British Colonial War Crimes: Unpunished, Unaccounted and awaiting Apology
Posted on November 9th, 2012
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shenali Waduge
The British Empire was the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s first global power and largest empire with dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and territories controlling close to 500m people covering over 33,700,000 km2– quarter of the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s landmass. In 1909 the British Empire encompassed 20% of the land area of the Earth and 23% of its population. All the roads to all the evils that exist globally lead to Great Britain and the violence sown by one system and their engineering of sectarianism. It is this legacy of criminal history that has been passing on unabated and not a single country has been afforded an apology thus far. It is in looking back at history that one would find all the answers ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it is history that would set the records straight. It is for these reasons that certain quarters attempt to through their international offices subjugate history.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “We are not a young people with innocent record and a scanty inheritance. We have engrossed to ourselves ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ an altogether disproportionate share of wealth and traffic of the world. We have got all we want in territory, and our claim to be left in the unmolested enjoyment of vast and splendid possessions, mainly acquired by violence, largely maintained by force, often seem less reasonable to others than to us” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” so said Winston Churchill denoting the mindset of all imperialists.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Would anyone think the British capable of burning down villages to the ground, seizing and raping women and children on orders, hanging prisoners without trial, starving locals to death, infecting natives with smallpox, getting natives addicted to opium and alcohol ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” these are just a few of the crimes attributed to Great Britain.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The wealth of the imperial countries ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” its gold and raw materials were all robbed, the people of these nations whose lives were without the complications and complexities it suffered as a result of colonial rule needs to be reiterated. There were no equity, justice and impartiality, there were no good governance that was given as a legacy, all the niches that were carved out have only served to continue to divide from the first divisions carved out to facilitate the rule of the colonials.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ None of these former colonials welcomed British or European rule ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” their nations were all occupied by force. It was not only the natives that were mercilessly killed and executed, their lands were transformed to cash crops, they brought in guns and cannons, their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dealsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-agreementsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ were insincere, they destroyed the culture and heritage, the religious bonds that existed and in its place a legacy which we are yet to shrug off yet the ignorant remains grateful to the arrival of these colonials.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ceylon/Sri Lanka
The British ruled Ceylon between 1815 to 1948. When the British landed in Sri Lanka its population was just 800,000 by the time the British left 150 years later that population had risen to 7m ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” there was never a time until repatriation in 1971 and 1981 that the Sri Lankan Tamils outnumbered the Indian Tamils who brought in as cheap labor from India. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The brute force used in Sri Lanka was only a replica of the brutal policies used by the British in all other colonies and territories. Kandyan chieftans were promised unconditional warranty that Buddhism would remain inviolable but these were never kept. Entire villages and farms were torched, cattle slaughtered, vegetationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s burnt to the ground and people killed remorselessly. Lands were taken by force to start cash crops resulting in diverse affects to the environment and natural surroundings. The aim of the British was simply to annihilate the traditions, customs, culture and religion of these natives in order to facilitate the plunder of wealth of these nations.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Uva Rebellion/Third Kandyan War (1817) turned into a guerilla war with rebels being brutally massacred by the British. The Madulla massacre was one of shoot-to-kill policy leaving not a woman or child spared. When despite rescuing over 294,000 Tamil civilians the British Government is crying genocide and war crimes why have they remained mum over 200,000 deaths in 1848 when orders were to kill anything above 8years!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Refer the House of Commons Committee for the gory details that would include how Lt. J. Maclaine of the 73rd Regiment whose pastime was to watch Sinhalese men being hung one after the other whilst enjoying breakfast!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Even the animals were not spared ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” elephants the mode of transport used by both King and villager alike for cultivation, tanks, religious processions soon became the target of huntsmen who designed weapons from England. Samuel Baker headed the elephant slaughter killing 30-40 elephants on a daily basis ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” calculate this into 150 years to estimate the number of elephants the British have killed as a sport in Sri Lanka. There are plenty of memos to prove these allegations though most of these hidden secrets have been destroyed by the British.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The British laid siege on hundreds of natives in the colonies who like the Sinhalese were men who were protecting their nation using just bows and arrows!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Do these crimes started and spread from the British Raj to the present not pale in comparison to the other crimes which were drawn upon these original methods?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Justice for Mau Mau rebellion ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Kenya
It took over 60 years for justice for victims of the Mau Mau rebellion because the British Government took away all evidence of their atrocities and destroyed evidence against them ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” atrocities that included ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-roasting aliveƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Kenyans, beating natives to death, concentration (internment) camps where men were anally raped using knives, broken bottles, rifle barrels, snakes and scorpions, even making a special tool to crush and rip off testicles by British forces. These detention camps held more than 160,000 Africans between 1952 and 1960. The Mau Mau court hearing charges numbered over 400 brought by 4 elderly Kenyans ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” 2 victims of castration.
