Two years after defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and eliminating it as a military entity, Sri Lanka is still struggling to emerge from the woods on some important fronts. Two issues are predominant. One is the nature of the peace, and the efforts by the Sri Lankan government towards a political reconciliation between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority. The military victory over the LTTE, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa's strength in parliament, gave the government an unprecedented opportunity to put in place a progressive political framework to heal the wounds of a 30-year war, and address Tamil grievances that predate the war. That it has taken only nominal steps in this direction is a matter of concern even to friends of Sri Lanka, such as India, which stood by its military efforts against the LTTE. The second issue, which has found strong voice in a recent documentary by a British television station, Channel 4, and in a United Nations report, has to do with the nature of the military operations in the final stages of the war in 2009. Both make allegations of war crimes against the Sri Lankan Army, accusing it of knowingly aiming fire at civilians such that thousands lost their lives, of killing captives in cold blood, and of possible sexual assault. It is shocking that instead of addressing these issues in the right spirit, a high-ranking official of the Sri Lankan government, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a brother of the Sri Lankan President, has chosen to vitiate the atmosphere even more with his intemperate remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, and by attributing motives to the adoption of resolutions on Sri Lanka by the State Assembly.
Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa's comments, made in the course of an interview to Headlines Today television, reveal a troubling contempt for the Tamil minority. He has trashed “the political solution talk,” asserting, among other things, that it was “simply irrelevant” because “we have ended this terrorism in Sri Lanka,” making the egregious assertion that when the 13th Amendment was being drafted, “the government of Sri Lanka was not involved,” and proposing that with the LTTE “gone,” there was no further need to amend the Constitution. President Rajapaksa would be well advised to distance himself swiftly from his brother's stream-of-consciousness on sensitive issues that are not his business. This includes an outrageous comment that because a Tamil woman, an “LTTE cadre” who was a British national, interviewed in the Channel 4 documentary was “so attractive” but had been neither raped nor killed by Sri Lankan soldiers, the allegation of sexual assault by soldiers could not be true. For this statement alone, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa must be taken to task.
Keywords: Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, TNA, Sri Lankan Tamils, LTTE, Eelam War, civilian deaths, human rights violation
Unbelievable. Just as bad as his brother the callous despot Mahinda. I hope someone ressurects the LTTE and the Tamil Eelam state. Would like to see those genocidal Sinhalese Fascists get their comeuppance. Are the Rajapaksas any different from Hitler?
At last THE HINDU has some courage and braveness to post an article against srilanka..
Why Gotabaya should be taken to task,only because of being a mole in the mountain?
As a person lived in the then Ceylon and studied there, the glory, dignity and repects of the Tamils were gone when S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike became the Prime Minister in 1958. The first Prime Minister of independent Ceylon was all support to Tamils and in the same way his son Dudley Senanayake. The presnt President is totally gainst Tamils and as long as he remains as President the Tamils problem will nver be solved.
Thank you so much for this article. I'm really moved by your courage for posting this article even when the first powerful family of India is against Srilankan Tamils. I respect and salute you Hindu.
What Gothabaya has said is nothing but hard fact. India tied to impose a solution on Sri Lanka that, both the Sinhalese and Tamils were displeased with. What all ctizens of SL crave for, is a better life for themselves and for their future generations. This is being given all the attention, by the present government judging by the tremendous amount of economic development that is going on, both in the North and the South.Interference in SL matters by India and especially the West will only hinder the work in progress.
Gotabhaya said also said that savage attack on a news editor of a Tamil newspaper was 'nothing'. It seems, in Gotabhaya's view, compared to what happens in Sri Lanka everyday, the attack on an old journalist is 'nothing' significant. Now, Sri Lanka is run by his family. If attack on Kuganathan is 'nothing', what kind of things happen in Sri Lanka everyday?
