No Sri Lankan Patriot wanted it to come to this, but Gen. Sarath Fonseka had not learned this basic principle of survival: When immersed nose deep in mud, the wise keep their mouths closed!
Gen. Fonseka will have the time to ponder this truism, as he contemplates the errors of judgment that led to his precipitous fall from grace from being, perhaps, the third most admired man in Sri Lanka to one of the most vilified, in a brief period of nine months. World history abounds with such instances of foolish men of unbounded ambition destroying themselves when they loosen their grasp on honor, duty and patriotism.
Colombopage had this to say today (February 08, 2010) about Gen. Fonseka's arrest:
General Fonseka has been arrested on charges of committing military offenses during his time in the Army," the newly appointed military spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe said in an official statement to the Government Media Unit. He did not elaborate on the specific offenses.
Director General of the Media Centre for National Security, Lakshman Hulugalle, said Fonseka would face charges in a military court of conspiracy against the government.
.....
The government has accused General Fonseka of plotting to assassinate the President and overthrow the government by a coup. The government has arrested over 50 of his loyal retired military officers on planning the coup. General Fonseka denies all government's accusations against him.
However, a BBC report said earlier in the day the General had threatened to divulge the military secrets in response to alleged war crimes against the Sri Lankan military during the final phase of the war against the LTTE.
.....
Early in his presidential campaign in an interview to a Sunday weekly, the opposition candidate accused the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of ordering the Army's 58 Division leader to kill the senior LTTE cadres who were attempting to surrender with white flags.
He later retracted the statement saying the paper misquoted him but the government and the media said the retired commander betrayed the nations and the damage to the country and the military had been done by the General's statement for political gain.
According to The Asian Tribune the main charges, read out to Gen. Fonseka at the time of his arrest, were
• Politicking whilst in uniform,
• Conspiring against the Commander-in-Chief whilst in Service,
• Harboring more than 1,500 deserters whilst on Service,
• And, corrupt practices in relating to military procurements.
We trust that the Government has all of the necessary evidence to support these charges, and that they will promptly release him if the evidence available cannot stand up to legal scrutiny. However, what we know of Gen. Fonseka's activities to date since the end of the Eelam War in May, 2009, as reported in the press and elsewhere, leads us to believe that Gen. Fonseka will be convicted in a court of law, and will spend a significant portion of his life behind bars.
We take no joy in the downfall of one we considered a war-hero, but we firmly believe that those who betray their country by deed and word for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, must be held ACCOUNTABLE, if only to serve as an example to deter others from VIOLATING the Law of the Land, and UNDERMINING the National Security of the Motherland.
Let ALL those who conspire to betray the Motherland, and violate Sri Lanka's laws with impunity take note: You will no longer will be allowed to run free; you will be held accountable for your actions! You can RUN, but you will not be able to HIDE! Therefore, CEASE and DESIST, in your own interest.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Happy Independence Day PATRIOTS! 62-Years Young and Millions to Go!
NAMO NAMO MATHA
Sri Lanka matha,
Apa Sri Lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Apa Sri Lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Sundara siri bharini,
Surandi ati sobhamana Lanka,
Danya dhanaya neka mal palaturu
Piri jaya bhumiya ramya.
Apa hata sapa siri seta sadana,
Jeewanaye' matha!
Piliganu mana apa bhakti puja,
Namo namo matha!
Apa Sri Lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Oba we' apa vidya,
Oba maya apa satya,
Oba we' apa shakti,
Apa hada tula bhakti.
Oba apa aloke',
Apage' anuprane',
Oba apa jeewana we',
Apa muktiya oba we'.
Nawa jeewana demine',
Nitina apa pubudu karan matha,
Gnanya wirya wadawamina ragena,
Yanu mena jaya bhumi kara.
Eka mawakage' daru kala bawina,
Yamu yamu winopama,
Prema wada sama bheda durara da,
Namo namo matha!
Apa Sri lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Apa Sri lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Sri Lanka matha,
Apa Sri Lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Apa Sri Lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Sundara siri bharini,
Surandi ati sobhamana Lanka,
Danya dhanaya neka mal palaturu
Piri jaya bhumiya ramya.
Apa hata sapa siri seta sadana,
Jeewanaye' matha!
Piliganu mana apa bhakti puja,
Namo namo matha!
Apa Sri Lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Oba we' apa vidya,
Oba maya apa satya,
Oba we' apa shakti,
Apa hada tula bhakti.
Oba apa aloke',
Apage' anuprane',
Oba apa jeewana we',
Apa muktiya oba we'.
Nawa jeewana demine',
Nitina apa pubudu karan matha,
Gnanya wirya wadawamina ragena,
Yanu mena jaya bhumi kara.
Eka mawakage' daru kala bawina,
Yamu yamu winopama,
Prema wada sama bheda durara da,
Namo namo matha!
Apa Sri lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
Apa Sri lanka,
Namo namo namo namo matha!
English Translation (Not Exact):
WE SALUTE THEE, MOTHER
Mother Lanka we salute Thee!
Plenteous in prosperity, Thou,
Beauteous in grace and love,
Laden with grain and luscious fruit,
And fragrant flowers of radiant hue,
Giver of life and all good things,
Our land of joy and victory,
Receive our grateful praise sublime,
Lanka! we worship Thee!
Thou gavest us Knowledge and Truth,
Thou art our strength and inward faith,
Our light divine and sentient being,
Breath of life and liberation.
Grant us, bondage free, inspiration.
Inspire us for ever!
In wisdom and strength renewed,
Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
In love enfolded, a mighty nation
Marching onward, all as one,
Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom!
Mother Lanka we salute Thee!
Plenteous in prosperity, Thou,
Beauteous in grace and love,
Laden with grain and luscious fruit,
And fragrant flowers of radiant hue,
Giver of life and all good things,
Our land of joy and victory,
Receive our grateful praise sublime,
Lanka! we worship Thee!
Thou gavest us Knowledge and Truth,
Thou art our strength and inward faith,
Our light divine and sentient being,
Breath of life and liberation.
Grant us, bondage free, inspiration.
Inspire us for ever!
In wisdom and strength renewed,
Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
In love enfolded, a mighty nation
Marching onward, all as one,
Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
A new round of defamation
Another round of defamation begins [just a random pick from my facebook, where there are more than hundred similar articles visible]
There have been several types of lunatics floating in academic and political arena. They are categorized into:
- Socialists [Notably Trotsky clan]
- Anarchists
- Liberals [extreme]
- Rights activists
- Idealists
- Free Media Activists
- Anti War extremists
- etc
Each of these classify for a lunatic as they expect/fight for something beyond human capacity to provide or achieve. Also they blindly and ritually fight for their demand w/o seeing the bigger picture and the possible chaos that may arise in getting it and after getting it. Thirdly they seem to follow imaginary idols which, mostly countries, do not even follow the key ideal these ppl seek for.
20 yrs ago they were pure lunatics. Penniless idiotic laugh lot - bun and plain tea revolutionists in the back cafeteria.
And then came the next force. The deliberate rabble rousers whose only aim is to destroy the nation. These ppl do not classify for lunatics as they do not follow a theory, do not do it blindly, instead deliberately and intentionally doing evil, for the advantage of their race, religion or country [or any other]. They appear in many forms, diplomats, missionary, INGO, International Community, Lending Organizations, Aid agencies, vendors, business entrepreneurs, advisers etc etc.
Inevitably prior fused into latter, for personal benefit and to find a way to their impossible goals. It was a life line thrown at the penniless lunatics. A path to get ultra luxury SUVs for the bun and plain tea ideologists. And in the process fulfill their goals or take a direct shot at anything that stands in their way hence fulfilling the revenge of every kind.
Such fusing caused the joint operations such as Ground View. Even X group, Handagama movies, Wikara bahu politics etc are realizations of this fusing. If you look at most low level NGO workers they are previous ideologists today working for the agenda of the rabble rousers, internally willing to achieve their ideal dreams. And their bosses are none other than those who wanna use the dreams of workers to fulfill goals of sponsors in order to take the hefty commission.
Today there is a vast amount of web sites, movements, university groups [hatching grounds], professions and a lucrative trade in formation. It is not represented equally in society, by poor gunapala, mohomed and sellayiyas, shown by the little number of votes they recieve in any election. Yet the noise is loud, for money is poured and ppl are perfectly brain washed.
They usually target state, president, culture, prominent races/religions/social groups, national symbols, social values, conventions, and probably every good thing that people enjoy in life. They cry for separation, anarchy, mad bull freedom, social wilderness, lack of culture, crowning homosexuality [I have nothing against Homosexuals, but it does not need extra discussion], minority rights, women's rights blah blah blah, simply anything they can use as a weapon in attacking the above targets.
It does not mean that they should be eliminated. Every segment of society is doing a part for the future progress of society. None is absolutely accurate in their vision yet the collective vision guides them to somewhere between good and bad. What matters is the contribution of each element, natural equilibrium and coherence. What breaks them is the influence of external forces. Today these whiner groups receive an immense attention and boost from external evil elements and their usually destructive actions are harming most systems, breaking away the social equilibrium. And it nurses every form of evil, and notably the separatist and terrorist forces. This is where the matter becomes significant. [Note that this para was written in a second review, and I would like to thank SY for pointing out the need]
Most ppl are wrong in determining that tamil tigers are the prime crop of theirs. Nop, Tamil Tigers are just a by product. Conspiracy is of multiple folds. Even if tigers give up, these elements won't. They'll pick the next most appealing topic to attack the state. And of course drive their super luxury SUVs as a result of it.
It is a matter of eternal existence of infinite athmas. In the new beginning after the election, they have revved up their engines for their next goal. Game is on. New round of defamation begins.
And the only solution is control, there is no way one can cure a brain gone this insane.
There have been several types of lunatics floating in academic and political arena. They are categorized into:
- Socialists [Notably Trotsky clan]
- Anarchists
- Liberals [extreme]
- Rights activists
- Idealists
- Free Media Activists
- Anti War extremists
- etc
Each of these classify for a lunatic as they expect/fight for something beyond human capacity to provide or achieve. Also they blindly and ritually fight for their demand w/o seeing the bigger picture and the possible chaos that may arise in getting it and after getting it. Thirdly they seem to follow imaginary idols which, mostly countries, do not even follow the key ideal these ppl seek for.
20 yrs ago they were pure lunatics. Penniless idiotic laugh lot - bun and plain tea revolutionists in the back cafeteria.
And then came the next force. The deliberate rabble rousers whose only aim is to destroy the nation. These ppl do not classify for lunatics as they do not follow a theory, do not do it blindly, instead deliberately and intentionally doing evil, for the advantage of their race, religion or country [or any other]. They appear in many forms, diplomats, missionary, INGO, International Community, Lending Organizations, Aid agencies, vendors, business entrepreneurs, advisers etc etc.
