The Dilemmas the GOSL finds itself in
Posted on January 22nd, 2014
Shenali D Waduge
No post-independent Government has faced such a barrage of disputes as the current Government many of which have been as a result of its own making. The momentum brought about by the patriotic forces following the LTTE’s closure of the Mavil Aru water supply forced the Rajapakse Government to take a detour from following the customary path of appeasement via negotiation table to a virtual declaration of war. That led to the eventual collapse of the LTTE and liberation of Sri Lanka ending 3 decades of terrorism. The collapse dealt a severe blow to those aligned to the LTTE in a partnership that had an agenda beyond that of a utopian Eelam for Sri Lanka’s Tamils. Whatever Eelam currently being drafted was never meant for Tamil Hindus though it is taking longer for Hindus to realize this hard fact. The ultimate agenda objective remains very much in place championed by Hindus forsaking their own. Yet without the terror factor the quest has become somewhat rocky to say the least made all the more difficult given the position the Government finds itself placed in. Giving in to the Agenda-lobbyists would mean their downfall – not giving what the agenda-lobbyists desire would mean a plethora of international demarche s’ in the form we are witnessing courtesy Geneva – all leading to the same objective – regime change and eventual take over no different to Sudan and Kosovo.
Immediate post-LTTE dilemma
The Allied forces after defeating Hitler’s Axis powers went on a ‘Denazification’ program that declared all Germans as Nazis and the scale of crimes committed upon Germans remains to be investigated. Advisors of the Government opted to follow a massive resettlement, development and reconstruction plan totally ignoring the need to at the same time identify and take action against those that were not necessarily wearing LTTE uniforms but were very much aligned to LTTE and over the years had been recipient of hand outs by LTTE’s sponsors and backers. The people needed to have these names at least exposed/ their organizations revealed and action taken against politicians violating with a clear Constitutional Amendment that states no political party/individual can attempt to separate/divide the country (6th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka)
Those aligned to the LTTE were not interested in what the Government was doing for the Tamil people – they were more interested in knowing what they were not doing and in creating lies that would diminish the Governments efforts.
With the failure of the Government to bring to book or take legal action against these separatist elements we see that these same parties under the bogey of democracy have not only contested elections but have won and are now using the political mantle to continue to carry the crusade for the division of the country not for the Hindus but on behalf of the Western nations who wish to get a foothold in the Asian continent following the same colonial policy of Conquer – Commerce and Convert.
The current demands to demilitarize the North has been as a result of not clearly demarcating to the international community in what context we would welcome their assistance. All these boils down to the lack of a proper plan that advisors should have addressed given their knowledge of the pressures that the country faced while the war was taking place against the LTTE. All these may be past and history however there are key lessons to be learnt from each we find ourselves continuing the same battle to prove that we eliminated terrorists banned in 32 countries – why should a country have to prove that we fought terrorists and saved 300,000 lives and be dragged to Geneva annually for some showdown that has been orchestrated to cook up civilian death totals staged round the world by paid channels and former UN personnel who are proven liars?
Indian factor
A golden opportunity to set the no-go lines with India was not taken immediately after the war before India re-strategized itself to corner Sri Lanka economically and through various other forceful deals placing the sop story of their concern for Tamils. As such Sri Lanka has landed itself into Indian economic militancy which has meant a whole surge of sub-standard Indian goods flowing into Sri Lanka with unaccounted number of Indians as well. If that is not enough cowering to the Indians has come to such levels that we had been foolhardy to sign the Sampoor deal just to get Manmohan singh to attend the CHOGM which he chickened out from attending showing to us that India today is not led by Indians who wish to protect the sovereignty of India but sepoys in the form of manmohans that worship the West for which they are crowned as ‘friends’.
Therefore, if Sri Lanka’s leaders and public officials are at all concerned about the sovereignty of Sri Lanka they would first need to realize that India is not led by Indians who value India’s sovereignty and therefore signing deals with India in this scenario is detrimental to both India and Sri Lanka moreso since the ground tremors taking place inside India even along the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu prey to conversions are of a nature that should shock Sri Lanka’s policy makers. But people who come with celluloid backgrounds are not intellectually competent to understand the dynamics of geopolitics on either side of the Palk Straits!
In such a scenario we remain bewildered on what grounds Sri Lanka hesitates to demonstrate its sovereignty. If for cordial relations we hesitate from declaring India’s role in training terrorist elements on India well before the 1980s, how has India reciprocated? India has drafted Resolutions against Sri Lanka not once but twice.
Are we a nation deranged to continue offering India whatever it demands knowing how India has treated us and is treating us and will continue to treat us under western worshipping Indian leaders?
An Indian diplomat was strip searched in the US. At least the Indians had the pluck to send a US diplomat back to the US, numerous times Sri Lanka’s clergy and pilgrims have been attacked including the Sri Lanka Mission in Chennai and while Sri Lankans need to apply for visa, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister/Ministry is ever ready to give everything away free of charge and not a word gets said about the humiliations and antagonisms suffered by Sri Lankans in India or elsewhere. The establishment has let us down numerous times.
