By Colombo Telegraph –
“At the request of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ambassador met him on ‘an urgent matter’ the evening June 23. Wickremesinghe wanted to discuss recent news reports alleging that United National Party (UNP) MP Ali Moulana had facilitated transport toColombofor breakaway rebel Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Karuna. After an initial denial, Moulana admitted to him that he did arrange for Karuna to come toColomboin early April, Wickremesinghe confirmed. He added that he had first learned about the events only on the morning of June 23. The papers are rife, however, with speculation that UNP leadership had been involved in the planning for Karuna’s transfer.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
Karuna
A Leaked “CONFIDENTIAL” US diplomatic cable, dated June 24, 2004, updated the Secretary of State on breakaway LTTE) leader Karuna affaire shows Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had no involvement re Karuna transporting issue.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable subject is “Former PM requests U.S. visa for fellow MP involved in the transfer of rebel LTTE leader Karuna” and written by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Under the subheading “CONCERN FOR MOULANA” the ambassador wrote “Wickremesinghe said that his real concern was for Moulana and his family, given the danger of LTTE retribution. (Contacts said that Moulana’s and Karuna’s families have a long, close relationship.) Moulana has resigned his seat in Parliament, and was planning to leave immediately for Saudi Arabia and then Singapore. Wickremesinghe then said that Moulana would also like to get a visa to go to the U.S. and asked the Ambassador if he could help facilitate that effort.”
“The Karuna/Moulana story is bizarre enough, but the Sri Lankan press and the ruling SLFP have tried to juice it up even more. The government-controlled Daily News headlined the story, “Ranil(Wickremesinghe) Stands Naked,” alleging that Moulana acted with Wickremesinghe’s approval in an attempt to win the backing of four pro-Karuna TNA MPs. The story went on that the resultant turmoil in the UNP would likely cause a split in the party and the replacement of Wickremesinghe by Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya.” Lunstead further wrote.
Placing a comment the ambassador wrote “Ranil was adament (and fairly convincing) in his statements to the Ambassador that he knew nothing about Moulana’s involvement with Karuna. As for Karuna, the question of whether the SLA has him or not has been finally answered they do. On the visa issue,Missionhas not found any evidence that Moulana has ever had aU.S.visa. We see no reason to deny him a visa assuming there are no other ineligibilities. We can deflect any negative comments that might arise, should Moulana receive aU.S.visa and it become public: he is eligible as a Sri Lankan citizen and there are no grounds to deny him.”
See the cable below for further details;
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001074 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, INR/B, CA/VO(?) NSC FOR E. MILLARD E.O. 12958: DECL: 06-24-14 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV CVIS MOPS CE NO LTTE SUBJECT: Former PM requests U.S. visa for fellow MP involved in the transfer of rebel LTTE leader Karuna Refs: Colombo 1071, and previous (U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. Reasons 1.5 (b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: UNP MP Moulana admits to transporting rebel Tiger leader Karuna to Colombo. According to former PM Wickremesinghe, Karuna is now in the hands of the Sri Lanka Army. Wickremesinghe also requests Ambassador to help facilitate a U.S. visa for Moulana and his family. Moulana has previously studied and worked in the U.S. and Mission supports his visa. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) KARUNA IN COLOMBO: At the request of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ambassador met him on "an urgent matter" the evening June 23. Wickremesinghe wanted to discuss recent news reports alleging that United National Party (UNP) MP Ali Moulana had facilitated transport to Colombo for breakaway rebel Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Karuna. After an initial denial, Moulana admitted to him that he did arrange for Karuna to come to Colombo in early April, Wickremesinghe confirmed. He added that he had first learned about the events only on the morning of June 23. The papers are rife, however, with speculation that UNP leadership had been involved in the planning for Karuna's transfer. ¶3. (C) Wickremesinghe had few details about what actually transpired. Moulana told him that Karuna came to Colombo from the east in a car or van, which had not been stopped at checkpoints enroute. (It is unclear whether Moulana actually accompanied the rebel Tiger or not.) According to Moulana, Karuna stayed in an apartment in Colombo (at the posh "Hilton Residence" where several Embassy staff live!) for several days before the "Sri Lankan Army came and took him." Wickremesinghe did not know Karuna's current whereabouts, but was sure he was in Army hands. ¶4. (C) CONCERN FOR MOULANA: Wickremesinghe said that his real concern was for Moulana and his family, given the danger of LTTE retribution. (Contacts said that Moulana's and Karuna's families have a long, close relationship.) Moulana has resigned his seat in Parliament, and was planning to leave immediately for Saudi Arabia and then Singapore. Wickremesinghe then said that Moulana would also like to get a visa to go to the U.S. and asked the Ambassador if he could help facilitate that effort. ¶5. (C) The Karuna/Moulana story is bizarre enough, but the Sri Lankan press and the ruling SLFP have tried to juice it up even more. The government-controlled Daily News headlined the story, "Ranil(Wickremesinghe) Stands Naked," alleging that Moulana acted with Wickremesinghe's approval in an attempt to win the backing of four pro-Karuna TNA MPs. The story went on that the resultant turmoil in the UNP would likely cause a split in the party and the replacement of Wickremesinghe by Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya. ¶6. (C) ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON MOULANA: Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana, 47, is a UNP National List MP in the current Parliament. He was a UNP MP from Batticaloa in the 1994 and 2000 governments, but lost in the 2001 election. He remained an adviser to then-PM Wickremesinghe in the interim. Local accounts state that Moulana earned his B.S. degree in computer software at Bay Valley Technical College and later worked in Santa Cruz, California. He is Muslim and his wife, who runs a school in Colombo, is Tamil. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: Ranil was adament (and fairly convincing) in his statements to the Ambassador that he knew nothing about Moulana's involvement with Karuna. As for Karuna, the question of whether the SLA has him or not has been finally answered they do. On the visa issue, Mission has not found any evidence that Moulana has ever had a U.S. visa. We see no reason to deny him a visa assuming there are no other ineligibilities. We can deflect any negative comments that might arise, should Moulana receive a U.S. visa and it become public: he is eligible as a Sri Lankan citizen and there are no grounds to deny him. END COMMENT. LUNSTEAD
Donald J Gnanakone / August 23, 2012
Well, Well, Well.
Finally there is irrevocable evidence that US State Dept. was involved in issuing the initial Tourist visitor’s visa for Ali Zahir Moulana and his family and how the US embassy in Colombo facilitated the Tourist Visa, knowing very well he and his family were not tourist. (The response from the State Dept. cable is unavailable, although there was more to it than just this cable. Unfortunately, I am forced to protect the identity of some Sinhalese friends which my former attorney Bruce Fein was free to discuss with the Dept. of Justice or the State Dept).
US embassy also admits that Ali Zahir Moulana was was a student and his wife Melanie Thanuja Paiva a burger from Kandy, (Tamil speaking from Kerala, India, originally) was also in the US in the eighties.
US embassy might have been unaware the full circumstances under which the couple lived in the USA and why they left. This fact was exposed by the attorney for Tamils For Justice, Bruce Fein in April 2008, by way of two letters to the Director of the FBI, which was released to the public, and also published by Sri Lanka Guardian in August 2008.
The Moulana’s applied for political asylum soon after they arrived in the USA, and purchased an expensive home in Washington DC. All of this became serious issues, as President Rajapakse appointed Moulana as the Minister in the embassy, and the US State Dept. was embroiled in it’s consideration of a diplomatic visa for Moulana and his family.
Moulana however was never accepted or approved as a political asylum applicant for reasons to be explained in a future article in detail.
