Responding to Mr Dasarath Jayasuriya’s comments - 29 August 1999

 

Re: Mr Dasarath Jayasuriya’s comments over this radio program on Friends for Peace in Sri Lanka on 14 August 1999

This statement is from Friends for Peace in Sri Lanka of which I am an executive member. Lionel Bopage is my name. We wish to thank the management of 3ZZZ radio station and Dr Olga Mendis for providing this opportunity to present our side of the story regarding several allegations raised in this radio program against Friends for Peace in Sri Lanka on 14 and 21 August 1999.

The remarks made were that the Friends for Peace in Sri Lanka is “funded by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” and is pro-LTTE. These allegations are baseless and untrue.

We are an association convened by a concerned group of Australian Sinhalese and Tamil professionals. We strive to provide a forum for meaningful and constructive dialogue to overcome the conflicting perceptions the Australian residents of Sri Lankan decent have about the conflict in Sri Lanka in order to achieve reconciliation. Our main objective, however, is to promote a durable and peaceful settlement of the ethnic conflict within the framework of a united Sri Lanka, which recognises the security needs, addresses the grievances, and the rights and legitimate aspirations of the 'peoples' of Sri Lanka, based on the principles defined in the International Covenants of the United Nations Charter, as ratified by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Since 1995 many allegations and rumours have been spread against us saying that we are supporting the LTTE and terrorism.  This is despite our unequivocal condemnation of violence, use of terror and human rights violations attributed to the state security forces, the LTTE, and other armed groups. The issue basing these allegations appears to be that on 25 November 1995, we, the alleged LTTE agents, organised a Bodhi Pooja (Buddhist offering) to mark Mr Pirabhakaran's birthday.

In my mind, this issue raises four main concerns:

§  whether or not we organised a Bodhi Pooja

§  who were the people in the organising committee?

§  Was it held on Pirabhakaran’s birthday, and

§  Even if it was his birthday as alleged, was it wrong to have a peace gathering on that day, anyway?

 

Firstly, the event we organised was an interreligious devotional gathering for peace, and not a Bodhi Pooja as alleged.  The event was organised to reduce tensions within the communities in Canberra, by nineteen individuals representing the Sri Lankan ethnic, religious and political diversity.  Among them were conservatives and radicals representing the spectrum of political views of Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities such as Mrs Badra Karunaratne, wife of the SPUR representative in Canberra, Mr Kulasiri Tenuwara, President of the Australia Sri Lanka Buddhist Association in Canberra, Dr Willie Senanayake and Lionel Bopage and Dr Thevianathan, Dr Ravi Durasingham, Mr Gabriel Joseph, Mr K Ravichandra, Late Mr Terry Wilson and Mr Collin Kish.  Many of them are well known in Canberra and in Melbourne as holding non-LTTE views.

Devotional Gathering was performed by Anglican Bishop George Browning, Ven. Tapodhana Thero of Katoomba Buddhist Temple in Sydney and many other religious dignitaries from Canberra. We have publicly posed the following questions about Mr Pirabhakaran’s birthday:

(a)    Could anyone provide any factual evidence as to what his real birthday is?

(b)   Why was it that those who previously raised allegations against us published on 7 August 1998 that his birthday is 01 April 1995?

(c)    Or does Mr Pirabhakaran have two birthdays?

If peace is the greatest threat to Mr Pirabhakaran personally and to his political ambitions as alleged, then was it wrong anyway to have had a peace gathering on that day wishing peace for Sri Lanka?

With regard to allegations that our members are in the LTTE payroll, travel expenses of their visits being picked up by the LTTE; money being carried to Tiger offices in Sri Lanka and that we organise workshops and seminars in Canberra, we wish to present some facts for listeners to think.

We have publicly challenged to provide the names of those Sinhalese in Canberra that are paid by the LTTE and any evidence to prove their allegations.  On our part, we demanded that those who raise such allegations should initiate an official investigation by any Australian government agency, and that we will open up to the investigation our accounts. So far the response has been a dead silence.

We have conducted public activities on various facets of the current conflict, addressed by many individuals of different political affiliations. Our endeavour is to build closer relationships, which we believe will lead to a higher level of understanding of each other's problems and a genuine desire to overcome prejudices. We have used solely our own resources to develop this dialogue within the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher communities and other well-wishers.

Our platform represents the interests of those who wish to safeguard and protect the fundamental right of people to freedom of expression, the right to express their views in the open without being subject to harassment, fear, intimidation and persecution. We believe that the ultimate solution to the conflict lies in developing a sensible dialogue and a meaningful negotiation between the parties to the conflict. We acknowledge that in order to accommodate the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil-speaking people radical constitutional reform will be necessary and that such reforms must recognise the cultural diversity and the right of ‘peoples’ to determine their political destiny and at the same time must safeguard the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.

I entrust intelligent listeners to conclude whether or not arms merchants and their beneficiaries pay warmongers for their propaganda and other services. Such dealers and those in their pay-lists have crucified and will continue to crucify peace-makers who campaign against their long-term business interests and opportunities.

It is unfortunate that having lived in Australia’s multicultural society and expecting the members of the Australian community to treat all migrants without any discrimination, there are some Sri Lankans who still advocate hatred and racism against members of their country of origin. I need not add any more than to say that all their allegations against Friends for Peace in Sri Lanka are unsubstantiated, baseless pack of lies. We request listeners to look for facts rather than emotions.  If you have any questions, we request to post them via our webpage at www.fpsl.org.au.