Buddhist monk uses racism and rumours to spread hatred in Burma, the Guardian reports.
His name is Wirathu, he calls himself the “Burmese Bin Laden” and he is a Buddhist monk who is stoking religious hatred across Burma. The saffron-robed 45-year-old regularly shares his hate-filled rants through DVD and social media, in which he warns against Muslims who “target innocent young Burmese girls and rape them”, and “indulge in cronyism”.
Read more in the Guardian
Cassandra / April 19, 2013
CT editors, do not fall into the Rajapassa regime’s trap to divide, DISTRACT and rule Lanka. Please post something on the electricity price increase and its social impacts..
Enough now of this hate crime story which is a distraction from the economic crisis brought by the Rajapassa family’s corruption and white elephant development projects that guzzle electricity, so please post something on the electricity price increase, the coming economic crash, and the use of BBS to distract from this.
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COLOMBO_TELEGRAPH (Author) / April 19, 2013
Electricity Tariff Revision Is UNJUST, It Is kW Wise But MW Foolish
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/electricity-tariff-revision-is-unjust-it-is-kw-wise-but-mw-foolish/
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Leela / April 19, 2013
You have so many ‘true’ Buddhists bashing Sinhala Buddhists, I thought you gals aim regime change with this topic.
Leela
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Fairose / April 20, 2013
Leela, I have read many of your comments that are mostly prejudice and without proper base. I respect every view and every religion but I beleive non as I believe in the universe that mostly empty space and that we see are manifestation of the brain. I am you will not understand what I say because your reality is something else. Life is very short, I, you or for that matter anybody do not know where and how our death will come. When one is in trouble or in danger the other will definitely appear sometimes risking is own life to rescue. This human quality and humanity. He will never look for his religion or nationality. And we never know who is this man; he maybe a sinhalese, he maybe tamil or he maybe a muslim. Therefore, prevent from promoting hate instead promote peace, love and mutual respect while co-exist.
I have studied about most of the religions and came out empty but I learn one thing that is every religion teaches to do the good thing. Staying truthful to oneself without promoting any religion or harming any is the best religion and best way of life. Try practice.
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Jayantha / April 20, 2013
Cassandra,
Please read the comment I wrote to Dr.Harsha de Silva on electricity rates.
Dr.Harsha de Silva,
Please read the following web and see how new electricity rates effect general public.
http://newsfirst.lk/english/node/23250
You will note that the consumers who use more than 90 units are the ones who are mostly affected.
Unit Price 90 X 8.50 = 765
Unit Price 91 X 15 = 1,365
See how the immediate unit after 90 been calculated @ almost double the rate.
Also see the following electricity usage on a very simple house hold.
1000W for one hour is equivelant to 1 UNIT.
—————————————————
Therefore if you have in your home… FIVE nos. 50W BULBS BURN FOR 4 HOURS PER DAY …..it will be …….1000 W = one unit
TV 60 wats. Ceiling fans 60 wats…. burn for 4 hours per day = half unit.
Refrigerator 300 W X 24 hours = 6,000 W (with cutoff temperature condenser) equals 6 units
Therefore for eaach day your minimum units are = 7.5 units per day.
Therefore 7.5 units x 30 days = 225 units usage per month.
Therefore Govt. new Electricity revision has hit mostly to the MIDDLE CLASS although the poor peoples rates been almost doubled.(less than 30 units)
Also Rajapakse Moron did not want the CEB chairman to visit US high commission when he was called for a meeting to discuss this new tariff rates.
MARA the absolute crook uneducated bast….d is just a fake double acting absolute mutt comedian, thinking he knows everything who will eventually will have his fate similar to Gadaffi family.
This is what CB Governor said about Sri Lanka heading for Asia’s miracle.
They could easily give electricity for the same old rates (without a price revision) if the corruption been stopped, but these absolute thieves are robbing our country left and right.
We could have had the best development soon after the LTTE war, but these Tsunami robbers and 10% commission Kakkas were going after mega commissions to award contracts, thereby loosing many projects to build businesses.
This is why you and all opposition parties should keep a close rapport with international community and foreign missions in Sri Lanka to fight MARA’s dictatorial rule.
You should keep a close friendship with International community specially the West as they are the ones who will come to our assistance when we need.
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Soni / April 19, 2013
Agree with Cassandra that more reporting on the economical problem faced by Srilankans would put things into perspective. While hate inspired activities should be reported, providing too much coverage may be just what they want..I say leave that alone for a while and put more focus on the real problems faced by the middle class and poor in Srilanka….or these issues will go forgotten while everyone gets all worked up over the useless BBS.
