A leading Sri Lanka expert has warned that with last week’s parliamentary victory on constitutional reforms, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse has dealt a final blow to the country’s human rights, civil liberties and true democracy. Charu Latta Hogg, an associate fellow at London-based think tank Chatham House, says that Sri Lanka is heading ‘towards a totalitarian state’.
The constitutional reforms, backed by a large majority of Sri Lanka’s parliament, enable the president to seek a third term, which could keep Mr Rajapakse in office until at least 2022. Other changes include a reform of various councils and commissions, such as Sri Lanka’s national police commission, an anti-bribery council and the national human rights commission.
Independent
The commission changes are what Ms Charu Lata Hogg, who works for Chatham House’s Asia Programme, is most worried about. “These commissions used to be independently appointed by Members of Parliament, including opposition members, " Ms Hogg told RNW. “But now it will be the president who will solely appoint its members and its chairmen. Essentially, these institutions of democracy will now come under the control of just one man”.
Human rights
Ms Hogg is especially worried about Sri Lanka’s national commission for human rights violations. “It is supposed to document and investigate human rights violations against the people of Sri Lanka. But how effective will it be when the council will be appointed by the president himself? What happens if it is asked to investigate violations by the government or the president?”.
Mr Rajapakse is currently riding on a wave of popularity after he declared victory last year over the Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeast, ending a 25-year civil war in May 2009. Regarded as the main force behind the government army’s victory, Mr Rajapakse clinched an outright victory in last year’s presidential elections - but not before he'd taken out his main rival, military chief Sarath Fonseka, by placing him under arrest and declaring his bid to run in the elections as invalid.
Totalitarian streaks
“The end of that war was a blessing for Sri Lanka in many ways,” says Ms Hogg, “but it has lead to totalitarian streaks creeping into Mr Rajapakse’s regime, as the government is simply not challenged anymore. The opposition is comprised of many different factions and the government puts them under great pressure. Some opposition members even find it strategically wiser to side with the president rather than carry on protesting his policies”.
This was proven in last week’s vote, when many opposition MPs decided to vote in favour of Mr Rajapakse’s reform plans.
International community
The international community seems to be reluctant to break ties with Sri Lanka, says Ms Hogg. “The EU is quite firm in its criticism, but the US is not very clear. They’ve shown support in the war on the Tamil Tigers, but they have also criticised Sri Lanka’s poor human rights record”. Not that it will matter to the people of Sri Lanka – the government seems to be more interested in consolidating ties with countries like India or China, which have been wooing Sri Lanka for a long time.
Patriotism
“The government is stirring up patriotism, saying the West is against the people of Sri Lanka," says Ms Hogg. One example is the heavy protest after the UN announced an independent investigation earlier this year into possible war crimes during the final stages of the Tamil Tigers war. “With Mr Rajapakse’s current popularity, it’s not difficult at all to mobilise the people”.
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People of Sri Lanka, knows what's best for them. They select who they want. Why does this international reporters always want meddel in Sri lanka internal politics, and create a monster like president out of Mahinda Rajapakse. You people have to understand people in all Sri Lankan's loves their presidents and he is so popular so he get's votes. What ever fairy tails you publish their has no impact in real life or way of living down in Sri Lanka. Only issue is you Tamil refugee people who was living a luxury life at western countries will now have to return to your homeland. And they will come onece they start hearing the real stories about living in peaceful SriLanka. And politicians in your country who was survivng on theis votes have to find new voter base. Let's Sri Lanka live their own life peacefully and stop manipulating their mindset through false media reports. If anybody want's to see what Sri Lanka is now come here and see it for your self. Or talk to SriLanka's living here. Tamil or Sinhales all like this country we have now. Compared to human rights violation we had for last 30 years this is heaven. Where we could not walk safetly in street where terrorist were blowing bombs like afganistan, pakistan now is.
And for Charu Latha Hogg, Please do you were a very good reporter when you are writing for India Today, The Times of India, the Far Eastern Economic Review, the BBC, the South China Morning Post, Khaleej Times and numerous other publications. Following this you started working as a consultant with the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers of Sri Lanka and as freelance South Asia analyst for Business Monitor International and Jane’s Sentinel. But what has happened to your independent voice. We feel that some one has bought into you. Please be responsible like thos days with your reports.
