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31 August 2011 Chairman of Mackwoods appointed High Commissioner for UK Dr. Chris Nonis has been nominated as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner for Britain. The post had been vacant for several months. Dr. Nonis received his credentials from President Mahinda Rajapakse at Temple Trees.Dr. Nonis is the Chairman of Mackwoods and Trustee and Council Member of the Royal Commonwealth Society Headquarters in London is a consultant to several enterprises. He had his education in the UK and has served as a specialist cardiologist.The post of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner became vacant when Mr. Nihal Jayasinghe who served as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner for Britain was appointed as the Magistrate for the United Nation’s war crimes in January. The government expected to appoint former Commander of the Navy Wasanthe Karannagoda. However, the British government did not agree to him being appointed and Mr. P.M. Amsa acted for the SL High Commissioner in the UK. India to hold artificial limb rehab. camp in Jaffna India will hold a month-long artificial limb rehabilitation camp in Jaffna from Thursday (September 1). A team of 20 technicians from the famous Jaipur-based Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) arrived in Colombo today en route to Jaffna.The team, led by Dr AB Sharma, was flagged off from Jaipur on Monday by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Artificial wooden limbs weighing two tons have already reached the island by ship, a BMVSS spokesman told The Island from Jaipur today.The camp is being organised during September 1 to 30 by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the BMVSS to Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot flags off Bhagwan Mahaveere Viklang Sahayta Samiti technicians for Sri Lanka.Jaipur. Chief Minister Shjri Ashok Gehlot on Monday flagged off a team of 20 technicians for Sri Lanka to hold a month long artificial limb rehabilitation camp in Jaffna.This camp from September 1 to September 30 has been organised in association with the Indian ministry of external affairs to rehabilitate those who lost their limbs during the civil war in the Northern Province.This is the second such camp to be organised in Sri Lanka. Last year, a similar camp was organised at Vavuniya, in which 1,240 persons were fitted with the artificial limbs.Those who were fitted with the artificial limbs regained mobility and dignity, and they overcame their handicap to lead a normal life. The beneficiaries included men, women and children.Mehta informed Gehlot that the second camp is being organised at Jaffna as a goodwill gesture by the Government of India after the Sri Lankan government lauded the efforts of the BMVSS at the Vavuniya camp. The beneficiaries in Vavuniya thanked the BMVSS for providing them with the artificial limbs.The BMVSS is the world's largest organisation that helps the handicapped by fitting them with artificial limbs. Since DR Mehta established the BMVSS in 1975, over 1.2 million persons have been provided with artificial limbs and calipers so far in India and 24 countries across the globe, including Sri Lanka.The flagging-off ceremony in Jaipur was attended by BMVSS's DR Mehta, joint secretary of the BMVSS Bhupendra Raj Mehta,Chief Executive Officer Jayanti Lal Modi, Joint CEOs HC Singh Rathor and Rajendra Singhi.Chief Minister Gehlot wished the team of technicians great success, and said that the Jaffna camp will go a long way in generating goodwill between India and Sri Lanka, which are culturally and historically linked with each other for thousands of years.Interestingly some members of the technical team are themselves handicapped and fitted with artificial limbs. They BMVSS rehabilitated them and provided them with jobs to enable them to earn their livelihood. Today, they are all highly skilled technicians.Gehlot also saw the artificial limbs which will be fitted to the limbless during the camp and was impressed with the quality and strength of the limbs. He evinced particular interest in the Jaipur Knee, an above-the-knee artificial limb developed by the prestigious Stanford University of United States in collaboration with the BMVSS.Mehta explained that the Jaipur Knee, which has been thus nomenclatured by the Stanford University, was rated as one of the world's 50 best innovations by TIME magazine. This limb costs $20 in India, while a similar limb in the US costs $ 10,000.This particular limb has been fitted to more than 3,000 handicapped men, women and children successfully.The BMVSS has so far conducted similar camps at Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Malawi, Nigeria, Nepal, Kenya, Panama, the Phillipines, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Somalia, Trinidad & Tobago, Vietnam, Sudan, Lebanon, Zambia, Pakistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Senegal and Fiji.In all, about 20,000 perosns in these countries were fitted with Jaipur Foot and Jaipur Knee. SLFP 60th anniversary celebrations on Friday Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of Sri Lanka's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will celebrate its Diamond Jubilee anniversary on Friday, September 02.Addressing a media briefing in Colombo SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena said the the 60th anniversary ceremony of the SLFP will be held at Temple Trees at 3 pm, under the chairmanship of party leader President Mahinda Rajapaksa.An Anniversary Week has been declared from today till next Monday (September 05).The General Secretary said that a number of activities including a membership drive had been organized to mark the 60th anniversary.Religious observances, seminars and workshops on the party’s future and present vision and programmes including the launch of development projects will be held during the week.Membership promotion programmes as well as to evaluate the services of senior members and activists of the party will also be conducted, the state-run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said.Several development programmes will also be declared open during the week.SLFP was founded by the 4th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka late S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, it has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. Court stays execution of Rajiv assassins for eight weeks The Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed for eight weeks the execution of three Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts.The three — Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan — lodged in Vellore Jail, were scheduled to be hanged on September 9. Granting the interim stay, a bench comprising justices C. Nagappan and M. Sathayanarayanan observed there had been a delay of over 11 years in the disposal of the mercy petitions filed by the convicts to the President seeking clemency. The matter involved a question of law, the judges said and admitted the writ petitions and issued notices to the Centre, the state and Tamil Nadu police. Their case was taken up by senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani and others. A crowd that had gathered outside the court welcomed the court order. MDMK leader Vaiko, who strongly pleaded for the commutation of capital punishment, was also present in the court. Plans under way to kill Sarath Fonseka? Steps have been taken to kill Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka who is currently detained in the Welikada prison, popular Sinhala news website reports.By sending a letter the Advisor of the Defence Ministry Henda Vitharana informed the CID and the Department of Prevention of Terrorism, media reports.In his letter Henda Vitharana stated members of the LTTE are planning to kill Sarath Fonseka.This was reveled when the prison officials of the Bogambara prison captured the mobile phones form LTTE suspects at the prison.By using the mobile phone respective prisoner have called to the Minister of Mass Communication Keheliya Ramukwella and one of a JVP leader.However news website points out CID was suspicious about the statement released by the Henda Vitharana.There is no doubt about those arrangements of LTTE to kill Sarath Fonseka because he his leader who defeated terrorism from the country, but at present government has taken several steps to create problems against Fonseka. Fonseka need to take permission from the courts to get hot water in such it was doubt whether the LTTE paling to kill Sarath Fonseka who is at the Welikada prison.News website further noted Henda Vitharana is the person who works hard to arrest former Army commander. Rajiv assassination: TN Assembly calls for clemency for convicts The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution for commuting the death sentence of the three convicts - A.G.Perarivalan alias Arivu, V.Sriharan alias Murugan and T.Suthendraraja alias Santhan - in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to life sentence. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa moved the resolution in this regard and the House unanimously adopted it. She said the resolution took into consideration the overwhelming sentiment of the people of Tamil Nadu who wanted her government to commute the death sentence. The resolution also requested the President of India to reconsider the mercy petitions filed by the three convicts and to commute the death sentence to life. Warrants issued on TRO members LTTE Diary: Prabakaran killed 300 cadres loyal to Mahattaya... An LTTE diary in the hands of a Tiger cadre in Germany has revealed that slain LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabakaran ordered the massacre of 300 cadres loyal to his one time deputy leader,Mahendrarajah alias Mahattaya.Notes pertaining to threats on Anton Balasingham not to talk 'peace moves' issued by Prabakaran are also included in that diary,reports from Berlin said.Prabakaran who fell out with Mahattaya over the latter's stand to seek a negotiated political settlement with the Colombo Government at that time, had personally shot dead Mahattaya near a Red Chilly chena cultivation in the thick jungles of Mullaitivu in the presence of Kittu,Raheem and Yogaratnam alias Yogi.At the time Mahattaya was killed, the trio Kittu, Raheem and Yogi were the trusted lieutenants of Prabakaran who spearheaded ground operations against the Sri Lankan military in the North.Having shot dead Mahattaya, the remains of the slain LTTE deputy leader had been carried into the thick jungles and cremated, the diary has revealed.Thereafter, 300 hundred hard core cadres allocated to Mahattaya had been targeted by Prabakaran and killed within six months laying booby traps,land mines and anti-personnel bombs on the paths they were directed to travel,the diary has noted.The diary unfolds that the manner of the killing of Mahattaya was kept a well guarded secret in order to put the blame on the government security forces on the sudden disappearance of Mahattaya.However, after Prabakaran penalized Yogi and the LTTE 'Top Command' split,many well guarded secrets of the LTTE had been let out by disgruntled cadres.Many of them have been punished with death while Yogi was barricaded in Jaffna as a cricket coach prohibited to leave the peninsula without the consent of Prabakaran,the diary has unfolded. British Tamils Forum appeals for Clemency British Tamils Forum appeals to the President of India to reconsider the decision to reject the mercy plea of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, the three accused of conspiring to assassinate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.The accused have languished in solitary confinement for the past twenty years living in prolonged anxiety with the fear of being executed at any time. The Supreme Court of India has itself commuted death sentences in a number of cases due to prolonged delay in deciding mercy petitions.BTF, kindly requests the Government of India, to commute their death sentence, on humanitarian grounds, in accordance with the non-violent traditions of India.Most countries around the world which have a much shorter history of civilisation than India have abolished capital punishment, as they recognise the act as primitive and barbaric.As an emerging world leader we are hopeful that India would repeal the death penalty as it goes against her commitment to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 30 August 2011 Kachchativu belongs to Lanka: India In an apparent disregard to demands by Tamil Nadu politicians to take over the Kachchativu Island, the Central government of India had categorically reiterated that the island belonged to Sri Lanka since it was located within its territorial waters. India’s External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna, in a statement on the issues related to Sri Lanka, said the agreements between the two countries had concluded in 1974 and 1976 that this island lies within on the Sri Lankan side of the maritime boundary “These Agreements were laid before the Parliament. Therefore, as far as the Government of India is concerned, the issue of Maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka, and consequently, that of sovereignty over Kachchativu Island is a settled matter,” he said.Periodically, there have been demands by Tamil Nadu politicians to take over the island from Sri Lanka for the use of Indian fishermen. However, Mr. Krishna, in response to matters raised by Tamil Nadu MPs on the Sri Lankan issues in Lok Sabha, said that Indian fishermen had access to this island for rest, drying of their nets and for the annual St. Anthony’s Festival. He said that Indian fishermen, anyway, did not have fishing rights around the island.A few weeks ago, some Tamil Nadu politicians even threatened to stage a protest demanding the island back to Sri Lanka. Former President to start new political party Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and several government Ministers are carrying out secrete discussions to forum a new political party in SriLanka.Mrs.Bandaranike hopes to start her new political carrier through this new political party.Special discussion was held this regard under the leadership of Mrs. Bandaranaike recently.According to the sources members of the United National Party and some of the Ministers were present at this special meeting. In Sri Lanka, a 'negative peace' prevails Seriously injured in a shell attack, his Tamil Tiger comrades dead, Mano (pseudonym) tried to end his own life by biting on the cyanide pill that, like all hardened fighters, he wore around his neck. But an elderly woman nearby rushed to give him water and he survived. Alone, he languished on the sand for six days, surrounded by the bodies of his friends and the ruins of war."There wasn't anybody there, not a drop of water. I was just lying there in the sun," he said as he recalled the final days of the fighting between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military. "Then I heard voices and, 200m away, saw soldiers advancing. They took me away." No safety in peace Having lost a son and her husband - both members of the Tigers - to the fighting and with another son in detention, Mathi is searching desperately for her remaining son who went missing in the final stages of the conflict.It happened in Mullivaikal, a village squeezed onto a narrow spit of sand between the Nandikadal lagoon and the Indian Ocean on the island's northeastern coast, a place declared a civilian "safe zone" by the government. As the Sri Lankan army advanced, the coconut husks and palmyra leaves littering the ground caught fire. It was in what Mathi describes as an "inferno" and under almost constant bombardment, that her son disappeared. Like Arulananthan, she has kept a file of her increasingly desperate search. "It's important that we should be told where he is," Mathi said. "Whether he's injured or whether he's dead he would ultimately be with the military because there was nobody else there. They must know."But even those who've found their family members still struggle. Few can afford the cost of travelling to detention centres for visits or the costs of legal advice. In their desperation, some find themselves cheated.Vidhya (pseudonym) lives with her sister and brother-in-law in the village where she was born. Her family and her lawyer are the only ones who know that her husband was a Sea Tiger and surrendered to the army at the end of the war.It took Vidhya two months to find out where he was but she's now heavily in debt, having borrowed 500,000 rupees and pawned her sister's jewellery to pay people who convinced her they could get her husband freed. The jewellery will be forfeited if Vidhya, who has no income, doesn't pay by the end of this month."Without him, I don't have anyone to talk to, anyone to share my problems with," she says. Her four-year-old son, sitting on her lap, gently wipes the tears from her face as she speaks."People say we have peace but the peace we have is a negative peace - the absence of war and violence," said Perera. "We don't have a peace where there's reconciliation and trust. That's what we need to work towards."The Tamil National Alliance, which swept recent local elections in the Northeast, has asked the government to release the names of all those in custody and their place of detention, but it has yet to do so.In some ways, Mano's family was lucky. Their son was returned to them. Positive step in Sri Lanka-The Hindu EDITORIAL Sri Lanka's decision to lift the Emergency regulations, as announced by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Parliament last week, is a step towards creating a positive environment for national reconciliation. The regulations rode on powers granted to government under the 1947 Public Security Ordinance. They have remained almost continuously in force since the 1971 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna insurgency in southern Sri Lanka, through the years of the armed Tamil militancy in the North and the East. But there was never any real justification for retaining them after the LTTE's military defeat in 2009. The broad sweep and vague language of the regulations struck fear among the Tamil minority, and curtailed the freedoms of all Sri Lankans. Over the years, and especially after the LTTE's assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in 2005 until the end of the war, the government introduced a welter of overlapping regulations arming security personnel with wide and arbitrary powers to search, detain, and arrest people for “terrorism,” which itself was not clearly defined. Draconian in their scope, the regulations undermined the freedom of speech, expression, and movement. The monthly approval needed from Parliament for their extension was an insufficient cover. With the immunity they provided to officials, the instances of misuse were many, especially in the Tamil-dominated areas of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government must clarify how it proposes to deal with the people — their numbers are unclear — still detained under the Emergency laws. It also remains to be seen how Sri Lanka will now use the Prevention of Terrorism Act, a law so severe that it more than mirrors the Emergency regulations in its scope and powers; the two were implemented simultaneously or interchangeably. Without losing any momentum, the Sri Lankan polity must now quickly move towards setting up the political framework to address the Tamil question — the just solution to which is wide-ranging devolution of powers within a united Sri Lanka. The 13th Amendment provides a decent start but, as the whole world knows, Tamil aspirations go beyond this. It is certainly time to concretise the ‘plus' in the 13th Amendment-plus to which President Rajapaksa committed his government before the LTTE was eliminated as a military entity. In shaping an enduring political solution, the role of the Tamil National Alliance, which decisively won the recent local bodies elections in the North, is crucial. Thus far it has fallen woefully short of articulating a clear vision of a constitutional solution. It is time it steps up to the task. 1000 children 'still missing' since war Nearly 1000 children who went missing during the final phase of the war against the Tamil Tigers are still unaccounted for, authorities say.Almost 600 children out of 1800 have been reunited with their families by UNICEF with the coordination of several organizations, Vavuniya Government Agent (GA) PSM Charles told BBC Tamil service.According to UNICEF reports, 30 percent of those disappeared children were last seen in government controlled areas and another 64 percent were recruited by the LTTE.Ms Charles also said that with the help of UNICEF, actions are underway to find out whereabouts of those missing children as she received tearful pleas from more than 1000 parents in the region.The war against the LTTE came to an end in May 2009 after the government troops claimed military victory over the rebels.Nearly 300,000 people were displaced from LTTE controlled areas to government controlled IDP camps during the last two years of final war.And thousands of former Tamil Tiger cadres who surrendered to the military forces were kept in special camps in where, government says, that they are being released once they are rehabilitated. No powers to pardon Gandhi killers – CM Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa says that she does not have the powers to commute the death sentences of three men convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.“As a Chief Minister I don't have the powers to change the ruling after the President of India has rejected their mercy petition," she told Tamil Nadu Assembly."I request the leaders of political parties and others not to run a campaign as if I have the powers to commute the death sentence,” the chief minister added.Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, an Indian and two Sri Lankans are convicted of assisting the assassination. 'Indefinite fast' At the same time, Ms Jayalalithaa said, a fresh application seeking to reconsider the earlier decision could be filed before the President by the condemned men "if there is a change of circumstance or if any new material is available.”"Once the President has rejected a mercy petition, all future applications in this behalf should be addressed to and would be dealt with by the President of India," she said.She also accused former Chief Minister Karunanidhi with playing a double role in the issue since it was the DMK government that adopted a resolution in April 19, 2000 seeking to commute the death sentence only of Nalini, on the ground that she had given birth to a child, and not of the three others.The death sentence of Nalini has already been commuted.Meantime protest demonstrations are being staged in many parts of the state.Last evening a 20-year-old girl, Sengodi, immolated herself in Kancheepuram, 80 km from Chennai, demanding the lives of the three be spared.Three women lawyers are on an indefinite fast in Chennai on the same demand.Several petitions have been filed in the state high court pleading for the repeal of the death sentence. Rajiv assassins row: Karunanidhi is a hypocrite, says SIT chief Raghothaman The chief investigating officer of the Special Investigation Team which probed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case blasted various organizations in Tamil Nadu for distorting the facts associated with the death sentence awarded to Santhan, Murugand and Perarivalan, the three LTTE assassins."I saw Karunanidhi appealing to the state and central governments on Monday to commute the death sentences of the three LTTE activists to life imprisonment. He knows very well that it is illegal and impossible. That's why he himself shied away from doing that in 2000 when he was the chief minister. Now what Karunanidhi is doing is nothing but hypocrisy," said K Raghothaman, the ace sleuth who was drafted by the Central Bureau of Investigation as a member of the SIT when it was set up in 1991.Speaking to DNA, Raghothaman, who retired from the CBI in 2005, said even the commutation of death sentence of Nalini to life imprisonment by the then Governor of Tamil Nadu smacked of mysteries.He said it was because of the pressure exerted by the then chief minister Karunanidhi that this happened. "Even then Karunanidhi played it safe by refusing to entertain the pleas of the others because he knew it was impossible," said Raghothaman. 29 August 2011 Jaffna people can lodge complaints in Tamil language Police Department Tuesday announced that people in the Jaffna district can file cases in Tamil language.Deputy Inspector of the Jaffna district Nell Atuwatha announced that they have taken necessary steps to file cases in Tamil language at all the police stations in the Jaffna district.However earlier cases were filed in the Sinhala language but at present police have taken steps to provide complaint sheets in Tamil language.Earlier people in the Jaffna district was force to take a Sinhala person to file their case in the police station but at present this new scheme helps the Tamil people to file cases in their own language and also they will be able to get proper solutions for their problems.This new procedure will provide good services to the people and also it will reduce the corruptions and some other illegal activities which are carried out by the agents who help the people to lodge complaint in the Sinhala language.The Sinhala and Tamil languages are both official and national languages of the country. This constitution was amended in 1987.but none of the Srilanka rulers ever implement any laws which is favour for minorities passed through the constitution. Human skulls and skeletons dug out in Jaffna When a foundation was being dug to construct a building in the Neduntheevu district , Jaffna in the vicinity of the Divisional Secretariat , a large number of human skulls , skeletons and bones had been discovered. This building was going to be constructed not on a burial ground.Upon the discovery of these human bones , skulls and skeletons , the police who were informed had then visited the scene along with Urkawattithurai district judge Ms. Mahadeva. The Court medical officer Sivaruban too had also arrived and an inspection had been done when 8 skulls and skeletal bones of about ten dead persons were found , and they were about ten years old. What was specially noteworthy in his discovery was that not a rag , not a cloth of the dead persons being among them. Hence it is suspected that these dead persons have been buried nude.The battle to capture Jaffna from the LTTE took place about 18 years ago. Thereafter , Neduntheevu district was under the army and EPDP administration. This was the second occasion human bones had been discovered in Jaffna in the recent past when a foundation was being dug. Investigations are being conducted in this regard. Land in Ampara belonging to Sinhala and Tamil villagers forcibly taken for navy base and tourism development People in Panama allege that officials from the Ampara Divisional Secretariat have forcibly taken over 850 acres of land belonging to the Panama villagers. Villagers told this correspondent that the Defence Ministry is reportedly setting up a navy base there and question the validity of setting up such a base when the war had ended over two years ago.They say that looking into the security of the area could be appreciated but to acquire 850 acres of land in Panama for such purposes could mean that they have an ulterior motive.It is also alleged that most lands belonging to the Panama villagers have already been sold to build tourist hotels.The Panama village is a picturesque area in the Ampara District of the Eastern Province. The only land route to this village is across Pottuvil.The inhabitants of this village comprise both Sinhala and Tamil communities — and they engage in many cultural persuits. The villagers say that over the decades, the number of families in Panama has increased significantly. As a result, the Panama village has expanded with the emergence of new villages such as Shastrawela, Ragamvila, Horewkanda and Ulpassa.Their main source of income had been farming but their livelihoods were badly affected due to the North-East war. Now that the war is over most villagers who had to flee Panama have begun to return to their original places of residence.But these villagers have now been forced to flee again due to certain armed groups who ransack their houses at night. Although they had complained to the police they have not got any redress with the police using their very houses to set up camps under the guise of nabbing these armed groups.It is said that the police are not allowing a single villager to enter their homes thus compounding the issues these villagers are facing. As far as the villagers are concerned their situation is one of having fallen ‘from the frying pan to the fire.’ When contacted, a chief priest of the area, the Venerable Panama Chandrarathna Thera said, “Over the years the villagers in Panama had lived in peace and harmony without any outside influence. Even our ancestors led a simple lifestyle that was clearly followed by these people in Panama.Their main source of income is derived through farming and fishing. Even at the height of the war they managed to live but with the greatest difficulty. Currently, they are facing added problems. The Panama villagers today do not have sufficient land to call their own. That is the main issue and the sooner this is resolved the better it is going to be for our villagers.”A villager, K. Jayawardena (70) said that if the Ministry of Defence is keen to allocate 850 acres to set up a navy base — then they should make sufficient lands available to residents in Panama and not doing so could be regarded as an infringement of the rights of its inhabitants.Another resident, H. Premalatha also found fault with the government and the Ministry of Defence for having forcibly taken over lands in Panama thus forcing villagers to lose what once belonged to them. She said that Panama had 135 village families but charged that today two-thirds of that number was suffering due to their lands being forcibly taken over by the security forces, giving all kinds of irrelevant reasons.Another female resident, M. Somawathee also alleged that the security forces were preventing them from occupying lands which belonged to them. She charged that ministers were wallowing in luxury throughout the day while the poor villagers in Panama are made to pay for the sins of their political masters.S. Senevirathna also had a similar tale of woe as the security forces have prevented her family from occupying the lands that originally belonged to families of Panama. Another resident, Upali Attanayake, 42 years, charged that the security forces not only forcibly occupied their lands but are now in the process of harassing villagers as well. He alleged that armed groups not only ransacked their homes — but that they are also guilty of physically assaulting Panama villagers as well.P. Somasiri, a fisherman in Panama also aired similar grievances and said that the Ministry of Defence was guilty of depriving innocent villagers and fishermen of their legitimate rights by having forcibly taken over two-thirds of the land in the village.He said due to these isues scores of villagers have been deprived of their livelihoods as well — and said that the only alternative left for them would be to get on the roads and carry out protests and demonstrations. Somasiri said that there was hardly any responsible official around to look into the pitiful plight of the scores of villagers in Panama. courtesy: lakbimaNews Repressive laws remain despite end to state of emergency in Sri Lanka-Amnesty International The Sri Lankan government must follow up its repeal of the state of emergency by removing repressive legislation such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Amnesty International said.Earlier this week, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised to remove the state of emergency that has been in place in the country for nearly three decades.“Sri Lankan civil society and Amnesty International have long called for the lifting of emergency laws, so we welcome the government’s commitment to repeal them,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director. “There are hundreds of people who remain in detention under these regulations who should be released immediately, or charged with a recognizable crime in a proper court of law.”The Sri Lankan government still uses repressive measures such as the PTA, which allows authorities to hold detainees arbitrarily and for long periods without trial, including in places that are not officially acknowledged as detention facilities.Police and security forces in Sri Lanka routinely ignore international regulations and procedures intended to protect the rights of individuals who have been arrested.These include informing people of the reasons for their arrest, providing the opportunity to communicate with family members or friends and ensuring a judicial hearing within 24 hours after arrest.“Due process and accountability have eroded after three decades of reliance on sweeping security legislation under the state of emergency,” said Zarifi. “The current administration has further degraded judicial independence by concentrating power in the president’s hands. Lifting the state of emergency is an important step, but the proof is in the treatment of detainees and government critics.”“The lifting of emergency regulations indicates the Sri Lankan government is feeling international pressure,” added Zarifi. “With the U.N. Human Rights Council due to meet soon, it’s time to demand the government undertake real reforms, including repeal of the PTA and providing accountability for the thousands of people who suffered during the country’s civil war.” 28 August 2011 Irene stops Blake visit to Colombo Sri Lanka seeks allies' support ahead of U.N. rights meet Sri Lanka's foreign minister left on Sunday on a two-week mission to shore up diplomatic support ahead of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting, where the Indian Ocean nation is expecting to face a fight over Western-led pressure for a war crimes probe.External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris is scheduled to meet leaders from Singapore, Jordan, the Non-Aligned Movement and crucially, South Korea, the home country of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, a ministry statement said.The minister's visit comes ahead of crucial U.N. Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva this month, where Sri Lanka is expected to challenge Western nations that want the Indian Ocean nation to submit to an independent war crimes probe.A report given to Ban by an advisory panel found there was "credible evidence" that Sri Lankan forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) committed war crimes and killed thousands of civilians in the war's last months in 2009.Peiris, after the bilateral meetings and a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement's foreign ministers, is due in Geneva, along with three other ministers and Sri Lanka's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, who is Tamil.Sri Lanka's military crushed the Tamil Tigers to decisively end one of Asia's longest-running modern wars in May 2009, but since the waning months of the conflict has been under increasing pressure over accusations of civilian deaths.Rights groups, Western governments and well-funded pro-LTTE groups in the Tamil diaspora have made a coordinated push for Sri Lanka to submit to an external probe on what happened in the final stage of the war.Sri Lanka says it was impossible to avoid all civilian casualties during the final offensive to wipe out the Tigers, who held nearly 300,000 people as human shields, but says its troops used only necessary and lawful force.Colombo is counting on the diplomatic muscle of China and Russia, both of which are increasing post-war investment in Sri Lanka, to help it avoid a probe.Both have U.N. Security Council vetoes and a general policy that sovereign nations should handle their internal conflicts without outside interference. President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently returned from a trip to China, where he was seeking economic support and backing against any war crimes investigation. Wanni Doctors Were “Coached” – Wikileaks A US embassy cable released by the Wikileaks website last week quotes a former US official in Colombo as saying that a group of doctors who were in the Wanni during the war, had been “coached” on what to say at a press briefing in Colombo after they were arrested.Dr T. Sathiyamoorthy, Dr T. Varatharajah and Dr. Shanmugarajah, who while in the Wanni, had made claims of heavy civilian casualties, contradicted their statements at a press briefing organised by the government in July 2009.A secret cable dispatched in August 2009 by the Charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Colombo James R. Moore, said that the doctors had not lied when giving their original statements to the media during the war.Moore said in his August 2009 secret dispatch “Four government doctors, held by the police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) since the end of the war in May for allegedly filing false reports on civilian casualties in the No-Fire Zone during the last several months of the war, were released on bail today. The doctors had been pressured to give the press conference held in early July (reftel), where they recanted all the statements they had made from the No-Fire Zone. They said they were heavily coached for the press conference, given specific lines to say, and even practiced with several members of the local media beforehand. They said they had not lied when giving their original statements during the war. The release of the four doctors is a welcome step by the GSL, but clearly they remain under investigation by the CID and now also are potentially under threat of abduction or extrajudicial killing. Post will continue to monitor the situation very closely, but for now the doctors appear to want to maintain as low a profile as possible, without undue attention brought to them either in Sri Lanka or internationally”.Wikileaks released several US embassy cables last week and among them were cables sent from the US Embassy in Colombo to the US State Department and other US officials. Top Ministers Under SIS Scanner The State Intelligence Service (SIS) is monitoring the movements of some political parties and groups supportive of the government as well as two Cabinet Ministers namely Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa, intelligence sources said.Among those under the scanner is the Patriotic National Movement (PNM), National Freedom Front (NFF) of which Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawanse is a member and the Jathika Hela Urumaya, of which Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawake is a member.JHU Chairman, the venerable Athureliya Ratana Thero, who had recently spoken against the government on the presence of arsenic in pesticides, is also being closely watched.The State Intelligence Service has received orders from the “top” to monitor the statements being made by these Ministers and party officials in public, demonstrations they organize and the internal meetings of those political groups, well informed intelligence sources said.The reason that these cabinet Ministers and pro-government groups and political parties have been placed under the scanner is because they have begun to make statements against the government in public.“Even though these people are supportive of the government or are in the government they are being monitored on the basis that they may make statements to discredit the government,” intelligence sources speaking strictly on conditions of anonymity told The Sunday Leader.When contacted by The Sunday Leader PNM General Secretary Dr. Wasantha Bandara said he is aware his organization is indeed being monitored.He also said that some of their telephone lines are being tapped to keep a tab on the conversations they have. Bandara however said that the PNM is not critical about the government as a whole but only on selected issues.“There is no conspiracy by us. We are only being critical of what should be criticized. We know the government is monitoring us and for that we will speak out even more,” Bandara said.Minister Champika Ranawaka said he was not aware of his movements or speeches being monitored by intelligence officers.The Minister told The Sunday Leader that such close scrutiny is not needed as his party is not against the government but only criticizes some policies or decisions.JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe too said he was not aware of his party or party members being monitored. But he stressed the JHU had no issues on being closely watched by the government, if that is the case.The Sunday Leader attempted to contact the SIS Director Chandra Wakista but he could not be reached for a comment.The Director General of Media at the President’s office Bandula Jayasekera, when contacted by The Sunday Leader for a comment, said he was not aware of such a thing and so could not comment. Lifting emergency would not release people detained under it, Sri Lanka Justice Ministry official says The Justice Ministry of Sri Lanka says the removal of emergency regulations would not result in the release of some 6,000 persons detained under the emergency regulations and their release is to be decided by the Attorney General.Justice Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamlath has noted that the lapse of the emergency regulations would not result in the release of the persons detained under the regulations.He has said there are other laws under which they could be detained.However, Democratic Left Front Secretary and National Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara yesterday stated that the removal of the emergency regulations would result in the immediate release of those detained under emergency.President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week proposed the lifting of emergency regulations that have been in place during the period of war. No Response From EU Yet The European Union (EU) is yet to respond to a request from Sri Lanka to list LTTE front organizations operating in Europe as terrorist entities.Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the European Union Ravinatha Aryasinha told The Sunday Leader that Sri Lanka is trying to maintain the spotlight on the activities of LTTE front groups still operating overseas.He said that while the EU has yet to respond to a request made last month to list such organizations as terrorist entities, it was still too early to expect a response anytime soon.“The only meaningful way to deal with the LTTE is to not just ban the organization but also ban its affiliated groups which are operating under different names,” the Ambassador said.Asked if by focusing on such groups it would give the impression that the LTTE has not been completed defeated, the Ambassador said that Sri Lanka has maintained that even though the LTTE has been defeated militarily it is still active overseas through its front organizations.The government, last month, updated its request to the European Union to list front organizations of the LTTE as terrorist entities, as they had done since 2006.The government noted that individuals arrested by the European and other authorities last year and this year, have all been found to be members of the Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) and other LTTE front organizations.The government said this amply demonstrated that the activities of the LTTE front organizations are carried out for or on behalf of, or at the behest of the LTTE, which although militarily defeated in Sri Lanka, continues to be active internationally, particularly through its network of front organizations. That Is Why We Need An International Inquiry In a shocking revelation, a former army intelligence officer Kandegedara Priyawansa told the Mount Lavinia Magistrate on May 12, 2011 that he was instructed by the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) to claim that a top army official was involved in the killing of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.The intelligence officer who is now in remand, told in open Court that he was instructed to say the army official, whose name was not mentioned in Court, was involved in the killing, in return for a chance to go overseas and secure for himself a house in Sri Lanka.While the former army intelligence officer was allegedly instructed to frame the top army officer for Lasantha’s death, he also claimed he was told to frame the same army officer for the assault of two top journalists.It is pretty sure that the “Top Army Officer” must be former Army commander general Sarath Fonseka. Until he stood against the Rajapaksas in late 2009 he was a pet of this regime. Nobody was arrested apart from a village boy who had stolen Lasantha’s mobile phone but, soon after Fonseka join the Opposition a bunch of army intelligence personnel were arrested. Killing Lasantha was clearly a political decision and not just an Army Commander’s decision. Now the Rajapaksas are trying to fix General Fonseka for the Lasantha killing.I am reminded of my own experience of the then burgeoning signs of absolute impunity that I saw when I met Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2008. I was meeting him as the Convenor of the Free Media Movement. We were not alone. Other members of his then cabinet were present. After a cordial conversation the President rose from his chair, saying, “Have some dinner before you go.”“One more issue” I said.“What?” asked the President.“Tissainayagam’s issue”, I said.“Oh that. I want to free Tissainayagam. His wife had sent a message through Mangala Moonesinghe”, said the President with a smile on his face.“Then why did you summon the Deputy Solicitors General two weeks ago and order them to file action?” I asked.The President was visibly angered by this. He glanced at Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and SLFP General Secretary, Minister Maithripala Sirisena, and then looked directly at me. Angrily banging his palm on the table, he said, “We can fix cases and we can free people.”He then came near me and hit my solar plexus with a bunched fist. “You know everything, don’t you?” he asked.The above conversation took place in mid September 2008, when we met with him. The President of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Sanath Balasuriya, and its Secretary, Jayantha, accompanied me as the Convenor of the Free Media Movement to this meeting with President Rajapaksa.What was the story President Rajapaksa had tried to cover-up? This was it. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had summoned the Deputy Solicitors General from the Attorney General’s Department for a meeting in third week of August 2008. He was impatient with the Department’s lack of success in securing convictions of ‘suspects’ detained by the Police. One was the case of Mawbima Journalist Parameswary Munusamy arrested on suspicion of aiding the LTTE and released for the lack of evidence.The President’s first query was directed to the Deputy Solicitor General in charge of the Tissainayagam case. The DSG said that the grounds for prosecution were poor. The President ordered him to prosecute regardless. The DSG in charge of the ACF case (The gruesome execution-style murders of 17 aid workers with the French organisation Action Contre La Faim in 2006) was asked about the case. The DSG replied that there were two strong witnesses in Australia. President Rajapaksa’s younger brother Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa who was present then inquired whether people in Australia died in road accidents? An angry Deputy Solicitor General rang me the following day and asked me to come to Independence Square – a popular place for walkers. I met him there. While we were walking he told me the story and asked me to leave the place immediately. Until now nobody dared write about this issue fearing for their lives. The international media would not write about it because they could not get the story from an original source.According to some DSGs Basil Rajapaksa’s question was a joke in bad taste but others were angered and did not see the humour in it. The discussion with the DSGs reveals the mind-set behind the repression. Soon after the meeting, the following week August 25, 2009, Journalist Tissainayagam, who had been tortured and held for four months since March 7, 2008, against mounting international pressure, was indicted in the Colombo High Court.Sir, grounds for prosecution are poor The Terrorism Investigation Division produced a confession signed by Tissainayagam as evidence against him. Tissainayagam claimed it was dictated to him, and he was pressured to write it. On August 31, 2009, the High Court in Sri Lanka sentenced Tissainayagam to a total of 20 years rigorous imprisonment, for arousing “communal feelings” by writing and publishing articles that criticised the government’s treatment of Sri Lankan Tamil civilians affected by the war and for raising money to fund the magazine in which the articles were published in furtherance of terrorism. On May 3, 2010 the Sri Lankan Government announced that Tissainayagam would be pardoned by President Rajapaksa to mark the 2010 World Press Freedom Day. This is what happened to a case in which “ the grounds for prosecution were poor.” Whether people in Australia die in road accidents? What happened to the ACF case? On August 4, 2006 at around 4.15 p.m., one Muslim and 16 Tamil ACF aid workers were forced to their knees, begging for their lives, and shot execution-style at point blank range in their office compound in Muttur. The victims of this crime were not caught in cross fire, killed accidently or mistaken for combatants in the midst of an encounter. They were sought out and murdered. Available evidence points to police officers and Muslim home guard members who have acted in the presence of Sri Lankan army commandos.In this, or any premeditated crime of this nature, the State has a responsibility to independently determine the facts of the case and the identity of the perpetrators. The Government has not only failed to fulfill this duty, it has obstructed efforts to do so through the Presidential Commission of Inquiry.The government made sure there was no proper witness protection in place. It changed its earlier identification of a 5.56 mm bullet involved. The Presidential Order to stop video conferencing of testimonies by witnesses who had to flee the country,was another blatant move to suppress the truth. The police investigation unit of the Commission of Inquiry came to function as an intimidation unit towards the witnesses, making sure that the truth was suppressed. Even before the Commission of Inquiry was constituted, several arms of the State including the Judicial Service Commission undermined a proper inquiry, in numerous ways including by replacing the sitting Magistrate (a Tamil, who was replaced by a Sinhalese) just prior to his announcing the findings of his inquest. After the Commission of Inquiry was formed, the Attorney General’s office along with the defence lawyers continued to work as a team to discredit any information which might point towards the real culprit. The role of AG’s office was questioned by the IIEGP (International Independent Group of Eminent Persons, mandated to observe the work of the Commission of Inquiry) but their concern was discarded.On July 21, 2009 the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry, Justice Udalagama told The Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka that ‘the use of video conferencing was essential to hear evidence from the witnesses abroad but this practice was stopped by a Presidential directive’.The Commission of Inquiry ceased with a whimper in mid 2009. According to the Chairman, the culprits in the ACF case were not identified because he ‘ran out of funds’. However, this admission has not prevented the Government from coercing the family members to sign documents stating that they “agree with the findings of the Commission that the deaths were caused by the LTTE. (See UTHR-J Special Report No.33 )This is the end of a case where there were “two strong witnesses”Criticising Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu ,the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives in an article published in the Daily Mirror of May 12, 2011, Professor Rajiva Wijesinha then Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights and now a ruling party MP said; “There is a difference between those who have given up position and public favour for their commitment to ideals, and those who consistently benefit, financially and in terms of prestige, through their criticism of the government from what seems like an idealistic standpoint. That perspective which I continue to believe a useful tool explains my continuing publicly expressed admiration for institutions such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Jaffna University Teachers for Human Rights”.So those who do not want to believe what other civil society organisations say could always read what the Jaffna University Teachers for Human Rights says about the ACF case and which organisation has been given a stamp of approval by Wijesinha himself. You could find them at www.uthr.org.It is in this context that the latest drama regarding Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder investigation should be viewed.And these are examples of the shocking extent of President Rajapaksa’s arbitrary power the President boasted to me of when he told me, “We can fix cases and we can free people.” The case reveals the mind-set behind the repression. If the trend continues, in the end there will be no standards or laws the citizen and communities could appeal to. Anarchy is complete where truth loses all meaning and the state itself is incapable of rationality and foresight.The end of war rather than marking a return to normality or better yet an opportunity to improve inter ethnic relations and justice in Sri Lanka appears to have been only another political milestone for chauvinistic, kleptocratic and authoritarian elements in power. That is why we need an international inquiry for past atrocities. Diaspora’s bid to mislead us will not succeed Says S. P. Thamilselvan’s wife The widow of the late LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan, Shashirekha in an exclusive interview with The Nation goes back to her youth, learning Bharata Natyam, becoming a dancing teacher, meeting with the LTTE leader Prabhakaran and Thamilselvan. She recounts her experiences in the terrorist group-controlled north including the fate that befell her. The unknown agonies she suffered after the death of her husband and the plight all Tamil people fell into under the LTTE and the warning that the Tamil diaspora is trying to drag the Tamil people into danger and destruction are told by her in this candid interview. Following are the highlights of the interview: Question: Could you recount the experiences of your childhood and early youth? Q: Why did you leave school at that grade? Q: Did your family leave Colombo for fear as you were victims of violence of the Black July? Q: After going back to Jaffna did you go back to school? Q: Why didn’t you continue your studies after the GCE Ordinary Level? Q: What made you stay back in Jaffna while your parents returned to Colombo? Q: Did you continue to have relations with your parents after they came back to Colombo? Q: How did you come to join the LTTE? Q: Why did you follow the LTTE into the Vanni. You could have remained in the area recaptured by the army? Q: Did the LTTE pay you well for dancing in their public shows? Q: It appears that you were a highly skilled dancer but it is difficult to understand how you came to be associated with a killer terrorist group. Any comment? Q: From when were you, Shashirekha, came to be known Isaichelvi? Q: How did you come to know Thamilselvan? Q: By that time he had become a physically disabled person? Q: What are your reminiscences of marriage to Thamilselvan? Q: Where did the marriage take place? Q: Did Prabhakaran and others in the LTTE have a frame of mind to take part or view public performances like dancing shows? Q: After your marriage did the LTTE help you? Q: What sort of person was Thamilselvan? Q: What sort of relations did you have with the wives of other LTTE leaders? Q: Weren’t you aware that the families of leaders lived in luxury? Did your family also enjoy such luxuries? Q: You said you came from a high caste family in the north and Thamilselvan from the barber caste. Was that not a problem for your marriage? Q: When your parents became aware of your marriage what was their reaction? Q: What are your brothers and sisters who had had higher education in the universities of the south doing now? Q: Do you remember that Thamilselvan went abroad to take part in peace talks several times. When he came back did he discuss things that happened at such talks? Q: There was a rumour that Thamilselvan once worked as a barber at Kotahena. Is that true? Q: How did you hear about the death of Thamilselvan and what happened afterwards? Q: What was Prabhakaran’s emotion when he came to pay his last respects to Thamilselvan? Q: After the demise of your husband did the LTTE or any leader of the LTTE see to the welfare or feelings of your family? Q: Do you say that your family was kept in the area controlled under compulsion? Q: How did you really come into the army controlled area at the final phase of the armed conflict? Q: When you finally reached the army controlled area did you carry white flags of surrender? British Tamils Forum meet Sushma Suwaraj and Indian Political Leaders A delegation from British Tamils Forum (BTF) met with dignitaries in India to apprise them of the plight of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and to urge them to support the call for an Independent International Investigation into the conduct of the genocidal war. Following on from the recent meeting in London, of senior BTF members with Bhathiya Janatha Party (BJP) delegation, headed by Nitin Gadkari the president of BJP, the BTF delegation visited India on invitation. The delegation met several key political leaders, representatives of human rights organisations, religious leaders, the Indian media and senior political advisors, in various states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi.The BTF delegation succeeded in informing many political leaders, including members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha who were largely unaware of the suffering of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka. The BTF delegation brought to their attention the massacre of the Tamil people and the recent UN panel of experts’ report which called for an independent investigation into the conduct of the war.The BTF delegation stressed the need for an independent international war crimes investigation into the conduct of the war in Sri Lanka where more than 40,000 Tamil men, women and children were massacred by the Sinhala military and 146,679 people still remain unaccounted. They sought the support of all the civil organisations in India to request the Indian government to endorse the call by the UN Panel of experts as well as the international community, including UK & USA, for a war crimes investigation, at the UN human rights council meeting in Geneva.The delegation also explained the current situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka, where colonisation of the Tamil areas is taking place at a rapid pace, under a heavy Sinhala military presence. They were apprised of the genocide designs by the Sri Lankan state under the guise of development. Several Buddhist temples have been built in Tamil areas where there are no Buddhists. A number of “archaeological” sites have been created by the government archaeological department, in the pretext of clearing land mines. Buddhist artefacts are being planted in Tamil areas to be “discovered” later, to substantiate their bogus claim that the Tamil homeland belongs to the Sinhala Buddhists. This well-planned strategy to eliminate the cultural and political identity of the Tamils in Sri Lanka is yet another act in the structured programme of genocide. The BTF delegation submitted documentary evidence relating to the Sri Lankan actions, altering the demography of the Tamils’ Land.At a meeting with the Indian opposition leader Ms. Sushma Swaraj, lasting nearly an hour, she was informed of the actual ground situation and was warned of the stage managed tours conducted by the Sri Lankan state to hoodwink the visiting international dignitaries. BTF delegation also met other senior leaders of BJP, Shiv Sena, VHP and CPI, who promised to launch awareness campaigns among their constituencies as well as in the parliament to highlight the plight of Eelam Tamils. SLAF flight makes emergency landing in Chennai A flight belonging to Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) made an emergency landing at the Anna International Airport in Chennai today (August 28) following a technical snag, airport sources said.The flight, proceeding from Colombo to Visakhapatnam, was carrying seven Sri Lankan passengers when it developed snag mid-air, following which it made an emergency landing here at 8.15 a.m., they said. 27 August 2011 US envoy to press Sri Lanka over alleged war crimes The United States has dispatched a top envoy to Colombo for talks next week ahead of a crucial UN meeting to discuss alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake will be visiting Sri Lanka for a second time in four months to discuss alleged war crimes in the final stages of the conflict that crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009."He will meet with government officials, civil society representatives, university students and political leaders while in Sri Lanka," the US State Department said in a statement.Blake, the top US diplomat for South and Central Asia, has urged President Mahinda Rajapakse's government to set up a "credible" system to punish wartime rights violations in order to escape international censure.The announcement of Blake's visit came after Rajapakse announced Thursday that he would scrap draconian emergency laws imposed nearly 30 years ago to deal with the armed Tamil separatist movement.The law allowed detention without trial and sharply curbed other civil liberties.US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that Thursday's announcement by Colombo "sets up a good visit" for Blake, who will travel to Sri Lanka from August 29 to 31.Government officials said Sri Lanka is keen to avoid a discussion on its rights record at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in September. Sri Lanka invites Jaya, Swaraj to visit Colombo in September Sri Lanka has invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and an Indian parliamentary delegation to visit the country, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here Friday.Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has been invited by the speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament to visit the country. Swaraj has accepted the invitation and is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka September 16-20, Krishna told the Lok Sabha.'During his recent meeting with the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in Chennai, Sri Lankan high commissioner to New Delhi has conveyed the invitation of the president of Sri Lanka to chief minister of Tamil Nadu to visit Sri Lanka,' Krishna said while replying to a short duration discussion on steps taken by the government for the relief and resettlement of Sri Lankan Tamils in the Lok Sabha.'He has also invited a parliamentary team, not only from Tamil Nadu but also from other areas to visit Sri Lanka, including northern Sri Lanka,' said Krishna.'We would work out a suitable time frame for the visit (of a joint parliamentary delegation) in consultation with the Sri Lankan government,' said Krishna.During the discussion, MPs cutting across party lines voiced concern at human rights violations during the armed conflict with the LTTE and after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers over two years ago.The opposition Thursday had accused Sri Lanka of ill-treating Tamils even after crushing the Tamil Tigers, while a Communist leader also flayed New Delhi for its silence on 'war crimes'.Krishna underlined that since the end of conflict in Sri Lanka, India's focus has been on the welfare and well-being of the Tamils citizens of Sri Lanka. 'Their rehabilitation and rebuilding have been of the highest and most immediate priority,' he said. U.S., India hail Sri Lanka's removal of wartime laws India and Western nations on Friday praised Sri Lanka's lifting of tough wartime emergency laws but an opposition party said it was merely a ploy because the government still has the power Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) at its disposal.President Mahinda Rajapaksa lifted the emergency laws on Thursday, saying they were unnecessary after the two years of peace Sri Lanka has enjoyed since his government defeated the Tamil Tiger separatists in a 25-year civil war.Immediately after the war, the government resisted pressure from ally India and Western nations to lift the laws, which gave the government the power to arrest people without charge.Rajapaksa's administration has rejected criticism the laws were used to silence political opponents."This, in our view, is a welcome step," Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told India's parliament on Friday. "We hope that this will be followed by effective steps leading to genuine national reconciliation in the country." Britain, Australia and the United States also welcomed the decision. All three countries had pushed Sri Lanka to drop the laws, saying it would help ethno-political reconciliation after a three-decade civil war fought on ethnic lines."This is a significant step towards normalizing life for the people of Sri Lanka," the U.S. embassy in Colombo said in a statement. Fighting with the international community is a bigger challenge than winning the 30 year war External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatileka Amunugama today said that Sri Lanka’s fight with the international community is a bigger challenge than winning the 30 year war as the government had to deal with millions of people, billions of resources, big governments and large international media organisations, which he said was a difficult task. He said this was a challenge for a small country such as Sri Lanka. The Secretary called on the public to use internet, print publications, the arts and other means of disseminating information to the international community to revive the country’s image which has been tarnished by allegations of war crimes. Addressing the launch of a book on the Sri Lanka war titled ‘Winning an Unwinnable War’, by J.F. Ranjith Perera, Amunugama said people should use email, social networking sites such as facebook, youtube, the publication of books and other written material in order to have documented evidence of the war period in Sri Lanka. He said although it was unknown to the public, the government was working strenuously behind the scenes to win the support of the international community. “We don’t expose most of what is happening to the public eye but we will win the war with the international community,” he said.“The international community is downplaying what we have achieved in winning the war or are accusing us of violating human rights.ocumented information on the country during the war should be made available to the international community. This will help change their mind sets about Sri Lanka and the war crimes allegations levelled against the country,” Chief of Staff Major General Daya Ratnayake who also addressed the occasion said. Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Date set for hanging Three men convicted in connection with the 1991 assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi are to be hanged on September 9, 2011 officials say.They will be hanged in the early hours of the morning, an official at the prison where they are being held in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu said.The move comes after India's president rejected mercy pleas from the men known as Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan.The killing of Rajiv Gandhi by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber shocked India.All three of the condemned men were members of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers militant group and were convicted of plotting the assassination. Murugan and Santhan are from Sri Lanka and Perarivalan is an Indian Tamil.In 2006, the Tamil Tigers expressed "regret" for the murder.The Supreme Court in 1999 confirmed the death sentences of the three men, but commuted capital punishment to life imprisonment for Nalini Sriharan, an Indian Tamil woman married to Murugan who was also convicted in connection with the assassination."The three convicts are personally informed that today that they will be hanged," Mr Pugazendhi, a lawyer representing the three men, told the BBC Tamil service.He said they had expected the chief minister of Tamil Nadu state to make a personal intervention."As there is no sign regarding political intervention, we are exploring other legal options," he said.The mother of Perarivalan also told BBC Tamil that he denied the charges and said that she believed the judgement was based on a forced confession.The death penalty is rare in India. The last execution was in 2004 when a 41-year-old former security guard was hanged for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl. Lawyers in Madras fast Three city advocates today began an indefinite fast at the Madras High Court premises here demanding withdrawal of capital punishment to three LTTE convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The advocates Kayalvizhi, Vadivambal and Sujatha also demanded abolition of awarding capital punishment. The Supreme Court had sentenced Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan and Nalini to death in 1999 for the assassination of the former Prime Minister in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. But, the apex court in 2000 had confirmed the death sentence of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, while commuting Nalini's sentence to life imprisonment. President Pratibha Patil had recently rejected the clemency petitions of the three. The high security prison in Vellore, where the convicts are lodged, has been informed about the rejection of the mercy petitions. JVP calls for the abolition of PTA An opposition party in Sri Lanka has called on the government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in addition to the emergency regulations. President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday announced the imminent withdrawal of the emergency regulations."I am satisfied that an extension of emergency is not required any more. So I inform that we will not extend the emergency anymore," the president told the parliament.But the PTA, an equally stringent regulation, will still remain in force, the government announced.The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said the PTA should also be removed if the government is genuinely interested in re-establishing democracy in the country."Many more things needed to be done to re-establish democracy in the country. PTA should be removed and rule of law should be re-established," JVP parliamentarian Anura Kumara told journalists in Colombo. Tamil community forms new cultural association Vanni volunteer teachers appeal to President "Make us permanent" The volunteer teachers representing northern educational zones of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Thunukkai, Vavuniya North, Vadamarachchi East and Madhu, who have been appointed to schools for the last 10 years, with the promise of permanent appointments as government teachers, have been left in the lurch by the Education Department.In a letter addressed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, they say, "We were taken as volunteer teachers with the permission of Zonal Directors of Education to fill the vacancies in schools where the children suffered without teachers. When we joined these schools, the Education Department promised to absorb us into the national teacher cadre. Our qualifications too are good enough to be appointed as normal school teachers"."In 2009, permanent appointments were given to the volunteer teachers in the North. But our zones were left out even though these areas have been affected very badly due to war. Since then, no steps were taken to make us permanent. However, we are still doing the good work in schools without any remuneration as volunteer teachers in the resettled community."We strongly believe that you have a clear picture of the Vanni situation and the concerns of those affected people as the beloved president of our country. We have lost everything due to the bloody war including our siblings and belongings," they said.The Vanni volunteer teachers appealed to the President to instruct the Ministry of Education to make them permanent teachers as they have already done it in the rest of the Northern Province in 2009. Schoolboy latest victim of vigilantism A 16-year-old schoolboy was the latest victim of a vigilante group which had chased after a suspected thief at Gurudeniya, in the Thalatuoya police area, Kandy on Thursday night, in spite of police repeatedly making appeals to the public not to take the law into their hands.Police said victim Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Tinula Ratnayake, from the same village, had joined the search, but he was shot fatally in the chest by one of the vigilantes around 7:30 p.m.The Dharmaraja College school boy succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to the Kandy General Hospital.The whole village had come out on hearing shouts of ‘thief’. Among those who had gone after the thief had been a watcher of a nearby estate, with the licenced shotgun assigned to him to guard the plantation. The police identified the suspect as Pahalagedara Dingiri Banda.IGP N. K. Illangakoon told The Island that he was informed of the tragedy. The police were in the process of investigating the killing.Police spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody told The Island that ‘grease yaka’ myth had caused chaos in the provinces, though law enforcement authorities were engaged in an exercise to educate people not to be misled. The official said that incidents had so far claimed the lives of five persons in Haputale, Potuvil, Palavi and now Kandy. 26 August 2011 Tamil Nadu MPs attack India for ‘not doing enough’ for Lanka Tamils Agitated parliamentarians from Tamil Nadu today lambasted the Indian government for "not doing enough" for Sri Lankan Tamils. In the Lok Sabha, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) made an impassioned plea for settling problems of Sri Lankan Tamils and urged the government to take steps in the global fora to bring all human rights violators to justice.Initiating the discussion on steps taken by India for relief and rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils, DMK member TR Baalu described in detail the "atrocities" against ethnic Tamils in the island nation.He lamented that the Government of India had not taken enough steps to protect the interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka."Indian Tamils felt that the mighty Government of India will come forward to see that the killings of Sri Lankan Tamils is stopped," Baalu said.He said there were expectations that India would take action as it did in the case of the then East Pakistan by supporting Mukti Bahini in 1971, which led to the break-up of Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh.Baalu accused the island-nation’s military and civilian leadership of heaping atrocities on the ethnic Tamil population."Hospitals and schools were shelled, children were butchered, women were raped under the nose of a Gandhian state," he said.On several occasions, Speaker Meira Kumar asked Baalu not to make any reference to the leadership of the neighbouring country."We have close and friendly relation with the neighbouring country. Please see that nothing affects out relations with other countries. You are a senior member," she said.In the Rajya Sabha, the upper house, the Communist Party of India (CPI) made a strong demand for India to ask for an impartial international inquiry into war crimes against Sri Lankan Tamils.CPI leader D Raja saidL "The Government of India has betrayed Sri Lankan Tamils at crucial moments...Why has India not asked for an impartial international investigation into allegations of war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops during the last phase of Eelam War IV? In May 2009, 40,000 people were massacred. It was nothing but a genocide."He was initiating a short-duration discussion on the problems faced by Sri Lankan Tamils.In a scathing attack on the government, Raja said it has lost the moral authority. "Till (the days of) Indira Gandhi, the world used to look to India...Now who cares for India?" he asked.Raja said India is not a banana republic which can be pressurised.Amidst protests from DMK members, he had a dig at ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ally from Tamil Nadu, when he referred to a mere three-hour fast by then state Chief Minister Muthvel Karunanidhi, after which Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced that the combat operations were over.Raja said the Sri Lankan Tamil issue is a test case to see whether or not India can play a role as permanent member in the UN Security Council. "Otherwise nobody will have respect for India."He said India should also talk to China and Russia for seeking an international inquiry into war crimes in Sri Lanka.He demanded revocation of Katchativu agreement, under which Indian fishermen can only use the island for drying of nets and not fishing. Parliamentary team from India may visit Lanka A team of parliament members from India may soon visit Sri Lanka to see the condition of Tamil-speaking people there, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna informed the Rajya Sabha Thursday.'During a recent meeting with Tamil Nadu chief minister in Chennai, the Sri Lankan high commissioner to New Delhi has conveyed the Sri Lankan president's invitation,' Krishna informed the house of elders. 'He has also invited a parliamentary team.'The minister was responding to a suggestion by Bharatiya Janata Party leader S.S. Ahluwalia that a parliamentary delegation be sent to Sri Lanka. The three-hour-long discussion on the issue saw members expressing concern over the situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka.Communist Party of India member D. Raja, who initiated the discussion, alleged that the government had betrayed the Sri Lankan Tamils in their time of need. 'The Government of India betrayed Sri Lankan Tamils at a crucial moment,' he said.'There is a demand for international impartial investigation,' he added. 'So far India has not raised this demand. The European Union has come out with a strong statement.' Raja also said that the May 2009 offensive led to a genocide unparalleled in contemporary history.DMK member Tiruchi Siva said the Sri Lankan Tamils were living in inhuman conditions, without basic amenities, even after two years.AIADMK member V. Maitreyan said that the government did not even acknowledge the genocide and a tribute was never paid in Parliament to those who died in the conflict.Addressing the members' concern, Krishna said the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils had been raised again and again by Indian government. 'India has and will continue to reiterate to the government of Sri Lanka to expedite steps toward national reconciliation and investigation of human rights violation,' he said.'We have been encouraged by the structured dialogue mechanism between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil national alliance (but) we are concerned about the recent breakdown and the continuing stalemate. We encourage both parties to resume the discussions,' he said.'The sooner Sri Lanka can come to a political settlement with which all communities feel comfortable, the better it is and government of India will do whatever it can,' he said.The minister informed the upper house that aid was being given for rehabilitation and relief operations.The minister further said that 2.5 lakh family-relief packages, shelter material, and four lakh cement bags had been provided along with $800-million credit for reconstruction of the northern railway line in the island nation.For renewal of agriculture, special packs have been given, to which the members pointed out that some of the tractors had been given to the non-Tamils there. The minister said the allegations could be 'looked into'. On the issue of Indian fishermen, Krishna said none of them were presently in Sri Lankan jails. The minister added that till August 2011, 164 fishermen were arrested and released, none were missing and six had died.AIADMK member V. Maitreyan said that the figure was wrong, to which the minister said: 'If you have any question, come to me.'The minister also said that the comment of Sri Lankan defence secretary against Tamil Nadu chief minister was uncalled for and without justification. 'We reject them,' he said.Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for passing a resolution on Sri Lankan Tamils in the state assembly. Blake to travel to Sri Lanka A top Obama administration official will travel to Sri Lanka next week, days after the US warned Colombo that an international inquiry could be launched against it if it did not take adequate steps for a credible probe into charges of humanitarian crimes during the LTTE war.Robert Blake, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, will visit Sri Lanka from August 29-31, an official announcement said here today. “He will meet with government officials, civil society representatives, university students and political leaders while in Sri Lanka," the State Department said. The announcement follows State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland's remarks earlier this month that the US would like the Sri Lankan government "to establish the kind of accountable system that its people can have confidence in." "If that does not happen and does not happen expeditiously, then we reserve the right to discuss international mechanisms," Nuland had said.A UN panel had also called for setting up of an "independent international mechanism" into what it called "credible" allegations that Sri Lankan military committed war crimes in its final decisive offensive against LTTE rebels in 2009.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has dismissed the charges as "unsubstantiated". India to press for probe into human rights violation against Tamils in Sri Lanka India will seek withdrawal of emergency regulations and probe into human rights violations against Tamils in Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said on Thursday.Winding up a short duration discussion on the problems of Sri Lankan Tamils, Krishna said in the Rajya Sabha, India would pursue with Sri Lanka for a lasting political settlement that provides for harmonious co-existence of all communities."The Government of India has and will continue to reiterate with Sri Lankan government for speedy need of reconciliation of certain issues including early withdrawal of emergency regulations...investigation into human rights violation...," he said.However, dissatisfied with his reply, members particularly from Tamil Nadu, including those of UPA ally DMK, staged walkout. Others to join the walkout were AIADMK, CPI and CPI-M.Krishna said the government is according priority to the issues related to missing Tamils in Sri Lanka.As members from these parties were severely critical of the government's response to the issue, Krishna said, "I will convey (the) anger expressed in the House to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister."To the observation that the UN report has found atrocities against Tamils, Krishna said, "The issue has not come so far in the formal agenda of any of UN inter-governmental body for discussion. We are waiting so that India can take a position."Earlier, initiating the debate, D Raja (CPI) said the government has "betrayed" Tamils in Sri Lanka and rued "nobody cares for India" in the world. REMOVAL OF EMERGENCY LAWS A VICTORY FOR THE PEOPLE The proposal brought forward by the government to remove the emergency regulations currently being imposed in the country, is a victory for the people of the nation who value democracy, the JVP stated.General Secretary of the JVP, Tilvin Silva showed appreciation for the move despite claims that it came late, stating that his party continuously pressured the government regarding the removal of these laws. He further added that in order to ensure democracy in the country the government should also take measures to remove laws such as the Terrorism Prevention Act. Mini polls III on Oct 8 The two main candidate for the Mayoral post of the Colombo Municipal Council Milinda Moragoda (UPFA) and A. J. M. Muzzamil (UNP) converse with each other after handing over their nominations at the Election Commissioner’s Department yesterday.With the Elections to the Colombo Municipal Council taking centre stage in the elections to 23 Local councils, scheduled for October 8, the main contenders for the Mayoral post were Milinda Moragoda from the UPFA, A. J. M. Muzzamil (UNP), Mano Ganeshan (DPF), Shafeek Rajabdeen (SLMC) and Sunil Watagala (JVP), Political sources said yesterday.At 1.30 p.m. yesterday, the deadline for objections, a few dozen nominations of Independent Groups had been rejected, Elections Secretariat sources said.The main political parties in the contest were: the UPFA, UNP, ITAK, DPF, SLMC, JVP, Janasetha Peramuna, Ruhunu Mahajana Pakshaye and Desha Premi Janatha Pakshaya.Former Minister and UNP Mayor of Dehiwala – Mount Lavinia Mrs Sunethra Ranasinghe is contesting again with former Peoples Alliance Parliamentarian and Opposition Leader of the council Kesara Lal Gunasekera posing a stiff challenge to her, sources said.Deputy Commissioner of Elections for the Gampaha district M. A. P. C. Perera said that the nominations of eight political parties and four independent groups for the Gampaha Municipal Council were accepted whilst the nominations of two independents were rejected.He said that the nominations of nine political parties and four independent groups were accepted for the Negambo Municipal Council whilst the nomination of one independent was rejected.Deputy Commissioner of elections for the Galle District A. B. I. De Silva said that the nominations of eight political parties and six Independent Groups were accepted whilst the nomination of one independent group was rejected.Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Amparai District M. M. S. K. Bandara Mapa said that the nominations from nine Political parties and eight independent groups were accepted whilst the nominations of three independents were rejected.Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Matara District C. A. Suneth Lochana said that the nominations of 7 political parties, including that of the main parties had been accepted. The nominations of two independent Groups were accepted whilst two were rejected.Senior Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Ratnapura district P. A. Senaratne said That the nominations of ten political parties were accepted. The nominations of six Independent Groups were accepted whilst one was rejected.Assistant Commissioner of elections for Hambantota W. H. R. Wijayakumara said that nominations of seven political parties and four Independent Groups for the Hambantota MC were accepted. He said the nominations of four [olitical [arties and two independent groups were accepted for the Hambantota PS.The nominations of seven political parties and one Independent group were accepted for the Suriyawewa PS.Wijeyakumara said that three nominations were rejected. They were Desha Premi Jathika Peramuna for Hambantota MC, the Eksath Lanka Maha Sabhawa for Hambantota PS and an Independent Group.Assistant Commissioner of elections for Polonnaruwa District H. I. R. Hathurusinghe said that the nominations of eight Political parties and six Independent Groups were accepted whiles one nomination of an Independent was rejected.Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Anuradhapura district K. G.S. Madawa said that the nominations of six political parties and three independent groups were accepted.Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Badulla district Dileep Nishantha said nominations from eight political parties and two independent groups were accepted.Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Matale district H. W.N. Dinapriya said that the nominations of eight political Parties and seven independent groups were accepted whilst the nomination of two independent groups were rejected.Assistant Commissioner of elections for the Nuwara Eliya district M. K. S. S. Ratnayake said that the nominations of five political parties and six independent Groups were accepted whilst the nomination of the Janasetha Peramuna was rejected.Deputy Commissioner of elections for the Kurunegala district R. M.A. L. Ratnayake said that the nominations of seven political Parties and nine independent groups were accepted.The Nomination paper submitted by an unregistered political party Janatha Balavegaya Pakshaye, which included the names of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s son Vimukthi Kumaratunga and Daughters name Yashodhara Kumaratunga were rejected along with a nomination of an independent group. 25 August 2011 Sri Lanka to withdraw wartime emergency laws Sri Lanka's president announced Thursday the withdrawal of wartime emergency laws under which the country has been ruled for most of the past 30 years.Parliament has extended the laws every month, but President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the legislature there is no longer a need for them because separatist Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated more than two years ago."Today I propose to this assembly the withdrawal of the emergency laws to enable the country to conduct its affairs through its normal laws and in a democratic manner," Rajapaksa said. "I do this because I am satisfied that we no longer need emergency laws for our governance."The island has been under a state of emergency since 1979 except for brief periods when it was allowed to lapse to help peace talks between the government and rebels.The government has been under intense international pressure to end the state of emergency. Human rights groups have accused authorities of using its provisions to crack down on the media and restrict freedom of speech despite the end of the war.Sri Lankan forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, ending a 26-year civil war aimed at creating an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils.The United Nations says 80,000 to 100,000 people were killed in the conflict. Discussions with the Lankan Tamil politicians in Delhi will be discussed at the Indain parliament Human Rights and World Development organization of Indian parliament hold discussions with the 8 Tamil political parties of SriLankan in Tues day and Wednesday.This special discussions was organized by the Indian MP Sudharsana Nachchiyappan, yesterday Lankan Tamils carried out discussions with their collides and yesterday they hold discussions with the Indian MPs Sudharsana Nachchiyappan stated discussions which are hold with the Tamil politicians will be discussed in the Indian parliament.Speaking to the BBC Tamil Osai MP Nachchiyappan stated Tamil politicians request them to take necessary steps to evacuate the Army from the cultivation land s of Tamil farmers in the North and East.Army should be evacuated from the land of Tamil people.IDP’s need to resettle in their own lands.And finally they request us to pressure the Lankan government to cancel the emergency law which rule the country at present.When questioned Nachchiyapan why didn’t you invite Douglas Devananda and representatives of the up country people, government and opposition Tamil members for this seminar he said that they were well aware about the stance of government and their supportive political parties.Sudharsana Nachciyappan said that they are hoping to hold discussions with the migrant Tamil people in United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Sri Lanka Army deploys additional troops in Jaffna to assist police maintain law and order The Sri Lanka Army has deployed more troops in Jaffna with additional foot and mobile patrols to assist the police in maintaining law and order in the area.The move had been made following Monday's violence in Navanthurai over rumors of a grease devil roaming in the area.Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe has said no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands and attack the police or security forces.He has warned that those who were armed with clubs, stones, swords, knives, sand and petrol-filled bottles for the purpose of attacking law enforcement officers would be branded as terrorists.Major General Hathurusinghe has said that no one would be allowed to fulfill the ulterior motives of war mongers. Nearly 100 persons were taken into custody in Navanthurai, Jaffna for attacking a security check point in the area Monday night. The defense sources are now in the belief that terrorist elements are prompting attacks on the police and Army under the cover of 'Grease Devils' as the phenomenon is mostly spread in the East and the North. Government is taking revenge from the Northern people : Wickramabahu Karunaratne Government is taking revenge over the Jaffna people due to the local council election defeat in the Northern Province. Navanthurai incident is the best example for this said the Nava Samasamajaya party leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne.While speaking about the Navanthurai clash ad activities of the grease devil in the country leader said Defence secretary announced people are the responsible for the tense situation of grease devil because people take the law into their own hands. If the security personals take necessary steps this regard then people won’t take the law onto their own hands. But security personals maintain silence on this issue so that people of the country force to take law in to their own hands. Finally leader said security personals are the only responsible for the tense situation of the country. Int’l community demands ‘unreasonable’: Govt. The government said yesterday it was “unreasonable” for the international community to expect it to complete processes in a post-conflict situation, which have taken other countries in similar situations, many years to accomplish.“For example Spain, Cambodia and Bangladesh took many years and in some cases almost half a century to achieve standards that are being expected of Sri Lanka in a mere two years after the war ended,” External Affairs Minister G.L. Peries said. Addressing the diplomatic community he insisted on the importance of clarity in procedures by international bodies, the importance of exhaustion of local mechanisms in international law and unreasonableness of demands made on post-war Sri Lanka. “There must be clarity with regards to procedures relating to international forums whether they are the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR), the General Assembly or the Security Council for there to be precision and predictability in their functions,” the minister said adding that that this would in turn ensure cohesion and stability to the global system. He said it was wrong to allow for the procedures of these institutions to be distorted. “This creates an unsound precedent and opens a door for a variety of abuses in the future,” the minister said and pointed out that the UNHRC had a procedure when countries were to be discussed and these matters should be taken up at the Universal Periodic Review. The minister emphasized the importance given in International Law for the exhaustion of local remedies and mechanisms. “Therefore it is wrong to pre-judge or undermine the Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and its outcome,” he said. DMK, AIADMK members walk out on Tamils' issue Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha in India yesterday after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam protested against postponing of discussion on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. They staged a walkout after Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan said the issue of corruption would be taken up on Wednesday against the listed item of problems of Tamils in Sri Lanka. MPs from Tamil Nadu, including some from the Left parties, were insisting on the short duration discussion on the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils, pending since the session started.To resolve the issue, Mr. Khan adjourned the House for 15 minutes after the question hour. When the House reassembled, it was announced that the Sri Lankan Tamil issue would be taken up today. This led to the DMK and AIADMK members protesting and staging a walkout. Sri Lanka Defence Secretary to open Nachchikuda Navy camp today Sri Lanka Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will declare open a new permanent Navy camp in Nachchikuda in Mannar district today.The new camp located along the Mannar - Pooneryn road comes under the North Central Command of Sri Lanka Navy.The camp will carry out the security activities of the Nachchikuda land and marine zone from today.Nachchikuda was a major strong point of Tamil Tiger terrorists in the northwestern coast and an area where the LTTE had a Sea Tiger base and carried out attacks before the area was taken into control by the state security forces in 2008. 24 August 2011 Emergency will not be removed to make India, the US or UK happy says Gota Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says the state of emergency will not be removed to make India, the US or UK happy. He says the President will decide what’s best.India has been pushing Sri Lanka to repeal the emergency laws which were in place mainly as a security measure during the war against Tamil Tiger rebels.With the defeat of the LTTE two years ago the Indian government has continuously said that the emergency laws should be withdrawn. Several human rights groups had alleged that the emergency laws were being misused by the security forces in Sri Lanka to suppress opposition to the Sri Lankan government. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told reporters this evening (Tuesday) that President Mahinda Rajapaksa knows what’s best for the country and only he will decide on the emergency laws with the support of the Sri Lankan parliament. He also dismissed as rumours that the “grease devil” character was something created by the government to extend the state of emergency. Several violent incidents have been taking place in Sri Lanka over the past few weeks with angry mobs attempting to arrest suspicious men with grease on their body, known by locals as “grease devils”.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the security forces and the police were not “grease devils” and such characters will be arrested. He also warned that action will be taken against anyone who attempts to take the law into their own hands. 