25 April, 2024

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Thirteen-Plus: Good For All Of Sri Lanka And All Sri Lankans

By Aahithyan Ratnam –

Sinhalese React to Police Brutality and Inaction

The recent pre- and post- Uva election violence saw the police being mere spectators to horrific violence. Neither the police watching nor the cameras whirring, both in front of police stations in the presence of policemen, was a deterrent. The Sinhalese are shocked. Colombo Telegraph reported that “Senior legal professionals have condemned the attack on journalist Chandana Kuruppuarachchi that occurred a few days ago while expressing their regret over the law being made redundant.” And that the Lawyers’ Collective “condemned the killing of a suspect in police custody at Cinnamon Gardens while being taken handcuffed and the brutal attack on a girl at the Ratnapura Bus stand by a police officer in the view of the public.” Several such similar events of the Sinhalese ruing the loss of democracy and the eviscerated rule of law may be cited.

When Appapillai Amirthalingam when Leader of the Opposition was slapped by a policeman in Jaffna town, where were the good Sinhalese who object to the assault on Vass?

When Appapillai Amirthalingam when Leader of the Opposition was slapped by a policeman in Jaffna town, where were the good Sinhalese who object to the assault on Vass?

Democracy for the Sinhalese only?

Experience shows that the concern for old values by the Sinhalese in general and the legal profession in particular, is really a concern only for Sinhalese rights. Recall the condemnation of the UN Report by the BASL even before we had seen the report. Tamils have suffered a lot more than assaults. But who among the Sinhalese is giving voice to the Tamil downtrodden? There are indeed some but they are too few to count and really serve the purpose of keeping Tamils from boiling over in the name of not hurting those Sinhalese who do not approve of the violence against minorities.

The larger Sinhalese objection is really to their own rights being taken away and not a principled stand for justice.

Pan-Lankan Youth Organization for Unity – Serving  what Purpose?

Consider the case of a young Tamil man who dedicated himself to a united Sri Lanka, recognizing that there are good Sinhalese with whom Tamils must make common cause, and therefore dedicated his all to a pan-Lankan youth organization standing up for unity.  After his term of office at the top there ended he returned home to work in his village in the Vanni and was personally witness to the gang rape of a middle-aged Tamil woman by several Sinhalese soldiers – this rape was well after the rapes and murders of 2009 and cannot be put down to the heat of battle but rather is part of the systematic, planned subjugation of the Tamil people by the Sinhalese state.

Unfortunately the soldiers saw that he had seen them at their bestial worst, the barbarian monsters within them having been let loose in 2009 by the state and given free rein since as a weapon against its Tamil citizens. They beat him up but he managed to talk his way out. The soldiers having had second thoughts about letting him go, then came to his home. But on his wife’s screaming in terror, and villagers’ coming over because of the ruckus she raised, they beat a hasty retreat. The young man then moved to Vavuniya for a week for safety from where he sent desperate messages to his organization’s new President but got no response. He then proceeded to Colombo where the UNHCR helped him get to India and from thence to the US. Now the uniformed beasts go to his parents’ and threaten them with death if he pursues the matter.

Where are the good Sinhalese on this? Where is the Lawyers’ Collective? Where are this young man’s friends at the pan-Lankan organization? In fact on his way out in Colombo his organization’s President who succeeded him claimed not to have got his desperate messages from Vavuniya and chastised him for going to the UNHCR and the US Embassy instead of reporting the matter to the army. He obviously lives on another planet.

An abundance of words from various high standing Sinhalese intellectuals on the organization’s website speak up for peace and unity, and the importance of friendship over ethnic divisions. No one can disagree with those noble sentiments. But what about at least one word on justice? Or on accountability? Those who work for these highfalutin organizations are, wittingly or unwittingly, making Tamils into lambs quietly going for their slaughter in Prophet Isaiah’s words (53:7):

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth”.

The peace bandwagon is useful only when it does not forget justice and accountability.  So long as those climbing on to that bandwagon forget justice, they too are part of this oppressive Sinhalese state and instruments of Tamil subjugation.

The Nonis-Vass Episode

The recent Nonis-Vass episode underlines how everyone who tries to uphold Sri Lankan unity and identifies with the regime in power is made to regret it and forced to eat dirt. The Ambassador in Washington who is highly respected by friends has had to deny there was an assault on Nonis although he was present. As Ceylon Today reported (Oct. 11), Government spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly news conference that the government had condoned the assault on High Commissioner Chris Nonis and felt it is quite normal for Sri Lankans to be involved in brawls like the one involving Nonis and Sajin Vass.

