Comments on: A friend of the regime http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/ groundviews is an award winning Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:46:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: brownsuger http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2094 brownsuger Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:26:23 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2094 Bed side companion not my sleeping partner! LOL So you as well are convinced, if not in total, that the GOSL would go on to crush the LTTE militarily. Like the outfit that manifested in the South during the 80's, the negotiations & discourses that would follow would set the stage for a prolonged peace. You may call it victor's justice, but it is the only way the LTTE would be brought to the negotiating table. They are not waging war for the betterment of the Tamils in the Island Nation but as a means to an end: TO STAY IN POWER Yes we must agree to disagree! Bed side companion not my sleeping partner! LOL

So you as well are convinced, if not in total, that the GOSL would go on to crush the LTTE militarily. Like the outfit that manifested in the South during the 80’s, the negotiations & discourses that would follow would set the stage for a prolonged peace.

You may call it victor’s justice, but it is the only way the LTTE would be brought to the negotiating table. They are not waging war for the betterment of the Tamils in the Island Nation but as a means to an end: TO STAY IN POWER

Yes we must agree to disagree!

]]> By: groundviews http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2093 groundviews Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:30:20 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2093 Dear Brownsuger, That you sleep with Machiavelli is particularly revealing. We must agree to disagree - I believe while this government may well defeat the LTTE, it will not ever be able to address terrorism and its root causes in Sri Lanka. It is pathologically and idealogically incapable of it and in the fulness of time, this will be borne out. I would sugest that you and many others today confuse the LTTE and terrorism. The LTTE are terrorists but they are not the only party that terrorises. A severely debilitated LTTE as an ideal partner for negotiations is an equation based entirely on a victor's justice, which perpetuates precisely that which gave rise to the LTTE in the first place. It is a simple argument - if one cannot address the root causes, you may win many battles against the LTTE but you've lost the war against terrorism. SH Dear Brownsuger,

That you sleep with Machiavelli is particularly revealing. We must agree to disagree - I believe while this government may well defeat the LTTE, it will not ever be able to address terrorism and its root causes in Sri Lanka. It is pathologically and idealogically incapable of it and in the fulness of time, this will be borne out.

I would sugest that you and many others today confuse the LTTE and terrorism. The LTTE are terrorists but they are not the only party that terrorises. A severely debilitated LTTE as an ideal partner for negotiations is an equation based entirely on a victor’s justice, which perpetuates precisely that which gave rise to the LTTE in the first place. It is a simple argument - if one cannot address the root causes, you may win many battles against the LTTE but you’ve lost the war against terrorism.

SH

]]> By: brownsuger http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2092 brownsuger Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:15:40 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2092 I guess you have distorted the facts in the main article; the same articulate manner in which you have done in the first two paragraphs. Reading your articles always gives an insight to your "end justifies the means" ideology and hence a quote from the great master (who happens to be my bedside companion as well): "There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others" I was never a great fan of the Rajapakse's, however I have always been a firm believer that you cannot negotiate peace with the LTTE (they never would be the voice of the Tamils in Sri Lanka) and the current military strategy adopted by SL Govt. has given this Nation some hope. We have two political parties in our country - one which can run the economy well & the other the war well. Yes, negotiating a prolonged peace is necessary through a federalist, power sharing etc means; this would be done after the Nations victory against terrorism. I guess you have distorted the facts in the main article; the same articulate manner in which you have done in the first two paragraphs. Reading your articles always gives an insight to your “end justifies the means” ideology and hence a quote from the great master (who happens to be my bedside companion as well):

“There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others”

I was never a great fan of the Rajapakse’s, however I have always been a firm believer that you cannot negotiate peace with the LTTE (they never would be the voice of the Tamils in Sri Lanka) and the current military strategy adopted by SL Govt. has given this Nation some hope. We have two political parties in our country - one which can run the economy well & the other the war well. Yes, negotiating a prolonged peace is necessary through a federalist, power sharing etc means; this would be done after the Nations victory against terrorism.

