For starters, as of the writing of your comment, Mr. Bateman had written more than 15 articles over the period you’ve cited, but I’m guessing you got that number from International Policy Digest. This is unfortunate, as it reveals – quite clearly – that you are willing to approach your own “research” with a lack of rigor and then make sweeping statements about a person you’ve probably never met. (I know he’s written more than 15 articles during that time period – which anybody could’ve find out by doing five minutes more of the “Google research” that you have just undertaken).

In addition, why do criticize Bateman for writing “scholarly” articles when I can find no record of Mr. Bateman (or anyone) referring to his articles as scholarly? Nor do I see any evidence that Bateman portrayed publications in International Policy Digest (or anywhere else) as being different/better than Groundviews. Your references to peer-reviewed journals are completely irrelevant and reek of intellectual bankruptcy. I would encourage you to engage with Bateman’s analysis or (at the very least) the content of his articles, instead of just writing a hit piece against him. By writing such a comment and posting it on your “blog”, you look as intellectually bankrupt as you probably are.

In addition, your “analysis” misses another big point: some people write because they like writing or because they care about the issues. A guy who is writing an article a month might be considered prolific, but he’s not necessarily being paid by the “LTTE rump” to destabilize the country…..

Are you seriously claiming that Sri Lanka doesn’t have any problems when it comes to human rights, media freedom, governance, etc?

Actually, the idea that anybody writing about “human rights” must have nefarious motives sounds a lot like the propaganda coming from the administration of his excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Now I will let readers draw their own conclusions.

Rationalist,

My response is available at this link.

http://groundviews.org/2013/01/31/another-us-resolution-on-sri-lanka-the-road-to-nowhere/#comment-50705

You wrote “In regards to your request “to prove that the MAJORITY SINHALA-BUDDHISTS ARE RACIST” History has shown that each and every time,…”

Such as in the Elara case I suppose?

You wrote “- Duttugamunu is the greatest hero of the Sinhala-Buddhist. Why is he considered great? Because he is a SINHALESE who defeated a Dravidian. Duttugamunu did not go to war with Elara because Elara was unjust or was a tyrant. The only reason was that Elara was not a Sinhala king”

Congratulations, that was a convincingly Rational argument!
Someone takes your home by force and you would retire without a fight to regain it!
Your bigotry is so acute that it occludes your ability to think.
A Racist can see only a Racist reason, even for a normal human reaction!

From 544 BC to 205 BC (339 years) Sinhala Rule was broken only for 22 years in 237BC when Sena and Guttila (Tamil Chiefs and Horse dealers – 1st recorded Tamil rule) killed king Suratissa and usurped the Sinhala Throne. Elara a Chola Dynasty Tamil Prince, invaded Anuradhapura in 205 BC and ascended the Sinhala Throne in 205 BC reigning for 44 years. Dutugamunu defeated Elara and took back the Sinhalese Throne.

Does that Prove he was a Racist?
An irrational racist would call it that.

Dutugamunu caused a monument to be built in honour of Elara.
Even royalty would not go past without dismounting and paying respects.
An irationalist would label that as Racist!

“…. the “Sinhala-Buddhist” majority have acted with their emotional racists element as the major driving force in their decision making (that’s the REASONING that you completely fail to see).”

Hmm again a rational argument amongst irrationals.

South based political parties.
Maha Sinhala Bumiputhra Party – Extreme Racist. Policies similar to Malasian Bhumiputra (Sons of Soil). completely rejected by Sinhala Polity
Jathika Hela Urumaya – Unable to capture a majority of Buddhist votes. Unable to maintain what it captured.
The above two parties are the Only political parties carrying the Sinhala Ethnic Label

Sri Lanka Freedom Party – Composition Multi ethnic (Sinhala, Muslim, Tamil), Non Sinhalese elected from Sinhala Majority areas.
United National Party – Composition Multi ethnic (Sinhala, Muslim, Tamil), Non Sinhalese elected from Sinhala Majority areas.
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, Communist Party, Samasamaja Party etc does not have Ethnicity embedded in the party name.

