Sri Lanka Has A 2600 Year-Old Culture?

By Sharmini Serasinghe -November 28, 2013

Sharmini Serasinghe

If what has become of Sri Lanka today is the e!acy of a "2#00-year o d c$ t$re%, mi!ht we have been better off witho$t any c$ t$re at a & 'ver so often we hear the famo$s clich (dro))ed* by o$r )o iticians- "+++Sri Lanka*s 2#00-year o d c$ t$re+++,% It is a sine qua non statement re)eated ad nauseam at many a )$b ic and )o itica for$m -the most recent bein! CHOGM. to add (wei!ht* or to )erha)s im)ress otherwise em)ty $tterances, /his is obvio$s y done so e y to awe the a$dience, es)ecia y a forei!n one, I reca , as an im)ressionab e yo$n! !ir , when Sri Lanka*s first '0ec$tive 1resident J.R. Jayewardene made his State 2isit to the 3S4 d$rin! 5ona d 5ea!an*s ten$re as 3S 1resident, In his te evised address on the So$th Lawn of the 6hite 7o$se, 858 castin! aside his noblesse oblige referred to the 3nited States as "a co$ntry with on y a 200-year o d history, whi e Sri Lanka*s was over 2900 years o d%: /his (cas$a * or (ca c$ ated* remark -with 858 one never knew. has remained with me to date, /o me even then, this ipse dixit remark reeked of an ac$te inferiority com) e0 and I fe t $tter y embarrassed on his beha f,
;or $s Sri Lankans, we have heard this o d-hat too often and, therefore it has no effect, B$t to an o$tsider hearin! these words "Sri Lanka*s 2#00-year o d c$ t$re% and seein! for themse ves how this "B$ddhist c$ t$re% has sha)ed this co$ntry*s fort$nes<misfort$nes, it m$st be tr$ y mindbo!! in!:

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A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)

Prosecute The War Criminals In Special Court Or Before International Criminal Court
by L,4nnado$re - November 12, 2013, =hennai, Sri Lanka >$ardian. /he ast )hase of 'e am 6ar had seen the internationa i?ation of the interna civi strife at the behest of Sri Lanka and more than 20 Nations which have had vested interest on and over Sri Lanka had vo $nteered themse ves for a con@oint o)eration a!ainst L//' in annihi atin! them on the )rete0t that L//' was a terrorist or!anisation which need to be A$e ed at any cost nay decimated from the face of earth, /h$s determined y decided, Sri Lanka had taken $nd$e advanta!e over the sit$ation in the Nations hastenin! forward to assist Sri Lanka either direct y contrib$tin! men and m$nitions for the war or accordin! o!istic s$))ort and th$s it had a$nched its hosti ities a!ainst L//' and in the eyes of Sri Lanka, the 'e am /ami s were and are sti terrorists who a so sho$ d be va)orised $nder the !arb of annihi atin! the L//' and it was their hidden a!enda a a on! to drive away the 'e am /ami s from their ho$seho d and ands and herd them with a cr$e intent of !ettin! rid of them with the he ) of chemica wea)ons , incendiary bombs, c $ster bombs and it was a )$r)orted action of ethnic c eansin! on the )art of the Sri Lankan 4rmy and it is bein! said that on the mid ni!ht of 3rd 4)ri 200B the Sri Lankan 4rmy had chan!ed its war strata!em , for instance their force which was intendin! to break thro$!h the L//' ine co$ d not do so at 4nada)$ram, 1$d$k$diyirr$)$, 'rana)a ai and havin! been s$stained a heavy ca$sa ity the 4rmy had made a retreat and over ni!ht the 4rmy had )ressed into service a)ache he ico)ters, Cfir 4ero) anes dro))ed )roscribed wea)ons,

D$ ti barre ed arti eries were $sed a!ainst the 'e am /ami s and as many as 30,000 she s had anded amidst the L//' force and civi ian )o)$ ation within an area of 2km 0 2km on that ni!ht a one and it is a so said that the batt e at 4nanda)$ram was the b oodiest one ever fo$!ht between L//' and Sri Lankan 4rmy and it is a so he d that it was first one wa!ed in a mammoth sca e in 4sia after the 6or d war II , It was in the batt e at 4nanda)$ram severa of im)ortant )eo) e in L//' were fo$nd dead and to be said ) ain y the Sri Lankan 4rmy co$ d not wa!e a conventiona war fare with the L//' and that was why it had resorted to $sin! )roscribed wea)ons to ki the Liberation /i!ers and the 'ee am /ami s easi y and A$ick y and as for India, Sri Lankan 4rmy sho$ d not )ro on! the war end ess y and the war as s$ch sho$ d be bro$!ht to an end and it did not care of abo$t the means $sed in attainin! the !oa , In a rea ity , L//' the va oro$s warriors fo$!ht a!ainst a racist re!ime which wo$ d not a ow the 'e am /ami s to ive in )eace ever since the transfer of )ower by British and the 5$ ers wanted 'e am /ami s to be second c ass citi?ens and ive ever in s$b@$!ation beca$se as ;ormer =ommander and >enera Sarath ;onseka wo$ d state that Sri Lanka be on!s to Sinha ese and /ami s mi!ht a so ive there and the cha$vinistic, racist attit$de is ram)ant in mind of some certain )o iticians and they are stee)ed in comm$na )o ity for their )ersona !ain , It may be worthwhi e and trite to A$ote what the Sri Lankan Dinister =ham)ika 5anawaka has stated in an interview on 18,#,2012, /he said Dinister $sed to make racist remarks often and he is a sta$nch be iever in 4ryan Sinha ese s$)remacy, /he fo owin! is what he has statedE "6hen /ami s ever to tried to ive in freedom and se f res)ect they wi have to face h$ndreds of D$ ivaika , Fne D$ ivaika was eno$!h for them and they sho$ d not make attem)t to create h$ndreds of Di ivaika ki in! fie ds% In addition to the above racist remarks he has said )revio$s y that "1G min$tes wi be eno$!h to e0terminate entire 'e am /ami s**, Dore than 1H,000 of the L//' cadres and their fami ies had s$rrendered before the 4rmy, /he 4rmy had taken ca)tives severa h$ndreds and the eye witness acco$nts had revea ed that the ca)tives were boarded in b$ses and taken away to secret destinations and internment cam)s b$t there is no knowin! as to what became of those )ersons who sho$ d have been in a )robabi ity shot dead and severa

