Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Canada

14 July 2011
Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP MP for Scarborough-Rough River, OntarioƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
House of Commons, Ottawa

Dear Rathika:

I was informed by a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”moderateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Tamil in Toronto that you were in attendance at the Canadian Human Rights Voice (CHRV) event on July 12 held at the Scarborough Civic Center, rapping ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ about the Darusman Report and the Channel 4 video ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Killing Fields in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ trying to figure out CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s responsibilities to respond to the violations of humanitarian and human rights law in Sri Lanka.

I wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t there, but I wish I were.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But I thought that CHRV had the right approach, if and only they were prepared to take off their blinkers, and lasso in one of the international culprits, Canada, for instigating international war crimes, for having brought so much of chest-thumping pain and blood-shedding ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka by letting the Canadian Snow Tigers collect two million dollars a month for 13 Liberal governing years to stuff the Tamil Tiger war chest. With that money the Tamil Tigers bought war weapons to haemorrhage that beautiful island nation and kill innocent unarmed people in the thousands in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is the island which is filled with beautiful people, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, you name it, 22 million of them all, that you left behind at age 5 and I at age 19.

You seem to be conspicuously selective in your anguish about the war-violence during the last five months of the Eelam war wanting to nail the Sri Lankan Government and its soldiers and the majority Sinhalese to the wall, but Rathika, that unnecessary war had been going on for 30 long bloody years, when the Tamil Tigers hijacked the sacredƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  human right of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”right-to-life from all the citizens bombing them with claymore mines, and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with 388 suicide bombings blowing them to smithereens, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-those God damn Tamil Tiger killer bastardsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, I say, and you keep on with your Song and BharathanatayamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Alarippus, Jathiswarams and Thillannas trying your utmost to paint the Tamil Tigers as a bunch of goody-two-shoes and Paragons of Virtue.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cut out that Newfoundland codƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s wallop Rathika. Try to be honest with yourself as no doubt you have a conscience.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That Eelam War didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t happen during the last five months before that Tamil Tigers were finished off, but it had gone on for 30 blood curdling years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And that is a neither fact that you cannot deny, your peers cannot deny, nor Amnesty International who participated in this gathering on July 12.

Rathika, hereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s one of my many reasons for my anger at the Tamil Tigers who killed my innocent Sinhalese people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Block this incident in your learning curve of your encyclopedic mind as you may not have been told this, as it wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have helped the cause of Tamil separation ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as well a hating the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan Government along the process of you being brain washed since your kid-days, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even before the smell of your motherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s milk was weaned off your breath.

June 2, 1987, was a sunny day in Aranthalawa, and perhaps as a 5-year old, you were enjoying a happy day in primary school about 20 thousand miles away from where the Tamil Tiger terrorists massacred and brutally mutilated 33 Buddhist monks, most of whom were young novice monks with their mentor, Chief Priest of the Vidyananda Maha Pirivena, Hegoda Indrasara ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thera, and four civilians at Aranthalawa in Ampara, in the east of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I am a Buddhist.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These killer Tamils were a bunch of blood-thirsty bastards that you are trying to paint and polish with your sari-pota and introduce them to your parliamentary colleagues as a bunch of Paragons of Virtue who were only trying to look after your ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil people and killing innocent unarmed Sinhalese were part of that process.

The time was 7:15 in the morning on June 2, 1987.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Thirty-six Buddhist monks had just boarded a bus at the Mahavapi temple.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Among them was their mentor Chief Priest Hegoda Indrasara who sat at the front of the bus.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They began their journey on a pilgrimage to the Kelaniya Raja Mahavihara in the outskirts of the capital Colombo, in the west coast of the island.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The bus having just passed Nuwaratenna, and as they were reaching Aranthalawa the bus driver P.G.Samarapala noticed some tree-logs placed across the road obstructing the path.

Sensing the danger the driver began to turn the bus around when suddenly a group of about 20 Tamil Tiger terrorists in commando military fatigues (note commando military fatigues), like threatening black apparitions emerged from the jungle brandishing swords, knives and Kalashnikovs.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Two Tamil Tigers boarded the bus and gave the driver orders to drive the bus into the jungle path.