All in all there was immigration fraud from 1987 until 2008 a good 20 years, and the only visa issued in June 2004 was legal but flawed under dubious circumstances which the US embassy and State Dept. were aware of.
What is left unsaid in all this, is the involvement of Lakshman Kadirgamar, as Foreign Minister, and the cables exchanged and instructions given by him. President Rajapakse was the Prime minister and Chandrika was the President and were also in the loop of their fellow Parliamentarian.
RAW involvement with Karuna and Moulana also left unsaid, and who authorized the army to allow karuna and two dozen followers to come to Colombo. The MOD was under the same Jayawardene brothers, who were also in charge of Lakshman Kadirgamar’s personal security and the investigations after the assassination which they deliberately bungled.
All this finally caused the Presidency for Ranil Wickramasinghe, as some Tamil fools (and 1 Sinhalese) believed the Daily News and SLFP stories that Ranil was indeed responsible for the Karuna split, and had instructed Moulana to transport Karuna and his supporters from Batticaloa to Colombo navigating through all the army check points.
The irony of it was some in the TGTE, Vice President of WTM Canada, and Senator Brian Senewiratne et al propagated this information as the gospel truth (check DVD’s) together with the LTTE advisers, in the diaspora prior to the November 2005 elections.
The result was the few million dollar deal between Emilkanathan and MP from General Sarath Fonseka’s party (currently) and in 2005 a chief aide of PM Rajapakse and his elections campaign manager Mangala Samaraweera, together with one US citizen, who facilitated the deal. The boycott of the Tamils voting in the North and East was enforced by the LTTE, and President Mahinda Percy Rajapakse was installed as President.
Ranil and his advisers, also responsible in an indirect way for the boycott of the Presidential elections by the LTTE, which he was aware from July 2005. Sunday Leader editor the late Lasantha W, and D B S Jeyarajah wrote about some of these facts in November 2005. An important lesson learnt by the UNP, that it always pays to be honest with “good friends”, and listen to good advise.
Milinda Moragoda’s interview in early November 2005, with Champika Liyanarachchi of the Daily Mirror, (contributed substantially) and Navin
Dissayanayake’s speech bringing the US Marines and did not help much in the preventing the Boycott of the Presidential elections.
Tamils on the whole, and the UNP have paid heavily for this blunder of some diaspora advisers and the LTTE, in addition to the contribution of the UNP themselves.
I would not name names, and other information at this stage, although my patience is running out, and hopefully the Tamils and Sinhalese would learn from the mistakes. But the clear winners are the Rajapakses and 5 star General Sarath Fonseka.
Donald Jayantha Gnanakone
Tamils for Justice.
Founder.
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gamini / August 23, 2012
Donald, thanks for the information. As I always believed there were conspiracies involving the US, India, the LTTE and MR right along. Even the massacres of the Tamils in large numbers who were supposed to surrender is not a sole dicission of the Rajapaksas alone. There is a part of the LTTE that had plotted with the Rajapaksas to eliminate the VP faction for them to take the reins of the NE. There are wheels within wheels. Only time will tell the truth, or will it?
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Donald J Gnanakone / August 23, 2012
Gamini.. There was no plot between the USG and the LTTE or any part of them. Only Mr. Stupidity and Ignorance cooperated/plotted with them for months if ever there were any plot. I cannot say more at this time and in this forum.
I cannot speak of what the USG knew and did not know and whom they plotted with so that 100,000 Tamil civilians were allowed to die in 2009.
However, there is documentary evidence that the USG was aware that chemical weapons was used as early as March 2009. But at that time they were also arguing that there was only 30,000 Tamil civilians trapped and the food and medicine was sufficient. What Gordon Weiss, was doing other than collecting evidence for his book, should also be investigated.
The US ambassador in Colombo, the US G had all the satellite photographs of the 400,000 Tamil civilians and LTTE trapped in the No Fire zone and how tens of thousands of them disappeared daily in the last few months. These photographs have not been shared by the US G with the UN Panel of experts or the UNHRC or the UPR review board, nor have any of the “new Tamil Groups” which has presidents, Prime Ministers, Senators, MP’s and Ministers, as well as junior and senior attorneys who are well paid have not demanded the release of these satellite photographs.
But we are fast forwarding too much related to this 1 Wikileaks cable from the US embassy to US State Dept. on June 24, 2005, whereas the Karuna split from the LTTE occurred in the end of March 2004, when Tamil Pundits from New York to Toronto to Bethesda to Brisbane attacked Ranil mercilessly that he was responsible for everything.
However, Lakshman Kadirgamar who wanted to become the Prime Minister, had plotted with President Chandrika (A relative of Senator Senewiratne) to dissolve the Parliament and have new elections on 4th April 2004. The Sinhala terrorist JVP and racist group JHU supported the SLFP, and strangely Kadirgamar’s candidature as PM against Mahinda Rajapakse. But the latter prevailed against the President and the JVP.
At the same time HRW’s Miss. Jo Becker disgracefully was embedded with the Karuna Group together with photographer Julia Kumari Drapkin, took that notorious so called child soldier photographs in LTTE uniform, and dishonestly published it as LTTE child soldiers aged around 14. Jo Becker the great advocate of the HRW campaign against the LTTE child soldier use of any one under 18, did not disclose her role with the Karuna-Pillaiyan group around the 3rd-4th of April, when Karuna was routed by the LTTE despite the support of the Sri Lankan army under the command of Defense Minister and President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunge.
The campaign of the Tamils and one Sinhalese continued against Ranil right up to the November 2005 elections, although Karuna-Pillaiyan group supported the SLFP in the elections in 2004, and PM Rajapakse in November 2005. Many in the current TGTE, TAG, (owners of Tamil Net), WTM, CTC, and GTF were too had the same sentiments and feelings which finally led in influencing the decision made in Vanni in November 2005 about the Presidential elections.
Gamini, where are the big supporters of the War Criminals, like Malinda, David Blacker (Former 18 year old soldier from Elephant Pass)or Dyan Jayatileke who all have “Katte Pittu” about the complexity of immigration fraud in the US, and working with LTTE leaders like Karuna, Pillaiayan, KP and Emilkanthan. US citizens and residents who have no immunity in the USA from prosecution are still enjoying their freedom and busy rewriting the history in Sri Lanka.
MOD’s involvement with immigration fraud and bogus passports landed Karuna in jail in the UK, thus making him a UK felon. However, Ali Zahir Moulana escaped from punishment in the USA, from immigration fraud due to the complexity of various individuals as mentioned in my first posting, but Moulana now wants to be the Chief Minister of the EP with the support of KP, Pillaiyan and even Karuna and his sister. Even TAG’s attorney Bruce Fein has remained silent on this subject since August 2008, when he formed an outfit called Justice for Tamils in Toronto and weeks later joined TAG (Tamils Against Genocide) in Bethesda using TRO funds and TAG funds collected in Toronto.
Strangely, UNP is quiet about it although betrayed by Moulana and even the Tamils.
The Sri Lankan government and the opposition wanted special immigration visa to the USA for Moulana under dubious circumstances, Karuna to the UK under absolute fraud, but harass and attack Tamils escaping to Australia and Canada in leaky fishing boats and demand that all asylum seekers be returned to Sri lanka to face torture and uncertain future.
How far is the political dishonesty, chicanery and hypocrisy goes in
Sri Lanka?
UNP and the Tamils better blame themselves for this mess.
Tamils For Justice
USA.