If these were not horrific enough pliers were used to mutilate womenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s breasts while men were rolled up in barbed wire and kicked around the compound. This is Britain that is preaching human rights after committing 200 years of human rights abuses! The same Britain that makes heartening appeals to the International Criminal Court while it remains guilty of depopulating natives of Diego Garcia so that it could give its buddy America a military base to carry out renditions and human torture ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” so has the British learnt lessons inspite of its colonial crimes?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was through the Mau Mau hearing that emerged that the Foreign Office held 9500 files from 36 other former British colonies secretly further emphasizing oppression by imperial forces a hidden past that no British child is today aware of. Yet Britain and its present and future generations are beholden to know how Britain became the society it is from the looting and plundering nations and completely destroying the unity that existed amongst the indigenous peoples.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India
India was BritainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s prize catch but it had its own share of British atrocities. English East India Company did pittance to help the famine since rice fields were turned into poppy plantations to grow opium. The famine brought down the population from 150,000 to 30,000 in Dhaka as part of the Malthusian population theory adopted by British advisors to starve natives to death. The 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre led to hundreds of unarmed civilians ordered to be killed by General Dyer. During the Partition of 1947 where the largest mass-migration took place upto 3m died and Britain simply abandoned its responsibilities. 6-7m Indians had been starved to death by the British in 1943-1945. The Indian Holocaust is in excess of 1.8billion between 1757 and 1947. Are British human enough to tie thousands of Sikhs to gun cannons and fire!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We cannot reiterate enough that the real villains of the world are those that own the Bank of England established in 1694, the US Federal Reserve who control the World Bank and IMF as well as the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intelligence agencies ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” a network known as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Club of IslesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ having $10trillion in assets. The square-mile City of London is a sovereign state run by the Bank of England which is a private corporation and not subject to British law. Yet the Bank can even dictate to the British Parliament and it was these very bankers that created the British Empire. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Today democracy is simply a means to control society using mass media and education systems.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The power of the banks is their monopoly over credit using GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s credit to print money and forcing taxpayers to make billions in interest for all Central Banks are private institutions that give credit to businesses and individuals. It is not hard to fathom how bankers have been destabilizing society and creating one crisis after another forcing those who depend on credit to remain mum.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are many who view that what happened is past and should be forgotten. Well that appears to be directed at only white crimes ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” but these same Governments blow hot and cold over crimes that are not half as horrific as the oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s that were systematically part of plundering nations. Imperial amnesia is nothing that can be swept under the carpet. It is what connects the roots to the ills that prevails globally throughout the third world.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What the British Government needs to understand is that apart from its crimes committed as part of imperial policies what is more horrific is the manner it attempted to illegally conceal and destroy documentary evidence of its colonial crimes secretly kept in the Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s security premises in Buckinghamshire. The atrocities committed by the British East India Company and the British Raj are what BBCƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Channel 4 should be showcasing first.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The question remains why politicians and media alike are afraid to accuse Britain of its barbarism which is an important part of history of man. Why have historians themselves failed to associate the brutality of an empire that spanned such a land mass affecting the lives of millions of people? We are talking about centuries of hidden history, hidden crimes and imperial amnesia.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The British was responsible for the death and destruction to millions of people throughout Asia and Africa. Indigenous heritage had been annihilated and in its place natives were Christianized and people marginalized and decentralized to create chaos with political administrations leaving people fighting for territory and power.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All that the West proudly enjoys were built from gold, spices, opium, oil, minerals all looted from the colonies while natives were turned into slaves and today suffering from poverty and a new wave of neo-colonialism.