Now there is news of Tamil Nadu desiring direct flights and sea passages to Jaffna/Mannar – calculate that and the ever rising Indian illegal immigrants to envisage the demography changes in years to come and dangers lurking for Sri Lanka as well as the future of Sri Lankan Tamils themselves and it is no better a time for the Sri Lankan Tamils to ask if they are prepared to have themselves under Tamil Nadu rule in decades from now as well as for the rest of Sri Lanka to look beyond their noses or beyond the current level of making personal financial advantage and think of the future of a sovereign Sri Lanka unless we are watching that sovereignty being handed over by our foolish decisions made for monetary and other gains.
Commissions and Corruptions
The scale of corruption is nothing we need to take alarm in or point fingers – the simple question is where is there no corruption today? From peon to the highest echelons of Governance corruption prevails and it appears it is not anything confined to the Third World alone. Having said that all governments find themselves in enviable positions. They need numbers in parliament to make a majority, politicians are not men of integrity – they are easily swayed by dangling some notes and portfolios are a perfect way of ensuring the numbers game. Governance has been turned to buying and selling. We were laughing at celluloid Tamil Nadu but soon we are likely to see a celluloid Colombo unless voters wake up to ensure they do not make a joke of government by voting the wrong people into power.
The vying for a common candidate is already in place and the key decision makers have become the astrologers or the kapuwa ever ready with coconuts to break together with the ceremonial journeys made to get the blessings of the Buddhist monks have all become quite a farce today.
Geneva is no free lunch
A key argument used often by the minorities whose headquarters are found in foreign climes is that Sri Lanka must be ever grateful to the countries voting for Sri Lanka. There is certainly no free lunch and none of these votes are based on principles – we need to add though special reference to China and Russia for the scale of their support has never come with any demands or preconditions. As such we need to know where to align ourselves given the dynamics at play.
When the world accuses the Sri Lankan army as the ‘Sinhalese army’ – in many ways it is true because it is the Sinhalese Buddhists who sacrificed their lives to save the nation and it was only a repetition of all the historical times that the same Buddhists fought against every invader that came to take over Sri Lanka. There is a long history of the Buddhists saving the nation – it is nothing for anyone to mock or laugh at. It is something that we all need to be proud of. It is no better a time than for the people to start being proud of their heritage instead of laughing at it.
The most recent tweet by the US ambassador was something we had been awaiting. We knew it was coming and we are well aware of those pretending to be patriots and pretending to uphold the rights of Buddhists.
Today’s CIA is not the ordinary secret service personnel – todays intelligence come in the form of NGOs and Religious organizations that are all heavily funded and supported by Western Governments to build the basis for regime change and conversion an effort that goes hand in hand. We await too for incidents of rape, criminal activity to also emerge. These are all part of the theatrics as rehearsal for Geneva to form the basis and foundation for why the US and India have decided to draft a resolution against Sri Lanka. What does all this have anything to do with the war? Well there’s no point talking rationale – these countries only view scenarios in dollars and pounds and what they can tap in terms of resources or geopolitical positioning.
Historians and political analysts shy from mentioning the manner that Sri Lanka has been a victim – the Portuguese Inquisition extended beyond Goa to all Portuguese ruled Asia including Sri Lanka, the Dutch who arrived thereafter victims themselves hated Catholics so much as to include a clause in the 1538 Treaty with King Rajasinghe 2 to expel all Catholics. Yet we see a plethora of Christian denominations with different doctrines continuing to pursue the same goal of conversion and that is continuing together with the other Abrahamic religion of Islam. Both Christianity/Catholicism and Islam whose religious headquarters are overseas ensure that their followers remain dual aligned with one foot in Sri Lanka and the other aligned to their headquarters overseas and this is creating a very damaging effect on the patriotic aspect for their indoctrination is such that even those that realize the wrongs taking place cannot take a call. With the numbers game well in play it is always a question of how well these lobbyists are able to influence the Government through their global headquarters and the massive coffers that are able to make handouts to silence any government into inaction. Why has the Anti-Conversion Bill not been enacted for it has the blessings of the 2 majority populace – Sinhalese and Tamils.
The Opposition has always erred getting the numbers wrong for placing all the minority votes together still cannot win them into power. While the Government has erred in thinking that because it has a ready block vote it can compromise space of the majority Buddhists giving these to the minorities to win them their allegiance as well. What the Government has done is to create and sow the seeds for the current wave of dissent taking place without drawing the proper boundaries and declaring no-go areas upon which people can live in peace. The Government has to know that if the anti-conversion element is not dealt with this single aspect will become an issue for both Buddhists and Hindus.
These inactions have seen a very calculated move to take away the Buddhist identity of Sri Lanka and plug in a multicultural element which has found the Government falling hook line and sinker. Note the public statements issued by the Government which never fails to use the word multicultural to realize the influence these elements have inserted.
