Angela Kane Visit: Mercury Rises in UN Glass House Over Sri Lanka
March 1st, 2008
by D.B.S.Jeyaraj
“Is Angela Kane bringing a cane to Sri Lanka”? was how a website speculated on the eve of the visit by the ,UN Assistant Secretary -General for Political affairs to Sri Lanka last week.
[Angela Kane, UN Assistant Secretary -General for Political affairs]
The senior UN official was in Sri Lanka on a six - day visit from February 20th to 26th.
The German national joined the UN in 1977 during the time Kurt Waldheim of Austria was secretary - general.
Angela Kane was only the latest in a long - line of high - ranking UN offials to visit sunny Sri Lanka in recent times.
Usually, there has been visible, a predictable pattern in the responses from Sri Lankan power corridors to these visits.
While extending all possible assistance and courtesies to facilitate these visits, a barrage of criticism is levelled at these officials over their findings at the end of their tripr.
If the visiting personalities are critical of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) it is a case of hurras and hosannahs.
But if they are even mildly critical of the state or its agencies over particular issues then woe unto all those dignitaries.
From Parliament to sections of the paparazzi these men and women would be condemned and attacked.
They would be accused unfairly of being tigers or tiger sympathisers or of being on the LTTE payroll.
Thereafter Human Rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe would enter the picture.
He would meet the persons concerned and pour oil on troubled waters.
Samarasinghe would apply soothing balm in a blatant exercise of damage control.
Angela Kane has been spared the attacks - so far at least!
One reason may be due to the fact that she is yet to make any public pronouncement on the visit.
Unlike visits by some UN officials Ms. Kane was not on a fact - finding mission. Her trip had more to do with the internal affairs of the UN in Sri Lanka.
Perhaps there may be an outcry if parts of the report she submits to UN Secretary - general Ban Ki Moon is made public and if those are considered unfavourable to Sri Lanka.
So far there have been only two types of reaction to Angela Kane’s visit.
One is the complaint by political parties representing the national minorities of Sri Lanka that the UN official did not find time to meet them. They are incensed over the fact that she met the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) but not them.
The JVP on the other hand is once again playing to the “Sinhala” gallery over the visit and meeting. The crimson comrades wrote an explosive epistle to Ms. Kane and then released the letter to the media.
So it is not a case of Ms. Kane bringing a cane but that of our locals giving her and by extension the UN a caning.
There was an interesting sequence of events preceding the UN Asst. Sec - Gen’s visit.
Initially there was a request made by Netherlands,Sweden and Denmark that a European Union (EU) delegation be allowed to visit Sri Lanka in January this year and look into the human rights situation.
When the request was made by the respective envoys they were informed that it was not possible in January. Both Human Rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Foreign Ministry secretary Palitha Kohona were of the same opinion in this.
Subsequently approval was given for a “general” visit by an EU high - profile three - member delegation’s visit in March this year.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner are tipped to be on it. The third member is likely to be from Britain,Germany or Netherlands.
It was apparent that the EU was concerned about deteriorating human rights standards in Sri Lanka and increased militarisation.
Then came a hard - hitting interview by Germany’s Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Heidemarie Weiczorek-Zeul to the German Tages Spiegel newspaper.
She strongly advocated withdrawing the General System of Preference Plus (GSP+) facility from Sri Lanka. The GSP+ facility is the Sri Lankan garment industry’s mainstay.Over 100,000 jobs and around US$1.2 billion export earnings depend on this. It was this which the German Minister was thinking of withdrawing.
“The international community must influence both parties to the conflict to seek a political solution and withdraw from the war
which brings only suffering to the people. In the beginning of March a EU-troika will travel to Sri Lanka. If the Sri Lankan government continues to insist on a military option, I will demand that the EU should withdrew the GSP+ offered to Sri Lanka” she said.
The German minister further said . “This concession enables Sri Lanka to export its goods and products to the EU at reduced or exempted tax and duty levis. This step will really bring economic pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka. For Sri Lanka a Preference System Plus is in place until the end of 2008 which however requires good governance.”
In that interview an interesting suggestion was made by Weiczorek-Zeul .The Minister suggested that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon should send a special envoy to Sri Lanka to study the situation,
The next development was when UN secretary - General Ban Ki Moon telephoned President Mahinda Rajapakse. Moon was concerned about the escalating war , detriorating human rights situation,absence of a viable peace process and increasing violence.
The UN Sec - Gen also had two specific issues concerning his own organization.
[Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 24, 2008]
One was the increasing danger to UN officials and other personnel working in UN related organizations. On the one hand UN officials were being vilified and on the other hand many NGO workers were being killed or going missing.
