In Your Face said,

February 3, 2010 @ 3:48 am

“Yes, I am Tamil” !

So what? You want a medal for that?

Observer said,

February 3, 2010 @ 6:20 am

whaa whaaa keep playing the victim card. you will never get anywhere!
if only you realised i am sri lankan!
what a piece of racism! i am disgusted.

Nish said,

February 3, 2010 @ 9:36 am

Munesinghe, please stop what ever the trip you are upto and leave us alone. We have had enough hatred and bloodshed in last 30 years. It is now time for us to reconcile and learn to share.

I kindly request the editor to reconsider publishing such articles.
I’m a tamil of indian origin, and i live a very happy life here in Sri Lanka.
And i strongly believe that it is time for us to shed all differences, and work together to protect our future.

srikantha said,

February 3, 2010 @ 12:47 pm

Dear all,who wrote and gave answers.

we are srilankan.I am sinhala and we never said or will say,slay the tamil.Everyone is human ind and our brothers and sisters.
But we said kill the LTTE and slay all of them.
Its good or not good.
I like peace and like in srilanka till 60.
Whow bildup theis jathiwaday.
still tamils living every where in srilanka,specially in south and western part.wher is this bulshit talks/we are living with harmony with sinhala and tamils.i am always giving food or any help for some poor tamil peole with me and my village.

President Bean said,

February 3, 2010 @ 5:59 pm

First they banned the sale of meat,
and I didn’t speak up, because I was a vegetarian.
Then they banned the sale of alcohol,
and I didn’t speak up, because I was a teetotaler.
When they shut down movie theatres,
I didn’t speak up, because I had a DVD at home.
When they censored television,
I didn’t speak up, because I didn’t watch T.V.
When they killed the “Leader”
I didn’t speak out, because I read the “Daily Noise,”
When they imprisoned Tamils on suspicion of being terrorists,
I didn’t speak up, because I was a Burgher.
When they beat up and killed opposition supporters,
I didn’t speak out, because I was not interested in politics.
When they stuffed the ballot boxes,
I didn’t speak up, because I didn’t vote.
When they shooed away the beggers and bashed up the gays,
I didn’t speak up, because I was neither gay nor a begger.
When they put away the prostitutes,
I didn’t speak up, because I was a married man who stayed cloistered at home.
I didn’t raise my voice, I didn’t make a fuss.
It’s funny there was no one left to notice, when they came for me!

yapa said,

February 3, 2010 @ 7:55 pm

I don’t understand this,
“undera demala”,
Munasingha a Tamil?
Is it Muna – “sinha” and rest is ” tiger”?
Poem Translated to English,
From what language?
Traslated by Sinhalese,
Do they know Tamil?
Is the original in Sinhala?
Suppose so,
Title “Mama Demala”,
Does Ransirimal_,
Fernando, live in Canada?
Who did Chemistry,
In Colombo Uni?
How did he, get hold of,
This emotional piece,
From Jaffna?
Kusum, Sira, Weere,
All the faults are yours,
LTTE killed innocents,
Just because of you,
It is all your fault,
Nadeshan Munasinghe,
Not to be held,
responsible,
they are innocent,
they are innocent,
Their killing is faultless,
“Ma atha warada netha”
Priviledge of minority?,
“Ane kale wane wase”
To live in peace,
Accept weaknesses in,
your part too,
No one is faultless,
That is the way to,
Be happy and gay!
“Amathaka kara lamu,
Parani katha,
Ekwemu jathika,
Diyuna patha”!

Bardo Flanks said,

February 3, 2010 @ 9:15 pm

@Belle

Thank you for your response. I think your argument is deeply flawed, illogical, emotional and melodramatic, and, if I may add, veritably Tamil.

“It’s that old, fundamentalist “Tamils are Dravidian” and “We Sinhalese are Aryan” racialist and racist track that you are on that led to the terrorism.”

I never said any such thing. In my earlier comment, I actually said that “the Sinhalese… don’t believe there are any substantial racial differences between the two ethnic group”. This is why I objected to the poet saying “They never demanded Sinhalese blood But just “O” negative”.

My personal belief, since you ask, is that the Sinhalese are primarily of Dravidian stock, but with significant genetic input from other races. This allows much variation even within families, and distinguishes us from Indian communities who inter-marry and look quite alike. My point though, was that the Tamils cannot even live peacefully with other Dravidian states, let alone the North. This incapability, I said, was cultural and political, not genetic or anything silly like that. As even North Indians would agree, Dravidians from Kerala and Andra Pradesh are generally nice, friendly, accommodating and peaceful people.

Your comments about Tamils traditionally placing much value on social justice and equality are interesting. Indeed, there have been many such Tamils in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, including the individuals you’ve mentioned.

But you must admit that the Tamil society had happily co-operated with the British colonial rulers’ brutal suppression of the Sinhalese. Tamils greatly benefited whilst the Sinhalese were grossly discriminated against in their own country. One wonders where that famous sense of equality and social justice was at that time. What caused this “ethnic conflict” is merely the loss of these Tamil privileges after our independence.

When I first went to study in Malaysia as a progressive, liberal, politically conscious, peacenik 17 year old, I was shocked and appalled to see how the Tamils were treated. I was brought up to believe that we Sinhalese have done much wrong to the Tamils, but living in Malaysia brought me to my senses.

I was taught to read and speak Tamil as a child. The only Tamil sign in “multi-cultural” Malaysia that I saw was one saying “do not spit”. Compare this with modern Sri Lankan language policy.

Tamils were so poor and downtrodden in that country. The only Tamils at my school were the cleaning ladies. I once had a long discussion with a Malay security guard, whose views were so racist and chauvinistic that they would be banned in Sri Lanka.

Nothing like the Bumiputra policy has ever existed in Sri Lanka. The language quota system (which were only in effect for such a short period of time that it couldn’t have had any impact on the “conflict”) was only a weak form of affirmative action, used all over the world to help disadvantaged groups. This was replaced by the district quota system which was even more equitable, and the under-privileged rural Sinhalese and Tamils (especially the Indian origin plantation Tamils that other Tamils absolutely hated) were both given an opportunity to succeed in life at the expense of their more fortunate, urban counterparts. The Sinhalese upper classes who lost their privileges were unhappy, but still put up with it. You called it, with incredible selfishness, discrimination!

I abhor those who propose normative solutions to our conflict. We need solutions through deduction, not induction. Therefore I welcome your attempt to compare and contrast Sri Lanka’s situation with other countries’.

Belle said,

February 3, 2010 @ 10:48 pm

Bardo Flanks,
“But you must admit that the Tamil society had happily co-operated with the British colonial rulers’ brutal suppression of the Sinhalese.But you must admit that the Tamil society had happily co-operated with the British colonial rulers’ brutal suppression of the Sinhalese. Tamils greatly benefited whilst the Sinhalese were grossly discriminated against in their own country. One wonders where that famous sense of equality and social justice was at that time. What caused this “ethnic conflict” is merely the loss of these Tamil privileges after our independence.”

Really? All Tamils cooperated with the British? Or merely the Anglophile elite? And did not the Sinhalese Anglophile elite too cooperate with the colonial masters? If you know your colonial history, you’ll know about British divide and rule policies, and that they often favoured minority communities, and used them as levers against the dominant group. Tamils had good jobs because, living on arid land (unlike Sinhalese), they could not depend on farming for a living, so many learned English and took up administrative jobs. In Singapore, too, the Straits Chinese made that effort to learn English and acquired some power compared to other groups during colonial rule. But nobody took revenge against them for that with independence, like your Sinhalese did. We understood what it meant to be a nation.

By the way, what’s the percentage of Tamils in your civil service? Is it even close to representative of their proportion of the population?

Non-elite Tamils didn’t suffer during colonialism, like the Sinhalese non-elite? As for the famous sense of equality and social justice at that time, Sri Lanka came into existence as a nation with the end of colonial rule. Before that, the issue of equality and social justice did not come into play because they were not a political unit. Don’t get confused with your historical memories.

Anyway, I’m really curious about Tamil involvement in colonial brutal suppression of the Sinhalese. Please do cite me some examples.

“Nothing like the Bumiputra policy has ever existed in Sri Lanka.”

Despite the Bumiputra policy, many non-Malays are in prominent positions in Malaysia. And the wealthiest people in Malaysia are not Malays. How many prominent Tamils do you have in Sri Lanka? And perhaps you need reminding–Sri Lanka is also the land of the Tamils.

