By Dayan Jayatilleka –
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
While a credible domestic inquiry into specific allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity as recommended by the LLRC and/or a structured dialogue mechanism with the TNA and the Northern Provincial Council for the full implementation of the 13th amendment would enable Sri Lanka to defeat, delay or dilute a resolution in Geneva in March this year, the absence of transparent and credible progress on these two tracks, and the Rajapaksa administration’s overall political behaviour in the post-war half decade, are not the reasons why Sri Lanka is being targeted. This is manifestly evident because the EU had a draft Resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva in 2006—which was successfully challenged by Sri Lankan Mission in the latter half of 2007 resulting in its removal from the agenda. Much more significantly, the West concertedly targeted this country in the diplomatic arena in Feb-May 2009, before the end of the war. Indeed an effort was made to bring a resolution against Sri Lanka during the 10th UN HRC session of March 2009 which was successfully resisted by the Sri Lankan team.
The evidence of the campaign against Sri Lanka is a matter of transparent public record, in the British parliament, no less. It is contained in a public document prepared for and bearing the logo of the UK House of Commons Library, entitled ‘War and Peace in Sri Lanka, Research Paper 9/51’ dated June 5th 2009. It says that ‘This paper replaces Standard Note SN/IA/4326, War and Peace in Sri Lanka.’
The House of Commons Research Paper runs to 86 pages. It says “this information is provided to Members of Parliament in support of their parliamentary duties”. The three contributing authors bear the following names and descriptions: Jon Lunn, “political and diplomatic issues, international affairs and defence section”, Claire Taylor “Military issues, International affairs and defence section, and Ian Townsend “Development and humanitarian issues, economic policy and statistics Section”. Interestingly it is also stated that “authors are available to discuss the content of this briefing with Members [of Parliament] and their staff, but not with the general public”. (My emphasis-DJ)
The Table of Contents lists the chapter headings as: ‘1. Background 2. International Relations 3. The Sri Lankan Military: an Overview 4. Aid and development in Sri Lanka’ 5. Future Prospects. There are four appendices, the third of which, Appendix C, is the Text of the Genocide Convention (1951).
One sincerely hopes that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London in June 2009, the date of lodging of the Report in the House of Commons, sent the full text to those in authority in Colombo, with a political briefing note.
As the Report documents, the moves against Sri Lanka — which the authors regard with approval, of course—commenced in earnest in early February 2009 with a joint attempt by the US and the UK at very high levels to halt the military campaign which was set to liberate and reunify the country which had suffered three decades of warfare by the secessionist terrorist Tigers. The account gives the lie to the nonsensical argument that the USA was not driving the moves against Sri Lanka in Geneva in 2009, and that the USA came into the picture in 2012, and that this is why Sri Lanka was able to prevail in Geneva in 2009 but not in 2012-2013. In fact the document refers to the EU as having ‘also taken the position’ articulated by the US-UK, thus clearly indicating the drivers of the effort.
“International concern about the growing humanitarian crisis in the North grew significantly in February. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined with UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband on 4 February in calling , in the short term, for a temporary ceasefire (subsequently more generally referred to as a humanitarian pause)…and, in the longer term, for an end to all hostilities and a resumption of political negotiations to bring about a permanent settlement. This position was also taken by other key international stakeholders such as the EU, Norway and Japan”. (p. 20)
The dateline of the effort to stop the war, the identities of the key partners, and the real beginning of the deterioration of relations between Sri Lanka and the West, is re-stated in the Report as follows:
“…Having been viewed for many decades as a trusted international ally, relations between the UK and the Sri Lankan Governments have deteriorated considerably…The downward turn in relations really began when Foreign Secretary David Miliband joined with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 4 February [2009] in calling, at a moment when the sri Lankan Government believed itself to be on the verge of a military victory over the LTTE, for a temporary ceasefire…’ (p37)
The House of Commons Research Report tracks the steps that were taken to try to stop military operations.
“Efforts to get Sri Lanka onto the formal agenda of the UN Security Council were stymied by Russia and China, although a press statement was eventually issued”. (p21)
What is little known, but is confirmed by the House of Commons Report is that there was an effort made to move seriously against Sri Lanka in March 2009 in Geneva, so as to secure a UN mandate to stop the war, but that this effort to abort military operations was stopped in its tracks by the Sri Lankan team in Geneva.
“Efforts at the 10th session of the UN HRC in March 2009 to win agreement to hold a special session on Sri Lanka were unsuccessful despite support from some European countries.” (p43)
The next step was in late April 2009 when “the US State Department issued the following statement after a conference call between representatives of the Tokyo Co-Chairs on 25 April”, the concluding paragraph of which reads as follows:
“We further call on the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers to end hostilities. We urge the Tamil Tigers lay down arms to a neutral third party. We further urge the Government of Sri Lanka to offer amnesty to most Tamil Tigers and to devise a clear resettlement plan and to open the way for a political dialogue”. (p 25)
This was just as the Sri Lankan armed forces were closing in on the fascist enemy to deal it a death blow. Thus the excesses committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces must also be understood in the context of an effort to outrun a serious Western effort to halt the fighting and reopen political dialogue with the Tigers!
As tracked by the UK House of Commons Research report, the moves on Sri Lanka reached a climax in the month extending from end-April to end-May 2009, with a sharp spike in the ten days May 18th to May 28th 2009. As the record shows these moves involved, or were driven, by the UK and the US.
“An EU diplomatic mission comprising UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his Swedish and French counterparts was mandated to visit Sri Lanka and did so on April 29th 2009…” (p27)
“On 12 May US and UK Governments issued a further joint statement on the situation in Sri Lanka: ‘…Secretary Clinton and Foreign Secretary Miliband call on all sides to end hostilities immediately…’ ” (p30)
On the next day, May 13th, the world’s heaviest political hitter added his voice once again to the call for a ceasefire, before the decapitation of the LTTE.
