The Bodu Bala Sena And The Sinhala Psychosis

By Charles Sarvan -February 23, 2013

Charles Sarvan

Of course, when I say “Sinhala psychosis”, I don’t mean all Sinhalese: it’s merely an imprecise, but convenient, shorthand. Several Sinhalese individuals and groups, recognizing the Sinhala psychosis, its irrationality, hatred and what they lead to,  stand up against it, at great cost to themselves and their families. They do so on grounds of principle and ethics; on the conviction that all human beings are essentially equal and, therefore, entitled to equal treatment. Their stance compels respect. As for the other term, ‘psychosis’, it can be defined as a mental condition in which contact with reality, the real state of affairs, is lost.

The Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Strength Force, sounds the alarm of imminent and mortal peril to the Sinhalese “race” and Buddhism. (On “race”, see note at the end.) “The house is on fire!” “The enemy is battering down the gates!” “The ship is sinking!”  What constitutes the menace at present turns out, primarily, to be the Muslims – they make up only about 8% of the population. Since what obtains in Sri Lanka is the majoritarian system of government (as distinct from real democracy), Sinhalese Buddhists are firmly and totally in power. Therefore, the panic is absurd in the extreme: it’s not a fear but a phobia. Yet the notion of grave and imminent danger to “race” and religion is given credence, taken seriously. (As Voltaire said, those who are led to believe absurdity can also be led to commit atrocity.) The elephant trumpets to fellow elephants that he is about to be run over by two or three small foxes. Imagine a political party in Pakistan whose political platform is the cry that Islam is about to be overwhelmed by another religion. Do the leaders of the Bodu Bala Sena really believe their own cry, or is it an excuse to appoint themselves the defenders of “race” and religion and, on those grounds, stake a claim to power? Or are religion and “race” being used to dismantle, and take over, Muslim commercial ventures? (See, attitudes towards the Jews during Nazi times, a very small minority accused of wielding too much influence and power.)

It would be easy to dismiss the Bodu Bala Sena as belonging to the lunatic fringe, but history has shown that those ridiculed, underestimated and dismissed have gone on, if not to seize power, then to significantly influence events. An attempt must be made to rationally understand the irrational. As several writers, both indigenous and foreign, have noted, in Sri Lanka an overwhelming majority has a minority complex – and with the sense of insecurity and fear the latter breeds.

The life instinct is fundamental to the species, and goes to explain why the fear of not surviving is such a strong, basic and primitive (“primitive” not in a negative sense) emotion. The drive to survive leads to the fear of diminution or elimination. In turn, fear can take possession, making us react irrationally; be willing to be cruel and destructive. Scientists have studied how the introduction of fear can change, radically and negatively, behavior patterns in animals and humans. Politicians have realized, and made use of the fact that fear is a very potent force, stampeding us to atavism. Instill survival-fear, and the human herd will lash out, violently and cruelly. In politics, sadly, fear energizes and mobilizes far more effectively than appeals to compassion and unselfishness. Fear is a much more effective weapon than love; far more powerful than the appeal to reason or to concepts of justice, decency and equality. Insecurity and fear make a group seek power, domination, control and, through them, safety and survival. Frustration with the present state of affairs can also be a factor, leading to the hunt for (group self-exculpating) scapegoats. Further, attacking scapegoats diverts attention from real causes and failure.

In my opinion, the Bodu Bala Sena excites and exacerbates a psychosis lying latent in the collective rather than creating it. Since significance often lies not in the major and the dramatic but in the casual, the humorous, the seemingly trivial, I cite an instance. Many, many years ago, my mother wrote from Dehiwela where she lived to a friend of mine, warmly thanking him for his care and visits, even though I, the original connecting-link, had emigrated, and was no longer there. In turn, my friend wrote to me in London saying that he was going to frame mother’s letter so that if, one day, the Tamil Tigers were to come to his house, he could win their indulgence by showing it to them. The point is that my friend (now deceased) did not live, say, in Wellawatte which has a large Tamil concentration but in a small village in Balapitiya where few had ever inter-acted with a Tamil. My friend’s joke pointed to the phobia that then prevailed: the Tamil Tigers (who perhaps numbered 20,000 at their height) were going to take over the whole island. (That both my friend’s sons were in the army, and their lives endangered, may help towards understanding.)

Phobia, as distinct from fear, though unfounded and irrational, is very real to those infected (one would say, “possessed”) by it. Indeed, a phobia, being generalized and vague, rather than factual and logical, can become more real than fear grounded in reality. This is the danger of the Bodu Bala Sena and why to dismiss them with disregard as not deserving of attention is a mistake.

How this psychosis took root over the years; came to exist and flourish, is a complex phenomenon that historians and sociologists have attempted to explain. But their findings have not reached the popular mind and imagination (partly because most of the discourse has been in English).  Group self-understanding, rationality and sanity will extirpate phobia, and dispel present obsessions. Real issues and problems will, hopefully, then come to preoccupy the people.