Sri Lanka is the only country in the world which has successfully re-written history and got away with it, at least so far. The war was fought by General Sarath Fonseka. He was then branded by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the best General in the World. Today, he is languishing in Colombo's Welikade prison shoulder to shoulder with murderers, drug peddlars and rapists. He was convicted on trumped up charges. More is on the way for him. The mantle of "liberating" Sri Lanka has been plucked away by the Rajapaksa family. Gotabhaya has turned a great hero. When the LTTE surrounded the Jaffna Fort and the Army was forced to evacuate, Gotabhaya lost his entire platoon. He was known as a mediocre officer with no track record. That is why he sought the late President J.R. Jayewardene's help to have him de-enlisted from the Army.
Ben Hurling, you really can't be serious about the "rights" Tamils enjoy
in SL.
Hindu, What happened to you? What made you to speak against Gotabaya, the President of Sri Lanka's beloved brother?
To Ben Hurling "You will find Tamils enjoy far better rights in Sri Lanka. Compared to their motherland Tamil Nadu, India". Really? We Tamils in India are NOT as ignornat as you are. Wake up to your Buddhist ideals or do you all have any?
Diplomacy is a fine art which perhaps is difficult for many serving and retired armed forces officers. Sri Lanka's Secretary to the Ministry of Defence (ex army) courageously carried out military operations but need to guard himself from such out bursts (as mentioned in this article). His remarks often taken out of context may alienate Sri Lanka's close friends in the international arena. It will be prudent for the president of Sri Lanka to handle this all important matter without leaving it in the hands of politically inexperienced officials be it his brother or otherwise. All Sri Lankans must understand that all Tamils were/are not LTTE though all LTTE cadres (at least known ones!!!!) were Tamils. Bravado in one's own country could harm the international image of that country irreparably. Sri Lanka must rise from this misguided patriotism and embrace true pluralism. It will not be difficult for a country which has over 90% literacy rate and a intelligent and accommodating society!!!!
Gotabaya Rajapaksa is firmly in control when he expresses his dislikes. His comment on BBC Hardtalk “against Sarath Fonseka is well known. Recently he sacked a civil servant for walking into his office with hands in pocket. He dislikes Tamils. In 2008 he ordered mass arrest of Tamils in Colombo because as he put it “All Tamils are terrorists”. The SL Ministry of Defence website states that in 1983 he obtained a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from Madras University. Did he make any friends in Tamil Nadu? Or in India? Does he have any friends anywhere?
Muralidhar Reddy covered the War from the front lines along with the Sri Lankan Army. He wrote extensively about the fundamental issues. It is inconceivable to think that "The Hindu" did not know the true picture of the suffering Tamils. I hope this editorial is a good turning point in their reporting about the true state of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Pen is mightier than the sword. Please educate the readers about the plight of the defenseless people. Rajapakse thinks that as long as he pits India against China, he can do whatever he wants. Dharmam will win in the end!!
There is a book on alleged war crimes committed by "Indian Peace Keeping Forces' in Sri Lanka against Tamils. I would recommend that everyone reads it before they comment further.
@ Patta Pal What you mean by "Compared to their motherland Tamil Nadu, India"? are you referring to Plantation Tamils? The North east Tamils and the rest of the part of the island Sinhalase came from India a long time back and ruled the country alternatively. It is because of the Racial card played by the Sinhala Govt which divided the two races. Don't you know that most of the Sinhala kings brought their brides form south India for their beauty? So what blood is running in you? Your statement shows your utter negligence and you are one of the small part of racially motivated wrongly informed Sinhalase.
Gothabaya comments about the Tamil woman shows his background. He has no respect for the Tamil community. The northern Tamils will never find a solution to their problems under Rajapaksa. The only motive of the Rajapaksa brothers is to humiliate Tamils and oppress them. If this situation continues they should prepare themselves to confront a new bunch of terrorist oragnisation.
Too late Hindu. This is the attitude of majority of Sri Lankan politicians, however you always represented the wrong side. It's hard to believe that you have changed.
Thank you The Hindu. I believe even at this powerless state after the defeat for minoroty Tamils, countries like India and other powerful nations can put pressure on President Rajapakse to devolve power to Tamil areas in the north and east.
