29 February 2008

MP objects to SLA video-filming residents during cordon, search

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Ampaa'rai district K. Pathmanathan sent an appeal to Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse and Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse protesting against the video taping of residents by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers during cordon and search operation conducted 20 February in Aalayadiveampu area in Akkaraipattu. People were also harrassed during the interrogation and these are violations of basic human rights, the MP said in the appeal. "People irrespective of their age or gender, Regional Council Members and staff in Aalayadiveampu were rounded up and made to stand in the scorching sun from 8:00 a.m to 8:30 p.m on 20 February. From morning till night they had to stay at one place without food and water. This is a gross human rights violation," the appeal said."Government officials too had been taken away during their duty time and subjected to harsh treatment by the SLA. Recently when the people of Vavuniyaa made representation to Vavuniya Magistrate against SLA video-filming them, the magistrate had given a verdict that such an act was against the law. "Does this verdict apply only to Vavuniyaa? Could law differ from region to region?" the MP questioned in his appeal."I urge the President and the Defence Secretary to immediately direct the SLA and the Police not to harass people and government officials," Pathmanathan said in his appeal. SLA has conducted cordon and search operations several times in Aalayadiveampu area in Akkaraipattu police division in Ampaa'rai district during the recent past, residents in Aalayadiveampu said.

We quit ministry portfolios to protect Muslims’ rights – Hakeem

Speaking at the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) local government election meeting in Valaichcheni, party leader Ruaff Hakeem said that he was even ready to sacrifice his life on Valaichchenai soil wearing the party cap and shawl. A politician of Valaichchenai who betrayed the Muslim community and was now enjoying a ministry portfolio had threatened that he would be slain if he came to Valaichchenai for election campaigns but he was ready to face that threat, he said. The Minister in question who was elected on SLMC ticket has now become a full time organizer of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) totally surrendering himself to that party, Hakeem said. The people of Valaichchenai had always stood by the SLMC and safeguarded the interest of the community in spite of threats from traitors, he further said.Several armed groups were resorting to violence and threats against the SLMC candidates contesting the upcoming local government polls in order to dissuade them while on the other hand efforts are being made to deprive SLMC MPs of their official security, he said."We quit the government to safeguard our dignity because the government boasted to the international community of goodwill and political alliance with the entire Muslim community. They are talking loud about development works but what the Tamils and Muslims get is only the residue," he said."The armed groups are resorting to violence and mayhem to deter our candidates from contesting the elections. They lob hand grenades, shoot, burn tyres and issue death threats. The hands of the police seem to be tied due to pressure from higher ups. Instead of taking stern action against such violence and producing the culprits in Courts, they are seeking amicable settlements. The police should file action and take them to Court. We are not going to be Opposition parliamentarians for ever. When we come to power we will give due respect to police officers who honour their uniforms and perform their duties impartially," he said."When nominations were called for the local government polls, the minister representing this region told all mosque administration committees that only the ruling party should contest and win the elections for making it possible for him to delimitate regional borders and consequently secure an independent Pradeshiya Sabha and Divisional Secretariat. It was a false pledge to prevent other political parties from contesting the elections. We challenged him to do it before elections so that the SLMC would reconsider its future plans with regard to the elections. We said that we were also ready to forgive him for his alliance with the government, if he could achieve it,".

Families of slain MP, Minister to get Rs 5 mn each

The families of slain UNP MP T. Maheswaran and Nation Building Minister D.M. Dassanayake, will be provided a "sympathetic allowance" of Rs 5 million each, the government announced yesterday.Maheswaran, was shot dead by a gunman while he was worshipping at a temple in Colombo on January 1, while Dassanayake was the victim of a remote controlled LTTE bomb explosion.The monies will be handed over to the late Maheswaran’s wife and Dassanayake’s daughter, Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said.

Changkilian Force threatens officials to stop Jaffna census activity

Jaffna Government Agent (GA), Regional and Divisional Secretaries and officials involved in taking census in Jaffna peninsula have received warning notices signed by Changkilian Padai (Force) asking them to stop all census taking immediately, sources in Jaffna said. The note said that the census effort was launched by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) with hidden military motives, and warned that failure to comply will result in drastic actions. In 1998 and 2000, attempts to take census in Jaffna peninsula had stalled due to similar warnings by Changkilian Force.The GoSL is conducting the special census only in the north and east of Sri Lanka to reduce the facilities provided to people on the basis of population statistics and for other sinister military motives, the letters to the above officials said.The notice also mentioned that Changkilian Force had already warned officials not to engage in census taking activities in September 2007.If you are compelled by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the police to take census you have to resign your posts, the warning notice said.Census taking in Jaffna peninsula which had been stopped half-way was resumed a week ago on the orders of Jaffna GA.Census officials, assisted by Village Officers and guarded by SLA and police, have been visiting each house in their are to collect particulars.Major part of the census has been covered, Jaffna Secretariat sources said. Census officials have been forced into a difficult predicament with pressure from the SLA and police in Jaffna peninsula to carry out the census, and threats from Changkilian Force to stop census activity, civil society sources in Jaffna said.

Update from Mannar and Vavuniya fronts       

It has been more than a month since the army officially launched the operation to capture major LTTE bases in Wanni. The operation is spanned across five fronts and is spearheaded by 5 infantry divisions of the army. Out of these battlefronts, Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli-Oya areas have seen the bulk of the fighting for the past week. Current positions of SLA formations in Vavuniya and Mannar are as follows.Three brigades of the army's 57th division are spearheading the attacks from Vavuniya front. Their next major milestone is the sacred Madhu shrine which is currently in an area under LTTE control.

Brigade Starting Position- Current Position - Next Milestone
57-1 Iranai Iluppaikulam-Vauniya Mullikulam -LTTE artillery base at Palampiddy
57-2 Vavuniya North- Periya Pandivrichcan- Madhu
57-3 Vavuniya North- Vilathikulam -Madhu

The closest distance to the Madhu shrine from SLA positions in the area is 1.75KM.

In Mannar front, the 58th division (also known as task force 01 -2 Commando, 6,8,9 Gemnu Watch, 10 Singha and 10 Gajaba) are advancing towards Adampan. TF01 too has adapted a three pronged strategy similar to that adapted by the 57th division.

Brigade Starting Position- Current Position- Next Milestone
58-1 Uliyankulam South- Parappakandal North- Adampan Town Center
58-2 Manthai- Vivatennakulam -Adampan Town Center
58-3 Uliyankulam West -Palaiootru -Adampan Town Center

The closest distance to Adampan town from SLA positions in the area is 700m.
 
Air Force Pounds LTTE Artillery Commanding Center

Air Force jets bombed an LTTE artillery command centre and an underground bunker located in the PALAI area, in JAFFNA yesterday (28), at around 11.10a.m, said the spokesperson of Media Centre for National Security. This target was located at Kulampaikulama, 3Km South East of palai.Fighter pilots have confirmed that commanding center in this facility was completely destroyed and that this facility was heavily fortified and protected.

LTTE cadre killed in STF ambush - Batticaloa

A LTTE cadre was killed ambushed yesterday morning (28) by Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel in general area Vellaveli, Batticaloa.According to military reports, troops on receiving early information of an LTTE movement in the area have laid an ambush in a semi-jungle patch and gunned down a LTTE cadre at around 5 a.m. The troops have managed to recover an LTTE body which was later brought to the general hospital at Batticaloa for post- mortem and magisterial inquiry. During subsequent search operations conducted troops also found a T56 Assault rifle 01, Claymore mine (20 kg) 01, T56 Magazines 03, Detonator 01, Hand Grenade01, Wire roll 01, 9 Volt battery 01, Cello tape roll 01, Pouch 01, Bandage roll 01.

Tigers blame army for civilian deaths
 
The Tamil Tigers say Sri Lanka's military set off two roadside bombs in a rebel controlled area in Wednesday, killing eight civilians. A spokesman for the military denied they'd carried out the attacks. Fighting is continuing between the rebels and government forces in the past few days. Clashes on the island has intensified since the government pulled out of a ceasefire with the rebels earlier this year. The Tamil Tigers say the attacks on civilians took place seven hours apart in two locations in the area they control in northern Sri Lanka. According to a statement on the rebels website both the bombs targeted people travelling in trailers being pulled by tractors.

Eight civilians killed

The Tigers said eight civilians were killed and they blamed the Sri Lankan army.But the military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, denied they were responsible he did admit though that so called, deep penetration units, are operating behind the rebels lines. Last week the Tigers claimed an air strike killed eight civilians, three of them children and the air force said the target they hit was a base of the rebels naval wing. Meanwhile the military say nine rebels were killed in fighting on the frontlines in the north on Wednesday. It raises the number of Tigers killed by security forces since Tuesday to twenty four.

1660 Tigers killed in 2008

Defence ministry say, 1,660 rebels have been killed so far this year. The security forces estimate the Tigers' strength at the beginning of the year at 3,000 and revised it to 5,000 combatants this month. The ministry says 94 soldiers and police have also been killed in 2008.Casualty figures provided by both sides differ significantly and cannot be independently verified as journalists are not allowed in conflict areas. Journalists and human rights workers have restricted access to the front line and there are no independent media operating from rebel-held areas.

28 February 2008

Tigers will negotiate if A9 opens: TNA
   
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said yesterday it could prevail upon the LTTE to return to the negotiation table in the event of a positive announcement by the Government to resume the peace process.TELO Jaffna district MP N. Srikantha told the Daily Mirror yesterday that it was all the more welcome if the announcement is accompanied by the re-opening on the A9 road as a gesture of goodwill.Mr. Srikantha said that it could thus spare the people in the North of hardships and sufferings now being experienced by them. “In such an event, we are confident that the LTTE will be bound to respond positively to such a move. The TNA is willing to play its due role in this regard,” he said.Commenting on the Government’s move to implement the 13th Amendment in full, he said that the TNA had no quarrel over the decision of the Government in this regard, and said this provision had been there in the Constitution for the last 20 years. “It was brought in when the Northern and Eastern Provinces were merged by a Presidential proclamation by President J.R. Jayewardene under the emergency regulations. What is significant was that the Government has now decided to implement the 13th Amendment while the two provinces had been de-merged by a judgment of the Supreme Court,” he said.He said that the Supreme Court, in the judgment, while declaring the legal procedure adopted to merge the two provinces was null and void, indicated that if the Government desired the merger it could be re-effected in accordance with the Constitution. “The Government, while being not at all concerned about this issue, seems to be serious about implementing the 13th Amendment in full, and now the UNP had pledged its support to this move. As far as Tamil people are concerned, the urgent need is to stop the ongoing war and resume peace negotiations between the Government and the LTTE to find a permanent and viable solution to the ethnic conflict,” he said.He said that any interim arrangement is not going to help, and while the country is engulfed in an atmosphere of violence, the immediate task would be to halt hostile activities on the part of both parties to the military conflict. 

