Comments on: Independent Of What?

By: chanaka ratnaweera

chanaka ratnaweera — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:11:05 +0000

In that case lets stop advertising SL as a tourist destination, close all the bars (Buddhism is also against alcohol – its not just a muslim prerogative) close all the casions now in the city, ban internet gambling sites in Sri Lanka, close down all the hotels and return to the bread and every other queue that was present during Mrs Banadaranaike’s time. shall we?

By: Prem

Prem — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:45:44 +0000

If a strong army can solve national problems, then Napoleon, Alexander, Romans, Russia, Hitler and even the LTTE would have survived. All failed miserably, whereas British managed to rule the world for 200 years with minimum military resources, because they earned the trust of every citizen under their rule. Impartial judgment is the key to their successes.
As I said earlier, we don’t need a strong army; we need s visionary leadership who is truthful and trustworthy. It’s not the case in Sri Lanka. People are scared to talk. To be frank with you, I wouldn’t be writing comments if I am in Sri Lanka; you know why!.
Why youth took/take arms? for fun? No, there is more to that. Suppression begets determination. Determination without direction causes destruction. Destruction brands them as terrorist.
Still the youths are kept in the dark again and again. Cycle continues

By: Kalag

Kalag — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:35:38 +0000

Just because the war is over we can’t drop our guard. Our country has faced “uprising” of all kinds and every time the uprising was worse than the previous one.
There were more people killed after 1983 in both sides. If anyone wants to get the country back on track, they should address the social problems, economic problems and freedom of movement. Obviously the north has been “out of bounce” for Singhalese for all these years. Only now the freedom is returning. To keep that freedom, we need the strong army. Unfortunately, the army was tainted by te previous chief. That is why the clean up has been going on.

By: Bashir

Bashir — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:21:00 +0000

Sorry, we have not come back full circle after 62 years, but have leapfrogged into a ‘hell of a paradise’. What does it say of a so-called elected President to take off to Russia to buy arms (obviously lethal ones like the WMD cluster bombs used in Nandikadal) on a 300m $ loan? Against whom are these to be used after a devastating war and in the run up to the parliamentary election? According to the President there are no more minorities! What does this mean? Incidentally, why were those 13 soldiers killed in 1983 in the north? Therein hung the tale that lies buried in silence to date in the run up to the 1983 mother of all riots. Yes, it is time to consult with the aged GOM of Singapore Lee Kuan Yiew and seek his advice as to how to get this country out of the hell it is in, if he is so inclined despite his age.

By: Kalag

Kalag — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:07:24 +0000

Good one. But thousands were killed during JVP uprising. Not a single finger was lifted by “Tamil citizens”.
I accept that the Tamil supporting politicians are branded traitors. However, have they ever looked at the problem with nationalistic view. These “peace wallahs” think only Tamils have the problem but not Singhalese. The Singhalese have political power just because of the numbers and have nothing else. Tamils have everything but no political power because of the numbers. If anything to be “shared”, Tamils have to share something tangible with Singhalese. They are not prepared to do. That is why these politicians are easily branded as traitors.
Please understnad the problem of the average Singhalese.

By: Trevor Jayetileke

Trevor Jayetileke — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:12:47 +0000

Even after 62 years of celebrating our Independence we are been taken to task by the Co-Chairs (USA,EU,Japan and Norway) and considered an All Purpose Villain purely because we have been failed by most of our post-independent leaders.
The Nationalisation of the Port of Colombo in 1958 (SWRD)and the Nationalisation of the Petroleum Industry in the early 60′s (Mrs.B) spelled doom to our economic prosperity. The only Macro-economic lever that could make us self-reliant is by earnestly looking for our Crude Oil / Natural Gas without the interference of vested interest who seem to be an impediment at present. All we need is the collective patriotic will/ingenuity of our human resources available and with a leader like Mahinda Rajapakse who has mustered forty years of political acumen to show the way. If we should earn the respect of the World like others did after WW2., then we have to be able to stand on our own two feet and be able to understand that the West could be cruel only with the intent of sending a kindly message for our own good.
A opportunity lost 60 years ago beckons and let us not miss out this time round.

By: Soorya

Soorya — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:48:00 +0000

LTTE is not the creation of the Tamils but it was a creation in response to the atrocities commited by the Sinhala chauvinistic racists Regimes since Independence, later trained and funded by the Indian government to keep the Insel always in an unstable position. The country is still a captive of indian geo politics.

By: Soorya

Soorya — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:34:18 +0000

Because Mahinda and co have stolen the votes and secured a second term to save himself and his family from war crime charges. Simple!

By: Prem

Prem — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:18:07 +0000

My friend, why only Tamils have to change their mindset? Why can’t it be sinhalese. Always sinhalese voted for anti-tamil leader. if any sinhala leader aligned with Tamil parties, you guys brand him as the traitor of mother lanka.
Look at this election, Tamils didn’t vote for sivagiligam, and dougles, they voted against MR.
Will you vote for MR, if he keep 300000 sinhala civilians in makeshift camps and calling them as JVP supporters? and bomb downsouth in the name of war against JVP insurgents.
please be fair in your judgement.

By: Kalag

Kalag — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:29:06 +0000

There is no iron fist. What we nned is discipline to help the country back on track. Tamils have to change their mind in the communal front and think like Sri Lankan, id they want to live here.

SF, RW, JVP and TNA have to behave like responsible political parties rather than power hungry vultures. Their turn will come to have power, if people vote for them. Can’t they wait? Why do they want MR and the govt to fail?