'THE NATION' Readers Comments

Date & Time- 3/7/2010 10:14:22 PM
Name - Sandra Fernando
Email - sf.insl@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Sandra Fernando
Comment - The writer of the above article refers to the need for investment in the country. Let me see - road development projects, bridges, a harbour, an airport, innumerable public buildings - no, no, none of these can be considered investments. We need to dismiss these things that have already caused the improvement in the lot of so many of our poorest. What should we refer to as an investment, then? Something that benefits Colombo? Oh, why, then - there have been next to none over the past 5 years. Too much money has gone into benefitting the poor and that cannot be referred to as investment. Shame, shame, shame. The fact that so many of our own have been renedered more powerful economically - no, we cannot countenance that. "Investment" must only impact the urban middle class for it to qualify to appear on the radar. How could I have missed such an obvious point!

Date & Time- 2/28/2010 2:58:43 PM
Name - Satina Junaid
Email - satinaj@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Satina Junaid
Comment - Can somebody help me about this question of "secret ballot".
What is secret ballot. At the last Pres Elections our electoral number
was written on the reverse of our ballot paper. This identifies the voter - so how can this be secret ballot. The outcome being after the elections people were penalized. How can this be stopped. Bringing this to the EC would be useless as noone takes any notice of the EC. Any suggestions?

Date & Time- 2/21/2010 10:08:38 PM
Name - seyed M.M.Bazeer
Email - sbazeer'yahoo.co.uk
Subject - The Nation - Comment seyed M.M.Bazeer
Comment - Dear sirs,
You have published a portrait of Ali Zahir Moulana who is a minister in the Sri Lankan embassey in the USA in lieu of Azad moulana who is the official spokesperson of the TMVP. I believe you will correct this error asap.
Yours faithfully
Seyed Bazeer

Date & Time- 1/30/2010 1:51:37 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera22@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - SRI LANKAN PEOPLE ARE VERY UNLUCKY PEOPLE AFTER IT'S 1948 INDEPENDENCE.GOVERNMENTS OF LANKA,JVP AND LTTE KILLED OVER 500,000 AND OVER ONE MILLIION CITIZENS LEFT THE COUNTRY AS IT BECAME UN LIVABLE TO MANY MILLIONS.IT SEEMS SITUATION IN LANKA BECOMING WORSE THAN EVER WITH NEW CHEATED ELECTION.ALL THE GOVERNMENT RESOURCESS ILEAGALY USED AGAINST WAR HERO FONSEKA AND NOPW HARRASING HIM DAILY BASIS.HE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR ASSASINATION WITH 2 POLIMEN GUADING HIM.WHAT A SHAMELESS COUNTRY TREATING IT'S MOST RESPECTED WAR HERO AT THIS CHEAP LEVEL.SHAMELESS AND DIRTYNESS OF THE MAJORITY OF LANKA PEOPLE NAKEDLY SHOWS THEIR ANIMALNESS OPEN WAYS BY NOT EVEN PROTESTING AGAINST THIS DISGRACE.WHY THE GENERAL OFFERED HIS LIFE FOR TO PROTECT THIS KIND OF ANIMALS IS THE GREAT QUESTION NOW.

Date & Time- 1/24/2010 8:44:38 AM
Name - RENU MARLEY
Email - renu@renukamarley.co.uk
Subject - The Nation - Comment RENU MARLEY
Comment - My dear comrades
“As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
However today I want to bring your attention to the characteristics of the Nelson Mandela Vs Mahinda Rajapakshe’s as we have covered the characteristics of Sarath Fonseka’s VS Edi Armin on our previous lecture.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God (as I’m a humanist I would say glory of the Brain capacity to understand what is world has come in to today) that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
(The above speech by Nelson Mandela was originally written by Marianne Williamson who is the author of other similar material." The actual author of the quotation is Marianne Williamson. To be precise, it is from her
1992 book, "Return to Love)
ear Comrades
Perhaps most of you remember that just before Sarath Fonseka publicly declared his love for justice, peace and democracy to be upheld by making the SL Army bigger better which was his job by the way I want him to do which he did not do, and how he has forgotten that he was also the part of the Executives team who liberated the country from the ruthless Suicide bombers.
Then he goes and abandoned all these values due to a condition called "Conjoined Quadruplets Myslexia" (which is fictional but similar to a parasitic twin double up).
Oh I beg your pardon readers as within this case it will be the United National Front (UNP Sri Lanka) Conjoined Quadruplets who wanna be trustable changes (wishwasaniya Weneasak) the parasites who running out their steam, Granary and power to control poor people of SL. Just like the parasite we have in our head, head nits louse. Parasites can affect the intestine, liver, circulatory system, brain, skin and other organs. I hear that some of the (UNA )United National Alliance controllers have crabs too. However, Sarath got caught to the parasite syndrome whom UNF’s is the parasite, Sarath our greatest General became the host. May be you are aware of what is the Parasite Syndrome, anyway if you do not know here we go it s sound like this.
Most of the women and men I know from Sri Lanka who are hardworking. For example, my friends whom are in the Parliament of SL, works 160 hours or more a week while being a good husband and also the father, bread winner all that.
However, over my 23 years and over 5000 cases and materials to support the clients in my career, Advocate, Politician, community activists counselling practice, in my out-of-work conversations, and in reading trend pieces in the media, I've observed a dramatic increase in the number of people, capable people, afflicted with what I call the Parasite Syndrome.
Here's how the Parasite Syndrome prototypically plays out:
1. After graduating from a brand-name college, the parasites in-training go abroad, for example to UK, USA, NEWZEALAND, AUSTRALIA or France, to "find themselves." They return a month or year later, no clearer, although perhaps more desirous of a pleasant and fulfilling life.
2. They take a pleasant and/or fulfilling but low-paying job within the house of parliament or be and organiser, Private Secretary to an Mp or they will joined the forces as Military officers (Most pleasant and fulfilling jobs pay poorly--supply and demand.) But because of a desire to live a middle-class lifestyle, the person mooches off parents or romantic partner.
3. At this point, many of the these parasites-in-training know that Sri Lankan tax payers will be the host who don't make good money losers who all want to be the President of the country unfortunately they were never ever face the people to get elected, but they want people to give them the big jobs in the country. And so, many more female than male would-be-parasites find innocent tax payers victims as their host.
This is how I want to find the closure I need as this unwanted unnecessary election which stresses my people were done by the Parasite of UNF who lack of host to carry out their blood sucking feeding habits. Instead of getting on with the job what my President was elected do, Instead of rehabilitations and rebuilding the country UNP as usual decided to create kayos within the country. They have robed the rights of Northern IDP’s.
Southerners whom stood by those whom left LTTE and joined our side. The chance of Government delivering its end of mandate to the people of Sri Lanka as one unite nation.
The Parasite of UNF managed to break up the relationship with our dear Friend and some of those families whom stood by the country and its men who liberated the country from the 0ver 30 year old civil war. They managed to rule and divide the Executive and our own people. Those days they could not stop allowing LTTE to develop their boarders. Now the UNP ineffectual political front full of men who spread hetaerism among Singhala people. However, as long serving SLFP member and a sympathiser, as I was born to that party, I share some of the responsibilities’ where we have gone wrong. We would have work hard to build the difference with the General. It was a lost opportunity.
However today I want to bring your attention to the characteristics of the Nelson Mandela Vs Mahinda Rajapakshe’s as we have covered the characteristics of Sarath Fonseka’s VS Edi Armin
Nelson Mandela was born the son of a Tembu tribal chieftain on July 18, 1918, at Qunu, near Umtata, in South Africa. He renounced his right to succeed his father and instead chose a political career. He attended college, became a lawyer, joined the African National Congress (ANC) in
1944 and helped found its powerful Youth League. In 1962, he was arrested by South African security police for his opposition to the white government and its apartheid ("separateness") policies of racial, political, and economic discrimination against the nonwhite majority. In 1964, the government brought further charges including sabotage, high treason and conspiracy to overthrow the government. This is Mandela's statement from the dock at the opening of his defence in the 1964 trial. I insert here some of his words as I had pleasure meeting him London. I did not have a huge discussion with him, but it was a good exchange of admiration of the work we do in our community, how we become elders of the people as people allow us to serve behalf of their future generations.
I am the First Accused.
I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Arts and practised as an attorney in Johannesburg for a number of years in partnership with Oliver Tambo. I am a convicted prisoner serving five years for leaving the country without a permit and for inciting people to go on strike at the end of May 1961.
At the outset, I want to say that the suggestion made by the State in its opening that the struggle in South Africa is under the influence of foreigners or communists is wholly incorrect. I have done whatever I did, both as an individual and as a leader of my people, because of my experience in South Africa and my own proudly felt African background, and not because of what any outsider might have said.
During the debate on the Bantu Education Bill in 1953:
"When I have control of Native education I will reform it so that Natives will be taught from childhood to realize that equality with Europeans is not for them . . . People who believe in equality are not desirable teachers for Natives. When my Department controls Native education it will know for what class of higher education a Native is fitted, and whether he will have a chance in life to use his knowledge." Moreover, Africans who do obtain employment in the unskilled and semi-skilled occupations which are open to them are not allowed to form trade unions which have recognition. Prisoner 466/64
The previous victor in Sri Lanka's presidential elections, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a Buddhist lawyer who is described by his people as "a rebel with a cause". The highpoint of his presidency was the defeat of Tamil tiger rebels in May 2009. That victory is closely associated with the cause with which he has been associated longest - that of the Sinhala community of southern Sri Lanka, into which he was born 60 years ago. The southern Sinhala’s first voted for Mr Rajapaksa in 1970, making him - then aged 24 - the country's youngest ever parliamentarian. "He comes across as the home-grown country boy (to the poor farmers and fishermen) whom they feel comfortable with," analyst Jehan Perera told the Associated Press. Mr Rajapaksa comes from a political family - his father, DA Rajapaksa, represented the same region of Hambantota from 1947 to 1965.
As labour minister, Mr Rajapaksa tried to push through legislation to guarantee the rights of workers - but failed after complaints from big businesses.
While in charge of fisheries and ports, he became popular for his scheme to find new housing for slum-dwelling fishermen.
Until his appointment as prime minister, he was opposition leader in parliament.
He is a member of the governing coalition United People's Freedom Alliance. It won most seats in the general election, but not enough to gain a majority. He launched his campaign for the presidency by rejecting the rebels' demands for Tamil autonomy.
So lets talk about Mahinda and his time, similar to Mandela the lawyer of human rights, prison, loosing the chance to say good bye to his mother, spend his few young years behind the bar, may be not as much as Mandela.
Then the prison sentences of sitting with all these failed leaders, for several years not rocking the boat. With the belief of that change maker.
Like smoker of drunk or drug addicts, keep saying that they will stop and change for good. These are hard times. That is why I support his as it was his call this time, no one else to preside on that Chair as the His Excellency President who he earned it well he deservers it. Not the General who had played a major role too, as the LTTE blood did not wash out of the soil of mother Lanka, then the all those soldiers, civilians, and the IDP’s.
He was talking to his people getting his head around managing day to day affairs with Iedirie Dakma manifesto plan, then also out of the bad publicity, war crime allegations of War Crime, left right and centre. Then well the Parasites and host did miss guided our team.
And so his waiting as my granny used to say that Kana Kasbawa phrase kana kasbawa wiya siduren eliya balanawa wage wena it has happen. Was respected for his frankness. He was blunt in a way that the public found truly refreshing for a top politician. It was the moment for which he had built his career. Fight with The other main obstacle to the economic advancement of the Sri Lanka is the industrial bar under which all the better jobs of industry are reserved for who knows who only.
However, when I met him during the time he was PM, in London he said to me that as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest. He said that he is Campaign for Action Against Poverty represents such a noble cause that Mahinda himself could not walk away from that mandate. Then I remember my time with Mandela at the Trafalgar square where he great man said “I say to all those leaders: do not look the other way; do not hesitate.
Recognise that the world is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision. “ However then only I knew that my work here in UK are good noble causes, but my people back home are I left them to fetch, so we have to get together, be with Mahinda to delver it.
Did or did not Mahinda Rajapaksa deliver?
Two days after this article is published, the nation will vote for a president. Millions will go to the polling booths and cast their votes for the candidate they believe is best suited to rule this country.
This is my final closure of the unwanted election which stresses my people instead of getting on with the job what my President was elected do.
Instead of rehabilitations and rebuilding the country UNP as usual decided to create kayos within the Friends and family who liberated the country from the civil war. They managed to rule and divide the Executive and our own people. Those days they could not stop allowing LTTE to develop their boarders. Now the UNP ineffectual political front full of men who spread hetaerism among Singhala people.
However while we were looking at possible progressive plans he told me that every vote in this election is precious to him he told me that.
No-one's support should ever be assumed. That is the strength of our democracy.
We earned the trust of the people in 1994 with H E Chandirka, - after 18-20 may be if I may remember long years of opposition.
Today we have to earn that trust again.
I know now by following him for the last two months in the campaigned trail that Mahinda stand before you today with a sense both of humility and of hope.
Humility, because though we can take pride in many achievements since May
19 , we know we still have so much to do, so many challenges still to overcome; and we know also that though we have striven at all times for your trust, there have been times of difficulty too.
Hope, because in every area of our national life that we promised change, however much remains to do, there are also the foundations laid for a brighter future, real progress, beacons lit showing us a better way.
Four years ago, you gave us, new mandate, and a majority larger than I, or anyone else, believed you would. That large majority was never a reason to do the job quickly. It added the responsibility to do it properly, for the long term.
No government of change, in any country I can think of, has done it all in one programme, one budget, or one term. Four years has given us the chance to build foundations. But now the work must go on. There is a lot done, a lot more to do and a lot at stake in this election, which offers a more fundamental choice between the two main parties than for many years.
So what are these foundations and what must we build upon them?
The achievement that has most gladdened our supporters and surprised our doubters has been our emerging economic record.
This is a New Progressive untie government pursuing economic prosperity and social justice together.
more people in work than ever before, living standards are rising. It didn't happen by chance, but because we took the tough decisions needed to lay the foundations of economic stability by eradicating LTTE terrorism from the country and also raising the awareness around the world, putting Sri Lanka on the map for him good or bad publicity.
Now we must go further, meet the challenge of economic change sweeping the world, and give our people the skills, the technology, the know-how, so that everyone gets the chance not just of a job, but of a career, able to earn a decent living and to make the most of themselves.
Nothing is possible without that basic, hard-won economic stability. This year, because of the difficult choices we made in our first two years, we will spend more on schools. There is a different set of priorities in our country today.
When we had the money to invest, we were clear what the number 1 priority would be. Freedom of movement and minimising the conditions for poverty, Education for all not for few who can get to private tuitions, The priority then, now and in the future.
In nurseries and primary schools in particular, we have seen real progress as real investment and change has taken place.
But now the same step-change must be driven through our secondary schools and universities, so that we end once and for all the old sense of resignation among too many in Sri Lankan that their children can't get ahead. That there are several systems of education, one for the privileged, and the other narrow and steep for the rest of the young.
Health services rebuilt according to its founding principle of quality health care available on the basis of need, not ability to pay.
Crime has fallen 10% since the war and police numbers after falling for a decade are now rising again. But drug abuse still blights too many lives.
Violent crime still threatens too many communities. So progress, but again, further to go before, with the new investment, we have the largest ever number of Armed and police officers Sri Lanka has seen.
The job fund and FEB has shown that governments can make a difference in the fight against unemployment. Our programme of international jobs, welfare reform has led to benefit bills falling in real terms for the first time in decades. But we know that there are still one in six non-pensioner homes with no-one working; and still, we need to reward our pensioners who have saved hard all their lives. Full employment for our generation and security for that of our parents and grandparents.
In other areas like transport or inner city regeneration, there are many development I seen while I was in Sri Lanka plans for investment and renewal, but we are acutely aware of how big the challenge is that lies ahead.
We will see development through strengthening Tamils, and Muslims minorities’ community’s leaders power of devolution, a new partnership that has strengthened the United Sri Lanka and a peace process in Northern & East that offers the only hope of a peaceful future. But again much more to do.
So the work goes on and now I think that his Excellency seeks a mandate not simply for more of the same; he seeks a fresh mandate for radical change.
Most people, quite rightly, do not pass their time immersed in politics.
They have the bills to pay, the job to do, the family to raise, the thousand different pressures of everyday life with which to contend. But a general election is different. It is a chance to explain, to engage in a sustained argument about the big issues, and about the country's destiny and direction. The decision as to who governs is a fundamental one for any nation. So in an election that dialogue is possible. People listen. They hear the arguments.
I‘ve seen how HE MR travelled to every part of the country, not just defending our record, but arguing for the changes our country needs. The spine of his campaign is a series of speeches that set out the challenge facing the country, and the reforms needed to meet them.
It's great that we have quite stable economic management compare to other some of countries credit climates. But it's not enough. We need a step-change in productivity, skills and enterprise. And he told me that the promise that he needs reform to deliver it.
I'm proud that we're getting in record investment in our schools and hospitals. But it's not just money our public services need, but real reform to make that money work, and make our public services work for the people who depend on them.
It's a step in the right direction to get Law and order rising again. But on its own, that's not enough. Not when we have a 19th century criminal justice system coping with 21st century crime.
It's an achievement that we have the welfare bills falling. But there are still too many people not working who could be, and so continuing economic reforms, taking our country forward with the new world order, with the Sustainable developments. Will be essential to United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance second term agenda.
I'm proud too that Sri Lanka is no longer marginalised and isolated in world. But we are not yet the leading our nation in unite Sri Lanka that our weight, prosperity and history demand.
As United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance Leader He seeks a mandate not just for continuity but for change, for a Sri Lanka, strong, modern and fair.
He seeks a mandate to make all the reforms necessary to strengthen, modernise and revitalise our schools, Public and Private Services jobs, hospitals and infrastructures Development.
He seeks a mandate for investment. Investment to extend opportunities.
Ending years of cut backs that denied young people the chance to get on.
He seeks a mandate for further reform of the welfare state. To make the tax and benefit system reward work, tackle poverty and penalise irresponsibility.
He seeks a mandate to make Sri Lanka stronger - stronger because we are engaged with the larger world, Europe and the wider world, showing our leadership, not in retreat.
But it is a choice that I cannot make alone. The challenge is there for you as well as me. For I see the differences between the main two parties as more stark than at any time since 1983.
For we know today's UNP party would take us back, back to negative equity, high mortgage rates and boom and bust; back to cuts in public services; back to social division; back to the margins of influence in Europe and the wider world.
So there is a choice. This election is about which party the Alliance United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance can be trusted with the economy, which party will invest more in our public services, which party is capable of leading Sri Lanka into the future.
We have made our choice. It won't be easy. Nothing good ever is.
You all know that any success you have ever had in life, whether an exam passed or a promotion gained, has had its mixture of tough choices, personal application and even pain.
But afterwards, comes the fulfilment of a great goal achieved. And President Mahinda Rajapakshe’s goal at this election is this: it is not just to win your vote, but to win your support, win your heart and mind in the fight for change that him and his Alliance unitary leading. And it is change for a purpose: to create a society and nation, where everyone, not just the privileged few, gets the chance to succeed.
We have all heard the term "people in their place". I say to you today; he has and must reach a time, in our time, when the only rightful place for every man, woman and child in Sri Lanka is where their talents take them.
So the great issue of this election is opportunity for all, not just the few. This election is about a radical vision of lifting barriers and liberating people’s potential in a decent society, where everyone gets the chance to make the most of their God-given rights and talent.
We stand: As he promised
For more investment for all, not less,
Economic stability the foundation, Real changers’ to Schools and hospitals first, Public services reforms’, most definitely to put a stopped to those so called corruptions,
Radical reforms and equal chances.
Sri Lanka is a great nation. It has so many strengths. But its biggest strength is its people. They, you young people here today, are the nation's potential. This is the time, and ours is the task, to set your talents free and build a land of hope and opportunity for all.
Now you, the people, will decide
We are @ SEDA We thank you all for being with us here today. Mostly I must pay my sincere gratitude to the most humble and wonderful public’s servants I met during my trail in Sri Lanka, how good impartial and improved publics service team who welcome all of us expatriate with open arms. Few years back I had the pleasure meeting and getting some services, justice from our public services and it was not a nice place to be.
Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. We know that you all can be that great generation now. Let your greatness blossom. Of course the task will not be easy. But not to do this would be a crime against humanity, against which I ask all humanity now to rise up.
Make Poverty, Divisions and belittlements History in Sri Lanka. Make History in 2010. Then we can all stand with our heads held high."

