19 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka’s Dismal Ignorance Of The U.S. System & The Mindset Of  U.S. Policymakers

By Daya Gamage

Daya Gamage

In late May 1979, civic-political organizations stormed the outer perimeter of the American Embassy in Galle Face, Sri Lanka, with anti-American slogans accusing the United States of maneuvering to divide the nation in facilitation of a separate state for the minority Tamils in the North-East region. The demonstrations-protest marches went on for many days while the print media editorially, and in special features, accused Washington of its ‘subtle’ move to bifurcate, and threaten the territorial integrity of the country. Political leaders, parliamentarians and activists, most from the opposition liberal SLFP and left parties, were attacking the U.S. accusing its alleged collaboration with the ‘Eelamist elements’. Even many ruling party UNP politicians were expressing their dissatisfaction.

The outcry was the result of the ‘Proclamation of Eelam Day’ by the Governor of the State of Massachusetts Edward J. King in support of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)- adopted resolution declared at its 1976 session for an ‘independent Tamil homeland state’– popularly known as the Vaddukkodai Resolution. The TULF’s diplomatic approach of the Governor and several State Legislators brought dividends. 

The officials of the American Embassy considered this a serious public affairs-public diplomacy lacuna, and at a meeting chaired by the Deputy Ambassador which included senior Foreign Service officials and their selected (Sri Lankan) national staff scrutinized the situation. The consensus was that neither the media, nor the civic-political leaders/activists had adequate understanding of the governing system of the U.S., and that they had missed the reality that the Massachusetts State was one of the fifty states in the Union with socio-economic-administrative powers devolved except foreign affairs and national defense, and that neither the White House nor the U.S. Congress had any authority over any of the fifty states except law enforcement if the necessity arose. With that, Embassy’s Executive Office, political and public affairs divisions reacted immediately meeting media personnel, political activists, parliamentarians to refresh their minds about the functioning of the American system.

With that public affairs and public diplomacy initiative, verbal and print onslaught on the United States had a natural death. When the Massachusetts State Assembly on June 18, 1981 – with the presence of TULF leader M. Sivasithambaram in the VIP gallery – adopted the Vaddukkodai Resolution, there was no upheaval against the U.S. in Colombo or elsewhere.

Forty two years later – in 2021 – to the amazement of many, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister displayed his ignorance of the working of the American system: The Daily Mirror of June 8 (2021) edition reported “Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena today sought the immediate intervention of the US State Department to convey the concerns and the position of the government on the proposed resolution No. H.Res.413, which was introduced by Congresswoman Deborah Ross, to the Chair and members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well as the respective Congresspersons in order to withdraw or amend it”.

The Minister had made this appeal when Charge d’ Affaires of the US Embassy in Colombo Martin T. Kelly called on him at the Foreign Ministry, reported the Daily Mirror.

It is distressing Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who is Sri Lanka’s conduit for foreign relations with the United States (and elsewhere), failed to comprehend the U.S. system: that the State Department, one of the federal units of the Executive Branch headed by the President, has no authority to dictate terms – even make simple suggestions – to the Legislature how to run its affairs. Both branches of the Congress – Senate and the House – have their own independent research units that produce material for the respective committees, one of such is the Foreign Affairs. These analytical documents are used by the lawmakers to shape their opinion on issues. Occasionally they meet foreign diplomats to get a better understanding of issues related to those countries.

At present the Biden administration is disabled in its efforts to get Legislative approval to a couple of vital ‘nation building’ bills due to obstruction of Members in the Senate of both parties. The vital ‘infrastructure bill’ and the ‘voting reform bill’ are in peril.

Sri Lanka’s central government since the conclusion of the Eelam War IV in May 2009 had the difficulty in mending Washington’s mindset to mitigate the influence of the pro-eelam operatives within the Tamil Diaspora. Two reasons: (1) Washington policymakers and lawmakers were not provided a clear understanding of the domestic issues that affect all ethnic communities often clouded with the feed-backs of the operatives within the Tamil Diaspora (2) Sri Lankan authorities had failed to gauge the correct approach with studied issues to influence the mindset of Washington. Sri Lanka never had effective advocacy as is shown even at present.

To effectively advocate, Sri Lanka couldn’t identify who were the most effective persons among the Members of the Congress and their staff, or principal officials in the White House attached to the policy-making National Security Council (NSC) covering the areas of South Asia and Human Rights. Washington should have been told the truth, the truth about the ground situation, the demographic patterns that affect all ethnic communities. To ‘speak the truth’ to Washington without establishing trust is counterproductive. Colombo needs to make more efforts to understand the dynamics of policymaking organizations, individuals and systems. Policymaking takes place in an environment with many policymakers, many authoritative organizations, venues, or networks with their own rules that take time to understand. How the policymakers understand the world, where and with whom to engage, how to form effective alliances, and how to spot the right time to act are all essentials. When there is a lacuna of all these, neither Washington gets the correct picture nor Sri Lanka is able to identify vital issues that fit into a dialogue for policymakers and lawmakers to understand what the pro-Eelam operatives within the Tamil Diaspora are exaggerating, fabricating and misinterpreting.

Had Sri Lanka ‘broadly’ understood Washington’s limited knowledge of the ground realities– very well displayed during the 2002-2005 Peace Negotiations which eventually failed but lifted the separatist LTTE as an equal partner to that of the democratic-legitimate state – it could have formulated a diplomatic strategy to approach Washington that would have brought some dividends. It was well seen that Sri Lanka was unable to discover the issues/areas that Washington failed to comprehend.  Had the Sri Lankan authorities knew Washington’s limited knowledge – which the LTTE operatives within the Tamil Diaspora were aware and took advantage– they could have avoided many obstacles that are even seen in the year 2021 in Geneva.

The overwhelming economic factors that Washington failed to pay much attention were alarming: The US took scant interest to connect the societal revulsion – the result of the Sinhalese and Tamil nationalist resurgence – to the disparity between the urban and the rural sectors in terms of economic opportunities, educational facilities, employment availability, and the essential social structures. The manner in which Sri Lanka’s conservative administration liberalized (opened) its economy since 1977 seriously affected both the northern (Tamil) as well as the southern (Sinhalese) farming communities. The devastation of the rural farming community became a catalyst for both the northern and southern insurrections. Further, a vast majority of the rural population was denied of their upward mobility in the society. In adjacent urban centers, central and local governments had perennially engaged in improving the lives of the population. Washington did not recognize that all ethnic communities were visibly entangle in this unusual Sri Lankan process that awarded preferential treatment to those in the urban centers, and historic injustice to those in the rural sector. Sri Lanka failed to comprehend the importance of this socio-economic factor to make the West knowledgeable of a significant issue that engulfed the nation that the latter made no attempt to focus. This perennial disparity was subsequently highlighted in the October 2015 World Bank Country Report on Sri Lanka. The result was the West, especially the United States, believed – and made to believe – that Sri Lanka was engulfed in an ethnic battle, and nothing but a ‘free-for-all’ between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils. Neither the Sri Lankan authorities highlighted nor the U.S. (and the West) questioned as to why there were no ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamil since 1983 when the LTTE mercilessly killed hundred-odd Buddhist monks, attacked and damages the secret Temple of the Tooth and brutally killed two busloads of school children in Sinhalese-majority southern districts.

