The need for a True Sinhala Buddhist Leader to rescue this country from the present mess and protect its 2600 year old Sinhala Buddhist civilization and heritage.
Posted on September 21st, 2017
Dr. Sudath Gunasekara Retired Ministry Secretary and Ex- President Sri Lanka Administrative Service 21.9.2017
Part 11 (continued from 19.9.2017 Lankaweb)
The golden gateway to this Kingdom and its political stability, peace and prosperity lays nowhere else but in the unity of the Sinhala nation sans party politics, under one National banner as a new political force.
In order to reach this goal first we have to find a Strong Sinhala Buddhist leader who has the courage and guts to make the clarion call boldly and openly and say that ‘this is the land of the Sinhala Buddhist nation’ as it had been for the past 2600 years and it will remain so for millennia to come.
In order to qualify to be accepted and nominated for the leadership of this country the aspirant Leader must first openly declare and promises before the Sacred Tooth Relict in front of a supreme gathering of distinguished Mahasangha representing all the Districts led by the four Machanayaka Theras of the Three Nikayas that he will protect the Tooth Relict and the Sasana, the country, the Nation and uphold the Constitution of the Republic if he is selected end elected as the President of the country and
1 First he must declare and affirms that He is a Sinhala Buddhist citizen of this country owes no allegiance to any other and promise that he will faithfully perform the duties and discharge the functions of the office of the President of this country in accordance with the Constitution of the country for the good and happiness of the people and protects the country, the nation and the Sasana, if he is selected and elected as the President of this country and relinquish his powers and position on his own immediately, if he fails to do so.
(He must also present his proposed Cabinet in person to the country and the Mahanayaka Theras at this gathering so that people will know before hand as the team to whom they are going to give power)
Thereafter
He should present his manifesto to the Mahasangha and vouch that he will undertake to implement his national plan.
Proposed draft of a national action Plan
1 Will declare this Country once again a Sinhala Buddhist Kingdom called Sinhale as it had been called for millennia up to 1815 and even the British did so up to 1948 by calling it Ceylon which also means the Land of the Sinhalese. Only in 1972 we adopted the word Sri Lanka officially replacing Ceylon, though it also had been used alongside with Sinhale for millennia.(However if the people agree we may continue to use the term Sri Lanka for International dealings as it is the word by which this country is known all over the world at present)
(The minorities who wish to continue as citizens of this country should accept this non-negotiable and in-alienable stark fact and agree to live amicably with the majority and they will also be required to declare that they will not demand to be recognized as separate nations or will never agitate for separation or claim for separate States within the sovereign territory of this Island nation as they have been doing for the past 71 years, both within this country and abroad. Those who violate these condition and who canvas against the Government in foreign forums should be dealt with for treason).
2 Will make Sinhala the official Language of this country
3 Declare Buddhism as the State Religion and established a Ministry of Buddhist Affairs directly under the Head of the State as it had been from the day it was introduced to this country in the 4th Century BC while guaranteeing the right to profess other religions with restrictions to manifest, propagate and teach as stipulated in 14 (e) in the present Constitution
4 Action will be taken to protect all archaeological and Buddhist heritage sites all over the Island and more particularly in the North and the East that have been destroyed by the LTTE and Muslims
5 Ban all ethnic or religious political parties and Ban all forms of communal segregation
6 Declare one Common law for the whole country for all communities as it is the case in all other countries and abolish Thesawalamei and Muslim law created by Portuguese, Dutch and British as separate laws for Tamils and Muslims to divide the nation that was governed by one law up to that time introduced Roman and Dutch law to Sinhalese only to destroy their customary laws.
7 Will Scrap the 1987 Rajiv/JR Accord
8 Abolish the 13th Amendment and the Provincial Councils including the very Provinces set up by the British to destroy the Sinhala Buddhists identity of this country and have one unitary (Ekiiya) Government for the whole country administered by 25 Districts, divided in to the Purana Tun Rata, headed by professional Public Servants assisted by an efficient and impartial Public Service to be governed by a central Government operating from the capital
9 Have a Rajya Sabha of 150 MPP elected under former electorate system so that ech electorate will have an MP
10 The National list will be abolished
11 Set up a Uttara Mantri Mandalaya of not more than 35 eminent patriotic statesmen, one for each district and the rest appointed. The Uttara Mantri Mandalaya is proposed as a mechanism of check and balances against the deficiencies of the Rajya Sabha.
