28 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Record To Be Reviewed By UNHRC On Wednesday

Sri Lanka’s human rights record will be examined by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the third time on Wednesday, 15 November 2017 in a meeting that will be webcast live.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein

Sri Lanka is one of the 14 States to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming session taking place from 6 to 17 November. Sri Lanka’s first and second UPR reviews took place in May 2008 and November 2012, respectively.

The documents on which the reviews are based are: 1) national report – information provided by the State under review; 2) information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities; 3) information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations and civil society groups.

Among the issues raised in the above-mentioned documents are: investigations into all cases of enforced disappearances, reparations for victims and relatives, and bringing those responsible to justice; investigations into alleged war crimes; the Prevention of Terrorism Act; operationalizing the Office of Missing Persons;; steps to establish a truth and reconciliation commission; ensuring equal access to justice systems for all communities; reports of the use of torture and arbitrary arrest by security and law enforcement; addressing hate speech and incitement to violence; promoting and protecting the rights of the LGBTI community; steps taken to decriminalise same-sex relations between adults; steps to protect religious minorities; the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act; combatting gender-based and sexual violence; criminalizing all forms of violence against women, including marital rape; steps to eliminate child labour; and measures taken to improve the living conditions of the poor.

The three reports serving as the basis for the review of Sri Lanka on 15 November can be found here

The delegation of Sri Lanka will be headed by Harsha de Silva, Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs

The three country representatives serving as rapporteurs (“troika”) for the review of Sri Lanka are: Burundi, the Republic of Korea and Venezuela.

The webcast of the session will be at http://webtv.un.org

The list of speakers and all available statements to be delivered during the review of Sri Lanka will be posted on the UPR Extranet at the following link [username:  hrc extranet (with space); password: 1session]:  https://extranet.ohchr.org/sites/upr/Sessions/28session/SriLanka/Pages/default.aspx

The UPR Working Group is scheduled to adopt the recommendations made to Sri Lanka at 17.30 on 17 November. The State under review may wish to express its positions on recommendations posed to it during their review. The recommendations will be shared with the media on this day in advance. (UN Human Rights Council)  

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Latest comments

  • 11
    3

    How long will our government be able to run with the hare and hunt with the hound, I wonder?

    • 3
      2

      Isn’t Para-occupied Sri Lanka’s Human Rights record perfect? They follow the theologies of four major religions.

      • 0
        0

        And any number of religion all broadcast at the top of their voices cm loudspeakers!

    • 4
      0

      Well said Sinhala man

  • 3
    1

    Dr. Harsha De Silva with his experience on The Not- SAITM- But- Still- SAITM solution he may CO-SPONSOR the UNHCR Review!

  • 6
    1

    In other news Sri Lankan politicians are not the only scum-bags that use religion for political and personal gains.

    “Washington (CNN)An Alabama state official is citing the Bible to defend GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore against sexual assault allegations on a 14-year-old girl decades ago.

    Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler, a Republican, dismissed the charges brought forth in a Washington Post article about Moore Thursday, telling The Washington Examiner that the relationship would be akin to that of Joseph and Mary.
    “Take the Bible: Zachariah and Elizabeth for instance,” Zeigler said. “Zachariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist. Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”

    Defense for accusations of sexual assault on a 14 year old child and few others that have come up.

    • 9
      1

      Burt

      You are right, the world is full of scum bags, and here in Sri Lanka we have more than our own fair share. Even our local hero Siddhartha was betrothed to Yasodhara, both still teenagers, and they promptly produced offspring. But those were in those times, and on the scale of things life had a much shorter span.

      Nowadays, in post Nandikadal Sri Lanka we have all the blood thirsty scum bags making hay and confident of being protected by the highest in land. They know full well that NONE of our political leaders will ever be associated with putting any ‘Ranaviru’ before a judge however convincing and compelling the evidence.

      There rests the honour and integrity of Mother Lanka.

      • 7
        0

        Spring Koha, it is so sad to read what you so truthfully say of a land which held such promise once upon a time,!

  • 7
    3

    SM
    As long as the UN and its agencies can run with the Third World and hunt with US imperialism.

  • 8
    2

    Holy Cow, Now Run ! You Run for cover!!
    All the Bull shit Bravados answer to the Big Brother now!!
    He has missed One more Shit !!
    Give back all the Lands and Houses belonging to Tamils , and Muslims.
    All the Occupied Lands , Houses and Businesses should be returned to the rightful owners.
    ASAP.

