{"id":83785,"date":"2013-04-24T02:42:15","date_gmt":"2013-04-23T21:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=83785"},"modified":"2013-04-30T20:18:56","modified_gmt":"2013-04-30T14:48:56","slug":"wikileaks-sinhalese-extremist-sihala-urumaya-a-small-party-that-packs-a-political-wallop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-sinhalese-extremist-sihala-urumaya-a-small-party-that-packs-a-political-wallop\/","title":{"rendered":"WikiLeaks: Sinhalese Extremist Sihala Urumaya – A Small Party That Packs A Political Wallop"},"content":{"rendered":"

“The Sihala Urumaya (SU) party is minuscule as an electoral force. The party packs a political wallop, however: its leadership is articulate and generates press coverage; its cadre are devoted to the party’s extremist views; and it maintains strong support in the influential Buddhist clergy. While unlikely to gain electoral power anytime soon, the SU — in a sign that Sinhalese extremism cannot be written off as a force — has shown the ability to get its anti-peace process message across and mold the public debate.”<\/strong>\u00a0the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Champika<\/p><\/div>\n

The\u00a0Colombo Telegraph<\/a><\/span>\u00a0found the related leaked cable from the\u00a0WikiLeaks<\/a><\/span>\u00a0database. The cable discusses the rise of the Sihala\u00a0Urumaya. The cable is classified as \u201cCONFIDENTIAL\u201d and\u00a0written on November 20, 2003. The cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo\u00a0Jeffrey J. Lunstead<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

The ambassador wrote; “Sri Lanka’s Sihala Urumaya (‘Sinhalese birthright’) party is minuscule as an electoral force, especially when compared with Sri Lanka’s big four parties (the United National Party ‘UNP’, the People’s Alliance ‘PA’, the Tamil National Alliance ‘TNA’, and the Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna ‘JVP’). The SU holds no seats in Parliament and in the last parliamentary elections in December 2001 it won only .56 percent of the total vote. The party also holds only a small smattering of seats in the country’s provincial and local councils. Moreover, the party’s membership base is quite limited, with an active cadre numbering in the hundreds and actual dues-paying party members numbering in the low thousands.”<\/p>\n

Under the subheading “NOTEWORTHY POLITICAL INFLUENCE” the ambassador wrote; “While the party lacks electoral muscle, however, it does maintain a fair degree of political influence. One factor in its favor is that its major leaders, chief secretary Tilak Karunaratne and national organizer Champika Ranaweke<\/a><\/span>, are young and articulate. They manage to generate a fair amount of press coverage for the party’s Sinhalese Buddhist extremist point of view through interviews in which they often make radical statements. Karunaratne stated to the press earlier this year, for example, that the SU was ready to train suicide bombers in order to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). While Karunaratne quickly backtracked on this statement, he netted a lot of publicity for his party in the process. To some extent, in showing the ability to get in the press, the party is benefiting from press outlets, such as the ISLAND and DIVAINA, English-and Sinhala-language dailies respectively, which routinely take an anti-peace process, pro-Sinhalese editorial slant. In the meantime, SU cadre are fanatically dedicated to the parties’ anti-peace process, anti-LTTE platform, and they consistently show up for its rallies (see below). At the same time, the party maintains a high degree of support within Sri Lanka’s influential Buddhist clergy. Commenting on the SU’s influence, Rohan Edirisinha, an analyst for the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), a local think-tank, told polchief on November 18 that the SU ‘while small, has shown the ability to nudge the political debate in its direction.'”<\/p>\n

Placing a comment the ambassador wrote;\u00a0 Despite its best efforts, the SU appears unlikely to gain mass support anytime soon. After 20 years of conflict, the Sri Lankan public strongly supports the peace process and is unlikely to turn to the often shrill SU. That said, the SU has shown the ability to mold the debate. In doing so, the SU could make things easier down the road for mass parties that are skeptical toward the peace process, such as the People’s Alliance, or out-and-out opposed, such as the radical JVP. Moreover, the fact that the SU is able to get its anti-peace process, anti-LTTE views across, tends to underscore the point that Sinhalese extremism cannot be written off entirely as a force in Sri Lanka.”<\/p>\n