Note. I place the word “race” within marks because it has long been established that there is no scientific basis for race. Studies of the human genome leave no doubt that the genetic endowment of humanity is a single continuum. Race is a fiction. We are all cut from the same genetic cloth.  For example, there is no known Jewish gene: Richard Lewontin, ‘Is there a Jewish Gene?’, NYRB, 6-19 December, 2012.  As for the Aryan race, even during the period of the Buddha, in the sixth century BCE, the term Aryan ceased to have any racial connotation. It was simply a descriptive term meaning ‘noble’: Gananath Obeyesekere , quoted byS. J. Thambiah in ‘Sri Lanka: Ethnic Fratricide and the Dismantling of Democracy’, London, 1986. The dynasty of Tamil kings who ruled the Tamil kingdom of Jaffna in the 13^th and 14^th centuries boasted the nameAriya-cakkaravarti (Aryan universal monarchs) and their capital was called Cinkainakar (Lion City).  See also the 1882 publication of the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, reprinted by Asian Educational Services, India, 1996, under the title Ibn Batuta in the Maldives and Ceylon: “All the Kings of Jaffna seem to have been called Ariya or Ariyan – an old title in India” (note at the end of page 37)

Sri Lankan military urged to withdraw from former war zones

Updated 22 February 2013, 21:52 AEST

A major humanitarian organisation in Sri Lanka says the de-militarisation of former war zones is vital, for displaced civilians who return.

Sri Lankan military urged to withdraw from former war zones (Credit: ABC) 

The Sri Lankan military has defended its ongoing presence in the Tamil majority north and east, pointing to 'security sensitive areas'.

A 2011 report by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), recommended the demilitarisation of former war zones, to allow civilian administration.

Caritas, the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church, agrees with the LLRC.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Speaker: Father George Sigamoney, national director, Caritas Sri Lanka

SIGAMONEY: I will say that people almost have left the camps and they have gone back, to some extent, to their original places. So still, it's a kind of process.

LAM: So the camps have been emptied but the displaced have not necessarily returned to their homelands?

SIGAMONEY: Exactly, like people know where they were from and also some of the lands were not cleared because the land mine issues are there, and the army is also occupying certain lands of the civilian people - I think we're also negotiating with the relevant authorities, that the land should be given back to the people. So, it's in the process.

LAM: And Caritas of course has been helpiing people return to their homes - how cooperative have the authorities been - for instance, the military?

SIGAMONEY: I will say that from the very beginning, that we got the cooperation from the military as well as from the government authorities. Because we very cordially work with them, and because of that, we were able to even during the peak of the war time, that we were able to be with the people in the war zone area. And later, when the people came to the camps, we were inside the camps and helping the people. And when the people moved from the camps to their original places, we're just with the people at the moment. So Caritas is really getting the support of the government to work and to rebuild the lives of people.

LAM: But there're sections of the community, amongs human rights groups who feel that it's not helpful for the Sri Lankan military to still maintain a very high profile in the former war zones. What's your feeling on this matter?

SIGAMONEY: I also believe that it's high time for the civil administration to come back to that area, so the army personnel should be moved from those areas. I think the government still feels a little insecure, and the land mines need to be fully cleared from that area. It's taking place, but it's a bit slow, I feel personally.

LAM: It's a bit too slow?

SIGAMONEY: Exactly. Then the people will feel secured and they'll also feel more comfortable, in the places where they'll start their new lives.

LAM: Caritas of course has been helping people return to their farms - is there much progress there - can you tell us a bit about that?

SIGAMONEY: As I said the destruction of .. is very, very high. According to the estimates, it's almost like partly or fully damaged houses were almost 165-thousand. We have put up almost about 1,500 permanent houses for the people and we have provided almost about eight thousand livelihoods (sic) for the people, and about 2,800 semi permanent or I would say transition shelters for them. And we're also helping the children - nearly 6,000 children - with their education. So, we do our level best, with the help of our partners to rebuild the lives of these people.

If you take the northern people, they're farmers and also hardworking people. So if they were given an opportunity and also a helping hand, in no time, they will come up in life. So it's important. So many organisaitions are in the process of helping the people to get healed from the trauma that they underwent and also to start a new life, especially through providing livelihood support to them.

LAM: A common refrain of Sri Lankans of all backgrounds, is that almost four years after the war ended, life has not improved much - that they've not seen much progress in the economy. If that's the case for the people in Colombo and the south, I imagine the situation must be must worse for the people in the north and east. Is the nation in danger of having a North-South divide?

SIGAMONEY: I will look at this in a different way. I'll say that a lot of development is taking place, but it needs to go to the interior places. Because if you take the highways that are coming up (being built) and alot of changes are taking place in Colombo city alone - towards the south, alot of developments are taking place. But this also needs to be spread to the interior places and also to the suburbs. So that is very important, because alot of people living in the rural areas, also should experience and also go through this development process.

LAM: National reconciliation is a key factor in helping any factor in helping any nation move forward after a civil war. Do you think there's a role here, for religious leaders in national reconciliation - a kind of multi-faith dialogue?

SIGAMONEY: Sri Lanka, as you said, is a multi-ethnic and a multi-cultural and religious country. And some religious leaders, especially those who're positive and very progressive in the harmony in the country are working towards this. So it's going on. Even as Caritas Sri Lanka, one of our initiatives is inter-religious dialogue. And through this inter-religious dialogue, how we can also bring a north-south dialogue and how we can heal one another.

Because it's not that easy, for those who underwent for the past thirty years of so much hardship and losses in the lives, to turn over immediately, and say, "Ok, we are peaceful people." So it's a process. So the inter-religious initiatives are just going on and it's happening at the moment, I would say.

Topics:

A Tribute To The Cordial Relations Between Muslims And Sinhalese In The Past

By Jezima Ismail -February 23, 2013

Deshabandhu Jezima Ismail

A one-time Minister of Foreign affairs A.C.S. Hameed once pointed out that “Historians have traditionally been attracted by wars and rebellions whereas the peaceful co-existence of groups of people over long periods tends to be overlooked”. He went on to say “in the history of Sri Lanka few are aware of the harmonious relationship which had developed between the Sinhalese, its indigenous inhabitants, and the Muslims who initially were foreigners, and that both have lived together peacefully for over a thousand years. Perhaps because it was such a peaceful relationship it has passed unnoticed by the historian”. This important piece of writing was in the foreword written to the book The Muslims of Sri Lanka. One thousand years of Ethnic Harmony 900-1915 by Dr. Lorna Dewaraja a well known Sri Lankan historian. The foreword brings to light many characteristics that marked the advent of the Muslims’ entry into the Island and which contributed to the peaceful co-existence of the two groups.

