Sri Lanaka

The Kalutara Bodhi

The city of Kalutara unlike other urbanised cities is redolent of the ancient Buddhist Sinhala culture. It is because of the most sacred Kalutara Bodhi encircled with the gold fence seemingly holding the sky with its massive branches and standing majestically in the upper terrace of the temple premises. Even the gentle breeze blowing through the branches of the Bo” tree heals the hearts of people.

History

The Kalutara Bo” tree is proven to be one of those 32 saplings of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi which was planted on the advice of Arahat Mahinda Thera during the reign of king Devanampiya Tissa. Back in 1052 AD, a pandyan prince by the name of Wickrama Pandyan, said to have been the viceroy of Kalutara had planted a Bo” tree at the Pahala Maluwa of the Kalutara Temple.

Influence of the Portuguese

The tragedy struck this Buddhist country after the invasion of the Portuguese. The lamp of the wisdom lit with the Buddhist teachings and the Sinhala culture blew out. The virtues instilled into the people’s hearts began to vanish. Not the morality but the immorality began to engulf the city.

Considering the geographical location of the city, the Portuguese used the Bodhi premises for their military purposes.

Railway bridge

Bridging the Southern border and the Western border together, the British Government decided to construct the Kalutara railway bridge. The only obstruction they had was the Bo” tree. As a result, they proposed to uproot the Bo tree” and continue the construction of the bridge.

But later due to the protests led by a layman named Sandanayaka, the British Government decided to construct the bridge without harming even a leaf of the Bo tree. The history of the Kalutara bridge dates back to 1990s. What is more picturesque is that in the morning, anyone can catch the glimpse of Sri Pada” veiled with the morning mist.

Another striking scenery is the Buddhist devotees attired in the immaculate white meditating in the lotus position around the Stupa. It is common to see even the foreigners meditating in the temple like the Buddhist devotees.

Sir Cyril De Zoysa

The relationship between the Kalutara Bodhi and Sir Cyril De Zoysa is inseparable. Born in Galle, Sir Cyril De Zoysa dedicated himself to protect the dispensation of Buddhism. After having received his primary education at S Thomas’ College and Richmond College, Sir Cyril entered the law college.

Winding back the clock of his childhood, it is said that his father had to travel in a hired-buggy cart because he could not afford the expense of buying a new buggy cart. But later with the little money Sir Cyril earned, he purchased a brand-new buggy cart for his father. This is only a glimpse of his childhood.

No one might have thought that the day on which the Kalutara Bodhi flourishes would dawn. But miraculously Sir Cyril De Zoysa had to come to Kalutara and saw the Kalutara Bodhi which had been isolated and degraded for a long time. Later, he set up a committee to protect the sacred place. From that day, everyone pays homage to this most sacred Bodhi.

Righteous life

According to the Buddhist teaching, The one who behaves in Dhamma is protected by Dhamma.” It is clear that Sir Cyril De Zoysa is one of those who had believed in the Dhamma until his demise. Never in his life had he neglected to observe the Buddhist rituals.

He started his day at 6.00 O’ clock by paying homage to the Kalutara Bodhi. The last words he said will prove the Buddhist life he lived.

Now I am free. The state of your wealth does not really matter. These are all illusions. I was born without any wealth. I will die just as I was born – without any wealth. As I reach the end of my days, Buddhism is my sole consolation, my happiness and my strength.”

The glory of Kalutara

The city of Kalutara enriched with the natural beauty and blessed with the sacred Bodhi Tree has overflown with the aroma of the burning joss-sticks and the Buddhist sermons.

At night, the temple illuminated with a myriad of twinkling lights scatters the light of wisdom throughout the city, planting the seeds of generosity, discipline and love in the hearts of people. The moon beams brighten the reflection of the illuminated lights on the still water of the Kalu Ganga” as if in a surreal world. All we hope is May the glory of the Kalutara Bodhi shine forth blissfully forever.”

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය

හාතාගල රජමහා විහාරය ඇතුලු විහාරගණයන්හි අධිපති, ශ්‍රී සුමංගල විද්‍යායතන පිරිවෙනේ කෘත්‍යාධිකාරි නිල්වලා ආනන්ද විද්‍යාලයේ කළමනාකාර, රුහුණු මාගම්පත්තුව ඇතුලු ගිරුවාගම් දොළොස්දහස් රට ප්‍රධාන සංඝනායක, ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම ශ්‍රී ජිනරතන නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ, අපවත් වු පුවත ඇසීමෙන්, මම බලවත් සංවේගයට පත්විමි.

වසර 67 ක තම ජීවන ගමන්මග තුළ වසර 54 ක් සම්බුදු සසුනේ උතුම් භික්ෂුවක ලෙස ගතකළ ජීවිතය අනුස්මරණය කිරීමට කැමැත්තෙමි.

හක්මන ලාල්පේ ශ්‍රී ගුණානන්ද පිරිවෙනින් භික්ෂුවකට අවශ්‍ය ත්‍රිපිටක ධර්මය හා විවිධ භාෂාවන් උගත් අතර, පසුව උන්වහන්සේ තම ප්‍රදේශවාසීන්ගේ ජනජීවිතය නඟා සිටුවීම සඳහා අපමණ සේවාවක් සිදුකළහ.

ශ්‍රී සුමංගල විද්‍යායතන පිරිවෙන ආරම්භ කිරීමේ දී මහත් කැපවීමෙන් කටයුතු කළ අතර, එය අද ප්‍රදේශයේ ගිහි පැවිදි ශිෂ්‍ය පිරිසට අධ්‍යාපනය ලබාදෙන ප්‍රමුඛ ආයතනයක් බවට පත්ව තිබීම සතුටට කරුණකි.

නිල්වලා ආනන්ද විද්‍යාලය රජයේ ආධාර ලබන පාසලක් බවට පත්කළ අතර, ඒ තුළින් සමාජයට විශාල  ශිෂ්‍ය ප්‍රජාවක් බිහිකිරීමට හැකිවිය.

ප්‍රදේශයේ ජනතාව අතර, පවතින ප්‍රධාන ගැටලු අතර කෘෂිකර්මය සඳහා අවශ්‍ය වැව් අමුණු රජය සමග ඒකාබද්ධව සංවර්ධනය කිරීම, ජල විදුලිය නොමැති දිළිඳු ජනතාවට හා ගම් සඳහා අවශ්‍ය එම පහසුකම් ලබාදීම, මංමාවත් පිළිසකර කොට සංවර්ධනය කිරීම වැනි කාර්යයන් සඳහා ප්‍රමුඛවූයේ උන්වහන්සේය.

ප්‍රදේශයේ මහසඟරුවනට අවශ්‍ය නායකත්වය ලබාදුන් අතර, ඒ සැමගේ ගෞරවාදරයට උන්වහන්සේ නිරන්තරයෙන් පාත්‍රවූහ.

සමාජයට අවශ්‍ය ගිහි පැවිදි විශාල ශිෂ්‍ය පිරිසක් තම ආයතන හරහා   බිහිකළ   අතර, තම   ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ   ශිෂ්‍ය බස්නාහිර පළාත් පිරිවෙන් නියෝජ්‍ය අධ්‍යාපන අධ්‍යක්ෂ ශාස්ත්‍රපති ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම වංගීස     ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ ඉන් ප්‍රධාන වේ.

විශේෂයෙන් මාගේ දේශපාලන ගමන්මග තුළ කළ්‍යාණ මිත්‍රයෙකු වශයෙන් කටයුතු කළ උන්වහන්සේ මාවෙත ලබාදුන් අවවාද අනුශාසනා බොහෝ ය. ශ්‍රී රෝහණ ජනරංජන ගෞරව නාමය ලබාදීමේ දී නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ  පුරෝගාමී මෙහෙවරක් ඉටුකළ අතර, මා වෙත දක්වන ලද විවිධ සහය හා උපකාර මෙම සංවේග ජනක අවස්ථාවේ දී, කෘතවේදීව සිහිපත් කිරීමට කැමැත්තෙමි.

නායක ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේගේ අපවත්වීම  දකුණු පළාතට පමණක් නොව මුලු රටටම සිදුවු බලවත් පාඩුවකි.

පුරා වසර 67 ක් ආයුවළදා අපවත් වී වදාළ ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම ශ්‍රී ජිනරතන නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේට උතුම් නිවන්සුව අත්වේවා’ යි ප්‍රාර්ථනා කරන අතර, උන්වහන්සේගේ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ ශිෂ්‍ය ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම වංගීස ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ ඇතුලු ශිෂ්‍ය හා සහෝදර පිරිසටත්,විහාරස්ථ දායක සභාවටත්, ප්‍රදේශවාසි සැමටත්, සියලු ඥාතීන් ඇතුලු පවුලේ සැමටත් මාගේ බලවත් සංවේගය පිරිනමමි.

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

මහා ශිවරාත්‍රි දින උත්සවය උත්කර්ශවත්ව සැමරීමට අවශ්‍ය පියවර ගන්නැයි බුද්ධශාසන, ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යවරයා ලෙස ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට උපදෙස් දී තිබේ.

හින්දු බැතිමතුන්ගේ විශේෂ මංගල්‍යයක් වන මහා ශිවරාත‍්‍රී දිනය මෙවර 2021 මාර්තු මස 11 දිනට යෙදී ඇත.

මහා ශීවරාත‍්‍රි දින උපවාස උත්සවය හින්දු කෝවිල්වල හොඳින් සංවිධානය කිරීම සඳහා දිරිමත් කරන්නැයි ද අග‍්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට දැනුම් දී තිබේ.

ඒ අනුව, ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ හින්දු බැතිමතුන් බහුතරයක් වෙසෙන ප‍්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කොට්ඨාශ කේන්ද්‍රකර කරමින් විශේෂ හින්දු ආගමික වතාවත් සංවිධානය වනු ඇත.

එහිදී හින්දු ආගමික දරුවන්ට කෝවිල්වල දී මහා ශිවරාත‍්‍රි උපවාසයේ මහිමය අවබෝධ කරවීම සහ හින්දු දහම් පාසැල් සිසුන්ගේ භක්තිමත් කලා උත්සව සංවිධානය කිරීමට නියමිතය.

හින්දු බැතිමත්හු මෙදින මහා ශීවරාත‍්‍රි දින උපවාස උත්සවය භක්තිමත් ලෙස වන්දනාමාන කරමින් ශිව දෙවි කරුණාවේ ආලෝකය සියලු තැන්හි පැතිරවීම උදෙසා නමස්කාරයේ යෙදෙති.

මෙම හින්දු ආගමික වතාවත්  මනා ලෙස පෙළගැස්සවීම උදෙසා හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව විසින් ප‍්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කාර්යාල ඔස්සේ තෝරාගත් කෝවිල්වලට අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාගේ උපදෙස් පරිදි මූල්‍යාධාර සපයනු ලැබේ.

Courtesy Adaderana

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka has reported 05 more coronavirus-related deaths, the Director-General of Health Services confirmed today (March 04).

As per the Department of Government Information, one male patient and four female patients are among the victims.

The new deaths bring the number of COVID-19 related deaths witnessed in Sri Lanka to 489 in total.

01. The deceased is a 53-year-old female resident from Ussapitiya. She was transferred from Mawanella Hospital to Base Hospital Kegalle where she was diagnosed as infected with the Covid-19 virus. Consequently, she was transferred to General Hospital Kandy where she died on 22.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 pneumonia.

02. The deceased is a 78-year-old female from Giriulla. She was diagnosed as infected with the Covid-19 virus while undergoing treatments at a private hospital in Colombo. Then she was transferred to Kothlawala Defense Hospital where she died on 04.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 pneumonia and multiple organs dysfunction.

03. The deceased is a 72-year-old male resident from Kolonnawa. He died on 02.03.2021 while undergoing treatments at a private hospital in Colombo, The cause of death is mentioned as heart disease, Covid-19 pneumonia, and acute kidney damage.
 
04. The deceased is a 62-year-old female from Mattakkuliya, She was diagnosed as infected with the Covid-19 virus while undergoing treatments at General Hospital Colombo and transferred to Base Hospital Homagama where she died on 01.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 infection and respiratory system failure.

05. The diseased is a 70-year-old female from Boralesgamuwa. She was diagnosed as infected with Covid-19 while undergoing treatments at Apeksha Hospital Maharagama and transferred to Base Hospital Mulleriyawa where she died on 03.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as blood poisoning shock, Covid-19 pneumonia, acute kidney damages, and cancer.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka has registered 147 more positive cases of Covid-19 today (March 04), the Ministry of Health confirmed.

Thereby, Sri Lanka has detected 351 new positive cases of COVID-19 within the day.

As per statistics, the total number of Covid-19 infections confirmed so far in the country now stands at 84,577.

Recoveries from the virus meanwhile climbed to 80,836 earlier today, as 399 more patients regained health.

However, 3,257 active cases are still under medical care at selected hospitals and treatment centers located across the island.

Total lives claimed by the pandemic outbreak sits at 484 at present.

Courtesy Adaderana

Charges against former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka over the hit-and-run case in 2016 have been read out at the Colombo High Court today (March 04).