The second issue was about increasing difficulties faced by the UN related organizations in discharging duties in the conflict areas of the North and East. The UNHCR , WFP and UNICEF in particular had to surmount enormous odds to bring relief and serve the civilian population .
President Rajapakse told the UN chief that there were some minor problems but not of great magnitude.
After blaming the LTTE for the war situation the president assured Ban Ki Moon that the smooth functioning of the UN would be guaranteed by his government.
At this point the UN Sec - Gen asked the Lankan president whether he could send a special representative to assess the situation with regard to the working of UN agencies in Sri Lanka and also to gauge conditions about the safety and security of UN personnel.
President Rajapakse whose position is that his government has nothing to hide agreed readily to Ban Ki Moon’s proposal.
Thereafter Moon nominated UN asst sec - gen Angela Kane as special envoy to Sri Lanka and assigned her a specific task .
“The Secretary - General has requested Angela Kane, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, to visit Sri Lanka from 20 to 26 February. The visit is part of her regular consultations in the areas of her responsibility. She had previously visited Sri Lanka in February 2007. The primary purpose of her visit is to review the work of the United Nations Country Team in Sri Lanka in all key areas” stated an official UN communique.
Angela Kane’s credentials are quite impressive. Born in Germany she first went to university in Munich. She later obtained further degrees from Brynmawr College and John Hopkinns school of Advanced international studies.
She worked for industry in Germany and the World Bank in Washington before joining the UN. Prior to being Asst. Sec. gen for political affairs she was ASG for General Assembly and conference management.
She was a also Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), where she was based in Asmara.
Angela Kane also held the position of Director of the Americas and Europe Division in the Department of Political Affairs, which she assumed in 1999.
Responsibilities included assessing political developments in the 89 countries of the Western Hemisphere, giving support and political guidance to United Nations missions in the two regions and close consultation with Member States, regional organizations and other principals.
From 1995 to 1999, Ms. Kane held a managerial post in the Department of Public Information where she was in charge of a large Division with responsibility for publications and the United Nations’ publishing policy.
She oversaw global marketing and sales and information resources. She initiated the United Nations’ move into online publishing and was responsible for the development of the United Nations home page in all official languages.
Ms. Kane’s previous United Nations experience included a four-year assignment in the office of former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali as Principal Officer for political affairs.
In 1990-91, she assisted the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central American Peace Process with the negotiations to end the conflict in El Salvador; and in the late 1980s, she was responsible for disarmament issues and the World Disarmament Campaign.
She also served as election monitor in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Her field experience includes postings in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Bangkok, Thailand, where she gained experience in development issues.
She has been a United Nations staff member since 1977.
Looking at her credentials and experience it appears that Ban Ki Moon made a carefully considered choice in selecting Angela Kane to be his special envoy to Sri Lanka.
Thus Kane’s primary focus during her mission to Sri Lanka was on interacting with UN staff and related personnel to identify problemsm harship and danger faced by them in discharging their duties.
It was a case of reviewing the situation in association with the UN country .team as opposed to conducting just a fact - finding mission on Sri Lanka.
The highlight of her visit was the meeting with President Rajapakse on Feb 25th at Temple Trees. The Sri Lankan president was in for a slight surprise when Angela Kane hand - delivered a sealed letter from Ban Ki Moon to him.
The contents of the letter have not been divulged but it is understood that the UN Sec - gen had expressed concern over a number of issues including deteriorating human rights and escalating war.
He had also urged that the UN be allowed to discharge its duties in the coinflict areas and emphasised that UN staff and related personnel be afforded protection and assistance.
Ban Ki Moon also requested closer ties between the UN and Sri Lanka. It appears that a formal request may have been made that a UN field mission be set up in the Conflict - ridden areas.
Officially there was no confirmation about a request being made explicitly by Ban Ki Moon for a UN field mission.
However the official press release by the Presidential secretariat had a somewhat cryptic reference to UN concerns about the prevailing human rights situation after the meeting with Angela Kane.
“The President told Ms. Kane that some groups had tried to show a negative picture of Sri Lanka’s Human Rights situation,” the Secretariat statement said after the meeting.
[Somawansa Amerasinghe, leader of the JVP-pic:JVP]
While her focus was on the working of the UN in Sri Lanka, Angela Kane also met a cross - section of political leaders including opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, Human Rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and JVP supremo Somawansa Amerasinghe.
Though there were plans to meet with leaders of political parties representing the minority communities the meetings did not materialise.
This caused heartburn among these parties. Some complained to her about this.
[Mano Ganesan MP]
Prior to her departure from Colombo, Angela Kane had a telephonic conversation with Western Peoples Front leader and Colombo district parliamentarian Mano Ganesan.
During the discussion Ms. Kane had expressed her regrets for not being able to meet Mano Ganesan for discussions and requested Ganesan send her a situation report said the media communiqué issued by the WPF office of Mano Ganesan MP.
