Leave A Comment
Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.
Champa / November 15, 2018
I didn’t want this to have for fear that same like in the Parliament, people from both sides will fight on the street.
Though nobody understands, this is what the President wants.
He wants UNP and JO to get into violent riots.
/
Anpu / November 15, 2018
From 1958 UNP and SLFP took turns to attack Tamils. Now UNP and SLFP are fighting with each other.
It is all to do with power.
Nothing to do with Buddhism
/
Thappu / November 15, 2018
Anpu, The fight between them is over their shares of the loot. Once the target shifts to Tamils they’ll solidify in no time. Not advisable to be too gleeful.
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / November 16, 2018
Yes they will fight for power and loot but when it comes to Tamils and Tamil speakers they are together , as you can see in all their official correspondences only in Sinhalese and English ( that is not even an official language) but nothing in Tamil , the other official language in par with Sinhalese just on paper. They use the Tamils and then chuck them out like used curry leaves, just like the way they use the Indians, use them for their anti Tamil activities and then run to China. Neither this Ranil nor Sirisena , War criminal genocidal looter or any other Sinhalese politician or leader will ever grant the just Tamil rights. They both immediately targeted the Tamils ,when they started to fight with each other , to win favour with the stupid gullible racist Sinhalese electorate. One stated no north east link, no federalism, no Tamil rights not even on his death bed or something similar, the other to counter it, started to boast how patriotic and tough he was with the LTTE. These people are rotten and racist to the core and their racism and envy towards the island’s Tamil speakers will destroy them the country and everyone else with them.
/
Anpu / November 16, 2018
Thank you Thappu and Uthungan.
I found this only just now. Well articulated – What, to the Minority, is Democracy?
“All postcolonial Sri Lankan heads of government, all of them Sinhalese, have consistently violated the constitution and/or “threatened” democracy – usually by practicing it – and/or oppressed minorities. One could deem it a job requirement.
Just a few months after independence, Don Stephen Senanayake denaturalized, then disenfranchised ‘Indian’ Tamil citizens, already alienated from this country by their naming. Constitutional? Probably not. Democratic? Absolutely – passed by a majority of Parliament………”
/
Anpu / November 16, 2018
Part 2
Taking his cue from his father, Dudley Senanayake continued the Gal Oya scheme, to extend Sinhalese colonization of the east. It worked, democratically, to dilute the democratic prospects of Muslim and Tamil voters in electorates from Trincomalee to Amparai.
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike’s record is too well known to require iteration, but take ‘Sinhala Only’ as example, exemplary. Again, probably not constitutional. Certainly democratic.
His wife, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, massacred thousands of innocents in the name of battling the JVP insurgency. I haven’t read the constitution she operated under lately, but I doubt it authorizes state sanctioned murder. (Ironically enough, she incarcerated Rohana Wijeweera and other JVP leaders in Jaffna – where they radicalized the first generation of Tamil nationalist militants.) Notoriously, of course, Bandaranaike replaced that constitution with another that effectively made Buddhism the state religion. All achieved democratically, with a parliamentary majority.
Junius Richard Jayawardene’s government passed the obnoxious Prevention of Terrorism Act, democratically. It failing to prevent “terrorism,” Jayewardene presided over, and justified, the July 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom in the southern parts of the country. Repression only producing resistance, not submission, Jayawardene then unleashed his military against Tamils in the north and east, slaughtering hundreds. Jayawardene naturalized violence as response to a political problem.
And let’s not forget: enjoying a five/sixth’s majority in Parliament in his first term, wanting to extend its mandate without an election, Jayewardene did so with a simple majority vote at a referendum. While keeping the undated letters of resignation of all his MPs in his pocket. How shrewdly, brilliantly democratic!
/
Anpu / November 16, 2018
Part 3
Initially, Ranasinghe Premadasa let his military loose down south. Among his victims, my friend Richard de Zoysa. When Prime Minister, Premadasa persuaded Jayawardene, towards the end of his regime, to amend the constitution so as to allow a state of emergency to be declared and ratified with a simple majority in Parliament. (It had previously required two-thirds.) All perfectly democratic.
Chandrika Kumaratunga campaigned for President promising nothing short of justice for the Tamil people. Stymied by Velupillai Prabakaran, rather than persist with negotiations, she launched a “war for peace” against the Tamils. Without irony.
Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa’s military butchered an estimated 40,000 Tamil civilians in the course of defeating the LTTE. Rajapaksa eliminated presidential term limits, thus diluting, democratically, the democratic rights of every citizen. And exterminated Sinhalese dissenters, including my friend Lasantha Wickrematunge.