Inevitably prior fused into latter, for personal benefit and to find a way to their impossible goals. It was a life line thrown at the penniless lunatics. A path to get ultra luxury SUVs for the bun and plain tea ideologists. And in the process fulfill their goals or take a direct shot at anything that stands in their way hence fulfilling the revenge of every kind.
Such fusing caused the joint operations such as Ground View. Even X group, Handagama movies, Wikara bahu politics etc are realizations of this fusing. If you look at most low level NGO workers they are previous ideologists today working for the agenda of the rabble rousers, internally willing to achieve their ideal dreams. And their bosses are none other than those who wanna use the dreams of workers to fulfill goals of sponsors in order to take the hefty commission.
Today there is a vast amount of web sites, movements, university groups [hatching grounds], professions and a lucrative trade in formation. It is not represented equally in society, by poor gunapala, mohomed and sellayiyas, shown by the little number of votes they recieve in any election. Yet the noise is loud, for money is poured and ppl are perfectly brain washed.
They usually target state, president, culture, prominent races/religions/social groups, national symbols, social values, conventions, and probably every good thing that people enjoy in life. They cry for separation, anarchy, mad bull freedom, social wilderness, lack of culture, crowning homosexuality [I have nothing against Homosexuals, but it does not need extra discussion], minority rights, women's rights blah blah blah, simply anything they can use as a weapon in attacking the above targets.
It does not mean that they should be eliminated. Every segment of society is doing a part for the future progress of society. None is absolutely accurate in their vision yet the collective vision guides them to somewhere between good and bad. What matters is the contribution of each element, natural equilibrium and coherence. What breaks them is the influence of external forces. Today these whiner groups receive an immense attention and boost from external evil elements and their usually destructive actions are harming most systems, breaking away the social equilibrium. And it nurses every form of evil, and notably the separatist and terrorist forces. This is where the matter becomes significant. [Note that this para was written in a second review, and I would like to thank SY for pointing out the need]
Most ppl are wrong in determining that tamil tigers are the prime crop of theirs. Nop, Tamil Tigers are just a by product. Conspiracy is of multiple folds. Even if tigers give up, these elements won't. They'll pick the next most appealing topic to attack the state. And of course drive their super luxury SUVs as a result of it.
It is a matter of eternal existence of infinite athmas. In the new beginning after the election, they have revved up their engines for their next goal. Game is on. New round of defamation begins.
And the only solution is control, there is no way one can cure a brain gone this insane.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Me' Jayagrahika Dawase' "Ayu Bo Wewa Maha Rajaneni"!
To the ALWAYS FAITHFUL Patriots,
A Heartfelt Tribute in Gratitude!
Semper Fidelis, Patriots of Lanka
By Ananda-USA
Our Motherland, resplendent Sri Lanka,
Hallowed be thy name!
Thy children flock today to vote,
To preserve thy immortal flame!
The Lion Flag flutters proudly aloft,
To remind us this freedom's day!
Our duty to keep thee, safe and strong,
As our forefathers did yesterday!
A Mahinda Rajapaksa by deed and word,
Strode forth boldly to eternal fame!
To lead his people to a safer world,
When all others retreated in shame!
A Heartfelt Tribute in Gratitude!
Semper Fidelis, Patriots of Lanka
By Ananda-USA
Our Motherland, resplendent Sri Lanka,
Hallowed be thy name!
Thy children flock today to vote,
To preserve thy immortal flame!
The Lion Flag flutters proudly aloft,
To remind us this freedom's day!
Our duty to keep thee, safe and strong,
As our forefathers did yesterday!
A Mahinda Rajapaksa by deed and word,
Strode forth boldly to eternal fame!
To lead his people to a safer world,
When all others retreated in shame!
In Praise of Patriotism
This victory was achieved, because President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke to the Patriotism inherent in Sri Lankan hearts and minds.
That overcame the traditional "Split the Sinhala Vote" strategies of Anti-National Forces, and upset all of their careful calculations.
The Mahinda Rajapaksa government raised hope, pride and confidence in the ordinary people of Sri Lanka, that they can again become masters of their own fate; that nothing is beyond their capabilities to grasp and achieve.
The MR government demonstrated in the few years they held power, that we sons of the soil of Sri Lanka can TAKE COMMAND of our own problems and SOLVE THEM better than the foreigners who condescend to preach to us solutions that fit their self-serving agendas.
It is that sense of CONFIDENCE IN OUR OWN ABILITIES to achieve, that he infused in the hearts and minds of the people of Sri Lanka, through winning the Eelam war decisively, protecting Sri Lanka with the assistance of new global allies, undertaking a massive programme of infrastructure development not seen in Sri Lanka since the days of Prakramabahu the Great, and painting a vision of future progress and prosperity, that made the difference.
That vision, spelled out in the Mahinda Chintana, will be realized in the years ahead only if we hold together to preserve this able and tested leadership at the helm of this country, that won this massive election victory today.
It is because we Patriots collectively recognized the CRITICAL IMPORTANCE of EMBEDDING and SUSTAINING Patriotism in the hearts and minds of EVERY SINGLE Sri Lankan, that we undertook to create websites such as SriLankaPatriots, SriLankaDefenceForum, NobelPeacePrizeForSriLanka, and LankaWeb, among great many others.
There are those who make fun, for overt and covert reasons, of our collective Patriotism as mere chest-beating. Just ignore them, for Patriotism in the defense of truth, justice, honor and duty to your people is supremely ennobling, and it pays rich dividends in the protection of your country as you see today.
Stable governance of Sri Lanka by National Deshapremi Forces will remain essential to preserving the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, and fostering its economic progress in the future, as Sri Lanka's enemies continue to undermine it with renewed zeal.
As we see in this Presidential Election, EMBEDDING and SUSTAINING Patriotism in the Hearts and Minds of ordinary Sri Lankans is the KEY to attaining that goal of a stable and efficient Deshapremi National Government.
Helping to maintain that Patriotism will be our continuing challenge as Patriots, where ever we are, in whatever way we can.
Let us March Onward then .. to a LANDSLIDE VICTORY in the General Election in April, 2010!
Jayawewa!
Oh! Beauteous Lanka! Thou Art Our Ratna Deepa, Janma Bhumi!
Ratna Deepa Janma Bhumi
Lanka Deepa Vijaya Bhumi
Me' Ape' Udaara Wu
Mathru Bhumi-yayi
Mathru Bhumi-yayi
Repeat Chorus
Aadi Sinhale' Ae' Vira Meemuthun Layin
Saara Wu Udaara Wu
Mathru Bhumi-yayi
Mathru Bhumi-yayi
Maanikyase' Pologabee' Nidhana Vee
Aththe' Ae' Abheetha Du Puthun
Jathiye' Naamayen Sangrama Bhumiye'
Jeewithe' Puda Heluu Lay Kandai
Chorus
Sindhupamana Wavu Thala Mathin Adee'
Padma Renuwen Sugandha Vee
Ran Karal Namaa Hamaa
Sith Prabhodayen Puraa
Enne' Un Helu Prana Vayuwai
Chorus
Ganga Tharanga Raawa Dee Ridee Vanin
Mal Pipee Kolen Kole' Hapee
Gayana Karanne' Aakasaye' Nagee
Virayange' Ae' Yaso Geetha-yayi
Chorus
Aadi Sinhale' Ae' Vira Meemuthun Layin
Saara Wu Udaara Wu
Maathru Bhumi-yayi
Maathru Bhumi-yayi
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mahinda Chintanaya to Promote National Interest through Electoral and Constitutional Reforms
By Dr. Nath Amarakone
January 20, 2010
Sri Lanka
Former Permanent Secretary,
Founder President, Organization of Professional Associations (OPA),
General Secretary, Eksath Lanka Maha Sabha,
President, Citizens Solidarity Front and National Integration Front.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his manifesto seeking re-election for the second term of office as President of Sri Lanka has come out with a number of important proposals for Constitutional reform.
As a veteran politician and a representative of the people in Parliament for a period of about 40 years, he has identified the shortcomings of the legislature, and has proposed to
1. Re-establish the Electorate MP system in place of District MPs,
2. Re-introduce a Senate as a part of Parliament,
3. Introduce changes to the Office of the President, and
4. Interlink Village level Jana Sabhas with Regional level Pradeshiya Sabhas, and Provincial level Palath Sabhas with the National level Parliament on the basis of promoting National (Deshapremi) Interests as opposed to Anti-National (Deshadrohi) Interests.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has defeated LTTE terrorism militarily over the last four years, and is now seeking the mandate of the people, including those in the North who were prevented from voting at the last election for a second term of office. His concern to stabilize the country, and launch an ideological revolution to establish National (Deshapremi) Interest in the National Conciousness is most relevant to rid the country of neo-colonial interference preying upon anti-national sentiments and ethnic susceptibilities.
He has identified the necessary changes to the Constitution to allay the fears of ethnic groups manipulated by foreign powers who have been interfering in the internal affairs of our country. Similar attempts to exploit inter-party rivalries has brought about disaster in many countries of the third world. The attempt at tinkering with the existing Constitution merely to shift power from the President to the Prime Minister, as advocated by opposition factions, is a mere camouflage to play for time and confuse the masses.
Let us examine the proposed reforms in the light of the mistakes of the past sixty years of poor governance.
Governance in Sri Lanka: A Historical Perspective
The Soulbury Constitution, introduced to our country at the time of Independence, comprised two chambers in our national legislature similar to the Westminster Parliamentary System. They were, the Elected House of Representatives with 101 Members of Parliament (MPs), and a Senate comprising 30 nominated Senators. All bills presented in Parliament had to be adopted by both Houses to receive the assent of the Head of Government before becoming Law.
Of the 101 MPs , 95 were elected to represent electorates covering about 80,000 people each, while 6 seats were reserved for unrepresented interests, including ethnic groups. The elected MPs campaigned at elections under registered political parties, or even as independent candidates, and were elected on the basis of first-past-the-post.
The MPs enjoyed the right to dissent with their party if the interests of his electors in his electoral constituency warranted it. Usually, these candidates were well established patrons of the locality who depended on their personal popularity in the electorate to get elected. The expenditure on elections was generally low as the candidate needed little introduction to the people of the area. In any case, they were obliged under the law to divulge the election expenses to the Election Commissioner who had established certain norms. Generally, there was no need for these candidates to amass vast funds for elections, and the elections were relatively free of corruption.
