Search Buddhist Channel
Sri Lanka President Calls for Peace Talks
By DILIP GANGULY, The Associated Press, May 3, 2006
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- President Mahinda Rajapakse called Tuesday for immediate peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels, saying his tiny tropical island had seen enough violence.
<< Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse
"Enough is enough," Rajapakse told The Associated Press in an interview as spiraling violence threatened to undermine a three-year-old cease-fire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, blamed for last week's suicide bombing by a pregnant woman that targeted an army general.
"My religion - Buddhism - teaches me how to be patient," Rajapakse, 60, said. "They tried to kill my general by using a pregnant woman. This was a barbaric act, but even after all these, my government is willing to have peace talks."
His comments came amid a surge in violence that has derailed peace talks between the government and the Tiger rebels and pushed the country closer to a return to civil war.
European peace monitors already were trying to arrange talks between the two sides to shore up the truce and find a political solution.
Also Tuesday, gunmen opened fire at a Tamil-language newspaper office in northern Sri Lanka, killing two employees and seriously wounding a third, the editor said.
"Some men dressed in black broke into our office and opened fire," said N. Vithyatharan, editor of the Uthayan newspaper based in the northern town of Jaffna, 185 miles north of Colombo.
He said the newspaper's editorial manager and a circulation assistant died, and another employee was wounded.
Uthayan is an independent newspaper, but is considered to have close links to the rebels.
"I have no doubts that this is a work of armed groups working with the government security forces," Vithyatharan said, adding that the reason for the attack may have been a cartoon the newspaper published on Monday of the leader of rival group showing him prostrating himself before the president.
Tamil Tiger rebels accuse the government of using other armed Tamil groups to attack the guerrillas. The government has denied backing such groups.
Rajapakse phoned the newspaper publisher and denied any government involvement in the attack, Vithyatharan said.
"His thinking was that the Tigers had done it ahead of his speech to embarrass him. But we clearly told him that the government should bear the responsibility," Vithyatharan said.
The Tigers began fighting the government in 1983 to create a separate Tamil nation, accusing the majority Sinhalese-dominated state of discrimination. The conflict killed more than 65,000 people before the February 2002 cease-fire.
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.
Dear Friends in the Dharma,
We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.
Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:
One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.
How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.
Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.
Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.
Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.
Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.
Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!
May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,
With deepest gratitude,
Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team
Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau
We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.
If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv