By Jehan Perera –
Jehan Perera
The government’s readiness to restart the reconciliation process and to engage with civil society organisations involved in it has been subject to both appreciation and scepticism. Those from civil society who have been involved have felt positively about the recent meetings they had with government leaders including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The president’s unexpected tweet that he would work with the UN to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation by implementing necessary institutional reforms came as a surprise as they were out of sync with the stances previously articulated by the government. Both the presidential and general elections that brought the government to power emphasized the enemies within and without rather than reconciliation.
Unfortunately, scepticism regarding the government’s sincerity in restarting the reconciliation process received negative confirmation shortly after the meetings with government leaders. The Ministry of Defence which overlooks the National NGO Secretariat submitted a concept note to the Cabinet to draft a new law to replace the existing NGO legislation. This would tighten government control over NGOs. The cabinet was apprised that NGOs were currently able to register under different laws and this needed to be streamlined. This is no different from commercial enterprises which are also entitled to register under different laws most suitable to the nature of their businesses. There was also reference to the Easter bombing commission report that referred to the need to guard against terrorist financing. The question is why NGOs should be singled out for tightened surveillance.
The presentation of legislation to regulate NGOs at a time when the government is planning to restart the reconciliation process is indicative of an absence of coherence, where things are not seen to be connected. NGOs have played an important role within civil society in promoting the national reconciliation process. They have upheld values of pluralism and acted as human rights defenders when the need has arisen. They have also conducted relationship-building educational and advocacy programmes that have had a considerable impact on decisionmakers as well as society in general. An independent civil society is part of the system of checks and balances in a functioning democracy. The move to subject NGOs to greater governmental control at the same time as government leaders are pledging to restart the reconciliation process seems to be at cross purposes.
Informal Assurances
On the positive side, there have been informal reassurances that the NGO legislation will not be rushed through and that the NGOs will be consulted. On the other hand, the government’s commitment to restarting the reconciliation process is undermined by ongoing violations of human rights on the ground. The arrests of those who have dissented and protested against the attempted passage of the KNDU law which would bring the military into higher education for civilians, is an example. The manner in which student activists were arrested by police officers in civilian attire who boarded public buses on which they were traveling was both inappropriate and illegitimate. It is the ability to tolerate and accept dissent, and safeguard the space for it, which marks a democratic society and leadership that can aspire to reconciliation. It is through difference and dissent that all aspects of the truth may emerge to provide for a better solution to be found.
In the aftermath of the EU threat to deprive Sri Lanka of the benefits of its GSP Plus tariff privileges, the government agreed to bring the Prevention of Terrorism Act into conformity with international standards so as to reduce the level of human rights violations. The PTA was designed as a temporary war-time measure in 1979 but continues to be used a full twelve years after the end of the war in 2009. Although the president has appointed an expert committee to revise the law and make it align with international standards, the PTA continues to be used in its draconian form even at the present time. In addition, those who have been arrested without possibility of bail due to its provisions continue to languish for years without access to the legal process and to fair trial. This has led detractors of the government’s hoped for change of heart to claim it is eyewash that is disconnected from the ground realities.
The problem with the government’s approach to restarting the reconciliation process is that it does not seem to have a well thought out plan at this time. Instead there appears to be a series of ad hoc responses to the pressures exerted on it. International pressure has become an effective motivator of change at this time. The government is in dire need of international goodwill due to the Covid induced health tragedy and economic catastrophe. But instead the government has been at the receiving end of four strongly worded international resolutions this year, beginning with the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution 46/1 of March 2021. The government has also been subjected to the Ontario parliament’s resolution on genocide, the EU parliamentary resolution on GSP Plus and the US Congress resolution on the long standing failure to achieve a political solution.
Assuaging Scepticism
Any serious attempt by the government to restart the national reconciliation process would require that the major stakeholders be involved in the process. As the main affected community is the Tamil community in the North and East of the country, getting the participation of the main political parties representing the Tamil people of the North and East in the reconciliation process in important. The largest Tamil party, the TNA, has expressed its desire to meet in direct talks with the president at this time. A planned meeting three months ago in June fell through at the last moment with a promise of an early meeting to meet and discuss issues. But so far there has been no date given in lieu of the postponed meeting, which adds to the sense of frustration of those who were getting ready psychologically for a restart of the reconciliation process.
As a political party that comes from the tradition of Tamil parties that fought for the political rights of the Tamil people to equality and self-governance, the TNA’s main priority in talks with the government can be expected to be a political solution to the ethnic conflict. The war and the human rights violations that accompanied it are the primary focus of international attention today. The issue of a political solution will encompass those human rights concerns as well as the issues of inter-ethnic power sharing that are at the root of the conflict. The TNA’s request to meet with the president has been accompanied by the call for a political solution. The full implementation of the 13th Amendment and the holding of provincial council elections could form the main agenda of the government-TNA talks.
