By Tisaranee Gunasekara –
“We have learnt from many political parties in the world. The best two are the BJP and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).” ~ Basil Rajapaksa (Daily FT – 29.7.2020)
Basil Rajapaksa is the Rajapaksa family’s thinking man. Unlike his brothers and nephews, he doesn’t shoot his mouth off. His remarks should be taken seriously, because, often, they point to the shape of the future.
Alarm bells need to clang when Basil Rajapaksa says he wants to model the SLPP on China’s Communist Party and India’s BJP: “I want our party to be a party like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and how they act… We can also be like the Indian Bharatha Janatha Party (BJP)” (Daily FT – 29.7.2020). There cannot be a clearer warning of the politically unfree and ethno-religiously divisive future awaiting us if the Rajapaksas get their two-thirds.
The only thing that is communist about the Chinese Communist Party is its name. Under the one-man rule of Xi Jinping, the CCP has used big data and face recognition technology to create a 24×7 surveillance state, obliterating even the pretence of a private/personal space for its billion plus subjects. But President Xi’s truly original contribution is to transform the Peoples’ Republic of China into Han People’s Republic of China. He has turned Han-supremacism and anti-minority phobia into instruments of rule and weapons of dominance. Using terrorism as excuse, a horrific repression is being visited on China’s Muslim minority, especially the Uyghur people.
This deliberate and successful use of majoritarian-supremacism is something that President Xi’s CCP has in common with Narendra Modi’s BJP. After his failure in promoting economic development and combating corruption, Mr. Modi has become almost totally focused on transforming India from a multi-national secular state to a Hindu Raj. Regulations such as the openly anti-Muslim Citizenship (Amendment) Act are being accompanied by moves to create and popularise an exclusively Hindu history for India. A committee of scholars have been set up to fabricate this ‘fake history’. Its aim is “to ultimately shape the national identity to match their religious views, that India is a nation of and for Hindus’.
The Modi administration is also cracking down on those who oppose its Hindu-supremacist agenda, thereby vitiating and obliterating the space for critical thinking, open debate and peaceful dissent. It is also making a systematic effort to disembowel India’s independent institutions, to turn them into nothing more than instruments of BJP rule. For example, in August 2019, the registrar of the JNU wrote to famed historian and merciless critic of the BJP Romila Thapar, asking for her CV to determine if she could continue to be an emeritus professor! India’s National Herald called the move madness. Madness, yes; surprise, no. What else can we expect once the insane starts running the asylum.
So the CCP, which has always been non democratic, is moving towards majoritarian-supremacism while the BJP, which has always been majoritarian-supremacist, is moving towards tyranny. These are the two parties Basil Rajapaksa sees as models the SLPP. The future of Sri Lanka under Rajapaksa rule cannot be clearer.
Dreaming of Black July from January to December
On July 27th a group of monks led by Galagoda Atte Gnanasara and Aturaliye Ratana descended on the office of the ACJU, the apex religious body of Lankan Sunni Muslims, with an ultimatum. They demanded the immediate abolition of madrasas and halal products and the banning of burqa and niqab. “We have a programme of action,” saffron-rober, Galagoda Atte Gnanasara said, addressing the media soon afterwards. “After the election we will definitely implement that programme. Irrespective of who opposes or not we have a non-violent programme. That is boycotting Muslim businesses in this country. We will bring that programme forward. We will have to make them kneel, teach them obedience… Why? Because the Sinhalese have no other country in the world. To protect the only country we have, we have to carry out that struggle”
What better way to divert Sinhala attention from rising prices, growing unemployment, and plummeting living standards than the drama of a boycott of Muslim shops? If the Rajapaksas gain absolute power via a massive majority, Sinhala mobs led by saffron-robed thugs will become even more of a norm, interfering at will and with impunity in the polity, economy and society.
A boycott of Muslim businesses, though outrageous enough, will be a just a first step in a new orgy of violent intolerance targeting the minorities. Saffron-rober, Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara has claimed on multiple occasions about a threat to his life, including from the IS. Last month, one of his saffron-robed acolytes made clear how this supposed threat might play out in reality. “If anyone even spills a bit of his blood, then they can all find out who we are…” thundered Ambale Rathana, the chief incumbent of Dehigolla Viharaya in Mahiyangana. “…if a Muslim or a Tamil even touches him and see if we do nothing…”. He went on to tell the audience that killing to protect Buddhism is no sin, a reference to the deadliest and the most anti-Buddhist of the many Mahawamsa lies – the myth of sinless war.
So here we are, twenty seven years after Black July, publicly threatening Tamils and Muslims with future pogroms. The police which arrested and remanded Ramzy Razeek under the ICCPR will not lift a finger against these saffron-robed thugs who are openly threatening the minority communities with violence.
Though Muslims are the primary targets this time around, even Tamils are not safe. For example, flash points can be created as the Sinhala-only presidential task force gets down to work to protect the archaeological heritage of the East. An early indication of what might happen was the July 4th incident in Wellawelli PS division, when task force member Panamure Thilakawansha thero, accompanied by the army, descended on a Hindu kovil prompting protests by Tamil residents.
Imagine how easy it would be to incite the next conflagration, and the next and next…
Sinhala-Buddhist supremacism bred Tamil separatism. From the disenfranchisement of plantation Tamils of Indian origin to Sinhala Only of 1956 and standardization, majoritarian extremists demonstrated that there is no Lankan identity and that Tamils can live in Sri Lanka only as second class citizens who accept not only legislative discrimination but also regular bloodletting as their fate and due.