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Dinuk / April 19, 2013
Agree with these comments.. over reporting on hate crime actually re-inscribes and spreads the problem.
CT you are doing a great job but MUST diversify the storyline..
More political economic analysis of the crisis in Lanka and less culture clash material is the need of the hour..
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Ben Hurling / April 19, 2013
CT is a lifeline for many Sri Lankans who seek the truth now.
Yes. Diversify, if possible.
Expose Rajapssa clan’s corruption, violence, lawlessness, mismanagement and cronism etc. Not least, the despicable, crippling, corrupt dynasty building project.
I also hope CT will find a way to break into Social Media more effectively. Using latest technology available. And reach the Sinhalese and Tamil reading audience in Sri Lanka. The clan cannot censor Facebook, Twitter, You Tube or Linkedin.
Sri Lankans are seriously under Rajapassa propaganda now. You can see how fast BBS message has taken hold. With nobody in media challenging them in an intelligent, reflected way in local languages.
Well done so far CT. Please take it to the next stage. Hope you will move from strength to strength.
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Ben Hurling / April 19, 2013
Oh…forgot to mention.
The horrible role being played by the UNP must get exposure as well.
The UNP is taking the people for a terrible ride once again. Discarding their responsibility as a the opposition. It is a crime against the people of Sri Lanka.
How can they govern Sri Lanka, when they can hardly manage their party. Sri Lankans must be informed of this reality, in depth.
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Lion / April 20, 2013
UNP consist of den of thieves they are no better than thieves of Rajapakshas they are all same.Look at the take the track record of Ravi K,JJ and the rest they are all same .By bringing these thieves to power we will not achieve any thing they are all same.
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Heart Break Kid / April 20, 2013
The same lies as Galagodaththe Ganasara Thero. I am starting to think that there is a (international) group behind all of these. If not, how come the lies are so similar in Burma and SL????
Muslims in Sri lanka have not done anything wrong to Sri Lanka. If there are Muslim Terrorist groups in SL, who are trying to destroy the peace within SL and take over SL and make it a muslim nation, they must have access to weapons, but how can they bring weapons from other countries through heavy security????
The BBS accusations are utterly 100% false.
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David Blacker / April 22, 2013
There was no international conspiracy behind Franco, Hitler, and Mussolini. Ideology alone can connect extremists.
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Jones / April 20, 2013
Has anybody noticed that there is always a distraction during increase of prices of goods and services or any other political event which may cause anger and displeasure amongst people? Some of the over reported stories during bad political events are about Red rain, blue rain, yellow rain, Mayan’s end of the world prediction, and etc.There is a rumor going on that the current minister(Pawetra) of power and energy doesn’t know the difference between mega watt and kilo watt. Anyway enough about Burmese monks on the main page of CT.
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jamis / April 20, 2013
So BBS and associates have good and excellent partners in the world, their motives and actions,looks and sounds similar.
CT, BBS and associates are trash unleashed by Gota, Rajapasksa & Co to divert the nation’s and people’s attention. It’s not worth to give so much attention to it but rather as seen in many comments here, get to the real issues – the crushing and unbearable cost of living, mess up of the economy. lack and misuse of law and order, the looting and corruption of those in power etc. To hide and cover up all these, they let loose BBS and associates.
CT we are with you, come what may. Please take up the real issues affecting the people of mother Lanka by the misrule and misdeed of Rapasksa & Co.
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manvork ontharrabijja / April 20, 2013
Burmese 969 – SLankan BBS, lies agreed upon and broadcast freely. Hate spread like a cancer. Muslim leaders desperately trying to be graceful under pressure from their own hotheads. Deja vu? The old among us, those still holding memories of bygone pogroms, are shaking their heads and scurrying behind the sofa. Soon the cocktails will fly, neighbourhoods will burn, and teeth will gnash and hands will wring. Afterwards, lessons will be learnt and, perhaps, reconciliation. The Mahanayakes will not speak out, ministers of state are feverishly looking after their own interests and the ruling family are busy feathering their nests. The hour is late, there is desperate need for a hero, a white knight, a saviour. Who will save us from this recurring madness? Pray, let our children sleep soundly for a few more nights;soon it could be another thirty years of hell for them.
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Candidly / April 20, 2013
If this Burmese monk really says these things then he is inciting conflict. But the claims he makes are no more distorted and exaggerated than those made by Frances Harrison, Usha s Sri-Skanda Rajah, Callum McCrae and Jon Snow of the UK’s Channel 4 and other “hate-filled” ranters against the national group known as Sri Lankans who are given free publicity from time to time by Colombo Telegraph. CT must be careful not to have double standards. If incitement to hatred against a religious group is to be condemned, so is incitement to hatred against a national group.