TNA leader R Sampanthan has spelled out the parameters of a political solution in a lengthy letter to President Rajapaksa which details the many attempts that the Tamil polity made in the past to negotiate with successive governments but to no avail. TNA spokesperson MA Sumanthiran has called for US mediation if there is a renewed attempt to negotiate a political solution. The acceptance of a US role in a revived Sri Lankan reconciliation process could lead to the suspension of the US Congressional resolution that could otherwise be detrimental to the government. It could also serve as a guarantee to those who are sceptical within and without the country that the government is serious about restarting the reconciliation process this time.
chiv / August 31, 2021
Jehan , rumour is that essential food items will be rationed soon which will take us to Sri Mao times. I doubt but any thing is possible in our miracle land. Economy is for sure on free fall. Health care is at the brink of breakdown. Education is in hibernation. Tourism is a dead horse. Yet Rajapaksas are tightening their grip and 6.9 million is happy to pay the price. Reconciliation is a tunnel never ends. It is not Myanmar but next North Korea.
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leelagemalli / August 31, 2021
Chiv,
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Reconciliation is just words only to the bunch. If Rajaakshes led groups would ever promote RECONCILIATION::: pigs might fly.
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Gota is said to be in his own mental asylum today, not being able to see in the eyes of his own siblings. – the definition of POST TURTLE- fits most to his presidency.
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“Post turtle is a phrase that has been used in political discourse of various countries, particularly in North America, based on an old joke. Various politicians have been referenced by the joke or used the joke, including Bill Clinton, George W Bush,[2] Barack Obama,] and Donald Trump.”
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Anyway, Wiyathmaga is reduced to that MAD FAKE PROF, CHANNA BALUSUMANA for good reasons. These men though louded on the stages, have nothing in their heads. Nalaka Baluhewa s existence is equally questionable when looking at Wimal BUruwasena’s restrict to ” under the bed of Mafia Boss, Mahinda Rajapkshes”.
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Those who made WIMAL THE POPULIST seem to be realizing today, that the bugger is no good even to appoint as a toilet cleaner in Maradana PUBLIC LAVETRIES.
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People incL: CHEEWARADHARIYAS were made fools as they cant see them in a mirror today. Anyway, our sinhalayas are MEMORY LOSERs…. they would not care much about ” human shamefulness”.
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nimal fernando / August 31, 2021
“Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!”
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That’s what I have to say to SJ after reading his book …… all the books, in the end, are about human warfare ……….
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But all are footnotes to the definitive book.
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“All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu
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What I garner from SJ’s book is ………. Velupillai Prabakaran made one crucial mistake in his attempt to destroy the “Sinhalese Nation.”
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Can any of you learned gentlemen/ladies ……… Native, OC, Nathan, SM, Chiv, SJ …….. guess what it is? It’s more simple than what your minds will first drift to.
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Since independence …… who from the minorities, have been most successful in destroying the “Sinhalese Buddhists” and their nation …… and how have they done it? :))
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old codger / August 31, 2021
Nimal,
“It’s more simple than what your minds will first drift to.”
You mean he didn’t offer free lifetime You-tube for all Sinhalese?
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Native Vedda / August 31, 2021
nimal fernando
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“Since independence …… who from the minorities, have been most successful in
destroying the “Sinhalese Buddhists” and their nation …… and how have they done it?”
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I know what you mean however I will put it this way:
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Thiruvengadam Velupillai Prabaharan was a
“SECULAR PSYCHOPATHIC SERIAL KILLER”,
who won two elections and one war for Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He remained actively engaged in hurting every Tom, Dick and Harry
irrespective of their race, region, religion, gender, ….. one cannot box him into either an ethnocentric, xenophobic, ….or fanatically racist.
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Nathan / August 31, 2021
Oh dear, I am humbled by the association you have accorded me!
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Dear nimal fernando,
I don’t read books. They are too bulky for me!
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Even at school I never read my Text books; I read Atlas Hall!
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War? … .. Which war?
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I don’t think that Tamils were ‘strong’ enough to battle anything out!
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LTTE was involved in skirmishes.
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I am not competent enough to analyse warfare. Sorry!
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nimal fernando / September 1, 2021
The crucial mistake Prabakaran made is ……. he fought the Sinhalese as a Tamil.
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He should have fought the Sinhalese as a Sinhalese ……… with a Sinhalese-Buddhist” makeover …………..
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If you read Sun Tzu (and SJ) between the lines ……… to overcome an enemy, not all wars should be fought with weapons …….. but deception
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Almost all of you won’t see/realize this ……… because your “education” from infancy has trained your minds not to see ………..
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It may not have been their intention ……. but unbeknownst to even them that’s what really happened ………..
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The Tamil Bandaranayakes with a “Sinhalese-Buddhist” makeover planted the initial seed of destruction of the “Sinhalese Buddhists.”
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Now, the Malay Muslim Rajapakses with a “Sinhalese-Buddhist” makeover, is completing the destruction …..
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nimal fernando / September 1, 2021
continued
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Unlike the docile Tamils ……. “Sinhalese-Buddhists” are natural-born and natural-trained best destroyers in the world; perhaps on par with the “Islamic destroyers” …….. so Bandaranayakes and the Rajapakses had/have it easy …..
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The next Tamil leader should fight the Sinhalese as a Sinhalese …….. that’s why SJ has joined the Sinhalese: he is far ahead of his time and his people ……..
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Like Moses he is going to deliver his people to the Promised Land: free the Tamils ………. and also free the Sinhalese in the bargain ………….
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Native Vedda / September 1, 2021
nimal fernando
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“The next Tamil leader should fight the Sinhalese as a Sinhalese …….. that’s why SJ has joined the Sinhalese: he is far ahead of his time and his people ……..”
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No need to fight the Sinhalese as Sinhalese.
