Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka Factor
Saturday, October 4, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, in saying, what he said to the Canadian Journalist has not in any way committed any breach of a sanctimonious code or rule. Therefore neither the Army Commander himself nor the President need act to nullify the statement he has made.
All right thinking Sri Lankans who have no axe to grind are on his side and we pray he continues to do his duty towards the motherland until the last of the terrorist is removed or "eliminated".
General Sarath Fonseka , rose from the dastardly assassination attempt of the terrorists, with the determination to end the menace of terrorism, and today he is on the verge of attaining his object. The battle against terrorism in the north and the east, which had lasted over two decades, has benefited the Tamils and Muslim more than the Sinhala.
The Tamil diaspora will not understand it as they were living in clover, while the poor Tamil civilians under the grip of a ruthless group of terrorists, went through untold suffering living in constant fear of the brutality of the terrorists.
Of course, the Tamil Homeland seeking diaspora cared less for the suffering civilians in the terrorist held areas, hoping the terrorists led by their dear hero Prabhakaran, will deliver their much sought homeland. Now, they are all up with their "arms", and verbal hysteria defending the human rights of the poor civilians in Killinochchi, which according to them are being violated by the Armed Forces of the Government of Sri Lanka.
It is strange that some of them were not there when the human rights of the civilian population in the larger territory held by the terrorists were not only violated, but simply confiscated by the terrorists at the point of their guns.
Now they come in their hordes on the false pretext of saving the human rights of the poor civilian population , to save the skin of their terrorist heroes, still hoping that saved from being executed by the Government Forces, they will some how start another terrorist war to wrench a territory from Sri Lanka to set up their Tamil homeland.
The diaspora after all contributes Dollars in millions, and the suffering of the poor Tamils became a ritualistic sacrifice on the altar of the evil "thalaivar" for this "evil lord" to deliver their craved homeland. In the mean time it meant to the poor Tamils in the terrorist controlled areas , a life living in fear, not only of their own lives , but also the fear of the lives of their children who were being snatched almost from their cradles to be trained as suicide "bombs", or used as cannon fodder in the "war" against the hooked and blinkered Sinhala "racists".
The General Sarath Fonseka's statement was a god send for the Tamil diaspora to make the biggest possible noise to be heard by the International Community, human rights activists, and pro-terrorist lobby inside and outside
They call for the removal of the Army Commander, for the one and only purpose of saving Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman, and their misled terrorist cadres from being decimated.
But they little realise that the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his Armed Forces are the only means to save the poor Tamil people from being trodden under the jackboots of the terrorists. In these areas in Killinochchi, now being cleared by the Government Forces, there are no Sinhala people. Therefore the Government forces are fighting to save the people living their –the Tamils- kept as "prisoners" of the terrorists, who use them as a human shield to save their wretched lives.
Once the Government Forces led by the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka removes the brutal terrorists, the areas now controlled by them, will come under the control of the Sri Lanka Government . The Government of Sri Lanka is the government of all the communities living in it- Tamils, Muslims, Sinhala, and all the rest.
The Tamil Community in
We, as a Nation are at last reaching maturity, so why the rift over a Majority and a Minority.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
We are glad at last Sri Lanka has the people of the ilk of the Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka , who no more put up and shut up , but get up, and speak up. It makes no difference whether one avoids the truth expecting unity, or tell the truth to be in unity. The reflexions and vitriol of abuse of those who oppose the majority will not cease.
The anti Sinhala stance of the Tamil diaspora, with abuse and ridicule of the Sinhala, with the Mahavansa in their hands, and insisting on a Mahavamsa mindset of the Sinhala , has not changed from what it was before the Army Commander's interview to the Canadian journalists. So let the caravan roll on.
We are glad we have found in the President Mahinda Rajapakse, Defense Secretay Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and the Commanders of the Naval and Air Forces, people who could take their responsibility as the representative of the majority Community to defend our country and its people. They do what is expected of them and say why they do it without hypocrisy or to please the International Community which from the beginning wanted to leave our country with the status of a "developing country". We can depend on our present leaders to maintain course and reach the goal of victory, to make us a united nation of all Communities that share this land as their own motherland.
Mahavansa or no Mahavansa it was the Sinhala people who had to bear the brunt of suffering from incursions from belligerent clans and tribes from the neighbouring
The British divided the people in to Communities, pushing the Sinhala in to their back yards, making cooks, appus, mudaliars, arachchis, and interpretors of them. The religion of the Sinhala, and places of worship were desecrated, building their Churches dominating over the temples. Their language was not given a recognizable place. And when we finally gained
It was only thereafter, we were able make our voices heard. He wanted to make the
This antagonised the Tamil Community, which was used by the Tamil Politicians to call for equal rights. It is this antagonism that continued going through different stages of political changes, until terrorism showed its face. Large numbers of Tamils left
Some really believed in terrorism to establish a State purely of Tamils to vindicate their anger against the Sinhala, who they thought was the reason for them to have left their motherland. They contribute to make the terrorist a strong force able to fight against the Government Forces and break away a good part of the territory to form their own Tamil Eelam. To justify their
Thus nourished in racial hatred of the Sinhala, they refuse to accept that the Sinhala are after all in number the larger Community, and they are in number the minority community. They will take ammunitions, if not bombs, and guns, words, phrases and books to attack the Sinhala to prove that the Sinhala are in all respect inferior to the Tamils, though they are more in number.
While the present political leadership, supported by its defence forces are doing their best to show that Sri Lanka is a Nation that could stand on its own, without being treated by the International Community and their different supporting agencies such as the NGOs, INGOs, Human rights mongers, and various other lackeys, as a developing country that could be kicked from pillar to post.
All developing Countries to emerge as independent Nations want the help of the rich Nations. The former President of France the Late François Mitterrand, was keen on assisting the developing countries and proposed a North-South dialogue and said at a press conference after the conclusion of the 15the Summit of the Industrialised Countries, on the 16 July,1989, "In a general way, one wishes to bring about a solution to the problem of development. It is a step which has been taken, and the practical arrangements, which you will hear about, are numerous and significant". (http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/summit/1989paris/press_english.html)
The South- meaning the developing Nations should be economically and technologically assisted in their development. That is a duty of the developed Nations to do so.
The Nations of the world have to unite and work in coordination with each other in order to avoid a financial crisis as the one we see to day in
Therefore, the Tamil Politicians and those of the diaspora should pay attention to these development in the Western Nations, and understand the necessity for us to unite with out starting "tribal" wars among ourselves. What does it really matter who is the majority and who is the minority as long as both the majority and the minority could work together to be a united Nation of Sinhala, Tamil, Muslims and others.
Living in Foreign Countries has its value, there is comfort, security, and opportunities, but one will for ever be strangers and second class citizens. Our place is with our people as we are all Sri Lankans, whether we are Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim, or whether Sinhala is the Majority and the others the minority. - Sri Lanka Guardian
Is the Chief Justice above the law ?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
There was an article by Narendra Ch in Merrynews.com on "whether the Judiciary is above the law". To preserve the independence of the Judiciary and maintain the dignity of the Judges, criticism of the Judiciary is considered a contempt of court, and one can be charged for that offence . There is another interesting website the Judicial Watch, which gives detail of the Judicial Scandal concerning the impeachment of David A. Brock, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire (http://www.judicialwatch.org/archive/2000/587.shtml)
The removal of a Chief Justice for abuse of the Judicial position is apparently by an impeachment. But when the country is facing a " point of no return in a war against terrorism", I presume without being critical of the Chief Justice , or his judgements, one could say from the point of view of a common man that the Judges should resort to matters brought before the court for judgement and not make judicial orders on matters that had not been contested and placed before the Justice for a decision.
One questions, as to why just now when the world's most ruthless terrorist, as accepted by the International Community is being hunted and about to be nailed down, all protective measures taken by the Government and Armed Forces, to safe guard the people from a south ward exodus of terrorists from Killinochchi, and Mulative, bringing with them explosives to the south, are being removed by an order of the Chief Justice. The latest report is that a Judicial Order has been made for the removal of all barricades and road blocks along the
The decision looks sinister as these barricades protect not only the public who frequent the road , but it is an important security measure to protect the President of Sri Lanka whose residence is on this road.
It is difficult to understand this sudden decision to protect the right of the people's free movement, just when the suicide bombs and claymore bomb explosions become frequent in
Perhaps the declaration of emergency in
Something is going wrong in our mother Lanka, with the terrorism, and the all international do gooders on the back with the cry of violation of human rights, this decision to remove the people protective safeguards is as one says in France: c'est
To the Friendly Democrats of the Canadian Democratic League.