100 arrests in Jaffna after public unmasks ‘grease devils’ Police carried out mass arrests in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday after residents clashed with troops alleged to have protected so-called "grease devil" sex offenders, officials said.At least 102 men were taken into custody in the Jaffna region when residents smashed two military vehicles, in a protest against the alleged sheltering of sex offenders by soldiers."Grease devil" is a common local term for men who sneak into private houses at night to molest sleeping women. They are popularly said to cover themselves in grease to evade capture.Tuesday's clash was the first outbreak of violence between troops and minority Tamils in northern Sri Lanka since the military crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, ending nearly four decades of ethnic civil war. The overnight unrest came a day after a mob killed a constable who tried to rescue a drunk fisherman mistakenly taken by residents to be a "grease devil", police said.Fears about sex offenders have spread rapidly through the villages of Sri Lanka over the past month, and last week in the island's central region two men also suspected of being sex offenders were killed by locals. Some Sri Lankans blame soldiers and police of being involved in the alleged "grease devil" activity and of protecting the offenders, a claim the authorities have vehemently rejected. Police said they had arrested at least 100 suspected sexual offenders in the past three months. Sri Lanka: Getting out of the “Grease Yakka” Syndrome – Col R Hariharan Sri Lanka is currently rocked by reports of ‘Grease Yakka” (Grease devils) suddenly appearing in rural areas and terrorising villagers. Traditionally a grease yakka is a prowler in the dark who attacks women; he is said to wear only a loin cloth and cover his body with oil to escape capture. Already five lives have been lost in more than 30 incidents of vigilantism against grease yakkas by paranoid villagers. In two recent incidents a policeman was killed by irate villagers and a traffic-cop beaten up and four others were injured. In one incident naval sailors and the public got into a fracas over grease yakka attack. What is interesting is most of these incidents have been reported from eight Tamil and Muslim minority inhabited districts. Some years back there was a similar series of mysterious animal attacks in outskirts of New Delhi in areas where illegal low cost colonies had mushroomed. It was identified as mass hysteria triggered by feeling of insecurity due to fear of child snatchers and other criminal element prowling in the area. The administration tightened law enforcement in affected areas and the hysteria died a natural death.The suspicion and violence triggered in these villagers probably have similar origins. It is probably symptomatic of the feeling of insecurity and lack of trust in the administration and law enforcement agencies among minority population. They are not yet fully recovered from the traumatic effects of war; many have lost their kith and kin, property and livelihood. While they struggle to cope with these problems, they have also to deal with criminal elements moving around with political patronage. Unfortunately, the government has failed to create climate of trust and security in its actions during two years of post war peace; there is a big gap between what it says and how it acts. This clouds their perceptions of security and trust in the rulers.Why is the government having the Emergency in force even after two years of peace? Can a couple of defeated LTTE prisoners held in prison overthrow the militarily powerful government? Find no answers to these questions, the continuing state of emergency and its draconian enactment is a constant reminder to the minorities that the normalcy the government talks of is yet to arrive. The larger than life presence of battle hardened troops in their immediate neighbourhoods only reinforces these fears.And how can the government conduct free and fair elections when many of the Emergency provisions confer special powers to the executive to directly interfere with the campaign process? But the government had conducted elections in such a setting. The media continues to be wary of hostile reaction (usually from goons in white vans) to what they write or utter. And media men who do not relent continue to pay the price. Can these acts create confidence in the government among the population burnt by three decades of insurgency and terrorism? Even on the larger issue of Tamil grievances President Rajapaksa’s government appears to be moving from prevarication to doublespeak. Otherwise it is difficult to explain the tortuous political journey of this issue in recent history. Even before the war started in 2006, President Rajapaksa had repeatedly affirmed that he wanted Tamils to join the national mainstream as equal partners. That was the avowed goal of his ‘humanitarian war’ against the Liberation Tigers. He frequently repeats these affirmations to India, talking about his contemplated actions (I have already written about this, so I do not want to repeat it) so that the Indian government, beleaguered by vociferous demand from Tamil Nadu, could buy time. However, of late the President’s two brothers – Basil and Gotabaya who hold responsible positions in government – have repeatedly stressed that the present constitution was adequate and nothing more was needed to be done for Tamils. They say so even as the President announces his plans to form a Parliamentary Select Committee to deal with the issue. And his brother and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse goes on the Indian TV and says “The existing constitution is more than enough for us to live together. I don’t think there is any issue on this more than that. I mean this was given as a solution for the whole thing with the discussion of these people. I mean now the LTTE is gone, I don’t think there is any requirement. I mean what can you do more than this? This gives power at a lower lever. Even now we had the local government elections…” If this is not doublespeak, what is it then? Government representatives held ten rounds of talks with the Tamil National Alliance, the largest Tamil party. According to TNA, it got cheesed off with this exercise as the government came up with no proposal. In disgust TNA withdrew itself from the talks as it considered an exercise in futility. Immediately, treasury benches accuse TNA of LTTE mindset. Few weeks later 13 ministers and five other parliamentarians give notice to parliament to enlarge the scope of the Parliamentary Select Committee and dilute its exclusive focus on Tamil grievances. Do these actions indicate that the government is serious about attending to Tamil grievances? Far from it; on the contrary, one has to come to the sad conclusion that the government’s focus had all along been to milk maximum political mileage by using the Tamil issue and harp on international conspiracy to destabilise the country. Is the government seeing a political grease yakka or creating one? We don't know.But in the bargain, ethnic divide has been given a fresh lease of life. And the Tamil minority, whittled down in numbers now, will have to continue to cope with this anomalous situation.The Channel 4 allegations of war crimes issue has now reached across the Palk Strait; and the U.S. has told Sri Lanka that it wants the final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) discussed at the 19th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2012. A more vociferous chief minister in Tamil Nadu is vigorously espousing the Sri Lankan Tamil grievances. All these issues provide ample scope for furthering political opportunism in Sri Lanka. These issues, coupled with the constant focus on the likely resurgence of Tamil terrorism (which the government had claimed was wiped out forever) there is a real danger of political paranoia becoming endemic, infecting the government. And it might be too late for Sri Lanka to get out of the grease yakka syndrome. Costly foreign PR firms make no impact in UK, US and India - UNP In spite of having hired at least three foreign PR firms to lobby, on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka, in the US, UK and India, the country is facing growing criticism on the diplomatic front, government sources acknowledged.Sources told The Island that the US and UK would step up pressure in the run-up to the forthcoming Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. They alleged that Channel 4 News, which produced ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ at the behest of the UK-based LTTE hadn’t faced any opposition at all from those hired to protect Sri Lanka’s image.An official deeply involved in countering international criticism in the wake of the controversial ‘Darusman report’ and ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ told The Island that there was an urgent need to review Sri Lanka’s response, particularly ‘work’ carried out by foreign PR firms. Had they been successful at least to some extent, Sri Lanka wouldn’t have been in a difficult situation today, sources said.UNP National organizer Ravi Karunanayake told The Island that the government should never have outsourced responsibilities of the External Affairs Ministry to overseas PR firms. According to the Colombo District MP, the government had so far hired PR firms to counter adverse reports originating from the US, UK, India and the EU. The bottom line was that they hadn’t succeeded in changing the Western approach Vis-a-Vis Sri Lanka, the UNPer said.The MP said that he would raise this issue in Parliament.In the backdrop of stepped-up pressure, President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently met a group of expatriate Sri Lankans at Temple Trees, where he emphasized the importance of an effective counter attack spearheaded by those living abroad. Sources said that the President is of the opinion that pro-Sri Lanka groups should counter anti-Sri Lanka propaganda carried out by various LTTE groups.The JVP said that the government lacked direction in its campaign to counter LTTE-led propaganda. JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the government couldn’t win the ongoing propaganda war by outsourcing functions and responsibilities of the External Affairs Ministry. PSC, a means to lasting solution The combined Socialist Alliance (SA) yesterday strongly supported the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) as a means of finding a lasting solution to the North-East conflict and said the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) report could be used as a launching pad to start talks.Lanka Sama Samasamaja Party leader and Senior Minister Tissa Vitharana told a media conference that it was sad to see some members of the government and the opposition having a misconception that development alone could resolve the longstanding ethnic conflict.“They think an ethnic conflict does not exist in post war Sri Lanka and the problems of the Tamil-speaking people can be resolved by constructing a road or a culvert,” the minister said. He said no country could achieve sustainable development without peace and harmony among the people and where Sri Lanka was concerned peace and harmony among all ethnic groups would come only through genuine power devolution.“The Tamil people must be convinced that they are part and parcel of good governance,” the minister said.He said the SA expected to talk to the constituent parties of the government and the opposition about the PSC and urged them to take part in the PSC. “The United National Party (UNP) has a big role to play in this exercise. All parties must take part in the PSC discussions and they can leave if they feel it is a futile endeavour,” he added. The minister warned that extremists both in the government and the opposition may attempt to disrupt the functioning of the PSC and added that administrative, financial and political power must be devolved to the grassroots level using the ‘Gam Saba ‘as the base.He said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has received an overwhelming mandate from the Tamil-speaking people and should participate in PSC discussions with an open mind now that it was not a proxy of the LTTE. Communist Party General Secretary and Senior Minister D. E. W. Gunasekara said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had gone on record saying he would accept whatever recommendations suggested by the PSC and as such the devolving of police and land powers would not be a stumbling block to the PSC.“It is extremely dangerous, a suppression of reality and anti-progressive if anyone thinks that the war is over and there is no ethnic problem and development can bring solutions to all national problems,” the minister said. “Economic development is extremely vital but it will not fulfil the aspirations of ethnic communities. All left parties from the 50s kept saying that the grievances of minorities have to be addressed and the ‘Sinhala only’ Act will bring disaster to the country. All these predictions have been proved correct and the country has suffered more than enough from the political expediency of certain political leaders of the past,” he said and added that power devolution must resolve the problems not only of the Tamils but of the Sinhalese and other minorities. “There may be many road blocks, barricades and potholes on the path to find a durable solution to our problems. Local and international detractors exploiting the geo political situation will activate geo political strategies to destabilise Sri Lanka in its quest to find a solution to its most vital problem. Whatever the drawbacks what is most important is that Sri Lanka cannot ignore India at any stage. The Indian factor is the key to any solution we envisage. Secondly, we also cannot forget the influence of Tamil Nadu. Never forget that there are 65 million Tamils in India and they are concerned about the fate of Sri Lanka Tamils as they are bound by language, culture and religion with each other,” the minister said.He reiterated that the war against the LTTE could never have been won without the support of India and the United States and Sri Lanka could not talk about peace and development today if either one of them opposed the fight against the LTTE.The minister said Sri Lanka must maintain a close link not only with the Indian government but with the Tamil Nadu administration as well. It is surprising that not a single chief minister of Tamil Nadu has visited Sri Lanka for the last 60 years.New Left Front Leader and Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkaera said if anyone who thought that the war was over and India’s support was not necessary anymore, was wrong. “We cannot resolve the ethnic problem without India’s support. It is as simple as that,” he said.The minister said there were 16 constituent parties in the government and five in the opposition. All political parties in parliament must adopt a give and take policy and compromise to bring the most suitable and pragmatic proposals to resolve the ethnic issue.Socialist United Alliance Secretary Raja Kollure said the landslide victory of the TNA in the North indicates that the Tamils have lost confidence in the government.He said various committees and commissions had made recommendations to resolve the ethnic conflict since independence but the core issue was that no permanent solution was possible without direct power devolution. Sri Lanka seeks $40 mln Chinese loan for port rock removal Sri Lanka's port authority on Tuesday said it has asked China for $40 million loan to demolish a massive seabed rock obstructing the entrance of its new $1.4 billion Hambantota port, due to start commercial operations this year.The island nation launched the port in August 2010 with an initial target of handling 2,500 ships annually, as a cornerstone of a $6 billion drive to rebuild infrastructure that was neglected during a 25-year civil war. But large ships are yet to call on the port and the country's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has pointed to the rock as a sign of government mismanagement. Although the port is in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's home district in southern Sri Lanka, along the ancient "Silk Route" trading path, the rival UNP first proposed it."This rock was identified before we started the port construction," Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Priyath Wickrama told Reuters. "We need just below $40 million to blast it. We have requested the amount from China."Sri Lanka is banking on the port to help fuel growth targets of 8-9 percent in its $50 billion economy. It has increasingly been relying on China, Russia, India and to a lesser degree, Brazil, for the financing and expertise required for its post-war rebuilding plans.Beijing on commercial terms loaned a combined $1.24 billion to build the port and a 4 million metric tonne fuel bunkering facility, all of it built by Chinese engineers -- much to the chagrin of neighbouring India.Hambantota is about 2 km from one of the world's biggest east-west shipping lanes, and is bidding to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The government is building Sri Lanka's second international airport there, and a master-planned city."Normally ships don't call at once. They need time to study business opportunities," Wickrama said. "We have to develop secondary facilities at the port and once we have them along with bunkering facilities, we can get ships to Hambantota."In June, Wickrama said the ports authority had secured around $1 billion in investment into port facilities, including warehousing. The fuel bunkering terminal is expected to start operations next month, four months behind schedule. India helps Jaffna Uni expand The Indian government has agreed to provide help to upgrade the faculties of agriculture and engineering University of Jaffna said the Ministry of Higher Education.On an agreement entered into by Minister of Higher Education S B Dissanayake and Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha a grant of $4m is expected for this purpose.The setting up of two hostels for the students of the university, India-Sri Lanka exchange programs, exchange of lecturers, and problems faced by hostellers were discussed at the meeting the ministry said. 23 August 2011 Army, STF enter Puttlam The Army and the elite Special Task Force (STF) took control of the Puttlam town after violent clashes erupted last night which resulted in the death of a 23 year old Police Constable and injuring five civilians. All police officers in the area have been called in to the police station and are given heavy protection by the Army and the STF. No policemen have been stationed on duty around the area, police said. nspector General of Police (IGP) N.K. Illangakoon went to Puttlam today to discuss with the police as to how to deal with the situation. He held a meeting with senior police and army officers in the area. Eyewitnesses said the 23-year-old constable was on his way back to the station after traffic duty when he was severely assaulted by the angry mob in front of the Sathosa retail outlet.On Sunday evening a tense situation took place in Manalgunduwa area in Puttlam when at least five persons were injured during a shootout when villagers ran amok when the police prevented them from catching a person who they thought was a ‘Grease Devil’. The unrest between civilians and the security forces spread to the Puttlam town following the shootout. Military Spokesman Brigadier Nihal Hapuarachchi said that currently the army has sent one company consisting of 120 troops. “The law enforcement agencies will deal severely with those who spread rumours and attempt to provoke and mislead the public”, he said. “We are currently conducting foot and mobile patrols in the area. Mobile road blocks are also placed in the area,” Brigadier Hapuarachchi said. He assured that the situation is under control and no suspects have been arrested so far. “We searched to arrest those who were responsible in spreading the rumours but we did not arrest any individual in Puttlam,” he said. In the same area in another incident, villagers turned angry when they were prevented from entering a house by some police constables on a motor bike. The people had then set fire to the bike and had assaulted one of the constables while the other had run away. A number of statements were taken from people in the area but no arrest was made as the situation would worsen if an arrest was made, the police said. Indian conference for Tamil parties A conference aimed at bringing the Tamil parties on a common platform for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka is being organised by a group of Indian Parliamentarians.The conference on "Agony and Solace" is organised by the Indian Parliamentarian Forum on Human Rights-For Global Development-PFHRGD in the capital New Delhi on 23 and 24 August.Organisers PFHRGD say this conference would bring the Tamil Parties together in formulating a proposal on finding a permanent solution to the decade’s long ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.The convenor of the conference Dr EM Sudharshana Nachiappan a law maker from Tamil Nadu in the upper house of the Indian Parliament has said that this conference hopes to consolidate the views in unanimity which would be taken forward towards finding out a sustained solution of the ethnic divide. No EPDP “Over the past 60 years Tamils in Sri Lanka are facing political problems and are still concerned regarding the safety of their life and property,” he wrote on the organisations website.The issues discussed and proposals put forward would be taken to the Indian Parliament for the attention of its members he further mentioned.PFHRGD comprises over 100 members of parliament cutting across various parties and affiliations.With the exception of the EPDP and its leader, Minister Douglas Devananda almost all Tamil parties in Sri Lanka has been invited to the two day seminar.Analysts say that the conference has the covert support of the Indian establishment, who also point out that a consensus emerging out of the conference is also doubtful given the deep rooted rivalry and difference of opinion among the Tamil Parties.Tamil Parties in Sri Lanka were generally classified as either pro-LTTE or anti-LTTE during the war time and such a feeling even exists today.The big question is now how much solace the conference will bring compared to the agony faced by the Tamils over many decades. LTTE party to be dissolved The People’s Front of Liberation Tigers (PFLT), the political party formed by the LTTE in 1989 when it began peace talks with the then government of late President R. Premadasa, will be removed from the electoral register in terms of the new procedure introduced for the recognition and registration of political parties in Sri Lanka, informed sources said today.The LTTE appointed the organisation’s one time strongman Yogaratnam Yogi as the general secretary and its deputy leader Gopalaswami Mahendrarajah commonly known as Mahataya as the chairman. Later, Mahattaya was alleged to have been executed by the LTTE.The PFLT has continued to be a registered political party but had not participated in active politics as such. At the 2008 election to the Eastern Provincial Council, however, some candidates had handed over nominations on the party ticket. “The party’s tiger symbol appeared in the ballot papers printed for three districts in the east. Nobody noticed it for objections to be raised by the time of the handing over of nominations,” informed sources said. According to the new criteria, the parties are required to submit their report on annual accounts and conventions to the Elections Commissioner. There are several parties including the PFLT which had failed to adhere to these requirements for years now, and therefore they are to be cancelled. The government defeated the LTTE terrorism on May 19, 2009 Meanwhile, another Tamil party called Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) which is now based in India is also among the parties to be cancelled this time. This was a party registered in 1990 in Sri Lanka by splinter groups of the PLOTE and the EPRLF. They supported the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) at that time. Also, the party held some responsibilities in the North-East Provincial Council of then Chief Minister Varatharajah Perumal. Minister Douglas Devananda also tried to form an alliance with this party at that time. The ENDLF is led by a person called Paranthan Rajan.Asked for a comment on this party, former TNA MP and TELO Leader M.K. Sivajilingam said the ENDLF is based in Bangalore, India at the moment. He said the party was expected to participate in the conference organised by the Congress Party of India for Sri Lankan Tamil political parties to discuss matters related to Sri Lanka’s national question. “On one occasion this party participated in a walk from Tamil Nadu to New Delhi, a distance of 2,500 kilometres to highlight the Tamil grievances,” he said. SL Tamils issue in Lok Sabha today With the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils slated to be discussed in Lok Sabha tomorrow, senior ministers today held a meeting to discuss the government's stand on the matter. The meeting attended by Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy discussed the issue as also certain bills likely to be taken up. Several MPs are eager to express their sentiments on the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka through a discussion in the House. On August 16, DMK leader T R Baalu had initiated the discussion on the steps taken by the Centre for relief and resettlement of Tamils in Sri Lanka and other measures to promote their welfare. Since the House was adjourned, the discussion will resume tomorrow. 22 August 2011 US ignores report to ‘better’ relations with Lanka Two years ago, a report released by the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee encouraged President Barack Obama’s administration to seek a more positive relationship with Sri Lanka, asserting that the United States could not afford to “lose” the strategically placed Indian Ocean nation. ‘Sri Lanka: Recharting US Strategy after the War’ was a bipartisan report endorsed by Senator John Kerry, the committee chairman, and Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican member. It advised the Obama government to consider a new approach that would increase US leverage in Sri Lanka and help secure longer term US strategic interests in the Indian Ocean. The two Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffers that drafted the report were concerned that, with Western countries becoming increasingly critical of the Rajapaksa administration, Sri Lanka was growing politically and economically isolated from the West.This drift, they warned, will have consequences for US interests in the region primarily because Sri Lanka was positioned at the nexus of crucial maritime routes. The US, China and India shared an interest in securing maritime routes. But the US, they pointed out, has invested relatively few economic and security resources in Sri Lanka, preferring to focus instead on the political environment. “Sri Lanka’s geostrategic importance to American interests has been neglected as a result,” the report said. The report recommended that the Obama administration adopts a multidimensional approach so that US policy was not driven solely by short-term humanitarian concerns but “rather an integrated strategy that leverages political, economic, and security tools for more effective long-term reforms.” Among other things, it said the US should also invest in Sinhalese parts of the country instead of just focusing aid on the Tamil-dominated North and East. And it felt Congress should proactively review military spending as a component of its financial programmes with conflict countries. A heavy-handed approach Western human rights and advocacy groups that continue to support a heavy-handed approach towards Colombo trashed the report. By the yardstick of current US reactions towards Sri Lanka, the Obama administration has ignored it too. Politicians here express anger, resentment and regret at what they perceive to be a policy of harassment that focuses on war crimes allegations, human rights and a political solution at the expense of everything else. Instead of engaging proactively with Sri Lanka, they say, the US is increasingly clamping down. Reports refer to US criticism, to threats and pressure, to interference and to disrespect for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. There is lately some speculation also of economic sanctions. While official statements from either government preserve diplomatic decorum and speak of enduring ties, the spoken rhetoric is far less couched. In reality, relations between Washington and Colombo are not on a positive trajectory. A news story recently said the US has delivered a demarche to Sri Lanka that it wants the final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission discussed at the 19th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March next year. This is not something Colombo has even remotely considered. Instead, the government hopes to keep Sri Lanka completely out of the special agenda of the UNHRC. Meanwhile, US aid to Sri Lanka remains lopsidedly and disproportionately concentrated on the North and East with contributions towards housing and shelter, food, agriculture and livelihoods, mine action, water and sanitation, health and education, civil administration and land issues. This contrasts starkly with the approach of countries like Japan that offer assistance to all parts of the country in the belief that an equitable sharing of the “peace dividend” will promote post-war reconciliation.But the Sri Lankan government’s main grudge with the US remains its “undue” obsession with investigating alleged war crimes and its “unreasonable” focus on human rights. It would much rather have aid from the US, for which the need is great, than strictures. Well, tough luck. As recently as August 9, 2011, US State Department Spokesman Victoria Nuland answered a question at the daily press briefing by stressing that if Sri Lanka does not mount a war crimes investigation that meets international standards quickly, “there’s going to be growing pressure from the international community for exactly the kind of international action that Sri Lankans say they don’t want.” It was viewed as hardening of the US position. A long, tedious process Two days later, also in response to a question at the daily press briefing, she reiterated that if an accountability mechanism is not established expeditiously, “then we reserve the right to discuss international mechanisms.” International mechanisms for war crimes investigations are limited, complicated, poorly resourced and will have to be funded by governments. The appetite for such initiatives, when push comes to shove, is also low. To refer Sri Lanka’s case to one such mechanism would involve a long, tedious process that will possibly see the international community mobilized – and split – along several lines. For one thing, it will lead to intense Sri Lankan lobbying that will further expose the East-West divide. Questions will be raised and examined about the sovereign rights of developing nations to end conflict within their territories. The decisions each country takes will necessarily be guided by self-interest, something that is often at odds with US interests. Regardless of this, Washington is likely to maintain pressure and this will only increase Colombo’s irritation with the West. But what is the US’s problem? For a large nation with its own problems, the US seems to be spending an awful lot of time and energy stressing out about Sri Lanka. Authoritative US sources based in Washington offered some clarity strictly on the basis of confidentiality. One source admitted that the United States does place great importance on its relationship with Sri Lanka and hopes to continue to building a long-term partnership. “We worry about Sri Lanka because we see a lot of potential in the relationship, but one of the big hurdles to moving the relationship forward in a meaningful way is the credible allegations that were outlined by the UN in its panel of experts’ report, and the lack of a credible accountability and investigative mechanism to investigate such allegations,” he said. In other words, the US can’t do “the China thing:” pursue a mutually beneficial strategic alliance and to hell with everything else. British video documentary probe to be part of Lankan war panel A key Sri Lankan panel looking into the LTTE conflict will include in its final report the details of its investigation of the two video documentaries aired by the British Channel 4 TV accusing armed forces of war crimes.Lakshman Wickramasinghe, the spokesman of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), today said the findings on the two videos would be incorporated in the final report that is schedule to be handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by November 15.The LLRC was appointed by Rajapaksa in May 2010 to look into the three decade old conflict with LTTE covering the period of February 2002 and May 2009. The Channel 4 videos featured LTTE cadres being executed by Sri Lankan soldiers during the last stages of the conflict.However, the Lankan government claimed the visuals in the video showed the execution of government soldiers by the LTTE.The international community including the US, UK and the European Union have urged an independent investigation into the videos. Sri Lanka answered that LLRC was the forum to probe the videos. Who gave money for the LTTE in 2005?: Sarath Fonseka Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka who is currently in the Welikada prison questioned who gave money for the LTTE is the year 2005? He raised his question during his visit to the private hospital for treatment for the pain in his shoulders.Speaking to the journalist Fonseka said Rs.200 million had been given to the LTTE in the year 2005.This was done to stop the voting of the Tamil people in the area but LTTE use this money to purchase modern boats for their terrorist activities.Fonseka questioned who gave this money to the LTTE? He also said it’s important to carry out investigations on the person who deposit Rs.300 million in his elder sister's account which is collected for the Tsunami victims. No problem visiting India: Devananda EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda said there were no restrictions on him to visit India and said he was prepared to appear before the Chennai High Court at any time, if the Indian Central Government and the Tamil Nadu State Government assured his security.He was responding to Indian media reports that the Tamil Nadu police had found fault with the Indian Central Government authorities for allowing Mr. Devananada to leave the country when he visited India recently.“After the Indo-Sri Lanka accord all the people who joined the democratic stream were given a General Amnesty. I also returned to Sri Lanka on the instructions of my lawyer,” Minister Devananda said.According to the Tamil Nadu police report, Douglas Devananda was involved in three cases in Chennai and they included a murder and kidnap for ransom. On November 1, 1986, an EPRLF cadre opened fire on local people in the Choolaimedu area in which one person died and four others suffered bullet injuries.Nine others including Mr. Devananda were arrested on charges of murder and attempt to murder. Two AK 47 assault rifles and ammunition were seized from the accused who were also booked under the provisions of the Indian Arms Act and Explosives Substances Act.In November 1988, Mr. Devananda and 25 others were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a ten-year-old boy on the Poonamallee High Road for ransom. A couple of years later, the Director of a company lodged a complaint with the police that Mr. Devananda and others came to his office and threatened him at gun-point to join their movement.Minister Devananda’s Lawyer Mr. Rajan told the Daily Mirror from India over the phone that the EPDP leader could visit India without any problem.“We have submitted a motion to the Chennai High Court six months ago. The Court has accepted that Minister Devananda was not an absconding offender,” Mr. Rajan said.Meanwhile, the EPDP leader said he had made several trips to India, including Tamil Nadu officially and for medical treatment after these cases were registered.“I didn’t receive any summons from the Chennai High Court “he said. If Prabhakaran was living today he will also be enjoying Col. 07 air conditioned comfort – Gen. Fonseka Even to get a fan to my cell in jail , I had to seek a court order. But traitors who committed genocide and treason are being mollycoddled and are living in the lap of luxury . Even if Prabhakaran was living today , he too would be enjoying Colombo 07 air conditioned comforts . Thousands of soldiers who sacrificed their lives and fought risking their lives against these very traitors who are pampered now must know these truths. Gen. Fonseka made these observations when he arrived at the Colombo Nawaloka Hospital for acupuncture treatment .When the prison officials obstructed the media who were there to carry out their assignments , Gen. Fonseka told the officials , ‘ this is a public place. The media must have all the freedom. I am not going for an identification parade .Nobody can be hidden and brought . Anybody has a right to photograph me’, the General firmly asserted. Uthayan Publisher Says No Faith In Police TNA MP and publisher of Jaffna-based newspaper Uthayan, Easwarapatham Saravanapavan, said that the results of police investigations into last month’s attack on the Uthayan News Editor “may be fabricated” considering the limited information revealed to the public.Saravanapavan made this statement following media reports last week that the police had arrested one of the two men suspected to have brutally assaulted Uthayan News Editor Gnanasundaram Kuganathan on July 29.“They said a suspect has been arrested, and he has also revealed that a lawyer had a hand in it,” said Saravanapavan. “But the Government has not revealed the suspect’s name, or the lawyer’s name, so I feel this may be fabricated,” he said.Saravanapavan also claimed that “Kuganathan has not been notified of anything.” The police, meanwhile, maintain that no information can be divulged while investigations are going on. “One suspect has been arrested and is in remand custody, and we have identified the next man,” said Police Spokesperson, SP Prishantha Jayakody. “We cannot give you exact information because we are conducting investigations,” he added, when pressed for more details on the involvement of a lawyer who was also allegedly behind the attack. Despite police claims that investigations into the attack are progressing, Uthayan publisher Saravanapavan displayed no faith in these efforts. “I see no results up to now,” he said. “They have not even provided security for Kuganathan. I have been writing to the IGP and DIG but I have received no response yet.”When contacted for a response, Northern Province Senior DIG Gamini Silva said, “We provided security from the hospital to his [Kuganathan’s] residence, but we do not normally provide security for an injured person at their residence. BJP mobilising funds for displaced Sri Lankan Tamils The Bharatiya Janata Party is mobilising funds from the public in Chennai for providing relief to the displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka, according to L. Ganesan, member of the national executive committee of the party.Talking to newspersons here on Friday, Mr. Ganesan said the fund-raising campaign in Chennai would go on till August 25 on which date functionaries of the Tamil Nadu State BJP committee would make street campaigns to collect funds from the public. Later, the campaign would be taken up in other districts, and ultimately, the money collected handed over to Seva International, a recognised international voluntary organisation, which is engaged in providing relief to the displaced Tamils in the island nation.During his recent visit to Chennai, BJP president Nitin Gadkari announced the contribution of Rs.10 lakh for relief to the Lankan Tamils, Mr. Ganesan said.The issue of providing relief to the displaced Tamils fell within the purview of the External Affairs Ministry. Therefore, all political parties in Tamil Nadu, which are working for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils, could only urge the Centre to do the needful.The Congress and the BJP are the only national parties capable of doing it. But, Mr. Ganesan alleged, the Congress would not do anything in this regard because when Opposition parties urged the United Progressive Alliance government to take steps to prevent the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the UPA government offered support to the Sri Lankan government in its fight against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.On the agitation launched by social activist Anna Hazare for a strong Lokpal Bill, Mr. Ganesan said the UPA government could not be depended upon to bring a strong Bill as the Congress was keen only on defending the corrupt Union Ministers in Parliament whenever the Opposition raised the issue. The Union government took action against the corrupt only after the intervention of the Supreme Court.Mr. Ganesan denied the accusations that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were behind the movement of Anna Hazare.Asked about the call given by MDMK general secretary Vaiko to all political parties to appeal to the Chief Minister unanimously to urge the Centre to annul the death sentence of the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Mr. Ganesan said the BJP central committee alone could discuss the issue and take a decision.The Tamil Nadu state unit of the BJP would consider the issue after knowing the view of the central BJP, he said.Asked about the agitation by private bus operators protesting against the “exorbitant hike” in user fee levied on them in user fee plazas in Pallikonda and Vaniyambadi, Mr. Ganesan said the BJP condemned the hike. While the levy of user fee was justified to recover the cost of big road projects such as those undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India, it was unjust on the part of the Centre to have empowered private companies to collect the fee. Mihintale Rathnasara Thero Ven. arrested over rape allegedly committed on teenage girl Ven. Namalwewa Rathanasara Thero the chief incumbent of the Mihintale Vihara lower floor was taken into custody by the CID today on charges of raping a young girl. He was arrested at the Airport early morning when he was returning from Singapore .The Thero was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate court today . The additional Magistrate Tikiri Jayatileke stated he has no powers to take any course of action against the accused . Rejecting the request to remand the Ven. Thero , the Magistrate explained that this is a case filed in the Anuradhapura courts , and therefore to produce him before that court.President’s Counsel Anil Silva , Attorneys at law ,Niroshan Perera and Chandrika Silva appeared on behalf of the accused .Earlier the Anuradhapura Magistrate had issued an order to arrest the accused and produce before court. The 12 year old teenager who was the victim of the sexual assault had been under rehabilitation care for the last one year .The original article published in the Lanka e news in this connection is inaccurate . There are two Chief incumbents for the Mihintale Temple . Ven. Valavehenguna Wewe Dhammarathane Thero of the upper floor is an honorable and highly respected Buddhist prelate . It was this honorable Ven. Thero who gave evidence frankly and fearlessly in court in the case of arson committed on Dr. John Pulle’s house in Anuradhapura. It was also his upper floor of the temple that was searched four times by the police on the ground that Gen,. Fonseka’s son in law , was hiding there . The govt.’s hatred is directed against that honorable prelate . However the Govt. has no hatred towards the other prelate who is now accused of raping a 12 year old teenage girl, and this prelate is Ven. Namalwewa Rathansara Thero of the Temple’s lower floor.The accused Thero is a stooge of the Rajapakse regime and has been stooping to the lowest levels to fawn on it. The medical report furnished by the doctor reveals that this young girl had been a victim of rape for a long period. R. Samy a worker in the lower floor of the Temple , the grandmother and mother of the victim are giving evidence.Because the police mistakenly mixed up the names of the two Chief incumbents when reporting to the Lanka e news correspondent , the earlier article of ours was erroneously reported . The error is regretted. 20 August 2011 Weakening the Tamils economically is yet another strategy of the Sri Lankan govt In a bid to prevent the Tamils from prospering in future, the Sri Lankan State is systematically destroying the self reliant local economic structures built over the years. As the local economy is being systematically dismantled, the hold of the Sinhalese businessmen is increasing in the region.Trying to rebuild their lives from the ruins of a bloody civil war, Tamils have been pushed to do all kinds of odd jobs to survive. Forced by circumstances, even women have taken up jobs in the de-mining work currently going on in the region. It was pathetic to see young Tamil women approaching the giant tank on Cheddikulam – Mannar road for fishing, as early as 4 in the morning. Many of them, we learned, were young widows who had taken to fishing to support their families.Sinhalese shops have sprouted in Tamil areas. In Jaffna, the trend is more visible, where an estimated 5000 Sinhalese visit the town daily.Rehabilitation remains a pipedream to the displaced Tamils, who are doled out a meager 25,000 LKR (Lankan Rupees), 6 bamboo poles, and 6 tin roofs to build their houses. With this assistance, the Tamils are able to build only temporary sheds. On the contrary, the Sinhala re-settlers are allowed to build permanent houses.Adding to their cup of woes is the presence of high security zones in paddy fields and fishing areas where the Tamils cannot return. The long years of leaving the land uncultivated has made it barren. The planting of landmines and shelling over the land have had a heavy toll on the fertility of the soil.The never ending security restrictions continue to haunt the Tamils, as two years after the end of the war they are still unable to get on with a semblance of normal life. Tamil fishermen need to obtain work permit to enter the sea. The application form for individual permit requires 12 signatures - 5 signatures of local village officers, local administration and fisheries department officials and 7 signatures of military and navy personnel, including intelligence officials.The process takes 1-2 months and the fishermen have to spend anywhere between 15-20 thousand LKR (Lankan Rupees) to get a permit. The same process needs to be done for the fishing vessels too. Even after such an effort, the Tamil fishermen can fish only in a designated, narrow region in the sea; and cannot venture into deeper waters. Breaking rules would mean cancellation of permits.In places like Mullaithivu, the Sinhala fishermen are allowed to fish but not the Tamils.The Murunkan – Nanattan belt was once famous for banana cultivation and export. The war has left the land barren to such an extent that the locals are forced to buy imported bananas that come via Colombo through Sinhalese traders. The loot of the jungles in the interior areas of the Tamil heartland continues unabated in connivance with the local military officials who allow the Sinhalese from the south to log timber.The once bustling economy around the humble Palmyra tree has been affected most. The Palmyra is called karpaha (celestial tree), since all its parts can be used. When the fruit is tender, the kernel inside the hard shell is an edible jelly that is refreshing and rich in minerals.Its other byproducts include toddy, sugar and jiggery. The Palmyra fronds are used to build thatched houses, fences, mats, baskets, hand fans, and umbrellas.An estimated four million Palmyra trees had been destroyed in the two-decade civil war. All those families which depended on the trees for their livelihood have been left to fend for themselves.Even if Palmyra saplings are planted now, it will take 60 years for the trees to grow and start yielding. Reconciliation is an important to achieve peace Lanka''s reconciliation panel to submit report by Nov 15: Govt There is no pressure on the Sri Lankan reconciliation panel looking into the ethnic conflict in the country as it plans to submit the key report by November 15, a top official of the LLRC said today.Neither the United Nations nor the government could pressure the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to complete its probe report by September to present it to the UN General Assembly, LLRC spokesman Lakshman Wickremasinghe said.Wickremasinghe was quoted as saying by Colombopage, the Sri Lankan online newspaper, that the government was unlikely to put pressure on the LLRC and request for the Commission''s final report in a hurry.The LLRC said its final report would be submitted on November 15 and not before the set date due to any pressure.The LLRC final report would, therefore, not be submitted to the UN General Assembly, the report said.President Mahinda Rajapaksa set up the LLRC in May 2010 to probe the events between February 2002 to May 2009 when the civil war came to an end with the defeat of the LTTE.It was mandated to file a report on the lessons to be learnt from those events and whether any person, group, or institution directly or indirectly bears responsibility for the three-decade conflict.The international community, particularly the western nations, have asked Sri Lanka to probe the alleged human rights violations during the last stage of the conflict.The LLRC held its first sittings on August 11, 2010. In November 2010, the President extended its mandate till May 15, 2011.A three-member UN panel headed by Marzuki Darusman called for an international probe into alleged war crimes committed during the final stages of the ethnic conflict.The Sri Lankan government has rejected the UN report as "fundamentally flawed" and "based on patently biased material, which is presented without any verification."The LTTE had launched their armed struggle to create an independent homeland for Sri Lankas Tamils to protect them from alleged discrimination at the hands of the ethnic Sinhalese majority.The government forces crushed the rebels last year, ending three decades of civil war that killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people. Not so hidden dragon The forthcoming debate in Parliament will focus on the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils but the more important issue about the diminution of India's strategic leverage to China in Sri Lanka is likely to be lost. Hambantota rings the bell. Famous for salt flats and arid and hot weather, the sleepy environs of Hambantota district are destined to become the primary port of call in Sri Lanka. Reason? As the political constituency of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, it is central to his Vision Document 2025. It has the world's first inbuilt harbour carved out of land, strategically located astride the busiest East-West shipping lane and poised to challenge the primacy of Singapore's port.The port, of course, was made in China at friendship prices. Last month, just one ship was berthed in the harbour.So how did India let China spread its wings over much of the country including Hambantota? Much of it owes to Rajapaksa's strategic decision to reduce dependence on India, a process that has accelerated after the defeat of the LTTE, ironically an outcome in which New Delhi played a key role. Rajapaksa says he wants to reposition Sri Lanka as the ‘pearl of the old Silk Route', doubtless an unintended congruence of China's string of pearls concept that envisions a necklace of bases across the Indian Ocean to challenge Indian and American trade and diplomacy. In August 2009, Rajapaksa clarified: "India need not fear China's role in Sri Lanka. The Chinese will come and go. But Indians will stay.”But the Hambantota episode has an Indian twist. The first offer was made to India when Nirupama Rao was the high commissioner there. Rejection was dictated by cost and utility of the port facility. At Port Blair recently, national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said that 70% of India's shipping is handled by Colombo port which is also being modernised with Chinese assistance.Speaking about the Indian Ocean Region in 2009, Menon was equivocal about Hambantota becoming a part of China's ‘string of pearls'. Publicly, the Indian foreign office expresses no concern about China's enlarging footprint in Sri Lanka though according to WikiLeaks, in November 2007, Mohan Kumar, the joint secretary dealing with Sri Lanka, had told US embassy official Ted Osius in New Delhi that "we are concerned over China's access to Hambantota.”In May 2011 in Beijing, Sri Lankan foreign minister GL Peiris said Hambantota will never be a military port. Yet, Gwadar and Chittagong ports, both constructed and modernised by China, are commercially and militarily ‘off the beat' and less attractive than Hambantota which requires just a five-mile deviation from the shipping lane.At the Shangrila Dialogue in Singapore in May 2011, Chinese defence minister Gen Liang said he was unaware of any plan to use Gwadar as a naval base and he had not heard about any base in Sri Lanka.Many Sri Lankans are happy at the turn of events. "We are now in a position to juggle India and China but we are closer to China which has no strings attached," noted a diplomat. Another diplomat said China will have storage and fuelling facilities at Hambantota. "So can India," he quipped.China has become Sri Lanka's biggest benefactor, with its activities increasing dramatically since Rajapaksa took command in 2005. Beijing's substantive political and military assistance during and after the war in tandem with Islamabad has undermined India's supply of defensive weapons. China's assistance now stands at $3.2 billion, overtaking Japan as Sri Lanka's biggest donor. It is Sri Lanka's biggest exporter after India with China-Sri Lanka trade doubling in the last five years to $1.13 billion. China was the biggest foreign investor in 2009. The yuan, not the rupee, has joined the authorised currency list for international transactions.India's visibility is confined to the northeastern part of Sri Lanka. Still, India holds the ace: the clause in the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 that "Trincomalee or any other port in Sri Lanka would not be made available for military use to any country in a manner which is prejudicial to India's interest." India, though, should now go by Colombo's deeds, not words. Overseas members of Sri Lanka's terrorist group LTTE continued to procure weapons in 2010- US report 19 August 2011 US aids Sri Lankan government to rebuilt nine hospitals in the North The United States Government, in two phases, will provide funds to assist the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health to renovate and reconstruct nine hospitals in the conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka, a US Embassy press release said Thursday.The renovation of these hospitals will provide essential medical services to conflict affected areas in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.In the first phase, the US will provide funds worth US$ 1.6 million to renovate four hospitals - Divisional Hospital Pallai, Divisional Hospital Poonakary, Base Hospital Mulankavil, and Divisional Hospital Oddusuddan."These four hospitals are the first phase in a plan to assist the Ministry of Health-Northern Province in upgrading its healthcare facilities," the Embassy statement said.In the second phase five more hospitals will undergo renovation and reconstruction with a grant of US$ 1.9 million.The U.S. said its government remains committed to supporting Sri Lankan government's efforts towards reconstruction and reconciliation in former conflict zones. War crimes push aimed at ousting Sri Lanka government A Western-led push for a war crimes probe into Sri Lanka's war to destroy the Tamil Tigers is motivated by a "hidden agenda" to oust President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government, the island nation's defence secretary said Thursday.Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the architect of Sri Lanka's destruction of the separatist Tamil Tigers in 2009 and the president's younger brother, also expressed frustration that post-war rehabilitation efforts were being ignored.Sri Lanka's military crushed the Tamil Tigers to decisively end one of Asia's longest-running modern wars in May 2009, but since the waning months of the conflict the government has been under increasing pressure over accusations of civilian deaths.A panel commissioned by the U.N. secretary-general in April said it had "credible evidence" both sides had committed possible war crimes, and in particular alleged the government had killed thousands of civilians."There is a hidden agenda behind these allegations. Their main requirement is to change the president and the government who are not fulfilling their desires," Gotabaya Rajapaksa told a forum organised by the Federation of National Organizations.The United States and Britain have been at the fore of a call for an independent probe into the allegations, which Sri Lanka says first emanated from the Tamil Tigers' well-funded overseas propaganda arms and are false."No matter what we do there is no end to these allegations," he said. Gota slams paper Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa slammed India’s The Hindu newspaper today which had written a critical article about him.Rajapakse said that the Indian journalist had pressurized him to give an interview despite him saying no, and after he obliged the reporter had gone and written a critical opinion article on him.He said this at a symposium today organized by Strategic Initiative for the Protection of Sri Lanka (SIPOS) together with Federation of National Organizations.In The Hindu article titled ‘A brother out of control’ the writer says the Defence Secretary must be taken to task over some of the comments he had made on the Channel 4 documentary.with his intemperate remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, and Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa's comments, made in the course of an interview to Headlines Today television, reveal a troubling contempt for the Tamil minority. He has trashed “the political solution talk,” asserting, among other things, that it was “simply irrelevant” because “we have ended this terrorism in Sri Lanka,” making the egregious assertion that when the 13th Amendment was being drafted, “the government of Sri Lanka was not involved,” and proposing that with the LTTE “gone,” there was no further need to amend the Constitution. Diaspora trying to derail Lankan economy - GL A section of the diaspora is engaged in an economic onslaught against Sri Lanka to prevent and derail it from gaining economic prosperity, Minister of External Affairs G.L Peiris charged today. The Minister highlighted that they want to keep the government continuously engaged in dealing with their propaganda. “The government has taken lot of steps to bring prosperity to people living in the North and the East”, he said addressing the KDU Symposium, ‘Challenges of Post Conflict Sri Lanka’, organized by the Sir John Kotelawala Defence University “In the Darusman report, it has been mentioned that individual members of the armed forces rescued and helped civilians who were trapped in the uncleared areas. I was very disappointed and angered after seeing it in the report as it was the combined effort of the armed forces which enabled to rescue thousands of civilians”, the Minister said. “It is easy to get into a country but difficult to exit. The need to continuing standards for everybody is very important. Terrorists are terrorists but when we have to deal with them the decision making and the leadership role is with the government of that particular country as it was elected by its people”, Minister Peiris said. “It became the reality with several combinations. The perfect rapport between the political and military leadership enabled us to win the war. We handled the international affairs well especially with India also the domestic affairs were well handled by President Rajapaksa”. “The armed forces were able to rescue 300,000 civilians who were oppressed and held hostage by the LTTE. It is the duty of the government to protect its people. We send food to uncleared areas; we paid salaries for those who were in these areas. When the LTTE closed the A9 we took steps to send food by using ships”, he said. “To meet the new challenges in the post conflict era we need combination, adaptation, attitudinal changes to enable our armed forces to respond to contemporary challenges”, he noted. “The armed forces play the most crucial role in facilitating civilians affected by the war to bring them back to their normal lives. Their basis infrastructural needs and houses are been build by the forces. They have the confidence, trust and the respect of the people therefore it is easy for them to accomplish the tasks”, he added.Minister Peiris also said that the resettlement process will be concluded before the end of this year. “There will be no camps after that”, he said. China to upgrade Colombo terminal Sri Lanka has preferred to sign up with a Chinese company for a $500-million upgrade of its second container terminal in Colombo Port.It has entered into a BOT agreement with China Merchants Holdings (International) Company, one of the largest port operators in the region, for a terminal that comprises a total quay length of 1,200 metres and a depot land area of 58 hectares, with water depth of 18 metres. The project is expected to take two phases, with Phase I to be ready for operation by early 2013. The entire facility will be ready in five years, said the Sri Lankan government.The Chinese company has 55 per cent share in the project. A local company, Aitken Spence, will hold 30 per cent stake, while the Sri Lankan port authority will hold the remaining 15 per cent stake.Priyath Bandu Wickrama, Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Fu Yu Ning, Chairman of China Merchants Group were signatories to the agreement which took place in Shenzhen. Representing the two countries, China's Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yang Xiu Ping and Sri Lanka's Ambassador to China Ranjith Uyangoda witnessed the signing of the agreement.Representatives from Sri Lanka Port Authority, China Development Bank, China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation and China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd., were also present at the signing ceremony. The signing ceremony was organised on the sidelines of the visit to China by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. A new railroad from Medawachchiya to Trincomalee in northeastern Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan government has sought cabinet approval for the construction of a new railroad in northeastern part of the country.The proposed 90-kilometer rail road is to connect Medawachchiya in the Anuradhapura District of North Central Province to Trincomalee in the Eastern Province.The Sri Lankan Cabinet of ministers Wednesday approved a proposal submitted by Transport Minister Kumara Welgama to award the contract to the University of Colombo for a feasibility study for the new railroad.The new railroad will link the railway network in the Northern Province with that of the Eastern Province. Police snatches pedestrian's gold chain in Colombo Colombo Chief Magistrate remanded a traffic police constable of Slave Island Police till August 19 for allegedly snatching a gold chain and a gold pendant of a pedestrian at Ward Place Colombo 7.Cinnamon Gardens Police produced the suspect Wellage Roshan Indunil Silva of the Traffic Police of Slave Island and complained to the Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli that the suspect had snatched the gold chain and a gold pendent worth Rs 90,000 from its owner Rajapaksa Pathiranalage Somanayake Manjula of Pasgammana Buthpitiya Weliveriya on August 16 at ward Place Colombo. 18 August 2011 Jaya offers help Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha met a group of Sri Lankan refugees at her office and provided assistance for them to live a fairly decent life, Jayalalitha’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.The statement said that Jayalalitha met 17 recipients at her office and handed over financial assistance. She also initiated programs including pension schemes, child care assistance programs and other schemes for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu.Jayalalitha has also decided to increase the cash dole for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu.There are hundreds of Tamil refugees still living in camps in Tamil Nadu and Jayalalitha’s office said she has taken an initiative to ensure the Sri Lankan Tamils enjoy the same benefits as Indian Tamils. 193 TNA local council members to take oaths 193 TNA local council members who achieved victory in the recent election will take oaths during the special occasion which is schedule to hold on Sunday morning 9.30am under the patronage of TNA leader R.Sampantha at Youth Cultural Center Nallur.All the TNA Parliamentarians, party leaders and senior members will also participate in this event.During the last local council election among 25 local council bodies in the Northern province TNA achieved victory in the 20 local council bodies.In the Jaffna district TNA achieved victory in the 13 local council bodies, achieved victor in the 3 local council bodies in the Killinochchie district. 16 TNA members achieved victory in Jaffna election district. India, Sri Lanka sign agreement to establish signaling system for northern railway network An agreement for supply and installation of Signalling & Telecommunication system for railway network in Northern Province of Sri Lanka was signed today between Mr. B.A.P. Ariyarathna, General Manager, Sri Lanka Railways and Mr. Mohan Tiwari, Managing Director, IRCON (a Government of India Undertaking) in the presence of Hon’ble Kumara Welgama, Minister of Transport, H.E. Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner and Mr. Dhammika Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Transport. The total cost of the project is US $ 86.51 Million. This project is a part of Indian Line of Credit of USD 800 Million, which has been extended by Government of India at concessional terms. The credit line has been extended at an interest rate of LIBOR plus 0.5 % with LIBOR capped at 3%. The repayment period is 20 years with a five year moratorium. The proposed contract will cover the Anuradhapura – KKS and Medawachchiya – Tallai Mannar sections, covering a route length of 341 KMs and 28 stations. The signalling work involves provision of centralized control panel, interlocking colour light system with electrically operated points and track detection system. All the level crossings will be interlocked with new signalling system, which would ensure safety at level crossings. The telecommunication work involves provision of optical fiber communication system throughout the section. In addition, public address system, etc., shall also be provided at major stations. In his remarks after the signing ceremony, High Commissioner Kantha said that the proposed telecommunication system offered by IRCON is based on proven technology and maintainability. He noted that work is already in progress for track- laying work on the Medawachchiya – Madhu Road, Madhu Road - Tallaimannar and Omanthai – Pallai Sections. He added that IRCON is receiving full support of the Government of Sri Lanka and the projects would be completed as per schedule. High Commissioner also noted that IRCON has successfully completed Galle - Matara Section of Coastal Railway Line covering 42 kilometers in February, 2011. The work on Kalutara – Galle Section is scheduled to commence from 1st week of September, 2011 and the same will be completed by March, 2012. The southern coastal railway line project is also being funded under Government of India credit line of US $ 167.4 million. Hon’ble Kumara Welgama, Minister of Transport noted the deep bond of friendship between the two countries and expressed his deep appreciation for assistance provided by the Government of India. India need to maintain close relationship with SriLanka : The Hindu Economic news paper of the Hindu news paper said Economic sanction against the SriLankan government will affect the economy of India.While explaining this regard paper says When Sri-Lankan government request Indian twice to help for the development activities of Hambamtota port but India refuse to help the Lankan government but at present Chinese government is carrying out the development activities of the Hambamtota port this creates major security problems for Indian in the Indian Ocean.Paper further said present economic bond between SriLankan and India government is more favorable for Indian government in such situation when the government implement economic sanction is foolish decision.According to the 2010 reports India as exported SriLanka goods worth of US$ 2,460 million annually but SriLanka is importing only for US$470 million. If the India implement economic sanction against SriLanka then India need to face loss of US$ 2.000 million this won’t be possible for the Indian Economy.While maintain good relationship with the SriLankan government India will be able control the Lankan government through this it would be possible to give proper solution for the problems of Tamil people in Sri-Lanka said the news paper. Kili Maharaja asked two National list MP slots: since I refused I am being slated and attempts made to disrupt the party At the last General election ,Kili Raja Mahendran of the Maharaja Organization requested two slots in the National list of MPs at the general elections to which I did not agree . Therefore , his Sirasa media has turned hostile to me and my party, and have started a campaign to attack us -Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe made this contentious and controversial disclosure at a media briefing held today.Strict disciplinary action will be taken at the working Committee meeting tomorrow against those who are organizing protests against the party, he added.All of you are aware that the Sirasa is relentlessly continuing to attack me and my party. How did this arise? When comrade Minister Mervyn surrounded the Sirasa , it is we who went to the rescue of Sirasa . After the General elections , a request was made to me for two MP posts via the National list . The UNP rejected it. Since that day the Maharaja Organization is harboring a vituperative hatred towards me . Prior to this it was only Ranil Wickremesinghe who could squarely oppose Mahinda Rajapakse , but after their request was rejected , it was the same Ranil Wickremesinghe who is now termed a failure unable to steer the party ahead, Ranil observed.Kili MahaRaja is a friend of mine. But I have the ability to tell direct that he is wrong or right to any person. As the Opposition leader , even at this moment I am championing the cause of the media personnel and the media Institutions like yours. I have no need to give answers to anyone. That is why I don’t use any lackey to retaliate.I ask my friend Kili Raja Mahendran to clearly tell why is he trying to ‘buy’ the party and is engaging in a campaign to disrupt and dismantle the UNP without hiding in London city ?While there is a grave erosion of media rights in the country , the UNP has to fight tooth and nail to combat that evil campaign. But does a media Organization have a right to ‘buy’ over a political party ? By false propaganda and reports has it a right to sow seeds of dissension and hatred among the party members? Most media Organizations are run by commercial establishments. There must therefore be a dividing line and limit between them. The Commercial establishment should not exert pressures on its media Institution. I would like to question from all other media Institutions whether such a division should or should not exist ? Though there is no barrier obstructing them from supporting a political party or contesting under any party , it is the consensus of all that it is not possible for any Organization to ‘buy’ a political party, Ranil emphasized. Indo-Lanka co-operation helped in ending terrorism - Defence Secretary Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa giving evidence before the Mount Lavinia District Judge MCBS Moraes yesterday said that the government succeeded in eradicating terrorism in the country due to the close co-operation between Sri Lanka and India. The Defence Secretary said that the Indian government was regularly kept informed of what was happening in Sri Lanka during the humanitarian operation.This strategy averted many misunderstandings which could have resulted in abrupt halts as was the case in the Vadamarachchi operation in the 1980s.He was giving evidence in the defamation case against Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunga and the Leader Publications company when it was taken up for hearing yesterday.The plaintiff Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa complained that his reputation and good name was ruined due to the articles published between July and September 2007 in the Sunday Leader newspaper and claimed Rs 1,000 million as damages.The Defence Secretary said that India is the only country which could interfere with Sri Lanka militarily due to its close proximity to Sri Lanka.He added that terrorism would have ended 25 years ago, if there was proper coordination with the Indian government. Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that the Vadamarachchi operation led by General Wijaya Wimalaratne and General Denzil Kobbekaduwa had to be stopped due to pressure exerted by India.The Defence Secretary said that high level delegations were appointed by Sri Lanka and India with a view to sharing information with regard to the humanitarian operation.He said that there was an era in which people believed what war analysts reported in papers.They wrote articles giving indication that the number of soldiers injured in the humanitarian operation was always high. Such reporting resulted in the declining morale of soldiers. He said the people needed to know what was actually happening in the battlefield and there was no vibrant source that gave accurate news on the battle field.The Defence Secretary said the Defence Ministry started a website www.news.lk with a view to disseminating more accurate news on the government’s mission of eradicating terrorism in Sri Lanka.He said that over 40 million people around the world had visited the website at the last stage of the humanitarian operation.The Defence Secretary also mentioned the Civil Defence Force which was mainly involved in protecting civilians in villages threatened by the terrorists in the North and East. The Defence Secretary said the number of CDF personnel was also increased from 19,000 to 42,000 and over 5,000 made their contribution at the last stage of the humanitarian operation.Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that there was a belief among the public and foreign countries that terrorism cannot be defeated at the time he was appointed Defence Secretary.He added that the Ceasefire Agreement had been violated more than 10,000 times by the terrorists and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission had received more than 3,000 complaints.President Mahinda Rajapaksa had informed India that Sri Lanka was prepared to negotiate with the LTTE, while keeping the ploys adopted by them for the past 35 years in mind.Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that President Rajapaksa stressed the importance of strengthening the Sri Lankan Security Forces.He said that the government had to implement a number of programmes to boost the morale of the Security Forces. The Defence Secretary said the number of personnel in the Sri Lanka Army was increased from 20,000 to 220,000 after he assumed duties as Defence Secretary with the approval of the President who is also the Commander in Chief.Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said a series of programmes were also launched for the welfare of Security Forces personnel.He stated that the intelligence service was sagging when he took over the reins of the ministry and the intelligence services of Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Air Force, Civil Defence Force and other security establishments were combined and they took a concerted effort in the eradication of terrorism.The Defence Secretary added that the number of Civil Defence Force personnel was increased from 19,000 to 42,000 and it helped protect villages threatened by terrorists.Defence Secretary Rajapaksa added that he as the brother President Rajapaksa was blessed with the opportunity of informing him of what was actually happening in the defence sector at any time of the day.He described an instance where the Director Operations of the Army phoned him and said that the ammunition for a particular weapon is running out and the military was in urgent need of that kind of ammunition.The Defence Secretary stated that he promptly informed the President about it and the President was directly involved in purchasing the necessary ammunition through the Head of State of that country.He said his father represented the Hambantota district in the State Council and became Deputy Minister, Deputy Speaker and Cabinet Minister.The Defence Secretary added that more than 9 members of the Rajapaksa family have been elected to the legislature with a majority of votes. He said that his father D A Rajapaksa mortgaged their house and properties during the time the country was hit by a malaria epidemic.The Defence Secretary insisted that the Rajapaksa family has never enriched themselves through politics and they have always been committed to the welfare of the general public.Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that he joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1970 as an Officer Cadet and rose to be Lieutenant Colonel at the time of retirement in 1991.He said he has made a contribution to almost all key operations that were launched to eradicate terrorism in the country, during his unblemished 20 year career.Senior Counsel Ali Sabry instructed by Sanath Wijewardena appeared for the complainant while M A Sumanthiran PC with counsel Viran Corea appeared for the defendants.Further hearing was put off for September 11 and 31. Indian housing project for IDPs gets off ground The much talked about construction of 50,000 Houses under Indian and for the Internally Displaced People (IDP’s ) who had been resettled in the North and East has got off the ground with the construction of 1000 houses as a pilot project, governmental sources said yesterday The sources said that an Indian company had been contracted to carry out the construction of the houses with each house having 520 square feet and costing more than one million rupees.The Government Agent for the Jaffna District Mrs Imelda Sukumar said that construction of 150 house were progressing in the Divisional Secretariat areas of Nallur, Tellippalai, Karainagar and Jaffna town in the Jaffna district.The Government Agent for Mullaitivu district S. Pathinathan said that 250 houses were being constructed in the five Assistant Government Agent areas of the district.Pathinathan said that 50 houses were being constructed in the Ponn Nagar area of the Maritime Pattu AGA division, 74 houses at Pachadanpan area of the Oddisuddan AGA division, 26 houses at Theravil in the Pudukudiirruppu AGA Division, 50 houses at Uyilankulam in the Thunukkai AGA division and 50 houses at Pandiyankulam in the Manthai East AGA Division.The Government Agent for the Vavuniya district Mrs P. S. M. Charles said that construction of 175 houses were being constructed in the Divisional Secretariat areas of Vavuniya, Vavuniya North, Vavuniya South and Chettikulam.The Government Agent for the Mannar district Nagalingam Vethanayakam said that around 200 houses were being constructed in his district.Vethanayakam said that 56 houses were being constructed at Musali Division, 47 in the Madhu division, 72 houses in the Manthai West division The Government Agent for the Killinochchi district Mrs Rupawathi Ketheeswaran said that 250 houses being constructed at A Ariviyal Nagar, Puliyan Pokuna, Karanthai, Thelikari areas of the district. Sri Lanka to get 14 Mi-171 helicopters from Russia Sri Lanka has signed a contract to purchase 14 Mi-171 helicopters from Rosoboronexport State Corporation, a state-owned arms enterprise under a Russian credit deal, Russia's state news agency Itar-Tass reported.ITAR-TASS said it has learnt that from a press service of the enterprise, Rosoboronexport will supply 14 Mi-171 helicopters of different modifications to Sri Lanka, two years after it ended a three-decades long terrorist war."A corresponding contract for supplying the helicopters will be carried out on account of the Russian state credit given to Sri Lanka by Russia in 2010 for purchasing Russian armaments," the news agency said without giving any details on the deal.The Ulan-Ude Aviation Works will fulfill the contract, the report said citing a representative of the press service.Reportedly the Ulan-Ude Aviation Works is engaged in producing helicopters of four modifications including multipurpose Mi-171, cargo-passenger Mi-171A and military-transport Mi-171 Sh.Alexander Mikheev, a Rosoboronexport representative said in a press release that the company has signed a contract to deliver MI-17 military family helicopters to Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka's Air Force sources say that it is in dire need of helicopters due to technical problems of some of the helicopters they have now.It has been reported that Sri Lanka Air Force has also decided to acquire two new Bell-412 helicopters. 17 August 2011 Southern journalists protest in Jaffna In a rare public demonstration in northern Sri Lanka, once torn apart by war, hundreds of people have held a protest against what they say are attacks on freedom of xpression there.Seven media organisations from the south joined the protest held in front of the Jaffna Bus Stand. Former LTTE media spokes person Velayutham Thayanidhi widely known as Daya Master was also among the protesters.Head of the Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU) Dharmasiri Lankapeli said “ government or its thugs cannot curtail the press freedom by attacking journalists. Attacks on journalists "Irrespective of ethnicity, all journalists will stand together against the attacks on journalists”.He called upon the government to punish those who are responsible for attacks on journalists and media.The crowd of journalists and media workers shouted a blunt message: don’t kill us. Saying it was the government that was intimidating their colleagues here in northern Sri Lanka, they marched carrying pictures of Gnanasundaram Kuganathan, a journalist who was beaten almost to death by a gang using iron bars.Eyewitnesses said the police at first tried to stop the protest but held back as more joined in.The government has announced the arrest of a man they say instigated the attack.They say he’s a contract criminal linked to the underworld. But the editor of the newspaper on which the journalist works, said the wrong person was being blamed and he wasn’t satisfied. Academic fled Sri Lanka In recent days a prominent university academic who had returned to Jaffna from the United States after the war, has fled Sri Lanka for fear of his safety.Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole, a scientist, says the government’s chief Tamil ally in Jaffna is running it as a personal fiefdom and stocking public life with his own stooges.He had left Sri Lanka in 2006 on being threatened by the Tamil Tigers, whom he had criticised. The government accuses the Tamil media in northern Sri Lanka of ignoring a series of big development works it has undertaken. Tamil killings were just collateral damage, says Sri Lanka THE top Sri Lankan diplomat in Australia has rejected a call by the Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, for the United Nations to re-examine allegations of war crimes during the bloody end to the country's three decades of civil war.Last month a spokeswoman for Mr Rudd called on the UN Human Rights Council to revisit the claims of war crimes and to ''examine whether their original findings on the civil war can still be regarded as well-founded.'' But the Sri Lankan high commissioner, Thisara Samarasinghe, said yesterday the allegations upon which Mr Rudd based his call - including video footage from a British documentary which showed unarmed Tamils being shot dead - were ''biased and unsubstantiated''.''That is a statement made by your honourable Foreign Minister,'' Admiral Samarasinghe said. ''He had his reasons to make that request and it will take its natural course, if anybody is interested.''Despite international criticism and a UN report finding claims of war crimes were ''credible'', the global body has yet to approve an investigation into claims that tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed in mid-2009, during the final phase of the conflict.Admiral Samarasinghe, who was in charge of naval operations against the Tamil Tigers in early 2009, made his comments during an address at Parliament to present a Sri Lankan government report, Humanitarian Operation - Factual Analysis, which challenged the claims of war crimes.Referring to civilians killed in that period as ''collateral damage'', Admiral Samarasinghe said calls for a formal international probe were inappropriate.''It was not an international conflict, [it was an] internal conflict and we fought it ourselves and we manage our citizens and I don't see any reason why an international investigation should be carried out,'' he said.Much of the international concern has arisen since Channel 4 in Britain aired a documentary, Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, in June showing unarmed Tamils being shot dead by men in Sri Lankan army uniforms.It also showed images it said were evidence that Sri Lankan troops involved in a final push in May 2009 had raped and then shot dead female Tamils.The footage was rejected as fake by the Sri Lankan government of the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, but UN experts later declared it authentic. Sri Lankan minister criticises SM Krishna A Sri Lankan minister on Tuesday criticised the External Affairs Minister SM Krishna's suggestion for investigation into alleged human rights abuses in the island during the final battle with the LTTE. "The Indian foreign minister has said that human rights abuses in Sri Lanka need investigation. I would like to tell him that investigation must start with the time of Indian troops in Sri Lanka," Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of the National Freedom Front and the Minister of Engineering services in the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa said."Abuses happened during the very start of the conflict under President Jayawardene. All heads of state after him fought the war. But only President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to finish it.""I must tell everyone that the least number of rights abuses took place during the last stages of the war," Weerawansa, a key ally of Rajapaksa said. Tough action against those who spread rumours; IGP Tough action will be taken against those who spread rumours about ‘Grease Devils’, Inspector General of Police (IGP) N. K. Illangakoon said.Speaking to the Daily Mirror today he said that the police arrested five such persons on Monday who were spreading rumours in Gampola. “The situation in the Eastern Province is under control now. The police have taken steps to maintain law and order in the areas where the incidents took place,” he said.Police have so far arrested 47 persons involved in robberies and frightening women by portraying themselves as ‘Grease Devils.’ He said that the public should not disrupt their day to day activities because of these rumours. “During investigations it was revealed that some had spread stories about Grease Devils roaming the area to carry out robberies and others had done it for fun,” he said. IGP Illangakoon said that there are no so called ‘Grease Devils’ in villages across the country. During investigations they have been able to identify that most of the suspects are residents of the same area who engage in robberies and criminal activities. Incidents relating to ‘Grease Devils’ were reported in Badulla, Mahiyangana, Girandurukotte, Rambewa, Siyabalanduwa, Alawathugoda, Kantale, Ampara, Nuwara Eliya, Hasalaka, Ridimaliyedda, Bibila, Nawalapitiya, Kinniya, Muththur and Pottuvil.The name ‘Grease Devils’ came into being with the killings of several elderly women in Kahawatta. The three suspects wanted in connection with the killings were arrested by the police later. Anandasangaree request President Rajapaksa interventaion It is your duty to give the innocent people proper security to live in peace, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) V. Anandasangaree told President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a letter condemning the interference of armed forces in the civil administration of Poonakari, Jaffna.“I strongly condemn and vehemently protest against the conduct of a political party that faced defeat at the recently held Local Election. In-spite of the fact that the service personnel while obstructing candidates of other parties went all out to distribute leaflets, pasting posters and did house to house campaign for that political party it lost. The voters were prevented in large numbers from casting their votes. Now they are utilizing the services of the Forces to win the election to the MPCS”, the letter stated.He claimed in the letter that during the Poonakari MPCS elections, the army had imposed unofficial curfew and prevented many from voting and from contesting various offices.“I always take my hat off for duty conscious Army Personnel for whom some black sheep in the Army bring disgrace. They even bring discredit to the country, the people and to you, because they do everything in your name”, the letter to the President further stated.Anandasangaree claimed that the villagers of the area lived in fear of the army and alleged that army personnel had even collected a sum of Rs.1 million from each of the MPCS Unions in Jaffna.He requested the President to intervene in these matters and to ensure that a proper inquiry takes place while the army personnel bringing discredit to the country be dealt with in the proper manner. Incidents of burglary on the rise in Vavuniya 16 August 2011 India hopes Sri Lanka will pursue genuine political settlement “It is our hope that the vision and leadership that resulted in an end to armed conflict will now be employed in the quest for a genuine political settlement resulting in national reconciliation among all the communities of Sri Lanka,” Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha, said in his Independence Day message in Colombo.Clearly calling upon the Sri Lankan leadership to accommodate the aspirations of the Tamils of the Northern Province, pointed out that the key to the Indian unity is “its continuing commitment to democracy, pluralism and diversity of religion, language, race, ethnicity and culture.” India would continue to support Sri Lanka’s commitment to heal the wounds of the past and to build a caring society which ensures a life of equality and dignity to all its citizens.Mr. Kantha’s comments come at a time when the reconciliation talks between the Tamil National Alliance and the Government are deadlocked over TNA’s ultimatum to the government. The TNA has accused the government of keeping the talks going merely to show the international community that it was engaging with the Tamils.Making it clear that India has always been committed to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and to the restoration of lasting peace through reconciliation, he said that the Indo-Lankan partnership must progress in the spirit of being the closest of neighbours and friends whose destinies are interlinked.In terms of trade, India was Sri Lanka’s largest partner and also emerged as the number one source country in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and foreign direct investment. “The growing engagement with India has facilitated creation of new capacities in the Sri Lankan economy in diverse sectors ranging from civil aviation and hospitality to ports and dockyards. A good example of this partnership is the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement which has yielded positive dividends over the past decade. Discussions on a comprehensive framework for enhanced economic cooperation are now underway and I do hope that the coming months will see the fruition of these efforts to the mutual benefit of both our countries,” he said, pointing to the progress made on the CEPA between the two countries. Sri Lankan navy camp attacked by enraged mob A navy camp in eastern Sri Lanka came under a pre-dawn attack Monday by an enraged mob who also set fire to a police jeep.The Sri Lankan police said that the mob attacked the navy camp in Kinniya, Trincomalee after assuming that a suspect had taken refuge inside the premises.The mob believed the suspect was a man with grease on his body, known by locals as a "grease devil" who goes around abusing women.Similar suspects with grease on their bodies had been arrested in several parts of Sri Lanka over the past few weeks.Over 500 people gathered around the navy camp, pelted it with stones and also set fire to a police jeep which arrived at the scene with police reinforcements, a Trincomalee police official said.The Sri Lankan police said that at least three people including a police officer were injured in the attack and 25 people were later arrested.Last week the Sri Lankan police said they had arrested 47 " grease devils" from several parts of the country which has been gripped with panic over the reported incidents. Doctors on strike at Kinniya base hospital Services at the Kinniya base hospital came to a near standstill on Monday as the hospital staff launched a strike against alleged misconduct by the security forces personnel within the hospital premises. The Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association Dr. Chandika Epitakaduwa speaking to Daily Mirror stated that “ It isn’t a strike per se, but the Doctors are refraining from carrying out normal duties. They have decided to attend to only emergency situations due to the prevailing hostile environment” he said.Sources charged that armed forces personnel had assaulted hospital security guards and later fired into the air. They told the Daily Mirror that despite the strike action the Intensive care unit and emergency treatment unit continued without any hindrance. They claimed the forces personnel had opened fire in the presence Eastern provincial council members and the Kinniya urban council Chairman. A tense situation prevailed in the area yesterday due to fears of a Grease devil said to be roaming in the town. Some 24 youth who were arrested yesterday on charges on vandalism were released on police bail today after Government Ministers intervened on their behalf. 40 Held for Trying to Hoist Tricolour on Katchatheevu More than 40 members of a Tamil Nadu-based Hindu outfit were arrested on Monday when they tried to put to sea for hoisting the national flag at Katchatheevu in the Palk straits, ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974.Police said 43 workers of the Hindu Makkal Katchi, including its state unit President Annadurai,were arrested when they were on their way to the fishing jetty here, en route to Katchatheevu island.They were demanding that fishermen should be allowed to fish in and around the island.Police, who were maintaining strict vigil, had banned fishing for the day to prevent any untoward incidents.More than 2000 fishermen did not put to sea and 600 boats from Mandapam, Rameswaram were anchored on the shore on Monday.The BJP state unit had orgainsed a sea picketing programme here on August 7 demanding protection for Tamil Nadu fishermen from alleged attacks by Lankan Navy. BANGALORE - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa would have returned from China a relieved man. The Chinese promised Sri Lanka more investment in infrastructure projects and to enhance two-way trade and strengthen cultural and personnel exchanges. More important for Rajapaksa was Beijing's assurance of "fullest support in all necessary situations to Sri Lanka in international forums". It means that the Sri Lankan president can count on the Chinese to come to his rescue should allegations of war crimes against his regime come up for consideration in international bodies like the United Nations Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). He can expect Beijing to use its clout to dilute resolutions unfavorable to Colombo or veto any possible UN security council resolution referring Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court. The Sri Lankan civil war came to an end in May 2009, when the Sri Lankan armed forces inflicted a comprehensive defeat on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Although both sides committed atrocities throughout the 25-year-long war, the period from January 2009 till the war's culmination was particularly brutal.While allegations of war crimes by the Rajapaksa regime were leveled by the Tamil Diaspora and international human rights groups within weeks of the war's end, it was the findings of a report by a panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that has provided renewed momentum to the international campaign for trial of key persons in Sri Lanka's political and defense decision-making structures on war crimes charges. The UN panel said it found "credible allegations, which if proven indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law was committed both by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity". Since the publication of the UN panel report, several other reports and documentaries, such as "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields" by Channel Four of the UK, have revealed in graphic detail the execution of LTTE's political leaders and their families when they surrendered to the Sri Lankan armed forces and the horrific rape, torture and killing of Tamil civilians. These have evoked widespread outrage and clamor for a credible international probe into the final stages of the war, for a trial of the Rajapaksa regime over war crimes and for the imposition of economic sanctions on Sri Lanka. Responding to calls for an inquiry into allegations of war crimes, the Sri Lankan government set up a Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in May 2010. The UN panel rejected its credibility saying it "fails to satisfy key international standards of independence and impartiality." The United States has stepped up pressure on Sri Lanka in recent months. If Colombo failed to put in place a credible internal inquiry into allegations of war crimes expeditiously, "Then we reserve the right to discuss international mechanisms," US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland warned last week. It does seem that Sri Lanka will figure on the agenda of the upcoming session of the UNHRC. Washington is reported to have issued Colombo a demarche to place the findings of the LLRC before the UNHRC. Sri Lankan newspaper the Sunday Times, reported concern in the Sri Lankan government that such a step would open the door to discussions on the UN panel report's allegation of war crimes, the Channel Four documentary and so on. However, Sri Lankan diplomats are said to have warned their Ministry of External Affairs that there is the possibility of "a more damaging" resolution being tabled by a US ally if Colombo fails to place the LLRC findings before the UNHRC. According to the Sunday Times, "There are fears there could be calls for an ‘international investigation', sanctions and travel bans on those identified in the UN Panel report." It is in the context of these developments that Rajapaksa's recent visit to China, his second in a year, should be seen. In May 2009, deft Sri Lankan diplomacy resulted in the UNHRC dropping a Swiss-EU draft resolution calling for an investigation into possible war crimes and adopting instead another resolution that praised Sri Lanka for its victory over the LTTE. China, Russia, India and Pakistan were among the countries that supported Colombo then. It is not clear this time around just how much support Sri Lanka will be able to rally as evidence of war crimes has mounted since the 2009 vote and is far too damning. It is uncertain what position India will take. Delhi has run out of patience trying to get the Sri Lankan President to implement the 13th amendment to the Constitution in the North and East. Besides, horrific details laid bare in the Channel Four documentary of the violence perpetrated in the final stages of the war has stirred unrest in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and calls for a tough Indian response, including economic sanctions on Sri Lanka. That India's stance could be hardening vis-a-vis Colombo was evident early this month when its External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told parliament that he had stressed to his Sri Lankan counterpart the need for "investigations into allegations of human rights violations". Yet there is concern in India over how a tough new approach will play out in terms of regional strategic equations. Sri Lanka's rapidly expanding cooperation with China is of mounting concern to India. Beijing is Sri Lanka's largest aid donor and investor. It is involved in infrastructure building on the island in a big way. Among the projects it is executing in Sri Lanka is a giant port project in Hambantota. It is also constructing an airport in Hambantota, a coal-fired power plant at Norochcholai, an oil bunkering facility and a performing arts center in Colombo. There are parallels between India's troubles in Myanmar today and those that are emerging in Sri Lanka. It was China's generous extension of military and economic assistance and the protection it gave Myanmar's junta as a veto-wielding member of the UN security council that drew Myanmar firmly into Beijing's orbit. That evoked acute anxiety in India as China's heightened influence and presence in neighboring Myanmar made India's eastern flank vulnerable. Some Indian analysts have warned that Myanmar's dependence on China could result in it conceding to Chinese demand for naval bases in Myanmar, providing Beijing with presence in the Indian Ocean. With its location on India's doorstep, Sri Lanka holds similar attractions for India as Myanmar does for China. Should Sri Lanka's international isolation increase, its dependence on China will grow especially since Beijing, unlike Delhi, holds a security council veto. Will the Chinese demand a naval presence in Hambantota as quid pro quo for bailing out Rajapaksa in international forums? Much of the international community turned a blind eye when Sri Lanka brazenly violated its obligations under the Geneva conventions and other international laws post-2006. Some countries like India issued statements calling for restraint but did not do enough to stop Colombo's aerial bombing of Tamil civilians. Many, including the US and the European Union, had banned the LTTE and quietly watched its elimination. India is in a dilemma over an international probe of allegations of Sri Lanka's war crimes. Like China, it is opposed to international interference in domestic issues and sees this as a violation of sovereignty. It is deeply aware of the West's selective use of the war crimes weapon. This is a weapon that the West uses only against unfriendly regimes. India is conscious too that it is because Sri Lanka's growing proximity to China is problematic for the West that it is now expressing anguish over war crimes. If Delhi joins the West in putting pressure on Rajapaksa in order to rein him in from his excessive pro-Chinese tilt, it could just end up pushing a defiant and isolated Colombo into a closer embrace of China. Between 1988 and 1993, India joined the West in its vociferous criticism of the Myanmar junta. In December 1992, it even sponsored a UN resolution calling on the military to respect the will of the people expressed in the 1990 election and to take all necessary steps towards the restoration of democracy. Two decades on, Delhi is still unable to break China's stranglehold over its neighbor. Indian policymakers see that as a mistake and will be keen to avoid repeating it in Sri Lanka. They would not want another neighbor to slip into the Chinese sphere of influence. International investigation in LTTE activities - English media reports International investigations are under way by the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany to crack down on LTTE activities, specially its international financial network, by which it is still raising funds through illegal means.The government is engaged at diplomatic level with these and other countries in the European Union to expose the LTTE’s financial network, intelligence sources said.Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany have arrested several prominent LTTE fund raisers recently ,although the LTTE had lost its war on the ground in Sri Lanka, its international financial network has remained largely intact.It is important to realise that although the LTTE had been militarily defeated in Sri Lanka, its international organisation remains largely intact to this day. As the Report demonstrates, the LTTE had at its disposal a vast international network that was active in many parts of the world.A significant component of that network was its propaganda arm. This continues to work actively, though often in disguise, to promote the separatist cause and discredit the Government of Sri Lanka.This network has funds at its disposal, and pushes its agenda through influential international figures and misled media outlets, which continue to accept and even promote this propaganda with very little objective examination”,.Intelligence sources said that the team, which visited Sri Lanka thrice had collected more evidence from hard-core LTTEers, including those in custody, two weeks ago Polls Chief acted hastily: Ex-CJ Reduction of seats in Jaffna District Amid opposition political parties objecting and expressing concern over the Election Commissioner’s recent move to reduce the number of seats in the Jaffna district, legal experts claimed it was against the Constitution.They said the move could have severe repercussions on the peace after 30 years of bloodshed. Besides concerns by various parties, the main Tamil political party TNA is contemplating legal action. TNA Parliamentarian and senior attorney M. A. Sumanthiran said the party was contemplating legal action against Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya’s decision to reduce the number of Jaffna seats from 9 to 6 while former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva claimed the reduction of the Jaffna people’s representation was a move to disenfranchise people who were heavily displaced.Former CJ Sarath N. Silva said under article 98 (9) of the Constitution such a move could have been taken when an election was pending, but in this instance there could be no election for the next five years.Mr. Silva stressed that the Election authorities had made a serious mistake by taking a hasty decision that could have long lasting repercussions.“The decision would add fuel to the ethnic problem,” the former CJ said claiming that this would be communicated to the Western world and India as another act of discrimination against the Tamils.The former CJ also said the Elections Commissioner should have taken into account that there was large scale displacement while another large number of voters were living abroad, Colombo and other parts of the country. From 11 in 1981, the seats in the Jaffna District had been gradually reduced and announcing the decision the Elections Commissioner had said that the seats had to be reduced in view of the decrease in the voter base by 320,000 since 2009.However opposition parties and civil organizations have expressed concern over this move and had requested the Elections Commissioner to reconsider the decision.Political parties including the main opposition UNP, JVP, TNA and TULF claimed that the decision to reduce the number of parliamentary seats was unfair and an untimely move. In addition to the political parties independent election monitors CAFFE and the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) had expressed serious concern over the Elections Commissioner’s decision. If no nominations from govt. will go it alone – National Freedom Front A constituent party of Sri Lanka's ruling alliance, National Freedom Front led by Minister Wimal Weerawansa has decided to contest the upcoming local government election both under the government coalition and independently.The General Secretary of National Freedom Front Priyanjith Witharana said that the party would independently contest the councils for which they would not have ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) nominations.He said that the names of the candidates that would contest under the UPFA had been sent to the General Secretary of the alliance.National Freedom Front is now compiling lists of candidates for the councils for which they are not likely to have expected nominations, party sources say. Discussions to save Lankan students in London The Sri Lankan High Commission in London says that discussions are being held with top British government officials on the Sri Lankan students who have been left stranded after arriving in London for education.Sri Lankan student said that a large group of Sri Lankan students around 80 students are facing difficulties due to the closure of Fulham Chelsea College located in Eden House, London.The Sri Lankan students left to London for higher education through two local agents for the college. Two companies from Colombo, Kolpitty and Negombo area has sent them to the London.According to the sources Rs.15 million had been paid by each of this victims Chaminda Kulaaratna said Lankan government and the Britain High commission are aware about this issue and carrying out discussions and invetigations this regard. 