The Senators were nominated by the Elected House from among persons of eminence, such as professionals from commerce, administration, banking, engineering, medicine, agriculture , management, labor trade unions, and religious groups. These Senators were expected to enhance the quality of the Parliamentary debate. However, these noble sentiments, spelled out in the Constitution by the founders, were largely not realized. Sometimes, candidates defeated at elections, and rejected by the people, were nominated to the Senate. Eventually, the Senate was abolished on 1971 by a bill passed in the House of Representatives. The overt reason advanced by the movers of this bill was that the Senate was responsible for delays in passing legislation.
In 1972, the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was adopted, doing away with the Senate, and entrusting their executive powers to the Cabinet of Ministers. These included powers to make appointments to state services, grant promotions, implement disciplinary action on state officers, etc. This initiated, and exacerbated, politicization of the entire state service. The Statutory Commissions set up under the Constitution such as the Public Services Commission, the Judicial Services Commission, the Local Government Services Commission, etc. became ineffective as the Cabinet of Ministers exercised total power in the state sector. Thus, the Public Services were politicized, opening the flood gates of corruption in the state sector.
The Organization of Professional Associations (OPA), formed in 1974, had pointed out the anomalies resulting from appointing Elected Members of Parliament to executive portfolios. A number of senior professionals, occupying high posts in the state sector, joined me in this exercise. However, without any nexus with the entrenched power of the state, the voice of the OPA was a feeble cry without impact in the public eye.
To make matters worse, J. R. Jayawardena, after his electoral victory in 1977 by a resounding majority, proceeded to amend the Constitution to make way for the Office of an Executive President, incorporating all the powers of the former Cabinet of Ministers, and requiring District MPs to be elected on a preference vote system. Thus, the accepted principle of an MP as a representative of the electorate was undermined and eliminated.
J. R. Jayawardena appointed himself to the post of the Elected Executive President, and declared all MPs to be District MPs under the amended Constitution. Thereafter, they could be replaced by nominees of the party, following rules applicable to District MPs. He even required all MPs of the government to sign undated letters of resignation, which he kept in his possession so that any deviant could be replaced at his will and command.
This process led to much dissatisfaction among both politicians, and the members of public they had previously represented. The preference vote system killed the very concept of an MP as a representative of the people in a local area. The net effect was an erosion of confidence in the electoral process. It was the party in power that mattered, and the leader of the party virtually became a dictator. Democracy was practiced only in breach of all norms of representation of the electors by the elected, and governance became the rule of the leader, for the leader, by the leader. Even Prime Minister R. Premadasa in the J. R. Jayawardena government felt emasculated, and quipped that he had even less authority than a peon in his office.
Thus, the practice of democracy in the country deteriorated. In the subsequent period the Sinhala youth in the South resorted to violence against a political system they felt was unresponsive to their needs. A major insurrection led by the JVP, in 1987-89 , resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 youth. The internal divisions weakening the Sri Lankan state, now apparent to all, encouraged foreign nations to attain their own agendas by egging on the Tamil youth of the North and East to rebellion; training and deploying them as an instrument for carving out a separate state of Eelam, and bringing Sri Lanka to heel. Using assassination and murder inflicted on their own people, and other Tamil separatist groups, as a weapon to enforce compliance, the LTTE emerged as the dominant separatist terror group. It created a Tamil Diaspora in foreign countries, largely by promoting illegal immigration, as a cornerstone of their strategy to fund and gain international support in the struggle for Eelam. This course of action gave rise to a militant terrorist movement that held Sri Lanka hostage for period of over thirty years.
During this period, Ranil Wickremasinghe, who came to power in 2001 as Prime Minister, came under severe pressure by Norway and other Western powers to compromise with the LTTE, and sign a Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), conceding to terrorists the right to govern a territory amounting to over one third of the land area of the country, and two thirds of its coastal belt. This allowed the LTTE to hold sway over the entire population of the North and East of the country, as a captive enslaved constituency without democratic rights.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was elected to the Presidency in 2005, had to renegotiate the CFA signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe when the LTTE demanded complete separation of the North and East territory as a new nation of Tamil Eelam. This demand was rejected by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was compelled ultimately to launch a war to liberate the population living in the areas conceded under the CFA to the LTTE, and to reunify the nation. This took three years, incurring the death of almost 60,000 people. Over a million citizens of Sri Lanka living in these areas were liberated from terrorist rule, in 2009.
The Norwegian and other Western powers, who had a variety of vested interests in supporting the LTTE, attempted to save the terrorist leaders in the last stage of the war, to enable them to continue the war, and extend it indefinitely. Having failed in this effort, they are now busy undermining President Mahinda Rajapaksa by threatening to take the military leaders, who saved the country from terrorism, to a UN War Tribunal as war criminals.
This short history identifies the deficiencies in Sri Lanka's democratic system of government in protecting and preserving its National (Deshapremi) Interests, and the consequences of those deficiencies to the nation and its people.
Projected Constitutional Reforms
There have been many Parliamentary Committees who have examined new proposals for Constitutional reform to undo the ill effects of the Executive Presidential system, and the District MP system. So far, none of them have come out with firm proposals. Some have recommended the abolition of Executive Presidency, while others recommended a reduction of its powers and privileges. Some have advocated a return to the Donoughmore system. The Mahinda Chintanaya - Futurist Vision manifesto presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa expects to take up these matters with all political parties in Parliament, to make a final decision to bring about desirable changes in the National Interest.
The manifesto points out the need for unity in operation of the local government system. It has proposed the formation of Gam Sabha in every Grama Sevaka division in order to integrate the village polity, and promote their participation in village level activities devoid of political differences. This is expected to eliminate corruption and misuse of funds spent on village-level development.
The Gam Sabhas are to elect representatives to the Pradeshiya Sabhas, or Urban/Municipal Councils. Such representatives would have no political leanings, and the representatives of the Gam Sabha would be elected to the Pradeshiya Sabha on the basis of merit rather than political affiliation or agenda. In support of this concept, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has cited the Indian example of the Panchayat system.
The Provincial Council system introduced in the 13th Amendment to the National Constitution will be reviewed in consultation with all interested stake-holding parties.
The Senate as a part Parliament is to be revived. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appealed to the nation to adopt a national approach in politics, and to join his government to work in the best interest of the nation as a whole. He has already brought into the government many MPs from opposition political parties, and has offered them Ministerial portfolios, demonstrating his willingness to be pragmatic and realistic. He has appealed to them to be patriotic, rather than be manipulated by foreign interests for personal gain.
In this connection, I note that the emphasis of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on National (Deshapremi) Interest parallels the advocacy of National Interest Sectors linking village level government to the highest level of governance, as an alternative to political parties, that was proposed in the National Solidarity Charter in 1995 by a group of professionals in the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA). The current trend in forming political parties based on class, caste, religion and ethnicity has been the curse of Sri Lankan politics. I hope that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will consider National Interest based on Professions associated with the Economic and Social Sectors of the country, as proposed in the National Solidarity Charter (1995), as an alternative means of implementing the Mahinda Chinthanaya - Futurist Vision manifesto. In this way, those who would disregard National (Deshapremi) Interest can easily isolated from the national ethos as Anti-Nationals (Desadrohis), and be prevented from acquiring the power to undermine and degrade the nation.
The National Interest Sectors suggested in the National Solidarity Charter (1995) are:
1. The Professional Sector, comprising existing professional bodies and new associations and institutions to be recognized in the future when new professions emerge and are recognized,
2. The Religious Sector, comprising representatives Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic bodies,
3. The Consumer Sector, comprising consumer societies representing different consumer groups such as food, education, health, finance, security, social welfare, etc.
4. The Trade Union Sector, comprising major labor trade unions recognizes by the Commissioner of labor, and
5. The Business Sector, comprising Trade Chambers, Investment Chambers, Finance Chambers, Consultancy Chambers, etc.
National Interest Sector Groups at Village level could elect their representatives to the Regional Council Pradeshiya Sabhas, who in turn could elect their representatives to Provincial Council Palath Sabhas. An Electoral College of Representatives composed of Village-Level , Regional-Level and Province-Level leaders could elect electoral representatives to the National Parliament.
Conclusion
The far-sighted reforms proposed in the Mahinda Chintanaya - Futurist Vision to promote National (Deshapremi) Interests while discouraging Anti-National (Deshadrohi) Interests, by permanently embedding Deshapremi Ideology in the National Conciousness, is necessary to focus and sustain the nation's efforts on National Development in the future.
This will bring to a permanent end the adversarial jockeying for power that has plagued Sri Lankan politics in the 62 years since the dawn of independence in 1948.
January 20, 2010
Sri Lanka
Former Permanent Secretary,
Founder President, Organization of Professional Associations (OPA),
General Secretary, Eksath Lanka Maha Sabha,
President, Citizens Solidarity Front and National Integration Front.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his manifesto seeking re-election for the second term of office as President of Sri Lanka has come out with a number of important proposals for Constitutional reform.
As a veteran politician and a representative of the people in Parliament for a period of about 40 years, he has identified the shortcomings of the legislature, and has proposed to
1. Re-establish the Electorate MP system in place of District MPs,
2. Re-introduce a Senate as a part of Parliament,
3. Introduce changes to the Office of the President, and
4. Interlink Village level Jana Sabhas with Regional level Pradeshiya Sabhas, and Provincial level Palath Sabhas with the National level Parliament on the basis of promoting National (Deshapremi) Interests as opposed to Anti-National (Deshadrohi) Interests.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has defeated LTTE terrorism militarily over the last four years, and is now seeking the mandate of the people, including those in the North who were prevented from voting at the last election for a second term of office. His concern to stabilize the country, and launch an ideological revolution to establish National (Deshapremi) Interest in the National Conciousness is most relevant to rid the country of neo-colonial interference preying upon anti-national sentiments and ethnic susceptibilities.
He has identified the necessary changes to the Constitution to allay the fears of ethnic groups manipulated by foreign powers who have been interfering in the internal affairs of our country. Similar attempts to exploit inter-party rivalries has brought about disaster in many countries of the third world. The attempt at tinkering with the existing Constitution merely to shift power from the President to the Prime Minister, as advocated by opposition factions, is a mere camouflage to play for time and confuse the masses.
Let us examine the proposed reforms in the light of the mistakes of the past sixty years of poor governance.
Governance in Sri Lanka: A Historical Perspective
The Soulbury Constitution, introduced to our country at the time of Independence, comprised two chambers in our national legislature similar to the Westminster Parliamentary System. They were, the Elected House of Representatives with 101 Members of Parliament (MPs), and a Senate comprising 30 nominated Senators. All bills presented in Parliament had to be adopted by both Houses to receive the assent of the Head of Government before becoming Law.
Of the 101 MPs , 95 were elected to represent electorates covering about 80,000 people each, while 6 seats were reserved for unrepresented interests, including ethnic groups. The elected MPs campaigned at elections under registered political parties, or even as independent candidates, and were elected on the basis of first-past-the-post.
