Changing Face of Islam in Sri Lanka- A reply to Editor of Ceylon Today.

The Ceylon Today of the 17 August,2013 carried the Editorial, “ Changing face of Buddhism”.  The Editor is an uninformed moron. The Buddhism has not changed its face for  more than 2600 years.  It will remain the same for another 2600 years or more.  But what the editor tries to  hide is the fact that it is  Islam in Sri Lanka that has changed its face from what it had been before.


The Editor of Ceylon Today says, “Not so long ago, when the religion was described as a cause for conflict, Buddhists begged to be different. Buddhist devotees pointed out that Buddhism was not a religion, but a philosophy.”

Buddhism is neither a religion nor a philosophy. Oxford Dictionary defines Religion as “one of the systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular god or gods.”  The Buddhism in that sense is not a religion.

The same Dictionary defines Philosophy as “the study of the nature and meaning of the universe and of human life ”, and again as “a particular set or system of beliefs resulting from the search for knowledge about life and the universe.”.  That too does not define Buddhism.

Any one who wishes to criticise Buddhism takes the liberty to define Buddhism as it suits him without knowing  what exactly is Buddhism.  This is what the Editor of the Ceylon Today has done in writing his Editorial of the 17 August, 2013 on Changing Face of Buddhism.

The Editor says, “At the heart of the Buddhist teaching are benevolence and tolerance. No time in the history Buddhists resorted to violence to  propagate the message of the Lord Buddha.”  
 
Mr. Editor the Buddhist teachings by itself is benevolent and tolerant, but the heart of the teachings is more profound and sublime. Buddhism now needs no propagation as persons of intelligence  accept it willingly as a teaching without parallel.

The Editor continues that, “  It is in this historical context that the spiral of violence that we have witnessed recently is disturbing, and in fact, insulting towards the very message of Buddhism. ” 
There is here  a distortion of facts when the Editor alludes to  Buddhist teachings as violence which he had, “ witnessed recently as an insult to the  message of the Buddha.”

The Editor states that, the   “….recent violence, such as the recent attack on a Muslim prayer centre in Grandpass and the cacophony of voices of religious ultra nationalism have now  called into question the authenticity of the very message of Buddhism.” 

In making that statement  the Editor has come to a  wrong conclusion. There are two aspects of  the situation the Editor is trying to deal with in his Editorial. One is the violence itself,  and the other the  “insult to the  authenticity of the very message of Buddhism” .

Unfortunately the Editor of Ceylon Today has mixed up the two issues thereby  casting aspersions  on the great teachings of the Buddha.  What happened in Grandpass has no connection to the teachings of the Buddha.  Therefore, it had better be left out.  If it is  violence by persons it has to be spoken of as such without contriving to bring in the teachings of the Buddha to distort  the issue.

The Buddha Dhamma the teachings of the Buddha is also the Buddha Sasana, which is  more than 2600 years old.  All  other religions except Hinduism are of recent evolution.  The Buddhism had not been an organised religion like the Church, but the teachings of the Buddha had been  carried without interruption through word of mouth from teacher to disciples in the most democratic system of an Order of Sangha (the Community of Monks) with its own rules of discipline. 

This ancient order of Sangha or  Community of Monks  is which continues even today.  These monks had not only to carry the teachings of the Buddha from word to mouth until it came to be written down in the 1^st century, but also to protect the Buddha Sasana from its enemies.

It is this Order of Sangha (the Community of Monks) which protected the teachings and brought it to this day intact  “without changing its face” since its inception more than  2600 years ago.  These monks still continue to play the role of the  protectors of  the teachings and thus the Buddha Sasana, with its temples, monasteries, lands offered to the sustenance of the temples and the monks, while at the same time instructing  the followers and propagating the teachings-the Dhamma, and will do so for years to come. 

The Buddhist monks cannot depend on the government for the protection of the Buddha Sasana, because it is primarily their duty.  The government has a duty not only for the  Buddhists, but also for the  non-Buddhists. Therefore if what belongs to Buddha Sasana is in peril it is the Buddhist monk who has the right to bring it to the notice of the Government and demand protection.
If such protection is not forth coming from the government, the Monks have to find out other means to solve the problem and protect the Buddha Sasana of which they had been the protectors for more than 2600 years.

The Editor of the Ceylon Today has to understand the reasons behind certain “violence” taking place and analyse the reasons for them with wisdom after studying the whole question putting it into its correct perspective, without jumping to conclusions.

Now from what follows we see that, the problem the Editor of Ceylon Today has is not with the teachings of the Buddha but the Bodu Bala Sena. 

He writes, “Today, the mention of the three words,  Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) which is a “Buddhist Organization”, drives fear even into the minds of some Buddhists leave alone the followers of other religions like Christianity, Islam and Hinduism .”  

Neither the Buddhists nor the  followers of other religions should have fear on the mention of the words  “Bodu Bala Sena”.  They are not an extremist group or terrorists. They are merely trying to high light matters concerning the Buddha Sasana that had been neglect by the government and taken for granted by non Buddhists, due to inaction by any one responsible. Buddha Sasana also comprises the Buddhist Culture of the followers of the teachings of the Buddha.

The Sangha as pointed out earlier, has a duty to protect the Buddha Sasana.  Due to lethargy of the Government, inaction of the Buddhists, and taking things for granted by those followers of other religions, matters concerning Buddha Sasana had been long neglected. Due to the absence of any one moving in to protect what belongs to the Buddha Sasana, some monks have organised  themselves to point out to the authorities where wrongs which have a direct effect on the Buddha Sasana have or is being committed by others with the motive to weaken the Buddha Sasana.