North and East based political parties.
All Ceylon Muslim Congress
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
People’s Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress
Democratic People’s Liberation Front (PLOTE)
Tamil National People’s Front
Democratic Tamil National Alliance

Quite a major driving force! Sans a single multi ethnic political party.
But the Sinhalese who elect non Sinhalese are Racists and the Tamils and Muslims are not.

“If the Sinhala-Buddhist and their apologists, keep going on saying ‘prove we are racists’, ‘disprove the Americans or the Swiss are not racists’ and live in Denial of their own faults and shortcomings in their character, there can be no progress. PROVING THAT SINHALA-BUDDHIST ARE NOT RACISTS, IS UP TO THE SINHALA-BUDDHIST THEMSELVES, by their own deeds”

Hmm quite a Rational argument if made to an audience of irrationals.
Ethnic Labeled parties proliferate in the North and East
Tamil in the North and East, Muslim in the East.

When the Majority of Tamils in the North and East support Racist Political Parties with racially coloured policies, what is left to prove?
Have the Tamils of the North and East rejected Racist Parties like the South have rejected the Bhumiputhra’s and have moved away from the JHU?

You wrote “May I ask you Sir, who gave you the authority to deny or reject this on behalf of the Sinhala-Buddhist?”

Yes you may ask. If you think I need authorisation to reject your bigoted Racist comments you have another think coming. The fount of my authority is your bigoted drivel.

You write “….. Or are you the ‘self-appointed spokesperson/defender’ on behalf of the Sinhala-Buddhist? When you react to a statement (without seeing the REASONING), about the ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ group, and talk as you are representing their whole groups’ opinion, then EITHER the ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ group members have given you the authority to do so, OR you are so emotionally affected, you have appointed yourself to defend them. That Sir, is Emotion and NOT RATIONALITY.”

You have displayed an excellent ability to reason.
Did you think that you have an unbridled license to spread your Bigotry in a public forum?
You do have a perverted sense of Rationality and reasoning.
Neither is second to your Bigotry.

Sebastian Rasalingam grew up in Jaffna. After WW2 he moved to Mannar and later to Hatton where he married an Estate Tamil Lady and thence to Colombo. He now lives in Canada. This is what he writes on DBS Jayaraj.com

The poor Tamils worked in the properties and homes of the upper-caste Tamils. We could not go in buses or attend school. Our very presence was ‘polluting’. When the buses were nationalized by SWRD, the CTB allowed anyone to travel in them. THAT angered the Tamil leaders. It was the Church that grudgingly opened doors very slightly to the oppressed Tamils by allowing them to learn English and read the Bible. In my young days I sat on the class-room floor or carried a low stool from class to class, as only the high castes could sit on chairs. The teachers treated me and another child like me as excreta and punished us for daring to be there. But, I thought that was the law – each had his station in life.

When I moved to Hatton and later to Colombo, I found a very different world. It was a transforming experience for me and my wife to find that our workmates, mostly Sinhalese would actually sit with us and share a cup of tea. We found that we could go to night school and study without being threatened, beaten up, or go and borrow books, and do things that would bring swift retribution ‘back in the North’; our dwellings would have been torched and our women raped with impunity.

This was in the late 1950s, when, RMB claims, the Sinhala Bill was introduced to ‘hurt the Tamils’. There were far more horrendous things going on in Tamil society. Young Tamils knew nothing about the South and everything they knew was what they heard from their ruling masters and poisonous propagandists. We implicitly obeyed our Periya Dorays and the Tamil pamphlets told the ‘truth’ – the Cingala were our enemies.

Language is NOT the reason why the Tamils of the North were USED by the Tamil leaders living in Colombo in their struggle. The land-owning, mostly non-Hindu, Anglicized, religiously-neutral or ultra-caste-conscious Tamils of a previous generation had much to lose. They wished to retain their land within the oppressive and profitable norms as in colonial times. The Donoughmore Reforms, with universal franchise was the first frightening volley loosening the power in their hands. The equal seating in the CTB after the bus nationalization in 1956 was an unbearable insult by SWRD. The tarring of the Sri signs on buses and cars was the swift reaction.

