I’m waiting for your critique of:

http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/6961
Dayan’s interview by La Lettre Diplomatique
– full of untruths and unspoken truths

Very clearly Puvirajakeerthi Sivaram(alias SR also known as Taraki & D.Sivaram) was neither a journalist or a person in the free media. Very clearly Taraki Sivaram was a person who worked for the LTTE, a person who provided the LTTE information from the south, a person who assisted the LTTE to mislead and misinform the media and society in the South, when ever the LTTE wanted to do so. Taraki Sivaram was also a person who was an instrument to work for the spying network of international organizations in Sri Lanka, to deal with some of the Army personnel and for dealing with some of the NGOs.

Taraki Sivaram was recruited by the RAW in 1980’s. Taraki Sivaram started his political life as an political instructor in PLOT. Taraki Sivaram abducted and later killed Muthur Ahilan and Trincomalee Selvan in March 1985. After the Indo Sri Lanka Accord, PLOT established a Political Party called DPLF. When this Political Party was established, India had some doubts about Uma Maheswaran and PLOT. India was wondering whether Uma Maheswaran was trying to have a deal with the SriLankan Government. Shirley Kandappa who was in charge of Foreign Affairs of PLOT, met Lalith Athulathmudali at Frankfurt and Lalith Athulathmudali and PLOT established some understanding between them. In the meantime India decided to send Taraki Sivaram to Sri Lanka. India had two objectives in mind. One was to bring PLOT to the path of Democracy and get them to contest North East Provincial Council. The second was to destroy the relationship PLOT had with Lalith Athulathmudali and make them subservient to India. That was why Taraki Sivaram was brought to Colombo. That was also why Uma Maheswaran came to Colombo. At that time they worked for both sides. On one side they tried to get together with the Indian Army and contest the North East Provincial Council along with the EPRLF. But EPRLF were miles ahead of them. EPRLF had won the confidence of the Government of India and were working with them. Therefore PLOT was compelled to gradually become anti Indian. Accordingly Uma Maheswaran tried to establish relations with the Political Parties of the South. Many special things took place at this point. One was the fact that an alliance of 8 parties to defeat Premadasa began to develop. In that alliance were JVP, SLFP, Eksath Lanka Jathika Peramuna as well as Tamil Congress of Kumar Ponnambalam. Kumar Ponnambalam brought PLOT also into this Alliance. It was Taraki Sivaram who represented PLOT in these discussions. At this point relations began to develop between PLOT and JVP representatives like Ananda Idemegama, D.M.Ananda and Somawansa Amarasinghe. It was well known that PLOT and the JVP had an understanding for the supply of arms.

Uma Maheswaran launched coup to bring down the Maldivian Government. The plan was that Uma Maheswaran would go to Maldives with an armed group, defeat the Maldivian Army and install a Government under former Minister who was against Maldives leader Gayub. That Minister was in Singapore at that time. But the whole plan went into disarray. A multi million dollar deal took place on account of the Maldivian conspiracy. There was a view that all this money went to Sivaram and that was not given to PLOT. Though this became a problem for Uma Maheswaran, Uma Maheswaran was killed in Colombo soon after the failed Maldivian attack. At the same time Taraki Sivaram got out of the country. Later he developed relations with LTTE.

EPRLF’s Suresh Premachandran was behind the killings of the Leader of EPRLF – Mr Pathmanabha. After Pathmanabha’s killing Suresh joined LTTE. After TELO leader SriSabaratnam was killed, Selvam Adaikkalanathan of TELO joined LTTE. PLOT leader Uma Maheswaran was killed by PLOT. After Uma Maheswaran was killed, Taraki Sivaram and his group including Natharjan Rahumanjan(alias Kanthan also known as Jan Master)joined LTTE. Whenever there was critism against some people who try to steal large amount of money in their own organizations, they joined the LTTE as a defense against them. This was a common practice to be found in TELO, PLOT, EPRLF, EROS, THEEPPORI, NLFT etc.

After this Taraki Sivaram came back and joined LTTE’s “Tamil-Net”. It was after Taraki Sivaram came that Tamil-Net began to develop. Through the Tamil-Net, Taraki Sivaram gave wide publicity to the LTTE theories. Taraki Sivaram made Tamil-Net a strong media instrument of LTTE. At one time Taraki Sivaram wrote “Tamil Nation will be built in the cyber space.” In addition to all this, through Taraki Sivaram’s own column misdirected the public mainly innocent Tamils on many occasions as required by the LTTE

In the meantime Taraki Sivaram could get into the company of Senior Sri Lanka army personnel, leading officials of the NGOs, top officials of the American Intelligence Services etc. Therefore Taraki Sivaram had a higher recognition than others named by the LTTE.