Britain stands accused of crimes against humanity of not just one nation but several hundred, not just a handful but of millions of people. Britain stands accused of slavery, plundering of land and natural resources of territories belonging to the Indigenous people. Should Britain not be compensating these countries at least 20% of the value of goods produced and extracted from the resources since late 1400s? Should Britain not compensate for the damage done to the environment as well as compensate for the cruel and inhuman manner women were raped and impregnated as a policy.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ How much should the United Kingdom Government pay the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s citizens for centuries of imperialism, wars, diseases and mass murder – $58 trillion or $8350 for every living person was a suggestion ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” is this really enough to cover the injustice suffered and the injustice that still prevails ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it is when China becomes the sole superpower and Britain faces its decline when reparations demands will surface!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The world needs to know exactly what the European powers ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the French, the Italians, the Germans, the Belgians, the Portuguese and the British empire did to the people of the world and the legacy that these nations continue to be burdened with.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Yet, if the German government could formally apologize for the enslavement and genocide of the Herero peoples of Namibia, French showed some resent over Atlantic slave trade though yet to apologize to Algeria, in the 1980s the Canadian Indian Tribal Chiefs were given a public apology, while in the 1990s the Maoris of New Zealand were extended a public apologyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.
It is now time for the British to apologize for its crimes.
Why canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t the British apologize to the rest of the world for its crimes against humanity?
November 9th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
“Why can’t the British apologize to the rest of the world for its crimes against humanity?”
The answer is quite simple – because they are still doing what they have been doing all along and any apology for the the wrong doings of the past would be an admission of the crimes they are committing today. Leaders of every nation trying to rise up is dragged on to the ICC but Tony Blair who committed the most atrocious crimes just the other day is travelling around doing ‘consultancy’ work!! What a terrible joke- all at the expense of people of the developing world.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
what abot the attrocities committed by allied forces during ww2 including the Japap atom bombs? Hypocrits
November 9th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Shenali,
Do not try to lead us to a collission course with worlds super powers. We want to reach our chartered destination- the miracle of asia. Whatever said and done when Britishers left us we were a leading nation in Asia in terms of economy and education and there were educated people in the region who wanted to come here to work. My ex-employer from an ASEAN country told me he himself wanted to come here.
The Britishers left us as one country, the same way they found us when they arrived. Even the Indians they brought in could have been repatriated if our leaders took the right decision after they left. The advantage in terms of economy and education we had was aquandered by Colombians like JR and Preme by picking up a fight with India.
We have finished one problem and no need to start another. We must take advantage of our geographical location and the peaceful atmosphere prevaling in the country. One professor of structural engineering who knows the industry told me yesterday that over a hundred high rise towers like the world trade centre will come up in Colombo in the next few years.
You should also note that most contribtors to this forum are doing so while enjoying the comforts of the so called colonialist countries.
November 9th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
England is in decline and will continue to go down the toilet. Forget about the past crimes. They are still at it. Look at Libya, the latest example. They have no resources whatsoever and will continue to kill in order to steal and plunder.
November 9th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
The Ziegiest changes , In early parts of colonialism it was ok to kill the Red Indians ,australian aborigines because they were inferior in fact it was legally OK to kill an aborigine until the 1950s now it is ok to kill terrorists the ziegiest for them changes as it suits them . They how ever believe they epitomise the morals in this world – Christian Morals. The west has forcibly assumed the moral leadership of the world but it is obvious they are the most immoral. The crime is that the rest of the world has no response to this hypocrisy. It is time Asia has her own institutions of Human Rights . The two big countries India and China are more interested in slaving for the west. That is the problem.
November 9th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Before asking British to apologise why not ask India first ?
They created the Tamil problem and got away with that.
Whether super power or not these are the thing our leaders should press for.
What British did was long time ago and as Alloy said, they also did some good work.