“Tamils were so poor and downtrodden in that country. The only Tamils at my school were the cleaning ladies. I once had a long discussion with a Malay security guard, whose views were so racist and chauvinistic that they would be banned in Sri Lanka.”

This is hilarious! As they say, let those without sin cast the first stone! Tamils are not only poor and downtrodden in your country, they have to produce passes to move about in their own land. Innocent Tamils are locked up behind barbed wire, and others are living in tin shacks while Sinhalese are being re-settled where their homes used to be before the war. But, yes, of course, the poor Sinhalese are being discriminated against.

Excuse me, but even the Brits never suppressed anyone as brutally as your home-grown thugs do. Did the Brits ever incarcerate a quarter million Sinhalese?

Malay-style chauvinism would be banned in Sri Lanka? Au contraire—chauvinists have great futures marked out for them in your country.

As for your “modern Sri Lankan policy”, what is that? The policy to recognise Tamil in your constitution, and then make sure it is not actually implemented?

“I never said any such thing. In my earlier comment, I actually said that “the Sinhalese… don’t believe there are any substantial racial differences between the two ethnic group”.

So, then why does one have to be a Sinhalese chauvinist in order to run for political office in Sri Lanka? Isn’t that why the opposition fielded Fonseka–because they knew that he could attract at least some of the Sinhalese nationalist masses, and break Rajapaksa’s hold on them?

Your country has had continuous ethnic conflict since its inception as a nation, and you think the dominant community does not care about racial difference? If that were true, Tamils as well as other minorities would have been given their equal rights a long time ago, and there would have been no need for Prabhakaran to come into existence. You guys are a disgrace to humanity.

“My point though, was that the Tamils cannot even live peacefully with other Dravidian states, let alone the North.”

Why? Are they at war with the other Southern states?

“As even North Indians would agree, Dravidians from Kerala and Andra Pradesh are generally nice, friendly, accommodating and peaceful people.”

I thought you didn’t believe in race but in culture? So why the need to refer to them as Dravidians? Don’t they have quite different cultures?

“I think your argument is deeply flawed, illogical, emotional and melodramatic, and, if I may add, veritably Tamil.”

Please don’t project your own qualities on to me. At least I have an argument. All you have are lies.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 3, 2010 @ 11:57 pm

Bardo…..

I was taught to read and speak Tamil as a child. The only Tamil sign in “multi-cultural” Malaysia that I saw was one saying “do not spit”. Compare this with modern Sri Lankan language policy.”

Ever been to Singapore?

wijayapala said,

February 4, 2010 @ 5:31 am

Dear Belle,

“I can understand how your Sinhalese nationalist aspirations of domination over minority groups would find affiliation with extreme and often violent Malay chauvinism in Malaysia, and find fault instead with a community that is trying to survive against that chauvinism.”

How come something like the LTTE never came up in Malaysia?

“Wasn’t it violence and terrorism that allowed SL Tamils to even get close to smelling equality?”

Would the denizens of Menik farm agree with that statement? Or are you only referring to those Tamils who emigrated to western countries where the Tamil language is not officially recognized?

yapa said,

February 4, 2010 @ 7:44 am

Tamils or their leaders who lead them have to give up this dishonest two-piece policy, if they expect to live peacefully with other communities in Sri Lanka. These things should be discussed openly without fear of being humiliated as a regressive or with many popular invented artificial names like “Sinhala racist”, “Sinhala chauvinist Buddhist” who use them as slogans to get undue advantages or to exhibit their progressiveness over others. Please consider followings. (I would like to talk in plain language rather than in big words, so that all can understand)

1. LTTE launched massive attacks and did a massive devastation in many facets to establish a desperate eelam. They lost. Now they are demanding all sorts of extra equalities. What would have happened if they won?
They want privileges if they win and extreme equalities when lose. They don’t like talking of the harm done to the whole society because of their undue actions. They want country to immediately forget the harm they did and give their extra subtle rights immediately. They have only demands, no requests. They think being a minority is a reason for unquestionable privileges and rights. They think they can use hook or crook at their choice.

2. They are demanding extra equal rights, but still voting for an Eelam in Sri Lanlka in Britain. See the percentage, 99+%. How come they expect other communities to trust them? Do they think they have no any obligation or any duty towards living in peace in Sri Lanka? Do they think they can do what they want and others also should do what they(Tamils) want?

3. They use every sort of wrong propaganda against other communities/country and continuously make requests to world organisations to punish Sri Lanka. They pray and work hard for the destruction of others. Again they are demanding extra subtle privileges and rights. I don’t understand this undara demala.

I can give thousands of such examples and facts. The problem with us is we don’t talk simple realities, because many think that we will be humiliated as talking simple things. But the most unfortunate thing is most ate talking complex things with pride, even they don’t understand. (Most are talking semantics not logic)

Tamil propagandists are based on undue advantages and false theories not on justice. Until they come back to the policy of honesty, they will never achieve anything. One should not try to run a race with rabbits while hunting with dogs!

Think brave and unbias!

Bardo Flanks said,

February 4, 2010 @ 10:19 am

@Jaffna Tamil

The sooner these middle aged, bitter, angry, politically impotent, diasporic Tamils like “Jaffna Tamil” die off, the better it is for Sri Lanka. Hopefully the next generation of expatriate Tamils will forget about Sri Lanka, find other pursuits, and will leave this country alone.

The problem with the likes of Jaffna Tamil who’ve lived through 1956, 1977, and 1983 and then migrated overseas is that there’s no redemption from the abysses of hatred they’ve dug themselves in. Many of them lead sad, lonely and pointless lives in their Western refuges, and the only thing that gives them any meaning and purpose is this hatred.

I’m really not interested in what happened to Nadesan and Jaffna Tamil before I was born. The reasons for their hatred, justified or not, doesn’t concern me the slightest. I grew up in modern day pluralist Sri Lanka, and I had no hatred for anyone. Some of my best Sri Lankan friends are Tamils and Muslims, and the Sri Lanka we know is vastly different to the one in the warped sick minds of people like Jaffna Tamil.

The opinions of these angry old men should not count. What they went through is in the past shouldn’t be allowed to haunt our future. If they want a “medal” of recognition for their “sorrow and suffering” as the second commenter suggests, I could only say “up yours uncle”, à la magerata.

What I want for Sri Lanka is peace, stability and prosperity with equal rights for individuals. I think we can have something very close to it once the checkpoints are gone, suicide bombers are no longer walking around with bombs strapped to themselves, and Tamil visitors to Colombo no longer need to register themselves with the police. Many of these discriminatory practices were necessary to keep us safe during the war, but not any more. In time, they will disappear, and normalcy will return.

Sri Lanka will be a better place. I’m certain of this. We don’t need poems that only celebrate negativities and open old wounds. We don’t need rabid diasporic keyboard warriors asking for their pound of flesh.

Dhiraj said,

February 4, 2010 @ 7:16 pm

^ Bardoflanks, have to congratulate you on that brilliant piece. Deserves to be a separate post on Groundviews I think! Well said.

