Each Generation has to re-fight its Grandfathers’ Battles
February 13th, 2008
by Dayan Jayatilleka
Unfair criticism must be met with fair counter-criticism. If the criticism is private, so too should be the counter-criticism. Insofar as the criticism is public, so too should be the defence, and the counter-criticism. No self respecting state can respond in private, to criticism of it in public.
The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was gracious enough to issue a statement on Sri Lanka’s 60th anniversary of Independence. He said:
‘The 60th anniversary of Sri Lankan independence is a time to reflect on the health and welfare of the nation and its people as it moves forward in the 21st century. The cycle of violence in Sri Lanka has worsened in recent weeks. Civilian lives have been lost from all communities and regions of Sri Lanka. The end of the formal 2002 cease-fire agreement does not remove the obligation of all parties to the conflict to protect civilian life.
[British Foreign Secretary David Miliband-Photo via Yahoo! News]
‘I wholeheartedly condemn these attacks upon civilians and those responsible. My thoughts and condolences are with the victims of the attacks, and their families. I call for an immediate end to practices which target civilians or put them in peril. I urge all in Sri Lanka to take steps to safeguard the civilian population and find ways to reduce the violence.
‘Violence can never provide an answer to Sri Lanka’s problems. People in Sri Lanka need to find space to realize their many similarities, rather than becoming further polarized by their differences. A sustainable solution to Sri Lanka’s conflict can only emerge through a just political process involving all communities.’
The statement does not congratulate or wish Sri Lanka well on its important Independence Anniversary. It moves straight into a little homily commending reflection, a reminder from the former colonial master on the need for such a practice. While it bewails and bemoans civilian deaths, the three paragraph statement makes no reference to the LTTE, terrorism or separatism. It contains not the slightest hint of solidarity in the struggle against terrorism, from a fellow democracy. It concludes with the unctuous observation that “Violence can never provide an answer to Sri Lanka’s problems.” This leaves one wondering if violence can ever provide an answer to Iraq’s or Afghanistan’s problems, because in both countries British troops are present, engaging in the practice precisely of violence! Neither country is part of Britain. In both countries British troops are invaders. Neither country did any harm to Britain. In the case of one, Britain led the pack in lying to the world and its own people about WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) as a prelude to invading and occupying it.
Sri Lanka is fighting a war that is just by any criteria. It is a war against separation of a small island. It is a war of a democracy against an enemy that is both totalitarian and terrorist.
How well are the Sri Lankan armed forces doing against the LTTE? The evidence is in a professional, four page, diagrammatically illustrated special report in one of the most respected and arguably the best known South Asian magazine, India Today. Check out the latest issue with its frank interview with President Rajapakse and its report on the war and the Sri Lankan armed forces, entitled ‘Getting Prabhakaran’.
It is said that each generation has to re-fight the battles not of their fathers but of their grandfathers. The matter is all rather simple. Sri Lanka is fighting a war to prevent separation, to unite the country, to maintain it as a single territory, to make the writ of the state run from West to East, North to South of our little island. This is a struggle undertaken by many societies at an earlier stage of their history. It is part of what is known as the bourgeois democratic revolution, i.e. those tasks undertaken or completed by the rising bourgeois class of those nations. In the global South, this task of national unification often comes up against the opposition of the Western powers (as it did in China). This seems to be the case in present day Sri Lanka too. In such historical situations, the tasks of national unification combine with the struggle to win or defend national independence and sovereignty.
The task of national-territorial unification intertwine with the left over or reactivated task of defending national independence against Western intervention, hegemonism and diktat, or in a word-old fashioned but accurate-imperialism. It is a term that David Miliband’s highly (and deservedly) respected father, Marxist political theorist Ralph Miliband, was not afraid to use. In these twin tasks, the national capitalist leaderships of the East play a role, sometimes a leading role, unlike those in the West. This is what led Lenin to speak paradoxically of an “Advanced Asia and Backward Europe”. Even more striking was the development of this idea by Stalin, who concluded in the 1920s, that inasmuch as he stands up against Western imperialism for his nation, despite his ideological backwardness, “the Emir of Afghanistan is more progressive than the British Labor Party”. This is certainly true of many a Third World and Eurasian leader including those of Sri Lanka, in relation to the British (New) Labor Party!
Sometimes the task of national unification takes a particularly enlightened multilingual, multi-religious character, but in many, even most cases, the struggle requires the mobilization of the peasantry and the nationalist intelligentsia and therefore takes a majoritarian nationalist, even religio-nationalist, character. The Year 1848 which witnessed radical democratic revolutions throughout Europe was called the Springtime of Nations and that season spilled over into a conflict of nationalisms. Uneven development dictated different ratios of Reason and Romanticism, of secularism and religiosity, of forward looking and backward looking elements in each democratic upheaval or nationalist movement. While the American Revolution of 1776 was exemplarily enlightened, an earlier experience of enormous progressive import in English-and Western-history, the Cromwellian Revolution, had a religious charge and a dark downside in Ireland.
British Foreign Secretary Miliband’s advice to Sri Lanka, which reeks of retro-chic in that it seems to forget that it is sixty years since Britain ruled us, must be matched against some excellent advice he received recently from the Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, probably the most impressive Foreign Minister in service today (whose twin lectures at the UN in Geneva I greatly look forward to attending this week). Incidentally his early years as a diplomat were spent in Sri Lanka, beginning in 1972. When the British Ambassador to Moscow dug in his heels over the presence of the British Council in St Petersburg and said something to the world’s media to the effect that (as the old protest song went) “we shall not be moved”, the British found that in fact they were, the very next day. Commenting on the episode, Russia’s Foreign Minister said that Britain had not obtained Russia’s permission to set up these British Council offices. More importantly he made an observation of the statements emanating from the British Foreign Secretary and the UK govt, remarking that “this is not the language with which to speak to Russia, some people have not got over their colonial frame of mind and are still nostalgic for their colonial past.”
If any country takes a stand that is tilted against us or is ambivalent in this most fundamental of struggles, then we must recognize that there exists an incompatibility of interests between those countries and ours. Such states are not firm friends or staunch allies. It should be made clear to them that their stand today directly influences the role they will or will not have in influencing the post-war, post-conflict order in Sri Lanka. Those who stand against us, who threaten or attempt to intimidate us; those who vacillate and temporize during this war, have forfeited the chance to play a role in the peace. They must be limited to a strictly diplomatic presence. There are on the other hand, states that have uncritically supported us during this war, or have voiced their misgivings and advice in private. They are the ones with whom we have a basic identity of interests. These are our friends, allies and partners. They are the extended family to which we truly belong.
Some choices are easy. The Sri Lankan people are politically among the most sophisticated in the Third World and even the newly emergent democracies of the Second World, given not only our levels of literacy but also the exercise of universal franchise from 1931. A recent Nielsen poll conducted in cooperation with the Sunday Times contained some important judgments by a representative sample of the Sri Lankan people. They rated the greatest leaders of Independent Sri Lanka in the following order: (Founding Father) DS Senanayake, President Ranasinghe Premadasa and incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse. (I am proud to have supported and worked with two of the three).The people unerringly discern synchronicity where the pseudo-intelligentsia does not. The poll also placed President Rajapakse way ahead of his current competitors, with former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (economic neoliberal, peacenik and darling of the West) and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga (darling of the Tamil liberals) scoring a truly pathetic 1% each! Set these figures along the results of recent polls which show figures of a massive majority ( 85%) identifying separatist terrorism as the most important issue and supporting the military efforts of the incumbent, and you get the overall picture of where the Sri Lankan people stand, and just how isolated the Colombo “comprador” critics are.
What we must do is renew our commitment to and reactivate “really existing devolution”, that is provincial level devolution as contained in the 13th amendment. The issue is not whether such devolution is intrinsically desirable. The issue is that we cannot afford not to do so. If we do not want a replay in some form or the other of the bitter experience of 1987, when the advancing Sri Lankan Army under General Gerry de Silva and more famously Brigadiers Kobbekaduwa and Wimalaratne, were stopped in theirs tracks by external intervention, we must devolve. Tamil Nadu, the DMK factor, the coalitional character of governments in Delhi, and elections in India this year or next, are facts that we cannot ignore. We cannot afford South India becoming once again a safe haven or rear base for the LTTE. We can still less afford anti-aircraft rocketry being smuggled in through South India to the LTTE. We need India to play a more active role in cooperating with us to put down Prabhakaran who has cost both our countries so much. The lowest price we have to pay is the full and immediate implementation of the 13th amendment.
Entry Filed under: transCurrents Commentary
72 Comments Add your own
1. roshann wickremesinge | February 14th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Dont fool yourself dayan,
once you are EPRLF next Premadasas servant now mad mahindas cooli.
You have no policy, jumping every where for destruction of our beloved nation. You can write anything you like any racist papers, only people agree with you is mad racist brainless sinhala budhist chounist fascist.
Read Mr mangala samaraweeras article in sunday leader. We sinhalease created all these mess.
Please you can fool Some sinhalease not all of them.
2. Walter Rajaratne | February 14th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Its in deed worthwhile to pay a small fee in the form of a devolution to our brethern Tamils who shared this land with us for millennia either as invaders or any other form.
Tamils should not be seen through the prism of Prabahakaran band which only depicts inhuman terrorists. So lets pay the fee by way of a not negotiable cheque crossed with the amount not exceeding the agreed price clearly printed.
3. KTR | February 14th, 2008 at 3:20 am
Dyan you are the bluff master for your prersident.
4. Estavez | February 14th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Dr.Dayan Jayatilake have mentioned everything but the root causes to current state of affairs in Sri Lanka.
Every Generation is fighting its grandfathers’ war only in Sri Lanka.
The new generations in All other countries are enjoying the benefits of their grandfathers’ sacrifices and the hard work they put in to create a nation, economy, lifestyle and live equal to their western counterparts.
Take for example, India in the 50’s , Malaysia in the 60’s, china in the 50’s, Vietnam - thailand in the 70’s.
They have peace, prosperity and economic and political stability. What does Sri Lanka have?
