Comments on: A brief note on the attack on J.C. Weliamuna

By: Mevan

Mevan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:03:07 +0000

The tamil people, and any others who wish it in other parts of Sri Lanka, should be given a degree of autonomy to run their affairs to the maximum possible extent short of breaking up the Country ( see the example of the UK). This will also ensure that power is not dangerously concentrated in the centre. This will be supported by most Sinhalese except for the extreme fringes and perhaps by those already in power and who hate to give up any of it.
Are Prabakhakaran or the LTTE in anyway helping towards this goal? On the other hand, are they not a liability to the tamil people in achieving this goal? In other words, isnt it time that he stepped down for the sake of his people? What do the Tamil people, here and abroad, think?

By: Somapala Gunadheera

Somapala Gunadheera — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:22:08 +0000

I admire the guts of my colleague for having said what he has said but I am afraid I cannot endorse his caustic comment on the incumbent IGP who incidentally, is a total stranger to me.

It is not as if the IGP has been parachuted to the post from some Junta. He was next in the line of appointment. In the absence of a Constitutional Council to comment on a suitable nominee to the post, appointment of the next in line would appear to be the least objectionable.

It is true that there have been â€˜successive failures to enforce the law against influential criminals, who have political patronage and protection’. But can we blame that on an individual public servant in the face of the staggering pressures to which the Public Service is exposed today? Of course I am not thinking here, of the turn-coat, black-guards who would barter their souls for the plums of office

Both my colleague and I lost our jobs in the Civil Service prematurely, for the sin of standing up to questionable authority. But the situation today is far more complicated. We lost only our livelihood for our defiance but today’s defiance may result in the loss of life itself.

Besides, the debilitating economic and political pressures on the present day public servant, are far too overwhelming to admit of professional independence, unless he has developed the selflessness of a Vessantara to sacrifice his wife and children and the magnanimity of a Sirisangabo to donate his own head.

The fault dear Brutus, is not in ourselves but in our STARS!

By: punitham

punitham — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:11:33 +0000

Sanjana
I believe Galtang’s article should be translated into Sinhala and distributed to all groups of teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, businessmen, govet officials, … and all sorts of civil groups all over the South and preferably in Tamil too.

1970 Federal Party election manifesto:
“It is our firm conviction that the division of the country in any form
would be beneficial neither to the country nor to the Tamil-speaking people.
Hence we appeal to the Tamil-speaking people not to lend their support to
any political movement that advocates the bifurcation of the country.”

The FP got overwhelming votes from Tamils in 1970.9(after the utter humiliation of 50s and 60s).

By: punitham

punitham — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:29:57 +0000

Sanjana
I’m in a terrible state of mind and unable to make a precis of the article. But I very strongly believe that it is a like an antibiotic to the chauvinists to defuse their hatred for the ‘other’ – perhaps one of your friends could take it a s a separate topic and spread the message in it.

By: groundviews

groundviews — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:59:50 +0000

Punitham, can you please anchor your Galtung’s paper to this debate? What are its salient features relevant to the original post on the attack against Weli?

By: punitham

punitham — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:56:53 +0000

POWER SHARING AS PEACE STRUCTURE: THE CASE OF SRI LANKA, IICP Working Paper, No. 2, 2005, JOHAN GALTANG, Professor of Peace Studies, Director, TRANSCEND

By: punitham

punitham — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:01:17 +0000

I'm outraged and petrified to learn that Sinhalese lawyers were mowed down in late 80s by the UNP government thugs and Tamil lawyers have been threatened, attacked, arrested and tortured in the last three years alone if they attempt to take up cases of ''disappearances'' and the very means of torturing is too demonic and ''beyond dark ages'' to put in words here.

By: punitham

punitham — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:32:53 +0000

Conversations in a Failing State, Patrick Lawrence(2008): Had Sri Lankan judges and lawyers taken the path that their counterparts in Pakistan were to adopt, particularly in 2007, the independence of the judiciary and the larger history of Sri Lanka may have taken a different turn. The judiciary may have retained its capacity to intervene in important national issues and thereby reduce the extreme polarizations and disintegration that was to come in subsequent years.

By: We never give up

We never give up — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:53:04 +0000

We are beginning to see that state horror and crime is committed against the truth and anyone who stand for the truth. And thus we have a great evil that is trying hard to suppress the truth in every form. But we know this nation will only come to freedom by “Truth”. let’s continue to fight against so that truth will prevail. Lord Jesus said “If you know the Truth, Truth shall set you free”. And if we want our nation to be free, our nation should know the Truth. So my dear fellow writers let’s continue to write on behalf of the “Truth”.

By: nathan

nathan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:28:22 +0000

In short, it is a Terrorist Regime which rules over sri lanka.
Those who “do not toe the official line” &’ those who complain and/or speak out against injustice are terrorised and even eliminated.
Nazi Germony was like this.