Lol, DJ, there is no cure for religious fervour.

Yes DJ, I read that article. I enjoy reading between the lines and you are one of the best! 🙂

BTW the Ambassador to Geneva. I also recall you praising her when she was in Brazil. What are her educational credentials? I have no doubt she is a postgraduate (even a post doctoral) like you.

That being said, there is no point whatsoever in asking why David Blacker isn’t campaigning for SF

Come on that was rhetoric! hik hik

As for those who keep asking me to provide evidence of SF’s genius, I am not going to use a comments column to post volumes of information. They can go back and look at many comments I have made on these columns so far and see. Further they can also read what I have read both during the war and afterwards (google it!).

Anyone who does not believe that SF is a genius are just as welcome to that opinion as I am to mine. Don’t forget I said either SF is a genius or a genius pushed him on this path after the war. I also suggested that he works prodigiously and is often unpredictable to his enemies except well after the fact.

Here is a crumb:
Just as an example of his wit, you might like to view the video of Karannagoda being interviewed by a state employed Gobbles (hilarious!). This occurred just before Xmas 2009. Two days later SF is interviewed and takes his opportunity to drop a devastating blow. Simply brilliant but I saw this before I saw the Karannagoda interview and was alarmed at what I thought was unnecessary. Watching the first interview in retrospect was pure entertainment. Just because the man is not a master of the English language one must not mistake him for being an idiot. In siyabasa, his fluency is wonderful and his wit utterly devastating.

We must not forget that there is a great power in the World surveying everything it owns and can do so at whim. That power is to some extent predictable. OTOH it also likes predictability.That is, it prefers any small country which is not squarely behind it to be in a state of chaos or propped up with exceedingly corrupt dictators. It would be hard to believe that such a power would not have agents in the most surprising places. And one has to wonder what agents it would choose if it wanted to keep a close eye on greatest of its ideological enemies. How would it actually go about turning those agents?

In the context of the above paragraph, I invite readers to consider how the Sri Lankan people lost out on an opportunity with SF and his allies who were well placed to counterbalance him if necessary? Who stood to gain more from having the Rajapaksas in power as opposed to SF? Was it the Sri Lankan people? What ever was the outcome there was one power in the World which would not lose. It just wanted to win with more opportunity.

Ravana

“I am not certain of this but assume it if he has been responsible for engineering not only what happened in the war but also what has occurred in the past two years. As it’s all public I won’t elaborate).”

What is public?

“Yes, Premadasa was killed by Tigers not grease yakkas. Now the Tigers are dead, so who will kill MR?
I hope that such an eventuality will not come to pass. You can read why in my reply to DJ and DB. If MR and GR are not brought to justice, such risk increases. You need to read what some anonymous enemies, particularly of GR say to be mindful of this.

If the enemies are anonymous, then how can they be dangerous when they are too afraid to even show their faces?

“The one responsible for politicising the Armed Forces many years ago is right now consolidating that.”
I am sure you read as well as I. Spat between Sf and the Rajapaksas threw a lot of information out.

What information?

Nihal, thank you for sharing your Wikipedia Wisdom.

[Edited out]

C’mon Ravana, you should do better than that.

On Feb 15th 2010, the Daily Mirror and the Island carried my article on the arrest entitled A PERFECT BLUNDER, which listed 10 reasons as to why it was, in my view, a counterproductive overkill.

That being said, there is no point whatsoever in asking why David Blacker isn’t campaigning for SF or anyone else’s freedom from incarceration. Someone in that situation should ‘lawyer up’… look at DSK! When I was indicted and on the run, I was not yet thirty years old, but my comrades and I had far better lawyers, starting with Bala Tampoe. And I do not think that SF doesn’t have topnotch talent in legal heavyweights because of fear of white vans or grease demons!

“Just because I am paranoid doesn’t mean that you’re not out to get me!”

You flatter yourself, Ravana.

Playing Dumb doesn’t cut it, but maybe you’re not pretending.

“Not at all.You could just delete “Sinhala Buddhist”, couldn’t you?”

How could I be racist to myself?

“I feel a bit concerned for you with this comment. I am not a necrophiliac.”

If you say so.

“I guess both you and SF have a lot to answer for here. But then I understand that he had to battle “commands from above” even during the War.”

You seem to think that having to follow orders from above was something unique to SF.

“I think that making a lewd necrophiliac comment is one thing. It is quite another thing to make light of it when it is revealed to the World. You really are digging a hole here.”