“On 13 May President Obama again called for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds…” (p30)
Pressure was building up on and in Geneva also because the UN Secretary-General had issued a statement on May 11th to “explore all possibilities to bring the conflict to an end without further bloodshed” and the Security Council had issued a Press statement on Sri Lanka expressing concern over the use of heavy weapons, on the same day as President Obama’s statement, May 13th 2009. The UK House of Commons Research Report evaluates its significance as follows:
“…Russia and China…have blocked more concerted efforts by other members of the Security Council…However, the mounting humanitarian crisis in the north eventually led the Security Council to issue a press statement on Sri Lanka on 13 May…the issuing of the press statement was widely interpreted as a setback for the Sri Lankan Government and a signal that it could not rely on Russian or Chinese protection irrespective of its actions…” (p42)
Meanwhile the campaign was intensifying in Europe and its centre of gravity shifting to the UNHRC.
“On 18 May…the European Council issued a statement. Member states came out in favour of holding an independent investigation into allegations that both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE had committed war crimes.” (p27)
The House of Commons Report quotes a story in the Washington Post of May 21, 2009 in support of its observation that:
“Following UN and EU led calls for an independent inquiry into whether either party to the conflict in Sri Lanka has committed war crimes, the US administration expressed its support for the proposal through its ambassador in Colombo, Robert Blake.” (p 31)
That May 18, 2009 statement contained in point 3, the following sentences:
“The EU calls for the alleged violations of these laws to be investigated through an independent inquiry. Those accountable must be brought to justice.” (p27)
The Report reveals at least one important source of the Western pressure on Sri Lanka and records that 2009 was punctuated by debates in the British parliament on the war.
“Protests by the UK-based Tamil community began to have an increased impact on the British political scene during 2009. This contributed to a marked increase in the number of debates on Sri Lanka held in the House of Commons. The most recent debates took place on April 29 and 14 May [2009]. (p 38)
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, making a statement in the House of Commons on May 19, 2009, made a clear reference to the investigation of alleged war crimes, making a causative link between such an investigation and post-war reconciliation:
“I endorse the conclusions reached at the European Council on 18 May calling for alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law to be investigated through an independent inquiry and for those accountable to be brought to justice. This could play an important role in the post–conflict reconciliation process.” (p 40).
Thanks to Wikileaks we know that the US was no passive observer and had already begun to move. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton herself had sent cable to the US Permanent Mission in Geneva with instructions to support a special session on Sri Lanka, obtain votes in favour of a resolution which the US would help draft, and deny the Sri Lankan Govt a victory.
“Mission Geneva is requested to convey to the Czech Republic and other like-minded members of the HRC that the USG supports a special session on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and related aspects of the humanitarian situation. Mission is further requested to provide assistance, as needed, to the Czech Republic in obtaining others signatures to support holding this session…Mission is also instructed to engage with HRC members to negotiate a resolution as an outcome of this special session, if held. Department believes that a special session that does not result in a resolution would be hailed as a victory by the Government of Sri Lanka. Instructions for line edits to the resolution will be provided by Department upon review of a draft” [Cable dated 4 May 2009 from Secretary of State United States).
The House of Commons Report says:
“The EU also threw its weight behind efforts to convene a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka. At this session, which took place on 26-27 May, the EU was a strong supporter of failed efforts to mandate the Human Rights Council to conduct an independent investigation into alleged war crimes. The European Council expressed its disappointment in a press statement on 28 May.” (p28)
The EU Council press statement of May 28th 2009 said:
“The EU regrets that it was not possible for the Human Rights Council to agree on an acceptable outcome of the Special session addressing the serious human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. The EU (together with a number of other countries) in line with the statements given by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, as well as by a group of UN Rapporteurs at the opening of the Special Session, made all efforts to achieve a constructive outcome calling on the Government of Sri Lanka ….to call for an independent investigation of human rights violations and to ensure adequate follow up during one of the coming sessions of the Human Rights Council. We regret that the proposals presented by the EU to amend the Sri Lankan draft resolution could neither be discussed nor considered by the Council as a ‘closure of debate’ rule was invoked by Cuba and supported by a majority of Council members.” (p 28)”
The House of Commons Report leaves no room for ambiguity about the sequence of events, the positions adopted by the global players and the outcome:
“On 18 May the EU called for an independent war crimes inquiry. The US has added its voice in support of these calls. However at a Special session of the Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka which took place on 26-27 May, Western attempts to include such a call in the final resolution were comfortably defeated by Sri Lanka and its allies.” (p23)
The British parliamentary Research Report makes clear that the outcome in Geneva in May 2009 had beaten back the ‘war crimes’ issue:
“…Japan has not come out in favour of the proposal that an independent investigation should be held into allegations that both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE committed war crimes. When the Sri Lankan Government and its allies succeeded in getting a resolution passed which made no mention of such an investigation at the Human Rights Council’s special session on Sri Lanka on 26-27 May, Japan abstained rather than opposing the resolution.” (p34)
The stakes in Geneva in May 2009 are made unambiguously clear in the Research report as follows:
“As the above statement (of Foreign Secretary Miliband) confirms, the UK Government has been a strong supporter of calls for an independent investigation into allegations that both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE committed war crimes. It supported the unsuccessful EU-led efforts to pass a resolution at the 26-27 May [2009] Special session of the Human rights council on Sri Lanka that would have authorised the Council to establish such an investigation.” (p40)
The concluding reference to the UNHRC Geneva in the UK House of Commons Research Report enables us to comprehend the stakes involved in the battle in the Geneva arena almost five years ago, the time and space bought for Sri Lanka by its diplomatic success in the Human Rights Council.
“However attempts to secure such a session continued and a special session eventually took place on 26-27 May. The Sri Lankan Government marshalled support from China, Russia , India , Pakistan and other countries to prevent a critical resolution being passed. Despite the efforts of a range of Western governments, there was no call in the resolution that was eventually passed for an international war crimes investigation like the one it had mandated earlier in the year with regard to the conflict in Gaza. Nor was there a call for the Sri Lankan Government to give humanitarian aid organizations unimpeded access…” (p43)
Tragically, soon after this accomplishment, the Sri Lankan authorities themselves commenced self-destructively dismantling the achievement, rendering the country, the state and the armed forces vulnerable once again.