The release further stated,
“We consider JVP an extremist party which is pushing the government towards war which is the direct cause for the issues of human rights violations and IDPs. Ganesan told Angela that JVP is a minor party and not a minority political party”.
“We fail to understand why the Colombo office of UN was not able to arrange meetings with the political leaderships of the Tamil speaking people. The leaders of TNA and SLMC have not met Angela Kane. The United Nations has overlooked the Tamil and Muslim political leaderships in the core issues of political solution, human rights violations and war and hence completed this visit as an one sided affair”.
“This is unbelievable. Colombo UN officials initially made contacts with my office for meetings through e-mails and later withdrew for reasons better to them. Therefore we consider the visit of United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Angela Kane is too political”
Responding to Mano Ganesan’s statement was Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne of the Left Front/NSSP. Bahu sahodaraya had his own take on this. This is what he said
“we have explained again and again that the UN is an instrument of global capital and is biased to all oppressed people including our Tamils. Mahinda is a good boy to them in spite of his racism and oppressive politics, because he is implementing their agenda. they, hence supply not only funds but directly and indirectly weapons for repression”.
“of course due to our campaigns in international plane pressure is brought on political leaders of the developed world. hence they shed crocodoile tears about human rights and national rights, and press for reforms. we have to struggle hard, and we must take the message to the workers movement and among democratic elements in the developed world as well”.
It appeared therfore that Angela Kane had incurred the displeasure and dissatisfaction of minority community parties like the WPF. Meeting the JVP had added further salt to the wound. Ironically the meeting with the JVP did not go well either..
The JVP met Kane on Feb 23rd. During the discussions the JVP had been very critical of some alleged acts of omission and commission by the UN. The national socialists also came up with the now familiar conspiracy theories.
When the JVP began reciting a litany of complaints , Angela Kane had tried to clarify the UN stance to the best of her ability.
After a while she gave up as the JVP had certain fixed positions from which it would not budge. It was a case of talking at rather than talking to each other.
The JVP also wrote a letter addressed to Angela Kane.. It was signed by Somawansa Amerasinghe and given to her on Feb 24th.
An interesting feature about that letter were the excessive references to “Nazi” Germany. Here are some excerpts -
“The United Nations arose out of the ashes of World War II and the defeat of the ideologies and practices of Hitler and Mussolini. The United Nation’s rise was accompanied by the rise of those oppressed by Western colonialists and the emergence of new free nations from the ashes of colonialism”.
” The United Nations arose at a time when the victorious Allied Powers were removing the poison of Nazi and fascist propaganda from the minds of the liberated Germans and Italians through major changes in the media and in school curricula. Most importantly the German anthem “Deutschland Uber Alles” was banned as was the book by Hitler “Mein Kampf”.
“We believe that you would understand this very well. That philosophy of removing racial hatred and fascist intolerance was transferred to the UN itself. At the beginning of UN there was no equality made between the forces of darkness and forces of democracy and tolerance”.
“A direct follower of Hitler and his philosophy is the LTTE and its leader Prabhakaran. Like the Lebensraum of the Nazis it has demarcated a “racially pure” area as his Heimat- homeland from which all other ethnic communities have been ejected wherever it was possible. Like the Nazis, Prabhakaran has killed off all the democratic Tamil leadership and brooks no dissent”.
“He has assassinated a President of Sri Lanka and a Prime Minister of India and has unsuccessfully attempted the lives of another Sri Lankan President and one Prime Minister, in addition to several other successful and unsuccessful attempts on many other Sri Lankan leaders. Going beyond the tradition of Hitler Youth “Hitler Jugend”, Prabhakaran kidnaps little children, trains them in a racist ideology and uses them as cannon fodder”.
“Following the example set by the fanatic Japanese Kamikaze of World War II Prabhakaran introduced suicide bombings to the modern world. In Prabhakaran’s sick mind there is no room for tolerance, freedom of expression, human rights or democracy. Like in World War II, there is only one alternative left for the democratic forces in Sri Lanka that is to eliminate this intolerant cancer like the Allied Forces, precursors to the UN, did in the case of Hitler”.
” The JVP values the UN for the good it does but will always resist it being used as a Western colonial proxy. We want the UN to stick unwaveringly to its anti-colonial roots. If it does, you do not have to worry about public protests and demonstrations of which you said you were very concerned. And as you correctly said, we must have a new beginning in Sri Lanka - UN relations. We will heartily support you if this is done in the correct spirit”.
“We believe that your visit to the Eastern Province would have been very useful to convince yourself that the Sri Lanka security forces have liberated the innocent people who were languishing in the open prison of the LTTE. Now it is the duty of the UN to assist Sri Lanka, an old and active member of the UN, to restore democracy in the Northern province by dismantling the remaining part of the open prison of the LTTE”.
