|
dailynews |
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER LINKS |
|
|
|
The LTTE sympathizer SolheimOne time deputy of the LTTE, Karuna Amman very clearly stated in an interview with the Daily News that the Norwegian LTTE sympathizer Eric Solheim who gifted a 6-feet TV screen to his very close associate the murderous Tiger leader Prabhakaran has also presented a money bag of 16 million Norwegian Kroners to the late Anton Balasingham. He reiterated that the LTTE brought arms and ammunition using that money and they (including Karuna) unloaded the cargo 40 days after the CFA was signed. As we all are aware, Solheim has come to Sri Lanka on a peace mission and not on a picnic. Peacemakers are not permitted to keep close company with the leader of the terrorist organisation and advise him about the future war machinery against the Government troops, show them the military bases and supply transmitters. Solheim has an inalienable right to maintain a social friendship with anybody including Prabhakaran, in the capacity of an ordinary citizen but not as a peacemaker who represents the Norwegian Government. He should understand that he is not a tourist visiting Sri Lanka at his own expense. Solheim voluntarily attended the funeral of Anton Balasingham to please the Tiger leader and other nursery Tigers. The right thinking people of Sri Lanka and the international community eagerly awaits for the clear explanations from Eric Solheim or his early resignation. Both the Sri Lankan and the Norwegian Governments have no legitimate right to ignore the allegations made against Solheim and leave him out to dance to the tune of Prabhakaran. MAHINDA NIHAL PERERA, ---- State-run funeral parloursMerril de Silva's suggestion published on October 21 is undoubtedly good provided it could be made to work without breakdowns. We all know State undertakings - they are slow and notoriously negligent of duty. They would either be on strike (demanding that more people die!) or would arrive after the corpse has begun to decompose. Who could then entrust the last rites of a family member to another Funeral Secretariat? I am not being cynical but this is what it will turn out to be if it were ever to begin. P. D. L. GUNAWARDANA, ---- Bishop Rayappu Joseph and BBC do it againBishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph who is famously known as a LTTE supporter/sympathizer has given again his two cents worth to the BBC. He has told the BBC (BBC Online of 3.1.07) which is more inclined to defame the legitimate Government of Sri Lanka and glorify the LTTE terrorism that he couldn't find a Tiger base (mind you this is being a uncleared area) in the vicinity of the village Padahuthurai contrary to what the Government Forces has claimed. Any person will understand that when ordinary civilians are used as human shields by the LTTE, they do not need to have a permanent base. And also, it is a known strategy of the LTTE that they attack the Government Forces under the cover of civilians as human shields and keep on moving their men and military equipment from one place to another. The BBC headlines reported that the Tiger's version as "At least 15 civilians have been killed in an air force raid in north-west Sri Lanka, Tamil Tiger rebels say", but failed to report the Government version of this attack. It was 9.11 that made USA to go against terrorism. In recalling, the Bishop was famous for his lies in defending the LTTE and he once blamed the army for attacking the church when the Army attempted to rescue civilians and chase the LTTE from the church premises. Thus, Bishop Rayappu as usual continues to support the LTTE whilst the hierarchy of the Catholic Church seems to continue to ignore his unethical behaviour. MALIN ABEYATUNGE, ---- Execution of Saddam Hussein on the Most Holy Day-HajjiThe USA had one agenda during the last four years and that was to teach a lesson to Saddam Hussein and Iraq directly, with the indirect target being the rest of the Islamic countries in the Middle-East "We are the Super Power and it is best to heed our dictates!" The bone of contention within Iraq that was projected to the outside world was the conflicts between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims but is this, the real reason for punishing Saddam Hussein? In the long-drawn out agenda to destroy Saddam Hussein, the USA must never forget that they brought on more misery to the entire Iraqi civilian population whether they were innocents, Shiites or Sunnis - that is immaterial. For the entire length of the Western presence in Iraq, they have deprived the Iraqis of leading normal lives according to their Islamic traditional lifestyle and observing their religious festivals in the customary festive manner. Children have been deprived on continuous education, nutritious food and medical facilities. The USA must also never