Black July proved beyond reasonable doubt that no Tamil can be safe in Sri Lanka, pushing even moderate Tamils into the separatist corner. The best arguments for separation were created not only by opportunistic politicians but also by true fanatics who sincerely believed that they were battling separatism.
In BJP led India, cow-vigilantes are killing Muslims to save cows while the Modi government promotes beef exports. For example, the BJP administration reportedly reduced beef export tax from 10% to 6% and India has become one of the three top beef exporters in the world. This hypocrisy is lost on BJP supporters, the same way Rajapaksa supporters are unaware that it was Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa who in July 2014 suspended salary payments to disabled soldiers.
The Rajapaksas created the disabled soldiers’ salary cut issue in 2014 and used it to win the presidential election in 2019. That is how Rajapaksa patriotism works in real life. It is first and foremost a mantle to hide their anti-democratic politics and anti-people economics from Sinhala eyes. It is a way to make Sinhalese forget their hunger and homelessness, their poverty and joblessness. It is faux-empowerment of the Sinhala majority at the expense of the minorities. Though its immediate victims will be the minorities and a few anti-Rajapaksa Sinhalese, before long it will condemn the country and all its people to another period of political and societal violence and economic collapse.
Still something left to lose
In the Rajapaksa playbook, election times are when weapons are unearthed and conspiracies discovered.
On July 30th, several pro-Rajapaksa websites highlighted the discovery of a ‘large amount of bombs and other weapons’ in the North. If one reads between the lines, it is clear these were buried by the LTTE before the final defeat. But the overall impression given is that armed separatists are at it again.
In the meantime, the SLPP has lodged a formal complaint with the police about a plot against Basil Rajapaksa. That will probably be used to lock up a few more Rajapaksa opponents.
In her Come September lecture, Arundathi Roy talked about the paranoia and ruthlessness of power. The Rajapaksas suffer more than most rulers from the first and generously employ the second as the remedy. Thus we have the arrest of Shani Abeysekara, one of the best sleuths Sri Lanka has produced (if not the best). He is being accused of fabricating evidence, by the same CID which made a barefaced attempt to fabricate evidence against Hejaz Hisbullah just a month ago. Those CID officers who tried to get supposed child witnesses to implicate Mr. Hisbullah in the crime of terrorism are at large while Shani Abeysekara who brought so many criminals to justice is in jail.
The darkness is growing, but light still lingers. Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake not only stopped the CID from fabricating evidence. He also revealed the truth in open court. And this week, Ratnapura High Court imposed the death sentence on Premalal Jayasekara, a SLPP candidate. Former parliamentarian and deputy minister Jayasekara and his associates were found guilty of the murder of UNP activist Shantha Dodangoda on January 5th 2015. Mr. Dodangoda was helping to organise a meeting of Maithripala Sirisena when he was shot and killed.
The SLPP had no compunction about giving nomination to a man who had been accused in a court of law of murder. Whether SLPP voters show themselves to be equally lost to all sense of decency and civility, and reward this convicted murderer with a huge win remains to be seen. Be that as it may, there is little doubt that President Gotabaya will pardon this killer of a fellow Sinhalese just as he pardoned the convicted mass murderer of Tamils, army sergeant Sunil Ratnayake.
President Donald Trump caught flak even from his own party when he demanded that officials slow down Covid-19 testing, as a way of hiding the virulence of the pandemic. In Sri Lanka, a former American citizen has trumped Trump with very little fuss. According to the head of Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, though Sri Lanka has done 150,000 tests, about 110,000 of these are repeats. Meaning only 40,000 people have been tested in Sri Lanka for Covid-19. In other words, a miniscule 0.18% of the populace had been tested.
A recent news story adds an element of dread to this smoke and mirror way of combating the pandemic. The Ravaya of July 17th, quoting the secretary of the PHI Association, reported that the army had taken away self-quarantining members of military families and non military families in the districts of Anuradhapura (Kekirawa, Nelubewa, Shrawastipura), Hambantoa (Ambalantota) and Matara (Morawaka). These ‘forcible removals’ happened mostly in the night. The relevant PHIs were not informed of the removals or where the families were taken.
We have seen how the police used the pandemic to ban peaceful protests by Rajapaksa opponents. Will white-vanning be given a Covid-19 makeover, post-elections? Will Rajapaksa opponents be taken away from their homes to undisclosed locations and kept for an indefinite period of time, using the pandemic as an excuse?
The darkness need not become Cimmerian, not if the electorate denies the Rajapaksas a massive majority. To prevent Sri Lanka from becoming a Rajapaksas fief, we need to vote for the elephant, telephone or the compass, and within those formations, for candidates we think are least likely to cross over to the Rajapaksas either for money, or out of fear or ideological affinity.
In his haunting collection of stories, This way for the gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, Tadeusz Borowski described the station to Auschwitz as “A cheerful little station. Very much like any other provincial railway stop: a small square framed by tall chestnuts and paved with yellow gravel.” Horror often comes not in monstrous garbs but in ordinary everyday guises. A normal looking station can lead to hell. A periodic election can open the doors to disaster. If in commercial transactions, the watchword is caveat emptor, in elections the watchword should be caveat suffragator.
Voter Beware.
srikrish / August 2, 2020
Landslides cannot be stopped, It is non stoppable.After it happened, can be mitigated
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leelagemalli / August 2, 2020
Srikrish,
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I dont think landslides would be looking at the manner they have performed during the last 9 months.
