(October 25, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) The crocodile tears shed by Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu (Paki), the head of the Centre for Policy Alternative, on the suffering of the Tamils trapped in the Vanni (Insight – Morning Leader, October 21, 2008) =bring tears of laughter to my eyes. Though the suffering of the Tamils should be the concern of everyone Paki makes a mockery of this issue because he (Surprise! Surprise!) is blaming the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) which is stretching every nerve to supply the essentials and not the main obstacle that is blocking the supplies to the Tamils of Vanni – i.e., Prabhakaran who first fired on the lorries transporting food and forced them to turn back and later attacked the ships ferrying food and other essentials to the north.
Not surprisingly, Paki has no tears for the Tamils civilians held as a human shield to protect Prabhakaran, whom he defends from time to time obliquely. He is very forthright in blaming the GOSL for waging a war to dismantle the fascist fortress in the Vanni run by “the latest Pol Pot of Asia” ( New York Times) but not Pol Pot who is violating every known principle of international humanitarian law, causing the greatest misery to the Tamil people.
Paki is also is bent on giving history lessons to the Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Fonseka for stating the obvious historical facts – facts which have offended his partisan political sensibilities. Living, as he does, in his own fantasy world, he unfortunately can’t digest the stubborn facts of the “majoritarian democracy” (his phrase) which is no better or worse than the other western or eastern majoritarian democracies functioning within accepted norms. He has yet to work out a policy alternative to solve his own delusions on this issue.
Paki is particularly angry that the government has not distanced itself from the Army Commander’s statements. He is regularly harping on it partly to score inconsequential political points but more importantly to denigrate the Army Commander in the hope of stopping his advance into Pol Potist Evil-laam. Before proceeding any further down this track, it is appropriate that he should first get a refresher course on how other “majoritarian democracies” function. A good starting point would be to sit at the feet of Ms. Sonali Samarasinghe, the Editor of Morning Leader, who was appointed as the media manager to Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Canberra, and learn from her how the “majoritarian democracy” of Australia operates. After all, this wouldn’t be difficult because she runs Paki’s column regularly on Wednesdays.
If Paki consults her she will tell him (assuming that she knew what was going on in Canberrra when she was not ordering liquor excessively on her account) that the then Prime Minister John Howard and his deputy, Peter Costello, have pursued extreme racist policies in their election campaigns. They thrived on white racist policies borrowed from Pauline Hanson, the arch racist. Slamming the minorities was quite common and Peter Costello is on record telling the minorities to go back to their countries if they can’t conform to the values and norms of Australia.
This is not confined to the white Anglo-Saxons in Australia. In France, England, Austria, Holland etc ministers in government have been openly urging the non-white minorities not to wear the hijab, to learn the official language (whether it be French or English), to accept the majoritarian democratic norms and generally to abide by the majoritarian culture without stepping out of line. In America, 20 white governments in the states, fearing the increasing population of Hispanics dominating their English-speaking culture, have declared English as the official language. Unlike in the “Sinhala governments” of Sri Lanka the minorities do not have a chance of communicating with their elected governments in their own mother-tongue.
At no point has Peter Costello, or his counterparts in “majoritarian democracies” ever mentioned that the minorities are “our people and we must treat them like our own.” (Lt. Gen. Sarath Forsake). Costello bluntly asked them to get out if they can’t bend down and accept majoritarian rule. This, mark you, comes from a colleague of Ranil Wickremesinghe who shares a membership in the International Democratic Union committed to democratic values. The humbuggery of Paki in twisting the statement of the Army Commander is more suited not to his foreign-funded NGO Centre for Policy Alternative (CPA) but to the other hidden side of his NGO known as Centre for Prabhakaran’s Atrocities. Distortions of the Sinhala-Buddhist culture are typical of the hired NGO mudalalis who are singing for their supper.
