29 January 2010

Sri Lanka president to dissolve parliament, call poll

Re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa will dissolve parliament shortly and call a legislative election, his office said Thursday, in a move that could enable him to reshape the unwieldy coalition now backing him. Rajapaksa won a thumping victory Tuesday over his former army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, in the Indian Ocean island's first nationwide election since the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers. Rajapaksa had sought a new mandate to bless his plans to develop Sri Lanka by exploiting its geographically strategic position astride air and sea lanes, rebuilding infrastructure and encouraging foreign investment and local productivity."(The) President is to dissolve parliament and go for a general election soon," presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said.He declined to say precisely when the president would dissolve the legislature. The present parliament's term is due to expire in April.Disproving forecasts that Rajapaksa and former general Fonseka would race to a photo finish, the veteran politician won 57.8 percent of 10.4 million votes cast against 40.2 for Fonseka.The Colombo Stock Exchange, which dipped 2 percent in early Thursday trading, closed up 1.28 percent at a fresh record high. It turned in a 125 percent return in 2009, fuelled by post-war optimism that made it one of the year's best performers.However, foreign investors sold a net of 414 million Sri Lanka rupees

New twist in Lankan tale as Fonseka readies for general election

Former army chief Sarath Fonseka on Thursday announced that he would contest the upcoming general election in Sri Lanka. He said that if he did not contest the election, it would let down the people who voted for him.Fonseka said he was yet to decide the place and political party he would contest from. ``Yes, otherwise, I will let down the people,’’ he said when asked about his candidature.The Sri Lankan government is likely to dissolve the current Parliament soon and call for a general election as its tenure is coming to an end. The new 225-member Parliament has to be constituted before April 20.Fonseka, who early on Thursday moved to a confidant’s home from the five-star hotel where he remained holed up on Wednesday, told the media that his life continued to be in danger. Sri Lankan military personnel, many of them wearing gas masks, continued to stand guard and monitor roads around the retired general’s new home.The government, on its part, agreed that Fonseka’s security detail of 50 soldiers and 20 commandoes had been withdrawn. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told reporters that four vehicles, including a bullet-proof car, had also been withdrawn.Fonseka was quick to jump to conclusion that the government was trying to make him vulnerable and exposed to attacks. ``They deployed four policemen for me. I have hired 15 unarmed security guards.’’Interestingly, the police on Thursday announced the arrest of a senior LTTE leader and said the Tamil Tigers were trying to regroup; Fonseka insists that he is still under threat from LTTE; a Tamil Tiger suicide cadre attempted to kill him in April 2006 when he was army chief.A new dimension was added to the drama of accusations and counters when the chief of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle told the media that around 25 to 30 army deserters were arrested over an alleged plot to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Hulugalle said if there was evidence to prove that Fonseka was involved, he too would be arrested.Fonseka added that the opposition would file a case in the Supreme Court to annul the result of Presidential election announced. On Wednesday, the Election Secretariat announced that Rajapaksa had defeated Fonseka by a comfortable majority of more than 1.8 million votes.But Fonseka said the result was fudged. ``We won. I am 100 percent certain. Initially, I was leading by 1.4 million votes. But the election process was not conducted properly,’’ Fonseka added. He alleged that fraud was done while the data about the number of votes was being electronically transferred, adding that people – even including some opposition election agents – were bribed to manipulate the data.However, neither Fonseka nor the rest of opposition has been able to provide credible evidence of electoral fraud. Independent monitors, while criticising aspects of the process, have said the polls were largely fair.

U.S. congratulates Sri Lanka on President's victory

The United States congratulated Sri Lanka for the first nationwide election in decades and President Rajapaksa on his victory.Issuing a statement the U.S. Embassy in Colombo said the U.S. looks forward to continuing the partnership between the two countries and working with the Government and the people to support a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka. "We note that the turnout was large in most areas of the country and election day was peaceful in most locations. We also note, however, some reports of possible violations of election law during the campaign, voting, and counting, and we urge a thorough investigation of these allegations in accordance with Sri Lankan law and in keeping with the democratic traditions of the country. In addition, we urge the authorities to ensure the safety and security of all candidates and campaign workers," the statement said.

India on LTTE threat alert

A security alert has been sounded in India following the seizure of ammunition on the Tamil Nadu coast and the arrest of four Indian men who allegedly helped former Tamil Tiger (LTTE) guerrillas fleeing Sri Lanka take shelter in India.Also unearthed from prime accused Selvakumar alias Jeeva's property in Rameshwaram were Rs.800,000 in Indian currency and half a kilo of heroin valued at 100,000 dollars in the global market, official sources here said.Jeeva, who has a criminal past, told his interrogators that he transferred to his boat a man and a woman from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from the mid sea Dec 24 and brought them to Tamil Nadu. They were quietly transported inland in a car, whose driver too has been arrested.According to the 39-year-old Jeeva, a fisherman by profession, he has no idea about the present whereabouts of the pair who he says brought all that was buried in his hideout.These included 22 live rounds of 9mm ammunition and a Thuraya satellite telephone the like of which the LTTE used in large numbers as it went down fighting last year.Jeeva denied all knowledge of the heroin find. He went on to admit that he had helped bring in many former LTTE guerrillas into India since the Tigers were defeated and its top leader, Velupilllai Prabhakaran, was killed.The admission stunned police and intelligence officials who are wondering why former LTTE fighters, if they were fleeing only for safety, would like to carry live ammunition and a satellite telephone with them.Since the ammunition would be of no use without a weapon, the authorities are looking at the case - cracked following inputs from a central intelligence agency - seriously.The others who have been taken into custody include Khaleel Rahman, 39, Pazhani Kumar, Jeeva's 35-year-old cousin brother, and Raju, the car driver who is 25-years-old. The arrests took place Tuesday.Jeeva claimed that the money found in his hideout was what he had earned for smuggling sea cucumber, a delicacy, from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. Fishing and trading in sea cucumber is banned in India.Police and intelligence sources say Jeeva's confessions present a larger danger amid continuing heated attacks on the Indian government and some of its key functionaries by people associated with the LTTE.A Tamil web site known to be controlled by LTTE sympathizers has sought to blame Home Minister P. Chidamabaram for the killing of LTTE political chief B. Nadesan who was allegedly shot dead along with others when they tried to surrender to the Sri Lankan military last year.In the recent past, pro-LTTE literature has branded India a 'traitor' and poured scorn on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, a key backer of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for failing to save the LTTE.Official sources said Jeeva's statements were being studied intensely and a security alert had been sounded for Indian VIPs who the LTTE looks down upon.India outlawed the LTTE after a suicide bomber blew up former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. India is known to have given both overt and covert help to Sri Lanka as it battled the Tamil Tigers in the final stages of the conflict.

Fonseka attempted to assassinate Rajapaksa, says Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan government on Thursday hit back at defeated Opposition candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka, alleging he had attempted to "assassinate" President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family.A day after Fonseka charged the Army with attempting to kill him and was seeking India's protection, the Defence Ministry  on Thursday claimed there was "ample evidence" to prove that the former Army Chief Fonseka hatched the conspiracy from two hotels in Colombo.Director of Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hullugale claimed that the President and his family were to be assassinated along Galle Road in Colombo or at the Lake House Junction in the commerce hub of Fort.He claimed nine army deserters, who were arrested from outside a hotel in the capital yesterday, were part of the plot and investigations into this are now underway.In his letter to the Election Commission on Wednesday, Fonseka accused Rajapaksa of using the state media to attack him and of misappropriating public funds for his campaign and of preventing displaced minority Tamils from voting."The enthusiasm of the people we noticed during the campaign is not reflected in this result," Fonseka told reporters here. "We will never accept this result. We will petition (the court) against it."

Australian asylum bid for Colombo general Sarath Fonseka

FORMER Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka has said he will consider seeking temporary asylum in Australia following his election defeat this week in presidential polls he claims were rigged by the government. In an interview with The Australian at his home in Colombo yesterday, the former Sri Lankan army chief turned presidential challenger said he had spoken to the US and British embassies in Sri Lanka and was also planning to speak to the Australian high commissioner about the possibility of temporary asylum.But the man credited with winning the war against the rebel Tamil Tigers last May - along with his former commander-in-chief, President Mahinda Rajapakse, revealed he was being prevented from leaving the country.In the wake of Tuesday's polls - in which Mr Rajapakse won a second six-year presidential term this week by a large, and largely unexpected, margin of 1.8 million votes - he accused the government of rigging the election and abusing state resources.He has also accused it of orchestrating his assassination by withdrawing his security detail, and hinted he would seek temporary political asylum in another country.When asked whether he had considered Australia as an option, he replied: "It's a good place to go. I have not spoken to the Australian embassy yet; they may give me a visa but (the government) won't allow me to leave."He also confirmed he had spoken to staff at the US and British embassies in Sri Lanka. "There's no charge, no case filed against me (but) they said I can't leave the country.."In this country, the President interferes with the judiciary, interferes with law and order."General Fonseka looked relaxed despite the drama of the previous day in which he accused the military of putting him under house arrest in an upscale Colombo hotel.He said he intended to contest Sri Lanka's parliamentary elections in April - potentially as leader of a new political party - in what could be tacit acceptance that his bid to have this week's elections annulled has little chance of success.Many analysts yesterday predicted the size of the President's victory would prove decisive in upcoming parliamentary elections and cement his hold on power. But General Fonseka told The Australian: "There's been computer manipulation from the accounting centre to the electoral commission."We have a lot of evidence so we're going to file a Supreme Court case; after that we will try to get the results declared null and void and go for a recount."Yesterday, a victorious Mr Rajapakse vowed to put tensions with Western critics behind him and transform his war-ravaged nation into a development and tourism hub after his landslide win in Sri Lanka's first post-conflict presidential election.But he warned Western nations against pushing for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by both sides in the last months of the civil war with the separatist Tamil Tigers. "The overwhelming mandate given in this election has given the answer to these critics," he said in a statement yesterday.

Top LTTEer arrested

The terrorist Investigation Division (TID) yesterday apprehended in Colombo a very important LTTE activist who was at large for a couple of years. He was a close associate of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and LTTE deputy leader Castro. He was involved in procurements for the LTTE for the last 10 years and was a trained LTTE cadre, DIG TID N. Wakishta said yesterday. Addressing a press conference at the Media Centre for National Security, he said the operative was Subramainiam Sivakumar, also known as Shantha Kumar Rajan and was active in procurement for the LTTE travelling under a forged passport. He was wanted by the TID and Interpol. Sivakumar was also connected with the explosive laden vehicle found at the Sama Viharaya, Kotahena in 1996. The search for LTTE operatives and important cadres overseas has not been stopped as they were active in other countries. The TID and the Defence Ministry is continuing the search for them and we have not stopped our operations, the DIG said. Meanwhile, the security personnel and vehicles provided to Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka was withdrawn yesterday as these were provided to him on the request made to the Election Commissioner by Fonseka, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said at a press conference at the Media Centre for National Security. Answering questions from the press, he said there was no rule or regulation to provide security to retired Army Commanders or other senior officials. None of the other past commanders have been provided with security. However, if there was any security threat to him, the Government could assist him. But he had to request and the threat should be assessed by the Military Intelligence Division. However, when he was provided with extra security by the Government at the hotel in Colombo, he said he did not want it and also said that he was under house arrest. The personnel provided to him by the army reported back to the Army yesterday while the vehicles provided to him have been returned to the Army, the Brigadier noted.