I am not sure if the government really meant to say it condoned the attack or the ministerial spokesman was having problems with his vocabulary, confusing condone with condemn. But, speaking for himself, the minister is clear that brawls are common in his circle of UPFA Sri Lankans, and in making out brawls to be a part of everyday life he was indeed condoning the brutal assault, and exposing the Ambassador in Washington by admitting there was indeed a brawl and showing the Ambassador to have been untruthful. The poor Ambassador – he would have found more dignity as a mathematician, than as a defender of the enormity engaged in by this wicked regime, just like Chris Nonis who would have been better off practicing medicine than as a professional liar for this regime!

As for Nonis, he is from a family of recent Tamil/Indian origin (although Lanka News Web of Oct. 19 reports Vass as insultingly calling him a Portuguese as if there is anything wrong with a Portuguese ancestry). But Nonis has tried his best to hide his Tamilness, white washing the regime effectively as the High Commissioner in the Court of St. James and engaging in propaganda against his suffering Tamil compatriots, denying all that they suffer. The name Nonis is seen in church marriage records appearing as, to cite just two of numerous examples, Nonis Chetty and Nonis Maleappa, both Tamil Chetty names. Indeed, Maleappa (Malai-Appan, the Lord of the Hills, Murugan) is as Tamil Hindu as one can get.

Nonis has served the Sinhalese state to the extent of burying his family background. But deep racism cannot be subverted through a simple change of identity. For instance, where has it taken the British Black African from the Caribbean who speaks the English language and no other at home, took on western names, adopted a western diet and clothes, and even became an ardent follower of the Christian religion in ways better than the English native? Can Nonis expect anything better from the racist state he so faithfully serves? The answer lies in the fact of his having been dumped.

As to be expected, the Sri Lankan state has turned its back on Nonis while Vass has not been dumped. But the Vass (Vaz) name of Iberian origin shows that even he is not safe if the choice is ever between him and a Sinhalese-Buddhist.

Wicked Pleasure – Tamil Perspective

When Appapillai Amirthalingam when Leader of the Opposition was slapped by a policeman in Jaffna town, where were the good Sinhalese who object to the assault on Vass? Even today where are the good Sinhalese as the world tries to examine what happened in 2009 and the Sinhalese state tries to block the UNHCR inquiry?  As a Sri Lankan, I need to suppress my initial wicked pleasure at Sinhalese cries for justice in Sinhalese matters, telling myself, “Ah! The chickens have come home to roost at last. But we all need to work together at substantive issues or we will all sink together.”

As for substantive issues, I see nothing intrinsically wrong with an Executive President. The real problem is the wide powers the President enjoys. Whatever the system, the powers and the checks and balances on those powers should be the focus of any change. After all, the massacres of the JVP in the 1970s, the public exhibition of bodies and all that were under a Prime Minister. Tamils ought to take note that the sole focus on the executive presidency is no panacea for Tamil ills. For Tamils, even a Prime Minister can be horrible. Safety for Tamils from an incorrigibly and increasingly racist state can come only in the form of true and substantive devolution where the power of the Sinhalese to control Tamil lives is blunted.

What I would like to see before Tamils commit to any agreement over the upcoming elections with Sinhalese parties, is the following:

1)     Firm guarantees that the thirteenth amendment will be implemented: After all, it is the law. We all have seen promises about abolishing the Executive Presidency and how the Sinhalese parties make promises they never mean to keep, not even to India. Tamils need to work out and be offered an unbreakable guarantee on the implementation of the thirteenth amendment. This includes the re-merger of the Northern Province with the Eastern Province (which also means coming to a compact with the Muslims of the East on their rights). The agreement was with India and India must be brought back into the picture to guarantee Tamil safety.

2)     Firm guarantees on 13-Plus, in particular police and land powers. I believe it could be agreed only if the Sinhalese would be less hysterical about it. That is one reason why Tamils need Sinhalese good-will.  After all, if the provincial police are independent of the Centre, then we will not have policemen awaiting a call from the President or the central authorities for permission to move against murders taking place in their very sight.

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Latest comments

  • 3
    5

    Thanks Aahithyan. What is 13 plus? – Land and police powers and the removal of government sponsored recent colonization and removal of Military from the North.