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Not a single pledge made on PE stage is fullfilled. Excuse is COVID crisis. But the truth is, even far poor NEPAL managed it better, but lanken counterparts failed however, self glorifications and self adulations made GOTLER a hero in COVID containment proces, is it not comparable to their SO CALLED WAR VICTORY self-adulations ?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds0AgcwQfto
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Eagle Eye / August 3, 2020
leelagemalli,
“even far poor NEPAL managed it better”
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Dumbo, here are the latest figures:
Nepal: Number of cases 20,332 Number of deaths: 57
Sri Lanka: Number of cases 2,823 Number of deaths: 11
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leelagemalli / August 3, 2020
This time as no times in the past
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1) Many among Mahasangarathnaya is against 2/3 majority in the parliament, their bitter silence proves it well
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2) Youth that are one of the decisive factors in any of the elections held sofar, are very upset about the Rajapakshe politics today, and they stay as if crocodiles fed with clay today, meaning their reactions will very likely stand against Rajapakshes and their henchmen
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3) Silent professionals and public sectors workers are angered by the electric bills and other bills came over to them irrespective of repeated high talks from Gotler led current govt – this could be one another crucial factor to cause tangible changes than sofar in this country.
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4) There is a larger portion of the society, that question why the current leadership never respected the OIL PRICE REDUCTION even if europe and all other nations gave that concessions directly to their people. Oil prices in the world market today is the cheapest looking back the recent years.
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And any dokey would be aware OIL prices could affect on anything and everything in a country. Even daily food items and its price could hugely go down, if the rulers respected them.
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Burt / August 3, 2020
Forget about a landslide, if SLPP gets a 2/3 majority Sri Lanka will be doomed for the next centaury.
Then again they say Karma is a B!tch. Sinhala Buddhist have to payfor their crimes against minorities whether it be Tamils, Muslims, Hindus or Christians, They have taken turns against each minority.
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rj1952 / August 3, 2020
Do not get fooled.
As d-day gets closer and closer by the second the entire Rajapuka mongrel gang is are desperately trying to boost their deflated Kota Uda mental mind to fool the voting public that they are almost there close to obtaining the dream of a 2/3rd majority they are seeking to play havoc with the constitution especially the 19th amendment which had put a stop to their boru hora ambitious greedy beggars.
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I implore the esteemed voters please do not get fooled by this big-time ball talk.
Think twice before you mark the x on the voting paper.
It is now the right time of an opportunity to give these criminal money power greedy ganankarraya gangsters a real kick onto their backsides from which they will be got rid of forever and ever.
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N. Perera / August 3, 2020
SLPP 145 TO 154 MPS, ANOTHER 10 YEARS RULE BY GOTABAYA. SRI LANKA BELONGS TO SINHALESE ARYANS. CHINA BELONGS TO CHINESE AND INDIA BELONGS TO HINDUS
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Kanapathy Varunan / August 4, 2020
Srilanka belongs to Chinese Buddhists and very soon Sinhalese Buddhists will be asked to play second fiddle if they are not already doing so.
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Ajith / August 2, 2020
History tells us some truth. At this point of time I don’t think the people have a thinking power. Even if Lord Buddha comes and tell the people that a cyclone is coming tomorrow, please move to safer places, they will not listen because in their mind Tamils and Muslims are in the door step to kill them. Even Lord Buddha says, there is no one there, they will think Lord Buddha was a fake.
So, sometimes, Sinhala voters only open their eyes when they open their door, a military man come inside the house and saying noone should be allowed to get out of this house. Over 60000 Sinhalese were buried under the soil by the Sinhala military, not by LTTE, not by ISlamist terrorist?
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Burt / August 3, 2020
Have the people lost the thinking power because politicians have brain washed them OR religious leaders have done that for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM0ZwphBbcc
As a roman catholic I am sorry for the Roman Catholics in Sri Lanka.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
“At this point of time I don’t think the people have a thinking power. “
Rather condescending is it not?
People respond to their situation as perceived.
Ask yourself what made the return of the clan possible.
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Proud Sinhala Fascist / August 6, 2020
If you are dare – Brave enough You can add up up the Casualties of Year 2019 Massacre (ester Bombing) for the List…..That would be *** 000 + 350 = *** 350 = Murdered by SL armed forces for the sake of a Sovregnity of Sri Lanka Actually those people were Killed to Gotabaya Rajapaksa to be Elected…..
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But I think you are missing the Large picture ….Accordance to bull s….t Sri Lanka Buddhism there was a fellow called Angulimala …This SOB went on Murdering officially speaking 999….almost ….guess what when he just happens to bumps into dood named/called…. Buddha ….all of his wrong doings were RECTIFIED……this is the mind set of Sri Lankan Military Personals…..Radical Buddhism is no Different to Radical Islam…….
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Ajay / August 2, 2020
History will record that Sri Lankans had the misfortune of being ruled by a sick criminal family for the first three decades of the 3rd millennium. It will reveal how this Mafia family tortured the people because of their greed for obscene wealth and cheap fame. History scholars will be writing PhD theses on how these champions of Sinhala Buddhism turned on their own people during the final phase of their tyrannical rule and subjected them to suffering much worse than what they inflicted on the minority Tamils and Muslims.
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rj1952 / August 2, 2020
A humble plea from a freedom-loving expatriate who was forced to run away 33 years ago for the safety of himself and his family.
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As this is a fine article written by the best I will not dissect it but stick to a few important salient points.
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The nearly 7 million Sinhala Buddhist/Catholic voters who were misled to cast their sacred ballots for the Kallan kallathoni war criminal who was at the time of nomination an American citizen till not even 60 days ago.
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The people after the results of the 16th November 2019 are in a heavy suffering mode now coupled with the much-cursed corvid-19 which has and still playing bandu of many a pandu all over the world.