Date & Time- 1/20/2010 12:15:09 PM
Name - Tilak J
Email - jayawardena4@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Tilak J
Comment - During the war I supported MR from the bottom of my heart. Even I have sent money for his war related programs. Even now I appreciate only for his political leadership at the war time. But now I support SF for the following reasons.
(1) Just after the war MR failed to pass credit of the victory to war heroes namely 6000+ war heroes who sacrificed their lives and 30000 war heroes who were disabled and their families.
(2) He failed to pass the credit to the general public who were living with enormous difficulties from sky high cost of living.
(3) He failed to appreciate expatriate communities who were struggling with LTTE Diaspora to keep up the good image of the government and the army and in educating and convincing foreign governments about brutal acts and unreasonable demands of LTTE.
(4) After the war he failed to give some sort of relief in term of cost of living.
(5) After the war he failed to reduce number of ministers of mega cabinet which I thought, was a reasonable thing because he needed a strong government and gave minster posts to keep MPs with the government.
(6) He failed to reduce family favouritism which means his relatives are in high posts.
(7) He failed to stop sky high corruption, which I know from my friends in Sri Lanka who are in the construction industry and how the authorities are demanding commission.
(8) After the war, MR Government could have reduced cost of living, reduced mega cabinet, stoped corruption and family favouritism , restored law and order and gone for election after 2 years of good control.
(9) Holding the election before two years will signal, that MR wants to continue his current style of rule.
(10) SF is known to me as a very clean, well disciplined officer and anti corrupt. (He will never betray the mother land). As an example he completely cleaned the army from wide spread corruption. (Those who were dismissed because of corruption and various illegal activities are now with MR slinging mud to SF.)
(11) SF was narrowly escaped the death two times in the war to save the
motherland- that is my Sympathy, MR is not.
(12) MR failed to properly treat SF for his victorious military leadership. ( He was let down by giving a Secretary Post in a ministry in which the Minster is a so called “thug”, which means SF has to say Sir even to Ex terrorist Karuna , This is not totally acceptable.)
(13) He was given ceremonial position which was said to be not even properly gazetted.
(14) Instead of the above he has celebrated the victory of the war with his family,and friends like Mervin Silva and his mega Cabinet which is unbearable to the country’s economy.
Because of the above reasons I support SF also I have told my family and friends in Sri Lanka to support him. You may find I am very reasonable. I will stick on this until next election.

Date & Time- 1/17/2010 9:20:44 AM
Name - Herold Leelawardena
Email - 237padukka@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Herold Leelawardena
Comment - Here in the political platforms of Sri Lanka, General Fonseka is claiming that he is the man who wiped out LTTE and all its leaders. He is asking us to vote him on that account. Our people are not uninformed any more. Moreover, we have a literacy rate of 93% for entire country, and 97% for Sinhalese. So, most of us could understand how and what led to LTTE and all its leaders had been wiped out.
At the last phase of the war, the so-called world leaders rushed their emissaries here to put pressure on President Rajapakse. They had wanted to stop the war and save its leaders to fight it on another day. Shrewd as he is; Rajapakse somehow managed to withstand the international pressure until our army finished the terrorists en masse. We have not heard any of the said emissaries meeting General Fonseka and asking him to stop the war. Least, we have not heard any of them talking to him at the time. But we remember many an Indian delegates coming here like yoyos to meet the President.
Exerting pressure on Sri Lanka President to stop the war with LTTE is nothing new. When LTTE leader Piripaharan was about to meet his fate in 1987, Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi had come to his rescue. In order to subjugate President Jayawardena, Gandhi had ordered the famous air drop of lentils to Jaffna. JRJ squeezed his tail between his legs and ordered our commanders to get back to barracks. When Piripaharan grasp the real motive of Gandhi, he had him blasted with a suicide bomber. The rest is history.
Anyway, four of our earlier Presidents tried to beat LTTE. They failed because their attitude was wrong, approach was wrong and policies were wrong. The man with a brain in his veins, JRJ was daft enough to make an enemy out of India. He had been known to be so pro-American, he was called Yankee Dicky. JRJ was the solo supporter of the British at the UN when they invaded Malvinas. Yet, neither the US nor the British had supplied even the basic arms in his fight against LTTE. Instead they had provided enough arms and all other paraphernalia to LTTE through their agent, Norway.
After electing a long list of wrong leaders, we have finally elected a leader who had the correct vision to eradicate the LTTE menace. In spite of all kinds of national and international impediments he had wiped out not just LTTE but all its leaders as well. There are no blasting by suicide bombers or no claymore bombs explode anywhere in our country. We feel safe to move about without fear. No wonder people are so grateful and happy. Out of sheer joy, they called President Rajapakse the king. What’s wrong with that? Didn’t the rockers call Elvis the king? Only hoaxers, fraudsters, hypocrites and the bugger that continually fail takes it literally.
Long before General Fonseka became the so-called common opposition candidate for the Presidency, he has been trying to portray himself as the sole war hero. He started undermining all war effort by all others.
Fonseka stressed; 95% of the fighting was done by the army. At a meeting in June 2009, General Fonseka said that he left no terrorist alive in Nandikadal; not even their bowels were left out.
Fonseka had wanted to convince us beyond doubt that he alone had done the job for us. Out of euphoria for concluding the war, we could not see the true colours of the General. But anyone with a balanced mind should have read the signs; but none did. His degrading of the Navy and the Air force contribution for the war effort to a mere 5% is pretentious. It took us awhile to realise, how wrong we were.
In an interview with Miss. Federica Janz of ‘the Leader’ Mr. Fonseka put his whole foot in his foul mouth. The manner in which General Fonseka tried to complicate Rajapakse brothers to war crimes shows his lack of ungratefulness to his mentors. Mr. Fonseka has forgotten that it was President Rajapakse that extended his service just two weeks before his retirement and appointed him as the commander of the army. If that didn’t happen, Mr. Fonseka would have been just another retired major General today. Instead, he praised the woman who declined to extend his service and boasted that his service would have been automatically extended to be the commander of the army because ChandrikaK had given a three year extension to the then army commander. Mr. Fonseka has been insulting our intelligence many a times, since.
Complicating his subordinate Major General Shavendra Silva to war crimes is worst. It clearly shows how the man can yield up a subordinate for a petty gain. General Fonseka should have known that his effort to complicate Major General Shavendra Silva and Rajapakse brothers to war crimes do not absolve him of his complicity to crimes that he talked about. What a stupid move! When he realised the folly, Presidential candidate Fonseka backtracked. Backtracking of what is said to have said a day before is by no means just a vacillation. It shows the untrustworthiness of any man. How could we vote such a man to be the President of this country?
Having penned my opinion I offer the General my greatest admiration for beating LTTE and killing all its leaders, en-masse. We do not worry who killed Nadesan or Pulidevans or Ramesh or any other terrorist for that matter. We do not worry whether they carried white flags or claymore bombs at the time. Indeed we do not worry who ordered them to be killed. What mattered to us is they are no more to harm us.
So, we should not utter one word against those that killed the killers because they are nut murderous but patriots. Whoever wins the Presidency on 27th January 2010; the process of eliminating the remnant of the terrorists has to proceed unhindered. Hence, we have to think whether President Fonseka (hypothetical) could do that job with his now found friends.
With friends like Mangala who said Fonseka is not even suitable to command the Salvation Army, would a President Fonseka will be able to eliminate any remaining LTTE rumps? With friend like Ranil who said army conquered Toppigala is a mere jungle, would a President Fonseka will be able to eliminate any remaining LTTE rumps? With friend like Kiriella who said any fool (Fonseka) could wage a war, would a President Fonseka will be able to eliminate any remaining LTTE rumps. With friend like Mano Ganeshan who had opposed emergency that was necessary beat LTTE, would a President Fonseka will be able to eliminate any remaining LTTE rumps. With friend like TNA Members of Parliament that still proceed with their road map to Eelam, would a president Fonseka will be able to eliminate any remaining LTTE rumps. Certainly not!
International community (IC) may have cajoled Fonseka to contest against Rajapakse to thwart that effort. But they should know that they will lose this time as well. IC may have manipulated international papers to portray that Sinhala nationalist vote is divided, 50-50. They may also have inculcated their NGOs and INGOs to write fairy tales about Fonseka winning the Presidency. But, that’s not the true picture here in Sinhala villagers like the one that I live.
To tell the truth, I am yet to find anyone who had voted for Rajapakse’s party at the last PC election that has abandoned them since. True, True, staunchest UNPers that had been on hibernation have come out to disseminate all kinds of gossip and tittle-tattle against Rajapakses. But the none-card carrying silent UNPers are dead silent. Whether they will go to the voting booth on 26th is doubtful. Even with their vote, Mr. Fonseka would get less than 40%.
I have been looking among the UNPers all over to place a bet against Fonseka winning the Presidency. But there were no takers. It appears that people are reluctant to bet against Rajapakse. In my opinion, it is a clear sign for the outcome of the election.

Date & Time- 1/15/2010 1:21:00 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera22@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - SRI LANKA IS A COUNTRY OF DOZENS OF PROVEN FAILED LEADERS.DURING INCOMING ELECTION,VOTERS ILL HAVE GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE HO IS THE BEST ABLE AMN TO SOLVE THE MAIN PROBLEMS FACING THE PEOPLE.PRESIDENT MAHINDA HAS PROVEN DURING LAST 4 YEARS OF TIME,HE IS NOT ABLE TO SOLVE THE HIGH COST OF LIVING,NOT ABLE TO IMPLIMENT RULE OF LAW,NOT ABLE TO CREATE CRIME FREE COUNTRY,NOT ABLE TO STOP CRIMINALS CRIME ACTIVITIES,PRESIDENT HAS PROVEN SHAMLESLY THAT HE IS A GOOD FRIEND OF NOTORIOUS CRIMINALS HO KILLING WRITERS,KILLING POLITICAL OPPERNENTS AND PROTECTING ELL KNOWN DRUG DEALERS AND SUPPORTING THEM.CORRUPTIONS ARE NO UNLIMITED AND RULING GROUP HAS ALLREADY CREATED SUHARTO AND MARCOS STYLE CORRUPT FAMILY RULE.IT IS TIME TO ELECT A CORRUPTION FREE MAN,JUST LIKE GENERAL FONSEKA AND GROUP WHO ARE FOR DEMOCRACY,CLEAN GOVERNMENT AND PLAN FOR PROSPEROUS PEOPLE.VOTERS DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THE COUNTRY FROM DESTRUCTION.WHO DIDN'T SOLVE THE PEOPLES PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT GIVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO ROB THE COUNTRY.

Date & Time- 1/15/2010 11:33:00 AM
Name - Nilesh Sebestian
Email - nileshsebestian@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Nilesh Sebestian
Comment - I wish not to praise any particular candidate, cause they all are stained with blood either through words or deeds or both while in power
or will be when in power, I was analyzing with what the incumbent president had done within 4 years to the country and I am purposely
ignoring what he has done to himself or to his family, because hardly you find any politician that have been in power before without
corruption charges. Right now It seems corruption took place only upon
post-2005 presidential election or better still after 18th May
2009? Are we to assume that the opposition camp many of whom held cabinet posts during previous governments are supposedly without any
form of corruption to their name? It’s just they are asking for a chance for the same sins to be committed and repeated. I’m not
interested in an ideological win or a loss between MR and SF supporters, but I’d cry or shed happy tears for the country, not sure who
wins, but worried country would fail once again …..I’m not looking at bloated ego or ideological win based arguments or celebrations.
Irrespective of the winner, I’d still be sad until the country is slowly but surely moved out economic doldrums and cleared the bad name
we’ve been destined to suffer for so long.
For a leader, who delivered so much just in four years, can we ungrateful sri lankans only give four years against a bunch of mofs - i
don't have to explain what they were 8 months ago. shame too on a great general like fonseka for joining hands with them - how
rajapaksha's turned out to a bigger foe than TNA, UNP, Mano and Mangala - I still don't understand and there seem to be no better
explanation than ego, greed and authority. Saddam Hussain, Gaddafi, Idi Amin and all victorious military leaders felt the same way after
victory and for the same reasons too, we realised after they began to rule. what did they turn out to be and what happened to those
countries under them. politicians cannot be military experts, and military experts cannot be successful politicians. MR did not interfere
in military, he supported all military requirements, and requested gotabhaya to coordinate with the 3 forces and march towards the common
goal. MR was appointed due to his credibility and ability. appointing him to the right position instead of shantha kottegoda itsekl is a
major decision taken by MR and gotabhaya. Kudos to them. SF did a remarkable job, and he should have retired in grace, and we all would
have hailed him as a true and a genuine hero and he would have been in our hearts forever.
corruption, the campaign momentum runner; singapore is ranked 4-5 yes ?
but who do you think is the richest and most powerful family in
the country ? its not a big secret, everyone with singaporean connections can clarify and they will confess but in private - the
consequences are well known to those who have insights. However, these leaders liberated the nation from mainland malaysia and they
developed it over a period of 45 years, one day at a time and hence singaporeans has been grateful to them and made sure these most
richest and powerful leaders are voted again and again to power as a mark of gratitude for the liberation and for delivering progress,
gradually - not in eight months or four years.
We Sri Lankans should learn to take a gradual approach in terms of our expectations for the country, our dreams of an ideal president or a
government etc. our dear citizens shouldn’t forget that we are a 3rd world country with an economy and a reputation in shatters. Rewind,
look back, all the presidents who governed for so long could not end it.
They added insult to injury, made things worse, survived with
maybe corruption and at least did not clearly devise plans to start mega development projects to say the least…. Not that they did not, it
was not good enough because clearly they were not going to end the war.
For a leader of a country, it is not a good decision to end the
long running war, because the repercussions it would have like:
international community, grants, aid, relationships, money required for
such a massive war, human catastrophes, governance of the country during the war, ethnic harmony and re-uniting the lost pride during and
after the war, political stability – remaining in power, protecting the government from the opposition, journalist and their wielding of
the pen to tilt and bias a nations opinion, coupled with opportunistic actions of everyone within government and the opposition and also
knowing the grateful and the ungrateful citizens and their opportunistic behavior. It is too high a risk to take when you know you have
only 6 years to survive as a president and when there are elections of all sorts in between. Would you as a president, take such a deadly
decision? Or would you not prefer a comfort zone, with one or two development projects in between to appease the citizens, some form of
governance and wherever possible make money through legal as well as illegal deals and bid adieu in 6 years. To me any president who
decides to end this deep rooted war is a president with a spine, and a no nonsense president and someone with some form of respect and
love towards his country. MR was the one. I as a citizen would first and foremost give my highest appreciation for such a decision. I wish
to be grateful.
I’m satisfied with the 4 years of MR’s governance. Why? Because he has ended the 30 years curse that was a dream or a rare hope for the
nation for 30 long years. We need to give value and weight to realistic, possible, prioritized factual expectations we as citizens had
desired from a president. With such mess around, it was first things first kind of approach he took, and to me he prioritized and
delivered it to the citizens. That not alone, it was done in grand style, adding value and respect to the Sri Lankan passport and
uplifting the respect of Sri Lankans around the world. We all know what he, as the nations president went through during the course of the
war!!!! He surely did went through all the negative points I have mentioned above that are associated with dealing firmly to end a war. He
withstood them on our behalf, met friends and foe alike, when wolves in sheep’s clothing tried to dictate terms, he played the cards well,
made Iran and china best friends and made sure, what was started, never ended a half baked cake. If the former general thinks he deserves
100% credit for ending war, he is clearly mistaken. It would be quite important to read Professor Rohan gunarathne’s evaluation of the war
to understand who deserves the special credit, and he was appointed by none other than MR himself. Gotabhaya was the key and the prominent
figure to end the war, he is an unsung hero today.
My two cents worth commoner’s logical reasoning is good enough to re-appoint him once again to develop the country. I’m not asking for
another Singapore, but we can take little, but firm steps to do so and it is my bounden duty to give the president another chance cause we
supported his first priority, and he delivered. We need to support his second priority, and believe he will deliver!!!. If we change
governments now, whatever the momentum we have gained will come to a grinding halt. My thinking is not to change the pillow each time we
have a headache, but rather give a considerable amount of time and chance to any leader to deliver what he has promised, as clearly stated
and emphasized by a great leader like Dr Mahatir. Both candidates have advantages and disadvantages, I’m training myself to look at the
bigger picture….and hence, just out of gratitude; for deciding to end war, and doing it in grand style within 4 years and kick starting
mega development projects within the 4 years is good enough for me to be grateful for a president whom we never had before. (Maybe DS
senanayake). If Sri Lankan could vote Chandrika to office twice, why not Mahinda who had promised and delivered which none of us thought
was possible!!! ?
I prefer to support the long term prospects of the country and how a Mahinda win would to an extent complement the momentum we have gained
within this very few months/ years…that’s my thinking process, and hence not against sarath or anyone at all… if you travel around Sri
Lanka, I’m sure that you will witness the slow, but sure pace of development, flyover, road conditions etc the new sri lanka is movinf
forward with. In 1969 we had our first flyover designed, but never had the capability to use. Imagine with the open economy pro UNP
governments which was in power for 17 years (and the successive PA
governments) couldn’t add a single flyover!!! Simple facts, sri lanka
is a country with flyovers and highways (soon to commission).
Its just that I cant give chance to fate where JVP and UNP and in between Sarath with no political experience would govern the country…..
Consciously don’t want to sacrifice or gamble the country for such an eventuality, and hence prefer the known devil than the unknown devil
…definitely I’m not against Sarath Fonseka…or any other candidate…. Why do we care, none of us get a morsel of their under hand deeds if
at all, so to speak !!! but what matters most is that Sarath Fonseka became famous as a army general (thanks to MR), but it doesn’t mean
he can govern a country. He seems to be in anger and in greed of power, and quite clearly caught up in a trap set by JVP and UNP. He’s
trying to convert his popularity to become a president of a country, now that’s a big mistake. He divided the unity of the Sri Lankans
after the war. We were well united to move the country to economic prosperity. We are divided today and LTTE supporters and the Diaspora
are having a filed day, because we are the laughing stock.
MR took one of the hardest decisions ever as a president, and he completed it in style, in between, started major mega developments
projects that no other president has ever done. All within 4 years. There are shortfalls, but overall, he’s past 4 years is good enough
for citizens like us to be grateful to him. i cannot gamble the country’s future to an unknown politician with a deadly mix of political
allies (JVP + UNP + TNA). Imagine a SF win, how could a politically immature person in governing a country take decisions, when JVP and
UNP are at ideological loggerheads? And what about TNA’s demands? Why did we fight and win, when we could have shared the land into many
states as per each minority desire? And to top it all, remember, there will be a very strong opposition for SF and each mistake they make,
the SLFP will be eagerly waiting to topple the SF regime. And how sure are we that SF will not be corrupt? How sure are we that Rajapakse
family corruption will not be renamed as fonseka-tillakarathne family corruption? Can we gamble the country to fate? To assumption? To
luck? Assuming that SF and the clan will do a remarkable job? Who can assure? And is that all? Who can assure that UNPers will not be
corrupt once in power? Don’t we have many names in UNP camp with corruption to their names? And what about JVP given an opportunity in
power and how they would fare corruption, well, I’d rest it to divine intervention to salvage Sri Lanka in such an eventuality. I may be
wrong, but its hard to find anyone in power without corruption, or at least corruption charges, hence rather than wasting time, it would
be wise to push the leaders to develop the nation through major developments projects and by doing so, letting them get their commissions
… I have no qualms with such a deal. After all we had presidents who failed to end the war, who failed to lay the foundations to develop
the nation, but who were rightfully or otherwise were corrupted or at least charged for the same!!!!! What would you as a hapless sri
lankan choose??? We cannot change anyone once they are elected, they can do whatever fancies them, but if they are uplifting the nation,
uplifting the standards of the country and its citizens, then I don’t mind turning a blind eye to their corruption accusations. Logical
reasoning I suppose.
if sri lanka votes SF on the 26th, I will ask my self and everyone close to me; whether toilet cleaners or the sri lankans are the
greatest?? Pls. win or loose, i think the toilet cleaners are the greatest. They can be toilet cleaners but their loyalties and gratitude
is a class above us as humans. Eight months ago, almost every sri lankan was full of praises of MR and the clan, they hailed, praised,
sang glory halleluiah’s and drank to glory. I say, loyalties of the sri lankan nation will be tested this time and we can know what sri
Lanka is made of very soon. i already know a few, how many more i want to know in two weeks, if at all.
MR cleaned the mess, and now we are returning the favor for the next hurdle - development. Not sure whether MR would succeed in his second
term, but we are all hopeful 100%. We citizens should first learn to be grateful before we demand anything more.
That’s what a grateful nation should do on the morning of the 26th of Jan.

