Speech delivered by lawyer and unofficial advisor during Bill Clinton and Obama Administration:

Return to paradise

George R WILLIE

Welcome Your Excellency to this great city. Ignore the oak trees and mocking birds we could easily mistake this for Sri Lanka. It is in Sri Lanka that I was borne and my mother and parents of my wife Shanthi, our grandfathers and grandmothers were all buried under the sacred soil of my motherland. I grew up Your Excellency, in Jaffna and moved to Colombo when I was only 10 years old. My wife is from Badulla, grew up in Diyathalawa where her father was a well-respected captain in the Army.

I smelt the sweetness of Magoza trees in Jaffna and taste of the Red Jumbo fruits and left red stains on my white shirt as I walked to school in Colombo. I know the lure of Jack fruits ripening on the trees as crows begin to open them. I have seen the bright colour of pandols during Wesak and shamelessly ate food at Dansala meant for the poor. And I have heard the chanting of Kovils and inhaled the smell of jasmine and Jose sticks. I have heard the bell of All Saint’s Church as I assisted father Herath during Mass.

But since I left Sri Lanka in 1975 there has been much pain, much sorrow and much agony. The mighty Mahaweli Ganga that usually bring its sacred water to the paddy fields spat out blood, both the Sinhalese and Tamils. From up here in the United States I have watched the land of my forefathers descend from paradise deep in to hell. No one can say with certainty who is to blame but the time for blaming is gone for long.

Your Excellency, you power be descended from Dutugemunu and my people from Elara. Remember how Dutugemunu faught Elara on his Elephant Kandula and killed Elara. Dutugemunu of course is still remembered for uniting Sri Lanka for the first time. But he is also remembered for something else. After defeating and killing Elara he built a monument for Elara out of respect for his worthy opponent. He ordered all the citizens of the land to stop dismount and pay respect to Elara. In so doing he not only showed what a noble men he was, but also proved to be a great politician. He knew that he had to rule the Tamil people after the defeat of Elara.

Your Excellency, faith, fortune and your great political skill have placed you at a unique point in history. Children years to come, will read in their history books, that a great leader, a great worrier by the name of Mahinda Rajapaksa finally defeated the rebellion after nearly 25 years where several before him failed. They may even say that you are Dutugemunu of the 21st century. But if you want to bear Gemunu’s mental integrity Your Excellency, you will have to build a monument too. That monument does not have to be a Dagaba or a building. It will have to be a new policy backed by law.

Do not make the mistake that sparked the 58 riots. Do not hold back Tamils who want to get into universities. Do not make the Tamils feel like they are second class citizens. Respect their religion and respect their language. There is something about the Tamil people you need to know Your Excellency.

To them their language is God. There are only few cultures in the world, which has such devotion to language. You were trained as a lawyer and in your early carrier you were a formidable defender of human rights. Now you have the popularity, you have the power of a hero, like Julius Saeser, returning to Rome from his conquests. No one can deny what you are. You and I read in law school, then we have had to study the Soulbery Constitution. Ask the Parliament to pass the required legislations. If you need my help I will give it. The Tamil people are hungry for you to assure them that there is a place for them.

Make sure they have one. You killed one Prabhakaran but do not let another grow. You cannot prevent another one with swords and guns. You can only do it with your heart and wisdom. Compassion, truth and justice your learnt from the Buddha are the only weapons you need. In the Dhamma Pada Buddha says that hatred could only be countered with hatred. Hatred could only be caused to cease with love. This is an old rule.

Your Excellency as you leave this city and return to Sri Lanka, promise me that a 10 year old boy walking to school tomorrow in his white shirt will have no other red stain that from Jumbo fruits. A morning crow will not open anything other than a ripe jackfruit. That there is nothing else hanging from a Magoza tree.

Your Excellency returned us to paradise.