Muslims for instance since of late  have developed a great desire to build mosques all over  Sri Lanka, (perhaps to out do the Buddhist Stupas by number), for that they use mean subterfuge such as building boutiques , warehouses, and shops in areas often close to Buddhist Temples or sometimes even on Temple land leaving them empty and use them as Muslim prayer houses, with the secret motive of later declare them mosques and build a large mosque in place of the derelict buildings originally constructed as, shops, boutiques or warehouses.

The Editor of Ceylon Today before writing Editorials on the Changing face of Buddhism should have investigated the changing attitude of Muslims in Sri Lanka and highlighted that as a responsible Journal.

The Editor points out that, the “Rhetoric that emanate from Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya therefore give a bad name for Buddhism. In fact, many hard line groups that are spewing violence and religious disunity are not about the religion at all. Those groups are  about power,  politics and money. ” 

The arms of the Bodu Bala Sena and Ravaya are not guns but words, arguments, and counter arguments. It is listening without being prejudiced that will help in such situations to find a solution to the problems over which rhetoric emanate. In defending the Buddha Sasana of Buddhist Sri Lanka, power, politics and money naturally get involved.

The Buddha Sasana had no rival religions at the beginning, but with the colonialism the Budhha Sasana received a hard blow.  It is only since 1956 that Buddhism and Buddhist Culture are being rediscovered.  The Buddhists , Muslims and Christians lived  peace  without interfering into each other’s religious devotions. 

But now the world itself is changing and there are competing foreign  power blocks, some using wealth and others religion.  The non-Buddhist religions in Sri Lanka have come under foreign influence,  and are being secretly financed  and infused with new religious fanatism which make them  take different political, and social moves that had not been evident  before.

The ordinary lay Buddhists are concerned with their day to day living.   The Government overlooks certain developments in order not to be partial to one community against others. Therefore, if there is danger to the Buddha Sasana the Order of Monks cannot wait  until the lay Buddhists or the Government come forward to safeguard the interest of the Buddha Sasana, therefore they Organise themselves, to draw attention of both the lay Buddhist followers and the Government to the dangers they foresee to the Buddha Sasana.

Perhaps the Editor is not aware that there was a period when there was what was called  Catholic Action that had interfered in the administration of the Governments causing considerable difficulties for the Buddhists not only in Sri Lanka, but also in many Asian Buddhist Countries. 
During the period there were very active lay followers of Buddhism who organised themselves to fight against the Catholic Action.  They, led by L.H.Mettananda formed into an organisation called Bauddha Balavegaya which put an end to nefarious activities  of the Catholic Action.
 
These foreign manoeuvres against Sri Lanka and the Buddha Sasana had taken place from time to time.  Thanks to the vigilance  of the Buddhists and Buddhist monks great dangers to the Buddha Sasana had been averted.   
 
Why does not the Editor of Ceylon Today ask himself,  why Muslims are under attack not only in Grandpass but in countries the world over, for instance  in USA, UK, Germany, France, Netherland, Denmark, Sweden and so on ?

Even in Sri Lanka the sudden upsurge of anti national activities of some sections of the Muslim 

Community is a new phenomenon.  Many fingers are being pointed at Saudi Arabia for promoting Wahibism and promoting the rise of  extremism  amoung the Muslims in the world. Halaal, Shariah Law, and Quazy Law courts   have now taken an importance of  immense dimension whereas they were not even heard of before.

How is it then that the Editor of Ceylon Today gives such importance to what happened in Grandpass which had been settled to the satisfaction of all parties concerned, without having at no time informed of the sinister developments taking place amoung the Muslims in Sri Lanka ?

In such a situation we should be thankful to the Buddhists monks for their vigilance making a hue and cry when necessary to draw attention of the people to disperse the danger.  Such foreign influence does not auger well for Muslims in Sri Lanka as well , as their being unnecessarily forced to create dissension amoung the communities  with whom they have lived for generations. Such foreign fanatism seeping into Sri Lanka Muslim Community will thwart the unity  and reconciliation of the Communities and hamper development which is of greater value to every one of us.

The Buddhist Monk is the pulse of the Nation, which could detect the dangers coming from other religions and from outside and give timely warning.  As Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan are Muslim Countries, Sri Lanka is a Buddhist Country.

The Editor  writes in his Editorial that , “ Buddhism has a long standing reputation as  a “tolerant religion”. The present day keepers of Buddhism should not desecrate that premise.  In the true spirit of Buddhism, their concerns about the wellbeing of the bulls and cows are well received, But, above all, they must respect the human life.”

It appears now with considerable interference in to  the affairs of Sri Lanka by some of the foreign countries after the elimination of  ruthless terrorism, the, “the long standing reputation of Buddhism as a tolerant religion”  has given easy access to those taking advantage of that reputation of  tolerance to spread their own religious extremism.

Buddhism is concerned not only of the wellbeing of the humans, but of all beings.  The present day keepers of Buddhism, as the Editor says are well aware of it and  their effort in that role of  keepers of Buddhism is to look after its welfare of all beings.  It is because of the tolerance of Buddhism and its keepers that the Muslims had been living amoung the Buddhists building their villages and mosques in complete freedom and acceptance.

With regard to the wellbeing of animals, the Muslims living in a Buddhist country which had accommodated them should in respect to the country they have made their  home,  stop  killing animals for food and to celebrate their religious functions.

In Peru virgins and physically unblemished young men were sacrificed at a religious festival.  But it was stopped after its conquest by the Spanish.  Can one imagine what would happen if  similar religious customs are perpetrated today ?

That is to emphasise what ever were  the religious practices of ancient times, they  need not be carried on now  just because they were written in the Koran and the Muslims have made it a custom,  when there are so many other things to offer to Gods, eat, and with which to celebrate festivals. 

According to the Bible the followers of the  God had made blood sacrifices and peace sacrifices smudging the altar with blood, but now the only sacrifice the Christians make is eating a Turkey for the Christmas dinner.  In the Munneshwaran Kovil thousands of innocent animals are killed to please Kali. Is this savage custom necessary in the present time ?