    “Although Sri Lanka has given an assurance to India during Rajapaksa-Manmohan talks in July 2010 and subsequently to UN Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon that the government would go beyond the 13th amendment to devolve substantial powers to Tamil majority areas, neither India nor the UNSG asked Colombo to specify the meaning of 13 plus. During one of the Indo-Lanka pow-wows in New Delhi, when Rajapaksa evaded the elaboration of his ‘13 plus’ promise, Menon himself asked if it was to establish an upper house to the parliament to ensure more minority participation and Rajapaksa nodded in affirmation.” http://www.ipcs.org/article/south-asia/ipcs-debate-sri-lanka-and-the-13th-amendment-what-is-4034.html

  • 2
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    I was going to add this to my previous comment.

    http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120122/Columns/political.html

    “We want reasonable devolution and a workable solution: Sampanthan

    At 73, Rajavarothayam Sampanthan is one of the few remaining ‘old generation’ Tamil politicians liked by leaders of successive governments for being affable and hated at the same time for the causes that he champions.

    He is leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the second largest opposition political party in Parliament. The party’s talks with the government to formulate a political package to address Tamil grievance have broken down. It has come at a time when Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna declared that President Rajapaksa had given him a commitment to “implement in full” the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Rajapaksa, however, has declared that issues like police powers would have to be discussed by the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee. Here are edited excerpts of an interview he gave the Sunday Times.

    ON THE 13TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION:

    This subject has been in the vocabulary of successive governments for a long time. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), which was then engaged with the government, did not accept the Provincial Councils. We wrote to late Rajiv Gandhi, then Indian Prime Minister. The letter was signed by the late Appapillai Amirthalingam, M. Sivasithamparam and myself. I tabled the letter in Parliament.

    Rajavarothayam Sampanthan

    On his way from attending the SAARC summit in Nepal in November 1987, the late J.R. Jayewardene was invited to stop over in New Delhi. The TULF trio were also invited. Discussions took place on the 13th Amendment. We were informed that Jayewardene had given a written commitment to make improvements on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. These agreements agreed upon were not enacted into law as war broke out between the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and the LTTE.
    During President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s time, the Mangala Moonesinghe-led Parliamentary Select Committee emphasised the need for maximum possible devolution without compromising the unitary character of Sri Lanka.

    This was followed by then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s time when the constitutional reforms proposals in 1995, 1997 and 2000 (all of which when Rajapaksa was a cabinet Minister) were formulated. In his inaugural address to the All Party Representatives Conference (APRC) and the multi-ethnic committee appointed to assist the conference, President Rajapaksa offered maximum devolution without compromising the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Moving beyond the 13th Amendment has been accepted by successive governments. The commitment made by President Rajapaksa to Indian External Affairs Minister Krishna this week is consistent with the position that has prevailed. Within the framework of a united country, we want a reasonable devolution and a workable solution.

    ON THE BREAKDOWN OF GOVERNMENT-TNA TALKS:

    Talks began in January 2011. The TNA defined the contours of a political solution within the framework of a united, undivided Sri Lanka. These contours are strictly within the address made by President Rajapaksa in July 2000 to the inaugural meeting of the APRC and the multi-ethnic experts committee. The government delegation told us they would like to have our proposals in writing.

    We gave our proposals in writing in February last year. The government delegation wanted more comprehensive proposals from us. This was given in writing again. We wanted the government delegation to respond to it in writing. Five months rolled by. Seven meetings took place. The government was not coming up with proposals in writing. At the meeting on August 4, 2011, we sought the response of the government. It was not forthcoming. I told them I would not agree to a further date. I am not suspending the talks. I am not walking out. I also told them ‘you were engaging in a cosmetic exercise with the TNA to gain political mileage.’ This is whilst we remain empty handed.

    Nothing is happening to the talks. I also told the government delegation that the moment their response is available, we can fix the date and time for talks. They invited us for a meeting on September 2. I met President Rajapaksa before that. He asked us not to demand a written response from the government. He suggested that all the documents I had referred to (e.g. Mangala Moonesinghe Parliamentary Select Committee etc) be brought into the negotiating process. This was agreed and the documents were brought in. The two sides resumed talks on September 16. Matters that transpired in my conversation with President Rajapaksa were recorded that day. They were approved and accepted.

    President Rajapaksa wanted to discuss with me the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). He told me bilateral talks would continue and that the consensus arrived at could be taken up at the PSC. After the September sessions, we had identified with the government delegation the issues to be discussed. We are not averse to participating in the PSC. But President Rajapaksa made a commitment that the bilateral dialogue would continue and a consensus would be arrived at for discussion at the PSC.