The matter was called before Colombo High Court Judge Namal Walalle, Ada Derana correspondent said.

Accordingly, the indictment filed by the Attorney General was read out in the open court during the legal proceeding.

Preliminary objections against the indictment are schedule to be taken up on the 27th of April.

The case was filed over the alleged hit-and-run incident which took place on February 28, 2016, in which the vehicle the former Megapolis and Western Province Development Minister was travelling in collided against a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, Sandeep Sampath Gunawardena.

We are told there is a War against Terror. Sri Lanka should know, we suffered various forms of terror, the LTTE being the most heinous. That terror lasted 3 decades. We wasted decades following Western/UN templates of ceasefires, negotiations, peace talks. Lives were lost and people lived in fear. All communities fell victims. In 2006, LTTE went overboard with the closure of the Mavil Aru anicut committing a war crime denying water. LTTE challenged the Sri Lanka military and the military took the challenge. The East was liberated of LTTE in 2008 and thereafter with the capture of LTTE’s capital Kilinochchi on 2 January 2009, the Eelam quest was annihilated and the country fell under one flag. By 8 March 2009 LTTE had lost all the towns held forcibly and by 12 March, the troops took over Pudukudurippu hospital which had been occupied by LTTE. All civilians were rescued by 17 May and LTTE was cornered and refused to surrender choosing its fate. LTTE were terrorists and we are baffled why the UNHRC is not commending Sri Lanka for the manner it conducted a military offensive plus a humanitarian rescue operation. The timeline below together with video footage will make you also to wonder what agenda UNHRC is actually working to. Please share among all UNHRC Member states for them to realize the lies that the Office of the UNHRC is cooking up and the bogus allegations being made going so far as to even claim the GoSL starved Tamil civilians.

Tamil civilians flee LTTE 

30 – January 2009 – Tamil civilians demonstrate against LTTE

5 – February 2009 – Mannar civilians rally against LTTE

6 February 2009 – civilians escape LTTE held territory

12 February 2009 – More civilians flee LTTE

13 February 2009 – Injured civilians taken to Trincomalee

13 February 2009 – Sri Lanka Navy evacuates sick and wounded from Mullaitivu

16 February 2009 – Vanni civilians tell of heinous crimes committed by LTTE (with English subtitles)

17 February 2009 – SL Navy rescues 440 Tamil civilians from LTTE

18 February 2009 – More civilians escape LTTE

25 February 2009 – 386 Tamil civilians flee LTTE and seek refuge with Sri Lanka Armed Forces

1 March 2009 – LTTE attempt to abduct children

16 March 2009 – More civilians seek shelter with Sri Lanka troops

17 March 2009 – Large exodus of civilians flee LTTE

17 March 2009 – LTTE kill a fleeing child

18 March 2009 – Tamil civilians revolt against LTTE

19 March 2009 – LTTE continue to attack fleeing ciivlians

22 March 2009 – Tamil civilians describe hardships they were subject to under LTTE

25 March 2009 – 1386 Tamil civilians escape LTTE

3 April 2009 – Tamils go against LTTE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q07OHlWs8ow

8 April 2009 – LTTE exerting pressure on civilians

9 April 2009 – Tamil civilians attack LTTE

12 April 2009 – Sri Lanka Army doing utmost to grant security to fleeing Tamil civilians

18 April 2009 – escaping civilians a challenge to Prabakaran (no hostages/human shields)

19 April 2009 – over 70,000 Tamil civilians come to the Army

19 April 2009 – LTTE plan to stop fleeing civilians revealed

20 April 2009 – More civilians continue to flee LTTE and enter government controlled areas

20 April 2009 – large exodus of civilians flee LTTE

21 April 2009 – Army enters vacated areas of NFZ and saves over 31,000 civilians

22 April 2009 – during the past 3 days over 60,000 Tamil civilians brought to safety by Sri Lanka Armed Forces

22 April 2009 – More civilians flee LTTE

22 April 2009 – Over 100,000 Tamil civilians flee LTTE

23 April 2009 – LTTE attempt to take cover among civilians

28 April 2009 – Sri Lanka troops continue humanitarian rescue operation

2 May 2009 – LTTE activities inside he safe zone

3 May 2009 – LTTE video footage shows LTTE activities inside safe zone

7 May 2009 – Humanitarian rescue operation continues

13 May 2009 – Civilians who escape curse LTTE

15 May 2009 – 3000 civilians flee LTTE

17 May 2009 – all Tamil civilians rescued – Only LTTE & Sri Lanka Armed Forces in 1sq.km

President of Sri Lanka

2 January 2009 – LTTE is asked to surrender

30 January 2009  – President Mahinda Rajapakse demands LTTE to release civilians

12 February 2009 – a New safe zone declared by GoSL

26 February 2009 – With troops reaching Pudukudurippu on 25 February, the GoSL again asks LTTE to lay down arms and surrender

19 March 2009 – LTTE attack troops from the Safe Zone declared for Tamil civilians (what has UNHRC to say about this) 

25 March 2009 – LTTE fire at Sri Lanka Army helicopters from within the safe zone (another clear example of LTTE violating IHL rules of war)

27 March 2009 – Sri Lanka’s President gives another warning to LTTE

19 April 2009 – President Mahinda asks international community to tell LTTE to release civilians

20 April 2009 – President Mahinda gives last warning to LTTE to surrender

UN & UNSG statements & Foreign Government appeals

31 January 2009 – UNSG Ban Ki Moon commends Sri Lanka’s President call to release civilians

5 February 2009 – Gordon Weiss UN Spokesman accepts Sri Lanka did not possess cluster weapons

16 February 2009 – India tells LTTE to lay down arms and surrender

17 February 2009 – UN tells LTTE to stop recruitment of civilians (how many did LTTE recruit & how many died engaged in hostilities- none of them can be classified as civilian)

17 February 2009 – UNICEF asks LTTE to stop child recruitment (as if LTTE cares too hoots)

18 February 2009 – India says it holds LTTE responsible for fate of Tamil civilians

19 February 2009 –  UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes calls on LTTE to free civilians

20 February 2009 – UN representative monitors displaced civilians – civilians who have taken shelter in Social Welfare Camps in Vavuniya have told UN Deputy Secretary General John Holmes that they are satisfied with the relief (so what rubbish is UNHRC head talking about)

23 February 2009 – Japan slams LTTE

24 February 2009- UN & EU tell LTTE to surrender

28 February 2009 – UN ambassadors tell LTTE to surrender

5 March 2009 – World accepts LTTE’s forcible recruitment (30 years too late)

13 March 2009 – EU MPs condemn LTTE violence

16 March 2009 – UN accuses LTTE of recruiting their members (oh the innocent UN)

19 March 2009 – The United Nations accepts that statistics of the UN Human Rights Commissioner which led to a controversy had not been verified (seems to be a regular malady) 

21 March 2009 – Australia condemns LTTE’s terror tactics

23 March 2009 – Majority of UN Members do not wish to extend a life line to LTTE

26 March 2009 – Rahul Gandhi says no support for LTTE (well LTTE did kill his father)

27 March 2009 – UN tells LTTE to disarm or perish (after perishing UN is mourning) 

4 April 2009 – UN Special Representative for internally displaced persons, Walter Kalin lauded the welfare facilities including food (they make no complaints in SL but then go back & write lies years later – these UN officials must be investigated)

4 April 2009 – UN issues ultimatum to LTTE to free civilians (oh yeah – LTTE listens)

5 April 2009 – Co-Chairs order LTTE to free civilians

15 April 2009 – The Hindu newspaper says LTTE had no right to enter safe zone meant for civilians

16 April 2009 – UK and France call for LTTE to surrender

18 April 2009 – UNHRC calls on LTTE to release Tamil civilians

23 April 2009 – UNSC demands LTTE to surrender

29 April 2009 – UK and French envoys PRAISE facilities provided for civilians

12 May 2009 – UN spokesman Gordon Weiss summoned to explain civilian bloodbath” (the guy would say anything for publicity)

15 May 2009 – NO UNHRC special session on Sri Lanka (what took place thereafter was nothing but a witch hunt)

Food sent to civilians (forcibly taken by LTTE for combatants & their families)

3 February 2009- Needs of civilians taken to account

12 February 2009 – Airforce airlifts dry rations for civilians

19 March 2009 – All requirements of civilians are met says Essential Services Commissioner S.B. Divaratne

4 April 2009 – More essentials sent by GoSL to the war fronts – most confiscated by LTTE for their families

22 April 2009 – Cooked meals for civilians who fled LTTE (UNHRC head seated in Geneva accuses Sri Lanka of starving civilians)  

23 April 2009 – More food air lifted to North

These are only a timeline of video footage, statistics and facts can also prove how admirably Sri Lanka conducted the military-humanitarian rescue operation.

Shenali D Waduge

When the capital of the LTTE falls, it also signaled the end of the LTTE. That significant victory was delivered by Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias on 2^ndJanuary 2009.With the fall of LTTE’s capital and stronghold, it virtually meant the end of the military offensive and the beginning of the humanitarian rescue operation. This is poignant for the UN, UNHRC and the foreign diplomats. It is also noteworthy that timed with the capture of Kilinochchi was the declaration by the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse to the LTTE to surrender and lay down arms. This offer was refused by the LTTE declaring it would fight till the last man. It was thus LTTE’s choice to be annihilated by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. With the capture of Kilinochchi the GoSL and the Sri Lanka Armed Forces in particular the leadership of Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias had achieved a Dutugemunu moment in history! The country was brought under one flag on 2 January 2009. It was the first time after a lapse of 3 decades that the country came under one flag. It brought to naught all of the claims of separatism, separate territories and self-determination & homeland bids. https://youtu.be/CuRg_vW1q8A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuRg_vW1q8A– Proud moment for all Sri Lankans when 57 Division led by Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias hoisted the national flag in LTTE’s claimed capital after capturing Kilinochchi from LTTE on 2 January 2009.

The President of Sri Lanka issued a victorious message What our heroic troops have achieved is not only the capture of the great fortress of the LTTE, but a major victory in the world’s battle against terrorism”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYnQnlZm2K4– Sri Lanka’s President demands LTTE surrender on 2 January 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIS8_K9VxCU– no prouder moment for our war heroes celebrating the capture of Kilinochchi – LTTE’s defacto capital on 2 January 2009. With that capture, the Tamil Eelam quest fell on its face militarily.

The LTTE reaction was a suicide bombing on the same day in front of the air force headquarters killing 3 and wounding over 30 persons.

The capture of Kilinochchi is momentous for the Sri Lanka Army having lost it to LTTE in 1990, recaptured in it 1996 and lost it again in 1998.

Kilinochchi was LTTE’s administrative hub after the 2002 Norway mediated infamous ceasefire agreement. LTTE had its own police force, Peace Secretariat, Bank, Courts all located in Kilinochchi.

Noteworthy aspect of the victorious capture was that LTTE had all of its bigwigs defending Kilinochchi – Prabakaran’s son Charles Anthony, Imran Pandiyan brigades commanded by Theepan, Bhanu & Lawrence.

Also noteworthy is Prabakaran’s response when the government declared in October 2008 that it would capture Kilinochchi – Prabakaran declared capturing Kilinochchi was ‘just daydream of President Mahinda Rajapakse’.Prabakaran was proved wrong on 2 January 2009!

LTTE began withdrawing its combatants from Kilinochchi when Paranthan fell on 31 December 2008. It was just a matter of days that Kilinochchi came under the lion flag with virtually little resistance. Mullaitivu the other LTTE bastian fell on 25 January 2009.

It was no doubt a symbolic victory marked by fire crackers islandwide. LTTE was banned with the capture of Kilinochchi on 7 January 2009 for ‘using civilians as human shields in uncleared areas and endangering their lives, despite requests by the government to release them”. This ban and the reason for the ban was not given due international attention.

Thus, with the capture of LTTE’s defacto capital Kilinochchi on 2 January 2009 the symbolic defeat of the LTTE was written on the wall. The capture of Mullaitivu sealed LTTE fate further.

What needs to be highlighted is that with the significant capture of Kilinochchi, LTTE’s quest for separatism was thrown into shambles and it signaled the defeat of the LTTE.

With the end of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, LTTE was on the run and the Sri Lanka Armed Forces had completed the military offensive and commenced the humanitarian rescue operation.

The diplomatic community and the UN system must seriously take note of this milestone and demarcation of military cum humanitarian rescue carried out by the Sri Lanka Armed forces.

That the GoSL and the Armed Forces appealed to the LTTE to release civilians from being kept as hostages and human shields is known by all.

That the UNSG & even diplomats also appealed to LTTE to release civilians from being kept as hostages and human shields is also known by all.

That LTTE didn’t care too hoots about their appeals is also a known fact.

As per rules of war, LTTE has erred in using civilians as hostages and human shields.

As per rules of war, LTTE is faulted for firing among civilians and keeping military equipment among civilians. The armed forces as per rules of war have every right to return fire as LTTE should not be firing from among civilians. Therefore, the question is why the UN and diplomutts ignore this all important fact?