Read the cable below for further details;<\/p>\n

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002010 \r\n\r\nSIPDIS \r\n\r\nDEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA\/INS, INR\/NESA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD \r\n\r\nPLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC \r\n\r\nE.O. 12958:    DECL:  11-20-13\r\nTAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR SOCI CE\r\nSUBJECT:  Sri Lanka's Sinhalese extremist Sihala Urumaya\r\n-- a small party that packs a political wallop \r\n\r\nRefs:  Colombo 2001, and previous \r\n\r\n(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of\r\nMission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). \r\n\r\n\u00b61.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Sihala Urumaya (SU) party is\r\nminuscule as an electoral force.  The party packs a\r\npolitical wallop, however:  its leadership is articulate\r\nand generates press coverage; its cadre are devoted to\r\nthe party's extremist views; and it maintains strong\r\nsupport in the influential Buddhist clergy.  While\r\nunlikely to gain electoral power anytime soon,\r\nthe SU -- in a sign that Sinhalese extremism cannot be\r\nwritten off as a force -- has shown the ability to get\r\nits anti-peace process message across and mold the\r\npublic debate.  END SUMMARY. \r\n\r\n\u00b62.  (C) A SMALL PARTY:  Sri Lanka's Sihala Urumaya\r\n(\"Sinhalese birthright\") party is minuscule as an\r\nelectoral force, especially when compared with Sri\r\nLanka's big four parties (the United National Party\r\n\"UNP\", the People's Alliance \"PA\", the Tamil National\r\nAlliance \"TNA\", and the Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna\r\n\"JVP\").  The SU holds no seats in Parliament and in the\r\nlast parliamentary elections in December 2001 it won\r\nonly .56 percent of the total vote.  The party also\r\nholds only a small smattering of seats in the country's\r\nprovincial and local councils.  Moreover, the party's\r\nmembership base is quite limited, with an active cadre\r\nnumbering in the hundreds and actual dues-paying party\r\nmembers numbering in the low thousands. \r\n\r\n\u00b63.  (C) NOTEWORTHY POLITICAL INFLUENCE:  While the party\r\nlacks electoral muscle, however, it does maintain a fair\r\ndegree of political influence.  One factor in its favor\r\nis that its major leaders, chief secretary Tilak\r\nKarunaratne and national organizer Champika Ranaweke,\r\nare young and articulate.  They manage to generate a\r\nfair amount of press coverage for the party's Sinhalese\r\nBuddhist extremist point of view through interviews in\r\nwhich they often make radical statements.  Karunaratne\r\nstated to the press earlier this year, for example, that\r\nthe SU was ready to train suicide bombers in order to\r\ndefeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).\r\nWhile Karunaratne quickly backtracked on this statement,\r\nhe netted a lot of publicity for his party in the\r\nprocess.  To some extent, in showing the ability to get\r\nin the press, the party is benefiting from press\r\noutlets, such as the ISLAND and DIVAINA, English-and\r\nSinhala-language dailies respectively, which routinely\r\ntake an anti-peace process, pro-Sinhalese editorial\r\nslant. \r\n\r\n\u00b64.  (C) In the meantime, SU cadre are fanatically\r\ndedicated to the parties' anti-peace process, anti-LTTE\r\nplatform, and they consistently show up for its rallies\r\n(see below).  At the same time, the party maintains a\r\nhigh degree of support within Sri Lanka's influential\r\nBuddhist clergy.  Commenting on the SU's influence,\r\nRohan Edirisinha, an analyst for the Center for Policy\r\nAlternatives (CPA), a local think-tank, told polchief on\r\nNovember 18 that the SU \"while small, has shown the\r\nability to nudge the political debate in its direction.\" \r\n\r\n\u00b65.  (C) RECENT ACTIVITIES:  In the past several months,\r\nthe SU has been highly active and there is every sign\r\nthat it will remain so.  Its recent activities included: \r\n\r\n-- In its recent public pronouncements, the SU came out\r\nstrongly in favor of the President's November 4 sacking\r\nof three ministers and suspension of Parliament.  The\r\nparty has also sponsored several small rallies in\r\nsupport of her actions. \r\n\r\n-- On October 29, SU members disrupted a \"pro-peace\"\r\ncultural festival sponsored by Tamils and some Sinhalese\r\nin Colombo.  Several people were lightly wounded in the\r\nensuing fracas.  The SU, without convincing evidence,\r\nasserted that the event was sponsored by the LTTE.\r\nSeveral SU members were arrested at the scene, but were\r\nlater released.\r\n-- On October 14, the SU led a protest march in\r\nTrincomalee District in the Eastern Province.  The\r\nmarchers were protesting the LTTE's unauthorized camp\r\nlocated at \"Wan Ela\" near Trincomalee city.  The\r\nmarchers were turned back by security forces before\r\ncoming too close to the camp. \r\n\r\n-- In late September, SU members joined with the\r\nPatriotic National Movement (\"Jathika Deshahitayashi\r\nPeramuna\") in a lengthy protest march from the central\r\ncity of Kandy to Colombo.  The Patriotic National\r\nMovement, which was formed earlier in September, is a\r\ngrouping of opposition political parties including the\r\nJVP and some anti-peace process elements of the PA.\r\n(While the SU often joins in anti-peace process\r\nactivities with the Marxist JVP, it differs from the JVP\r\nin that it has no discernible economic philosophy.) \r\n\r\n-- On September 15, approximately 400 Sihala Urumaya\r\nmembers joined radical Buddhist monks in a visit to an\r\narchaeological site in Ampara District, located in the\r\nsoutheast.  A prominent monk had been denied access to\r\nthe site by the LTTE in August and the SU wanted to show\r\nthat Buddhists had a right to visit the site. \r\n\r\n\u00b66.  (C) COMMENT:  Despite its best efforts, the SU\r\nappears unlikely to gain mass support anytime soon.\r\nAfter 20 years of conflict, the Sri Lankan public\r\nstrongly supports the peace process and is unlikely to\r\nturn to the often shrill SU.  That said, the SU has\r\nshown the ability to mold the debate.  In doing so, the\r\nSU could make things easier down the road for mass\r\nparties that are skeptical toward the peace process,\r\nsuch as the People's Alliance, or out-and-out opposed,\r\nsuch as the radical JVP.  Moreover, the fact that the SU\r\nis able to get its anti-peace process, anti-LTTE views\r\nacross, tends to underscore the point that Sinhalese\r\nextremism cannot be written off entirely as a force in\r\nSri Lanka.  END COMMENT. \r\n\r\n\u00b67. (U) Minimize considered. \r\n\r\nLUNSTEAD<\/pre>\n
 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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