28 January 2010

Mahinda magic works

President Mahinda Rajapaksa scored a historic victory over Opposition presidential candidate, General (retd) Sarath Fonseka at the first national poll since the collapse of the LTTE last May. The incumbent President polled a staggering 6,015,934 (57.88%) to set the stage for parliamentary elections before end of April. Fonseka polled 4,173,185 (40.15%) while the rest polled a total of 204,494 (1.9%).Fonseka lost his home base, the Ambalangoda electorate by a majority of 12,297 votes. The President polled 33,488 (62.79%) against 19,191 (35.98%) obtained by Fonseka, who vowed to win the area though the government targeted the former Army Chief’s home town. The President secured Kandy and Matale while Fonseka took Nuwara Eliya with a 30,000 vote majority though Wickremesinghe secured the entire Central Province with over 250,000 vote majority at the last presidential polls. The President also comfortably secured Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Moneragala, Ratnapura and Kegalle.Fonseka secured Batticaloa, Digamadulla, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Vanni though Wickremesinghe at the last presidential poll won 11 electoral districts.Although the government ensured a violence-free post-poll environment with a heavy presence of the police and troops in the City and its suburbs to meet any eventuality, public transport failed. Government sources said that a decision to declare Wednesday (January 27) a public and Bank holiday contributed to breakdown of public transport. Most the private buses, too, kept off the roads.At the last presidential election in November 2005, the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe won 11 electoral districts each. Wickremesinghe secured Colombo, Batticaloa, Digamadulla, Badulla, Mahanuwara, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Vanni and Puttalam districts.Rajapaksa won Galle, Anuradhapura, Gampaha, Matara, Polonnaruwa, Kalutara, Hambantota, Moneragala, Kurunegala, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts. Rajapaksa secured the 2005 poll by a mere 180,796 votes though he scored an unprecedented victory, undoubtedly the biggest at a presidential poll, the first peacetime election since the end of war.SLFP MP Mangala Samaraweera (SLFP-Mahajana Wing), who last week boasted that he would take over the SLFP after incumbent President and SLFP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, lost his second bid at the presidency ended up losing his own electorate. The President polled 33,948 (55.07 %) against 27,102 (43.97 %) obtained by his rival to secure Matara.Tuesday’s poll was the first in which two candidates from the Southern Province faced each other. Secretary to the President, Lalith Weerataunga told The Island that people should not forget the so-called combined Opposition campaigned to abolish the executive presidency. "It was their main slogan. Tuesday’s verdict is nothing but overwhelming rejection of their campaign and endorsement of the President’s policy," he said. Their Katakatha Brigade, too, had made a futile attempt to discredit the President and his brothers by publicly accusing them of amassing wealth through corrupt and irregular means, Weeratunga said. In the run-up to the poll, former President and SLFP leader Chandrika Kumaratunga threw her weight behind Fonseka and went to the extent of calling the SLFP to defeat her successor and help restore democracy. Rajapaksa, who comfortably won the Gampaha District without her support and that of her brother, Anura Bandaranaike, the then Foreign Minister, secured the district this time too.SLFP MPs Arjuna Ranatunga and Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, switched their allegiance to the Opposition in the run-up to the poll along with Myown Mustapha, MP, M. S. Sellasamy, Cegu Isadeen, MP and presidential advisor Nazeer Ahmed.The UNP and JVP sank their differences to back Fonseka, who contested the poll on the New Democratic Front (NDF) ticket. Former Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Western People’s Front (WPF) led by Mano Ganeshan, MP, too, joined the campaign to bring the President to his knees.Former JVP heavyweight Wimal Weerawansa, MP, told The Island that the Opposition would never recover from this defeat ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary polls. The people, he said, had told the Opposition what they really thought of them and their ridiculous bid to destroy a popular leader. National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Weerawansa said that the JVP would face the daunting task of facing parliamentary elections on its own in couple of months. The JVP leadership in the run-up to the poll declared that it would contest parliamentary polls on its own though it had formed an alliance at the presidential polls.Weerawansa said that the JVP had been reduced to nothing though it boasted of a landslide victory for Fonseka, whose campaign managers did nothing but caused rumours. The Opposition also claimed that it had the support of about 90 per cent of the armed forces and police though Tuesday’s result had proved that almost all districts with a Sinhala Buddhist and Catholic majority voted for the President.To the credit of public servants, the President easily secured the postal vote, though the Opposition believed that Fonseka’s promise to reward them with a Rs. 10,000 salary increase once he succeeded Rajapaksa. The President ruled out the possibility of such an increase while offering a Rs. 2,500 increase to 1.2 million public servants. Weeratunga, who played a critical role in the campaign, said that public servants weren’t deceived by that particular promise. The Opposition went to the extent of claiming that the President had reduced the price of petrol in fear of Fonseka’s rapidly rising popularity. Weerawansa said that the Opposition never recovered from the controversy over the Hicorp arms deals as well as the abortive bid to bribe NFF MP M. Muzamil in the run-up to the poll. He said that only the TNA had delivered Tamil majority electorates and districts to Fonseka in keeping with their pre-poll agreement. The Opposition candidate suffered another setback in the final hours of voting when the State media revealed that he could not even exercise his franchise due to him not being on the June 2008 electoral register.

Indian leaders congratulate Sri Lanka President

Indian leaders expressed their congratulatory remarks on Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa's reelection for another term on Wednesday.Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulating the President and the country expressed his confidence that under the President's leadership the country would find lasting peace with all communities living with dignity and in harmony.In a phone message to the President Prime Minister Singh said his success in the elections is a reflection of the trust the people of Sri Lanka has reposed in him."Both India and Sri Lanka have a shared commitment to democratic values. We have time-tested ties of friendship and cooperation. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our close and multi-dimensional, bilateral relations in the coming years," the Indian Prime Minister said.The President of India, Ms. Pratibha Patil congratulating her counterpart in Sri Lanka expressed confidence that under his leadership the country would attain greater heights and find lasting peace. President Patil assuring the continued commitment of India to deepen the ties between the two countries said India is looking forward to work with President Rajapaksa towards this end for the mutual benefit of the two nations.

India hopes Rajapaksa will fulfil Tamil promise

With Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa heading for a landslide win in the first election after the LTTE rout, India is hoping he will use the electoral boost to fast-track the long-deferred devolution package for the Tamil minority and bring permanent peace to the island nation. The poll results, in which Rajapaksa beat his closest rival Sarath Fonseka who commanded the army to crush the LTTE rebels, mark continuity for New Delhi as it will be dealing with a familiar regime in Colombo.“We have always said that devolution and reconciliation hold the key to lasting peace in Sri Lanka. We are hoping that this process will now be taken to its logical conclusion,” government sources told IANS. “The prospect for reconciliation has definitely brightened. Rajapaksa realises reconciliation with Tamils alone can bring stability and prosperity to Sri Lanka,” A.S. Kalkat, who headed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) deployed in the island country under the 1987 Indo-Lankan accord, told IANS.“Rajapaksa may not be able to give a new political dispensation to Tamils revolving around devolution right away. But now that he is firmly in the saddle, he can bring in his own people in parliament in the forthcoming parliamentary elections,” said Kalkat. Agreed Major General (retd) Ashok Mehta: “A second term would mean a far more confident and more empowered president. It gives him a lot of operational freedom to put Tamil reconciliation process on fast track.”“Having won the elections, he has no excuse now but to come out within a devolution package for Tamil minority,” said Alok Bansal, a Sri Lanka expert at the National Maritime Foundation, a military think tank. Bansal, however, said India will have to wait and watch for any progress in this direction till the parliamentary elections, due in the next months, take place. If Rajapkasa’s party manages a comfortable majority in the parliamentary elections with MPs sharing his vision of reconciliation, his hand will be strengthened further. “He has a major opportunity to go down in history as a statesman and bring in permanent peace in his country,” Bansal said. Soon after the Sri Lankan troops eliminated the top leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May last year, including its chief V. Prabhakaran, bringing to an end 26 years of bloody civil war, Rajapaksa had made fulsome promises about giving their just due to the Tamil minority that comprises around 12 per cent of Sri Lanka’s In his campaign speeches, both Rajapaksa and Fonseka competed for Tamil vote. Fonseka in fact tried to to project Rajapaksa as anti-Tamil. Now, Rajapska will be under pressure to do something tangible for reconciliation with Tamils, said Kalkat. In fact, Rajapaksa promised 13 amendment plus 1, meaning he was ready to give more than what was laid down in the 13th amendment, which deals with devolution of powers to provinces and was incorporated into the Sri Lanka Constitution after the 1987 India-Lanka Accord. With the electoral uncertainty over, India is also hoping that the process of resettlement of internally displaced persons, for which it has already pledged Rs.500 crore (approx $100 million), will also be speeded up. Seven demining teams from India are working to facilitate reconstruction and re-settlement of Tamils.

Devananda on Jaffna defeat

Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda said his party, the EPDP, was sorry for the UPFA’s defeat in Jaffna for two reasons.He claimed that the Tamil media and a section of Tamil Diaspora had misguided the Tamil community and as a result of that Tamil votes had gone for Sarath Fonseka. The Tamil Diaspora had been remitting money for the Tamil community displaced by the war and some sections of the community their toed its line, the Minister said.Some Tamils were dependent on foreign remittances and willing to do what the diaspora wanted.

Sri Lanka’s Fonseka leaves hotel after stand-off

Sri Lanka’s defeated opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka left a luxury hotel in Colombo unimpeded on Wednesday after being holed up there all day surrounded by troops, an AFP reporter witnessed.He drove out of the lake-side hotel complex in a black BMW in a motorcade of several cars, which was stopped briefly by the soldiers before they allowed him to continue to a safe house in Colombo. “We have moved to a house in Colombo, but I can’t tell you the location for obvious reasons,” one of Fonseka’s bodyguards told AFP, asking not to be named. The bodyguard said he was unaware of any deal brokered by foreign diplomats to enable Fonseka to leave the country, which had been suggested earlier in the day. Soon after the former four-star general left the hotel, the force of about 100 heavily-armed men stationed outside quickly pulled back from their positions and road blocks put in place earlier in the day were removed. Fonseka had earlier complained of intimidation by the soldiers and said he was unable to leave because of fear of arrest or attempts on his life. The government countered that the soldiers were there because there were concerns about army deserters with the opposition in the hotel. Inside the resort on Wednesday, Fonseka held a series of tense meetings with his coalition of backers, while tourists and businesspeople mingled in the lobby, seemingly oblivious to the show of force outside. After leaving through the main exit, the married father-of-two and his aides were stopped briefly by the troops who initially wanted to search the vehicles. Fonseka had told reporters that he might have to go abroad because the government had withdrawn his security team which would leave him vulnerable to assassination. An army Major who handled security for Fonseka during his bid to unseat President Mahinda Rajapakse in Tuesday’s vote confirmed that his government protection had been removed, leaving a handful of private bodyguards. “I am also moving out to my parent unit today,” the senior officer said. “Our ring of guards is being withdrawn.” The 59-year-old was heavily protected during his time in the military when the country was at war with the Tamil Tiger rebels who pioneered suicide bombings and were responsible for multiple assassinations. The Tigers were wiped out by Fonseka’s forces last May after an offensive ordered by Rajapakse. Rajapakse won Tuesday’s election with 57.9 percent of the popular vote, but Fonseka said he would challenge the result and accused Rajapakse of rigging and violating electoral law.

Tamils in Kingston set to vote in referendum

Tamils in Kingston are set to vote in a referendum on January 30 and 31, to test their will on creating an independent homeland in Sri Lanka. Tamil National Council (TNC) announced that the polling stations for Kingston’s 8,000 Tamils will be set up in Tolworth Girls’ School, Stoneleigh Amman Temple and New Malden’s Shiraz Mirza Hall and North Cheam Community Association, asked Tamils to vote between 9am and 5pm. The secretary of TNC, Sri Ranjan, said: “The aim of this referendum is to unite the Tamil speaking people and with their support have a referendum for the future of the Tamils in Sri Lanka based on a resolution in 1976, called Vaddukoddai Resolution, the last democratic resolution. “This was submitted to the government of Sri Lanka by the Tamil politicians once they were elected in 1977. It was completely rejected by the government and the arms struggle was intensified.” Former mayor of Kingston Councillor Yogan Yoganathan said: “Yes, I will be voting for the Tamil referendum and it will certainly bring all the diaspora Tamils together and united, firstly to raise awareness of the Tamils’ plight for the past 60 years. “Unfortunately, our Tamils back home can not express their views freely and have been like this for the past 60 years. If we want a change the above situation, then I will urge all Tamils to take their time to support fully and vote.” A Tamil restaurant keeper in Tolworth said: “As you know, we were screaming in Westminster for months to stop the bloodiest war, waged by Sri Lankan government on Tamils, which claimed thousands of innocent Tamil people last year alone. But we could not save our kith and kin. I think that it’s a good opportunity to expose my political will.”  

27 January 2010

Fears military will intervene in Sri Lanka election

Fears that the Sri Lankan military might intervene in a crucial presidential election were stoked overnight when a large contingent of troops surrounded the hotel where contender, Sarath Fonseka, was staying in Colombo.More than 100 heavily armed soldiers in battle fatigues stood at regular intervals on the roads outside Colombo's Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel where Fonseka and his key supporters had reportedly occupied rooms on the third floor.The Herald was stopped when approaching the hotel overnight while troops checked identity documents, searched bags and scanned the vehicle with torches. The troops took up their positions soon after polls closed following a bitter and sometimes violent election campaign that pitted Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa against Fonseka, the former army chief.Analysts were predicting a tight result in what was the first presidential election since the military defeated Tamil Tiger rebels after nearly 30 years of armed conflict.It was not clear who had ordered the troops to be stationed outside the hotel or what the purpose of the deployment was. But a senior Sri Lankan journalist told the Herald that he was concerned it signalled the army was preparing to intervene in Sri Lankan politics.The general alleged on Saturday that Government members had made preparations to nullify the election result, should he win, and use the army to stay in power.But Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, hit back on behalf of the President claiming Fonseka had a military force of up to 800 men at his disposal.Votes were being counted last night and the poll result will be announced later today.

India a force driving change in the world - High Commissioner

Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kantha addressing at the Republic Day celebrations in Colombo said that India emerged as a force driving change in the world. After hoisting the national flag the Indian envoy stressed that democratic principles and the way of life of Indians should continue. India had ably demonstrated that it was a functioning democracy. Indians chose their governments through the ballot and by taking democracy to the grass roots. Democracy involves a pattern of behaviour, in which every individual must act responsibly, show respect towards dissimilar opinions and address differences in a constructive and accommodative manner. This would build harmony and tolerance-values which are intrinsic to Indian philosophy. They form the bedrock of a society that embraces the diversity of language, religion and culture to create a composite whole, said Ashok Kantha. The Indian High Commissioner said that his country was the fourth largest economy of the world in terms of purchasing power parity. The Indian target of achieving a double digit growth rate is plausible and realistic. Empowering the poor and the disadvantaged, enabling them to move up the economic ladder, to join the ranks of the prosperous, is a task that must be accomplished by all Indians. Women needed to be made full and equal partners, he said. He further added that India had been the target of terrorism for more than two decades. Government had taken and would continue to take necessary steps to tackle threats emanating from terrorism. India would seek to build friendly relations with countries in the South Asian region and those across the world, the Indian envoy said. Indian music and dance ensembles followed the High Commissioner's speech.