Placing the Blame on LTTE and Prabhkaran is the easiest way out and at best, brings out the ulteriror motive of Dayan calling all to help suppress Tamil Nationalism.
THE ROOT CAUSES OF TAMIL SUBJUGATION, VIOLENT METHODS USED TO SUPPRESS TAMIL DEMOCRATIC AND PEACEFUL AGITATION FOR EQUALITY BY DAYAN’S GRAND FATHERS ARE THE FIRST NEED ADDRESSING.
YOU CANNOT PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND SAY, LTTE MUST GO FIRST AND THEN SINHALA WILL REDRESS TAMIL GREIVANCES.
UNFORTUNATELY, HAVING KNOWN THE SINHALA MENTALITY TO SOLVE AND TO IMPLEMENT ANY SOULUTION + GREED TO OCCUPY TAMIL NATION AND COLONISE IT WITH SINHALA THUGS+THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
PTOMS, CFA weren’t fully implemented for what? You agree to something,then, keep your side of the bargain.
Dr.Dayan, having portrayed himself as an educated and rationale entity, lets himself down and tries to pull the wool over the Tamil community.
India, will be wise not to side with SL and lose Tamil Nadu as one of its state. The designs are there,that, India if takes Tamil Nadu for granted and do the same as their Sri Lankan counterpart,then, can EXPECT THE SAME FROM TAMIL NADU TOO. Since LTTE has proved that Tamils with determination and discipline can be force to recon with, Tamil Nadu also will find Indian Central Govt taking Tamils for granted and going along with an bankrupt SL Govt of Rajapakshe spells doom to its own union.
The Next Generation of Tamil Nadu will fight its GRANDFATHERS WAR….??????
5. Louise Shackleton | February 14th, 2008 at 6:17 am
In SL levels of literacy is high.
In India levels of literacy is low.
What is the price of 1Kg of rice in SL?
How much money is spent on keeping the small island from separation?
I have heard there is no river in Jaffna, practically a desert.
What is the point in having a high level of literacy, when you are hungry you can not think clearly.
6. Subra S.Massey | February 14th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Dr.Jayatilake,
You are basically telling us to go into the next phase.
As an educated man you should advocate peace all the time. There is no room for violence. Dr. Jayatilake I want to plant a question in your mind, I don’t need an answer. How would you react if your mother, Wife, Sister or Daughter was raped at gun point in your presence?. What can you do? What will you do? and how will it affect your mind?
Please go into seclusion and reflect on it. If you are still belligerent there will never be a solution to the Sri Lankan problem. You may win at this time but when we return on a later date we will put your statue and tell the people of Sri Lanka you are one of those people who caused this carnage.
Read History doctor don’t tell us Yourstory( Your story)!
Dayan, violence in not the answer, killing innocent people is not the answer. Have you ever spoken to a Singhalese family that lost a bread winner. Talk to them before you come up with stories.
LTTE was banned by UK, EU, USA to force them to make peace and now you are condemning them. I am not a politician but it looks like that you and your country is behaving like little children who want to keep everything.
Talking about the middle east, My dear doctor we have to free the people from feudalism. Your mindset is not your problem it is a regional problem. SE Asia region has been influenced by Islamic feudalism. So you think like them. A school girl who worked part time for me told me there is only one religion in the world. When you read one book that is what you get and when you have one postgarduate thesis that is what you have in your head.
You are telling Mahinda is a great leader. A great leader would have by now galvanized all people in Sri Lanka without firing even one single bullet.
Doctor are you scared of Tamils or are you scared of clear conscience? Think about it for Clear conscience is an invicible weapon!
I have already converted on person who claimed that he was a Singhalese. He is now a Sri Lankan. I hope to work on you, if I can convert you I can convert Mahinda, then the country will be on its way to peace and prosperity.
7. Ratna | February 14th, 2008 at 7:07 am
DJ is becoming more and more defensive these days. He has the toughest job, more than SL’s foreign minister.
He has to face the foreign reps on a daily basis and give some excuses for all the killings, arrests, kidnappings, aerial bombings, food and medicine embargos, bombing of schools and civilian residences,……….. All these done by his government forces, on it’s own people, in the name of ‘getting prabhakaran’.
Right or wrong, DJ is doing a good job for Rajapakse Family.
8. rathakrishnan | February 14th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Well said, Mr. Dayan . Thank You.
By the way , Mr.Dayan, a couple of days ago, I was listening a Canadian Tamil radio’s talk show and I was shocked. This person, Mr Thirulchelvam, so called political analyser portrays you as a “Sinhala-Buddhist chauvanist” to the Canadian Tamil radio listeners. He said, that the President
gave you a post in UN, because you have those qualifications. Canadian Tamil medias lies to the public.
Why you don’t write something about these liars?
9. andy lingam | February 14th, 2008 at 9:08 am
The lowest price we have to pay is the full and immediate implementation of the 13th amendment.
& Highest price is to divide the country?
Each Generation has to re-fight its Grandfathers’ Battles
Yes this is also applite to Tamils as well.
10. andy lingam | February 14th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I hope & wish Charls anthoy will take over what his father & his gran left to fight for Tamil Homeland.
11. Sam Thambipillai | February 14th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Dayan Jayatilaka has the audacity to say “Sri Lanka is fighting a war that is just by any criteria. It is a war against separation of a small island. It is a war of a democracy against an enemy that is both totalitarian and terrorist”
Who is totalitarian and terrorist? Is it not the state? Who is fighting for separation? Not the Tamils. They are asking for independence of a country which was theirs when the British captured the island. There are much smaller countries than Tamil Eelam.
The government of Sri Lanka always distorts the truth when it is the politics of the people of the North East. This is one instance where the International community has been fooled miserably for many years.
The people of the South are mainly motivated by Sinhala racism. This is the reason for 85% support for the war. Sinhalese want Tamils defeated and killed. Human rights violations such as murder, rape and displacements are alright if it happens to Tamils. This is racism of the highest order. Disgraceful in the 21st century.
Sri lanka is a rebel state with a rebel constitution. This aspect has not yet been understood by the International community. It is because of this reason a war exists in Sri Lanka. A war that can never be won by any side.
The army commander says he will finish off the LTTE before he retires this year. Rajapakse says it will take more than a year and a half to defeat the LTTE. Douglas Devanda asks India to intervene and defeat the LTTE. The Navy commander says that LTTE could soon become a threat to the region. Who is fooling whom? Can the LTTE be ever defeated? No
Fooling the foolish is a political game in Sri Lanka. The foolish voters are unable to understand even the basic aspects of self rule. The voters remain stupid and follow the dictates of racist politicians. This is the reason for the 85% support for Rajapakse and the war.
This situation can never be put right. Foreign intervention is wanted now and not tomorrow.
12. Siripala | February 14th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Perhaps Dayan Jayatilleke should enlighten us on the failed NE Provincial Council of which he was a minister. Why did you resign? As a person who openly suported a militant Tamil group you may know their line of thinking. Didn’t you find chauvanism even among moderate Tamil militant groups like EPRLF?
I am shocked to see the amount of support LTTE enjoys among the Tamil disapora. It’s very rare to find an educated and decent Sinhalese who approves of what happened in 1983. But there are scores of Tamils who defend and support the crimes agains humanity committed by LTTE. The chauvanism among most Tamils is unbelievable. Yet they accuse Sinhalese of chauvanism and racism.
Would any LTTE supporter care to enlighten me on their double standards on chauvanism and racism which calls for self determination of Tamils while denying it to Muslims and Sinhalese in the NE, which make them cry foul when LTTE terrorists are killed at the same time applauding massacre of Sinhalese and Muslim civilians.
I think anyone supporting LTTE is not worthy of being called a human. Over to you LTTE supporters.
13. sam | February 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am
First attempt at division occurred in 1918. At the time the Anti Hindhi & anti-Brahmin Tamils of South India demaded a dravidian State from London.
When India banned seperatist politics within its borders after the Indo-China skirmish in 1963, these Tamil Nadu seperatists moved their seperatists apparatus to Jaffna and named the movement DMK.
This is the very DMK that is in power now in TN and figiting with Sri Lankan.
It is time India woke upto reality and act by nipping things before it gets way out of hand to curb the LTTE in the North of SL before it reach their own back yard with political blessings.
Its already too late.
14. Indian Tamil | February 14th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Mr.Dayan,
India fought to liberate Bangladesh to safeguard her eastern flank.This can not be called an external intervention.To undo Mrs.Gandhi,s aggressive policies Mr.Rajiv intervened.But,it resulted in creation of a just solution for tamils and avoiding another Bangladesh type operation.You will agree that if not for LTTE and JVP this accord would have resulted in peaceful coexistence of people within Srilanka.
India will never intervene again.India has realised the mistake committed earlier and now stands for united ,strong Srilanka.This is not Srilanka specific.After losing Rajiv ,India committed to have strong neighbors to avoid terrorism.Even PAK was granted most favoured nation (MFN) status and trade is booming.Whichever party comes to power ,whatsoever coalition maybe,Srilanka policy will never change.Even in 1987 India was for Srilanka,s sovereignity.We fought your war.(still we donot see any memorial).
India is willing to develop Srilanka economically.Mr.Jairam ,commerce minister with business delegation just concluded the visit to invest 2 billions$.Also India has committed to assist developing educational institutions of Srilanka.In TN,our major political parties too have realised the mistakes of supporting LTTE.
For India, Srilanka,s aerial attack is the only concern.We have naxals in south,maoists in central and potent terrorists like LTTE in kashmir and northeast.Indian Army suffers heavy casualities but donot use attack heli or war planes to avoid civilian deaths.Howsoever accurate your ground info maybe,civilian deaths willbe there during aerial attack.Also Indian Army doesnot allow these terrorists to control territory.They are always on the run.Srilanka has to seriously examine this military tactics.
It was a fitting reply to our colonial masters.They committed such serious mistakes in fixing India,s borders with PAK and china,we are committing billions of dollars for our useless defence.With all these resources we would have removed our poverty longback.
15. Dayan | February 14th, 2008 at 11:40 am
It is deploring to see the author was attacking the British establisments and the Foreign Secretary for not participating in the genocidal war against Tamils.