    The minutes of the government-TNA meeting for that day state, “Thereafter Hon. Nimal Siripala De Silva stated that the TNA must agree to join the PSC. The agreement reached here can be taken to the PSC. So the agreement reached here can be taken before the PSC as a joint TNA-SLFP proposal. Hon. Sampanthan stated that the terms of reference of the PSC that appear in the order paper were not acceptable and an alternative draft was given and the government delegation said that they will try and get the concurrence of the other parties. The TNA also agreed that if the TOR was amended in this way, once an agreement was reached with the government delegation which can be taken up before the PSC as suggested they would be able to start the PSC process………..”

    We are not averse to the PSC. We want to go before it. But we cannot go empty handed. We have failed for one year. We do not want to name members to a PSC now. They will stop the talks. They now say we are boycotting. We are not.

    FINAL REPORT OF THE LESSONS LEARNT AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION:

    We have issued a 100 page report giving the TNA position on the final report. Our view is that the LLRC has not addressed accountability issues objectively. They have adopted a very limited approach to the whole question of accountability. It was a war without witnesses. Even our MPs were not allowed access.
    In the second chapter of our report, we have noted the LLRC recommendations for a political solution, land issues, demilitarisation, resettlement of civilians, disarming of paramilitary groups, reference to the media, assistance to IDP families and several other issues. We have welcomed them.

    They need to be implemented if it is to bring benefits to our people. We have also pointed out that the Interim Report of the LLRC, formulated a year ago, has not been implemented. We are prepared to be of assistance to the government in implementing these recommendations.”

    • 3
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      Dear mr Anpu
      On behalf of TNA could you please enlighten the readers as to which of the following groups are included in the definition of “TAMILS ” as used in the context of “political solution” for TAMILS and “devolution” for TAMILS.
      1) Tamil speaking Hindus and Christians in the Northern Province
      2) Tamil speaking Muslims in the Nothern Province
      3) Tamil speaking Hindus and Christians in the Eastern Province
      4) Tamil speaking Muslims in the Eastern Province
      5) Tamil speaking Hindus and Christians in Colombo / Wellawatta
      6) Tamil speaking Muslims scattered in various pockets among the Sinhalese in areas outside Nothern and Eastern provinces
      7) Tamils of recent Indian origin in up country estates.

      My objective is
      a) to study how any proposed “political solution” covers the groups included by TNA

      b) to find a “political solution” / “devolution package” for any groups excluded by TNA.

      • 2
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        Soma

        What are you Buddhists, Hindu, Muslim, Christian or a Non Believer.
        Study the Alphabets first before you embark on Research.

        • 0
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          Hi Praba from grave. How are you doing there?

          • 0
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            soma

            It is a lot better than the Jungle which you find yourself in.

      • 0
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        All of them. they all speak Tamil.

  • 10
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    13, 13-, 13+ are all bad.

    People never demanded them. Only India imposed it. Just get rid of 13 and MR can win a landslide victory.

    Provincial council system is costing Rs. 150 billion every year for nothing. And we have elections, provincial MPs, their cars, petrol, etc. Utter waste.

    • 2
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      People in a democracy are represented by their elected representatives and as the elected representatives passed it through parliament it becomes something demanded by the people.

    • 1
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      Dear FF,

      At last some sensible thinking from a deranged mind. The 19th amendment should be for repealing the 13th amendment and enforcing Rathana Suthraya of Athureliya Rathana Thero of JHU.

    • 3
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      Fathima Fukushima,

      I agree to everything you have said except for MR’s Landslide victory. MR is bad as the 13th amendment. May be even worse. Just get rid of both. Without MR and his BBS thuggery we can create a country for all just not the Sinhalese and Tamils but Muslims, Burghers, Malays and Christians. The issue is, successive politicians since the end of Colonial rule have used divisive policies that kept them in power. It was they who created the LTTE because we oppressed the Tamils. Now we are trying to do it to the Muslims. Once we that is complete we will target the Burghers. When does this stop??? As it was once said “we are a majority community behaving with a minority complex”.

      MR is using an archaic method of Divisiveness, Terror and Majority domination in a modern world. The world has purged him and soon the people of SL will too.

  • 8
    15

    Tamils never contributed to the development of Sri lanka. they just get free education and free everything then may go overseas and fight for Tamils tribalism or if they go to North they always promtoe tribaliam and tamils over Sinhalas.

    Who wants the 13th amendment.