15 August 2011 TNA team to New Delhi A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to head to New Delhi later this month to take part at a conference organised by the Forum for Human Rights for Global Development.The conference is to be held on August 23 and 24 and it is expected that the TNA would hold discussions with the Indian Parliamentarians on the prevalent political situation and explain the state of the discussions with the government.TNA MP Suresh Premachandran told The Nation that the party was yet to finalise the members who would represent the party at the conference.India had on several occasions encouraged the talks between the government and the TNA and added that the process would be a good platform to go towards a lasting solution to the longstanding ethnic question.However, the discussions between the government and the TNA hit a roadblock when the latter demanded that the government responds to its set of proposals by August 18.The TNA had placed the demand during its last meeting on August 4.Premachandran said that the government was yet to get back to the TNA on its position with regard to their proposals.“They (government) has not got back to us yet. They should let us know of their position, even to say that the time frame given is not enough,” he said. No response, no PSC meeting, says TNA The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will not participate in the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that will formulate proposals to address Tamil grievances if there was ‘no proper response to its own proposals’.TNA MP M.Sumanthiran said that in the absence of a proper response from the Government to their proposals it would be meaningless to take part in the PSC. “We submitted our proposals to the Government in March during our talks with it. However since then we have had several rounds of talks but the Government has side-stepped the issue,” he said.He, however, said that the TNA has not closed the door to future talks with the Government. ”Our doors are open. The Government can decide on the next round for talks and inform us,” he added. He said that the ten rounds of talks had not yielded any results with the Government dragging its feet on important issues.Mr. Sumanthiran opined the TNA is also concerned about the statement made by Minister Basil Rajapaksa who said the TNA should have faith in the PSC and that of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who had said that the present Constitution was sufficient and there were no problems to be resolved. “We want to know the position of the President on this issue,” he said. ‘Grease devil’ runs and hides in a Navy security camp: people of Mutur enraged: a mini war follows After a ‘grease devil’ who came following had gone into a Navy security camp and hid , the people of Mutur had been violently infuriated leading to a huge uproar and pandemonium caused by the enraged people , according to reports reaching Lanka e news.The people had been very watchful and had kept vigil over these ‘grease devils’ after reports in the media of the grease devils pouncing on women at various places . At about 1.00 in the early morning yesterday, a grease devil had been caught red handed , but has made good his escape. The people who gave chase to him had noticed that this devil had run into a Mutur navy security camp and was lost. The crowds who were obviously angered over this had attacked the camp and set fire to a water tank.After the heat of the situation has subsided , the police had arrived on the scene when the angry public had entered into a clash with the police. A chief Inspector of police was injured and a police jeep was damaged in the clash. 5 civilians too were injured , according to our Mutur correspondent. Another clash in East, Hakeem meets Mahinda at airport The government stepped-up security in the East following a confrontation last morning between police and unruly crowds at Kattankudy, a predominately Muslim village in the Batticaloa district.This followed the previous day’s shooting at Pottuvil killing one person. Another incident where two persons were wounded followed at Akkaraipattu later on Friday and the injured are warded in the hospital there.SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Bandaranaike International Airport to brief him of the situation in the East and thereafter, with several other politicians, flew from the Ratmalana Airport by fixed wing aircraft to the SLAF base in Ampara from where he was helicoptered to Pottuvil.The government imposed curfew in Pottuvil to control the situation.Hakeem and party participated at the funeral of the M. Maujoom, a 32 year SLMC activist and father of three, shot during protests on Friday.An SLMC spokesman told The Sunday Island that President Rajapaksa during his meeting with Hakeem had asserted that the so-called ‘grease devils’ story could be a plot against him and his government.The President alleged that an attempt was being made to undermine the government. Addressing the Muslims at the Grand Jumma Mosque in Pottuvil, Hakeem called for restraint, while criticizing the military for overreacting, a charge dismissed by security forces.Hakeem berated the army for the incident, while expressing concern over the failure on the part of the police to thwart trouble.The Army and elite Special Task Force (STF) threw their weight behind the police, while Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Friday reiterated his commitment meet the unexpected challenge. Rajapaksa urged the public not to take on the police or face the consequences.The warning was given at a function held at the Defence Ministry on Friday afternoon.Police and military officials alleged that villagers had targeted wildlife workers and some military personnel engaged in an elephant census alleging they were ‘grease devils’ preying on women.In spite of repeated attempts to convince villagers, a section of the crowd had challenged the police, sources said.They said that the UPFA’s constituent partner, the SLMC, was making a desperate bid to reassure the Muslim community in the East in the wake of trouble.This was the worst situation of this nature that had arisen since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, they assessed.An aide to Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem told The Sunday Island on Friday night that the minister would visit the affected area over the weekend to meet community leaders.Hakeem also called for IGP N.K. Illangakoon’s swift intervention, while phoning President Mahinda Rajapaksa in China to urge immediate measures to restore normalcy.President Rajapaksa, immediately after returning from China inquired about the unforeseen crisis, while directing tangible measures to restore normalcy.Authoritative sources told The Sunday Island that those politicians representing the East should talk to their communities as part of the overall measures to reassure them.They stressed that the government wouldn’t allow interested parties to cash on the crisis, which could develop into an obstacle to post-war recovery process.Tamil estate workers had cut and chopped to death two Tamils last Thursday in the Haputale police area accusing them of eyeing estate women. The police described the victims as Tamil traveling salesmen and weren’t involved in any illegal activity.Following the double murder at Haputale, the police called for the deployment of the army to prevent further incidents.Police sources alleged that both print and electronic media had contributed heavily to this unfortunate situation. Some television stations had gone to the extent of interviewing villagers who declared they had seen ‘grease devils’ with their own eyes, sources said. Sri Lanka's DPF Leader Mano Ganeshan to contest as mayoral candidate FOR Colombo MC Sri Lanka's Democratic People Front (DPF) is to contest the Colombo and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Councils with DPF Leader Mano Ganeshan tipped to be the party's mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).Ganeshan told ColomboPage that the DPF politburo has requested him to contest as the party's mayoral candidate for the CMC. However, he said a final decision would be taken this week.Ganeshan said the DPF is to form an alliance with the Nawa Sama Samaja Party led by Dr. Wickremabahu Karunarathne to contest most of the local government bodies.When asked if the TNA would back the DPF at the elections, he said the TNA would extend its support since the DPF supported the TNA during the local government elections in the North."The TNA would definitely support us at the local government elections in October," Ganeshan said.Ganeshan contested the parliamentary elections in April 2010 from Colombo but failed to get elected. Justice and accountability cannot be bartered for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation: BTF British Tamils Forum (BTF), on behalf of the Tamils of the Diaspora wish to express our gratitude to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for her principled stance with regards to the rights and welfare of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka.We also wish to thank the “Headlines Today TV” for exposing the game of deception by the Sri Lankan regime headed by the President Mahinda Rajapakse and controlled by his brother and Defence Secretary Gotobaya Rajapakse both of whom stand accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.In a recent interview to the Headlines today TV, Gotabaya Rajapakse has hit out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms J. Jayalalithaa for her recent comments seeking international war crimes investigations and economic sanctions on Sri Lanka. Talking to “Headlines Today” exclusively in Colombo, Rajapakse said. “This (the resolutions in the assembly and statements by Ms J. Jayalalithaa) must be for her to gain political advantage…It is not reasonable, because in Sri Lanka regardless of being Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim, we are Sri Lankans. We are more worried about our citizens than anyone else. This (the resolution and statements by Jaya) is without knowing facts.”A documentary filmed in the North and East of Sri Lanka, by “Headlines Today TV ” has exposed the lie perpetuated by the war criminal Gotabaya Rajapakse. The documentary has shown how a 300,000 strong Sinhala only military has permeated the civilian life and controls the day-to-day lives of the Tamils living in the north and the East. It is the military, which controls the civil administration. The local people have no say in matters concerned with their local services, justice system or law enforcement, let alone development. Only visible development seen by the TV crew is of building of Buddhist temples, in areas where no practising Buddhists exist, building of military infrastructure, building of roads which sustain the military occupation.The so-called development agenda is geared towards establishing the infrastructure necessary to sustain the long-term occupation of the Tamil land by the Sinhala only colonial military. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu Ms Jayalalithaa has spoken on behalf of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and has shown to the world the reality of life for Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which represents Tamils in Sri Lanka, has also released a report describing the current state of the Tamils as second-class citizens in the island. TNA has also catalogued the “land grab” by the Sinhala state in which Tamil people’s land is taken away by the Sinhala state for building Buddhist temples, military camps and colonising the Tamil people’s homeland with Sinhalese.The Sinhala regime has been projecting the expenditure on these projects as development and rehabilitation. The Tamils in Sri Lanka have rejected the government propaganda of development and have endorsed the view that what is needed is granting of political rights to the Tamil people in their own homeland, to look after their own affairs and to protect their own land. In a recent interview to the Daily mirror newspaper in Sri Lanka, Mr.K.Pathamanathan (KP); former procurer of the LTTE and now a captive in the hands of the Sri Lankan military intelligence chief Mr.Kapila Hendawitharana and the defence secretary Mr.Gothabaya Rajapakse had claimed that, the Tamil Diaspora is only interested in revenge and not interested in the welfare of the Tamil people in the North and the East.This statement is again a blatant lie orchestrated by the Sri Lankan state in their failed attempt to hoodwink the international community. Sri Lanka’s own Central Bank has reported an increase in foreign remittance of 27 % in the last quarter alone. When the TNA parliamentarians raised the issue of lack of rehabilitation of the war affected, the Sri Lankan president Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse replied that enough money is being remitted by the Diaspora into the personal bank accounts of the war affected Tamil people in the North and East. By this callous response he has unwittingly admitted that it is the Tamil Diaspora that is sustaining the battered people and that the Sri Lankan State was not taking responsibility for the rehabilitation of the Tamil people.The international aid that had been given by donor countries specifically for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Tamil people’s region is being used to build Buddhist temples, military bases and monuments of conquest. With no accountability for the funds donated, a substantial sum is suspected to be siphoned off for projects in the South as well as into personal accounts of government cronies. The Tamil people in Sri Lanka know that it is the Diaspora, which has looked after the war orphans and the disabled. The Sri Lankan state has banned the operation of foreign NGO’s and has severely curtailed the operation of local NGO’s in the North and the East.In order to plunder the funds remitted by the Diaspora, the Sri Lankan military intelligence has formed NEDRO, an outfit using KP as the front man. The Tamil Diaspora will only remit funds through channels which ensure that their remittances are not financing the decimation of their own land, heritage and culture. The Sri Lankan government which clearly has the responsibility to look after the Tamils under their absolute military control, has deliberately blocked the internationally reputed humanitarian organisations as well as Tamil Diaspora organisations through its “Presidential Task Force” and Ministry of Defence. The Tamil Diaspora is not going to send its money to an outfit run by the Sri Lankan military intelligence, which would use this money to sustain and develop its own military intelligence infrastructure in the Tamil region, further subjugating the Tamils. The Diaspora will continue to work with international and local agencies to reach their kith and kin, despite the obstacles thrown at them by the Sinhala state.Gotabaya Rajapakse in his interview said that if the Tamil Nadu government is interested in the welfare of these people, it is useless calling for international investigation and questions, what this would bring to the people. This exposes the mindset of a war criminal who is holding the Tamil Nation to ransom. By amassing the Sinhala military in the Tamil people’s Homeland, and threatening the Tamil people with “consequences”, he is trying to barter their freedom and welfare in exchange for his own exoneration.BTF firmly believes that accountability and justice are prerequisites for a permanent peace in Sri Lanka. The objective of any justice system is to punish the perpetrators of a crime, so that no one else would do the same again as well as to bring appropriate redress to the affected party, in this case, the persecuted Tamils in Sri Lanka. By denying them justice, the world should not set a precedence of impunity, for other war criminals around the world to replicate what the Sri Lankan regime has done to the Tamil people. The World needs to end the misery of the Tamils and reinforce its order of justice and freedom for all. Despots like Gotabaya Rajapakse needs to face the international justice system, as this is will not happen within Sri Lanka. An international independent investigation into the conduct of the war as well as an international humanitarian intervention to protect the Tamil people is imperative to deliver justice and to prevent Genocide of Tamils. Secrete discussions between TNA and SLMC According to the sources Muslim and Tamil political parties are carrying out secret discussions on work together for the rights for the minority people of the country. According to the Sinhala news paper this secrete discussion was carried out after end of discussions between the government and TNA representatives. Through this discussions both parties are hoping to get their rights in the southern part of Sri-Lankan as they get it in the North and East. This group is paying attention to select common contestants from the both parties for the 2013 local council election in the Eastern province.According to the political sources TNA and Muslim Congress carrying secrete discussions this regard. The Tamil people have been robbed of their dignity by Douglas and the Govt - S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole As I enjoy a well-deserved rest in London, having fled there because of harassment and threat of arrest, TamilNet has issued a description of my travails with inaccuracies and the claim that I have fallen out with the President.This is not surprising that when I was a candidate for Vice Chancellor of Jaffna, both Douglas Devananda and the Tamil Diaspora as represented by the New York Ilankai Tamil Sangam were campaigning against me using my Christian background and the same newspaper report in the Uthayan. The extremes of the right and left at some point coalesce.However, I must say that I have never worked for the President or the PA. My relationship with President Rajapaksa has been as a public servant with the customary courtesy due to each other. Except for bumping into him at UGC and Education Ministry functions when he was Prime Minister, my real person to person contact was when I was elected one of three finalist candidates for VC and he invited me to tell me of my impending appointment as would be necessary to ensure it would not be turned down before making it.After I was displaced as VC by LTTE threats and Tamil Sangam dribble in 2006, I was in the US in contact with my department at Peradeniya and the UGC and returned towards my three years’ release from Peradeniya in December 2008 only to be told that I was vacated from my post. I returned to the US.As the war drew to a close and the President and G. L. Peiris made public announcements calling displaced Sri Lankans to return, I spoke to my friend Carlo Fonseka and he contacted the President who gave the assurance that I would be reinstated if I were there on the ground. So my wife and I did return on September 2, 2010 and the President issued a directive on September 13, to have us both reinstated in the system and appointed to Jaffna as ordered by the USAB in my case and in my wife’s case because the Human Rights Commission had declared her rights violated through her termination. This has not been done.In the meantime on my own I applied for the Jaffna VC position and became one of the finalists despite Douglas Devananda working through his stooges on the Council to prevent my election. The President invited me to Temple Trees and promised me the appointment the next morning but as it delayed, I was told that he would make the appointment after the Local Government elections as Douglas was his only ally in Jaffna and it would ruin the PA’s chances if I was appointed. Finally Douglas’ candidate Vasanthy Arasaratnam was appointed without any warning and the election results have been a disaster for the President. I have never argued with him or raised it with him.In the meantime I was in the position of Coordinator for Engineering “until further notice” but during my 9 months as Coordinator I had not been invited to any meeting in Jaffna on Engineering by the VCs who were stooges of Douglas Devananda nor had any of my recommendations even been responded to. At a Council meeting in May, Council Member Ramathasan who is not supposed to do any contract work for the university but does, claimed that I am enjoying the facilities of the university without doing any work – whereas I had left behind very comfortable offices with state-of-the art facilities in the US and now had to post even my letters to the UGC at my own expense because the university would not. My reports to the UGC testify to the work I did. My salary every month was obtained after complaining to the Labour Office.Ramathasan in contrast was doing Rs. 300 million worth of illegal university work and living off the public. The Council then proceeded to discuss writing to the UGC that my services are not necessary. My wife had already been left unemployed for a year.I have dependent children and feeling vulnerable, resigned in June with three months’ notice and began looking for work in Sri Lanka and abroad. Then my article on the local government elections appeared and Douglas used the government apparatus foolishly placed in his hands by the authorities to use a judge, Joy Mahadeva, who attends political functions like the Chankili Statue Opening with Douglas, to hear from the bench his criminal charge against me when there is no criminal defamation in our books. An MP attests that she had asked him to make her a High Court Judge. Would Douglas now help her is the big question.The so called summons, which I am advised, is simply a notice to appear with no legal force, had reference B/157/2011 without a charge – only the B reference indicated a criminal charge. How can it be a criminal charge when criminal defamation is not on the statutes? A clue lies in that part of Douglas’ complaint that he and the Kayts voters were angered. So is it based on a charge of incitement to riot? I do not know because I did not attend court.Many – including Douglas’ supporters, even Sinhalese in government – told me that he is a dangerous man to cross, against whom there are credible reports that he has murdered people such as my relations the Bojan sisters. A presidential confidante has been warned by someone in military intelligence that they cannot save that person if Douglas tried something. A government minister during the elections on a trip to the islands with an NGO person lamented to her about Douglas thus: “For the sake of elections, we need to work with a murderer.”The message was loud and clear. I took a van to Vavuniya where I had some work when I was perhaps due in court and after that I came to Colombo and flew to London on Sunday 7th as my articles came out. I was in a panic as web editions were out on Saturday night but … Thank God.Tarrin Constantine a businessman in London states in writing that this criminal charge is the handiwork of Solicitor Rengan Devarajan who he says is a habitual alcoholic drinking even at work. He was asked to vacate his offices by his British landlord for defaulting on rent, has cleared office cheques through his personal account and owes tens of thousands of pounds to people including Constantine. He is hiding with Devananda after clients who were deported because he was drunk and failed to turn up at crucial hearings, had their relatives looking for him.His uncle in Jaffna, English teacher Panchacharam who was at Hindu College, laments that Devarajan was born into their family. Such is the quality of people sheltered by Douglas.Devarajan has now joined Jaffna University’s Douglas Council, appointed two weeks ago after the last one lapsed. Although the Universities Act places the onus of appointing the Council on the UGC, the list from Douglas was announced by the UGC Chairman and placed later before the UGC with mistakes for pro forma approval. Even the pretence of adherence to the law is now gone. Ironically a very low caste principal was also on the list and the VC objected to Douglas that he was enrolled for the PhD degree.But the Council has always had degree candidates on the grounds that academic decisions are the Senate’s. Was caste then the real objection? (In my time I managed to get a highly qualified carpenter-caste person on to the list but he declined saying he would not be accepted). The principal escaped the hatchet when the UGC Chairman rushed and announced the list to avoid pressure as nominations from the unions and others started coming in.Tamils have about 20% Christians and the Jaffna Secretariat area containing the university (covering Jaffna town, Nallur, Chundikuli Columbuthurai, Navanthurai and Pasaiyoor) has about 56% Christians.The Council before Douglas has therefore had 3 Christian appointed members out of 13 to maintain the balance. But after Douglas started making the Council, this has been reduced to 1. There is no Christian among the 12 ex-officio members and no Muslim although their population is growing in Jaffna.The Council is something to watch because Douglas and Ramathasan chaired a meeting about a week ago at Ramathasan’s Euroville offices on building up the Engineering Faculty. Is Euroville now going to get the contract for the Engineering Faculty? Is that why I had to go? Will Devarajan come up with an argument for why Council members can work for the university? Wishing the President well, I have to offer some advice with all due respect after the electoral debacle of last month. EPDP analysts are reported to believe that contesting as PA was the cause of the defeat while the President reportedly has blamed it on his accepting “that fellow” Devananda’s nominees. These are naïve analyses. The reality is that the Tamil people have been robbed of their dignity by Douglas and the government and yielded the TNA its massive win without campaigning. Some of the reasons: Sivan temple robbed More than Rs 200,000 worth items including jewelry and cash have been robbed at the historical Sivan temple in Sittankeni, Jaffna Friday (12) late night. It is reported that the robbers had ‘forced open’ the door and entered the temple.The temple committee has lodged a complaint with the Vattukottai police regarding the incident. Vattukottai police are conducting further inquiries. Iran, Turkey follow Sri Lanka model: Kurdish paper While the Sri Lankan government is accused of deploying Israeli ‘Gazafication’ model in Sinhalicising the occupied country of Eezham Tamils, Iran and Turkey are adopting the so-called Sri Lankan model of ‘warfare’ against Kurdish people. In an article titled, “Reminding the Kurdish nation of the case of Tamil,” The Kurdish Globe, a weekly published in Erbil, Kurdistan in northern Iraq, on Saturday cited recent instances of pro-Turkey writers discussing ‘Sri Lanka model’. In the meantime, the executives of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have also gone on record comparing the Tamil situation with their own, the paper said. The Kurdish weekly, which is viewed as a pro Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) paper, in its article cited Fehmi Koru, a Turkish columnist, whom the paper viewed as being close to Turkey government, which is fighting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Kuridish Globe said that Mr. Fehmi Koru, recently evaluating the military operations carried out by Iran against Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) illustrated that the model of Sri Lanka could also be discussed in Turkey. The PJAK is seen as an offshoot of the Turkey-based PKK in Iran. Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has gone on record that Turkey is in search of new ways for the war with the PKK, the paper said.The paper further said that the current Parliament Speaker of Turkey, Cemil Cicek, also made a comparison between PKK and LTTE last year and that he had put forth some ideas about what the government of Sri Lanka did to Tamils could be a model for Turkey in its struggle against the PKK.“As a matter of fact, the military struggle was won against the LTTE in Sri Lanka, but peace did not come and Sri Lanka is boiling internally,” the Turkish Globe article warned. In the meantime, Duran Kalkan, one of the executives of the PKK, has made an explicit analogy between the recent attacks against Kurds and the Tamil Tigers, the paper said. Kalkan of the PKK has said that the Iranian operation against Kurds, which began on July 16 in the Qandil area, as the “first phase of a plan in analogy to the blockade and annihilation attack aimed at the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka”. Kalkan argued that a war agenda exists in Turkey by emphasizing that attacks aimed at Qandil were developed in line with AKP’s plans and he stated the region's countries had joined against Kurds during the course of history, too. AKP is the ruling party in Turkey, opposed to the Kurds. After all, the example of the Tamil Tigers is not strange at all for the Kurdish nation, who experienced Barzan, Sheikh Said and Dersim rebellions in the last century and tragedies such as Anfal, Halabja and Zilan later on, the paper said. “Consequently, for the sovereign states, too, this made Kurdish nation experience these tragedies and the Tamil incident is not an unfamiliar example and reminding Kurds of this example is nothing of note.” Those who committed Genocide on Tamils should be brought to Justice: BJP “We are not going to give up till all those people involved in genocide are brought to justice,” said India's former Foreign Minister and a top leader of the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) Yashwant Sinha Friday, questioning the motives behind New Delhi’s silence on the UN Chief’s expert panel report that found credible evidences for the wide-spread allegations of war-crime committed by the Sri Lankan troops. According to media reports from India, leaders of various mainstream political parties, including the BJP, on Friday have expressed solidarity with Eezham Tamils, saying that they would continue to raise their voice until everyone responsible for the “genocide” there were brought to justice. At a protest rally organised in New Delhi by MDMK chief Vaiko to protest the Centre's “silence” on the UN report, BJP's Yashwant Sinha and Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan have criticised the Congress-led Indian government for citing China's growing influence as a reason for India's engagement with Sri Lanka.Sinha, who was External Affairs Minister during the NDA regime, has criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his reported remarks that India cannot impose economic sanctions against Sri Lanka as it would encourage China to displace it as a strategic and trading partner of the island nation.“This shows mere helplessness that we have lost all out clout and friends and that we have to surrender ourselves to China. It is a matter of shame for our country and it is matter of greater shame for the government,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) has quoted Mr. Sinha as saying at the rally on Friday.Suggesting Vaiko to organise a rally in Tamil Nadu in which he would also participate, Mr Sinha has said: “We are not going to give up till all those people involved in genocide are brought to justice”.“I will also join you and we will all set sail for Sri Lanka and go there and tell the world that India is with you. We will mount an unarmed attack on Sri Lanka. We would like to tell the world that Indians are solidly behind the Eelam Tamils,” he has said.Echoing his views, Paswan said the LJP would raise its voice for the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils both inside and outside Parliament.Encouraged by the support extended by India’s major political parties, the firebrand leader of the MDMK Vaiko on Friday urged the coalition government of India to “impose economic sanctions on Colombo and cancel all India-Sri Lanka trade and commercial agreements” as means of punishment for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Tamil brethren by its military during the final months of the war.Addressing the rally, Vaiko has said India’s Central government should take up the issue of war crimes allegedly committed by the Rajapaksa government with the United Nations and its human rights council and get the guilty punished by the International Court of Justice.He has also criticised Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's recent remarks against Indian politicians, particularly Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, asking them to mind their own business and not interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.He wondered why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not condemning the remarks made by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who also a younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Mr. Vaiko has said that achieving Tamil Eelam was the only solution to the Tamils issue and suggested that an international move was needed to call for a referendum on this. 12 August 2011 Indian Parliament to debate Sri Lankan situation Parliament would have a short duration discussion on August 16 on the steps taken by the Indian government for ‘relief and resettlement of Tamils in Sri Lanka and other measures to promote their welfare.'It would be taken up simultaneously in both Houses. Several members are eager for an opportunity to express their views on the situation of Tamils in the post-conflict situation in the island nation and the need for an early political solution to address the grievances of Tamils and other minorities in Sri Lanka.The discussion was originally slated for an earlier date but due to various factors, including disruptions, the matter could not be taken up. Floor leaders of various parties and the government representatives have assured concerned members that the discussion would take place at the earliest possible time next week. Given the anxiety of various members, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna made a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha on August 4 on “The Situation in Sri Lanka” spelling out the Indian stand.The Minister apprised the House on measures by India for relief and rehabilitation of around 3 lakh Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in camps in Northern Sri Lanka.“The government has also articulated its position that the end of armed conflict in Sri Lanka created a historic opportunity to address all outstanding issues relating to minority communities in Sri Lanka, including Tamils,” Mr. Krishna had said.He told the members that the end of the long conflict in Sri Lanka had also raised questions relating to the conduct of the war. Robberies and murders continues since the end of war in North and East: Government The government admitted yesterday for the first time that there had been abductions and killings in the North and the East during the post war period.Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardene gave some details, in parliament, of the killings and said there had been six killings in the North and three in the East during that time.Mr. Gunawardene said in response to an oral question raised by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera that there had only been one kidnapping for ransom in the Jaffna District. He said the victim had been kidnapped after being summoned to a certain spot by a call on his mobile phone. Mr. Gunawardene said a ransom of Rs. 800,000 had been demanded. But the victim had apparently been killed later as the victim’s family had been unable to raise the money. He said all the killings had been investigated, but that the police had been unable to unmask the killers. "Gotabaya's remark highly condemnable" “My government will take all diplomatic efforts to procure just and fair rights for the Tamils in Sri Lanka.” It was the Union government's failure to act on the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution calling for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka that emboldened the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to criticise the resolution, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said on Thursday.The resolution was adopted in the House on June 8.Replying to a special mention raised by several members of the Legislative Assembly, she demanded that New Delhi express its condemnation to Mr. Rajapaksa through diplomatic channels. Sri Lanka's Tamil National Alliance to form a common front with minor Tamil party to contest LG polls Sri Lanka's major Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) sources say that discussions are underway with the minor Tamil party Democratic National Front (DNF) led by Mano Ganeshan to form an alliance to contest the upcoming elections for 23 local government bodies.The dialogue aims at filing common nominations for the majority of the councils including the Colombo Municipal Council.The TNA hopes to contest the majority of the local councils outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces as a joint front with the DNF.However, the TNA has already decided to contest the Kalmunai Urban Council individually. US looks for ways to support return of Sri Lanka's displaced to original homes While declining to comment on the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa last month during which the issue of Sri Lanka's displaced was discussed, the State Department said that it continues to look for ways to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons to their original homes. "We continue to look for ways to support the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of all of Sri Lanka's displaced persons to their homes and areas of origin," the State Department said in response to a question taken at Wednesday's Daily Press Briefing. Secretary Clinton, who met the Chief Minister in Chennai last month, said she shares the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's concern over the plight of internally-displaced Sri Lankan Tamils living in camps and the United States is looking at some innovative and creative ideas to enable the Sri Lankan Tamils in camps to get back to their own homes.According to the State Department, the United States has provided nearly $20 million to support the post-conflict humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka this fiscal year. That amount includes $4.9 million to the United Nations refugee agency in Sri Lanka, UNHCR for its efforts on behalf of the displaced and returnees.The United States on Tuesday calling for an independent international investigation reiterated its stance on the allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka during the last phase of the war.The State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the U.S. supports a full and credible and independent investigation of alleged violations of international human rights and law and international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka.She made this statement in response to a question regarding the Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's recent rejection of calls from the UN, U.S., and international communities for a neutral international investigation into the war crimes.Ms. Nuland said the U.S. would like Sri Lanka to conduct an investigation that meets the international standards and if Sri Lanka fails, the international pressure would mount for an investigation."We want to see the Sri Lankans do this themselves in a way that meets international standards. So what I would say to Sri Lankan critics is take your responsibility and mount an investigation that meets international standards. And we continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to do just that and to do it quickly," the spokesperson said."And we hope Sri Lankans will do this themselves. But if they do not, there's going to be growing pressure from the international community for exactly the kind of international action that Sri Lankans say they don't want," the spokesperson warned."If Sri Lankans want to take their responsibility to solve these issues themselves, then they need to do it and they need to do it quickly," she stressed.When asked how much time would the U.S. allow Sri Lanka to respond, the spokesperson declined to "speculate on timelines." Political solution within six months time: Minister Basil The Minister of Economic Development announced within the time period of six months time newly appointed Parliament Select Committee will announce a proper solution for the ethnic issue. Then we will conduct a special debate in the parliament and then we will take the final decision this regard.Minister said Executive President Mahinda Rajapaksa appoints the new PSC Committee with the representation of all political parties in Sri-Lanka.Minister Basil Rajapaksa met the senior Tamil journalist yesterday. During the meeting Minister Point out government will carry out all the development projects in the Northern Province as we promise to you. President Rajapaksa is more interested in the development activities of the Northern Province.While speaking in the meeting Minister further said, After assuming the duties as the President of Sri-Lanka in 2005 president Mahinda Rajapaksa begins the peace discussion with the members of LTTE but they have withdraw from the discussions in Oslo. But president was more interested to achieve solution through the discussions in such situation he carried out discussions with various parties at present President carrying out discussion with the Tamil National Alliance.But now situation is changed now it’s necessary to submit a political solution according to the needs of all parliamentarians. Submitting the political solution is the god example for the democratic and executive parliament in Sri-Lanka. In such situation we have appointed the Parliamentary Select Committee sole the ethnic issue of Sri-Lanka.We achieved victory by solving the problems of past 30years with in the six months time period. By appointing this committees government did not waste the time government always try to give proper solution to the ethnic issue. So that Tamil people dose not needs to disappoint about the governments activities.Most of the people said that government face difficulties to defeat LTTE but we face the challenge and defeat them in the same manner some people are saying that government wont submit a political solution for the people this was a false statement we will submit a proper political solution for the ethnic issue of Sri-Lanka and also we will continue our future work according to this solution said the Minister. Crash between the government and Muslim Congress representatives? According to the Sinhala media reports problems raised between the government and Muslim Congress.This had been raised when the Muslim Congress members asked to contest under the symbol of betel leaf in the up coming local council election.However members of the Muslim Congress stress the party leader to contest alone in the local council election then only they will be able to receive more votes in the Muslim areas said the Hazan Alie General Secretary of the Party.Also party member’s blame that president Rajapaksa fail to give proper solutions for the problems of Muslim people has he promised us. Villagers kill two suspected ‘Grease Devils’ Two unidentified men, who had behaved in suspicious manner in the Thotagala Estate in Haputale had been killed by estate workers yesterday after they had mistakenly identified them as ‘Grease Devils,’ police said.Police said the people had used sharp weapons to kill the two unidentified men.Later a tense situation hadarisen when the police tried to enter the area, and the people behaved in an unruly manner.Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) N.K Illangakoon, said that the ‘Grease Devils’ were actually people masquerading as devils and that the police had arrested 47 persons who had committed robberies and instilling fear in women by pretending to be devils. He said that the public should not disrupt their day to day activities because of these fakers. Investigations had revealed that some of them had spread rumours of Grease Devils roaming the countryside so that they could commit their robberies without being disturbed while others had done it as a joke.IGP Illangakoon said that investigations had revealed that most of the offenders were residents of the area who indulged in robberies and criminal acts. Uva Province senior DIG Pujith Jayasundere who was responsible for the arrests of almost all the suspects said that the public should stop describing robbers and thieves as ‘Grease Devils’.“We investigated 21 such incidents in Badulla, Mahiyangana, Girandurukotte, Rambewa, Siyambaladuwa, Alawathugoda, Kantale, Ampara, Nuwara Eliya, Hasalaka, Ridimaliyedda, Bibila and Nawalapitiya”, he said. “Some were sexually frustrated and some were mentally retarded persons.But some were illicit gem miners and loggers who scared people off by pretending to be grease devils,” he said. Forced to leave, says Prof. Hoole Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole, a respected Sri Lankan Tamil academician and a prominent returnee after the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers, said on Thursday he was forced to leave the country.“Yes, I left through Colombo airport for London before I am arrested. I will work in the U.S. till lawyers can sort this out for me,” he told The Hindu via e-mail, when asked if he had fled Sri Lanka. “I will return because Sri Lanka [Jaffna in particular] is my home.”Prof. Hoole, one of the few Tamils who was vocal in his criticism of the Tamil Tigers when the outfit ruled the Northern Province, had had to flee Sri Lanka then. This time he had to leave, he said, because of his differences with the lone Tamil Minister in Sri Lankan Cabinet, Douglas Devananda. Mr. Devananda had filed a defamation case against Prof. Hoole in the Kayts court over articles that the academician had written in the media, which were highly critical of Mr. Devananda's role in the North, and the ruling UPFA in general.“My story is in the last three [editions of] the Sunday Leader . In the first of three articles, I saw what was going on during the Local Government elections [July 23] and reported it. That has upset Douglas [Devananda] in whose hands the government has… placed the full govt. apparatus, especially in Kayts [island],” he said in an e-mail communication. “The next Court date is the [August] 15th [fortunately for me, because this week is court vacation]. I was advised to be out of the island by then — not only by my lawyers but by all my friends in Jaffna,” he added.Prof. Hoole had come back to Sri Lanka to help rebuild systems in the island after the conclusion of the war. “When he [The President] invited displaced expatriates to return, Prof. Carlo Fonseka approached him and he promised to have me and my wife reinstated as a professor if I was here. Although he issued the order when I came, it has not been implemented. My wife has been unemployed for a year. I was on an appointment until further notice,” he said when asked to clarify on him coming back to Sri Lanka.Earlier, in 2006, Prof. Hoole, an engineering professor, was the Jaffna University Vice Chancellor. Because of his outspoken ways, the LTTE did not allow him to function and he went back to the United States. Rajiv Gandhi’s killers to hang: president Indian president has rejected the mercy pleas of three men convicted for the 1991 assassination of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, paving the way for their execution, AFP quoted presidential spokesperson Archana Datta as having said on Aug. 11."The rejection (of the clemency petitions) happened last week after the president returned from a foreign tour," Datta told AFP.The appeal sent to President Pratibha Patil by the three — Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, all known by single names — were their last hope of escaping the hangman’s noose.The condemned men, who belonged to the LTTE are charged with plotting the May 21, 1991 killing of Gandhi by a woman suicide bomber.The Supreme Court in 1999 confirmed the death sentences of the three men, but commuted the capital punishment to life in prison for Nalini Sriharan, an Indian Tamil woman who was also convicted. LTTE leaders house to be set up as the tourist spot According to the sources government taken steps to crate a tourist spot in the house where the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabagaran survived.This house was located in the forest area where the 4km away from the Puttukudiyirruppu Ottuchutan junction in Mullathive district.Sinhala people from the west, police officers and the Army more interested to visit this area.Special bunkers had been building inside this house and the iron bars was used as the ladders to get in to it and these bunkers help to protect the lives of the national leader.However none of the evident had found in this house to prove the activities of LTTE leader in this place. 