“The forthcoming investigation by the United Nations is not ‘against’ Sri Lanka. It is against perpetrators of gross violations of humanitarian and human rights law. It is against the culture of impunity that has victimised the whole country. It is against the disappearances of youth in the North as much as it is against past disappearances of youth in the South; it is against the crimes of Weliveriya, Mullivaikkal, and most recently Dharga Town. It is against the crimes of the LTTE and it is against the crimes of the regime. For these reasons, the TNA unequivocally welcomes this investigation into both sides. Just as we look forward to the investigation as an opportunity for the Tamil people to introspect on the crimes committed in our own name, we call on the government to use the investigation as an opportunity to dramatically break with the past and usher in a new era of justice, reconciliation and harmony amongst all Sri Lanka’s peoples.” says the leader of the Tamil National Alliance, R. Sampanthan.
Rajavayothi Sampanthan – The Leader TNA
Speaking on the Parliament
“The internationalisation of the question of accountability and justice in respect of violations committed by both sides during the war was entirely on account of a considered decision made by the government and the President in May 2009. That decision was a correct one, and the governance of the country would have been significantly smoother if the government had only made good on its own assurances to the Secretary General. But that was not to be. The government reneged on its promise to the Secretary General, which led to him appointing a Panel of Experts to advice him on implementing his agreement with the Sri Lankan government.” he said.
Read the speech here
Namal Perera / June 17, 2014
Majority Sri Lankan’s too do not approve the turning of Democratic Sri Lanka to a corrupt lawless Banana Republic. The entire World respected our Mother Lanka, and they still do. The only way out is to turn the corrupt lawless Banana Republic back to Democratic Sri Lanka and chase away the crazy Jokers responsible for the current situation in the Country. None of these would have happened if at the last Presidential Election, the real winner was elected. Unfortunately he ended up in Jail on false charges. God save former Democratic Sri Lanka.
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Dodo / June 17, 2014
Bravo Sampanthan!
No one in the Sinhala Moda opposition will make such an astute speech.
All the Sinhala politicians are corrupt and criminal and Ranil Wickramasinhe who thinks that he is great because he is a “party leader” is the most morally and intellectually corrupt of the lot.
The Sinhala opposition MUST welcome the UNHRC investigation on the Rajapaksa regime and the mandate should to investigate should be broadened to include post war hate speech against minorities and STATE TERRORISM in Sri Lanka by the Bodu Bala Sena which is the instrument of the Rajapaksa terrorist state.
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R. Varathan / June 18, 2014
This is the quality of contribution our Parliamentarians, from both sides of the house, were able to deliver and enrich our system of governance in the decades gone by. Hon. Sampanthan MP is one of those. The depth, content and power of his argument will impress anyone interested to learn of the Sri Lankan crisis. I recall the tough Stephen Succur of “Hardtalk” of the BBC interviewing him in Colombo on that occasion when GR was caught with his pants down. After 2 or 3 questions to “Mr Sampanthan” Succur changed his salutation to “Sir”
Govts cannot be run on lies and in the belief if you escape enquiry one day you have done well. Rajapakse made promises to the UN, the SG-UN, India and many others and blatantly reneged on all of them. The truth is he is mortally afraid to give into anything that can be considered a concession to the Tamils in the fear this will be held against him, his descendants in the future – even if they were deserving, ethical, moral or legal. That is the tragedy. The question for the country to come to terms is should the interest of the present and future of 20 million people of the different races and religions in the land be subject to compromise and sacrifice to that of a single
extended family who has done no less than ruin the lives of all of us?
R. Varathan
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Don Stanely / June 17, 2014
When will the BBS chief who instigated the violence and killing an looting and burning of Muslims be arrested?
When will Gota the goon, the patron and protector of BBS be arrested?
When will the BBS be banned?
When will the Bill on the prevention of hate speech be presented and passed in the corrupt parliament of morons, and why has the opposition not brought such a bill forward as a private members motion;
When will Buddhism in Sri Lanka be DEMILITARIZED, De politicized and reformed. Buddhist violence and corruption is everywhere.. THe Sanga is one of the most corrupt and violent organizations in the country. THe Buddhist Sanga a bringing a bad name to Lanka along with the corrupt and criminal Rajapaksa family that pays them to live in Luxury and keep their mouths shut!
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thondamannar / June 17, 2014
Unfortunately the perpetrators are pushing for the inquiry having turned up to showcase themselves as human rights protectors.
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Peace Lover / June 17, 2014
I await the ponna defence from K A Sumnasekera ,Ella Koll,Jim Softly
and the closet racist Ben Who…..
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Ajith / June 17, 2014
The recent events in this island clearly illustrates that Sinhalese are not capable of ruling the nation in a civilized manner respecting the rule of law and human values. They are not prepared to learn anything from experience or religious teaching.The country was on bloodshed since they took over the power and the bloodshed should be stopped. The civilized world should help the nation to get rid of those evils from blood sucking.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / June 17, 2014
Yes and We Thamizh proved ourselves to be such capable, civilised rulers over the past 30 years :D
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Native Vedda / June 17, 2014
Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon
“Yes and We Thamizh proved ourselves to be such capable, civilised rulers over the past 30 years :D”
Though I have no idea about the Tamils capability and their level of civilisation VP’s services were sought after by
Hindia
President Premadasa
The West
MR.
VP also won the war for MR.
There was something about VP wasn’t there? I suppose he called himself a Tamil.
