Comments on: Measuring (After Nandikadal) https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=measuring-after-nandikadal Journalism for Citizens Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:37:07 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.1 By: sabbe laban https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39422 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:37:07 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39422 In reply to Keeman Arumugam.

Those hard-core terrorist suspects who wanted to celebrate the Mahaveera day deserve that treatment! Do you think that they deserve anything less?

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By: Bo Peep https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39411 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:55:49 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39411 That may be true, it could have been worse, the question is how bad was it?

We don’t really know, but new allegations keep emerging:

http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/3039

The real danger of a cover up is that the events of the N/E may be repeated in the South. Impossible, you say? It has already started.

Just look at the deaths in police custody and the lack of trust in the police it has created, something that manifested itself in the Grease Yaka phenomenon and in the attack on the Dompe police. What about the killing of an FTZ worker in March and of Bharatha Lakshman?

The rulers will look after themselves and their henchmen, like Duminda Silva at the cost of the rest of the populace.

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By: Kusum https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39399 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:05:03 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39399 There is no doubt that LTTE used brutality.
There is no doubt that Sri Lankan government used ”restraint” to some extent in the war.
All these have to be looked at the overall atrocities about 60 years before, and 30 months after, May 2009.

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By: Kusum https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39393 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:30:45 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39393 In reply to Mango.

Execrable things have been happening since 1948, still going on….

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By: Dr Dayan Jayatilleka https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39387 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:03:35 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39387 Indran (and Co), you really should dip into the Wikileaks treasure trove a bit more often, and check out what your colleagues wrote about Nandikadal.

A Wikileaks cable republished on the website Colombo Telegraph reveals that Ambassador Pat Butenis reported to her bosses in Washington DC that ‘ many objective observers ‘ confirm that the Sri Lankan armed forces could have finished off the LTTE and the war ‘far more quickly’ if it had not been for the concern over Tamil civilian casualties! Please see below:
http://colombotelegraph.com/2011/11/15/wikileaks-outside-neutral-observers-agree-gsl-could-have-finished-off-ltte-more-quickly-butenis/

WikiLeaks: Outside neutral observers agree GSL could have finished off LTTE more quickly – Butenis
Posted by Colombo Telegraph ? November 15, 2011 ? 7 Comments
Filed Under Democracy, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Human Rights, Patricia A. Butenis, Sri Lankans in WikiLeaks, State Department’s recent report to Congress on incidents, US embassy cables on Sri Lanka, War Crimes, War crimes LTTE
By Colombo Telegraph –

“Most outside, neutral observers privately agree that the GSL could have finished off the LTTE more quickly if they had been willing to risk a higher level of civilian casualties.” the US Ambassador to Colombo wrote to Washington.

A leaked US unclassified diplomatic cable discussed the post-war challenges in Sri Lanka. The Colombo Telegraph found the cable from WikiLeaks database. The cable was written on October 30, 2009 by the US Ambassador to Colombo Patricia A. Butenis.

Many believed the Government of Sri Lanka could have minimized those casualties had it allowed for some sort of negotiated surrender by the LTTE once the GSL had surrounded remaining LTTE fighters
Under the subject of “Sri Lanka Scenesetter” the Ambassador Butenis wrote “ Final months of the war were brutal, inflicting heavy damage on all sides, both military and civilian. Estimates of the number of dead and wounded vary widely, but outside observers agree that the civilian toll was high. Many believed the Government of Sri Lanka could have minimized those casualties had it allowed for some sort of negotiated surrender by the LTTE once the GSL had surrounded remaining LTTE fighters. It is not clear, however, whether greater effort in that direction by GSL would have been successful.” “The LTTE seemed intent on holding out very end, forcibly recruiting civilians as young as 12 to continue the fight, and using their own civilians as human shields even when it appeared defeat was inevitable. In the last days and weeks of the conflict, it became increasingly difficult to differentiate between civilians and LTTE combatants. Most outside, neutral observers privately agree that the GSL could have finished off the LTTE more quickly if they had been willing to risk a higher level of civilian casualties. The State Department’s recent report to Congress on incidents during the final stage of the war makes clear that significant numbers of civilian dead and wounded were caused by both sides in the final months of the war.” she further wrote.