Let Sri Lanka be alone. We can survive with international meddeling. None of you reporters came here with human rights voilation reports when bombs were going and 100's of people were dying every day for the past 30 years
Interesting to read the comments, but a country should maintain some sort of rule,law & order. Srilanka has become a lawless country with corruption,nepotism,thuggery,imtimidation,crime etc., In fact these are gradually encouraged by the very government & it's cohorts. Thugs & white vans are still roaming the cities.Abductions are still going on.Disappearances are a regular occurences. MR is only constructing army camps,buddhist statues in areas where there are no buddhists, appropriating other civilian lands for his henchmen. If this is called development, to hell with that ! A good ruler will never do so many bad things to his own people.Hambantota harbour & mihin air will not give prosperity to Srilanka.
MR is a tough guy, sure . Only a tough guy can make real changes to the country, but those changes should make the people & country prosper, not the family or clan ! You know when you see a good ruler.
Mahinda is not one of them for sure.
Given how cozy the US is with a lot of totalitarian regimes and repressive autocracies(Saudi Arabia, Qatara, Bahrain, Kuwait) we will fit right in with their selective morality when it comes to democratic freedoms.
Ah! Masala Vadai, for adopting this as your name you are showing you are an extreame Sinhala racist. Your are insulting the Tamils by using this word. I don't think you will change from this for another millenium. Tear drop Island of Srilanka is going to suffer for another 1000 yrs for this type of human haters. Racist with venom.
Terrorism has been a double headed monster since 1980s. The removal of one monster yet leaves the other old monster completely intact to carry out state terror under the Emergency Regulations. Sri Lanka state never learns any lessons, only keeps on repeating the same crimes over and over again. The ongoing Lessons Leant Commission, like the umpteen Commissions before that, is a charade and a complete waste of time and money as the IIEE Presidential Commssion amply demonstrated. Stunningly murder, mass murder, rape and serious crimes against humanity are all considered quite normal events!!! What kind of Paradise is that?
Prez MR is riding the high wave and is consolidating himself in power with the sole objective of being the Executive in Perpetuity. Only a fool would be delusional enough to think this attempt is anything other than a blatant power grab.
However, it is also very important for Sri Lankans, those who continue to live, love and work for the betterment of our nation to understand the real dynamics surrounding the foreboding and somewhat omnious negation of democratic rights brought about by the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.
The present administration is of the view that they can trust no one other than themselves. To a great extent that is true. MR's clan is also of the view that they are the most loyal to the majority Sri Lankans, which means - the Sinhalese. This is an actual ground reality, and is reciprocated by the ordinary man on the street. The budhist clergy and those who whisper 'Catholic action' are also glad that at last a Sinhala Budhist is in the driving seat, only the second since late President Premadasa.
The absence of a credible opposition that caters to the wishes of the majority who are now more empowered than ever before, will cement the power of the present ruling clan.
In international politics, there is no right or wrong; only self-interest - so said someone important sometime ago. That too is true and will provide the Rajapaksa's the safe harbor they now need. The Americans and others in the West will not mind the absence of democratic ideals on the ground in SL as long as the 'dictator' is on their side, as they have no problems with the self-perpetuating rulers of Egypt and Singapore. It is only the ones who stand against them the West has a problem with, and will use democracy as a tool to wage attacks against.
MR will now need to establish himself as an acceptable dictator to the west. He has proven himself shrewd enough to outguess and outplay most western politicians so far and will know which buttons to push. In a situation like the present where the economic clout of the west is on the wane and the east is where growth is, he has wisely cultivated his friends. And he has not given ammo to his enemies. At least not any that they can find.
By and large, economic progress will be the standard by which he will be measured by in the years to come, as Sri Lankans gradually forget their gratitude for him decisively finishing off the LTTE. Even in this task, he is ably supported by those who ask few questions and have no qualms over human rights or democratic ideals. Most Sri Lankans for a while will accept the need to sacrifice rights in order to be safe and prosperous. MR has delivered safety by defeating the LTTE. He has the ability to bring about relative prosperity over the next few years with little effort.
MR is firmly in the driving seat, and most Sri Lankans would hesitate more than once to even think of exchanging him for a spineless western sycophant.
