Dr. Palitha Kohona responds to comments about the SL gov. made by hip-hop artist M.I.A. Part 1

[TheTruth8018]

@murali2011 No it was the rebels who attacked the government

[randomnessgurl46]

Hi I'm Tamil and after all these years, I still don't understand the main reason fir this "genocide". Can someone please explain? *desperate*

[surendee]

somebody who is living outside of the SL making statement just like she knows everything about the two decades of war,It's really a joke,I need to know what does she think now, about sri Lanka.....

[Urugai]

Dr. Cock hona ;-D

[balathanushan]

So much "U kno" lol <3 but this all true.... i like you MIA... :P

[balathanushan]

@balathanushan i count that... 14 "you know"...

[tmorgan1000]

Google Lanka war crime allegations surface ABC

"nothing to suggest Dr Kohona was directly responsible for committing these alleged war crimes, though international law does recognise principles of what's called command responsibility..."

- Don Rothwell, professor of international law at the Australian National University

The Prevention of Terrorism Act / media black out is used to shield international criminals in the military/police/govt of Sri Lanka.

[tmorgan1000]

More than the power it derives from an overwhelming superiority in numbers, what exalts any majority community and endows it with true greatness and moral authority, is its willingness to guarantee to all those other communities who lack the advantage of numbers, a status and dignity equal to its own, and never to let them feel marginalized or disadvantaged because they are fewer in number, or because they are different in race, colour or religion. - Abraham Lincoln

[pubuman]

4000 Tiger soldiers? When this was recorded? WTF?! Also why doesn't she mention that ~2 million tamils live quite happily in the rest of the country (in areas not controlled by the LTTE during that time?!?!) hmmm.. lies much?

[tmorgan1000]

So why does the "Tamil Diaspora" exist ... because of Black July '83 and other pogroms conducted with Sri Lankan govt (Sinhalese) oversight against the Tamil population in Lanka. How have they addressed the issues that caused northern Tamils to support LTTE ... with words not deeds, creating legislation that fails to pass or is never enforced. Torture is illegal but still occurs in Police stations throughout the country and even Sinhalese fall vicitim to this govt sanctioned behavior.

[pubuman]

Er... there is some faulty logic there, you do realize that there is also a very very large number of Sinhalese out side of Sri Lanka as well? In fact, the numbers reflect roughly the population breakdown within Sri Lanka. That's to say of all the Sri Lankans outside of Sri Lanka, about 70 - 75% are Sinhalese, 15 - 20% are Tamil, and the rest are Moors etc... its called migration, considering that SL has been through the crapper, its not that surprising. Black July was appalling btw.

[tmorgan1000]

I used the quotes for "Tamil Diaspora" because most people equate them with the red flag waving LTTE supporters. That group is dominated by the post Black July Tamils. There are many Lankan Tamils who favour the 30% Tamils colonial era demographic since GOSL can't be trusted ;) Faulty logic & revisionist history are used by both LTTE & Sinhala nationalists but I think anyone who reads up on the issue will accept that Tamils were discriminated against after independence.

[pubuman]

Out of most of the tamils living overseas the so called "Diaspora" involved in these protests etc is very small. If there was truly a systematic oppression of tamils in Sri Lanka, more of the tamils overseas and more of the tamils (remember there are 2 mil tamils in govt areas) locally would rise up. Tamils were discriminated against, no question, like any minority in history. But there was/is no genocide or targetted opression. That's an absolute load of bullshit.

[tmorgan1000]

Google "boyle tamil claritypress"

[pubuman]

Oh dear.. I was hoping you wouldn't go there. His so called "works" have been widely discredited by international scholars. Also you are talking to someone who has lived in and experienced the situation in SL first hand - so crap that you and other make up (discredited crap mind you) isn't really going to work. Boyle is also an ardent supporter of Iran and he has tried to discourage UN sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich weapon grade nuclear material. Sure sounds like a reliable source!

[tmorgan1000]

Iran is an ardent supporter of Sri Lanka ... Hmmm ...

[pubuman]

So? That doesn't mean anything. Boyle tried to discourage UN sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich weapon grade nuclear material - the SL govt has always maintained that nuclear non prolif. is the way to go, and that Iran should not engage in weapons grade enrichment. So your point fails (just like all your others).

[tmorgan1000]

If the USA threatened to attack Sri Lanka unless they embraced Federalism by Jan. 1, 2011 ... you can bet that Boyle would advocate for Lanka to sue the USA in the World court.

