Interview with Siritunga Jayasuriya

(First published in Countercurrents.org)

SIRITUNGA JAYASURIYA, a trade unionist and leader of the United Socialist Party is best-known for being a high-profile Sinhala dissenter against the war on the Tamils in Sri Lanka. A fierce critic of the current regime and an ex-Presidential candidate, Jayasuriya has survived several attempts on his life. His unwavering voice of dissent cannot be silenced wherever he is. During a recent visit to India, he spoke to Meena Kandasamy about the situation in the war-torn island and bravely answered questions on India’s role in the war. 

Meena Kandasamy : You were telling me about your friend Deshapriya who had to flee Sri Lanka because he happens to be a mediaperson with his own individual and independent opinion. Right now, a lot of coverage especially in the Tamil Nadu press is about how Sinhalese journalists have been forced to flee their country just because they are dissenters. What is your take on that?

Siritunga Jayasuriya : You see that is a very good point to start, because not many journalists started their discussion in that angle. Now, many people think Sinhala people live okay, and that the problems lie with the Tamils. I think that is not the correct picture. Of course, Tamils are the worst-hit victims, but at the same time, the Sinhala people are also victimized. The first victim of war is democracy, followed by rights of all the people. 

[Read the rest of this one-hour interview here. IMHO, it was one of the scariest interviews I have done so far. Everytime he spoke, I was wondering about what would be the repurcussions of his statement back home, in Sri Lanka. If he will be safe there, if the Army's goons attack him, if his family can live peacefully. I just admire the man's courage. It's one thing to be Tamil to oppose the genocide, but it takes quite a bit of daring to be Sinhala and oppose the Sri Lankan Government and its war. . . ]