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gamini / August 24, 2012
Donald are you serious that VP on his own decided to support MR to elect him as President and there was no understanding the USG had with the LTTE and VP? VP would not have helped MR unless he had his side of the bargain and the bargain would not have been short of Devolution to the NE. Then again you stating that VP lost trust on MR due to his insincereity to have scuttled the Peace Talks under the CFA and draw the Govt. Forces to a war by closing the Mawillaru Anicut, then to bury all their armoury without making use of them, does not sound to be true, for a person who waged a thirty year war very succesfully not in the North alone but the Commando style operations in the South with success. This Plot of a War where VP got played out in the end obviously can not be MR’s Strategy. It has to be the USG’s and everything that followed had the hall marks of US War Games. The doors to the War Theatre being shut to all Independent bodies and even the removal of the UN from the North without objection from the US and the UN, but meekly obeying, while accusations of using chemical weapons and killing of innocent civilians by the MR govt. being not taken seriously at all by the US or the Indian govt. looks a little out of place and is too good to be true. MR just had a FREE HAND in waging this war and he was also HELPED Financially to keep the South happy. Thereafter due to persistant complaints of Human Rights Violations and War Crimes made by the Human Rights Watch Dogs, the US moves a Resolution backed by India just to Pacify the World Body. The Resolution is akin to a Rabit after the UN had laboured to deliver an Elephant. Donald, further what happened to Bruce Fien? He was torn apart by fellow US journalists hired for the purpose, just like how Bell Pottinger & Co. today have hired so many Journalists to write in favour of the MR regime. I can not reveal fully due to obvious reasons, but I take full responsibility, that the US Attorney General was advicing and briefing the Sri Lankan Delegation to the Geneva Talks each time, obviously what to say and what not to say. Why should the US stretch themselves out, if they had no hand in this MR and VP plot?
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Donald J Gnanakone / August 25, 2012
@Gamini.. I am confused with all what you are stating…
I wish to reiterate that there was no scheme or plot between the
US G and the LTTE for anything or any matter.
Blake himself was the US Ambassador between 2006-2009, and has the dubious distinction of watching and sometimes participating in the annihilation of the LTTE, quoting his own public statements boasting the cooperation there was between the US G and GOSL/MOD.
That is public knowledge and nothing secret about it.
I am not sure about the Mavil aru fight, or the simple provocation. But when the LTTE agreed to turn on the water there was bombing and the big fight where LTTE was forced to withdraw.
BTW, MOD had the same photos, that we have been able to obtain from the soldiers and officers mobile phones in the Vanni. The desecration of female LTTE soldiers in uniform and totally undressing them and taking lewd photographs. This was from the MOD itself. (The Mawil Aru evidence and I have it). By Providence.
I also have an apology from the MOD in writing.. lol.US State Dept. from day one, although TGTE, GTF and others were praising it for over a month. Only poetess Thamarai from Chennai got it right and her Tamil Video interview and subsequent English transcripts were published by CT. She was brilliant.
5 months after the UNHRC resolution what has happened? Nothing. UPR will be in November and next March in Geneva will be fireworks but there will be a new US administration, immaterial who is the President. US and the IC has given enough “dead rope” to the Rajapakses to hang themselves, hoping and praying that GOSL will make use of the opportunity of their own LLRC recommendations and earn brownie points to delay the War Crimes investigations for another 3-4 years.
Meanwhile pocket 10% of the country’s $60 billion economy, of annual profit of 6 Billion dollars and all the pomp and circumstances, and sheer RAW POWER. But GREED has overriding powers and absolute power corrupts the regime absolutely, while all the people suffer, other than one family and their cronies.
Tamils for Justice was founded in 2007 much b4 the final debacle and various Tamil and other NGO’s jumping on the band wagon of War Crimes and Crime Against Humanity. The whole purpose was to save lives and prevent the 100,000 Tamil lives being massacred which none of us ever imagined in our wildest dreams. 10,000 Sinhalese soldiers also were killed and LTTE fighters were at best 3-4,000. MOD manufactures numbers to cover up the civilian massacres and that is why we have been demanding for US investigations of it’s own citizens and residents for the past 4 years.
Bruce Fein our former attorney has become an epitome of a vexatious litigant which I predicted in public articles many years ago. It is all in the internet and a few websites…It is part of the sad Tamil experiences which is a reality that cannot be denied or covered up. There is much more, which I will disclose one day.
Yes, VP needs to blamed and should accept the responsibility of installing the Rajapakses in power, and that too has been said by me in public and even in my Al Jazeera interviews (Available on You Tube and AJ) when VP was alive. This has been from day 1 of his Presidency if you read Lasantha and D B S articles of 2005-2006.
VP was the leader, and he listened to his close advisers from the diaspora, and I have the names of the advisers and stupid cheer leaders. UNP also need to blame itself and this Wikileaks cable is only one part of the problem. Milinda Moragoda was also a bigger part of the “cancer”, and Karu Jayasuriya is being mentioned in the cable, as early as 2004.
That is the Tamil and Sinhala destiny, but all is not lost despite the dysfunctionality. America and US still has a conscience which is pricking them three and a half years after the mass killings. So are the other countries slowing realizing where the problem in the Island lies. The screws will get tighter or else there will be divine intervention like the Parakrama Samudra running dry and Sinhala contractors digging the dry bed for soil for road building. Brand new coal power plant breaking down, huge rock appearing suddenly at the entrance of the 3 billion dollar Hambantota Port where only 3 ships have been serviced forcefully since opening last year. Oluvil port after spending over $150 million dollars in the past decade has not been completed. What a set of morons the GOSL and Minister Hakeem/SLMC is? How many years Hakeem has been Minister of Ports and Shipping together with MR?
There is only so much can discuss in this forum and we have to ignore some of the idiots like the Sinhala racist attorney from the US and I have his name and email address FYI. He is just a pretender and can see in his rubbish analysis.
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gamini / August 25, 2012
Donald, a Diplomat cannot and will not act according to his own wishes, but to an agenda presented. Similarly Robert Blake carried out what was presented to him, not only matters pertaining to Sri Lanka but in India as well. If you remember when the Indian Congress Govt. signed a Nuclear Treaty with the Americans and the Communist Party threatened to pull out that would have resulted the Manamohan govt. collapse, there was a vote of confidence taken. Although the Communist Party took a Policy Decision to vote against, some of the Communist Party had voted with the Congress to save the Manamohan govt. Thereafter it was brought out in Lok Sabha, how the Americans had transfered a massive amount of Dollars to the State Bank of India to buy the Communist Party members. For your information Robert Blake was in India during this period on some pretext or other.
Then as for the LTTE war, there was no earthly reason for the LTTE to have closed the Mawillaru Anicut other than to rouse the public ire and draw the MR govt. Forces to an open War? If the LTTE were not ready for a confrontation, then there was no reason or necessity for the LTTE to indulge in a full scale War. There is no plausible explanation why the LTTE buried all there weapons and even just vacated their strong hold Killinochchi. Further at least to have booby trapped VP’s bunker or to have left behind a suicide bomber, because the LTTE had suicide bombers by the number even to spare one to get at Maithripala Sirisena, but there was none to smash up VP’s bunker, but just allowed it to fall in to the hands of the Forces, which has become a Tourist Attraction today? The intrigue is very high and the Parties involved are still wheeler dealing trying to settle issues acting as non participants. Believe me Donald they will even sell you down the road, as no one is indespensible. I find not only MR and them who are corrupt but including some of the die hard LTTE. The reason being that all are not honest and most are purchasable comodities. So how can one blame RW?
