Sinhala Majority discriminated : Paid adverts ‘Tamil Only’
Posted on September 30th, 2015
Shenali D Waduge
We have been told enough times that the minorities are discriminated by the majority. The paid media is quick to sensationalize and the international organizations find this an opportunity to advance their agendas for which foreign governments are ready to disburse funds. However, let’s stick to the principles of things. Where in the world do you find adverts openly canvassing through paid advertisements where land and property are sold/leased/rented to only a particular race/religion? In most countries this is an illegal act just as adverts are not allowed to include the age when calling for vacancies. However, a new trend has emerged where minorities are now openly paying to advertise property as being for Tamils Only/Muslims Only. How politically correct is this and why is none of the international agencies protesting?
http://www.lankapropertyweb.com/sale/property_details-77227.html
(The advert has now removed the part about Only Tamils)
This is only a sample of the many instances where the majority is being subject to discrimination which never gets highlighted because it is politically savvy to stick to minority getting discriminated.
Anyone wanting to test this further need only to go to the hundreds of apartments/flats from Bambalapitiya to Dehiwela on either side of the Galle Road and ask whether any apartments are for rent. The immediate response without any feeling of guilt is that these are available to only Tamils or Muslims. If a proper census is taken of Colombo and suburbs it would be shocking to count the increase in Tamils and Muslims to Colombo & outskirts as well as the increasing Maldivians now arriving to marry and live and slowly acquire land in Sri Lanka. Fast forward to future years to realize the outcome though no politician nowadays is bothered other than to enjoy perks of office leaving aside what happens to the country.
While the media & publicity is generated at all that the minorities are not given there is never any mention of what the minorities are given and what they do enjoy. The majority has continued to ask what they enjoy which constitutionally and legally are denied to the minority and this question never gets answered because there is no answer. The majority & minority are all equal before the law and there is no law that states that the majority race has any right over the minority though the current trend is to create new laws that are marginalizing and demarcating people by giving special place to minorities only, when in practice the minorities are enjoying a more preferred place already.
Ignored to are the differences among minorities themselves. How many are remotely aware that in the North the Tamils do not donate blood because the high caste Tamils do not wish to have their blood given to the low castes? Are people aware that the Sri Lanka Military did a magnanimous gesture by donating blood to the blood bank for Tamils because Tamils do not donate blood. People seem to forget these gestures and are today ridiculing the very soldiers that went out of their way to even build homes for them following the end of the conflict. It goes to highlight the mentality of people behind the paid media masquerade.
Bogus discrimination of minorities
The last persons to be asked whether discriminations exist or not are the politicians and any agencies that are paid to earn a living. Politicians hardly ever mingle with the people to know what the practical problems people suffer from and their advisors are very happy to keep politicians ignorant for it makes their life less complicated! As for local and international bodies that earn a living because of the existence of global issues they do not wish to entirely solve problems because that would leave them unemployed. It’s a vicious circle.
Nevertheless, anyone wanting to know if the minorities are discriminated or not, need only to ask some very basic questions and can easily seek answers for themselves.
- Can you think of any sizeable population where industry and property are dominated by the minority communities as in Sri Lanka?
- Colombo the commercial hub of Sri Lanka is populated by Tamils and Muslims leaving Sinhalese in the minority
- The largest supermarket chain – Cargills is owned by the Page Family who are Jaffna Tamil Christians
- The largest brewery – Carsons (brands Lion, Three Coins Beer) is owned by the Selvanathan family who are Tamils
- The largest media network – MTV, Sirasa are owned by the Maharaja family who are Tamil
- The largest hardware manufacturer – Slon, Kevilton are also owned by the Maharaja family who are Tamil
- The largest construction conglomerate – St Anthony’s (Anton, Tokyo Cement) are owned by another Tamil family the Gnanam’s.
- Tamils and Tamil speaking Muslims dominate gem/jewellery industry as well
- Tamils and Tamil speaking Muslims dominate the wholesale trade too.
- Tamils and Tamil speaking Muslims dominate the property ownership in Colombo as well
- Go around Colombo on a Friday noon time to gage the number of Muslim owned shops which would all be closed including the supermarkets owned by them.
- When the LTTE prevailed the Hindus never celebrated or demanded to celebrate Vel… now virtually every month there is a kovil procession blocking the traffic systems across Colombo.
If the above property advert of ONLY TAMILS is applied it also means that these shops are frequented by minorities while at the same time none of these shops can thrive if the Sinhalese did not buy from these shops as well. It also means that thousands of Sinhalese are also employed and working under these minority owned companies.
If there was discrimination shouldn’t you now ask how minorities have come to dominate important areas of business and property throughout the country?
Tamils are increasingly purchasing property in the South of Sri Lanka in particular Colombo and suburbs. But when Sinhalese wish to simply travel to religious sites in the North that had been in existence far before Tamils migrated from Tamil Nadu, the Sinhalese are now being stoned and shouted to leave and Tamil politicians are crying ‘colonization of Sinhalese’ which is a ridiculous notion that has yet to be countered.
Similarly, in the East too areas occupied by the other minority are claiming that it is their domain and an Arabic culture is being created totally ignored by Government officials without realizing future danger scenarios.
What needs to be reiterated is that while there are 76million Tamils in the world and 1.3billion Muslims worldwide there are only 14.8million Sinhalese. Thus, it is the Sinhalese race & ethnicity as well as the Sinhala language that is endangered and needs to be protected from discrimination & extinction.
Whatever attempts being made to say otherwise Sri Lanka was a Sinhale nation and it was built by the Hela people and that civilizational history cannot be usurped just because Abrahamic neo-colonial agendas deem it their quest to do so. This is why historically ever since the arrival of the colonials the place of the Sinhala Majority and Buddhism as state religion have been earmarked for destruction and annihilation and the new governments with Anglican links will no doubt attempt to create a new constitution omitting the distinct place given to the Sinhala Buddhists who built the nation by peddling the minority card & multicultural/multifaith theme which in the end invariably will lead to Christian West ruling over the entire world.
Both the Church and Islam as institutions are worth billions with a mandatory requirement for worshippers to donate their incomes to these institutions. Over and above the billions at their disposal these institutions are invariably linked to countries & governments that are able to diplomatically influence nations where these faiths are not in the majority to ensure a significant place is given to their faiths that enables them to covertly try to increase their flocks. The incursions that both Buddhism and Hinduism is subtly being subject to is often ignored because governments, media and foreign agencies are all controlled or owned by non-Buddhists/non-Hindus.
All that needs to be said is that there is a total distortion of facts and it is now time to evaluate whether it is really the minorities that are being discriminated or the majority because foreign agendas find it easy to piggy back on minority rights to get a foothold into countries they wish to use as a base for their geopolitical missions.
In such a scenario with the bogus distortions at play who will come forward to defend the Sinhalese and protect the Sinhalese ethnicity/race & Sinhalese language from annihilation?
Footnote – The advert has now removed the part about Only Tamils
September 30th, 2015 at 5:02 pm
THE REMOVAL OF THE AD ABOUT ONLY TAMILS, IS JUST A WHITE WASH. PLEASE CHECK LATER AND SEE WHETHER A TAMIL HAS BOUGHT IT OR NOT. IT WILL BE SOLD ONLY TO TAMILS.
September 30th, 2015 at 6:24 pm
Thank you Shenali. We all stand by you. Its a shame that there is no national authority to take these up and people have to spot these.
There is a much bigger danger lurking in Tamil-only ghettoes of Colombo and beyond. Since Thesawalamei Law (the adaptation of the Marumakkathayam law of Malabar, Coastal Kerala) is now a personal law and not a territorial law, there is the legal possibility of Tamils anywhere in the country (of Malabar Kerala coastal decent = Jaffna Tamils) to rely on Thesawalamei Law provisions to deny selling land to Sinhalese and Muslims. This racist and apartheid law must be removed forthwith. What matters is not its reliance but the mere presence of this law which is discriminatory, barbaric and racist.
