Jehan Perera writes and DBS Jeyaraj presents : « Economic and political costs of over-extending military role »
Posted on November 19th, 2011
By Charles.S.Perera
Jehan PeraraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article , ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚«ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Economic and Political costs of over extending MilitaryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RoleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚» has been published in the DBS JeyarajƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ anti government website TransCurrent.
And DBS Jeyaraj makes his own comments in presenting Jehan PereraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article. This is to examine his comments.
What have they against the Sri Lanka Armed Forces unless they want to be in the good books of the anti Sri Lanka Western Countries, perhaps hoping for a few priviledges falling into their laps.
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces are an integral part of our Nation and our country. Our Armed Forces cannot be compared to any other Armed Force in the world such as that of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ NATO. Our Soldiers had been battered by a ruthless villainous terrorists, who were ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pampered and strengthened byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the International Community, which despite banning the terrorist group, allowed the expatriate Tamils settled in their countries to form terrorist front organizations and collect funds to help terrorists to continue their massacres, murders and subjugation of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ poor Tamil civilians inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the areas under their control in Sri Lanka.
The soldiers of our Armed forces did not take arms against the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TheyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were conscious that they were fighting a war against the Tamil terrorists and not against the ordinary Tamil people, who they were ever ready to help,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ whether they wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ running away from the terrorists or were among the terrorist kept by them as a human shield.
They the soldiers ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were brothers, sons and even fathers to Tamil Community harassed by the terrorists and forced to be ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their slaves.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When they were being rescued the Soldiers carried the old in their arms, wounded were helped to walk, the children were fed.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When they were in the IDP camps they were provided security at risk to their own lives.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When they travelled the soldiersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were their guards providing security, and their wants.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now the war is over , and DBS Jeyaraj mourns , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Hello Friends, The war may be over but the Armed forces of Sri Lanka continue to play an assertive role in the affairs of the Country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚»
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But what was DBS Jeyaraj doing all that time , he was certainly before a computer in a warm comfortable room writing articles in favour of terrorists and against Government Armed Forces, which he still continues to do.
To day the war against terrorism is over.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But is terrorism over ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is people like DBS Jeyaraj and Jehan Perera who give hope for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-sleeping terroristsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to lie low until space is providedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for them to be awakened.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Therefore the presence of soldiers is a boon to our nation and also to ungrateful Tamils who will again be provided security and protection and IDP camps in case the attempts ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pseudo patriotic Tamils like Jeyaraj, Pakiasothy Saravanamutta, Kumar David , Jehan PereraƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ et al , to revive terrorism would succeed.
If there were to be terrorism again in Sri Lanka it will not be Jehan Perera, DBS Jeyaraj who will take arms against them; it will again be the Sinhala Buddhist Soldiers from Sinhala villagers in the South who will sacrifice their lives to protect both the country and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ people of all races and religions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, no one can question the right of the soldiers and the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka playing ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ an assertive role in the affairs of the Country.
DBS Jeyaraj borrows an image from Al JazeeraƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with the caption, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚«ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Two soldiers wait for electricity to power their sewing machines at a tailor shop opened up in front of their unit’s headquarters, just outside Kilinochchi, northern Sri Lanka. The military has started opening cafes, tailor shops and other businesses throughout the north ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚»
What is wrong in our soldiers opening , shops and cafesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ? The complaint had been that they were carrying guns,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the Tamil people did not feel safe, but now they complain that they are working, running shops, cafes and boutiques.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Tamils should at least be happy that they are not carrying guns but being of service to the people.
DBS Jeyaraj has some difficulty to think objectively and reason out for himself the useful role that had been played by the Armed Forces and that it will play again if the necessity arises.
DBS Jeyaraj writes as if he is a Nostradamus or some such wizard, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚«ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is more pronounced in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the Country where the armed forces continue to dominate many spheres of everyday life in the regions where Tamils are a preponderant majority. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚»ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as if every thing is hunky doryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and there is no fear of some one in a nearby country training another group of terrorists to take over North and East.
The man should be daft, he seems to have forgotten that terrorism arose in the North and East, and today it isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Tamils in the North and EastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ such as the Sampanthan and his TNA Tamil cohorts with their demand forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ devolution ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ political rights whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are going the length and breadth of the world complaining against the Sinhala Majority, inviting every one to help just the Tamil ethnic community, against a vicious Sinhala Majority Community.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
If the problem of terrorism were to raise its head again it will be in the North and the East. It is therefore necessary to have a permanent military presence in these two Provinces, whether DBS Jeyaraj, Jehan Perera and the TNA MPs like it or not.
In the South JVP will not begin a terror campaign again. If they do there is the means to thwart it.