ANALYSIS-Sri Lanka ahead in war, but don't write off rebels

Sri Lanka's government has the upper hand in a new phase of a 25-year civil war against the Tamil Tigers, but it would be foolish to write the rebels off, experts say.After opting to take the war to the rebels and formally scrapping a six-year truce, the government banished Nordic truce monitors who were cataloging violence and accused elements of the military of an aid worker massacre and other rights abuses.With no monitors, and a United Nations human rights monitoring mission ruled out by a government increasingly isolated from the international community over human rights and accountability, there are no independent battlefield accounts.Instead, the foes are locked in a parallel propaganda war and seen inflating enemy losses and playing down their own.The military issues regular statements saying dozens of Tigers have been killed, often for the loss of few if any soldiers. They seldom offer proof or show bodies, saying they have intercepted rebel radio communications.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who want to carve out an independent state in the north and east and who seem to be increasingly targeting civilians with roadside and suicide bombings across the country, laugh off the tolls.Since the start of 2006, a total of 6,486 rebels, 1,196 military personnel and 982 civilians have been killed, the military says, estimating there are now only around 5,000 rebel fighters still alive.

NUMBERS GAME

"One cannot really measure success or failure in the war purely on the strength of the statistics," Athas said. "The death toll figures are meaningless."The government says the figures show they are winning."Certainly they reflect the forward march of the forces," said Keheliya Rambukwella, a minister and government defence spokesman, dismissing suspicions that the military is playing down troop death tolls or even dumping bodies. The death toll reports help to sustain an aura of confidence President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government is projecting, seen as crucial in the battle to maintain the support of the majority ethnic Sinhalese, who dominate the south.Rajapaksa's government has a razor-thin parliamentary majority, and in the topsy-turvy world of Sri Lankan politics and cross-overs that leaves it vulnerable."(The south) bought the argument that one has to defeat terrorism, and they're willing to do the economic sacrifice for it," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of independent think-tank the Centre for Policy Alternatives."But that is only sustained as long as the government will keep demonstrating that victory is both certain and imminent and that sacrifice is worth bearing," he added.And that means flying a flag in the de facto rebel capital, Kilinochchi, 205 miles (330 km) northeast of Colombo, he said.The stock market slid nearly 7 percent in 2007 due mainly to the conflict, with some businesses shelving investment plans, while tourist arrivals fell 12 percent last year. However tourists are still visiting.Compounding matters, the government is struggling to bring down inflation, which at 17.6 percent in January is running at near 17-year highs, while increased defence spending is putting additional pressure on its budget.The Tigers continue to mount attacks in the south, launching a spectacular raid on a northern air base using 21 suicide fighters and a homegrown air wing of light aircraft in October.But with improved military training and tactics, an armed forces of around 200,000-strong versus Tiger strength estimated at around 5,000-10,000, and superior fire power that includes a clutch of reconditioned fighted jets, some believe the government can utlimately defeat the Tigers militarily.But without real political devolution for the minority Tamil community, such military gains could be wasted."I think it's quite clear that at the moment the LTTE is on the back of a very long run of significant military reversals," said a foreign diplomat on condition of anonymity. "The difference really is air power.""The army has got the numerical advantage for an attritional campaign ... I really don't see a situation where we suddenly see the Sri Lankan army necessarily defeated. But you could foresee a situation where it becomes bogged down."

Clashes between Weerawanshe and Somawanshe

'Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna will be separated into two very soon as the struggles and hunger for power between the JVP Leader Mr. Somawanse Amerasinghe and it's Propaganda Secretary, Mr. Wimal Weerawanse', said inside information sources. Having personal connections with the President, Mr. Wimal Weerawanshe and his group are backing the Government while Mr. Somawanse Amerasinghe's group are heavily criticizing Mr. Weerawanse's behaviour towards the Government. This is the main reason for the separation. It is revealed that Mr. Somawanse Amerasinghe's group has already won the support of internal organizations of JVP and Mr. Wimal Weerawanse's group has won the support of affiliated organizations of the JVP. It is also stated that this already reveals Mr. Wimal Weerawanse's behaviour on the expel of Mr. Nandana Gunathilake, Member of JVP Political Bureau and his current behaviour.

Relations with CPI(M) good, says JVP

The Sri Lankan Marxist JVP party today underlined its close relations with the Communist Party of India-Marxist despite not being invited for the CPI(M) conclave in Tamil Nadu next month. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which is usually amongst the invitees for the CPI-M's Congress, has been overlooked for the left party's conclave this year in Coimbatore from March 29 to April 3."We have not been invited," said R. Chandrasekaran, a senior JVP member and the Tamil face of the party. It is being felt that the JVP supremo Somawansa Amar Singhe's recent utterances against India could be the reason for the Indian communist party not extending an invitation to the Island country's left party to attend the meeting. "Our relations with the CPI(M) will in no way be affected due to our not being invited for the conclave and it will remain good," Chandrasekaran told PTI. He maintained that the JVP will have to act in its national interest and would stick to its stand of a military option for bringing peace in the Island country in the backdrop of failure of peace overtures to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "Have we dictated terms to India on what they should do in Kashmir. Everyone knows that despite several attempts by the (Sri Lankan) government to bring the LTTE to the negotiating table, the militant group refuses to give up arms and chooses to undertake attacks", he said. Chandrasekaran said some leaders in India are adamant on settling the ethnic conflict in the Island country only through negotiations "irrespective of the ground conditions".

EPRLF, PLOTE concerned at possible rigging

The EPRLF and PLOTE yesterday informed the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) of their concern over the possible rigging of the March 10 local government poll in Batticaloa.EPRLF leader P. Sritharan and PLOTE leader S. Sitharthan who called on PAFFREL chairman Kingsley Rodrigo raised concerns about possible election violence on the day of polling.The two parties are fielding candidates for the election as an independent group under the apple symbol.The EPDP - a party of the ruling coalition - is also a constituent of the electoral alliance. Mr. Rodrigo told the Daily Mirror yesterday that though these parties sought the maximum support from PAFFREL to ensure a free and fair election in the East, his organizations had its limitations.On Tuesday, EPDP leader and Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda also complained about violence unleashed on his party men in Batticaloa in the run up to the election. However, the PAFFREL chairman said the Government was very optimistic about the success of the forthcoming election.“I met UPFA Secretary Minister Susil Premajayantha this morning. According to him, the election campaign is going on smoothly. He is very happy about the situation,” Mr. Rodrigo said.Meanwhile, TMVP spokesman Azad Moulana said that he, on behalf his party, had already assured its fullest co-operation to ensure a violence free election.He said that the party’s armed wing is now confined to the jungle areas on instructions from the party leadership, but the EPRLF, PLOTE and EPDP wants to create trouble and hence is blaming the TMVP.“These parties do not like to have a free and fair poll. Should there be a peaceful election, the TMVP will sweep the board. So, they want to create unnecessary trouble and pin the blame on us,” he said.

8 civilians killed in SLA DPU attacks in Vanni

Eight innocent civilians riding in tractors were killed in two different Claymore attacks carried out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit teams that had infiltrated into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas on either sides of the A9 road, north of Vavuniyaa on Wednesday. The first attack, in which four civilians were killed, was reported at Panangkaamam in Moon'ru Mu'rippu GS area of Maanthai East division in Mullaiththeevu district at 1:50 p.m. The second attack was reported at 8:30 p.m. in which another four civilians were slain while they were riding in a tractor from Maruthoadai to Olumadu. The victims of the DPU attack in Panangkaamam were identified as Parthipan, 18, Shanmugalingam Thavarasa, Selvaratnam Senthooran and Kunapalasingham Jegagiritharan. All the four were killed on the spot. The victims of the second attack were identified as Vimalathas, Kandasamy, Mariyan and Vijayakumar. Further details are not available at the moment.

Polls to 're-establish' democracy  
 
The government of Sri Lanka has categorically denied accusations that the upcoming elections in the east are marred with violence.Defence Affairs spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, accused the opposition parties of trying to portray a 'bleak picture' on the overall picture in the east. Admitting he was mainly referring to the main opposition, United National Party (UNP), the minister described UNP accusation as 'a serious crime' at a time government is trying to 're-establish democray' in the east. There have been 26 minor incidents in the east since election campaign started, he said.

Fact finding mission

Political parties representing the opposition and the government alliance have expressed concern whether the security situation is conducive to conduct elections. Local elections for Batticaloa Municipal Council and eight other local bodies are to be held on 10 March. However, a group of human rights activists travelled to the north and east on a fact finding mission contradicted Minister Rambukwella's remarks. Leading activist and Counsel, Nimalka Fernando, said thousands of displaced people in refugee camps questioned the meaning of 'Neganahira Navodaya (Rising of the east)' while thousands are yet to be resettled. "And many regard the elections as a means of grabbing huge money offered to Neganahira Navodaya'," she told journalists after arriving in Colombo. Activist and Counsel Sudharshana Gunawardane said some candidates for the local polls are still carrying arms in the area.In Jaffna, prominent human rights activist Sunila Abeysekara said farmers and fisher community are the most affected by the ongoing conflict. Those who have surrendered to the authorities for their own protection are kept in two house with a very few facilities, she added."There is no prison in Jaffna. Nearly 300 to 500 people are kept in 10 rooms in two separate houses," Ms. Abeysekara said.