Date & Time- 1/11/2010 4:45:06 PM
Name - Joanna Satcunan
Email - joanna_azure@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Joanna Satcunan
Comment - This comment is regarding an article published in the soul magazine on the 10th of January 2010, titled “Where will you travel to in 2010”. The article talked about the various vacation spots that today’s Sri Lankan youth would like to visit. One of the places mentioned was Toronto, Canada. Sadly while discussing this potential holiday spot, the writer had mentioned and I quote “Getting the Canadian visa is certainly something else although; heading over to the visa office you will find it swarmed with Tamils but the real problem lies behind the glass pane where the interviewer sits”.
Not only was I left wondering if the writer ever goes through what she sends over to be printed by this paper, but I was left disgusted by her way of putting it across that Tamils in general were something to be disliked by comparing them to a swarm of flies. True , the Canadian visa office is crowded, but to generalize this crowd as being solely comprised of Tamils and Tamils alone, which by her use of the word “ swarm “ of Tamils, she must be indicating that this crowd was highly disagreeable.
Adding to this the writer continues on to say that however the real problem lies with the interviewer behind the glass pane. Indicating, that not only is this crowd a severe problem, but that the problem lies with the fact that the crowd was comprised solely of Tamils. This could even be taken as an example of vilification. However, what upset me the most was the fact that, with this article being especially targeted towards the youth of the nation, the next generation, how such statements would affect their opinion of an entire race. Are we encouraging the young of people of Sri Lanka to consider all Tamils as pests and people to be disliked, by comparing a large group of Tamils to a “swarm” of flies ?. Not only is this highly disturbing , it disappoints me deeply that such a statement had been written in a prominent Sri Lankan paper, whose Soul magazine is widely read by most Sri Lankan youth.
I would kindly ask the paper to refrain from putting such statements in, which can be taken as being offensive to a section of the population.
Yours truly,
Joanna Satcunan

Date & Time- 1/8/2010 11:24:07 AM
Name - Shenali Waduge
Email - shenaliwaduge@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Shenali Waduge
Comment - Fonseka Camp proves politics makes strange bedfellows
If ever we thought politicians had principles we are being proved wrong as each day provides enough reason to accept the famous simile that birds of a feather flock together. So we have an opposition camp – referred to as the common opposition united only to oust the incumbent President. Should we not wonder whether this is the correct ingredient to actually seek election to the highest office of a country? Has the incumbent President in his presidency of 4 years done any worse than what previous Presidents have done? As voters we need to know exactly why we should not vote for President Rajapakse & why we should vote for Sarath Fonseka?
If President Rajapakse had announced Presidential elections immediately following the May 2009 victory…he is sure to have gained more than 65% of the vote…had he called for Parliamentary elections the trend would definitely have flown in the favor of the UPFA. However, none would have expected the present scenario six months into the defeat of the LTTE & what makes the present scenario all the more poignant is for voters to actually be alert & not allow politicians to get the better of them.
Change is good so long as that change does not necessarily equate to a change from bad to worse especially when that change rests upon a very high risk factor. Fonseka may project himself as a common candidate but the reality of his candidature for the post of President is as an INDEPENDENT candidate though he is being camouflaged by the backing he is receiving from opposition parties. The simple fact remains that he does not have a political party. He is not a member of the UNP/UNF or the JVP..or any of the other parties that are presently supporting him. The swan symbol that is representing Fonseka as he bids for the Presidency belongs to the New Democratic Front & registered under the name of Mrs. S Perera though Fonseka is not a member of this party as well. Ideally what we have is a situation where the entire opposition camp is united for revenge. This seemingly “united” opposition…are purely bound together by the motives that brings them together & that binding is purely on the grounds that this “Opposition Camp” desires to oust the incumbent President – it has nothing to do about the country or its people. Which should realistically raise doubts amongst voters to ask themselves whether they are prepared to vote for a man who is realistically speaking purely an independent candidate & one who can at any given time leave the country if the presidency is too rough to handle. The allegiance with the UNF & JVP has worked well for several reasons…as an independent candidate Fonseka would never have been able to garner the organization skills, vote base or campaign support alone. For the UNF, the realization that it has no proper candidate to actually oppose Mahinda Rajapakse was a reality check in itself. Yet, how many in the UNP calculated or cared to wonder whether their traditional support base actually favor their decision to back Fonseka as an opposition candidate especially in the light of the decision to team up with the JVP & do they think that these numbers are not likely to effect the overall figures? It is interesting to know what arguments traditional green voters have to make now that the UNP leaders & JVP leaders have suddenly become the best of chums? Obviously both sides have forgotten the scores of innocent victims both mercilessly murdered not too long ago.
We suddenly see the Fonseka camp overflowing with supporters all desiring revenge against the incumbent President. The Tamil National Alliance survived in politics only & only because of the LTTE – they would not be represented in parliament at all if not for the LTTE…therefore it is no surprise when this party that openly backed the LTTE now backs the very man who claims victory for the defeat of the LTTE. Did we not say politics makes strange bedfellows? In so joining the Fonseka camp what the TNA has done as the “elected” representatives of the Tamils is to completely alienate the Tamil populace & go behind conditions that demands that Fonseka back a bid to resurrect the LTTE! Not much said of any ‘legitimate” grievances of Tamils. So we have a war hero who played his role in eliminating the LTTE now contesting for the presidency but accepting with open arms the very party that echoed the voice of the LTTE in parliament & even agreeing to re-merge the North & East. Furthermore, into this Fonseka camp enters the former Chief Justice who by virtue of his verdict de-merged the North & East, yet is now declaring that the North & East should be re-merged & it is curious then to know what the main movers of this FR motion to de-merge the North & East – the JVP one of the key players in the Fonseka camp may have to say about this alarming new position to re-merge the North & East (these sudden developments certainly does brings India’s role into these developments taking place)….can we make head or tail of what these “common opposition” parties are actually cooking up for Sri Lanka? All of them carry bag & baggage that should provide voters the wisdom to think twice before casting their vote…. For have any of these parties cared to ask of their supporters whether they agree to align themselves with leaders & parties having opposing views & policies?
If voters are not wise to wonder how an Independent President in the form of Fonseka is to balance his presidency with the policies of the UNP, JVP, TNA, Hakeem, Mano Ganeshan, Mangala …& many others that are likely to join this colorful retinue of supporters…it should only open up the voters eyes to the reality that the future is as bleak as the confusion in answering this very basic question. The west would have liked a puppet leader in the form of Wickremasinghe but the west is also aware that the UNP has lost its place amongst the people – the rural base. So now the West finds in Fonseka a suitable person to market given his popularity post-war…thus it has suited these strategists to allow a party such as the UNP to wither from the political scene thus we see the Elephant logo soon go into oblivion unless green voters rise to defend their party… & its symbol. The architect of all these deals possibly Mangala has nothing to lose…therefore everything contrived will only be a means for him to gain if the strategies work out according to plan.
So what of Fonseka’s election manifesto…whether a higher percentage echoes UNP policies or JVP policies or policies that combine the desires of the Opposition parties we can deduce that neither is the manifesto a binding document as well as the reality that hardly 1% of voters actually read the manifesto & vote upon it. Why create manifestos at all? These pledges of eliminating corruption is really gobbledygook especially when the very men surrounding Fonseka & assisting his campaign have plenty of corruption dealings against their name while they were in their power….when Fonseka could not eliminate corruption in the military while he was commanding officer how can he eliminate corruption in Sri Lanka when he is surrounded by corrupt politicians?
Of course….if Fonseka is to actually win the election…he can dash the hopes of his entire opposition camp & resolve to be President on his own grounds…his own policies…his own beliefs which we do not know & he has every right…for the people have voted for him. He may like to ponder if things would have fared different had he appeared as a totally independent candidate! The catch in belonging to a “common opposition” makes him have to “appease” the different parties that are funding, campaigning, organizing his campaign. If we notice inconsistencies in his speeches it could possibly be that he is confused with what he has to promise on stage (things that he has agreed with these parties) for it is unlikely that these are the thoughts that he desires to actually implement when he comes to power….therefore, it is natural that listeners of his speeches are baffled about the manner he plans to govern the country – he himself must be tormented with what he must say publicly & what he has intentions of doing if he becomes President. This is very important for voters must be aware that at any given time Fonseka can & has every right to completely ignore all of the “agreements” made with these “common opposition” parties & their leaders & rule the country as he likes for 6 years too (or until he is impeached in Parliament, perhaps) Moreover, when significant details alleging him of irregularities while in office have been tabled in parliament it behoves any aspiring presidential candidate to prove his innocence. This is a far cry from the “rumors” that are floating about the incumbent President. The question remains why the common opposition has yet to table anything with documentary evidence against the Rajapakses’ in parliament. If the Government could do so against Fonseka…why hasn’t the opposition done so against Rajapakse?
Therefore, voters who presently feel that a change is necessary for Sri Lanka should first ask themselves how that change is likely to be guaranteed. What type of change are they looking for? Corruption is the fancy word that is being used…Fonseka for an “uncorrupt Sri Lanka”…seems the popular slogan..but why is it that an “uncorrupt Fonseka” has no reply to allegations that have been made against him in Parliament. Then UNP voters must always remember what they faced at the Colombo Municipal Elections…let them not be misled again…or will they? Do the UNP voters especially the urban vote base actually think that Fonseka will hand over power to Ranil Wickremasinghe…? May be they should repeatedly listen to Fonseka’s claim that he does not want to be a “ceremonial” leader …because unless the UNP vote base understands what they are heading for it will be too late after the 26th January when not only their leader but the entire party that has a long history of pride in Sri Lanka is likely to enter a phase of no return. For the JVP they have nothing to loose…they are a dwindling party..with their support base relying on innocent youth whose lives the JVP leaders enjoy playing around with but the fact that they are openly canvassing for the former chief justice to play an integral role in the Fonseka presidency leaves UNPers especially to question what place the UNP & its main team is likely to have or in the least what assurance of UNP policies are likely to be accepted by Fonseka not before presidency but after becoming the President? They say promises are meant to be broken & voters supporting Fonseka & political parties supporting Fonseka are likely to see the reality sooner than later.
But it is most surprising how a nation can actually forget to show gratitude for the incumbent President who rose to his present stature by almost a whisker in 2005 but rose to become arguably Sri Lanka’s best leader in so far as measuring leadership against odds are concerned.
Undoubtedly, his team chosen to counter the LTTE proved every bit worthy to be part of that team but the reality for voters to recall is that the plan to wipe out the LTTE militarily started with the Mavil Aru episode & at this stage the former army commander was nursing fatal wounds in Singapore & the attack on the LTTE was spearheaded not by Fonseka but by a team that was chosen & tasked to do as they did by the commander-in-chief the President. The fall of the LTTE took place not due to the efforts of a single person but an entire team…but what must not be forgotten by Sri Lanka & its populace is that the victory & the ability to forge ahead with the military plans went ahead unabated because of the strength & will power of the President who was steadfast in his resolve to once & for all eliminate the military might of the LTTE…& rehabilitate all remaining LTTE cadres while instructing his team to continue the development drives ….no one can deny that infrastructure development not seen under previous governments have taken place before our very eyes…those that remain in the comfort of their homes & enjoy ridiculing the government may like to travel North, East, South or West & see the changes that are visible to the discerning eye.
It is unfortunate that Sri Lanka has come to such a sorry state of affairs where vendetta, malice, revenge & resentment has become the grounds on which candidates are vying for votes…it has nothing to do with the desire to create a better Sri Lanka.
When one says a better Sri Lanka – it should not mean a better Sri Lanka for supporters of the UPFA, supporters of the UNF, supporters of the JVP, supporters of the TNA…etc….a better Sri Lanka should mean for the betterment of Sri Lankans & all Sri Lankans…however this is not what eschews from the Fonseka camp….unfortunately in a bid to neutralize the tilt of those who are being “mesmerized” by calls for change, the Government is also falling prey to what Sri Lanka’s politics should not be about…washing everyone’s dirty linen in public…the whole world is now laughing at us & because of the haughtiness of Fonseka it is likely that international tribunals are to be opened against the country & its armed forces….how ironic that the former commander that was so revered by the people has embroiled his very army into such controversy …can he be the President while possibly being also motioned to answer for his role as the army commander?
All we can say is that voters must not be blinded by realities. While we reiterate that all politicians are corrupt…unless we vote in a completely new set of parliamentarians without any bad record to their name..people with education…respected amongst society…we will end up dethroning one lot of corrupt politicians & enthroning another lot of corrupt politicians…this unfortunate circle of affairs will continue until the people finally wake up.
However, this presidential election we are likely to see not just one humpty dumpty falling but a brigade of others…& it would be worthwhile if none of them can be put together again…for the sake of their political parties…at least.
Shenali Waduge

Date & Time- 1/3/2010 5:36:20 PM
Name - senevirathne
Email - chandrasirisenevirathne@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment senevirathne
Comment - be balance naional news paper.do not brake naional trust

Date & Time- 1/3/2010 11:43:48 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - one week ago i met a s.l.an guy in hamburg.he says he is a leader of the jvp movement in europe.according to him ,the last visit of gonwansa the leader of the jvp to europe, was to find out wheather a e.u.
country with a high living standard would grant him v.i.p. political refugee states,if he has to leave s.l. after the 26th of jan.the reason he gave was,he is certain that fonseka would not win and the gosl under mahinda would file a case against him,for his criminell terrorist activities in the 80tees.the e.u. official with whome he spoke has replied,he does not have a chance,because the e.u does not tolerate terrorists anymore and does not like him because he is against devolution of power for the min. in s.l.. according to this jvp guy gonwansa has said he would have to go to north korea or yemen,or start terror again in s.l.poor gonwansa

Date & Time- 12/26/2009 7:07:08 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera22@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT TO REMMEMBER THE HELPS AND ASSISTENCE GIVEN BY FRIENDS DURING THE TIME OF NEED.BY THE GOVERNMENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND IT'S KIND PEOPLE ARE ALLWAYS OFFERED THEIR QUICK ASSISTENCE FOR THE PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA FROM IT'S TIME OF INDEPENDENCE.
ACCORDING TO FORMER MERICAN AMBASSIDOR TO SRI LANKA MR ROBERT BLAKE,OVER
12 BILLION US DOLLERS WORTH OF ASSITENCE PRIVIDED FOR SRI LANKN PUBLIC FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS DURING LAST 81 YEARS.THESE ARE WITH ECONOMIC,EDUCATIONAL,AGRICULTURAL,TRANSPORT,MEDICAL,SECURITY AND ALL OTHER AREAS OF NEEDY FOR PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA.
TODAY SRI LANKA IS MUCH BETTER OFF THAN OTHER SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES DUE TO THESE ASSISTENCE.
JAPAN,CHINA AND INDIA ARE MAJOR SUPPORTERS TO SRI LANKA TODAY.BUT WE MUST NOT FORGET OUR TRUE FRIEND IN NEEDS,WHEN THEY GIVEN NECESASARY HELPS WHEN THE PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA FACED SEVERE TROUBLES.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND ORDINERY PEOPLE THERE CONTINUESLY SUPPORT SRI LANKAN PEOPLES NEEDS FOR BETTER LIFE IS A REMARKABLE INDICATION OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP.
IT IS OUR DUTY TO OFFER THE SUPPORT OF ANY KIND WHAT WE CAN,FOR TO OUR TRUE FRIENDS WHEN THE NEED ARISE.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
SAM PERERA

Date & Time- 12/24/2009 8:21:36 PM
Email - samperera22@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - SRI LANKA IS MISTAKENLY INTRODUCING AS A BUDDHIST COUNTRY.MORE THAN 99% OF SO CALL BUDDHISTS THERE EAT MEAT AND MAJORITY OF THEM DRINK ALCOHOL,SMOKE TOBACO PRODUCTS,ILEAGAL DRUGS,GAMBLING AND ASSOCIATING WEMEN FOR SEX ARE COMMON PRACTICESS AMONG THESE FAKE BUDDHISTS.
FORMER PRIME MINISTER BANDARANAYAKA KILLED BY BUDDHIST MONK SOMARAMA.VARIOUS OF CRIMES COMMITING BY MONKS ARE COMMON IN NEWSPAPERS.
SRI LANKA IS PRESENTLY INTRODUCING AS A BUDDHIST COUNTRY IS WRONG.THERE ARE VERY FEW BUDDHISTS IN SRI LANKA.THEY DON'T EAT ANIMAL FOODS,DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL,DON'T SMOKE CIGARETS OR ILEAGAL DRUGS,THEY DON;T PLAY GAMBLING OR DON'T ASSOCIATE WEMEN FOR ILEAGAL SEX.
DECLARE SRI LANKA AS A ANTY BUDDHIST COUNTRY.

Date & Time- 12/23/2009 2:30:50 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera22@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - GEN FONSEKA REVEALED THE TRUTH,EVENTHOUGH WORLD KNOWS IT BEFORE HIS REVELATIONS OF THE ILLEAGAL KILLINGS OF SURRENDERED LTTE PERSONELS BY THE ARMY.THESE ARE WAR CRIMES AND AGAINST THE MILITARY RULES,CIVIL RULES,LOCAL RULES AND INTERNATIONAL RULES.THOSE WHO RESPONSIBLE SHOULD PUNISH ACCORDING TO LAW OF THE MILITARY AND THE LAW OF THE COUNTRY AND THE UNO LAW OF WAR CRIMES.
SOME ARE REALY STUPID AND CRIMINAL MINDED FOR DEFENDING THE CRIMES AND CRIMINALS.GENERAL FONSEKA KNOWS MILITARY RULES BETTER THAN ANY ONE ELSE.HE REVEALED THE TRUTH AND THE WRONG ACTIONS,AGAINST THE MILITARY RULES DURING THE WAR.
HOW COME REVEALING TRUTH IS WRONG AND DUE TO THAT GENERAL IS A TRAITOR WHILE THE RAJAPAKSA FAMILY GAVE 400 MILLION RUPEES TO PRABAKARAN TO STOP TAMIL VOTES TO WIN THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND CHEATED THE WHOLE COUNTRY?.PRABA BOUGHT WEAPONS AND KILLED THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS AND MILITARY WITH THIS MONEY.DON'T VOTE FOR THESE NATIONAL TRAITORS.

Date & Time- 12/21/2009 2:05:03 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera22@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - SRI LANKA AND THE REST OF THE DEVELOPING WORL IS ECONOMICALY POOR DUE TO GOVERNMENT RUNING BUSINESS AND UN NECSSASARY GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE FOR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES.PRIVATISE THE GOVERNMENT RUN BUSINESS ENTERPRISESS AND LET THE INDIVIDUALS TO RUN BUSINESSESS.SRI LANKA WILL BE VERY PROSPEROUS COUNTRY IF THE GOVERNMENT LEADER DO IT.BY KEEPING BUSINESSESS UNDER GOVERNMENT LEAD TO MIS USE,CORRUPTION AND ALL OTHER LOSESS,AS IT IS THE CASE ALL CAN SEE IN SRI LANKA AND ELSEWHERE.GOVERNMENT TAKE TAXESS AND USE THE MONEY TO RUN WELLFARE STATE.STILL LANKA DOESN'T HAVE A MAN WITH A SPINEL CODE TO DO THIS.

Date & Time- 12/20/2009 11:37:55 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - the whole world knows that there are many idiotic politicians in s.l..this interview with j. amaratunga proves it.he may be a veteren poltician,but what he utters is realy foolish,and proves he is also a idiotic fool.we who are sympathetic to the unp,are frustrated and angry with ranil and the idiots like mr.j.a. for not bringing a person from the party.ranil who nearly gave a part of s.l. to prabha the sun goat would have to hide himself after the 26th of jan.j.a you are also a goat fonseka is not suitable to be the president,he has a very low i.q.unp joining hands with these national socialist donkeys cannot be tolerated.
ranjit de mel berlin

Date & Time- 12/17/2009 8:40:34 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - SAMPERERA77@HOTMAIL.COM
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - THER ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE LIVE OVER 100 YEARS,AND THEY DIE WITH SICK AND SUFFERINGS.GENERALY FEW CAN LIVE UP TO 90 YEARS AS HEALTHY AND CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES FOR BASIC PHYSICAL NEEDS.
SO,CAN EXPECT BETTER LIVING UP TO 70 YEARS IS REASONABLE.
DURING THIS 70 YEARS OF LIFE,NEARLY 35 YEARS FOR SLEEP,15 YEARS FOR WORK,5 YEARS FOR STUDY.ANOTHER 5 YEARS FOR OTHERS AND ONLY LEFT FOR YOU IS 10 YEARS.
THE TRUE LIVING IS THE TIME YOU ENJOY YOUR LIFE.MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE PASSING THIS VALUBLE AND ONLY TIME THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH HAPPYNESS,WITH SADNESS,ANGER,HATE AND BY DESTROYING THE HAPPYNESS OF THE LIFE.
DID YOU THINK OF IT?.BE PEACEFULL AND DON'T GET ANGRY,DON'T MAKE YOURSELF AND OTHERS SAD,HELP OTHERS AND YOURSELF TO BE HAPPIEST AS POSIBLE AND USE THE LIFE YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY AT ALL DIRECTIONS.