    At least, will that work for low caste Tamils who are being discriminated by the Malayali -originated so -called high caste tobacco farmers ?

    • 7
      11

      Not contributing to development would be one thing,but We Thamizh actively contributed to Sri Lanka’s destruction until everyone else decided enough was enough and put an end to it in 2009 :D

      • 2
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        but SSS,
        is that not the beginning of an another destruction (part 2) by MR and thugs ? Looking back, if you are average minded, you would easily see it. Lawlessness and thugish way of life, who introduced to the society ? If not ballige puthas born to Beliattha ? Once a criminal is NOT life long criminals but Rajapakshes behave like that. Once he spoke aobut high values towards HR issues, but his govt today, not even care of the least values towards the human rights. WOmen are being attacked, the minors are being abused, senior public men and women inlcuding former President are threatened and made them silent using all unethical and unmoral tactics that no other leader ever thought of doing fine.

      • 4
        3

        Wee Thamizh D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon

        “We Thamizh actively contributed to Sri Lanka’s destruction until everyone else decided enough was enough and put an end to it in 2009 :D”

        Not many people knew this. You as a wee Thamizh has brilliantly exposed their self destructive nature, which they have shared with their wee Sinhala/Buddhist brethren since 1950s.

        “until everyone else decided enough was enough and put an end to it in 2009 :D”

        Another gem.

      • 3
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        Siva Siva Sankara Siva Siva Sankara Sarma:

        I like the word we Thamiz ( You Thamil change the Z to an L Sinkalam). Nencham Marapathillai Athu Ninaivai Ilapathillai of all the carnage you Sinkalams you caused.

    • 2
      1

      Jim Softy

      You should not delve into a subject with your tiny brain which hasn’t developed because you ancestors haven’t contributed to your development and that is why you will always be a primitive tribe.

      As for the 13th Amendment you are right why would you lot want it. What is your caste? You sound Sinhalese Paraiyan.

  • 3
    4

    Every thing that is happening in the south already happened ten folds in the N/E but it was no concern to the majority but now it has come to haunt.
    Even in the south people were immune to the sight of cruelty or they were just cowards. We have a big fuss about the Nonis affair but was he the first public servant to be beaten by a politician. What’s special about Nonis compared to the guy that was tied to the tree, or the MI guy that got slapped by a politicians son.
    Although this should give some satisfaction to Tamils I don’t think it does.

    • 4
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      burt

      If you are unhappy about how wee Sinhala/Buddhists deal with state officials please send in wee Thamizh D:Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon to deal with them in fertile Nandikadal (or near by Kelaniya).

  • 4
    2

    How low has the country descended to in all aspects of people’s lives! Even the so called defenders of democracy and freedoms fighting against the horrible regime are only fighting for the Sinhalese only.

    The experience of the man who witnessed the gang rape and the actions of the BASL in wanting to defend the mass murdering Sinhala regime from punishment for its crimes against its own people are clear examples of why the minorities have to find their own ways to defend themselves.

    Makes one wonder if another violent insurrection is inevitable.

  • 4
    4

    Aahithyan, thank you very much for the excellent article. It is high time that the Singhalese are educated as to how the Tamils have been treated from the time of Independence in 1948. Some of the incidents that you refer to are unknown to the expatriate Tamil community. I wonder where the Tamil politicians are?. Shouldn’t they bring these matters in parliament where at least they are recorded in the Hansard. Having lived with the Singhalese from the time of independence the time has come to part. It was a failed marriage from the very start. So long as we live in one united country, incidents similar to what you have stated will continue. It’s one set of rules for the Singhalese and another for the Tamils.
    Incidentally
    the diasporic Tamils had the highest regard for the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Wasington. Has he now displayed his true colours in denying that the slapping incident did not happen?.
    .

  • 5
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    I wonder we these We Thamizh who are now “taking principled stands for justice” were when Thalaivar was still around :D They all seem to have sprung out like mushrooms from the fertile Nandikadal soil :D

    • 3
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      Destruction of terror within the country gave a start the terror being applied by Rajapakshes and his goons. THat is what almost any righthinnking would feel today 5 years after the war is no longer there. Today the average are being attacked by all means. Cost of living is high as no any similar countries. Just for their benefit all kind of road layings are made. Parawal kannda ? roads to be eaten is what peole feel … while they struggle more today than anytimes in the past for their 3 meals but not even having the cheapest food item – which is the DRINKING water today.

    • 3
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      Thamil( Thamiz) paraiyum Sinkalam

  • 3
    3

    Address the very valid points raised by the author instead of writing gibberish.

