ruled separately surely surely it must have had a name and mention in Portugese and Dutch records? Wasnt Trincomalee and Batticaloa part of the Kandian kingdom? Didnt Rajasinha II recapture Trincomalee from the portugese in 1638? Wasnt Robert Knox taken straight to the king in Kandy when he was apprehended in Trincomalee? Didnt the Dutch Admiral Van Spilbergen enter the Kandian kingdom via Batticaloa from where he was conveyed to the King in Kandy? Where did this lady learn her history of Sri Lanka from? The handbook of Tamil Nationalism?
/
jim softy / September 8, 2016
Where did this lady learn her history of Sri Lanka from? The handbook of Tamil Nationalism?
From the husband who is promoting Pelam and who is still mourning the loss of Pabakaran.
[Edited out]
/
Anpu / September 8, 2016
JS,
She has learned enough. Have you? It looks like you have not. Did you read the article?
/
Taraki / September 7, 2016
Another foolish woman who knows it all having spent all of five minutes in Sri Lanka.
The Tamil diaspora have nowhere to write their venom and lies in English, so they have to use this Sri Lankan website! That’s why there are so many thumbs up for pro-Eelam comments. All these sad buggers in Toronto and London doing their little bit for Eelam. And that TGTE clown in his front room posing as a leader. Pathetic J Muthu is a prime example of these fools.
/
Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
Taraki
“Another foolish woman who knows it all having spent all of five minutes in Sri Lanka.”
You are a typical Sinhala/Buddhist male chauvinist pig.
How dare you call her another foolish woman? Are you implying that those woman who regularly contribute to this forum are foolish?
/
Taraki / September 8, 2016
‘How dare you call her another foolish woman? Are you implying that those woman who regularly contribute to this forum are foolish?’
No, only yourself.
/
sbarrkum / September 7, 2016
No point in setting out facts for Deirdre Kirupakaran.
Her bread and butter is from claims of genocide.
She is the Director of the Tamil Centre for Human Rights
Of course none of that disclosure in her articles.
TCHR UK Branch
Manchester, Manchester M16 8ED
http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Deirdre-McConnell/49625245
Paris
http://www.tchr.net/aboutus_branches_detail.htm
/
Siva Sankaran Sarma / September 9, 2016
Mrs Kiruba should really stick to her day job doing Mickey Mouse therapies :D
/
sbarrkum / September 7, 2016
To quote padraig colman
A strange kind of genocide which can encompass feeding 300,000 Tamil refugees, rehabilitating LTTE cadres, giving government ministries to Tamils and negotiating with the TNA. If the government had wanted to exterminate the Tamil race, they have gone about it in an inefficient manner.
Can also add paying pensions, doctors salaries, electricity, water etc to area occupied by the LTTE upto 2009
/
Perriappa / September 8, 2016
Careful quoting padraig colman.
He has been disgraced and banned from Groundviews, not a very credible source
/
jim softy / September 7, 2016
[Edited out]Because, for a few coins lies to thr world. did you guys ever write about the good Sri lanka has to this Tamil Barbarians who got their own as hostages ? How three million hostages were saved and how many soldiers dieing while saving hostages ?
Read below about Genocide and war crime. Sri lanka did not attack innocent people.
Acknowledging the dark aftershocks of the Vietnam War, President Barack Obama paid tribute Wednesday to survivors maimed by some 80 million unexploded bombs America dropped on Laos decades ago and pledged U.S. help to finally clean them up.
Touring a rehabilitation centre in Vientiane, Obama said the U.S. had a “profound moral and humanitarian obligation” to work to prevent more bloodshed from the remnants of the U.S. bombardment. He touted his administration’s move to double spending on ordinance cleanup to roughly $90 million over three years.
“For the last four decades, Laotians have continued to live under the shadow of war,” Obama said. “The war did not end when the bombs stopped falling.”
Related Stories
Some 20,000 people have been killed or wounded since the the war ended, Obama said after viewing displays of small rusted grenades and photos of a child missing his foot. He insisted those were “not just statistics,” but reminders of the heavy toll inflicted by war — “some of them unintended.”
/
Karthigesu M. Nirmalan-Nathan / September 7, 2016
I’d like to congratulate Diedri McConell on a well crafted article and the warning it spells out.The signs and warnings are there for everybody to see and hear.
Words uttered from the President to the Prime Minister!!! Hailing the murderous thugs who committed such atrocities as rape and murder of combatants and civilians alike as heroes.