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They the suffering masses have no money to buy even the basics to have one meal and it is all NOES at this moment, will be the same as long as the corrupt foul-smelling Rajapuka’s rule the roost.
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Even if the must demanded 2/3rd victory is not achieved by hook or by crook the Rajapuka’s will go on with establishing the military unlawful dictatorship takeover of the island.
They are also expected to impose long continuous 24 hour curfews to punish all the citizens irrespective of whom they voted for.?
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Ajith / August 2, 2020
Mahinda & Gota company’s sale programme of Srilanka to USA and India are exposed to public by the same Monk Gnanarasa today. Weerawanse and Gammanpila’s cover up plan was rejected by the workers union in the Colombo harbour. Gota warned those who oppose the sale of Colombo harbour and the deal he made with USA to implement the MCC deal.
The true face of Mahinda & Gota are already started and I am sure Sinhala voters realise the true face of Military Gotabaya at least now.
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Ashan / August 3, 2020
Don’t bank on it. They are so brainwashed and ready to overlook the Rajapaksa crimes past and present, and they are made to feel only the Rajapaksa’s can save them from terrorism. The Easter bombings benefitted one party only.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
So we shall soon be free from the alleged Chinese control.
Must be sweet news for quite a few.
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SarathP / August 2, 2020
Only the Middle East countries can control the anti-Muslim Frenzy in SL. I believe one or two countries have raised objections with the government in the past. One specific instance is where The Island newspaper ran a features article that was anti-Muslim and the Embassy of the UAE. Sent a letter of objection. The very next day, the racist writer was groveling with apologies.
Just threaten to kick out all SL workers in the Middle East, and see how the racist monks will grovel.
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leelagemalli / August 2, 2020
SarathP,
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late 80ties, we did not see local muslim women wearing Hijab, niqab, burka or other body coverings that could create anxities among the non-muslims.
There are lots of different kinds of coverings worn by Muslim women all over the world today, but we were not familiar with those body covers.
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Agencies that exported srilanken women to Middle east boomed during the Rajapakhe regime, with increasing number of sinhala women becoming the sex objects of the arab men while they work as housemaids tothose oil rich arab families.
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Srilanken Mahinda Rajakshe never had much care about the torments of the people, but the foreign exchange being sent by them to the country which is now believed to be the number as of today. :
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So, it is clear total ignorant politics of Rajapskshe created even lot more PROBLEMS in the muslim community in the coutnry. Why could not they take actions against those muslim women clothing… we should have our own identity. No malaysians or Singaporians would ever allow to behave the way, far unedcuated MIDDLE east women would behave. Most of the middle east women dont go to school.. so ist the case also in North african islamic states. So those women would obey to anything being ordered to them.
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ShanR / August 2, 2020
This is yet another eloquent well researched article by TG. It is my reading that SLPP will achieve a parliamentary majority. The minority ethnic groups have to learn to live under the SLPP rule and hope for the best. There is probably a concern among the majority community about giving absolute power to the rulers. This may hamper the ruling party’s aim to achieve the important two thirds majority. Based on past experience we can safely assume that the ruling party won’t have any difficulty in inducing opposition and minority party MPs to join them to achieve the two thirds majority.
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N. Perera / August 3, 2020
Heladive (Sri Lanka) belongs to Helayans(Sinhalese Aryans). Nepal belongs to Nepalese, Butan belongs to Bhutanese, China belongs to Chinese, Indian belongs to Hindus, Vietnam belongs to Vietnamese, Korea belongs Koreans and Japan belongs to Japanese
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rj1952 / August 3, 2020
Hello, amude Perera,
Tamils came from South India.
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From which hell did the Yakko’ss Sinhalese come from?
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the prisons of the Andaman and Orissa islands where they were all jailed for their vicious crimes especially those sexual ones.?
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Pandi Kutti / August 3, 2020
The word Hela is a Pali corruption of the ancient Thamizh word for the island Eezham. Chingkallams , are not Aryans , especially you. 99% of them are of South Indian Dravidian ancestry and even the population from Bihar and Bengal are not Aryan but largely Dravidian or pre Dravidian. 50% Chingkallams are descended from recently migrated South Indian low caste or untouchable slave labour, that was imported into the island during the Portuguese and Dutch era. Lastly the island was never entirely Chingkallam 1/3 of the island had always been Thamizh and ruled by Thamizh . Chingkallams had no control of these Eezham Thamizh land , until the British handed the entire island to you in 1948. Therefore how can you call the entire island as Chingkalla island? It would have been different if the Chingkallamas were controlling the entire island and the Thamizh were under them prior to European arrival but it was the opposite, it was the Thamizh who controlling the entire island and the Chingkallam under them. Thank the European colonizers, especially the British for saving you people and then handing the island to you
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Stanley / August 5, 2020
Pandiya, you are damaging your health. If you have to smoke, use a better quality of dope. Hallucinations can be dangerous.
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RBH59 / August 2, 2020
Globally the majorities is Christian on this view point can they be police to world, the outbursts mob mentality will happen in other countries in the expenses of those working for marginalisation where some contries like so that they can be a police, When sOmeone accuses you of doing something you’re not doing, it’s usually because they’re the ones doing it.
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Kuviyam / August 2, 2020
Basil, it is good to dream of landslide Did you know the pulse of the people after your brother became th president COVID 19 crisis followed by economic crisis and restrictions on mobility and business. High rise in COl., Just Buddhism will not solve the problems of the country. I know you are a China man because you get 10 percent Are you getting ready to fly back to the US
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Does he collect only from China?
When it comes to money on the sly everyone is a true internationalist.