Britain to get tough with Sri Lanka - Minister

Britain will be pressing Sri Lanka’s hardline government for greater access for senior UN officials and would join European allies in taking a stronger position against Colombo over human rights abuses. In a meeting with Tamil Diaspora representatives at the British Foreign Office on Monday, Foreign Minister Lord Malloch-Brown said he would personally be attending the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva next week to press the point. The government of President Rajapakse had “made political process secondary to military process,” the British Tamil Forum, a Diaspora advocacy group which attended the meeting, quoted the Minister as saying.Lord Malloch-Brown observed that there are two key issues with regards to Sri Lanka’s conduct: prosecution of war and failure to enter into serious negotiation, and human rights issues, the BTF said.“I have told the [Sri Lankan] President, Foreign Minister and visiting delegation that we do not find the political process credible or serious. We feel that we really sought to push for a political negotiation as a way forward. There is no military solution to this problem,” Lord Malloch-Brown said.“We are going to go on pushing hard to put the political negotiation back on track,” he said adding this will not be done from a bilateral position but by working closely with Europe, UN and the Commonwealth.The UK will be demanding and pressing hard for wider access by Sir John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, he said.The UK will also demand that all recommendations made by Louise Arbour, Head of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Ms. Coomarasamy be implemented in full. The purpose of the meeting called on Monday by the FCO was to engage with the Tamil Diaspora and understand their perspective to the conflict in Sri Lanka, the BTF statement said.It was attended by Parliamentarians from Britain’s three major parties and members from the House of Lords heard views were made by different Diaspora representatives. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Gajan Ponnambalam was also present and spoke as part of the Tamil community.Britain will support political solution with major devolution of power to the Tamil areas, Lord Malloch-Brown said, adding that Britain could not support independence for Tamils.The BTF argued that UK and the rest of the international community “must explicitly make their support for Sri Lanka unity and territorial integrity conditional on the Tamil people collectively being satisfied with the state’s sharing of power and its governance.”“Tamils safety and political future can only be guaranteed if the Sri Lankan state is restrained by international law,” the BTF told the meeting, adding that the international community must, on this basis, support the Tamils’ claim for independence, just as it had supported the Kosovars’.“At independence in 1948 Sri Lankan State was entrusted with all minorities’ rights,” BTF spoksman Suren Surendiran told the meeting. “They have abused the trust against Tamils, human rights, free speech, pluralism and denounce the demand for statehood.”He pointed out that in the 1977 elections, long before the armed conflict began, the overwhelming majority of Tamils voted for an Independent State as the only way to escape state repression.TNA MP Ponnambalam noted that “even though I am an elected member of parliament I cannot espouse the wishes of the vast majority [of the Tamil] due to the 6th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution [which outlaws advocacy of independence].”Mr. Ponnambalam reiterated the position adopted by the TNA when it met Lord Malloch-Brown last summer, arguing that UK should make its development assistance conditional on human rights, progress in the political negotiations and implementation of the ceasefire agreement.The UK should seriously consider trade and travel bans on Sri Lanka and the international community must take up the position that if the right to internal self determination of the Tamil people is denied any further, the right to external self determination of the Tamil people will have to be inevitably recognised, he said.Whilst Lord Naseby, an advocate of the Sri Lankan government’s stance had denounced the BTF and its views, sources at the meeting said. However the organisation had been praised by Parliamentarians and the Foreign Minister had also welcomed their engagement with the British government.“It is extremely important and absolutely correct for you as British citizens to organise and demand sympathy and support for your objectives from your local MPs. This is how the British democracy works,” Lord Malloch-Brown was quoted as telling the meeting.“I wish the Sri Lankan democracy also worked that way. I want to register that point.”Noting that “the British Tamils Forum has been labeled ‘terrorists’ and there had been some smear campaigns,” he observed: “I can draw parallel to my own experience. I have lived in the US for 21years. My wife is Irish American. We have been in the same position as you are. How do we support the change that we want in Northern Ireland while making sure that one doesn’t actually support violent acts against the British or the British Army?”“There is always a case for freedom struggle and self determination,” the British Foreign Minister said.

TULF Blames JHU and MEP for withdrawing form the APRC

The threat to withdraw from the APRC by the representative of both JHU and the MEP is shocking says the TULF president V. Anandasangaree in a press release.

Below the excerpts of his statement

I am perturbed over the decision of the APRC to postpone the meeting of the APRC due to the objections raised by the representatives of some political parties demanding the inclusion of the TMVP at its deliberations. I understand that the TMVP have claimed that they are the real representatives of the Eastern People and that no deliberations can take place representatives of the East should not be entertained. This claim is almost similar to the claims of both the LTTE and the TMVP should be rejected.The threat to withdraw from the APRC by the representative of both JHU and the MEP is shocking. The reason given for their withdrawing form the APRC is more shocking. Representatives of both these parties who have attended more than 64 meetings should have gained much experience and should not encourage anybody claiming sole representation or real representation of any ethnic group or of any part of the country. Furthermore the APRC is constituted with representatives of parties that have representation in Parliament.I needless say that the country is bleeding profusely. We must stop it and the only way to do it is to find a solution as quickly as possible and leave it to the International Community to deal with the LTTE. Innocent people are dying every day. I foresee a disastrous end to the APRC and sincerely appeal to everybody to see that the APRC Continues its task uninterruptedly.

Civil society collective calls for stop to B’caloa polls   
 
A civil society collective has called for an immediate stop to the process to hold elections for nine local government bodies in eastern Batticaloa district. After a two-day fact-finding mission to Batticaloa, they issued a report titled “Afraid to even say the word: Elections in Batticaloa” at a media briefing in Colombo today (Feb. 27th).“Batticaloa elections seem to be about legitimizing brutality through forced political authority and participation,” the report said. “The perpetrators of violence have sought to make a good impression on election monitors as they seek to legitimize their influence on local communities by entering mainstream politics while retaining their arms and using them as they wish,” the report said. “Faced with mortal fear of post-election retaliation, affected communities feel unable to report violations or even protest against them…People are not interested in elections, was a consistent statement expressed by the people of Batticaloa.” The report also calls for the appointment of the Constitutional Council and independent commissions in keeping with the 17 Amendment, disarming all armed groups and improving the freedom of movement in Batticaloa District The group had met with the displaced, victims of election-related violence and community-based and non-governmental organizations.The fact-finding mission comprised the Citizen's Committee for Forcible Eviction of People, the Commission for Justice, Peace, Human Rights and Human Development, the Community Trust Fund, the International Movement Against Discrimination and Racism, the Justice and Peace for Integration of Creation, the Law & Society Trust, the Rights Now - Collective for Democracy and two others.

27 February 2008

UNP calls on President to implement 13th Amendment

The UNP yesterday informed President Mahinda Rajapakse that the 13th Amendment to the constitution was part of the law of the country and that there was no bar to its implementation.This UNP position was brought to the President’s notice when the party met with the government delegation yesterday at Temple Trees.The government delegation comprised President Rajapakse, Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Tissa Vitharana and Prof. Wishva Warnapala. The UNP delegation comprised, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and MPs Rukman Senanayake and K.N. Choksy.The Morning Leader learns that President Rajapakse had at the outset asked what the UNP’s position was with regard to the APRC proposals.The UNP had said that the interim report states a final report would be issued shortly and that the party was awaiting that report.Informed sources said the President had inquired whether the UNP supported the interim report. The UNP it is learnt had told the President that if he was inquiring after the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the constitution, it is already part of the law and that no one would question its implementation.The UNP had further said that the party had submitted its proposals to Minister Vitharana months earlier and that if the final report is based on those proposals the party would support it. The President had also told the UNP delegation that the government intends holding provincial council elections in the east and asked what the party’s position would be. It is learnt the UNP informed the President that the climate was not conducive for holding elections in the east and that if the government insists on holding the elections, it will be difficult for the party to participate in it.The UNP had further called up on the President to implement the 17th Amendment to the constitution, which provided for the Constitutional Council.It is learnt the President had told the UNP that there was a parliamentary select committee studying the 17th Amendment and that once the process is completed, he would implement the amendment.The UNP however had pointed out that the 17th amendment was already part of the law of the country and he had a duty to implement it."When the select committee completes its sittings and submits the report, then at that stage any amendments can be considered. Until such time the 17th Amendment, which provides for the appointment of the Constitutional Council should be implemented," the UNP had said.

'Charge or release' LTTE suspects
 
The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka have ordered Attorney General (AG) to take steps to relase LTTE suspects if no evidence found against them.It is 'unacceptable' that these suspects are kept in remand for long periods such as 12 months, Chief Justice (CJ) Sarath Nanda Silva observed. The CJ made the re marks as a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by a resident in Jaffna, Sinnathurai Mohan, was taken for hearing. Mr. Mohan has filed the petition against keeping him for over one and half years in remand custody. The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) informed the judiciary that about 116 Tamil nationals are currently held in remand custody. CJ Sarath Silva ordered TID to submit all the files related to the suspects to the AG.The AG was ordered to classify the files according to the charges and file charges against those there is evidence.The AG was also ordered to report on 10 March on the progress of the steps taken to implement the order.

India insists on political solution  
   
Indian President Pratibha Patil, in her customary policy statement at the beginning of the Budget Session said there could be no military solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic issue. “There has been an unfortunate increase in violence in Sri Lanka. We are clear that there can be no military solution to the ethnic issue. It is necessary to find a negotiated political settlement acceptable to all sections of society within the framework of a united Sri Lanka,” Ms. Patil told parliamentarians at the Central Hall on Monday.The Indian policy stance on Sri Lanka comes amid protests by the JVP and other extremist sections in the country accusing India of again meddling in the affairs of Sri Lanka. Reports said the recent push for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as an interim measure towards a political solution was an Indian initiative. “The foreign policy of my government seeks to promote an environment of peace and stability in our region and in the world to facilitate accelerated socio-economic development and safeguard our national security. Our government has made vigorous efforts to develop friendly and cooperative relations with all our neighbours and to strengthen engagement with major powers. Since the 14th SAARC summit in New Delhi in April last year, India has made every effort to strengthen SAARC, moving it from a declaratory to an implementation phase. Progress has been registered towards the establishment of the SAARC Development Fund, the South Asia University and the SAARC Food Bank,” she said. The Indian President said commenting further on the region.

Prabha hale and hearty claims LTTE

The Tigers denied claims made by the government that its leader was ailing and that the LTTE was headed by its intelligence head, Pottu Amman.The LTTE denial came following reports that its leader, Velupillai Pirapaharan was seriously ill and as a result, his leg was amputated.LTTE military spokesperson I. Ilanthirayan told The Morning Leader that the government has been engaged in cheap and futile propaganda. "We cannot deny each and every claim made by the government. We cannot go cheap like that. However, there is no truth in all these claims," he said.He also stated that the government had made similar claims with regard to the LTTE leader during the recent past."The Sri Lankan government has made such claims in the past. It has been doing so during the last six to seven months," Ilanthirayan added.

Devananda complains to PAFFREL

With the local government election campaign in the east hotting up, EPDP leader and Minister, Douglas Devananda, lodged seven complaints with People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), regarding election violence in Batticaloa.Mr. Devananda apprised PAFFREL chairman, Mr. Kingsley Rodrigo, of the incidents when they met yesterday. Mr. Rodrigo told the Daily Mirror that the minister had expressed concern over the violence that his party men had to undergo when electioneering in the East. He said that, apart from that, the EPDP leader approved of the government holding this mini poll at this time.   He said that he would also meet UPFA Secretary and Education Minister Susil Premajayantha today to discuss election-related issues.PAFFREL has now received 25 complaints from various political parties and independent groups who are in the fray. Of them, seven relate to incidents of intimidation, five to assaults, three to bomb attacks and one to abduction. Of the political parties in the running, the SLMC has made seven complaints (the highest number) to the local election monitoring watch, the UPFA six and the TMVP three. The elections will be held to elect representatives to nine local bodies, including the Batticaloa Municipal Council.  An alarming situation was created in the area today when intelligence reports were released to the effect that 13 LTTE suicide cadres had entered the area to wreak havoc during the elections. 