In any case, neither the Army Commander nor the government need pay any heed to the blathering of Paki because (a) he doesn’t represent any people-based organization or a noteworthy segment of the people of Sri Lanka; (b) he’s only a self-appointed hack serving foreign agencies hiding under a fancy label; (c) he has so far provided a policy alternative to practically everything except for Prabhakaran; (d) he has never lifted a finger to take Prabhakaran to court for violations of international humanitarian law though he has taken to court the Government of Sri Lanka running a “majoritarian democracy”, and, above all, (e) he is nothing but a pro-Prabhakaran NGO activist subscribing, in his own devious ways, to the criminal, unjust and illegal war which his partner in the Leader papers, Wickrematunga, says is “the Tamils’ struggle for liberation”. (Editorial – October 12, 2008)
The simple test of a liberation struggle is when the mass of the population are solidly behind the leaders of the liberation struggle. In the liberation struggles of China and Cuba the people were behind Mao and Castro. But Prabhakaran is running, with his tail between his legs, with no convincing backing from his own people. He is dragging patients out of hospitals, old men from their resting beds, and babies out of school to fight his futile war. Is this Lasantha Wickrematunga idea of a “liberation struggle”? Besides, if Prabhakaran is leading the war of liberation why are the Tamils seeking refuge among the Sinhalese? And above all, why has he killed more Tamils than all the other forces put together?
Only a media mediocrity pretending to be a know-all would jump to such unsustainable conclusions which have no basis in reality. When he elevates the violence of a political criminal wanted by Interpol, India, Sri Lanka (Prabhakaran is also banned internationally) to that of “a liberation movement” it is obvious that he has got not only the knickers imported from Canberra (courtesy Sonali Samarasinghe) but also those of Aunty Dorothy, Thelma, Delpathadoe etc., twisted right round his prawn-head. (We all know what prawns carry in their heads, don’t we?) It is also possible that these knickers must be covering his eyes too because he can’t distinguish between an internationally banned terrorist and a liberationist.
These two prawn-heads are specializing in writing political pornography. According to their scatological pronouncements a “liberation movement” is committed to oppress and reduce human beings to the abject level of sub-humans. Their concept of “liberation” is when Prabhakaran sends his victims to the other world with the blessings of the CPA and The Leader. Neelan Tiruchelvam, Appapillai Amirthalingam, Lakshman Kadirgamar – to mention only a few Tamils – have all attained Lasantha Wickrematunga’s “liberation”. To these two prawn-heads the Tamil Pol Pot’s “liberation movement” is more pleasing to their political tastes than the “majoritarian democracy” run by Lasantha’s bete noir, Mahinda Rajapakse.
In fact, they see angels coming down from heaven bringing canisters of poison gas. It is also rumoured (though not confirmed) that Lasantha, the Christian fundamentalist, is inspired to write hosannas in praise of the Tamil Pol Pot, and also feels “liberated” in writing these pieces, especially when his mistress, Sonali, is sitting on his lap.
Lt. Gen. Fonseka, on the contrary, has fought a war with an admirable record of causing minimum collateral damage and feeding and protecting those in the Pol Potist’s prison camp. No one has accused the Army Commander of killing more Tamils than all the other forces put together – a charge made by leading Tamils against Prabhakaran. In fact, the Army Commander has held back operations, from time to time, purely to prevent heavy casualties among civilians. He and the Navy Commander, Wasantha Karannagoda, are providing security to the lorries and the ships carrying food and other essentials to the Tamils in the north, at the great risk to the lives of forces.
The Sri Lankan security forces should be commended for not only creating democratic space for the Tamils held in the vicious grip of the Tamil Pol Pot but also for caring for them in the process of “liberating” them. From Mavil Aru to Killinochchi Lt. Gen. Fonseka has marched victoriously for the glory of peace, democracy and multi-ethnic harmony as seen in the East.
Of course, prawn-heads cannot see this. Nor will they see the reality unless they remove the knickers covering their prawn-heads!