Also, the author is threating the Democratic Governments who support the human rights issues with punishment after the war. ie not allowing the those countries to participate in the development of Sri Lanka or Tamil homeland.
Author and GOSL are trying to involve the Indian Government to fight against the Tamils in Sri Lanka, as we all know that there are any LTTE cadres without the support of 95% of Tamils. Tamils are live in this country for 60 years as slaves, not to mentioned the genocide committed by the GOSL.
The poll carried out within the majority Sinhala masses is nothing to do with the sufferring Tamils in Sri Lanka. Tamils have already democratically demonstrated to the world and GOSL that they want to have a seperate state or Homeland. ie; TULF victory in 1977 , and TNA victory recently.
The unitary Sri Lanka is based on myth , Mahavamsa.
16. Devinda Fernando | February 14th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
David Millbrand is nothing more than a Fence-sitting Goat-Person.
As much as I admire Mr. Dayan Jayatillika for his very insightful writings in the past, I feel he should not have wasted his ink on Millbrand’s comments with such an indepth analysis.
17. Sankili | February 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
The fact remains that nearly since independence Sri Lanka’s leaders have tried to fashion the island not as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state, but as a monolithic Sinhala Buddhist state. That is something the minorities have gone to war to prevent.
The much-touted ‘devolution’ of the 13th Amendment is so weak as to be nearly meaningless, leaving minorities largely under majority control.
The war in Sri Lanka is not a just war. It is a war in which civilian and soldier are treated as one, where torture and bombing of children are carried out with impunity, where human rights is equated with demagoguery.
What is this mindless tripe even doing on TransCurrents?
18. 2ndClassTamil | February 14th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Dayan says Sri Lanka is fighting a war that is just by any criteria. It is a war against separation of a small island. It is a war of a democracy against an enemy that is both totalitarian and terrorist.
This is plain propaganda. Separatism is the last resort for Tamils when Sinhalese will not concede devolution. If that is true then the war is justified. It is not a war of a democracy, but a war of a tyrannical majority against a militant minority (who have been shackled by all kind of unfair labels too).
The truth of the matter is the war is to annihilate the Tamils in Sri Lanka; killing Tamil civilians by bombing, abductions and dissapearances; in the guise ‘war on terror’. This is the best solution for the Sinhalese though the price may be a bit high. In the mean time Dayan says The lowest price we have to pay is the full and immediate implementation of the 13th amendment
There is no ‘war on terror’. That is what is refuted indirectly by the British (and Germans) when they do not mention all the things Dayan says they should have mentioned. But Dyan does not get the message! The message is you cannot cover justice, freedom and human rights of a people forever by propaganda and state terror.
19. Estavez | February 14th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
My comment got wiped out.
Was it that you couldn’t handle the Truth?
And you like posting crap like this article here in this forum targetting what kind of readers?
Dayan teaching India what to do with Tamil Nadu and Tamils is too rich for a poor nation like SL which prints money or borrows money to pay wages to state employees.
such is the state of affairs and some said, the economy can take another 18 months of war! Huh!
The average people in the south are having half meal a day to survive. Two meals a day is becoming a luxury.
Bankrupt nation, bankrupt politicians and bankrupt diplomats having their own stomachs well fed, preach about sacrifice to others but not themselves.
13th Amendment is a another street drama as same as the APRC circus.
“You can fool some people sometime and not all peoples all the time”
Keep writing crap Dayan, as long as it brings your soul some peace.
20. villa anand | February 14th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
You should be applauded for asserting Srilankan Sovereignty against our ex colonial master. Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov very correctly rebuked the British. But he could do so as a strong independent proud nation. Can Sri Lanka claim to be one? Yes we had independence, but we still carry begging bowl from disaster relief to arms procurement. The international community is laughing at us including our present and past donor countries. Not at our poverty but at our ignorance. Ignorance at squandering our resources both human and natural to establish a racially divided country. The educated and entrepreneurs are leaving. Human lives are being lost; cultivable lands are bombed and transferred to war zone. Fishermen are killed and trade is curtailed. All these are being done to create a Singhala Buddhist dominated nation.
You write ‘The Sri Lankan people are politically among the most sophisticated in the Third World and even the newly emergent democracies of the Second World, given not only our levels of literacy but also the exercise of universal franchise from 1931.’
Do the Sri Lankan people you refer include Tamils and Muslims? If so what happened to these people? Why the envy of south east Asia 60 years ago became the pariah in the eyes of the world. Is it because of LTTE or Prabaharan?
Repeating what D.B.S Jeyaraj said; LTTE did not create the Tamil problem. Prabakharan and the LTTE were by - products of the problem created through majoritarian hegemony. Prabakharan was only two years old when Sinhala was enthroned as the sole official language. He was four years old when the 1958 anti - Tamil violence was unleashed. The LTTE leader was only seven years old when the non - violent Satyagraha was brutally suppressed.
If you think 13th amendment was a solution why was that not implemented in the first place. Sri Lanka the politically matured nation than most other Asian countries failed to offer similar solution to the Tamils for 60 years. If a similar solution had been offered in 1950’s there is no LTTE and no Praba.
If 13th amendment is a solution which was already in place why APRC spent months trying to come up with a solution. The truth is no Singhala leadership will implement any solution to the minorities. They do not see SriLanka as a multiethnic country. It’s us verses them attitude. Remember the president JR’s war cry ‘If they want war then war, peace means peace’ and Banda’s ‘Let the Tamil’s learn a lesson’
You seem to misquote Marxist leaders on racial and national independent struggle to suite your governments’ actions. I don’t think Lenin, Stalin or Mao would create a State with constitution giving prominence to a race or religion.
Now the effort to put forward 13th amendment is to please India, because it’s India’s proposal. But even that will not be implemented. The only way Sri Lankan government wants to solve Tamil problem is by eliminating or silencing the Tamil voice.
21. R.Goonetilake | February 14th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
“Jaya Sikurui” is my father’s batlle and I am fighting it again!
The cycle have gone short and perhaps I would fight the “Mulletivu Debacle” too.
The best part of counter criticism is to have no fingers pointing at yourself when you point a finger at another.
We have let others poke and prod into our internal matters that the ethnic curse have gone on for 60 odd years and we still want to shove a solution on someones throat by force.
“Once someone said:
“Live with laughter but don’t live as a laughing stock ”
We have lived as a Laughing Stock to others.
“Live and Let Live” and LTTE will go away. Simple.!!!
Tamils would let live and let go of LTTE too. This is the only way Dayan!!
If we keep holding onto 13th amendment,then, Oslo Declaration got no meaning or the PTOMS has any meaning. We’ve gone that far and turning back 20 years to the 13th Amendment tells everyone how bankrupt is this regime and their diplomats who vociferously support it due to their postings!
The scant regard shown to life and livelihood of all Sri Lankans by going to war AGAIN is mind boggling! Those who support war have innocent blood in their hands. I hope and pray that God will show no mercy to those who resort to violence and war.
22. Dr K C | February 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Dear Dayan Jayatilleka
When I read this paper you gave me the impression that you are one of the party political organisers for MR. On the contrary you are indeed a senior diplomat at the UN. It would nice if you could behave to uphold the respect that your position warrants.
The APRC came up with the 13 A as a result of political terrorism by MR. Is it just a humbug the appointment of Expert Panel to the APRC? Vitharana Proposal? Is it necessary to appoint an APRC to say what is already in the constitution ‘good’ for the country?
I was pleasantly surprised when the Expert Panel that was appointed by MR came up with a promising formula to end the conflict. I thought this would pave the way for cessation of this horrible conflict and bring a bright future for SL. But political terrorism by MR has shattered my hope.
You have cursed the LTTE leadership in this paper but I have no problem with that. But you have to understand that the GOSL has committed crimes to the similar extent on the innocent Tamil civilians. You have not uttered a single word about the atrocities committed by the GOSL.
If the GOSL had upheld the rule of law and treated every citizen equally since independence we would not have descended to this level. All communities - Sinhalese, Tamils & Muslims - would have made this paradise one of the most prosperous nations on this planet. Young men & women, in their tender age, both Sinhala soldiers and Tamil militants would not have been losing their limbs and lives in this most cruel way.
Just before I read your paper I had a look at another paper by Sonali Samarasinghe - what a contradiction!!
http://www.themorningleader.lk/20080213/politics.html
23. Thiru.m | February 14th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Employer of SLFP-JVP-JHU & other parties, the coalition GOSL, Dayan Jayatilleke from Geneva says “What we must do is renew our commitment ( there was never a commitment, the component parties went to the courts and got what they wanted the de-merger of NE ) to and reactivate ” really existing devolution”, that is the provincial level devolution as contained in the 13th amendment “. Is he thinking freely and acting with conscience clear like his comrade Professor Vitharane on this issue ?
My friends, associates and I are confused which 13th amendment he is talking about, the 1987 13 th amendment, or APRC ( with its intended original purpose ) majority report whic came out with 13th amendment plus or Mahinda Chinthanaya coerced , India endorsed 13th amendment minus infinity ( APRC can keep on deliberating indefinitely until Tamils lose their vigour for freedom ) covered by sugar coat called APRC?
If Dayan’s conscience speak of this 13th amendment, what 13th amendment his comrade Somawansa Amerasinghe from JVP talking about ” JVP Plans to Challenge APRC Proposals Legally ” in the news columns of Asian Tribune - Dayan Jayatilleke’s Hammock tied between coconut trees where Dayan used to come out with is Chinthanya from reclining position in tandem with people like HLDM?
In my opinion the what Dayan Jayatilleke talking about is to kill the Tamils slowly and assimilate them as Zombies ( like the paramilitary and TULF leaders ) within united Srilanka with his 13th amendment homeopathic pill containing heavy dose of undemocratic poison, by forcing through the throats of the Tamils, with India and the IC holding firm the arms and legs of the healthy Tamils’ legitimate struggle.