    • 1
      7

      Really? Will the upcountry be returned to the Kandyan peasantry too?

      • 6
        3

        Hey Paul, were they confiscated by the the inhabitants from the Kandyans? If not, then you need to talk some sense. These were stolen lands, so give it back. Whether it was stolen from the Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims or whoever give the damn thing back. Also it does not matter who stole the damn land.

      • 3
        2

        Paul

        “Will the upcountry be returned to the Kandyan peasantry too?

        Could you give us the details of the current owner occupiers of upcountry, why the state was unable or unwilling to return it to the Kandyan peasantry, … , how and when did Kandyan peasantry come to own it?

  • 5
    9

    When does the UN Human Rights Council review the human rights records of the US, China, Russia, Israel etc. etc.?
    UNHRC is a joke! Try to beat up poor countries.
    Sri Lanka is the ONLY country that totally wiped out terrorism.

    • 11
      5

      Nuisance, they are trying to beat up a poor country which beat up their poor civilian population. So shut up!!!!!

      • 4
        9

        tfn
        That is what happens when the “poor civilians” are suicide murdering terrorists. Terrorists do not deserve justice. So, stop complaining like an idiot.

        • 9
          4

          Nuisance you are one bloody idiot. Your bombing campaign of people included civilians f&*ktard. Use your f’in head you donkey brain.

          • 9
            1

            Tamil from the North

            Well did you notice how hard the right wing Sinhala/Buddhist war criminals are playing the victim card, blaming the actual victims.

            You may trace the contemporary origin of blaming the victim to 1915.

            • 6
              2

              NV, very true friend. My people and the Sinhalese robbed your people of this land and now fighting to see who arrived at 7 am and who arrived at 7.01 am. Insecure buggers are everywhere. Why can’t we live and let live.

    • 9
      5

      Hey Nuisance, this is why I call you an idiot. There are murders in the USA, therefore it is ok to kill people in SL? Oh man, why are you so dumb?

      • 3
        6

        TFN the other idiot,
        Who said it is OK to kill in Sri Lanka or for that matter anywhere else??
        Idiot, you have to investigate all killings not only in hand picked poor countries!
        learn to comprehend what you read!

    • 13
      4

      Eusense are you sure that Srilanka has wiped out terrorism. Did you hear what that joker Sirisena told a group of army men at Narahenpita. According to Sira, LTTE is collecting funds abroad. There is no such collection of funds as Tamils will never give any money to them at present. When Sira is making such false statements for cheap popularity, how do you expect him to bring about peace and reconciliation.

      • 8
        10

        Gnana
        I don’t know what kind of a Dr. you are. But Sri Lankans after gone through over 30 years of a Tamil terrorism they are always skeptical and suspicious of Tamils. Only time will heal. Read Tamil’s postings in CT. They are full of anti-SL rhetoric. Look what Tamil leaders tell foreign diplomats. Have you seen any positive contribution from Tamils towards bringing peace and reconciliation?
        After all, it is the Tamil terrorists who carried out the carnage of SL citizens hoping to create a Tamil state. Non terrorist Tamils had nothing to do with terrorism and there are no terrorist to be found now. So, what is the logic of looking for peace and reconciliation with Tamils? For what reason?

        • 10
          3

          Tamils have gone through over 70 years of terrorism in various forms at the hands of the Sinhala government. as follows:-
          1949, Removing the voting rights of the upcountry Tamils
          1956 Sinhala only act , beating the Satiyagrahi at the Galle Face Green, Communal riots at Galoya
          1958, Communal Riots
          1961 Beating of the peaceful satiyagrahis at the Jaffna Kachcheri premises and transporting them to various places
          1971 Communal Riots in upcountry
          1974. Depriving the university admission
          1977 Communal riots
          1983 Communal riots
          2009 Killing of Innocent Tamils
          2009- 2017 Not releasing the Tamil Detainese
          not releasing the lands taken over by the army
          Colonizing Tamil Areas to Change the population ratio and so many other on going subtle terrorism. Terrorism is not only physical harm but also causing mental agony.
          Lord Buddha being planted every where, causing disgrace to Lord Buddha- thus causing pain of mind to Hindus who consider lord Buddha as a Hindu Saint.