H.L.D.Mahindapala: Editor, Sunday and Daily Observer (1990 - 1994). President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (1991 -1993). Secretary-General, South Asia Media Association (1993 -1994). He has been featured as a political commentator in Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Services and other mainstream TV and radio stations in Australia.)- - Sri Lanka Guardian
Not surprisingly, Paki has no tears for the Tamils civilians held as a human shield to protect Prabhakaran, whom he defends from time to time obliquely. He is very forthright in blaming the GOSL for waging a war to dismantle the fascist fortress in the Vanni run by “the latest Pol Pot of Asia” ( New York Times) but not Pol Pot who is violating every known principle of international humanitarian law, causing the greatest misery to the Tamil people.
Paki is also is bent on giving history lessons to the Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Fonseka for stating the obvious historical facts – facts which have offended his partisan political sensibilities. Living, as he does, in his own fantasy world, he unfortunately can’t digest the stubborn facts of the “majoritarian democracy” (his phrase) which is no better or worse than the other western or eastern majoritarian democracies functioning within accepted norms. He has yet to work out a policy alternative to solve his own delusions on this issue.
Paki is particularly angry that the government has not distanced itself from the Army Commander’s statements. He is regularly harping on it partly to score inconsequential political points but more importantly to denigrate the Army Commander in the hope of stopping his advance into Pol Potist Evil-laam. Before proceeding any further down this track, it is appropriate that he should first get a refresher course on how other “majoritarian democracies” function. A good starting point would be to sit at the feet of Ms. Sonali Samarasinghe, the Editor of Morning Leader, who was appointed as the media manager to Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Canberra, and learn from her how the “majoritarian democracy” of Australia operates. After all, this wouldn’t be difficult because she runs Paki’s column regularly on Wednesdays.
If Paki consults her she will tell him (assuming that she knew what was going on in Canberrra when she was not ordering liquor excessively on her account) that the then Prime Minister John Howard and his deputy, Peter Costello, have pursued extreme racist policies in their election campaigns. They thrived on white racist policies borrowed from Pauline Hanson, the arch racist. Slamming the minorities was quite common and Peter Costello is on record telling the minorities to go back to their countries if they can’t conform to the values and norms of Australia.
This is not confined to the white Anglo-Saxons in Australia. In France, England, Austria, Holland etc ministers in government have been openly urging the non-white minorities not to wear the hijab, to learn the official language (whether it be French or English), to accept the majoritarian democratic norms and generally to abide by the majoritarian culture without stepping out of line. In America, 20 white governments in the states, fearing the increasing population of Hispanics dominating their English-speaking culture, have declared English as the official language. Unlike in the “Sinhala governments” of Sri Lanka the minorities do not have a chance of communicating with their elected governments in their own mother-tongue.
At no point has Peter Costello, or his counterparts in “majoritarian democracies” ever mentioned that the minorities are “our people and we must treat them like our own.” (Lt. Gen. Sarath Forsake). Costello bluntly asked them to get out if they can’t bend down and accept majoritarian rule. This, mark you, comes from a colleague of Ranil Wickremesinghe who shares a membership in the International Democratic Union committed to democratic values. The humbuggery of Paki in twisting the statement of the Army Commander is more suited not to his foreign-funded NGO Centre for Policy Alternative (CPA) but to the other hidden side of his NGO known as Centre for Prabhakaran’s Atrocities. Distortions of the Sinhala-Buddhist culture are typical of the hired NGO mudalalis who are singing for their supper.