There is a cultural genocide going on now!! Erection of Buddha’s shrines everywhere in the north while there are people languishing in refugee camps. I find it very arrogant indeed very flippant when I see comments like the one from imbecilic idiots like Amarasiri.Two wrongs never make a right. Ethnic cleansing of Muslims and cast discriminations are all wrong so let us get it right you idiot instead of raping and murdering and relishing it you moron.
/
Dez / September 7, 2016
Deirdre you are going by his say her say provide evidence that there was a final solution.
Example Gas chambers mass deportation planned by the Sri Lankan government.
Read the Wannsee conference protocol 20 January 1942 that will give you a understanding what is planned and premeditated.
/
Rajash / September 7, 2016
Deirdre McConnell
you failed to say at which stage of Genocide of the Tamils Sri Lanka is at.I don’t think Sri Lanka has reached the tenth Stage of the Genocide of the Tamils
Yes the Sri Lankan govt is at denial stage of the killing of civilians and LTTE carders who surrendered or took refuge in the Govt demarcated No Fire Zone.
But they have a unfinished job when it comes to the genocide of the entire Tamils race.
They are working at it as a long term project.
My question to you is has Sri Lanka reached the stage of “no turning back” in the genocide of the Tamils as a long term project?
Even the IC cant stop it?
/
bo / September 7, 2016
[Edited out] There are several million Tamils living in Sri lanka minding their business and living peacefully, under the care and welfare of Sri lankan government? Are n’t there? So what bull shit is this foreign woman talking about genocide? Does she know the meaning of the word?[Edited out]
/
jim softy / September 7, 2016
DEIDRIE:
If you are heading the Tamil Center for Human rights, first ask Tamils to stop discriminating, beating and killing Dalit Tamils by those so called upper caste Tamils.
for us, Every Tamil is a Dalit and is a low caste as they are not very much behaving like humans.
So, this is a paid advertisement. Using media to promote your own existence.
where were you and your Tamil Human rights Center when Tamils were suicide bombers, biting Cyanide capsule, recruting child soldiers, when Tamils were running international prostitution ruings, drug smuggling criminal syndicates and the list is long ?
/
Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
jim softy dimwit
“If you are heading the Tamil Center for Human rights, first ask Tamils to stop discriminating, beating and killing Dalit Tamils by those so called upper caste Tamils.”
So that you will have more Tamils to beat up, kill, rob, ….
“for us, Every Tamil is a Dalit and is a low caste as they are not very much behaving like humans.”
Is that why your ancestors converted to Sinhala/Buddhism, on the day of conversion given license to beat up, kill, rob, rape, …… Sinhalese, Buddhists, Tamils, Hindus, Muslims and Christians?
“where were you and your Tamil Human rights Center when Tamils were suicide bombers, biting Cyanide capsule, recruting child soldiers,
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) (UTHR(J))
Please check http://www.uthr.org/ if you really want to know
“when Tamils were running international prostitution ruings, drug smuggling criminal syndicates and the list is long ?”
Can you specify the period? Was it when you were pimping westerners at the sea front, or working at prime ministers office or being employed as the official b***s carrier to Duminda, a talent spotter for porn industry (child pornography)?
How much wealth did you make supplying all kind of stuff to LTTE?
/
Taraki / September 8, 2016
Very sad Veddo. You have abandoned your impartiality and reverted to Tamil tribalism. Dr RN would never have done that. I am very disappointed in you.
/
Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
Taraki
” You have abandoned your impartiality “
Who planted the idea that I was impartial? Don’t misjudge a person by ignorance. I can assure you I never been impartial and will never be.
I am partial to many things tangible and intangible, abstract and objective, ……. and some of them are:
Truth
Justice
Safety
Human Rights
Dignity
Good books
Good Arts
Good food
Good Drama
Good Music
Good film (Pattini by Prof Ariaratne)
Good sense of Humour
Good logicians
Good argument
Good people
Humanity
Happiness
Intellectual Honesty
Anything and everything progressive
Secularism
Underdogs
Unity in diversity
…..
……
Hence I am fit, happy, contented and sleep well during the night.
/
Aravinthan / September 7, 2016
News item from 2008. She is highly biased and not independent.
Three members of a pro-LTTE Non Governmental Organization were evicted from the 61st Annual UNESCO Conference of DPI/NGO at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris yesterday. Three members of Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) have registered as participants submitting false information to the Department of Public Information of UNESCO and the DPI/NGO Conference Secretariat in Paris and New York. According to reliable sources, UNESCO conference authorities have cancelled the registration of the three members S.V.Kirubakaran, Director TCHR, France, Mrs Deirdre McConnel Kirubakaran, Director TCHR, UK and Mr J. Jean-Marie, Program Officer, TCHR, Paris. While the registration batches of the first two were removed and they were evicted from the UNESCO conference hall immediately, Mr Jean-Marie could not be found at the conference venue until the day`s proceedings were over.