It is a national shame that even when the last government had the two thirds (not required to remove Marumakkathayam -Thesawalamei Law) in parliament, it refused to remove it.
Continuation of such barbaric laws leave only violent means to gain rightful and due property rights for discriminated Sinhala and Muslim people. People’s faith in the legal system as just and equitable must be established by removing these barbaric laws and punishing all forms of racism.
September 30th, 2015 at 6:30 pm
I thought this web site is connected to Lankaweb. Could our dear moderator please verify it.
September 30th, 2015 at 7:59 pm
The all powerful former government with an overwhelming and absolute majority in the house remained mum in the face of the ‘Tamilization’ of the country. What conclusion can we draw from it?
What else but that the Sinhalese are their own enemies and collaborators of what I describe as the ‘Tamilization’ of this country.
In what does this ‘Tamilization’ consist? In following the law that is as old as humanity: Go out, multiply, and possess the land.
Let us face this hard fact instead of adopting the strategy of the ostrich. the Sinhalese are poor and insignificant, only making up the numbers. In the present world numbers do not count. Even in war, it is the more numerous that constitute the ‘bomb fodder’.
What counts is economic muscle, in other terms ‘financial dominance’. In this regard the Sinhalese come in the last place behind the Tamils and the Muslims. It is always those who are powerless that suffer discrimination, being easy punching bags. This is what happens at the UN, in Geneva and everywhere where the so called international community holds the roost. No come cares two hoots for the poor and the powerless, and hence no one care two hoots for the Sinhalese.
The Sinhalese are the root cause of their own powerlessness. What more can be said in this regard, when all powerful governments chosen by the Sinhalese with overwhelming and absolute majorities in parliament, do not raise a finger at this ‘Sinhala self destruction’.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
September 30th, 2015 at 8:00 pm
There must be laws on the books in Sri Lanka to sue these advertising companies of acts of blatant discrimination. a Lawsuit is just another method of warfare using the legal system to seek justice.
If there are no specific laws to address this then it should be made into a priority that such laws be passed. NO Sri Lankan should be excluded from jobs, housing, human rights, etc.
On the flip side of the coin this could lead to Sinhalese advertising in a similar manner. No one can complain for the Tamils and Muslims have set a precedent held up by the courts (if it is ever challenged and the Tamil Advertisers win). Technically the Sinhalese majority can use these same tactics to buy up land in “traditional Tamil” areas only for the Sinhalese. In cases like this the majority tends to win.,
September 30th, 2015 at 9:04 pm
Russian anti-terror op in Syria Live updates
Published time: 30 Sep, 2015 14:16
Edited time: 30 Sep, 2015 18:55
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A Sukhoi-34 jet © Vladimir Astapkovich
A Sukhoi-34 jet © Vladimir Astapkovich / RIA Novosti
The Russian military has launched airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets in Syria. The move was approved after a request from President Bashar Assad to Vladimir Putin, who has also expressed concern about the number of Russian extremists in the country.
September 30th, 2015 at 9:05 pm
Russian foreign Minister says “we don’t deal with regime changes”
September 30th, 2015 at 9:16 pm
When I advertised to rent , it was all Maldives, Muslims who were interested with occasional Sinhalese married to foreigners. I had to wait 6 month to find a Sinhalese Christian, zero Shalala Buddhist came. This was 2013. I keep the house without renting now. Agree with Mario Sinhala are poor.
September 30th, 2015 at 9:35 pm
I have to agree with Mario.
Just compare Tamil and Muslim politicians with Singhala politicians.
Tamil politicians ALWAYS talk ONLY about Tamils. They want this and that for Tamils. MORE resources, more jobs, more LAND, more POWER, more everything.
Muslim politicians ALWAYS talk ONLY about Muslims. They want this and that for Muslims. MORE resources, more jobs, more LAND, more POWER, more everything.
Call them RACISTS or whatever. They WIN. They get things done!!
Now look at Singhala politicians. Singhala poltiicians MOST OF THE TIME talk of TAMIL girevances and think HOW they can give MORE to Tamils. After that their attention goes to Muslims.