Liberal One / January 18, 2014
Every time we reached closer to eliminate the separatists and restore peace West or India intervened to save the separatists and made sure Sri Lankans continue to suffer and our economy continue to stagnate.
But in 2009 we decided enough is enough and eliminated the separatists how it should have been done in 1983. That is what we are paying the price for, disobeying the west and restoring peace.
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Burning_Issue / January 19, 2014
All you have been doing is to establish a hegemonic Sinhala Buddhist rule and expect to subjugate all the minorities! You will have no peace on this platform!
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Liberal One / January 19, 2014
Care to explain what Sinhala Buddhist hegemonic traits do Sri Lanka have? You always run away when this question is asked.
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Punakku recycler / January 20, 2014
I get the same reaction from pro-LTTE keyboard warriors when I ask them to name one thing that a Sinhalese person can do in SL which a Tamil can’t. What a coincidence!
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Burning_Issue / January 20, 2014
You go pretend to be a Tamil for two weeks; try and do your civic duties in Tamil; make a statement to the police; apply for state employments. Just remember you cannot speak Sinhala. After doing all these then you can ask these questions!
Have you ever wondered as to why many Sinhala scholars highlight and write many articles about equality and justice for the Tamils? Do you think that they have not asked those questions that you ask? Why do they then think that there are genuine reasons for the Tamils to feel that they are second class within their own country? May be you are the only smart one here and the rest are just fools!
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Off the Cuff / January 21, 2014
Drop the demand for an Exclusive Historical Tamil Homeland in 40% of Lanka for 7% of the population, that history does not support then you will see a definite change in attitudes.
Re “Why do they then think that there are genuine reasons for the Tamils to feel that they are second class within their own country?”
There was a Time when Tamil leaders felt they were the big brother and the Sinhalese and Muslim were the little brothers.
Re “You go pretend to be a Tamil for two weeks; try and do your civic duties in Tamil; make a statement to the police; apply for state employments. Just remember you cannot speak Sinhala.”
Is that the situation in the Tamil majority North too? The so called Sinhala Only was NEVER implemented in the North.
It is true that there are problems in the South for a Tamil but is it different from that of a non Tamil in the North?
The Language issue does not exist in Law. Using it like a beggars wound should cease. It exists because of implementing difficulties in the South for the Tamils and the North for the Sinhalese. It requires personnel conversant in both languages in every govt institution throughout the island.
Kind Regards
OTC
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Zero Casualties / January 22, 2014
@Punakku recycler
Burning_Issue, seems to have given you a double dose of ‘punakku’ with that comment of his/hers. :)
ps. And speaking out against the human rights abuses of the government does not make one a ‘pro-LTTE keyboard warrior.’ It just makes one human. It’s pro-Rajapaksa/Sinhala supremacists keyboard warriors who need to open their eyes and ears to what is happening in this country.
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Native Vedda / January 22, 2014
Punakku recycler
“I ask them to name one thing that a Sinhalese person can do in SL which a Tamil can’t.”
Here are the things Tamils can’t do:
President of this island
Prime minister of this island
Army chief
Navy chief
Air force
Secretaries to the ministries including Defence
Central Bank Governor
Land grabbing
Throw sand into their eyes while wide open
Open their mouth except for eating
Go to the loo without permission from the armed forces
Millions more.
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lal / January 19, 2014
Hegemonic Tamil entity in the Northern Province will not be allowed at any cost. There is only one solution – an Unitary State, where all communities enjoy equal rights. Case closed!
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Native Vedda / January 21, 2014
lal
“Hegemonic Tamil entity in the Northern Province will not be allowed at any cost.”
Could you explain what this Hegemonic Tamil entity is insimple layman terms.
“There is only one solution – an Unitary State, where all communities enjoy equal rights.”
If you do not know Sri Lanka has been and is an Unitary state. Would you look up the constitution and then make your stupid comment.
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Punakku recycler / January 20, 2014
So do you think that a mono-ethnic Tamil state comprising one-third of the island for less than 20% of the population is going to bring peace? Did you have a childhood accident or were you just born stupid?
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Native Vedda / January 22, 2014
Punakku recycler
“So do you think that a mono-ethnic Tamil state comprising one-third of the island for less than 20% of the population is going to bring peace?”
No
However 0% Tamil/Sinhala population in 100% of island’s land will bring peace.
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Sumith / January 19, 2014
Last couple of weeks Dayan was defending MR & family.
Today back attacking them for postwar mess-up.
So what’s up?
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Davidson Panabokke / January 18, 2014
Dayan
You’re just proving:
”Short-termism of geopolitics has brought about the current global gridlock” -NOW FOR THE LONG TERM – The report of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations, http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/commission/Oxford_Martin_Now_for_the_Long_Term.pdf
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Thiru / January 19, 2014
The West helped Sri Lanka win the war expecting a political solution to the ethnic problem. But after winning the war Sri Lanka boxes on with its agenda of dismantling the Tamil nation that existed in the North-East for 3 millenniums.
Now the West realizes the mistake of supporting Sri Lanka to win the war leading to an authoritarian regime oppressing and suppressing the aspirations of Tamils.
Britain, especially has a historical duty to disentangle the Sinhala and Tamil nations which Britain merged together in 1832. Hopefully, with the help of the allies, they bring redress to the Tamil nation.
Dyan is merely regurgitating his Mahavamsa mind set (and convoluted arguments) which most Sinhala people have.
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JimSofty / January 20, 2014
Political solution Tamils should be abandoning 13th qamendment and creating “Native Reserves” like self governing bodies in Wellawaththa, Jaffna etc. and other tamil dominating areas.