26 January 2010

Presidential Polls: 14 million voters, 22 candidates, 11,000 polling centres Final result expected tomorrow afternoon

Nearly 250,000 government servants will be on duty for today’s 6th Presidential Election to be conducted for the first time islandwide, including the Northern and Eastern Provinces, after the conclusion of war on terrorism ended in May last year.There are 22 candidates in the fray, including incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Army Chief, General (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka, the two main contenders. Two candidates withdrew earlier.A spokesman for the Election Commissioner’s Department told The Island that 14,088,500 persons were eligible to vote at the presidential election today. Ballot boxes were sent to Kachcheries islandwide yesterday under heavy security escorts.Among the voters eligible to vote are 45,732 internally displaced persons (IDP’s) in the North and East. The Menik Farm Welfare Village in Vavuniya has 16,000 persons who have registered to cast their votes today.State as well as private buses had been deployed for those persons to travel to their polling booths in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, a spokesman for the Ministry of Resettlement said.There are 11,098 polling centres and 888 counting centres. The counting in Colombo will be at D. S. Senanayake College and Isipathana College, where 2500 officials will be on duty. The final result could be expected tomorrow (Wednesday) early afternoon.The Police Elections Secretariat sources told The Island that there would be 68,000 policemen on duty, assisted by personnel of the three armed forces.It said: "The military will be called in to assist Police if violence erupts, even after the election results are announced. We will be very strict and severe on culprits who engage in acts of violence or even instigate violence. Just cast your vote and leave. Don’t hang around polling booths, start arguments which could end in fights."Elections Commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayake, told The Island that today’s Presidential Election would be free and fair. He appealed to everyone concerned not to make unwanted allegations and for the losing candidate to take defeat in proper spirit."I only hope this will be my last election as the Commissioner," the Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Dissanayake told the media recently.There are 55 election monitors in the country from the Asian Association of Election Authorities (AAEA) and the Commonwealth representing 21 countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, South Korea, Kazakhastan, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea. The UN and EU declined to send monitors for today’s Presidential Election.There are also over 40 foreign media personnel in the country, mainly in vulnerable areas, including the North and East.Reported election violence incidents were 985 upto last evening including four killings.

India looking at Lankan polls

Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna says his government will look forward to working with whoever wins the Presidential elections in Sri Lanka. He also said that India is happy that it is democracy that ultimately triumphed in Sri Lanka."Tomorrow is a very big day for the people of Sri Lanka and they will be given a chance to elect a government of its choice and whomsoever the Sri Lankan people will elect, India certainly will look forward to working with the leaders," ANI quoted Krishna as saying today.

Indian embassy in Italy gets IED

In an intriguing incident, Indian embassy in Italy received an IED in the form of a postage packet a few days back prompting stepping up of security at the mission.The packet which had the sender’s name as LTTE from Italy, was received at the Embassy on January 20, Ambassador Arif Khan told PTI.The envelope addressed to the Embassy of India in Italy contained two fuse wires which aroused suspicion. The police was immediately informed and a report was filed, he said.Police is investigating the incident, Khan said, adding that the security at the Embassy has been stepped up in view of this incident.

24 January 2010

Mahinda, Sarath or Sivaji? The northern voters’ choice By Franklin R. Satyapalan in Jaffna

Northern voters were divided between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka with the minority spurning both major contenders saying they would vote for TNA MP K. Sivajilingam who is running as an independent.Older supporters of the TNA said they regarded both major contenders to be Sinhala chauvinists. But they would prefer to see the back of President Rajapaksa by voting for General Fonseka in the hope that major issues confronting them would be redressed.EPDP leader Douglas Devananda who has been campaigning for the president in the Northern Province has won over a sizeable section of the younger Northern voters to support the Rajapaksa ticket. Devananda urged the Northern Tamils to have confidence in him and give up the confrontational politics of the past.He said that the Northern Tamils would be stakeholders of the government if they ensured President Rajapaksa’s victory and pledged that he would find speedy solutions for the day to day problems of Tamil people and fulfill their aspirations."Ours is a conciliatory and practical approach to politics and we have confidence that we can carry out a development program that will make our people more prosperous," Devananda said, adding that a ten-point plan has been presented to the electorate.Many younger Northern voters believed that confrontational politics of the past including that of the LTTE had not helped them. The LTTE’s conscription of young people and taxation had hurt Northern youth with many young people deprived of the opportunity to study and think for themselves.With the LTTE yoke no longer on their backs, they were able to travel to other parts of the country without fear or suspicion and they were happy about the lifting of restrictions on fishing and travel.Some of the Northern voters believed that the best course of action for them would be not to support the two major candidates but vote for Sivajilingam to mark their opposition to both major contenders.

India wants to open Consulate in Jaffna

India wants to open a consulate in Jaffna, The Sunday Island has learnt from top sources here.A request to this effect was conveyed to the Sri Lankan Government shortly after the end of the so-called Eelam War IV, which concluded with the killing of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in May last year.India appears prepared and willing to render whatever assistance Sri Lanka needs and wants to rebuild the infrastructure and undertake development activities and projects in the Northern Province, currently in a shambles in the wake of the three-decade-long civil war. New Delhi is awaiting Colombo’s response to its request for opening a consulate in Jaffna.
In view of India’s likely involvement in various reconstruction and development projects in the civil war-ravaged Jaffna peninsula in the coming months, diplomatic sources here say Colombo may have no objection to New Delhi setting up a consulate in Jaffna.Such a consulate may help the Indian government monitor the work being done by several of its agencies across the Northern Province, and also help promote greater people-to-people contacts across the Palk Straits.At present, India has a high commission in Colombo and an assistant high commission in Kandy while Sri Lanka maintains a high commission in New Delhi, a deputy high commission in Chennai, a consulate general in Mumbai and an honorary consul in Kolkata.Right now seven Indian teams are engaged in de-mining operations in the Northern Province.India recently extended a US$425-million line of credit to Sri Lanka for three railway projects in the north to be executed by two public sector companies owned by the Indian Ministry of Railways: IRCON International Limited and RITES. While IRCON will lay tracks on the Omanthai-Palali and Madhu-Talaimannar sectors of the island’s Northern railway line, RITES will supply the rolling stock. The commercial agreement for the railway projects was signed on January 11 in Colombo in the presence of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport Dullas Alahapperuma and Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha.  It was signed IRCON International’s SL Gupta and Sri Lanka Railways’ PP Wijesekara. (This agreement follows similar agreements signed earlier for the rehabilitation of the Southern Railway corridor, which had been extensively damaged in the 2004 tsunami. Under that agreement, India is assisting in the rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara rail link through a line of credit of $167.4 million.  Work on the Colombo-Kalutara sector of this line is already at an advanced stage). Five years ago, India was involved in repairing the extensively-damaged Palali/Jaffna civil-and-military airport, the second biggest in the island after Colombo.

TNA campaign for Fonseka fails to fire

The four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which voted by a simple majority to back common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka, however, has not been able to muster much of a campaign on his behalf in the North and East due to bulk of its members not attending the meetings for various reasons.Maverick sole Tamil presidential candidate M.K. Sivagilingam said yesterday that when signed undertakings given by Sarath Fonseka and Ranil Wickremesinghe were read out to them by their leader at their Parliamentary group meeting, he had asked why the JVP, a crucial partner in the opposition alliance had not signed it, then Sampanthan had said they had promised to get JVP’s support later on.One MP, who did not wished to be identified, said that while they went ahead with the majority decision to endorse Sarath Fonseka’s candidature in order to save the alliance, there was no decision to campaign for him.Jaffna District Parliamentarian Pathmini Sithamparanathan said yesterday that she had not attended any of its meetings so far, but she would attend yesterday’s final meeting of the TNA at Sangiliyantopu near Nallur for the sake of the alliance.She said they were not happy with the process of negotiations with both leading candidates. All talks were conducted by TNA Leader R. Sampanthan accompanied by Suresh Premachandran and Mavai Senathirajah. All three had wanted to support Sarath Fonseka from the beginning.“Campaigning in the North is not effective as there is hardly any enthusiasm among the people. Even though the war is over, the people have yet not recovered. They still live in fear,” she said.According to insiders, Tamil Congress Leader Gagendrakumar Ponnambalam who openly issued a statement not to support either of the main candidates just prior to the TNA decision to back Fonseka has gone to England.Parliamentarian from the Wanni, Sivanathan Kisshor has kept away from all campaigning after reportedly declaring himself “neutral.”MP Chandrakanthan Chandranehru, who also opposed supporting either candidate and who is now recovering in Colombo after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh last week during a campaign commotion near his residence in Thirukkovil said yesterday that people there were not opposed to Mahinda Rajapaksa, but they might vote for Fonseka because the government is identified with the misdeeds of former rebel leaders who are now with the government.Chandranehru said at least two other MPs from the Wanni too had not been attending any of the TNA meetings. S. Jeyanandamoorthy has been abroad for quite some time and Ms Thangeswari Kathiraman is sick.Several other MPs are also said to be abroad, while some others have been secretly supporting the candidature of Sivagilingam along with the other leading rebel N. Srikantha, who is openly managing his campaign.Sivagilingam too said there was not much enthusiasm among Tamil voters there for the election, but it would be an improvement on the dismal turnout registered in the recent municipal elections held in Jaffna and Vavuniya.

Ranil Wants KP Prosecuted Over Controversial White Flag Incident

In yet another convoluted twist to an explosive story broken by The Sunday Leader last month, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called on the government to prosecute LTTE’ Chief Arms Procurer and International Wing leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP for alleging that the security forces shot at LTTE leaders carrying white flags during the final phase of the war.He told the media yesterday that the government was yet to respond to the relevant question raised by the opposition. “Why won’t they now prosecute KP who is in their custody? The matter is over then.”“KP is the person who made this allegation. Under the emergency laws, they can prosecute him. Instead of prosecuting him they are drinking with him and keeping him in Visumpaya,” Wickremesinghe said.He added the second person to refer to LTTE leaders carrying white flags was then Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona.“He said they were shot in the back. Then they could do a post mortem and finish it like Prabhakaran’s, but to date there has not been one,” Wickremesinghe said.

Indian HC visits Trincomalee and Batticaloa

High Commissioner, Ashok K. Kantha visited Trinco-malee and Batticaloa on January 20-21, 2010. During the visit, he met the Governor of the Eastern Province, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Mohan Wijewickrama, Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesanthurai Sandirakanthan, the Mayor of Batticaloa, Mrs. Sivageetha Prabhagaran, Councillors, other representatives, members of civil society and officials.In the context of the ongoing development assistance extended by India to Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner inaugurated two Nenasalas (e-learning centres) in Puliyankulam and Kallady.The Nenasalas are among 20 such centres, which have been launched in the Eastern Province with Government of India assistance. These Nenasalas have been equipped with computers with internet connection, photocopiers, facsimile machines and printers provided by India with the objective of enhancing IT awareness and expanding information access to the public. The cost of the project is SLR 17 million.India has also extended assistance for five railbus units, which is expected to enhance transport connectivity between Batticaloa and Trinco-malee. The project aims at providing a fast and affordable means of transport between the two places by converting conventional buses to run on existing tracks. The Government of India has provided 10 Ashok Leyland buses at a cost of SLR 44 million to Sri Lanka Railways and also made available an additional SLR 22 million for conversion of these buses into five railbus units in the Sri Lanka Railways workshop at Ratmalana. Two railbus units are successfully in operation.The High Commissioner inaugurated the third rail-bus unit at a public function in Batticaloa. Two more rail-bus units will be inducted into operation soon.When all railbus units are commissioned, they will connect, through shuttle service, the towns of Trincomalee and Battic-aloa with Gal Oya, which is already connected with the Sri Lankan rail network. This will fulfill the objective of connecting the Eastern Province with Colombo.The High Commissioner also visited the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies in the Eastern University. During the visit, books and musical instruments worth SLR 5.5 lakhs provided by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) were handed over, with the expectation that the Institute will serve as a cultural hub for the people. The High Commissioner also visited the Ramakrishna Mission in Batticaloa.

Two Tamils Sentenced In US For Aiding LTTE

The US Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn yesterday sentenced 30-year-old Sathajhan Sarachandran and 55-year-old Nadarasa Yogarasa to 26 and 14 years in prison, respectively, in connection with their efforts to purchase $1 million worth of high-powered weaponry for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The sentences were imposed by Chief United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.In January 2009, Sarachandran pled guilty to providing, conspiring to provide, and attempting to provide material support to the LTTE and conspiring and attempting to acquire guided surface-to-air missiles and missile launchers, and Yogarasa pled guilty to attempting to provide material support to the LTTE and conspiring to do so.On August 19, 2006, Sarachandran, Yogarasa and two co-defendants were arrested on Long Island after engaging in negotiations with an undercover FBI agent to purchase and export 20 SA-18 heat-seeking missiles, ten missile launchers, 500 AK-47s, and other military equipment for the LTTE.

