Comments on: A country unable to curtail ethnic hatred: Sri Lanka

By: Naga

Naga — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 01:18:15 +0000

I do not subscribe to the insinuation that Sinhalese are an intolerant race. They are in fact better than most of the other races in terms of kindness and consideration. Look at their tolerance to the present administration. In any other country, there would have been blood-bath by revolting agaist the government in retaliation for the price inhuman hikes! Unfortunately there is a curse (of Kuveni?) hovering over them. That is why they continue to get (at crucial juntures) leaders who are basically criminals. These include political and religious leaders. Currently we are undergoing the worst ever phase so far. One hopes that the current events bring a quick end to the sufferings of these innocent people – and open the way for peace and harmony.

By: Naga

Naga — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:26:24 +0000

I beg to slightly differ with Dhammika. I am not sure that the leaders mentione by him as the possible candidates who could steer the country out of trouble, although they are far better than the ones in power at present. The bittler fact is that under the present constitutional provisions no honest and patriotic peersons can come up in leadership. Look at it this way. A possible political candidate must necessarily be endowed with enormous wealth for his propaganda activities in the entire district. How is it possible that an honest, patriotic politician have unlimited resources? He has to be a crook.Further he needs a lot of muscle to run around and intimidate opposition. Can an honest and patriotic politician do that? What are then the prospects? Only people with underworld connections and illegal businesses could afford this profession. What is more they are not even accountable to their electorates. In this political setup only anarchy can prevail. All these thanks to the JR brainwave whose main objective was to ensure that no Tamil party became the main opposition in the future. He thought he was foxy, but he has caused irrepairable damage to the nation by enacting this constitution.

Realizing the mistakes and making amends does not look like a possible option as all are making use of this to exploit the nation – for they have neither the time nor the inclination to think of the country or ethnic harmony.

By: R.G

R.G — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:06:41 +0000

From the outset this article is based on false premise that killing of 13 Soldiers triggered the July 1983 pogrom. Armed Forces were dying before this incident and making this incident a cover for july 83 is juvenile.
What was the trigger for 1958, 1977, 1981 pogroms writer..???
Violence against Tamils by Sinhalese is in their psyche. The Sinhalese burnt the Jaffna Library for what?
A nationwide mobilisation of Sinhala hooligans into violence against Tamils within a matter of days is impossible if not for careful planning and execution by senior ministers of UNP govt of the day.
Sinhala hooligans had lists of Tamil homes and businesses to target nationwide. Such lists couldn’t have been compiled if not for govt authorities had a hand in the planning. I myself went around the town with my neighbour who was looting Tamil properties. He ended up building up the burnt down Tamil business premises and started his own. To this day, he does not possess the deed for the property. I saw this monk and a few thugs holding a list and checking for Tamil houses that were left out.

How can you burn a living human being with a tyre necklace?

How can you slit open a womb and pull the unborn out and let the mother and child die in pain?
How can you pour hot tar over another human being and enjoy their suffering?
How can you beat someone to pulp tie them in a tree and watch them die?
How can you rape a 72 year old grand mother in front of her children? Sinhalese have no remorse????

How can you gang rape a 17 year old student over a railway bridge and when her brother and father came looking for her, killed the father and brother but let the girl live…??? Lord Buddha did just that when he was young..???

How can you gauge the eyes out of a human being who’s incarcerated and stab them to death?

How can you slit the throat of another human being and leave them by the roadside to die?

Buddhism teaches violence and cannibalism..???
“HATRED” is a too small a word to justify this kind of animalistic behaviour.
This is simply “pure barbarism”…..!!!

Buddhism is a precious principled way of life. We see Hindu dieties in Buddhist Temples. Sinhalese who claim to protect buddhism do everything contrary to its teachings. Sinhalese will pay for everything they did to Tamils. This is why the conflict is drawing with no end. The worst yet to come. It’s the :kARMA” OF sINHALESE.

By: Wassa

Wassa — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:52:41 +0000

What about Muslims killed and chased away by tamils LTTE?Here is another “so called Singahlese”(are you?) taliknt about the ethnic crisis!
In 1983 not Singahlese killed tamils.It is some thugs who killed tamils and also in the east and north Tamil thugs who killed and chased away Singahalese.Today still we have Tamils live among Singahalese in colombo.But practically there are no Singhalese or Muslims are allowed to live in North where the Majiority are Tamils.
You should have highlighted the fact that thugs do these things in every country and they are a minority whether they are Sighalese or Tamil.
But you used the phrase saying “Majiority of Singhalese” and this phrase is really disgusting.Because most of the Singah;ese and Tamils are not thugs or racists.Please remeber that.all they want is to live in peace.

By: Lal

Lal — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:27:43 +0000

You need help. What kind of an academic are you?

By: Jack Point

Jack Point — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 05:13:15 +0000

whatever else you may accuse the Rajapakse regime, “the neo Liberal economic policies” is not one of them.

By: Dhammika

Dhammika — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:32:16 +0000

Terrorism has a cause but cannot be tolerated . Northern Ireland , Nepal and East Timor has negotiated and made peaceful settlements with terrorist organisations that caused destruction to those countries.It has to be accepted that today politicians are making use of sinking Sri Lanka to grow their wealth for their off spring and generations to come . the need of the hour for Sri Lanka is a robust leader like Lee kwan Yew OR Mahathir Mohamed whom both had done a wonderful political job for their countries . We need a HONEST leader and the only ones we see of that nature in politics today are Ranil Wickremasinghe or Sajith Premadasa or Lakshman Kiriella OR Mangala Samaraweera.

By: Ayaduray

Ayaduray — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:01:28 +0000

Looks like the ethnic hatred had been there all the time. Most articles on Sri lanka speaks about thousands of minority Tamils were killed and their property looted by the majority Sinhalese; Violence unleashed upon Tamil minority; worsening socioeconomic conditions; Sinhalese Chauvinism and genocide against the Tamils. It looks like the governments and the Singhalese had all along been suppressing the Tamil people and looting their wealth. Had the wealth of the Tamils taken by force and by looting remained with the Tamils, today the North and East would bubbling with economic prosperity. Alas! It is sad the Singhalese see the Tamils as a source to prey and obtain wealth for themselves through oppression.

By: Naga

Naga — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:59:51 +0000

The irony is that a religion such as Budhism that advocating peace, harmony, love etc is being used to propagate hatred between communities in Sri Lanka. I recall with sadness that in the old days almost all the hindus considered Lord Buddha as one of their deities and revered him by housing a picture of Buddha in their prayer rooms. Almost all Hindu business establishments had a picture of Lord Buddha along with Hindu deities in their sacred locations. The fundamentalists now, trying to plant Buddha statues in very sensitive places (like in Trincomalee) started sowing the seeds of hatred in the minds of the Hindu Tamils, depicting Lord Buddha as an alien deity. The pictures referred to above are beginning to disappear. Are they serving the cause of the religion?

The Buddha stature has now become a sort or instrument to achieve various nefarious purposes as well. The trishaw drivers for example plant one at a strategic location so that they could eventually establish a “Trishaw Stand” no matter what inconvenience it causes to the general public.

The clergy and the administration provide tacit support to this.