As a Sri Lankan Muslim I thank Allah that I was born in Sri Lanka and was able to live my life as a Muslim due to the tolerance and religious peace that emanated from Buddhism. Some years ago at a lecture session at the BMICH a professor waxed eloquent on the feelings he had for Sri Lanka and that this was the only place for him. In the course of his talk he turned round to me and said that if ever anything untoward happened I could of course seek refuge in Saudi or the Middle East. I for one was taken aback at this remark and saw no reason why I should ever leave my country. I had to make quite a sharp and almost a rude rejoinder “I don’t see why I need to seek shelter in any other country other than mine which is Sri Lanka. I was born here, bred here and will Insha Allah (God Willing) die here. These mistaken notions by people like these well meaning individuals do float around and of course the response is not to take them seriously. My feathers were ruffled no doubt but I did teach him a lesson on the pluralistic nature of our country which truly belongs to all of us, diverse communities that we are.

At this point I would like to go back to the foreword to the book which would enlighten through history the nature of the relationship between the Muslims and the Buddhists. As the foreword continues “unlike in India where Islam made its entry as a conquering proselytizing force, in Sri Lanka it appeared as the personal faith of a peaceful trading people who in course of time earned the goodwill, confidence and trust of the indigenous people. Buddhist ideals of tolerance and accommodation too were contributory factors. Besides there was hardly any economic factor that could have caused conflict. Therefore Muslim integration into Sinhala society proceeded at an even pace for which there are few parallels elsewhere in the world”. What has been mentioned are historical facts, born out of study and research and it is indeed heartwarming not only to know but to disseminate widely the kind of understanding between the Sinhalese the Muslims, especially today in view of the complexities all over the world which dogs sensitive area of human relationships. At this point of time in Sri Lanka we are at the end of a 30 year war and the thirst for peace grows apace in the welter of conflicting issues that naturally characterize the settling down of a nation to heal its wounds and transform the nation into not so much a modern miracle but a haven of peace with an enabling environment for human development and growth.

Talking of the history of a people, much effort has been made in the past few decades to record the history of Muslims in Sri Lanka and some excellent historical material is available. It is from these sources that much of the history of the Muslims contribution to harmony and understanding has been gleaned. I would like to refer to some excerpts from the book. This particular paragraph I am quoting contains truths which are of great value today.

“A study of Muslim minorities in a few other Asian countries like Thailand, Burma and China shows that whatever Muslim trading colonies developed into permanent settlements they were subjected to two pressures diametrically opposed to each other – a gravitational pull towards the Islamic core in order to preserve their Islamic identity and a similar pull in the opposite direction in an effort to integrate with the rest of the society as a means of survival in a foreign and sometimes hostile climate. In certain Asian situations the Muslims had to camouflage their culture from hostile eyes and remain Muslims indoors and play the semblance of being something else outdoors. These opposing forces have in many instances led to psychological stress, social unrest and sometimes even open rupture.

In Sri Lanka the Muslims did not undergo such a traumatic experience and they were able to maintain a delicate balance between the two contradictory forces thus preserving an unbroken record of peaceful co-existence with their neighbours. This was achieved in Sri Lanka with the least tension. The Islamic identitywas maintained due to the spirit of religious tolerance prevailing in the country, which not only allowed but even encouraged the Muslims to strengthen their internal organization while the integration into Kandyansociety was possible due no doubt to the flexibility of Kandyan institutions as well as the adaptability of the Muslims and their willingness to conform and compromise in so far as their religious susceptibilities were not endangered. For instance the Muslims served as officials in the administration of the state as well as of the Buddhist monasteries. It is noteworthy that the Muslims were functionaries in the Temple of the Tooth and participated in the ritual of the Esala Maha Perahera, the greatest pageant in the Buddhist world. This process of structural assimilation which took place without any erosion of the cultural distinctiveness of the Muslims is perhaps unique in minority-majority relations.”

The facts noted here are significant and cannot be easily forgotten. In the present context of growing hostility towards each other, fuelled no doubt by parochial-minded elements, these truths need to be remembered. It is not possible to illustrate the relationship in the many areas. I have just picked out a few samples. It must be remembered that everything did not always move smoothly. There were little breaks in the continuous line, little incidents, small events that caused small waves of eddying turbulences, little grey clouds that caused some thunder and heavy showers but that could be contained and served to restore cordial relations once more.

As a Muslim I am deeply concerned about what is happening in Sri Lanka. The unnecessary hostility and the vicious attacks by a small minority on the Muslim community needs to checked before it grows into a surge that could assume a force that cannot be quelled. Relationships need to be restored. Reconciliation and co-operation need focus. These need to be kneaded into the system. As Sri Lankans we all need to look into ourselves, turn the search light inwards and identify the problems within and resolve it through dialogue, discussion and negotiation.

Dwelling on memories recalled in this book ‘The Muslims of Sri Lanka’ – One thousand years of ethnic harmony 900 – 1915 – the present context is baffling, perplexing to say the least. Having lived in the country for almost seven and a half decades it is with great pride and happiness that I call myself a Sri Lankan, awarded the opportunity of living, working, playing and studying with diverse communities that go to form pluralistic Sri Lanka. The contributions of members of the different communities summed up to make this glorious Island. In all fields – political, social, economic, religious, educational and cultural, significant members of every community contributed. It is true that the effects of a virulent episode lasting for 30 years take time to heal, but the fact is simply stated. We as a nation have missed and are missing many opportunities for healing and transforming. In fact what I see from the experience of age, is the increasing growth of hostility, suspicion, prejudice and every other negative feeling that will contribute to the breakdown of relations.

