A Soldier's view of ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka - Part Three

A Soldier says Tamils, Sinhalese and all others can live in concord in Sri Lanka, and here is how ( True stories & facts)

Written by Day
Link to Part One
Link to Part Two

True Story #15

(August 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)“Accompanied by her son Dr. Bahirathan Amirthalingam (51),Mrs. Mangayarkkarasi Amirthalingam (76), also an ardent supporter of the Eelam dream and widow of slain Opposition Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam (AA), visited her late husband’s bodyguard T.A. Nissanka who shot dead three LTTE assassins on July 13, 1989.

The mother and the son had come to Sri Lanka for a holiday and a BBC radio documentary, had met Nissanka after 21 years, on 29 May 2010. Mrs. Amirthalingam says she is happy with President Mahinda Rajapaksa ending the war.

.The visit to the house at Ambalapitiya in Kegalle by Mrs. Amirthalingam and her son was a heartbreaking scene and those who were present could not hold back the tears.
As Mrs. Amirthalingam saw Nissanka, she had embraced him and had started crying as if meeting a child after a long lone time.

Nissanka’s wife Mrs. T.A. Shyamila Pramila Kumari had welcomed both visitors who had come to pay gratitude to her husband and had warmly welcomed them.”

Here is a moving story of a poor ‘Sinhalese’ bodyguard, but totally duty bound, defending (risking his own life, a family who espoused separatism) against the terrorists, who none other than the Amirthalingams, the Yogeswarams themselves or their ilk had created.

I have personally seen AA give evidence in the Sansoni Commision, assembled at the east wing of Colombo Museum in support of ‘boys’! I was about sixteen years of age at that time. I cut school and scooted out on numerous occasions to go and listen to those sessions, totally out of curiosity. I never thought I would talk about it today. That is how I ended up as an 8th Grade soldier rather than a Ph. D. But I do not regret it at all as I am a better person today and I live, every single day, with reality rather than facts, as a man who can think independently. I want to be good to the good people and to be the worst to the bad people. Simply put and to borrow from US Marine Corps: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy!

True Story #16
“A young officer, subaltern equivalent, did an investigation on his own and had an inquiry initiated against a senior military officer, equivalent to Brigadier. His service commander appointed in an attempt to make a mockery or a travesty of justice and to whitewash the inquiry another corrupt officer, humbug, as the investigating officer (IO), who had heck of lot dirt, I would say, mounds of dirt, not under his ‘nails’ but in his belly. The culprit, a rascal officer ended up in higher ranks and positions. The citizens read in the newspapers more and more about his wheeler-dealings in military purchases initiated by him, before he retired”.

Long ago, when Internet was not available in Sri Lanka, the SL postal service had VHF links in the Jaffna islands to communicate with the mainland branches. This rascal officer using his military authority and rank and under the rubric of fighting terrorism removed these VHF links and told Sri Lanka Telecom to install them as a backup for his home telephone. He did this without informing his Service Commander.

The young officer fought with the chain of command on principle, he stood the ground and said “These equipments served Tamils who live isolated in the islands. If there was death in the family, or vital information to attend a job interview or something of that nature how could they send or receive ‘telegrams’? True they were Tamils but not all terrorists. I, as an officer, would not allow or turn a blind eye if someone commandeered the community property for somebody’s very personal use whatever the ruse the culprit used to justify his commandeering postal service equipment and fooling the SLT”. Due to this young officer’s action, as truth came to light, his family suffered as they could not go to school/ work because of shame.

Now you see, here is a ‘Sinhalese’ officer fighting tooth and nail with his chain of command, highest levels in his Service to be fair by Tamils who are after all Sri Lankans. Even today that young officer is remembered and his uprightness talked about in the Service and Police Officers Messes and the naval Ward Rooms during evening cocktail parties.