Top UN Official Fails To Meet Tamil, Muslim Parties

A top UN official who was in Sri Lanka to study the worsening ethnic conflict in the island went back Tuesday without meeting leaders of the Tamil and Muslim minorities. UN Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs Angela Kane met ministers, officials, and leaders of a radical Sinhalese political party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), but avoided the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), two of the biggest political parties of the minorities.She did not meet the Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) that keeps a watch on human rights violations, particularly in multi-ethnic Colombo.Reacting angrily, head of the CMC and MP Mano Ganeshan said that it was highly iniquitous on the part of the UN official to have met the JVP and avoided the parties of the minorities.He told IANS that while the minorities were the victims of the on-going war, the JVP, as an avowed representative of the majority Sinhalese, was goading the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to keep fighting the Tamils and not talk about devolving power to them before the war was over.'I do believe that she was wanting to meet us, but she was prevented from doing so by the government,' Ganeshan charged.He said that Kane called him up before leaving the country and apologised, saying that her programme had been tight. But he told her that it was very regrettable that she should have met a communal party like JVP, and not the Tamils and the Muslims.Kane's visit had got 'too politicised', Ganeshan said.Asked for his comments, TNA leader R. Sampanthan said he would not like to be drawn into any controversy, as the Kane mission was 'highly delicate'.The UN official, who had come as the special representative of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, following trenchant international criticism of the Sri Lankan government's handling of the human rights violations in the island, had a lot of tightrope walking to do, political circles said.On the one hand, the Sri Lankan government had convincing arguments in favour of an aggressive posture in its war against the terrorism of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but on the other, there were rights violations that could not be overlooked.Kane had been briefed about the Sri Lankan situation by the UN agencies before she came here, and therefore, there was little new that she could have learnt by meeting the 'victims', political circles said.Her real mission was not to gather information anew but to give a powerful message to the Sri Lankan government, said a Tamil source who did not want to be identified.'We learn that the UN secretary general had wanted her to convey a message to the Sri Lankan leadership, which she did,' the source said.Kane visited Batticaloa, where the military operations in 2006 and 2007 had displaced about 250,000 people. But she did not visit the northern district of Jaffna and the rebel held Wanni.

LTTE at its lowest ebb: Report
 
Predicting that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's decline is "inevitable" in the current situation, the Jane's intelligence review has said the outfit is reeling under recruitment difficulties and international pressure over overseas fundraising and weapons procurement."With its maritime supply routes likely to become limited by its loss of land in north-west, unless a new political or military variable enters the equation, the decline of the LTTE is inevitable," it said.The think tank said even the deadly LTTE attack in October, 2007, at the Anuradhapura air base that led to the destruction of some Sri Lankan aircraft fleet, would not reverse the outfit's setbacks."The recent ground and air attack in Anuradhapura, despite its psychological impact, is unlikely to reverse the perilous position of the LTTE now at its lowest ebb since the Indian intervention of late 1980s," the report says.Indeed, the death of LTTE political head Thamilselvan in an air strike on November 2, 2007, came a day after the LTTE leadership conferred honours on the Air Tiger pilots involved in the Anuradhapura attack, it said.It says air superiority was an integral part of the government's eastern victories earlier in the year and was likely to play a vital role in the government's campaign of attrition along the north-western coast. "It is therefore likely the LTTE will attempt further attacks on Sri Lankan Airforce Facilities facilities, while committing its forces to slow the army's advance in south-western Vanni," the Jane's study said.The study observed that current guerrilla tactics of the LTTE in east have not been "numerous or audacious" enough to force the Sri Lankan forces to divert its personnel to tackle the unconventional war tactics."This means the government's northern campaign will slowly advance, seeking to bleed the LTTE by retaining artillery pressure on the Forward Defence Lines and capturing portions of uncleared territory where it can," the study said.It also raised a question mark on the deterioration of the Sea Tigers and the weak air force power of the LTTE."The denigration of the Sea Tiger fleet precludes all significant ability to dominate the coast or easily transport troops for strategic mobility. The limited aerial capabilities of the Tigers are high profile and may boost morale, but are of little tactical utility," the report said. The defence think tank, however, cautioned against completely writing off the resilient LTTE."This does not yet suggest an end to the conflict or a military defeat of the LTTE. While it may lose territory, a reversion to guerrilla warfare in the east will likely be matched by a similar tactic in the jungles of the Vanni," the report added.Weaponry will be supplied by "theft" from security forces, with the LTTE's estimated 7,000 fighters offering substantial resistance for years ahead, the journal said.The movement's end has been forecast on many occasions since its inception in the 1970s, and the group has proven "adept at jungle fighting" in previous years, it said."The current crisis could yet prove to be the catalyst for lethal new innovations on the Sri Lankan battlefield," it said.

Tyronne passes away
   
Veteran politician, Oxford scholar and leading lawyer Tyronne Fernando -- former Foreign Minister, Governor and presidential adviser passed away yesterday after a brief illness. The 67-year-old Mr. Fernando who represented the Moratuwa electorate for several years and was in the forefront of popularizing the image of his ancestor Veera Puran Appu also held several other portfolios including Media.His funeral will take place at General Cemetery, Borella tomorrow at 6 pm. Tyronne Lyle Delano Fernando was born on August 8, 1941 and hails from a distinguished family with National Hero Veera Puran Appu as his ancestor. He was the son of a distinguished civil servant and a former Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Shelton C. Fernando.Tyronne Fernando was educated at Royal College, Colombo, an MA in political science of the Oxford University, Banister-at-Law of Gray’s Inn, a diploma holder of the London School of Journalism and an Attorney-at-Law.While a 19-year-old at Oxford, Mr. Fernando had the distinction of being the first Asian to be elected General Secretary and then Chairman of the 3, 000-strong Oxford University Labour Club. Back in Sri Lanka, he practiced as a criminal lawyer for 10 years and later as Crown Counsel and is author of the book - The Trial of Pauline de Croos.He was also a film producer and among his best known were -Colomba Sanniya and Veera Puran Appu.In 1973, Mr. Fernando left the Attorney-General’s Department and went into politics after joining the UNP and entered parliament for the first time in 1977 winning the Moratuwa electorate by a majority of some 15,000 votes.

HL-Commander who cleared Thoppigala takes Army Chief to court

The Sri Lanka Army’s Eastern Commanding Officer who was responsible for the capturing of Thoppigala and other areas last year, Major General Parakrama Pannipitiya has charged that his security has been seriously compromised by Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka.Filing a fundamental rights (FR) petition in the Supreme Court last Friday (22) Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has said that his life is in danger following the withdrawal of his security and has prayed for the re-instatement of his security contingent.The fundamental rights petition is to be taken up in the Supreme Court today (27).Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has been transferred to Army Headquarters in Colombo under controversial circumstances and stripped of his security contingent.In his petition, Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has charged that his life is in danger following action taken by the first respondent, Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka based on an anonymous petition. Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya in his FR application has stated that he was not given an opportunity to explain or answer the allegations leveled against him. Instead he has alleged that Army Commander Fonseka demanded that he hand in his retirement papers or face a court martial.Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has stated in his FR petition that he was under constant LTTE threat both in operational and outside operational areas. He has cited military reports to this effect. He has stated that he was informed in March 2007 that his movements were being monitored by the LTTE and was being followed in Colombo to places he frequented.Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has stated that he was removed from his position as Eastern Commander and transferred to Colombo based on an anonymous petition alleging that he had used a Captain to manage a property that purportedly belonged to him in Puttalam and that he had hired a vehicle in an irregular manner, both of which he denies.The anonymous petition has also accused the former Eastern Commander of taking food items from the Officer’s Mess beyond entitlement. Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has also said that although he had indicated he had no place to go he had been ordered to vacate his staff quarters with immediate effect.Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has also said his back-up vehicles have been withdrawn putting his life in great danger.

Singaporean visitor allegedly linked to LTTE nabbed
 
The Singaporean national who was taken into custody by the Modera police on suspicion for terrorism related activities was found to be continuing to stay in the country without a passport, the police said. Police Media Spokesman DIG N K Illangakoon told the Daily Mirror yesterday the suspect was arrested on suspicion on Monday evening at a hotel in Kadireshan Street in Kotahena by a special team of the Modera police.It has now been reported that the suspect identified as M. Ilangovan who was reportedly in his early fifties had been a frequent visitor to Sri Lanka although he had failed to prove the intentions of his visits. The police found that the suspect was staying even without a passport which he had claimed having lost a few days ago. “He had last come to the country last December and is staying on and it is yet to be ascertained whether he has visa for his stay,” the police spokesman said. The suspect had told the police that he frequently visited Sri Lanka for various businesses in the country and that he had no relative or family in Sri Lanka. The DIG said the Intelligence Branch of the Modera police received information about this person for his involvement in LTTE activities during the past few months. The police are yet to ascertain how many times the suspect had visited the country and whether he had paid any visits to the North East areas in the guise of an NGO agent. The suspect is being detained at the Modera police for further investigations, DIG Illangakoon said.

Bishop appeals for violence free elections in Batticaloa

Rt.Rev.Dr.Kingsley Swampillai, Bishop of Trincomalee-Batticaloa, appealed to all political parties to extend their cooperation to help conduct a violence free election, when he addressed a meeting held in the auditorium of Batticaloa public library Tuesday morning attended by a number of Sri Lanka officials.The meeting arranged by a Batticaloa district humanitarian organization was attended by Vasantha Nanayakkara, Deputy Inspector General of Police(DIG) for Eastern province, Bishop Swampillai, high ranking officials of Special Task Force(STF), representatives of various political parties, candidates contesting in the local council elections, and representatives of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).There were a series of discussions regarding conducting the forthcoming elections for the nine local councils in Batticaloa and during the meeting the Bishop called upon all the political parties and candidates join hands for a just and fair elections.Representatives of Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP), Eeelam People‘s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) were also present at the meeting.Sunantha Deshapriya, head of the Free Media Movement (FMM) also attended the meeting.