Bloody Indians, have they done any single good things ?
November 10th, 2012 at 1:15 am
Indians never came and massacred us like the Britishers did in 1818. British without reason killed Pedris, imprisoned dharmapala and plundered our wealth back to UK, they introduced the church of england, blatantly disregarded 1815 pact, and created a new rogue upper class – the bandaranayakes, ratwattes, senanayakes etc – we still suffer as a result. idiots like dham cant understand
November 10th, 2012 at 1:15 am
Indians never came and massacred us like the Britishers did in 1818. British without reason killed Pedris, imprisoned dharmapala and plundered our wealth back to UK, they introduced the church of england, blatantly disregarded 1815 pact, and created a new rogue upper class – the bandaranayakes, ratwattes, senanayakes etc – we still suffer as a result. idiots like dham cant understand
November 10th, 2012 at 1:44 am
MP,
You have some FACTS but this it not right.
“Indians never came and massacred us like the Britishers did in 1818.”
British bastards used INDIANS to do the BARBARIC attacks on SLs in 1818!
These INDIAN barbarians USED by the Brits BBQed Sinhalese and ate them.
In 1915 bloody Indian Panjabi dirt was brought in to kill Sinhalese (and Muslims). Their NATURAL HATE towards Muslims was used to create a big bloodbath in SL which was not needed.
When Veerappan Puranappu was trying to save the country from Brits, they AGAIN brought bloody Indians to kill us.
So bloody Indians were (AND ARE ONCE AGAIN) part of the Brits dirty acts.
Earlier Brits used Malay soldiers but after the total rape of Malaya, they were unwilling to fight for Brits.
Then WITH THE HELP OF BRITS Indians did one of the worst massacres and displacements in modern history in partitioning Pakistan.
Indians too realized it LATE after Brits used sexual violence against Indian independence bugs. Too late.
Now USA using India to pit against China and Pakistan. Indian fools never learn. When India had a choice between Buddhism and Hinduism, it went for Hinduism. Wrong choices always. If India remained a Buddhist country as in Asoka times, Pakistan and Bangladesh would be its parts and it will be very powerful.
MOST things done by Brits remain BAD. Good things are FEW.
Bringing Tamils to SL, educating them, giving them power and knighthoods are the WORST crimes Brits did.
One Tamil Ponna-ambalam was appointed to do the census!! What a joke!! He created the “SL TAMIL” concept which was NEVER there before.
The few good things that happened during British time including good schools were NOT by Brits but by Americans and others.
e.g. Olcott
November 10th, 2012 at 3:17 am
I may be an idiot in the eyes of a delusioned UNPier brother. However, thanks to Bandaranayake, I could manage to achieve some “world’s firsts” and take a lead in an important field to serve the world.
Idians came to attack us long before British came, although our ex-leaders could chase them back.
One good thing British did was the respectable status they gave to Buddhism at the later stage of their governence. They never insulted principles of Buddhism like Shenali Wadugeni and the Naath uncle.
It is OK to insult me MP, I know who I am but please keep Buddhist principles out of your smelly mouth for your own goodwill.
November 10th, 2012 at 3:23 am
Invasion by the Indian state and the British using Indian nationals against Sri Lanka are two different things
November 10th, 2012 at 6:12 am
MP,
UK, Australia and Canada are white countries ruled by Anglo Saxons. Either you or your parents may have filled up forms beging them to give asylum, PR or citizenship. They have been considerate enough to give access to people from their former colonies to go and live there. If you hate them or their ancestors for what they have done in our country, be a true patriot, return to SL and work for its progress.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:26 am
Aloy, Sri Lanka was not an Australian colony. To be a patriot one does not need to be living in the mother country. Look at the amount of money we are sending to Sri Lanka – that itself is a great help
November 10th, 2012 at 6:58 am
Present British PM David Cameron said some months ago that “most of the troubles in the world today is due to Britain …”.
What more ?
Whatever happened in the past, past is past. We shall have to make the best of whatever useful factors various Colonists left behind, and throw out the rest.