Why cannot the Government put a stop to animal sacrifices at the Munneshwaran Kovil forth with like the Spanish did to Peruvian human sacrifices ?.

These are the themes on which  the Editor of Ceylon Today  could if intelligent write his Editorials.

The Buddhist monks had always advised the rulers and the rulers of Sri Lanka had always sought the counsel and advice of the  Buddhist monks.  Therefore it is an exaggeration on the part of the Editor to say, “ It is also important that they comply with the modern tenets, which evolved over centuries and are now playing a pillar in the modern state system. That is the separation between the Church ( or to that effect Temple) and the State. ”

The Editor of Ceylon Today states, “Those hard-line followers should not tell governments how to run the country.  They should be cognizant of the fact that many great states in today’s world are  secular in character, including our neighbour India. They should be mindful and respectful of the sentiments of the followers of other faiths. ” 

In Sri Lanka as in many countries the  role of the State and the religion is well defined.  But it is often the Islamic fundamentalism that infringes into the secular Character of the State, by imposing their  religious customs such as wearing the Shawl or the Burkha in public.  In France where the children from Catholic families do not even wear the cross around their neck when attending school,  the Muslims demand the  schools to accept the shawl (a religious identity) worn by Muslim girls.
 
The Editor writes, “The government should safeguard Buddhism and its righteous values. It should fend off attempts to distort Buddhism and to give a bad name to the religion and its followers. Also, It should not use religion as a measure to  garner support to cling on to power.” 

The Buddhist Monks have a role to play vis à vis the Buddha Sasana.  That role also included the protection of the Buddhist culture which forms the life of the individual.  The Buddhism is  well known as a great teaching, and the  Order of the Sangha is known as the protectors of that great teaching  and its actions  is a necessity and the followers of other religions should understand the role of the Buddhist Monk in a Buddhist country-Sri Lanka, and  consent to a healthy dialogue in place of vindictive actions and  distortion of facts through media.

The Grandpass event had been settled in a peaceful manner, which the Editor has failed to take in to account .  The most importantly at the meeting held on the dispute that arose over  the Grandpass Mosque, the Buddhist monks agreed to chop off the Bo tree so that the trustees of the mosque could use the space to build an  extensions to the mosque. Also in an unprecedented gesture of religious tolerance and amity, the Monks had  also invited the trustees of the mosque to use the temple Dharmasala any time they wanted extra space for prayers.

Editor Ceylon Today please note the  above and understand for yourself that the Buddhist monks are generous and tolerant contrary to the image the Editor is projecting of the Buddhist monks.  Their actions seem harsh and intolerant  only when their role as protectors of the Buddha Sasana is misunderstood, and they are portrayed as intolerant gangsters by the media such as yours- Ceylon Today.

What happened to the Proposed PSC on the 13 Amendment ?

There was quite an excitement some where in mid July about taking a decision on the removal or removing certain provisions of the 13Amendment to the Constitution. PSC was appointed with the Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva in the Chair.   Then  a decision  had been taken to call the views of the public on the issue.  The last date to receive the views of the public was  fixed for the 9^th August, 2013. 

Since then nothing has been heard.  The elections for the Northern Provincial Council is to be held in September.  Therefore any decision with regard to the 13 Amendment has to be taken now.

In the meantime there had been many events that have shifted the interest away from the 13^th  Amendment.  But it is more important that a decision is taken on the issue without further delay. The opposition are getting ready to create a political  upheaval allowing the public interest in the 13 Amendment to lapse.

There was recently an article in the Lanka Web by Chandrasena Pandithage warning the President of the dangers he is facing from many forces out to discredit the government and isolate the Country from the international scene, forcing the cancellation of the CHOGM, and to project Sri Lanka to the visiting UN High Commissioner of Human rights as a country violating the rights of the people, and   where there is no freedom of worship, and where there is Communal strife. Not forgetting the TNA’s all out effort to win the Northern Provincial Council Elections.

There is  a real danger to the life of the President and it is timely that he takes precautions as it is necessary that Sri Lanka has Mahinda Rajapakse as the President of Sri Lanka for some more time to come, along with his trusted Defence Secretary.  

There is a possible danger from CIA and the RAW.  CIA was able to change regimes with the presence in a country of only one of its Agents.  The President Premadasa was assassinated by a person who was very close to him and who had won his confidence. 

Therefore, it is wise that the President takes necessary safety measures.  The most dangerous period for the President  would be from now until the end of CHOGM.  The  smell of money makes even intelligent men fall to lowest levels.  The Tamil Diaspora has money to make people to do the dirtiest possible work.  We already see some intelligent people , intellectuals at that,  already carrying out propaganda for the TNA

UNP is in the mean time signing MoUs with other opposition parties to topple the Government.  UNP is a failed political Party and even though thousands will turn up for manifestations they organise, UNP and the Opposition will not be able to topple the government by turning the  masses against the government.  In the hey days of LSSP and  CP their meetings attracted the largest crowds, but at elections the people did not places their trust in them as much.

But all that should be left aside  and turn the government’s attention to what is more important. A decision to remove the 13 Amendment should be taken without further delay, without allowing other matters to take priority.

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Dayan Jayatilleke’s jubilation at the Master Stroke of Sampanthan

    

“Justice Wigneswaran is a candidate that every Tamil can be proud of to have as his and her representative, and may make a Chief Minister that most Sri Lankans of whichever ethnicity or religion can be proud of. In fact he will have the salutary effect of raising the bar of performance for every chief minister and Sri Lankan politician throughout the island.”

This is the eulogy with which Dayan Jayatilleke expresses his jubilation at the master stroke, as he calls it of TNA’s Sampanthan. It may perhaps be too early for his jubilation as Sampanthan’s master stroke if realised may  turn out to be a poisoned thorn  in the body politics of a United Sri Lanka.  It may also be good bye to reconciliation and Communal unity.  Because it may seal the Communal Separation, giving place to another eventual cabal for  several more decades of terrorism and direct suffering for the Tamils of the North and indirect suffering for the rest of the country.