Burning_Issue said,

February 4, 2010 @ 7:57 pm

Bardo Flanks,
You must a pompous Sinhala Buddhist who hailed in a wealthy family and got indoctrinated in Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinism and you cannot see beyond Mahavamsa. When people like you are challenged, the usual response is that I have Tamil and Muslim friends! Have you ever asked as to how do your Tamil and Muslim friends feel about their Sri Lankaness? Even if you ask, do you think that will give their honest response under the current climate?
Quote:
“The problem with the likes of Jaffna Tamil who’ve lived through 1956, 1977, and 1983 and then migrated overseas is that there’s no redemption from the abysses of hatred they’ve dug themselves in. Many of them lead sad, lonely and pointless lives in their Western refuges, and the only thing that gives them any meaning and purpose is this hatred.”
Unquote
You are partly correct here; of course those Tamils who left Sri Lanka with grievances would harbour their feelings. I know personally people left Sri Lanka as a result of 1983 and of course those who were frozen out of high positions just because they were Tamils! However, what has happened since, that would change their mind; that would make them feel proud Sri Lankans once again? The Sinhala regimes have done nothing to accommodate the minorities but trying to subjugate them. If one stands up say that is wrong, whether one is a Sinhala, Tamil, or Muslim will be deemed as an enemy of the state. The Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinism has been institutionalised in Sri Lanka. The country’s history has been wilfully manipulated to show that the Sinhala Buddhists are the true owners of the Island.
Then you have the audacity to call the Tamil Diasporas harbour hatred!
Quote:
“My personal belief, since you ask, is that the Sinhalese are primarily of Dravidian stock, but with significant genetic input from other races.”
Unquote
Why do you think that the Sri Lankan Tamils are different in this regard? The history tells us that the Tamils lived in all parts of the island cohabiting with the Sinhalese and likewise the Sinhalese. If the Chola invasion had not taken place, this pattern would have remained. However owing to the invasion and the subsequent Chola rule in the North and East parts of the Island, those Sinhalese of North and East became as Tamils; the opposite took place in the Southern areas. In a nutshell, the Sri Lankan Tamils have as much mixture as their Sinhala counterparts! No matter however much you try to apply distance; it will not wash! At least you concur that the Sinhalese hail from the Dravidian stock not as some try to associate the Aryan stock!
I quote from Prof. J. B. Dissanayake in his book ‘Understanding the Sinhalese’ at page 118 states:
“….Sinhala occupies a unique position among the languages of South Asia because of its close affinity, with two of the major linguistic families of the Indian sub continent Indo-Aryan and Dravidian…’ From this, one can conclude that Sinhala in written form could have been made by one or many, who knew both Dravidian and Aryan language. Thus early Dravidian Buddhist priests were scholars in Tamil, Pali and Sanskrit, to make Sinhala in spoken and written form possible.”

Dhiraj said,

February 4, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

Dear burning issues, just addressing Belle’s fervant assertion that “‘Elsewhere, Tamils of SL origin have been exemplary citizens” — it’s a patently false claim. Examplary citizens don’t go funding and supporting terrorist organisations that are banned in the countries they are citizens of (please don’t blame “underworld elements” for that because its pretty obvious its the white collar Tamil folks who were busy donating to the LTTE and its terror). Exemplary citizens don’t rip of their countrymen with credit card scams, they don’t kill and maim each other, they don’t block national highways and send death threats to reporters like Stewart Bell.

Before pointing the finger at Sinhala Buddhists please look at your own Tamil Hindu chauvinism, it appears to be seeping out of every pore of your skin. LIke I said earlier, the 3 million odd SL Tamil Hindus have given the world most of its suicide bombers and Tamil Hindu extremists cheered all that violence and terror with all their might. Wonder what the the true Tamil Hindus have to say about that.

Off the Cuff said,

February 4, 2010 @ 11:31 pm

Inequitable Demands will create divisions.

More than 50% of Tamils living in Sri Lanka Live in the South amongst the Sinhalese. They own land and very successful businesses in the South.

Within such an environment the demand for a “Traditional Tamil Homeland” is bound to create vehement opposition to it from the Southerners.

A first step towards Nation Building would be to jettison such Inequitable demands.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 5, 2010 @ 6:28 pm

wijayapala said,

February 4, 2010 @ 5:33 am

dear Jaffnatamil,

“Aint Karma a bitch?”

It most certainly is. Was this question directed towards Sinhalese or Tamils (or both)?

Dear Wijepala, it was meant for the Sinhalese. We Tamils know what some of the SInhalese now feel and and soon most of the Sinhalese will feel. That is what it is to feel like in a repressive prison state, with white vans, political dissidents being assaulted and murdered. With people like Diraj and Bardo who have been so brainwashed oror who are just plain nasty people things will accelerate.

I am amazed at the idiotic comments on Dravidian and Aryans. These kinds of comments can be heard nowadays among the Sinhalese and the American Ku Kux Klanners. But my friendly suggestion to these self described “aryan sinhalese! Please dont go to a KKK meeting and claim you are an aryan. They will hang you on the highest branch on closest tree. (after having a big laugh at your aryan claims of course”.

And to these so called Malysian Bumiputra experts who claim that nothing like the LTTE ever happend in Malaysia. Have you heard of the “Malysian Emergency?” fought by the indigenous Malayan Chinese?

Mark my words. While these Bardos and DIrajs live the high life in Colombo off Government Contracts and Polictcal connections, the JVP will rise again and this time link up with a Tamil Liberation movement from the North and East.

“Those Who Forget History Are Doomed to Repeat It” as the saying goes. When the time comes, I expect to see Diraj and Bardo in the west, living off stolen money!

See you soon, Friends.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 5, 2010 @ 6:40 pm

Dirag says:
LIke I said earlier, the 3 million odd SL Tamil Hindus have given the world most of its suicide bombers and Tamil Hindu extremists cheered all that violence and terror with all their might. Wonder what the the true Tamil Hindus have to say about that.

What can I say? The 13 or thirteen million Sinhalese have given the worst bunch of civilian mass murderers (I dont mean the Uniformed kind!), I mean the sarong johnnies who came out in droves in 1958, 1977 and 1983. Of all the world’s clergy, the Sinhala Buddist Bikkhus have the highest percentage of murderers. I can vouch for then being an unwilling participant in the 77 and 93 riots.

And as for the Uniformed kind, no body beats the Sinhalese Armed forces for warcrimes! Shoot people who surrender under the white flag! (Re: Gen Sarth Fonseka, Commander, Sri Lankan Army). Shoot unarmed and naked prisoners in the head and take videos. Re. Channel 4!

God Bless you deluded people!

Belle said,

February 5, 2010 @ 9:51 pm

Belle,
Yapa, I’ll tell you what dishonesty is. Dishonesty is taking someone’s words out of context, fitting them instead into your own stupid, inept contexts, and then taking that person to task for meanings and ideas that you have deliberately and wrongly ascribed to them. That is real dishonesty.

For eg:
You said:
“You all understood what it meant to be a nation asking for 1/3rd of the land and 2/3 rd of the sea for just 12% of your population. That is how you exhibited understanding of the nation.”

When I spoke of understanding what it meant to be a nation, I was speaking about Singaporeans’ attitudes towards their nation. So why are you bringing up Tamil Eelam claims here? Is this not dishonest misconstruing of what I said?

Also, I was speaking of the early years of independence. Did SL Tamils ask for 1/3 of the land and 2/3 of the sea during those early years?

Another eg:
You said:
“Is it wrong to keep surveillance on Tamils. Do you think to maintain social justice, the movements of others should be limited in the same way?”

I think you know very well that my point is that nobody’s movements should be limited, as long as they are not convicted criminals or charged with any crime. I certainly did not mean that Sinhalese people too should be issued passes.

And, yes, since you asked–it is wrong to keep surveillance on Tamils who have not been charged with crime or those who are not convicted criminals. It is wrong to keep surveillance on people just because one’s overactive imagination thinks they may be guilty of something. That is the excuse South Africa’s whites used to force Black South Africans to produce passes to move about their own country. This is how abuse of power happens. This is why courts exist. Either charge them in court or leave them alone to move about in their own country.

How come your country demands that the West provide hard evidence of guilt BEFORE it can demand an investigation of war crimes, whereas your security forces can presume guilt of Tamil civilians without any evidence at all? A case of double standards?

My view did not chase anybody anywhere. My view did not bomb or kill or maim anyone, either prime ministers or lesser mortals. I have never been a Tiger supporter. My view does not condone violence. My view is one of utter contempt for an overhwelmingly large majority ruling community that claims it is the victim of a small minority community’s violence, when all along it had always been within the power of the ruling majority to avoid that violence.

If you want to actually claim that Sri Lanka governments have never had the power since independence to keep their country at peace, then, that is the ultimate dishonesty. They always had that power. They chose not to exercise it. Decade after decade, your politicians preferred to come to power by stirring Sinhalese against Tamils instead of focussing on performing the responsibilities for which they were elected.

So, take your own advice to heart: “If you sow dishonesty, you will reap something of the same kind.” This is what happened in Sri Lanka. You guys sowed dishonesty. Hence, you reaped the Tigers and their terrorism. And still you haven’t learned. You want another lesson?

The next time, the terrorism will not come from Tamils, but from your own community. I think deep underneath all those layers of dishonesty, you know that too.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 5, 2010 @ 11:19 pm

Dear Belle,
I appreciate your thoughtful and lucid responses to these irrational/self deluding/neurotic people.
Nowadys the only places where one hears the “Aryan” talk is among the Sinhalese or the KKK. One would think that such a topic would have dies with Hitler in 1945.
There also a level of ignorance about ancient and modern history of the Island of Ceylon that is appalling. One moment they say that Rajapaske unified the Island for the first time since Parakrambahu/Duttagemunu (depending on the ignorance of the writer) and on the very next sentence without a sense of irony, claim that Sir Lanka is for the Sinhalese.
They are quick to condemn the LTTE but are blind to the history before and events after. ANd when one brings up the 58, 77 and 83 riots, we Tamils are accused of having hateful memories for going back 25 years , but its OK to being up Duttagemnu from 2000 years.

