Disgusted said,

May 21, 2009 @ 11:05 am

Chatu >>

I think you may be viewing this situation with a pessimistic outlook. The reality of this victory is that to many people, it’s an affirmation of life, not one of death, as it has been for the past 26 years. You may be taken aback by seeing people in a frenzy, in apparent callous disregard for the loss of life but the deeper reason is that many of these people have lost their loved ones to the war over the years, and till this victory, it was all naught but a waste.

Many others have lost their friend and relatives while engaging in something as simple as coming home after work in a bus. They are happy to see an end to this suffering, and to have their loved ones coming back home from the war in one piece.

So this is the relief that is being expressed. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to insult you, but we should not bring our urban elitist viewpoints to bear on the common people who have suffered immensely, while the richer people have had the luxury of passing judgment on them while not risking life or limb. And that is the truth isn’t it? The majority of people serving in the army come from the poorer segments of society. The majority of people dying in bus bombs are those that cannot afford to travel by car. So I don’t think we should be too hasty to pass judgement on them as callous or racist.

Watch the video posted on groundviews a few days ago where people on the streets were being interviewed. Observe how many expressed racist sentiments. Even the most vociferous zealot, frothing at the mouth, didn’t fail to mention that we should all live together. 26 years of war has left an impression never to be forgotten.

Heshan said,

May 21, 2009 @ 12:00 pm

I didn’t bother to celebrate; such a decision is not a difficult one for any morally conscientious person.

Mahinda Rajapakse is [edited out]. His exploits in thievery are so well-known, even by his supporters, that I need not list them here. By forming an unholy alliance with a few Eastern nations and banking on the generous vindictiveness of Sonia Gandhi, he was able to sweep the LTTE aside, albeit at a terrible cost of lives, property, and diplomacy, the full extent of which Sri Lanka is yet to feel. Everyone has their day: Hitler, Pol Pot, etc. The dictators are ushered into power amidst a violent frenzy of nationalist hysteria; seldom, however, do they make a graceful exit. They become a victim of their own intrigue; as they become more and more powerful, their reality becomes equally distorted. Witness Prabhakaran, who’s favored modus operandi was violence. I do not think the Rajapakse brothers are very different. The constant murmur of foreign conspiracies is clearly a symptom of paranoia. The inability to accommodate those with potentially unfavorable views, such as journalists, clearly displays apathy for any progressive, broad-minded approach to conflict resolution.

I do not think Prabhakaran understood that the 80’s and even 90’s were gone forever… that no nation would come to his rescue because the ways and means of diplomacy had shifted by leaps and bounds since then. He did not understand that while this is indeed the age of the underdog (witness Kosova), even the underdog must be willing to compromise. Similarly, I do not think the Rajapakse brothers have a true grasp of the present reality. They do not understand that in today’s age, it is not polite to posit exclusively majoritiarian wrought policies, against minority demands for equal rights. What will happen is quite predictable – the free Western world will shun them, and they (Rajapakse’s) will resort to more and more repressive measures to maintain their bloody grip on power. Thus, the Sinhalese people should not expect the police state to be dismantled any time soon; there will be no economic miracle, any sort of “peace” will be one in which blind praise for the Rajapakse’s and the military junta passively fills the air.

As for the Tamils, I believe they have long since sensed their doom. There will be no political solution, only the long arm of military occupation will reach out its tentacles to disrupt their already meager existence. It is a somber prediction… alas, it is an accurate one. It is, in essence, very much what Lasantha warned of.

Idealist? said,

May 21, 2009 @ 10:25 pm

FINALLY!!! Someone questioning the celebrations in a public domain! Thank you Chatu!!! I totally agree with you…

Sinhala_Voice said,

May 22, 2009 @ 11:44 am

We have to start re-structuring the state such that we increase:

1. Responsibility
2. Transparency
3. Representation
4. Delegation = Devolution of some powers of legislation.
5. Accountability
6. Rule of Law in ALL spheres where ALL are equal and ALL must face the , ALL are judged according to a single common set of LAWS.

This is ALL that is required initially. Based on this Economic Development can take place.

