'No Fire Zone - The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka

Govt. should formulate its own rules

FRIDAY, 25 JANUARY 2013

The Army proposed to the government that it formulate its own rules to deal with internal war situations as the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) principles, applicable to internal war situations had not adequately addressed various complex issues, and the existing rules were seemingly applied to state actors only.

This was revealed in the report of the Army’s Board of Officers on the Implementation of the Recommendations made by the LLRC.

“The Board observes that at present, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) principles, applicable to internal war situations have not adequately addressed various complex issues and the existing rules are seemingly applied to state actors only. Further, there are no specific guidelines with regard to the role of international humanitarian agencies in internal war situations. Hence, the Board recommends to formulate new domestic rules, covering internal war situations,” it said.

In its report, the army rejected a suggestion by the commission to confine police to civil matters only and stated that, “Board recommends that the Sri Lanka Police be placed under the Ministry of Defence at all times and it proposes that a Ministry of Defence Board should study and make recommendations with regard to the Role of the Police in insurgencies and terrorism. The Board agrees that in many countries the Police do come under the Home Ministry or Provincial Administration. However, the Board notes that such countries do not face widespread internal disorders. Conversely, the Police in some countries that face internal threats have proved to be total failures.”

“With regard to the presence of Military bases in the North and East, the Board observes that the Government has an absolute right to maintain its armed forces anywhere in the Island, according to the country’s strategic and security needs. The Board also notes that military bases are located causing minimum inconvenience to the public and in the aftermath of the Humanitarian Operation, all High Security Zones and many lands previously occupied by the armed forces have been released to the public. However, the Board recommends that the Army should appoint special boards, covering the 4 Security Forces Headquarters that are located in the North and East (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu, Wanni and East) to examine in detail with regard to the lands, presently occupied by the Army and only those lands that are vitally required for security purposes to be retained and such lands be legally acquired at the market value and, in addition, owners should be given alternative lands.”

FULL REPORT

No fair trial for Shirani B – BT poll reveals

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Should Gota be the CEO of Sri Lanka? – Question posed in some business circles

Lawyers, accountants, engineers, architects and various other professionals this week slammed the impeachment of Shirani Bandaranayake in a near unanimous vote saying she was unfairly judged.

Asked in a Business Times poll this week whether Ms Bandaranayake (who says she is legally still the chief justice) got a fair trial, more than 90 per cent of the respondents said NO.

The email poll which asked two more questions drew more than 900 respondents, the highest ever in a BT poll. The street polls by BT partner, Research Consultancy Bureau, were not undertaken this time due to insufficient time. Another island-wide poll on the public impact on consumer prices is under preparation by the BT-RCB polls team to be released in coming weeks.

Asked whether the impeachment procedure was in line with the Constitution, 61.7 respondents said NO, 18.6 per cent said YES while 19.6 per cent were undecided (U). The ‘U’ response here, and comments that followed this response, revealed that many people were unaware about the process or unsure about the constitutional provisions relating to the impeachment of a judge.
Some 77 per cent said the impeachment would have grave consequences for Sri Lanka while11.7 per cent said NO and 10.7 per cent were undecided.

The poll drew a plethora of comments with, in particular, two interesting ones.

“There is another view, often heard in business quarters which are bullish about the prospects for Sri Lanka. They cite the authoritarian rule and political stability of Singapore and Malaysia that led to their development.

Cynics say that that in Singapore and perhaps in Malaysia, corruption was absent or not anywhere close to Sri Lanka’s. Should we make Defence Secretary Defence, Gothabaya Rajapaksa the CEO of Sri Lanka to make our country the Wonder of Asia, is the question they ask,” said one veteran accountant.

Another respondent slammed sections of the Wijeya Newspapers group for what he called “. going shopping to protect the corrupt Shirani Bandaranayake.”

He said, “You never published the negative comments. How come her husband made a deal with a Kotelawala company (The Finance) and is free? This is not a procedure issue; it’s a matter of ethics of the conduct of a judge. Where is your so-called independence in journalism?”

We lost GSP benefit due government's disruptiveness. Dayasiri MP notify at the assembly

GSP benefit was exempted due to government's disruptiveness. The garment factories got closed down as a reflection to this. More garment factories were in the state of not able to operate.

United National Party parliament member Dayasiri Jayasekara made these statements. The parliament met yesterday at 1.00 p.m chaired by Deputy Speaker Chandika Weerakody.

During the verbal answer question time, concerning the garment factories, questions were raised by Dayasiri Jayasekara from the Minister of Finance and Planning. Replies were given by Deputy Financial Minister Dr.Sarath Amunugama.

