Anti-UN sentiment in Jaffna: Fact or fiction?
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The Uthayan newspaper runs a revealing story on its website which suggests that on 8th May, the campaign to collect a million signatures against the UN Panel’s report basically forced people to sign up to the campaign. Groundviews has already covered this bizarre, mindless campaign when it started in Colombo, before in fact the UN Panel’s report was officially released! The story in the Uthayan reveals that bereft of any public support, the minister and his goons are now ostensibly forcing people to sign their names, and this too in the regions most affected by war. Much like the outrageously wasteful ‘record breaking’ kiri-bath (milk rice) made to celebrate the President’s second term in office, this continuing display of insensitivity and brutishness by members of government speaks volumes. As we noted in our story on the signature campaign,
“This petition, and others that will invariably follow after the report’s official publication, is emblematic of Sri Lanka’s peculiar democracy, where highly emotive issues ratcheted up by expedient politicians with little or no grounding in actual fact are actually able to whip up mass appeal and support. Whether this is true over the long-term remains to be seen, but in the short-term, the mere fact that if successful, this petition will generate a million signatures of Sri Lankans who know little or nothing of what they oppose reflects the significant challenge of reconciliation and accountability, post-war.”
A translation into English of the Uthayan story follows, and is based on this Sinhala translation.
Unrest in Jaffna city yesterday afternoon: In pursuit of signatures
The campaign to generate signatures against the UN Panel’s report was in Jaffna yesterday (8th) and went in pursuit of people to get their signatures.
More details are as follows.
The campaign to collect signatures against the pointed allegations in the UN Panel’s report can be seen across the country. As one stage of this campaign, a programme to elicit signatures from the people of the North was organised yesterday under the leadership and presence of the Minister for Private Transport Ratnayake and his team in Jaffna.
This group forcibly generated signatures from the people in Kilinochchi, Mulaitivu and other places, and even gave promises that relief and aid would be provided if they signed up to the campaign. When they came to Jaffna, this group in Sundukuli and Columbaitur blocked the main road and forced people travelling on it to sign up for the campaign. People used alternative routes in order to avoid this group on the main road.
Under the full protection of the Army, this group shouting volubly slogans against the UN made their way towards the central bus stand in Jaffna. The group proceeded to go behind commuters waiting for buses and forced them to sign. The behaviour by this group caused consternation amongst civil society in Jaffna and also heightened anxiety and fear. Even before this, a multi-religious group had asked people in the North what they thought of the UN Panel’s report. The Minister and his group had come to Jaffna after this.
The minister, the GoSL and the Patriots would deny that this footage and say as this news appears in a Tamil daily it should be flawed.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33926
Nothing will happen by some welcoming UN report: Basil Rajapaksa, 9 May 2011:
Sri Lanka President’s brother and SL Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa made an unannounced sudden visit to Jaffna Monday. Nothing will happen by some welcoming the UN panel report and ‘Tamils should not play treachery by betraying the country for a few thousand dollars,’ Basil Rajapaksa who was carrying a ‘special message’ from Mahinda Rajapaksa to the people of Jaffna said, while addressing a meeting at Maaviddapuram. Basil’s ‘message’ implied a warning against any evidence going out of Tamils in Jaffna on the war crimes and genocide committed on them, news sources in Jaffna said.
Left out [Western properganda]
What Uthayan has reported is 100% true. But Groundviews should be careful in quoting Uthayan. For me, the way in which Uthayan promotes a conservative version of Tamil nationalism is analogous to the way Sinhala nationalism is promoted by Daily News and Sunday Observer. So Groundviews should double-check before re-producing Uthayan’s news items.
Thanks. Actually, we called up the reporter who wrote the story to check whether what was published was accurate. Much like the story we translated and published on the purported use of cluster bombs by the Army as reported by the Sudar Oli newspaper, this is open for discussion. The point is also that these reports, for whatever reason, don’t find their way into mainstream English or in particular, Sinhala media.
Shouldn’t you also talk to the other party? I would like to know what they say about this allegation; I am sure they will refute it but at least they know that it has been reported!
Indeed!