24. A.Rajasingam | February 14th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Strictly speaking the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was really concerned of the continuing violation of human rights in Sri Lanka. In this 21st century when all the countries are respecting the rights of its citizens without any discrimination, he has every reason to raise the issue of the prevailing discriminatory racial issues in Sri Lanka. Surely sixty years is more than enough to solve this problem. He has only indirectly expressed that the limited knowledge of federalism has eventually resulted in targeting the innocent civilians.
The writer failed or reluctant to disclose that federalism is the sustainable solution to the prevailing crisis in Sri Lanka. When referring to violence, the writer had forgotten that it is the Sri Lankan government which unleashed violence in 1958 when the Tamils agitated for their rights through non-violence means. It is a fact that before the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British conquered Sri Lanka, that there were two kingdoms in Sri Lanka. Apparently the Tamils and the Sinhalese have jointly agitated for the independence of Sri Lanka. Independence was granted to Sri Lanka not because there was a battle against the British, but because of the Indian battle against the British, and because of the liberal attitude of the Labour Government under Lord Atlee towards its colonies seeking independence. The writer failed to mention that the 1972 and 1978 constitutions were designed by the SLFP and the UNP respectively to marginalize the minority Tamils. Eventually the 13th Amendment was passed on account of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord. This amounted to a partial rectification of the 1978 Constitution. Again allocation of adequate powers and funds were denied to the North-East Province. Instead violence was unleashed on the innocent civilians on various pretexts. The writer forgot that the Tamils in the North-East Province are citizens of Sri Lanka and that they are entitled to an equal share like the rest of the people. The writer should have realized this matter and agitated for a Federal constitution which would have promoted harmony among the Sinhalese and the Tamils. This is the answer to the tasks of national unification combine with the struggle to win or defend national independence and sovereignty.
Instead of quoting the frank interview by the President, the writer could have realized that Federalism endorses all what the President had said. Federalism never endorses separation - it binds all Provinces. There is Unity in diversity as in Canada, USA, India, and Switzerland. The significance of Federalism was realized by S.J.V.Chelvanayagam to the present crisis and agitated through non-violence means. Apparently the rivalries among the Sinhalese leaders led to targeting the Tamils for their hunger for power. The Sinhalese political leaders only satisfied the Tamils by way of Pacts which, in fact, was a eye wash. Sri Lanka saw three civil riots for mere agitation by non-violence means.
The writer should have realized that Premadasa was the worst President who ruined the country and sold the country to the LTTE. Not only he send the IPKF but also gave arms to the LTTE to fight the IPKF. Not only Premadasa was instrumental for the killing of several thousands of innocent Sinhalese youths but also for the present crisis. The famous impeachment was another instance of his stupidity.
The argument of the writer that countries have forfeited the chance to play a role in the peace is absolutely baseless. Mention should be made that the sending of IPKF by Premadasa was a missed opportunity by Sri Lanka.
The situation in Afganistan should not be compared with Sri Lanka. In Afganistan, terrorism was a threat to the entire world. Citizens throughout the world chose to live in places (USA and UK) which was home to them and accepted by civilized Nations. If such Nations are attacked by these terrorists, there is a moral obligation for such Nations to deal with terrorism and the involvement of Britain and USA are justified. It does not mean that the LTTE is not a terrorist organization. They have exceeded their limits by unlawful means by targeting innocent civilians and in having associations with international terrorist organizations that are detrimental to the interests of democracies. However, in Sri Lanka there is an available solution (Federalism) which the rulers are reluctant to accept. Politicians in Sri Lanka give priority to their vested interests over the civilians. This is the difference between Sri Lanka and the Western democracies.
When the writer is concerned of the protection of civilian life why should he base his argument of the formal 2002 cease-fire agreement. Why cannot he compare the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord with the CFA. How is he going to argue that the Accord is dead when it is still not abrogated by both India and Sri Lanka. Why has the writer failed to state that the President was reluctant to make an unequivocal declaration that Tamils should enjoy the rights as in a Federal system though in a united Sri Lanka in his frank interview. The Accord has provided answers to all the present problem. Getting Prabaharan is a gimmick to become a hero among the masses. It will only lead to a destruction of all races. The writer should have focused his attention on re-emerging the North-East Province if India is to play a more active role for the full and immediate implementation of the 13th amendment.
25. Subra S.Massey | February 15th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Dr.Jayatilake,
You see how your ideology is being rebuked and reprimanded by numerous people. Dear Doctor since 1965 we are at it. It is wrong for the successive governments to have discriminatory policies.
Let me give you a hypothetical situation, you please think about it. It you and I are fighting what is the end result?. One winner one loser? Wrong both are losers. This is premises of modern state management. As a businessman i cannot have two infighting people for not only we have the lost the productivity of two but also the attention of others.
So war or even a minor dispute is not the answer.
We run our businesses leak proof. Leak proofing is very important, so that we get the optimum possible out put. This is the premises on which a country operates.
Just observe how we in the west manage the economy. The government make sure all conditions are fvaourable for optimum performance of the economy.
It is economy stupid not race, religion, langauge etc.
My job is get into my work place as early as possible, get everything and every being function uninterruptedly so that at the end of the day we have enough money to put food on the table. I guess as a bureaucrat you probably don’t know where your pay cheque is coming from. Not from the UN it from the sweat and blood of ordinary people like us! Operating the country’s econmy should be the first job of the President of SL too. Not running a war to destroy the country.
And you as an educated man should never utter the word war. You are smart enough to know the attrocities of war. I hope you change your mind unless Mien Kempf is in your mind. But remember the universal law of retribution. Some thing wil strike you from an unknown source when you are not aware of your conscience. Keep your focus on peace and harmony, then you will see all the incoming disasters. Let the universe flow into you.
Follow Lord Buddha!
26. dayan jayatilleka | February 15th, 2008 at 7:48 am
dear roshann wickremsinghe,
i really think you should try hard to improve your grammar and spelling so a reader could understand what you are trying to say.
27. dayan jayatilleka | February 15th, 2008 at 7:50 am
dear radhakrishnan,
i wonder how mr thirulchelvan can say i am a sinhala buddhist chauvinist, when i am not a buddhist but a catholic? and by the way, he should be told that our air force chief is also not a sinhala buddhist chauvinist, but a christian.
28. Devinda Fernando | February 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am
*** My comment got wiped out.
Was it that you couldn?t handle the Truth? ***
Ha mine too! For once I am with you on something Estavez,
Looks like these people here at Transcurrents Talk a Good game about “Media Freedom” then proceed to censor posts… have some decency and stop Editorializing our posts, who are you protecting by all this Censorship? We are All Adults here and can deal with the Raw language and realities of what we discuss. Everyone here is capable of talking a few School yard knocks so Stop being Hypocrites.
I am going to repost what I said,(since I know this is not the first time you people have deleted and Censored me) and I hope you have the decency to publish my response in its entirety.
DBSJ RESPONDS: Mr.Devinda Fernando, this website has given you much freedom to air your views despite the vulgar and crude language used.
On some rare occasions we have deleted or edited your comments not because of the content but due to the very objectionable , insulting mode of presentations.We have in the past edited out some comments from others for using less offensive language than yours.
Yet we showed you much greater tolerance because we felt you had something different to say. You exposed many of the myths and fallacies in arguments made by pro - LTTE commentators on this web. You also provided a different”Sinhala” perspective” to our Tamil readers that we felt was much needed.
But we find you exceeding limits of basic decency and norms of civility frequently .You can disagree with your fellow commentators but you cannot continuously insult them in “unparliamentary” language.This is unacceptable. This is not a case of you all being “adults” and capable of taking it, but that of maintaining our standards. By the way some of your expressions are puerile rather than becoming of an adult.
We must remind you and all other readers that we do have the right to edit, delete or amend comments made. This is not censorship but the rules of the game as far as this website is concerned. Media freedom has its boundaries.
There have also been many people objecting on valid grounds to your way of presentation. Some have appealed to you to modify your abrasive style. Still you have not taken those requests into account.
We have also noted a disturbing trend on this website that has been set in motion mainly through you. Your uncivil , dicourteous way of commenting has brought in its wake many responses of equallly objectionable quality. This has lowered the quality of discussion on this web.This is deplorable.
You are becoming a “Troll”. The “Troll” phenomenon has ruined and undermined the discussion fora on many websites.
As such we request you to change your style NOT the substance of your comments. If you persist in this we must regretfully inform you that your comments will be censored heavily.
Once again we state that we want your comments but not in the form you express them.This goes for others too.Take it or leave it.
29. Suresh M | February 15th, 2008 at 10:37 am
David Miliband’s assessment of sixty years of independence from Britain is fair.
The International Community has a duty towards affected Tamils as they were heavily involved in the Sri Lankan ethnic issue. Especially U.K, has a moral responsibility to ensure the minorities in her former colonies are treated fairly.
30. Suresh M | February 15th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I am tried of reading some of the comments, they are too………..long. Much longer than the main page!.
I think DBS should give these individuals a chance to post their view on the main page.
31. samuel | February 15th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Dayan is “singing for his supper” along with all other jobless PhD s and the 23 “advisors” of the President ( one of them Jayantha Dhanapala quit in disgust ) - all of them drawing fantastic salaries for singing the praises of the Totalitarian Terrorist State run by the Rajapakse Junta.
“Sri Lankan people are politically among the most sophisticted in the third world ………………….”
This is hilarious !
Which world is Dayan living in ? Does he not know that thugs,would be murderers, utterly corrupt politicians & foreigners are a major part of the government ? That every election is violent with murders & assaults, impersonation, stuffing of ballot boxes etc. Is this “sophistication” ?
He wants Milliband to “congratulate” Sri Lanka on “60 years of independence” ! - for achieving what ? - Mass Murder ? Repression of minorities and political dissidents ? Flourishing corruption ?
32. Hieth | February 15th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Well said Mill bank, these Srilankans need to be educated about human rights, multy culturalism and democracy, we don’t have to congratulate a failed state, and these buggers need another hundred years to be civilized.
Don’t waste your time, please concentrate on our local issues.