Dayasiri interrupted and raised a question said, the garment factory sector which does not possess GSP tax exemption, is facing massive crisis. Some factories got closed down.

In future more factories are liable for closure. GSP tax exemption was lost due to the disruptiveness shown was mentioned by him.

In reply Sarath Amunugama said, for everything don't quote GSP tax rebate

Friday , 25 January 2013

Badurdeen supporters grab Tamil lands in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 January 2013, 19:58 GMT]
Rifghan Badurdeen, a brother of SL minister Rishad Badurdeen and his supporters have been grabbing lands of Tamils situated in Thalaimannaar Pier, complain landowners in the area. Several landowners have lodged complaints with the SL police and the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission in Mannaar. But, there has been no action against the illegal land grab by the SL minister who has been causing disharmony among the peoples belonging to different religions. Civil officials in Mannaar have forwarded one of the complaints made in December 2012 to media, exposing the culprits behind the illegal encroachment. 

Mr Badurdeen men are engaged in grabbing lands of Tamils in Thalai-mannaar area in Mannaar DS division and in Maanthai West DS division, civil officials in Mannaar say. 

The SL minister has instructed the police not entertain such complaints, the officials further said. 

Badurdeen’s men have been encroaching into palm groves in Thalai-mannaar while the SL military is also grabbing lands in Ezhuththoor GS division in Mannaar causing panic among the villagers. Similar incidents signaling a systematic land grab have also been reported at Kuthiraik-kea’ni and Paalameen-oadai, and in Maanthai West. 

The Tamil Factor: A Semantic Approach

The Tamil Factor: A Semantic Approach

E A V Naganathan-25 Jan, 2013

Groundviews 

The Tamil factor is best viewed in terms of its impact on language, culture and social institutions in the country.  It is more interesting and rewarding when seen in this perspective than in its political dimension, and less controversial too.

One of the Sinhalese terms that has interested me is ‘walauwa’ which refers both to a place as well as to a social institution.  It comes from the Tamil word ‘valavu’ which denotes a compound or garden, and, by implication, a large house with aristocratic connotations.  My dear friend, the late Mr. Wimaladharma Ellepola lived in his ancestral residence, the Maha Walauwa, Matale and my father’s dear friend, the late Mr. S. Kathiravetpillai, Attorney-at-Law and M.P. Kopay, lived in his ancestral residence, the Maha Valavu, Kopay, thereby metaphorically fusing the nobility of Kandy and Jaffna in a single lofty tradition of semantic and architectural unity in diversity.  The acme of walauwas in the Sinhala social stratum is the ‘wasala walauwa’.  Here the parent term is the Tamil ‘vaasal’, which means an entrance, and derives from the old Tamil word ‘vaayil’.  This in turn originates in the Tamil word for mouth ‘vaay’.  In the Sinhala social hierarchy, the ‘wasala walawa’ would typically be the residence of a ‘mudaliyar’.  But that term also is Tamil ‘mudhaliyar’ being literally ‘the first person’, from ‘mudhal’ meaning ‘first’.  It is related to ‘mudhalali’ a term now pejorised in its usage.  Similar in origin is the Sinhala name ‘muhandiram’.  This derives from the Tamil name ‘muhanthiram’; which originates in the Tamil words ‘muham’ and ‘thiram’ meaning ‘excellent face’.  Likewise the Sinhala ‘aratchi’ derives from the Tamil ‘aaraaychi’, or investigator, originating in the Tamil verb ‘aaray’ to find out.  ‘Kankanam’ related to ‘kangany’ is another Tamil term and means ‘supervision’.  “Aratchi and ‘kankanam’ form part of several Sinhala ‘vasagama’, otherwise ‘vasaham’, names.

The Sinhala ‘nilame’ is a transliteration of the Tamil ‘nilamai’, which means ‘status’ or ‘condition’.  Likewise ‘adigar’ is derived from the Tamil ‘adhikaram’, meaning ‘authority’.  ‘Vidane’ is from ‘vidhanai’.  ‘Dissa’ is from “thissai’.  The Sinhala ‘ge’ names are interesting in denoting the Tamil factor in the architecture of the Sinhala social hierarchy.

The sight of the over-ornate, funeral hearses called ‘ransiviges’ used for conveying Buddhist monks on their last terrestrial journey, reminds me that ‘sivige’ derives from the old Tamil word ‘sivihai’ or ‘palanquin’.  It is now out of use, having been replaced by the other Tamil word ‘pallakku’ from which derives the English word ‘palanquin’.  In Sinhala too, there is the alternative name ‘doliya’.  The golden palanquins’ or ‘ran doliyas’ originally referred to the queens of Kandy, all seven generations of whom, after Dona Catherina, were Nayakkars, who brought up the rear on the last day of the Dalada Perahera, preceded by the King on horseback or carriage and followed by the royal concubines, the ‘yakada doliyas’ in metal palanquins, and finally all the nobility of Kandy and their ladies on foot in all their finery, making a brave show, which, alas, fell into desuetude after the British conquest.