The significant factor that escaped Washington policymakers when engaged in formulating foreign policy planks on Sri Lanka’s national issues, especially ethnic relations, Tamil demands, Sinhalese concerns and human rights, was that the rural sector which comprised 77 percent of the landmass of the whole country – in which 75 percent of the population lived – consists a potpourri of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, and that the country is 19 percent urban in which Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims jointly made up 18.1 percent of the total population, the latter receiving preferential treatment at the expense of the rural sector. How many policymakers in Western countries were told that a 52% of ethnic Tamils are living outside the North-East provinces among the Sinhalese – the urban sector – gainfully employed and have access to advanced educational system that the Tamils and Sinhalese are deprived of in the rural sector?

Despite U.S. law enforcement agencies blocked money laundering, raising funds and procuring combat equipment on American soil, Washington equated the Tiger separatist movement with minority Tamil issues, a fact that the Sri Lankan authorities never took seriously. How and why Washington believed in the invincibility of the LTTE and the outfit’s usefulness toward the resolution of Tamil issues, especially changing the structure of governance, is central aspect of the US mind-set. Washington expressed its open frustration when it sensed the decline of the Tigers a month prior to its total defeat – in mid April – when a senior state department official at a specially-convened media event in Washington questioned as to “why did they (the separatist-terrorists) have a following in the beginning” to which he himself declared – exposing Washington’s mind-set – “and I think it’s because some in the Tamil community do have legitimate grievances, we need to find.” These subtle messages escaped the Sri Lankan political system that, as much as Washington wanted to see the LTTE defeated it never wanted it totally annihilated expecting it to survive as a ‘pressure movement’, in the mindset of Washington, to solve issues that the ethnic minority Tamils faced. Sri Lanka never realized that with the demise of the LTTE the West engaged in constant dialogue with representatives within the Tamil Diaspora who took the LTTE place in becoming the pressure group. The haphazard manner foreign affairs is handled by the Government of Sri Lanka has given a continued monopoly to the (former LTTE) operatives within the Tamil Diaspora who have now become spokesperson for Sri Lanka’s Tamil community to consolidate the mindset of policymakers and lawmakers in Washington. The ‘episode’ is continuing at present.

However it is on record, in official U.S. documents and numerous pronouncements, that Washington was critical of LTTE’s terrorist tactics and its adventurism seeking redress for Tamil grievances, and that it totally opposed the establishment of a separate ethnic state in the north-east of Sri Lanka following the declaration of the outfit as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997 under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. However in late September 2001, two weeks since the Patriot Act was promulgated to deal with al Qaeda and other global terror groups that were responsible for the attacks on the American soil, Washington took the LTTE out of the group of al Qaeda terrorists that the Bush administration targeted in its Global War On Terror (GWOT) as it considered the LTTE a totally different movement that addressed Sri Lanka’s domestic issue. This Washington policy decision went unnoticed in Colombo: In doing so, Washington in fact equated the LTTE separatist endeavor with minority Tamil issues. The moves Bush administration’s Secretary of State Colin Powel and his Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage initiated – both who took a special interest in the 2002-2004 Peace Negotiations – was for a specific purpose: The U.S. tied the separatist campaign of the LTTE with minority Tamil issues. (The policy plank was continued under the Obama administration with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taking the lead even advocating the cut of IMF grants to Sri Lanka). When Powel met with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Washington on eve of the Peace Negotiations, the former wanted Sri Lanka to solve ‘Tamil minority issues’ and that adequate devolution of power to the North-East sector put in place. Sri Lanka failed to scrutinize all these factors to get into the mindset of the Americans. Sri Lanka’s inability to understand this reality resulted in severe setback.

The expansive 25-page June 03 (2021) document of Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry presented to the U.S. Congress through its diplomatic envoy in Washington as a reply to the May 18 (2021) Resolution before the U.S. House on Sri Lanka has satisfied itself in declaring “In 2008, the group was named the ‘most dangerous and deadly extremists’ in the world by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), whose ‘ruthless tactics have inspired terrorist networks worldwide, including Al-Qaeda in Iraq”.  The American lawmakers – especially those in the Foreign Affairs Committee – are aware that the Bush administration separated the LTTE from the rest of the global terrorist networks which was an indication that the Tiger network was never a threat to American national security. It was the Bush administration that encouraged the state department’s two top-most officials to help Norway in its efforts in the Peace Negotiations. On the sidelines, Deputy Secretary of State Armitage and LTTE chief negotiator Dr. Anton Balasingham had a long discourse in Oslo during the Peace Talks. And it was the Obama administration that was in total blindness of Sri Lanka’s ground situation that brought many obstacle to the Sri Lankan state.

It is time for Sri Lanka to comprehend what went wrong, what it missed, what it failed to let Washington know to move forward to progressively deal with the Biden administration identifying the officials who are connected to issues in South Asia and human rights in the policy-making National Security Council in the White House and in the Department of Homeland Security under which the Division of War Crimes and Human Rights function. Unlike the Trump administration, Sri Lanka is now destined to deal with liberals in all agencies in the Biden administration. The liberals have already taken control of committees of foreign affairs in both the Senate and the House. Sri Lanka needs to design its approach having taken note of the past disabilities, and current obstacles on its path.

It is true that US Congressional resolutions have no force of law but just expression of sentiments: These sentiments had governed the mindset of Washington – in both the lawmakers and policymakers – for a long time, and the Foreign Ministry should not satisfy itself in proclaiming “the Biden administration has no effect on Sri Lanka” and “the U.S. needs to organize its own backyard”.

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Latest comments

  • 18
    4

    Dear Readers,
    .
    We, who visit Colombo Telegraph are blessed with a number of outstanding writers like Professors Kumar David, Charles Sarvan, Lasantha Petiyagoda and Harendra de Silva; also Tisaranee Gunasekera, Sarath de Alwis, Rajan Philips, DrAmeer Ali, et al, who often delight us, and always bring us wisdom.
    .
    You also have people who tackle difficult subjects but who always present their material with absolute honesty. I think that we should place Drs Rajan Hoole and W.A. Wijewardena, Basil Fernando, Harsha Gunasena, and Professor Jeevan Hoole in that category. That last requires a special prize for both courage and absolute honesty; that remains true even if we sometimes wish he would avoid certain subjects, but he always strives for accuracy.
    .
    We also have known mavericks like the brilliant Dayan Jayatilleka, but we have learnt to be wary of hidden agenda in their writing. Now, enter Daya Gamage, We have to be on our guard against slanted, mischief-creating individuals like this.

    • 9
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      S.M,
      “Now, enter Daya Gamage, We have to be on our guard against slanted, mischief-creating individuals”
      If these individuals didn’t exist, we would be reduced to patting ourselves on the back, wouldn’t we, dear SM?
      That would make CT as boring as the Information Department.

      • 2
        0

        Daya Gamage, international community including USA know exactly what is happening as to suppression of legitimate rights of Tamils who are facing problems different to others.
        1. Discrimination in education, employment, housing and economic development.
        2 State sponsored violence, which is still continuing.
        3. Cultural genocide, where Sinhalese are settled in large amount with state patronage, changing names of places and building Buddhist temples.
        4. Ethnic cleansing by Sinhalese and Muslims by appropriating Tamil traditional lands.
        They all want Tamils to live in dignity and safety in their area ruling themselves without any interference of Sinhalese. What they are saying is that if Sinhalese are not prepared to accommodate this within Sri Lanka, that Tamils should have their own state. Do not blame them just because for bigoted individuals like you this is not acceptable.