The MPs enjoyed the right to dissent with their party if the interests of his electors in his electoral constituency warranted it. Usually, these candidates were well established patrons of the locality who depended on their personal popularity in the electorate to get elected. The expenditure on elections was generally low as the candidate needed little introduction to the people of the area. In any case, they were obliged under the law to divulge the election expenses to the Election Commissioner who had established certain norms. Generally, there was no need for these candidates to amass vast funds for elections, and the elections were relatively free of corruption.
The Senators were nominated by the Elected House from among persons of eminence, such as professionals from commerce, administration, banking, engineering, medicine, agriculture , management, labor trade unions, and religious groups. These Senators were expected to enhance the quality of the Parliamentary debate. However, these noble sentiments, spelled out in the Constitution by the founders, were largely not realized. Sometimes, candidates defeated at elections, and rejected by the people, were nominated to the Senate. Eventually, the Senate was abolished on 1971 by a bill passed in the House of Representatives. The overt reason advanced by the movers of this bill was that the Senate was responsible for delays in passing legislation.
In 1972, the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was adopted, doing away with the Senate, and entrusting their executive powers to the Cabinet of Ministers. These included powers to make appointments to state services, grant promotions, implement disciplinary action on state officers, etc. This initiated, and exacerbated, politicization of the entire state service. The Statutory Commissions set up under the Constitution such as the Public Services Commission, the Judicial Services Commission, the Local Government Services Commission, etc. became ineffective as the Cabinet of Ministers exercised total power in the state sector. Thus, the Public Services were politicized, opening the flood gates of corruption in the state sector.
The Organization of Professional Associations (OPA), formed in 1974, had pointed out the anomalies resulting from appointing Elected Members of Parliament to executive portfolios. A number of senior professionals, occupying high posts in the state sector, joined me in this exercise. However, without any nexus with the entrenched power of the state, the voice of the OPA was a feeble cry without impact in the public eye.
To make matters worse, J. R. Jayawardena, after his electoral victory in 1977 by a resounding majority, proceeded to amend the Constitution to make way for the Office of an Executive President, incorporating all the powers of the former Cabinet of Ministers, and requiring District MPs to be elected on a preference vote system. Thus, the accepted principle of an MP as a representative of the electorate was undermined and eliminated.
J. R. Jayawardena appointed himself to the post of the Elected Executive President, and declared all MPs to be District MPs under the amended Constitution. Thereafter, they could be replaced by nominees of the party, following rules applicable to District MPs. He even required all MPs of the government to sign undated letters of resignation, which he kept in his possession so that any deviant could be replaced at his will and command.
This process led to much dissatisfaction among both politicians, and the members of public they had previously represented. The preference vote system killed the very concept of an MP as a representative of the people in a local area. The net effect was an erosion of confidence in the electoral process. It was the party in power that mattered, and the leader of the party virtually became a dictator. Democracy was practiced only in breach of all norms of representation of the electors by the elected, and governance became the rule of the leader, for the leader, by the leader. Even Prime Minister R. Premadasa in the J. R. Jayawardena government felt emasculated, and quipped that he had even less authority than a peon in his office.
Thus, the practice of democracy in the country deteriorated. In the subsequent period the Sinhala youth in the South resorted to violence against a political system they felt was unresponsive to their needs. A major insurrection led by the JVP, in 1987-89 , resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 youth. The internal divisions weakening the Sri Lankan state, now apparent to all, encouraged foreign nations to attain their own agendas by egging on the Tamil youth of the North and East to rebellion; training and deploying them as an instrument for carving out a separate state of Eelam, and bringing Sri Lanka to heel. Using assassination and murder inflicted on their own people, and other Tamil separatist groups, as a weapon to enforce compliance, the LTTE emerged as the dominant separatist terror group. It created a Tamil Diaspora in foreign countries, largely by promoting illegal immigration, as a cornerstone of their strategy to fund and gain international support in the struggle for Eelam. This course of action gave rise to a militant terrorist movement that held Sri Lanka hostage for period of over thirty years.
During this period, Ranil Wickremasinghe, who came to power in 2001 as Prime Minister, came under severe pressure by Norway and other Western powers to compromise with the LTTE, and sign a Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), conceding to terrorists the right to govern a territory amounting to over one third of the land area of the country, and two thirds of its coastal belt. This allowed the LTTE to hold sway over the entire population of the North and East of the country, as a captive enslaved constituency without democratic rights.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was elected to the Presidency in 2005, had to renegotiate the CFA signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe when the LTTE demanded complete separation of the North and East territory as a new nation of Tamil Eelam. This demand was rejected by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was compelled ultimately to launch a war to liberate the population living in the areas conceded under the CFA to the LTTE, and to reunify the nation. This took three years, incurring the death of almost 60,000 people. Over a million citizens of Sri Lanka living in these areas were liberated from terrorist rule, in 2009.
The Norwegian and other Western powers, who had a variety of vested interests in supporting the LTTE, attempted to save the terrorist leaders in the last stage of the war, to enable them to continue the war, and extend it indefinitely. Having failed in this effort, they are now busy undermining President Mahinda Rajapaksa by threatening to take the military leaders, who saved the country from terrorism, to a UN War Tribunal as war criminals.
This short history identifies the deficiencies in Sri Lanka's democratic system of government in protecting and preserving its National (Deshapremi) Interests, and the consequences of those deficiencies to the nation and its people.
Projected Constitutional Reforms
There have been many Parliamentary Committees who have examined new proposals for Constitutional reform to undo the ill effects of the Executive Presidential system, and the District MP system. So far, none of them have come out with firm proposals. Some have recommended the abolition of Executive Presidency, while others recommended a reduction of its powers and privileges. Some have advocated a return to the Donoughmore system. The Mahinda Chintanaya - Futurist Vision manifesto presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa expects to take up these matters with all political parties in Parliament, to make a final decision to bring about desirable changes in the National Interest.
The manifesto points out the need for unity in operation of the local government system. It has proposed the formation of Gam Sabha in every Grama Sevaka division in order to integrate the village polity, and promote their participation in village level activities devoid of political differences. This is expected to eliminate corruption and misuse of funds spent on village-level development.
The Gam Sabhas are to elect representatives to the Pradeshiya Sabhas, or Urban/Municipal Councils. Such representatives would have no political leanings, and the representatives of the Gam Sabha would be elected to the Pradeshiya Sabha on the basis of merit rather than political affiliation or agenda. In support of this concept, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has cited the Indian example of the Panchayat system.
The Provincial Council system introduced in the 13th Amendment to the National Constitution will be reviewed in consultation with all interested stake-holding parties.
The Senate as a part Parliament is to be revived. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appealed to the nation to adopt a national approach in politics, and to join his government to work in the best interest of the nation as a whole. He has already brought into the government many MPs from opposition political parties, and has offered them Ministerial portfolios, demonstrating his willingness to be pragmatic and realistic. He has appealed to them to be patriotic, rather than be manipulated by foreign interests for personal gain.
In this connection, I note that the emphasis of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on National (Deshapremi) Interest parallels the advocacy of National Interest Sectors linking village level government to the highest level of governance, as an alternative to political parties, that was proposed in the National Solidarity Charter in 1995 by a group of professionals in the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA). The current trend in forming political parties based on class, caste, religion and ethnicity has been the curse of Sri Lankan politics. I hope that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will consider National Interest based on Professions associated with the Economic and Social Sectors of the country, as proposed in the National Solidarity Charter (1995), as an alternative means of implementing the Mahinda Chinthanaya - Futurist Vision manifesto. In this way, those who would disregard National (Deshapremi) Interest can easily isolated from the national ethos as Anti-Nationals (Desadrohis), and be prevented from acquiring the power to undermine and degrade the nation.
The National Interest Sectors suggested in the National Solidarity Charter (1995) are:
1. The Professional Sector, comprising existing professional bodies and new associations and institutions to be recognized in the future when new professions emerge and are recognized,
2. The Religious Sector, comprising representatives Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic bodies,
3. The Consumer Sector, comprising consumer societies representing different consumer groups such as food, education, health, finance, security, social welfare, etc.
4. The Trade Union Sector, comprising major labor trade unions recognizes by the Commissioner of labor, and
5. The Business Sector, comprising Trade Chambers, Investment Chambers, Finance Chambers, Consultancy Chambers, etc.
National Interest Sector Groups at Village level could elect their representatives to the Regional Council Pradeshiya Sabhas, who in turn could elect their representatives to Provincial Council Palath Sabhas. An Electoral College of Representatives composed of Village-Level , Regional-Level and Province-Level leaders could elect electoral representatives to the National Parliament.
Conclusion
The far-sighted reforms proposed in the Mahinda Chintanaya - Futurist Vision to promote National (Deshapremi) Interests while discouraging Anti-National (Deshadrohi) Interests, by permanently embedding Deshapremi Ideology in the National Conciousness, is necessary to focus and sustain the nation's efforts on National Development in the future.
This will bring to a permanent end the adversarial jockeying for power that has plagued Sri Lankan politics in the 62 years since the dawn of independence in 1948.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
TNA has published to media that they have brouight forwrard three main suggestions to teh election bargain table. And they do not look like usual demands of govt servants, business community, upcountry tamils or university students.
1. Release of remaining pussycats
2. Taking back the High Sec Zones
3. Merging North and East.
First of all it shud be told taht demand 1 has a twrist in it. Obviously no pussycat shud be kept in custody forever unless they have direct hand in masterminding the crimes. Ordinary pussycats shud be rehanbilitated [and those wrho rfuse to be rehabilitated shud neither be released, nor kept alive, if you knowrr wrhat I mean]. WRe need the youth of WRanni to return to day today life, accept one Sri Lanka and wrork for hers and their owrn future.
Equally the HSZ do not have to be as they wrere in say 1990. WRe need to reasses and create permenant HSZs and big camps to safe guard the region.
WRrell, that is a discussion in a National Security Forum. Howrrever has teh egneral taken it o such a forum? Had he ever agreed it is more than clear that agreement wras for unconditional immediate releaseof pussycats and unconditional immediate writhdrawral from HSZs. Them plus the merging of N and E seems direct path for Pussycats and Eelam. It looks more tahn TNA, that some other parties writh vested interestd push for the three and makes TNA demanding them. Even a little child knowrs that these demands are no joking. This election takes the most critical twrist and turn of his writ many not knowring it. Pathetic I'd say.