21 January 2010

Sri Lanka: Ban concerned over rising violence ahead of presidential polls

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his concern over growing violence in Sri Lanka, including the reported killings of political activists, as the country’s people prepare to head to the polls to elect a new president.Mr. Ban called on all Sri Lankan parties and their supporters to refrain from violence, abide by the electoral laws and rules, and avoid provocative actions both during and after the election period, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.A decades-long conflict between the Government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) came to a close in May last year.” the Secretary-General stressed.The peaceful conduct of the first post-conflict national election is of the highest importance for long term peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka Earlier this month, an independent United Nations human rights expert said there are strong indications that the video of alleged extrajudicial executions by Sri Lankan soldiers that aired last August on British television is authentic, calling for an inquiry into possible war crimes committed during the conflict with Tamil rebels.Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, commissioned three experts in forensic pathology, forensic video analysis, and firearm evidence to examine the video, after concluding that the investigations carried out by the Government had not been thorough or impartial.“The conclusion clearly is that the video is authentic,” he said. “I have therefore called on the Government of Sri Lanka to respond to these allegations.”The Government has categorically denied the allegations raised by the video, which purportedly depicts the extrajudicial execution of two naked and helpless Tamil men by the Sri Lankan military and the presumed prior executions of others.It had commissioned four separate investigations which concluded that the video was a fake. However, Mr. Alston had pointed out that two of the Government’s experts looking into the matter were members of the Sri Lankan Army, the body whose actions have been called into question.

Monitors slam election violence
 
Sri Lankan groups monitoring the presidential election campaign say the levels of election-related violence and misuse of state resources are at their worst for twenty years or more. So far Sri Lanka has seen four election-related deaths. Reports suggest two victims were involved with the Rajapaksa campaign and two on the Fonseka side. But there have been many more incidents of injuries. Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections, told the BBC bleakly that he believed both sides were “aggressively moving towards a violent election” and he feared it would worsen.

Over 80 victims

He said more than 80 people had been wounded or killed, with more than 20 instances of firearms used or deployed as a threat. And, he said, the violence appeared to be well organised. The latest deaths on Tuesday saw one man attacked with swords and beaten to death and another killed in a grenade attack. JC Weliamuna, of the Programme for Protection of Public Resources, said the state media were ignoring guidelines from the electoral commissioner and were backing the president’s candidacy “one hundred percent”. He alleged that the extent of misuse of state resources by the current government was unprecented in Sri Lankan electoral history; and said he was concerned that voters would not be able to make an informed choice on polling day. In his latest campaign speech the president said he would “not permit thuggery to raise its head” in this election. Many are ignoring him. The vote, in one week's time, pits two nationalists of the ethnic Sinhalese majority against each other – President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the retired army chief, General Sarath Fonseka.

20 January 2010

Congress rejects Lanka’s claims Tuesday

India’s ruling Congress party rejected claims by a top Sri Lankan official that the Sri Lankan government’s decision to stop the use of heavy weapons during the latter stages of the war helped the Indian government win the General elections in Tamil Nadu last year.Speaking to Daily Mirror online, Congress spokesperson, Shri Satyavrat Chaturvedi, said that the local political and economic issues in India were more dominant than the Sri Lankan issue in the outcome of the Indian polls.“During the Elections both the rival Parties, M. Karunanidhi and his Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam party (DMK) and J. Jayalalitha’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party were sympathizing with the Sri Lankan Tamils and this issue was the common feature that was being used by both parties so no single party had the advantage,” Satyavrat added.Secretary to the President Lailith Weerathunga had told Daily Mirror online last week that President Mahinda Rajapakse helped India’s congress party win the general elections in Tamil Nadu last year by reaching an agreement with the Indian Government to stop using heavy weapons during the last stages of the war.

Ranil blames LTTE for polls loss

Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickramasingha, in an interview with the Europe based Tamil television GTV, blamed the LTTE for his loss in the 2005 elections. Wickramasingha also strongly refuted claims that he was behind the Karuna split from the Tigers.“What happened in the LTTE was an internal issue which I had nothing to do with. It is very, very unfair to put the blame on me. I have always said if you have any evidence give it us,” he said in the interview.The UNP leader recalled that he was humiliated by the LTTE and called names after losing the 2005 elections with former LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham even calling him a fox.“The LTTE told Tamils not to vote. I would have been President otherwise. In 2005 there was a mistake (by the LTTE) and now we have to get together and resolve this issue….In 2005 you missed the opportunity,” he told the interviewer.Wickramasingha noted that after the Mawilaru incident which resulted in an all out war being launched on the LTTE, the then Army Commander and now Presidential Candidate General Sarath Fonsek had to follow orders from the government to eliminate the Tigers within a time frame.

19 January 2010

Sri Lanka vote raises hopes in Washington

Sri Lanka's upcoming election is raising hopes in the United States for better relations after a chilly spell if the island turns the page on a bloody war that brought international opprobrium.The January 26 election comes months after troops killed the top leadership of the Tamil Tigers, ending their ruthless decades-long separatist campaign but also triggering accusations of human rights abuses.Ironically, the post-war election could be decided by voters from the Tamil minority as the Sinhalese majority splits between two candidates -- incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse, who ordered the final military push, and former general Sarath Fonseka, who executed it but more recently has pledged reconciliation. Related article: Sri Lanka's Tamils wary of election spotlightAsked if the election could change relations with Washington, a senior US official said: "It already has changed the dynamic in a positive way.""A lot of the progress we've seen in the last two months or so is contributable at least in part to the election," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Sri Lanka has recently moved on key international concerns including releasing thousands of Tamil civilians who had been held for months in rudimentary displacement camps.The US official was upbeat about pledges made by Fonseka including greater media freedom and independent commissions to oversee the judiciary and other key institutions."I'm hesitant to make predictions about the future, because candidates promise all sorts of things and then they don't deliver, but certainly General Fonseka has been making some good pronunciations," he said.But the United States has strongly denied allegations made by one ruling party legislator that it is funding the opposition.Some Sri Lanka watchers in the West -- and especially the Tamil diaspora, which has been instrumental in pressing for a harder line on Sri Lanka -- are deeply ambivalent about Fonseka.Fonseka, who holds a US green card, escaped questioning by US authorities about possible war crimes during a November visit after Sri Lanka summoned the US ambassador to protest."Fonseka would not be the US's first choice as president but if he wins it would at least open the door for a better US relationship," said Robert Oberst, a Sri Lanka expert at Nebraska Wesleyan University."His whole association with the military is what tarnishes him in part. If there were war crimes committed, he obviously knew about them and was involved," Oberst said.Sri Lanka increasingly distanced itself from the West as it came under fire for its human rights record. It has built ties with China and Iran and last year hosted Myanmar's reclusive military leader Than Shwe.But Asoka Bandarage, an associate professor at Georgetown University and author of the book, "The Separatist Conflict in Sri Lanka," doubted the former British colony would turn to Western rivals except out of economic necessity."I don't think that even ardent Sinhala nationalists would want Sri Lanka cut off from Western influence and that longstanding connection," she said.The US official also believed Sri Lanka saw good US ties as a "long-term interest," noting that Western nations were the key market for its exports such as garments and tea.Tamil diaspora activists have also seized on the economic dimension, launching a campaign urging a Western boycott of the island's products. In one racy video under the slogan "No Blood for Panties," a muscle-ripped man undresses an impassioned young woman only to lose the mood when he discovers her underwear is made in Sri Lanka. "There is really no fundamental choice between General Fonseka and Rajapakse because both were instrumental in launching this military offensive against the Tamil community," said Tasha Manoranjan, whose group, People for Equality and Relief in Sri Lanka, is running the boycott campaign. "I think the day after the election there will no longer be any concern for the Tamil people," she said. Yet some in the Tamil diaspora, where Mahinda Rajapakse is a loathed figure, are willing to give Fonseka at least a chance. "The Tamil diaspora wants Mahinda to be defeated," said David Poopalapillai, national spokesman for the Canadian Tamil Congress. "The climate would change and the rays of hope would come. It would bring some change in the country in the political climate," he said.

17 January 2010

Sivajilingam brings his campaign south

Sole Tamil presidential candidate M.K. Sivajilingam, backed by a rebellious section of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has not thrown in the towel as some candidates have done and has now even brought his campaign to the South.Asked what support he was getting from his own alliance, he said MP and senior lawyer, N. Srikantha was openly managing his campaign, but five to six other TNA parliamentarians were supporting him from behind the scene for fear of not getting nominations from the alliance at the next general election.Sivajilingam told The Nation that he had already covered areas in Colombo like Kotahena, Wellawatte Bambalapitiya, Kirulapone and Mattakkuliya, where there are large numbers of Tamils and yesterday he was canvassing Tamil votes in places like Kalutara, Matugama and Galle.Since he is campaigning with New Left Front candidate Dr Wickramabahu Karunaratne, the arrangement seems to be working well for both candidates. They have together already completed campaigning in the Batticaloa and Ampara Districts.He said except in Karaitivu, where Karuna’s people disrupted his meeting and he had to be protected by his police bodyguards, there had been no problems for him so far.The sole Tamil candidate said he hoped to go to the East once again to campaign in the Trincomalee District from January 19. Prior to Trincomalee he will also campaign in the hill country and Vavuniya. The last three days of campaigning from January 21 to 23 he would campaign throughout the Jaffna District addressing more than 100 meetings.According to Srikantha their volunteers have already canvassed for Sivajilingam in more than 90 per cent of the villages in Jaffna distributing handbills going from door to door.“The issue we are taking before the people is that instead of taking sides we shall play straight. Our prime objective is to achieve a political solution. Let the Sinhalese decide whom they want to elect as the President,” Srikantha said.Asked as to how many Tamil votes his candidate hoped garner, the campaign manager said “he should do remarkably well.”

Delhi backing Fonseka against Rajapakse? R. Bhagwan Singh-The Asian Age

Is India backing Gen. Sarath Fonseka in his battle for the Sri Lankan presidency against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa? The conduct of the Tamil National Alliance, which has 22 MPs in the island's Parliament, could point to just that. The TNA, which has been in constant consultations with Delhi regarding its course of action, particularly after the fall of the LTTE last May - whose proxy it had been until then - had announced on January 4 that it would support Gen. Fonseka because he had given definite proposals to help the Tamils while President Rajapaksa did not commit himself to anything substantial.And now the TNA has made a two-day trip to Delhi to meet foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and other officials "to keep the Government of India informed about its decision and the reasons behind that decision", to quote its leader R. Sampanthan. "They (Indian officials) gave us a good hearing," said the TNA chief in a phone interview while waiting for his flight to Chennai Friday evening.Was the TNA decision to back Gen. Fonseka inspired by India? "Certainly not," said Mr Sampanthan. "Our decision only reflected our (Tamil) people's desire. They are overwhelmingly for changing the government because President Rajapaksa did not deliver for the last four years, nor did he make any positive move even now to address our issue."Mr Sampanthan was guarded in his reply when asked about the Indian response to the TNA support for Gen. Fonseka."They (Delhi) are very much concerned about the situation. We are confident that Delhi will play a part in getting the Tamils their solution.""It cannot get any worse," he quipped when asked if the Tamils could expect justice from Gen. Fonseka, considering that he too had been part of the Lankan war machine that had killed thousands of Tamils, including many civilians.

Lack of interest seen amongst Jaffna voters-The Island

With the easing of restrictions on travel on the A9, hundreds of Sinhalese are pouring into Jaffna to visit place of historic, cultural and religious interest.Bus loads of visitors continue to stream in to experience the traditional hospitality of the Jaffna people and the town and its precincts were teeming with people from the south.While posters of the two main presidential contenders – Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gen. (Retd) Sarath Fonseka, and T. Sivajilingam were visible in the town and its outskirts but to most people the forthcoming poll didn’t generate much interest.They went about their day-to-day duties as the election at hand didn’t seem to warrant such a great deal of enthusiasm.Campaigning vigorously, however, was EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda who predicted that the northern people would contribute in a big way towards re-electing President Rajapaksa.It is the President who can find a durable solution to the political aspirations of the Tamil people, he insisted. "He is leader who can resolve their burning problems".Some Jaffna people commented that it’s meaningless for Tamils to vote for either of the main contenders as both Sinhala leaders are merely engaged in election rhetoric.Devananda said the easing of travel and fishing restrictions have helped the people immensely and the move to allow people to occupy their properties which were within the High Security Zone is also welcome.

Fonseka and the Tamil voter

Tamils will vote for Fonseka in large numbers, though in Jaffna and a few other places it will be obscured by rigging. TNA endorsement started the ball rolling, but what really fired the engine were the promises Fonseka held out; they are deliverable because they are straightforward, unlike the B-C Pact or the Dudley-Chelva Agreement which had constitutional implications. Fonseka’s short-term commitments are to remove high security zones that dislocate public life, ease curfew and travel restrictions, and release the tens of thousands of Tamil youth in detention unless legal action is filed. These are eminently doable by an ex-army commander; yellow robes will not march demanding extended curfew hours in Jaffna, and if amateurish army types pontificate about the erosion of security, Fonseka, in his characteristic style, is likely to tell them: “Bugger-off and don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs; I know about security better than you”. Hence Tamil expectation that he will deliver, at least partially, is reasonable.These are not high stakes issues like devolution and power sharing, but they have a psychological impact. A psychologically reassuring and doable package of promises is a tactical master-move. If there is less harassment and people feel secure in their daily lives and if young men and women return home, well Tamils are prepared to vote for it in droves. Why not! It’s a good exchange for a cross on a sheet of paper after decades of neglect and worse, is it not? The only choice for Tamils is between boycott and Fonseka (the sophisticated few will vote Bahu), hence the master-move is to have offered something much better than a boycott.

