Sri Lanka: Genocide and Poor Toilet Training

Sri Lanka's Buddhist tormentors force Hindus and Christians to play the ultimate humiliation game.

(SALEM) - A terrible history of murdering journalists who dissent from the government's grace isn't evil enough for Sri Lanka's continual conflict against the Tamil population in Jaffna. Now the man presiding over the country's northern Tamil area, a war crime suspect, is going to transform the high technology section of the Jaffna Library into a toilet for Sinhalese visitors from the south.

Sources report that The Sri Lankan Governor for the Northern Province of Jaffna proposes the construction of a toilet to replace the Computer section on the second floor of the Jaffna Public library^[1] .

It's pretty sad when a nation's entire military mission is based around ethnic cleansing. It is even sadder when you learn that the agents of death and state terrorism in Sri Lankan are Buddhists.

But this story isn't about the Genocide this religious government is responsible for, where Tamil Hindu and Christian people were slaughtered in a systematic, utterly cruel way.

It is about the post-war actions of this same Buddhist government, and if there is one underlying theme in this report it might be the question, how much are people really expected to take?

By the summer of 2009, right under the world's nose, vast segments of a culture were annihilated, ground into pieces, children were hacked, shot and stabbed. There are horrible accounts of Tamil women and girls being raped. Resistance fighters with white flags were murdered by the government forces of Sri Lanka as they attempted to surrender to what they believed was an honorable military force.

Instead we learn of their plight; we discover the photos of a resistance leader's son who had been shot in the chest, just a 12-year old boy who had turned himself into government forces for protection. Some protection they offered.

As we have detailed in grisly, past reports, they were directed into so-called 'safe zones' and then bombed to smithereens. And when the bombs stopped, the men of Sri Lanka's Army came, and the killing at that point became much more personal. It is truly a world catastrophe, and now the government turns on the treasured Jaffna Library?

What is really interesting, is the fact that Sri Lanka's highly decorated generals like Chandrasiri, Silva and so many others, earned their medals fighting their own countrymen. I know many Sinhalese have a hard time admitting it, but the Tamils are also Sri Lankans and most if not all of the medals these decorated officers wear, are for killing their fellow Sri Lankans. Rarely has such a defeating and tragic country or concept existed.

Foreign Governor - G. A. Chandrasiri

But again, I digress; this story is about the problems that continue to spill out from this violent conflict. It is about the despicable humiliation of human beings by a retired Sri Lankan Army (SLA) Major General named G. A. Chandrasiri - the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna. He is now the civilian governor of this disputed region^[2].

This is Tamil country, the one region that the Tamils called their own; the former breakaway state of Tamil Eelam, that was protected by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) until their defeat in May 2009.

He has no real ties to the area, other than military conquest. Chandrasiri's history involves serving as a commander with Security Forces Headquarters in the northern part of this island nation during the final stages of this three-decade long Sri Lankan Civil War. It now appears as though he is existing to take steps of revenge... that is sure how it appears.

Appointed Governor of the region by Rajapaksa, he is free to do anything he wants and he knows Colombo will back his every move. This ultimately becomes an endorsement on a license to commit human rights violations. When a government remains oblivious to the obvious, inherent hazards of this behavior, it truly has crossed the border into madness.

The Web page for the Northern Provinces openly discusses the free will this military commander is granted as a politician:

Yet many say the total opposite. A long list of influential Tamils say that this man suspected of war crimes like several other Sri Lankan commanders, is worse than a poor choice for this job. The idea that he wants to transform the library into a toilet after all of its history spanning back to its creation in 1933, is proof that his goal is to continue the injuries against the people of this region.

1981 Burning of Jaffna Library

Almost a decade ago, before the slaughter of innocents and milants that raged from 2005 to 2009, Vasuki Nesiah wrote the article, Monumental history and the politics of memory:Public space and the Jaffna public library, which included the associated photo.

