Discussion on MP Sumanthiran's Speech on 18th Amendment

Discussion

(Article: MP Sumanthiran's Speech on 18th Amendment)

Ram Mohan (13 Sep. 2010)

This is the most excellent contribution to Parliamentary Debate (or was it a lecture since there was no arguments from the other side) for quite a long time. This shows that Tamil cause is not short of force of arguments as was in the case of arguments of force. In fact it was when I listened to his speech that I learnt that even the 13th amendment is cremated by the 18th amendment and that in itself is an unannounced matter. In fact the 18th Amendment is the cremation of democracy that was still born or disabled in Sri Lanka right from the beginning and killed quite sometime ago at least as far back in 1978 if not in 1972. By the 18th Amendment, Mahinda has drawn the lines very clear and said in no uncertain terms that there is no room for any more talks and as a corollary, there is room only for action. Let us all understand that clearly in determining our future course. In fact I was angry that the big guns of the TNA like Sampanthan, Sritharan and Yogeswaran were out of the country at this critical time but later consoled myself that if they were in Colombo, then Sumanthiran would not have got this chance to highlight the truth since none of the others had the bravery if not the ability to do a similar performance. I was very pleased to hear at the concluding stage of the talk that the TNA could have but did not compromise for short term gains to the Tamil community. It is a good lesson to those in the Diaspora who keep saying that we should concentrate on giving aid to the suffering people without antagonising the GOSL or their foreign backers. Aas pointed out on several occasions, the real struggle will start again in the homeland and by that time the Diaspora should have organised the International Public opinion in favour of our people instead of forming governments without territory or such futile exercises.

Secy. (14 Sep. 2010)

CORRECTION: Hon. M A Sumanthiran, MP.

Anonymous (14 Sep. 2010)

Tamils have produced great orators but from my experience sinhalese grudgingly admire the intellectual guts and oratory of any tamil like Amirthalingahm. I spoke against sinhala only policy among sinhalese only audience.That was in 1975.Tamils as a nation has been cruelly reduced to tamils as living with no dignity by cruel deception by the vested interested nations and tamils need the likes of Sumanthan wherever they may be.

An MP should be able to articulate the plight of vanni tamils plights of displaced tamils and grabbing of land for so called non existence threat of future war in jaffna and the urgent need to end white van menace,raping and killing of innovcent as well as increasing accidents where lot of tamils get killed on roads.

There is no point in president accumulating more and more powers while preaching parliametary democracy where parliament is supreme and powerful and not the president himself,now behaving and looking like sandam hussain in appearance and menace.

Anonymous (14 Sep. 2010)

I suggest all lawyers read Rule of Law by Lord Bingham, who passed away on 11sept.2010.He was considered the greatest legal mind of the current generation and at school ,he was the brightest student for over 100 years.Unlike in sl ,where he would have done engineering or medicine, he did history at oxford and later bar.

Keeran / Cologne, Germany (14 Sep. 2010)

Thank you Mr. Sumenthiran for speaking up against all these bunch of criminals.