The long-haul

The long-haul is economic reconstruction and political transformation of the state; the first easier than the second. Some reconstruction has commenced and Indian capital is being touted. Lanka will never make economic progress nor overcome its ethnic lunacy except by greater integration with the subcontinent; I speak not of the current or any particular Delhi administration but in broad perspective. Hence I welcome Indian involvement and when some friends on the Left beat their chest about exploitation by Indian capital I am inclined to inquire; “Will our workers get a better feeling if they are screwed by local capitalists?” The most important single project in the North is reopening the railway, and despite a typical Rajapaksa- style bogus two-mile run of a diesel engine, no progress has been made in rebuilding the track and infrastructure; there is only talk, talk of Japanese, Indian and maybe Martian investment. A highway from Vavuniya to Jaffna, improving harbours and a functional civilian airport at Pallali are also critical. Transmission reinforcements, power plant and possibly a submarine power cable to India are needed. This will all get done over the years, but the sine qua non is political stability, and that’s the catch.

The national question

Dismantling fences around high security zones is not going to transform the Sinhala State, nor is the state going to morph into a national democratic state because curfews are lifted. Much as these measures are welcome they only scratch the surface of state power. Categories are solemn entities, not to be thrown around or misused; therefore when I describe the state in Sri Lanka as a Sinhala State, I do so as a considered and theoretically validated category. A state becomes what it is through a historical process; the ephemeral and elitist bourgeois democratic state that put in an appearance at Independence, morphed into what it is now, through a process. The transforming factor for half a century has been the national question, the unresolved ethnic issue, the Tamil question. The makeover is visibly manifest in every sphere; institutions of state power, constitutions, ethnic composition of governments, and the hegemonic national ideology. Social and economic changes in Sinhala society led the way, but the LTTE by its ruinous and exclusive obsession with armed struggle helped the process no end. The civilisational belief systems of a society constitute the foundational ideology of its state, in this case the cultural-emotional timbre of the Sinhalese people. In a nutshell the Sinhalese Buddhists regard Sri Lanka as the land of the Sinhala race and language and the repository in which Buddhism was preserved for two millennia. This is fortified by myth and anecdote, irrigation-based civilisations, kings and kingdoms and resistance to foreign armies. The gist of Fonseka’s remarks in a Canadian interview was: “The Sinhala Buddhists are the overwhelming majority, they are the nation’s primary citizens, members of minority communities must be respected and afforded equal rights and opportunities on an individual basis, but they must understand that as a group, as a collective entity, they are a minority. Minorities cannot expect their collective rights to be on par with those of the majority”. The historical, demographic and socio-economic aetiology of the processes through which this ideology came to dominate a multi-ethnic country is a much told narrative. One aspect stands out above others; the state, in its avatar as a Sinhala State, can never countenance the ‘other’, the Tamil other, manifesting itself as another territorial entity to which power is devolved - federalism, autonomy or whatever. What then? An irresistible force meets an immovable obstacle; no way are the Sinhalese willing to grant territorial devolution of power on an ethnic basis, and no way are the Tamils willing to give up the demand for recognition of their identity. Here are excerpts from Fonseka’s leaked e-mail, which he never denied, published in Lanka Web News a few weeks ago.“Now we have a daunting task to protect our motherland from India and the Western World . . . I am saddened that our politicians are conniving with India and the Western World to separate the country in a different way. The proposed political solution through the 13th Amendment would foil the military victory and create a division in the country. If the present Sri Lankan leaders are going to sing the same old song which was solely composed by India in 1987 for their own benefit, then the recent military victory would be a total loss and in vain. . . The government is planning to provide a political solution to the national problem through the 13th Amendment. India and several western countries are attempting to thrust upon us a political solution against the wishes of all communities. If the Thirteenth Amendment is going to be implemented, then it is like the Ealam the terrorists were fighting for is granted, and will be a most traitorous act”. Fonseka is a fast learner and has come a long way from this gibberish, but can he go further? When the ideology and structures of a mono-ethnic state, of however numerous a majority, reins over a multi-ethnic realm, then, a regime of crisis is born. Will a putative President Fonseka be out of depth in this predicament? Time will tell, but the January 26 result is not going to solve the national question. No way, that depends on a long road far into the future. The presidential election, however, for Tamils like everybody else, offers a different priority, a not- to- be missed opportunity for regime change.

Sri Lanka's Tamils wary of election spotlight By Mel Gunasekera (AFP)

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Scarred by decades of war and official indifference, Sri Lanka's minority Tamils are now being courted as political kingmakers -- a shift that many of them view with bitter scepticism.With a presidential election just two weeks away, the two main candidates have been desperately wooing Tamil voters, offering them the same social, economic and political opportunities enjoyed by the Sinhalese majority.The incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapakse, and his main challenger, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, are both Sinhalese.If they split the Sinhalese vote, then the support of the Tamil electorate could prove decisive. Hence their overtures to a community that for the most part views both men with deep suspicion."Having bombed and shelled us, and restricted the Tamil community's movements for years, they are now asking us to vote for them," said social worker K. Radhakrishnan, as he bought some flowers outside a temple in the northern Tamil heartland of Jaffna.Both Rajapakse and Fonseka played pivotal roles in the military victory last year over Tamil Tiger rebels that ended a bloody, decades-old separatist insurgency for an independent Tamil state.The conflict took a heavy toll on the Tamil civilian population -- 7,000 people are estimated by the UN to have died in the final months -- and for many in Jaffna there is a bitter irony in their new-found significance."All of a sudden, we seem to be important to Sinhalese politicians," said retired postmaster G. Sinnathurai, who was shopping on the streets of Jaffna.Rajapakse and Fonseka have promised better livelihoods, greater freedom of movement and a pipeline of infrastructure projects to rebuild the war-torn Jaffna region.But G. Subash, who runs a local grocery store, says he has heard little to get excited about."If you listen to them closely, neither candidate has promised us a power-sharing agreement. Voting for the general (Fonseka) or the president will be like changing a pillow to cure a headache," Subash said.Christian missionary R. Bastian, who has been working in Jaffna for nearly two decades, said the main dilemma facing northern Tamils was that they had "suffered under the hands of both main candidates."The choice between them is the only realistic choice despite a full field of candidates. No other contender has a hope of winning.So for the moment, the Tamil community seems to be veering, albeit with some reluctance, towards Fonseka, who is very much seen as the "opposition" candidate.Last week, a consortium of ethnic Tamil parties known as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) announced in parliament that they were asking their community to vote for the retired general.In what amounted to an underwhelming endorsement, the TNA, which was once viewed as the political puppet of the Tamil Tigers and boycotted the 2005 presidential election, said it felt Fonseka had appeared more "receptive" to Tamil grievances.Despite the lack of a candidate Tamils can genuinely rally behind, the influential Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna, Thomas Savundranayagam, said it was important for the community to make their mark at the ballot box."They must go out and vote," said Savundranayagam, whose opinions hold sway beyond the minority Christian population.Fonseka, who is backed by a loose coalition of political parties, has promised the military will return private land and houses it occupied during the conflict with the Tigers and compensate owners for any damage.Rajapakse, meanwhile, has undertaken to re-settle war-displaced civilians in areas which were earlier declared high security zones. He has also lifted a night-time curfew in the peninsula.

Tamils won’t be deceived by Rajapaksa and Fonseka - Bahu

Common Left presidential candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne says Tamil speaking voters should think twice before choosing either incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa or his main rival, former Army Chief turned politician Sarath Fonseka due to their controversial roles in the recently concluded war against the LTTE. Karunaratne, one of the 22 candidates in the presidential election fray, believes there is absolutely no difference between Rajapaksa and Fonseka, fielded by the UNP-JVP-SLMC-TNA-Mano Ganeshn combine.Responding to The Island queries, the veteran politician said that both were equally responsible for the death and destruction caused during the war and nothing could be as ridiculous as expecting them to settle the national problem. He said that the international community was gunning for them over war crimes though it steadfastly had backed the Sri Lankan offensive against the LTTE. He emphasised that people, who despised the Rajapaksa administration for waging war against the LTTE thereby causing untold hardship to the civilian community should reject both Rajapaksa and the Opposition presidential candidate. "Those who opposed war can vote for me or Tamil presidential candidate TNA MP M. K. Shivajilingham," he said expressing confidence that a substantial number of voters would exercise their franchise against the two main candidates. The veteran, but unsuccessful politician, said that Tamils would not be deceived by main candidates’ promises.Karunaratne and Shivajilingham are conducting a joint propaganda campaign, particularly targeting predominately Tamil areas as part of their strategy to undermine the main candidates. He said that they had so far addressed about 50 meetings in various parts of the country, including Jaffna peninsula, Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Vavuniya and Mannar since handing over theirnominations. He said that there had not been any previous instance where two presidential candidates campaigned together.He expressed confidence that a section of former members and supporters of the LTTE, too, would support them. Karunaratne said that Shivajilingham had urged Tamil speaking people to vote for him (Common Left candidate) if they did not want to support the TNA MP.He said that several TNA MPs had pledged their support to him though a section of the TNA led by its leader R. Sampanthan sided with the Opposition candidate. He said that some TNA MPs had reluctantly stayed with Sampanthan after he threatened to quit the party over a dispute. Karunaratne said that Sampanthan had declared that he would leave the party unless they sided with the Opposition at the presidential election.Shivajilingham said at a recent protest meeting in Vavuniya that the President and Opposition candidate should be ashamed to come begging for votes after what they did to the Tamil speaking people. He said that the TNA leadership had pledged its support to Fonseka though it was not the wish of all MPs. The two candidates joined a protest march in Vavuniya by relatives of the disappeared during the war. Appreciating the Army for handing over the body of LTTE leader Velupilai Prabhakaran’s father, who passed away at Panagoda, to Shivajilingham for last rites at Valvettiturai, Karunaratne said that the police disrupted the funeral. "They detained my representative Dharmasiri Lankapelli, who was addressing the funeral gathering at the time the Police had arrived at the scene," he said. The Police reacted angrily and demanded that Lankapelli should not address the crowd in Sinhala", he said. Could anything be as ridiculous as this, he said urging the President to ensure a level playing field for all candidates.Karunaratne said that the police had forcibly switched off the public address system and caused an unnecessary scene there. He claimed that the President’s visit to Jaffna on that day may have prompted the police action. The Elections Secretariat was informed of this, he said adding that people would not tolerate this kind of behaviour on the part of the law enforcement officers.

13 January 2010

Patten: Sri Lanka to choose between two alleged war criminals

Chris Patten, currently the co-chairman of the International Crisis Group, notes in a New York Times article that public in Sri Lanka is "faced with a choice between two candidates who openly accuse each other of war crimes," and adds, "[w]hoever wins, the outside world should use all its tools to convince the government to deal properly with those underlying issues to avoid a resurgence of mass violence....In short, this means not giving Colombo any money for reconstruction and development until we know how it will be spent. And if we see funds not being used as promised, it means not being afraid to cut them off until." Patten is a senior international figure and is the last British governor of Hong Kong.