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David Blacker / April 22, 2013
There is a difference: political ideology and membership is a choice; religion and ethnicity isn’t. It’s the difference between legitimate military action and genocide.
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Don Stanley / April 22, 2013
Of course there is a choice with one’s religion which is an ideology like any other – the OPIATE OF THE MASSES as MARX called it.
One can convert of practice whatever faith one wants – it is a private matter and so too in a truly multicultural society ethnicity or ethnic difference would not matter at all.. since there would be many hybrids, off-spring of inter-marriage as you are no doubt and people have a choice of MULTIPLE IDENTITIES ALWAYS!
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Dhaksha / April 20, 2013
Looks like the Islamaphobes from Norway/Israel/US maybe using the same hate model to instigate the Buddhist monks. Same kind of likes about halal meat, Buddhist women being attacked or raped, maybe even hijab or the Muslim style of dressing up. It is the same type of brainless accusation against the Muslims by the majority extremists. Pamela Geller, Geert Wilders or some bigot must have written the script.
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Shiva / April 20, 2013
CT is doing shameful publicity …. and pointing fingers…
If u listen to this monk … CT has no right to degrade him…. totally uncalled for .. he does not behave like the BBS Gnanasara,,,
i am very disappointed in the way CT is conducting itself…
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Mahela / April 20, 2013
What I see is the similarities between Burmese culture, their life style, businesses, mindset, eating habits and their Therawada Buddhist culture almost similar to Sri Lanka.
Of couse when you have 40% unemployment among the young, no jobs to survive, very high children population who are below 10 years old and whose parents cannot feed and afford them……..what choice they have other than becomming a monk.
Also their style of reciting gatha and pirith is similar to muslims reciting Quran.
I HOPE THERE WILL BE PEACE BOTH IN BURMA AND SRI LANKA.
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Führer / April 20, 2013
The Colombo Telegraph has shown up its hidden agenda and the biased reporting by posting this article on the web site which was originally published by The Guardian.There are thousands of racist religious priests all over the world from almost all religions. And there are lots of news articles reporting about them and their activities as well. Oh God, The CT has seen only this particular article and also they have been managed to elaborate the thing linking it with the BBS. The fact is Chrystal clear that your reporting is biased and working with an agenda which is against the Buddhist movements. I am not a defender of BBS and I totally disagree with some of the things done by them. But I think so called “independent” reporters like you should report not only the things done by BBS, but also the things done by others as well. Then we can believe that you are unbiased. When Ven. Cardinal interfere the child home abuse incident you are dead silent. When the racist priests all around the world dump their ideas you are dead silent as well. But when you saw this article you have awaken at once and re-posted on your site and linked it to BBS as well. What I am wondering is why this????
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COLOMBO_TELEGRAPH (Author) / April 20, 2013
@Führer FYI – CT
UK’s Top Cardinal Apologises For ‘Sexual Conduct’
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/uks-top-cardinal-apologises-for-sexual-conduct/
The Ex-Pope And The Holiness Myth
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-ex-pope-and-the-holiness-myth/
UK’s Top Cardinal Accused Of ‘Inappropriate Acts’ By Priests
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/uks-top-cardinal-accused-of-inappropriate-acts-by-priests/
USA Child Abuse Case: A Roman Catholic Church Official Had Shielded Predatory Priests
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/usa-child-abuse-case-a-roman-catholic-church-official-had-shielded-predatory-priests/
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Garibaldi / April 20, 2013
“Read in the name of BBS who made you with a blot of fad”.
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Mahela / April 22, 2013
Fuhrer,
Everything what you comment about the world and Religious issues that are taking place all over the world are been published in all media including electronic media and are been read by the masses.
But it is only in Sri Lanka that free media been suppressed by the Government.
From murdering Lasantha Wickrematunge, Pradeep Ekneligoda up to white van abductions, sudden disappearance, Fredrica Jansz and upto Laptops and Duty freecar permits been given to reporters, journalists and media personnel at Araliya Gaha Medura are all part of Rajapakse, strategy to control, submit and suppress free media.
Infact what CT and most of the writers in this forum like Thisaranee are doing is to bring out Rajapakses corruption, double standard and playing Russian roulette with country’s politics, it’swealth, it’s Economy and with it’s Minority population……highlighting Rajapakses weaknesses for them to correct them before another 1983 like catestrophe taking place.
There are very few free media available in Sri Lanka for people to read and listen like CT, lankaenews, and Sirasa TV etc,and you should be grateful for the contribution and sacrifices they do to bring truth to the readers.