]]> By: Sie.Kathieravelu http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2091 Sie.Kathieravelu Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:40:03 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2091 I agree with Arujuna Hulugala. Do not underestimate the ordinary people. They are the one and only stake holders in the governance of the country. I agree with Arujuna Hulugala. Do not underestimate the ordinary people. They are the one and only stake holders in the governance of the country.

]]> By: sham http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2090 sham Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:56:36 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2090 "This war (that I have repeatedly said is not in my name) is waged with a vengeance because its ultimate objective, implicit in so much of what the President and his government does and says, is more than just the complete eradication of the LTTE – it is to establish a totalitarian Sinhala, Buddhist regime in the guise of a benevolent dictatorship which does not want to kill you, but will in an instant if you question it too much. It is essentially that which the JVP sought to establish, the JHU would love to see and the UNP today is powerless to prevent the establishment of." Dear writer when the majority elects a president or government, its because that they as a write want to / or agree with their main proposals. for example, when MR was coming into power most sinhales and the majority of sri lankans new that he would take a harder stance on the LTTE terror. that was one core difference between MR and RW(UNP). for MR's credit he did give the LTTE a chance to come to talks. i think all though u say this is not a war for you, it seems its a war most people want. another telling point would be the survey results which was published in ground views itself, it showed a greter than 50% want LTTE defeated militaryly. so , i think although your 1 out of 20Mn, its just that you have to accept (grudiingly even) that majority wants this war. and for once we seem to be heading in a better way militarily than in all the 30 yeras of it. but i totally agree with you in one thing. >our time will come.- that my friend is my hope also. “This war (that I have repeatedly said is not in my name) is waged with a vengeance because its ultimate objective, implicit in so much of what the President and his government does and says, is more than just the complete eradication of the LTTE – it is to establish a totalitarian Sinhala, Buddhist regime in the guise of a benevolent dictatorship which does not want to kill you, but will in an instant if you question it too much. It is essentially that which the JVP sought to establish, the JHU would love to see and the UNP today is powerless to prevent the establishment of.”

Dear writer
when the majority elects a president or government, its because that they as a write want to / or agree with their main proposals. for example, when MR was coming into power most sinhales and the majority of sri lankans new that he would take a harder stance on the LTTE terror. that was one core difference between MR and RW(UNP). for MR’s credit he did give the LTTE a chance to come to talks. i think all though u say this is not a war for you, it seems its a war most people want.

another telling point would be the survey results which was published in ground views itself, it showed a greter than 50% want LTTE defeated militaryly.

so , i think although your 1 out of 20Mn, its just that you have to accept (grudiingly even) that majority wants this war. and for once we seem to be heading in a better way militarily than in all the 30 yeras of it.
but i totally agree with you in one thing.

>our time will come.- that my friend is my hope also.

]]> By: Arjuna Hulugalle http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2089 Arjuna Hulugalle Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:41:02 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/2007/11/24/a-friend-of-the-regime/#comment-2089 I think Mr Sanjana underestimates the intelliegence of the people of this country whether they live in the North or in the South. The problem is much more complex. The President is a late comer to the crisis. He has inherited the crisis and is coping with it in the way he sees as correct. Historically, he is only one player although I daresay a very important one.The solution to the problem is however, one which the people of Sri Lanka will have to work out and here a greater understanding of the situation and maturity in thinking are called for. A new mindset and new structures of governance are needed. Models in that direction have been conceptualized and it is worthwhile for Mr Sanjana to look at some of them which have been presented by the Swarajya Movement and CIMOGG. I think Mr Sanjana underestimates the intelliegence of the people of this country whether they live in the North or in the South. The problem is much more complex. The President is a late comer to the crisis. He has inherited the crisis and is coping with it in the way he sees as correct. Historically, he is only one player although I daresay a very important one.The solution to the problem is however, one which the people of Sri Lanka will have to work out and here a greater understanding of the situation and maturity in thinking are called for.

A new mindset and new structures of governance are needed. Models in that direction have been conceptualized and it is worthwhile for Mr Sanjana to look at some of them which have been presented by the Swarajya Movement and CIMOGG.

]]>