The JVP’s comparison of the LTTE to the German fascists is not entirely without its merits. At the same time the crimson comrades themselves are perceived as neo -fascists despite their leftist pretensions.
Indeed their current ideology smacks more of national socialism than socialism. A detailed study of the rise of Hitler in the pre - 1933 years would reveal a greater affinity between the strategies and policies adopted by the Geran ational socialists and some measures of the JVP at present.
Against that backdrop it was a little peculiar for the JVP to hark back to the Nazis. Of course neither the JVP nor its followers would ever admit to their ideology and methods resembling the Nazis just as the LTTE and its supporters deny charges of being fascist.
The main reason for the JVP harping on recent German history was rather simple. The explanation is in the letter to Angela Kane where it is said “We believe that you would understand this very well”.
At one level this innoccuous sentence would mean that the JVP is of the opinion that Angela Kane is simply capable of comprehending what they had to say. On another level it was a veiled reference to her ethnicity and nationality.
Angela Kane is a German national. Therefore the Crimson comrades may have thought themselves clever to flay Hitler and Nazi Germany. Comparing Prabakharan to Hitler may have been thought a smart move by the JVP.
Given Angela Kane’s acumen and experience such puerile exercises by the JVP may turn out to be totally counter - productive.
Recent politico - military trends in Sri Lanka are fast becoming an area of concern for the International Community.
In such a situation the UN cannot remain inactive for long.
[UN Building in New York City-pic by: mirsasha]
The visit of Angela Kane shows that mercury is rising within the UN Glass house over Sri Lanka.
The results of the UN Assistant Secretary - General’s Sri Lankan mission would be known in the days to come.
Entry Filed under: transCurrents NewsFeatures
34 Comments Add your own
1. Subra S.Massey | March 1st, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I hope you would not mind if I email this write up to all in the United nations.
2. V Siva | March 1st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Let Mahinda and JVP allow War Crimes Investigators and UN Human Rights to investigate the attrocities committed in Sri Lanka.
If Rajapakse and JVP are honest what they say, please allow Intl independent organizations to investigate and release their findings and charge those who are responsible for crimes against humanity.
Let UN finds out who is Nazi - JVP, Mahinda or Praba.
3. KTR | March 1st, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Now the Russia is going to give $500 million worht of Arms to Srilanka and China is already supplying tons of Arms (both have Veto and has geo-political interest in Srilanka, there won’t be any drastic change in the UN position. The War and the suffering will continue in the Northeast and daylight Looting of the Srilanka’s national wealth will continue in the South.
All these expensive trips by the UN people are waste of resource by the UN- which has no power to implement any decision unless all five Veto powers agree together.
4. carlo kovoor | March 1st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Neat analysis. One has to read between the lines to understand that the UN is flexing its muscles. Temperature rises about Lanka in the UN
5. Lak Jaya | March 1st, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Thanks for a good article. In a war, there are errors committed by any side. The ltte is commiting genocide of its own Tamil people, in the guise of liberating them. Is this not the worst form of human rights violations - to force every family to give us their children to be used as cannon fodder in the forward-defense lines, while the so calles ltte leaders cower inside bunkers?
The ltte is desperate, and the Tamil diaspora is ‘feeling’ this and scream about human rights violations. They should first look at what the ltte is doing and face it with guts (if they have any) - the ltte and its manic supporters are the WORST human rights violaters in the HISTORY of the world - well maybe equal to Hitler and his supporters.
May all the Gods help saving Sri Lanka from this manic-depressive, deranged people.
6. Kumara Ekanayake | March 1st, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Human rights is a important issue in civilised world. There is no argument about that. Could any body, including the writer, work out a fair plan to protec humnet rights in war situation.Thsi should be applied to every party in the conflict.
7. Athos | March 2nd, 2008 at 4:30 am
/*
The JVP’s comparison of the LTTE to the German fascists is not entirely without its merits. At the same time the crimson comrades themselves are perceived as neo -fascists despite their leftist pretensions.
*/
‘Not entirely without merits’ do not really do justice to ethnic cleansing of Moslems from Jaffna and Sinlaese from villages in the east, bombing of Buddhist places of worship, massacre of Buddhist child monks or commiting genocide against civilians. After all, this is the ideology of Chandra Bose and National Socialism correct?
What has JVP done that is ‘fascist’ ? Get on a stage and lambaste LTTE for doing the above?
8. Dr K C | March 2nd, 2008 at 6:15 am
We want peace and want it right now. The UN is our major hope…….to stop both Percy and Praba from committing further HR violations.
DBS, as soon as you come to know the contents of Angela Kane’s report to the UNSG please keep us informed.
