This is a time to reflect on the price of the victory and bow our
heads in memory of those valiant men who died and remember with sorrow
their passing. We must also not forget those who were maimed, blinded
and made helpless.
It is time to share the sorrows of the parents especially the mothers
for having brought up such splendid and brave human beings who were
united in their effort to bring honour to their regiments and fight for
their comrades even at the cost of their lives and limbs.
The nation must salute the men and their commanders who fought on
land, sea and in the air to make this famous victory possible as well as
those higher commanders whose unrelenting will power and unswerving and
unshakable belief in success over daunting odds and unexpected and
severe reverses made victory possible.
Those who continue to serve at unglamourous but dangerous check
points, help in the maintenance of the IDP camps, help rescue the
fleeing IDPs and give care and comfort to the wounded both military and
civilian must also not be forgotten.
We who are safe in our homes far from the strife would do well to
spare a thought for the villagers in the Vanni, the East and in Yala and
Buttala who even in the very recent past faced sudden death at the hands
of the LTTE.
Finally the world should not forgive LTTE leader Prabakaran and his
minions for using Tamil civilians as shields and hostages and forcibly
recruiting children to be combatants.He is responsible for their deaths
and injuries and must be indicted as a war criminal.
G. Watchman Dehiwala
The date was May 11. The Vesak week.
The film 'Truth is unbelievable'- a documentary film on Bhikkhu
Sumedha, the renowned Swiss artist-monk was to be screened at the BMICH
according to notices in several weekend newspapers.
The Goethe Institute in its brochure of programs for 2009 had also
mentioned about the official launch of the film on May 11 evening at the
venue before it would be shown in two international film festivals. But
to the disappointment of those who came to the venue, there was no such
program.
The crowd first gathered outside the Cinema Hall and then were asked
to go to a Committee Room where a workshop was in progress. Apparently
it was a workshop conducted by The Light of Asia and the film 'Truth is
Unbelievable' had been screened for the workshop participants on the
previous day.
On inquiry from the information desk set up for Vesak programs in the
premises, the crowd who were waiting hopefully and patiently restraining
their frustration were told that the film would be screened at one of
the six open-air screens set up in the front yard of the BMICH. The
disappointed crowd among whom were also a venerable expatriate monk
dispersed to return to their destinations.
Thus those who gathered at the BMICH on that evening were denied the
rare chance to see the life-story of this illustrious monk who had
renounced his ebullient lifestyle in Europe and in Colombo's high
society and embraced austerity of a cave hermit, who was a spiritual
guide to the patients at Peradeniya Teaching Hospital during the past
few years of his life as a true Buddha Putra, who was a genius artist
who communicated his understanding of The Buddha's message through
visual at and most of all who wished to be known none other than a Sri
Lankan Buddhist monk.
Malini Govinnage Koswatte Battaramulla
A number of media organizations including SBS, ABC Australia today
joined the media hype against the Sri Lankan Government's attempts to
completely wipe out the LTTE leadership. Prabakaran and his assistants
are now hiding behind Tamil civilians in a sliver of 8 sq mile land in
NE Sri Lanka.
While cheering the Pakistan army for commencing assault against the
Thaliban as a measure of defending democracy and the people of Pakistan,
very same media is bending over backwards to aim barbs at the Sri Lankan
Government and the Armed Forces for having almost successfully driving
away the world's most ruthless terrorist organization.
Latest piece of information eagerly disseminated by the media is
about alleged bombing of no-fire-zone by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces
based on UNISAT pictures. It is a well known fact that UNISAT has no
technical skills to interpret military movements etc. Since, this
location had been in the thick of military activities for last so many
years, it is almost impossible to pinpoint or identify any specific
areas of new activity.
Without such reliable information, the attempts made by the news
media to mislead the readers and the viewers were mischievous and
unprofessional. Some commentators went berserk having lost their sense
of proportion using terms such as crimes against humanity now that the
earlier version of genocide had been rendered useless.
