“And I can only speculate that it is some sort of subservient mentality that leads one to believe that the west must lead before we are capable of doing the right thing.”

I appreciate if overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans who voted for their own government believes that the current government must clean-up of any acts, then they must do it. The people will act in the next election if it is the case and there is no need for you and I to argue about it, or the west to worry about it.

But it must not be advocated by those handful of dirty countries in the west who appoint themselves as the “international community”. We have a larger world of over 165 countries on earth than those half a dozen in the west.

Also if you think they (the west) want Sri Lanka to do the right thing before they themselves do the right thing, then those western states also fall into your so called “subservient mentality”.

Basically if you expect a government to be 100% clean, while you (or any other individual) is obviously not, then you got to have a subservient mentality, because you expect other to perform before you do it. Weren’t you ever like that?

I was basically talking about a widely accepted social value called “setting an example” before you preach or wag your finger at someone else. Sorry if you couldn’t understand what I was getting at.

I stand by my argument; it is up to the Sri Lankan residents (and overwhelming majority of them) to demand for whatever, not anybody else.

I’m quite happy to say that about any nation that fails to follow a dignified course of action in the face of adversity, America in particular. However, America concerns me less, while Sri Lanka is the country I have grown up in. If you hang around for the rest of the world to clean up their acts before we clean up ours, we’ll have a long wait I’m afraid. And I can only speculate that it is some sort of subservient mentality that leads one to believe that the west must lead before we are capable of doing the right thing.

“I have read your links to a certain extent but feel that, you need to learn more.”

I am always willing to learn more but how can you say, on the evidence of the articles I told you about, that I need to learn more when you admit have only read my articles “to a certain extent”. What does “to a certain extent” actually mean?

“I talked about sensitivity because I felt that you were oblivious to the Irish circumstances and unable to draw parallels to the Tamils’ predicament.”

I have been studying Irish history for about sixty years. I still have much to learn, but your choice of phrase – “oblivious to Irish circumstances’” – is odd.

“How many British actions that you can point to as illegal, controversial, and contravened international law since they decolonised? Have they been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity?”

Have you heard of Iraq, Afghanistan?

I must stress again that I have no wish to defend the Sri Lankan government. Just to get some perspective- has Sri Lanka ever invaded another country?

I will never deny that I need to learn more. even though I am an elderly gent, I intend to go on educating myself until the day i fall off the twig.

“I do not feel second class.”

It is manifestly obvious that you do not feel “second class”!

“I have had swipes against the Brits for their actions worldwide, not just in Ireland. That is on a different scale entirely from what the Rajapaksa regime has done.”

How many British actions that you can point to as illegal, controversial, and contravened international law since they decolonised? Have they been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity? I am not here to defend the Brits by the way. What do you know about what the Rajapaksa had done? How can you make such comparison?

“You continue to conflate people like Usha with Tamils in general. Because of that conflation, you continue to accuse me of insensitivity towards Tamils in general.”

Where have I done this? Please provide evidence.

“I gave you links to four lengthy articles in which I try to explain to myself and to a foreign audience the situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka. If you continue to accuse me of insensitivity to Tamils, I must assume that you have not read the articles.”

I talked about sensitivity because I felt that you were oblivious to the Irish circumstances and unable to draw parallels to the Tamils’ predicament. On one hand you are happy to accuse the Brits liberally, with your other hand; you were painstakingly endeavouring establishing perspectives. This is why I made the comments I made and have no regrets.

I have read your links to a certain extent but feel that, you need to learn more. Please read the following; this was authored by T Sabaratnam, who has passed away a few months back and a relation of mine.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10320601-pirapaharan