You are right in saying that “The next time, the terrorism will not come from Tamils, but from your own community. “. And I will go as far as to say that the JVP will lead the charge and be joined by a liberation movement from the North and East!

wijayapala said,

February 6, 2010 @ 1:08 am

Belle,

“Excuse me, but even the Brits never suppressed anyone as brutally as your home-grown thugs do. Did the Brits ever incarcerate a quarter million Sinhalese?”

You don’t seem to have heard of the Uva-Wellassa uprising of 1818:

http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=421
http://sundaytimes.lk/080203/KandyTimes/kandytimes_0027.html

“There is no record of the population of agriculture development of Uva after the rebellion. No records is left about Uva before the rebellion. If thousands died in the battle field they were all brave fighters. If 4/5 of the remaining population after the rebellion is considered as children and the old, the damage done is unlimited.”
- Herbert White, Government Agent

yapa said,

February 6, 2010 @ 6:12 am

Dear Jaffna Tamil;

I know it is difficult to talk to people like me because, I talk plain truth without fear. Many people are scared of talking against popular notions and I am not.

You are talking of distorted history, everyone knows who distorted history, but many don’t talk mainly because we at least now want peace. We are fed up with this unwanted nonsense originated by you people especially so called educated Tamils. We know who distorted history claiming 1/3rd of the land and 2/3rd of the sea of this country for just 12% of the population. Who made a new history of non existed “Tamil Homeland” and misguided , and persuaded innocent Tamils for violence for these unreasonable demand?

You are asking me to count killings. You keep counts yourself. I want to forget them. I don’t want to remind them again again to spread hatred. However, I should say the counts you say are utterly distorted, dishonest bunkum fabricated to take undue advantages. Please don’t tell deliberate lies to the world, who has no proper idea of this problem. You are still using every unethical means to get undue advantages. Please stop this at least now. Your views brought enough misery to this country.

Just imagine, if the Tamils did not trouble the country with undue demands, would there be any killings? Undue demands by the Tamils is the main root cause of this problem. They wanted the extra privileges given to them by British colonials, over the other communities. Is this not true. Please be a bit honest. You are talking dishonesty, when you go bias you don’t see the reality. Actually speaking you don’t like to see the reality.

You count Killings of Tamils with multiplication, but attacking Sri Maha Bodhi is just simple things like ” just Bo trees and palmyrah trees? You think your plain tea is more worth than sacred Sri maha Bodhiya. Please try to be honest. Learn the value of honesty. Don’t push innocent Tamils again into misery with your complicated theories they don’t understand.

Thanks!

Thanks

yapa said,

February 6, 2010 @ 8:37 am

Dear Jaffna Tamil;

I have a secret friendly advice for you. Before backscraching Belle, please ensure Belle is not inferior in caste to you. Ohterwise it is against the norms of your community. Your father will give you a good beating. Take care.

Thanks!

Belle said,

February 6, 2010 @ 12:34 pm

Yapa,
Here are my responses:

1. “Don’t think too much of yourself to teach others. Don’t think others are babies to withdraw in fear of your empty threats.”

Please don’t hold me responsible for your inferiority complex.

2. “We know very well about the injustice prevailing in our society, but your problem is that you interpret it as an injustice towards only Tamils.”

No, I don’t. I am also upset by decent, heroic Sinhalese people who have died in the course of standing up for justice, not just for Tamils but also for deprived Sinhalese. I am also mortified by the death caused by the Tigers, which to me lies ultimately on the head of Sri Lankan governments and the people who voted for them.

3. “But you just simplify it to Sinhalese community, calling them unreasonable names like Sinhalese racists, chauvinists, barbarians, thugs etc, etc.”

Those who are responsible for this state of affairs are just that. I call a spade a spade. The unreasonableness is not in the names I call them, but in their acts.

4. “Especially Jaffna Tamils had a very good living standard than any other community in the country, but was devastated due to unreasonable greediness of so called learned Tamils who persuaded innocent Tamil youth for unreasonable demands by violence. Their pride based on educatio and caste demanded for privileges over other communities and that was the main root cause of this mingle of chaos prevailing in our society.”

Where in this narrative are the state-organised pogroms from the 1950s to the 1980s, state terror against Tamil civilians? If you must tell lies, at least tell believable lies. Otherwise, people will start to doubt your intelligence.

Belle said,

February 6, 2010 @ 1:13 pm

Wijayapala,
“It seems that Jaffna Tamil disagrees with your statement that there was no violence directed against Malaysian minorities. Your response?”

There’s no contradiction here. Jaffna Tamil is talking about Malayan history. I had been talking about “Malaysian” history, ie, after independence. The Malayan Emergency was an uprising against British colonial rule in MALAYA. Your question to me was “How come something like the LTTE never came up in MALAYSIA”.

Belle said,

February 6, 2010 @ 1:25 pm

Jaffna Tamil,
About your comment:

“One moment they say that Rajapaske unified the Island for the first time since Parakrambahu/Duttagemunu (depending on the ignorance of the writer) and on the very next sentence without a sense of irony, claim that Sri Lanka is for the Sinhalese.”

I wonder why they have been silent with regard to your comment above. Maybe they have yet to discover what’s ironical about it…

Thanks for the “backscratching”! Hee hee! Let’s not tell our fathers!

jansee said,

February 6, 2010 @ 3:43 pm

Bardo Flanks:

“Even the most extremist of Siripalas, Weerasenas and Kusums that I have come across, still believe that most Tamils are innocent victims of the LTTE terrorists”

How touching, save that when these innocent Tamils were butchered in the thousands and caged like animals, were they “fiddling while Rome was on fire”?

punitham said,

February 6, 2010 @ 6:44 pm

It looks like some people need to know more about what poems are.

Mune, please meet that demand.

wijayapala said,

February 6, 2010 @ 7:59 pm

Dear Belle,

“This is not yet the moment to compare brutality.”

Then why did you state “even the Brits never suppressed anyone as brutally as your home-grown thugs do”? Isn’t that a “comparison?”

Or do you simply feel that Sinhala deaths are less significant than Tamil?

“You’re comparing 10,000 dead to the fate of hundreds of thousands of Tamils at the war’s end? You see, we don’t know how many Tamil civilians died in the last phase of the war. (Unlike you, I don’t take government propaganda as truth.)”

Yes, apparently you take only Eelam propaganda as truth.

The UN estimates that 7,000 civilians perished between January and May. The unknown factor is the extent to which the government contributed to these deaths, given that it was the LTTE who had forced the civilians to remain in the war zone.

The 10,000 figure I gave for the Uva-Wellassa uprising represents only the dead. By systematically destroying agriculture in that part of Sri Lanka, the British most certainly impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people- to this day, Uva remains the poorest region in SL.

“I know just a little.”

Your candor is highly appreciated.

Belle said,

February 6, 2010 @ 8:15 pm

Sampah,
Re:
“Like I said, however, I wouldn’t expect exemplary citizens to be supporting and funding groups banned in countries they are citizens of.”

You seem to have some inside knowledge on the numbers of people in the Tamil diaspora who raised/gave money to the LTTE after their countries banned it. Could you please share this with us? There seems to be some assumption that Tiger funds were made up largely of funds donated by the diaspora. People seem to have conveniently forgotten that, since the 1980s, LTTE has led other terrorist organisations in raising funds through running illegal businesses.

yapa said,

February 6, 2010 @ 8:20 pm

Dear Junsee;

Please stop telling emotional lies to get the attention of others. You think all those things took place in a clean slate? Butchreing and all these wrongs came up into existence from nowhere, for no reason? Please don’t try to make people laugh. When you point one finger to somebody, I think you know what happens.

Thanks!

Off the Cuff said,

February 6, 2010 @ 11:21 pm

Dear Jaffna Tamil,

It seems to me that you would do well to look at a mirror while reading what you write. It is not wise to assume too many things about your detractor when you are absolutely clueless about them.

Are you confirming what Belle wrote?

“Elsewhere, Tamils of SL origin have been exemplary citizens.”

If so, let us see you JUSTIFYING the following.

