posted October 15, 2000 04:46 PM            

Brian Senewiratne
Princess Alexandre Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

Sinhalese­Buddhist ethno­religious chauvinism and its strongest advocates, the Buddhist clergy, are the most important factors that prevent a solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict.

Sri Lanka belongs to, and is the homeland of all its people (Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, the Plantation Tamils, Moors, Malays, and Burghers) who have lived there for hundreds of years and have made it what it is. Despite this self­evident fact, the Sinhalese majority have a deep rooted perception that Sri Lanka is a Sinhalese­Buddhist nation which 'belongs' to the Sinhalese and is the custodian of Buddhism.

The most powerful advocates of this ethno­religious chauvinism are the Buddhist clergy. "Even though non­Sinhalese and non­Buddhist have been living in this country for a long time, Sri Lanka is the country of the Sinhala Buddhist" writes the Venerable Madhie Pannaseeha, Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura sect, one of the three major Buddhist sects in Sri Lanka. He is one of a group who has a major influence on the majority community in Sri Lanka, which can make or break governments. Statements by other leading Buddhist clergy are even more extreme. Those of the Venerable Chandananda Palipane, the Mahanayake (chief priest) of the powerful Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam sect and the Venerable Sobitha, President of the Sinhala Bala Mandalaya (Sinhalese pressure group) can only be described as bigoted.

posted October 22, 2000 01:10 PM            

I am pretty sure she will attain "NIRVANA" (means being Naked) when she take shower in HELL. But the thing
these damn people here talking about all these time about this SINHALA BITCH was about her attaining "NIBANA",
but not "NIRVANA", eventhough I don't know what the hell these people are talking about when the say someone
attaining "NIBANA". It does even make sense to me that how these bloddy sinhala racists people who all have
bloddy blood in their whole fucking sinhala filthy body can ever attain "NIBANA FUCK",

Bhudda killed the Coat to ease its suffereing, but his bloddy followers are killing people to create suffering for
them and their families. Buddha taught non violent and these bloddy people go and attack people who is voicing
their concerns non violently.

THESE BLODDY PEOPLE WILL NEVER ATTAIN BLODDY NIBANA.

posted October 22, 2000 01:25 PM            

Number TWO: Hon. Kathirkamer,
Minister of Foreign SHITS affaires.

Numeber THREE: EPDP, TELO, PLOTE, TULF AND LIKE SQUARDS.

Number FOUR: Ratwatte,
One Leg no Brain Miniter

Number FIVE: Ratnasiri Wikramanayake,
Premier of SHRI LANKA

Number SIX: Mrs. Chandrika Kumaranathunga,
The president bitch of the republic of Shri Lanka SHIT.

Number Seven: Hon. Ranil Wickerasinge,
Opposition Leader SHIT.

Number Eight: Other Sinhala Racist Ministers.

Number Nine: All the Sinhala NAsty population of the south.

posted October 23, 2000 03:00 PM         

It is clear that you are boiling with anger. Please tell me why are you so angry with the
the Sinhala people, as a whole ? Your list look like a hit list of some sort. Why do you
have as your number nine: The Nasty Sinhala population of the south -- as you call it ?
Can you tell me what wrong has a Sinhala individual of the south done to you ?? I am
just curious. I am NOT telling that you have no right to be angry -- you very well might
have your reasons. Just tell me why are you so angry with the Sinhala people, as a
whole ?

Did you not know that there are many Tamils in Colombo and the south of SL living very peacefuly side by side with the Sinhala ? It is interesting also to note that all the Sinhala persons who lived in the North have been "chased away".

posted October 23, 2000 07:46 PM            

Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalism
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Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalism - the Record Speaks
Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalism & the Destruction of Hindu Temples in
Tamil Eelam and Sri Lanka - M.Neiminathan
Buddhism Betrayed? - Religion, Politics & Violence in Sri Lanka -
S.J.Tambiah
Offsite Links to Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalism
Buddhist Monks and Politics in Sri Lanka - James J. Hughes

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SINHALA BUDDHIST FUNDAMENTALISM
- THE RECORD SPEAKS
[see also Buddhism Betrayed? - S.J. Tambiah]
"...In the Sinhala language, the words for nation, race and people are
practically synonymous, and a multiethnic or multicommunal nation or state
is incomprehensible to the popular mind. The emphasis on Sri Lanka as the
land of the Sinhala Buddhists carried an emotional popular appeal,
compared with which the concept of a multiethnic polity was a meaningless
abstraction..." [Sinhala Historian K. M. de Silva in Religion, Nationalism
and the State, USF Monographs in Religion and Public Policy, No.1 (Tampa,
FLA: University of South Florida 1986) at p31 quoted by David Little in
Religion and Self Determination in Self Determination - International
Perspectives, MacMillan Press, 1996]

During the past several decades, Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalism has not been
backward in giving expression to its views on the role of Buddhism in Sri
Lanka's body politic. Some of the statements by Sinhala Buddhist political
leaders and monks are set out below. Their words have, ofcourse, been matched by
their deeds. And, as usual, the record speaks...

