Extremist Reactions To Condemnation Of The Killings At Weliveriya
Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP
The various reactions to the statement issued by Tamara Kunanayagam and several others about the Weliweriya incident indicate why Reconciliation in Sri Lanka is such an uphill task. One extreme is represented by Kumar Davidwho claimed the statement was hypocritical because it ignored what he described as the tens of thousands of Tamils killed during the war. The other extreme was the view that the statement represented a break with the current government by rats leaving a sinking ship, who will end up with Ranil Wickremesinghe. Meanwhile the email address to which responses were originally requested, weliweriya@gmail.com, was blocked, and it seemed that most Sri Lankan newspapers were wary of carrying the statement.
It is a continuing comfort to be attacked by both sides, since I believe the statement represents the Middle Way. In political terms that is what the Liberal Party as well asBandaranaike’s original SLFP stood for. It is on the basis of such moderation that the statement was made, and it is in line with the general positions on the national question of Dayan Jayatilleka and Tamara and me, who have unfortunately if perhaps understandably been given prominence together in one website which carried the statement.
With regard to the conflict, we have consistently defended the conduct of our armed forces, while we have also made it clear, most compellingly by Dayan in his book which incorporates the idea in its title, that the Sri Lankan government fought a Just War. Though we have all noted that there were civilian casualties, we have, with evidence, noted that charges of indiscriminate firing etc were absurd.
At the same time we have made it clear that there are some allegations, relating to the period after the conflict, which should be investigated. This is now the position also of the Sri Lankan government, following the Report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, and the Action Plan to implement these recommendations which has been adopted by Cabinet. Read More