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umberto / August 3, 2020
Chinese are very good at corrupting others.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Tell me who is not among the big boys?
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
How about the small boys in Lankawe?
Who is your A/R Accountant? Can he give me list of your pledged donation collected?
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SJ / August 4, 2020
The drug speaking again?
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Mallaiyuran / August 5, 2020
Remember your boss’s medicine without sending the doc? That is how your Cholera hits you?
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GATAM / August 2, 2020
Rajapaksas riding the high horse of Sinhala racism are going to absolutely steamroll the rest. No stopping them. This is because UNP, SLMC, TNA, CWC and ACMC took Sinhala voters for granted. They must have stopped and thought what if. Now it is too late. No one should be surprised if there is another 1983 or a 2014 in the next few years (or far worse).
Well, we all did that mistake. Sinhalese believe they must have it their way on national matters or else they will force their way and get what they want rough. The army is theirs, the president is theirs and the Sanga is theirs. We must have seen this coming. 1956, 1982, 2005, 2010 and now 2020. Normally they don’t get on the high horse unless they believe they are under threat. Normally cool.
Anyway now all minority groups – Christians, Hindus and Muslims must vote for SJB to mitigate the damage, hold on for 4 years and reverse the tide. Infighting is not an option.
The bigger danger is the possible permanent political death of the moderates and ending up like India, Japan or Russia where nationalists cum racists continue to rule.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / August 3, 2020
cool summary….that is why we should leave all the ghetto parties and unit under realistic mainstream parties and pool our brains to deliver social and economical justice to the Nation as a whole……no need to think locally(as nothing was achieved and nothing will ever be achieved and think Nationally) is the message?
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Unity cannot be achieved without a minimum common purpose.
What do we have before us?
Be serious.
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
” Be serious. “
Man pot and kettle are fighting for the crown!
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / August 4, 2020
Agreed SJ.
However If we all sit-down a do a risk analysis, trouble shoot and apply causes and effect (there are so many techniques/tools available to evaluate and quantify each path and risks & benefits) various options with lessons learned I think we will choose the most beneficial path that is “unity” on the long run. Sure this will be with many hurdles…but the coming generations will be grateful we did that before we depart etc?
The reason we do not see the common cause is because we did not discuss the above with the masses as politicians wanting to serve the public…..our party political media such as Suthanthiran also did not play their part (or rather played a wrong part to distort facts). Public did not ask and we did not tell them or rather whoever asked we all did the killing without exception?
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Sanasa Pinbatha / August 2, 2020
A strange concern coming from pushers of the so-called ‘democracy’ in our land!
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Isn’t the majority preference and agreement the very definition of democracy?
Since when did too much democracy become undesirable?
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How can people have concerns when that preference or agreement too much?
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This shows the hypocrisy of do-gooders and NGO kakkas who cry out for a their own version of a bloody democracy.
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The 5 August RESULT IS FULL BLOWN DEMOCRATIC.
Roll your mats, go inside and cry all you want,
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leelagemalli / August 2, 2020
Pinbatha@
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On the 6th we will see, how Nation s Pinbatha Number one, Mahinda Rajapakshe be beaten going beyond the levels they experienced in 2015.
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People are not stupdier than appeared to be.
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Simon / August 2, 2020
“Chokka Malli” who has been given the Death Sentence by Courts would also be VOTED to Parliament on August 5th. A campaign rally was told by another “Veteran Maxixt” (?) a contestant from “Pohottuwa” – Mr Vasudeva Nanayakkara (dubbed Nanththara) that the Judgement was wrong and there is no hindrance to elect him to Legislature. Another Minister from the “Pohottuwa” Mrs Pavithra Vanniarachachi joined hands with “Nanththara” and requested to “VOTE” for this “Condemned” criminal and elect him as their “Representative”. This same “Criminal” now given “Death Penalty” was given over 100,000 votes while in Remand custody over the same crime. So looks like “NO STOPPING” of a Steam Roller Majority offered by the 99.5% “Literate Voters” of Sri Lanka – the “Miracle of Asia”, led by the “VIYATHTHU” (Intellectuals).
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Eagle Eye / August 2, 2020
TG,
“Sinhala-Buddhist supremacism bred Tamil separatism.”
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BS!
Separatism was in the minds of Malabar Vellala Demalu who are the descendants of Dravida slaves even before Sinhale got independence. They smuggled arms from India during British period. For what, liberate this country from British? No, to kill Sinhalayo.
The foundation for separatism was laid by Chelvanayakam who was a Kthoni from Malaya by forming the Federal Party in 1949. There was no Sinhala Supremacism at that time. There was Demala Supremacism. Malabar Vellala Demalu had told ‘Sinhalese can govern the country, we rule the country’. Same kthoni Chelvanayakam adopted the Vaddukoddai (Batakotte) Resolution in 1976 calling for the creation of an independent Tamil Eelam. This happened before the so called pogrom in 1983.
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I think the racist Demala, extremist Muslim and Toiya writers get some sort of a kick by using the term ‘SINHALA-BUDDHIST SUPREMACISTS’.
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GATAM / August 3, 2020
This is a useless conversation. Either all SLs unite or we divide the island into Sinhala only nation and Tamil Elam. End of story.
Facts are no friend of anyone. Even if Sinhala racists fathered Tamil racists and terrorists, the former won over the latter. That is a fact. It is a pointless discussion now.
Discuss how humans in the island can move forward united or divided – whatever best works for them.
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chiv / August 2, 2020
Enjoy the last few days of “DEMOCRAZY ” in Lanka.
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Eagle Eye / August 3, 2020
Chiv,
Enjoy the last few days minorities played hell in Sinhale.