I make light of your hole as well.

“Well there goes your resume.”

Which resume?

“What have you done to fight for SF’s rights?”

Why am I obliged to fight for SF’s rights? Did you miss the bit about us both being civilians? Besides, if he had enough support to think he could win an election, shouldn’t he also have enough people to fight for him?

“BTW, let us look at some one we could both respect with regard to his conduct (as opposed as I am to his wily politics), DJ.”

Whatever your issues with DJ should be addressed to the man himself. I cannot speak for him.

“I note many “patriotic heroes” who were silent before the elections but are very vociferous against him after his incarceration.”

It is a common SL trait (both at home and abroad) to back a winner rather than create one.

“I tell you DB, it is a great mistake to do that.”

What is even worse is to blindly follow someone who has obviously no plan other than to gain power.

I note you are unable to answer my question (and Wijayapala’s) as to what was so ingenious in SF getting himself arrested and out of politics for the foreseeable future; especially since there is no groundswell of feeling to free him.

DB,

Just because I am paranoid doesn’t mean that you’re not out to get me! 🙂

Playing Dumb doesn’t cut it, but maybe you’re not pretending.

Yes, I know it is highly inconvenient when non-Sinhalese non-Buddhist members of minorities disagree with you guys. Bit hard to call us racist Sinhala Buddhists when we’re not, no? ,/i>

I don’t doubt that you often reflect on naked female bodies,

I feel a bit concerned for you with this comment. I am not a necrophiliac. Beside please don’t think that I have not been exposed to traumatised, naked human bodies. I was never trained not to treat them with respect. Come to think of it I recall the naked bodies of black tigers being paraded on a trailer in Anuradhapura. I guess both you and SF have a lot to answer for here. But then I understand that he had to battle “commands from above” even during the War.
I think that making a lewd necrophiliac comment is one thing. It is quite another thing to make light of it when it is revealed to the World. You really are digging a hole here.

Ravana, firstly, I’m touched by your concern for the appropriateness of my behaviour.

Well there goes your resume.

SF and I are both civilians and have all the rights of civilians to free speech.

I would absolutely fight for the right of both of you to do this (But look at my comment above). What have you done to fight for SF’s rights?
BTW, let us look at some one we could both respect with regard to his conduct (as opposed as I am to his wily politics), DJ.

DJ had no qualms in criticising SF and warn of a military dictatorship if he came to power. This was at the hight of the Presidential elections and when SF could be considered a potential winner. He made these comments despite the fact that MR had discarded him after the Geneva victory. I think that he was very naughty in bringing up the “Military Dictatorship” spectre as SF was clearly not attempting this. However, if we are to read the article on “Modern Dictators” by Weliamuna on this site, we can see how a so-called “Democratically elected Dictators” function. I think DJ had his own reason for specifically undermining SF.

However, after SF was incarcerated and trumped up charges (a child could figure out) levelled against him, there has been no eagerness on DJ’s part to insult him. Perhaps that is because DJ realises that the “idiots” are undoing the work that had been done up to then. I note many “patriotic heroes” who were silent before the elections but are very vociferous against him after his incarceration.

I tell you DB, it is a great mistake to do that.

@GV:
Dear Ravana, please provide evidence to buttress these claims about ‘Kumar Moses’. Thank you. GV

There was an avatar (as mentioned) in a defence analysis site called http://defencewire.blogspot.com/ at which he admitted to having written an article. The author of this public article was none other than Kumar Moses. It rang true because of the allusion to Jewish cultural connections. But interestingly this guy also communicated with another avatar in Malay! His many comments on this defence blog accorded with articles of Kumar Moses which are nothing but racist rants against Tamil people moderated with some logical comments. After the end of the War this avatar was the first to start a hate-campaign against SF, well before Asian Tribune got into the act. Once again, his comments were repeated in detail later by Kumar Moses. Interestingly though, the rabid Sinhala chauvinists on this site are said to have ostracised him at some point. He now writes regularly for the rabid site http://www.lankaweb.com/, the latest being a rant about Tamilnadu fishermen. A careful reading of the comments by the avatar I have mentioned and Kumar Moses would reveal similarities.
Interestingly, the other avatar who wrote Malay on that site called himself “Sam Perera”. I am sure he was not your friend 🙂
Furthermore, Wijayapala of this site, I am sure was the Wijayapala of that site (based on style) and carried out a lone fight against the rabid Sinhalas as well as guys like the Avatars I mentioned above. Wijayapala may appreciate that he was paradoxically (through debate) and subtly supported by a group that was carefully watching these other guys, some of whom were just simply racists but others (like the avatars I mentioned) were probably ex-SLA or SLA-intelligence.
I have implied here that there is very dangerous undercurrent within the Sri Lankan security services and we should be shielding the Tamil people against such a force. The question is, how best to do it. For once, are we willing to sacrifice our lives to protect Tamils?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_the_Wealth_of_Nations