It would help if Britain did apologise to their ex-colonies. But, do ex-Empires ever apologize ? ! It’s the Ego factor, folks !
November 10th, 2012 at 9:01 am
MP, Yes it is a patriotic act. I was thinking that all those migrated to west (including Aus & NZ) sell their property and take the proceeds through black market. I know some people who are trying to do that now.
In case of disagreement let us not attack the person but the argument. As for this article, let us do what Fran has suggested above and not tread the path Shenali is pointing at.
November 10th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Dear Aloy,
Shenali continues to point to the negative events in Sri Lanka’s past for which I am personally very grateful. Her intent here is that we will not allow/repeat the same mistakes again. Those Sri Lankans who are westernised and live in the west will never realise the suffering of our people who have lost their land and culture due to Colonisation. My personal attitude is : never forget what happened in the past, but let’s also move on.
—————-
Recently, when an Indian VIP requested Britain to return the treasures taken from India and are now displayed in the British museums, a British VIP replied “our museums will be empty if we return those items …” ! Empires will not be empires if not for the conquered others !
One thing that GoSL can do is to restore Upcountry land to the Sinhale who lost their land. We should also have an annual ceremony to commemorate all the local Heroes who fought all invaders, from time immoral, whether they were South Indian invaders or Colonists. This should be done to lay emphasis on the need to be LOYAL to Sri Lanka and her People, and to the land that feeds and nurtures us all.
November 10th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Tamils are dicovering “patriotism”. It is not in their blood because they do not have a country to rule.
Asking apolgy from Britain is not an uregent matter,not useful and we will not get anything.
They completely irradicated Diego Gracia nation and depite court ruling will not care about “weak” nations like Sri Lanka.
We should reach the economical independece and prosperity first before making such demands. It is worth to be aware of and most Lankans ( except tamils) are aware of our histroy.
India has never been one country for a long time. Few emeperos like Asoka succeeded but had been Lanka’s headache for a long time. However, recent cowardly act of training terrorists, bullying etc are common to all surrounding countries. If all get together a considerable voice can be raised.
November 10th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
“One thing that GoSL can do is to restore Upcountry land to the Sinhale who lost their land.”
“We should also have an annual ceremony to commemorate all the local Heroes who fought all invaders, from time immoral, whether they were South Indian invaders or Colonists.”
Absolutely. May 22 should be that day. May be we can advance it to May 19.
“Time immoral”????
I think it is time immemorial.
November 10th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
But why can’t the govt. give upcountry land to the RIGHTFUL owners?
Because of bloody Indians.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Excellent Article, Shenali and what you is true. A very evil country is Britain, they are responsilbe I am a afraid for a lot very bad things that go down in the world. As what you write regarding Sri Lanka in the 19th century states. So it is very strange to find this very same country accuse Sri Lanka who were actually defending innocent civilians of warcrimes, when we all know who some of the biggest warcriminals in the world are but since they own the United Nations, I guess they are untouchable!
November 10th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
@Fran Diaz
you wrote
‘Present British PM David Cameron said some months ago that “most of the troubles in the world today is due to Britain …”.’
Yes, unfortunately this very same PM is keeping to his word that Britain is responsible for the troubles today by his countries shocking criminal behaviour along with Obama of US and Sarkozy of France in Bombing Libya last year and creating chaos and trouble and bloodshed in north africa and and the middle east Iraq and now Syria which the Russians and Chinese are very unhappy about. Looks like this leopard will never change its sports, once and evil country always an evil country. Its funny and sad and tragic at the same time these very same countries Britain, United States, Canada and Australia, France etc want to lecture Sri Lanka on warcrimes. Looks like a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Very good article Shenali make sure you circulate this in Geneva, that is if the UN would claim to even examine it. Which is doubtful as the UN is an instrument of western imperialism today.
November 11th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
be aware! whether there was tamil in sl or not, some european groups- christian etc do not want SL and India traditional friendship continues and that include tamil nadu. therefore, at this moment, they will do anything to rip off india-sl relationship. I believe some of people appeared to be singhalese or some social class of singhalese groups are paid to write hate against india. I do not mean criticism. They are in and out of this web,many other webs and they are in and out of sl.
