By Ratnajeevan H. Hoole –
Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole
Both Douglas Devananda and EPDP MP Chandrakumar, during public speeches, virtually admitted to the massacres of and use of cluster bombs on civilians during the last phase of the war in Mullivaikal.
Responding to President Rajapakse’s claim to fame for ending the war, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had countered that she had been the one to capture 70% of LTTE territory. Claims of being responsible for winning the war have also been made by General Sarath Fonseka who had been army commander during the last phase.
At a Rajapaske election campaign, held on 2 January 2015, at Durraiappa Stadium, Jaffna, EPDP MPs Douglas Devananda and Chandrakumar felt the need to boost credit for the President in ending the war.
Lacking in imagination, they retorted to these claims by President Chandrika Kumaratunga asking whether she would also accept 70% responsibility for the massacre of Tamil civilians in large numbers during the war and for the use of cluster bombs, both stoutly denied by the government up until that moment. To blame Mr. Sisirsena they alleged that the use of cluster bombs had been authorized by him, then Deputy Defence Minister, in the President’s absence.
Worrying is the spate of articles and mass emails since Jan. 2, 2015 alleging that Maithripala Sirisena is a war criminal. No evidence is presented. Presumably these are orchestrated by the EPDP. It is noted that the two main agents of this rumour mongering begun at the Duraiappha Stadium stage are known liars and murderers too – for example when seeking asylum in the UK, Chandrakumar openly accused Douglas of several internal murders including that of Thinamurasu Editor Atputhan. But then he joined Devananda again when offered the chance to contest as an EPDP candidate.
It is noted that it is the same Douglas Devananda who had parrot-like once repeated the President’s obviously untrue claim that troops had fought with the human rights charter in one hand, without even a single civilian casualty. It is the first time that there was official admission of the mass murders or of the use of cluster bombs under the government.
President Rajapakse was present throughout the speeches, seemingly oblivious to the meaning of these Tamil speeches – unless he too thought it was a great rebuttal in his favor and there was no need to retract these most damaging statements to his campaign for Tamil votes.
Uthungan / January 4, 2015
Prof.Hoole
What Douglas Devananda & his side kick Chandrakumar said for boosting MR’s credit in the meeting at the Durayappa stadium, is not surprising because they have pea brains.
But what is the relevance of the photograph showing the back of a woman seemingly at prayer among shattered coconuts in the background.
Are they cluster bombs in the shape of coconuts?
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Leonvet / January 4, 2015
You Prof Hoole and Douglas Devanda will have to give evidence before the International Crimminal Court that the Rajapakses used cluster bombs on the Tamil civilians.
The Rajapakse regime maintained that cluster bombs were not used in the war. Now we have the admission.Douglas Devananda will have to give evidence, under oath to the ICC.Lets hope that someone has recorded the speech.
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Piranha / January 4, 2015
At last the mass killing of civilians and the use of cluster bombs have been claimed to be true by the collaborators of the Rajapaksa regime.
Now we will see both Rajapaksa and Sirisena blaming each other for the atrocities.
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Ramanay K / January 4, 2015
So,you praised Hon.Douglas D at the LLRC ,having known the killng of Atputhan?Was the VC post more important than A’s killings?Is it because of power greedy you idiot went to DD?
Is Atputhan killing is also like Kandiah Thayaparraja who was killed,according to UTHR report?You must be ashamed of Rajan Hoole who writes lies for money.
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In Defence / January 5, 2015
Ramanay just lacks discernment. I am quite sure that he did not read Prof. Hoole’s LLRC testimony before writing that he praised Douglas Devananda. I know Prof. Hoole well. I am a former public servant. I am aware of the restrictions on a pubic servant making a public statement. In 2011 Prof. Hoole was a public servant. Facing restrictions on speech, I can imagine the pressures he was under when he was asked to testify before LLRC. Even when cornered he is sharp enough not to have contradictions in his overall positions.
As I recall, he was trying to be VC to rebuild the university in Jaffna. Douglas had a say in who would be made VC. The government had asked Prof. Hoole to testify, probably hoping that he would say something in its favour. Prof. Hoole could not say anything bad about the government or Douglas openly. As an intellectual he had to be honest and would have been careful. He therefore hedged his statements.
After reading Ramanay I went back and got a copy of what he said. One can see that he was careful. He sticks to facts. He says the public was against Douglas (“had reservations”). Then he correctly says Douglas had the highest preference votes. He uses the word “seems” and the phrase “it is widely believed” (that is he himself does not necessarily think so. He argues for loyalty. He hints at it being wrong for the government to be cultivating those like Douglas, Karuna and Padmanabha. He argues that Devananda, Karuna and Padmanabha who went against the government once can be trusted to go against it again. His is the classic equivocation of one who was asked to testify at a time he was trying to be VC. He wants listeners to think he is saying one thing but is really saying something else – he is effectively saying that the government should work through the TNA to win the hearts of the Tamil people. That is probably why he was not made VC. Only the less intelligent people like Ramanay and Douglas Devananda will think he was writing in praise of Devananda. To understand Prof. Hoole one needs to be well trained in reading the text carefully.
Given the vagueness of what Prof. Hoole said, one can keep discussing what he said. But it would be a waste of time. Here is what he said: “The public had severe misgivings about Minister Douglas Devananda once. But he has worked hard and seems to have earned a place among the Tamil people as judged by recent elections where he had the highest preferential vote in Jaffna. But it is widely believed that government loyalties are shifting away from him although he has served the government so faithfully under severe risk to his life. Does this encourage other Tamils to join the government? In politics, as my friend Carlo Fonseka often reminds me quoting from Australian politician Graham Richardson’s book Whatever it takes, there are three cardinal rules: 1) Loyalty is all. 2) if they rat on you once, they will rat on you twice and 3) The value of political forgiveness is nil. Government would do well to take note and choose through whom it tries to win over the estranged Tamil public.”
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Ramanay K / January 6, 2015
In Defence,you lack discernment.Could you please read the following report and answer my question.
1.Where is Thayapararaja now?is he alive or dead?
2.Do you accept the idiot Rjan Hoole is a liar who writes lies.
University Teachers for Human Rights – Jaffna (UTHR-J) in their Special Report No.34 of December 13, 2009
(http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/Special%20rep34/Uthr-sp.rp34part6.htm)
K. Thayapararajah, a brilliant product of the Engineering Faculty at Peradeniya was the head of the Vanni Tech, as both a civilian teacher and administrator. He would have met Charles Anthony, now dead, and a few other LTTE figures at board meetings. He fell out with the LTTE and came out of the NFZ with his family in late March, identified himself to the Army and was questioned before being sent on. He joined his family in Vavuniya for some time, went to Colombo to find his way abroad. He was arrested in September 2009 in Colombo and tortured at a security camp in Avissawella, was shot and injured on September 13 while being taken to court under escort and died at Kalubowila Hospital two days later. Such actions introduce a needless element of insecurity into the life of every Tamil. The government did not even acknowledge the incident, leave alone investigate it, nor did the Press report it.
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