This important aspect is discussed in Palitha Senanayake’s new book.

The most important milestone is that on 2 January 2009, when Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias and his 57 Division captured Kilinochchi the capital of the LTTE, the military offensive against LTTE came to a finale.

The military offensive was thereafter replaced by the humanitarian rescue operation which was given prominence and from the timeline of dates and manner of the rescue conducted, Sri Lanka admirably carried out the world’s largest humanitarian rescue operation of close to 300,000 Tamils.

Let Sri Lanka be judged by its achievements and victories not based on the disappointments & anger of those who angrily watched LTTE fall to defeat. 

Shenali D Waduge

RANJITH SOYSA

At the UNHRC meeting the true friends of Sri Lanka emerged to speak and defend the country battered mercilessly for defeating the world most brutal terrorist organization i.e., Tamil Tiger terrorists in 2009, who held 20 million Sri Lankans to ransom for well over 25 years.  The leading the Sri Lanka bashing were the UK. Germany. Canada, Switzerland, Netherlands. Belgium and the USA, all of them having a chequered history in violating human rights at different times. India, our friendly neighbour while thankfully taking a fair distance from the punitive stance of others opted to emphasize on the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils and their ‘aspirations’ insisting on the FULL implementation of the 13 A” India should be requested to point out whether any Tamil person in Sri Lanka is deprived from enjoying a basic right because he or she is being purely a Tamil.  On the 13^th A which was thrust on Sri Lanka along with the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, most Sri Lankans are of the view that it was a faulty restructuring effort of Sri Lanka’s government by India and the Police and Land powers under the 13 A are a direct threat to the sovereign Sri Lanka. Further, the Provincial government system has not benefited Sri Lanka in any measurable manner and had been an exercise in colossal wastage of hard-earned funds of the central government. As regards aspirations, we are amazed how we can consider ONLY the aspirations of Tamils as all other ethnic groups and the individuals too have aspirations and it will be impossible to walk that talk. We need further training in the recognition of aspirations of different groups from India and we pray for further  comments from the HR specialists in India how they have reconciled the aspirations of other than Hindu religious groups, Sheiks, Kashmiris and other minority groups on Northern most India.

But, many nations at UNHCR rejected the proposition of the Sri Lanka bashers who directly and indirectly were supportive of the LTTE armed insurrection and the separatism threatening the unitary Sri Lanka. They also rejected the ‘the preventive prescription’ of the secretary General Bachelot. The nations who supported Sri Lanka stood for the principle of non- interference in the internal affairs of a democratic country. Any weaknesses in Sri Lankan affairs should be allowed to be rectified domestically in keeping with the constitutional provisions of the country rather than to be dictated and decided upon by the holier than thou sloganeers. Most of the nations who attempt to foist their plan on Sri Lanka are from the Western bloc who killed and maimed millions of persons living in the colonized countries and subsequently destroyed other nations as pawns of the world power games. Their adherence ‘to the human rights are completely at variance with their practices on the ground.

Now, Sri Lanka should re-examine their directions and resolve to work with the friendly nations who supported her to extricate from the trap laid out by the countries who desire an unstable Sri Lanka. The Government and the people should resolve to reduce our dependence on Sri Lanka bashers and re-design our imports to suit the geo-political reality and to avoid any plot to impose sanctions by the wounded nations. Time has arrived to consider the nation’s priorities by curtailing the luxuries even for a given period. We should try to get our requirements from the friendly nations and try to improve our trading relationship with our friends.

This the ONLY way to extend our hand to REBUILD a new world order is to be less dependent on the predatory countries who always insist on their pound of flesh from the developing nations. While we thank the President, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Government for having rejected the co-sponsorship of resolution 30/1 at UNHRC, we urge the Government to plan to reshape our trade and foreign relations to play our role as an independent member of the international community.

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

Aspirations might be used to describing the ambitions which are too broader and at present, they may look limiting wishes, latter, they would go like crying of kids to bring the moon. Aspirations of any nation will go to a broader area, from the point of view of Tamils of Sri Lanka who wish to have a separate country in Sri Lanka, also could include to aspirations. It may be defined as two countries one nation as assumed or planned by Norway. The term that uses in the study of the principles of economics describing wants that could not satisfy in the lifetime of a person may similar and they are broad expectations.

Indian interpretation of Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka like needs as explained in the study of economics. Needs are defined as basic needs such as food, clothes, water, air, etc.  Aspirations of people could be further defined as desires of human metempsychosis, it is so broader and expands indefinitely until a person attains Nirvana. Why this issue is going on like a beggar’s wound and is it a technique that the Indian intelligence service uses to control Sri Lanka?  When considering the Indian point of view of the Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka seems that Tamil aspirations might amplify like desires of human metempsychosis as indicate in Buddhism and Hinduism. However, India has limited the definition of Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka as legitimate aspirations that are in the interest of Sri Lanka as well as India. The needs of a person in the study of economics and show the broadness of the term to mislead all communities in Sri Lanka.

The Indian definition of legitimate aspirations of Tamils has further described that it could be achieved through the process of reconciliation and the full implementation of the 13^th amendment to the constitution. The Indian definition of aspiration has limited Tamils in Sri Lanka to a restricted area, and this should be logically considered by the government and people of Sri Lanka. It is not a valid reason to formate a new conflict between India and Sri Lanka. As it happened in history, India and Sri Lanka must work like friends and cooperative nations.

When deeply analyzes two points India considers it is fulfilling, the legitimate aspirations of Tamils of Sri Lanka. It seems they are too vague and they are involved in vicious politics that Sri Lanka relegates to obscurities as well as Tamils are taking to a mental world. Many Sri Lankans who aligned Sinhala extremism have difficulties understanding the issue and Indian views on the Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka are clearly understanding and supporting the practical implementation of policies for Tamil aspirations. 

India is fully aware of the attitude of the majority of Sri Lankans regarding the Tamil aspirations, and while the human rights session was going on in Geneva why this issue has emerged for a long time may be an obvious secret to the world. China has nicely expressed its views regarding the UNHRC report and it would have dismayed participating other countries. The UNHRC also had difficulties explaining the truth to the world because it involves disguised politics between India, Sri Lanka, China, and Western countries. The nature of politics in India is to use various issues from time to time keeping Sri Lanka under the control, and this issue might go further a century as long as India wants to do it.

Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, and many others in Sri Lanka have international ethnic classification as Indians, and these people have deviated base on the language used or religion believed and practiced, but there is no biological or anthropological difference between them. The language used by Sinhala people defines as an Indo-European language and the Tamil language consider as a Dravidian language. The origin of two languages may associate with adventures in history and since the era before Christ, it had not been a critical issue for people to live together.    If one language uses them all are included in one nation. If India respects universal human values it must not allow continuing aberrations on baseless factors and the responsibility of India is to reject such differences against human values and express its opinion to treat all as one ethnic group.

The Indian strategy within India is treating all different communities in the country as one nation, and why such a firm policy could not be equal to Sri Lanka.  The secret of the Indian policy is dividing and controlling the country. India might need to expand the policy for surrounding nations as the complexity in Indian politics may need such actions. India has a policymaking mechanism that is beyond party politics and that is why it can see although the government change neither foreign policy nor attitudes towards neighboring countries are changed.    

Sri Lanka is in the process of drafting a constitution that could incorporate the legitimate Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka, and how this aspect should be worded in the new constitution might need to know by people of the country. The wide spectrum of politics in Sri Lanka seems hungry to look at the draft of the constitution because it would be a drop of water in the desert for the opposition to survive. As people are fully aware of politics played for the constitution drafted by the yahapalana regime after 2015 this time also may be political manuring to oppose for the new constitution.  Such problems might be supported by the Indian intelligence service and the government of Sri Lanka must egghead to Buddhist monks, political parties, intellectuals, and others who are vulnerable to getting caught in foreign influence, financial incentives, and NGOs.

The term, people of Sri Lanka include all citizens of the country. The Indian aspect of the legitimate aspirations of Tamils of Sri Lanka means the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka and clearly, it excludes the Tamil diaspora who are not citizens of the country. When interpreting Tamils India has used Tamil speaking people and it confuses sometimes because all Tamil speaking people are not ethnically Tamils and Muslims, Colombo Chetties and some Sinhala people too speak Tamil and they are not Tamils. Many Tamil-speaking people live outside Sri Lanka, and the government of Sri Lanka could not entertain the aspirations of all Tamils in the world.

During the war period with LTTE, Tamils without differentiating whether they were citizens of Sri Lanka or not supported the Indian point of view, and the most significant of the Indian assessment is that the Tamil aspirations should be limited to a framework of equality, justice, peace, and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. In this way, India seems to attempted to wash hands preventing Indian points of view from India and apply such views to Tamil people living in Sri Lanka and excludes Tamils living in India.  This likes India holding the tail of a tiger and now it has difficulty releasing the tail as it has a risk that the tiger might create problems for India. The other vital point when India describing the abiding aspirations of Tamils of Sri Lanka has mentioned equality, justice, peace, and territorial integrity and it further shows that India has ignored the term unity. Does India has animosity to the unity of ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka? If the term unity has been ignored in the Indian process it could assume that India doesn’t akin to the unity of Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim people in Sri Lanka.  Territorial integrity refers to the unity of the territory but it doesn’t refer to the people of the country. The Indian politics after independence in 1947, give the impression that India attempts to play politics with countries wherever Indian people are in, an example was Fiji when Rabuka took over power in the late 1980s, Mr.Rajive Gandi displayed his interest in playing politics with Fiji. 

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

The LTTE, Prabhakaran, and colleagues worked against Sri Lanka’s unity and territorial integrity as he needed to establish a separate Tamil state with armed forces and struggle. His behavior appeared he wanted to re-establish the Vijaya Nagar empire that will create severe risk India creating new Issues. The intention of the LTTE movement had been under the control of India and the behavior of Prabhakaran was differentiated by the killing of the Indian Prime Minister and it was the main cause to ending the life of the LTTE leader. Politics could be played in any country but killing politics is not tolerated by a democratic society.  

India is always careful to express views and supports to Tamils of Sri Lanka thinking there is a large Tamil community in India with ethnic relation to Tamils in Sri Lanka, and many Tamils in Sri Lanka are of opinion that except upcountry Tamils, who are descendants of Indians brought to Sri Lanka for plantation industry, are a part of the Sri Lankan community since before the era of King Elara. If it thinks in that line there is no question of respecting the rights of the Tamils. Whether Sri Lanka Sinhala, Muslim, or other communities do agree or not the government of Sri Lanka cannot discriminate against Tamils of Sri Lanka. They are a part of the Sri Lankan community like a caste within the Sinhala community and it shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate against them, the new constitution needs to clearly express that Tamil, Sinhala, Muslims, and other citizens of Sri Lanka are equal and all have equal rights and responsibilities.  If this idea is properly worded and express in the new constitution the equity and justice give equally to Sri Lankans and many clauses of the 13^th amendment would be immaterial as there are no ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, only one ethnic group in the country it is Sri Lankans.

When considering the Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka nobody cannot ignore the Indo-Lanka accord signed on 29 July 1987.  This accord was prepared with an intention to enact the 13^th amendment to the constitution passed on 14 November 1987.  The complicated aspect of both was the idea of merging the North and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit. This idea was complicated and many Muslim and Sinhala people are living in the area and the rights of these people were ignored in the idea of merging two provinces and it was a violation of the rights of these Non-Tamils.  The merger should be a permanent action was the interpretation of the accord, which gave the power to the president of Sri Lanka to postpone the referendum to merge the North and Eastern provinces. 

The Indo-Lanka accord signed in 1987 has become a complicated matter after more than 30 years and it appears the accord should be canceled or amended according to the current environment. The political history of the world indicates that accords, agreements were among many countries, which were either canceled or ignored in the modern era. So, Indo-Lanka Accord was not an agreement God-given forever and it might change.

Sri Lanka had accords with India in history. In 1782 Sri Lanka signed an agreement to appoint a Malayali Prince as Rajahdi Rajasinghe to the kingship in Sri Lanka, but it was canceled and India did not protest or worked against the cancelation either. This means the Indo-Lanka accord signed on 29 July 1987 could cancel or renegotiate under the new condition. However, if the new constitution converts people of Sri Lanka as Sri Lankans like in India disregarding ethnic and religious, differences the validity of the accord may end without any negotiation.

Mr.J.R. Jayewardene described the Indo-Lanka accord as a way of living under the shadow of India without surrendering to India.  It was a highly complicated statement and when the 1983 July riots happened some international observers have analyzed and highlighted that Mrs. Indira Gandhi had the intention to annex Sri Lanka, but the major barrier to Indira was no a loyal group in Sri Lanka to manage the country on account of India. Mr.Varadarajah Perumal and his group may have trained for the purpose and it was not successful as the majority of Tamils had animosity with him than for a Sinhala leader. Later this situation changed and promoted the 13^th Amendment to the constitution and after the enactment of a new constitution the problem may solve or complicate further and the current president should aware of this situation.        