    • 4
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      Mavericks like the brilliant Dayan Jayatilleka and independent thought bearer Tamara K are somehow thrown to silent modes these days, but I believe, these senior diplomats could do lot more saving the nation from COVID crisis, if they would intervene in EU process distribution of surplus jabs to poor countries, incl ours now marching to be ranked behind far poor Bangaladesh.
      .
      Not only on the genomes of COVID variants, I see, frequent dangerous mutations should be the case with our SINHALA genome. Pulligona like men got elected by 2/3 majority of the country- that fell again “. repeat fall into the same pit again and again.

      Canada, US, Germany, UK and several other countries make their plans to grant loads of jabs to developing countries. If our megalos in power would not exchange a good word with those leaders, people will fall into real danger.
      :
      GOTA AND THAKKADI MAHINDA RAJAPAKSHE should go and see in a mirror who they are… ENOUGH is enough !

  • 12
    2

    PART TWO
    .
    I know that I’m regarded as rather unintelligent by most readers, but in this instance, I sounded the warning relatively early. See my comments on this article by Daya Gamage a full two months ago. SJ will be thrilled to see that no thumbs of any sort have spoilt the virgin purity, up to now.
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/dueling-nationalisms-jvp-role-in-it-u-s-indifference-to-youth-88-89-massacre/
    .
    I’m not going to waste time talking about this current article; in fact, I have hardly read it, just skimmed through to ascertain that this article is best left unexplored. We no longer have a communal Civil War in Lanka. Yet this article is full of warnings against the LTTE, Prabhakaran, and Al-Qaeda. No mention of our current enemy – the Double-Paksha government.

    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/cyber-espionage-ransomware-wars/
    .

    That latest article by Kumar is about hacking: I fear that CT has been hacked by this man: Daya Gamage.
    .
    If you read, be on your guard!
    .
    Panini Edirisinhe (NIC 483111444V)

    • 11
      1

      He belongs to one of these armchair patriots and rabidly anti Thamizh Chingkalla Diaspora in the west. Others are Jester, Eagle Blind and many others posting here. Have run away like rats from a sinking ship, just for the good life in the west and all the opportunities that it offers to them and their families. Enjoy all the freedoms that the west offers, including all the opportunities that are provided to non white non European origin minorities like them. Make every use of this but at every instance run down the west, and whilst enjoying all these freedoms and opportunities in their new homeland want , discrimination, structural genocide and marginalization of the island’s Thamizh and now Muslim Thamizh also back home. Unlike the Thamizh who were largely forced to flee or migrate to the west, these racist arm chair patriots had no reason to flee to the west but still went there for the good life and everything else that it offered but do not want all this back at home and the country to develop, so preach hatred from the comfort of their new western homes, where they are now nice, cozy and safe.

    • 9
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      “”The result was the West, especially the United States, believed – ….. nothing but a ‘free-for-all’ between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils. Neither the Sri Lankan authorities highlighted nor the U.S. (and the West) questioned as to why….since 1983 when the LTTE mercilessly killed hundred-odd Buddhist monks, attacked and damages the secret Temple of the Tooth and brutally killed two busloads of school children in Sinhalese-majority southern districts”
      Perhaps Daya doesn’t understand that the US has more sources of information than he thinks. Perhaps Daya doesn’t know that the US isn’t run by people who believe in Tooth relics or Hooniyang. Perhaps Daya doesn’t know that the US doesn’t regard killing Buddhist monks as worse than killing teenage Tamil schoolgirls. Perhaps Daya doesn’t even understand that supplying one-sided “information” to intelligent people in the US government damages the credibility of the supplier.
      Mr. Gamage, the only way to have your way in the US is to show that all citizens of this country are treated equally. The fact is, YOU CAN’T.
      In the alternative, give them a 99 year lease on Mannar to look for OIL.

      • 4
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        “Sri Lanka’s Dismal Ignorance Of The U.S. System & The Mindset Of U.S. Policymakers”
        The headline is absolutely correct. The Sinhalayo go to Washington and talk about being the “original inhabitants” to lawmakers in a nation of immigrants. This is the surest way of insulting them and their intelligence. These Sinhalayo are only doing the Tamil diaspora a favour with such colossal ignorance.

  • 11
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    Sinhala Man , I fully agree this guy is third class. But he is not the only one. isn’t it.

  • 10
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    This rubbish article is more appropriate for Sinhalese extremist sites like Lanka Lies. He would have been applauded there, for posting this

  • 3
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    So here is the thing. In 2009 a secret that was hidden from the entire world was revealed. The founder of Buddhism, Gothama Buddha lived all his life in this island. The reason it emerged was the relative calmness and peace after a war. There is a concerted international effort to keep this secret hidden. They are primarily using the human rights narrative to keep this history drowned in a mire of bad news. I am not kidding, but they engineered the violence you saw over 70 years in the island. They are using minorities to create violence. Given this is the case, even the Easter bombings could has a connection. So all inhabitants of this island will be on the receiving-end of violence until this history -> http://jambudipa.quora.com is revealed by the govt of Sri Lanka to the world. This will not mean end to all problems. However, it will take one major cause that is reason for the troubles out of the equation.

    • 5
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      I do not know whether to laugh at this stupid comment or to cry thinking someone so stupid and gullible exists. One thing is certain, you need psychiatrist help and please visit one immediately, as you are suffering from delusions. There are lots of medicinal effects eating the Jambu fruit, especially if you have diabetes or hear decease. Not sure about mental illness but still good for you.

      • 2
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        Pandi Kutti
        I saw some comments posted by you somewhere else distorting our Sinhalese history in Anuradhapura.
        For your information, “Anuradhapura” was not named after a creature called Anuradha.
        The correct name of “Anuradhapura” is actually “Anoorajapura” which means “Anoo(90)-Raja(king)-Pura(city)” i.e. the City of Ninety Kings.
        The original name of Anuradhapura is “Atanaatapura”, which is known as the ancient capital of the Sinhala Yakkha people.

        • 2
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          Champa, archaeologically there were only two ethnic groups in pre-historic times viz Veddhas and Dravidians. There were no such people called Sinhala Yakkas, whose skeletal remains or artifacts have never been found. There was glorious Dravidian civilization along Aruvi Aru (Malwatte Oya) from Mannar to Anuradha with Mantai as the capital. Anuradha was only a hamlet and made capital only by Bengali immigrants. If it was the capital of Sinhala Yakkas, you must show the remains of that. Even Veddhas had their seat of rule in Vaharai, remains of which was discovered recently. Sinhalese are mixture of Dravidians, Bengalis and Veddhas, which the genetic studies have proved.

          • 1
            2

            Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam
            Oh, please give me a break.
            Archaeologically there were only Veddas and Dravidians?????? Seriously? Archaeologically? Then who built massive tanks and pagodas and why were all “your” ancient tanks named after our Sinhala Yakka kings?
            Give me the name of one Vedda king and one Dravida king. Show me one proof of their existence from YOUR OWN history books.
            As you say, if there were only Veddas and Dravidians, what was the NAME OF THEIR COUNTRY?
            Dravida is not even an ethnicity. It is a collection of various languages.
            There was no river called Aruvi Aru in ancient times. It was Maha Oya (the Great River). The port was known as Mahatiththa, Mahapattana or Mahatota.
            Similarly, there was no place called Mannar or Mantai in ancient times. It’s ancient name was Manu Aramaya.
            There are no Bengali or Dravida (?) mixed Sinhalese at all. The Sinhalese people are descendants of the native Sinhala Yakka people. I believe that Veddas are a sub-tribe of Yakkas.