I am reminded of the poem ‘Somehow, somewhere, something has gone wrong” – By Andre Auw. The little boy in the poem was in tears because his mother could not give him the popcorn he saw in the machine as the machine was broken. The mother echoes the boy’s grief because she compares the broken machine to the modern human being who has much that is needed by others but is unable to give it because somehow, somewhere, something has gone wrong in the area of relationship and it is in our hands to mend it. Individuals, groups, organizations, institutions are making great efforts but there seems to be a virulent minority, a very small coterie of misguided people who seem to be hell bent on destroying the nation’s fabric to create chaos and discord. They seem not to care a whit for our nation that bled for so long and now longs for peace.

That Sri Lanka is a pluralistic nation is an undeniable fact. It is the home of many a community who have contributed to its being and it is this variety, this unity in diversity that gives it strength and beauty. The Muslim community need not sit back in sackcloth and ashes and mourn dolefully on its woes sprung on it by a thoughtless minority. It is time to look deep within, try to find the causes and take pride in our Sri Lankan identity and work with vigour to uphold the nationhood of Sri Lanka in all its diversity so that peace reigns supreme throughout the land.

As I said before the path hasn’t been always smooth as from 900 – 1915. It’s against the backdrop of British occupation that brought in its wake some negative features, that the first serious riots took place in 1915. After 1915, an occurrence of a riot of the same nature as that of 1915 was the violence in 1975 when some Muslims were killed in the Puttalam mosque due to a misconception that the Muslims were an economically privileged group and which fact fired the major motivation for anti-Muslim hatred. More recently, there were some occurrences of vicious verbal attacks on Muslims by religious personalities, for instance the Dambulla mosque attack and the continued campaign of hate.
The media is replete with accounts of ethnic and religious tension. It has reached the echelon of political power and the air is hot with pronouncement and solutions. How does one respond – I together with a few others have started turning the search light inwards, seeking out reasons for this anti-Muslim feelings which are a definite impediment to the culture of peace. The prejudice, stereotyping and scapegoating I have found is often a result of biased media reporting. This is sad because media must actually play an important role in disseminating information to diffuse tension, not stoke it.
When I concluded this article with a focus on the 1000 years of peaceful relations between Muslim and the Sinhalese, I wondered what purpose I have fulfilled and experienced a warm positive feeling – about what had existed with a hope and prayer that it could be re-established.

I seem to be haunted by memories – one more before I conclude. D.B.S. Jeyaraj in his article “Sri Lanka as the age of 65 faces the unfinished task of building a ‘New’ Nation” – quotes three verses from W.S. Senior ‘Call to Lanka’ I felt the strength of the call and thought it would serve to awaken us all –

“But most shall he sing of Lanka
In the bright new days that come
When the races all have blended
And the voice of strife is dumb
When we leap to a single bugle
March to a single drum
March to a mighty purpose
One man from shore to shore
The stranger become a brother
The task of the tutor o’er
When the ruined city rises
And the palace gleams once more
Hark Bard of the fateful future,
Hark Bard of the bright to be;
A voice on the verdant mountains,
A voice by the golden sea.
Rise, Child of Lanka and answer,
Thy mother hath called to thee.”

Blake, architect of Tamil tragedy, spectator to genocide

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2013, 22:22 GMT]
Blinded by the 9/11 terror and impelled by the perceived need for swift action against "terrorism," the US-led International Community, made two serious miscalculations in Sri Lanka war: By allowing unhindered space for Sri Lanka's final military thrust, they misjudged Sinhala society's willing capacity to inflict bestial, savage crimes on fellow human beings; and the IC's belief that, once the Tigers are eliminated Rajapakses will “fill in the gaps” and provide an acceptable political solution, has been shown as embarrassingly flawed. Now, as the IC savors the dystopian-monster they created, the need to whitewash the atrocities by side-stepping accountability, and to focus on development, appear to be driving IC's actions. Tamils, now left defenseless, hold Ambassador Blake, as the key US official who shaped the US policy on Sri Lanka's war, responsible for the tragedy. 

Robert O'Blake, Former Ambassador to Sri Lanka

Seeds for U.S. State Department's policy for containing the military growth of the LTTE were sown in 1997, when the LTTE was added to the U.S.'s list of Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Richard Armitage as the Deputy Secretary of State (2001-2005) then laid the early foundation for direct action against the LTTE, by mooting the "Contact Group," some time after the donor co-chairs were founded in 2003 under Tokyo's leadership.

U.S. embassy in Delhi, where Blake was serving as Deputy Chief of Mission under Ambassador David Mulford, and Lundsted in Sri Lanka, believed that the Indian bureaucrats were in agreement with them in getting Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa to "fill in the details of a political solution to deflate LTTE claims that the GOSL [Government of Sri Lanka] was ignoring Tamil aspirations — and working to cut off LTTE access to weapons and money."

While Armitage has been generally hostile to the LTTE, during his tenure there were indications that the U.S. policy towards the LTTE was soft, the U.S. appeared to accept the LTTE as a key stake holder, and while the LTTE remained proscribed, encouraged a political solution to meet the key demands of the Tamils. 