As India has mentioned, what is the process of reconciliation? this is a Byzantine approach that has no proper definition. Norway attempted to define the reconciliation with a bias toward Tamils and India indirectly opposed to the approach of Norway some time ago.  It was a Noble Prize-related process was the feeling of common people than a genuine reconciliation between ethnic and religious communities of Sri Lanka.  Some time ago I explained a genuine reconciliation should be without strings and the approach of Lord Buddha when he reconciled Chuloda and Mahodara would be the best approach.  Sri Lanka’s government has taken many steps in support of the reconciliation process. Nevertheless, India attempts to use the issue like a beggar’s wound and didn’t like western countries coming to the seen it may be a president to ethnic problems in India.

Sri Lanka’s relationship with China has impacted the Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka and indirectly India requests from Sri Lanka to limit Chines role in the country and abate the support from China to Sri Lanka. India cannot support Sri Lanka in the magnitude that China is supporting.  India has a massive population who don’t enjoy at least the level of Sri Lankans’ economic enjoyment. Attempting to treat the equality of Sri Lankans in the same way, economic poverty of Indians is unreasonable.  

It seems an Indian hegemony-related issue too associated with the Indian approach rather than the problem that goes with international relations.

According to the UN convention relating the human rights, any country may have relationships with other countries, and it doesn’t limit the ability of relationships.  The attempt of India to limit the relationship with China might contrary to the UN convention.

When deeply analyze the Tamil aspirations of Sri Lanka they have limits and subject to Indian controls. Whether Tamils living in Sri Lanka without differences have understood the situation is a complicated issue and many Tamils now open express views against the Indian approach.  Why India sticks to the attitudes of the past is a question and educating people on this matter might help to change Indian attitudes.

Sri Lanka hopes India supports Sri Lanka in UNHRC and associate with Sri Lanka to convert Tamil aspirations to a demand for asking to bring the moon. On the political front, there is working together by India and Sri Lanka, however, intelligence service works deeply looking at odds and do people in India and Sri Lanka need to stick to odd points, no Sri Lanka had a closed relationship with India since history and Sri Lanka also related to Indo-China languages and Culture, in this way India and China both are friends of Sri Lanka, diversity and unity is the secret of maintaining the relationship with both.    

By The Sri Lanka Study Circle 

A monkey edict at the instigation of the CORE group?  

Reacting defensively to a scathing criticism of his fly-by night conduct, pastor Colombage, at a hastily convened interview, with journalist Raymond, went on record to say, ‘Sri Lanka has a clear foreign policy; neutrality is the key and we want to maintain neutrality. We will not take sides and we will remain neutral. Technically, we are a Non-Aligned country but that is alright because we know Non-Alignment was created after World War 2 when the world was different to what it is now’. 

Has the pastor run mad? Why did he utter such a devilish lie? Did he do so at the instigation of the CORE group with whom he is in deep dialogue? Was Colombage attempting to alienate our fellow members and friends in the Non-Aligned Movement, to ensure Sri Lanka –in Colombage’s words – ‘surrenders after a (fake) fight’? 

Excerpts from Gota’s vision of vistas of prosperity 

In 2019, 2/3^rds of the people delegated their power to Rajapakse (GR), impressed by his projected political stance and their confidence in his pledge to implement the stated goals during his watch; these were clearly enunciated in his policy document touted as ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’.    

In Chapter One of that document are enumerated the ten key priority policies of GR.  

Top priority is given to National Security. Next comes ‘Foreign Policy’; in that Policy document GR has pledged to the people that the key to our Foreign Policy is Non-Alignment. 

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour – My Vision…  

Our 10 Key Policies 

1. P
   1. Priority to National Security 
   2. Friendly, Non-aligned, Foreign Policy 

priority to National Security 

1. Friendly, Non-aligned, Foreign Policy 

The Foreign Policy pledged is further elaborated in the Policy document thus: 2. Friendly, Non-aligned, Foreign Policy The basis of our foreign policy will be ensure that Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity and independence are respected and protected in the interests of the citizen and future generations of this country. It also aims to ensure that Sri Lanka’s dignity as a sovereign nation is respected. No harmful agreements /treaties will be entered into by our government. Our foreign policy will be based on non-alignment and mutual friendship and trust among nations. 

Colombage shows his contempt to the people 

Why then does pastor Colombage barefacedly lie that the key to our Foreign Policy is Neutrality? He gives the impression of being the standard-bearer of the fifth columnists aspiring to wreck the country from within; he is emerging as a major threat to the National Security of Sri Lanka 

And Colombage, whose Foreign Ministry salary, emoluments and perks are met by the people of Sri Lanka, shows utter contempt to those very people who overwhelmingly wanted the country to have Non-Alignment as the plank of the Country’s Foreign Policy.  

Downright treachery? 

What is Colombage’s motive?  

The devious pastor is a member of the CIA funded think tank, ‘Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives’; with his present appointment in the Foreign Ministry Colombage has a definite conflict of interest.  

It would be hard to counter arguments by some critics who construe Colombage’s conduct as downright treachery. 

Self-styled ‘Professor’ unable to differentiate between Non-Alignment and Neutrality 

Colombage, a self-styled ‘Professor’ is unable to differentiate between ‘Non-Alignment’ and ‘Neutrality’. 

The Non-Aligned Movement came into being in 1961, following a meeting in 1955, in Bandung, of delegates from Nation States that had recently gained independence from the European Colonial Powers.  

These delegates had met to find ways and means to protect their respective countries from being Colonised, ever, in the future and to preserve the World order based on Multilateralism which respects and recognises the Sovereign equality of all Nations.   

Non-Alignment is the biggest weapon in our armoury in our battle against big power hegemony.   

The delegates in Bandung, at that time, identified an emerging threat that could endanger the Sovereignty and Independence of their respective States; they saw through the US moves, the intention of the Americans to Colonise their Countries and impose a World Order based on American Unilateralism which does not respect and recognise the Sovereign equality of all nations. 

The Non-Alignment Movement arose from the need to protect the Sovereignty of Nation States and the need to protect the World Order that recognised and respected the Sovereign equality of Nations. 

The Non-Alignment Movement is a principle-based organisation; it is based on the principles of the UN Charter which include non-intervention, non-aggression, international co-operation, mutual benefit and mutual respect and has no place for big-power hegemony.  

Neutrality is a mongrel- like Switzerland  

In contrast, Neutrality is a mongrel and has no principles. Nations adopting Neutrality end up mongrel-States.  

 For example, when Germany was engaged full time in the holocaust, setting up a master race, slaughtering millions of Jewish people in a campaign of mass murder and genocide while robbing the victims of their wealth and belongings, Switzerland adopted a policy of ‘Neutrality’ and looked the other way, choosing to ignore what was happening  

And what did this mongrel State do? They, like as Pastor Colambage is suggesting, exploited the situation to act as an international fence, a dealer in stolen goods; Switzerland permitted the killers and rogues to keep their booty ‘safely’ in their country, on paying Switzerland a percentage of money annually. That is Neutrality. That policy still exists and perhaps is why Switzerland is regarded internationally as a ‘pariah’ State. 

Colombage logic 

To give meaning to ‘Neutrality’ in the local context, when the local thug rapes, kills, robs and maims individuals, Pastor Colombage’s logic is that passers-by look the other way and if possible, flick his wallet and make a financial gain.    

Do not take sides says Colombage, see what advantage you can take from this situation. What a man, what a disgrace! 

The Non-Alignment Movement takes a definite stand on global issues based on the very principles that the UN is structured on. 

Why all countries in the Non-Aligned Movement must vote against the Resolution 

The Resolution that is being debated in Geneva affects not just Sri Lanka alone, but all the Non-Aligned countries in the World. The Americans are using the Sri Lankan issue to change structures of the present Multilateral World Order to a Unilateral American World Order. This was clearly explained by that brilliant Sri Lankan diplomat Tamara Kunanayakam, in her many interviews with the media.  

Colambage, standing with the fifth columnists on one side while the people of Sri Lanka are on the opposite side, gives the impression of pushing the American line. When the need of the hour is to talk with our friends, comprising 35 of the 47-member assembly, Colombage is talking with our enemies who brought the Resolution.  

Colombage shies away from public debate 

  Many are clamouring for Colombage to engage in a one-on-one prime time TV debate. From all accounts Colombage is very reluctant to do so fearing he will be exposed.  

The HRC procedure Sri Lanka must follow to ensure a vote is called for  

From all accounts there are many countries that will stand-up for Sri Lanka and vote in her favour at voting time. But there is a snag. 

No vote can be taken unless another country gets up, at decision-taking time, and informs the Chair of the HRC that they are speaking on behalf of Sri Lanka, that they reject the Resolution and ask that a vote be taken.  

Then only will the Chair permit a vote to be taken and the countries get an opportunity to vote.  

That is the procedure. If we do not follow this procedure even Dinesh Gunawardena’s fiery rejection of the Resolution will come to naught. 

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Colombage has not canvassed the friendly countries and has not requested any country to address the Chair, on behalf of Sri Lanka, at decision-taking time. 

If that were the case, when the anti- Sri Lankan Resolution is taken up and silence follows, the Chair will interpret the silence to mean that there are no objections to the Resolution and that ‘Consensus’ has been reached; he will bring down the gavel to record that the Resolution was a Consensual one and adopted unanimously. 

The result would be the same as Mangala Co-sponsoring that infamous Resolution of 2015. 

Insiders are puzzled; they ask whether this is a ruse of the interloper in the Foreign Ministry who is aware that 35 of the 47 members in the HRC are in the Non-Aligned Movement, the largest organised group of Nations, next to the UN; the NAM has a membership of 120 States. 

What the vote means 

When the Countries vote, there are two issues that will be determined by that one vote; the obvious is the issue of the damnable lies in that anti – Sri Lankan Resolution.  

The not-so-obvious issue, deftly concealed in the Resolution, are the landmark changes being made to the Global Order which are precedent-setting and are in total violation of the UN Charter.  

These changes would make all countries in the Global South vulnerable to American military intervention and aggression and vulnerable to illegal sanctions and embargos -not authorised by the UN Charter – that would result in the gross violation of basic Human Rights of people in the affected countries.   

The concealed concepts in the Resolution would deprive countries of their Armies to defend themselves because this Resolution permits the Americans to unilaterally pick-up heroic soldiers from any country and incarcerate them in American prisons. 

Colombage, an ingratiating sycophant of the Americans, has not made one single statement condemning this aspect of the Resolution. 

The simple act of taking a vote at the HRC is a victory for Sri Lanka and the NAM 

Even one vote cast is a victory for Sri Lanka and the Global South; it is a victory statement for the Sovereignty of all Nation States and for the concept of sovereign equality of all Nations. 

There is not a sausage the HRC can do thereafter other than bringing in another Resolution the next Year or bringing it up at the UN Security Council where we have our friends who understand the vile American motives. 

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Revised 2.4.21

Bandaranaike took firm decisions where international relations were concerned. This essay looks at his handling of several important issues which arose in 1956.

ISRAEL

Bandaranaike recognized Israel, though he had reservations. Bandaranaike told Parliament, the position is that the previous Government had agreed to diplomatic representation by Israel here, I presume, with the implication of our representation there.

 When I assumed office the Israel Government, kept on pressing us to find out whether they could send their Representative here as the previous Government had decided. The British High Commission as pressing for it. Therefore I agreed.

Besides the pressure from the British side, there could have been other reasons for Bandaranaike’s decision to open diplomatic relations with Israel, said Bandu de Silva. India had already accorded diplomatic recognition. Israel was building up a socialist state. Its Kibbutz system even attracted the attention of the local left leadership.   Israel had supported Ceylon’s entry into the U.N.

Bandaranaike ordered that diplomatic missions be exchanged and asked the Permanent Secretary to appoint H.A.J. Hulugalle, Ambassador to Rome to be concurrently accredited to Tel Aviv. The Arab League issued a strong protest and a threat to boycott Ceylon tea, so Bandaranaike stopped Hulugalle from proceeding to Tel Aviv.  I have laid it by, said Bandaranaike to Parliament.   Israel however had already opened its diplomatic mission in Colombo.

Bandaranaike had his own views on the creation of Israel. Personally, if you ask me, the much wiser course should have been, that these Jews, should have been absorbed into those countries in which they were settled and of which they had become citizens, as citizens of those countries and treated fairly and justly so that they would have been able to make their great contributions to the national lives of those countries.

 However, the Balfour Declaration recognized publicly this sentimental claim of theirs to return to their homeland after nearly 2,000 years. At the same time, it must be remembered there are about a million Arabs who are refugees, about a million of them, driven out of their homeland.

Now let us understand the position of the Arab countries too, what they feel about this Jewish State established in a narrow, barren strip of land, containing roughly less than a million people, about a million and a half, supported by international Jewry with finance, with the political power wielded in those great countries where the people of their race are still filling important and distinguished places, with brains, with industry, with money and most modern equipment.

The Arabs feel that this Jewish State planted in this way in their midst would prove of great danger to their independence and their freedom because Israel is bound to expand.  She just cannot help herself.  Circumstances will make necessary for the present Israelites to expand what with the powers they have and their ability, backed by all these international forces.