forget the fact that all the sweet sounding words of freedom, democracy and human rights that they 'dish out' to other non-Christian countries have been thrown to the dogs when they broke every aorta of decency by invading Iraq and declaring war on a sovereign Islamic country and its President. The arrogance, intolerance and insensitive manner in which the USA acted by even depriving the Muslims in Iraq to celebrate their most Holy Festival Hajji in peace by ensuring that Saddam Hussein was executed exactly during the Hajji Festival, must be an eye-opener to the entire Islamic world of the barbaric nature of the US Government irrespective of whether it is under George Bush Jnr. or his father, or any other American President! The real crime committed by Saddam Hussein was not the Shiites, the Sunnis, invasion of Kuwait or any other lame excuse that the USA has projected but, the fact that Saddam Hussein had the guts to declare that he would consider selling oil for Euro dollars instead of American dollars! Leaders of the Islamic world must heed this fact and remember that they have shirked their responsibility of standing by one of their own countries when they permitted the USA to go ahead with their aggressive agenda of destroying Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Where is the brotherhood that Muslims talk about? Why did they back out of showing brotherly love and support to Saddam Hussein? Do they even now understand the seriousness of this shortcoming on their part at a time when Iraqis were facing a crisis? There is no doubt that most non-Islamic countries will not condone some of the punishments meted out to criminals in the Islamic countries but then, if we were to adopt the moral concept of 'live and let live' as so called developed countries, there is a manner in which suggestions could be made without invading a country and bringing untold misery to the entire population of that country - not only Saddam Hussein but innocent civilians! This is the way of 'American hegemonism' a term we heard quite often during the 1960 -1970 eras. To back them up, they have an ever willing ally in the UK a country, which has traces of their colonial past of arrogance and insensitivity. In this whole episode, what is most shocking is the role played by the United Nations and its inability to prove to the entire world, that it stood for decency, morality, humanitarianism (a term they love to use often against developing countries) and impartiality. It proved to the entire world, that the UN was a mere puppet being manipulated by American arrogance. What earthly use is the Security Council? With the arrogance of America being openly flaunted, it is sad to note that other Western powers showed their fickle minds in not opposing the attacks on Iraq and military presence inside the sovereign territory of an independent Islamic State. The fact that America has not shed its 'cowboy heritage' was amply seen in the manner in which they terrorized others into silence while they had a field day in torturing Iraqis with a venom and orchestrating what seemed 'like a judicial trial' which was set up with full American backing to murder Saddam Hussein and the rest of the entire so called decent world permitted it. No amount of excuses will justify this inhumane behaviour of one country towards another which is not even a neighbour 'attempting to encroach into their territory' but a country many thousands of miles away. It is high time that every Western power thinks seriously about their own roles in the world and whether are going to tow the line of America in all low and dirty politics and be a party to American aggression. Can we ever hope to have a peaceful world permitting only the affluent countries, to dictate to the rest of us? Sri Lanka should open her eyes and act with caution or else the fate of Iraqis, could some day be ours! RAMANI D. WICKRAMARATNE, ---- Stop import of two-stroke three-wheelersThis is the best bit of news in a long time! (Reference DN Jan. 5) The Government is to be congratulated for taking a radical step. Not only does the emission from these things pollute the air, what about the noise and road pollution? KUMARA SOYSA, -------- IILet's hope that this is the first step in banning all three-wheelers from the country's road system. (Reference DN Jan 5) Besides the environmental issues, these vehicles pose a serious threat to road safety. They cannot maintain the speeds and capability of other vehicles resulting in a dangerous situation on the roads. They certainly do not help in improving the quality of transport. It is time that the public gets a safe and decent mode of transport at an affordable price! The next step should be to restrict these three-wheelers to remote country areas until they are totally banned. GEORGE MAHARAGE, |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|