By Dayan Jayatilleka –
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
Who deployed troops, clad in flak jackets (body armour) and armed with T-56 assault rifles to confront and disperse a crowd of protestors blocking a highway? Who was the ultimate decision-maker? The protestors were not armed, certainly not with lethal weapons. Therefore, no real harm could have come to soldiers in body armour. A ‘clash’ between lethally armed soldiers and protestors with stones and slippers is not a clash that warrants in any way, the use of lethal force.
The crucial question must then be posed: who gave the order for a military unit armed with deadly force to be deployed against an unarmed civic protest, in a situation where the normal law prevails and a state of Emergency has not been declared because it was manifestly not warranted? What was the chain of command responsibility? Why was the task not left to the riot police? The question of who gave the order to shoot and for what reasons is a secondary one.
I find it impossible to believe, that on his first day as Army commander, the able and sophisticated Gen Daya Ratnayake, a thinking soldier, would have made this decision. I find it no less implausible that Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose mode for decades has been to use the strengths of his personality for dialogue and dissembling, to charm Southern constituencies, would have opted for martial methods, at the commencement of an election campaign. So the mystery remains, if mystery it is.
What was the logic of sending in troops? Why were they wearing body armour? Why were they carrying T-56 assault rifles? Since when are troops sent in crowd control situations in which there are men, woman, children and clergymen, none of whom have been spotted as carrying lethal weapons? It is not as if the protestors were tossing Molotov cocktails at the police who could therefore not control the crowd.
What are the implications of the decision to deploy troops with assault rifles, when there is no State of Emergency? Is it that the army will henceforth be used against unarmed demonstrators in the South? In an earlier step on the escalation ladder, the STF had been used, against a protest by fisher-folk. Specialised army units were then used to suppress, with an entirely one sided result and massive casualties, a prison riot. Now the army has been deployed against unarmed demonstrators in the South or shall we say the non-former conflict zones.
Ah, but could it have been a conspiracy against the country? Doesn’t the shooting come just on the first of the very month that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visits Sri Lanka, in fact just three weeks before the visit? Could it not been a force hostile to Sri Lanka that spread the rumour of toxic waste, brainwashed the protestors into excessive concern about the quality of their drinking water and the health of their children, bribed them into protesting on the streets, and armed them lethally with slippers and stones? Perhaps it was all part of an Arab Spring ‘regime change’ strategy—the crucial move of which was to send in the indispensable ingredient for the crime: troops with assault rifles and body armour. Thus we must be unafraid to ask ourselves whether it was the CIA, the NSA, the RAW, the ‘13A Nazis’, the Halal imposing Koran thumpers, Justice Wigneswaran, Karunanidhi and Jeyalalitha, or Fr Emmanuel and Lawrence Rudrakumaran who gave the order.
How will the world view Sri Lanka after the events of yesterday? Having known and sparred successfully in defence of our country’s sovereignty with two, not just one, UN High Commissioners for Human Rights – Louise Arbour and Navi Pillay—I can say with confidence and dismay, that Weliweriya would only substantiate the call for an international inquiry and the demand for the opening of an office of the High Commissioner in Sri Lanka. When I opposed it in 2007-2009, we could credibly claim to hold the moral high ground since we were fighting a fascistic foe. The demonstrators in Weliweriya who faced lethal force hardly fall into the same category as the suicide-terrorist Tigers and therefore our refusal of an office of the High Commissioner to monitor human rights abuses would lack the moral credibility it once had.
The obvious observations will be, if this is how the State authorities treat unarmed Sinhalese, largely Buddhist civilian men, women and children who are protesting against polluted water, how must that state have treated the Tamils in the closing stages of the war? How could authorities who didn’t care about possible casualties when sending in armed troops into unarmed crowds, care enough about Tamil civilians in the last days of and the morning after the war? If Weliweriya demonstrates the policy of the State and how the forces of the state behave towards the Sinhalese, how must they have conducted themselves in the North and East for thirty years and how must they be functioning in the former conflict zones today?
The argument of national sovereignty as currently deployed by the state and its ideologues, has a hole shot through it after the Gampaha killing. National sovereignty and popular sovereignty are twins. National/state sovereignty refers to external threats, those from outside our borders, and does not confer license to override popular sovereignty, the sovereignty of the citizen, most especially in a state constitutionally defined and designated a democratic Republic since 1972.
Coming in the run-up to the Northern Provincial Council election, the question cannot but be posed as to whether the Establishment which sent lethally armed soldiers to confront a crowd of unarmed civilians in the Gampaha district yesterday, will do otherwise, or deploy less force, if faced with peaceful protests over, let us say, issues of land seizure in the North. What if school-children, nuns, or elected members of the Provincial Council are shot or disappeared? Will that not trigger a surge in Tamil Nadu, followed by a demarche from Delhi in an election year? Will this not open the road to R2P?