We in the diaspora community and in the northeast of SL knew full well that once the Tamils were defeated militarily, Sri Lanka government would offer no acceptable politial solution to the miniority Tamils. This belief was proved right by Gothabaya Rajapaksa's statement in the Headlines interview. It's not just Gothabay but other senior politicians in the government & opposition too have similar views. If India believed that it's support during the war would make Sri lanka to toe the lines on 13th amendment plus it was mistaken. SL now wants China only.
The minoroty Tamils would now need the full fledged support of the Indians to put pressure and get SL to offer a solution acceptable to all communities. There will be difficult times ahead.
The truth is TN politicians weep crocodile tears for SL Tamils. SL Tamils are our brothers and sisters. Sri Lankans will look after them. There are millions of poor Tamil people in Tamil Nadu (According to the UN records, India has more poor people than Africa.). They are deprived of very basic amenities. First TN leaders should look after their human rights. Then they have to take care of their own issues in Kashmir. The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) had compiled in length how IPKF soldiers violated human rights of Tamils when they were deployed in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1989. We can open those files if the TN leaders go out of control.
The Sri Lankans are accumulating sins over sins and eventually, going to crush under it. They are not willing to adopt modern, free, democratic life. They will not come out of feudalistic attitude and inherent brutality and become a mockery race for their chauvanism and indifferent for world opinion.The madness for monolithic culture , brings no respect from the universe. The complicated situation, present, to-day is entirely due to their senseless thinking and action towards Tamils since their independence from the British.
Belated, at least if your eye are now really opened, it is good not for us in TN, but for those innocent Tamil People in North and East of the war-torn Island who are living in fears, losing their loved ones, their ancestral property, and irreparable mental agony.
Let Hindu come back to its original form of being an unbiased News Paper at least from now on.
Hi Mr. Hurling,
This is in response to "Please spell out clearly exactly which rights are not given to them under Sri Lanka's current constitution. Then let the work begin".
I left my loving nation Ceylon/Sri Lanka because neither me nor our children were basically safe in any part of Sri Lanka.
The only way it could be safeguard by providing regional autonomy, i.e., to provide the local police and land, education authorizes (not external defence & affairs).
This what the Federal party (current TNA) has been requesting from the time we got our independence.
We could wake a person who is really sleeping, but it is not possible if some one is pretending.
The debate should not be on whether it was the egg or the chicken that came first. One can argue on it till the cows come home. Gotabhaya Nandasena Rajapaksa is the brother of President Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa. Like in India, bureaucrats do not have the mandate to speak on policy or pass judgements on historic issues. He has spent 19 years in Los Angeles till his brother was elected President in 2005. Mahinda has given Gotabhaya a toy - the Ministry of Defence -and he has played with it for too long. Its time to rein him in or he will destroy an entire nation - Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burghers and all others. Even more, he will destroy his big brother who is cut off from all reality.
I am very glad for the Editor's opinion & his change of opnions in the right directions, which i hope would give a wake up call for the President.
Well said Suresh. Gota is frank and he does not know the diplomatic speaking. Other leaders have been doing the same without opening their mouth. Let it be D.S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, SWRD Banda, Srimao Banda, JR Jayawardana, Chadrika Banda and Mahinda Rajapaksa. All are clever in saying something and doing the opposite. Time to time some of these opened their mouth widely too.
Example: SWRD's Sinhala only, JR's "the more I hit the Tamils the happier the Sinhalas will be", Chandirka's "If the Mahobodi is attacked, I will lead the attack on Tamils in South".
The Tamils know that there will be nothing from the SL rulers. Only hope is the UN/India sponsored solution. Hope India will wake up.
It is important to understand that there were 34 independent Journalsits were murdered in Sri Lanka.
Independent Journalism is crucial to uphold human rights democracy, Transparency, Equality, Fair Justice to all, basic rights and rule of law.