In lighter note-when MIA, born free in Sri Lanka as a rapping terrorist daughter of a terrorist father said in the M.I.A.’s Agitprop Pop New York Times article, when she praised pop singer, Madonna, she expected her (Madonna) in return would send some chocolates! But the young officer I mentioned above expected ONLY one thing in return; for all ethnicities in Sri Lanka to live in perfect harmony anywhere in Sri Lanka, without FEAR! As for Madonna sending chocolate I am afraid, Madonna may send the former flamboyant Chicago Bull, Dennis Rodman to MIA if MIA needs ‘something’ ‘something’ or wanted get ‘some’ ‘some’ badly!

With respect to TS #13, 14, 15 and 16; Major Sarath Jayawardena, Col Karunathilaka, Body Guard Nissanka and the young officer, I mentioned above, were motivated by only one thing i.e. PROFESSIONALISM. They would not let communalism or nationalism to creep into their minds while in uniform and under their watch. When they are in uniform they are men of all faiths and ethnicities. They are and going to be fair and firm in peace and inexorable in war. That much is guaranteed.

Unfortunately the bias Tamil media only show ALACRITY to HIGHLIGHT semblances of or actual infractions, which are daily occurrences anywhere in the world, committed by a uniformed man instead of pillorying the higher crimes or the heinous crime committed by Tamils themselves, like gang raping Urmila Devi on a X’mas day.

Now let’s go and talk about some facts and affairs with regard to Sri Lankan Tamils in general, be they in Sri Lanka or overseas. These Tamils are very quick to blame the ‘racist or chauvinist Sinhalese, ‘rapist killers of an occupying Sinhala Army’ and ‘Sinhala nationalistic politicians’ in the south for all the misery and ill-fortune they have been going through since gaining independence in 1948. Simply put, for Tamils Sinhalese are responsible for the ‘perceived’ raw-deal Tamils are getting or Tamils being at the receiving end.

Question Numero Uno: If all the IDPs are released overnight are they allowed to ‘ENTER’ any ‘KOVIL’ in the North and East? I think everybody knows the answer; it is a ‘gimme’! The answer is a resounding ‘‘NO’! Who prevents certain Tamils from entering and worshipping in a kovil of his choosing? Not the racist Sinhalese or the ‘occupying’ Army at all but the TAMILS themselves! Who discriminate certain Tamils this way? Not the majority chauvinist Sinhalese but the Tamils themselves!

Let’s go now down south; have you ever heard a Tamil was harassed, chased away, or mercilessly attacked when he wanted to enter a Buddhist temple, even to rest awhile or use to toilet? I am sorry I have NOT heard of such an incident at all! Did Tamils go to Katargama without trouble and worship when the murderous Praba and his LTTE DID NOT allow Sinhalese civilians to go to Nagadeepa Temple for the last three decades, the three decades counting backward from 18 May 2009? Yes, of course, on foot in droves through Sangamankanda, by cars and busloads on the Galle road! Did the LTTE sympathetic westerners know about it or did the Diaspora tell about it to the world, very loud and clear? Not at all! WHY? If told that they can go to Katargama without trouble to worship annually then how come Tamils get asylum with a cock and bull story or a sob story, if needed, with promise of sex to satisfy some western politicians and officials, vote for otherwise defeated politicians, intern labour for the politico’s political campaigns, and campaign money for the political slush funds!

Question Numero Dos: When a Tamil woman marries, does her brother or do her brothers have to give in writing, in black and white, that ‘such and such’ amount of dowry will be ‘paid’ or ‘given’ before ‘such and such’ date? If the answer is YES, why you Tamils hold innocent Tamil girls to ransom, even after marriage? Are these ‘draconian’ anti-terrorism measures, oops very sorry, draconian marriage rules forced by the ‘occupying Army’, the ‘chauvinist Sinhala regime ‘or ‘racist Buddhists’ on innocent Tamil women? NO, NOT AT ALL!

Question Numero Tres: Was it not ‘EXPLOITATION’ by (Dis) honorable Prabakaran and his LTTE to use the women who pine and yearn for a respectable and decent marriage to be used as ‘cannon fodder’ by taking undue advantage of their vulnerabilities, helplessness, haplessness and above all emotional sentiments and dilemmas due to lack of dowry go with a man of her choosing and raise a family with well-adjusted children? Sociologists will say what I say: Yes!