Of course Dayan Jayatilleke is spoken of as an intellectual of a rare quality Sri Lanka has ever produced- a political analyst of distinction. But whether that is enough for him to prophecy what Sampanthan’s master stroke will turn out to be, we will well have to wait and see.

Dayan Jayatilleke is a well read man, a diplomat, a  professor and a writer.  He has read so much  and instilled in himself a foreign “intellect”,  because of which  he cannot write a page without quoting from one of the authors whose writings he had read. It is so frequent  that one cannot help presuming that Dayan Jayatilleke has no thoughts of his own. 

His mind is to that extent shaped , pruned and constructed by the knowledge gathered from foreign writings.  Therefore  Dayan Jayatilleke cannot think as an ordinary Sri Lankan to  understand what type of political development is best for Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka had been colonised by  three European Nations. Its culture had been assailed by foreign cultures and left to gather dust for several centuries.  Thereafter the country  came close to be  territorially divided by a  blood thirsty Tamil maniac who took guns to make his dreams a reality. Even though the blood thirsty Tamil maniac is no more , there are his counterparts with the same dream hoping to realise it without guns- at least for the moment. 

They are more dangerous than the maniac who we have just disposed of. The worst of it is, that  there are those, who are intellectually different from the ordinary Sri Lankans who are ready to follow them shouting  in superlatives from roof tops their appropriateness to shape the political destinies of Sri Lanka.  Dayan Jayatillake is one such intellectual who follows a man with such a dream being dragged into politics by cunning politicians with a separatist plan. Of the choice of this man Dayan Jayatilleke says:

 “The choice of Justice Wigneswaran illustrates the kind of strategic thinking that is needed in politics when fundamental issues are at stake; strategic thinking that is willing to stand up to and sacrifice more obvious ethno-populist passions and pressures for the defence of vital interests of the entirety of the people and place one represents. The choice further shows a capacity on the part of Mr Sampanthan (and his able young supporter Mr Sumanthiran) to think through those strategic interests in a manner that transcends baser ethno-populist sentiment. In short, Mr Sampanthan and Mr Sumanthiran have accurately understood strategic Tamil interests which they have not confused with the lowest common denominator of Tamil sentiments.”

Dayan Jayatilleke cannot think independantly and depends on other peoples’ choices to fall in line with their thinking. All know Sampanthan and  Sumanthiran are the blind followers of the terrorist leader who dreamed of a separate Tamil EElam. They have selected to lead the Northern Provincial Council if they were to be the winners,  a man who thinks like them to assure the realisation of their pet dream the separate Tamil Eelam State.

Why do most of the Sri Lankans think that the TNA would be a bad choice of the Tamil people of the North to hand over the responsibility of the Governance of the Northern Provinial Council ?

Because Sri Lanka   had lost count of its strength in unity and its  potentials of development and progress during the many centuries of colonial rule, and had been dragged into a three decade of suffering under terrorism because of a wrong belief in a Tamil ethnic superiority for which TNA was responsible as a proxy to the terrorists.

 It is not through asserting the superiority of one community or another that the future development , peace and progress of  Sri Lanka could be assured, but it is  in forgetting the Communal difference and forging ahead as a united nation that  Sri Lanka will reach its goal of being a peaceful, contented Nation.

For that a man like V.Wigneshwaran is quite unsuitable. As Dayan Jayatilleke himself admits Wigneshwaran is a federalist, who believes in self dermination:

Dayan Jayatilleke states, writing about Judge Wigneshwaran:

 “He will not bend the knee and tug his forelock before the Sinhala Establishment. He is nobody’s "malli". An interview given to Ayesha Zuhair in 2011 reveals him to be a federalist who stands for the right of self-determination, though he never strays into endorsing secession. What is tricky is not the federalism but the fact that in most parts of the world, federalists do not stand for self –determination, though he belongs to that tendency which does.”

Is this the man we want to be the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council ?  He is suitable in the eyes of Dayan Jayatilleke, but is it  what  most of the other Sri Lankans want ? 

Dayan Jayatillake thinks that the South is racist (he means the Sinhala), which is the “ radical evil” now remaining in the South.  Dayan Jayatillake says:

 “With the forces of ‘radical evil’ (as the great Goethe designated it) defeated in the North and East but not yet in the South, it will be a harsh and bitter struggle though—and a grim, emotive, turbulent transition. Living with and accommodating a TNA run Northern provincial council led by Justice Wigneswaran will require and may generate a profound shift in the collective psyche.”

Dayan Jayatilleke who it has been said removed the images of the Buddha from the Embassy when he was the Ambassador for Sri Lanka in Paris, does not seem to have understood the ordinary Sinhala people.  The Sinhala people are far from being racists.  They always accommodated the Tamils and had no problems with them.  The Sinhala-Tamils riots which were unfortunate do not represent the Sinhala Mindset.

Even today, after three decades of terrorism Sinhala people have nothing against the Tamil people. What Sinhala people want is that the people of the Tamil Community  stop thinking in terms of Tamil ethnicity, but accept all communities as compatriots forming a one large Community of Sri Lankans.

Dayan Jayatilleke with his “construed mind set”, thinking with  his  “ foreign knowledge promoted intellectuality “ which has nothing of his own and least of  any thing Sinhala, is unable to grasp the simple political realities.  He is not of the common Sinhala people, hence he detests those not educated in English ?   
He says:

“The Sinhala Establishment has to get its head around the fact that though the Tigers were utterly defeated, the Tamil community has not been cowed and has bounced back politically. One of the reasons for this resilience and recovery is the continued availability of an educated elite, literate in an international language (English)—a sociological resource which has been depleted on the Sinhala side by and driven into alienation or exile by the state of suffocation imposed by the State. On the Tamil side the English educated elite is still available for politics and public service and is welcomed by Tamil society while on the Sinhala side, the public welcomes the incorporation of the elite but the dominant monolingual petty bourgeoisie which monopolises the state apparatus, does not.”