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gamini / August 25, 2012
Donald, I would like to share another aspect of the whole issue, i.e. what led to the ’87 Indo- Lanka Accord. We all know what led to the Tamil struggles and how India for geo-political reasons cultivated the Tamil issue not for the love of the Tamils. Thereafter Rajiv Gandhi denying and prior to that Indira Gandhi, how the LTTE was trained and sustained by India is an open secret. It was around ’86 that the LTTE brought down one of the Sri Lankan planes using a SAM. On probe it had been found that India had not supplied SAMs to the LTTE. It was only then that it was discovered that there was another source that was supplying weapons to the LTTE and the source was the Americans. It is only then that JR managed to convince Rajiv Gandhi of the danger India faced more than Sri Lanka, using Gamini Dissanayake. This led for the signing of the Indo -Lanka Accord and normally JR would have had to go to India to sign, Sri Lanka being a weaker Nation, yet RG obliged to come here, realising the folly of India trying to destabilise Sri Lanka, a strategy that had been adopted long before RG became a Politician. The rest is History. I know this well because Gamini Dissanayake was a very close friend of mine. So Donald, the involvement of the Americans and their intrigue dates back Long long ago. So if you believe that there was no understanding between the USG and the LTTE on this whole exercise of electing MR, the subsequent war, double dealing VP and the decimation of the entire LTTE who were to surrender and the continuing support to MR both financially from the IMF and the World Bank and the feet dragging exercise of the UN on War Crimes, inspite of no Reconcilliation even in another five years leaving the past three years out, where many are expecting the tables to turn on MR soon, are only day dreaming.
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American Lanka Lover / August 24, 2012
I am ashamed to share a profession with terrorist facilitators like Fein (and Ramsey Clark). Aiding an organization designated by the US government as the World’s most dangerous terrorist group constitutes “moral turpitude” which is grounds for disbarrment. Defending terrorists in court is protected conduct, any other form of facilitation is unlawful.
As to the Karuna affair, this is “a bit of a stick wicket” as they say in cricket. On the one hand, he is a mass murderer and terrorist leader. On the other hand, the schism he started with VP (nominally East versus North but really it was a personal rift between him and VP) was the single most important event in the eventual defeat of the LTTE.
Gota’s best strategic decision was to embrace him, rather than keep him at arms length like the CBK government (and Ranil too) did. He is a killer, but a very useful one as the internecine war within the LTTE depleted its strength and morale and made the glorious victory of 2009 possible.
These comments about how the US aided the Rajapaksas is manifestly untrue; this is a national disgrace as we SHOULD have aided the democratically elected government fighting terrorism rather than protecting the terrorists like we did. We continue to compound past mistakes by, for example, the UN resolution this past March.
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Mango / August 24, 2012
Thank you, Donald for sharing your knowledge of these murky events, which prove again that irrespective of their so-called ethnicity, Sri Lanka’s politicians, whether Mahinda or Prabha were equally corrupt in their own way.
I must also thank you for your part in supporting Ranil’s peace process. I really mean that, as that breathing space allowed time for Sri Lanka’s battered armed forces four years to re-equip, re-train, recruit more forces, adopt new doctrines (joint operations) and be ready to destroy the LTTE when it inevitably broke the ceasefire in 2006. The SLAF in particular were especially grateful for the extra time.
Air Vice Marshal Kolitha Gunatileke said: “During 2002-05 we concentrated on joint operations so when war did break out again in 2006, each service knew what was expected of them. The jet squadrons trained on their targeting while the helicopters were upgraded with better self-protection systems.
In 2002-05 we carried out a lot of training to master our equipment, this involved more recce work with UAVs and Beechcraft 200s. The LTTE exposed themselves during those years –and we were able to determine all their important sites right under their noses! They complained that we were flying over their territory but the air space is ours! When war did break out we knew exactly where everything was including their ammunition dumps.”
http://tinyurl.com/cljuywm
We should start a campaign to erect a statue in your honour in Hambantota for your contribution in defeating the LTTE, or failing that, that you should be awarded a Sri Lankabhimanya award for services to the country.
“Nandri” and “Bohoma Stuthi” :) :)
I welcome Karuna’s participation in the democratic mainstream, despite his previous killings, just like the British welcomed Martin McGuinness, the Chief of Staff of the IRA who’s now Deputy First Minister (i.e. joint PM with his Protestant counterpart.) See what the lure of a ministerial car can get you? :)
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gamini / August 24, 2012
Mango, although there is much hype of the Air Force who were helped by the Satellite search by the GIS in the end, to show they had improved tremendously, even in 2008 the LTTE made forays in their ‘thanakola peththas’ and successfully bombed Colombo and escaped. Now this is after the Air Force had been revamped according to the link. How could this be if the muscle of the Air Force is anything stated in the link?
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American Lanka Lover / August 25, 2012
because the air tigers flew so low and slow the Chinese radars were ineffective, and interceptors built for interdiction of jet aircraft did not function well. Further, it was the ground infiltration by Black Tiger cadres that did the majority of the damage, not the aerial attack component. And they did not escape so your point is misleading. I do agree this was an embarrassment for the Air Force though. As was the attack on the Anurhadpura Airbase.
Shameful the SLAF did not have a state of the art air defense system provided by either Russia or Uncle Sam, like most every other country fighting an organized terrorist army would have had. The Indian systems are inferior but better than what SLAF had.
Katunayake is better protected against land based incursion now with redundant rings of security which are readily apparent whenever you drive in. The threat from suicide attack by civil aviation craft remains of concern both to Sri Lanka and to other countries like the US which has sent teams to learn from the experiences of the SLAF in facing the air tigers.
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gamini / August 25, 2012
More American than Lanka Lover, although you try to apologise on behalf of the SLAF, it was not that the LTTE Thanakola Peththas did not want to inflict sever damage. But if they wanted to they could have done so with a suicide mission. What is the difficulty if they came to Grand Pass and went back safely, why not to Temple Trees? How could they after reaching an agreement to elect MR as the President to obtain otherwise what was promised by MR. For the LTTE that successfully ran over many an Army Camp, Attacked Katunayake Air Force Base /the Air Port and Anuradhapura Air Base. The LTTE never fought the war as they always decamped leaving a skeletal Force as fodder for the Govt. Forces to overun. See what happened to the last bastian Killinnochchi. The Govt. Forces were at the doors of Kilinochchi in August 2008, yet they do not enter but allow the Monsoon to settle and when they enter in January 2009, after killing Lasantha Wickrematunge who wrote an Editorial, much ahead as to how the War will end oneday under MR, happened exactly how he stated in the Editorial. Here too the LTTE never fought, but had vacated and the Forces that had surrounded Killinochchi was unaware of the exodes of almost Three hundred and eighty thousand. What fairytales?
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Donald J Gnanakone / August 24, 2012
@Mango – Quite funny.. Tamils were deceived and betrayed as well during that period. The CFA was breached from day 1, and a book can be written on that alone.
Ranil allowed that to happen, and Ali Zahir Moulana himself will confirm it what he did during that time. The use of cars and ministerial posts etc.
As for the statue -Thanks.
Gratitude is a virtue seldom in a man, and never ever in the Sinhalese. (Although there are some good Sinhalese). See what they are doing now, and what they did to the Sinhala youth in 1971, and 1988-1989. That too is another 100,000 number or more, and the JVP themselves do not care. Ministerial car I suppose. Weerawansa is a prime example!!!!
Cheating and deceiving people and the Tamil race can go only that war. But the war was won when US and India were supplying every thing covertly, as well as China, Pakistan, Israel, South Africa, North Korea on commercial purchases, together with the cluster bombs, phosphorous bombs, and chemical weapons.