Another Sinhala term ‘mura’ meaning guard duty or watch service is interesting as derived from the Tamil word ‘murai’ meaning ‘duty turn’, and, in the process of transformation, taking on a definitive meaning of its own.  Thus, in Tamil ‘guard duty’ would be ‘murai kaaval’ meaning ‘guard duty by turns’ with ‘kaaval’ meaning ‘guarding’.  In Tamil, a guard would be a ‘kaaval kaaran’, in Sinhala, a guard is a ‘murakaraya’.  Sinhala shows itself a wonderfully agile combine of Tamil words transforming them synergetically to suit its own purpose.  ‘Panivudaya’ meaning ‘message’ is another Sinhala word in the same category.  It is made up of two Tamil words ‘pani’ meaning ‘message’ and ‘vidai’ meaning ‘reply’.  Today both words are out of use, being replaced by ‘thahaval’ meaning ‘message’ and ‘pathil’, meaning ‘reply’.  In Sinhala, however, they are in standard use, as a compound word with, however, a slight variation in meaning.  This symbiotic relationship of the two languages of the two neighbouring peoples deserves deeper study by the savants of both languages.

Where place names are concerned, it is generally acknowledged that all those place names ending ‘kulame’ are derived from ‘kulam’ meaning tank or pond.  There is another Tamil ‘kulam’ meaning class or status, equivalent to the Sinhala ‘kula’, but that is in a different linguistic context.  Several of the wards of Anuradhapura town are ‘kulams’ e.g. Ponnarankulam, Kuruvikkulam, etc.  These would be the names of the Vanni villages established there in the course of time.  Bulankulama which gives its name to a leading Kandyan Sinhala family is derived from the Tamil “Puliyankulam”, ‘puliyam’ referring to the Tamarind tree which grows plentifully in those parts.  I used to teasingly pronounce Wellawatte as “Wellawattai’, ‘Bambalapitiya’ as “Bambalapitti’, and Bandarawela as ‘Bandarawelai’ to my friend Mohan Wijesinghe, who would immediately admonish me.  I was comforted when later my nephew, Chandrahasan Elankovan, who has grown up in India, informed me that a whole number of villages in the Deccan, let alone Tamil Nadu, have names ending with ‘vatththai’, ‘iddi’, ‘valai’ and ‘pokkanai’, similar to Myliddy, Mullaiyavalai and Puliyampokkanai in Jaffna.  It is sad that historical place names e.g. Amparai, which my brother-in-law, Dr. Rudraj Edwards enlightened me, literally means “Alahiya parai” or  ‘Beautiful Mountain’, should have been officially re-named ‘Ampara’ which makes no sense in either language, a case of the cultural vandalism that has afflicted the country since 1956.

On the question of food, I used, as a boy, to think that the typical Tamil dishes were thosai, iddly and vadai, while hoppers, string hoppers and pittu were Sinhala although their Tamil names i.e ‘appam’, ‘idiappam’ and ‘puttu’ were similar.  My father set me right.  He had been born and raised in the old Madras of Presidency days.  He told me that the food made of ‘ulundhu’ or black gram flour was the diet of the Brahmins, while the food made of rice flour was eaten by the other castes.  I then noticed that many of the Colombo ‘Saiva’ eating houses advertised themselves as ‘Brahmin Lodges’.  I came to know that ‘pittu’ is the staple in Andhra Pradesh, where it is referred to as ‘peet’ or even ‘beet’, as Telegu has the letter ‘b’ in its alphabet.  I don’t think I have eaten tastier hoppers than those made of red rice flour on the pavements of the Sinnakadai in Karaiyoor, Jaffna.

As a matter of interest the word rice is generally acknowledged as deriving etymologically from the Tamil ‘arisi’ (see any lexicon).  There is, therefore, ground for inferring that as the Aztecs of Mexico domesticated maize, so did the Tamils domesticate rice.  Anicut’ derives from Tamil ‘anaikattu’; ‘vaavi’ is the Tamil word for man-made lake, and ‘wewa’ derives from it.  The whole of the Deccan is dotted with irrigation lakes of water conducted by canals from river flows diverted by anicuts.  As I noticed when travelling by car in Tamil Nadu, both the major Tamil Nadu rivers, the Vaihai (Pandya) and the Kaveri (Chola), are bone dry.  Their waters have been impounded upstream for irrigation and electricity generation.  The hydraulic system in Lanka is a construct common to innumerable such systems in all of the Deccan.  Topography and climatology being similar, it is there that one has to look for the template.  Lanka is geologically and geophysically an extension of the Deccan.