Full text of NYT op-ed follows:

Sri Lanka's Choice, and the World's Responsibility

Chris PattenPity the poor Sri Lankan voter. As presidential elections loom on Jan. 26, the public is faced with a choice between two candidates who openly accuse each other of war crimes.The current exchange of charges and counter-charges between retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa must be particularly confusing to those Sri Lankans who consider both to be war heroes rather than war criminals. Many from the ethnic Sinhalese majority feel that, regardless of the human costs in the last months of the long-running civil war that ended last year, both leaders deserve credit for finally finishing off the terrorist Tamil Tiger rebels.With the Sinhalese nationalist vote thus split, the two candidates are focusing their energies on winning the votes of the country’s minority ethnic Tamils — which is surely one of the stranger political ironies of early 2010. After all, both General Fonseka and Mr. Rajapaksa executed the 30-year conflict to its bloody conclusion at the expense of huge numbers of Tamil civilian casualties.By early May, when the war was ending, the United Nations estimated that some 7,000 civilians had died and more than 10,000 had been wounded in 2009 as the army’s noose was being drawn tight around the remaining rebels and hundreds of thousands of noncombatants, who could not escape government shelling. The final two weeks likely saw thousands more civilians killed, at the hands of both the army and the rebels.After the war, the Tamils’ plight continued. The government interned more than a quarter million displaced Tamils, some for more than six months, in violation of both Sri Lankan and international humanitarian law. Conditions in the camps were appalling, access by international agencies was severely restricted, and independent journalists could not even visit. Barbed wire and military guards insured people could not leave or tell their stories to anyone.By the end of 2009, most of the displaced had been moved, and the nearly 100,000 remaining in military-run camps were enjoying some freedom of movement — important steps brought about mostly as a result of international pressure and the authorities’ desire to win Tamil votes. However, a large portion of the more than 150,000 people recently sent out of the camps have not actually returned to their homes nor been resettled. They’ve been sent to and remain in “transit centers” in their home districts.Now, put yourself in a Tamil’s shoes, and decide whom to vote for in the presidential election: Choose either the head of the government that ordered the attacks against you and your family, or the head of the army that carried it all out.On Jan. 4, the Tamil National Alliance, the most important Tamil political party, made its choice and endorsed General Fonseka after he pledged a 10-point program of reconciliation, demilitarization and “normalization” of the largely Tamil north. There is some hope his plan might be a sign that top leaders realize that, after decades of brutal ethnic conflict, peace will only be consolidated when Sinhalese-dominated political parties make strong moves toward a more inclusive and democratic state.What counts more than campaign promises, though, is what the winner actually does in office, and based on past performance, it is hard to imagine either candidate making the necessary constitutional reforms to end the marginalization of Tamils and other minorities — the roots of the decades-long conflict. Left unaddressed, Tamil humiliation and frustration could well lead to militancy again.While Sri Lankan voters face a difficult decision, for the international community, the choice is clear. Whoever wins, the outside world should use all its tools to convince the government to deal properly with those underlying issues to avoid a resurgence of mass violence. In the interest of lasting peace and stability, donor governments and international institutions — India, Japan, Western donors, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank — should use their assistance to support reforms designed to protect democratic rights, tie aid to proper resettlement of the displaced, and a consultative planning process for the reconstruction of the war-ravaged, overly militarized north. U.N. agencies and nongovernment organizations should have full access to monitor the programs to ensure international money is spent properly and people receiving aid are not denied their fundamental freedoms.In short, this means not giving Colombo any money for reconstruction and development until we know how it will be spent. And if we see funds not being used as promised, it means not being afraid to cut them off until.While there may not be much to choose between the candidates, the rift between General Fonseka and Mr. Rajapaksa — and the consequent divisions among Sinhalese nationalist parties and the renewed vigor of opposition parties — has at least put the possibility of reforms on the agenda. International leverage, correctly applied, could help expand this small window for change, leading to the democratization and demilitarization the country desperately needs to move finally beyond its horrific war and its bitter peace.

SRI LANKA: Election hiccups - Col. R. Hariharan

For President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week was not a happy one. Media predictions show a slow swing in favour of the common opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka in the January 26 presidential poll. Like all poll predictions they have their limitations; but they were enough to disturb the dovecote of Rajapaksa camp. It was also a week of bad tidings for Rajapaksa on many fronts. General Fonseka increased his chances of garnering more Tamil votes than the President after the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), announced its decision to support him. The TNA arrived at the decision after talking Fonseka though it had not “signed any agreement, we have come to an agreement,” as its spokesman clarified. According to the media, the TNA announcement came after Fonseka handed over a document pledging to address TNA concerns. These include on lifting the four-year old state of emergency, release of all the persons held in detention without any evidence and grant general amnesty to former LTTE supporters and help their rehabilitation. The issues are close to the heart of Tamils and no Tamil party can really question these concerns. While it has given the TNA a face saving method of supporting the General, whose war record did not carry the new found convictions. But the moot point is how many Tamil votes would it swung in favour of Fonseka based on TNA recommendations. The TNA is a divided house with an estimated 60% of leaders rooting for the General. There is also the prickly but 'minor' issue of Sivajilingam's candidacy. It is an ironic turn that the TNA, accused of suspect loyalties, is now in a position to become the national king maker; but can it do it?  That is a $ 64 question even the TNA would be unable to answer.President Rajapaksa has limitations in making free wheeling pledges to Tamils as he would not like to antagonise Southern Sinhala vote banks. They had stood by him in the crucial run up in the last presidential poll; he could jeopardize their support if he is seen leaning too much in favour of Tamils, who were till recently supporting the LTTE. However, Rajapaksa dogged in his beliefs took his campaign to the Tamil heartland in Jaffna. His visit to Jaffna came a week after Fonseka’s trip. The President was seen doing all the right things there, starting with worship at Nallur Kandaswamy kovil. Rajapaksa promised all the things he failed to do in six moths of peace after the war: speed up reconstruction and resettlement of 300,000 Tamils who fled from the battle zone only to be incarcerated in internment camps till end 2009. Later, in Colombo while releasing the 14-point election manifesto of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the President said he would devote the entire second term to address all the key issues. But to all those who expected the President to clean up his act, these words sound hollow as his regime had shown remarkable insensitivity to not only to ethnic reconciliation but other issues of governance as well. These relate to corruption, lawlessness, rule of law and lack of accountability. However, if re-elected the politically-savvy President is in a better position to act than the General who has no party base. Fonseka as president is likely to be affected by the pulls and pressures of the United National Front (UNF) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), who are in an inconvenient relationship with a negative objective. At the same time, if Rajapaksa is elected solely on Sinhala backing, he may have to tone down his “resolve” to solve the Tamil issue equitably. The defection of Batticaloa Mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran to the Fonseka camp also probably sent a minor shock to Rajapaksa camp. She is a former secretary of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) who had joined the ranks of the UPFA to become the mayor. Sivageetha is believed to enjoy the support of both the TMVP and the followers of Karuna Amman, currently a minister in the UPFA government and founder of TMVP. Is Sivageetha’s defection a forerunner of TMVP changing its mind on supporting the President? This is a question that would worry the Rajapaksa camp. The TMVP has the muscle to swing Tamil votes in the Eastern Province. And loss of TMVP support would affect the winning chances of Rajapaksa. General Fonseka has increased his visibility and articulation of his views both in print and electronic media. A growing belief is that the Americans would like to see Fonseka elected to progress Sri Lanka’s human rights and war crimes cases. This belief finds favour with Rajapaksa’s supporters who see a sinister international conspiracy in all this to malign Sri Lanka and tarnish its war record. The ‘conspiracy’ theory gained ground as a response to criticism of Sri Lanka’s human rights record by Germany, Canada, Britain and the U.S. that had gathered mass during the war. Presumably stung by the criticism, the President got cosy with the anti-American league of Iran, Venezuela, and Myanmar. So it is not surprising the escapist mode of ‘conspiracies’ haunt the minds of President’s supporters. But now election compulsions appear to be having their effect, despite 'conspiracies'; Tissanayagam the Tamil journalist sentenced to 20-years imprisonment under draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act for his anti-state writing was released on bail pending his appeal.  The court had denied this privilege all along.To add to the President's cup of woes, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Philip Alston has also timed his call for carrying out “an impartial investigation into war crimes” in Sri Lanka on the eve of the election. His call came after getting the Channel 4 video showing summary killing of prisoners by soldiers in January 2009 authenticated by three experts. The culpability of Fonseka, the army commander during the war, in these acts is as much as the President, who is the commander in chief of all forces. However, Fonseka vocal criticism of these actions appears to have been accepted as contrition by those demanding action.It also curious to see many Tamil expatriates, some with strong pro-LTTE history, supporting the General indirectly. While heir convoluted reasoning is not clear, their financial support to the Fonseka camp could further grease the axles of anti-Rajapaksa juggernaut to move a little more smoothly. What about the 'Indian influence' that is usually bandied about in Sri Lanka elections? If it is there it is not visible; Sri Lanka appears to have become truly international with American and Chinese influences whizzing past the lumbering Indian elephant.In this developing political scene, the reported move of anti-Rajapaksa political parties including the UNP and JVP deciding to contest the forthcoming parliamentary election as a new political front - the United Opposition Alliance - is interesting if not significant. According to the media, this front would reportedly contest with the ‘Swan’ symbol used by Fonseka. While that could happen if Fonseka won, what happens if he lost the election? Usually opportunistic alliances lacking ideological convergence never hold up in defeat. They crumble. So it is probably too early to speculate about a united opposition alliance for the parliamentary poll. Having said all this, who will win the presidential poll? It is difficult to speculate in South Asian “democratic elections.” Usually money power, political arm twisting and horse-trading override emotions in voting. There are enough emotions rooting for both candidates, so the one who turns the head rather than the heart is likely to win.

09 January 2010

TELO MP Sivajilingam to take Prabhakaran’s father’s body to Velvettiturai

The remains of LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s father Veeraswamy Thiruvengadam Velupillai, who died at the National Hospital on Wednesday night, would be taken overland to Velvettiturai, his native village, for last rites to be performed, Sri Lanka Army sources said.Prabhakaran’s sister Vinodini Rajendran, who lives in Denmark, has given the power of attorney to TELO and TNA parliamentarian M. K. Sivajilingam, who is also an independent candidate at the forthcoming Presidential election to attend to the last rites of her father.Sivajilingam, a relation of Prabhakaran, had earlier requested President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga that the body be handed over to him to be taken to Velvettiturai for cremation.Prabhakaran’s mother Parvathi, who along with her husband has been under Army’s protective custody since July 2 last year, is scheduled to accompany her husband’s remains to Valvettithurai.The late Mr. Velupillai was born in Kerala, India on January 10, 1924. He joined the Ceylon Government service in 1943 and retired in 1982 as a District Land Officer. He was a Government pensioner at the time of his death.

08 January 2010

Fonseka all praise for Indira Gandhi

Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka could not have asked for better news on Wednesday as he arrived at the eastern coastal town of Trincomalee, some 260 km from Colombo, to address his first election rally in this centre for Tamil culture. The Tamil National Alliance, an umbrella group of Tamil parties with 22 members in parliament formally announced that it would support him in the January 26 Presidential polls.So, even if he was happy, Fonseka did not show it. He arrived at the venue more than two hours late but the largely Tamil and Muslim crowd patiently waited to hear him as a political colleague translated in Tamil what Fonseka said in Sinhalese. Tamils and Mulsims add up to more than 70 per cent of the population in the region.Fonseka invoked former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the perfect example of how as the political leader of the country, she did not take credit for the victory in the 1971 Bangladesh war and instead attributed it to the military. The Indian chief of army staff Sam Manekshaw was made Field Marshall, Fonseka said, adding that after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, he was made an inconsequential chief of defence staff.Fonseka said Indira Gandhi did not plaster New Delhi with her own photographs and posters after the victory like the way Rajapaksa has done to claim credit for defeating the LTTE.

UN expert cites video in call for Sri Lankan probe

U.N. human rights investigator said Thursday that a videotape of an apparent execution of blindfolded and naked Tamils by Sri Lankan soldiers probably is authentic and called for a war crimes investigation.Philip Alston did not specify who should undertake his recommended investigation into war crimes and other grave violations of human rights allegedly committed in Sri Lanka.The government's 25-year war against Tamil Tiger rebels ended in May, with U.N. reports saying more than 7,000 civilians were killed in the final spasm of fighting as government forces closed in.Hundreds of thousands of ethnic minority Tamil civilians were trapped in a sprawling tent city along a northeastern coastal strip of this Indian Ocean island nation. Only months after winning Sri Lanka's brutal civil war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is locked in a bitter election contest against the former army chief.Rajapaksa, a war hero among the Sinhalese majority, is ironically competing for Tamil votes — and dividing Sinhalese loyalties — vying against retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka, who led the army to victory and is a surprise candidate.Alston, the U.N. Human Rights Council's investigator on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, told reporters that his review of the videotape, based on the work of three independent forensic experts, showed that most of the arguments used by the Sri Lankan government to impugn a video released by Britain's Channel 4 television were flawed.The TV station released the video footage last August showing what appeared to be the summary execution of Tamils by Sri Lankan soldiers. The video had been shot by a Sri Lankan soldier in January 2009 using a mobile phone, according to the group Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka.The Sri Lankan government said it concluded the video footage was fake, but Alston said the reports by three U.S.-based experts on forensic pathology, video analysis and firearm evidence "strongly suggest that the video is authentic."The experts concluded the footage of the apparent shootings showed the use of live ammunition, not blank cartridges, and there was no evidence that the images of two people being shot in the head at close range had been manipulated.Alston, however, said there were some unexplained elements such as the movement of certain victims in the video, 17 frames at the end and the date of 17 July 2009 encoded in it. But he offered some speculative reasons for why those could be explained away.The U.S. State Department has accused Sri Lanka's government and the rebels of possible war crimes in the killing of civilians during the fighting that ended in May.U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky backed the need for such a probe, saying Thursday that Alston's conclusions show "the need for a credible, independent and impartial investigation into allegations of violations of human rights and international law by all sides in the conflict in Sri Lanka."An earlier call by the U.N.'s top human rights official, demanding an independent investigation into atrocities allegedly committed by both sides in Sri Lanka's civil war, has produced scant results. Last May, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told an emergency meeting of the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council that investigation was needed into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians resulting from intense fighting between the government and Tamil rebels.Pillay said the Sri Lankan government had an obligation to respect humanitarian law at all times, even when fighting terrorism. But a majority of the 47 countries on the council, which has no enforcement power, appeared unwilling to heed her appeal for a war crimes probe.Sri Lanka, which has strong support in the 47-member council, proposed a resolution of its own stressing "the principle of noninterference in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of states."