In any case, neither the Army Commander nor the government need pay any heed to the blathering of Paki because (a) he doesn’t represent any people-based organization or a noteworthy segment of the people of Sri Lanka; (b) he’s only a self-appointed hack serving foreign agencies hiding under a fancy label; (c) he has so far provided a policy alternative to practically everything except for Prabhakaran; (d) he has never lifted a finger to take Prabhakaran to court for violations of international humanitarian law though he has taken to court the Government of Sri Lanka running a “majoritarian democracy”, and, above all, (e) he is nothing but a pro-Prabhakaran NGO activist subscribing, in his own devious ways, to the criminal, unjust and illegal war which his partner in the Leader papers, Wickrematunga, says is “the Tamils’ struggle for liberation”. (Editorial – October 12, 2008)
The simple test of a liberation struggle is when the mass of the population are solidly behind the leaders of the liberation struggle. In the liberation struggles of China and Cuba the people were behind Mao and Castro. But Prabhakaran is running, with his tail between his legs, with no convincing backing from his own people. He is dragging patients out of hospitals, old men from their resting beds, and babies out of school to fight his futile war. Is this Lasantha Wickrematunga idea of a “liberation struggle”? Besides, if Prabhakaran is leading the war of liberation why are the Tamils seeking refuge among the Sinhalese? And above all, why has he killed more Tamils than all the other forces put together?
Only a media mediocrity pretending to be a know-all would jump to such unsustainable conclusions which have no basis in reality. When he elevates the violence of a political criminal wanted by Interpol, India, Sri Lanka (Prabhakaran is also banned internationally) to that of “a liberation movement” it is obvious that he has got not only the knickers imported from Canberra (courtesy Sonali Samarasinghe) but also those of Aunty Dorothy, Thelma, Delpathadoe etc., twisted right round his prawn-head. (We all know what prawns carry in their heads, don’t we?) It is also possible that these knickers must be covering his eyes too because he can’t distinguish between an internationally banned terrorist and a liberationist.
These two prawn-heads are specializing in writing political pornography. According to their scatological pronouncements a “liberation movement” is committed to oppress and reduce human beings to the abject level of sub-humans. Their concept of “liberation” is when Prabhakaran sends his victims to the other world with the blessings of the CPA and The Leader. Neelan Tiruchelvam, Appapillai Amirthalingam, Lakshman Kadirgamar – to mention only a few Tamils – have all attained Lasantha Wickrematunga’s “liberation”. To these two prawn-heads the Tamil Pol Pot’s “liberation movement” is more pleasing to their political tastes than the “majoritarian democracy” run by Lasantha’s bete noir, Mahinda Rajapakse.
In fact, they see angels coming down from heaven bringing canisters of poison gas. It is also rumoured (though not confirmed) that Lasantha, the Christian fundamentalist, is inspired to write hosannas in praise of the Tamil Pol Pot, and also feels “liberated” in writing these pieces, especially when his mistress, Sonali, is sitting on his lap.
Lt. Gen. Fonseka, on the contrary, has fought a war with an admirable record of causing minimum collateral damage and feeding and protecting those in the Pol Potist’s prison camp. No one has accused the Army Commander of killing more Tamils than all the other forces put together – a charge made by leading Tamils against Prabhakaran. In fact, the Army Commander has held back operations, from time to time, purely to prevent heavy casualties among civilians. He and the Navy Commander, Wasantha Karannagoda, are providing security to the lorries and the ships carrying food and other essentials to the Tamils in the north, at the great risk to the lives of forces.
The Sri Lankan security forces should be commended for not only creating democratic space for the Tamils held in the vicious grip of the Tamil Pol Pot but also for caring for them in the process of “liberating” them. From Mavil Aru to Killinochchi Lt. Gen. Fonseka has marched victoriously for the glory of peace, democracy and multi-ethnic harmony as seen in the East.
Of course, prawn-heads cannot see this. Nor will they see the reality unless they remove the knickers covering their prawn-heads!
H.L.D.Mahindapala: Editor, Sunday and Daily Observer (1990 - 1994). President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (1991 -1993). Secretary-General, South Asia Media Association (1993 -1994). He has been featured as a political commentator in Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Services and other mainstream TV and radio stations in Australia.)- - Sri Lanka Guardian
 The crocodile tears shed by Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu (Paki), the head of the Centre for Policy ...){kind=link}
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