Date & Time- 12/17/2009 8:01:21 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera77@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - SRI LANKAN MEDIA AND MOST PEOPLE THERE SEEMS STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE CIVIL WAR TAKEN PLACE DURING LAST FEW DECADES.
THREE MAJOR RACESS,NAMED NAGA,YAKSA AND GOTHRA 'TODAY THEY NAMED AS 'VADDA', ARE THE FIRST INHABITANTS IN THIS ISLAND,UNTILL 2600 YEARS AGO,WHEN SINHALESE FROM NORTH INDIA,ARRIVED.SINHALESE INVADERS HAD WAR WITH THEM AND FINALY SETTLED TO THE AREAS UNDER 'VADDA PEOPLE' LIVED.
ISLAND'S NORTH PROVINCE MOSTLY UN INHABITABLE DUE TO TOO HOT WEATHER AND DRYNESS,WAS A NO MAN'S LAND WHEN THE TAMILS FROM SOUTH INDIA ARRIVED THERE 2300 YEARS AGO.
BOTH SINHALESE AND TAMILS HAD KINDOMS AND TIME TO TIME HAD WARS WHEN TAMILS TRYING TO EXPAND THEIR TERRITORY TO THE SINHALESE AREAS.
KINGS 'DUTU GEMUNU AND ELARA' WAR IS ONE EXAMPLE.
SRI LANKA'S COASTAL AREAS INVADED BY PORTUGESE ON YEAR 1505,SINHALESE AND TAMIL KINDOMS ON COASTAL AREAS CAME UNDER CONTROL OF PORTUGESE GOVERNMENT.THEN TO THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT AND THEN TO THE BRITISH,WHO INVADED AND CAPTURED LAST KANDIAN KINDOM AND TOOK CONTROL OF WHOLE THE ISLAND ON 1815.
BRITISH RULED ALL THE OCCUPIED COUNTRIES IN THE 'ISLAND' ACCORDING TO SOME RESEARCH THERE WERE TOTAL SEVEN COUNTRIES THEN,UNDER ONE ADMINISTRATION AS 'CEYLON'.
BRITISH GAVE INDEPENDENCE TO CEYLON ON 1948 AS A ONE COUNTRY.INCLUDING WITH ANNEXED TAMIL KINDOM IN NORTH.
TAMIL WAR TO REGAIN THEIR LOST COUNTRY STARTED FROM THAT INDEPENDENCE DAY.IT WAS INDEPENDENCE FOR THE SINHALESE TERITORIES ONLY.TAMIL TERRITORY BECAME SINHALESE COLONY.
SINCE THEN TAMILS STARTED PEACEFULL PROTESTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND LATER WHEN THE RULING SINHALESE GOVERNMENTS DENIED THE EQUALL RIGHTS,THEN THE PEACEFULL PROTESTS BECAME VIOLENT PROTESTS.
AFTER DECADES OF UNSUCCESSFULL PEACEFULL PROTESTS,TAMILS BECAME DETERMIND TO ESTABLISH THEIR LOST HOMELAND THROUGH FORCE.
1983 SINHALESE CRIMINALS KILLED THOUSANDS OF TAMILS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND RAPED THOUSANDS OF TAMIL WEMEN AND CHILDREN,BURNED DOWN THEIR HOMES.GOVERNMENTS UNTILL NOW NEVER PUNISHED ANY CRIMINALS TAKEN PART FOR THAT NATIONAL SHAME.
DUE TO THE BRUTALITY TAKEN PLACE AND GOVERNMENT'S NO ACTION POLICY,INDIA HELPED TAMIL ORGANISATIONS TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LOST COUNTRY,JAFNA KINDOM.
THE REST IS THE ELAM WAR,PRABAKARAN BECAME THE MOST POWERFULL LEADER AMONG ALL OTHERS AND BECAME A DICTATOR OF TAMIL CONTROLED AREAS.HE BECAME A WAR MAD MAN AND TRIED TO EXPAND THE TERRITOTY TO EASTERN PROVINCE TOO.THIS ACTIONS LATER BECAME UNSUCCESSFULL AS WELL AS LED TO THE DEFEAT BY THE SRI LANKA GOVERNMENT FORCESS.
PRABAKARAN NEVER ESTABLISHED A TAMIL COUNTRY,UNDER HIM NO CABINET OR NOTHING FUNCTIONED AS A GOVERNMENT.LATER ON MANY DEFECTED FROM HIS 'ONE MAN SHOW' AND TAMILS SUFFERED THE MOST FROM THIS TRAGEDY.
PRESENTLY GOVERNMENT FORCESS MILITARILY KEEPING THE NORTH PROVINCE UNDER IT'S CONTROL.BUT THIS TERRITARY IS NOT BELONG TO SINHALESE GOVERNMENT.IT IS BELONG TO TAMILS IN NORTH.THEY MUST HAVE THEIR LEGITIMATE JAFNA KINDOM.LANKAN GOVERNMENT IS AGAIN OCCUPYING THE TAMIL COUNTRY.AS FAR AS OCCUPATION CONTINUE,TAMILS WILL FIGHT TO REGAIN THEIR LOST NATION.LANKAN LEADERS ARE STUPID TO CONTROL OTHERS LAND OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND LIVES LOST WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLERS LOST TO THE POOR ECONOMY.
POLITICIANS OF SINHALESE SIDE USING THE OCCUPATION TO WIN ELECTIONS WITH SUPPORT OF FAKE BUDDHIST MONKS WHO SUPPORTING KILLINGS AND DESTRUCTIONS OF TAMILS TO KEEP THEIR FREE FOODS COMMING FROM HALF FOOLISH STUPID FOLLOWERS,WHO OFFER THEM ANTI BUDDHIST FOODS SUCH AS BEEF,CHICKEN,MUTTON,EGGS AND FISH.ALL THESE FOODS PROHIBITED TO EAT BY BUDDHISM.
IT IS NOT SURPRISE THE NEXT VIOLENT UPRISING IS ON THE WAY FOR TO REGAIN THE NORTH TAMIL COUNTRY.
MOST RIGHT WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS TO REQUEST FROM THE UNITED NATIONS TO ORGANISE A REFERENDUM IN NORTH PROVINCE AND HAND OVER THE COUNTRY TO THE WINNER PARTY TO RE ESTABLISH THE JAFNA NATION AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOREVER.
IS THERE ANY HONEST AND STRAIT FORWARD STATESMAN IN SRI LANKA TO DO THIS RIGHT THING?.TO MAKE THE RECORRECTION OF THE BRITISH WRONG DOING DURING THE INDEPENDENCE?.
SO FAR NO INDICATION OF SUCH UN CORRUPT PERSON IN SRI LANKAN POLITICS.ALL ARE FOR TO STEAL AND DESTROY.
IF NOT FAIR JUSTICE,ALL LANKANS HAVE TO CRY AGAIN,IT IS NOT FAR AWAY.
FORCE YOUR LEADERS TO LEARN SRI LANKAN HISTORY AND FORCE THEM TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE TO TAMILS NORTH PROVINCE THROUGH UNITED NATIONS,OR GET READY FOR THE NEXT UP RISING AND BE READY TO CRY A LOT MORE TYAN BEFORE.

Date & Time- 12/17/2009 10:52:51 AM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera77@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - GENERAL FONSEKA SEEMS THE BEST SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF SRI LANKA.FEW IMPORTANT REASONS COME TO MY MIND,HE DEDICATED WITH HIS LIFE TO SERVE THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE BY OFFERING IS LIFE FOR DEATH.TWO TIMES NARROWLY ESCAPED THE DEATH BY A BULLET TO CHEST AND A EXPLOSION WITH SERIOUS INJURIES.PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA HAS ALLREADY TARNISHED HIS NAME WITH CORRUPTIONS,SUPPORTING AND ASSOCIATING FAMOUS CRIMINALS,INCLUDING MURDERERES AND DRUG LORDS APPOINTED TO HIS CABINET.ALSO SURPRISABLE WEALTH INCREASE FOR HIS FAMILY MEMBERS AND GIVEN IMPORTANT POSISIONS TO OVER 200 RELATIVES TO SUCK THE BENEFITS OF THE GOVERNMENT.DURING LAST 4 YEARS,MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA HAS PROVEN THAT HE CAN'T SOLVE THE UN EMPLOYMENT,CORRUPTION,MIS USE OF POWER,CREATE FAIR JUSTICE AND FAST ECONOMIC GROWTH.HIS NAME WILL REMMEMBER FOR THE,APPOINTING FAMOUS DRUG DEALERS,CONTRACT KILLERS AND THUGS APOINTED TO HIS CABINET AND PRESIDENT IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATING WITH THEM PUBLICLY.GENERAL FONSEKA IS NOT DOING ANY OF ABOVE IS ENOUGH REASONS TO BE PRESIDENT.

Date & Time- 12/17/2009 12:12:03 PM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera77@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - EXCUTIVE PRSIDENTIAL SYSTEM AND EXCUTIVE PRIME MINISTER SYSTEM ARE THE SAME.GOOD GOVERNANCE IS DEPEND ON THE PERSON WHO OCCUPYING THE POSITION.
THEREFORE VOTERS SHOULD ELECT A GOOD PERSON FOR ABOVE POSITIONS.IF ELECT A THIEF,HE WILL STEAL.IF ELECT A GOOD PERSON,HE WILL SERVE THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE USING HIS POWERS.SRI LANKAN PEOPLE KNOWS WHO ARE CORRUPT AND NOT CORRUPT.IF MAJORITY ELECT CORRUPT PERSON,DON'T CRY LATER,THAT IS WHO YOU LIKE,GET READY TO SUFFER SIX YEARS LIKE YOU ARE SUFFERING PRESENTLY.

Date & Time- 12/17/2009 11:47:48 AM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - samperera77@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - SRI LANKA IS A POOR COUNTRY EVEN AFTER 62 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE IS A SHAME TO ALL LEADERS WHO RAN THE COUNTRY.
MAIN REASON FOR THE POVERTY,CORRUPTION AND MIS USE OF POWER IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING BUSINESS.
GOVERNMENT IS DOING BUSINESS NOT FOR TO SERVE THE PEOPLE BUT TO STEAL MONEY FROM GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT DUTY IS TO RUN A WELLFARE SERVICESS TO THE PEOPLE BY TAXING THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICESS.ANT OTHER ACTIVITIES DOING BY GOVERNMENT IS LEAD TO A FAILER AND SUFFINGS GOES TO PEOPLE OF THAT COUNTRY.
FORCE THE LEADERS TO PRIVATISE THE GOVERMENT RUN ENTERPRISESS TO STOP CORRUPTIONS THERE AND LET THE ECONOMY TO GROW UNDER PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.
GOVERNMENT MUST CONCENTRATE ON TO KEEP THE COUNTRY WITH FREE EDUCATION,FREE HEALTH CARE,FREE ECONOMY,CRIME FREE SOCIETY AND FAIR JUSTICE.SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT IS TODAY DOING EVERYTHING TO HELP THIEVES TO STAY IN POWER AND KEEP THE PEOPLE ON TORTURES INVIOMENT.
IF NOT THE PEOPLE TAKE ACTION TO STOP THESE WRONGS,THEY ARE TO SUFFER FOREVER LIKE THIS.
ALL SRI LANKANS,TAKE ACTIONS WITHOUT DELAY.TRY TO ELECT A LEADER WITHOUT CORRUPTIONS AND ABLE MAN TO IMPLIMENT RULES TO MAKE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS TO MAKE SRI LANKA FINE PLACE TO WORK AND LIVE WITH PEACE AND FAIR JUSTICE.

Date & Time- 12/17/2009 11:27:16 AM
Name - SAM PERERA
Email - sam perera77@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SAM PERERA
Comment - RIZANA IS STILL SUFFERING IN SAUDI JAIL FOR FAKE REASONSUNFAIR JUDGEMENT BASED ON FABRICATED FALSE REASONS.
SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT STILL NOT USED IT'S GOOD FRIENDSIP WITH SAUDI GOVERNMENT TO GET PARDEN FOR IT'S CITIZEN.
WITH THE COMMON UNDRSTANDING IT IS EASY TO REALISE THIS IS AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED TO THE CHILD DURING MILK FEEDING.THIS HAPPENED DUE TO NEGLIGENCE OF THE PARENTS WHO USED THEN 17 YEAR OLD MAID RIZANA TO TAKE CARE THE INFANT WITHOUT ANY ELDERS SUPERVISEN.
NOW PARENTS ARE TRYING TO COVER UP THEIR GUILT AND COURTS ARE TRYING TO KILL THE POOR,HELPLESS AND POWERLESS TEEN GIRL FOR THE ACCIDENT.
SEEMS ALL WHO RESPONSIBLE ARE TURNED AGAINST THE HELPLESS MAID TO COVER THEIR NEGLIGENCE AND GUILT.
WHY SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT NOT USING THE DEPLOMATIC CHANEL TO SERVE THE FAIR JUSTICE FOR HIS COUNTRY'S CITIZEN WHO IS IN TROUBLE WITH FACBRICATED FALSE REASONS.
YEARS AGO PHILIPPINES MAID STABED TO DEATH HER EMPLOYER TO ESCAPE FROM RAPE.SHE WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH.BUT THEN PRESIDENT OF PHILIPPINES MR RAMOS INTERVIND AND GOT PARDEN FOR HER.SHE WAS DECLARED A WOMAN WHO FOUGHT HER RIGHTS AGAINST RAPIST AND GIVEN HER JOB IN 'MALAKANANG PALACE'PRESIDENT'S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE AND OFFICE.
WHY NOT SRI LANKAN PRSIDENT NOT DOING HIS DUTY?.

Date & Time- 12/15/2009 2:28:23 PM
Name - Azad
Email - Hamid
Subject - The Nation - Comment Azad
Comment - wish you all the very best for 2010
Take care
Azad

Date & Time- 12/9/2009 12:08:34 AM
Name - Mark Aiyadurai
Email - raiyadurai@telus,net
Subject - The Nation - Comment Mark Aiyadurai
Comment - Para 3 of this Appreciation on my Dad should read "....Each book was inscribed in his bold handwriting on the inside cover “To Princess Golden Heart from Prince GH (NOT from Wilver Arden): those initials my Mom told me stood for “Great Heart”. He was a prince of a man to her etc."
Wilver Arden was the pen name my Dad used in writing poems to my Mom via the Ceylon Observer during his courtship over seven years.
Apologies and thanks,
Mark Aiyadurai
Victoria BC, Canada

Date & Time- 11/29/2009 6:53:28 PM
Name - Hermann
Email - kahagalle@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Hermann
Comment - I see some comments of a reader that Sarath Fonseka has a democratic right to contest elections but not the bikkhus. I do not know from where this reader is making that assertion. In the first place if Sarath Fonseka is a true public servant he cannot contest election in the public spirit as he is appointed to the highest position in the Army to serve any party in power. He derived several extra ordinary powers and security contingent in line with that responsibility he held as CDS. That time he wanted all the power not only for himself also the Army in General. What about the decorations he forcefully had by changing the rules when he become Army Commander. During his junior days he has accumulated a string of citations for discreditable conduct of an officer which deprived him of those decorations. The details now surfacing about his son in law, and his actual physical participation in the war has been an illusion. While the war was at crucial points he was once nursing his wounds in Singapore. When we go Prbhakaran on the fateful day of May 18th, he was in China on a tour with the family. What kind of a General the opposition is talking about. Perhaps he is not fit even to be the Commander of the Salvation Army. He is put there by the hype of media and the hostile international community.

Date & Time- 11/22/2009 1:27:12 PM
Name - Gamini kularatna
Email - gaamini@live.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Gamini kularatna
Comment - The Editor
The Nation
Colombo,
Dear Sir,
UNDERAGE SCHOOL'S ABDUCTED CASE IN BALANGODA POLICE AREA We are forwarding you a copy of our mails to the IGP office which explains the entire situation of the proceeds.
We trust that your good office will take up this matter with the officials concern and get this innocent family some consolation.
As at the Girl's parents only hope to better their income was this girl who has suspended schooling totally because of she cannot face the villagers for the past incidents. Her parents monthly income is around 5,000/= to 7,500/= per month. But their parents spent large money to educate this girl with greatest difficulties. They are all in vain.
Also this girl has no freedom to leave her house without approval from this man. He comes and meets this girl when her parents are away from home.
They have completely lost their freedom just to a neighbor-man.
Sir as you had been helping to many poor and innocent people when they are in trouble, we would highly appreciate if you could kindly help this family too and freed them from this evil.
Thank you
Neighbors
Dangasmandiya

Date & Time- 11/22/2009 6:13:28 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - from the 9 possible canditates the best chance to win mangale the drunkerd and homo boy has.then comes gonwansa from the jvp.mahinda would be only a also ran.

Date & Time- 11/15/2009 7:09:22 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - any one with some intelligence would have known ranils plans,namely fonseka and him as the opposition candidates,two weak horses against the strong horse mahinda.ranils plans wont work,because the sinhale b.are not fools.anyway even if mahinda does not get the 50% in the first round in the 2nd he will get it.fonseka is no fool he wont contest.ranil dig a big grave and hide ranjit de mel berlin

Date & Time- 11/15/2009 11:45:16 AM
Name - Hans
Email - ebert@netvigator.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Hans
Comment - Today was a sad day for the Sri Lankan in me when I read the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.
Having left Sri Lanka with my parents when it was still Ceylon, I was not only disappointed, but actually embarrassed to read that, along with my current home, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka has the dubious "honour" of being listed as one of the five LEAST attractive countries to immigrants and foreign investment.
The other countries to share this "honour" were Mexico, Iraq and the Congo.
As the Post reported, "Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Iraq wouldn't appear to have much in common: Ethnic conflict, suicide bombings and rampant corruption are not the city's hallmarks. But if an International poll is to be believed, the citizens of all three share the same desire to get the hell out and find somewhere more livable. And the survey is comprehensive:
US consultancy Gallup surveyed 260,000 adults in 35 countries. Gallup compiled the results to produce a 'potential net 'immigration'index' which shows the difference between the number of people who would like to leave a country- or, in the case of Hong Kong and some others, a city- and the number who would love to move there. A country's score is recorded as a percentage of its adult population. With a score of minus 15 per cent, Hong Kong ranks 65th, on a par with Mexico, Iraq and Sri Lanka. Since people can hardly be queuing to migrate to any of those countries for a new life, they owe their scores to the number of citizens rushing for the exits."
And here lies the problem: What is Sri Lanka doing to keep the island's talent happy and IN the island? What incentives and initiatives are being developed?
My music marketing and management company, We-Enhance was looking at opening an office in Sri Lanka, but was warned from doing so by overseas Sri Lankan Accountants and expatriate lawyers who are familiar with the "inner workings" of Sri Lankan.
The Sri Lankans still with business ties to their birth place, ironically, warned that 'Sri Lankans" cannot be trusted.
The lawyers warned that there is "no money and no potential" in Sri Lanka.
I last visited Sri Lanka two years ago with my girlfriend who is originally from Denmark. She loved the country and the people and wondered why few in her country had even heard of Sri Lanka.
I had left Ceylon as a child and so only remembered things like the Galle Face and Mount Lavinia Hotels, the Fort area, the great food, the parties my parents would throw for all their friends, impresario's like the legendary Andre Donovan and my Dad's programme on Radio Ceylon called "The Melody Maker."
is
What I saw two years ago was a poor country made up of the Haves and the Have Nots trying to find its feet and with the potential to succeed.
When the civil war ended, there was much rejoicing and with me and my company receiving a deluge of emails telling us to come to the "new Sri Lanka" and be part of all this "newness."
Sadly, since then, there has been little or no progress.
To the outside world, many still have no idea where Sri Lanka is and so, is relegated to being "just another Third World country."
The tourism efforts by Sri Lanka to showcase this "new Sri Lanka" has been sadly and totally off-strategy.
People make any country great and Sri Lanka first of all needs to keep the home-grown talent it has- and this must be an example set by those at the very highest levels in the country.
They need to win the confidence of the people and show complete transparency.
To the outside world, Sri Lanka must also be seen as more than having a world class cricket team.
How many Americans, Scandinavians and Eastern Europeans, for example, know about or play cricket?
Sri Lanka needs foreign investment from countries like this and I have yet to see the successful marketing of Sri Lanka.
Again, it comes down to people and the people working on this marketing of Sri Lanka either cannot see the forest for the trees or have hired the wrong people to get the job done.
Bringing in "old friends" from overseas to "help" and giving them fancy titles is not the answer.
This just becomes cronyism at work and where nothing is achieved.
Personally speaking, the findings of this Gallup Poll will have severe ramifications to the future and current growth of Sri Lanka.
It is something that must be addressed by the Government and solutions must be found.
My company and I are here to help in any way we can.
But- and it's a big But- we need to feel confident and believe that we are working alongside talented people with new ideas.
And even more key, know that we are working with those we can trust.
Yours Truly,
Hans Ebert
Chairman and CEO
We-Enhance Inc
Hong Kong

Date & Time- 11/14/2009 10:45:53 PM
Name - Diptendu Khatua
Email - dipu_dipuli@rediffmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Diptendu Khatua
Comment - RAJKISHORE KHATUA
ADVOCATE, JAGATSINGHPUR, ORISSA, INDIA
Ph. No. –06724220095
Mob. –09437190661, 09437227338
To
The Honorable editor
Respected Sir
With due respect I, beg to state that on 21.10.2009 one Srilanka Fishing Boat viz., F.V. NATASHA – II belonging to Mr Robinson of village – Thoduwa, P.S.- Chillaw, District - Puttalam (Srilanka) including the Master of the boat viz., W.Rumesh Thuranga S/o. – W. Anthony Fernando of Village – Iranawallia, P.S. – Chillaw, District – Puttalam and other crew members viz., W.Dinesh Fernando S/o.- W. Anthony Fernando of village-Sima Kurukupana, P.S.- Chillaw, Dist.- Puttalam, J.A. Charaha shadarawan S/o.- J.A.Jaud Fernando of Village – Iranawallia, P.S. – Chillaw, District – Puttalam, W. Ramesh Prashana S/o- Upalliu of Village – Iranawallia, P.S. – Chillaw, District – Puttalam, M. Nalin Ashonka Jeevantha S/o.- Stanli Lawash of Village – Iranawallia, P.S. – Chillaw, District – Puttalam and another Sameer Nalings of Srilanka were arrested U/S. –3, 7, 10, 14 of M.Z.I ACT, 1981 for illegally entering inside Indian water from International Maritime Boundary Line and a case has been registered against them bearing no. G.R. – 855/2009 arising out of Paradip P.S. Case
no.29/2009 pending before the Court of S.D.J.M. Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, India.
That I am the conducting Lawyer of the cases and no body from the side of Srilanka is taking steps to release the Srilankan’s inhabitants arrested in the case and to release their boat, they are all residing in the Sub-Jail, Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, India. The 6 Srilanka’s inhabitants were feeling helpless as no body from their country is contacting them and taking any action to release them.
I, therefore request you to take necessary action in this connection and contact me as soon as possible so that I may be able to take necessary action to dispose of the cases.
Yours truly,
R.K.Khatua,
Advocate
Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, India