The defining rice-coconut culture, which marks the Sinhala population settled in the South and Southwestern parts of the country, is reflected in only one other part of the world i.e. Kerala and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.  Where else is the boiling of milk in a pot till it boils over observed as the start of rituals connected with festivities on auspicious occasions, or a preparation of a meal of rice boiled in coconut milk customarily constitute the central item of the traditional food served on such occasions, not to mention the other sweetmeats fried in coconut oil?  In fact the Tamil name ‘Pongal’ for the festival held on the 15^th January each year to mark the entry of the Sun into Capricorn, means ‘the rising of the boiled milk in the pot’ from the verb ‘pongku’ meaning ‘leap up’.  Organically, such rituals can only originate and flourish in lands where coconut and rice co-exist, and enter into every aspect of the life of the people.

The ritualistic and decorative aspects of social life including personal dress, hair styling etc. are another area of great potentiality for observing syntheses between Tamil or, otherwise, South Indian matrices and Sinhala artifacts or products.  The brass lamp is one such.  It is a necessary feature of any social or religious ceremony in Sri Lanka, on the one hand, and Kerala and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, on the other.  The lamps on both sides are identical in shape and design.  Splendid specimens as tall as 2 metres stand at the central shrines in the great temples of Chidambaram (Tillai) and Madurai.  The manufacture of this brassware in Sri Lanka is traditionally undertaken by a community with ‘ge’ names that denote South Indian origins.  The opening of a coconut flower is an alternative way of declaring open a formal function in Lanka.  But so also is it in Kerala.

The designing of gold and choice of gemstones for jewellery, traditionally red, white and green in colour, disclose another area of identity between Lanka on the one hand, and Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu, on the other.  I remember some years ago that Swarnamahal Jewellers got down some jewellers from Kerala and employed them in the manufacture of some distinctive patterns of plain gold jewellery, in great secrecy.  They were duly displayed in all the Swarnamahal shops, but it didn’t take long for these designs to be copied by others.  This is typical.  The traditional jewellery occupational community resident in the very deep south of the country has long had its men-folk wearing similar lockets on chains round their necks.  Identical lockets are a common feature of the decorative wear of Kerala men.  The traditional set of ‘attiyal’ and ‘padakkam’, and ‘padakkam’ and ‘malai’, and ‘thodu’ worn particularly by Kandyan women, is Tamil in origin, as the names denote.

Those of you who have had the opportunity of reading through or simply glancing at the pages of Ferguson’s ‘Twentieth century Impressions of Ceylon’ would find it a fascinating exposition of upper class life in the Ceylon of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  All the Sinhala ladies (there are no simple women in these pages) are draped in long skirts and full long-sleeve jackets, generally of lace.  All the Tamil ladies are shown wearing the saree, with or without the ‘tail’.  What about the Kandyan ladies?  They are seen faithfully wearing the ‘osariya’.  But it seems, according to a high-ranking Kandyan lady, learned in the law, that the ‘osariya’ is worn in the western districts of Karnataka and the northern districts of Kerala, too.  Of course, the long, frilled lace collar, the puff sleeves of the jacket and the short pleated semi-skirt from the waist to half way down the thigh are the vestiges of the Portuguese court dress Dona Catherina wore customarily from her early years as the ornament of the vice-regal court of Goa.  All the little girls going to ‘daham pasal’ on Sundays in ‘lama sarees’ are dressed in a sartorial tradition stretching back to 17^th c. Portugal.    Sinhala culture has always proven supremely versatile.  Together Sinhala and Tamil culture in their synthesis have shown a wonderful synergy.  The choice of the Tamil white cotton ‘vertti’ and collarless long-sleeved white cotton shirt and folded long white cotton scarf round the neck as the official Sinhala national dress, is a striking example.  It is sported by M.P.s, ministers and all senior politicians, beginning with the illustrious J. R. Jayawardene and S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, down to their present day successors.

Into this category fall the Kandyan ‘nilame’ costume than which a more conspicuous mix of Portuguese, Dutch and South Indian dress codes cannot be found anywhere else.  It is a case of the ‘demonstration effect’.  I am informed that these kits are provided to present-day grooms by costumiers and jewellers  on loan.  In their desire to be exotic these grooms are donning shoes hand-made in the same material as their ‘hattas’, with pointed up-turned toes, which are notr authentic.  The caste system was so ferociously enforced in Kandy of the kings that no one but the king could wear footwear.  All pictures and photographs of nilames in the old days show them barefooted.