[pubuman]

You say the black july was conducted with Sinhalese oversight?! I think it was simply the workings of an extremely corrupt and opportunistic president. Most of the Sinhalese people were appalled and tried to help out many of their tamil mates/neighbours etc. I was living there (I am not SLan), during the time, and most of the Sinhalese people were actively protecting the tamils against the underworld mobs that were running rampant. So no, it wasn't with Sinhalese oversight. Don't make shit up!

[tmorgan1000]

I agree that the majority of Sinhalese are not bigotted however many Sinhalese politicians were & did organize riots. Presently if you are Sinhalese & poor, you are in the same boat as most Tamils residing in the North or East. Police have no respect for your rights. The present administration has dropped the ball on reconcilation & dropping federalism indicates Tamils & poverty level Sinhalese will continue to suffer.

[pubuman]

So its not the Sinhalese as a people.. the LTTE are a terrorist organisation. Most tamils in Sri Lanka do not support them - these are the facts. Also, the Sri Lankan government IS corrupt... and like in most places around the world, if you are not rich and powerful, you are a second class citizen, but its not if you are tamil, its simply if you are not rich/powerful. To make this sound like some sort of ethnic/racial thing is wrong. The SLA were fighting terrorists, not tamil people of SL.

[pubuman]

"I agree that the majority of Sinhalese are not bigotted" - so why the hell have you tried to paint this as an oppression of a minority by a majority? Yes there were/are corrupt politicians stirring trouble to meet their own ends of staying in power, that doesn't mean that the Tamils are/were oppressed by the Sinhalese. "The nothern tamils support the LTTE" ?! Not even remotely true. The LTTE lost all support and credibility when it started kidnapping & forcing children into their infantry

[tmorgan1000]

Google "Thileepan reasons for fast" ... the LTTE stronghold of support was the north due to the Lankan govt military/police misdeeds and later the IPKF misdeeds. You must be aware of Karuna group which kidnapped Tamil children also .. VP of LTTE got a bullet to the head for his misdeeds but Karuna himself is given a ministerial post by the Sinhalese.

[pubuman]

Why do you keep saying the Sinhalese did this and that? What a government does is not what the people do. Yes, Karuna's group kidnapped children too, and for most of the war he was part of the LTTE, so what? How does that justify what he did? At least he stopped his terrorist activities and wasn't party to the continued murder of innocent civillians and kidnappings afterwards. Regardless, what does that have to do with the atrocious nature of the LTTE as depicted by these acts?

[tmorgan1000]

'There is considerable body of evidence that the army kills innocent (Tamil) civilians.'

- Robert Kilroy-Silk M.P. & Roger Sims J.P., M.P; Report of Visit to Sri Lanka on Behalf of the (UK) Parliamentary Human Rights Group;

February 1985

[tmorgan1000]

Were there "underworld mobs" running rampant in 1915 when Muslims were attacked by Sinhalese? Who were those orange robed machete wielding murderers caught on video in 1983? I suppose the British, Australians and other visitors just made it all up! Was Gamini Dissanayake an underworld thug or govt Minister? Kumaratunga's govt apology for Jaffna Library burning was good but in Rajapakse or Fonseka's speeches today ... what is there to indicate Sinhalese attitude to Tamils has changed?

[pubuman]

Ok lets deal with this point by point. "Muslims were attacked by Sinhalese" - Nonsense, an overly simplistic summary of the actual events in 1915. The riots were initiated by Muslims pelting a Vesak procession with rocks etc. In the subsequent rioting there deaths on both sides. Most of the lives lost were afterwards, when martial law was declared and the Brit army "dealt" with people "disturbing the peace". Stop twisting historical accounts around to make it sound like something else.

[tmorgan1000]

So the Sinhalese, the Lion flag, the fall of the Kandyan kingdom had nothing to do with the rape & murder that ensued in 1915? The British accounts of that time clearly place the blame on the Sinhalese. I'm sure you can point me to more accurate accounts written more recently by respected Lankan authors. Historical revision is a popluar hobby in Lanka nowadays among Buddhists, Hindus & Muslims.

[pubuman]

The British accounts - yes of course, the Brits were renowned for having accurate accounts of people they were trying to conquer. The Brits also placed blame squarely on the Indians for the massacres that took place there before WWII. I suppose that must also be correct? Care to cite some historically respected sources for your claim? - I would suspect not, because you have made most of it up!