          • 2
            4

            k anga,
            I am getting tired of hearing this stupid list over and over again. Every incidence has a reason. Try to find out why each happened at the particular day you state. Also half the incidence were after and because of Tamil terrorism. What do you mean by “colonizing Tamil areas”?? Who divided SL to Tamil and Sinhalese areas???

            • 2
              2

              Eusence, the person who is responsible for dividing Srilanka into Sinhala and Tamils areas is the historically recorded kallathoni Vijaya. If he and his bunch of criminals did not come here, Srilanka would have been a Tamil area which is evidenced by scientific geological, linguistic, genetic and archaeological proof. You say that every attack on Tamils has a reason, by which you are admitting that Srilanka security forces committed war crimes on non combatant Tamils. Claiming of land by planned settlements of Sinhalese or ethnic cleansing of Tamils has been declared a crime after the end of second world war, and therefore Srilanka government stands accused of it. Get your genetic study done and you will find that you are a Sinhalised Tamil.

        • 1
          2

          Eusence the racist coward frightened to write in your own name for fear of being arrested and sent to jail in UK for hate mongering. For your information there is only one kind of Dr. in the world and I belong to that. All other kinds who call themselves Dr. have taken that title later. If Srilanka meaning Sinhalese are sceptical of Tamils after going through 30 years of Tamil terrorism, is it unfair for Tamils to be sceptical of Sinhalese after going through Sinhala terrorism since independence which is still being continued unabated. Do not distort truth. From 1957 (B-C Pact), 1966 (D-C Pact), 1979 (Distict council Bill) and even 1987 Indo-lanka accord it is the Sinhalese who sabotaged attempts at reconciliation and peace. Even now Tamils have said they are willing for a solution without division and willing to accept sharing of power and territory in a fair manner without calling it unitary or federal, it is the Sinhalese who are intransigent. Please remember though there is no Tamil terrorism now, Sinhala terrorism is raging without abating and it is to safeguard the lives and territory of Tamils that a solution is necessary. Tamils must be rescued from Sinhala terrorists like you.

          • 2
            1

            gnana,
            Why are you engaged in name calling??? I feel you are an intellectually bankrupt person calling your self Dr. So, you must be a Doctor of Philosophy. With a distorted philosophy. It is my prerogative to use any name what I want when I write. It is not the name that matters it is what I write is important.
            You are an imbecile to consider maintaining law and order by the gov. as Sinhalese Terrorism! For your information, Sri Lanka will never be divided on racial lines. Tamils are a 10% minority in SL and that is how they will be similar to any minority of any country. No areas or regions will be assigned to Tamils. Live together with the Sinhalese or leave SL. That is the only advice I can give you.
            Any person or people who are conducting civil disobedience or disrupting public safety will be dealt with by the gov. and I demand the gov. do so for our safety. There is nothing else I can tell you.

            • 0
              0

              Eusence the nuisance, write in your own name without attacking others. Of course you are used to hiding under the bed in fear of LTTE, that even after LTTE is no more you have not given up your habit of hiding. For your information I am a doctor of Medicine a field dealing which is superior to Philosophy a useless field to every day life of mankind. Your name matters as you are spreading hatred which is an offence in civilised countries. Pleas remember the decision to keep Srilanka united or divided entirely depends upon India and not stupid cowards like you who only know to run when hearing of LTTE. If you think that you can push Tamils over, you are sadly mistaken as the stick is going to be used on Sinhalese very soon.

    • 8
      2

      And replaced it with good old State Terrorism……………..

    • 5
      2

      Yeah right! Wiped out terrorism and replaced it with white vans, grease yakkas, and the BBS bastards. Brilliant! Palayang yakko, yanda.

  • 13
    3

    My parents’ house in former high security zone in North was leveled in 2015 before people were allowed to visit our area after 25 years of waiting.

    All people from our area were forced to leave from our houses in 1990 due to uninterrupted shelling from the army and navy from the sea. Few months later government forces moved in and then no fighting in our area. We thought like before, we might go back to our houses. But we weren’t allowed to go back to our houses even today, 27 years after we left the area.

    We were monitoring our area through satellite images from Google. We were able to identify our houses from images taken in 2011. Interestingly, updated satellite images after 2015 showed there are no traces of houses in our area. In 1990, it was a highly populated area with hundreds cement houses and now it looks like a flat land that is big enough to fit 100 soccer fields.

    But the thugs did a favor. When they leveled the houses and even a temple, they left hundred years’ old Bo trees intact. Finally Buddha rescued us to locate our lands.