Left to their own devices like their Tamil brethren Sinhalese will do the self destruction splendidly well.
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There is a small correction, Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims are normally stupid and need lot of help.
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However their new concoctions or variants Tamil Saivaits, Sinhala Buddhists, Islamist Khalifa (ISIS ….), Trumps Christian Tea Party are the ones who would take you to promised land.
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I am not coming with you.
If you want please feel free to join them.
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chiv / September 1, 2021
Nimal, I am mere doctor , least informed having minimal knowledge outside of my profession. What I write here are mostly personal opinion gained from years of my own life experience. The difference is I tend to analyse issues as in my profession. That is looking for etiology, causes precipitating factors, predisposing factors, biological/organic factors, course of illness, symptomatology, prognosis ——. Much to my surprise, in this way, many times I am close to a diagnosis, than what is told or believed by many. Seldom I depend on historical facts (before my birth), only to realize how distorted most are, as in present.Now, since independence who from the minorities, have been most successful in destroying (???) the SB and their SB nation and how have THEY done it ? Definitely can’t be Tamils as evil repeatedly rants. Considering racist like Evil ( among SB) is not considered minority then who else it can be??? Please do not leave us in suspense.
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davidthegood / September 1, 2021
Chiv, You have asked Nimal who destroyed the SB and how they did it. Certainly the destroyer killer is satan the fallen Lucifer, enemy of all created humans. The method he uses is deception with no power of his own but crazily evil and wants to be worshipped. He deviates all offer of love, compassion, mercy and blessing of the fruit of tree of life from the creator of life and instead shows the do it yourself pathway of knowledge of good and evil according to human faulty misunderstanding, billions of opinions against the one truth. Whether SB, tamils, muslims or other deceived manipulated, have all got on evil path.
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old codger / August 31, 2021
“The president’s unexpected tweet that he would work with the UN to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation by implementing necessary institutional reforms came as a surprise as they were out of sync with the stances previously articulated by the government. “
Keep your fingers crossed, Jehan. This is a country where common English phrases mean something quite different. A Humanitarian Operation, for example, is not a surgical procedure. “Working with the UN” could mean drawing them into endless discussions with multiple commissions investigating each others findings.
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Nathan / August 31, 2021
The current Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is a Tamil. He has been with every Government whenever the Rajapaksas were in power. He is for 13A. But, to-date, the Government has not accommodated his goal!
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India, which brokered the 13A,wants the Government of Sri Lanka to implement it fully. The Government has not budged.
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Under this setup will anyone believe the Government is serious when it talks about reconciliation.
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Eagle Eye / September 1, 2021
Nathan,
”India, which brokered the 13A,wants the Government of Sri Lanka to implement it fully. The Government has not budged.”
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After making a shady deal with LTTE, Ra Nil signed a Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) with LTTE in 2002 and handed over almost one third of the country to 11% of Tamils in the North. Ra Nil probably would have expected LTTE will honor the agreement and peace will prevail in the country. After that Prabhakaran ran a de facto State in the NE but he broke the CFA and continued with killing members of the Armed Forces and Sinhalayo to achieve the dream of ‘Tamil Elam’. In 2009, the Government defeated separatist Tamils. After rejecting 13A, don’t Tamils feel ashamed to plead the Government of Sri Lanka to implement 13A brokered by India? Are Tamils thinking ‘Something is better than Nothing’?
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Because of the decision taken by Tamils to reject 13A and continued to fight, hundreds and thousands of Sinhalayo and members of the Armed Forces had to sacrifice their lives and the destruction of infrastructure was enormous. After making those sacrifices do you expect the Government and Sinhalayo who were the victims of Tamil terrorism to give-in to the demands of Tamils?
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Nathan / September 1, 2021
Eagle Eye,
You make me tell the truth.
Tamils are never ashamed of anything!
When is ‘something’ never not better than nothing!!
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davidthegood / August 31, 2021
Author’s good title to add action to words for reconciliation, could go much deeper where words must come from an honest heart of integrity. Words that keep changing with every wind, can easily be blown away.
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Good Sense / August 31, 2021
I need not go through the entire article when the title of the article is about the synchronization of words and deeds. Oh! Come on! Do you expect an average politician, especially of Sri Lanka to do that? Even in UK everyone knows the meaning of a “political promise”. Words are a means of achieving something for the politician, including the passage of a pious message. I will never take the word of a politician that seriously. In commerce there is a saying “let the buyer beware”. Similarly as far as the politicians are concerned “let the voter beware”.
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leelagemalli / August 31, 2021
Incumbent leadership has failed in many ways not being able to work on even tiny issues, let alone, reconiciliatioin. Can anybody tell us, that Gota is successful in anything so far ?
Besides, how can barbarians would ever allow reconciliation going by their high crime records. These are just ” terms” to pretend the world. If Gota would continue his GAMA SAMAGA pilisandara, people would definitely stone him to death.
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They returned to power promising ” justtice” to the victimized by easter sunday diaster. Shamelessly, the very same men lag not being able to serve any justice not regarding the disaster but any of various other crimes. People were misled for their political surivival, that is what anyone would realize today. As I heard it yesterday, the leadership would want to ignore 10 000 x COVID deaths, but to focus on saving /earning 500 billions instead. That wandibattaya Ajith Cabral is kept above to release what the leadership has to say – this has become a joke as of today. This happens when people’s total ignorance allowed criminals to be leaders.