NO politician to look after Singhalese. But the fools still keep voting for politicians whose MAIN concern is Tamils or Muslims.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Still don’t get it?
Take the 3 families.
1. Chin family
2. Tam family
3. Mus family
Each have 2 kids. Mum and dad work. ALL middle class families.
Mr Tam and Mrs Tam work hard and spend money on kids education, investments for kids and welfare of kids.
Mr Mus and Mrs Mus work hard and spend money on kids education, investments for kids and welfare of kids.
But Mr Chin and Mrs Chin work hard and DONATE money to the Tam family and Mus family. Kids of the Chin family BEG for food in the middle east!!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Look at yet another way.
Tamil MPs in parliament = 27 (approximate)
Tamil MPs called racists by others for exclusive focus on Tamils = 27
Percentage = 100%
Muslim MPs in parliament = 16 (approximate)
Muslim MPs called racists by others for exclusive focus on Muslims = 16
Percentage = 100%
Singhala MPs in parliament = 182 (approximate)
Singhala MPs called racists by others for exclusive focus on Singhalese = 3
Percentage = 2%
This is the problem. Even if the other 98% dies or retires from politics, NOTHING will happen to Singhalese. So stop saving them. FORCE them to give MORE resources, more jobs, more LAND, more POWER, more everything to Singhalese or get lost. STOP worshiping them. STOP defending them.
October 1st, 2015 at 2:43 am
At last Shenali has been reading my comments. Indian colonial parasites have been dominating trade since 1840 Trade Registration Ordinance. Then they were turbo charged by the Bandas since 1956 who only nationalized Sinhala businesses.
Shenali has missed the richest Cptains, Kundanmals, Shewkrams, Hepthullas, Jaferjees, Abans, Vaithiyalingams, Ranjanaas, Arappragasams, Mahendrans and Mahendrans, Rajaratnams, …Now Patels and Singhs are moving in. Please remember majority Muslims are part Sinhalese and their money stays in Ceylon.
Tamils never sold their properties to Sinhalese since there arrival in 1796.
October 1st, 2015 at 2:51 am
Russia will succeed where West probably didn’t want to – Assad’s aide to RT
Published time: 1 Oct, 2015 01:58
Edited time: 1 Oct, 2015 02:00
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© Shamil Zhumatov
© Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters
A Syrian presidential aide has praised Russian air support in the fight against terrorists, slamming the West’s “ineffective” airstrikes. Media adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told RT she believes Russian intervention will help stabilize the situation in Syria.
FOLLOW RT’S LIVE UPDATES ON SYRIA ANTI-TERROR OP
Speaking on behalf of her country, President Assad’s political and media adviser has said that Syria “hopes” that Russia’s assistance will help Damascus “undermine terrorism” and “restore peace and security”.
“But it’s not only against Islamic State,” Bouthaina Shaaban told RT. “I don’t know why people … why do they forget about Jabhat al-Nusra, although the [UN] Security Council resolution spoke about or considered both Al Nusra and IS a terrorist organization.”
“Besides these, there are tens of terrorist organizations in Syria. There are thousands of mercenaries and terrorists coming from all over the world.”
On the first day of Russia-led airstrikes, Russian jets struck eight Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) targets in Syria, while managing to avoid civilian infrastructure, the country’s defense ministry said.
Shortly after Russia announced its operation in Syrian skies, and even before the first bombs fell, reports started to emerge accusing Russia of targeting opposition and Western-backed “moderate” rebel groups in Homs province instead of terrorists. NATO declared that it was “concerned” by these unsubstantiated reports, but Shaaban told RT that the allegations did not sound very credible.
“What I know is – the way Russia did things – that it did it both in full cooperation with the Syrian government; in consultation with the entire world – Putin was asking any country in the world to join in fighting terrorism – and, therefore, I think the style of fighting terrorism is very convincing by Russians, while the alliance that was made by the US and the West did not really either follow the rules of international legitimacy or coordinate with the Syrian government, and didn’t really mean to fight terrorism,” Shaaban said, adding that the US-led operation had proven to be ineffective.