Traditional space of the Buddhists has been incurred to such extents that now these former historical sites like Sri Pada are claimed by all religions simply because they too visit the sites. Just because Buddhists visit Vatican or Jerusalem or other religious sites can we claim these as being Buddhist sites and recreate historical data to demand that these places are multicultural? Well such things appear to only happen in Sri Lanka! The examples of these incursions will be separately dealt and will give examples of how traditional Buddhist space has been usurped. More importantly how the officials tasked to protect these sites are even punished for using their office to declare these are heritage sites! All these wrong precedents have resulted in people taking the law into the hands. However, no group has any right to be using physical force on anyone – person or property. These actions have nothing to do with protecting Buddhism and we must condone such actions. However, the Government and officials must take complete blame for watching provocations take place because they are getting advantage in other ways and then crying foul when elements take law into their hands. What needs to be investigated is who is creating the action that is causing the reaction. The actions must be thoroughly investigated first. The reactions come secondary.
The dilemma the government finds itself in is quite precarious to say the least. It cannot trust its own Ministers – they comprise people who have a history of being kangaroos. We are certainly starved for choice. The external forces lurking using varying dynamics of religion, western laws, western political lobbying, UN and other dimensions finds itself tightening the noose around Sri Lanka’s neck – money becomes a key fact – money is needed for development, for internal survival and for politicians to contest. These are all factors that play in the decisions that politicians take. Then there is the Resolutions against Sri Lanka and the competency of those tasked to safeguard the integrity of the nation. We cannot afford to have manmohans in our camp as well – we do not need people ready to serve a piece of Sri Lanka simply because they are welcomed into elite Western society and given accolades and funds as a result.
We wonder how many of our Ministers and other members of the Government enjoy a rollicking time being all important wherever they go are even aware of the dangers lurking in our midst?. It is the handful of military personnel working with the Defence Secretary that keeps us happy that the country remains safe – we have little confidence in all others we have voted in be they in government or opposition.
However, as a country we now need to put petty politics aside. We need to look at the larger picture. We need to realize that the people of Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Sudan never knew what was happening until it was too late. We cannot afford to fall into the same disposition as these people who are suffering as they never have. There are many who think they can simply fly off and live elsewhere if the Sri Lankan ship falls but how many of these can actually afford to do that when the countries they have earmarked are themselves falling apart?
It is time the people of Sri Lanka start to wake up and in so doing wake up all others in slumber as well. We need to protect the country against all odds.
January 22nd, 2014 at 3:53 pm
“However, as a country we now need to put petty politics aside. We need to look at the larger picture.”
“We need to protect the country against all odds.”
Can that happen as long as this SYSTEM REMAINS? No. Now UNP is waiting for SLFP’s head hoping USA will chop it off. Then SLFP will wait for UNP’s head to be chopped off by whoever. This cycle never ends.
We need a MILITARY TAKE OVER to unify all Sinhalese and pro-SL Muslims and Tamils. There is NO other way. YOU SAID IT too Shenali. Don’t deny now.
“It is the handful of military personnel working with the Defence Secretary that keeps us happy that the country remains safe – we have little confidence in all others we have voted in be they in government or opposition.”
January 22nd, 2014 at 4:24 pm
I remember what Douglas wrote in his comment on your absurd call for a Military take over. You can be rest assured it will not happen and our military is not what you make them out to be. The Sri Lanka armed force is a people friendly army. There will not be a military take over, your repeated call for a military take over is perhaps for a foreign intervention by putting into their heads that the Sri Lanbka Armed Force is preparing for a military take over.
Sri Lanka needs no enemies with pseudo patriots like you.
January 22nd, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Charles,
You are entitled to your opinion. doglas is a PROVEN anti-SL person going by his comments for the past 2+ years (not just the last few months) and I don’t waste my time on him.
Pseudo patriots are the TRAITORS in the govt. who betray the country at EVERY TURN and those who BLINDLY follow them. “PATRIOTS” WITH BENEFITS! They are the enemies of SL.
Today they have landed the country in a MESS despite the MILITARY bringing peace. MILITARY BROUGHT PEACE has been reversed by these TRAITORS. We have the LTTE (TNA) ruling the north thanks to these TRAITORS. They go to UNHRC and complain against the MILITARY (that won peace). What do the politicians care? Nothing! When the military tries to REHABILITATE them, govt. stops it. Who EVICTS the military out of Jaffna? The govt.!
As the military is people friendly, what’s wrong in them LEADING the people?
Wasn’t Dutugemunui a military leader as well?
Or are we to have these drug dealers, homosexuals, murderers, Endian relatives and traitors forever ruling/ruining us?
I go with the military.
They make BETTER diplomats already!
e.g. Shavendra, Dias, Karannagoda, Janaka, etc.
BETTER governors already!
e.g. Mohan, Chandrasiri
BETTER developers already!
e.g. Plenty in MoD/UDA
BETTER administrators already!
e.g. Gen Nanda, Gota, etc., etc.
BETTER school principals too!!
e.g. plenty
So why not run the government? They can ONLY be BETTER.
Prove me wrong without shooting the messenger. Shoot the messenger and be happy but I tell you it is NOT going to last.
e.g. When JHU tried to stop the DRUG dealer connected to the PM what happened? JHU went to prison. Drug dealers FREE to rule!!
January 22nd, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Agree with Lorenzo.
Who is Dutugemunu ?
He ram away from his house, fed up with his father ( a pragmatic king who remained in power) being minding his business leaving Elara to rule everywhere.
