As published in Asian Tribune, May 30, 2015
By Janaka Perera

From the end of April through this month the world including Sri Lanka observed anniversaries marking the end of several armed conflicts – Vietnam War (April 30), fighting in the European Theatre of World War II (May 8) and the LTTE’s separatist insurgency (May 19).
Sri Lankan activists hold candles during a vigil in Colombo on May 24, 2015

Some ‘pundits’ in SL however were unhappy that May 19 is called Victory Day (or even Ranaviru Day) because in their cockeyed view it is an obstacle to ‘reconciliation’ or whatever they mean by it. Instead they wanted it be named Remembrance Day – forgetting that the two are separate events though the day is the same. In fact as one observer noted ‘Victory Day’ is not an event but a milestone which marked the decimation of one of the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfits responsible for the assassination of two heads of state in (India and Sri Lanka) among many others.

One of these buffoon in a TV interview said last week that he did not wish to remember May 19 at all – probably not even as a ‘Remembrance Day.’ Whose agendas these dubious characters are serving is worth investigating.

Now, a group calling itself ‘The Community of the Risen Lord’ (www.crlmain.org) is planning to organize an ‘Overnight Vigil’ on May 30. This absurd event apparently is to be held both in Australia and Sri Lanka. According to their spokesman, Don Suraweera the supposed objective is “meaningful reconciliation between both Sinhalas and Tamils.”

However reading his statement in an e-mail dated May 13 raises questions about the organizers’ real agenda. In his message dated May 13, Suraweera says:

“The war ended in 2009. However, this is not the first war and may not be the last either, if we don’t understand each other or if we don’t work for each other in the community. War was against LTTE terrorists, but in our history there were many wars between Sinhala and Tamils. Let’s make it the last war between Sinhalese and Tamils. As a Sinhala speaking person I believe I need to ask pardon from all Tamil people. All of us, including our grandparents are responsible for the war. Always there is a reason for any act behind any person regardless whether it is right or wrong.”

“The war ended in 2009. However, this is not the first war and may not be the last either, if we don’t understand each other or if we don’t work for each other in the community. War was against LTTE terrorists, but in our history there were many wars between Sinhala and Tamils. Let’s make it the last war between Sinhalese and Tamils. As a Sinhala speaking person I believe I need to ask pardon from all Tamil people. All of us, including our grandparents are responsible for the war. Always there is a reason for any act behind any person regardless whether it is right or wrong.”
First and foremost we wonder whether Suraweera is talking through his hat unless he is from another planet. When were there WARS between Sinhalas and Tamils in our history?

Almost all the wars that occurred in Sri Lanka before the European encounter were between Sinhala kings and South Indian invaders one of whom was Elara. They were not conflicts between ordinary Sinhalas and Tamils but between armies.

Moreover Elara was honoured as a just king by his rival Dutugemunu. If there was hatred among the two communities would the Sri Lankan State name its Northern Naval installation in Karianagar after King Elara?

If there were Sinhala-Tamil racial conflicts would the South Indian Tamil Nayakkar Dynasty be able to rule the Kandyan Kingdom, known as Sinhale, for nearly 80 years?

It was only during the last years of the British colonial rule that signs of friction appeared between political elements among the Sinhala Tamil communities, primarily due to the colonial power’s divide-and-rule-policy which eventually led to bloody ethnic clashes in 1958, 1977 and 1983. It was obvious that the mob violence was instigated by sections of the then ruling party among others especially in 1983.

If the ‘Community of the Risen Lord’ thinks that it is going to achieve meaningful reconciliation by making the Sinhalas feel guilty the organizers better get their heads examined. Going by this absurd logic why not also get the Tamils to apologise not only to the Sinhalese but also to the Muslims for all the atrocities the LTTE committed since 1983 – because the Tigers insisted that they were the sole and authentic representatives of the Tamils? It was the Tigers who called their secessionist uprising a war between two countries – the fictitious Tamil Eelam and Sri Lanka, which was allegedly occupying the so-called traditional Tamil Homeland.

Anyone with an iota of brain will blame neither the Sinhalas nor Tamils as communities for the crimes committed in the name of ethnic politics in the country but only those opportunistic political forces irrespective of ethnicity which led the country to misery and bloodshed and pave the way for foreign powers to meddle in our affairs. Among the culprits are the bogus anti-war crusaders who were calling for a ‘negotiated settlement’ with the intransigent separatists.

Before pontificating on the need for the Sinhalas to ask for forgiveness from Tamils, the churches should critically examine their role as Trojan Horses since colonial times and ask for forgiveness from BOTH the Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus for the overt and covert support they gave to the European colonial rulers in undermining the country’s Buddhist-Hindu culture. (I am not referring to the individual Catholics/Christians who stood by the majority Sinhala Buddhists against the injustices done to them).

All copyrights belong to Asian Tribune