These days, we hear much talk on the victories of our war-heroes.
They have done great sacrifices to liberate our Motherland from the
brutal LTTE murderers.
During the past three decades, thousands of soldiers, army officers,
were killed by the LTTE terrorists.
These brutal terrorists killed an Executive President of Sri Lanka,
several Cabinet Ministers, parliamentarians, leaders of political
parties, Buddhist monks and hundreds of innocent Tamil, Sinhala and
Muslim civilians.
But we see many parliamentarians of today who belong to opposition
parties have no need to condemn these LTTE killers. Those selfish or
ungrateful opposition parliamentarians always criticise the Government
and patriotic People’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
While all peace-loving common citizens of Sri Lanka including Tamils
are felicitating the patriotic war heroes, those ungrateful MPs belittle
the victories of our brave soldiers. It is because those MPs are jealous
of the President.
These jealous MPs always talk in favour of the LTTE killers as they
are adequately given money and other benefits by terrorist organisations
that are active all over the world.
These selfish MPs don’t like to see our country to be free from
terrorists. However, cunning politicians who pretend to be patriots will
be rejected by the people during the next general elections. As ordinary
citizens, we, being Sri Lankans, should admire good things that our
rulers do for the welfare of our country and its people.
We should criticise rulers if they do the wrong or unwholesome
activities. People should not think of the work of a Government in terms
of colours of political parties. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Secretary to
the Ministry of Defence and Army Chief Sarath Fonseka had to suffer due
to attacks of the LTTE suicide bombers.
Many great leaders sacrificed their lives in the attempts of
liberating our country from the LTTE terrorists. Under these
circumstances, I would like to point out that those who assist the LTTE
terrorists are real traitors of this noble island of Sri Lanka.
The law of nature is always reasonable and this is high time for
misguided opposition leaders to come to their sense after realising
their shortcomings and lapses.
S. M. WIJAYARATNE - Ihala Kadigamuwa
I write with reference to the above Op-Ed article appearing in the
Daily News of December 9.
As I read the caption, I was curious to know the indigenous solution
to the power crisis. What I had in mind is a ground-breaking finding,
which was totally Sri Lanka in origin.
But on the contrary, what I read is that equipment was imported and
local talent used to build a power plant that uses fuel. No doubt it is
a cost effective solution, but there is a cost involved in continuing
this venture. The fuel stocks have to be imported (using foreign
exchange), which takes three months (dependence different variables).
Why is Sri Lanka not looking at alternate energy sources, which cost
nothing? The only cost would be to set up such a plant. Creation of
energy would be absolutely free.
1. Biomass - refers to living and recently dead biological material
that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. This could be a
blessing in disguise for our solid waste issue as well.
2. Solar energy - is the light and radiant heat from the Sun that
influences Earth. Earth’s climate and weather and sustains life.
We have sunlight for 365 days of the year, so this would be the
easiest resource to harness, although the start up expenditure is high.
3. Wind energy - this is the conversion of wind energy into a useful
form, such as electricity, using wind turbines.
As Sri Lanka is an island, there is plenty of wind power all around
us that we could harness.
4. Ocean energy - which includes marine current power, ocean thermal
energy conversion, tidal power and wave power.
Why doesn’t the Sri Lankan Government, harness the talent within Sri
Lanka, look at the pool of young inventors and break away from its
slavery to the conventional energy sources, that are depleting. And most
importantly, we could prevent harmful emissions to the atmosphere and
retard the process of global warming, if we move towards alternative
energy sources.
T. GUNASEKERA - Colombo 3
Throughout the world forests are being cut down at an alarming rate
and no one is bothered.
Over the last 50 years, the oxygen content of air has reduced by 30
per cent. Forests absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen.
In Brazil, an area of forest equivalent to a small American State is
cut down for timber every year. In most other countries there is a very
little forest left.
In 50 years time, most of the forests would die out affecting human
beings and animals.
The United Nation Organisation should take action by making all
countries protect the forests and allow cutting down of forests only for
urgent development projects.
ENG. LIONEL J. SENEVIRATNE - Mount Lavinia
Since July 1983 the successive Presidents and their Governments made
several attempts to solve the ethnic conflict, but failed due to the
poor and inefficient military and political leadership.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only Head of State who perceived
the ethnic conflict on the correct visual direction and introduced the
most suitable solution based on humanitarian framework.
He understood that the only solution to the national problem is the
military defeat of the barbaric Tiger terrorism and the offer of a
reasonable political solution to the genuine grievances of the minority
communities, and also comprehended that the bloodthirsty murderous Tiger
leader Prabhakaran cannot be tamed and domesticated.