    Even the disgusting act now is we cannot reclaim our lands because the government forces are still doing farming on our land after clearing our houses. Think about the man power the forces had to invest to remove hundreds of cement houses from the foundation then do the farming on the same land. Think about their gusts to do that.

    I’ve moved on but I still expect the master thug who planed and gave ordered to the soldiers to face the punishment for his actions.

    • 4
      15

      former idp
      Sorry to hear your plight. But as I always remind, these are consequences of resorting to terrorism against the country. Did you support this war? Do you think the terror group thought there will be no consequences? Or they thought they would win by blowing up innocent civilians and take over the north east? I feel if they won, you wouldn’t have any of your land back either as they were a brutal thugs. I think you should blame the Tamil terrorist for half the problems you face. Nobody seems to do that!

      • 13
        2

        Dear Eusense,

        I’ve not commented much on what you say.

        So, you are sorry for “former idp”. It’s not much comfort that you give him. Don’t speculate about what would have happened if Prabha had won. Let these people get back their lands, and re-build their lives, instead of asking if they “supported this war”.

        *

        I never supported the war myself, but I’m glad it’s over, and I would acknowledge that Prabha was a monster who had to be destroyed. But who created him? We did.

        *

        The “idp” has come up with a moving lament; you with predictable apportioning of blame.

        • 13
          2

          Sinhala_man, beautifully put. You are 100% correct about who created VP. VP was not only a monster to the Sinhalese but he was a monster to many Tamils as well including myself. Just watch, this idiot Nuisance will come back and either accuse me of supporting VP or say whether I supported this ealam war. Just watch!!!!

        • 2
          4

          If there is any untruth with I say please point it out.

          • 3
            3

            Dear Eusense,

            Nobody has said anything in defence of VP , the LTTE, Tigers etc. There may have been people who thought that they had to be listened to, negotiated with etc. Obviously they had their supporters, once upon a time. Many of those are dead, some have changed their minds, and it has to be true that there may be a few who still feel sorry that they did not prevail.

            *

            The task before us is to ensure that all that is put firmly behind us, and to re-build a society where people will be looking to the future with hope.

            *

            If people want to mourn the dead terrorists (who were human beings, however much we may have disliked them), we can’t change what goes on in their heads by nagging them, can we? The need now is to persuade them to look to the future with hope.

            *

            I am sure that somebody like TFTN, had as little love for them as we had. Please try to believe him when he says that VP was a monster to him as well. So, it’s not untruths that we are trying to prove about you. Please try to be more positive in your attitude towards those Tamils who remain with us. Like you (I guess), I cannot speak their language, but we are among those who can communicate in English.

            • 2
              1

              SM,
              If nobody is defending Parayabakaran and the terrorists, shouldn’t the non-terrorist Tamils first apologize for over 100,000 Sri Lankans suicide murdered by this Tamil group? This need to be done before any peace and reconciliation is initiated. Has a single Tamil ever talked/written showing compassion on these victims of suicide murder?
              You shouldn’t be naive. You have to read what Tamil diaspora is engaged in the west. How much fake information they spread. Once some one wrote, visit SL if you don’t mind stepping over Tamil dead bodies on streets who are massacred on a daily basis by the SL Army!
              Yes, we can look forward for all good future when Tamils stop showing hostility towards the SL gov. That is not the way to get what one wants!
              No country mourns terrorists. Why should Sri Lanka? More importantly do you know a single next of kin of these terrorists who has come forward and accepted their involvement in terrorism? So, who wants to mourn?
              I have written million times, that the Tamils have to win the trust of all Sri Lankans before they can be taken seriously. It may take a generation to create trust. Do you feel TFTN, Vedda, justice, spring koha, uthangan etc. etc. and many other are working towards that???

              • 1
                2

                Eusense the bloody liar. Large section of Tamils have apologised for what was done to Sinhalese by LTTE which was beyond their control and several fair minded Sinhalese have apologised to Tamils for what the government and their agents had done to Tamils which was beyond their control. Tamils have no problem associating with fair minded Sinhalese, but not with bigoted fools like you, who is asking why there be peace and reconciliation with Tamils. Tamils will stop showing hostility towards Srilanka government from the day Sinhalese allow Tamils to live as first class citizens in safety and dignity. I will assure you that unless and until Sinhalese come out of the brain washing done to them quoting Mahawamsa that they are the sole owners of entire Srilanka as a race chosen by Buddha to take over the land and rule it to preserve Buddhism, whatever gestures Tamils do, majority of the Sinhalese will not take Tamils seriously. Please be warned that the current status will not be a permanent feature and at one stage there will be divine intervention to grant justice to Tamils.