What people celebrated is the elemintation or the reduction of the threat of terrorism throughout the entire island of Sri Lanka.

The people are entitled to it after 40 years of conflict. We should not celebrate the death of anyone including the terrorists.

There is NO ROOM FOR VIOLENCE IN SRI LANKA. Everyone has to accept the demography of Sri Lanka and get along with everyone as much as possible, treating the ENTIRE ISLAN as their HOMELAND.

Sellam said,

May 22, 2009 @ 9:56 pm

Of course there is no need for celebrations and there should not be, but we are happy that the LTTE is defeated because of the fact, the LTTE is a menace for all concerned, including the Tamils and the country as a whole. How can a country survive when terrorism is rampant. The Western wrold like it.
Certainly the IDPs are better off now than they were a few weeks back when they were kept by the LTTE as human shield. Yet they should be released to their own homes soon.

GAMINI .A said,

May 22, 2009 @ 11:21 pm

pls. now its not time to celibrate. first let start to rebuild the nation specialy in in north and south.
its not time to blame to prabakaran . total blame should go to from ban

UOFLANKA said,

May 22, 2009 @ 11:26 pm

If you can’t understand what we are celebrating after 30 years of destruction and the end of evil destroyer or maraya, it is not worth reading your article.
We celebrate now our freedom to speak, get married, go to school, discuss matters and vote without bomb blasts. It is the freedom that we celebrate, freedom for everything.
IT DISAPPOINTS WHEN YOU ACT AS YOU WERE SLEEPING JUST TO WRITE SOMETHING.

RogerG said,

May 23, 2009 @ 3:31 am

English speakers or not the nation was celebrating relief. Someone talked about Sonia Gandhi’s vindictiveness.. What a farce. Prabakaran had no compunction of killing Tamils by the thousands plus Sinhalese. Anyone who opposed him was toast. And what about the 600 who died(at the hands of LTTE thug Karuna no doubt but still at VP’s orders) when they trust GOSL who ordered them to surrender? There is instant Karma and that is what happened to VP and he had it coming. People are celebrating an end to frustration. If you note Eastern province is now run by a a civilian government formed by former terrorists. North will be devoid of terrorism when economic development occurs. All you people who are such English speaking elitist cleverly omit the fact that Mahinda ended the citizenship issue of the most exploited segment of Sri Lanka: namely the Indian tamil indentured labour force by granting all of them citizenship. Not even socialist Chandrika or Ranil did that. Mahinda did it. Some of you are still smarting from the fact that the western educated English speaking pseudo-intellectuals ended up with egg on their face. They all said “the singala army” cannot beat the Tigers militarily. Right now people are celebrating that proof that the Tigers got an asswhupping.

Angelo Pavioli said,

May 23, 2009 @ 5:33 am

It’s an irony that so many lives were lost for no reason. When I visited Colombo few years back to Colombo.. It didn’t give me a slightest hint that the majority Sinhalese are discriminating against the Tamils. May be there had been bitter incidents in the past, but The Colombo I saw was many different cultures lived in peace and Harmony. Tamils hold the top government positions as well as operate the mainstream businesses in Colombo.

According to my Sinhalese friend, All this manipulated discrimination propaganda is merely a cheap shot by the Tamil diaspora to protect their “refugee Visa” in the western countries. They simply know when the war is over, those western governments will send them back to Sri Lanka. How pathetic is their ideology.. ???

Chatu/ Writer said,

May 23, 2009 @ 8:50 am

Reading some of your comments, I get the feeling some of you have misunderstood my sentiments. The defeat of the LTTE by our military forces is truly an awe inspiring achievement and their sacrifices were never brought to any doubt. This achievement should call for massive celebrations all over the country if we only look at it only as a pure military exercise.

However, what was our ultimate goal? I think everyone would agree when I say, sustainable peace. As some of you agree, the military operations were only a fraction of what is required to archive our desired objective. Premature (government sponsored) celebrations not only jeopardise the peace process (racial insensitivity), it distracts us from our ultimate objective.

A headline from Times online reads “Sri Lanka crisis – Red Cross stops aid”, as you delve into it; the Sri Lankan government has banned aid agencies access to internment camps. I fail to see how decisions of this kind could steer our country towards a permanent peace?