The Gospel according to Anagarika Dharmapala
"In the year 237 B.C. the Tamil invader Elala, usurped the Sinhalese
throne. But for several years anterior to that event there had been a
suspension of religious activities in the northern part of the island.
The Tamils, fiercely antagonistic to Buddhism, committed acts of
vandalism in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, and, for a time, there was
none to deter them. At this crisis there arose a wonderful Prince, whose
father was then reigning in Southern Ceylon. He was in his previous
birth a young Bhikku (Buddhist monk, who, when dying, was solicited by
the queen to be re-born in her womb...." more
Sinhala Leader of the House, Ceylon State Council Ceylon's First
Sinhala Prime Minister in 1948 - D.S. Senanayake, 31 July 1937
"We must realise that the Sinhalese are the rightful sons of this fair
country..." more
Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero on Monks and Politics in 1946
" ... The divorce of religion from the nation was an idea introduced
onto the minds of the Sinhalese by invaders from the West, who belonged
to an alien faith..." more
D.C. Wijewardena in Revolt in the Temple, 1953
"The history of Sri Lanka is the history of the Sinhalese race... The
Sinhalese people were entrusted 2500 years ago, with a great and noble
charge, the preservation... of Buddhism..." more
J.R.Jayawardene, Leader of Sinhala Opposition in1957
"...The time has come for the whole Sinhala race..to fight without
giving any quarter to save their birthright... I will lead the
campaign..." more
W.J.M. Lokubandara, Sinhala M.P. in Sri Lanka's Parliament, July 1981
"If there is discrimination in this land which is not their homeland,
.. why not go back home (India) ..there are your kovils and Gods.." more
Wimala Kannangara M.P., Sinhala Buddhist Minister in Sri Lanka's
Parliament, July 1981
"Do not give into the minorities. We are born as Sinhalese and as
Buddhists in this country. let us rule as a majority community..." more
D.M. Chandrapala, Sinhala M.P. in Sri Lanka's Parliament, July 1981
"...what should we do to this so called leader of the Tamils? ... I
would tie him to the nearest concrete post in this building and
horsewhip him till I raise him to his wits...." more
G.V.Punchinilame, Sinhala M.P. in Sri Lanka's Parliament, July 1981
"...there was a punishment during the time of the Sinhalese kings,
namely, two arecanut posts are erected, the two posts are then drawn
toward each other with a rope, then tie each of the feet of the offender
to each post and then cut the rope which results in the tearing apart
the body. These people (Tamil MPs) also should be punished in the same
way.." more
Cyril Mathew, Sri Lanka Minister,1982
"...We all know that in every civilised society the civilisation has
grown by basing itself on the cultural values and the religious ideology
of the majority population of those countries. Sri Lanka is known as
Sinhala. It is a Buddhist country. Nobody can deny this fact. No rulers
can forget this fact. If they do I do not think such a ruler will last
for more than twenty four hours..." more
Sri Lanka President J.R.Jayawardene,1983
"...Really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be
happy..." more
Gamini Dissanayake, Sri Lanka Minister, October 1983
"...Who attacked you? Sinhalese. Who protected you? Sinhalese. It is we
who can attack and protect you..." more
Ven Dimbulgala Thero, August 1984
"...Remember your eternal hero, King Dutagemunu. We are going on a holy
mission. Now let us go on our journey..." more
Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha Mahanayaka Thera, December 1991
"...It is true that with the coming into power of the people’s
government of the SLFP in 1956, many of the privileges enjoyed by our
Tamil brethren eroded. This has been interpreted as "discrimination"
against them... No one should be carried away and frightened by these
slogans...." more
Ven. Galaboda Gnanassara Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya,
December 1991
" The majority in this country are Sinhalese. Without the consent of the
majority no one can come into power"
Sri Lanka President D.B.Wijetunga 1994
"...Our children should be able to claim that this country is the
Sinhalese land (Sinhala Deshaya)..." more
Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero, Vice Chancellor of Vidyalankara University
on the Unsung Forces of the 1956 General Election Victory, September
1994
"... The declared motive of the Buddha Sasana Samithis I launched in
1952, was to bring about a Buddhist renaissance all over the county ...
Though the declared motive was that, there was an undeclared or ulterior
motive behind, which was known only to Gnanaseeha Thera and Dias. That
hidden motive was to establish a true Sinhala Buddhist government in Sri
Lanka..." more
Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero, May 1996
"...Get this straight and quote me. Sri Lanka is a Buddhist Sinhala
country. Let no one make a mistake..." more
Official Sri Lanka website, December 1997
"The history of Sri Lanka goes back to pre-historic times with a
recorded history of over 2,000 years... documented history began with
the arrival of the settlers from North India (Prince Vijaya)... In the
mid 2nd century B.C. a large part of North Sri Lanka came under the rule
of an invader from South India..." more
Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga, September 1998
"...They [Tamils] are wanting a separate state – a minority community
which is not the original people of the country..."
Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga, 12 May 2000
"...History records that even Kings Dutugemunu, Gajabahu, Vijayabahu and
Parakramabahu have suffered defeat at the hands of the enemy at some
stage. But each time they faced such setbacks, they had faced the enemy
with renewed strength and achieved victory. Dear war heroes, we too have
to follow in the footsteps of our past heroes...Your blood is boiling to
liberate your motherland.." more