                • 2
                  0

                  gnana
                  I am not wasting my time with you. Before that please give me a list or links to “Tamils who apologised for what was done to Sinhalese by LTTE”

              • 1
                0

                Dear Eusense,

                I’m not suggesting that the COUNTRY should mourn the dead terrorists!

                *

                Unlike the leaders, SOME of those guys were idealists, ALL were members of some family. Let those FAMILIES mourn. That won’t cost us anything. Let us be just a little charitable.

                *

                You say that THEY have to win our trust. Yes. Let us get into the trusting mood ourselves!

                *

                And let us win THEIR trust. Do you remember what “former IDP” said: his ancestral house (add to the monetary value the sentiment attached to it) was still standing in 2015. “Yahapalanaya” was already in – but the momentum towards destruction built up earlier may not yet have dissipated.

                *

                It’s horrible that the house was deliberately destroyed before the IDP was allowed in. Where was he waiting for 25 years? It is all right if we require verification of his claim, but let us not justify what was possibly done.

                *

                I’m not saying that we should believe every story of government atrocities. How can we reject without investigation? Even the intelligent, usually consistent, and decent, Champa makes that Gota-like denial of all war crimes.

                *

                Most Tamils are reasonable and very modest in what they ask for. But some “political-types”, especially from abroad, demand the most extreme punishment. Please, can you not see how abjectly we plead for understanding on what thin ice we skate?

        • 2
          2

          Sinhala man/Tamil
          Didn’t you have a brain to observe how the murderer Parayabakaran was leading and destroying the Tamils themselves? Sending innocent children to fight a bigger Army and asking those terrorists to swallow cyanide capsules if they are caught. But when it came to him no cyanide capsule but white flag! Why? You believe such a cruel terrorist will give back anything he has? How many of his own Tamils did he kill? Do you have the intellect to analyze this terrorist?

          What comfort for IDP you want from me? It was a Tamil created problem. Only advice I can give him and YOU is never support but resent terrorism. Have you ever heard a word of comfort from a single Tamil for over 100,000 Sinhalese blasted by Tamil suicide murderers? So, we have to grin and bare all that? Who comforted thousands of those families? Imagine if the Sinhalese suicide murdered 100,000 Tamils in the same manner? What would be the consequences today?
          There are millions of Tamils in SL. But according to you we created Parayabakaran, that is one out of several millions? And no Tamil uttered a word to stop his madness. I blame JR for that too, where he could have taken him out while he was roaming openly. JR’s stupid “dhrmishta society” costs over 200,000 lives of Sri Lankans and put SL 100 years behind!

      • 2
        1

        Nuisance
        The LTTE terrorists were created by your SB policticians like SWRD in 1956 who was the underlying immediate cause, Premadasa who gave them guns and ammunition to fight the Indians and MARa who financed and bribed the leader of those terrorists to kill both Tamils and your people.
        The Tamils blame your politicians and people like you for that.

        • 2
          1

          uthun
          OK, OK the politicians and I created them. I will take your word for that!
          When they were evolving as terrorists, did they know what they were getting into? What did they think? A bed of roses and milk and honey for every Tamil?
          Don’t be stupid not to blame those who became terrorist! Stop whining and be a man to face the consequences.

        • 0
          1

          Uthungan,

          Why then the Federal party wanted 50-50 representation back in 1948?

          • 0
            0

            Shenal aka Waduge

            You write everywhere – assuming you are some Sinhala Buddhist expert on recent SL political history. All bunkum. Teach yourself
            the 50-50 call was not from the FP but from GGP of the TC. I am
            assuming you know what these acronyms are.

            Kettikaran

          • 1
            0

            Shenal the stupid


            Federal Party never demanded 50-50 representation. It was founded on 18th December 1949.

            Where did you get your information, is it from HLD M the liar or Shenali Waduge the mother of all lies? Or from the website jaffnahistory, vibushana, Eagle Blind Eye, Ramuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, Lal loo, Wimal Sangili, …………..?

            Please leave the worrying to Historians.

    • 4
      4

      Will the “master thug” attain “nirvana” as he spares the Bo trees?