He gathered real patriots and formed an army. He listened to a poor elderly mother who questioned his war strategy.
Thanks to his “Military Takeover” Sinhelas like Chrales today can write something to Lankaweb.
January 22nd, 2014 at 5:52 pm
The dilemmas plaguing the Government of Sri Lanka are manifold and in some cases not connected but nevertheless the sum effect of what was mentioned in the article amount to intrusions to even attacks of some form. Take for instance the history of this civil war. The nations and parties involved during the war are the same parties who are perpetuating the call for Eelam using other tactics. First lets list the nations and parties involved in the war and after it: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, and later on the US, and even Russia. Sri Lanka’s civil war effected a greater region than the nation itself.
India under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the same Prime Minister who used RAW to train Bangladeshi rebel fighters well before the Awami League made the issue of an Independent East Pakistan and who then managed to help the rift between East and West Pakistan with the greater goal of cutting Pakistan’s power in half, a success. Before Mrs Indira Gandhi commited the Indian forces to aid East Pakistan break from West Pakistan she took an international tour blitz to reassure any naysayers from the Muslim world to the Secular Western world that this action is the only action left for the East Pakistani or the Bengali Pakistani people. With the world behind her she successfully created Bangladesh in 1972. In 1974 under her governance India detonated her first Nuclear bomb thereby ushering in the race for Pakistan to do the same and by that accelerated the Sub continent’s cold war which due her is far from ending.
At this time India was the close ally of the former Soviet Union. In 1975 Indira Gandhi invoked extraordinary powers under the national emergency act where her political opposition was effectively crushed during that period. But she overstepped her power as her government did forced sterilizations on mostly lower caste Hindus. It was around this time that Sri Lanka opposed Indira Gandhi’s claim that India had a hegemony over the Indian ocean. This was the poison pill that determined Sri Lanka’s fate under her regime. It was not soon after that New Delhi started paying attention to the Jaffna Tamils and their grievances which should have been dealt by their elected representatives. By 1979 President Nixon of the US made history by opening trade with Communist Maoist China. This was the beginning of the end of the US consumer economy as the US manufacturing and Industrial bases started shifting to China. India was still in her Socialist yoke and the Soviet Union her closest ally even though India claimed to be a member of the non aligned movement.
By this time RAW was already training Jaffna Tamil youth in camps in India to be the leaders of a revolt with the sole purpose of creating Eelam and through Hindu Eelam have an almost unstoppable power over the Indian ocean for the Trincomalee harbor would have fallen to the rebels and by that to New Delhi.
When the war took off in full force by 1983 and in subsequent years all the major powers in the region were involved in the Sri Lankan civil war. India was fighting a proxy war using the Tamil Tigers against Colombo while Colombo was being aided by the other major powers China and Pakistan. All having their own reasons in this engagement. China wanted access to the Indian ocean, India wanted complete dominance of the Indian ocean and Pakistan was not going to allow India get this power. By 1989 the Soviet Union collapsed and out of its ruin rose the Collective Treaty Org of Russia and the Shanghai Cooperation Org of China. India was still a Socialist state while the transition of the US economy to China was almost complete. Due to an internal debt crisis the ruling party of India, the Bharata Janata Party opened India’s economy to the world in 1991 while the prospect of Eelam became a reality with each failed peace treaty overseen by the Norwegian delegates. During the 1980’s President Reagan ushered in an age of prosperity to the US and a heightened level of tension between the US and the Soviet Union which contributed to the fall of the Berlin wall which then led to the fall of the Soviet Empire. China was rapidly becoming an economic powerhouse but solely based on an export economy where to this day she remains. As long as her customers have a healthy economy so does China and when her customers’ economies shrink China’s economy suffers. To date China has yet to develop a consumer based economy as that of the US, but Beijings centrally controlled economy spread across the world.
Well before the Sri Lankan war ended a new policy of containing China was developed in Washington D.C. in which India was to play a rising role. This would explain why the US and her allies are also against China’s strategic allies of which one of the most important and understated is Sri Lanka. When the war ended the Tamil Diaspora cashed in on this greater regional conflict in which Sri Lanka was an unwilling partner. Sri Lanka’s extremely unique strategic location was now part of Washington D.C. NATO (a creation of the US as a counter power to the UN which included the UK) and India deliberately accepted verbatim the supposed “evidence” of the UK channel 4 as reason to slam Sri Lanka with human rights violations. Again India protected herself by pushing seven amendments to the resolution which would impede further intrusions. India damned Sri Lanka while shielding herself of worse human right atrocities during peace times such as the Gujarat massacre of Muslims, the ill treatment of Kashmiri citizens by the Indian army, child labor, child marriages, the horrors of the Caste system, the Babri Masjid incident, and on and on it goes.
To conclude the two elements working against Sri Lanka are the Tamil Diaspora and the effects of Containing China. As long as Sri Lanka is a strategic ally of China and as long as the Tamil Diaspora exploits this among other issues Sri Lanka will continue to face unfair, unsubstantiated accusations quickly backed up with human rights resolutions.