Sri Lanka hands over rebel bodies
 
Hospital officials in the northern Sri Lankan town of Anuradhapura say they have handed over the bodies of 14 Tamil Tigers to the Red Cross. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) passes on the corpses to both sides so that they can be buried. Hospital officials say the Tigers have handed over the bodies of three Sri Lankan soldiers so far this month. There was no comment from the rebels, who are leading a decades-old campaign for independence for minority Tamils in the majority Sinhalese nation of 19.5 million people. Last month, the government pulled out of a 2002 ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers, arguing the rebels had used it to re-group and re-arm. Since then, fighting has intensified on the frontlines that surround Tiger-held territory in the north. The Tamil Tigers have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's minority ethnic Tamils after decades of being marginalized by governments controlled by the majority Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

JVP accuses India of cross-border terrorism

The JVP has said India is guilty of cross-border terrorism against Sri Lanka. This JVP position is stated by its leader Somawansa Amarasinghe in an interactive web site in response to a question posed by a member of the public about the JVP’s position on India. Amarasinghe has also said that "India is certainly worse than the LTTE because Indian bureaucrats were the creator of this ‘leviathan,’ this ‘monster.’" He has further said that the LTTE and other terrorist groups in Sri Lanka were all trained in India by the Indian security forces in camps in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in India. "They were armed by India. India supported them economically, politically and militarily. India is guilty of cross-border terrorism against Sri Lanka," Amarasinghe has said. While calling on the people not to condemn Hindi cinema, Hindi songs or the Indian people, Amarasinghe has charged that a section of Indian bureaucrats are responsible for creating problems in Sri Lanka and in other countries in the South Asian region."The people of Sri Lanka remember the anti-Sri Lankan activities carried out by the former Indian High Commissioner Mr. J.N. Dixit. This type of arrogant conservative bureaucrats misled the politicians in India. They continue to mislead politicians of the present day. Mr. J.N. Dixit’s arrogance misled Mr. Rajiv Ghandi. Ultimately Mr. Rajiv Gandhi gave his life, assassinated by his mother’s creation the LTTE. He would have been living today if Indian bureaucrats respected Sri Lanka as India’s friendly neighbour and supported Sri Lanka to defeat separatist terrorism and safeguard its sovereignty," Amarasinghe has said. He has further said these arrogant bureaucrats seem to have misunderstood Indian patriotism as subjugation of India’s neighbours. "They are under the impression that India could assume the role of ‘big brother’ in the region. It is our responsibility to convince Indian bureaucrats by using every possible means that the south Asian region is not going to tolerate any further their arrogance and that they will not be successful in their attempts to make India the ‘big brother’ in the region," Amarasinghe has added.However Amarasinghe has not stated in his response that it was India who helped him escape the country in 1989 when the State was looking to arrest him for murder, robbery, extortion, arson and offences against public property.On his return to Sri Lanka from exile in the UK, Amarasinghe addressing his public rally in Panadura thanked India for helping him escape.The Morning Leader learns the Indian High Commission in Colombo has despatched Amarasinghe’s comments to the Foreign Office in New Delhi.

Sri Lankan Buddhist party slams anti-Indian move

A Sri Lankan Buddhist party has condemned the anti-India campaign of the ultra nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) saying that such a campaign will prevent India from supporting the island's fight against Tamil separatists.The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), which has a large number of Buddhist monks, said Monday that by urging Sri Lankans to boycott Indian goods, the JVP was alienating the Indian government, whose support was necessary in the fight against separatism and terrorism by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."We need India's support, not opposition," Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told The Island daily.Recently, JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe had called for a boycott of Indian goods if India did not stop "interfering" in Sri Lanka's internal affairs by "forcing" the Sri Lankan government to devolve power to the minority Tamils living in the north and east of the island country. India had welcomed the Mahinda Rajapaksa government's decision to "fully implement" the devolution package contained in the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution, which, in turn, had been inspired by the India-Sri Lanka Accord of July 1987.The JVP has been organising meetings to whip up public sentiment against an alleged Indian bid to revive its hegemony over Sri Lanka.Sri Warnasinghe said that the JVP was "exaggerating" the role of foreign powers in Sri Lanka. He pointed out that although India had sent in its troops in 1987, it withdrew them in 1990, after the then Sri Lankan president, R. Premadasa, sought their withdrawal.Likewise, the Norwegian peace brokers withdrew gracefully when President Rajapaksa said that they had no role to play after the war with the Tamil Tiger rebels was resumed.Warnasinghe said that high-pitched public campaigns like the ones organised by the JVP would not stop foreign interventions, only quiet diplomacy would.The JVP's obsession with foreign interventions only showed its "bankruptcy" of political ideas and its "short-sightedness," he said.

Sri Lanka: A Youth Seek Protection with JHRC Jaffna

Jaffna - A youth from Kaithady, Jaffna was surrendered to the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (JHRC) within past 24 hours fearing for his safety and his life as he continued to receive death threats from armed forces and aligned paramilitary armed men operating with Sri Lankan Security Forces (SF), according to an official from JHRC. Hundreds of civilians of all ages have surrendered to the JHRC this year fearing for their safety and their lives according to the civilian sources in Jaffna while thousands of people were abducted or disappeared or violently killed in this year alone in the North and East (N&E) of Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, the relatives of the two school students from Kurunagar, Jaffna arrested recently by Jaffna police have lodged a complaint at the National Head office of Human Rights Commission (HRC), Colombo stating that the office of Jaffna HRC has refused to accept their complaint.Acting on the complaint of the mother, Colombo office of HRC issued an urgent instruction to the Jaffna office to record the complaint regarding the arrests of the youths, both of whom are affected by polio. In addition, the mother of a youth from Velanai in the islet of Kayts lodged a complaint at Jaffna HRC office Monday regarding her son Sathasivam Yogendiran, 32, of Velanai-04 who disappeared in Colombo on 16 February.Many other rights groups continue to cites enforced mass abductions, mass disappearances, unlawful execution style summery killings, mass murders, tortures, rapes, destruction of personal, public and cultural properties, forceful displacements and unwillingness and inability of the Sri Lankan state to take control the worsening rights situation for the citizens of Sri Lanka are the reasons for their call for UN monitoring mission.

UK issues travel advisory on Sri Lanka

The United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised its nationals traveling to Sri Lanka against all travel to the north and east of the country, as well as to Yala National Park and the areas around it. Fatal terrorist attacks throughout the country became more frequent in the first two months of 2008 and the FCO says they have occurred in places frequented by holidaymakers. The warning for Sri Lanka includes the area north of the A12 road (which runs from Puttalam in the west to Trincomalee in the east) and the Jaffna peninsula. Also, travelers are advised to avoid the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, as well as the coastal areas of Ampara district.

UNP to impeach the President

The UNP yesterday charged that it would bring an impeachment motion against President Mahinda Rajapakse in the event he fails to appoint the Constitutional Council (CC).UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilake told The Morning Leader yesterday that the UNP has already taken steps to institute legal action against President’s failure, and plans were afoot to bring an impeachment motion against the President, for the intentional violation of the constitution by not appointing members to the Constitutional Council."Even the President, referring to constitutional provisions, once said that it is beyond doubt that the implementation of constitutional provisions is the basic duty of the government. In such a scenario the UNP would wish to know as to why the same President is now delaying the appointment of the CC as he is bound to uphold the constitution," claimed Karunathilake. Karunathilake further stated that Sri Lanka has now become a failed state before the international community as the Rajapakse administration has miserably failed to uphold the constitution, the highest law in the country."Blatant appointments of political favourites to independent commissions have increased alarmingly. Since all the relevant political parties have now forwarded their nominations to the President, it is the bounden duty of President Rajapakse to appoint the CC at the earliest or face serious consequences," added Karunathilake.

Sri Lankan Conflict May Affect Oil Exploration, Minister Says

Sri Lanka's government said an escalation in the conflict between the military and Tamil rebels could impact on plans to sell oil exploration rights in August. The government is seeking bids from overseas energy companies for the rights to three offshore oil blocks on the island's west coast. The operations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Tigers' navy, the Sea Tigers, in the north and east coasts of the island could impact exploration, said Rohitha Bogollagama, Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs. ``If we don't have safe passage and safe seas surrounding us then that affects the potential for exploratory operations,'' Bogollagama said today during an Asia-Pacific security conference in Singapore. ``We have remained resilient to the terrorist shocks.'' Sri Lanka, which imports all its oil, needs to secure its own supplies as costlier imports and military purchases have accelerated consumer prices. Surging crude oil prices raised Sri Lanka's oil import bill by 25 percent last year to $2.07 billion. A 2002 cease-fire, brokered by Norway, helped bring about uninterrupted growth in Sri Lanka's $26 billion economy. International donors, led by the U.S., Japan, the EU and Norway, have appealed to both sides to come to peace talks to prevent a resumption of war. The LTTE has an estimated 12,000 fighters, including 4,000 members of its Sea Tigers force. Its light aircraft flew 200 kilometers (124 miles) from a base in the north to attack targets near Colombo in March. Aircraft raided oil and gas plants near the city in April.

Political Settlement

The government says the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, must wish to seek a political settlement in order to end the latest round of fighting in the 30-year-old conflict. The LTTE last week rebuffed government proposals for a political settlement, saying they were the same as those they rejected 30 years ago and would leave the Tamils subservient. The Tigers say ethnic Tamils, less than a fifth of the population, are discriminated against by the Sinhalese majority. ``The position for holding talks is the belief in a negotiated settlement,'' Bogollagama said in an interview in Singapore today. ``If the LTTE too can believe in a negotiated settlement, then that is how they should respond and that is how they should come for talks.'' The Tigers on May 21 said they would enter talks only after the government ended any offensives against their territory in the northeastern portion of the island. National security is an issue that ``can't be compromised,'' and the military will not lie down, Bogollagama said on the sidelines of the conference.

Air Wing

The conflict in Sri Lanka escalated as two attempts to hold peace talks in Geneva last year failed to make any progress. The army in April took control of the eastern region around Batticaloa for the first time in 14 years after the LTTE in March sent its newly formed air wing to attack areas near the capital, Colombo. ``Both sides know at some stage that there has to be a political solution but what they are trying to do now is really to leverage whatever military gains they can make,'' Rahul Roy- Chaudhry, research fellow for South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said in a June 1 interview. Sri Lanka wants to include the LTTE in a final settlement that addresses the issues of all minority group's in the country, said Bogollagama. To achieve that, the government has canvassed the international community for their support, he said. ``If we keep our reliance on what we are doing now, marginalizing the LTTE, getting the international cooperation, and having the political process aligned, and addressing the conflict from a political angle, then the effect will be greater for the LTTE to respond to a dialogue,'' said Bogollagama.

26 February 2008

Mahinda-Ranil meet today

A crucial meeting between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to take place at 7.30 pm today to discuss a series of critical issues, a senior Cabinet Minister told the Daily Mirror yesterday. The meeting will focus on the present situation of the country particularly centering on a solution to the ethnic problem, he said."As far as I know this is a follow up to the invitation President Rajapaksa made to Mr. Wickremesinghe in Parliament at a recent ceremony held to unveil the portrait of late President R. Premadasa," Senior Minister and Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said.The UNP accepting the invitation said it needed the invitation in writing and it seems the President had made the invitation in writing, he said. SLFP General Secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena, APRC Chairman and Minister Tissa Vitarana and Minister Fernandopulle will take part in the discussion chaired by President Rajapaksa.  Mr. Fernandopulle said he was not aware of the issues the two leaders were going to discuss. Well-informed UNP sources said the party's Chairman and Parliamentarian Rukman Senanayake and senior lawyer K.N. Choksy were scheduled to accompany Mr. Wickremesinghe at today’s meeting. They also said the UNP was unaware of the subject matter of the meeting.  Political sources said the main focus of the discussion would revolve around the interim proposals of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) submitted to the President recently that proposed the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The Opposition Leader is also expected to raise the issue concerning the appointment of the Constitutional Council as well, sources said. The UNP and the SLFP signed an MoU on October 23, 2006 after a series of discussions between President Rajapaksa and Mr. Wickremesinghe for the two parties to work together to find a speedier solution to the ethnic problem and achieve economic progress. However, the MoU collapsed within weeks after 17 UNP members headed by UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya crossed over to the government and took ministerial posts and formed the UNP Democratic Group.The two leaders once again met on January 6  last year for a discussion.