- The native Village Council System will be restored to make Governance more democratic and meaningful in place of present Pradesiya Sabha at the Korala level as it had been before.
13 The present political system will be replaced with a cultured, educated, exemplary and patriotic set of politicians who consider service to people and the country as the hallmark of their noble mission.
14 Lay down minimum Wealth, education, integrity and character requirements for politicians
15 Formulate a strict code of ethics and conduct for politicians at all levels and it will legalized with recall provisions for errant MPP.
16 Will make permanent residence of at least 5 years within the electorate compulsory for candidates to to qualify for nomination.
17 Remove the adage Hon from all politicians.
18 limit the Cabinet to 15 including the Prime Minister
- Make a new Constitution based on history, culture and traditions of the country within six months after consulting all citizens of this country
- Ask Tamils and Muslims not to try to identify as separate nations in this country. Those who want to do so must go back to either India or Arabia
21 Retain the Executive Presidential System as it had been our tradition from the beginning of history, for 2600 years with safeguards to prevent the President becoming a dictator.
22 Change the electoral system, and see whether we can have a system of Govt without Political parties. Create a new Political culture
23, One National Anthem in Sinhala,
- Govern the country according to Buddhist tenets say 10 Raja Dharma, Pansil and Satara Sangra Vastu.
25 Take a national census to identify true citizens and deport all illicit immigrants settled during Rajiv’s time in the North and East and thereafter
26 Ban Muslims marrying Sinhala women
27 Introduce strict legislation to protect our land and resources with a fool proof Land policy. No land or asset will be sold to foreign countries
28 Indian estate Tamil labourers who wish to be citizens of this country must integrate with the Sinhala nation in terms of the Nehru/Kotalawala Accord of 1954 as it had been done from the inception of history by all immigrants to this country
29 Grant citizenship only on the basis stipulated in the Nehru/Kotalawala Pact of 1954 as they have done in earlier and medieval times. Those who are not prepared to do so must leave to their countries of origin. This rule is being enforced even in Australia, Russia and North America.
30 Restore the Independence of the Judiciary and the Public Service to ensure good Governance and make meritocracy the whole mark of selection, appointment, promotion and placement.
- Scrap the present scheme of duty free vehicles to politicians and top rung Public servants
32 Stop all extravagant benefits and perks and privileges like pensions to politicians
33 All foreign assistance to any region, community or institution as it is presently done particularly by India to Tamils and by Arab countries to Muslims will be banned and all such aid that comes to the country only through the Treasury and spent though the State machinery
34 Scrap the Ministry of Upcountry Tamil Village and infrastructure Development
35 Set up a Ministry of Kandyan Peasantry Development to implement the Recommendations of the KPC Report of 1951 and launch a broad Village –Estate Integration programme for both the Kandyan Peasants and estate Tamils who will be qualified under Nehru/Kotalawala Agreement
36 Do away with the International school system and integrate them to the national education system making them compulsory to follow the policies of the national education system and make teaching of Sri Lankan history Buddhism and Sinahala language compulsory in all schools
37 Will a complete national renaissance programme like changing the vestiges of colonial place names, institutions, and even names of men and women. Restore the Temple based Social structure and education etc to make freedom and national identity complete
38 Stop selling national assets to foreign countries
39 Close down Diplomatic missions with hostile countries and will have diplomatic relations only with countries friendly to us
40 S et up a Supreme National Advisory Council composed of the four Mahanayaka Theras 3 religious dignitaries to represent the other three religions the Head of the Public Service, President of the Upper House and five other eminent and erudite monks recommended by the Mahanayaka Theros and the Attorney General
- Introduce a recall mechanism for errant MPP
42 Have by elections for all seats falling vacant by death, resignation or expulsion
43 Introduce capital punishments for robing and misuse of State funds
- Stop the present system of giving voted funds to MPP and all such funds will be disbursed through the Government machinery
45 Establish a National planning Council to under the umbrella of which all National Planning will be done
46 If I win the Presidential elections I will perform my swear in ceremony of new Office at the Sri Dalada Maiigawa in front of the Sacred Tooth and the Four Mahanayaka Theras and the Chief Justice of the country in keeping with the ancient tradition.