Spanking irony is to see howrr JVP prepares to bag the catch [of the three demands]. They run a fair distance judging teh ball and even getting ready to make a suicidal drive to retain the tossed up 500k+ votes. Tilvyn has issued an advance notice taht TNA is free and fair, and they are standing for their owrn demands. Little does he knowr atht there is no such TNA any more, and most parties wrhom discusswed writh tehm are not representing teh wentire group. And little does he care that he is trying to cover uup the extended pussycat hands of TNA and hence trying to legalize the pussycat demands. JVP wras one of fewr parties taht wrorked day and night to de-merge the twro provinces. WRaht an irony? WRrhat a deception? WRhat a pathetic betrayal?
SF keeps his usual blur on the matter. He knows taht notyhing but vagueness can retain his multicolor votebase in tact until Jan 26th. Different media is issuing different perspectrives, but one party - TNA - remains unchanged.
Has SF agrreed for these three eelamist demands?
That is the biggest question.
Howrrever there is another big question. It is a question about teh typoical lowr of human bnature. WRill the floating voters care for taht?
I have been debating writh many SF supporters. I kept my principle taht I wrouldn't debate writh any hardcore UNP or hardcore JVP. If someone could vote Ranil during at his traitor maximum, I'd not waste my time with such. Same goes for blind JVPers. Howrever there are bulks of SF supporters.
WRhat do they think as their reason.
1. MR's corruption
2. MR's alleged properties
3. Mervyn and clan
4. Bulky loans taken by current admin
5. Nepotism
None of them seem to be very very bad claims, on absolute terms. But when you apply them to the ground reality of SL matters, not only that they have to be expected to a certain scale. However people seem to be carried away with them. And they are buying the full claim, of which half are creative lies in SF campaign.
People seem to give little consideration to the danger of the three main agreements that TNA claims to have secured themselves from SF. It is no surprise as people outvoted warring UNP for the piss-lover CBK in 94, and warring SLFP for a piss-bathing RW in 2001, both times due to short term issues [as they say "soda bottle problems"].
What are teh problems faced by giving in the main three claims of TNA.
- If we release the current block of Pussycats, w/o rehabilitation we are opening roads
1. Release of remaining pussycats
2. Taking back the High Sec Zones
3. Merging North and East.
First of all it shud be told taht demand 1 has a twrist in it. Obviously no pussycat shud be kept in custody forever unless they have direct hand in masterminding the crimes. Ordinary pussycats shud be rehanbilitated [and those wrho rfuse to be rehabilitated shud neither be released, nor kept alive, if you knowrr wrhat I mean]. WRe need the youth of WRanni to return to day today life, accept one Sri Lanka and wrork for hers and their owrn future.
Equally the HSZ do not have to be as they wrere in say 1990. WRe need to reasses and create permenant HSZs and big camps to safe guard the region.
WRrell, that is a discussion in a National Security Forum. Howrrever has teh egneral taken it o such a forum? Had he ever agreed it is more than clear that agreement wras for unconditional immediate releaseof pussycats and unconditional immediate writhdrawral from HSZs. Them plus the merging of N and E seems direct path for Pussycats and Eelam. It looks more tahn TNA, that some other parties writh vested interestd push for the three and makes TNA demanding them. Even a little child knowrs that these demands are no joking. This election takes the most critical twrist and turn of his writ many not knowring it. Pathetic I'd say.
Spanking irony is to see howrr JVP prepares to bag the catch [of the three demands]. They run a fair distance judging teh ball and even getting ready to make a suicidal drive to retain the tossed up 500k+ votes. Tilvyn has issued an advance notice taht TNA is free and fair, and they are standing for their owrn demands. Little does he knowr atht there is no such TNA any more, and most parties wrhom discusswed writh tehm are not representing teh wentire group. And little does he care that he is trying to cover uup the extended pussycat hands of TNA and hence trying to legalize the pussycat demands. JVP wras one of fewr parties taht wrorked day and night to de-merge the twro provinces. WRaht an irony? WRrhat a deception? WRhat a pathetic betrayal?
SF keeps his usual blur on the matter. He knows taht notyhing but vagueness can retain his multicolor votebase in tact until Jan 26th. Different media is issuing different perspectrives, but one party - TNA - remains unchanged.
Has SF agrreed for these three eelamist demands?
That is the biggest question.
Howrrever there is another big question. It is a question about teh typoical lowr of human bnature. WRill the floating voters care for taht?
I have been debating writh many SF supporters. I kept my principle taht I wrouldn't debate writh any hardcore UNP or hardcore JVP. If someone could vote Ranil during at his traitor maximum, I'd not waste my time with such. Same goes for blind JVPers. Howrever there are bulks of SF supporters.
WRhat do they think as their reason.
1. MR's corruption
2. MR's alleged properties
3. Mervyn and clan
4. Bulky loans taken by current admin
5. Nepotism
None of them seem to be very very bad claims, on absolute terms. But when you apply them to the ground reality of SL matters, not only that they have to be expected to a certain scale. However people seem to be carried away with them. And they are buying the full claim, of which half are creative lies in SF campaign.
People seem to give little consideration to the danger of the three main agreements that TNA claims to have secured themselves from SF. It is no surprise as people outvoted warring UNP for the piss-lover CBK in 94, and warring SLFP for a piss-bathing RW in 2001, both times due to short term issues [as they say "soda bottle problems"].
What are teh problems faced by giving in the main three claims of TNA.
- If we release the current block of Pussycats, w/o rehabilitation we are opening roads
Monday, January 4, 2010
Beyond 2009: The Butterfly Effect of National Security
2009 marks a remarkable point in SL history. It is an year of victory, triumph, and a certainty, with most vulnerabilities we faced as a nation deterred. We ought to live happily ever after, yet 2010 comes with more uncertainties and debate. Election heat is getting to its boiling point, with shameful betrayal and defamation. Forgotten and little spoken is the topic of national security today.
Yet the happenings have not left the topic barren. With lots of butterflies flapping their wings, we do not know when the category five may land upon us. While wishing our community a prosperous and joyful new year for 2010, this is an effort to look at the odds.
TNA Factor:
After the demise of Pussycats as a militia, the spotlight shone upon their political twin TNA, undoubtedly. Presidential Election extended this scenario. Both candidates have played Santa-Claus for TNA votes. And at least some of the official agreements contain segments that seem to threaten national security. Even if they turn out to be usual empty promises of Presidential Election, the General Election to be held immediately after, makes the promises more real. TNA will use their seats for bargaining.
However, TNA is set to prove that they're a synthetic alliance created in front of smoking AK 47 and they may fall apart into pieces.If this happens there will inevitably be lots and lots of active parties in Northern political arena, none gaining a majority of any kind. They'd sell their votes/seats at the best price they get for their variants of the same old demands. It may not be as rosy as it looks. Instead of one big federalist element there will be many little ones, and they may infest both sides during GE.
Nevertheless the diminishing of this biggest racist political movement in SL will be a welcome change. We need to move forward from elements of racism and make room for more generous and broad thinking political movements that represent one SL. Importantly, breaking up of TNA would make room for them to groom, if any.
That fallen Baton:
If such broad thinking non-racist movements fail to capitalize on TNA break up, it may make way for new Tamil militia. If TNA fails to represent Northern people, is there a political capacity in the rest to lead them? UNP is not in a position for any serious political discussion instead of providing political jokes. JVP who hinted as a good national level party, seems loosing whatever they had in the Southern regions as well. This leaves Northern Tamils with only option of SLFP, in the lack/break of TNA.
SLFP provides a hope right now. It already has some people such as Karuna [who may not be most preferred by them, but still a better choice than some unknown SLFP organizer]. I am predicting the possibility of some pussycat leaders appearing in SLFP lists in future. SLFP will provide a good non-racist political alternative for the Northern people, for few years.
But it is not enough. It needs a similar opposition as SLFP is the likely party in power. Lack of that may give opportunity for a new militia. This threat is quite high for next decade or so.
Until we have a certain picture on the Northern vote bases, and the direction of its flow, we need to pre-empt this possibility. It is a time to compare the golden years of late 2000s, in search of answers to what mistakes we did in late 70s and early 80s. How to use our military to diminish a movement in formation - that is the question for the defence establishments.
Pussycat-ospora, anger, revenge and hatred:
Anger and revenge was primarily the backbone of the whole havoc caused in SL by Tamil diaspora. More than Eelam they wanted to give us the biggest return, maybe hurt for the savage 1983, or maybe due to the superiority complex most of them seem to suffer from. And it ended up being a totally lost gamble, a huge waste of time and money of a million plus group of people. More anger has made them wanting to return to the same traits and give us a bigger blow. And they still have financial power to do so.
This is one more reason why a militia can be formed even in the death of the pussycat. If not for any other reason, diaspora cash-cow could be the prime reason for someone to create a fake "rebellion" against us. However, this seems to be an area which current defence/diplomatic establishments are tackling pretty well. We need to intense the acts. We should not rest until last active pussycat is behind bars.
Other side of the Pussycat-ospora:
While one part of them trying to give us the best blood bath possible, the other part is plotting the best political structure to make room for Eelam. The Trans- Notional Government and the corresponding elections are one segment of it. The minority forum held in Switzerland for all minority parties, is another. This alliance is highly supported by the INGOs, and many other foreign elements. Most of war crimes claims, and the defamation of SL are parts of this main plot.
Idea is to create a hostile environment for SL, and leave most minds ready to accept Eelam, should there be the slightest chance for it being declared. Also to push the GOSL to maximum in case there is some kind of negotiation.
Regrettably many local politicians including General Fonseka lately, have fallen into this plot. More dangerous will be if General looses campaign and finds life in Sri Lanka meaningless and flees to west looking for ways to revenge Rajapakses.
This is not an empty threat or a laugh-stock. In 90s when Wardharajah Perumal declared the N/E province as Eelam, [illegally] he lacked any formal acceptance from any part of the world. This was despite his capacity as the Chief Minister with [full] power of 13th amendment [although none gave him self-determination]. It would have given him good acceptance, had the world got prepared for the idea. Today's laid out foundations are for a future Wardharajah.
This is where we need to bring strong legal grounds to combat separatism. After 30years of separatist war SL is still entertaining the thinking, talking and organizing of separation. It can only combat separation by means of anti-terrorism. Separatists to date, foolishly took the same and hence got decimated. Yet we have no weapons to combat the peaceful version of separatism.This is a loophole we need to close soon, or the result will be regretful.
IDP turned Mentally Displaced:
IDPs are being settled. With them the multi million dollar topic [of NGOs] is gone. Yet the settling process looks hasty and a rash plan. Perhaps pushed into it by many such parties.
It is very important to handle them sensibly and delicately. More than the infrastructure and underlying needs, most of these people are mentally displaced, still so.