Date & Time- 11/8/2009 3:35:17 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - all this talk about gen.s.fonseka coming forward as the c.candidate is nothing more than the shit of this homo boy and drunked mangale,big talk man with few tamil votes in colombo ganeshen, and this weak opposition leader ranil.gen fonseka would contest the g.e. next year as a slfp canditate,and would be the next p.minister.as long as ranil is the leader of the unp,president m.r. has nothing to worry.jvp is dead and would be buried after the next g.e.this alliance only proves the unp is bankerupt,and going down the hill at a terrefick speed.ranjit de mel berlin

Date & Time- 10/30/2009 8:42:18 AM
Name - Damien Fernando
Email - lankan.ian@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Damien Fernando
Comment - The way to make President Rajapakse win the next PE and make all Sri Lankans win along with him
By Ian
In 2005 presidential election the people excluding the voters of north, voted almost equally to two candidates giving a slight edge to the current president. How did the voting percentages increase substantially after the war? There were a small percentage of new voters. But the main reason for the increase is due to some voters who voted for the UNP candidate in the
2005 presidential election voting for UPFA after the defeat of LTTE.
Why did a section of the voters who voted for UNP candidate subsequently voted for UPFA? In my belief the reason is they though UPFA is a better is safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country. Many UNP supporters believe the liberal attitude and the pro-west stance of the UNP leadership will not be conducive to the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
All political parties naturally have parasite supporters who support parties for personal benefit. They don’t care for the country or for a party. But the crowd that overnight shifted to UPFA are the UNP supporters who put country before self benefit.
The recent issue with the Former Army Commander and some people voicing their opinion in support of the candidacy of the popular General gives a very clear message. The message is they continue to care for the integrity of the country rather than blindly supporting a candidate.
Putting an end to separatism Vs ending to LTTE
It is important to understand the difference of separatism and LTTE to understand what is happening in voter minds. Many are aware that defeat of LTTE is not the end of separatism. In fact many separatist believe the defeat of LTTE is better for the future of the ealam. The reason that they can convince and win the support of the western countries without the terrorist label. The economic refugees are also in a better footing without LTTE label. Therefore one can argue that defeat of LTTE may lead to separatism in the future.
How can the defeat of LTTE be a win for the separatism?
If with the defeat of LTTE the separatism ended the Diaspora separatists would have gone to their enclaves and gone silent. This didn’t happen. The western countries who were our supporters have become our enemies. It happened due to the intense separatist activity. It is very clear that the separatist are trying their lobbying and influence with the west to win federal or similar concessions. Their cry is past, present and future discriminations by the majority. The separatists have infiltrated enough political establishments in the west to reach this goal and such infiltration will continue in the future too. Their sole intention is after obtaining devolution with support of the west, to commence the next level of agitation campaigns for another fee decades to win a separation.
How to avoid this pit fall?
The only way to avoid this pitfall is to find a solution to ‘discrimination cry’ without resorting to devolution of power based on ethnic lines. Many writers have pointed out the use of bill of rights or anti discrimination acts as the solution. This is the safeguard for the minorities the western countries have given. Nothing more nothing less.
Therefore these western countries cannot demand from Sri Lanka more or devolution on ethnic lines as a solution to so called discrimination.
It is also holds the key to handle the Common candidate issue
Coming back to the General Fonseka issue, what is playing in the minds of the people who shifted their support to UPFA from UNP in provincial council elections? One issue may be the corruption and family rule.
Political corruption is not new to Sri Lanka and nor is family rule new.
In my view the biggest fear playing in the minds of the people who shifted their support to UPFA is what will happen after the presidential election.
Analyzing the mind of the voter who shifted from 2005 voting to 2009 voting is the key to maintain the winning pattern. The voter may be wondering on the following in considering whom it supports in the presidential election.
(a) Would electing UPFA candidate as president lead to extensive
devolution on ethnic lines? Will that lead to separatism in the future?
This fear is aggravated by reports of so called secret agreement with India to win their support to the war. The Indian reports of promises of extensive devolution once the war is won have not been dismissed. It is a fair reservation as when a person says that solution will be given after the presidential election one can wonder why? Is it because the ‘solution’
if given before could cost him the election? If that is the case is it a solution that will not be acceptable to the masses? If that is a solution that is not acceptable to the masses is it one that could lead to separation of Sri Lanka in the future? These are fair and crucial fears that a person who is keen to safeguard the integrity of the country could have.
(b) Or having or supporting an anti-devolution candidate will be
beneficial for the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
Rather than doing this very important political thinking and analysis, the current Government is going on a path of vilifying the General. They should rather convince the population that it has the qualities what they are looking for. The UPFA should convince country is safer with them as much as with the General. Continuation of the current campaign will distance the UNP voter who started supporting UPFA and push them to a common candidate who support territorial integrity or push them back to UNP.
My advice to the current president is to give that assurance that supporting UPFA will not lead to devolution after the Presidential election.
How can UPFA give a convincing assurance?
The UPFA and its leaders have displayed that they most of the time give promises they don’t intend to keep. They gave many promises to JVP that basically won them the presidency and chased them away after winning the presidential election. Many other pacts and people have been used and discarded. The credibility is an issue of statements and assurances.
How can UPFA convince the voters to the people who shifted from UNP purely because of the over for the country to remain with them?
They need to thoroughly convince the people they defeated LTTE to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country. Towards this they need to carryout comprehensive constitutional amendments to make any kind separatism or devolution on ethnic lines impossible. To win the support of the non UPFA parties towards this they should couple this with extensive bill of rights or anti discriminatory laws to the constitution that will safeguard the minority rights.
Fully implementing the 17th amendment will also take many voters away from UNP and anti UPFA blocks. This together with bill of rights or similar minority protection legislation coupled with extensive anti separatist constitutional amendment will most definitely win the UPFA the next presidential election. It will win Sri Lanka credibility in the western world. Lastly it will be a comprehensive win for every citizen of Sri Lanka. What else citizens of Sri Lanka ask for? They get the assurance of integrity of their country protected by strong constitutional provisions.
Minorities (ones that are without ulterior motives) gets constitutional protection against discrimination, other kind of discriminations (such as
political) will end, and the Independent Commissions as envisaged in the 17th amendment will take politicization away from the day to day life. It will also be a win for Rajapaksas and UPFA as they could rule the country for several more decades.
Although a skeptic, I sincerely hope our motherland will be fortunate to have the president and the other leaders of the government thinking in these lines. Unfortunately the chances however are that the current present will win the PE somehow and give extensive devolution that will be the starting point of separation of the country in 50 or so years, and we will never see the benefits of 17th amendment. I pray that I’d be proven wrong. (Writer can be reached at lankan.ian@gmail.com)

Date & Time- 10/27/2009 9:38:32 AM
Name - K.Gnanalingam
Email - vkgnana@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment K.Gnanalingam
Comment - How do we Secure Our Energy Assets?
by K.Gnanalingam Retired Additional General Manager (CEB)
The Energy industry's in the world are challenged and solutions for protecting critical assets including oil and gas infrastructure, transmission grids, power plants, storage, pipelines, and all aspects of strategic industry assets are being constantly developed. This includes the Cyber-terrorism and protecting Control Systems
Recent world terrorist activities have raised several important
questions:
- How can a country defend itself against future attacks on critical infrastructure such as energy systems?
- Are energy supplies vulnerable to attack, and if so – how and where?
- How can energy generating and storage facilities be made safer?
- How can we protect transportation systems and transmission lines?
- How are government and industry leaders working together to develop contingency plans to protect the public?
- What policies would enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security?
- What are the roles of industry and government?
Energy security is a complex, multi-faceted issue. In its most fundamental sense, energy security is assured when a nation can deliver energy economically, reliably, in an environmentally sound and safe manner, and in quantities sufficient to support its economic and defense needs. To do this requires policies that support expansion of all elements of the energy supply and delivery infrastructure, with sufficient storage and generating reserves, diversity, and redundancy to meet the demands of economic growth.
The threats facing the nation's critical energy infrastructure continue to evolve and present new challenges. The intricate nature of the nation's electrical grid, especially in the Western Province. and particularly in Colombo, is becoming readily apparent with rolling blackouts and the potential for further disruptions. The interdependencies of the oil and electric infrastructures are increasingly complex and not easily understood. The impact of a major terrorist attack directed against this fragile and interdependent infrastructure could have drastic consequences.
Conflict over resources stretches far back in human history, and energy infrastructures have long been subject to planned attacks. For instance, the New World Liberation Front bombed assets of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company in USA over 10 times in 1975 alone. Members of the Ku Klux Klan and San Joaquin Militia were convicted of conspiring or trying to attack energy infrastructure. Organized paramilitaries have had significant impacts in some countries. For example, the Farabundo-Marti National Liberation Front interrupted service in up to 90% of El Salvador at a time and created manuals for attacking power systems. Hope the problem of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka is already solved properly in Sri Lanka with the ending of the war.
The Problem
Not allowing CEB to go ahead with its own plans of System Expansion, proper plans of Routine and Preventive Maintenance, not allowing to increase the tariff by reasonable amounts, getting the Industry and commercial consumers to subsidize the small poor domestic customer, forcing CEB to do more unviable Rural Electrification without much financial support from the GOSL, Political interference in Recruitments, Transfers, Promotions, and regular threat to Privatize, due to the pressure from the lending institutions to the GOSL, not providing proper monthly compensation package to the staff which results in loss of good experienced staff from the utilities (who look for greener pastures).
Political interference in Tenders gives incentives for corruption among the staff and the situation now has resulted in a way that there is incentive for only corrupted high officials to survive in the utilities.
We see frequent changes in the Chairman of Boards and Corporations. All these contribute to the reduction of System stability. Good governance is very important to get good economic development by securing the Energy systems in Sri Lanka.
These when attended properly will reduce the Total and partial failures of the Electricity system and will help to improve the Industrial Production and countries Economy. These are well understood facts and appointment of inquiry committees is waste of time and funds. Hope the New Chairman will take these facts to his notice before taking any further actions. Hope responsible Unions will bring these facts to the notice of the Chairman immediately and help correcting the situation early in the interest of the country.

Date & Time- 10/26/2009 10:12:08 AM
Name - Punchan T. Babu
Email - pbabu2@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Punchan T. Babu
Comment - When he was in power he had his favourite judge in Jaffna (Now promoted as high court judge in Jaffna) and this judge did most unlawful things due to the support of Ex.Chief Justice.People say so many innocent were victimized and Government funds were played out in Jaffna

Date & Time- 10/14/2009 8:49:35 PM
Name - Saumya Sri Chaturanga Aloysius
Email - saumyaaloysius@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Saumya Sri Chaturanga Aloysius
Comment - The world has been facing the anger of terrorists, wicked rulers and anti-social elements since time immemorial. The poor, the refugees and the downtrodden have been exploited and the powerful have always been having their way. The state, politicians and business communities have not met the demands of modern society. We have witnessed gory incidents of massacre, rape and organized violence in cities worldwide. The decay of institutions has taken its ugly toll.
The other reason is the growing communal hatred among communities, which should be reduced by the efforts of the state and the people.
The politician is the third factor in this game; either he is insensitive enough to ignore the realities or he is busy grinding his own sword. There are reports of murder, violence and arson from places as far removed as Sri Lanka (where the Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate state since 1983) and Chechnya (the small state, that wants independence from Soviet Russia). But who cares for the victims of Sri Lanka and Chechnya?
This dance of death must come to an end. Those responsible for massacres and arson must be brought to book and special courts have to be set up for their trial. Why abolish capital punishment when the innocent masses are being killed? That fear would keep many a terrorist at bay.
The countries of the world must act now, lest humanity be annihilated.
Saumya Sri Chaturanga Aloysius
Anuradhapura
No-70, Jaffna Road, Anuradhapura

Date & Time- 10/3/2009 5:56:50 PM
Name - Muhammad
Email - muhammad0105@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Muhammad
Comment - Please provide rss feed.

Date & Time- 9/25/2009 9:10:25 PM
Name - JM Kumarasingha
Email - pacific_ocean777@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment JM Kumarasingha
Comment - Dr D.S. Bandarage - Father of Modern Management in Sri Lanka
Died 3 months ago to this day, 1 August 2009
It was very pleasing for me to attend a special ceremony held two years ago where the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka felicitated it’s greatest son, Dr D S Bandarage in the auspices of Mr N Cabral, Secretary to the Ministry of Plan Implementation and Governor of the Central Bank. I was present at the ceremony, being a student of Dr Bandarage. It was a very happy and emotional moment for both me and the many of the other distinguished audience to see that Dr Bandarage was at that time still living among us, after serving 50 + years for the management development in Sri Lanka. Through frail, his health was in
good and he was in good physical vigour. I was personally very happy to
talk to him as I was one of the many thousands of people that Dr Bandarage had helped to get into the management field (this was in the early 1970s when Dr Bandarage was a Director at Upali Group). He recruited me as a Management Trainee and today thanks to his guidance and very fine advice, I have ended up being a senior Management Consultant to the ADB (Asian Development Bank) in Manila, the Philippines.
On 1 July 2009 I was advised by a fellow SLAS officer, Mr Gamini Jayasena (also with the ADB in Bangkok), that Dr Bandarage passed away. Even though he was old, and I knew that we will have to come to realisation of this news, to hear that news was very much of a shock to me.
To us, many of his dear students, Dr Bandarage was seen as immortal.
When Devapriya Bandarage was born to his middle class parents, Baron Gunawardane Bandarage and Margaret Hewawasam Bandarage, they may have never thought that their eldest son was going to become such a gigantic figure in Sri Lanka’s management field. But he definitely did.
From very young age Devapriya showed remarkable talent for studies. He became first in his class at Gurukanda Double Language Boys School in Induruwa, where his father taught and was also the principal. Then he became 1st in the southern province by winning the coveted Valencia Rupasinghe trophy for the most outstanding student from Southern Province and obtained admission to grade 2 at Ananda College, purely on merit.
At Ananda young Bandarge flourished with academic achievements plus extra curricular activities. He excelled in studies. Young Bandarage was instrumental in forming the “Bosath Lama Samajaya” under the patronage of the then Principals, L H Meththananda and P.De S. Kularatne. The members of the Bosath Lama Samajaya included some later day luminaries as Ananda Tissa De Alwis (former Minister), Ranapala Bodhinagoda (former Chairman ANCL), Duncan De Silva (former Colombo GA), LBT Premarathna (former Solicitor General), P L Berty Silva (former Deputy Postmaster General), G B De Silva (former Colombo Fire Chief) and L D H Peiris (former Royal Principal). Dr Bandarage was the president of “Bosath Lama Samajaya”
(somewhat akin to a modern day Prefect), and I have seen photos of the group hung in his home.
Bandarage was unfortunate to have lost his father, who was a school principal at young age. While growing up as a teenager and until his early 20s he lived in the posh residences in Colombo 7 of his uncle, the legendary, Mr Ponnamperuma, then Commissioner of State Languages.
After an illustrious studenthood at Ananda young Bandarage went on to do an oriental studies degree at Vidyodaya University (now Kelaniya) and later completed degrees in Management Studies from reputed universities in the UK (Cambridge) and Australia. In 1979 he was awarded the Doctorate of Human Resources Management (PhD) by a university in Michigan, USA.
Bandarge had a remarkable interest in Management studies and entered Air Ceylon as a Graduate Cadet. This was in mid 1940s. He quickly rose the ladder of Air Ceylon and became the Welfare Manager. Among his compatriots was late Sam Silva, who later became the Chairman of Air Ceylon and Mr Ganapragasam who was later a senior general manager of several Sri Lankan private companies and the late legendary A Ariyawaradane of Piliyandala, who served as Mr Bandarage’s assistant at Air Ceylon.
During this time (mid 1940s) Mr Kenneth Bing (PhD) the then Managing of Director of Shell Company of Ceylon (one of the few multinational companies operating in Sri Lanka at the time), who had an unabiding love for Ceylon, was keen on opening up one or two management positions to well educated and brilliant local lads of Ceylon. After a long search Bing picked young Bandarge as the Personal Officer of Shell Company. After a few months he promoted Dr Bandarage as the Personnel Manager of Shell.
This appointment as Personnel Manger at Shell Company was a major watershed in the Sri Lankan management arena because this was the first time ever that a separate Department for Personnel Management was set up in a Sri Lankan company, and first time ever a Sri Lankan was appointed as head of the Personnel Department in a multinational company in then Ceylon. It was also the first time ever that a native Ceylonese was appointed to such a high position in a leading mercantile establishment in then Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Dr Bandarage had an enormous task ahead. He knew that not only he must succeed himself but also prove to his white masters that they made the right decision. Bandarge knew that if he failed the doors in Ceylonese Corporate world will be closed for Ceylonese for many more years.
Fortunately Bing liked Bandarage and that relationship progressed very well. He gave every encouragement for young Bandarge to succeed and so he did. Bandarge showed to British and the Europeans his incredible talent and managerial skills. Dr Bandarage’s English was better than that of his white masters. The Europeans realised that the dark skinned Ceylonese could do the jobs as Managers better than them. The success of Bandarage at Shell led many other top level companies to establish personnel departments. Noteworthy among them were the Lever Brothers (Unilever), rated as the best multinational company to work in the Ceylon.
In early 50s the Shell Company was in some form of strife with the Government and its top managers left the company. Bandarage was quickly absorbed into Lever Brothers by its legendary Chairman, J D Mould and its Scottish Managing Director L Baberlomax.
Bandarage was the first Sinhalese to head the Personnel Management Department of Levers. He spent nearly 18 years at Levers which time he revolutionised the personnel management and management systems not only within Levers but entire Sri Lanka.
At Levers Bandarage was determined to unlock the door of executive positions to Sri Lankan born lads, especially those from rural backgrounds. He was looking for young people who had a brilliant academic record and who could speak English. He did not give regard to such irrelevant considerations as family or school background, but only merit.
At Levers he was looking for young Sri Lankan talent for management positions of the company. Fortunately he had the full support of J D Mould. Bandarage went and recruited a number of managers for Levers some of them became luminaries in Sri Lanka’s corporate world. Some of Bandarage’s recruits include such management luminaries of contemporary Sri Lanka (considered as Sri Lankan management legends) as Stanley Jayawardana (later became the Chairman of Levers), Gilbert Jayasuriya (later Director of Levers), Sam Jayasuriya, Clement Ranasuriya, Dr Seevali Rathwatte, Ariyapala Pathirana (now Management Consultant), Upali Wijewardene (late billionaire tycoon), Upali Wickramasekera, S De La Mott, J Ariyanathan, Anura Weeraratne (now in Australia) etc. etc.
Dr Bandarage’s main ambition was to screen and employ the cream of Sri Lankan talent into the top positions of the Sri Lankan private companies.
He knew that Sri Lanka as a young nation, which had just obtained independence, vehemently required a team of talented mangers for its emerging mercantile sector.
In the fifties and sixties Dr Bandarage had emerged as a giant in Sri Lanka’s Management field. Along with Sir Cyril De Zoysa (the then Chairman of Associated Motorways group), he established the Institute of Personnel Management (Inc). This was way back in 1959. Until recently, he was the only surviving signatory to the IPM Constitution. In the formative years of the institute, for a number of years, Sir Cyril was the President and Dr Bandarage was the secretary of the institute. Later, Dr Bandarage became the President of the Institute and held this position for a very long time. He was the first Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka.
With such management luminaries as Mallory Wijesinghe, Ananda Tissa De Alwis, Brigadier Cecil Caldera, Gilbert Jayasuriya, Mansour Ghouse etc., Dr Bandarage was involved in the establishment of the Institute of Management of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was a founder member of the Institute with Mallory Wijesinghe being the first President. In 1977 Dr Bandarage became the President. Dr Bandarage served as a visiting lecturer of Management Studies at the Universities of Colombo and Sri Jayawardanapura. In fact it was only few years ago he finished his sojourn with these universities. Dr Bandarage was a long standing panel member in the recruitment to the Ceylon Civil Service (now Sri Lanka Administrative Services).
Thanks to Dr Bandarage’s teaching hundreds of educated youth from rural Sri Lankan villages ended becoming senior public servants, including Government Agents and departmental permanent secretaries.
During the Prime Minsitership of Dudley Seneanyake Dr Bandarage was assigned to study and report to the government re. the formulation of the Five (5) Day week. Dr Bandarage did substantive studies both locally and overseas and recommended the then government (the Ministry was held by J R
Jayawardana) that Sri Lanka should implement a 5 day working week (until then Sri Lanka had a 5 ½ day week). In 1966 or so Dr Bandarage compiled the “Handbook of Personnel Management for Ceylon” which book is even today regarded by the Sri Lanka’s management fraternity as the ‘Bible’ of Sri Lankan Management Studies.
Dr Bandarage had written several books in Management both in English and Sinhalese. It was only two years ago that he published the books “Case Methods” and Administrative Management. These are considered land mark text book in the Management Studies of Sri Lanka. The contents of the books are exceptionally good.
After an exceptional career Dr Bandarage left Levers in the late 1960s and set himself up as a Management Consultant. Dr Bandarage is unarguably Sri Lanka’s first Management Consultant. During his sejour as a leading Management Consultant he had been instrumental in helping many large and medium scale companies in Sri Lanka on streamlining their businesses. Dr Bandarage was associated with the late Upali Wijewardene and helped him to become one of the most successful business entrepreneurs in Asia. Mr Upali Wijewardene, unarguably the richest man of Sri Lanka ever, considered Dr Bandarage as his right and left hand man (personal friend and consultant). Dr Bandarage was very saddened by the untimely loss of life of the Great Sri Lankan son, Upali Wijewardene, which occurred in the early 1980s. Dr Bandarage served as a Director of Upali Group.
In 1970 Dr Bandarage was invited by the late Mrs Sirima Banadarnaike, Prime Minister, to reform and improve Sri Lanka’s ailing textile industry.
She appointed him as Chairman of the National Textile Corporation that had
3 big textile factories – Thulhiriya, Veyangoda and Pugoda. This appointment was seen as a non-political appointment of the then United Front Government, trying to stick to the principal of ‘giving best positions of the government to the best qualified people, solely on merit’.
Dr Bandarage realised that working in the public sector was very difficult, and something not for him, as he encountered numerous ‘non-corporate’ requests from politicians. He became disgusted with the unethical elements of Sri Lanka’s political culture and, despite repeated requests from various heads of the Sri Lankan state at various times, he never went back to public service. In late 1970s and early 1980 Dr Bandarage served as a UN adviser in Africa. The Kenyan Government, including the then Prime Minister of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, felicitated Dr Bandarage’s efforts to rehabilitate and streamline Kenya’s ailing management and administrative system.
In the last two or three decades prior to his death Dr Bandarage had not only been involved with management development activities of Sri Lanka, but also in the propagation of Buddhism. Being a great Buddhist and a philanthropist himself, in the recent past Dr Bandarage had lavishly donated monies to charities and Buddhist institutions, especially towards the propagation of Sinhala Buddhist values in rural and urban Sri Lanka.
Dr Bandarage had been a long standing active member of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress and the YMBA.
Even today the doors of Dr Bandarage’s residence at 7 Ohlums Place in Colombo 8 are open to the down trodden to come and relate their unfortunate plight. Dr Bandarage would help them with words and deeds.
On every Sunday until his death he conducted classes to disadvantaged university graduates numbering about 20 who were studying for the administrative exam (former Civil Service exam where he was an examiner and interviewer). These classes were conducted free of charge at his home.
Dr Bandarage was a remarkable man with so much wisdom, distinction and persona. Anyone who had met him will never forget of their meeting with the Great Personality.
Dr Bandarage had the most distinguished personality – the aura that spread from him was an unforgettable experience. To me, Dr Bandarage was the kindest and warmest man I have ever met. To him the whole world was like his family. He truly believed in the concept that the ‘man’s most noblest duty is to help the fellow man’.
We must not forget it is such distinguished personalities as Dr Bandarage who first started fighting for the motherland against the Tamil Extremist elements. Along with such people as Gamini Keerthichandra, Gamini Iriyagolla, Dr MP Soysa, he formed such patriotic associations to save the mother land from the extremist eliments (this was in the early 1980s).
Thanks to Dr Bandarage’s contributory efforts Sri Lanka today is well abundant with a huge reservoir managmental talent. The management fraternity of Sri Lanka today must thank Dr Bandarage for working tirelessly in the 1940s 50s and 60s to unlock doors for them to enter into the private sector with opportunities and traineeship, at that time dominated by the British or English only speaking Sri Lankans.
A postage stamp for this living legend of Sri Lanka’s corporate world is most appropriate.
Dr Bandarage is the father of 6 distinguished children among whom are the distinguished professor of Harvard/MIT, Professor Asoka Bandarage, UN Peace Keeping Head in New York, Wasantha, and the prominent Sri Lankan barrister practising in Australia, Chanaka Bandarage. Dr Bandarage’s wife, Thilaka, is currently living in Sri Lanka with the son, Chandana.
May Dr D S Bandarage attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
J M Kumarasingha