Citing Iraq and Libya as examples, Shaaban has accused the US and its allies of looking “to destroy our countries in order to destroy our civilization, in order to destroy our people”, instead of pursuing peace in Syria.
“The problem right from the beginning wasn’t Assad; the target wasn’t Assad. Just as Libya is destroyed now and they were talking about Gaddafi, and Iraq is destroyed and they were talking about Saddam Hussein,” President Assad’s adviser said. “One thing that is true is that all those carrying arms against the Syrian people, against Syrian institutions – are terrorists. And the Syrian army has been fighting them for the last five years, while the West is looking at our country being destroyed – at our hospitals, at our schools, at our archaeological heritage being absolutely destroyed.”
Russia, on the contrary, Shaaban said is “committed to international legitimacy and to respect of country’s sovereignty.”
“That’s why I feel that the Russians are going to succeed … [where] the West didn’t or didn’t want to succeed, probably. I’m not sure,” she said.
President Assad’s aide has called on the US and the international community to “wake up and see what’s happening on the ground.”
“It’s very easy to sit in New York and talk about concept, but it’s very different – the truth in Syria,” she said. “And the reality is very different from what the Americans and John Kerry is saying.”
October 1st, 2015 at 3:12 am
Truly disgusting.We shouldn’t allow this.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:05 am
Sinhala/Buddhists lost out since 1505 when the Portuguese trade (pirate) ship came to Lanka, with nearly 500 yrs of Colonisation after that. Colonist British especially with their ‘divide & rule’ methods, sidelined the Sinhala/Buddhists who in turn did not want to bow down to colonial rule.
We have done the full circle and new colonists are at the door ?
Ranil’s Bridge to Nowhereland of Caste, Poverty & Despair connect may bring ultimate doom ?
Be wary of the Bridge. Off with the Bridge !
October 1st, 2015 at 9:06 am
Who would want to live in a Tamil house? They STINK!! when it comes hygiene they are the worst!!
Having said that I must admit that the ad is racist. This has been going on for many many years.
I would never speak the language, never eat their food, never live in one of their houses, never marry a Tamil.
They are now infiltrating Wattala and Dehiwala.
October 1st, 2015 at 11:07 am
They (Tamils) are now infiltrating Wattala and Dehiwala. – Asoka
We should ask ourselves the question HOW?
Obviously because the Sinhalese are selling their property to the Tamils.
You ask the question: Who would want to live in a Tamil house?
Asoka, wanting to live in a Tamil house is one thing while being able to live in such a house is another matter. The point is that sinhalese CANNOT live in Tamil houses because no Tamil would sell his house to a Sinhalese.To quote Christie: Tamils never sold their properties to Sinhalese since there arrival in 1796.
Whatever could be said of the date cited by Christie, the rest of his statement is true.
But the situation is quite the contrary as regards the Sinhalese. If the Tamils are infiltrating Wattala and Dehiwala it is because the Sinhalese ARE SELLING their houses to the Tamils.
While the Sinhalese may not consider the Tamils as being good, they are nevertheless agreed on one thing, and that is: that Tamil money is good. As for the Tamils neither the Sinhalese nor their money is good. that is the long and the short of the matter.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
October 1st, 2015 at 11:58 am
If Ranil’s Bridge comes about, then there will be thousands, nay, millions more of outcaste Tamil folk (Dalits) coming in from Tamil Nadu hell hole. The Economy and Culture will be taken over by Tamil Nadu. Not only Wellawatte and Dehiwela, but the whole of Lanka will be an appendage of Tamil Nadu, language, culture, food, religion (mainly HIndu) etc. Do we like that ?
I must admit I know a few decent and good Tamil folk. But they are few among a not so nice lot.
Are citizens of Lanka aware of the facts and preparing well to throw out Ranil’s new Dr No idea ?
October 1st, 2015 at 1:34 pm
Mario my father just listed his house for sale at Kadawata. I and my brother have given him specific instructions NO TAMILS NO MUSLIMS ! If the house does not sell that’s fine.