What a rash statement ? And he adds:

“The choice of Justice Wigneswaran as Chief Ministerial candidate shows firstly, that the Tamil professional elite is still intact and willing to engage in politics and secondly, that the Sinhala state which has shed the equivalent human resources will find it difficult to compete in the regional and international arena."

Dayan Jayatilleke is for keeping the 13 Amendment intact, and he says:

“It is not however a zero-sum game in which Tamil interests win and Sinhala interests lose. Indeed the choice they have pushed for, Justice Wigneswaran is the best chance to make the 13th amendment work and is therefore the best hope for North-South reintegration on the basis of frankness, dignity and mutual respect.”

That is the way he thinks the reconciliation will work for Sri Lanka.  He is mentally still living “haunted” by the period of Vardarajaperumal  and Pathmanabha, hence unable to come down to think of Sri Lanka stepping out of the past three decades of suffering under terrorism and beginning a “new life” attempting to form  a single Nation uniting the  three Communities,  seeking a different path from that which  it had been traversing  before terrorism. 

Dayan Jayatilleke says:

“Sri Lanka, it must be recalled, is haunted by the negative experience of the North Eastern Provincial Council. One of the reasons for its failure was the personality of Vardarajaperumal who was chosen as Chief Minister (despite my strenuous representations to the EPRLF leader K Pathmanabha as well as the Indian side). Perumal’s lack of political maturity and realism in dealing with the Sri Lankan state, his mercurial populism and alcohol-fuelled adventurism were among the main reasons for the mishandling of the inevitable contradictions between the periphery and the centre.”

The 13 Amendment is a deterrent to what is essential for the evolution of a “New Sri Lanka” devoid of Communal Separatism.   

That Dayan Jayatilleke does not seem to want, and therefore he  states:

“Justice Wigneswaran is hardly a Vardarajaperumal. Educated in Colombo and a distinguished senior representative of one of the arms of the Sri Lankan state itself, he has long functioned in a multiethnic social universe. A dignified yet outspoken, multilingual man, he is in the current circumstances, the best possible bridge between North and South. He is, in sum, the TNA’s Lakshman Kadirgamar.”

What a shame he compares Wigneshwaran to late Lakshman Kadirgamar !

Dayan Jayatilleke issues a warning to the Government ( or is it to the Defence Secretary his reference  being “the security managers”)  in saying, “If the deep state is hoping to de-stabilise the elected Northern provincial council, the security managers will have to think again. In the event of a manufactured crisis and a creeping or dramatic coup by the capital, who would be the better interlocutor with the world community; who would be better able to convince the world’s capitals? The national security fundamentalists or an erudite, reasonable, articulate ex-Supreme Court judge? “

With this type of statements  one really wonders how he could have been  trusted to defended a unitary Sri Lanka ?

Dayan Jayatilleke affirms, “ With Sampanthan, Sumanthiran and Wigneswaran, the fate of the Tamil community is in the best possible democratic hands.”

So far Sampanthan and the TNA have not shown any signs of being democratic.  They  are constantly in breach of the  Constitution of Sri Lanka , calling for the establishment of a separate Tamil Eelam State and  seeking the aid of foreign Governments to destabilise Sri Lanka . 

If Wigneshwaran were to be of the same ilk, reconciliation of Communities will be far from what Dayan Jayatilleke says,  “the best hope for North-South reintegration on the basis of frankness, dignity and mutual respect.”

Weliveriya in the Limelight

On 12 March 2012 the Mail Online reported , “NATO troops in Afghanistan are on high alert after the Taliban vowed to avenge the deaths of 16 innocent civilians - including nine children and three women - who were shot and killed by a rogue U.S. soldier who opened fire after suffering a 'mental breakdown' early Sunday morning.

 The Army staff sergeant, stationed at a U.S. base in Kandahar, entered three Afghan family’s homes at 3am and began the vicious killing spree. Relatives of the dead said he then 'poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them.'

The shooter is an Army staff sergeant from Fort Lewis-McChord in Washington state, and was believed to have acted alone.”

On 27 March, 2011 Rollingstone Politics reported under the title, " The Kill Team:How US Soldiers in Afghanistan Murdered Innocent Civilians."

“Cpl. Jeremy Morlock and Pfc. Andrew Holmes, saw a young farmer who was working by himself among the spiky shoots. Off in the distance, a few other soldiers stood sentry. But the farmer was the only Afghan in sight. With no one around to witness, the timing was right. And just like that, they picked him for execution.

He was a smooth-faced kid, about 15 years old. Not much younger than they were: Morlock was 21, Holmes was 19. His name, they would later learn, was Gul Mudin, a common name in Afghanistan. He was wearing a little cap and a Western-style green jacket. He held nothing in his hand that could be interpreted as a weapon, not even a shovel. The expression on his face was welcoming. "He was not a threat," Morlock later confessed. ”

All that is without mentioning killing of children , men and women in Pakistan boarder villages with American drone attacks.

It is America with such a history  which speaks about its concern over Weliweriya incident. I t has been reported that, the U.S. State Department in a release to Indian media has said, that “We are concerned by recent violent incidents including shootings in Weliweriya, Sri Lanka," US State Department seems to have nothing better to do than having its eyes riveted to Sri Lanka.

It was a manifestation of the people  over pollution of water that had been turned out by those who are  waiting for an opportunity to make the best of any situation for their political gain that caused the tragic loss of lives. The American State Department would have been more wiser if it had requested the government how it could help to provide the people with fresh water, without making it a diplomatic issue to find fault with the government and interfere into  a matter which the government is dealing with satisfactorily despite the loss of lives. 