India’s military backing sl mean westerners cannot install NGOs and their program in SL. IF India was behind sl. Today no westerners connote do what they are doing now. So, this is very simple to understand.
November 11th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
Neo-Colonial AIDING & ABETTING of TERRORISM through the National Propaganda Arm of the BBC continues the HALLOWED TRADITION of British Colonial WAR CRIMES!
The BBC should not stop its APOLOGIES (see article below) there; but should continue them by APOLOGIZING to Sri Lanka as well for its INCESTOUS collaboration with Eelamist Tamil TERRORISTS in ABUSING Sri Lanka of War Crimes, in the GUISE of REPUTABLE JOURNALISM.
FOLLOW the MONEY TRAIL to get to the ROOT of the INCEST!
Inbred PAEDOPHILIA is BAD; aiding & abetting TERRORISM is FAR WORSE!
…………….
BBC director general resigns over ‘shoddy journalism’
By Michael Holden
November 10, 2012
LONDON (Reuters) – BBC Director General George Entwistle resigned on Saturday, just two months into the job, after the state-funded broadcaster put out a programme denounced by the corporation’s chairman as shoddy journalism.
The BBC, reeling from revelations that one of its former stars was a paedophile, brought further problems on its head when a flagship news programme aired a mistaken allegation that a former senior politician sexually abused children.
The BBC had already issued a full apology on Friday, but on Saturday its director general had to admit under questioning from his own journalists that he had not known in advance about the Newsnight report, weeks after being accused of being too hands-off over the previous scandal on the same programme.
Accepting Entwistle’s resignation, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said: “This is undoubtedly one of the saddest evenings of my public life.
“At the heart of the BBC is its role as a trusted global news organisation.
“As the editor-in-chief of that organisation, George has very honourably offered us his resignation because of the unacceptable mistakes — the unacceptable shoddy journalism — which has caused us so much controversy.”
Entwistle quit after strong criticism over the Newsnight programme.
“I listened to the director general with increasing disbelief,” John Whittingdale, chairman of parliament’s powerful media committee, told Reuters. “The level of failure of management at every level within the BBC, up to and including the director general, is just extraordinary.”
The BBC and its bosses have been under huge pressure since a rival broadcaster carried charges last month that the late Jimmy Savile, one of the most recognisable personalities on British television in the 1970s and 80s, was a prolific sex offender.
EXPOSE WITHDRAWN
Suggestions have surfaced of a paedophile ring inside the broadcaster at the time and a BBC cover-up. To complicate matters for Entwistle, Newsnight pulled a planned expose of Savile shortly after his death last year, and the BBC went ahead with tribute shows.
Having been widely criticised for not broadcasting that expose, which led to its editor stepping aside, Newsnight is now being lambasted for its November 2 report on sexual abuse at children’s care homes in North Wales during the 1970s.
Steve Messham, a witness, told Newsnight that a senior Conservative had raped him when he was a child in one of the homes.
Newsnight did not identify the politician, but the name of Alistair McAlpine, Conservative Party treasurer from 1975 to 1990 during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, quickly appeared on the Internet and social media sites.
On Friday, McAlpine went public to rigorously deny the allegations and threaten legal action.
Hours later, Messham said he had misidentified McAlpine to Newsnight. The programme admitted it had not approached McAlpine for a comment, or shown Messham a picture of McAlpine, before airing the report.
Castigated for what he agreed was a slow response to the Savile disclosures, Entwistle demanded a report on the incident by Sunday and suspended all Newsnight investigations.
The erroneous Newsnight report had been cleared by senior managers and lawyers, and commentators queried why Entwistle had been kept in the dark in the wake of the furore over Savile.
(Editing by Stephen Powell)
November 12th, 2012 at 1:18 am
The TERRORISTS of the JVP were just as BAD as the TERRORISTS of the LTTE.
Hero Worship of Murderous Terrorist Leaders such as Rohana Wijeweera should be banned just as the Glorification of the Arch Murderer Velupillai Prabhakaran should be BANNED!
