Don’t lump Sinhalese Sri Lankans in with Tamil Tigers
Posted on September 22nd, 2010
Edmonton Journal – Albert J. Fernando, Edmonton
Re: “Boat people abuse our generosity; Tamil case points out need for Canada to reform its immigration policies,” by Lorne Gunter, Sept. 12.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Although Lorne Gunter’s criticism and condemnation of the brutal nature of Tamil Tigers is commendable, I take strong exception, as a Sinhalese, to the misleading statements he has made about the Sinhalese who constitute 74 per cent of Sri Lanka’s population.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Obviously, Gunter has read the wrong reports, perhaps Tamil Eelam propaganda material, to condemn the Sinhalese.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Gunter’s comments can be grouped under two categories: discrimination and attacks on Tamils.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Regarding discrimination, Gunter may not be aware that Tamils were and still are well represented in all areas of the civil services in Sri Lanka. At the time of July 1983 riots, the chief justice and several senior judges were Tamils. Also, at that time, the inspector general of police and several senior police officers were Tamils. As well, more than a third of the engineers, medical officers and customs officials in the civil service were Tamils.
Of course, one could ask, if the Tamils were and are so clever, what is wrong with holding such positions in the civil service? The answer can be a counter-question: Then where is the discrimination that Eelam supporters are publishing all over the world?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Regarding Gunter’s allegation that “Tamil businesses were denied contracts with Sri Lanka government agencies,” where is the proof?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Gunter also states: “In the 1980s, it got so bad that Sinhalese routinely dragged Tamils into the street, burned their homes and businesses, then beat or burned them to death.”
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While it is true that unfortunate incidents did occur for a few days in July 1983, no such riots occurred after that. So how can Gunter say, “routinely,” as if these incidents are commonplace in Sri Lanka?
It is the Tamil terrorists who routinely massacred innocent Sinhalese, Muslim and Tamil men, women in Sri Lanka until defeat of Tamil Eelam military operations in May 2009.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As well, Tamil terrorists have on several occasions attacked Buddhist temples and killed Buddhist monks.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Just imagine if a terrorist group started attacking Christian churches and killing the priests in various parts of Canada. How long would the Canadian public and the government tolerate such heinous activities?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The idea of the Tamil terrorists was to attack the Sinhalese and Buddhist temples to create a backlash, to have Tamils attacked, so there is worldwide sympathy leading to hundreds of easy visas for Tamil refugees to flee to North America, Western Europe and Australia.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Once the refugees arrive, they are fleeced by the Tamil terror network to support their Eelam military campaign. To the credit of the Sinhalese, they remained unprovoked, but the Tamil terrorists kept on their attacks on Sinhalese and Buddhist clergy, anyway.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Albert J. Fernando, Edmonton
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:47 am
Excellent article giving facts. Hope this is well circulated.
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:52 am
Mr. Albert J. Fernando has given a very accurate narrative of the events that took place in Sri Lanka. Only Sri Lankans who lived through all this turmoil know the facts, but foreigners jump in the bandwagon and write articles and books about the Sri Lankan Terrorist experience without first hand knowledge. They get unsubstantiated information from refugees and anti-national elements who have an axe to grind. Foreigners mostly from the Western world will always write articles to the the news media and books as there is money in it. This is very unfortunate as it makes the Sri Lankans look bad in the eyes of the world community. This article has gone a long way to correct some of the misconceptions.
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:59 am
In 1983 many Tamils were killed and robbed by Sinhalese mobs. Sofar no one was arrested or brought to justice. Further you are telling untruths. After the 1983 riots only LTTE attacked Buddhist Temples. Can you show any evidence before 1983?
Further LTTE is backed by Catholic Church. That is why Fr.S.J.Emmanuel who was the vicar General of Jaffna and currently heading the Global Tamil Forum, praised LTTE as the DIVINE SOLDIERS OF CHRIST.
In Jaffna ( 100% Tamil speaking area) the people are still need Sinhala translators even to make a complaint at the police.
Is this Author making jokes here about discrimnation? In Canada a French speaker can do any work with the government in French any where in Canada. Sri lanka must learn a lot from Bi-lingual Canada!
September 23rd, 2010 at 4:51 am
Mudali,
Parangiya again. Don’t tell lies.
War started by Tamils before 1983. If what you are saying is correct Catholic Church is justified attacking Buddhist temples.
What you are telling is LTTE are babies fooled by Catholic church to attack singalese and muslims.
It is the Hidu Indian Tamils who started this nonsence and you are still fighting and justifying violence and blaming everything of church.
Tamils ar only 10%. Bilingualism will evolve eventually, But it may not be Tamil and Singhala. It could be Mandarin and Sinhala.
September 23rd, 2010 at 4:28 pm
MUdali,
“After the 1983 riots only LTTE attacked Buddhist Temples.”
Then why did the Sinhalese numbers fell from 20,500 in 1971 to 4,800 by 1981 (before the war)? As you say LTTE may have attacked Buddhist Temples only after 1983 but other Tamil separatists attacked Sinhalese interests before 1981. Otherwise how can you explain the drop?
“In Jaffna ( 100% Tamil speaking area) the people are still need Sinhala translators even to make a complaint at the police.”