30 years after Black July 83, a disturbing thought strikes me: Was Kuttimani right when he said 30 years ago, in his final speech in the Colombo High Court– months before he was slaughtered in Welikada jail– that the brutal methods used in Gurunagar army camp would come home to the south one day?
*Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka was Sri Lanka’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva 2007-9 and Vice–President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 2007-2008
manisekaran / August 2, 2013
“The obvious observations will be, if this is how the State authorities treat unarmed Sinhalese, largely Buddhist civilian men, women and children who are protesting against polluted water, how must that state have treated the Tamils in the closing stages of the war? How could authorities who didn’t care about possible casualties when sending in armed troops into unarmed crowds, care enough about Tamil civilians in the last days of and the morning after the war? If Weliweriya demonstrates the policy of the State and how the forces of the state behave towards the Sinhalese, how must they have conducted themselves in the North and East for thirty years and how must they be functioning in the former conflict zones today?” –
Oh Dayan suddenly you woke form Coma? Good, is that because Army showed its nature to your people when you refused the same when Tamils have been complaining over years. It is not just about Srilanka’a army, armies all around world are one and same; example Indian army do carry out atrocities on NE people and Irom sharmila whom i respect, fight relentlessly.This is where the civil administration need to be strong in punishing human rights violators. We knew how army behaved during emergency in India and Indian later punished Indira government for the same reason.
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Rajakaruna M / August 2, 2013
Absolutely true..what has come over him? All of a sudden turning on his masters. Did they refuse to give him another diplomatic position? If he’s not suicidal or terminally ill, irrespective of his past record it is not impossible to have an iota of respect for this stand. Just look at that pathetic looser Rajiva who calls himself Dayan’s bff singing praise morning and night for “those who ordered the army at Weliveriya” .
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sama / August 2, 2013
why should not he have the right so ? May be his masters, he thought at the beginning in terms of defeating terrorists were fine. Many in the country still stay calm and quiet tolerating whatever the rulers may be doing – enough is enough.
4 years have been gone since the war is over – so it is time DJ and others to see things impartially.
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GOOD DOC / August 2, 2013
My opinion is also that he has suddenly woke up from his deep sleep and from the sweet dream and he has been seeing this dream since 2005, and in the same dream somebody has murmured that this is not a sweet dream and this sweet dream is not going to be lasting for long and advised him ,at least, now try to understand what is really happening!
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Kumar R / August 2, 2013
Sama,
I am glad you confirm that DJ was previously not looking at things impartially. Do you think that is becoming of an intellect or an academic as he has relentlessly claimed?
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sama / August 3, 2013
Most would applaud this article, but he the writer is still beat about the bush. As anyone if not insane would feel – the command should have come from GOTA and the co. Hope DJ and other writers of the same bunch would get over with in coming weeks, months.
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Amarasiri / August 2, 2013
“The obvious observations will be, if this is how the State authorities treat unarmed Sinhalese, largely Buddhist civilian men, women and children who are protesting against polluted water, how must that state have treated the Tamils in the closing stages of the war?”
The Stalin and Hitler Nazi Ideology, anybody who is threat to the hegemony need to be taken out.
Fonseka, Sinhala Buddhist, Tamils, Muslims etc.
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Wickramasiri / August 3, 2013
Amarasiri, you are probably right The prospects are frightening isn’t it?
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Ravi / August 3, 2013
Karma is a bitch!
The Sinhala Modayas were eating kiribath when innocent Tamils were slaughtered. Now they get the taste of the patriots (kiribath from the rifle) who ‘saved the motherland’.
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Park / August 2, 2013
Manisekeran, can’t you understand he was part of the Government at that time and he is not now. All of us go through various stages in our life, even if Dayan did not like what was happening to the Tamils he could not have done anything other than warn the Government, which he did. But the most important thing for us to understand is that his feelings for Peace and Equal Rights in Sri Lanka is strong today. Reading this article I could feel how angry he was when he wrote this article. We should salute him for this article without living in the past. Life is where you have to look forward not backward. If we have to dwell in the past then we have to roam in our “Amudes”.
You should have supported this article and demanded a Public Inquiry if you were so worried about Tamils. If this can happen today to the Sinhalese did you think for one minute what would happen to the Tamils next? This should have been your thought process, not to attack Dayan. Are you honest in your feelings about Tamils or are you just trying to be a spokesperson for the Government?
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gamini / August 2, 2013
Thus we must be unafraid to ask ourselves whether it was the CIA, the NSA, the RAW, the ‘13A Nazis’, the Halal imposing Koran thumpers, Justice Wigneswaran, Karunanidhi and Jeyalalitha, or Fr Emmanuel and Lawrence Rudrakumaran who gave the order.
This bugger Dayan Jayatilake suspects everyone else barring the suspect who is responsible for sending the Army who is under his control, i.e. Gota himself. As Sumanthiran said the no Cartoonist will caricature Gota, this bugger DJ is frightened even to mention his name.