Rajapaksa turned Sri Lanka, at least that part of the people not with him, into a nation of permanently strained necks. You never went out in public without watching your rear. In order to look forward (to peace) you had to look back. You learned to speak like cinema-goers, in the lowest of whispers, didn’t trust anyone, even the trishaw-driver who drove you for decades. Your cellphone was paralyzed: either recharging or downloading the latest encryption app. Mostly, you were scared shitless. Rajapaksa terrorized Sri Lanka almost as effectively as Prabakaran. And the Sinhalese people loved him, adore him.
Of Ranil Wickremasinghe one need utter just a single word: Batalanda. Though I don’t think the constitution authorizes robbing the Central Bank, either. It’s a testament to his general ineptitude that he got caught. To the Rajapaksas’ savvy, that they didn’t.
/
Anpu / November 16, 2018
Part 5
Wickremasinghe takes the presidency as his birthright. An elitist – as Education Minister he once wanted to “horsewhip” striking undergrads – whose elitism has only increased over the decades, he expects the Sirisenas of this country to beg for the vote, then step aside and leave him and his cronies the task of administration.
Within the frame of our postcolonial politics, Sirisena’s move, though unconstitutional, isn’t particularly shocking. Not to a minority. To achieve legitimacy as a Sri Lankan head of government you must violate the constitution. It’s a right of passage.
Now this could be a peculiar characteristic of Sinhalese leaders: they establish rules for the sheer pleasure of breaking them, flout constitutions to demonstrate their superiority to the law. They take the police as extensions of their extortion racket. Understand a bribe as an entitlement, their children’s excesses as a job perk, nepotism as the norm.
But, in so doing, they are not particularly different from the current leaders of many states, including Turkey and India.
We apprehend democracy as an unqualified good, the horizon of our political desires, the best possible, conceivable form of government. But what is democracy in the first place?
Perhaps its best known slogan: “government of the people, by the people, for the people” (Abraham Lincoln). Sounds perfect; how could anyone oppose, even question such a system founded upon the rights of the ordinary person? But, to borrow a phrase from one of Lincoln’s successors, this is fake news.
Modern democracy has a few cardinal elements, among them equality, representative government, the rule of law, majority governance.
/
Anpu / November 16, 2018
Part 6
Just a few moments’ consideration should be enough to realize that representative government is not synonymous with government of or by the people. Rather, the representative replaces the people, is a substitute, establishes a distance between the people and government. First they take your vote, then your place. The magic of democracy lies in its ability to persuade you otherwise, that you and the representative are one, not two.
On the rule of law, the doctrine that holds all citizens equal before the law: have we forgotten to ask who makes the law? The people or dominant social groups? The latter’s representatives, of course, who also enforce it. Thus, to cite a recent instance from the United States, Barack Obama freely confessed to the U.S. having “tortured some folks” after 9/11, but refused to prosecute the persecutors. If the powerful get absolved, does the rule of law prevail? Have you asked yourself why, exactly, the myriad legal proceedings against the Rajapaksas – including murder and corruption – drag on interminably? Power looks after itself. These are not anomalies but a feature that traverses the system.
So, to rewrite Lincoln: democracy is government of some of the people, by a few of the people, for the most powerful segments of those people. Not something worth getting agitated over, is it?
From a minority perspective, the most insidious aspect of democracy is majority rule. It keeps the minority permanently unable to pass legislation. Thus democracy subverts its promise (equality) by being itself (majority rule). All the legislation cited here was passed by Parliament. Democratically.
/
Anpu / November 16, 2018
Part 7
No human population could be considered equal if a part of it is deemed major and the rest, minor (as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, not a politician I particularly admire, told Jawaharlal Nehru). A part significant and the rest, insignificant. A part that matters and another that does not. The Sri Lankan minorities (I despise the term, btw) have not mattered since 1948. Thus it doesn’t make much of a difference to me that yet another Sinhalese head of government has violated the constitution. The situation of the minorities remains unchanged.
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaiake, Dudley Senanayake and J. R. Jayawardene signed agreements to institute Tamil rights/equality. Then disregarded their own commitments. Chandrika Kumaratunga and Sirisena/Wickremasinghe promised rights/equality. Then negated their own promises. Would a minority be wrong to identify a pattern here?
