Chandre Dharmawardena, in response to THE COMMENTS drawn by the article https://thuppahis.com/2021/04/01/tamara-kunanayakam-in-dialogue-with-faraz-on-the-unhrc-vote-at-geneva-m-arch-2021/
The demographic trends of the minority ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, taken in relation to that of the Sinhala majority group, are shown in the attached graph. This chart reveals that two major claims are false: They are:
(a) that the fears of people like Dinki Di,[i] or the claims of genocide suffered by the Tamils, are unsubstantiated myths; …
(b) that the fear of the majority that minority groups, e.g., Muslims (Moors), with their high fecundity will overtake the majority is also off the mark. [Note that the y-axis is a log scale.]
The Tamil population has grown faster than the Sinhala population even during the war time conditions over the period 1983 to 2009 when emigration is taken into account.
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Editor’s End Note
[i] Actually, Dinky Die was challenging the implicit suggestion in some Tamil commentaries that there has been a demographic decline among the Tamil peoples of the island.
In fact reputable writers have resorted at times that this is a factor in the social history of South Asian countries. I unconditionally apologize to Tamara for referring to caste. It was incorrect on my part and I ask her to forgive me for my mistake.
What Michael Roberts has mentioned about me is defamatory and not coming from a Gentleman or an educated person. I hold a PhD in British Colonial History from The University of Western Australia in 2008 and I have written five history books including my MA by research which was entitled: Strategic Significance of Sri Lanka which analyzed relevant diplomatic documents from the 18th century to the present, including the strategic asserts of Sri Lanka and the ethnic politics in Sri Lanka from the 18th century to the present period. I am going to update this book by including the new world order and key players such as China and India’s interests in Sri Lanka which will cover the geopolitical and strategic significance of Sri Lanka. I am therefore more than qualified to comment about the current political situation in Sri Lanka and the decision by the UNHCR.
I am not a Tamil chauvinist as defamed by Michael Roberts.
I am a very moderate Sri Lankan Tamil. I am not for a separate state and I accept that the LTTE had some terrorist characteristics.
In summing up I wish to state the following ethic riots against the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Sri Lanka:
1. 1956 the Galoya riots
2. 1977 racial riots against the Tamils.
3. The 1983 racial riots where it was alleged elements within the then government supported the attacks.
4. This led to the militant Tamil movements including the LTTE to counter the armed attacks on the Tamil people. This was the beginning of the cvil war that caused damage to the country and led the fleeing of Tamils out of the country forming the present diaspora.
Even though my father was Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Mahaveli Department our house was completely burnt in the 1983 ethnic riots. I escaped with my life in 1977 ethnic riots and I was racially abused in the place I live Nuegoda because I was Sri Lankan Tamil and in the School I studied St Thomas’s Preparatory School in Colombo till December 1984 when I completed my year ten. This is all not highlighted by Michael Roberts who knows my family including me as a child very well. He is just throwing mud at me. In fact I am not like anyone else being charged for plagiarism or coping any other academic’s work. I have never been called a racist for my writings in regard to Sri Lanka.
My point is that Sri Lankan Tamils have faced racism The Sinhalese regularly mention that Tamils their chief enemies in their literature and history books but Tamils never mention about Sinhalese in their literature or history books. What I have been saying is what the UNHCR has been mentioning about Sri Lanka. I do not appreciate when Tamils like Tamara do state unfavorably about the treatment of minorities when she mentioned that each state is responsible for their own human rights. Then based on her analysis’s minority communities can be murdered and genocide can be perpetrated but nothing should be done by an organization such as UN. If UN did not intervene the Sri Lankan Tamil people would have been totally eradicated by forced transmigration of Sinhalese Families in Tamil areas in the North and East of Sri Lanka. So I am not a chauvinist or a racist at all but just stating the facts historically.
In fact reputable writers have resorted at times that this is a factor in the social history of caste in South Asian countries.
I unconditionally apologize to Tamara for referring to caste. It was incorrect on my part and I ask her to forgive me for my mistake.
What Michael Roberts has mentioned about me is defamatory and not coming from a Gentleman or an educated person. I hold a PhD in British Colonial History from The University of Western Australia in 2008 and I have written five history books including my MA by research which was entitled: Strategic Significance of Sri Lanka which analyzed relevant diplomatic documents from the 18th century to the present, including the strategic asserts of Sri Lanka and the ethnic politics in Sri Lanka from the 18th century to the present period. I am going to update this book by including the new world order and key players such as China and India’s interests in Sri Lanka which will cover the geopolitical and strategic significance of Sri Lanka. I am therefore more than qualified to comment about the current political situation in Sri Lanka and the decision by the UNHCR.
I am not a Tamil chauvinist as defamed by Michael Roberts.
I am a very moderate Sri Lankan Tamil. I am not for a separate state and I accept that the LTTE had some terrorist characteristics.
In summing up I wish to state the following ethic riots against the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Sri Lanka:
1. 1956 the Galoya riots
2. 1977 racial riots against the Tamils.
3. The 1983 racial riots where it was alleged elements within the then government supported the attacks.
4. This led to the militant Tamil movements including the LTTE to counter the armed attacks on the Tamil people. This was the beginning of the cvil war that caused damage to the country and led the fleeing of Tamils out of the country forming the present diaspora.
Even though my father was Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Mahaveli Department our house was completely burnt in the 1983 ethnic riots. I escaped with my life in 1977 ethnic riots and I was racially abused in the place I live Nuegoda because I was Sri Lankan Tamil and in the School I studied St Thomas’s Preparatory School in Colombo till December 1984 when I completed my year ten. This is all not highlighted by Michael Roberts who knows my family including me as a child very well. He is just throwing mud at me. In fact I am not like anyone else being charged for plagiarism or coping any other academic’s work. I have never been called a racist for my writings in regard to Sri Lanka.
My point is that Sri Lankan Tamils have faced racism The Sinhalese regularly mention that Tamils their chief enemies in their literature and history books but Tamils never mention about Sinhalese in their literature or history books. What I have been saying is what the UNHCR has been mentioning about Sri Lanka. I do not appreciate when Tamils like Tamara do state unfavorably about the treatment of minorities when she mentioned that each state is responsible for their own human rights. Then based on her analysis’s minority communities can be murdered and genocide can be perpetrated but nothing should be done by an organization such as UN. If UN did not intervene the Sri Lankan Tamil people would have been totally eradicated by forced transmigration of Sinhalese Families in Tamil areas in the North and East of Sri Lanka. So I am not a chauvinist or a racist at all but just stating the facts historically.