October 1st, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Thanks Shenali for expanding on this subject – this sort of ad will fall foul of the Law as racist etc if in the UK. So my question is what are the Laws in SL against racial discrimination and where are the Sri Lankan lawyers speaking for the majority ?!! – S de Silva – London
October 1st, 2015 at 5:27 pm
Sinhalese live under economic tensions and that is being poor. Look at the situation in Gampaha. It is in Megapolis. Many are so poor that they cannot afford to by clothes for their children to go to school. The end end result: the children become misfits in society and get involves in sexual misconducts. That is the short storey of Kotedeniyawa criminal’s mother. And our PM talks of reducing the sexual tensions by giving the school children sex education without addressing the root cause. The problem is this happens mostly in Sinhala area as they are economically discriminated.
My request to politicians before thinking of developing megapois is to give opportunities to Sinhalese to get out of poverty, if not it will be not the majority who will benefit.
Who is mostly benefited in Colombo as at present?.
October 1st, 2015 at 6:31 pm
Mario the situation is the same in Fiji, South Africa, Guyana or any other Indian colony. The same in Canada or UK. Indian colonial parasites and vermin will not sell out side their network.
Most of the Wattala invaders are Indians from the Plantation sector and Indian parasites who arrived in the thirties and forties. they started after 1956 and major movers occurred during sixties and seventies.
Mario when you are poor and your only asset is land, what do you do?
October 1st, 2015 at 6:41 pm
It used to be “Chinese only” , “Malay only” in Singapore Ads around 1980-1993. Very rarely “Indian only”. I don’t know how it is now.
October 1st, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Sorry, I am talking about renting , not selling.
October 1st, 2015 at 6:44 pm
Next time I want to advertise “For those who keep 5 precepts only”.
October 1st, 2015 at 7:17 pm
Dear Christie,
I agree.
Dear Asoka,
If you are rich, then you can refuse to sell to unwanted buyers. But, as Christie says, when one is poor and one’s only asset is land, then what do you do?
With warmest greetings
Mario
October 2nd, 2015 at 5:02 am
Aloy,
Those who shout most for Sinhalese and those who write most for Sinhalese are actually using their shouts to make money to buy material. Human lives have become second to material and food. That is the position of our Buddhism.
Wijedasa Rajapakse is in charge of Buddhism. He helped to release the passports of biggest thieves who stole people’s money. Surely he too is stealing big time, yet he is in charge of Buddhism ! Biggest drunkards are also looking after Buddhism. Rapists are fighting to protect Buddhism. Murderers are fighting to protect Buddhism. biggest liars are fighting to protect Buddhism. This is how the 5 precepts are kept today.
October 2nd, 2015 at 6:28 am
I agree with Aloy. It is the Sinhala people who are marginalised re the Economy. Do the Sinahal people lead the Economy of Lanka today ? NO !
The Central Bank itself is a hoax handled by Ranil’s appointee, Arjun Mahendran. The Treasury head is Paskaralingam. We are told he is under an assumed name.
Ranil is planning a ‘Chunnel’ to Tamil Nadu. This is the death knell for Lankans. That there are are some 15 Million Tamil Dalits who are being perpetually tormented (no way out as birth certificate states Caste) in Tamil Nadu is unknown to the masses of Lanka.
Buddhist Lanka is decimated for Tamil Dalit take over ?
October 2nd, 2015 at 7:55 am
If the Yahap govt is trying to imitate Singapore in the Economy, they are sadly misaken.
S’pore is a NEW country. It is British made, even though with clear headed Chinese heads of state with some Tamils. S’pore has no past history, no strong cultures. It is only 1/3 Buddhist. It is NOT next door to Tamil Nadu, seething with Caste based atrocities AND RESULTANT RAGE for millions of their citizenS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF 3000 YRS. It is NOT next door to India eyed by various foreign powers. It has no strong gate way Ports. Not a strong Plantations culture or rich in natural resources. It is purely a TRADE & manfucaturing place for smaller items.
Yahap is ruining Sri Lanka trying to force fit the country into other country models, large or small, with no clear headed thinking about the Security and welfare needs of the masses of Lanka, whatever the ethnicity or religion. Those are the prime movers for the deep welbeing of any country. The Economy follows next.