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Dev / January 18, 2014
Ya ya ya, you saved the day in 2009 against the imperialists and now you want to go back in March to try again…….the same old same old !
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Native Vedda / January 19, 2014
Dev
“Ya ya ya, you saved the day in 2009 against the imperialists and now you want to go back in March to try again…….the same old same old !”
Didn’t he actually save Sri Lanka from International Diplomatic tsunami? You are an ungrateful chap who chose not to know Dayan’s abilities and achievements. Shame on you.
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Kumar R. / January 19, 2014
No — Dayan didn’t save Sri Lanka.
Dayan just saved whoever who committed war crimes, and in that process got the whole nation roiled up in a fiasco, both domestic and international. Every Tom, Dick and Harry now sees the right to drag the country by the collar. Dayan single handedly placed barriers to true reconciliation in the nation as the past five-year history has proved. Dayan buffered the regime, boosting the confidence of the hooligans to carry on regardless – and consequently they have beggared the nation, looting it right and left. That is what Dayan did! Where exactly is the “saving the nation” that that Dayan is seeking credit for?
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NAK / January 19, 2014
Ya ya ya he saved from the tsunami but forget he made sure to punch a hole in the dyke too at the same time.
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NAK / January 19, 2014
don’t forget
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Punchieki / January 19, 2014
Yes, right that – is his motive nothing else.”NOW HE IS TRYING TO PROVE MAMA THAMAI miniha….( but in the same time some part of DJ´s brain is totally malfunctioned) who can lead the delegation”. But I dont think the MR the nation´s would give this man a chance again. MR should go – but I really dont know CANT FIND ANY REASON,so called self proclaimed ones like DJ repeatedly only focusing on their supper in this way.
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gamini / January 18, 2014
If as stated these Foreign Powers were to censure Sri Lanka to prevent further blood shed in 2009 and if Sri Lanka defied, the aftermath would have been totally different. From what has been observed after 2009 May is totally opposite, where the MR regime and the Forces have been shielded and protected not of the War Crimes alone, but the wanton destruction of the Free Media and the Democratic Freedoms the masses had enjoyed at the deafening silence of these very Countries is quite remarkable. The subtle threats and watered down Resolutions for all the lapses committed by the Rajapaksas could not have been achieved without their support including the so called War Victory. What a Mockery if these people think that the masses are asses to believe that their Diplomacy saved the day for Sri Lanka, if not for the unqualified support extended for fulfilling their agendas. Otherwise how can this FRAUD and MURDERER MR receive the ‘Star of Palestine’ and also Dine and Wine with the Leadership of Israel? Now they are getting ready to Hoodwink the world yet again in March 2014 hyping that the MR regime will be taken to task. What a JOKE?
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Liberal One / January 19, 2014
lol we are been unjustly punished for defending our own legal boundaries while USA/UK is living fine after invading other sovereign nations. Not only that they are pressurizing us to devolve power which is strictly an internal matter. What more task do you want us to be taken into you pathetic self hater?
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bbs dayan / January 19, 2014
We
When you say we do you mean only Sinhala Modayas or all Sri Lankan’s?
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Park / January 18, 2014
Nice article DJ, but only to a certain extent. You are “sucking upto” Rajapakse. Under the Executive Presidential rule, any decision made by the Govt is the responsibility of the President. Especially the defence related decisions as the President is the Minister of Defence and the “top-honcho”. Write the truth and do not use this column to get personal favours from Rajapakse. Be honest to yourself first.
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Punchieki / January 19, 2014
This you should have got long back. DJ is on the mode of ” you scratch my back, I will scratch yours”. This was signed in the invitation, he had with MR after that Aljaseera interview in which MR accuse this self proclaimed political analyst cum senior diplomat of being powerful NGO worker. Remember ?
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ruwan / January 19, 2014
well said Park !
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Punchieki / January 19, 2014
Honesty really is the best policy as saying goes.
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Ajith / January 19, 2014
Yes Dr Dayan,
You have successfully resisted the HR resolutions until the end of war but you couldn’t resist or hide the facts about the genocide happened in front of thousands of witnesses.
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Hilmy / January 19, 2014
Dayan
Everyone knew the emperor had no clothes all along. You too knew this at the time you are talking about, but for some not so mysterious reason you were coming off the rails for a while – from your return from Paris up until recently. And you were spouting the same convoluted logic and the diplomatic doublespeak of the self-appointed “international community” that was seeking to discredit and politically overturn an unsurpassed military achievement of a tiny nation against the most barbaric outfit known to the modern world. But it’s good to know you’re beginning to come around. But you still have some distance to cover in fully grasping (accepting?) the reality as is evidenced by your conclusion:
“Tragically, soon after this accomplishment, the Sri Lankan authorities themselves commenced self-destructively dismantling the achievement, rendering the country, the state and the armed forces vulnerable once again.”
Come on, you should know better than that. No doubt the Sri Lankan authorities made, and are making, mistakes. But the vastly powerful array of forces aligned against Sri Lanka (from the State Department to the TNA and everybody in between, I don’t think I have to elaborate) were relentlessly pushing, and are still pushing, the Sri Lankan government against the wall not allowing it to work out a viable solution reasonable to all communities in the country.
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Sulaiman / January 19, 2014
Purpose of this article – to establish that the victory in 2009 was achieved by DJ, despite American involvement. DJ could simple have said – “Please don’t belittle my contributions on the ground that the US was involved. If you need help this time around I’m the man.”
Misleading/irrelevant matters in the Article – references to 2006 and 2007 draft resolutions, regarding which no details have been given. So the talk about 2006 and 2007 are just thrown in to support his stated argument that there was a long standing vendetta against Sri Lanka. (I say stated, as that is as mentioned above not the real purpose of the article).
Logical frailties of the article – There is no difference in purpose between the resolutions of 2009 and the subsequent ones in so far as war crimes are concerned. They all deal with the same issue – one in the immediate aftermath and the other thereafter with the benefit of better evidence. The failure to have dialogue with the TNA and the NPC were not issues existent in 2009 – so obviously they are new. However, as they are related they have been added on.