tho$sands s$s)ected of havin! connection with L//' were taken to vario$s cam)s and secret ) aces at the time of screenin! the ref$!ees and the n$mber 11,000 and odd L//' cadre who were said to have been re)atriated and H00 and odd who are sti an!$ishin! in @ai s witho$t tria is not correct fi!$re b$t the act$a n$mbers of )ersons taken ca)tives and detained were m$ch more, No do$bt the detainees were )risoners of war, Sri Lanka and the co$ntries which had a i!ned themse ves with it in the war and which are si!natories to >eneva =onvention of 1BGB and the 1rotoco 4dditiona to it o$!ht to have observed the )rovisions metic$ o$s y and the co$ntries )arties to the war inc $din! India m$st have ens$red the h$mane treatment of 1risoners of wars who had been taken ca)tives by the Sri Lankan 4rmy as contem) ated in the aw aforesaid b$t instead Sri Lankan 4rmy had shot to death the ma e ca)tives and fema e ca)tives were ra)ed and then shot dead and here in the case of Isai 1riya the same thin! had befa en her, /he foota!e te ecast by =hanne G is horrib e and barbaric, /he detainin! )arty is not @$stified in !ettin! rid of them in that way and they are answerab e and acco$ntab e to what they did to the )risoners of war inc $din! Isai 1riya, /he L//' members who were taken ca)tives were den$ded, their hands tied behind their back, tort$red and then shot dead and the fema e L//' members were ra)ed and then shot dead and even after their death the Sri Lankan so diers had contin$ed to mo est and o$t ra!ed the cor)ses, took video of their n$dity in their ce )hones and shared the video with their friends and derived ) eas$re in sharin! s$ch the videos and they were a$!hin! in derision and a video foota!e was shown some time a!o of a Sri Lankan so dier who standin! ato) a cor)se of a fema e L//' was !rinnin! so hideo$s y and some s$ch videos fo$nd their way to =hanne G and some web sites and the Sri Lankan Di itary and the Sri Lankan >overnment wo$ d ho d and maintain the foota!e is s)$rio$s, fake and fabricated as $s$a , Now channe G has te ecast the video of Isai 1riya who havin! been den$ded was seen sA$attin! in water and the so diers iftin! her $) and another so dier fetchin! a white c oth and dra)in! it over her chest and one of the so diers was @$st sayin! Isai )riya was /h$war!a the da$!hter of L//' Leader Dr,2e $)i ai 1rabakaran for which Isai 1riya is seen denyin! the same and then re) yin! that she was Isai 1riya and it was a c ear case of mistaken identity and a c ear case of m$rder within the )$rview of Nationa )ena aw, Isai 1riya was an actress, sin!er, news reader and a member of 1o itica win! of L//' and she was a very )o)$ ar fi!$re, 7ere it wi be trite to state that aftermath the war Sri Lankan >overnment had tried to deceive the )eo) e by showin! a )ict$re which was said to be that of L//' eader 2e $ 1i ai 1rabakaran which in fact was not for a intents and )$r)oses and after )assa!e of few days the >overnment had anno$nced that the bodies of fami y members of L//' Leader were fo$nd at the Nandi Cada and then the >overnment had te ecast the 1ict$re of Isai 1riya anno$ncin! that it was the )ict$re of /h$wara!a the da$!hter of L//' Leader and since Isai 1riya bein! we known to the )eo) e the >overnment had b $shed for s)eakin! fa se,

I$rin! the ast )hases of 'e am war, Sri Lankan 4rmy had ear marked a se)arate win! of so diers for the s)ecific )$r)ose of ra)in! the /ami women so as to break their s)rit, their hono$r and se f res)ect, to de!rade them, to insti fear in them and to drive home a esson that they were a ways s$bservient to the Sinha ese,