Free birth control material will surely help countries keep down burgeoning numbers.
October 2nd, 2015 at 2:56 pm
Singapore has no 1/3 Buddhists. It has 75% Chinese but may be 10% Buddhists.
Singapore economy is controlled well by the government. Government sector is very strong. IF you look at SMRT, SBS ( trains and busses) and HDB ( housing board ) , JTC( industrial development) they are huge government owned corporations run like private companies. Look at LTA (land transport authority), they are run like proper Authority giving government huge income. Every road the build bring them huge amount of money. Contractors do projects at a loss to get good record. My company lost $20m in 2nd Light Rail job in year 2000.
Singapore is not about all privatisation. It is about Excellent Nanny State. Probably its economy is majority government enterprises.
What control we have ? We have ruined our CTB which was better than SBS by politicians. They have ruined every government corporation. In year 1980 or so UNP made my A/L all 4 Fs friend chairman of a corporation. can we get out of this ?
October 3rd, 2015 at 12:30 am
“Free birth control material will surely help countries keep down burgeoning numbers.”
This is where we have to disagree with Fran,
Singapore does not have natural resources except its location for a good port. Its a country built by a visionary leader with the help of immigrants. We are blessed with natural resources in addition to a superb location and has the potential to surpass Singapore if manged well. But we continue to supply manpower ( both highly skilled and unskilled) to the world. Currently the agents are looking for large numbers of carpenters, masons electricians and engineers for ME countries. We are told the workers who come forward do not have any training while the engineers have poor knowledge of IT as such they are not suitable for companies using state of the art software packages for management. There is a big shortage of manpower in SL. Two months ago when I wanted to fill my fish pond with sand to prevent mosquito breeding I could not find a worker to do the job. I had to plead with my brother to come all way from Gampaha area to Colombo with his fried who had come from ME on holiday to help me with the work. My brother was telling me that he had brought down a few coconut saplings from the agric dept couple of months ago and couldn’t get them planted as it is difficult to find workers to do the job. This is the actual situation in SL. The rates the skilled workers ask is much more than what is paid in ME or where I am working in ASEAN. This is happening all the while many Sinhala people live in abject poverty in Rajarata area. I read one article recently how people in large number of villages in the area where Kuweni supposed to have lived in dire circumstances. I read another story how people in Mihintale area suffer in similar situation.
We have two leaders whose hands are not tainted with corruption. They should avoid getting racketeers involved in nation building and allow them to do the same thing the previous government did. They should get a good team to plan and develop the country slowly but steadily instead of trying to do just house keeping for the five years. If not they will also be making room for large scale infiltration of kallathonies in the megapolis area.
October 3rd, 2015 at 12:37 pm
Independent,
Check on Google. S’pore IS 1/3 buddhist.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :
Religion in Singapore, census of those 15 or older (2010.
Religion in Singapore is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices due to its diverse ethnic mix of peoples originating from various countries. Most major religious denominations are present in Singapore. A 2014 analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world’s most religiously diverse nation.
The most followed religion is Buddhism, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves as adherents at the most recent census (2010).
October 3rd, 2015 at 2:07 pm
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Jews only: Arabs facing discrimination in Israeli property market
Published time: 3 Oct, 2015 15:52
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An overall view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the Jaffa Gate © Stringer / Reuters
Arab Israelis say they are suffering discrimination in the city of Jaffa, as they are being refused the right to buy property. One Arab activist has likened the policy to “ethnic cleansing,” where homes are exclusively being sold to Jews.
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The uproar concerns an apartment complex in the Ajami neighborhood in the port city of Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv. Prospective Arab buyers have complained they have been shut out of the market because of their ethnicity.
Reda Anabusi was one such client. He told RT how he was overlooked when the sales team found out that he was an Arab.
“I registered on the website and waited for someone to call me back, but no one ever did, so I started to call them. They told me that a salesperson would contact me, but no one did. I approached a friend of mine who is Jewish and they called her back immediately,” he said.