Weak evidence – all the evidence that have been listed only indicate US support for another country’s cause. The US has not taken it upon itself to spearhead the offensive against Sri Lanka. It should also be noted that Hilary Clinton and Obama were new at the time and they were not taking on any major challenges outside their main mandate. So referring to a few statements does not mean the US was taking a lead role. Real evidence would be evidence of the US meeting other countries and lobbying for action. All the evidence brought is just fluff.
s
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Dr Dayan Jayatilleka / January 19, 2014
Suleiman, me consider a return to service with the new FS/MEA and her patron, the Monitor? hah! You’ve simply gotta be kidding…
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Sulaiman / January 19, 2014
I guess Dr J, that means you would be willing to replace her – your objection is just not working under her :-)
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Kumar R. / January 19, 2014
Distinctly “sour grapes”, Dayan?!
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Dr Dayan Jayatilleka / January 19, 2014
To set the record straight:
In the first quarter of 2008, mind, the Asian Tribune and/or LankaWeb reported that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK told her staff at a meeting that I would be replaced by her as the Sri Lankan ambassador/PR to the UN in Geneva. That story was never contradicted on the record if I recall. Anyway, a year later and mere weeks after the vote in Geneva in May 2009, I was in fact recalled–and replaced by the lady who was our High Commissioner in the UK until then. She proceeded to adopt, rightly or wrongly, a course in Geneva that was a 180 degrees at variance with the one I had adopted. The same lady was on the mammoth delegation from Colombo, calling the shots during the stellar performance at the UNHRC in 2012.
If I were you I wouldn’t bet on either my being invited back to serve or my acceptance of any such invitation, under the present dispensation at the MEA.
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Ben Hurling / January 19, 2014
Dr Dayan Jayatilleka,
Agree MEA has hit a new low. It is no place for skilled, enthusiastic, patriotic professionals.
The latest appointment of “The Lady” you refer to has amazed most people. That infamous “Monitor” aside.
However, why is the regime so suicidal though? Why is it destroying a vital institution such as MEA. At a critical time for Sri Lanka? Why? What are they thinking? What is exactly their strategy? Who is in charge?
Please shed some light.
Cheers!
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Native Vedda / January 19, 2014
Ben Hurling
“Agree MEA has hit a new low. It is no place for skilled, enthusiastic, patriotic professionals.”
Show me one state institution that employs such person. Patriotism is a cover for all that is wrong with this island. Therefore leave that to the scoundrels.
My elders have a long dossier of how this island has been dragged into such pathetic condition. MR regime is just the continuation of the past 60 years of indigenisation that is coupled with homogenisation proces. The pathetic state of affair which exist now is not the beginning. MR clan is only taking advantage of what is being made available to them by the previous rulers.
“However, why is the regime so suicidal though?”
For that matter when did any regime stop being suicidal?
“What is exactly their strategy?”
You would be happy to know the answer is none. If anything their strategy is can be summarised as self contained comprehensive self destruction.
“Please shed some light.”
Come on you are asking the wrong man, a self confessed war monger who has’t got an iota of idea other than advocating more war.
If you happened to know anyone close to the regime advise them to stop digging if they ever want to get out of the pit.
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Ben Hurling / January 20, 2014
Native,
I have to agree.
Yet, calling DJ a “war monger”? Justified?
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Native Vedda / January 20, 2014
Ben Hurling
“Yet, calling DJ a “war monger”? Justified?”
He himself admitted to advocating more warmongering in his past comments.
He is a self confessed war monger.
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Ben Hurling / January 20, 2014
Native,
DJ advocated a resolute execution of the war on LTTE terrorists.
With the kind of resolve Churchill’s UK fought with German Nazis.
Any problem with militarily vanquishing LTTE terrorists?
Did Sri Lankan state have any other options with VP’s 30 year long endless carnage? If so what are they?
Are you a pacifist no matter what?
Cheers!
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Native Vedda / January 22, 2014
Ben Hurling
“Any problem with militarily vanquishing LTTE terrorists?”
I have problem with all killings irrespective of victim’s race or religion. Don’t you have a better way of dealing with conflicts.
Being tough on terrorism is not the answer. Being tough on causes of terrorism is the right path.
Stitch in time will save nine, the old saying goes. When the war glorification dies down Sinhala/Buddhist state will have to deal with its own people. I see lot of unrest among the Sinhala youth. Do you want to repeat 1971, 1987-1990 again?
The time to deal with the youth is now. Address their problem here and now, Don’t wait until another 10 years when you will have no option but to deal with them militarily.
“Did Sri Lankan state have any other options with VP’s 30 year long endless carnage?”
Since your people could not see beyond their nose it was too late to rationally deal with LTTE. Sinhala/Buddhist state and rulers found every opportunity to create more problem than solving the existing one.
The 1948 citizenship Act could have been avoided.
1956 Language issue could have been avoided if Banda and his bandits knew what was in store for them.
Successive riots could have been avoided if politicians and the armed forces had carried out their responsibilities.
The destruction of Jaffna library would have been prevented if police and armed forces had acted rationally.
The cumulative effect produced the nasty LTTE. This is similar to the creation of Souther terrorist JVP.
Million more.
India forced itself landed in this island to tame the LTTE. Why did Premadasa and his armed forces arm the LTTE and then ask IPKF to leave?
Sinhala/Buddhist state and its rulers thrive on self-destruction.
“Are you a pacifist no matter what?”
I am proud to say yes I am.
Take note of other pacifists before me,Mohandas K. Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr, …….. and others
Here is an interesting comment by
Noam Chomsky: can revolutionary pacificism deliver peace?
http://theconversation.com/noam-chomsky-can-revolutionary-pacificism-deliver-peace-4150
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manisekaran / January 23, 2014
Good reply, I am sure this Ben racists will not come and answer.
