COLOMBO: Former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew has described Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse as a Sinhalese extremist.
He also described what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009, during the end of the civil war, as ethnic cleansing.
The father of modern day Singapore made this statement during a conversation with author Thomas Plate, who wrote the book ‘Citizen Singapore: How to Build a Nation – Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew.
Lee described Sri Lanka as an “unhappy country” as it was disunited between the Sinhalese and Jaffna Tamils for decades.
“Yes, they have beaten the Tamil Tigers this time, but the Sinhalese who are less capable are putting down a minority of Jaffna Tamils who are more capable. They were squeezing them out.
“That’s why the Tamils rebelled. But I do not see them getting rid of all two million-plus Jaffna Tamils.
The Jaffna Tamils have been in Sri Lanka as long as the Sinhalese.” he said.
Here are some excerpts of the interview with Lee:
Plate: So what Asia saw was ethnic cleansing?
Lee: That’s right.
Plate: They [the Tigers] will come back, you think?
Lee: I don’t think they are going to be submissive or go away. The present president of Sri Lanka believes he has settled the problem; Tamil Tigers are killed and that is that.
Plate: See, that’s really a fascinating point, because to the extent that we have any sense of who you are at all, we think of you as this hard-boiled force first guy.
But in fact your system of government is much softer, consensual and intelligent, whereas what the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka are doing is a caricature of a Lee who never existed.
Lee: I’ve read his speeches (Rajapakse) and I knew he was a Sinhalese extremist. I cannot change his mind.
In 2009, the Sri Lankan government crushed the Tamil Tigers, ending decades of civil war that tore the country apart between the Sinhalese majority and its Tamil minority.
However, many nations have condemned the Sri Lankan troops of breaching human rights during the war, claiming civilians were also killed during the military attack.
Source : Agencies
He also described what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009, during the end of the civil war, as ethnic cleansing.
The father of modern day Singapore made this statement during a conversation with author Thomas Plate, who wrote the book ‘Citizen Singapore: How to Build a Nation – Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew.
Lee described Sri Lanka as an “unhappy country” as it was disunited between the Sinhalese and Jaffna Tamils for decades.
“Yes, they have beaten the Tamil Tigers this time, but the Sinhalese who are less capable are putting down a minority of Jaffna Tamils who are more capable. They were squeezing them out.
“That’s why the Tamils rebelled. But I do not see them getting rid of all two million-plus Jaffna Tamils.
The Jaffna Tamils have been in Sri Lanka as long as the Sinhalese.” he said.
Here are some excerpts of the interview with Lee:
Plate: So what Asia saw was ethnic cleansing?
Lee: That’s right.
Plate: They [the Tigers] will come back, you think?
Lee: I don’t think they are going to be submissive or go away. The present president of Sri Lanka believes he has settled the problem; Tamil Tigers are killed and that is that.
Plate: See, that’s really a fascinating point, because to the extent that we have any sense of who you are at all, we think of you as this hard-boiled force first guy.
But in fact your system of government is much softer, consensual and intelligent, whereas what the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka are doing is a caricature of a Lee who never existed.
Lee: I’ve read his speeches (Rajapakse) and I knew he was a Sinhalese extremist. I cannot change his mind.
In 2009, the Sri Lankan government crushed the Tamil Tigers, ending decades of civil war that tore the country apart between the Sinhalese majority and its Tamil minority.
However, many nations have condemned the Sri Lankan troops of breaching human rights during the war, claiming civilians were also killed during the military attack.
Source : Agencies
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