            • 1
              0

              Dear Champa,
              .
              I will always continue to respect you as an independent person unlike the paid lackey-racists like “Eagle Eye”. You also have certain principles.
              .
              However, I’m amazed that a person of your intelligence can really believe in the rubbish that you have written here.
              .
              What is most disturbing is that you are essentially an honest and earnest person who will not write with tongue in cheek.
              .
              Having granted you all those virtues, I must yet tell you that what you are spouting here is arrant nonsense. I wish I knew how to drive sense into you.
              .
              Going on all that you have said in the comments that you have posted on this page, you know that you are the only person in the world who believes that “Sinhalese people” have inhabited this island for 48,000 years, and yet you are lunatic enough to keep saying it!

    • 5
      1

      Dear Jambu,
      You possibly are nutty. But do you have to make it so obvious?

      • 5
        0

        Dear old codger,
        .
        I find it difficult to keep a tab on all those who use pseudonyms; I have no idea what sort of human slouches behind the persona of “Jambu”?
        .
        Is he being nutty, or is this satire of a sort? I certainly don’t want to spend the rest of my life on this. Nor do I want to stir up hours more of controversy by referring to “soma” by the name on his Birth Certificate.
        .
        However, this I must tell you: whilst I’d like to have the delightful “old codger” as a friend, I don’t feel any urge to break through you Avatar because you come through to me as a real – consistent – human being. Having put this on I’m going to get back to the seemingly endless material that follows from the Quora link provided by him.
        .
        Also I find that a new article has come up on Arumuga Navalar; I don’t want to get bogged down in that!

        • 6
          1

          SM,
          “Is he being nutty, or is this satire of a sort?”
          Of course such people come across as nutters. Even Champa believes this stuff, though otherwise sane. This is the problem with many educated Sri Lankans. You should watch the “Truth with Chamuditha” videos of him promoting an alleged Covid cure by an engineer who, by the way, is Dr. Paba Palihawadana’s husband! How surreal can it get in this country?

        • 0
          3

          Hello Sinhala man
          Soma calling here.
          Any problem?

          • 1
            0

            Dear Mr Gamini Somaratne,
            .
            I have no problem whatever with you. Despite your good English, and your civility towards me at times (the above comment, for instance), I regret that I cannot reciprocate that civility towards a racist who is intent on creating mischief.
            .
            Perhaps you have a problem; it appears that you want to deny that you are the person calling yourself “soma”, but I feel that almost every regular reader of Colombo Telegraph now realises that we’ve got your identity right!
            .
            If you want to go on asserting that we’ve got your identity wrong, then “soma” had better tell people who he is. But how can you, given the fact that you are indeed Gamini Somaratne?
            .
            I’m sorry that I was forced to reveal your identity, but it became necessary only because you keep saying dangerous things that do a lot of harm.

        • 2
          0

          SM,
          .
          I had chidhood memories about ” Jambu tree stood in our parents place then”: Since I started reading Jambu-commenters thoughts… I have the feeling I have slightly lost the JAMBU appetite.

          What about that ” 1455″ .. who has always been fuzzy about anti-GOSL commenters ?

    • 6
      1

      Dear Jambu,
      .
      From the time I was born, it was surely decreed that my stay on this planet was only for a finite period of time. I think that I began to get an inkling of that by the time I was about five years old. Only an inkling, mind; I was never a precocious genius.
      .
      The quora link that you have provided will take up the rest of my mortal life-span, unless I play safe on this.
      .
      It leads to things like this:
      .
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgFnRoFMHwQ
      .
      I acknowledge that I can’t evaluate all the arguments here. The only person active on CT whom I can think of is Manel Fonseka. I remember her challenging Champa to prove that anybody except Dr Rajah de Silva (whom I deem to be not a crank -going on this next link) had disputed that Kasyapa built Sigiriya:
      .
      https://island.lk/restoration-of-sigiriya-frescoes-vandalized-in-1967/
      .
      There was every sign that Manel issued that challenge in grim earnest.
      .

      I’m out of my depth, but clearly what I said about Daya Gamage remains valid.

      • 1
        7

        Sinhala_Man
        I already replied to Manel Fonseka.
        To make it more clear, Dr. Raja de Silva only disputed that Kasyapa built Sigiriya whereas my argument is that the rock which was (mis)named by the British as Sigiriya is actually NOT Sigiriya and that the actual Sigiriya is a different rock and therefore, there is no way Kasyapa built the current Sigiriya or the actual Sigiriya. I believe that I am the only person to have brought up this point so far.
        .
        I also replied to 4 others who challenged me. I have attached it here for you and them to see.
        .
        old codger
        Hindian Vedda
        SJ
        Leelagemalli
        Wow! What a weird crowd interested in my sources of history research!
        My sources are based on my own research which actually started out of sheer curiosity after finding out some contradictions about Lord Buddha in my Grade 3 Buddhism book.
        I have a lot to reveal about our history. I will decide when and where I should reveal my sources and in what manner.
        I found out the truth about Sigiriya so many years ago. My research is still ongoing, but the initial studies have proved that Sigiriya was not built by Kasyapa and that it has a very long history and a different name. I still couldn’t find out how some Sigiri girls got 6 fingers in their hands.

        • 5
          1

          Champa,
          ” I still couldn’t find out how some Sigiri girls got 6 fingers in their hands.’
          So you are saying these 6-fingered aliens built Sigiriya? And, unlike good Sinhala Buddhist girls, they are topless too. Interesting idea.

          • 1
            5

            old codger
            I only pointed out one discrepancy based on a document published when HCP Bell was the Commissioner of Archaeology in Ceylon. There are more.
            Sigiri girls are not topless. They are wearing transparent silk. There is a story in India about one Akbar accusing a woman for not wearing any clothes and the angry woman had replied that she was wearing 9 of them!
            I can prove that Sigiri girls don’t represent Sinhalese women or Sinhalese art. Sigiri girls were first discovered by an Englishman called Parker (to my mind). When it was revealed, angry Sinhalese people had erased a large chunk of those paintings.

            • 5
              2

              Champa,
              “When it was revealed, angry Sinhalese people had erased a large chunk of those paintings”
              Where is your evidence for this? Many 19th century Sinhalese women were themselves topless. The lady in the “Isurumuniya lovers” is also topless. Even in the 1950’s there were topless women in some areas. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong in that, unlike you. Do you know that your ideas on female modesty have nothing to do with Buddhism, but are more connected to 19th century Christian morals?

              • 1
                3

                old codger
                Oh, I have documentary evidence to prove that.
                .
                All these stories about topless women came out in the 19th Century and they were about the women in Kandy. They should be Malabari women who posed as Sinhalese.
                Check any documents written by foreigners in the 16th and 17th Century. Why wasn’t there any mention of topless Sinhalese women then?
                In fact, the Portuguese writers have clearly mentioned the dress code of Sinhalese women to be a jacket and a long cloth and that when they go out of the house they have placed a folded towel on one of their shoulders.

                • 3
                  1

                  Champa,
                  Here is some real evidence, with pictures:
                  http://livingheritage.org/toplessness.htm#
                  I know first hand that women of certain castes went topless even in the 1950’s. Their men weren’t allowed to wear upper garments either. Ask your grandma about the Beravas.
                  The long-sleeved redde-hatte is of Portuguese origin. They were the first to introduce their standards of modesty.
                  “As for women s attire, Martin Wickremasinghe (Purana Sinhala Stringe Enduma) basing his contentions on the Pali work Dhammapadatthakatha (5th century A.C.) has shown that ancient Sinhalese women did not cover the upper part of their bodies.
                  Martin
                  Wickremasinghe states that middle-class women only wore a cloth round their hips when at home and also used another to cover their shoulders whenever they went outdoors”
                  It seems there is a lot that you don’t know about your own country.

                  • 1
                    2

                    old codger
                    Oh, I have seen those pictures. None of the pictures shown at the left side represent Sinhalese women. Their features don’t tally with Sinhalese women.
                    It is Hinduism and Jainism that did not allow women to cover their bossoms which is shown in ancient Indian art and pictures taken even in the 19th Century in India. There was no such discriminatory law in Buddhism. Our ancient temple art correctly depicts Sinhalese women.
                    Portuguese didn’t introduce standards of modesty to us. Their written evidence provides ample proof that our Sinhalese women wore full attire when the Portuguese first landed in Ceylon.
                    .
                    Dhammapada Atthakatha are extremely difficult to translate. There is no guarantee that Martin Wickremasinghe’s version is the correct version. On a separate matter, Martin Wickremasinghe was the first to use the word “Budun” instead of “Budurajanan Wahanse or Lord Buddha”.
                    If our Sinhalese women were topless in ancient times, it should have shown in our Buddhist art, as in ancient Lanka, women were fully involved in all Buddhist activities.
                    My knowledge of the history of Buddhism and the Sinhalese people is based on my own research.

                    • 2
                      1

                      Champa,
                      “My knowledge of the history of Buddhism and the Sinhalese people is based on my own research.”
                      Ah, that explains a lot.
                      My own knowledge of astrophysics, rocket science, heart surgery, snake oil manufacture, ancient Buddhist railways, etc is also based on my own research.

                    • 3
                      0

                      Champa,
                      .
                      “My knowledge of the history of Buddhism and the Sinhalese people is based on my own research.”

                      Please expand your hours of research and get back to us. So far you sound to have read nothing much about the truths.
                      :
                      Please dont let Rajapakshes to abuse SO CALLED BUDDHISM /buddhagama for their political survival.
                      :
                      ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – now CURRENT JUNTA REGIME has proved, they are not capable enough to buy seond jabs for the ones already got the first one. How poor their external affairs have turned out to be…. wow…. RAJAPAKSHE miracles.
                      They are accessed to easy jabs being tested enough by CHINESE…. so do the far poor AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND THEIR LEDERSHIPS.

            • 6
              2

              Champa,
              “Sigiri girls are not topless. They are wearing transparent silk. “
              So , as a Sinhala Buddhist lady, you would approve such outfits being worn today?

              • 1
                3

                old codger
                I only described the painting. The rest is your own assumption.
                What I tried to point out is that ancient Sinhalese women did not wear silk. They only wore cotton and linen clothes.

                • 3
                  1

                  Champa,
                  So the Isurumuniya lady is wearing an invisible cotton garment?

                  • 1
                    3

                    old codger
                    The Isurumuniya couple is believed to be Saliya and Asokamala. What are you trying to say? Are you comparing the Isurumuniya girl with Sigiri girls? C’mon, you can easily see that she is wearing clothes. Unlike Sigiri girls, she is wearing a tight chest cover. Look at Sigiri girls again. Then you will see one prominent feature is missing in the Isurumuniya girl which is proof that she is wearing a close-fitting short upper garment.

                    • 2
                      1

                      Champa,
                      The prominent feature was quite likely was weathered off. All I am trying to say is that the ancient Sinhalese women (or any South Asians) didn’t follow modern dress codes, AND that it is nothing to be ashamed of.

                  • 4
                    4

                    OC
                    On occasion when social values change, paintings and sculptures as well get painted over.
                    The human being is the only creature that considers the mammary glands as a sex organ.

                    • 3
                      0

                      S.J,
                      “The human being is the only creature that considers the mammary glands as a sex organ.”
                      Not all humans.
                      This Covid gets otherwise sane people into such esoteric discussions, doesn’t it?

                    • 6
                      0

                      Is there any sane person left on CT pages?

      • 1
        5

        Hello there “Sinhala man”,
        The island produces two world leaders Thathagatha and Cakravartin. We are currently in the cycle of Gothama the Thathagatha. Prior to a Thathagatha the island produces a dynasty of Cakravartins. The Cakravartins have the same level of intellect as a Thathagatha although they do not seek the spiritual path. Sigiriya is home to one or more Kings of this dynasty. The last Cakravartin dynasty was Ravana. They produced 7 Cakravartins. The 9th Ravana is the one mentioned in the Ramayanaya. The Ramayanaya mentions 6 runways that existed in “Lanka”. This area is not the entire island but only the area towards the north. This is the same location Lord Buddha visited 3 times. He visited the north of the island from the East of the island. The aircraft used by Ravana is modelled after a species of bird known as the “Gurula”. The feet at the entrance to Sigiriya rock belongs to a Gurula. That is why it has 3 fingers. Its not the feet of a lion as its commonly believed. King Kassapa may have re-used it at a later date.

        • 3
          0

          Jambu,
          .
          Looking at MaRa aka Mafia boss and his siblings, I thought, this ISLAND produced only ANGULIMALAS or the like blood suckers that would deliberately suck the last blood drop the inhabitants.
          .
          Now my postulation based on MaRa is closing the hearts and minds of so called SB adherents, though it took only 15 months since they are brought back to loot. Honourable RW has come out of his hibernation period and makes it very clear ” they thought what I failed would have been achieved easily, but today, they themselves have shown to the very same audience, it is no means easy”. However, RW-MS govt did it much smarter until RABBLEROUSING MaRa kidnapped silly SORYSENA. Remember that 52 d lasting FAKE govt, which was the the most abusive of every nature, which any kind of so called democracies have ever introduced to its people. WIth this being the reality, MaRa/GoTA combination with the whole backing of PINGUTTHARA prajawa plus all punnku drinkers have reached their stale mate ends whatever they made effort to achieve. Not the least outcome is there for the benefit of the masses. People gave the benefit of the doubt, however, looking back it should be a committing ” harakiri” by their own.

          • 0
            2

            Hello leelagemalli,

            Can you restrict your questions to the subject matter at hand please? I have provided a link up there in Quora. Alternatively there are more here -> https://sirisaddharmaya.net/related-publications.html Ask me any serious question and I will respond positively. Thanks.

            • 5
              0

              Jambu,
              Do you have any more details of Ravana’s aircraft? Like the fuel it used. Or was it pulled by captive Thatagathas?
              Why did it have feet instead of wheels? Where was it registered? No, I am not the only one interested. The Civil Aviation Authority has also asked for info.

              • 0
                3

                Old codger, the fuel used for Ravana’s aircraft requires far more imagination than the one required to understand the home of the Buddha. So I think you are wasting time.