Blake's involvement may not have been significant during the Armitage period, but, with Blake's appointment as Ambassador to Sri Lanka in 2006, Blake took a visibly harder line towards the Tigers, Tamil activists point out. Blake was likely influenced by India's anti-LTTE stand, built close friendship with Colombo, and engaged the contact group with maximum impact that resulted in the incarceration of several key diaspora activists and created a chilling effect that severely damaged diaspora involvement in humanitarian and other matters related to the NorthEast, Tamil circles point out.

Member countries of the contact group, Canada, UK, US, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Australia among other countries, starting in 2005, arrested scores of Tamil activists on "material support" charges. The arrests have continued even after the LTTE leaders were killed.

India's own culpability as a silent spectator to the completed battle-field genocide, and the currently unfolding systemic cultural genocide, is even more sinister, TamilNet editors note. India's pretense as a regional super power also constrained U.S.'s independent actions in Sri Lanka, and served as another deterrent to Colombo's aquiesense to Tamil demands.

Blake's detailed knowledge of Rajapakse crimes while he was ambassador in Colombo, has been established by several leaked memos.

• Blake's interview, says 75000 IDPs

In January, number of civilians who remained in the LTTE controlled territory: GoSL said 70K, UN said 200k, and Tamil sources said more than 300k. Ambassador Blake quoted 300k civilians trapped behind LTTE lines, and confirmed GoSL’s intention to use food as an incentive to extract people out of LTTE area. 

By February Blake, in consultation with the Indians, had lowered the IDP figure to around 75,000. This was the figure adopted by the GoSL and also the figure quoted by the Indian Foreign Minister Mukerjee in the Indian Parliament.

Blake's continued silence on the culpability of Rajapakses, two of them US citizens, and his post-war posturing in advising diaspora groups to pursue the development and reconciliation approach with Colombo, have further diminished his credibility among diaspora activists leading many to believe that Tamils are unlikely to obtain justice and accountability under Blake's tenure.

• Report of the Secretary-General’s Internal Review Panel on United Nations action in Sri Lanka

Blake's policy has wrought havoc to Sri Lanka's Tamils. Petrie Report summarizing the "crime of the century" said "an estimated 360,000 or more civilians were crowded into an ever smaller part of ‘the Wanni’ area of Northern Sri Lanka where many died as a result of sustained artillery shelling, illness and starvation. Almost 280,000 survivors were forcibly interned in military-run camps outside," implying more than 80,000 civilians may have been killed in the Mu'l'livaaykkaal massacre.

Blake continues to feign ignorance of on-going cultural genocide of Tamils, as he avidly promotes reconciliation and development, and urges expatriates to work with the alleged genocidaires ruling Sri Lanka to develop the NorthEast, Tamil activists say.

Finally Blake's bluff was called, and his decade long Sri Lanka policy was thrown into the dustbin of history, when, as Rajapakse "ruled out granting Tamils of the North any political autonomy," during Sri Lanka's Independence day 2013, Blake response was deafening silence.