9. yogi | March 2nd, 2008 at 6:39 am
UN Must Bring a global law to procecute war crimes
In Sri Lanka ( Ceylon )
JVP Have Blood in their Hands
Police/Army/Karuna/Pillian/and politicians to be band from travelling and international sanctions to be imposed on srilankan Goods. Un Forces to be inTamils Land (North & East )to form Make an independent Home Land Under UN /EU Banner Call
Democratic Land of Eelam ( DLE ) as a fully approved UN Member. ( Dear Srilankans -Lord Budha is a Hindu and an indian.)
10. Thamil | March 2nd, 2008 at 6:54 am
JVP is trying to intimidate the Germany and its people by hiding the facts about the policy of ethnic cleansing, mass graves, carpet aerial bombardments, killings and abuses committed to Tamil people over the years by different sinhala leaderships.
Angela Kane should understand this and making her own judgement based on the ground situation to the the Tamil people in general, the attitude of the sinhala leadership (JVP is part of it) and the way a head for Tamils in general with out any more blood shed and any further delay.
UN should by now fully aware of the sinhala military’s professionalism, what’s happened in Haiti as UN peace keepers, 17 aid workers killings in Muthur, aerial bombing of UN food depot in Kilinochi, various baseless allegations against UN bodies and severe restrictions on UN staffs movement and press releases.
If this is all happening to you, think about all the Tamils what they have put up with over the years.
Please recognise the Tamils existence with dignity in their independent Tamil homeland.
11. Dayan | March 2nd, 2008 at 7:22 am
UN Assistant Secretary’s visit to Sri Lanka is not fact finding mission. She does not have to meet the Tamil and Muslim representatives since the UN understood the situation and the position of each party to the conflict. All the Tamil parties and LTTE are not agaist the active UN presence in Sri Lanka or deployment of UN forces in the long run.
The duty of the UN Assistant Secretary is to seek the final decision of the SL President and the JVP to cooperate with their effort to stop the war and provide humanitarian releif to the displaced North & East Tamils.
12. EEroppe Sinhaya | March 2nd, 2008 at 7:36 am
If there is crimes against humanity UN must first charge Praba and the Gang.
13. GANGA | March 2nd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
It is ridicules and joke of all jokes to note the real Nazi racist JVP talking like saints. This man, Amarasinghe heads the party of murdereous terrorsit campaign which killed politicians, security personnel, society leaders, clergy and common citizens. Amarasinghe clan attacked Sri Dalada maligawa well before LTTE even thought of it. They bombed inside the Parliament and nearly killed the President, Prime Minister and national security Minister.
What right this criminal Amarasinghe has to preach anybody, let alone the UN?
We could consider, atleast if they are reformed. But it is not so. This party functions as the stumble block to the political approach towards the national question and technically justifies the terrorism of LTTE.
14. Dingirii | March 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
why was the northeast separated when GOSL was against separatism?..
why are the jaffna Muslims not sent back to GOSL controlled jaffna when the tamils from colombo were sent back in one day ?
why is it not recognized that the tamils and sinhaese have very different language and religion and culture separating them?.. not like Kosova or croatia where there is a similar language..
why is the GOSL army 99% sinhaese ?
why do the sinhaese have Portuguese (conquerors) last names?..are sinhaese blue eyed Aryans?
why is the GOSL flag similar to old Dutch ships flag?
Is Colombo a sinhaese name ?
why is there old tamil kovils in sinhaese areas ?..Does this mean tamils can claim sinhaese lands similar to sinhaese claiming tamil lands?
why are sinhaese victims compensated and not tamil victims by the GOSL?
15. Dr K C | March 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
13 Ganga
I agree with you 100% on this occassion.
16. V Siva | March 2nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
JVP cannot simply forget their ugly past and crimes. We don’t need to judge who is facist or war criminal.
Mahinda and JVP let the UNHRC and ICC to investigate as well as allow international forces to monitor Tamil areas. Let this be an independent assessment than any Tamil or a Sinhalese cover up.
Thousands of Tamils kidnapped, raped and killed in Sinhala areas and North and East controlled by govetment forces. Mahinda and the GOSL are responsible for these crimes against humanity.
17. Jack Ranasinghe | March 2nd, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Chuckle Chuckle
I wonder what Dingiri would say ‘eh Dingirii?
18. Subra S.Massey | March 2nd, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Gentlemen,
Can we all start writing to various world leaders so that they understand what is going on in Sri Lanka and force the SL govt to stop this genocide?
There is a human tragedy unfolding and we are not paying attention to it.
Every week I send out one email article to about 150 world leaders. I hope My plea works, we all should do our part.
Please do it my friends!