Monday, September 29, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
(September 30, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is an interesting experience to encounter a League of Democrats, after expressing your point of view on a subject, which is contrary to their point of view. You at once become, for them, a racist, a petit little Hitler arising from the debris of the World War II, or a senile"ga ga"
All that would be, because one says that there is truth in what the Army Commander said. It takes very few words of supporting the fact of the Sinhala being the majority, for a Tamil person championing even "democracy", to turn around and accuse the person as a racist, and a petty little Hitler. To-day , more than half a century after that cruel war there is none who would even pretends to be a Democrat, compare his worst adversary to a Hitler of the holocaust. That itself smears the word "democracy", by which one pretends to emerge as a league for peace and freedom.
Even the Army Commander is permitted to have his personal opinion, and express it when the occasion arises, without being accused for having exercised his human right of the freedom of speech. When the Army Commander spoke of the Sinhala majority he was not speaking of the Sri Lankans. The Sri Lankans is the larger entity, that includes all the Communities living in
The Commander of the Army takes orders from the Head of State, and therefore he is not a politician, hence his opinions are not taken as having political significance. Therefore, what the Army Commander Lt. Gl. Sarath Fonseka said when interviewed by a news paper reporter cannot be construed as political.
The elimination "business", is the act of removing or getting rid of something. What Hitler did was extermination, killing in extermination camps. Therefore the latter is no parallel to the former, which is to remove what has become a danger to the unity of the people, and the territorial unity of the country.
Mr. Perera sees no terrorists in all those who are Tamils out side the terrorists, against whom a " war" is being waged in the north. But sees those who help directly and indirectly to support terrorism as helping the terrorists to commit all sins to arrive at their sinister object of partitioning the country to set up their Tamil Eelam.
It is strange that when a Sinhala speaks about his Community, or defends another Sinhala against false accusations, he is immediately called a racist. But the Tamils when they call all lowly names against the Sinhala, it is merely the Tamil minority vindicating their political rights and civil liberties. They may hate Sinhala and do all they can to demean and degrade them, but they do not call themselves racists, because they think it is their right to do so because of their situation as minorities.
Frankly we do not know the Canadian Democratic league, but the tone of the article defending their statement, against some one who contests the facts in it are, I am afraid, not very democratic.
What is best for the Canadian Democratic League to do is to stop calling every one who opposes their point of view a racist. And be a bridge to bring the communities together in a more positive way, without being bitter and aggressive. This reminds me of a saying in Sinhala that even if the tiger changes its stripes it still remains a tiger.
The Sinhala people are the majority, whether one likes it or not but the Sinhala do not say this to dominate over other communities. The Sinhala people have lived in friendship with other communities for generations , and will continue to do so in future. They do not claim any special privileges over and above their fellow compatriots. But The Sinhala people as much as the Tamil, and Muslim people, wants to live in peace and harmony with all those who share this motherland of ours-to make a happy Nation of Sri Lankans.
I wish with all sincerity that the Canadian Democratic League prospers and develops into a strong League to bring the Tamil diaspora to participate with other Leagues and Associations in
A word to Vanni Terrorist Proxi Party MP, about his Ethnocentric Military Dictatorship.
Monday, September 29, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
Selvam Adaikkalanathan the TNA MP writes an article in TamilNet on 28 September,2008 on an "Ethnocentric military dictator ship in the Making in Colombo" only a warped mind like his could imagine. But, he cannot envisage the extent of the damage caused to the aspirations of the Tamil people, who followed a bunch of market magicians, who promised to materialise a kingdom for them , with the flutter of a magic wand.
In the excerpt of the statement referred to the Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, to the Canadian National Post, there is nothing extraordinary for the Tamil or Muslim MPs and others, to make such a brouhaha. On the other hand, the Army Commander has made it without any animosity to any one, like a wise person who has had terrible experience of life.
He has in those words quoted by Adaikkalanathan, expressed with emotion how he feels close to the minorities- who are like our people in no way different from us. It is difficult for Mr.Adaikkalanathan, with the mind he has, to read correctly into those words which enwrap human sentiments. Being so petty Mr. Adaikkalanathan sees in those words; an undermining of democracy by justifying an ethnic majoritarian rule in the island of Sri Lanka, and also alluding a military dictatorship in the making in Colombo.
And he dares, ask the President as the Commander-in-Chief to instruct the Army Commander to apologise for the statement. The question we ask this, TNA MP who seems, to have fallen from the last rain is whether, he asked the Army Commander to pardon him (TNA –being a proxy party to the Terrorists), for the suicide bomb attack which nearly cost the Commander's life ? That was worse than the statement alluded to the Army Commander, for which this TNA MP, dares demand an apology.
As for Hakeem's statement I wouldn't touch it even with a long pole. The individual concerned is not worth the words of good sense, one would put down on virgin white paper.
This TNA MP with a long name, and a short memory speaks of an agenda of ethnic cleansing, having already forgotten how his "thalaivar" got rid of the Muslims from
The Tamils in residence in the Army Commanders " Sinhala country", are not a comparison to the innocent Tamil people who were living in the so called former " terrorist controlled areas". Those people who are now in the camps of the IDPs are perhaps better off, than they were in the gun toting terrorists held areas.
Mr.Adaikkalanathan who is a TNA MP taking orders from his "thalaivar"-the terrorist leader Prabhakaran, is only a person authorized to act and speak for the terrorist " thalaivar".
Hence, he cannot speak a language different from that pronounced by his "thalaivar ". Therefore, his pleadings will only be accepted by any intelligent person with a"pinch of salt". -
Charles S Perera goes "ga ga"
Monday, September 29, 2008 Leave a Comment
Canadian Democratic League with a racist tirade
by Ajanthan Ratnam and Kumar Ariyaratne
The Canadian Democratic League has written to the Sri Lanka Guardian website on the 28 September, 2008, condemning a statement made by the Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka. And Charles S Perera with an outburst of extreme racist liturgy says it has got it all wrong.
He says that the Army Commander's observations were not political, he need not withdraw his statement and he has been entrusted to liberate the areas held by the terrorists and also to eliminate them.
He also refers to the Sinhala majority and never as Sri Lankans giving the impression that this land of ours belong more to the majority and less to the also beings, the minorities.
What is this elimination business Charles Perera is talking about? Do we see a petty little Adolf Hitler resurged from the debris of the Second World War?
Mr Perera sees all Tamil Diaspora as terrorists? Equally for nearly fifty years all Sinhalese have been seen as racists by the Tamils. It is simply because tiny minorities from both communities have hijacked the ship of state and are sailing on the ocean of communal discord.
The large majority of Sri Lankans are fed up with what has been happening in the country so long. And they are helpless and scared out of their wits by people like Charles Perera.
What does Mr Perera know about the Canadian Democratic League? Has he tried to find out why it was created and how it has performed against all odds and risks because of its anti-LTTE stand? It is a Sri Lankan Diaspora organization and was the first and indeed the only one to raise alarms about human rights violations by the LTTE.
It is people like Charles Perera who keep the racist fires burning. Lt General Sarath Fonseka made an odious comment about the Tamils.
He is there to fight an anti-terrorist war for the Sri Lankans and not for the Sinhala majority. He is there to save and protect the civilians and liberate them from the terrorists and most of the civilians there are Tamils who have been subjected to terrible ordeals by the LTTE. They were thrown into this den by a visionless and heartless Cease Fire Agreement engineered by the government.
Mr Charles Perera must understand that the armed forces are entrusted to fight a war for the people of
He must also not forget that what is sauce for the goose could be the same for the gander too but that is not what we want.
We certainly do not want such simple solutions that rule the minds of such simple people some of whom had become the world’s terrifying bullies and killers. These are historical facts.
Our Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, and the Canadian Democratic League
Sunday, September 28, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
The Canadian Democratic League has written to the Sri Lanka Guardian website on the 28 September,2008, condemning a statement made by the Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka.
The Canadian Democratic League has got it all wrong. There is no reason for the Army Commander to withdraw one word of what he has said to please those who do not want to understand the truth. The Army Commander is not only entrusted to liberate the areas held by the terrorists, but also to eliminate them, so that the people of Sri Lanka the Sinhala Majority, and the Tamil, and Muslim, and other minorities live together in a healthy peaceful environment.
The Army Commander did not make a political statement, he made it quite clear that he is there to fight terrorism, and other matters are for those in
As Army Commander with an Armed Force composed mainly of young Sinhala Officers and Soldiers, who are risking there lives every day to save their motherland has to be told , that the saving the motherland from being mutilated by a group of ruthless terrorists has become their duty, as the representatives of the Majority Community, so that the Tamil, Muslim, and other minority Communities could live together in a peaceful fraternal environment, because they are our people.
The ethnic problem the Tamil politicians, and the Tamil diaspora keeps on harping is nothing but a refusal to accept this truth of who is the majority, and who the minority in
It is also an irrefutable fact that the Tamils exaggerate on their minority condition, to make the International Community believe that a cruel majority, proud and pompous because of their majority status is denying political rights and civil liberties to the poor Tamil and Muslim Minority.