11 August 2011 Reduction of Jaffna MPs 'erodes Tamil sovereignty' 'Political move' The PM added that the EC does not have "discretionary powers" in determining the number of seats allocated to every district.The Tamil leader who described the governments decision as a political move said it has been done hastily disregarding the democratic verdict of the Tamil people who voted overwhelmingly for the TNA.Over the last few decades, said R Sampanthan, MP, the registration of voters in Jaffna 'has not been methodical and regular as it should have been' due to decades of armed conflict."Many voters were not in possession of their national ID cards and consequently their names were omitted from the register of voters," the TNA leader told the parliament.People in the north were more concerned on more urgent matters, he said, such as ensuring their safety while many others have migrated.The prevalence of high security zones (HSZ) have prevented them from returning, said Mr Sampanthan."The existing presence of the military, even in civilian residential areas, a suspension of the rule of law and the imposition of the state of emergency is rendering civilian life vulnerable and unsafe," he said.The presence of the paramilitary groups "with the blessings of the government" further deteriorates the situation preventing the return of the normalcy in Jaffna, according to the TNA leader."The vast majority of voters withing the Jaffna electoral district are Tamils," he said."A substantial deduction of their representation in parliament is tantamount not merely to a denial of their franchise but also the erosion of their sovereignty."Responding, PM Jayaratne told parliament that those seats withdrawn from Jaffna will be allocated to other districts based on the number of registered voters. US has failed; Rambukwella The Government said today that it regretted to note that the United States has not taken into account the accountability measures taken by the government in the past months. “It is unfortunate that the US has not taken note of all the accountability measures we have taken thus far,” Minister of Mass Media and the Government Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said. “We have proved sufficiently to the international community including the United Nations with evidence of the humanitarian measures we took during the last stages of the war. We have answered every question quite adequately,” he said. He further added that the government had not made any direct report to the US of the accountability measures taken by the government. “We have commented on these allegations so many times,” he said. However the Minister noted that the government was not trivialising the ultimatum by the US. “It would be wrong to say that we are not taking their statement seriously,” he said. Sri Lanka in denial over war crimes The UN says over 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed during the last stages of the 30-year civil war in Sri Lanka. NGOs put the figure at over a lakh and fifty thousand. The UN also says that the Sri Lankan military committed war crimes. But the Lankan government is in denial with defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa saying, "The figures you are quoting are too high."However, eyewitness accounts refute the Sri Lankan war hero. "Sri Lanka has not taken credible steps to investigate war crimes charges internally. Not a single army or government official has been investigated in the two years since the war ended," says an eyewitness.Sri Lanka says it will not allow any outside or international agency to investigate war crime charges. "We are a sovereign country," says Gotabaya. However, there are reason why it is important for a neutral body to get onto the island and to the bottom of what could be terrible truths.International agencies and journalists were not allowed anywhere near the war zone when the worst war crimes were said to have been committed. Most evidences of war crimes against the Sri Lankan army have come through mobile phone videos shot as "war trophies" by Sri Lankan soldiers. Some of these were filmed by the media wing of the LTTE and Tamil civilians during the last stages of the war and sent to news agencies across the world. Most video evidences, like a famous clip of execution-style killings allegedly by Sri Lankan soldiers, have been authenticated by independent forensics experts. The dead combatants have been identified as LTTE fighters or Tamil civilians by their relatives.While images indicate that thousands of people probably died during the last stages of the war, the Sri Lankan government denies this charge."It is not true to say that there were deliberate killings….I am not saying not a single civilian was killed. What I am saying is that the numbers were insignificant. Most of them were killed by LTTE," says Rajapaksa.Says a victim, "I saw at least 3000 Tamil civilians killed in shelling and air bombardments on May 13. I lost my daughters and husband." Did Sri Lanka take good care of its Tamil war displaced? "We are Sri Lankans and we are the best people to take care of our citizens," says Rajapaksa. A Sri Lankan Tamil government doctor, who worked at forward hospitals and IDP camps till late 2009, says seriously wounded Tamil civilians were denied medicines, medical facilities and left to die by the hundreds. He has since moved to Europe. Former LTTE leader Kumaran Padmanathan, who has now changed allegiances and is guided by army minders, says the war-ravaged people still suffer.To a question if the Sri Lankan armed forces sexually assaulted Tamil civilians and captured female combatants, Rajapaksa said, "There was no sexual assault." However, a victim says, "I was raped¦""Every time we woke up in the camp, four-five women were missing. We never knew what happened to them," said another victim.Yet another victim said, "I was sexually harassed every time for food, sanitary napkins and clothes.""Male soldiers would take pictures of us bathing on their mobile phones. We were forced to take bath in the open," said another.Headlines Today reporter met families of former Tamil Tigers on the island, who said they surrendered to the Sri Lankan army along with their rebel brethren. But they have not heard from them since being separated after the surrender.Images shot with a mobile phone by a Sri Lankan soldier show a senior LTTE commander Col. Ramesh being interrogated by the Lankan army, presumably after his capture. No one knows were Col Ramesh is right now.NGOs talk about hundreds of missing combatants who surrendered - something the government denies. A woman lost most of her family during the last stages of war. She was interred in a camp for about two years in sub-human conditions and has now been officially rehabilitated in the Vanni region. This is what she now has: A shelled-out house with no drinking water for miles, no electricity, no roads, no job, no dole, in an area which still has land mines and the scars of destruction. She says she will be killed if intelligence agencies learn her identity. The Tamil National alliance, the largest grouping of Tamil political parties, has had 10 rounds of talks with the government to evolve a formula for devolution. Their leader R. Sampanthan is frustrated at the government's reluctance to yield even an inch. "People are angry," he says. Gotabaya says, "There will be no further devolution."Truth, expectedly, is the biggest casualty in the 30-year conflict in Sri Lanka. Over two years after the end of the war, many questions still have no answers. Only a neutral international investigation can pave the way for honest conciliation on the island nation.But given that Russia, China and India have thrown their weight behind the current dispensation in Sri Lanka, there is little hope that the truth behind the horrors, war crimes and continued denial of rights to a large section of the Tamil minority will ever be known. 10 August 2011 Karunanidhi refutes Gotabaya’s remarks Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was “totally wrong” in his comment that all those in Tamil Nadu who supported the Sri Lankan Tamil cause were doing it for political mileage, DMK president M. Karunanidhi said on Tuesday.“If Gotabaya thinks DMK is doing it for political mileage he is totally wrong as the party has been fighting for the cause for long. He knows full well that DMK is for liberation of the Tamil race in Sri Lanka,” he said.Mr. Karunanidhi said he could not accept the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary’s remarks that the island government has taken all political steps to mitigate the sufferings of the Tamil minority.“Those who wanted to get the rights through fighting cannot accept the remarks of those who denied them their political rights,” he said.Mr. Karunanidhi said DMK has never supported the ‘genocide’ of Tamils in Sri Lanka.“We are not like Jayalalithaa who had said that it was natural for people to die in a war,” he said.He warned of legal steps against a Tamil daily which had published an article alleging he had stashed Rs.35,000 crore in a Swiss bank and described the report as fictitious.He welcomed the Supreme Court judgement directing the state government to implement a Uniform Syllabus for schools from the current academic year itself. Academicians and teachers should do something to compensate for time lost due to government’s decision to defer implementation of the scheme, he said. Ranil walks out Fighting for press freedom in Sri Lanka “If you are not with the government, you become an instant traitor to the country. They said I should be killed; very clearly, they said I should be killed.” In his 30-year career as a reporter and editor in Sri Lanka, Sunanda Deshapriya says he was non-political, but his reporting on the 25-year civil war and human rights violations in the country rubbed the government the wrong way.Branded a traitor, his life threatened, Deshapriya sought asylum in Switzerland. Although he continues to write about his home country from afar, Deshapriya knows his stories would be stronger if he was free to be a reporter in Sri Lanka. “I talk to people back home and try to get a feeling for the story, but... I know my stories are not really full of flesh and blood,” Deshapriya says. “Because I am a marked person, I don’t want to associate with anyone openly in the country; I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. In that sense, it’s difficult sometimes to get the information about what’s happening.” What press freedom? Over the past five years more than 70 Sri Lankan journalists have fled the country, fearing for their safety. Many more have been threatened, beaten or abducted within Sri Lanka. Thirty-four media workers have been killed there since 2004, and no one has been convicted in any of those cases. Deshapriya says he won’t feel safe going back to Sri Lanka until it’s clear that there is no longer tacit impunity for crimes against journalists.The London-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice has just released a call to action to improve press freedom in the country. Campaign director Fred Carver says the Sri Lankan government seems to have no interest in promoting media freedom, actively working to shut down transparency and dialogue in the country. Rather than facing possible assault or assassination, Carver says many Sri Lankan journalist self-censor. “Clearly that is not a solution. That just plays into the government of Sri Lanka’s hands.”In part, press freedom has been declining in recent years because of the threat of international investigations into possible war crimes committed during the civil war. “The government of Sri Lanka’s paranoia about a free media is - to a large extent - driven by their fear of the international accountability process,” Carver says. Calling on international media The action plan released this week calls on foreign governments and international media to support press freedom where the Sri Lankan government will not.It asks foreign media organizations to use Sri Lankan correspondents, partially to keep international attention on Sri Lanka. Carver says working for foreign press may also help protect the journalists. “That gives them a level of protection in the eyes of the government. The government will not be so quick to bring the mob squads - the ‘heavies’ - against them because these are people who have international contacts and therefore will be missed.”Perhaps more importantly, Carver says, they are asking other countries to make it possible for threatened journalists to apply for asylum while they are still in Sri Lanka. He says many journalists he’s talked with have told him that would help them feel freer to do their jobs well.Sunanda Deshapriya applied for asylum in Switzerland when he was in Geneva in 2009, although he could have applied from within Sri Lanka. But Switzerland is the only country with an embassy in Sri Lanka that accepts asylum applications. The Dutch Immigration and Naturalization ministry - although it gives special consideration to journalists from Sri Lanka - only accepts applications from people who are already in Holland. Asylum, or something like it But Deshapriya says for many journalists, being granted refugee status might not be necessary. “Journalists need a long term stay; we don’t need asylum," he says. "We are here to survive and continue our work until the situation in Sri Lanka gets better enough to go back.”Although working and living in Switzerland means he’s no longer continually looking over his shoulder, Deshapriya says he still doesn’t feel truly free. “Even here sometimes, I need to self-censor a bit. My colleagues and my family are still [in Sri Lanka], and I still want to go back.”But he says he won’t feel safe in Sri Lanka until the government has made it clear that it will not participate in - or tacitly condone - attacks on media personnel. And Deshapriya will only believe that once the culprits in past attacks have been duly tried, convicted and punished. “Name tag” on Police uniforms Pakistan navy ships arrive in Sri Lanka port on a goodwill mission Two Pakistani Naval ships returning from China arrived in Sri Lanka's Colombo port today on a three-day visit.Pakistan Navy Task Group comprising PNS Sword Class Frigate PN Ship Shamsheer and Combat Support Fleet Tanker PN Ship Nasr reached Colombo after participating in the Brunei Fleet Review 2011.In accordance with naval traditions, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) ceremonially welcomed the ships and the crew on arrival. Various events have been planned for the visitors during their stay in Colombo.According to SLN, PNS Shamsheer is a guided missile frigate with a displacement of 3143.9 tons. It is 123 meters in length and carries a complement of 28 officers and 215 sailors. The ship has a state of the art weapons and surveillance system and is commanded by Captain Ahmed Farooq.PNS Nasr is a fleet oil tanker with a displacement of 21850.7 tons. It is 170.45 meters in length and carries a complement of 23 officers and 296 sailors. It is a Combat Support ship which supports extended operations of Pakistan Navy. The ship is commanded by Captain Ovais Hyder.The visit is a part of a cruise to enhance defense relations and goodwill between the two countries, Pakistan news agency APP said.Such visits are part of regular exchange Port Calls between the two navies that bolster the cooperation between the two countries.Pakistan is a close ally of Sri Lanka and Pakistan Navy regards cooperation with Sri Lankan Navy is of paramount importance.The visit will open new avenues of bilateral cooperation between the two friendly navies and garner the existing strong bonds of friendship between the two countries, a statement said. Sri Lanka extends Emergency Regulations for another month Sri Lanka Parliament Tuesday afternoon extended the Emergency Regulations for another month with a majority of 80 votes. The bill received 110 votes in favour of the motion while 30 votes were against it.Members of the main opposition United National Party, the Tamil National Alliance, and Democratic National Alliance voted against.The Prime Minister D.M Jayaratna debating the resolution told parliament that the government is preparing to present a resolution to the parliament to lift the state of emergency in effect since 2005.Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena said elements supporting the terrorists are still active and the state of emergency is essential to curb such elements. Brigadier Nihal Happuarchchi new Army Spokesman Vaiko wants UN supervised referendum held on Tamil Eelam question MDMK leader V.Gopalswamy now known as Vaiko wants a UN supervised referendum for worldwide Sri Lankan Tamils on the question of “Tamil Eelam”.Vaiko’s party the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham(MDMK) will stage a non -violent political demonstration on August 12th in support.The MDMK demonstration will be held in the Indian capital city New Delhi at the Janthar manthar area near the Indian Parliament building.MDMK Lok Sabha MP Ganeshamoorthy& the party’s New Delhi organizer Pazhanikumar are making arrangements for the August 12th demonstration.MDMK leader Vaiko presides over the demonstration.Thousands of party members from Tamil Nadu will converge in New Delhi on Aug 12th for it.Although the MDMK is organizing it, Vaiko has invited all “Conscious Tamils” (thamizh Unarvaalarhal) cutting across party lines to participate.The MDMK leader who is officially the party general-secretary has extended a public invitation to those sympathetic to the cause to attend.Vaiko has stated that establishing a separate state-Tamil Eelam- for Sri Lankan Tamils is the only solution to the Tamil national question.The MDMK wants a UN supervised referendum to be held for the Tamils in Sri Lanka to vote “yes or no” on the issue of creating Tamil Eelam.The party wants international monitors to be present at the UN supervised referendum whenever it is held in Sri Lanka.Vaiko wants the UN to make arrangements for the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora also to participate in the referendum from wherever they are now.The MDMK leader wants India to support moves within the UN portals and other International fora to conduct a referendum on “Tamil Eelam”.Chiding New Delhi for its “pro-Sinhala” policies, Vaiko wants the Indian central govt to change its stance & take up an anti-Sri Lanka position.The August 12th demonstration is the first stage in a protracted MDMK campaign aimed at garnering support across state & party lines in India. CPM to stage protest over Lankan issue The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said it would stage a demonstration in front of the Indian Parliament on September 7, insisting that India force Sri Lanka to act on various demands pertaining to the welfare of Tamils in the island nation.“Even two years after the war in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan government has not taken any steps for a political solution for Tamils there. There was no investigation into violations of human rights and no security for the lives of displaced Tamils,” a party press release said.“The Central Committee has decided to stage a demonstration in front of Parliament on September 7, insisting that India force Sri Lanka to take action,” it said. 09 August 2011 No point in talks if govt does not respond: Sumanthiran The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) last week gave an ultimatum to the government to respond to its set of proposals on finding a solution to the ethnic question. TNA MP, M. A. Sumanthiran speaks to The Nation on the reasons for giving an ultimatum at this juncture and on the issues that arose following his speech in London Following are the excerpts: Q. The TNA had issued an ultimatum till August 18 for the government to respond to the proposals submitted by you. Why did you choose to make such a move at this juncture? A. We gave a paper to the government at the second round of talks on the February 3. They requested for a detailed report when we handed it to the government. We then gave a detailed one during the next round of talks held on March 18. We were told that the report was comprehensive. But the government delegation requested time for them to go through the proposals. Although the next round of talks was scheduled for April 7, discussion on our paper was specifically scheduled for April 29. However, it was not discussed because they were not ready. That was the story told to us at subsequent meetings. And we had our 10th meeting last Thursday. So, we have had seven rounds of discussions without the government’s response to our set of proposals. During one of the meetings, they told us that they would respond to us in writing. And then they said that they cannot give it in writing. The point is that we have given them sufficient time and sufficient number of meetings for them to state the government’s position with regard to the points that we have raised. How can we go ahead with the discussion if they do not state the government’s position? That is why we said that there was no point in us meeting and going back without the government’s response every time. So we thought that it was enough and told them to tell us when they are ready with the response so that we could continue with the discussions. Q. The talks between the government and the TNA is considered to be an important platform to find a solution to the longstanding ethnic question. Don’t you think that this move by the TNA would hamper the process and would create uncertainty among the people, especially the Tamils? A. That is the very reason why we have said that the talks must be meaningful. This process must be purposeful and meaningful. You can’t have a process for the sake of having a process. That process must achieve something. It seemed fairly clear to us that this process was maintained by the government for the purpose of having a process and not to achieve anything through it. The government has been particularly telling the international community that they are engaged with the TNA to find a political solution. Meeting month after month is not really engaging in talks. We were not engaging in talks because they did not come up with their position. So that is why we are also keen on making this process a success. It must be meaningful. They should respond to whatever we have placed on the table, for this process to be meaningful. They have constantly promised to give their response. They have never refused to do it. But it has not materialised. Q. Did you convey this to the government? A. We issued the statement only after conveying our position clearly to the government. We gave a time frame of two weeks so that it would not be an open ended one so that we need not wait until the time when the government decides to respond. The government seems to have issued a statement saying that it was a very short time that we have given. And that we have laid down conditions. We have not laid down any conditions. We have only asked them to honour their own commitment. It does not mean that they should come up with a solution within this two weeks time. They have had time since March to do that. Q. What would be your next step if the government fails to respond within the time frame you have given? A. We will assume that the government is not willing to respond in spite of the fact that they have promised to respond from March onwards. They can do that if that is what they wanted to do. It is a different matter if they want more time. They can ask for more time, but they must respond. There is no point going and sitting at the table again if they do not respond. Q. But don’t you think that your current move would be in vain if they requested for more time and if you consent to it? A. That is why we have given them two weeks and have left it at that. It’s up to the government to respond in whatever way. The two weeks time is not a condition or anything like that. They surely must have discussed these matters. Q. The government is now looking at a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to find a solution to the ethnic question. What is the TNA’s stand on this? A. We had asked for the exact terms of reference on the PSC for us to respond. What was suggested originally was not acceptable to us because the terms of reference did not mention the purpose for which the PSC was being formed even once. We made certain suggestions and they were acceptable to the government delegation. Again they wanted time to consider the purpose of the PSC. And they came back at the last meeting with a new suggestion in which they had mentioned the purpose. But, they had changed everything else that we had agreed at the previous meeting. Therefore, there was no agreement reached with regard to the PSC. We had again worked on the draft that they brought. Now they want to go back and consider the matters that we had previously agreed upon. That also is in their court now. They can come back to us when they are ready to respond to the substantial issue of devolution of power and when they are ready to agree with the draft terms of reference. But, it cannot be an indefinite wait. Q. You had said that you were waiting for the government to respond to your proposals and for the agreement on the terms of reference with regard to the PSC. What would happen to the PSC if they fail to respond to your set of initial proposals? A. Well, the PSC is useless unless it is a mechanism to implement the agreement with regard to the substantive issue of devolution. So we have to engage in a proper discussion to achieve that first. Q. What would happen to the talks between the TNA and the government if the PSC is implemented? A. Well, the idea was that the talks would go on even if the PSC is constituted in agreement with us. But without the progress of the talks between the government and the TNA, there is no purpose in a PSC. Q. There were some confusion within the Tamil political circle with regard to certain statements that you had made during your recent visit to Britain. Can you explain as to what the issues were? A. There were three things that were identified from my speech at a meeting in London. It was reported that I had said that we must seek a solution that is acceptable to the Sinhala people. What I really said at the meeting, which can be verified by the video that has been uploaded by some people, is that our position is a reasonable position and a just claim. We must convince everyone that our position is a reasonable and just position. The international community must know that we are not taking an extreme line. Similarly, at least a section of the Sinhala community in this country also must accept our solution as being reasonable. I very specifically said ‘at least a section of the Sinhala people must accept it as reasonable. But that was twisted and a different version was given.Secondly, is the issue of war crimes investigations. In respect of that, I never said at that meeting that allegations of war crimes should not be investigated. There was no statement in regard to that at all. It was not in the video either. That was something introduced by someone. My position is that allegations of war crimes must be investigated. These allegations are not made by irresponsible people. An expert panel appointed by the United Nation Secretary General itself has said that there are credible allegations of war crimes committed by both sides. If that is not a responsible body, then what is?Not only that, many countries have said that this must be investigated, including India. A statement issued by the Indian Foreign Affairs Minister on Thursday very clearly spells out that allegations of human rights violations must be investigated.The third issue was on my comments on the role played by the Diaspora. There were repeated questions asked on the role of the Diaspora. I did say that the Diaspora is sometimes perceived as being one-sided and that the international community and the reports of the UNSG Expert Panel and the International Crisis Group had commented negatively on the role of the Diaspora. As much as we listen to the advice from the international community, we also take advice from the Diaspora. So I urged them that it might be good if the Diaspora also heeds the advice given to it by the international community. What I had said was twisted and what I had not said was reported as if I had said it. This could not have been done by mistake. Because what I said was very clear. This seems to have been done by some mischief makers. Q. But if what you said is true. Wouldn’t it give an idea that the Tamils are divided? A. No. I wouldn’t say that. Because, the large majority of even the Diaspora is very responsible. And people who interacted with me at the meeting and thereafter told me not to take these abbe-rations seriously. There is wide support for the responsible role played by the TNA. And that accounts to most of the people who constitute the Diaspora. Q. Was there any misunderstanding within the TNA with regard to these issues arising from your statements in Britain? A. No. There was no misunderstanding within the TNA. There was only one Member of Parliament who had made a comment saying that what I had said was not the position of the party. He had said that assuming what was reported was in fact what I had said. But even he at the end of his statement has said that he knows me well and he cannot imagine me having said that. Everyone else had declined to comment saying that they need to wait till I returned to ascertain what had happened before they comment. US supports international role in Sri Lanka probe The United States says it supports an international mechanism to help probe allegations of human rights abuses during Sri Lanka's civil war.Rights groups allege that thousands of civilians died when the Sri Lankan military routed the Tamil Tiger rebels in the final months of a quarter-century conflict in 2009. A U.N. experts panel has said violations by both sides could amount to war crimes.State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday that Sri Lanka has conducted some reporting on alleged rights abuses, but an international mechanism to help provide a "transparent accounting" of Sri Lanka's actions was in everyone's interest.In an interview Monday Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa rejected the idea as a violation of its sovereignty. There was no intrusion; US The United States Embassy in Colombo told the Daily Mirror a short while ago that there was no intrusion by US fighter jets into Lankan air space. “There was no intrusion,” the official said, and refused to comment further. The government is said to protest to the US over the intrusion of air space by a squadron of ten fighter jets. Civil Aviation Director General H. M. C. Nimalsiri said earlier that they were trying to establish whether the US fighter jets had violated the oceanic air space or the territorial part of it. Accepted international norms require, anyone wanting to use the country’s air space to file flight plans and obtain prior approval. Meanwhile the Lankan Airforce admitted that there were periodic incursions by US combat aircraft into Sri Lanka’s air space Support in international fora in focus as Rajapaksa leaves for Beijing Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday left for China on his second visit to the country in less than a year, against the backdrop of deepening diplomatic and economic ties and concerns about Chinese infrastructure projects in the island nation.Mr. Rajapaksa will attend the opening of the 2011 Universiade, or university games, in the southern port city of Shenzhen, and is also scheduled to hold talks with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing.Mr. Rajapaksa's visit comes as Sri Lanka continues to mobilise support against increasing international pressure, following a United Nations report that accused the government of war crimes. China is expected to reiterate its strong backing to Mr. Rajapaksa's government.Mr. Rajapaksa told China's official Xinhua news agency in an interview on Monday that Sri Lanka “appreciate[d] very much the understanding shown by China on the pressures of the post-conflict period, and the support extended to heal the wounds of war.”He said relations between China and Sri Lanka were, at present, “at the highest levels of friendship and understanding.”Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in May said China's position was that national reconciliation was an issue for the Sri Lankan government and people to handle, hinting that China would likely back Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. Chinese President Hu Jintao also told his Sri Lankan counterpart in talks in June, on the sidelines of the International Economic Forum meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, that China was opposed to external intervention in Sri Lanka's domestic affairs. The invitation to visit China was extended at this meet, said the Sri Lankan President's spokesman, Bandula Jayasekara.“As a principle, China has always advocated that other countries, and western countries in particular, should not interfere in internal affairs of countries like Sri Lanka,” Rong Ying, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), a think-tank affiliated with the Foreign Ministry, told The Hindu .“The Sri Lankan government has been doing very well on promoting post-war political reconciliation and for pushing economic development,” he said. “At this particular moment, China believes Sri Lanka needs more support and more understanding. Nobody, including western countries, want to see a return to a situation where war is going on and people are suffering.”The two countries will also discuss deals for infrastructure projects.China last year emerged as the country's biggest aid donor, surpassing the Asian Development Bank and Japan, with $1.2 billion in aid.But many concerns are being raised about Chinese projects in Sri Lanka. The first concern is on the quality of work and the second, the high cost of credit. Detailing issues in one landmark project, the Hambantota Port, Srilanka's opposition UNP MP Harsha De Silva said the contract with China's EXIM Bank was grossly unfair.“We should be paying 1.3 per cent on credit line instead we are being charged 6.3 per cent, he said. The government has also finally accepted that there existed a rock formation at the mouth of the harbour, which had to be blasted away ahead of very large carriers docking at the port.Many opposition MPs have questioned how the rock went unnoticed when the port was being built. The opposition had also raised questions about the functioning of a Chinese-built thermal power plant, two weeks after it went on steam. It is unclear if the Sri Lankan side will raise any of these issues. Chinese firms are also laying railroads, developing the second phase of the Colombo port and a host of highways in the country.Mr. Rajapaksa told Xinhua that Sri Lanka looked forward to increasing investment from China, with the country taking steps “to improve the investment environment with tax rebates and having no restrictions on the remittance of profits from investment.”He said his visit would enable him “to learn more of the progress and the management styles that have contributed to the progress of China, and also see how we could learn from the experiences of China.” “China's growth rate is setting a benchmark for developing countries such as Sri Lanka,” he said. Gotabaya Rajapaksa hits out at Jayalalithaa A top Sri Lankan official has hit out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for demanding the trial of leaders in Colombo for alleged "war crimes".Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa also told Headlines Today that Sri Lankan would not devolve any more powers to the minorities in spite of the promises it made in the past."If they are interested in the welfare of (Tamil) people, it is useless calling for international investigation," Rajapaksa said in an interview in Colombo. "What does that bring to the people?"The Tamil Nadu assembly, controlled by Jayalalithaa's AIADMK party, has passed a resolution calling for a trial against Sri Lankan leaders accused of committing "war crimes" in the war against the Tamil Tigers.She has called for international sanctions against Sri Lanka.Rajapaksa said: "This (resolutions) must be for her to gain political advantage... It is not reasonable because ... we are Sri Lankans. We are more worried about our citizens than anyone else. "This (resolution and statements by Jayalalithaa) is without knowing facts.""If she is so concerned about the welfare of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka, they must stop Indian fishermen coming into Sri Lankan waters and fishing in areas dominated by the Tamil fishermen of Sri Lanka. "When it comes to that, they do not talk about the welfare of the Tamil people... People just talk about welfare of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka, but when it comes to the real thing they are not shouting. "This is what Jayalaithaa should address first if she is very keen on the welfare of the Tamil people of this area," he added.The younger brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa also told the Tamil Nadu chief minister to focus her attention on the need to rehabilitate the Tamils in the war ravaged areas of Sri Lanka."We have to do a lot of things to develop and improve the infrastructure and help the people to resettle and restart their lives. This is what is required."The US has warned that an international mechanism would have to be brought in to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka if it failed to probe these charges through a credible process internally.The allegations of atrocities follow the crushing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by the Sri Lankan military in May 2009.Some published accounts say tens of thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, died towards the end of the war.Rajpaksa said there was no justification in the calls for an international probe."How can an international mechanism kick in? This is a sovereign country, and we have done nothing wrong. "This is not the international community. This is a wrong description. This is just some countries... "We have strong backing from the rest of the world, starting from Russia, China, I am sure India, Pakistan a lot of the countries from Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. That is the international community. "A few people in the world can't say they are international community."Speaking about further devolution of power to the Tamils, Rajapaksa said there was little scope to go beyond the current levels of devolution. "The existing constitution is more than enough for us to live together. I don't think there is any issue on this more than that. "I mean this was given as a solution for the whole thing with the discussion of these people. I mean now the LTTE is gone, I don't think there is any requirement."I mean what can you do more than this? ... Devolution wise I think we have done enough, I don't think there is a necessity to go beyond that." UNP’s make-or-break meeting today; factions gird themselves for fray With the next round of local government elections due next October a group of leading UNP reformists yesterday morning held a secret meeting in Colombo at the residence of one of their strongmen to discuss the modalities to expel Ranil Wickremesinghe from the party leadership.Political sources said yesterday’s meeting was in preparation for today’s crucial Group meeting which many feel will be decisive for its future."Around 12 influential parliamentarians were present at this meeting but the party’s co-deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya, who has agreed to reformist invitation to take over the leadership was not present," sources said.They said in order to make any impact at the forthcoming election they would need to oust the incumbent leader who is blamed for about two dozen electoral defeats the party has suffered Since he assumed leadership in 1994 before the next poll."Without the party getting its act together before the election it might as well stay at home without making a fool of itself once again. At the rate we are going even the once impregnable bastion of Colombo looks vulnerable", one insider said.In one of their latest offers reformist group frontliner Maitri Gunaratnehas has proposed that Karu Jayasuriya be appointed the party leader while Wickremesinghe remains the Opposition Leader.According to some insiders reformist group led by Sajith Premadasa is expected to present this proposal formally in the form of a resolution at today’s Working Committee meeting. It was revealed that most of those present at yesterday’s meeting were of the opinion that there should be a change in leadership and it should happen sooner than later after voting by the working committee, sources added. STF camps in all districts A Special Task Force (STF) camp will be set up in each of the country’s administrative districts on the orders of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to combat and tackle illegal activities which the police find difficult to handle, the STF Commandant said yesterday.“The setting up of camps is the first step by the STF to engage in the development activities of each district. “The setting up of camps is the first step by the STF to engage in the development activities of each district. We have about five camps in the Batticaloa district. We have busted illegal felling of trees, sand mining and the transport of cattle in the area especially inside thick forests,” STF Commandant R.W.M.C. Ranawana said.“We are assisting the police to put a stop to illegal activities which take place in the country. We have a cadre of 8,000 personnel and a vast intelligence network,” DIG Ranawana added.The STF has been empowered to arrest suspects, carry out raids on illegal activities and assist the police in maintaining law and order.“We are continuing to combat criminal gangs and we even managed to arrest Neluwe Priyantha, the undisputed underworld leader of the Southern Province. He was said to be involved in more than 80 killings though only five or six of them has been reported to the police,” he added.“We went to Kahawatta, assisted the police and arrested all the suspects who were killing women and frightening the residents. The people have always have had a high regard for the STF and its work in maintaining law and order,” DIG Ranawana said.He said people can inform the STF about any illegal activity or if they need its help on telephone numbers: 0112588499 , 2588481, 2580518 and STF Intelligence 2586363. G.L backs PA state Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister, G.L Peiris has affirmed his country’s support of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) intention to seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state in September.Peiris said, during his meeting with Palestine ambassador to Sir Lanka and Maldives, Anwar al-Agha, that his country will continue its support for the Palestinian cause and the establishing of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.Al-Agha briefed Peiris on the latest developments related to the Palestinian cause and negotiations with the Israeli government, which ground to a halt due to Israel’s intransigence regarding many issues, such as settlement activities. They discussed PA’s preparations for seeking UN admission and recognition of a Palestinian state in September. Sinister reason for not resettling people in their own villages says TNA The TNA has received information that at a meeting held yesterday at Mullaitivu, attended by senior civilian and military officials, the following decisions have been arrived at:That the Internally Displaced Persons from the villages of Puthumathalan, Mullivaikkal West, Mullivaikkal East, Ambalavanpokkanai, Valaignar Madam and Anandapuram in the Mullaitivu who are presently at the Menik Farm camp at Chettikulam or with host families, largely at Vavuniya are not to be resettled in the land from which they were displaced in their respective villages, and that they are to be resettled in a new area, Kombavil.The families from these villages are largely engaged in fishing as livelihood and their original places of residence were close to the sea enabling them to carry out their livilihood . Kombavil is said to be 8km from the sea front and these families will not be able to carry on with their livelihood of fishing. There can be no reasons whatever for these persons not to be settled in their original lands from which they were displaced from the villages refered to above. There must be some sinister reasons for these persons not to be resettled in their original places.This decision of the Government is also in contravention of the public commitment made by the Government to the displaced people and also to the international community that they will be resettled in their original lands.The village of Keppapulavu is occupied entirely by the military as a camp and the people of this village too are unable to resettle on their original lands. All these displaced people insist on their being resettled on their original lands.The Tamil National Alliance calls upon the Government to reverse it’s decision to resettle these persons at Kombavil and urges the Government to ensure that the people are resettled on their original lands in the villages to which they belong.The only reason the Government gave thus far for the delay in resettling these people was that these areas had to be de-mined, which perhaps has now been completed or is being completed. The Government should abide by it’s earlier commitment and should not compel these people to resettle in an area which would deprive them of their livelihood. MPs clash over maritime agreement with Sri Lanka MPs clashed today over a motion without notice calling on the government to terminate a reported agreement with Sri Lanka to allow its vessels passage across Maldivian waters, raising fears of increased illegal fishing in the country’s economic zone.The motion was proposed by MP Ali Saleem of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) in the wake of reports in the Sri Lankan media about the maritime agreement and contradictory statements by Fisheries Minister Dr Ibrahim Didi and President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair in the local media yesterday.“Parliament has to look into what is hidden behind this,” said Saleem in his opening remarks. “Did you know that even if Sri Lankan fishing vessels traveling to the Arabian sea are carrying sharks or fish catch, there is no way to know because of this agreement signed yesterday?”The motion states that there was room to suspect “the beginning of hidden deals” behind the agreement and asks to clarify which maritime law facilitated the arrangement of vessels informing the Sri Lankan embassy 48 hours in advance to ensure safe passage.In the ensuing debate, MP ‘Colonel’ Mohamed Nasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) suggested that “it would be better for us to find out accurate information on the matter” if fears of illegal fishing had resulted from misinformation.DRP MP for Mathiveri Hussein Mohamed called on the government to inform the public of “measures to protect Maldivian fishing areas and incomes of local fishermen if this [maritime agreement] is going forward.”DRP MP Ali Arif argued that Maldivian foreign policy should remain “non-aligned” and neutral as “a small authorisation like this” could threaten “hundreds of years of independence.”“Because the Sri Lankan government authorised many MDP activities in that country before the 2008 election when MDP was formed, I believe this is a gift to them in return for that,” claimed Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Ibrahim Muttalib.The government’s foreign policy was threatening sovereignty and independence, Muttalib continued: “We heard recently that from now on we will vote the way India wants at the UN. This is slavery, this is enslavement,” he said.MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz meanwhile concurred with other MPs that the Maldives did not have the capacity to monitor foreign fishing vessels. All MDP MPs agreed with the consensus view that unmonitored illegal fishing posed dangers to the local fishing industry.DRP MP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali noted that Sri Lankan trawlers had been found fishing illegally in Maldivian waters in the recent past.“And it is a fact accepted by all our fishermen that our country, our government, does not have the capacity to identify, locate and stop foreign vessels illegally fishing in our seas,” he said, warning that the new maritime agreement would further complicate monitoring of the economic zone.Thasmeen added that Sri Lankan fishing vessels were known to engage in shark fishing, which results in dwindling fish stocks.There must be “broad consensus” before such a maritime agreement was signed, the opposition leader said.MDP MP for Billedhoo Ahmed Hamza however pointed out that previous government in 1982 had acceded to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, which stipulates that foreign vessels must be granted passage across territorial waters for sea travel.While the convention allowed “innocent passage,” said Hamza, fishing by such vessels was strictly prohibited.Hamza urged MPs to continue the debate after seeking official documentation to determine whether the maritime agreement with Sri Lanka was required by the UN convention.“Why are we concerned about passage across Maldivian waters? [Because] we are talking about at least 424 nautical miles [of territory from the shore],” said DRP MP for Kelaa Dr Abdulla Mausoom.While innocent passage was not an issue, said Mausoom, “history shows for certain” that Sri Lankan vessels would fish in Maldivian waters as trawlers from the neighbouring country had been detained by the authorities in the past.MDP MP Ilyas Labeeb meanwhile accused the previous government of “selling the EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone]” to enrich senior officials of the regime.“We do not want to do anything that could harm Maldivian fishermen,” he said. “Before this government, fishermen got Rf3 or Rf4 for a kilo of fish. Now fishermen are glad that they get Rf20 or Rf30 [for a kilo].” Massive crowds join in the 'Black Protest' with Anoma, Sajith, Bahu, Somawansa and other leaders A massive crowd in many thousands participated in the protest staged in front of the Colombo prisons today - this day marks the completion of one and half years incarceration of Gen. Fonseka after he was abducted. It is significant to note that today also marks the 16th death anniversary of General Kobbekaduwa .Among the milling crowds in front of the prisons were Gen. Fonseka’s wife , Anoma , Sajith Premadasa, Somawansa Amerasinghe, Wickremebahu Karunaratne, Political leaders , Anura Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath ,Harin Fernando, Tiran Alles, Arjuna Ranatunge, Jayantha Kategoda, and other Parliamentarians. It is reported that Ranil Wickremesinghe , Karu Jayasooriya, Mangala Samaraweera participated in the protests held at Matara. The huge crowd chanted slogans in front of the prison … One year and six months – haven’t you any shame Rajapakses After jailing the General – books are being written while ruling duplicitously Broke the laws and made laws – to put General in Jail 150 rehabilitated LTTE cadres to be released Friday Sri Lankan authorities are making arrangements to release another batch of 150 rehabilitated LTTE cadres on Friday in Vavuniya upon their completion of the rehabilitation program.The former combatants have been given training vocational, language and communication training to improve their skills and their educational knowledge, the authorities say.Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe said the cadres to be released are currently undergoing a final test in mason skills, handicraft work and paintings.During and immediately after the final phase of the war 11,700 LTTE cadres have surrendered to the government security forces.According to the Commissioner General so far 7,969 of them have been released and 2,879 former cadres are being rehabilitated in camps.Initially there were 24 rehabilitation centers for them and now only 9 are in operation, Major General Ranasinghe has said.He said that 302 rehabilitated LTTE cadres, 297 boys and five girls, are taking the GCE Advanced Level examination that is being conducted currently.Over 50 percent of the rehabilitated ex-combatants had successfully completed the GCE Ordinary Level examination last December, the government said. Sri Lanka has allocated Rs.750 million for the rehabilitation process for this year. The government says it has spent Rs. 2.5 billion on the rehabilitation of ex-LTTE cadres since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009.The Commissioner General says that former LTTE fighters could play a pivotal role in rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in the war-ravaged North. 