It is very funny when Wimal Buruwansa staged a protest at the UN Head Office in Colombo, the IGP had sent the Police to maintain Law and Order, not that they would prevent any excess committed by the Protestors. However that day Gota berated the DIG who went there asking with whose permission the Police went there and were ordered to vacate immediately. See the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC5EOES6b6A.
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Mahela / August 3, 2013
Gamini,
Dr.Dayan has a point here when he says to find who really is giving advise and instructions to Gota on Security, technical and suppression of riots related matters.
It looks like there is a powerful force behind Gota that he follow instructions from, and that is the question that Dr.Dayan and all of us Sri Lankans have.
Is it the same force that instructed to massacre and annihilate over 40,000 innocent Tamil civilians that instructed also to murder unarmed civilians in Weliveriya who were protesting for clean water.
Listen to what IGP and the civilians say how the Army commandos came forcibly to curb the protesters, when IGP Anura Senanayake told them not to interfere in Police affairs. But they over rode him and started shooting live bullets on unarmed civilians. Only Gota could instruct them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/multimedia/2013/08/130802_weliweriya_audio.shtml
How about the murder of 27 inmates at Welikada.
I think the same source that instructed Army to murder 40,000 civilians also instructed to murder innocent rioters at Weliveriya.
This is very dangerous issue in Sri Lanka and for it’s security.
Either DS has gone crazy and need Psychiatric treatment or has to stop this deangerous Foreign Power who consult, advise and instruct him on this dangerous security related issues.
It’s time all to watch, evaluate and execute on this murderous invisible hand that is behind this dangerous force.
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gamini / August 3, 2013
Mahela, it is about time the public understood the hidden hand of the Americans who are responsible for maintaining the Rajapaksas to rule Sri Lanka. I will write an article on the entire scenario for the readers to judge for themselves without pooh poohing, just that it is a Conspiracy Theory.
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Mahela / August 3, 2013
Gamini,
Yes, go ahead and give your points and educate public to reveal the culprits behing these Genocides. I feel there’s another hidden but a known ME invisible force behind all of these, who also protects the rulers. It’s a dangerous policical game they play in the Indian ocean.
From Bengazi, Libya to Egypt to Syria to Sri Lanka to BBS, Al Quada,to Taliban etc, and many other parts of the world there are so many falls flag conspiracies are taking place and we have to be careful.
What the rulers want is to stay in power no matter what the consequences are and at what price of the value of a human soul or at what cost to the country, and Rajapakses have mastered them.
What we need is to educate the public and to uncover the masks behind these supressions, genocides and conspiracies and to prepare them for any eventuality.
It’s hi-time to educate public early before another 1983 falls flag Genocidal progrom take place.
All these current actions poin out to a future Military Rule, and these are the signs first signs leading to it.
Also Dr.Dayan should research more into this and reveal the hidden ghosts to public.
Let’s educate the public.
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sama / August 3, 2013
It is also high time that Ravaya biased editor, IVAN – and pundit MS to join all other writers bringing even better articles – CALLING A SPADE A SPADE.If these writers have unexplainable fears against the brutal state- how much fears should powerless folks have ? So long these writers would stay further deaf nothing positive would move for the sake of the people of this country. UNP should also work on village level propaganda by providing just the FACTS and FIGURES to those village masses; facts that the state has long been trying to keep away from the general public should be provided to those villagers. Village folks are not stupid as they appear to be, this CAN be re-tested by a western kind of opinion poll (not just interviewing anyone, but peoples representatives of all walks/social groups).
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Silva / August 10, 2013
“..Thus we must be unafraid to ask ourselves whether it was the CIA, the NSA, the RAW, the ‘13A Nazis’, the Halal imposing Koran thumpers, Justice Wigneswaran, Karunanidhi and Jeyalalitha, or Fr Emmanuel and Lawrence Rudrakumaran who gave the order.
This bugger Dayan Jayatilake suspects everyone else barring the suspect who is responsible for sending the Army who is under his control, i.e. Gota himself. As Sumanthiran said the no Cartoonist will caricature Gota, this bugger DJ is frightened even to mention his name..”
Ah Haaaa…! Very correct Gamini! This bugger is beating around all the bushes in the country without pointing finger to the real criminal! Surely he must be afraid to enjoy the “hit therapy” treatment meted out to Gamunu Wijeratne and Mahinda Balasuriya at Araliya Gaha Madura by GORA and MARA personally! Dayan, despite whatever you say now, this is the government you contributed so heavily to create. This is your own creation at work! And you cannot escape the blame and consequences! Each bullet shot at civilians, each attack with iron rods smashing the heads, limps and piercing the throats of innocent people reminds you of the contribution you made to establish this Rajapaksha concoct. And the on the other hand, the irony of fate is that 90% of the affected, attacked, and bereaved are those who voted for the Rajapakshas, ate kiribath and lighted fire crackers when Tamils were massacred! We have been watching this loosing battle for years now under Rajapaksha Sri Lanka!