  • 5
    3

    The writer seems very confused about Sri Lankan political parties. The prominent political parties; UNP, SLFP, LSSP are secular parties with multi ethnic composition. It is TNA, FP that promoted sectional interests as Tamil only parties. It is erroneous to label the previous as Sinhalese (only) parties. Tamil interests will be best served only when Tamil intelligentia join the mainstream parties to formulate policies to tackle challenges facing the community as a whole. The formation of Tamil Congress prior to independence, the ‘agitations’ engineered thereafter have divided and polarised the community. The present situation the Tamils find themselves in is a creation of short sightedness of loonies of the past, namely; Ponna, Chelva, Sunda and other dumb witted Tamil politicians. The writer lives in cookooland if he thinks that unity can be achieved with the current Tamil political mindset devoid of vision, threats of agitation and foreign intervention on their behalf, non cooperation with mainstream policy intiatives. 13A has nothing for the majority community and, is a non starter!

    • 2
      5

      lal,

      “UNP, SLFP, LSSP are secular parties with multi ethnic composition.”

      On the contrary! It is because the parties that you mentioned failed to be secular and multi-ethnic in real way, we have parties such as TNA. The post-independence history of SL stands as a testimony. SL is a failed state because; the majority community and the parties that represent them stand for the majority community only. The Sinhala Only and Buddhism enjoying prominence along with systematic marginalisation of the minorities speak volume!

      • 4
        3

        Lal loo

        “The prominent political parties; UNP, SLFP, LSSP are secular parties with multi ethnic composition.”

        Here is something that you are not aware of:

        CHAPTER II – BUDDHISM

        6. The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster Buddhism while assuring to all religions the rights granted by section 18 (1) (d)

        This CHAPTER II on BUDDHISM was for the first time introduced into the new constitution in 1972 by the coalition government headed by Sri Mao, which comprised SLFP, LSSP, CP,…

        Here is the bit from 1978 Constitution:

        CHAPTER II – BUDDHISM

        Buddhism.
        9. The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).

        UNP passed this constitution with overwhelming majority.

        Do you still see UNP, SLFP and LSSP are secular parties? Here is the definition of Secular:

        “not connected with religious or spiritual matters”.

        synonyms:
        non-religious,
        lay,
        non-church,
        temporal,
        worldly,
        earthly,
        profane,
        unsanctified,
        unconsecrated,
        unhallowed

    • 2
      4

      “It is TNA, FP that promoted sectional interests as Tamil only parties.”

      Not true. TNA is fighting against Tamil GENOCIDE

      “4. That acts specified in article 2 of the Genocide Convention of 1948 have undeniably been perpetrated on the Tamil people by functionaries of the Sri Lankan state over several decades.” http://tnapolitics.org/?p=2185

  • 3
    3

    No sweat friends…

    Most important two items in the 7 point, “Ranil Sobitha Manifesto” are 13 A full on to Vellala TNA lead by LTTE proxy Sambandan,

    And Dole for the Dalits. ( I was right on the money last week, after hearing about Ranil’s summit with Cameron and the GTF in London)

    According to the UNP heavies, the Presidency is already in Ranil’s bag.

    He is in Singapore putting final touches and meet up with the Mahinda Ministers who are going to get the portfolios.

    The reason for Singapore is, it is too risky to talk these serious matters in Colombo, according to the same heavies in the Christian Faction.

    .( Wonder what Sobitha and the other bit players like old Leftists are going to do.).

    But the main issue is when the TNA has all Vellala Police Force in the NP, what about the other provinces?

    Will Keselwatta Kid give my Southern brothers a separate Police, or or do we have to enlist the ex CJ to go to the HC to ask for it?.

    I am sure our Batti brothers who are mostly Muslim wouldn’t want a Vellala to do their policing..

    I will let the people who come from the other Provinces to put their cases themselves.

    But I will be pissed off if poor mums and dads of my fellow Dalits in the South have to get permission and directions from the TNA Vellalas to worship at Nagadeepa, while we in the South get policed by the UNP Police from Colombo…

  • 4
    4

    Wee Thamizh D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon

    “I wonder we these We Thamizh who are now “taking principled stands for justice” were when Thalaivar was still around”

    Good point.

    Are you suggesting that wee Sinhala/Buddhist Thalaivar too needs a Nandikadal to grow mushroom of ““taking principled stands for justice”?

    Brilliant, you should advise Gota.