The proposal for Eelam, and ‘devolution’ as the next best thing were valid objectives for the pre-Prabhakaran Tamil leaders. Tamil land owners could run ‘their’ land as they wished. But Prabhakaran had no use for the Colombo Tamil leaders and their dreams. So, he killed a few and the ‘leaders’ shamelessly gave in, ignoring the dead. The first informants against Prabhakaran were the socially disadvantaged Tamils. They were hung on lamp-posts as a lesson to ‘traitors’. The LTTE became the new Periya Dorays.

Writing in Transcurrents he says

As Dr. Jane Russell, the British historian has noted, the Tamil politicians have exploited the Elara-Dutugamunu story even more than the Sinhalese. It was G. G. Ponnambalam who brought the Mahavamsa into modern politics in the 1930s, claiming that it was a false piece of propaganda, and in the next instant claiming that it was really a history of the Tamils, with the aboriginal Veddas taken to be Tamils, Vijaya transmuting into Vijayan, Kasyapa into Kasi-Appan and Parakaramabahu a 66% Dravidian. He went on to incite the Sinhalese in Navalapitiya for the first Sinhala-Tamil riot in 1939! George Willy is unwittingly or wittingly playing the old fiddle of G. G. Ponnambalam.

Any way, that was how I saw it, and I was in colombo in that era, working at Malay street, living among the Sinhalese. There, I realized that Sinhalese society was far fairer to me and my wife (Estate tamil from Hatton) than I had ever experienced, living among my “own people”.

…. The LTTE war has produced some leveling and and an occasion to revamp, but at great cost. Women were NOT emancipated by Prabhakaran, but used as a weapon. The genocide was caused by Prabhakaran, and not by the SL government. Ask (privately) the millions of working, non-politicized Tamils living in the south, escaping the Prabhakaran genocide.

Colomboherald.com

As a UN member Sri Lanka upheld equal rights to all individuals and caste stood in the way of equal rights to all persons. Going by this commitment on 12 April 1957 the Social Disabilities Act No. 21 was passed in parliament. Tamil children of ‘lower castes’ could attend school regularly only after this act. People of ‘lower castes’ could participate in religious rites in Kovils without any disturbance from ‘high caste’ individuals. A reawakening happened in the north among previously marginalised Tamils.

Christian groups spearheaded the movement to petition court on any alleged discrimination they came to know. However, it didn’t go down well among the Vellalar ‘high caste’ people. A number of ‘high caste’ Tamils were humiliatingly punished for caste discrimination. Resentment grew against the government. Tamil politicians sensed the double danger of dismantling the caste system and mainstream political parties penetrating into the Tamil community. They took up a racial slogan that pit Tamils against Sinhalese. It worked well in the short run as racial sentiments and fears were drummed up. In the short term it unified Tamils across the caste/region/class divide. Large scale protests, satyagrahas and demonstrations broke out. Ministers were mobbed, Sinhala letters were tarred over a petty issue (having a Sinhala letter instead of English letters in vehicle registration numbers) and a civil disobedience campaign was launched by Tamil race based political parties (Tamil Kachchi and Tamil Congress).

Rationalist
02/07/2013 • 12:45 pm

I thought I’ll write you a brief concluding rejoinder……

– “Heathen” is used for a person who ‘does not acknowledge the God of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam’. So as you say All Buddhist can be classified as “Heathens”.

That depends on the dictionary you are referring to.

“This highlights the point I am trying to make perfectly. If the majority Sinhala-Buddhist are not racists in their character, they would not (time and again) be voting for politicians who are playing the racists card.”

Is there any reason to believe that Tamils and/or Muslims would act differently if they were the majority? Are the Tamil Nadu politicians more enlightened than their counterparts across the Palk Straights? Is G G Ponnambalam’s ACTC any different to JHU? What about Muslim Congress and TNA? Are you saying that Sri Lankan Tamils are more enlightened and liberal than the Singhalese?

“ In developed “Democracies” this is not the case i.e. Sonia Ghandhi in India, Barrack Obama in the US, Julia Gillard (who is an atheist) in Australia etc.”

