The ambassadors are supposed to be well informed about the affairs of the state.

First about standardization as practiced in Sri Lanka. The reason the standardization was brought in Sri Lanka during the 70 s was to drive away the Tamils from the professions.
When the admission to Engineering faculty was overwhelmingly Tamil on merit basis during 1970/71,it was decided to add more marks to Sinhala candidates and admit them at the expense of Tamil candidates. This happened in 1970/1971.it has nothing to do about favoring any underprivileged rural students. As an example Marks were added to a a Sinhala doctor’s son at Royal college at the expense of the son of a tamil drivers son from the same royal College. Thereafter the method was changed first to media wise standardization and then th present district wise standardization.

Mr Bernard Gunathilake asks another question. This is his question.

If Tamils are being discriminated against as alleged why would they prefer to live among Sinhalese than under the LTTE?.
This is a stupid question. but needs an intelligent simple answer?
I will take hypothetical examples.
First Example
Let us say their are two countries like West Germany and East Germany during normal peaceful time. If people flee from one part to another say from East Germany to West Germany, then you can say people prefer West Germany to East Germany. If they run from West to East, then people prefer East Germany to west Germany.
Second Example
Now war is being waged in Iraq. There is neighboring Iran without any conflict. If people of Iraq run to Iran to escape from war, Will you say that the people of Iraq prefer Iran to Iraq?
War is being waged in the area controlled by the LTTE. There is indiscriminate bombing and shelling. do? Further there is economic embargo and all kind of deprivation. What will average unarmed civilians. but you seems to come to some hasty conclusion .If we say that you are trying to mislead unsuspecting international community Are we far from the truth?
Do anybody needs any elaborate answer?
Mr ambassader,Please let me know whether my response is fiction?

Thank you for the fictious article you wrote for Washington Times. You definitely need a crash course in Sri-Lankan History.

When we have Ambassadors like you to US and Dayan Jayatileka to UN in Geneva , who needs the comic books.

With you being the former head of Peace Secretariat, no wonder the peace talks are decomposing in the garbage dumpster.

Congratulations to you for following the path of late Gamini Dissanayake and Late Lalith Athulathmudali.
They were the “Pioneers” in twisting the Sri-Lankan history with their late 70’s infamous proclaim of long known Anuradhapura’s King Elara’s tomb as being the tomb of Duttugemunu. Thanks to the mainly “Sinhalese Scholars” they were forced to abandon their quest.

It’s really pity to have a rogue person like you holding such a high calibre post, when there are are so many “Noble Sinhalese”people are around,like Galle M.P, Galle Police Chief, Former Nuwara Eliya M.P. Herath Ranasinghe and thousands of other genuine human beings. Unfortunately, good men finish last, and rogue ones get ahead.

As long as Sri-Lanka employs people like him and his ilks the race relations will head south bound!

Instead of discovering a political solution within a united Sri Lanaka, the Rajapaksa admininstration has come to believe that it can force a solution down the throats of the minorities if it can to defeat the Tigers and consolidate military power.

o The Rajapaksa admininstration is barking up the wrong tree by invoking the miitary option

o The Separatists are barking up the wrong tree by demanding a separate Tamil Ealam

[My friends, beside many other negatives, our tiny island split as two nations, both will capitulate in an increasingly competitive global market place. A better approach is to unite and strengthen our competetive capacities as opposed to split and weaken these.]

o Ambassador Goonetilleke is barking up the wrong tree by trying to disprove the Separatists premises [What a waste of energy]

And unfortunately the only one who was trying to discover a solution, Dr. Vitharana and his group have been disbanded! Of course, the Rajapaksa admininstration is to be held accountable for these unwise decisions.

“The international community must be told that, beneath a plausible veneer, the demand for a separate state for Tamils of Sri Lanka is rooted in fiction. There never was at any time in Sri Lankan history “a traditional Tamil homeland” in the north and east of Sri Lanka, as claimed by the LTTE” .

Where did he learn his history? This is utter nonsense without any facts to back! Simply put, for how long have the Tamils lived in the North-East? Many millennia my friend! So, what is his definition of a homeland? The one I am referring to has more going for it than Kosovo. Who is he trying to fool with his blatant lies? No doubt the world will see through this man and judge him for who he is or what he says. I need not waste my words over him!

He starts off by saying:

“The conflict in Sri Lanka is inextricably linked with the demand for secession, deceptively designed to wrench the sympathy of the international community. Last month, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), urged the United Nations to recognize “Tamil sovereignty” and end the conflict in Sri Lanka” .

without realising that the sympathy of the IC has always been with the Tamils in their quest to uphold their inalienable rights (without any need for deceptive designed wrenching)

Then he asks:

“If historically, the LTTE demand for a separate state is a downright fabrication, what is the case they can make to justify a separate state? The claim of discrimination is made in relation to language, standardization in education, justice, etc., for Tamils” .

Forget the discrimination etc etc. It is too late in the day to discuss all that. The Tamils want to continue their sovereignty from where it was stolen. They have come to realise that allowing eroding their sovereignty without any tangible benefits accruing to them has been a bad idea. Thus they view the SL forces an alien and foreign occupying force in their land. Hence the war. It is not in the interest of the Tamils to negotiate their sovereignty. They will never consider it with chauvinistic Sinhala regimes. So it is not for the LTTE to call for negotiations. If interested it will be the GoSL, who will have to woo the Tamils to give up some part of their sovereignty. Lets get that idea right. Tamils have slowly but surely come to this awakening after 60 years of turmoil. The Sinhala propagandists will now have to work overtime on this.

If you do take a poll on American People about your Sri Lankan Conflict, I am sure, the majority would say that the “Peace Talks and an amicable Political solution” is the way to go. Secondly, If you ask the Americans whether USA should involve with force in SL, then, 99% of US Citizens would say “Nay”.

Then, why is that USA supports SL (Sinalese by extension) govt to the hilt? It is because you call Tamils and their defence forces a terrorist group.
If you Sri Lankans stop calling LTTE terrorists and make peace with Tamils, the world and USA can only watch from the sidelines.
Dr.Bernard Goonetilake conveniently forgets that there was a Tamil Kingdom prior to western colonisation. This in itself be a lesson to all that prudence prevailed in the island prior to colonisation and thus, all three kingdoms lived in peace “Seperately”.

The US Ambassador to SL is going to have his work cut out,when Hilary Clinton adorns the whitehouse soon.

All these articles that support unitary Sri Lanka only prolongs the agony of ordinary sri lankans on the ground.

This clearly shows the status of Tamils in the island.