Do you know what happened to Prabaskaran Kannan?
He was hacked to death by a Tamil Gang who thought he was a member of another gang.

Ever heard of the Tooting Tamils – also called the You and Me gang or the Croydon Tamils – known as the Jaffna Boys?

Are you familiar with any of these names? Aziz Miah, Kirush Nathankumar, Manitharn Ratnasingam, Asif Kumbay, Mayuran Srivinayagam, Vabeesan Shivarajah, Mylvaganam, Thanabalasingham, ? Four of them are serving Life sentances for the murder of Prabaskaran Kannan. All the others are Tamil Gang Members.

Around 25 men, from Newham in East London, mobbed six members of a rival Wembley gang in Braemar Avenue in August 2006.

Detective Inspector Andy Chalmers, who brought the thugs to justice, said: “It’s a huge victory and I really would like to get out as strong a message as possible to the Tamil community that we can prosecute these people.”

Two men, nicknamed “Kiruba” and “Psycho,” took samurai swords from the boot of their green BMW and tried to cut Mr Sebamalai’s head off.
Sebamalai defend himself with his arm but the blade sliced through his wrist leaving his hand dangling from his arm.

Seven gang members were jailed for a total of 63-and-a-half years by a judge at the Old Bailey, on Friday, July 18.

Det Inspector Chalmers, who led the investigation, said: “The defendants thought they were above the law – their conviction and lengthy sentence for this pre-planned and brutal attack proves they were not.”

Chief Inspector Derrick Griffiths, who has been involved with the special task force, said there are five main Tamil gangs in London.

Abhya was attacked by members of a Tamil gang. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6380817.stm

“They chased me down the high street. When I confronted them, one of them cut me on the forehead.”

“All crimes were detected and people were charged but what we found was the level of intimidation was so high that we couldn’t get anybody from the Tamil community to come to court and give evidence,” he said.

Historically the gangs have largely been involved in credit card frauds and extortion from local businesses.

A police operation uncovered that in the past two years alone, credit card frauds by Tamil gangs amounted to £70m.
In Newham, for instance, gang members demand £10,000 to £15,000 a year from shops and businesses while they confiscate cars from people and demand up to £3,000 for their return, Mr Griffiths said.

The police have carried out regular raids to seize weapons from gang hide-outs. While their weapon of choice seems to be samurai swords, axes and daggers, guns have started infiltrating the leadership, some of whom now carry pistols, Mr Griffiths said.

Following the recent spate of shootings in south London, which claimed the lives of three teenagers, a police report identified 169 groups, more than a quarter of which have been involved in murders.

There are many more in UK ALONE including RAPE, the above is just a very small sample from that country which ended up in Court. How many more went unreported due to the fear psychosis, nobody knows.

Metropolitan Police had to set up a special task force, Operation Enver, to tackle Tamil gang-related incidents.

This behavioural pattern is not unique to Tamils in the UK but is common with any other country that has given refuge to Tamils of SL origin.

Can you name a country that has given refuge to SL Tamils, that is not “BLESSED” with this “Exemplary Behaviour from Tamils of SL origin?

To paraphrase you, please tell your stories to “the frog in the well, impressed with his own voice!”

BTW I note that you throw about numbers without any authoritative references

Alpha said,

February 7, 2010 @ 3:35 am

Wijayapala:

The British ruled half the world at some point or another. To say that the administrative polices they put in place were unique to a particular ethnic group, racial group, or geographic locale would be a gross exaggeration. Secondly, half the world did not break out into civil war upon the departure of the British. What does this suggest? In the SL context, while we can consider colonialism as partially contributing to the ethnic conflict, it cannot be the sole factor, by any means. In fact, the more time that goes by, the more irrelevant colonialism becomes. Many of the problems span any considerations of ethnicity altogether and cannot be thought to have any colonial derivatives: e.g. over-sized civil service, corruption, nepotism, lack of constitutional reform, etc.

Alpha said,

February 7, 2010 @ 3:41 am

Wijayapala:

” By systematically destroying agriculture in that part of Sri Lanka, the British most certainly impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people- to this day, Uva remains the poorest region in SL.”

Yet the British also introduced tea, which accounts for revenue exceeding $1 billion USD per year. It is easy to focus on examples like “Uva Province Massacre” and lose sight of the larger picture. The Japanese did a lot worse to the Chinese during WWII (try 23 million dead Chinese), yet we all know where the Chinese economy is headed today.

Observer said,

February 7, 2010 @ 5:59 am

Belle, What about the LTTE brutality? Opposing force was met with equal and greater force to win, tip the balance over and win! In war the toughest and the brutal wins. It’s not a tea party alright. Don’t talk about war when you don’t have a clue what it is like to be in war!! If you want to understand what war is, wage another war. Some lesson are worth learning!

Tim Tim said,

February 7, 2010 @ 7:12 am

‘How many prominent Tamils do you have in Sri Lanka?’

Let’s see: Muttiah Muralaitharan, Chandran Rutnam, M. S. Anandan, Shyama Anandan, M. K. Rocksamy, R. Muttusamy, K. Gunaratnam, S. M. Nayagam, Robin Tampoe, Manoraj, etc.

That’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure there are many more successful Tamil businessmen like K. Gunaratnam. Nidhanaya was produced by a Tamil named Pillai I recall.

wijayapala said,

February 7, 2010 @ 9:30 am

“Also: T. Somasekeran, M. V. Balan, J. Selvaratnam, A. E. Manoharan, etc.”

Also the first ethnic Sri Lankan SLA commander, Major General Anton Muttukumaru.

Belle said,

February 7, 2010 @ 11:59 am

Off the Cuff,
“The UN knew as they had people on the ground.”

Oh, that throws an entirely different light then on UN call for war crimes investigations against the LTTE and also the state. Maybe they know something we don’t?

“The Tamil UN employees were responsible for feeding the DATA to the UN and the UN had no alternative but to accept that Data. However, it is a moot point as to how reliable that Data is.”

Of course. As soon as Tamils are involved, we know for sure that the info is unreliable. Now, if there had been Sinhalese people there, then we would know that it is the absolute unvarnished truth.

So, basically, what you are saying is that the UN knows, but its info can’t be trusted. If you can’t trust a source of info, that means there is no ‘knowledge’ as such, right, one way or the other?

Off the Cuff said,

February 7, 2010 @ 1:38 pm

Also, Justice Deshamanya Manicavasagar Vaithalingam, Puisne Justice, Chancellor of the University of Jaffna and Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon.

Off the Cuff said,

February 7, 2010 @ 3:06 pm

Dear Alpha,

“Yet the British also introduced tea, which accounts for revenue exceeding $1 billion USD per year.”

Yes they did but they Destroyed a self sufficient Agricultural Economy that exported food.

Today we have to import our food. So which would you think a country would prefer?

Off the Cuff said,

February 7, 2010 @ 10:27 pm

Dear Belle,

I hope you read the Last sentance of my post. I have clearly stated it is “just a sample”. Don’t you read before you comment?

The List I posted contains sufficient information to challenge anyone who insists that there is ETHNIC discrimination in SL and includes the Head of one of the three branches of Govt.

I was not in competition with you to produce the longest list. Sorry if I gave you that impression. The list already has about 50 names, which is long enough for the purpose at hand.

I saw your taunt to Tim Tim only after I made my comment. Mine was a response to Tim Tim not to yours.

wijayapala said,

February 8, 2010 @ 9:36 am

Tim Tim,

Historically the four major incidents of anti-Tamil violence (1956, 1958, 1977, 1983) took place under just TWO leaders: SWRD Bandaranaike and JR Jayawardene. As far as I know, all the so-called historians and experts have missed this simple observation, instead explaining the violence as systematic or inherent in Sinhala behavior when the trend suggested that leadership/regime had a major role to play.

There was no major anti-minority violence under the Senanayakes. Under Mrs. B who was in power for 13 years (compared to SWRD who accomplished 2 pogroms in only 3 years of power) the only two noteworthy incidents were the suppression of 1961 Satyagraha and 1974 International Tamil Conference. Both of these incidents involved the security forces, not govt-backed hooligans, and casualties were minimal compared to what happened under SWRD and JR. They also did not affect the entire Tamil community, just the participants at those specific events.