Sangaree seeks 'UN intervention'
 
United Nations Security Council should help Sri Lanka government to defeat LTTE from their strongholds, a senior Tamil politician said.Tamil United Liberated Front (TULF) leader, V Anadasangaree, told BBC Sandeshaya that the government should take control of Mulativu and Kilinochchi from the Tamil Tigers. The authorities should make sure to "minimise" civilian casualties and seek UN help in capturing the rebel strongholds, he added. The TULF leader made the remarks as he protested killing of civilians allegedly by the LTTE as well as government security forces. Mr. Anandasangaree accused the LTTE of killing most of the civilians in recent weeks.The security forces are also responsible of some of the killings, he told BBC's Elmo Fernando.The TULF leader who refused to accept LTTE as the 'sole representative of the Tamil people' said, in his view, there is no point of having further peace talks with the LTTE.

US team to inspect seized weapons

The Anuradhapura Magistrate yesterday granted a request made by a special CID investigation unit to allow the visiting US special investigation team to inspect an assortment of items of Black Tigers seized by the armed forces.The items had been in the possession of the Black Tigers who were killed by the security forces when they attacked the Anuradhapura Air Base on September 22 last year. The military items found in the possession of the dead Black Tigers which later became court productions included several firearms fitted with night vision facility, compasses and some communication equipment. Anuradhapura Magistrate and District judge Ruchira Weliwatta also ordered the court registrar to release to the CID investigation team post mortem reports of the Tigers and the security personnel killed in the battle that followed the attack.At least 14 security personnel were killed when the Black Tigers descended on the base at dawn on September 22 last year. 21 Black Tigers were killed when the security personnel retaliated.RPG launchers, mortars, pistols, T 56 rifles and 164 hand grenades were among the items recovered by the security personnel after repulsing the attack.Earlier, an investigation team from Scotland police also inspected the recovered items with the court’s permission while they were in the custody of the Government Analyst. 

Sri Lanka Army destroys Tamil Tiger stronghold in North, 7 bodies found

Sri Lanka's military sources say the Army troops have destroyed a Tamil Tiger stronghold north of Janakapura, the northeastern border of the Tamil Tiger dominated Wanni region yesterday evening. According to the sources, seven bodies of slain Tamil Tigers were found along with six T-56 riffles, one Light Machine Gun, and one GPS device. One soldier was also killed in the battle, the sources added. The sources also said that, Army has crushed the Tigers’ counter offensive using artillery fire. Quoting, Tamil Tiger radio transmission, the sources further said that five more Tamil Tigers have been killed and four suffered injuries in this counter-counter offensive.

TMVP to release manifesto

BATTICALOA: Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), contesting an election for the first time, is due to release an election manifesto this week to inform the public of their work programme. "We have prepared an election manifesto that will be issued this week. Through this we will inform our stance and how we will be governing the Batticaloa district," TMVP media spokesman Asath Moulana told the Daily News. He charged that the LTTE and some Tamil political parties were attempting to create panic and disrupt the unity among the people. "The people in Batticaloa are supporting the TMVP as we are the only political party coming out of offices and going among the people. This has upset the LTTE and other parties who are trying to create panic and tension among the public," Moulana said. Meanwhile, postal voting in the upcoming Batticaloa Local Government election has recorded a 98 per cent voter turnout amidst a relatively calm atmosphere. The local poll has paved the way for the people of Batticaloa to elect their local representatives after 14 years. "Since the postal vote marking began, we have not faced a single act of disturbance or sabotage. The election process continues smoothly," Batticaloa Assistant Election Commissioner T. Krishnandalingam said. He said all arrangements for the March 10 election have been completed. A majority of the polling centres will be set up in schools.

13 suicide bombers in Batticaloa

Alarm bells have begun ringing for the local government election in Batticaloa following intelligence reports that 13 LTTE suicide cadres had infiltrated the area, police said. This matter was discussed at length at a meeting in Batticaloa yesterday with police warning candidates to be extra cautious in the run-up to the poll. The revelation comes in the wake of a suicide bomber blowing himself up on Sunday killing two TMVP members. Batticaloa Deputy Inspector General H.M.D. Herath said special search operations were being conducted to arrest the suicide bombers. The TMVP too had told the police at the meeting that it had also received information about the presence of 13 LTTE suicide cadres in the area and their intention was to wreak havoc during the election period. At the meeting, the security authorities instructed the candidates to take notice of unknown people in their respective localities and to immediately alert the defence authorities to the presence of suspicious people. It has been revealed that some of these female suicide bombers were pretending to be Muslim women clad in salvars and Abhayas. A total of 831 candidates representing six political parties and 22 independent groups are taking part in the elections. Though police have agreed to provide two policemen for each candidate, most of them have not sought any protection. Mostly, the TMVP, EPDP, EPRLF and PLOTE candidates have requested police protection for polls campaigning. The meeting was attended by EPDP Batticaloa district co-ordinator K. Arumailingam, TMVP candidate Pradeep Master and SLMC candidate N.K. Ramlan. Commenting on the current situation in Batticaloa, TMVP spokesman Azarth Moulana said the LTTE was trying to cause the maximum damage possible to disrupt the election. "Tigers are unhappy about the government holding this election," he said.

25 February 2008

White van gang in police uniform abduct a foreigner

A group of five persons, two clad in police uniforms, came in a white van and abducted a Singapore national today (25) in Colombo.The abduction took place around 1.00 PM. A complaint has been lodged in Aduruppu Street police station in this regard. The abducted Singapore national is Mr. N. Ilango. Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspector of Police N.K. Ilangakoon said that police is aware of the registered number of the vehicle that was involved in the abduction and two of the abductors were clad in police uniforms.Then it was revealed that the abducted person had been arrested by Modera police station and police media spokesmen also confirmed it.

Police refuses to accept complaint by TV journalist            
  
Mount Lavinia Police had refused to take down a complaint by Sugath Dharmapriya, a journalist for Derana TV, that he had been assaulted by the OIC of the same police.The police in question maintained its refusal to accept the complaint against Chief Inspector Mahesh Perera in connection with the incident on February 23rd, according to Dharmapriya.On the advice of DIG (Colombo South) Wickremasinghe, the journalist had then lodged the complaint with the Mirihana Special Crimes Unit. Police Spokesman Senior DIG N.K. Illangakoon said further that if the complainant had mentioned about the refusal of the Mount Lavinia Police to accept the complaint, then only he can take action against those responsible.However, Dharmapriya said that despite his mentioning about it, the Special Crime Unit had not included it in the complaint.The Derana TV journalist was allegedly attacked by the Mt. Lavinia Police OIC while he was covering the bomb blast at Mt. Lavinia town on February 23rd.

FR case seeking electoral register publication in Tamil  
     
A fundamental rights petition came before the Supreme Court today (Feb. 25th) against the non-publication of the electoral register of Nuwara Eliya district in the Tamil language.The Ceylon Workers Front of Walapone filed the case, citing the Elections Commissioner and several others as respondents. The petitioner notes that a majority of voters in Nuwara Eliya belongs to the Tamil-speaking category, and that they have been severely inconvenienced due to the publication of the electoral register in the Sinhala language only.The CWF seeks an SC order to the Elections Commissioner for the publication of the electoral register of Nuwara Eliya in the Tamil language as well.

Sun rises again

'Hiru Media Network' banned by the Government sometime ago has obtained a new licence and commenced their transmissions. One of the Asst. Managers of 'Hiru' told Lanka-e-news that they have started their transmissions in indoor studios and outdoor transmissions will be started by March. The licence issued to 'Hiru' was cancelled by the Minister of Media and Information saying that false news was aired by them about a LTTE attack to Ranminitenna in Tissamaharama. Chairman of 'Hiru' Media Network has submitted a petition to the courts against the Minister;s order, but it was rejected. However, there were no objections from Courts to get a new licence. After this incident, Mr. Duminda Silva, UNP member of Western Provincial Council, and brother of 'Hiru' Local Partner, Mr. Reynor Silva, resigned from UNP and joined SLFP. Then, political and media rumours spread all over saying that this crossing over is to get the licence back, but, at a press conference, Mr. Duminda Silva stated that there were no connections between his crossing over to SLFP and the cancelled licence. In the meantime, it is reported that President's son, Mr. Namal Rajapakshe is going to be appointed as a Director of 'Hiru Media Network', but so far, no such appointment is made, said the above Asst. Manager.

Police clueless over 214 abductions in Colombo - CMC  
 
Police are clueless over 214 incidents of abduction in Colombo city and suburbs since November 2006, the Civil Monitoring Committee charges. Ninety nine per cent of victims of these kidnappings are Tamils living in the same areas, a CMC spokeswoman said today (Feb.25th).The committee says that it has the names, the national identity card numbers and other information of the abducted people.When the government claimed that these persons had left the country, the CMC had gone to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration, armed with their details.He had told the committee that no persons matching the descriptions had gone abroad during the period in question, the spokeswoman said.“Fifty seven police stations have been informed of these abductions. These police stations have admitted to receiving complaints of these abductions. But, they are silent on the progress of their investigations. Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake says that the IGP has been handed over the investigations,” she added.

Govt. fish for more UNP MPs
 
Rejecting a recent UNP claim that the government would go for a snap general election, political sources said that the SLFP-led ruling coalition was busy strengthening its parliamentary group. The government has taken a commanding lead in Parliament with another UNP National List MP Vadivel Puththirasigamoney joining the Rajapaksa administration as the Deputy Justice and Law Reforms close on the heels of Reggie Ranatunga replacing dissident Sripathy Sooriyarachchi’s vacancy.The government has now secured 115 seats. Government sources said that they could also count on the support of one time JVP heavyweight Nandana Gunatilleke and JHU’s Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka.Just ahead of the vote on the third reading of the Budget last December, the government lost altogether six MPs, four representing the SLMC and two SLFP in Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Anura Bandaranaike. Since then Bandaranaike has switched sides again. The sources said Rajapakshe despite being on the opposition wouldn’t vote against the government.Puththirasigamoney said that he was a CWC member appointed to Parliament through the UNP National List. He said that he was ready and willing to work with other CWC members in the government. "I have been in active politics for 25 years," he told The Island, expressing confidence that he could work with the CWC. Puththirasigamoney had functioned as an independent MP before he accepted the President’s invitation to accept a portfolio. Political sources said with the latest crossover all eleven UNP National List MPs except K.N. Choksy had joined the government. Among them was M. M. M. Musthaffa, Deputy Minister of Higher Education who replaced Ali Zaheer Moulana on June 29, 2004 after the UNP called for his resignation over his alleged link with Karuna.The sources said there were only four Opposition members among the 29-member National List namely Choksy, M.T. Hasen Ali (SLMC), Razeen Mohamed Imam (ITAK) and Chandrakanth Chandra Nehru (ITAK).