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Ben Hurling / January 24, 2014
Fair enough Native!
I can subscribe to almost everything you write. In your response.
And even MainAsekaran is right this time.
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Mallaiyuran / January 19, 2014
A half baked analysis!
Dayan missing the part that the Royal family paid ransom to LTTE to win the 2005 election. Chandrika was against the Royal family from day one. So ignoring these Dayan just is trying to show only that Britain was biased even before the war was crime committed.
Genocide started 1958 continued for ever. India used that as an opportunity and invaded in 1987. But the counties who were against Russia, armed Sri Lanka against India, the main ally of Russia. All the western countries worked toward eliminating India’s upper hand on those days. Practically, their support to Lanka continued until 2006. It was only America continued after that and it helped to sink LTTE’s ships in the Mid-Ocean in Chandrika’s time. So now Dayan starting to brag his records from 2009 to conveniently to falsify everything.
He ignored the fact that Kathirgamar was eliminated by Royal Family right before the diplomatic debacles started. The other one he is hiding is Mahinda had come to power by paying ransom to LTTE. These created a big suspicion of the Manida’s motive in the mind of EU countries. Only George Bush was not in this. As soon as bush was gone, every western countries came together on Sri Lanka’s war crime. What had happened here is after departure of Kathirgamar all Sri Lankan missions failed to keep democratic western countries with them. It is not true when Dayan say the president changed the policies after the war victory, in reality he never had one.
Western democracies did not like him from the very beginning. Dayan and his gang never had any success at UN to make western countries to accept hin. After the fall of USSR, india has been bending towards westerns democracies. But after having involved in the 2009 war crime India did not have a way other than to oppose western counties to bring an inquiry into Sri Lanka war crime. So the truth, the international rowdies like Iran, Pakistan countries, Communist clowns Cuba, China, Russia and Non aligned grouped under India which was trying to safe itself from war crime investigation defeated the 2009 motion in UNHRC.
I really ask Dayan to explain what he said or did made UNHRC countries believe that the killing tamils were not a war crime and the countries really believed on that and voted against the Canada’s resolution that. After death of Kathirgamar Western countries found about the diplomatic frauds that Lanka was doing and they turned against Lanka. Rowdy countries still wanted to work with Lanka to sell oil, contraband, high interest loans. arms smuggling and so on( not for any proper trade recognised under WTO). These are not earning any diplomatic dealing credits for Dayan. When Dayan say “it is Ok GOSL killing 145,000 Tamils to defeat the western allies efforts” it is diplomatic comedy of the century. It itself indicates how badly Dayan failed on diplomatic initiatives and The King had to go ahead with the brutal war and war crimes.
“Tragically, soon after this accomplishment, the Sri Lankan authorities themselves commenced self-destructively dismantling the achievement, rendering the country, the state and the armed forces vulnerable once again.” This is an unsurpassed real joke that anybody could have made ever. Western allies hatred King from the time he came to power. King went to UN during Premadasa’s time with the dream of becoming a king. He paid ransom to LTTE only to become a king. The decapitated Dayan by his boss for so poorly under performing on the diplomatic propagandas now falsifying the history to boost his failed achievements. Some modayas may believe this but his boss fired him because Dayan tried to claim the opportunistic situations as his achievements.
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Kautilya / January 19, 2014
Mallaiyuran says that the Genocide started in 1956
The genocide started when Chelvanayagam declared in 1948 that G. G. Pionnambalam was a traitor. The program unleashed ended up with the Tamil’s destroying all the good things they had and handing the baton to a psychotic kid whop killed “traitors” like Amirthalingam and other Tamil leaders in cold blood. He killed more tamils than all the Sin halese put together. That was the Genocide.
This writer also says:
He ignored the fact that Kathirgamar was eliminated by Royal Family right before the diplomatic debacles started. The other one he is hiding is Mahinda had come to power by paying ransom to LTTE.
So, by installing Rajapaksa as their proxy, the LLTE is once again responsible for the “genocide”? Who paid for the weapons that the LTTE used on the Tamil people? The Diaspora who extorted funds in millions from other Tamils, keeping a part to become Markham millionaires.
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Mallaiyuran / January 20, 2014
You are deviating a lot from the subject. Attempting answer that is not going to make you or me satisfied. So, please let’s move ahead and look at the next chapter.
Now, one thing I like you to realise is at this moment it almost certain that whether it is internal or international, whether it was committed by LTTE or by GOSL, there is going to an independent inquiry into the war crimes. It is not going to me one more military’s whitewash inquiry. Many civil employees, NGOs, employees from UN mission are going to be called for witness stand. It also almost sure that Dayan will be one of them(Unless he decline to appear). Weather he appear in front of that Commission or not, not depending on that, some NGO lawyer going bring all lies Dayan said at UN and other places at that time and read in front of the commision to prove how much cover up Sri Lanka did after the war. That time, Mahinda will have an opportunity tell the commission that it all are Dayan’s concoction or accept the blame of those lies on the government. You may not know this secret, but me and Dayan knows very well that the government going to put the blame of those lies on Dayan. That is why Mahinda fired Dayan right after Dyan did that great service(the cowardly cover up) to the Great Nation.
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daya.thevi / January 19, 2014
Dayan
Did you read the article ‘Mannar mass graves reveals more skeletons’ in CT? The last para states ‘Earlier last year construction workers stumbled on another mass grave in Matale in central Sri Lanka. At least 154 people had been buried in the grave, a hotbed of the JVP between 1987 and 1990. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the commanding officer in charge of the Matale District during the JVP insurgency period. Later the government sent the skeletons found from the Matale site to China for forensic testing including bone dating.
The findings of this investigation are yet to be made public.’
If you are an honest patriotic intellectual as you claim then demand for ‘Freedom of Information’ in your beloved nation first before criticising other nations that have free access to information so that self serving analysts like yourself can interpret it to their advantage. Please don’t repeat the performance where you stated that the 13+ should be implemented post war,later was recalled by the regime so as to teach you a lesson and then you accepted the position of ambassador in Paris by the same regime without a tinge of conscience.