/
jim softy / September 8, 2016
[Edited out]
/
Subramaniam Thiagarajah / September 8, 2016
Thank you M/S Deirdere NcConnell for your article.Actually we know and we have read so many articles like this.SO if you can,please let us know how we can stop this Genocide or slow Genocide of Tamils and how we can stop the colonization of our Tamil Kingdom by the sinhalese.It has to be done immediately as they are going very fast.
/
Julampitiye Amaraya / September 8, 2016
Miss/ Mrs. Deterirdre McConnell (Director – International Programme, TCHR -Tamil Centre for Human Rights),
Why Are you not Ask AN EElam for our Disopora Tamizars In the Original Tamil Country, in India Tamil Nadu, where THE ONLY TAMIL COUNTRY HAVE MORE THAN 20 MILLION TAMILAN.
our Tamizars in Sri lanka do not want an EELAM,
But Selfish Tamil Politikkas Want to get innocent tamil youths to push to war path again with diasporas money.
they, the Rich dosopora keep their children and families be safe in western countries with luxurious lives and want to hook poor tamilans in sri lanka to send as fodder in unwinnable wars .
We canot say that the Sri Lankan Army Did not do any crimes and atrocities,
In any war, those acts happens and perpetrators must be taken to books by the Governing bodies.
What about the crimes, tortures and atrocities of the LTTE done to poor Tamils .
Have you seen Seventeen, Eighteen year LTTE Cadres are involving, advising and forcing on family matters,
Some time killing who do not obey them.
have you ever interviewed any of the Victims of LTTE who were tortured in Thunukai, Sampoor torture Chambers of LTTE Prisons.
where were you when the LTTE masecres the 1200 T N A army in werugal in trimncomalee.
what about the 600 police men in Kalmunai.
Are they not humane but animals??????.
Did you ever mention them in your lectures and seminars.
Do not try to White Wash LTTE Diaspora.!!!
Any Way, You Must Take Notice That Sri Lankan Tamilans had done more crimes and atrocities with the LTTE to themselves than Sinhalese are.
Even in Nandikadal the LTTE killed More innocents than SL Army.
T
Now there is a so called female saint named Aananthyee Sasetharan fighting for war widows crying crocodile tears,
forgetting that her lost Husband was a Beast of a killer of LTTE, who killed Innocent Tamil Women and Children.
SO YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR ANOTHER NANDIKADAL IN SRI LANKA!!!!!!!.
PLEASE LET OUR PEOPLE TO MANAGE OUR OWN AFFAIRS.
MIND YOUR OWN fXXXXXX BUISSNESSES IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY.
/
cholan / September 8, 2016
@ Julampitiya Amaraya
Again big talk ????
First do you have guts to slap Karuna who is walking on Colombo streets freely?
Do this first the we will accept your comments .
Without Chemical weapons supplied by poverty India ..Sinhala card board army bodies would have floated in Nandikadaal.A fake..borrowed..artificial victory only modayas can boast .
Your leaders are managing country affairs by constructing Buddhist temples and colonizing Sinhalese in
Nort-East…thus installing time bomb
Cheers
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Julampitiye Amaraya / September 8, 2016
Karuna Amman is not a Sinhalese, Who killed More than thousands of fellow tamilans with his Baby brigade in trincomalee and cheated, betrayed the whole tamil race, sold his soul.
The bugger is a Psychopathic brutal killer, who killed most of my Tamil friends and most of their families.
He is an another smiling Cobra Like Tamil Chelvam, who has cheating smile.
Donot forget about Tamil Booruwos [ Tamil Kaludaigal ] who went after the bloody maniac fool Pirpaharan.
Those Kaludaigal still wanting of beatings and wants put innocents in front as humane shields to protect themselves.
Only good thing the bloody fool pirabahahran did is Wiping out of his own god Fathers, who were the patrons of unattainable dream Called PEELam.
And gave good lesson to his guru deve Indian also.
why Did not ask the SUN GOD before he got Shot on the Head abandoning the zionide pill, to bulldoze the Kadurugoda, [Kandarodai], Nagadeepa [ Nainathivu] and thiriyaya Stupa from earth.
Do Not Bring Any JARAWA BALAI TO sri lanka from where ever you live,
WE sri lankans are still in good shape in Sri Lanka From Parathurai to Deovendara.
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Dr C P Thiagarajah / September 8, 2016
A very soul searching article for the noble hearts and those with evil hearts the following statement from Luke 6:45 applies viz “and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”.