              • 3
                0

                OC,

                that should be found in his home collection right ?

                Those who go after RAVANA and the stuff are proved to have not read much. They would not see beyond srilanken bounderies.

                Besides,if available, detailed info would be a plus to create a special aircraft for our KING (MaRa) right ? This would be much better than put him ” dolawa”.

                • 2
                  0

                  L.M
                  Yes, and we wouldn’t have to spend so much buying MIGs.

  • 10
    2

    The author wants to boil the blood of Buddhist Sinhala to create another massacre of Tamils as in 1958, 1977, 1983 and 2009.
    Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalists like the author will not allow peace in the country because they wants the people and country to suffer while they enjoy their life in foreign soils like USA.

  • 2
    10

    “How many policymakers in Western countries were told that a 52% of ethnic Tamils are living outside the North-East provinces among the Sinhalese – the urban sector – gainfully employed and have access to advanced educational system that the Tamils and Sinhalese are deprived of in the rural sector?”
    .
    My persistent attempt on Colombo Telegraph is to repeatedly highlight this fact to all Tamil contributors (who behave like Ostriches over this demographic reality) and impress upon them that Ealam without 52% is no Ealam.
    Based on the confidence that NOT A SINGLE TAMIL FAMILY is ever prepared to leave Sinhala majority provinces ( perhaps due to superiority of the Sinhala Buddhist environment) I always declare that I raise my hand for a SEPARATE Tamil Homeland.
    .
    MY DEAR EALAMIST BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
    There is only one way forward for you.
    Organise an intensive campaign under the leadership of Wingeshwarn and TNA directed at all Tamil speaking people presently living outside North East encouraging to relocate themselves into the would-be Homeland.
    If and when such an effort show any trace of success and my Tamil brothers and sisters starts leaving us that day I will feel ashamed as a Sinhalese and join you as an active partner of your struggle. I will apologise for destroying your military wing.
    Disagreement to such a proposal demonstrates your shameless inferiority complex – don’t even try.

    Soma

    • 3
      1

      “How many policymakers in Western countries were told that a 52% of ethnic Tamils are living outside the North-East provinces among the Sinhalese – the urban sector – gainfully employed and have access to advanced educational system “ Somu, I am not replying this as writer’s word, I care less of his blah blab. I am only replying to you, taking this as your repetition in CT.
      Somu, you misunderstand us. We say the same. Appeh Aanduwa, from 1948 reduced the North East to rural Sinhala Buddhist area while one time North East had 20 best College-High Schools, but urban Sinhala area had only 2. Now Tamils must go to Sinhala Urban areas to do their studies.
      To achieve this Aanduwa bought Standardization and Sophasa medium and nationalized the Tamil Hindu schools’ universities like building complexes. It’s all donated by Hindu Philanthropists, while in south, Sinhala politicians were building fake criminal royal dynasties from swindled people’s money. For none of those they donated even a brick; but naming the government buildings with their family members’ names. No Sinhala Politicians have contributed for social funding like Hindu Philanthropists did.
      Aanduwas, as the way JR declared, to make Sinhala Buddhists feel happy and celebrate the demise of Tamils with Kiribath and firecrackers, destroyed Tamils’ properties and have made Tamils to seek servitude in Sinhala urban areas.

    • 3
      1

      Not just the poor Tamils, filthy riches like Karuna, Deva, Mahendran, Kathirgamar, Radhika all are in the same servitude life. Life of upstate Tamils is not in urban palaces unlike Thondaman like crooks who copycat Sinhala Politicians. Aanduwa spent $400 billion to destroy Tamils’ infrastructure and lives, in the last 30 years. But did not spend $40B to improve the whole southern educational infrastructure. This is how modern Duta Gemunu and Parakramabahu were created though neither of the original famous kings were Sinhala Buddhists; one is Tamil Hindu Naga King from Kathirkamam & the other one is South Indian Chola King.
      Outside Lankawe, only three groups know the1.5 million estate Tamils living the destitution and beggary life in urban and rich mountain: 1). Bracegirdle2). British Estate owners & and the Indian government which refused to settle them back in India. They are about to lose even that when China finishes buying the estates and replace them with Chinese prison workers. We wholeheartedly invite you and other Sinhalese, at least now, to start to inform the one side of the Tamils in Lankawe to all International leaders, please do it. Please do it yourself, do not associate with Thero de Silva, Daya Gamage like fake pundits.

    • 5
      1

      Soma,
      How many policymakers in China and Russia told how many Tamils were killed by Sinhalese during the period of seven decades and why they killed innocents not only in North but also in the South. Did you tell how you changed demography in the North East between 1947 and now. Did you tell how you bombed and shelled in the North East from 1980 to 2009?
      Why don’t you tell Sinhalese to remove all the tamils in the south as you did in 1958 and 1983 and remove the Sinhalese from North East because you have a military and you have a government.

      • 3
        4

        Mallaiyuran, Ajith
        .
        You want to move forward or backwards?
        Are you still interested in a Tamil Homeland/ Ealam.
        If yes read my comment again.
        I have clearly shown you the ONLY possible way.
        Your desire to live in the Sinhala majority provinces, your inferiority complex, your subconscious fear of a Tamil only enclave is the unsurmountable stumbling block on the path to Ealam.
        Writing reams and reams of humbug on Colombo Telegraph is pointless.
        ADDRESS THE TAMIL SPEAKING PEOPLE SCATTERED ACROSS THE ISLAND OUTSIDE NORTH EAST.
        Talk to TNA and Wingeshwarn- start NOW.

        Soma

    • 4
      0

      soman

      You are being clever dick again.
      We thought you have recovered from dissociative identity disorder (DID).
      It appears you have no chance of redeeming yourself from your discease.

      I fee sad about you.

      • 1
        2

        NV
        You are not interested in a Tamil Homeland.

        Soma

        • 3
          2

          Soma,
          Perhaps, I am the only one, on this Forum, willing to accept you as a chum. But, that day keeps receding, because of your antics!
          .
          Learn this fact. Tamils of NE hide themselves among you, because your military keeps on oppressing them.
          .
          Until you change this reality, Tamils will continue to remind you of our Homeland.

          • 3
            1

            “Tamils of NE hide themselves among you, because your military keeps on oppressing them.”
            Some, yes.
            Many, no. They are too used to Colombo life. Even the LTTE had dismissed them decades ago.

        • 4
          2

          Soma,

          May I ask you if that Eagle Eye is related to you (genetically ) ?

          Your comments are more or less close to that of EE:
          :
          Sensitive readers, over to you.please be alert on the danger before us ! (us = anti-racists)

          • 0
            2

            leelagemalli
            As we are using pseudonyms Soma doesn’t know who is Eagle Eye and Eagle Eye doesn’t know who is Soma.
            .
            Sinhala_man is engaged in identity theft as a hobby with his computer. You could probably ask him but his success rate is very poor.