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Fathima Fukushima / January 19, 2014
LTTE has to be resurrected.
Then all this war crimes BS will be thrown out of the window.
LTTE first killed a Tamil leader in 1975.
LTTE first killed an Indian leader in 1991.
LTTE first killed a Sinhala leader in 1991.
Clean out NPC and TNA like they did to TULF!!
Then government can AGAIN wipe out the LTTE with pleasure.
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justice / January 19, 2014
DJ saved sri lanka from international disgrace at the UNHCR in 2009.
He was releived of his post at Geneva soon after.
His successer Tamara K has gone into oblivion.
DJ’s support for the 13th amendment did not endear him to the regime.
DJ justified the militarisation of the north by his theory of “external threats” to sri lanka,through the north.
He appears to endorse the military regime in the north with its attendent evils thrust on the tamils.
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aratai / January 19, 2014
.
DJ,
Read your last para!!!
Are you blaming MaRa regime for all this mess since 2009?
.
:-)
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Dr Dayan Jayatilleka / January 19, 2014
Yes and no. I blame the Neo-con, pro-Israeli ‘national security’ faction of an otherwise populist, very slightly left-of-center administration. I’ve seen this before: Cyril Mathew, Lalith Athulathmudali and the JRJ administration. I always drew a distinction between the former pair and JRJ–not to mention Ronnie de Mel, Gamini Dissanaike and of course R. Premadasa ( for different reasons). In this regard I was in consonance with the line of the Lanka Guardian and its Editor.
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Liberal One / January 20, 2014
If not for the right leaning ‘national security’ faction we would still be holding peace talks with an armed organization that killed a president of ours and attacked another one with a suicide bomber. That is the type of thing our out of touch leftists advocated, negotiating with criminals!
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Sapumal / January 19, 2014
Dear Dayan,
You also a part of this mess. From the beginning you have been helping each and every side you went. You could have done something to avoid such a situation when you were at UN! But as the same bunch of blood suckers in the government , your brain didn’t let you at that time. Everyone have a right to live. It is common for us and the Tamils too. Accept the truth and build a better country for tomorrow with the real patriots.
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Manoharan / January 19, 2014
The West attacked syria, Iraq, Gaddafi, and unleashed “arab revolutions” where ever it wanted to get regime change. Dayan Jayatilleke’s article is great because it shows clearly the machinations of the West, even before the last days of the war (period in question where claims of genocide have been made).
The West is not interested in facts. It will continue to hound the government as long as it suites their policy. But they will also hound the Tamils unl;ess the tamils becoome subservient to them. That simply means allowing the multinationals to set up shop in Jaffna, with our culture destroyed, our women raped and americanized, and our resources looted as in other countries where Western Multinationals have come in. Once the North comes under QWestern hegemony, the Palk straits oil and fishing will be under the west. Tamil Nadu with its nuclear reacdtor etc will be controled by them. Don’t forget that Hilary Clinton in her last visit went to Tamil nadu and did a lot of talking, barely paying attention to New Delhi.
Read Naomi Klein’s “The Shock Doctrine”.
The Tamils in Sri lanka will get enslaved by Western Multinationals if we follow the path of the TNA and the Sampanthans. See what has happened to South Africa where the west praises Mandela but is freely robbing the wealth of the Afrikaans.
We may have no option but to grit our teeth and accept the Chinese (and rajapaksa with them, however unpalatable) as the least of the evils facing Tamil society.
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Native Vedda / January 20, 2014
Manoharan
“We may have no option but to grit our teeth and accept the Chinese”
Chinese are not stupid as they may look.
They also know there is life after a regime change.
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Burning_Issue / January 20, 2014
The more you write the more you sound ostentatious and insidious! Are you interested in the truth? If you are a Tamil, don’t you warn to know as to what had happened to your brothern?
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bbs dayan / January 19, 2014
DJ is Godayata Magic for the Sinhala Modayas who have very few intellectuals of any notoriety so when a bearded monkey comes up wagging his own tail, they think he must be an incarnation of God himself.
What a pathetic situation when this Gona is preaching as if he knows what he is talking about when all it is utter jibberish that covers a Sinhala/Buddhist facism dresssed in Marxist drivel as Dew Gunasekara of the dead left can testify while riding a fat cat of MR….goons.
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Punchieki / January 19, 2014
just malivolent remarks. This is sad reality of BBS red robbed skin heads. Sofar, their reactions have not been seen as human to even any one who has a little brain.
If DJ is called Gona, then the rulers should be Me harrakas.
Dew Gunasekara is a good guy even if you guys attack him in this way.
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NAK / January 19, 2014
This shows the extent to which these stupid westerners have gone to punish Sri Lanka and continue to do.
Since we know that they are not such lovers of human rights or any law be it human rights or international,they must be madly in love the Tamils. Why? May be because they do as they are told.
With The TNA in the lead and the Tamil LTTE diaspora tagging along are really sucking up to the west in the hope perhaps they get their dream Eelam courtesy uncle Sam and the clan.
Do they even for a moment think what that will do to the ordinary Tamils living in this country. One day at least the TNA will have to pay dearly for this treachery.
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The Professional / January 19, 2014
A Sunday paper states that Uncle Sam would not go ahead with the resolution if the military is withdrawn. If the government accedes then the militants will fill the vacuum and Uncle Sam’s and its clan’s arms trade will flourish. Peace brokers and humanitarian agents who are unemployed these days will find employment and the universities which offer courses in conflict resolution will recommence the courses. Likes of DJ will have opportunities to deliver lectures, and organize seminars and the scribes to fill the newspapers and magazines with same BS.
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Point Man / January 20, 2014
The Professional:
You got it.