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Plato / August 2, 2020
Sanasa Pinbatha.
JRJ after winning the Election of 1977, with a landslide, declared that he would roll-up the Electoral Map of Srilanka. True, he just did that for 17 long years.
After Aug: 05th, the winners, if they obtain a 2/3 majority will not roll up the Electoral Map; They would roll it up no doubt, but shove it down the closet and pull the flush.
You would then not know whether to laugh or to cry!
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SJ / August 3, 2020
The author is full of anti-China prejudice and misses no opportunity to pour out her heart.
She will not accept that there was very active terrorism in Xinjiang Uyghur until a few years ago, aided by the US and its allies.
The issue is not religion (and the vast majority of Muslims are the Hui who have no religious issues at all with the state) but secessionist forces using religion as pretext. The state has ensured that there was no communal violence, although the Han majority has suffered many deaths.
The author just repeats what she is fed by the Western media, attempting desperately to discredit China because it is a threat to US dominance of the world.
*
What is the use in wailing about the return of the Rajapaksas and with it their horrible politics, after the UNP-led Yahapalanaya made a dog’s breakfast of its opportunity to correct things?
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Ashan / August 3, 2020
Where there is discrimination, violence against the minority, suffering, and no rights, you will find the beginning of extremism, resistance, and protests. It is a human response. Extremists use that discrimination to recruit and make it a larger movement.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
There are always grievances.
How do you explain Islamic fundamentalists sprouting in countries where they have very little to complain?
When there is foreign meddling, like by the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other such mischief makers,even a minor grudge could be blown out of proportion.
Have you noticed that there has been no anti-Uighur communal violence in China, despite a string of acts of terror targetting Han Chinese for a few years until 2015?
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
” There are always grievances.”
Is that in Marx’s Das Kapital? Then, can you write it in a WSWS.Org?
You sold even your Amude to China by preaching Communism. now, Blaming America for blocking you to sell the rest? China Virus seems to infest in about 100 countries more in numbers (85,000) than China before the end of the year. I hope at least few countries get together and take legal action against China to release this weapon grade germ out of laboratories, purposefully.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Search and thou shall find.
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
“Search and thou shall find.”
Why yours have fallen down? That is not your fault man as you said the Covid-Curfew was too long. China Virus’s fault.
“Appile Thoythid adithu adithu naalumathu thapinaal namaiyathu thappathoo? (அப்பிலே தோய்த்து அடுத்தடுத்து நாம் அதனைத் தப்பினால் நம்மையது தப்பாதோ’)
If I find it I give a shout, I won’t keep yours.
(You are Komali a Thamai! )
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SJ / August 4, 2020
Search
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Agnos / August 3, 2020
SJ,
You sound like a CCP official when you make this claim. I have met Uighur refugees in the U.S., who told me about what China is doing to their people, so we don’t need to rely on Western media. Your communist indoctrination seems to have deluded you. No serious leftist would make the claim you are making about China.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Agnos
I did not say that there is no problem for the Uighurs.
But claims about oppression are much exaggerated. What the Uighur diaspora say on such matters will be even less credible than what the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora keeps saying about conditions here, because there is no way of challenging them in the mainstream media.
BTW
I gradually moved left from a Federal Party background after the FP joined government in 1965, and not a member of any party, despite sympathy for some.
I do not call China socialist despite retaining several outcomes of socialism.
While being highly critical of China’s capitalism, one has to be alert to what imperialism is up to.
Leftists, however serious, are not cast in one mould. Views can differ vastly on many matters as has been even in the time of K Marx.
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Singar A. Velan / August 3, 2020
// Leftists, however serious, are not cast in one mould. Views can differ vastly on many matters //
I agree with this. Those on the left are very good at defining how different they are and spending their energy attacking each other based on these differences. The right knows to come together quickly. One is driven by the pleasures of declaring purity of ideology, and the other by the pursuit of power.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Agree that there is much truth in this.
But there are also times when they have put differences aside and delivered, even recently.
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
they have put differences aside and delivered, even recently.You guys the Lankan Lefts? Recently? After the Covid-19 curfew? Too busy during curfew? How many of those?
By which side the communist delivering for you? Front door or back door?.
It is Valmigi’s Aswametha Yagna,Your lies have no limit man.
Only one party that Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese got together and unanimously swept out from the land is Communist asses.
Just a dumb; nothing else.
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Singar A. Velan / August 3, 2020
May we know the exceptions you have in mind that prove the rule?
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SJ / August 4, 2020
There was no rule that I put forward.
An exception to the rule suggested by you is:
In Nepal they got rid of the monarchy.
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
You wrote your fraud Federalism story and eventually somebody wrote it was nothing but the family rivalry with Sampanthar’s father? Is that a Kiluvam Veli Kaani Chanddai? That sound like your family demanding a federal state from Sampanthar Family. Don’t keep lying that you dies for Federal state up to 1965. I asked you How old were you at that time.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Yawn…..
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Native Vedda / August 3, 2020
SJ
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“While being highly critical of China’s capitalism, one has to be alert to what imperialism is up to.”
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Nonsense.
China has always been an Imperial land grabbing nasty ungrateful power.
Don’t forget what happened after “Hindi Chini bhai bhai” love affair, China’s war against Vietnam between February 17 to March 16, 1979, and its border disputes with every neighbour including Russia, … almost all …………..Tans, and in sea, .. …
Ungrateful, because Russia and Japan helped China to build its industrial base after Mao took control of the country.