The Gospel according to Anagarika Dharmapala
Anagarika Dharmapala was born as David Hewavitarana in 1864, and received his
early education at Christian schools (not unlike Arumuga Navalar). In 1891 he
founded the Maha Bodhi Society to spread Buddhism throughout the world.
Dharmapala published the Mahabodhi Journal and the Sinhala Bauddhaya in the
1910s and his virulent attacks on the Moors and Tamils led to his internment
in Calcutta by the British in 1915. He died in December 1933 aged 69.
From Return to Righteousness: A Collection of Speeches, Essays, and Letters of
the Anagarika Dharmapala, Guruge. ed.,Colombo, Government Press, 1965:
"In the year 237 B.C. the Tamil invader Elala, usurped the Sinhalese throne. But
for several years anterior to that event there had been a suspension of
religious activities in the northern part of the island. The Tamils, fiercely
antagonistic to Buddhism, committed acts of vandalism in the sacred city of
Anuradhapura, and, for a time, there was none to deter them.
At this crisis there arose a wonderful Prince, whose father was then reigning in
Southern Ceylon. He was in his previous birth a young Bhikku (Buddhist monk,
who, when dying, was solicited by the queen to be re-born in her womb.
Particulars of this phenomenal birth are given in the Mahavansa, Chapter 22.
This young prince, Gamini Abhaya, (also known as Dutugemenu) after he had
reached maturity, made war upon the usurper, Elala. After a series of pitched
battles, the Sinhalese prince defeated Elala in single combat and slew him on
the battlefield. Then began the building of magnificent temples, dagobas
(monuments), by the conqueror, who, reducing Lanka (Ceylon) under one rule,
became king. From the world renowned ruins of these dagobas at Anuradhapura an
idea of their original splendour may be obtained.
The war that Gamini Abhaya waged with Elala was so a religious character and he
made it known by a solemn proclamation that "this enterprise of mine is not for
the purpose of acquiring the pomp and advantages of royalty. This undertaking
has always had for its object the re-establishment of the religion of the
supreme Buddha. By the truth of this declaration may the arms and equipment of
my army in the hour of battle flash, as if emitting the rays of the sun"
(Mahavansa, chap. 25).
It is said that one day when, after his victorious conquest the king was
reflecting with dismay on the recollection of numerable lives sacrificed in the
attainment of his end, eight holy saints (termed Arahats) came to him
miraculously and administered spiritual comfort.
And the king said, "Lords what peace of mind can there be left to me, when I
have been the means of destroying great armies?" And the saints answered
"Supreme of men, from the commission of that act there will be no impediment in
the road to salvation. Herein no more than two human beings have been
sacrificed; the rest are heretics and sinners, who are on a par with wild
beasts. And as thou wilt cause the religion of Buddha to shine forth in great
splendour, on that account, O ruler of men, subdue thy mental affliction!"
(Mahavansa, chap, 25). Thus was the king consoled.
It was always a custom with the Sinhalese kings when engaged in wars to take
with them the "sons of Buddha" evidently to show that the wars were conducted in
a spirit of religion (Photo below: Buddhist Monk inspects Sri Lanka artillery at
the war front in 1998 ). To these rulers nothing appeared more supreme than this
religion, which was called the "religion of the conqueror", and was thus
completely identified with the racial individuality of the people....
1. We Sinhalese should remember that our ancestors came from Lada, a territory
between Bengal and Kalinga about 2,400 years ago, and that they settled down in
that part of the land now known as Anuradhapura......
2. When the ancestors of the present holders of our beloved island were running
naked in the forest of Britain with their bodies painted, and later on when
their ancestors had gone under the imperial rue of Rome, and some of them were
being sold as slaves in the market place of Rome, our ancestors were already
enjoying the fruits of the glorious and peaceful civilisation whose seeds were
sown by the scions of the Sakya house 540 B.C........
3. Tamils, Cochins, Hambankarayas are employed in large numbers to the prejudice
of the people of the island - sons of the soil, who contribute the largest
share........
4. About two years ago the Buddhists of Gampola carried a procession from the
temple to a certain place, and on the way the Muhammedans objected to the
procession passing by their temple or mosque with music; without music the
Buddhist procession was incomplete. The police prohibited the procession to pass
the place. The Buddhists had to turn back. The Muhammedans were not allowed to
become permanent residents in Ceylon in the Dutch period. They were allowed to
permanently reside after the island went under British rule.....................
5. Buddhism was the religion of the state in Ceylon like the Church of England
in the British Isles......
6. The Muhammedans, an alien people, who in the early part of the nineteenth
century were common traders, by Shylockian methods became prosperous like the
Jews. The Sinhalese, sons of the soil, whose ancestors from 2358 years had shed
rivers of blood to keep the country free from alien invaders, who had
constructed gigantic tanks to irrigate millions of acres, who had built the most
artistic temples which have today become the admiration of the antiquarian and
scholar, today they are in the eyes of the British only vagabonds..........
7. The alien South Indian Muhammedan comes to Ceylon, sees the neglected
illiterate villagers without any experience in trade, without any knowledge of
any kind of technical industry and isolated from the whole of Asia on account of
his language, religion and race, and the result is the Muhammedan thrives and
the son of the soil goes to the wall.......
8. But behind all this present neglect and land alienation law the Sinhalese
villager can never forget his religion. It is in his blood. He has ancient
traditions going back to several thousands of years, and he has his history in
the Maha Vansa, Dipa Vansa, Bodhi Vansa, Thupa Vansa, Datha Vansa,
Sattharmalankara, & c., and he deplores his wretched lot........
9. What the German is to the Britisher that the Muharnmedan is to the Sinhalese.
He is an alien to the Sinhalese by religion, race and language. He traces his
origin to Arabia, whilst the Sinhalese traces his origin to India and to Aryan
sources........
10.To the Sinhalese, without Buddhism death is preferable. The British officials
may shoot, hang, quarter, imprison or to do anything to the Sinhalese, but there
will always be bad blood between the Moors and the Sinhalese. The peaceful
Sinhalese have at last shown that they can no longer bear the insults of the
alien. The whole nation in one day have risen against the Moor people.......
11. The British officials are not experienced and are rather haughty. It is good
to make them, when they arrive, to study the Maha Vansa, the history of the
island. Two and a half millions of people of the Aryan origin with a most noble
religion, with noble traditions should not be treated as upstarts.
12 Brahmanism is only for the three twice-born castes. The Brahmins were proud
of their mantras. The Brahmin rishis were great in their selfishness. They had
spiritual power even to frighten the gods; they cursed the later when they were
angry. It said that the rishis Durbhasa and Bhrigu cursed both Vishnu and Shiva.
The rishi Gautama cursed Indra. The Brahmin rishis organised the caste system
vesting all power in the Brahmins. They organised animal sacrifices. They drank
wine, ate beef and took women from the other three castes. It was their
privilege. They made laws prohibiting the three castes from taking Brahmin
women. They laid down the rule that the issue of a Brahmin women by a
non-Brahmin husband is to be recognised as a Chandala......
13. The Bhikkhu Sangha became a universal brotherhood, and the refuge of the
high and the low. All Asia heard the law of compassion, the religion of wisdom
was preached to all, and the Dhamma of Karuna and Pragna was accepted by men and
Gods. Jehovah, Allah, Vishnu, Shiva, Kali, Durga, Jesus were names not yet heard
in the civilised world. The European races with the exception of Romans and
Greeks were then in a state of Barbaric paganism. The ancestors of the British
were then living naked in the forest. The Nordic races were still
savages........
14. The destructive hordes of Islam had then not been born. Buddhism was then
flourishing in Gandahar, Afghanistan, Kabul Valley and Turkistan. Two centuries
later a new factor came into existence in India which helped to destroy the
individuality of the Buddha Dharma. Kumarila began to preach his new doctrine
which weakened the power of the Bhikkus. His successor was the Malabar Brahmin
Sankara. Driven out from his native land, young Sankara came to Jubbulpore and
was admitted to a monastery where he learnt Buddhism. Having studied the
Upanishads, he gave a new interpretation to the latter. He poured new wine into
old bottles....................
15. Islam, Brahmanical ritualism and Christianity are the three forces that are
at work today in India. Brahmans through sheer selfishness rejected the noble
Aryan Dharma from its native soil and India fell. Brahmanism is only for the
high caste. Islam and Christianity are both destructive.......
16. Brahmanism, Christianity and Islam lack the spirit of compassion. The basis
of Buddha's Dharma are Ahimsa, Karuna and Pragna. These are the ethics
needed......
17. We call on every Sinhalese Buddhist who loves his religion to contribute
whatever he or she can to this fund. The Britishers are giving us opium, ganja,
whisky and other alcoholic poisons and are introducing every kind of abominable
vice that is helping to undermine the vitality of our people. We, on our part,
should with a loving heart, give the Britishers the ennobling and purifying
faith of our Tathagato.
18 The Sinhalese people are between the deep sea and the devil. They have either
to accept Christianity or become Moslems.
19. Buddhism was not the only religion that suffered persecution at the hands of
the Muhammedans. The whole of Zoroastrian literature was swept off and the whole
religion effaced out of existence in Persia. The destruction of the magnificent
collection of books in the Alexandrian library; the extirpation of Christians in
Alexandria, Asia minor and Turkey all-these fiendish acts were committed by the
fanatics of Islam, who loved to dwell in darkness and ignorance, and who have
made
"The sun like blood, the earth a tomb,
The tomb a hell, and hell itself a murkier gloom"