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Sarath Fernando / January 20, 2014
Dayan,
The undertone of your article is unmistakably defensive – a valiant effort trying to reassure yourself that what you achieved was indeed positive. Anyhow, after four years of your vain chest-thumping, I am relieved to note that reservations are beginning to set in, urging your need to surface of your own, guilt-driven defensive inner sentiments.
Let me burst your bubble before that gets presumptively too swollen again.
What you achieved was only a a temporary success at hoodwinking – not a Victory of any worth! Would you say that what Bush, Cheney and Carl Rove achieved in their intervention in Iraq was a “Victory”? They did certainly succeed in duping the Congress to vote on the war; they also succeeded in conning the “coalition of the willing” to support their malfeasant deed, just like you did with a handful of “bought” countries. Bush’s intervention in Iraq didn’t translate to a Victory for the U.S. – did it? It certainly bought a lot of contracts and luxury for Cheney and Carl – well, again, just like yours did!
Going by your recent history of popping up on the web with some nonsensical analysis, and then creeping back deep into crevices when pushed for a rational explanation, I am not counting on any worthwhile responses from you. Nevertheless, here are some points I would like to present.
1. In the first section of the article you state “the absence of transparent and credible progress on these two tracks, and the Rajapaksa administration’s overall political behaviour in the post-war half decade, are not the reasons why Sri Lanka is being targeted.” If that is so, how exactly do you reconcile your concluding observation “Tragically, soon after this accomplishment, the Sri Lankan authorities themselves commenced self-destructively dismantling the achievement, rendering the country, the state and the armed forces vulnerable once again.” If it is true that the Governments behaviour was not the reason why Sri Lanka is targeted, how come you then turn back and blame the Government’s behavior for it becoming vulnerable. Do you not see a contradiction in your principal, if not the single, theme of your article?
2. You have recently very categorically stated that “credible investigation is imperative.” In fact after Weliveraya, you yourself in seeming pain wailed “what must the regime has done to Tamils at the end of the war.” But, promptly post-2009 when the need for such investigation was discussed, you, as a self-appointed spokesperson for the majority, proclaimed that the “Majority does not care a rat’s ass” for the truth! You single handedly shut-up those who argued for a credible investigation with your haughty declaration that all those seeking such independent investigation are either LTTE-rumps if abroad or, if local, just “domestic-Diaspora.” Can you explain why you changed your mind? You should be able to explain that unless of course you are guilty of prostituting for some NGO as MR suggested.
3. Can you tell us what is the worst that could have happened if you had not blocked the vote, and instead a credible investigation that you seem to agree to now was done promptly after the war, instead of waiting half-a decade? As you yourself point out, the excesses committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces would have been much easier to explain then rather than now, half a decade later, and after the unrelenting embarrassing revelations such as those via “Ch 4“ in the intervening years.
4. In your post-2009 “Geneva-victory” celebration days, you often countered any international calls for truth-telling with a trade-mark and convenient “Sovereignty” fig-leaf. Whatever happened to that excuse that you, the political scientist, academic and intellect put all your weight on for almost five years. If such sovereignty-protection had any legitimacy, how is that now you think the country has become vulnerable to international calls? Were you not merely half-baked in your Political expertise when you made those uninformed defense?
5. Do you not feel the responsibility for giving the brute-confidence the regime needed to take the country away from democratic governance towards narrow and selfish motives that have degraded the nation, economically, socially and diplomatically? If the regime was not buffered from the deserved international censure in 2009, do you think they would have had the cheek, the blind-courage and misplaced confidence to transform the once proud governance to the current wretched state? While you are now more-than-ready to belittle the regime for their diplomatic naiveté and the consequent fiasco’s, why the reluctance in accepting the regime’s blundering in the rest of the governance?
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Burning_Issue / January 20, 2014
No reply yet again from the learned Dr DJ!
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crazyoldmansl / January 20, 2014
he has been told to keep his mouth shut because whenever he opens it he exposes the role he is playing.
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crazyoldmansl / January 20, 2014
Yes. We wanted to kill the buggers. We want to kill all of them right? not just a few. Unfortunately there was not enough time because the rotten DJ could not buy us more time. We should have wiped them out and then there would be no problems.
Now that its all messed up we may as well come clean. Lets go back to the last census before the fighting started and let us account for every single person. Will the lords of the Friday forum agree to that? The ladies may but I bet the Lords will not. No Sinhala Buddhist MAN will agree to this BUT this is exactly what must be done. So lets hear from the Sinhala Buddhist WOMEN. Will Sharmini support such a move?
And what about the Tamils especially the TNA. Will they support such a move that will expose ALL the murders. I doubt they will.
Let us see.
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Sapumal / January 20, 2014
good response from our friend Sarath Fernando. But we have to see what we can do to build the country rather than blaming each other. But it will not happen until we chased this regime. International community will not stop until we do our part and justice to everyone.
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JimSofty / January 20, 2014
When they write papers for the parliamentarians needs, it becomes completely a political issue.
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JimSofty / January 20, 2014
Dayan Jayathilake:
There are how many UNHCR resolutions against ISRAEL and what happened to those ?
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Mallaiyuran / January 21, 2014
Dayan is very good on voicing for the PBS’s Barnet the big Dinosaur.
This is the new story he is telling to straighten record.: He was fired by Asian Tribune 2008. Save him from that bullet, until 2009(June?), he was hiding in some Geneva’s Sewage tunnels. Then TK, while she was playing Peek A Boo in Britain found him out showed him to Mahinda.
Those who was responsible for cover of the world’s ever worst war crime, will get some courage and go in front of UNHRC and tell what Mahinda did? Will they stop crying through their nose. Are they saing until they had chance from Mahinda to lies at UNHRC, Mahinda did everything right and from the next day he appointed a mentally ills woman to UNHRC(she should have been admitted at Angoda, not to be appointed at UNHRC) Mahinda destroyed MEA. Now there is no MEA. The SLFP Viscum is living on the UNP carders. Now the UNP is also dead. Soon the Vicum will be over too.
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