Sri Lanka is also being bombarded with the evangelical movement of the Christians and the proselytizing movement of the Muslims. This is one area that Sri Lanka has the full power to stop such conversions. As long as Sri Lanka embraces the concept of Secularism these forces will make inroads into the Sri Lankan Buddhist culture. Lessons have to be taken from these very Muslim nations who absolutely ban such conversions on their soil and if one is converted it is a crime. That is severe but there are other examples where nations have successfully stopped other faiths from converting their people. Singapore has strict laws on this and so does Israel. Even in Secular India the radical Hindu Shiv Sena actively reconvert newly converted Christians back to Hinduism.
Unlike Sri Lanka Islam does not have the moral power to blatantly convert Hindus without facing reprisals, and like the Sinhalese nationalist movement the BJP (Bharata Janata Party) to the Shiv Sena are leading a rising Hindu nationalist movement which culminated in the destruction of the Babri Masjid (Mosque) in the city of Ayodhya on the grounds that this particular Mosque sits on the very birth place of the Hindu God Rama. Similar plans were in place for a Mosque in the city of Mathura where it sits on the birth place of another Hindu God Krishna and that has yet to play out.
The comment that the Sri Lankan army is a Sinhalese army is blatantly racist, biased and bigoted for that can be claimed of any European Army, the armies of the new world for they are all made of Christian soldiers. Same can be said of many armies of Buddhist nations. To single out Sri Lanka is a vein attempt to portray the Sinhalese as racists and by that give another token for Eelam. Such rubbish should be dismissed immediately.
January 22nd, 2014 at 6:07 pm
“Thanks to his “Military Takeover” Sinhelas like Chrales today can write something to Lankaweb.”
ABSOLUTELY!!
We all survive with dignity, cultivate our farms, save children, save Buddhism, save Sinhala, etc. thanks to Dutugamunui and his band of violent army taking over from his pacifist father (a good man but INADEQUATE). Prince Dutugemunui sent him panties, sanitary towels and ear rings!
Charles is still a patriot. I invite Charles to SEE what the military does and what the govt. does to SL OBJECTIVELY. Not through a blue glass. Our military is WELL capable of governing. Already they govern the 2 most difficult provinces. (Unlike governor Alavi Moulana who made an anti-Buddhist remark.)
January 23rd, 2014 at 4:05 am
Military leaders and military system is more corrupted. Hitler, Harry Truman (Hiroshima- Nagazaki mass destructor) Suharto, Marcos, Batista, Ul Haq, Din Diem, Idi Amin, Pinochet, Franco, Sadam Hussein, Hosnie Mubarak, Anwer Sadat, Noriega, Ershad, Lon Nol were military leaders.
This list will go more than two pages. In Africa, Latin America and most of Asia’s developing countries ruled by military leaders. The end results were none have developed or solved their problems by those military dictators. Ex: Egypt and Pakistan mostly military ruled countries but can we satisfy the way they rule their countries.
The other common sign of military leaders were C.I.A and American puppets. Even in Sri Lanka’s 1962 coup d’etat was a C.I.A and U.N.P backed plan.
Military system is good to control tamil racist terrorism, and safe guard our country from foreign enemy. That’s the job we expect from them. Therefore we have to respect them. But governing the country is a different system. It has to done by elected members.
January 23rd, 2014 at 4:56 am
Charles: You and I have learned that EMPTY VESSELS MAKE THE MOST SOUND.This Lorenzo is one such. He has proved it by his comments. Whenever he hears some thing in one ear, it is sent out from the other, because there is nothing in between to stop it. You can see it from his multitude of clownish comments that plagued this web page. Yet he has a HIDDEN AGENDA to DISTRACT the readers from the valuable facts presented in the main articles.
I have written him off as BAD DEBTS, because there is nothing worth maintaining it any more. PERIOD.
January 23rd, 2014 at 6:16 am
Charles & Other Patriots: I just got information that these two proposals viz: (1) ARMY TAKE OVER & (2) A UNITARY SINHALA BUDDHIST COUNTRY are being BUZZED among the Diplomatic circles in Geneva. As a matter of fact, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga who is in the premises was asked to spell out the NUMBERS of Army Personnel in the North & East. Now the figures are widely discussed. Along side that, the “up risings” of some of the Buddhist Priests belonging to named organizations are also being thrown around among these Diplomats. This is how a “FOREIGN INTERVENTION” is PLANNED.
What a damage this has done. So please be aware of the DANGERS ahead.
January 23rd, 2014 at 7:05 am
Douglas,
It does not matter what your political views are but at the moment we will have to stop the attempt of the West to make Sri Lanka look like a Syria to make it easy for them to step into the foray.
See how these idiotic NGO traitor Jehan Perera distorts statements to favour the west to interfere. He had said in an article in the Island news paper of the 23 January,2014, “President Rajapaksa declared that in Sri Lanka there would no longer be an ethnic majority or ethnic minorities but only a majority who loved the nation and a minority who were traitors. “
If I remember correct what the President said was there in Sri Lanka there would be no more majority or minority but only good or bad Sri Lankans.
The Military and Sinhala Buddhist are becoming hot issues preliminary to Geneva. You remember Navi Pillai’s comment when she visited the Independent Square ? She asked why there was a Buddhist flag.