[tmorgan1000]

pubuman, I'll cite Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah's Leveling Crowds (1996) for the Lion flag / Kandyan kingdom comment. How do you plan to argue against Boyle's many legal citations for accusing Lankan govt of Genocide against Tamils?

[pubuman]

Anyone can bring up legal citations, legal citations are not peer reviewed facts. The source(s) I referred to contains peer reviewed journal publications one can look up. A similar case can be made for SJ Tambiah's book.

[pubuman]

Furthermore, much of Boyle's accusations and "facts" directly contradict those expressed by the UN throughout the history of the conflict. Given Boyle's track record the UN is a far more reliable source of statistics. Also, a genocide against tamils?! So.. the nearly 1.8 million tamils living in the rest of the country (non LTTE) over the history of the war were what exactly? Like I said, the facts and the numbers do not support you!

[tmorgan1000]

Who's lying now... UN reports regarding conflict in Lanka throughout the '80 & 90's reflect poorly on the Sinhalese dominant govt. Only recently has the UN shifted away from the Abraham Lincoln "equality" values it was founded on to the values held by Shanghai Cooperation Organization states and other neo-fascist states.

[pubuman]

You are correct about the 80s, especially just following July 83, where many perceived (correctly) that the government had not done enough to stem the violence. Even most of the country (SL) shared the view. Remember the mobs were a minority, and most people tried to help their Tamil neighbours... But for the late 80s and the 90s (for the actual conflict) that is not the case. The reports are there for all to see, so don't engage in making up nonsense. Abraham Lincoln "equality" aye... oh dear!

[tmorgan1000]

A "reliable source of statistics" in a country torn by civil war for 30 years and still under the Prevention of Terrorism Act with media restrictions ... reporter sentenced to 20 yrs hard labour while paedophiles walk free .. Google "UNHRC concerned Lanka" and "sci-fi Clarke had sex with boys"

[pubuman]

Now you are claiming that Clarke is a paedophile?!? What other crazy conspiracy next? You do realize that those reports were by the "Sun" in the UK? one of the most unreliable tabloid papers in the world. The same paper that published doctored photos of Royal Marines abusing prisoners? But of course, a well acknowledged tabloid paper is indeed a reliable source!

[tmorgan1000]

Many have speculated about Clarke, a wealthy white man who chose to retire (hide out) in Lanka. You must know that Lanka has been a paedophile destination for decades. People started speculating about him when Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World TV show aired in the 1980's. He added to the prestige of SL & is wealthy so the Police would be happy to dissuade anyone from making a complaint against him. Google "globalmarch srilanka" or "Sri Lanka Child Prostitution"

[pubuman]

Speculation doesn't mean anything. There is no evidence to suggest Clarke has done this. The main accusations came from the Sun... and as I explained before, they are wrong at the best of times... and willfully wrong to make sales at other times. The accusations (and the later withdrawals) came primarily from the UK based paper. Without evidence he is not guilty. So you can't say he's a paedophile. You need verifiable sources, not hear say and imagination, you don't seem to realize that at all.

[tmorgan1000]

I didn't say he's guilty but I would never have let Clarke or Michael Jackson babysit my nephew. If you watched Clarke's show you would notice that his cleaning staff in Lanka seemed to consist only of male youths. The 300, 000 Tamils detained by GOSL were not guilty but still held & subjected to abuse. Secret interogations wether in Iran, Iraq, Lanka, Chile, Cuba, etc always lead to rape & torture. GOSL chose to hide the activities of their paramiltary units even after the war.

[pubuman]

You do realize that the "Kandyan Kingdom" fell almost a 100 years prior to these riots, in 1815.. right? - You sure do know your history and facts... you are really giving credibility to your points here...

[tmorgan1000]

Due to the centennial remembrance in 1915 Kandy, Sinhala nationalist feelings were high at that time. You are not very good at connecting the dots. You did not realize Professor Francis A. Boyle was not perceived as disreputable for his suggestion that Iran sue USA at the World Court. Academics got the joke. Neither the USA nor Iran would want to create a precedent of deferring to the World Court. Boyle would have loved it if they did sue ... but did not expect them to do so.

[pubuman]

Boyle was making a joke? Oh how convinient! And I didn't say he was perceived disreputable because of that - I said his so called "work" has been 1) Not been published in peer reviewed journals 2) Disputed strongly in "work" published in peer reviewed journals. You don't seem to have grasped the importance of peer review yet?!

[tmorgan1000]

Anyone who's work draws so much attention will have their work disputed. In the USA, Professor Boyle would have met the ire of the GOP since his public statements criticised Bush's hardline stand against Iran. Of course many of his peers belong to GOP...