47 A National Planning Council in charge of overall Planning for all the Ministries
48 Uttaritara Advisory Council composed of the following 15 persons
1 The Mahnayaka Theras of the three Nikayas 4
2 Mahanayaka Theras of Kalyani,Rohana and Dambulu 3
3 Two Erudite Maha Theras nominated by the Four Mahanayaka Theras 2
4 Three religious dignitaries to represent Hindu. Catholic and Muslim 3
5 Attorney General 1
6 President Uttara Mantri Mandalaya 1
7 The chief Officer of the Public Service 1
49 Will restore capital punishment
50 Will make legislation to confiscate property and impose capital punishment to politicians and Public servants who are found guilty of robing public money and misuse government property.
These are few random ideas that came to my mind only. I invite Readers to add their contribution to this list so that there could be a live debate on this issue.
September 21st, 2017 at 4:18 pm
Hear is a true Sinhala Buddhist leader.
පිහියට බිය නොවූ සැරයන්ට ලක්ෂයක් කප්පම් දෙන්න හදලා
විජයසිරි විද්යාසේකර – කළුතර සමූහ
දෙවැනි දිනටත් පොලිස් අණ නොතකා පලාගිය ලොරි රථය පසුපස ලුහුබැඳ ගොස් අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් පසු ලොරි රියදුරු පොලිස් සැරයන්වරයාට පිහියක් පෙන්වා තර්ජනය කර ඇතැයිද තර්ජනයට බිය නොවූ සැරයන්වරයාට අනතුරුව රුපියල් ලක්ෂයක් දීමට තැත්කර ඇතැයිද පයාගල පොලිසිය පවසයි. පොලිස් සැරයන් තිස්සවීර (21021) මහතා මුදලට මෙල්ල කර ගැනීමට නොහැකිවූ විට ලොරි රථයෙන් බැස පලාගොස් ඇතැයිද පොලිසිය පවසයි.
පෙරේදා (20 දා) පයාගල දියලගොඩ ගාලු පාරේ රාජකාරියේ යෙදී සිටි පොලිස් සැරයන්වරයා දුටු ලොරි රථයේ රියෑදුරු පොලිස් අණ නොතකා පලායමින් සිටියදී රථය ලුහුබැඳ ගොස් නාගහදූව ප්රදේශයේදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට සැරයන්වරයා සමත්වී ඇත.
රියෑදුරු පළමුව පිහියක් පෙන්වා තර්ජනය කර සැරයන්වරයා බියගැන්වීමට තැත්කර ඇති අතර පසුව රුපියල් 50,000 ක් දෙන්නම් මුදාහරින්නැයි ඉල්ලා ඇත. සැරයන්වරයා ඊට එකඟ නොවීම නිසා එම මුදල ලක්ෂය දක්වා වැඩිකර ඇති අතර සැරයන්වරයා මුදල් ලබාගැනීම ප්රතික්ෂේපකර ලොරි රථය හා රියෑදුරු අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන තිබේ.
සැරයන්වරයා ලොරිය පොලිසිය වෙත ගෙන ඒමට තැත්කරන විට රියදුරු රථයද දමා පැනගොස් ඇතැයි පොලිසිය පවසයි.
ගවයින් ප්රවාහනය කිරීමට සහ ගැට ගැසීමට සුදුසු ලෙස ලොරිය සකස් කර ඇතැයිද පිටුපස අංක තහඩු නොපෙනෙන ලෙස ලොරි රථය ආවරණය කර තිබූ බවද පොලිසිය පවසයි.
මෙම ලොරි රථය පිළිබඳව මෝටර් රථ ප්රවාහන කොමසාරිස් වරයාගෙන් වාර්තාවක් ලබාගැනීමට පොලිසිය තීරණය කර ඇත.
කළුතර කොට්ඨාස භාර පොලිස් අධිකාරි උපුල් නිල්මිණි ආරියරත්න, සහකාර පොලිස් අධිකාරි කපිල ප්රේමදාස යන මහත්වරුන්ගේ උපදෙස් පිට පයාගල පොලිස් ස්ථානාධිපති පොලිස් පරීක්ෂක ඩබ්ලිව්. ගුණතිලක, රථ වාහන අංශයේ ස්ථානාධිපති උප පොලිස් පරීක්ෂක දයන්ත, සැරයන්වරුන් වන තිස්සවීර (21021) හා පත්මසිරි යන මහත්වරු මේ පිළිබඳව වැඩිදුර පරීක්ෂණ පවත්වති.
September 21st, 2017 at 9:59 pm
We must not hallucinate about our glorious history of the Sinhalese or any other people of this planet.