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Aney Apochchi! / August 4, 2013
Park:
You are cut from the same cloth as DJ, pulling out all kinds of BS when your paymasters are in trouble.
This bugger, Dayan, deserves (and will receive) the same fate as the Rajapassas and I hope you will join him.
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Katmail / August 3, 2013
@manisekaran: Agreed! What “Dr.” Dayan Jayatilleka has written is similar to what most people feel today. Thus we can deduce that he is aware of how humans of conscience feel. But that does not make him one of those humans? He has never been in a coma. For a long time, he worked tirelessly to prop up this regime in exchange for a diplomatic position. So he purposefully defended the very things he is criticizing today.
The paragraph you quoted (“The obvious observations will be…”) caught my eye too. Reading that, some may get the impression that it is only now that he is realizing how barbaric “our heroes” have been. What I see, is an attempt at deception, by one of the “boys” in the Rajapaksa (outer) circle, who certainly knew more than an average Joe, the brutality Tamil civilians were going through. He defended that misconduct and called it his “duty”.
“Duty” to whom? With the “2009 Geneva Win”, that he is so fond of parading, he drastically reduced the pressure on the regime to conduct a decent inquiry. He helped embolden the wrong doers to keep doing what they did and that lost opportunity is precisely what is causing the mayhem in the South today. Some good his “duty” has done for the people, eh?
Now that he has had to give up his embassy chair for a “hansiputuwa” in Colombo does he suddenly become a man of conscience? Does it not irritate you to see the man attempt to deceive you into thinking he did not know the brutality he defended? Does it not anger you to realize that he is a major part of why the so called heroes are acting barbarically today?
With heroes like these who needs villains?
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Mahela / August 3, 2013
Katmail,
I think you miss few points here.
Yes, Dr.Dayan helped Rajapakses and Sri Lanka to win 2009 Geneva UNHRC vote. But also he insisted Rajapakses to implement what he promissed at the Geneva UNHR, which Rajapakses knowingly slipped aside.
Where’s the LLRC report today….just kept in the shelf to gather dust until the next UNHRC review gets through, and another set of false promises are made. This is Rajapakses style of governance. Through Deception and deceive.
Therefore when next UNHRC evaluation came it was time for Dr.Dayan to tell Rajapakse either….or……and Rajapakses selected ….or and replaced him.Same happened to Ms. K.
That’s why now Sri Lanka has become the world’s Jokers Paradise.
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Aney Apochchi! / August 4, 2013
Katmail:
Thank you for that. the DJs of this country should NEVER be forgiven because they did what they did KNOWING what the results would be (more Weliveriyas to come)
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Thiru / August 2, 2013
Slowly Sinhalese people will realize the increasingly repressive nature of the Sri Lankan state.
They have seen several anti-Tamil riots climaxing in 1983, where the state aided and abetted the crimes against Tamils. Every time the Tamils protested for rights, either riots or other repressive acts are let loose on them. Now in the North-East they are not even free to speak freely.
Sinhalese have seen the mass killing of tens of thousands of Sinhala youth in two waves but no justice meted out to the victims.
The war was a two-sided affair, but the state acted in a very repressive and cruel manner to innocent Tamils.
Now the regime/state is showing its brutal repressive actions against unarmed Sinhalese protestors.
If Sri Lanka is to survive as a democracy, it is imperative that all the people get together and put an end to this repression going on for 65 years.
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Indunil Fernando / August 2, 2013
Thiru, I don’t want to disturb your day dream, but if you want to face the truth, nothing will be learned from this. Sinhala masses are well aware of the atrocities being committed by their forces to their own kith and kin and nothing new to them. Despite this awareness, they overwhelmingly supports the armed oppression on Tamils. One isolated incident like this is not going to make any difference at all, because they have seen most heinous crimes committed by their forces. They had been at the receiving end. Unless this happens to a protest organised in Colombo 7 or by Royal – Thomian – Ananda – Viusaka Balika – St. Bridges – Holy Family Convent students, it won’t make any difference.
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Matilda Ellepola / August 2, 2013
Hey Dayan,
let me ask you a simple question, will you write in this language if you were the diplomutt in Paris enjoying the super luxury parisian life with the excellent wine all expensed by the poor tax payers and a govt survive from poor housemaid export to the barbarics in west Asia?
This is the country move from post CHOGM with the great GOAT brother call the shots in the inner government and all the poor SLFPers are helpless.
Isnt one Rajapaksha brother the Gampaha leader ?
If you and the fellow Sri Lankan intellectuals have a iota of brain, call for a boycott of CHOGM in the SriRajaFukisTan home base of Humbug-tota.