08 August 2011 India to mediate in restarting talks between Tamil party and government in Sri Lanka Political sources in Sri Lanka say that India has planned to mediate diplomatically to re-start the stalled dialogue between the government and the major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA).Accordingly, a group of TNA parliamentarians are to visit India during the next few days to meet the Indian leaders there, political sources say. The sources further said that India would direct TNA to withdraw the ultimatum given by them to the government to respond to their proposals within 10 days. Meanwhile, sources say that the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh is to visit Sri Lanka by the end of the year and India expects to speed up the process of negotiations before that.At the end of the 10th round of talks held Thursday, the Tamil party threatened to withdraw from the talks with the government on power devolution if the government fails to step up the pace for a meaningful resolution. The TNA demanded the government to respond in writing within 10 days to three of their proposals on the structure of governance for north and east regions, allocation of subjects and functions to the provincial councils and the issues relating to fiscal and financial devolution.In response the government said that "it certainly is not possible, nor is it consistent with the national interest at this stage, to make a final pronouncement on crucial issues, hastily and without wider consultation." The TNA's warning is seen as a hardening stance of the party, once considered as a proxy party of the terrorist group LTTE, following its victory in the Tamil dominated areas at the local government elections held last month.The government says a solution for power devolution should be acceptable for all Sri Lankans and cannot make decisions on crucial issues hastily.Pointing out that the TNA does not solely represent the Tamil community, the government said it has now decided to proceed with the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee. BJP Mission Eelam sinks The Eelam war might have ended on the northern beaches of Sri Lanka but across the Palk Strait, the islands Tamil conflict continues to gather heat across Tamil Nadu amid scores of concerned politicians, human rights activists and youth.Not a day passes without at least one demonstration in some part of the state and the protestors demanding a war crimes trial against the rulers in Colombo and speedy resettlement for war survivors.The BJP is a recent player in the Eelam theatre. Keen on grabbing a bit of the Dravidian political space, the saffron party has been carrying out campaigns in support of the Lankan Tamils.And on Sunday, the lotus flags descended on Rames-waram with a large contingent led by national general secretary Muralidhara Rao and Pon Radhakrishnan who threatened to cross over to the disputed Katchatheevu island to press for the fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk Strait. However, with no local fishermen willing to lend their boats, the BJP protesters gave up their programme after some slogan-shouting.The pro-LTTE Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Pattali Makkal Katchi held a joint conference in Chennai on Sunday, where VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan said he was “willing to resign from his seat in the Lok Sabha” for the sake of the Lankan Tamils.PMK leader S. Ramadoss said his party would join hands with the VCK to push the Eelam Tamil cause. Emergency likely to go from next month Fresh after the reiteration by India that Sri Lanka should do away with the state of emergency immediately, the government has decided to lift it from next month, a senior government minister said yesterday.Last week in Lok Sabha, India’s External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna, making a suo motu statement, said that he stressed to his Sri Lankan counterpart the need for an early withdrawal of emergency regulations, investigations into allegations of human rights violations, restoration of normalcy in affected areas and redress to humanitarian concerns of affected families.The government reintroduced the state of emergency in 2005 after the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar by the LTTE in August 2005. Since then, the ruling party continued to extend the state of emergency in Parliament every month after a debate.The government, however, scaled down some of the regulations in May last year, and cited the need to retain the rest to legally deal with those involved in terrorist activities.The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) opposed the extension of the emergency right from the beginning. The opposition parties such as the JVP supported it during the war time. However, the UNP and the JVP started voting against its extension some time after the end of the war in 2009.The Minister who wished to remain anonymous said the state of emergency would remain this month. Accordingly, he said that Parliament would debate it tomorrow as scheduled. “Most likely, it will not be extended from next month,” he said. Seniors of Sri Lanka's major opposition in an attempt to resolve leadership crisis Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) sources say that the party seniors are now in an attempt to bring the three senior leaders who are at loggerheads for the leadership of the party to one stage. UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake said separate dialogues are underway now. However, the party sources say the discussions between the UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and the Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya last week also were not fruitful to solve the crisis. UNP parliamentary group is also to meet tomorrow and the leadership crisis is likely to be the focus in the meeting. Sri Lankan government ally calls for devolution of police and land powers An ally of the Sri Lanka's governing United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), has called for the devolution of land and police powers to the provinces.The ACMC, previously known as All Ceylon Muslim Congress, is led by Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiyutheen.ACMC General Secretary Y.L.S. Hameed has told the media that the Muslim community was concerned over the central government handling all these subjects. The party was supportive of a joint commission to handle land and police powers, he has said.Hameed has added that a proposal would be handed over to the government's proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC) to find a solution to the ethnic issue.However, Hameed has observed that the PSC should ensure equal representation of the Muslim community. SL inquiry on possible US violation The government has ordered an inquiry into suspected United States fighter jets detected on Sri Lankan air space.Suspected United States aircraft has been seen on Sri Lankan radar screens few days ago, air defence authorities told BBC Sandeshaya. "We have reason to believe that it was aircraft from a US carrier," Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Spokesman Andrew Wijesuriya told BBC Sandeshaya. Civil Aviation Director General HMC Nimalsiri told BBC Sandeshaya that Minister Priyankara Jayaratrne has ordered them to submit a report over the incident 'as soon as possible'. "We need to make sure whether it is a violation of the Sri Lankan air space or they were seen in the radar screen while flying outside the air space ," he said. 'First incident'Tapes containing radar recordings will be scrutinised by aviation authorities. Mr Nimalsiri said this is the first time that such an incident occurred during his time in the office.Minister Jayaratne has refused to comment regarding the incident.Group Captain Wijesuriya described it as, "an intrusion into Sri Lankan air space,".The spokesman said radars recorded aircrafts performing what they believed to be training manoeuvres."And those aircrafts moved in across the line onto our air space," said Group Captain Wijesuriya.When SLAF passed on a message to the aircrafts they responded and went out of Sri Lanka air space, according to the spokesman."The air space controlled by Sri Lankan Air Traffic Controlling which is 200 nautical miles from Pidurutalagala except on the north-western coast adjoining India," he added. Situated 2,524 metres above sea level in the central highlands, Piduruthlagala is the highest mountain top in Sri Lanka. 7 Tamil detainees hospitalised after severe torture by the prison officials inside Bogambara Prison Tamil detainees in Bogambara Prison were severely tortured by the prison officials on 14 June 2011. They were threatened that they would face the same difficulties as Kuttamanni and Thangathurai, two former detainees who were killed. The prison officials later admitted the seven detainees to the Prison Hospital at Bogambara Prison. Neither the police nor prison officials have initiated an independent investigation into the incident yet. Justice has been denied to the victims. This case is yet another illustration of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country. 06 August 2011 Sri Lanka government rejects Tamil party ultimatum, decides to proceed with PSC The Sri Lankan government, rejecting the ultimatum set by the major Tamil party Tamil National Alliance during the talks held with the government yesterday, said a solution for power devolution should be acceptable for all Sri Lankans and cannot make decisions on crucial issues hastily. At yesterday's discussions the TNA demanded the government to respond in writing within 10 days to their three immediate proposals on the structure of governance for north and east regions, allocation of subjects and functions to the provincial councils and the issues relating to fiscal and financial devolution. In response the government has said that "it certainly is not possible, nor is it consistent with the national interest at this stage, to make a final pronouncement on crucial issues, hastily and without wider consultation." No nuclear agreement says US The United States says that it did not reach any agreement with Sri Lanka to provide assistance on nuclear technology. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that Sri Lanka is to get technical assistance from US on nuclear and other radio-active materials that are used in civil operations. “This (nuclear) is the cheapest way to generate energy. But there is a debate over nuclear energy after the recent tsunami in Japan,” Minister Rambukwella told journalists in Colombo on Thursday. “Although we have opened the doors for this, we will discuss in detail when we deal with it,” he added. But the US embassy in Colombo says in a statement that the US and Sri Lanka government did not discuss any assistance on nuclear technology.US approached Sri Lanka government to offer assistance to remove two radioactive sources no longer in use, it said, “as part of a worldwide program to properly dispose of potentially dangerous radioactive material. “The cabinet of ministers has appointed a committee to study US proposal. “The U.S. Embassy and the Government of Sri Lanka have discussed this technical assistance, but have not reached any agreement,” the statement said. The statement added that the US provides assistance to a number of countries to eliminate radioactive sources which could become a danger to public health in the future, as part of a wider programme. UNHCR in Sri Lanka lacks funds for IDP welfare in the North The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Sri Lanka has faced serious funding constraints to carry out its humanitarian work to assist Sri Lanka's internally displaced persons (IDPs) although a critical funding crisis has been averted by some recent donations from a number of countries, the UNHCR Representative in Sri Lanka Michael Zwack says.Thanking the international community for its support, the representative said a number of governments - The United States, Japan, France, Switzerland and Canada -have already provided financial support this year to UNHCR's important work in Sri Lanka and the agency is now able to continue with much needed humanitarian efforts in the country's north and east."It's important to understand that there are still many urgent humanitarian needs, mainly in the return areas of the north. But a lack of funding has been a critical issue," Zwack has said.A big part of the financial contributions has helped UNHCR and partners support the Government of Sri Lanka with facilitating the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Sri Lankan refugees, the UNHCR says.Thanks to the funds, UNHCR has been able to continue with important work on the ground such as monitoring of IDP sites and return areas, distribution of basic household items, disbursement of the UNHCR shelter cash grants/ reintegration grants and implementation of community based projects.UNHCR is also using some of the money to support IDPs still in camps and ensure the care and maintenance of a small numbers of refugees from other countries in Sri Lanka, the agency says.Despite the donations, as the final quarter of the year approaches only less than half of the agency's total budget requirement for 2011 of approximately US$27.1 million is met. The agency is appealing to governments across the world to step up and support the agency's work in Sri Lanka to provide assistance to the most vulnerable communities affected by decades of conflict, provide durable solutions and prevent further displacement. Government need to go home if they grant power sharing as the political solution : National Patriotic Movement The National Patriotic movement announced government need to go home if they grant power sharing as the political solution for the Tamil people. Movement also announced that they will conduct a massive protest against the 13th amendment.Movement also blames the government not to carry out their work according to separatist who are carrying out their work by using the powers of Tamil politicians.National patriotic movement distributes leaflets in front of the Fort Railway station requesting the government to cancel the 13th amendment and the power sharing.Leader of the movement Prof. Gunadasa Amarasekara said since the end of war people of his country leading a peaceful life but local and international powers are taking various steps to destroy the peace situation of this country by asking a political solution.Government present activities are dought full in such situation power sharing won’t be the proper solution for the ethnic issue and also people of this country won’t allow the government to take such decision.If the government works against us then we will conduct massive protest against the government.At the end Leader of the Movement request the government not to carry out their work according to the power of separatist. Colombo transfers Admin functions of East Tamil areas to Sinhala districts Sri Lanka government has been implementing a scheme to transfer administrative functions of Tamil districts in Eastern Province to the adjoining Sinhalese districts. As a first step the government has transferred the financial administration of Batticaloa District Coconut Development Board to Polonnaruwa located in the North Central Province. The government should immediately stop this transfer, said Mr.P. Selvarasa, Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian. The administrative functions of providing Irrigation facilities to border Tamil villages of the Batticaloa district in the Eastern Province Punaanai, Vadamunai, Oottuch-cheanai and Oamadiyaa-madu under the Mahaweli “D” zone have already been delegated to the irrigation Department in Polonnaruwa.Powers of alienating State lands in Tamil DS divisions, Koa'raa'laipaattu South, Ea'raavoorpattu Chengkaladi, Vavu'natheevu, Paddippazhai and Vellaave'li have been transferred to Sinhala officials, TNP MP said. The inquiry into the allegation that the Archaeological Department has been destroying ancient historical evidence of the Thaanthamalai Murukan Koayil has been handed over to Sinhala officials in Ampaa'rai District, Mr. Selvarasa says.Mr. Selvarasa requests the authorities concerned to stop transferring administration of Tamil villages to Sinhala districts. LTTE Eastern Commander Ramesh not caught Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse says former LTTE commander of the east, Ramesh, was not in military custody.Speaking to India’s Headlines Today, Rajapakse said that Ramesh was a cold blooded killer and was involved in the murder of 650 policemen who had surrendered to the LTTE during the war in the east."No he was not in custody. Ramesh the important thing to know about him was that he was responsible for killing 650 surrendered policemen. He was responsible for killing monks. He was responsible for killing innocent civilians, So I do not want to talk about this man. He is a terrorist; he is a person who killed so many people,” the Defence Secretary said.In April this year Human Rights Watch had said that according to witness reports, during the end of the war two former LTTE members helped government soldiers identify Colonel Ramesh, an LTTE leader, among the fleeing population and took him and three others away to a small hut nearby.Ramesh's family has not received any news about him since he was detained. In December 2010 several media outlets broadcast a video clip obtained by the Global Tamil Forum that allegedly showed Ramesh in custody. KP urges Diaspora to help; Some selfish elements are misleading them to boost their income Former LTTE senior K Pathmanathan, speaks to Daily Mirror and Tamil Mirror on issues of rehabilitation, reconstruction and future peace. Q: You are engaged in social services through your organisation NERDO. Can you explain the functions and aims of this organisation and the Anpu Illam (Kind home) under it? A: NERDO is providing humanitarian support. Anpu Illam is one of the projects of NERDO. Our goal is to help the people affected by the 30-year-long war. We especially focus on providing quality education to the young people that would lead them towards a noble life. It has no political designs. Q: Though the name NERDO is inclusive of North and East provinces it appears that your domain is confined to North alone. Why? A: We are contemplating some projects in the East. Finance is the deciding factor. We implement our projects with funds we receive from our friends amongst expatriates. However we will be in the East soon. Q: You said about financial problems. However some parties are of the opinion that NERDO runs on your personal funds. Is it true? A: No. It is not true. I carry on the services with the financial support from our friends, relatives and benevolent people. Sometimes I get money from my wife too. Q: In your political life you would have had a lot of dealings with Tamil Diaspora. The role of the Diaspora had been significant when you were associated with the LTTE and now in your humanistic projects. How does the Diaspora see NERDO? A: Only one year has passed since the inception of NERDO. We have progressed fairly well in one year. It needs time for the Diaspora to see us as an important ally. They are in the dark. Some selfish elements are misleading them to boost their income. Their hypocrisy would be exposed soon. Then realizing the bitter truth, they would come forward to support our humanistic endeavours. But it will take time. Currently, we are spearheading a campaign to expose the lies of these bad elements. Our initial attempts in this respect have paid dividends. I hope we will come together for the benefit of Tamils living in Sri Lanka. Q: Some contradictions were seen in your interviews. Earlier you had told that you maintained communication with the LTTE leader till the end of the war. But later, you said you could not contact the LTTE leader at the last stage of war and you communicated through Nadesan. Can you explain the inconsistency? A: It is a misinterpretation on the part of the interviewer. Of course sometimes I used Nadesan as an intermediary depending on the situation. When vigorous fighting was on, we could not talk for long, we passed our messages through Nadesan. That does not mean we were not in touch. This is the truth. Q: So you had contact with LTTE leadership to the very end of war.? A: Yes, certainly Q: Then, you would have known about alleged war crimes that took place during the last stage of war. And now you would have heard about recently released Channel- 4 video too. Are these videos genuine or not? A: Let’s forget that past. Now the war is over. We have taken our first steps towards peace. History of Sri Lanka reveals a past where all ethnic groups lived amicably. They were very close. Some politicians sowed division amongst the people with ulterior motives. This led to conflict among them. We must bridge the gap among people of different ethnicities. We must unite. That’s my ideal. Channel-4 video and the report of the UN panel of experts have damaged the chances for reconciliation, it seems. With the conclusion of war, we have to think about rehabilitation, political solution and means of economic advancement. We must focus on the segment of society battered and debilitated by the war. But here, we are speaking about war again and again. No one is going to benefit by this. The Wanni people who bore the brunt of the final war need a lot of help. Can the Channel-4 video do anything good for the war affected people? Channel- 4 by releasing these types of video is doing harm to people by polarizing them on ethnic lines.As far as I am concerned the people of this country can live as one family. We ought to learn from our experiences- both sides may have erred at times. Nothing can be achieved by pointing fingers. Some extremists in foreign countries are out to revenge the government or some personalities. They refuse to consider the plight of people living here. Vengeance is not healthy. It is not a trait of good people. Forgiving is more powerful than vindictiveness. Those who seek revenge expose their weakness. I think talking about Channel 4 as a means of revenge is absurd.I plead to the Tamil Diaspora to stop their campaign that provokes anger and hatred. They have to know the reality. We must live in peace. Q: There are different opinions about the Tamil Diaspora. They are accused of preventing normalcy being restored in the Tamil areas. How do you see this? A: There are different groups amongst them. They are in dark. They are completely ignorant and gullible. They believe Prabhakaran is alive and an armed struggle is to start soon. Some Tamil Nadu politicians and a section of Tamil Diaspora are spearheading this campaign of falsehood to hoodwink the expatriates. I call upon the Tamil Diaspora to see our people living in poverty. Have these extremists and those who are in the forefront of vicious campaign against the government done anything for these people or children? It is a clear case of duplicity when they say they are speaking for the society while doing nothing to mitigate the suffering of these children. Q: In your opinion, what is the role of India in respect to bringing a political solution to the grievances of the Tamil people? A: This is an internal problem involving two ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. There are many reasons or excuses for Indian interference. Indian and Sri Lankan people are connected historically. Both the majority and minority people have their origins in India. This is history. India wants to see a solution be given to ethnic problem by the Sri Lankan government. India maintains this position steadfastly. It is also for a negotiated solution. That’s why it wholeheartedly supports the on-going negotiation between the government and TNA. India can do nothing more than this. This is an internal problem. We are blundering again and again. We run to India for everything. This is a historical blunder. The majority of the people have a fear. We must understand this. There are ten million Sinhalese in Sri Lanka while 60 million Tamils are in Tamil Nadu. They are afraid that the Tamils in Tamil Nadu could overrun Sri Lanka. We should not fuel this fear. We should not run to India complaining over minor matters. In Tamil Nadu people like Seman, Vaiko, and Nedumaran make fiery speeches that can provoke the majority. This should be stopped.India is doing its maximum. India would not go further than this and propose a solution. So this should be understood by the responsible people. Tamil leadership should strive to win the hearts and minds of the Sinhalese people. But, instead of this, if they campaign against the government, citing Channel-4 videos and the UN report, the Sinhalese people will see this as an attack on them. Tamil leadership should not hurt the feelings of Sinhalese, I plead. Q: Now you have come to democratic mainstream politics. Some people say that you help people through NERDO, with an eye on provincial council election that may come soon. A: This kind of service too is politics in a way. But I have no intention of engaging in parliamentary or provincial politics. Those things I have left to other people. As far as I am concerned I would be happy If I could live with these children forever. Q: The final question. Now you are in this position as the struggle for Tamil Elam was defeated, suppose, Eelam struggle had been successful? (Laughter) I enjoy being surrounded by these kids in “Anpu Illan” (kind home). I could not have had this freedom had the struggle been successful. India strongly disapproves attack on Sri Lankan pilgrims in Chennai India said it strongly disapproves the recent attack on visiting Sri Lankan pilgrims by some pro-LTTE elements in the state of Tamil Nadu.In response to a question, the Official Spokesman of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the Ministry's attention had been drawn to an incident in Chennai on 3 August, in which Sri Lankan pilgrims staying at a guest house in the city had been targeted and also subjected to some physical and verbal abuse by a local group."The Ministry considers this to be an unfortunate incident and regrets the inconvenience caused to the visitors from Sri Lanka. It also strongly disapproves of this kind of behaviour towards those visiting the country, especially religious pilgrims," the Spokesman has said."India has always made its guests feel welcome and such incidents do not go with their highest traditions of treating guests with respect and dignity," the statement added.The Ministry said following investigations, three people have been arrested for their involvement with the incident.A group of 84 Sri Lankan pilgrims had come under attack in Chennai on Wednesday by a pro-LTTE group calling themselves as "black tigers". The attack had reportedly injured three of the pilgrims.The Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai had transferred the pilgrims to a safe location following the attack.The Sri Lankan government media spokesman commenting on the incident said the government will hold discussions with the Indian government to prevent any future attacks on Sri Lankan pilgrims who visit India as a large number of pilgrims from Sri Lanka regularly visit India. All groups and individuals in the eastern province who have illegal weapons in their possession have been given a grace period after an amnesty to hand over such weapons came to an end last weekend.Security Forces Commander of the eastern province, Major General Boniface Perera said that a seven day grace period is now in force and will end on Sunday.He said that following the end of the grace period the police and army will arrest individuals who have illegal weapons in their hands.“Anyone in the possession of illegal arms shall be arrested whatever their rank or status is with effect from the 7th of August,” Major General Boniface Perera told News Now.lk.When contacted by News Now.lk the Batticaloa police said they have not made any arrests as a result of the grace period.A few weapons were handed over to the authorities during the amnesty period which ended last weekend. 05 August 2011 TNA gives two weeks ultimatum to Colombo’s ‘devolution’ The TNA and the Government commenced talks in January 2011 consequent to the re-election of President Rajapakse for a second term in office and consequent to the Government acquiring a two thirds majority in Parliament, recognizing that the Tamil people of the North and East had elected the TNA as their credible representatives.10 rounds of talks were held from 10th January 2011 on the evolution of an acceptable political solution and in regard to matters of immediate concern of the Tamil people. The TNA raised the following matters of immediate concern:Resettlement and Rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons, removal of High Security Zones, disarming the para-military forces operating in the North and East and the issue of the political prisoners and detainees.The resettlement process continues to be snail-paced with several thousands still in the camps and many more tens of thousands in transit camps and with friends and relatives. Even those who have been permitted to return to their original places, have no proper shelter nor been helped effectively to recommence their livelihood activities, resulting in there being no qualitative improvement in the lives of the people. Although some progress has been made in the Valigamam North High Security Zone area, several other areas in the North including Sampur in the East continue to be prohibited zones for the civilians. Para-military personnel continue to operate with impunity causing abductions, demanding ransom and even carrying out killings. The Government delegation gave an undertaking on the 3rd of February 2011 that the next of kin could check at a specified place in Vavuniya the whereabouts of their relatives in detention. To date this has not happened and credible information pertaining to the detainees continues to be withheld and denied to their next of kin.After the end of the war in May 2009, a programme is being implemented whereby cultural and religious places in the Tamil areas are misused, damaged and destroyed; increased militarization and military's intervention in civilian life; lands being allocated to persons from outside the North and East ostensibly for development purposes, resulting in demographic change in the North and the East, the transformation of the cultural identity of areas in the North and the East, all of which will have irreversible evil consequences to the future well-being of the Tamil people. Representations made to the Government in regard to such matters have not resulted in remedial action indicating that they have not received due consideration by the Government. While the Tamil people have not been enabled through appropriate action by the Government to return to their homes within the Jaffna District, their absence is sought to be utilized to reduce the representation of the Jaffna District in Parliament resulting in the denial of franchise and the perversion of democracy.In regard to a political solution the TNA placed before the Government delegation discussion papers setting out proposals in regard to the structure of governance, the division of subjects and functions between the centre and the devolved units, fiscal and financial powers and other matters relevant to the achievement of an acceptable and durable political solution. The TNA invited the Government's response to these proposals and despite the Government's commitment to so respond, no response has been forthcoming for several months. Consequently no meaningful or purposeful discussion could be had on the discussion papers tendered by the TNA. This we regret to state was clearly demonstrative of the lack of a genuine commitment on the part of the Government to the evolution of an acceptable political solution. While attempting to show the world that the Government was engaged in a political process as an integral part of reconciliation, what the Government was really engaged in was no more than a mere facade. It is in these circumstances that the TNA questioned the continuance of such a deceitful process. The TNA has therefore called upon the government to meaningfully define and state the Government's response to three issues: 1. The structure of governance, 2. The division of subjects and functions between the centre and the devolved units and 3. Fiscal and financial powers, within a period of two weeks, to carry forward any future dialogue. Welfare of Lankan Tamils top priority: Krishna Underlining that the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka is of utmost importance, India Thursday urged Sri Lanka to pursue a lasting political settlement that provides for harmonious co-existence of all communities, including minorities, in the island-nation. Making a suo moto statement in the Lok Sabha on "The Situation in Sri Lanka", External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna called for a "just and fair" settlement of the Sri Lankan political problem and immediate priority to the Tamils' rehabilitation."Our primary objective in all that we are doing in Sri Lanka is to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of Sri Lankan Tamils, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), and to assist in the development of northern Sri Lanka," Krishna said.Alluding to questions raised about the conduct of the war by the Sri Lankan troops, which has been scrutinised in a report by a panel of experts set up by the UN secretary general and a documentary on Britain's Channel 4, Krishna said India has taken note of these concerns, but stressed that the focus remained on the welfare of the minority Tamils."Presently, our focus should be on the welfare and well being of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Their rehabilitation and rebuilding should be of the highest and most immediate priority," Krishna said."A just and fair settlement of the political problem is of utmost importance," he said."I have, nonetheless, stressed to my Sri Lankan counterpart, the need for an early withdrawal of emergency regulations, investigations into allegations of human rights violations, restoration of normalcy in affected areas and redress of humanitarian concerns of affected families," he stressed.Krishna also welcomed the beginning of a structured dialogue between the government and representatives of Tamil parties in pursuit of a political solution and offered India's support to help in taking forward the process.The minister's assurance to parliament came against the backdrop of repeated expressions of concern by various political parties, specially the DMK, about the precarious condition of Tamils in Sri Lanka.Krishna informed the house that since the end of the war, in which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was crushed in 2009, around 290,000 internally displaced Tamils have already been resettled."Only around 10,000 IDPs remain in the camps," Krishna said.Krishna underlined that the welfare, safety and security of Indian fishermen "have always received the highest priority from the government", and said that India has repeatedly taken the issue of attacks on Indian fishermen with Colombo."The government has conveyed to the Sri Lankan government that the use of force could not be justified under any circumstance and that all fishermen should be treated in a humane manner," he said."The Sri Lankan side, while denying that their navy was involved, has promised to seriously investigate these incidents," he said."In 2010, a total of 137 Indian fishermen were apprehended and released by Sri Lanka. Till Aug 3, a total of 164 Indian fishermen were apprehended by Sri Lanka and all were subsequently released," he said."At the same time, in 2010 a total of 352, and in 2011 a total of 131 Sri Lankan fishermen, have been apprehended by our authorities," said Krishna."A total of 104 Sri Lankan fishermen are still in Indian custody whereas all Indian fishermen apprehended on charges of fishing related violations in Sri Lanka have been released," he added. Int. comm. watching SL’s response While refusing to comment on the latest report released by the Sri Lanka Defence Ministry on the humanitarian operation as the UN has not yet received any official communiqué, the United Nations said yesterday that the international community was watching very closely how Sri Lanka was responding to the national accountability process.Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters that it was “…aware of the report and simply to restate at this point that national accountability is the key here. And obviously the international community is watching very closely how that national accountability process plays out. “The rest of the recommendations in the report (UN report) are there for everybody to see, and that includes national accountability, it includes in that report the various other recommendations that there are related to follow-up measures. And the international community has access to that report in its entirety and can act on it if it wishes.” Further commenting on the Sri Lanka Defence Ministry report the spokesman said, “I need to check whether it has been officially transmitted to us and what status it would have in that context. I don’t have the answer to that at this point. We will have a look at that.” Sangiliyan statue restored The renovated statue of King Sangiliyan, was declared open at Muthirai Junction, Nallur on Wednesday.King Sangiliyan ruled Jaffna Kingdom with Nallur as capital. AT a function presided by Jaffna Mayor Mrs. Yogeshwarai Patkunarajah, and Minister of traditional industries and small industries Douglas Devananda garlanded the statue and declared open the memorial plaque.The statue of King Sangiliyan in Nallur had been built in 1974 and declared open by then Jaffna Mayor Alfred Doraiappa.The occasion was attended by religious leaders and members of the public. Jaffna District parliamentarians MP Silvestri Alentin,, M. Chandrakumar, Jaffna District Secretary Imelda Sukumar, Vice Chancellor of Jaffna University Prof. Vasanthi Arasaratnam, and member of majority group of Jaffna Municipal Council and Mr. Mudiyappu a member of Ilankai Thamilarusu Kadchi, students from Jaffna schools, officials of Jaffna Secretariat and many people attended the function. Elections to remaining local government bodies of Sri Lanka in October The Elections Department in Sri Lanka today announced that the elections for the remaining local government bodies would be held on October 17.Nominations for the elections in 17 municipal councils, one urban council and five Pradeshiya Sabhas are to be open from August 18 till August 25. The deposits for independent groups are accepted up to August 24.The Elections Department has stated that the relevant gazette notification would be published today.The elections in October would conclude the local government elections that were held in three stages commencing in March this year.Sri Lanka held elections for 234 of the 335 local authorities in the country on March 17 this year and the ruling party UPFA won 205 of the councils.Elections were held on July 23 for 65 local councils including 26 in the Northern Province.Elections for the localities that were not held in March due to the hosting of Cricket World Cup would be held this time.Two more local government institutes in the Mullaitivu district are not ready for elections as the demining operations are still in progress. Groups ask Swiss to prosecute Sri Lankan diplomat GENEVA — Two advocacy groups asked Swiss authorities Thursday to pursue war crime charges against a former Sri Lankan army commander now serving as a European diplomat, reflecting still-simmering Western concerns about the South Asian island nations' human rights record.The Swiss-based groups Society for Threatened Peoples and TRIAL said they filed a confidential complaint with Switzerland's attorney general against Jagath Dias, a former major general in Sri Lanka's final offensive that smashed a 26-year rebellion by ethnic minority Tamils in May 2009.The United Nations estimates between 80,000 and 100,000 people were killed during the civil war. Dias, whose Sri Lankan forces captured some of the rebel Tamil Tigers' last strongholds, became Sri Lanka's deputy ambassador to Germany, Switzerland and the Vatican in September 2009.Dias, reached at his embassy in Berlin, said it's easy to make accusations, but he denied being a war criminal."Anybody can accuse anyone of anything. I don't see that any of these allegations are well founded," he told The Associated Press. "We did our best to complete the military operation with zero casualties. How could we have released or rescued 300,000 people if we really wanted to destroy them?"About 300,000 Tamil civilians were caught in the climactic battle. The government then carved camps out of the jungles of northern Sri Lanka to hold them and screen out former rebels who could stir up trouble.The Swiss groups' complaint — based largely on the findings of the United Nations and other international organizations — says Dias' army division was responsible for massive bombing of civilians and hospitals. 04 August 2011 US condemns attack on Sri Lankan journalist The United States Wednesday strongly condemned the recent attack in Jaffna on a Sri Lankan journalist and urged the Sri Lankan government to conduct a thorough investigation to apprehend the culprits.A press statement issued by the US Embassy in Colombo said the United States strongly condemns violence against members of the press and is deeply concerned about the recent assault on Gnanasunduram Kuganathan, news editor of Uthayan Tamil daily in Jaffna.The attack left him in a critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of Jaffna Hospital."Violence against journalists silences voices, threatens freedom of expression, impairs reconciliation, and undermines democracy," the statement said."We note media reports that the IGP has passed his initial report on the attack to President Rajapaksa, and urge that a thorough investigation be conducted and that the perpetrators be brought to justice" the statement further said. TNA- Govt. talks:Round 10 today The 10th round of talks between the high level committee, appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentary delegation, led by MP R. Sampanthan will take place at the Presidential Secretariat today (4) at 3.00 p.m.The TNA delegation had placed a set of proposals, before the government delegation several months earlier, as a solution to the national question.It was anxiously awaiting for the UPFA government to present in writing a set of proposals for a solution so that they could respond, TNA sources said yesterday One of the government delegates, Parliamentarian Dr Rajiva Wijesinghe said he could not be present as he was overseas and the secretary to the government committee, MP Sajin De Vaas Gunawardhana, was also out of the country.Keerthi Lokuliyana, Private Secretary to Sajin De Vaas Gunawardhana stated last morning that the Parliamentarian would return to the country before 3.00 p.m. today The other Parliamentarians, including two senior Cabinet Ministers in the government Committee, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management Nimal Siripala de Silva and Minister of External Affairs Prof G.L. Pieris were scheduled to be present for the discussions with the TNA delegation.The TNA delegation, led by Leader MP R. Sampanthan, comprises senior Parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran and Attorney-at-Law MP M.A. Sumanthiran with Presidents Counsel (PC) Kanag-Ishvaran as the Secretary. Hartal in Puttalam A hartal was staged in Puttalam today against the death of prominent human rights defender, Pattani Razeek, whose body was exhumed last week.Most of the shops in Puttalam were closed while transport also came to a standstill. Meanwhile some shops which remained open were forced to pull down their shutters.Pattani Razeek disappeared under strange circumstances on February 11, 2010. On a field visit for his organisation in Polonnaruwa, Razeek voluntarily got into an unknown vehicle. Ransom calls followed to family and friends. Posters appeared in Puttalam attempting to tarnish his character. Then, after two months, all was silent. Family and friends never heard from Razeek again.Eighteen Months later, on 25 July 2011, a body believed to be that of disappeared aid worker Pattani Razeek was exhumed by the Colombo Crimes Division in Batticaloa. Global Investments Ltd. to inject Rs.4bn in leisure sector - Jaffna to get its first 4-star hotel The board of directors of Global Investments Lanka Limited has undergone a major reshuffle as the company plans to invest Rs. 4 billion on several properties located in Jaffna and Vavuniya, both areas once ravaged by war.The company’s new Chairman is Jonathan Suri, a corporate financier in London while Nihal Samarasinha, a well known hotelier in Frankfurt will be its Deputy Chairman. The new Managing Director is Subramaniam Krishnathasan, another leading businessman based in London who is also the owner of UK Airport Cars Limited and a chain of super markets. M. Shanthikumar, a director of Ramada Colombo and Global Towers Wellawatte, completes the director board.In an interview with The Island Financial Review, Nihal Samarasinha said that the new board of directors of the company is enthusiastic in taking the business to greater heights and the environment is quite conducive for investments with the dawn of peace in the country. "We are grateful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government for creating such an environment.""Global Investments plans to pump in a total of Rs. 4 billion for the hotel projects which are to commence in the near future. Investments are expected to flow in from the UK, US, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Australia," Samarasinha said.He said the company will soon construct a 4-star beach front hotel with 250 rooms in Wellawatte, Colombo on land the company already owns. This area has already been earmarked for major tourism development projects by the government.Also in the drawing boards is a 65 room, 4-star property in the heart of Jaffna, a 100 room, 4-star hotel in Nuwara Eliya and a modern hostel with all facilities in Vavuniya, the first of its kind in the area, and a long felt need, which will comprise 1,000 beds."Most of our investors and shareholders are based overseas and they have given the green light for the company’s rapid expansion plans and the board of directors had no difficulty in convincing them as two of the most important aspects for the hospitality industry to prosper, safety and security, are there," Samarasinha said."We are highly excited about the proposed property in Jaffna as there is an urgent need for a modern star-classed hotel in the Northern capital, as there is a rapid increase in the number of tourists, particularly in the Diaspora segment."Once the government gives us the green light for foreign tourists to travel to the North, the demand will be unprecedented," he added.The de-mining operations have reached their final stages in the Northern peninsula and authorities would soon allow foreign tourists to travel there," the Deputy Chairman explained.The company owns the 4-star Golbal Towers Hotel at Marine Drive in Wellawatte and the hotel is currently undergoing a facelift after the new board of directors assumed duties.The Chairman, Deputy Chairman and the Managing Director of the company have over 40 years experience between them. All board members are also shareholders, Samarasinha said.Jonathan Suri has his own company specialising in commercial lending solutions while Smarasinha is a well known hotelier and a diplomat.All three of them are Sri Lankan-born and studied at St Thomas’s College, Mount Lavinia, St Josephs College, Maradana and Hindu College, Chavakachccheri. Samarasinha is the Chairman of Millennium Hospitality International in Frankfurt which owns four hotels namely, The Ramada, Clarion Collection, Comfort and a 400 bed modern hostel. He is also the honorary consul for Sri Lanka in Rheinland Platinate, Germany.S. Krishnathasan is a leading businessman in the UK with diverse investments.Director M. Shanthikumar is also the President of the City Hoteliers Association. 03 August 2011 India can’t cut off ties with Lanka, PM tells Vaiko Manmohan Singh on Tuesday told MDMK leader Vaiko that India cannot afford to restrict economic ties with Sri Lanka — as demanded by Tamil Nadu’s political parties — in order to apply pressure to mitigate the sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils. That, the Prime Minister said, would only encourage China to displace India as a strategic and trading partner of Sri Lanka.In response, Vaiko, who met the PM in Parliament House, said he told Singh that “in any case, China is already aiding the Sri Lanka naval forces to attack Indian fishermen and is more of an ally of Pakistan than India”.Since the assembly polls, Tamil Nadu politicians have been trying to beat one another in taking up the plight of Lankan Tamils living in camps and Indian fishermen following the May 2009 war, which liquidated Tamil Tigers led by LTTE chief V Prabhakaran.Vaiko said in a statement that he also took up with PM the case of death row convict Perarivalan in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, saying it could be considered on the lines of another convict, Nalini, whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.Perarivalan has already spent 20 years in prison, Vaiko said.The PM agreed to ask the home ministry to look into the case. Vaiko also met home minister P Chidambaram.Vaiko’s meeting with the PM took place a day after Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa announced a monthly dole of R1,000 to 5,544 Lankan Tamils living in refugee camps in the state.On Monday, ADMK MPs tried to embarrass a visiting Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation by raising slogans.DMK MP Tiruchi Siva also staged a walkout from a meeting in honour of the visiting team hosted by vice-president Hamid Ansari, in protest against the “violence and human rights violations” by the Lankan government. Jayalalithaa announces monthly dole for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced a monthly old-age dole of Rs. 1000 to 5,544 Lankan Tamils living in refugee camps in the state.An order to this effect has been issued by the Chief Minister, an official press release here said. “The Chief Minister is concerned about the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils staying in refugee camps in the state and, therefore, in the Governor’s address had also announced that various welfare measures will be extended to the Tamils,” it said.Ms. Jayalalithaa had taken up the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils lodged in camps in the island nation with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she met her last month, the release said.After the AIADMK came to power, the Tamil Nadu Assembly also adopted a resolution demanding economic sanctions to “rein in” Colombo on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.Ms. Jayalalithaa’s action to provide relief to the Tamils comes a day after her party MPS in the Lok Sabha sought to embarrass a visiting Lankan Parliamentary delegation led by Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.AIADMK members led by M. Thambidurai were on their feet raising slogans on the Tamils issue as Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar introduced the visitors led by the Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker. Journalist in two divided demos Attack on Journolist Another demonstration was held elsewhere in Colombo on Tuesday, condemning attacks on a Journalist.Here about 100 activists denounced the state for what they said was its responsibility for a severe assault on a newspaper journalist based in northern Sri Lanka last Friday. Gnanasundaram Kuganathan was beaten about the head with iron rods by a gang.N. Vithyatharan, who used to work on a sister paper, blamed government supporters whose party lost to Tamil nationalists in recent local elections.Vithyatharan, said “I think the people, those who are defeated in the election, are taking revenge on the media who brought the truth to the light.”Dharmasiri lankapeli of the Media workers trade union federation said that President Rajapaksha should take responsibility for attacks on journalist not been properly investigated.Mr Kuganathan spent time in intensive care but is slowly recovering. The government says it wants to apprehend his attackers. Wives of Tamilselvan and Soosai give answers first to channel 4 The video taped report prepared by the Sri Lanka (SL) defense Ministry titled ‘ Lies agreed upon’ in answer to the documentary ‘Sri Lanka killing fields’ which was telecast by channel 4 was released yesterday . In this video report , opinions are expressed by the wife of the first LTTE political division leader Tamilselvan , the wife of former LTTE sea Tiger leader Soosai and former LTTE media chief Daya Master and Doctors who were in the war zones whose names are mentioned in the channel 4 video footage . All of them gave opinions which are totally opposed to the channel 4 charges. All these individuals who are expressing these opinions are living in SL at the moment. Army causes disturbances for friendly cricket match between Sinhala and Tamil youths in Killinochchie Army causes disturbances for the friendly event which is organized by the members of the JVP Socialist Youth Union in Killinochchie.The members of the JVP Socialist Youth Union organized a friendly cricket match between the Sinhala and Tamil youths in the Killionchchie district to mark their Socialist Youth Union day.However JVP lodged a complaint this regard and also JVP organized several events island wide to celebrate their youth day.According to the sources youths from the North and South took part in this friendly cricket match.The statement released by the JVP this regard says that Army destroyed the name boards and the banners and also ordered them to stop this event.Statement further said that Army ordered the event organizers to give a statement this regard to the Army camp in Killinochchie. Surrendered LTTE cadres are ready to give evidence before channel-4: Commissioner of Rehabilitation The Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Susantha Ranasinghe announced former LTTE carders who surrendered to the Army during the last stage of war is ready to give evidence to the Channel-4 regarding the war crime allegations against Sri-Lanka. Commissioner also said there are 11 thousand 664 former LTTE combats who loved the Sri-Lankan government are ready to give evidence before the Channel-4.Commissioner made this announcement during the special awareness event religious and social organization leaders about resettlement of the ex-LTTE carders to the society. This special event was organized by the head office of the Rehabilitation Commission at Trincomalee this afternoon.While speaking in the event Commissioner went on to say,The LTTE carders who surrender to the Army during the last stage of war in Nandikadal area complete their rehabilitation program.This rehabilitation program was started by facing many difficulties such as in the past LTTE carried out suicide attacks toward this rehabilitation camps but at present we defeat all the difficulties and was able to carry out a successful rehabilitation program in the country.At present we have rehabilitated 594 child soldiers, 2,033 women carders and 9,037 male carders this regard. Total number of 11,664 persons completes their rehabilitation program and delaying to visit their houses. In such situation we have organized these kinds of event to solve this problem in a proper way. Annual Nallur Hindu Temple festival in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula to be held Thursday The annual Nallur Kandaswamy Hindu Temple festival in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula is to be held on August 04.The festival honouring the Hindu God Skanda will continue for 27 days until the 30th of this month. The festival includes chariot processions, drumming, dancing and acts of self-mortification, according to the organizers of the festival.Organizers say that strict dress code guidelines will be in place for devotees entering the temple during the festival period. Accordingly, men will not be permitted to wear jeans into the temple while women must wear a toe length dress or the traditional sari.This is the third festival to be held following the end of the war in May 2009.The historic festival generally draws devotees from around the island as well as overseas and the organizers this time are expecting thousands of devotees to flock to the temple during the festival. 