Further, Sri Lankan Government should pull the plug on UNISAT and the
managing UN agency as the UN has NO RIGHT to spy on member states. UN
Colombo offices on more than one occasion had been caught red-handed
supporting the LTTE through various means. Hence, the latest 'leak of
information' of satellite pictures used now by the media to help the
dying Tigers should be investigated by the responsible UN authorities as
well the policy makers in the international media which is increasingly
becoming a mouthpiece of the LTTE propaganda machinery.
Ranjith Soysa Melbourne
When America, militarily the mightiest nation on earth, says that
something happening in any other country is unacceptable it means that
that country has to comply with what is acceptable to America.
When it is unacceptable they usually do not bother to say it but
neutralize it (the language they use) by de-stabilizing that nation and
installing a puppet who will comply fully with American wishes or even
kill as was done to Lumumba.
Every child in America has been brought up to believe that America is
the greatest nation on earth and the children have grown up in that
belief for generations. Even as recently as a few days ago America said
that the situation in the no-fire zone is unacceptable for reasons that
they give which we know are false. If what they say is true the war
could have been ended in just a few hours.
America realizing that she cannot win the war against the Taliban and
that American lives will be continuously lost while even Milliband has
expressed his reluctance to send British soldiers to die in Afghanistan.
America gave an order to Pakistan to finish off with the Taliban for
which she would be paid and was reminded that America was not prepared
to issue a blank cheque.
That 'blank cheque' was a colossal blunder on the advice probably of
Hillary Clinton and Robert O Blake who is now promoted to put South Asia
in its proper place. I wish him luck.
With Russia firmly entrenched in West Asia and China firmly committed
to keep the West out of the rest of Asia and with their joint veto at
the UN on our behalf the use of the word 'unacceptable' while not be
able to do anything about it will be disastrous to the prestige of
America. Now they use the words 'deeply concerned'.
The words 'deeply concerned' are also a threat but at a downgraded
level. At any level our Government has made it clear that we would not
take any orders from outside on this matter.
The continued use of the words 'being concerned' while not being able
to do anything about it will only damage those who are concerned and not
Sri Lanka that is about to complete the greatest human rescue operation
in history from terrorists and their supporters.
L. Jayasooriya
It is regrettable to note that there is an error in the Grade 7
History Textbook published by the Government Educational Publications'
Department. It is mentioned in Page 54 under the heading, The Teachings
of Islam, that "The Muslims must engage in religious rituals at least
twenty times a day." This is contrary to the five great pillars of Islam
and is affecting the Muslim community as well as the Islamic religion.
The correct statement should read as, "The Muslims must engage in
religious rituals or prayers at least five times a day."
This is misleading the Muslims to a great extent and I trust the
relevant authorities will consider this matter and do the needful at the
earliest.
Haji Seyyid H. Moulana Thulhiriya
It is a shocking news to learn that O/L results have been badly
affected again. As reported in the editorial recently, a high percentage
received 'W' for each subjects; maths, science and English at O/L this
year. The figures were 49 percent, 55 percent and 69 percent
respectively. What is more alarming of this failure is that another
considerable percent fails in Sinhala as well.
This may lead to much argument whether reasons or causes for the
decrease of the results to be the ill-fated education system or
loopholes in pedagogy or any other.
Whatever the facts immediate measures should be taken to avert this
fresh tragedy and make the learning-teaching situation more favourable
for the child enhancing the quality of teaching.
Therefore it is important to listen as to what school administration
has also got to say before implementing any remedial measures.
Education is a long term asset and the pivot of the development of a
country. Therefore, so much is spent in this regard.
Meantime on the President's directive a massive program is now under
way to promote education giving priority to English and Information
Technology this year.
Yet problem remains whether these input has direct impact on the
'poor child' in the classroom.
Galagamage Dayananda Wathugedara
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