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It behaves exactly like an imperial power, denying other countries (Brazil, Germany, Japan, India, South Africa ….) permanent seat at the Security Council, supporting every evil regime all over the world including this island, …. Almost all its loans are being charged at 12% or forced to settle for a piece of land. ……….. Being all weather friend China supported Pakistan while it was committing war crimes on a large scale, including rape and massacres.
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Please don’t tell us China always had love for people at centre of its heart. Simply it is another nasty Imperial power. Why do you still believe in Chinese intentions and in love with the weeping widow?
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
That guy is a fraud. There was nothing for him understand of science even yet, though he is only a science graduate. Certainly he would not have been able to pronounce Marx’s name in 1965. He would know what it was meant by Das Kapital. ITAK was a left oriented socialist party in that (SJV)time. LTTE was socialist movement. All movements, including Deva copied socialism from LTTE. We few were only accepted LTTE in armed struggle but not on socialism. He has personal rivalry with TNA leadership. This guy is Tamil hate filled fraud. He call others cheater.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
YAAAAWNNNN…
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Mallaiyuran / August 5, 2020
Is that the Cholera sound? Still Badiyudeen manged to send to UK?
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
” She will not accept that there was very active terrorism in Xinjiang Uyghur until a few years ago, aided by the US and its allies. “
This man doesn’t know what is happening in Xinjiang. Covering up with his cow dung. Rubbish!
That is nothing but his usual lies ans filth. Turkey have to get NATO’s help and chase Chinese out of there. What the hell are they doing in Turkey race’s land?
That this not, Taiwan, Hong Kong or even Tibet.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Zzzzz
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
That is what you did in Lankawe Schools, until Badiyudin sent to UK university and UK sent you home. You and Karuna might be the successful Lankawe returnees from UK. Then you cheat people telling you are a communist from 1965, after seeing ITAK supported Dudley (The only decent man, not associated with any crimes within Lankawe leaders). How could donkey’s know the holly camphor. Camphor’s inspiring quality doesn’t match donkey’s nature.
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SJ / August 3, 2020
Do not disturb.
ZZZZZZ….
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Mallaiyuran / August 3, 2020
Close the door man!
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SJ / August 5, 2020
Yawn…ZZZZ…
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soma / August 3, 2020
If YOU don’t desire as desired by the author which is a scenario of Sinhala Buddhist or any other gang of rioters led by hamuduruvos or any other rabble rousers taking to streets Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the best option.
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Soma
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Native Vedda / August 4, 2020
somass
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“a scenario of Sinhala Buddhist or any other gang of rioters led by hamuduruvos “
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I suppose you have first hand experiences of such situation.
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Good Sense / August 3, 2020
In this article, the fact is the utterance of BR. The comment is the conclusion is that Sri Lanka might b a nation which is politically unfree and ethno-religiously divided. The author cites instances of repression in both the countries, the political models of it BR values. The reality is that there is repression of all kinds in almost any state one can name. One may say that I am naïve in calling for fairness and pointing out that BR in saying so never implied the negative sides of the models that are prevailing in the respective countries. In fact what alarms is that in both the countries the sense of nationalism under the respective political ideologies have gone far to the extent of telling the world “Don’t you dare meddle with us and we know how to use force”. The extent of development of this philosophy has alarmed even hawks of the respective political parties in the countries, to voice that the ideology is practised to the extreme leading to disaster. I see nothing wrong in emulating a system where the country and its people are given the pride of place but not crude extremism.
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Good Sense / August 3, 2020
In this article, the fact is the utterance of BR. The comment is the conclusion is that Sri Lanka might b a nation which is politically unfree and ethno-religiously divided. The author cites instances of repression in both the countries, the political models of it BR values. The reality is that there is repression of all kinds in almost any state one can name. One may say that I am naïve in calling for fairness and pointing out that BR in saying so never implied the negative sides of the models that are prevailing in the respective countries. In fact what alarms is that in both the countries the sense of nationalism under the respective political ideologies have gone far to the extent of telling the world “Don’t you dare meddle with our affairs ”. The extent of development of this philosophy has alarmed even hawks of the respective political parties in the countries, to voice that the ideology is practised to the extreme leading to disaster. I see nothing wrong in emulating a system where the country and its people are given the pride of place but not crude extremism.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / August 3, 2020
An excellent article. Well done Tisaranee . However I am afraid this county will soon become a dictatorship ruled by a nasty , racist , war criminal family for the next 30-40 years who will ruin it for their own personal benefit and will treat it as their personal fiefdom. It will go the same way as Haiti , Zimbawe and many other once promising third world nations. Even if they do not receive a two thirds majority there are enough corrupt politicians , whom they can buy over and attain this. All countries that do not respect human rights but abuse it and treat their minority nationalities atrociously , end up as nasty dictatorships , where the majority who encouraged and supported all these human rights abuses and denial of rights to the minority nations , will themselves become victims to the same human rights abuses and denial of rights. Other than a few Sinhalese politicians, the rest are all preaching Sinhalese Buddhist racism and fascism. We have racist Sinhalese Buddhist monks openly preaching racism and now even Colombo based Catholic establishment , led by a most Unchristian Cardinal and his acolytes encouraging Sinhalese Buddhist/Catholic racism . To add to this we have fundamentalist fake Arab Muslim elite and politicians dragging the islands Tamil Muslims towards Wahhabi fanaticism.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / August 3, 2020
All in the name of islam and fake Arab origin and a recently Arabised culture. What more do you want. The Sri Lankan Muslims who are ethnically Tamil but constantly denying this truth , may be now victims of Sinhalese racism but remember until recently they were co partners with the Sinhalese in the Eelam Tamil genocide and denial of rights and gained immensely. They made immensely contributed to Sinhalese racism and power for their own benefit and have now fallen victim to it.