19. Naga UK | March 3rd, 2008 at 2:06 am
Concerns of the minority parties are understandable. However, it seems that Kane has played it smart. Meeting the parties and subsequent press releases would have opened a can of worms. She also knows that talks are a meaningless exercise with the GoSL. Field visits and fact finding would only have confirmed what she already know. This is real diplomacy and she knows how to handle the likes of Sri Lankans without much ado. She would definitely furnish a proper and unbiased report to Moon.
20. Dingiri | March 3rd, 2008 at 5:43 am
Who is this imposter Dingirii? Please not the additional i at the end.
“why are the jaffna Muslims not sent back to GOSL controlled jaffna when the tamils from colombo were sent back in one day ?”
How can the Government send them back by force if they dont feel it is safe enough to go? Although Jaffna is under the Army how would the Moslems know they wont be targetted by the LTTE execution gangs that are running riot there? Also, has anyone seen the houses in Moslem enclave in Jaffna? Only the walls of these buildings are now standing. They were destroyed soon after they left so they could never return.
why is the GOSL army 99% sinhaese ?
A. It is not. Since independance there has even been an Army Chief of Staff who has been Tamil Man. Gen. A. M. Muttukumaru. There was even a Navy Chief of Staff. Admiral Kadirgamar. Currently there are many Tamil officers in the Army and the Navy. The chief of the Naval Academy is a Tamil.
why do the sinhalese have Portuguese (conquerors) last names? They took Portugese Names much like Tamils have taken Dutch and English names.
..are sinhaese blue eyed Aryans? Not blue eyed but. The word Aryan is given to a group of people who originally lived in the Caucasus region or Northern Iran and later spread to India and Europe around 2000bc which is why the Northern Indian languages together with most European Langueages belong to the Indo Aryan family of langueages. The Sinhalese language also belongs to the same group of languages. e.g. see the similarities in the words
No - Na
Eyes - As
Nose - Naas
Get yourself a book on philology and educate yourself.
why is the GOSL flag similar to old Dutch ships flag?
Is it really? Many nations have Lions on their coat of arms. Even the UK. The Sri Lankan flag was derived from an old Sri Lankan flag.
Is Colombo a sinhaese name ? No but Kolamba is.
why is there old tamil kovils in sinhaese areas ?..Does this mean tamils can claim sinhaese lands similar to sinhaese claiming tamil lands?
Yes they can. And they do. The land belongs to everybody. equally. Tamils have no right to claim 4 times as much land as they are prepared to concede to the Sinhalese and Moslems.
There were always Tamils in Sri Lanka but not as many as the Sinhalese. I dont know of any Kovils older than the 700AD Nalanda Gedige and the 1100AD Siva Temple at Polonnaruwa. The rest look like far more recent constructions.
21. Sinhalese | March 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 am
At last it came out from a Tamil in the form of DBS Jeyaraj. We were expressing the vies always JVP is as same as LTTE. Both LTTE and JVP are one and the same two sides of the same coin. LTTE has national Socialist tendencies. LTTE against cast ridden exploitation of Jaffna social fabric, LTTE readily give women an equality (Even blowing themselves up) and running neatly controlled de facto open prison called Vanni. Subra Massey can scream here of Genocide but as far as GOSL forces reach vanni gates people will run towards it with white flags. (This sentence does not suggest or clear GOSL forces does not commit atrocities) JVP on the other hand a neo facist socialist enigma, and as they run Tissamaharama urban council neat and nice perhaps but they don’t tolerate criticism. Given the chance they would run SL as a open prison same as Prabha’s vanni. Thanks Jeyaraj pointing that out. As for rest fo my Tamil friends Madbahu may be right just there.
22. Dingiri | March 3rd, 2008 at 6:00 am
Dingirii - with the two “ii”s,
If I were the President and Prabakaran asked for no more land than what he is prepared to give the Sinhalese and Moslems, I will shake his hand and make a deal with him.
Maybe even give him a Kremlin style hug.
Although Prabakaran claims he is a socialist I doubt if he’ll ever deign to settle for equality with the Sinhalese. He wants a lot more, like all supremacists. This may also prove to be his downfall. This lack of moderation.
23. Jeyanthi | March 3rd, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I AS A TAMIL RATHER BE A “CANNON FODDER” THAN A WHITE VAN FODDER. i RATHER FIGHT AND DIE THAN DIE BY THE SLA TERROR WHITE VAN.
I KNOW VAST MAJORITY OF TAMILS WILL PREFER TO FIGHT THAN DISAPPEAR BY SINGALA TERROR.
SINHALA ONLY WILL NEVER HAPPEN !
FREE EELAM NOW !
LONGER YOU STAY BIGGER DEFEAT YOU GET !
