What about writers who mislead by portraying a genocide as mere domestic misunderstanding and thereby help to shed the blood. Are there any presedents set like in the Hutui/Tutsi, Sinhala/Tamil whereby apart from the Politicos also the Clergy and those media rabble rousers might eventually be held accountable.Just because no lankan has faced a Nurenberg type trial for the longest while does not mean such a trial will not happen. May be this is what should be broadcast in Lka and mentioned to the politicos and the military types.

Some fine and intelligent talent capable of providing a balance in our search for peace is lost as a result. The case of Dayan Jayatilake, son of the late legendary journalist Mervyn de Silva,
who (Dayan) sacrificed all principles and toed the government line to accept a government position is one case. Mervyn refused to be seduced by many such carrots that were thrown his way during his time by JRJ and others. Rajiv Wijesinghe, Oxford-educated son of Sam Wijesinghe is the other. Rajiv’s issue may well not be the attraction of government office but more to level scores with his cousin Ranil Wickramasinghe against whom he nurses a congenital dislike. And so the Sri Lankan politcal band-wagon moves in its own peculiar way.

NL, I regret to say, has left little room for doubt in his regular comments he has little sympathy with the Tamil struggle for equality, the Federal option or devolution of power. On the guise of attacking the LTTE, with whose policies many of us Tamils disagree, he refuses to recognise the justice and accomodation that is due to Lankan Tamils.

For NL to say “GoSL is engaged in a war of liberation” is totally unacceptable. The “War” started in recent times while the Tamil peaceful liberation has been on from early 1950s. If NL by “War” means the aerial and sea bombing of civilian targets, the killing of innocent men, women, children, students and the destruction of schools, hospitals and churches then there is little point in a debate with him. Where can there be a reasonable war when GoSL forces are around 225,000 fully armed to the teeth on the ground, in the air and the sea and the LTTE is below 8,000 shoeless soldiers – according to Army Chief Fonseka’s estimate.

Incidentally, what was the necessity of Mrs B sending thousands of army men under Udugama way back in 1962 (when Prabhakaran was a toddler) for a job that could have been easily handled by the multi-ethnic Police at that time – in the hands of capable IGPs, DIGs and so on at that time? Clearly, the germs of communal hatred were very active at that time – the raison d’etre for the eventual emergence of the LTTE.

NL will have very few takers for his comments “the entire S/Lanka was destablised by the LTTE.” As we all know, the “destabilisation” was largely as a result of wholesale
corruption in the purchase of arms and other forms of terrible corruption in the Army and the forces. An entire generation of millionaires emerged as a result of this corruption – Agents of Arms suppliers with Access to the highest in the land, Suppliers to the Army and, of course,
Ministers and uniformed officials – some of whom caught with several unaccountable millions in Safe Vaults in Banks. It is worse now with several “Mr. Ten percents” running the show.

One respected Columnist used the expression “Kleptomaniac Cabinet.” The Tamil people do not see the “liberation” of Vakarai and Sampur the way NL does. They see this as a continuing saga
to rob them of their land and reduce them as minorities in their own environs. The saga began in Gal Oya in 1954 when thousands of Tamils in South Batticoloa were assaulted, killed and thrown out of their homes and properties where they lived for generations – merely to make way for Sinhala thugs from the South to come as settlers. Manalaru is now Weli Oya
and many dozens of examples such as this.

The present design to throw out Tamils in the Sampur area on the pretext of a HSZ is in the same trajectory. And so now you want to hold a Referendum in the Eastern Province – after physically and brutally throwing out the Tamils?

Well, if Aid is “insignificant” as NL argues why has GL Peiris, a new Minister from the Parachute regiment, rushed to Washington said to be tasked with the purpose of using his influence there to stop even “curtaiingl” of aid on well-documented grounds of HR abuse.

The thought of a totally cut in aid by GoSL today is unthinkable. NL is well known for his anti-Indian tirades and therefore the reference to the 2 Indian Radar systems and blaming India for the recent Airport debacle can be understood. As we all know, India made it clear the Radars did not function efficiently because we did not provide the required number of technicians to man them and the system was turned off when the attack took place. So how can one blame India for this? India says it has the same Radar systems in all her airports and that they are all functioning well.

NL further hopes USA – that he says has so far listened to the LTTE – must now listen to Sri Lanka. Well! Sir, the USA has been listening to Sri Lanka for sometime now. Why is Ambassador Robert Blake under attack so much by Sinhala hardliners – merely for telling out what he has seen? Have you heard over 50 US Senators – both Democrat and Republicans – have written to President Bush about serious violations of HR abuses on the Tamils, their lack of confidence in the GoSL handling her current serious problems?

It is because of people like you, hell bent on imposing a sinhala hegemony over tamils and muslims, there is war in Sri Lanka.

It will never suceed.