LTTE did not have much of a chance with that kind of fire power.
Japan was destroyed with the Nuclear bombs and so was Germany with hundreds of thousands of bombs. See their economic power today…
Out of the ashes of Mullivaikal, there will be something rising.
But that does not mean that Sinhalese are entitled for the military oppression, suppression, and repression of the Tamil people, nor State Terrorism.
As I said before, UNP and the Tamils are responsible for their own fate, where the course of the island could have changed. Now see the plight, and the little resources are being robbed by one family and all their relatives. I say that was the parting gift of Prabhakaran and enjoy Karuna, Pillaiyan, KP, and Moulana. Good Luck and you guys deserve it, and would need much more than luck…
One thing for certain you guys will be not short of Rajapakse statues, but so was Iraq with Saddam Hussein statues, Germany with Hitler statues and many more around the world, like Libya, Egypyt, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe and South Africa..
Remember, statues are all temporary like the Elephant Pass and other army camps in the North and East. You guys have to change the jingoistic attitude of the Rajapakses, and a 10% shift among the Sinhalese would do the trick. Also see what happened to General F. No statues for him except in Welikadde?
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Mango / August 26, 2012
Donald, how you can write “Gratitude is a virtue seldom in a man, and never ever in the Sinhalese“ and claim to be `a non-racist?
I’m more convinced than ever that the various expat LTTE organisations like your “Tamils for Justice”, the GTF and TGTE have been created by Mahinda to keep alive the memory of LTTE irredentism and strengthen his party’s hold on power. You definitely deserve a statue in front of the MOD.
And for God’s sake stop with the incessant whining about losing the war. It makes your groups look ridiculous. The expat LTTE supporters were the LTTE’s most vociferous supporters for re-starting the war and their whining about losing fools no-one.
What exactly was “Tamils for Justice” doing in 2006 as the LTTE launched its “final war” against the Sri Lankan state?
Did you obey the LTTE’s demand for one child from each Tamil family by sacrificing at least one of your children to help achieve Eelam in Sri Lanka? If you did not, why not?
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Donald Gnanakone / August 26, 2012
@Mango, You write like a moron and idiot.
Rajapakses did not sacrifice his boys in the fight nor in the army.
Gotabaya ran away from the army and the fighting 25 years ago, and we are aware how he was even given a discharge.
Fonseka did not send his children to the war, but the so called War Hero was applying to get a US citizenship while he was heading the army.
How about 101 Miniters who are benefiting from the tax payers money.
So do not talk rubbish.
I was never part of LTTE, the sole representatives of the Tamils which was recognized by several SL’ governments for decades.
That is why GOSL offered the NP for them to operate or whatever was offered off the record during 2002-2004, or what the Rajapakses offered via Emilkanthan. LTTE leaders children, siblings and spouses were fighters and part of the fighting group.
I do not and need not send my American born children to fight the racist-chauvinist Sinhala buddhist and State Terrorist. Even 100,000 Sinhla youth were murdered by the same crowd and you expect me to send my children from the USA to fight the Sinhala armed forces?
What a freaking moron?
BTW Idi- ot, Tamils For Justice was formed to expose the HR violations committed by the US citizens and demand the US to take action, years b4 TGTE founded by KP, and GTF were formed well after the 100,000 civilian massacres. Gota should have a trial in his Kangaroo court for KP than put your Sinhala war hero in jail using the Rajapakse judiciary.
Tamil resolve is much greater now to bring the War Criminals to Justice. Period. We do not care whether all the stray and pariah dogs keep barking like how the Nazis, Yugoslavs, Sudanese and Congolese keep screaming and shouting.
Check on Sri Lankan independent history and Muslim-Sinhala riots of 1915, to talk about the Gratitude issue. Also Ceylon Independence from 1948 until now.
It is the Tamil diaspora which is keeping the State Terrorist and Sri Lanka alive with their part of the 6 Billion dollar inward remittances annually and the increased number of tourist with foreign passports, trade and investments as well as the plantations industry.
You idiots think Sinhala housemaids have increased their “tricks” in the middle east and suddenly sending additional funds as inward remittances in the last 10 years?
Where is the SINHALA GRATITUDE? OTHER THAN COMMITTING WAR CRIMES, BURNING JAFFNA LIBRARY, RACE RIOTS OF 1958, 1961, 1977, 1983 and concentration camps??
I stand by in what I said.
And you are such a coward that you hide behind a fruit and must be a fruitcake!!!! lol.
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Donald Gnanakone / August 26, 2012
@Mango.. You ungrateful insincere State Terrorist can rewrite the history books on the war.
Every one knows who started the war from 1983, to 2006 at Mavil Aru.
Do not think the whole world are idiots like you and believe the LIES.
They just want to do business and sell any equipment and machinery like the Chinese Coal Plant which is not even a new equipment.
Or 3 Billion dollars in the Habantota Port and airport or Cricket Stadium.
Tamils For Justice was formed in 2007 and goal began with the US citizens and residents to stop the HR violations and war crimes.
Easy to win a war with chemical weapons, phosphorus bombs, cluster bombs, illegal land mines, and killing 100,000 civilians.
If 12,000 LTTE fighters surrendered according to Gota and many killed including the White Flag incident and VP’s family, are the Rajapakses suggesting that LTTE was 16,000 strong in 2008?
The same LIARS said that there was only 30,000 civilians trapped in the Vanni running away from the war from 2008. They were denied food, medicine and fuel/shelter for AT least 6 months… while UN and Red Cross was forced out by the State Terrorist getting ready for the slaughter.
Who are these State Terrorist kidding?
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Mango / August 27, 2012
Dear Donald,
Temper, temper, temper…. touched a raw nerve, have I? I’ll respect my elders and refrain from silly insults. :)
In case your long-term memory has deteriorated, only the LTTE engaged in conscription. Nobody outside the LTTE-controlled areas was forced to send their kids to fight. The SL forces remain a voluntary organisation.
Gota retired to US after 20+ years of futile combat. Unlike so many pro-LTTE expats who stayed away, (they were too busy going to Pongu Thamil rallies, no?) he came back to finish off the LTTE.
You say: “Tamils For Justice was formed in 2007 and goal began with the US citizens and residents to stop the HR violations and war crimes.”
As war crimes were committed by both sides, do you have any evidence of TFJ campaigning against the LTTE’s war crimes and human rights violations? If not, why not?
Did your ‘Tamils for Justice’ ever call on the LTTE in 2008/9 to free its own people being used as human shields in the Vanni and if not, why not ?
If you did not “..need not send my American born children to fight the racist-chauvinist Sinhala buddhist and State Terrorist.”, did you support the LTTE’s fight knowing that this would only be possible with the lives and bodies of those unfortunate Tamil men, women and children who had not be able to leave the LTTE areas?
Shouldn’t you have lead by example and offered your children as a necessary sacrifice to attain Eelam – or did you want them to live and become doctors, lawyers or accountants?
Why didn’t you start a campaign to “Let My People Go” to the LTTE leaders, to allow anyone who wanted to leave, go without harassment ?
“Everyone knows” that the LTTE re-started Eelam War 4 at Marvil Aru, hoping that the idiots in the SLA and GoSL would behave as they’d done for the previous 30 years and stop the offensive after a few casualties and international pressure. At least be honest, Donald. :)
“Easy to win a war with chemical weapons, phosphorus bombs, cluster bombs, illegal land mines, and killing 100,000 civilians.’