There had been a pin drop silence inside the bus until they reached the thick growth off tall teak trees. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Give us the money you haveƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, was the order by the Tamil Tiger leader.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The bus conductor N.V. Jinadasa surrendered every cent he had.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Venerable Indrasara then pleaded ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-You better kill me but please donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t harm these young oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ pointing to his young pupil monks.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Then a thundering voice ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had rent the air saying, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WettidaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, which meant cut them.

Instantly a sword fell sharply on the neck of Venerable Indrasara severing it into two.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When the second sword was falling on Ratnayake, a young monk Punjhasara rushed forward and interceded not to kill his father.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Immediately a shot rang with a bullet piercing the young monkƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s skull, and the bullet hole gushed blood like red-ketchup.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Then two terrorists began to cut and chop the young monks at random.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Howls of pain and wailing had ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ filled the jungle air, but all pleading did nothing to soften the brutal hearts of these sons-of-bitches, the Tamil Tiger terrorists ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to whom you announced your allegiance in your Facebook pages after your ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ parliamentary election win, and now ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ giving cover as good guys and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where as the Sri Lankan soldiers ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are depicted as the bad guys in this Eelam war with yourƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  public approval of the Darusman Report and the Channel 4 video.

In fleeting moments the bus was drenched with pools of warm young Sinhalese blood of novice monks who were like innocent lambs taken to a slaughter house. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When all was over 33 monks and four Sinhalese civilians had been killed by the Tamil Tigers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And a novice monk and a civilian who survived this massacre told the world this horror story.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You were 5-years old then,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  perhaps still playing with stuffed dolls and being brain washed by your Sinhalese hating peers, and I lost my Buddhist meditative cool and cursed those damn brutal Tamil Tiger swine saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-pox on you no good Tamil Tiger bastards!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

I hope your stomach is doing somersaults with revulsion at what the Tamil Tigers were culpable of doing, that you are not prepared to acknowledge as the actors of this horror story.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  As for me, after 24 years, I am still spitting anger from my cart wheeling eye balls with belching dragon fire.

And so you are doing your Song and Bharathanatyam Dance at every event where the fraudulent Channel 4 video is shown as well as when ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ discussing the Darusman Report, a questionable artifact from an anti-Sri Lanka biased panel who have been unfortunately christened as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-expertsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

MY MAHAVEER DAY

Rathika, perhaps you might be interested to jot down this incident in your mental memory stick as you may have been blanked of this too by your peers, when you may have been just 9-years old and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ being inculcated how courageous, and smart the Tamil Tiger terrorists were trying to carve out one-third of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s real estate bordered by 66% of the coast line for their mono-ethnic, racist, separate Tamil state, Eelam for 12.6% of the population who happen to be ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ your Tamil people (now reduced to 3.9% of the population).

I celebrated my Mahaveer Day on July 10 with a 5-minute silence to remember my Hero, Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne who is also remembered as the Hasalaka Veeraya.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  My HeroƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was the first ever recipient of the Parama Weera Vibushanaya (PWV) (Supreme Heroism Decoration), the Sri Lanka nations highest award for gallantry in the field above and beyond the call of duty.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You must be curious to know what his heroic act was to have him honoured with a statue erected in his memory at the junction of the Hasalaka village. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ HereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the incident for your information.

It was the night of July 10, 1991 (you were, perhaps 9 years old) when some 5000 Tamil Tiger terrorists surrounded the Elephant Pass garrison in the North. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Lance Corporal Gamini was one of the 600 soldiers tasked to defend that gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That night the Tamil Tigers attacked with sophisticated armoury, very likely bought with Canadian dollars, and the Sri Lankan soldiers defended as expected.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What was extraordinary in this bout of the battle was the sighting of a bulldozer covered with armour plates like an Ankylosaurus dinosaur (I am a paleontologist) with chockfull of explosives rumbling towards the Southern entrance of the camp.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  None of the soldiers were prepared for this extraordinary threat, except one, and he happened to be my Hero.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The gunfire and explosions would have been deafening and disconcerting. My boy-hero from Hasalaka was cool and calm as a Saint licking a cone of chocolate ice cream.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He took two grenades, ran towards the on coming armour plated tank, took the hits from bullets that were fired at him on the way, climbed the ladder and tossed them inside.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The tank exploded.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The assault ended.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  My Hero Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne died.