When IPKF landed in Tamil areas Tamils were rejoiced and welcomed them. But due to corrupt and cunning political leaders of both sides, the situation was changed from calm to storm and thousands of civilians and IPKF perished. This was a political and diplomatic failure to India as Late Rajiv Gandhi trusted certain officials. Mrs. Indra Gandhi has sent eminent G Parthasarathy to Sri Lanka and similarly India should appoint someone who is a seasoned diplomat and not Shiv Shanker Menon, MK Narayanan or Nirupama Rao who have no credibility as well as among Tamils.
The most important thing is that Sri Lanka is a peaceful country now without those LTTE TERRORISM. I'm also looking forward for a political solution. But I don't want to see riots, anger or fighting between Tamils and Sinhalese in the name of POLITICAL SOLUTION.
Political solution to a non-existent problem? What are the rights Tamils do not have in Sri Lanka other than to have rights to carve off a part of Lanka as a pure mono-ethinic Tamil state? India imposed 13th amendement on Lanka to faiclitate that project and then trained, financed & supported LTTE leading to lot of blood letting in Lanka, for which India need to be " taken to the task" before Gotta.
Ben Hurling should learn Sri Lankan history before he shows his ignorance in public. Sri Lankan Tamils are as indigenous to the country as the Sinhalese!! He is pretending to be a moderate and then shows his "venom"
Yes ,just Gotabaya is responsible for the political and ,educational and economic marginalization,discrimination,rapes and systematic genocide that Tamils are facing in that island since 1948
Sri Lanka’s Tamil areas are democratically represented through village councils, provincial councils and up to parliament as same as other areas of the country. Then which power you are talking about. Should they be given any special powers which the other ethnic communities are not entertained only because of they are Tamils. Can any of these readers point out just one “right” the Tamils of the country do not enjoy but Sinhalese do??
When it comes to Tamils issue President Rajapakse’s stand is not any different than of his brother,Gotabaya Rajapaksa and position is widely shared by the Sinhalese.
This is in fact the first government we have that accurately articulates the thinking of almost every single Sinhalese on the island.
Just how all of them are going to be “taken to task” is something that
remains to be seen.
In the meanwhile their Sinhala fascism flourishes and grows.
At long last The Hindu has opened its eyes. Until now they took a jaundiced view of everything in Sri Lanka. Gotabhaya is only a one time security guard in the US who has now high assumed office of Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. If any other bureaucrat said it, he would be out of job. If any local media reported it, they would be abducted in a white van or assaulted with iron rods by marauders. No one dare speak of any rights in Sri Lanka. All because the brothers are ruling. Congratulations The Hindu for standig up to what is right, be it Tamil, Hindu, Sinhala or Telugu.
Thank you Hindu! At last Hindu can see the real picture of Sri Lanka! Better late than never! Hindu should continue to play this fair and important role in India informing the 'truth' to its readers as opposed to supporting Sri Lanka blindly (as in the past) which is sliding into thuggery and dictatorship.
Issue 1 - can you please articulate what 'grievances' Tamils in Sri Lanka have that others do not? People who parrot this story don't study the facts and figures which show that Tamils in Sri Lanka enjoy the same income, university places, employment opportunities as Sinhalese. What the interested Tamil parties are really asking for is political power to satisfy their personal goals. Nothing wrong with that, but let's be frank with that.Issue 2 - Sri Lanka has produced strong evidence discrediting the figures produced by Channel 4 and the Darusman report. Obviously that is not given the same publicity, but you can easily find in in the Department of Defence website. While Gotabhaya's theory is simplistic, his point is that absurd allegations are made by Channel 4.
Even worse allegations were made against IPKF when they were in Sri Lanka. Will India conduct an independent investigation? How about an investigation of why India trained and armed LTTE?
The Big brother west does not bother to intervene in the atrocities by the Sri Lankan government and their army against the normal innocent Tamil civilians who were caught in between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army because the west(US and Europe) do not find any gains by intervening i.e. Oil etc.
Though they are fully aware of the violation of human rights of Tamils, they turn a blind eye for they have no gains. It is time that the international community steps in and have an independant investigation on this.