We’re waiting for proof of “chemical weapons, phosphorus bombs, cluster bombs” used by SL forces. And what are “illegal land mines’? Are you denying that the overwhelming majority of land mines laid in the North & East were laid by the LTTE?
Here’s a little tip. An advancing army almost never lays land mines in the path of its own advance. Even the Colombo modayas aren’t that stupid.
Then you say “I was never part of LTTE,..” Ha ha ha … Are you saying that you’ve not raised a single cent for the Thalaivar (may his corpulent soul remain eternally hungry for Turtle soup) in the US? I read differently. Perhaps it’s a case of mistaken identity and there’s someone else called Donald Gnanakone :) :)
“….in an interview to a Sri lankan English weekend newspaper, Sharmalee Gnanakone, sister-in-law of Charles Gnanakone, admitted that her family was a prominent overseas supporter of the LTTE. She also said that her husband ,Donald Jayantha Gnankone was indirectly connected to the LTTE and supplied medicines and essential food supplies to the Tamils under Tiger control. Sharmalee’s husband Donald Jayanatha Gnanakone, was the assistant editor of “Eelam Nation”, a pro-LTTE web-site and a prominent supporter of LTTE.”
http://tinyurl.com/cm494vn
By the way, I loved the old “Eelam Nation”, especially when things started to go pear-shaped for the struggle after 2007. It was a laugh-a-minute riot of whining self-pity. Can we have it back?
Finally, we’re still waiting for your proof of the “80,000 raped war widows”. These unfortunate victims need justice.
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gamini / August 27, 2012
Mango, your accusation of any Tamil having helped the LTTE is only natural. Had we been Tamils and had to face the turmoil, we too would have done the same. I remember this friend of mine from Bulathkohupitiya one brother married to a Sinhalese family and lived there for generations and had very little or nothing to do with the Jaffna crowd, his house in kandy was burnt, his Wedding Photograph smashed to pieces and nailed on the front door that was half burnt. When I saw that, tell me who would not have helped the LTTE to, in return to teach the rabid Sinhalese in a language they would understand?
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Mango / August 28, 2012
Gamini,
I have no problem with people who supported or helped the LTTE. It was a natural reaction to the pogroms, especially after the unspeakable ’83 massacres, whose Sinhala instigators still remain unpunished and unrepentant. The anti-Tamil pogroms will remain a permanent blot on Sri Lanka’s and the Sinhaleses reputation.
Over thirty years, the LTTE went from being freedom fighters to brutal terrorist thugs who themselves became the problem. We all know how the LTTE annihilated all other Tamil groups and individuals opposed to their version of the ‘struggle’.
The issue now is those who supported the LTTE’s war aims, pretending to have suddenly discovered human rights to try and reverse their military defeat.
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Donald J Gnanakone / August 27, 2012
@Mango. I stand by what I have said now and b4.
My connection to the LTTE or UNP has been well known for more than 30 years. That does not make me part of the LTTE or part of the State Terrorist or Sinhala War Criminal.
Even Akashi and Solheim were friendly with the LTTE and instrumental in supplying assistance to them in the tens of millions of dollars. That does not mean that they are supporters of terrorism? Indira Gandhi also initiated trained and assistance to them before she died. So was she a terrorist supporter and India was a terrorist state?
That Jayakody article is full of wrongful speculation and out of context rubbish starting with my brother Charles being a DC 8 pilot. Only flying he did was as a first class and business class passenger. He was Captain of a ship and so was my younger brother.
As the Jayakody article describes that I was in Sri Lanka and involved in the Sethusamuderam protest against India in 2005 and the other organizational campaign in India against the lies and reasons for the project. I proved it, and so was the questioning the viability and reasons for the KKNP nuclear plant much before the Tsunami and the latest Fukushima disaster.
Tamils and Tamils For Justice are lobbying for War Crimes investigations and eventually we will succeed. Then all the chemical weapons, phosphorus bombs, cluster bombs and illegal mines usage as well as the heavy artillery usage will come out and US citizens will be tried for war crimes. The evidence is already available but not for racist-chauvinist like Mango’s Investigations on CT’s website.
The UN had documented the usage of the illegal land mines of the army way back in 2006 in Geneva, at a meeting organized by an NGO called “Geneva Call” involved with the land mine removal and prevention campaign. If an international NGO was permitted to clear land mines in Mullaitheevu, all such information, would have been clearly documented, as well as chemical weapon usage, skeletons of Tamils murdered and raped, types of land mines and the Gold buried by 400,000 Tamils and the LTTE. Now the tasks is more difficult but the evidence has come from the officers and the Sinhala soldiers and not outsiders.
So don’t you worry, the Truth and Justice will prevail, and even General Fonseka will have to speak the truth which he has not done so far. His language is no different from Gotabaya, if you analyse what he says of the details of the war, for his political ambitions.
Tamils (99%) are not complaining about child soldiers (under 18 and above 15) nor the so called nonsense of human shield. What did the State Terrorist and War Criminals expect the 400,000 Tamils to do? Just surrender to them and walk into the Concentration camps set up by the Rajapakses to live for years under cruel and inhuman conditions, rape and torture? That is why Tamils moved with the LTTE.
No body in their right mind except the Sickos like Mango and Sinhala-racist/chauvinist thought that the GOSL will slaughter 100,000 Tamil civilians. The UN experts and the NGO’s have already said so, and read the UN report. That is why the US, India, and 43 countries agreed to sponsor the UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka and it’s war criminals and there will be more “arrows” coming Sri Lanka way.
We are never in a perfect world, so there are geopolitical considerations, need and greed. Full Justice is never done and cannot be expected to be done. However, the Rajapakses and the war criminals cannot escape divine justice…
Check on Geneva Conventions article 77 about child soldier issues. The UN and SL should prosecute Karuna and Pillaiayan using the HRW photographs and eye witness like Jo Becker who was embedded with Karuna in April 2004 (3-5th April) and her photographer Julia Kumari Drapkin who took over 100 photographs including child soldiers of Karuna’s army.
Karuna-Pilliyan planned it for months and did the damage.
I have said in Al Jazeera interviews that Tamils have no fear or objection in investigating LTTE for any wrong doing, and then Government LIARS would be exposed for their lies, including accusation of drugs, credit card fraud or human smuggling 3 years after their deaths.
There needs to be international investigations and almost all the Sinhalese are dead scared of the investigations. The answer is obvious, why they are scared..
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Donald J Gnanakone / August 27, 2012
@Gamini.. You have written extensively about the US and the LTTE.
I have never heard that theory before. I cannot add to anything what you have said on that subject as I cannot be involved in any speculative comments.
Besides this is not the correct forum to discuss such issues is my opinion. It is not for some of these racist-chauvinist I make my comments. It is for the War Criminals and those involved in the corrupt administration at the highest level.
There will be a time and place for certain truths.
Right now we are focused on bringing accountability, truth and justice, and improving the livelihood of the Tamils including the 80,000 widows who are being exposed to the gangs of rapist from the military day and night. This is also why it is important to restrain the army/navy in their barracks and get rid of most of them permanently. There is no necessity for the high security zones and protection.. What are they protecting in Pallaly and KKS… They are not even commercial airports or ports.
This is rubbish excuses and wastage of the people’s money.
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Mango / August 28, 2012
Dear Donald,
Your excuses remind me of your President Clinton, who famously did not inhale marijuana and did not have “sex” with his intern. :) :)
Let’s go back to the questions I asked and ask you why you refuse to answer them. Are you too embarrassed?
So, here we go again:
1. Did your ‘Tamils for Justice’ ever call on the LTTE in 2008/9 to free its own people being used as human shields in the Vanni and if not, why not ?