All our histories of all nations are stained with the blood of it’s people by few tyrants that ruled all nations.
As far as we Sinhalese were concerned already emancipated British inculcated in their colonies the good governance that they themselves achieved about 200 years ago,where the Christian faith cruelly dominated their lives from places like the Vatican.
As far as we Sinhalese are concerned the emergence of the British on our lands brought with them the goodness of their new found system of governance and culture which we are in denial at present.
First they got rid of the influences of the past Dravidan domination and culture.One could see here in Kandy and other places in the Island where they erased their Devales and turned them to us to worship.Just visit Maligawa and the surroundings devales and see for your selves what they have done to make those once forbidden places accessible and made to a place of worship for the Buddhists.
I don’t agree with the colonials for bringing the tooth relic to the Maligawa in 1828 where the first known perahara for the people was held under the guidance and help of the Governor Manning which gives us immense joy and gives the hospitality trade much income.
Having the relic now at the Maligawa is being exploited by some to make it to some form of money making enterprise and restrict movement on the road that ran for decades by the Maligawa which is causing traffic congestion and air pollution.
All good that had been by the past rulers,the British has be either demonized or reversed to our folly.That’s not the true qualities of people who claim to follow the noble faith.
Monks of the noble faith is now being manipulated by the roughs in the Parliament to retain power or get to power or to manipulate even the justice system.
We must rebuild on the good work done for us by the last colonials but not to revers back to the days of the previous tyrants who sucked the living of the innocent.
If I what I am saying is wrong then why some who write all this live in the countries of the Colonial types?
September 22nd, 2017 at 4:04 am
I agree with all the points that you have raised in this letter except one thing that you say 2600 year old Sinhala Buddhist civilization and heritage. The historic evidences have proved that the Sinhala Budhists have had their civilization established since the Lord Buddha’s time
September 22nd, 2017 at 4:07 am
The most important poiunt is that ‘Declare one Common law for the whole country for all communities as it is the case in all other countries and abolish Thesawalamei and Muslim law created by Portuguese, Dutch and British as separate laws for Tamils and Muslims to divide the nation that was governed by one law up to that time introduced Roman and Dutch law to Sinhalese only to destroy their customary laws’.
September 22nd, 2017 at 9:18 am
We thank Dr Sudath Gunasekera for this Blue Print for an ideal state.
It is indeed a high point start all over again, away from divisive Colonial ways of governance.
The US President has said “America First”.
Sri Lanka leaders must say the similar Patriotic words : “Sri Lanka First”.
That is the Democratic Way forward.
September 22nd, 2017 at 3:37 pm
1. History of Ceylon goes back more than 100,000 years.
2. Remove the control of our economy from the Indian Cabal and Cartel. They run countries economy and the politics.
1840 Trade Registration Ordinance gave preferences to Indians who control the economy of the country today. These Indians did not have or bring any capital to the country. They entered the businesses with nothing and today they control the economy. Successive governments since 1956 has destroyed Sinhala entrepreneurs and supported Indian businesses. They fund most of the Sinhala politicians as they have done from the 1920s..
3. Remove preferences given to India under so many agreements and understandings. Encourage people to move away from Indian cultural influences. Indian dresses, Hindu temples and worship, Indian food, Astrology and Indian films and soap operas.
4. Make English the medium of instruction. Children to be taught another language in addition to their mother tongue and English.
5. Go back to the constitution we had from 1948.
6. Let us unite as the majority of the nation.
September 22nd, 2017 at 5:04 pm
Dr. Sudath,
It is highly unlikely that we would get a chance to select a true leader to represent the country again with the framework of this parliamentary system. I say this because of the following reasons:
We made the fatal mistake of not selecting a leader of the caliber of Sir John or DS at a crucial time as president. We kept faith on someone who seem to be easily swayed by flattery or corruption and we are paying the price for it. If not how can we account for his actions?. First, when there was a huge bond scam, without allowing the due process to continue, he dissolved the parliament. For that he got queen’s ungloved handshake and a seat among the seven or eight most powerful men in the world. And now he gets an invitation from the most powerful person in the world, Donald Trump, to have a meal with him. We know what is expected of him this time around- the rubber stamping of the new constitution that will divide our country permanently. RW will get it passed in the parliament, even though such a thing was not in their election manifesto, and try to give power without a referendum, perhaps by bribing all the pigs in Diyawanna with the bond money. Those ministers who sat in the central bank in February in 2015 knew exactly what they were doing. They all had some axe to grind against the Sinhalese. So, the end of 2600 years of proud history of SL as a unitary state is nearing unless there is a stepping in by ‘Jathiye Mura Devathawos’. We cannot expect to safeguard it by this parliament which is a creation of RW’s uncle.