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GOTA-MARA combination has proved TODAY that they are more inhuman than ever appeared to be. People die or get infected by COVID due to total ignornace and mislead. Those traders that fish on muddy grounds are close to the leadership
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Captain Morgan / August 31, 2021
J.R. Jayawardena and Mahinda Rajapaksa, past presidents and Gotabaya Rajapaksa the present president have made use of a ‘dirty trick’ that they used pull off on the public, especially the minorities, all the time. It is a trick typically played by Sri Lankan politicians of low cunning!
When they have their heart set on accomplishing something, they will simply mobilize their supporters and go ahead with it without consulting anyone. But when they are averse to doing something they will appoint a special committee to advise them on how to proceed on the matter! This is a real kindergarten level trick but people keep falling for this, what with their average IQ of 79 points!
To take only the latest examples, did the incumbent president appoint a committee to advise him about the release of the Mirusuvil Murderer or Duminda Silva, another murderer? But he has appointed a committee to advise him on the matter of releasing the Tamil political prisoners who have been languishing in prison for more than 10 years without due process being followed. All eyewash, I say!
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srikrish / August 31, 2021
Jehan Perera,
The word “Reconciliation’ had become stale due to frequent usage as a panacea for conflict resolution, and hence refrain from using this word in this response.
It is better to go slowly with small confidence building measures rather than resolve everything at one shot.
If you try to do so then problems will turn out to be aggregated and intractable. This was what we learned in the long history of ethnic relations in Sri Lanka.
Let us be modest.
Historically, pacts and agreements were always counterproductive in the long run.
Instead, firstly, let the Tamil side unilaterally convincingly and unconditionally declare that separation will never be in their agenda not even in their wildest dreams.
The Sinhala side on their part could reciprocates and agree to sing national anthem in Tamil and also and war related pending issues settled in favor of affected victims.
Magnanimity is necessary on the part of both communities and I believe that it is available in plenty among all citizens in Sri Lanka.
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Whimpy Kid / August 31, 2021
Jehan why can’t Sambi ask for a Chinese role in the reconciliation process?
China has more influence on the Rajapakshas than USA no?
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Whimpy Kid / August 31, 2021
What happened to out chief mediator bigbrother India?
USA cannot do any thing without consent from India.
What happened to USA in Afganistan – Pakistan gave the middle finger to USA
still the people of Afganistan are suffering after 20 long years – no hope at all.
Can USA deliver any thing ?
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KA / September 1, 2021
“USA cannot do any thing without consent from India.”
I do not know whether you know this.
In April, US Navy in strike group cut deeply through so called economic zone of Hindia without even mentioning and made it to the point of that US Navy did it by publicly announcing it.
Hindia did not even make a murmur.
So, if the US wish, it can.
It is just that, as other powers, the US chooses most effective and least cost option for protecting, nurturing and growing its interests.
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Humble / August 31, 2021
Action speaks louder than words.
Stop the sinhala and muslim colonization of the NE and reverse all the damage done since 2009.
Is it possible?
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Eagle Eye / August 31, 2021
Humble,
“Stop the sinhala and muslim colonization of the NE…”
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Please check the meaning of ‘COLONIZATION’ in Cambridge English Dictionary before you use the keyboard again.
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Native Sinhalayo do not have to colonize their own country. It was Dravidians who colonized not only NE but even Colombo. There were hardly any Tamils in Colombo before British rule. Prior to British rule, Tamils were confined to Yapanaya peninsula. British settled Tamils in the East and brought Tamils to Colombo to help them to exploit Sinhale. To enable Tamils to come to Colombo and colonize, British were kind enough to build the railway track connecting Colombo to Yapanaya and Madakalapuwa.
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Do not forget that LTTE chased away Native Sinhalayo from NE. So, Sinhalayo have the right to return to NE.
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Naman / August 31, 2021
Before we start talking about reconciliation etc, let us have the Security Forces of all kinds-Military Intelligence,Army,Air &Naval forces and Police forces been made aware of how to protect the law abiding citizens from the crooked politicians and Monks especially Belonging to BBS.
We don’t need Thugs dressed up as people working for the Defence Department. Or belonging to the Clergy.
The word “RECONCILIATION “ is more often used to deceive the International organisations. We need actions rather than just words/Utterings
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Ajith / August 31, 2021
The country and people of Sri Lanka including those 69 million people and Monks who believed them have lost their sovereignty to Rajapaksa Family. Rajapaksa family won because they became rich, they became powerful whereas the people lost their economy, sacrificed their lives and wealth and lost their fundamental rights even to have a meal for a day. Today, people can’t open their mouth other than for drink a cup of water and have a slice of bread.
If Reconciliation means same as” Cheat” that is what Rajapaksas mean.
Jegan, if you can list of promises made by Rajapaksas between 2005 and 2021, that is very useful.
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GATAM / August 31, 2021
No one wants reconciliation in SL. Beating a dead horse.
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Eagle Eye / August 31, 2021
GATAM,
You are wrong. Some people want to keep it alive because that is their ‘Bread and Butter.’
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“No one wants reconciliation in SL.”