The Jaffna public library was burned under state supervision in 1981 – the memory of that event burned into Tamil consciousness as an iconic marker of the physical and imaginative violence of state sponsored Sinhala majoritarianism. Today the rebuilding of the library is embroiled in a different kind of battle over memory and history; the scaffolding and reconstruction captured in the cover photograph by Dominic Sansoni represents how the memory of Tamil victimhood is itself under construction. Yet as Sansoni’s photograph suggests, the scaffolding gets assimilated into the clean lines and reconstructed façade of the rebuilt library (in fact at first glance I didn’t even notice the scaffolding), i.e., the construction of memory itself becomes naturalized into our narratives of the past. In that context, the controversy over the reopening of the library reminds us that memory is itself a field of contestation: Who ‘owns’ the memory of 1981 in the Tamil community – “heroes” and rulers or their victims and survivors? The burning of the library is a story about the Sri Lankan government’s racist and violent campaign to conquer public space in Jaffna. Perhaps the debate over the re-opening of the public library constitutes a reclaiming of public space from the reach of the LTTE?

Mobs of Buddhist Book Burners

The terrible burning of the library by the Sri Lankan Army and the destruction of its 97,000 book collection, was one of many acts the government specifically committed against this population, and it is only one time that this library has been at the center of bloody military combat.

There is no question in retrospect, that the acts carried out against the Tamils were wrong; the library burning specifically was an act against the intellectual values of mankind; far more something that would be expected from the likes of Hitler or Mussolini. These are a few of the sad facts behind the bloody civil war's casualty toll, which is always blamed on the LTTE.

He was also further quoted as saying in reference to a prominent local Tamil poet, reminding the audience that:

Yet the library at Jaffna continues to be the victim of Sri Lanka's racist policies against the Tamils.

In the truthdive article, The Sinhala idea of replacing Tamil library with Toilet, P.T. Ramasamy Vepery writes:

Why now though?

Because of the recent U.S. led war crimes resolution against Sri Lanka with the UN in Geneva. This is a political act Americans can be proud of, it was the right thing to do in spite of hypocrisy.

It was last February, when Stephen Rapp, the US President’s Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, had a change of plans when his calendar appointments were amended to include a rushed visit to Sri Lanka.

Rapp served as Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone beginning in January 2007, leading the prosecutions of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and other persons alleged to bear the greatest responsibility for the atrocities committed during the civil war in Sierra Leone. His visit was expected to be a precursor to international community’s push to have the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report discussed at the March sitting of the United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva ^[6].

It was US delegate John C. Mariz, who addressed the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, saying the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report does not comprise any plan to execute its recommendations, nor does it sufficiently address the critical issue of accountability^[7].

Sri Lanka is angry at the United States and also at India for backing the resolution. Sri Lanka does not deserve a simple slap of the wrist, which is what the resolution amounts to.

They now have to follow the terms of their own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, and that group, the LLRC, did not blame the Sri Lankan military for a single death, when in all likelihood they are responsible for more than a hundred thousand, possibly far more. The matter of war crimes has been an issue of bruised ego with the government of Sri Lanka and how long the charade will continue is unknown.

Now we know that as a reaction to being shamed by the world for war crimes that SL will not really have to atone to, Chandrasiri is looking for new, creative ways to punish the Tamils.

In this effort to humiliate an entire culture, Gov. Chandrasiri soils his own reputation.

Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Tim is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from The Associated Press the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs, Electronic Media Association and The Red Cross In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005.

Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 100 writers contribute stories from 20+ countries and regions.

Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide with an emphasis on Palestine and Sri Lanka, Iraq and Afghanistan, and the U.S. Marines. You can write to Tim at this address: tim@salem-news.com. Visit Tim's Facebook page (facebook.com/TimKing.Reporter)

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Comments Leave a comment on this story.

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Tamil boy August 9, 2012 1:39 pm (Pacific time)

In my point of view, the sinhalese people are just trying to bury their mistakes with feathers..

Raja April 13, 2012 5:59 am (Pacific time)

Dear Editor and Tim King.

Thank you for posting my article.

Best Regards

Raja Sathasivampillai

Tim King: Thank you Raja!

kalumbandara April 12, 2012 9:01 pm (Pacific time)

saleem editor tamil tigers killed 60 buddist priest in arantalawa, 30 infants in bakkialla at that time wheare were you shame

Editor: So two wrongs make a right in your mind?