            Soma

    • 7
      3

      Soma repeating the same lies, does not make it the truth. Even as per your government statistics 51% of all the island’s Tamils ( native and Indian origin, most probably not the Muslims, as despite being ethnically Tamil do not identify themselves as Tamils but by their religion) live in the north and east. Further 70% of the native or indigenous Eelam Tamils live in the north and east and the 90% of the remaining 30% live within the greater Colombo area, where they have been forced to relocate, for employment, now educational and other opportunities, that are denied to them by the Sri Lankan state in their own land. They also leave due to the activities of the occupying Sri Lankan Armed forces. Remember that thousands of native Tamils are still living in their traditional villages along the north west coast of Puttalam, Chilaw and Negombo, the ones who still have resisted to become Sinhalese like the rest of their kin in these areas, which were all once part of the Tamil homeland, now given to the Sinhalese by the British. The vast overwhelming majority of the Tamils living in the Sinhalese south are Indian origin, estate and others like traders, who have always lives there for generations. Please post the exact truth and do not twist this to justify your racism.

      • 1
        1

        Rohana25
        I can sense your desire to live in the South.
        Nothing makes me proud as a Sinhalese than that.

        Soma

    • 6
      2

      Soma
      :
      who do you think you are to advise tamil srilankens ? Our moda sinhalayas are taught to feel that they are above the others.. this attitude is destroying this country. Our youth would never have a chance to see a better future.
      :
      Let the experts in the fields to do the job. I do believe, you are not a political scientist, nor are u a constitutional expert.
      :
      Buruwage wade Balla baragaththoth.. weda waradhiyi.. why to let the dogs to do the donkey s work. ?
      .
      Now or later, only solution to our ethnic issues would be to go for FEDERALISM.
      .
      If Switzerland, Germany and several other countries could succeed by FEDERALISM, why not we 22.5 million people in our mother country ?

      Each time travelling to Switzerland I feel how much bureaucracy in that country, but adminsitrative powers are devolved to even tiny electroal bodies (Bezierks) – the purpose is to allow each community to feel that they are being treated equally. There are regions where only FRENCH is spoken while other parts are for swiss german provinces. They are just 7 millions by population, but their is a model for entire world.

      One should not mix it up with partiioning a country. Our people are misled by not having fed them with the ground realities of the federalism.

      • 0
        2

        Malli,

        “If Switzerland, Germany and several other countries could succeed by FEDERALISM, why not we 22.5 million people in our mother country ?”
        .
        Too late.
        Was there anything akin to 30 year war in Switzerland any time?
        .
        Outright separation as stipulated in the Vadukkodai resolution is preferable to Federalism. At present majority Tamil desire to live outside NE is the main stumbling block.
        .
        Minorities in each Federal unit will be rendered second class citizens.
        .
        Federalism is a stop gap to separatism hence a waste of time.
        .
        A Federal Sri Lanka will need huge military resources to keep it federal.

        Soma

        • 1
          0

          So, soma is the separatist, whilst “leelagemalli” and I are people doing our best to keep Lanka united as a country where all citizens are “first-class”, and live in amity and fraternal love.
          .
          However, be very clear about this: unlike you, we will force not force anyone to share our views.

        • 2
          0

          Soma,
          “Was there anything akin to 30 year war in Switzerland any time?”
          You shouldn’t throw out such empty challenges.
          This was the last of the Swiss civil wars:
          “The Sonderbund War (German: Sonderbundskrieg, French: Guerre du Sonderbund, Italian: Guerra del Sonderbund) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland, then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons (states). It ensued after seven Catholic cantons formed the Sonderbund (“separate alliance”) in 1845 to protect their interests against a centralization of power. The war concluded with the defeat of the Sonderbund. It resulted in the emergence of Switzerland as a federal state,”

          • 2
            0

            Thanks old codger
            I have to admit of my ignorance.

            Soma

  • 3
    2

    Our time scarcity limit on us commenting on this type of naked racists propagandas. So, we stay out of this essay in our comment. This our Tamil Eelam’s general position. That is our reply too for this essay.
    It is the obligation of the IC to commission another Nuremberg for Lankawe War criminals and basing that to recognizing the North East’s self-determination rights. 1976 Massachusetts government accepted the Vatu Koodai convention. 1987 India accepted Tamils’ homeland. Based on these, America and other Western countries are much behind in recognizing Tamils’ independence, though Canada is slightly ahead of on some recognitions. Our main concern is America. It does not mean we ignore others. But America setting the example will help others to follow the suit.
    As soon as America, India and other western countries get us a solution, we will start to work on our promises. Our promises are not Banda Chelva Pact. We will honor all the expectation of the UN & international community. Our constitution will be drafted by UN experts, taken best elements from British, American Canadian Constitution. Canadian-Quebec model can be used as a model to achieve additional religious freedom to Muslim areas.

  • 3
    2

    Instead of showing fake Singapore miracle for the poverty hit people, we will give reasonable freedom to Western-Indian firms bring FDI and supply jobs to people. India can rebuild the bridge for easy travelling & cultural & technological, business exchanges.
    As we have been forced by Sinhala Buddhist Appe Anduwas to run away from the country as refugees with only the wearing cloths, we are left out much behind to the world. Our needs and priorities are many and extremely urgent. One of them is to seek a re-life for 90 thousand war widow families – the Tamil soldiers’ families who are devastated by Aanduwa – the Tamil and Muslims families who took the war directly on their chest. Next is a local TRO, in association with or independently from the IC War Crimes Commission. This local one will be used to excuse the local criminals who performed their crimes under Aanduwas’ pressure. We will honor the martyrs equally, without differentiating them associating with groups. We will contribute to maintain peace in Indian ocean with America, India, Australia, and Japan. This can in the form of political support, resources contribution and military support.

  • 1
    11

    Mr. Daya Gamage
    Thank you for your article.
    I understand your frustration. However, the Rajapaksa government as usual won’t take any action on the concerns raised by you.
    I dare say Basil Rajapaksa is behind both resolutions in Canada and the US.
    In fact, it is the Rajapaksas who were behind war crimes allegations against our military. Before the elections, we heard names of political figures attached to war crimes allegations and then their names magically disappeared leaving only the names of military generals.
    Even the Bill 104, the Tamil LTTE Genocide Education Week which covers the period from May 11 to 18, which is specifically designed to absolve the then Head of State who was out of the country at the time, proves Basil Rajapaksa’s close rapport with exiled LTTE cadre.
    Contrary to what you think, I don’t see any point in ‘re-educating’ the American lawmakers on ground realities pertaining to Tamils in Sri Lanka as they are fully aware of them.
    Contd’….

    • 1
      6

      Continuation…..
      .
      If the U.S. and Canada are seen as vanguards of protecting the rights of women and children in the world, and if the U.S. and Canada believes that the LTTE, a terror group founded by a ferocious fascist who kidnapped women (including his own wife) and children who were forced to be suicide bombers and fighters is the “voice of minority Tamil issues”, then the U.S. and Canada are undermining their own values.
      .
      Moreover, Mr. Daya Gamage, don’t worry about the Tamil homeland myth. If American lawmakers believe the myth, then we should invite them to prove it.
      We have more than enough evidence to prove that the Sinhalese people are the original natives of the entire Sri Lanka including the North & East. Honestly speaking, why do we have to prove? I am furious about it as there is ample archaeological evidence about the existence of original native Sinhalese in this island.
      For example, I can prove the history of the Sinhalese people upto 3863 years back living in the North & East, even with my eyes closed. Then I have written evidence to prove the existence of Sinhalese tens of thousands of years ago.

      • 10
        1

        Champa,
        You are making an ass of yourself. “I can prove the history of the Sinhalese people up to 3863 years back, living in the North & East, even with my eyes closed”.
        Never write a comment in your sleep.
        Even more hillarious is, ‘I have written evidence to prove the existence of Sinhalese tens of thousands of years ago’. Who were these people, speaking Sinhalese tens of thousands of years ago. Were they also speaking in their sleep!

