Incriminating Evidence Against Instigators Of Sri Lankan President’s Oxford Union Impasse Sufficient for Indictment And Persona Non Grata Status In The UK.
Posted on December 4th, 2010
Insight By Sunil Kumar
Dec.5th 2010
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The term unpatriotic ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rabble rouserƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and treasonous individuals may well be fitting Sri lanka’s UNP parlimentarian Dr. Jayalath JayawardenaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ primarily as well as Dr Wickremabahu Karunaratne’s role in calling for punitive action agaist the Government odf Sri lanka and her President during his recent UK visit.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The former’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dubious track record as a former Tamil Tiger sympathiserƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ surreptitiously visibleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the more discerning on many occassions despite no charges laid relative to some of his contentious actions and statements to the media during the LTTE problems in Sri lanka alone may be sufficient to indict and convict this individual of unpatriotic treasonousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ behaviour. The man seems to have the disposition of being very evasive and slippery where heƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ often takes advantage of the leniency of the President who by rights should have probably nailed him for his conduct many moons ago!
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While here have been ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ attempts byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jayawardena to slip a cordon of condemnation following the Presiden’t’s Oxford Union impasse , incriminating evidence seems to have surfaced through a media statement byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a prominent member of the Tamil DiasporaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who has told the Sunday Observer that the MP made an inflammatory speech at a gathering in London just one week before President Mahinda RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s visit to London. This seems to align with past inflammatory outbursts by the MP and sympathising with the Tamil TigersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ although certain factions within The UNPƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in his support have denied any involvement by Dr. Jayawardena in the events in London. The UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has however invited the appointment of a Parliamentary Committee to probe into the matter where Dr. Jayawardena could well have made one too many inflamatory statement against the Government of Sri Lanka and its leadership for his own good.
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Surprisingly it has beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil diaspora member who has divulged the related information suggests that Dr. JayawardenaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ along with Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne and some others chaired a meeting at the House of Commons on November 25th just prior to the President’s anticipated visit to the UKƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where they have called for sanctions to punish the Government and said “the Government should be taken before the International War Crimes Tribunal”, alleging that 100,000 people were killed in the final stages of the war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The divulgant Rajeswari Subramaniam, a writer and a novelist based in London has disclosed this in no uncertain terms despite the British GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ vehementlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ denying all knowlege of this but seemingly caught with their pants down as all this has taken place within the British Parliament according to the news report.
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It also seems no coincidence that BritishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ representative David Milliband has been harping onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ similar callsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ against the GOSLƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ towards discrediting it as a result of negative responses shown by the GOSL for what it terms attemptedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ interference into the internal affairs of sovereign Sri Lanka. There is reason to believe that despite British denials there could be a link to the stand taken by the Oxford Union and the response to Mr. MillibandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the GOSL in retaliatory perspective on the part of the BritishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ authorities albeit speculativeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and a rank disregard to the protocols ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ diplomacy between the two countries and a Faux Pas Britain could ill afford. The inflammatory speeches by the two Sri Lankan Doctors however could well haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ been a catalyst towards triggering off what transpiredƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ although the Sri Lanka President has staved off the attempted embarassment admirably through hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dignity, hindsight and decorum seemingly lacking in his attempted tormentors.
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Dr Jaywardena’s exhortations to the British Government has beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ observed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by aboutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 30ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ or moreƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala dissidentsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and Tamil Diaspora members who were gathered at Committee Room 8 of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ British Parliament to listen to their views. The meeting was chaired by former BBC News Editor Clive Lawrence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While some participants reportedly challenged the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-facts and figuresƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ quoted by both speakers they have blatantly insistedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that the Government should be held accountable for these crimes and the visit by the President should be stopped at any cost,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as reportedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by Ms.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Subramaniam who hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ saidƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that it was unfortunate to have Sinhalese leaders disseminating hatred towards the Government when the moderate Tamils were striving to make their younger generation give up those feelings. This alone proves the validity of the news report by a conscientousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil reporter with an unflappable unbiasedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dedication to accurate news reportingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who needs to be commended for the manner in which she has conducted her duties with responsibility not only to the freedom loving Tamils who are returning to their homelandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in vast numbers but also to the Government of Sri Lanka where Drs. Jayawardena and Wickremabahu should hang their heads in shame and be condemned to punishment for their irresponsible conduct unbecoming ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankans if they had an ounce of patriotism within their veins!
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It has also been reported that when the call for sanctions wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ raised a young Sinhalese condemned it but many members of the audience had listened in silence. Another call for sanctions was reportedly made by a UNP Organiser in the UK when whose identity is unclear at which stage a Ms.Cathy Ranasinghe, a participant of the sessionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pointed out that sanctions and the removal of GSP Plus brought about more suffering to the rehabilitated former Tiger combatants who work in textile factories.