24. Gamini | March 4th, 2008 at 8:17 am
The government should have made her catch public transport to all the places she wants to visit,(no official cars & security) I doubt she will do it because she knows all too well that public transport is frequently targeted by the ruthless tiger terro machine.
The sad thing is civilians in Sri Lanka are not safe anywhere from the terrorists outfit’s in discriminant killing, the UN must help to dismantle this orgnaisation. They have already killed too world leaders how many more death will it take.
25. samuel | March 4th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Nothing will happen due to Angela Cane’s visit unless one or more of the Big Five in the UN Security Council decide to ’something’ about the sri lankan situation. But they are more preoccupied about the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan & Darfur right now.
The SLJaggernaut will roll on and crush the tamils - thanks to the traitors who have dogged the struggle upto now.
Maybe a ‘miracle’ is in the offing.
26. Ruwan Ranasinghe | March 4th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
The West should stop supplying GOSL with weapons. The proper use of these sophisticated weapons is beyond the abilities of the simple-minded imbeciles in GOSL. Do you give a baby a knife? Do you allow an 8 year old to drive a car? Its the same situation here. When people of limited intelligence are given expensive items that require delicate care, they choose instead to play a dangerous game that causes massive damage to the people and property in their surroundings. The UN needs to pass some kind of ban that prevents the sale of weapons to any despotic, tyrannical government such as can be found in SL.
27. velu | March 5th, 2008 at 1:23 am
UN top official recent visit to srilanka has created lot of hope among all sectors who are at the middle of crisis .
Personally this kind of visit is not going give us as we expecting.
Every day peopled are being killed and displacing , for long time UN is voicing both side to minimize the damage in the conflict . but in reality , rate of killing at peak every day . UN is truth less body with action to stop killing .
i partly disagree with writer expectations on UN .
28. Jeya | March 5th, 2008 at 1:24 am
UN top official recent visit to srilanka has created lot of hope among all sectors who are at the middle of crisis .
Personally this kind of visit is not going give us as we expecting.
Every day peopled are being killed and displacing , for long time UN is voicing both side to minimize the damage in the conflict . but in reality , rate of killing at peak every day . UN is truth less body with action to stop killing .
i partly disagree with writer expectations on UN .
29. believe it or not | March 5th, 2008 at 9:07 am
The Singhalese have a blind hate for tamil speaking Tamils and Muslims, especially when Tamils and Muslims are comming together in their demand for more power of devolution. Somawansa is a discursive politician
and famous for his intemperate language and boorish behaviour. If people analyse sri lankan politics they will come to the conclusion that majority of the singhalese are racist and they only want whole of Sri Lanka for singhalese. This is not an exagerration. Singhalese never going to grant legitimate aspirations of our tamil speaking people. Fairness must be the central theme of UN. Not taking side with the state terrorists.
30. david | March 5th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
The one “i”ed Dingiri is the typical racist representing the ignorant Sinhalese masses. They want a unitary state at the same time Sinhalese supremacy.This is the cause of our downfall.
31. Chelvi, UK | March 6th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Sri Lanka is among the most dangerous places on earth for humanitarian workers, the UN’s aid chief Holmes says (Reuters – 09.08.2007). Aid agencies say more than 40 humanitarian staff have been killed in Sri Lanka since January 2006, including 17 local staff of Action Contre La Faim shot dead in Muthur a year ago in a massacre, truce monitors also blamed on Singhalese army. Even International Aid workers are not safe in Sri Lanka. You can imagine the situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
32. Dingirii | March 6th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I WILL ANSWER TO ONE “i “ED Dingri THE TRUTH AND FACTS AS OPPED TO MANUFACTURED TRUTH FROM LIES AND FAIRY TALES MAHAVAMSA AND FACTS INSTEAD OF HATE FILLED MYTHS…
‘why are the jaffna Muslims not sent back to GOSL controlled jaffna when the tamils from colombo were sent back in one day ?’
How can the Government send them back by force if they dont feel it is safe enough to go? Although Jaffna is under the Army how would the Moslems know they wont be targetted by the LTTE execution gangs that are running riot there? Also, has anyone seen the houses in Moslem enclave in Jaffna? Only the walls of these buildings are now standing. They were destroyed soon after they left so they could never return.
-NOT TRUE AGAIN,THE SINHAESE SRILANKAN ARMY CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE 100% CONTROL OF JAFFNA.. HELP MONEY FROM SAUDI HAS NOT BEEN UTILIZED TO RESETLE THE MUSLIMS AND THE MUSLIMS ARE CAUGHT IN A PAWN.. THE SAME APPLIED TO TAMILS HOUSES UNDER THE SINHAESE HZ ZONE..THE SINHALESE ARMY WANTS TO GIVE THE MUSLIM AND TAMIL LANDS TO THE SINHAEE AND BLAME THE LTTE
why is the GOSL army 99% sinhaese ?