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Anura / August 3, 2013
Now I beleive it is better to have CHOGM in Siri Lanka as British PM said. It is much better exposure of foolishness of R family who run a country which supposed to be a democratic country and member of CW. But it will expose our idiocy as citizen of the country too
Anura
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Mahela / August 3, 2013
Yes, I have to agree with Anura. Yes now the whole world leaders will be able to get a first hand view on Sri Lanka during CHOGM, and the Rakapakses have to reveal their true sences.
How about the Minority communities and religious groups,opposition parties, BASL, Judiciary, Media both local and international, Security and police, developments, land grab etc,etc,
I think Rakapakses are going to loose by inviting CHOGM in Sri Lanka.
Either MR will be able to chair CHOGM for 2 years as it’s head by following their rules or will be kicked out like a pariah.
The decision will be with Rajapakses.
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The Last Dinosaur / August 2, 2013
Wonderful Article Dyan…
But did you observe the way how the state media reported the incident.. and the subsequent silence of the so called neutral media in the country?
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j.muthu / August 2, 2013
Yes Dayan how dare they aim at Sinhala Buddhist peace loving people. You must take this to UN. Sinhala Buddhist army only one mandate kill any Tamil, not a damn Sinhala people. Hope and pray, you must protect Sinhala people.
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Peace Lover / August 2, 2013
Good posers by Dayan J
But now Leela (K A Sumanasekera) will jump in and say that the his lover boy Sambandan was behind this protest hahhahahahahaaha
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A. Friend / August 2, 2013
So dayan,
You had the “moral high ground” when you killed the Tamils. It is problematic when Sinhalese are attacked (and one killed?). dayan, there were unarmed, innocent and helpless Tamil as well.
And you, the genius dont know who ordered it? You can name the names when you write about the opposition and the Tamils; you cannot do that to your former masters.
You are certainly getting hilarious my dear dayan.
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Dr Dayan Jayatilleka / August 2, 2013
No, we had the moral high ground when we killed the Tigers. If I were on a time machine, I’d support it all over again. elections can be held to the Northern PC and Wigneswaran can be chief minister because we killed off the Tigers.
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sama / August 2, 2013
Who should have given the command army to react that brutally against unarmed civilians in Weliveriya incident ? These civil folks protest asking – water- nothing else.
Who has given the command army forces to kill LTTER terrorist and tamil civilians in the war end phase in 2009 ? These civilians were asking for freedom.
If the responses to above two questions are clear – why UN should wait further in terms of war criminal investigations ?
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gamini / August 2, 2013
This bugger is talking through his arse. After the Tigers were coaxed to abandon their den Kilinochchi to be massacred on the beach front for the help received from the Americans, these buggers are boasting as if they fought the Tigers and killed them.
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Native Vedda / August 3, 2013
gamini
“This bugger is talking through his arse.”
He always did, does will do.
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Velu Balendran / August 3, 2013
Adherents of majoritarianism can never occupy the moral high ground. With a blatantly anti-minority constitution, the mention of morality is nothing but a sick joke. I bow my head to anyone who had the courage to fight in any way against this glaring injustice.
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A. Friend / August 3, 2013
It just occurred to me my dear dayan that ‘if you were on a time machine” you would rape my sister “all over again” because she was a Tiger.
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Anura / August 3, 2013
Doesn’t make sense Sir. If you don’t kill Tamils before 1983, or put Kuttamani who is in your story in jail before or in 1983, you don’t have to kill any more humans or even animals like lions or tigers.
How you can made comments like Killing human solved problems and that is why Vigneshwaen could become CM. Doesn’t make sense in 21st century. Should not be said by somebody represented UN in 21st century.
Anura
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Aney Apochchi! / August 4, 2013
Dayan:
You are the ultimate b….d that this regime threw up because you have a few more pieces of grey matter than they do.
If there is justice in this world, you will get yours!
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A. Friend / August 3, 2013
So, you still maintain that there were zero civilian casualties? All the people who were killed were Tigers? Good for you my dear dayan. Keep it up. BTW, you dont want to mention (obvious) names because you are afraid or you still have ambitions?
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Kautilya / August 2, 2013
Repetition of Pudumathalan in Weliweriya
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Sumith / August 2, 2013
The strategy of MR is to nip this demonstration in the bud.
Getting a life or 2 and scare the people is the way.
Now, nobody will dare to another demo.
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Thiru / August 2, 2013
You are right,
Remember what Gota said:
There will be no Arab spring in Sri Lanka.
He will make sure there is only Utara vasanthaya in the North!
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sama / August 3, 2013
How can he control over an uprising similar to Arab spring style, if people would exceed their limits soon ? Almost every second is now murmuring about the manner they reacted in Weliweraya incident :(
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Rationalist / August 2, 2013
As usual Dayan Jayatilleka has got his knickers in a twist and asking stupid questions and speculating.
“Who deployed troops, clad in flak jackets (body armour) and armed with T-56 assault rifles to confront and disperse a crowd of protestors blocking a highway?”
“What was the logic of sending in troops?”
“Why were they wearing body armour?”