Belle is correct about one thing- minorities have suffered in other places but often have not been subjected to this sort of violence. Under JR the anti-Tamil atmosphere he deliberately created led to the war which he was unable to control.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 8, 2010 @ 9:53 pm

Wijayapala,,,,

I am glad you are beginning to use Google and Wikipedia. I hope your mind will be opened by these 21st Century tools. I can aso give you another instance of British Brtutality. The Mau Mau Rebellian in Kenya, which is in Africa. I hope you use Google and Wikipedia again.

There is no contradiction between Belle and Me. (and ulike Yapa, I thank you for keeping the conversation clean). I am going to try to make at clear as posissible so that even you can understand it. Belle was responding your comment that British were never as brutal the Sinhalese as the Sinhalese are to the Tamils. I was responding someone’s comments about how the minorities in Malaya was docile and accepted everything. Two different responses to two different question.

I hope you get it now. Otherwise I suggest that you Google some more till you understand.

Good Luck, my Friend!

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 8, 2010 @ 10:04 pm

Hi Belle,
<>

Poor Yapa’s mind must be fantasizing feverishly. We can only pray for him!

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 8, 2010 @ 10:32 pm

Tiny Tim, I suggest that you read up your history…. I am shocked that you have no knowledge of what went on in YOUR OWN COUNTRY!!!!!!

I

I will give you two examples….. Satyagraha Feb 21, 1961. Yes as the name says, it was a Non Violent Protest. And the Sri Lankan Army and Police literally bashed the heads of the Tamis. http://pact.lk/20-february-1961/

World tamil Congress 1974, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Tamil_conference_incident

These are just two incidents that cmae up. There are many many more and you can do the research of you want to learn.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 8, 2010 @ 10:44 pm

Wijeyapala,

However, you say that….

<>

That is such an ignorant and unfeeling statement, I can only repeat the saying…
“none so blind as those who cannot see”. The Sinhalese live in a different planet that the rest of the world.

wijayapala said,

February 9, 2010 @ 3:37 am

Dear Jaffna Tamil,

“I can aso give you another instance of British Brtutality. The Mau Mau Rebellian in Kenya, which is in Africa.”

Thank you again for proving Belle wrong about his statement regarding British brutality.

Alpha said,

February 9, 2010 @ 7:26 am

Off the Cuff:

I have no idea what you are on about. The land is still arable. Refer to this link: http://www.agridept.gov.lk/other_pages.php?heading=Uva%20Province

With the use of modern technology, the yield could easily be maximized to surpass any output produced during British times. Instead of crying about what the British did, why don’t you provide some technology to those farmers?

wijayapala said,

February 9, 2010 @ 10:36 am

Alpha,

The website you provided does not mention anything about Uva Province’s current agricultural capacity or output. It only has a list of “Aims” as to what the Department of Agriculture hopes to achieve.

I encourage you to take a simple drive through Uva (aney, it is quite far from the Colombo nightclubs, but you can take a side trip to Batticaloa/Paduvaankarai and tell us how much the Tamils are suffering there) and see how arable the land is with your own eyes.

Alpha said,

February 9, 2010 @ 12:58 pm

Wijayapala:

Read more carefully. Why try to play the fool when what’s written is clearly visible to everyone?

Mission.
To provide maximum support to develop Uva Province, maintaining a high standard of co-ordination and management to improve the living standard of the Uva farming community.

Aims

1. Increase production capacity in 9000 hectares of land utilize for agricultural production by proper soil and water management practices.
2. Increase the production and quality of crops such as Paddy, Maize, Red Onion, Ground nut, chillse, Kurakkan, Mango, Pineapple, Orange, Cowpea,Ginger , Banana, Papaw, Potato, and Vegetables selected for the national requirement.
3. Production of seed and planting material.
4. To minimize post harvest losses in fruits and vegetable from 35% to 10%.
5. Increase the contribution of women and young farmers” clubs to generate more job opportunities.
6. Increase the income of Agri Producers by introducing industries producing high quality products

————–

Look at number 4. It refers to present yields.

I am aware of your earlier idiotic statement, that the British prevented agriculture in that area, but I have clearly disproved you.

Here is a picture of a paddy field in Uva:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/389074662_f2e0f59a6b.jpg?v=0

Look at it very closely before replying.

Off the Cuff said,

February 9, 2010 @ 2:42 pm

Dear Jaffna Tamil,

When you classify Gang Rape, Dismembering people with Razor Sharp Samurai Swords, Murder, Gang war on High streets, Credit Card Fraud running into GBP 70 million in just two years, Car theft, Protection Money rackets and Extortion (Kappam) as “ANECDOTES” you reveal who you really are. Only a person with a grossly Callous mind would be capable of such flippancy.

These Incidents are REAL and the perpetrators were tried and CONVICTED by British Courts, so you should try telling the Victims that what happened to them are just “Anecdotes”

The Police say that the 100,000 strong SL Tamil Community in UK is Intimidated to such a level that they are afraid to report or even give evidence against those who are TERRORIZING them. It is indeed strange if you don’t feel intimidated; people who are within the terror group usually have nothing to fear. Some have to run the Front Office to do the damage control and you sure fit the bill like a glove.

You need to Learn English quotes before you start using them
“none so blind as those who cannot see” ha ha ha …
There’s no fool like an old fool ….ha ha ha….

Yes of course SL Tamil behaviour is exemplary. So exemplary that the Police had to launch a targeted special Operation called ‘Anver’ to contain it.

You say “I live in the west and go to Toronto and London at least one a year and I feel safer in my new adopted land and in the UK and Canada than I have ever felt in Sri Lanka, the land of my birth.

Be careful when walking around Toronto you may get clubbed to death with Cricket Bats

Ask for a Homeland in Scarborough or Southall etc in a few decades (some of you already have a quarter century of residence), then you will see what happens.

You have such a high opinion of yourself but should seriously rethink the advice you have been very liberal in dishing out. I hope you don’t mind the change I made to your statement, “It is better to be thought a Terrorist than to write and remove all doubt”.

You have been encouraging your young to hate and take up Violence. The above is a result of that. It is sure to mushroom beyond your control and you will live to regret it. Go and have a chat with Mala Krishnaraja, Head of the Tamil Community Forum

This refers to your post of February 8, 2010 @ 10:20 pm

wijayapala said,

February 9, 2010 @ 8:12 pm

Dear Alpha,

“Look at number 4. It refers to present yields.”

Here is number 4:
4. To minimize post harvest **losses** in fruits and vegetable from 35% to 10%.

Could you kindly show me where the word “yield” is found? It seems the most important word is “losses.”

Thank you for the picture of the single paddy field. Could you please tell me the town near where this field was located?

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 9, 2010 @ 9:16 pm

Oh TinyTim,
Huh? You say..
– You need to Learn English quotes before you start using them
“none so blind as those who cannot see” ha ha ha …
There’s no fool like an old fool ….ha ha ha….–

Old fool, I grant you… But I did learn the quote. A little google search (you are very good at it, picking anecdotes) will show its correct. As you Singlish people say “Aney mokkadda kiane?”

Your comment about “It is better to be thought a Terrorist than to write and remove all doubt”. Ha, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I thank you, kind Sir! I dont have a high opionon of myself but if you keep flattering me with your imitation, I may start getting a swollen head, not the kind a Tamil usually gets from a Sinhalese, when he gets his head knocked with a club.

Trust me, I was in Scarborough, just two weeks ago. I felt pretty safe. No one bashed my head with a cricket bat. The last time someone tried to bash me, was at down Dickmans Road on July 29, 1983 near the Post office. I was lucky. Another poor Tamil guy had his head bashed in.

Of course you are going to get some criminal elements anywhere, especially when you have a large Tamil population. Unlike you people we dont consider ourselves “special”. I think you are just envious that there isnt such a large population of Sinhalese anywhere other than in Sri Lanka.
Of course I Sri Lanka, the criminal elements are all Sinhalese. I mean the criminal in the literal sense. All the gangsters are Sinhalese. I remember the Nawalokas and Aloysius Mudalaii. I cant think of one Tamil criminal. And as for Sinhala on Sinhala murders, there are plenty of them going on as we speak. So does that mean, Sinhalese criminals are good at home games, and Tamils are do better at away games, though in much smaller numbers?

Here are some criminal stats for Sri Lanka
http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/ce-sri-lanka/cri-crime&all=1

And I repeat this for the second time, as a Tamil I feel safer walking on the streets of New York, London, Toronto or Sydney than in Colombo. Anytime, everytime!

Tim Tim said,

February 9, 2010 @ 10:33 pm

What are you replying to me on, Jaffna Tamil?