33. Gamini | February 15th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Dr Dayan
What you fail to understand is that this forum is unofficially know as ‘fundamental currents’ where many of the participants post long and verbose statements vehemently in defending the use of suicide squads, political assassination, and bus bombs (have a look at some of the past posts) and any views unsympathetic to the tigers are shouted down and result in personal attacks the inevitably end with one side calling the other inferior, inpure etc etc ett etc a typical modus operandi of the tiger propaganda machine with which you must be familiar with now, you will find it very difficult to reason with this type of logic.
As Sri Lanakan I admire greatly your efforts to raise the standards and provide a valid and honest perspective.
34. anpu | February 15th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Re# 14
This is very typical of the understanding of the average Indian population, let alone Indian Tamil population, regarding the Tamil issues in Ceylon/Sri Lanka.
Ceylon Tamils (also interchangeably known as Jaffna Tamils or Batti Tamils, etc.) have absolutely no issues with India or its leaders. Please do understand that Ceylon Tamils had their own kingdom! Have a recorded history over two millennia. Ceylon Tamils and Tamils of India are divided by a common language. Our sovereignty was lost in full only with British amalgamation of the territories.
Son of Indra Gandhi, whom all cherish with love and affection, got trapped by the Machiavellian tactics of JR for the Indian troops to kill rape and maim the Ceylon Tamil people instead of the Sinhala forces doing it at that time ‘ just as contact killers.
Jaffna Tamils had only garlanded and received IPKF to the tiniest of the lanes in Jaffna. And the dark forces in India clearly had exploited this patent betrayal (mithra throha), intended or not, to their advantage and earned two mangos with one throw ‘ including that of separating the people of India from the Ceylon Tamil population.
The only definite proof of anyone hurting India and Gandhi was the assault by that Sinhala soldier during the guard of honour in 1987.
India is strong today, and will be more powerful in the years to come, largely because of a strong federal structure implemented in 1957 by the smart leaders of India. SJV proposed this sixty years ago in Ceylon and the shortsighted Sinhala leaders did not grab it. Now it is too late to reconcile except on two absolute equal footings.
Just because a trusted (Sikh) bodyguard had killed a venerable leader, a betrayal of immense proportion, India did not alienate the whole Sikh population. In fact, if you look at today, a Sikh is the prime minister and until recently a Muslim was a president. That is the beauty of India. May that nation be blessed with prosperity forever.
But do understand the Nazi-type regime in Ceylon/Sri Lanka now and do not get fooled by them.
35. Dharma | February 15th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Dayan
Below is the concluding sentences from the Indiatoday article you have mentioned. Read it carefuly if have’nt.
“By staking his prestige on winning against LTTE, or “putting all his eggs in the war basket”, as a diplomat describes it, Rajapakse has narrowed his options considerably. The Tigers may be down, but they are certainly not out. And given their past history, there is every possibility that they may bounce back and succeed in bogging down the Sri Lankan Army in a debilitating stalemate. A terror strike on an important leader could also send the President’s calculations awry. People’s discontent over prices may boil over before the one year the President has asked for is over.
Rajapakse has embarked on a dangerous game of brinkmanship. If he succeeds in bagging Prabhakaran, he is certain to win the next elections and continue his reign. If he fails, well, the dustbin of history is never short of space.”
Well the dustbin of history is where Rajapakse will end up, you can also join him
36. Sri | February 16th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Dayan,
In a nutshell, you are supporting fascist ideology in the name of national socialism. Only difference is that you will resort to absolute war only if the minorities refuse to fall in line with the majoritarian agenda unlike Germany of Hilter But you are prepared to wage war ruthlessly against the minorities without any concern about human rights or conduct even genocidal war in the name of fighting against separatist ideology.
. You are talking about bourgeois democratic revolution. How the present borders of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and all countries of Africa were determined? Was it through bourgeois revolution or a creation of imperialism? What is there to defend in the name of bourgeois revolution?
How were the nation states of Europe formed? Is it not here where the bourgeois played a crucial role in the formation of nation states.The same countries now talk about human rights.
Now we will come to Soviet Union of Lenin and Stalin, not Russia of Putin.You try to equate both and try to quote effortlessly as if they are all marxist or democrats even now
How was the Soviet Union constituted by Lenin and Stalin after first and second world wars and disintegrated after 60 years along with Yugoslovakia and still disintegrating.
I suppose you are against independent Kosowa,Etrica and East Timor?
I have not read anywhere in the Marxist Literature from Karl Marx,Engels Lenin,Stalin or Mao anything in support of majoritarian ideology and against separatism.
Please try to understand contradictions and united fronts of capitalists and peasants as they taught and interpret in a positive way.
In fact they were the greatest humanist and they always in support of oppressed people irrespective of the nationality. They were the greatest internationalist they never hide behind sovereignty and subjugated people in the name of majoritarian sovereignty.
I shall be happy if you hereafter refrain reinterpreting the great teachers to suit your present betrayals for your personal glory.
Now you are begging for the support of USA and UK, the enemies of your permanent friend Fidel Castro in the name of democracy. You group USA, UK and Sri Lanka in the name of follow democracies leaving aside the greatest revolutionary Cuba.
But Dayan I support your last paragraph!
37. Gee | February 16th, 2008 at 12:58 am
6. Subra S.Massey | February 14th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Subra , you are great…and I believe you. But you cannot convert these scoundrels appearing with some titles from somewhere. These guys are like those water Buffaloes ..they never feel getting wet….so, work on some better prospects for conversions and let the LTTE deal with these Buffaloes or Buffunes. He won’t know the difference if some one rapes his mother and sisters in front of him , because he belongs to those who does it. He is a criminal.
38. Nalan, Trincomalee | February 16th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Dear Mr. D.J.
Thanks to you, I’m battling alcohol after reading your “Each Generation has to re-fight it’s Grandfather’s Battle”.
I wasted my time reading this crap!
39. Reader | February 16th, 2008 at 3:09 am
“…….Set these figures along the results of recent polls which show figures of a massive majority ( 85%) identifying separatist terrorism…… ”
Mr. D.J. You have talents to be an Disc Jockey (DJ)!, but not to be an intelect!!. You may be good at manipulating the rythem of music, but not the political aspects!!
What are you going to use this 85% majority?
In the 30′ies Germany people have supported Hitler with more than 95% to massacre Jews, Communists, Gipsies and other socalled non Aryans. Perhaps you compare GoSL with NAZI Germany ? Oh no I think GoSL is a bit better than that.
It is a pity you work for UNO, where the things should be seen via balanced eyes.
40. Language | February 16th, 2008 at 3:33 am
#26 by DJ
“…..i really think you should try hard to improve your grammar and spelling so a reader could understand what you are trying to say…..”
Mr. D.J don’t you think you are now attacking the comments as street fighter in a slum area. How cheap you can be, when you try to ram the critics against you? From “the nation founder” to other Sinhala leaders have wiped out the English language from SL to implement Sinhala only policy. So pls. don’t blame people, who make mistakes, when they write in English. The important thing is to express what you want to express. Why are you bothered of the grammer? It is not an English learning Web site.
I understand completely what #1 says! You do not understand that, because You do not want to!!!
P.S.: By the way you have written ” i really think”
Sorry in English it must have been ” I really think” ( with capital ” I ” ) However I understand what you are trying to say!
41. Haha | February 16th, 2008 at 3:44 am
#26
Freedom of speech should not be limited by spelling or grammer mistakes
42. Poorne | February 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Dr,Jayatilleke,
I wish to draw your kind attention to Mr.A.Rajasingam’s comments.He has traced the problems affecting Tamils,since independence in 1948,long before the emergence of the LTTE.You would appreciate that the uncompromising attitudes of successive governments headed by the UNP and SLFP and partners over the past 60 years have resulted in this chaotic situation.Recently,soon after the joint communique issued by the British and the Indian prime ministers, urging for a solution to the ethnic problem, based on devolution within a united Lanka , President Rajapakse stumbled on the 13th amendment to the constitution,based on the Indo- Sri Lanka accord of 1987 and declared that it would be implemented. Once the Indian Premier welcomed his decision as a first step towars resolution of the Tamil problem,our President has wavered over his decision not less than three times within one week.Like his predecessers in office ,even this will not be implemented citing various excuses.But the crux of the problem is the sinhala polity who are unwilling to share power with their Tamil brethren.
Now,that the LTTE is evicted from the Eastern province,do you ernestly believe that the displaced people would be resettled in their original places? Without doing this, the Goverment is creating more and more high security zones in the liberated Eastern Province.
43. Subra S.Massey | February 16th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Dr.Jayatilake,
I read that you are going to get fired, is it true?
Clear conscience in an invincible weapon. Let your conscience be your own judge. Don’t forget these two in your life.
You meted out your own demise and hence your destiny.
Next time around don’t mention the word WAR.
Talk about PEACE AND PROSPERITY
44. Naga UK | February 16th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Ha, now pleaded guilty as charged and convicted to rot in the diplomatic dustbin!!
45. Diplomut | February 16th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Dear Dayan,
Your so called article only exposed how unsuitable you are to hold office.
Miliband made a short statement on Sri Lanka, reflecting the point of view of a vast majority of British citizens and a vast majority of Europeans, Americans, Australians etc who do not approve of the methods of the present regime in Colombo.
Your response is to drag in Milibands father, Carl Marx, Lenin, Stalin, American Revolution, the French revolution, the Labour party.
In Sinhalese they say, koheda yanne, malle pol.
Pack your bags and go back to the University, before you cause more damage to Sri Lanka. Remember that policy is made in Colombo and not in Geneva by you and thank god for that.
46. sma | February 16th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Dyan, Wonder why you refuse to see the history backwards.
Every massacres and carnage committed by LTTE was followed by a massacre or carnage by your own government be it UNP or SLFP. In the begining International community was some what sceptical but lattely they realised this is the only way to stop the state terrorism.
Don’t you ever wonder why these IC is very much silence these days???
By the way you have put your feet in to your own mouth several times by writing nonsence and showed to the world how UNFIT you are for the post you are holding.
The only qualification you have –YOU ARE LOYAL TO YOUR master.
47. sma | February 16th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Also,
What difference it make between carpet bombing by Srilankan pilots and claymore by LTTE. Both target indiscriminatly. IF you justify the arial bombing they we have the right to justify the claymore bombing.