When the break up of Prabhakaran and Karuna finally took place, it was mainly Taraki Sivaram who provided the information to the media in the south. Taraki Sivaram also worked as an intermediary to bring about a reconciliation between Prabhakaran and Karuna.

The 13th Amendment/Indo-Lanka Accord probably had Indian interests prioritized. Sri Lanka perhaps needs a home-grown solution (and I don’t mean Mahinda Chinatana).

@ Blacker,
Sorry, I didn’t have much time to engage in the discussion.
I did not mean “free hand” literally but the point is that these emergency regulations/PTA gives the security forces vast powers.
This maybe useful: http://www.sangam.org/FB_SL_LAWS/PTA.htm

As for political solution, I cannot speak for all Tamil people but I take it that TNA and other Tamil political parties aren’t likely to settle for anything short of federalism. Also, one can pretend there is ethnic harmony and national unity but given Sri Lanka’s violent past, I wonder how likely it is to forge unity.

Political solution aside, I think the Sri Lankan state is yet to experiment with various governing models. Tamil separatism merely had been used to distract this failure. War victory, triumphalism all may help to win the masses in short-term but the underlying issue is not merely ‘ethnic’. A political settlement would have served to mold this colonial state.

“I don’t see how a non-existing thing could disrupt reconciliation in SL.”

If the LTTE is non-existing, then how come many Tamils believe it is still existing?

“Except in the 1994, 1995, and 2001 elections, right?”
I don’t think Ranil was elected by the masses nor enjoy any popularity. In any case, he was called many names for apparently “appeasing” LTTE.

“Thank you for acknowledging how the antics of the pro-LTTE elements are disrupting reconciliation in SL.”

Last I checked, SL claimed victory over LTTE. I don’t see how a non-existing thing could disrupt reconciliation in SL. Could it be the aliens next?

Prof Heshan

“Jews were persecuted by the Catholic Church because (according to the Catholic Church) Jews are guilty of usury.”

Then what was the reason why Protestants persecuted the Jews?

“The evolution of Christianity is indeed, turbulent. However, it has evolved and that is what really matters.”

Did Christianity evolve because Christians realized there would be nobody left to spread THe Gospel if they continued massacring each other?

MV

“Of course, Sinhalese were in unison when it came to the Tamils”

Except in the 1994, 1995, and 2001 elections, right?

“As I said, it was the Tamil politicians, then LTTE, and now Tamil diaspora bogey.”

Thank you for acknowledging how the antics of the pro-LTTE elements are disrupting reconciliation in SL.

That is not why Jews were persecuted by the Catholic Church. Jews were persecuted by the Catholic Church because (according to the Catholic Church) Jews are guilty of usury. But what you fail to mention entirely is the persecution of Jews by other civilizations. For example, Assyria, Rome, Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia. In fact, it was the Romans who crucified Jesus, not the Jews. The Jews merely denounced Jesus to the Roman official, Pontius Pilate.

When there were no more non-Christians to persecute, you guys started massacring each other in your splendid Protestant vs Catholic wars. I would not be surprised if mummy indoctrinated young Heshan how inferior the Catholics were to those having a proper Anglican upbringing.

You are bringing up very old history. The only place where Catholics and Protestants are still divided is Northern Ireland.

The evolution of Christianity is indeed, turbulent. However, it has evolved and that is what really matters. The secular state is a permanent fixture in the West. It is a different story in S. Lanka, where the feudal mindset still prevails (as described by Kusal Perera in his most excellent essay, with which you are no doubt familiar :)). The Buddha sought to do away with caste/class etc, but such affinities still prevail in the Indo-Lankan context. What you blame Christianity for – notions which prevailed before the 20th century – have their counterparts in S. Lanka and are stronger than ever in the 21st century. Christianity has evolved. But Sinhala-Buddhism has not. I suggest you take a deeper look and figure out the reasons why.

Of course, Sinhalese were in unison when it came to the Tamils – it is the Bhumiputra mindset, that Tamil terrorists cannot claim a piece of land. It has little to do with Prabakaran. In fact, did you know that Mahinda Rajapakse, who boasted of defeating terrorism, was the same one who defended the human rights of JVPers? As a politician, MR utilized Sinhala nationlism to come to power and grab more power, just like many of his earlier counterparts.

As I said, it was the Tamil politicians, then LTTE, and now Tamil diaspora bogey.