Date & Time- 9/20/2009 9:12:30 AM
Name - rajan karalasingham
Email - karl.singham@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment rajan karalasingham
Comment - Some gratuitous advice to the editor and publisher!!:
Why are you wasting the valuable space in your jounal by publishing news that is aleady reported in the daily press?
You have a wonderful opportuniy to turn your journal into a journal of opinion and debate,while retaining some of your current features.

Date & Time- 9/13/2009 6:41:25 PM
Name - Chaminda Tilakumara
Email - chaminda_t@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Chaminda Tilakumara
Comment - War Crimes - USA the peace keeper or Global War Criminal?
The United Nations organisation is yet to file charges of ‘War Crimes’
against America. Despite these ‘War Crimes’ been continuously committed over a period of half a century. These war crimes continue unabated to this very day. So far there has no comment from any Western based the Human Rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) on bringing charges against America, by far the worst offender of war crimes of recent times. Although the past UN General Secretary, Mr Kofi Annan did mention that the war on Iraq was illegal, it failed to take matters further from that point. UN is yet to make America accountable for its war crimes it has perpetrated on the Muslim World and in Asia particular. A few key war crimes the US has committed are:
• War on Iraq over fraudulent claims of WMD and the invasion of a
sovereign nation. No one has been accounted for the loss of lives on this war based on deceit and greed.
• Aiding and abetting the Taliban movement in the 80’s to fight America’s
wars and creating the world a dangerous place to live in.
• Loss of innocent human lives in Afghanistan.
• Illegal detention of Muslims in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba without any legal
representation for the inmates kept in torturous conditions. Muslims are categorised as ‘Unlawful combatants’ to deny their due legal and human rights representations.
• Using chemical weapons (napalm) on the Vietnamese people.
• Using nuclear weapons (WMD) on the Japanese people.
The United Nations and its Human Rights organs have maintained a deafening silence over America’s war crimes. There is a growing resentment in the non-western world as to why Western countries, America in particular have been able to get away with annihilating whomever they please. Today the world military power is not concentrated in the West alone. It has seen a shift from the West to the East. Therefore, it is important that the UN & other genuine Human Rights organisations embark on the legal process to bring these perpetrators of global war crimes to justice as this would reduce or even reverse the radicalisation of the of the Muslim world and in general, non-western countries.

Date & Time- 8/30/2009 3:33:37 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - i do not think the gosl should hold a inquiery.i.c.is notthe few individuals from the western countries like solheim.the majority of the people know this is a fake.what the government should find out who made this,and who made this available.berlin connection? ranjit de mel berlin

Date & Time- 8/25/2009 12:23:22 PM
Name - Raja Segar
Email - segargallery@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Raja Segar
Comment - Reflective effects in cubism
By Lakna Paranamanna
Sir,
I refer to the above article on this Sunday 23rd Aug 2009 and thanks Mr L.Paranamanna for the well written essay of my exhibition which is on at AF de Colombo.
The title should be REFRACTIVE EFFECT in CUBISM and not Reflective effects in cubism
Yours sincerely
D.Raja Segar
100/7 Horton Place, Colombo 7
Tel 0714850074

Date & Time- 8/16/2009 7:33:56 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - idid not read anura kumaras interview,because the jvp died long ago and next g.e. jvp would be buried.for me they are not marxists.they are national socialists.unp at the moment,with their broad alliance thinking,makes me sad.mangale the homo boy is a failed politician,cbk is called the queen of the thieves,new sinhale urumeya,the name suggest nationalistic and chauvenistiv shit. jvp failed.civil society groups are many but very few members and some working for personal benefits.ranil should be removed.unp at the present moment acts like a prostitute.if unp puts someone who is not a unp member,that would be the end of the road to the unp.if the unp is adament then dr.wickramebahu,who is atleast honest but a joker allright.

Date & Time- 8/10/2009 9:40:31 PM
Name - Kanaga
Email - gunda12@yahoo.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Kanaga
Comment - The Cost of a unit to the consumer from Norochcholai Coal power plant
The Cost of a unit from Norochcholai Coal power plant
The Ministry says the cost will be about Rs 7/kWh
Unfortunately they have not taken the Real costs to the consumers like
Taxes and duty to be levied by GOSL on Coal imported.
The cost to the environment. The cost of medical expenses to be met by
people around the plant due to escaping Coal dust, Hot exhaust gasses and
Warm cooling sea water and CO2 Mercury etc. Only about 35% of the heat in
Coal will be converted to Electricity at the plant and balance will heat
up the Clean Pure Norochcholai and Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean!
Cost due loses in Transmission and the Capital cost of transmission has
not been taken in to account properly.
Pollution due to leaching of stored Coal stocks and the effects on the
ground water in the area etc.
Will the Power plant be operated as specified? Will our operators perform?
What happened at Sapugaskanda Heavy Fuel fired diesel plant The unwanted
non fuel residue was pumped into CEB’s tanks and Large quantity of refuse
collected at the centrifuges has to be stored our side in Leaking Barrels
till they could be disposed(Delayed due to Political interference in
Tenders) polluting the whole area. The waste processing plant at
Sapugaskanda first project of CEB was never maintained or even properly
operated and the whole place got polluted in addition to pollution from
the Refinery!
Take the case of the KKS cement factory which had the best of the
precipitators for exhaust. It was poorly maintained and after few years of
commissioning the plant started polluting the whole area up to 5KM radius
which was covered with cement dust. The management was not allowed to
replace the precipitators and the plants were running at large profit.
They kept the Poor staff silent by giving them a bottle of gingili oil to
apply to there head!
What happened at the Kelenitissa Steam plant? It was not possible maintain
as per slandered. At one stage it was unsafe as per the German
Manufacturers of the Boiler Drum. It is unsafe to operate a boiler without
two different Boiler level indicators in working condition in the control
room for many years only one was in working order. No one is advised to
operate the boiler without the flame failure detection equipment of the
boiler. Due to lack of funds this was never replaced or repaired. We were
told this never worked as it was not tropicalised. The plant was operated
without same all the time we worked as operation staff. The Copies of
operation and Maintenance Manuals of the plant which were handed over by
the suppliers were lost only one copy was available in CEB and was kept
locked up in the then DGM Generation's room.
There were no permanent operation staff and they were brought down time to
time when the plant had to be operated for the drought season Most of
the Technical Minor grade employees were recruited from the area for
obvious reasons and they are often found drunk in the evenings. Nothing
could be done about them
Major engineering errors occurred in trying to reduce the time taken to
clean the Boiler Oil Burning guns. Out of the four guns that were there
two had it nozzle rotating clockwise and the other two anticlockwise. The
original operation Maintenance practice was to remove the gun after
reducing the load of the machine to 70% and then clean the nozzle after
every specified hours of operation. This takes more than 30 Minutes. Due
to reasons of requirement of Higher power out put from the plant a spare
gun was kept not realizing the fact that there were two different types of
nozzle for the gun The direction of Rotation of Hot air arriving for
combustion has to be in oppose to the direction of rotation of nozzle
which sprays the oil for good mixing and combustion. This resulted in Oil
not burning properly and dripping to the floor and collecting there and
burning slowly there with less air available. One fine day the plant was
shut down after the night peak on a dry season. One shift engineer stayed
behind and went to rest in the special air conditioned room. The other
engineer went home before the end of the shift. There was FIRE in the
Boiler uncontrollable with very big damage to the boiler and connected
equipment. When the fire Brigade came to help they had little water and
they could not couple to the fire fighting Nozzles available in the Power
station as they were made in Germany and the Fire brigade had English
couplings
All this are costs to the consumers. There was a second fire later as the
defect was not detected. On stores verification we found that there were
different types of Boiler gun nozzles and the wrong procedure corrected.
There was long mitigation against the two Engineers and they had keep
lawyers to defend themselves at high costs. There were two different
Engineers Unions at that time and it was one union engineers finding fault
on the engineers of the other union to which the unlucky two engineers
belonged. Luckily these two engineers got exonerated. CEB spent large some
of money in repairing the damage and in the conduction the inquiry. Many
Engineering Man hours were lost in the inquiry.
There will added cost of keeping 300MW and later 900MW of spinning
reserves to keep the system stable
All these countries mentioned have there own cheap coal we will have to
import. From Australia at March 2009 price was $125/ton FOB. When this is
shipped and imported paying the duties to GOSL the cost will be $170/ton
and if oil price doubles this price will be $340/ton. The cost of unit
will rise above Rs 20/kWh when commissioned
India and China are worst polluters in the world. But they are planning to
go for more renewable.
In US it is extremely difficult to get permission to put new coal plants.
No new coal plants came in UK for the last 20 Years. Clean coal plants
are very much expensive
Hope the public who are now more educated will not allow this type of
things to repeat. But this will cost more to operate the plants and we may
have to import foreign Management and Staff to operate this plant as a
clean plant to be away from COSTLY local politics in Operation and
Maintenance.
There are many more such hidden costs not included and the author in
mentioning only the ECONOMIC costs. What will be the COMMERCIAL cost to
the consumer and the COUNTRY is what matters
The Costs of Rushed Emergency Power the Independent Private Power Projects
with very Costly Commercial Loans which used large quantity of imported
costly diesel for all these years(20) also has to be added to the cost of
Coal Plant as it coasted the country when this plant got delayed.
The lack of experienced Operators and Bad Maintenance Practices will add
costs to the units generated.
The fights between Electrical and Mechanical engineers of the CEB also
will add costs to the unit and there could be premature failure of the
plant taking place. All this will add to the cost of unit!
Using these data we can get the real costs.
From 2009 Coal Statistics
http://www.dme.qld.gov.au/mines/coal_statistics.cfm

March Quarter
2008 2009
Country AUD$ Per Tonne AUD$ Per Tonne
Hard Coking Coal $107.80 $374.33
Soft Coking Coal $81.69 $221.59
Thermal Coal $68.74 $156.26

The State of Queensland (Department of Employment, Economic Development
and Innovation) 2009.
Monthly coal statistics - March Download (642 kB) Download (123 kB)
Cost of Coal at Norichcholai will be cost FOB in Australia+ transport+ Tax
and duty* by GOSL+ Loss of business to Colombo port= Aus$ 156=($125/ton
+$15)+38.2% Tax and duty+10%loss of business to CMB Port
$(125+15)X1.382X1.1=$212/ton cost/unit for fuel=8.9US cents/kWh
(Therefore, at the official discount rate of 10 percent, the capacity cost
of the project will be 1.77 UScts/kWh. The present estimated price of coal
is about 100 USD/tonne delivered to Norochcholai, and hence it will have a
fuel cost of 4.2 UScts/kWh.
The maintenance cost to run the power plant, inclusive of meeting all the
environmental standards will be about 1.25 UScts/kWh. Therefore, the
economic cost of electricity produced in this power plant will be 7.24
UScts/kWh. If oil prices reach 140 USD/barrel as they did last July, coal
prices may also double, and then this cost will increase to 11.42
UScts/kWh.)

*Please see

Tariff Calculator Tariff Guide http://www.customs.gov.lk/home_page.htm
H.S.

Hdg.

(1)
H.S.

Code

(2)
Description

(3)
Customs Duty Unit of

Qty.

(6)
Rates of Other Levies ICL/SLS

(13)
Pref.

(4)
Gen.

(5)
VAT

(7)
PAL

(8)
SRL

(9)
SUR

(10)
Cess

(11)
Excise

(12)

27.01 Coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured
from coal.
- Coal, whether or not pulverised, but not agglomerated :
2701.11 – Anthracite (PK)Free (IN)Free
(SF)Free
Free kg 15% 3% 1.5% 15%
Total duty due for the Import of Coal will be 38% excluding Loss of
revenue tax for the Coal by CMB Ports
Already Oil price gone up to $70/B. It is increasing and the predictions
are it will go to the value suspected by author.. It was assumed a price
$100/ton for coal at Norichcholai. The March price of Coal as per
Statistics from Australian Coal Board is US$125/ton and the price of oil
was very much lower then!. When this arrives in Srilanka we have to pay
shipping charges, all the duties by GOSL which stands as it is now at more
than 32%, and any charges by Port Authority of CMB who could charge for
loss of revenue to the Ports as CEB will use its own Coal unloading
facility at the Plant. So at today’s prices as per Calculations showed a
unit from this Coal plant now will NOW cost almostRs12/kWh.
And may be at the time of commissioning of this plant if the oil price
doubles the Cost of Production of a unit could go to more than Rs 20/kWh.
This is what it will cost the Customer finally. So the rosy picture put
forward now will not hold water. We have to wait and see. To avoid this we
have to learn to conserve energy.
Total cost/unit at March 09 Rates of Coal, (Oil was cheaper then only
$35/B and today is higher than $70/B)
Cost/kWh in March price = 8.9+1.77+1.25=11.92 US cents/kWh
or if oil price doubles by the time the Plant comes into operation.
The costs could be17.8+1.77+1.25=20.8UScents/kWh (as per there own
calculations)
The actual costs can be very much higher than this Rs 21/kWh at the time
of commissioning of the plant!
This may be the actual cost to the consumer at the time opening of the
Coal plant!
“(This may be the actual cost when plant is commissioned and will increase
rapidly when plant ages)”
The lack of discipline among the operation and Maintenance staff of CEB,
the Union fights, lack of coordination between the Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers in CEB will add more costs. A person who has
experience in having worked in CEB’s Thermal plants will know the
realities. With Large size plant in the grid for Stability and continuity
of supply we may have to have Hydro or costly Gas Turbines running as
spinning reserves all the time. The Coal plant will be operated at its
full load most of the time as a base load station and we may waste water
in Hydro m/c and costly liquid fuel in running inefficiently the Gas
Turbines at low load. All these costs have to be paid by the consumer.
Please also consider the loss to the country in the delay in staring the
Coal plant. We were forced to go for Emergency Power and High priced
commercial loan funded Independent Power Projects and the fuel imported
for these plants all this time. No wonder we have the highest tariff in
this part of the world
One could say that all this costs will have to be also added to the unit
cost not forgetting the cost to the environment including the medical
expenses that the GOSL has bear for Poor Population around the project.
China, India and US have there own cheap Coal and are worse polluters in
the world. It is extremely difficult to get permission to put a new Coal
Plant unless it is a Clean Coal variety in US. These plants are very
expensive to construct, operate and maintain.
Going for renewable Power like in India, China, Japan and even US for
future expansion is the solution. These countries have decided to have 10%
of Electricity Generation by 2010 and 20% by 2020

Date & Time- 8/9/2009 10:30:27 PM
Name - Chaminda Tilakumara
Email - chaminda_t@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Chaminda Tilakumara
Comment - Just wondering if the British authorities would investigate the two visitors from UK, who were visiting KP in Malaysia. These two individuals are Balasingham Nadesan’s brother and son. KP is wanted by the Interpol who is a member of a Globally proscribed Terrorist organisation that is involved in suicide bombings, child soldiers, ethnic cleansing, assassinations, mass murder, drug trafficking, gun-running and in general TERRORISM as a whole.
What business did these two British Residents have with KP? British authorities should investigate immediately these two to ascertain the facts. They could uncover the scale of extortion that has taken place to collect funds illegally by LTTE operatives in the UK.
As I understood, the anti–terror laws in the UK prohibits anyone associating with members of banned terrorist groups.
It is time that UK really shows the world that they mean business when it comes to ‘War on Terror’.

Date & Time- 7/20/2009 7:27:09 AM
Name - Kris Rodrigo
Email - ds.export@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Kris Rodrigo
Comment - I agree with you regarding this article. In many overseas countries the retirement age is 65. In Australia it is due to be increased to 67. Sri Lanka have so many qualified and good people who had to retire because of their age, but would still be an asset to the Government at this stage of rebuilding of this beautiful island. An example is SSP Neville Guruge, retired Director of Investigations of the Bribery Commission. Why is the government not making use of his passion and experience? I am not sure what he is doing now, but I can without a doubt say that the Nation should push this issue and find out what he is doing and try and get the necessary authorities to get him on board if he is available - I am sure the Bribery Commission could use his services in some way - are the awareness programs he instigated still happening? How come we do not hear much about the commission's work anymore? You would be doing this country and its citizens a favour to follow up on this.

Date & Time- 7/19/2009 11:20:31 PM
Name - ranjit demel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit demel
Comment - mangale is allready politically dead idiot like him shouuld be kicked out of s.l.

Date & Time- 7/12/2009 9:04:49 AM
Name - osmund perera
Email - ofp@amnet.net.au
Subject - The Nation - Comment osmund perera
Comment - I note the IGP has said in his interview that it is only in Sri Lanka that motorists warn other motorists of the presence of the traffic police, by flashing their headlights. I can assure him it happens here in Perth as well. Even the presence of speed cameras is indicated in this manner.

Date & Time- 7/10/2009 8:42:20 PM
Name - SALTA NEWS ARGENTINA
Email - saltanoticiassaltanews@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment SALTA NEWS ARGENTINA
Comment - POLITICA
Sri Lanka: preso por vaticinar ca�da presidencial Chandrasiri Bandara, famoso conductor televisivo, astr�logo y periodista de Sri Lanka, antiguo Ceyl�n, fue detenido en secreto por el CID (Criminal Investigation Departament) de la Polic�a de Colombo por haber publicado sus astro-predicciones en el Sinhala News en las que vaticin� la ca�da del Jefe de Estado Mahinda Rajapaksa. (Foto: President M. Rajapaksa)

Date & Time- 7/5/2009 5:30:20 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - there is a saying barking dogs do not bite.jhu jvp wimal can bark,no teeth to bite.next g.e. non of them would be in the parliament.

Date & Time- 7/5/2009 1:39:55 PM
Name - Ayanthi
Email - ayanthirkg51@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Ayanthi
Comment - The govener of the central bank is an accountant,with an a'level knowlege of economics. Is it a wonder that he makes the most ridiculous statements/predictions!!!!