  • 6
    4

    When Thalaivar was in action We Thamizh were not bothered about principles or justice, they were too busy funding him to slay Sinhala villagers in the night, to bomb the capital from the air, to torture and murder all who stood in his way. And these bastards have the gall to compare the Sinhalese with the Nazis!

    • 1
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      Wee Tamizh Taraki

      “When Thalaivar was in action We Thamizh were not bothered about principles or justice, they were too busy funding him to slay Sinhala villagers in the night, to bomb the capital from the air, to torture and murder all who stood in his way.”

      Brilliant point.

      Are you a follower of Wee Thamizh D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon? You won’t believe this, remember I am the first and only student of Wee Thamizh D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon’s ideology(?).

      • 3
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        Dear Native,

        Never knew our Thambapani Abos were so much in to Baghwath Gita…..

        • 3
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          K.A Sumanasekera

          “Never knew our Thambapani Abos were so much in to Baghwath Gita…..”

          I am not into new age life style, crystal gazing, yoga, spiritualism, time travelling, tantric yogic sex, meditation, ………..psychedelic, …. F**k for peace, ……

          While on the subject of psychedelic, the dictionary gives some interesting characteristics of it, generating hallucinations, distortions of perception, altered states of awareness, and occasionally states resembling psychosis.

          It seems you are constantly in a state of drug induced psychedelic. Could you tell which of the two you take LSD or mescaline.

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            Dear Native,

            Meth Amphetamines and crack are the most common among Dalits in the Diaspora lands.I mean the non Tamil Dalits .

            And heroin of course for the hardcore.

            They don’t have the dosh for the up market Cocaine unless one works for Hedge Funds and other High Roller entities.

            As for me a few shots of good Old Pol Arrak is enough to reply to your comments.

            But that low blow on poor Sinhala Buddhist parents about them raping their kids was totally uncalled for, and well below the standard one would expect from an intelligent , educated and well read person..

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    1.According to Sampanthan’s speech in the Parliament,JRJ in the presence of Shri Kuldip Sahadv, Jt.Secretary in the Min.Foreign Affairs, India and Shri Natwar singh,State Minister,gave his undertaking in writing to improve 13A before presenting in the Parliament but he did not do so
    2.Wonder why none of the academics who normally write to CT have not made any response to yr article.
    3.When Mangala Munasinghe,Godfrey Gunatileke,Jehan Perera,Ms.Selvy Thiruchandran and Ms.Dissanayake (Her husband was disappeared and she runs an NGO to fight on behalf of Involuntarily Removed and disaapeared persons) visited our NGO in the Northeast said that we could approach them with regard to any problem we have. When off duty Army personnel from Fort Frederick( P.A. to the then Trinco SSP and DIG Aeygunawardene said so to us. In fact the DIG told us that they know who did it but since it was done by another section of the Armed Forces they could not do anything) were burning Tamil and Muslim shops in April 2006 I contacted Mr.Mangala Munasinghe. He told me that he could not do anything as he was neither in SLFP or UNP at that time.Javed Yusuf, a member of the Human Rights Commission was sleeping and he could not be disturbed.
    4. The Eye witness to this gang rape should bring it to the notice of the OHCHR Investigations on Sri Lanka before 30th October.

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    13th amendment is good for the country for the following reasons

    1.keeps india pacified and not unfriendly in the future.

    2.Sets the country in the path of devolution instead of centralization.

    3.Puts us on a course to follow the swiss model of cantons and become the switzerland of asia one day.Not only the canton system but everything that switzerland does in respect of institutions,labour efficiency,innovation,infrastructure,macroeconomic environment etc should be copied by us.Only thing we can’t copy is the swiss brains and maturity,but at least we will get somewhere up the ladder with their economic,social and political model which is the best in the world.

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      shankar:

      Instead go to Switzerland establish your eelam there.

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        how do we transplant swiss brains into people like jim softly?

        There are too many jim softly’s in our country.That is the biggest stumbling block towards progress.The only remedy maybe to do genetic admixture in the future otherwise we will be forever part of the developing world.

        After all they did it to dogs and got better and better breeds.

        Now look at it this way if we get a swiss woman to breed with Jim Softly then the litter will have better genes than the stupid genes of jim.Though ethnic admixture takes time it might be the only way to permanently neutralise the Jims of srilanka.

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          “how do we transplant swiss brains into people like jim softly?”

          May be we could do with a swiss knife.

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            Nah,his skull is too thick for a swiss knife. Neanderthals did not die out as presumed but got ethnically admixtured due to mating with humans. Lion claw Sinhabahu was probably one of those neanderthals.