I think Europeans are weak in analyzing situation in Sri Lanka. Since the begining of 80's Europeans considered Sri Lankan crisis as aparheid/discrimination due to riots and ethnic violence in 1983. They helped LTTE terrorists to divide Sri Lanka. The LTTE was able to create an image of Sinhalese genocide Tamils. If you ask any European about the Sri Lankathey will say Tamils are discriminated. They wont believe that Sinhalese dont discriminate Tamils. The reason is those Tamil Asylum seekers (mostly relatives of LTTE activists) who managed to settle in EU, USA, Canada have established a netwerk of LTTE propaganda. They work in supermarkets, restaurants or run or join Tamil/Indian shops and keep spreading one-to-one or mass anti-Sri Lanka propaganda. When I was in the Netherlands, I visited an Indian restaurant. The Tamil waiter from Sri Lanka was telling to guests in restaurant that Sri Lankan government (President Chandrika's govt) was boming churches, schools and villages in north of Sri Lanka. Then I interfered and told them that he was lying. The waiter started an argument with me. This is how they brain washed Europeans. During final stage of war all European and North American countries allowed mass Tamils protests against Sri Lanka and key politicians of those countries interfered internal matters of Sri Lanka and wanted to save LTTE. After war was ended, they started accusing IDP camps as concentration camps, then president elections, then parliamentary elections, then GSP, then 17th amendement then 18th amendement. Is there anything that Europeans have not interfered in Sri Lankan matters? Now they cant believe the reality of mass support to President Mahinda Rajapakse, they call him as a totalitarian. Why cant people of Sri Lanka choose a president they like more than two times or as many times as they like? Whats wrong with that? The reason is Europeans cant stand the development and growth of Sri Lanka. They withdrew GSP, they brought sanctions and war crimes investigations... now nothing else is left to try. Have they ever appreciated Sri Lanka for such a successful operation of rescuing 300,000 hostages who were kept as human shields effecting minimum civilian casualties or have they applauded for defeating most ruthless and sophisticated and well militarised terrorist organiztion? No. Sri Lankan security forces were much better than security forces of super powers' (EU, USA). The civilian casualties by super powers (USA, EU) were much higher in Iraq and Afghanistan than in Sri Lanka, and can be proved; those have been well documented. To those who dont know inside sri lanka situation, I like to tell Mahinda Rajapakse is the ever best political in Srti Lanka if not in the world. There might be few short comings (we do criticise) but those can be corrected in the cause of the time. What I like say is EU has become most racist people in the world today. There are growing discrmination against non-Europeans as well as poor Europeans. French have deproted Romanian gypsies in groups, anti-islam policies, anti-integration policies etc. So who are the real totalitarians?
The comment in the name of NoEalamInSL, is a complete lie. There was a genocide carried on for 62 yrs after Independance, against Tamils by the Sinhalese ruling regimes is comfortably hidden by Srilanka and world. If the World really wants it would have stopped. The world knows but it allowed this to happen. This is the type of World that we are living. 30 countries helped Srilanka to win the war against the Tamils. LTTE is the offspring of Srilankan state terrorism. LTTE's creater Prabakaran born in 1956, and he carried weapon against the State only after 1983 violence against the Tamil people organized by the Srilankan State. This commentater may be from a majority Sinhala community, completely denying the genocide by the Sinhala people and their State to Tamil people.
The statement to "Lessons Learned Reconciliation Committee" (war crimes ivestigation in Sri Lanka) by Air Force Chief during last stage of war- "Air Chief tells LLRC ‘UAV footage can counter false allegations’ "
"Goonetileke said he was confident that the footage obtained by UAVs and Beech craft could counter baseless allegations levelled against the SLAF. According to him, the footage (read as evidence) obtained by the UAVs was of immense value, particularly the rescue of civilians held at gun point by terrorists in April. The Colombo-based diplomatic community joined President Rajapaksa at the SLAF headquarters to monitor UAV footage of the rescue operation."
Read more.. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-det...
Srilankan Air Chief Marshall also will say what the Srilankan President want him to say and show. Srilankan knows what they are, and their lies.
The people are intelligent and developed to know the reallity. The Air Force Chief can manipulate the Aerial photos, and only show to the world the ones which are helpful to them. Knowing very well, the diplomatic community will attend to satisfy the State. These are all dramas. To hide the truth see how much you have to struggle. If the Political ruling leaders of States accepts what happened in Srilanka is acceptable, then the world has a real danger with these leaders. If the killing of Tamils in thousands and maiming of babies,elders, kids and innocent civilians by bombing and use of chemical weapons is acceptable to the world community and accepting the lies of Srilanka govt. and their officials is OK for the world, the media is out, NGOs are out, red-cross is out, UN humanitarian org. are out, supply of food is stopped, warring area is fully seiged by Srilanka Army, and nothing can come out to the world and bombard the area to finish war, is not a good sign for the humanity and other countries. Alert please. Dig in the truth. It is hard, but you need to know only the truth. If you dig in from the reliable sources, you will find what you are reading, what you are hearing, and what you were heard so far is not true. Even the media writes what is said by the State. Otherside news they won't publish, because they can't confirm it immediately. It is the main reason for the people without power will not be heard. The world is not for them. Thanks.
