Shimali Senanayake,  Sun Jan 22 22:49:57 EST 2006

    Norway's top peace broker arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday, for crucial talks with the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels aimed at halting weeks of deadly violence and an imminent outbreak of war.
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Norway's development minister Erik Solheim, will try to break a deadlock between the parties on where to hold the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides in nearly three years.
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President Mahinda Rajapakse has already informed the peace brokers that the government is willing to hold talks in "any destination," other than the Norwegian capital Oslo.

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- The Academic

Quote: The Tamil Tigers began fighting in 1983 to carve out an independent homeland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yet another journalist, who lack fundamental history of her own motherland.

1) Democratically elected Tamil leaders were asking equal place since 1931. Why?? When the colonial masters left SL, they hand over the power to majority Sinhala dominated government. All decisions and all the law enacted show the interest of Sinhala speaking community. In order to have equal chance of making decision, they asked equal representation or federal solution.

2) Sinhala only act in place by 1956 effectively denied jobs to the Tamils who don't posses the basic minimum grade three level Sinhala language proficiency

3) Massacre of Tamils in 1958

4) All Gandhian non-violent protest by Tamils in early 1960's crushed by the State arm violently

5) Introduction of standardization effectively minimizes the competitiveness/ merit system to enter in to higher education. This left many youths frustrated. Some splinter gps and individual actions against state started.

6) Massacre of 7 unarmed Tamil spectators of Tamil research conference in Jaffna.

7) Tamil New Tigers the organized form of Tamil rebel movement first formed in 1974, Mean time Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS) formed and start functioning in UK. It was independent of TNT.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam headed by UmaMaheswaran formed in 1976.

Latter, Uma split and formed PLOTE, and Pathmanaba split and formed EPRLF from EROS in early 80s. Latter Douglas Split from EPRLF and formed EPDP in early 90s. Paranthan Rajan split from PLOTE and formed ENDLF mid 80's.

Kuttymani and Thangathurai were functioning as a separate gp but not had the same organization level until 1978 and formed TELO.

9) Alfred Duraiappa, Inspecter Bastiampillai and his gp of 4 were killed by LTTE; Inspecter Pathmanathan was killed by TELO. Anakodai Police station was raided by PLOTE, Chavakacheri police station was first raided by LTTE in late 70s or early 80s( not sure) and then in 1984 by TELO. All these raids are for arms. They got their first submachine guns from SL police.

10) 13 soldiers were killed by LTTE lead to the island wide massacre of Tamils and the history known to every one.
Once again I am not try to teach the Journalist of history, but induce them to read more than cut and paste a similar phrase, which is absolutely wrong. Many people in this forum seem to have born on or after 1983 and lack the fundamental knowledge of Srilankan History either.

Srilanka has only one problem- the language. This has been twisted and combined with religion for a secondary benefit.

Hope this is more educational than confrontational. I anticipate some system analyst or master butches will disect every word and letter from my posting to show their colors. If the history is wrong quote from an authentic source not just a web site post some twisted data for their own business abroad.

Victor Ragunath

Quote:

Srilanka has only one problem- the language. This has been twisted and combined with religion for a secondary benefit.

I have to admit, this is quite true  

"Srilanka has only one problem- the language. This has been twisted and combined with religion for a secondary benefit."
I think the main problem is the 'polititians' who could not see beyond their nose and the small time nationalist mentalities of the Sinhalese leaders of that time.  It is my humble request to them to offer a genuine devolution of power to the Tamil areas, like it is offered to people of many different languages in India and create an atmosphere for the common man to live and work in peace.

I think Tamil people are not going to take any oppression lying down (India realized that in the 60s).  They also have a history of living in harmony with people in many different countries, as long as they are left to their own devices without any cultural dominances from those around. So then, the choice is simple!

Having said that, I think the average Sinhalese person is friendly, courteous, social and likes to enjoy a good time.  So if Sinhalese people can have suitable leaders, hopefully peace will return and the country can progress and everybody can have a good time!

Let us hope that these talks will yeild in some positive results and there will not be a return to war.  Does anybody need a civil war?

"President Mahinda Rajapakse has already informed the peace brokers that the government is willing to hold talks in "any destination," other than the Norwegian capital Oslo".
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If so - Norway only has to arrange the talks in another city in Norway, may be just 50km away from Oslo.
With that all the disputes on venue are resolved.

Anyway better wait for a few more months - all these European cities are very cold these days, so naturally Anton Bala and other LTTE guys coming from cold countries may have an advantage.
(just like SLankan cricketers find it easy to win matches in SLankan pitches)

Not only the Singhalese parties, but also the Tamil parties concerned should act with some foresightedness, giving no values to petty sentiments, short term goals and above all giving importance to true human values rather than fighting over ethnic, religious and language identities.  

After all those identities are for politicians to exploit for their own benefits, and not for the common mass for their survival.  We have to learn from history.


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H.U.MAN




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