02 August 2011 HRW criticises SL report While criticising the latest report issued by the Sri Lanka Defence Ministry on the Humanitarian operations, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said the report is an attempt to convince the world, that government forces committed no crimes in the conflict with the LTTE.The report ‘Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 – May 2009,’ that was released yesterday claims that government forces did not use artillery against populated areas despite considerable evidence to the contrary and ignores compelling evidence of summary executions by its soldiers.“The Sri Lankan government is finally admitting that its forces caused civilians losses during the conflict’s final months, but unconvincingly claims no responsibility,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This is just the latest and glossiest effort to whitewash mounting evidence of government atrocities during the fighting.”“The Sri Lankan Defense Ministry report is yet another feeble attempt to convince the world, despite growing evidence to the contrary, that government forces committed no crimes in the conflict with the Tamil Tigers,” Adams said. “Concerned governments should use this factually challenged report to jump-start international accountability efforts as the UN Panel of Experts recommended.” Land mark ruling over state lands Under the13th Amendment to the Constitution the Provincial High Court has the jurisdiction powers to hear the cases relating to state land the Court of Appeal have given judgment in a case over a state land dispute.The Appeal Court has made this direction overruling an order of the Southern Provincial High Court judge who had dismissed a state land dispute on the basis that Provincial High Court has no jurisdiction powers to hear cases on the state land.The bench comprising Justices Sisira De Abrew and K. T. Chitrasiri made this order following an application filed by a petitioner E. K. Charlotte of Muttetuwewatte, Porawagama citing Southern Province Land Commissioner and Divisional Secretary Niyagama as respondents of the case.The Appeal Court overruled the order when the senior counsel for the petitioner, Mahinda Ralapanawe argued that under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, it is the Provincial Council which has power to alienate the state land and on this basis the Provincial High Court has the power to execute any wrong act of Provincial Council officers.The petitioner H. H. Alice Nona has filed an application in the Southern Provincial High Court challenging the decision of the Provincial Land Commissioner giving instruction to the Divisional Secretary to enter the name of nonresident A. K. Rohini Damayanthi De Silva, the daughter-in-law of Alice Nona as the successor of the state land enjoyed by the petitioner. Subsequently the Divisional Secretary has directed Porawagama Grama Sevaka to take possession of the said state land. The disputed land was granted by then President to Alice Nona’s husband E. K. Carolis in June 1996.When the case was taken up before the Provincial High Court, state counsel appearing for the respondent Provincial Council officers had taken a preliminary objection stating that the subject matter of the application was a state land and since then it is not being a subject devolved to the Provincial Council and therefore the Provincial High Court has no power to adjudge the application.The Provincial High Court which upheld this argument dismissed the application on the basis that it has no jurisdiction to hear the case but now Court of appeal has ruled out that it has the powers on State lands. The Indian Opposition Leader ready to visit Sri-Lanka Eastern Provincial Council member leads an armed group According to the CID sources member of the Eastern Provincial Council lead an armed group in the province Sinhala media reports.This suspectable Provincial Council member is working as the secretary of the leading politician in the Eastern Province.The members of this armed group are using micro guns and T56 guns which are used by the LTTE leaders in the past.This armed group id lead by the member of LTTE International Intelligence unit and he is the resident of Arayambathi area in Batticaloa district.Special advice is provided by the provincial council member to the leader of this gang regarding their operations; the leading politician in the Eastern Province gives his fullest support this regard.There are 40 members in this group and all of them are having weapons in their position.According to the sources this armed group is the responsible for mot of the attacks, murders and the robberies which took place in the Eastern Province recently. SRI LANKA: Over 600 war children still missing More than two years after Sri Lanka's decades-long conflict officially ended, the whereabouts of 630 children are unknown, according to a government database. Most went missing during the final phase of the war that ended on 18 May 2009, when government forces declared victory over the now defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who had been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland since 1983. According to reports cited by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), 64 percent of those missing were recruited by the LTTE while 30 percent were last seen behind government lines. During the last phase of the war, more than 300,000 civilians were displaced from areas once under Tiger control, popularly known as the Vanni. When they poured into camps set up in Vavuniya, just outside the theatre of fighting, many parents were desperate to find their children. "There were women crying outside my office, asking me to find their children," Piencia Charles, the most senior government official in the Vavuniya District, told IRIN. In December 2009, Charles set up the Family Tracing Unit within the Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat. "It's something I felt I had to do. There was no mechanism in place to search for these kids. The parents were in so much pain," she said. UNICEF assisted the unit with additional human resources, training and a simple database to support the unit's work. To date, more than 600 children have been reunited with their parents through the unit, with 13 cases pending and under verification. Another 34 names given by parents have been matched with those on the database, with officers now trying to locate the children. Recently the number of people coming to Charles for help in finding their children has decreased. However, tracing those still on the list will take time. "The parents have returned to the villages. The children could be in a foster home or a detention centre. There is lot more paper-work and leg-work now," she said. One mother's story Kulasekran Kugamathi, a single mother-of-three, has just returned to her village Allankulam, about 70km from Vavuniya, but continues to search for her eldest son, who was 16 when he "volunteered" to fight with the LTTE in early 2008 so that his two younger brothers could continue with their education. Thousands of child soldiers were believed to have been recruited and used by the LTTE during the last phase of the conflict, according to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers."I haven't heard from him since. I know he is somewhere, but I have to work. I don't have the time or the money to look for him," the 44-year-old said in frustration.Saji Thomas, a UNICEF child protection specialist based in Vavuniya, says once the unit receives information about a child, the details are checked against a database. When a match is found, unit officials interview the child and parent to ensure the relationship is authentic. "Once the unit is sure, then court proceedings begin to hand the child back to the parents," he said, describing the whole process as a challenge. "Global experience shows that tracing can go on for years sometimes," Thomas said. Although the unit's mandate is limited to children, it also maintains data on missing adults, with close to 2,000 names registered already. am looking for some funding to set up a unit to trace the missing adults. Maybe by the end of this year I can get something going," Charles said. Gotabaya releases "factual account" of war against LTTE Hinting that Sri Lanka will re-examine its war with the Tamil Tigers, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has said his country “will certainly engage with and account for the events of the past, [but] our focus must be on the future”.Launching the report “Humanitarian Operation — Factual Analysis”, compiled by the Ministry of Defence as an answer to a series of reports, books, and documentaries that have been released since the conclusion of the war in May 2009, he said the allegations made in a section of the international press were “quite absurd”.He denied the allegation that LTTE soldiers or civilians were tortured. “Take for instance the allegation that the security forces killed or gravely mistreated those who surrendered or were detained. This has been repeated loudly and repeated often, but it is not an accusation that stands up to scrutiny. By the end of the humanitarian operation more than 11,000 LTTE cadres surrendered to security forces. Despite the various acts of terrorism and mass murder they had committed, these cadres were not mistreated in any way. The 595 child soldiers who surrendered were reunited with their families within one year, while over 6,100 adult cadres were rehabilitated and released by June 2011. Most of the remaining cadres are undergoing further rehabilitation programmes and will be reintegrated to society when they are ready. Those culpable for atrocities at a higher level will be prosecuted through legal channels,” he said.Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former Colonel with the Sri Lankan Army who ran the war for his brother and President Mahinda Rajapaksa, told an audience comprising members of the diplomatic corps and international NGOs stationed in Colombo that Sri Lanka had taken utmost care to look after not only those citizens who were oppressed by LTTE terrorism in the North and East but also those who were directly connected with the LTTE.Challenging the number of civilian casualties — some international reports had said up to 40,000 were dead — he claimed this was “a vague accusation, based on even vaguer arithmetic, which keeps getting repeated without any sort of critical analysis by people who should know better”.His reasoning: According to the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, the number of civilians in the North was between 75,000 and 1.5 lakh. According to the U.N. Resident Coordinator, the number was between 1.2 lakh and 1.8 lakh. According to the World Food Programme, the number was 2.1 lakh. According to the Government Agent in Mullaitivu, the number was 3.05 lakh — the highest estimate. The registered number of IDPs at the end of the war was 2.94 lakh.He also released a video, Lies Agreed Upon, which sought to contradict the basic premises of the British Channel 4 documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Fields.Keywords: Sri Lankan Tamils, Eelam war, LTTE, civilian death, human rights violation, ethnic clashes, Gotabaya Rajapaksa Lankan MPs in Lok Sabha; AIADMK members raise slogans The plight of Sri Lankan Tamils on Monday found an echo in the Lok Sabha with All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam members seeking to embarrass a visiting Lankan Parliamentary delegation by raising slogans which was denounced by Speaker Meira Kumar AIADMK members led by M Thambidurai were on their feet raising slogans on the plight of Lankan Tamils as Kumar introduced the visitors led by Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta asked Thambidurai to take his seat. "They have come at our invitation and you must honour and respect them," Kumar told the protesting members sternly.As the speaker wished the visiting delegation a pleasant stay in the country, the entire House thumped their desks vigorously so as to drown feeble cries of 'shame, shame' from some AIADMK members.The visiting delegation also witnessed the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. Sinhalese refuse to accept historical errors and crimes that made war unavoidable The road to Black July (and the long Eelam War it rendered unstoppable) was paved with avoidable errors and needless crimes. Amongst this litany, arguably one of the most poignant is the fate of the inaugural political initiative of the newly formed Tamil United Front’s (TUF).The 6-point proposal presented to the United Front government by the TUF in 1972 was a model of moderation. Yet, neither Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike nor her left (LSSP and CP) partners felt that the TUF’s proposal merited even a formal rejection. The TUF proposal was rudely and insultingly consigned to the dust-heap of historical might-have-beens’.In brief, the TUF proposal asked for the parity of Sinhala and Tamil languages and a constitutional guarantee of the citizenship right of all Tamil speaking people (‘The state shall have no power to deprive a citizen of his citizenship’). It argued for a secular state with equal protection for all religions and requested that the state should guarantee the equality and the ‘valid fundamental rights’ of all persons and ethno-cultural groups. It advocated a constitutional provision abolishing caste and untouchability and asked for administrative decentralisation (positing that ‘peoples’ power’ rather than ‘state power’ is the necessary corollary of a ‘participatory democracy’).There was nothing separatist in these demands, nothing racist, nothing that any reasonably intelligent Sinhala nationalist could have objected to, rationally. These proposals were profoundly democratic. Every one of them could have been implemented within a unitary Sri Lanka. The newly formed TUF was careful not to mention such emotionally-charged and divisive terms as power-sharing or federalism. Moreover the UF government had the requisite two-thirds majority to change the constitution, if necessary.Objectively, rationally, there were no bars to the acceptance and the implementation of the TUF’s unbelievably moderate proposal. And yet it was condemned to die an unnatural death through malign-neglect.Four years and many peaceful protests later the TUF changed its name to the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and adopted the Vadukkodai Resolution, advocating a separate state. Had the UF government possessed the intelligence and the foresight to deal with a moderate TUF and its unobjectionable demands, the subsequent tragedies may well have been averted. But a combination of Sinhala supremacism and opportunism, augmented by a hubristic blindness and a stupefying arrogance, prevented the UF government from opting for the path of peaceful democratic resolution, bringing the country several leaps closer to a devastating war.Sri Lanka had one more opportunity to avoid the looming catastrophe. In its classic 1977 election manifesto, JR Jayewardene’s UNP acknowledged the existence of a Tamil problem and promised to resolve it: “The United National Party accepts the position that there are numerous problems confronting the Tamil-speaking people. The lack of a solution to their problems has made the Tamil-speaking people support even a movement for the creation of a separate state.In the interests of national integration and unity so necessary for the economic development of the whole country, the Party feels such problems should be solved without loss of time. The Party when it comes to power will take all possible steps to remedy their grievances in such fields as education, colonisation, use of Tamil language and employment in the public and semi-public corporations. We will summon as All-Party Conference as stated earlier and implant its decisions”That promise too was broken, to the detriment of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans.The Jayewardene administration committed several historically unforgivable errors. One was to proscribe the JVP, unfairly, on the false charge of instigating the Black July. But the Black July itself resulted from an earlier seminal mistake: the President’s failure to honour the promise he made in the 1977 Election Manifesto to implement a political solution to the Tamil issue. The landslide victory scored by the TULF (with the Vadukoddai Resolution as its main electoral platform) in 1977 indicated the extent of Tamil discontent and the urgent need to alleviate it. But in this essential matter, the Jayewardene administration proved to be as disastrously obdurate as its unlamented predecessor.If in the aftermath of his massive electoral victory Mr. Jayewardene had summoned an APC and commenced a dialogue with the TULF, a reasonable resolution could have been found (perhaps something akin to the 13th Amendment). The armed groups, though in existence, were still too weak to veto or wreck such a solution which could have been used to isolate and debilitate them still further. A majority of Tamils, still law-abiding, still desirous of a dignified normalcy, would have accepted a Jayewardene-Amirthalingam Pact.Moreover, in 1977, the UNP had a mandate from the South to offer a political solution to the North. The SLFP was reeling from its unprecedented defeat and the JVP was in the most moderate phase of its history. Thus a political solution could have been offered without significant Southern opposition.But that possible J-A Pact never happened. That critical absence conferred immense credibility on the argument for an armed struggle for Tamil liberation. The ‘armed struggle for separation’ argument gained further vigour with the violent DDC polls and the burning of the Jaffna Library and became indisputable with the blood-letting of Black July.The Jayewardene administration did not inaugurate the Black July (some government ministers played a leading role in it, while many UNPres participated as foot-soldiers; but then so did many SLFPers, JVPers, and people without party affiliations). The regime may not have minded a mini-riot but the sheer ferocity of the conflagration took the power-wielders by surprise. Characteristically the President tried to benefit from the pogrom, by depicting the carnage as a ‘collective human sacrifice’ to propitiate Sinhala-anger. Perhaps he even thought (hoped) that the violence would terrify the Tamils into familiar submission. The feeling of Tamils as the ‘alien/inimical Other’ was only one factor which enabled Black July; the other was the belief that Tamils were incapable of retaliating. The Tamil armed groups were not seen as a real threat (their role was that of a convenient scapegoat). The hysterical Sinhala-reaction to the apocryphal story about a Tiger attack on Colombo (the mobs ran, helter-skelter, in the opposite direction, many of them shouting ‘koti enawo’ – Tigers are coming) stemmed from the shock generated in the collective Sinhala psyche by the sudden, unexpected loss of this belief in freedom from reprisal. (That loss of impunity was one of the main reasons for the absence of any retaliatory violence, post-July 1983, despite innumerable Tiger depredations, beginning with the Anuradhapura massacre).The long Eelam War followed. The Tigers, in the pursuit of their goal, did not shy away from barbaric deeds. Their anti-civilisational practices did much to discredit them internationally and, to an extent, within the Tamil community. The LTTE’s criminality was one of the underlying causes of its ultimate ruin.The Indo-Lanka Accord and the 13th Amendment presented one final opportunity for the two communities to come together. The Jayewardene administration had become somewhat chastened and India could have become an honest broker, protecting Tamil interests in an undivided Sri Lanka. That last chance was destroyed by the LTTE, with generous help from Southern extremists. It is instructive that the anti-Accord struggle was joined by the Tigers, and their seeming Sinhala antithesis, the JVP with the total endorsement of the SLFP.Mahinda Rajapaksa, together with other hardliners within the SLFP, played a key politico-propaganda role enabling and justifying the JVP’s ‘liberation struggle’ against India (in reality a campaign of uninterrupted coercion and carnage focused on the South), until the JVP turned on its erstwhile sponsor. Almost two decades later Mr. Rajapaksa was to provide the political leadership to the war effort which defeated the LTTE and ended the Eelam War. In this the LTTE was once again his inadvertent ally; by conscripting children, murdering unarmed political opponents and exploiting suicide bombers, the Tigers turned themselves into untouchables, regionally and internationally.Barbarism may have been the LTTE’s forte but it is not the LTTE’s exclusive preserve. Legitimate states too can succumb to barbarism, if they blind, deafen and desensitise themselves with a belief in their own moral-ethical and political infallibility. Almost 20 years after the Black July, the Sinhala South is back in the ‘we never did any wrong, we can never do any wrong’ mindset which enabled that old horror.The Sinhalese refuse to accept the historical errors and crimes which made the war unavoidable; they also hide from the brutal reality of the war by parroting the zero-civilian casualty lie. (Incidentally, but pertinently, the gruesome scenes of prisoner abuse and execution depicted in the Channel 4 Documentary allegedly happened not during the war, but in the immediate aftermath of victory. This timing makes even the argument of necessity inadmissible; what was done – if it was done – was motivated not by the exigencies of war but by a deadly combination of sadism and revenge). The Tamils focus on their defeat and their indubitable suffering, without a clear analysis of the Tiger crimes and errors which paved the way to Nandikadal and the open prison camps. With the defeat of the LTTE, the Rajapaksa administration was offered a rate historic opportunity to resolve the political problems and grievances which gave birth to the Tigers and sustained the war. But this opportunity was not utilised. The results of the local government election in the North clearly indicate the dangers inherent in the regime’s current Sinhala supremacist course.Unfortunately, it does look as if this lesson is lost on the Ruling Family and its acolytes. In an interview Brother-Minister Basil Rajapaksa countered the TNA demands for greater devolution by claiming that “the President has a bigger mandate not to give these powers” (Daily Mirror – 28.7.2011). Minister Champika Ranawaka made a veiled threat to starve the North of national funds. These remarks indicate that the Rajapaksas may opt for punishment/revenge rather than reconciliation after their electoral drubbing in the North.This Sinhala extremism can create conditions for another upsurge of Tamil extremism (as Tony Judt said in another context, “it is the myopia of the first that lends spurious credibility to the argument of the second”).So long as the reasons which drove Lankan Tamils to peacefully and democratically endorse separatism in the parliamentary election of 1977 and support a war for Eelam post-1983 are not understood, acknowledged and addressed, the Sinhala-Tamil divide manifested in the recent electoral outcomes will not abate.Given the proclivity of the absolute majority of Sinhala and English language media to under-report Tamil issues, the festering of this ethnic rift may happen unseen by Southern eyes and unheard by Southern ears. Until the moment of explosion arrives. Lanka wants EU to ban pro-LTTE groups The Sri Lankan government has reiterated its request to the European Union (EU) to list LTTE front organizations as terrorist entities, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Brussels said yesterday.“This request has been made in the wake of the EU re-listing the LTTE as a terrorist entity. The EU terrorist re-listings made in terms of article 2 (3) of Council Regulation of December 7, 2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism, proscribes organizations listed from operating in EU member countries and freezes their assets,” a embassy statement said.In the recent update of its application for listing of LTTE front organizations handed over through the Sri Lanka Embassy in Brussels, the government detailed action taken against the LTTE and its front organizations, by member states of the EU. The EU states included in this application were Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, as well as other states namely, Canada, India, Norway, Switzerland and USA.The application also highlighted action taken by the Sri Lankan government in response to specific requests for intelligence and judicial assistance received in connection with these investigations from relevant authorities of the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway.On July 6 the LTTE was re-listed among Britain’s “proscribed terror groups or organizations” based on the findings following a review carried out through the British Strategy for Countering Terrorism. 01 August 2011 Jayalalithaa reiterates demand for Lanka economic embargo Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has urged the Central Government to impose an economic embargo on Sri Lanka for alleged 'war crimes' and atrocities committed on the ethnic Tamil community by the Mahinda Rajapakse-led Government.A recent UN report accused Colombo of targeting Tamil civilians during the army onslaught on the militant outfit, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in 2008-2009.The report specifically accused the Rajapaksa Government of widespread shelling, including targeting field hospitals, denial of humanitarian aid, and rights violations against people inside and outside the conflict zone on the northeastern coast of the island nation.Demanding justice for the Sri Lankan Tamils in a resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly, Jayalalithaa had called for an economic blockade against neighbouring Sri Lanka in June.Addressing a news conference in Chennai, she asserted that AIADMK lawmakers would be raising the issue before other parties during the Parliament's Monsoon Session beginning on August 1."Yes, our Members of Parliament will definitely be raising the issue on the floors of both houses of Parliament, with regard to the atrocities committed against Sri Lankan Tamils and the resolutions passed in the Tamil Nadu assembly to declare those guilty of war crimes as war criminals and to see that they are made to appear before the International Criminal Court for inquiry," said Jayalalithaa."We have also been insisting that an economic embargo should be imposed against Sri Lanka. Our Members of Parliament will raise these issues in both the houses," she added. Why The EPDP was routed in polls by the TNA by Prof.S.Ratnajeevan.H.Hoole. Minister Douglas Devananda, addressing the press from Sridhar Theatre which he “nationalised” and occupies as his own, says that the Local Government Elections of 23 July have “abundantly proved the Tamil people’s confidence in the government.” On the contrary, the election results were a rout for him and a resounding success for Mavai Senathirajah, a rare Mr. Clean in politics today, who worked quietly without the normal posters and public meetings to garner a percentage share of the vote which even S. J. V Chelvanayagam did not muster in 1977.And this with massive electoral fraud by the PA-EPDP combined – buying votes, intimidation including assaults by the army, chasing off polling officials and election observers, etc. Even Prof. P. Balasundarmapillai, closely associated with Devananda as his advisor, admitted to me on 22 July in Colombo that “some of the allegations of rigging are true, some are exaggerations.” Cautions For The TNA Yet, despite the resounding success, there are warnings in this for the TNA which contested under the FP symbol. The turnout was low signifying the large number of voters who are dissatisfied with the TNA’s honeymoon with the LTTE.The TNA has diminished credibility over some MPs’ association with the Shabra Ponzi scheme ruining many lives, running off with EPRLF money and joining the LTTE while former colleagues were murdered by the LTTE, children being handed over to the LTTE for training, etc. Senathirajah and Sampanthan have addressed this only partly by kicking out in 2010 then MPs Gajendran, Mrs. Sithambaranathan and Gajendrakumar (the LTTE’s core team in the TNA) before the last election of 2010, where they hardly secured 6000 votes between themselves. Gajendran’s drubbing in 2010 established that his 2004 high preferential vote was by ballot stuffing.Further repairs were done in 2011 through deals with the TULF’s Anandasangaree and TELO’s Sivajilingam who were asked to contest Poonaryn and Valvettithurai under the TULF symbol where they performed well. All this paid off handsomely last week. But so long as the tainted MPs remain, Senathirajah cannot claim the moral high ground over Devananda in scams and murders.The Government “victory” being through intimidation, does not count; the FP did not even try. PA-EPDP Mess Up: Running Jaffna As The LTTE Did After the military victory of May 2009 the government had been on the upward swing. Few were surprised therefore when the EPDP captured the Jaffna Municipality in August 2009 and did pretty well at the parliamentary elections in April 2010. So enamoured with the government was a stalwart federalist who spent time in an LTTE jail that he chided his son for participating in the recent FUTA strike saying it is against the government. I too once admired Devananda – his gumption – in standing up to the LTTE and getting so many votes. Where did such support vanish on the 23rd? Explained a university teacher who, like others who spoke for this article, did not wish to be quoted out of absolute fear: “We gave them the Municipality. The UGC appointed all University Councillors from Douglas’ list. And they have ruined both institutions. They deny the mass killings in Mullaivaikal as if we are fools. A simple apology would have been enough. But they take us for granted.” Added a Dean, “Douglas has 600 armed cadres to feed. He needs to make money.”So the LTTE’s Eelam Bank Executive Gowri Hubert now works out of Sridhar Theatre for Devananda’s Maheswary Trust with exclusive rights over building sand like the LTTE earlier. The LTTE’s preferred contractor in Mullaitivu, Ramathasan, was once with his dreaded brother, PLOTE’s Manickathasan, then with the LTTE, and now with Devananda. Many at Sridhar Theatre are former LTTE tyrants. They are consistent only in being with the winner to make money. Sexual Molesters, Fraudsters And The Unqualified For Jaffna University Devananda successfully recommended totally unaccomplished stooges to be VC. Jaffna’s Associate Professor N. Shanmugalingam sang in praise of Prabhakaran on LTTE TV and then on Devananda’s recommendation was appointed VC by President Rajapaksa and then sang for him. This despite a Council inquiry by The Very Rev. Justin Gnaparagasam for being found naked with a student in his office and several credible allegations like that by an elderly English Lecturer who almost jumped out of a trishaw in Colombo when he accosted her for sex while on official work.The present VC, Vasanthy Arasaratnam as then Dean, was severely indicted by the Auditor General who queried Jaffna’s then VC, Associate Professor S. Mohanadas (also recommended by Devananda) about “Unauthorized payment for the procurement of Computer Network Facilities to the Medical Faculty” (His Ref. NE/JF/A/JU/2004), adding “The Dean … has deviated from the procurement procedure … and ordered equipment at a total cost of Rs. 3,000,000 whereas the procurement by a Dean is limited to Rs. 100,000.When the availability of grants was Rs. 963,000 order was placed for Rs. 3,000,000. No tender/quotation was called … to obtain the lowest and efficient bid. A sum of Rs. 722,550 … had been paid without any supporting documents … The price quoted by Delven Computer had been reduced to half of the original prices after negotiation made subsequently. It shows that the price had been quoted arbitrarily… All equipment purchased was not installed… The entire expenditure incurred could be considered irregular, unauthorised and fruitless.”Mohanadas issued no punishment. The President has appointed Devananda’s friend Mohanadas to the UGC as the unofficial Tamil Member as if an Associate Professor with one foreign journal paper is the best the Tamils have. The UGC lists Mohanadas as “Professor” to hide the inappropriate presidential appointment.Such appointments served the government and, in its time, the LTTE well because unqualified appointees are pliant. Others of equally inadequate capacity made common cause with these VC’s to become professors in violation of the ordinances, and together now dominate Jaffna’s Senate. The political authorities do not care if the people at the helm are academically very ordinary or womanisers or fraudsters so long as they are obedient. The university is in ruins as Devananda spreads his tentacles. Tamils are angry. ManyTamils think it is deliberate. Tamils Not Ungrateful – Merely Want Responsive Government It is obvious why the government which does not understand us Tamils was routed. The South talks of our ingratitude. But we are not LTTE lovers. We simply do not like corrupt, oppressive governments. Some of us did not oppose corrupt Tamil totalitarianism then, only to support corrupt Sinhalese totalitarianism now, even if fronted by a Tamil. We want the government to be responsive to our needs and feelings before it asks for our vote. We are not toilet paper to be used and thrown away.Our institutions are to be built up, not used for politics. Does the President who ruins our best institutions through key appointments, really care for us? We are people with feelings, feelings reflected in our vote. He must work with us, the people and our representatives, not Devananda who brings him only ruin. Corrupt Local Councils Similarly the municipality recently violated all rules in awarding a massive building contract which after the noise had to be cancelled. In an emerging nexus between business and politicians to expand regardless of cultural considerations, hotels are authorised with Prof. Balasundarampillai’s dutiful support on yet to be explored archaeological territory at the last Jaffna King’s palace grounds. At the famous Mun Kumbaan Beach (Sand Dunes Beach) which also is under an EPDP Council, the dunes have been sold off and an LTTE cemetery razed to the ground for John Keells to build a supermarket. Devananda’s Religious Card Devananda had already played the religious card in denying Jaffna’s mayor ship to Mangalanesan, a Christian well below Devananda’s Vellala caste, who had secured the highest preferential vote in the municipal elections. Devananda had assaulted Mangalanesan in front of his family when he protested and locked him up at Sridhar Theatre till the present mayor was safely installed. He played the religious card again when I was up for appointment as VC in telling the President that if I were appointed, Hindus would be angry with him. Kandiah Neelakandan, Mrs. Kumar Ponnambalam and the present Dean of Medicine Prof. K. Sivapalan (who had vanished from the university for years to work full-time for the LTTE) echoed these sentiments.Subsequently, says M. Sivajilingam, Neelakandan voted for the Bar Association’s resolution condemning the UN Report and Sivapalan testified at the LLRC against the LTTE. Devananda repeated the President’s claim that there were zero casualties in 2009. Call for probe on journalist attack Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told journalists in the North that the government will act upon those who attacked a senior journalist in the north.The News Editor of the Jaffna based 'Uddayan' Newspaper Gnanasundaram Kuganathan who was seriously injured in the attackhas been admitted to the intensive care unit of the Jaffna Hospital and said to be in critical condition.Media minister Rambukwella said “the government or the president will not protect wrong doers”The media minister officiated at a journalism training programme for Tamil media Journalists in Kokavil , Killinochi.Responding to a question on allegations that Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) members have been accused of being involved in the attack Minister Rambukwella said any one could bring in allegations but we need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded before jumping to conclusions.Meanwhile, media watch dog Reporters without Borders (RSF) said that “The violence used by journalist Kuganathan’s attackers clearly shows they did not intend him to survive”The RSF pointed out that "this attack must not be the prelude to a new wave of violence against journalists, which has been on the wane during the past year, in part because so many journalists are in exile. We remind the authorities that impunity continues to encourage wrongdoers.” President orders special investigation on attack against Uthayan editor President Mahinda Rajapakse has ordered an investigation into the attack on the news editor of the Uthayan newspaper.Gnasundaram Kuganathan sustained serious head injuries in the attack and is in critical condition at a hospital in Jaffna.Bandula Jayasekera, Director General of the President’s media unit said that the President has instructed the police chief to submit a report on the attack.Unidentified group carried out attack against the Uthayn news editor on July 29th.However JVP announced the government is the responsible for this alleged attack.Also JVP point out these types of attacks has been carried out against the media in the past and none of the suspect was arrested in connection with these attacks.JVP further said people and the international should be aware of the government activities this regard.Finally said these types of attacks make international interfere into the issues of Sri-Lanka. Sri Lanka opposition leader cuts short his visit to UK amid party crisis Amid the growing leadership crisis in Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party, its leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has decided to return home early from his visit to the UK.UNP parliamentarian John Amaratunga told media today that Wickremasinghe had decided to return to the country a day earlier, on Wednesday, August 3.Wickremasinghe was in London to take part in the 57th session of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which concluded last Thursday. During his visit Wickremasinghe met several British ministers and other government officials.While the leader was in London, the co-deputy leader Sajith Premadasa has asked the acting leader Karu Jayasuriya to assume the leadership of the party. Jayasuriya has expressed his willingness to step into the leadership role. However, under the constitution of the party, all leading officials are to be elected by members' vote.The reformists in the party blame the present leadership for the party's consecutive loss at every election held since 2001. Sri Lanka parliamentary delegation visits India A group of Sri Lanka parliament members left for India today on a five-day official visit on an invitation of the Indian Speaker Meena Kumari.The team of lawmakers led by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa comprised Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena, W.D.J. Seneviratne, Rishad Bathiyutheen, Muttu Sivalingam and MPs Rajiva Wijesinha,TELO President S. Adaikalanathan, D.L. Swaminathan and Malinie Fonseka.The tour is aimed at strengthening the parliamentary relationship between the two countries.The Indian Speaker, during her visit to Colombo in February to participate in the 3rd Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Colombo as the Chief Guest, agreed to promote parliamentary exchanges with Sri Lanka, especially between young parliamentarians.Sri Lanka delegation is to meet the President of India Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and the representatives of parliamentary friendship association. TNA Slams Champika On Anti-Tamil Comment The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has demanded equal rights for Tamils and slammed a comment by a government minister who they say made derogatory comments against the Tamil population.“We will not allow the government or anyone else to treat the Tamils as a minority anymore. If the Sri Lankan government thinks the Sinhalese are the majority and the Tamils are the minority, then they are mistaken,” TNA MP Suresh Premachandran told The Sunday Leader.Government Minister Champika Ranawaka had on Tuesday July 26, said, “Just because they won a few councils they must not demand police and land powers. They need to take note of the fact that 56 per cent of the voters had voted to retain the unitary character of the country,” he said.He accused the TNA of trying to use the USA to try and intervene in order to win Tamil demands. “We the Sinhalese will not kneel down before the US or any other power. As long as the power of the saffron robe of the Buddhist monks remained they will not be able to achieve what they aim for,” Ranawaka added.Premachandran said that by making controversial remarks against the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, the government was only creating another rift between the two communities in the country. “Government ministers should be mindful of the remarks they make against the Tamil community. The Tamils will not allow or accept any foolish remarks made by certain Sinhalese government ministers,” Premachandran said.Sri Lanka is only just recovering from a brutal war which lasted nearly three decades in which the LTTE was demanding a separate state for the minority Tamil community. Following the defeat of the LTTE in 2009 the Tamil National Alliance, which had once accepted the policies of the rebels, began talks with the Sri Lankan government to find a solution to Tamil concerns. During recent local council elections the Tamil National Alliance won majority support in the Tamil dominated north of the country while the government won the polls in the Sinhalese dominated south. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to visit China next month Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to make another official visit to China in August.External Affairs Ministry officials confirmed the President's impending visit, but said dates of the visit are yet to be confirmed.Rajapaksa's visit to China next month comes less than a year after he made his last visit to that country. The President visited China last November as a special guest to attend the Expo 2010 Exhibition in Shanghai.China is Sri Lanka's single largest investor and is involved in many key development projects in the country. Two persons repatriated to Sri Lanka from Malaysia for links with LTTE Two people detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia for links with the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LLTE) have been repatriated to Sri Lanka.Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said details on the repatriation of the two will be revealed tomorrow.He said the ministry is considering to release Immigration Department officers detained under ISA for their involvement in human trafficking."We are considering to release the officers as they may have repented and want to be with family members during Ramadan. "Decision whether to release them or not is based on police information," he said after presenting aid for mosques and suraus in Sembrong parliamentary constituency in Nyior today.Any decision on the matter would be based on security and public order. The seven Immigration Department officers were arrested last year.Hishammuddin said human trafficking syndicates profited a lot from such activities."If the 500,000 illegal Bangladeshis in the country pay RM10,000 each to the syndicates, they stand to make RM5bil."On the release of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members from detention under the Emergency Ordinance, he said police are still investigating it."The Prime Minister has said action depends on directive from the Attoney-General's Chambers. I have to agree with AG's decision." Sri Lanka: Former Tamil Tigers complain of harassment Former Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels in Sri Lanka say they cannot find jobs or reintegrate into society, a year after they were freed from government "rehabilitation" and detention camps.In a series of exclusive interviews with the BBC, some also said they were being harassed by the security forces, though others were being left alone.After the LTTE were defeated in 2009, more than 11,000 former militants or alleged militants were taken to the special camps after being screened off from civilian war refugees. A few thousand remain inside but more than half have been released, in phases, and gone home.In Jaffna I called on Kumarasamy Muralitharan, nine months after I met him on his release.He is an ex-LTTE doctor who was trained in the militants' medical colleges and served for 20 years in their medical wing. When I met him in October he wondered nervously whether his qualifications would get him a job as a doctor in post-war Sri Lanka, and whether he would be accepted by society.Neither has happened. He now owns a small clinic but can't work. Provincial officials have told him they only recognise him as a person released from custody, not as someone medically trained.He talks to me in his rented accommodation by the clinic, his wife, parents and one of his young children around him and family photos on the walls including one of his brother's graduation.It is quiet with just the sounds of birdsong and bells from a temple or church. He would love the chance to sit a government medical exam but he has been given no guidance or encouragement to do so."There are more than 15 [former LTTE doctors] like me who've completed MBBS [Bachelor of Medicine]-level qualifications here," he says in English. All would happily do government jobs, he says. "I'm ready to face any exam by the government if there is any chance given."Dr Kumarasamy does not try to conceal his past life - "news spreads very quickly around this community," he says. People don't avoid his clinic or shun him, but he says their attitude to him is "affected by the media and political news". Most seem to fear that if they come too close to him they will suffer some sort of reprisal. The BBC also met two other ex-Tigers, former fighters who did not wish their identities to be revealed. "Kumar", aged 33, served 15 years with the militants, latterly in a powerful regiment closely connected with the LTTE leader, Prabhakaran, and "Ganesh", aged 23, was forcibly recruited and served five years.Kumar has no job 13 months after being freed from a tough detention camp. Harassment? "I've tried so many places to find a job," he says. "After I was released, the government did give me training in driving, and a certificate. There were 130 driving jobs allotted to us in the transport board, but politicians gave them to other people."He says people do not view the LTTE negatively but shy away from him because if they meet him, army intelligence will go and question them. He and Ganesh - also released a year ago - both say the security forces are keeping a close watch on them which they find oppressive."We are living under army surveillance," says Kumar. " They give us lots of problems, they call us for registration or meetings with no notice. We have to register if we go anywhere. They even monitor our houses."Ganesh says that when a crime is committed, the army and police suspect former LTTE members first, and their families fear they will be rearrested.I put it to him that the government must feel a need to keep a close watch on him and others because of the LTTE's violent record.Ganesh responds by saying that many of the worst LTTE acts were committed by people who served many years with the organisation including "people who are now on the government's side"."Most of us were only in the LTTE for a limited time. We only want to look after our families. By monitoring us they make us feel we can't go on living in Sri Lanka," he says. Many ex-detainees have indeed gone abroad, I am told.In contrast Dr Muralitharan says that - to his surprise - the security forces have left him completely alone and have not visited or phoned him since his release from the camp.Sri Lanka's military spokesman and the commissioner-general of rehabilitation both declined to give interviews to the BBC. But the secretary to the ministry of rehabilitation, Ariyasiri Dissnayake, did speak to us and denied any knowledge of the security forces picking on ex-rebels."The president has given a general pardon to them," he said. "That means that we have given up all the past memories of them, that now we consider them as our brother citizens. I don't think security forces take discriminatory actions because all security forces which I have seen, they all have good connections with that young crowd. They are good friends." The commissioner-general recently said meetings are held with community leaders to try to change ordinary people's non-acceptance of the ex-militants.Officials did tell us, off the record, that rehabilitation is not considered to end as soon as the former LTTE members leave the camps, and that for at least six months after their release they must register at the police station and are not allowed to migrate domestically or abroad. A close eye is kept on them, we were told. There do not seem to be clear regulations on this.At the same time, the government is publicising one village development scheme in which it says former LTTE members are voluntarily participating. It says the International Labour Organisation and others are funding livelihood programmes for ex-combatants. Ties to the past The three I met do not appear to have been given such opportunities.Nor have they let go of the past. Dr Kumarasamy says that when people tell him, "the past is the past, the war is over", he does not feel happy."We sacrificed our lives during that era," he says. "Every family has a martyr. They sacrificed one or two children per family in the Jaffna peninsula." Surely they sacrificed them to the LTTE? "It's not like that. That was only in the latter part of the war," he says.And his view of the future is a nervous one, clouded by uncertainty.He feels his overall situation is slowly improving, but "I don't know what's beneath the iceberg".As for Ganesh, it is a year since he finished "rehabilitation" but the dominant emotion is still a feeling of defeat, not of peace or happiness, he says.
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