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33925
SL minister intimidates resettled in Vanni to sign against UN report, 9 May 2011;
Similar to the show of a group of Sinhala thugs forcing passers by to sign petition against UN panel report in Jaffna city Sunday, a Sri Lankan minister CB Ratnayake lead the occupying military and military intelligence personnel to intimidate the resettled Eezham Tamils in Vanni to sign a petition Saturday and Sunday. Members of village and civil society institutions were summoned over the phone by the military to bring people to Ki’linochchi town and when they gathered, the group lead by Ratnayake forced them to sign the petition. The military deployed in the streets in large numbers saw to it that no one escapes signing.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33923
Sinhalese stage anti-UN demonstration in Jaffna
In a comic show of events, Sinhalese thugs bought from the south staged a demonstration in Jaffna Sunday, against the UN panel report calling for war crimes investigation. In several places in the Jaffna city they were seen forcing passing by people to sign petitions and those who refused were chased and manhandled by the military intelligence accompanying the ‘demonstrators.’ Even a reputed Catholic priest was not an exception, news sources from Jaffna said. While Tamils have to build up their own democratic polity for ‘reconciliation’ within a ‘united’ island is the reiteration of the US Asst Secretary of State Robert Blake, the Indian National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon’s position is that why should there be any qualms in Tamil Nadu when Eezham Tamils and Sinhalese make ‘home-made solutions’ in the island.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33924
Tamils ignored in Administrative Service examinations, 9 May 2011:
Tamils are ignored in the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) competitive examination conducted by the Sri Lanka’s Department of Education. Not a single Tamil public servant has been selected from the SLAS competitive examination conducted in 2010, sources in the Department of Education said. Applications were called in for the said examination in 2009. More than thousand Tamils sat for the examination held in Colombo and Jaffna.
They failed it!
You can’t blame the system for failure of these individuals. Jaffna used to do very well in studies before the war but now it has very badly slipped the ranks because all the telented have left the country. They are doing very well in the Diaspora. (The other implication is, the remaining not so talented ones are easily manipulated as the Uthayan report proves.) In medicine Jaffna cut off marks are lower than Hambantota! And ranked 6 or 7 overall. Same goes for engineering. Tamil only Vanni has the lowest cut off marks for most faculties in the island. In short a Tamil needs to take less marks than a Sinhalese to go to university.
This is the reality. SLAS exams on the other hand are on merit islandwide. (It may not be fair and may need to change.) How can Tamilnet expect otherwise? As the name itself goes, Tamilnet sees everything from the Tamil racist pov. Everything will look bleak from this pov.
If anyone is still in doubt take a look at Tamil politics. Gone are the days when people like the Ponnambalam brothers, GGP, Sundaralingam, SJVC, Thiruchelvam (sr) and (jr), Anandasangaree, Amirthalingam headed Tamil politics. Today’s Tamil leaders have none of the talent, intellect, oratory skills, etc. of them (right or wrong).
I’m ashamed to compare Tamil nadu politicians from the times of Annadurai to today!
Fortuntely, SL Tamil politicians look up to Tamil Nadu politicians for guidance! 
But in all faireness the Tamil Diaspora has Tamil leaders with better talents than SL Tamil leaders (right or wrong their views are). Some are even elected to foreign parliaments!
This is the future. Face it!
(True enough the calibre of Sinhalese and Muslim leaders too suffered. But not so much. Now they are on top of the Tamil north too. it was unthinkable during GGP, SJVC, LTTE times to do these things in the north. But not today.)
TT says that one thousand tamils failed the examination for recuitment to public service ! Hence none was selected!
This is unbeleivable.
I do not see anyone agreeing.
I think the vast majority of the people sitting for that exams fail it. The real question is whether 1000 actually sat for it and if some racist stuff was going on. The people who sat for the exam should ask for evidence of them having actually failed.
Justitia,
What I didn’t say is MANY MORE thousands of Sinhalese and Muslims also failed. My bad.
But that was not the topic!
[Edited out] Anyway, Tamilnet is not reliable at all. I’m sure that there were Tamils among those selected for positions.
This mass collection of signature with force by showing thuggery by Mahinda’s brothers shows the nature of the Sri Lankan government, they are more akin to North Korea than any civilised society. It points dangers to democracy, reconciliation etc. Now the Tamils are suffering with this thuggery, later Sinhalese in the west, who oppose the continuous carnival of MR brothers’ will also suffer.
The UNSG’s panel report has no legal force. It is just rubbish for all intents and purposes. Why do these politicians make a mockery of themselves over such an invalid thing?
The best thing is to ignore this report. Nothing will happen.
Using it for propaganda purposes is not the right thing to do.