        • 5
          2

          Correction: I should have sad: Who were these people, speaking Sinhala, NOT Who were these people, speaking Sinhalese.

      • 9
        1

        Champa,
        “Then I have written evidence to prove the existence of Sinhalese tens of thousands of years ago.”
        Including the one who never invented the wheel?

        • 1
          7

          Nathan
          old codger
          I challenge anybody who says North & East is Tamil homeland.
          It is already scientifically proven that Sri Lanka had a civilization 48,000 years ago. Our Sinhalese history goes much beyond that.

          • 4
            2

            Champa,
            “I challenge anybody who says North & East is Tamil homeland.”
            Read Robert Knox’s book in which he mentions that the people of Anuradhapura were Tamil-speaking in 1680. Do you need a Sinhala translation of that?
            Where is your “evidence”?

            • 1
              3

              old codger
              So? They should most probably be Malabari labourers brought down by the Dutch.

              • 3
                1

                Champa,
                “They should most probably be Malabari labourers brought down by the Dutch”
                And how come Malabaris brought by the Dutch were living deep inside the Kandyan Kingdom in 1680? Even you can’t be that stupid? If they were here in 1680, they have a claim to the area.

          • 8
            2

            Champa


            “It is already scientifically proven that Sri Lanka had a civilization 48,000 years ago.”

            Please tell us what sort of civilization did you have 48,000 years ago?

            “Our Sinhalese history goes much beyond that.”

            Brilliant, did the first ape speak Sinhalese and practice Sinhala/Buddhism?

    • 8
      2

      Champa,
      .
      Are u perhaps on drugs ?
      :
      Yours sound to be no consistent.
      :
      I really dont know what goes through your head.
      :
      Once upon a time you sounded very close to SANKILI WEERAWANSE whose existence is today questionable. Today you would just say nothing about Weerawanse…. if anyone thought WEERAWANSE was genuine, it was you on this forum.
      All others thought, street boy would not be good at clean the Maradana Toilets. The damage the man s cesspit has made to the srilanken nation is multiple times more than what the sinking GOTA ship has made to Indian Ozean these days.

      Either he is under your bed or that of MaRa- the key man srilanken racism based politics.

    • 7
      3

      Champa,
      “We have more than enough evidence to prove that the Sinhalese people are the original natives “
      Are you people really that dumb??
      You go to the USA, a nation of immigrants not even 300 years old, and tell them that you regard the Tamils as inferior because (according to you) they are invaders.
      There is no surer way of shooting yourself in the foot. This is why the Tamil diaspora get the upper hand even without doing anything. You ignorant fools do their work for them!

  • 8
    4

    Fled to the west to live in luxury and enjoy the liberty, freedom , that many of its multi cultural societies offer but preach and incite racism , genocide, war crimes and marginalization of the island’s Tamils back home. This person is not a frog in the well Sinhalese villager, who does not know anything other than the Mahavamsa myths that are dinned into him or her by the ruling elite and politicians but some one educated, widely travelled and now living in the west and knows what is right and wrong , like many posting anti Tamil rubbish here. This is what is most disturbing.

    • 2
      1

      Rohan25, Don’t be disturbed. Whether diaspora or Champa or even the top of our land have run to the west for what money alone can bring. But they are empty inside as they have no feel of homeland. So their struggle is to prove to themselves with all kinds of myths that they are doing well and that the best has happened to them. So be it. We are proud of being first class citizens in the land of our birth, and they are trying to make us slaves of China in our own land. At the worst even under slavery, we are still proud of having the first class citizenship they have lost and are craving for. Can’t eat their cake and have it too. We won.

    • 0
      0

      Rohan 25 @

      Europeans and americans are their friends if they would offer the GOSL few hundreds of millions.

      If they start question as to why srilanken let basic human rights be violated- then so called ” jathayalaya – fake patriotism” packed in ” sinnhala buddhism” would become the tool. Looking back how the current men returned to power was – through fake adulation fo Rajapkshes. Rajapakshes have proved to date, that they are not capable of handling even tiny issues. They have failed to distribute free granted jabs for those who are really in need. They did not have any system from the beginning on.. but HIK HIK man, …. defacto President in power… enjoys his executive presidency

      This is the only country in today s world, where the ” alleged high criminals” get elected to presidency through ” blatant lies being packed in the SANGA costume” … using all misleading tactics… media mafiosis should be punished by bringing them to galle face green to the manner sharia law would punish the sort of criminals. …
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5TlqMqN314

  • 2
    2

    Dear “davidthegood”,
    .
    I don’t agree with you about Champa. She is sincere and honest, but deluded. Actually, if you go on what she says about History, she is stark raving mad; but with genuine feeling and love for this island.
    .
    What you have said applies in full measure to all the Rajapaksa brothers, and their progeny.
    .
    Champa, there are many of us who are keen on rehabilitating you!

    • 4
      1

      Dear Sinhala Man,
      .
      Dont you think that it is the average conditioned mind set of the people in our home country ?
      I mean focusing on our sinhalaya. I have no doubt, SIMON could agree with me here. Champa or the like minded people would naively believe, anything and everything if it would be just seen on the web. That is why s/he came with an idea that we the sinhalese were already there also 50000 year ago.

      Btw did you watch this then ?
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5TlqMqN314
      :

    • 3
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      SM,
      “but with genuine feeling and love for this island.”
      I agree, but she inhabits a different island, not the one we live in. Perhaps LPG is cheaper there too?

  • 3
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    Please spare a thought for the author of this article – he is one of the guys referred to by “davidthegood” as being “empty inside as they have no feel of homeland.
    .
    He laboured at articles like this:
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/why-us-sri-lanka-pact-acsa-kept-a-secret-tied-to-us-defense-law/
    .
    and this:
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/americas-not-so-open-story-the-plight-of-13-minority-ethnic-blacks/
    .
    and had only one comment on each article.
    .
    But then he writes this article, and I call him a fraud, whilst old codger calls him an idiot. Lo, and behold; there are eighty comments.
    .
    However, that is because the star has turned out to be Champa, and her loony theories about how what happened 48,000 years ago. Poor Daya Gamage has been ignored, and probably not even read.
    .
    Food for thought!
    .
    Panini Edirisinhe, (NIC 483111444v) aka “Sinhala_Man”

    • 0
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      Sinhala_man,
      In addition name and NIC number , if you add your photo we can make a duplicate NIC.

      Soma

    • 2
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      S.M,
      “whilst old codger calls him an idiot”
      No, I didn’t call him an idiot. Give the devil his due, Daya G is no idiot. He’s smarter than many of the “patriots” who turn up here . But he isn’t smart enough to see that his ” patriotism” is built on moving foundations.

      • 1
        0

        Dear oc,
        .
        Sorry for exceeding my remit. I guess that I had no right to post that “interpretation” of this comment of yours made on the 14th, above:
        .
        The headline is absolutely /b>correct. The Sinhalayo go to Washington and talk about being the “original inhabitants” to lawmakers in a nation of immigrants. This is the surest way of insulting them and their intelligence. These Sinhalayo are only doing the Tamil diaspora a favour with such colossal ignorance.
        .
        How sad that Manel Fonseka hasn’t turned up here!

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