The first thing we have to accept is the fact that any thing "human rights" can be seen in various shapes according to the view through which we look at. But it's OK either correct or wrong. The bad thing is changing their view problem to problem, country to country community to community etc.
Sri Lanka was able to win the war created by Tamil racism but nothing happened to Tamil community after victory.They were able to share the feast of victory although armed forces sacrificed them selves consist of 99.9% singhalese.
Democracy basically is people selecting their leader. So elected leader should implement his program. So obviously overcome the obstacle. Taking of 2/3 majority in parliament is unthinkable in role model countries of democracy.
It seems need much clear vision, more search needed before commenting on Sri Lanka.
@Saman Iddawala's comment is nice to read, but is a complete lie. It is a genocide on the Tamil people by the Majority Sinhala controlled State of Srilanka and their Security Forces. This is happening for the last 62 yrs. After independance from Great Britan. It is very unfortunate the world didn't want to dig in to find out the truth. Blindly they accepted the lies of Srilankan state. Is it correct to kill all the people who ask for their human rights? Is it the world order? Please awake.!!!
Please, Please, do not feel sorry for us. We are doing fine and watch and enjoy on our future progress. Last time you felt sorry for us and got rid of your cousins, the Portugese, it did not do any good for us. Let us mind our own business as we do not interfere in your politcs. We do not need you sympathy, money nor leprosy and VD.
Before the British gave independence to Sri Lanka, they created the right environment for ethnic conflict to emerge. Under the democracy implanted by the British Sri Lanka went down the drain. We had plenty of freedom to ruin the country. Once Sri Lanka had the highest number of strikes in the world. President Jayawardene realised this and changed the constitution. He also had a vision to change the economy of the country but unfortunately for Sri Lankans Indiara Gandhi decided to derail the economic development by supporting the LTTE terrorists to destabilise the country. For 30 years Sri Lankans went through hell but none of the foreign countries had the nerve to tell LTTE to stop the carnage. Western countries were very happy with Ranil Wickramasinghe because he became a puppet of western countries. Finally we got President Rajapakse who had the guts to stand against the deadliest terrorist organisation in the world and crush them. Also he had the courage to stand against the politicians who came from the western countries to rescue the terrorists. He risked his life as well as the lives of his family to bring peace to all the Sri Lankans. Therefore, vast majority of Sri Lankans have no problem even if he become a dictator because they are convinced that he will be a benevolent dictator who will put the country first. So, for heavens sake please stop writing nonesense for the sake of writing.
The comments of @Wickes is on a blame game. He doesn't want to accept the Sinhala racist policy of Srilanka. Sinhala racist Supremasist wants the whole Island of Srilanka should be converted to Buddist Sinhala country only. Their should be no claims to Tamils or any other religions. To achive this they did all these genocide on to the Tamil people infront of the open eyes of the world. The world knows this and allowed it and helped Srilanka to finish the Tamils. This is the type of world, we are living. May God save it.
Sri Lanka under the right leadership is rapidly developing and this is what recent FORBES had to say; Your peoepl should read this:
"Sri Lanka ranks high in Forbes list
End of conflict opened door for reconstruction and development - Forbes
The Forbes magazine has ranked Sri Lanka high in its list of best countries in the world to do business.
Sri Lanka ranks above China (90th), Philippines (91st), Russia (97th) and many of the South American nations. Being at the 83rd place, Sri Lanka is second only to India (77th) in South Asia.
‘President Rajapaksa’s re-election in 2010 means that the Government of Sri Lanka will likely continue its more statist economic approach, that seeks to reduce poverty by steering investment to disadvantaged areas, developing small and medium enterprises, promoting agriculture, and expanding the already enormous civil service’, the Forbes magazine pointed out.
The end of the 26-year conflict with the LTTE has opened the door for reconstruction and development projects in the north and east, it added.
Forbes also pointed out that the end of the war and the IMF loan restored investors' confidence. ‘The Sri Lankan stock market gained over 100% in 2009, one of the best performing markets in the world. Official foreign reserves improved to more than USD5 billion by November 2009, providing over 6 months of imports cover’, Forbes further stated.