Quite remarkably when Dr.Jayawardena and othersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ persisted their dialogue ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ about the grievances of Tamils, Mrs.SubramaniamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the reporter who broke thhe news of this session to the media hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ apparently quipped ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t cry about Sri Lankan Tamils, your (UNP) Government instigated the 1983 riots.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and a fact of life coinable with the true scenario for which the UNP have acquired a degree of infamy. His responseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ disclaiming responsibility to what transpired prior to the riots had been that at the time he was neither a Member of Parliament nor party to those in power albeit the facts probably being etched in stoneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that he was indeed very much a part thereof of the entire process!
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Admirably and needing to be acknowledged Ms.Subramaniam, a well known member of the Tamil diaspora in London was actively organizing humanitarian aid for internally displaced Tamils during the height of the conflict, particularly during the final stages of the humanitarian operation, might have been expected to show bipartisan support for the two speakers attempting to tarnish the image of the Government of Sri Lanka had there been a semblance of truth to what they were saying but has stood her ground honourably and admirably. She is quoted as saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I told him I was there during the last stages, when the people escaped from the LTTE and witnessed how Sinhalese and Muslim communities got together to help the Tamils, so donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t utter nonsense.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
According to Subramaniam, Dr. Karunaratne had been in London as a VIP guest at the London heroesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ day celebrations. She is quoted further as saying that “The event was held at Excel Arena in London on November 27 with the participation of LTTE members and their sympathizers. He has made an infuriating speech there making war crimes allegations against the Government. When such remarks come from Sinhalese leaders, it carries a lot of weight. Not just theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE, but they were also instrumental in jeopardizing the PresidentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s program in London.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ end quote and what further incriminating evidence need there be from such a reliable source without prejudiceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where both Drs. Jayawardena and Karunaratne deserves to be figuratively hung for their excessive language and calls to admonish the President of a Sovereign Nation.
Their incarcerations in all probabilty will be stringent once all the incriminating evidence against them comes to light and held accountable for treasonous behaviour if proven within the provisionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of Sri LankanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as well as International Law and debarred from entering the UK as Persona’s Non Grata!
Ref; UK SRI LANKANS WANT POSITIVE MEDIA COVERAGE
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2010/11/29/uk-sri-lankans-want-positive-media-coverage/
December 4th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Thank you Sunil and Ms Subramanium for this revelation. We admire Ms Subramanium’s courage.
December 5th, 2010 at 2:45 am
“OLD ELEPHANTS NOW EXPOSING THEIR TRUE TIGER STRIPED TAILS!”
December 5th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
THe disgraced UNP had a mojor role not only on instigating 1983 riots, but on 1958 riots too.
I recall reading their party paper in 1957 in a public library- not even a teenager then. The scurrilous stories it carried questioning the parenthood of SWRDB – linking his mother to the ‘Kudirakaraya’ the horseman in the Horagolla household, left a lifelong dislike for anybody connected with opportunist and racist politicians of all hues even to this day.
SWRDB did not go to seal that press of that worthless rag. While Sinhala went on to replace the place of English rights of minority languageswere respected with special bills after hisuntimely death. In my university days more than half my batchmates were from ethnic minorities, but let us remember each one of us is special and a member of a minority of one kind. I completed spoken Tamil efficiency bar, to remain in the government service thanks to my |Tamil friends- and would now be a equal to Mahinda in speaking Tamil, if I got posting in Tamil districts, but there was no shortage of Tamil sppeakers to fill the posts in the North and the East. I recall in the Hambantota distric in 1970, there were good number Tamil gentleman, my valued friends, filling the highest posts in the Irrigation department / PWD / Health.
Mahinda Rajapake was correct and brave to accept the invitation to face the questions of a multinational young audience to explain his bold new vision and anyclaims on the conduct of the humanitarian effort- to take folks etnically cleansed out of their lands, to make Sri Lanka safe for all as the LTTE is still a force to reckon in metropolitan countries.
One cannot complain against Jayalath Jayawardane or Ravi Karunanayake or Ranil Wickramasinghe. Sri Lankans know their record, funding sources, which direct them to sing their tune – as the old adage goes – he who pays the piper calls the tune.
What is more difficult to accept is the true face of so called ‘ULTRA LEFT’ – the sad capitulation of a man VBK, a man who lost his livelihood for raising black flags on the day JRJ proclaimed the new constitution, in 1978, now selling his principles for a pot of gold.
December 6th, 2010 at 7:20 am
What have Jayalath Jayawardene & Wickremabahu Karunaratne (carrying such illustrious Sinhala names) done for the suffering Sinhala masses ? They appear to want to bring the Lankan leadership, the entire the Sinhala Nation as well as Sri Lanka down into pits. Why is that ?
We all know now that the ltte cadre who fought with the Lanka Army were dressed in ordinary lay attire and not in uniform. They were ltte soldiers, not lay folk. So the story of Tamil ‘civilians’ killed by SL Army is not true. Those who died in the war were really ltte trained cadre. There were photos published in the web of ltte training civilians to do battle. Therefore, they became soldiers for the ltte. They cannot be categorised as civilians when they carry firearms and shoot at the army, whatever their attire.