Have you noticed a tendency for a fair cross-section of the vegetables that appear on our tables to be known by names ending in the suffix “kka”?  this nomenclature is derived from the Tamil “kaay” meaning fruit.  Hence, “vattakka” from “vattakkaay’ meaning round fruit, or ‘bandakka’ from ‘vendikkaay’, and ‘murunga’ from ‘murungakkay’ etc..  Then there is ‘hodhi’ from ‘sodhi’, ‘sambol’ from ‘sambal’,, ‘parippu’ from ‘paruppu’, ‘keera’ from ‘keerai’, ‘pani’ from ‘paani’, etc.  The symbiosis of Tamil and Sinhala in every vestige of Sri Lankan life is conspicuous.  It extends from ‘kondai’ the hair knot to ‘pettagamas’ (‘pettahams’) to ‘curry’.  ‘Rice and curry’ is, etymologically Tamil.  In the Wesak period one may note ‘pandal from ‘pandhal’ and ‘thoran’ from ‘thoranam’ and ‘kooduwa’ from ‘koodu’.  The count of such shared words would run into the hundreds, e.g. ‘varipanang’ from ‘varipanam’, ‘podhu’ in both languages, meaning ‘common’ etc.

The Lankans are a polyglot people of races and ethnicities drawn from all parts of India, and from South-east Asia, West Asia and East Africa.  The penetration of the Tamil factor in the language, culture and social institutions of the other ethnicities living in this country has been a synergetic, let alone a synthesizing force, apart from being a fascinating and rewarding field of study.  The country is unique in being the home of such a mosaic of races, religions, languages, ethnicities and caste groups, over so long a period of time, that it is a veritable gold mine of dazzling anthropological prospects for any serious student of history, sociology or linguistics.  Sadly, except for Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy there has been no qualified social scientist who has chosen to tap the enormous potential of this field except Dr. Mrs. Kumari Jayawardena, in her extremely erudite and exciting survey ‘From Nobodies to Somebodies’.

From A Sinhalese To All Sinhalese

By Hiran Gunaratne -January 24, 2013 

Dear all,

First, I would like to introduce myself that I am Hiran Gunaratne, Colombo Sri Lanka.

The aim of this mail is to express my views on mails I received from ‘lakgunegroup@googlegroups.com’  which is influencing to create racism among our Sri Lankan communities.  I believe that my views would bring some result on the matter I am trying to express.

The whole purpose of this mail is to make you’ll to understand on very important matter which is harming us and making all of us as indecent Sri Lankan. Therefore, I kindly request all of you’ll to read this mail completely and if you wish you can share your views with me

As you’ll know we are just trying to stand ourselves as a nation after a bitterest experience of a terrible war of thirty years.  The net result is, we lost thousand of good people in this country by destroying our wealth and increasing anger amongst our communities.

Now I will come to the subject what I need to discuss with you’ll.  Why are we trying to start again a similar era hurting Muslims and Tamils?  If you look at us as three communities Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims are the only three set of people living in this country. Our history reminds us living together in harmony. That is why we are representing one national flag for one country. Unfortunately our younger generation is totally misguided by opportunists and politicians for their survival.

I am pleading, what we are trying do is nothing but fulfilling our dirty politicians and opportunists ideas. And as a good Sinhalese community we try to deteriorating our self by contributing for these evil acts of few uneducated individuals.  In every society we can see good and bad people living. But we cannot blame the entire community.  To handle bad action there is a legal system in our country.

Apart from our Sinhalese community, Tamils and Muslims we cannot reject. They are our Sri Lankan. They do not belong any other country.  If you look at, Malaysia, 60% Muslims, 20% Chinese- Buddhist and 20% Tamils. Have you’ll ever heard any ethnic problems there? See how much they are developed than us and enjoy the life. The reason is, they do everything together and respecting each other and they enjoy good life.  Take Singapore, 50% Chinese, 25% Muslims, 25% Tamils. Still they respect each other’s and do well in every area. The secret is that both countries are totally against discrimination and racialism.  And they respect each other identity, religion, language, culture etc. They believe the success is only if you join together as human being.

If you’ll think of war we faced, who helped us financially? Not India or China. They are only trying to grab our country. China and India not given us anything free. If they give 10 rupees they make sure to take 100 rupees from us. China gave arms to us during war time on huge money.  India the same. Today India is trying grab all the good lands in Colombo for what we are suppose to pay them as loan what taken.  China is taking all the good projects in our country.  And they are trying to split us again with their rivals.