The people of Sri Lanka know very well that the Armed Forces would not be deployed if any situation could be brought under  control by the Police. It is only when the Police demands the Military intervention that the Armed Forces are moved in.  That the American State Department should know very well without being over concerned about such a situation happening in Sri Lanka.
In the Countries of the International Community these incidences are not uncommon, in France they call them “bavures” –blunders, only difference is that the US State Department does not express their “concern” and the Human rights activists do not interfere. But Sri Lanka will, unfortunately remain the concern of all interfering bums, whether it  does any thing good or make any errors. In European Countries there is a special security force that intervenes in manifestations and their actions are often criticised as disproportionate.

Sri Lanka Armed Force has a greater link with the people. The soldiers of our Armed forces are also our own children. They do not  flare out unconcerned of the security of the people.  They are an army experienced in providing protective  cover.  The Army when it is provoked by elements who are determined to  discredit the Army by throwing petrol bombs and stones, cannot remain without reacting. It is those provocateurs who are primarily responsible and should be blamed  for the death of the  three youth, and not the Army.

The  Army cannot be present at a scene of  disorder with the situation getting  beyond control, with their arms folded and suffer the petrol bomb attacks by disorderly elements.  That is what the CFA forced the Army to do when the LTTE terrorists were occupying the areas allocated to them under the CFA.  It is easy to find fault with the Armed Forces , but who were responsible to  have made the manifestations at Weliveriya go beyond police control.

It is only the Government and its allies that continue to keep the country’s development going and make the best of  even the worst situation despite occasional difficulties that it has to face. 
The Opposition parties in Sri Lanka are less National minded and make use of every  opportunity to discredit the government not because they love the people and the country better but because  they are hoping that  they could topple the government and force new Presidential and Parliamentary elections. 
The TNA may or may not win the Provincial Council elections , but even if they were to be elected, the people will not allow TNA to divide the country or have their own way in the North.

In the meantime Bar Association is also trying to make things difficult for the Government, taking up the Weliveriya issue as they are aware that there is  big money in Government bashing.  The unlimited funds in the hands of the Terrorist Front Organisations and foreign visits sponsored by the USA Statement department are tempting issues that the BASL would like to profit from.

Catholic Church  is as usual busy with its under hand activities. The water pollution in Weliveriya over which the people had manifested had been apparently settled in the presence of a Catholic Priest. 

The authorities concerned had come to an agreement in consultation with the parties concerned to test the water and provided fresh water until a permanent solution is found.  It was apparently after that a second manifestation had been organised.

UNP is as usual seeking political mileage without attempting to find a solution without allowing the matter to take an International proportion. 

The Government is also partly responsible to have allowed  such a situation to arise in Weliveriya.  The Government has gone a long way to provide the people with houses, roads, transport and  electricity , but providing fresh water to the people is as important.

The Government should know that the people should come first even at the cost of constructing lesser hotels, lesser golf links or not opening casinos to promote tourism , and  importing lesser number of Lamborghinis to please the rich few.  The respective public administrative authorities should be aware of their duties and should provide facilities for people’s health and comfort.

UNP calling for an International Investigation on the Weliveriya issue is most despicable.  Sri Lanka belongs to every one what ever political views one holds and keeping it away from foreign interference is the duty of every one.  What is happening in Sri Lanka is not any thing different from what happens elsewhere in the world.  It is not the fault of the Rajapakses. But there are far too many stake holders who would like to make Sri Lanka a failed State.

The unfortunate deaths in Weliveriya are very much regretted.  We are all responsible for such situations. For thirty long years we have sacrificed a large number of our youth to provide for us living today peace and security. Why should we now make situations difficult and solutions impossible ? 

We should help each other  to find solutions for the common benefit of all the people and the country.

Do Western Delegations to Sri Lanka come to see progress and development after terrorism, or confirm their prejudices against Sri Lanka ?

It was announced that an European Union Parliamentary delegation led by Jean Lambert has arrived in  Sri Lanka on an Official visit.   It will meet with the Government, the opposition and other groups during their stay which is due to last one week.  Jean Lambert is the Chairperson of the EU Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia.

She is the woman who stated that she is concerned about reports of threats and attacks on human rights defenders and journalists in Sri Lanka and encourages the authorities to hold those responsible for accountability.  Therefore one can be sure that the EU Delegation will not make any objective observations after  their visit. 

These are people who take it for granted , being “White Europeans” ,that they know every thing happening in South Asia  and have the solutions for the problems. They come already prejudiced that the Government is accountable for all problems with regard to the Tamils of Sri Lanka. 

They will officially listen to the government , but their more important concern will be what the Tamil people will have to say against the government to confirm their own views and  “concerns with  the governments violation of human rights and violation of free media”.  At the end  of their visit they may say they are satisfied  with the progress that has been made,  but , “there is more to be done “

These delegations even before they come know exactly what they are going to say.  Therefore Sri Lanka need not be overly exited by  the visits of these delegations.  They will not after seeing the extensive development projects that have been carried out by the Government after the end of terrorism, and the government’s  remarkable progress in  the development  of  the living conditions of  the people in the North and East from what it had been before, make any positive remarks. 

There is of course  more to be done but what has been done just after four years of  destructive terrorism is singular.  But these visiting delegates are unable to  look at the situation from that point of view and make a statement to encourage the government and the people. 

They will harp on “human rights” and ask for "accountability".  These are their catch phrases.

On the 11 July,2013 there was a Televison Programme  in France 2 of the French Television , “ Carnet de Voyage d’Envoyer special.”  It was  a report by a special reporter  on Tourism.  In the television Magazine announcing the Programme the caption was “ Sri Lanka: a paradise in troubled waters”. 