“Why were they carrying T-56 assault rifles?”
“Since when are troops sent in crowd control situations in which there are men, woman, children and clergymen, none of whom have been spotted as carrying lethal weapons?”
– FYI Dayan Jayatilleka, the only person authorized to deploy the troops in Sri Lanka, is the Army commander (even if it his first day on the job).
You should be calling for an Independent Inquiry and pose this questions to the Army Commander, and then you will get answers to your other questions. Oh, sorry I forgot. You are NOT in favor of Independent Inquiries (like you demonstrated at the time you were at the UN), are you ?
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Mahela / August 3, 2013
Rationalist,
May be this is another live fire exercise been carried out to test STF battle readiness as pre CHOGM live fire and riot control exercise.
Otherwise what’s the reason for STF to come with battle fatigue with top Army gear wearing Bullet Proof vests, gas masks with T56 assault rifles to fight against Hungry, dehydrated, skeleton looking bunch of stone throwing protesters.
We see this happening in Palestine Gaza protests.
Remember CHOGM is nearing and this could be to test the readyness of STF in the event of a Protest during the CHOGM……or heading for a Military state when the economy collapse.
What the hell STF doing inside a church shooting at the worshippers. Is it a repetition of the LTTE Kandy Dalada Maligawa attack.
All the offers on the table.
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Mahasohon / August 2, 2013
I have to agree with the foregoing readers comments. This government is in the forefront for repressive measures against civilians. This is not the first time they have demonstrated their mean, wickedness. They did it before when some workers went on strike near Katunayaka, where the repressive forces murdered one demonstrator. I supported this government, on the impression that it was a people’s government,and has empathy with public’s grievances; but now, it has proven itself to the exact opposite. The country has been hijacked by the extremely cruel, and criminal politcians of the UPFA vote catchers, ministers and jumped the style UNP opportunists. It is a terrible state of affairs, and this is a prime example of lawlessness in this nation, aptly demonstrated by the government itself. All these happenings in Weliweriya, not far from the seat that the UNPers had set up a torture chamber for political detainees, and now the Dukedom of Mervyn the Vermyn, and the Kingdom of Basil R.
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Thrishantha / August 2, 2013
Looks like in Sri Lanka, there are parallel chains of commands in the military. One starting from the President, army commander, to field commanders, and another starting from some devil to field commanders directly.
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sama / August 2, 2013
They rulers and many among the general public always attack the UNP, but the crisis within ruling coalition is much more serious than seen tobe – President has almost lost the controlled over his brothers interferences- it is seen that not one minister of defence but several are in action or in silent mode in the country today – as one predicted already years ago, the rulers will end up because of the crisis within the Rajapakshe siblings. This will be becoming clearer in the months to come.
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Fair N Square / August 3, 2013
well, dont we all know that a US citizen in SL is calling the shots… MR is just a ceremonial President.. and the DS is more powerful it seems…sooner than later we may have a case of Cain and Abel scenario… Brother Killing the other… This incident is good enough for teh UN peace Keeping forces to set foot in SL and to arrest the ones in Authority and take em to Hague…
Oh mother Lanka I weep for thee………
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Navin / August 2, 2013
Where is your evidence to prove that Gotabhaya Rajapaksha was anyway involved in this shooting? Did you hear him give a direct order to forces to use lethal force? Even if he did send in the military, is that the same as giving them the go ahead to shoot people dead?
Trust me if we had you favorite general at the top as president, Sarath Fonseka (the lesser devil in your view), the whole lot would be dead instead of just one. I cannot comprehend to this day how an academic with your research experience can argue Sarath Fonseka, the hard line general should be made the president to make Sri Lanka a free country.
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Anagarika Somapala / August 3, 2013
First of all, this is an international conspiracy (both CIA & RAW are involved). The villagers including the Buddhist monks at Weliweriya are brain washed by the NGO working for international intelligence agencies. Hon. Wimal Weerawanse may be able to throw more light on this. They made a Buddhist monk to fast unto death.
Fortunately, on the advice of our defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakshe, the patriotic SL Army (Ranaviru) went on a ‘Humanitarian Operation’ to Save the Buddhist Monk from death but the villagers at Weliweriya wanted the Monk to attain Nibbana & hence pelted Stones at the army!
We have to be proud of our patriotic Sinhala Army for having restricted the ‘Collateral Damage’ to only one civilian death to liberate the Buddhist Monk from the lawless Weliweriya villagers.
It is due to the actions of a Buddhist Monk who went on a Fast unto death inspired by the brain washed Weliweriya villagers that resulted in the bad name for our patriotic Sinhala Ranaviru! If not for our Gotabaya’s timely ‘Humanitarian Operation’ we would have lost another Buddhist monk at Weliweriya.
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sama / August 3, 2013
How stupid you and the ilk should be to call any dissidents to call as NGO supporters ?