11 SLA killed in Paalaikkuzhi, Mannaar - LTTE

Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Mannaar said Sunday that 11 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 23 SLA soldiers wounded in a five-hour fighting erupted in Paalaikkuzhi Sunday. The SLA withdrew its forces at 10:00 a.m., the Tigers said. The LTTE has put up stiff resistance amid heavy artillery firing and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombardment, the Tigers said. The ground push by the SLA was launched at 5:00 a.m.

Tamil youth abducted in Bandarawela   
       
A Tamil youth working in a store in the Bandarawela town has been abducted around 7.30p.m last night (Feb. 24th), reports say. A gang in a white-coloured van has abducted the 20-year old victim, identified as Sadaacharan Thiruvan, reports add.The owner of the store has lodged a complaint with the Bandarawela police.

24 February 2008

PC poll in east in August

The government will hold a separate provincial council election to elect members to a newly established Eastern Provincial Council by August, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon said.He told The Sunday Leader that holding the Batticaloa local election was only a precursor to 'test the waters' and promised to make all arrangements to hold a 'free' PC poll by August. "That will be a historic moment. It will also complete a process that we have just begun."It began with the liberation of the east. Next comes the election process. It will also be the first time in 21 years that a separate PC would be created in the east. It will be a separate entity that reflects the ethnic balance of the unique province," he said.Minister Tennakoon added that all these years the northeast were amalgamated under the 13th Amendment and was considered a single entity, much against the wishes of the Sinhalese and Muslims. "The required referendum was never held in 21 years and now the Supreme Court has decided to separate the two provinces," he added.The Minister further explained that fruits of economic development, long denied to the people of the east since war broke out would now become possible when power is devolved to the province.

Three die in Sri Lanka blast

Three people were killed in an apparent suicide attack in Sri Lanka's restive east Sunday while security forces threw a blanket of security over the capital to prevent new attacks, officials said.A suspected Tiger suicide bomber riding a motorcycle crashed into another motorbike carrying two rival militants in Batticaloa district 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of Colombo."One man detonated the explosive immediately after crashing into the other bike, killing all three of them," a local military official told AFP by telephone.The two victims were from a Tamil Tiger breakaway faction that is contesting local polls on March 10.In Colombo on Sunday, police and other security forces launched a major security sweep a day after a parcel bomb aboard a private bus exploded, leaving at least 18 people wounded.Ten men, seven women and a child were admitted to hospital after suffering minor injuries in the blast in Mount Lavinia, 10 kilometres (six miles) south of Colombo, police said.Police spokesman N.K. Illangakoon said they were awaiting a report from a government analyst to figure out if the bomb was triggered by remote control or a timing device.While investigations were being conducted, security forces sealed off all entry and exit points to Colombo, paralysing the city of 650,000.Motorists had to wait in long lines at military checkpoints to have their vehicles inspected and get their identity verified.Along with the search operations, Illangakoon said police had also intensified awareness programmes to show bus and train commuters how to respond to a bomb threat.Elsewhere, government and rebel forces exchanged artillery fire across the island's embattled northern districts, killing at least 58 rebels Saturday, the defence ministry said, adding that one soldier was killed 19 wounded.According to the ministry, 1,545 rebels have been killed so far this year. The military estimates the Tigers' strength at 5,000 combatants.The military said 85 soldiers and police have been killed in 2008.Casualty figures provided by both sides differ vastly and cannot be independently verified since the government bars journalists and human rights workers from frontline and rebel-held areas.The Sri Lankan government last month officially pulled out of a truce with the guerrillas, who have fought for more than three decades for a homeland in the Sinhalese-majority island.

Northern Interim Council in limbo?

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been mum on the initial offer he made to Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Leader V. Anandasangaree last month when he proposed the latter should take up the position of Northern Interim Council governor.The President officially made the offer to Anandasangaree on January 22, a day before the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) handed over its recommendations on how to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. “He suggested that I take over the post of governor on January 22, but since then no one has contacted me on the matter,” Anandasangaree told The Nation. When asked whether he would take up the position, he noted that if it will benefit the people, he was ready to take it no matter what threats he faced.“This is a very serious position; I cannot jump into the idea. I have to consider many aspects. I must also explore the possibilities of how it will benefit the people,” he said. “But if it will do any good for the people, I am willing to take it up, even if it is a threat to my life,” Anandasangaree added.However, late last month, Anandasangaree told The Nation that he would not be anyone’s mere “rubber seal.”“I cannot merely accept a position as soon as it is offered. There are so many issues that have to be looked at. But I wont be anyone’s rubber seal,” he said.

Dr. Mani’s computer taken by CID

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) this week took into custody a computer used by Dr.Rama Mani, the former Executive Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES), to check the correspondence regarding her advocating of the controversial R 2 P policy for Sri Lanka, a high ranking CID official told The Sunday Times.Initial investigations into the files contained in all the other computers at ICES have not found any reference to R 2 P and hence the CID has now taken Dr.Mani’s computer into its custody.R 2 P is described as the responsibility of the international community to intervene when a State fails to protect its civilians from mass atrocity crimes and Dr.Mani’s reference to Sri Lanka as a country which needs R 2 P has drawn strong criticism particularly from the JVP and some sections in Government.Subsequently Dr.Mani’s visa was cancelled earlier this month forcing her to leave the country even though several members of the international community including the Canadian High Commission in Colombo (which threatened to cut funds to ICES if Dr.Mani was sent out of the country), attempted to intervene on her behalf. Meanwhile several senior members of the ICES including its Chairman Prof. Kingsley De Silva and Director Bradman Weerakoon appeared before the Parliamentary Select Committee looking into the working of NGO and INGOs last week and were questioned particularly with regards to the attempt by Dr.Rama Mani to portray Sri Lanka as a country which needed intervention under an international undertaking known as Responsibility to Protect (R 2 P).The Chairman and the Director told the Committee members that the R 2 P issue that had come up was in reference to statements made by Dr.Mani in her personal capacity and not in her official capacity and that the Board of the ICES had not endorsed any such policy. The members were also questioned about the finances of the ICES and who their donors are.Meanwhile members of CARE International too appeared before the Committee and were asked about a report they had filed stating that they found it difficult to work in Vakarai, an area under Government control while stating they found it easier to work in Kilinochchi and the Wanni.

Fearing Kosovo drama in SL                           

Kosovo’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) has made the President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led government jittery, fearing a similar fate in Sri Lanka in the future. According to highly-placed sources, the Rajapaksa-led administration has kept its high ranking Foreign Service officers in New York and Geneva on red alert.“Sri Lanka feels that there is a possibility that the LTTE might declare independence from Sri Lanka,” sources said. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Government is also on alert for a possible United Nation Security Council resolution against Sri Lanka.The Nation learns that the development comes after several Sri Lankan missions in Europe and North America informed Colombo that pro-LTTE groups are lobbying UN Security Council member country officials over gross human rights violations against Tamils in Sri Lanka.The LTTE has hailed the emergence of an independent Kosovo with Western support, saying it augurs well for the liberation of “oppressed” minorities like the Tamils from the North and East Provinces of Sri Lanka.Kosovo’s independence received quick recognition from the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Germany and the United States.However, unsurprisingly, the Sri Lankan Government was the first to condemn Kosovo’s UDI.The Nation was unable to reach Sri Lanka’s UN Representative in New York Prasad Kariyawasam for comment.

UNP briefs visiting UN envoy on N-E situation

The UNP complained to the visiting Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ms. Angela Kane of the prevailing unfavourable situation in the North and East and the grave human rights violations being committed in the area, during their meeting wth the UN envoy last Thursday. “Citing reports from several human rights organizations, Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe briefed Ms. Kane of the atrocities taking place in the Batticaloa area,” UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena who was present at the meeting told The Sunday Times. The UN envoy is in Sri Lanka on a week-long fact finding mission as part of her regular consultations in the areas of her responsibility. The primary purpose of her visit is to review the work of the UN Country Team in Sri Lanka in all key areas. The UNP delegation which met Ms. Kane also discussed its stand on the proposals made by the All Parties Representative Conference (APRC) and the implementation of the 17th Amendment. “We informed Ms. Kane that the UNP does not have any problems with the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the establishment of the provincial councils, which was a key recommendation of the APRC proposals as it was already part of the Constitution,” Dr. Jayewardene said. However, the UNP told her that the APRC proposals did not offer anything new although most parties expected a tangible solution to the ethnic conflict, he said. The UNP also discussed with Ms. Kane the current situation on the implementation of the 17th Amendment. The Government has being dragging and delaying the establishment of the Constitution Council which is very unhealthy and detrimental to the country, he said.“However we made it clear to her that if the Government enacts the ICCPR along with the optional protocol, the UNP would support the enactment,” Dr. Jayawardena said. The UN envoy met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama where she discussed strengthening ties between the UN and the Government, a Foreign Ministry official said. On Thursday, Ms. Kane also met UN staff and diplomats from the EU, Norway, India and the US.“During her stay Ms. Kane would review and assess UN operations in Sri Lanka including its humanitarian and development work. This is a routine visit and follows up her visit to the island last year,” UNICEF spokesperson Gordan Weiss said. Ms. Kane also travelled to Batticaloa yesterday where she met UN staff in the area. The UN envoy is also due to meet several other diplomats, Government officials and representatives of civil organizations. UNP MP Mano Ganeshan said that although he is due to meet with the UN representative a fixed date is yet to be decided. “We hope to brief her on the present political situation in the country and the problems and grievances faced by the Tamil community,” he said. Ms. Kane who arrived in the island on Wednesday morning would conclude her visit on February 26.