The introduction read, “ After thirty years of Civil War (they never use the word terrorism, and for them there are no terrorists in countries like ours, they are “ freedom fighters” or “ rebels”), Sri Lanka has become a destination very much sought after, but in the North of the Island, Tamil families have been stripped of their lands.”

The Special Reporter to  Sri Lanka had not bothered to  show to the television spectators the attractive scenic beauty of the land.  They showed a French family  of tourists in a poor village area searching for crocodiles.  There were quick shots of the South, but gave more time to a visit to a village of thatched huts of poor fisher men in the North along with a Tamil journalist from one of the Tamil Journals which they said is critical of the Government. 

The Journalist took the special reporter to buildings under construction and explained they were hotels being constructed by the Ministers of the Government. They showed a barbed wire fence and said it is a forbidden area where poorer Tamil people lived. The journalist acting as a guide to the Special Reporter said that the tourists are taken only to selected areas, as the Tamil people whose lands have been robbed by the government  to construct Hotels live in deplorable conditions in areas where the tourists are not allowed to go.

The French Special Reporter was taken to the buildings under construction.  The workers  doing the construction work, the Tamil Journalist said, were the soldiers.  He added speaking to the  Special Reporter that, as there is no war the Sinhala military men are out of work and they  now work in hotel construction to earn money. 

There were several building constructions and the Tamil Journalist said that they are all hotels owned by Ministers, being built on land “robbed” from the poor Tamil people.  He said that  25 000 people were made landless in the area.  The programme did not boost tourism but confined to a report of the Tamil people in the North, and how they are  being discriminated against by the Government. The presenter of the programme  said in conclusion , “ behind the beautiful Post Card showing the scenic beauty of Sri Lanka is the  blood and tears of the poor Tamil people  robbed of their lands and left destitute.”

The West is out to make Sri Lanka no better than a poor country in  Africa  where the  Government Ministers and officials  make money caring the least for the well being of the poor Tamil people.
That is what every Western visitor seems to say when they get back to their home countries after enjoying the hospitality of the people of Sri Lanka.  They seek out Journalists like those of the Udayan News Paper and “swallow” all they say as the Gospel truth.

A presentation to the Select Committee of Parliament to Recommend and Report on Political and Constitutional Measures.

Mr.Neil Iddawala,

The Secretary to the Select Committee of Parliament to Recommend and Report on Political and Constitutional Measures to Empower the People of Sri Lanka to Live as One Nation
Parliament of Sri Lanka
Sri Jayawardenepura,

Kotte,

SRI LANKA

Dear Sir,

Reference to the request made by the Select Committee of Parliament on the 10^th July, 2013, to make representations with regard to (i) preserve and promote their respective identity and live with dignity and security as one Nation, (ii) enhance the unity of the people of Sri Lanka, and (iii)  empower the people and the country to promote social, economic, political and cultural development,  I make the following presentation.

The 13 Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka should be completely and wholely removed for the following reasons.

The 13 th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka could be looked at  from two different points of view.

(i)              as a part of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, without taking into account how and when it was introduced in to the Constitution, and

(ii)            as a  requirement under the Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord  signed in  July,1987, to  include it  in the Constitution of Sri Lanka as the 13th Amendment in return for India to disarm the Militant groups and the LTTE terrorists, and establish peace.

Hence,  under item (i)  there is no problem in keeping or  removing the 13^th Amendment considering it only as an Amendment to the Constitution.  Sri Lanka had three Constitutions since its Independence.  The Present Constitution was promulgated in September,1978. It has 18 Amendments.  If the circumstances necessitate,  the Parliament  could remove the 13 Amendment  by a mere two third majority in the Parliament  or  seek a mandate from the people to  remove it.

All promulgations of a Constitutions,  or amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka could be carried out by the Parliament of Sri Lanka accept where it is necessary to  call for a referendum of the people.  No foreign country has the right to intervene and dictate in the preparation of a Constitution, promulgation or bringing in Amendments to it.

Under such circumstances what we do with the 13 Amendment to the Constitution is the business of Sri Lanka and not that of any other country in the world.  The Parliament could modify the 13 Amendment, or remove it completely from the Constitution according to the powers vested in it.

But under item (ii) referred to above, if the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka were to be considered a part of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord, then the question arises  as to whether there is a legal and a valuable reason to leave the 13 Amendment  in the Constitution of Sri Lanka after March, 1990, when the last IPKF contingent left Sri Lanka having lost 1155 of its cadre and having failed to settle the on going terrorism or disarm the LTTE and the  different Tamil  Militant groups under the terms of  the India Sri Lanka Peace Accord- without  giving satisfaction to the  Peace Accord by India.

The deployment of an Indian Peace Keeping Force to disarm the LTTE and the different Tamil militant Groups and establish peace by  India, in return for Sri Lanka to enter the 13 Amendment  into the Constitution of Sri Lanka  and establish Provincial Councils were the requirements  under the Peace Accord entered into by Rajiv Gandhi and JR Jayawardhana  signing the India Sri Lanka Peace Accord on the 29 July,1987.

Unfortunately when India withdrew its IPKF having failed to satisfy the  Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord, Sri Lanka had already satisfied its part of the Peace Accord by introducing the 13 Amendment in to the Constitution and establishing Provincial Councils, believing that India would be able to disarm the LTTE and the Militant  Groups to end terrorism and establish peace.

However, Sri Lanka did the mistake of not making provisions in the Peace Accord to hold the insertion of the 13 Amendment into the Constitution of Sri Lanka until the IPKF showed to the satisfaction of Sri Lanka  that it was able to carry out its promise to disarm the LTTE and the Militant Groups and establish peace.  The result of that failure was that Sri Lanka satisfied its part of the Accord well before IPKF proved not only that it was incapable of disarming the LTTE, but also that the LTTE terrorists were a force far stronger than  it  expected.   