Anyway this is the future of Jaffna. It will not change. Jaffna will have to always dance to the tune of SL politicians. Otherwise there will be repercussions. It is going to be the way of life in the north for the future. Resisting it won’t work. Anyway there was no public resist campaign against that! If there was, counter insurgency measures would kick in.
what type of nonsense [Edited] is this?
TT believes that counterinsurgency tactics and other military action must be used against the general public if they protest government policy.
dodo,
All the 14 sentences I have written are facts stated as ugly as they are. I don’t necessarily want it this way but this is the way it is!
DB,
“counterinsurgency tactics and other military action must be used against the general public”
General public! Now you are introducing words/phrases.
General public in the north will not stage any such campaigns. But very few elements hiding among them will. The challenge of the CI strategy is to unearth them and destroy them.
Really, TT? Then when you said “Anyway there was no public resist campaign against that! If there was, counter insurgency measures would kick in,” are you saying that there is inevitably insurgents behind public resistance?
DB,
“are you saying that there is inevitably insurgents behind public resistance?”
There are 2 types of resistance.
1. constructive/inclusive resistance.
2. destructive/racist aspirations (racist grievances, monoethnic racist homelands) based resistance
#1 poses no problem and should be allowed. No insurgents/subversives/terrorists/mono-ethnic racial homlanders behind these.
#2 poses grave threats to national security and there are insurgents behind these. They MUST be eliminated at source.
I didn’t ask you what type of insurgents you think exist in your empty head, TT. I asked you if your statement that protests by the general public would be met by counter-insurgency operations meant that you believe that insurgents would be behind any protest by the Jaffna public? It’s not a difficult or complicated question, and there’s no reason for you to get your knickers in a knot
DB,
So that’s your response for an answer that stumped you!
You can’t handle every situation the same way.
There are 2 types of resistance.
1. constructive/inclusive resistance.
2. destructive/racist aspirations (racist grievances, monoethnic racist homelands) based resistance
#1 poses no problem and should be allowed. No insurgents/subversives/terrorists/mono-ethnic racial homlanders behind these.
#2 poses grave threats to national security and there are insurgents behind these. They MUST be eliminated at source.
TT, how can an answer stump? An answer must provide understanding and clarity, not take it away. Only a question can stump; and since you’re unable to answer the question, it has clearly stumped you
TT— enough with your ignorant and offensive comments!
TT
“Fortuntely, SL Tamil politicians look up to Tamil Nadu politicians for guidance!”
What is your evidence for this?
WP,
Current evidence:
http://www.tops.lk/article5469-tamil-nadu-delegation-arrive-in-lanka-meet-tna-mps.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Kxc5YS4PY
http://lrrp.wordpress.com/2004/10/21/tna-mp-deported-from-tamil-nadu-by-chris-kamalendran/
http://www.asiantribune.com/node/3790
http://www.tamildaily.net/2010/11/01/tna-leader-sampanthan-%E2%80%98ready-for-a-structured-dialogue%E2%80%99-with-the-government/
While on the subject of Tamil Nadu…
TN assembly election results are due this week.
AIADMK (D stands for Dravida just like race based parties of northern SL have “T”) is set to win. Hope this is not true.
The problem is not that they can do anything but they beg/instigate the Indian government and SL Tamil politicians to follow a more hardline approach.
It was a blessing they lost in May 2009. Had they won things would have been unpleasant than with K’nidi.
TT is a real racist. At one point he says whatever comes in the Tamilnet is unreliable and only the Tamil’s point of view!! Then he says that the future of Jaffna Tamils depend on “dancing” to the tune of SL politicians(in my view thugs)
He seems extremely happy in saying that all the Tamil candidates have failed!!! Can he substantiate with the marked sheet!!!
If they have nothing to hide, why can’t they allow the journalist the freedom, or allow the international investigators into the country.
He is questioning the ability of the Taaml politicians. How about his beloved “leader” and his extended family!! They are good at rigging the elections, bribing the un educated sinhalese to demonstrate and use violence on people without any conscience. One is particularly good at “barking” like a dog with limited vocabulary who cannot express himself without getting mad!!!
Tamils have talent, but no freedom as the thugs are ruling the country!!!(including the Tamil criminals who are under the payrol of the sinhala criminals)
Silva,
How can a person who purports to promote multiculturalism be a racist? He writes endless Facts supporting his conclusions that the Tamil race is inherently racists and they require culturing by planting the non-racist Sinhala among them! How can he be a racist?