Question Numero Cuatro: How hundreds of young female LTTE carders were in the advance stage of pregnancy, for which Tamils local or overseas, AI or AHRC, Pillai or Arbour, Vany or MIA, DBS tweets or TN articles cannot blame Sri Lankan military for impregnating or raping them at gun point or by force when they surrendered, caught or were liberated by SLA Special Forces?

Is the wider world to understand the LTTE male cadres instead of cleaning their LTTE ‘issued’ AK -47 accidently caused what we call in the military “ND’-Negligent Discharge with their ‘personal 9-mil-human flesh pistol aka penis’ inside the close by female cadre’s vagina hitting the G-spot with a bull’s eye?

You might say I am vulgar or being sarcastic, but how would you explain it, having free sex without ‘protection’ I mean, condoms-FL, out of marriage and having babies, in so-called tightly-knit, very disciplined, most ruthless group of terrorists till 18 May 2009?

In this situation the Diaspora, full of intellectuals, full of Ph. Ds and lawyers have not given and will not give us a reason for this phenomenon. They are unable this time apportion the blame of pregnancies on Sri Lankan rapist soldiers and tarnish Sri Lanka’s image in the wider world.

I wonder they were raped by the male LTTE cadres to keep them in LTTE bondage or out of jealousy or revenge that female cadres were said to be ‘physically’ close to the Australian nurse-Adele Balasingham. You do not know subconsciously how mad the male tiger cadres were; that I am sure we will never know as truth is stranger than fiction. I wish Sigmund Freud was alive to psychoanalyze it.

Now you would see clearly with above four questions I put to Tamils, as a few examples of so many how Tamils sweep their dirt under the carpet and nicely window dress their serious flaws with effective false propaganda preventing others to get a good look at their sordid and biased affairs. Now the international community will agree with me that it is Tamils themselves need a ‘bearing’ correction, reevaluating and start thinking and acting like rational human beings in the first place rather than pointing an accusing finger at GOSL and Sinhalese.

Tamils themselves need to turn the searchlight inwards to find out how messed up they are before telling the world that the majority Sinhalese are persecuting them in Sri Lanka.

Are you ready for another one or two true story? I surmise so.

True Story #17.

“During the Reign of Terror (1987-1989), the most of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. (SLRC) employees, except the ones in the Tamil Division, vacated due to the death threats of Red Brothers. I am talking about the times when Mr. Wickrama -News Director, and ASP Bindu Kumarathunga-Security Manager, and Mr.Shanthi Fonseka-Director General Engineering used to work supported by tri-service officers and soldiers numbering about 30 personnel. If you needed the SLRC employees to run daily programs the method was such STF personnel who were guarding SLBC and SLRC or the military from Ops Combine would go to the workers’/technicians’ homes and pick them up and bring to SLRC. That way the Red Brothers could not kill the techs with a galkatas saying they had reported to work disregarding their decree on a piece of copy book paper.

Only Division that did not have a shortage of staff or threat from the Red Brothers was the SLRC Tamil Division. Do you want to know what these patriotic Tamils did on daily basis, since the time they reported to work? They were on the phone to Jaffna, talking to their friends and family for hours and hours!”

Check with Sri Lanka Telecom or get an old Telephone Directory to find out per minute charge at 1989 rates to Jaffna, BCO, TCO or Vuvniya! For comparison purposes I would give the prices of or cost to GOSL at that time of a 60 millimeter mortar round- 8000.00 rupees; RPG round-10,000 rupees;7.62mm round about 10 rupees. You can imagine the subtle economic damage caused by the patriotic Tamils in Colombo!

True Story #18
“We in the military and police know very well what happens during every Hindu and Sinhala New Year. The office people all go on leave to spend good time, play ‘dice’ (Deka-Paha) and have fun with their near and dear ones in new clothes; the Tamils in Small Jaffna-Wellwatte- Colombo 6 board the Yal Devi (before it was burnt down) and go to Yal Panam to spend the Hindu New Year with friends and relatives. What do the poor military and police do, being their leave cancelled and put on alert? They pull security, day and night, around empty but millionaire houses and businesses in the Small Jaffna-Wellawatte or Hettividiya.”