2. If you did not “..need not send my American born children to fight the racist-chauvinist Sinhala buddhist and State Terrorist.”, did you support the LTTE’s fight knowing that this would only be possible with the lives and bodies of those unfortunate Tamil men, women and children who had not be able to leave the LTTE areas?
3. Shouldn’t you have lead by example and offered your children as a necessary sacrifice to attain Eelam – or did you want them to live and become doctors, lawyers or accountants?
4. Why didn’t you start a campaign to “Let My People Go” to the LTTE leaders, to allow anyone who wanted to leave, go without harassment ?
5. Is your statement “Gratitude is a virtue seldom in a man, and never ever in the Sinhalese“ a racist statement?
We’re waiting, so please don’t disappoint your adoring audience.
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American Lanka Lover / August 28, 2012
Mango: Tamils for justice is part and parcel of the LTTE. It is proven beyond doubt that while the leadership preached about no booze, no relationships, no distractions from the struggle, while contemporaneously wanting a privileged life, with Norwegian bank accounts, outside the warzone for their families. The Tamil elites sacrificed their own people in a futile power struggle they could not win despite the assistance of India and the Diaspora.
You adeptly point out the hypocrisy, and racism, of the LTTE propagandists like Donald.
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American Lanka Lover / August 28, 2012
There is very much a continuing need for the high security zones as you and your fellow cadres still likely have a few SAMs hidden away in your secret arms caches buried in the Vanni. As of now, the seaplanes landing in the lagoon is the only commercial air link to Jaffna but that will change once renovations are completed. GOSL has rebuilt the A9 and is working on the A35 and other infrastructure projects that were much needed after years of neglect.
Suffice to say that your side spent none of the money it extorted from the people through the demanded Eelam contributions on infrastructure to improve their lives when it was in control of Jaffna and the Vanni.
While the water tower in Killnochchi destroyed by LTTE is a poignant reminder of how the LTTE cared for “its people”, I DO think it is time for GOSL to remove it as it is an eyesore which detracts from efforts to return the former rebel capital to normalcy like the European style Boulvard that is the A9 nowadays. .
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Lanka Muslim, UK / August 28, 2012
All of the existing political gangs, be it in blue, green or red, are in the dirty game of corrupt, communal and violent politics taking the whole nation for a ride. They should be all thrown out n-stock and barrel.
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Donald J Gnanakone / August 28, 2012
Water tower was destroyed by the army after the Tamils fled Killinochchi and blamed it on the LTTE.. ha ha ha….
Tamils also can play the blame game.
Most of the Tamils supported the freedom struggle of the Tamils.
Nobody can say a damn thing about it.
Now some or most Sinhalese support the War Criminals and State Terrorist and then cry when their kith and kin are slaughtered by them.
War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity are against the Sinhalese War Lords and not against those stray dogs which bark in support of them.
Those dogs can keep barking but Justice process in the US will move on. The US citizens are hiding in SL!!!! Ha ha ha.
The long arm of Justice will finally reach in Sri Lanka, and this bs about LTTE rump will not word. Besides that I am not a coward like some of the racists-chauvinist who hide behind bogus names. Back boneless pieces of Sh……….. Bayagullahs..
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American Lanka Lover / August 30, 2012
This water tower issue is an interesting one. It is easy to find sources on the web pointing in both directions. Given the undispouted fact taht the LTTE continues to win the war of information, i suspect that those sites claiming it was SLA who destroyed the tower to be deriavative of LTTE misinformation, but I confess to not being certain. Seeral commercial sites, like the one linked, say LTTE. But I cannot find definitive proof (like a Wikileaks cable containing the CIA’s opinion of who dunit). So Donald what evidence do you have to support your assertion that SLA blew up the tower upon retaking the town from LTTE in January 2009?
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Mango / August 28, 2012
Dear Donald,
Don’t hold back. Tell us what you really think. :) Dogs, cats, justice, water towers, Karma, racist-chauvinists (of whom you’re a prime example), bayagullahas, goni billahs, traitors and a million other distractions.
Yet you’re unable to answer my straightforward questions. What’s preventing you from answering? Afraid that the answers might incriminate yourself and prove your hypocrisy to the world?
The “80,000 multiple-raped war widows” demand justice.
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Perera / August 29, 2012
Donald, it is a story of “Gate was closed after hourse was bolted”. Too little too late.
If Ranil would have made a public statement on that day itself, today Ranil would have been the President of Sri Lanka for his 2nd term.
There is no point of blaming anyone else for Ranil’s mistake. The Tamils in the North East were prepared to trust Ranil for cunningness.
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gamini / August 29, 2012
To all, Mango, Donald, American Lover and the Lankan Muslim, like the Tsunami brought havoc, misery and death to some, for yet a few others it was manna from heaven. We saw not only some of the NGO’s who just thrived, even MR and his family gained immensely. Similarly this war between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, although wrecked many human lives and property on both sides, it provided sustenance to some economically and in possition, in society. I do not believe in pointing the hand in one direction only as both sides are at fault. To clap you need both hands. It is about time we stopped clapping and discard these Americans waiting to rejoice on our misery acting as Good Samaritans.
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American Lanka Lover / August 30, 2012
Valid point Gamini. Triumphalism by the Sinhalese, while understandable, is not helpful to reconciliation.
And certainly some did profit from the war, as is always the case.
And development of the North has certainly lagged, and MUCH more investment in infrastructure is required from both GOSL and from private equity to bring the per capita income of the North and east even close to that enjoyed in the South. But all of this disparity cannot be blamed in Sinhalese prejudice etc. Because as long as so much of the diaspora continues to agitate for Ealam War 5, international investment will lag.
A quick look at the number of cranes and construction along Colombo’s Galle face, with a mammoth new Shangri la going up, as well as major retrofits of the Intercontiental and other landmarks, is to be contrasted with the LACK of such evidence of growth in Jaffna. Jaffna looks stagnant with the only visible construction being the A9 from Elephant Pass into the city.
My point is that the CONTINUED militancy of so many Tamils causes disquiet among investors thus impeding the foreign investment so desperately needed to restore a decent standard of living to the people of Jaffna. I would never expect a Shangri la level of Hotel in Jaffna, but maybe something akin to Cinnamon Gardens or Galle Face. We stayed at the best in town (Tilko AKA City Center Hotel)and it was at the bottom end of international standards. So if Jaffna is to share in the tourism boom, the facilities MUST be upgraded. It is a unique city, India lite as some say, and would be a major tourist draw IF the infrastructure for tourists is upgraded.
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gamini / August 30, 2012
American Lover, no sooner the ‘Staged War’ was over, it was speculated that the Tamil Diaspora was to bring in Capital for the Development of the NE and the MR govt. to develop the Infrastructure network. Also MR spoke of Devolution of Powers to the NE and even gave assurances to India very openly, while the campaign to oust RW from the field of politics continued. However when MR failed in the exercise of ousting RW, he even tried to show RW was working to help MR. Then MR realised it was going to cost him his War Victory, if he was to grant Devolution to the NE as the same would have resulted from the CFA, sans all the mayhem advertised. India and America also realised MR’s difficulty and started to soft peddle ‘Devolution’ to safeguard MR. However they had to bring in a watered down Resolution, lest the World Human Rights Body voice would have been too embarassing and the expected funds from the Tamil Diaspora is now history. MR even tried to get Devolution through a PSC to extricate himself of blame. I find the plot of the entire Staged War, considering VP getting played out and the new Leadership of the Tamil Movement still have not got their act together. This wheeler dealing by MR assisted by the US and the Indians must understand the clock is ticking for all.