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Pandi Kutti / August 31, 2021
Yes the Gothic horror has started his reconciliation activity by instructing every northern branch of the SLPP and other affiliated organizations to collect and donate funds to provide a Buddha statue to every Buddhist place of worship in the northern province. Why these so called Buddhist places of worship in the north. 90%of which have been illegally erected by the Sri Lankan state and occupying Chingkalla armed forcesafter the war, on largely illegally acquired private Thamizh and Hindu temple lands, did not have a Buddha statue and they need more statues? Why or is it a ploy to and hint to build more Buddhist temples in the Hindu/Christian Thamizh north, where not even 2^% of the population is Chingkallam or Buddhist? Why no Buddha statues in the Chingkalla south? There are more pressing issues for the northern Thamizh people than the donation of Buddha statues to Buddhist temples in the north. What about donation to the Hindu temples that were destroyed? Hindus make up around 85% -90% of the northern population but nothing for them . Not even food donations but Buddha statues. Whom is this racist war criminal trying to fool with his reconciliation? Only the international community. He is an out and out Chingkalla Buddhist Fascist and a racist and there will be no reconciliation under him Sillysena, Ranil/Kunil , Sajith/Kujith or anyone .
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Eagle Eye / August 31, 2021
Pandi Kutti,
“Why or is it a ploy to and hint to build more Buddhist temples in the Hindu/Christian Thamizh north, where not even 2^% of the population is Chingkallam or Buddhist?”
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Have you forgotten that Tamil terrorists carried out ethnic cleansing by killing and chasing away hundreds and thousands of Native Sinhalayo from NE during their terror campaign that lasted for three decades?
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Pandi Kutti / September 1, 2021
Oh yes the so called LTTE terrorists carried out ethnic cleansing , that the Thamizh population has declined and percentage of Chingkallams and Thullukans have increased in the North and East. Whom are you trying to fool. The only terrorists are the Sri Lankan state and armed forces, that carried large scale ethnic cleansing, structural genocide and war crimes on the island’s Thamizh, that even the UN is investigating. As for the Chingkallams they are not native. More than half of them are descened from largely low caste South Indian again largely Thamizh immigrants, who were imported into the island by the Portuguese and Dutch to do menial service work and were settled along the western and southern littorals. The other half are a mixture of the native Dravidian peasant Yakka, South Indian Thamizh immigrants from ancient to medieval times and some Norh Indian/Thamizh immigrant mixtures. Speaking a language that is a mixture of Thamizh, Pali and Sanskrit. Out of these three only Thamizh or its local varient Elu is native, the other two are from the plains of Northern India. Therefore what is native about Chingkallams, other than the Dravidian Yakko element in their genes and the native Tamil element in their language.
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Native Vedda / September 1, 2021
Eagle Blind Eye & Pandi Kutti
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There is no such people as Sinhala Native nor Tamil Native.
Both are descendants of Kallathonie Converts from South India.
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Why waste time?
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Pandi Kutti / September 2, 2021
Vettaikaran Mamma. Not only the Chingkallams and Thamizh but even the Veddar like you are Kallathonis, as we all arrived from the Indian subcontinent at various periods of history. The Veddar arrived from South India during prehistoric times, when the island was connected to the Indian mainland. Then thousands of years ago, arrived Dravidian tribes speaking simple proto or semi Thamizh dialects. An ancient Dravidian spillover from South India, as evidenced by the prehistoric burial urns similar to Southern India. The descendants of these Dravidian tibes were the Yakka and Naga.
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Pandi Kutti / September 2, 2021
Modern day Chingkallams and Eezham Thamizh are the descended from these ancient Dravidian tribes, that spoke this simple semi Thamizh Elu dialect or proper Thamizh as in the case of the Naga and various Indian immigrants, largely from Thamizh South India and some from Northern India. This is the reason the DNA of the original Chingkallams or the Chingkallams from the interior ( Kandyan) and Eezham Thamizh are identical. Most of the so called low country Chingkallms are descened from recent South Indian Thamizh immigrants. Many from the low castes who were imported by the Portuguese and Dutch to do menial service work or to work as indentured labour in the huge southern spice estates. The British did the same thing later and settled hundreds of thousands of Indian Thamizh in the central higlands to grow coffee and then tea but unlike the ones who arrived during the Portuese or Dutch era, their descendants still retain their Thamizh identity, as they were isolated in these huge tea estates. The Chingkallms have more of the Yakka element and the Eezham Thamizh are descended from the Naga. The Naga and Yakka are bascially the same.. The former more elite and the later were simple boorsih peasants.
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Pandi Kutti / September 2, 2021
This is why many of them converted to Buddhism, whereas in areas where the Naga tribes predominated very few converted and Saivaism still predominated and the ancient Thamizh identity was preserved.
Thamizh accept the fact that we all arrived from the Indian subcontinent at various times in history. This also includes the Veddar. However, the Chingkallms, deny this truth and want to portray that they are the only people in the island truly indigenous, hence the term native Chingkallams, just because their languate and identity evolved here, after the arrival of Buddhism and the large scale conversion of semi Thamizh Elu speaking Dravidian Yakka tribes, who started to corrupt their Thamizh with the Pali and Sanskrit of Buddhism to eventuall create a new language and identity called Chingkallam, which itself is a Thamizh word. Meaning land of red or copper. Chem or Cheppu+Alam( Land or sliver of land) = Chingkallam, that later got Prakritized to Sinhala and hence the lion king fairy tale, to justify the name. Hope you are happy Vettaikaran Mamma.