The Yopea project includes 63 housing units, with its own communal courtyard. Residents also have access to a spa and swimming pool. The complex is in the south of Jaffa, which was once predominantly Arab. They are complaining they have been priced out of the market, as more and more Jews look to buy homes in the area.
Reda Anabusi © RT
Reda Anabusi © RT / RT
However, it seems that Jewish landowners are also seeking other methods to make sure Arabs don’t buy property in the area.
“All the requests that were made by Arab families were refused and they were sending out a clear message that this project is for Jews only. This project is clearly aimed at the ethnic cleansing of Arab Palestinian people in Jaffa,” Abed Sater, who represents the Popular Committee for the Right to Land and Housing, told RT.
To make matters worse, the company behind the Yopea project has been selling off developments, without informing the current residents that their homes will be pulled down.
This is exactly what happened to Diana Ashkar, who told RT of her disgust.
Diana Ashkar © RT
Diana Ashkar © RT / RT
“I was really surprised to see my house in the photograph. They even had the audacity to write ‘sold,’ ‘sold,’ ‘sold’ on all of the flats in the photo.”
Nevertheless, Diana, who lives with her elderly father, says they are going nowhere.
“It’s a Jews only project in the heart of Jaffa that has Arabs living all around it. Do you understand what is going on here… Jews are entering and Arabs are leaving,” Diana added.
The controversial project has been defended by Israeli Jews, with Arieh King, the founder of the Israel Land Fund, saying Israel has a right to sell property to Jews.
“In our holy book, the Torah, it is written very clearly that we are not allowed to sell – in the land of Israel, the holy land – any piece of this land to somebody who is not Jew. The Arabs are doing the same. If Arabs are caught selling to Jews then they will be murdered.”
King is no stranger to controversy regarding property development in sensitive areas. He bought a property in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, which he hopes to turn into a new Jewish settlement. The plan already has the backing of Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.
Arieh King, the founder of the Israel Land Fund © RT
Arieh King, the founder of the Israel Land Fund © RT / RT
This is part of a plan to create an Israeli corridor from Jerusalem to Hebron, which would hamper efforts to create an adjoining Palestinian state in the West Bank. Such settlements are legal under Israeli law, but the international community deems them illegal.
“There is not, nor will there be, a freeze in [settlement] construction, given that our legitimacy to settle the land has come under attack,” Yaalon said in a visit to the West Bank on September 30, as cited by the Times of Israel.
October 3rd, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Fran,
This is the problem. Misinformation is worse than lack of knowledge.
I don’t have to Google. I lived there for 20 years and still have a lot of connections.
Majority Chinese (say80%) have no proper religion. Most of their parents follow Confucianism, not Buddhism. Not even Mahayana Buddhism followers of which are mostly vegetarians. There are 1 Sri lankaramaya (Sri Lankan monks) , 1 Mangala VIhara ( started by my ex chinese friend with one of Sinhala monks but now in mostly Chinese) and 1 or two other small places where Theravada Buddhism is taught. Go there during “Hungry Ghost” month and see that completely un Buddhsit practices. Look at how funerals conduct and see.
Anyway I don’t want to argue too much on these topics. What we should learn from them is how the place is run. It is very similar. We too need to establish VINAYA. This is the MAIN issue with has. We have ZERO vinaya. Now majority “Little Horu” and “ZERO Vinaya” thugs who ruined the previous golden chance is are with this government. It depends on the leadership to set an example.
People must get together and say enough is enough.
October 3rd, 2015 at 5:56 pm
Independent,
If we are to be absolutely accurate about peoples religion, we can say the same for any country i.e. that people do not really strictly follow their so called religion. Some do follow the general principles or the some of the rituals. However, in the case of Islam, governance of countries is done through religion.
I would not call it misinformation. We can call it reality. We can also say that in Census taking, people declare themselves to belong to a certain religion, usually their parents religion. There is nothing wrong with that.
Also, in Asia, it is said that people have 2-3 religions. I think this is a lose arrangement to fit different occasions or jobs.
The Census says 33% Buddhist in Singapore. I think we have to accept it as such.