SHORT NOTES sent to AUSTRALIAN about my reactions to ONLINE COMMENTS
 
•      usual pot pourri  
•      A few hysterical responses – as I expected;  
•      one or two Aussie rednecks
•      the imputation/imposition of all sorts of ethnicities on me is also par for the course among all Lankans – no difference between S and T and others here when on emotional issues
•      the desire for facts and refusal to countenance surmise came as a surprise to me—when it should not because school history and the science mentality is all about “fact”
•      The remarks jogged me into considering facets I missed out on –partly because of space constraints. For instance: (1) the effect of Sinhala language policy from 1956; (2) smouldering northern Tamil resentments from intermittent indiscriminate  aerial bombing during the war periods in the 1990s and  (3) the background of continuing Sinhala chauvinist sentiment – so here Colin Andersen’s criticism of my piece is valid; (4) the political push for Tamils caught in the crucible of war who were sandwiched between the two forces and in effect said “a pox on both houses” (5) the killings of Tamils by the LTTE which gave some Tamils little alternative but to leave Tigerland in the period 1990-2007.
•      Again by accident I have discovered another major pool of migrants to the West –namely the 125,000 odd SL Tamil refugees –definitely political refugees in their first step – in southern India. Of these around 75,000 are in camps, but the rest have improved their situations and provide the principal pool of illegal migrants to judge from anecdotal cases. Rumours indicate that new Tiger arrivals (2007-09) in Tamilnadu also have been among those to take to the boats and/or ship to Canada, indonesia, Australia These latter seem to be EP Tamils.

Good one prof ! A rational well balanced attempt to inform the Oz public.
 
 

THANKS FELLOWS
pARA and others in Melbourne:
1) there is a session on sL Human rights on tuesday 10 NOVember -- i will not be batting then
Tuesday, 10 November 2009  6 ~ 8 pm
Lecture Theatre K321 (Halstead Theatre)
3rd floor, Building K, Monash University Caulfield
(details:
http://www.monash.edu.au/campuses/caulfield.html)
 
2) but I will be batting at a PANEL DISCUSSION on Aussie border protection policy organised by the iNSTITUTE OF pOST COL STUDIES Melbourne Uni
 
     7:30pm, Thursday, 12th November 2009
Uniting Church Hall
4 Elm Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051
(Melway 2A H10)
 
 
 

Michael I think you did a great job. Its sometimes hard to educated ignorant cretins!!!
 
If you get a chance to respond ask all those idiots attacking you to answer a few questions of your own:
 
- Do genuine refugees pick and choose what country they want to go to or do they go to wherever they will be taken?
- Do genuine refugees use children as their props to get their own way?
- Do genuine refugees take instructions on mobile phones from looney idiots from places like Canada?
- Do genuine refugees try to blackmail their way into another nation with threats like hunger strikes, throwing children overboard, set boats on fire etc...
 
Using your answers to the above questions now ask yourself are they genuine refugees??? or perhaps rather wealthy people that once were aiding terrorist organisations and now fear being prosecuted.
 
I'm all for rhelping those in need, but they need to go through the proper legal channels. It pisses me off that many do this a go through the proper application process and then you get these odd boat loads that think they can skip the queues and do as they please.  
 
They are lucky i'm not the head of government that found an illegal boat in my waters, as i would order the boat to shot and sunken. That will send a strong message to future illegal boat people.
 
From a health point of view (of which i'm part of this profession), having boat loads (or even plane loads) or poeple arrive randomly and illegally from land mass to another is a huge risk. Who knows what diseases human, plant or animal may potentially be on board and be carried by some these people and their cargo. It could potentially having devasting consequences for the place in which they land and to their people, natural flora/fauna/environment. Thats why they need to be quarantined and screened thoroughly.
 
To the response about aid agencies being bloacked by the SL government it is the right move. These so called "aid" agencies money in the past has just helped prolonged the war. These agencies are hypocrites and full of crap. When I want to send money or goods for charity I will find individuals that will take these straight to places & people that need them rather than through some of these corrupted organisations. Where was the public and agency outrage when terrorist bombs were going off in Colombo & other places during the last couple of decades?