There are all the privileges that the Tamil, and Muslims claim at their disposal in the strong Nation that we have become, and that the Tamils and Muslims should not make their minority status to make undue claims. This is a true fact which had also been expressed by the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka.
But not wanting to understand this reality, the Tamil writers, politicians , Tamil Leagues and Groups, will make this another occasion to puke their undigested hatred on the heads of the Sinhala.
We hail the Army Commander Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka, the greatest hero of our time.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem, who has come strongly against a statement made by the Army Commander Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka, to the Canadian News Paper National Post, has no lesson to give to the Army Commander.
The Army Commander has issued a statement as a patriot who loves his motherland
Every one in
For this end Hakeem was prepared to go to any low level. He did not seriously commit himself for the unity of the Communities as a true patriot, as he was probably waiting Prabhakaran to set up his
It is this unpredictable politician, the regular turncoat, without allegiance to any cause other than to his own personal ambition, who is trying to give lessons to the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka.
On the Other hand, the Army Commander's statement was non political which he made clear in no uncertain terms. The Commander of the Army is in daily contact with the Soldiers of his armed forces composed of Sinhala youth, who are ready to give themselves entirely for the battle against the terrorists to save "their" motherland , without thinking of a "tomorrow" .
Those soldiers are doing that for the rest of us the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslims to live in peace and harmony. Those soldiers have the " right " to know that their Commander of the Army is making them sacrifice their lives for "their " motherland. Those young Sinhala soldiers ( at least one of them die every day) making their supreme sacrifice for their motherland, are not dying as politicians , but as the children of their land of birth- Mother Lanka.
Therefore, neither Rauff Hakeem , nor the hollering Tamil writers, and politicians have the right to deny them the pride of having belonged to the Majority Community, the belonging to which Community they die to save the mother land.
The Army Commander Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka has expressed the true position on which he had undertaken the difficult task of defending the mother land against a group of terrorists, aided by a mislead Tamil Diaspora trying their best to divide the beloved mother land, to set up a Tamil Eelam State. The politics is for the politicians, but defending the country against a set of ruthless terrorists is for the Armed Forces.
One cannot deny the statement made by the Commander, as the Sinhala are the majority, who are trying their best to live with every one in amity without making an issue of the Tamils and the Muslims being the minority.
Army Commander's statement is not anti communal, he merely said that he believes that the Majority of the people of the country is Sinhala and they treat the Tamils and Muslims as their own people.
Nevertheless, you go into any website and none of the Tamil writers express any sentiments of good will towards the Sinhala. They pour "steaming" hatred and anger towards the Sinhala, their religion, history, and their ancestors. The moment one Sinhala writes about their being of the majority, and they love this country as the land of their ancestors, every Muslim,and the Tamils, group together with their battle cries, calling Vaiko and Narayana from
It is a fact that the Tamils and Muslims highlight the fact of their being the minority, to attract the attention of the International Community accusing the government and the Armed Forces of violating human rights of the minority Tamils.
The Army Commander , the Commanders of Navy, Air Forces, and all those of the Government Forces have made us a strong nation, where the minorities can live in harmony with the Sinhala , without making undue demands due to the fact of their being the minority.
The Tamils even write new history claiming that they had been in
The problem in
We salute the Army Commander Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka, and the Armed Forces. May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you, for your safety and come out victorious.-
Bush Administration's South Asian Affairs Chief Richard Boucher's idea of Democracy seems to be lopsided.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
The Bush administration's South Asian Affairs Chief Richard Boucher who lead the United States observer mission to the SAARC , said that while Washington fully recognised the terrorist threat Sri Lanka continued to face from the LTTE, it should continue acting like a democracy and protect all its citizens.
This is a strange comment, which makes it difficult understand Mr.Boucher's concept of a democracy.
In that effort the civilian population in the affected areas are put in to dire difficulty, and their safety cannot unfortunately be totally assured by the government. The war against terrorism cannot provide complete protection of the rights of the people in the areas under conflict.
In the midst of this there are criminal elements, that use the situation, to kidnap, hold to ransom innocent people, and murder their victims, for which the government uses its police force to investigate and bring the criminals to justice, as any responsible government. However, it has recently been discovered that a group of men coming in a white van to kidnap rich businessmen, to claim ransom, is a political manoeuvre by highly placed persons of the opposing, to discredit the President, and his government.
The government has left the police forces to provide security to the people. Thus the government of this small sovereign state despite enormous difficulties, coming from the terrorists, and its opponents, with the International Community awaiting to pounce up on it for an exaggerated violation of human rights, carries on the duties of a democratic sovereign state.
Under these circumstances, one fails to understand what more Mr.Boucher of the Bush Administration wants
The people of
The people of developing countries have laid their hope in the UNO, which stands as it was set up by its founding fathers, as a sentinel to watch over the world to ensure peace, and harmony among the people of the world. But the
The Geneva Convention has laid down rules to protect the rights of prisoners of war. But , Mr. Boucher, what is happening in
The EU is using human rights as an issue to withhold psp+ concession to
Boucher has also said that
We Mr.Boucher, in
Mr. Boucher yours is a powerful economically and technologically rich country. You interfere into our affairs giving us one set of rules, while you follow a different set of rules. The paramilitary is the problem of
As much as you are , we are also concerned with the problem of child soldiers. One has to look at the problem, with more intelligence. The terrorists, do not follow rules and regulations, and they listens to no body. In that situation , the question of the child soldiers with the terrorists could be settled only with the elimination of terrorism.
As the terrorist leader Prabhakaran did not attack
If that is your way of thinking with regard to terrorism in our country, why do you continue to carry on a war in Iraq and Afghanistan to stop Osama Bin Laden from organising a terrorist attack in America, when it is more convenient for you to come to a peace settlement directly with Osama Bin Laden, as you propose us to do. As Osama Bin Laden did not attack us, we presume, thinking along with your logic that Bin Laden is not a terrorist.
He did no attack
Because
Mr. Richards concept of acting like a democracy is not only lopsided, but it is also ridiculous. Therefore, Mr. Boucher should re-examine his stance, and let the Government of Sri Lanka complete the good work it had commenced for the elimination of terrorism in
Need for Safe Haven for Civilians in Active Conflict Zones –Reply to Ivan Pedropillai.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
On the 23 September,2008 through the Sri Lanka Guardian Mr.Ivan Pedropillai, has made a delayed appearance to plead for the worthy cause of the displaced Tamil Persons involved in the on going conflict. It is extremely sad that the humanitarians like him were playing hide and seek all this while and appear just now to defend the poor Tamil Civil population who had been made to suffer for the dream of a man who wants territorial separation to set up a homeland for the Tamils.
Before we get down to understand the present plight of the innocent displaced Tamil persons, let us see , without throwing aspersions at the government, who are responsible to have put these innocent Tamil persons in to this most inhuman situation.
The Sri Lanka Government of the President Mahinda Rajapkse, even before he was elected promised to meet the terrorist leader Prabhakaran personally, if he were to be elected, to find a solution to the problem of the Tamil people. Thereafter, when he was elected to the high office, the President, true to his promise , sent emissaries- the SLMM, inviting Prabhakaran the terrorist leader to meet him personally. Prabhakaran's answer to the President was in his so called annual address in November,
Subsequently with the intervention of the Norwegian Mission, Prabhakaran agreed to send a delegation to attend a meeting with the representative of the Government in
On the 20 April,2006 Prabhakaran officially pulled out of the negotiations indefinitely.
Again with the intervention of the Sri Lanka Government and the Norwegian Government it was agreed to commence peace negotiations, this time in
In the meantime the LTTE cancelled the scheduled peace talks, and on the 15, June,2006, exploded a Claymore bomb in Kebithigollawa killing 64 civilians including men, women, and many children.
On the 21 July,2006 the terrorists closed the Sluice Gates at Mavil Aru depriving water to 15 000 villagers, and on the 2 August, 2006 attacked the army camp at Muttur. It was only then that the Government forces retaliated. That was the beginning of the armed conflict in which the Government Forces militarily challenged the terrorists. Please see : http://www.defence.lk/pps/peaceattempt.pdf for details.
Now, Mr.Ivan Pedropillai, you see the sequence of events that lead the Government Forces to intervene militarily, to say no to Prabhakaran and his terrorist forces who understand only the "language of the gun". That sequence of events given above shows why the Government of Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse was forced to intervene militarily, to stop further continuation of Prabhakaran's , pretentious, unpredictable , dishonest manoeuvres to dupe the government of Sri Lanka, the International Community represented by Norway, and the people, to attain his dream of an Eelm State at what ever cost to the civil population.
To-day in Kilinochchi, Prabhakaran is holding the Civilian population prisoners, to make of them a human shield to save his skin. The government has not left the civil population in Kilinochchi without resources, they have been provided with food and medicine, despite both commodities are being pilfered by the terrorists to feed their cadres. The life for the civilian population is certainly unbearably difficult, the government has also made arrangements to receive them, if they can break away from the terrorist hold, into non-military areas.