From a minority perspective, democracy is a political system that structurally enables its oppression by the majority, but allows that same majority to stage its practices as the will of the people, all the people, therefore a good thing. Rather than the best possible, conceivable form of government, democracy is a form of domination, of the minority by the majority.
/
Uthungan / November 15, 2018
“From 1958 UNPand SLFP took turns to attack Tamils”.
The Tamils are an easy convenient scapegoats to divide,victimise,and confuse the real shortcomings on the part of both the above said majoritarian Sinhalese parties.
The leaders of the said parties had no desire to plan,nor capacity or ability to develop the country following independence in 1948.
First the UNP ungratefuly disenfranchised generations of Tamil of workers who had toiled to clear the upcountry jungles for the cultivation of tea and rubber cash crops that still brings a sizeable amount of revenue income.
When elections took place in 1956 the renegade tear away SWRD from the UNP inaugurated the SLFP. He made Sinhalese the Official Language overiding the presence of the Section (29) of what was known as the Soul Bury Constitution whereby the British colonisers buried their soul as a token gesture merely to placate the gentrified Colombo7 Tamil leaders who had their flesh pots in the South. The rest is history now.
/
Phanthom / November 16, 2018
Your tamil leaders had every opportunity to work for the grievances of the tamil community, but what did they do, they worked for themselves and cronies.
Classic example is the Thondaman family and the present head Arumugan Thondaman.
A damn cowardly thug.
Take for example Vigneswaran. He wants a luxury car to travel in and all that he does talk, talk and nothing but shitty talk.
Sampanthan lives comfortably in Colombo the capital and also talks, nothing but shitty talks. Why does he not live in Jaffna ???????? because the old bugger is scared stiff of saving his life. Same applies to all the other wankers.
Mano Ganesan !!!! also a big talker, talks through his bloody arse.
If all these buggers decide to live in Jaffna , put their hearts and souls to develop Jaffna and the tamil heartland, then the Sinhalese majority will be shown a classic example of what the tamil people can do.
Can it be done ??????? doubtful very doubtful because the wankers don’t have balls.
The average tamil is a good person, simple, hardworking, non violent, but sadly there is no strong politician to lead them from front.
Forget Prabhakaran ! he was a out and out dictator, coward, and another wanker, who would not hesitate to use another precious life to save his own. He deserves what he got, and the bugger is lucky he was not strung up from the lamp post.
Any way, may the Tamil people one day get the peace they strive for.
We all want Peace.
/
Emil van der Poorten / November 16, 2018
Phanthom (sic);
How about practicing your “bravery” by NOT hiding behind a pseudonym, for starters? You obviously don’t realise it but talk is cheap, very cheap.
/
cholan / November 16, 2018
He He He
Sinhala carboard forces was fighting with Parabaharan over 30 years.
Yes Sinhala carboard forces with the help of 134 countries managed to silence this COWARD correct.
Cowards are the people like you who all hide under bed hugging your wives when LTTE was at its peak ..
Don`t parade your ignorance here.
Hundreds of Sinhalese killing one Tamil..burning a Tamil property
then loot is not a coward act …this is heroism .
Yes Tamile make money and buy property by working hard you all
cowards loot them while your Sinhala forces look other side.
Lets us dance for free liquor.
Cheers
/
Native Vedda / November 16, 2018
Phanthom
–
“Sampanthan lives comfortably in Colombo the capital and also talks, nothing but shitty talks. Why does he not live in Jaffna ???????? because the old bugger is scared stiff of saving his life.”
–
Do you know where does Trinco Sam live in Colombo?
Has been accommodated in luxury official residence?
I am sure you do not know what you are talking about like many other a*******s in this forum.
By the way he is not from Jaffna, and does not represent Jaffna then why should he live in Jaffna?
–
“If all these buggers decide to live in Jaffna , put their hearts and souls to develop Jaffna and the tamil heartland, then the Sinhalese majority will be shown a classic example of what the tamil people can do.”
–
If you want to send Mano and others back to Jaffna, have you ever thought of going back to your former homeland Tamil Nadu?
–
By the way Mano is not from Jaffna.
/
CHOLAN / November 16, 2018
KARMA
Best invite Chinese Army to maintain law & order.
You can`t trust Sinhala cardboard forces.
Chinese love to use guns ,they will not go by race.
Cheers
/
cholan / November 16, 2018
KARMA is in action.
Modays will eat Modayas
Others just stay at home sip coffee and watch TV for this entertainment.
Dont forget to stock food in advance.
Modays are going to repeat 1956..1957..1961..1977..1983 actions BUT this time in different way it will be among them .