      But now, nirvana too is state administered – things like Duty Free Saleable Vehicle Import Permits, free travels abroad, jobs/diplomatic posts for all family members etc.

  • 8
    2

    Nuisance the buruwansa,

    Srilanka has become a failed state. LEN has been blocked and this only a start. From top to bottom corruption is opening its ugly head. Why the bloody hell do we need a bloody russian warship for 24billion rupees.
    Media coolies namely Killi Maharaja is behind the scam much more worse than the bond scam.

  • 2
    1

    “The Sri Lanka delegation will be headed by Harsha de Silva.” It will be interesting to see if Harsha de Silva who appears to be a more objective and level headed person than other government spokesmen will behave exactly like the latter by denying everything and telling blatant lies. If he also falls into this trap we could only conclude that all Sinhalese are liars.

    • 1
      1

      and we must relax assured that Harsha de S does not have Sajin Vass G, Dunesh Gankanda, Mervyn Silva , Wimal W et al in his team.

      At the moment our reputation lies in ‘Not all Sinhalese are liars, though some are’.

  • 3
    1

    Mangala has already declared in Geneva that Sri Lanka is a failed state, just hand over to the ICC and to the UNSG and allow a two state solution and let the two peoples free.

    No hope for Sri Lanka when they betrayed the trust of the other 36 co-sponsors of the UN HR resolution.

  • 2
    1

    Some of the good thoughts which eventuated are: End of Vietnam war, End of Apartheid regime in South Africa etc., etc.
    A bad thought “US must have Trump as President”
    I have this Mother Of All Thoughts “SL must get out of the UN radar”. Will this ever get fulfilled?”
    The same thought in a different form: “Will we ever have a corruption-free GoSL?”

  • 3
    0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Kek9smjjM

    See this before talking

    • 1
      0

      These allegations MUST be investigated.

      *

      There are some of us, Sinhalese, at least, who are deeply ashamed of the cowardice displayed by our President in this regard. We did not vote for you imagining that you would observe such blatantly double standards in investigating accusations.

      *

      I don’t think that you approve of all this, Maithri, but you have too many times kept saying that “War Heroes” will not be punished. Those have been chilling words. That even you may not personally believe the perpetrators of these crimes to be heroes is beside the point.

      *

      And I can tell you that this sort of story also is going to cost you votes even at the local elections. My vote. I’m an old man. I’m not going to vote expecting special favours. I can afford to think of the future of the country.

      *

      All of this debases us. That Pelmadulla M.P. It may be he belongs to the UNP, but he is part of the government that you run. Shame, Shame, Shame.

  • 0
    2

    Sinhala Man is a Tamil in sheeps clothing. I even get the gandha smell from here.
    Who is the Sinhalese who want our war heroes investigated on trumped up charges. Why don’t these aTamil buggers go to Tamil Nadu? They are not wanted in Sri Lanka. Why do they persist and become parasites in a prosperous nation.Meanwhile Sakkililingam is praying for divine intervention. He forgets that Hindu gods are very choosy. They don’t allow low castes to get anywhere near the inside of a sacred Hindu temple. So if their own gods treat them like that, why should the Sinhalese treat them any better??

    • 1
      0

      Percy,

      Do us a favour, go point yourself at the porcelain.

    • 1
      0

      Percy

      “I even get the gandha smell from here.”

      Are you sleeping in the pigsty? if you are comfortable, we have nothing to complain. Enjoy while it lasts.

      “The Tamils are not wanted in Sri Lanka.”

      Sinhala/Buddhists fascists are not wanted in Sri Lanka either. What shall we do with you? Leave you in the pigsty along with your fellow fascists?

  • 0
    0

    Eusense and Gnana (especially),

    Part 1

    Don’t you think it would have been better for you not to have exchanged so many insults? On one thing, we, who are probably getting to be septuagenarians, can agree. By the time we reached the age of understanding, most of the damage relating to how the two linguistic groups got on in Sri Lanka had been done.

    *

    The Vijaya Myth, and the development of the Sinhala language, we will never properly understand, but do we even need to. It is so difficult to know all aspects of a language properly. I best know the development of English (although I’ve never been outside Asia). The Maldivian language, “Divehi” is startlingly similar to Sinhala, but I never really learnt it – it was my business to be teaching acceptable English. This similarity despite the efforts to Islamise and Arabise. I used to content myself with saying that they and us all probably left some part of India about the same time. Much more sensible than saying that they were a colony of ours. That would cause resentment. Actually, by today, one’s mouth would be padlocked in the Maldives long before one got to saying all that. So low has our stock, as Sri Lankans, fallen. And we needn’t try to prove “superiority” to others like Maldivians.