The end result was that the Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord was breached by India without giving satisfaction to the Accord , with Sri Lanka  having an unwanted 13 Amendment  left in its Constitution.

Therefore the Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord entered into by Rajiv Gandhi and JR Jayawardhana was revoked in March, 1990, by one party to the Peace Accord-namely India having failed to give satisfaction. Therefore the Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord signed in July,1987 is a defunct instrument without any legal value, and logically the 13^th Amendment which is an off shoot of that Accord is now an illegal instrument which has no place in the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

If in June,1987 India did not intervene by dropping relief food supplies to the terrorists held in siege   by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, the terrorists would have been defeated  and terrorism in Sri Lanka would have been terminated in 1987.

But because of the Indian intervention the terrorism continued its  destructive presence for 22 long years.  Therefore, the Indian Government is responsible for all those loss of  lives, wounded soldiers and civilians ,  damages to material and the economic  cost of war during that period.  Sri Lanka Government therefore has a legal right to claim compensation from India. 

It is clear that Since 1987 India had acted in bad faith vis à vis Sri Lanka with an ulterior motive.  It is an open secret that India took an active role in the defence of terrorism in Sri Lanka. It was made evident when India sent  a convoy of unarmed ships in June, 1987 to Jaffna, followed by airdropping  relief supplies to terrorists in siege.

Sri Lanka should also not forget  that in NJune,1987, the Indian External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh had  summoned  the Sri Lanka High Commissioner in New Delhi to inform him of India’s decision to air drop relief supplies to the rebels(terrorists) and had  threatened that if the Indian Operation was hindered in any way India would launch a full force military retaliation against Sri Lanka.  It was after that Sri Lanka was forced to sign the Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord on the 29 July, 1987.

Has India changed since then ?

But Sri Lanka had always acted in good faith despites India’s hidden motives.

India fooled Sri Lanka to accept the 13^th  Amendment prepared by Indian legal Officers to facilitate the terrorist to  eventually establish a separate  Eelam State by strengthening their hold in the Provincial Council once established.  For that purpose North and the Eastern Provinces were merged into one under the so called Peace Accord.

Sri Lanka naively  included the 13^th  Amendment into the Constitution in good faith in order to get the Indian Peace Keeping Force  to disarm the LTTE and the Tamil Militant Groups and  establish peace as India had agreed under the Peace Accord.  India however failed to keep its part of the agreement and abrogated it by pulling out the IPKF in 1990.

India cannot now  claim any legal right under the defunct Peace Accord to intervene to demand Sri Lanka to implement the 13^th  Amendment.   The 13^th  Amendment is an appendage that remain from an rescinded  accord and has no legal value.  The Sri Lanka Government need not  turn to India to have its consent to remove the unnecessary vulgar appendage-a symbol of shame, the 13^th Amendment.

The government may get a legal opinion and remove it by a resolution in Parliament  failing which it may call for a referendum.

India has to stop its continued aggressive demands with regard to the 13^th  Amendment as India has lost its right to make such demands as far back as in 1990,  and implementing or not implementing the 13^th  Amendment is now a matter which has to be decided by Sri Lanka  alone, without India’s unnecessary interference.

However, Sri Lanka has the legal  right to  demand India to pay compensation for the breach of the Peace Accord through India’s failure to give satisfaction to the Accord, resulting in the loss of  human lives, disability to persons and damage to property caused from 1987 to 2009 through terrorism, plus the economic cost of the war  against terrorism to Sri Lanka which  is estimated  at USDollars 200 billion. 

The 13^th  Amendment has no relevance to Sri Lanka in its present context, therefore it has no reason to remain as an  Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka is making considerable effort to reconcile the Communities eliminating even  the majority and minority concept of the people.  The Tamil people have to be made to accept themselves as a part of the Sri Lankan people and unite with the other Communities in a Unitary Sri Lanka.  That would not be possible under the Provincial Council System established under the 13^th  Amendment which will only perpetuate separatism.

Sri Lanka should set up a system of Regional Administration in keeping with its own cultural and social background with a view to eliminate Communal Separatism.  Such a system of Administration should stretch  from village level to Government as the Centre.  In it  all Communities should be brought together preserving their respective identity and  assuring security from village level on wards.  Such a system will promote unity of the Communities that will be able to settle differences at village level. It will also pave the way  for the people of Sri Lanka as a whole  to promote and participate in  social, economic, political and inter cultural developments.

These positive developments will not be possible under the Provincial Council System which has created an  intermediate system of Administration which is akin to a Parliamentary System, distancing the Provincial Councillors from the ordinary mass of people , unable to integrate into the different social levels of the society because of a pseudo sense of a higher economic and social status. 

The 13^th  Amendment should therefore be removed  completely from the Constitution of Sri Lanka, which would enhance the Independence of Sri Lanka as a Sovereign State without India claiming a right to intervene in view of a breached, and  now defunct Peace Accord to which  India was a party.

Therefore, it is my opinion that in the interest of our people  who should live in dignity and in security amoung  their fellow country men in peace and harmony,  the 13^th  Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka should be removed  wholely and completely leaving no  trace of it by a  two third majority in Parliament,  or  by a referendum of the people.

In conclusion I would like to remind the Select Committee of the Parliament that the President since his election, without the support of the UNP and the rest of the Opposition, had determined and carried out under immense difficulties tasks that none other political leader of Sri Lanka had dared even attempted, and achieved success. 

Therefore, in the removal of the 13^th Amendment from the Constitution too he need not depend  on the support of the UNP, the TNA and  other Political Parties which have only restricted self interests. The President should without hesitation do what has to be done in the interest of the people and the country as he has already proved he is capable of doing, and remove the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution and face boldly any consequences for which he will have the support of the people. 

I pray for the President, the people and the Country the blessings of the Triple Gem

Yours Sincerely ,

Charles.S.Perera