Editor to Raja April 12, 2012 1:10 pm (Pacific time)

I have your comment, thank you. It is powerful and better suited as a news entry, so I am going to do that and approve the comment. If you want additional information to accompany this please send it via comment or email: tim@salem-news.com, thank you sincerely.

Eelam Man April 12, 2012 7:16 am (Pacific time)

Government of SriLanka is telling to south animals to go Jaffna and urine on Jaffna Tamils computer brains. That's all.

Raja April 12, 2012 4:36 am (Pacific time)

Rajapaksa is supporting the brutal Paramilitary Forces by Karuna, Douglas D, Pillayan extort money from the already impoverished Tamil Businessmen to wipe them out. The Genocide continues. First Rajapaksas destroyed Tamil people in the war , now Rajapaksas are destroying Tamil businessmen to wipe out them out.
White van “disappearances for ransom” is overtly a racket milking Tamil cash cows there is also a hidden aspect. In July 1983 organized mobs consisting mainly of Sinhala – speaking hoodlums looted and destroyed Tamil businesses. Despite that blow the resilient Tamil people have bounced back and have carved out their niche once again in Sri Lankan commerce. What is happening now is another “silent” July 1983. The business concerns are not physically destroyed but Tamil businessmen are being systematically wiped out. Tamil owned or controlled commerce is rapidly eroding. The “enforced disappearances” of most affluent Tamils are not political or related to counter – terrorist procedures. These are nothing but extortion related abductions. It is now an industry. The actual number of incidents are not reported to the Police or even organizations like the Civil Monitoring Commission. Many people negotiate on their own and get their loved ones released through paying a reduced sum. They later keep silent. In many cases the ransom paid is so great that continuing with business becomes impossible. Some are forced to sell off property to collect ransom money. Also some who get released feel so insecure that they transfer their businesses to someone else and leave the country. There are also many businessmen who have run off to India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Middle – East and Western nations to escape being victimised.
The irony is that this slow strangulation is not being done by Sinhala mobs but by main three Pro-Rajapaksa Paramilitary Groups:1. Karuna, 2.Pillayan, 3.Douglas D. The actual abductions are generally done by the Karuna or Douglas D group or in a few cases by both. There is close collaboration by sections of the Police and armed forces and intelligence personnell. Some top “security” guy is usually at hand to help out if something goes wrong. It is also believed that a percentage of the ill – gained loot is given to these sections. In some instances the Tamil groups pay “bribes” to get things done. There is corruption or collaboration by the Police or Armed forces in this sordid activity. What is frightening about this racket is suspected connivance and condonement at very high levels. At least one cabinet minister has demanded and received money for the release of abducted persons. There are also instances of the families and relatives of abducted persons obtaining their releases through contacts at very, very high levels of Government. It is said that the only sure guarantee of getting one released is to gain the sympathy of family members of a powerful, political dynasty.
ajapaksa is supporting the brutal Paramilitary Forces by Karuna, Douglas D, Pillayan extort money from the already impoverished Tamil Businessmen to wipe them out. The Genocide continues. First Rajapaksas destroyed Tamil people in the war , now Rajapaksas are destroying Tamil businessmen to wipe out them out.
White van “disappearances for ransom” is overtly a racket milking Tamil cash cows there is also a hidden aspect. In July 1983 organized mobs consisting mainly of Sinhala – speaking hoodlums looted and destroyed Tamil businesses. Despite that blow the resilient Tamil people have bounced back and have carved out their niche once again in Sri Lankan commerce. What is happening now is another “silent” July 1983. The business concerns are not physically destroyed but Tamil businessmen are being systematically wiped out. Tamil owned or controlled commerce is rapidly eroding. The “enforced disappearances” of most affluent Tamils are not political or related to counter – terrorist procedures. These are nothing but extortion related abductions. It is now an industry. The actual number of incidents are not reported to the Police or even organizations like the Civil Monitoring Commission. Many people negotiate on their own and get their loved ones released through paying a reduced sum. They later keep silent. In many cases the ransom paid is so great that continuing with business becomes impossible. Some are forced to sell off property to collect ransom money. Also some who get released feel so insecure that they transfer their businesses to someone else and leave the country. There are also many businessmen who have run off to India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Middle – East and Western nations to escape being victimised.
The irony is that this slow strangulation is not being done by Sinhala mobs but by main three Pro-Rajapaksa Paramilitary Groups:1. Karuna, 2.Pillayan, 3.Douglas D. The actual abductions are generally done by the Karuna or Douglas D group or in a few cases by both. There is close collaboration by sections of the Police and armed forces and intelligence personnell. Some top “security” guy is usually at hand to help out if something goes wrong. It is also believed that a percentage of the ill – gained loot is given to these sections. In some instances the Tamil groups pay “bribes” to get things done. There is corruption or collaboration by the Police or Armed forces in this sordid activity. What is frightening about this racket is suspected connivance and condonement at very high levels. At least one cabinet minister has demanded and received money for the release of abducted persons. There are also instances of the families and relatives of abducted persons obtaining their releases through contacts at very, very high levels of Government. It is said that the only sure guarantee of getting one released is to gain the sympathy of family members of a Rajapaksa political dynasty. http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/5508