Batti mayor supports Fonseka

Batticaloa Mayor Sivageetha Prabakaran extended support to General Sarath Fonseka during a press briefing in Colombo a short while ago. She however said she will remain a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. She also claimed that her security had been reduced following her decision to support the General at the polls.She said that she had 15 officers from the army for her security but they were all withdrawn today while her personal security officer who was a sub-inspector was also removed.The Batticaloa Mayor, a former TMVP member who later joined the SLFP, earlier had talks with presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka and put forward several conditions to extend support to him.

Thiruvengadam Velupillai, LTTE leader Prabhakaran's father passes away by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

LTTE leader Prabhakaran's father Thiruvengadam Velupillai has passed away. He and his wife were being held under "special" military custody Mr. Velupillai who was 86 years old was housed in a chalet within the Panagoda Army cantonment. Authorities say it was for his own protecton Mr.Velupillai was attended to by Colombo national hospital doctors frequently as his health had been deteriorating under protective custody Mr. Velupillai an octogenarian was a former govt servant who retired as district lands officer when Gamini Dissanayake was Lands minister Mr.Velupillai hailed from the reputed "Thirumeni" family in Valvettithurai. The family holds hereditary trusteeship of VVT Sivan temple He was a peaceful, highly respected man described by VVT residents as someone who treaded so softly that grass too would not be crushed Mr. Velupillai disapproved of violence and was estranged from Prabhakaran whom he regarded as the black sheep of the family However the parents who lived in India for years reconciled with the prodigal son a few years ago&returned to Sri Lanka & lived in the Wanni Mr and Mrs. Velupillai were in the Menik farm IDP camp until being relocated elsewhere under special military custody and kept incommunicado Sarath Fonseka said recently that he was willing to receive money from anyone for his campaign including Prabhakaran's parents Mahinda Rajapakse exploited that by announcing he would not solicit any money from Prabhakaran's parents and betray the country The Velupillai's have a son&daughter living in Denmark&a daughter in Canada.Prabhakaran's mother who suffered a stroke is reportedly ailing

06 January 2010

Sri Lanka Tamils back war-winning general for president

The TNA unanimously backed on Wednesday the presidential bid of the general who crushed the separatists in May, saying it was the only way to thwart incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa's re-election.The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a group of ethnic Tamil parties that took orders from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said Rajapaksa's record on human rights and law and order made defeating him a priority.TNA parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan told a news conference some in the alliance had reservations about supporting General Sarath Fonseka, who won few fans among Tamils during the war."The majority ... are of the view that the only meaningful way in which the desire of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seek a mandate for a further term may be thwarted is by voting for joint opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka," Sampanthan said.Rajapaksa's human rights record was "dismal", he said."Extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances have been common, and the worst-affected are Tamil people. Corruption is rampant, and consequently the rule of law and good governance have reached the nadir," Sampanthan said.The TNA's support for Fonseka is a reversal. During the war Fonseka, a career military officer and member of the Sinhalese ethnic majority, was often painted by pro-rebel groups as emblematic of the Sinhalese chauvinism that sparked the Tamil discontent that fueled the LTTE's fight.As army commander he conducted an uncompromising war to defeat the LTTE, kill its leaders and end their quarter-century civil war for a separate Tamil state.But since he fell out with the president over a postwar promotion to what he deemed a job with no powers, he has softened his uncompromising image and become the candidate for a motley coalition of parties that only wants to beat Rajapaksa.Over the weekend, Fonseka toured the formerly rebel-held Jaffna Peninsula, and pledged to create a conducive business environment, relax security measures and return land seized by the military to create high-security zones.As army chief and previously commander in charge of Jaffna, Fonseka had vigorously supported tight security measures to stop the LTTE. In 2006, an LTTE suicide bomber nearly killed him inside army headquarters.Analysts say Tamils, almost 12 percent of the population, are an important bloc of votes in the Jan. 26 presidential election."That can be a significant feature in deciding the ultimate outcome," said Jehan Perera, an analyst with the non-partisan National Peace Council. "This could send a signal to other minorities."Sri Lanka's minority votes total about 25 percent, and also include Muslims and so-called Estate Tamils, the descendents of Indian-born Tamils brought to work on tea plantations.The TNA on orders from the Tigers boycotted the 2005 polls that brought Rajapaksa to power and analysts said that took away what would have been a decisive margin for his opponent. Out of a 225-member parliament, the TNA has 22 seats.

Former Chief Justice changes his mind

Former Chief Justice Sarath Silva who has thrown his lot with the UNP/JVP combine in support of Sarath Fonseka has made a case for the merger of the now fully demerged North Eastern Province. It was a Supreme Court Bench headed by the former CJ himself who in a famous judgement effected the demerger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces which came to be separate units under the 13th Amendment in terms of the Indo-Lanka Accord. The basis for this judgement under the hand of the former CJ was that the conditions for such merger under the Indo-Lanka accord and the 13th Amendment had not been fulfilled due to the failure to disarm militant groups or in the absence of a cessation of hostilities. However, in an interview with the weekend Lakbima News Sarath Silva has held out the prospect of once again merging the now demerged North and East Provinces, now that the conditions that gave rise to a full merger as per his judgement no longer obtained with the cessation of hostilities and disarmament, according to him. Interestingly it was the JVP which filed the case before the Supreme Court to merge the two provinces. Now with both petitioners and the adjudicator of the case on the same side sharing common cause a question arises if the views expressed by Sarath Silva in favour of once again merging the North and East Provinces has the sanction of the JVP. The former Chief Justice in the interview said: "Today, there's a cessation of hospitalities and disarmament. Now is the time for someone to merge and have a referendum if somebody is so minded."

05 January 2010

Union of SL with two separate leaders: Sivaji

TNA MP and Independent Presidential Candidate M. K. Sivajilingam told Parliament yesterday that there should be two states, one for the Tamils and the other for the Sinhalese, under a union of Sri Lanka with two separate leaders. Speaking during the debate on the extension of the emergency, Mr. Sivajilingam said that  around 12,000 LTTE cadres held in custody or remand prison should be immediately released.“This is my policy for the election,” he said.The Tamil MP, who broke ranks with the TNA for his decision to contest the presidency independently, also accused the government of setting up military camps in the North with the backing of the Chinese government. “Though this is the emergency debate, no one is talking how such regulations affect the normal life of people ,” he said.

Fonseka slammed for agreeing to TNA’s demand
 
The Mahinda Rajapaka camp has slammed the joint opposition Presidential candidate Gen.Sarath Fonseka for agreeing to the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance’s demand that the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces be merged once again to form a single Tamil province. “If this (the agreement) is true, it is a revival of the Eelam cause,” said Tilak Karunaratne, a former Treasurer of the opposition United National Party (UNP) who joined the Rajapaksa camp recently.“It is indeed giving a second life to the Eelam demand, which was put to rest by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in May 2009. If true, it is the biggest danger to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka,” Karunarathne told the official website www.info.gov.lk on Tuesday.The Northern and Eastern Provinces were merged to form a single Tamil-speaking province following the India-Sri Lanka Accord in July 1987. But the merger was to be ratified by a referendum in the ethnically mixed Eastern province before December 31, 1987. It had also been stipulated that the merger would be brought about only after the restoration of law and order in the North and East by  disarming of the LTTE and other Tamil militant groups.However, the J.R.Jayewardene government, under pressure from New Delhi, brought about the merger under an Ordinance even before the ceasation of hostilities between the LTTE and the Indian Peace Keeping Force; and the disarming of the Tamil militants. The referendum was never held and the war was on in the North and East all the time.In 2006, after the Eastern Province was cleared of the LTTE, some members of the Sinhalese nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) went to the Supreme Court saying that the merger effected in 1987 was illegal because the basic conditions for the merger had been ignored.. On October 16, 2006, the court annulled the merger.The Tamils, who had been fighting for a separate independent Eelam or at least a Homeland within Sri Lanka comprising the Northern and Eastern provinces, were highly disappopinted with the judgement and the Rajapaksa government’s reluctance to take steps to assuage the Tamils’ feelings.When Gen.Fonseka held discussions with the TNA for securing its support for his Presidential campaign, the Tamil party demanded re-merger. 

Prabhakaran’s rifle found

The Vavuniya Police Crime Unit has unearthed a large haul of arms and explosives including LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran’s personal rifle together with body armour in Vellaimullivaikkal on Monday. Senior DIG (North) Nimal Lewke said on information gathered from one of the personal bodyguards of the slain LTTE leader, a special team from the Vavuniya police recovered over 2,000kgs of high explosives and Prabhakaran’s personal rifle. “They uncovered an M-16A2 with a grenade launcher along with a body armour that was believed to be used by the LTTE leader. The body armour was specially tailored for the LTTE leader”, SDIG Lewke told the Daily News. The arms and explosives were carefully concealed and buried in the Vellaimullivaikkal jungle. Police recovered two boat engines, a 40hp engine, 18 Arul bombs, 2,000kg RDX explosives, 88 suicide kits, two claymore mines, 17 of 60mm mortar bombs, two weapon chargers, 20 pouches, 122 full switches, ten of 60mm artillery shell chargers, 50 detonators, 2,500 of 7.62 ammunition, 250g gun powder, a torpedo, 25 AP mines, 25 artillery boosters, 46 artillery fuses, a disposable RPG weapon, 15 hand grenades, 16 of 14.5 weapon barrels, two automatic shot guns, 50 claymore stands, a large quantity of dead code wire, 20 remote control switches and eight suicide kit switches.

04 January 2010

Sri Lanka's Tamil alliance still undecided on presidential candidates

Sri Lanka's Tamil political party, Tamil national Alliance (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC) is still undecided on which candidate to support at the upcoming presidential elections. The TNA which is reportedly split in three ways held a meeting today to discuss the issue but were unable to reach a consensus on any candidate. The party which currently has 22 seats in the parliament is expected to meet again Tuesday morning to take a final decision; a party source said.TNA MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam of All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) wants the TNA to boycott the election in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. TNA Jaffna parliamentarian M.K. Sivajilingam of TELO is contesting the presidential elections as an independent candidate with the New Left Front candidate Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratna.Reportedly Wanni District Parliamentarian Shivanathan Kishore and two others are to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sunday Leader’s editor defends controversial Fonseka interview