However, he invited the Tiger leader several times for peace talks to
find a political solution through negotiations, but Prabhakaran
disregarded the appeal continuing his diabolical armed struggle for a
dreamland of separate Tamil Eelam.
The Tiger leader is a murderer who does not realise the value of
human life. The deadliest Tigers killed unarmed innocent civilians
including little children, priests, eminent military officers, Cabinet
Ministers and leading politicians. The peace-loving Tamils are aware
that they cannot expect a well bred Tamil society within an insane
leadership.
A responsible democratic Government cannot allow the LTTE to
terrorise the people living in the North, East and South as well.
The day that the Mavilaru anicut was closed by the so-called Tamil
National Leader leaving his own Tamil people to suffer immense hardships
without a drop of water, the Government was compelled to launch the
humanitarian mission to protect and liberate the Tamils from the iron
grip of the LTTE devils.
The valiant soldiers, sailors and airmen fought sacrificing their
life to provide water after a week long fierce battle. It clearly proves
that the military operations are directed at the LTTE and not against
the Tamil community.
Since the reopening of Mavilaru anicut the victorious battalions
carried out massive operations successfully maintaining the Zero
Civilian Casualty Policy and captured the East completely. Thus the
Government was able to hold a free and fair election in the East and
allow all communities in the East to live in peace enjoying their
democratic rights.
The brave lions are now poised to capture the entire region of the
Jaffna peninsula. It is crystal clear that most of the parts in the
North are now under control of the Government Forces, and there is a
very small area is left to be liberated. The Commander of the Army
Lt.Gen. Sarath Fonseka is confident that he can complete the military
task of eradicating the LTTE’s terrorism during his tenure.
Even at this crucial and final phase of the humanitarian operation,
Prabhakaran does not intend to lay down arms and surrender to the
Government Forces with his remaining cadres. He has no other option than
surrendering or committing suicide.
The nation should be grateful to the President, Defence Secretary and
three Forces’ Commanders for their patriotic leadership and the national
war heroes for their heroism and bravery.
The United National Party (UNP) and the Tamil National Alience (TNA)
never expect the eradication of Tiger Terrorism during the Rajapaksa
regime. They still underestimate the courageous national war heroes and
the magnificent victories they gained internationally.
The right thinking people has not forget the way that Ranil
Wickremesinghe danced to the tune of the LTTE and attempted to belittle
the capture of Thoppigala. When Pooneryn was captured, several UMP MPs
raised a mockery question asking reasons for liberating Pooneryn before
killinochchie.
They should understand that the war machinery is executed according
to a methodical system arranged by the defence advisors and not by the
governing politicians like they did during their poor regime.
The general feeling of the country and peace-loving people is that
before the end of this year 2008, all Sri Lankans would be able to
celebrate the liberation of all uncleared areas.
MAHINDA NIHAL PERERA - Moratuwa
It is troublesome to see Jeanne Jayasinghe (DN December 5) falling
into the trap of the Western media in calling terrorism committed by
Muslims as ‘Islamic’ terrorism.
I am sure she does not intend to mean it. But, the media’s
stereotyping of Muslims is so pervasive that their negative views tends
to afflict even the most reasonable minded people, as one contributor to
your newspaper rightly wondered, “Who is controlling your mind?”
Words often create perceptions, and repeating ‘Islamic’ terrorism
gives an impression that Muslims are out to kill anyone who does not
subscribe to their belief. We all know that it is not the reality.
There is a world of a difference between ‘Islamic’ terrorism and
terrorism committed by criminal elements in the Muslim community. It is
no less different than labelling a murder committed by a Christian as a
‘Christian’ murder. We Muslims do not need to be reminded that we have
our own fair share of criminals in our midst.
Like any religion, Islam prohibits killing. The Holy Qur’an (5:32)
says: “...Whosoever kills a human being other than (in punishment) for
manslaughter or causing corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he
had killed all humanity, whosoever saved the life of one, it shall be as
if he had saved the life of all humanity.”
Unfortunately, Muslims are treated as collectively responsible as a
group for any crime committed by another Muslim or done in the name of
Islam.
Being judged as a group, rather than as individuals, also means that
the negative experience of one Muslim is considered to be representative
of all Muslims and all of Islam. But these negative experiences are not
shared by all Muslims - indeed, not by most Muslims.
The burden of collective guilt, the oppressive weight of
stereotyping, and the violence of hateful anti-Muslim discourse is
difficult to bear. It is even more difficult to see how this affects our
youth and encourage anti-Muslim sentiments.
TUAN RIZA RASSOOL - USA
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