The Jews feel that this small country is not sufficient for them, for one and a half million people. This makes the Arabs’ fear not unjustifiable that Israel would prove a great danger, if not now, at least 10 years hence or 20 years hence or 30 years hence. That is the Arab point of view which might be given due consideration. The Israelites point of view is that they have no such intention.

I had the pleasure, at the United Nations, of having a long talk with Mrs. Golda Meir, a very charming and able lady.  She was then Foreign Secretary of Israel. I told her, this is the position. But she said, ” Oh, no. We can get on very peacefully if we are allowed to do so. We have no such intentions “, and so on and so forth. Obviously, that is what the Jews say when they get their head into the tent till the rest of the body in due course follows into the tent, if I may quote an Arab saying.

We have the highest regard for the Jews. They are very able, and all honor to them. But this is the newly planted State of Israel. Of course, they were there over 2,000 years ago, it is true, but they have not been there for the last 1,800 years at least. If we look at it in that way, I dread to think what would be the position of many countries in the world, concluded Bandaranaike.

1956 was an eventual year   for the UN. There was the Suez Crisis, the invasion of Egypt by Israel, the invasion of Hungary by Russia, United States troops in Lebanon and British troops in Jordan. Sri Lanka, under Bandaranaike, responded to each of these issues.

SUEZ CRISIS

In July 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. UK and France invaded Egypt to take the Canal back. And Israel used the opportunity to invade Egypt and expand its territory by annexing the Sinai. Sri Lanka played an active role in Suez crisis.

News of President Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal Company on July 26 1956 reached S. W. R. D. immediately and he quickly saw the dangers of this act. First he discussed the matter with Nehru and suggested having a meeting of the Colombo Powers.

In August 1956, UK called a conference of 24 countries to discuss the Suez issue in London. Sri Lanka was also invited.  UK wanted to see international control of the Canal. India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and USSR opposed this.

Bandaranaike said that Sri Lanka supported the right of Egypt to nationalize the canal   and opposed the invasion by Britain and France. Bandaranaike told British Prime Minister Anthony Eden that there should be an unconditional withdrawal from Egyptian territory of British, French and Israeli forces before any other question could have been taken up, even the question of the clearing of the Suez Canal, and that it was Sri Lanka‘s firm belief that delays in such withdrawal would only result in the danger of widespread hostility.

” Our attitude at the London Conference was to recognize the legality of the nationalization and its corollary, the right to control the Suez Canal, and to suggest, as there were international interests also, that some convention should be again signed on the lines of the Convention of Constantinople of 1888 preserving those international rights and appointing some consultative committee which would consult the Egyptian Government in the operation of the canal and, if any dispute arose, that that matter be referred to an impartial body of arbitration, perhaps under the auspices of the United Nations. President Nasser is not opposed to that.

Bandaranaike also obtained an assurance from Britain that the bases in Trincomalee and Colombo would not be used in the Suez crisis.

Sri Lanka‘s statement came to the attention of Egypt’s Prime Minister Nasser. Nasser sent a cable to Bandaranaike in September 1956. It said:” Your Excellency, having gone through the records of the London Conference on the Suez Canal. I wish to express to Your Excellency the Egyptian peoples and my own appreciation of the wise and fair attitude of your delegation and its support of the right of Egypt to nationalize the Suez Canal Company and to safeguard its own independence and dignity. I avail myself of this opportunity to express to Your Excellency my highest consideration. Gamal Abdel Nasser. Later Nasser invited Bandaranaike to visit Egypt.

On my way to New York for the UN sessions I spent one day in London where I had the opportunity of meeting the British Prime Minister, and certain other Ministers. I am much obliged particularly to Sir Anthony Eden for having given me an opportunity of explaining to him our views. Not only ours but of the Asian Powers as well, reported Bandaranaike to Parliament.

UN had an emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the Suez issue. On November 1st, 1956 Suez issue came to the General Assembly for the first time. Sri Lanka got a chance to voice her views on the subject.

Bandaranaike instructed Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative at the UN, R. S. S. Gunawardena to up hold Egypt’s rights to nationalize the Suez Canal Company   and to say that Ceylon disapproved of the military invasion of UK, France and also the invasion of Israel. Bandaranaike opposed Britain’s policy of phased withdrawals from Suez. SWRD had instead suggested a conference of the users of Suez Canal. There were 11 resolutions on Suez and Sri Lanka voted for all of them. Sri Lanka was the cosponsor of one resolution, the   Asian powers resolution on the Suez issue.

Bandaranaike spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Fawzi. ‘Dr. Fawzi made me understand that Egypt is always ready to discuss the matter.’ Bandaranaike had conferred with Eisenhower earlier and agreed with US policy on the matter. Sri Lanka supported the US position of demanding a ceasefire and creation of a UN emergency force in Suez to keep the belligerent apart. Sri Lanka stated that it was prepared to send in a contingent of infantry for this.

On his way back from New York, Bandaranaike against stopped over in UK. I saw Mr. Selwyn Lloyd and had an opportunity of explaining to the Ministers again, as a result of my conversations in America and Canada, that I was confirmed in my view that they should unconditionally withdraw their forces from Egypt. I impressed upon British Ministers that they must announce this.

Selwyn Lloyd,   got at me the night before I left, I was at a dinner given by the High Commissioner. He wanted to see me, he was preparing his speech for the following day in the House of Commons,-to find out what I really thought of their announcement. I said, ” Well, better late than never. You have done right. Please withdraw your forces. Personally I think that is the only thing to be done. “

Back in Sri Lanka, SWRD spoke of the matter in Parliament. I think we can take it that the danger, or any close danger of widespread war breaking out, has now receded into the distance. That does not mean that all the problems are solved. There is the clearing of the Suez Canal which must be taken up quickly in the interests of all of us, Egypt included.

The United Nations has emerged with its prestige increased-there is no question about it-over this incident. Even the American President, Eisenhower himself, is satisfied that they must work through the United Nations in the future to secure the peace of the world. I hope the other great powers will also come to that conclusion, and the United Nations will now come into its own, said Bandaranaike in Parliament.

Bandaranaike’s efforts to resolve the Suez Crisis, pleased the Arab countries. UNGA appointed an advisory committee to guide the United Nations Emergency Force for Suez.(UNEF) Sri Lanka was nominated to this body by Iran and was unanimously approved.  This was an indication of the appreciation of Sri Lanka’s   foreign policy by other countries, said Nissanka. The other countries were Brazil, Canada,  Colombia, India, Norway, and Pakistan, with the Secretary-General as chairman.

HUNGARY

There was a revolt in Hungary in 1956, and Russian troops entered in October 1956. Russia prevented the matter from coming up in Security Council by using her veto. However,   US brought the matter before the General Assembly. Sri Lanka did not have diplomatic relations with Hungary or Russia at the time.

Sri Lanka spoke against the invasion at UN General Assembly. Sri Lanka said whether it is Russian dictatorship in Hungary or Anglo French dictatorship in Suez, it is undesirable. Sri Lanka asked that Russian forces be withdrawn from Hungary and Hungary left free to work out her own destiny.

United Nations General Assembly appointed a fact finding special committee on Hungary. Sri Lanka was appointed to this committee, with Australia, Denmark, Tunisia and Uruguay. Sri Lankan Representative R. S. S. Gunawardena was appointed a Secretary of this committee. The committee was not allowed to visit Hungary.

In this case, Nissanka observed, Sri Lanka was reluctant to anger Russia. The Report of the committee on Hungary was very critical of Russia. Sri Lanka abstained from voting, though it was member of the committee. Bandaranaike was slow to condemn the execution of Imre Nagy, former Hungarian Prime Minister by Russia. 

LEBANON and JORDAN

In August 1958 US and UK invaded Lebanon and Jordan respectively. UN met to discuss the matter.  Sri Lanka   condemned the invasion and wanted the forces withdrawn. SL supported a resolution moved by the USSR for the withdrawal of these troops  .This paved the way for the subsequent adoption by the UN of a  similar resolution, said VLB Mendis.

I have in my hands a resolution that has been tabled by the Soviet Union, by Mr. Andrei Gromyko. This is the resolution they have tabled, I presume today, in the United Nations Assembly, said Bandaranaike to Parliament.  

 “The General Assembly, recognizing the necessity of adopting urgent measures to ease tension in the Near and Middle East area in the interests of preserving universal peace, recommends to the Governments of the United States and Great Britain to withdraw their troops from the territory of Lebanon and Jordan without delay, instructs the United Nations Secretary-General to reinforce the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon in accordance with the plan presented by the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon in its Second Report, and to send a group of observers to Jordan with a view to supervise the withdrawal of American and British troops from Lebanon and Jordan and the situation along the frontier of these countries. ”

 These views, I am happy to say, correspond entirely with my own, and those are the very instructions that, two days ago over the telephone, I conveyed to Sir Claude Corea [our UN representative] in New York. That is a sensible way of securing this withdrawal and, I am glad to say, a proposal of that sort coming from the Soviet Union itself is likely to be acceptable to the majority of the countries in the United Nations now said Bandaranaike in Parliament. (concluded)

By Noor Nizam – Convener “The Muslim Voice”, 3rd., Februsry, 2021..

“THE MUSLIM VOICE” is “SAD” that you did not include in your “WALK/SLOGAN” the Muslims as the 3rd., community for “NATIONAL UNITY and PEACE”.

It seems that you are trying to do the same thing YS Jaganmohan Reddy, now Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh did in 2017 when he launched a 3000 km walk to win the support of the people in his State to become the CM. It may be that you are also doing the same thing Mahinda Rajapaksa did in Pada Yatra in 1992 when he walked from Colombo to Kataragama to get the support of the people of the South to oust President Premadasa and the UNP. Because you are walking for NATIONAL UNITY between the Sinhalese and the Tamils and against the OPPRESSION of the low caste Tamils in the North and East by the Vellaala Tamils, 

“THE MUSLIM VOICE” fully supports your “WALK FROM DONDRA TO POINT PEDRO” and wish you all success. But “THE MUSLIM VOICE” is “SAD” that you did not include in your “WALK/SLOGAN” the Muslims as the 3rd., community for “NATIONAL UNITY and PEACE”. Muslims of Sri Lanka have always stood for National Unity.

“THE MUSLIM VOICE” kindly requests you to include the Muslims as the 3rd., Community for “NATIONAL UNITY and PEACE” in the “WALKS” you may organize from Colombo to Batticola through Trincomalee, Verugal and Paanama in the future.

Courtesy The Carthaginian Solution

When Britain ruled Sri Lanka

Who issued this scorched-earth policy in response to local resistance against a foreign invasion army?

 ….”cut down every yielding tree, pull down every dwelling house, destroy all fields, canals and irrigation reservoirs, kill all males over the age of 14 years and slaughter all cattle leaving those which are needed for the use of the army.”   The army followed the orders to the letter, killing between 40,000 to 100,000 enforcing the promulgation. The rebel leader was beheaded.

Was it the Waffen SS Einsatzgruppen in Ukraine and Poland? Was it the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria? Was it the Imperial Belgian Army in the Congo? Was it Spanish Conquistadores destroying the Aztec Empire? No, it was Governor Brownrigg’s order to the British Army in 1818 to crush the Uva Wellassa” rebellion in Ceylon.

Today’s ex-imperial Britain is a kinder, gentler country given to pontificate on the benefits of international humanitarian law, human rights and the rest of the tedious drivel. Its politicians are unable to resist their lecturing, hectoring and proclamatory urges regarding Sri Lanka’s post-war political and military landscape, with incessant demands for accountability, justice, truth-telling and independent investigations about the ending of Eelam War 4.

Despite no longer being the ruling Imperial power in Sri Lanka, British politicians and its foreign ministry (charmingly called the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) are unable to accept the uncomfortable political reality that, despite Sri Lanka’s lack of economic and political power, Britain’s proclamations demanding obedience no longer receive an reflexively deferential response from Sri Lanka’s political leadership. British politicians genuinely see nothing untoward in the ex-colonial power acting in loco parentis to an ex-colony.

The Global Tamil Forum, (a front group for the defeated LTTE terrorist group), recently showed off its most powerful British politicians who vied with each other to issue barely veiled threats against Sri Lanka including war crimes trials, international investigations and other powerful weapons from its ‘human rights’ arsenal. Who are these historically illiterate British politicians and international humanitarians intent on promoting the loser’s interests above those of the elected, legitimate (if authoritarian) government of Sri Lanka?

David Miliband (ex-Foreign Minister and Labour MP)

Miliband said that the ‘international community’ must act on the conclusions of the UN Panel Report as the evidence of war crimes committed by both parties are overwhelming.

David Miliband feels the love of Eelam

Not content with having visited Sri Lanka in May 2009 to demand (note the imperial mindset) that the Sri Lankan government halt it’s offensive against the LTTE on the grounds of excessive Tamil civilian casualties he then lead EU calls to indict Sri Lanka for war crimes at the UNHRC in Geneva in May 2009. Both attempts ended in ignominious failure. During his failed attempt to win the Labour leadership contest, he was strongly supported by sections of the diaspora Tamil community who appreciated his sterling work in trying to prevent an LTTE defeat.