You see, he has evidences to support his claims; he has even studied the Indian politics and the Tamil Nadu is more racist minded than the rest he asserts! You know; once he has successfully labeled the Tamils as Racists, then what should be done to them can be fashioned. With this Racist label, one can justify the mass killings that took place during the last stages of the war. It is all about labeling a group of people; it is as simple as that, and TT is a master at it!
Dear Silva,
“At one point he says whatever comes in the Tamilnet is unreliable”
On that one single point he is correct. Did Tamilnet give any indication at all that the LTTE was going to lose the war?
“He is questioning the ability of the Taaml politicians.”
What have they accomplished for the Tamils? Anything more than the Sinhala politicians?
Silva,
I never said Tamils don’t have talent. They do. I have given examples. Let me give yet another example. DSS compared to GGP was far less educated (to say the very least). But within SL things have changed a lot. Most talented Tamils have left the country. It is a fact.
Tamil politicians (except a few) represent racist politics. Look at their party names, demands, aspirations. All ultra racist!
BTW I’m not “happy” for it. I prefer a standardisation system to make SLAS and ALL public sector and uni admissions to be representative of ethnic groups throughout the country.
You have been unable to refute the university admission disparity. A Tamil can enter university from Tamil-only districts with MUCH LESS marks than a Sinhalese or a Muslim. That selectivity shows you are a racist in your selective grasp of fact. Is it not?
Anyway what I mentioned are all FACTS. They don’t change. Changes are happening towards further sharpening of these facts.
Why didn’t they take this banner in the following link to Jaffna?
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/05/03/ban-ki-moon%E2%80%99s-report-dominates-upfa-may-day-celebrations/img_6590-2/
The six photos would have spoken 6,000 words and Basil’s trip and speech would have been unnecessary:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33926
TT is wrong about the talents of north, i know students they are very average went to western universities and got top ranks some of them are in highly reputed universities. Jaffna has to start from Scratch but for sure they can do it again if right conditions prevailed
Rajan,
Sure but don’t you agree that there is a decline? Even in your given case, this bright student (by western standards) LEFT SL!! That is my point.
Agree that it can do again and I hope it will.
The photo doesn’t show any forceful/forced signature campaign. It shows people enthusiastically trying to put down their signatures.
A forced campaign would look very different.
In LA, US troops practise warfare in virtual Iraq. Iraqi Americans are called to dress like Iraqis, shout like Iraqis, weep like Iraqis, live like Iraqis and stage protests like Iraqis while US troops interrogate them, associate them, move about them and communicate with them and practice warfare (gunfire, bombs, smoke, etc.).
The people are not forced to participate. But financial incentives, the sense of participation brings them there. They may contradict (even betray) the ground situation in Iraq where most Iraqis don’t co-operate with US troops, but these people are doing it.
Too bad for some and good for the others.
i think there needs to be a distinction between the standards of tamils in jaffna as opposed to tamils in the rest of the country. If you take colombo education standards of tamils has not dropped at all over the years. Jaffna unfortunately standards may have dropped because of the adverse conditions brought upon by the war.
Yes.
I didn’t mention about the other parts because it’s not relevant to the topic.
There is no DIRECT link between skills/intelligence/talents and politics in SL and the facts about politics are complete.
Don’t forget there is a see-saw effect. Tamil Diaspora is doing VERY well as most Tamil talent has gone there.
I hope the Tamilnet report about Tamils in UK planning to stage protests against the SL team is false.
But it doesn’t seem false!
Cricket has been one UNIFYING force of various divisive peoples.
If disrupted, SLs are losing one big unifying thing. Not that they can disrupt the matches like their Pakistani counterparts!
That is not possible. But they will surely disrupt Tamils participating in the events with others which certainly built inter-community harmony in the past.
Namaste.
I heard about this from one of my sources in Jaffna on Sunday. Truly disgusting, but I didn’t expect anything less from Sinhalese chauvinists.
My source was telling me how it was basically telling the innocent Tamils who lost family and friends to government forces that ‘it never happened’ or ‘you’re lying’ or in the case of people who witnessed their family and friends being killed by the government forces ‘your eyes were deceiving you’. I couldn’t agree more.
I also see a couple Sinhalese chauvinists who are flooding the comments in every article in this site with utter ignorance. Atleast it serves as entertainment for the people who are more knowledgeable eh?
Satyaghra(m)
Satyagraha
I suppose Tamil Diaspora took informed decisions when they supported murderous campaigns of ltte ?