The National Association for Trade Union Research and Education
(NATURE) being a trade union combine of 19 unions covering all parts of
the country is concerned to note the turn of events taking place in Sri
Lanka.
Today the country is passing through one of its darkest periods in
history with both protagonists in the ethnic conflict embroiled in a war
of attrition however low the intensity may appear to be.
The killings and counter killings that began with the despicable
attempt on the life of the Army Commander and the abortive attempt to
kill 710 Naval personnel on board, the 'Pearl Cruiser' are continuing
with senseless purpose frustrating Round Two of the peace talks.
The victims of the reprisal and retaliatory killings have not only
been the armed but includes defenceless civilians including innocent
children. The violence that envelopes the North and East are an affront
to human conscience.
It is unimaginable that the protagonists fail to realize the value of
human lives in their unsatiable quest for supremacy of narrow
nationalistic undertaking.
Time is running out and with events getting out of control, it is
becoming clearer that Norwegian facilitators find it difficult to
contain the situation. The war-mongers on both sides are determined to
keep the embers burning until it leads to a major conflagration
enveloping the entire country.
War and separation must be avoided at all costs.
Now that the EU has proposed stringent measures against the Tigers,
the Government needs to announce its policy on the ethnic issue in a
forthright manner, in clear terms without any ambiguity to the country
and to the outside world, so that the international community could
support the Government's efforts to avoid war and move towards peace.
The Government can no longer avoid revealing its stance on the ethnic
issue, the course of the peace process and what it hopes to achieve as a
final outcome.
The perceptible ebb in international support for separation can well
turn into a upsurge, if it becomes clear to the outside world that the
Government is acting with a hidden agenda to deny to the Tamil speaking
people the right to manage their own affairs within an undivided
country.
In our considered view, only a solution based on acknowledging the
right of the Tamil-speaking people (Tamil and Muslim) for autonomy and
self-government that would help kindle the confidence of the Tamil
people in a just and durable peace.
T. M. R. RASSEEDIN, General Secretary,
NATURE.
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On hearing the news of the dreadful attack on the life of the Army
Commander, and reading the accounts of it in the daily papers, I thought
of writing about the experiences I've had with our Security Forces over
the years.
What makes me worthy of suspicion, I wonder? Let me begin by
describing myself. I'm 5' 7", fair, with dark brown hair and eyes. I'll
admit gracefully that I'm now what is generally described as
middle-aged. My weight is my own business but suffice it to say that I
have never had a lean and hungry look about me.
I'm a stable sort of person with a husband - a non-threatening,
nice-looking guy with a gym mania and a calorie counter - and four
daughters, also quite unexceptionable, except for one who has a penchant
for grinding her teeth at private bus drivers. (And don't we all do that
sometimes?) I also have seven grandchildren who drive around with me on
a regular basis.
What I'm trying to do is show you that we are a normal, middle class
family. Unfortunately, those well-intentioned cops and Army guys don't
see it this way.
There I am, tooling along in my Beetle, listening to Max Bygraves,
keeping well within the speed limit and all white lines (broken and
unbroken) with never a mobile phone to my ear. Suddenly, out jumps a cop
and orders me to stop - which I do.
The young man comes up to me, gives me a wary look and says "Sinhala
- you know?" To which I give a bright "Ah - ow." He asks for my license
and ID which I duly hand over. Incidentally, the ID photograph is a nice
one, and the officer has a quiet pow-wow with his colleague who has
since joined him.
They scrutinize the documents at length, hand them back to me and say
"Where are you from?" "Colpetty" I answer in my meekest voice. "Now,
where are you going?" and I answer. My point is, I could give any
nonsensical answer, because these two gentlemen are not about to follow
me to check out the truth of my reply.
I am a check-point magnet. I have been stopped and questioned
minutely an inordinate number of times for someone who so rarely
expresses or experiences a violent impulse.
Once my husband and I were taking our vehicles to Carmart for a
repair. Monte, who was in front, sailed through - this was on Flower
Road - and I was stopped. There is obviously something about me that
screams 'Subversive element' to the guys at the check-points.
On another occasion some years ago, driving back from St. Jude's
Church in Gampaha, with daughter Tracy for company, I had to overtake a
lorry, belching smoke, and just about touched a double white line.