Mind it Bomb and bullets doesn’t have eyes, ears or mind of its own. Its depend on who operate it.
48. Argonot | February 16th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Dear Dyan, to be congragulated SRI Lanka should have progressed since Independence, how can anybody in their good sense congragulate a failed state!!
In UK LTTE is a baned organisation (rightly so) and yet you seemed to be going on with Lenin.Stalin Marxism etc. These are irrelevant in the current context. Soviet Union is no more! China is fast becoming a capitalist nation.
This is 21st century,you and your fellow travellers should face reality. Please ask your beloved MR to give a breakdown of donations given by many countries for sunami releief was spent!! Let him be transparent about his and his families wealth before and after his election as president.
Also ask him to publish a comparison of releief and help received from different countries specially your friends Russia and China with rest of the world.
Why is that your darling MR sending his son for military training to UK,afterall according to you UK is biased discriminatory, and an arrogant ex colonial nation.
Ask your friend MR why are there so many maids (mostly Sinhalese/Muslims) being mentally,physically and sexually abused in the middle east without any protest from MR. Has he got no guts to complain, may be he needs the maids foreign exchange remittance to keep the war machine going.
Please tell me why is it a loaf of bread is costing Rs 40 plus and a coconut is around Rs 40. Did you know some are buying half a coconut as they cannot afford a full one.
You are on a fat UN salary,expenses and free bees. I suggest that instead of going on about dead and discredited political theories and name dropping look at yourself in the mirror and ask what can you do for our beloved country to bring peace and harmony.
49. david | February 16th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Dayan, You are not fighting a war on “terrorism”, you are fighting an ethnic minority, Tamils, who were your rivals from Mahavamsa days. It is this group you tried to marginalize since “independence” by disenfranchisement,colonization,official language act, standardization and ant-tamil pogroms. All these are anti-democratic measures taken by your pay-masters.Dont think the British guy is a fool to buy your story about fight against “terrorism”.
50. R.goonetilake | February 16th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Dr.Dayan, did you ever work in Marga Institute????
51. Indian Tamil | February 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
#34
I spelt out the majority Indian view on the SL issue,less thiruma,vaiko,kolathur mani and nedu.You will find these four buyouts of LTTE with their minions on the road,supporting LTTE.Definitely not a view of an average Indian population.
It was LTTE who betrayed India.Read the extracts from “Broken Palmyra” given below.
” Jaffna had been rendered even more unprincipled and volatile by liberation politics. But to call the crowds anti-Indian would have been a misrepresentation. India was still the holy mother. The people were an angry child hitting and screaming at the mother to have its way. The L.T.T.E. instigated crowds to humiliate the Indian army. At Manthikai crowds of women threw stones at the Indian army. Personal insults were flung at Indian soldiers — like stroking the beard of a Sikh soldiers and calling him a half-beedi man (beedi is a cheaper form of cigarette) The Indian soldiers were highly restrained. The only shooting took place in Manner.
In Mannar a crowd marched towards an I.P.K.F. camp along the road from Mannar to Talai Mannar, urged on by an L.T.T.E. loudspeaker from a car. Once the crowd was highly strung with shouting slogans, the loudspeaker car instigated the crowd to march on the camp. An Indian officer came out and begged the crowd with folded hands not to advance beyond a certain point. The loudspeaker kept up its harangue and the men behind fired and killed one man in the vanguard of the crowd. The crowd quickly dispersed.”
It was LTTE not JR who provoked IPKF,killed and maimed our troops standing behind civilian crowd.We understand the harrassment IPKF went thru in SL.Despite intervening on the tamils side after violating their sovereignity,SL didnot kill a single Indian.After enjoying Indian hospitality ,SL tamil’s ingratitude in killing 1500 troops and our beloved national leader will neverbe forgotten.
Smt.Indira’s killers were punished by the judiciary.Sikh militancy was suppressed and wiped out.Hence India reconciled with Sikhs.Mr.Rajiv’s killers are still at large and dictating terms.India wont reconcile with SL tamils till justice meted out to the killers.
We will be powerful.Thanks for your bestwishes as long as it is not meant tobe derogatory.
52. Sri | February 17th, 2008 at 4:19 am
Dr Dayan,This is my second response. Here I want to concentrate on the grandfathers battles
.Obviously the Grandfather is Anagarika Dharmapala and Bandaranaike who commenced this battle of national bourgeois to consolidate bourgeois hegemony in Sri Lanka.
If Sri Lanka created by British colonialists is defined as a single country, then the battle failed in its first task of unifying the national bourgeois, instead it focused only on Sinhala Buddhist bourgeois resulting in infighting among the bourgeois themselves and an unfinished revolution being handed over to the grandchildren.
On the other hand if you argue that you need not unify the Tamil and Muslim bourgeois also with the Sinhala, ,then you fall into the trap of separatism
The battle presently spearheaded by the present Grandchildren -JHU did not perform better.
The new generation adopted a series of riots, genocidal wars ,murders, abductions and ransom resulting in ethnic cleaning and exodus of bourgeois belonging to minority communities
Dr Dayan you will agree that the present war is nor merely against separatism and LTTE.
.You cannot conduct this war without violating the human rights. Your enemies are not LTTE and Tamils. It is really LTTE and Tamil Bourgeois.
The main objective is the consolidation of Sinhala Buddhist hegemony as national bourgeois by eliminating all rivals. This could only be carried out by violating human rights.
This is the dilemma facing the supporters.
But this is the majoritarian agenda
The International Agencies and R2P concepts are equally the main enemies in this agenda.
The war will come o a logical conclusion only once you achieve this objective of annihilating both the LTTE and the Tamil Bourgeois.
But I can assure you that this is not going to happen due to forces of Globalization.
What the West and India wants is really to unify the national bourgeois under a federal set up.
But India wants economic penetration of Indian Capital in a peaceful,unified,,federal Sri Lanka,
But the west is with another agenda of their own which is beyond this response!.
53. Siripala | February 17th, 2008 at 5:35 am
LTTE apologist sma has tried to justify LTTE massacres by claiming that they were done as tit-for- tat for massacres done by the Government. Get your facts correct before trying to justify the heinous acts of LTTE. Why did the LTTE massacre Sinhalese civilians when they were fighting IPKF? They should have attacked an Indian village. Why did they massacre Muslims? Say this to the mother of a Muslim infant bashed against a tree by LTTE terrorists in Polonnaruwa district.
The Airforce bombing is done on clearly identified LTTE targets while LTTE deliberately target civilians. That’s the difference. That’s the difference between a disciplined security force and a band of murderers. That’s the difference between a patriotic Sri Lankan supporting a war against terror and an uncivlised person supporting a band of war criminals.
54. Naga UK | February 17th, 2008 at 8:29 am
C’mon guys! Leave the poor chap to show some tail-wagging and listen to HMV. After all he is now where he could not have dreamt of being if not for that ‘cut and paste’ diplomacy that looks hm… sort of alright under the circumstances from the Master’s peerspective.
I hope Dr.DJ will learn a few tricks from his parallel Dr. MS!
55. Ratnam Ganesh | February 17th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
“The government has denied her access into Vishaka Vidyalaya ” Another Reason to congratulate the government on the 60th.Aniversary !!
We cry for peace when government proves to show partiality .
56. Subra S.Massey | February 18th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Hello Gee,
I am trying to engage this guy but he is not responding. He knows that he will get into a soul searching match with me, I always stand on a moral high ground and I can see the conscience clearly far, far away. This guy did a doctorate on some stupid history and trying his bombastic vocabulary with ordinary people like I.
People like him should get the first hand tatse of what happend to thousands of women. He is a mad man, who is subborn, billigerent and incorigible.
See how much of our time and energy we have to waste to reform this lillte raccoon. If education cannot reform him some form of traumatic experience is the only way. As my teacher told there are three kinds of students, one who learns on his own, the other who learns from another and third who will never learn. Dr.Jayalilake belong to the fourth class one who ever learns
Any way he will get into trouble some where for the universal law of morality has a way of operating.
May be he comes from a not so loving and dysfunctional family, he was not born bad he became bad, so habits can be unlearned. We will pray that sanity finds abode in his heart.
He is telling Roshan Wicramasinghe to improve his english language, but as an educated man, he claims, should not make such remarks. Dayan is educated but not cultured. Dayans should improve upon his social ettiquette and work on his belligerence.
Need help?
57. Ruwan Ranasinghe | February 19th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Tut, tut… looks like Dayan Jayatilleka cannot see the forest for the trees. Vanquishing the LTTE is not a panacea for all the ills that plague the island today. I am certain that Dayan knows this quite well. Nevertheless, he chooses to indulge in a whimsical fantasy of nation and race dressed up shallow historical musings, albeit musings which would never reconcile themselves to the light of any objective scholarly critique. If Dayan truly feels that Sri Lankais on the doorstep of liberation, then one can only pity him. Despotic regimes, along with their verbose mouthpieces, more often than not go down in history as laughingstocks.
58. villa anand | February 19th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Yes Dayan, each generation is re-fighting their grand fathers battle.
While Sri Lankan government is imagining that they are re-fighting the battle of their multi great grand fathers starting from Dutugamunus period, LTTE is re-fighting a battle started with first 1958 anti Tamil violence. Whatever the outcome of the current battle between the LTTE and the Singhala government will be, the children and grand children of this generation will re-fight this battle during their time.
You are wrong when you say that Sri Lanka is fighting a war to prevent separation, to unite the country. It is fighting to maintain a racially segregated and discriminated country and a leadership which is not interested in welfare of any race but their power and Swiss bank account.
59. villa anand | February 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
How come Dayan you forgot what one of the most respected and arguably the best known South Asian magazine, India Today wrote on January 10, article Back to The Guns?
- Now fears have increased of an escalation of human rights abuses. The Government has finally shut the door on international involvement in the peace process,
- Although analysts say the militants are taking a sustained battering on the battlefield this time, LTTE has shown in the past that it can strike back at any time and anywhere.