The only countries helped us and still helping us are the Middle East countries. Not a single so call America and any European countries helped us substantially.  All of us remember when UN went against us on humanitarian issues, all America and Europe countries voted against us. Ok, that is all right, what about India? Our close friend. India did not vote favor of us. Only Malaysia, Iran, Russia and other Middle-East countries voted us on favor.

Today, what is our export? It is totally destroyed.  Who’s responsible? Our politicians. Because of poor foreign policies and relationships and bad administration.  How are we getting our foreign  currency to pay back loans and our politicians to go around the world and spend million of dollars.  It’s only from the salaries of our people go and work in Middle East countries.  Otherwise, from where are we getting foreign currency?  If Middle East countries stop our workers, that is the end of our labour export. That is the only export we have right now. All Europe, America, Japan and Australia are tightening their immigration rules to stop our people going to those countries. Only Middle-East countries are open for us to go and work and send money home.

Next, who give us oil for longer credit and on low price? If oil is stop what is our plight. Only middles east countries give us oil on concession price. Iran is contributing the large part of it.  I think you must know that recently Iran donated us two billion rupees of money that we are supposed to pay them on oil.  They donated us that money without taking back.

Pakistan is the only country who gave us technology during war.  Their expertise knowledge in wars and experience shared with us to win the war. Not America and any European country. What did India give us to win the war?

Who buys our tea? Majority is Middle-East countries. India and Bangladesh captured the European market. Think positively, has any Middle-East country forced us on anything like India, China and European? We are a small country without technological power. We need to have good friends around us for us to survive in these global arenas.  And no powerful country would help us other than these countries I mentioned above.

Your mails against Muslims and Tamils are receiving to most Sri Lankan abroad and other nations around the world. They all are rejecting your act as we are an uncivilised country. We are not opened minded and we still holding unpopular and unwanted differences amongst our people.

Because we are lack of enlightenment, we try to show anger and jealousy over Muslims, Tamils or anybody, see how much wrong we are doing within our Sinhalese community. So many killings, many rape cases, unjust is everywhere, politicians put us against each other, our wealth is only amongst few families,  see our legal system which is more than hundred year old and not serving for innocents. Analyse our education system, it has totally destroyed. Look at our health system; it is only a big talk. What has happened to our farmers?  Why are they suicide?   What are we eating? Do our majority eat at least good one meal a day?  All take-away. How can we bring a healthy society in the future? All will be sick people with malnutrition.   The net result is, we would not have good thinkers in our society,

Muslims good at business because their religious leader, Prophet Mohammed led his life as a trader.  And they go in that way. Tamils give more priority for education, hardworking and in that they are successful.  We as Sinhalese blame the government from the day we got our degree from the university because government is responsible for providing us jobs. Whereas Muslims and Tamil, start at least collecting bottles and papers to start their living. And that way they become good business peoples. Don’t forget they have come up in hard way. What do we do? Without thinking on any innovative way, blaming the government that they don’t give jobs for us.     Or we are jealous over successful people whether Muslims, Tamil or Sinhalese by wasting our time talking gossip around us.

Don’t forget we need the international whether we like it or not. All our good and bad acts are watch by them very closely.

Are we really raising our voice against the unjust happening in this country? No, we only know to do everything behind the back. (Not all, please)

Please, I am repeating don’t take me wrong. This is the truth. And I kindly beg from you’ll to think about truth of this.

We believe in Buddhism as our faith, but are we practising the same way? We break the main five principles every day. Can we call us as good Buddhists? No, we believe in multiple faiths like many gods.  Aren’t we using our Buddhism for advantages in life?  Whereas Muslims and Tamils are live with their religions to some extent.  How much of liquor production in this country? It is getting doubled every year.

Who drink this liquor? Only Sinhalese 95% of it.  Who destroy Buddhist temples and Buddha statues? Who kills Buddhist monks? Is it Tamils or Muslims? NO we who do that. So, can we call Buddhist? See how much of unknown killing happening in this country? How much rape cases happening daily? Is our media favour of us? No, they are in the pocket of our politicians.

– Talk to your inner mind (please, only those who are guilty)

So, can’t we raise our voice against our own wrong doings?    

Why we jealous over petty thing of other communities? Can Muslims and Tamils get rid of from this country by pointing one finger at them while our three fingers pointing at us? (Please, those who know history they know what I mean) NO, they are our part of community.  We need to go together than spreading these ethnically violent emails around the country and in abroad.  In the international picture we have no place to stand because of our own dirty attitudes of some. We are famous in our hospitality. Is it only for foreigner? Why can’t we have that now within us? Like our parents and grandparents did?