The Noth and the East are traditional Tamil speaking lands. For over 2000 years, no foriegn army have ever been able to conquer it for long. Don’t dream on…history will repeat it self. Remember Operation Jeyasikiru…or the 1990s when the Premadasa goverenment also cleared the East from the LTTE?!…

Unless the Sinhalese are ready to address the Tamil question and ready to share power, Sri Lanka’s breakup is inevitable.

Instead of presenting statistics, just take a look around you…East Timor, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and perhaps Kosovo? Do you think all these countries achieved independence by outright military victory? think again…

I have nothing against the Sinhalese…They are generally nice people…My dad had lots of Sinhalese friends

But Sinhala people have stood silent and even encouraging the destruction and occupation of Tamil land and the people…

The question is why can’t you let us live in peace with equal rights without prejudices and discrimination? We are one-fith of the size of the sinhalese who have no desire to threaten the sinhalese or Buddism. We just want to live peacefully with dignity and have reasonable control over our own affairs and land.

Sri Lanka is in the last chance saloon…I hope Sinhala people grab it while they still can.

Remember: Two nations One Country. One Nation Two Countries

This is not a quote from Prabha; This was q quote from a Ahimasavathy: Thanthai Selva.

It is a pity one has to quote this thirty years on.

Sri Lanka could become a country just for the rich, just like those ‘banana republics’ of Central and South America. And those diasporas hailing this author as ‘true Sri Lankan’ are clueless. What makes them live in the West and condemn its ideals and role of West in the ‘larger world’.

They seem to like it to take the benefits of good economy, freedom and all else in the West, but always want to claim ‘home is where the heart is’ what they do is always right.

Underlying question is how the fellow minorities are to be treated today, tomorrow into the future. Enough talking about history.
Let the truth and reconciliation begin in earnest.

When every house in the North is ‘guarded’ by Sinhala occupying army, what you expect the Tamils to do. Every ten Tamils, there is a Sinhala occupying army in the North alone. Continues curfew under Sinhala direct army rule, with abouductions, killing of Tamils in the North/East, and confiscating of farm land for ‘high security zones’ in Jaffna, Sampoor, Muttur made them jobless. Also, Sinhala Navy had banned fishing. For the safety reasons, a lot of remaining Tamils temporarily staying in Colombo. Even that is in danger now, ‘Brothers’ are trying to expel them from Colombo.

In my opinion you have tried to white wash the SL government and their army.

I agree that under LTTE’s control people had no freedom and LTTE violated human rights and that is why they are a banned organization in many countries.

But on the other hand SL army too to did not care any human values. They helped their paramilitaries to recruit under age children . That was reported much before Allan Rock of UN, in electronic medias including Anti LTTE University Teachers for Human Rights(Jaffna) web site.

SL Army fully cooperated and helped their paramilitaries to kill the MP Joseph Para.and to abduct and kill the TRO staff. Do you think US or British Army induldge in that type of crimes in Iraq or Afghan?

If the Army want to liberate the Tamils, why the Tamils are not allowed to resettle in the liberated villages of Sampur and Muthur east? If the govenment want to have an econmic zone there, then this not the way. Here purpose of this extremist govt. is to plant Sinhalese people there, having chased the Tamils away under the pretext of chasing LTTE.

How can the Tamils in Trinco pardon the SL security forces who have on many occasions killed them without any provocations and burnt their properties.

During the Muthur and Sampur war SL army did not allow the tamils injured due to artilary fire to go to hospital for treatment. At Army check points they were chased back to suffer with their injuries and die. These all were reported on electronic media .

I advise the writer to get the opinion of people of Sampur who are suffering in refugee camps. Good proportion of refugees who fled to India in last year are from Trinco. Pl go and get their opinion on SL armed forces. All those refugees are not the supporters of LTTE.

In last April there was a planned attack against the Tamil shops near Trinco bazzar area with supervision of Navy men. That was widely reported in all the media including NewYork Times. Many Tamils’ shops were burnt within about 20 mins and many were killed by thugs organized by extremist Sinhalese groups. Few escaping tamils were apprehended by Navy and handed over to the thugs to be slaughtered. It was reported that then Indian High Commisioner Nirupama Sen phoned Mahinda Rjapahshe to control the situation in Trinco.

In early 80 s under the Weli Oya scheme, Tamils villages in North of Trinco and South of Mullaitheevus were destroyed by the SL government and colonized with Sinhalese.

You might crush the LTTE. But can not crush the Tamils struggle for thier justice.

If you want to liberate the Tamils, first resettle the displaced refugees in their land and deploy Tamil speaking Police men.

Tamils have had enough, and if correct measures are taken still govt. can still win their hearts.

Amnesty International and other HR organization are having the first hand info. about the participation of SL security forces in several abduction of Tamils in Colombo and North & East and killing of journalists. That is why they have been pressing the Donor countries to cut the aid to SL.

In my opinion that is not enough. Donor countries should send their Army to control the situation and deliver the justice.

Now even Muslims are complaining about the abductions.

I am not a LTTE supporter. I have many Sinhalese friends and appreciate many good qualities of Sinhalese.