Date & Time- 7/3/2009 5:01:26 PM
Name - Jayaweera M Kumarasinghe
Email - pjney@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Jayaweera M Kumarasinghe
Comment - Dr D.S. Bandarage - Father of Modern Management in Sri Lanka passed away
Dr D S Bandarage, Father of Modern Management passed away peacefully, on 1 July 2009.
During the 50s Dr Bandarage was appointed as the Personnel Manager of Shell Company of Ceylon (one of the four multinational companies operating in Sri Lanka at the time). Afterwards, he worked as Personnel Manager at Lever Bros (now Unilever) for several decades, and retired as its General Manager. These are major watershed appointments in the Sri Lankan management arena because they were the first occasions that a native born Sri Lankan was appointed to set up Personnel Departments in Sri Lankan multinational companies. Dr Bandarage went on to serve as General Manager, Director and Chairman in leading Sri Lankan companies and Government Corporations. Dr Bandarage served as a UN adviser in Africa. The Kenyan Government, including the then Prime Minister of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, felicitated Dr Bandarage’s efforts to rehabilitate and streamline Kenya’s ailing management and administrative system.
In the fifties, sixties and seventies Dr Bandarage had emerged as a giant in Sri Lanka’s Management field. He was instrumental in establishing the Institute of Personnel Management (Inc). This was way back in 1959. In the formative years of the institute, he was the President of the Institute and held this position for a very long time. He was the first Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka. With other Sri Lankan management luminaries of the time, Dr Bandarage worked tirelessly to promote Modern Management in Sri Lanka, and was instrumental in setting up several Sri Lankan Management Institutions. He served as a visiting lecturer of Management Studies at the Universities of Colombo and Sri Jayawardanapura. Many people in the today’s management arena are students of Dr Bandarage.
Thanks to Dr Bandarage’s contributory efforts Sri Lanka today is well abundant with a huge reservoir of management talent. The management fraternity of Sri Lanka today must thank Dr Bandarage for working tirelessly in the 1950s, 60,70s and 80s to unlock doors for them to enter into the private sector with opportunities and traineeship, at that time dominated by the British or English only speaking Sri Lankans.
In the last two or three decades Dr Bandarage had been involved with management development activities of Sri Lanka, but had also been extremely involved in the propagation of Buddhism. Being a great Buddhist and a philanthropist himself, in the recent past Dr Bandarage donated monies to charities and Buddhist institutions, especially towards the propagation of Sinhala Buddhist values in rural and urban Sri Lanka. Dr Bandarage has been a long standing active member of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress and the YMBA.
Dr Bandarage’s residence at 7 Ohlums Place in Colombo 8 was always open to the down trodden to come and relate their unfortunate plight. Dr Bandarage helped them with words and deeds. Until recently on every Sunday he conducted classes to disadvantaged university graduates numbering about 20 who are studying for the administrative exams (former Civil Service exam where he was an examiner and panel selection member).
These classes were conducted free of charge at his home.
Dr Bandarage is the father of 6 distinguished children among whom are the distinguished professor of Harvard/MIT, Professor Asoka Bandarage (daughter), Rohan (Chartered Engineer, Australia) Wasantha (daughter) who heads the UN Peace Keeping Forces in New York, and the prominent Sri Lankan barrister practising in the High Courts of Canberra, Chanaka Bandarage. Dr Bandarage’s is survived by his wife, Thilaka.

Date & Time- 7/5/2009 5:30:20 PM
Name - ranjit de mel
Email - ranjit-de-mel@t-online.de
Subject - The Nation - Comment ranjit de mel
Comment - there is a saying barking dogs do not bite.jhu jvp wimal can bark,no teeth to bite.next g.e. non of them would be in the parliament.

Date & Time- 7/5/2009 1:39:55 PM
Name - Ayanthi
Email - ayanthirkg51@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Ayanthi
Comment - The govener of the central bank is an accountant,with an a'level knowlege of economics. Is it a wonder that he makes the most ridiculous statements/predictions!!!!

Date & Time- 7/3/2009 5:01:26 PM
Name - Jayaweera M Kumarasinghe
Email - pjney@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Jayaweera M Kumarasinghe
Comment - Dr D.S. Bandarage - Father of Modern Management in Sri Lanka passed away
Dr D S Bandarage, Father of Modern Management passed away peacefully, on 1 July 2009.
During the 50s Dr Bandarage was appointed as the Personnel Manager of Shell Company of Ceylon (one of the four multinational companies operating in Sri Lanka at the time). Afterwards, he worked as Personnel Manager at Lever Bros (now Unilever) for several decades, and retired as its General Manager. These are major watershed appointments in the Sri Lankan management arena because they were the first occasions that a native born Sri Lankan was appointed to set up Personnel Departments in Sri Lankan multinational companies. Dr Bandarage went on to serve as General Manager, Director and Chairman in leading Sri Lankan companies and Government Corporations. Dr Bandarage served as a UN adviser in Africa. The Kenyan Government, including the then Prime Minister of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, felicitated Dr Bandarage’s efforts to rehabilitate and streamline Kenya’s ailing management and administrative system.
In the fifties, sixties and seventies Dr Bandarage had emerged as a giant in Sri Lanka’s Management field. He was instrumental in establishing the Institute of Personnel Management (Inc). This was way back in 1959. In the formative years of the institute, he was the President of the Institute and held this position for a very long time. He was the first Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka. With other Sri Lankan management luminaries of the time, Dr Bandarage worked tirelessly to promote Modern Management in Sri Lanka, and was instrumental in setting up several Sri Lankan Management Institutions. He served as a visiting lecturer of Management Studies at the Universities of Colombo and Sri Jayawardanapura. Many people in the today’s management arena are students of Dr Bandarage.
Thanks to Dr Bandarage’s contributory efforts Sri Lanka today is well abundant with a huge reservoir of management talent. The management fraternity of Sri Lanka today must thank Dr Bandarage for working tirelessly in the 1950s, 60,70s and 80s to unlock doors for them to enter into the private sector with opportunities and traineeship, at that time dominated by the British or English only speaking Sri Lankans.
In the last two or three decades Dr Bandarage had been involved with management development activities of Sri Lanka, but had also been extremely involved in the propagation of Buddhism. Being a great Buddhist and a philanthropist himself, in the recent past Dr Bandarage donated monies to charities and Buddhist institutions, especially towards the propagation of Sinhala Buddhist values in rural and urban Sri Lanka. Dr Bandarage has been a long standing active member of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress and the YMBA.
Dr Bandarage’s residence at 7 Ohlums Place in Colombo 8 was always open to the down trodden to come and relate their unfortunate plight. Dr Bandarage helped them with words and deeds. Until recently on every Sunday he conducted classes to disadvantaged university graduates numbering about 20 who are studying for the administrative exams (former Civil Service exam where he was an examiner and panel selection member).
These classes were conducted free of charge at his home.
Dr Bandarage is the father of 6 distinguished children among whom are the distinguished professor of Harvard/MIT, Professor Asoka Bandarage (daughter), Rohan (Chartered Engineer, Australia) Wasantha (daughter) who heads the UN Peace Keeping Forces in New York, and the prominent Sri Lankan barrister practising in the High Courts of Canberra, Chanaka Bandarage. Dr Bandarage’s is survived by his wife, Thilaka.

Date & Time- 6/15/2009 2:26:55 PM
Name - Shenali Waduge
Email - shenaliwaduge@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Shenali Waduge
Comment - Who really wanted Tamil Eelaam & why?
More & more we are made to wonder the connotations behind the quest for a Tamil Eelam. Was it an ideology that was not meant to go beyond conceptual phase, was it a past time for those who had everything in life & wanted a little excitement, was it a seed planted to create regional & sub-regional discord & friction & create the necessity for western interference, was it meant to allow large numbers of Tamils to reside overseas & uplift their living standards & most of all was it really because the Sinhalese were discriminating the Tamils or was it an experiment gone wrong & out of hand? In reality there is much more to the quest for Tamil Eelaam than meets the eye which requires closer analysis & thought.
We cannot deny that there prevailed separatist thought on the lines of a separate state for Tamils! This first emerged in Tamil Nadu. This was natural for 65million of the world’s 80million Tamils resided there. It came in the form of a We Tamil Movement in the late 1960s which was crushed by the Indian Government. India ensured it didn’t expand or gain any untoward propaganda. Another reason why it did not get the kickstart it desired was probably because the people of Tamil Nadu would not have heralded around this idea. India was desiring no separation in India & India successfully managed to steer separatist thought away from Tamil Nadu for well over 40 years. How so…part of India’s policy unfortunately was to be at odds with their immediate neighbor & in harmony with their neighbor’s neighbor. India’s SAARC neighbors will all have their reservations about India’s sincerity in many matters. Why did Indira Gandhi feel she needed to train, arm, finance sets of Tamils to embark on an armed struggle against Sri Lanka’s Government – how long did she plan this to continue & did it never strike India that armed movements eventually forget to appreciate their masters? Several factors did contribute towards Mrs. Gandhi’s decision & one of these was Sri Lanka’s President’s tilt towards the West & in particular relations with the US & Israel the other of course was to direct separatist movement away from India to Sri Lanka where Tamil Nadu separatist mongers would be kept happy watching separatism take shape in Sri Lanka but it would only remain a “quest” – India never meant for the Sri Lankan militants to go beyond the “struggle phase”. So, when India gets into action training Sri Lanka’s military, providing arms & other expertise it was always after India understood that the LTTE was getting the better of the Sri Lankan Government – which India wanted to happen but not to completely overwhelm Sri Lanka’s military. While we need to understand India’s diplomacy & actions, it was for Sri Lanka’s Governments to have read these & been intelligent enough to counter them. Therefore, India is not to blame for the follies of Sri Lanka’s leaders whose primary interest should have been to protect the country’s territorial integrity not just being in power.
When arms, training & financial assistance is given to men who have no hope of making a proper livelihood it is not difficult to understand the obvious results. Who was Prabakaran? He was essentially a low-caste Tamil from a fishing village. He like all the other rebels India trained eventually made terrorism their means of livelihood. Most of these rebels had not studied, they were marginalized amongst their own community first by the caste factor & then by their own disadvantage in not having studied. Yes, standardization of the 70s would have upset some Tamils, but those who were upset were the Jaffna Tamils & mostly the high caste Vellala Tamils who really opposed standardization because their quotas would get divided & would include Tamils of Trincomalee, Mannar, Batticola areas (who had hitherto had none of the luxuries the Jaffna Tamils had) How would a Prabakaran who never studied beyond O/L‘s have any personal grievance regarding standardization – how could he enter any university when he hadn’t studied? Similarly, how would a Prabakaran who had little or no links to Sinhalese hate them enough to start an armed struggle more so how can he have any grievance when he hasn’t even worked in the State sector or even the private sector – Prabakaran’s first & only employment was in terrorism & his employers eventually became evil men living abroad whose only aim was to use “emotional” attachments into a global terror movement? What Tamils do not like to accept & project is that Prabakaran first started out his movement against his own people – targeting the highest caste & the learned & if one looks closely at all the Tamils that Prabakaran has assassinated starting out with Alfred Duraiappah in 1975 it becomes easier to understand that he hated the Tamil high castes & he hated the Tamil learned. As such he silenced 35 such Tamils which included Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Lakshman Kadiragamar who was not only a high caste but very much a product of Oxford.
Thus, the arms these rebel movements held became their virtual tool for social acceptance and the gates to power which eventually led the worst rebel (Prabakaran) to kill the leaders & members of all the other movements that India had trained. A man with so much hatred for his own people becomes easy prey & thus it came as no surprise how Prabakaran emerged greater & more powerful of all the rebels India trained & explains how easy it was for Prabakaran to kill practically all the leaders of the other Tamil rebel movements India had armed, trained & financed.
Prabakaran eventually became a remote controlled leader first taking instructions from India & then from sets of people stationed all over the world. It was this enterprise which eventually became a profit making entity worth USD300million annually. Did not the Tamil people, the ordinary, at least the middle class Tamils ever wonder why this money was never used for their benefit in areas that LTTE easily dominated for years without the presence of any Sri Lankan administration & given that they had access to cement, fuel & other materials as well as support from Tamil Nadu…why did the LTTE not make schools, libraries, buildings, roads, public utilities etc…were the Tamil people so fearful of the LTTE that they preferred to silently watch the LTTE make hundreds of air-conditioned bunkers, massive buildings for their use only? Were Tamils actually willing to live in an Eelaam where they would have no voice – was this not directly against the norms that even the Western powers & NGOs themselves professed – equality of status, gender rights, freedom of speech, freedom of movement etc???
Therefore, when LTTE claims itself to have taken to arms to fight for the Tamil people we cannot put aside that the rebels were first taught to hold weapons by India which leaves little credibility for their “freedom fighter” argument. An LTTE fighting for a Tamil Eelaam should have utilized the money they made illicitly for the benefit of the people (isn’t this what Robin Hood did – stole from the rich & gave to the poor?). After all, their slogan was that they wanted to liberate the Tamil people from Sinhala oppression. Why was it that Tamils in the North were never beneficiaries of the USD300million LTTE wealth – instead the LTTE had to even steal the food that was sent to the North to feed their own while the masterminds of the LTTE were living in luxury abroad making use of the wealth?
So when the world speaks of Tamil civilians they require to be a little aware of the background of the LTTE before making accusations at Sri Lanka’s Government. It was evident that the civilians rescued by the armed forces were of two types. The first lot of civilians were the large numbers of people who had been sacrificing their children to the LTTE…they had not eaten, they had no money & they were just skin and bones. The other set of civilians rescued by the armed forces were distinctly different – they belonged to the Mahavir families & their living conditions were far better than those of the former lot. The Bank of Ceylon had collected 390million in two days of opening an outlet in the camp & these families had in their possession chunks of gold & bundles of money. We then hear that LTTE cadres had to be removed to other camps because the smaller lot were attacking the seniors obviously because they now are beginning to realize the lies & shams they had been fed by the LTTE leaders all these years. It was the public in these IDP camps that identified Prabakaran’s parents who are now in protective custody, it was these IDPs that identified other LTTE sympathizers thus we can slowly see the people reconciling themselves to reality & are beginning to understand the charade by the LTTE & all of its support bases abroad & locally.
Now we come to the big question….who wants a separate state? Is it all the Tamils or the Northern Tamils, the Southern Tamils, the Eastern Tamils, the Estate Tamils, the Tamil Diaspora or certain Tamil leaders in Tamil Nadu? Is this separate state based on the need to liberate from oppression by the Sinhalese or the desire that 80million Tamils the world over feel an innate need to have a separate state for their own. How many Tamils actually espouse for a separate State for Tamils – this is an important question which is again never answered. Do those espousing for a separate state actually propose to live in it. It is amazing to imagine how 80million Tamils plan to live in a small stretch of 8,884 square kilometers (3,430.1 sq miles) ? Or is this Eelaam just an exercise an experiment to see how far world powers are prepared to give into demands & for Colombo Tamils to remain where they are with the Sinhalese (despite the discrimination tag), for Tamil Diaspora to continue to live abroad & steadily bring the rest of their families while those poor who suffered through the LTTE rule remained in these territory merely to sustain the desire to have a separate state. Again it must be reiterated that these people of the North – have never known to compare their lives with any better conditions. What they see is what they see & therefore they do not even question the lives they lead. It may look wretched to us but to them it is their life – which is why when westerners & NGO groups bemoan the status of life in the IDP camps it could possibly be that they are actually better off than they were before. Some of the people rescued by the forces declared they have eaten only one meal a day…the camps offer three meals & even tea time snacks. No one is saying that these camps are luxurious it is purely to declare that some of these western standards used to argue against the Government are really meaningless.
Furthermore, a question that needs to be asked of the Tamils especially those who hold placards & shout abroad is how they could support a group who kills & expect to live peacefully themselves if the LTTE is able to create that Eelaam? This same question is put to countries who have openly supported the LTTE – what would they have done if they happened to say or do anything that went against what the LTTE wanted them to do. Rajiv Gandhi gave his own bullet-proof vest to Prabakaran, Premadasa gifted the LTTE arms, ammunition & money & what happened to both these men – they were killed brutally by the LTTE. Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden were both one time friends of the West – the West armed these men & even financed them & what happened eventually – they both turned into enemies of the West – one was hanged without proper trial & now the West is supposedly searching for an elusive bin Laden…could he still be the West’s friend afterall & indirectly helping to secure Western interests in Middle East & Asia?
That the separatist agenda in Tamil Nadu was crushed suavely by the Indian Government foretells that Tamils of the South cared little to actually separate. Most of the present Indian politicos like Vaiko have no political supporters & hardly get votes which also foretells that the Tamil people of Tamil Nadu are more intelligent that their politicians think. Contrary to what most project anyone visiting Chennai for the first time would be greeted with warm welcomes like “Jayasuriya” “Muralitharan”
“Sri Lanka cricketers” which easily tell how much India & in particular Tamil Nadu people like Sri Lankans – it is not the picture that is projected & the attacks that did take place was probably instigated by these small political groups just to show their might. Each time we explore the question of Tamil Eelaam it seems that it was a handful of Tamil political leaders more interested in their own rise to superiority that pushed these separatist thoughts, similarly we see the comparisons in thoughts to Chelvanayagam & others who first asked for 50-50 representation from the British & who craftily translated his separatist political party to “Federal Party” in English. It was he & others who through the 1976 Vaddokkodai Resolution that urged youth to take to arms purely because these sets of men wanted to be leaders in their own right & had no concern whatsoever for the ordinary Tamil people. There are some who continue to bring up the topic of disenfranchisement – this was relevant to only the Estate Tamils who are even today looked down upon by both the Northern & Eastern Tamils. They were never accepted as indigenous Tamils. How many North or Eastern Tamils have married an Estate Tamil?
Sri Lanka is urged not to take too seriously the bellows by Tamil Nadu politicians whether in the ruling or opposition for it is purely on the grounds that they are well aware of India’s role in Sri Lanka vis a vis the Tamils & their desire to make use of this for their own political gain & with no sincerity towards Tamils of Sri Lanka. So, if India’s Central Government is sometimes exasperated by Tamil Nadu politicos it is as a result of its own errors in judgement. India’s Central Government has given Tamil Nadu enough reason to use the “Tamil” theme for political gains. The first mistake was to arm Sri Lanka’s rebels, the second was to airlift & save a cornered Prabakaran in 1987, the third was to send Indian troops to Sri Lanka & force Sri Lanka to accept a quasi-federal model & introduce Provincial Council system & the 13th amendment & to also silently allow the LTTE to use Tamil Nadu as a base to supply arms, ammunition & even have LTTE cadres gain medical treatment as well as allow Tamil Nadu politicians to have cordial relations with the LTTE despite the LTTE using Tamil Nadu as the very ground to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.
India would have preferred to allow the use of Tamil Nadu to supply arms, fuel & other requirements for the LTTE so that they would be aware of what was going through to the LTTE but they could not have been naïve to the fact that the LTTE was also running a very strong illegal network that involved global narcotics, human smuggling, illegal arms smuggling & links to other terrorists even rebel movements like the Maoists in India – very influential men who are wanted by Interpol but manages to escape. So, we all the while question why would India allow the LTTE to grow from strength to strength – was India so sure that it would be able to overcome the LTTE if it went beyond its mandate – didn’t the LTTE go beyond its mandate when it assassinated Rajiv Gandhi? We know that the IPKF operation was a half hearted initiative that purely had India formulating a provincial council system that would unite the North & East providing greater advantage if India had no alternative but to militarily intervene in Sri Lanka (merger would also secure for India the Trincomalee harbor if India did militarily intervene in Sri Lanka). Yet, contrary to IPKF heads proudly declaring that the “peace” operation would be complete within months….India eventually had to turn back on their promise to usher peace through the Indo-Lanka Accord & turn their operation into a military one.
Which still surprises us why no one has made use of the “Right to Information Act” to demand of the Indian Government how much India spent on the rebels though the late 1970s, 1980s which eventually eliminated 2000 Indian army lives? But, then the LTTE made a mockery out of the Indians who eventually had to leave having had to compete not only with the LTTE but a Sri Lankan Government (R. Premadasa) who armed, financed the LTTE just to chase the Indians out of Sri Lanka. Was India’s last option to actually make the North & East a part of Tamil Nadu if things really went out of hand?
What we need to post-LTTE defeat is to accept that it was the follies of the leaders (foreign or local) who gave to the LTTE their superior status & helped create an environment that the LTTE was invisible & impossible to defeat. It was easy for the LTTE to read through the politics that prevailed & to take all these players for a good jolly ride manipulating their peace formulas, manipulating their negotiations & manipulating all efforts they made for the LTTE knew that just as they were insincere to these efforts so were all these other players. This is the unfortunate truth of the three decades of terror that has destroyed Sri Lanka’s society.
In a cosmopolitan world can a community envisage life without mixing with other communities & what guarantees can this community give that discord will not emerge within their own community especially when we are well aware that Tamils are very much divided by century’s old caste systems?
The Tamil community even now have different water tumblers to offer those who are low caste in their homes, they shun people who marry outside of their caste…are these divides not as important to uproot & change or should they be changed? India has made little progress to change the status of the Dalits & other “untouchables”, we saw how the US treated the blacks of Katrina. Therefore, the UN needs to seriously address this “self-determination” ideology & discourage its existence completely.
Issues that bond emotions & attract divergent interests should never be used to camouflage sinister plans that are afoot to create global disharmony & players that are accepted globally must use their office wisely & responsibly & not end up puppets of these sinister plans!
It is a shame that many of Sri Lanka’s critics – the westerners living abroad are unable to understand the scenario in Sri Lanka. Can they not pause to wonder how over 50% of Tamils are living amongst Sinhalese if there was discrimination & the worse case of genocide taking place.
Nothing of the sort that took place between the Hutus & the Tutsi’s ever took place in Sri Lanka. If so, No Tamils should be alive, why should Tamils continue to arrive from the North & settle in the South amongst the Sinhalese. Given the argument that ethnic cleansing is taking place – shouldn’t these Tamils be scurrying to reside in the North. Why is the North having fewer & fewer Tamils residing there & why is there more influx amongst the Sinhalese??? Similarly, an Eelaam is not meant for the Tamil Diaspora to be happy at what they have created or for Colombo Tamils to remain where they are amongst the Sinhalese & rejoice that they have carved out a separate homeland. “Separatism” is not a game. Therefore, it bemoans those in Colombo to be a little more sincere when they happily move with the Sinhalese & yet give an averse story about “grievances”…..it is these dishonest claims that has dragged this issue for years. What are these grievances…name them…let us even know what they are, because these grievances seem to emerge only for arguments sake & are never tabled to actually find solutions. This is one reason why Tamil parliamentarians become equally guilty as are the other politicians….why have none of them actually simply asked to name the grievances….couldn’t the solutions have been found?
So we have Tamils living cordially with the Sinhalese, Tamil politicians also living also amongst the Sinhalese but for their own gains they bring up the “grievance” “discrimination” factor. Is this fair & is this ethical? Were the Tamils actually thinking of living in an Tamil Eelaam with Prabakaran as their leader when they are all well aware that Prabakaran had even killed his own confidantes who had fallen out with him? None of the Colombo Tamils would have left Colombo to live in Tamil Eelaam, none of the Tamil Diaspora would have left their western climes, the Eastern Tamils were looked down by Prabakaran thus Karuna & PIllayan leaving it, the Estate Tamils are never considered as Tamils ……therefore we question again for who was this Eelaam for?
This makes us wonder more & more if the 1983 riots was actually a staged attempt to depict the Sinhalese as monsters & to enable Tamils to gain residency abroad & to launch a propaganda drive that would have India playing a lead role. All these were never any brainchild of Prabakaran he was merely the pawn who naturally was happy so long as he remained in the spotlight. If Prabakaran started a pawn & remained a pawn so must have been others in the LTTE hierarchy & if we look at the dynamics of the politics taking place & shape globally we are relieved that India has not been late to understand that the Eelaam struggle was being used to actually destabilize not Sri Lanka but India by western forces thus India’s backing for Sri Lanka at the UN & UNHRC & while we can disregard comments made by Chiddambaran as playing to the Indian political gallery, we should be thankful regarding the statement of India’s Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon & these are in deed golden words “a political solution for the National Question is a Sri Lankan affair and it is not the task of India, Norway or the United Nations to push Sri Lanka towards a political solution”. Notice how he says National Question & doesn’t say Tamil Question. This is coming a long way & we should appreciate this statement while also understanding that India’s politicos are no different to ours in what they say….how many of them actually even believe what they say?
Then into this Eelaam quest we have had a very large & influential set of players all put together & referred to as the NGOs/INGOs & UN. These are the new players in politics who are influencers of society & act probably on behalf of foreign governments as most of them have direct ties to governments which often channel aid to countries through these private organizations based on an argument that Governments of developing nations are corrupt. Agreed – but are these NGOs/INGOs all doves & paragons on virtue? They have been at work for years but there is no end to poverty, not much alleviation of poverty either, human rights abuses still prevail none of them has been even able to get the US to sign the Kyoto Protocol not even the former US VP who is now the champion of world climate change!
They started out by protesting on streets but now they are into policy making & feel they have the answers to all the worlds woes & to this we should add the media outlets most of whom just want to sell a story & add to their profit! So when we question transparency & accountability we immediately wonder why NGOs/INGOs who were officed close to the LTTE headquarters in Kilinochchi did not report on the LTTE’s procurement of arms, its operations, its child recruitment etc….the LTTE was never a legitimate entity for any NGO/INGO or even UN official to think they had to keep silent & just watch…didn’t the LTTE collected arms that would kill innocent people. Therefore, we again question why these NGOs/INGO think they should have to keep mum about what the LTTE was doing under their very noses. Therefore when accusations emerge about links with NGOs/INGOs & even some media outlets & their personnel & accusations that they are being paid by the LTTE we are not at all surprised….especially so when we wonder how the LTTE made such massive earth bunds to be only told late that the equipment & heavy machinery used was “stolen” from one of these NGOs. Until NGOs/INGOs/UN & media outlets absolve themselves from the accusations within their entities of corruption, mismanagement & links with terror groups they are not going to be credible in the eyes of the public. In Sri Lanka we are well aware of how the 3000 NGOs/INGOs have functioned - presently the local NGOs are now openly accusing the international NGOs/INGOs of using the innocent Tamil civilians to humiliate the Government & the toilet example becomes a case in point.
They are a rich entity & play with emotions of kind hearted people from whom they gain their deposits. Over 60% of the monies go towards their own upkeeping & a small number actually go towards the downtrodden – there are enough of cases to project through the tsunami to the present conflict in Sri Lanka. Today, in the eyes of the public NGOs/INGOs media outlets & even the UN have all lost their panache – most of Sri Lanka’s public look down upon them for they have seen through their lies. Even the UN head is a mere puppet of the US…can we expect world peace!
Just as we question the Eelam & who it is for, we should question who actually want it – if the majority of Tamils desire to live amongst the Sinhalese we should finally call the bluff & put an end to this nonsense once & for all. Sri Lanka has no desire for devolution which will end up breeding another set of politicians who desire only to remain in power. It is better to have one entity that the public will have greater control over so that politicians themselves know that their existence in power remains in their ability to deliver the goods & services to its people.
Shenali Waduge