……………
Sri Lanka Marxists to hold 23rd November Hero Commemoration
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 11, Colombo: Sri Lanka Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) prepares to hold the 23rd commemoration of its late leader Rohana Wijeweera and others died in the 1987-90 insurrection.
The November Hero remembrance ceremony will be held in the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre, in Colombo in in the afternoon on November 13th.
JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and the General Secretary Tilvin Silva will deliver the keynote addresses at the commemoration ceremony.
A book on JVP history from 1965 to 1994 is also to be launched at this function.
Meanwhile, the breakaway Frontline Socialist Party has also planned to hold a November Hero Commemoration on November 13 at Henry Pedris Ground in Colombo.
JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera was killed by Sri Lankan police on November 13, 1989.
November 12th, 2012 at 7:36 am
Lorenzo,
Your correction : “Time immoral”???? I think it is time immemorial.
Yes, you are right. It was a typo (aged fingers !), and I noticed it only after you pointed it out – thanks !
November 12th, 2012 at 7:47 am
Come to think of it, “time(s) immoral” also happens quite often in Sri Lanka – there are factions inside and outside the country that work against the masses of Lanka for $$$s and power games, resulting in ‘times immoral’ …
For some, morality & ethics, integrity, honor & gallantry, are but words. All in Lanka will have to practice these old fashioned values to the best of their ability, if we are to come out of the woods intact.
November 14th, 2012 at 9:42 am
This article should be sent to the BBC which apparently continues its accusation of Sri Lanka Armed forces for apparent killing of Civilians at the last phase of the war against LTTE terrorists.
November 21st, 2012 at 6:30 am
In 1876, at the time of a net surplus of rice, wheat and other crops and grains in India, the English viceroy Lord Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton caused an artificially created famine by insisting to continue exporting grains and other foods to Great Britain even when Indians began to starve. The British Empire ordered to discourage relief works in every possible way in India and murdered THIRTY MILLION INDIANS.
In spite of the death of millions of Indians, the British Empire intentionally increased the man-made mass starvation rather than trying to prevent it, and launched a militarized campaign to collect the tax. The money ruined and killed those who might otherwise have survived the famine, and was used by English viceroy Lord Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton to fund his war in Afghanistan. Even in places which had produced very surplus crops and grains, the British Empire’’s export policies manufactured hunger.
By the way recently I checked cover to cover
6 volumes of “Second World War” by Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (4,448 pages)
“Crusade in Europe” (559 pages) By Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower and 3 Volumes of “Mémoires de guerre” by Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (2,054 pages) – In all three books – not a single mention of Germany’s ‘gas chambers,’ a ‘genocide’ of the Jews, or of ‘six million’ Jewish victims of the war.
April 29th, 2013 at 6:04 am
The 1818 Uva-Wellassa Uprising also know as the Great Rebellion and the Madulla Massacre resulted in multiple atrocities against Sri Lankans by British imperialists, including razing and annihilation of villages. The entire Uva region male population above the age of 18 years were killed in revenge for resistance against British imperialist occupation under Governor Robert Brownrigg who had been controlling the formerly independent Udarata.
The British confiscated the properties of the people involved in the uprising, they killed all cattle and other animals, burnt homes, property and even the salt in their possession during the repression. Paddy fields in the area of Wellassa were all destroyed. The irrigation systems of the duchies of Uva and Wellassa, hitherto the rice-bowl of Sri Lanka were systematically destroyed .
During the rebellion a Gazette Notification was issued by Governor Robert Brownrigg to condemn all those who rebelled against British Rule in Sri Lanka. All those who participated in the uprising were condemned as “traitors” and their properties confiscated by the government under the notification. Several governments after the independence of Sri Lanka in the past wanted to revoke this ignominious Gazette Notification, however could not take action in this regard. In 2011, the Gazette Notification issued by Governor Robert Brownrigg was brought to Sri Lanka on the instruction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was submitted to the Parliament and was revoked with the signature of the President. This allowed all those who participated in the uprising to be recognized as National Heroes, and their label as traitors erased.