[pubuman]

You fail to get my point. His "research" about whatever is not published in peer reviewed journals. What he says is contradicted by the research published in peer reviewed journals. The book I pointed you to contains many peer reviewed sources within it. That is what gives it and the argument credibility. Publishing books, or taking up lawsuits as Boyle does, is not hard, there is no fact checking there. In peer reviewed articles there is fact checking, that's the difference. Do you get that?

[tmorgan1000]

Does your argument even matter when held up against Boyle's success in the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina

at the World Court? Perhaps to some Lankan lawyers but not to me or any of the Tamil diaspora. You are deluding yourself if you think that diaspora Tamils such as myself who don't approve of LTTE & their tactics = approval of GOSL. In regards to an earlier comment you made, I can't think of any western nation where Sinhalese migrants out number Lankan Tamil migrants.

[tmorgan1000]

Which of those peers who published disputes made Marquis Whos Who in the World list? Francis A. Boyle has many right wing critics since he takes strong liberal left stands in regards to minority & aboriginal rights.

[tmorgan1000]

O'Ballance is a member of IISS, a right-wing think-tank and purveyors of disinformation on behalf of the neo-conservative US GOP. This explains why his book would put forward theories that favour Lanka Defense dept and proves my earlier point Re: right wing peers. The IISS organizes Shangri-La Dialogue annual meeting of Defense Ministers and has 450 corporate members who would never favour civil war which makes a state appear unstable/unfavorable for econimic development & expoitation.

[pubuman]

IISS is not a right wing institute! and more importantly Its not right wing peers - its peer reviewed journals, these don't have a political affiliation and the author nor the referees are aware who each other is. Do you even know how peer reviewed journals work? (Do you even know what they are?) - regardless of O'Ballances political position, his work and the work he draws on in the book is published in peer reviewed journals. Boyle's work is not, that's the primary difference in credibility.

[pubuman]

The underworld mobs are not something I made up, its backed up by actual research and scholarly accounts. Notably (among others) O'Ballance's book "The cyanide war" gives a decent account of the actual events. So sorry, you making crap up (yet again) is not going to work. Particularly as I was in SL during the time. Dissanayake was not involved, where is the evidence of this? Orange robed murderers? That's a joke right? Also keep in mind that Bandaranaika was also murdered by an orange robe.

[pubuman]

And here is the clincher. Earlier you stated that Sinhalese in general were not bigoted, then you say "what is there to indicate Sinhalese attitude to Tamils has changed? " - If the Sinhalese are not bigotted why do you want their attitude to change? You just contradicted yourself.. well done. The point is you are making up things to make it look like a Sinhalese driven oppression of Tamils - just like "M.I.A" attempted to do here. History and facts are not on your side, so you continue to lie.

[tmorgan1000]

You keep bringing up that you were in SL. Well I was not due my parents having to leave .. due to education reforms in their day which closed the door on their access locally. While growing up abroad I met many new Lankan Tamil friends after Black July 83 with even worse accounts but I also enjoyed the company of many Sinhalese friends. When you are brown skinned in the land of white skinned (1970s & 80s) all brown people are your friends. You can call me a racist now ;)

[pubuman]

Yes, I keep brining that up because you keep making crap up, and keep saying that the Sinhalese did this and that. Which is grossly untrue, the historical accounts point to underworld gangs (read that book, and the peer reviewed journal sources within it) - not "the Sinhalese". You keep making up a non existent oppression of the Tamil people by the Sinhala people, which is nonsense. What does you having certain friends have to do with anything?

[tmorgan1000]

I prefer the UTHR(J) account of Black July to your book. The "gangsters did it" explanation is very popular among Sinhala nationlists. Are you really unaware that many Tamil victims of Black July and foreign tourists were shocked to see monks among the '83 mob? Sinhalese monks have long tradition of dealing kindly with Hindu's but there are clearly those among the clergy who view Tamil/Hindu's as a threat. Google "Buddhas Savage Peace"

[pubuman]

you prefer the account that fits your view than the one that is accepted historically (note again I mention the fact that my source contains peer reviewed material, yours does not) - I have no vested interest in this as I am not Sinhalese or even Sri Lankan (I was one of the "tourists") - you cannot simply dismiss historical fact because it doesn't support your point. If you can cite peer reviewed publications to back up your view feel free to do so... the author of my source is not SL either.