September 22nd, 2017 at 6:51 pm
Why go that far to bring back the likes of DS and Sir John, both unrepentant kalu suddas! Albeit all their political and personal warts (who doesn’t have any?) we have still among the living and still very valid politically, Mahinda Rajapakse and Gotabhya both of them with stern backbones and ability to stand up to international bullying and come what may.
I agree there is a dearth of leadership material in Sri Lanka and that is the very reason why we should have to hold on to the few as if it is the end of the world.
As always the Jathiye Mura Dewathawo are there. (- not the kind for whom Ranil is always right – the Malwatte kind). They stood up for the 500-year onslaught of the Christian West. Now struggling hard against our own traitors, born and bred in Sri Lanka, the present being 21st Century and we are up against forces never before encountered in our entire 2600 year old history!
Sri Lanka needs to be much more than forthcoming in the days, months and years ahead to remain as what it was throughout our entire history.
September 22nd, 2017 at 10:42 pm
Sir John stood up to Nheru in Bandung, not that I like his capitalistic policies. DS had the foresight to settle Sinhalese in the Northern borders. If not for him we would have lost the entire northern area and the borders would have come to Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. He knew we are going to face threats from the North. Once when asked to which direction lion should face in a certain park in Anuradhapura he is supposed to have said “put the lions hand with the sword facing north”. He would have acted in accordance to social behavior at that time. How many leaders we have today of that caliber. MR also tried to have it easy way, ultimately he had to do a fight to a finish. Gota was flying to India almost every week. Find out how many trips he made to India with his retinue during his time as defence secy. All these people are subservient to India. Why did MR gave so many contracts Indians at the expense of our own companies.
It is because of MR we are in this stuation and we will continue to have the problem as long as he or Gota has ambitions for power again.
September 23rd, 2017 at 9:53 am
Also ask just how many Sinhala/Buddhist leaders & Patriots from other communities that the LTTE was ordered to kill ? Who controlled the LTTE when Lalith, Gamini, Lakshman Kadirgama, Pres Premadasa etc etc etc were murdered ?
That is why INDIA is visited, even by the present Yahap leaders !
The days when an Elephant was mounted and the two leaders fought the war is over.
A group of time tested PATRIOTS should lead Lanka.
September 23rd, 2017 at 12:19 pm
The REFUSAL to allow Rohingya refugees into Sri Lanka is the FIRST PATRIOTIC act of this otherwise INCURABLY PARA-GATHI AGA-MATHI Ranil Wikunanasinghe!
IN FACT, as a country ALREADY BEING OVER-RUN by a FLOOD of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS of EVERY KIND threatening to overwhelm its majority Sinhala Buddhist population, Sri Lanka’s IMMIGRATION and REFUGEE POLICY should be NOT TO ACCEPT ANY FOREIGNERS as IMMIGRANTS or even TEMPORARY RESIDENTS into the country, PERIOD!
The DUTY of National Leaders should be to PRESERVE the homeland for its NATIVE population and their descendents; NOT any other CONSIDERATION!
The INFLUX of Malidivians has turned into a FLOOD while they deny reciprocal privileges to Sri Lankans in the Maldives, and under the ETCA a TSUNAMI of Indians will FLOOD IN to join the Indian TAmil Community already OCCUPYING the Hill Country, to be soon joined by a MASSIVE INFLUX of Chinese citizens into the Hambantota Port region and its 15,000 acre industrial zone, thanks to our DESHADROHI PARA-GATHI AGA-MATHI!!
What then will be the FATE of the NATIVE Sinhala Buddhist people of Sri Lanka, poverty stricken and with the loss of political power unable to use their ONLY DEFENCE, the SOVEREIGNTY OF THEIR ANCESTRAL MOTHERLAND, to stem these FLOODS of MONIED FOREIGN SETTLERS?
The Sinhala Buddhists of Sri Lanka, will be driven out of the BEST LAND in the nation, and FORCED TO EKE OUT a living in the rural backwoods of their once sovereign country, just as the Native Hawaiians were slowly conned, robbed and dispossesed of their land by white Americans from the Continental United States, while the rest of their kith and kin emigrate abroad to serve as minons of abusive employers in the Persian Gulf!