To add to this we have fundamentalist fake Arab Muslim elite and politicians dragging the islands Tamil Muslims towards Wahhabi fanaticism. All in the name of islam and fake Arab origin and a recently Arabised culture. What more do you want. The Sri Lankan Muslims who are ethnically Tamil but constantly denying this truth , may be now victims of Sinhalese racism but remember until recently they were co partners with the Sinhalese in the Eelam Tamil genocide and denial of rights and gained immensely. They made immensely contributed to Sinhalese racism and power for their own benefit and have now fallen victim to it
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Kuviyam / August 3, 2020
Mahinda dynasty has enough money to buy voters. They will fan couunalisn., Gotabaya will come in horse and appear like Dutugenunu. There is conflict among Buddhist monks If the percentage of voting exceeds 70% then it will be the downfall for the Mahinda dynasty. The Army is there to see that that percentage is not reached. and Rigging takes place In which is the Cardinal?
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Pala / August 3, 2020
What I hate the most about the Rajapukshe scoundrels is their pernicous trait of taking revenge on innocent and honest citizens and government servants. They use their willing nasty sabotuers whom they them selves appointed into government jobs to invent false evidence to lock up just about anyone who crossed them. Shani Abeysekare, Bathiudeen’s brother are the most well known. The nastiness knows no bounds. Shani was suspended from services before being arrested for the most idiotic and blatantly false charges of witness tempering after the case and the appeal were concluded. The witnesses who were them selves police officers were compromised thru threats and inducement to lie and change their tune. Do you think any police officer will ever trust his fellow officers or ever investigate anything impartially ever again?? A brilliant lawyer who lead the defense to bring down the illegal 52 day travesty was framed by intimidating children to give false evidence. The intimidation done by goons in uniform. By these acts we see the emerging corrupt dictatorship. The opposition is frail and easily compromised. If Sajith fails to play ball he will be arrested so will be Champika Ranawaka the other young leading light make no mistake.
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Pandi Kutti / August 3, 2020
Good let the Chingkallam have their brutal dictatorship and get ruled by a bunch war criminal racist thugs and by mad extremist Buddhist monks and by a sly un Christian Chingkalla Cardinal. This is what they want and yearn for and they should get this and suffer for the next 50 years or more and have a lovely dose of what the Thamizh suffered. As for the fake Arab Indian origin Thamnizh Thullukans . I have no pity for them as they are reaping what they sowed. They were joining the Chingkallams in their genocidal Baila and enjoying all the fruits. In May 2009 , were openly rejoicing , at the plight of the Thamizh and salivating for their fake Salafist Wahhabi Arabistan in the east , where they arrived as refugees a century or two ago. They were even getting ready with Arab dress, food habits and even Arabic language name boards and place names, Threatening the eastern Thamizh, stating blood will flow if they demand for their rights. Now look who is rejoicing. Rejoice ,Rejoice and again I say Rejoice
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Truth28 / August 3, 2020
Destroying the Democratic rights enshrined in the 19th Amendment is the path to create a Rajapaksa Dynasty. This must be resisted.
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Mallaiyuran / August 4, 2020
Look at the woman in the picture. She is thinking how long they will take more. Like in Mullaithivu, the police has told them to go to ruling party meeting, there they will give Covid-19 relief provisions. One of her friend told her “come woman in time before they finish, we have to leave in time”. She threw away the work she was doing and have come. They may or may not give out anything in today’s meeting. Already she is tired by today’s work. But when she return to work tomorrow, boss is going tell “I am not pay paying you for yesterday, because I had to pay another woman to finish your work”. Uncertainty of the life is glimmering in her young but already endured face. The child is thinking today also mommy going to take too long to cook. I am going to cry by hunger.
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paragon / August 4, 2020
The majority who wants to vote and bring SLPP in to power is actually digging their own grave without their knowledge.after august 5th there is a possibility of curfew in some district due to CORONA which is not under control 100%.secondly the state coffer is empty.they will take some hard actions to meet the financial goal.the SRIMAVO period before 1977 will come in to force.eating rice will be controlled and people will be compelled to eat KOSS AND MANJOKA .bread line up will be seen early in the morning in front of all shops.rice and bread distribution may be handed over TO THE ARMED FORCES.independent TVS,NEWSPAPERS,AND WEBSITES will be controlled by competent authorities.NO OF MINISTERS AND STATE MINISTERS WILL BE MORE THAN 75%OF THE SLPP MEMBERS.THEY WILL FIND A WAY TO FRAME CHARGES AGAINST SAJITH,PATALI,RAJITHA,ANURAKUMARA AND ANY OTHER TAMIL MUSLIM MEMBERS WHO TALK TOO MUCH AGAINST THEIR RULE-GOOD LUCK TO 690,000.OO MOST EDUCATED VOTERS IN SRILANKA WHO ELECTED GOTHPAIYA
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chiv / August 4, 2020
Eagle, are you oe of those yellow robes covering the face with the mask in the screen shot ????Why do you need a mask ??? Even the Virus will not discriminate its fellow the way you do. With people like you its the Virus which may need a mask.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / August 4, 2020
I’m always amazed how readers comment and debate or argue with each other about their comments or their perceived personality or affiliation rather than about the substance of the article. I found the first video clip of GGA Gnanasara thero quite interesting. His rhetoric is still fiery but his eloquence has improved immensely compared to several years earlier. He does not use dirty words or swear as he did before. Do listen to his speech about the issue of Madrasas, and maybe debate that too..
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