Despite the war, Sri Lanka saw GDP growth average nearly 5% in the last 10 years, Forbes stated. ‘Government spending on development and fighting the LTTE drove GDP growth to around 6-7% per year in 2006-08. Growth was 3.5% in 2009, still high despite the world recession’, Forbes said adding ‘Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors are now food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking’."
The comment by Dhehinie Seneviratne is a false one. Srilanka is capable of doing anything to get this written anywhere. I am ashamed if a megazine like Forbes write what not really in ground. There were 300000 displaced Tamil people were not settled in their homes. Their lands were grabbed by the Srilankan govt. to build houses for Army and settle them in thousands and started new State sponsered Colonizing of Sinhala people in Tamil homeland to make the Tamils minority in their own 100% traditional homelands. Srilanka's genocide on Tamil people is continueing unabatedly with the full knowledge of the world. The Tamils have no power, so not cared. This is the present world order, but a frustrating one for the upright people.
PEOPL WHO CRITISIZED SHOULD READ THIS LATEST FORBES RANKING ON SRI LANKA
" Sri Lanka ranks high in Forbes list
End of conflict opened door for reconstruction and development - Forbes
The Forbes magazine has ranked Sri Lanka high in its list of best countries in the world to do business.
Sri Lanka ranks above China (90th), Philippines (91st), Russia (97th) and many of the South American nations. Being at the 83rd place, Sri Lanka is second only to India (77th) in South Asia.
‘President Rajapaksa’s re-election in 2010 means that the Government of Sri Lanka will likely continue its more statist economic approach, that seeks to reduce poverty by steering investment to disadvantaged areas, developing small and medium enterprises, promoting agriculture, and expanding the already enormous civil service’, the Forbes magazine pointed out.
The end of the 26-year conflict with the LTTE has opened the door for reconstruction and development projects in the north and east, it added.
Forbes also pointed out that the end of the war and the IMF loan restored investors' confidence. ‘The Sri Lankan stock market gained over 100% in 2009, one of the best performing markets in the world. Official foreign reserves improved to more than USD5 billion by November 2009, providing over 6 months of imports cover’, Forbes further stated.
Despite the war, Sri Lanka saw GDP growth average nearly 5% in the last 10 years, Forbes stated. ‘Government spending on development and fighting the LTTE drove GDP growth to around 6-7% per year in 2006-08. Growth was 3.5% in 2009, still high despite the world recession’, Forbes said adding ‘Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors are now food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking’.
@Ananda Seneviratne, Ph. D. I salute your qualification. I hate your view on Srilanka. This is a country full of State terrorism. Kidnapping for ransum, white van abduction, extrajudiciary killings, violence against the medias, killing of journalists like Lasantha Wickramatunge, thousands of tamil youths under detention in jails without prosecuting in courts and so many horrible cold blooded murders still carried out by the State sponserd agencies like paramilitary, the unit of Army Intelligence and several agencies connected to the government. The massive humanrights violation against Tamil people still going on. There were thousands of Tamil women were raped by the Army just after the war and still continuing. No-body was punished for these crimes. This is what Srilanka is. Only a blind man who can't see can't hear can recommend Srilanka for any validity.
Agree with Anonymous for the insights and perspectives. Sadly the future prospective is dim indeed for not only the ethnic and religious minorities but also for the majority Sinhalas blinded by not just decades of hatred, bile and viciousness but over centuries typified by an ancient legendary Buddhist tale called "Mahavamsa" written in 4 century AD. The death of democracy will affect all citizens. The present euphoria over the end of the Tamil Tigers in 2009 who were themselves the creation of failed unilateralist Sinhala dominated governments fom 1948 to 1978 will wither away when their own rights and security are undermined by state excesses as has happened so often such as during the JVP insurgency. Getting away with mass murder and sheer criminality by failed corrupt politicians and governments has become the norm. Ms. Hogg has held the mirror and Radio Netherlands is quite right to expose the frauduent governance of that government with a stunning ill repute for responsibility and accountability under a lawless regime. What obtains today are Emergency laws from 1975 borrowed from Afrikaaner South Afrika and embellished by a fully armed 300,000 ethnic military and police. The rule of law and justice are dead. The President is now far better poised than Idi Amin Dada of Uganda was at one time while he plays international politics by pitting India and China with massive development loans and taking on the USA on human rights! Meanwhile solving the sore internal political and human rights problems are on hold or multiplying.