- Ditching the truce may have cost President Rajapakse international support but closer home; he has won over a potential ally that could help his ruling Peoples Alliance win parliamentary stability. So far, Rajapakse has managed to keep a shaky simple majority in place by engineering defections from the Opposition.
- Jayadeva Uyangoda, head of the political science department, Colombo University, points out: The Government is not at all interested in the international consequences of its action. The abrogation was politically expedient.
- The stridently hawkish JVP is all that Rajapakse could want for as a friend. But the Sri Lankan President has set his nation on a dangerous path of confrontation again.
You want to see what you like to see. You want to read what you like to read. You want to hear what you like to hear. But you cannot make others know only what you want them to know.
60. anpu | February 21st, 2008 at 12:03 am
RE#51
“Thanks for your best wishes as long as it is not meant to be derogatory.” Regrettably your feeling is such that it is difficult for you to appreciate even sincere comments. Indian people did not reconcile (with the Sikh people) for the reasons you have stated.
It was because of the intrinsic strong moral leadership that always existed from Mahatma’s time – not to throw the baby with the bath water or the eye for an eye will only make both blinded. India is and always will be and must be a great nation.
But let’s get the issues in order: Ceylon Tamils did not and do not have any issues with India and I trust it will continue to be so forever. The sad interlude of unhappy part was over. But fortunately, that short conflict twenty years ago only had confirmed one important point — that the Ceylon Tamil community is distinct and independent society, and the Sinhalese fear that a coalition (with India-Tamil) is waiting in the wings was proved baseless. Ceylon Tamil community is as distinct as Telugu or Kannadiga or Malayalee people from Tamil people in India.
Our love for India was known when India was attacked by China on October 20, 1962, and the Ceylon Tamil people went to temple in masses to pray for the success of India. But why did India come to Ceylon in 1987 against many odds? Was it as a peace-keeping force or as an ‘occupying force’ as some policymakers envisioned?
Why did they turn the guns on the Tamil people and killed thousands of people even inside Jaffna hospital? The tragedy was the result of the terrible planning of the policymakers who had no knowledge the Ceylon Tamil people. Everyone knows how occupying forces get treated. Selected portions of the history will project a terribly skewed vision.
Now 100% Sinhala security forces are occupying and enslaving the Jaffna Tamil people in 100% Tamil land. Notwithstanding its relationship, or rather lack thereof, with the militants, India has a moral obligation to condemn this occupation. (Mr. Narayan Swamy’s recent article claims that India in fact was the prime mover of the now defunct CFA, and that is indeed a source of comfort to Tamil people. Also, www.hindu.com/2007/12/08/stories/2007120860871500.htm.)
Sixty years of struggle. Not for any religious state or anything but for fundamental rights as a people. Sinhala leadership that is wedded to its archaic thinking is unable to release itself to freedom.
Nearly 100,000 Tamils have lost their lives since 1957. We want you to open your eyes; at least you will see the incredibly successful Ceylon Tamil Diaspora in the West like phoenix from the ashes.
61. Indian Tamil | February 22nd, 2008 at 11:46 am
#60
Mr.Anpu,Thanks for your sincere wishes.
Sri Lankan Government made a number of concessions to Tamil demands vide Indo-lanka accord, which included Colombo devolution of power to the provinces, merger (subject to later referendum) of the northern and eastern provinces, and official status for the Tamil language.More immediately, Operation Liberation the successful, ongoing anti-insurgent operation by Sri Lankan forces in the Northern peninsula was ended. Sri Lankan troops were to withdraw to their barracks in the north, the Tamil rebels were to disarm.India agreed to end support for the Tamil separatist movement and recognise the unity of Sri Lanka.The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord also underligned the commitment of Indian military assistance on which the Indian Peace Keeping Force came to be inducted into Sri Lanka.India inducted its armed forces into Sri Lanka immediately afterwards. A well-intentioned gesture to ensure the accord was implemented in the spirit it was signed. However, good intentions were not enough; political directions morphed the role of the Indian Peace Keeping Force from peacekeeping to counterinsurgency warfare. As a result, the acronym IPKF ended up as a kind of oxymoron after the force was locked in a bloody war with the LTTE.
Now,If you loved India truly,SL tamils should have supported IPKF and surrendered weapons.Instead chose to kill rival groups,greased and preserved weapons and finally started killing Indian soldiers .SL tamils never gave time for us to settledown in a totally new environment.Indian Army never came in contact with civilians till 1987.Insurgency in India spread after’87.Now our Army has learnt to work in Insurgency situation effectively.We have to be blamed for our misadventure.But what forced LTTE to step in and kill Rajiv after almost 2 years of IPKF departure fron your shores.Was it revenge,strategy or expected riots on Indian tamils.?Whatever maybe,India’s stand is justified .SL tamils outwardly love didn’t reflect on ground activities.
LTTE leaders are always safe, leaving the recruits to do the ‘valiant deeds’. And the funders(proud diaspora) living with their families in other countries.Judging the LTTE by their actions, the international community has very rightly chosen to label the LTTE as terrorists. It is also telling that the bulk of the Tamil diaspora exist in countries that have banned the LTTE. It is only through peaceful dissent that the grievances of the Sri Lankan Tamils will receive the international attention they deserve. Yet SL tamils continue to heap praise upon the LTTE as the only organisation possessing the requisite dedication, pride and commitment to serve the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka.
Is their dedication demonstrated through the innovation of suicide bombing, thereby linking the Sri Lankan Tamil cause to their heinous pioneering effort? Is their pride demonstrated through the through extortion and harassment of Tamil expatriates? Is their commitment demonstrated by putting the future of the Sri Lankan Tamil community (ie, children) on the front lines? Does the end justify the means?
You choose to label my understanding of the conflict as biased but that does not change the facts I present.
Perhaps there may come a time when the international community will have to reticently acknowledge the LTTE as the only means of achieving peace but that will never make the LTTE the best partner for peace.Internationally LTTE finds itself more and more isolated. What goodwill it had in the international community till 1991! A series of political blunders by Prabakaran like the brutal assassinations of Rajiv Gandhi, Premadasa and Laxman Kadirgamar and the unsuccessful attempt to kill Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunge.
We Indians too have a huge diaspora successful and proud.If you are living in US you may see wealthy Indian diaspora . Indian doctors are threatening the very existence of native doctors in UK.But our diaspora is not funding terrorists here.They contribute by opening factories and educational institutes.
62. Sri Lankan - IMHO | February 22nd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Dr. Jayatilleke,
I admire your courage to educate us, but you are using the wrong channel. IMHO, most (not all) of the writers and commentors can be classified as “Separatists”.
They are not interested in learning or understanding other options to this issue. They use this forum to propagate anything which supports their agenda.
Most of Sri Lankans (Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese) and the International Community have already rejected the concept of separate country in Sri Lanaka. No single country supports the division of SL. It is upto us to decide to keep on barking or evaluate the other options we have.
You are better off in a different and open forum.
63. anpu | February 22nd, 2008 at 11:51 pm
You observation that “we have to be blamed for our misadventure” succinctly summarizes how India being dragged into fight other people war. Had Mahatma Gandhi had failed, as SJV and FP had in Ceylon, it would not be far fetched to speculate that vast majority of the people of India being mesmerized by the Bose activism for freedom. But Mahatma and his team were fighting against a liberal-minded British. There were plenty supporting voices in Britain for it to bring freedom to the people of India. One could observe no similar parallel within the Sinhala society except a few lonely voices against the crime that is being committed by the state. Successive governments had only progressively increased their tyrannical subjugation of the Tamil people. State terrorism is the most heinous act within humanity. Rajaji said the same thing on the treatment of minorities.
Unlike in India, independence to Ceylon was without any struggle, and it was used to benefit only one community in the last sixty years. Today the Sri Lankan government is spending virtually all its money, earned and borrowed, to kill and maim the Tamil people in their own land. As DBJ has correctly deduced elsewhere, the LTTE is essentially a liberation movement. The‘t’ word is used only to hoodwink the Sinhala masses. It cannot be used depending on who is on the governing group. Forgive the masses Lord for they do not know what their government is doing to the Tamil people in the Tamil Land. They do not know as to why the lives of their sons are are being scarified in the North and East.
Without diminishing the claims elsewhere, what the Ceylon Tamil people are demanding for is not for any religious state or for any extra-territorial expansionism, but the struggle is for a just society. LTTE did not originate the Vaddukkodai Resolution in 1976, and it is merely a self-constructed vehicle for the freedom enunciated therein. No different from Likud or ANC.
Just a note: One cannot compare a situation where people had sought sanctuaries in the West with nothing on them other than a smile and determination to succeed and to be successful to that of a population who made voluntary movements and flourishing. And you will see the enrichment of the Tamil Land (and coincidentally that of Sri Lanka) within months of peace in that land.
You may have noted that the primary binding force of Ceylon Tamils with that of Tamils of India is arts and culture. You will note that this tradition effortlessly continues with Diasporas. You will be surprised, at normal times, Ceylon Tamils values were (and may be still are) more in common with that of the Sinhalese people. One day it will be strengthened but only as equals. Jewish people have diplomatic relationship with Germany.
You noted that ‘you choose to label my understanding of the conflict as biased.’ Be rest assured that I would not be feeling any different if I had the same set of background particulars (as enunciated in your comments) as you have been exposed to. Just want you to open your eyes for current rape of the Tamil Land and its people. How could you be so indifferent?
64. Dr K C | February 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 am
#60 Anpu
I am sorry to say your analysis about the origin of IPKF LTTE conflict is biased.
From the day the IPKF arrived in NE if they had started killing innocent Tamil civilians and raping Tamil women, the LTTE would have been justified to turn its guns against the IPKF: not a single innocent Tamil civilian was killed; not a single Tamil woman was raped by the IPKF before it was fatally attacked by the LTTE. You also ought to understand that the IPKF arrived in the NE with the consent of the LTTE.