    *

    Padlocking the mouth, for telling untruths, is what happens to Papageno in Mozart’s last opera, “The Magic Flute”. I saw it yesterday, testing downloads from Youtube to see what innocent things my grand-daughters (who are not shown any commercial T.V.) could be shown. Gnana, I”ll say something about your use of the words “sophisticated” and “elite” elsewhere. Isn’t it best to avoid using such words and concepts altogether? They’re relative. I know perfectly well that the “”naya” in aristocratic circles in England may be revealing that one goes for opera not to Convent Gardens, but to Glyndebourne.

    What’s the point? At the end of the day, I”m a bus-travelling villager from Uva!

  • 1
    0

    Percy,

    Do us a favour, go point yourself at the porcelain.

  • 0
    0

    Appeal to Eusense and Gnana,

    Part 2

    *

    The chances are that some imperfect guys left North India in the dim past, and landed in Sri Lanka. However, there already were people here. They used to say that before the Veddas inter-married with the Sinhalese (mostly – and Tamils, I grant), they were ethnically similar to the Aborigines of Australia. I wouldn’t get in to any argument with those who think that “Dravidians” from Tamil Nadu (could one at that time have described them as Tamils?) were also already here. However, I do think that most of my genes (how that is related to DNA I’m not really very sure) are from South India. Just appearance is enough, isn’t it? If DNA testing is absolutely accurate, such mapping of our ancestry would certainly be cheaper than what all this fighting has cost us.

    *

    Our Kings here mostly got their consorts from South India. So, with the passing of time, they would have been less “Vijayan” than us plebs. It’s so far in the past that it’s just not worth bothering with. There was one Tamil commentor who agreed absolutley with me, and said that we must deal only with our ancestors whom we have actual knowledge of. For most of us that doesn’t extend more than 200 years. I mean ALL ancestors, not just one line that we are particularly proud of.

    *

    Next came colonialism. The Arabs must have been here, and married local women, but that seems to have been under control, and they never “conquered” us. I wish our Muslim citizens, too, would stress more their kinship with us. THEY have to work that out. Some of them are so fair, they possibly have more “Arab blood” than others.

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    Appeal to Eusense and Gnana

    Part 3

    *
    I’m not a Marxist scholar, but to any of us it must be obvious that there were certain phases in the developments of World History. The moment Europeans sailed West to find a sea route to India in 1492 (Columbus), Colonialism became inevitable. They applied science to practical, and not theoretical purposes, although it may not have been called technology as yet. Navigation, obviously, but the invention of gunpowder, was crucial.

    It was inevitable that some European country would colonise us – and given the wonderful physical features of Sri Lanka, some of them wished to remain here “for ever”. Just see how solidly Sir Thomas Villiers completed Adisham Hall in Haputale as late as 1931. We speak of three waves of colonialism, although the Brits took over “peacefully” from the Dutch owing to the Napoleonic Wars. None of them came for love of us – no more than Vijaya did! They exploited, but also modernised. Had those three groups not come, others would have. We were finally left to our own devices in pretty favourable circumstances, thanks to M.K. Gandhi’s agitations in India.

    *

    So much scatology on these pages; but it makes for vividness! Somebody had said that in January 2015, Ranil and Maithri were handed the country on a platter – and they shat on it. I’m afraid that ALL of us Sri Lankans have to acknowledge that to be what we’ve done to our country since Independence. Almost none of us now living was an adult then.

    *

    Let”s get together and improve things.

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    By the time the Columbus discoveries were followed up by Vasco da Gama coming round Africa to India, there were already arguments among Christians, and their excesses may have matched those of Muslim groups today. However, we shouldn’t doubt that there were people on both sides (in reality, there must have been scores of “factions”, but need we bother now?) who were committed and convinced that they were acting in the best interests of all our ancestors whom they thought of as heathen.

    *

    I’m one of those having problems with how Colombo Telegraph is behaving right now, owing to some gremlin. So, I can’t give links that will show how the attitudes of the missionaries changed.