DBS Jeyaraj need not worry aboutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ any militarization of the South.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sinhala people understand, as they have always understood that the Sri Lanka soldiers are a part of the community.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They are not there only to fight terrorism, burry the dead, clean tanks, build bridges and roads, and clean drains or closets. TheyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ can also be employed like any other citizen to sell vegetables , stitch clothes or even overseer cricket grounds,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and give protection to the country and communities at the same time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
It is the Tamils like Jeyaraj who have a difficulty understanding not only the Soldiers, but also the Sinhala people, thinking only in terms of Tamils as the only community that has to be left alone with their political rights.
Then DBS Jeyraja says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- The increasing militarisation of society coupled with the increasing politicisation of the military is creating quite a dangerous climate in Sri Lanka. Arguably the defence secretary and Presidential sibling is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in practiceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the most powerful man in the Island today.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In any country the President and the Defense Secretaries are powerful and important.
In Sri Lanka the Defense Secretary, as the brother of the President,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has become the person on whom the President could place trust and be confident of sincere support.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore , he is an important person and it was he who played the decidingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ role in coordinating the Security Forces in the elimination of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Perhaps DBS Jeyaraj is reluctant to give him credit for that finding other means to attack him as being the most powerful man, perhaps to create some sort of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- jealousyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ amoung brothers !!!
Then heƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pulls his last shot before presenting Jehan PereraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- All these developments trouble people concerned about the future well-being of the country. Some have begun speaking out or commenting publicly on this situationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..National Peace Council director and well -known analyst-commentator Jehan Perera has in a recent article referred to this situation. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Who are these concerned people ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jehan Perera ? The anti Sri Lanka countries of the West, TNA, UNP and JVP ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
They had always been against progress.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Can we now expect any thing else from them. But the people Jeyaraj, the people,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at least those in the South knows that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the future well-being of the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, is being taken good care of by the President, his government and the Defence Secretary. That is what matters.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Tamil people are not grateful and not patriotic enough wanting to take care only of the Tamils, and if the occasion presents itself to divide the country,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to separate the North and East as a Tamil Homeland.
DBS JeyarajƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s introduction to Jehan PereraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article is a summary of it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore , at least for the moment it does not need a separate reply. If however on re-readingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I find it grossly in inappropriate, I will write a reply toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jehan Perera who wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ introduced by anotherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ journalist Nalin Swaris as follows:
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jehan Perera remains an unrepentant advocate of the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cause – even of LTTE post mortem. Perera seems to have undergone a make-over and become an unbiased political commentator. Consider his painless, noiseless move to The Island newspaper from The Daily Mirror. However, a discerning reader will be quick to see that though his writings have become subtler, his heart is still in the den.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚»
No doubt DBS JeyarajƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ seems so close to him.
November 19th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
JH & DBSJ are strange “bedfellows” but then will not Traitors always flock together?
November 19th, 2011 at 8:30 pm
USA is bankrupt and it’s debt is going up by trillions almost monthly.
Yet, USA is challenging Asia that will be mostly China and Russia in every front.
So, I think, these two gentlemen should send their ideas to Obama.
Again, Why DBSJ or Jehan Perera did not send any kind of thoughts to LTTE ?
November 19th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
An excellent defence of the Sri Lankan armed forces who gave their lives to Tamils more than they gave to the Sinhala majority to take back their land and chase the Tamil Nadu Tamil Terrorists back to Tamil Nadu. The Coast Guard is been strengthened so that the so called Jayalaltha’s fishing fleet can be constrained. Few months ago these night fisherman wanted to invade KATCHCHETHV Island and the Indian Police stopped it. In a public meeting just before the fisherman were about to put their boates to sea, Jayalalitha told them that she has won a court case and the KATACHCHVE now belongs to Tamil Nadu. Indian Police did not arrest her for this statement. According to unconfirmrd reports, states, that British Navy is helping with putting weapons on to these fishing boats.
November 19th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Look at the article by Tamil writer Sebastian rasalingam in the citizen (Charles Perera seems to have missed it?):
Army ‘Kadaigals’ in the North – Bane or Boon?
November 10, 2011, 7:37 pm
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=38768
article_image
I read Jehan Perera’s take on “Economic and political costs of over extending military role”. Perera is an NGO spokesman who used to demand that the Army be confined to the barracks, even during the peak of Tiger mayhem. So, his views on the military in the North should surprise none.