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Pandi Kutti / September 2, 2021
Other Thamizh place name similar to Chingkallam are Cheralam or Keralam now Kerala, Meaning land of the Chera ( Naga) . Puttalam( Puthu meaning new) + Alam ( land or sliver of land) = Puttalam. Puthmathalam , where all the killing took place in may 2009 and war crimes that were committed by the Sri Lankan state.
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cugan / August 31, 2021
Agenda of IMF……
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Cicero / August 31, 2021
Reconciliation and reforming the PTA are things that a dusted up periodically when the UNHRC meeting comes near. No one takes them seriously. The NGOs like to think that they are doing good all the while knowing that they cannot achieve much. But, it brings them revenue and they like to feel that they are achieving something. As long as Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism remains the single issue in Sri Lankan politics it is unlikely that progress can be achieved on these fronts. Everyone knows that with such politics for 70 years, no one but the sinhala only politician and his cronies have progressed but nothing changes. After the pandemic, the monkeys will be out doing the same tricks.
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davidthegood / September 1, 2021
Cicero, Your conclusion can progress further only if the SB parliament starts behaving on their own buddhism which prohibits robbing of citizen’s nation, murder, corruption and deceptive lies and then declaring they will reach state of nirvana. Surely there is karmic judgment. How about forgetting all the past for all religious and ethnic people to be reconciled, not to ask for national land, but to be productive and work at jobs for their individual and family sustenance, not rob like beggars but give away for nation’s prosperity to build a transformed society to be proud of, instead of the financial control mania of the world.
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Eagle Eye / August 31, 2021
President Rajapakshe should lay down few conditions to restart reconciliation process.
1. Accept that Tamils who passed Vaddukkodei Resolution to create a separate State for Tamils in Yapanaya and declared war against Sinhalayo are the aggressor and Native Sinhalayo are the victims.
2. Tamils who waged war against Native Sinhalayo should apologize for the atrocities committed by them against Sinhalayo for three decades.
3. Tamils should say they are willing to live in Sri Lanka accepting that Sri Lanka is a ‘Unitary State’ and will never talk about separate State, Federal System or Devolution of power.
4. Tamils should withdraw all charges fabricated against Sri Lanka Armed Forces.
5. Tamils should return all the land grabbed by Tamils and Muslims after Sinhalayo were chased away from NE.
6. Tamil politicians should stop distorting the history of Sinhale.
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Pandi Kutti / September 1, 2021
And you should be sent to the mental asylum instead of living in an Aged Care Home, either somewhere in Melbourne Australia or somewhere in Canada. Repeating the same lies and rubbish again and again, thinking an often repeated lie , becomes the truth.
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SJ / September 2, 2021
“Tamil politicians should stop distorting the history of Sinhale.”
EE, do you want to leave that entirely to the Sinhalese?
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Simon / August 31, 2021
Mr. Jehan Perera: “Synchronize words and deeds” from the “Politicians” of Sri Lanka and especially the “Rajapakse & Co.Inc.”. Then you can extract “Feathers” from a “Tortise”.
Already the International Community knows it well. Come “SEPTEMBER” all the “Tricks” and “Games” of “Synchronization of Words and Deeds” would be staged.
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Sugandh / September 1, 2021
Dear Simon:
That’s most precisely put!
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
We all know that we all will be dying. But currently, none of us wants to die by Covid-19. We all want to be in our places safe and give a full resistance to disease to protect us from Covid-19. There is a gentleman’s name appearing in the media, Harris Jit, from Panadura. Harris is transporting his Covid-19 neighbors to hospitals with his own vehicle in his sixties, an ideal age to get caught with Covid-19. Jahan PhD, Sumanthiran, GLP can do something like that for the country & communities, instead of becoming evangelical preachers only during the UNHRC sessions. I am sure they are more resourceful than Harris to do that kind of humanitarian service. Government may still be left with some names, But these guys’ names are below negative infinity. They are thriving in lies, concoction and selfishness. These guys are still hopeful that they can fool Tamil, Sinhala, Western and IC Modayas. Jehan PhD is a person who went to Geneva with Tilak to arrange Lankawe withdrawal form UNHRC. Now, at the time of the next sitting due to start, he is talking about genuine reconciliation. Is there a word in the Sinhala Intellectuals’ dictionary as Genuine? At which school Jahan PhD learned that word.
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
Sumanthiran PC lacks the knowledge of what is shameful and what is not. He is keeping his chest up when the accusation of his election cheating comes out, but dropping his head down when he accuses LTTE of ethnic cleansing. What a joke, Sumanthiran PC, who was accused of defrauding the lost election to victory, expressing shamefulness for that on behalf of Tamils, while LTTE has earned name for discipline but at the same war Sumanthiran’ s government earned the name rapist Army. So why the Yahapalanaya Paperboy minister Sumanthiran is pleading guilty on behalf of Tamils? So, he further says LTTE did it on behalf of Tamils. Thanks for Sumanthiran having accepted that at last, LTTE had an authority to represent Tamils. But the question is who LTTE is and who is Suththumathu Sumanthiran? Sumanthiran never talked about international inquiry. It is we who have been calling that as the only way of making international countries accept Tamil’s armed struggle in an international investigation. That is the only way to ask to Western countries to take Tamils’ army from their terrorist lists and any crime they made during the war to treat as war time issues, not as the terrorism against humanity. If an international court proves any mistakes from Tamil’s side and they enable Tamils to take the responsibility of it, Tamils will accept their past mistakes.
