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Lee Kuan Yew, the Father of Singapore has described Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a Sinhalese Extremist and what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009 as ethnic cleansing.
Specifically Lee Kuan Yew has said of President Rajapaka and Sri Lanka, “[Sri Lanka] is not a happy, united country. 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 ethnic cleansing all two million-plus Jaffna Tamils. The Jaffna Tamils have been in Sri Lanka as long as the Sinhalese.”
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 an LKY who never existed.”
Lee: “I’ve read his speeches and I knew he was a Sinhalese extremist. I cannot change his mind.”
‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Is A Sinhalese Extremist’ – Lee Kuan Yew | Colombo Telegraph
Specifically Lee Kuan Yew has said of President Rajapaka and Sri Lanka, “[Sri Lanka] is not a happy, united country. 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 ethnic cleansing all two million-plus Jaffna Tamils. The Jaffna Tamils have been in Sri Lanka as long as the Sinhalese.”
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 an LKY who never existed.”
Lee: “I’ve read his speeches and I knew he was a Sinhalese extremist. I cannot change his mind.”
‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Is A Sinhalese Extremist’ – Lee Kuan Yew | Colombo Telegraph
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