Who is the mutt who build an Airport in the middle of a jungle inan animal habitat, covering 500 acres of virgin soil with three feet of concrete, destroying both nature and environment and now the crook going and preaching to villages about preserving nature and environment.
Who is the mutt who bring the Sea water inland covering over 100 acres of land with sea water to build a harbour without ships in sight.
Who is the mutt to give 85 billion rupee Divinaguma fund vegetable seeds to farmers to grow vegetables at once without planning to store harvest in cool storage or properly distribute them to the market or to can and preserve them for future or even to export them etc…….and now as a result ot his blunder over one million KIilos of vegetables been discarded and thrown to garbage pits.
Mr.Fuher……Please be realistic in future before writing your next comment.
I also request if CT could find a way to send these news articals and readers comments to both Sinhala and Tamil readers in and outside Sri Lanka.
I Thank CT for the wonderful contribution it does to our country and it’s citizen.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 20, 2013
DO NOT TELL PEOPLE TO TURN OFF .
Advice like that should be criminalized.
You should be taken out into the street and whipped. …
Seriously though, do not turn off the people.
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ABCD/Hema / April 20, 2013
forget UNP, vote for mano ganesan
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Fazli Sameer / April 20, 2013
Monks should confine themselves to the Temples and not preach hatred, else they cannot be Monks anymore
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Fazli Sameer / April 20, 2013
Try listening to this wonderful human being:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9-6qQ9tyI
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Sri Lankan / April 20, 2013
Read Holy Quran. ISLAM IS ONLY WAY OF LIFE. READ HOLY QURAN. Islam is only true religion. You follow Islam. Why are you againts on Islam and Muslims.Follow Islam Believe Allah and Islam . ALLAH is Greate.
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Nabil / April 21, 2013
The parallels are uncannily similar aren’t they? The same fears the same suspicions and similar accusations.
There are many hate mongers like the priest featured on the video commenting on CT; the likes of Leela, Lester, Citizen etc., who claim that they are not against Islam but are only protecting Buddhist interests. I engage them most vigorously, despite them being offensive, because I see it as the only opportunity to bring out into the open hitherto hidden prejudices and suspicions of the Buddhist majority. The general tendency to dislike Muslims for being what we has led to visible and open racism, because of unfounded fear and suspicion.
It irks extremists that we look alike, yet we are unlike them. Something they find difficult to understand. In their worldview, the roles of the minorities are defined and described in a narrow prescriptive sense. In essence they wish to tell us how we should conduct our affairs and they are only happy to bestow this worldly view which we must accept without a murmur.
If you ask Leela or Lester for that matter, they have a whole wish list which they will happily share with you from the age of marriage, the numbers of children, the dress code including the acceptable choices of colour , where and how we should practice our religion and the food we eat. All of what we are allowed must be inoffensive to the sensitivities of the majority. While I agree that no community should be obtrusive in their life styles, diktats too are unbecoming in the modern day .
If Muslims are meek, unseen, unheard then perhaps extremist Buddhists will tolerate us. If we challenge them they will say that we are guests and guests shouldn’t take their host’s hospitality for granted. If you ask them how come we have become guests after almost 1000 years of permanent residency they will tell you that we are considered alien not because of our birth but because of the religion we practice. For example if you were to convert to Buddhism, they will have no issues with you!
They will also tell you that since Sinhala Buddhists are not allowed to build temples in Muslim countries, the Sinhalese should reciprocate in kind; they will ignore the fact the Indonesia and Malaysia have thriving Buddhist communities, but single out Saudi Arabia for bashing Sri Lankan Muslims.
No amount of arguing that the Saudis don’t care a tuppence for the opinions of Muslims in Sri Lanka, that Saudi Arabia is a sovereign nation, sadly a dictatorship and is governed by their own laws and that they are not the custodian or the guardians of the Muslim world is dismissed quite flippantly.
Why this inane plea to club Sri Lankan Muslims with Saudi Muslims beats me. Contrast this with the lack of enthusiasm of the Sinhala Buddhist to claim kinship with other Buddhist countries! Is this because they are facing an identity crisis themselves and would the exclusion of Tamils and Muslims help? Or is it because they have to identify themselves at different levels within their own communities, according to cast, race, religion and nationality? Look how confusing it would be if an up country Sinhalese describes himself to a foreigner, “ Up country, Govi, Sinhala, Buddhist, Sri Lankan”; and each of these descriptors have a firm link to the Sinhala identity !
Muslims in Sri Lanka on the other hand are just Sri Lankan Muslims. Extremists will hate us for being just that; Sri Lankan Muslims and not because we are a threat to them
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SinhalaThug / April 22, 2013
Killing, raping, murdering, stealing and committing genocide in the name of Buddha!
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