What is being reported as happening in many parts of Northeast Sri Lanka is continuation of the past six decades of injustice. There doesn't seem to be any change of direction, only more drifting away from the rest of the country.
The South has the power to halt the drifting. Will it exercise it? When will it ever exercise it?

The US Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. can talk. But Gothabaya Rajapakse has already told that US and Norway have helped or supported Sarath Fonseka in the presidential elections held recently or some thing to that effect. Gothapaya further asserted he has prove about the involvement of Norway and US.

Anyway as far as I know so far Gothapaya Rajapakse has not withdrawn his statements. Gotha also has catergorically told that he is the defence secretary and he will not allow any investigation into any human rights abuses by the SL armed forces on the Tamil Civilians and surrendering LTTE leaders and cardres or something to that effect.

I belong to the Tamil minority am at a loss to understand what is Robert O. Blake is talking about, national reconciliation process, process of accountability for many of the human rights abuses that may have occurred during that war, And the larger issue of possible war crimes that may have occurred.

Yes America has a real threat from Terrorism since 9/11 but war on terror lead by US has jeopardised the legitimate political struggle carried out by many minority groups all over the world to safegurad their peaceful existence with sovereignty and dignity. Unfortunately pwoerful countries from the IC have been very supportive of the majority communities who have the democratic power based on majoritarianism to keep their sovereignty and dignity but at the same time denying their national minorities to share the power.

In any true democracy, the voters have a democratic right to know the truth about important issues, to understand them, to be alert to stark realities and express their decision. The purpose of democracy is to be transparent and lead the people to make the right decisions.

In a survey conducted by "Daily Mirror" newspaper in Sri Lanka(SL) about a few weeks before the presidential election, about 84 percent of the populace expressed openly their desire that the "ethnic problem" should be addressed. Yet, the presidential candidates of UNF and UPFA were adamantly silent.

The unexplained truth of the "ethnic problem" is based on Vaddukoddai resolution of 1976, there was an independence war -not a separatist war - with a view to establish Tamil Eelam(TE). And the political resistance against the colonists in Colombo has now grown to unprecedented high levels, both internally and internationally, amongst the Tamil "citizenry".

There are even absolute parallels between "Eelam war" and the war for independence in America.

The "Battle of Bunker Hill" was in 1843 in America and the massacre of 5 civilians in Boston by the colonial forces is still called "Boston Massacre".

In "Eelam war" the "Battle of Mullaitivu" was in 2009 and the massacre of 22000 to 40000 Tamil civilians by the colonial forces is called "Mullaitivu Massacre".

The voters desired an expression of an appropriate democratic solution to this very serious "ethnic problem" but was denied.

The baiscs of democracy were thus openly violated and it was not an election but a contest between two persons whose ego was out of control. Appropriately, the British Commonwealth termed the election as "not democratic".

Last week, there was another sting on the tail for democracy in SL. The "Buddhist" prelates wrote to president Rajapakse about the arrest of Sarath Fonseka and said that they "have a right to interfere in the coutry's affairs".

In true democracy, the prelates have the same rights like any other voter.

Surely, the prelates have a piritual obligation to speak out for justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with all the people. They also have a responsibility to teach the people to overcome fear by love and eliminate material greed.

Love casts out fear and hatred. Spiritually, love and fear cannot co-exist. Love lavishes out and is never greedy.

But during the past 60 years, the monks created unwanted fear, panic and jitterness amongst the Sinhalese against the legitimate rights of self governance and self determination of Tamils. Monks also promoted Sinhala greed for land and political power in Tamil homeland.

Both acts, completely unspiritual, caused hatred, violence and brutal war in the island; disturbing peace and stability. And injustice was promoted, a reason for the arrest of Fonseka.

A man reaps waht he sows is a spiritual law.

I love monks. We all must love them. But it is not possible to make sense out of democratic and spiritual nonsense.

What SL needs is sensible democracy and spirituality.

Dear Sir,
US and other western nations has always had the view the LTTE is not a solutions to the conflict. due to its uncompromisable position. But now LTTE is gone. why are these countries not pressuring the Srilankan gov. to find a genuine political solution? You all have pursued the Serbia to handover the war criminals. but not doing enough to bring the war criminals from Srilanka( one of them are US citizen) who killed more than 40000 people.

Why is this double standard?

Hey Robert Blake the anti Sri Lankan CROOK, you don't still know why SF was arrested??? It was all over media. Let me help you here.According to The Asian Tribune the main charges, read out to Gen. Fonseka at the time of his arrest, were

• Politicking whilst in uniform,

• Conspiring against the Commander-in-Chief whilst in Service,

• Harboring more than 1,500 deserters whilst on Service,

• And, corrupt practices in relating to military procurements.

If a military chief in us did these , how will he be treated???

Robert Blake is wishes Sri Lanka well - that is clear to those who had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him. But the media and many sections of the Govt, in their xenophobic frenzy insisting the West to be their enemies - attack him unfairly. Of course, Green Cards and PR's in the West are a totally different matter. They are good and necessary for the politikkas, wifey, chooty putha and duwa. Occasionally sons and daughters-in-law as well.

Curiously, Blake says over 100,000 IDPs are stil held. Almost simultaneously President MR tells his new-found friend Mr. N.Ram of "The Hindu" in a high-profile interview it is only about 50,000. And, he adds with his trade-mark smile "they don't want to leave" The conditions must be first-class. Clearly, somebody is not telling the truth. Who? Wanna bet?

ISS

Thanks Blake being truthful.
*/Assistant Secretary Blake: I think they do have a democracy, and certainly they have a very proud democratic tradition./*
Yes, Sri Lanka had and has democracy for years and years. However, democratic values may be flawed time to time due to many reasons. Nobody can expect a level of democracy similar to the developed world (?). The quality of democracy is relative to the back ground realities. Sri Lanka is fortunate to be the neighbor to the world largest democracy, hence what still remarkable is that the level may slightly surpass the quality of theirs, and the other regional nations.
Actually, this is something commendable for a war torn nation with a 20 million population packed in 64000 square km of isle blessed with labor and literacy, but limited resources.

Mr. Sam,

There is no Tamil Homeland in Sri Lanka. if you want a homeland please go to Tamilnadu. In Sri Lanka, Tamils should think that they are Sri Lankans first and then Tamils. Don't dream for the "Vaddukoddai resolution"; it will never become a reality.

Sl Fire Ball is so cock sure about reality can he tell when the doom comes why should the TamilS go to Tamil nadu why dont you go to china or Iran then the Tamils can live in their home land and the decendents of kuveni can stay in Kotte and the rest of the half Tamils can decide where they want to go

Nathen