Comments on: Breaking News: IDPs in Zone 3 and 4 in Menik Camp affected by flooding

By: smoulderingjin

smoulderingjin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:01:45 +0000

Punitham I suggest you take a look at the recent A/Level examination paper – for Sinhala. The essay questions are startling! See http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2009_08_19_004.html

I think the history books have no chance of any twisted history being removed. At the rate the farcical nature of the nation is progressing, I suspect what we will see is twisted history being added to the text books in the nation.

By: Norman Grace

Norman Grace — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:40:33 +0000

The great Poet Rabindranath Tagore said ‘whatever we understand and enjoy in human products instantly becomes ours, wherever they might have their origin. Let me feel with unalloyed gladness that all the great glories of man are mine.”

I always wonder what has happened to the Sri Lankan Society. In personal friendship the members from all communities enjoy each others company, appreciate each other, be proud of each others views etc. But when it come to Public Policy we are at each other, not willing to share anything. All of us should look at ourselves and find a genuine answer for the question.

Who is responsible what has caused this ‘great wall’?!!

By: President Bean

President Bean — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:45:53 +0000

punitham…In another 50 years students will be taught in schools about ‘Maha Mahinda’ the Empror of the greatest country on earth! Just like in George Orwells ‘1984′ the history of Sri Lanka will be re-written…what a nightmare…I hope I will be dead by that time!

By: NoEalamInSL

NoEalamInSL — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:04:22 +0000

Punitham,

Can you please tell me briefly the untwisted history of the country?

Can you please elaborate bit more, be specific “the last 5/6 decades has been producing dangerous elements in the country.” perhaps I might agree with you.

Your most reliable website, Tamil Net have interesting news, I cant say I disagree with “Taliban Law”.

“Noting several trends in Sri Lanka point to “early steps in [reaching for] totality of power,” Prof Kumar David in a column in the weekend edition of “The Island” asserts that the cultural control exercised by the current Rajapakse regime are no different to those of “the Mullahs of Teheran and the iconoclastic Taliban fundamentalists.” Prof. David summarizes the views of six lawyers expressed at a Lawyers’ Press Conference organised by the Platform for Freedom (PfF) early August where one notes that the scene is set for ever expanding authoritarianism as Sri Lanka’s President flagrantly violates the “supreme law, the public [is] apathetic and the judiciary [is] powerless,” and another points to the holding of 300,000 people “against their will, in defiance of local and international law” as “obscene infringement of the constitution.”

By: N K Ratnam

N K Ratnam — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:14:27 +0000

The IDPs are held against their will despite S/L government claiming to have liberated them from the LTTE. Now with the onset of the monsoon they are held in conditions where they are in imminent danger of dying of water bourne diseases or being shot for trying to escape these conditions. According to the latest reports more trrops are being despatched to the camps to keep them in these conditions with orders to shoot anyone trying to escape. How long are these people going to be held in these prisons? This is taking the country in totally the opposite direction to the path of reconciliation.

By: punitham

punitham — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:07:17 +0000

Academics
Please remove hatemongering in textbooks – please remove the twisted history. This is a very important part of peacebuilding, esp. when twisted history presnted in textbooks in the last 5/6 decades has been producing dangerous elements in the country.
Thanks.

By: NoEalamInSL

NoEalamInSL — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 06:52:23 +0000

Its monsoon rains. Any NGO/GOSL academic would realize the ground situation during monsoon seasons. Its horrific to see, those IDP tents are under floods. Those NGOS who lived there for last 30yrs must be aware of the situation than government. They should have used those bacco/bulldozers gave to LTTE to digg drains to keep this water out of tents. But, are those IDPs are handicapped? LTTE days, they built huge bunkers and diged drains to slow down SL military. Now they cant dig a drain to let floods to decrease. Perhaps they are too much pampered by the government. They must have used LTTE motivational theories, forced labour. Some people this is a dream coming true to see camps are under water! Not all sympathizers are sincere. I am sure, those IDPs will agree with me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6mLvnXYPbc

By: Atheist

Atheist — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:39:32 +0000

The Sri-Lankan government has a twofold responsibility: to protect the public from terrorism and to ensure that all citizens – even criminals -are entitled to fairness, and to the basic necessities of life. Needless to say, one cannot equate the government with the terrorists. I can understand the government’s need to detain suspected terrorists; however, the detaining of others comes down to a question of ethics. How long will they have to endure this agonizing uncertainty?

It was next to impossible for most Vanni people to stand up against the LTTE, just like it was for the Sinhalese to have spoken out against the atrocities of the JVP. We all know how helpless people become during times of ruthless insurgencies. Those at the mercy of terrorists should not be branded as silent accomplices.

While there are individual volunteers and donors for the IDP camps, more funding and human resources will speed up the resettlement process. I shudder to think of how people –especially young women – endure the cramped conditions and unsanitary toilets in these camps. At least, for now, the barbed wires should go.

However, the existence of the IDP camps, alone, does not make Sri-Lanka “undemocratic”. To me, what makes Sri-Lanka undemocratic at this present time is also the gruelling poverty in villages and inner city shanties, and the huge disparity among the rich and poor. The right to education, health care and decent housing must be available to all, including the marginalized throughout the island that have been forced to eke out a meagre living for decades.

Not all democracies are perfect; to bring about a “perfect” democracy we must all do our part. I still have great hope for Sri-Lanka – no matter what the spin doctors may try to sell us – as most Lankans remain committed to democracy.

By: groundviews

groundviews — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:03:12 +0000

NooEelaminSL, whether or not you and care to read and comprehend the guidelines, they are there. They are there for a reason. If you violate them, you will not be published. Continue to violate them, and you will be banned as have other like-minded mindless trolls, who continue to blather on in plenty of other online fora more open to uncivil, unmoderated discourse.

By: myil selvan

myil selvan — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:47:39 +0000

The fears of conditions in the IDP camps getting worse during inclement weather was known to the NGOs and international aid agencies. The GoSL was bulldozing ahead without listening to their concerns. Ground was not leveled, no proper drainage, drains don’t have an outlet to discharge water, tents over crowded, open defecation, trench toilets flooded and overflowing,etc,etc. This is why no cameras are allowed into the camps!
We as a society cannot condone this! The people must be released!

To respond to NoEalamInSL:
Just because LTTE kept people by force that doesn’t mean the GoSL has to follow the same example. But the GoSL is the same as the LTTE, that’s the whole problem.
The IDPs are complaining but the GoSL is not listening! NGOs and UN are conveying those complaints on behalf of IDPs.
Accusing people you don’t agree with of terror propaganda is very unfortunate! You don’t seem to understand what terrorism is and what democracy is, do you?? I challenge you to explain the meaning of democracy and terrorism???

Dr. Jehan Perera has a very good view of what SL needs. He is broad minded and looks at the long term. We need more people like him if this country is to be redeemed.
As for colonial masters: Gotabhaya is U.S. citizen, Kohona is Australian citizen, Basil and Sarath Fonseka U.S. green card holders, President’s three sons studied in UK, and on and on and on the list goes. Why don’t you call these people obedient to colonial masters?
For racists, hypocrisy is a virtue and patriotism the sole refuge!