No it is not…the pigs will fly the day when US chose an atheist as their President and/or a President with different religious persuasion. Australia is still struggling with a strong religious right and currently tinkering with Anti-Discrimination laws so the religious organizations could discriminate people based on their gender, marital status, sexual orientation etc. Furthermore, Australia is a well documented example of institutionalised racism in the world, and what about the appalling treatment of its indigenous people! (Perhaps you should read about the military occupation of indigenous people in Northern Territory)

“Democracy is not a numbers game, nor is it Utopian. It is the fairest/Just, PRACTICAL system we have today), Fair and Just outlook.”
Unfortunately it is (refer my post on Direct Democracy of Switzerland) in fact it is nothing more than a popularity contest. The average Joe is lead to believe that he is participating in the all important decision making process (but he is not!). Since we were talking about Australia, there was an interesting article written by Ross Gittins on The Age on how the democracy works …..http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-four-industries-that-rule-australia-20130205-2dwew.html.

Furthermore, you have to establish the co-relation between Democracy and morality first to claim that it is a fair and just system. It will PERHAPS work in a homogenous society where the education and income levels remain high but not in tribal societies like Sri Lanka.

Gamarala,

You have made a slur and bragged about evidence that exists to substantiate it. Your bluff was called and the evidence has not been forthcoming for 8 consecutive posts.
Did you expect your statements to go unchallenged in a Debate?

Are you trying to salvage your bruised Ego by resorting to argumentum ad hominem? You are welcome to change the topic and try and prove what you say about me.

You say “Mere denial of the type that a guy like Off-the-cuff indulges in,…”

What has been denied is your claim of a Sinhala / Buddhist society pervaded by Racism. Not the existence of racism.

You further say “It is imperative that we get to a state where racism carries a heavy social penalty. There should also be anti-discrimination laws enacted.”

Fully agree with you.
But was that under discussion?

You further state “None of these things can be done – because according to guys like Off the cuff – racism doesn’t exist among the majority of the Sinhalese,… ”

Either you are very cunning or you have a very serious language issue. Better get a good English tutor if it is the latter. Only a fool would say Racism doesn’t exist amongst the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims, the Burghers or any race you care to name anywhere in the world. It’s like saying no criminals exist amongst a race. I don’t know about you, but I am not that fool.

The sentence Racism exists among the majority Sinhalese cannot be transformed in to the majority Sinhalese are Racists. The words may be similar but the meanings are poles apart.

You also state “(although, in the same breath, he’ll readily write interminable rants on how a majority of Tamils are racist)”.

Prove that attempted slur. It will also turn out to be a damp squib like your attempted slur on the Sinhalese / Buddhist society

The honourable thing to do, is to admit the mistake and withdraw the statement. The heehawing for 8 consecutive posts prove you have no evidence. Whether you have the integrity to admit it and withdraw the attempted slur on Sinhalese / Buddhist society, remains to be seen.

This is a literal translation of a Sinhala idiom that aptly describes your situation. A dog that defecates on a rock will struggle unsuccessfully to cover it up.

In the past, you would have resorted to a childish display of playing with my Pseudonym. This time round you have learnt to restrain yourself which is admirable. Hopefully you will also learn to refrain from making inflammatory, unprovable, irresponsible statements, in a public debate in the future.

Off the Cuff,
In answer to your comments, some of the same answers I gave to HH is appropriate. Here it is again for your benefit:
– In regards to your request “to prove that the MAJORITY SINHALA-BUDDHISTS ARE RACIST”
History has shown that each and every time, the “Sinhala-Buddhist” majority have acted with their emotional racists element as the major driving force in their decision making (that’s the REASONING that you completely fail to see). If the Sinhala-Buddhist and their apologists, keep going on saying ‘prove we are racists’, ‘disprove the Americans or the Swiss are not racists’ and live in Denial of their own faults and shortcomings in their character, there can be no progress.
PROVING THAT SINHALA-BUDDHIST ARE NOT RACISTS, IS UP TO THE SINHALA-BUDDHIST THEMSELVES, by their own deeds.
– In regards to your comment, “I have already challenged your position. That means I have not only denied it but have also rejected it completely”.
May I ask you Sir, who gave you the authority to deny or reject this on behalf of the Sinhala-Buddhist? Or are you the ‘self-appointed spokesperson/defender’ on behalf of the Sinhala-Buddhist? When you react to a statement (without seeing the REASONING), about the ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ group, and talk as you are representing their whole groups’ opinion, then EITHER the ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ group members have given you the authority to do so, OR you are so emotionally affected, you have appointed yourself to defend them. That Sir, is Emotion and NOT RATIONALITY.