And that leaves all possibilities open. Most these people suffered in many hands, yet they may take it all from the GOSL. They may find their current lives not so filling and, in the slightest mistake, abandoned. Instead of working for their own future cum country's, they may work for country's destruction and eventually theirs.
In simple words the release was too early and primitive. In other words we need to make sure every plan we have to counter any bad formations among them, since they are very likely.
For racist politicians, for diaspora and INGOs, this bulk of ppl [together with other tamils in those regions] are the work horse. Every evil plot of the prior groups are made real by them. And for that reason they would invest their best to get these ppl lined up for their plans. Slightest mistake will be definitely highlighted in the process.
Govt should provide them all the needs and help them to get on with life and prosper. So far it looks good going. Yet the goals are still a significant distance away.
Not only the caretaking but also they should be monitored and closely spied. There is nothing wrong in spying. Today most western countries listen to Muslim circles day and night. We can do the same with them.
Mono-ethnic Enclaves, and unfair and preventive laws from Integration:
This is a topic discussed by likes of Moshe in many rounds. Needless to add, Multi-ethnic recolonization as our pals coined it, is an essence. Not only that the vast reserves of Wanni needs more people and it should be equally available for all Sri Lankans. Any laws violating that right should be removed, and challenged by means of basic rights.
As Moshe states, this is the best way to end racism. Yet they're late. This should have begun in parallel to IDP resettlement. Still never too late.
Devolu[natic]tion:
Most Australians whom I knew supported Federalism for SL, until when I told them "Hey you wanna divide an island in the size of Tasmania into so many states, ha?" Most critical reason why federalism does not apply to SL is the size of it. Very little countries there exist, whose states can be run across in a day.
Moreover it is impractical as it naturally leads up to the separation as many above mentioned forces work day and night to achieve it. Anything we mark by means of federal or any other race-based twin sister of it, will be simply another step for international recognition for eelam. And any power we grant such, is a road open to get there.
It is very clear that SL needs devolution. But most hurting needs are regarding administration and development. Not about defence and policy making. Devolution should focus these requirements. Smaller regions should be given more powers in administrating and developing their regions. Center should standardize all the policy and other critical issues including defence and should hold it under their control. Regions should be smaller than current ethnic barriers and should not have any ethnic basis.
Sadly, the lunatics who call themselves the professional devolutionists fail to understand this. In reality most such are rusted socialists who still read "Das Capital" to find best socialist ways of making love. We need to move out from here and get many "other"politicians into act. If we agree for Devolution we need to agree it all together and work hard to make it a healthy and safe plan.
Human migration and the millennium to come:
Sri Lanka is the dead end of a great human migration. Northern and Southern parts of India provided a flux of people who found nothing but great Indian ocean beyond this island. In recent millennium, Tamilnadu's population eruption has sent a lava flow of humans through to the island. It will keep on doing so within whatever legal and illegal frameworks of the day.
This means that eventually one day SL will be tamil dominant, theoretically. Today's world order saves us thanks to countries and visa barriers, hence making illegal immigration the only way. But there is no assurance that such structures will remain in tact for ever. In the millennial view this risk exists at large.
It leaves the Sri Lankans with a two way approach. Firstly be very open hearted. They should support any kinda integration of anyone into their fold. They should not base themselves on race, and the open and extended hands should embrace anyone who comes under their flag. Secondly they should be ruthless to anyone who's trying to pull down the flag.
And on this regards we need to learn everything from Israel.
In a summary; we need to address the following topics in this dawning 2010.
- Tamil racist politics: how to dismantle them
- Stop playing into their demands due to cheap political gain
- Banning Separatism
- Filling the northern political vaccum
- Increasing security of North and East. Establishing permanent camps and increasing numbers.
- Have an anticipative plan on combating terrorism at its birth.
- Taking care of IDPs, and providing them sustainable development
- Spying and monitoring the same
- Multi Ethnic Recolonization
- Combating illegal immigration and coast guard
As the new year brings a new president, these topics should be more significant when you decide on your candidate for voting. Whoever wins, these haunting questions will be nagging soon to be addressed. Failing which they'll take the nation back to 70s and 80s, making next decade bloodier than 90s.
And on the day when category five strikes, everyone will forget playing with the little butterflies flapping wings in their back yard.
Yet the happenings have not left the topic barren. With lots of butterflies flapping their wings, we do not know when the category five may land upon us. While wishing our community a prosperous and joyful new year for 2010, this is an effort to look at the odds.
TNA Factor:
After the demise of Pussycats as a militia, the spotlight shone upon their political twin TNA, undoubtedly. Presidential Election extended this scenario. Both candidates have played Santa-Claus for TNA votes. And at least some of the official agreements contain segments that seem to threaten national security. Even if they turn out to be usual empty promises of Presidential Election, the General Election to be held immediately after, makes the promises more real. TNA will use their seats for bargaining.
However, TNA is set to prove that they're a synthetic alliance created in front of smoking AK 47 and they may fall apart into pieces.If this happens there will inevitably be lots and lots of active parties in Northern political arena, none gaining a majority of any kind. They'd sell their votes/seats at the best price they get for their variants of the same old demands. It may not be as rosy as it looks. Instead of one big federalist element there will be many little ones, and they may infest both sides during GE.
Nevertheless the diminishing of this biggest racist political movement in SL will be a welcome change. We need to move forward from elements of racism and make room for more generous and broad thinking political movements that represent one SL. Importantly, breaking up of TNA would make room for them to groom, if any.
That fallen Baton:
If such broad thinking non-racist movements fail to capitalize on TNA break up, it may make way for new Tamil militia. If TNA fails to represent Northern people, is there a political capacity in the rest to lead them? UNP is not in a position for any serious political discussion instead of providing political jokes. JVP who hinted as a good national level party, seems loosing whatever they had in the Southern regions as well. This leaves Northern Tamils with only option of SLFP, in the lack/break of TNA.
SLFP provides a hope right now. It already has some people such as Karuna [who may not be most preferred by them, but still a better choice than some unknown SLFP organizer]. I am predicting the possibility of some pussycat leaders appearing in SLFP lists in future. SLFP will provide a good non-racist political alternative for the Northern people, for few years.
But it is not enough. It needs a similar opposition as SLFP is the likely party in power. Lack of that may give opportunity for a new militia. This threat is quite high for next decade or so.
Until we have a certain picture on the Northern vote bases, and the direction of its flow, we need to pre-empt this possibility. It is a time to compare the golden years of late 2000s, in search of answers to what mistakes we did in late 70s and early 80s. How to use our military to diminish a movement in formation - that is the question for the defence establishments.
Pussycat-ospora, anger, revenge and hatred:
Anger and revenge was primarily the backbone of the whole havoc caused in SL by Tamil diaspora. More than Eelam they wanted to give us the biggest return, maybe hurt for the savage 1983, or maybe due to the superiority complex most of them seem to suffer from. And it ended up being a totally lost gamble, a huge waste of time and money of a million plus group of people. More anger has made them wanting to return to the same traits and give us a bigger blow. And they still have financial power to do so.
This is one more reason why a militia can be formed even in the death of the pussycat. If not for any other reason, diaspora cash-cow could be the prime reason for someone to create a fake "rebellion" against us. However, this seems to be an area which current defence/diplomatic establishments are tackling pretty well. We need to intense the acts. We should not rest until last active pussycat is behind bars.
Other side of the Pussycat-ospora:
While one part of them trying to give us the best blood bath possible, the other part is plotting the best political structure to make room for Eelam. The Trans- Notional Government and the corresponding elections are one segment of it. The minority forum held in Switzerland for all minority parties, is another. This alliance is highly supported by the INGOs, and many other foreign elements. Most of war crimes claims, and the defamation of SL are parts of this main plot.
Idea is to create a hostile environment for SL, and leave most minds ready to accept Eelam, should there be the slightest chance for it being declared. Also to push the GOSL to maximum in case there is some kind of negotiation.
Regrettably many local politicians including General Fonseka lately, have fallen into this plot. More dangerous will be if General looses campaign and finds life in Sri Lanka meaningless and flees to west looking for ways to revenge Rajapakses.
This is not an empty threat or a laugh-stock. In 90s when Wardharajah Perumal declared the N/E province as Eelam, [illegally] he lacked any formal acceptance from any part of the world. This was despite his capacity as the Chief Minister with [full] power of 13th amendment [although none gave him self-determination]. It would have given him good acceptance, had the world got prepared for the idea. Today's laid out foundations are for a future Wardharajah.
This is where we need to bring strong legal grounds to combat separatism. After 30years of separatist war SL is still entertaining the thinking, talking and organizing of separation. It can only combat separation by means of anti-terrorism. Separatists to date, foolishly took the same and hence got decimated. Yet we have no weapons to combat the peaceful version of separatism.This is a loophole we need to close soon, or the result will be regretful.
IDP turned Mentally Displaced:
IDPs are being settled. With them the multi million dollar topic [of NGOs] is gone. Yet the settling process looks hasty and a rash plan. Perhaps pushed into it by many such parties.
It is very important to handle them sensibly and delicately. More than the infrastructure and underlying needs, most of these people are mentally displaced, still so.
And that leaves all possibilities open. Most these people suffered in many hands, yet they may take it all from the GOSL. They may find their current lives not so filling and, in the slightest mistake, abandoned. Instead of working for their own future cum country's, they may work for country's destruction and eventually theirs.
In simple words the release was too early and primitive. In other words we need to make sure every plan we have to counter any bad formations among them, since they are very likely.
For racist politicians, for diaspora and INGOs, this bulk of ppl [together with other tamils in those regions] are the work horse. Every evil plot of the prior groups are made real by them. And for that reason they would invest their best to get these ppl lined up for their plans. Slightest mistake will be definitely highlighted in the process.
Govt should provide them all the needs and help them to get on with life and prosper. So far it looks good going. Yet the goals are still a significant distance away.
Not only the caretaking but also they should be monitored and closely spied. There is nothing wrong in spying. Today most western countries listen to Muslim circles day and night. We can do the same with them.
Mono-ethnic Enclaves, and unfair and preventive laws from Integration:
This is a topic discussed by likes of Moshe in many rounds. Needless to add, Multi-ethnic recolonization as our pals coined it, is an essence. Not only that the vast reserves of Wanni needs more people and it should be equally available for all Sri Lankans. Any laws violating that right should be removed, and challenged by means of basic rights.
As Moshe states, this is the best way to end racism. Yet they're late. This should have begun in parallel to IDP resettlement. Still never too late.
Devolu[natic]tion:
Most Australians whom I knew supported Federalism for SL, until when I told them "Hey you wanna divide an island in the size of Tasmania into so many states, ha?" Most critical reason why federalism does not apply to SL is the size of it. Very little countries there exist, whose states can be run across in a day.