The President said recently that the army has reduced the number of military camps in Jaffna and the number of soldiers has been reduced to 12000. The attack of the evangelist churches in the South is also being exaggerated with the American Embassy taking up the issue. In view of all these we have to be watchful of what we say, not to give proof for what the International Community is trying to make out a scenario of a possible future political evolution in Sri Lanka.
There would never be a Military take over in Sri Lanka and the President and the Defence Secretary will not allow that to happen.
January 23rd, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Charles,
You are right. What the President said has been distorted. If I recall right, President said “There are only people who love Sri Lanka, and those who don’t”.
———–
Cold War politics still continuing, even though the Cold War finished 23 yrs ago !
There are some folks who will do a great deal of LCD (Lies, Cheat & Deceit) for a few $s more. Shame on them ! Apart from the Cold War times when parts of Lanka were ‘rented out’ to various interested parties, Lanka also paying dearly for 500 yrs of Colonisation too.
January 23rd, 2014 at 12:48 pm
The president said,
There are NO more a majority and minorities. There are only those who love SL and those who don’t.
BUT look what is happening?
Calling the army SINHALA COLONIZATION Tamil racists have SUCCEEDED in reducing the army to 12,000 soldiers in Jaffna.
Tamil racists have got other racist demands by playing the MINORITY CARD!!
So the president himself has GONE BACK on his words! IF there is NO minority, why the hell give into minority demands?
Why do people take matters into their hands on Wahabi and Evangelical INVASION? Because the govt. is not passing the ANTI CONVERSION BILL. Plasters wont work. PASS that bill.
A military take over can take DIFFERENT SHAPES. It is not just the BURMESE model.
MORE military personnel stakes in governance like in UDA, ministry of law and order, 2 provincial governors +, MANY patriotic ambassadors (instead of the Dayan J kind) from the military, etc. also counts because that brings in military DICSIPLINE and PATRIOTISM in governance. They are the ONLY people working in SL!!
January 23rd, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Thank you Shenali……..As always a very RALLY ROUND article, which we all patriots must act on. I know we get frustrtated & write & express our dis-satisfaction. This is quite normal. BUT if we all STOP & think HOW & WHAT WAY to get to the ruling elite to act on BEHALF OF SINHALA BUDDHISTS, that is MOST important issue.
Military take over.? Well many have suggested it. BUT our army is not geared to that type of takeover. ONE thing Army & other two forces are more INVOLVED in protecting ALL SRI LANKANS irrespective of race or colour or religion.
In Thailand we know what is happeng, ARMY controled for a while BUT still similar problems occur off & on. Thailand would very much like if they can defeat the DISTRUCTIVE elemnets in that country.
I feel we must present a PLAN which the HE President & Gota can NEVER SAY NO TO. This is why it should be done in such a manner THAT HE PRESIDENT will stop and decide to follow our plan. PLAN must be drawn up by legals, professionals, Professors of universities in Lanka & abroad, PLUS EXPAT community.
PLAN should spell out what are the IMMEDIATE STEPS we should tackle to GET RID OF INDIAN & OTHER FOREIGN interference in running our country. Lawyer S.L Gunesekra, Lawyers from Australia who submitted articles to lankaweb, and also INPUT from other EXPAT leaders who can help us draft this PLAN.
All who responded to Shenali’s article & many who frequent Lankweb, will have to UNITE as ONE organization & present whatever plan you all decide which is good for the country. This is where our writers who have WONDERFUL IDEAS to put them in to a PLAN. HOW YOU ALL WANT & WHAT SRI LANKA HAS TO BE.
Beleive me, without President & his close associates APPROVAL no plan will work, so this is something LANKANS in Sri Lanka NOW, have to decide. A PLAN ACCEPTABLE to President & his close associates.
We can DREAM & have novelty ideas, BUT we will NOT GO ANYWHERE without a considerable support from ALL groups………Plan will be spelled out by our own PROFESSIONALS of various fields…….Thank you………..J
January 23rd, 2014 at 12:52 pm
Fran,
Still parts of the country are RENTED OUT to LTTE (TNA) and soldiers are LEAVING these areas! They go to UNHRC and discredit SL.
Shamelessly the president says there are only 12,000 soldiers left in Jaffna peninsular. There are 800,000 Tamilians in the same area!
Cold war ended in 1991. SL war ended in 2009.
GOSL is in a dilemma of it’s OWN creation. Accepting that is the FIRST thing to get out of it.
January 23rd, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Charles & Fran Diaz: You are correct. I was among the crowd when he said it. He said there are only two groups i.e. those who love the country and those who don’t. He did NOT refer to any ethnicity. This Jehan Perera, we already know who he is and how and where he is planted as an “Agent” to carry on with the assignment of “Dividing” the country on an ethnic basis.
As you very correctly said everyone must rally round to protect the country from these “Diaspora LTTE Wolves” who try every “Trick” to get the “Foreign Intervention” through various “AGENCIES”, such as UNHRC , to “Twist” our arms (like what India did to JRJ) to do things as they please in accordance with their agenda. This is a big game plan and let us be watchful who and who are getting involved and from where they are raising their ugly heads.