Related news – WikiLeaks: Don’t push Sri Lanka towards Burma-like isolation – American Ambassador Butenis

Below we give the relevant part of the cable.

VZCZCXRO4345
PP RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0999/01 3030802
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300802Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0700
INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1995
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 9031
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 7269
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5192
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3419
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 5144
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0679
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4255
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9594
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6888
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 1353
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3802
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000999

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB; H (pass to SFRC staff)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: Sri Lanka Scenesetter

¶1. (SBU) Sri Lanka stands at a pivotal point in its modern history.
The end of the long secessionist war with the LTTE opens up
opportunities for national reconciliation, political reform,
economic renewal, and international re-engagement. The question is
whether the Sri Lankan leadership has the vision, determination, and
courage to seize the opportunity. The Sri Lankans value their
realtions with the United States. Our challenge is strongly to
encourage the Sri Lankan government to embrace reconciliation,
accountability, and respect for human rights, while trying not to
push the country towards Burma-like isolation from the West.

Aftermath of the Conflict
————————-

¶2. (SBU) The final months of the war were brutal, inflicting heavy
damage on all sides, both military and civilian. Estimates of the
number of dead and wounded vary widely, but outside observers agree
that the civilian toll was high. Many believed the Government of
Sri Lanka (GSL) could have minimized those casualties had it allowed
for some sort of negotiated surrender by the LTTE once the GSL had
surrounded remaining LTTE fighters. It is not clear, however,
whether greater effort in that direction by the GSL would have been
successful. The LTTE seemed intent on holding out to the very end,
forcibly recruiting civilians as young as 12 to continue the fight,
and using their own civilians as human shields even when it appeared
defeat was inevitable. In the last days and weeks of the conflict,
it became increasingly difficult to differentiate between civilians
and LTTE combatants. Most outside, neutral observers privately
agree that the GSL could have finished off the LTTE more quickly if
they had been willing to risk a higher level of civilian casualties.
The State Department’s recent report to Congress on incidents
during the final stage of the war makes clear that significant
numbers of civilian dead and wounded were caused by both sides in
the final months of the war.

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By: Kusum https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39380 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:34:15 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39380 Poetry is reality and hope.

How many Sri Lankans know about Perera and Sons?

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By: Mango https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39377 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:42:22 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39377 Where can you get Quail in SL? Are Perera & Sons selling it as a short eat? GV is a treasure trove of new food info and execrable poetry.

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By: Indran Amirthanayagam https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39374 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:48:49 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39374 The only pay for a poet is the chance to speak truth and to celebrate the rich variety of the language in which he writes. One does not write poetry for the occasional royalty cheque. As for nattering or idle chatter I do not consider reflecting on Nandikadal mere conversation at a cocktail party about the state of the nation, its moral compass, its ability to investigate and prosecute criminal actions.

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By: nathan https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39369 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:31:02 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39369 In reply to Dr Dayan Jayatilleka.

Perhaps the good
Dr. Jayatilleka
should ask his
fair conscience
since napalm
and agent orange were
used on children
in Nam, Cambodia
and elsewhere
by their ‘democracy’
does it justify
cluster bombing children
in Vanni
by his ‘democracy’?

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By: Keeman Arumugam https://groundviews.org/2011/12/04/measuring-after-nandikadal/#comment-39368 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:08:19 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=8114#comment-39368 In reply to Velayutham.

If Tamil detainees held at the Anuradhapura prison were beaten by prison guards, an impartial Inquiry must be set in Motion – preferably a multi-Party effort with about 5 MPs of whom at least 2 from the TNA.

The world must take note serious crimes against Tamils continues despite denials, deceit and disinformation by the Rajapapaksa Government.

If the “incident” is false and stage-managed those prisoners responsible must be subject to punishment.

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