Moreover it is impractical as it naturally leads up to the separation as many above mentioned forces work day and night to achieve it. Anything we mark by means of federal or any other race-based twin sister of it, will be simply another step for international recognition for eelam. And any power we grant such, is a road open to get there.
It is very clear that SL needs devolution. But most hurting needs are regarding administration and development. Not about defence and policy making. Devolution should focus these requirements. Smaller regions should be given more powers in administrating and developing their regions. Center should standardize all the policy and other critical issues including defence and should hold it under their control. Regions should be smaller than current ethnic barriers and should not have any ethnic basis.
Sadly, the lunatics who call themselves the professional devolutionists fail to understand this. In reality most such are rusted socialists who still read "Das Capital" to find best socialist ways of making love. We need to move out from here and get many "other"politicians into act. If we agree for Devolution we need to agree it all together and work hard to make it a healthy and safe plan.
Human migration and the millennium to come:
Sri Lanka is the dead end of a great human migration. Northern and Southern parts of India provided a flux of people who found nothing but great Indian ocean beyond this island. In recent millennium, Tamilnadu's population eruption has sent a lava flow of humans through to the island. It will keep on doing so within whatever legal and illegal frameworks of the day.
This means that eventually one day SL will be tamil dominant, theoretically. Today's world order saves us thanks to countries and visa barriers, hence making illegal immigration the only way. But there is no assurance that such structures will remain in tact for ever. In the millennial view this risk exists at large.
It leaves the Sri Lankans with a two way approach. Firstly be very open hearted. They should support any kinda integration of anyone into their fold. They should not base themselves on race, and the open and extended hands should embrace anyone who comes under their flag. Secondly they should be ruthless to anyone who's trying to pull down the flag.
And on this regards we need to learn everything from Israel.
In a summary; we need to address the following topics in this dawning 2010.
- Tamil racist politics: how to dismantle them
- Stop playing into their demands due to cheap political gain
- Banning Separatism
- Filling the northern political vaccum
- Increasing security of North and East. Establishing permanent camps and increasing numbers.
- Have an anticipative plan on combating terrorism at its birth.
- Taking care of IDPs, and providing them sustainable development
- Spying and monitoring the same
- Multi Ethnic Recolonization
- Combating illegal immigration and coast guard
As the new year brings a new president, these topics should be more significant when you decide on your candidate for voting. Whoever wins, these haunting questions will be nagging soon to be addressed. Failing which they'll take the nation back to 70s and 80s, making next decade bloodier than 90s.
And on the day when category five strikes, everyone will forget playing with the little butterflies flapping wings in their back yard.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sarath's Guide of Hero to Zero in 21 Days - General commits political suicide
Two days ago, I was writing a post/comment on current political situation. I have been supportive to Mahinda over the time, and have been predicting his victory. Although the two matters of supporting and predicting are independant many took my posts for political propaganda. Nevertheless I promised that I'd write of any trends towards SF, if any were available.
Two days ago, I had facts to write about. It wasn't a wave as big as 2004 Boxing Day Clean Sweep, yet I met few people, notably non-UNPers, who were swaying for good reasons or bad reasons. General did almost nothing but Mahinda's stray dogs have been scoring for general. Let me note down what I observed, exactly until two days ago.
- People hated many stray dogs such as Mervyn/Hadda attacking general. Some patriorts in MR camp were shaky and kinda moving towards general for sympathy.
- Some lesser aware people were fooled by General's bogus campaign. There was a going rumor that "Executive President can abolish the rank Executive President". This is a blatent lie, but UNP lie machines have done their part. Many were deceived. And that covered the biggest flop in General's manifesto. Right or wrong general had scored.
- General's "something more than 13th" did not hit many minds. Many thought that "General will not betray nation" although he said so. Maybe many people wanted to give him a second chance.
- Defection of a top class political mastermind cum power hungry scum, S B Dissanayake. We all know he's like a compass turning towards power. I believe MR did the biggest mistake. For the short time goals he created the biggest risk for him - a Deva Datta among his ranks. Many ppl said that they don't want S B in ruling party, hence General gaining few votes.
- Scum S B calling General a "man like an animal", for which even I felt so disgusted.
- General's posters have been damaged or pictures are deformed. These kind of arrogant and stupid behavior taking every credit away from Mahinda.
I felt that at least few thousands from Mahinda's camp would have crossed.
And just when it was most critical, SF shot in his own butt and threw shit all over the house. First he made his remarkable comment on GR granting shoot-at-will commands against so called surrendering big Pussycats. Then he tried so synthetically and impractically to cover his nakedness leaving some endless questions in the mouths of many foreign parties.
Today, everything as two days ago, makes no sense. I need to rethink on my post. Few facts that arrived in.
- General did his first major betrayal. No matter what bad treatment he received, he is beyond all freedom to issue such news, had it even been true. There is a code of conduct, or ethical bond not to put the men of his previous command in trouble.
- And then he tried recovering, but simply told us that he, then Commander of Army, happened to believe in rumors about his own junior ranks as stated by some stray journalist [who had no guts to write it in public]. This is an utter mess.
- Imagine Gotabhaya Rajapakse ordered this killing of the leaders, bravo, the way to go. Had we left the trio to get away, today the pussycats will be running under their command, and many 100s of soldiers civilians and pussycat hostages die on every passing day.
- Why should we allow a free passage for some masterminds whom scrificed poor school chrldren as cannon fodder? What assurance do you have that they are not using the white flags to launch a major attack? Why so late for surrender? So wasn't it so great if Gota ordered this, instead of allowing white masters to help pussycats once again?
General just told the whole nation that it was Gota, not him, who held a firm hand against Pussycats, hence winning the war for us. And he lost almost all of his worth in saying so.
And right now, I see a major shake in the patriotic support base of SF. For the first time, most initial supporters are considering their support. Most people who gave him a second chance for "more tahn 13th" are in the mood of deserting him.
It was all lost in one shot. Unless Mahinda's stray dogs score another own goal for General, this will remain the biggest damage by far to his campaign - an almost political suicide. Lots of damage control going, mainly with JVP who has better sense than UNP/Mangala, but little too late. Sunday Leader leads the damage as usual.
It is very non-defence like to discuss the porgress of Presidential capmapign here. But it is all the more defence related when a supposed to be responsible former commander betray his team with true or fake stories like this. As long as Army is taken for political mileage, the matter is defence related, and of the highest interest of national security.
And it is no longer common political mud slinging. What should await the General is a case in court for treason. Whatever you did for nation does not suffice to save you after this level of betrayal.
Two days ago, I had facts to write about. It wasn't a wave as big as 2004 Boxing Day Clean Sweep, yet I met few people, notably non-UNPers, who were swaying for good reasons or bad reasons. General did almost nothing but Mahinda's stray dogs have been scoring for general. Let me note down what I observed, exactly until two days ago.
- People hated many stray dogs such as Mervyn/Hadda attacking general. Some patriorts in MR camp were shaky and kinda moving towards general for sympathy.
- Some lesser aware people were fooled by General's bogus campaign. There was a going rumor that "Executive President can abolish the rank Executive President". This is a blatent lie, but UNP lie machines have done their part. Many were deceived. And that covered the biggest flop in General's manifesto. Right or wrong general had scored.
- General's "something more than 13th" did not hit many minds. Many thought that "General will not betray nation" although he said so. Maybe many people wanted to give him a second chance.
- Defection of a top class political mastermind cum power hungry scum, S B Dissanayake. We all know he's like a compass turning towards power. I believe MR did the biggest mistake. For the short time goals he created the biggest risk for him - a Deva Datta among his ranks. Many ppl said that they don't want S B in ruling party, hence General gaining few votes.
- Scum S B calling General a "man like an animal", for which even I felt so disgusted.
- General's posters have been damaged or pictures are deformed. These kind of arrogant and stupid behavior taking every credit away from Mahinda.
I felt that at least few thousands from Mahinda's camp would have crossed.
And just when it was most critical, SF shot in his own butt and threw shit all over the house. First he made his remarkable comment on GR granting shoot-at-will commands against so called surrendering big Pussycats. Then he tried so synthetically and impractically to cover his nakedness leaving some endless questions in the mouths of many foreign parties.
Today, everything as two days ago, makes no sense. I need to rethink on my post. Few facts that arrived in.
- General did his first major betrayal. No matter what bad treatment he received, he is beyond all freedom to issue such news, had it even been true. There is a code of conduct, or ethical bond not to put the men of his previous command in trouble.
- And then he tried recovering, but simply told us that he, then Commander of Army, happened to believe in rumors about his own junior ranks as stated by some stray journalist [who had no guts to write it in public]. This is an utter mess.
- Imagine Gotabhaya Rajapakse ordered this killing of the leaders, bravo, the way to go. Had we left the trio to get away, today the pussycats will be running under their command, and many 100s of soldiers civilians and pussycat hostages die on every passing day.
- Why should we allow a free passage for some masterminds whom scrificed poor school chrldren as cannon fodder? What assurance do you have that they are not using the white flags to launch a major attack? Why so late for surrender? So wasn't it so great if Gota ordered this, instead of allowing white masters to help pussycats once again?
General just told the whole nation that it was Gota, not him, who held a firm hand against Pussycats, hence winning the war for us. And he lost almost all of his worth in saying so.
And right now, I see a major shake in the patriotic support base of SF. For the first time, most initial supporters are considering their support. Most people who gave him a second chance for "more tahn 13th" are in the mood of deserting him.
It was all lost in one shot. Unless Mahinda's stray dogs score another own goal for General, this will remain the biggest damage by far to his campaign - an almost political suicide. Lots of damage control going, mainly with JVP who has better sense than UNP/Mangala, but little too late. Sunday Leader leads the damage as usual.
It is very non-defence like to discuss the porgress of Presidential capmapign here. But it is all the more defence related when a supposed to be responsible former commander betray his team with true or fake stories like this. As long as Army is taken for political mileage, the matter is defence related, and of the highest interest of national security.
And it is no longer common political mud slinging. What should await the General is a case in court for treason. Whatever you did for nation does not suffice to save you after this level of betrayal.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Bankrupted war crimes and human rights pundits meet King Kekille
In the wee hours of Western dominance in the world came the allegations of Sri Lankan War Crimes. It could perhaps be one of the weakest stands that west has ever made. Instead of punishing Sri Lanka with their so called evidence now they are slandering in their backyards.
In every war conducted so far there had been war crimes. If you go by the standards defined in world bodies and agreements such as Geneva Convention, every war has at least once crossed their allowed limits. If you consider post-WWII era, especially the main wars that west has engaged such as the invasion of Vietnam, Panama, Iraq or Afganistan, the numerous wars of Israel and even the mere military assistance given via UN - there exists no virgin war - as far as crimes are concerned. Yet they were never challenged. Like Dayan Jayathilake once said, the victorious party was never questioned.