“The Sinhala leaders have blamed all the ills that have beset the country on the LTTE for a generation. Let’s see what they will blame for their mismanagement in the future.” Vanangamanithan

This I feel, is one of the most significant sentences from all the comments I’ve read and I agree with it completely. I feel that the defeat of LTTE will have another significant affect, as Vanangamanithan mentioned; it would hold governments accountable for the economic slums they have created and not blame it on the war. I hear comments saying the war had an effect on our economy, I agree it did, but the greatest harm was done not by the war but economic policies implemented by people who could barely run a shop let along the economy of a country!

UOFLANKA, the freedoms you speak of, will only be short lived unless we solve the underlying problems that started the war. Once we have a permanent peace, then and only then have we got a real reason to celebrate.

The Talking Frog, I agree, “forced” should not haven have been used. But I believe you would agree with me when I say, we gave them very few options.

RogerG, I’m not sure who the “English speaking pseudo-intellectuals” you seem to be referring to are, but I for one, always had the opinion that military solution is not the means to deal with a political solution.

“Shall we remind people of the whooping and hooraying of Tigers and Tiger Diaspora when Chandrika almost got killed? or when so many like Laxman Kadirgamar and Neelan were bumped off by Tigers?”

I sincerely hope this statement was a mistake, surely your response cannot be “they did it, so why can’t we?”!

Nalaka Gunawardene, I’m afraid we only defeated one form of terror. And the destruction of the LTTE has only strengthened this beast. The phrase “freedom of expression” has no place in our present society I’m afraid.

“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” Avram Noam Chomsky

Till the government understand the statement mentioned above, most people will be commenting under pseudonyms and half names.

Too many lost their lives to this cruel war but what needs to be remembered is that they died for peace, the defeating the LTTE is only a step in that direction

pam said,

May 23, 2009 @ 10:20 am

I am a sinhalese having naibourghs who were there with us for long and newly moved to our area in Kandana, no clashes what so ever. We all were LIVING IN FEAR OF DEATH, as we had to face bombs in buses or in some other way we when we commuting to our work in Colombo. I have lost so, was my tamil naiboughrs lost relatives in Pettah and Central Bank bombings. CAUSE IS PRABHAKARAN AND HIS REFUGEE VISA HOLDER AFFLUENT TAMIL DIASPORA.
Mere thinking of no more bombs is a reason to celibrate. However we are commited to the wellfere of our IDP brotheren.

RogerG said,

May 23, 2009 @ 11:50 am

Chomsky is a socialist.

cassandra said,

May 23, 2009 @ 12:38 pm

I am not a demonstrative person by nature and the celebrations in Sri Lanka following the defeat of the Tigers is not something that I find attractive. But I can understand the manner of these celebrations. I also think there is a need for people to give expression to their feelings in the best way suited to them (so long as it is legal) and to that extent, the celebrations were a good thing. But it is also a time, after the initial euphoria is over, for sober reflection and a conscious effort on the part of both the Sinhalese and the Tamils to make a paradigm shift in their thinking and seek a new way forward. You cannot of course forget the past; indeed, one must not forget the past but remember it not with hate or rancour but for the lessons it has taught and a genuine desire to reconile and be reconciled. There is no future in divsion. Hope lies in cooperative endeavour and democracy is based on discussion, toleration and compromise

Heshan said,

May 23, 2009 @ 8:43 pm

“THERE IS NO ONE sane in SL who does not KNOW nor realize that the ultimate end to this is via a political settlement. Mahinda has said so and India will make sure it happens.”

All of Mahinda’s extremist allies are vehemently opposed to any power-sharing agreement with the minorities. India has no incentive to impose any political settlement in SL. It may have had an incentive in seeing the LTTE wiped out, but the story ends there.

“Why don’t you look at the Eastern Province and look at how the government is spending money(yes that will lead to corruption and abuse just like in other provinces, but that is part of our third world crony capitalism) and I also cited the MR regime’s decision to include Indian Tamils who were previously citizenless into becoming productive SRI LANKANS.”