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Donald J Gnanakone / September 3, 2012
@Perera.. You are right. The fault lies clearly with Ranil and not with Karuna or that turncoat, Moulana.
Ranil and Milinda, as well as a few of his RTG (lol) advisers messed it up by denials, lies and non disclosures. Now the whole country is paying for it.
The water tower: Have evidence from the eyewitnesses of Sinhala Buddhist origin. Rajapakses and Fonseka initially thought that they can fool the Tamils, Sinhalese and the IC. Only the Moda buggers out of this 3 bought it hook, line and sinker.
We cannot blame the IC, America and India.
Rajapakses have no intention of devolving power, rebuilding infrastructure which was neglected for 35 years from JR government, or even from 1948, and try to block, steal or divert foreign aid to the NE. This also happens under the UNP as the government servants, diplomats and military are the same. But under UNP they have more understanding and have learnt the lessons post 1983 and post 1994. They also have a little more brains for what is good for the country and not what is good for themselves alone.
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Donald J Gnanakone / September 3, 2012
Those who have big plans for the Jaffna, have no bloody clue what the Northern Province really needs and wants.
Tamils are not interested nor are they lamenting that there are no Shangrila Hotels or Cinnamon Grand in Jaffna. Only fellows with absolutely little knowledge about the Tamils and the North may just write rubbish and talk nonsense.
BTW, the best hotel and service in Jaffna is not TILKO but the two Expo properties which are small guest houses – Expo Pavillion and Expo Margosa.
Next time any one goes to Jaffna for a one night stand or two, stay there and see the difference.
Only fools will build such huge hotels in Jaffna, and for that matter even in Kandy, which is just 90 minutes away from the Colombo airport, and has been a tourist site for donkey’s years. As well as the fancy hotels in Colombo are loosing money for the last 30 years and a virtually bankrupt.
1. Galadari Hotel
2. Taj Hotel.
3. Hilton Hotel.
The two cinnamon brand hotels are hardly making any money considering the billions of rupees they already have invested. The same with the Inter Continental Hotel where Hayleys over paid the last seller Nahil W, and after purchasing it have closed it down for renovations and refurbishment spending billions of rupees. How are they going to recover the money, and are betting the land values going up.
But the 99 year lease has only another 58 years left on the lease, but they will bribe their way with the UDA. Oberoi/Connamon Grand also do not own the land, nor the Hilton which is totally bankrupt, Taj or Galadari. Rest of their asset is just a depreciating commodity, which needs to be totally overhauled every 15-20 years to cater for the 5 star tourist.
John Keels, Aitken Spence get most of their revenues from their hotel investments in the Maldives, and India. Even the Coorays are now investing in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Aitken Spence owned by billionaire Harry J are not owning a single hotel or guest house in Colombo. That is not due to lack of funds, but what is called ROI- Return on Investment.
Only idiots will invest billions in Hotels, unless they cut sweet heart deals with the government as in the case of Kalpitiya, or Passikudah where there is a lot of corruption, and bank loans are freely available. They manipulate the stock market, push the prices up and or get the EPF or ETF to make the purchases at very high prices including the public and bail out with huge profits. They also will manage the hotel and make huge profits both officially and under the table. Citrus Leisure and Nalaka Godahewa are good examples who have been exposed but more powerful.
What Jaffna needs is not new 4-5 star hotels, new roads between military camps, military airport, port or railways for them and their relatives to travel. New Highway from Jaffna to Medawachchi or railway from Talai Mannar to Medawachchi. All above are few billion dollars which the country does not have and do not need to spend.
This is what Tamils need in the North.
1. 260,000 houses replaced which the military destroyed.
2. 100,000 Fishing boats. Same…reason.
3. Fishing nets and Out Boat motors. ,Same Reason.
4. Tractors, Trailers, Tillers, and whare Houses that were destroyed.
5. 23 Ice Factories that were destroyed replaced. Min. 15 ton capacity.
6. 150,000 cattle and goats replaced that was killed and stolen.
7. Schools repaired and upgraded.
8. Hospitals repaired and upgraded.
9. At least 3 new hospitals and new medical clinics built.
10.University expanded and agricultural and Engineering faculties.
11.Provide continuous power like in the South in entire NP.
12. Remove military governors, government agents.
13. Remove military from the streets and replace them by Tamil Police.
14. Stop colonization and building hundreds of Buddhist temples.
15. Stop the land grab by the military and Sinhalese.
16. Remove HSZ and return all land and buildings/homes.
17. Have elections for the PC for the North 40 months after the war.
18. Provide artificial limbs for those who lost it.
19. Provide adequate compensation for the losses.
20. Stop the rape, molestation, intimidation and harassment.
21. Stop the check points and allow the province to return to normalcy.
21. Allow the Tamils to mourn their dead, and account for the missing.
22. Stop the White van operations, disappearances, and arrests.
23. Disarm the para military who are also working hand in hand with MOD.
24. Fill all vacancies for teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers etc.
25. Consultant the elected MP’s and provide decentralized development funds since they know what is needed for their electorates. There are 2 non TNA MP’s in Jaffna, and 3 Muslim MP’s for Mannar and Vanni districts.
On the Fishing the Navy still harasses the fisherman. Southern Fisherman take their land on the beaches. Fisheries Harbors are taken over as HSZ by the Navy.
It is time foreign NGO’s are allowed to complete the demining of the Vanni and complete the job without the army stealing the foreign funds for the demining.
Allow India to complete the 50,000 housing project without disrupting it at every turn.
Air and shipping services to the North should be commercialized and allow flights to Trichy and Chennai operate from Jaffna as I used to fly 40 years ago.
Then Royal college footballers and others would not be kicked out of Tamil Nadu. Otherwise things will get worse in Tamil Nadu and I will guarantee that. There has to be accountability, Truth and Justice for the war crimes and crimes against humanity. Concentration Camps should have never existed and the release from such camps is not resettlement you freaking idiots and morons.
Learn to make Peace with the 66 Million Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the 2 million Tamils in NE.
Some may ask where does the government get the money for all above.
Simple. Redirect the funds that are being wasted as I mentioned above.
Reduce the MOD budget from $2.2 Billion to pre war levels of $600 Million.
Redirect the $60 Billion economy, to the NE as well.
Foreign Governments and NGO’s will extend credits, loans, and even grants at very low interest rates than what the Chinese are giving for the useless, corrupt contracts with huge commissions to the first family.
DO NOT FORGET THE TAMIL DIASPORA IS SENDING 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE OR MORE EVERY YEAR. THE INVESTMENTS WOULD DOUBLE IF THE FREAKING MILITARY AND RAJAPAKSES GET OUT OF THE NORTH.
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gamini / September 6, 2012
Donald, thanks for the input you have mentioned. I presume you know best as an inhabitant of the North what the North populace requires. I will add one more thing, The North should be connected with the South with a High Way to cut down travel time to one fourth including the Railway. Allow the Communities to mingle, so that this issue of Tamil and Sinhalese will be a thing of the past. Erase all differences, between the communities for all to feel Sri Lankan, before identifying any on Religion and Ethnicity. Establish a system, on Education, Administration, Law and Order not on ethnicity basis but common to all on merit and merit alone with no political interference. Then this country will rise from the ashes of Civil War for sure and truely would be a Paradise. I understand that it is easily said than done, but a start has to be made in the right direction by removing the Biggest Rogue, Killer, Humbug, Fraudster that has become a Cancer to this Nation, that is MR.
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