            I think a cheap chinese drill should be okay because chances of damaging the brain are slim as in duminda silva’s case of peanut size brain.After we take it out we can put a big swiss one.

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    13th amendment has only achieved one thing that is filling provincial council with the second tier of corrupt politicians who are drug dealers,rapists and murderers given the most impotent portfolios of education and health care etc. The country cannot afford these predatory animals who only know how to steal the national wealth. This scenario will be worse in the north and the east where uneducated grown up child soldiers take over. This is the last straw before it becomes the new iraq or libya. 13th amendment must be done away soon.

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      vas

      “The country cannot afford these predatory animals who only know how to steal the national wealth.”

      This is the case with parliament and ministries which alleged to house “corrupt politicians who are drug dealers,rapists and murderers”. Therefore the country cannot afford these predatory animals who only know how to steal the national wealth and let us abolish, parliament, ministries, presidency, all state institutions, Sangha, …. etc. I think its a good idea.

      “This scenario will be worse in the north and the east where uneducated grown up child soldiers take over.”

      I assume uneducated Wiggie was once a child soldiers now been elected to NPC and the scenario is going to be worse.

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      vas

      Unlike wildcard jim softly you seem to be a rational guy bringing out interesting points to think about.I don’t mind someone having opposite views and don’t mind even swallowing my pride and eating humble pie and accepting the other persons views if he or she convinces me.

      Unfortunately though your points are true as to what is actually happening in srilanka,i do not think they are really relevant to the argument that provincial councils should be abolished.If we do that due the points raised by you,then we would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.Some of your points i give below and my points too.

      “13th amendment has only achieved one thing that is filling provincial council with the second tier of corrupt politicians who are drug dealers,rapists and murderers given the most impotent portfolios of education and health care etc.”

      A valid point vas,but dangerous if taken out of context with the whole picture of what is happening.A tree takes many years to grow and bear fruits.So should we say trees should never be planted because it takes too long to get any benefits?

      can you tell me why in the sinhalese areas only the provincial councils have drug dealers,rapists and murderers?In the northern provincial council and even in the eastern multi ethnic one do you find them?

      So is it something wrong with the provincial councils or something wrong with the voters who elect drug dealers,rapists and murderers.

      Fonseka hit it on the button when he said that first and foremost the culture of politics has to change if the country is to move forward.I think he was refering more to the sinhala politics than tamil.

      As you well know culture permeates from the top downwards in any organisation.For example a new CEO takes over from a old one in the private sector you immediately see his personality,habits and way of thinking starting to be stamped in the organisation because the rest of the people in it have to blend with his culture or get the boot.

      The drug dealers,rapists and murderers are all from the current UPFA government party only,not the opposition.So if the sinhalese are now being ‘hambantotanised’ year by year more and more,are you saying that instead of throwing them out we have to throw the baby out too.

      Your other point that

      “This scenario will be worse in the north and the east where uneducated grown up child soldiers take over.”

      I presume that you are meaning a future scenario,as the present one does not have any child soldiers,only judges and professionals.

      I take your point but tamil culture seems to be a bit different from the sinhala one.If douglas devananda was a sinhalese with his friendship with mahinda he would have easily become a chief minister in a sinhala area provincial council.Voters would have voted for him merely because mahinda has come with a beaming smile and asked them to.

      People have to learn the hard way and the political culture changed little by little.At the last uva provincial council elections i think some drug dealers,rapists and murderers you mentioned may have lost their seats because even in moneragala UPFA vote came down from over 80% to 58%,which shows that the people are also getting fed up.

      So be patient.patience is a virtue they say.let us go with the provincial councils and make them get better and better.One day i hope they become the ultimate in perfection like the swiss cantons.

      Then we can say we are truly driving a benz or bmw instead of a indian trishaw.To come to that stage we might not see it in our lifetime,but everything cannot be achieved in one’s lifetime.You don’t get rid of a vehicle if the driver is bad.You try to make him drive better and if he isn’t responding get rid of him.Foundations have to be laid first and the country projected in the right direction and others have to take over and continue on that path.For example Lee kuan yew put the correct foundation for singapore and set it in the right direction and it is now easy for his successors to continue it.

      All the problems that srilanka had since independence is because we did not have some one like him to lay that all important correct foundation and set the country in the right direction.We have had petty minded leaders who can’t see the whole picture and formulate a vision for the country.Let us now not miss the bus again.

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