Evvery action has got a reaction.
Who cares ?
Cheers
/
Gamarala / November 15, 2018
President is fool. These jokers are playing for the gallery by reducing oil price. The country will go into a major economic crisis
/
Gihan Weerasinghe / November 15, 2018
Ranil is our leader. Long live Ranil, may he lead my nation for prosperity
/
Dombare Amala / November 15, 2018
If you wait for Ranil to lead the nation to prosperity, you will die of starvation. The bugger is incapable of wiping his own ass!
/
vithura / November 15, 2018
Firstly, you should learn to work hard to prosper before pointing the finger of blame on others. Politicians of decent calibre are there to provide the required democratic framework of governance to ensure that there is freedom of thought, speech and endeavour, free of discrimination, by enacting and establishing appropriate legal mechanisms and institutions.
/
mike / November 17, 2018
Dumbo A. – “The bugger is incapable of wiping his own ass.” Why don’t you give him a helping hand?
/
Upyour's / November 16, 2018
RW will lead you, your nation and all that is in it to beggary.
The bugger , the living protoplasm, is a misfortune in terms of birth.
If the shitty evil bugger can, he will strip you and all like you up to your underwear and leave you either shivering to death in the cold and hunger or either burning in the heat and begging with thirst.
The evil, devilish personified shit bucket is inwardly governed by the Devil and all dark forces.
It’s a pity that blind, brainless, people like you wish the bugger long life and want him to lead your nation to prosperity. Your nation is prosperous but your leader is not prosperous and never will be.
He would have done well in the Nazi SS, charming, educated, man of manners, evil in patience, sadistic joker, herding innocent people through the gates of death camps into final misery and untimely death while his cronies raped the land of its wealth.
Hope that through a act of God Sri Lanka will get a honest, fearless, God fearing, brave , educated, person to lead the lovely land and that person is out somewhere waiting to come in and when he does, arseholes like you will be left to linger in shame.
/
Emil van der Poorten / November 16, 2018
Upyour’s:
You couldn’t find a more appropriate pseudonym for a lower form of life such as you are. I am truly astounded by the bravery exhibited by those who don’t have the guts to even sign their names to the wisdom they display in typically execrable language!
/
rbh / November 15, 2018
Rally In Colombo – Live
Basically you have to suppress your disputes in order to be who you need to be. The crowd that come forward to messaging the world against the continued suppression of democracy
/
Soorasena / November 15, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
Nimal Tissa Wijethunga / November 15, 2018
Sri Lankan masses need General Election and Presidential Election now to see ho has the mandate to govern from the people of Sri Lanka.
If UNP and samanalyas going to continue that Sri Lanka will become 08 countries including Orumiththanadu for North & East and some more Daylight Bank robberies mastermind by Samanalayas.
/
Native Vedda / November 15, 2018
Nimal Tissass Wijethunga
–
” 0
Sri Lankan masses need General Election and Presidential Election now to see ho has the mandate to govern from the people of Sri Lanka.”
–
No they don’t.
They need to have the crooks, coup plotters, war criminals, Assgiria, you, somass, Eagle Blind Eye ……………… racists, bigots, to be deported back to South India.
/
Nimal Tissa Wijethunga / November 15, 2018
The UNP and cohorts have gone to the SC to challenge Sri Lankan masses sovereign right of a Genral Election.
All your rubbish, sound and music will be over when the SC GIVES THE RULING that RESIDENT HAS ACTED WELL WITHIN THE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES CONFERRED TO HIM AS PER THE CONSTITUTION.
LET US WAIT TILL 07TH DECEMBER 2018……..
/
K.Pillai / November 15, 2018
The Yukthiye Jana Handa rally in Colombo was a success. Do we need five videos, particularly time is precious?
The dissolution was explained as necessary to avoid blood letting. We MUST give the benefit of doubt.
The RW sack, MR appointment, the dissolution AND (stress) particularly, the immediate actions by MR shows that we have had a coup d’état. We must address it as such.
/
roger / November 16, 2018
let us face it what sirisena did is totally unacceptable . actually if he cannot rule the country he should go, Economy is going to be in tatters. UNP has successfully gathered a massive crowd within one or two days, UNP has a very very high chance of winning the election with a big margin PROVIDED Ranil steps down. People are fed up with ranil which he fails to realize
/
Nimal Tissa Wijethunga / November 16, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
Native Vedda / November 16, 2018
Nimal Tissass Wijethunga
–
Thank you.
/