D.S. Senanayake, Sinhala Leader of the Ceylon State Council (and later the
island's first Prime Minister in 1948) on 31 July 1937:
"We must realise that the Sinhalese are the rightful sons of this fair
country, and that we must organise ourselves into a determined body and even
risk our lives in doing it service. The minorities choose to believe that we
are not trustworthy. That is because we, Sinhalese, have been so tolerant and
so just. We, Sinhalese, must become conscious of our birthright."

Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero, later Vice Chancellor of the Sri Lanka Vidyalankara
University
(Monks and Politics -1946):
We believe that politics today embraces all fields of human activity directed
towards the public weal. No one will dispute that the work for the promotion
of the religion is the duty of the bhikkhu. It is clear that the welfare of
the religion depends on the welfare of the people who profess that religion.
History bears evidence to the fact that whenever the Sinhala nation - which
was essentially a Buddhist nation - was prosperous, Buddhism also flourished.
We, therefore, declare that it is nothing but fitting for bhikkus to identify
themselves with activities conducive to the welfare of our people - whether
these activities be labelled politics or not - as long as they do not
constitute an impediment to the religious life of a bhikku.(photo alongside:
Buddhist Monks blessing Sinhala soldiers at the war front in the Jaffna
Peninsula in the Tamil homeland)
We cannot forget that from the earliest days the Sinhala monks, while leading
the lives of bhikkhus, were in the forefront of movements for the progress of
their nation, their county, and their religion.
Even today bhikkhus by being engaged actively in education, rural
reconstruction' anti-crime campaigns, relief work, temperance work, social
work and such other activities, are taking part in politics, whether they are
aware of it or not. We do not believe that it is wrong for bhikkhus to
participate in these activities.
In ancient days, according to the records of history, the welfare of the
nation and the welfare of the religion were regarded as synonymous by the
laity as well as by the Sangha. The divorce of religion from the nation was an
idea introduced onto the minds of the Sinhalese by invaders from the West, who
belonged to an alien faith. It was a convenient instrument of astute policy to
enable them to keep the people in subjugation in order to rule the country as
they pleased.
It was in their own interests, and not for the welfare of the people, that
these foreign invaders attempted to create a gulf between the bhikkhus and the
laity - a policy which they implemented with diplomatic cunning. We should not
follow their example, and should not attempt to withdraw bhikkus from society.
Such conduct would assuredly be deplorable act of injustice, committed against
our nation, our country, and our religion........