However, the debate becomes further heated up when it comes to the war against terror. So far there have been a few number of completed wars against terror. And we noticed that in each of those cases there was no way you can hold into whatever the guidelines set for the wars against two nations. Nobody has conducted any academic analysis into war against terror and redefine the conventions.
Having said all these, the recently completed war against terror in Sri Lanka gives a novel low for those groups who master the topic of war crimes. It has been more than six months since the completion of war, yet they are looking for the smoking gun. Even that given, it is beyond comprehension why most such parties conduct defamation and slandering campaigns, instead of taking appropriate actions, if they really can.
The lowest point of the campaign so far is the call for allegations against Mr Palitha Kohona.
Mr Kohona was the secretary for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was not involved in war by any means. Nor did he hold a power to decide anything related to war. But the fact that some people have imagined of a possible case of gunning down a terrorist with a white flag has been made synthetically connected to Mr Kohona.
How can one trust a terrorist carrying a white flag is a debatable question. They have not only used white flags but also used signs of supposed to be neutral institutes such as Red Cross, UN etc. Still, the call against Mr Kohona is a pathetic low, even if you ignore such pragmatic points.
It reads, "There's nothing to suggest Dr Kohona was directly responsible for committing these alleged war crimes, though international law does recognize principles of what's called command responsibility, where if someone had direct command, whether it's legal or political, with respect to the commission of these types of of offenses,"
Dr Kohona was not in a position of command - direct or indirect, formal or de-facto - when it mattered to this kind of decisions. He was said to be approached by someone asking SLDF to obey certain rules. Just as Dr Kohona says, "There was a general query about surrendering and I told them that I was the wrong person, that I had nothing to do with surrendering and asked them to go and deal with the matter in the way it ought to be dealt with."
Goly, they did not have my phone number, otherwise I'd be compelled to give them the same answer and hence conduct a "war crime".
The whole hype on the allegations - rather the craving for allegations - tells us one thing. The parties of vested evil interest on Sri Lanka, have reached their lowest point after bankruptcy. they are slandering in the dark shades of their backyards. Humorous human rights groups have taken up the tactics of the village house wives. If they cannot take actions against this tiny third world island of 20 million people, with absolutely no influence on any nation whatsoever, that means that they are so powerless, and absolutely obsolete today.
Moreover it tells you that perhaps this war in Sri Lanka had no criminal offenses in whatever convention they use to judge them. Nobody who were really involved in this war have been found with evidence for war crimes, so you catch Dr Kohona, since he is an Australian citizen. Just for that matter of citizenship.
Nevertheless they are not alone. Perhaps if you go with folklore, there once was this king Kekille who gave at least one similar verdict.
In every war conducted so far there had been war crimes. If you go by the standards defined in world bodies and agreements such as Geneva Convention, every war has at least once crossed their allowed limits. If you consider post-WWII era, especially the main wars that west has engaged such as the invasion of Vietnam, Panama, Iraq or Afganistan, the numerous wars of Israel and even the mere military assistance given via UN - there exists no virgin war - as far as crimes are concerned. Yet they were never challenged. Like Dayan Jayathilake once said, the victorious party was never questioned.
However, the debate becomes further heated up when it comes to the war against terror. So far there have been a few number of completed wars against terror. And we noticed that in each of those cases there was no way you can hold into whatever the guidelines set for the wars against two nations. Nobody has conducted any academic analysis into war against terror and redefine the conventions.
Having said all these, the recently completed war against terror in Sri Lanka gives a novel low for those groups who master the topic of war crimes. It has been more than six months since the completion of war, yet they are looking for the smoking gun. Even that given, it is beyond comprehension why most such parties conduct defamation and slandering campaigns, instead of taking appropriate actions, if they really can.
The lowest point of the campaign so far is the call for allegations against Mr Palitha Kohona.
Mr Kohona was the secretary for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was not involved in war by any means. Nor did he hold a power to decide anything related to war. But the fact that some people have imagined of a possible case of gunning down a terrorist with a white flag has been made synthetically connected to Mr Kohona.
How can one trust a terrorist carrying a white flag is a debatable question. They have not only used white flags but also used signs of supposed to be neutral institutes such as Red Cross, UN etc. Still, the call against Mr Kohona is a pathetic low, even if you ignore such pragmatic points.
It reads, "There's nothing to suggest Dr Kohona was directly responsible for committing these alleged war crimes, though international law does recognize principles of what's called command responsibility, where if someone had direct command, whether it's legal or political, with respect to the commission of these types of of offenses,"
Dr Kohona was not in a position of command - direct or indirect, formal or de-facto - when it mattered to this kind of decisions. He was said to be approached by someone asking SLDF to obey certain rules. Just as Dr Kohona says, "There was a general query about surrendering and I told them that I was the wrong person, that I had nothing to do with surrendering and asked them to go and deal with the matter in the way it ought to be dealt with."
Goly, they did not have my phone number, otherwise I'd be compelled to give them the same answer and hence conduct a "war crime".
The whole hype on the allegations - rather the craving for allegations - tells us one thing. The parties of vested evil interest on Sri Lanka, have reached their lowest point after bankruptcy. they are slandering in the dark shades of their backyards. Humorous human rights groups have taken up the tactics of the village house wives. If they cannot take actions against this tiny third world island of 20 million people, with absolutely no influence on any nation whatsoever, that means that they are so powerless, and absolutely obsolete today.
Moreover it tells you that perhaps this war in Sri Lanka had no criminal offenses in whatever convention they use to judge them. Nobody who were really involved in this war have been found with evidence for war crimes, so you catch Dr Kohona, since he is an Australian citizen. Just for that matter of citizenship.
Nevertheless they are not alone. Perhaps if you go with folklore, there once was this king Kekille who gave at least one similar verdict.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Emerging Threats Against Sri Lanka
Times OnLine: New Tamil group People’s Liberation Army vows to start a fresh war
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in eastern Sri Lanka four months ago and has vowed to launch attacks against government and military targets unless its demands for a separate Tamil homeland are met.
...
“This war isn’t over yet,” Commander Kones, head of the PLA’s Eastern District military command, told The Times during a night meeting in a safe house in the east of the country last week.
Daily Mirror: Government aware of PLA presence in the East- Minister
Speaking to Daily Mirror, Minister Rambukwella said that he is aware of the existence of the group and that this sort of situation arises anywhere in the world. He added that since the country was in a reconciliation process after the defeat of the LTTE the government would deal with the issue politically.
Details of the emerging terrorists group called "PLA" and the leader "Kones" are sketchy at the moment. However minute the threat is, we shall never take it light. Minister Rambukwella indicates that the government would be dealing with the threat as a political issue rather than a terrorist issue. In late 70s we miserably failed in dealing with Eelam problem politically and caught unguarded for 33 years. Given the fact that we have an elite military machine second to none in dealing with terrorism and an astute political leadership with grass root level support in the East, it is likely that we can solve this problem before it gets worse. However, napping militarily or politically shall not be considered an option in dealing with this kind of threats even during an election.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in eastern Sri Lanka four months ago and has vowed to launch attacks against government and military targets unless its demands for a separate Tamil homeland are met.
...
“This war isn’t over yet,” Commander Kones, head of the PLA’s Eastern District military command, told The Times during a night meeting in a safe house in the east of the country last week.
Daily Mirror: Government aware of PLA presence in the East- Minister
Speaking to Daily Mirror, Minister Rambukwella said that he is aware of the existence of the group and that this sort of situation arises anywhere in the world. He added that since the country was in a reconciliation process after the defeat of the LTTE the government would deal with the issue politically.
Details of the emerging terrorists group called "PLA" and the leader "Kones" are sketchy at the moment. However minute the threat is, we shall never take it light. Minister Rambukwella indicates that the government would be dealing with the threat as a political issue rather than a terrorist issue. In late 70s we miserably failed in dealing with Eelam problem politically and caught unguarded for 33 years. Given the fact that we have an elite military machine second to none in dealing with terrorism and an astute political leadership with grass root level support in the East, it is likely that we can solve this problem before it gets worse. However, napping militarily or politically shall not be considered an option in dealing with this kind of threats even during an election.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
U.S. Report on Sri Lanka Urges New Approach
NEW DELHI — A report on Sri Lanka to be released next week by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urges a less confrontational approach to that nation, citing strategic American interests in the region.
......
But
“
It was not a secret that certain US representatives in Sri Lanka, during the final phase of war against LTTE terrorists, threatened the president with bogus war crime charges. If President Mahinda Rajapakse ever submitted to those undiplomatic requests, it is very likely that we are living under terrorist threats even today. With the help of India, China, and Russia, we successfully defeated their further disgraceful attempts in UN that followed comprehensive defeat of LTTE terrorists. As a result of such overt attempts, a US friendly nation was turned in to a nation not very positive about US. It is very important to maintain good relations with a global power like US, for commercial benefits if not for anything else. Therefore, the proposed non-confrontational approach can be beneficial to everybody. However, it will take a long time to erase the ill memories created by such hostile acts in the most crucial hour of the recent history of Sri Lanka.
Sam (ID 10084374428694513082).
DefenceWire.blogspot.com Resurrected Here!
Dear DefenceWire Bloggers,
As you may have noticed, the DefenceWire (DW) blog is inoperative, because the Patriot who was maintaining that blogsite has gone AWOL (Absent With Out Leave), and we have been unable to contact him.
Therefore, several of us long-term bloggers at DefenceWire decided to create a replacement for the DefenceWire blog, called the SriLankaDefenceForum, and to operate it with a TEAM OF ADMINISTRATORS, so that that it would never again become unavailable to the bloggers because the sole administrator goes AWOL, and there is no one available to correct the problem.
The administrative policies operative at DefenceWire will be adopted unaltered here. To wit, the SriLankaDefenceForum will be
1. An unmoderated blog open to all without registration,
2. The administrators, will write and post the lead articles in turn, as newsworthy events occur,
3. The administrators, who have opinions of their own on every concievable subject, will not seek to administratively impose them on others, but will participate as individual bloggers as before,
4. Each comment will be limited in length to 4096 characters, as at DW, to inhibit spamming of the blog.
The administrative team consists, in alphabetical order of the blog handles, of the following five bloggers: Ananda-USA, Konappu Bandara, Moshe Dayan, Sam Perera, and Sujeewa Kokawala.
The SriLankaDefenceForum Blog Administrators email address is SriLankaDefenceForum@gmail.com .
Please contact us if you notice any problems with the blog, or want to suggest improvements.
Thank you all!
Let the Blog Wars begin!
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