/he )assa!e which has been !iven be ow is taken from a tr$e story narrated by a fema e L//' who has written some )arts in seria $nder the ca)tion, " I may die b$t we sho$ d die% in the web site 'e adesam,com, /he )$r)ort of A$otin! the )assa!e is to show how the Sri Lankan 4rmy treated the )risoners of war and the L//' ca)tives were beaten and tort$red and ater b ind fo ded and shot dead and f$rther fema e ca)tives were den$ded of, then ra)ed and shot dead and they a ways )er)etrated se0$a ens avement a!ainst 'e am /ami women, " 4t 4mba!amam, before o$r ine $nder my eadershi) we went for es)iona!e o)eration, Fn the third day the army had tried to break thro$!h o$r )osition and owin! to stead fast determination and co$ra!e on the )art of o$r men and stron! resistance )osed by them the army co$ d not advance f$rther and there was heavy oss of men on the side of the army and so their men had )o$red kerosene on and over the dead bodies of their men and set them ab a?e and ran away,

I have reco ected to my mind everythin! that ha))ened as I wa ked, /here is a road, I have crossed the road and then crossed a bi! water channe and reached a !arden a))$rtenant to a ho$se, 6hen o$r ine was at 3daiyarkatt$ I fe t an over b$rdenin! in my heart to see the main ine $nder the command of o$r e der sister I$r!a - 8othiya batta ion . now bein! occ$)ied by the army as its cam), I have hidden myse f and watched caref$ y, /here, $nder a man!o tree, I co$ d see men who havin! been den$ded of their dress and whose hands tied behind their back have kne t down, Fn the other side of the ho$se , it co$ d seen that women are stark naked and army men are directin! them to do some work and !ettin! the works done for them, I co$ d not identify face, B$t I am very m$ch !rieved and an!ered at the same time to see o$r innocent women bein! h$mi iated and treated so inh$man y++% 5a)e had been $sed as a systemati?ed instr$ment of war by the racist forces of Sri Lankan 4rmy a!ainst fema e L//' for )hysica and mora destr$ction and now the occ$)yin! Sri Lankan 4rmy sti contin$es to do so and so for Sri Lankan 4rmy is concerned ra)e is )er)etrated as a wea)on of war, In a the videos and )hotos that have come into the )$b ic domain indicate that 'e am women and fema e L//' ca)tives were ra)ed and shot in the head,

/hami?h Dakka 1erravai has eve ed an acc$sation a!ainst the Sri Lankan 4rmy after viewin! the video foota!e )ertainin! Isai 1riya and it so$!ht for Internationa co!nisance of the offence, /he )hotos shown be ow which are )art and )arce of the video foota!e do am) y )rove the e0istence of s$ch ra)e machines and the vita A$estion is why and what )$r)ose the man in n$dity come to fetch Isai 1riya & /he )hotos show the )ict$re of Isai)riya havin! been shot in the head and the b ood oo?in! o$t and the Sri Lankan so diers are c amo$rin! aro$nd to see her n$dity and take videos in their ce )hone and the )hoto No,# shows Isai 1riya is seen yin! shot dead a on! with three others whose bodies are strewn abo$t and a cor)se co$ d be seen yin! in a new y d$! !rave and the said )erson sho$ d have been asked to di! his own !rave, ;ormer =ommander and >enera of Sri Lankan 4rmy Sarath ;onseka has once said in an interview that the Sri Lankan 4rmy did not ki Ba achandran the son of L//' eader 2e $ 1i ai 1rabakaran and he has hinted that there co$ d be seen so diers in Indian Di itary $niform, 4t the frin!es of one of )hotos as re!ards the deceased Ba achandran co$ d be seen )art of Indian Di itary attire and in fact the Indian >overnment has not denied the acc$sation ti to this day , In the )hoto No,G above a )art of different mi itary $niform co$ d be seen at ri!ht hand corner in $))er )ortion of it which mi!ht in )robabi ity be of Indian Di itary $niform, 1erha)s the Indian Di itary )ersonne were s$)erintendin! and over seein! the s$rrender of the L//' members and their fami y members and therefore a the Nations which were )arties to the war are on y war crimina s, /he 2ideo foota!e and )hotos a ready c$rrent in )$b ic domain constit$te one who e which is A$ite eno$!h to )rosec$te the offenders and therefore the Sec$rity =o$nci m$st take necessary ste)s to constit$te s)ecia co$rt to )rosec$te the offenders in the interest of @$stice and since Sri Lanka and its a ies who are si!natories to the >eneva =onvention and since they have committed war crimes and crimes a!ainst h$manity necessary e!a ste)s m$st be initiated to )rosec$te them before the Internationa =rimina =o$rt, Sincere thanks to /ami win, 'e adesam,com, 4thirv$, com for havin! $sed the )hotos fo$nd in their

web sites,

4bo$t the 4$thor

1osted by Sri Lanka >$ardian on 13E38, ;i ed $nder feat$re, insidestory, L,4nnado$re, L//' , Jo$ can fo ow any res)onses to this entry thro$!h the 5SS 2,0, ;ee free to eave a res)onse