A Private Letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse R.Cholan, 18 February 2006 "Look at the big picture. If the ‘New Sri Lanka’ and ‘Thamileelam’ stop fighting each other we both will be fairly big guys in the word scene.I realize that your constituents have a tendency to think of Sri Lanka as small. They learned to think this way from the Mahavamsa story of Duttu Gemunu lying curled-up on his bed. He couldn’t stretch out, he explained to his mother according to Mahavamsa, because “over there beyond the river are the Tamils; here on this side is the sea; how can I lie with outstretched limbs?” You see, they (and you too) need to get out of this way of thinking. Sri Lanka is not so small after all..."
Psst! Hey Presidente!
You made a bit of a ‘BOOBOO’ this week in your interview with the Reuters [13 February 2006] and I was quite embarrassed, you being the President of my old country and all that. You had said, “[Sri Lanka] is a small country, where you can’t have two states…”
You are an educated man (a lawyer, I am told) and I am surprised at your lack of knowledge on such matters. The fact is – Sri Lanka is not a small country as you claim. I have listed below data on 138 countries smaller in population than Sri Lanka, all full-fledged members of the United Nations. The total membership of the UN is only 191 countries. What I found most interesting in studying this list is that, when Sri Lanka gets split into ‘New Sri Lanka’ and ‘Thamileelam’, the New Sri Lanka will still be larger than 134 UN members nations (Thamileelam will be larger than 70 of them). Look at the big picture. If the ‘New Sri Lanka’ and ‘Thamileelam’ stop fighting each other we both will be fairly big guys in the world scene. I realize that your constituents have a tendency to think of Sri Lanka as small. They learned to think this way from the Mahavamsa story of Duttu Gemunu lying curled-up on his bed. He couldn’t stretch out, he explained to his mother according to Mahavamsa, because “over there beyond the river are the Tamils; here on this side is the sea; how can I lie with outstretched limbs?” You see, they (and you too) need to get out of this way of thinking. Sri Lanka is not so small after all.
I am sending this to you so that you don’t make the same blunder again. Please give it to your advisors and speech-writers. Tell them that an anonymous friend of yours sent it to you so that they don’t give you bad advice in the future. Tell them to study it carefully, and maybe even post it on their bulletin-boards for future reference.
Keep this communication under the wraps please, and don’t tell anyone I sent this to you. My Tamil friends here will ‘kill me’ if they find out that I am helping you.
Respectfully submitted.
Sincerely,
R. Cholan
17 February 2006 UN Member States smaller than Sri Lanka (in order of Population)| | Country | Date of Admission to UN | Area * | Population ** | | 1 | Tuvalu | (5 Sept. 2000) | 26 | 11,636 | | 2 | Nauru | (14 Sept. 1999) | 21 | 13,048 | | 3 | Palau | (15 Dec. 1994) | 458 | 20,303 | | 4 | San Marino | (2 Mar. 1992) | 61 | 28,880 | | 5 | Monaco | (28 May 1993) | 2 | 31,987 | | 6 | Liechtenstein | (18 Sep. 1990) | 160 | 33,717 | | 7 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | (23 Sep. 1983) | 261 | 38,958 | | 8 | Marshall Islands | (17 Sep. 1991) | 181 | 59,071 | | 9 | Antigua and Barbuda | (11 Nov. 1981) | 443 | 68,722 | | 10 | Dominica | (18 Dec. 1978) | 754 | 69,029 | | 11 | Andorra | (28 July 1993) | 468 | 70,549 | | 12 | Seychelles | (21 Sep. 1976) | 455 | 81,188 | | 13 | Grenada | (17 Sep. 1974) | 344 | 89,502 | | 14 | Kiribati | (14 Sept. 1999) | 811 | 103,092 | | 15 | Micronesia, Federated States of | (17 Sep. 1991) | 702 | 108,105 | | 16 | Tonga | (14 Sep. 1999) | 748 | 112,422 | | 17 | Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | (16 Sep. 1980) | 389 | 117,534 | | 18 | Saint Lucia | (18 Sep. 1979) | 616 | 166,312 | | 19 | Samoa | (15 Dec. 1976) | 2,944 | 177,287 | | 20 | Sao Tome and Principe | (16 Sep. 1975) | 1,001 | 187,410 | | 21 | Vanuatu | (15 Sep. 1981) | 12,200 | 205,754 | | 22 | Barbados | (9 Dec. 1966) | 431 | 279,254 | | 23 | Belize | (25 Sep. 1981) | 22,966 | 279,457 | | 24 | Iceland | (19 Nov. 1946) | 103,000 | 296,737 | | 25 | Bahamas, The | (18 Sep. 1973) | 13,940 | 301,790 | | 26 | Maldives | (21 Sep. 1965) | 300 | 349,106 | | 27 | Brunei | (21 Sep. 1984) | 5,770 | 372,361 | | 28 | Malta | (1 Dec. 1964) | 316 | 398,534 | | 29 | Cape Verde | (16 Sep. 1975) | 4,033 | 418,224 | | 30 | Suriname | (4 Dec. 1975) | 163,270 | 438,144 | | 31 | Luxembourg | (24 Oct. 1945) | 2,586 | 468,571 | | 32 | Djibouti | (20 Sep. 1977) | 23,000 | 476,703 | | 33 | Equatorial Guinea | (12 Nov. 1968) | 28,051 | 535,881 | | 34 | Solomon Islands | (19 Sep. 1978) | 28,450 | 538,032 | | 35 | Comoros | (12 Nov. 1975) | 2,170 | 671,247 | | 36 | Bahrain | (21 Sep. 1971) | 665 | 688,345 | | 37 | Guyana | (20 Sep. 1966) | 214,970 | 765,283 | | 38 | Cyprus | (20 Sep. 1960) | 9,250 | 780,133 | | 39 | Qatar | (21 Sep. 1971) | 11,437 | 863,051 | | 40 | Fiji | (13 Oct. 1970) | 18,270 | 893,354 | | 41 | East Timor | (27 Sep. 2002) | 15,007 | 1,040,880 | | 42 | Trinidad and Tobago | (18 Sep. 1962) | 5,128 | 1,088,644 | | 43 | Swaziland | (24 Sep. 1968) | 17,363 | 1,173,900 | | 44 | Mauritius | (24 Apr. 1968) | 2,040 | 1,230,602 | | 45 | Estonia | (17 Sep. 1991) | 45,226 | 1,332,893 | | 46 | Gabon | (20 Sep. 1960) | 267,667 | 1,389,201 | | 47 | Guinea-Bissau | (17 Sep. 1974) | 36,120 | 1,416,027 | | 48 | Gambia, The | (21 Sep. 1965) | 11,300 | 1,593,256 | | 49 | Botswana | (17 Oct. 1966) | 600,370 | 1,640,115 | | 50 | Lesotho | (17 Oct. 1966) | 30,355 | 1,867,035 | | 51 | Slovenia | (22 May 1992) | 20,273 | 2,011,070 | | 52 | Namibia | (23 Apr. 1990) | 825,418 | 2,030,692 | | 53 | Macedonia | (8 Apr. 1993) | 25,333 | 2,045,262 | | 54 | Bhutan | (21 Sep. 1971) | 47,000 | 2,232,291 | | 55 | Latvia | (17 Sep. 1991) | 64,589 | 2,290,237 | | 56 | Kuwait | (14 May 1963) | 17,820 | 2,335,648 | | 57 | United Arab Emirates | (9 Dec. 1971) | 82,880 | 2,563,212 | | 58 | Jamaica | (18 Sep. 1962) | 10,991 | 2,731,832 | | 59 | Mongolia | (27 Oct. 1961) | 1,565,000 | 2,791,272 | | 60 | Congo, Rep. of the | (20 Sep. 1960) | 342,000 | 2,958,448 | | 61 | Armenia | (2 Mar. 1992) | 29,800 | 2,982,904 | | 62 | Oman | (7 Oct. 1971) | 212,460 | 3,001,583 | | 63 | Panama | (13 Nov. 1945) | 78,200 | 3,039,859 | | 64 | Mauritania | (27 Oct. 1961) | 1,030,700 | 3,086,859 | | 65 | Liberia | (2 Nov. 1945) | 111,370 | 3,288,198 | | 66 | Uruguay | (18 Dec. 1945) | 176,220 | 3,415,920 | | 67 | Albania | (14 Dec. 1955) | 28,748 | 3,563,112 | | 68 | Lithuania | (17 Sep. 1991) | 65,200 | 3,596,617 | | 69 | Central African Republic | (20 Sep. 1960) | 622,984 | 3,799,897 | | 70 | Lebanon | (17 Oct. 1966) | 10,400 | 3,826,018 | | 71 | Ireland | (14 Dec. 1955) | 70,280 | 4,015,676 | | 72 | Costa Rica | (2 Nov. 1945) | 51,100 | 4,016,173 | | 73 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | (22 May 1992) | 51,129 | 4,025,476 | | 74 | New Zealand | (24 Oct. 1945) | 268,680 | 4,035,461 | | 75 | Singapore | (21 Sep. 1965) | 693 | 4,425,720 | | 76 | Moldova | (2 Mar. 1992) | 33,843 | 4,455,421 | | 77 | Croatia | (22 May 1992) | 56,542 | 4,495,904 | | 78 | Eritrea | (28 May 1993) | 121,320 | 4,561,599 | | 79 | Norway | (27 Nov. 1945) | 324,220 | 4,593,041 | | 80 | Georgia | (31 July 1992) | 69,700 | 4,677,401 | | 81 | Turkmenistan | (2 Mar. 1992) | 488,100 | 4,952,081 | | 82 | Kyrgyzstan | (2 Mar. 1992) | 198,500 | 5,146,281 | | 83 | Finland | (14 Dec. 1955) | 337,030 | 5,223,442 | | 84 | Slovakia | (19 Jan. 1993) | 48,845 | 5,431,363 | | 85 | Denmark | (24 Oct. 1945) | 43,094 | 5,432,335 | | 86 | Nicaragua | (24 Oct. 1945) | 129,494 | 5,465,100 | | 87 | Papua New Guinea | (10 Oct. 1975) | 462,840 | 5,545,268 | | 88 | Togo | (20 Sep. 1960) | 56,785 | 5,681,519 | | 89 | Jordan | (14 Dec. 1955) | 92,300 | 5,759,732 | | 90 | Libya | (14 Dec. 1955) | 1,759,540 | 5,765,563 | | 91 | Sierra Leone | (27 Sep. 1961) | 71,740 | 6,017,643 | | 92 | Laos | (14 Dec. 1955) | 236,800 | 6,217,141 | | 93 | Israel | (11 May 1949) | 20,770 | 6,276,883 | | 94 | Paraguay | (24 Oct. 1945) | 406,750 | 6,347,884 | | 95 | Burundi | (18 Sep. 1962) | 27,830 | 6,370,609 | | 96 | El Salvador | (24 Oct. 1945) | 21,040 | 6,704,932 | | 97 | Honduras | (17 Dec. 1945) | 112,090 | 6,975,204 | | 98 | Tajikistan | (2 Mar. 1992) | 143,100 | 7,163,506 | | 99 | Bulgaria | (14 Dec. 1955) | 110,910 | 7,450,349 | | 100 | Benin | (20 Sep. 1960) | 112,620 | 7,460,025 | | 101 | Switzerland | (10 Sep. 2002) | 41,290 | 7,489,370 | | 102 | Azerbaijan | (2 Mar. 1992) | 86,600 | 7,911,974 | | 103 | Haiti | (24 Oct. 1945) | 27,750 | 8,121,622 | | 104 | Austria | (14 Dec. 1955) | 83,858 | 8,184,691 | | 105 | Rwanda | (18 Sep. 1962) | 26,338 | 8,440,820 | | 106 | Somalia | (20 Sep. 1960) | 637,657 | 8,591,629 | | 107 | Bolivia | (14 Nov. 1945) | 1,098,580 | 8,857,870 | | 108 | Dominican Republic | (24 Oct. 1945) | 48,730 | 8,950,034 | | 109 | Sweden | (19 Nov. 1946) | 449,964 | 9,001,774 | | 110 | Guinea | (12 Dec. 1958) | 245,857 | 9,467,866 | | 111 | Chad | (20 Sep. 1960) | 1,284,000 | 9,826,419 | | 112 | Hungary | (14 Dec. 1955) | 93,030 | 10,006,835 | | 113 | Tunisia | (12 Nov. 1956) | 163,610 | 10,074,951 | | 114 | Czech Republic | (19 Jan. 1993) | 78,866 | 10,241,138 | | 115 | Belarus | (24 Oct. 1945) | 207,600 | 10,300,483 | | 116 | Belgium | (27 Dec. 1945) | 30,510 | 10,364,388 | | 117 | Portugal | (14 Dec. 1955) | 92,391 | 10,566,212 | | 118 | Greece | (25 Oct. 1945) | 131,940 | 10,668,354 | | 119 | Serbia and Montenegro | (1 Nov. 2000) | 102,350 | 10,829,175 | | 120 | Senegal | (28 Sep. 1960) | 196,190 | 11,126,832 | | 121 | Angola | (1 Dec. 1976) | 1,246,700 | 11,190,786 | | 122 | Zambia | (1 Dec. 1964) | 752,614 | 11,261,795 | | 123 | Cuba | (24 Oct. 1945) | 110,860 | 11,346,670 | | 124 | Niger | (20 Sep. 1960) | 1,267,000 | 11,665,937 | | 125 | Malawi | (1 Dec. 1964) | 118,480 | 12,158,924 | | 126 | Mali | (28 Sep. 1960) | 1,240,000 | 12,291,529 | | 127 | Zimbabwe | (25 Aug. 1980) | 390,580 | 12,746,990 | | 128 | Ecuador | (21 Dec. 1945) | 283,560 | 13,363,593 | | 129 | Cambodia | (14 Dec. 1955) | 181,040 | 13,607,069 | | 130 | Burkina Faso | (20 Sep. 1960) | 274,200 | 13,925,313 | | 131 | Guatemala | (21 Nov. 1945) | 108,890 | 14,655,189 | | 132 | Kazakhstan | (2 Mar. 1992) | 2,717,300 | 15,185,844 | | 133 | Chile | (24 Oct. 1945) | 756,950 | 15,980,912 | | 134 | Netherlands | (10 Dec. 1945) | 41,526 | 15,980,912 | | 135 | Cameroon | (20 Sep. 1960) | 475,440 | 16,380,005 | | 136 | Cote d'Ivoire | (20 Sep. 1960) | 322,460 | 17,298,040 | | 137 | Madagascar | (20 Sep. 1960) | 587,040 | 18,040,341 | | 138 | Syria | (24 Oct. 1945) | 185,180 | 18,448,752 | | 139 | Sri Lanka | (14 Dec. 1955) | 65,610 | 20,064,776 | | | New Sri Lanka | Future | 46,777 | 16,064,776 | | | Thamileelam | Future | 18,833 | 3,966,012 |
* Area is in square kilometers.
** The populations are July 2005 Estimates.
PS: I got all this information from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) website.
If you want to check it here is the URL
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