The culprit who is primarily responsible for this sad situation is Prabhakaran, though Mr.Pedropillai does not seem to admit that fact. It is he who has inflicted this suffering to the civil population in Killinochchi, and not the Government. There are many factors at play in this terrorists issue. There is a very interesting article in the LankaWeb, by Kithsiri Athulathmudali, titled "Who Wants to Win the Hearts and Minds of Tamil Nadu Tamils: Narayana? ", which makes us think that terrorism in Sri Lanka, is used as a pawn on a larger political game of chess.
One begins to question why the International Community, including USA, along with UN System, Karen Parker, Human Rights Watch, the Catholic Church, and the AI , are opposing with vehemence the Sri Lanka Government's war against terrorism, while at the same time making the terrorist issue in Sri Lanka different, from the terrorism America and the IC have vowed to fight where ever it is found.
However, the question one raises now Mr. Ivan Pedropillai, is what you and your Writers Guild had been doing all this time. If you were genuinely interested about the suffering of the civil population why did n't you intervene when Prabhakaran withdrew from the scheduled peace talks in
You cannot wash your hands now Mr. Pedropillai, and put all the blame on the government of
That was because you also connived with Prabhakaran's pathological scheming for the partition of
Mr.Ivan Pedropillai and his writers guild who have been watching the continuous sacrifice of brain washed Tamil Youth for a promised homeland, wake up now, when the Government Forces are on the verge of ending the blind terrorism that cost so many human lives and destroyed so much land and material; They have woken up now to plead the International Community to intervene to save the terrorist, still hoping that terrorism will make the Tamil Homeland a reality. If Prabhakaran and his wild dream is not ended now this massacres, murders and assassinations would continue for another 25 years. And the civilians who had suffered for the last 25 years will continue to go though the same suffering for another 25 years. Is that what Mr.Ivan Pedropillai and Writers Guild want ?
The Government of Sri Lanka as much as any other International government has to defend its people and protect its territory. In the present conflict with the terrorists, the government of
Mr.Pedropillai cannot start blaming the Government Armed Forces for a war against terrorists causing untold suffering to civilians, without telling the world of the ruthless nature of the terrorists lead by Prabhakaran. They are terrorists and the
The terrorists are not a group of freedom fighters. Because freedom has not been denied to the Tamil people of
Mr.Ivan Pedropillai is not pleading for the cause of the plight of the civilians in Kilinochchi. He is attempting to keep alive Prabhakaran the most ruthless terrorists of the present era. The Tamil diaspora wants his safety, to keep alive the concept of a homeland for the world Tamils. He had been a force to bring together the Tamil Nadu and all dispersed Tamil population together. The catholic Church is also behind you. They also want to keep Prabhakaran alive. They have there own agenda.
It is important to eliminate terrorism to Save Sri Lanka and keep together the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and other Communities united into a peaceful Nation. The sooner the terrorism is eliminated, sooner will be the end of the suffering and the end of the present plight of the Civil Population in Kilinochchi.
Therefore, do not call upon the International Community and the UN to interfere in to our affairs. They can only make things worse for us. We see it happening in
In Sri Lanka
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
The terrorism is like a disease. It eats into a nation like a disease that grows into the body through nerves, vessels and arteries. If early action to eliminate one or the other is not taken, the whole system will soon be affected, and then to get rid of it a systematic unceasing effort has to be made with all available resources until the whole system is cleansed of the cause that lead to one or the other.
We see how terrorism affected the Americans, and they are still not finished with it. When they seem to have ended it at one end, it begin, at another end. When they thought they seemed to have finished with it in
In
They think that in our fight against terrorism there is violation of human rights, while their fight against terrorism is clean, like injecting a medical fluid into a vein, it goes through the vein leaving the muscles and bones around the vein intact. Therefore, in their narrow wisdom, they suggest introducing Missions into conflict areas to watch that our bombs meant for terrorists camps, do not by mistake get elsewhere to violate the human rights of the non-combatants.
But their bombs in
That is how the world is made one set of rules to the giants, and another set of rules to the Lilliputians. However , we the small Lilliputians have a marvellous army, naval and air forces. Our Air Force can, with precautions taken by the pilots, and the accompanying soldiers, target the bombs from the air , and the artillery from the ground into accurate targets without causing damage to the Civilians.
This claim of the Sri Lankan Security is not false bravado, because neither the enemy nor the civilians who had escaped from terrorist areas subjected to almost daily military attacks have complained of death of civilian from these bombardments.
We get very upset and shoot our verbal guns when a Westerner makes unreasonable evaluation of our actions, and hail a Westerner even if he were to make a remark bordering doubt such as, "…….. many in
But Stewart Bell a senior reporter of the National Post, who had been sent to Jaffna to see for himself and report what is happening there, does not report what he sees and what people in place say, but merely reports what people he interviewed in Colombo, most of them pro-terrorist individuals have said. Of course, he paints a sad picture of a territory which is being cleared of the terrorists, by the Sri Lanka Government. Nevertheless, he has not been able to un-cover real complaints of violation of human rights by the army. Other than what his interlocutors had said.
What Stewart Bell reports is what one would call hearsay evidence, he does not make eyewitness accounts which would be more a clear unfolding of events in a war torn town. His fist report was titled Sri Lanka –"An Island of Blood", quoting Amita Pratap, and his second report is titled "Inside Sri Lanka: There is no freedom in Jaffna. City is an open prison where fear, bloodshed reign"- burrowed from Gajen Ponnambalam, Member of Parliament from the terrorist proxy party TNA.
The captions do seem that the reports are not meant to be quite objective, but perhaps an effort to implant in the mind of a Canadian and a reader from the Tamil diaspora that they are after all justified in supporting the terrorist cause. He quotes extensively from Jehan Perera-and we know what he writes about. Stewart Bell may while he is at it quote Kumar Rupasinghe, Thisaranee Gunasekara, Mano Ghanesan, or Kumar David.
Then where would his reports from the war front in
Stewart Bell says that " One prominent Tamil man scoffs at the positive image painted by the General. He says the Tamils of Jaffna are treated like second-class citizens….." Not only some Tamils in combat areas say that the Tamils of Jaffna are treated like second-class citizens and live in constant fear of the security forces, even the Tamils living in cosy comfort in Canada, also say the same thing of their being second class citizens in Sri Lanka. This is one of the political viruses from which the Tamils have been made to suffer since G.G.Ponnambalam, and Chelvanayagam asked for equal rights –fifty fifty.
The Tamils have not been made to suffer because the Sinhala Majority governments made them second class citizens. But this is a mental suffering they have taken on their own-an inferiority complex of not being equal to the Sinhala majority. The Tamils are a minority by the fact of their being less in numbers to the Sinhala, otherwise they have no other distinction of being second class. That is a mental attitude they have to change by trying to be full fledged citizen of
Nothing in the world can change the difference in numbers of population of the different communities. But what can change is being a son of mother Lanka with the same ardour, as the majority to develop this country and make it OURS.
We often suffer from expecting the fulfilment of certain ideologies. But in that attempt we have to foresee a means to make that ideology a realisable hope. Prabhakaran had taken arms and became a terrorist to reach it, though it is apparent to those around that his is an unattainable ideal, he blinded by the ferocity of his hatred towards the Sinhala majority, still thinks it is attainable by terrorising the Sinhala majority into defeat.
The Sinhala Majority does not think of themselves in terms of being a majority, but only as another Community that makes up the Nation of Sri Lanka. They offer the Tamils their hands of warmth and friendship. Please accept them with the same warmth and friendship with which they proffer their hands. - Sri Lanka Guardian
President's gift to Bunupitiye Nagatissa thera, and the Plight of the Order of the Sangha.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
The Prince Siddhartha was the son of the King Suddhodana a powerful King of the Sakyan Clan. When Prince Siddhartha was born, the King consulted the great sages who said that he is destined to be a Cakkavarti- a world conqueror to set order in the world to make it easy for the Buddhist monks to show the people the path to enlightenment, or if he were to renounce the worldly life he would be the Buddha.
The King Suddhodana ,who preferred his son to succeed to his throne and eventually become a Cakkavarti, provided him with all the luxuries of life to keep him attached to a princely life. He built him Palaces and parks each suitable for residence during a particular season, with musicians, dancers, and courtesans to provide him worldly pleasures.
At the early age of sixteen he was married to his beautiful cousin Yasodara. He became a father when he was 29 years. But by then he had a glimpse of the suffering of the people that shocked him into realising that the blissfully happy life he was enjoying is only a camouflage that hid the true nature of suffering outside.