I WEEP UNCONTROLLABLY and INCURABLY for my MOTHERLAND, that PRIOR to Jan 8, 2015 seems POISED to become a PROPEROUS, DYNAMIC and RESURGENT New Wonder of Asia!
Let all PATRIOTS, where-ever you are, near or far, resolve to BANISH this TREACHEROUS Yamapalanaya from Power and RESTORE to our Motherland a PATRIOTIC, PROGRESSIVE and COMPETENT Government committing to preserving this ancient homeland of the Sinhala Buddhist people of Sri Lanka!
In UNITY lies our STRENGTH and our SURVIVAL!
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Sri Lanka won’t allow in Rohingya refugees, says Prime Minister Wickremesinghe
Sat, Sep 23, 2017, 08:19 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 23 (BDN24) Sri Lanka has made it clear that it will not accept any Rohingyas as refugees. Prime Minister Ranil Wickrmesinghe said on Friday that refugees coming to a country like Sri Lanka, far away from their native Myanmar, evoke suspicions of an ‘organised immigration racket’.
“A citizen of another country can enter Sri Lanka by following the immigration procedures,” he said replying to a query at the government parliamentary group’s meeting.
“Rohingya refugees of Myanmar can easily seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh or Thailand.”
But their arrivals in Sri Lanka indicate that it is an organised effort. The government will not permit such maneuverings, he said.
There are a few Rohingyas in Sri Lanka who had come by boat and by air following communal disturbances in Myanmar in 2012, but there has been no recent influx.
But what the prime minister did not admit was the fact that there is an undercurrent of anti-Muslim sentiment among the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community in Sri Lanka which will not permit settlement of Rohingya Muslims in Sri Lanka.
The communal divide was reflected in the demonstrations held on the Rohingya issue in Sri Lanka.
While the Muslims wanted the government to rush to the aid of Rohingyas and accept refugees, the majority Buddhists would not allow anything of that kind.
While the Muslims looked at the crisis as a huge humanitarian one, the Buddhists saw no merit in the Rohingyas’ case, as in their view, the Rohingyas could be a breeding ground for jihadi terrorists.
Udaya Gammanpila MP and leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, a Buddhist party, said that it would be dangerous to allow Rohingyas to settle in Sri Lanka because they would come with hatred in their hearts for the Buddhists.
“They would create communal tension here and disturb social harmony,” Gammanpila warned.
Gammanpila maintained that much of the news about atrocities against the Rohingyas is “fabricated” by the US and other international players wanting to destabilise developing countries; get an excuse to intervene; and re-impose their hegemony.
“As a country which had waged a 30-year war against Tamil terrorists, Sri Lanka has the bitter experience of facing manipulations by the Western Powers. Fabricated news in the international media about atrocities against the Tamils led to international intervention and stopped our attempts to nip Tamil terrorism in the bud,” Gammanpila recalled.
Dilantha Vithanage, CEO of the radical Buddhist Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), endorsed the stand of China and India that the Rohingya issue is basically a terrorist one and that the Myanmar government government’s tough actions are justifiable.
“We should not forget that the Rohingya issue has its genesis in a Muslim separatist movement in the 1940s. We also feel that the Western media is spreading exaggerated accounts as sensationalism sells,” Vithanage said.
As a fellow Buddhist country, Sri Lanka should help Myanmar settle the Rohingya issue and provide the refugees humanitarian assistance, he added.
Muslim View
Giving the Muslim view, Hyder Ali, a functionary of the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama (ACJU), called upon all Sri Lankans, irrespective of their faith, to see the Rohingya issue as a humanitarian one and not as a “Muslim” issue.
“Buddhists should view it from the stand point of the Buddha, and ask if Buddha would have allowed the atrocities? Did’nt the Buddhist leader, Dalai Lama, say that if the Buddha were alive now, he would have supported the Rohingyas?” Ali said.
“The Rakhine coastline has great strategic value. And the area is rich in minerals. China and the US would like this place to be secure one for them so that they can pursue their economic and strategic objectives safely,” Ahamed said.
“As for the Myanmar government, it would like Rakhine State to be populated fully by the majority Burmese Buddhist community. What is going on is systematic ethnic cleansing,” he said.