Siva April 11, 2012 10:14 pm (Pacific time)

Sri Lanka Army is occupying Jaffna !!

Sri Lanka Army are mass murderers of the 40 000 innocent civilians, child killers , rapists of dead women's corpses and they are not interested in Library or Respect the Tamil culture

Panja April 11, 2012 8:51 pm (Pacific time)

Thank You Tim,

Very good article. War criminals know nothing but toilet and mass graves.

Tim King: Thank you Panja!

nandini April 11, 2012 1:22 pm (Pacific time)

the singala buddhists priorities are toilets and NOT knowledge OR culture like swine relishing feces.
What more can you expect in a country which is a cesspit of EVIL

Aroharan April 11, 2012 10:37 am (Pacific time)

Gen. Chandrasiri is doing exactly as expected of him by his Master! He is following in the footsteps of former President Jayewardene when he said (after the Black July Pogrom): when the Tamils are made to suffer the Sinhalese will be happy"! President Rajapakse is doing the same. Incidentally, when all the mass murder and mayhem were being executed in the Wanni in 2009 they were well known to the UN which did NOTHING except to vacate and thus make room for war crimes to take place. The UNSG flew over the area the day after the bloodbath and described it as the worst scene he had ever seen anywhere! And he was garlanded by the military!This is quite in contrast to what he is spouting over Syria now. So what is going on? The Dublin Peace Tribunal did the job in 10 days and found war crimes had been committed and identified 52 war criminals. And the UNHCR has become a shambolic political playground rather like in Sri Lanka than a UN Forum to deal in justice and humanitarian needs for very gross HR and Humanitarian Rights violations under the UN Charter!

Tim King: 52... 52 Division commander, isn't life ironic in a cruel way?

Davidson April 11, 2012 8:17 am (Pacific time)

Tim King,
Thank you for writing this.
Please don't forget to send your parliamentarian:
SRI LANKA: The government's abduction industry exposed, 10 April 2012, http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-083-2012#.T4Poh5cxVNw.facebook

Tim King: Thank you!

Durga Prabakaran April 11, 2012 8:15 am (Pacific time)

Do you really neeed toilets for Southern Visitors; Their toilet training is evident from Matara or let me say Hambantota to Colombo and all through A-9, and in around the places where your dearly beloved security forces are stationed - Are you out of your mind? Do you seriously think that you want to waste the precious rupees of Mahinda Rajapakse on Toilets, Do you guys know how to use toilets or when to use them - Go ahead and buy some more arms, atleaset you can put them to use - killing more Tamils. Sorry, You can never kill their spirits.

Anuruddha Disa April 11, 2012 6:45 am (Pacific time)

Terrorism or ra cism is not the way forward for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Please understand the money your are making through writing thin bullshit will may destroy lives of thousands ..This just misinterpretation of fact done to earn few dollars more . Shame on you

kuruppu April 11, 2012 6:02 am (Pacific time)

International community should hold a referendum asking the Tamils whether they want to go separate ways and establish our Nation, these Singhalese mindset can not be corrected and it's a futile effort if anyone thinks otherwise.