With that realisation he had an instinctive feeling of a mission to understand the truth of suffering and find the way to end that suffering. He knew that it would be impossible to search for an abstract truth, living this worldly life of attachment to pleasures, and decided to renounce his princely life of luxury, pleasures, attachment to his dear Princess Yasodara and the new born son Rahula, and left the Palace to become an ascetic. That renunciation end up in his enlightenment, becoming the Buddha who found the truth of suffering, cause of suffering and the path to end suffering, and decided to impart his knowledge of deliverance from suffering to non-suffering . It is in that noble effort that the Buddha founded the Order of Sangha.
The Order of the Sangha consisted of those lay persons-the householders as they were called in the discourses of the Buddha, who gave up their worldly life of possessions, pleasures, and loved ones to become mendicants practicing four virtues to follow the path of emancipation, and by their example to make others follow the path.
The Buddha who gave up a Princely life, begged for his meals. Its said that the King Sudhodan came to the Budda and said,"Gauthama Buddha, my son, when you were the most suitable for the throne of a Sakvithi King, you left all of us and became a monk. Then you insulted me by begging for meals, walking house to house along the streets in my own town. The relatives laughed at me and they insulted me. …….."
The four restraining disciplinary rules set the Buddhist Monks apart from the lay persons, and made them worthy of respect and the honour of their followers. These rules are worth repeating for any one who reads them to understand who is a true disciple of the Buddha, a spiritual son of the Sublime One-a Buddha Putta.
They are,
(i) the Patimokkha samvara Seela- The disciple abides by the disciplinary code of 227 rules. He is perfect in conduct and behaviour. He perceives danger in the least offences.
(ii) the Indriya Samvara Seela-When he sees whatever object he does not adhere to the whole of it or any part of it.. He wards off all that is evil and unwholesome through which greed and sorrow would arise, if he would not guard and restrain his senses.
(iii) the Ajiva parisuddha seela: Where a monk does not acquire his livelihood in a way unbefitting to a monk.
(iv) the Paccaya sannissita Seela: Where he is guided by the rules pertaining to four requisites-food, robes, medicine and shelter–" wisely reflecting he makes use of his robes to protect himself from, cold and heat. He uses his alms food as a prop and support to his body. He makes use of his dwellings to keep off the dangers of weather, and to enjoy solitude. He makes use of medicines to suppress feelings of illness to reach freedom from suffering. (Buddhist Dictionary-Nyanatiloka BPS)
A Bikkhu who is disciplined thus is worthy of being honoured, worthy of offerings by the lay followers. When the Buddha had 60 disciples with him, he asked them to go out in to the world, not two in the same direction to spread his teachings, not to convert anyone, but to receive only those who come to them inspired by them, taking them as an outward example of the Dhamma they preach. They were all Noble Aryans who had attained purity of mind.
The Buddha had Kings as his devoted lay disciples. But the Buddha did not interfere into the state affairs of the Kings. He gave advise to the Kings only when he was asked. King Bimbisara was the King of Magadha, who was a disciple of the Buddha. In his later life he was imprisoned by his son Ajatasattu, and starved to death. But even then the Buddha did not intervene, as it was an affair of the Kingdom.
The Buddha was to show the path of deliverance from suffering, and in that noble mission he did not interfere in to the affairs of the State.
The Buddha spoke of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, as the Triple Gem. In one of his Suttas (Dhajaggha Sutta) Buddha tells his disciples that , if they have any fear, or terror that makes their hair stands on end, to think of the Buddha and his noble qualities, if not think of the teachings, or the Sangha.
In asking them to think of sangha to drive away fear or terror he describes the Sangha as follows: "…… …….Of good conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, of upright conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, of wise conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, of dutiful conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One. This Order of Disciples of the Blessed One — namely those four pairs of persons,( the eight kinds of individuals) is worthy of offerings, is worthy of hospitality, is worthy of gifts, is worthy of reverential salutations, is an incomparable field of merit for the world.' "
Such are the incomparable qualities of the Sangha. Every Buddhist pays homage to the Buddha Dhamma and Sangha twice every day. In paying homage to the Sangha he says:
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has entered on the good way;
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has entered on the straight way;
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has entered on the true way;
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has entered on the proper way;
that is to say : the Four Pairs of Men, the Eight Types of Persons;
the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is fit for gifts, fit for hospitality,
fit for offerings, and fit for reverential salutation,as the incomparable field of merit for the world.
This is the Sangha to who we pay homage. Are the Sangha to-day, the representative of the Great Noble Disciples of the Buddha, have the worthy qualities of a true Sangha ?
There are some, who are pious, respectable, following the path shown by the Buddha, but many are unfortunately far from the expected norm of a Buddhist Monk.
Is being a Director of a Company, a President of a Trade Union, Parliamentarian, or an Administrator,- keeping the Ajiva Parisuddha Seela ( the role for which the Buddha prepared his Order of Sangha )?
In an interview with Uditha Jayasinghe of the BottomLine on the 17 September, 2008 Bonupitiye Nagatissa thero, has said that a Buddhist Priest should be appointed to every Board of Directors of every Public Institution. Nagatissa Thera is sadly unaware that the role of a Buddhist Priests is not to combat corruption in the Companies of the public or private sector, but to follow the path shown by the Buddha and be an example to people, leaving the governance to the government.
Nagatissa thera had said that, he was offered the post by the President for the services he rendered during the Presidential elections, if it is so, it is a wrong decision taken by the President. The President should be requested by the Maha Nayake theros that the President should have consulted the Mahasangha in offering a government post to a member of the Order of the Sangha.
There was corruption even during the time of the Buddha, but his teachings was to change the minds of the people so that they would turn out to be honourable lay persons, who will not indulge in any form of corruption. Bonupitiye Nagatissa thero speaks of his work as the Director of the Cement Factory, as the most important work that can be done by a patriot. But he has forgotten that the vocation for which he donned a yellow robe is not to be a patriot, but a Buddhist priest first.
It is not only in Government Institutions there is corruption, but the Army and the Police Force were also accused of corruption. If that is so, Bonupitiye Nagatissa thera could propose appointment of Buddhist Priests to the Army and Police as well. If the Buddhist Priests wants to curb corruption, they can seek employment every where, such as the CTB, Fisheries Department, Health Services etc……..,? Then the lay people may have to take to doing the work of the Sangha !
This is a dangerous sign of the decadence of Buddhism in
It is the corruption of the Buddha Sasana that should occupy the interest of the Maha Nayaka Theros of Malwatta Asgiriya, and not to interfere into the affairs of the government such as demanding that S.B.Dissanayake should be admitted to the Parliament.
The admission or not of S.B.Dissanayake to the Parliament, is a secular matter that should not be the concern of the Maha Nayaka Theros. On the other hand the Maha Nayaka Theros could advice the President the danger of admitting a Buddhist Monk to the Board of Directors of the Lanka Cement Factory.
It would be wise for the Maha Nayaka Theros to call for a Council of the Sangha, to reorganize, reform, and revitalise the Buddha Sasana, and make a collective effort to make the Order of Sangha worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutations, an incomparable field of merit for the world, as it had been before, weeding out Bikkhus with new ideas contradictory to the teachings of the Buddha.
In defence of his accepting the post of a Director in the Cement factory Nagatissa thera had said, that the leading priests of the Vidyalankara Pirivena released a decree stating that any act, so long as it is for the benefit of the public, and the development of the nation is acceptable for priests to perform. This is the very reason for the Mahanayaka Theros to intervene to make things clear to the Order of the Sangha, that no individual or groups of monks could interpret the Vinaya rules, or make directives that negate teachings, creating precedents that are harmful to Buddhism.
Siam Nikaya had failed in the past to maintain the high standard expected of the Monks of the Buddhsit order of Sangha. The other two Nikayas had been more progressive, though even among them there is now a decline of discipline.
I have met some Priests from the Siam Nikaya, who told me that all Priests are not expected to meditate, because according to them there are two categories of monks, one the literary monks –the Granta Dura, and the other the meditating monks-Dhamma Dura. This appears to be categories imagined by these monks. Buddha has not made that difference.
The main cause of the present sad state of the Order of Sangha is the University education to the Monks. If we are to make the Order of Sangha in
Along with that the Priests in temples must invariably be made to take to meditation. For that to happen every temple should have necessary meditation huts and meditation instructors. In most of the temples the Priests have nothing to do, and therefore they get involved in activities not fit to a Priest. Empty minds are the devils workshop, therefore only way to correct the situation is to make the young monks to meditate. It should be made an essential part of the training of a monk.
All secular matters pertaining to a temple should be handed over to a Committee of lay Dayakas, so that even litigation could be handled by such Committees avoiding the Buddhists Priests having to attend Courts of Law.