Out jumped a police officer from behind a clump of plantain trees
(watch out for those plantain trees) and stopped me. He walked over, and
I apologized profusely, explaining that I just couldn't travel behind
that lorry - all in very sketchy Sinhalese.
This gentleman heard me out to the bitter end, and said in perfect
English "and from where are you, miss?" Oh, the shame of it!! He let me
off on condition that I would never go near a double white line - Nice
Man!
OK, I agree that the boys have got to do their jobs - I've no problem
with that. Its just that I'm wondering whether I should get a 'new
look'. After all, anything is possible these days, and maybe I won't be
stopped so often.
But then again, how will I entertain my friends, if I don't have
these stories to tell?
Wendy Holsinger,
Colombo 3.
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Reference to Janaki's letter of May 22, it seemed a good idea of
banning cattle slaughter in Sri Lanka, despite the religious diversity
as we all know the cruelty involved with animal slaughter, until I read
"As a Buddhist country, if we cannot ban the slaughter of cattle and
other animals because of multi-cultural interests, can we not make this
process, at least, more humane?"
Animal slaughter whether 'humane or inhumane' is killing. If we as
Buddhists, can refrain from killing, and if can refrain from consumption
of meat, perhaps then there is a chance of reducing the killings, as it
is a case of supply and demand.
World over, there is a kind of awakening as to the benefits of being
a vegetarian.
Perhaps it is good to reflect, that the Buddha's teaching always
emphasised on 'refrain', to be disciplined, because he could see that
all the killings and other unwholesome actions are interrelated with 'Kamma'
and was incapable of 'ending' overnight.
The teaching is gradual; anyone can see the benefits here and now, if
we keep up with the practice.
A better suggestion is to keep the Five Precepts with right effort;
see the dangers and benefits of gratification of the six sense bases;
vigilantly guard the three conducts of thoughts, word and action, and
possess love and respect for all living beings, this certainly will
reduce ignorance, greed (lust) and anger, giving one a happier life.
NANDENE RAJAPAKSE,
Melbourne.
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While fully agreeing with the comments made by R.S. (May 2) I wish to
add further to the above. At least it seems R.S. had a forewarning of
things to come by April 2006 with his pension voucher for March 2006.
But most of the pensioners in other divisions were taken unawares of
when they were waiting to receive the vouchers for April 2006.
There was a similar attempt by D.S. Pannala (NWP). Sometimes back
pensioners were required to call at the paying office to receive their
vouchers, but saner counsel prevailed when pensioners associations
objected.
Mahinda Chintana is good enough. But the bureaucracy is trying to
drive on the reverse gear according to their own Chintana.
When the Government is formulating several projects through the
Social Security Ministry to ease the lot of senior citizens (Pensioners
included) the bureaucracy tries to stand in the way.
For whose benefit is the new scheme introduced? If it is to curtail
administrative expenditure, expenditure on stationery and postage, then
the pensioners want grudge deducting a few rupees from their pension to
defray those costs in return for mitigating the inconvenience thrust
upon them.
But taking into consideration billions of rupees defrauded by way of
VAT scam, this expenditure falls into insignificance. In the
circumstances I appeal to the authorities to revert to the old system
and help old and ailing pensioners.
P. M. P.,
Pannala.
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We have, (my sister and myself) published a web site called
whotohelp.org to help Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka who need help from the
rest of the world.
We live in Australia. I was born in Australia in 1992 and my sister
in 1994. We've been to Sri Lanka only twice, and seen how much they
suffer, so we thought this is another way of helping (needy)them.
I have raised $20000 to PNG's needy about six months ago as a school
(Melbourne Girls' Grammar School) project in Melbourne.
I suggested this idea of making a platform to meet richer to poor in
Sri Lanka to my loving dad, he then allocated some money to develop and
host our site. Now we are up on the web.
If any one needs help in Sri Lanka, please write to us. If they are
found to be genuine, we will publish them on the web.
SAMITHA GOONETILLEKE,
via email.
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Credit where credit is due. President Mahinda Rajapaksa stands tall
before God and men.
At last, a politician with the fortitude to ban that offensive
fictitious piece of dribble otherwise known as 'the da Vinci Code',
whilst our so-called western 'civilisation' covers to the liberals and
film moguls who constantly offend our Christian way of life.
Grant Armstrong,
Australia. |