Miliband strongly supported the 2^nd Iraq War, the invasion of Afghanistan, UK’s strict anti-terrorism legislation and best of all, voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war.

Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mullativu and Mulliavaikal

Siobhain is a truly heroic Fluffer for Eelam. She’s always available for pro-Eelam demonstrations, glorifying LTTE suicide bombers, economic boycotts against Sri Lanka’s poorest people and anti-Sri Lankan activities in the European Union. When not agitating for Eelam, she attends to her UK constituency (Mitcham & Morden – two dreary London suburbs), but always finds time to promote Eelam.

McDonagh and Eelamists boycotting Sri Lankan garments

McDonagh could barely contain her excitement at the GTF launch.

..there’s never going to be a quick fix or an easy answer..” [to what? Eelam? Regime change in Sri Lanka?]

..the guys from Channel 4 have been extraordinary and dedicated to this cause and they’ve become more dedicated and not less … they text and contact me and Lee [Scott] all the time telling us what the next step they’re taking [is]..”

Confirmation (if any were necessary) that Channel 4 has long since abandoned any pretence of impartiality and is fully behind the dregs of the Eelam struggle. McDonagh is at the forefront of British MPs who want to get tough with Sri Lanka”.

… we know from experience that expressing pious desires does not work with the Sri Lankan Government; we have to be tough and do something about it.”

She wants to make Sri Lanka’s poor, even poorer, believing wrongly that this will make Sri Lanka bend to the dictates of pro-LTTE British politicians

The LTTE’s favourite British MP

I believe that a boycott of Sri Lankan goods by British citizens will help Sri Lanka to resolve its past, in the same way that the boycott of South Africa helped that country to bring about peace and reconciliation.”

McDonaugh strongly supported the 2^nd Iraq War, the invasion of Afghanistan, the UK’s strict anti-terrorism legislation and best of all, voted strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war. The payback for McDonagh? Eelamists’ votes at the 2009 UK election and for the foreseeable future.

Alistair Burt MP, Foreign Office Minister

Speaking on behalf of the Government, Burt, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, emphasised that reconciliation and long-lasting peace in Sri Lanka could only be achieved through a credible and independent investigation into the allegations of war crimes committed during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s military conflict

A political descendant of Governor Brownrigg lays down the Law to uppity natives in Sri Lanka about how it needs to modify its behaviour to suit British political dictates.

Yolanda Foster – Amnesty International

She called for an international investigation into the serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law during Sri Lanka’s civil war and highlighted the inadequacy of the Sri Lankan Government’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in addressing accountability or justice due to the limitations of its independence and mandate.

Amnesty International’s Yolanda Foster and LTTE activist together at last, promoting Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”.

Yolanda proud stood alongside the pro-LTTE Global Tamil Forum promoting Channel 4’s Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” ‘documentary’.  Yolanda has not yet had time (perhaps she was too busy doing her hair?) to initiate a campaign to indict and prosecute Adele Balasingham, self-admitted groomer of child suicide bombers, now living in safety and comfort in Morden, only a few miles AI’s smart, new central London head office.

However much Sri Lankans may dislike aspects of the current Sri Lankan government (corruption, waste, nepotism, abuses of power, hubris), they dislike even more, British politicians allying themselves to pro-LTTE diaspora Tamil groups trying to achieve through ‘international humanitarian action’, what they failed to achieve through 30 years of war. Pigs really will fly when British politicians utter the phrase, let Sri Lankans decide their own destiny without Britain’s continuing, malign support for the racist, irredentist cause of Tamil Eelam”.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

ඉන්දියානු ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් රාකේෂ් කුමාර් සිං බාදවූරියා මහතා අද 2021.03.03 දින පස්වරුවේ අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ දී ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා හමුවිය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාවේ 70 වන සංවත්සර සැමරුම් උළෙලට සහභාගී වීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණ සිටින ඉන්දීය ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් රාකේෂ් කුමාර් සිං බාදවූරියා මහතා සිය නිල සංචාරය අතරතුර මෙලෙස අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා බැහැ දුටුවේය.

එහිදී ආරක්ෂක අංශයෙන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට අඛණ්ඩ සහයෝගය පළ කරන බව එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් රාකේෂ් කුමාර් සිං බාදවූරියා මහතා පැවසීය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ ඉන්දියාව අතර දීර්ඝකාලීන ආරක්ෂක සහයෝගීතාවයක් ඇති අතර එය ත්‍රස්තවාදයට එරෙහි වීම, සමුද්‍රීය ආරක්ෂාව සහ මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය ජාවාරමට එරෙහිවීම ඇතුළු ක්ෂේත්‍ර ගණනාවක් පුරා විහිදී තිබේ.

ඉන්දියානු ගුවන් හමුදාව විවිධ පාඨමාලා ඔස්සේ මෙරට ගුවන් හමුදා නිලධාරීන් පුහුණු කිරීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට නිරන්තර සහයක් ලබා දෙයි.

ආරක්ෂක අංශයෙන් දෙරට අතර සහයෝගීතාව තවදුරටත් පුළුල් කළ හැකි බව පෙන්වා දුන් එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් රාකේෂ් කුමාර් සිං බාදවූරියා මහතා ඉන්දියානු ගුවන් හමුදාව ඉදිරියටත් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට සහාය දැක්වීමට සූදානම් බව කියා සිටියේය.

Prime Minister’s Media Unit

March 3, 2021

The Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshall Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this evening.

The Air Chief Marshall, who is visiting Sri Lanka to attend the 70th Anniversary Celebrations of the Sri Lanka Air Force, expressed continued support to Sri Lanka in the defense sector.

Sri Lanka and India have had a long-standing defense and security cooperation that has spanned many areas including counter-terrorism, maritime security and drug trafficking. India’s Air Force has also supported Sri Lanka with training officers at various levels.

Noting that there are areas in which the two defense sectors of both countries could further expand the cooperation, the visiting Air Chief Marshall told Prime Minister Rajapaksa that India’s Air Force stands ready to support Sri Lanka.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

අන්තර් ආයතනික ගැටලු නිරාකරණය කර ගනිමින් රාජ්‍ය ආයතන ඔස්සේ ක්‍රියාත්මක ජනතා සේවාවන් කාර්යක්ෂම කරන්නැයි ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා අද 2021.03.03 දින උපදෙස් දුන්නේය.

බත්තරමුල්ල සුහුරුපායේ පිහිටි නාගරික සංවර්ධන හා නිවාස අමාත්‍යංශ ශ්‍රවණාගාරයේ පැවති අමාත්‍යංශ නිලධාරින්ගේ හමුවට එක්වෙමින් අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා මේ බව සඳහන් කළේය.

ප්‍රමාදවෙමින් පැවති සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘති කිහිපයක් පිළිබඳව මෙහි දී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා අවධානය යොමු කළේය.

ඇතැම් ව්‍යාපෘති ප්‍රමාදවීමට හේතුවී ඇත්තේ අන්තර් ආයතනික සබඳතා දුරස්ථව පැවතීම නිසා බව පෙන්වා දුන් අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා එවැනි කටයුතු මින් ඉදිරියට මනා සන්නිවේදනයකින් යුතුව කාර්යක්ෂම කර ගැනීමට පියවර ගන්නැයි අමාත්‍යංශ නිලධාරින්ට උපදෙස් දුන්නේය.

අනවසර ඉදිකිරීම් වෙනුවෙන් පියවර ගැනීම, අඩුපහසුකම් සහිත ජනතාව වෙනුවෙන්  නිවාස යෝජනා ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම, නාගරික සංවර්ධන අධිකාරිය සතු ඉඩම් සංවර්ධනයට දායක කර ගැනීම, තෙත් බිම් හා ඇළ රක්ෂිත ප්‍රකාශයට පත්කිරීම, සමුද්‍ර දූෂණය වැළැක්වීම, ධීවර වරායන්වල ඝන අපද්‍රව්‍ය කළමනාකරණය,  ධීවර වරායන්වල වැලි ඉවත් කිරීම, ප්‍රජා භූමි සංවර්ධනය ඇතුළු නාගරික සංවර්ධන හා නිවාස අමාත්‍යංශයට අයත් ආයතනවල ගැටලු රැසකට මෙහිදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා විසඳුම් ලබා දුන්නේය.

වැලිකඩ බන්ධනාගාරය ප්‍රතිස්ථාපනය කිරීම, මාතර කොටුව සහ  මහනුවර රථ ගාල සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘති පිළිබඳවද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාගේ අවධානය යොමුවිය.

සංවර්ධන කටයුතු ඉටු කිරීමේ දී ඒ ඒ රාජ්‍ය ආයතන අතර පවතින සම්බන්ධතා වඩා ශක්තිමත් කර ගැනීමෙන්   රටට සහ ජනතාවට සේවාවන් රැසක් ඉටු කිරීමට හැකි බවට ද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා මෙහි දී විශ්වාසය පළ කළේය.

ඒ අනුව 2015 වසරට පෙර පැවති රට සංවර්ධනය කිරීමේ වේගවත් ගමන මේ වන විට නැවත ආරම්භ වී ඇතැයි ද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා කියා සිටියේය.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය නාලක ගොඩහේවා, නාගරික සංවර්ධන හා නිවාස අමාත්‍යංශයේ ලේකම් සිරි නිමල් පෙරේරා, අතිරේක ලේකම් ආචාර්ය එන්.එම්.එස්.බී යාලේගම මහත්වරු ඇතුළු නාගරික සංවර්ධන හා නිවාස අමාත්‍යංශයේ සියලු ආයතනවල ප්‍රධානීහු එක්ව සිටියහ.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

GL admits flaws , appreciates recommendations

The Presidential Secretariat has declined to release 22 volumes (each containing about 600 pages) of proceedings to Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, on the advice of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) that probed the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.

Authoritative sources told The Island that of the 87 volumes, the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (2) had sent only 65 to the AG. The Attorney General has been informed that the PCoI is of the opinion that 22 volumes shouldn’t be disclosed due to the sensitive nature of the information therein relating to national security.

The Attorney General received the final volume of the report from the PCoI last week.

There were shortcomings in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) report on the Easter Sunday carnage in 2019, but it couldn’t be discarded, Education Minister and SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris told the media on Monday (1).

 Fielding questions at the weekly media briefing at Battaramulla, Prof. Peiris acknowledged the flaws while emphasising the need to go ahead with the judicial proceedings.

 Prof. Peiris said that the PCoI made far reaching recommendations that had to be dealt by the Office of the President (executive), legislature and the judiciary. In addition to them, there were specific recommendations to the Attorney General’s Department and the CIABOC (Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption).

 The minister stressed that deficiencies in the P CoI report certainly made a valuable contribution towards helping the government to ascertain the gruesome truth.

Pressed by the media for an explanation regarding the appointment of a six-member ministerial committee to deal with the P CoI report, Prof. Peiris said that the government needed to be guided by some guidelines. The P CoI report didn’t in any way reflect the government stand. It is an independent body. Therefore, the government needs to agree on a formula in this regard. The ministerial committee will make recommendations and advice the government how to proceed.”

 Prof. Peiris made reference to some ‘clouded’ recommendations among some far reaching ones.

 Prof. Peiris dismissed the notion that the P CoI had recommended specific actions against various persons and organizations named in the report. The P CoI lacked such power; Prof. Peiris explained that the Attorney General would move court on behalf of the government. The findings made by the P CoI would be used in the process, Prof. Peiris said. The minister assured the public the government wouldn’t interfere in the investigations.

  The SLPP Chairman rejected accusations that the government exploited the P CoI report to undermine coalition partner SLFP. Such criticism was unfair as the government had nothing to do with the setting up of the P CoI in the run-up to the Nov 2019 presidential election.

 The then President and SLFP leader Maithripla Sirisena formed the P CoI close on the heels of Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that probed the Easter Sunday carnage handing over its report in the third week of Oct 2019.

 Prof. Peiris appreciated the recommendations made in respect of the education sector. The Minister said that the failure to ensure strict controls on madrasas could cause a catastrophe.

 One-time External Affairs Minister said that the government wanted to ensure no holds barred investigation into the worst atrocity since the conclusion of the war in May 2009. The ministerial committee would facilitate the government initiative, the minister said, urging the Opposition not to politicize the issue at hand.

 Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris said that the SLPP would make its position clear on the P CoI report after having studied it. The Minister criticized efforts made by some persons with vested interests to condemn the report. Those who had been affected by P CoI’s findings and recommendations were likely to attack it, the minister said. The public wouldn’t be deceived by such criticism, the minister said, underscoring the fact that Easter Sunday carnage could have been thwarted if the previous government responded sensibly to specific intelligence received from India. Unfortunately, they played ‘pandu’ with national security at the expense of the public.

 Nearly 270 persons perished in near simultaneous attacks. Approximately 500 others received injuries and quite a number of  them maimed for life.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The report of the Presidential commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks had failed to find out as to who had influenced the investigations in order to shield certain individuals, Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said today.