The Eastern Province is a colossal failure. For one thing, it is heavily militarized. People still disappear everyday. Pro-government paramilitaries are allowed to roam everywhere with their guns and harass people (we have all read about the two little girls who were kidnapped and killed for ransom money). The so-called “elected representatives”, for example, Pillayan, are a real joke. They have no power on any significant scale worth mentioning. Which is why you see a total lack of development. If this is your idea of “productivity”, so be it. But it’s not mine.

Migara said,

May 24, 2009 @ 3:28 pm

@ Heshan

“All of Mahinda’s extremist allies are vehemently opposed to any power-sharing agreement with the minorities.”

They are opposed to a racially based power sharing agreement AFAIK.

“The Eastern Province is a colossal failure. For one thing, it is heavily militarized” – This was an area, which had a ravaging war 18 months back. Don’t except miracles, it has to be a gradual process. It will be a slow painful process, but we should bair it, because even though it is slow, it is steady. Some of the groups have given up arms that they were holding BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF LTTE ASSASINATIONS, and rest will gradually give up the weapons. There is no wizards of Oz who could turn east in to a paradise in one day.

“People still disappear everyday. Pro-government paramilitaries are allowed to roam everywhere with their guns and harass people” – People disappear every day even in South, and most are refound within few days or have left the country. Don’t believe so much of Mangala Samaraweera, Daily Mirror or Lanka dissent. They don’t give the same publicity when the missing person reappears and confesses.

“we have all read about the two little girls who were kidnapped and killed for ransom money” – Sadly you forgot or omitted two little kids who were killed for the same reason in Akuressa. When it happens to a tamil you people go to town with it, but keep your mortifyin silence when it happens to a Sinhalese. There are psychopaths every where like this. It does not matter whether they are from south or noth or east or west. They should be eliminated.

“The so-called “elected representatives”, for example, Pillayan, are a real joke. They have no power on any significant scale worth mentioning” – The real joke would have been a facist military leader controlling this area.

“Which is why you see a total lack of development” For people who has travelled to east the signs of development is pretty evident. Don’t turn a blind eye towrds them. Go to the place and compare how it ws 36 monts back. Then we’ll come back and talk about the development.

Migara said,

May 25, 2009 @ 5:13 pm

“They are opposed to power-sharing with minorities period. It does not matter if some power remains at the center, they will still oppose such an agreement.”

How do you know? Do you have a god – given power to be so sure or to see the future? Stop posting utter rubbish like this. Power sharing should be with people but not with racially based political parties. Biggest problem is vellar tamils want a big chunk of power to regain their lost glory over low-caste tamils in North and Highlands. That is the very reason they oppose a geographically based power devolution not taking racial stats in to consideration.

“If he is so sure of that, why does he need thousands of armed soldiers to follow Tamils around everywhere they go? ”

Where did military follow tamil civilians? In Colombo? In Nuwara Eliya? Have you been in Sri Lanka? Or are you on weed?

“When the “rest” are also given political power, e.g. Karuna Group, they have no incentive to give up their weapons. What is happening here is that the Government is using these paramilitary groups as a buffer against possible LTTE infiltration”

The Karuna group has sybolicaly given up arms. But that does not mean that they are not having weapons. Sayng no incentice to give up weapons is wrong here, because they have shown it. Still there are LTTE carders intermingled with civillians ready to assasinate these tamil leadres at order from KP. Having weapons to protect themselves is unserstandavle. Douglas Devananda also do the same. but when you consider that LTTE has tried to kill him more than seven times, it is justified for him to bear weapons. With time, these LTTE carders who are camorfluged with civillimns will be caught and eliminated. That will take a good decade of time. Until such time where these politicins are free of threat of assasination, we could not think of completely disarming them, which is actually what LTTE wants.

“Why don’t you describe exactly what progress has been made in the East? Let me guess what’s at the top of the list: no LTTE?”

Why don’t you comeout from your cozy house in canada and visit Sri Lanka, and recognize their heartbeat and them comment?

Heshan said,

May 26, 2009 @ 2:08 am

*If we follow your logic, women all over the world should be allowed to carry handguns because every men…*

Should read as “every man”