    *

    The Portuguese Catholics were more concerned with their religion than racial purity. They married natives. The direct result of that is that Catholicism is a living religion in Sri Lanka. The Dutch and the British kept aloof, and so, although while they were the rulers here, many became Protestant Christians, few of them now remain. Of course, unless you’re really familiar with what’s going on now, you may confuse these “Churches” with the “Evangelicals” now using “God T.V.”.

    *

    Colonialism and Christianity may have together “modernised” us, but those changes didn’t touch the lives of the majority of our villagers. We now have to create a society in which all have some chance of attaining positions of dignity.

    *

    I regard 1956 in a significantly different way from many others. I’m no Historian. I’m writing what appears to be common sense.

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    Appeal to Eusense and Gnana,

    Part 5

    *

    1956: With the end of the Second World War, there was independence for most of the “Third World”. World-wide there was a desire to re-assert National Identity. Nasser of Egypt, Sokarno of Indonesia, Nehru of India etc. Compared with Singapore, with hindsight we may feel that it was our misfortune to have had TWO highly developed Swabashas, together with the cultures, literatures, arts etc. that went with them.

    *

    SWRD Bandaranaike saw his chances of advancement blocked by Senanayakes and Kotelawalas. He saw his chance to exploit the lacuna. By the time the elections actually came round in 1956, Kotelawala and he were competing for the Sinhala vote by upping the ante. Kotelawela is forgotten now. JR Jayawardena then took over – his March to Kandy was an attempt at mischief.

    Bandaranaike had awareness enough to have that pact with Chelvanayakam – whom I regard as a clever lawyer who had developed some throat problem that made him almost inaudible. A Christian, but also with a genuine Tamil identity, and influenced by Gandhi. Those two could have worked things out; but politicians are never allowed such leisured freedom. Apart from Jayawardena, there were those who helped him win: the Monk Buddharakkhitha, and the Minister Wimala Wijewardena. The plotting took place in Adhisham Hall, Haputale, referred to in Part 3. The dying Banda managed to salvage something of his dignity. Yet another man who manipulated for a time, until he had to pay the supreme price.

    *

    Dear English users: you will not understand what is happening unless you come to see that somebody was going to assert Sinhala nationalism. We need not have thrown English out, and we should have been kinder to Tamil users.

    *

    Now, with no investigation, how can we say “No War Crimes Committed”? At the same time, let’s stop trying to put that word “sorry” in to the mouths of Tamils, and forcing them to spit it out.

    *

    On occasion, I have spontaneously said “sorry” to Tamils, for certain things done by “My People”.

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      Dear Sinhala_Man, I appreciate your patience. I envy your ability to ‘debate’ with all kinds of ‘thinkers’. More than all, I admire your readiness to to be forthright.
      *
      All the above does not inhibit me from disagreeing – at least partially- with your approach.
      *
      Although, these who patronise CT have the ability to ‘know’ what is happening around us, they have little or no inclination to give up the ‘positions’ with which they enter the forum.
      *
      Two things are in our favour.
      1) I don’t think that they represent the ‘voice’ of the ‘peoples’.
      2) Those who ‘visit’ this forum form just a minuscule of the general population.
      *
      I would urge that you ‘share’ your ‘nuggets’ with the general populace. You will require the support of like-minded men in your community. Sorry. My support is nothing beyond moral.
      *
      The task ahead of you is onerous. But, it has to be done.

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    Dear Unreal,

    Thanks for the nice things said, but whether I can deliver on the onerous task that you see me as destined to perform, I rather doubt. Yes, all that I have revealed about myself is true, but I just don’t have the ability to use the Sinhala Language for what you have correctly identified as the real need today.

    *

    Why not get in direct touch with me? paniniedirisinhe@gmail.com will get to me, and we could even chat on the phone – but yes, with the serious purpose of getting together a group of people who would be able to communicate the messages that are so necessary.

    Yes, readers of CT are not likely to move from the positions that they have taken up. There is a Sinhala Section as you know. There you will find an exchange of ideas (in English) between Champa and me, in the only article which has had comments; by Rusiripala Tennakoon on 13th Nov.

    There is one Jaffna person who writes to me as a result of communication established in this way, but he uses a special e-mail address and will divulge neither identity nor phone number. Of course, he comments regularly on CT, and he’s honest with me – but he’s afraid. Apart from that, I think that I’m open enough for you to know that I have close Jaffna friends of long standing. It doesn’t amount to much, but it can be a start. There are very few whose actual identity I know, and it can be like that with you as well!

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