This is an issue focusing on DRINKING WATER, you idiot, how come that become an I conspiracy ?
If Rajarata people would rise against increasing kidney diseases would also be named after – INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY ?
You and the ilk should finally listen to your belly feeling – why then a police officer who is reported to have 40 years dares to say that the decision made by GOTABAYA the people^s executioner destroyed everything on this incident ? This incident proved again that GOTABAYA should be kept away from human closure. He is much worst than key character of the film ” The Silence of the lambs”. Because the key figure is on a film, but GOTA is reality before our folks.
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sama / August 3, 2013
it should be – GOTABAYA SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM HUMAN BEINGS.
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Jayantha / August 4, 2013
Yes. The pig eating shit has gone crazy and mad. Should sent to a psychiatric hospital before creating more genocide.
The ever notorious coward who was hiding an exciled in USA for 14 years, only came to get the top job after his brother’s election win.
Only cowards hide behind over 100 security personnel where ever they go while instruct STF to fire at skeleton looking, stone throwing unarmed civilians. This happens only in Gaza strip in Palestine, Gota’s mentor country.
Cowards are born and comes through the family roots.
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freethinker / August 3, 2013
Chill! He’s being sarcastic! :D
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Radish.S / August 2, 2013
‘If Weliweriya demonstrates the policy of the State and how the forces of the state behave towards the Sinhalese, how must they have conducted themselves in the North and East for thirty years and how must they be functioning in the former conflict zones today?’
’30 years after Black July 83, a disturbing thought strikes me: Was Kuttimani right when he said 30 years ago, in his final speech in the Colombo High Court– months before he was slaughtered in Welikada jail– that the brutal methods used in Gurunagar army camp would come home to the south one day?’
Dayan, Good realisation at least now.But were you not defending this very same regime when you were in Geneva and heaping blames on everybody else except SL Government? Why are you trying to split hair over who gave the orders as you know very well that whether it was the IGP or the Commander of the Army or Gota it is the President as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the country who is responsible for what happened. Are you guarding yourself with the idea of another foreign posting perhaps in friendly NYK not far away from your friends in Hawana?
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Muliyawaikkal / August 2, 2013
Nice discourse Dayan.
Here is real news.
“On Thursday, anti-Telangana protesters vandalised a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Kurnool district.
The protests have been called by the United Andhra Joint Action Committee which opposes the division of the state.
Hundreds of paramilitary troops have been deployed after Tuesday’s announcement.
The final decision on a new state lies with the Indian parliament. The state assembly must also pass a resolution approving the creation of what will be India’s 29th state.
Correspondents say the timing of the announcement is linked to general elections due early next year. Recent opinion polls have shown that the Congress party is struggling in the state, which has 42 parliamentary seats.
The move to create Telangana has sparked off similar demands in the states of West Bengal and Assam too.
The main Gorkha ethnic group in West Bengal state has called an indefinite strike in the tea-producing Darjeeling region from Saturday.”
– bbc
BREAK UP JAFFNA AND VANNI DISTRICTS!!
Divide and rule.
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Ruwika / August 2, 2013
This is no new development but the reality we have always lived in, except that this has caused many naive civilians that blindly ate kiribath off of the boss to suddely think and come to their senses. War was ended and that is laudable. However to employ BBS to go around saying the Sinhalese must make more babies to save the Sinhala race is an example of the crazy, uneducated, villaneous motives and modus operandi of these goons! To save the Sinhala race, they must fix amd save the economy so people and children can eat, they must invest in education and cut defence costs and other wastage…Sinhala families are split between Colombo, the village and the middle east! This Government and the President clearly and evidently do not care for the masses, Sinhalese except their self interest and regime survival for the long haul. Unfortunately for them, the short sighted strategies are falling face down and backfiring! Not long to go, thus the loud thud and echoing…
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sama / August 2, 2013
@DJ,
If Weliweriya demonstrates the policy of the State and how the forces of the state behave towards the Sinhalese, how must they have conducted themselves in the North and East for thirty years and how must they be functioning in the former conflict zones today?
This is not the only incident by the state towards unarmed civil folks – however it is nice to see – former UPFA supporter sees it otherway around at least today.
Dissidents masses will be growing exponentially in the next few months – THIS WILL BE THE NEXT STEP.
Hope not your next article would again be buttering up about MR and his golayos. Archives are evident that your articles have taken -this way that way.
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Punchinilame / August 2, 2013
DJ has to change side step by step lest he be white-vanned. He does
want to write the fact BRs area had to be protected by GR when a
protest of this nature occurs, at all costs, so that protests do not
step on to “Lanka-Spring”. The Sinhalese have to taste what the
Regime Bros. did to the Tamils to realise life in Sri Lanka these days.
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dhammik a / August 2, 2013
i have one thing to ask from learned doctor, did you finish bootlicking MR and Co? trying to reach moral high ground?
