Posted on February 18th, 2021
C. Wijeyawikcrema, LL.B., Ph.D.
Introduction
Lemkin who lost 49 family members to
the Holocaust coined the term Genocide in 1943/4. Applying his definition to
past events, the first genocide took place in USA when, white man distributed
blankets soaked with smallpox germs to native Americans (Red Indians). Perhaps,
even before that in 1818 and 1848 genocide took place in the British colony,
Ceylon. Genocide is primarily a European-Christian affair. It is also a growing
organic idea in the hands of ex-colonial masters. However, what Vigneswaran is
trying to do in Sri Lanka is to turn this idea upside down deploying five SIVA