January 23rd, 2014 at 1:21 pm
“While claiming that the Government was trying only to protect itself by creating a rumpus on the upcoming UNHRC sessions in Geneva, UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella challenged Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe and G.L. Peiris to an open debate to make people aware about the real consequences of the UNHRC session.
“The UNHRC resolutions are not against the country or our army. Resolutions are against the government. This is why the Government was attempting to protect and strengthen it by deceiving the public. I’m ready to tell the people the truth behind this façade and to show them that it was the government that had betrayed the country and its people,” Kiriella told a news conference today.
He charged that the government was attempting to gain sympathy from the people in the guise of showing that the UNHRC resolutions were being brought against the country and not against them so that they could turn it to their advantage during the upcoming elections.”
– adaderana
And the FOOLISH govt. is taking Lakshman Kiriella to UNHRC at its own expense!!!
IF the UNHRC resolution is against the govt. and NOT the army and NOT the country, NO ONE would care.
But it is against the ARMY (= country). That is the problem.
January 23rd, 2014 at 2:27 pm
Lorenzo,
I disagree with you. The GoSL troubles are not of their own creation. The troubles have been created by those who want to divide and rule Lanka.
What I see is that GoSL has been cornered by a false claim of HR & War Crimes. This is to hide the ‘renting out’ of parts of Lanka during the Cold War times and other acts which will be condemned by the public of Lanka.
The present GoSL is doing its best to extricate out of very troubling situation. I do not blame the GoSL one iota in this instance. However, I can’t give GoSL a passing grade on Bargaining over the present day issues at stake. The Ministries concerned in the matter of handling the Bargaining table (who are they ? the Ministries of Justice and also Min. of Foreign Affairs ?) have been lax.
Hard Bargaining with the TNA should be done. For instance, why haven’t the Vaddukoddai Resolution not been removed through a signed document by all Tamil parties; why haven’t the Thesawalami Law not been removed by the same method ?
Instead of that, Vasudenva Nanayakkara suggests that Sinhala & Tamil languages be given the same status. Probably to please Mr Wigneswaran whose son has married VN’s daughter. With friends such as Lanka has, who needs Enemies. How pathetic !
January 23rd, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Fran,
“The GoSL troubles are not of their own creation. The troubles have been created by those who want to divide and rule Lanka. ” – NOT TRUE.
The two Silvas are not created by those who want to divide and rule Lanka.
Lack of Law and Order is not created by those who want to divide and rule Lanka.
Corrupt police is not created by those who want to divide and rule Lanka.
Continual elections and maintaining of PC system and 13A is not created by those who want to divide and rule Lanka.
These are the troubles we are facing, not the HR War Crimes nonsence. If we are a just, humane, honest society it is impossible for “those who want to divide and rule Lanka” to toruble us. People will UNITE as 1 to fight them and they will be scared. By now our FEAR generated by excessive greed is troubling us.
January 23rd, 2014 at 3:04 pm
One more issue regarding the Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi that should be mentioned and is crucial regarding her later plans on Sri Lanka. In 1984 the Sikh movement for an independent state named Khalistan was finally dealt with under Operation Blue Star. Mrs. Indira Gandhi launched a massive military campaign that brought to an end that movement when the leader Jamail Singh Brindanwale and his followers were killed within the precincts of the holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar. To quote from the Wikipedia: “The operation had two components: Operation Metal, confined to the Harmandir Sahib complex, and Operation Shop, which raided the Punjabi countryside to capture any suspects. Following it, Operation Woodrose was launched to thoroughly scan the Punjab countryside. The operation was carried out by Indian Army troops with tanks, artillery, helicopters, armoured vehicles, and chemical weapons. Actual casualty figures given by Kuldip Singh Brar put the number of deaths among the Indian army at 83 and injuries at 220. According to the official estimate, 492 civilians were killed, though some independent claims run as high as 5,000.
What should be noted here is that the army used chemical weapons as stated in the quote and the number of civilians killed by the army claims to be as high as five thousand. Keep in mind these civilians were not used as human shields but under “Operation Shop” civilians were killed across the Punjab countryside. NO UN OR US HUMAN RIGHTS CHARGES WERE EVER BROUGHT AGAINST INDIA ON A SIMILAR MILITARY ACTION AGAINST A SEPARATIST MOVEMENT.
Finally regarding Indian products pouring into Sri Lanka. The simple thing to do is stop buying them. Make it into a movement that Indian products will not be bought and instead patronize Chinese made products to products from other nations. The Sri Lankan retail sector will get the message loud and clear.
January 23rd, 2014 at 3:18 pm
“Finally regarding Indian products pouring into Sri Lanka. The simple thing to do is stop buying them. Make it into a movement that Indian products will not be bought and instead patronize Chinese made products to products from other nations. The Sri Lankan retail sector will get the message loud and clear.” – Good.
But only the governement ( directly or indirectly oraganising) can do it. Not individauls. Tamils will always by Endian “bads”.
January 23rd, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Fran,
“The GoSL troubles are not of their own creation.”
You have DISPUTE this CORRECTLY so there is no need for me to respond.