You are doing exactly what the other ‘Sinhala-Buddhist’ group, the BBS thugs are doing, considering themselves to be self appointed defenders of all “Sinhala-Buddhist” (whether ALL “Sinhala-Buddhist” want it or not).

Happy Heathen,

A very reasonable response and there’s nothing I disagree with in what you said. I think the confusion here stems from the following two possibilities.
1. The people in Sri Lanka are racist
2. The people in Sri Lanka are effectively racist

Whether the or not the majority of Sinhalese are racist “in their minds”, is of little consequence – but the fact that the majority of Sinhalese – through action or inaction – is racist in effect – is a cause for concern. Regardless of whether it stems from “inherent ethno-socio-political insecurities, erosion of religious authority, globalization” – the end result is effectively – racism against our minorities. Mere denial of the type that a guy like Off-the-cuff indulges in, for reasons I’ve outlined here, is of no use to anyone either.

That is not to say that Tamil or Muslim polities have been any less tribal and racist. We just need an active social campaign as well as education regarding these issues. It is imperative that we get to a state where racism carries a heavy social penalty. There should also be anti-discrimination laws enacted. None of these things can be done – because according to guys like Off the cuff – racism doesn’t exist among the majority of the Sinhalese, be it a real majority or an effective majority (although, in the same breath, he’ll readily write interminable rants on how a majority of Tamils are racist). How can you solve a problem – that doesn’t exist?

HappyH,

Firstly let me correct you on a few points.

– “Heathen” is used for a person who ‘does not acknowledge the God of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam’. So as you say All Buddhist can be classified as “Heathens”.
– I am sorry I did not check to see what your background is before I replied. But even if I knew, I would reply to whoever, directly to the comments made by that person rather than what is appropriate for that persons’ background. Basically, I judge the ‘statements and comments people make’, and not the person per-se.
– You ask ‘Who else is going to choose the Sri Lankan government if not for majority of Sinhalese?’ This highlights the point I am trying to make perfectly. If the majority Sinhala-Buddhist are not racists in their character, they would not (time and again) be voting for politicians who are playing the racists card. In Sri Lanka, each and every time the leaders were elected (by the majority Sinhala-Buddhist) because they promoted racists values. The ethno-religious element has been the decisive factor. In developed “Democracies” this is not the case i.e. Sonia Ghandhi in India, Barrack Obama in the US, Julia Gillard (who is an atheist) in Australia etc.

So as you see, the problem to solve in Sri Lanka is for the majority Sinhala-Buddhists to acknowledge the emotional racists element in their character that has been the driving force in their decision making so far, to realize this as an undesirable characteristic, and work towards developing a Rational, more Democratic (by the way Democracy is not a numbers game, nor is it Utopian. It is the fairest/Just, PRACTICAL system we have today), Fair and Just outlook.

If the Sinhala-Buddhist and their apologists, keep going on saying ‘prove we are racists’, ‘disprove the Americans or the Swiss are not racists’ and live in Denial of their own faults and shortcomings in their character, there can be no progress.
PROVING THAT SINHALA-BUDDHIST ARE NOT RACISTS, IS UP TO THE SINHALA-BUDDHIST THEMSELVES, by their own deeds.

You are right, Rationalist. We hate tamils for all the crap they’ve done against Sri Lanka and continue to do and think they are a joke. We don’t have anything against the Muslims or any other group though.

You ask “Of the scarf, “BTW, LTTE had Terrorists not soldires.” Why do you say so?”

Hello Mapa darling,
Long time no see.
Tut tut …its bad manners to barge in on an adult discussion.
Didn’t your mother tell you that child?

Your debts have been mounting with a trail of unanswered posts.
I doubt you would understand, even if I tell you.
Perhaps we can discus, after you outgrow the bottle and the soother.