Read More:: BDN24 (Source)
September 23rd, 2017 at 5:46 pm
Do you STILL think SL will EVER have a politician interested in SAVING SINGHALE and BUDDHISM?
IF YES you are beyond help!
NO politician will EVER save SINGHALE and BUDDHISM. ONLY a MILITARY-SANGHA TAKEOVER can save SL.
Take your own sweet time to REALIZE this. But then it will be TOO LATE.
September 23rd, 2017 at 6:44 pm
Hi Ananda,
Please do not despair.
The fact that the UN & the UNHRC have now actually APPROVED of Sri Lanka re the Reconciliation Efforts, is a good thing.
Sri Lanka is now free to move forward and bring lasting Peace & Prosperity for all.
Thank you very much for your great efforts to help Lanka !
With our best wishes to you and your family,
Fran & family
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ALL PATRIOTIC Sri Lankans (huge % here !), MUST demand that :
* All illegal migrants be deported.
* Say to “NO” to importing cheap labor from anywhere.
* No room for REFUGEES in Lanka – Lanka cannot even take care of their own citizens.
More ….
September 24th, 2017 at 6:26 am
We think that a group of 5-8 time tested and able PATRIOTS should lead the country.
September 25th, 2017 at 1:59 am
“Minister of Justice and Foreign Employment, Thalatha Athukorala said that the aim of the government was to send more skilled workers to foreign countries for employment
WHAT BLOODY POPPYCOCK and ARRANT NONSENSE!
The National AIM should be tto RETAIN VOLUNTARILY our Skilled WORKERS at HOME to HELP BUILD our own country!
The AIM is NOT TO EXPORT our Skilled Workers ABROAD to earn Foreign Exchange to buy MORE Luxury SUV’s for POLITICOS, and then TURN AROUND and PLEAD LACL of Skilled Workers and IMPORT them from other countries such as Indians under the ETCA!
Keep our SKILLED WORKERS at HOME, train them more, surround them with PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCING modern tools and equipment, and ENABLE them to LIVE among their people in their OWN MOTHERLAND!
DON’T set up a SCHEME to PERMANENTLY DISPLACE & REPLACE THEM with IMMIGRANT SETTLERS WORKERS from FOREIGN COUNTRIES!
Have we NOT LEARNED ENOUGH from the IMPORTATION of Tamil Estate Laborers from India and the current INFLUX of Chinese Workersfrom China?
We are DESTROYING our own INDIGENNOUS Sri Lankan Communities!
BY GOD, this ASININE WATTIAMMA “Minister” should be TARRED, FEATHERED and CHASED ALL THE WAY HOME to scrape coconuts in her kitchen!
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More Sri Lankan skilled workers go abroad for work
Mon, Sep 25, 2017, 01:10 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 25, Colombo: Minister of Justice and Foreign Employment, Thalatha Athukorala said that the aim of the government was to send more skilled workers to foreign countries for employment and it has been successful.
According to the Foreign Employment Bureau statistics, during the past eight months from January to August 2017 the female percentage went abroad was 31.4 percent relative to the male migrant workers.
She also pointed out that the through sending more skilled workers for employment opportunity has risen now to increase the foreign exchange earned.
Accordingly, in the first eight months of this year 141,725 Sri Lankan migrant workers went abroad for work. Out of the total 48,374 were female migrant workers and 93,351 were males.
Most of the migrant workers numbering 42,389 were from the Western Province while the lowest number of migrant workers were from the Uva Province totaling 3,994.
During this period 37,002 housemaids have gone abroad while most of the migrant workers have been employed in Qatar.
In the year 2016, the total number of migrant workers was 242,838, of which 160,320 were males. The number of female workers is 82518. Accordingly, 33.9 percent were female workers in comparison to male workers. Most of the migrant workers numbering 63,307 have been sent to Saudi Arabia.
In 2011, 73,226 housemaids have been employed in foreign countries and 65,023 female migrant workers have gone overseas for work in 2016. The number of unskilled migrant workers has declined gradually during the five year-period.
The number of women traveling for other professional jobs has increased. Accordingly, 17,429 women have gone abroad for professional employment in 2015 and 17,495 are engaged in professional jobs outside the country in 2016.
All migrant workers who register with the Bureau of Foreign Employment prior to their departure will be able to enjoy the benefits provided by the government, the Minister said. The Bureau awards scholarships to the children of the registered migrant workers and the workers will also receive a free life insurance policy, the Ministers said.