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
That is the only way to deal with international matters by any Tamils’ representatives.
But Sumanthiran is claiming that as an international Lowyer, he must accept the crime LTTE committed in Tamils’ name. How much of an implication this opportunistic, third grade fellow is loading on Tamils to promote him as the negotiator, after all he was completely rejected by Tamils in the last election. He says he is putting down his head for LTTE’s action, which was an armed rebelling, but he is keeping his chest up about what happened in the last election in Jaffna. Is he thinking that he can blame LTTE in any low-grade manner because they are wiped out, but he will defend him in any way, because Aanduwa is backing him up with rapist army guards and perks to manage the coming September sitting of UNHRC?
We ask if Sumanthiran PC can come to CT because we have few questions on his recent statement of his obligation of accepting Tamils’ crime. Does this lowyer know that one becomes a criminal and he pleads for an excuse from his victim, and pays the restitution due for the crime, only after he is convicted by an authoritative legal body?
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
The famous Lowyer is apologizing to an unknown claimer for a Tamils’ crime, but cannot provide the conviction paper from a balanced body! For his political campaign he is convicting LTTE and to blackmail Tamils based on that, he is loading that blame on Tamil. Even a desperate dog wouldn’t do this type of cheap thing. This international lawyer, as he claims, what kind of representation he is making for Tamils by confessing a perceived crime on his public, political meeting while he is actively blocking an ICC investigation? When did he get the mandate from Tamils to confess on behalf of them? In how many political meetings or in which manifestation the sneaky TNA told Tamils that they intend to plead guilty on behalf of Tamil before an international court, even before one is set up? It is bewildering to see these people who are claiming to be Tamils’ leaders destroying Tamils in this manner.
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
Sumanthiran is saying that he had confessed for a lessor crime, the ethnic cleansing, because he plans to ask the IC for Genocide investigation, a larger claim. Come on lowyer; there is no legal procedure in the world that unless you first accept the 1995 crime, the complaint you submitted will not be investigated. If the court is trading off the accidently broken Paanai ( pot) for a purposely stolen Aanai (elephant) then that is not legal proceeding, that is blackmailing. How did this international lowyer agreed with IC to blackmail Tamils to accept the fault of broken pot and give up the stolen elephant on exchange for that? Did he ever pass any law exams?
From SJV’s time there has been an open offer from Tamils’ side for Muslims to share North East administration. Sumanthiran and Sampanthar Ayya was waiting in the rented hotel room to offer the EPC CM position to Hakeem, but Hakeem shut off his telephone and went to Old King to Temple Tree house and later came out and blamed that Tamils are showing the beggar’s wound and trying to conduct sympathy politics
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
Is this a kind TRO agreement that our respectable lowyer wrote with Muslims? Then, is he prepared to get Muslim leaders to a public confession & confess all they did to Tamils from standardization? Above all that, will Sumanthiran confess all crimes he did against Tamils by partaking in Yahapalanaya government and with a fake promise that if there was no Federal solution in 2018, he would quit politics.
Never any lawyers can confess, even of a true crime, on behalf of his client unless the client had conveyed his intention as such. Otherwise, the lawyer is responsible for breaking legal and ethical maxims of law. I call on Sumanthiran to put this “confession on behalf of Tamils” matter on his next election manifesto; he is not, then the opponents of him should append his statement to their manifesto to clarify to the public the intentions of Sumanthiran. He is comparing the legitimate government denying the ability of Tamils travelling out of Jaffa with LTTE’s evacuation. Lankawe government deported Tamil to India. In every program, its rapist police & army was taking part with rowdies and chasing them to the North East. Sumanthiran is not honest in telling that that he filed a case and the court gave him a verdict that it was ethnic cleansing in sending Tamils and the busses were recalled.
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Mallaiyuran / September 1, 2021
What a lie! Then may I know from this expert lowyer what was the punishment the court levied on those who ordered the ethnic cleansing? It was public knowledge that it was at that time American Ambassador Robert Blake directly challenged the Aanduwa on their action and forced the King to recall the buses. Sumanthiran can tell his story to his partner Rajan Hoole so he can record that too in his history book. But we know what happened.
“Now it is the time for Sampanthan Aiya and Mavai to apologize to Tamils for their spokesperson of TNA having pleaded one sided guilty, while there is no promise from anybody for any kind of inquiry”. TNA should get out of this game of constantly buying out time for the Sinahala Racist governments to evade international investigation by this kind of techniques during the UHRC sessions. LTTE’s crime must be proved in an IC court by international agencies and INGOs. Then, at that time Tamil representatives can accept that and negotiate with international bodies for proper procedures for Tamils to accept it. The government’s agent Sumanthiran has nothing to do with that, now. That part too must be stated by Mavai and Sampanthar Ayya in the proposed statement they need to issue to Tamils
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KA / September 1, 2021
Usual ritual of gibberish from JP around the time of UNHRC, which is also a drama in a way, especially the play is enacted by the chorus of West and Hindia as a way for achieving their interest by exploiting Tamil plight.
JP is just making suggestions for fitting Sori Sinhala actions into that play.
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Whimpy Kid / September 1, 2021
U s A is on the decline
Usually they go with a bang
Once in a way they do few feats such as infringing the territorial intigrity of other countries.
