Do you think you can defeat violence like this by ranting against people who seem to have mastered an art – however dastardly? To them people who simply use the staright bat and oxford English and use the rigid logic off human rights and right and wrong is not even worth a glance. These people actually blame others and not themselves – and blame keeps the whole game running forever.

Can you see how this keeps happening? But the moment someone says – look this is my fault – I also have a responsibility here and henceforth that will be the centre of my attention – not what others say or do – then you stop playing the game defined by others. then you play your own game ……

in short you cannot meet violence effectively until you work at and tread the path of non-violence 100%. When I say 100% it means 100% effort not 100% perfection. So start listening – to your own hearts

stop this meaningless self indulgent and egoistic chatter

When these grievances are addressed through terrorism, it IS very much radicalism. By that same rationale, many terrorist factions in the world aren’t really terrorists but freedom fights. I do not disagree that the central blame lies with the successive Sri Lankan governments…in fact the problem is stitched into the fabric of its politics.

I just don’t agree with it being a justification for the horrendous acts that the LTTE engages in. Even against their own people..something I have personally witnessed. Yes they are oppressed and yes their rights need to be addressed but I see this terrorist struggle (because that is what it is….) is and continues to fuel a battle that will never end. You make mention of all the atrocities of the government, point taken. What of the hundreds, nay thousands of innocents killed by the LTTE? yes they may be arguably ignorant, they too might be duped into swallowing prejudiced “nationalist” agendas. But does that justify the taking of their lives from them? To argue that one life is more valuable than another…

It may come across that I am taking sides but the truth is i’m on neither. I am against an armed struggle by either side and in my view nothing justifies terror on either side. All i’m saying is you can’t naively call one a struggle against oppression when the efforts of that group fuel oppression on the other end (attacks on civilians in the south further consolidate the war effort)…there is also clear evidence that the LTTE oppresses its own people. How is that in any way noble or justifiable.

My point was not to justify anything the Govt has done but to acknowledge that the LTTE too…is a propagator of terror. To say “its because we are oppressed” and “we tried peaceful solutions” so now it’s up to terrorism….think hard about what kind of hypocrisy that presents. Terrorism perpetually weakens the cause in reality.

Call me a hopeless idealist but rights won at either end of a gun are not rights at all. It’s a very contradiction of the spirit of human rights and dignity.

As far as the state terrorizing of the media and its irrational intolerance of the expression of diverse views is concerned, the GOSL has clearly sought to take a page from the LTTE handbook (i.e. their consistent repression of Tamil voices other than their own and the elimination of Tamil intellectuals and moderates). Perhaps some might see the sense in this ’set a thief to catch a thief’ government strategy for crushing the LTTE, but I urge those who feel this way to consider two things:
(a) The GOSL vision is solidly based on the amount of money its leaders can squirrel away before the next election (or the total collapse of government) – to them the war is a distraction. To the LTTE it was about the fight for a separate state and now it is just about the fight.
(b) Once the wealth of Sri Lanka has been siphoned off into sustaining the war and filling individual coffers, living under a regime that is as suppressive and tyrannical as the current GOSL will make life in Colombo just about as much fun as life (cowering in a bunker during indiscriminate air raids) in Killinochchi.

When the oppressed fight for their rights it is not “radicalism”. You write so much about every one being taken for a ride but. you yourself have been definitely taken for a comfortable ride to believe that seeking self rule in the North East is “Tamil radicalism” !!

One can understand when the oppressed get angry against the oppressor. Why are the Sinhalese angry against Tamils from 1958, from a time when they were not even using any arms for resistance. Sinhalese are not oppressed by the Tamils but the anger is coming out of racism and with the intent to exterminate a people. The evil tendency Adolf Hitler had. To this day this evil exists.

The reason why MR feels shaken when the truth is published is because racism would fade away when the truth about Tamil grievances and self rule are explained to the Sinhalese. MR wants chauvinism to exist in order to make his war machinery move and Tamil genocide to be accomplished.This is also the reason for frequent terror threats to journalists and the NGO’s, making Sri lanka the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world next to Iraq.

The anti Tamil occurences from 1958 to date suggest that there are two nations in the country. They must have their separate governments and self rule. Otherwise, even you will be asked the question “Sinhalada” when you go to a police station. They will try to ascertain as to whether you are from Sinhala country or from the Tamil country of the island !!

It is the impartial and correct action that matters.

“All That We Are Is The Result Of What We Have Thought” – Buddha ( 500 AD )

I really wish people put these things in context. The assumption that HE or the rest of the supposedly esteemed cabinet that run this country …are altruistic is an exercise in naivety. Take a close look at where all of them have lead us, regardless of party and politics. Is there much debate required to establish that we are an example of “power corrupts, absolutely”. With a jumbo cabinet like Sri Lanka’s, Sri Lankan bureaucracy has been propelled to the levels that Kafka and Orwell envisioned in the nightmarish worlds of their fiction.

The media is not faultless but its independence and its ability to provide multiple sources of information is crucial to the functioning of an informed society. If it plays lip service to a government agenda, a government press office would suffice. That is also indicative of this nation becoming a police state. “HE” might claim that he cares little of public criticism but do his actions reflect that? He clearly articulates that he knows the source of all thus thuggery, of course he does! He sanctions it…look at all the bed fellows he has made over the years in his bid for power. The very man who bellowed against nepotism…

A government truly in control and confident of their policies would have no need t fear accountability and criticism that is left field. Given that this regimes notion of human rights is warped….it’s probably pointless saying this. But it’s our right to CHOOSE what to believe. I personally don’t want someone calling me unpatriotic simply because I choose to exercise my intelligence and constantly question. We don’t live in times of a monarchy (didn’t we as a nation supposedly speak against the British monarchy a few days ago?). We live in a supposedly democratic, civil society and in such a society we are entitled to our own opinions. Is it not clear that the Govt feels threatened by this? The rallying and propagation of minds capable of critical thought? If the Govt had more resources I wouldn’t be surprised if their levels of penetration into our daily lives were far greater.

We speak ot the LTTE’s propaganda and brain washing but what of the same in our quarters. In London our president announced that the Govt was losing the international propaganda war against the LTTE (a response to human rights violations etc etc). But the truth cannot be said at home. This government has been able to finetune our pettiness and mobilize it into an utter distraction that divides, creates fear and most tragically…dumbs down society as a whole.

When are people going to realize that all these politicians are taking us nowhere. They fill their pockets and gain access to every resource and opportunity. For that they will use the highest level of intellect and in corruption all races unite.

Rather than keeping on finding fault with the Govt. or the President, I think we had better urge them consistently to take necessary measures to halt these incidents. After all, HE the President, I am sure, could put a stop to all of these if he is really going to be tough with the the perpetrators no matter who or what they are.