Sunday Leader, who carried the controversial December 13 interview with the commander turned politician Sarath Fonseka, added a new dimension today with her insistence that she had quoted the retired General `perfectly accurately’.In a detailed report under the title `Her Story’, the Editor of the paper Frederica Jansz said, “The article which, perfectly accurately, quoted the General as saying he had heard that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had given an illegal order asking Brigadier Shavendra Silva (later promoted General) to not accomodate surrendering LTTE cadres, became more than a news story.It became a political phenomenon and the allegations, denials, retractions and recriminations that followed are history.“However it is a history that has come to be grossly distorted. As all the various parties caught in the story’s fallout struggled to save face, what began as a piece of journalism accusing the government of a serious war crime would become, through lies and deception, a coup for the Rajapaksa administration.“Ultimately the campaign to vilify and distort the article and discredit me has now reached a point where I feel, I must comment and present what I believe to be an accurate version of the events leading to and following its publication”, Ms. Jansz said.The long explanation by Ms. Jansz came as the former Army Chief did a Volta face and maintained that his comments were wrongly interpreted by the government within 24 hours after the December 13 Sunday Leader hit the stands. The next issue of Sunday Leader carried a clarification from the Presidential contender.Besides, on December 19, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had demanded rupees one billion in damages from the weekly if it fails to apologise for publishing two allegedly defamatory articles.In a letter to the Publisher and Editor of the weekly, a lawyer acting on behalf of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa pointed out that a District Court had already restrained the publication from publishing such news in two earlier cases.In an interview to the weekly, Gen. (retired) Sarath Fonseka, former Army chief and contender in the January 26 presidential poll, had said Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had instructed a ground commander in the battle zone during the last phase of the Eelam War IV to shoot all LTTE leaders who came out to surrender to the military. But the next day, the General went back on his comments.In the interview, the General had contended that he had no information communicated to him in the final days of the war regarding three key LTTE leaders had opted to surrender to the military.“Fonseka charged that communications were instead confined to the LTTE leaders, Norway, various foreign parties, Basil Rajapaksa, Member of Parliament and the powerful senior adviser to the President, and such information was never conveyed to him as he supervised the final stages of the war,” the weekly reported.On the basis of the December 13 controversial interview, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Phillip Alston, has asked Colombo to explain the circumstances of the death of three senior LTTE cadres and their families in the final stages of military operations to defeat the LTTE in May this year.The controversy triggered by the interview and the subsequent denial was considered as closed at least till the January 26 Presidential poll after the President Rajapaksa last week sent the December 18 letter of Philip Alston, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extra- judicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions seeking an explanation from the government, to a committee appointed to study and report on the October 21 U.S. Department of State Report on “incidents during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka”. Mr. Alston’s letter referred to charges made (subsequently withdrawn) by the former Army Chief, Sarath Fonseka, against Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on the sequence of events in the last phase of Eelam War IV (May 16 to 19).Ms. Jansz in her explanatory note said that after the presidential election was formally declared, The Sunday Leader’s management made a decision that the paper would at an editorial level broadly throw its weight behind Sarath Fonseka’s campaign.“The Rajapaksa administration, by filing multiple law suits against this paper and failing to take real action in the ongoing investigation into Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder, left The Sunday Leader’s management with no alternative.“Facing devastating court cases, The Leader had no option but to back Fonseka and despite my personal reservations I sympathised with the management’s position and agreed to devote a large amount of page space to the General’s campaign.As part of our effort to give publicity to Sarath Fonseka’s campaign, I requested on Monday, December 7 an interview with the General.“The interview was intended to both give the reading public a better idea of the General as a person and allow him to put forward his views regarding his campaign and major policy issues. The interview proceeded as a series of questions and answers on major topics and issues and a transcript of the interview by Raknish Wijewardene appeared in The Sunday Leader of December 13, 2009.“However towards the end of the interview we began to discuss the ethnic conflict and the role Fonseka had played in the war. I then asked him one final question. In relation to claims made both internationally and locally that LTTE surrendees carrying white flags had, instead of being accommodated, been killed.“I asked the General what really happened. In that context Fonseka made the allegation that would later appear in the newspapers. He claimed he had heard that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ordered any surrendering LTTE cadres to be shot, and related the story of Pulidevan and Nadesan’s surrender.“When Sarath Fonseka made this allegation I reacted as any journalist would. A presidential candidate and decorated war hero was accusing the incumbent President’s brother of ordering the death of unarmed surrendering LTTE leaders and their families. That was simply an extraordinary story and I knew immediately that this would be the paper’s headline for the week”, she wrote.“Realising the impact such striking allegations would have, at 9.45 a.m. before the paper went to print on Saturday I once gain contacted Sarath Fonseka.During a twenty minute phone conversation the General reiterated that he stood by the allegation. At that point I asked him who the journalist was who had told him about the supposedly illegal order given by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to Shavendra Silva. Fonseka gave me the journalist’s name but asked that I not name him “for reasons for his own personal security.” A request I obliged. Fonseka then said that he was willing to go on record with his claim and he assured me he would not back down. Only with that assurance did we go to print”, she went on.Writing on the fallout, the Editor complained, “It was only as the government’s denunciation campaign intensified with TV, radio, and internet sites declaring the former war hero a traitor that Fonseka’s advisors Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Vijitha Herath in particular advised him to retract part of the story.“At a meeting with the Chairman of The Sunday Leader, Lal Wickrematunge on Monday, December 14, senior UNP leaders together with Samaraweera and the JVP insisted that a retraction was necessary as the story had damaged Fonseka’s reputation as a patriot. It was requested that The Leader retract those parts of the article mentioning Shavendra Silva. The argument being that by criticising the army, Fonseka was betraying his own comrades and losing public support. However as a journalist and as someone who is committed to the truth I refused to publish a fraudulent retraction”.Ms. Jansz further wrote, “Accused of betraying the army and conspiring to involve the international community in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs, at a hastily convened press conference at his offices at Reid Avenue, the General addressed the matter of The Sunday Leader story.Under immense pressure at this briefing and unable to flatly deny what he knew to be the truth, the General waffled and issued what was neither a clarification nor a retraction. However over the following days his advisors and supporters would insist that Fonseka had denied the story.“The move from clarification to retraction and denial proved to be a disaster. By backing down the politically inexperienced Fonseka ultimately played completely into the hands of the government. He immediately came across as indecisive and weak. No one believed his half-hearted denials and his credibility suffered considerable damage”.The Editor says that Fonseka’s garbled and gradual retraction destroyed his credibility, and also squashed any hope of an impartial investigation into the alleged massacre.

UNP invites TMVP for “secret” talks to garner support
 
The United National Party (UNP) has invited the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) for “secret” talks in an attempt to garner their support for common opposition Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka, UNP sources told Daily Mirror online.Daily Mirror online has learnt that the UNP has even nominated an emissary to negotiate with the TMVP, a government ally led by Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan.However according to UNP sources the TMVP is under pressure from the government to support the candidacy of incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential elections scheduled to be held later this month and so is unlikely to change its position.Former CWC strongman R. Yogarajan, who crossed over to the UNP recently, had even told reporters that the TMVP was keen on extending support to General Fonseka at the polls. However the TMVP rejected the claims and said it stood by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Indications of a possible rift between the Eastern Province Chief Minister Pillayan and the government began to emerge after he began to demand police powers for the province, a demand which was rejected by government Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman.Both Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan have since been openly criticizing each other at public rallies and events and most recently supporters of both sides clashed in the East over propaganda material being erected in the area in support of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.The TMVP could not be reached by Daily Mirror online for a comment on the UNP claims.

03 January 2010

The struggle of Tamils will be continued – Shivaji and Bahu in Jaffna

Addressing voters in Jaffna the Common Left Candidate said that the the Tamil struggle is not over although the LTTE leadership was decimated with the help of India and other foreign forces.Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne was touring Jaffna after twenty years. He was accompanied by Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam.Dr. Vickramabahu and MP Shivajilingam were addressing people in Jaffna in Nallur, Achchuveli, Nelliady, Chunnakam and Uduppiddy."We will continue with the Tamil national struggle in the political arena for autonomy and slelf determination," said Dr. Vickramabahu.He further said that even after the Tamil militancy was defeated in an ocean of blood and tears, the rulers who had a song and dance about it could not live happily.He said that those who crushed the Tamils will have to pay for the blood and tears shed by the Tamils."The workers struggles that sprang up in the south saying that they cannot bear the burden of the war, forced the government to call an election before time," said Dr. Vickramabahu.Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam called upon Tamil not to give a single vote for either of the two main candidates who are trying to claim the spoils of the war.He said that they should vote for either him or Dr. Vickramabahu in order to stop getting either the present president or the former army commander getting 50% of votes in the presidential elections.

01 January 2010

I came into break the votes- Sivajilingam

TNA MP Presidential Candidate M.K. Sivajilingam said yesterday that he entered the presidential fray not to allow any of the two main candidates to get 50 percent of votes at the election scheduled for January 26.Mr. Sivajilingam told Daily Mirror that he would start his campaign in Jaffna today along with New Left Front Candidate Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne.  “We campaign for freedom, democracy and self rule. We have to show the strength of the minority communities by not allowing any of the two main candidates to get 50 percent of votes. In such an eventuality, there will be a count of the preferential votes,” the TNA MP said.He said that the TNA as a party should at least take a decision not to support the two main candidates unless it cannot approve his bid for the presidency as an independent candidate. “In this case, we had a discussion with TNA leader R. Sampanthan on Tuesday. No final decision was, however, taken,” Mr. Sivajilingam said.On Wednesday, MPs N. Sri Kantha, Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Gajendra Kumara Ponnambalam and   Mr. Sivajilingam had a meeting.“We want to mount pressure on the TNA leadership to take a decision not to support the two main candidates. We have the support of 12 members for it,” he said.  

The adamancy of Sampanthan would soon lead to a vertical split of the TNA

The Common Left Presidential Candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne and the Independent Tamil Presidential Candidate M.K. Sivajilingam – both will be in the Jaffna district from today onwards up to the 4th of this month, participating in a joint election campaign.Speaking to Asian Tribune, Sivajilingham said that both of them will be jointly appealing to the voters in the Jaffna electoral district, not to vote for Sarath Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said that this will be their main plank of the campaign and it is left to the voters to decide to vote for one of them on the polling day.The Tamil independent presidential candidate further said that he will be campaigning in Vavuniya and Mannar on 6th of January, also jointly with Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne.He further said that, when he met R.Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the TNA , his deputy Mavai Senathirajah and Kathirgamathamby Retnasingham MP along with Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam MP and Selvam Adaikalanathan MP on Thursday, he has told them that he was prepared to reconsider his candidature, in case TNA resolves not to support either of the two main presidential candidates – President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka, in the forthcoming presidential election.Sivajilingham said that Sampanthan was adamant and as he has already decided to support Sarath Fonseka, he rejected my last minute appeal to save a vertical split of the TNA.At the meeting held on Thursday, Sivajilingham said Sampanthan informed that he has received an invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a meeting and invited anyone of us to join him if interested.As I was not interested, I did not join him in the meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said that he learnt that Samapanthan went along with Mavai Senathirajah to meet the Sri Lanka President.He said that the outcome of the meeting was 'inconsequential' as Sampanthan has already decided to support Sarath Fonseka. In the meantime Sivajilingham said that already he has registered his protest with the Indian High Commission in Colombo for his deportation from India last Saturday, citing it as an act of humiliation perpetrated on the Sri Lankan Tamil community. Sivajilingam said that he handed over his protest letter to the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Asok K. Kantha on Wednesday. He said that he was deported in an unacceptable manner by the Indian immigration authorities, when he sought to enter India at the Chennai airport. He added that in his letter that he was heading towards India from London to attend a Tamil conference to be held in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu. He found faults with his colleagues in the TNA saying that they had conveyed the information to the Indian authorities on his anti-Indian stand. Given below the full text of the letter addressed to the Indian High Commissioner Ashok K.Kantha with the subject matter of “Deportation from India.”“ I am compel to bring to your attention the fact of my deportation from the Chennai Airport on the early morning of the 26th December 2009, when I landed there from London by flight No EK 542.Even my request to be sent to Colombo instead London was turned down by the team of immigration officials, whom I have sufficient reasons to believe that they have been assembled in advance to receive me at the Chennai airport to execute my deportation. Within half an hour of my arrival, I was forced to fly back to London via Dubai in the flight No EK 543.At the Dubai airport, while in transit, the immigration officials were kind enough to permit to fly Colombo on my paying for the journey from Chennai to Dubai and from there to Colombo. My travelling to Chennai from London was to attend the World Tamil Conference that was held in Tanjore, in Tamil Nadu on 26th and 27th of this month.The said deportation of mine, who is a member of parliament representing the Jaffna electoral district and a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election is in fact nothing but an act of preplanned humiliation perpetuated on the Sri Lankan Tamil community.I request that this act of gross injustice and blatant discrimination be brought to the attention to the Prime Minister and the Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India,” writes Sivajilingham.

TNA: Trial of Strength in the offing – Why Sampanthan adamantly opposes Mahinda?

The parliamentarians belonging to the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), and some Independents have decided to put forward a compromise formula at the forthcoming Parliamentary Group meeting of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) fixed for 4th January in the New Year.This move is aimed to salvage the unity of the TNA that faces the imminent possibility of its fragmentation. With the SMS Group (Sampathan, Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran) continuing to be adamant in extending support to Sarath Fonseka, while the ACTC has resolved to call for a boycott and M.K.Sivajilingham an MP of the TELO having come forward as an independent candidate in the forthcoming presidential election, there is an unprecedented crisis looming within the TNA.According to reliable sources, the leader of the parliamentary group R. Sampanthan has insisted that the present Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be defeated regardless of any political consequences at a meeting with the a team of TNA MPs that included Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam of the ACTC, Selvam Adaikalanathan of the TELO, and the TELO rebel M.K.Sivajilingham.Sampanthan was accompanied by his Deputy Mavai S. Senathirajah, a member of the SMS trio and the notable absentee was Suresh Premachandran who has gone to India on a private visit, while it was rumored that the purpose of the visit to India was to make preparatory arrangements for the visit of the SMS leaders to New Delhi, next week. According to the same TNA sources, with Sampanthan showing an intransigent attitude towards the overtures by the three MPs team to diffuse the crisis in order to arrive at an agreeable decision on the 4th January scheduled for the group meeting, there seems no hope for any reconciliation at this juncture. Against this backdrop, some TNA MPs in addition to those three TNA MPs team that met with Sampanthan, held a meeting yesterday evening in Colombo to have a discussion on the current situation. It is learnt that they have finally come to a resolution to be presented in the next parliamentary group meeting. According to an insider, these MPs supported by some others who are presently in their respective electoral districts, will propose that the TNA should resolve that both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka be opposed. According to the present political scenario, “clearly the TNA faces the danger of a vertical split and therefore either we should bury the hatchet and agree to a minimum possible common position if the SMS group comes forwards to reject both the major candidates, otherwise a trial of strength is unavoidable,” stated an MP of the TNA who is presently out of Colombo. According to the MP, except for Mavai Senathirajah and Suresh Premachandran of the SMS leadership, six MPs from the TNA representing the Jaffna district and some others from the Vanni, Baticaloa and Amparai districts have agreed to rally round the new compromise proposal, in the interest of the unity of the TNA.“We have the majority,” asserted a MP of the TNA on condition of anonymity. It is also learnt that both Chandra Nehru Chanthirakanth (National List MP) and Jeyananthamoorthy (Batticaloa District) who are now abroad, it is said are also in favor of the compromise proposal.

Minister Chandrasekeran dies of a heart attack  
 
Up country people’s Front Leader and Minster of Community development and Social inequity ,P. Chandrasekeran passed away today (01). He was 52 years old at the time of his death.He died on admission to a private Hospital following a sudden heart attack.Chandresekeran was born on 17th April 1958. He was a member of the Ceylon workers Congress (CWC) and entered politics while being engaged in trade union activities. In 1989, he started his own political party – the upcountry people's Front.After splitting from the CWC, he faced a lot of harassment personally. He was arrested and even a case was filed against him on charges of terrorism links. However he was exonerated of all the charges in the Courts.Chandrasekeran's body has been taken for post mortem examination.His funeral arrangements are to be at Talawakele and the date of the funeral is to be notified later .