Cardinal Ranjith told a press conference that the church had received information that some ‘interested parties’ have influenced investigations in order save certain forces.

“We have information that there were certain groups had inflicted under influence on those who were investigated the attacks in order save certain individuals and the commission report had failed to disclose this” the Cardinal said.

“We have formed a team to study the Presidential commission report which includes Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo, priests and a few other experts. We will come up with an official stand on the commission report after the study. However we can clearly say the report had failed to address the core requirement of finding out who masterminded the attacks and who facilitated them,” he added.

Also he said the Catholic church did not expect the commission to make recommendation to proscribe any Buddhist organisation. Also he said he had received only one volume of the report. Cardinal Ranjith said both the previous and the present governments also cannot wash their hands off on this. Do we elect polictians to secure power? Not at all we elect them to mete out justice to people?” he said.

Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo Rev. Anthony Jayakody who also participated in the press conference elaborated on the ‘Black Sunday’ which has been declared on March 7, said all Catholics have been asked to come to church wearing black on that day. A special prayer will be recited for the Easter Sunday victims on that Sunday. This will be the beginning of a series of protests,” he said. (Yohan Perera)

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Two individuals from the Gampaha District have died two days after being vaccinated and the Epidemiology Unit is to investigate as to whether it could be attributed to the vaccine, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said there is a particular procedure to find out whether it had any link to the vaccine.

We are currently investigating to ascertain whether these deaths were due to the vaccination,” Dr. Herath said.

Divulapitiya police said a 57-year-old person who was administered with the vaccine two days ago, was pronounced dead today on admission to the District Hospital Divulapitiya.

The deceased was a resident of Wewagedara. He was admitted to the hospital due to a sudden illness.

The second death has also been reported from the Gampaha District and more information about him are yet to be received. (Sheain Fernandopulle and Pushpakumara Mallawarachchi)

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Commenting on the UK statement of February 25, 2021 in Geneva on Sri Lanka at Human Rights Council by Lord Tariq Ahmad, President of the UK all party British Sri Lanka Parliamentary group Lord Naseby said he was astounded how the UK or any other Member of the Core group could possibly welcome the High Commissioner’s so called ‘detailed & most comprehensive report on Sri Lanka.

He said the report is riddled with totally unsubstantiated allegations & statements totally ignoring the huge effort to restore infrastructure & rehouse displaced Tamils & Muslims who lost their homes due to the Tamil Tigers.

Furthermore, he questioned how the UK Government knowingly & apparently consciously with-held vital evidence from the despatches of the UK military attaché Col Gash. 

Evidence I obtained from a Freedom of Information request, resisted by the Foreign Office at every stage for over 2 years. These despatches from an experienced & dedicated senior officer in the field makes it clear that the Sri Lankan armed forces at every level acted & behaved appropriately trying hard not to harm any Tamil civilians who were held by the Tamil Tigers as hostages in a human shield,” Lord Naseby underlined.

This conscious decision totally undermines the UN standing as an objective Leader of the Core group; made even worse by the conscious decision not to prosecute the LTTE leader living in the UK largely responsible for recruiting, training and deploying over 5,000 Child Soldiers – a real War Crime,” he said.

Furthermore, the criticism of the way Covid has been handled with no burials for anyone based entirely on scientific advice at a time when there was no advice from WHO shows no understanding. Following the recent scientific advice from WHO burials are now permitted. The UN ignores the fact that only about 400 people on a population of 22m have sadly died in Sri Lanka whereas no less than 120,000+ have died in the UK with a population of 66 million. By any yardstick Sri Lanka has more successful at saving lives than any member of the Core group,” he said.

It seems to me the Core group need to have more faith in the ‘Reconciliation structure already on the ground of the Missing Persons Commission, the Office of Reparations and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission being created but understandably not yet finalised because of the Pandemic. If the UN Core really want to help then why do not the UK, Canada & Germany release to Sri Lanka the names of all Asylum seekers since the war so they can be checked against the list of missing Persons & be removed from the master list,” he stressed.

“It is for Sri Lanka to decide how much help they seek from outside but for me I doubt the need or the efficacy of the UNHRC being able to help in an enhanced monitoring role as proposed,” Lord Naseby added.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

he circular containing the guidelines with regard to the burial of COVID-19 victims has been issued, the Health Ministry said.

Some key guidelines are as follows,

• The relatives of the deceased should inform the Director/ Head of the health care institution (Where the death has occurred) of their desire to bury the corpse without delay.

• The Director of the hospital/ Head of the health care institution should obtain a written request from relatives for burial.

• The relatives need to provide a coffin in advance.

• It is the duty of the director/ Head of health care institution to transport the corpse in a coffin provided by the relatives to a designated location in Colombo Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (office of JMO) / BH Welikanda where the corpse will be received by the designated officer.

• The vehicle transporting the corpse to “Nachchikuda pier” will leave daily at 5.30 a.m. from the designated receiving center nominated by the DGHS.

• Corpse carried by authorized officers will be handed over to the respective authority at the “Nachchikuda pier” which is supervised by the area MOH representative PHI.

• Burial will take place by the facilitation and coordination of the Police/Security personnel at an Island earmarked by the Government of Sri Lanka in the presence of relatives, MOH his representative PHI of the area of burial.

• Religious activities are permitted only at hospital.

• The relatives or unauthorized persons are not permitted to obtain photographs, video and video calls in the health care institution/s.

• Only two relatives are permitted to be present at the burial.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka is expected to receive the first batch of COVID vaccines under the COVAX facility this weekend, says State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudarshini Fernandopulle.

Her remarks came during an event held at the Chilaw Hospital today.

The vaccine consignment with 264,000 doses will accordingly arrive in Sri Lanka on Sunday (March 07).

Under the COVAX facility, World Health Organization (WHO) had agreed to provide Sri Lanka with 20 percent of the vaccine requirement to vaccinate 4.2 million of the population.

COVAX facility is a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure equal distribution among the countries, subsequently to the manufacturing of secure and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

It was launched by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the WHO to ensure access for COVID-19 shots to poor and middle-income countries.

Sri Lanka kicked off its inoculation drive on January 29 upon receiving a consignment of 500,000 COVISHIELD vaccines donated by the Indian Government under its Vaccine Maitri” (Vaccine Friendship) initiative, following a request made by the President to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

COVISHIELD is the name for Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in India. The shots developed by UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca and Oxford University are being mass-produced at Serum Institute of India (SII) – world’s largest vaccine manufacturer.

In the meantime, a consignment of 500,000 doses of COVISHIELD vaccines purchased from India arrived in Sri Lanka on February 25.

The purchase was part of an order signed between State Pharmaceutical Corporation and Serum Institute for 10 million doses of the vaccine valued at USD 52.5 million.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Health Ministry reports that another 130 persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the total cases confirmed within the day to 335. 

All are close associates of the Peliyagoda Covid-19 cluster.

This brings the tally of Covid-19 cases reported in the thus far to 84,226.

A total of 3,285 patients infected with the virus are currently under medical treatment while total recoveries has reached 80,437.

Meanwhile the death toll due to the virus stands at 484.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed one more Covid-19 related death today, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus to 484.

The victim is a 65-year-old woman from Eravur. She had been transferred from the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital to the Mulleriyawa Base Hospital after being identified as Covid-19 positive.

She had passed away at the Mulleriyawa Base Hospital on March 03 with the cause of death reported as blood poisoning and Covid-19 pneumonia. 

Courtesy Adaderana

The Court of Appeal has directed the Attorney General to examine and submit a report on the alleged illegal construction and development projects at the Muthurajawela Wetlands on March 09.

The petitions filed by Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the Center for Environmental Justice seeking an injunction suspending illegal construction and development activities in the Muthurajawela Wetland Zone were taken up today (03) before Justices Arjuna Obeysekera and Mayadunne Corea.

President’s Counsel Shamil Perera, appearing on behalf of the Cardinal, stated that illegal clearing and development activities are still continued at the Muthurajawela Forest Reserve.

Therefore, the President’s Counsel requested the court to issue a restraining order to prevent such activities.

Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Navana, who appeared for the Attorney General at the time, pointed out that the Supreme Court had issued a restraining order in 2017 prohibiting the dumping of garbage into the Muthurajawela Conservation Zone, which is still in effect today.

To the Additional Solicitor General’s remarks, President’s Counsel Shamil Perera responded that the ban only prohibits the dumping of garbage and that illegal construction and development activities are taking place in the area.

Subsequently, the bench directed that the petition be summoned on March 30 for consideration.

What is ironical and hypocritical about the UNHRC Resolutions being drafted against Sri Lanka, is that they are being drafted by countries which have appalling human rights records. Canada is one of the Core Group presenting a draft resolution against Sri Lanka. Canada is home to the bulk of runaway LTTE refugees/asylum seekers and pro-LTTE promoters. We really do not mind if Eelam is declared in Canada, as more Tamils living in Canada are asking for Eelam than the countable handful demanding it in Sri Lanka. The question for Canada is simple. Before pointing fingers accusing Sri Lanka of genocide without proof or facts, come clean on what Canada did to the indigenous children and show the world the hidden graves so the world can finally count the killed and know where their hidden graves are.

From 1883 to 1998, nearly 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families and sent to the government-funded, church-run boarding schools in an attempt to assimilate them.

–       Michele Bachelet maybe you like to comment on this since you refer to Sri Lanka’s IDPs rescued from LTTE being put into ‘internment camps’

Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission 2015 – calls this ‘cultural genocide’

–       Michele Bachelet what is your OHCHR and UNHRC doing about this cultural genocide – it was not only cultural genocide but annihilation of children?

Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission claimed AT LEAST 3200 students died at these residential schools over 115 years.

–       This figure cannot be anywhere near the actual figure given the atrocities were committed over 115 years!

Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission 2015 – made 94 calls to action

–       By 2020 progress has been ‘slow’

Canada that has not yet addressed accountability for its own systematic crimes are pointing fingers at Sri Lanka

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33001425

Canada that has facts and figures of what happened to the indigenous natives who even suffer to this day, prefers to run behind ghost figures of LTTE and ignore the 5000 Missing Sri Lankan soldiers who have names and regiments. So far, Canada that is accusing Sri Lanka of killing 40,000 Tamils has failed to present names of the dead even after 12 years. Instead, US, UK, Canada and EU nations want to use ghost statistics to create precedents using the UNHRC.

Canada needs a Truth & Reconciliation Commission because Canada committed crimes

Sri Lanka does not need such, because all that Sri Lanka did was to eliminate a terrorist movement & save close to 300,000 people who now live without the fear of being kidnapped and turned into child soldiers or LTTE combatants. So there is a major difference in what Canada actually committed and what Canada, UK, US and some EU countries want to present that Sri Lanka has committed sans facts or evidence but based on hype and using their powerful positions internationally.

This is Global North showing off its hegemonic attitude which is nothing but a carrying forward of sadism inflicted by them during their invasion and occupation of what we today call Third World nations.

All of the Third World nations are today what they are and suffering because of the plunder that these Western nations subjected them to and left them with a legacy of education and economic system that continued to keep the decolonized nations enslaved and indebted and under their thumb. Unfortunately, all of the national leaders who stood up to the western hypocrisies were all bumped off – Congo’s Patrice Lumumba and Myanmar’s Aung Sang are the two best examples of West assassinating leaders who threatened them and were bold enough to call their bluff.

Canada is a created country. Canada was built by immigrants after displacing the indigenous who still suffer to this day. Where is the UN/UNHRC and their human rights placards for the indigenous natives of Canada?

These indigenous suffer discrimination even in 2021

https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/opinion/canadas-treatment-of-indigenous-peoples-fits-the-definition-of-genocide/276176

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/native-people-social-conditions

https://origins.osu.edu/article/canada-s-dark-side-indigenous-peoples-and-canada-s-150th-celebration

https://harvardpolitics.com/a-progressive-facade-comparing-the-u-s-and-canadas-treatment-of-indigenous-peoples/

What a façade Canada is living in.

Pretending to be righteous without taking care of discriminations happening inside Canada, but talking shop in the halls of the UN – what hypocrisy is this?

They say people living in glass houses should not throw stones… it aptly fits Canada.

Shenali D Waduge

Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1  . Canada

1 March 2021

Mr. Indra Mani Panday
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva
9 Rue du Valais
Geneva 1202
Switzerland

Dear Mr. Panday:

Re: India  calls upon Sri Lanka to fully implement 13 A to address aspirations of Tamil community/ India signals to Sri Lanka that support in UNHRC should not be taken for granted

This was announced by you on behalf of your employer the Government of India at the UNHRC in Geneva.  I hope for your sake, that your good neighbour in the south heard you speak with an authoritative bullying intimidating voice.  Almost, telling Sri Lanka, if you don’t we will send
screaming low-flying Mirage 2000 fighter jets and  five AN-32s armed with 2 Matra Magic  AAMS and three drop tanks over Sri Lanka violating your air space and scaring the jeepers out of you.  And park not one but two of our warships this time around in the international waters opposite the Colombo harbour as we did on June 4, 1987. Right, Mr. Panday! How could one forget

Sri Lanka’s friendly ‘Bully-boy” neighbour’s Armed Forces choir singing – We love you…we love you…we love you… only if you do what we say…”  an adaptation  of a Beatle’s Song.