I never said ““It is better to be thought a Terrorist than to write and remove all doubt”.

I’m sure you feel safer in the West than Colombo because of the experiences you’ve had. What exactly happened during 1983 to you though? Can you clarify your experiences were at the time?

I wouldn’t feel safe in Scarborough considering all the pro-LTTE elements around.

Off the Cuff said,

February 9, 2010 @ 11:21 pm

Dear Alpha,

If the agricultural economy you speak of was go great, then why not go back to it? so you said.

Idiocy has no limits with you, one gaff after another.

There is no IF about it. It was the greatest in Asia. You should read Ancient Ceylon By H. Parker

The discussion was about the GREAT TEA ECONOMY remember? The Tea did not get planted in the sky it needed Soil and thousands upon thousands of acres were destroyed to plant them. Soil erosion is inherent in tea plantations. SL rivers start in the Hill country. Denude the catchment and you reduce the water. where do you think the eroded soil goes in to? Destroy the irrigation systems and you destroy Agriculture.

Going back is what they want to do. Not easy after the dependency on Tea revenue was forced on us which had to be maintained in order to buy food. The food that we had in surplus then. The food that we don’t have now.

Hence alternate areas had to be developed. That’s why the massive Senanayake Samudra irrigation scheme came into existence. Then you guys started the Traditional Tamil Homeland canard and started Racist Demands to put a spanner on development and progress.

When you run out of inteligent arguments you resort to chldish ones. The same type of argument 5 year olds have, such as those quoted below

reject everything Western, including medicine, electric lights, automobiles, computers, refrigerators, free education, etc. Let us have a Sinhala-Buddhist economy of fishing, coconut picking, and rice-planting. Use all the totally mechanical devices to draw the water.

What a Rubbishy argument.
How did the Tea Economy giving a Billion $ revenue arrive here?
You have nothing else to support your claim?
Would do you good to study the Eastern inventions that were copied by the West. Though it has no relevance here, it will at least keep you from making a fool of yourself.

Free Education, Hospitals, Medicine were all in existence in SL before it appeared in the West. The earliest hospital dates back to 4 century BCE. Regarding water you should read Parker. It would also give you an idea of Sinhalese Engineering skills.

How come the Tea Economy that you were bragging about end up in Religion and the Mahawamsa? Sounds like the Mahawamsa is a thorn that you guys dont seem to be able to get rid of (sour grapes?). Personnaly I am proud to have a chronicle that gives an unbroken written record of History. Do you have one?

Before the conversion zealots invaded this Island it was mainly Buddhist not that ANY of these things have anything to do with the argument that you try to maintain about the Tea Economy.

So why don’t you stick to the point you originally raised and try to prove it with logic?

(For some reason your post of February 9, 2010 @ 1:04 pm was not visible on this thread when I posted mine of February 9, 2010 @ 3:36 pm)

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 10, 2010 @ 1:04 am

–Tim Tim said,

February 9, 2010 @ 10:33 pm

What are you replying to me on, Jaffna Tamil?

I never said ““It is better to be thought a Terrorist than to write and remove all doubt”.–

I apologize I was replying to OTC.

As for 1983. I was working as an executive at a firm on Vauxhaull St. Sunday July 24th (i think) my firends house on Campbell place was burnt to the ground. Of course I didn not know about and went to work and around mid day, we are told to go home. I had three sinhalese friends in my car had one of them drive it and I was in the back seat crouching and at the Eye Hospital Junction, a crowd was checking every car. Fortunatly as it was close to ward place and JR’s home. the cops were tough and there was some tear gas. And the crowd dispersed and we were able to shoot out of there. From there my friend dropped me at my house and took the car for safekeeping to his house. Till Wedesday Morning no one could get out (I was single then and lived alone) And my neighbour who is a sinhalese bought me some groceries. And on friday I went to the Comobo Hindu on Lawrence Road, with some supplies and clothes for friends who had their housees burnt. It was hell on earth there. On the way back on Dickman’s Road the people started running south as they head the Tigers had landed at Fort Railway Station and marching towards wellawatte. I took the car back to a friend who lived on dickman’s road and later walked out to check. The mob had combak in a frenzy and I ran back inside my friend’s house. I heard that a Tamil man was killed near the post office and if I recall correctly blood stains were there the next day when I drove back.
It was hell on earth. For the next two or three weeks, every little noise in the night kept me awake. And I was among the lucky few as my neighborhood in Colombo 3 was mixed and the mob were kept away.

I hope you understand what I went through.

Jaffna Tamil... said,

February 10, 2010 @ 1:14 am

OTC says–

–Before the conversion zealots invaded this Island it was mainly Buddhist not that ANY of these things have anything to do with the argument that you try to maintain about the Tea Economy.–

Doesnt the mahawansa say that Ellara was the king? And he was a Damila? 2100 years ago?

As another wise sri lankan said….We have over 2,500 years of glorious history in Sri Lanka.
—Why think about our future, when we can ask for more of our past?–

Go on OTC, keep on winding the clock backwards!

Alpha said,

February 10, 2010 @ 1:50 am

Off the Cuff:

The only thing SL was totally self-sufficient in that it is not self-sufficient in today is rice. With the $1 billion USD in revenues from tea production, rice can easily be imported at a reasonably low cost, which is exactly what happens. Tea is a much more valuable market commodity than rice – the market for rice is extremely large, because the quantity supplied is extremely high. In other words, if SL turned all of its tea production into rice production, any revenue from exports would only be a tiny fraction of the revenue gleaned from tea exports.

I would also point that before the British came, most Lankans were engaged in subsistence agriculture. Most of the land was owned by Kings… in modern terms, this would equate to a command economy. It was during colonial times that privatization of land occurred. On the other hand, this privatization can be considered essential if SL was to transition from a feudal to a market economy. Globalization would have done what the British did, if the British didn’t do it themselves. Unfortunately the British had limited means at their disposal where the development of the island was concerned. On the other hand, if one considers how they used the resources which were at their disposal at the time, it is a picture of success. Tea is one outstanding example.

wijayapala said,

February 10, 2010 @ 7:09 am

Dear Janaki Ganesan,

You have a Tamil-sounding last name. Are you Tamil or have Tamil ancestry?

“Every time I read ‘Sri Lankan caught for a crime in a foreign country’ it’s always a Tamil.”

There are a number of reasons for this. First, the expatriate Tamil population outside Sri Lanka far far outnumbers the Sinhala expatriate population. In Canada alone there are an estimated 200,000 SL Tamils. This means that misdeeds by individual Tamils naturally will outnumber those of Sinhalese.

The second critical reason is the LTTE’s influence. The LTTE relied on a number of legitimate and illegitimate means to fund itself, credit card scam being one of the top operations in the latter category. If there was no LTTE, the delinquency rate among Tamils would be far less. I would blame the LTTE and not the Tamil community.

Off the Cuff said,

February 10, 2010 @ 6:28 pm

Dear Jaffna Tamil,

I used the word MAINLY</i) NOT Purely so what is the Point, if any, that you are attempting to make by bringing up Elara in your post of February 10, 2010 @ 1:14 am ?

Off the Cuff said,

February 10, 2010 @ 6:42 pm

Dear Alpha,

We did not import ANY food as our Agricultural economy was very strong. We exported Spices, Grain, Gems and even Elephants. This country was self sufficient in what it needed for her people and did not have to depend on outside help.

The Tea destroyed the virgin land and that destruction continues to this day

Off the Cuff said,

February 10, 2010 @ 11:37 pm

Dear Jaffna Tamil,

You say you don’t have an Ego problem but what you write says otherwise. I made that clear in my previous post in detail (please see February 10, 2010 @ 4:58 pm).

The point of contention is Belle’s comment which is a generalized statement of the behaviour of the Tamils living abroad which I pointed out was an incorrect statement

She said “Elsewhere, Tamils of SL origin have been exemplary citizens.”

Your response was a vitriolic attack that did not contain an IOTA of fact either in support of Belle’s contention or against my contention.

Since you have forgotten what you wrote let me repeat it for you

‘You really should try not sound like your name and think before you speak!
Have you lived anywhere outside your homeland? You sound like the frog in the well, impressed with his own voice!’

Now please read it through “Word by Word” and show ONE WORD that you have written pertaining to the subject under discussion.