Indictment: Blake's complicity in destroying Tamils' progress towards Nationhood Significant plans/Execution Video, News Report Links Key Points Career bureacrat, leaves behind legacy of architecting the "Crime of the century." 1. Ambassador Blake in a 2007 Interview in Sri Lanka 2. Biography: 2003-2006-2009 Harvard educated Blake was in Delhi, Colombo 3. Obama administration: Rhetoric and reality 4. US leadership in human rights questioned - Ambassador Blake has been the key US official involved with Sri Lanka policy making during the critical period from 2003 to 2009. Appointed as Ambassador in September 2006. - Washington Conference in April 2003, held without the LTTE, promised $2b/year, but the LTTE used the US action to create conflicts in the peace-talks. Blake is speculated to have been marginally involved in the meeting as a new Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi. - As the key political official steering the US policy on Sri Lanka, the US policy statements are viewed as partly Blake’s burden to carry and defend: Blake’s leader Hillary Clinton has stated LTTE was different in character to other “terror” organizations (British Guardian) Samantha Power, National Security Advisor, governments act in a way that fail to reverse ongoing genocide and this should change Obama admonishing India to take assertive steps to intervene when illiberal democracies violate rights of people. - Blake would have been an active participant in setting up the contact group - Avoiding an international investigation, and collaborating with Rajapakse is necessary for Blake to whitewash the failure of his policy that led to the Mu'l'livaaykkaal killings. - Blake is rumored to be given a promotion as the next ambassador to Indonesia, reflecting endorsement by the State Department of Blake’s Sri Lanka policies. According to Petrie report more than 80,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final six months of the war. Beginning of the collapse of CFA: Washington (Armitage) excludes LTTE from Washington conference 1. U.S. skews parity of status by excluding LTTE in US conference 2. Wiki-Cable: Views on Washington Conference 3. Cable: On suspension of peace talks Richard Armitage was the key US official involved in organizing an international conference on Sri Lanka for representatives of 21 countries and 16 international organizations, and denied LTTE invitation as it was proscribed by the U.S. - Denial of LTTE participation was widely believed to have convinced the LTTE that US was attempting to diminish the parity of status demanded by the LTTE for entering into a peace pact. - Armitage requests Tigers to “renounce violence and terrorism by words and deeds.” - On April 21, LTTE announces suspension of peace talks. Creation of Contact group to stop flow of funds and arms to LTTE 1. Blake assembles International coalition against Tamil diaspora 2. Delhi assists US in forming two contact groups 3. Nirupama Rao non-committal on US, India designed contact groups 4. India stands for political solution in Colombo 5. Hindu summary: Moving globally against Tigers U.S. through the New Delhi based diplomats, Ambassador David Mulford and Deputy Chief of Mission Blake, unveiled and initiated the plan to create two international ‘contact groups', one each to move against fund-raising and weapons procurement by the LTTE. - Contact group membership: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States - US believed getting Mahinda Rajapaksa to workout a political solution to deflate LTTE claims that Colombo was ignoring Tamil aspirations — and working to cut off LTTE access to weapons and money. US believed India “was on the same page.” - India kept pushing Colombo for a political solution. - US proposed a single US-India demarche to Colombo, Rao preferred separate ones - The contact group activity by the US, Blake and others during 2006-2009 produced co-ordinated and concerted action on Tamil activists in the West including the US, Canada, France, Denmark, Australia, and others. Highest level US political official who shaped pre-war, post-war US policy on Sri Lanka, had knowledge of Rajapakse sanctioned criminality 1. 2007 speech praising leadership of Rajapakse, supporting APRC 2. Debacle of U.S. supported APRC 3. Blake advises Colombo on blunting LTTE "propaganda."; Late attempts to force humanitarian space 4. Blake memo: Colombo complicity using paramilitaries 5. Wikileaks reveal blunders of US diplomats in final stages of war 6. Butenis says accountability not possible 7. Blake told: SLA killed Trinco students Blake’s Sri Lanka policy appears to have been predicated on the belief that Rajapakse a was a trustworthy, strong leader. In spite of the history of the struggle, and the knowledge Blake had on the operational tactics of Rajapakse, Blake convinced himself that the problem in Sri Lanka is due to intransigence and terrorism of the LTTE, people support to LTTE was through threat, and that once the LTTE is out of the scene, Colombo would ‘provide’ a just political solution to the long running conflict. - Blake provided non-critical support for Colombo’s APRC, widely seen as a ploy to delay political solution - Blake was fully aware of the State/Gothabaya sanctioned abductions and killings. Use of prostitution by Tamil paramilitaries to satisfy Sinhala commanders. - Blake knew of the killers behind the Trincomalee students - Blake appears to accept Colombo’s version of lack of medicine, and shelling, use of heavy weaponry on the safe zone. - Blake advises Colombo highlight the fact that the LTTE was holding the civilians population hostage in the north and undercut its propaganda about IDP treatment in GSL territory. - Blake was aware, and as articulated by Butenis, that accountability was not possible as Rajapakse’s were behind many war-crimes U.S. provides muted response in U.N., remain silent on war-crimes, genocide 1. Cable: UN's Rice on Blake strategy unfolding in Sri Lanka  2. Blake's memo push-back on genocide Rice's statements: 3.1 Holmes praised, shelling by Colombo mentioned 3.2 Urges Colombo to take advantage of UN expertise 3.3 Panel Report: Calls for constructive Colombo response 3.4 Welcomes LLRC recommendations. Stands in support of Colombo 4. NYT: War without end- Appeals to IC go unheeded 5. NYT: International silence on Tamil internment camps 6. Cables summary: International silence allowed Sri Lanka genocide l Despite the “you can't lump all terrorists together” interview by Hilary Clinton, the much acclaimed “problem from hell” author, Samantha Power, as a presidential advisor, and the lofty human rights pronouncements from President Obama, the “Crime of the century” took place under Obama’s watch. - Leaked memo on Susan Rice's meeting with Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, Francis Deng is instructive. Rice raised no objections on Colombo's assertion that US and India supported Sri Lanka's measures against the LTTE. Issues of mass casualties (Clinton's call to Rajapakse) were not raised by Rice. - Four Rice-statements on Sri Lanka illustrate US's soft approach to confronting Sri Lanka. April 2009: Rice praises Holmes, mentions shelling by Colombo in safe zone, no action. June 2010: Rice urges Colombo to take advantage of UN expertise April 2011: Rice calls for constructive response from Colombo March 2012: Rice welcomes LLRC recommendations; Says US stands in support of Colombo - Blake admits to pushing back on the diaspora "more exaggerated claims of 'concentration camps' and genocide." Adopts policy of reconciliation, side-steps accountability to crimes 1. Blake approach questioned by Ganeson 2. Blake's steering LLRC-centered politics 3. Blake engages alleged genocidaire Gothabaya to woo SLA help Afghan war 4. Blake engages Tamil diaspora to advance appeasement politics 5. Blake's bonafides questioned by Tamil diaspora 6. Summary of Blake-architected US-policy leading to Tamil genocide Ganeson, a US humanitarian award recipient, reveals mistrust of Blake: cautions Blake not to mislead Tamils. Adds, “those who supported the war efforts unconditionally do have the moral responsibility towards the Tamil community. US and UN failed to act decisively to prevent civilian causalities.” - Blake's continued support to LLRC, irks Tamils. LLRC is seen by Tamils as worse than the 13th Amendment in the destroying of a nation and territoriality of Eezham Tamils - Within months of end of war, engages with alleged genocidaire Gothabaya, and wooes the Sri Lanka Army’s help in the US-led war in Afghanistan - Blake's solution to stop the war is "engagement with Tamil groups to play a more constructive role - and apply pressure on the Tamil Tigers to allow civilians to escape the fighting." - Blake's focuses on subduing diaspora anger, and engagement with "passive" diaspora groups - Blake was more interested in ‘compensating’ people for the land grabbed by the occupying military, than conceding the territorial right to Eezham Tamils. - Blake's answer tp political solution didnt go beyond Provincial Councils, and a time table for conducting elections in the north and for defining the powers of the councils. - Blake was interested in promoting the Sinhalese-led NGOs Seva Lanka and Sarvodaya for the Eezham Tamil diaspora to work with.