One asks the question why it is always a layman who takes the cause of Buddhism, while the Order of the Sangha is busy secularising the Buddhism. There was then Anagarika, Dharmapala and Later L.H.Mettanada, who did yeoman service to Buddha Sasana. We have to await another lay Buddhist to call for reforms, and save Buddhism from its enemies inside and outside.-
The paucity of conscience and the lack of Wisdom – A reply
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
Mr.A.J.N.Selvadurai begins his articel in the Sri Lanka Guardian of the 17,September,2008. by saying that, " A conscience is a moral sense of right and wrong. Even intelligent quadrupeds like apes, elephants, cats and dogs have it, but to a lesser degree. Throughout history mankind has acted against his conscience and built vast empires, as they find it difficult to overcome greed for wealth and power. This can lead to a lot of cruelty in the course of building empires and subjugating other people."
The conscience is only the knowing of a moral sense of right and wrong. The intelligent quadrupeds like apes, elephants, cats and dogs have a conscience, but not a moral sense of right and wrong. It is the men with a lopsided sense of right or wrong who have devastated human aspirations, as the terrorists continue to do to-day, in the name of a God, or to build a homeland for themselves, without the least concern for others.
Mr.Selvadurai is wrong in comparing the
A conscientious objector is one who, on religious, moral or ethical grounds, refuses to participate as a combatant in war, or in some cases, to take any role that would support an armed force or rejection of conscription or military service. The government soldiers are fighting willingly to eliminate terrorism, that had settled in for three decades taking with it the lives of good number of Sinhala and Tamil youth, massacred innocent men women and children, and murdered a good number of our political leaders, intellectuals, and Officers of the security forces.
There is among the Sinhala people an anti-war lobby opposing the war against the terrorists. They are not seen kindly by the larger majority of the people who want an end to terrorism.
Mr.Selvadurai refuses to accept, or is completely "unaware" that the Government Security Forces of Sri Lanka are not, repeat not, fighting against the Tamil people in
Several attempts to make them see reason by bringing them to negotiate peace with the government failed, because they did not agree to any peace settlement, other than for the setting up of a separate
The Sinhala people have not forgotten the July, 83, but they do not want to live with the stigma of July, 83. They want to make amends, forget it, and live with affection and fraternity with the Tamil brothers and Sisters. The past is past, let it not repeat itself in any form in the future.
The terrorism that started after 1983 as you say, is regrettable let us end the hatred towards the Sinhala with that unfortunate three decade of suffering that terrorisms brought into our midst, and look forward to build a future of peace and amity with the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and all other communities who had been living together for generations.
There is no, one nation in the world who had no ethnic problems at one period of time or other, so why single out Sri Lanka as a unique case of ethnic disturbances.
I have not read the poll by the Joseph Rawntree Foundation I am an ordinary Sinhala man, who had lived with the Tamils and the Muslims, and I have nothing against them . On the other hand, some of my best friends, believe me, were Tamils and Muslims.
I would like to see the day when Tamils and Sinhala will live in complete peace and harmony with one another. I would go so far as to say, that our communities should mingle, even with mixed marriages, so that there would be no difference between the two communities. We may speak both languages, and pray for, and respect the same gods, and follow the Dhamma of the Buddha.
I beg to differ from the findings of the Rawntree Foundation polls. Neither faith nor religion is a social evil, it is the minds of men, that is evil. The religion could give meaning to life and being meaningful we could overcome social evils. Buddhism, Mr. Selvadurai, as a religion or as a philosophy is unique. The teachings of the Buddha make you understand life, and understand reason for evil, and suffering caused by being evil.
The war against terrorism has no root in the religions. It is the warped minds that through clinging attachment, hatred and aversion, with a deluded idea of a self, "I" , "Me" and "Our" complex that has caused all evil.
You separate other people from "my people", protect "my people" against other people, love "my people", to hate other people. Thus the vicious circle of hatred within a hateful mind continues. Therefore, Mr.Selvadurai, time has come, not to separate "my people" from other people, but find links that are common to both people, and unite one, with the other. So that we, the Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim, Malays and so on become a single Nation of peace loving people.
Mr.Selvadurai, you have got it all wrong. Leave alone the Sangha, the Politicians and all the rest of them. What matter are the people ," you and me", let us change OUR minds first, to get rid of the cancer of hatred within us, against the Sinhala, their religion, and their culture. Let us accept those people as they are with their weaknesses, and their shortcomings. Let us make the best use of what ever we have around us to change them, and make them better.
You say, or repeat what others like you say,that, "One of the biggest blunders of the Sinhala leadership is to have created a situation where the hitherto docile Tamils were forced to take up arms and demand a separate state as they found it impossible to carry on".
Sinhala leadership did not create the situation for a group of Tamil youths to take up arms, and become terrorists, it is the wrong view, the wrong understanding of those young men, that drove them to become terrorists. Let us not blame one, for the evil in the other.
The problem, with you Mr.Selvadurai as I see it, is that you are looking at the world through coloured glasses. As long as you look through those glasses, you will not see the reality. The reality is in seeing things as they are, in their correct perspective. Therefore, Mr. Selvadurai, take off your coloured glasses, you will see things and persons differently. You will see that Sinhala are after all not as bad as you have seen them through your glasses.
I have not even heard of Dr.Schumacher, let alone reading him. You, on the other hand, are a well read, intelligent man. Nevertheless, what Dr.Schumacher had said is not different from what I had said with my limited intelligence.
I had read, a long time ago, an Indian philosopher Juddu Krishnamurthi, some thing he had said remained in my mind. It was about each person being fractured, according to his religion, race, class and profession. Therefore, he looks at a given problem from each one of his fractions. He may look at the problem for instance, from his racial faction as a Tamil. And, try to understand it seeing it only from that fraction. But, if he were to get rid of these factions and look at a problem as a whole, he will see it in an entirely different way. Therefore, we should look at the problem of the Tamils, as a whole, not from the narrow racial factions.
Well Mr.Selvadurai, as you have said in conclusion of your article, "……Now that this imbalance has been rectified in the most disastrous manner, it is time to stop the war and start thinking of peace. "-
Buddhist Priest and the Law – from the Sublime to the Ridicule
Sunday, September 14, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
During the rein of the Kings in
Now it is different. We have accepted a British style democracy, with the separation of powers that go with it. Therefore the judiciary is separate and independent of the Executive and the Legislature. When the Court is in session the Judge is the sole authority . The people seeking justice accept the independence of justice and the authority of the judge.
The manifestation of the acceptance of the judicial authority is the deference shown to the judge by standing up when he enters the Court. All those who are present in the Court are equal before Justice, whatever the Social or Official status of a person. It is not a respect shown to the person of the judge, but to his Office.
Outside the Court the judge is an ordinary lay person. If the Judge is a Buddhist, he will pay respect to a Buddhist Priest, as any other lay person. He may even go on his knees to ask the blessings of a Buddhist Priest. It is not for that matter that a Buddhist Priest present in the Court should not get up to respect the independent authority of the judge and his judgement.
If the Buddhist Priest seeks exception in view of his religious position, the Court is not the place where he should be present. If a Buddhist Priest has committed a criminal act, in terms of the Criminal Law, in the eye of justice he is a person who has been accused of committing a criminal act, nothing else. As such he has forfeited his right to be treated as a Buddhist Priest. And so he will be an accused person before the Court of Law, or a defendant in a civil case.
Under these circumstances it was amusing to read , that four Buddhist Organisations are proposing a manifestation against the Chief Justice to ask the President of Sri Lanka to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to Probe the Chief Justice, for insulting Buddhism in the Supreme Court, and to look into 100 of his previous court rulings. In other words the Associations want the judge to be judged !
The writer is neither a Catholic , nor an agnostic seeking to smear the sublimity of the Venerated Buddhist Priests. On the other hand he holds the Buddhist Priesthood in utmost veneration. But he is sad to see the Buddhist Priests falling from the sublime to the ridicule.
The four associations: Conversion Observation Centre, Buddhist National Movement, Soma Thera Chinthana Foundation and Bodubala Sena, contemplating a public awareness campaign against the Chief Justice, will not be doing a service to Buddhism. It is far better for them first to understand what actually is the greater menace to the Buddha Sasana. Is it the Chief Justice, affirming his independent authority in his Court, or the Buddhist Priests over stepping the bounds of their religious claim to respect and veneration ?
We should know to separate the secular from the religious . Judiciary is a civil or secular authority that is independent of the executive, and the legislature. A Priests should not commit any offence that may place him at the mercy of the judicial authority. Therefore, these four association should see in this matter between the Priests and the Judiciary who stands to be blamed.
The Buddhist Priests are required to follow the 227 Vinaya rules. If they are found to have breached the Vinaya rules, they should be punished in terms of those rule, by the Buddhist hierarchy. If they have committed a serious offence in breach of the law of the land, they should be judged by the civil authorities, in addition to punishment under the Vinaya rules.
The Buddhist Priests have no right to ask for separate Courts to judge them for civil or criminal offences they may commit. The Society cannot be changed to suit the Buddhist Priests. It is the Buddhist Priest aware of the threat to their dignity, who should avoid acts that would result in the intervention of the state authorities in the course of their maintaining peace and order in the secular society.
