Comments on: ‘Learning Lessons’ from those affected by war: Does the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission really listen?

By: Zorro

Zorro — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:38:57 +0000

The final report of LLRC would not be made public before the DS and the President have their corrections done to it; and then an exemplary report on how the GoSL managed to reconcile the ethnic groups and attained a peaceful nation in the world will appear. This will be handed over to UN and other organizations. Then the president can explain the world community what a wonderful country is Sri Lanka under his regime.

By: Conscience

Conscience — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:48:40 +0000

Will this LLRC turn out to be yet another one of those sterile exercises which are not meant to be taken seriously? An interesting experiment indeed! Giving just two days to the people most affected by the war, with inadequate or inefficient translators and the taking of photographs of witnesses demontrates mal fide intents of the LLRC. Is this some kind of trap rather than any serious intent to meet its objectives ? That indeed will be the real difference between the South African TRC and the LLRC. Anything goes in SL.

By: Roland Kuranage

Roland Kuranage — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 10:43:30 +0000

Mr.Ranil wickramasingha, Mr. Milinda Moragoda. Mr.Thilak Marapana. Mr. John Amarathunga and Mrs. Chandrika Kumarathunga did not evidence to the “Lessons Learn and Reconicliation Commission” why?

By: Harold Hardy

Harold Hardy — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:40:54 +0000

So there are other lessons learnt: in addition to those for which the LLRC was set up !

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:03:45 +0000

The president himself is not apologetic in the UN will the citizens ever be?

A cameleon changes its colour to suit the colour of its surrounding. This is what Mahinda Rajapakse has done in the UN.

When a cameleon is in a colour, it is not serious about it. It will change again when it changes to a new place with a new colour.

MR will change when he is back in Colombo.

The policy of an independent Palestinian state if acceptable by Rajapakse to restore the dignity and identity of Palestinians, the same is applicable to the restoration of dignity, identity and security of the people of Tamil Eelam.

Why is there a resistance against TE by MR?

How about war criminals and bringing the criminals to justice?

Sweet words and good pretending of a humbug. A humbug does not mean what he says and says what he will not do!!

By: Pandukabaya de Silva

Pandukabaya de Silva — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:54:53 +0000

And by the way, when you talk of Sinhala and English media giving prominence to Jayantha Dhanapala and Austin Fernando at the LLRC, at least where the English media is concerned, you should be specific about the fact that it was the Island newspaper that went to all those efforts (what is so surprising about that!) and not tar all English language media with the same brush. The Daily Mirror (though not very good in its reporting of the LLRC) at least tried to preserve some balance and did not misrepresent any submissions. How can the media operate with professionalism when many good writers are too scared to work as journalists, the seniors have left the country and the only ones left are a few columnists who bat all around? Good reporters are obviously a rarity here..

By: Pandukabaya de Silva

Pandukabaya de Silva — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:42:13 +0000

Of course Valykrie, the LLRC will not listen! What a useless question!A sensible strategy for civil society would have been to use this Commission to flood the sessions with affected victims from the Noth and East, employ good translators for these people (making the point that this is being done as there is a lack of such services from the Commission) and also engage note takers from the huge amounts of funds that flow to NGOs and then ensure a continuing supply of information not merely a one off report aimed at scoring brownie points against the so called mainstream media. We must not forget that unlike the web atmosphere in which Groundviews and others so freely operate but which reaches out to only a few that the government is not really concerned about , the mainstream media is directly on the firing line. As we know journalists have been killed, others targeted for vile abuse and many assaulted mercilessly. Has civil society (excepting for protests at Lasantha’s killing which was given UNP backing) ever given solid support for those writers in the mainstraeam media who do indeed speak oiut their mind despite the threats and the fears?