The IPKF completely transformed the volatile environment in the NE into a peaceful place to live in. I come from Trinco and I can say to you that only when the IPKF was stationed there Tamils enjoyed the sweetness of peace since independence. IPKF soldiers were sent by their commanders in local camps to repair roads, school playgrounds, places of worship etc. Tamil civilians responded by inviting IPKF commanders for their big events at home and in the communities. My friends told me that some families sent home made sweets and curry to their local IPKF camps. A large number of LTTE cadres started getting married and they invited IPKF commanders as their guests. The western journalists who visited the NE during this period praised the highly professional conduct of the IPKF. I thanked God for bringing our pain and suffering to an early end.
The above developments must have sent shock waves through the leadership of the LTTE - they must have felt that they were losing control of the local population. I feel the LTTE simply decided to derail the ILA and came up with the announcement of Thileepans hunger strike. Please listen to Thileepans speech outside the Jaffna Fort 2 days before he started the hunger strike (was available on Nitharsanam 6 or 8 months ago) and you can decide whether the contents of his speech justified the commencement of fasting unto death 2 days later.
When Thileepans strike ended sadly the LTTE had managed to achieve its main objective turning the masses against the IPKF. School children were encouraged/forced to visit Thileepans hunger strike site daily and brainwashed to believe that he was dying because of India was refusing to listen to his demands. When he martyred there was a huge explosion of emotion among young women and men in Jaffna. I am told that the IPKF soldiers were spat at and stoned in some places.
As you know within a week or two the LTTE fatally attacked the IPKF and commenced the war and on the 2nd day of the conflict the LTTE disgracefully left half/full naked bodies of 28 IPKF soldiers near Jaffna Campus for public and media display (I saw these pictures in Time magazine & UK papers).
The LTTE engineered and inflicted endless pain and suffering on us..
65. Kalu | February 23rd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
#62
You are better off in a different and open forum. such as Lanka Academic and Asiatribune ???
God save the Singhalese!!!
66. anpu | February 23rd, 2008 at 11:50 pm
#64
Regrettably your observations are from a distinctly different data basis. It would be fair to say that you are content with the minimum for a temporary peaceful period – the same level comfort a frog in the pot of water begins to feel at the beginning of warming up. If one is take such a position after SIXTY YEARS of repression and elimination of Tamils participation from every sphere of life in Ceylon/Sri Lanka, and if this is shared even to some extent across the spectrum, God help us, then we will certainly condemn the generations to come to servitude.
We have never been a protectorate of India. Third country participation for a peace settlement requires the actual consent of parties to the conflict. I would urge to revisit VP’s speech at Suthumalai Amman Temple immediately upon his return from India. Native populations’ aspirations cannot be and ought not to be attended to by a third party. But the all third parties should have a well designed intention to promote true peace.
We all love the people of India, then and now, and when her soldiers arrived in Tamil Lands they were garlanded and received without fully being aware of how the old fox JR had the Machiavellian machination for our people. How could it be possible to behave differently at the beginning? JR succeeded at India’s cost by turning the tide of sympathy for the Ceylon Tamil people, as we can see from #61 and the other comments. It still reverberates after two decades. However, this unfortunate episode certainly would have taught the Sinhalese leadership, be that in a circuitous way, that Ceylon Tamil entity is a distinct society and will have no desire to be subservient to anyone.
Viceroy Dixit, as we are reading now, had different ambitions that turned out to be to the detriment of India. Some of the Indian soldiers then in Jaffna did not even know whether they are in friendly Ceylon or the unfriendly state of Pakistan! And when the orders were given we know how they had demonstrated that lack of knowledge.
In the name of the generations to come, we must analyze the data contextually.
67. Dr K C | February 25th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
My political opinion based on the following convictions:
1. The GOSL will never offer or implement a respectable political solution
2. Only with the participation of the IC and particularly India this problem could be solved.
3. Aspirations of the Tamil speaking people can not be met by the military might of the LTTE alone. Having fought over 25 yrs and sacrificed over 25,000 of our children, the LTTE is not in a position to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamils.
4. Tamils are now going through hell because of the brutality of the GOSL and barmy strategy of the LTTE.
My position is that the ILA brought about a peaceful environment. In this environment negotiation could have been conducted to get the maximum devolution to the NE with India as our safety net. ILA was meant to be a dynamic political process; if we had remained loyal to India the NEPC would have evolved into a self governing unit / Indian Protectorate.
The IPKF, in the aftermath of their arrival in the NE behaved professionally and maintained peace throughout the NE; the GoI was busy exerting pressure on the GOSL to devolve to the NE, whereas the LTTE was busy unleashing cheap anti-Indian rhetoric. Please listen to Thileepans speech that he made outside the Jaffna Fort 2 days before he started the hunger strike. He said there was difference between occupation of Jaffna Fort by IPKF and British/Dutch forces!!
The Falklands need British, Taiwan needs USA for their survival and in the same manner Tamil speaking people of the NE need the support and sympathy of India to lead their lives in a meaningful way with dignity and freedom.
68. anpu | February 26th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
#67
Sinhalese and the Tamils have at various times in the history had the hired guns from South India for cementing their respective rules of certain sections of the land, but not for long though – always for a short period.
It is not a feasible solution to have India to protect Ceylon Tamils or for that matter Sinhalese in this modern world. In fact, it should be detested unless an analysis made with a dependent mentality. All must be free or must strive for it to have a lasting solution. India did not use its muscle even when the most disadvantaged Indian Tamil population in the upcountry was disenfranchised in 1949.
Reviewing about merits of IPKF or discussing about India’s participation as an enforcer has the same productive value as if we are to discuss about GGP’s 50/50 before Soulbury in 1945. Incidentally, GGP justified this by pointing out that there were roughly equal numbers of English educated (i.e., upper caste) Sinhalese and Tamils, and that this would also guarantee a place of political parity for the Tamils. Give us a break. IPKF failed because it was not the right solution. Let’s move on.
Sixty years has passed and we are witnessing the worst form of tyranny in the Tamil land in Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Let’s look at what the future holds for our children and grandchildren in the Land. It will be an enormous tragedy if similar persons of your interest and education (GGP) fail to advance further on this front.
The fact is that a 100% Tamil land is being occupied by 100% Sinhala soldiers. Our land is being destroyed. Hence, the occupying forces must vacate the land. International community must have the moral courage to articulate it.
69. Dr K C | February 27th, 2008 at 1:43 am
#68
You wrote:
“International community must have the moral courage to articulate it.”
But the fact is that India is the major force in the IC, isn’t it? Do you think the IC will ever bypass India and bring about a solution to this conflict? Do you think the IC will ever move their finger on GOSL without the right signal from India?
Whilst the ’sole representatives’ are banned outright by the main actors of the IC how can we expect the IC to articulate their moral courage?
Do you only believe in the IC minus India?
I have been saying for donkeys years that the LTTE should go on a political offensive and sacrifice to win the hearts and minds of the IC particularly India.
70. Dr K C | February 27th, 2008 at 8:16 am
#68
I missed a point
You also wrote:
“India did not use its muscle even when the most disadvantaged Indian Tamil population in the upcountry was disenfranchised in 1949.”
In 1949, if Thondaman had assassinated the Mayor of Kandy and taken refuge in Tamil Nadu to evade arrest by the SLAF and then if he had ambushed and killed many soldiers of the SLAF……if the Sinhala chauvinists had taken this incident as an excuse to unleash brutal genocide on Tamil civilians all over the island…..and if this pathetic plight of SL Tamils had created solid solidarity and sympathy of the people of TN…..and if Thondaman had made of the opportunity and hospitality of the people of TN and taken thousands of fighters to the soil of TN for military training…..and if thousands of Tamil refugees had arrived and taken refuge in TN as a result of armed conflict between the SLAF and Tamil cadres- of course, India would have intervened then.
The pathetic plea of the SL Tamils and unceasing protests in TN prompted India to intervene in 80s.
The leaders of Tamils sincerely believed in finding a solution with non-violent struggle for 35 yrs and they attempted to solve the problem without involving outsiders. Only when the Sinhala leaders repeatedly failed to honour agreements after agreements, the Tamil leaders looked for and approached outsiders to help us to find a solution.
Any comments?
71. anpu | February 27th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
#70
Mindboggling; why would anyone goes to this extent to bring an analogy? India did not intervene for those reasons except for a short-sighted expedition.
The fact is that conduct of a big country like India towards a people seeking liberation from tyranny was not consistent of a good neighbor, especially when those people were the friendliest to her.
India has long got out of that megalomaniac thinking. Incidentally, the birth of Bangladesh did not affect India; if anything it was a boon security wise. A blessing of India is indispensable for any settlement in conflicted Ceylon.
Notwithstanding, it is futile to dwell into this episode endlessly except to learn from any mistakes. And demands for any interventions are for sensible and productive interventions with the consent of the parties to the conflict. A facilitated solution got to be a lasting one.
First step is to get the occupying forces out of the soil. The moral resonance of the IC can be and will be helpful to achieve it. It is everyones duty to demand for equitable conduct.
72. Dr K C | February 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am
#71
You wrote:
“India did not intervene for those reasons except for a short-sighted expedition”.
Could you elaborate please, particularly: ‘the need for ‘short-sighted expedition’?
The fact is that India engineered the most favourable environment under the cover of ILA to the people who sought liberation from tyranny. The whole world recognised the accord, the Tamil parties embraced including the LTTE; but only the LTTE did a U turn 2 months later and went against the accord for its barmy short-sighted expedition with Premadasa!!
“And demands for any interventions are for sensible and productive interventions with the consent of the parties to the conflict” - this statement goes against the principle of intervention to protect minorities who are subjected to horrendous HR violations. The GOSL adamantly says ‘no’ to UN HR inspectors, does that mean the UN HR mission should be permitted only if the GOSL says ‘yes’?
“First step is to get the occupying forces out of the soil” - this sounds great but how can we achieve it?
“The moral resonance of the IC can be and will be helpful to achieve it”
In order to confine the army to the barracks, the LTTE will have to come up with a package to facilitate it. If the SLAF is confined to the barracks who is going to maintain the law & order? Having banned the LTTE (India, USA, Canada & EU), do you think the IC will delicate that responsibility to the LTTE?
Please see my peace proposal is appropriate at this juncture?
http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/category/federalidea/by-dr-kc-chandradeva/
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