‘Policy alternative to the war’
Consider the view of Tamils who do not own land near Colombo (or Toronto!). They have been working on Peria Dorei’s land or at his business for a pittance since colonial times. They were conscripted to fight the battles orchestrated by the Tigers and funded from London or Toronto. How could they care about “Arasu”, “language” or “University Entrance”, when their children were denied decent schools or a fair-wage job. The poor Sinhalese youth were also hit by the Eelam wars. The youth of the social class of Jehan Perera were not involved in the war. They remained skeptical of the military option. “Keep the army in the barracks, let us have talks, and graciously give Prabha the few hectares of dry zone that he is clamouring for”; this was the “policy alternative” to war proclaimed by Jehan-Perera types. This suited the mercantile and military interests of the west. The lot of the Tamils under a Tiger Megalomaniac was irrelevant to the “polished” civil society. They wanted to punish the rioting Sinhala-‘yokels’ who usurped the power of the Colombo class since 1956. Prabhakaran was surely the ideal cat’s paw.
Ending war and mending North
The determined attack against the Tigers worked. Some 300,000 IDPs were forcibly taken to Nandikadal by the retreating Tigers. They escaped when the army broke the Tiger-built earth bunds. That was in May 2009. The IDPs had to be fed, medically treated, and separated from terrorists. The TNA and their “civil society friends” flashed pictures of barbed wire fences of welfare centres claiming that they were Nazi concentration camps; they wanted the IDPs released immediately. However, by all honest accounts the government did a great and humane job, unaided by the Tamil Diaspora or the TNA which claimed that those were torture camps. Tiger money was no doubt used to buy out some Tigers who arrived in the West on board smuggler-ships.
The LTTE employed some tactics such as destroying the Kilinochchi water tower and roofs of houses so that the people were left with no alternative but to go with the retreating Tigers. If the IDPs had returned to such war-torn villages with no infra-structure or economic activity, the tragedy would have been colossal. Even in New Orleans, the US, many victims of Hurricane Katrina have not yet got houses or employment to date. Lanka’s North has done far better! The immediate, able-bodied engine of reconstruction is the military. This was like in Japan after WW-II. Even five years after WW-II, goods from Japan were labeled ‘made in occupied Japan’. The factories were initially run by the US army, and handed over to the Japanese business under strict rules. The Marshal Plan in Germany was administered jointly by the allied-forces and US banks initially. This practice was followed in South Korea.
Economic factor
The presence of the army provides a client base for goods and services supplied by the working Tamils. The Colombo Tamils or the Diaspora cannot be the engine of growth in those areas. What is amazing is that in Jaffna today, even lawyers’ offices remain open till 11 pm. The Tamils go about in the night without fear. Street bazaars are a hive of activity well beyond normal hours. The presence of the Sinhalese adds the non-traditional influence needed to break the power of the old Peria Dorei caste. Jehan Perera does not like it!
If the army personnel are discharged, they will fall into the sorry state of war veterans in the US or Canada. The veterans of the West are ‘army surplus’ are vulnerable to trauma, violence and alcoholism. In Sri Lanka, the army has jobs in the North running ‘kadaigal’ or even beauty salons. In the South, they dredge canals or clear slums. In effect, soldiers are weaned from their military habits, given a new vocation and reintegrated into society. A socially myopic UN-expert may say “this is financially inefficient”. However, within a holistic social picture, we see that the force of circumstances has produced the correct solution to a horrendous post-war problem.
Sebastian Rasalingam,
Toronto
November 20th, 2011 at 1:06 am
Armed forces are part of Sri Lanka. If anyone cannot stand that GET OUT!
November 20th, 2011 at 6:06 am
India spent heavily on defence after independence while millions were dying of hunger. I t paid up in holding India together and keeping countries like Ceylon (Sri Lanka) sujugated. Its intelligence service the Third Eye was formed by Mohanda, Nehru and Bose even before the independence.
Ceylon had a ceremonial army up to 1983. In 1983 they did not have vehicle to bring the 13 soldiers that were butchred by the Tamil terrorists when these soldiers were off duty and unarmed.
Solheim, reps of Tamil terrorists and RAW agents met at Dlhi Airport. RAW is the visible Avatar of the Third Eye.
Ceylon should modernise the army and form an intelligence srvice.
November 20th, 2011 at 6:29 am
Jehan Perera is singing for his supper. He is writing for the money he gets. Sometime back it was reported that Norway had been paying his National Peace Council millions of dollars and there were queries as to where all these funds went. Further, he is also backed by the Catholic Church. During the height of the war Jehan Perera was drumming support for the LTTE by peace talks, pauses and requests for the army be withdrawn to barracks.The main goal of people like Jehan Perera, DBS, Kumar David,Saravanmuttu and so on is to break up Sri Lanka.
P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
November 20th, 2011 at 11:18 am
[ Ceylon should modernise the army and form an intelligence service.]