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ajith / August 2, 2013
Well done Dr. Dayan. But how many Sinhala people are prepared to go against this horror of the regime at least during this provincial elections in the South? How many of the leftist politician’s hanging on the tail of the regime prepared to say enough is enough and get out of the regime.
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Thiru / August 2, 2013
JVP fighting for jobs, etc. were branded as communists/terrorists,
and the world helped suppress it.
Tamils fighting for rights were labeled terrorists, and the whole world ganged up with the state to crush it and in the process the state committed genocide of Tamils.
Now, the rulers must be coining the right label for the Sinhala “trouble makers”: Call them traitors, no the world will not buy that.
Get BBS to do something?
Sahotharayas must be racking their brains for a catch word to get the world on to their bandwagon.
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K.A Sumana sekera / August 2, 2013
Is Dayan trying to get an invite for free Cocktails, when Pukka Sahib is in Colombo greeting the Brown Sahibs?
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Peace Lover / August 2, 2013
he is not as cheap as you mr Leela (who writes as K A Sumansekera!)
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Aney Apochchi! / August 4, 2013
Tsunamisekera:
F. U. and the horse you rode in on,as well, would be something you should seriously consider.
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Jayasekara / August 2, 2013
What you are saying is you where wrong in apposing opening of an office of the High Commissioner in Sri Lanka and had the office was in place lives innocent people in north and now south would have been saved. As self admitted accessory to all the innocent killings since 2007 should you not be punished along with all the other who work with you
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Dr Dayan Jayatilleka / August 2, 2013
Wartime and peacetime are qualitatively different. In wartime, an office of the High commissioner would have intervened to save the Tigers. In peacetime, the state shouldn’t be shooting unarmed civilians, Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim.
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gamini / August 2, 2013
Killing unarmed surrenderees, after coercing them to bury their weapons, does not amount to a War Victory. As Lasantha said the same force that killed him one day will kill MR as well.
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Safa / August 2, 2013
Normally the situation should have been controlled by the Police. The Govt now says that the Police were unable to control the situation. It was observed that the Senior DIG arived in the company of Mervin Silva who made a speech and then departed.
Thereafter the Police did not take any action to arrest the ring leaders or tear gas or baton charge the mob. Ultimately the police were mere onlookers and the Army stepped in with this ruthless and excessive operation.
It is high time the Police are returned to their normal civilian role and politicians are not allowed to interfere in their duties. Army should return to their barracks and not interfere in civilian affairs. Unless this happens incidents of this type are bound to continue.
The law of the mob, the law of the monks, the law of the politicians, the law of the military, all competing to cause havoc and bloodshed. Does anyone follow the laws of the country or have these done away with?
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Pasel / August 2, 2013
This is the turning point to this regime
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thiscantbhappening / August 2, 2013
Marcos to Mubarak to Suharto to so many others were responsible for civilian deaths as Commander in Chief,here too will be no different,charm aside.
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freethinker / August 2, 2013
Dear Mr Dayan Jayathilake,
here is a newsflash for you,
no matter whether it’s his first or the last, Army Commander is the one who dispatches troops.
And who gives him orders is “His excellency” the president.
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Leon / August 2, 2013
At last Dr jayatilleke risen from his long slumber.
Also is he so naive that this incident happened without the the knowledge of the Commander in Chief?
Isn’t there a thing called command responsibility?
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Sumith / August 2, 2013
We have farmers dying with kidney diseases due to polluted water from agro chemicals.
Another part high acidic water.
With more and more industrialisation and climatic changes we may more and more issue in country.
It is time government start planning drinking water distribution system to rest of the country currently only COlombo and suburban people enjoy.
When we can spend billions of dollars on white elephant projects like airports, ports, Mihin Air these money can be well spent to looks after the people. CLean drinking water is basic right of people.
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DeecSooppan / August 3, 2013
Sumith
You are wrong, present rogue regime will not plan a drinking water systems. All they want is fruitless meba billion projects so that they can get comission. If you dont know that by know I am sorry you are another idiotic sri lankan. Rajavassas are unedcuated, power hungry and money hungry pigs. They dont care about the country. LTTE wouldnt have been solve if nbot for sarath fonseka. If prabakaran provided mega billions ro rajavassas, these idiots woudlnt have solve the LTTE prolbem. Look are kruana aman daya master LTTE super leaders are under rajavassas becuase of the money.
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justice / August 2, 2013
In the old days,dispersing an unruly mob was by firstly a ‘baton charge’ which usually worked.
If this did not suceed, shots were fired over the heads of the mob,and this too works in most cases.
If this did not work,shots were fired below knee level to avoid fatalities.
This always worked.
There is NO NEED to “shoot to kill” unarmed civilians under any circumstances.
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crazyoldmansl / August 2, 2013
You are right Dayan. Who the hell allowed them to treat the Sinhalese like they treat Tamils?
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Velu Balendran / August 3, 2013
Absolutely. That is the starting point and the clear weak point of his argument.
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