I beg you thousands times, please stop such emails that you’ll spreading against our own part of communities.  That only create unrest, unpleasantness and finally we are digging our own grave by showing our barbaric qualities to the world. We destroy our own soul, character, families, society and country. Finally we are totally living against our faith.

We will try to learn business from Muslims, we will try to learn hardworking from Tamils.  Muslims and Tamil want to go together. But we who trying to spread anger amongst them. (Not all our Sinhalese, but few under political agendas, true Sinhalese are peaceful and good human beings)  Just because they are good at hardworking and business we should not raise our voice and have jealousy over them. We should be happy to have such people in our society. We must mix our capabilities and talents to the economy of this country to develop as one nation. Otherwise we will continue to split and finally nobody would be successful.

I am not forgetting that, still our country’s society there are many good people living in and out of the country.  I respect all of them. They are much opened minded, Understanding good human being. Also many good private organizations are there in our country try to treat everyone equally. At the same time sad to mention, certain private organization also executing hidden agenda on racism. Not forgetting to admire our Christian community who always choose to be very moderate.

Think as an individual. Don’t get trap with politician’s tricks for short victories. Think of our future that if all three communities live together in harmony only we can enjoy good life in this country. Unfortunately most of our Buddhist leaders are also behind this materialistic world. Therefore, we can’t expect any good from them. (Only very few Buddhist monks are good but they don’t come to public, because they know what Buddha taught us).

We will STOP Jealousy!!! Live by the true faith and values in this short span of life.

Cheers and thanking you for kind consideration

Hiran

hirang.lk@gmail.com

*Cartoon courtesy Avantha Artigala

Events: Stop Discrimination On Colour, Language, Ethnicity And Caste!

By Hiran Gunaratne -January 24, 2013 

Launching UK branch of Equal Rights Movement of Sri Lanka -

Stop discrimination on colour, language, ethnicity and caste!

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400 ballot papers marked for ‘Swan’ found at Kalagedihena

A large number of ballot papers of the 2010 presidential election with the vote marked to ‘Swan’, the election symbol of Gen. Sarath Fonseka, have been found near Kalagedihena MV adjoining Colombo – Kandy road.

The official ballot papers found yesterday (24th) morning were of Nuwaraeliya District. Finding ballot papers at various places that should be kept locked in Election Secretariat has given rise to serious suspicion regarding the result of the election.

The office of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa is very close to the school from where the ballot papers have been found.

Before the results of the 2010 presidential election were announced there was pandemonium at the Election Secretariat and then Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dishanayake publicly said he was under stress.

General Fonseka and many others said the election was a fraud and did not accept the result as correct.

400 ballot papers have been found by Nittambuwa Police on information given by a person by phoning 119.

BoI of Sri Lanka Hacked

The hacker Davy Jones continues to target high-profile websites from Sri Lanka. His latest victim is the official website of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (investsrilanka.com). The site’s entire database, including the details of over 2,000 investors and other “important” documents, has been published on the Internet. “Anyone want to invest in Sri Lanka please contact me because I will handle all investing data from now as I have intruded in their database,” the hacker said. EHN reveals that this isn’t the only Sri Lankan site hacked by Davy Jones in the past 24 hours. He has also breached the website of the Lotus Pond Theater, which bears the name of the country’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa. At the time of writing, the theater’s website was taken offline. (Softpedia)

2013-01-25

Rain rules Batticaloa district

[ Friday, 25 January 2013, 02:26.32 PM GMT +05:30 ]

Low lands in the Batticaloa district submerged with flood water and people were evacuated from these lands.

Transportation between Mandoor- Wellaweli, Wellaweli- Kaakachchiwatti completely halted in these areas. Poratheevipatru Divisional secretariat Vilwaratnem ordered officials of the district disaster management center and STF conduct boat service for people to visit safety zone. Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian P.Ariyanendiran , deputy director of the Batticaloa district disaster management unit Inbanadhan and several other officials visited the Waytruchenai village and monitored present situation of flood victims in the village.More than 120 families vastly effected from flood situation in this area. 54 families displaced due to flood situation at the Ranamadhu area. Sluice gates of the Nawagiri tank opened. Chief engineer of the Batticaloa district A.Krishanthan announced 2 sluice gates of Urugamam tank and 3 sluice gates of Unichchai tanks were opened in the district. Officer of the Metrology department M.Sooriyakumar said within the past 24hours 145.3 mm rain falls reported in the Batticaloa district. Military personals currently distribute essential food items for flood victims.