Source: UN video archives, Wikileaks, ICP Reports

A Dialogue Of Religions Not A Clash Of Religions Is Needed

By R.M.B Senanayake -February 23, 2013 

R.M.B Senanayake

I read the article by Shenali Waduge and was greatly perturbed. Why is she stirring up hatred against the Muslims of our country? Are they not human beings and didn’t the Buddha ask his followers to show compassion to all living beings? Don’t we all have friends among Muslims? But I don’t want to preach for if 2000 years of Buddhist teaching has not succeeded how can I make any impact. I only wish to sound the dangers of this course of action.

Today the world is going through a fundamental change brought about by the revolution in Information Technology and the Social media networks. These changes have brought the peoples of the world to a much closer interaction than ever before. Isolation is no longer an option for either Buddhists orMuslims. In the past the Buddhists minded their own business and allowed the Muslims to live their lives according to their own cultural and religious life. There was little interaction which also meant little room for any clash of the cultural and religious practices. But we are living today in an increasingly globalized world. With the increased mobility of people there is a mix of people in all countries. There are significant Muslim minorities in much of Europe and in USA. It is no longer possible for each religious community to isolate itself and pursue its traditional religious and cultural practices ignoring their impact on other communities. In such interactions there will have to be give  and take with mutual accommodation.

Samuel Huntingdon gave a twist to this phenomenon of the globalization of people, through his treatise on the Clash of Civilizations. By doing so he stressed conflict rather peaceful interaction through dialogue and understanding among the different religions and culture. Are human beings of different cultures and religions incapable of interacting peacefully? To think so is a way of imperialist thinking based on the assumption of the superiority of western cultures. But unfortunately many Muslim Fundamentalists have accepted this theory and look upon the present world situation as a conflict between Islam and the West. Unfortunately it is also cast as a conflict between Islam and Christianity. But Christianity is no longer a force in the West which has instead embraced a totally secular culture where even same sex marriages have become legalized along with the taking of the life of the infant in the mother’s womb. But the USA seems to be at last realizing the futility of intervening militarily in Muslim countries even in the name of protecting humanitarian values and democracy. This has left those who take to the sword to perish with the sword in countries like Libya and now Syria.

But where will any conflicts or clashes between religions lead to. Several countries like India, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea now have nuclear weapons and the West no longer has a monopoly of them. Terrorism is not easy to control as several countries including our own have experienced. So any clash of religious communities will only lead to the emergence of fundamentalists like the Al Qaeda who will resort to terrorism.

Due to the increased mobility and migration among people there are today no mono-ethnic or mono-religious nations. There are significant Muslim minorities in most European countries and in USA. They have their traditions and cultures just like the Jews. For two thousand years the Jews lived in the West preserving their own cultural and religious practices. But they did have to give up the practice of stoning adulterous women to death and also modifying some moral and ethical codes contained in the Old Testament (the Torah). A more acceptable form of co-existence between the Muslims and the secular Westerners will also be necessary. Some practices like stoning to death or cutting off hands will have to be given up and the Sharia re-interpreted or given a more liberal interpretation. The alternative is terrorism through mass killings, kidnappings and general mayhem with bombs exploding and killing of innocent men, women and children. The whole world has to deal with the problem of co-existence among different religious and ethnic communities. Those countries that failed to coexist peacefully have perished and over five hundred nations have disappeared in history.

In our own country it is no longer possible for Muslims and Buddhists to live in isolation. Where there are interactions and such interactions are leading to disputes they can and should be resolved through peaceful dialogue. Buddhists should not cast themselves in the same imperialist cast of mind enunciated by Huntingdon. By doing so and stereotyping the Muslims as enemies, the Buddhist extremists are seeking to pre-empt dialogue and instead promote conflict. But conflict is no longer an option. Instead, dialogue and genuine attempts at mutual  understanding are required without any pre-conceived prejudices. Stereotyping is a common way of thinking and is practiced freely in our society. Tamils are such and such and Muslims are such and such,  are common ways of stereotyping. But we know that there are wide variations in the values and ways of thinking of different individuals although they may be demarcated under the collective label as Muslims or Buddhists. There are good people and bad people among all communities and it is unfair to stereotype.  Good people of all religions must get together and condemn the fanatical extremists whichever religion they belong to. It is also necessary to ban hate speech and enforce such speech vigorously.

Unfortunately we don’ have a State that is neutral between religious communities. I think that in a plural Sate the State should not have a state religion. But ours is not a secular state but is required to promote Buddhism. But what is involved in the promotion or protection of Buddhism? If we define religion as a body of teaching then no protection is required for whatever is ethically good and wholesome will live forever. It is only the evil doctrines that have disappeared in history. In my opinion there is an evolution of moral teaching where love or ‘maitirya’ to all beings will be regarded as the highest moral and ethical good. Such a value means there can be no hatred or ill-feeling among peoples.

Shenali Waduge has made very fallacious arguments about the threat from Muslims. True that the Muslim population has increased. But the Muslims don’t practice birth control or resort to abortion. The argument about polygamy among Muslims is hardly relevant since only a minority of Muslims marry more than one wife. On the other hand other religionists are not confining themselves to their legal wives but often have other women too. Anyway birth control and abortion are the cause of a lower rate of increase among the Sinhala Buddhists and surely that is not the fault of the Muslims. 

With the mobility of people there are Muslims and Christians now living in areas where they were not known. Since they believe in congregational worship rather than individual worship they do need to meet in a church or mosque and it is natural that they want to build such common edifices. Does a Mosque lead to an increase in the number of Muslims in that neighborhood? What then is the objection if as a religious community spreads itself they want to build a mosque.

The world is facing a grim choice. Either the people will have to learn to live peacefully interacting with each other through dialogue or they will all perish separately. Meanwhile those people of goodwill should get together and demand a law to ban hate speech and the incitement of hatred and disaffection among ethnic or religious communities.