A. It is not. Since independance there has even been an Army Chief of Staff who has been Tamil Man. Gen. A. M. Muttukumaru. There was even a Navy Chief of Staff. Admiral Kadirgamar. Currently there are many Tamil officers in the Army and the Navy. The chief of the Naval Academy is a Tamil.
- THE FACT IS THE CURENT SRILANKAN ARMY IS 99% SINHAESE..
why do the sinhalese have Portuguese (conquerors) last names? They took Portugese Names much like Tamils have taken Dutch and English names. - BECAUSE OF THE SINHAESE INFERIORIT COMPLEX THE SINHAESE WANT TO TRACE THEIR ROTS BACK TO EUROPE. THEY WERE IMMIGRANTS FROM BANGLEDESH.. THE SINHAESE HISTORY IS BASED ON LIES AND FAIRY TALES OF LION MATING HUMANS..
..are sinhaese blue eyed Aryans? Not blue eyed but. The word Aryan is given to a group of people who originally lived in the Caucasus region or Northern Iran and later spread to India and Europe around 2000bc which is why the Northern Indian languages together with most European Langueages belong to the Indo Aryan family of langueages. The Sinhalese language also belongs to the same group of languages. e.g. see the similarities in the words
–NOT TRUE IT IS SIMILAR TO BENGALI
Get yourself a book on philology and educate yourself.
why is the GOSL flag similar to old Dutch ships flag?
Is it really? Many nations have Lions on their coat of arms. Even the UK. The Sri Lankan flag was derived from an old Sri Lankan flag.
- DESIGN STOLEN FROM THE DUTCH SHIP AS THERE WAS NEVER A SINHAESE FLAG WITH A LION
Is Colombo a sinhaese name ? No but Kolamba is. - AGAIN KOLOMBA (SINHAESE VERSION)CAME FROM THE PORTUGESE NAME COLOMBO AND NOT VISI VERSA.THERE WAS NO KOLOMBA BEFORE PORTUGESE CAME
why is there old tamil kovils in sinhaese areas ?..Does this mean tamils can claim sinhaese lands similar to sinhaese claiming tamil lands?
Yes they can. And they do. The land belongs to everybody. equally. Tamils have no right to claim 4 times as much land as they are prepared to concede to the Sinhalese and Moslems.
– THEN DO NOT COLONIZE TAMIL AREAS UNDER THE PRETEXT OF STATING THEY WERE TRADIONAL SINHALESE LANDS.. STOP ALSO BUILDING BUDDIST STATUES WITH YOUR ARMY IN TRINCO AND JAFFNA
There were always Tamils in Sri Lanka but not as many as the Sinhalese. I dont know of any Kovils older than the 700AD Nalanda Gedige and the 1100AD Siva Temple at Polonnaruwa. The rest look like far more recent constructions. - THE TAMILS FROM TAMILNADU CAME BEFORE THE SINHALSES FROM BENGAL THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.. YOU CANNOT REWRITE HISTORY OF EVER UNPLEASANT IT IS..
SIMPLY PUT ONE MAJORITY (SOUTH OF THE ISLAND) CANNOT RULE ANOTHER MAJORITY (NORTEAST OF THE ISLAND).. CAN INDIA RULE PAKISTAN ? EVEN IF THEY HAVE THE SAME LANGAUGE?..THE TAMILS AND SINHALES ARE VERY DIFFRENT IN LANGAUGE, RELIGIN, CULTURE.. SERIAL STATE SPONSORED ETHINCI RIOTS AND 99% SINHAESE ARMY IN 100% TAMIL AREAS WILL ONLY CAUSE ETHINIC POLARIZATION !
33. Thangesh | March 8th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Dear DBSJ annaa
UN cannot save tamils.But as Thanthai Selva said; Only
God may save us; That is not SIVA or Jesuse But Allah.
As being hindu or christian we dont have any moral/social protection.Incase all hindus & chritian Tamils become muslims then we will have right moral support from muslim brothers around the world,even from India,Pakistan & Bangaladesh.And that would be the right counter force to balance out the Butist chauvanism in long term.We cannot believe the time to time global politics will save us in longer term.
You know that ” Emmathamum sammatham” and all the rivers go to the same ocean.
34. V Siva | March 10th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
The refusal by the GOSL and the JVP to allow the War Crimes Investigators and Human Rights Investigators into Sri Lanka to investigate crimes against humanity is due to the fact they both have committed crimes against innocent Tamils.
When Rajiv Gandhi sent war planes over Jaffna, JR was shaken. There will be another brave Hindu leader of India will take a bold step against the attrocities of the GOSL and Sinhalese hooligans. Eelam is a reality.
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