GL clears air in address to Delhi-based EU diplomats
 
Export Development and International Trade Minister G.L. Peiris recently briefed 16 EU envoys resident in New Delhi and concurrently accredited to Colombo on the current situation in Sri Lanka where he stressed that while the Sri Lanka Government did not believe in a military solution to the conflict, terrorism required a military response."The position of the government of Sri Lanka is that there would be a military response to the terror perpetrated by the LTTE and a political process to address the problems of the minorities," he said.Peiris said that in the midst of many challenges, the country’s economy had grown by 6.5% and Sri Lanka remained a vibrant democracy largely on account of its ability to strike the right balance between fiscal management, development and welfare. Also, the country has made tremendous progress in infrastructure and human resource development and its exports have grown by 14% last year.Diplomatic observers regarded the minister’s address to EU diplomats from countries not physically present in Colombo as a particularly useful exercise pitched to areas that were of particular concern to the country.He made the point that in the political dimension, the centrality of India’s role was manifest and the basic characteristic of a political solution would be the devolution of power subject to the protection of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.Peiris made the point that with the involvement of India in 1987 in the form of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution was promulgated.Subsequently there have been discussions during the past 20 years on amendments and additions to its concept and he himself had on October 3, 2000 presented to parliament what were perhaps the most far-reaching proposals to resolve the conflict. But none of these efforts bore fruit, the minister said.Offering some thoughts on why attempts by successive governments had not yielded a favourable result, one reason was the disconnect between the proposed measures and the thoughts and feelings of the public of Sri Lanka. Peiris had led the GoSL delegation for talks with the LTTE from Sept. 2002 to March 2003, he made the point that some aspects of the behaviour of the LTTE constituted another reason for the problem.

*For success, one had to inspire the confidence of the majority. The LTTE was never prepared to discuss the de-commissioning of arms as was the case of in successful peace processes in other parts of the world such as Northern Ireland.

*The LTTE insisted that it was the sole representatives of the Tamils. This claim involved a conflict with basic democratic values and assumptions.

*The LTTE did not want to participate at elections and subject themselves to the people’s mandate.

Therefore President Rjapaksa had to consider options as to how a political momentum could be generated. It was felt that the GoSL should not engage in in discussions regarding futile arrangements, which cannot be implemented, such as changing the Constitution which required a two thirds majority in parliament. Given Sri Lanka’s electoral system, it is unlikely that any government in the foreseeable future would command such a 2/3 majority.Moreover, far-reaching statutory changes may not be immediately needed, because implementation of the laws that exist through political will and sincerity would enable considerable progress to be made.Peiris said that the All Party Representative Committee had presented a proposal to government to implement the 13th amendment to the Constitution. Part of this process involves holding elections to nine local bodies in the Eastern Province where the writ of the government now lies.``Franchise represents the most basic of human freedoms and this would now become areality in the Eastern Province,’’ Peiris said. ``With the revival of the electoral process, a natural momentum could be anticipated.’’He agreed that it would not be realistic to hold elections in the Northern Province immediately but as a temporary measure and advisory committee would be established to advise the governor of the province who is the representative of the president and the government would have the advice of a committee representative of the people of the province.The minister also said that there would be forward movement on the security sphere as well stressing that the government has the clear obligation of ensuring the safety of life and limb which is the ultimate rationale of the nation state.On human rights, Peiris said that over the years Sri Lanka has developed into a caring society based on human welfare. But all civilizations had to strike a balance between security and liberty in times of turbulence. This did not mean that one had to choose between the two, but extraordinarily legal regimes derogating from normal legal principles had been adopted in times of crisis."Therefore, in the context of Sri Lanka, it is sometimes necessary to take people into custody and question them so as to find out the reasons for their presence at a particular location, their accomplices etc., in order to prevent the infliction of grave harm on the civilian population," he pointed out.Peiris stressed that GOSL wished to work closely with he UN to strengthen domestic mechanisms, but would be adverse to a monitoring mission which would essentially act as an international policeman."Such a monitoring mission may be patronizing and perceived as talking down to the GOSL. Instead, the GOSL would wish to have relations on an equal footing based on empathy, goodwill and understanding – a collaborative and supportive relationship," he said.

Batti gets ‘TMVP policemen’

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) has discovered a new method to protect its election candidates – by dressing up its cadres in Police uniforms in the Batticaloa district.Highly-placed sources told The Nation yesterday that the cadres have been spotted in Batticaloa adorned in Police uniforms, giving ‘protection’ to TMVP candidates, mainly its civilian candidates who are contesting the March 10 local government election. “They are out in numbers, openly travelling on foot and in vehicles with the candidates, but the ‘legally appointed’ law enforcement authorities, despite witnessing these cadres in uniform, have been turning a blind eye,” sources said on the condition of anonymity. According to reports, some cadres who are unaware of the significance of the stars on a policeman’s uniform were spotted wearing three stars, usually worn by a chief inspector. “Normally, a chief inspector is not put on field duty unless a minister or VIP is visiting his area, so it’s highly unlikely for a chief inspector to give protection to an election candidate. So it is obvious that these cadres have found these uniforms and are wearing them without knowing the significance of the stars,” the sources noted. A total of 134 TMVP candidates, including 80 civilian candidates, are vying at next month’s local government elections. Some 831 candidates in total are contesting nine local councils in the Batticaloa District.

Democracy limited, says Dayananda

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday declared that democracy in Sri Lanka is limited to a few in the hierarchy while the majority, including ordinary people in the country, fails to enjoy the true meaning of democracy. Addressing participants at the Multi-Party Steering Committee of the Eastern Province yesterday, Dissanayake noted that political party leaders and the hierarchy enjoy the maximum use of democracy while the people at lower levels do not benefit from it.“We see many politicians, once they come into power, not visiting their supporters or listening to their grievances. Instead, they are involved in their private business. There are a very few who actually have time for the people,” he said.Dissanayake pointed out that it was the fault of the Proportionate Representation (PR) system, since it does not link the voter and the elected member.“With this system, the party leaders do not have time to educate their representatives and supporters about the internal democracy of the party and the people do not have a say in decision-making of the party as decisions are centralised,” he said.He asserted that present leaders are not real leaders as they do not talk to their supporters. Instead, they are “super imposed leaders” who have misinterpreted their priorities, he pointed out.Dissanayake also proposed that Parliament should seriously consider implementing legislation which would enable migrant workers to vote during elections.“The people employed in Sri Lankan foreign missions too are not given a chance to vote while they are working abroad. The law has to be changed, but nothing has been done so far,” he lamented.He added that the present election system should be replaced with a Mixed Member Proportionate (MMP) system. “It is difficult to centralise the supporter’s needs until Parliament changes the PR system to the MMP system. Elected candidates should be accountable for their actions,” Dissanayake said.

SLAF turns on more heat on LTTE

Jets launched from Katunayake airbase yesterday morning bombed an LTTE base 11 kms north-east of Oddusudan as the SLAF turned on the heat on the LTTE to facilitate the ongoing ground operations on the Vanni front.Fighters had zeroed-in-on the base at 6.35 am, SLAF spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya said. He said that the targeted facility had been primarily used to house personnel and functioned as a major transit point.The single sortie followed Friday’s devastating strike on a Sea Tiger facility at Kiranchi, about nine kms south of Devil’s point (west of Kilinochchi) at 8.15 am.The spokesman said that several types of enemy craft including logistical and suicide craft had been located at the targeted base. Rejecting accusations that there were many civilian casualties, he reiterated that the target was located within a coconut plantation and there couldn’t have been any civilians there.The civilians would have moved away from LTTE bases some time back, he said, emphasizing that all targets taken from air were specific military facilities, camps and infrastructure. The military said that stepped up aerial attacks would provide critical support to the ongoing ground thrust on the Vanni and Weli Oya fronts. Jets last Thursday afternoon bombed two LTTE heavy gun positions tasked with engaging troops deployed on Vanni and Weli Oya fronts. Well placed sources said that the LTTE appeared to have shifted some of its units assigned for defenses on the Jaffna (Muhamalai-Nagarkovil) front to bolster cadres, now struggling in the Vanni.The Tigers early last week launched a desperate counter attack on troops deployed at Sirikulam, north of Yoda Wewa. The army repulsed the attack within hours, the sources said, asserting that the abortive assault revealed the enemy’s limitations.Contrary to expectations, the army had delayed a major assault on the Jaffna front although the possibility of a large scale strike couldn’t be ruled out, an official said. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said that the army’s Mechanized Infantry Brigade which was attached to one of the two Infantry Divisions deployed on the Jaffna front was ready to deliver a major blow on the enemy. The Mech Infantry comprising of the Infantry and Armoured Corps would revolutionize the war in the northern theatre. North of Weli Oya, Friday (22) afternoon the army confronted a group of LTTE cadres operating in an area dominated by them. The army later collected bodies of six LTTE cadres along with one multi purpose machine gun, five T 56 assault rifles and two communication sets. Army headquarters said that the bodies would be handed over to Vavuniya hospital for their transfer to the LTTE through the ICRC.On the previous day, the army lost two men and four suffered injuries in an attack on an LTTE strong point at Karampaikkulam, Vanni. Despite the initial set back, troops had pressed on with their attack and captured the strong point in the afternoon. Army headquarters said that at least four LTTE cadres were killed in the assault.Meanwhile in separate confrontations and search operations carried out on Thursday at Udayanatankulam, Periyapantrichurichchan, Mullikulam, Vilathikulam, Parappakandal and Kondampiddi on the Vanni front troops killed at least 26 LTTE cadres and recovered 369 anti-personnel mines, four T 56 assault rifles, two communication sets and ten booby traps. Five soldiers had been wounded in action and evacuated from the battle front. Meanwhile, troops recovered one 60 litre petrol can, one 15 litre petrol can, one 25 litre diesel can and one 20 litre diesel can which were to be smuggled into the LTTE-held area.

23 February 2008

Bomb blast outside Sri Lanka capital injures 18

A parcel bomb planted by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels exploded on a bus in a Colombo suburb on Saturday, wounding at least 18 people in the latest in a string of violent attacks, the defence ministry said.Casualties would have been far greater if an alert passenger had not spotted the booby-trapped package and shouted at people to get out of the vehicle, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said."I noticed a parcel left behind on a vacant seat. When no-one claimed it, I alerted the bus crew and shouted at people to get off," passenger Mervyn Silva told AFP.The driver then moved the white bus towards an isolated spot and the crew went to inform a nearby police station when the explosion took place, injuring passersby, the defence ministry said."The terrorists' beastly intention to commit carnage against civilians was foiled due to the vigilance of the civilians themselves," the defence ministry said. Terrorists is the word that the government uses to describe the rebels.There was no immediate comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are fighting for independence for Sri Lanka's minority ethnic Tamils, concentrated in the north and east of the island.Ten men, seven women and a child were admitted to hospital after suffering minor injuries in the blast in Mount Lavinia, 10 kilometres (six miles) south of the capital of Colombo, the ministry said."The private bus was completely destroyed by fire from the explosion," the defence ministry said.Earlier this month, suspected Tamil Tiger rebels used a parcel bomb to blow up a crowded bus in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least 20 people.The new violence came as the defence ministry said war planes bombed a rebel milit