Comments on: Looking back, looking forward: A brief chat with HRW Human Rights Defender Award winner Sunila Abeysekera on war and peace in Sri Lanka

By: michael wicremesinghe

michael wicremesinghe — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:43:10 +0000

Brown Sugar is or maybe not looking at this situation in it,s total perspective. Who really caused this Ethnic Strife in Sri Lanka?
In any case there’s no point in pointing fingers at all and Sundry and winning HR awards for explicit pieces of literature unless you come back to your land and live a life with those thousands who are afflicted on both sides.

Its easy for you guys to present facts to win accolades but the issue remains the same whatever you do.

Also remember that GOD is in control n each of these situations.

May GOd bless you too.

By: SinhalaLondoner

SinhalaLondoner — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:35:51 +0000

Brownsuger is correct about lack of common vision. We need to unite – Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims to fight the oppressive Rajapakse regime. The first step is to oppose this war and try and end it before more lives are lost.

By: ealem boy

ealem boy — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:44:56 +0000

Tamls should be thankful to Mahinda &company, unlike chandria, he is taking down the whole country not just tamils.

By: N. Ethirveerasingam

N. Ethirveerasingam — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:28:13 +0000

Discrimination existed before Pirapakaran started his resistance to it. LTTE is a reaction to racism. Unless a majority of the Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lankans consider the Tamil community as equals, the struggle will go on for years to come in one form or other until Tamils govern themselves. Sooner the Sinhala Leaders realise this the sooner we can commence reconciliation. Civil society can bring the reality to those in power but it has no coerceive power to make any changes. The services civil society provide from a neutral and moral point of view are nevertheless important to begin the journey towards resolution of the conflict.

By: shami

shami — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:58:20 +0000

That’s absolutely right, Sunila….wiping out Prabhakaran and the Tigers will not solve the issues faced by the Tamil people. Infact, the way things are right now in the country, no one from any minority is welcome…its the land of the JHU, JVP and Rajapakses

By: brownsuger

brownsuger — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:13:20 +0000

Ã¢Â€ÂœEven if Prabhakaran is killed tomorrow and the LTTE is devastated the issues of discrimination against Tamil people in this country will continue to exist.Ã¢Â€Â

Any country, however democratic they called them selves where there is a majority ethnic community / race there would be varying degrees of discriminations against minorities. The only way that this could be moderated is through the legislature with the involvement of civil society.

If civil society is powerless, that is mainly due to IT not having a common vision. Each component of the civil society has its own agendas, when there is no common vision or mission for IT; how can the whole, ever be greater than the sum of its parts!!