Sinhala people do everything to screw ourselves and our own
November 20th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Writing a comment to Jeyraj’s blog a few weeks back, I asked; is discrimination by Sinhalese the reason for Tamils wanted to divide Sri Lanka in 1928? I further said; surely, Sinhalese couldn’t have discriminated Tamils in 1928 for it was British who ruled Sri Lanka then. To prove that Tamils had demanded division in 1928, I pointed out that it is none other than Jeyraj who wrote that a man named Visvalingam first promoted division of Sri Lanka in 1928 which he called ‘elom’.
Actually, Jeyraj had revealed Visvalingam’s proposal not to prove what I have pointed out but to show there were no Tamil takers of Visvalingam’s proposal to divide Sri Lanka not just now but even at that time. But I had shown how Visvalingams idea thrived for Ponnambalam’s undemocratic demand of 50-50 by the time we got independence and how federal would have lead to Eelam.
Jeraj’s role model is S.J.V. Chelvanayakam. He loses all his senses when Chelva and his successors, the present day TNA are criticized.
When I wrote to his blog; “… Soon, racist leader of Tamils, tantai Chelva who called himself a Ghandian had imported the DMK separatist tactics. The trousered Gandhi had culminated his non-violent agitations to put the cat out of the bag at a mass meeting at Waddukkodai on May 14, 1976 where he declared war on Sri Lanka government and his voters approved it ….” Jeyaraj who says he is a journalist who respect others (dissenting) views, deleted my comment and displayed ‘I write gibberish and not write to it’. So much for is balance journalism.
I say, Jeyraj’s blog is a pseudo Sri Lanka blog. Jeyraj has his own roadmap for Eelam. It’s a separatist blog for Eelamists. Transcurrent is worst for it publishes only selected parts of comment so as to present a different meaning and to suit their agenda. So, I agree with Charles of everything he wrote about Jeyraj and Transcurrent.
Leela
November 21st, 2011 at 2:08 am
Here is a puzzle, eventhough it might sound racist, but explains the suffering of victims of Indian colonialism and imperialism.
I heard this in Malaysia.
A Malay was walking along with his Indian friend along the foot path in a forest. There appears a cobra in the distance and there is a stick near by.
What happened ?
November 21st, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Just like Leela, I find it hard to let many articles in “Transcurrents” pass without challenge.
Unlike Lankaweb, comments to Transcurrents are checked, scrutinized, edited and many-times never published. It is “Pick and choose” journalism. Mr.Jayaraj is no fool. He knows when to hold and when to fold. He wants to keep the concept of Eelam alive. Like him, many find it hard to let go after investing their lives for this pipe dream. What a waste of time.
There are number of writers and commentators in Transcurrents who are Tamils who pose as Sinhala. It is easy to pick it from way proper names are spelled. When it is pointed out, either they get very angry or comments are not published.
November 21st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Very true.
One Tamil Nadu joker here by the name “Sarath” is one of them. He uses his DISGUSTING language to distort SL names just like how Tamilnut does.
e.g. He calls Bharatha by some disgusting Tamil Nadu language name of “Paratha”. Disgusting!
D “BS” Jeyeraj is a Tamil nationalist. Glad he has those two initials (BS).
November 21st, 2011 at 1:48 pm
If you look back (search on google) all of the articles/opinions written by DBSJ on Transcurrent, DBSJ Blog, Sunday Leader or any other website in the past 2 years you will find very few or none at all that is critical of Gotabaya Rajapakse.
Oh What games people play!
November 21st, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Marco,
You are correct on Sunday leader. There is a reason. A case was filed against it and GR won it in 2008. The verdict was a guilty one against it but the sentence was suspended for 2 or 5 years. That means IF it again defame GR, the newspaper will be in serious trouble as the punishment applies. That was how it was contained.
Not sure how it may change with a new editor.
Didn’t know about D “BS” Jeyaraj’s articles going soft on GR. Can you provide some examples?
November 22nd, 2011 at 9:55 am
If you are referring to the Rs 1 billion Defamation case (MIG deal done via Ghost Company published in July to Sept 2007) filed by GR against Sunday Leader and Leader Publication, you will find the case is still on-going before the Mount Lavinia District Judge MCBS Moraes. GR is currently giving evidence in the defamation case. In 2008 he obtained an Enjoining Order, refraining from publishes any further articles/comments/opinions in relation to the “MIG” case.
There is ofcourse a big difference between defamation and being critical of actions taken by GR.
The only way you will find “examples” is reading DBSJ blog to understand the tone towards GR.
say lets start with the article referred above by Charles Perera. Nowhere has DBSJ mention the Defense Secretary or GR by name. Afterall, it is a defense related article.
http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/2875
There is ofcourse the rumour (only a rumour!) DBSJ and GR are good buddies.