No, this is not some colonial conspiracy, as the top 7 spots are taken by East Asian nations. Anyway, I am wondering if there is some correlation between lack of intelligence and lack of war crimes investigations. It would also explain why, since 1948, Sri Lanka has favored radical solutions to virtually all of its major conflicts: SWRD’s language policies, Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s standardization policies, and most recently, MR’s total war.

I had missed this comment of yours:

“So it is not surprising that many Tamils who were caught up in the final battle expressed displeasure about the LTTE. However, if you were to ask them about what they think about the MR regime, I am sure you will get the responses that you would not like!”

NOW they do not like MR- but what about in May 2009? Why were they so overwhelmingly anti-LTTE if it was the SLA that had brutalised them more??

“manifestly mutually exclusive thus rendering your mental makeup as one that is protecting the racist MR regime. It is because you do not know what is in stall if moderates were to come into power!”

Who exactly are the “moderates” who can replace MR, and what will they do if they come to power?

“I do not lose sleep over the removal of Sadam in the same way as the removal of VP.”

Why not?

“The Iraqi war was conducted with the full view of the international media.”

Then how do you explain this:

Pulitzer Prize-winning Photojournalist Completes One Year in U.S. Military Custody in Iraq
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/04/horton-photojournalist-in-custody

“They quickly moved and set up mechanisms that investigated and prosecuted the culprits.”

Who was punished, and what punishments did they receive?

“May I point out about the General Belgrano affaire; during Falklands war, the British torpedoed the General Belgrano, and Argentine ship that was claimed to be sailing away from the seclusion zone. This prompted a heated debate in the British parliament and it prompted an inquiry.”

And what was the result of that inquiry?

For both the US and UK examples you provided, was there an “impartial” investigation imposed by an outside body?

“The MR regime operates on the basis that it is untouchable.”

As long as it is in power, it IS untouchable. If you want to “touch” MR then you’ll have to first get him voted out of power. Why not pursue that strategy?

“This does not prevent me or anyone for that matter from questioning the methods employed that allegedly resulted on mass civilian killings.”

Here is a question then- if the civilian deaths were deliberate, then how come more civilians were not killed? Why were there so many survivors?

“The mechanism that should investigate the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity must encompass the roles played by the various other actors including the Tamils Diaspora and the UN.”

I am glad you finally acknowledge that the diaspora should be investigated as well, although I still am unconvinced that any “impartial” investigation can really be conducted based on the lousy performance of the “impartial” Darusman Panel. How can you expect such a wide, sweeping investigation covering every aspect of this very long war to be trusted to a bunch of clowns who could not even tell the difference between Basil and Gotabhaya???

“Then why not wait for 5 years before making such a move; isn’t insensitive to talk about such a move when the Tamil community already feels being shot down.”

How did the Tamils “feel” when the LTTE was running around not even allowing them to vote??

“The LTTE murdered many people; it was a terrorist organisation founded on blood. Is GOSL equal to the LTTE?”

According to the flag-wavers who are driving these war-crimes calls, the LTTE was not a terrorist organisation. And according to the CFA, the answer is YES the GOSL was equal to the LTTE. That is precisely how MR came to power! All the “international conflict resolution” crowd were delighted to have Prabakaran as a partner in peace. Hence I am quite surprised how these same people were shocked and awed when MR came to power! Why do they advocate a confrontational approach to SL when they earlier were calling for appeasing the LTTE? Could you explain this double standard please?

“Obviously, you did not see the video of the summary executions!”

I did see the video which provided absolutely no names or identities as to who was involved. Do you not find that rather bizarre??? If you were a CH4 executive, would you not have asked for some very basic information, such as which unit was involved, before acquiring and airing this video so that its credibility could be established?

“There is no footage of the Nadesan’s murder; only his dead body was shown after the white flag surrender!”

And yet there were eyewitnesses to Sabalingam’s murder in Paris, but absolutely no appeals for his murder to be investigated. Why is B. Nadesan more important than Sabalingam?