Rathika: there is something special about my Hasalaka hero Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was born in the hamlet of Hasalaka to a farming family.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was the second son of S.G. Babanis and S.G. Juliet.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am not sure whether he really wanted to renounce of worldly things or whether it was poverty the reason that made him join the Buddhist Order and was ordained as Venerable Mahiyangane Dhammajothi Thero, then a young bikkhu just 21 years of age.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was one of three novice bikkhus who sustained critical injuries during the Aranthalawa massacre of his fellow brother monks and his teacher and mentor Venerable Indrasara.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was this terrorism that persuaded him to disrobe.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Having witnessed and survived one of the most brutal attacks towards mankind, carried out by the ruthless Tamil Tigers, he left the Buddhist Order to defend his community and the nation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And doing so he sacrificed his life in the most heroic fashion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t scared of death like the Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran and his top rung of military commanders like Pottu Amman, Soosai, Nadesan ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and crowd, who refused to bite on the cyanide capsule when they were cornered by the army soldiers, but expected ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ every child soldier, boy and girl to die having bitten on the cyanide capsule strung around their necks ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as ordered by Prabhakaran, when cornered by the army soldiers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He left the Buddhist Order and joined the army.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was convinced that he had to defend his community from the marauding Tamil Tiger brutes before he could be educated in the Word of the Buddha.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was attached to the Sinha RegimentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s, Sixth Battalion as a rifleman.

Rathika, when you stand up again among your parliamentary colleagues to denounce the Sri Lankan soldiers and the Sri Lankan government saying that they were war criminals for having wiped out the Tamil Tigers militarily, and presenting them as a bunch of goodie-two-shoes, donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you ever forget thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  there was one Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne, who was once a Buddhist novice monk, who witnessed the brutal massacre ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  33 of his brother ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ monks by the Tamil Tigers on July 10, 1991, when you were just 9-years old and enjoying life.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This young soldier also happens to be my ultimate Hero.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I have not stopped cursing the Tamil Tigers ever since, that you seem to guard ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with great fervor when discussing the Channel 4 fraudulent video, the Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, and the Darusman Report, put together by three panelists who were biased and anti-Sri Lanka from the moment they were let loose to write this cut-and-paste report. I am disappointed in you.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s meet.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s talk. Invite me to debate this issue in public with your Tamil defenders of the Channel 4 video and the Darusman Report and I will join you any time and any where.

I have little doubt that you have a sincere conscience and an honest heart to go with it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And if they have gone astray, then please bring it back to honour my Sinhalese people who died at the hands of the most ruthless terrorist group in the world, the Tamil Tigers, who were encouraged by CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Liberal Government for 13 long years by letting the Tamil Tiger sympathizers in your community to collect two-million dollars a month to stuff the Tamil Tiger war chest for them to buy sophisticated war weapons to kill my people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  By doing so 31 million Canadians, including you and I, have Sinhalese blood on our hands.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Turn your palms Rathika and have a good look at them and you might see a slight film of crimson on them. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And you can take my word that it is a film of Sinhalese blood from those who died killed by the weapons and explosives bought out of Canadian funds.

It is time you stop your vengeful attacks on Sri Lanka that you seem to know nothing of.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Remember that by whipping the butts of the Tamil Tigers into oblivion for good on May 18, 2009, the Sri Lankan soldiers did what they had to do when they took on the challenge of the Tamil Tigers in July 2006 at Mavil Aru, to give back the rights that every human being has a God given right toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ enjoy ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the right to life, which was hijacked by the Tamil Tigers for 30 long years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Just remember that before you do your next ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ public Song and Bharathanatyam Alarippus, Jathiswarams and Thillanas about the Darusman Report and the Channel 4 video, Killing Fields of SriLanka.

Sincerely

Asoka Weerasinghe