How the hell did Jaffna became 100% Tamil speaking? By killing and chasing away Sinhalese before 1981. And then Muslims in 1990 Black August.
Face the facts loser.
Tamils have a lot to learn from UK, USA, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Swiss, etc., etc. If 1,000,000 Tamils can learn to speak completely alien languages like English, French, German, etc., the other 1,000,000 Tamils in Sri Lanka who still cannot speak Sinhala can very easily learn Sinhala which is partly Tamil!! Read TamilNet to learn how many Sinhala words have their origins in Tamils and how similar the languages are. I don’t necessarily believe everything it says but no one can deny the similarity of Sinhala and Tamil than Tamil and French.
September 23rd, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Lorenzo and Parangiaya:
Catholic Church is the mentors for LTTE. Better explain why Bishop of Mannar ran to LTTE territory with the statue of Mary of Madu!
Both agree that Tamils never attacked Buddhist Temples before the Sinhala attack on Tamils!
Yes! Jaffna is 100% Tamil territory even now but Sinhala translators are needed too!
Both of you are real losers and unable to prove your points!
Learning Sinhala is not a problem. Then why cannot Sinhalese learn Tamil?
Both of you are not Buddhists. I understand your anguish because of the involvement of the Catholic Church with LTTE terrorists!
September 24th, 2010 at 5:49 am
MUdali,
I called you loser first.
Anyway I have proved my points. You cannot counter them. By the way don’t judge who I’m with my profile name. I thought you had an iota of brain cells. So I’m wrong on that.
In Canada, do non-Tamil Canadians learn Tamil when Tamils learn English or French?
Please stop calling people racist names like Parangiaya. Just look around. Does anyone call others racist names here apart from you? Shame on you Mudali. Do you want me to remind you how racism cursed your race and totally screwed you guys up? At least now learn to drop racism. Otherwise it will be Mulaitivu lagoon once again.
September 24th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Mudali,
Both Lorenzo and Parangiya aske you questions in many ways. You had no answers. I will give you one more oppotunity, asking in another way.
The core of the question was,
Why did your race started suicide bombing without any regard to life of mothers,children,monks or even dogs to fight and get back the privileges your race tole by licking the bum of Christian British invaders ?
Tamils won previleges by worshipping Christians, by favouring their race unjustifiaby.
Tamils made Jaffna 100% Tamil by killing people. Wellawatta is alos 80% Tamil but no one talking about it and you may want all Sinhala to speak Tamil in Wellawatta.
I know it is difficult for you to speak truth because it is in your race and religion. Any other race has better values that LTTE supporting Tamils.
September 24th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
But both of you forget TAMIL is also an Official Language of Sri Lanka. But your racist attitude dont let you to practice whatever said in LAW.
But both are crying like street thugs.
Better try to learn the Administration.
I never be a racist as Catholics who now hide under the garb of Sinhala but Catholics are the real trouble makers in both sides. The shameful problem is now Catholics are under the leadership of a NAZI!
So, naturally no one will get anything in a civilised manner from Catholics.
TAMIL and SINHALA are languages and nothing to do with RACE!
September 24th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Mudali,
You are not only an anti Sinhala racist but an anti Catholic racist too.
Just read what you have written. If you don’t find it racist, then you are beyond recovery. Racism has sunk into your bones.
We have no problem in the Tamil language. In Jaffna statements are recorded in Tamil contrary to what you say. But you are after something else here. Being a racist you want to show that everything is against Tamils and create hatred.
Now who is the street thug who is threatening Sinhalas, Muslims and Catholics?
For your information there are no Nazis in Sri Lanka apart from racist political parties with race names in their party names. You know that.
September 25th, 2010 at 2:09 am
Mudali,
As the first step, stop lying. You will gradually leran to like Singalams, Parangis and Cathholica and even Nazis. They are all better than (already dead) LTTE, the Hindu extremists who only believed in killing Sinhala and Muslims as sacrifies to their God. Get out of Canada and find out what is the truth.
September 25th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
HAHA!
Record in Tamil?
What a crap! Even the the IGP agreed with my statement and now only he try to recruit TAMILS for the police!
Why are you both crying like stoned dogs when a NAZI is your head of your Catholic Church in Vatican?
Catholics play anti-Sinhala tune in Jaffna and anti-Tamil tune in the South!
You cannot hide under Jesus Christ!
September 26th, 2010 at 12:43 am
De Costa,
How about Indians? They killed Indians too although now they are begging at the feet of Indians.
Mudali,
Nazi is more like Thamiz Ezham. Don’t you think?
No wonder there is no Tamil nation when there are racist fools like you. Please don’t change it.
No one to talk in Tamil at the UN until a Chingalam finally had to do it.
The first and only person to talk in Tamil at the UN general assembly is a Chingalam. I don’t think this will change. Even if that Trans-sexual Government of Tamiz Ezham functions in hell.
September 26th, 2010 at 12:49 am
Mudali,
I have no special regard for Catholics or Jesus. No hatred either.
By the way why do you think I don’t drag religion and religious figures in to our conversation? Because I’m civilised and you are not. Thanks for proving that to all.