Catalonia’s declaration of sovereignty an example for Eezham Tamils

[, Friday, 25 January 2013, 11:09 GMT]
The Parliament of Catalonia on Wednesday adopted a resolution declaring the Catalan people, largely inhabiting the Catalonian North-eastern region of Spain, as a sovereign entity with the rights to self-determination. "The people of Catalonia have - by reason of democratic legitimacy - the character of a sovereign political and legal entity," the declaration read, with many claiming that this was the first step towards a referendum to be possibly held on 2014. Eezham Tamils should take note of the political terminology used by the Catalan leaders, especially the use of terms like ‘sovereignty’ and ‘nation’ as different from ‘nationality’, in effectively articulating the demands of their people and securing their rights, young generation Tamil political observers in the island said. 

The resolution was passed with the approval of 85 votes in the 135 member Parliament, backed mainly by the ruling nationalist CiU party and the leftist ERC.

The Catalan regional government headed by Artur Mas, leader of the Convergence and Union (CiU) party, views the successful passing of this declaration as a shot in the arm for their plans of holding a referendum by 2014. 

The declaration states that the Catalonian parliament has begun “the process to bring about the exercising of the right to decide so that the citizens of Catalonia can choose their political, collective future”.

Mr Mas described the vote as historic, adding that it “will lead the country to where the majority of us want to go”, the Irish Times reported on Thursday. 

While the declaration was backed by Republican Left Party the ERC and other left political groups like ICV and CUP, it was opposed by the Catalan Socialist Party, who have been demanding for autonomy but not independence, and the representatives of Spanish right-wing People’s Party. 

“Most Catalonian people do not want independence, they do not want this division. What you are doing today is applying pressure in defiance of the Spanish government,” Euronews cited Alicia Sanchez, leader of the People’s Party of Catalonia. 

In September 2012, over 1.5 million Catalans, roughly 20% of Catalonia’s population, rallied on the streets of Catalonian capital Barcelona demanding independence. 

The rise of modern Catalan nationalism and the desire for sovereign self-governance can be traced to the 19th Century. With the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, Catalonia was able to gain considerable provisions for self-rule under a Statute of Autonomy in 1932.

These gains were reversed after the victory of General Franco’s fascist forces over the Republicans at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939. Under Franco’s dictatorship, which lasted till 1975, Catalonia’s autonomous status was annulled and the Catalan language was prohibited from public usage with the imposition of Spanish as the sole national language. Likewise, Barcelona, which was a major site of anti-fascist resistance, faced severe repression.

After the restoration of democracy in Spain in 1978, Catalonia regained its autonomous status. Catalan nationalism, which is based on language rather than ethnicity, had grown stronger in the last years of the Franco regime. After democratization and the granting of autonomy, Catalan nationalist parties have dominated the regional government. 

The usage of the term ‘nation’ by Catalan leaders to describe the Catalan people has irked many Spanish nationalists. 

The Spanish constitution of 1978 recognizes Catalonians as a ‘nationality’ with the ‘right to self-government’.

Article 2 states “The Constitution is based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish Nation, the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards; it recognizes and guarantees the right to self-government of the nationalities and regions of which it is composed and the solidarity among them all.”

However, the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia states “In reflection of the feelings and the wishes of the citizens of Catalonia, the Parliament of Catalonia has defined Catalonia as a nation by an ample majority. The Spanish Constitution, in its second Article, recognises the national reality of Catalonia as a nationality.”

The recently passed declaration by the Catalonian parliament that claimed that the Catalan people have “the character of a sovereign political and legal entity” has at its heart the understanding that the Catalan people constitute a nation, with historical sovereignty over their territory, as different from nationality.

The arguments for a referendum in the future also stem from this conceptual understanding.

In the case of the Eezham Tamils, the argument for a just and sustainable political solution based on the recognition of Eezham Tamils as a nation was succinctly made in the Tamil Sovereignty Cognition (TSC)declaration which was based on the premise that the Eezham Tamils are entitled to historical, earned and remedial aspects of sovereignty.

The TSC declaration, formulated after interactions with a wide-spectrum of like-minded people, across the globe, was released on November 2011 by youth activists based in Tamil Nadu, Canada, Switzerland and the USA.

The basic principles of the TSC declaration were adopted as a working programme by several youth, grassroots and democratically elected diaspora organizations last year. 

Keeping the recent developments in Catalonia in mind and observing the manoeuvres by world powers to lead the Eezham Tamils into a blind alley by abstract and misleading terms like ‘internal self-determination’, ‘self-rule’, ‘nationality’ and others, it is imperative that Tamil political organizations begin to take up the concrete points outlined in the TSC declaration in all their political interactions with external organizations, young generation Tamil politicians from the island told TamilNet. 

The concrete manner in which the Catalan politicians have been using the terms ‘nation’ as different from ‘nationality’, ‘sovereignty’ as a premise for ‘self-determination’, can be taken as positive examples, they added.