Srivan, I appreciate your comments. This is what the truth is. You are a good soul. You tell the world here this is what happened. Yes ! Yes ! The humanity salute you for exposing the wrong beleif of Sinhala people. Their legendary Buddist tale called"Mahavamsa" written in 4 Century A.D. This is written by a racist Monk. It has already destroyed the country and continue to destroy, until the sinhala people realize the truth and learn to live with equality, with the other people. The Sinhalas are in no way superior to Tamils. Human beings are all equal. This reality they must accept first.
This is good indeed and that is no news to Sri Lankans. Traitors cannot sustain popularity in any situation; The West never was working towards any progress of Sri Lankans or the nation. They are self serving countries that nearly ruined the island when Sri Lankans expected a concerted effort at the very height of the war; when LTTE was heavily kicking our butts. The West instead went around the world – USA, UK, Germany and many more, criticizing our government in favour of the terrorists. Fortunately they never gained momentum even though USA was profoundly aiding and abetting to defeat MR. The West also conspired with the Norwegian crooks to make deals with the LTTE. Autocratic, Democratic or for that matter pure Communistic, Sri Lankans are happy to be where they are. Let Rajapaksa’s create a dynasty – our country is in safer hands than that of traitors. Lastly, USA, UK, EU and the like should butt out of Sri Lanka’a internal matters/affairs and concentrate on losing war fronts of Afghanistan, Iraq and the security of their own home lands.
CHRISTOPHER KAY, SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO, CANADA.
@Chris Kay, hello you have an Englishmen's name, but writing our government for the Srilanka govt. Why is that? That means you are a Sinhala person, hidden behind an English name to write your comments. Shame on you. All of you are liers.
With the successful shut out on the international community, the Sri Lankan regime enters into the second phase of the subjugation of minorities. Sri Lankan Defense Secretary has apparently ordered the Sri Lankan missions abroad and expatriates to nab journalists, ex-military and refugees who have any slightest information on the disgraceful conduct the war was carried out. The Tamil diaspora which is the only voice for the voicesless people, has become the target for the Sri Lankan administration. Last week, a Tamil expatriates office was broken in and some sensitive documents on the refugees were stolen. Sri Lankan expatriates have been asked to band together to label all Tamil diaspora as 'terrorists'. The UK based The Economist is now banned in Sri Lanka.
The evidences of war crimes are being destroyed or blocked by the administration in every possible way.
With the continued silence on the part of civilized world, it is apparent from the media interviews by the dynastic clan that the civility in this small country is lost forever.
The article of Birchmount is a good one and a true one. Thanks for telling the truth.
President Rajapakse is the only leader in SRI LANKA who had dignity, confidence and courage to eliminate the brutal Tamil Tiger terrorism from the country and to implement a rapid development program inlcuding north and east parts of the country. We know his only goal is to develop the country and bring peace, development and harmony to all Sri Lankans and not to be a billionaire or to be corrupted. If Sri Lankan people going to elect him for a 3rd term or even for a 4th term what the hell these idiotic foreigners have to do with it?? Cannot tolerate Sri Lanka is on the development track? Mind your own business lady!
Yes@Ananda Seneviratne, your President Mahinda Rajapakse already said he got the help of 30 countries including Super powers Russia. China,India, Pakistan, Iran, Libiya, Ukraine, Southafrica and lot others including some western countries to defeat the Tigers. I would say not only these countries, but the tamil traitors like Karuna, Pilyan, Douglas and several others also helped your Army to defeat the Tigers(LTTE). From this you will know how powerful the Tamil's moral is. If the Srilankan Army and the Srilanka govt. is left alone to fight with the Tamil force, what would have happened? The Sinhalese and their Srilanka govt. should understand, that the victory against the Tamil force is given by the world. Without the world's support and the embago of finance and weapons for Tigers (LTTE), the Srilanka govt. would have never achived victory against the Tamils. The pain, sorrow, misery and death inflicted to the Tamils is not only by the Sinhala govt., but the whole world. Are the Tamils an unwanted people to the world? Are they have no rights to live in this world? Then why should the world got to-gether to destroy and kill the Tamils in thousands?
The elite of the country is bought out with the financial power of the Rajapaksha clan which stole most of the Tsunami fund.
The writing is on the wall for Sri Lankan rulers. They are there in the news in every corner of the world.
There is no civility in that country.
Why criticize Iran, Liya, Sudan etc.
Join the rest of us!
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