1. “The Ministries concerned in the matter of handling the Bargaining table (who are they ? the Ministries of Justice and also Min. of Foreign Affairs ?) have been lax.”
2. “why haven’t the Vaddukoddai Resolution not been removed through a signed document by all Tamil parties; why haven’t the Thesawalami Law not been removed by the same method ?”
3. “Instead of that, Vasudenva Nanayakkara (PART OF THE GOVT.) suggests that Sinhala & Tamil languages be given the same status. Probably to please Mr Wigneswaran whose son has married VN’s daughter.”
4. “With friends (include mostly the govt. itself as you have indicated above) such as Lanka has, who needs Enemies. How pathetic !”
INDEED Fran. So you have PROVEN with evidence that GOSL troubles are it’s OWN creation by COMMISSION and OMMISSION.
+ Nanda has given other FACTS.
+ With a 2/3 majority, NO LTTE, so many friends in the international community, a FANTASTIC economy, NO WAR, PEACE, etc. the govt. cannot blame others.
January 23rd, 2014 at 3:33 pm
Stopping Endian good must be done by the govt.
e.g. ENDIAN OIL COMPANY brings MOST oil to country. Oil is essential and people can’t stop buying it from where it is available. Govt. brought them here! That is the biggest Endian money maker in SL.
January 23rd, 2014 at 6:39 pm
Nanda & Lorenzo,
The two of you are expecting perfection from the present GoSL, with not a word against the doings of past GoSLs which
factor is most unfair. After all, both of you are quite aware how the present GoSL (imperfect, but representative of the typical cross section of present day society in Lanka), have been pushed into the situations they have to face. What would the two of you have done in their place ?
We are here trying to solve the problems created from about 500 yrs ago plus getting our act together after two World Wars and a terrible Cold War.
Even though I am pointing out some errors of this govt. I mean it in a constructive way, so that the larger mass of people can win through to self respect and acceptance from the rest of society. There are just a FEW confused personalities in the Colombo set who make comments that have to be corrected. It does not mean that they will be followed, just because they
make unacceptable suggestions. I am just a concerned Observer/reader in these columns, not anyone with influence with GoSL !
Be fair. Time has to be given to this GoSL as well as future GoSLs – say, about 25 yrs to make matters solid, Economically and socially. We have to have a United Lanka to achieve anything, and stop nit picking on smaller issues.
January 23rd, 2014 at 7:11 pm
Most people commenting here are expatriates. They don’t know what is going on.
I had to go after 10 people to do a simple business transaction. But for Tamils there is a different law. They can quickly import stuff and clear them. They can transport their goods anywhere to Colombo, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Matara or Kandy. For Muslims and Sinhalas there are additional restrictions. We get turned back by aggressive Tamil businessmen from the north but they can trade anywhere. After Wigneswaran only Tamil businessmen can supply to government places in the north.
Some extremist Sinhalas attack our shops when they should know who their real enemy is. Our mosques are burnt, priests threatened, stoned, desecrated. When LTTE was around they attacked us and now we have a new enemy. Government is not doing anything to stop.
People are poor. They resort to violence and robbery. Another businessman killed yesterday and his money stolen. These are now everyday events. Worse than during the war.
Srilanka has no hope in hell. I don’t support military rule. It is worse because they are also corrupt. I see no hope in UNP either. Those who can will fly to London or elsewhere. Others will suffer. No political contacts no life. If you are not a Tamil no hope. This is Srilanka. Wonder of Asia. Something should change. As long as some positive change happens most people don’t care army or navy. Reading comments tells me even some expatriates are coming to realize what is going on here.
January 24th, 2014 at 1:34 am
MR said the government ensured the rights of all children in the North by providing educational facilities. “The highest percentage of university students are from the North today”. he said.
Now our Maha Ranee is clearly betraying the Sinhalas and Muslims. How can this happen ? His duty is to correct this. He should not allow them to keep cheating.
He proudly claim this but this has been like the for 60 years. Even when they selected on district basis it was like that. But the exam cheats , when compete with Sinhala students in foreiegn Unis, fail the exams.
January 24th, 2014 at 5:55 am
Nanda,
I do agree with you that : ” By now our FEAR generated by excessive greed is troubling us”. This is the problem in most parts of the world. Since the world has over 7 Billion people, and Globalised as well, there is a sense of interconnected fear. There is enough for all for Need, but not for Greed.
I also agree with douglas when he says to ‘depend upon ourselves’, or words to that effect. As far as is possible, depend upon oneself mostly (country or individual), at least re Basic Needs of Food, Clothing & Shelter. People like you who cares should sit down together with like minded people and plan out what you can do for your area.
In a Democracy, we are supposed to take our problems to our Govt. local Representatives and push them to act on our behalf. If they don’t perform, don’t re-elect them. Petition them, make yourself heard through peaceful demonstrations, expose everything through the media.
Pres. MR is a politician not a spiritual leader. He is trying to do his best for all the communities. In a Democracy, it is up to each INDIVIDUAL to change the country for the better, Sri Lanka or elsewhere. Get innovative. Form Co-ops, Consumer Associations to get powerful clout at grass roots levels re all human needs.
I don’t mean to sound preachy, but Self Help is best help, always under our control and within the Law.