We want a dialogue of different religions so as to establish a humane and peaceful world order ruled by democracy and justice. There is no room for dictators or mob leaders.

Evolutionary decline and ascent of human resilience

February 22, 2013,

 A Lenten reflection by Bishop Duleep de Chickera

 The weeks leading to Independence Day on February 4 were filled with intense debate on the legality and morality of the impeachment of the Chief Justice (CJ). The debate centred on the interpretation of the law and the political motives behind it. The government finally had its way and the CJ was impeached.

The beginning of Lent, (Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13) followed close on these events. Since Lent is a time for inner scrutiny, repentance and a return to integrity amidst the harsh realities of life, any realistic preparation to celebrate Easter as the Festival of Ascent, is called to wrestle with these events.

Evolutionary decline

The episode of the impeachment of CJ Bandaranayake is not to be seen as an isolated incident. It is part of a wider design in governance,strong and predictable enough to be identified as evolutionary decline. Evolutionary because it grows on us; decline because it pulls us down.

Evolutionary decline operates in cyclic form. At regular intervals serious irregularities of public and national importance that demand government accountability, stir the nation. Some are serious enough to call for the resignation of those in high places. But as expected no one resigns or is asked to resign; because if one goes–one will not go alone. And so to the contrary, those responsible stubbornly close ranks and sit it outwith predictable rhetoric until the irregular is inevitably incorporated into the system.

As the system absorbs more and more irregularities,its very nature becomes irregular. From here, the regular becomes strange and is caricatured because it exposes the irregular; and the nation finds itself in a dangerous state of moral decline which neither National Day parades nor the occasional outburst when a little girl is arrested for stealing coconuts, can conceal.

Alternative people’s resilience

Thankfully this trend is not the end of the story. Evolutionary decline inevitably breeds an alternative people’s resilience which refuses to succumb to the former. This people’s resilience, vibrant and alive in all corners of the country, exposes the irregular system by sifting and sustaining the truth in the security of twos and threes, when doing so publicly could be costly. When evolutionary decline threatens to engulf all, it is this ability to engage in critique and interpretation across all ethnic, political, religious and class barriers that safeguards human dignity and the national image.

This people’s resilience also functions as informal people’s tribunals when justice is distorted. In fact it is these tribunals that recently ruled that CJ Bandaranayake did not receive justice. Like many individuals who put public service first inspite of knowing what was coming, she will be remembered long after those who hurt her are forgotten.

The verdicts of these people’s tribunals often prove to be more just than official rulings under evolutionary decline. All legislators and judges are to bear in mind the sense of natural justice within the people, which spontaneously scrutinises the integrity of the legal process. This scrutiny is simple and straightforward. It probes whether constitutions and the rule of law liberate and benefit people as a whole or whether they benefit those in power mostly and hinder and harass the people instead. In application it serves as the final democratic word; judging both the judgement and those who pronounce judgement, long after the work of parliamentsand law courts is done.

The ability to sustain this people’s integrity when it runs counter to evolutionary decline is then the essence of human freedom. The ability to recognise, protect and foster this integrity is the test of true democratic leadership in an independent nation.

The teaching of Christ

The teaching of Christ is best understood when it is applicable to all and not just Christians; and when it is applied to difficult times and not merely the routine. In fact Christ’s teaching loses its freshness when restricted for long periods to the general interpretation and application of religion within the Church only.

It is from this perspective that Christ’s teaching on the life-affirming character of people’s gatherings in "twos and threes" is of relevance for today. To restrict this teaching to religious gatherings is to deflect its impact. It much more anticipates a mechanism of survival and counter influence at a time when credible alternatives to exclusive governance are seen as intrigue.So those within the tradition of people’s resilience are to take heart. The universal Christ is present in the "twos and threes" to endorse and empower such gatherings.

Set free to free

People’s resilience eventually has a spill-over effect. Its association with and assertion of the truth, frees people from self and sectarian interest to recognise responsibility for the freedom of others. It is this liberating influence that has historically disturbed and compelled many to pick up the anxieties of the helpless (those oppressed by structural injustice and violence) and the harassed (those also oppressed by visible injustice and violence) and to cross borders to stand in human solidarity with those deprived of justice.

In practical terms this means that the harassed Jaffna University students, the simmering antagonism towards the Muslim community, those immersed in poverty like the little girl who stole coconuts, the prisoners who were allegedly killed after the Welikada Prison riot, the lawyers who received threats etc., are not to be left to their own fate or the anxieties and concerns of their immediate families, communities and groups only. The hurt and insecurity of these Sri Lankans are to be seen as invitations to counter their isolation through a demonstration of human solidarity by others.

National integration and

reconciliation

While the manner in which such a tradition is to be built into the social fabric of a nation is best left to the integrity of those who respond, one thing is certain. Even though at the outset it appears to be so, cross border human solidarity does not remain an initiative of the strong towards the weak. It is to the contrary, of mutual benefit. Through the ensuing interaction, both the ones who dare to cross boundaries as well as those isolated beyond boundaries, taste freedom. For, if freedom means anything in circumstances of structural suppression and exclusion,it is the freedom to remain ever vigilant and caring in the service of each other. This is what national integration is all about.

It is from such a consolidation of people’s resilience and people’s solidarity that we will be best equipped to address the deeper wounds of reconciliation that the national agenda wishes to bypass. These include devolution, dealing with the atrocities, pain and division of the past, and development with a sensitive bias for the victims of poverty, war and violence; all of which received visionary endorsement in the recommendations of the presidential Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.