[pubuman]

you prefer the account that fits your view than the one that is accepted historically (note again I mention the fact that my source contains peer reviewed material, yours does not) - I have no vested interest in this as I am not Sinhalese or even Sri Lankan (I was one of the "tourists") - you cannot simply dismiss historical fact because it doesn't support your point. If you can cite peer reviewed publications to back up your view feel free to do so... My source(s) aren't from SL.

[murali2011]

Mr. Palitha is wrong. Many got it wrong. The same situatation, in Durfur, the group attacked by Sudanese gov, were members in the gov. Their group people were living in Khartoum.

Tamils is north-east were targetted for so long. SL's First PM started colonization in 'Pathavia' by dividing north and east.

Tamils living in South can live with Sinhalese as long as they are quite on politics. Even 3000 Tamils killed by Gov mobs in Capital colombo (south). Still 1400 people missing since 2006

[dreambrother37]

we love you M.I.A. !!!!!!!

[regentps]

Dr. Palitha! ..... physco

[charith000]

WELL SAID Dr. Palitha!

[regentps]

wow the other side seems jelous tht there one tamill out there o speak for the tamil ppl in SL ... wow this soo gay and her music is gud and now she saying wht really takes place.. so let her... we love u M.I.A <3...

[kgruban]

killing unarmed children/men/woman is what then?3000 young men surrended to sl in 4 months.they are now missing!!clearley they would not have flew to the moon.genocide has been comited by sl from 1957.its only now the sl key board worriers get to know whats going on!truth always hurts.

[chammal]

M.I.A .. stick to your music.. plz...

[sameeratm]

Ain't she talking from her fat arse. What does she know about the LTTE? take out the LTTE one by one! is she a that much of and idiot? if that's possible, USA should've sent few Rambos to take out the Taliban terrorists one by one. What a poofter, the only genocide happened in SL was against the Sinhalese and muslims who lived in North and east of SL, they were murdered, raped and systematically ethnically clinsed by the LTTE in early 1980's.

[kgruban]

pull the head out from ltte arse you might see clearley.you have no idea when the riots taken places to start from 1957,1977,1983,and still going on by who?

[NIGHTOFDADARK]

M I A DIE BITCH

[ferdycontract]

Lady u please study the true facts before making comments about somthing which u are not fully aware about. She just wants to shine in this TV show. Thats it

[kgruban]

do people ever watch any news or let a nutral news then make up your mind?you people are dum as others.

[ferdycontract]

What the bullshit this lady talks about? not the sinhalese who want to wipe out tamils from Srilankan soil, it is the LTTE who wants to wipe out sinhalese from our motherland. They have no right at all to claim a seperate homeland

[unstopable007]

0:52 - that s a rhetorical question... n she s stupid enough to answer that... lmfao

[nirmal09]

Genocide - the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

clearly nkkillerk does not know the meaning of genocide so i posted the meaning for (him/her)

if Genocide is happening in SL, then by now there wont be a tamil population in SL. clearly in SL there is a Major tamil population so how can u say genocide is happening. and for ur information ppl in SL are living peacefully with

[kgruban]

you are right first 2 sentence.then you are wrong on the last one.because in the front line you are only watching what sl government says.but the west see both side.

[nirmal09]

each other except for these LTTE assholes.  nkkillerk ur FULL OF B.S for saying Sri Lankan government is a GENOCIDAL government.

know ur facts and stop reading the B.S thats on tamilNet. they said the recent air strike from LTTE was a success. clearly both planes were shot down by the SLAF. one crashed in to a building as it was exploding in mid air. other one crashed landed on to a paddy field

[dannychand85]

These cries of genocide by the overseas tamil diaspora is absolute nonsence. These ppl seriously need to pick up a dictionary and look up the word "genocide" because I seriously dont think they know what it means. MIA is just another brainless idiot just going along with the rest of the fools only because her father is a TIGER TERRORIST!

[nkkillerk]

Do you even know what genocide is? Your full bs, M.I.A right, Sri Lankan government is a GENOCIDAL government. I want to ask Mr. Palitha why can't journalist go to the safe zone? If the safe zone is declared so safe let NGO's and journalist go to the safe zone? Tamils want independent? Mr. Palitha is a liar. Sr Lankan government is a GENOCIDAL government.

[dannychand85]

Do U know what genocide means? lol

The only reason journalists arent allowed there is because when they get caught up in the crossfire and get their head blown off, ppl like U will bitch and moan at the government for not being able to protect them thats why!

[shiranginige]

well said Palitha Kohona!