Luke 6:45New King James Version (NKJV)
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart[a] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Thank you Deirdre McConnell. All these times only Tamil sympathizers from Asia wrote articles in the Colombo Telegraph. Some one from the West wrote now only. This is because”A good man/woman out of the good treasure of his/her heart brings forth good;For out of the abundance of the heart his/her mouth speaks”.
Some people cannot understand logic because they lived too long in the island without any mixing with he modern world. I hope you will excuse them.
Now about 50% of the Tamils live in Colombo area and another 10% live overseas just because the Sinhala army have forcibly occupied their ancestral lands and spoiling their culture through inhuman behaviors.
Ltte started only after 1980 when successive Sinhala regimes were repressing them legislatively and covertly and repressing them.
In this article the author is concerned only with the killing of Tamil civilians and those LTTE who surrendered and those captured who should have been treated according to the Geneva convention on war.
Deirdre
You failed to add another step in genocide ie denial and spending out of propotion country’s GNP in defending the genocide in bribes and PR activities. Sri-Lanka is spending on three PR firms to keep their name cleared of the genocide charges. It in itself should be punishable if proved for the money also contains the victims money.
I hope UN will introduce this as a chargeable offence under the genocide convention.
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jim softy / September 8, 2016
Now about 50% of the Tamils live in Colombo area and another 10% live overseas just because the Sinhala army have forcibly occupied their ancestral lands and spoiling their culture through inhuman behaviors.
So, why Tamils didnot go to their homeland just a boat ride away instead chose Colombo ?
Who ever went there, they are too, Refugees there ?
Why ? why ?
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KA Sumanasekera / September 8, 2016
Out going Bunky Moon said Srilnaka did a Ruwanda,justifying his demand for Foreign Judges, to sit in the Yahapalana War Crimes Trials against Rana Viru Soldiers.
And Bodhi Sira send Mahinda Samarasinghe to to put a spin and say Bunki didn’t say it.
Where is Batalanada Ranil , the Yahapalana PM?.
Where is the all powerful Foreign Minister Mangalan Samare, who signed the MOU with Bunky Noon and Suren Surendran on behalf of the Yahapalana Government to allow Bunky Moon to hold War Crime Trials?.
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jim softy / September 8, 2016
[Edited out]
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cholan / September 8, 2016
Another piece of article sending shivers to Murderspakse gang and their supporters .
Malaysian Tamils are inviting Murderpakse to enjoy a paid vacation at Lankawi Islands with his family.
Will he dare to go ?
Cheers
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jim softy / September 8, 2016
Another piece of article sending shivers to Murderspakse gang and their supporters . Malaysian Tamils are inviting Murderpakse to enjoy a paid vacation at Lankawi Islands with his family.
Will he dare to go ?
Do other Tamils too just like you feel terrible inside ?
what went wrong ?
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InconvenientTruth / September 8, 2016
I suggest Ms McConnell go for a walk in Welawatte along the Galle road, visit the bustling market, dip into a couple of jewelry and Sari shops, cross over to marine drive, have a ice cream at Rio Ice Cream (the best btw) and watch the so called genocide in action…If there is time and not yet disgusted with horror about the life ordinary Tamil people are leading, take a tuk tuk to Havelock City and checkout that luxury complex, watch those little tamil children playing, swimming, just hanging with their Sinhala counterparts, leading their horrible lives in this island of so called genocide.
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Native Vedda / September 8, 2016
InconvenientTruth
Impressive.
When are you planning to have the next riot?
It appears you have collected enough information of your potential targets.
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lal / September 8, 2016
Diedre M must be from either UK, US or Aus. Very quick to point the finger at others but not admit to their own acts of genocide. The savagery unleashed by their kind own is never mentioned but champion causes without any semblance to genocide elsewhere. Discrimination against minorities in US and indigenous people in Australia and Canada continues. The processes of Genocide as described by this unaccredited author is exactly what is taking place in Australia and Canada but she prefers to focus on Tamils in Sri Lanka.
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watcher / September 8, 2016
It all comes down to Kallathinis want to be up ward mobile from toilet cleaning to selling newspapers, etc, etc… Worst part is all of these prefer SL but not stinking tamilnadu..
Why,
Quite simple, Country(india) that shit, and eat and bath from the same river called ???? Also they have gods with so many pricks no one knows which one can make babies and of course babies are made by the kovil head priest and not by the husband.
SL does not discriminate any one and issue is political corruption and no proper institution with rules or democratic leanings.. tamils take this as discrimination since sinhalese and muslims also suffer from this crooked system.
After the fat praba gone, sinhalese were kind enough to release those killers and funny enough, not a single tamil help those poor from north or east…
[Edited out]
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