Gotabaya is hardly diplomatic. He should avoid being interviewed by media. Sri Lanka would be much better off. We all remember his very frank, yet silly outburst against General Sarath Fonseka during BBC's 'HardTalk'. I am a Sinhalese Sri Lankan. I am all for rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Please spell out clearly exactly which rights are not given to them under Sri Lanka's current constitution. Then let the work begin. You will find Tamils enjoy far better rights in Sri Lanka. Compared to their motherland Tamil Nadu, India.We can all fight for Tamil rights. Nobody will join their quest for a ethnically pure Tamil Ealam under the guise of Tamil rights in multi-ethnic Sri Lanka.
I am writing as a Sinhala from Sri Lanka. You can be assured that Ghotabaya does not speak for the majority of Sri Lanka, and as soon as this regime is dumped, a solution that is just and fair will be found. Until then we will have to put up with this kind of kiddy talk from a powerful but otherwise ill educated (in conflict resolution) person whose comments the Hindu places too much emphasis on. India must accept a lot of blame for helping the LTTE cause and for having destabilized Sri Lanka in the past, and therefore contributing to the current stalemate. For the time being ask your numerous RAW agents in Sri Lanka just to act as observers and report the ground situation without engaging in activity, as it will be counter-productive to the peace process.
I am glad that 'The Hindu' has pointedly responded to the issues. This precise summary speaks volume of the mindset of the SLG. These are not new. We Tamils in the Diaspora were sysytematically purged from the island nation by the heavy handed conduct of the state against its national minority. LTTE was the by-product of states failures or hegemony against the Tamils. It will not change unless India's and wider world's opinion change.
The 13th Ammendment to the Constitution was installed by India. Further the LTTE was created by India using innocent unemployed Tamil youth.Don't forget the past regional geopolitics of India to destabilize our motherland.The President or his brothers have nothing to do that political reality of the past.
As someone who supported the broader goal of ending the troubles in SL, and its detrimental effect on Tamils, I am stupefied by Gotabaya's ill thought through comments. Yes, he needs to be reined in by Rajapakse, if his govt. efforts are to be positively useful. SL must realize that they have to live with the Tamil community, and nothing else will work. One hopes Gotabaya sees sense!
It takes a political genius to seize a rare political opportunity to permanently settle the fester problem of Tamil issue at Sri Lanka. Most unfortunately the magnanimity and the statesmanship required for is signally missing from the Sri Lanka political leadership. This development is very ominous for the prosperity of the island nation. Sooner the political leadership realizes that unless it could carry with them Tamil minority there will be neither peace nor economic prosperity. Instead the myopic leaders will end up creating a Frankenstein which may make LTTE look saintly.
"..so attractive but had been neither raped nor killed by Sri Lankan soldiers...." From this wording, Gotabaya impliedly accepts and exposes that Sri Lankan Army usually rape or kill attractive Tamil women and girls.
India should overcome its pusillanimity and join the US in whole heartedly condemning the 'atrocities' against the innocent civilians. This would not mean a tacit support for the now defunt LTTE. Support for the ordinary tamilians does not naturally mean support for the LTTE.
Belatedly, the Hindu has come to realise Gotabaya's contempt for the Tamil minority. Thank you. If you were to say to these Sinhalese politicians, let alone the public, that a minority must be proactively safeguarded by the majority – which is the basis of multiculturalism - if they are honest, they will laugh at you. That is why, one by one the minority safeguards in the constitution were stripped away to make the Tamils defenceless. There is a long history for this polarised attitude.
Gotabaya Rajapakse implies that only because of LTTE that there was a need to devolve power to the minorities, thereby justifies the armed rebellion and not peaceful means to win over the rights of the minorities. The criminal actions of the paramilitaries in the north and east amidst heavy military presence under his authority is another example of his complicity in bullying and enslaving Tamils.
This shouldn't surprise anybody with the knowledge of Lankan politics. I thought 'The Hindu' editorial staff should congratulate Gothabaya for being frank, and candid. Other seasoned Sinhala politicians will not say this out loud, but their actions speaks well in this regard.
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