My assessment of your character based on what you wrote is as follows

You are arrogant
You hate Sinhalese
You look down on others
You have a superiority complex
You want to show that you are a regular Globetrotter
You believe that only you are worldly wise
You believe Tamils can do no wrong
You believe Tamils are a superior race
You believe that Sinhalese have no access to travel
You believe that Sinhalese have no access to information
You believe that the Sinhalese are Idiots

Please prove that I am not justified in assessing your character based on your first post. If I am wrong I will not hesitate to apologise.

Your later writings have also shown that
You do not care about the suffering of victims of crime when the perpetrators are Tamil.
You care ONLY when the victim happens to be yourself or another Tamil.

I will respond to any question pertaining to the subject (Belle’s contention) that you decided to challenge but will not respond to any other question UNLESS you concede that you are wrong about what is being discussed.

Thank you

wijayapala said,

February 11, 2010 @ 7:02 am

““Elsewhere, Tamils of SL origin have been exemplary citizens.”
The above generalization is not exactly true is it?”

If the LTTE and its supporters are excluded, I would agree with the above generalization. I’ve worked with too many diaspora Tamils in the N-E to believe otherwise.

Personally I would say that the worst diaspora Tamils are worse than the worst Sinhala expatriates, but the best diaspora Tamils are better than the best Sinhala expatriates. With Tamils you get both the greatest heroes and the slimiest scum, whereas Sinhalese tend towards mediocrity (the “Middle Path”). That is my experience as a Sinhala expatriate.

Jaffna Tamil said,

February 11, 2010 @ 8:15 am

Oh Dear, I seem to have hurt OTC’s feelings. Of course you are entitled to your own opinion, but it is not my intention to demean you or insult you. All I suggested was that you should experience things before you speak, especially before you condemn in harsh sweeping statements, the expatriate Tamils, people you have very little knowledge about.
I dont hate the Sinhalese. As I posted elsewhere I mentioned my Sinhalese friend’s worried about his ex Army relative who was a Fonseka confidante and is expecting to be taken in anytime.
And I have mentioned that it was 3 Sinhalese friends who saved my life in the 83 riots.
But I condemn the Sinhalese for inflicting so much pain on the Tamils these past 62 years. If not for racist sinhalese, I would be living i Colombo, going for a walk on Galle Face Beach and eating those prawn vadais!
Trust be I love the land as much as any Patriotic Sinhalese, but the land did not return my love.

No Frames said,

February 12, 2010 @ 6:53 am

@ Jaffna Tamil

Your arguments have been intellectually dishonest to say the least. When some one said that SL had the best economy pre-colonially, you kept asking why we are not going back to it. The simple answer is there is a 200 year gap where many things could happen. All the countries with thriving economies in 16th century were made in to European colonies, stalling progression of those nations. A good indicator of what thee nations have been if left uninterrupted can be seen from Japan. She has kept all her moral values, but modernised from 17th century onwards. Japan did not allow super-imposed moral systems to be planted in their society. The result, Japan has achieved what UK can only think of achieving in their wettest dreams. SL left uninterrupted, I am not going to say will become a Japan. But it would have been much better than this, taking only needed / useful things from Western civilisation.

Off the Cuff said,

February 12, 2010 @ 2:54 pm

Dear Alpha,

You are making erroneous assumptions in your argument.

Time does not stand still for Sri Lanka while it moves ahead for the rest.

Development therefore, goes on in SL as well as elsewhere. SL is a country that had a highly advanced Technology when it came to water management. It had Engineering skills that were unmatched in this field. It had a Highly advanced Civil Engineering Technology. The point I am trying to make is that Lankans of that age were not imbeciles. There were innovative thinkers amongst them. In fact there are ground breaking inventions that are credited to them. Hence it is a fallacy to discount the ability of Lankans of maintaining the Technological superiority they had then, even to this day. In the least, we may not have been second to none. Please see the extract from a report available at the FAO website reproduced at the end for more information.

A country that is unable to produce enough food to feed its people domestically, is at the mercy of the world market, and is more vulnerable to trade pressure and global food shortages and price shocks.

Tea is not an essential product to a country. Unlike oil it has no demand value and can and will be dispensed with in a crisis, it will be one of the first to be axed. The Tea trade experienced this when the Russian economy fell and Tea exports to that country fell.

The income from Tea is dependant on the vagaries of Global Demand and supply. We are not a monopoly producer and in addition to India, Africa is also an active producer. As in any economy as supply increases with a stagnant or falling demand, the revenue falls. So Tea revenue can be here today and gone tomorrow.

The local demand for food does not decrease. As a matter of fact it increases along with population. If this demand is not met it will cause social unrest and very complex problems.

The first priority of any country is food for her people. Look at any developed country that had the means to carry out Agriculture. The USA still provides subsidies to encourage food production. Agricultural subsidies to European farmers and fisheries make up more than 40 percent of the EU budget.

Food security is as important as the security of its borders, probably more so.

You state Let’s put the above into perspective. You are suggesting that an economy relying entirely on domestic agriculture which employs very little modern technology in the production process can compete in a global market where numerous other countries produce virtually the same output, in similar or greater quantities with very little price differential.

Oops, wrong assumption again. I have not stated anywhere that Lanka should isolate itself from the world. What I stated was that the destruction of the Agricultural Economy that existed then is an irreparable and immeasurable damage to our Economy. The Tea economy cannot even come close to compensating for the loss.

The need for water for irrigation and consumption is what drove the water management Technology to such a level of sophistication that you see described below. Given the available ingenuity you cannot assume that the need for higher yields will not drive technology required for that in the same way. All what you call modern was developed by people who had ingenuity and that was available in abundance in Lanka of old.

Agriculture catalysed Water management which catalysed Civil Engineering which catalysed Instrumentation and measurement which catalysed Surveying and Levelling which catalysed Mathematics which catalysed Scientific Research and so on. It was a chain reaction of development into diverse fields. In short when there was a need, the Lankans had the capacity and the Technology to meet it

The Economy that I mentioned to you was what existed then, not what it would have been now. With undisturbed development we would have at least been a peer of the developed world, if not a leading one.

Here is an extract from a report available at http://www.fao.org
Details of the historical aspects of the ancient irrigation works of Sri Lanka are dealt with by Brohier (1934, 1937), Fernando, A.D.N. (1979), Parker (1981) and Perera (1984). Arumugam (1969) provides constructional details of each major irrigation scheme. In this present- ation the author will attempt to highlight some of the important historical aspects.
The purpose and determination in the construction of the irrigation systems are depicted by the words of Parakrama Bahu the Great, 1153–1186 AD: Let not even a drop of rain water go to the sea without benefiting man. The final achievements were highlighted by Sir Henry Ward, Governor of Sri Lanka In: Collected Minutes of Brohier (1934): It is possible, that in no other part of the world are there to be found within the same space, the remains of so many works of irrigation, which are, at the same time, of such great antiquity, and of such vast magnitude as Ceylon. Probably no other country can exhibit works so numerous, and at the same time so ancient and extensive, within the same limited area, as this Island.

The works at Panduwewa, according to Parker (1981), is the first great reservoir ever constructed, if the great lakes of Egypt, which are merely immense natural hollows into which streams were turned, are not considered. This reservoir is thought to have been built by King Dappula II (807–812 AD). The earliest constructive work which can be identified with certainty in the Island is the Abhayawewa in Anuradhapura, built by King Pandukabhaya in about 300 BC

…. when the volume of water within the tank increases, it builds up severe pressure that a normal sluice gate cannot handle safely. Then other measures become necessary to safeguard the tank bund. The earlier sluice gate has to be strengthened with a novel device. Large tanks in Sri Lanka would not have been possible but for the invention of a new device called the Bisokotuwa, which is an original concept of Sri Lankan engineering.

The ingenuity of the Sinhala irrigation engineers is best exemplified by the invention of the “biso-kotuwa” (which literally means queen – enclosure), later termed by Parker (1909, in 1981) “bisi-kotuwa”, the enclosure where the water level lowers. The “bisikotuwa” is the equivalent of the valve-pit, which functions in the regulation of the outward flow of water and is therefore essentially an invention made by the Sinhala irrigation engineers more than 2200 years ago. It has remained essentially unchanged since then (Brohier, 1934; Needham, 1971; Parker, 1981). “It was this (=biso-kotuwa) invention alone which permitted the Sinhalese to proceed boldly with the construction of reservoirs that still rank among the finest and greatest work of its kind in the world” (Parker, 1909, in Parker, 1981).

It is also recorded that in the design of dams built across rivers the e