Where is the gratitude at least in a few words in the Tamil media who tend to ‘highlight’, play over and over and harp on simple accidents and sexual misconduct incidents, Tamils being the victims and soldiers or policemen being the’ alleged’ perpetrators, for those military and police officers who sacrifice the chances of spending quality time what we call it in the military ‘family building or bonding’ with their children and to show or give the parental love for their children but unable due to being forced to guard an empty house of a Tamil who is having fun while drinking toddy, under ‘an ‘UNBROKEN‘ Palmyra frond or tree, far away in Jaffna?

Why on earth Tamils expect every soldier and policeman to treat them with dignity and decorum when Tamils themselves have not been grateful in the first place. The soldiers and policemen are humans in uniform and their level of ‘social maturity’, education, understanding and open-mindedness, all depend on the past experiences, good or bad, with Tamils or exposure to the other cultures. Do not ever expect every soldier or policeman to be a Jesus Christ or a Mahathma Gandhi at all times, to turn the other cheek though they try hard to be a one.

I mentioned above true stories to say one more time, and let Sri Lankan watchers know that there is two sides to the Sri Lankan ethnic story. Tamils have to accept the preponderance of blame for all the ills and woes Tamils have rather than holding Sinhalese responsible.

The nationalistic Tamil politicians who condoned Tamil militancy and the communal Sinhalese politicians need to accept their portion of total blame.

The Diaspora have been fooling, left and right, the ill-informed nations all over the world to get sympathy and economic asylum posing as a ‘persecuted’ people to live in a C$600,000.00 a piece house in Woodbridge, (Vaughan), next to Canada’s Wonderland.

Please read below a perfect example of how these ‘persecuted Tamils’ living in asylum granted or host countries as law-abiding citizens. Thanks to Sri Lankan ‘diplomutts’ in MFA these news articles never get highlighted or get ‘air play’ when MFA discuss Sri Lankan Tamils bogus asylum situations with foreign diplomats or governments. So the western diplomats do not have ‘Talking Points’ when they brief or appraise of their State Department or Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their respective countries.

“London, July 1 (IANS) Eight members of a Sri Lankan family have been served prison terms for fraudulently claiming nearly pound 170,000 in housing benefits over a period of 17 years.
The swindle began in 1993 when Premkumar Pathmanathan and his brother-in-law Sittamplan Soundrasritharan secured a deal for a house in Wembley, North London. Pathmanathan's father, Sinniah was installed as the fake tenant, and began claiming his bogus rent on benefits.
They used a simple method to hoodwink the council authorities where one relative would apply for a mortgage, often using false information, and then rent the house to a family member. The tenant would hide the fact that they were related to their landlord and claim housing benefit, which was funneled straight into mortgage repayments. The family even drew up bogus tenancy agreements.”

The above is one example of many. What about Tamil gang violence brought to the streets of Toronto or London? How many millions have had allocated to the Police Gang Units of the respective countries to police the Tamil asylum seekers neighborhoods? Why your schooling son is clubbed or knife to death on a street right around the high school? Was it a phenomenon or the situation before those western nations swallowed hook, line and sinker the sob stories of bogus asylum seekers lock, stock and barrel? Unfortunately these western nations did not pay heed to GOSL or accept Sri Lanka’s true ground realities. Sorry, please, let me take it back, freaking ‘diplomutts’ in MFA were fast asleep when the proverbial Tamil camel not only just put its head in the tent but full body and knelt down!

These western people who had a very big heart or whose heart were bleeding profusely for the cry babies like Vany K and MIA let Tamil bogus asylum seekers in but got a rude awakening when their bank’s Special Credit Card Fraud Investigation Unit called and told “Madam, Good Morning, how are you doing? This is Tom, from the Royal BofC Credit Card Division, we are sorry we had to close your credit card because of unauthorized entry into your credit card account from London ”. The poor old lady is dizzy, spinning like a top on marble floor, grasping for her breath and asks for water.