Cyril Mathew, a Senior Sinhala Buddhist Minister in President J.R.Jayawardene's
Cabinet,
who was also present in Jaffna on the day that the Jaffna Public Library was
burnt - in a leaflet published in 1982, an year before Genocide'83:
"The link between the Sinhala race and Buddhism is so close and inseparable
that it had led to the maxim, "There is no Buddhism without the Sinhalese and
no Sinhalese without Buddhism." This is an undeniable fact.
The literature of the Sinhalese is Buddhist literature. The history of the
Sinhalese is the history of Buddhism. The language of the Sinhalese is
enriched by the doctrine of the Buddha. The era of the Sinhalese is the
Buddha Era. The culture of the Sinhalese is Buddhist culture. The flag of
the Sinhalese is the Sinhala Buddhist flag."........
`'With the establishment of Buddhism, the Sinhala culture and civilisation
took on a new orientation. The life of the Sinhalese began to he guided by
Buddhism. Their very creation, every work,was full of the influences of
Buddhism. Villages and temples, homes and palaces, all were refined by the
spirit of the Buddhist teachings. From the north to the south and from the
west to the east, the entire length and breadth of the Tri- Sinhala kingdom
had only one culture; that was the Sinhala Buddhist culture Yet from a few
years ago, there has been an organised movement of anti-Sinhala, anti Buddhist
barbarians to destroy our invaluable archaeological ruins and Buddhist
shines."........
"We all know that in every civilised society the civilisation has grown by
basing itself on the cultural values and the religious ideology of the
majority population of those countries. Sri Lanka is known as Sinhala. It is a
Buddhist country. Nobody can deny this fact. No rulers can forget this fact.
If they do I do not think such a ruler will last for more than twenty four
hours."
"Even though Prime Minister Bandaranayake, and former Prime Minister Dudley
Senanayake were so intimidated by the Tamil parties that they were prepared to
grant them a Tamil state, under the pretext of setting up district councils or
regional councils, the Sinhalese forces that rose up in protest were so strong
that one was forced to tear up the agreement, while the other had to rescind
the legislation."..........

J.R.Jayawardene, Sinhala Buddhist President of Sri Lanka
- Daily Telegraph, 11th July 1983
"I am not worried about the opinion of the Tamil people... now we cannot think
of them, not about their lives or their opinion... the more you put pressure
in the north, the happier the Sinhala people will be here... Really if I
starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy."

Gamini Dissanayake, Senior Sinhala Buddhist Minister in President
J.R.Jayawardene's Cabinet
(later Presidential Candidate in 1995), addressing members of a Tamil Estate
Workers Trade Union in the aftermath of Genocide'83 - October 1983
"Who attacked you? Sinhalese. Who protected you? Sinhalese. It is we who can
attack and protect you. They are bringing an army from India. It will take
fourteen hours to come from India. In fourteen minutes the blood of every
Tamil in the country can be sacrificed to the land, by us. It is not written
on anyone's forehead that he is an Indian Tamil or a Jaffna Tamil, a
Batticaloa Tamil or up country Tamil' Hindu Tamil or Christian Tamil. All are
Tamils. We have decided to colonise four districts including Mannar with
Sinhalese people by destroying forests. A majority of Sinhalese will be
settled there. If you like you also can migrate there."

Ven DimbulgalaThero, August 1984
'You are assembled here today, not only to get a piece of land for you to live
on, but for more lofty purpose. This country is going through her worst period
in history. We are being threatened from all sides by the separatists. What
the separatists want is land. A contiguous block of land which they propose to
call Eelam. You are going to break that contiguity.......Remember your eternal
hero, King Dutagemunu. We are going on a holy mission. Now let us go on our
journey.'

Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha Mahanayaka Thera
- in the Sri Lanka Sunday Times on 29 December 1991
It is true that with the coming into power of the "people’s" government of the
SLFP in 1956, many of the privileges enjoyed by our Tamil brethren eroded.
This has been interpreted as "discrimination" against them. Anybody, who had
spoken and who now speaks for the rights of the majority community and against
allowing any more privileges to the minority not available to the majority,
are dumped as communalists and Sinhala chauvinists. No one should be carried
away and frightened by these slogans....

Ven. Galaboda Gnanassara Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya
- in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Times, 29 December 1991
" The majority in this country are Sinhalese. Without the consent of the
majority no one can come into power"

Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lanka President D.B.Wijetunga
(in Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Island, 3 February 1994)
"Our children should be able to claim that this country is the Sinhalese land
(Sinhala Deshaya). There are no races according to Buddhism, but every country
has a majority race. However much I try I can't become the Prime Minister of
England. Neither can I be the leader of Japan, India or even Tamil Nadu. They
have their majority races. In our country the majority (Sinhala) race is
divided because of elections. The major (Sinhala) political parties trust
minority races and pledge to offer them everything, whether it is good or
bad... Thousands (of Tamils on the plantations) were given citizenship due to
this bondage."

Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero, Vice Chancellor, Sri Lanka Vidyalankara University
("The Unsung Forces of the '56 Victory" in Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday
Times,25 September 1994)
The main task of the new Balavegaya or the movement was to start Buddha Sasana
Samithis throughout the Island, beginning from Ratnapura. The declared motive
of the Buddha Sasana Samithis I launched in 1952, was to bring about a
Buddhist renaissance all over the county by the Buddha Jayanthi year in 1956.
Though the declared motive was that, there was an undeclared or ulterior
motive behind, which was known only to Gnanaseeha Thera and Dias. That hidden
motive was to establish a true Sinhala Buddhist government in Sri Lanka in the
Buddha Jayanthi year, or the 2500th year after the passing away of the Buddha,
which was 1956 according to the Christian era. All the Buddhists, both lay and
clergy, gave their fullest support to the Buddha Sasana Samurai movement.
(photo alongside: Leading Buddhist monk, Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha, President of
the Sinhala Bala Mandalaya in action)
While the movement was growing by leaps and bounds, one fine day, Gnanaseeha
Thera received a message from his long-time friend S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike,
requesting the monk to meet him as early as possible.
When Gnanaseeha Thera met Bandaranaike, who was the Leader of the Opposition,
at his Rosmead Place residence, the latter said that when he went round the
country a few weeks before, he was surprised to learn that a movement called
Buddha Sasana Samithi started by Gnanaseeha Thera and N.Q. Dias gathering
momentum.
After a long chat Bandaranaike said: "Hamuduruwane, I don't have anyone to
help me now. Nobody comes to see me because they all fear Kotelawala. Only
Duncan Alwis comes once a day and attends to my correspondence. I am an
isolated man. But, my only request to you is to not to forget me'?.
Gnanaseeha Thera who felt so sorry for Bandaranaike, got up and went near him.
"Don't have any fear. Be prepared to be the next Prime Minister of this
country", he told Bandaranaike and left the place.......
After the victory, when Bandaranaike and the Ministers visited Kelaniya Raja
Maha Vihara, Gnanaseeha Thera warned them in the following manner: "You know
why we went all out to defeat the previous government. Mr. Prime Minister,
don't forget the fact that we will punish you too in the same way if you also
follow the same path".

Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero Vice Chancellor, Sri Lanka Vidyalankara University
- Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Times , 5 May 1996
"Get this straight and quote me. Sri Lanka is a Buddhist Sinhala country. Let
no one make a mistake. Seventy percent of the country consists of Buddhists
and Sinhala people. Also make this clear that Sri Lanka is the only Buddhist
Sinhala country in the world. If we don't live here, are the LTTE and some of
the Tamil Parties asking us to jump into the sea? I got angry with Mr.
Premadasa because he chose to call Sri Lanka a multi-national and
multi-religious state. No. It is a Buddhist State but we show no
discrimination to other races or religion....... More than 2,000 members of
the Sangha including the prelates of Asgiriya and Malwatte, had a meeting at
which I too spoke. We cannot support the devolution package It seeks to merge
the North and East otherwise the Tamils will not accept it.

Official website opened by the Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lanka government, to herald
the 50th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence, December 1997:
"The history of Sri Lanka goes back to pre-historic times with a recorded
history of over 2,000 years... documented history began with the arrival of
the settlers from North India (Prince Vijaya). They introduced the use of
agriculture through a rudimentary system of irrigation. They also introduced
the art of government. Of the ancient settlements, Anuradhapura grew into a
powerful kingdom under the rule of Pandukabhaya. According to traditional
history he is accepted as the founder of Anuradhapura.
During the region of King Devanampiya Tissa, a descendant of Pandukabhaya,
Buddhism was introduced in 427 B.C. by Arahat Mahinda, the son of Emperor
Asoka of India. This is an important event in Sri Lankan history as it made
the country predominantly Buddhist influencing its way of life and culture.
In the mid 2nd century B.C. a large part of North Sri Lanka came under the
rule of an invader from South India. From the beginning of the Christian era
and up to the end of the 4th century A.D. Sri Lanka was governed by an
unbroken dynasty called Lambakarna, which paid great attention to the
development of irrigation. A great king of this dynasty King Mahasen (3rd
century A.D.) who started the construction of large 'tanks' (reservoirs) which
in turn fed smaller reservoirs. Another great 'tank' builder was Dhatusena,
who was put to death by his son Kasyapa, who made Sigiriya a royal city with
his fortress capital on the summit of the rock.
As a result of invasions from South India the Kingdom of Anuradhapura fell by
the end of the 10th century A.D. Vijayabahu I repulsed the invaders and
established his capital at Polonnaruwa in the 11th century A.D. Other great
kings of Polonnaruwa were Parakrama Bahu the Great and Nissanka Malla, both of
whom adorned the city with numerous buildings of architectural beauty...."

Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga
- television interview in South Africa, September 1998
"They [Tamils] are wanting a separate state – a minority community which is
not the original people of the country..."

Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga
- A 'stirring' call to the Sinhala Buddhist Army occupying the Tamil homeland -
from Sri Lanka State Controlled Sri Lanka Daily News, 12 May 2000
"...Throughout history, timely heroes were born against forces which had tried
to divide our nation. I think it is due to the inspiration received form such
heroes that people like you have been born today... Although there had been
setbacks in the past let us resolve to correct our wrongs and re-organise
ourselves to defeat the enemy. Sun Tzu, the world famous philosopher on military
strategy has said setbacks are stepping stones for future victory. History
records that even Kings Dutugemunu, Gajabahu, Vijayabahu and Parakramabahu have
suffered defeat at the hands of the enemy at some stage. But each time they
faced such setbacks, they had faced the enemy with renewed strength and achieved
victory. Dear war heroes, we too have to follow in the footsteps of our past
heroes... As Head of State. I assure you that the Government will lend you all
support and assistance to accomplish that task. Your blood is boiling to
liberate your motherland and I am confident that no one can undermine your
enthusiasm and commitment... Heroic soldiers ultimate victory will be yours."
Tamilnation invites your comments/letters/articles
Copyright 1998/2000 Tamil National Foundation- All Rights Reserved

posted October 24, 2000 11:39 AM         

The ethnic cleansing by the LTTE Tamil Tigers is so much successful in Sri Lanka that today there are no Sinhala people or Muslims living in Yapanaya peninsula (Jaffna). In the other parts of the country,Tamils have no problem in living with the Sinhala and / or Muslim people.