The four Association: Conversion Observation Centre, Buddhist National Movement, Soma Thera Chinthana Foundation and Bodubala Sena, who have taken up the defence of the Buddhist Priests against the Chief Justice, if they proceed with the proposed action would only be adding insult to injury.
It may be more useful for these Associations to read the Buddhist Commission Report to see whether any part of it could be implemented even at this late stage, to re-establish the loss of respect, and to ensure continued veneration of the Buddhist Priesthood. They may instead of making a public manifestation, request the President to appoint a commission of inquire in to the possibility of re-establishing the Pirivena System of education to the Buddhist Monks, and make recommendations to reform the Buddhasasana so that we may never again see a Buddhist Priests in a Court of Law in
The peril the Buddhism in Sri Lank is facing to day comes from the Buddhist Priest getting involved in worldly affairs like an ordinary "householder". And the primary cause of this phenomenon is the abandoning of the Pirivena System of Education to Buddhist Priests.
The present trend of the Buddhist Priests giving up their true vocation to become worldly monks is a danger for the continued existence of the Venerated Order of the Sangha. Therefore it is time the public is made aware of the necessity to intervene to demand appropriate authorities to change the present situation with regard to the deterioration of the discipline of the Buddhists Monks, and take appropriate action to punish the Buddhist Priests who behaves like lay men, under the Vinaya rules.
It is true that a Buddhist Priest should not get up, bow down, shake hands, make salutations by putting the palms of hands together, or kissing the Pope's ring to show their respect. But a Buddhist Priest not being worldly should not be present in a Court of Law. If he happened to be in a Court of Law, then he should respect the customs and practices of the Court, if not suffer the indignity of being punished by the Judge. - Sri Lanka Guardian
Buddhist Priest, and the Law- How to reconcile the two
Friday, September 12, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
If this confrontation between the Buddhsit Priests and the Law were to continue, we are in to see more of disrespect towards the Buddhists Priest and their being taken into courts even in handcuffs and treated like ordinary miscreants. This should not be allowed to happen and even at this stage the Buddhist hierarchy, and the Buddhist laity should wake up to the danger facing the Buddhist Priest hood.
At the beginning the Buddha did not see the necessity to set up rules to be followed by his disciples, as the early disciples were well disciplined persons. But later on as the numbers begin to grow and some individuals of lesser personal integrity joined the order the Buddha found it necessary to set up rules. He laid down rules as and when it was brought to his notice that a disciple had committed an act not in keeping with his position as one who has given up the life of a house holder, to follow the path of Dhamma.
The rules of discipline( Vinaya),were necessary to differentiate a disciple, from a lay person. These rules were of two different categories, one was the breach of worldly moral conduct (lokavajja), which are the breach of conduct expected by the society from, the disciples and the ordinary laymen. The other was the breach of conduct, and practices observed as a Monks (Pannatti Vajja). At the passing away ( parinibbana) of the Buddha he had laid down 227 disciplinary rules to be observed by a disciple –a Buddhist Priest.
The rules were set up by the Buddha about 2500 years ago, and the development of the society since then may make the observance of some of the rules difficult, and may seem redundant. Even though the Buddha before his passing away (parinibbana) had said that some minor rules may be amended, he did not specify which were the minor rules. Therefore, in this doubt none of the rules have been removed from the 227 Vinaya or Disciplinary Rules laid down by the Buddha.
If any of the rules are to be expunged for their difficulty to be observed in a modern developed society, one cannot ascertain where such removal or amendment of rules will end. Therefore, it is essential to insist that the monks entering the order should keep the 227 disciplinary rules. It is not the greater number of monks that would make Buddhism a more venerated, and a sought after doctrine. Discipline is more important to maintain the sanctity of the religion.
As discipline among the young Buddhist Priests is fast deteriorating, corrective action should be taken without dillydallying for the continued existence of the Buddha Sasana in its venerated pristine glory. The dangerous lack of discipline among the younger generation of Buddhist Priests came with the abandonment of the Pirivena system of education for the Buddhist Priests, and the establishment of University System.
The Universities have become the breeding ground of undisciplined Buddhist Priests. The continuing of the University system for the Buddhist Priests will lead to further decline of discipline. The disciplined Sangha, will discipline the people. This would change the attitudes of officials of the government departments, who will treat the people with respect, preserving the dignity of the Monks, as well as the Priests of other faiths.
This would be the means for the Buddhist Priest to be treated with dignity, by the officers in charge of enforcement of the Law.
The Curriculums selected by Monks in the Universities are more often worldly subjects, that have no relation to the call for which they had been ordained as Buddhist Priests. There are Buddhist Priests who apply for driving licences. Others who want to be lawyers, Administrators , Trade Union leaders, teachers in Schools. These are not vocations suitable for a Buddhist Priest. This trend of seeking professional posts in the Government by Buddhist Priests should be stopped, and they should instead be trained to be "Buddhists Priests"
The Buddhist hierarchy, the lay Buddhist scholars, and the intellectuals should get together to reorganise the Buddha Sasana, beginning by setting up Pirivena education system for Monks. They should then bring back the old image of the Buddhist Priest, heads and beards well shaven, wearing appropriate clean robes, with a disciplined comportment.
The Venerable Mahanayaka Theros should insist on purity of virtue (seelavisuddhi) of the Monks, by making them follow:
Patimokkha Sila -- The Fundamental Moral Code (major offenses related to immoral, cruel, harmful and selfish activities.)
Indriyasamvara Sila -- Morality pertaining to sense-restraint.
Ajivaparisuddhi Sila -- Morality pertaining to purity of livelihood.
Paccayasannissita Sila -- Morality pertaining to the use of requisites pertaining to life.
Every
The alms rounds are necessary to bring the priest closer to the laymen, therefore, it should be reinstituted. If the monks do not follow the Vinaya Rules, they should be disrobed.
It is essential to reorganise, and revitalise the Order of the Sangha, and the Buddhist ceremonies, and practices. This would bring the people and the Temple closer, which would revitalise the Sinhala Buddhist Culture, which would in turn, bring about social changes and enhance relations with the people of other faiths, to build unity, peace and harmony in Sri Lanka for the benefit of ourselves, and the generations to follow. -
Buddhist Priest and the Law- Who or what should change the monk or the Law ?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
Lord Buddha did not interfere into worldly affairs. He did not get involved with the laws of the kingdom. He knew the value of an army for a King-an army with good commanders and soldiers. When king Suddhodana complained to him that his soldiers leave the army to become monks, the Buddha made a rule that a soldier should not be ordained as a monk while still in military service.
One day a Cammander of an Army called Seeha called on the Buddha. At the end of his visit, Seeha asked the Buddha whether he would accept him to his Order. The Buddha told him that as a responsible man he should carry out his duties thoughtfully and discharge them well, and asked him not to leave the army to become a monk.(Seeha Senapathi Sutta –AN 5)
In the Sutta Pitaka, there may perhaps be an instance of a Monk breaking the law of the land, on which the Buddha had commented. I do not know of such a Sutta in my limited knowledge of the Sutta Pitaka. However, it may not be wrong to assume that there had been no such incidents during the time of the Buddha, and long after, until we come to modern times in
The ancient history speaks of the householders, who had families, a home and land. They were attached to their families, and material possessions. Then there were those who gave up the householders life to follow the teachings of the Buddha, by entering the Order of Monks. On leaving their households they gave up their attachment to everything that belonged to them as householders. They then as Monks, had the three principle requirement of food, shelter and robes. The three robes and the bowl were their worldly possessions.
In Buddhism there is no acquisition of knowledge other than, being instructed in the teachings of the Buddha, and learning to meditate. A monk spent his time in meditation discussing the teachings-the Dhamma, and receiving instructions, or giving instructions to acolytes.
They went from place to place well disciplined one following the other according to their seniority . They did not talk, or laugh loud. They wore the mud coloured robe which was a symbol of non attachment. They spread the word of the Buddha, without attempting to convert any one. Their disciplined way of life was an incentive for others to follow the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha often told his followers, " be an example, Monks".
Being what they were, the disciples of the Buddha, did not have confrontations with the law. But yet they were scolded, insulted, and even refused "alms". One day the Buddha saw a Monk returning after the alms round, sad and dejected. The Buddha called him and asked him what was wrong. Then he said how a householder scolded and chased him away, and refused alms to him. The Buddha told the Monk to return to the same house, and each time the house holder scolded him to make a knot in his robe. The following day the Buddha saw the monk returning, with his robe full of knots. The Buddha called him, and asked him to undo the knots. Buddha asked him what remained. The monk replied there was nothing.
Thus the monks forgave those who were aggressive. They pardoned their enemies. They suffered insults and aggressive confrontation, without anger, or ill will.