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Whimpy Kid / September 1, 2021
U s A is on the decline
Usually they go with a bang
Once in a way they do few feats such as infringing the territorial intigrity of other countries.
That doesn’t mean they are capable of protecting allies and friendly nations .
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Thanga / September 2, 2021
Mallaiyuran in his long rigmarole is barking like a dog at the wrong (Sumanthiran) tree. Any imbecile will know that anyone who goes to the court seeking justice must himself have clean hands.
To claim that LTTE fought the war without committing war crimes is preposterous. They did commit war crimes, though on a lesser scale compared to the armed forces, killing civilian leaders both Sinhalese and Tamils.
Of course, the ethnocentric policies by successive Sri Lankan governments pursued against the Tamils pushed the Tamil youths to take up arms to create a separate state, but the LTTE inherent contradictions—the quest for state-building and independence juxtaposed with undemocratic rule and terrorist practices—undermined the separatist movement and irreparably weakened the Tamil cause.
Mahinda Rajapaksa government’s extraconstitutional counter-terrorism strategies helped defeat the LTTE, but the attendant militarism, culture of impunity especially among the triforces and political machinations have exposed the government to the charge of genocide.
Ex-LTTE leaders like Thamilini, leader of the women’s wing of the LTTE, in her book Oru Koorvaalin Nizhalil (Under the Shadow of A Sharp Sword was bold enough to admit past mistakes of the LTTE.
That is why UNHRC resolutions called for the investigation of human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed BOTH by the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE. That is fair enough.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / September 2, 2021
Yes Thanga. Corect. The LTTE committed a crime against innocent Muslim civilians in the north for what a few Muslim extremists did . Similarly the Muslims home guards in the east, who werfe heavily armed by the Sri Lankan armed forces, also committed large scale ethnic cleansing, killings, rape and destruction of proeprties on Tamil civilians in the east, that neither the Sri Lanka, state or the Muslims want to acknowledge but is well documented. Now justice has been provided for the innocent northern Muslims but no justice has been provided for the ethnically cleansed Tamils in the east. So far Tamils and the TNA have ancknowledged and apologised on the grave injustice, done to the northern Muslims by the LTTE, in the name of the Tamils, however now acknowledgement or apology has come from the Sri Lankan state and the Muslims on what they did to the Tamil civilians in the east. Just complete denial. This proves who are better. What Sumanthiran did is correct. He has apologised for a grave wrongdoing that the LTTE did in the name of the Tamils, irrespective of the Muslims and Sinhalese denying and not acknowledging, what the did to the Tamils. One wrong does not justify another wrong.
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Mallaiyuran / September 2, 2021
Any imbecile will know that anyone who goes to the court seeking justice must himself have clean hands.
Other than the imbecile Thanga, nobody,……………. nobody knows that legal kind of system. This & Sumanthiran Modayas cannot understand that what is clean hand of victim and what is court trading off of crimes and thus encouraging tit for tat with in the criminals and victims. There is no way the courts can trade off 1995 incident to the 8 months bombing of 150,000 people, where the perceived criminals and victims are not one and the same. That is absolutely a convoluted argument from Thanga and Sumanthiran for the purpose of Installing the September 2021, to safe guard the government. There is no use for Tamils or Muslims on that. There is no international government ever said that because LTTE had evacuated Muslims in 1995 so the current Tamils should not bring their case to UNHRC. That is only a concocted talk by Sumanthiran and Thanga. Thanga will not be able to provide an official communication proof from any international official asking them to confess for the 1995 incident before the September 2021. Though courts will not allow to abuse them for one sided crime be investigated or many other fraudulent techniques being of using them to corrupt them.
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Mallaiyuran / September 2, 2021
There is no chance any official talking about the 2009 may investigation had asked for confession to 1995 incident, from Thanga and Sumanthiran. That openly a concoted story from Thanga and Sumanthiran because, the two Modayas don’t know that the resolution 30/1, on which Tamils depend for the investigation, is limiting the accusations only after the time LTTE and Ranil government signed CFA, and up to the 2009, May. Their logic behind it is. “Past is past; we IC forged a CFA for innocent people to return back to normal life; then why did the two groups of fighters break it?” It is not an argument from our side that because incidents earlier to CFA in not counted in Resolution 30/1, Muslims should not take their complains to UNHRC. Instead of Thanga and Sumanthiran investigating and giving out verdict on Muslims evacuation, locally, and UNHRC investigating for Genocide, we beg on the feet of Muslim ministers, to take the Jaffna evacuation too, to UNHRC.
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Mallaiyuran / September 2, 2021
If Muslim Ministers are not doing that, we ask Thanga to take this September to UNHRC, but not use it in Lankawe and Canada political meeting as tool to instll the investigation. But it is the Muslim Ministers’ & MPs & Thanga refusing to take it to UNRC and stands that they will never, ever take any complaints to UNHRC that can end up in government being accused in Total. What is happening seems to be is a group traitors from the famed SJV’s Federal Party is stalling and weakening Tamils’ genocide claims only help government pass off the September 2021 successfully. So far there is no news report from any international media that Sumanthiran is for a Genocide investigation from an IC body, but there many for the opposite. Thanga is establishing here that he is a brainless crook, like Potter Nadarajah, who worked against ITAK being within.
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