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Ponkoh Sivakumaran / June 17, 2014
Sri Lanka needs a cathartic event to make it return to the normalcy of the rule of law which it once enjoyed. The rule of law has been subverted by a succession of Prime Ministers and Presidents, starting with Bandaranaike, who used Sinhala Only for the sole purpose of ensuring his success. It was continued thereafter by regimes outdoing each other in corruption, chauvinism and thuggery, culminating in Rajapakse, completing the slide into a total family dictatorship.
The judiciary is an insult to decency. They should collectively resign than enjoy their positions. Every judge has a right and a duty duo motu (on his own accord) to insist on an inquiry into a violent killing.None of them have raised even a small whimper in the face of the lawlessness. They are unjust justices who should collectively resign. They are supposed to stand as a bulwark against injustice.
In the course of the last 60 years, thousands of citizens have been killed. This includes 70,000 Sinhalese youth for whom no Sinhalese so much as bats an eyelid. Then thousands of Tamils were killed with no one brought to book. It was a slide of the national psyche into an absolute morass of evil, with Buddhism perverted into a system that condoned massive killing. Now, that the Tamils have been finished with and cowed down, they have started on the Muslims. Every Sri Lankan who stood mute is guilty by his silence. The Sinhalese more so, because they profited from the discomfort of others. They got the jobs the Tamils left behind and thanked the politicians for it. Consequently, we now have a pliant civil service, a police and an army, serving the current dictator. All of them have killed or are complicit in killing.
If we are to return to normalcy, it is necessary for accountability to be established for every person killed in Sri Lanka (including by the LTTE-let there be no mistake about it). There must be a deterrence against such canine behavior by people with two legs and contorted minds.
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Wickramasiri / June 18, 2014
Ponkoh Sivakumaran,
I agree with you even though I am distrustful of the impartiality of a UN investigation. I am also distrustful of the evidence that will be placed before the investigators, after the experience of the blatant falsification, fabrication, and the witch hunt that Chandrika engaged in during her Commission in the 1990s. Sri Lankans, both Sinhala and Tamil are inveterate liars and to glean the truth from the false will be well nigh impossible. Unfortunately, an internal investigation will be worse than one by the UN. Your comment is the only one that is close to convincing me that the UNHRC is the only alternative. If a regime change can also be achieved that will be a bonus. Yet, how will the whipped up public react? We have sacriced enough lives to satisfy the racists, but are they satiated? The BBS behaviour shows the thirst is still intense.
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Javi / June 17, 2014
Tamil National Alliance, R. Sampanthan.,
It is the UK/US axis of evil that is propping up this Frankenstein government run by American nationals.
The Americans with a 200 year of culture of piracy, land grabbing murder lynching are the architects of present day Lanka.
Till Lanka is designated a terrorist state by IC nothing is going to happen and they wont bite their own fingers. Neither will there be credible investigations in your own lifetime. – Well tried.
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Rajash / June 17, 2014
Rambukwella Keheliya has sadi that any one giving evidence in the UN investigation will be dealt with accordingly, a veiled threat to TNA, Sarath Fonseka and other army deseretes with a Conscience.
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Fathima Fukushima / June 18, 2014
LTTE leftovers!
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Gota the hero / June 18, 2014
Fathshitma, you are a real loser who has nothing with substance to contribute. Your people are being killed, why don’t you go and defend them. It will be nice see in the front lines.
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Gota the hero / June 18, 2014
Absolutely. But the brainwashed crowd in Lanka think the world is after lanka.
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Park / June 18, 2014
Well said Mr. Sampanthan. You understand very clearly and I hope and pray rest of Sri Lanka understand that the UN investigation is not against Sri Lanka but against the perpetrators of crime against humanity.
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K.A Sumanasekera / June 18, 2014
Did the ex LTTE proxy Mr Sambanadan recommend the starting date for this Inquisition?.
Is that why he is confident Ms Pillai in going to check Prabakaran’s report card as well.
But ,Prabakaran couldn’t do any war crimes, genocides or even Muslim and Sinhala slayings from 2007, because he was on the run with his mate Pottu Amman.
Obviously how could Pottu Amman plan anything while running.
So Ms Pillai will be presenting an all clear report card on Prabakaran.
But the inhabitants who don’t have to put up with suicidal Tamil women and Tamil Rambos who sneak in to poor rural Sinhala and Muslim villages anymore,, can’t understand why Sambnadan’s main Mate , the UNP Christian Faction Leader is not saying anything about this Pillai Police in Parliament.
Before this Yes or No resolution was presented, Christian Faction Heavies Mangala and kiriella were demanding on public platforms Rajapaksa to bend over to MS Pillai. .
Wonder why this sudden state of paralysis in the Christian Faction when Malani Fonseka presented this simple Yes or No question paper?.?.
Aren’t they mates of Sambnadan anymore?.
If he can’t answer a simple Yes or No question , how can he understand multiple choice papers?.
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Gota the hero / June 18, 2014
Idiot sumanasekera, listen up. Ex-LTTE members are currently working for the rajapukkas as deputy ministers
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Native Vedda / June 18, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
Banda has few vacancies for saffron clad thugs in his “Rent a Mob” agency.
Would you like to join him as a copy writer/spin doctor for the agency?
Though you are useless no one will notice you. Just shave your head and wear saffron colour sari which would be appropriate for the occasion. Its like evening outing, a stroll in the beach.
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