That was then, but now things have changed. The colour of the robe is no more the colour of detachment. The Monks do not walk quietly one after the other according to seniority. The Monks, talk loud and laugh loud. They argue and go on manifestations. They acquire knowledge, of worldly subjects,( less of Dhamma) and do not meditate. They give up households, to take up luxury. They grow their hair and look unkempt and unattractive. They are no more in monasteries getting instructions from their teachers, and learning the teachings of the Buddha. They drive cars, and ride on the pillions of motor bicycles. They go to universities and make manifestations along with other students. They throw stones at Police officers. They insult, speak harsh language, they are aggressive, make demands, and go on manifestations. They show anger, hatred and intolerance. To day many Monks have become, worldly Monks.
When things have come to this, it is normal that the Monks are treated as any other person, and when they break the law, insult people, and go on manifestations, they are disrespectfully handled by the Police as any law breaker. Who or what should then change, the Monk or the Law ?
The incident of the Monk who was remanded for the violation of the ban on Loudspeakers is unfortunate. These incidents should be settled by the Police Officers before they are taken to Courts. And the Priests should also act with understanding towards the Police Officers who are only doing their duty. A judge should also use his wisdom, and not apply the letter of the law. In English law there is the law of equity which is to give justice beyond the law. A confrontation with the religious persons and the law should be handled with care and foresight.
All Monks fortunately do not fall into the described category. There are those erudite, disciplined, Venerable Monks who are an example to follow. They are the Gems, that represent the Order of the Sangha of the Sublime Buddha, beginning from Venerable Sariputta, and Venerable Maha Moggallana, who we worship, and whose blessings we seek every morning getting up from our beds, and every evening before we retire to bed. -
Ban Ki Moon Has done it again.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
by Charles S.Perera
It is a real shame a person who is no other than the Secretary General of the UNO , cannot understand the war against a known ruthless group of terrorist for whom human rights and civilian lives matters nothing. Information is fed to Ban Ki-moon by anti-developing country western bureaucrats in his press office, who are also his speech writers , and those who prepare his correspondence. Ban Ki-moon merely puts his signature, or even that responsibility is handed over to another. Therefore in his name comes out ridiculous assertions, misinformation, and the manifestation of rank ignorance.
Ban Ki-moon's press office which issues statements in his name does not know what is happening in Killinochchi. The civilians are rounded up by the terrorist and taken to the interior of Killinochchi to be used as a human shield to save the life of the terrorist leader, the psychopath and murderer Prabhakaran. The food and medicine provided for the civilian population in Kilinochchi are stolen to feed the terrorist cadres.
The terrorists, who Ban Ki-moon hesitates to call as such, are making a last ditch war instead of surrendering to the army to save the lives of the civilians, soldiers , and his own mislead young men and women most of them still children. Ban Ki-moon should stop his press office parrot the same old meaningless statement, which they had been repeating in all their correspondence issued in his name , "…both sides were obliged to ensure the safety of civilians". Without the Ban Ki-moon's press office has to say it , the government of
So far even the websites of the terrorists have not reported large scale deaths of civilians due to government Air force bombardments or artillery fire of the government forces. This, these misinformed press officers have failed to verify.
Amnesty International equally ignorant of the real situation is intentionally or unintentionally helping the terrorist instead of helping the government to end the menace of terrorism from which we the people of the country had been suffering for over a quarter century. The Ban Ki-Moon's UN, the IC, EU or interfering AI, have in no way helped the government of
We are only asking these do-gooders to help the government and its Armed Forces at this crucial hour, by keeping their "mouths shut" without accusing the government and the Security forces for violation of the safety of the civilians, which they are doing even with the great difficulties they face, with numbers of these valiant soldiers giving their lives to do so.
We have an excellent army – our Security Forces and Air Force Pilots are second to none in the world, and they are doing an excellent job, in their object of the elimination of terrorism and save our country. - Sri Lanka Guardian
Buddhist Priest and the Law.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
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by Charles.S.Perera
There was a news item that a monk had been remanded for the violation of the ban of the use of loudspeakers, by Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, and that bail had been refused to him for the violation of court ethics by a number of monks present in the court who did not get up from their seats when the Judge came into the Court House.
This raises the question of Buddhist Monks and the application of Justice to Monks who have been charged for violation of the law of the land. The norm is that in the eye of the law all citizens are equal and justice should take its course no matter who has been presented in Court for breach of the law.
The subject that caused the violation is noise pollution which should be the concern of every one. In
We should practice our religion without making that practice a nuisance to others who are not of the same faith. I think in every country in the world any noise that disturbs the neighbourhood is interdicted after ten in the night. Any excessive noise beyond a certain decibel count any time of the day is considered a nuisance, and the police could intervene to stop it.
It is salutary that such laws have been enacted in
In this particular case in question, it was the responsibility of the Police Officer who intervened to stop the noise disturbance, to have settled the matter with the High Priest then and there without bringing him before the Court of Law. A Priest in such a situation should not be high handed, as it is his piety and respect which is in question. However, if for what ever reason an action had been filed and a High Priest had been summoned to the court, the law should takes its normal course, and the Chief Justice who follows the "letter" of the law cannot be blamed for the consequences.
A Buddhist Monk is one of the Triple Gems whose blessings are sought by all Buddhists. Therefore, a Buddhist Priest aware of that respectable position in which he is held, should avoid confrontation with the law, and avoid being brought before a Court of Law. He should be a respecter of law, and not a breaker of it.
A Buddhist Priest is one who follows the greater law-the Vinaya, set by none other than the Sublime Buddha himself. In being venerated for that, it is his duty to respect the law of the people who venerates him.
If he is in breach of that law, he has to suffer the consequences as much as he has to follow the consequences of the breach of the disciplinary law set by the Buddha.
Then there is also another punishment of refusal of bail in this particular case, meted out to the defendant for the reason of the priests present in the Court House not standing up to pay respect to the Chief Justice when he entered the Court House.
A Buddhist Priest being a venerated person, who receives respect from others, is not expected to pay respect, by standing, bending, keeping the palms of the hands together, or kissing the ring of a pope. He pays respect only to the Buddha and the Dhamma.
In this particular instance the Chief Justice should have applied the "spirit" of the law, and not the "word" of it. The spirit of the law could have been, a piece of advice that the Buddhist Priests should avoid any confrontation with the law as the consequence of it is that they be treated less respectfully as breakers of law !
If permitted I would continue the discussion in another article.
Reply to Selvam Adaikalanathan
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
by Charles.S.Perera
Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance MP had said in Chennai, in an interview to Kumudam, a Tamil weekly published from Chennai Tamil Nadu, that . "Bifurcation of the country is the only way left for the Tamils in Sri Lanka" ( September 08,Sri Lanka Guardian)
In plant diseases, it is a known fact that cutting off a branch may affect the tree itself , and separated from the tree the branch will not exist- it will dry and end up as fire wood. The alternative is it to treat the branch appropriately without cutting it off. That will save the branch and the tree.
This applied to a nation, the separation of the section affected will not help either the nation or the part dissected. The alternative in this case would be to solve the problem affecting that section of the Nation so that, that section of the Nation with the problems solved would contribute to peace, harmony, and prosperity of the whole Nation. But, unfortunately the solution proposed by Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan for the problems of the Tamils in
Mr.Adaikalanathan's assertion that if the government would put forward a reasonable political solution to the problems of the Tamils, the tigers would come forward to consider about it, is false, as he himself knows. The terrorist do not want a government solutions to the problems of the Tamil people, what they want is a separate
The problems of the Tamils in
Indian Central Government "handicapped" as it is, will not take an appreciably objective decisions vis-à-vis
Do these NTA MPs- the voice of LTTE terrorists, pose to themselves the question why should Tamil Nadu be interested in Tamils of Sri Lanka ? What do Vaiko and Nedumaran know of our cultural ties, and our communal relations built through our being together sharing our pains and sufferings generations after generations ? Vaiko, Nedumaran, and the Tamil Nadu Ministers have their own Agenda. They want to make the problem of the Tamils in
However, Tamil Nadu has a better claim to demand independence from
The
The claim of the LTTE terrorists, for a separate
Can Prabhakaran be assured of the allegiance of all Tamils in
In claiming an
Under these circumstances what really was Mr.Adaikalanathan's intention on his special interview given to Kumudam. His appeal it appears is not so much in defence of the civil population in Vanni, but to save the remaining pocket of terrorists along with Prabhakaran from being annihilated by the Government forces. The Tamil civilian population is now being collected by the terrorists, to hold them as a human shield, to exploit their "stage managed" plight to attract the attention of the International Community.
After the loss of a considerable number of Soldiers, in a "war" against a "stubborn" enemy it is absurd for the IC, EU,UN or
If Mr.Adaikalanathan is genuinely concerned with the sad plight of the civilian population he should, ( instead of running to Chennai to appeal on his knees to the Tamil Nadu Ministers, and send signals to the International Community ) appeal directly to his Sun God himself and his terrorist leaders to lay down arms, and negotiate for peace with the government of Sri Lanka.
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