She did not realize in her wildest dreams when she pressed relentlessly, getting carried away by the Tamil Diaspora effective but false propaganda, her local lawman or parliamentarian to ‘help and support’ Tamil Eelam (bogus) cause that she would be sodomized this sort of very ‘raw’ and ungrateful way, come on now, I mean, should have used at least a little bit of water based KY-Jelly! She just found out hard and very sad way that a bunch of Tamil asylum seeker had got together and ‘cloned’ hers and numerous others’ credit cards. Examples are aplenty but I leave it here. Dear Ma’am, Welcome to Vanni Jungles Where Two Legged Tiger Used to Roam!

Ma’am, next time do listen carefully to the other side of the story. If we do not want to listen to me, is okay by me too. Not if but when your daughter’s daughter is gang raped, the way they gang raped Urmila Devi of PLOTE on a Merry X’mas Day in 80s in the Vanni jungles, by the members of VVT or Kannan gang at knife or gun point please remember I warned you!

All this misery for the western nations is because the gullible or ill-informed western nations emotionally got carried away by the crocodile tears of the thangachchis like Vany Kumar, the cock and bull stories of Siva Pasupathis or paranoid MIA crying ‘blue (murder) genocide’ exploiting her musical celebrity status.

Let’s us talk about boycotting. The Daispora Tamils are decrying that GOSL are callous and Sinhalese indifferent to the plight of the IDPs in camps. You cannot resettle a couple of hundred thousand people overnight. You need a safe environment, free of landmines and criminals, you need Essential Services such as electricity, water, health etc in operation, you need decent infrastructure facilities, and you need law enforcement agencies presence by day and night. It is a slow and painful process if Tamils help to ‘Build Up’ rather than pillorying GOSL and Sinhalese and ‘Bringing Down’ it will be a sure process.

For above to happen soon and help the Tamil IDPs in camps to have a free life, Sri Lanka does need money to build from ground up. How Sri Lanka gets money or FOREX (foreign exchange) is by exporting goods and services. If the Diaspora who protest against GOSL or Sri Lanka in the western streets and ask western companies to boycott Sri Lanka products by day, and drink whisky on the rocks by night and release a damaging article disparaging GOSL or Sinhala people to the electronic and print media then how GOSL is able generate money to ‘Build Up’?

Not only ‘Building Up’ the north and east completely, how about the huge amount of money or outlay needed for education and health for Tamils and to run the writ of GOSL in the north and east?

With the ever increasing voice or loudness of the well-to-do, better off, nothing-else-to-do Diaspora Tamils living large in the western capital Sri Lanka earns less and less FOREX.

The very Tamil Diasporas in world capitals, which want to champion the cause of ‘suffering Tamils’ are not ameliorating their condition at all. The Diaspora, wittingly or unwittingly, knowingly or unknowingly are making the IDP’s life more miserable by stymieing solutions when push comes to shove, when the point of never return is reached, an IDP takes him or he life or dies as a family in suicide pact. It is ‘good’ news for the Tamil Diaspora so that the tragedy could be easily blamed on the GOSL or Sinhalese and spin up more and more gullible westerners? WHY? To live in C$ 600,000.00 a piece house in Vaughn, ON, Canada.

I have seen those luxury living as I have run in the mornings around the blocks to keep fit. The Tamils I have seen in those houses did not resemble to me that they were cardiologists or IT professionals but the state Tamils in BATA slippers I used see when I was schooling.

Thanks to lax asylum laws in the western countries and their disinterest or failure to cross checks the facts or ground realities with GOSL have given a huge bonanza to continue the racket. So the Diaspora, every passing day, spin up more and more horror stories or nightmarish or Doom’s Day scenarios to get more and more Tamils seek (economic) asylum so that these bogus asylum seekers can clone more and more credit cards to earn but illegal a fast buck or can augment the VVT or Kannan gang ranks.

Now let’s see to how to fix this vexed problem. Let’s find how to live in concord. If you think even for one fleeting moment an Ananda or Sangaree, a Douglas, a Colonel Kind, a Sidharthan, a Perumal, a ‘good small brother’ Srikantha, a KP or a (a)Sambandan can be the point man for or can spearhead the racial harmony in a Unitary State that is Sri Lanka then NEVER MIND.