In 1971: 29.2% of Tamils were living in Sinhala areas while the percentage of Sinhalese living in the Northern province was
4.5%.

In 1981: there were 32.8% Tamils living in Sinhala areas while Sinhalese in the NP were 3%. Sinhalese living in Jaffna had
dwindled from 2.9% in 1971 to 0.6% in 1981.

Census of 1971 show 20,514 Sinhala civilians living in Jaffna. By mid October, 1987 there were none. Today Jaffna is ethnically pure. There are no Muslims living there either. Is peace for a Tamil possible only in a land that is ethnically pure?

posted October 25, 2000 10:33 PM            

On whose behalf are you fighting a war of national liberation? You cannot say that the war mongers speak for all tamils because the LTTE has never had the guts to put their policies up in a democratic election. But I guess the need to maintain the drug, prostitution and arms monies for the fat cats overseas justifies the continuation of the war to the LTTE head honchos right? Majority of Tamils are happy to live in peace and coexist with the rest of the peoples of SL - only LTTE have a problem. By token of the same argument that you have stated Speedy, you now have the answer to the question of why Tamils cant be in the Army while the war is on (spies), the distrust and hatred tamils face in the South because of the LTTE - how about if the govt decides to apply that same policy and "cleanse" the South of all Tamils?

"Some prefer to call it a cautionary measure"

What a hypocrit you are Speedy. For someone who lambasts this forum with cries of human rights abuses by the SLA and govt in the North you seem to have so easily turned the other cheek and applied a whole different outlook when it is innocent Sinhalese and Muslim civilians who faced the tragedy of mass murder at the hands of the LTTE. A cautionary measure? the massacre of innocent women, children? civilians - not combatants - poor farmers, fishermen? a cautionary measure?!?!?!

posted October 27, 2000 07:34 PM            

Do your math Casper and you will find out whether the government has outscored the LTTE in murdering innocent people or not. I also wish to apologize for trying to argue from such an angle which is obviously disrespectful to those innocent civilians who were killed but it was to put the facts straight in the face of Casper's erroneous argument.

How about if the Sinhala people in Wellawatta had the SAME "LOGIC" and killed all the thousands of Tamils there ?? Since there is a war, all the Tamils in Wellawatta "could" be spies, right ??
Who is to say that the Sinhala people in Wellawatta won't kill the Tamil people? The rehabilitation clinic was in operation for quite some time but that didn't stop the Sinhala mobs from killing the Tamils there. Furthermore by following such a line of reasoning, are you trying to say that the war is indeed between Tamils and Sinhalas as opposed to a war between LTTE and Sri Lanka?

TS:
Majority of Tamils are happy to live in peace and coexist with the rest of the peoples of SL - only LTTE have a problem.
Yes we saw how happily the Tamils at the rehabilitation clinic lived and died. If so-called LTTE members didn't stand a chance against a frenzied mob, do you think innocent Tamil civilians stand a chance when the majority goes berserk? Oh, but I forgot, the Tamil civilians who do get killed are only LTTE members right? You have again and again exposed your stand on the issue. The Sri Lanka you speak of is the Sinhala nation which doesn't include the Tamils. You have repeatedly argued that the Sri Lankan government can cleanse the South of Tamils and so you're also injecting the same communal angle to politics that your leaders did. At times, you argue that Tamils are living peacefully and are Sri Lankans and what not, then at other times, when you don't have anything else to argue, you degrade to making bombastic statements such as if the government wishes, it can get rid of Tamils. In other words you're saying that the government of Sri Lanka is a Sinhala government and community which, if it wishes, can exact revenge on the Tamil community. Therefore, you're contradicting yourself. Either have the courage to publicly state that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country and the government a Sinhala one or be quiet. Don't try to insult anyone's intelligence by saying that the Tamils are part of Sri Lanka and are co-existing peacefully while in reality they are suffering the prejudices and biases of the majority community which end up in violent confrontations like that at Bandarawella.

posted October 28, 2000 02:00 PM            

I also wish to deny any accusations of condoning violence. It is enough to note that the SL government only responds to violence, given its fundamentalist tendency to wage and prolong war.

posted October 28, 2000 10:21 PM            

Merely asking the question of how easily the same policy could have been applied in the SOuth to point out the injustice meted out to those people who gave their lives for merely carrying on with their lives in the places of their birth.

However, other than isolated incidents such as the '83 riots no such activity has ever happened or will ever happen again. The recent results obtained by ultra Sinhala nationalistic parties such as SU in the election shows that the population is not interested in nationalistic extremism. So you can cry WOLF as much as you want but the truth is that the people of SL (majority of whom are Sinhalese) dont have the racist mentality that you and Henry seem to like to attribute to them - but then to justify the actions of your terrorist LTTE heroes I guess you have to right?

Regarding the rehab camp - regrettable incident but considering the terror campaign waged on the SInhalese people by the LTTE the inmates behaviour in taking a prison officer hostage and barricading themselves in the centre and demanding their release is not exactly a smart move, or the behaviour of rehabilitated individuals, in an environment where the LTTE has threatened heightened violence against innocent Sinhala people by infiltrating almost 50 suicide bombers into Colombo.

posted October 29, 2000 03:07 AM            

Have you forgotten the 1883 riots between Sinhala-Buddhists and Christians? Did the Sinhala-Buddhists and Christians co-exist happily then?

Have you forgotten the Muslim-Sinhala-Buddhist riots of 1915 Did the Sinhala-Buddhists and Muslims co-exist happily then?

Have you forgotten the Tamil-Sinhala riots of 1958, 1961, 1977, and 1979? Did the Sinhalese and Tamils co-exist happily then?

