Comments on: Choosing What to Believe

By: Pandukabaya de Silva

Pandukabaya de Silva — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:02:13 +0000

@Nathan- no, what buries the prospect of ‘superficial reconciliation’ (what an oxymoron if there ever was one!)is your identification and use of ‘Eelamist Tamils’. It is people like you who give the boost to extremist Sinhalese and provide the political platform for MR.Your Sun God psurned offers from SL Presidents even when they were bvirtually begging him to accept, killed one,tried to kill others and kiled countless intellectuals, some of themj the best known Tamil intellectuals. This is what I meant in saying that Eelam has borught you nothing but bad dreams.

@Keynes… I am a moderate or at least I try to think so. I work in a Southern village and try to talk to people about the Tamil culture and the affinity it has with the Sinhalese culture. I do not find much racism here as these are poor people who realise the common bond of poverty. I find far more racism in cities and among the educated…

By: nathan

nathan — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:01:25 +0000

In reply to Pandukabaya de Silva.

Did YOU protest when the offensives in Vanni were on? When food and medicine was blocked? When children were shot? When captured prisoners-of-war were executed? When Tamil women were raped?

And you say that MY Eelam was responsible for this? This attitude (which I doubt will ever change among the Sri Lankans) itself buries all prospects of even a superficial reconciliation.

@Open eyes

“Those who have lost loved ones, know they will never have the back but they need closure, they need to know what happened, only in this way will they be able to forgive!”

And the people who bear command responsibility for what happened to our lost loved once must be punished. And the politics behind what happened to our lost loved ones must be considered and a corresponding political solution must be arrived at.

Without this, there would be no reconciliation. Only a humiliating acceptance of defeat and the superiority of the Sinhalese by the Tamils.

By: OpenEyes

OpenEyes — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:02:18 +0000

In reply to nathan. @nathan: One can not forget but forgiviness is the only act that can re-build bridges across people and communities. true though that the government should have been focusing more on putting in place a system for people to reconcile and come to terms with what has happened. Those who have lost loved ones, know they will never have the back but they need closure, they need to know what happened, only in this way will they be able to forgive!

By: OpenEyes

OpenEyes — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:49:37 +0000

In reply to Anon.

@Anon

You are absolutely right!
Any dissenting voice here is silenced, even when it is only an intelelctual debate in public, you then suddenly receive strange calls, notice funny vehicles canvassing your area and the likes.
What then happens: the smart, bright and intellectually honest and independent minds are de facto chased out of the coutnry. After all this is what the goevrnment wants, right: you guys go abraod and keep sending remittances home so we can steal more!
it is not about forgetting, it is about having a minimal spine! Have the minimal levl of courage to stand-up for your rights as what make change is the small acts of resistance. Problem is, too often sri lankans only care for themselves and becuase of their minority complex, easily pushed towards nationalistic ideas!

keep your eyes open

By: Keynes!

Keynes! — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:41:49 +0000

In reply to Pandukabaya de Silva. Are you moderate or extreme?

By: wijayapala

wijayapala — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:05:15 +0000

In reply to Anurasiri. Dear Anurasiri "The Sinhla Buddhist are the only ones who loved the country Sri Lanka." So Amb. Tamara Kunanayakam does not love Sri Lanka? Perhaps it is this mental attitude of yours that helps explain why she was unable to succeed in Geneva? Do you think Mervyn Silva, who is a Sinhala Buddhist, loves Sri Lanka?

By: Anurasiri

Anurasiri — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:06:26 +0000

In reply to nathan. Nathan. If you think little more . You will notice. The Sinhla Buddhist are the only ones who loved the country Sri Lanka. Not your Eelamist. I hope you got the message.

By: Pandukabaya de Silva

Pandukabaya de Silva — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:45:44 +0000

@nathan…it is exactly the attitude of these Eelamist Tamils which stop moderate Sinhalese in their tracks. Some even support Rajapaksas because of this.

Please reconsider your attitude. Who says that only you people have a right to protest? Your Eelam has brought you nothing but bad dreams and the annhilation of your people…

By: Shammi

Shammi — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:34:24 +0000

What a great article. It puts things into a different perspective, and it comes from a neutral opinion.
Rightly so. We will never know exactly what happened to those poor people, because the people concerned
are not talking. It is easy to dismiss all accusations with a “Western countries out to get us” (for what?)
attack any journalist or international body for daring to speak out, and whip the nation into a patriot mind set after pretending poor Sri Lanka was picked on and needed to be defended from the big bad wolf.
You cannot dismiss evidence of videos and satellite photos by claiming they are “doctored”, it is strange
that this regime has not owned up to anything, admitted to any crime, and personally attacks it’s critics.
THe US is no saint when it comes to war crimes, but then 2 wrongs do not make a right, and we have to show the world we do not stoop to human rights violations. What prevents this regime from opening it’s doors to an international investigation, especially if they are not guilty of war crimes. In fact an independent investigation would absolve them of the crimes they loudly protest they are not responsible for.
Basically, if the US did want to “get” Sri Lanka, the easier way would be to stop ALL aid, USAID and even international from reaching Sri Lanka. That might really “get” Sri Lanka.

By: yapa

yapa — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:18:55 +0000

In reply to nathan.

Very good! Have you heard of “Achilles” and “Sun God”, both died.

Thanks!