Laksmansingh April 11, 2012 5:52 am (Pacific time)

Tim King how much blood money was given by the terrorist LTTE demonic murderers for you to write these nonsense. The north and the east belongs to all Sri Lankans. There are no ethnic enclaves or territories exclusively for tamils. Have you forgotten the slaughter by the LTTE terrorist tamils their own and innocent civilians for over 40 years? There can never be a mono-ethnic peelam in the north or the east.

Tim King: Why do you guys always try this same approach? We are humanitarians, the blood money was used to pay the SLA.

Roman L. April 11, 2012 4:51 am (Pacific time)

What will they think of next? This is a piece of history for all of Sri Lanka is it not? They are turning their own country into a bathroom if they do this, ir reflects on all.

Anonymous April 11, 2012 1:52 am (Pacific time)

The government of sri lanka is taking every measure to punish Tamils in our own homeland, it is disgusting and criminal.

Sankaran April 11, 2012 1:23 am (Pacific time)

Rajapaksa Government Police has prepared to harass the poor “White Van” abduction victim Dimuthu Attygalle
--------
Sri Lanka Police announced investigations to be carried out against Dimuthu Attygala member of the Frontline Socialist Party who had been abducted and released to the society recently.
It was revealed Police have taken steps to hold investigations against Dimuthu.

However Dimuthu Attygala informed the police that she was not in proper mentality to face the investigation.

Due to this police would hold investigations against Dimuthu within couple of days.

http://www.lankasrinews.com/view.php?22BmSac3MA24eIY5203lOAdd3OlJ20z5Y3e44MCca3mB52

Priyantha Somaratna April 11, 2012 12:47 am (Pacific time)

Australian claims Sri Lankan agents sexually tortured him Leesha McKenny, Dylan Welch
April 11, 2012 – 4:29PM

Read later.THE Australian man abducted in Sri Lanka over the weekend has contradicted the claims of the Colombo government, claiming it abducted him, and were it not for Canberra’s intervention he would have faced certain death.

Premakumar Gunaratnam, a 42-year-old Sri Lankan left wing politician who moved to Australia in 2006, held a press conference at his house in Sydney’s north this afternoon, after leaving Sri Lanka yesterday.

He said that he was handcuffed, blindfolded and physically and sexually tortured during his three day detention.

Advertisement: Story continues below “I have no doubt that if I didn’t have the Australian government’s support I would have been killed just like my brother and hundreds of other political activists and journalists have been killed,” Mr Gunaratnam said at his Dural home at about 2.30pm.

His claims will put pressure on the Sri Lankan government, who at first said they were unaware of Mr Gunaratnam’s presence in their country, and once he was located stated categorically that they had played no role in his disappearance.

“The Sri Lankan authorities never arrested that person,” the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Canberra, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, told Fairfax media on Tuesday.

Disputing that contention, Mr Gunaratnam said: “I can confirm I was abducted by the Sri Lankan government forces, blindfolded and tortured. This includes, I am embarrassed to say, sexual torture.”

He called on the international community to acknowledge what he says are ongoing human rights violations in Sri Lanka being commited by the govenrment of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“If everyone ignores the human rights violations in Sri Lanka then the Rajapaksa regime will continue the dictatorial regime abducting and killing people who speak out,” he said.

“The free-thinking world should take a stance against (these) gross human rights violations.”

Comment is being sought from the Sri Lankan government.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/australian-claims-sri-lankan-agents-sexually-tortured-him-20120411-1wpzo.html#ixzz1riBJrwaG

Linda Masterson April 11, 2012 12:01 am (Pacific time)

To replace Computer Room in Jaffna Library which renowned throughout the whole word as a jewel in ancient Tamil studies with a toilet for Sinhalese visitors from the South is …beggars beliefs …. Yet another anti –reconciliation initiative by New Colonial Slave Masters in Occupied Tamil Homelands

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