In the military what we wary most is of the people we have to ‘figure out’. If we know the profile, behavior, ways and means of a person we are very fine with him as we know ‘what to expect’ or ‘do with him’. But if we have to ‘figure out’ a person we as soldiers pay very close attention or we are on the ‘watch out’ for him. I know physicians are best at diagnosing illnesses or maladies but we senior soldiers are expert at recognizing odd human behavior and identifying our soldiers who need help. We deal with soldiers aged from 17 to 55 who have been to war multiple times. If we cannot identify their moods, change in behavior, temper or temperament it results in tragedies nobody wants. A country’s interests in another country are at stake; strategic partnerships are doomed. Consequences management is very costly. That is why we call them ‘strategic corporals’; they make and break contact with enemy or societies, where the rubber meets the road. Because of that daily life experience with our soldiers and because we know we have to prevent mistakes from happening we constantly study and mentor our soldiers. Therefore we are really good at identifying ‘people’.

If you would ask me how concerned, careful or leery am I more or less of TELO and other groups to include ENDLF, EPRLF etc I would say without batting an eyelid or in a heartbeat, Very concerned! If you would have asked me who would be more dangerous in the long run; LTTE or TELO, I say TELO. You may ask, why? We knew of LTTE Plans, but do you know of TELO, EPLRF, ENDLF etc, we have to FIGURE OUT!

I know you are totally surprised. We are soldiers we look for certain ‘indicators’ and ‘clues’ a layman would not pay more attention to. I know very well about the LTTE and their modus operandi therefore I am well prepared. But I was once right around when ‘Small Good Brother’ Srikantha the lawyer with TELO military commander had talks with affable ACS Hammed the global trotter. Here is what they say and you will see their subtle and shameless intentions “While the TELO does not accept internecine killing and can never forget what the LTTE has done, it would be betraying the Tamil people to oppose the LTTE, because victory could only be achieved if all Tamil groups set aside their differences and present a united front”

Please visit the WWW.TELO.ORG and read more about what they have to say. They have not given up “a separate state for Tamils”. TELO have taken to politics using this method; “If you cannot fight Sri Lanka military and win then join GOSL as a political party”. They have chosen ‘the end justifies means’! Damn the political course chosen by TELO or other Tamil terrorist groups that existed and exist today, I would pay more attention, place more measures in place and work the ‘Dark Side’ efficiently to get rid of the enemies posing as tamed or reformed terrorists saying ‘hello’ as if they are benign and sincere friends of Mother Lanka. I request Sri Lankan military to pay more and close attention and send very strong signals to these insincere terrorists turned politicians asking, NOT to ‘test’ Sri Lanka military ever!

If GOSL really needs to find a good Tamil, a moderate Tamil who has personal courage, is upright with an open mind to solve the so-called problems or issues Tamils in the north and east have, then the powers that be of Sri Lanka do not have to look further other than reading the New York Times article M.I.A.’s Agitprop Pop where you find a person named Ahilan Kadirgamar at Sri Lanka Democracy Forum. He is the most ‘balanced’ Tamil person I have found in the media, talking ‘balanced and fair’ politics publicly. He showed professionalism and personal courage, hard to see in so called Tamil intellectuals or the intelligentsia. He is a rarity among Sri Lankan Tamils, local or overseas. If you have read the article you would be nothing but impressed and have said ‘Eureka!’

For example read what he has to say and judge yourself how balanced he is “The Tigers ruled the people under them with an iron fist. They used mafia like tactics, and they would forcefully recruit child soldiers. Maya took a very simplistic explanation of the problems between Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese government and the Tamils. It’s very unfair when you condemn one side of this conflict. The Tigers were killing people, and the government was killing people. It was a brutal war, and M.I.A. had a role in putting the Tigers on the map. She doesn’t seem to know the complexity of what these groups do. Maya is a talented artist but she only made the situation worse. What happened in Sri Lanka was not GENOCIDE. To not be honest about that or the Tigers does more damage than good. When Maya does a polarizing interview, it doesn’t help the cause of justice.”

To be Continued...