And there was something ugly and perverse about that unsolicited parachute drop of 22 tons of food  on the Jaffna peninsula to feed 850 thousand Tamils was strange.  I could see Rajiv Gandhi enjoying the sight of thousands of Tamils fighting each other clawing to pick 5 grains of lentils to boil in water and drink as a lentil soup to fill their hunger.  Ugly, perverse and strange wasn’t it!

I want to prefix my observations and comments by placing on your table – the thread that will string all my comments of Truth and Honesty with – Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the liar of them all.

‘You, coming from the land of Wisdom, I want to remind you that which is FALSE troubles the heart, but the TRUTH brings joyous tranquility’  

In this Note I will speak the truth, and it is for you to understand that I  fear ‘Bullies’ who want to hurt 20.5 million of my people of which I am one.  And I just don’t like it and I resent it.

You, coming from the mighty ‘Big Brother’ land that produced Dharma Asoka, whose edicts are still extant, urging all men to refrain from killing, violence and double-tongued speech, the India which proclaimed Panchaseela as a way of civilized conduct between nations.  This is the same India whose Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave the Sri Lanka Tamil terrorists a self defence capability in the late 1983 and1984, training them in 32 military camps in South India and at the foothills of the Himalayas to fight for their mono-ethnic racist, separate Tamil state, Eelam. This happens to be yours and my recent Indo-Lankan history which still has repercussions , like in today’s UNHRC debates in Geneva.  Whichever way you want to slice your cake of We are good  Brotherly neighbours”, what jumps out are the words – That’s baloney Big Brother you are a Bully and you are Guilty.”  Well, you may wish to ask Mirror.., mirror on the wall, who is the liar of them all.”  See what the Mirror-Of-Truth has to say!

I understand you joined India’s Foreign Affairs in 1990. But let me instil in your mind that I am not a Johnny come lately” on this file, as I was involved in the file seven years prior to you becoming an Indian Diplomat.  But, I together with Asoka Yapa, a young, bright, gutsy Sinhalese-Canadian, with a straight spine strong as a steel rod that would not bend to the strong winds blowing across the Indian Ocean from Tamil Nadu.  We were the first Sinhalese- Canadians who went on ITV’s 6 o’clock evening news in Ottawa, on 4th August,  telling our side of the 1983 Black July riots story, after listening to the Canadian separatist-Tamils spitting, at theirs and our Mother Lanka,  kicking her silly after dropping her on to the floor.    

 We were invited to go in front of the TV cameras eight days after Sri Lanka was beaten up to pulp in Canada by the separatist Tamils. What was disappointing was that her Good friendly neighbour”, your India ignored that beating. There were seven other Sinhalese-Canadians who had refused to speak on the issue, for whatever the reasons were.   When we were asked whether we would speak , as they had heard the Tamil stories for eight consecutive  days non-stop through every print and AV media outlet, and not the Sinhlese side of it,  Bring on the  TV cameras”, we said.  Are you sure, you want to speak on camera.”  O sure,  bring them on,” and the two Asoka’s spoke.

We told the Ottawans and all of Canada, that enough was enough and not to believe the Tamil separatist propaganda lies of their innocent sob stories, as these riots didn’t happen as a flash-mob-riot , but the Tamils were supported by Tamil Nadu politicians, the Ramachandrans, the Karunanidhis, the Jayalalithas and backed by Indira Gandhi, to try and destabilize Sri Lanka through, guns,  Kalashnikov-bullets, hand grenades and   landmines, and worked towards wanting their mono-ethnic, racist, separatist, Tamil  State, Eelam for donkey’s years.  Going back to the 1940s.

The separatist Tamil terrorists ethnic-cleansed the North and East of the island since the 1970s.

1.  These Tamils terrorized and kicked out 27,000 Sinhalese between

  1971-1981 who had lived in the North for generations;

     2.    These Tamils ethnically cleansed the Jaffna University Campus by terrorizing and kicking out 400 Sinhalese lecturers and undergraduates in August 1977.   When they were brought South escorted by the Army and Police in a convoy of buses, they had to lie prostate on the floor of the buses as they were attacked by flying missiles of rocks and stones.  And so you Big Brother India wants to look  after the Aspirations of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.  What! 

Mr Panday, what about the two Asoka’s? We are both Sinhalese.   One a Christian and the other a Buddhist.   We too have aspirations you know’  Isn’t the ‘Bully’ Big Brother India going to look after our   Sinhalese spirations too?  

  Let me whisper into your right ear, what I, this Sinhlese’ aspiration is Mr. Panday.  I want to own a small boutique in the heart of Jaffna to  open a Asoka Kopi Kade, to sell cups of coffee and tea, perhaps with some finger-licking good foods. 

Mr. Panday, you might wonder why I want to open a Coffee & Tea boutique in Jaffna and not in Colombo where I come from…It is an excellent probing question and I am glad you asked me. 

Your Big Brother India is concerned about the Aspiration of the Tamil  Community.   That is silly Mr Panday nor should Prime Minister Modi worry about these Tamils.   They excel in entrepreneurship and business acumen.  If you visit  Colombo, you will find that almost all the Jaffna-Lingams have invaded Colombo’s business district, and minting money emptying the pockets of their patrons who happen to be the majority Sinhalese.  So I wanted to get away from that high strung Tamil competition.    For me, that would have been hard  and a tough exercise.  So my choice was Jaffna Town to start a modest Tea and Coffee boutique.  Mr. Panday, will my mighty ‘Good neighbour’ help this Sinhalese to achieve his aspiration, a dream, as he would for the Tamils.   We happen to speak English in two different accents, we must be the same skin colour,  if I cut my  hand, the red colour of my blood will look the same as that of a Tamil, and I smell good.  So what’s wrong with me?

And all that I hear is Tamil aspiration from you Indians  Let’s be nice to me and stop being so ethnic-discriminatory. 

And I told you that all the Jaffna -lingams have come to Colombo.  

So you might see their -lingam signs sticking out from their shop facades onto the streets and roads like Jothilingam  Gold Jewellers; Panchalingam Sari Emporium; Soththilingam Best Dosa Hut; Mahalingam JaffnaSpices; Lingam-Lingam Advocates; Dharmalingam, Thea and Kopii Kade. So India,  you don’t have to worry about the Tamil aspirations.  They are doing extremely well and a good percentage are millionaires.  So what’re all these veiled threats at UNHRC-cesspool saying, India calls upon Sri Lanka to fully implement 13A to address aspirations of the Tamil community.

 Let me continue with the Northern Tamils effort to sanitize that part  of the island, to make it a 100% Tamil region to tell the world that,  See 100% of the people who live in the North and East are Tamil  people, and our dialect is Tamil,  and we have lived here for  generations, by  Right this One-third of the island belong to us  Tamils,  in this State of Eelam.”   

Right !  India is gung-ho to give them their Eelam.

      3 In October 1990, the Tamil separatists kicked out 81,000 Muslims from the East and North of the island who lived there for centuries and ordering them to leave all their gold and other valuable items at their nearest mosque. 

And you know what, they gave them 24 hours to get out making Idi Amin of Uganda look like an angel, as he gave the Ugandan Indians three months to leave.

And so you Big Brother India wants to look after the Aspirations of the Tamils and not us Sinhalese.  That is a nasty body-blow on us Sinhalese.  Ooooooo and that hurts Mr. Panday when every incoming Sri Lankan Government drums into my skull that India is one helluva friendly neighbour of ours.”  That is poppy-cock, isn’t it?   From now on, my response to the incoming  Government will be,  What, are you nuts.  Are you having a hole in your head?” I am  not sure that India is an honest friend of ours.

             Mr. Panday, let us get this right.  These Tamils who some of the   members of the UNHRC, the cesspool of political bias”, are supporting were for 131 years of Colonial rule  the Privileged Minority”  of 10% of the population, and the 75% of the majority Sinhalese population was the Wrong majority.”  And that is the Holy Truth.  You may verify this fact by asking the Mirror, mirror on  the wall who is the liar of them all.

              Mr. Panday, and you issued a statement on OHCHR report on Sri Lanka, saying that India believed that respecting the rights of the Tamil community, including through meaningful devolution, contributes directly to the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka.

              Respecting the rights of the Tamil people…” Ha! You lost it right there for me Mr Panday.   See who is talking!  You who are representing mighty India,  who couldn’t care two paise… who couldn’t care a damn….who didn’t have the strength, decency and honesty in your heart to acknowledge the amazing Classic War TextBook Act of restoring the paramount Human Right, the right-to-life to 20.5 million Sri Lankans which was hijacked by the most ruthless Tamil Tiger terrorists in the world for 30 bloody years, by their heroes in khaki, blue serge and whites  This was not Cricket, it is not Kosher, it is not a Haro Hara moment either.

I am disappointed.   Ha! and you Talk for your Government of India  asking Sri Lanka to respect the rights of the Tamil Community”. 

With the above immoral anti-Sri Lanka backgrounder, India, you have no moral right to demand those rights for the Tamil community, who had violated the rights and freedoms of the Sinhalese and Muslim communities with impunity, barring their right of freedom to continue living where they had for thousands of years and for generations.

                 Do you know what Mr. Panday?  These Tamils that your India is batting for can live anywhere in Sri Lanka and own land in any nook and corner of the island, but this Sinhalese-Buddhist will not have a Snowball Chance in Hell to own a one-square foot of land in the North and East east because of a Dutch Law.

                Let’s make it right as a Diplomat, first acknowledge what the  Sri Lankan Armed Forces did for their 20.5 million people, and then you can demand respect for the Tamil community.

                THE REPORTER WAS CLEAR as the Sounds of the Ganesh Hindu Temple Bell when he said : India signals to Sri Lanka the support in UNHRC should not be taken for granted.

                 Mr. Panday, I think Sri Lanka would be foolish if they do with their experience having their Heluva good Friendly neighbour”  have let them down many times, to the point that they shouldn’t trust her.

                 That’s the bottom line and that is how the cookie crumbles.

                 Freedom is there for Sri Lanka’ to enjoy, and if she wants to be foolish, so be it.

                 But no doubt, Mr. Panday, India has certainly met with   embarrassment for her arrogant ‘Big Brother Bully Acts.’

                 Mr. Panday, here is something for you to chew on as an Indian Diplomat.  On a day in late July 1989, a Major in the Indian Army who had just returned from Sri Lanka said, The Sri Lankan Government doesn’t  want us, the majority of the Sri Lankan population is against us, even our countrymen do not  want us in Sri Lanka.  So what the hell are we doing there.”

                 And that summarized the issue for Rajiv Gandhi, who was engaged in a political battle in Nepal in the north; disputing Bangladeshi claims over Ganges waters in the east, involved in a costly weapons race with Pakistan in the west, and had tied his troops in a war with Tamil Tigers’ whom they housed, trained, armed and paid to destabilize Sri Lanka in the South.  Rajiv Gandhi whose ego was crushed by the Tamil Tigers was at a considerable cost and loss – just over 1000 of his soldiers dead and sent home in body  Bags. Another 2,500 were injured and maimed for life, at a cost of a staggering Rs. 5 billion rupees.  And crushed India’s ego was that the Indian Peace Keeping Force of the fourth largest army in the world was not able to score a swift victory as planned by India’s army that they had envisaged in July 1987, such as disarming the Tamil Tigers in 72-hours. These were the  Tamil Tiger terrorists whom  India trained in 32 camps in South India and  at the foothills of the Himalayas.

                Mr. Panday, we are told that the US, wants a Strong India to  Combat China.  And the pressure is on Sri Lanka to fall in line with  their thinking.  

                 The vote on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC-the cesspool of political  bias  will be next week we are told.

                 Remember, whatever the geo-politics is requesting you to do,  I hope mighty India, who is supposed to be a good neighbour of Sri  Lanka will not want to screw Sri Lanka onto an  International ‘Jokers’ crucifix.  Remember  India will have to live with the consequences of the Sins of her’s. Mr. Panday, and that is called Karma. 

Surprise Sri Lanka with India’s vote, and I will believe that Mighty India is an honest good friend of Sri Lanka.

                 This Eelam IV War which is still alive in the UNHRC- the cesspool of political bias is because of unsubstantiated lies and damn lies, would never had happened if Indira Gandhi did not train the barefooted Tamil guerillas in 32 camps in India and trained them to shoot straight, and taught them how to trigger a suicide vest for a suicide bombing.  And after graduation sent them back in battle fatigues, and Jack-boots carrying Kalkashnikovs in their arms like babies and festoons of live bullets and not frangipani (Temple flowers) around their necks to destabilize Sri Lanka. And this was the only country that annihilated terrorists almost single handed,. And that was a biggy as it happened to be the most ruthless serial killers in the world of the history of terrorism. history – the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (aka Tamil Tigers).

                  The rest is history.

Haro hara !              

                  Sincerely

                  Asoka Weerasinghe (Mr.)