All of these riots took place before any LTTE, Prabharakan, or any one of your favorite scapegoats ever existed. I still honestly believe that the Tamils are less prone to violence or perhaps were less prone to violence than the Sinhalese. This might be due to a fear of backlashes from the majority community or perhaps signs of the Tamil community's tolerance but in any case, most of the violence took place in the South where the Sinhalese were in majority while in contrast, racial violence did not break out in the North or East where there was a Tamil majority. But Prabhakaran, who is a creation of nothing but Sri Lankan government oppression, I suppose sought to reverse the tables and tried to show that the LTTE were capable of violence of the same magnitude as expressed by the government and segments of the Sinhalese community. Prabhakaran thought responding to violence with violence is the only way for the government to take notice of the Tamils and as history has shown us, he was correct in his thinking. The Sri Lankan government did wake up to the realities of the Tamil community only after an armed struggle by the Tamils came into play.

I still say you haven't given me a fitting reply to the points that I raised in my earlier argument.

"However, other than isolated incidents such as the '83 riots no such activity has ever happened or will ever happen again."

Isolated my foot! If you bothered to read pre-1983 literature, then you can decide for yourself whether Sri Lanka wasn't torn asunder by racial conflicts. Moreover, you're blatantly lying when you say no such activity has ever happened. Such statements only showcase your own lack of knowledge on the conflict and nothing else. Anti-Tamil riots have taken place before 1983. You can't also declare that such riots will not take place again because you aren't in any position to influence the politics and the mindset of the Sinhala community. The Tamils had the same assurances when the 1958 riots happened and then the 1961, 1977, 1979, 1983, 1995 genocides took place.

"So you can cry WOLF as much as you want but the truth is that the people of SL (majority of whom are Sinhalese) dont have the racist mentality that you and Henry seem to like to attribute to them -..."

Crying wolf am I? Since it seems evident that you're speaking for the Sinhala community (as I'm attempting to speak for segments of the Tamil community) let us take a look at just one of YOUR postings in the past in this forum:
May 12, 2000 8:55 AM

More taxes ... we'll happily pay if it means more arms to kill more filthy tamils ... SL is Sinhala country ... Tamils are plantation workers brought from South India to pluck tea ...
Tamil Nadu or Ealam is a pipe dream that willnever be ... the only choices Chandrika offers Tamils is a bullet or a swim back to India!!

There wil always be more Sinhalese than tamils and we will never give in ... until all Tamils are dead or off Sinhala soil!!!
http://www.infolanka.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000333.html

Now, you tell me whether I should conclude whether the Sinhala community is racist or not based on this (one of your many) quote.

"Regarding the rehab camp - regrettable incident but considering the terror campaign waged on the SInhalese people by the LTTE the inmates behaviour in taking a prison officer hostage and barricading themselves in the centre and demanding their release is not exactly a smart move, or the behaviour of rehabilitated individuals, in an environment where the LTTE has threatened heightened violence against innocent Sinhala people by infiltrating almost 50 suicide bombers into Colombo."

Based upon emerging reports, it seems that the initial story of the individuals taking the officer hostage was made-up by the Sinhala mob and the government to justify their racially motivated murderous rampage. This has been reported by:
WSWS

Amnesty International

Rev. Raymond Philips

posted October 30, 2000 12:03 PM         

And NO, the war is NOT between the Sinhala and Tamil people. If that was the case, the Tamils will not be able to live in Colombo and the south. So DON'T try to change what I said.

------------------

posted October 30, 2000 12:04 PM            

Let's forget about all that and just focus on the number of years that each side had been inflicting violence on each other:
Sri Lankan government - 100+ years (first major one in 1883 against Muslims)
LTTE - 25 years [first one - the assassination of Alfred Duraippah <--don't argue about this one with me because SPUR (that great champion of human rights justice that we all know and love) reports that this was the first LTTE act of violencE].

So 117-25 = 92!

92 years of Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony. I wonder what sort of argument you're going to come up to defend/justify/deny this simple fact.

P.S. - Don't even get me started on that Reality @ Sinhala Lanka..oops...I meant Sri Lanka website.

posted October 31, 2000 10:46 AM            

It is not a matter of condoning violence; LTTE has no choice but to resort to these actions given the SL governments terrorist tactics. LTTE, in effect, must choose between its own surivival and the rapid expansion of the colonisation schemes. It is always the SL government which serves as the catalyst for these disasters. I am sure, however, that LTTE would resort to more peaceful means in eradicating the colonisation schemes if it were possible. In this regard, the ruthless SL government cannot be condemned harshly enough. It is enough to remember LTTE is a resistance organistaion and the SL government takes advantage of this to further its own sordid aims.

posted October 31, 2000 09:01 PM         

So 117-25 = 92!"

Speedy now let me tell you:

In 1883 the "Government" of Sri Lanka was essentially British !
Seems like your mind is all cluttered with all the different interpretations of what you losely call "history".

posted October 31, 2000 11:57 PM            

Sinhalas have fought against Muslims.
Sinhalas have fought against Sri Lankan Tamils.
Sinhalas have fought against Indian Tamils.
Sinhalas have fought among themselves.(Buddhists vs. Christians)

"No external force is necessary to divide the Sinhalese. If they are left to their own devices, they will destroy themselves." (Codrington, 1937)

TS: That was a very weak statement in your defence. Please take a look at what Ali G wrote, I don't think he was raving about killing off all Sinhalese. To tell you the truth TS, I had more respect for you when you open with you racism. Now like Para and his ilk, you're hiding it for some reason. Oh well, you can't fool everyone all the time.