Date & Time- 6/8/2009 3:11:59 AM
Name - Asoka Abeydeera
Email - abeydeera@sbcglobal.net
Subject - The Nation - Comment Asoka Abeydeera
Comment - I was delighted to see the in this edition that from now on you will be publishing 'Your Horoscope and You' so we get a chance to see how our fortune is according to the horoscope but unfortunately as internet readers we cannot access it in U.S.A. I am a long time Nation reader and I like this newspaper a lot and could you please include your weekly Horoscope Article in the internet version too. All Sri Lankans here will appreciate a lot.
Thank You.

Date & Time- 6/7/2009 10:46:03 PM
Name - Sellam
Email - nameme8@hotmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Sellam
Comment - I would earnestly request Mr.Anandasangaree not to associate with TNA members. They should quit politics. They are LTTE members .

Date & Time- 6/5/2009 4:17:34 PM
Name - shenali waduge
Email - shenaliwaduge@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment shenali waduge
Comment - Sri Lanka’s future depends on first dissecting the notions promoted by LTTE terror & accepted by other interested groups
The President of Sri Lanka has been consistently conveying some key messages. The unitary status of the country, the need to emerge from ideological differences & his intent to replace populist politics with policies that are important & correct. Essentially, we need to look back to see what ideologies, policies & theories Sri Lanka had been forced to accept beneath the façade of ending a conflict with the LTTE. The inconsistencies & hypocrisies that has prevailed provide reason for Sri Lanka to doubt the genuineness of the international community (barring a few nations) & requires us to look deeper into many of the notions that were promoted & accepted during the 3 decades & disassociate these notions before we actually think of working out something homegrown. Sri Lanka must thus charter its future after first casting aside attachments to elements that will only serve to divide & not unite with division of Sri Lanka never a compromise formula.
For many years Sri Lanka has had to bear statements made the world over that Sri Lanka must “guarantee the rights of the Tamils”. This requires us to ask whether there are rights denied exclusively to Tamils which then leads us to wonder how Sri Lanka had IGPs who were Tamil, Chief Justices who were Tamil, Cabinet Ministers who were Tamil, a Foreign Minister who was Tamil, public servants who were Tamil, CEOs/MDs,/Chairmans, Head Girls/Boys of public schools who were Tamil, & even Central Bank Governors who were Tamil. None of these Tamils ever claimed there were denied rights because they were Tamil & none of them ever espoused the notion that Sri Lanka denied rights exclusively to Tamils. So what is important is to find out who is promulgating these notions of “rights being denied to Tamils” & why?
For the first time in decades the Tamil people are free to think. We are all hoping that the Tamil people will shirk away from individuals & groups who have been steering Tamils towards dividing according to ethnic lines.
Tamils must be honest enough to accept that Tamils have been getting along with the Sinhalese in day to day lives contrary to what is being projected. It would be wise for Tamils now to disassociate themselves from Tamil leaderships who have been in hiding in fear of the LTTE & who are now entering to steer the Tamil people away from peaceful coexistence with the Sinhalese. It is also good for the Tamils to wonder how an illiterate megalomaniac who killed practically all of the learned Tamils in Sri Lanka could run a separate homeland for the Tamils & what the ultimate fate of the Tamil people would really be & whether the Tamil Diaspora would have cared in the least to come to the aid of the Tamil people given a scenario that the LTTE went on a killing spree against their own people….have the Tamils ever thought of these scenarios?
It is true that a country’s governance falls upon the hands of its politicians. How many actually cater to what the public desires is questionable & we have ample evidence of politicians of all ethnic denominations who have prospered as a result of entering politics – even the nations that dictate to us are also embroiled in controversies & corruption & scandals. In a country of 20million people there are hardly 2000 who we refer to as politicians therefore it is important that the people are able to identify what they want over what some politicians attempt to coerce the people into accepting. All these point to the need for the people of Sri Lanka to be wiser especially when it comes to electing the representatives.
Remaining on the question of “rights” since some desire to continue to use isolated incidents of the past as argument to favor an armed struggle it is important that we must ask why some Tamils prefer to use only the post-independence period for their “denied rights” grievance. This certainly points to the obvious acceptance that Tamils enjoyed greater rights during colonial rule & this rule lasted 443 years to be precise.
Yet, the tragedy of this is that ALL TAMILS were not privy to the “rights”
even during colonial times & how so….the missionary school education was available to only those who converted to Christian/Catholic faith & the majority of these schools were located in Jaffna which meant only Tamils belonging to the Vellala castes were able to gain English education which added to the high place they already held amongst their own people. It was OK of Tamils to give up their Hindu religion & accept English language instead of Tamil. Similarly, they can take residence in foreign countries & agree to learn afresh the language of these non-English speaking nations but they do not wish to learn Sinhala – there is something amiss here.
It was the English educated high caste Tamils who eventually demanded 50-50 representation at independence from the Government. It is poignant to note since “discrimination” & denial of rights are been charged upon the Sinhalese that at no time during these 443 years did anyone say the Sinhalese were being denied their human “rights”. Upon independence despite 443 years of rights being denied to the Sinhalese the elected UNP which took over governance did not comprise of only Sinhalese – there was no shift from minority to majority rule as was seen in South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya or Iraq. Instead the parties that have been governing Sri Lanka since independence have all been parties that comprise men & women from all ethnic denominations though their portfolios within the party is decided upon merit & not upon ethnicity. Therefore, at no point of time was there a period after independence that Sri Lanka was governed by ONLY SINHALA BUDDHIST POLITICIANS – similarly at no point in time was there an ONLY SINHALA BUDDHIST ARMY, an ONLY SINHALA BUDDHIST POLICE or an ONLY SINHALA BUDDHIST PUBLIC SERVICE. Tamils & Muslims were never shunned or denied entry legally or constitutionally.
There was habitation of all ethnic groups throughout Sri Lanka (but in different proportions) however it was the LTTE that committed ethnic cleansing by driving out or slaughtering all Sinhalese & Muslims from the North (there was even a time that Jaffna had no bread when the Sinhalese bakeries were closed for the April New Year) This helped the LTTE portray that the North belonged to the Tamils while it also suited Tamil leaders to promote their federalist agendas (both on the lines of separatism – one non-violent but the other violent) The LTTE created the situation where there are no Sinhalese or Muslims in the North which is why it is wrong to under the 13th amendment grant political power to only the Tamil community. Why should Sri Lanka agree to devolved power to one ethnic group & distributive powers in all other provinces – especially when under the Indo-Lanka Accord the reason for merging the North & East was given as “areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking people” – which means the Accord does not include TAMILS ALONE & that Muslims also qualify to be in the North as rightly they should & similarly so should the Sinhalese. Before any elections are conducted in the North the Government must resettle all Sinhalese & Muslims who were living in the North first. Legislators must be careful to ensure that we do not confuse 13th amendment with Article 14
(h) of the Constitution “every citizen is entitled to the freedom of movement & of choosing his residence within Sri Lanka”. The West by advocating Tamils as a separate group & demanding devolving of political powers to the North is unaware that such a move is likely to lead to all other provinces except the East falling upon Sinhala control. The West & those advocating devolution to Tamils in the North seem to have not factored that the North presently holds not even 1/3 of the Tamil population (over 54% actually living amongst the Sinhalese – by choice
too) Why should less than 500,000 of the 1.6million Tamils (excluding 800,000 living abroad) enjoy complete devolution? How can the 13th amendment giving full devolution to a segment of Tamils in the North address any “grievances” of the majority of Tamils who are living in other provinces? If the public are skeptical about devolution & federalism the example of Varatharaja Perumal’s role as Chief Minister of the North-East Provincial Council is a good reminder where he not only hoisted a separatist Eelam flag but also printed letterheads with Government of the North-East on it resulting in the Central Government having to dissolve the Council & Perumal fleeing to India.
Similarly we see calls by some Tamil leaders who have been kept safe from the LTTE by the Government now calling for Indian-type federal solutions.
It must be reiterated that Sri Lanka’s problems must be solved by Sri Lanka & it belittles Sri Lanka to have its leaders desire to copy systems that exist in other nations which are not without flaws.
Before starting to address anything it is imperative that we identify what were the problems of the present, accept the faults of the past & desire to ensure none of the past follies are repeated in the future. In identifying the problems of the present it merits the decision makers to ensure that all the stakeholders accept the truth. Essentially, Tamils must be ready to accept that the LTTE was a terrorist movement which had to be militarily defeated. It is unhealthy to continue to secretly nurture thoughts of a separate homeland (by force or otherwise). This is likely to take time – we need to understand & perhaps empathize that while some Tamils may actually desire a separate homeland others have been forced to entertain & even dream of this reality through decades of LTTE rule where the majority of Tamils in the North have been made to think of the Sinhalese as murderers & killers without ever seeing or moving with the Sinhalese. What is inexcusable is how the Tamil Diaspora has misused their own people – the unsophisticated Tamils, the poor Tamils for their own advantage & the damage they have done to their people is inexcusable for they have armed a man & his troops to use the children of these unsophisticated Tamils as child soldiers denying them their right to life & childhood.
Thus, the Tamils must not allow themselves to be used as instruments for the political careers of some politicians & better futures for Tamil Diaspora abroad. Until Tamils let go of any desires to set up a separate homeland not only are the Sinhalese likely to continue to doubt them, Governments are likely to make use of these tensions for their own advantage ultimately making the people suffer. Therefore, it merits the present Tamil politicians to take the leadership (even at this late stage) in telling the Tamil people that there should be no more intent or desires or aspirations (openly or hidden) to work towards a separate state in Sri Lanka….this will be a major hurdle to overcome but will certainly lead to harmonious relations between the two communities. So long as a hidden intent to separate remains it is not healthy for bridges to mend.
What the international community & the world must now do is to accept the reality & dismiss the falsehoods that they had fallen prey to. It is natural that many would have been deceived into believing the fabricated propaganda of the LTTE Tamil Diaspora…even now they are taking great pains to ensure that despite the death to the firepower of the LTTE the ideological battle doesn’t stop despite the death of Prabakaran. Unless & until the US, UK, EU nations, the UN, UNHRC & even the media outlets come out of their biased thinking & actions it is the people of Sri Lanka who are likely to suffer & not the Government. N. Pillay the head of the UN Human Rights is now speaking of “accountability” after the LTTE leader is dead even after the UN has dossiers of information on LTTE’s recruitment of child soldiers nothing was done against the LTTE for decades & it is quite interesting to know how she is going to get a dead Prabakaran to be accountable for the LTTE crimes! Is there no way that the public can call for an inquiry against Mrs. Pillay & other UN officials – after all they must also be held accountable for some of their actions? Then there are some who go around singing & claiming genocide – have they donated a penny for the IDPs in the Wanni, when did they come last to Sri Lanka or have they been at all? All these voices from the world chirping regarding the plight of the civilians are advised to send their money & help build homes, schools, roads, facilities for these displaced people….empty vessels make the most noise….so we should not be surprised. Just as much as the world should be surprised that despite the UNP Government being responsible for the riots of 1983, the burning of the Jaffna library etc the UNP has never lost any of its Tamil vote base – does this not seem strange!
If the world tells us there is corruption in Sri Lanka – we are ready to accept this, if the world tell us our education system needs to improve – we are ready to accept this as well, if the world tells us our health, infrastructure also needs to improve as well as the efficiency & effectiveness of our public sector – we not only will agree but even encourage advice from countries who could help with these improvements.
However, when the world says we are discriminating against the Tamils, committing genocide, denying them rights – we are not ready to accept any of these statements because they are not true. Therefore it behoves the international community to be ready to at least wonder why the people of Sri Lanka are firm about the fact that there are no exclusively denied rights to Tamils. In a developing nation such as Sri Lanka, the majority comprises the public of all ethnic groups & most of these live in rural Sri Lanka & each of them will have their lists of grievances therefore it is not only unfair for the world to say that rights of Tamils are denied it is a mistake to force a Government to address a solution to an area where only a small number of Tamils actually live. By refusing to accept ground realities the world is likely to do more harm to the people of Sri Lanka than the LTTE.
The provincial council system came with a peace accord that the Sri Lankan public was not privy to & was signed between the two leaders of India & Sri Lanka. Unfortunately both these leaders are now dead – one dying naturally the other being assassinated by the very group India had armed.
Eventually the Indian peace keepers had to put peace keeping aside & take a military option though India continued to tell Sri Lanka there was no “military solution”. That being the case we are well aware that India too had had enough of the LTTE & a silent nod of approval to finish of the LTTE was given by India despite Tamil Nadu theatrics. Obviously, China’s presence has more bearing upon India than the LTTE offering a destabilizing factor to Sri Lanka. The US has no interest in Sri Lanka unless an American is targeted or it feels the Chinese presence in Sri Lanka using the advantages of Hambantota harbor is likely to affect the US. Already we see how while destabilizing Pakistan the US has made in roads into India & it is sad that India is completely ignorant of what is happening to its country.
Sri Lanka needs to now worry about developing our own nation. Sri Lanka opened its economy 4 years ahead of India but could never develop to its full potential because of the LTTE. We are now in a good standing to correct the wrongs & follow the right. True the President is on a high but that does not mean Government politicos are as popular. They must realize that they too need to show the same statesmanship its leader is presently showing through actions – which translates to leveraging the performance of the ministries assigned to them, waking up the secretaries & staff in slumber & giving them targets to achieve. If the provincial councils have not worked it is because ministers prefer to be in Colombo & not in the provinces & look after the needs of the people – it has nothing whatsoever to do with denying anything for the Tamils. Therefore, it seems rather silly to tinker around with the Constitution to introduce “solutions’
without first accepting some fundamental truths, realizing where the actual errors are & trying to see if these areas can be sorted out. We accept that previous Governments have not taken interest to attend to any of these. However, the present Government has shown to be different in somehow not bowing down to pressures & completing a military offensive & crushing the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit in just 2 years & 10 months making the President to rightfully declare that he is the “proudest Head of State” – therefore, let us see if he & his Government will address these areas that can be easily addressed. It does not require foreign intervention, pressures by foreign Governments, prime time media coverage by foreign tv stations & media for Sri Lanka’s public service to know that they must send State letters, circulars etc in Tamil to a person with a Tamil name & not send him the letter in Sinhala. These are not done intentionally but a little care before sending it would have helped. It has always been desired that Government circulars should be readily available in all 3 language mediums & better still make the language in simple instead of the high flown language that exists. These are very simple matters that should have been attended to long ago & before we get round to “political solutions” let us see if people can be happy with these remedial actions first & then see what other problems the people are faced with. Within the existing setup with a rejuvenated public service things will certainly look up for Sri Lanka.
Thus, it is advised that we allow a period of lull to accept life without the LTTE – address shortcomings in the present public administrative systems as these are areas where it is likely to directly affect the people, see what needs are special or relevant to a particular part of Sri Lanka is & help improve these areas & then think about what other problems still persist.
Many feel Sri Lanka’s independence began with the death of Prabakaran & the victory over the LTTE …the next battle is to win over those whose minds have been brainwashed, improve areas that should offer a better service to the public without introducing new theories & formulas that may be the start of another larger problem in the future.
Shenali Waduge

Date & Time- 6/3/2009 2:46:11 PM
Name - Cheeco White
Email - cheeco784@gmail.com
Subject - The Nation - Comment Cheeco White
Comment - Re:Lanka asks Malaysia to ban LTTE........
What LTTE? Didn't Srilanka wiped out LTTE already.....right?????